A/N I LIVE YET! And here is that super-secret reason for the previous lack of Johto.

Also part one of four. You know what that means? Actually consistent uploads for a month! ...mainly because I just started writing but then I had to add lore and it turned out four times longer than Return to Lumiose.

Think of this as a celebration of me finally getting around to writing stories in each region.

Is there's something you didn't like, tell me. Through review, pm, whatever. I can't read minds, so I can't take your opinions or ideas into consideration if you don't tell me.

If you do review, it might take a bit for me to respond despite notifications. This story in particular has been hit by spam reviews, so there's not much I can do about it.

So, until next time~

Their lives had started that day five hundred years ago, when Father had created them. What they had been before mattered little, if they were anything at all, for they started anew in every sense. They had purpose and family, which was enough for them.

Over their five centuries of living, they grew stronger, swifter. Their purpose as messengers became easier, to the point where it was almost dull. Every so often there were humans who sought them, some with more innocent intentions than others, and were usually fun to toy with for a bit.

Then Eusine appeared.

The trio had dealt with the occasional collector before, all of which had eventually given up the chase. But Eusine didn't. It seemed his entire purpose in life was his single-minded drive to capture her. Just her, not her brothers as well, but given the chance he'd probably take them too.

Suicune padded in circles, streamers flicking in agitation. A rare occurrence, given her generally calm demeanor stereotypical to most water types.

"Sit down, you're going to get Raikou riled up," Entei spoke from where he was lazing, though didn't sound very concerned.

"I'd like to see how you deal with a human completely obsessed with your very existence!" she sniped back, though did manage to sit. A wound up Raikou would just attract attention, the last thing she wanted at that moment.

"You know exactly what I would do," Entei pointed out. Yes, she knew very well. Find Eusine, then scare him to the Distortion World with copious amounts of fire, probably causing plenty of collateral damage in the process.

"The offer is still open, you know," the Fire-type started, but Suicune shook her head, her purple mane swishing back and forth. While she hated being so persistently pursued, it was against her moral compass potentially injure the man.

Entei was undoubtedly the one with the most raw power, holding command over forces both dangerous and unstable, and angering him was a sure way of setting off the nearest volcano. She shuddered just thinking of poor Cinnabar. His usually laid-back attitude was an almost necessary safeguard against such events.

Of her siblings, she was inherently the least destructive due to her base element, and as such was given more of the observation missions. To eavesdrop on Elite Four meetings to learn what they knew, or monitor alarming situations. Over time she had grown somewhat attached to the humans and their quirks, and it pained her to purposefully harm one, mentally, emotionally or physically.

"Fine by me either way." Entei shrugged, going back to his nap.

"Maybe you could-" Raikou started excitedly, standing and prancing from paw to paw, when Suicune interrupted him.

"No, I won't run circles around him til' he's dizzy. Nor will I startle him with electric attacks I can't even use." she pointed out blandly. Raikou sat back down, slightly embarrassed.

She started repeatedly tapped the ground with a forepaw, and while it wasn't really helping her think, she felt a little better.

The creaking of footsteps on the remaining upper floor paused her abuse of the ground. Immediately the three went into high alert, all standing tensed, ready to fight or flee at a moment's notice.

Given the recognizable pop of a Pokeball opening, it was probably just a trainer capitalizing on an opportunity to train, but that wasn't exactly comforting.

Suicune motioned to her brothers, tossing her head towards the route they used to quickly leave the Burned Tower. With silent, practiced steps, they began making their way to the back of the basement. There they stood, ready to leap to the various overhangs and beams that constituted their exit path.

More footsteps, these heavier, more confident. Arrogant, even. Voices floated down, one clearly annoyed while the other was fairly indifferent. More pops, the sounds of Pokemon crying out as they fought.

Suicune frowned, confused. The Burned Tower was hardly an ideal place to hold a battle due to the unstable nature of the building. Dust drifted down, knocked loose from the floorboards by the battling Pokemon above. They weren't the strongest out there, given how nothing was collapsing, but they weren't lightweights either.

The shuffling and creaking died down as a victor emerged. The confident steps turned to stomps, the evident looser leaving the tower in a huff. The first set of steps continued towards the overhang the basement was visible from, and Suicune gathered the North wind around herself as she tensed again, ready to jump if a face became visible.

The steps stopped a moment, before another set, unlike the previous two yet still familiar, rushed through the upper layer. She groaned inwardly. Of course Eusine had to show up. Eusine slowed down as he caught up with the first human, his voice floating down in snippets as he undoubtedly exposited something about her.

The pair continued, more tentatively now that they were close to the edge, and their faces peered over the ridge. The one in front was young, a backwards cap covering most of his dark hair. He seemed innocently curious more than anything. Then Eusine showed his face, going from calm and collected to excited as a child in a candy shop as he spotted her.

"Run!" Suicune barked to her brothers, who definitely didn't need telling twice. They bounded away, traces of their elements trailing behind from the way they boosted themselves. She was about to follow when a great crack split the air, followed closely by a surprised yell which soon turned to one of fear. Without thinking once, Suicune dug her claws in for leverage and shot towards the falling boy.

Using her gathered wind to soften the landing, she looked at her passenger. The boy was awkwardly sprawled on her back, startled but otherwise perfectly fine. Kneeling down, he carefully slid off, one hand trailing on her short fur for stability. It took a moment to register, but she realized that was the first time a human had touched her. It felt… nice.

Eusine's footsteps started rushing towards the ladder, and she bounded away before he could come any closer. With her usual speed boost dissipated and little time to summon it back, she pushed a little water out of her paws with each step, making her gait more efficient. A few moments of parkouring around the building and she leapt over the blackened walls to freedom.

"What happened in there?" Raikou was the one to ask. Entei was probably curious as well, but he wouldn't have shown it.

"The floor crumbled and the other human fell," Suicune started to explain, only to be interrupted by Entei.

"And you just had to help out," he drawled, sitting on his haunches and licking a paw in false indifference.

"It was that or fret he had been seriously injured," she explained herself, playfully flicking her fire-typed brother with a streamer as she did so.

"Either way," she continued, turning so that she was facing both her brothers, "For the next few months we need to stay clear of the Burned Tower. Eusine will spend every moment he can spare crawling over the place."

"Ooo, are we going to one of the other places?" Raikou might as well have been a Spoink, given all the bouncing he was doing.

"We have no other choice," Suicune agreed. "Raikou, scout out the backup areas. Preferably choose one rather far from here,"

"You got it, Sis!" Electricity flowed to his legs for a moment, then he bolted off as a yellow blur, leaving naught but a slight greasy feel in the air. Being consistently supercharged with electrical energy had its bonuses.

"Is this really necessary?!" Entei complained over the noises of the waves. Fortunately for him, the tailwind carrying him also carried the sound to Suicune.
"We're trying not to attract attention. Steam explosions do not help to that end," she deadpanned back. Entei was just as fast as her, but not without the aid of his fire-boosting, so they had long ago worked out that she could use her tailwind to help him along in cases like this.

He grumbled slightly, but apparently decided arguing wasn't worth it. They were already approaching the Cianwood shore, mere miles from the reserve Raikou had scouted out. Not only was there an entire ocean between the island and mainland, but Ecruteak was very much landlocked, so it was unlikely Eusine would track them down quickly. Even if that did happen, they could always just escape across the waves.

Suicune landed on the beach, dissipating the tailwind she'd been sustaining as Entei came in. A small shockwave of displaced air burst out as Raikou suddenly braked next to them, his hindquarters digging a trench as he skidded almost all the way to the other end of the beach, before turning and coming back relatively slowly. Relatively as in going about five meters a second as opposed to five hundred.

"So what now?" Raikou asked, twitching his tail back and forth which caused a bit of static charge to build up in it.

"We carry out our duties from here," Suicune said, choosing to stay away from the electrical buildup her energetic brother was unintentionally generating.

"After all," she added, "It's not like he'll find us here any time soon."

"You have got to be kidding,"

"Nope," Entei said cheerfully, seeming to lavish in his sister's misery.

"He's here. On the island." Suicune repeated, each word straining a bit on her already threadbare hope that Eusine would one day leave her be.

"Yup," he wasn't even trying to hide his grin. She definitely had something for that.

"And if he does catch me?" she probed, "What if I'm not enough for him? What if he goes after you or Raikou next?" Her brother blanched, quite a difficult feat for a creature covered in long brown fur.

"I think I hear Father calling me, seeya!" The words tumbled out as he dashed off to anywhere but there, at speeds most wouldn't think he was capable of. Suicune held back a flicker of amusement as she heard the tell-tale geysers of boiling seawater that signified Entei boosting across the open ocean.

A quiet gasp broke through that amusement, drawing her attention behind her. Fearing for the worse, she preemptively tensed and built up wind around her paws as she turned.

Fortunately, it was not her stalker. There stood the boy she had saved months back, and she got a better look at him. There were few physical differences, as it had only been a few months, but he exuded completely new airs. His stance had a bit more confidence, which didn't quite mesh with the more cautious steps she had heard in the Tower. Amusingly, his cap was still backwards.

Eyes shining with simple curiosity - which of itself was an uncommon reaction - he took a few steps towards her.

"Thank you," were the first words from his mouth. Suicune tilted her head in confusion. "For saving me, I mean," he clarified. "I didn't have a chance to say because you left so quickly."

Knowing her native tongue sounded like gibberish to most humans, she nodded, releasing her hold on the north wind and relaxing her muscles to show she accepted.

If anything, this was a unique opportunity.

The boy advanced further, making sure to show he wasn't a threat. As soon as he was close enough, he held out a hand palm-up as if asking to stroke her fur.

Suicune nuzzled the hand, mostly out of curiosity. She'd seen many caught Pokemon do so, and it was not often a chance like this occurred for her. At first he seemed taken aback, almost as if it hadn't even crossed his mind that she would accept, then started stroking her fur.

It was an odd sensation. Not bad, mind you. Just unfamiliar.

"I'm Ethan," the boy introduced himself. "Though I suppose I won't see you again, at least not like this," Ethan finished with a half-hearted chuckle.

She was about to respond when another, much louder, voice called from behind Ethan.

"Suicune! How I've longed to see you!"

Backpedaling away from the boy, the Legendary could see Eusine approaching. She let out a low growl, lowering into a hunting crouch as she did so. There was no mistaking her animosity.

Eusine's approach faltered.

"But… why?" There was a pitiable tone to his voice. Heartbroken, almost. It nearly made her feel sorry for the man.

"I… you take favor to a mere child over me?! One who has devoted their life to searching you out!" Suddenly, she didn't feel so bad about the situation. Leaping onto the surf, she dashed out of sight, then curved her run so she ended up near the two Trainers, in a clump of bushes large enough to hide in.

"You!" Eusine was furious, glaring daggers at Ethan.

"Battle me! Right here, right now for the right to Suicune's affections!" Said Beast let out a small huff. Ethan seemed to agree.

"That's not how it works," he argued back. "You have to earn Suicune's respect, same as any Pokemon!"

"What would you know of Suicune's wishes? I spent my life studying it!" That made her cringe. Dozens of legends and not one mentioned she was female?

"I already told you-" Ethan was cut off by the flash and sound effect of a Pokeball opening. Eusine's Pokemon, a Drowzee, stood ready to fight.

Forced into battle, the other trainer begrudgingly sent out one of his own Pokemon. An Umbreon appeared on the sand, took in the situation, and started growling at the Psychic-type. Drowzee suddenly looked much less willing to fight.

The ensuing battle was very one-sided, the Drowzee only landing a few feeble strikes before it went down. The following Haunter was out just as quickly despite the usually solid hit-and-run tactics Ghost-types tended to used, but left a much larger impact.

Paralyzed from one of the Ghost's attacks, Umbreon fell to the Electrode, unable to battle effectively.

"Thank you, Umbreon," Suicune's ears picked up the low mutter Ethan spoke to the Pokeball containing the creature, before sending out his next.

"If you don't want to fight, Shuckie, that's fine," he told the Shuckle he had sent out. After a moment of deliberation, the small Pokemon nodded confirmation and turned to square off against its opponent.

The Electrode was rolling back and forth in the sand, using the static to help Charge itself.

"Sticky web!" Ethan called out. In response, Shuckie tuck himself into his shell. Moments later great globs of Sticky Web shot out. Unfortunately, they all either missed or were dodged by the speedy Electric-type, who retaliated with a Thunderbolt.

"Withdraw!" a last-second attempt to block, but the bolt managed to get in a little damage.

"Rock Throw, around the edge of the field," Ethan's unorthodox command seemed to confuse both the Shuckle and Eusine. After hesitating a moment, Shuckie carried it out, tucking into his shell to expel rocks just like he had the Sticky Web. Several of the boulders were blown apart by bolts of electricity after the first few strikes splashed harmlessly off the Shuckle's natural armor.

It was too late when Eusine realized what Ethan was doing.

"Sticky Web!" the rocks switched back to blobs of goo, but this time Electrode didn't have anywhere to run, having been fenced in by the Rock Throw. It got pegged square in the face with one, then rolled into another as it tried to blindly escape.

"Self-Destruct!" The Electrode executed the last-ditch order, the displaced air rushing in all directions away from the blast. It had succeeded in destroying the Web, but it was too late.

Several rocks came hurtling down, hitting the Electric-type in quick succession. Combined with the Self-Destruct, there was no way for it to continue.

Suicune didn't stick around after that. There was too high a chance of being spotted. But, she couldn't help but feel a little bit smug. Eusine had had it coming.

A/N I did check: as of gen 7 Suicune can learn exactly zero electric moves, not counting Hidden Power and Nature Power.

I know I was a bit harsh on Eusine, but this is from Suicune's POV. I doubt she likes him very much.

Thought I'd throw in a nod to one of Entei's Pokedex entries, where it mentions his roars can cause volcanoes to explode. Gotta have some form of continuity (even though the Pokedex is a hypocrite on its own).