Secrets of the Night
DISCLAIMER: I Do NOT own Pokemon!
Chapter 26: Progressing
Night had just descended upon the mysterious island. Shadows from the land rose and enveloped the surface. A calm silence filled the atmosphere, leaving only the voice of the wind to sing the day's end. East, the darkened sky began to glitter with stars, while as the western half still shone with remnants of the day, faintly staining the sky with a gentle orange glow that reflected upon the ocean blue waters.
Rosette Forest, Semira Isle
Rozalia was walking back to her division's central headquarters. With her Cherubi partner snoozing on her shoulder, she hummed quietly as she walked along the forest path darkened by a vast collection of leaves and a wide diversity of vegetation. Kricketunes and Nincadas filled the atmosphere with the symphony of nature, while other bug-types like Venomoths and Dustoxes fluttered about, leaving a shimmering trail of powder in their wake.
"Faye was really sweet girl, don't you think, Sakura?" Rozalia questioned her partner who was slowly waking up. "I did my best to help her, but I still worry…"
"Cherrru?" Sakura cocked her round pink body to one side.
"I know we have to be firm, but…" Rozalia trailed off and ended with a sigh. "This will be her second night. I wonder if she'll be okay. She was very jumpy yesterday when I first tried to introduce myself."
It was mid-afternoon. Rozalia was the first to head to the Torterra Ruins to meet Faye Lin after Aeron told her and Kirian about a new arrival in Semira. She wrapped herself in a camouflage cloak and positioned herself atop of a tree. Her Cherubi also stood by atop of a higher branch. Down below, they spotted a blonde girl dressed in a red blouse and white skirt. Beside her was a yellow fox with red-tipped ears and bushy tail. They seemed to have just returned from gathering more supplies. The girl laid a Watmel berry next to three apples before adding three more fallen branches to the accumulated pile of wood.
"Splendid work, Isis." Faye Lin smiled at her Fennekin as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead. She and her starter had a rough day, from food gathering to picking up wood for a fire.
Earlier, they managed to locate some berry trees in the direction where Aeron told her, but there were many wild pokemon around, making it hard to come close. When only a few remained, she tried to fight them off with Isis' help, but they were easily overpowered. They immediately escaped and ended up running to the safety of the woods. They were pursued by a Dodrio and Zangoose, but by the stroke of luck, they were left unfound.
Faye Lin peered behind the tree trunk and saw the wild pokemon wander off. It was then she noticed some bright round objects amidst the sea of green leaves. Looking up, she spotted fruits hanging down from the branches. Realizing the opportunity, she tried to jump up and reach them, but they were too high. Isis tried to help, but was unable to reach as well. Presented with very little choice, Faye Lin tried to climb the tree. With completely zero experience, she failed miserably. All she got in return was several cuts and splinters that extended further from her wrists. Tears ran down her face no matter how hard she tried to restrain them. She calmed down after a while and urged herself to move on.
To clean up the wounds, she headed towards the watering hole. She reached a glistening pristine lake were pokemon were frolicking joyfully in the waters, while others were peacefully drinking from the water's edge. Faye Lin found a secluded spot and dipped her hands in the water. She cringed and held back her tears as she watched the clear water become slightly stained in crimson. Feeling worried for her trainer, Isis picked up the canteen and handed it to her while looking up with sorrow flickering in her expression. Faye Lin feigned a smile and accepted it. Her hands trembled as she grabbed hold of the container and dipped it in the water. Her hands stung terribly but she accomplished one task: Collect water.
After refilling her canteen, she turned around and saw a couple of apples just laying there on the floor. Ecstatic, her Fennkin dashed over and planted her feral fangs on the juicy red fruit. Faye Lin was cheered up by her Fennekin's display. Smiling she came over and picked up the second apple. Her fingers brushed the fruit's smooth skin as she stared intently at the treat. Her stomach was furiously yelling at her mentally. She had never felt that way before. It was a strange and uncomfortable feeling. When she bit off the apple, the nagging voices settled down and she felt amazingly relieved.
Little did she know, Noir was watching over her from a nearby branch. He hung upside-down while finishing the last of his own apple.
The rest of the hours flew by. Faye Lin gathered wood while Isis stood guard. They also picked up more fruits and wild berries that grew from trees that they found along the way. They did their best to avoid the wild pokemon. When they couldn't carry anymore, they returned to Torterra Ruins and left their supplies there. They continued a bit longer but returned after Faye Lin couldn't walk anymore. Her hands ached. Her legs were ready to give in. Yet despite that, she remained strong. She kept telling herself that would overcome the obstacles and see her sister.
Rozalia studied her for a couple more minutes. Faye Lin had these pair of sparkling sapphire eyes and a gentle expression whenever she looked at her pokemon. It made Rozalia smile in amusement at the thought of pairing Aeron up with her. She glanced at the blonde girl once again as saw her rubbing her hands. Rozalia's eyes grew wide at the sight of the cuts and scrapes. Immediately, she leaped down and landed on the ground, a few meters away from her.
Faye Lin flinched and turned around. She saw a cloaked figure land on the grass. Her heart pounded rapidly as she recalled what Aeron said to her about not letting other people see her. Fear welling in her eyes, she backed away as Isis darted upfront and growled at the stranger.
"Wait! I mean you no harm!" Rozalia lowered her hood and flipped her long red ponytail. Then she shot Faye Lin a friendly smile. The blonde girl calmed down, but she was still cautious. It as only when Rozalia fully introduced herself that Faye Lin breathed in relief. "My name's Rozalia. I'm Aeron's friend."
Rozalia smiled in amusement at the memory of how Faye Lin's face lit up at the mention of Aeron's name. On that day, she had dressed the wounds on Faye Lin's hands and taught her several tips on surviving. They dug a shelter beneath the massive roots of the centre tree and filled it with dried up vegetation for added insulation. Then Rozalia showed her a secret spot where to gather fresh water without disturbing the wild pokemon at the watering hole. She also taught her to identify some herbs in case she ended up getting hurt again.
After a short while, she made it to the main headquarters of the Rosette Division, Shaymin's Garden. It was a massive greenhouse that appeared more like a round palace of glass and marble. The greenhouse was in the shape of a lotus flower. Its translucent petal-like structures shimmered with the radiance of an aurora, probably because of the light coming from the inside. Surrounding it were white buildings in the shape of domes that acted as the dorms, library and other necessary facilities. Its pristine walls were covered in verdant vines and lush ivies.
As Rozalia stood at the entrance, a sweet floral smell radiated from beyond the doorway. Slowly, the entrance opened and a small green pokemon with a leafy tail looked up at her with a small welcoming smile. Its eyes shifted to the girl's face and then to the pokemon perching on her shoulder.
"Hi Vivi, are you fitting in well?" Rozalia asked and patted the Snivy on the head. Vivi nodded and peeked behind her. No one was there. Rozalia followed his gaze and just knew what or who he was looking for. "I'm sorry, Vivi. Aeron's still busy…" Vivi was immediately brought down by disappointment, but then Rozalia lifted his head up once again. "We'll pay him a visit tomorrow, what do you say?" Vivi immediately perked up and nodded with enthusiasm.
"You're late, Rozalia…" A lady with long red hair walked up from the open door and stood behind the Snivy. She wore an elaborate silver-streaked black kimono that hung down towards the ground. Her amethyst-like eyes radiated a sense of authority and elegance that represented her overall appearance.
"Good evening, mother," Rozalia greeted simply. "Did anything new happen?"
"Well actually, I had a batch of a certain concoction made earlier," Rozalia's mother, Lady Amalia explained with a somewhat nostalgic smile, earning a curious look from her daughter. Lady Amalia laughed softly and motioned to the adjacent building. "Let us return home and I will explain the details."
After leaving her Cherubi in the greenhouse with Vivi, Rozalia and her mother headed to the adjacent building. It was a quaint white dome, but compared to the other residential ones, it was visibly larger. The mother and daughter stepped inside and sat together in the lounge. But before they would strike a conversation, Rozalia intervened to serve some tea and prepare dinner. It was only after they finished their meals and settled down that Lady Amalia began.
"One of the veteran members of the Saber unit sent a message to Semira this morning. He wrote down his contractor's condition and wanted a medicine made to help counter it. The solution I made wasn't a cure, but I'm fairly sure that it would help ease his body when the symptoms arise. The mix consisted of Pansage leaves, Petilil leaves, Venusaur petals, Combee honey and other herbs," Lady Amalia explained and then took a light sip of tea.
Rozalia found nothing odd about someone ordering a special concoction from the Rosette division. There was something else that stirred Rozalia's interest. "Mother, is there something else? Earlier, you seemed like you were remembering something."
"Very observant Rozalia." Her mother smiled in amusement. Lady Amalia leaned against her chair and stared at the ceiling, like she was deep in thought. "I don't think you remember, but I had that same mixture made for a certain someone. Although, at that time, I did add a bit of Dream Mist from a Musharna so it was sweeter."
"Huh? Did someone have the same illness?" Rozalia asked, growing more intrigued by the minute.
"No. The child was simply having frequent trauma attacks. It turned into quite the hassle, if I do say so myself…" Lady Amalia answered.
"A child?" Rozalia quoted. There weren't that many kids in Semira other than her and Aeron. There could have been some since Rozalia and Aeron only came to know each other because both their parents were leaders of different divisions. Still, it couldn't hurt to ask. "Do I know this child? I mean is he…?"
"That's enough for today," Lady Amalia dodged the conversation as she stood up from her chair. "Get plenty of rest. Tomorrow is another busy day."
Rozalia didn't raise a fuss and stood up to bid her mother goodnight. She bowed lightly, said her goodnights and walked to her own room. Exasperated, she flopped onto her bed and sighed deeply. She couldn't sleep. The question was left hanging at the most crucial point. She let out another sigh. It was no use. Thinking about it too much was helping at all. She buried her head against her pillow and forced herself to sleep.
Meanwhile, over to the secluded western region of Semira, a dark tower rose, casting a black silhouette against the star-studded sky. The air was still and cold, and the silence, heavy and eerie. All that could be heard was the sound of footsteps echoing within the halls.
Underneath the light of the dimly lit lanterns on the walls, Ikari walked towards the office of his superior, his violet locks contradicting against the orange glow. Beside him, was his trusted partner, Crystal, a full-fledged Mightyena. The two had just returned from another day's worth of training and were about to settle in for the night, but they were abruptly summoned to Lord Tristan's office.
Ikari arrived and entered through the black double doors. He saw Lord Tristan, leaning against his chair, in front of his desk. The red-haired man had a hand tucked under his chin, a sly grin on his face, and a couple of bandages at the corner of his right cheek. But what surprised Ikari more was not the strips of bandages, but the presence of three females clad in black; the first had brown hair tied back in a single braid and was leaning against the corner of the room, the second had white curly hair and was tapping the glass of an aquarium filled with Basculin, and the third had short red hair and was sitting placidly on the desk.
"You called for me, Lord Tristan?" Ikari bowed lowly as did his Mightyena.
"Why yes, mister Kageyama. I bid you welcome. Please, have a seat," Lord Tristan motioned to a chair in front of his desk, opposite to the side where the redhead sat. Ikari nodded and eyed the female trio once again before taking his seat. Crystal was also being cautious around the three as she occupied the spot beside her partner's chair.
"So is this scrawny thing our new pet?" Leiko asked with a playful grin. She leaned back and crossed her leg over the other while studying Ikari from head to toe. "She doesn't look like much."
"Leiko, he's a guy," Bellatrix, the brunette across the room, corrected, making Leiko flinch in surprise.
Alice, the third member, giggled at her companion's mistake and trotted away from the aquarium and moved in closer to Ikari. "Well, I think it's easily mistakable," she commented with a smile.
Crystal let out a low growl upon hearing such comments about her partner. Luckily, Ikari settled her down with a calm stroke across her silk black fur. Shrugging off the three females, Ikari turned to Lord Tristan and inquired, "Is there a reason for my presence here, Lord Tristan?"
"Yes. As a matter-of-fact, I have something important to discuss with you," Lord Tristan began, his tone gradually becoming serious and enveloping the atmosphere. Quietly, Leiko and Alice moved back at the sidelines with Bellatrix as to not interrupt. Lord Tristan eyed them piercingly and turned to Ikari once again, but this time with a faint smile. "As you know, your father was a well-known member of the Black Scythes. He was my senior and a close friend of our former head."
"I'm well-aware of that, Lord Tristan," Ikari answered as his thoughts deepened at the memory of his father and the days he spent before coming to Semira Isle.
Ikari grew up the lazy city of Rustboro, located in the lush Hoenn region. Despite being the third biggest city in the whole region, it was very peaceful and calm. Perhaps, it was merely the ambiance of the olden-styled city, or it could be that people were just engrossed in their own work. Rustboro city is known to be the location for the Devon Corp. as well as Hoenn's most prestigious school.
Ikari lived together with his mother in a quaint house, somewhere deep within the residential area of Rustboro City. They led a simple life. At first glance, no one suspected that they belonged to an assassin's family. They seemed like a normal family whose father was working far away.
Ikari's father was a full-fledged assassin and a skilled one at that. He rarely returned home due to his occupation which required him to travel to different regions in several occasions. Despite his busy schedule, he never forgot the important days to spend time with his family. At an early age, Ikari learned what his father's job entailed. Despite that, he never hated the man. In fact, he looked up to him as his role model.
When Ikari turned seven, his mother became very ill. He spent his days taking care of her as well as the household. Ikari's father sent money on a frequent basis so the medical bills were no problem. Although, it would have been better to admit Ikari's mother to a hospital, but it would only raise suspicions about the so-called well-paying job of his father. Ikari didn't mind though, he loved his mother. And that whole experience led Ikari to be independent.
A year passed and Ikari's mother began to recover. Ikari, though, had another problem. All that time he skipped hanging out with friends to help out at home, coupled by his own shyness, and tendency to be socially awkward, he grew distant from people, particularly the kids around his age. He rarely spent time with them and was inevitably left behind by the social group, making him a frequent target for bullies and the like.
Ikari accepted his circumstance and concentrated on his family. One day, things changed. It happened when Ikari was simply heading home. He was cornered by a familiar group of bullies. He tried to avoid conflict, but it was futile. Fortunately, one brave kid stepped in and stood by his side. Ever since that event, the boy frequently tagged along with Ikari, despite the purple-haired kid's protests. It was not like Ikari didn't like him. He was just afraid that the boy would end up being hated if he hung around him. And besides, he didn't needed friends anyway.
That is, until a certain event in his life caused his whole world to collapse. His father was killed. His hero, his role model, his inspiration, was gone. His mother was all he had left. Ikari had to be strong for her, in his father's stead. He couldn't—he mustn't break down for his mother's sake. He had to be strong. There were times though, that he felt weak and hopeless, and the only place where he could find refuge was his friend whom he later saw as his best friend.
Years passed. Ikari had moved on with his father's death, although the scar never did heal. The memory of his father was etched deep inside of him, especially in his personal goals. He remained forever his inspiration. It was what led Ikari to follow in his father's footsteps. Everyday, he secretly trained using the basic teaching methods that his father taught him when he was alive. When he turned fifteen, he left his mother under the care of his best friend, and went to Semira.
"After your father's death, your family lived off the savings he had accumulated over the time. Knowing my senior's skills, it should have been more than enough to purchase a fancy manor and still pay all the livings expenses until you have kids of your own," Lord Tristan quipped with a chuckle.
"Money is not the reason why I joined," Ikari answered.
"I know. This is what you really want and I admire you for that, mister Kageyama …or should I simply call you Ikari?" Lord Tristan shot him a fatherly grin and pulled out two pokeballs. "Because of your ideals, efforts and not to mention, lineage, I have come to harbor high expectations from you. Although you are not yet a senior rank, I shall give you this assignment."
Ikari gazed down at the two capsules, one contained a Sneasel and the other was a Froslass. He glanced at Crystal before accepting the two new members of his team. After attaching them to his belt, he looked to Lord Tristan for further details on the assignment. Lord Tristan explained to him the details. There was no assassination entailed, but there was a certain person that he wanted to keep a very close eye on. Ikari nodded and took his leave, but Lord Tristan called him back.
"There is no rush, my dear Ikari. There is another person you must meet before you begin your mission…" Lord Tristan smiled as he tapped his bandages. "When you introduce yourself, be sure to send him my regards." He then handed the boy a small black envelope and the location of this certain person.
Ikari flipped the envelope and inspected the front and back before he bowed once again to his superior. "I shall take my leave, Lord Tristan." He turned about and motioned Crystal to follow.
"Hurry back, squirt! We still have a tight schedule of last-minute training," Leiko reminded with an eager grin.
"It'll be rough so prepare yourself…" Bellatrix added.
"See you soon, Ikari-chan!" Alice waved.
Ikari shot the three a short glance before closing the door behind him. His next destination was set: the Zephyr Pillar.
End of Chapter 26
Next will be a continuation of Ikari and Aeron. Then we'll be off to Neo's journey!
I went with the logical route, btw. Cinnabar is first. :)
Clarity for the medicine: Not a cure, but just something to ease Neo's body. It'll keep the symptoms from getting worse to the point that he passes out.
Pansage leaves - relieve stress
Vensaur flower (aroma) - soothes emotions
Petilil leaves - revitializing effects (Thanks Vikeila!)