Yagami Kuzuki: Ah, I see. Thanks for clearing that up for me.
Levi759: I will be able to add in some of the more important sidequests to the story. However, due to the flow of the story at the moment, it may take a while before I can begin covering the sidequests.
Welcome back everyone; today marks the beginning of Conflicting Ren-union, the 13th episode of Rejuvenation! Note that the upcoming chapters will be shorter than the last two, but I still hope I can satisfy you with my hard work.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.
Route 9: Entrance to the Scholar District
Julius was making his way down the quiet dirt path, a cool breeze blowing through the area as he was mulling over something. Erin had already gotten up and left the theatre by the time he woke up, and Melia was still getting ready from what she told him, so the young teen figured he'd wait for her at the entrance. Soon enough, he saw the white-haired girl casually waiting by the door, glancing briefly at him.
"The doors are all up and running, meaning we can now enter the Scholar District. Furthermore, this also enables us to get back onto Route 9 without paying for a train." Erin informed him, the young teen resting beside a tree. "It's been a while since I was here last, so I hope things are still the same."
"Ah, so you've been to the Athenium before? Any fond memories of the place?" Julius inquired.
"Well…I'd rather keep them to myself for now." The white-haired girl admitted, her friend raising an eyebrow in intrigue but opted to drop the subject for now. "By the way, where's Melia? I figured she'd be coming with you."
"She was getting ready when I left. I told her that we'll be waiting outside the district for her." The young teen informed her, a small sigh of annoyance escaping from Erin's mouth.
"She was the one who came up with the plan to investigate the Atheneum in the first place, why is she taking her time to get ready?" She inquired, only for a familiar voice to call out to them, waving at them as she made her way to the duo.
"S-Sorry I'm late! I was just putting on my new outfit…" Melia apologized, standing up straight as she did a quick twirl, her long blonde hair tied up into a ponytail. Her new outfit consisted of a black pinafore pleated skirt with a white button up shirt underneath whose sleeves reached just above her elbows. She also wore a pair of black stockings that were topped off with a pair of black loafers. "So…how do I look?"
"Absolutely beautiful, my lady." Julius complimented her, taking her hand and kissing it gently as the blonde giggled lightly to herself.
"Thank you. But now that pleasantries are out of the way, it's time for me to report for duty!" She smiled at him, taking a step back as she soon struck a dramatic pose, with Erin shooting a deadpan look at her. "What? I've been wanting to say that for quite some time now."
"So now that you're here, we can finally make our way to the Athenaeum." The white-haired girl chimed in.
"Yep! And once we're inside, we'll be able to find all the answers to our questions!" Melia cheered adamantly.
"You're awfully cheery today, it's kind of disgusting to be honest." Erin replied a little bluntly.
"No need to be so dour. If Melia says we can find all the answers we need, then I believe her. Besides, after what she's been through recently, she needs some cheeriness in her life." Julius supported the blonde, a question soon forming in his mind. "By the way, where is the Athenium?"
"It's fairly easy to find once you're inside the district; it's on the Eastern side of the main road, a few blocks away from the entrance." The white-haired girl answered.
"Awesome! Let's get a move on then!" The blonde called out, the trio making their way through the district entrance, past the toll gates and into the district. As one might expect from a place dubbed the Scholar District, the place had an air of peace and tranquillity in it. Rather than the fervent trainer battles of the other district, civilians partook in intellectual challenges and debates over issues such as the Badlands situation, how to deal with Bladestar and even the best pizza toppings. "Oh my, this place is rather lovely."
"It looks the same as I remember it to be, which is nice I suppose." Erin chimed in, her gaze locked onto the Athenaeum. "Well there it is, I'll see you two in there."
"I can safely say that my time here will be pleasant. It'll be a breath of fresh air from the constant battling I've done in the last few days." Julius commented, watching Erin make her way to her destination as he soon turned to see Melia taking in a few deep breaths. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah…I'm just being cautious and all, taking things one step at a time. I may act all bold and confident, but I also can't help being a little nervous. This is a new chapter of my life, and I don't want to mess things up like I did back then." She admitted, with the young teen resting his hand on her shoulder.
"That's incredibly brave of you, to admit your shortcomings and seek to surpass them. While I am fully confident that you will succeed, I'll be more than happy to help you out in case you need it." He offered, the blonde giving him a nod of gratitude as the duo made their way towards the Athenaeum. Upon entering the building, they were amazed at the vast majesty of the interior, with dozens of shelves filled with a wide variety of books covering a range of different topics. There were books there that were exclusive to the Athenaeum, as well as books that only had a few existing copies in the entire world.
"As you two might've expected, you'll get kicked out of this place if you're too loud. So keep it down, will you?" Erin spoke quietly to them.
"Y-Yeah, got it." Melia replied, the trio quietly making their way through the library as they searched for an empty table to take a seat at. However, the white-haired girl soon nudged at the duo, pointing towards a small table in the corner that was unoccupied. "I see…we'll meet you there, I wish to talk to the librarian for a moment."
"Suit yourself." Erin replied, quietly making her way to the table as the duo soon approached the front desk.
"Welcome to the Blakeory Atheneum, how can I help you two today?" The librarian replied quietly, but cheerily.
"I-I was just wondering if there was, by chance, a Gym here." The blonde inquired.
"That's correct, but if you want to challenge the leader, you'll have to wait. Lavender's currently at the Hospital of Hope." She replied, catching Melia off-guard.
"W-Wait, Lavender's the Gym Leader of the Blakeory Atheneum?" Melia inquired, with the librarian nodding in confirmation as a hint of sadness soon overcame the blonde. "I see…well, thank you anyway."
"Always happy to help out!" She smiled at the duo, watching them make their way to where Erin was sitting.
"I think I know why you asked her that question; this was where your gym was going to be, am I right?" Julius asked her.
"Y-Yeah, it was…I'm surprised you still remember that; I told it to you a long, long time ago." Melia answered back.
"Well how could I forget that day? It was where we become lifelong friends." The young teen shot her a smile.
"Indeed, but I still can't help but wonder what life would've been like had that day gone differently…" She mused to herself, briefly glancing out a window that overlooked the crystal-clear pond within the district. Soon enough, the duo made their way to the table where Erin was seated and took a seat beside her. "So, did you read that book about the Miera Region last night? Julius and I needed some fresh air, so we didn't get a chance to read it ourselves."
"As a matter of fact, I did. There was plenty of interesting stuff in that book. In fact, it's so interesting that at times I thought it was a work of fiction. But as the old saying goes, the truth is always stranger than fiction." Erin told them, briefly looking around to see if anybody was eavesdropping on them before opting to continue. "For starters, the Miera Region was a place that existed long before Aevium; the region itself is located nine hours west of here. But the thing is…the Miera Region has been completely abandoned."
"Abandoned? What for?" Julius inquired.
"I'm sure you'll love this Julius; the citizens of the region had to flee because of a nuclear meltdown at the Miera Nuclear Plant. Sound familiar?" The white-haired girl cracked a small smirk at him.
"Yes…frighteningly familiar. In fact, I remember you saying something like this back when we were in the past. Like I said before, I firmly believe the two incidents are not related." The young teen replied.
"Indeed, you did give us your opinion on the matter. And after digging through a bit more, I'm inclined to agree with you. In fact, this is where things get interesting; the first citizens of Aevium were the ones who initially fled Miera, just like Katsu said to me. When the Miera Nuclear Plant went under, the entire region fled east and ended up on uncharted shores." Erin continued.
"Which was when Aevium was discovered." Melia chimed in.
"Correct, but that's not all I learnt. There were three things that stuck out to me while reading; the incident at the plant was caused by ten individuals who all died at the site. Eight of them were rendered unidentifiable, but the ninth and tenth one was able to be identified. The ninth one was a woman named Freya, a member of the International Police and the reason the plant went under. Asides from those two facts, there was virtually nothing I could find about her." The white-haired girl explained, as the blonde began thinking to herself.
"I see…and this tenth individual?" Melia asked.
"I'll get to that later. Now, the second thing is a little more relevant to us; Miera wasn't free of mass crime, just like Aevium. There was an evil team running around and causing havoc, but that's not what sticks out to me. What stuck to me was their name; Team Xen." Erin continued, catching the duo off-guard.
"T-Team Xen?! A-Are they the very same one we're fighting against?!" Julius exclaimed in surprise, only for someone to hush him from the other side of the room. "S-Sorry…"
"Most likely, they existed more than fifty years ago. But unlike the Team Xen we know, there was no Madame X calling the shots. The one running Team Xen back then was a man named Lord Xenadin, hence the name Team Xen. Coincidentally, Lord Xenadin was the tenth victim of the meltdown at the nuclear plant." The white-haired girl answered his question.
"But that doesn't make sense. If Lord Xenadin died that day, then the Team Xen we're fighting against isn't the same one that plagued Miera back then." Melia argued. "This means that the Team Xen we're fighting has been the organisations second iteration!"
"That's not even the best part. The third and final thing that stuck out to me was that the plant was owned by none other than the Blakeory family. Which can only mean one thing; they were involved in all of this, even back then. Somehow." Erin told them, with the duo taking the time to connect the pieces in their head.
"Everything is connected; the Blakeory's and Team Xen. What exactly is their true relation?" Melia pondered to herself.
"I can't say with 100% certainty, but if I were to take an educated guess, the two groups have an…under-the-table alliance of sorts. The Blakeory's provide Team Xen with technology and resources, and the latter helped boosted the family to become the powerhouse they are today." Julius proposed. "Of course, my theory could be completely wrong, but that's part of the investigation."
"At the very least, it does give Katsu's words some context; she did tell me that she wished to restore the Miera Region so the people of Aevium can go back there. But I can't say for sure if the rest is accurate, there just isn't enough data available." The white-haired girl chimed in.
"In that case, we should start looking around. I'm sure we'll find the answer somewhere." The blonde chimed in, shooting a quick glance at Erin. "You seem to know a lot more about this place than Julius and I. So just lead the way and we'll do our best."
"In that case, I'll need you to talk to the librarian and find out when Rune took this book out." She told her.
"Leave it to me, I'll do my best!" Melia pledged, a smile on her face as she made her way towards the front desk once more.
"She's so amazing…" Julius sighed in awe at her confidence.
"Right. As for you Julius, I need you to find out where Rune got some of these books. They looked really fancy, so perhaps she might've gotten them off one of the pedestals near the staircase leading to the next floor." Erin ordered, the young teen giving her a firm nod as he made his way off the table and towards the stairs, where the pedestals would be standing. As he got there, he noticed that a man was quietly gazing at them, with Julius calling out to him to ask a question.
"Hmph, who would possibly find it appropriate to bother me?" A haughty voice shot back, the man turning around and let out a quiet sigh. "Of course, it would be you…"
"Thomas Blakeory, I presume?" Julius inquired.
"Well I'm glad you haven't forgotten my name, but I must say, I'm impressed. I didn't think you were the intellectual type." Thomas replied.
"Well I didn't get all my victories by brute strength alone. Clever thinking and strategizing earned me my most notable achievements." The young teen commented.
"I see…in that case, I think I may have misjudged you back then." The older man mused to himself, only for a familiar redhead to come running up to the young teen.
"Heya, Julius! Fancy meeting you here!" Huey cheered, the duo giving each other a firm handshake. "So what are you up to, today?"
"I came here with Erin and Melia to do some digging on what may have happened to Rune, given how we were gifted some library books she checked out before her disappearance." Julius answered.
"Funny you say that, Erin wanted me to meet her here in this library. Do you know where she is?" The redhead inquired, only for Thomas to glance at him as a look of disgust overcame him.
"Eugh…and why on earth would this Erin want anything to do with a poor orphan boy like you?" The older man scoffed, flicking his hand at him. "Run along, orphan boy. There's nothing for you at an esteemed institution like this."
"What did you just say?!" Huey hissed, attracting the attention of several other people in the library, intrigued at what was going down.
"You heard me, peasant. Don't play dumb. By the way, where's that putrid wench that accompanies you? The one that defiled my face; you remember, don't you?" Thomas shot back at the young kid.
"Now, now. Let's not get into an argument here. Let's just break it up nice and—" Julius attempted to diffuse the situation, but to no avail.
"Hah, like I could ever forget that. And by the looks of it, your face won't either." The redhead shot back.
"Are you implying that there's a mark? Because that's impossible. I hired elite makeup artists to cover that foul bruise she left. Any evidence of her crime against me are no longer visible." The older man shot back. "By the way, I heard Lavender was in the hospital. Serves her right if you ask me; you know what they say about karma, yes?"
"Don't you dare talk about her that way…" Huey threatened.
"Or else what?" Thomas laughed in contempt. Letting out an enraged cry, the young kid lunged at the older man and began punching him in the face, leaving the man with a broken, bleeding nose, a black eye and a busted lip. "H-How dare you! Security! Security!"
On cue, a pair of guards made their way to the scene and pulled Huey away from the older man, dragging him out of the building as Julius followed behind, a smug grin plastered on Thomas' face. Upon exiting the Athenaeum, the guards let go of Huey as he eyed up the duo.
"A-Are you going to arrest me then?" The redhead asked.
"No, but you're not allowed back in for the rest of the day." One of the guards informed him, the duo making their way back inside as Julius eyed up the young kid.
"Normally, I'd scold you for acting so hastily. But given what an arrogant prat that man was, I'll ignore it this time. To have such a high opinion of yourself when you've accomplished nothing is very contemptible in my eyes." He replied.
"Thanks mate…I'm glad I was the only one who got in trouble. I'd feel really bad if you got in trouble as well." Huey replied, the doors opening quickly as Erin confronted the duo.
"What the hell just happened, Julius?!" She demanded an answer.
"Long story short, Huey got into a scuffle with Thomas Blakeory and was kicked out for the day. I didn't do anything at all, I swear." The young teen explained what had happened.
"S-Sorry Erin. I know you wanted to see me, but I blew it." Huey apologized to her.
"It's fine, I suppose." The white-haired girl replied, turning to face Julius. "Anyway, I don't really have much for you to do asides from what I told you to do. As a matter of fact, Melia and I can handle it ourselves. You and Huey can do…whatever it is you two get up to."
"In that case, I suppose I can train up for that tournament. It's not like I have much of a choice in the matter." Julius suggested. "By the way, tell Melia that I wish her the best of luck in her endeavours."
"I'll make sure to pass it on." Erin replied, making her way back inside, leaving the two boys to themselves.
"So…what do you want to do, Julius?" Huey inquired. "I would have suggested that we pay Lavender a visit, but the Hospital isn't accepting any visitors at the moment."
"Well do you have any ideas? Because this'll prove to be a solid opportunity for the two of us to get to know each other better." Julius replied, with the redhead mulling over potential ideas before one came to mind.
"How about the park? It's to the south of here." He suggested, with the young teen giving him a nod of acceptance as the duo made the short trek south of the library and wound up in the previously mentioned park. It was a decent-sized park, with a couple of cherry blossoms taken from Route 2, several benches for people to read their books outside, and even a small pond that was connected to the lake within the district.
"So, why did Erin want to see you anyway? I don't recall her mentioning your arrival this morning." The young teen inquired, the duo taking a seat on an unoccupied bench.
"She called me to the library because she found some things that Rune owned. So I ran over here as soon as I could and well, you saw what happened back there…" Huey answered, trailing off slightly at the end. "I-I'm sorry that I lost my cool in front of Thomas Blakeory; I can't stand that pompous braggart!"
"It's alright. Truth be told, my experiences with the various members of the Blakeory family haven't been that pleasant. Well except for Saki, she's amazing." Julius chimed in, briefly looking around the park. "So, does this place hold any special meaning for you?"
"Yeah, Rune used to bring me here when I was younger. She's been gone for so long now, and there's been no breakthroughs…I'm trying to stay optimistic, but it's becoming harder and harder as time goes on." The redhead explained, sighing sadly to himself as he slumped over the table. "Rune…I hope you're doing okay."
"Don't worry, Huey. I'm sure she'll come back soon enough; you just can't give up yet." The young teen reassured him, resting his hand on the young kid's shoulder to ease his spirits.
"Man, you sure slugged that guy!" A familiar voice called out to the duo, with Julius turning his head to see Reina approaching them. "Heya, Julius! It's me, Reina!"
"Hey, it's been a while since we last met. How's it going?" Julius inquired in a friendly manner.
"It's been going great, still no signs of Ren but I haven't given up yet. Still, I'd like to thank you again for getting me out of that sticky situation in Valor Mountain." Reina chimed back happily. "By the way, I heard what happened to Venam via the news. My sincerest condolences to you and Melia."
"Thank you…" The young teen replied quietly, looking to the side and saw that Huey was a little confused at the sight of the raven-haired girl. "Ah, where are my manners? Reina, this is Huey. Huey, this is Reina."
"It's nice to meet you." Huey greeted her.
"Same, it's nice to meet you as well!" The raven-haired girl replied, eyeing off an empty seat. "You two mind if I join you? I don't have anything else to do."
"By all means; we haven't got much to do either. So join the club!" The redhead chimed in, gesturing the young girl to take a seat.
"Woohoo! This is gonna be awesome!" Reina cheered, taking a seat as the trio spent the next hour or so shooting the breeze with one another.
Bladestar Headquarters: ?
Flora had just finished adjusting her suit as she quietly gazed at a stack of documents on the desk in her private office. She had recently ordered her chief accomplice, Dr. Jenkel to locate her other key member, but was quickly growing tired of waiting. Just then, a Bladestar grunt approached the desk and called out to her.
"Ma'am?" The grunt called out, attracting the green-haired woman's attention.
"Yes, what is it?" Flora inquired, hoping that the grunt doesn't take up too much of her time.
"Everything has been set up for later this week, Ma'am. All the preparations have been set, so all we need to do now is wait for the event to actually happen." The grunt reported.
"I see…in that case, I'm going to have to notify all the grunts of our plans. We all must be completely on the same page, or failure is assured. On another note, where is he?" The bespectacled woman inquired.
"M-My apologies, but mind saying that again? I was lost in thought momentarily." The grunt requested, with Flora uttering a sigh of annoyance.
"Where is the Doctor?" She demanded.
"Ah yes, he's waiting outside right now. And he has a guest with him. Shall I let them in?" The grunt inquired.
"Let them in, we have things we need to discuss." Flora ordered, with the grunt bowing in respect as she soon left the office. A few seconds later, the door opened once more as Doctor Jenkel walked up to the desk alongside…Professor Larkspur?!
"I-I'm here Flora. Sorry for the delay, but Mr. Larkspur proved to be a lot harder to track down than expected." Jenkel apologized for his tardiness.
"Pulling my death off was a lot harder than you'd think. Team Xen aren't completely incompetent; they mark their grunts with some sort of symbol. And if they detect a grunt trying to leave the organisation…well it won't end nicely for them. Regardless, I'm sure you received my report on their findings, Flora?" Larkspur chimed in.
"Yes, I have received your report. No doubt it'll be most beneficial to Bladestar's cause. But I would still like a satisfactory answer on why you two were late." The green-haired woman demanded, with Dr. Jenkel shuffling his feet awkwardly.
"S-Sorry, my lady. I was just staring at a tree! You must forgive me!" The purple-haired doctor pleaded, causing Flora to roll her eyes in annoyance.
"Why must I be surrounded by braindead idiots…?" She muttered under her breath. "Whatever; Jenkel, Larkspur, it seems our preparations are complete. We're going to continue with Project Supernova."
"So soon? Not that I'm criticising your decision, but is pulling it off so soon really the best idea?" Larkspur inquired.
"Y-Yeah. I mean what happens if we fail? It'll be a complete disaster and I'll get thrown in jail without any pudding!" Jenkel exclaimed.
"But we won't fail; this is our only opportunity to catch Cassandra and all those other stupid politicians in one fell swoop!" Flora defended her decision, her message as clear as day to the other two.
"I see….I will….continue….." The purple-haired doctor began.
"Yes, yes, that's all I want from you for now. Continue to do whatever you like. But don't go too far off. I'm going to need you to be here when it happens." The green-haired woman told him.
"Understood! I will see you later!" Jenkel chimed back, quickly making his way out of the office as Larkspur quietly gazed at the documents on her desk.
"Flora, is there any notable risks we should be weary of in this operation?" He inquired.
"Well there is one potential threat, but I have yet to fully gage their capabilities." Flora began, quietly taking a seat at her desk. "It's that kid you've met before, Julius, I believe."
"Ah yes, how could I ever forget that brat?! It was thanks to him that I spent over a year on the run, fleeing from the debt I owed Team Rocket. Thankfully, that other trainer wiped them out before they could catch me, though the mental anguish is still imprinted on my mind." The older man hissed lowly under his breath. "D-Does he know that you're in charge of Bladestar?"
"Possibly, but if he does, then he's remained silent about it for some reason. Perhaps it's part of some 4D chess match he's playing with me, or he doesn't care about what we're doing so long as it doesn't affect his friends." The bespectacled woman mused to herself, before brushing it aside. "Eh, it won't matter in the end. He poses no threat to me, especially since I still have my ace up my sleeve."
"Ah yes, that…" Larkspur began. "Has my data proved useful in its development?"
"I already completed a majority of it on my own, but your data did help me out in a few areas. That aside, I'll tell you what I told Jenkel; you're free to do whatever you want, so long as you don't go too far off." Flora told him, the older man bowing in respect as he exited the office, leaving the woman to plan out her next move alone.
0000
"…and then Ren pissed the bed for around a week! The poor guy became a piss baby, all because of some stupid Murkrow!" Reina chuckled, with Huey joining in as Julius barely resisted the urge to break out in laughter. After all, he knew too well about getting frightened over cheesy horror films.
"I can't blame him, that movie was really scary!" Huey chimed in, wiping a small tear of joy from his eyes.
"Nu-uh, it totally wasn't! That stuff is easy to get through! If you just realize—" Reina began to argue, only for someone else to call out to Julius. Turning to the side, the young teen saw Kanon eagerly running up to him.
"Whew, it took a while, but I was finally able to find you!" Kanon greeted, with Julius noticing that the white-haired boy had…grown in height a bit. Was this a result of that journey he took with Krystal?
"Good to see you again, Kanon. What brings you here, today?" Julius greeted back.
"I know this sounds really sudden, but I need you to come with me! I do apologize for breaking up your hangout session, but this is a matter of utmost urgency!" He explained, a slight look of disappointment overcoming Reina.
"W-What? But we were having so much fun!" She protested.
"Again, I'm sorry but I really need Julius to follow me right now. Krystal said she'd like to speak with you!" Kanon insisted, with the young teen slowly getting up off his seat.
"If it's that important, then it seems I have no choice." Julius agreed, shooting an apologetic glance at the other two. "My sincerest apologies, but it seems that I have business to attend to."
"It's fine; if this Krystal person really needs to talk to you, then it must be important." Huey conceded, shooting a glance at Kanon. "Hey, is it alright if we came along with you two?"
"I'm sorry, but Krystal only requested Julius." Kanon apologized, making his way to Julius and whispered something into his ear "Meet me at the National Park…"
With that said, Kanon quietly made his way out of the park, the trio watching him go as the once jovial mood was now shattered. "It sucks that we couldn't spend the entire day chatting, but life isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Good luck with the meeting!" Reina told the young teen, who gave her a quick nod in return as he exited the park and quietly made his way to his next destination.
Though it took him a little longer than he liked, Julius was finally able to make his way to the National Park, no thanks to the labyrinthian design and size of Grand Dream City. However, finding Kanon in this vast park full of trees, patches of grass and ponds would be another ordeal in of itself. The young teen devoted the next thirty minutes to finding his friend, searching every nook and cranny he could, but to no avail. It was only when he decided to rest up by a cherry blossom tree that he saw the white-haired boy quietly conversing to a Claydol. "Phew…about time I found you." Julius sighed wearily.
"Good, you arrived. Krystal said that she had something really important to tell you. But for some reason she wouldn't tell me what it was, so I guess it doesn't concern me." Kanon informed him, shooting a glance at the Claydol beside him. "Do you see this Claydol here?"
"Yeah, we see it!" A pair of voices called out, alerting the duo as they saw Reina and Huey running up to them.
"W-What are you two doing here?! I specifically told you that Krystal only needed to see Julius!" The white-haired boy shot back.
"It wasn't my fault; it was Reina's idea!" Huey replied.
"Yeah, I suppose it was my idea…" Reina chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.
"Look, this is a matter of utmost importance. I know you may be curious what it's all about, but I can't put you two at risk. I already angered your brother over a misunderstanding, and I don't want to make things worse by allowing his sister to get hurt." Julius told her firmly.
"I get that you're looking out for us, but we can handle ourselves. Besides, it can't be that bad if we tag along. Please, can we join you two?" The raven-haired girl pleaded, a quiet sigh escaping from Kanon's mouth as he yielded to their request.
"Alright, alright, you two can come with us, but you're not allowed to talk to Krystal unless she says it's okay." He told them, the two children letting out a quick cheer as they hi-fived each other.
"Alright! So, where are we going?" Huey inquired.
"Well as I was telling Julius before I was rudely interrupted, the Claydol here likes to roam the National Park, due to how quiet it is for the most part. We can use Claydol to teleport us into the…well, I'll let that be a surprise. As for why we must arrive there this way, every other option isn't exactly possible. People from this place have no way to cross waters, so they have to make do with the Pokémon local to them. In this case, the local being Claydol!" Kanon informed them, a question forming in Julius' mind.
"Are you 100% sure this Claydol is the best way to arrive at our destination? After all, it's not like anyone owns the Pokémon, so who's to say that it won't warp us elsewhere out of spite?" He inquired.
"Don't worry about it, I got here just fine." The white-haired boy reassured his friend, turning to face the Claydol. "Alright, Claydol, use Teleport!"
A low groan escaping from the Clay Doll Pokémon, it enveloped the four trainers in a wondrous light before teleporting them out of the park.
?
With a surprised cry, Julius fell onto the soft grassy terrain below his feet, kicking up a small bit of sand as the young teen slowly got back onto his feet. Looking around him, he saw that he was in a fairly large oasis of sorts, with a small variety of plants surrounding the pond in the centre. Beyond the oasis however, was a massive desert that stretched out for who knows how long, a small gust of wind kicking up some sand into the air. Thankfully, his friends were right near him, with Reina and Huey gazing beyond the oasis in awe
"W-Where are we…" Julius inquired.
"Looks to be some sort of desert from the look of things." Reina chimed in, with Huey squinting his eyes slightly as if he had seen something in the distance.
"Y-Yeah, looks like we're in a desert alright." The redhead replied.
"Correct; the four of us are in the Zorrialyn Desert, or at least that's what Krystal called it." Kanon began, shooting a small smirk at the two young children. "Now do you regret sneaking up on us now?"
"Not really, after all there's bound to be tons of cool stuff buried in the desert sands." The raven-haired girl began, her mind running abuzz over the prospect of discovering hidden treasure, as she wiped a small bit of sweat off her head. "Can't say I like the heat though, but I'd rather melt into nothing instead of turning into ice."
"Seems we're birds of a feather in that regard." Julius chuckled lightly.
"Well you two won't have to worry about turning into ice, since there's no ice anywhere near here." The white-haired boy told them.
"So…where are we meeting this Krystal person?" Huey inquired.
"She's waiting for us—or specifically Julius and I in a place called Sashila Village. It'll be a bit of a walk from our current position, but you two chose to come with me, so no complaining." Kanon answered, pointing beyond the oasis. "The village is South-West of our current position. Since we're in no real rush of sorts, we can take a detour or two if we want. But if you really want to go back to Grand Dream City, the Claydol should be able to take you back there."
"I see…well let's get a move on then." The redhead called out, as he, Reina and Kanon began walking in the direction. And while Julius would've liked to explore the desert for a chance to uncover something nice to gift to Melia, he knew that Krystal wanted him here for a very important reason, hence why it would be best to get that over and done with as soon as possible. So he opted to follow his friends through the desert, making sure to avoid the local wildlife in case they were feeling a little peckish. Though the journey was a little long and arduous, with Huey complaining about his feet aching three-quarters into the journey, the group finally made it to the entrance of Sashila Village.
"We're here, everyone!" Kanon called out, with Huey falling onto the soft grassy floor as he rested his aching feet.
*huff…* "Finally…my feet were aching from all that walking." He sighed in relief.
"Wow, this place looks amazing. It has that nice air of tranquillity surrounding it…" Reina cooed in awe at the sight of the village. It was a lot larger than one would expect a village to be, with the area surrounded by vast ponds of crystal-clear water. There was a wide variety of plants growing in the village, ranging from fruit and vegetables, to even flowering plants that the locals used to decorate their homes. There were dozens of houses in the village, including a couple of rather large manors at the back of the village. "Now let's get out of the heat before my brain starts to fry!" She requested.
"Heh, you four…" A familiar voice called out, the group turning to see Damien approaching them from the village.
"Ah, Damian. How have things been going on your end?" Julius greeted the older man.
"Alright, I suppose." Damien replied, turning to face Kanon. "You're Alexandra's friend, right? Do you know where she went?"
"D-Did you find he—" The white-haired boy began to stammer.
"Yes, I found her. She told me how she's tired of running, yada-yada. That said, I can't say I'm surprised that Julius is here, but that's a conversation for another time." The older man replied.
"So, what do you want from us?" Huey inquired, slowly getting back up on his feet.
"It's about Alexandra; she said she was waiting for Kanon to return with Julius. I left for a little while to take care of something, but when I came back, she was gone." Damien informed them, catching the white-haired boy by surprise.
"G-Gone?! Y-You don't think…" Kanon began.
"No, I do not believe she ran away again. Considering how she told me she was done running away, I don't think she tried to give us the slip. Which can only mean that she's gotten herself into trouble or something. Kanon, did she say anything to you before you left?" The older man asked, his tone clear and serious.
"N-No, she didn't…she said she'll be waiting for me back in Sashila…" The white-haired boy replied nervously, gulping quietly to himself. "I-If she's missing, then we must look for her!"
"Exactly. However, our success in finding her depends on when she went missing; if it was a recent event then there should still be evidence of where she was heading. But even then, with how vast the desert is, searching for her in a group wouldn't be a smart decision. Therefore, I would suggest that we split up to search for her." Julius proposed, a small chuckle escaping from Damien's mouth.
"Heh, that's a pretty decent idea. As you said, the desert is vast so we'll have to split up. Kanon, you stay here in Sashila just in case she comes back for some reason. Huey, you'll be searching Sand Stream Cave and the area around it; it's to the north of here. As for you, young lady, you'll be searching the Voidal Chasm. It's a dark place where very few have returned, but I'm sure you can handle it." He informed everyone of their roles, with the aforementioned trio nodding in confirmation as they quietly made their way towards their respective destinations.
"So, what about me? Where will I be searching?" The young teen inquired.
"I'm glad you asked Julius; you'll be helping the young girl in searching Voidal Chasm. I kinda lied when I said she could handle it, but she looked like she was full of sass and teenage angst, and I am in no mood to deal with that, so follow her and make sure she's fine, alright?" The older man began. "It's in the north-easternmost part of the desert, so it'll be a bit of a walk. As for me, I'll be heading out to the Ruined City. Don't follow me unless you want to get mugged."
"G-Got it!" Julius replied, the duo heading off into separate directions to begin their search.
Voidal Chasm
"Gah! No wonder they call this place Voidal Chasm!" Julius exclaimed, stepping back in surprise at the sight of the large hole before him. There was no doubt in his mind that if he fell down there, then it would be the end of him. However, there was a small staircase of sorts that lead down into the hole, leading the young teen to think that was the best way to go. But for now, his main goal was to find Reina and make sure that she is safe and sound. Walking down the small flight of stairs, Julius soon found himself surrounded by plant life that he had never seen before. The grass was all and coloured a pale white with traces of pink in them, the trees were crooked and had no leaves on them. "What on earth is this place…?" He asked himself in disbelief, his mind abuzz with ideas as to how this place came to existence.
However, his train of thought was soon interrupted by what seemed to be Reina running towards something, or someone. Quickly following right behind her, the young teen ran after her, only for the two of them to end up in what looked like a small alcove, with a hooded figure quietly gazing at the back wall. But what was most alarming was that the figure was standing over the unconscious body of Krystal, or Alexandra depending on what she felt like calling herself right now.
"H-Hey, leave her alone, you creep!" Reina called out to the hooded figure, her voice alerting them as they swiftly turned around to see the duo shooting a glare at them. "Is that woman Alexandra? What did you do to her!?"
"Hnngh…" Alexandra groaned weakly, breaking up the confrontation as the trio turned to see the older woman get up off the rocky floor.
"Alexandra, are you okay?" The hooded figure inquired, his voice indicating that they were a male.
"W-Where am I…? Oof, my head is spinning…" Alexandra winced, holding her head in her hand.
"That guy who hurt you won't be bothering you anymore, I sent him packing." The hooded boy replied, with Alexandra shooting him a look of gratitude.
"I see. Thank you for keeping me safe, Ren." The older woman replied, catching the other two way off-guard.
"R-Ren…? T-This can't be…" Julius gasped, his mind running wild as to what he could possibly say. After all, the memory of that incident in Goldenleaf Town was still fresh on his mind; his fears of Ren lashing out at him once more evident on his face.
"Looks like I can't hide it any longer…" The hooded boy sighed, lowering his hood and showed his face to the duo, a look of joy overcoming Reina's face.
"Ren!" She cried out, running up to her older brother and gave him a firm but warm hug. "I-I've been looking all over for you, ever since you left that day. Why did you leave us? Why…"
"We can talk about all of this later. Right now, we need to get Alexandra out of here." Ren told them, gesturing at the duo to wrap their arms around her shoulders as the group began their slow ascent out of the treacherous chasm.
0000
"Thank you all so much for helping me back there, especially you, Ren. If it weren't for you, I don't think I would've…" Alexandra began, only for Reina to raise her hand in the air.
"I've been meaning to ask, but what happened down there?" She inquired.
"I was waiting for Kanon and Julius to show up, but then this strange guy appeared and said that he had the two of them held hostage in the Voidal Chasm. I didn't want to get my brother involved, given the lack of trust between us, so I went on my own and was attacked by a man riding what looked like a floating skateboard."
"Sorry, but your story sounds kinda fake…" Reina chimed in, only for Ren to lightly nudge her shoulder. "What? I'm sorry but it sounds too far-fetched to be real."
"I know it sounds fake, but it really did—G-Gah!" The older woman cried out, clutching her stomach. "Sorry about that, I'm just a little winded, that's all. I'll be making my way back to the village. Please come by when you can…" She continued, slowly walking off into the desert as the trio watched her go.
"Is it really okay to let her go by herself like that?" The raven-haired girl inquired.
"She'll be okay, I don't think that guy will come back." Ren reassured her, turning to face his sister. "Reina, I left Goldenleaf Town because I had to get out. Between everyone in the town and Narcissa…I was no longer interested in being a citizen. Kinda like how Julius and his family left the town back then."
"Y-Yeah…" The young teen replied, opting to keep quiet for now.
"But why didn't you take me with you? I would've gone with you in a heartbeat!" Reina exclaimed.
"I know…" The raven-haired boy replied quietly. "There's something I need to tell you, Reina. It's best if I tell you rather than let you hear it from anybody else; I might've joined Team Xen at some point…"
"Hahahaha! What a funny joke! Now tell me what you want to tell me…" She chuckled, but the deadly serious look on her brother's face soon broke whatever illusion she might've had. "You're not joking? But…why? Why would you join a bunch of creeps like Team Xen? I…I don't know what to even say to you. I wanted to believe in you, but this…this is just too upsetting."
"I understand that you're upset with me, but I have my reasons. You'll just have to trust me on this one." Ren replied.
"But how can I trust you after you go and do something like this?!" The young girl exclaimed, a small sigh escaping from Ren's mouth.
"I'm heading to Sashila Village, Alexandra wanted me to visit her." He told them, turning to face Julius with a small smile on his face. "It sounded like she also wanted to talk to you, Julius. I'll be more than happy to meet you there…"
"I-I will!" The young teen pledged, his heart at ease knowing that Ren didn't seem to hold a grudge against him, or at least it seemed that way. Watching one of his closest friends make his way towards the village, Julius opted to follow him, with Reina quickly following behind the duo, her mind abuzz with a variety of mixed emotions. On one hand, she was upset with Ren for joining Team Xen, but on the other hand she was glad that the three childhood friends were finally reunited after so long.
A bit of a slower chapter than usual, but that's just to set up the later chapters as I do remember the episode growing in intensity. And yeah, the Ren-union with Ren was pretty sweet given the circumstances, I'll be looking forward to writing about him in the later chapters. As for Larkspur's surprise allegiance to Bladestar, it'll come into play during the next episode, but it'll be quite a while before I get to that point. Thank you all for reading and supporting my fic, I'll see you all in the next chapter.