Hello and welcome back to Mischief!

Before we begin, I want to thank Kuro Ao no Neko for helping me with the battle scene! I've gotten a lot better at writing them, but she helped me out a lot!

Please enjoy the chapter and I'll see you at the end ^_^

Mischief - Chapter 11: Beginning of the End Part 2

The library was easy enough to find. It was a large, beautiful, multi-story building with extravagant gardens right in the middle of the town. According to the sign and dedication at the entrance, it was built on the spot the old champion's home used to be. Though I wasn't sure why they called it a library; the term museum would have been far more appropriate. There were many books lining the three galleries, but the rest was comprised of displays ranging from stones and fossils to works of art.

As we started up the steps to the entrance, a stuffy, pompous-looking man hurried up to us. "Excuse me! Can't you read!?" he called angrily.

I looked at him in surprise as he stopped in front of us. "That," he said, disdainfully pointing at the Eevee perched atop my shoulder, "needs to go in its ball. I won't have those vile creatures in my library! All the noise and the battling! Violent little monsters is what they are!"

"Vee!" my Eevee cried indignantly and looked up at me.

"Battling?" I responded, reigning in my own flare of anger. "I'm here for a mission. I don't plan on battling. Besides, Mischief hates her ball."

"I don't care what it hates, it is not entering! I run this place and therefore, my rules go," he huffed. "Now be gone with the beast or you will be denied entry."

I drooped my shoulders and looked helplessly at Light. Light had bought me a brand new luxury ball for Mischief so she'd be more comfortable, but I still felt terrible about having to go back on my promise already, but I also couldn't blow the mission. Light, however, must have decided he had had enough. He put his hand on my shoulder and stepped forward.

"Excuse me," he said to the owner, who looked at him with contempt. "We are guild trainers recruited by the May Stone Library for security this evening. Our Pokémon are the reason we were called in rather than your every day security guards; we will need them with us if we are to protect you to our fullest capability. Now, unless you want us to turn around and go home, leaving you entirely vulnerable tonight, you will let my apprentice and her Eevee through."

The man's face went from a flushed red to an infuriated purple.

And yet Light had a point that he could not argue with. With an indignant huff, the man strutted away, allowing us access to the building.

"Ee-Vee!" Mischief cried snidely at the man's retreating form. He stopped for a moment, but didn't look back before he kept walking.

I looked up at Light and grinned. He returned my look with a chuckle. "Come on," he said, ruffling Mischief's fur and continuing forward.

As we entered the May Stone, we were greeted by a bubbly-looking young woman with shoulder-length, green tipped auburn hair.

"Light! Scout! We've been expecting you!" she called to us. "I trust you had a pleasant trip?"

"Pleasant enough," Light replied with a smile. "And you are?"

"I'm Kimi! I was sent here to wait for you," she started to introduce herself before she noticed Mischief. "Oh! What a beautiful Eevee! May I pet her?"

"Sure," I said a little uncertainly, "but I can't promise she won't bite. She's got a bit of a naughty nature." I showed her my still bandaged hand.

She withdrew her hand with a slight grimace. "Perhaps I better not. I'll just take you to the General; Please, follow me!" she chirped energetically and began walking further into the extravagant building. She led us through the reception hall to a door hidden behind a tapestry depicting a young Champion May battling with Kyogre.

Through the door, a flight of stairs led to a simple, undecorated basement that held piles of unused construction material and dozens of boxes containing all sorts of artifacts.

"You're a little later than we expected," the girl broke the silence as we walked through the storage area. She sounded pleasant enough, but was clearly concerned and wanted an explanation.

"Yes, we apologize for that," Light responded. "We had a bit of an incident at the Pokémon Centre this morning. It took a bit to get everything sorted."

"Oh no! I hope no one was hurt," she said, now thoroughly concerned.

"Not at all," Light assured. "Just some property damage and a couple upset Pokémon."

"Vee." Mischief huffed.

"I'm glad to hear," Kimi smiled as she stopped outside an office door at the back of the basement. She knocked and a muffled "come in" was heard from the other side.

The girl opened the door and introduced us. "General Lynn, this is Light of the Balance Guild and his apprentice, Scout. Light, Scout, this is General Lynn of the Hoenn League Special Poke-Force and guild trainer of the Feather Guild."

"Thank you Kimi," the General said. "You can go look at the exhibits now if you'd like. I'll send Sullivan to get you when we're done here." Upon hearing its name, an elderly Mightyena that was lying beside her desk lifted his head, then puffed and laid back down when no one asked anything from him. Mischief let out a quiet growl, but I quickly silenced her with a sharp hiss and a tap on the nose. She glared at me, but stopped growling.

"Yay!" Kimi cried and skipped out of the room.

The general was a severe looking woman with silver hair tied into a tight bun and an unamused expression on her wrinkled face. She stood to shake our hands and gave us each a quick nod.

"Welcome. Please take a seat," the general said-her voice surprisingly soft-gesturing to a couple chairs in front of her desk. We complied with a quiet word of thanks. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get straight to business. As you already know, tonight is the grand opening of the May Stone Library in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the day Former Champion May defeated Teams Magma and Aqua. The former champion herself will be our guest of honour."

Light and I nodded.

"That was all in the case file," Light said.

General Lynn nodded. "What we didn't put in the mission file is that the Red and Blue Orbs will also be on display-"

"You mean theRed and Blue Orbs Team Aqua and Magma tried to use to control Kyogre and Groudon?" I interrupted.

The woman turned her serious stare to me and I was afraid she was going to scold me for my outburst. I flushed and looked away from her steely gaze.

She surprised me by chuckling and asking, "You know the story well?"

"Yes sir-ma'am," I replied meekly.

Light chuckled as well. "She's a serious history nerd. She was runner-up for the PokéWorld History Award at the Balance Guild School."

My blush grew deeper.

"That's good," said the general. "It's not often you find a smart one so young. That's less I have to explain, but I'll still give a short version: Team Aqua and Magma both had different ideas about the perfect world. Aqua wanted to harness Kyogre's power to increase the area of the oceans and create more habitat for their beloved marine Pokémon. Magma, had a similar idea, except in the opposite direction. They wanted to awaken Groudon to provide more land for their Pokémon. To do this, they needed special orbs that would allow them to control the great Pokémon of legend. They did acquire them and woke the two legendary Pokémon, but were not strong enough to control them. A young trainer who did have the strength to control their massive power rose from obscurity to defeat both teams and restore Kyogre and Groudon to their resting states inside Mt. Chimney and the Seafloor Cavern where they remain to this day. Those orbs are still in existence. Because of the power they possess, it is imperative that we keep them out of the wrong hands. That is why we'll have you two as well as my apprentice Kimi patrolling the grounds.

Our top priority is guarding the orbs; Kimi will be placed in the gallery where they are being displayed.

Our next priority is that Former Champion May stays safe since she refused to take on more Pokémon once hers passed. This will fall to you, Scout. I want you with her at all times tonight, understand? And should disaster break out, you are to stay by her side."

"Yes ma'am," I responded.

General Lynn stared at me just a second too long for comfort before turning to Light and asking, "You have a flying type?"

Light nodded, "a Talonflame."

"Then I want you to be outside patrolling the grounds from the air. You can land and patrol on foot if your Pokémon needs a break, but be constantly vigilant. Watch for any suspicious activity."

Light nodded, "Sounds fun."

"So long as nothing goes wrong," the general agreed. "You three will have radios to stay in contact. Hopefully all will go well. I do believe that covers everything. Do you have any questions?"

Light and I both replied that no, we did not.

She nodded. "Sully, would you please go retrieve Kimi?"

The Mightyena got up with a huff and left the room. We sat in silence for a moment.

"Does your Eevee dislike its ball too?" Lynn suddenly addressed me.

I startled before responding, "Oh, uh, yeah. She broke out of it this morning and got into a fight with my Pidgeotto. They destroyed the room I was staying in at the Pokémon Centre."

"Naughty type?" she asked with a knowing smirk.

I nodded.

She chuckled softly and nodded her head, "Sullivan too. I had my share of trouble with him in our youth. Fortunately his age has made him too lazy to act up."

Just then, Kimi and Sullivan returned.

"Debriefing done?" the girl asked excitedly.

Lynn nodded. "Could you give them a tour of the grounds?"

"Of course! Leave it to me!"

Light and I stood to follow her.

"Scout?" Lynn called. I stopped and looked back. "Is this your first mission?"

I nodded and for a second I could see a strange look in the general's eyes. Was it…doubt? But then it was gone and I was once again looking into her icy blue eyes.

"Good luck."

"Thanks," I replied and ran out after my mentor and tour guide.

"So, Scout, is Mischief your only Pokémon?" she asked as I caught up.

I shook my head. "I also have a Pidgeotto named Angel. What about you? What Pokémon do you have?"

"I have a Pupitar named Avalanche and a Noivern named Echo," she replied happily.

"When did you graduate?" I asked.

"Last year; I had only just got Echo when the guild system passed," she answered. "What about you? When did you graduate?"

"Just a couple months ago," I replied. "The guild system passed when I was just weeks away from receiving my starter."

"That sucks," she said, "I don't know how I would have gotten through school without Echo."

I shrugged. "I was pretty upset at first, but if I hadn't gone to the guild school then I wouldn't be who I am now."

"That's a good way of looking at it!" Kimi said thoughtfully.

Again we walked silently, though a lot more comfortably. I tried to think of something to say to fill the silence, but nothing came to mind. That is until we re-entered the main floor and passed the pompous jerk that hated Pokémon.

"I wonder if May would be very happy that they don't let Pokémon in her library," I said. "I would've thought they'd welcome them since she loved her Pokémon so much."

"Actually," Kimi said in a hushed tone, "I heard she didn't like Pokémon at all and that she was really just using them as tools to gain fame and fortune. She's not much of a hero if you ask me."

My jaw dropped and I stopped walking, "Where the hell did you hear that!? Of course she loved her Pokémon!"

Kimi just shrugged. "It was on an old interview I saw once," she replied as she continued walking ahead of me. "She said that she shouldn't be idolized because she never actually really liked Pokémon at all and only used them as long as they served a purpose."

I shook my head. There is no way May was just using her Pokémon…Of course she loved them…But doubt had been placed in my mind about my hero and it lingered there.

"But I suppose that doesn't really matter; it was old so there's no telling how accurate it was," the other girl continued, guessing she had upset me. I nodded, forcing the scowl off my face. Though when I looked at Light, I was sure he could tell what she said was still bothering me.

"Anyways, we should continue the tour! You already saw the basement, which is used for storage. This is the lobby, which connects the three main galleries. Come with me and I'll show them to you," Kimi said and began walking to the left archway.

The gallery beyond was mostly about May's early years in Johto and the beginning of her journey in Hoenn. On display was her original PokeDex as well as models of her old house. There were also pictures of her and a Torchic standing beside a boy with a Mudkip. Both were smiling proudly. The centre gallery focused on her journey and battle with Teams Magma and Aqua, but it was currently closed as that was were the celebration would be taking place that night. The third gallery focused on her life after the battles and her reign as champion.

We spend the rest of the day wandering through the museum and gardens until we would be needed.

The celebration was beginning and people were arriving in front of the grand building. I took up my post where I was supposed to be introduced to Champion May. I was waiting for some time, but I couldn't be bored. This gallary was even more extravagant than the others! It had a main floor with two upper balconies that wrapped around the entire room. The walls were lined with bookshelves broken only by windows and ornate tapestries depicting images of legendary Pokémon May had supposedly encountered. The rest of the area was dedicated to a large dance floor surrounded by displays of various stones and fossils. In the centre of the floor were two pedestals upon which sat the Red and Blue Orbs.

So beautiful where the stones that they drew the attention of the entire room. They seemed almost hypnotic. As I stared, I could feel the power radiating off of them. It was like they were calling to me, pulling me out of the large crowd that now filled the building and into some place far away…

"You have such fire in your eyes," a calm voice beside me rasped, snapping my attention away from the stones to the elderly lady who sat solemnly in her wheelchair. "You remind me of myself back in my training days."

"Champion May!" I startled.

"Former Champion," she corrected with a smile. "Sorry to startle you."

"Not at all! It's an honour to meet you ma'am," I babbled, extending my hand, "I'm Scout-I'm supposed to be your body guard this evening."

May shook my hand and I had to prevent myself from squealing. May was my biggest hero growing up and now I was finally meeting her! And not just that, I was going to spend an entire evening with her!

"This library is amazing!" I said lamely, not really sure what else to say.

May chuckled, looking around. "It sure is. Though most of this stuff once belonged to my late husband Steven. The only things that are mine are those two stones you were admiring."

As the party got into full swing, I had little time to talk to the former champion. Hundreds of people approached her and introduced themselves or congratulated her on her new library and yet something about her seemed off. It was like she was…sad. Loneliness filled her gaze even though she was surrounded by fans and admirers. I longed to say something, but knowing not what, I remained silent.

Finally, hours into the celebration, the people seemed to grow bored with the former champion and moved on to converse with their friends.

"It is on occasions like this that I miss my husband the most," May said quietly.

"Hm?" I hummed as I snapped back to attention. I had zoned out while watching Light from across the room. It was his turn inside and he was slowly patrolling the dancefloor, scanning it with careful eyes.

"Steven was my mentor too you know," she said cheekily. I blushed and quickly looked away from the object of my gaze.

"I'm not - I mean, Light's a lot older than me. And he wouldn't be interested in me anyways…"

Laughing softly the elderly woman responded, "Steven was nearly fifteen years my senior. And it took me nearly dying to get his attention."

"Really?" I asked, shocked. May nodded.

She was about to elaborate when the lights suddenly went dark. I quickly stepped in front of the former champion and desperately searched the dark for any signs of danger. However, as quickly as they had turned off, they flashed on again. I squinted while my eyes tried to adjust. When I could finally open them again, there was a figure cloaked in black standing in the middle of the floor between the two orbs. A pair of Koffing hovered at its sides.

Without warning or a word of command, the Pokémon released a strong Smokescreen that filled the dancefloor and nearly blacked out the lights. The guards could be heard shouting orders and the guests screamed in panic. I searched the room for Light, hoping he could give me some direction. I had no idea what I should be doing.

"Dear child, you must not let them get those orbs!" the former champion rasped, gripping my arm.

"What about you?" I asked. "You don't have any Pokémon anymore so I was tasked with protecting you."

"I guarantee they're not here for me," she reasoned grimly. "History is repeating itself and you must protect those orbs at all costs!"

I hesitated for one moment. Leaving my charge could have dire consequences, but she was right: we could not let these thieves get those orbs.

"Mischief!"

"Vee!" the little Eevee cried in determination as I released it from its ball.

"Angel!"

"Pidgeo!" the bird cried as it appeared in a flash of light.

"Let's go you two!"

Together, the three of us ran into the Smokescreen.

"Angel! Use Whirlwind to keep the smog at bay!" The bird listened immediately and cleared an area in the centre of the attack, revealing two cloaked figures each holding an orb.

"Mischief, use Covet! Get the Blue Orb," I commanded.

The Eevee cutely approached the one figure who seemed transfixed by the little fox. Once in striking range, she lunged forward and knocked the stone out of her target's hands.

"Catch it Angel!" In a quick swoop, my bird Pokémon was holding orb. "Good! Now go back to controlling the Smokescreen." The smog had already began to refill the clean space. Gripping the orb tightly, Angel complied.

I scanned the room for the other figure, but they were gone. Now the one Mischief had attacked was facing me with a Pokéball in hand.

"Mischief!" I called as they released it. The Eevee took up its battling pose in front of me as the bright light dispersed revealing a Weavile.

"Weavile, use Ice Beam," the opposing figure commanded. Clearly a man's voice.

"Dodge it and use Quick Attack!" I called and as the icy-blue beam shot toward my Eevee, she lunged out of the way and sped at her attacker. She made contact at full speed and sent the Weavile airborne. It easily corrected itself however, and landed on its feet.

"Now use Night Slash."

"Wee," The dark Pokémon responded as it raised its claw and began to lunge towards Mischief, dark trails leading off of its claws.

"Evade it!" I called out. Mischief acted as fast as I gave the command, bouncing back and out of the way as the Weavile hit the ground hard with its one claw. The force of the attack cracked the marble floor. Just as I was about to call out a counter attack, the Weavile swung its other paw, hitting its mark and leaving a deep gouge in Mischief's side.

Now I was angry, and so was Mischief. "Mischief! Use take down!"

"Oooveee," she purred in approval. With a powerful kick off of her hind legs, Mischief slammed its body into the Weavile's stomach. I could hear as the air was forced out of its lungs as the two hit the floor. True to its nature however, the Weavile quickly got up and put a fair distance between the two.

"Double team," the hooded figure called out.

The Weavile responded. I watched as the creature blurred away and then reappeared in several different places around my Eevee. Mischief looked around at each, caught off guard by the now several opponents.

I had to think. It was almost impossible to distinguish a copy from the real one. Almost. There was a split second where the real one would attack before the rest did. I had to bide my time and wait for him to make the best move and hope Mischief trusted me enough to do the same.

I couldn't wait long though, and my opponent must have known that. Mischief was losing a lot of blood and was starting to slow down. I needed to end this. That's when I remembered a trick I had heard about once; it was incredibly hard to pull off, but if Mischief could do it, it could save us.

I waited a few more seconds. I could see the frustration forming on Mischiefs face as I waited; she wanted me to call a command. All of the Weavile cracked a smirk, making Mischief all the more impatient to strike.

Finally the wait was up. My opponent called, "Weavile! Use Metal Claw!"

The many Weavile cooed in response to their trainer and I watched as they all leaped forward with their claws shimmering. Mischief began to take off towards a random one without a command from me when I called to her. "Not that one! Three over to the left! Use Take Down and Swift together!"

Mischief perked at my suggestion but didn't change her course towards the random one she had already chosen as her target.

No! Don't go off doing your own thing now! I thought in horror.

Just as the Eevee and the clone where about to make contact, Mischief pivoted and turned to face the unsuspecting target I had advised her to hit. Several stars formed around her as she charged. They shot forward the moment before her Take Down struck, adding to its power. Mischief slammed full force into the sharp claw Pokémon and sent it flying.

Once again, the Weavile recovered mid-air, but as it landed next to its trainer, its whole body quivered and it fell to its knee as it held its stomach. The hooded man grimaced at its Pokémon's condition then looked back up at me. Mischief was still standing strong while Angel now hovered by my side having defeated the Koffing and completely cleared the room of the Smokescreen.

He must have weighed the odds in his mind. Pulling out a Pokéball, he released a Noivern. Climbing onto its back, the pair shot through the roof with a well-timed Air Cutter, leaving the unconscious Weavile behind. When they were out of sight, Angel handed me the orb he still had clutched in his talons.

"Thank you Angel-you deserve a rest. You too Mischief-I'll heal you as soon as I can," I said as I recalled my two Pokémon. Mischief didn't even argue as she disappeared in a flash of red. I then rushed to the abandoned Weavile. What do I do about this? Can I capture it? Who just leaves their injured Pokémon!?

Clapping sounded behind me. I whirled around to see Champion May rolling up to me in her wheelchair.

"Your battling matches the fire in those eyes," she said approvingly.

"Champion May! I'm so sorry, I lost the Red Orb," I said, bowing my head in shame.

"But you saved the blue one," she responded, "and that poor Weavile, by the looks of it. Do you have an extra ball? Maybe it's time I take on a new partner, unless you wish to take this one with you?"

I reached into my bag and pulled out an empty pokeball, handing it to the older woman.

"No! You capture it," I said, "I think you may need its companionship more than I do."

The former champion smiled, running her hands over the ball before throwing it. The Weavile disappeared in a flash of red, the ball shook once, then was still. I retrieved the ball and handed it to May.

"Now the Red Orb," I began to say.

"I saw that mentor of yours go after it," May said reassuringly. "He seems capable enough to retrieve it."

I sighed in relief. She was right, if there was one person who could retrieve the Red Orb, it was Light.

I relaxed a bit and looked around. Where were all the guards? Not a single one was in sight. In fact, the only people left in the room were May and I.

"Where is everyone?" I asked. "Where are the guards?"

"I ordered them to evacuate the building," May replied. "They would have just gotten in the way had they interfered with your battle."

"What if I had lost!?" I cried.

The former champion chuckled. "That was a risk I was willing to take. Though I was sure you would be able to win."

I was about to respond when Light and Axe entered through the new hole in the roof.

"Light!" I called happily. "Did you get the Red Orb back?"

His grim expression as he landed was enough of an answer. My shoulders drooped and I closed my eyes. It was my fault for letting them get away in the first place…

"Don't blame yourself, child," May comforted, placing a hand on my arm. I looked at her sadly before looking at Light who also seemed extremely disappointed with himself. "No. This was bound to happen eventually," May continued. "Had it not been for you, both orbs would be lost and there would be little hope left. You both did well. In fact, Scout, I would like to pass on the Blue Orb to you."

"Me!?" I said in shock, "but I just lost the other orb! How can you trust me with this one?"

"The orbs have been my responsibility since I was a young girl," The former champion explained. "I should have passed them off when my dear Blaziken died and I did not take on another Pokémon. I felt they were under no threat, but I was grievously wrong and now the world is in peril. The responsibility of the orbs is now passed to you. I saw you fight; I know that you are capable of this task."

I turned the orb over in my hands, feeling the power radiating off of it and yet it seemed…calming, like waves rolling on a beach at sunset. I returned my eyes to the elderly woman in front of me. "I will retrieve the Red Orb or die trying," I promised.

Light stepped forward and placed his hand on my shoulder. "You won't be alone in this," he said firmly. "I'm also to blame for its loss. We'll retrieve it together."

I looked at him with an appreciative smile.

"I am so sorry this must fall to you, my dear child," May said sadly. "The road ahead of you is long and hard. Do not lose sight of who you are and do not be afraid to rely on your friends. And you, Light," she grew serious, almost threatening. "Protect your apprentice. She is young and the world will try to ruin her. If you are not careful, it may just succeed as it did with me."

Light nodded, "I will so long as she allows me to."

"Good. Now you two should go and return to your guild. Keep training and grow stronger. You will need every bit of strength you can acquire in the coming months."

Light and I nodded and said goodbye. However, as we were leaving a thought popped into my head.

"Champion May!" I called, turning around to face her one again. Light stopped as well. "Someone told me that you didn't care about your Pokémon and that you only used them as tools. They were wrong, right?"

The former champion chuckled humourlessly and her eyes clouded over as though she was recalling something in the distant past. "I thought the world had forgotten about that," she muttered softly. "I loved my Pokémon like family. Goodbye dear Scout. I have a feeling we'll meet again."

I gave a slight bow, "Thank you, Champion May."

With that, Light and I walked out of the building into the crisp night air.

That finally concludes Chapter 11! What did you guys think?

I know it left a lot of loose ends, but I promise I'll tie them off next chapter which will hopefully be released next week some time.

Before I sign off, I want to clear something up:

A lot of what May said will make no sense unless you know her backstory. And I'm not talking the games, I'm talking post Sapphire. A while back I found an amazing story titled "Across the Sun" and its companion piece "Under Cloudy Skies" by Liz Hollow. I messaged her when I began planning Mischief and asked if I could use her stories as a sort of prequel to May's role in this story. If you want to understand most of what May is talking about, you'll have to go read those. I promise you they will be worth your time! Liz is a very skilled writer and those stories, though sad in parts, are probably my favourite stories on this site. Certainly my favourite Pokémon stories!

Thanks Liz for letting me use your stories! I really appreciate it.

I decided I am going to do some review responses at the end of every chapter! Please don't be offended if I don't pick you to answer here—I really appreciate all reviews!

I had a couple reviews questioning Scout's decision to not report Kyle after he tried to burn Anne and rape her. My response is that she was not protecting Kyle, but Light. He ordered Eve to attack another person so he would have been expelled and lost his pokemon if the situation had come out at all. They were banking on the idea that Kyle would not report Light if they didn't report him, which worked. Whether or not this was right is debatable, but children do not always make the best decisions when scared.

Again, thank you so much to everyone who followed, favourited, and/or reviewed! It really makes writing worth it 3

I'll see you all soon with Chapter 12: Rogue