Auras

Three weeks had passed since the qualifier rounds. Somewhere near the beginning of those weeks, Kyle had been sent plane tickets to the location of the main tournament, as well as a room ticket for a hotel near the arena. Also included in the package was his own personal ID pass to be used at the tournament, along with one more item: a pass to the pre-tournament dinner party. All of his friends had received these four items as well.

Kyle was able to bring along his whole family: his mother and his sister. Chelsey was ecstatic that Kyle had made it into such a grand event, and was pleased that she would have the opportunity to watch him fight so many powerful trainers. His mother, although incredibly happy for him, acted aloof, as if it was no surprise to her that he had qualified.

Adrien's parents, as they were not able to obtain the time required to travel with their son to the tournament, had entrusted him to Kyle's mother. Emily had assured the two of them that she would look after him as best she could. Kyle had smiled, knowing full well that she meant those words with every fiber of her being.

Carol and Noah were being accompanied by their own mother. When the two of them had talked to Kyle at the airport on the day they were leaving, Noah had said their mother was there to "make sure nothing happened." Carol had rolled her eyes at this, and Kyle had let out a nervous chuckle.

After the events that had taken place at Team Dominion's hideout, Jordan's parents had nearly refused to let him go to the tournament. But after some extensive explanations on everyone else's part, as well as the intense assurance that trans-attacks were illegal and would not be used in this tournament, they let him participate, on the condition that both of them would come along to make certain nothing at all would go wrong. Jordan had been very expressive with his discontent at having both of his parents being so protective of him, especially at his age. The upside, at least, was that Hannah's parents couldn't come, either, so she would be looked after by Jordan's family for the duration of the tournament.

They had all met up at the airport and talked for a while before the flight, then realized that their flights were the same and seats were all next to each other, and so they all talked some more. After a few hours, they landed and left the airport, going to their hotels to realize that they were all staying at the same hotel and that all their rooms were also all next to each other. They all spent the night in their respective rooms, except for Kyle, who stayed in Adrien's room by order of his mother.

The following day, the kids left the hotel to explore the city. There was a lot to see, but most of it was uneventful until they reached the stadium they'd be fighting in. The tournament was using a large hockey arena for now, but the CPP had promised the construction of their own, specialized arena for events like this. Still, it was good enough for Kyle. They weren't allowed inside just yet, as preparations were still being made, but there was another time for that.

That night, they were all preparing themselves for the dinner party. The CPP had said that it would be interesting to give the participants the opportunity to get to know each other before the battles began, and perhaps make some friends or rivals. And, of course, to eat really good food.

The only problem Kyle had foreseen was the dress code. It was semi-formal, but there were a lot of ways to work around that. He hadn't liked the gleam in his mother's eye when she had heard there was a dinner party.

Fortunately, it seemed he was being spared. His mother, though obviously with some disappointment, had let him bring a simple white button-down shirt with khakis. He didn't have any nice shoes, but he was sure not many would look down far enough to see his gray tennis shoes. He looked at himself in front of the mirror and fixed his hair.

Adrien was already dressed and ready to go. But was he? Kyle had to look closely to see that Adrien was wearing black slacks instead of black jeans now. His black running shoes had also been replaced with black dress shoes, and he wore a black button-down. All of this, of course, was topped off by his usual jacket, throwing away the entire point of the outfit.

"Staying true to yourself, huh?" Kyle remarked, eyebrow raised.

"I like this jacket."

After Chelsey and Emily voiced their approval for the two of them, they said their goodbyes and headed outside the hotel to wait for everyone else. Adrien released Chu from its poke ball, and Kyle followed suit. Trainers were encouraged to bring their Pokemon and have them outside of their capsules for the party.

The brown puppy-like Pokemon seemed to be making a joke as it looked Kyle up and down. Kyle sensed its amusement and sighed.

Eve wasn't wearing its harness of evolution stones. Kyle had removed it before leaving for tonight. He wouldn't be able to switch if he got into a battle, but that trait was his strongest weapon. Tonight, he would meet all the opponents he had the potential of facing within the next few days. He wasn't just going to reveal his hand like that.

The door to the hotel opened behind them. Kyle turned to see Carol and Noah walking towards them. Carol was wearing a simple, sleeveless blue dress with a skirt that stopped just below her knees. Kyle had never seen her wear any kind of dress until now. She was wearing a little more makeup than usual, which still wasn't that much, but her lips were a brighter shade of red. Kyle smiled, although he suddenly felt he was dressed much more modest than he should be, which was not a thought he had expected to come from himself.

Carol blushed and averted her eyes. "Mom wanted to help me for tonight," she muttered. "I swear, I'm never getting in one of these ever again after this."

Noah strutted along in his green, collared t-shirt, khakis, and brown dress shoes. His hair was swept to one side, and he gave a proud smile to all of them. They all complimented him on his look, and he beamed even more.

Carol glanced at Adrien's outfit, then at Kyle's shoes, opened her mouth, paused, then seemed to settle on, "You guys look really nice, too." Kyle rubbed his neck, and Adrien shoved his hands deeper into his jacket pockets.

In two bright flashes, Scarf and Shine were released. The massive Dragonite and Aggron towered over the rest of them. It wasn't uncommon to see people everywhere walking around with their Pokemon, especially here, but usually, the ones people brought around weren't this big.

The door to the hotel opened once more, and out stepped Jordan and Hannah. Kyle smirked and placed a hand under his chin. Carol hid a smile with her hand. Adrien coughed.

While the four of the ones already outside had been at least close to the border between formal and informal, Jordan's style dipped to the extreme side of the spectrum. He was wearing a full tuxedo, complete with a black blazer. But despite how well-groomed he looked, his expression was one of defeat.

"My parents were really excited about this," Jordan grumbled. "Now I know why."

"You look cool!" Noah exclaimed, eyes wide. Jordan glanced at him and raised his eyebrows, but Kyle noticed some life return to him.

"Hannah, you look incredible, too!" Carol said.

"Thanks!" Hannah said. "All of you guys look great."

Hannah was also on the formal side of the spectrum, with a long, red dress. Her hair looked the same as normal, and it was clear that a lot of effort had gone into applying her makeup. Looking at the two of them, it was pretty clear that they were a couple.

Jordan looked Adrien up and down.

"Why?" Jordan asked. Adrien sighed.

Once Jordan and Hannah had let their own Pokemon out of their containers, they were ready. Since only the participants had received invitations to the party, their parents nor Kyle's sister would be joining them. They headed towards a large building close to the arena, where the party would be taking place. They approached the entrance, where a doorman examined their IDs and invitations before letting them by.

They walked up a set of stairs and came into a hall where the dinner party was evidently taking place. The hall itself was huge; most of the guests appeared to have arrived already, yet there was still room for plenty more. Round tables covered in white tablecloths dotted the area, with tables filled with all sorts of food lining the walls. A stage was at the back, where a lone microphone waited patiently.

Trainers were already talking and eating. Some tournament employees and referees, as well as some professors from the CPP, were here as well, chatting with some of the participants. They were all more formal than semi-formal, which made Jordan more at ease.

As he surveyed the scene, Kyle remembered why he wasn't much of a fan of social gatherings. He could tell Carol and Adrien were thinking the same thing.

"Can I get some food?" Noah asked, looking toward the tables of food.

"Sure," Carol said, leading him towards the starting line. "You guys can go pick out a table, if you want," she said to everyone else.

"Actually, I'm kind of hungry too," Jordan said.

"Are either of you getting food?" Hannah asked Kyle and Adrien, who both shook their heads in response. "Then we'll go find a table."

The six of them split in half, three heading towards the plates and meals, the other searching for an empty table. They found one quickly and sat, waiting in silence for their friends to return. Kyle spent the time scanning the room for any notably strong Pokemon, and smirked a little as he noticed Adrien doing the same. They both had the same intentions in mind for this party: to find information on their opponents.

They were all either highschool or college students, hardly any real adults, and hardly any young children, either. Kyle figured that Noah was actually the youngest participant here. Their Pokemon were all relatively high in experience by the way their Pokemon were evolved. Kyle wondered if any of them were Champions.

"Hey, you have a shiny, too?"

Kyle turned his head toward the unfamiliar voice to find a boy around their age wearing khaki shorts and a collared shirt. His blonde hair was combed to the side just above his eyes. A pair of headphones hung around his neck. He was staring at Chu while taking brief glances at Adrien, who turned as well, eyebrows raised.

"What?" The Raichu trainer asked.

"You know," the boy said. "A shiny. Like what you have." He took a closer look at Chu, who peered back at him with its red eyes. "Then again, I've never seen a shiny Raichu like this before."

"Oh," Adrien said. "Yeah, it's pretty rare, I think." He spoke with some hesitation.

Next to the visitor, about a foot-and-a-half shorter than he was, stood a bipedal Pokemon with yellow fur and small spikes protruding from its chest and hands. It's face looked similar to that of a fox's. Black appendages that vibrated softly hung from the back of its head.

The discolored Lucario gazed at Kyle. The vibrations of its black appendages increased for a brief moment, and its trainers eyes dotted towards as he seemed to consider something. Then everything was normal again, but Kyle was left feeling odd. The unknown trainer continued the conversation like nothing had happened.

"Did you receive yours as a gift?" The trainer asked.

Adrien shook his head. "I caught it as a Pichu."

The trainer dropped his mouth open in awe. "Wow. That's impressive. I heard wild shinies are really rare."

Only Chu isn't shiny, Kyle thought to himself.

Kyle had heard about shinies. Slight deviations in the genetic code of some Pokemon left them a different color than normal. They were incredibly difficult to find. And no Pokemon ever became shiny after it had already hatched. Adrien might've had a lack of knowledge about this subject, but Kyle doubted it. He was lying, for some reason. Kyle didn't feel like calling him out, but that didn't mean it wasn't peculiar.

"Did you get your Lucario as a gift?" Hannah asked.

The trainer nodded. "My aunt works for the CPP, and she managed to get it to me after it had barely hatched from its egg." He glanced between them all. "I'm Thomas, by the way." He gestured to his Lucario. "And this is Leo."

Kyle, Adrien, and Hannah took turns introducing themselves and their Pokemon.

"Are you guys all from the same area?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah!" Hannah said. "We all knew each other before the qualifiers. We're friends with the three others who were accepted, too. They're getting food right now."

"Wait," Thomas said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You're all friends?"

"Yeah." Hannah tilted her head at the look Thomas was now giving them. "Is that bad, or something?" She asked.

"You guys aren't feeders, are you?" Thomas asked suspiciously.

"Feeders?" Kyle asked.

Thomas ignored him. "What level are your Pokemon?"

"Uh, Eve is level 73," Kyle said.

"67," Hannah said.

"76," Adrien said.

Thomas raised his eyebrows. "That's pretty high. How long did it take for you to get there?"

"We've all owned our Pokemon since the first wave," Hannah said. "I got mine from the CPP, and these two caught theirs soon after. So about three years for each of us."

Thomas looked to Leo, who was taking turns staring at all of them. The black appendages were vibrating again. Kyle suddenly felt much more vulnerable as he remembered what Lucario were capable of. They could sense people's and Pokemons' aura, practically reading their thoughts.

"Leo trusts you," Thomas said, sitting next to Adrien at the table and pulling out a chair for his Lucario to sit as well. "Sorry about that."

"But, what are feeders, exactly?" Hannah asked. "And why do you think we're them?"

Thomas subtly pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "See the five trainers over there at that table near the center? One of them has a Tropius. Hard to miss."

Kyle leaned to the side to look past Thomas's head and quickly found the people he was talking about. The massive Tropius stood by them, its four leaf wings hanging at its sides and its long neck dipping down to eye level. The five participants were all young adults, easily over eighteen but probably not so far along into their twenties, if that.

"What about them?" Kyle asked.

"That Tropius is level 82," Thomas said.

Kyle's eyes widened. Hannah let out a small gasp. Even Adrien seemed a bit taken aback by this. And rightly so. Adrien had never lost a match, and he, like Kyle, had been battling trainers to gain experience since the very beginning. Kyle would've bet a lot that Chu had the most experience out of any Pokemon here.

"How?" Hannah asked. "How many battles has he fought?"

Thomas shook his head sadly. "It's not what you think," he said. "They didn't earn the experience by battling other trainers."

Hannah furrowed her brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Those five were the others that qualified in my area," Thomas said. "They're all good friends with each other." He clenched his fist over the table. "They raised their level by taking turns letting each other attack their own Pokemon until it fainted. They would order their Pokemon not to fight back, taking the hits while the other Pokemon would earn free experience. They would let their Pokemon rest afterward, but once they were healed completely, they would do it again. That's what I mean by feeders. It's a really popular tactic, where I'm from. I'm surprised you don't know about it."

"That's awful!" Hannah said.

"But how do you know they were feeding each other?" Adrien asked. "Do you know them?"

"No, I don't," Thomas admitted. "But I can sense it. Leo can read their auras. I know what they did to get their level high enough to pass the qualifiers."

"I'm guessing nobody else stood a chance against them," Kyle said.

"Nope. They all dropped like flies." He lowered his voice. "I still don't understand how they can take all that pain when feeding each other," he muttered. "I mean, that has to hurt them, too, right?"

Kyle eyed him. Experiencing pain that your Pokemon experiences. That connection was part of the bond between humans and Pokemon. Could Thomas be a Champion? It wouldn't be surprising. After all, he'd managed to make it into the main tournament without using the same feeding method.

Carol, Jordan, and Noah returned, holding their plates of food. They held two plates each: one for themselves, and one with food for their Pokemon.

"Hey!" Carol said, smiling to Thomas. "Who's this?"

Introductions were made, and the seven of them passed the time by talking and eating and playing with their Pokemon. Thomas got along with everyone else nicely. Fireball and Leo appeared to get along especially well. Jordan said that Fireball was hoping to get a chance to fight Leo in the tournament, and Thomas said Leo thought the same thing.

Eventually, a thumping noise rang over the room. Their eyes were drawn towards the stage, where a man had stepped up to the microphone and was now tapping it to test it. Kyle perked up. He recognized him.

"Hello, everyone!" Professor Pine, the head of the CPP, said. "I'm glad to see you all here, and I hope you're having a good time so far. I think this tournament is going to be very interesting to watch."

Professor Pine made eye contact with Kyle, and his smile grew slightly wider before continuing to address the crowd of trainers.

"I know you've all been talking amongst yourselves to learn more about each other, but how about we do something else, too?" He spread his hands wide in front of him. "As you can see, we have this lovely space in front of the stage large enough for a battle. Would anyone like to show off what they have before the main tournament?"

Silence fell as each of the individuals in the crowd considered. Kyle sat back. He wasn't going to fight, and he knew it would take a while for someone to step up. He looked around and saw people trying to walk forward, but then being held back by their friends. Even Noah was stopped by Carol, who gave him a look that said, "Trust me, it'd be better if you didn't." Everyone was too worried about revealing their Pokemon's capabilities sooner than needed.

Jordan stood up and began walking towards the stage.

"What- Jordan!" Kyle said. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

Jordan pointed to Thomas. "Let's go. In case we don't get the opportunity in the tournament, I want to fight now."

Thomas shifted in his seat. "I think Kyle's right. It's be best to play it safe and not-"

Jordan scoffed. "I don't care about that. I'll beat them all, regardless of what they might find out about me during this battle. Come on."

Thomas opened his mouth, likely to decline, but his Lucario had a different idea. It stood as well, staring at its trainer, who looked up at it and sighed.

"Fine," Thomas said, pushing himself off his chair and to his feet.

Jordan grinned and continued on with Thomas in tow.

"Should we go get a better view?" Hannah asked. The others nodded and stood up to follow their friends.

Pine smiled as he saw who was approaching. "It seems we have a pair of challengers! Everyone, please clear the space near the stage. Gentlemen, stand at the opposite ends of the fighting area."

"Who do you guys think is going to win?" Hannah asked as the trainers and Pokemon moved to their respective positions.

"Jordan," Noah said.

Carol turned to Kyle, Adrien, and Hannah. "Do we know anything about him or his Lucario?"

"He beat a lot of high-level Pokemon to get here," Kyle said. "Higher than even Chu's level."

"Wow, really?" Carol asked.

Kyle nodded. "And I think he's a Champion."

Carol raised her eyebrows, and Hannah's head turned sharply towards Kyle.

"I noticed it, too," Adrien said. "The way he could tell what his Lucario was thinking and how he talked about pain."

"But if all that is true, doesn't that mean this match is pretty even?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah," Kyle said. "I have no idea who's going to win this. But it's definitely going to be the best battle Jordan's had in awhile."

Pine stepped down from the stage, and a referee dressed in a suit came over and glanced between the two boys, checking to see if they were prepared.

Jordan figured he had this in the bag, though it might be a tough challenge. Thomas's Lucario didn't look too powerful for Fireball. Besides, with his bond with Fireball, there was no way he could end up losing.

The referee checked on Jordan, who said he was ready. Fireball huffed and punched its own palm. The flames rising from its head flared.

The referee turned to Thomas. Jordan paused. Thomas had grabbed the headphones around his neck and was sliding them up and over his ears. He began to twitch his finger to a tune. Amazingly, Leo was doing the same thing, perfectly in sync, though there were no headphones to be seen around its ears. Thomas gave a thumbs up to the confused referee.

"Is he wearing headphones?" Noah asked.

"Seems like it," Carol replied.

"Look," Adrien said, pointing. "Him and Leo are both moving their fingers. They're tapping out a beat."

"But it shouldn't be able to hear that…" Carol said. She paused. "Unless Leo could sense what Thomas was hearing through their bond."

"Yeah, my money's on the Lucario," another voice said.

They all turned to find Pine standing behind them, examining the curious pair. Kyle grinned, and the professor returned it.

"Is this the professor from the CPP Kyle talks to?" Hannah asked.

Carol nodded, smiling. "Yup. He was the reason we made it out of Team Dominion's hideout, too. Congratulations, by the way!" She said to Pine. "Is Lisa here too?"

Pine chuckled. "Thank you. And no, she isn't, unfortunately. She's busy, at the moment. I would've liked to stay and work with her, but I was required to be here to greet everyone." He sighed. "At least I got to see all of you again."

As the referee announced the start of the match, Fireball charged forward, hands and feet glowing white. Close Combat. It punched and kicked with tremendous speed, but Leo evaded each strike with ease, stepping backward as Fireball advanced. It moved perfectly, as if in a rhythm.

"Leo's fast!" Noah exclaimed.

Kyle looked at Pine. "Do you know anything about him?"

Pine nodded. "I watched all of the videos of the qualifier victors," he said. "You guys were incredible, by the way. Especially you, Adrien, fighting on your own like that and still managing to win." Adrien nodded humbly while Pine continued: "He was wearing those headphones during his matches at the qualifiers, too. It's pretty clear that their movements have to do with whatever it is that he's listening to."

"Do you think he's stronger than Jordan and Fireball?" Hannah asked.

Pine shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I could easily lose my bet on Lucario, but the match could definitely go the other direction, too."

Fireball attacked again and again, but couldn't land any hits at all. This Lucario was a master of evasion, moving as calmly and gracefully as a light breeze, yet faster than lightning. How was it that quick? It shouldn't be faster than an Infernape, much less Jordan's Infernape.

It didn't matter. Fireball wasn't getting tired at all. All he had to do was continue to attack, and eventually-

Fireball threw another kick, but this time, Leo didn't dodge it. Instead, he sidestepped and caught Fireball's leg. Its fist flashed metallic, and it pulled the Infernape closer to drive a punch into its stomach. Jordan felt a small pain in his gut and winced, placing a hand over his own stomach.

Fireball's body flew away and tumbled over the ground back towards its trainer. Jordan gaped. From the looks of it, that had been a Steel-type attack, which wouldn't be very effective on a Fire-type like Fireball. But Leo had appeared to grow stronger after landing that hit. Had the move it used raised its attack? Had that been Thomas's goal?

Fireball tried to rise to its feet, but Lucario dashed towards it so fast that Jordan lost sight of it for a moment. Jordan warned his Pokemon of the danger, but it was too late. Fireball was hit again, this time with a roundhouse kick, sending it staggering to the side.

Acrobatics!

Fireball's limbs glowed sky-blue as it readied itself for a follow-up attack from Leo. It came soon enough. Leo swiftly darted towards the Infernape, attempting to strike again, but Infernape spun out of the way and swept its opponent's legs out from underneath it. Acrobatics was a good choice when trying to counter an enemy, and it had worked well here.

With Lucario on the ground, Fireball had an opening. At Jordan's wish, it covered its body in fire, using Flare Blitz. It slammed its engulfed arms down on Lucario, cracking the floor. Jordan winced again as he felt the self-harming effects of Flare Blitz. He was sweating through his tuxedo. But at least he had-

Leo hadn't been on the floor when Fireball had struck. It had propelled itself out of the way and to its feet just before Flare Blitz would have connected. Fireball had damaged itself for nothing.

Leo rushed forward in a blur again. Fireball had no time to dodge. It was hit up into the air by Leo, leaving it vulnerable. Leo placed its hands together and spread them apart slowly. A ball of intense blue energy formed between its palms before it fired it into the air. It hit Fireball mid-air, making Jordan cringe in pain.

Fireball began falling to the floor, where Leo stood with one foot back, waiting to kick it as it landed. Jordan could tell that one more hit against Fireball would end the fight.

Be ready to catch its attack! Jordan told his Pokemon. He sensed a fierce acknowledgment. Fireball didn't wish to be pushed around any longer.

Leo bent its knees as Fireball approached the floor.

Now!

Fireball put up its hands to catch Leo's kick, but the Lucario didn't follow through. Instead, it leapt into the air while Fireball hit the ground and prepared another Aura Sphere. It fired it down. Fireball jumped to its feet and tried to get away, but the Aura Sphere followed it, refusing to miss. The attack hit Fireball square in the back.

The party over people filed out of the building. Most people, namely the ones whose Pokemon were huge, had returned their Pokemon to their poke balls. Eve walked beside Kyle as he and his friends left.

After the first battle, only a few more had taken place before it had become late. The first battles were tomorrow, and everyone needed sleep. They had all said their goodbyes to Pine and left to head back to their hotel.

Jordan was still grumbling at his loss while Thomas was avoiding making eye contact with him. Jordan had swore that if the two of them met in the tournament, Thomas and Leo would receive a beatdown like no other. It had been a long time since Jordan and Fireball had lost to anyone other than Kyle, Adrien, or Carol.

"Why do you wear those headphones, anyway?" Hannah asked. "Do you use music to fight?"

Thomas shrugged. "Sorta. By using a rhythm with our attacks, it's easier to connect combos. It's also good for confusing the opponent with fakeouts and all that. There's more to it, but don't expect me to give all my secrets away. I still have a tournament to win."

Soon, Thomas had to split off from the rest of them, since he was staying at a different hotel. Everyone bagen saying their goodbyes, but then Thomas spoke up.

"Could I talk to you for a second?" He asked Kyle. "There was something I wanted to ask."

Kyle caught his intention in his expression. "Go ahead, guys," he said. "I'll catch up in a sec." When they were alone, Kyle asked Thomas, "What did you need?"

Thomas narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't happen to be one of the Justice Champions, would you?"

Kyle froze. How had he known? He opened his mouth to speak, but Thomas stopped him.

"I'll take that response as a yes," he said.

"How did you figure it out?" Kyle asked.

"It was a bit of a guess, but Leo found something when he looked at you that made me wonder."

"What did he see?"

Thomas looked over Kyle's shoulder to the back of his friends, who were walking away. "It's weird. Usually, Leo sees the same thing in most people, although there are some deviations due to personality or their past. But you and your friend were some of the strangest people it's ever seen."

"How so?"

"You have a strange aura that gives off a weird feeling. It's hard to describe, but it was the same thing I felt during the first Arceus." He looked back to Kyle. "And, well, there were two of them near Team Dominion's hideout, right? I figured you might have been involved."

Leo must've sensed Arceus's power in Eve, Kyle thought.

"Well," Kyle admitted. "I wasn't exactly the one who had caused it, but I was involved."

"I don't even know how to ask this," Thomas said. "But, well, what are you?"

"That's hard to explain, too." Kyle said. "I'm not even sure if I can give you a good answer. But I didn't cause the Arceus. And I'm just a regular guy, like you. I'm not some kind of god." He eyed Thomas. "So? Was that all?"

"Not exactly. I'm saying this to you since Leo knows you're powerful and trustworthy. He believes in what he saw in you and your Eevee. Which is why I'm telling you this."

"What is it?"

"Your friend Adrien. What is he?"

Kyle tilted his head. "What do you mean. Do you mean 'was he one of the Justice Champions too?'"

Thomas shook his head. "I'm pretty sure he was. What I mean is like what I asked you. Is he human? Is there something wrong with him?"

"I don't understand," Kyle said. "What did Leo see in him?"

Thomas looked straight ahead. His eyes now had a far-out look to them.

"It was horrible," he said. "Like nothing Leo or I could ever imagine. If your aura was like light or life, Adrien's was definitely the opposite. His Raichu, it isn't shiny, is it?"

"No," Kyle said. His spine was growing cold. Was this what Arceus had warned him about?

"Leo also found something else," Thomas said. "A word: Giratina. Does it mean anything to you?"

Kyle had no idea what the word could mean. He shook his head.

"Well, that's all," Thomas said. "Thanks for letting me ask. I'll see you tomorrow."

Thomas turned to leave, leaving Kyle and Eve standing alone on the sidewalk in the warm night. Kyle looked at Eve and into its worried green eyes. A pit was forming in his stomach, and Eve was experiencing the same feeling.