Chapter 3

A whole day had already gone by since the crew had departed from the bustling streets of Lumiose City, and they found the blooming fields of colourful flowers were a nice change of atmosphere. Although Route 4 was known for being covered by these vast fields of flora, there were still plenty of densely forested areas further along the trails.

According to Dan, it would have taken them almost all of tomorrow too before reaching Santalune City if they had stopped for a longer break earlier instead of the short ten minutes or so they decided on.

Resting with her chin atop Aura's head, Diamond let out a squeaky yawn. "Are we going to stop soon? I'm really tired." She groaned.

Aura raised his brow and looked up coyly. "You're tired? We're the one's who've been doing all the walking." He could feel Diamond almost begin to panic as she thought Aura may have been mad at her remark, although he showed her he was simply kidding by forcing a hearty chuckle and patting her back. "Don't worry. The sun's almost set completely so we'll keep our eyes peeled for a campsite…" Aura trailed off for a second. "Diamond? It's been a long time since you've been out in the wild hasn't it?" The fox peered down at her trainer curiously but confirmed it had been many years since she was a wild Pokemon. She asked why he wanted to know. "It's just that we'll be camping out most of the time so I was sort of wondering how you felt about this."

Diamond shook her head. "I don't really know how to feel. I don't even know what 'camping' really is?"

Dan suddenly beamed. "Oh! Camping is amazing! I'd go camping on Route 1 with my parents all the time growing up." Noticing the two of them staring back at him, Dan awkwardly chuckled and cleared his throat. "Yeah… It's pretty cool I mean. Sitting by the fire roasting marshmallows, sometimes cooking a nice stew in a cast-iron pot. And best of all when you're far away from the cities you can see so much more of the night sky so clearly."

Aura pat his companion's shoulder. "Since you seem to be quite the enthusiast for camping we might make a good team since I'd spend most of my time in the forest playing with wild Pokemon, so I know my way around nature pretty well."

Dan smirked. "So you know the best way to track down some good berries?" Aura laughed and noted how he managed to pinpoint an entire grove of berries over a kilometer away just by examining the soil. "No way. Can you really?"

Another laugh echoed from Aura. "I can literally speak to Pokemon. I've learned a lot of these survival skills. In fact, it was because of my ability to understand Pokemon that I was able to start getting Trainer Allowance a few years earlier. Back in Johto I was given the opportunity to work with Professor Elm after he heard about my ability. He came to our home and my mom and I proved our skill so he asked if I would be interested in assisting him with his research."

Dan held a hand on his forehead intrigued. "That's pretty damn cool. So because of that he let you register for the Trainer Allowance early?"

"Not exactly. All he did was put in a good word for me and luckily the League took notice and gave me the offer. Seeing as I planned to go on a journey once I was old enough I accepted and they actually let me register for my Trainers License when I was ten. Of course I still couldn't enter the gym challenge yet, but I did start getting the Trainer Allowance like three years later so I have some money saved up."

"That explains how you managed to afford Diamond's necklace."

After a bit longer of quiet walking through the serene wilderness, Aura and Dan both began to slow down a bit. Diamond looked down from her trainer's head and asked why they were stopping.

Aura kneeled down and pinched the soil. "Thought so." Again Diamond questioned why they stopped and now wondered why her trainer was playing with the dirt. "Well then let me explain. The dirt around here is a lot softer and holds more moisture than than farther back the way we came. I could actually feel the ground getting softer under my feet too. And from what I was taught as a kid, everything about this soil tells me we're getting closer to a stream that should also have plenty of ripe berries nearby."

Diamond looked down at the road curiously and hopped off Aura's back, poking at the dirt herself. She didn't feel anything unusual about it whatsoever. Nervously glancing upward, Diamond meekly asked for their companion's attention, however Dan only looked at her curiously as he could not understand her and had to ask for Aura to translate. After asking Diamond to repeat herself, Aura shrugged and conveyed the message to his friend.

"Diamond wanted to know if you could feel anything different with the ground as well."

Letting out a short "oh" of realization, Dan lowered himself as well and poked the soil. "Yeah, I think you might be right about there being water nearby since the dirt here is damp and there's been no sign of rain all day."

Diamond frowned as she felt a little ashamed of herself for not being able to notice these things. Aura was quick to realize her distraught and scooped her into his arms, surprising the little fox who let out a startled yip. "Hey. Don't start feeling bad for no good reason." He told her sternly yet softly. "Remember that it's been a long time since you were a wild Pokemon. I bet you're just a little out of touch with nature after spending years at the lab." Aura let her rest atop his backpack like before and assured her that she'll get used to this stuff again as they travel.

The positive reassurance from Aura made her feel much better as she thought over his words and realized he was right. Diamond did spend most of her life in captivity, and even before that she had never actually learned much about the wild when she was younger.

As Diamond had been lost in her own thought for some time, she was coaxed back to reality with a flick of her ear towards the sounds of softly flowing water in the distance. "I think I can hear water nearby." She said to Aura. The trainer pat her head softly and thanked her for the notice before briefly relaying the information to Dan.

Daniel clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Well the sooner we get there the sooner we can set up camp for the night."

"Our first night on the road as official trainers." Aura affirmed while reaching up to scratch Diamond's cheek. "It's been a while since I last cooked over an open fire. Hopefully you like what I make." A bit more time passed before finally coming to a large clearing with a small river flowing nearby and a bountiful crop of wild berries along the perimeter.

"This looks like the perfect spot to set up camp." Dan looked up to the red sky as dusk fast approached. "And just in time, too. Too much longer and we'd be wandering around in the dark."

Aura let Diamond jump down before dropping his bag with a heavy thud. "We do have flashlights for that." He said, unzipping his bag and pulling out his small tent and sleeping bag.

Dan followed suit and retrieved his tent as well. "Yeah but have you ever tried setting up a tent with only a flashlight to see? It ain't exactly easy." He affirmed with a coy snort.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get everything set up and I can work on supper." Almost an hour later, both tents had been set up and a roaring campfire burned brightly between them. Sitting on his knees beside the flames, Dan was watching over some skewers Aura prepared atop a portable grilling-rack whilst he headed to the stream for a pot of water. Resting opposite from him, Diamond silently laid atop her trainer's bag looking anxiously towards the direction Aura had gone.

"Aura's only been gone a couple minutes, Diamond. He'll be back shortly." Dan reassured her as he used a pair of tongs to rotate the skewers. The Fennekin sighed. She glanced over to the Chespin eagerly watching the food with his mouth wide open and drooling from the roasting berries they had picked not too long ago. "Heheh. You can wait for Aura, too." Spyke looked at his trainer and quietly spoke as if begging for something to eat. "I already gave you a Sitrus berry to snack on." Dan retorted. Spyke crossed his arms with a huff and plopped down.

Diamond's ears perked up as she heard something rustling in the leaves. Upon seeing her trainer walk out into the light she jumped up and let out a happy yip. "I'm back with the water. How are the kebabs?"

"Good as they can be I guess. This one's been itching to eat already." He said, pointing down at Spyke.

Aura chuckled and set the pot down beside the fire. "It has been a while since we ate. As soon as these are ready we'll start eating and I can continue with the stew." Aura explained as he checked the food. Noticing they were actually cooked through thoroughly, he decided to start dishing them out to everyone before setting the pot over the flames and letting it boil.

"These are amazing!" Spyke chirped as he hastily nibbled away at the roasted berries and vegetables made specifically for the herbivore.

"Glad you like it. How's yours, Diamond?" The fox hummed in approval with her cheeks full of meat and berries. With some of the kebabs leftover, Aura put them aside to use them in the stew.

Some time went by and Aura added the ingredients to the pot. As he stirred the contents, he heard something beep a couple times near Dan and looked over to see him looking at a strange device. "Nine thirty." He muttered before turning off the alarm and taking a Pokeball from his belt. Aura asked what he was doing. "I guess I forgot to mention this. But, I actually have another Pokemon… Guess now is a good a time as any to introduce her." He said sorrowly. Clicking the sides of the Pokeball, Dan let out it's mystery inhabitant.

As the red beam of energy took form in front of them, the others all wondered what it could be. Finally the light faded away to reveal a pink and white Pokemon with bright, blue eyes and long, pink ribbons coming from a bow on it's neck and another at the base of one ear. "Wow. I can't even remember the last time I've seen a Sylveon this close..." Aura affirmed as he observed the Fairy type Eeveelution, however he furrowed his brow upon noticing how peculiar the Pokemon appeared. She did not look nearly as cheerful and full of life as the species was known for, rather she looked awfully tired and sickly with her half-lidded eyes and drooping ears and tail.

"This wonderful little lady is Missy, and she was actually my first Pokemon." While Dan took out a white paper bag and a bottle of vitamin water from his backpack, Aura and Diamond grew concerned for the Pokemon's health. They silently watched as Dan revealed a blue pill bottle from the paper bag and shook out a small, white capsule. "Sorry I haven't let you out all day, Missy. We've just been doing a lot of constant walking."

Very weakly, Missy approached her trainer and, before saying anything, opened her mouth to allow him to gently place the medicine on her tongue for her to swallow; followed by the trainer uncapping a water bottle and pressing it to her lips for a moment. Once she pulled away with a soundless sigh, Missy limped closer to her trainer and layed on his lap with a small smile. She then began to speak with a very soft yet slightly raspy voice. "I understand, Daniel. But it's worth it to spend the time I have left with my favourite person."

Dan forced a shaky smile and lovingly pet his companion along her back. In response, Missy forced a weak smile as well and curled up in his lap while loosely wrapping one of her ribbon-like feelers around her trainer's arm, soon closing her eyes slowly and taking shallow but steady breaths.

As the silence drew on, Aura couldn't keep his focus towards the pot of stew he had been absentmindedly stirring this whole time. Eventually his curiosity took over as he hesitantly spoke up. "Dan. I'm not saying this to be rude or intrusive whatsoever. But what is wrong with Missy?" He asked in a hushed voice.

He sighed. "It's a long story. When we first met years ago she was so happy and full of energy. We'd play together all the time growing up. But almost two years ago she suddenly started losing her energy and was getting weaker every single day. We had taken her to the best doctors available and none of them could identify what she had… We were extremely lucky that my uncle managed to develop a special medicine to delay the effects and give us more time to find a cure… But after spending so much time researching as much as we could, who knows if we'll actually find it in time."

Though they felt bad for the Sylveon and wished they could do something to help, Aura and Diamond knew all they could do for now was give their support and hope for the best. The next few minutes were spent in almost complete silence as a dark cloud hung over their heads from hearing Missy's situation. It wasn't until the stew had been finished that Missy awoke from her short nap to eat as well; however, as her ribbon was holding her trainer's arm, she was quick to realize the tension around her.

"Please. I don't want everyone to stop being happy just because of me." Missy started in her shallow voice. "I understand it's hard not to feel sorry for me, but I don't want to die surrounded by sadness. I wanted to come with Dan so I could make the most of the time I have left. So please, don't let me ruin your happiness."

Everyone stopped and stared silently at the Sylveon. Despite her illness she acted calm and more concerned for those around her than for herself. Soon enough, Missy lifted her ribbons and began to release a calming aura into the air around them, though it was weak due to her current state, it was enough to convey her message and spread enough positive energy to lighten the mood and lift their spirits.

Dan rubbed the back of his head. "I may not have understood what she just said, but I think I know what it was since she had learned to spell enough for me to understand how she felt and why she wanted to come with me." He softly caressed her cheek and smiled. "Am I right about that?" The Sylveon gave a short nod and pressed her cheek further into her trainer's palm.

With the dark moment passing over thanks to the Sylveon, Aura quietly passed around bowls of stew and watched as everyone's spirits slowly lifted back to normal. He glanced over to Missy and smiled, wanting to honour her wish and keep their spirits high.

Eventually, everyone finished their meals and the dishes were set to the side to be washed in the morning. They gave Aura a collective thanks for the food and soon everyone retired to their tents for the night. Aura zipped the tent shut and quickly changed into his sleepwear. Diamond blushed and averted her gaze for reasons even she didn't fully understand. She knew she would have to get used to seeing Aura changing as they'd be on the road quite often, but it was strange how attracted she was towards her trainer.

Once Aura was changed and his clothes were set aside, he helped Diamond remove her necklace and put it away. Aura shuffled himself into his sleeping bag and gently pat beside him while looking at Diamond. "Come on. It can get pretty cold out in the wild."

"O-oh." Diamond stuttered as she slowly crawled in next to Aura.

For the next while, silence was all they could hear as the night drew on. "Diamond?" Aura finally said. The Fennekin looked over and let out a short, questioning hum letting him know she was listening. "I've heard that the Santalune Gym specializes in bug type Pokemon, so you would have a big advantage being a fire type." Aura paused for a moment to look into Diamond's eyes. "But unless you choose to, I won't have you battle for me."

Diamond's ears perked up as his statement suddenly came out of nowhere. She folded her ears back soon and faced away feeling a little bit guilty. "I-I'm not sure I would be any good anyway. I've never been in a battle before."

"Well I'm sure you would do fine," he held her cheek softly as his voice brought with it nothing but sincere care for her as an individual, "all I want is for you to have a happier life with me than you've had before. When I chose you as my starter, entering the League wasn't as important to me anymore as helping you live a better life. I would gladly give up on my dream if it meant keeping you happy… You aren't alone anymore, and so long as I'm with you, you never will be alone again."

A small smile formed on her muzzle as happy tears built up in her eyes. She curled up closer to him. "I don't want you to give up on your dream just because of me…" She yawned and pushed herself closer. "Can you promise me something?" He asked what it was. "Promise me that, as we travel, we'll do whatever we can to try and help Pokemon in need."

Aura smiled warmly and pulled her against his chest. "Of course. No matter how big or small they are, even if it seems impossible, we will never stop. Because together I believe we can accomplish anything."

The two of them felt a soft warmth inside themselves. "Goodnight, Diamond. See you in the morning."

She sighed in her relaxed state, "Goodnight," she repeated, as sleep came to the two soon after.


Aura awoke the next morning to the feeling of something warm and soft pressed against his bare chest. He knew it was Diamond, but it warmed his heart to see her so calm and carefree as her sides rose and fell with her steady breathing. Though he figured they should get up before too late, he saw no way of doing so without disturbing the small fox from her slumber, so Aura began to gently nudge her and quietly whisper to wake up until the yellow fox stirred and opened her eyes.

She looked up at Aura tiredly. After a moment she realized how close she was pressed to Aura's chest and could feel her cheeks grow warm. "Good morning." He said cheerfully. Aura stretched his arms before slipping out of the bag and grabbing his clothes. "I hear the fire going outside so Dan must be awake. Why don't you go on ahead while I get dressed?"

Thinking of how flustered she felt seeing Aura change last night, Diamond didn't argue and waited for Aura to open the tent flap for her. Upon stepping outside, Diamond shivered as the cool, damp morning air hit her fur. "It's a little chilly this morning, huh?" She heard Dan say, looking up to see their traveling companion wearing a lime-green sweater hunched over the pot they used last night for supper. From behind him, Spyke the Chespin poked his head out and waved with a muffled sound as if saying hello.

Diamond shyly folded her ears back slightly and waved back with a weak smile before the grass type zipped back behind his trainer. She jerked back as a sudden snapping sound came from his direction with Dan quickly dismissing it as Spyke simply eating some nuts he gave him.

Finally Aura came out of the tent while in the process of putting on his shirt. The moment he stepped outside he began rubbing his arms and hunching over slightly. "Chilly out." He noted. Diving back into his tent for a second, Aura came out with a gray hoodie and slipped it on. With a content sigh, Aura greeted his friend and ushered Diamond to come closer to the fire with him.

Dan snickered from their similar reactions to the morning air before greeting them cheerfully. "Morning, you two. I hope you're in the mood for oatmeal."

"Sounds good to me." Aura crouched down and pat Diamond on the head. "I'll help put on your necklace after we eat. Don't wanna get it messy." He said with a smirk and a wink.

As Dan dished out the food and let Missy out for a few minutes to eat and take her medicine, he explained that if they left soon enough they could reach Santalune City by sundown without stopping for a big lunch. Aura agreed with him and gradually sped up eating his breakfast so they could pack up sooner and hit the road. To ensure they started moving sooner, Aura and Dan split the work packing up camp with Aura hurrying to the river to wash their dishes while Dan used his camping experience to quickly disassemble their tents and pack everything away. Right as they finished packing, they returned to the main path and started towards the city.

Hours had gone by as they walked, most of the time Diamond had been resting on Aura's backpack with questions riddling her mind relentlessly, the same questions she's been asking herself since she met Aura. No matter how much she tried to find a rational explanation for her feelings towards the trainer she couldn't think of why or how these emotions suddenly surfaced within her. Just being with Aura left her feeling a warmth inside herself that brought with it a lingering sense of security. Never had she experienced these feeling before.

Was she just happy to have someone like him care for her, or was it something much deeper than that? Could she be falling in love?

Unfortunately her questions would have to wait as she was pulled from her trance-like state by Aura nudging her and pointing down the road ahead. "You awake up there? We're almost in Santalune City." He told her. "Gym Badge here we come." Picking up their pace, the trainers hurried to the Pokemon Center to check in for the night. Once they had located the large building and entered the lobby, Diamond noticed this Center was just barely larger than the one they stayed at in Lumiose yet had far less people in the lobby.

They approached the counter and were welcomed by the pink-haired nurse. "Welcome to the Santalune Pokemon Center, how can I help?"

Aura set Diamond on the counter and the two trainers pulled out their Trainer IDs. "We'd like to book a double room for a while."

"Of course." She tapped at the keys of her computer and had the trainers each swipe their cards through a reader to give them access to their room. "Now, is there anything else I can assist you boys with?"

Dan took his Pokeballs from his belt and held them up. "Could you check up on my Pokemon? More so my Sylveon as she has some health issues." As the nurse took the Pokemon with a smile, she turned to Aura and asked if he'd like his Fennekin checked as well.

Aura looked down at Diamond to see is she would be okay with it. Thankfully she reluctantly agreed after Aura adamantly assured her they would only be apart for a little while. Though she has never liked being near other humans, Aura's words helped her understand she could trust the nurse. Aura nodded from her response and ruffled her fur between her ears playfully. "Yeah. I would like to know how her health is doing. Just...could you make sure she's treated gently?"

The nurse nodded in understanding. "I see. Well no need to worry, we'll take good care of them for you." She called for another nurse to bring a cart and set the Pokemon atop the white cushions.

Aura and Dan sat in silence on one of the sofas for a couple minutes, but seeing as their Pokemon wouldn't be done for maybe half-an-hour, Aura turned to his friend and explained he was going to head out to the nearby route and see if he can catch another Pokemon to battle the Gym. "If I'm not back by the time they're done, can you let Diamond know I just went for a walk?"

Dan shrugged and pulled out one of his medical textbooks. "I can do that. Just be careful out there and come back in one piece." Aura thanked him and fastened five empty Pokeballs to his belt alongside Diamond's before lifting his bag over his shoulder and walking outside.

Deciding to explore the Route just east of Santalune, Aura traveled along its wide path only a short distance from a nearby river. He walked at a leisurely pace while observing the surprisingly strong rapids thrashing along the surface, the only divider between the path and the water being a short, but dense wall of foliage.

After spending a good ten minutes looking around without spotting a single Pokemon, Aura figured he would probably have better luck tomorrow morning; besides, he didn't want to make Diamond worry by staying out for too long. Just as he stopped to turn around and head back, Aura caught sight of something moving amongst the nearby brush. All he saw was something blue move swiftly past a barren spot in the bushes, but curiosity got the better of him once again as he decided to follow behind it.

He didn't have to go very far from the path as the moment his poked his head out of the shrubbery he spotted a small, blue canine Pokemon kneeling down by the water and drinking from it's paws. Aura bit his lip as he slowly took one of his empty Pokeballs and pondered whether he should attempt to catch the rare Riolu. He has always been fascinated by Lucario since he was young, so having a Riolu with him would be a dream come true.

As he hesitated to throw the ball, Aura heard something else rustling in the leaves nearby. He glanced over and nearly stumbled back as he saw the dark face and hungry eyes of a Mightyena glaring at the Riolu. Aura wondered why the Mightyena hasn't seemed to notice him yet, but after a closer inspection of the Riolu, Aura noticed it was now washing it's tail as blood slowly seeped from a large bite mark. The blood must have been enough to mask Aura's scent.

Aura stood frozen as he watched the Mightyena preparing to pounce on the Riolu. He then recalled his promise to Diamond the night before, and he intended to keep it. So fueled by the desire to not only keep his promise to Diamond and save the Riolu, Aura felt like there was something special about it that compelled Aura to act.

The instant he saw Mightyena tensing itself to lunge out and strike, Aura scanned the ground and took hold of a thick branch near his feet and recklessly dashed out from his hiding spot mere moments before the dark type did the same. Running as fast as he could, Aura somehow managed to get between the two Pokemon. The dark type canine paused and skid to a halt, kicking up dirt and snarling hatefully at the human standing in the way of its lunch. "Back off, human! Or I'll rip you apart too!" It barked.

For some reason Aura was not afraid of its threats as he felt an unnatural sense of courage inside himself that let him stand strong and ready to fight. Aura tightened his grip on the branch. "Threaten me all you want, but you're not getting this Riolu!" The bipedal canine behind Aura watched as the mysterious human stood to protect him. He could feel an overpowering wave of positive emotions emanating from the man.

"Have it your way!" The large dog rushed Aura with fangs bared, jumping at his throat intending to kill with a single Bite attack. Courage and valor surged through the young trainer's body as he positioned the branch in front of him, catching the Mightyena's jaw and keeping his fangs at arms length. Despite his jaw being held off by a stick, Mightyena continued to lash out in anger, managing to graze Aura's chest with his deadly claws and cut through his shirt to leave a long gash that thankfully wasn't deep enough to cause serious damage. It did still make Aura wince in pain, but otherwise he stood strong and forcefully shoved the Mightyena to the ground.

Before it could roll over and stand back up, Aura pushed his foot against its chest with the tip of the branch held inches away from the Pokemon's throat. Aura stared into the dog's eyes, his own somehow glowing with an unnatural power and rage. "I know you were just hunting for food, but preying on others who can't defend themselves is pathetic." He begun to press the stick against its throat with an inhuman growl splicing with his voice. "Normally I wouldn't interfere with nature like this, but I'll be damned if I let another die who had no chance to fight back!" Mightyena gagged for air as Aura jabbed the stick even harder against his throat. "You should be thankful that I haven't skewered you yet. Now, leave here and keep this little lesson in mind next time you hunt for food." Aura spat with a menacing purple glow tinting his eyes.

The moment he felt the stick lift away from his throat and the chilly evening air rush into his lungs, Mightyena clumsily rolled over and began to scurry off with his tail between his legs.

As if none of that had actually happened, Aura dropped the branch and sighed before turning around to face the Riolu with a friendly smile and kind eyes. It watched him approach calmly and kneel down in front of it. "Are you alright?" Aura asked with his voice now back to normal.

After a moment of silent thought, the black appendages hanging from Riolu's head briefly rose as he spoke to Aura through telepathy. ("Yes. Thank you for saving my life.") In his mind, Aura heard the Pokemon's voice as somewhat child-like but still rather mature and well-refined in both his tone and dialect.

Aura shook his head and waved his hand. "It was nothing. Trust me; the only thanks I need is knowing you're okay. And the telepathy isn't necessary, I can actually understand Pokemon."

Riolu grew curious about the human. What purpose did he have for rescuing him, and why did he feel like there was something special about his aura. All of the pure power and positive emotions the trainer emanated caused something within the small Pokemon's mind to feel like this wasn't just a random encounter. He felt like there was some deeper connection between the two of them.

Unable to shake this from his mind, Riolu finally spoke up. "If I may ask, what reason did you have for saving me?"

Aura rubbed the back of his neck. "To be honest with you, I was really out here looking for a Pokemon to catch for my Gym Battle. But when I saw you were in danger I just felt like I needed to jump in and help. I would think it was because I made a promise to my partner, but I think something else really pushed me to act…" Aura paused for a moment to think. "This may sound dumb, but maybe we were actually meant to meet each other."

Hearing the sincerity in the trainer's voice, Riolu felt at ease around him and was now adamant that their meeting was not in fact just a coincidence. Truthfully, he had sensed the human's essence all this time, and although it was undeniably risky as he was being stalked by the Mightyena, the Riolu had made the choice of ensuring the trainer saw him and hoped he made the correct choice.

Confident in his decision, Riolu knelt down out of respect for his savior like that of a loyal knight kneeling before his great king. "If it would not be too much trouble, I ask for your blessing to join your team and travel alongside you."

Aura froze. He had absolutely no idea how to respond to such a request that it left him a little flustered. "You- want to join me?"

The Riolu nodded but otherwise didn't move a muscle. "Yes. I have been wandering alone for many moons since the death of my pack. As the only survivor there is nothing for me to return to. However, I knew there was a reason for my life being spared as did my father. So I've searched for my purpose and let fate be my guide: and now I feel my search is finally over."

"I'm sorry that happened to you. I know someone else going through the same thing, losing everything you once knew and loved, it would be hard for anyone. So if you want to come with me, I will gladly accept you as part of our family." Aura took one of his empty Pokeballs and held it out for the canine. "But first, do you have a name?"

Riolu shook his head. "I have not yet chosen a name for myself as our species does upon discovering our purpose."

"Well if you're gonna be a part of the family then you'll need a name. Is there anything about you that might give a good idea?"

Riolu thought for a moment. "I recall some of my pack members referring to me as "the prince" due to my father being our pack leader."

Aura smirked. "Well I think Prince would suit you just fine. You certainly have the personality one would expect. So what do you think?"

The name rolled around in Riolu's mind for a moment before answering. "Very well then, I shall now and forever be known as Prince. Thank you, Master."

Aura nervously raised his hands in defense. "H-hold on a second. You may legally be my Pokemon but that doesn't mean I own you. I've told Diamond the same thing, so please just call me Aura."

Prince stood up and bowed. "I apologize, Master Aura. But I do wish to refer to you as such to show my gratitude and loyalty towards you."

Aura sighed. He didn't enjoy being called "Master", but if Prince really felt so strongly about it then Aura wouldn't stop him. "Well then. Welcome to the family, Prince." Aura held the Pokeball out and Prince tenderly tapped the button with his paw and allowed the red light to envelope his body before pulling him inside. The button blinked yellow a single time before letting off a short click to signify a successful capture without a single wobble, showing Prince had accepted his capture and didn't even attempt to struggle free.

Aura looked at the red and white sphere with a warm smile. Whispering one last welcome to his new teammate before returning to the road back to town.


Diamond laid silently on the sofa next to Dan who was currently reading through his medical book as they waited for Aura to return. A nurse had brought the Pokemon back a few minutes prior and Dan made sure to explain to the anxious fox that Aura would be back soon. But this didn't stop her from nervously biting her lip or chewing on her tufts of ear fur.

Her ears perked up and swiveled around as she heard the automatic doors glide open. She turned to face the entrance and was overjoyed to see the trainer who took her in. Diamond leaped from the couch and hurried over to Aura, jumping into his arms and nuzzling his chest with her tail rapidly wagging behind her. However, as she felt something wet and sticky against her cheek she also heard Aura wince as he greeted her. Diamond pulled her head back and gasp in horror as she looked upon the three large gashes in Aura's shirt that had been stained red from blood.

The normally reclusive and shy Fennekin suddenly acted out as she practically cried out of worry, desperately questioning Aura about his injury and almost breaking down into tears. "Aura?! Please tell me you're okay?!" She yipped loudly.

Aura bit his lip nervously as he'd never expected Diamond of all people to act in such a manner. In the heat of the moment, Aura felt being honest about recklessly throwing himself into danger as he did would only cause more problems despite his intentions. Anxiously avoiding eye contact with her, Aura tried to convince Diamond it wasn't serious at all and she shouldn't worry about him. Of course this only lead to the fox scowling at him with tears in her eyes. Again she desperately asked what happened to him, but with a little more authority in her voice this time.

Finally Aura let out a sigh and explained he got into a fight with a wild Mightyena and it managed to scratch him. Before he could finish, Diamond lashed out asking why he would do such a thing.

Hearing the angered yips and barks of Diamond, Dan stood up to investigate. As he asked what was going on, he noticed the gashes across Aura's chest and the fox's cheek tinted red. "Holy shit! What happened to you?!" His question went unheard as he continued speaking to Diamond.

"Diamond. I swear I did it for a good reason." He exclaimed.

"And what reason is that?!"

Aura plucked the Pokeball from his belt, "I did it to save his life." Diamond and Dan both watched in silence as Aura expanded the ball and let out its resident. Out of the Pokeball shot a flash of white light that, upon arching into the floor, took shape and faded to reveal the Riolu kneeling down loyally as he did before.

Diamond stared in awe at Prince, taking notice of his tail still dripping with some blood from his bite wound. Suddenly Diamond's anger faded as abruptly as it came with guilt soon taking it's place for lashing out at Aura. "I-I'm sorry… I was just so worried about you." She hicced as she pushed her face into Aura's chest once again, not caring about the blood dampening her fur.

Aura slowly began to stroke her back as he calmly shushed her like a parent soothing their child. "I'm not upset at you at all, Diamond. You have every right to be angry after what I did. But I swear I did it for a good reason." Aura looked at his newest partner and forced a calm smile. "I'll tell you more about it later, but first I think Prince and I should get patched up. If it helps you feel better then you can come with us."

Diamond wiped her eyes and sniffled as she quietly agreed, just happy to know Aura still cared for her despite her outburst.

As Dan was left out of the loop for the most part, being unable to understand Diamond like Aura can, he assured them he would head up to the room and start making supper. So as Dan headed upstairs, Aura took Diamond and Prince to the counter for some treatment. After explaining the situation the nurse ushered Aura into a nearby room where him and Prince were sat on a table while another nurse was called in to help.

Aura took off his ruined shirt so the nurse could attend to his wounds while the other was quick to start disinfecting and bandaging Prince's injuries just after she finished wiping blood from Diamond's fur. Since Aura's injury was a bit more serious and he had neglected to even cover it up they would spend the next good while in there. He decided to inform Diamond about what happened. So after telling her most of what happened, he eventually finished by asking her if she remembered the spark they felt when they first met.

"I don't think I'll ever forget that moment." She said thoughtfully.

"I think Prince and I share a special connection as well. It wasn't as strong as it was with you, but when I saw Prince I felt something pushing for me to save his life."

"I too felt a unique connection with Master Aura the moment I could sense his aura." Prince explained. "I think it was caused by our auras sharing a similar wavelength that we were subconsciously drawn to each other." Aura smacked his fist into his palm as he recalled that Lucario will often search endlessly for the one their aura resonates with perfectly, and as such, this would mean Prince must have been lead to Aura subconsciously.

A few more minutes passed before Aura's chest was covered with a thick layer of quaze.

"That should be it. You're lucky these cuts aren't deep enough to cause serious damage other than some scarring, but aside from that it will sting for a few days and your bandages should be changed at least once a day for a while." The nurse told him.

Aura thanked the nurse for her service and was lead back out into the lobby. "Hey. Before we head up I want to call my mom and introduce her and Kibbs to Prince. Also I should probably let them know we made it to Santalune safely." As neither of the Pokemon rejected this idea, Aura brought them towards the phone booths and dialed his home number. While the phone rang, Aura picked up Diamond and nudged the small seat over for Prince to stand on. Finally, the screen lit up and Darlene came into focus.

"Hey, Mom. How are you and Kibbs doing?" Aura greeted first.

"We're both doing great. How have you and Fennekin been?"

Aura had forgotten that Diamond wasn't named until after he called his mother last time. "Actually, her name is Diamond now." He corrected.

"How lovely. I assume it's because of the necklace?" She asked, looking closer at the fox in her son's arms.

Aura nodded before changing the subject towards the reason he called in the first place. "I'm mostly calling to let you know we made it to Santalune City and I have someone I want you and Kibbs to meet."

Darlene clapped her hands together. "That's wonderful, hon. Where are they-gah!" Darlene was abruptly cut off as she was suddenly toppled over by the orange and black puppy that, shortly after, jumped onto the counter and into view of the camera.

"You caught your first Pokemon?! Let me see!" Kibbs barked excitedly.

Aura heard a fain groan as he watched Darlene stand back up with one hand on her head and another on the counter for support. "Calm down, Kibbs. Aura wanted to show us both anyways."

Kibbs sheepishly grinned and apologized. "I'm just happy to know Aura is doing well."

"A-anyways. Mom, Kibbs, I want you both to meet Prince." Aura moved over a little to reveal the Riolu who stood atop the stool.

Kibbs immediately cooed in adoration as she and Darlene both commented on how cute the young pup was. Prince blushed slightly but cleared his throat and fixing his composure. "Thank you for the compliments, ladies. It is a pleasure to meet you both." He said calmly with a polite bow.

"And such a gentle-mon as well." Kibbs joked with a giggle and a faint blush under her cream-coloured cheeks.

"So how did you meet Prince?" Darlene asked. Aura flinched as he hoped to avoid admitting he could have gotten himself killed, but after the way Diamond reacted he figured it was best to just be upfront. Thus Aura went on to explain a second time the events that transpired earlier that evening with Darlene and Kibbs listing in on every word.

Once he got to the part where he faced off against Mightyena, Aura moved Diamond out of the way to take off his ruined shirt and present the bandages with three faint lines of blood soaked through the cloth. "Before you give me a lecture, I know it was a stupid way to go about doing it, but it's better than what could have happened to Prince if I just sat there and watched. He's lost a lot already but because I saved him he has a family that cares about him." Aura told them firmly while Diamond looked at her new teammate in shock, this being the first time she heard about his loss.

Kibbs and Darlene looked at each other calmly and sighed in unison. "Aura." Kibbs started. "I'm sure you understand we aren't exactly happy that you put your life in danger like that. But I don't think we can say we're entirely upset either."

"You are a wonderfully talented boy, Aura." Darlene continued. "It makes me proud as your mother that you grew up to be so selfless. But please think before you do something like that again. Both of us love you no matter what and we are glad you were able to save Prince."

Aura nodded as he spoke with guilt lining his voice. "I'm sorry. I already made Diamond worry about me and I don't want either of you to worry about me either. But I can't promise this won't happen again."

"What are you saying?" Kibbs inquired.

"Last night I made a promise to Diamond to help Pokemon in need as we travel. And if I promise this won't happen again then I'll be breaking my promise to her."

Darlene sighed loudly. "If that's the case then please, just be more careful. You can't help anyone if you get yourself killed out there." Aura nodded with another "I know" remark before mentioning how Dan was making them all some supper in their room so he should get going soon. "Okay then. But we appreciate you calling us and telling us all this. We're both wishing you the best of luck in your Gym Battle."

"Diamond, Prince. Take care of Aura for us, okay?" Kibbs said with the two of them confirming they would do their best. "And Aura. Please try to call us any time something happens."

He nodded. "I will. Love you guys." Darlene and Kibbs repeated his words before the screen turned black as the call was disconnected. Aura stood there for a moment before turning and walking to the stairwell with Diamond in his arms and Prince tailing behind.

Diamond sighed. "I'm really sorry, Aura." He looked at her a little confused. "I yelled at you for getting hurt even though you did it to save Prince and keep your promise to me. I don't know what came over me."

Aura tightened his grip on her. "You had no way of knowing that. All you knew is that I went out for a walk and came back injured. You had every right to be upset at me for making you worry like that, and frankly I'm kind of mad at myself for it too." The two Pokemon looked at their trainer curiously. "I never want to make you worry about me like that. I already forgive you for getting upset with me and I'm hoping you'll forgive me as well."

Diamond smiled at him and pressed her head against his chest. "I forgive you."

Once they arrived at their room, upon walking inside Aura noticed Dan sitting at the table with his face buried into his textbook. Dan soon looked up as he noticed the door opening over the low volume of the television. "Hey. Nice to see you're all patched up." He closed the book and stretched. "How'd the call go?"

Aura shut the door and walked towards the bed to drop off his bag. "It went okay. Things got a bit heated when I told them what happened but it still worked out in the end."

"That's good. Me, Missy and Spyke already ate so help yourself to whatever's left on the counter." He said before yawning.

Aura thanked his friend and got out some dishes for him and his team, the three of them spending the next few minutes eating while Dan helped Aura think of some training routines for tomorrow. Eventually they finished their food and cleaned up while Dan got ready to turn in for the night. As Aura was about to do the same, he noticed some blood still on the back of Diamond's leg while some had blended in with her red tufts.

"Hold on, Diamond." The fox curiously paused as Aura knelt down and examined her a little more thoroughly, spotting more blood in her red fur and some smudged around her face. They were difficult to notice after the nurse wiped most of it off, but once they were seen they stood out like black on white. Of course, Diamond didn't want to have the blood on her any longer than she had to, so when Aura offered to help her wash it off she gladly accepted and followed him into the bathroom.

As soon as she was past the threshold, Aura shut the door and began running the water in the tub. Making sure it was only a few inches deep, he stopped the water and turned to Diamond. "Alright, you ready?" He asked her as he picked her up.

"Y-yeah." She nodded. Aura began slowly lowering her into the shallow water. It only reached a little past her knees, but that was just enough to make her feel relaxed in its warmth.

Aura grabbed the tiny bottle of special Pokemon shampoo and instructed Diamond to close her eyes, and once she did he began to tenderly scrub the fur around her face. Following her face, Aura cleaned the fur in her ears before moving along the rest of her body. With the yellow fox coated in suds, Aura instructed her to close her eyes once more as he took the showerhead and began to rinse out her fur. As soon as her fur was rinsed clean, Aura lifted her from the tub and grabbed one of the soft towels hanging nearby. After a couple minutes of drying her fur, the moment Aura pulled the towel away he couldn't stop himself from chuckling at the sight of the now poofy Fennekin. And of course she wasn't exactly amused with his reaction as she puffed out her cheeks.

Aura wiped his eyes. "Don't worry, it actually looks really cute on you." She clearly still felt embarrassed and irritated from the state of her fur, so Aura quickly grabbed a brush and started to smooth out her fur until it was back to normal.

Once they were finished and exit the bathroom, Aura took notice of Dan already in his own bed while Prince was fast asleep on the sofa with Spyke sleeping on the other end. Quickly grabbing his shorts and getting changed himself, Aura helped remove Diamond's necklace before they both got into bed. Diamond let out a content yawn and glanced over towards the Riolu.

"Thank you for keeping your promise."

"Well I wasn't gonna let him get eaten by that Mightyena." He retorted.

Diamond smiled and curled up against him. "That's why I like you so much, Aura. You're such a good person and do whatever you can to help."

Diamond yawned and Aura just smiled at her, showing the caring smile she loved so much. "Good night, Diamond. Let's hope that as our journey progresses, we continue to make new friends along the way." He said, letting out his own yawn.

"Good night, Aura." As Diamond closed her eyes, Aura gently pet her forehead before closing his own eyes and letting sleep take over.


Back in Vaniville Town, Kibbs walked into Darlene's room and crawled into the little bed Darlene got for her back when she first brought the Growlithe home. The bathroom door opened, and Darlene stepped out in a black tank top and red pajama pants. She turned off the light and climbed into bed.

"You know, Darlene, I really worry about Aura. He can get himself into all kinds of trouble with the way he is."

Darlene rolled over and looked down towards the Growlithe. "I know. I worry about him too, but as long as she's watching over him, I'm sure Aura will by just fine. She wouldn't let anything bad happen to him."

Kibbs paused, know exactly who 'she' was. "What if he finds out? Do you think what she says will really happen?"

Darlene yawned. "I can't say for sure, Kibbs. I may have known him for seventeen years, and it hasn't come up once, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see."