Summary: Kagome was as odd as they came. Alain had realized that after their first meeting, and he had no idea what to make of her. There was something about her that drew him in without him even realizing it. It's strange how quickly someone can become so important.
Pairing: Alain x Kagome
Disclaimer: I do not own either series. Each belongs to their rightful owners.
Notes:
Redoing the original version.
Inuyasha!AU where Kagome's world was destroyed.
Flashbacks/Past written in bulk Italics.
Prologue
The weight in her chest was smothering. It felt like she couldn't breathe as she stood, staring down at the pink jewel resting so innocently in the palm of her hand. The pink was tarnished, sickening crimson covering it and sticking to her trembling hand. Still, under all the red, it glistened so purely. It was a deceiving lie.
Disgust plagued her heart and soul, knowing that all of this was all because of it. All because of it…- She'd never be free from it.
She wished to plead more and more. For it to just listen and grant the wish she wanted, but it refused. It was willing to grant another, but that one only made her heart feel even heavier. Like a lead weight in her chest. Guilt lurked beneath every other emotion she felt racing through her exhausted body, and she closed her eyes to ignore and fight back the tears she knew were desperate to break free. She couldn't cry, not yet.
Cradling it to her chest, she gripped it tight- tight enough so that she thought it might splinter apart into the dozens of shards it'd been in before. She whispered the words, not really hearing them herself. As if she had said some magic words, it began to glow brighter as that dying world faded out.
She was taken aback as the strange, small creature was coaxed into her uncertain arms. Blue met gold, and the man opposite her offered her a gleaming smile.
"See?" he said, grinning down at her. "She likes you best!"
True to his claim, the creature held in her arms waved her arms cheerfully with an agreeing cry. "Char!"
Kagome glanced down at her, a small smile appearing on her face the longer she looked at her. A moment later, she darted her attention back to the man with her. "So, she's okay, right, Leon?" Her question was laced with her worry, and he met her stare again with a smile.
"Of course," he said, stepping forward so he could pat the top of her head gently. Kagome huffed, but she didn't try to swat his hand away. He didn't miss the relieved light that entered her eyes.
"Thank goodness…" she said, voice going soft.
She'd found her alone, weak in a rainstorm on her way back to the Dojo. She'd been so worried that she'd been found too late…
000
"Kagome?"
She blinked several times before finally looking up. Cerulean eyes met steel blue, and she finally realized she had the attention of the whole room. Steven stood across from her with his hand outstretched to her, and she cautiously held the pink jewel out to him so he could observe it.
Right away she regretted the choice. There was a dull sting in her chest at having it away from her, and she knew it was its doing. She took it back a second later and stuffed it back into her pocket, finding peace in it being back with her.
"You wanted me here why, Sesshoumaru?"
He sighed and leaned against the wall behind him, folding his arms over his chest. "I've been speaking with Steven for a while now. He's willing to take the necessary precautions to hide the jewel away. He has a secure facility to keep it locked away in, and no one will learn of its existence."
She stiffened some at the sudden declaration, despite having asked for the clarification. Something patted her lower leg, and she glanced down. Though still set on edge by the suggestion, Kagome smiled and bent over to pick up the small creature by her feet.
"Char!"
As if pleased by getting her attention, the abnormally colored Charmander let out a gleeful cry at getting picked up by her trainer.
"No," Kagome said decisively, not even understanding her own words. A second later she realized her stiff response had startled both men. "I… I mean…" she trailed off as she grasped at her own words, her voice suddenly failing her. "Not that I have anything against you Steven, it's just… this jewel caused so much trouble. I don't want to pass that sort of grief onto anyone else."
Steven smiled and waved a hand. "No worries. Ultimately it's your choice, right? It'll be an option even if you never take it."
Sesshoumaru sighed. "Kagome, leaving it here might be the best way for you to let it go, as well."
She shook her head. "I don't need to let it go. I'm supposed to protect it and guard it, and that's what I'm gonna do." Even if she tried, she wasn't sure she could let the jewel stay. It was tied to her in a way no one else could feel it. Now that it was whole again, it was a different thing.
It didn't like being away from her, and it made it painfully obvious to her.
"Sesshoumaru… that pain I felt until we found the jewel again back in our old world… it was something I've never experienced before," she admitted. "I didn't like it, and I don't want to risk feeling that way again. The Shikon no Tama is a part of me, it's always been a part of me. It'll always be a part of me."
Sesshoumaru let a mild glare appear on his face before he turned away from her. "Well, it's an option for you to consider and keep in the back of your mind." He paused and glanced back at her. "Oh, before I forget to mention it, there's something Steven wanted to talk to you about, as well."
Those words were his farewell to her, and it was her turn to sigh. Her grip on Charmander tightened some as she held her closer to her stomach. She watched with a pout on her face as the tall demon left the room, most likely going off to find the small girl who usually clung to his legs.
"I believe that's my cue!" Steven said with a small laugh, approaching her and urging her to walk with him. Kagome met his stare, curiosity mounting in her as she trekked alongside him. "There's something I'd like to ask you if you don't mind."
"Oh, sure, go ahead."
"You still want to explore this world, right?" Steven asked, and Kagome nodded a bit more eagerly than she intended to.
"Yeah!" Kagome exclaimed. "Since we've mostly settled into this world, I've been wanting to do some extensive exploration, but I haven't been able to. I'm usually kept busy by Sesshoumaru."
"Well, I've talked to him. How would you like to do some work for me?" Steven offered. "You'll be able to explore all through the Hoenn Region and the other Regions, as well, while you do."
"Really?" Kagome asked, her excitement spilling out of her like a tipped-over bottle. When he nodded, she felt her excitement bubble over. "That's perfect! I'd love to!"
The idea of being able to take in the expansive world they had entered so suddenly seemed to light a fire in her, and Steven laughed at her excitable attitude. The Charmander in her arms waved her arms, too, just as excited as her trainer was.
"Then's it's settled!" Steven said, "from here on out, you'll be my helper."
"Okay!"
The large doors in front of her seemed to radiate an inviting aura, and she placed both hands on the one in front of her, pushing it open enough for her to fit through.
"Hello?" Kagome cried out into the foyer, hoping her voice would carry to other rooms, as well. "I'm here to speak with Professor Sycamore. Anyone here?"
She stepped into the building and let the door close behind her. However, right as it did, it opened again and a young girl barreled into the laboratory's main entrance. She slammed against her back, nearly knocking them both over if Kagome hadn't caught them.
"Sorry!" The small, red-headed girl blurted out before launching into a more rambled-filled apology. Kagome smiled and gently patted her head, the motion silencing her mid-word.
"It's okay, just be more careful, okay?" Kagome said, voice gentle. "You'll end up getting hurt if you run without looking,"
"Okay!" As her hand fell back at her side, Mairin looked over the woman with her. "I'm Mairin. What's your name?"
Kagome blinked a few times before registering what she said. "Oh! I'm Kagome. It's nice to meet you, Mairin." Kagome looked her over and she smiled. "I take it you're here for your first Pokemon, right?" she guessed, and Mairin nodded.
"Yup! That obvious, huh?" Mairin responded.
The chattering girls quickly drew attention to them, and a man with dark hair soon stepped into the foyer with them. "Well, hello there. Welcome to the Lumiose Pokemon Lab, I'm Professor Sycamore," he greeted them after yawning into his hand. He patted his hair down next, trying to make it less obvious he had been napping at his desk again. "I take it you must be here for your first Pokemon, hm?" he asked, speaking to Mairin first before turning to her. "And you're Kagome, right? I've been expecting you."
Kagome hovered back some and let Mairin rush forward first. "I'll let you handle her before we get started, okay?" she said.
"Well, now that she's on her way, how about you and I step into the main part of the lab?" Sycamore asked, motioning for Kagome to walk through the door he had entered through minutes before. She nodded and quickly headed for it, Sycamore following behind her. "Would you like some tea?"
Kagome considered it, and she nodded. "Sure! That sounds great."
It gave her the chance to find everything she needed as he stepped away to have the tea prepared. Once finding everything in her bag, she sat down on the couch she had been waved to. Before long, she was rejoined by Sycamore.
"Here you are."
"Thanks so much," Kagome said as she took the offered tea, taking a small sip as she settled into her seat. "It's wonderful."
"I'm glad you like it. It's my favorite blend." Sycamore fixed his own cup and mimicked her actions of sitting down. "Shall we start?" he asked then.
Kagome nodded before setting her teacup down on the table between them. She gripped the folder and loose sheets of paper she had set beside her. "It's amazing, actually. As time keeps going forward, we're able to come across more and more Pokemon capable of Mega Evolving. It's a topic that seems to be expanding more and more."
Sycamore took the offered papers and thumbed through them curiously, searching through the gathered and organized research she had come to deliver to him.
"It's the most up-to-date list Steven's organized," Kagome said. "I'm sure it'll change, too, though."
"Fascinating…" Sycamore closed the file and set it next to him. "There's still so much we can learn from our partners. All this information greatly improves my research. Thank you for delivering it to me, Kagome."
"I didn't mind. I was in Kalos for another reason, so when Steven asked me to do a dropoff, I figured it'd be fine," Kagome said. "I'm glad I could help!"
"Do you have to be on your way now?"
Kagome glanced at the clock on the wall and stood up from her seat. "Yeah, I'm running late on time," she said with a sigh. "I still have to pick something up for Steven."
"Well, next time you're in Lumiose come stop by. I'll be glad to have you here!" Sycamore stood with her and escorted her to the door, seeing her off as she called a Pokemon from its ball.
"Ready to go, Cheri?" Kagome asked as she stepped to the off-colored Charizard. Cheri let out a rumble in response as her trainer climbed on her back.
"What a magnificent sight!" Sycamore commented at the sight of the black Charizard. "I don't think I've observed a rare one in person before."
Cheri gave a prideful rumble at his words, puffing her chest out some. Kagome grinned. "I'll see you around, Professor!"
"See you!"
Auroua-chan: I'm so happy that I'm finally ready to have this posted! I've been working on it for a while. This will have several differences from the original version, but some will be similar.
Anyway..- a little bit of hinting in this chapter. Leon looking out for Kagome like a little sister? Kagome and co at the Dojo in Galar?
Anyway, that's it for now! Thank you all for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed! Hopefully I caught all the errors before posting, but if not sorry.
Please remember to Reivew&Favorite&Follow, thank you!
Bye for now~