The water's level dropped to his ankles as Louis placed his feet on the beach sand. He paused, allowing the group to catch up.

A splashing cacophony behind him signalled they were close.

Taki struggled to catch her breath, while Tracey bound through the waist-high sea, smiling.

"So, what are we doing again?" asked Tracey.

"How should I know?" responded Taki. "I'm just following Louis."

Louis continued to stare at the stone structure peeking through the trees. It returned their gaze like a giant, monolithic cyclops. It's entryway forming an unwelcoming eye that seemed to grimace directly at the party.

The rest of the party spotted the building as they moved closer to Louis

"I...don't think anyone has been here in a while," said Totodile.

Louis found pace in his legs again, and soon he was another fifteen-feet ahead of the group, single-minded in his purpose.

Tracey noticed Taki's breath becoming heavier.

"Hey, Louis!" called the boy. "Wait up!"

Louis failed to hear the words, already at the temple's, cold, white-stone door. With a struggle, the party regrouped.

Louis rolled his sleeves and cracked his knuckles, with determination in his eyes. He placed both hands on the door's cold surface, and with a grunt, pushed against the portal with all his strength.

Nothing.

The door, anciently heavy, didn't budge an inch.

Taki stepped towards the entrance of the temple, placed her hands on the doors and proceeded to join Louis in pushing the two blockades open.

Still nothing.

"What the hell?" groaned Louis. "It's stuck!"

Tracey, eager to help the party in any way possible, offered his strength to the effort. Suddenly, a deep click, like a mechanism sliding into place, reverberated through their fingertips on the door.

With a rumbling scrape, the ancient mass began to heave inward. And soon, the doorway that was an eye, opened to the party.

"Huh, I was wrong," voiced Louis. "It wasn't stuck."

"I don't think it was our strength," said Taki, and then, looking to the young boy, she added;

"I think it was him."

Footsteps echoed the ancient temple for the first time in a millennium. The walls carried the footfalls throughout the structure, and reached a crescendo as the group approached a large, silver statue in the centre of the aged architecture. Light from the outdoors reflected on the large depiction of a winged, horned, imposing creature

"Is that...Lugia?" said Taki, surprised.

"Huh," said Louis.

"Hey Tracey, you ever seen one of-..."

The boy was already sketching the scene before him.

"Guess not," finished Louis.

For a few moments, the group stood silently in the shadow of the Lugia.

"So...what is this thing?" asked Louis.

Taki cleared her throat and began to speak.

"From what I know, Lugia is often referred to as the 'Guardian of the Seas'. The chief once told me that Lugia was able to quell ceaseless fighting between other legendary Pokémon."

"So, this is the temple's guardian?" questioned Tracey.

"I'm not sure," answered Taki. "But...I'm guessing it's like Ho-Oh with my tribe."

"You're in a tribe? That's so-..."

A voice behind them interrupted the group's discussion. Not a new voice, either. But one that boiled Louis' blood.

"Prepare for trouble," dictated Cassidy.

"Make it double," added Butch.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our-"

"SHUT UP!" bellowed Taki, before noticing Louis, now in full sprint, toward the intruders.

"I've told you before!" the boy screamed, emotion quavering his voice.

"STAY AWAY FROM US!"

The boy launched himself with tremendous speed at Butch. However, he sidestepped before Louis could connect. Louis' loud, sudden outburst startled Cassidy and Butch, as well as the rest of the party.

"What's gotten into the twerp?" questioned Cassidy.

With the fury of an Ursaring that had awoken prematurely from its hibernation, Louis jumped back up and grabbed both Cassidy and Butch, pinning them to the wall.

"THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME NOW!" shouted the boy.

"Whoa, Louis!" called Taki.

"What are you talking about?!" growled Cassidy.

"Five times!" fumed Louis. "Five times you've gotten in our way."

"First in the misty forest, then Charicific Valley, outside Asagao Village, Bleakwood Forest, AND NOW HERE!" he listed. "And don't tell me you've forgotten all that!"

"Oh wow, you've got a sharp memory," snarked Butch.

Louis shifted his weight to his left foot and spun backwards, flinging the snarky Team Rocket member several feet across the temple's dusty surface. Butch tumbled under the force, scraping his knee and back.

"Butch!" cried Cassidy.

Louis' fiery eyes shifted to the female Team Rocket member.

"Next!" he growled.

In the blink of an eye, Taki charged toward the furious boy, not caring for her own safety.

"Louis, STOP!" she shouted.

Before Louis could grab Cassidy again, Taki locked her arms on his, preventing further damage.

"Both of you, get out of here!" she ordered. "Don't ever let us see you again!"

The boy with the bruises struggled to his feet and looked questioningly toward his partner. Cassidy nodded, and soon the pair left the place of worship.

"COME BACK HERE!" screamed Louis. "I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU BOTH!"

"Yes you are!" replied Taki.

She spun Louis around, until they both met each other's eyes.

"Look at me!" demanded Taki.

The wrath consumed the boy's heart. Sweat built upon him and he struggled to calm his breathing.

"Louis! Look at me!"

He stared, angrily at first, but eventually eased into a relaxed gaze within her oaken eyes. The girl then pointed to his pocket. Louis looked and saw that there was a glow emanating from the pocket.

After returning his attention to Taki, a tear slid down Louis' face. But then, another formed, and so on, until both sides of his face had steady streams of cascading tears. He gripped onto Taki, placing his face on her shoulders, sobbing profusely. The journey's events built within him to an immeasurable height, the pressure finally relieving itself through Louis' uncontrollable sobbing.

From outside the temple, Tracey's parents worried at the sight playing out in the structure.

"Oh dear," said the mother.

"He's exhausted," added the father.

"He must've been through a lot."

Aw...poor Louis. Someone needs to give him a bunch of hugs.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Is there something you enjoyed? Can you guess what happens next? Or...what do you hope to see in future chapters? If so, go ahead and leave a review explaining any of these reasons. (Please don't leave hurtful reviews)

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Thanks again. See you next time

...P.S I've also created a Casting Call for making an audio reading of this story on Casting Call Club. If there are any VA's here that are interested, feel free to check it out.

Ok bye :)