The Reunion Suicune's Song

by Cryomeine Icestorm

two trainers reunite after twelve years apart only to have their true feelings tested by a lonely Suicune

Suicune's Song

Goldenrod city's magnet train station was alive with activity and sound. Neatly uniformed conductors and operators walked about the platform and helped load luggage onto the baggage car; passengers boarded the train, purchased tickets or milled around the sleek, modern terminal. Immaculately uniformed engineers connected the train's batteries to a main power supply via several chunky cables that carried the millions of volts of electricity that would propel the train on its way. The train itself was like a great beast; hissing as pressure was relieved from the structure and wheels, purring deeply as the batteries were charged.

But amidst all the noise and bustling movement, two families stood silently. Saying goodbye.

Both families had children, and it was through their children they stayed friends. The family who were staying had a girl, just turned ten, with unusual steely-blue hair.

The family that was leaving had a boy, also ten, with dark brown hair.

The two children stood to one side, saying their good-byes. The girl had a Horsea clutched in her arms, the boy a little Dratini coiled around his neck. As they talked, the girl took a pendant from around her neck. It was an ancient coin she had found in her grandmother's garden. She then broke it in half and gave one half to the boy. They hugged quickly, but were interrupted when a musical bell chimed and an announcement came over the loudspeaker.

"All passengers travelling from Goldenrod city to Saffron city please board now at Platform B. Goldenrod city to Saffron city boarding now at Platform B. Have a nice day."

The boy's parent's took his hand and led him onto the train. As soon as they reached their seats, the boy pressed himself to the window, watching the girl sadly wave goodbye to the departing train.

12 years later...

He emerged from the roughly-hewn mouth of the Ice Path, shaking snow crystals off his coat as he went. The sun shone down brightly on the open mountain path, afternoon shadows pooling in crevices and hollows. Rhonin took a deep breath of the fresh, alpine air, then followed the well-worn path away from the cave. He walked slowly, relishing the warm afternoon, and the fact he was about to battle for his last Johto League badge. Rhonin took a flat chrome box out of the belt-bag he wore and opened it, revealing seven gym badges fixed to the black lining, each gleaming brightly in the buttery sunlight. Rhonin looked at each in turn, remembering how he had won them. Some easy victories, some hard won triumphs. The Zephyr badge, from Violet city's gym, where the leader used flying-types. The Hive badge from Azalea town, won from the bug trainers there. The Plain badge, a shockingly close call with a tough Miltank in Goldenrod. Ecruteak city's Fog badge, a satisfying battle with Morty and his ghosts. A simple defeat of muscle-bound fighting types earned Cianwood's Storm badge, but a difficult fight against Olivine's Jasmine and her Steelix to win a Mineral badge kept his ego in check. And last, but definitely not least, the Glacier badge; a challenging battle against Mahogany town's Pryce and his ice-type pokémon.

Rhonin smiled as he remembered how hard his pokémon had fought to win them all. He sighed in memory, then shut the case and tucked it back in his bag. "One more to go." He said to himself, then rounded a corner in the path and stopped. Laid out before him in all its glory was Blackthorn city.

It had been twelve years since the trainer and his family had moved away from here, but it seemed as if nothing had changed. Tall, leafy oaks and dense, gnarled firs lined the streets and avenues, angled roofs to protect against snow damage poking through the green like islands. The surrounding mountaintops shrouded with white wisps of cloud, transformed to pearly brilliance by the clear sunlight. And atop a terraced slope, sheltered by rocky arms of the mountains to the north of the town was a beautiful lake,

Its surface turned to silver and gold by the setting sun; and on the southern shore, overlooking the town, was his goal; a magnificent sprawling structure built from timber and stone.

"The Blackthorn gym."

Clair stood silently, looking around the cavernous battle-room of her gym. At the moment, the gym was empty, and she was thinking of closing up and going home. It had been a long day. The few trainers that had challenged her were no match for her pokémon, as usual, and she had been left to drift in thought for most of the day. She looked at the Rising badge she held in her hand and smiled weakly.

She had trained all of her life to become gym leader here, and a year and a half earlier the Dragon Clan Elders had finally rewarded her patience with the privilege. It had not taken her long to earn a reputation for both herself and the Blackthorn gym, becoming known as one of the greatest Dragon Masters in history; in fact, she was now second only to her older cousin, Lance, the Champion of the Pokémon League's Elite Four.

She sighed to herself as she pinned the badge back onto its silk banner, then she turned and walked through a small door into her small study/office where she slumped down in a cushioned leather chair. Clair leant back into the padded upholstery with a soft groan and closed her eyes for a moment, then she sat forward and pulled out a small pendant from within her clothes. It was one half of an old bronze coin; tarnished and brittle with age, tied to a plain black cord.

Clair smiled sadly, remembering the friend she had given the other half of the coin to when she was young; wondering as she often did if he still had his half after twelve years. Clair fiddled with it for a few minutes as she stewed in silent thought, then she put it away and stood up. "Time to go home." She whispered to herself and started walking towards the door to leave. However before she could leave, a young trainer burst into the room.

"Madam Clair, a trainer has come to battle," he began. "But if you're going, I can tell him to come back tomorrow."

Clair grimaced and thought for a few seconds before answering the man.

"No, it's alright, Cody. Tell the trainer he can battle. Just give me a minute to get ready."

The young man bowed then left. Clair took a deep drink from a glass of iced water, tidied her hair, and stepped toward the battle-room door.

"At least this won't take long." She muttered quietly after glancing at the clock.

Rhonin wandered along the paved streets of Blackthorn city; absorbing the sights, both the new and the familiar. Nostalgia stirred strongly within his heart as he recognised shops and buildings and even the occasional person; he felt as though he had finally come home. Before he knew where he was heading, Rhonin found himself at the doors of the pokémon center and he remembered that he would need to heal his party before he could go the gym. He stepped up to the glass doors and let them slide open, then entered the spacious reception area and crossed to the cream-coloured Formica counter.

"Good afternoon, how can I help you sir?" the nurse asked politely as Rhonin stepped up to her.

"I would like my pokémon healed, please." He said with a small smile as he brought out his six poké balls and placed them on a plastic tray sitting in front of him.

"Of course, one moment please." The smiling woman replied and took the balls to the flat-topped healing machine, leaving Rhonin to look around the room. The doors and a series of floor-to-ceiling windows flooded the center with daylight, illuminating the row of computers on the left-hand wall and a cluster of padded seating to the right.

"Your pokémon are ready, sir." The nurse said, startling Rhonin out of his reverie. He thanked her and took back his pokémon, then left the center and turned towards the gym.

Rhonin walked briskly along the busy streets of the town then left the foot traffic behind and climbed the narrow gravel path that lead up to the gym. The gym's entrance was flanked by twin Gyarados statues carved from granite that held up a small extension of the sweeping eaves to protect the massive double doors. Rhonin stood before them for moment and let his anticipation build, then he reached out and opened the door and stepped inside. He found himself in a beautiful slate-floored lobby with single doors to either side and a second set of double doors directly opposite the entranceway at the top of a short flight of steps. Rhonin stood spellbound for a moment, but was startled by a young trainer standing against the right hand wall.

"Can I help you, sir?" he asked politely.

"Oh yes. I wanted to battle the Gym Leader."

"Very well. Please wait here a moment." The trainer replied and inclined his head quickly before vanishing through the door on the left. Rhonin walked slowly around the parlour, looking more closely at his surroundings. However he found his eyes drawn to a vivid wall-hanging that covered most of the left-hand wall of the room. It had a deep, midnight-blue background and was embroidered with detailed gold and silver images of dragon-type pokémon diving and swooping. Rhonin studied it deeply then smiled when he recognised one of the silhouettes.

"Excuse me, sir." A voice said from behind Rhonin, making him jump. He turned to find the young trainer standing a few feet away. "The Gym Leader is waiting." He said and gestured towards the heavy double doors. Rhonin nodded silently and climbed the steps behind the trainer and followed him into the room beyond. The Blackthorn gym's battle room was vast; its dark timbered walls covered by many tapestries and paintings and supported by thick pillars richly carved and inlaid with gold leaf. A handful of oil lamps hung from wrought iron brackets around the room casting flickering shadows everywhere and spreading pools of dusky light over the arena; a large rectangular depression that took up most of the floor-space. The trainer ushered him to a small box marked out on the floor at the nearest edge of the depression, then walked briskly to his place on the left hand side of the room. He clapped his hands sharply and eight floodlights snapped on overhead; clearly illuminating the rest of the room and Rhonin's opponent. She stood directly across from him, dressed in a form-fitting, knee-length dress and a flowing cape. She was attractive, with her slender figure and delicate facial features; however her hair was a unique pale blue colour that made Rhonin feel as though he should recognise her. Indeed, her cool grey eyes were studying him with a similar look of recollection. Rhonin's brain worked feverishly to put a name to the familiar face, then as the trainer began to speak, it all fell into place.

"Clair?"

Clair studied the challenger's features, his tall, slightly lanky build; long dark hair streaked white-blonde; his eyes a seeming mesh of hazel and blue-grey; all of it struck a cord within her. Then, as he spoke her name, recognition hit like a bolt of lightning.

"Rhonin?" she asked hopefully; the name a warm blanket of memories.

He looked at her with disbelief for a few more moments, taking a step forward as he did, then a smile crossed his face and tears filled his eyes.

"Clair! It is you!"

"Oh my god!" she cried, her face exactly the same, then they ran to each other and embraced in the centre of the gym floor, the referee watching in bewildered awe. The two trainers spun around, still wrapped in a bear hug together, laughing and crying with pure joy. After a few minutes of hugging and crying, they stood apart and looked at each other.

"Wow, Clair, you look so amazing!" Rhonin said to her, looking up and down her body.

"Oh and you too! I mean look; you're so tall!"

"And you're a gym leader! Just like you always wanted to be!"

They hugged again but stopped when the referee cleared his throat behind them.

"Oh I'm sorry, Cody, this is Rhonin, we were friends years ago but his family moved away. Rhonin, this is Cody, one of the trainers who help out around the gym." the two men shook hands briefly, then Rhonin and Clair laughed and hugged again.

"It's so good to see you again, Rhonin."

"You too, Clair, but I think maybe we should catch up after our battle so young Cody can get home." Rhonin said with a nod to the younger man.

"You're right. Let's get started." Clair replied then the two trainers took their places opposite each other to begin the battle. The referee moved back to his position and pulled a long, silken cord hanging from the roof, making the fighting area open smoothly to reveal a deep pool filled with sparkling water, a few floating mats scattered across the surface.

"Just because we're friends, don't expect me to go easy on you!" Clair called out to her opponent, who smiled.

"I wouldn't want it any other way!" Rhonin replied.

"You may use three pokémon each. No time limit. Let the battle begin!" the referee shouted and pulled a second braided cord hanging against the wall, a bell tolling once overhead.

"For my first pokémon, I choose, Dragora!" Clair hurled a poké ball, releasing a female Gyarados.

"Very well, I choose Obsidian!" Rhonin replied and sent out a male Umbreon.

"Good choice, Rhonin, but your Umbreon won't last! Dragora, Twister attack!" Clair cried to her pokémon.

"We'll see who lasts, Clair; Obsidian, Faint Attack!"

Clair's Gyarados bellowed and thrust forward sending a roaring tornado spinning across the pool at Rhonin's Umbreon, however Obsidian leapt to one side and vanished into thin air and the attack missed. Clair looked around for the Umbreon, then gasped when an invisible force struck her Gyarados with a volley of blows. Rhonin smiled as his Umbreon materialised on one of the floating mats to the left of Dragora. Clair gritted her teeth, then pointed at the Umbreon. "Dragora hit it with your Hydro Pump!" the Gyarados roared in assent and launched a torrent of rock-hard water at Obsidian, knocking it backwards across the pool before it could react. Clair sniggered, thinking she had dealt Rhonin a fair blow; but the Umbreon was on its feet again in a heartbeat.

"Obsidian, Pursuit!" Obsidian bounded between the floating mats in a dark blur and drew close to Clair's confused Gyarados. Obsidian darted to Dragora's left, then bounded into the air and slammed into her from side-on, leaving Dragora stunned. Clair was beginning to worry; not many trainers had gotten this far against her Gyarados so quickly.

"Dragora, use your Hydro Pump again!" Clair called out, her Gyarados starting forward immediately.

"Obsidian, Pursuit!" Rhonin shouted confidently. The Umbreon bounded to another mat as Dragora sent a Hydro Pump rocketing in its direction, then it pounced at the Gyarados, striking her just beneath her scaly throat.

"Now Obsidian, Glare!" The Umbreon looked straight at the Gyarados and narrowed its eyes, which gleamed with cold, menacing light and made Dragora flinch back.

"Now finish it with a Shadow Ball!" Rhonin called jubilantly. Obsidian leapt at the stunned Gyarados, lowered its head, and then launched an enormous orb of blackness that struck Dragora with phenomenal force, making its opponent roar with pain and fall back against the edge of the pool. Clair stared in surprise as her Gyarados attempted to rise from the pool, then fell back and closed its eyes.

"Dragora is unable to battle, Obsidian is the winner!" the referee declared, raising the hand closer to Rhonin.

"Dragora, return." Clair said and summoned her first pokémon back to its ball.

"Well done, my friend," she said to Rhonin as he called back his Umbreon. A small snicker escaped her throat and her eyes glittered.

"But this battle is only just beginning. Go! Callisto!" Clair yelled and hurled another pokéball into the air; a swift female Dragonair appearing.

"A Dragonair? All right then, Clair; go! Caribdyss!" Rhonin threw a Lure ball, and a Vaporeon leapt forth into the pool.

"A Vaporeon? Impressive!" Clair complimented.

"Yes, and this pokémon shall win me a badge! Caribdyss! Hydro Pump!" Rhonin retorted.

"Callisto, use your Slam!" Callisto's eyes narrowed and it tore through the water towards Rhonin's Vaporeon then leapt up and twisted her long body around to strike. However Caribdyss unleashed a torrential jet of water at the falling Dragonair, first slowing her descent, then throwing her back across the pool.

"Now Bubble Beam!" Rhonin shouted. The Vaporeon quickly turned on its opponent and spat a stream of glowing bubbles that pelted Callisto with small flashes before she could recover; leaving her trainer frustrated.

"Callisto, use your Waterfall!" Clair called quickly.

"Caribdyss, Waterfall!"

The Dragonair and Vaporeon both dove under the surface then shot up on jets of water to collide in mid-air. Both pokémon fell back, looking at each other warily.

"Caribdyss, again!" Rhonin cried.

"You too, Callisto!"

The two pokémon repeated the attack several times, shooting out of the pool like bullets, only to collide and fall back again.

Clair growled through her teeth, then yelled for her Dragonair to stop.

"Alright, Callisto, let's finish this with your Dragon Breath!"

"Caribdyss, use Aurora Beam!"

Callisto opened its mouth and a ball of pale blue fire formed, while multi-coloured energy gathered in the Vaporeon's jaws.

"Now!" both trainers yelled in unison.

Caribdyss's energy-ball fired a jagged bolt of multi-coloured light at the Dragonair, who in response released a jet of azure flame. The two attacks met, briefly tied, but then the Dragon Breath overpowered the Aurora Beam and struck the Vaporeon, sending it flying in a blast of cold fire.

"Caribdyss is unable to battle, this victory goes to Callisto!" the referee ruled after the Vaporeon landed near the edge of the pool, bruised and unconscious.

"Thank you, Caribdyss, you fought well." Rhonin said and returned it to its Lure ball in a flash of red light.

"Callisto, return." Clair said and recalled the victorious Dragonair.

"I guess it comes down to this, Rhonin." Clair said and smiled enigmatically at him across the pool. "One victory and one loss each. Perhaps we should make this last match the deciding round?"

"You mean Sudden Death?" Rhonin replied with a curious grin.

Clair nodded and her smile became bigger.

"Alright then." Rhonin said softly.

"I have already chosen my final pokémon." She said and held a polished Lure ball out in front of her.

"As have I." Rhonin replied and held out a Fast ball, also polished.

"Very well, let the final match begin!" she cried in an authoritive voice, and the referee rang the bell.

"I choose, Narcissa!" Clair cried and threw the Lure ball.

"I choose, Draco!" Rhonin followed, the Fast ball leaving his hand.

Both balls opened together, and two pokémon appeared; Narcissa, a powerful female Kingdra; and Draco, a lithe male Dragonair.

"Wow!" Clair said mockingly. "I'm sure your half-evolved Draco will be a match for my fully evolved Kingdra! Ha!" Rhonin and his Dragonair both growled at her.

"You just might end up eating your words, Clair."

"I'm sure." She said with a smirk. "Go, Narcissa; use your Agility!"

The Kingdra charged at Draco, moving with phenomenal speed.

"Draco, dodge it and use Blizzard!"

The Dragonair slipped aside easily, avoiding the Kingdra's charge, then turned and retaliated with a blast of snow-laden wind.

"Narcissa! Dodge it!"

The Kingdra banked and shot aside just in time to avoid the snow and ice as it froze a whole corner of the pool.

'He's better than I anticipated.' Clair thought as she saw the power behind the Blizzard attack.

"Narcissa, use Surf!"

Narcissa turned to Draco and charged, a tall wave building beneath it.

"Draco, get out of there!" Rhonin yelled, but he was too late as the attack slammed into Draco and sent it under the glassy surface.

"Not so confident with your Dragonair now, are you?" Clair teased, but was surprised when Rhonin smiled cunningly.

"Oh he's not done yet. Draco, Thunder!"

Before Clair and Narcissa could react, Draco burst from the water behind the Kingdra and unleashed a devastating blast of white-hot lightning.

"No!" Clair shouted, her Kingdra flinching with pain against the attack. But when the lightning broke off, Narcissa simply narrowed her eyes at Draco, ready to continue fighting.

And so the battle continued for over an hour; Narcissa and Draco exchanging attacks and wounds as their trainers exchanged taunts and jeers. By the end of the hour, both pokémon were bruised and scarred, puffing for breath, and both trainers were exhausted from yelling and deciding attacks. The referee, however, was speechless.

"All right, Narcissa, one more attack," Clair panted to her Kingdra, who nodded weakly.

"This is it, Draco," Rhonin croaked to his Dragonair, who purred softly.

Both trainers straightened and drew deep breaths.

"Draco!"

"Narcissa!"

"Hyper Beam!" Both challenger and gym leader shouted to their weary pokémon.

Both Draco and Narcissa's eyes lit up with pale golden light as their attacks gathered strength.

"Now!" came the commands, both pokémon releasing beams of light that lit up the gym with sudden brightness and repelled the water beneath them; the attacks colliding above the centre of the pool, the two beams merging into a ball of energy. Both trainers and the referee watched spellbound then shielded their eyes as the energy exploded in a blinding flash and a resonating boom that shook the gym to its foundations. When the steam and smoke cleared, both pokémon sat in the water puffing, glaring at each other for a few tense moments, then as one their eyes rolled back and they slumped down, floating unconscious in the gently rocking water. The referee crept cautiously to the edge of the pool, and after looking at both pokémon held up his hands.

"Narcissa, Draco, both have been defeated! The result of this battle is a tie!" he rang the bell twice, and the two amazed trainers returned their pokémon to their respective balls. The pool was closed over once more, and Clair and Rhonin met in the middle. They smiled happily to one another.

"Congratulations, Clair that was a true challenge and a satisfying battle." Rhonin said and held out his hand. She began to hold out hers, but instead embraced her rediscovered friend.

"You too, old friend. You too." Then she broke off the hug and retrieved the Rising badge from its banner.

"Since this battle was a tie, I have to take you to see the Dragon Clan Elders. They will test you and decide whether or not you are worthy of the Rising badge." Clair said as she returned to Rhonin.

"All right, so where are the Elders?" Rhonin asked.

"Follow me." Clair said to him with a small smile. "I'll lock up as we leave, Cody. You can go home now." Clair said to her underling, who nodded and bid the two trainers goodnight then left. Clair led Rhonin into her study and healed their pokémon. They then turned out all the lights and locked the front doors to the gym, then walked along a path around the western shore of the lake to the opposite side. When they reached a doorway carved out the rock they paused.

"Dragons' Den." Rhonin said softly as he looked at the entrance. Together Clair and Rhonin entered the shadowy doorway and followed a stone corridor lined with flickering lamps until they emerged in a tranquil mountain valley lined with lush coniferous forest and rough rock projections. The air was filled by the music of a dozen waterfalls and streams feeding into a deep, dark lake that filled the valley floor. The only sign that other humans had been there before that moment was an elegant temple built upon a rocky shelf directly opposite where Rhonin and Clair stood, the structure built of wood and stone. Rhonin stood in awe of the Dragons' Den, absorbing every sight and sound until Clair nudged his arm.

"Come on."

Together they walked down a flight of stone steps to the lake edge and onto a narrow wooden bridge which led to the temple. Once across the lake, Clair turned to Rhonin and smiled reassuringly.

"Alright Rhonin, there are two parts to the test; first the elders will ask you a series of questions about training of pokémon so they can judge what type of trainer you are. If you answer them all correctly, the high elder will call out one of his pokémon and let it judge how close you are to your pokémon." Rhonin nodded slowly then took a deep breath.

"Alright then; after you." He said nervously and gestured to the temple's open doors. Clair smiled again and led the way up the wide timber steps and into the temple's darkened interior. Together Clair and Rhonin crossed the threshold and walked quickly towards the opposite end of the temple, their footsteps echoing hollowly on the polished floorboards. A pair of silver braziers placed at the room's centre illuminated the temple, casting flickering light on three elderly men dressed in dark indigo robes. Clair led Rhonin right to these men, then motioned for him to bow as she did so too.

"Masters, I bring a trainer to receive your judgement." Clair said flatly.

"For what reason?" the elder on the right asked.

"He challenged me for the gym badge, but the battle was a tie. I thought it best to let you decide whether he is worthy." Clair replied quickly.

"Very well. What is your name, trainer?" the man on the left asked brusquely. Rhonin lifted his head and met the gaze of each elder in turn.

"His name is Rhonin." The elder in the centre said before Rhonin could speak. It was then Rhonin recognised him as Clair's grandfather.

"Rhonin?" the elder on the right repeated. "The same Rhonin that was friends with Clair?"

"Yes, I just arrived back in town." Rhonin interjected.

"And since you are originally from Blackthorn city, you do not need to take the first part of the test." Clair's grandfather said with a kindly smile.

"Really?" Rhonin said with more than a little relief.

"Yes. The second test, however, is still required." Rhonin nodded solemnly to the elders in reply.

Clair's grandfather smiled at Rhonin again before reaching into his robes and drawing out an old pokéball. The high elder held out the object and a pokémon appeared in a flash of light.

"Rhonin this is Nozdormu, my most trusted pokémon partner."

Rhonin was dumbfounded as he looked at an aged Dragonite, its skin faded and slightly wrinkled around the eyes and face. However when it lifted its head and opened its eyes, Rhonin gasped; they were an incredibly pale shade of blue unlike any others Rhonin had seen before. Before he could say or do anything, the Dragonite stepped up to him and looked deep into his eyes, Rhonin becoming transfixed by the depthless stare, unable to look away as the old pokémon searched his face. After about a minute Nozdormu turned back to its master and gave a single nod, then vanished back into its pokéball.

"Congratulations, Rhonin. You have passed." Clair's grandfather said.

"What? But how?" Rhonin asked.

"Nozdormu looked into your heart and saw that you and your pokémon share a special bond. That was the second test."

"And since you have passed, I can now confer upon you the Rising badge." Clair said, drawing Rhonin's attention. He held out his hand and Clair placed the stylised dragon's head into his palm. Rhonin looked at Clair's face and saw her eyes were filled with happy tears and her lips were broken in a beautiful smile.

"I knew you would do it." Clair said and hugged Rhonin before letting him turn back to the three elders.

"It is wonderful you have passed, Rhonin; for Clair may not have told you, but even she did not pass on her first attempt." The high elder began with a tender smile for Clair, who blushed at the attention.

"You see, although she passed the first test when she became Gym Leader, she could not pass the second test; Nozdormu did not think she and her pokémon were close enough. Clair could not see why she couldn't pass, until one day a young boy beat her in battle, then passed both tests. Seeing this boy had something she lacked, Clair took a leave of absence and went into training. When she came back, she came straight to me and took the test once more. However this time she passed with ease, having built a strong bond with her pokémon during her training." The old man's face creased in a broad grin as he looked from Rhonin to Clair.

"But enough for tonight. This evening has been full of surprises and the hour is growing late." And with that, Rhonin, Clair and the elders left the Dragons' Den, Rhonin noticing that the sky above was now lit by a crescent moon and sparkling stars.

"Well, I guess I'll meet up with you tomorrow some time, Clair. I had better go check into the pokémon center before they close up." Rhonin said as they reached the now empty streets of the city.

"Pokémon center? I won't hear of it!" Clair protested with emphasized disbelief. "No, you shall come stay with me so we can catch up. Okay?"

"If you insist." Rhonin said and they both laughed before heading towards the western side of the town.

They walked quickly, chattering quietly as they went, passing houses with warm light shining in the windows and delicious aromas drifting about the air. They walked for just over fifteen minutes, and had begun to climb into the hills when they turned down a short, secluded cul-de-sac and Clair stopped and gestured to her house.

Rhonin followed her outstretched arm, seeing a well-kept garden and lawn, leading up from the street to an old, two-story house that Rhonin recognized immediately.

"Your Grandma's house?!" he exclaimed as they came a little closer.

"Yep. She left it to me in her will, and as soon as I became Gym Leader, I moved in." Clair replied with a satisfied smile.

"Oh, when did your grandma die?" Rhonin asked after a moments thought.

"She passed about a year after your family left. She missed you, almost as much as me."

They smiled quickly to each other, then walked up the tidy stone path to the front door and went in.

"You can stay in the second bedroom upstairs." Clair said as she closed the front door behind them and flicked on some lights. "Do you want something to eat?" she said and led Rhonin into the kitchen/dining room.

"Uh actually, I've been travelling all day, so do you mind if I have a bath first?" Rhonin said, indicating his dusty, dishevelled appearance.

"Yeah, sure! Go upstairs and turn right, and the bathroom's the second door on the left and your room is at the end of the hall. There should be some towels in the cupboard."

They exchanged smiles then Rhonin went upstairs.

When he returned down after about half an hour, Clair had changed out of her gym leader clothes and into a casual silver grey turtleneck and loose jeans, and she was cooking a meal for the two of them.

"Nice bath?" she asked when she saw him.

"Yeah it was great. You have a wonderful house, Clair."

"I know, it's great living here. You get the best view of the sunrise from the upstairs bedrooms."

They talked for a few minutes, Rhonin helping Clair with dinner, then they sat down at the stylish glass and wood dining table and ate the meal, still catching up on things.

Once they had finished, Rhonin put the dishes in the dishwasher and they went across the hallway into the spacious sitting room, where they talked further over a bottle of white wine.

"So you own the island?" Clair exclaimed when Rhonin told her about his holiday home.

"Well technically I own the peninsula where the house is, but it might as well be all mine."

"Wow, that's so cool. You'll have to take me there sometime." Clair said.

"Sounds good. Is my birthday soon enough?"

"Great!" they chuckled a bit, then Clair turned to Rhonin as he drained his glass.

"So will you be staying in Blackthorn long?"

He swallowed his wine thoughtfully. "Actually, I was hoping to find a place a settle down. I miss this town."

"Really?" Clair said with surprise and excitement.

"Yeah, I sold my house back in Kanto and put my stuff in storage on the island. All I need now is a house to move it to."

He smiled to her, then picked up the wine bottle, Clair watching him thoughtfully.

"You know…" Clair began as he poured himself more wine and topped up Clair's.

"You could move in here."

He stopped pouring and looked up at her, eyes wide in surprise.

"Move in, with you?" he stuttered.

"Sure, I mean, there's more than enough room, and I can't keep this place in order by myself. So what do you think?" Rhonin blinked and set the wine bottle down with a clink on the coffee table.

"Well, sure, that would be great! When shall I get my stuff?"

The next day, Rhonin used Clair's PC to obtain his Dragonite and they flew together to get his possessions from his island holiday home. The flight was quick, the powerful Dragonite beating the air with its great wings. The wind blasted their faces as they flew high over the ocean, filling Rhonin with exhilaration, and filling Clair with terror.

"Can we stop for another rest?" Clair shouted in Rhonin's ear over the rushing wind.

"What? Why? We just took off ten minutes ago, are you not good with heights or something?"

She shook her head quickly.

"Okay, there's an island not far off. We can land there." He said sympathetically, but then an evil grin crossed his face.

"But before we get there…" He spurred the Dragonite, which nodded and shot straight up, then straight down, bottoming out at the last second to skim the waves, making Rhonin yell with adrenaline and Clair scream in horror.

"Whoa! Was that fun or what?" Rhonin called back to his disgruntled passenger.

"I want to get off the ride now, mummy." Clair murmured, her face pale as a sheet.

They landed for a rest shortly after, Clair practically falling off the pokémon's back as they touched down. She lay spread-eagled, hugging the earth for a few minutes, then once her relief had faded, anger took its place.

"How on earth could you do that to me!!!" She raged at Rhonin as he dismounted smoothly.

"What kind of person does that to someone! You should be ashamed! I NEVER want to fly with you again!"

"Fine, stay here. We'll pick you up in the morning. If you get lonely you can surf on Narcissa." He said calmly and started to climb back on to his Dragonite's back. Her face then went even paler.

"No wait! Please don't leave! I'll fly with you again. And I won't complain, I promise."

He smiled to her and extended a hand.

"Alright. All aboard!"

Once she was safely mounted, Rhonin pointed out to the southeast.

"Forward ho!"

The Dragonite reared back, spread its wings, then shot into the sky.

They lifted up until the lowest clouds were below them, then flew slowly towards the distant horizon.

After an hour or so of flying, Clair broke her promise.

"Are we nearly there, I'm cold and hungry, and my legs are sore. Come on, answer me! This is SO

boring!"

Rhonin gritted his teeth, then turned to Clair.

"Are you saying you want to get there quicker?"

She nodded quickly, not realizing what that meant.

"Very well; Trafalgar, Extreme Speed!"

"WHAT?!" Clair shrieked, then her words were lost as Trafalgar bunched up and shot forward with a sonic boom. They tore the air, streaking across the sky like a bullet. Rhonin sat hunched over, smiling as the wind rushed over his back, Clair tried to scream but her words were whipped away by the wind.

Trafalgar held his course, destroying clouds as he burst through them.

Clair clutched Rhonin's clothes, her grip so tight her fingernails were starting to dig into her palms, wondering how much longer she would have to take this speed. Then Rhonin shifted and pointed out ahead of them. She followed his gesture and saw a small island, mostly overgrown with trees, but had a small, modern-looking house built on a slope overlooking a picturesque white sand beach and a deep blue bay surrounded by wild bush and scrub.

'The island.' She thought to herself, then remembered how terrified she was and tried to scream again.

Rhonin sat forward and petted his Dragonite's horn as they drew closer, the bulky creature nodding and slowing down with a loud bang. They were directly over the island, and Trafalgar banked slowly, letting them spiral down to the house on the peninsula. The Dragonite landed softly, his wings beating to slow the descent, then he bent down so the passengers could disembark. Rhonin did so immediately, sliding down the scaly flank and landing lightly on the stony ground. Clair, however, remained on Trafalgar's back. Her hair was blasted back by the wind, and her face was a white mask of petrified shock.

"Help." She whimpered, unable to remove herself from the pokémon. Rhonin turned back and saw her, barely containing his laughter.

"Come on Clair, I'll help you down, then we can go inside and have a nice cup of tea." He soothed.

"Don't want tea. Want bourbon." She said slowly, dazed by the flight.

"Okay, we'll get you some bourbon. Now, will you get down for me?"

After a gruelling effort, Clair was inside the house, sitting in a plush armchair in front of a slate-tile fireplace, several logs burning warmly. Trafalgar lay on the carpeted floor, absorbing most of the heat. Rhonin was bustling around in the background, digging around behind a polished bar to get Clair's drink.

"Here, have this." He said and placed a warm cup of tea in Clair's hands. She took a sip, then realized it was laced with spirits and drank it gratefully.

"Gees slow down there. I don't want you getting drunk from my tea already!" Rhonin said as he watched her drain the cup. As she took the cup away from her mouth, she sighed contentedly, then took in her surroundings. They were in a warm living room, enormous glass windows that looked out over the sea dominating one wall. A polished bar was at one end of the room, the racks of alcohol gleaming dully in the ambient lighting. The furniture was stylish and comfortable, the wool carpet the colour of red wine.

The only thing to ruin the elegant atmosphere were the stacks of cardboard boxes to one side of the door, their contents marked in permanent ink.

"So what do think?" Rhonin asked and sat down in another chair with his own cup of tea, placing the pot on a small table between them.

"It's…great." Clair said as she continued to look around. "I mean the décor is really good, and the boxes are a nice touch. It's a very comfortable place, I must say."

She poured herself some more tea, but drank this cup a little more slowly.

They talked for a while; discussing possible trips to the island, then Clair noticed it was getting dark.

"Gee, it must be late. We should load up your stuff and get going." She said, but was surprised by Rhonin's answer.

"Actually, I think it's a bit soon for you to be flying again. Plus, it's not good for Trafalgar to fly at night with a load. We might be better off spending the night here."

Clair nodded, and then they went to organize some food.

They talked a little while they ate, then Clair had an idea.

"Hey, Rhonin, we should let our pokémon meet each other, don't you think? Otherwise it may get a little difficult living together."

"Sure! That's a great idea!"

They rummaged within their clothes and drew out their six pokéballs, and Rhonin went and retrieved some more from one of the boxes while Clair used Rhonin's computer to withdraw more of her pokémon.

"Come out, everybody!" they both said and released their pokémon. Narcissa, Callisto and Dragora appeared from Clair's pokéballs as well as a second female Dragonair, an Ampharos, a Charizard, a Feraligatr, a Seadra and a Dratini.

Rhonin's pokéballs released Draco, Caribdyss and Obsidian along with a Ninetales, Espeon, Jolteon, Dewgong, and Scizor and from his last ball…

"Oh my god! A Mew!" Clair cried and rushed up to the small white pokémon as it floated about five feet above the carpet.

"Yes that's Jellybean; I found him washed up when I was in Cianwood city, so I healed him and he let me capture him in return." Rhonin explained. "Now this is Whisper, my Espeon; Persephone, my Ninetales; Orion the Jolteon; Trapper the Dewgong; Seraph the Scizor and you already know Draco, Caribdyss, Obsidian and Trafalgar." Rhonin said and indicated each of his pokémon to Clair.

"I must say, your line-up is impressive, Rhonin." She said and gently petted Jellybean's forehead.

"I don't have quite as many pokémon as you, but anyway, you know Narcissa, Callisto and Dragora;" she said and gestured to her first three partners. "And this is my other Dragonair, Amethyst; my Ampharos, Neon; Thor the Charizard; Fang the Feraligatr; Lao the Seadra and Lynor, my Dratini."

Rhonin nodded slowly and smiled.

"Your pokémon are just as impressive as mine, Clair. I'm sure we'll all get along fine."

With a lot of laughter and clunking cutlery, Clair and Rhonin prepared some food for the pokémon, then after a few hours of play and talk, they all went to bed.

Out in the darkness of the night, on a rugged, exposed bluff overlooking the house, a mysterious figure watched the lit building in silent vigil. Natu and Murkrow chirped softly in the trees around it, but it ignored them.

The figure stared, its ribbon-tails rippling in the warm sea breeze that washed over the island. The ocean hissed against the shore, the sound carried to the bluff by the wind.

As the creature continued to stare, the wind seemed to pick up, gathering into a tight knot nearby. At the centre of the swirling wind a pinprick of electric blue light formed, then flashed brightly as a pokémon never before seen by human eyes appeared beside the silent watcher. The watcher nodded to the new arrival, then they both looked down at the house for a few minutes before turning and disappearing silently into the forest.

In the morning, Rhonin woke to find most of his pokémon curled up either on his bed or on the floor beside it. He slipped quietly out of the room, then went to fix himself some breakfast.

He got a surprise when he found Jellybean and Clair in the kitchen, cooking what smelled like eggs.

"Morning sleepy-head." Clair said cheerfully as Jellybean cracked an egg into a bowl.

"Morning." Rhonin replied with a yawn. "What time is it?"

"Nine forty-seven. Did you sleep well?"

Rhonin nodded and sniffed deeply. "Mmm. What smells good?"

"Breakfast omelettes. Jellybean and I have been cooking up a storm, haven't we little friend?" Clair replied and tickled the floating Mew, who giggled and tried to wriggle away from Clair's hands.

"Seems you two are getting along all right." Rhonin said and sat on a wooden stool at the breakfast bar.

"Yep. Jellybean here is my little kitchen partner, aren't you?" Clair said and tried to tickle him again, but Jellybean was too quick, darting out of reach and nodding cutely.

"Now, why don't you take a seat. Breakfast will be ready soon." Clair said and directed Rhonin to his armchair, Jellybean bringing a cup of fruit tea for the trainer to drink while he waited.

"Ah, thank you Jellybean." Rhonin said and reclined in the chair. He took a small sip, then noticed Persephone was lying on a couch across the room.

"Good morning Persephone." He said and moved to sit with her. She moved aside for him, then rested her front paws in his lap once he was seated. Rhonin smiled and gently stroked the soft fur on her head and neck. She nuzzled into his hand and flicked a couple of tails lazily.

"How are you this morning, beautiful?" he asked his pokémon and took another sip. She cried happily, and Rhonin lowered his cup and let her lap a little of the fragrant brew. After a while, Clair and Jellybean brought out breakfast, the two trainers and the two pokémon eating gratefully. Once they had finished, the other pokémon began to arrive downstairs, sleepy-eyed and hungry. Clair gave them the remaining omelettes and then she and Rhonin went out onto the veranda to gaze over the crystal waters.

"How much stuff are you going to bring?" Clair asked as they watched the waves rolling towards them.

"Not too much, mostly clothes, bedding and that. And my personal stuff too. Oh and of course my pokémon."

"Do you think Thor could carry some? Help lighten Trafalgar's load a little."

Rhonin nodded.

"Sure that would be great. I have some special cases with towropes. He can take one of them. I'll give Jellybean something too."

"Sounds good to me." Clair agreed, and they smiled to each other and went back into the house.

Ready!" Rhonin shouted as they prepared to leave. Rhonin was seated on Trafalgar's back, the bulky Dragonite wearing a padded harness that had a saddlebag on either side and a thick nylon rope attached to a streamlined black case tied at the back. Clair waited nearby on Thor, her Charizard in a similar harness, minus the saddlebags and in between both was Jellybean, wearing a smaller harness tied to two cases. At Rhonin's word, the three pokémon shifted into take off position.

"Set," Trafalgar and Thor lifted their wings and a pink psychic bubble surrounded Jellybean, making his cases float slightly.

"Launch!" He shouted, then all three pokémon lifted off the ground and shot into the air.

The Dragonite and Charizard powered into the sky, their wings beating loudly as they gained altitude while Jellybean shot between them effortlessly, his psychic power making his burden weightless.

They gained height, spiralling slowly upwards before levelling out and heading towards the north-western horizon. Jellybean led the way, his mental energy keeping him and his burden aloft with ease,

Rhonin and Trafalgar were behind him, the more experienced flyers gliding with the ease of long practice. Clair and Thor brought up the rear, neither of them having much experience in flight until Rhonin had given them a quick lesson that morning. However, with a lighter load they were able to keep up with Rhonin and Trafalgar fairly well.

By the time they had returned to Clair's house in Blackthorn, the sun was already beginning to turn the western sky into the golden fire of dusk. They circled the town, flying low over the rooves of houses and passing the Blackthorn gym with a wave. Then, after a good wind down, Trafalgar, Thor and Jellybean landed in Clair's backyard. The beating wings of the two larger pokémon kicking up streams of dust that floated into the tall trees of Clair's garden. Jellybean floated in noiselessly, cutting off the bubble as he landed, the cases thudding on the ground as gravity took hold once more. Clair and Rhonin disembarked quickly and removed the harnesses from their pokémon, then Jellybean used his psychic ability to bring in the luggage. They took it up to Rhonin's new room, and promptly began to unpack. They called out their pokémon to help, setting up his belongings where they seemed to fit, and after two and a half short hours, the room was finished.

"Well done everybody. We've done a good job." Rhonin praised them, receiving a cheer from the pokémon.

"Now, who's hungry?" Clair asked, every pokémon and Rhonin replying with excitement.

They all went downstairs to the dining room and everyone helped prepare a huge fry-up, which they all ate at the dinner table, talking and joking loudly. Once the meal was consumed, the two trainers put the plates and things into the dishwasher while the pokémon went into the living room.

"I think we're going to get along just fine." Clair said as they watched the pokémon leave the table.

"Me too." Rhonin replied with a smile. "Me too."

The next few weeks rolled into a comfortable routine; Clair would go to the gym during the day, while Rhonin looked after the pokémon and kept the house tidy. Some days he would take a few pokémon out into the surrounding hills and train with them, making them stronger. At the weekends Clair and Rhonin would do things with their pokémon, like take them to exciting places, or go to shows or concerts. Or sometimes, just stay at home and watch movies and eat popcorn.

They were all happy, the living arrangement fitting everyone well, and after three months Clair suggested they have a party.

So the first weekend of winter, Clair and Rhonin's friends all met at their house in Blackthorn for a fabulous dinner party. There were quite a few guests, including Rhonin's younger sister and Clair's older cousin, and some of Rhonin's friends from Kanto even made the trip. It was a marvellous success, everyone had a great time.

"I think we have a great bunch of friends there." Clair said as she threw the last bundle of rubbish into the bin. Rhonin smiled to her as he washed the dip and potato chip crumbs from his hands.

"Yeah, they are pretty good aren't they?" He agreed.

"They're good at making a mess, as well." Clair added when she found a bowl of snacks that would not leave the bowl. Rhonin saw the bowl and burst out laughing. Clair laughed too, but they both stopped dead when an eerie cry drifted across the city.

"What was that?" Rhonin asked and ran up to the window. Clair joined him, and they stood listening for the sound to come again. It did after a few minutes, Draco and Narcissa quickly joining them at the window, the other pokémon asleep.

The four ran outside, trying to determine the direction of the sound then realized it was coming from the lake behind the gym. They called Draco and Narcissa back into their poké balls, then ran to the gym.

They got there quickly, and looked around the lake to find the source of the sound.

The moon was hidden by thick cloud, and there were no other houses or buildings around the lake to shed light on the water's surface. Rhonin and Clair ran back and forth along the shore, trying to locate the sound, and they agreed it must be out in the lake. They were about to call on their pokémon to go out into the lake, when the sound came again, except this time it did not fade off into the night, but kept going, the plaintive cry filling the silent night.

'What's going on here?' Clair asked herself as she and Rhonin looked at each other, puzzled.

Then the sound stopped, so suddenly it might have never been, and a ring of pale light rushed outwards from the lake's centre, filling the water in its wake with a mysterious glow. The light became brighter, illuminating the forest-clad hills and the gym wall, and Clair and Rhonin saw a strange figure standing out in the lake centre, its head lifted to the heavens as it let out another cry. The lake flared up into blinding luminescence, then the ring appeared on the shore and drew the glow back in to the strange creature that could stand on water. They watched as the lake became dark once more, speechless from the sight they had witnessed.

Clair squinted her eyes to try to see the creature, but to no avail. But Rhonin cocked his head, listening for something. Clair watched as his eyes widened, and she listened too. They could hear something galloping towards them across the water.

They began to back away from the water's edge as the galloping grew louder, but stopped when they reached the gym wall. They looked about frantically, but the creature would find them before they could escape. They stared into the darkness, awaiting their fate. And in a flash of movement it arrived, the creature leaping onto the shore and stopping to look at them.

The creature was a pokémon, but what type they had no idea. It was nearly six feet tall at the shoulder, with a flowing mane of dark indigo that rippled along its smooth back. Its short fur was pale blue, marked randomly with diamond-shaped patches of white. Its belly and muzzle were also white, and a long pair of tails like white ribbons curled and whipped at its sides. And finally, a blue-green, loop-shaped crest projected back from between its ears and over its mane. It studied the petrified trainers with dark, thoughtful eyes, then, as if making sure of something, it nodded briefly and stepped back from the pair.

Neither Rhonin or Clair knew what to do, both of them standing frozen with their jaws hanging open, but it seemed their pokémon did. Narcissa and Draco's pokéballs opened and the two pokémon faced the new arrival with glares planted firmly on their faces. Rhonin and Clair woke from their shocked trance.

"What's going on? Does this thing want to fight?" Clair asked Narcissa, who nodded without looking at her trainer.

"Is it a pokémon?" Rhonin asked, still dumbfounded. Draco nodded also, then nudged Rhonin's pocket.

The trainer reached in and found his pokédex, the stylish black model he had requested when registering for the Johto League. Clair watched as he pointed it at the pokémon, the two panels opening with a ping. A loading message was displayed on the screen for a few moments, then a picture of the pokémon appeared and the computerized voice began to read out the data.

"Suicune, the Aurora pokémon. Suicune is known to purify dirty waterways with its mysterious powers. Said to be a master of water. No further data available."

"Suicune. So that's your name." Rhonin said softly, then he turned to Clair.

"Let's capture this pokémon. It's bound to be powerful, but nothing we can't handle. What do you say?"

She thought for a few seconds, then nodded enthusiastically.

"Let's do it."

Rhonin smiled to her, then turned to Draco. "Alright Draco, time for action. Use your Blizzard attack!"

The Dragonair drew back on its coils, then blasted a funnel of thick snow at the mysterious Suicune.

"Narcissa, time for you to help. Dragon Breath!"

Narcissa opened her mouth and sent a jet of blue flame at Suicune.

The Suicune smiled, then its body began shining with an odd light, like it was made of blue glass.

The attacks hit Suicune full on, but seemed to have no effect. Instead the Blizzard and the Dragon Breath reflected straight back at Narcissa and Draco.

"What?" Clair shouted when Suicune emerged unscathed.

"Mirror Coat, one of Suicune's special attacks. It reflects back any special attacks to harm the user instead." Rhonin's pokédex informed them when he pressed a button beneath the screen.

Clair gasped and Rhonin gritted his teeth.

"This is going to be tough. Draco, can you still fight?" he asked his pokémon. The Dragonair shook itself off, then nodded to Rhonin.

"Good. Use Thunder!" Draco's blue orbs glowed with white energy, then a searing column of lightning shot downward from the sky above. Suicune smiled cunningly, then leapt casually aside, the Thunder attack going into the lake in a flurry of crackling steam.

"Narcissa, try an Agility!" Clair called out, the Kingdra plunging into the lake and shooting at Suicune in a blur of movement, a foamy wake forming behind her. Narcissa was darting from side to side, trying to confuse Suicune, but just when she was about to strike the strange pokémon, it darted out of the way and hit Narcissa from behind. The Kingdra fell into the water with a loud splash, but Draco was ready.

"Outrage, now!" Rhonin shouted as Draco charged at Suicune. Draco's orbs began to glow a pale blue-white, then he leapt from the water and twisted in mid-air to slam Suicune with his tail. However, Suicune opened its mouth and unleashed a thundering torrent of water at the Dragonair, hurling it backwards to land on the dusty shore. Suicune stood proudly at the edge of the lake, gloating over its victory.

Rhonin and Clair rushed to their pokémon, trying to revive them, then they both looked up when the victorious creature made a haunting cry, one that penetrated into the trainers' souls and wrenched their hearts. Clair felt as if part of her was being taken away as Suicune's song drifted about her, a quick glance at Rhonin showed that he was feeling the same. Then, as suddenly as it had arrived, Suicune leapt over them and onto the Gym roof, from where it howled once at the pearly-white moon, then disappeared into the night.

When the battle was over, a downcast Clair and unsettled Rhonin trudged back to the house. They healed Draco and Narcissa, then woke the other pokémon to tell them what had taken place. The pokémon all seemed anxious to find Suicune again, and Rhonin and Clair were just as eager, but it felt to them they had to rid themselves of the empty feeling Suicune had given them in its cry. Clair found out the next day that Rhonin's pokédex was right. Suicune had completely purified the lake. It was so clean you drink from it.

During the days following their battle with Suicune, Rhonin and Clair began looking at each other differently, finding themselves inexplicably attracted to each other. However neither mentioned it to the other so they both remained ignorant of each other's feelings on the matter. One afternoon, as Clair sat reading a book on her bed, Rhonin came in and sat down at her feet.

"Is it just me or is Blackthorn city getting a bit claustrophobic?" he said after a moment's thought.

"Yeah, things have kind of slowed down lately." Clair replied as she looked up from her book.

"What would say if I suggested we go the island for the weekend, just to break the monotony?"

"I'd say are we going Friday or Saturday?" Clair replied with a laugh.

That Friday night, Clair, Rhonin and all their pokémon were lounging about happily in the living area of Rhonin's island holiday home, having the most fun they had had for what seemed like an eternity. They all ate a delicious meal, stuffed to contentment, and were now trying to work a little of it off before they slept. Meanwhile, Clair and Rhonin were standing out on the veranda in the unusually warm night air. They were talking and laughing softly, all their problems seemingly forgotten.

Clair looked out to sea as Rhonin started telling her about the history he knew of the island, but she stopped him when she saw collections of lights flashing and moving beneath the dark waters in the bay below.

"What's that?" she said and pointed. Rhonin followed her gaze and saw the lights.

"Oh that's the Chinchou, coming up to feed. And wait for it…" there was a brighter flash that drowned out the other lights.

"The Lanturn are joining them."

"Chinchou and Lanturn, aren't they deep sea pokémon?" Clair asked as she watched the dancing flashes and glows.

"Normally yes, but they live in the bays around this island too, probably because they are incredibly deep. That's why a research company built the original building here; it gave them a chance to learn about the Chinchou and Lanturn in their natural habitat. Once the studies were completed, they sold the building, I bought it, and then I turned it into this house. Nice story, I think."

"Yeah. Hey what's that noise?" Clair asked suddenly and looked into the dark. Rhonin listened briefly, then nodded to himself.

"It's a waterfall, fed by a stream that comes down from the island peak. Incredibly clean water. Cleanest on the whole…island…" Rhonin trailed off, then he and Clair both looked at each other wide-eyed, the same thought on both their minds. Suicune.

The gym leader and the trainer hurried back inside then rushed up to Rhonin's room, leaving the pokémon to their own devices. Once the door was shut and they were sure none of the pokémon were hiding, Rhonin switched on his laptop and showed Clair a satellite image of the island. He zoomed in on the waterfall then traced the stream's path back up to the island's peak, but they couldn't see anything out of the ordinary from the photo.

"Well, there doesn't seem to be anything, but the trees hide a lot of the stream from above, so if we follow it back from the coast we might find something." Rhonin said as he and Clair finished studying the picture.

"Sounds okay to me." Clair said and started searching around Rhonin's room for supplies. "We'll need rope and climbing gear and probably torches too, just in case." Clair said after hauling a backpack out of Rhonin's wardrobe and chucking a few things in it.

"We won't bring the pokémon this time; make the first trip reconnaissance only." Rhonin said as he got some other items from a cardboard box in one corner.

"Right. We'll go first thing in the morning, that way we can take the whole day if we need to."

"Okay then." Rhonin said and checked what he and Clair had collected in the backpack, then smiled at her.

"I'll see you in the morning then."

Suicune galloped with the wind, streaking across the water in an elegant ballet as it headed south upon the ocean's surface. It was nearly home. The dark bulk of the island loomed ahead as it got closer.

Suicune saw the lights on in the house and smiled, then turned to the western end of the isle. It reached the crystal waterfall and leapt to the precipice's top in a single bound, following the stream up to its source. Trees flashed by on either side as it ran, the foliage thinning a little as it gained altitude.

Suicune passed through a narrow shaft in the rocky terrain, then reached the door to its cave in a couple of bounding leaps. The stone archway carved centuries ago by wind and water welcomed the mysterious pokémon as it padded inside. It briefly lapped from the spring, then continued to its smooth stone bed and curled up to sleep. However, just as Suicune lowered its head between its paws and closed its eyes, a familiar speck of blue light formed and took shape. The tired water pokémon lifted its head and watched as the creature appeared from the glittering mass, holding two objects in its small hands. Suicune inspected the items then nodded wearily to the time-traveller. The glowing figure placed them in a split in the rock wall, then nodded to Suicune before spinning around like a top and disappearing in a soundless explosion of golden light. Suicune waited until the last of the glow had faded, then settled once more and sank into a restful slumber.

Early morning sunlight warmed the fragrant, sub-tropical air and lazy sparkling waves rolled up the beach as Rhonin and Clair set out; both dressed in light, comfortable clothing and carrying a backpack of supplies. Talking comfortably, the two trainers followed the curve of the sandy beach until they reached the waterfall, then turned inland and began trekking towards the low hill at the island's centre. They walked through the open brush of the forest floor for forty five minutes without seeing anything unusual and decided to take a break. Sitting back a few yards from the bubbling stream on a moss-covered log, they took off their daypacks and absorbed the quiet of the surrounding forest.

"This is so beautiful." Clair said softly as she took a swig from her water bottle. Rhonin glanced over at her and watched a solitary drop of mineral water run down Clair's chin and under her neck.

"Yeah, beautiful." A few minutes later they set off again, hitching up their packs and heading inland until the bank of the stream began to rise.

"Hey, we're nearly at the second waterfall!" Rhonin said and glanced back at Clair, beaming with mischief. She raised her left eyebrow at him and let out a little laugh.

"What's that look for?" she asked and put her hands on her hips.

"Fancy a race?"

"A race?"

"Yeah, to the waterfall. How about it?" Rhonin said with the barely contained enthusiasm of a child.

"Okay then." Clair replied and took a step forward.

"Great, now go!" Rhonin shouted and bolted ahead into the bush, Clair having to sprint to follow.

Although he had gotten a head start, Rhonin quickly found Clair was gaining on him, her lean, athletic body weaving amongst the trees and bounding over roots and rocks and anything else that got in her way. Finding great enjoyment in being chased, Rhonin put on a fresh burst of speed and veered right, the foliage quickly screening Clair from view.

Clair was amazed at how fast Rhonin was; his fleet figure flickering in and out of view among the trees and brush. Then, almost without warning, she stumbled out of the trees and found herself standing on a rock at the edge of a ten foot drop above a deep, dark pool below; a feathery waterfall tumbling into it from above. She put her hands on her knees and puffed for breath for a minute or two, then noticed Rhonin wasn't around. Thinking she had beaten him there, she thought she should hide and surprise him, but before she could move a familiar voice called out from behind her. Clair spun on her heels and had just enough time to see Rhonin's grinning face before he ploughed into her and threw them both off the rock and into the water below. They hit the glassy surface with a tremendous splash and went under, coming back up a few metres apart.

"Are you crazy? You could have killed us both doing that!" Clair shouted at Rhonin indignantly as she treaded water.

"Don't be silly. I've been here before and I know that the water is really deep. You weren't in danger." He replied with a charming smile, then began breast-stroking to a narrow strip of bare earth at the opposite edge of the pool. Finding herself both infuriated at his lax attitude, and beguiled by his almost flirtatious response to her anger, Clair shook her head in confusion and began swimming to shore as well. They climbed out of the refreshing water and flopped down on the sandy ground to catch their breath, and then Rhonin started skimming stones across the pool.

"Beat that!" Rhonin shouted when one stone bounced five times.

"Alrighty then." Clair said and started throwing stones as well, her second throw bouncing six times before going under. Rhonin snorted contemptuously and threw another as hard as could, getting eight bounces before the stone went through the waterfall.

"Very good!" Clair said and turned to Rhonin, who was staring at the waterfall and frowning.

"What is it, Rhonin?" she asked as he stood up.

"Listen." He replied and hurled at stone straight at the waterfall, this time Clair noticing that the stone clattered loudly in a hidden space behind the cascade. They exchanged a knowing look and jogged around the edge of the pool. Rhonin slipped into the water and swam beneath the waterfall, then reappeared to one side.

"It's a tunnel. Come on." Following her friend, Clair swam behind the spray and saw that there was indeed a large, rocky tunnel behind the waterfall carved by a bubbling stream of cool water that ran out from the darkness ahead. Taking their waterproof torches out of their packs, the two trainers cautiously waded through the shallow water into the cave, keeping their ears pricked for any movement. After only a few metres the tunnel curved left and began to climb and the rocky sides were covered in spongy moss. Clambering over the slippery rocks Rhonin and Clair followed the tunnel around another bend and found themselves in a small cavern, its dark rock walls and covered in moss. A shaft of natural light shone through a narrow fissure above onto a wide pool of crystal clear water, the stream running out from it through a narrow channel. The cave floor was a mass of dark gravel that gleamed damply in the faint light. Rhonin and Clair climbed out of the water and began walking slowly around the cave, noticing that the ripples of the pool were reflecting light across a fine web of clear quartz veins partially visible amongst the moss on the cave walls. Staring around the beautiful grotto, Rhonin then noticed a series of footprints in the fine gravel. He quickly knelt down and drew out his pokédex and held the lens over the nearest impression, letting the device scan the footprint and search its database. After a few seconds it came up with a match and displayed the result;

"Suicune, the Aurora pokémon."

"Rhonin, over here!" Clair called from the cave wall nearby. Rhonin closed his pokédex and went over to Clair where she was crouched in front of a small niche in the wall.

"What is it?" he asked and she moved aside to reveal two items resting in the small space. One was an intricate glass bell that sparkled in the dim light, the other an unusual teal and silver pokéball unlike any Rhonin had seen before. He picked up the ball and turned it over, then looked at Clair.

"We need to get these home."

It took them roughly an hour to get back, and when they did they found they were ravenous with hunger. However after they had prepared a hot meal for everyone, Rhonin and Clair found all they could think about was the two objects they had retrieved, and how Suicune had eluded them once more.

The trees rustled softly in the late afternoon breeze as Suicune slept peacefully in the forest.

After the night before, when the time-traveller had left the two objects in its home, Suicune had slept through till dawn then left for the day. However, as morning passed it became curious, and watched the entrance to the cave from across the stream. None of the human's pokémon had detected it, and it had watched them pass by before falling asleep. Now, as it woke and stretched, Suicune could tell several hours had passed. It strolled cockily to the bank of the waterway, and after lapping quietly it wandered across the surface of the stream and started cautiously into the cave. After sniffing the steps, it determined they had left some time ago, so it padded softly up to its cave. Suicune entered the carved archway and stepped over to its bed, where it settled down to sleep for the night, possibly for the last time.

Later that night, Clair came into Rhonin's room and found him sitting on his bed holding the strange pokéball and examining it on his laptop.

"Any progress?" she said and plopped down on the thick blankets beside him.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead, then looked at her and smiled wearily.

"Not really. I can't find any functional differences with any other types of pokéball. Although it does seem to be more fail proof than most other balls." he shook his head and sighed in exasperation.

"I just wish we knew more about where it came from."

Clair smiled to him and put a slender hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. You're not the only one having problems." she sighed and held up the crystal bell.

"I have been testing the acoustics on the computer downstairs. The sound it makes isn't even close to the note it is supposed to hit. I input material density, volume, air temperature, everything. All with the same results. The beautiful, melodious notes it is meant to reach are replaced with this;" she shook the bell and a dull, flat clink that seemed to die in the air rung out.

"That place is as mysterious as the pokémon that started it all." Rhonin said and slumped down, taking Clair's hand from his shoulder and holding it beside him. Surprisingly, all Rhonin could focus on was the silky texture of that hand, and how warm it felt in his own hand.

'What's wrong with me?' he thought to himself. 'We're faced with this mystery and all I can think about is Clair's hand.'

Little did he know, Clair's thoughts were following similar lines.

'Why do I feel like this? It's like I'm some silly teenager, but I'm not. What's happening?'

They both looked at each other, smiling nervously, then Rhonin released Clair's hand.

They both stared away for a moment, then began talking again. They discussed the various elements of the recovered artefacts, and debated the limited information they had on Suicune. At one point, Rhonin found himself staring at the way Clair's silvery hair hung like a silken curtain about her face as she typed on his laptop, and how her fruity shampoo made it smell so sweet. He then quickly dismissed his thoughts and paid attention to her words.

They debated and planned long into the night, both of them occasionally having more of the odd moments, but neither told the other. When they had finally reached their wits end about Suicune, they turned to smile wearily to one another.

"This is getting us nowhere." Rhonin sighed and closed his laptop, then swung his legs off the bed and stretched. Clair watched him, noticing how his shoulder blades moved under his t-shirt, how his back curved smoothly into his hips, but her reverie was broken when Rhonin hissed with pain.

"What's wrong?" Clair asked immediately, her face lined with concern.

"Oh it's my back; every now and then it gets really stiff and sore. Side effect of being tall I suppose." He replied with a wry smile. An idea suddenly leapt into Clair's mind, and before she could think better of it, she crawled across the bed and began squeezing Rhonin's shoulders. Rhonin jumped slightly when he felt her fingers, but he quickly relaxed back into the massage and let out a deep breath. Clair smiled as she realised that she was touching Rhonin, feeling his tense back muscles loosen and stretch beneath her hands, and that she loved it.

"You're really good. Where'd you learn to massage like that?" Rhonin asked after a while, his voice slightly husky.

"Nowhere, I'm just a natural expert!" she replied with a gentle laugh, then moved her hands down into the small of Rhonin's back and kneaded his spine. Rhonin could barely believe that Clair was massaging him, even though he had been secretly wishing for it when he complained about his back. He just hoped he could find a way to hide how much he had enjoyed it after she was finished. The massage continued for several minutes, then Clair sat back and clapped her hands on her thighs.

"There. How was that?"

"Excellent! I've never had a massage like that before." Rhonin said and turned to face Clair. "You should give up the gym and become a chiropractor." He said with a charming smile. Clair scoffed at his joke, then they smiled warmly at each other. But then the smiles were forgotten as they both stared into each other's eyes. Then they leaned closer, their eyes closing as their lips met in a soft, affectionate kiss. After a few brief seconds, however, they pulled back hurriedly and Rhonin blushed deeply and stood up.

"I shouldn't have done that. Sorry." he stammered nervously, looking intently around the room.

"Don't be. I'm not." Clair said, and when Rhonin looked around at her for an explanation she rose up to her knees on the bed and kissed him hard on the mouth, one hand touching his cheek. At first he hesitated, but he quickly closed his eyes and returned the kiss, placing his arms around her slender waist. After a while they stopped and smiled happily, then kissed again, this time soft, short pecks. As they did Clair gently pulled him onto the bed with her by the waistband of his pants, then they lay side by side, lost in each other. Little did they know, Draco and Narcissa were watching through the slightly open bedroom door. The pokémon smiled to each other and shut the door silently, then returned to the living room and nodded to all the other pokémon. There was a crescendo of happy roars, cries and cheers as the pokémon celebrated their trainers' union, dancing around the room joyfully, except Draco and Narcissa, who smiled and went back up to guard the bedroom door.

Several hours later, after everyone in the island house had fallen asleep, a tiny pinprick of blue light appeared in the centre of Rhonin and Clair's bedroom. It grew rapidly and transformed into a hovering pokémon that looked about the room slowly with dazzling blue eyes. Floating towards the bed, it paused to look at the young trainers as they lay entwined in each others bodies and wrapped in a loose cocoon of blankets; their breathing deep and even. A faint smile crossed its shadowed face before it drifted over to the glass bell, which sat forgotten on the nightstand. Reaching out a single tiny finger, the mysterious pokémon touched the bell and immediately cool silver light washed though the crystal object and flashed dimly before fading away again. With a backward glance at the still-sleeping lovers, the pokémon then vanished with a small flash.

When Rhonin woke the next morning, he found Clair was not in the bed with him. He looked around, seeing the haphazard arrangement of the clothes they had shed in the heat of passion, and then he saw her, standing on the veranda to greet the dawn. He almost burst with love as he watched her, standing at the rail wrapped in a sheet she had pulled off the bed, her steely blue hair flowing unchecked in the warm, gentle breeze. He smiled to himself, then slid out of bed and pulled on his robe before walking up behind her. He put his arms around her waist, and she looked at him and smiled, then they kissed tenderly in the fresh light of sunrise. Their lips parted momentarily, and Rhonin managed to whisper a single sentence, "I love you."

"I know." Clair replied and kissed him again, then turned back into the bedroom, leading Rhonin by the hand. They dressed slowly, unable to stop smiling, until Clair knocked the glass bell where it sat forgotten on Rhonin's nightstand. This time a clear, perfect note sounded, freezing both trainers in their tracks. Draco and Narcissa came carefully into the room having heard the bell, their faces written with curiosity. Clair bent and picked up the bell delicately, then after exchanging a worried look with Rhonin, shook it gently, this time perfect ringing swirling about them all in a series of fluid notes.

Up in its cave, Suicune lay in the peaceful solitude it enjoyed. It had slept uneasily that night, knowing that the ones it had chosen would battle it today. As the time-traveller had foreseen. Not for the first time that morning, Suicune wondered how the battle would come about.

Just as sleep prepared to sweep the elegant creature away, however, Suicune's ears pricked up and it cocked its head to a distant sound. The ringing of the Clear Bell. So, they are ready for the final test

the pokémon thought to itself, then padded to the cavern entrance and looked into the distance.

Rhonin, Clair, Draco and Narcissa stared uneasily at the crystal bell, the four of them gathered close as Clair held it gingerly in her hands.

"How did you make it do that?" Rhonin asked softly and captured her gaze.

"I don't know; it just…" they were interrupted when a haunting cry sounded from the bay outside. As one the two trainers and two pokémon crept onto the deck and looked down, spotting Suicune standing on the sandy beach below the house, its face lifted towards them. Rhonin and Clair looked at each other and nodded wordlessly, then together they ran out of the bedroom and down to the shore, Draco and Narcissa in tow. They emerged on the pale sand and stopped within shouting distance of Suicune, the ethereal blue creature standing as if carved in ice, the only movement being the steady ripple of its tails in the faint breeze. Tension mounted as the trainers and pokémon waited, then with an almost casual air, Suicune nodded and bounded out across the bay to perch on a jagged rock formation in the water.

"Well, looks like we're being given a second chance." Rhonin said and took a deep breath. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Clair replied and took her new lover's hand.

"Narcissa, start with a Dragon Breath!" Clair called, sending her Kingdra plunging into the water and towards Suicune.

"Draco, go airborne and try a Thunder!" Rhonin followed, his pokémon soaring up above them and towards its opponent. Suicune's eyes twinkled as it watched the two approach, then vaulted across the water with a quick howl and so the battle began. Narcissa launched a blast of blue flame when Suicune was close enough, but missed when the agile creature slipped aside like quicksilver and slammed into Narcissa's side, knocking the Kingdra back, then it danced away as a bolt of searing lightning flashed down from Draco. Draco followed Suicune's dodge and fired a second Thunder attack, but missed once more, allowing Suicune to strike back with a powerful Hydro Pump attack.

"Narcissa! Dragon Breath!" Clair shouted quickly as the recovered Kingdra charged back into battle. A cone of flame erupted towards Suicune, the pokémon barely escaping this time as Narcissa's attack dispersed.

"Draco, now!" Rhonin shouted quickly. Suicune turned and found the Dragonair hovering in its path, crystal orbs shining brilliantly as Draco swung its tail into Suicune's flank; the Outrage attack throwing it back towards Narcissa..

"Narcissa, try your Agility!" Clair called out, her Kingdra a streak of blue as she charged for her opponent. Suicune, however, had other plans, and it leapt aside quickly to avoid the attack.

The strange pokémon then lifted its head proudly and unleashed a blast of chilling water at Narcissa's back, throwing her into Draco in a fountain of spray. The two dragon pokémon recovered quickly, however, and both turned to face their opponent fiercely, awaiting their trainer's orders.

"Draco, try a Blizzard!"

"Narcissa, use your Dragon Breath!" Suicune danced across the bay as it avoided great funnels of white snow and jets of blue flame, the valiant attacks missing by mere millimetres. But then Rhonin had an idea.

"Draco, in front of it!" the Dragonair's eyes twinkled as it looked at Suicune, then it sent a blast of ice and snow at the water in front of it. Suicune howled in dismay as it tried to avoid being frozen, its unsteady dodge leaving a vital opening. A searing streak of blue fire lanced out from Narcissa, throwing Suicune back as it hit in an azure flare. Suicune, however twisted in midair to land on its feet once again, a mocking howl ringing out at the trainers and pokémon.

Clair growled under her breath, then whistled to Narcissa.

"Make some waves!" she called out to it, then winked at her puzzled lover. A smile of understanding flashed across his face, then they turned back to the battle.

Draco and Narcissa circled around Suicune in an eerie dance, waiting for it to strike. However, to their surprise it did nothing, just watched them circle.

"Narcissa!" Clair shouted, then the Kingdra turned sharply and began charging at Suicune, a massive wave forming beneath it. Still, Suicune remained motionless. The wave reared forward with a thundering roar, and broke over the calm Suicune, and it was then the mysterious pokémon struck. Its body glowed with deep blue light, as if it were made of polished sapphire, and the two trainers realised immediately their error.

"Mirror Coat!" Clair breathed and squeezed Rhonin's hand as they watched the wave hit, then reflect back from Suicune's glowing form. Narcissa cried out as she was hurled back across the bay.

Suicune's victory did not last, however. Jagged bolts of lightning fired from Draco's horn, forcing Suicune to leap aside to avoid electrocution. Draco gathered himself again as Suicune threw out a Hydro Pump, a tight stream of ice and snow meeting the water in mid-air. The attacks tied, Suicune fired again, this time Draco countering with a Thunder attack. The two combatants circled, launching attack after attack, the water's surface littered with shards of twinkling ice.

"Where's Narcissa?" Rhonin asked as he noticed Draco was beginning to tire.

"On her way." Clair replied cryptically, then nodded back towards the water.

Suicune cried eerily as it finally hit its opponent, knocking the Dragonair back. But before it could launch another attack, a deafening roar rose behind it. Turning sharply, Suicune found a towering wall of water looming behind it, the Kingdra riding on its crest. Suicune turned to escape, but it was too slow, the wave falling over it like a net. Before the wave could finish breaking, however, the water froze into an icy prison as Draco's Blizzard blasted it.

"Good plan!" Rhonin commended his lover, who smiled dazzlingly to him as they ran down to the water's edge. They were about to congratulate their pokémon, but stopped mid-breath when a muffled howl came from within, then the ice burst outwards with a great swirling of wind.

"Icy Wind!" Rhonin gasped. Suicune glared at Draco and Narcissa, then howled loudly. The sound quickly turned to a piercing shriek, then the swirling wind gathered and tore at both Draco and Narcissa; the wintry gale hurling them back from Suicune. Clair watched in dismay and began to doubt whether she and Rhonin could defeat Suicune, when an idea came to her. Quickly turning to Rhonin, she outlined her albeit risky plan, then they called out to their pokémon.

Suicune purred softly to itself as it galloped towards the near-defeated pokémon, then paused when it saw only the Kingdra.

"Now Draco!" the male trainer called from the shoreline, and immediately the Dragonair burst out of the water behind Suicune and flew up high, then the Kingdra sprang back into action. Before Suicune could react both of its opponents gathered massive globes of golden light and reared back.

"Draco!"

"Narcissa!"

"NOW!" Rhonin and Clair shouted from the shore, and simultaneously the two pokémon fired their attacks. The two Hyper Beams raced towards Suicune as it tried to stop, the warm light reflecting on the water's surface. Suicune gave a final howl of dismay as the Hyper Beams collided and coalesced into a ball of unstable energy, then exploded, throwing it across the water and onto the beach. Rhonin shielded Clair as sea spray pelted them, then they ran to where Suicune had come to rest, Draco and Narcissa joining them quickly. Together the four watched as Suicune tried to stand, then collapsed again onto the sand. It gave a low groan of pain, then looked at Rhonin and Clair with glimmering brown eyes. The trainers glanced at one another, then Rhonin drew out the special poké ball which he had grabbed instinctively when they left the house. He looked down at Suicune one last time then lightly lobbed the ball at the defeated pokémon. It struck with a sharp tap, then the hemispheres opened and a cocoon of red light washed over Suicune and drew it back inside the ball. The two halves closed with a click, then the ball dropped to the ground and began rocking from side to side. Clair, Rhonin, Draco and Narcissa all held their breath as the red light on the poké ball's lock remained lit, then went out with a soft chime, the ball sitting motionless in the sand. Almost in a state of shock, Rhonin bent down and picked up the ball and held it out for the others to inspect.

"We did it." He said softly and smiled at Clair.

"We did it!" Clair cried and embraced Rhonin, the two kissing passionately while Draco and Narcissa danced and cheered around them, the celebration ending when Rhonin's pokédex beeped loudly. He took it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen then turned to Clair.

"What shall we name it?" he asked and cocked his head. Clair thought for a moment, then took the pokédex and typed something in, then handed it back to Rhonin.

"Chaser." He said softly, then nodded and smiled. "I like it." He and Clair kissed again, then together the two pokémon, their human trainers and the poké ball containing Chaser went back along the beach and into the house to share a hot breakfast.