Disciple
"I haven't learned your name yet," Red brought up, following the Aura Guardian down the worn out hallway. It felt it could collapse on them at any time.
"I will be known to you as simply Brom," he plainly responded. "In order to establish a better relationship between student and mentor, we will refer to each other by our first names. What is your birth name, young Aura Guardian?"
"I'm Red Ketchum," Red replied proudly. "It's a pleasure to have met you Brom."
Brom walked through an exit of the building. They entered into what seemed as the training grounds for knights back in the day. It was in the middle of the castle, empty area besides the overgrown greenery large enough to fit a football arena. The place was fenced by large stone brick walls besides a part where the wall has collapsed to create an opening.
"This area was used by the brave knights who came here to become stronger. It was their training grounds for such warriors and even the Aura Guardians occasionally came here fresh up on their skills," Brom said as if he was Red's tour guide. "We will begin with your training immediately."
"Right now," Red groaned. He rubbed his stomach feeling it will almost be lunch time.
"Don't start complaining yet," Brom hushed. "We will start with the basics of course." Brom led Red to a dead tree stump that stood in the shade of the walls. He sat the boy down.
"You can let your Dragon companion rest since this will take quite some time," he lifted his head to the sky as to gauge the time.
-"No, I will stay wide awake. I'll be at your side Red,"- Gabite made it clear. He eyed Lucario as he walked next to trainer. –"I don't want you hurting him anymore."-
Lucario acted indifferent to the stares. –"Just keep away from me for your mouth reeks of fetid smells."- He grunted.
Brom took a seat on a pile of rubble that looked like it was a structure before. He pulled back his head, rested his staff onto his lap, and stretched out his tired legs. "This will do. So, we will-"
"Wait, you can't expect me to loyally follow a stranger's orders right from the bat," Red interrupted earning an icy stare from his mentor.
"Then what do suggest we do before we began your crucial training," Brom reproachfully said.
"How about we tell each other a little about ourselves?" Red suggested. "Here, I'll start. I'm Red Ketchum, a Pokemon Trainer who just accomplished in getting all the gym badges. My hometown Pallet Town is probably proud for my achievement."
Brom blinked in disbelief. "Ketchum, huh?"
"Yeah so what of it?" Red asked.
"Nothing, I just thought it was a strange name," he muttered.
"Hey, it's my family's name and I hold that name high with pride," Red rebuked. "Now what about you?"
Brom shuffled on his jumble of uncomfortable looking rocks. "I will make this clear. I am going to keep my past and all personal matters to myself-"
"How is that fair? I told you about me," Red interjected slightly frustrated.
"I didn't conformed to such introductions," he answered. "Forgot about me and let us concentrate on you. I'm here to train you, boy."
"Why are you the one training me?" Red battered his mentor with more questions.
Brom scowled. "Because I'm the only Aura Guardian left in this world of yours. Your training is the most important matter as of now."
Red wanted to talk back but realized he was being rude. "Do you really think my training is crucial to stopping this terrible force?" Red softly asked.
Brom furrowed his brows. "It is. I will help you master your aura powers which will serve you deeply," he replied calmly.
What is Kuraisora planning? Red took a deep breath in. "If it will help me to deal with those bunch of criminals…" Red remembered every moment he faced the groups and felt the emotion he felt at the time when he was defeated or pushed aside. He stared into his hands almost able to imagine the Aura Sphere he might be able to make to protect his family and friends.
"Let's get started," Red said determined.
"Excellent," Brom began sounding relieved. "We will start with the basics of aura."
Red raised his hand.
"What is it?" Brom acknowledged.
"What is Aura?" Red carefully asked.
"A reasonable question, since this is probably you have first heard about aura," Brom eye's gleamed with approval. "Aura is a difficult concept for even our people to grasp. Basically, it is the life force that all living things give out. It's our life force that we all get our aura powers from rather it be in very small amounts in some and enormous reservoirs in others. That is where we will be getting your power."
Brom lifted his hand to form an Aura Sphere large yet stable. "We Aura Guardians are blessed with the gift to able to draw out that aura to fully control it and absorb it. We bring out an innate power from within ourselves that requires a strong will to draw out this power at command." He launched the sphere into the castle's wall. A loud explosion followed, and dust flew everywhere. Brom look unaffected by the even more unstable structure and continued to instruct.
"I will train you to first be able to make that connection with your aura which will be easier for you have a large aura reservoir within you," Brom said with authority. "Holds out your hands together and try to summon your hidden power."
Red raised both of his hands. He brought them close together as if he was about to clap and stared into them expecting incredible aura to flow right out of them. He furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to focus his power into his palms. He kept that stance for a good minute.
"No, no, don't try to think about the act," Brom shook his head.
"Well, what do you expect me to do?" Red said slightly frustrated throwing his arms in the air.
"Let me explain more clearly," Brom sighed. "You are not concentrating on your hands but your concentration must go towards your aura power first. Look within yourself first. Find your inner power; that's the best I can explain it."
Red was left even more confused. He shrugged and tried once more, but with a more relaxed set of mind.
Where is this special power? He asked himself. Never has he thought of containing such power within him. He took a deep breath, stretched out his hands and prowled his inner self. He probed his own mind seeing it from a different perspective. His conscious was of alien territory to him as he looked for something-anything out of the ordinary.
A sudden glow emitted from the far corners of his mind. Red dug deeper into that glow sensing it get brighter and brighter as he approached it. Compact energy rushed through his body like a rapid river once he touched it. He tried to guide it to his hands.
A loud crackle woke Red from his concentration. A blue-greenish spark jumped from his hands right into the other one.
"I got it!" Red exclaimed with excitement. The flow of energy broke that resulted in a sudden jolt of power into his hands exploding. Red jumped back scared he might blow himself up.
"Careful boy!" Brom yelled holding out his hand. His palm glow a bright blue as he stretched out in front of him. "You were lucky I was able to safely absorb the stray aura." He closed his palm and resumed his usual calm position.
Red got back up on the stump feeling slightly nauseated after reaching the new power. Gabite nudged Red onto the tree stump.
"Now, let's try one more time but don't get so easily distracted," Brom huffed.
"Again," Red whined, already feeling lightheaded after the first attempt.
"Of course! We will train till every ounce of aura within you if that is what I takes for you to master it," Brom sternly stated.
-"You don't have to keep going, Red. That big meanie is not your mom!"- Gabite compelled him to stop seeing it was not favorable on his body. –"Moms are supposed to be nice and happy. He doesn't even know how to cook!"-
-"Your idiotic blabbering is making my head hurt,"- Lucario sighed heavily. He sat down on the cool grass and acted as if he was meditating.
Red noticed the bright glow that engulfed Lucario as he meditated. It was the same glow as the aura his human partner emitted yet slightly darker.
"What is Lucario doing?" Red asked getting comfortable on the stump.
Without glancing at Lucario, Brom answered, "he is using his aura to heal himself. Your partner managed to bite and cut Lucario after he woke up to see you lying on the floor. He had to knock him out once more before you woke up."
Gabite rubbed his temple still feeling the blow from Lucario's punch.
"Wait, will I be able to use aura in this sort of manner?" Red asked.
"If your specialty dwells into it, then it is possible," Brom replied. "Let's not dwell on that matter until we get that far. Now try again."
Red groaned in his mind as he continued to his training. He kept this up for a good few minutes that stretched out into hours.
Having not said a single word during the training, Brom carefully watch Red fall onto the round exhausted. The teacher glanced at the sky seeing a swirl of orange and red hues far in the horizon. He jumped off from his throne of jagged rocks and stuck his guardian staff into the ground. His knees buckled under his weight but he had his staff to support his weary body.
"Grr…that will be enough for today, Red," Brom said faint and indistinct. Lucario got up to help his master stand up.
Red still feeling fuzzy and lightheaded managed to cough up a question. "Why are you so tired when all you did was sat there like a statue?" Red got back up to his feet careful to not topple over on his unstable footing.
Brom leaned on Lucario's shoulder. "I didn't just sit there. You should have sensed it when you were accessing your aura."
"I'm sorry but I was too busy trying to keep my power in control to not and try to kill myself," Red retorted clenching his hands. They were burned from the attempts to fire aura from them and moving a finger ached.
"I guess we need to work on your ability to sense with aura," Brom muttered. "I was cleaning up the unstable residue from your attempts to use aura. In order to keep the area stable I had to absorb any stray aura and converted it into a more stable version." Lucario lend his master his shoulder to stay standing.
He harshly coughed. "That will be all for today. If we go any further on your first say, then it might spell catastrophic damage to your body," Brom said. "It is getting dark so let us prepare a fire for tonight."
Red rubbed his sore arms, wordlessly agreeing to the decision. He grabbed the Pokeballs from his belt and threw them in the air. The rest of his Pokémon team appeared around him.
"Alright guys it is lunch time!" Red rummaged through his bag to find the food for his hungry friends.
-"Who's the old man?"- Pikachu asked stretching out his tense body.
-"Some magical guy,"- Gabite muttered tiredly. –"He can make attack like Pokemon."-
-"Impossible!"- Nidoking protested. –"I have never heard of human being able to attack like a Pokemon."-
-"He's a noble Aura Guardian and treat him respect,"- Lucario snapped back.
Red turned around with cans of food in his arms. He noticed Brom was intensely looking at his team of Pokemon.
"What's the matter Brom?"
That seemed to wake Brom out of his daze. "Urh-nothing. It's just that I never seen such wide of variety of Pokemon in one place," Brom replied. He pointed to Charizard with a weary finger.
"Gatts the Aura Guardian from the Rashid Castle had a majestic Charizard know as Vanilor. Both fought together in many great battles and left their enemies in seas of fire."
Charizard lower his head seeming somewhat upset. A Charizard who I will never live up to. I can't even come close to defeating one of my kind, Charizard sadly thought.
"Your Nidoking reminds me of an Aura Guardian from a country far west. Beroan the Nidoking and his partner Heorth were a pair that could move entire terrains," Brom's voice trailed off. "And of course your Pikachu reminds me of Sir Pallet."
"You sure do seem to know a lot of these Aura Guardians," Red remarked placing the cans of food on the ground.
-"And was there really great Nidoking in history?"- Nidoking asked interested. –"I bet he got all the beautiful Nidoqueens to leave here and go to that country."-
-"Pokemon who were partnered with Aura Guardians had much more important things to worry about than troublesome relationships,"- Lucario responded impatiently.
"I felt like I needed to learn about the heroes from our lineage of Aura Guardians," Brom answered Red's question. "Such great people leave an example for us remaining Aura Guardians."
Red felt a soft tug on his pants. He looked down to see a cheerful Eevee eyeing him with her big, black eyes that were begging. He knew that the look she gave him was the one that meant he wanted food.
"Well, tell me more about these people after we are done with dinner. " He opened up the first can of food.
"Then let's get a campfire going before we have lunch," Brom suggested. "It will keep us warm as we eat."
Red slightly nodded. "Pikachu and Gabite go look for some firewood and cut some logs while you're at it. Nidoking start making the pit to make our campfire. Charizard we will need you to start the fire." Red pointed to each of his Pokemon as he spoke their names.
-"Fine, let's do this quick so we can have lunch, Gabite,"- Pikachu folded his hands behind his head as he walked away into the wilderness that lay close to the castle.
Gabite yawned. –"I'm really hungry too."- He chased after his furry companion.
Nidoking shrugged and went to got dig a hole where Red asked him to do so.
Red friendly patted his Charizard on the back before going out to set dinner for his crew.
Charizard wordlessly watched Red go to his duties. His gaze floated to the elderly man slowly making his way to the pit where a fire will be lit. His bright blue didn't blink as he watched walk. He breathed out a soft sigh.
"What's the problem, Charizard?" Pidgeot chirped approaching Charizard the only other Pokemon not faced with a task that he could calmly converse with.
Charizard didn't lift his gaze from the Aura Guardian as if expecting him to attack Red anytime. "It's uh nothing, Pidgeot."
Pidgeot didn't believe it one bit "What happen to you in the past few days?"
Charizard's brow lifted. "What do you mean?" he muttered.
"That's the problem!" He squawked. "What happen to all that confidence you used to have in you? I remember I was the guy who didn't have the strength to defeat a single Caterpie! Yet, your eminence faith and confidence in me seem indestructible."
Charizard grumbled. "I was a mere Charmander. I didn't know much about the world and so I thought I could conquer it."
"But even in after you evolved into a Charizard, your confidence in your abilities only increased."
Frowning Charizard replied. "That's what everybody feels after they reached their final form. Didn't you feel unstoppable when you evolved?"
Pidgeot knew it was true and didn't have a retort.
"Look, I'm fine. Just still a bit tired from my last battle with Giovanni," Charizard coldly said.
"Oh yeah about that battle. How did you do?" Pidgeot asked.
Trying to fight back a scowl he said, "I did-good." He walked off without a second word.
-Geez, what's with him?- Pidgeot thought he was definitely out of character.
Gabite arrived later with pile of freshly cut logs in his arms while Pikachu brought the thinner sticks. They set right next to the pit that Nidoking dug out. Brom took one log to use as seat. Red set up the logs into the pit and had Charizard light it on fire.
Dusk fell once they finished and everyone was served food. Eevee happily nibbled her food closest to Red. Pikachu calmly ate his food next to Gabite who gobbled it down. Nidoking and Pidgeot shared their battle experiences as they ate. Charizard stood in the back barely having touched his food.
Brom leaned on his log with his feet stretched out towards the flames. He ate his natural berries that he carried in his bag and shared with his partner Lucario next to him. Red had his lunch prepared and sat opposite of his mentor.
The campfire crackled under Brom's watchful eyes as he quietly ate. It seemed as if he was reminiscing on a particular issue. He shifted on his log casting dancing shadows behind him.
Before Red could ask anything, Brom spoke up before him. "Have you ever heard of the legend of the Rogue Aura Guardian of Pallet?"
Red pondered on the name sounding familiar. "I can't say I have," he finally said.
"Then let me tell you," Brom said getting into a more comfortable position. "The Pallet Kingdom once had a powerful Aura Guardian name Brian. He was a loyal warrior who would lay his life for the king. His partner was the same. An Espeon named "Rinda" with a special ability that no other Espeon had-"
"What kind of a special ability?" Red interrupted without thinking.
Brom glared at Red. "Boy, I will answer your question for this once time but for any future queries you may have, save it for the end." He coldly said seeing Red nod. "Rinda had the ability to deflect any non-damaging moves back to her opponent. Like a deep innate psychic ability to throw back but it was more like an instinct than an intended action.
"Now," he glanced at Red to see if he was going to interrupt him again before continuing. "Brian was loyal to the king but he was also loyal to his faithful wife. A noble of the castle he fell in love with and married. At the time he was also the role model for Aura Guardians all across Kanto. He was feared yet admired but many. His wife knew that as well and knew that marrying such a man will lay some burden on her shoulders. Yet, those two where the happiest couple in the kingdom."
Brom clasped his hands together and told the next part of the story like a mournful toll of a requiem
"There was one time when Brian was sent on a mission far away that it took him a few weeks to accomplish. However, when he arrived he was faced with some devastating news. His wife was killed within the kingdom. Not just any regular person but by the hands of an Aura Guardian named Merlock. He was an Aura Guardian who Brian knew was jealous of his rank and power. He heard from the other people that he tried to seduced his wife while he was gone but she strongly resisted and in the end he killed her when he pushed her off the side of the building they were on. However, even with the evidence, Merlock was never convicted of the murder of his beloved wife. He went straight to the king to condemn Merlock yet he was ignored." He paused to shift to a comfortable position.
Red took the opportunity to ask a question in a concerned voice. "Why didn't the king condemn Merlock for what he did? Surely the law must kept uphold by the king."
Brom didn't look at all bothered by the question time and took his time to answer. "No one knows why the king didn't do it. Anyone who may know the reason why is now dead and never let words slip their mouths."
"So, you see why he felt betrayed. The kingdom he tried too hard to protect has turned his back on him during his crisis. His partner also felt the feeling of betrayal and decided to take matters in her own hands. She snuck into Merlock's home one night and brutally tortured him to death with her psychic powers. The next morning she was found out and captured by the kingdom army. Brian was even more devastated when he heard that his remaining family was sentenced to be executed. He tried to bargain with the king but it led him nowhere. That was when he realized that the government of his kingdom was flawed."
Brom's voice trailed off at the end but kept on going in a more calm voice.
"He couldn't stop the execution of his Pokemon so he decided to take matters in his own hands. He went straight to the execution site which was surrounded by many commoners and knights along with the Aura Guardian of the castle. He confronted the guards who were in his way who he killed with his own power. The Aura Guardians jumped in to stop him but Brian made quick work of in killing in his anger. Yet he was far too late. Rinda was decapitated right before his own eyes. That set him on a complete blood lust rampage and killed anyone who got was near him from soldiers to innocent civilians. He did calm down enough to realize what he has done and knew the consequences. That's when he decided to leave the kingdom."
Red took the short pause to ponder on the matter. What a terrible way for an honored hero to be betrayed. None of it was his fault yet it turned him into an infamous murderer.
"But there is more," Brom quietly said. "He fostered this hate for the kingdom that he searched for an even greater power to help him with his revenge. That's when he stumbled over the three Element Crystals."
Red head perked at the mention of the crystals. "Wait; is this the same guy who captured the three legendary birds Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno?"
Brom raised an eyebrow. "Do you know of this legend?"
"Not that much but it sounds similar of a bedtime story my mother used to tell to me when I was young. But I never thought it will be true. Is it?"
"A tragic tale turned into a child's bedtime story," Brom muttered to himself not listening. "Where did your mother hear of this tale?"
Red shrugged. "I just thought my mom made it up so I never asked her."
Brom rubbed his beard. "That's strange. It's only a tale that Aura Guardians will know in today's time." He said sounding as if he was having an inner discussion.
"Then where did you hear this tale?" Red asked.
Brom lifted his to stare into the fire. A log cracked right before he answered. "My teacher who taught me in the ways of the Aura Guardian was the man who told me," sorrow could be felt in his tone. The night fell quiet.
The fire began to die down so Red grabbed a stick to push a log closer to the center. The flames roar back to life. "Does your version end with Pallet saving the kingdom and hiding the crystal orbs?"
"No…mind ended with a prophecy. A prophecy foretold by your great ancestor Sir Pallet," Brom softly answered. He now looked up to the starry sky.
"How could he foretell such things?" Red questioned the man's power.
A small smile appeared on Brom's lips. "He had such strong aura powers that it was said that he had to isolate himself from the world for a year to be able to control his powers. With such power, it might be possible that he sensed the auras of the future and past."
"He could sense other being's auras?" Red was confused never heard of such a thing.
"Yes, of course," he answered looking back down at Red with a stern look. "It is the most basic skill for Aura Guardians. Novice in the ability could even sense vague feelings while experts could detect the feelings and whether they were healthy or not."
"Then why haven't I felt this?" Red proclaimed.
Brom slightly nodded. "Well, why don't you try it for yourself know," Brom encouraged. "Close your eyes and try to sense the world around you. With your bloodline, you might be even able to tell what your comrades are feeling."
"Uh-let me try."
Red placed the stick down and set his hands on his lap. Closing his eyes he tried to feel the area around him with his mind. At first he felt nothing but a faint glow that deterred as a living thing's presence. He inched towards it with conscious like a Weedle slowly crawling to a leaf. He mentally touched the life force once he was close enough.
Feelings flowed into his body. They were gentle so the only emotion he felt from them was satisfaction and tiredness. Judging by it aura, Red concluded that the being was in good condition with only a bruise on its body.
Opening his eye, Red looked to the source of the aura. He pinpointed it to be his Pokemon Gabite. He was sprawled on the grass with a giddy smile twirling a piece of grass in his jaws patting his tummy.
"I see my Gabite is doing well," Red remarked. "I guess this will be helpful to figure when my Pokemon are too seriously hurt to fight."
"But that is not all what it can be used for like deducting when your Pokemon need of emotional support," Brom added.
"Yeah that can-" Red's aura sensing trailed off to find an even greater force emitting aura. It was thick, distasteful aura that made Red reluctant to intrude. His head towards the source to realized it was his most trust worthy Pokemon Charizard.
Brokenhearted, disgust, anger, frustration where the many feelings that Red felt emitted from Charizard. On the outside, his dragon-like partner didn't look at all like the feelings besides looking slightly sadden. Red shut himself from Charizard's aura feeling he himself would be engulf in the terrible aura.
"He has been like since you released him," Brom spoke up.
Red glanced at Charizard once more. "I never knew he was this much affected," Red admitted. "I knew he would have been disheartened but to this leave."
"Well, you try to amend his broken heart," Brom proposed. "You are his partner after all. You are not only responsible for his physical well-being but his emotion state as well."
The trainer sighed. "I will bring him to his senses," Red vowed. I will not give up on you pal. He thought to himself.
"You will have to do that tomorrow after your training," Brom stated. "Now let me tell you of the prophecy."
"Yeah, what is this prophecy of doom you need me to complete?"
Folding his hands into his lap, Brom continued the story. "It has been said that someone will try to unleash a power force using the three Pokemon."
"And you presume the three Pokemon are the 3 legendary birds of Kanto?"
"Yes, I mean are there any other mystical Pokemon in this country?" Brom posed the question.
Red's eyebrows furrowed. "I guess not so continue."
"This unstoppable force will be unleashed on this world and the person behind its release has an aura full of hate and malice. If not stopped, the whole world will fall to its mercy. Pallet also sensed that there wasn't any trained aura guardians to stop it. Well, all except for one and he dictated it was his descendant," Brom paused to grab his canteen for a gulp of water.
"But aren't you a trained Aura Guardian? Couldn't you have been the one foretold in the tale?" Red asked.
Brom shook his head. "When one knows the future, they can change the future. I come from a lineage of Aura Guardians who were brought up to teach the future hero," Brom explained.
"If your lineage made through the ages, then how come mind didn't make it since I do come from Pallet?" Red asked another question. He was getting worried that he will soon irritate Brom to the point he won't talk to him.
Brom, however, kept cool and answered. "No one knows for sure but somewhere in your family tree, a break from the old ways happened and left a new generation oblivious to the Aura Guardian ways. That's was when my ancestors began to search for the Pallet bloodline," he concluded.
Red leaned back taking in everything he has learned so far. Red as part of an ancient prophecy to this whole aura business seemed all too good to be true.
"Now it is my turn to ask," Brom began. "When is the next full moon?"
Red stopped perplexed. "uhh-I believe the last full moon was ugh…a week ago?" Red answered unsured. He did jogged his memory remembering sleeping under stars.
"I see…then we only have two weeks to train," Brom calmly said.
"What! Why?" Red blurted didn't know they were on a time limit.
"Because the day this destructive force is released is on a full moon," Brom sternly replied.
Red's body went stiff. He knew Kuraisora have been getting closer to their goal as he has seen it with his own eyes. The Elemental Crystals are now in their hands as well as Articuno. Who knows if have the other two legendary Pokemon? This full moon could be the time that they put their plan to work.
"Let's get some sleep then," Red said more like an order.
Lucario felt a sense of pride. –"The boy is finally getting serious. I think it's time we pick up the pace as well,"- Lucario turned to his partner who pulled his hood over his face.
We're going need to, if we are going to convince him of being the world's only hope, Lucario thought to himself.
