Inheritance

An eerie green glow slowly faded around a hooded figure. The short lived light was the only source of light, and the room went completely dark. The unsettling darkness lasted a few seconds before a new source of illumination appeared. Like a raging campfire, the middle of the room burst into flames.

An ancient stone structure stood in the middle of the ominous fire. Scriptures from a lost language covered the eroding piece of architecture. The ruin wasn't as mysterious as the smoldering blue flames cloaking it. The flames flickered, creating dancing shadows that spread throughout the moderately sized room.

The concrete floor looked just as primordial as the blazing ruin with a web of cracks running through them. The web sprawled across the floor and climbed up the concrete walls shouldered in thick, green vines.

The lone figure in the odd space stared into the pits of the fire. Emerald green eyes searched for the hidden meaning these ruins contained. He pulled back the white hood to free his messy brown hair.

"I used up all of my Aura energy," his voice echoed throughout the spacious room. No one responded for there was no one there to reply to his remark. "My power will need to recover."

Leer reached into his jacket's pocket to pull out a silver, refined feather kept in perfect condition despite the unusual place it was kept in. "Soon we'll be together, guardian of the sea," he softly muttered, twirling the elegant item between his fingers.

The flames brightened as it was reacting to Leer's personal emotions. The emotion he didn't display the fires relayed for him. The fire waned as Leer returned the single feather back into his pocket.


The adventures Red had at Mt. Silver were relayed to Brom. Finishing his abridged story, Red rolled a log into the campfire. His Pokemon lay around him, resting from their adventure.

-"But I didn't do anything during this trip!"- Pidgeot squawked, having only partaken in taking Red home since Charizard wasn't in the mood to return him. –"I only managed to see the outside of Mt. Silver while everyone got to chance to be inside."-

-"There was no helping it,"- Pikachu tried to console him. –"There wasn't enough room for you to spread yours wings."-

-"But Moltres, who is much larger than any Pidgeot, could freely fly around in this mountain," Pidgeot retorted.

Brom folded his hands in his lap. "Nothing would have changed the prophecy of you still facing this power," Brom said. "You made it back alive, that's all that matters for now. Oh, and did you retrieve the item I asked you to get? Or were you too distracted by the events to remember?"

Red silently looked over to Brom and nodded. He dug into his pockets to retrieve a pair of black gloves. "I assume that these belong to Sir Pallet," Red said waving the strange pair at his teacher. The gloves were emblazoned with strange runes along with thin, straight lines that would one would normally find on computer chips. Red shook the stiff, ancient gloves that have petrified under the frigid weather that only the tops of mountain could provide.

"Indeed those belong to Sir Pallet," Brom agreed, noticing the great aura power the gloves emitted even after the hundreds of years that has passed since Pallet roamed the Earth. "Mt. Silver was the mountain that Sir Pallet chose to seclude himself in and trained to control his aura powers."

Red passed on the gloves to Brom but was rejected with stern head shake. "No, keep them as a reminder as to who you are. An Aura Guardian."

Red examined the item he risked his life to retrieve. "Why do these gloves still contain aura energy?" Red asked, sensing the power seem fainter when he first found it.

"Those gloves were given to Aura Guardians because it aided the Aura Users in manipulating Aura. Which is why most Aura Guardians were better adept at using their powers through their hands but Sir Pallet sought to control Aura throughout his body," Brom explained as he leaned back on his log to stare into the twinkling stars as to try and look into the past. "He probably had so much Aura power that the gloves somehow managed to store the potent aura."

Red stood in awe as he tried to envision such a man with power that could last hundreds years, and through extreme weather no less. "Are these still usable?" Red innocently asked raising the gloves at hand.

"They are still practicable," Brom rubbed his chin. "But I have something that will suffice better than those relics." He paused to reach into his cloak. In a brown sack similar to his food pouch but surprisingly looked better kept. Untying the strings, Brom took out a newer set of gloves similar to the ones Red held.

"Are those-"

"Yes, they are," Brom answered with a smile, tossing the gloves over to Red. "Very rare to come upon in this era. Aura Guardian gloves for you, Red."

Red hesitated to try them on. "I couldn't," Red tried to be modest. These must have cost a fortune! Red thought.

"No need to be modest. After all, these rightfully belong to you," Brom calmly replied.

"What do you mean?" Red queried.

Speaking in a fatherly figure tone, Brom replied, "Those are rightfully yours because it is your inheritance from Sir Pallet. My bloodline has kept these safe over the generations till the day the descendant of Pallet appeared."

Examining the runes as obscure as Pallet's, Red found it hard to believe these also managed to survive the centuries. Pallet's were believable due to their beaten up shape and aura energy, but his appeared to have been woven the day before. They must have been very careful to not let a single thread loosened, Red thought feeling the hefty responsibility of the custody over an item that countless generations spent guarding. I will only use them when I must, Red notion.

"Try them on and see for yourself," Brom said abruptly.

"Huh," Red nervously eyed the gloves. Brom's unnerving stare rushed the boy to pull the gloves over his hands. His fingertips met the ends of the fabric with no cloth being pulled over the palm of his hands. Almost as if the gloves were only meant for him.

Holding out his arm away from his body and palm faced up to the starry sky, Red sucked his gut in as he dug into his power. The strength left him as if sucked in by the glove and an Aura Sphere flawlessly formed in his hand. Pulsing, the sphere illuminated in his gloved hand yet his hand didn't require any more light for the runes and abstract lines lit up with the same hue of blue as the Red's aura.

"Watch out!" Red warned the split second before he shot sphere directly in front of him. The Aura Sphere collided with the stone brick wall to create a short explosion. The destructive power the small orb contained was still enough to decimate the thick wall. "Never have I been able to create such a perfect sphere in such a short amount of time," Red said sounding eager with his new gloves.

Hmm…at the beginning, just creating a simple sphere would have taken a large toll on his body by now he can effortlessly fired them with ease and little to no adverse effects, Brom acknowledged Red's growth. He tilted his head back to the dark sky like a black blanket has been placed over the Earth and the holes in the wool were the glistening stars. The nearly full moon distracted him from his star gazing.

It's almost time, Brom realized. He did the best he could to teach the young trainer all he could and strengthen for the foreboding challenge ahead. He kneaded his hands, feeling anxiety cloud his mind. He abruptly stopped, looked around hoping no one saw his nervous action, and smoothly spoke to Red.

"Now that the time has come," he brought Red's attention to him. "Were do plan to go after today?"

"Huh? What do you mean go?" Red asked, stunned by the sudden question.

"The time is near and you will need to face the rising danger soon," Brom tried to clarify.

"Well I don't even know where the danger will even start," Red scratched his head embarrassed.

"I see," Brom muttered expecting the uncertain answer. "The only clue I was proved was that this beast came from the far south. On an island that contained ancient ruins long forgotten even during the age of aura guardians these ruins were abandoned."

"Southern Islands…" Red murmured with a dazed look. "The only islands below Kanto are…The Sevii Islands!"

"A place to start," Brom said, looking back up to the passing moon. "Your time is limited for tomorrow will be the next full moon."

"One day left!" Red clamored, looking at moon to be sure. "There are about seven islands! I can search every single one by myself in a single day."

Brom's face soften. "What makes you say that you're going alone?"

Red raised his head, lip parted in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you have friends you can count on?" Brom replied. "Like the young man who came to visit you because he was worried about you."

Red's lips lifted to a sly smile when he remembered Blue looked worried for a second. "I got friends who I can always rely on. I have my two childhood friends who are as strong as me as well as…Emily!" Red awkwardly chucked, cursing himself for forgetting about his friend that traveled with him for a while.

"You're not alone on this journey," Brom said.

Red took out his Pokegear. He scanned through his contacts until he came upon Leaf's number. Pressing the dial option, Red pressed the device to his ear. After a few rings, Leaf picked up the call.

"Hello Red," her voice rang sounding tired. "What is the matter?"

Red fumbled over his first few words not sure how to ask the request. "I-I know you're pretty busy with your aide work in Professor Oak's lab but…but I really need you to meet me here in Vermilion City."

"Viridian City? Why? What happened?" Her voice awakened from her tired state now alert.

Red took a moment to figure how to respond. "I'm going to travel to the Sevii Islands to find my brother. I need to reach him by nighttime tomorrow."

"Brother? What brother?" Leaf's voice asked.

Red took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I haven't told you before but I met the man who set my house on fire-"

"What! Who is it? We got get this guy behind bars like now!" Leaf interrupted with urgency.

"It was…my brother, Ember," Red reveled keeping his tone calm. "He tried to get rid of me."

Leaf paused to take it in. "Why would brother think of such a thing?" Red could imagine Leaf's sorrowful face.

"He saw me as a threat to the organization he was in," Red explained. "He is part of another criminal group who I will consider a greater threat than Team Rocket. Which is why I need to go to Sevii Islands and stopped them."

Leaf kept quiet which made Red check his phone to see it didn't cut off. "And what are they planning," she finally asked.

"They plan to attack everyone in Kanto and perhaps even the world," Red tried sound believable. "I don't know the exact details but I can assure you that they're in Sevii Islands. I need your help for this." He pleaded.

Leaf took a second to think before she spoke. "Aright, I can take tomorrow off from work and go with to help," she said her verdict making Red release a breath he held in.

"Thanks a lot Leaf," Red beamed. "Oh can you bring Blue if he is available?"

"Uh…sure. I can do that," she said sounding unsure.

"Thanks again and see you tomorrow," Red ended the call after she made her goodbyes.

"Next up, Emily," Red said.

"What is it that you want now?" Emily answered the call in an obnoxious voice.

Red slightly frowned. "I just wanted to tell you to meet me up in Viridian City," he bluntly replied.

"Hey! I'm not just some dog that you can tell me what to do," Emily barked back.

"Well, can you please come to Viridian city with me," Red stressed on the please. "I'm going to tackle Kuraisora head on and I'm going to need your help."

"Oh ho, someone grew a spine," Emily mocked. "You finally decided to enter the lion's den. Fine, I'll be there to save your ass, again."

Red rolled his eyes. "Alright, see you there," he hung up.

That's four people coming along, Red contemplated over the fact that is still wasn't enough people to search a few islands in one day. "Still won't be possible with us four," Red told Brom his dilemma.

"You must have more people you could rely on," Brom suggested.

Red ran through his list of contacts to see the different numbers he received from gym leaders. "I see…I'll give it a try," Red said, clicking Brock's name first since he thought the man will understand him more having met Kuraisora before.

"Pewter City Gym, Brock speaking," Brock answered in a well-mannered way.

"Hey Brock, it's me Red!" Red wasted no time to relay the situation to the gym leader.

"Hmm…I see," Brock slowly replied, Red smirked, remembering Brock's slanted eyes. "I'll gladly help you, Red. Having seen their power, I know you won't be able to handle them alone. No offense of course. I also want to redeem myself because I have gotten stronger since the last time. I'll be there tomorrow," Brock reassured before hanging up.

Red grinned as he went on through the gym leaders' number he was given. Everyone he called agreed to his plan, though he did used some coaxing like telling Misty she could have a free day from her busy gym leader schedule or to Janine who was convinced by Red giving her father the chance to fight some criminals and uphold his ninja master title.

Red felt a lot better once he finished his calls. He wasn't going to face Kuraisora alone after all. He had a dependable set of members. His spirits were higher than ever before.

"Are you ready?" Red faced Brom with a smile.

Brom smiled back but let his head drop down in a sorrowful way. "I apologize, Red."

Red stopped in surprise. "What are you sorry for?"

Brom looked back to Red with a gentle smile but his face featured a sorrowful look as if he was asking for forgiveness. "I won't be able to join you on your voyage."

Red blinked in disbelief. "How could you not go with me? You're an Aura Guardian. You'll probably be a key player during the confrontation with Kuraisora," Red pleaded.

Brom slowly shook his head. "I apologize again because I can't possibly go," he stated with a stricter tone.

"And why is that?" Red asked, raising his voice.

Brom pulled himself to his feet with the help of Lucario. "I'm inadequate to go on a journey," he explained. "Contrary to my out appearance, I'm severely hurt to even make it the first half." He grunted as he put his weight on his staff.

"What are you saying?" Red asked incredulously. "You looked completely fine over these past few weeks."

Brom put on a reassuring smile. "Yes, and everyday it took every will in my body to make it through the day," he said lifting the end of his shirt. He revealed a nasty scar across his stomach that stretched out to his ribs. The scar looked like it was caused by a claw of some large beast. "This was an injury that I have suffered from my irrational actions I took a long time ago."

"What the heck happen to you?" Red asked in bewilderment. Red pried into Brom's aura and could tell it was a meager life force fighting to stay on his two feet.

"It's a story that will have to wait for another time," Brom grunted, settling back on the wooden log. "I will unfortunately be able to join you but this is your battle. Fulfill the prophecy young aura guardian."

Red lost the high emotions he felt replaced with doubt now. Lucario managed to pick up on the mood change with his sensing powers.

-"Don't fret Aura Guardian," Lucario spoke directly into Red's mind with telekinetic power. –"We have enough faith in your strength that we believe you can handle it without our interference. Brom and I want to help, don't get me wrong, but we aren't eligible right now. Brom wasted a lot of energy these last two weeks and won't recover from the excess use of aura in a few days. Please, understand our point of view young one."-

Red stared at the two aura masters. He dropped to his knees and bowed before them. "I appreciate everything you have done for me. Thank you for preparing me and my Pokemon teachers," he said in a grateful tone.

Lucario blankly stared at him as Brom grinned. "Stand up, Red," Brom demanded. Red got up to look Brom in the eyes. "If you are really grateful, then repay me by completing your duty. Defeat the upcoming danger."

Red tipped his red hat to them. "I will be the victorious one. I promise." Red proclaimed.

"Well, let's start preparing for tomorrow by getting a good night of rest," Brom suggested to which Red agreed.


The first Pidgeys warbled their songs to signal it was morning. Red arrived in the center of the Viridian City to rendezvous with the gang. He was astonished to already find few people waiting for him in the small park that acted as the center for Viridian.

"What kept you so long? Having seconds thoughts?" Emily was the first to notice him.

"Nice to see you again, Emily," Red dismissed her comment. "Glad you can make Leaf…and Blue." Leaf sat at the edge of the water with Blue sitting next to her. Blue looked annoyed to be there with arms defiantly crossed and replied to Red with a snort.

"Yeah, glad we can be a help," Leaf cheerfully replied. She stood up to place the bag she kept between her legs and placed it on her back. "I'm ready to head out!"

"Hold up," Red stopped her. "We still got to wait for more people to arrive."

Emily clutched her Zorua disguised a Pikachu in her arms. "You have other friends besides us," she acted dramatically surprised.

"Punk chick does have a point," Blue smugly spoke. "You have more friends?"

Red sighed, seeing Blue still hasn't stop mocking and grown up. "We require a larger group," he explained. "In fact, two of them are almost here

Everybody looked towards where Red's head was turned to. On the pathway to the park were the two gym leaders Brock and Misty packed for the trip. Brock was dressed in his regular outfit but Misty wore shorts and a yellow tank.

"I didn't expect Red to have gym leaders join the fray," Emily remarked. "Don't you guys have responsibilities to tend to than go on a vacation to some tropical islands?"

Misty pouted. "I don't need you tell me how to perform my gym leader duties," she retorted.

"Hey, isn't the protection of citizens also a job the gym leader must perform," Brock argued.

"That's correct, Gym Leader of Pewter City!" shouted a feminine voice. Everybody looked up to see purple clad ninja dropped down from the sky to land soundlessly in between them. Janine's Venomoth fluttered down to land on her head.

Red leaped up to her. "Hey, I thought I told you to get your father to come not you," he rebuked, pointing at her accusingly.

Faster than Red could react, Janine grabbed his arm and spun him around. Lashing behind Red's knee with her foot, she brought the experienced trainer to his knees. She held a kunai knife to the nape of Red's neck. The metal sent shiver down the boy's back. She held the pose for a second, and then she roughly pushed herself off Red.

"Heh, I can see that all of your training has gone to waste these last few weeks," Blue mocked with laugh.

"You've greatly improved, Janine," Misty gave the young ninja a thumb up. "While you boy," she leaned over Red, "have been slacking off since we last battle."

But I didn't do any physical activity when we had our gym battle, Red whimpered. "Fine, you can come," he said scornfully.

"Hmm." Janine joined the circle of people. "I still would have came even if you had objected," she said with a serious face.

Red rubbed his neck finally getting up. "We are still missing one person," Red counted the number of people present.

"Actually, we have two more people I've invited on their way here," Brock disclosed.

"Two more people?" Red said confused but felt relieved he had more people to help. "When will they arrive?"

"I'm not really sure but we can expect th-"

"Hey, is that them!" Leaf alerted the group and pointed towards the sky. She lifted the brim of her hat for a better view. "Something is flying towards us at an insane speed."

Red fixed his hat to keep out the low rays from the early sun. True to her words, Red saw a Pokemon that flew towards them seeming to have came from the north west. Two small wings rapidly flapped to keep the disproportional dragon-like creature in flight.

"Wait…is that-" Leaf's words were lost in the gush of wind. The orange dragon created a draft when he landed in front of the group with an earth shaking thud.

The two noodle-like antennas on its head bobbed as he lowered his body to let down two travelers. One of the riders Red recognized as the Elite Four Member Lorelei. She quavered, her knees almost gave under her but a man caught her before she could do so.

Red eyes grew in astonishment. The red and black cape flapped regally flapped behind the tall man as his arms grabbed Lorelei. Every spike of hair on his head mysteriously swayed when looked up to the group with an authoritarian gaze.

"I'm never riding on your Dragonite ever again, Lance." Lorelei said, looking like she was about to hurl.

Lance, the man Red knew was also part of the elite four, ambled with Lorelei close to him. "Welcome everybody who has gathered here for an important mission," he spoke as if he organized this meeting.

Red wrenched the admiration he held for Lance, who Red recognized as the strongest member of the Elite Four, away from his mind and talked back to the dragon master. "Actually, there is still one more person we are waiting on."

Lance raised an eyebrow. "Who let these children know of our meeting?" he questioned annoyingly. His gaze followed to other normal trainers he didn't notice before.

Red was taken aback by Lance's rude question. "Hey, I was the trainer who organized this meeting," Red shot back.

Lance walked up to Red, towering over him by a half a foot. His intimidating stance didn't make Red draw back. "I see, and who are you?" he squinted his eyes, as if trying disconcert the boy.

"I'm Red Ketchum," Red introduced himself, eyeing the powerful trainer in the eye.

"Red," Lance unexpectedly backed away and talked in a kinder tone. "You have met this band of trainers called Kuraisora?"

Red nodded. "I've met them before."

"And what gave you the initiative to go against such a powerful group?" Lance asked.

"Because what they are doing is morally wrong," Red blatantly replied. "But what got your attention to be here as well as Lorelei?"

"Have heard a trainer named Drake," Lance abruptly said.

Red blinked, stunned for a second. "Yeah, I managed to defeat him before," Red spoke in a confident tone to try and hide the fact he was still beaten in the end. "Why? Do you know him?"

Lance sighed as he closed his eyes to think. "Drake was my cousin," he revealed. "He left my village a long time ago after a bitter fight and I've been searching for him over the years. The only information I've gotten was an organization called Kuraisora."

"And that's why you came? For personal interest," Emily rebuked. "Were the rest of the powerful Elite Four just not interested in coming to help us?"

Lorelei answered for Lance, having recovered from her uneasiness. "We tried to get others join but Agatha isn't able to go anywhere right now with her health condition and Bruno…we honestly don't know where that man is," Lorelei explained, fixing her glasses.

Lance turned to face the gym leaders present. "I'm glad you could make it. As gym leaders, you guys have the personal responsibility to protect the citizens. We will be making our way to Vermilion City and from there we are going to be taking a boat to the Sevii Islands," Lance addressed everyone. "I already have Erika waiting for us on the boats so don't worry about her."

Misty raised her hand like a student. "And how are we all going to get there since not everyone has a flying Pokemon?" Misty stated her trouble.

"That's where I can help," a stoic voice reveled herself. Sabrina approached the gang at a constant walk with her Kadabra floating above the ground with the help of its psychic powers.

"How did you know where to meet up?" Red asked, remembering he didn't call her since she didn't give him her contact information.

"You must have not forgotten," Sabrina stared down the boy. "I can see into the future. Thus, I saw the meeting to be here."

"It's a relief to see you," Lance greeted her. "You being here mean it will only take on trip."

Blue was starting to feel impatient. "Let's go already," he obnoxiously said.

"I see no other reason to hold back," Lance did seem a little aggravated but acknowledged the fact time was being wasted.

But I thought Brom was going to come by and see me off, Red thought bitterly.

"Everyone hold each other's hands," Sabrina ordered.

Red clasped hands with the closet person next who happened to be Emily. Zexal clung onto her back as Emily held hands with the gym leader Misty. Red felt another hand grab his free one. He turned to see it was Leaf and Blue right next to her. Lance and Lorelei joined the ring and only Kadabra was left in the middle.

-"Don't move a muscle!"- Kadabra shouted into their minds as he raised his curved spoon. A white blinding light engulfed the circle of people.

Red could feel his gut rise as if he was on a roller coaster as the ground disappeared. He felt both girls clench his hand harder as a weird sensation overtook their bodies. The feeling lasted for second and the floor returned to their feet.

Red blinked, momentarily blinded and looked around to find himself in a different scene. A hot, sandy beach crunched under their feet and the cool sea breeze blew in from the vast ocean they landed close too.

"Hey, guys! Over here!" bellowed a deep masculine voice. Red turned to the yell and saw it was the war veteran Lt. Surge. The graceful Erika stood behind him, fanning herself with a rice paper fan. Both stood on a large yacht already set to sail.

"There's my boat," Lorelei chirped. "My personal transportation that I take to the Sevii islands. So, everybody, hop aboard!"