Chapter 19 – The Future

Village Bridge

Warm welcomes we received when we first entered the village by the people living there, not because of they were friendly to all outsiders who entered the village, a friendly looking face for once besides Team Annihilation Soldiers marching through, but it was because of me, a familiar sight they knew and grateful for what I had done for them the last time I was there.

Before when I travelled the region alone I made sure to avoid walking through the village not wanting to attract the attention of the people living there. They knew who I was, the good deeds me and Aqua did when we first came here five years ago, that kind of thing would attract the attention of Shiny Latias and her soldiers, and I didn't want that to happen, they were good people living in the village. Just this once I felt the need to stop there for a little rest and restock on our supplies before proceeding through the rest of the region until we reached our destination. It wouldn't be long until we reached Lentimas Town, where the final battle would take place.

The first two people I recognized amongst the crowd welcoming me back to the village, the owners of the Lotus Café was the married old couple Gerald and Martha. They looked like they did the last time I saw them years ago when I was travelling with Aqua, only this time Martha had a walking stick and Gerald was now wearing glasses.

"Zack, it is you. Hah, my old eyes haven't failed me yet!" They approached us happy to see me again. "It's been quite some time since we last saw you here, Zack."

"Would you and your friends like to come inside the café and we can talk there? We have some refreshing drinks that you may like if you have the time." Martha gestured for us to follow them. Feeling my legs ache a little after the walk through Route 11 had nearly tired me out, I figured a little rest couldn't hurt.

"Sure, we have time to take a rest." I nodded, wanting to get some rest before we travelled through Route 12 because of the random attack from the bounty hunters recently. The crowd around us slowly went their own separate ways while we made our way to the café but not before they said their goodbyes.

The Lotus Café despite the change of where tables and chairs were placed looked the same the last time I was here; wooden floors and walls, photos of plants growing in the village, the village covered in snow, all of it was still there almost like going back in time. We sat at a table beside the window and the couple served us some drinks, some kind of delicious berry drink for Espeon and I, and Lisa and Brent were given a fruit drink.

"So how is it you know about Zack?" Lisa asked before taking a little sip from her glass.

"Oh, Zack and Aqua helped us and the villagers from those troublesome wild Pokemon terrorizing the village some years back. It was a harsh time for us all, we thought we would have to put up with those troublesome Pokemon since no help ever came… until a white Dewott and a shiny Oshawott came, saved my life, brought me back here and stayed and fought the Pokemon off and the village has been peaceful ever since." Gerald said smiling, cuddling his wife beside her after explaining to the rest of us of why me and Aqua were so well liked around the village. "Zack told us about how he and Aqua were being chased by dangerous Pokemon."

"" Espeon smiled before using her Psychic to lift the glass up to take a drink from her cup. And like the first time I opened my mouth to reveal to them I could speak, hearing Espeon speak look at her in shock.

"A-another talking Pokemon?" Martha gasped. "Fascinating! How is it you can talk if I may ask?"

"I learnt how to do it; watching people and listening how they speak, trying to pronounce the words correctly rather than using Pokemon language only." She said to the surprised couple with a smile. "As to why, well in a newspaper article many years ago, I noticed Zackary, the one who defeated Team Annihilation was heading to the Kanto region. I wanted his help to find my owners murderer. So after learning the human language I waited by the pier within the Kanto region until he showed up. I introduced myself to him and asked if I could travel with him."

"The Kanto region is where all of us met actually. Our first mission as members of The Savior's together. Man, those were the days…" Brent reminisced to the very first mission all of us went on together.

"Oh by the way Zack I forgot to ask, but how is Aqua?" Martha asked.

"She's back at home with our son and daughter." Home wasn't the word I wanted to use, but I didn't want to tell them they were in a safe house underground somewhere waiting until all of the fighting was done and over with. If Shiny Latias came here and used her ability to get the answers out of them she would know about the safe house hidden within the region and possibly do all she could to find them. So the little they knew the better.

"A son and daughter? I didn't know you two were parents."

"We weren't a couple when came to this village, only friends. After we left, a few months later we started to become a couple and had two young Oshawott uh children… I don't know what young Pokemon are called."

"Well it's nice to know you two made it back home in one piece." She sighed "So what brings you out here?"

The four of us looked at each other in silence before we answered, and so it was Espeon who decided to tell them what we were doing out here, careful not to reveal too much about our journey, where Devon was, that we were receiving some help from others, or that we might know where Shiny Latias base was. "Our team is fighting against Team Annihilation Reborn, finding the leader of the group and defeating them once and for all, bringing peace to the region once again. Because that's what being a member of The Savior's does; stopping bad guys like Annihilation from hurting innocent people and Pokemon, helping others from bad things, to give them that much needed light in the darkness."

"I heard about what those soldiers did to them Savior's." Gerald shook his head. "We never knew you were a member of their team, we're sorry for your loss, Zack."

"If there is anything we can do to help, please let us know."

"Supplies would be enough for the road ahead. We don't want you or anyone here fighting any soldiers that pass through here, please don't get involved. Pretend you don't know us."

"Don't you worry about a thing; if any soldiers come through here we won't get involved." Martha said as she glanced at Gerald. "As for supplies we do have more than enough for you to take with you to; food, medicine, or some more of the berry juice Espeon here seems to enjoy." She chuckled as she noticed Espeon drinking up the berry juice very fast, slurping and licking the inside of the glass to drink in more of the juice showing how much she enjoyed it.

"Yep, that would help us out a lot!" She smiled back with a slight chuckle. With that the two elderly couple got up and left to leave out for the back to gather some supplies for the road ahead while we prepared for almost the last part of our mission.

"Looking at the map, it will take us almost a week to get to Lentimas Town if we stop at every city and town we enter to rest up." Lisa said as she set the map of the region down on the table and pointed at Village Bridge first with her index finger to point out our route. "That is unless we run into more bounty hunters the four members of The Five or Team Annihilation Reborn soldiers… who am I kidding, we'll definitely see more of them. So it will take us perhaps more than a week to reach the town."

"Hoping on a bus and we'll be there less than that." Brent looking down at the map, how close we where to our destination. "But I'm sure Reborn already has posts set up on the highway. And traffic has been pretty busy since Reborn has entered the scenes, blocking up routes with their annoying patrols forcing folks to find alternative means of travel."

"Maybe this is what Shiny Latias wants us to do." Espeon pointed at the roads with her paw. "Maybe she expects us to travel through the routes but not roads knowing how well patrolled they are. If we travel by vehicle to the town we could slip past them if we get ourselves a good vehicle, perhaps a truck or station wagon we can hide inside?"

"It's too risky. Team Annihilation Reborn has some kind of drones that scan every car and truck that drives down the highway; ID of who's driving, heat vision, they'll find us if we try to hide, and then we'll have to fight off mechs and hundreds of controlled soldiers on the road, and the surrounding area is well guarded." Lisa pointed at the forest beside the road. "If something were to happen we would have to traverse through this huge forest, and who knows how many soldiers and drones are in there."

"Well whatever is waiting for us through these routes, well I have to say we gotta be more than careful." Brent stared down at the map. "That ambush with The Five sure did do a number on us almost came close to death with that battle. They got the jump on us the first time they fought us with that moron with his explosive collars and that pesky drone of his, the next time we screw up on not paying attention to our surroundings may be our last."

"My Pokemon are all healed up and should be ready for battle. Once we reach our destination… we'll have to be more than extra careful."

"Once we reach Undella Town we can go west and enter Reversal Mountain, arrive in Lentimas Town and we can call in the help we'll need to fight off against Shiny Latias' army." I spoke up after looking at the map, how close we were to Lentimas Town, how close we were to ending this.

"Wait, hold up a sec! We'll have to continue down south to Route 14 past Reversal Mountain to get to Black City, Maia told us to go there." Espeon reminded me.

"Why? Reversal Mountain is right there. With Shiny Latias taken care of we'll be able to finish this fighting once and for all."

"But this could be important. Maia might know something about the location of Reiko or something else about Shiny Latias and her army. Important stuff that may assist us on the fight with Shiny Latias." Espeon argued. As much as I wanted to go to Reversal Mountain to prepare ourselves for battle, Maia did tell us to go to Black City. It wasn't far from Undella town, almost half a day's walk.

"So whatever the reason for us to be in Black City will be revealed to us when we arrive hopefully; Shiny Latias herself, something to help us fight her, an underground lab with either Reiko or Latias inside… whatever it is we can't ignore it." Brent trailed his finger on the map just past Undella Town down towards Black City. "Once we have finished up in the city we can call in the others so we can begin with the final battle… huh, final battle for us, eh? You know, I have been thinking about what I wanted to once all of this was over; ever since we saved the world from a armored deity or something from absorbing all life to feed, when we were in the future in that city, I saw a book on a shelf written by… well me."

"So you want to write stories for a living?"

"I have tried at least in the past, I wrote a few small books children would like… uh, just silly stories I just thought out of the blue."

"You should read some to us. We'll be your audience." Espeon smiled. "So c'mon Bent, let's hear your stories!"

"I'm afraid I don't have them with me. I left them back home."He said sounding unsure of himself.

"Well, you could read it to all of us after the fighting is done and over with." She said. "Not just us three, but I'm sure Latias would love to hear them."

"Well how can I say no to that? I'm sure Latias would like to listen to my stories." Brent smiled, looking as though he gained that extra bit of confidence. "Let's hope she likes them… or well you guys like them. If I'm terrible midway or the beginning just let me know so I don't bore or confuse you guys too much."

"You'll do fine Bent, just remember that it is us and not some random crowd off the street. We won't boo you or yell at you, we'll support you and help you out. We'll review your story and see if it needs improvements on certain areas; wording, grammar issues, anything to help you become the best selling writer we know you'll become."

"Thanks… man, now I wish I did bring my stories with me, but thanks." He sighed. All of us were silent for a moment before he spoke to Lisa. "What about you Lisa, I've got my stories after this, what do you have planned?"

"I don't know, I haven't really planned that far ahead yet. I have only been focusing on fighting against Team Annihilation Reborn rather than think of the future."

"Well, I suppose writing my stories and wanting to read to you guys and perhaps soon to the world is what I'm fighting for." Brent gave her a thumbs up. "So let me rephrase that to you Lisa, what are you fighting for?"

"Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"

"I dunno. Maybe we are getting very close to the end or something. And besides, I already told you what I'm gonna do, you guys might as well join in"

Hmm… maybe try something different being a member of The Savior's." Lisa looked down at her jacket collar where her Savior badge was. "I have been with them for some time now, me being an agent, going out there on missions. I have been thinking of doing something else, maybe something along the lines of leadership. Once you reach Rank 01 of The Savior's like me, you can become something of a leader, a new team, a new building."

"Wait, you're a Rank 01?" I asked, surprised yet happy that Lisa was able to reach the highest rank. "How come you didn't say anything?"

"Yeah, became first a month before I travelled to Unova. Sorry, I didn't exactly know when the right time for me to tell you about that was with what we are doing right now."

"Now's a good time." Espeon leaned up in her seat. "We're not fighting another bizarre character or angry bounty hunter; we're resting at this very moment."

"You're right about that. It all happened so suddenly out of nowhere; one minute I was at my desk filing some paperwork then the next I was called into a meeting and was promoted to Rank 01. I asked why since for months I hadn't gone on any missions outside of the city and did nothing but paperwork almost nonstop, they told me that I earned this opportunity through the many years served as a Savior. But I don't know…"

"Ah, that's right, being a Rank 01 means you can do whatever you want now; be your own boss, travel to different regions to do missions here and there as long as a Savior base is there, or start up your own base." Brent said. "Unsure about what you want to do next?"

"Yeah, that." Lisa sighed. "I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to be wandering around aimlessly for the rest of my life, you know.

"Maybe you could try out to be a leader of a Savior base. Or how about maybe help rebuild The Savior's Unova Branch?" I suggested, thinking about the small amount of The Savior members still in hiding. "After the fighting is done, we're going to need someone to help rebuild all the damages that Shiny Latias has done to this region."

"I… don't know. I wouldn't even know how to do it."

"Well you got us to help you out; Devon, Lee, Professor Guard would be more than happy to help you out rebuild this region."

A small smile began to form at her lips, whatever she would chose we would help her as much as we could. I didn't ask because she felt lost or unsure of where to go next, but in the past she has shown so much leadership, devotion to The Savior's and the people she is sworn to protect. "Thanks, I'll think about it. It's on the table for now, but thanks."

"Uh, hey guys?" Espeon said with a cracked voice. "I discovered a while ago that my parents are from Goldenrod City, that they are still there in a breeder farm and… well I'm asking if you would like to come with me so I can finally meet my parents." Espeon asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Of course we'll go with you." I said smiling, placing my paw on her shoulder. "All of us will go there together, right guys?"

"Yeah, you know it!"

"Definitely!"

"I… uh, thanks you guys, you're the best! I figured after the fighting was done we would split up again and go our separate ways. I thought only a small amount would come with me, not all of you after the fighting."

"You kiddin'? I want to meet your parents too, ya know. I gotta tell them how much trouble you were when we first travelled together, and how much ya grown on me!" Brent chuckled. "Because that's what friends are for!"

She smiled again, and for a moment her smile stayed before her expression changed to that of anxiety. "Whatever happens with the fight against Shiny Latias, whatever the outcome for the final battle… it could go either way. Life at times never works out like you wanted it to. They say never plan things out for the future. But you try to adapt and live life as best as you can." Espeon said as the two seemed to be hopeful of their futures. I didn't tell them anything, my turn never came since Gerald and Martha showed up before any of them could look at me or ask about my future.

After the fighting had ended I wanted to live in peace, a quiet life settling down somewhere perhaps in Unova or another region without worrying about risking my life and my friends lives to some new gang terrorizing the region or a dangerous Pokemon. I had always dreamed of living a life, becoming a member of the Savior's, reaching the highest rank and making a difference to the region, a childish dream of becoming a hero, and maybe one day I could settle and start a family somewhere. All I needed for that to happen was to save Latias and Reiko, put a stop of Shiny Latias and Team Annihilation Reborn for good and then retirement from fighting I had hoped. And hopefully with all of us back home alive and well.

To be continued…

Trivia:

This chapter was originally a two part story, one set in the Village Bridge and the other chapter in Route 12 after the same Poekmon that had attacked the Village Bridge returned to exact their revenge on the villagers.

AN: Thanks for reading the story, just an update to tell you about how the story is going, it is going well and I might be finished with this story by next month or two. Again, thanks for reading the story and hope you will continue reading. Until next time…