Hey all. So yes, I am back. This chapter took forever and a day to write, and different parts were written at different times over the past few months. I hope it came out smoothly, but part of me is afraid it didn't. Anyway, this chapter was supposed to focus on May, but instead I've decided to focus it on another major character instead. I want to give most of the main characters some development before Ash returns from his training, which, at the pace this is going so far, should be Chapter 6. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and if you don't... I'll use the good old "I'm a little rusty" excuse.
Q&A...
NitrousWolf
Have you given up on this? It was going amazing
Answer: Never.
HarryKetchum
How many chapters is the training going to be?
Answer: The training won't actually be shown. Ash will return around
AmericanBoy2016
Also Will you be having chapters focused on the rest of Ash's friends after his disappearance? Anyways were is Divinus I'm waiting for it.
Answer: Sort of. This chapter and the next focus on the main characters of this story excluding Ash. And as for Divinus... be sure to read the A/N at the end.
supermario642
Where would I go to vote on the poll good sir?
Answer: On a desktop computer, tablet, or laptop, it is on the top of my profile. You cant vote on cellphones.
Bulbreon chapter 3
Q: Will we see Brock and/or Misty during the entirety or this story?
Answer: Unfortunately, no.
Guest
If this ends up being Advanceshipping, will you have Manaphy enter the picture?
Answer: No... sorry.
Alright... enjoy chapter 4 I guess.
DISCLAIMER: Shit man I don't own pokemon whatever.
IV
It had all happened so fast. Even worse, it seemed like his vision had faded to white right when it happened, only to return right after the damage was done. Sure, he may have been in a police station cell at the moment, but he in no way, shape, or form regretted the actions that landed him in his current predicament. If he had been in the same situation a thousand times he was absolutely sure he'd be arrested every time. But there was one thing he sure as hell wasn't absolutely sure about;
And that was what to do with the flames of blue energy dancing across the palm of his right hand.
He stared at the Aura a little longer before balling his hand into a fist, dismissing it. Just summoning it for 4 seconds was enough to deepen his breaths, a faint fatigue overcoming him.
"This can't be real..." he thought, running a hand through his dark hair. "This just can't be real..."
As he buried his head in his hands, Max Maple's thoughts traveled back to what had happened earlier in the day, particularly the events leading up to his current incarceration...
...
2 hours earlier...
...
It had been over a year since Ash Ketchum, one of Max's true idols, had died. A lot had changed since then, especially for Max. Of course, he mourned and grieved with the rest of Ash's companions. Of course, he went back home after all was said and done. And of course, his life had slowly returned to some sense of normalcy in the past months... except for one major detail.
May.
Deep down, the Maple family knew they should have seen it coming. Unknown to anyone but Max, Caroline, and Norman, the brunette was already suffering issues of her own before Ash's death. On the night before that fateful day, Max had indeed listened in on May's conversation with Ash. He was quite surprised when she didn't give Ash, one of the people she trusted the most, the full story regarding her break from Coordinating, the one she took after getting Top 4 in the Sinnoh Grand Festival. She had told Ash that she wanted to get away from it all for a while, and when she returned to the Coordinating scene, she performed poorly. In Max's opinion, that was a criminally simplified version of the true story. The truth was that a lot more happened after that Sinnoh Grand Festival, and the effects of these happenings left May dependent on a medication prescribed by a psychiatrist.
But it seemed like what happened to Ash rendered the pills useless.
She was gone, for lack of a better term. In Max's opinion, no one seemed more broken than May had after Ash's sudden demise. It shattered her world, but Max, along with their parents, thought she'd eventually pull through like everyone else had. Unfortunately, that was nowhere near close to the case. Following Ash's passing, May's life fell into a downward spiral, one which Max tried his hardest to stop. Alas, his efforts were fruitless. His sister had become a different person, a person that her previous self would have hated. She made bad choices, and had little to no care about the ramifications. She stopped caring about herself both physically and emotionally, becoming a shell of the girl she was before. But most of all, she gave up Coordinating... for good.
Max tried to get May's life back on track for her, but not only was she emotionally destroyed, she was difficult to deal with. She seemed to give off the impression that she didn't want help, insisting that she could handle herself. That clearly wasn't the case, and Max had tried to get that across to her countless times. But she stood firm in her beliefs, defiantly choosing to stray even further down the wrong paths.
Even when their parents had reluctantly given up on their first-born child, Max hadn't lost hope. He held on tight to the belief that one day May would be happy again. But even he began to lose hope on the day that she disappeared. She had literally vanished, taking none of her belongings with her. While their parents forlornly dismissed it as just another one of her irresponsible antics, Max suspected something worse was afoot. His hunch was proven correct when she never returned. The police were called, and search parties were sent, but the brunette was never found.
4 months had passed since then. After a few weeks, Max had lost almost all hope that he'd ever see his sister again. Unless she had found some sort of shelter (which wasn't impossible), there was no way she could have survived for that long on the streets. His brain led him to believe she was dead, but his heart desperately tried to convince him otherwise. Despite the inner conflict that haunted him daily, Max had chosen to get on with his life, resuming his career as a Pokemon Trainer after many months of hiatus.
He was in his hometown of Petalburg on the night of his arrest. He had come home to visit his parents, deciding that some relaxation at home was exactly what he needed before the upcoming Hoenn League Conference, which he had won enough badges to gain entrance into. Max had made it home rather late, between the hours of 2 and 3am. His parents had waited for him, having prepared a large surprise dinner in anticipation of his arrival. Unfortunately, when Max arrived, it dawned on them that they had forgotten to buy any juice. Max dismissed this, claiming it was no big deal and that a glass of tap water would be fine. Unconvinced, Caroline insisted that a nice beverage was needed to fully enjoy the meal. After a few minutes of continuous nagging, Max reluctantly agreed to go get some juice at the 24-hour Petalburg supermarket, just a few blocks away from the Maple household.
His fate was sealed as soon as he entered the building.
The 15-year old trainer walked up and down the aisles, grabbing each drink that his mother had put on the list. It was quite the boring task, and after a few minutes, Max found his attention refocusing on something a little more interesting; a conversation being had in the next aisle. From what Max could hear, it was between 3 teenage boys, and judging by their voices, they were either his own age or a little older. At first they were talking about their girlfriends; a subject that Max couldn't really relate to, since he'd been single for a healthy 15 years. But soon, the subject of the boys' talk changed. They began talking about celebrities that they thought were "hot". And then from there, they discussed celebrities that they'd "bang".
"Alright, I think I've had my fill." thought Max, rolling his eyes.
He wasn't going to pretend like he didn't fantasize about beautiful women; lots of boys his age did. But he viewed those thoughts as things that people should keep to themselves, not things to be spoken about in the middle of a public facility. Right as Max began to push his cart forward, a certain line from one of the boys caught his attention, and he stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he heard it.
"Okay guys, I guess this next one wasn't a celebrity, but she was definitely no commoner. Freaking May Maple, the Coordinator. I'd have tapped that up and down the block."
Max's eyes narrowed.
"I totally agree, bro." answered one of the other guys. "Those d-cup tits of hers? A1. She had an okay ass too. Not astounding, but she had some stuff to work with."
"Yeah, she was a babe alright. A body like that didn't happen on accident. Her mom's gotta be a MILF."
At this point, Max wasn't sure whether he was more disgusted or enraged. His hands gripped the handle of his cart so hard his knuckles turned a pale white, and his eyebrows began to twitch. Nonetheless, he continued his walk down the aisle, deciding to leave before he heard any more. The urge to confront the bastards that dared to objectify his possibly dead sister was definitely present, but he knew how to pick his battles. As much as he hated to admit it, 3 on 1 wasn't a good match-up, especially for someone of his stature.
"They're not worth it anyway..." he thought, though he knew deep down that they totally were.
"Though actually, now that I think of it... I don't think I'd have given her the D during the days before her disappearance. Word is that some guy died and she went nuts. Sounds like damaged goods if you ask me."
"Yeah, I think I do remember hearing that she turned into some crazy alcoholic. Total Lindsay Lohan syndrome, right?"
"Hey now... let's look on the bright side, fellas." answered the third guy sleazily. "Sounds to me like she'd be into some real kinky shit, if you know what I mea-"
*crash*
The third guy never finished his sentence, as a glass bottle was promptly smashed onto the back of his head with an ungodly amount of force. The dark red liquid within cascaded all over the teen's white shirt, creating stains that even the most formidable of washing machines would have trouble removing. The other two boys' gazes shifted to the their friend's attacker, wondering what kind of hooligan had the audacity to attack him. They were surprised to see a 5'8", scrawny, glasses-wearing teenager with a broken wine bottle in hand standing behind their friend. His face was beet red, and his brown eyes were wide open, staring down the teens with unfathomable rage in his eyes.
The victim of Max's attack turned around, eyes wide.
"What the hell is your deal?!" he roared, looking down at his ruined shirt. "This is a fucking Polo shirt! Ralph Lauren! You ruined it! You think these stains'll come out? Not even the most formidable of washing machines coul-"
Max grabbed the taller teen by the shirt, pulling him down to eye level.
"If you ever speak about my family like that again... believe me, it won't just be wine staining that shirt." he threatened. "You have no right to speak about May Maple like that. You didn't know her, and you didn't know what she went through."
"Family, huh? Ah, you must be her brother then." deduced the teen, who was still being held by Max. He then looked Max dead in the eye before continuing. "Heh, your sister was a drunk, dirty, disgusting failure."
"Shut up!" shouted Max, catching the attention of the few workers in the market.
"I'm just calling it like it is." said the teen, not backing down. "There's no excuse for becoming the type of person she did. She was one of the best Coordinators around, and she goes crazy because of some guy? Sounds pretty damn weak if you ask me."
"SHUT UP!" roared Max, rearing his fist back.
The teen smirked. "I dare you to do it. You won't. I bet you won't. You don't have the balls to punch me."
The teen placed his bets in the wrong prediction, because Max most certainly had the balls to punch him. His fist clashed with the teen's nose, and it didn't take a doctor to tell that it was broken. As soon as Max punched the first teen, the other two promptly pounced on him, planning to avenge their fallen friend. Anticipating their actions, Max let go of the first teen, who, as Max had threatened, was now dealing with the stains of both wine and blood on his Polo. But, unfortunately, seeing an attack coming was not the same as being prepared for it. Max quickly found himself being overpowered by the two taller teens. As they clawed and swung at him, he could feel his back come into contact with the shelves of the aisle. Things had quickly taken a turn for the worse.
"Yeah that's right, fuck him up Stuart! No mercy, Reginald!" ordered the first teen, clutching his broken nose.
"You got it, Benjamin!" replied Reginald, kneeing Max in the stomach. "This is what you get when you mess with us, kid!"
"Uh, yeah! You're gonna pay!" added Stuart lamely, elbow dropping Max.
It was around this time that the few workers that occupied the market began to hear all the ruckus. From what they could hear, someone was being beat up, and it didn't sound like it was in a fair fight either. From several different parts of the store, the cashiers and custodians rushed towards the source of the noise, preparing to break up a fight.
But their help wasn't needed.
Beaten and bruised, Max was on the floor, having been completely overpowered. The two teens standing above him continued to taunt and ridicule the young trainer, occasionally adding some kicks and stomps for good measure. With each hit and insult, Max's anger and despair grew. It was bad enough that he couldn't stop his sister's downward spiral, but now here he was, unable to even defend her honor as a human being. The bastards beating down on him were the ones in the wrong, weren't they? Were they not the ones who objectified a girl who's been through it all, speaking of her as nothing more than a "babe"? And then they dared to judge her actions when they didn't know a single thing about her? It just didn't seem fair.
"They should be the ones... on the floor..." thought Max, gritting his teeth. A strange feeling was beginning to brew inside him. It almost felt like an adrenaline rush... but even more powerful, if possible. "Not... me!"
And that's when Max's vision faded to white for a couple seconds. During this time, he could definitely feel his body moving, but they didn't feel like normal movements. He felt fast but slow. He felt powerful but weak. It was like he was in a dream-like state, a strange feeling surging through his body. He felt something make contact with his hand, and shortly after, he felt the same sensation again. It was after the second contact that the whiteness clouding his vision began to die down into a royal blue, and from the blue, his vision faded back to normal.
"Uhhh... wha?" groaned Max, feeling quite light-headed.
He looked around, and was shocked at what he saw. The two teens who had just been stomping him were unconscious on the floor, crimson streams of blood trickling from their broken noses and busted lips. The first teen, Benjamin, was staring at Max with a look of complete horror on his face. That satisfied Max. Max then looked to both his sides, and saw employees staring at him. From the look in their eyes he could tell that they had the wrong ideas. That worried Max. And then Max looked at his own hands, which had been tingling ever since his vision returned. As he looked at them, tiny sparkles of blue energy evaporated away. That confused Max.
"What in the worl-"
"Somebody call the police! Quick!" shouted an employee.
"I'll hold him down!" called another one, rushing towards Max.
But before Max could even open his mouth to explain the situation, he felt his consciousness slip away, his vision fading to yet another color: black.
2 hours later...
...
And that was all Max could clearly remember. As previously stated, he didn't regret his actions at all. He just had little to no idea what to do with himself now. There was no denying it; he had used Aura. But how? As far as he knew, the ability to wield Aura was a rarity. He had already seen Ash use it once during their travels together, so the chance of himself being able to use it as well just seemed too slim to be reality.
"Does this mean I'll have to become a Guardian?" he thought, running a hand through his hair. "No.. Ash didn't become a Guardian. He continued to be a Pokemon Trainer. Besides... wasn't an Aura Guardian the one that killed Ash in the first place? Why would I want to join their ranks? In a way, they're responsible for May's chang-"
Max's thoughts were cut short by the sound of his cell door unlocking. He looked up and saw a guard looking directly at him, an indifferent expression on the man's face.
"You get one phone call." said the guard, gesturing for Max to follow him.
With a sigh, Max stood up and followed the guard out the door, all the way to a small room with a telephone in it. The guard left Max in the room, but not without ordering the teen to make the call a "quick one". Max rolled his eyes at that, and waited for the guard to completely close the door before dialing the number he wanted to call. Of course he was calling his parents. They were the only ones that could get him out of the mess he had gotten himself into.
"Come on... pick up... pick up..." muttered Max, nervously toying with the phone's cord. He knew the approaching conversation would not go well, no matter what he said.
"Hello? Who is this?" asked a feminine voice, answering Max's call.
"H-hey, Mom." answered Max.
Caroline shrieked at the sound of her son's voice. "Max?! Max my dear, why aren't you calling from your cell phone? The caller ID says you're calling from the police station! What's going on?"
"I'm not using my phone because it's been confiscated... and I... got arrested. That's why I'm calling from the police station."
There was a pause.
"ARRESTED?!" cried Caroline, panic already setting in. "Max, what did you do?! Why?! Are you okay?! What happened?! See?! I knew you were too young to go out on your own! Now you've been corrupted-"
"Mom could you just pass the phone to Dad?" asked Max, unfazed by his mother's panicked banter.
"Tell me what happened first! Are you okay?! What did you do?!"
Max proceeded to explain the situation to his mother, describing everything truthfully and in perfect detail. The story came from his mouth with ease, but as he reached the end of it, his words began to slow down, as it was definitely the part his mother definitely needed to hear. Caroline remained silent during the whole story, but halfway through, Max could hear his own voice echoing from the phone, leading him to believe that his mother had put him on speaker, allowing Norman to hear as well.
"And that's what happened..." said Max quietly.
"...We're on our way." answered Norman, who had at some point received the phone from Caroline.
Norman immediately hung up the phone, leaving Max with nothing but the buzzing of a dial tone. The teen gingerly put the phone on the hook and walked out of the room, the same prison guard from earlier waiting right on the outside. Max followed the guard back to his cell, sat down, and did the only thing he could do: wait for his parents. But it was a harder activity than he thought. In all the chaos, he nearly forgot how late it was. It must have been at least 4 in the morning by that point, which provided a good explanation for why his body offered little to no resistance to the rapidly increasing weight of his eyelids.
...
45 minutes later..
...
"Max." sounded a voice. "Max, wake up."
Max's eyes slowly opened, the first thing he saw being the concrete floor of his cell.
"Come on, it's time to go, son." sounded the voice again.
Max groggily looked up, and saw Norman standing by the now opened cell door. Relieved to see his father, Max stood up and pulled his dad into an embrace.
"Hey Dad... I'm sorr-"
"Don't worry about it..." muttered Norman, returning his son's embrace. "I would've done the same thing... really, I would've done worse to those punks... But still, there are other things we need to worry about. We'll finish this conversation in the car."
"Alright..." agreed Max, ending the hug.
From then on, the two Maple men walked in silence. Max followed his father out of the police station, a strange feeling of dread overcoming him as they got closer and closer to their car. Finally, when both father and son were in the car, doors closed, the silence was broken. Norman looked at Max, an odd look in his eye. At first Max couldn't quite read what emotion it was, but soon he was able to deduce that it was a combination of two: worry, and seriousness.
"Max... I'm sure you have lots of questions about why you passed out..." started Norman slowly.
"Yeah, I do. How am I able to-"
"Son, listen to me." said Norman, putting a silencing hand on Max's shoulder. His grip was firm. "You have to forget it ever happened. Do not ever use it again. I know, you must be curious as to how and why it happened, but you have to take my word on this one; you'll be safer if you never - and I mean it, never - use Aura again."
"But... Dad..." stammered Max, shocked by Norman's words. "You can't just tell me not to use it without giving me some kind of explanation... If you don't tell me why I shouldn't... in all honesty, I'm more likely to use it some day. I want to know how I'm able to use it, and why it's so dangerous for me to use... You gotta at least tell me that."
Norman's eyes shifted to the steering wheel, the conflicted look in the making it clear he was heavily weighing his options. It was true, when people, especially teens, are told not to do something without an explanation... they usually disobeyed eventually out of sheer curiosity. But at the same time... there was a reason he didn't want Max to know.
"Ignorance is bliss..." he thought, leaning more towards standing his ground and not explaining anything. But deep down, he knew an explanation was due. Anyone would want one. "But knowledge is power."
"So... are you gonna explain?" asked Max.
Norman sighed before talking. "Alright... I'll explain. You have the ability to control and harness Aura because of me, Max. It runs in the Maple family's blood, because, in simple terms, our family has strong ties to the Aura."
"Really? Wow... So... does that mean you can use it too, Dad?"
Norman closed his eyes. "...No, I can't. At least not anymore."
"Anymore?"
Norman's eyebrow twitched a little, the gym leader seeming to be slightly annoyed with Max's questions. "When I was young, and by 'young' I mean around your age, I could. But due to lack of use over the past few decades, I've forgotten how to use it, and without someone to teach me how again, my ability to use it will probably be locked in my subconscious forever... which is a good thing."
"A good thing?" asked Max curiously. Clearly Norman seemed to have a strong vendetta against using Aura. But why? "But wouldn't it be useful to have Aura? You could communicate better with your pokemon, and it'd be comforting to know you have a power that could help you protect your loved ones... right?"
"We're getting to the part that I'm reluctant to tell you about, Max." said Norman, his tone darkening. He took a deep breath before continuing. "You don't think I thought of all those perks all those years ago? There's a reason I chose to forget my Aura. And it's the same reason I want you to as well: it will put your life, and by extension, the lives of your loved ones, at risk."
If the mood in the car wasn't dark and heavy already, it certainly was at that point. Norman's gaze never wavered from his son's increasingly uncomfortable one, getting across the point that he was 107% serious.
"H-how?" asked Max, eyes wide.
"There's a reason the number of Aura Guardians has declined over for the past several centuries. They're being hunted."
"H-hunted?"
"Hunted. I myself don't know much about them, but there's... a cult. A cult that has made it their mission to kill Aura users. They've been around for hundreds of years now... from what I know, they don't attack weak users, only those who fully understand the ways of the Aura and how to manipulate it. They're effective in what they do... and they show no mercy. Luckily no one in our family has recently been targeted by them... but I know people who have, and I only learned about those people after their bodies were found. This is why I stopped using my Aura, and it's why I, as your father, forbid you from using it. If that cult comes after you... there's no doubt we'll lose you Max. We already lost May... your mother and I can't imagine losing you too..."
Max was silent. Norman sighed.
"See? This is why I didn't want to tell you." continued Norman. "I know this must terrify you... As bad as it sounds though, don't worry. As long as you never use it again... they won't target you. You'll be fine. Just continue going about your business, train your pokemon, and live a normal life. If you do that, everything will be fine, and there'll be no reason to be afraid. Just look at me; I haven't used my Aura in 30+ years, and I've raised a family and have a good job and a nice home. Stay normal, stay safe. Do you understand, Max?"
"..."
"Max?"
"... No, Dad... I really don't." admitted Max, a storm of thoughts rushing into his mind. "So... we're just gonna let this big bad cult kill Aura Guardians? I'm sorry, but that just doesn't make sense to me. If they're hunting Aura Guardians, which are supposed to be good people that protect others, doesn't it mean that they're preparing for something big and don't want Aura Guardians stopping them? This cult... what's their goal?"
"Max," started Norman sternly. "It doesn't matter what their goal is. Just don't use your Aura."
"No, I want to know as much about this as I can, Dad, because I'm just a little confused right now. According to May, an AURA GUARDIAN was the one responsible for Ash's death. Ash had the ability to use Aura. Granted he wasn't skilled, but he knew how to use it nonetheless, and it was said his Aura was similar to Sir Aaron's, who was one of the most powerful Aura Guardians of his time. Do you see why I'm confused? Ash would definitely fill in the criteria to be attacked by this 'cult'. And it seems like, as expected, he was attacked and eliminated... except it was by an Aura Guardian. Wouldn't that mean the cult is composed of Aura Guardians? Why would Aura Guardians kill other Guardians? It'd make no sense at all. And even more interesting... you said the targets of the cult's bodies were found; wasn't Ash's gone without a trace? Something's not adding up, Dad. I think we can figure out whats really going on if we spoke to someone that saw what happened to Ash. I think it's about time we find May. We could really use her help right about now, and im sure that wherever she is, she could use ours."
A look of great sorrow overcame Norman's eyes. "It's no use Max... it's impossible to find your sister at this point... assuming that she's even alive. We've tried everything, and you know that."
"Well... Not everything."
Norman immediately understood what Max meant, and he immediately came up with a response.
"No, Max." he said sharply. He had just explained the danger in using Aura, but clearly it wasn't enough to ward his son away from using it. "No! I won't let you use your Aura to try to track her down! Don't you get it? The more you use it, the more likely you are to be killed!"
"Dad, we need to find her. If Aura runs in our family, then there's a good chance May can control it too. If she's alive, we don't want her killed by this cult you're talking about, do we? And speaking of the cult's killings, clearly there's some major details we don't know, especially surrounding Ash's death. May, Gary, and that Serena girl were the only ones in the room when that Guardian killed Ash. Gary lost consciousness halfway through, and Serena is all the way in Kalos where we have no means of contacting her, as we know little to nothing about her. But May? May was there, and she saw everything. We need a play by play of what happened in the lab that day... because something's leading me to believe that there's a lot more to what happened to Ash than what met the eye. May never told us everything that happened. Only the basics. We need the full, unabridged story if we want to deal with this properly."
"Max, I am you father, and you will listen to me. You're only 15. No matter how independent you are, you still have to listen to me. I forbid you from using your Aura. Your mother and I went through enough pain with your sister, and I refuse to put Caroline and myself through it again when there's a clear way to prevent it. This isn't the time to be heroic and solve mysteries and take down organizations. This isnt Team Rocket you're dealing with. I don't know how many times I have to say it, but this is a matter of life and death. If you continue to insist on learning how to use your Aura, then I'll have no choice but to contact the Hoenn League and withdraw you from the competition, leaving you no choice but to stay home with us. And you know I can do that."
With those last two lines, Max backed down a little. He had worked hard to obtain his gym badges, and he was looking forward to competing in the league conference. It was a dream he'd worked hard to reach, and he knew if his father went through with his threat, his efforts would have been put to waste.
Taking note of Max's short silence, Norman started the car.
"Now, let's get you home. It's pretty late, and your dinner's definitely cold by now."
"..."
"When we get home, just go to bed. I'll talk to your mother and calm her down."
"...Okay."
Norman nodded, shifted the gear into reverse, and backed out of his parking spot, beginning the short (and silent) drive home.
...
30 minutes later...
...
In the darkness of his bedroom, Max lay. He could hear his parents voices echo from the living room, but he didn't pay them much mind. They weren't talking about anything he really wanted to hear anyway. Besides, he was far too lost in thought to focus on anything. Since Norman had threatened to remove him from the league, he found himself caught between his work as a Trainer, and his desire for answers. The struggle between the two available paths was dreadfully close to a stalemate, with each side bringing up valid points. The side in favor of his Trainer career argued that learning how to use his Aura would be foolish, and that he should just listen to Norman. That way he'd be safe, become the Trainer he dreamed of becoming, and, like Norman said, live a normal life.
"Besides, these answers that I want... what if they're not worth the trouble? Maybe the cult Dad was talking about really is composed of Aura Guardians, and Ash's death just happened to be different from the rest... Maybe it's best I mind my own business..."
And that's when the other half spoke up.
"No... No! What am I thinking?! With Aura... the chances of finding May have risen so much... it doesn't feel like an unrealistic dream anymore. If I become strong enough... then my pokemon and I will be able to defend ourselves from anyone that tries to attack us."
It was time for the first half's rebuttal.
"Oh what am I talking about? What if May... isn't alive? Then I'd have created a target on my back for no reason!"
The more the two choices struggled for dominance, the more stressed Max became, until finally, a breaking point was reached. Overloaded with internal conflict, the Aura within began to fluctuate, searching for a release. His eyes gained an azure glow, and for a split second, he could feel the essences of every single person and pokemon in Petalburg. The sudden rush of awareness startled the teen, taking his mind off his mental struggle for the briefest of moments. As soon as his frustration subsided, the blue glow in his eyes vanished, returning them to their natural dark brown color.
"Damn..." murmured Max, sitting up. "I didn't even know you were in here."
A shuffling sound was heard from under Max's bed. The sounds of small paws walking around sounded through the room until suddenly, Max felt something other than himself on the bed. It crawled under the blankets and burrowed its way in until it found comfort on his lap. Max placed a hand on the pokemon's head, softly petting it. It was the only one of May's pokemon left. She had released them all into the wild when she gave up Coordinating, but this one found its way back to their home. Unfortunately, by the time it did, it was too late for the poor thing; May had already disappeared.
"How've you been, Glaceon?" whispered Max.
When he felt the Auras of everyone in Petalburg, he was able to pick up the emotions of those who were in closer proximity. With Glaceon having been dwelling right under his bed the whole time, he got a crystal clear read. The Fresh Snow Pokemon was full of sadness, hurt, and most of all, a yearning to be reunited with May, which the pokemon affectionately referred to as her 'mother'. This saddened Max; the poor thing had braved the wild and made its way all the way back to Petalburg... just to learn that May wasn't there. It was a sad story for anyone to experience, let alone a pokemon.
Though in total darkness save for the faint moonlight entering through his window, Max placed his hands where he could see them if there was actually a decent light source in the room. With a deep breath, he focused all his energy and willpower into his hands, and sure enough, ripples of Aura traveled up and down his palms, casting a blue tint on his room. He could see Glaceon's head poking from under the blanket. One look into the abandoned pokemon's eyes, and Max knew what had to be done. With a slow exhale, he dismissed the Aura, closing his eyes as he did so. When he opened them again, there was a look of resolution in them.
With his decision made, he laid back down and covered himself in his blanket.
"Goodnight, Glaceon."
Elsewhere...
"Petalburg, huh?" answered the masked Commander, still on the rooftops of Vaniville Town. Though his eyes were still on Serena, who was nearing the outskirts of town at this point, his attention was slowly shifting towards the conversation he was having on his phone. "Were you able to pick up what clan they belong to?"
"Our sensors indicate a rather strong connection to the user's emotion, which leads us to believe they're a Maple." answered Dr. Feinberg. "Gender: Male. Age... approximately 15."
"And you said he's a weak user? Not strong enough to be a threat?" asked the Commander.
"Yes. But I suggest we keep on eye on him, so that if he gains power, we can take him out at a moment's notice."
"...Nah, that won't be necessary."
"But sir-"
"Are you questioning me, Feinberg?" asked the Commander, his tone becoming a more serious, threatening one.
"N-no sir." answered Dr. Feinburg quickly, knowing it wasn't in his best interest to say anymore. Only those who wished fates worse than death questioned the Commander. "I was just making a suggestion."
"Yeah, and it better stay a suggestion." snapped the Commander. "Now, I'll be making my way to Petalburg now to take a look at this new user myself. Most of the time I can tell whether they'll be a problem later on by just looking at them. I'll be back at HQ in about an hour or two. I'm hungry, so make sure there's some food in my chambers by the time I return."
"Is there a food you'd like in particular, my lord?"
"Yeah. A 20-piece box of Chicken McNuggets... and a Big Mac, light on the sauce." ordered the Commander, his body beginning to vanish from the feet up.
"Is that all?"
"No..." said the Commander, gripping his phone tightly. "I also want a large Slurpee from 7/11 too. And it better be Blue Raspberry flavored."
"Yes, my lord, Blue Raspberry."
"Do not disappoint me, Feinberg." ordered Commander _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ sternly, ending the call. "Now... on to more pressing matters..."
Before his legs were fully vanished, he reached into one of the larger pockets of his coat, pulling out a blue book. In the moonlight, the letters that formed the book's title shone into view: Aura Guardians: A Complete History. He had already put his own plans into motion by arranging for Serena to find his first copy, and now it was time to further his plans by giving his second one to someone else.
"Looks like this Maple boy's got some studying to do..." said the Commander, a dark chuckle following his words.
He then disappeared into the breezy, moonlit night. Not leaving single trace of his presence, as well has having not been noticed by anyone in Vaniville Town, it was almost as if he was never there to begin with.
2 years later... [2 years til Ash's return]
...
"Alright Pignite, finish this hullabaloo up with a Flamethrower!" shouted a brown-haired girl, her deep, sapphire eyes burning with determination.
Her pokemon nodded in compliance, building up fire in its mouth.
"Leavanny, I know you're quite hurt, but try to dodge!" called a tall, slender man with brown hair and green eyes.
The dual bug and grass type attempted to do what it's Trainer ordered, but it just wasn't possible. The SUPER super effective Flamethrower hit the creature head on, but of course, when the dust and smoke from the blast cleared up, Leavanny was simply unconscious with no more than a few minor burns.
"Phew, thank goodness pokemon miraculously survive attacks that would have a 100% mortality rate for us humans..." said the man, returning his Leavanny to it's ball. "Good job Leavanny, you battled well."
The man was more than used to these types of losses; Trainers walking in with fire-type pokemon and decimating his whole gym was just one of the things he, as a bug-type Gym Leader, had seen a seemingly infinite amount of times before. Nonetheless, it was a fair match, and the brunette that defeated him was deserving of a congratulation, no matter how large her advantage was. After strapping Leavanny's ball to his belt, the brown-haired man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small green and gold trinket shaped like a bug's wing.
"You battled well, uh, errr..." he said, seeming to have trailed off. "My deepest apologies, but I've forgotten your name young lady..."
The brunette, who had already returned her Pignite, was walking towards the man, a smile on her face.
"Rosa." she answered, adjusting her pink and white visor. "Rosa Higgins."
"Ah yes, Rosa. You battled well, Rosa. Congratulations, and for defeating me, I, Burgh, give you the Insect Badge!" said Burgh, handing Rosa her new badge.
But instead of waiting for Burgh to finish giving her the badge, Rosa met him halfway in the form of a quick swipe. An enormous grin stretched across her face, an extremely excited glint shining in her eyes.
"WOOOOHOOOOO! I GOT THE BUG BADGE, BITCHES!" she shouted, holding the badge in the air triumphantly.
Burgh's eye twitched. "First of all, it's the Insect Badge. Second of all, I'd deeply appreciate it if you did not swear in my gy-"
"Put a sock in it, Brieg! I won fair and square!" ordered Rosa, turning around on a heel. "Hell yeah! Three badges down, four to go!"
"My name is Burgh, not Brieg. And you don't have four gyms left, you have fiv-"
"WHATEVER!" laughed Rosa, proudly strutting out of the gym.
Feeling on top of the world, Rosa exited the gym, her visor protecting her from the Sun's dazzling light. Winning battles gave her a rush like no other, and this rush combined with the beautiful weather made her feel nothing less than elated. She immediately looked both ways, searching for someone. But instead of spotting said person, she found herself further admiring the beauty of Castelia City. It really was a modern metropolis, sporting many skyscrapers and other tall buildings. It was definitely a place she would consider living in when she was older. She was always a fan of big cities, and with Castelia being the largest in her home region of Unova, it seemed like a logical candidat-
"How'd it go?" asked a new voice, startling Rosa.
"Wah!" shrieked Rosa, nearly jumping out of her skin.
Next to her was a girl with jet black shoulder-length hair, pale skin, and green eyes. Recognizing this girl, Rosa pouted. "Rachel! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that?!"
"I didn't." replied the girl, Rachel, indifferently. "How did the gym go?"
"It went great! I knocked Brieg's socks off and got my third Unova badge!" gushed Rosa, holding the badge just a few inches from Rachel's face. "See?!"
"T_T... Congratulations." said Rachel, calmly pushing Rosa's hand away from her face.
Rosa's face once again shifted into a pout, the young beauty growing irritated with Rachel's lack of enthusiasm or care. But after nearly 2 years of traveling with her, Rosa knew there was no point in saying anything. They had met over a year prior, in the Hoenn Region. Rosa, now 15, had started her career as a Trainer at 14, and chose Hoenn as her starting region instead of Unova, as she was a huge fan of Hoenn's warmer weather. Near the end of her journey, she had found Rachel quite literally living on the streets. At first Rachel had denied help, but Rosa insisted for a full hour, and by the end, Rachel reluctantly accepted the young trainer's help. From then on, Rachel followed Rosa on her journeys. With Rachel being a solid 5 years older than Rosa, Rachel was able to provide certain experience and knowledge that Rosa didn't have when it came to traveling. It was for that reason that Rosa's parents let her continue to travel with a girl she'd just met.
There were only two problems Rosa had with Rachel. She refused to tell Rosa much about her past, no matter how many times Rosa had asked. And of course, there were also Rachel's emotional problems. Every week or so she seemed to switch between two moods. Either she'd be manic, with her energy rivaling that of Rosa's, or she'd be like how she currently was: deflated and soulless. Both versions had their negative aspects, but Rosa highly preferred manic Rachel; then at least it'd feel like she was traveling with a real person instead of a heartless shell. Luckily, manic Rachel was in control when she first met Rosa's parents through video-chat, giving them the impression of a bubbly young woman that would get along swimmingly with their daughter.
"So, where do we go now?" asked Rachel monotonously.
"Well, the next city is Nimbasa City; I'll be getting my Bolt Badge there." said Rosa, hands on her hips. "I gotta make sure I catch a ground-type so I can absolutely wreck shop when I get there. But, as for today, I think we should spend the night here in Castelia and set off for Nimbasa tomorrow morning. Sound good?"
"Sounds fine to me." agreed Rachel. "But what will we do now? It's only 5:28..."
"I say we walk around a bit... Castelia's supposed to be one of the most beautiful cities in Unova. Let's spend the evening absorbing the beauty. The weather is perfect for it too."
"Absorbing the beauty?" repeated Rachel, skeptically raising an eyebrow. "It's just a bunch of gray buildings."
"Rachel, Rachel, Rachel..." sighed Rosa, grabbing the older girl's hand. "You silly goose, you need to learn to enjoy the beauty around you. Come on, by the end of the night you'll be thanking me for this!"
...
5 hours later...
...
"Thank you so much, Rosa..." said Rachel, glaring daggers at Rosa. "I've always wanted to get lost in one of the largest cities in the world."
They had walked around the city for what felt like an eternity to Rachel. In the beginning hours of their stroll, Rosa had seemed lively and talkative, but as the evening progressed, the teen began to quiet down. At first Rachel wondered why, but soon it became all too obvious: they were seeing the same sites over and over again. Realizing they were lost, Rachel considered saying something, but she decided to wait til Rosa admitted it herself, just for the hell of it. Unfortunately, Rosa was far too proud to ever admit such a thing, leaving Rachel to wait for something that might never happen. However, after their 6th time walking past Rockin' Rodney's Hamburger & Wiener Shack, Rachel decided it was time to speak up.
Rosa immediately turned around to look at Rachel; something she hadn't done in quite a while during their walk. She was smiling, but it was obvious the smile was meant to mask her true emotion: sheer panic.
"Lost? Us? Rachel, you must be joking." she stammered, hands on her hips. "We're just... we're just enveloped in Castelia City's elaborate structure."
Rachel eyed a billboard in the distance. It displayed a family of tourists, with the caption "Envelop yourself in Castelia City's elaborate structure!".
"Rosa, how are we going to get back to the Pokemon Center?" asked Rachel with a sigh. "It's almost 11:00 now. The longer we're out here, the less safe we are."
"Oh what do you mean less safe?" asked Rosa dismissively, walking past Rachel.
"You know exactly what I mean." snapped Rachel, folding her arms. "We're two young girls walking the streets and alleyways of a city at the late hours of the night. And the only pokemon you have on you is Pignite. If you don't want to end up on the back of a goddamn milk carton, I suggest we put our heads together and find our way back to the Pokemon Center as soon as possible."
"Alright well you're the one that's 20 years old." said Rosa, pointing at Rachel accusingly. "I'm just an inexperienced teenager unable to traverse the complex layout of the world, you can't expect me to lead this party of two forever, can ya? Take the helm, adult!"
"I was going to do that regardless." spat Rachel, turning her back to Rosa. "Now watch; this is how adults deal with things."
Rosa folded her arms and pouted, deciding to wait and see what Rachel would do before she said anything. She watched as Rachel walked across the street, seeming to be heading towards two figures sitting on a bench in the distance. As she concentrated her vision, Rosa could make out some details about the figures; both were men, and both wore some sort of uniform. It was a pretty unusual get-up; black double-breasted hooded trench coats, black boots, and black pants. The hoods they wore hid the upper halves of their faces, but from their jaws alone Rosa could tell they were both middle-aged. They both sat motionless, one reading a newspaper and one staring straight ahead. For some reason, they seemed very out of place, almost as if they had been waiting for someone to come by.
In short, they scared the ever-living bejeezus out of Rosa.
"Rachel, what the heck are ya doing?" she called in a half-whisper.
Rachel turned around, silently raising an eyebrow. Clearly she didn't sense the same danger Rosa did, which was slightly ironic considering the conversation that was just had.
"Don't raise your brow like that!" retorted Rosa. "Those guys are sketchier than a goddamn sketchbook!"
Rachel ignored Rosa's words and continued to approach the men.
"Excuse me, do you know where this city's gym is?" asked Rachel calmly.
"Go down Hickory Ave, make a left at Stone Street, stay on there for a while until you make another left at Vineyard Street. The gym'll be on your right." answered the man reading the newspaper, not even looking up at Rachel.
"Thank you." said Rachel, turning around. She made her way back to Rosa, who watched the short interaction with 911 already dialed in on her phone. Rachel rolled her eyes. "See? Nothing to worry about. Now let's go."
Rosa eyed the mysterious men one last time before nodding her head and following Rachel towards Hickory Ave. The girls walked in silence, the only sounds audible being their shoes meeting the asphalt, as well as the sounds of car horns blaring in the distance. She didn't show it, but Rosa was deeply relieved to be on the path back to the safety of the Pokemon Center. It was situations like these that made Her glad she had Rachel around. They'd been in similar situations countless times before; Rosa would land them in some sort of predicament, and when things started to get out of hand, Rachel would emerge from the back seat and take over in one way or another and get them back on track. She truly was a good person to have around, despite her mood swings.
"I just wish I knew more about her..." murmured Rosa, thinking aloud.
By the time she realized she had actually said that out loud, it was too late.
"Knew more about who?" asked Rachel, not turning around.
"Well... you." asked Rosa, deciding against attempting to cover up her mistake. "Every time I ask, you never tell me anything. I know whatever it is, it must be a touchy subject, and I respect that. But at the same time... we've been traveling together for over a year now, and I still barely know you."
"Well... what's there to know anyway?" sighed Rachel, making the left onto Stone Street, like the men had said.
"Anything you're willing to tell." said Rosa eagerly.
"I'm not willing to tell anything because there's nothing worth telling. I was homeless and lived on the streets." answered Rachel simply. "And then you came and helped me, probably saving my life in the process."
"Rachel, I know there's more to it than that."
"There really isn't."
"There's gotta be."
"You'd be surprised."
"Maybe I want to be surprised."
Rachel groaned; Rosa was being more persistent than usual with this.
"Listen Rosa, I-"
Suddenly, Rachel stopped walking, causing Rosa to bump into her from behind.
Rosa frowned. "Why'd you stop... walking..."
They had reached a dead end. In fact, Rachel had been so caught up in her conversation with Rosa that she hadn't even noticed that Stone Street didn't look like much of a street at all. It was just a long, isolated alley, one with no outlet. She turned around and looked at the sign in the distance, the one labeled Stone Street. Just then, a small gust of wind blew. The sign fell over, clearly not as sturdy as an actual street sign. It was pretty obvious at that point that Stone Street didn't exist, at least not the one she was told to go on.
Rachel frowned; they had been tricked.
"Rosa, let out Pignite." she ordered, looking around. Her demeanor had changed nearly instantaneously from her usual uncaring attitude to an alert, battle-ready young woman. "Those guys sent us to a dead end. In times like this, it's best to assume the worst. Stay close to me."
"Go, Pignite!" hollered Rosa, tossing her pokeball into the air.
In a flash of light, Rosa's Unova starter pokemon stood before the two girls, looking around for an opponent. When it saw there was none in sight, it looked at Rosa questioningly.
"Rachel and I are in a bad part of town, and we need you to watch our backs..." explained Rosa. "Can you do that for us?"
Pignite nodded and flexed his arms proudly, promising to protect his owner. Rosa nodded at Pignite, then grabbed Rachel's hand. Usually Rachel didn't like being touched by anyone, but she knew that it was best for her and Rosa to stay as close together as possible. Together, the group of three began to walk towards the exit of the long, poorly lit alley. But before they could make any more than 5 steps, Pignite started to growl. Rachel and Rosa turned around, to see Pignite staring upwards, it's teeth bared threateningly. Both girls slowly looked in the same direction as Pignite, and what they saw sent chills down their spines.
It was the hooded men from earlier. They were standing on the tops of the buildings that formed the alley, one on each side.
"Well, it looks like you were right, Wade." said one of the men, loud enough for the girls below to hear. "Young women are easy to trick."
"Indeed they are, Rex." answered Wade. Rachel recognized his voice; he was the one who gave her the directions. Seeing the irritated look on Rachel's face, Wade smirked. "Whether they're two or twenty, there's no difference."
Both men jumped from their positions, landing in front of the girls. Pignite began to growl louder, taking a threatening step towards the men. However, all the fire-type's threats seemed to do was amuse the men.
"What do you want from us?" seethed Rachel, holding tightly onto Rosa's hand.
"Not important." answered Rex dismissively. "Now, we can do this one of two ways; either you come with us and no one gets hurt, or we make you come with us."
"Neither!" cried Rosa. "Pignite, Flamethrower!"
Pignite immediately released a torrent of fire at the two men, creating a small blast of smoke and dust. Seeing this as an opportunity to escape, Rachel began to run in the opposite direction from the men, pulling Rosa along.
"Pignite, return!" called Rosa, pressing the button on Pignite's ball while she was still close enough.
When she felt the ball click, she placed it in her bag. With Pignite returned, she could focus all her attention on getting out of the alley with Rachel. But unfortunately, things weren't that simple. Just as they neared the exit of the alley, a large creature swooped down from above, blocking them from exiting. It was a pokemon no doubt, but it was one Rosa had never seen in real life, only on TV. She was already terrified of them whenever she saw them on TV, but seeing one in real life was enough to render her immobile.
"Good job, Hydreigon," called a voice, one which the girls recognized. They both turned around, and out of the cloud of dust from Pignite's Flamethrower emerged Wade, with Rex following close behind. Next to them was yet another dragon-type pokemon, a Garchomp. Wade smirked. "Now we have them cornered."
Rachel could feel Rosa's hand tremble in fear. They were surrounded, two grown men and a Garchomp on one side, and a Hydreigon on the other. Any chance of escape they had thought they had was lost. It was at this moment that Rachel couldn't help but blame herself. The entire situation was her fault. She was the older of the two, yet Rosa had been the one in charge of their walk throughout the city. In hindsight, it was foolish to let a 15 year-old navigate her way through an enormous city while she, a fully grown 20 year-old, just followed. Sure she had eventually taken up responsibility, but look where it led them; at the mercy of two shady men and their beastly pokemon. This feeling of helplessness wasn't new to Rachel. She had felt it many times in her past that she kept hidden from Rosa.
"Please," she croaked, painful memories coming to the surface. "Just take me and do whatever you want. Leave Rosa out of it."
Rosa, who was already weeping at this point, looked at Rachel in shock, while Rex and Wade let out hearty laughs, finding Rachel's words to be quite humorous.
"Who ever said you're in the position to strike deals?" asked Rex. "You're both coming with us. If you wont let us take you, then we'll go through with what we said earlier and just take you by force. But don't worry, we won't kill you. You need to be alive for what our superiors want to do with you. Garchomp, knock them out with a weak attack."
Rex's Garchomp grunted in reply, slowly walking towards the girls. Then, the walk transformed into a trot, and the trot into a charge. Both girls held onto eachother and closed their eyes, knowing they were cornered with nowhere to run. With nothing else to do but wait for the monstrous pseudo-legendary to descend on them, both Rachel and Rosa let out screams of pure fear that echoed into the night.
But the attack never came.
Instead, a loud noise startled the girls out of their screams, and when they opened their eyes, the alley looked a lot different than it did 10 seconds earlier. For starters, there was significantly more light than before. This was thanks to the blue flames of energy that seemed to have appeared from nowhere, which seemed to be spreading even further with each passing second. They danced across the walls, stretched across the floor, and most importantly, they seemed to be enveloping Rex's Garchomp, damaging the dragon. Both girls looked at eachother, then at the flames once again. Meanwhile, from the other side of Garchomp, Rex and Wade bore similar looks of shock.
"What the hell-"
"Y'know, flashy entrances usually aren't my thing..." echoed a new voice, gaining the attention of all people present in the alley.
From the rooftops above, yet another hooded figure hopped down, landing in between Garchomp and the girls. Though this newcomer was hooded, he definitely wasn't in league with Rex and Wade, as the rest of his clothes differed greatly from the two men's uniforms. This person wore a simple pair of black jeans, a plain baby blue hoodie, and white sneakers.
"But after two years of waiting for this moment..." he continued, turning to Rosa and Rachel. As he turned to them, he removed his hood, revealing oxford blue hair that was in desperate need of a trimming. "How could I resist waiting til the very last second to make my appearance?"
Rachel's green eyes locked with the dark brown ones of her and Rosa's savior, and for a moment, all the chaos around them disappeared, the two lost in their own world.
"Max...?" uttered Rachel in disbelief.
"It's been a while." answered Max Maple, now 17 years old. His face mouth curved upwards in a small smile, his gaze softening considerably after Rachel said his name. "I almost didn't recognize you what with the black hair and green eyes. Good thing eyesight isn't my only means of identifying people nowadays..."
"Y-you know him?" asked Rosa timidly, grabbing Rachel's rigidly still shoulder. "Is he here to h-help us?!"
"Of course I'm here to help," answered Max, turning his back to the pair.
With the wave of a hand, the flames of Aura that filled the alley converged into a single glowing blue stream, which channeled its way into his palm. When all of it was absorbed, he closed his hand into a fist, and for a second, his entire body glowed with azure light. He eyed Rex and Wade, who seemed to recognize his face after he removed his hood, as well as their Garchomp, who seemed to be recovering from his attack. He then looked over his shoulder and looked past Rachel and Rosa, staring down the snarling Hydreigon behind them.
His eyes flickered from brown to blue, a rather confident smile slithering its way across his face.
"I'm her brother after all."
Yeah I'm not sure whether i liked how this chapter came out, but whatever... Sorry if you didn't like it. I'm just gonna keep things short and sweet here. The next Divinus chapter will come out in about a week. To those who read that story, seeya then.
Adios,
~DarkSlash9
