It was such a pretty colour. Not that Riley knew what it meant, though. It could mean that she was a violent psychopath, but that didn't mean it was any less of a pretty colour.

But wait, what if it did mean she was a violent psychopath? She had been very aggressive and rude, and to a Theynin, no less! How was Riley to know? He had never seen a Riolu act in such a way before. It was thing to see a Pikachu or an Infernape behave so, but it went against everything Riley had been raised to believe and value to see another Riolu do so.

Is that what town life did to a Pokémon? Made them violent and unpredictable? Riley hadn't been on his trial all that long, but all he had seen in that time was chaos. There was no sense to any of it. He was glad he had been born to the clan. There was no uncertainty there, just order. Everyone knew where they fit in. And of course there were no insane Riolu who attacked Theynil for no reason.

Riley really hoped she didn't try to climb the mountain as she had said she would. Town Pokémon liked to brag about things they weren't actually doing, didn't they? If not then there would be a crazy Riolu running around the mountain, ready to attack his Theynin who was only helping, and then they would fight and then they would probably have to kill her which Riley really really didn't want to do and-

"Cheynil, focus on your task."

Riley jumped when his rapidly churning thoughts were interrupted. He looked up at his Theynin eyeing him with slight chastisement, then quickly went back to packing gear into his bag. They were set to head up Sky Peak later that morning and Riley was supposed to be double checking his equipment before they left the inn.

It would be a hard climb. Making it to the top would be an accomplishment worthy of his trial, and the greater the tests of strengths the faster he would evolve and the quicker he'd be able to go back home. Then he wouldn't have to worry about possibly psychotic Riolu with pretty auras.

"I am done, Theynin," Riley said, then hesitated before picking up his metal box from the floor. "Can I bring this?"

"That is your decision."

Riley stared down at the plain grey lid. He recognized the tone her voice took. There was a test hidden in this, somewhere. It was her duty as a Theynin to test and train as it was his duty to think and learn.

He set the box back down on the floor and pushed it out of the way up against the wall. It would be there when they got back.

"There will be no free time on the mountain, and it will only take up space."

The Lucario nodded, satisfied with his answer, then picked up her pack. Riley followed suit. It was time to go find their guide and head up Sky Peak.

They left their room and the inn, a different one after last night's incident. It was early and the sun had not yet crested over the horizon, leaving the village gripped by a predawn grey. Riley followed closely behind Eliza as she led the way through the village.

There were a lot of mountains back east. It was said beings of immense power dwelled at their summits. Riley had never seen any Pokémon like that, at least not on the mountains around the clan. Did the Pokémon around here spread the same sort of stories?

It didn't take long to reach the equipment store. They needed no more gear, but their guide would be waiting for them. He was the only one willing to go up Sky Peak in the winter, and they had made arrangements before coming to the village.

The Shaymin guide was old and weathered, and had spent his whole life exploring this mountain. With age comes experience and that would prove to be invaluable. Eliza went up to speak with him where he waited outside the store, not yet opened this early in the morning.

Riley stayed a small distance away, but he heard the Shaymin's voice raise in volume and turn angry. He hadn't been expecting that. The Pokémon of the towns were always proving to be so unpredictable. Riley didn't know how the others, sent out on their trials alone, coped with this. At least he had Eliza, and anchor of stability and familiarity who acted as a buffer between him and the strangeness.

"What happened?" Riley asked when Eliza walked back to him while the Shaymin left in the completely opposite direction.

"I've instructed the guide to wait for the Cheynin Sol to arrive, then help her on her climb."

"But why? Does... does this mean we ourselves are not going?" Riley asked, his voice dropping with disappointment.

"No. The guide was a precaution, not a necessity. The Cheynin will require as much help as she can get. Did you see her?"

Riley nodded, knowing she meant her aura, not her physical form.

"And what did you see?"

"I... I'm not sure. I'm not very good at reading auras yet..." Riley said. While he could control the aura as well as any Lucario, no amount of skill could replace experience and that was the only way to truly understand what the aura was trying to say.

"I admit, hers was... convoluted, but certain elements were clear enough, even for a novice."

Riley thought back, straining to remember the details of the swirling colours. A dark, navy blue had made up the base of her aura. Blue was a hard colour to read. It had many different meanings, from sorrowful to nurturing to calm to intelligence. But the dark, unevenness of the colour hinted at a somewhat negative meaning, but that was nothing more than a guess no doubt biased from their tumultuous meeting. Bright diamonds of a bold red were scattered in the blue. They were much easier to read. Red had several meanings as well, but they centered around the same thing and even a novice like Riley could infer what it meant.

"Emotional, hasty, reckless..."

"And one who means what she says."

But what does the purple mean? Riley wondered. Like ribbons of shimmering silk, bright purple had wound around her aura. It had glowed bright and was just so... pretty.

"She will not back down," Eliza continued. "It was our meeting that led to her decision, and I must take responsibility for my actions, intentional or not."

Riley nodded. He really wished that Riolu would see reason and stay away from Sky Peak, but at least she would have a competent guide. But for now he had to focus on himself and his Theynin so they could get to the top of the mountain in one piece.

...

"Why are we stopping?"

They had been on the trail for no more than a couple of hours. They were still on the lower paths, the ones safe to travel all year round. But for some reason Eliza had set her pack on the ground and sat down on a nearby rock.

"We must wait."

"For what?"

"The Cheynin and her group."

Riley stared at her.

"She would not have accepted an offer to travel together back in the village. This way she cannot refuse and our assistance could very well save her life."

"But... but..." Riley was nearly shaking. "She won't want our help. She's crazy! Violent! She'll get mad, and she might attack us again-"

"Cheynil!" Eliza snapped. "Collect yourself." She leaned forwards to look him in the eye. "There is another reason I want them traveling with us. I believe my presence has impeded your trial and I am failing in my duty as your Theynin."

Riley gaped like a Magikcarp.

"You fear them, all those not of the clan. I have allowed you to keep a distance between you and them, and that was a mistake. Others on their trial have no choice but to interact with and learn more about them, thus learning more about them. You have not."

"But why them?" Riley asked, almost pleadingly.

"Survive the storm and the showers will pose no problem."

Riley rubbed the back of his head and paced back and forth in agitation. Eliza sat peacefully on her rock, eyes closed as she slipped into meditation. Riley tried to follow her example and calm down. He sat crosslegged in the snow and forced himself to take slow, deep breaths, but it wasn't working. That Riolu, what if she attacked them again? Eliza was by far her superior in combat, but up on the treacherous paths she could doom them all.

She scared him. Riley was aware of that, but it didn't make sense. He was confident that if it came to a fight he would best her almost as easily as Eliza would. Riley cupped his hands together and focused his aura. A pool of blue light glowed between his palms.

That other Riolu couldn't do that. She had her own little trick with the yellow light, but nothing could compete with the aura.

...

Riley heard them coming long before he saw them. They had been waiting for hours and now that exploration team was finally here. A knot formed in Riley's stomach as he waited for them to appear.

"And I'm telling you to stop worrying so much."

The Riolu's voice drifted up the path. It sounded different now that it wasn't filled with anger, Riley thought. A good different.

"After everything we've already been through- What the Hell are you doing here?!"

Her voice turned dark and harsh when she turned a corner in the trail and caught sight of Riley and Eliza. She was covered head to toe in grey clothing that left only her odd blue eyes exposed, and she carried a tall, white walking stick. But then her hand twisted around its center and thin metal blades erupted from its ends, and Riley realized it was a weapon.

"Are you here to jump me again? Or are you here to boast about how great you are?"

The red diamonds in her aura spiked, devouring the blue as she was consumed with an irrational anger. The red had no effect on the ribbons of purple which continued to swirl and spin in a captivating dance.

"Sol, calm down!" the Eevee said. "They're climbing the mountain, just like we are."

"No, we're going to do it much more awesomely than they are."

Their Shaymin guide huffed in annoyance and approached Eliza.

"They're just as you said, though perhaps not as callow. I reckon their attitude will get 'em killed long before any want of ability." He looked back at the Riolu, still staring daggers at Eliza. "That one carries more anger than any that young has a right to. I brought her this far, but I cannot say it would be a bright idea to take her any further."

"You think she will not make it?" Eliza asked.

"If she were in a better state of mind I'd say she could with some effort. She's tougher than I first thought. But something has her right steamed and set to take some stupid risks."

"I see..." Eliza mused. Riley fervently hoped she would see what madness this was. They couldn't travel together. It was too dangerous.

Eliza seemed to come to a decision and walked up to Sol. The Riolu tensed as if expecting an attack, but Eliza stood before her calmly.

"Riolu Sol, I would like to extend an invitation on behalf of Riley and I to the exploration team Wanderers. The mountain is dangerous and there is safety in numbers."

Riley's heart sank. But then Sol's eyes narrowed into a fierce glare.

"Go to Hell."

"What?! Sol, no!" the Eevee exclaimed.

"An emotional decision is rarely the correct one," the Cubone said.

"I am not traveling with them."

"Jak agrees. Only a fool would believe circumstance would change so quickly. They seek only to attack us again."

Riley saw Eliza twitch slightly from the Charmander's words. To be accused of deception was a horrible insult, especially to one of the Theynil. Other than that she kept her composure and her words came out calmly.

"Be that as it may, there is only one path forwards at this time and unless you plan on returning to the mountain's base we are going in the same direction."

"Then we'll wait her for a bit and give you a headstart," Sol growled.

"Perhaps we too need a rest."

"Then we'll head out first."

"Perhaps we wish to move as soon as possible."

Sol looked like she wanted to strangle the Lucario. Riley readied the aura in case she did decide to attack, but then she just pushed past them and stomped up the path. Riley felt a brief bit of relief, but dread twisted in his gut. Something bad was going to happen. He didn't know if it was the aura or simply his own feelings that made him think that.

An awkward atmosphere hung around the group. Sol's grey form marched ahead in the lead, quite a distance from the others. Riley was happy to have some space between them, because it seemed like anything could set her off. Riley tried to walk next to his Theynin, but she shot him a meaningful look and took a place beside the Shaymin guide at the rear of the group. Riley glanced around at the other three Pokémon. Eliza wanted him to mix with these explorers, but Riley really didn't know how.

The Charmander Jak, Riley didn't want to go near her. She had attacked his Theynin, and he could see her aura, made up of bold, angry colours. The Cubone Dhiren had a calmer aura, filled with strong, earthy colours. But there was a strangeness about him, and that made Riley uncomfortable and he had enough of that as it was. That left the Eevee named Eevee. His aura was a bright, cheerful yellow speckled with spots of green. Happy, nonthreatening, a good place to start.

Riley took a place beside Eevee on the trial. The two walked in silence for a while, which was fine with Riley, except for the fact that Eevee kept staring at him. It was making Riley very uncomfortable. What was he supposed to do? Was the Eevee waiting for him to do something? Some sort of town custom he didn't know about? Or was it supposed to be a 'beat around the bush' nonverbal cue? Why couldn't town Pokémon just say what they meant? Maybe Eevee hadn't been the right choice.

"Why is Eliza with you?" Eevee suddenly said. "Isn't the trial something you have to do alone?"

Riley hesitated. "It is her duty to ensure I complete my trial successfully and return to the clan."

"But I haven't heard of any other Riolu being sent out with a Lucario."

"It was decided that I must return safely to the clan, and she is to ensure that happens," Riley said uncomfortably. He actually wished Eevee would go back to the silent stare.

"Yes, but why?"

Riley fidgeted. He really didn't want to talk about this.

"I can control the aura."

"So?"

"Only Lucario can control the aura."

"I don't understand. How can you use it then? And why did that make Eliza come with you?"

Riley didn't know how to explain. He was used to everyone knowing. And even then, no one in the clan talked about it, at least to him. There was no need for it, and it would have been considered extremely rude to bring it up simply to sate their curiousity. Riley certainly never brought it up himself. Whenever he would try, he would sound like a child complaining about his responsibilities, or he would come off as bragging and boastful about his ability which was even worse.

Riley rubbed the back of his neck and looked away nervously.

"Is everything ok?"

No, it wasn't. There wasn't anything Riley could say without sounding arrogant or like he was whining. Both were horrible things to be known for in the clan. Accept responsibility, do your duty, all for the clan.

"Yes," Riley said and quickened his pace, putting some space between him and Eevee. He could feel Eliza's disappointed gaze on his back, but he didn't know what to do. Most of his training had been separate from the other Riolu at the clan. He had needed more specialized training because of the aura, but that also left him with no idea how to talk to Pokémon his age. He had spent almost all of his time with older Lucario.

And Riley really didn't see the problem with that. His control of the aura would grow in leaps and bounds until he evolved, at which point it would reach a point high above what any other could hope to reach. And then... then he wasn't sure what would happen. It probably wouldn't involve talking to a lot of strangers, though. There was no such thing in the clan.

Oh, how he wanted to go back there and forget about all of this. Evolution couldn't come fast enough.

...

"So we're going to sleep above a giant carnivore's den? Sounds safe," Sol muttered as she dragged her feet up the snowy path. Fatigue was evident in her every movement and Riley was sure she had made no preparation for this journey. They hadn't even spent one full day in the mountain and she was already exhausted. At least she would be tired to do anything stupid, Riley thought, especially once they got to the tougher parts of the trail.

"The spot is far above the Beartic's den, and there's no way a heavy Pokémon like that would be able to climb up there," Alistair said. "It's actually one of the safer places on this mountain. The other wilders won't go near the place, and it's the middle of winter. Beartic hibernate in the summer when it's too warm for their liking, so its the fall when you have to worry about them prowling for food. They get right lazy and content in the winter."

"This still sounds like a horrible idea."

"We need a place to rest for the night," Eliza said. "We are still on the lower trails. Tomorrow will be much harder and the wild Pokémon much tougher."

"The middle of the mountain is where the wilders live," Alistair agreed. "We'll need to be ready for them."

"They're not that bad. One of them was handing out gifts! It was just an oran berry, but it's the thought that counts."

"Youngin', that was a Delibird. The only thought it had was to blow you into little bits."

"..."

"Theynin," Riley whispered. "She knows nothing! She will get us killed!"

Eliza cast him a side long look. "It is obvious she had never been to a place like this before. One does not abandon the ignorant, they try to inform them."

Riley stared at the ground in front of his feet. To think he had been looking forward to this!

"Here's the path up," Alistair said at a fork in the trail, one going straight and one inclining upwards. "This one wraps around to the cave, this one goes up to a flat spot above it. It gets right narrow in places so be careful."

They moved in single file up the slope, hugging the rock wall and wary of the sudden dropoff right beside them. The exploration team moved sluggishly, much slower than Riley, Eliza and Alistair. It wasn't that they were out of shape. They just weren't used to traveling long distances in places like this.

It wasn't long before the path brought them to a snowy alcove cut into the side of the mountain. It wasn't very big, but it was enough for the night and they began to set up camp. Somehow, though Eliza was surely to blame, Riley ended up in a spot close to Sol. Even after see how hostile the Riolu was, she was still set on having Riley try to talk to her.

Feeling the Theynin's eyes on his back, Riley felt obligated to at least try, especially given his earlier failure with the Eevee.

"Do... do you need any help?" Riley said, not sure what else to say as Sol set up her bedroll.

"Why? Do you think I'm too incompetent for even this?"

"No! I... nevermind."

Another failure. Not that he ever expected it to turn out any differently. Riley sighed. He hoped this trip would be over quickly, even though he knew that wasn't going to be the case. They had barely even started and hadn't even stepped foot in the treacherous areas Sky Peak was infamous for. There was still a ways to go.

...

Something was wrong.

The feeling swept over Riley, making his eyes snap open as he awoke instantly. It was the middle of the night, the moon's light reflecting on the snow to give him just enough light to see by.

Nothing was moving and no sound could be heard, not even that of the wind. The might was still, peaceful, but Riley was hounded by the feeling that something was very, very wrong.

He sat up and looked around. Everyone else was sleeping peacefully. He waited, but when minutes passed and nothing happened he tried to settle back down. The feeling refused to go away though, and when he heard a rustling he nearly jumped out of his skin.

He calmed down considerably when he saw it was just Sol getting up from her bedroll. Something must have woken her up, too. He watched her walk away from the camp, bare feet sinking into the snow, and then he knew something was wrong. Her movements were stiff and jerky, like a puppet on broken strings.

"Sol?" Riley whispered.

It was as if she didn't even hear him. She just kept moving, limbs twitching oddly with each step, getting closer to the edge of the alcove.

Dread gnawed at him. He stood up and followed.

"Sol?" he whispered again, and raised a hand to tap her shoulder. On a whim he tried to sense her aura, then recoiled, stifling a cry.

Sickly green threads wrapped around her aura to bind and infect the other colours. It pulsed darkly, feeding off her. Looking at it filled him with fear and rooted him to the spot.

Sol kept on walking, heedless of him and to the steep drop off she approached. Her foot stepped out over the edge.

It was enough to shake Riley into action. He lunged forwards, too late to pull her back but quick enough to grab her arm.

"Sol!" he screamed, doing his best to hold on. She didn't even seem to notice she was dangling above a fall great enough to kill her.

"Sol, give me your other hand!" Riley yelled.

She looked up at him blankly, but ever so slowly emotion leaked back into her face. She looked down at the drop off below, then back at him, terror gripping her features. She reached up her other hand towards him...

...and slashed her claws across the arm holding her up. Riley pulled back his hand on reflex, then screamed as he realized what he had done. He could do nothing but watch as Sol fell down the side of the mountain.

BHawksFan01: I'll be doing my best to get chapters out, but it does look like they're going to be slowing down at least until the fall.

Mister L: A lot of stuff is going to be happening, some good and a lot bad, I'm afraid.

Unnamed Generic Guest Who I Am Assuming Is The One That's Been Here The Longest: Who knows what's going to happen with Sol and Riley. I certainly don't. But for know Sol's pissed at everything and Riley's terrified of everything so we'll see what happens.

FlameUser64: That's funny, because I almost named her Elisa. Then it was Atia for a while before I decided on Eliza, after my Weavile in X. As for Sol and how she walked, she's stubborn enough to keep doing things the wrong way until it works. I think that's also the definition of insanity which would also explain a lot.

ckrier.3000: the letter will be popping up again, but not until they get back to Treasure Town. Given what just happened, it may take Sol a while to get back.