=Prologue Pt 3=

(A Second Year's worth of Lessons)

-Arceus' Memories-

After the first year of lessons was done, we began our second year of lessons.

Many things happened that would change and test Jacob's personality, and especially how he thought about both humans and Pokemon.

Through it all he never stopped with his lessons.

One factor that I never took into account when I started teaching him was his rival, this Jessy Garnet that he talks about. She seems to have a huge influence on him, one that rivals my own, for she thinks that her knowledge is superior to everyone else's.

Jacob kept his promise about not revealing my true name to her, but the one thing he wished he could do was prove her wrong. Alas it would not happen until both were trainers, until then they could say that they were better than the other, and nothing more.

Other things happened during our second year that truly tested Jacob's willingness to learn about Pokemon. I never covered it in my lessons, but one of those things was how Pokemon gave a human power over others, especially those who did not train Pokemon. This above all would test his self-restraint, something I feared would not happen, for when one tastes power they seldom will surrender it.

Another thing that tested him was the powers that we Pokemon use, for many of us use powerful moves that could destroy entire cities if we unleashed them with our fellow Pokemon. I learned that he had great fear of one particular move, and it would be up to me to teach him not to fear it.

As for myself, I found myself doing something that I did not expect or anticipate. I found myself growing attached to the boy, perhaps because of the time we spent with each other, alone in the Sanctuary. But I found myself becoming more of a parental figure than a mere mentor to the boy, as events happened that tested him caused him to look for a figure to guide him through those trials. More often than not, that figure was me.

If only I could have told his mother… what a fine boy, she had raised.

Despite all the power I had at one point, after using it to create Pokemon, I barely have a tenth of what I once had, still making me the strongest Pokemon around, but a mere shadow of my true self.

I actually now fear the day he asks about why I did not do what I wished I did, because that will be the day he may come to hate me.

=The Rivalry=

(Jacob's PoV)

"So where are you off to Jacob?" A voice asked as he started walking down the path that would take him out of town toward the forest for his lessons.

Jacob turned and saw the face of the snobbish Jessy Garnet, in her flame red dress and dark red pants. She had even started dyeing her hair orange and red to mimic fire. No matter how many times he spoke to her, she always found a way to make them both get into an argument or some fight.

"I'm going to my lessons." Jacob said.

"Let me guess, this Arky that you keep going to for them?" Jessy asked with a smirk. "How come nobody else sees you and this Arky together, and where do you keep going to have these lessons? There aren't many places that you two could hide that I don't know of!"

"None of your business!" Jacob said, still not giving her any clue about where he was really going.

"So how are your lessons coming along?" She asked, her tone becoming more arrogant. "Is he teaching you decently? Cause I know my dad is a better teacher if he won't even let anyone else listen in on your lessons!"

"Arky is a great teacher Jessy, a lot better than your dad ever could be!" Jacob said angrily.

He could take her being a snob and trying to get him to tell about where his lessons were and who Arky was, but she had no right to say his teacher was terrible.

"Yea right, I bet if we ask each other any question about Pokemon I'll come out on top!" She said with a grin. "My dad has been teaching me a lot about Pokemon, we actually leave Littleroot sometimes in the year, so I know what kind of Pokemon are out there! Unlike you who probably haven't even been near Oldale Town, I've been to other regions as my dad took me to tour with him when he went to compete in championships after he retired from being a Gym Leader!"

"Go ahead and ask then, I know I'll get them right!" Jacob said, eager to prove her wrong about Arky.

"Alright let's see, tell me what the most annoying Pokemon in the history of Pokemon is!" She asked with a grin.

"Uh… annoying?" Jacob asked nervously.

None of Arky's lessons ever covered an annoying type, or even an annoying personality. Still he had to give some kind of guess.

"Is it… uh…" He said, trying to figure out an answer.

"Hah, I knew it; this Arky doesn't know a thing about Pokemon!" Jessy said with a giggle. "For your information, the most annoying Pokemon in the history of Pokemon is Zubat! If he can't even tell you that then clearly he has no idea what he's talking about!"

"How is Zubat annoying?" Jacob asked, getting angry at Jessy for calling Arky a bad teacher.

"Obviously since you've never been in a cave before you wouldn't understand." She said with a grin. "My dad told me how many times he went into a cave inhabited by Zubat and how many times his Pokemon had to battle them just to reach the exit. He probably fought off over three hundred Zubats by the end of his trainer career, before he even became Gym Leader! It was like every cave he ever entered was infested by Zubat, they were just everywhere!"

"That's not their fault, Zubat don't have eyes, they can only see by sound!" Jacob said, remembering his lessons about Pokemon that see through sound, Arky said something about them using other means such as echo… echolo… something. "Arky said that Pokemon who don't have eyes need to use other means to see around them, like Zubat, your dad probably seemed like a really big bug to them that they could try and eat!"

"Yea that's what all the scientists claim the reason is, but every trainer knows that Zubat is by far the most annoying Pokemon in existence." Jessy said as she began to walk away, believing that she had won this little shouting match. "Whatever though, go on with your 'lessons', I'm sure when you become a trainer you'll see just how pointless they were! Then you'll know who to 'thank' for all the knowledge you learned."

Jacob really hated Jessy; not as in he really despised her, but hated how she treated Arky without ever once meeting him. If she knew how nice he was, how cool he looked and how smart he was, she wouldn't have dared say a bad word about him. Yet because he asked him to keep his real identity a secret, as well as where they had their lessons, all he could do was ignore Jessy's words as he left Littleroot to go to the forest for his lessons.

Later that day when he and Arceus were taking their break from his lessons, today he was learning about how to spot ripe berries from unripe ones, as well as what times of the day it is best to harvest them. He was learning how to find berry trees and where they tended to grow.

He ate his berries and fruit slowly, still a little bitter about his conversation with Jessy, and doing his best to ignore her words. Apparently however, something about his mood had slipped through and Arceus noticed it.

(Is something wrong Jacob, you seem a bit bitter today?) Arceus asked, looking down at him as they sat together.

"A little Arky." Jacob said. "Arky, is what your teaching me really going to help me when I become a trainer?"

(Why do you ask me that question, of course everything I'm teaching you will help you.) He said with a surprised tone. (What brings this question out all of a sudden?)

"Me and Jessy were fighting again before I came here." He said. "She kept saying how you're a bad teacher because you aren't teaching me what trainers really learn in their travels. Like about Zubat, she said every trainer knows that Zubat is the most annoying Pokemon in existence, and what I told her was just a bunch of pointless facts that doesn't change trainer's views about them."

Arceus nodded as he bent his head closer so that they were on eye level. (Jacob if there is one thing you will learn, it is that every human is different, and each has their own opinion about the world around them. This Jessy you keep talking of has learned much of what she knows, thanks to her father having experienced it himself. However what is different is that he is not sharing the experiences that truly speak of his journey, only she can learn and understand that, and that can only happen when she experiences that on her own. You will be no different than her when your journey begins, and when you do I hope you will share all that you have learned from me with others.)

Jacob nodded as he understood what his teacher was saying. "I just wish she would stop calling you a bad teacher." He said as he finished his lunch. "She always says how her dad is such a better teacher then you, just because I never tell where I'm going for my lessons or what you really are called."

Arceus nodded in understanding as he got up with Jacob to resume his lessons. (Not everyone agrees on what their teachers say, but ignore what she says for now, she is just curious about whom you are learning from and where you are all the time. Just remember to keep this place a secret, and who I really am a secret. When the time comes I'll let myself be known to all who ever questioned you.)

"I will Arky!" Jacob said proudly.

(On that note back to our lesson, now Oran Berries are the quickest to grow each day, needing only half a day, or a full twelve hours to grow. The easiest way to spot Oran Berry trees is the distinctive blue dots you see on the tree at a distance. Depending on how strong the color is for the berries you can tell if they are ripe or not, as before they become berries they have the appearance of flowers. Once the berries appear they will start out looking light blue, a signal that they are ripe for picking. Once they become dark blue that means they are extremely bloated with Oran Juice, you can pick them and use the extra juice to create healthy drinks for you or Pokemon, as the juice is effective on both Humans and Pokemon, but only if you squeeze just the juice out and mix it with a special root after it has been grinded into a special powder, which can be found at the base of any Berry tree. You can tell if an Oran Berry is bloated because it will start to explode juice with just the slightest squeeze. Once you have the two ingredients you can then…)

=The Pokemon Hunter=

(Arceus' PoV)

Arceus ticked down the hours as morning left, giving rise to midday. Normally he didn't pay much mind to the hours of the day, or what time it was, but something odd had been going on for the last few days, especially concerning Jacob. The last few days Jacob had been avoiding his lessons, not as in trying to get out of them, but being as late in the day as he could. Something happened in the last few days had spooked him, or at least made him nervous about showing up for them.

Arceus didn't want to question him about it, after all he had asked for a lot of things from the boy in exchange for these lessons. If he started questioning him about this, it might look like he was being controlling of the boy. He wanted Jacob to trust him, so he decided to let Jacob tell him if something was wrong on his own.

At least that was how he played it before he had reason to worry.

A few days ago, before Jacob started showing up later and later for his lessons, a very windy storm racked the town of Littleroot. It blew a lot of things, bits of wood, tree branches, leaves, and whatever wasn't nailed down by heavy objects inside houses unfortunate enough to have their windows open. One object was a piece of paper with a crayon drawing on it, a drawing of him, Arceus.

He recognized it as him, and knew that Jacob had been the one drawing it, because Jacob had shown him a doodle of it as a 'thank you for teaching me' present. This looked more completed and it was fairly detailed, even if Jacob got some of the proportions wrong.

Something must have happened for Jacob to become so scarce the last few days, to the point that they barely had any time to go over anything in detail before he had to go home. Arceus had avoided talking about the subject before; simply because he had never given him a reason to mistrust him, but now Arceus was growing worried.

Hours passed before finally he heard Jacob's words outside the Sanctuary, calling for him, and he sounded scared. Instantly Arceus jumped out and, without even giving Jacob a second to register what was happening, used his powers to lift Jacob onto his back, and rushed back into the safety of the Sanctuary. Afterwards he placed Jacob on the ground and looked at his face, making sure he was alright.

(What's wrong, you sounded frightened.) He said, checking over him to make sure he wasn't injured.

"I'm fine Arky." He said, though the sudden rush of movement had unsettled him, and it was taking him time to recover. "But I was afraid I might lead someone here."

(Lead someone here?) Arceus asked. (Who's trying to follow you?)

Jacob described the man to him, and just from the description guessed as to who this 'someone' was. Arceus used his powers and sensed the individual walking around outside the Sanctuary, and could tell that he had tried following Jacob, but the Hypnosis spell he had placed around the area was working perfectly, making him ignore the area where the Sanctuary was hidden.

Still, the man following him frightened Jacob, and decided to examine this man with his own eyes. With Jacob back on his back, he poked his head out of the Sanctuary's tall grass and looked out at the man Jacob described.

(That's the man you spoke of, the one following you?) He asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Yea that's him Arky." Jacob said nervously. "He's been asking me about where I keep going for my lessons, and keeps asking who you are. Nothing I say matters to him, he just keeps following and asking about who you are and where he can find you."

Arceus nodded and went back into the Sanctuary to explain who the man was. (You are wise to be wary of him, that man is known as a Pokemon Hunter.) He said as he knelt and let Jacob down.

"Pokemon Hunter?" Jacob asked.

(Yes, Pokemon Hunter, they are trainers that capture Pokemon, but unlike trainers they do not raise them with the same care you or another trainer might.) He said. (A Pokemon Hunter captures Pokemon, and even steals them from their trainers to sell to whatever client paid for their services. They are the lowest of the low when compared to trainers.)

"Wait, why do Pokemon Hunters do that?"

Arceus looked back at Jacob as they headed to sit on the cushions. (Nobody really knows what inspires one to seek such a lifestyle, but I suppose it's the ever present motivation of money, and the inspiration of greed, that goes hand in hand to make one conceive of such a life.) He said before he and Jacob sat together on the cushions. (Pokemon Hunters care not for the Pokemon they hunt, or the trainers they take from, all that matters is the pay they are offered. They may have their own Pokemon, they may even raise them well, but they still perform such evil that truly makes them despised by trainers worldwide. It's up to trainers to protect against them, and help the law to stop them. As long as one roams free, they will always inspire others to pursue a lifestyle just like that of a Hunter.)

Jacob nodded in understanding and asked yet another question that Arceus wasn't excited to answer. "Why do trainers do things like that with their Pokemon?" He asked. "Don't they know its bad Arky, why would they want to be mean like that?"

(I don't know Jacob, but I suppose the simplest answer is that, Pokemon give them a sense of power over others, especially those that do not have their own Pokmon to protect them. It makes them feel powerful and they want to make sure they keep that power at almost any cost. They probably know it's wrong but they don't care, as long as they still have their Pokemon and things continue to go well for them, they will continue to perform such evil deeds.)

After that they decided to resume his lessons, talking about how the different berry juices could help a Pokemon digest it's food better, depending on what berry he added when cooking food that wasn't focused on berries. After a small cooking lesson, which resulted in a burned mess of some black goo that Arceus had to Hyper Beam out of existence, he said that their next few lessons would be teaching him how to cook before they would part for the day.

After Jacob left, Arceus used his powers and sensed that the Pokemon Hunter was still stalking the boy, but didn't follow him back to town, instead he waited out of sight at the very edge of the meadow, watching the area.

Arceus knew that as long as this Hunter remained, he would be a threat to both his plans for the boy's future, and the secret they were keeping.

He would have to remove the threat quickly and efficiently.

=Four hours later=

Arceus watched the moon rise and deemed the time appropriate. He left the Sanctuary and walked out into the meadow, making no attempt to hide himself.

As soon as he reached the middle he saw a bright blue flame racing toward him on his left, while on his right it looked like a whirlwind of blades was flying toward him. (Cosmic Power!) Arceus declared, and his body glowed to increase his defenses, both physical and special.

The attacks connected a moment later and they barely left a scratch as he waited for his real enemy to present himself. (Come out Hunter; do not play these games against me) He declared angrily as he observed a Salamance and Absol out of the corner of his eyes.

A few seconds later a human with a western style hat, a long flowing jacket, and special hiking boots walked into view, wearing a smirk on his face as he eyed Arceus. Behind him a third Pokemon appeared, a Mightyena, bearing its fangs as Arceus eyed its trainer.

"So my hunch was correct, the Arky that runt of a kid was secretly running off to was really a Pokemon!" He said smugly. "And what luck, the Pokemon that I happened to have had a hunch on, happens to be the biggest prize any trainer could find. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would see a legendary Pokemon with my own two eyes, and not just any legendary, Arceus the Creator Pokemon himself."

Arceus watched the Hunter for a second before he spoke again, not bothering to hide his anger. (Zarak the Pokemon Hunter, you are quite known in the underworld of the Pokeblack Market, your 'team' specializes in tracking down and capturing the rarest and most difficult to find and catch Pokemon.) He said, reciting Zarak's profile he made for himself. (Your price is the highest among Pokemon Hunters, just to speak to your client face to face you demand a minimum of five thousand Pokedollars, and that doesn't even include your fee for whatever Pokemon you hunt.)

Zarak gave a mocking bow as Arceus spoke of him, still smiling as he stood back up again. "The Legendary Arceus knows me all too well; I'm honored that you would care to remember such a 'lowly' creature's name like mine." He said sarcastically. "Though you must answer one question for me Arceus, what is a powerful, legendary, and recognized Pokemon like you doing in such a pathetic little area of the world like this Littleroot Town? Wait, let me guess, it has something to do with that little brat I saw running around?"

Arceus remained silent as he contemplated how to deal with Zarak, and his silence answered the hunter's question.

"Are you serious, the great Arceus, creator of all Pokemon, has come to care for a small brat?" He roared in laughter, and even his Pokemon, with exception to the Absol, laughed as well. "Now that's precious, Arceus is caring for a kid, oh what a story this would make if everyone knew!"

(We both know you have no interest in spreading word about my whereabouts Zarak.) Arceus declared, silencing both the laughing Pokemon.

Zarak stopped laughing as he watched Arceus with a smirk. "Got that right Arky, I'm only interested in capturing you. I'm tired of working for some pathetic low time crime bosses who want me after low end rare Pokemon that their goons or they themselves can't catch. Personally it doesn't matter what relationship that kid has with you, but since you're here this makes my lucky day. If I catch you I can sell you on the Pokeblack Market for the highest bidder, I'll make a fortune so fast and so high, I can buy my own private island to retire to and live for the rest of my life in luxury."

Arceus was silent for a while before he channeled his energy into firing a Hyper Beam. (If you can catch me that is!) He declared, firing the beam at the Salamance.

The Salamance was a strong dragon type Pokemon, but even though it had clearly been raised well, it stood no chance against Arceus' Hyper Beam. The first attack knocked it out in one hit, but this attack left Arceus immobile against the Absol's and Mightyena's counter attacks.

"Absol, use Psycho Cut, Mightyena, use Crunch!" Zarak said as he prepared a Timer Ball.

(This hunter came prepared, a Timer Ball…) Arceus said to himself as the two attacks connected with him, unable to attack or move until the Hyper Beam's effects had subsided.

"Absol, Mightyena, again use Psycho Cut and Crunch!" Zarak shouted.

The two Pokemon obeyed their master and Mightyena charged again with his jaws, while Absol's blade glowed before an astral blade was sent at Arceus.

However now he could move again, and he easily dodged both Pokemon's attacks, reappearing right behind them in one leap, and fired off yet another Hyper Beam, but this time he caught both Pokemon in its blast. In one move he defeated the two Pokemon as they lay on the ground fainted.

"Timer Ball GO!" Zarak shouted behind Arceus' back.

Arceus turned just in time to use his powers to stop the ball in midair, crushed it into nothingness, and stared at Zarak as he suddenly looked afraid. (A trainer that seeks to use his Pokemon to capture and steal other Pokemon, for no other reason than money, does not deserve the honor of fighting me.) He declared as he lifted Zarak into the air using his powers. (Now you will suffer Judgment!)

"Help… HELP ME!" Zarak shouted desperately as he squirmed in the air, unable to free himself from his invisible bonds, staring as he watched Arceus' eyes glow a dangerous yellow.

"STOP IT!" A desperate female voice shouted, and causing Arceus to stop momentarily in his attack to watch the Absol shakily rise to her feet. "Please great Arceus, I beg you… don't kill him… please I beg of you!"

She may have been battered and beaten by the Hyper Beam, but he was amazed that she was able to stand, even if barely. Still he was not interested in futile heroics, not when the one she was trying to save was a pathetic excuse for a trainer. (Give me a reason little one.) He said calmly.

"Please… he only does what he must to feed and support us!" She said shakily. "He's raised me since I was an egg, and all my life I've only ever seen the good in him. We may hunt Pokemon but we never steal from trainers! It may be his job but he is a good human! Please don't kill him I'm begging you!"

Arceus listened to the pleas and decided to show some mercy, or at least sentence this Hunter to a lesser judgment. (Very well, I'll spare his life.) He declared, and tossed Zarak over to his Pokemon. (However to make sure none of you ever come here again, and never remember any of this, I shall erase all of your memories of the last few days and rewrite them as I like.)

Before any of them could object, he used his powers and entered all of their minds, and within seconds rewrote their memories to a picture more pleasing for him. He erased the memories of Zarak finding the picture Jacob had drawn blowing in the wind, erased his questions of the townspeople and trainers, erased his memories of tailing the boy, erased the memory of this day, and rewrote them so that it appeared like a completely different story. Once that was done he used his powers and placed them under a Hypnosis spell, so that they would sleep until morning. Finally he used his powers and retrieved the picture of himself that Jacob had drawn from Zarak's jacket pocket, and returned to the Sanctuary.

The next morning Zarak awoke, complained about his team fighting each other and preventing them from getting a room at the town's inns, before he returned them back into their Pokeballs, and taking off in the direction of Oldale Town. He didn't even notice a boy racing toward a section of the woods, vanishing from sight as he disappeared through a section of tall grass.

=Thunder=

-Kaboooooom-

(Now Jacob pay attention to this next move, because weather affects this particular move depending on when you decide to use it.) Arceus said as the thunderstorm rolled in, unleashing a downpour of rain upon Littleroot town.

However despite the fierce storm rolling in, scaring many of the trainers and townspeople into the safety of their warm dry homes, Arceus had asked Jacob to remain in the Sanctuary so that he could teach him about how weather can affect Pokemon and their abilities first hand. Jacob had nervously agreed to remain in the Sanctuary and now was sheltering himself from the rain under a group of trees to keep dry. Arceus was also under it, but only because he needed to view the entire Sanctuary to make sure the move did not hit anywhere else.

"O…o...kay…" Jacob said quietly.

Arceus concentrated on the move, ignoring the thunder in the distance, even when a lightning bolt flashed in the sky. (Now… this move is a move that normally isn't reliable to strike the opponent with absolute accuracy.) He told Jacob as another flash of lightning appeared, followed by yet another boom. (This move strikes wherever the electric type Pokemon wills it, first by directing it into the sky, and then allowing it to strike the ground. This move is extremely fast, almost impossible to avoid. It strikes with the full force and speed of lightning, powered by the electricity an electric Pokemon stores to use it. However its fault is that once it is let go, the Pokemon cannot redirect it if the target starts to move. So it normally must anticipate where to send the attack. However if the conditions are right, you can use the water of a downpour like this to redirect it. This is because water conducts electricity, and it travels through the water to reach its targeted destination.)

"O… k … kay…" Jacob said as another lightning flashed, followed by another boom again.

Arceus waited until his move was finished, then declared in a commanding voice, (THUNDER!) and sent a jolt of lightning into the sky. Moments later it struck back into the ground right in front of him, for a brief moment when it flashed it showed signs of curving and weaving, before finally hitting its destination.

Impressed by the demonstration, he continued with the lesson. (As you can see, my will directed the Thunder to where I wanted it; even if the path was curved and jagged it still hit its mark. When it normally occurs without the aid of a rainstorm, it appears to look like a straight line from the sky to the ground. However thanks to the aid of this storm, I can direct the Thunder to hit anywhere I want it to. Weather has a huge impact on a Pokemon's abilities, especially those that use moves closely resembling to natural occurrences, such as Thunder. However a bright sunny day, thanks to raising the temperature, can help fire type moves and even grass type Pokemon that know Solar Beam. If you know the weather conditions beforehand you can…)

Arceus stopped talking as he noticed Jacob covering his ears with his head buried in his knees, shivering in fear, occasionally whimpering whenever another boom of lightning sounded. (Jacob, is something wrong?) He asked curiously.

"I'm just… not sure… I like lightning…" Jacob said shakily.

*He's afraid of lightning, then that must mean that the Thunder I used must have terrified him.* He thought as another round of lightning flashed and sounded in the distance, causing Jacob to shiver again.

Arceus decided not to continue today's lessons, and decided to leave the lesson for that day; instead he walked around Jacob, and as best he could lay down in front of the boy, shielding him from the rain and lightning. (It's okay Jacob; it's alright to be afraid of lightning.) He said comfortingly as Jacob huddled next to his body. (Everyone has their fears, it's okay to say that you are afraid of something.)

"But you aren't afraid of anything!" Jacob said nervously. "You know all about Pokemon, and you aren't even a little scared! How can I become a good trainer if I'm afraid of lightning?"

(I have my own fears Jacob; remember I said everyone has their fears, including me.) He said comfortingly. (You have nothing to be ashamed of Jacob.)

They remained as such for a few minutes, while the storm still raged on, before Jacob asked another question. "Arky… what are you afraid of?"

Arceus looked into Jacobs eyes and revealed his greatest fear to the boy. (My greatest fear, is that one day, Pokemon will cease to exist as friends and companions in the eyes of Humans.) He said. (But as long as you see them as such Jacob, then I have nothing to fear.)

"Really?" Jacob asked as another lightning sounded, causing him to yelp as it was awfully close.

(Yes, one thing that Pokemon help with their trainers is to share those fears with them, and eventually help them overcome those fears.) He said calmly. (We are all in this world together Jacob, and we each have fears that we share with those we trust. As you and your Pokemon grow, you'll teach each other to overcome those fears.)

Jacob nodded as the storm continued, comforted that Arceus was there and despite the fact that they were two different species, both were no different than each other. They both had fears, they both had hopes, and they both had dreams.

For Arceus however, while he knew when the storm would pass, he was not really interested in how long he would have to wait with Jacob there. All that mattered to him was that he showed Jacob that no matter how frightening the world of Pokemon was, as well as the world of Humans, there would be someone out there who was just like him. Not only that, but he also wanted to show him that he shouldn't be afraid of sharing his fears with those around him.

For now though, he was showing Jacob that despite how afraid of the storm he was, Arceus was there to keep him safe and give him company until he had calmed down.

=Tears=

(Jacob's PoV)

-If only Tears Could Bring You Back: Midnight Sons-

Jacob was silent as he slowly walked from the local orphanage to the Sanctuary for the first time since the incident for his lessons with Arceus. He still couldn't believe it was two weeks since the Snagem raid, it seemed like only a few days, but no it had really been two weeks since that horrible group appeared in Littleroot.

He walked through the town, which was just finishing repairing the damage it had sustained by the intense battles that had taken place in its streets between Team Snagem's members, the trainers staying in Littleroot, and the wild Pokemon that appeared. As he walked he saw Jessy walking with her stuffed Milotic, 'Lady Pretty', and looking at the damage that had all but been erased. They merely passed each other, Jessy knowing not to poke fun of him after what happened two weeks ago.

As he walked he reached a section of the street where, if what happened two weeks ago didn't happen, he'd be walking from to his lessons.

He suppressed his tears, trying his best not to think of what had happened, but no matter how much he wished it didn't happen, he could not erase the memory.

(Flashback)

Three weeks ago, the Hoenn League announced that it would begin its two year challenge for trainers around the Hoenn region to compete in. Trainers were welcomed to challenge the various Gym Leaders stationed in cities across Hoenn for their badges to qualify and compete in the Hoenn League competition. The prize pool was quite large, and the winner would be named the champion of the region. Almost immediately trainers that had been staying in Littleroot began leaving to travel all of Hoenn for the various Gym badges.

Within a week, there were hardly any trainers left, including Jessy's father, who was off to participate in preparing the championship for the trainers.

That day, a week after all the trainers in Littleroot had up and left, Jacob was on his way to the Sanctuary when he saw a huge trail of Bikers flying down the path toward him. In fear he had jumped into the wild grass, still completely exposed, but for some reason they completely ignored him and headed toward Littleroot.

At first he had assumed they were just a bunch of trainers traveling through the region and merely stopping at Littleroot to purchase supplies, like many trainers did. But then something frightened him about the way they appeared to him as they zipped past him. They didn't look anything like the trainers he was familiar with. They all wore vests with a picture of a hand clutching a Pokeball, and they didn't even slow down as they entered the town.

That was then he forgot his lessons and tried to race home to see what was wrong. However by the time he entered town, it was pure and utter chaos. Left and right those Bikers were using their Pokemon to attack the townspeople. They used Pokemon he had not seen before, only heard of thanks to his lessons with Arceus.

The few trainers who were still in Littleroot were fighting these Bikers, but the fighting was spreading throughout the town as buildings were hit in the crossfire. They were also outnumbered at least three to one, so each trainer was fighting three separate battles with their Pokemon, fighting in the honorable fashion of one Pokemon per trainer and battle. However the Bikers weren't interested in honor as they overpowered many trainers Pokemon through sheer numbers and brute force.

As Jacob ran through the town, trying to avoid being hurt in the battles taking place, he watched as trainers Pokemon were snatched right from the battlefield, most managing to break free, but for some they were captured using strange glowing Pokeballs.

That was when he saw the fires starting to appear as some of the Bikers started using fire type Pokemon. In fear he raced home, only to find that he was too late. His home that he had lived for all his life in, where he returned to each day after his lessons started nearly two years ago was in flames. Standing in front of his home was a burly Man wearing only his vest and ragged jeans, was commanding a Typhlosion to use its flamethrower on the houses.

What happened after he saw his home ablaze was mostly a blur, however he did remember brief flashes of it, and through those flashes he learned of how his town had barely been saved from total destruction. When he saw his home and the Pokemon burning it, he had tried to get to his mother, but out of fear he only turned and ran. The Biker had ordered his Pokemon to chase after him, saying something about burning him like he did to the woman in the house. After running for his life, he was saved as a pack of Mightyena roared into the street, charging the Typhlosion without any fear of the fire type. Meanwhile more wild Pokemon had entered the town as well, swarms of Tailow and packs of Mightyena and Poochyena had joined the trainer's side, evening the odds and eventually driving the Bikers away from the town.

Later on the police and fire suppression squad from Oldale arrived and were in pursuit of the Bikers with some of the trainers that had their Pokemon stolen from them during the battle. The town had suffered minor damage to the buildings, with only a few buildings burned down. Most of the townspeople had escaped harm with only a few injuries here and there, however that wasn't true for one woman who lived near the edge of town in the smallest house in town.

"Thirteen cases of cuts and bruises, four cases of high voltage electrocution and five cases of sprained limbs, we also have multiple reports of Pokemon theft by trainers." A female officer with blue hair said over a microphone to her bosses with Jacob nearby as they dug through the remains of his house. "From the reports we've gathered the group that attacked the town can only be Team Snagem, and based on these reports it appears the group attacked the town to steal Pokemon from the thinned down Trainer Population in Littleroot, following the announcement of the Hoenn League challenge. While most of the injuries are treatable and the victims will recover, I'm afraid I must also report one dead by massive fifth degree burns all over her body, I repeat one dead by massive fifth degree burns. She was found in a house at the edge of town by fire suppression squad members. My first impressions of the scene say that she was trying to defend herself against a type three fire type Pokemon using a frying pan or other such cooking tool as we found her with a twisted piece of metal in the shape of a skillet. We've confirmed her identity to be…"

The officer looked over at him with sad eyes as he prayed that the words she next said were not true. "Amanda Beryl, mother of one Jacob Beryl, single mother with low income status. No other relatives live in town and according to our records there aren't any relatives within the next two regions over." She had said.

(Present time)

As he left the town behind, he felt his feet become heavy as he walked toward the Sanctuary, having learned its real name a while back. He turned nine a couple days ago, but that didn't matter now. In the two weeks of trying to find someone to take care of him, it was determined that he would have to live at the Littleroot orphanage until he either became a legal adult, or signed up to become a Pokemon Trainer at the age of eleven. During that time he had attended his mother's funeral where she was buried near a stretch of woods opposite where he had his lessons.

Arky, or Arceus as Jacob knew he was really called, didn't attend the funeral, which only made Jacob worry that something had happened. However he didn't care, all he could feel was absolute misery.

As he thought about his mother, he remembered all the fun times they had, how she always asked him about what he learned each day. They would laugh and play together, or just watch Pokemon League TV, watching recorded battles of championships in local towns across Hoenn.

Remembering those memories hit him very hard, and forced him to remember that he would never, ever, watch another show with his mother again. She was gone, and would never come back.

He was alone… all alone.

It was taking all his strength to suppress the tears, trying to keep as calm as he could so that he could focus on his lessons. But now even his lesson reminded him of his mother, after all, Arceus had to convince his mother to let him go a lot earlier than she imagined she would. Let him go and learn lessons from a Pokemon, all alone and isolated from the world for extended periods of time each and every day, meaning she would see even less of her son then she used to.

Still… he restrained his tears, even as he crossed the tall grass and entered the Sanctuary.

Arceus was there, standing just as tall and proud as Jacob remembered, looking worried as he watched Jacob enter the Sanctuary. (Jacob, are you alright?) He asked. (You haven't come in the last few weeks, what has happened?)

"Arky…" Jacob said, clearly unable to suppress his sadness forever because it was evident in his voice and on his face. "She's… gone… my mother's…"

Arceus nodded and walked over to him, using his powers to pull the cushions closer together so they could lay down on them. (Tell me what has happened Jacob, I wish to know what has caused you so much pain.) He said.

"I don't… want to talk about it…" Jacob said, knowing that if he admitted it verbally, then he would never be able to control his tears.

He wanted to be strong, he had to be strong, and in front of his teacher he had to look strong so he would not hesitate about giving his lessons.

(Jacob, you can't bottle your fears and despair up inside you.) He said, sounding as wise and gentle as he always did. (If you do you will only extend and increase the pain and suffering inside of you, and that will soon spread to others the longer you bottle it. Please tell me what has happened Jacob, I feel your sadness inside me, and it pierces me like an iron dagger wrapped in flames.)

Jacob looked at his teacher; his ten foot tall four legged white-grey Pokemon teacher, with that strange golden thing wrapped around him, and simply broke down in tears. He ran toward Arceus and hugged his neck, knowing that Arceus didn't mind it when he did that, especially now that he was so broken inside.

He cried and he cried, sobbed and wet his teacher's soft cotton like fur with his tears, but Arceus didn't seem to mind as he rubbed Jacob's head with his own. (There, there, it's okay Jacob, go ahead and cry.) He said soothingly. (Go ahead and cry all of your tears away on me, I'll wait until you are ready to share. I'm right here for you.)

So he did cry. He cried his tears until they ran so dry, even a desert couldn't rival it. For nearly an hour he just cried and sobbed, wailing as loudly as he could, letting his sadness free. Finally after his tears had been spent, he told Arceus about the bikers, how they attacked Littleroot, how the trainers tried to save the town but couldn't fight them off because they were outnumbered. He told him how he ran home, trying to find his mother, but was too late to save her, and how she was gone, all because he was a boy who didn't have a Pokemon to protect her and the town with.

"Now she's gone Arky… she's gone and I'll never see her again!" He said sadly as he looked at the ground with Arceus still behind him. "I'm alone now… I'm all alone… I've lost everything. My home, my mother, everything I had is gone."

(You are not alone Jacob, you still have me.) Arceus said, causing him to look into his eyes again. (You have lost your mother, for that I am terribly saddened, both for your loss and mine. She was a caring soul taken far too soon from both you and the world, she should have been there to see you become a trainer in your own right, yet she's gone now. You should have had her watching over you until the day you could stand on your own, yet now you must stand before you are truly ready. Nobody should have to go through this, and yet you must.)

"But what am I supposed to do now!" He said sadly. "What can I do now? Where do I go, who am I supposed to look to for help now?"

Arceus looked up into the sky for a moment before he returned his attention to Jacob again. (You turn to me now; remember your mother asked me to teach you Jacob.) He said calmly. (I promised your mother I would teach you all about Pokemon no matter what would happen. I am still going to keep that promise, more so now to honor her memory. From this day forth you will have my undivided attention in our lessons. So that the day you become a trainer, you will be ready for the challenges that wait ahead of you! I'll even teach you more than just Pokemon, I'll teach you the skills she would have taught you, had she not been robbed of the chance by those criminals who stole her from this world!)

Jacob watched the fierce determination in his words, and knew that his teacher would not abandon him. No matter what would happen, Arceus, his teacher, would always remain there for him. (I know full well I cannot replace your mother, nobody, Human or Pokemon, can ever replace her in your heart. But I can at least try to fill the void that has now appeared in your soul, if you want me to that is. So tell me Jacob Beryl, will you accept what I am offering you?)

Jacob nodded, and unable to hold back the tears swelling up inside him again, just leaned onto his teacher and cried again. This time however, they were tears of joy mixed with his sadness. He may have lost his mother, but at least he still had his Pokemon teacher. He didn't know who his dad was, his mom never spoke of him, but since he had gone his whole life without knowing who his dad was, he didn't care about him.

He had a new dad, even if it was one sided and only figuratively speaking. That dad was Arky, Arceus his Pokemon teacher.

(Arceus' PoV)

Arceus felt Jacob's tears wetting his fur, but didn't mind as he did all he could to comfort the boy as best he could. He had known the town was being attacked, but he had drained his powers to summon every available wild Pokemon he could from the surrounding forest near Littleroot, commanding them to rescue the town. He was left quite weak because of this, so he knew little of what was happening, and even less of his student.

The loss of Mrs. Beryl was a terrible blow to the boy's spirit, but it seemed that the boy had managed to recover, at least partially, thanks to Arceus' presence in his life.

*Mrs. Beryl, I promise you I will not abandon this boy.* He whispered to himself as the boy continued to cry into him. *I will raise this boy as you would have, I may not be his father, nor can I replace you as his mother, but I will do all I can to make sure he is ready for the day he becomes a true trainer. So rest in peace now Amanda Beryl, your task is done for now, leave the rest to me.*

He looked back into the sky, knowing that he had two years left to teach Jacob before he would begin his journey as a trainer. His plans had certainly derailed a bit with this development, but that didn't matter now. As long as he prepared the boy and imparted to him all the lessons he could, teach him how to care for Pokemon and treat them as equals, his plan might still work.

It would be a long two years, but he and Jacob were both determined to make the most of it.