=Chapter 34, Southern Island=

(Jacob's PoV)

Jacob had never before had to apply medicine to an angry giant, but now here he was trying his hardest to avoid being smacked around by Feral as he tried to apply some medicine that he just concocted with the berries and herbs from around the fake ranger's cottage. Unfortunately Feral was not taking it gently, unlike the rest of her team which had sat silently and endured the stinging sensations, Feral was not a gentle giant. He had so far destroyed four trees, a boulder, and scared every Pokemon for ten miles away from the area.

"Grawwwr!" He roared as his tail smacked another tree and snapped it in half.

"It's okay Feral. It's okay big guy you can take it!" Jessy yelled as her twenty foot long Gyarados roared angrily as the medicine was applied to his injuries. "There, there, it's okay big guy, that's a good Gyarados! You can take a little medicine big guy!"

However Feral continued to rage and smack trees while the rest of their injured Pokemon took shelter in the cottage, away from the angry Gyarados. "ALRIGHT ENOUGH OF THIS!" Jessy yelled, and with surprising strength, grabbed Feral's ear fin and forced him to stop moving instantly. "Now listen here you big baby, here is how it's going to go! First of all you are going to sit still and let us put the medicine on you. Second you are not going to give my friend any problems while we put that medicine on you. Thirdly you are going to stop tearing this forest apart, or so help me you are going to be in big trouble mister. GOT IT?"

Feral nodded nervously, and once more Jacob marveled at how she could control such a powerful Pokemon. With Feral now sitting still, Jacob was able to finish applying the medicine onto the Gyarados' scales. "There, now was that so hard?" Jessy asked Feral as Jacob left his friend to go and check up on his other friend's team.

Inside the cottage Karen had been tending to her team, ignoring the struggle going outside as she feverishly tended to them. Jessy and Karen's team had received brutal bites and stings, similar to what Jacob's had endured, all because they fought Viridian's Pokemon. "How are they?" Jacob asked as he watched her tying a splint onto Ziggles leg.

"They're fine, for the most part." She said as she pet her Linoone, comforting him as he licked the injury he had sustained. "We were lucky that nothing was broken, but luck was all that saved us. His team were powerful Jacob, they beat our Pokemon down in one shot or two, it took everything Jessy's team and mine had to just beat down two of Viridians. Ziggles and Shrew, Flare and Quaren, they didn't stand a chance against his Pokemon. Our best was no match for him, they were so violent yet at the same time so quick and agile. I never thought I'd see the day where a single attack could defeat two Pokemon at the same time."

Sara walked over to Jacob, carrying a small bowl of berries that she and other members of his team had picked for them to use to create medicine. (Jacob…) She whispered worriedly, causing him to guess what was wrong.

"It's Harold isn't it?" He asked his Kirlia, who nodded.

(He still is feeling scared Jacob, none of the others are able to talk to him.) She said sadly. (I don't understand why he won't talk to us about it. I know you asked us to talk to him but he just won't talk.)

Jacob sighed as he told Karen he had to talk to his team for a bit. "Go on Jacob, it's not like we're going anywhere right now or have anywhere to be." She said with a fake smile.

Jacob and Sara walked out of the cottage and to the other side opposite of where Jessy and her Gyarados were, where Coral, Ivan, Roran, Kora and Kenna were all gathered around Harold who was still shaking slightly even after Viridian had long since left. "Hey guys, can me and Harold have some privacy please?" He asked his team.

"Pfft…" Kenna said with a worried nod, before she walked away with the others, all except Coral who nuzzled him gently with a smile, before she too snaked away.

He knew the gesture, it was Coral's way of saying that if he needed them they were close by. Finally alone with Harold and Sara, who stayed nearby to translate for him, he sat down and scratched his starter's head behind his leaf, his favorite spot to be scratched. "Are you alright buddy?" He asked the Gecko Pokemon.

"Gro... vyle… Grovyle." He said. "I don't… know… anymore Jacob."

"Why, what's wrong Harold?" He asked.

"Grovyle… vyle Gro… Grovyle!" He whispered nervously. "I don't feel… safe anymore… I can't explain."

Jacob nodded and tried his best to comfort the starter, his closest friend. "It was the Snag Ball wasn't it?"

Harold didn't look up, only nodded as he curled himself even tighter. "Grovyle… Grovyle vyle Gro!" Which Sara translated to, "It was that… that horrible Snag Ball."

Jacob pulled out the very Snag Ball and stared at it, before putting it away again. "Whatever it is this Snag Ball does must be really bad if it would shake even you Harold." He whispered nervously. "But you don't have to be afraid of it anymore. Once we take this Snag Ball to Mauville we can get Electra to find a way to counter it. That way you and other Pokemon won't have to be afraid of them ever again."

Harold nodded as he gripped Jacob's hand tightly, more tightly then he's ever gripped before, almost as though he were afraid that if he didn't Jacob would vanish. "Grovyle…" He whispered. "I hope so…"

(Latias' PoV)

Latias watched the human Jacob and his Kirlia, Sara, comfort the Grovyle he called Harold, and felt saddened at how the Grovyle was acting. These three Trainers and their Pokemon fought to rescue her and her brother's dad, and they paid the price. Sure her brother got beat up, but he was always aggressive and hot headed like their dad.

That and he always disliked humans.

As she thought about them her dad floated over to her after making sure her brother was alright. "What's wrong dear?" He asked her.

"Isn't there anything we can do to help them dad?" She asked him sadly. "They didn't have to help us, and they risked their Pokemon and their lives to help us save you. Isn't there any way we could repay them?"

Her dad nodded and there was a twinkle in his eye as he spoke. "They did risk their lives, and no doubt their Pokemon will need to rest and recover after this adventure." He said calmly. "If they were to leave here they would have to travel all the way to Lavaridge Town, and if I heard correctly, then to Mauville City. All the while they would have to battle Pokemon, other Trainers, and their Pokemon would never get the rest they deserve for what they did today."

Latias nodded, but wondered what they could do. "Dad, is there any way we can help them?"

Again her dad simply smiled, and that twinkled in his eye never vanished. "Well it would require all of us to agree…" He said. "But there is one place that could help them, and considering what they've done for us I'm certain nobody will be against it."

Latias' eyes widened as she smiled herself. "You mean bring them home with us!" She said. "I'd be happy to show them our home!"

Her dad nodded and then moments later her brother joined them, a little better thanks to their dad's Healing Pulse ability. "I guess we owe them that much dad, if you two want to show them our home, then I'm in agreement." He said. "Besides, if anything this day has shown me, is that I trust these humans more than any other humans. They didn't try capturing us, and they didn't need to help us, they called us their friends and we barely knew them for more than a few hours. If this doesn't hold truth to what you taught us about Trainers dad, nothing ever will."

Their dad smiled even bigger, and that twinkle in his eye only grew in strength now. "So we are in agreement." He said to them both, and they both nodded. "We trust these three Trainers. So we will trust them with the secret that others of our species have entrusted with members of theirs. The secret location, of our home, Southern Island."

(Jacob's PoV)

Jacob had just recalled his team into their respective Pokeballs, though Harold was still shaky he welcomed being recalled into his Pokeball. Karen had her team in their Pokeballs as well, thankfully they didn't need to rush to a Pokemon Center as they had previously imagined. Jessy had her team ready to go as well, and she was more than willing to walk all the way to the nearest town so they could rest up.

"Alright guys, how about we get going?" Karen asked tiredly, sounding like she had just aged fifty years. "I think after the day we've had, and what our teams have done, we should let them take a nice long rest."

"Yea, we still have a little under a year before we need our remaining three badges to qualify for the league." Jessy said in agreement.

"So where do you propose we go for our…" Jacob was saying, but was interrupted by the Eon Pokemon as they all levitated close to them.

He was surprised that all three of the Eon Pokemon were still there, knowing them he figured that once they were saved and healed, they would have returned to Southern Island. Though he was glad they had remained, as he wanted to say goodbye to them. "Hey there Mr. Latios, I'm glad that you're safe, we're also lucky that we made it in time to save you." He said to them.

(Indeed, if you had not arrived when you did, I shudder to imagine what would have happened to me.) The old Latios said with a smile. (Though before we part ways, may I ask what your plans are for the rest of the day?)

This caught Jacob off guard, including Sara who had no idea what the older Eon was saying. "Uh, well we were just planning to make our way to Lavaridge Town to rest and recover our team's strength." He said.

(In that case Jacob and friends, perhaps you would be interested in resting your Pokemon in a more restful and appropriate location.) He said with an even bigger smile. (My son and daughter are in agreement, and from what they said, they trust you three, especially my daughter. So we have made a decision that we do not often make, we have decided, to offer to bring you to our home for rest and relaxation for you and your respective teams!)

"Whoa what are you saying, you'll let us visit Southern Island?" Karen shouted instantly. "Jacob, no if's and's or but's, we are going! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, no human has legitimately visited Southern Island in ages!"

Jessy smiled a bit, but shook her head in amazement. "Well, your friend is quite forceful Jacob." She said. "If she says we go, best do what she says. Who knows maybe it will help our Pokemon better this way."

(Come on Jacob, let's go!) Sara said eagerly, a sparkle in her eyes as she read his mind about the rumors of Southern Island.

He too had heard rumors of the legendary island known only as Southern Island. Not as much as Karen, but he heard it was one of the most beautiful locations in the world, and the fact that humans have never truly established on it, meant that it was entirely untouched. A natural environment that only a select few will ever visit.

Jacob could hardly say no to that indeed. "Alright then, we accept your offer Mr. Latios!" He said.

At this the three Eon Pokemon looked at each other before nodding in unison. (Before we leave though, you must make an everlasting vow to us, one that we have used in recent years to ensure our home remains the sacred place that it is famed among you humans for.) The elder Latios said. (It is not that we do not trust you, but as you've seen today, we cannot let the secret of our home be known to every human. For even though we trust you, there are those that cannot be trusted with our home's location. So with your permission, we will make a psychic vow between you and us.)

"Uh, how does a psychic vow keep us from spilling the beans?" Karen asked.

Latias floated over to Jacob and held his hand with one of her clawed hands. (Think of it as a promise you swear, but psychically.) She said, though she was slightly worried as she said it. (My dad told me that it's how previous members of our species have kept the island safe when they bring humans to our island. What it does is that your mind will not ever actively think of whatever it is you want to keep secret, without verbal permission from one of us.)

The older Latios nodded and floated over to Karen and Lance, taking a hand in each of his. (Indeed, so when you think of the promise, we will put the psychic barrier in place, and from that point forward, nevermore will you ever think of the location or speak of it verbally without permission from one of us. Your Pokemon need not make this promise, with exception to your Riolu and Kirlia, as they will not be able to see where it is until you release them on the island. I am sorry that we must do this, but we ask you to take this vow, otherwise despite our trust we cannot take you to our home!)

The son Latios nodded and took Jessy's hand now and looked her in the eyes. (Indeed, we can't take the risk. You understand though, after today, why we have to do this.)

Jacob and Sara understood, but they were still both slightly hesitant about letting any psychic type. *I don't know about this Sara.* He thought to her. *No offense to all psychics, but the idea of having a mental barrier in my mind to keep me from talking sounds… weird. I see now why my teacher said people and Pokemon hold psychic types in less regard with one another.*

(Jacob, I trust you with my thoughts… just as you trust your thoughts with me.) She said calmly, though for just a split second he felt some other feeling beneath the trust she was displaying. (If you want to go, then I'll be with you every step of the way. I'll make the psychic vow along with you. Besides I want to go to Southern Island with you as well, and if this is the price we must pay, it's a small one. They did say we only can't say it verbally without their permission, that doesn't mean we can't think of it or talk about it in private!)

Jacob nodded in agreement, and after helping Sara onto his shoulder so that Latias could hold her hand as well, said that he would make the psychic vow. After a few seconds of deliberation Jessy, Karen and Lance said they too would make the vow. Then the three Eon Pokemon closed their eyes and each made a psychic connection with their respective humans and Pokemon.

He felt Latias' mind touch his own and Sara's, and he felt a mind vastly different than any of the other minds of psychic Pokemon of his past. His teacher's mind had felt vast and powerful, and contained equal amounts of kindness and ferocity, but he only ever showed the kind and wise side that Jacob knew of. Sara's had and always was familiar, and over a year of knowing her he knew how she felt inside and out. Her mind was almost the same as his, respectful of others, kind to all, and above all curious of the world around her, despite the troubling past that they both shared.

Yet Latias' mind was different, it felt wiser than her age let on, but deeper down there was an innocence that made him feel a sense of trust that surpassed even Sara's constant connection to him. It was as though Latias was deliberately letting Jacob touch parts of her mind that she was very hesitant to let him see. Yet as she showed him those parts of her mind, he felt that it was another symbol of her trust for him. The moment she met him, she only had her trust in him to go on for her actions. Yet one phrase seemed to touch him more deeply, that caused him to trust her as much as she trusted him and Sara.

"They're my friends!"

(Are you ready Jacob?) She asked him, causing him to jump.

The touch had only been for a moment, yet it felt like hours with how deep the connection had been. *Okay… I vow to never reveal the location of Southern Island to any person or Pokemon who does not already know of its location, without permission of one of the Eon Pokemon.*

*I vow to never reveal the location of Southern Island to any person or Pokemon who does not already know of its location, without permission of one of the Eon Pokemon.* Sara thought as well.

As they said that, a strange tingling sensation arose in his mind, centered on that promise, and it felt as though a will beyond his own control tapped into that vow and imposed itself on his mind. As it settled into place in his mind, Latias smiled and thanked him for making the promise. (Now we can go without hesitation!) She said, turning sideways so that he and Sara could climb on her back. (Get comfortable, it's going to be a long trip!)

"Oh man, I can't believe I'm going to visit Southern Island!" Karen said eagerly as she and Lance climbed onto the Elder Latios' back. "I've heard that the night sky from Souther Island is the best in all the world! If only I could take pictures!"

"Oh lovely… more flying at really fast speeds…" Jessy said as she nervously climbed onto the younger Latios' back.

"How far away is Southern Island?" Jacob asked as all three Eon Pokemon started to levitate higher and higher, away from the ground.

(Quite far away, but for now, hang on tight you two!) Latias said happily, looking back at him with one eye. (This is going to be quite the ride!)

"Can I just say that I don't like flyIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING?" Jessy yelled as they all took off at incredible speeds, soaring south of Mt. Chimney.

"HAHA Hahaha haa!" Jacob yelled in excitement, he had never flown before in his life, this was the most amazing thing he had ever done.

(Wahoooo!) Sara eagerly yelled as Latias did a spin for their amusement.

"REMIND ME AGAIN WHY I DIDN'T JOIN YOU SOONER!" Karen yelled from behind them.

The land flew past them below, distances that took Jacob and Karen months to cross were spanned in seconds. Even the rush from Littleroot to the secret lab didn't compare with how fast they were going now. Suicune was a fast Pokemon, but she was limited in her speed, restricted to the land and the sea, and of course sticking to the forest to avoid being spotted by any humans. Latias and her family however, did not have these restrictions, they were free in the sky as they flew higher and higher, not needing to fear being spotted at the incredible speeds they achieved. What took Suicune under an hour to traverse, Latias and her family achieved in barely ten minutes, only because Jessy didn't want to go any faster due to her fear of extreme speeds.

All of his earlier fears about this psychic vow vanished in the wind as the wind rushed past them. How could he have been hesitant about making that promise? This was probably the best feeling in his life, never before had he felt so free! Everything just seemed to vanish, his fears about Viridian, the uncertainty of the future, everything that he was afraid of or nervous about vanished in comparison to the joy he and Sara were feeling as they flew in the air on the back of Latias.

Latias herself seemed to be having fun, as she did spirals and loops to further amuse them. As they flew over the water they turned west, passing over a series of small islands. (Watch this!) She said to them, and started going into a dive.

As they flew closer and closer to the water, Jacob saw the water flying up and past her because of how fast and low they were flying, creating waves behind her. "THIS IS AWESOME!" Jacob yelled in amazement.

(How can we ever repay you for this?) Sara asked as the other two members of her family joined her.

Latias smiled even more as she did yet another flip, getting Jacob and Sara slightly wet from the water being sprayed everywhere. (I'll think of something, but for now enjoy the ride!) She said with a grin. (We're almost to my home, look up ahead!)

Jacob and Sara looked ahead, and saw what appeared to be some kind of shimmer. The shimmer was vast, it seemed to cover a wide expanse of the ocean. Jacob looked back to see that only a faint line on the horizon marked Hoenn's location in the vast sea. They were so far away from their home that it would take hours upon hours to get back normally. They'd only been flying on Latias and her family's backs for barely under half an hour, yet they had covered so much distance!

"How does your species live like this?" Jacob asked Latias in amazement. "You can fly anywhere you want in a matter of minutes, what would take others hours you can do in a fraction of the time! How come your species restricts itself to just Southern Island if you have all of this freedom?"

Again Latias simply smiled at him as they continued to fly toward the shimmer far ahead of them. (I'm glad you think so, but don't worry about that for now.) She said happily. (Just wait until you see our home, it's the most beautiful place ever. I know you'll love it!)

Onward they flew, not wasting any time as the three Eon Pokemon continued to soar through the sky toward their destination.

Then as they finally reached the shimmer that seemed almost invisible to Jacob, it was as though a switch suddenly was flipped in his eyes. One second he didn't see anything in front of them, and the next moment he blinked, and suddenly there was a huge Island directly in front of them.

"Wow…" Jacob said as he and Sara looked in amazement at the island they were flying to.

He could not see much of the island itself from the distance they were at, but it looked amazing just from where they were.

(That's my home Jacob, Southern Island!) Latias said as she began to slow down, prolonging the time they had to approach it. (The place where few humans have ever traveled to, and the one place where you and your friends are more than welcomed to visit whenever you want.)

The others caught up with them and slowed down so that everyone could take in the sight as well. But all good things come to an end, but in this case, it was all the more wonderful because they soon landed on the island itself, and its beauty unfolded before them.

"Whoa…" Jacob said as he and Sara took their first steps on Southern Island, followed by Jessy, Karen and Lance.

"Amazing…" Jessy said.

"Beautiful!" Karen whispered.

They had landed on a section of the island that had a clearing, and on both sides there were two small rivers that let water flow through and into the ocean behind them. In front of them a forest that had little to no grass coverage except for a few small patches every few feet. Above them was a small mountain that dominated the island, but it too was covered in trees. Beams of what remaining sunlight in the day shone through the canopies of the treetops, which had various fruits growing from some of them.

In short, it looked like paradise to Jacob, rivaled only by The Sanctuary where Arky was sitting. Yet this looked far more natural than the Sanctuary appeared, which made it all the more amazing to Jacob.

"Hey what are we doing letting our teams sit in their balls?" Karen said with a grin. "What say we let them out and enjoy the sights?"

"May we?" Jacob asked the three Eon Pokemon.

All three of them nodded in unison. "Alright then, COME ON OUT EVERYBODY!" Karen yelled enthusiastically, taking all of her Pokeballs in both hands and releasing her entire team of four simultaneously.

"You heard her, everyone come on out!" Jacob shouted, taking his team of six and releasing them as well.

"Well, no choice but to hop on the bandwagon, let the team hit the floor!" Jessy said eagerly, as she too released her team of five.

In a series of flashes, four Mightyenas, a Manectric, a Gyarados, a Fearow, a Milotic, a Linoone, a Breloom, a Combusken, a Ponyta, a Beautifly, a Grovyle, and a Swellow all appeared. They looked around to see where they were and looked to their respective Trainer's with questioning looks, except Kenna who happily ran to Jacob's side and started nuzzling him.

"Okay relax girl." Jacob said. "Everyone, welcome to Southern Island!"

"This place is a sacred place to the Eon Pokemon, and we've been given the honor and trust to visit this place." Jessy said to them all. "Almost no humans or Pokemon are allowed here without gaining the trust of one of the Eon Pokemon. They've allowed us to rest here and enjoy some relaxation, so don't forget to thank them all."

As one all of their Pokemon said thank you in their respective tongues, but Harold turned around and looked at the forest line, causing the others to turn as well. A series of shimmers could be seen in the forest line, barely noticeable if Jacob didn't already know what to look for.

"Uh… are we alone?" Jacob asked quietly.

Latias smiled and shook her head and approached them. (Nope, that's just the rest of the herd.) She said. (I guess mom and the others came back early.)

Slowly, one by one, the Eon Pokemon made themselves visible to Jacob and his friends. There were at least a hundred or so Eon Pokemon, Latios' and Latias' in equal numbers. The majority of them were either blue or red, red for Latias and blue for Latios. But there were the occasional odd ones, here and there he saw a yellow Latias, and even one or two green Latios. Most of them looked at the three Trainers, but one particular Latias, with faded pink feathers floated over to them, ignoring the Pokemon and Trainers, and floated over to the older Latios.

"I'm guessing that's your mom?" Jacob asked Latias and Latios as the older Latias tenderly touched the cheek of the older Latios.

(Yep, that's our mom alright.)

(I guess she knew that something happened because we weren't here when they came back.) Latios said. (Normally she'd scold us for even attempting to go beyond the veil without her permission.)

While they explained who the older Latias was, the two elder Eon Pokemon exchanged touches and conversed between themselves. After a few minutes their mother, whom Jacob guessed was the 'Matriarch' in the herd, approached them with tears in her eyes. (My mate has told me what happened to him, and of your bravery in rescuing him.) She said to all three Trainers. (Not only that, but you helped our young and aided them when they asked for it, without any hesitation. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving my mate, he means more to me than you realize, we have been mated to each other for over thirty of your years, and he is the love of my life and soul and the leader of our herd. If he were taken from us, we would have lost our strongest leader and I would have lost part of my heart.)

"It was nothing really…" Jacob said, blushing at the praise he and his friends were getting from. "Any other Trainer would have done the same in our shoes. We were just lucky that we made it in time."

(Maybe so, but it was still you who heard the call, and answered it.) She said, taking Jessy's and Karen's hands and shaking them as well as Jacob's. (As far as I'm concerned you and your Pokemon are MORE than welcomed to stay here on Southern Island, for however long you wish! What is ours, is yours, stay for however long you want to.)

She then turned to the rest of the herd and spoke to them all, in seconds they were all cheering and flying over Jacob and his friends. Welcoming them with shakes and the occasional nuzzles.

"Well since we're welcomed to stay for as long as we want, can we have a look around snce we're finally here?" Karen asked with a grin.

The Matriarch's mate, elder Latios nodded. (You have free reign on our Island, explore it to your heart's content!)

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Karen shouted excitedly, turning to her team and fist pumping the air. "Come on Team Karen, let's go check this place out!"

"You heard her Team Jessy, first to find the pool gets to jump in!" Jessy yelled as Karen's team ran off into the forest, quickly chased after by several Latios' and Latias'.

Jessy's team were less excited to run off as Karen's team were, but they too followed after their Trainer as they were also joined by other Latios' and Latias', including the son Latios that she had ridden on the back of.

Latias joined Jacob and his team and smiled at them. (So, would you like to have a tour of my home?) She asked.

"Sure, we may not get this chance again so let's go explore!" Jacob said with a giggle. "You guys want to join me?"

"Milotic!" Coral said with a nod.

"Pftt!" Kenna neighed, nodding her head eagerly.

"Grovyle!" Harold said with a nod.

"Swellooow!" Roran chirped.

"Beauuu!" Kora giggled.

"Grawwr!" Ivan barked with a grin.

(Every step of the way Jacob!) Sara said to him, and he could feel her excitement through their psychic link.

"Then let's go!" Jacob said, and instantly took off after Latias, followed by his entire team, and with several remaining Eon Pokemon above them.

In one day, Jacob had experienced so many emotions. Earlier that morning he was feeling sad and content, as he mourned the loss of his mother and visited his semi-adopted father and teacher Arky. Then he was afraid and rushed as he and his friends hurried to rescue the Eon Pokemon's father from the clutches of Viridian, even as he threatened the lives of his friend's team. Then he was comforting his starter as he narrowly avoided being 'snagged' away from them. Now they were on an island that had not had welcomed human visitors for years, and all he could think was how this was the best moment in his life.

True he still didn't know what that 'Project Dark Aura' was on the computer, nor how to cancel the Snag Ball from capturing his team, but those could wait for now.

This was a once in a lifetime chance, and he and his team were going to enjoy it for as long as they could.