A/N: Hello my lovely readers. I apologize for yet another short chapter, but I feel like this chapter is a bit more eventful if you look closely. I hope you enjoy!

Day 2

I wake up pretty early and with a start. The sun is barely in the sky. I'm still thinking about Aru's attack and Chari's words. Part of me wants to think that she's lying in defense of her trainer. Part of me is very skeptical of aura guardians and psychics in general. However, despite these disbelieving parts of myself, I know what Chari said was true. After all, I'll assume (other than Aurora, of course) that Chari knows Aru the best. I notice that Ash is still sleeping and have to stifle a sigh of sadness.

I decide to check outside to see if Rio and Chari returned from wherever they had gone. I open the door and walk outside. Much to my surprise, I see a woman with short messy raven-dark hair and grey eyes caressing Chari on the snout. She's wearing a brown poncho decorated with multi-colored diamonds and tattered jeans. She presses her forehead against Chari's and whispers something so silent only the draconian could hear. Chari seemingly relaxes and wipes away a few remaining tears that was in her eyes. Then, the woman looks up and looks me directly in the eyes. They are very hardened, but not that menacing upon first glance.

Her smile is just as soft as her features and her grey eyes gazes at me with curiosity. It's almost as if she wants to speak with me, but I'm unsure of what she wants to do with me. I wonder if she wants me to do something. She winks at me before disappearing into thin air. I blink my eyes to make sure what I just saw was not a hallucination, but I notice that only Chari is still outside with me. I can tell Chari was slightly surprised at the lady's disappearance… until she notices that I came outside. She makes a small smirk and nonchalantly crosses her arms. She sits down by a tree, almost anticipating something about to happen.

"You're... an interesting one to be sure." I suddenly hear a voice behind me. I snap my head in the direction I heard the voice, which is to my south, but much to my dismay, I find nothing. I scratch my head in confusion. It was definitely a female voice. It sounded soft, but sharp. There was a bit of a matter-of-factly tone I could detect.

"Your senses are dull. It's a shame because I can sense potential in you. Imagine if I was actually hostile. I'd be all over you…. like right now, but worse." The same voice echoes, but this time it sounds like it is above me. I snap my head upward immediately, but quickly grew frustrated trying to follow an abstract voice around.

"Who are you?" I manage to ask. I begin to hear chuckling from all around myself. I can't tell where it's coming from. It's like the laugh is everywhere, but nowhere at once. Chari looks genuinely amused at my confusion.

"…If my friend likes you enough, she should have mentioned me by now. Think about it." She responds bluntly. I could hear the memories laced in her words. She sounds slightly in distress, but it's hard to tell. I feel a small squeeze on my shoulder as she says that. When I turn my head to catch her, I once again see nothing. I wait for her to say something else, to give me some sort of clue on who she is. This time, I don't hear her voice again.

In the distance, I notice a dark dragon flying off towards the south with the same black haired lady I saw before. She looks like she is at least a city away. I marvel at the display I just witnessed. I realize how fast she must have moved, though I do wonder how she escaped my sight. Judging by the speed, she seems to be an aura guardian because the only person I've seen move that fast was Aurora. I think about someone Aurora may have mentioned in the past.

I have some idea who she is.

During the day, nothing really important happened. Ash and Aurora are still sleeping, though they look significantly better than they were when they first entered Clemont's and Bonnie's house. Still, Aurora looks the worse for wear. She shivers slightly every time someone comes near her and she mumbles incoherently in her sleep. I do wonder what she's dreaming about if it causes her to be like this. Meyer has tried a couple of times to move Aurora to a proper bed today, but each time Meyer is near, Aurora's body gets to the point where Meyer can't even touch her without getting burned. If anyone else comes near her that she knows, her body will stay the same, but she would just continue shivering. Eventually, he gives up trying to move her.

Clemont checks up on the gym during the day and tunes up Clembot, so I don't see him that much. Bonnie seems to always be deep in thought. She doesn't want any to go near anyone, not even Clemont. Every time someone comes near, she would just push them away. I want to tell her the things that Chari told me, but I know she needs some space.

Later at night, I'm once again sitting at the edge of Ash's bed. I look back at him. He still sometimes grimaces in his sleep and I wonder what he's dreaming about. I hear him murmur in his sleep. He sometimes softly speaks my name, other times, he says something I can barely make out. It sounds like a mix of 'mewl' and 'new.'

Once again, I feel a weird presence in the room when I wait long enough. It feels exactly like what I felt yesterday, except it feels much closer to me. I feel like I'm being watched closely and I hate it. I sit on the side of Ash's bed and clutch the sheets. My hands begin to glow a light pink and I try to hide my anxiety. Pikachu jumps on my shoulder with slight sparks in his cheeks. He feels a bit heavy, but I quickly adjust to his weight.

"W-who are you?" I ask in a shaky voice. "Show yourself… I know you don't mean us any harm."

"I like how you said, 'us', human. It shows your dedication to the young master."A voice drones. It has a bit of an echo to it, so I know it is telepathy. I also know who the owner of the voice is. Pikachu immediate relaxes on my shoulder and smiles.

"Rio?" I say with a bit of a stutter. The jackal reveals that he had been sitting beside me the entire time. I gasp in surprise. He gives me an icy glare.

"Hello, human." Rio greets me formally. I quickly get annoyed with him calling me 'human'.

"Can you call me Serena?" I try to ask politely, but Rio snorts. He gets up and stares at me. He seems disgusted I would even ask that.

"Earn it like Aurora did." Rio growled.

"Why did she have to earn being called by her actual name?" I ask. Rio glances at me, almost ruefully.

"Riolu and Lucario were created by Mew with the purpose of aiding guardians with their development and maintaining the balance of aura. I was one of the few reluctant to follow that duty because I felt trapped by that purpose. I resented all guardians as a result. So, I decided to take out my frustrations on whoever my trainer would be. That person was Aurora." Rio remembers with a small frown. A pause. Then, a shake of the head. "I was so stupid and selfish. She showed me so much love, it was nearly blinding. I regret hating her without giving her a chance."

"Will you give me a chance?" I question in a small voice. Rio makes a snort that sounded like a broken laugh.

"Depends on how good you are to the young master. Ash has always been a good kid, but not necessarily the most perceptive judge of character. I'll assume that Ash is still like that." Rio looks into my eyes and they seemingly dare me to respond. Or else.

"Yeah… he is." I answer quietly. I immediately think of the times where Team Rocket tricked us to kidnap Pikachu and shake my head. Pikachu seems to be having the same thoughts. Pikachu snorts a little and nods his head easily. Rio is aware of how precise his assumption is and makes a tired sigh.

"You can kind of see why I'm weary of you, psychic guardian. I don't know you enough to know where your heart lies." Rio regards me candidly. He continues to regard me with a bit of hesitance, but I can feel him beginning to open up more. I decide to see if I can break even more of his barrier.

"Oh you call Ash by his name, but not me? You haven't seen Ash in years." I say with a slight pout. I don't care if I sound stupid… especially when Rio rolls his eyes.

"That's because he is the Mistress's… er… relative." Rio quickly catches himself and shakes his head, but I heard enough. Before I ask him what Aurora is to Ash, he anticipates my question. Then, he disappears into thin air. I blink my eyes in surprise. Ash's body begins to glow blue again and he has a smile on his face. I'm thankful that he seems to be looking better. Then, I feel the Lucario's presence diminish completely.

Pikachu decides to stay by his trainer and falls asleep on top of his head. Feeling unsatisfied, I decide to go to the living room. I notice Aurora's body with the same blue glow as Ash just as I enter the room. The glowing subsides. However, her body continues to shiver afterward and her breaths grow softer. I can hear a distress gasp, then, I notice water dripping the floor. I observe Aurora's body continuously glowing blue, then stopping. The same result happens. A shiver, then a slower breath. I hear a hushed breath, but it's clear it is distraught. I begin to feel guilty just standing there and decide to do something.

I walk toward the couch Aurora is laying on. Just like Ash, she seems to be muttering 'mewl' or 'new'. She's also muttering what seems to be 'sun'. It's hard to tell what she's saying because she's speaking so hoarsely. I also notice how the couch is drenched with sweat and how she seems to be visibly panting. I wonder what she's dreaming about. Must be a wild dream or a vivid nightmare.

I get on my knees and watch Aurora a little more closely. She's still shivering… even more now that I've gotten closer. With a shaky hand, I reach out and touch her forehead. It is a bit warm, but she doesn't seem to have a fever. My hands move south to her chest. Although I don't know what exactly I'm doing, I do know that I want to help. I can feel my power responding to my wish. With newfound knowledge, I close my eyes.

My hands begin to glow a bright pink. Aurora's body glows the same color as my hands. I pour as much of my strength as possible. I feel something over my hands… it feels like a furry paw. My suspicions are confirmed when Rio once again appears out of nowhere with his paw on top of mine. His paws are glowing blue. Our combined energies look like it gives Aurora comfort and her trembling begins to end. Aurora's shivering simmers down before coming to a complete stop.

Rio and I move our hands away from Aurora and see if she would begin shivering again. For several minutes, her breath is normal and her quivering is gone. Rio and I both think we did it… until her breath grows slow and the trembling begins again. I look at her, sad, and turn my attention to Rio. Rio closes his eyes and turns away from me. I can see the carpet underneath him dampening with every drop that comes from his concealed eyes.

I feel the urge to comfort him. I do. I reach for him and place a hand on his shoulder.

Rio opens his red eyes with surprise. He looks at my hand with slight awe and a hint of disgust. I try to make a reassuring smile. Rio's eyes alternate between my hand and my face. He looks into my eyes and seems pensive. His eyes scrutinize my every movement, but I don't care. I just want him to know that I want to help.

It seems my eyes gave Rio what he was looking for. Then, he swats my hand away, but pats me on the back. I'm surprised by the gesture, but is happy for it nonetheless.

"Thank you for trying. We were so close…" Rio says wistfully.

"Close to what?" I ask. Rio glances at me and deliberates to himself. After a few moments, it seems he reached some sort of decision. His eyes instantly grow more soft.

"Making Aurora regenerate her aura independently again. She's been losing bits of aura ever since she's been in her sleep. I'm not sure how to stop it, so I've staying up most of the night to help keep her aura stable. It… hasn't been easy." Rio looks down. He sits right underneath his trainer with a sigh. He looks away from me. "I'm not sure what to do. I'm trying everything I've been taught, but nothing is working…"

"Hey… I'll keep helping you." The words spill out faster than I can blink, but I mean it. Rio can see on my face that I mean it, even in the low light. I make a small smile. I can hear his surprised breath and I decide to sit right beside him. Rio continues to look down and away from me. From the low light, it hard to tell, but… is he smiling?

"My thanks…, human." Rio hesitates before continuing. "I suggest you get some rest. A novice should never use too much of their aura."

"But..." I begin to protest, but Rio shakes his head.

"Sleep, please. There's something I need to do during the day. All of my compatriots, really. Can you keep Aurora safe while we do it?" Rio looks up at me and I only now notice how bloodshot his eyes are. It breaks my heart to see him like this, despite only fairly recently meeting him. Maybe it's his love for his trainer that's making me feel this pang of grief for him. Still, I am a little curious about what he said.

"I'll try to keep her safe. By the way, what will you need to do tomorrow?" I inquire curiously. Rio chuckles.

"Learning some safety measures… but we need a bit of help performing them. If you stay up late tomorrow, you'll find out more later in the night." Rio explained. Rio gets up and takes Aurora's bag with him. He gives me an appreciating look before heading outside. I follow the fighting type to the door. I watch him release all of Aurora's Pokémon. They all converse a little bit before everyone returns in their balls except for Chari. Chari flies off with her trainer's bag in hand. I can't help but wonder where she's gone, but I decide it isn't too important.

Seeing this, I decide I should go to bed myself.

A/N: Next chapter will be much larger than this one, so that's a good thing. Also, who is the mysterious lady? If you've been paying attention, the answer should be obvious, but you'll find out in two weeks.

One small note: I'm beginning to write a Mario fanfic involving Luigi and Rosalina (since I don't see enough quality fics of the pair on the website even though I adore the LuigixDaisy pair). Should I release that as I'm writing/submitting chapters of the sequel of this book? This series would still be my primary focus, but it's easier to write the Mario fic because the chapters are often this length. Please, tell me what you think~

Happy Reading!

Next Chapter: A Hybrid's Perspective: Chi-Chi