A/N: Hiya and hey-oh everyone! Welcome to the latest chapter of Ash's Realization. I daresay this chapter is the most important of Serena's perspective chapters thus far, but what do I know? I'm just a measly writer.
Small, but very important note: This is the last chapter I've written in advance. I might take a hiatus to begin writing a surplus of chapters and also because school is starting to become more intense. However, with Spring Break approaching in early April, I may have more time to write so I may not start that hiatus until after two weeks from now. I am almost done with the fifth of Serena's chapters. We'll see what happens. I'll keep you guys posted.
Please don't forget to review (or just leave your thoughts)! It always motivates me to write more and its hard to keep motivation with my increasingly difficult course workload.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. That privilege is Game Freak's and Game Freak's alone. However, I do own the story and its concepts.
Day 4
It's clear that Ash being asleep for four days is lowering everyone's morale. He is such a bright light of passion in everyone's eyes and to see that light cut so suddenly is…. I can't even find the right words to describe how depressing it is. Without him, I feel empty. I refuse to let it take over my head, though. I feel the urge to be productively doing something.
Once again, Clemont heads out to the gym early and Bonnie stays locked up in her room. I'm getting concerned for both of them and I'm mad at myself for not trying harder on both of their behalves. Clemont told me yesterday to give him a few days, so I decide I should wait one more day before heading back to the gym. I decide to see Bonnie today. I walk in front of her door and knock. I get no response.
I try to knock on the door again. No response.
I'm quickly growing frustrated, but I keep my annoyance in check. I knock on the door slightly harder than before. As I am knocking, I say, "Bonnie, please open up."
"Did I tell you to go away yesterday?!" She screeches at me. I ring out my ears for how loud that was. She sounds like she right in front of the door on her side. I stop knocking and sigh with relief.
"You did, but that doesn't mean I'm going to leave my friend hanging." I make a feeble smile. I know she can't see me, but my relief is shown through my voice. I think Bonnie hears it, too, because I hear a somewhat subdued sigh.
"Friend, huh? I'm no friend for acting this way. You… might as leave me alone, Serena." Bonnie says in a significantly softer voice. I'm surprised. Then, I can hear crying. I immediately grow concerned again. I can tell she's trying to stop herself, but she's failing. My resolve to see her grows stronger. I can feel my aura beginning to flare up inside me. However, I don't want to frighten or discourage Bonnie from opening up. I hold in my building energy and take deep breaths.
"Please let me in. I just want to talk to you. Please…" I say as softly as I can. I'm surprised she's not yelling at me again. I'm glad. Maybe I'm finally getting through?
"Serena, I…" Bonnie seemingly hesitates. I wonder what she held back just now.
"Bonnie…" I plead. I hear something in her voice. It's no longer as hostile. I can't quite grasp it, but it causes me to double my efforts.
"…Come in if you really want to help." The door slowly creeps open as I am graced with a pitch-black room.
I don't see any sign of Bonnie and I wonder where she could be. I've never been this afraid for my blond friend before, but I buckle down my feelings to keep walking. I hear a click. The light shines brightly from the ceiling and I am nearly blinded by it. I see a plethora of tissues littered all over the floor. The beds are disheveled. The draws are out. All and all, the room looks like it's a mess. When I turn to Bonnie, I can't stifle a gasp.
She looks the worse for wear. Her clothes are dirty. She's trembling slightly. She has bags under her eyes and she looks like a shadow of her former self. She seems to regard me with a bit of hesitance.
"Bonnie…" I say in a soft voice.
"Well, are you happy now?" Bonnie says in a hollow voice. She looks away from me and sits on the bed. I decided to sit beside her. I wrap my arm around her shoulder and rock from side to side with her. Bonnie sniffs under me and I notice a ghost of a smile from her. I'm glad I got that response.
"Bonnie, I…" I begin to speak, but I'm not sure what to say or do to comfort her. She interrupts me.
"I get nightmares, Serena. Horrible ones. I can't look at Aurora the same again. I know that she attacked everyone because of guardian conflict, but I can't help how I feel. I even see Ash and Ashton in my nightmares, too. I'm… just so scared. I want to be rid of my fear, but I can't even look at Ash or Aurora without cringing." I can tell the words are pouring out faster than she expected. She seems so ashamed of herself. My shoulders droop in sadness.
"You can't help how you feel, Bonnie. Staying in here isn't going to help you, though. It's only going to make you more depressed." I immediately say. Bonnie steals a sideway glance at me and that makes me wonder if I'm saying things she already knows.
"I haven't been out of my room because I'm afraid Aurora is going to spring up and scare me as Aru." Bonnie makes a sigh and shakes her head. "I know she's nice and kind. I just… I just can't get that demonic image out of my mind."
I place a finger on my chin in thought. I don't know how to help her with something like that. And yet… my heart knows I can do something. Maybe I don't know what I can do yet. I do have a feeling psychics are good with things like this. I rack my brain for any ideas. Maybe…
I gasp. Then, I snap my fingers. She's not a psychic, but she's the closest resource I have to one. I call out, "Raven!"
Bonnie is naturally confused by my sudden outburst. She repeats, "Raven?"
"Yes. I think she may be able to help you with your nightmares since she's an aura guardian. She seems a bit creepy, but I can tell her intentions are pure." I would have said more, but Bonnie once again cuts me off.
"NO! Keep me away from aura guardians!" Bonnie shakes herself off of me and screams. She covers her ears and look away from me. I immediately grow grim.
"So… do you want me to leave, then?" I ask in a small voice. It seems Bonnie heard that and remembered that I am half guardian. Bonnie uncovers her ears and looks guilty. She shakes her head and can't look at me eye to eye.
"Serena… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm just so confused!" Bonnie sighs and swings herself on her bed, looking up at the ceiling. "I have so many conflicting thoughts right now, Serena. I know guardians can be friendly. I mean, look at Ash. At the same time… I'm still so shaken by Aru's attack."
"Chari told me Aru wasn't really trying to hurt us. She was trying to prove her point and act in the nature of the conflict. If anything, Aru seemed reluctant to attack us because she hesitated a lot more than she normally would." I explain.
"You can talk to Pokémon now?" Bonnie seems somewhat incredulous.
"No. She spoke through telepathy to me a few days ago." I clarify. I shift my body toward her and continue, "I want to help you, but you also need to help yourself. Do you really want to keep having nightmares by staying locked up in your room?"
"No…" Bonnie replies in a near whisper.
"Then give her a chance. I'm not sure if aura guardians can help with this sort of thing, but Raven seems experienced overall. You have nothing to lose by coming with me later tonight to meet her." I try to persuade her. Bonne continues to look at the ceiling and offers no response. I make a solemn sigh. I get up, kiss her on top of her forehead, and begin to walk out of the room. Before I leave, I turn around and say, "It's your choice, Bonnie."
Bonnie seems to be lost in thought. She still is looking at her plain ceiling. After that, I close the door.
It's later at night and I'm sitting outside just looking at the stars. The stars always are beautiful here in Kalos. I feel a smile creep up on my face. After the last few days, it feels good to have some refreshing air. My mind still lingers on Ash and Bonnie, though. I hope they both feel better soon. I wonder if Bonnie is still looking up at the ceiling in her room. I sigh. I can't help the urge to run back inside to bring her out here. I want her to enjoy the air with me.
After breathing in the air and looking at the sky for several minutes, I see a silhouette in the moon approaching me. I can see six wings moving and someone on top of the six-winged Pokémon. Then, the person jumps off and dives towards me. I immediately grow afraid for her.
The Pokémon, which I now recognize as Drei, swoops down underneath his trainer. Raven smiles and winks at me. Her descent seems to be slowing. Soon, her entire body becomes covered in a dark grey aura as her body stops suddenly midair. Drei and Raven flies coordinately together. My eyes widen with amazement. Raven seems to relish the amazed look I have on my face.
Raven soon lands on the ground with a large grin and she and Drei makes a bow. I'm still in a state of shock. I wonder if I can do that one day.
Raven seems to know what I'm thinking about because she immediately says, "You'll definitely be able to do that, Serena. I wonder if you can become the best flier in the world one day because of your… mixed heritage."
"You know I'm a hybrid?" I blink my eyes in surprise. Raven chuckles at me.
"Of course. It's not that hard to sense that you have a mix of aura and psychic energy in you since you're using your aura more often." Raven replies. She seems like she would have continued talking, but then, her head turns toward the back door suddenly. Drei suddenly flies off at a fast speed and Raven disappears into thin air. I'm confused. Then, I hear the click of the door. Much to my surprise and delight, Bonnie comes out of her house. She seems hesitant and confused by me just standing there, doing nothing.
"Um… Serena?" Bonnie asks me with a shaky voice. "You said that someone named Raven is coming to see you?"
"Yes. She was just here, but she… disappeared?" I say it like a question because I'm confused myself. Why did she leave? Wait… no. She didn't leave. I can sense she's still near us. In fact, I feel like there's someone behind us, watching us. I'm starting to feel shivers down my spine, actually. Bonnie seems to be having the same thoughts. She steps closer to me and holds my hand anxiously. I squeeze Bonnie's hand and look down at her with a reassuring smile. Bonnie nods.
"R-Raven? I know you're still here. Bonnie knows about guardians and psychics. You don't have to hide. Bonnie just wants to ask you something." I call out into nothingness. I get no response. I try again, "Please, Raven. Come back out."
Raven suddenly appears right in front of me with a dangerously serious face. Bonnie and I gasp at her sudden appearance. Her eyes are no longer as friendly as it was a few minutes before. Her eyes travel to Bonnie's. Bonnie squeezes my hand tighter and steps behind me anxiously. Raven narrows her eyes.
I can feel Bonnie quivering behind me. I'm curious about Raven's sudden change. Even though she's a bit weird, she seems super nice. Now, I'm not sure what she's going to do. Raven steps forward. Bonnie takes a step back. Raven makes a slight nod to herself.
Raven finally speaks after several minutes of tense silence. She says, "Aru chilled you down to the bone and you wonder if I can help you… right?"
Bonnie doesn't make a response. I'm about to answer for Bonnie, but Raven interrupts me, "Let the child talk for herself."
"Y-yes…" Bonnie finally says.
"There are many things I'm thinking right now and none of them are pleasant." Raven regards my blond friend with a sneer. "You need a reality check, girl. You are depressed over a scary image while I went through hell. The same woman affected us both, mind you. Child or not, people like you makes me sick. No backbone whatsoever."
"Raven, don't say th-" I begin, but I get interrupted.
"Hush." Raven narrows her eyes and silences me. I cover my mouth. "You know what Aru did to me four years ago when she first was in her first conflict with Aurora?"
"N-no…" Bonnie says with a shaky voice.
"When Aru first came back out four years ago, she chilled me down to my very spine. I'm supposed to be a dark aura master and yet I got legitimately scared of my own friend. She called everyone she attacked selfish and cruel. Aru beat mine and Mirabelle's butts in a guardian fight and nearly killed us. She had so much raw anger we could barely take it. We deserved everything she dished out because we didn't think about her." Raven is getting really angry. I could see a dark grey aura surrounding her.
"You really think you have it bad, kid? You're what… ten years old? Little minds always blow smaller things out of proportions. If I am to help you, you are going to have to grow a backbone. From what I read in your aura, all Aru did was use her dark aura to scare you and made some slight bruises. It seems Aru mellowed out a lot from last time. She was way nicer to you... and she doesn't even know you well!" Raven hissed.
Raven brought out her hand. Bonnie gasped as she was suddenly lifted up by Raven's aura grip. Bonnie was petrified. I try to make Raven stop, but she immediately lifts me up in her aura grip and moves me away from both of them. I'm powerless to stop her. She says to me, "Stay out of this."
Raven turns to Bonnie. "Your fear clouds your heart and causes you to act much differently than normal. I'm not making a good impression for guardians, am I?"
Bonnie is looking down and away from her. Her eyes are clenched shut and she is shaking.
"I thought so and… I don't want to make a good impression for you. You represent how reality is. Prejudice like yours is rampant in the Hokori region. Don't expect me have any sympathy if your problem isn't so serious. Look at me when I'm talking to you." Raven demands her. Bonnie is still looking away. Raven growls and yells, "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"
Bonnie cringes and forces herself into looking into Raven's cold grey eyes. Raven may have moved me away from her and Bonnie, but I can see in her eyes that's she's looking for something. They are like a judge. They may be cold, but they are being neutral overall. I can see Raven isn't actually angry… is she disappointed? It's really hard to tell from how she's holding me.
Raven continues, "Do you really want my help or are you going to keep shaking? I will not help someone who can't help themselves."
"…." No response again. It was in this time, Raven releases me from her aura grip. Why? I don't know. I walk in front of Bonnie and notice the indecision in them. However, they aren't as torn as earlier. If I didn't know any better, I would think there was a twinkle in there somewhere.
"Well? Will you keep shaking and waste my time? I'm going to leave right now if you don't say something." Raven snorted. I can tell something changed in Bonnie. Bonnie takes a deep breath.
"N-no. D-Don't go…" Bonnie clears her throat and looks directly in Raven's eyes. I haven't seen such a fire in her eyes since before Aru's attack. I can feel some of her old self coming back when she says firmly, "I want your help. Can you help me?"
"Good. That's the tone I wanted to hear from you." Raven brought out her hand. Bonnie looked at the woman's hand almost as if it was a foreign object. However, she inched closer to it. With a bit of a quiver, she shakes Raven's hand, but flinches when she makes contact. Raven returns the gesture. Bonnie stopped flinching when she noticed Raven smiling. She soon looked like she was getting a bit comfortable with her. Bonnie smiles. I'm glad. Bonnie's smile always cheers me up. Raven chuckles, "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm also not going to act nice to spare your feelings."
"Yes." Bonnie nods.
"Now… what have you learned?" Raven asks her. Bonnie seems a bit confused. I am, too.
"Wha?" We both ask. Raven chuckles again and gestures to her shaking hand with her free hand. She winks at my blond friend.
"Look at yourself. You were the one who started to shake my guardian hand first. Shouldn't you be quaking in your boots still?" Raven points out with a bit of a rough chuckle. Bonnie widens her eyes in understanding. So do I. Bonnie notices that she isn't shaking anymore. In fact, she's shaking Raven's hand with a firm grip. Raven's ways of teaching are a bit strange, but it's very effective. She asks, "Are you afraid of me? Be brutally honest."
"… If I am being honest, I'm not afraid of you, but I'm also not sure how to feel about you." Bonnie admits quietly.
"That's excellent. The important thing is you aren't afraid of me. Do you think as me as odd or peculiar? Again, be as candid as you can be." Raven tells her.
"Um… I've never had anyone ask me if they are weird before. I do get that vibe from you." Bonnie admits. Raven laughs heartily. Her gray eyes are glittering with interest.
"Perfect. You have the same impression as Serena, then." Raven grins as she says that last sentence in her creepy witch voice. I shudder from hearing it. Raven seems to be aware of everything around her. I feel a bit exposed. Then again, I was making it pretty obvious that Raven is a little creepy. Bonnie seems to be a little surprised that I feel this way considering I was the one who suggested her to come see Raven in the first place. The dark haired guardian begins to walk toward the back door. She turns to me and Bonnie and gestures us to follow her.
"If you feel ready, I think the best way to deal with your fear is to face it directly and do… something… about it." Raven tapers off while looking inside the house through the door.
Ravens suddenly seems a bit somber now and her voice grows a bit more serious. She mindlessly enters Clemont's house and walks directly to Aurora. I immediately follow, wondering what's wrong. However, Bonnie is glued to her spot. She's trembling again and looks at Aurora wearily. I sigh, grab her by her arm, and usher her to follow us. I can feel her reluctance. I know she's afraid, but I know Aurora won't get up.
"Raven's right, you know." I say to her. Bonnie doesn't say anything nor makes any attempt to acknowledge me. Eventually, we're all in the living room. Bonnie stands behinds me and clutches my shirt. She seems a bit confused at what she's seeing.
Like previous nights, Rio is hard at work trying to help his trainer out, but he looks exhausted. He has his paws out, transferring his energy to his trainer. Raven notices this and pats him on the back. Rio nods, stops what he's doing and steps away. Raven then cracks her knuckles and closes her eyes. Aurora is surrounded in a dark gray aura. Her body instantly relaxes and she murmurs nearly silently, "Ra…ven…?"
"Even while unconscious, I can't hide from you. Your sensing ability has always been top notch. Safe dreams, friend." Raven laughs solemnly. Aurora shows no signs of hearing her. I guess she was only able to sense Raven's aura. Raven turns to Rio. "I didn't expect to see her aura this bad. How long has she been like this?"
"Four days. Do you know how to help her?" Rio asks with a bit of a desperate voice. Raven contemplates the question and folds her arms. Then, she sighs.
"There really isn't much any of us can do. I sense a primordial energy in her and it's not completely friendly. I'm sure you know what it is by now." Raven replies. Rio looks down and nods.
"It's Mew…" Rio whispers.
"Mew?" Bonnie and I both say, somewhat confused. Raven glances at us and nods.
"Mew is the patron of the Ketchums and quite possibly the most terrifying pink demon you will meet if you get on her bad side. She's very protective over the Ketchum family, but she's also very harsh when training them. You have no idea how many times I heard Aurora running away screaming while Mew was training her. Despite all this, Mew can be incredibly sweet and will help out those who needs it." Raven explains to us.
Mew seems frightening to say the least. I've never seen Mew before, so I have nothing to go on beside what Raven just said. It makes me wonder why Aurora has Mew's energy in her. I find it strange. Is this part of the reason why she's a Mewist? This also confirms that Mew exists, but Raven is speaking like she knows the Pokémon personally. I'm a bit curious to find out more.
"Raven, you've seen Mew before?" I ask, but I have a feeling I already know the answer.
"Seen her? Try actually being in her danger zone. Aurora used to take me and Mirabelle to see Mew from time to time and to keep her company. I saw first-hand how dangerous Mew can be while training her. If you think Aurora is super powerful, you haven't met Mew." Raven explains to me.
I look at the sleeping Aurora. She's shivering slightly, but she appears comfortable. At least I understand where she got some of her strength from. I thought most Champions had it simple, but it seems like it wasn't easy for Aurora to get where she is now. It makes me appreciate her a bit more. Thinking about this makes me wonder about Ash. Since they are linked, Mew must be the reason why. I wonder what they are dreaming about. Is Mew watching over them right now or is she actually in their dreams?
"Why do you think you sense Mew?" I need to know more. This is the first time in four days I feel like I'm getting some actual information instead of bits and pieces. I don't want to squander this opportunity. Raven laughs at my eagerness.
"I don't think it. I know it. It's very subtle, but I can pick out the aura that doesn't belong. Mew did a really good job hiding her aura signature." Raven looks down at Aurora and caresses her cheek. She makes a little sigh. Her eyes look soft, but distraught. No tears are falling, but Raven still seems sad. It must not be easy for her to see her friend unconscious like this. She doesn't seem to know what to do for Aurora, too. She says without looking at me, "I'm not sure what's happening to Aurora, but I know she's being tested right now."
"Tested? How?" I ask.
"I know how Mew can be. She always thinks of something convoluted to teach a lesson of some sort. While any Ketchum is being tested, Mew is hostile toward any foreign intrusion. She will make sure no one disturbs a Ketchum being tested." Raven continues explaining for me.
That explains so much. No wonder why Chi-Chi was unable to take the telekinetic attack yesterday. Now my thoughts stray to Ash. Oh Arceus. That means he's getting tested by Mew, too. I do wonder what she's putting him through. I hope he's alright. Meanwhile, Rio seems so flustered. I've never seen him like this.
"So I'm supposed to sit around while my trainer's aura is unstable?" Rio growls and becomes immerse in a dark blue aura. His eyes are piercing, just like Korrina's Lucario was. Raven looks at him, intrigued. Bonnie clutches my shirt a little tighter. I wonder what she thinks about all of this? Oddly enough, I feel calm. I'm not really sure why. I feel like I'm getting way too used this aura business. Rio continues, "As long as I can still stand, I don't care what Mew does to me. I just care about my friend staying safe."
"Passionate words from a normally distant Lucario. Aurora would be so proud of you." Raven smiles and rubs Rio's head. Rio snarls and swats her hand away. Raven chuckles. Then, she sighs, "Have you been attacked while healing her yet?"
"No." Rio answers quickly.
"Then I think that's all you can do until Mew is done with her. You've done so much for her already." Raven makes a gentle smile.
"Right." Rio grumbles and looks dissatisfied with Raven's response. He shakes his head and says, "What will you do?"
Raven glances at me with a slight twinkle in her eyes. Then she says, "Aurora would want everyone to keep going and she would want me to help. There is no way she wouldn't want me help to make Serena stronger while she's in her coma. I can feel it in my heart."
I widen my eyes. So... that's why she was being so weird yesterday. Raven continues, "We can still do the favor thing so you can learn while being immersed. You can also take a more formal, but serious approach. It's your choice."
"Who said I even want to be trained?" I hiss. Raven's expression turns dark and I immediately regret what I just said.
"Really now? So… you don't want to learn more about what your mother is hiding from you? You want to stand around being useless?" She asks me harshly.
"No… but-" I'm in shock at how quickly Raven changes her tone with me. I'm secretly wishing she was speaking in her witch like voice instead of this new crass tone. I'm not sure why I care so much about her being disappointed in me. She's just a stranger… or is she? I feel like I've seen her before this past week, but that can't be. Then again, she did mention she knew me before, so I'm not sure of anything. I don't like feeling this way. It feels… strange. Raven interrupts me.
"Stop being sassy and think. Would you rather be stubborn because you don't know me or would you rather help?" Raven asks me. In the back of my mind, I already know the answer to that question. Raven seems to know this because she decides to focus on something else. She closes her eyes and her hair begins moving on its own. Then, it stops suddenly. She looks at me again and says, "I can sense another person upstairs with Mew's signature that has similar aura to Aurora's. That's Ashton's aura, isn't?"
"Yes, but he prefers to be called Ash now." I reply almost instinctively. Oh Mew, I know where she's going with this and I don't like it. Raven seems slightly intrigued by Ash's name change, then turns serious again.
"Ash, huh? That's not a problem." Raven acknowledges verbally. Then, she narrows her eyes, "The point is you wouldn't still be here if it wasn't for someone you care about. I know you don't Aurora as well as I do, so I'm assuming you're hot on Ash." Raven crosses her arms and eyes me carefully. I can't hide my blush when she says this. Raven sighs. "Are you in a relationship with him or are you crushing on him?"
"Er… I'm in a relationship with him." I answer. Raven's grey eyes grow as large as moons.
"Oh may Mew help our souls..." Raven face palms and shakes her head. I'm not sure what I said wrong. What's so bad about me being in a relationship with Ash? Raven murmurs, "A half psychic and an aura guardian together while there are two guardians bound together by Mew's aura? That's just asking for trouble."
"What's so bad about me being in a relationship with Ash?" I say my thoughts aloud.
"So… you seriously don't know about how psychics and guardians are really like to each other, huh?" Raven says this almost as if I'm a poor ignorant soul. The worse part about this is that I probably am. She continues, "Aura guardians and psychics hate each other's guts. We are raised to think the other side is an abomination that can't be trusted. You've been fortunate in that you've met a pretty open minded psychic and two open minded guardians. You haven't seen how bad things can be. The fact that you are even a pinch of psychic dating an aura guardian means people will try to… kill… you to save themselves."
"What?! Ash and I did nothing wrong! Why would people try to kill us?" I ask, both in fear and in curiosity.
"That's not how many Hokorians see it. The Great Prophecy has been making everyone scared about this for centuries." Raven shakes her head.
"What is the Great Prophecy?" I ask. I remember Ashton mentioning this when Aurora first saved us from his attack. Raven seems much more open than Aurora is, so I wonder if she will tell me anything. Sure enough, she begins to recite the prophecy aloud.
Two guardians bound by a memory lost
Sets the pace of balance being cost
The love of opposite sides proves robust
Love's final breath, world on brink to dust
A cardinal decision dictates one's creed
Ruin or rebirth, the stronger loyalty succeed
I can understand why people would kill me or Ash. They wouldn't want to risk the world being in ruins because a psychic and an aura guardian dated. Still, I wonder if me and Ash are even a factor in this. I mean, I'm only half psychic. Is that really enough for me and Ash to be on opposite sides, though? Why would I even want to be my boyfriend's enemy? I could never imagine myself hating Ash. And how would a relationship cause the world be turned to dust? I really don't know.
Raven looks away from me and she closes her eyes tightly. She seems to be holding in tears. Bonnie and I immediately grow concerned for her. Bonnie surprises me when she gives Raven a huge hug. It seems she's forgotten that Aurora is right beside her. I'm proud of her opening up today. Raven looks down at Bonnie with glistening eyes, but smiles. She returns the hug and thanks her under her breath. They break apart and Raven wipes her eyes. I wonder why Raven was holding in tears.
"I shouldn't have said anything yet. I just…" Raven looks like she's struggling to find the right words.
"What's wrong, Raven?" I ask. Raven seems so flustered.
"Serena… please. Just train with me. I really don't want anything to happen to you or Ash. I want to at least…." Raven is now stammering on her words. She looks like she has so much to say, but has so little time to say it.
"Raven, how well do you actually know me?" I suddenly ask. It's clear she cares a lot about me, but she cares way too much for her to just be a stranger.
Raven looks down and sighs. She turns cold and shakes her head. "That's the one thing I won't be so candid about."
"…" She said it with such an intensity that I just stare at her. I frown and look directly in her eyes. Raven can't seem to look at me back.
"Tell you what. If you manage to do what I want tonight, I'll…" Raven closes her eyes and tries to think of the right words. "… tell you a little more about your mother. I'll add in how we met, too and why I have reason to want to train you. Deal?"
"Deal." I agree.
"Did you look into the locket yesterday?" Raven suddenly asks. She seems so afraid of something right now.
"Yes. I saw you and Mom in weird uniforms." I note. Raven seems like she's waiting for me to say something else. When I don't say anything else, she sighs and nods to herself. Did I need to say anything else?
"Do you recognize those uniforms?" Raven asks in a small voice.
I place a finger on my chin. When I first saw the picture, I felt like I've seen those clothes before. I feel like I have amnesia about Raven. This is all so weird to me. I notice Bonnie watching us and listening closely. I wonder how she feels about all this. Since she hugged Raven, she's moved back to be right beside me and is clutching my shirt slightly. She's still looking at Aurora wearily.
After a few moments, I reply, "I… feel like I've seen them before, but I wouldn't know why you were wearing it."
"I see." Raven suddenly gives Aurora a small squeeze on her shoulder and smiles. Then, she grabs my hand and leads me to the back entrance. Curious, I make no attempt to stop her. She turns around, looks at Bonnie and says, "If you want me to come and help you a little more tomorrow, tell me."
"I do. Thank you so much, Raven." Bonnie makes a small bow in respect to the lady.
"Not a problem. Glad to see you actually have a backbone somewhere in there. During the day, I want you to try to go by Aurora and touch her hand without shaking or thinking about Aru. Just think about anything that Aurora has done for you that was nice or cool. It'll help wean you from your nightmares." Raven suggested.
"I'll… try." Bonnie barely replies.
"Now, I think you should go to sleep, child." Raven tells her. Bonnie nods and goes upstairs to her room. Raven then leads me back outside.
Raven stares at the glistening stars and the large moon above us. She clenches her fists tightly. I wonder what she's thinking about.
Raven suddenly becomes immersed in a dark grey aura. A few moments afterward, Drei flies back to the backyard. He nips at Raven's fists playfully at first, but then notices her sadness. He glances at me. He slowly hovers toward me with a bit of a pleading look. He seems to want me to help Raven feel better.
Drei can tell in my expression that I'm not sure what to do. He looks at his trainer again. Raven takes a deep breath and climbs on his back. Without looking at me, Raven surrounds me in a dark grey outline. I'm suddenly placed right behind Raven on Drei's back. Within the next few moments, Raven, Drei and I are off, flying toward the large moon.
After about 30 minutes flying, I begin to notice something different in the sky. I see a huge swirl of purple gas concentrated over a large portion of land. It seems so unnatural. I can barely see the land in the gas, but everywhere else around the gas is so lush. It's so weird seeing the contrast while flying. Raven looks back at me for a few moments, seemingly seeing what my reaction would be. She makes a ghost of a frown before focusing on the sky ahead of her.
"Drei… keep flying toward Midnight City. Go through the gas as fast as you can!" Raven says suddenly. Drei picks up his pace drastically. I yelp as I'm forced to hold on to Raven. I'm horrified that we're getting closer and closer to large gas. I look at Raven anxiously.
"Uh… Raven…?" I say in a shaky voice.
"Surround yourself in your aura, Serena. If you don't, the gas will cause you to do things you normally wouldn't. Brace yourself!" Raven suddenly warns me in an urgent tone.
"Wha?" I barely have time to process that as we dive directly into noxious purple fumes. I instinctively cover my nose with one hand and I keep my mouth as shut as I can make it. Raven looks back at me solemnly and surrounds herself and Drei in a dark grey aura.
"Please… Mew. Don't let her lose herself." I could barely hear her when she said that. She sounded so afraid. What can some gas do to me?
It's hard to see anything through the large cloud. After a while in the fumes, I begin to hear several whispers… whispers telling me to give in. It's… so depressing and I feel a sudden urge to just… give up in life. I don't know why I'm feeling this way. I… I can feel myself slipping away. My eyes turn cloudy. I'm not sure what's happening to me. I can feel my grip slipping. The voices around me is telling me to do it… to let go.
Should I though…?
Part of me is screaming to ignore the voice… but it's too strong. Should I listen to the voice?
Yes… listen to me. I am your guide. Let go of the guardian and fall into my humble embrace.
I… I'm not sure how to respond. I'm not even sure where those three sentences came from. The voices condensed into such a purring, but commanding presence. It… sounds so irresistible. Oh look, Raven is trying to tell me something. How cute. I can't hear her, but that doesn't seem too bad. It's like she's encouraging me to let go of her. Maybe… the drop wouldn't be so bad….
Yes… do it, child. Give in to me.
Maybe I should. I mean, what's the worst that can happen?
With a drunken smile, I let go of Raven and Drei and plummet to the earth. I can feel the air whipping through my hair with the gas embracing me in its hold. I feel like I made the right choice. As I'm falling, I see something approaching me. It's flying toward me at a fast pace.
"NO! Serena!" Raven screams frantically. Her voice is enough to snap me out of it. At first, I'm a bit confused. Now, I'm terrified. I begin to scream as I begin to see trees. Raven tries harder to fly to me. She grabs me under my shoulders and lifts me up before I fall into the trees. I'm both in awe and in shock. Underneath the thick cloudy gas there is a beautiful, seemingly ethereal forest. It looks so tranquil… I feel like I'm a bit of a trespasser right now.
Raven gently drops me at the beginning of some city engulfed in the forest. It seems relatively peaceful here, but I can't help but have a sense of dread. A few moments later, Drei finds us and he begins to lick my face in relief. I quickly get overwhelmed by the dragon type and laugh. He's tickling me.
Raven glances at us with a somewhat amused expression, but quickly grows serious again. She suddenly returns Drei inside his Poke Ball and grabs me by my hand. Although I'm shocked, I make no protest. We begin to walk into the city.
"Don't… don't you scare me like that again…. You hear me?" Raven suddenly says after a few minutes of walking.
"Y-yes, Raven." I say immediately.
"I'm so sorry for putting your life in danger like that. I didn't expect the gas to get to you so quickly…." Raven tells me while squeezing my hand tightly. I'm not sure if I can feel the blood circulating in it from how tightly she's holding me. I make a small grunt to let her know I'm feeling a bit uncomfortable. Raven widens her eyes, blushes slightly in embarrassment and loosens her grip significantly.
"Raven… where are we?" I ask. I have a sense of familiarity being in this city. The city is darker than normal and I can't see the nightly sky anymore. Just gas. The people here are lively, though. They greet Raven as she walks by. Raven greets a few people before she's able to respond.
"This is my hometown, Serena. Midnight City." Raven answers. She seems to be eyeing me closely. I wonder why. She continues, "This is the only place in the Death Zone of Hokori where the people are friendly to outsiders. All other areas have been hypnotized completely by the Zurui and the gas surrounding the area."
"Aurora mentioned the Death Zone. What is it really?" I ask in curiosity.
"It's the area in Hokori surrounded in Nyxcipher's poisonous gas. It's also the area where the Zurui holds the most dominance." Raven responds briskly. I frown, but accept the answer.
After another few minutes of walking, another question pops up in my mind. "So… Hokori is within flying distance of Kalos? I don't remember them being so close."
"They aren't. They are pretty far away from each other. Drei just happens to be a fast flyer. I made it so that you wouldn't feel too much strain from the speed of the flight by surrounding you in a small barrier. However, by the time we actually made it to Hokori and I had to fly down to save you, I ran out of energy. Flying is super hard for me to do at a fast speed because none of my partners are flying types. Heck, I'm super… tired… now…" Raven makes a loud yawn and seems a bit light headed. I immediately look at her in concern.
"Are you alright?" I ask.
"D-don't worry about me, child. We're almost there." Raven coughs. She was hiding her fatigue really well, but it seems like she can't walk too well. I help her walk, but Raven is stubborn. She forces me to let go and continues to walk.
"Where are you taking me? Are you sure you're alright?" I question her again, but this time in a firmer tone. Raven smiles and nods her head.
"We're almost there. Don't worry." Raven reiterates in a way that makes me worry more. After a few more minutes of walking, she stops me right in front of a building. Not gonna lie… it's looks pretty cool. I see the Pokémon League symbol on top of the building and I get an eerie feeling just looking at it. Raven smirks, then directs me inside.
I'm immediately graced with a large battlefield though it's hard to see it because of how little light there is here. I feel like I'm in perpetual darkness. There are small lights littered everywhere in the battlefield. Despite this, I notice several Dark type Pokémon running about freely. They all seem really happy. I look at Raven with a bit of awe. I can see Raven's smirk.
Raven chuckles, "Can you guess what I am?"
"You're the gym leader of this city, aren't you?" I immediately guess.
"Yes, and I'm quite possibly the strongest gym leader in the region despite being the sixth gym leader." Raven says. I widen my eyes upon hearing that. My gut had been right about Drei being tough. However, I can tell Raven didn't finish her statement. She continues, "I can't wait for you and Ash to come here and properly challenge me. I would love to see what you both have."
"Raven, I'm not a Pokémon trainer. I'm a Pokémon Performer. Ash would probably battle you, though." I explain to her. Raven's eyes widen with a new understanding.
"Sorry. I didn't bring you here to talk about my gym leader status. You wanted to find out more about your mother, right?" Raven assumes. I nod. Her face immediately grows more serious. Then, she claps her hands. The battlefield suddenly turns bright. I cover my eyes for a few moments. When I open my eyes, I am met with Raven beckoning me to follow her to the stands. However, I notice several targets littered throughout the entire field. Although I'm confused, I decide to not say anything.
After a few moments, Ravens begins to talk, "What do you want to know, Serena?"
"There are several things that I want to know that you probably won't tell me, but I'll ask this first. How did you meet Mom?" I ask immediately. Raven nods her head immediately.
"Serena, have you heard of the Zurui?" Raven answers my question with a question of her own. I cross my arms in annoyance.
"Aren't they the main villainous team here? What does the Zurui have to do with what I asked?" I hiss.
"Well, your mother and I are both ex-members of the organization. We met as Zurui members and she was my main partner in crime." Raven answers uncomfortably.
My immediate response is a blank stare. I'm trying to process whether or not Raven is telling me the truth. I mean, Mom has never done anything suspicious. Frankly, she was a bit annoying with the constant exercises for me to be a Rhyhorn Racer like her. It's hard to imagine her as a bad guy. Still, when I look at Raven and evaluate everything that's happened in this last week, I can't bring myself to outright deny it.
There are too many pieces that leads to the disturbing conclusion that my mom and Raven were criminals.
I move away from Raven and get nervous. My heart begins to race and my hands begin to glow pink. Raven sees my weary look and sighs in expectancy. She seems slightly intrigued by the pink glow, but can't seem to look at me. She seems so ashamed of herself. I feel bad about my initial reaction, but it seems like the damage is done. Raven seems super uncomfortable and I made it worse. Ugh! I feel awful. I decide to grab her hand to support her. Raven gasps in slight surprise, then makes a small smile.
Raven says at a near whisper, "Serena… if you want me to take you back to Kalos right now… I will. If you choose to hate me after this, it's totally understandable."
"Raven…"
"Do you want me to say anything else to you?"
"I won't leave you like this. Still… can you explain a little more about how you met Mom?"
Raven nods. "Very well. I remember meeting her when we both were fourteen. However, you should learn the circumstances of me joining the Zurui in the first place. I was the main troublemaker of Midnight City, stealing food and money from stores all across the city. One day, one of the Zurui members observed me stealing several thousand Poke from a Poke Mart and observed how stealthy I was to avoid the mart employees. He later found me and asked me if I wanted to live a more stable life."
"Did you say 'no'?" I ask. Raven smiles solemnly.
"I did at first. I was the type to work alone and I certainly didn't care for some stupid team. However, the man was persistent. He later showed me the Zurui headquarters and how nice it was. He really appealed to how poor I was. So… seeing all the nice rooms and the possible enhanced lifestyle I would get, I seized the opportunity. I got paired up with your mother when I first got initiated because they felt like it would be good to have a partner to rely on." Raven continued.
"So… what did you and Mom do w-while in the Zurui?" I ask in an anxious tone. I'm getting knots in my stomach just anticipating what she might say.
"We stole supplies for the Zurui at first. I thought it was going to be like when I was a bandit, but I was proven wrong after about a year. We eventually started to get assigned to more dangerous jobs. I was confused as to why this was, but your mother and I took our jobs very seriously."
"What were some of those dangerous jobs?"
Raven couldn't look at me. She made a heavy sigh. Then, she grabbed my hands and closed her eyes. My hands began to glow the same color as hers: grey. I gasp as I begin to look into Raven's mind. I… I can feel her fear. She's shaking in her shoes because she doesn't want to open herself up to me… at least not completely. Raven closes her eyes tighter and grips my hands more firmly. I grunt at the loss in circulation in my hands, but I take the squeeze the best way I can.
I can only hear this, "I'm sorry Serena."
That's literally her only thought right now. Raven takes another deep breath. She murmurs, "I can do this. The past is in the past…" As she says this, I begin to feel some of what Raven is feeling right now.
Fear. Panic. Despair.
It's hard to keep my morale high with her using the aura grip on me like this. I feel like Raven is testing me in her own strange way to see if I can take whatever is being hidden from me. I feel like I can take the challenge. I grab onto her hand more firmly and I look at her reassuringly. It seems Raven appreciates this because she makes a ghost of a smile before taking a deep breath.
"I was… an assassin… for the Zurui along with your mother, taking out who the Zurui perceived to be threats. I… I… never wanted to hurt anybody… but… I felt trapped after a few years." Raven finally says after several moments of silence. She looks into my eyes for any more changes. To her surprise, I give her a hug. Raven is shaking violently in in my arms and I can feel her tears dropping on my back. I can feel how disgusted she is with herself, but I want to let her know it's alright. Raven seems appreciative of all my efforts. She breaks off from my embrace and breathes deeply for a few moments. I decide to say something.
"Raven… you don't need to tell me anymore than you have to." I murmur softly.
"No. You deserve to know this. I'm not going to make the same mistake Gracie made." Raven growls bitterly. Before I can ponder why, she takes a deep breath before continuing. "Your mother and I proved to be a deadly combination. I was the stealth and the person who traps the victim. Your mother was the power, making sure the victim couldn't tell who they saw before they got killed. We got dangerously good at this… until we were assigned to kill a specific person."
"Are you comfortable telling me who that person was?" I ask. Raven nods.
"When we both were seventeen, we were assigned to kill the premier prodigy of the Hokori region: Aurora Alexandra Ketchum." Raven looks away from me and shifts uncomfortably. I can't hide my surprise, but I choose to stay quiet. Raven notices my face, but continues anyway. "Aurora had been an up and coming trainer with strength people compared to the legendary Redrick Rodney Ketchum. She was a threat to the organization even though she didn't interact with the Zurui back then. Our objective was to take her out, though we didn't know why at the time."
Tears began to form in Raven's eyes. She said as she was wiping her eyes, "I tried my hardest to convince my higher ups to go after someone else because at that point, I had known Aurora ever since we were eleven. She was and still is one of my best friends. However, they threatened to kill me and Gracie if we didn't comply. We were the lowest members on the team. Guardians are the lowest members, followed by regular humans and then at the top of the ladder are psychics. Because of our guardian status, so it would be easy for them to kill us. Eventually… we complied and we tried to do the deed."
Raven looks down and sighs. "I'm… complete and utter garbage. I tried to ditch my friend to try to save myself. I feel so evil. It's an awful feeling."
"My trainer is super strong, but she isn't on Aurora's level, at least aura-wise. Aurora is such a threat she asked me and the rest of my compatriots to aid her in doing the crime." Drei suddenly supplements Raven and comes out of his ball and glides right in front of us speaking telepathy. Raven seems a bit surprised at see the dark dragon come out. Drei regards his trainer and says, "Rave, you've been carrying this guilt for way too long. I came out to remind you of all you've done since then. You've been a major help to the Hokori region. You aren't evil, so stop feeling that way."
"Drei…"
"If you want me to say the rest of the story for you, tell me. I do think Serena should know because this was the objective that made you quit the Zurui and eventually cause you and Grace to be distant." Drei offers with three small smiles.
"Go for it, bud."
"My trainer had planned to ambush Aurora while no one was around in Midnight Forest. However, Aurora could pick up on the incoming threat. Aurora knocked out me and the rest of Rave's partners before Rave could strike. After a few moments, she recognized that we were Rave's Aspects and went into a full-blown rage as Aru. Grace tried to help out, but she made things worse. Aru absolutely decimated everything in her path and caused serious injuries and burns to everyone opposing her. Aru knocked Grace out and nearly killed her in a blow to her head, but because she was masked, neither Aurora nor Aru was ever able to see who she was. They didn't want to see the face of their attempted murderer... in case it was someone else they knew." Drei says grimly.
"If you were knocked out at this point, how can you tell me what happened?" I interrupt, somewhat curious.
"Raven told me the details once we awoke, little princess." Drei explains. I am a bit confused at the use of 'little princess'. He said that so easily… just how well does he know me? My thoughts are soon interrupted when the dragon continues with a frown. "Aru demanded Raven to show herself from her hiding spot and fight her guardian to guardian. Aru... is incredibly scary when she's out for blood. Raven tried to return me and the rest of her Aspects, but she was spotted. Still thinking about her job, she tried to kill Aru, but when fighting up close, Aru outmatched her. However, the only reason why Raven stands before today is because…"
"…Aurora still valued our friendship enough to give me another chance." Raven finishes with a small voice. Raven clears her voice and nods toward the Hydreigon. Drei smiles and nods back. Raven continues the story. "Aurora took back control before Aru was able to choke me to death. However, I had sustained too many injuries. The last thing I saw before I blacked out from the lack of oxygen was Aurora glancing at me with a sad frown."
"When I woke up, I was lying in a bed. My Aspects were outside sleeping and Gracie was still masked and sleeping in the bed above me. I noticed that I was in Shingetsu Town sleeping on Aurora's and her sister's bed. Aurora was standing in front of me just… breathing in and out deeply. However, her hands were on fire. Without turning towards me, she says in a harsh voice, 'Give me one reason why I shouldn't incinerate your throat right now, friend.' The way she said 'friend' was so alarming because it was clear she was seriously considering it."
"What did you say in response?" I ask. I must admit, I'm very interested in her story, but I'm trying to withhold all my thoughts until the end.
"I said, 'I would give you a reason if I could. You have every right to kill me. I don't deserve to live.' After that, I broke down crying. I told her about my secret life as a Zurui grunt and I told her everything I went through while feeling trapped. I spilled out my heart and soul to the point was I was rambling. Aurora approached me with her eyes completely yellow and her hands still blazing in fire. I closed my eyes, anticipating her to burn my throat. Instead, she gave me a hug."
I can't help but feel fuzzy hearing that. Aurora is way too nice for her own good. If I had been in her situation, I'm not sure what I would have done to be honest. I know I wouldn't try to hug my attempted murderer. I'm curious to find out more.
"Aurora had tears in her eyes and told me everything will be alright. You have no idea how shocked I was. I was raised to be selfish and raised to think that, if given the chance, a human will always betray you. I acted that way because it was all that I knew. Aurora's kindness that day forever changed me. I didn't care about the consequences… I knew that if I wanted to be happy, I would have to leave the Zurui." Raven continues with a pensive stare.
"How did you leave it, then?"
"After a few months of planning and with Aurora's help, I wiped myself from all Zurui records. Aurora used her Rotom to hack into the system on my behalf. She also helped me to gather up all the Zurui members into one place so her Chelecstic could wipe everyone's memories of me… all expect for Gracie. Gracie wanted to make sure everything in her past was cleared."
I stay silent and gesture her to continue.
"Gracie, Aurora and Mirabelle are the only people that knows I was in the Zurui because Gracie was the only person not at the gathered up site and Aurora told Mirabelle that I was in it. I told Gracie not to go to the Doki Doki plaza so she can retain her friendship with me. Gracie stayed in the Zurui despite me telling her we should leave together. She said how it wasn't just about her anymore while holding her stomach."
I widen my eyes. Does this mean….?
"At this point, she was pregnant with you. She had more to lose than me. I respected that and... she eventually had you. She tried to make being in the Zurui work, but she got too concerned for your well-being. She didn't want you to grow up as the daughter of a criminal. So, she moved with you to Yousei City to escape. She hid herself for nine years, even adopting a new look. Your mother used to be blond, but now she's a brunette. I visited the both of you constantly, but I had changed my life around, too. When you were one, I became an Elite Four member, but by the time you were ten, I resigned and became a gym leader because of reasons I won't say." Raven continued.
"Raven… how come I don't remember you?" Although I want to question her about why she decided to change from an Elite Four member to a gym leader, I decide to focus on what's more important to me. I would think I would remember her.
"As per your mother's request, I performed an aura wipe on you when Gracie decided to move to Kalos. You have no memory of me or the Zurui. Gracie wanted to make sure you were safe and considering that I still interacted with people she considered dangerous, she didn't want any signs of trouble. It… it broke my heart when you didn't recognize me yesterday, but it showed how potent the technique was. However, I should stop here. Your mom should give you more details about the ten years you were in Hokori and the times we shared." Raven says with wet eyes.
"Is there anything else Mom is hiding from me?" I ask while looking slightly dejected.
"Kiddo, that's something I can't say. There are some things you should only discuss with your family. Know that Gracie has done what she has done because she loves you." Raven says wistfully. I don't like the vague answer, but there isn't much I can do about it.
"Raven… can you restore my memories of you? I don't like feeling like I know you… and yet I don't." I request as politely as I can. Raven widens her eyes in surprise, then laughs solemnly.
"No, Serena." Raven immediately responds adamantly.
"What? Why?" I hiss in annoyance.
"It's… best you don't remember me or the Zurui. You've lived your life as pure. To remember is to be tainted and Hokori will do that to a person. I want the best for you, too." Raven replies in a small voice.
I suddenly feel odd. I'm not sure what I'm feeling, but it isn't pleasant. I feel queasy and robbed. I know that Raven is only thinking in my best interest, but I also feel like I deserve to have my memories back. Is that too much to ask? I'm not sure at this point. I didn't know Hokori and the Zurui was this bad.
"I'm sorry, Serena. This is for the best. The fact that I told you this much surprises me. However, I did take you here for a reason. I want to help you get stronger." She says.
"Raven… can you give me a few minutes to collect my thoughts?" I ask in a quiet voice. Raven immediately nods.
"Of course. Let me know when you're ready." Raven then leaves me to my own devices. I lay down on the bench and look up at the ceiling.
My mind is thinking about multiple things at once. My first thoughts strays to Mom. Did she feel trapped being in the Zurui like Raven did or did she enjoy it more? Dad and I couldn't have been her only motivation to stay. I want to learn more from Mom. Also… Mom chose me over Raven and even moved on. Even though it seems like Raven moved on, I can tell she thinks about Mom often. I wonder if Raven slightly resents me for it. Probably not if she's willing to train me.
Another question pops into my mind: how did she get into a relationship with Dad and how did he feel when she felt like leaving? Did he help her leave or did he try his hardest to make her stay? It's hard to tell without knowing and even if Raven restored my memories of the Zurui, I would have been too young to remember. I wonder if Dad is even high on the hierarchy of the team. Part of me doesn't want to find out, but part of me know that I'll meet him eventually. After all, I know Ash wants to head to Hokori next and I want to see if I can become the next Hokori Queen.
It's odd that only in an hour I went from feeling like I knew everything about myself to feeling like I know nothing. I don't know what Raven means when she says she wants me to stay pure, but that makes me feel anxious. Finding out about the past shouldn't really affect me much outside of maybe changing my perspective on something.
I decide that I should call Raven back to begin training. I may feel unsettled from not knowing everything, but I will focus on what I do know. I call out for Raven. Within moments, Raven enters the battlefield again, but with an anxious expression.
"You had enough time to yourself, Serena?" She asks.
"Yes. Thank you so much." I nod and thanks her.
"Not a problem." She smiles.
"One more thing, though. Why do you want to train me?" I ask in curiosity.
"I've always wanted to train you, Serena. I thought it would be cool to have a little protégé to train since I don't have any children. I hated that Gracie wanted to prevent you from learning about your hybrid heritage. I felt like that was unfair to you and selfish of her, though I understand why she did it. She didn't want to put you in danger because of how hostile psychics and guardians are to each other. I think you deserve to become stronger." Raven answers immediately.
I feel a calm, warm feeling hearing Raven's interest in me, but sigh in sadness to see Mom's overprotectiveness kick in. I stray my thoughts away from that and get off the benches I stand in the middle of the battlefield, showing Raven that I'm ready to learn.
Raven nods back eagerly and hurries to the middle of the field. She tells me more about the beginner guardian technique: aura sparks and explains that the targets around the field were designed to help me aim the attack. Raven asks to channel my power from within until sparks can form on my arms and hands.
I begin to concentrate. I think about what Ash could do when he was in the first stage of the guardian conflict. I close my eyes. Slowly, but surely, I begin to feel a tingly sensation in my arms. My arms are beginning to shudder. Raven nods her head in approval when she sees blue sparks coming from my arms. The sparks slowly travel to my hands and I feel like I'm ready to proceed.
Raven tells me how to shoot that energy from my hands, down to my fingertips. She tells me how to aim my energy toward the targets and does it herself. Then, she gestures me to do it. I nod. It takes me a bit to learn how to aim. She states that it's important to learn this now so that I'm able to properly create aura spheres in the future. My sparks fly wildly and I even hit Raven a few times when I mean to hit a target. I apologize every time, but Raven laughs it off and tells me not to worry about it.
After about a half an hour of failing miserably, I finally strike one of the targets with my aura sparks. I gasp in both excitement and surprise and grin broadly. Raven nods in approval and encourages me to try that again. I do what she wishes and after a few hours of practicing, I know I have the technique down. Raven claps at me improving. We both notice that it's getting very late. I think it might be two in the morning here. It makes me wonder what time it would be in Kalos.
"Amazing job, Serena. We can keep working toward making you tuned to your aura more. Tomorrow, I have something planned, so hopefully that will get you excited." Raven says.
"It does. Thank you so much for everything you've done… from saving me to telling me a little more about Mom and you." I thank her earnestly.
"I… I'm glad for this. I'm glad to be getting to know you more." Raven says while clutching her chest with her hand. "I should take you back to Kalos now. Get a good amount of rest so when I come back, you won't be tired."
"What time are you coming back?"
"I normally work under the cover of darkness… but just for you, I can come back at sunset. Sounds cool?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, little princess. Time to go… home." I notice Raven hesitate when she said 'home'. I don't get much time to ponder why when she grabs my hand to take me back outside. Then, she sends out Drei and we both get on. However, before we take off, Raven taps my forehead. I suddenly get a small horn like mark on my left hand. I look at Raven, confused. Raven shows her right hand with the same mark, but larger. "This will help prevent you from being influenced by the gas again when we go past the trees. I'm not sure if it will work, but I have to try… even if I'm weakened from this."
"Raven…" I say sadly.
"I'll be alright. Now… time to get you to bed." With that, Raven and I took off for Kalos. True to what Raven said, I withstood the gas much better than before, though by the time we left the Death Zone, Raven's mark on my left hand disappears and appears back on her hand. She pants heavily. I get concerned, but Raven ignores me to focus on flying.
Eventually, we reach Clemont's house again. I only realize how tired I am when I get of Drei and stretch. I yawn softly. Raven chuckles slightly and gestures me inside. Then, she and Drei flies off, promising to see me later. Feeling exhausted, I go inside the house to see Rio hard at work to make Aurora's aura stable. I offer to help, but he immediately shuts me down and tells me I'm way too tired to help. However, he does offer a small smile of appreciation.
Barely keeping my eyes open, I give Ash a small peck on his cheek before finally heading off to sleep.
Raven steered Drei to a very dark forest. This is the place she felt most at home: Midnight Forest. The serene silence of the night combined with the beauty of such a gloomy wood made it a sanctuary among Death Zonians. It was the last natural area not destroyed for business or some other stupid reason. As long as she resided in Midnight Town, she was going to keep it that way. She flew to a clearing in the forest, waiting.
She laid down on the forest floor and took out all of her Pokémon. Raven had her Hydreigon, a Houndoom, a Drapion, a Sabeleye, a Bisharp and Pixelurk. They all looked at their trainer fully alert and immediately took guard. Raven chuckled at their protective nature.
"Thank you… but that's not necessary. I'm just enjoying being here a bit more than normal." Raven's voice broke the consuming silence. All of her Pokemon immediately relaxed slightly, but they still looked prepared to defend their trainer.
"Mistress… any reason why you're here in particular?" The Pixelurk spoke.
"I'm waiting for someone important. She should be here soon." Raven answered. She looked up at the duck filled clouds. As beautiful as this forest was, it made her sad that she couldn't see any stars in the sky. She could never see any stars here. That was the only drawback of being in this forest. The shroud of gas always covered the sky and the only reason it wasn't affecting her or anyone else in Midnight Town was because of the dense wood.
Her Pokemon knew how important Midnight Forest was to their trainer and had the same belief as her. They all wanted the best for the area. The Sabeleye laid down beside her trainer and frowned at the gloomy sky. She asked, "You think Aurora will actually find a way to reverse this one day? I want to see the sparkly stars again."
"I have to believe that she will. I can only do so much as a Gym Leader. She's done some work, but I know it's hard on her. I see the stress in her eyes every time I see her. She's our only Champion to become Champion for the Hokorian people, not for the glory or the Zurui." Raven replied. She closed her eyes and slammed the ground. "I'm complete scum. I've changed a lot, but it still doesn't feel like it's enough. Nothing I do will ever make up the sins I committed. At least I can help the hybrid…"
"Raven, don't be too hard on yourself." Another voice entered herself in the conversation. Raven sat up and looked lazily at the woman. All of her Pokemon bowed in respect to the lady. She giggled slightly. Raven rolled her eyes.
"Stop doing that. She isn't that important." Raven snorted. All of her Pokemon straightened up. The lady laughed again.
"Heh. I like how obedient your partners are. It's quite humorous." The other woman noted. Raven got up and playfully pushed her.
"Shut it, Mirabelle." She growled, then laughed herself. "How ya holdin' up?"
"I've been good. It's gotten pretty boring since I got back from Kalos. Things in Doki Doki have gotten too quiet for my liking. I wonder if they're planning something bigger than we realize. I wouldn't put it past that diminutive douchebag." Mirabelle folded her arms.
"I've been noticing the same thing. Charles nor Doku hasn't made any recent speeches flaunting off how important they are to the region and blah, blah, blah. Makes you wonder if they are working harder to expand the Death Zone gas while Aurora isn't here." Raven smirked.
"Well, Aurora did recently kicked Charles's butt really hard recently. The Zurui has motivation to work harder." Mirabelle revealed. Raven's eyes immediately grew as wide at frying pans.
"Really? Did she finally kill the bast-" Raven asked eagerly. She was so psyched that she was immersed in gray aura.
"No." Mirabelle immediately interrupted her and made a heavy sigh. The aura around Raven disappeared and she slumped slightly. Mirabelle continued to report, "She had the opportunity to, but she couldn't do it because of Nyxcipher psyching her out. He's gotten so accustomed to torturing her that he appeared in her thoughts outside of a dream. When I tried to help her the next day, he took control of me and forced me to fight both Aru and Aurora in their dream. Aru almost murdered me, but if it wasn't for Aurora sticking up for me, I… wouldn't be standing here."
"What?! Aru would never want to hurt you normally. What did Nyxcipher force you to do other than fight them?" Raven asked curiously. She folded her arms. Mirabelle grew nervous.
"Um…" Mirabelle couldn't meet Raven's gaze. Raven's grey eyes glistened slightly as she walked closer to her psychic friend. Mirabelle backed up until Raven's Houndoom stopped her in her tracks. The Pokemon showed his sharp teeth with a vicious grin. All of Raven's Pokemon surrounded her. Raven raised her hand, immersed it in dark aura and looked at Mirabelle with the same wicked grin as her Houndoom. Mirabelle sweatdropped. She knew there was no getting out of this.
"Mirabelle… Do not teleport away." She sang with an expectant, but flat tone. The psychic sucked her teeth.
"…Read my aura of the events that's happened in the past week if you really want to find out." Mirabelle crossed her arms.
Raven made the dark aura in her hands disappear and closed her eyes. She became surrounded in a dark grey aura. Mirabelle whimpered as she felt her aura being exposed. She felt jittery and an uncontrollable urge to run. Mirabelle never liked being under a guardian's mercy, but that mostly came from how she was raised. She had to remind herself that this was a familiar guardian that always stayed true to her word. This helped the lilac haired lady to relax.
Raven delved into Mirabelle's aura and gasped immediately when she read her latest encounter with Aurora and Aru. Then, she frowned.
"Mirabelle… you know Red is not the best person to talk about…" Raven was in such as shock that she spilled the words out. Mirabelle rolled her eyes.
"Obviously… which is exactly why the Reaper used him to set Aru off. I still feel so guilty for making them both watch that memory." Mirabelle held her head in shame. Raven felt bad. She gestured her Pokemon to give them space. They obliged. Then, Raven placed a hand on Mirabelle's back. Brown eyes met grey eyes. Both sets were soft and ashamed.
"Hey, at least it's better than me being in the same villainous team who took Aurora's son and husband away from her. I've killed so many in the name of the Zurui, it makes me sick. I've always wondered why she keeps accepting us for all of our misdeeds. She could easily kill either of us and yet… she always defends us." Raven looked up at the gloomy sky in thought. Mirabelle did as well.
They watched the moving shroud in silence. Since aura guardians are raised to hate psychics and vice versa, they both knew they would probably hate each other if it wasn't for Aurora. The amber eyed guardian was the glue that brought two adversaries together to be more accepting. Their bond had stayed strong since Raven quit the Zurui.
"I've always wondered why she does that, too. Maybe being partially raised in the Kanto region helped her be more open. I'm glad we all got to be friends. It warms my heart whenever we get the chance to hang out." Mirabelle smiled.
"Agreed." Raven nodded instantly.
Mirabelle then asked, "How is she, by the way? Is she in a coma like I predicted?"
"Yeah. She's four days in from what her Pokemon told me. How do you predict these things?" Raven wondered.
"There's something called being talented for the super natural." Mirabelle grinned.
"There's also something called being experienced with your powers, Miss Show Off." Raven rolled her eyes. Mirabelle chuckled. Raven continued, "I called you out here because of the hybrid, Serena. I thought you were messin' with me when you mentioned I would see a hybrid soon. I had thought before meeting Serena again that all hybrids are extinct."
"I had thought the same until I met her up close. Seems like she's the last hybrid. Also, I can tell she's a capable girl." Mirabelle said. Raven nodded her head in agreement.
"Yeah, she is. She performed both the aura grip and aura spark tecniques with relative ease. I think she's ready for you." Raven reported. Mirabelle seemed impressed.
"Good. I've been wanting to show her the beauties of psychics ever since I met her. I wonder if she and Anabel will becomes good friends. They seem very alike." Mirabelle said while streching herself. Once she was done, she was beaming. Raven seem skeptical.
"If your daughter is as spiteful as you can be… heh, I want to see how they would fight. My money's on Serena…." Raven mused morbidly.
"Raven!" Mirabelle looked afronted. Raven looked at her quizzically.
"You seriously aren't thinking about the dangers of your more… unsavory traits… being passed down? Serena is dating Ashton… and you told me how much Anabel was swooning over Ash after their encounter in the Battle Frontier. That's a recipe for disaster. Didn't you look into the future to possibly see Anabel's and Serena's initial interaction?" Raven crossed her arms.
"Constantly knowing what will happen is boring because it usually ruins the thrill of life. I only look in the future because of my job or because of something important, like… well, Aurora's situation. I don't want to spoil myself otherwise. Besides, Anabel is a sweet girl. I don't think anything will happen between them." Mirabelle said firmly.
Raven sighed, "That's what I thought with you and Aurora. We all saw what happened there. It's going to be a cycle reborn."
"Watch it, Raven. I don't feel jealous anymore." Mirabelle growled. Raven knew she was pressing Mirabelle too hard, but she couldn't help herself.
"Sorry. My candidness can get me into trouble from time to time. I didn't mean to end this discussion on a sour note. Just… heed my warning about Anabel and Serena meeting each other. I tend to know when something bad will happen." Raven warned her. Mirabelle looked gloom.
"Fair enough." She nodded.
"Also… out of all hybrids to meet, I never expected to see Gracie's child again. I thought Serena had died when Gracie left the Hokori region and that she was the last hybrid to exist. Gracie is a really good liar, it seems. I feel sad that Serena doesn't remember me, but hey, maybe it's for the best." Raven seemed very gloom.
"Raven…" Mirabelle felt sorry for Raven and felt an urge to console her. So did her Pokemon.
"Don't worry about me. Thank you for telling me about Serena. I'm so happy she's alright. Just… do what you can to help her. If Grace won't help her learn, at least I will try. I don't care what she thinks. Serena needs to be just as prepared as Ashton." Raven made a heavy sigh. She looked up at the lamenting sky. Her grey eyes seemingly grew heavier. Mirabelle was surprised she didn't call Grace 'Gracie' again.
"If you want, I can try to restore some of her memories. I don't like seeing you so upset." Mirabelle offered.
"That's not my call to make. It's Serena's." Raven immediately shook her head. "I… was too afraid to restore her memories today... so if she asks, do it on my behalf. Be sure you answer any question she has... because I'm too terrified to do it myself."
With that, her body turned as dark as the night as she and her Pokemon dissappeared from Mirabelle's sight. Mirabelle sweatdropped. She still wasn't used to seeing Raven turn into aura and the way she went about it made her frightful. She couldn't figure out why. Seeing there was no reason she should still be there, Mirabelle teleported away from Midnight Forest.
A/N: A pretty eventful chapter, yes? Character development all around :)
Here is the Pokedex entry for Pixelurk...
Typing: Dark/Fairy
The Mischievous Pixie Pokemon
Ability: Prankster
Entry: Pixelurk appears sweet and cute on the surface, but it actually a prankster at heart. It spends its free time terrorizing areas unfortunate enough to discover it. However, once caught, it forms a strong bond with its trainer... though it still may do a prank or two.
So a little bit of Raven's and Serena's past has been revealed! Of course, there is more to it, but we'll find out once Grace is comfortable enough to say something... what do you think of Raven's relationship with Serena and Grace? How will everyone grow? What about Bonnie and her nightmares. What about Clemont? So many questions... so little answers. I look forward to showing you those answers!
Until then...
Next Chapter: A Hybrid's Perspective: Bonnie and Clemont
~SPG123~