The Mask

"See, there are supposedly ten weapons made in the image of legendries. Four of them belong to each of the four rulers, myself included. This is the Sol Staff, capable of producing blinding light that can actually physically damage you. Of course, it can do other things, but I'll keep those secret, especially from you, thief."

The Jolteon sighed as she put emphasis on the word "thief". "Can't you just drop it already? I already apologized."

"What are the other ten sacred weapons?"

Sharl thought about it, then said, "I know that Princess Elaine of the North region is armed with Crystal Bow Lucia. It's supposed to freeze your innards with just one shot, and the arrows can be manipulated mid-flight as well."

"You know her, don't you?"

Sharl smirked. "Smart one. Yes, Elaine is my best friend. She's a year older than me, but she and I have bonded closely. Unlike me, Elaine though…

"What do you mean by that?" Kai walked a little bit behind the other two. He had wanted to come along with them for similar reasons to Lloyd; to face the strongest around. Sharl hadn't been happy, but since he had agreed to carry their stuff, she had grudgingly allowed it. And Lloyd knew that the Jolteon would be good company, since he was as smart as them.

"She's more serious," she said thoughtfully. "Lloyd knows I can be flirtatious, but she cares less about sex. She has numerous suitors, and brutally beats them in combat. And her looks… I haven't seen her in a year, but she's widely regarded to be the most beautiful Pokemon within the last century."

Lloyd shrugged. "Beautiful or not, she'd better be ready to get her ass kicked."

Kai huffed. "Brutally beats them in combat. Cool. Sounds like my kind of battle."

Sharl sighed. "She is my best friend… but I'll admit…" She huffed in embarrassment. "She's taken down some of most well known warriors… she defeated the Southern Warlord Victor despite his massive type advantage."

Lloyd paused. Victor was widely regarded as the most powerful in close range combat, and even Lloyd's master had believed that. For her to take him down… "She's a Glaceon, right?"

"Yes."

"And Victor is a Flareon."

"Yes. So… she's that powerful." That did excite Lloyd.

Kai smirked. "Powerful…"

Sharl shook her head. "If I gave you two as much trouble as I did, you're going to have to do better."

"Tsk, you've got no idea. I can do much more than the things I challenged you with." Lloyd drew his sword. "Persephone… she loves blood."

Sharl tilted her head, then shook it. "That demon blade… I don't like it."

"I don't expect you to. A sword in your gut isn't something you should like. You never felt this sword gash you, but Princess Elaine will." Lloyd slashed through the air hard enough so that a small shockwave of wind flew from it. He sheathed it again. "I went through the hassle of beating you, Sharl. I don't intend to lose, regardless of gender."

Lloyd barely had time to avoid a punch Kai flung at him. "Don't be getting cocky. I want my own chance to take you down. Of course I want a rematch with the lady here as well."

"Bring it on. I don't need Lloyd's help to flatten you!"

Lloyd was actually curious to see them fight and learn their styles, but he was equally eager to meet Elaine, and injuries would be a pain to deal with during their travels. "Come on now, you guys can fight each other while I defeat Elaine."

Kai was holding his mask in his hand, and Sharl's eyes glowed bright pink. Finally, both of them backed down.

"If you say so," murmured Sharl.

"Tsk, whatever," grumbled Kai. He tossed the mask and caught it behind his back before walking a little ahead. "Let's go, we've only been walking for a few hours."

Sharl sighed. "This would be so much easier if it was just the two of us."

Lloyd pulled off his outer cloak. "Kai's a proficient fighter as you know, and you'd probably continue to try seduce me."

"True," she admitted, a little grudgingly. "I suppose it's better this way… though sex has been proven to increase physical abilities…"

Lloyd decided to ignore that comment. "Victor is the ruler of the South, and Elaine rules the North. What about the East?"

"The tactician Leviathan rules there. Nobody has seen him, but he's supposedly so powerful that he causes storms that destroyed coasts. He doesn't even face challengers as far as I know."

Lloyd decided to worry about the mysterious Leviathan later. "What are the known powers of her bow?"

"It's made of ice that cannot be melted, while the arrows are formed by her ice type attacks. She specializes in long-ranged combat, but she's accurate enough to the point where she's impossible to close in on. We'd often spar using soft-tipped arrows, and I could never hit her. She was highly nimble as well. And I only suspect she's gotten stronger. Actually, I expect it."

Lloyd thought about it. "Hmm…" He began outlining a plan of attack. Deep down, he realized an archer would have a terrible matchup against a swordsman like himself. Lloyd was great at hand to hand and at sword combat, but other than dark pulse, which was easy to see from a distance, there wasn't much he could do. Even his invisibility would be useless if he couldn't do anything.

Sharl was echoing his thoughts. "She is a long ranged fighter, while you're close-ranged. I stayed at a medium range from you, but she could be hundreds of feet away and still get you…"

Lloyd didn't want to reveal his 4th and final move to Sharl or Kai, but it was likely necessary to get the advantage over Elaine. Still, it was a last resort. "I think I'm okay. I've sort of got a plan."

"I hope so. I don't want to see you get mauled," she said, hugging his arm. "You're both my friends, so don't hurt her too bad."

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"My god… Kai…" Sharl's mouth hung open, food still in it. "This… w-what is this?"

The Jolteon shrugged. "It's just some mushrooms, salt, a few bitter berries, and some vegetables your chefs gave me. I tossed in a few peppers too. Personally, I've cooked better…"

Lloyd looked at the bowl of broth skeptically, then took a spoonful. I guess I should trust his cooking… Lloyd ate most of his food raw. Fish, berries, you name it. It was eaten raw to preserve all the nutrients. But the soup. Oh wow… Lloyd felt his eyes widen. "This is fantastic, Kai!"

"You too?" he grumbled. "It's nothing special." The Jolteon closed his eyes and took a sip. "It needs some more salt."

"Where did you learn to cook like this?" Sharl leaned over.

He sighed. "I don't really think it tastes that good. I'm pretty much all self-taught as a cook."

"I normally don't eat cooked foods… but this is impressive," said Lloyd. "You're going to have to cook for us from now on."

"Yeah right."

"I'm not kidding," said Sharl. "I defeated you, and now you're my servant." She brushed her long hair. "I want food like this each night."

Lloyd pondered that statement. "Well, I did defeat you…" He covered his mouth thoughtfully. "Well, you are my servant, aren't you, Princess?"

"Oh, I'm fully aware of that!" She winked at him. "I'm more than willing to let you…" She blushed, looking both mischievous and embarrassed. "Well, control me…"

Lloyd sighed. "They say us guys are sex-crazed. You're a slut."

"Hey, I only say that because I know you're not going to do anything. And this is my normal dress too," she protested. Then she sighed. "Why are we even talking about this anyways?"

"I'm not cooking," grumbled Kai.

"Fine, I'll beat you again then!" said Sharl, standing up.

"You're on, princess!"

Lloyd stood up, and pushed the two of them apart. "Now now, injuries are going to postpone my fight with Elaine. I say you two have a competition."

"Huh… what do you propose?" asked Kai.

Lloyd snapped his fingers. "My master would always train me in games to make me more cunning and faster thinking. Pure combat would be risky, physical strength would favor Kai, special attacking Sharl, so a game of wits and attention will decide the cook."

The Espeon rested her hands on her hips. "Well, what's this game?" She sounded curious, and Lloyd grinned.

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Lloyd watched as the two eons looked for Lloyd. He had decided on a game of hide and seek. Simple in concept, but very advanced strategically as well. If you could guess where an opponent would hide, you could easily win.

Sharl huffed. "Go away, you're going to try catch him after I find him."

Kai shrugged. "Strategies, princess. Rather than waste my energy looking for him, I'll stay by you and think on my own."

Lloyd chuckled inwardly. You'll never find me like that, Jolteon. How disappointing. I thought you were as smart as us.

"You're an idiot if you think that," snorted Sharl. "As if I'd let you. You may be quick, but I've got some other advantages."

"Like what?"

"Breasts… cuteness… hehe, Lloyd can't resist touching them."

"WHAT?" The Jolteon shook his head. "You let him touch your boobs?!"

"Yup… in the hot spring, our bodies naked…"

"Hngh… that's indecent for a princess like you!"

"Oh, I'd only let Lloyd touch them though. His hands were so soft…"

"Stop it, now I'm imagining it! Bah, I'm going away! You big distraction!"

She giggled. "Gotcha. Now now Lloyd… I'll find you."

Lloyd grinned, then removed his cloaking. "You pervert… distracting him with scandalous lies. Impressive strategy though, since he is quicker than you and tailing you would be a problem for you."

She grinned. "Just who do you think I am? You knew I would've found you first, so that's why you showed yourself. Though that is cheating…"

"Don't worry, I want him to cook too."

"Hehe. That makes two of us." He looked at where the Jolteon had vanished. "Now that he's gone…"

"We can ha-"

"Shush." Lloyd sheathed his sword, not needing its cloaking. "You tell me about your friend Princess Elaine."

She sighed. "More interested in her than me, huh. Very well. I'm sure you've done your research on her, so I'll tell you about her style more. She's a master archer, capable of manipulating the trajectory of her frozen ice arrows mid-flight. Her sheer accuracy means that if you're in sight, you're probably already a goner. And since she likes to battle in her frozen palace, there's many places for her to hide from you. I've visited the palace and played with her there; she knows how to hide there, and I wouldn't be here if she hadn't been using fake arrows. I know you've beat me and that you're powerful, but Elaine… she knows that she's invincible at long range. A swordsman like you… roughly zero chance you'll get close enough."

Lloyd snorted. "Just who do you think I am?"

"I'm telling you you're being too confident. Elaine cannot be defeated by a swordsman, no matter how sk- EEP!" She yelped as the Umbreon pushed her to the ground, one arm holding her from hitting the ground, the other covering her mouth.

"Come on now. I'm a dark type. Stealth is my whole advantage. She can see what she wants to see, but can she see the truth?"

"Lloyd…" She blushed. "T-t-taking a lady by force… l-like that…" Her face was red. "You're strong…"

Lloyd helped her back to her feet. "As long as I'm in the shadows, as we are now, I can deceive. I believe I can defeat her this way."

"Revealing a weakness like that…" She dusted off her dress, seeming to regain her composure. "That's a mistake in most cases. I'd normally use that… but you…" Her face became reddish again. "Let's just go."

I see. Not afraid to be flirtatious or even indecent, but you are flustered if you're not expecting it. He smiled. You're funny, princess Sharl.

"Wh-why are you looking at me like that?" She brushed her hair. "Let's find Kai and tell him the news."

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"I still can't believe I lost to a girl," grumbled Kai.

"Twice," added Sharl.

Lloyd and Sharl decided just to keep quiet about their little agreement. "Let's get moving again. This has been a very long lunch break." The sun was well past noon, and the grassy green plains brushed in the wind. The distant snowy mountains didn't look much closer than when they left the city. "You said two to three days right?"

"Yes. It should be about that." She looked towards the mountains, where some clouds lurked. "Those clouds… that's right where Elaine's land begins. I anticipate we may encounter some guards."

"No problem. They'll be games for us." Kai smiled. "If you're going to challenge the queen, then I think Sharl and I at least deserve the guards."

Lloyd sighed. "Whatever. As long as I can achieve my goal…" He looked up to see the other two in the distance already. "Well well… now they're motivated. I suppose that's not a bad thing though…"

The three eons continued towards the mountains for the remainder of the day, and partially into the night. Eventually, Sharl started to feel sleepy due to her being a Sun Pokemon, so they decided to spend the night near a small lake.

The Espeon invited Lloyd to bathe with her, but he politely declined. "Yeah… not tonight. I've got some thinking to do."

"Feel free to join me, then…" she said with a yawn.

Kai sipped some tea he had prepared and sat across the small fire they had built. "She's a strange one, the princess. She's a complete flirt, but becomes a monster in combat." He exhaled loudly. "Of course we're all sort of like that."

Lloyd had not thought of it that way. Do I change? "It is quite lonely. Aside from my master, you two are the only two who think like I do."

The Jolteon sipped his tea again. "Tell me about it. All four of the rulers, including Leviathan the Gyarados are all extremely intelligent. But other than that… there aren't a whole lot of logics."

"Logics… I like that term." The two males drank silently, the sound of bug Pokemon breaking the silence. The mountains were a little darker against the already shadowy night sky, and the air was already much cooler, though Lloyd didn't know if it was because of night or the mountains. Splashing sounds came from the lake, and Lloyd ignored it.

"She's hot, don't you think?" asked Kai.

"Why are you talking about this?"

He shrugged. "It's natural. That's what guys our age talk about. So what?"

"Sort of. Though it is rather distracting. Do you disagree?"

"No. She is quite stunning, though she is a little strange." He smirked. "I can tell you're a little uncomfortable with this discussion, so I'll drop it." He sighed. "Tomorrow, I'm sure we'll reach it. We moved so quickly this afternoon that we'll hit the mountains tomorrow night."

"That's good. You've been there before?"

The Jolteon's eyes flashed for a second, then he stood up. "That doesn't matter. I'm going to go wash off," he said hastily, before going off towards the lake.

Lloyd sat there alone, near the crackling fire. Something about the Jolteon's reaction unnerved him. Obviously, he was hiding something, but what? Lloyd put his cup down on the grass. "I've got a goal… but what about the other two?" It was clear Lloyd had some other motive other than just becoming stronger.

"You're overthinking, Lloyd." He jumped back in surprise. Sharl was sitting next to him already.

"How did you get there?"

She yawned. "I don't know. The other times, I snuck up on you, but this time, I wasn't even trying to be quiet. You looked lost in your thoughts." She pointed to the lake. "I saw Kai head down there a little while ago. He didn't even look at me." She frowned. "Did you say something to him?"

Lloyd shook his head. "Not really." He decided not to tell her about the Jolteon's reaction. "How was the bath?"

"The water was cold, and I'm still a little wet. Though I suppose I am rather pampered, all used to the warmth of the spring."

"Is the princess complaining?" he teased.

"I lost my mother not too long ago, and didn't complain. You think this is worse than that pain?" She looked away.

Lloyd had nearly forgotten that Sharl had not been the ruler for very long, and that her mother had been killed very recently. It must have been hard for her… but she's doing her best to move on and lead her people. "I'm sorry. I heard your mother was a very good queen."

"She was. I always looked up to her. She was very beautiful, and trained me in her image. More graceful, smarter… but she always refused to challenge me, saying that peace was the best decision and that conflicts should be sorted out that way." She sighed. "While I'm not certain, I suspect that peace-loving demeanor is what killed her." The Espeon looked away. "I cried for a long time, but to keep to my mother's wishes, I will not seek revenge."

Lloyd took a deep breath, then gently asked, "Who did it?"

"It happened along the South-eastern border of our land. The rumor is that they were surprised attacked." She flinched slightly, as if she remembered the sight. "They found her and the guards' bodies. Blood all over… no other traces."

Lloyd held her hand. "It's alright."

She looked at him, eyes teary. She wiped the tears away. "Thank you… Lloyd… I… it's nice to talk to you." She swallowed.

He looked up at the stars. "I can relate."

She paused. "So you lost a parent too?"

"Both." He didn't at her, and specifically kept his mind blank to keep her from reading it.

The Espeon tightened her grip. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." It's my fault anyways. He felt the Espeon look at him in surprise, but she was silent. "Don't be," he repeated.

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The next morning, Lloyd woke up when it was still dark. Near him was Sharl, and Kai slept on the other side of the fire that had died overnight. He stretched, then sighed loudly, and stood up. He looked around for his sword, and picked it up once he found it.

He looked at the others who were still sleeping, and headed towards the lake. The sand shifted beneath his feet, and the gentle sound of lapping waves calmed him. He exhaled, then drew his sword and threw off his cloak in preparation for his daily training.

Lloyd wouldn't think a whole lot while he trained, and today was no exception. Nothing like sweating out before the sun rose. He lost track of the time, and eventually wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Training hard, huh?"

Lloyd didn't need to turn around to recognize Kai. "You're up early."

"Same as you." The Jolteon slowly walked in front of Lloyd, just outside of his slashes and stabs. "I was just coming to get some water to boil. Huh. I'm surprised that you get up this early to train."

Lloyd rested his sword on the ground. "I'm an Umbreon. It's only logical that I train when I'm strongest."

Kai held up a finger. "Increased strength, speed, and darkness powers. I've researched the strengths of each evolutionary path of our kind."

This irked Lloyd a little. Becoming an Umbreon hadn't been is choice. "Are you saying Jolteons are superior?"

The Jolteon shrugged. "I'm not saying anything. Each species has strong and weak matchups against one another. In my case, speed was the optimal decision."

Lloyd grunted. Nice save. His decision to become an Umbreon was a sore spot for him, especially since it was closely tied to his parents. "Whatever. If you're just here to irritate me, you're doing a good job."

The Jolteon held up his hands defensively. "Normally, I'd challenge you, but you're all warmed up and it's still dark." He smoothed his long hair. "I've got a piece of advice for your battle with Elainc."

"What?"

"She's the coldest, most distant of them all."

Lloyd buried the blade into the sand. "I thought you didn't know her. You seemed happy to know about her as a strong opponent." He crossed his arms. "You tell me what happened."

Kai locked eyes with him, an unspoken contest. Then the Jolteon sighed. "Fine."

He sat down on the sand, and Lloyd copied him, lowering himself using his sword. "Who are you?"

"Eight years ago, when I was eleven," began Kai. "Eight years, I was a young Eevee. Projected to be the ruler of my country, the Northern region, or Niren as we Northerners call it. I'm from a royal bloodline that has existed for over hundreds of years, as is my sister."

"Sister?"

"Princess Elaine."

It all made sense now. Oftentimes, siblings would fight for power over a land. "So she defeated you?"

"Yes. We were both very young, and both made our decisions of what to evolve into. Both of my parents being Glaceons, as well as all of my ancestors, led to a lot of favoritism to her." There was no bitterness in Kai's voice, only a hint of sadness. "Clearly, she won, since she was trained by my parents personally who taught her how to properly use her powers, and I had to train alone."

Lloyd knew pity would upset the Jolteon, so he asked, "Why did you become a Jolteon then? You full well knew what would happen with that decision."

Kai sat up. "See, that's what I like about you. No pity at this time." Kai bit his upper lip, then said, "It was rebellion. I was tired of it. Everyone thought they could control me, and what happened to me. I evolved to revolt."

Evolve to rebel. "So you had your match with her, and they banished you."

"Well, there's more to it than that, but yes. Simply put, that is."

"So how will this help me?"

"You're not seeing it are you? She is the leader of the entire nation. She's got a reputation to uphold, and if she loses to you…"

"You're implying she'll be reckless and more aggressive? So what if she loses? Sharl is okay…"

"Nobody else from Princess Sharl's family is fit to rule. If she loses, our parents may very well retake the throne from her."

Lloyd pulled himself to his feet. He knew for a fact that those with something to fight for were more dangerous. He didn't understand how that would help him. "Thanks, then."

"I hope you figure out what I'm saying."

"I get it," lied Lloyd, pulling his blade up and walking back.

"Tsk. I hope for your sake you do."

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"How are you today, princess?"

A beautiful Glaceon bowed down. "I am well, master. You?" The ice-type's blue hair dangled down, and her dark blue eyes reflected her master's reflection. She wore a long, light blue dress, designed to be light and covering. Her bangs swayed in the icy night, and she held her bow in one hand. Anyone who saw her would certainly agree with her title as most beautiful Pokemon, as even her voice was beautiful, in a surreal way.

"I am well." Next to her stood a slightly taller male wearing a royal blue cloak. No Pokemon in Niren knew of his species, or where he came from, or even his age. It was all a mystery, and Elaine would never tell anyone about him. Rumors existed that he was Elaine's brother, or that his face was so badly scarred he needed to cover it with a cloth that covered his entire nose and mouth.

"That's good to hear. You summoned me?"

A cold breeze blew across the balcony, the cloaked figure's cloak and Elaine's dress fluttering in the wind. "Princess Sharl was defeated by a mysterious Umbreon."

"An Umbreon? Obviously. Sharl has no chance against a dark-type," said Elaine calmly. She brushed her hair behind her ears. "Why does this concern me?"

"He's heading here next." The cloth muffled the Pokemon's voice. "I hope you're ready."

"Did he kill her?"

"No." He quietly turned to look out across the frozen mountaintops. "She is travelling with him."

Elaine gripped her bow. "Why?"

"I do not know. It's very illogical, especially since she cannot hurt you. But can you hurt her?"

"Of course I can. You've trained me mentally."

"Training isn't something that can be tested with more training. You know the strength of bonds."

The Glaceon exhaled, then softly said, "I will defeat them. I will not lose my throne, whatever the cost."

The masked figure looked up at the stars. "Good." His voice didn't change as he added, "I've got matters to attend to."

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"Was that the last of them?" Kai held up the body of an unconscious Mightyena guard. "I thought they'd be tougher," he added with disappointment.

Sharl sighed. "I took most of them out. You hardly did anything. Even Lloyd could have done more."

Lloyd had just waited in one of the guard towers, arms crossed as the other two obliterated the guards. As Kai had anticipated, news had spread of them trying to challenge Elaine, and the guards had attacked once they had seen him. Kai and Sharl had flown in immediately under orders not to kill, just disarm.

"You guys are too slow," yawned Lloyd. He threw his sheathed sword over his shoulder. "We'll need the rest of the day in order to reach Elaine's palace."

"As if you could have done better," grumbled Kai. "Whatever."

"Brr… it is getting a little chilly. When we were children, Elaine would always come to us, not the other way around. Now I know why… eh?"

Lloyd threw his outer cloak at her. "Use this."

"But aren't you cold?" He shook his head, and Sharl blushed. "O-okay."

Lloyd started walking ahead. "Kai, are there any more guard stations along here?"

The Jolteon thought about it, then said, "No. I haven't been here for awhile though, but I think that there won't be trouble."

"Wait up…" Sharl slipped on the cloak as she caught up. "You've been here before?" Kai grunted before walking ahead. "Hey, that's-"

Lloyd rested a hand on her shoulder. "Don't."

The Espeon stared at Kai for a moment longer. "I don't get it…" She turned to Lloyd. "You know something, don't you?"

"Not now." He tightened his grip comfortingly. "You'll find out soon enough, and Lloyd is going to need his fortitude to visit Princess Elaine."

"I… see." She lowered her arm, and stayed next to Lloyd as they walked through a valley. "Elaine… she was always playful. I met her when we were 10… she and her brother would visit as our parents were good friends, and the North and West have a strong history together."

Lloyd blinked. "So… why isn't she playful anymore?"

"She… she told me her brother was killed in an avalanche. She never got over it, and grew more and more distant, and more focused on becoming stronger."

Silently, Lloyd listened. "Hmm… did they ever find her brother's body?"

"I don't know. It's not like I asked."

Lloyd looked ahead at Kai. He does have it rough. His parents won't even acknowledge him… though I suppose it's still better than me. "Kai, how much longer until the palace?"

"Nightfall. Though…" He whipped around and threw his dagger straight at Lloyd. Lloyd briefly was horrified until he saw the panic in Kai's face as time seemed to slow down. Out of nowhere, a pointed chain flew straight at them, but the dagger knocked it away. Lloyd had time to push Sharl down, anticipating another attack. But it never came.

"Umbreon…" Lloyd felt a hand on his shoulder, and froze. How… did they get so close? "Princess Elaine wishes to speak with princess Sharl alone…"

Lloyd narrowed his eyes, and kicked the unknown figure in the stomach. Lloyd turned around to see the cloaked Pokemon. His eyes were an intense blue, but that was all he could see. "You're going to kidnap Sharl?"

Immediately, the figure's eyes flashed, and the chain came out at Lloyd quicker than Kai. Lloyd barely had time to try cut the chain as it flew towards him. He thought he cut it, but the edge still hit his side, and Lloyd felt blood trickle from it. Much to his horror, he hadn't actually cut the chain, and felt it wrapping around his ankle. What it this?

"Stop!" He heard Sharl shout. "Let Lloyd go!"

The figure froze, and the chain slowly untangled itself around Lloyd, slithering back to the mysterious male. "As you wish princess. I hope that you understand that Elaine wishes to speak to you alone, before your impending battle?"

"How did you know that?" asked Lloyd, mind racing.

"Elaine has connections all over. She already knew Princess Sharl was defeated by an Umbreon. It's only logical that she was probably next."

"I will go with you," murmured the Espeon.

Lloyd held his side. "Don't. You can't trust him…"

"Don't worry about me." She smiled at Lloyd. "Elaine wouldn't hurt me. We're friends."

"No, don't…" Lloyd held out a hand, but she shook her head.

"Take me to Elaine."

Lloyd turned to Kai, but the Jolteon's feet had been frozen to the ground. "Kai-" When Lloyd turned back around, Sharl and the mysterious Pokemon had already vanished.

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"Lloyd… are you alright?" The two of them had walked for hours in silence, with only the crunching of the gravel which slowly became snow under their feet. Night had descended an hour ago, and it was very dark.

He heard Kai's voice. "I… I'm alright." In reality, he was not okay. Lloyd had been confident; nothing could surprise him. Except for a Pokemon whom would have killed Lloyd by now had Kai not noticed him and in the same time had tapped him on the shoulder. And to top it off, the Pokemon had gone and taken the Pokemon whom he considered his best friend and he hadn't been able to stop it. But all of Lloyd's training taught him to keep calm and not to panic. There had to be something that he was doing that made him so stealthy…

"Lloyd… don't get down on yourself." Kai punched Lloyd lightly in the shoulder. "I'm excited. He'll be a strong opponent whom I guarantee we'll get to face someday. Strong Pokemon attract other strong ones."

Lloyd nodded. Yes… no point getting own now. I'll face him later. "Do you know who he is?"

"I wish I did… but no. I have never seen him before." Kai looked a little puzzled. "I do wonder what or who he is… his style of fighting… a chain that was edged but also knew an ice type move… hmm…"

Lloyd thought back to the battle. He hadn't heard or seen anything at all. Oftentimes, dark types were the stealthiest, and he knew that. But the chain bothered him as well… his sword hadn't been able to cut it. It wasn't hard, but it was pass through. "Was that a sacred weapon possibly?"

"It could have been… but I don't have as much knowledge as Sharl when it comes to that. My sister probably could identify."

Lloyd had almost forgotten about Elaine after his battle with the mysterious Pokemon. "So your sister is expecting us. She won't attack us now, right?"

"No. Like you and me, she is fascinated with power, and she'll enjoy the chance to battle strong enemies like you."

"So you won't battle her?"

"No. I won't, and certainly don't plan to."

"Why?"

Kai huffed. "If I beat her, since she's the ruler, my parents may very well…"

It didn't need to be said. Kai didn't want his sister to be hurt.

"I see. If that's the case, then… then I'll beat her. But won't they punish her if I defeat her?"

Kai shook his head. "I may have been dishonored and my parents say that I'm dead, but I can take care of that alone."

Then Lloyd froze. "There… is that it?"

On the top of the mountain they had been moving up was the massive palace. Lights illuminated it from the night sky as snow slowly began to fall. "Yes… that is in fact my home. The Niren royal palace.

Alright, please read and review!