Chapter Fifteen: Convoluted Mess

Shinryu stared at the wall as he sat on the hard bed of his cell, his face dark and eyes filled with warring thoughts as a tempest built within his mind. Everything was on his mind at once as always, but the maelstrom was harder for him to control at the time so he just settled with staring at the stone wall. Hoping that things would be explained to him soon or that he could figure out the reason why he had been arrested in the first place. He was confused, angry, and lonely right now. Confused as to why he was trapped in a cell despite knowing he had the ability to escape at any time as this was just a normal detaining cell and not a real prison block. Angry at having been so rudely dragged from his friends for no reason. And lonely, because he could feel through his connection with his Guardian that she was feeling the same thing.

He didn't react as footsteps were heard and a figure stopped at the door, staring into the cell he sat in. "Shinryu?" He heard in a soft voice.

He chose not to face who said it. He already knew it wasn't the Officer Jenny that he wanted to speak to yet. He saw the games they were playing, trying to make him think that he was talking to Sarah when he knew the way she said his name. "You're not Sarah." He ground out, voice cracking with the force of him trying not to fly off the handle. "Stop fooling around."

The Officer sighed and walked away after putting a tray of food onto a shelf that slid into his cell. "At least eat something."

Shinryu rolled his eyes and kept staring at the wall. Even as his stomach growled. Fifteen hours had passed already. Fifteen long hours. He couldn't sleep, and he was too worked up to want to eat. He was tired of the games damnit!

More footsteps were heard and silence.

"... Shinryu?"

There she is. Shinryu thought before standing up. "Sarah." He walked over to the door and stood looking directly at one of several people belonging to the same family of Jenny. He looked her over carefully, seeing she was in civilian clothes.

"What did you do?" She asked breathlessly.

Shinryu snorted. "Like I'd know. I haven't been told a damn thing."

Sarah winced at his tone, and Shinryu mentally cursed his hotheadedness.

"Sorry." He apologized quietly. But then he looked fierce. "I want proof you are Sarah."

Sarah looked carefully at Shinryu. He's a wreck… She thought to herself. She reached out to him slowly, holding her closed fist out to him. And then she opened her hand and Shinryu gazed expectantly before nodding in satisfaction. The scar on her hand said it all in his mind.

She watched, her heart breaking a bit seeing her brother in his current state. "Are you okay?"

"No. I'm being detained without probable cause." He said quietly. But why?

Sarah moved her hand to cup his cheek. "I will find out why when I leave." She said gently.

Shinryu leaned against her hand, finding comfort. "I need you to do something for me."

"Anything brother."

"Go check on Night. A friend of mine is watching her and my pokemon at the Skyrise Hotel." He barely choked out.

Sarah nodded in understanding, well aware of Shinryu and Night's relationship since she was let in on the biggest secret her brother had shortly after her beloved had passed. "You got it Shinryu. Anything you want me to tell her?"

Shinryu thought for a moment, and nodded. "Tell her that I am fine and I miss her." He said quietly, just barely within the human's hearing range on purpose.

Sarah blinked. That's… Unusual. I need to find out why from Night. "Okay."

Shinryu reached up and held her hand. "Don't fret sis. I'm tougher than I look." He barely managed to joke. "Now go please?"

Sarah nodded softly and pulled back. "Eat up. I can hear your stomach protesting, and I know how you get when you are hungry."

Shinryu frowned but sighed. "Fine." He grabbed the tray and turned at the same time as Sarah, who departed. The Absol Chosen sat at his bed and started eating slowly, contemplatively. But then growled as he felt something.

A dark hooded figure stood at the door. "You are Shinryu. Birth name Richard Maxwell. Titles include Championbreaker and Dragonsong." The voice stated darkly. "Heheh. You aren't as reserved as I believed."

Shinryu looked over at the figure. "What of it?" He demanded.

"Merely… Curious. What ended up with your interment here at this detainment cell? What has the mighty Shinryu done?"

Shirnyu growled. "How did you get here? Guards!" He called out.

"Don't bother." Barked the figure commandingly. "They can't hear you anyways. You're hidden by a hologram of you eating and there are sound suppressors placed carefully to prevent our conversation from being heard."

Shinryu recoiled at the tone. "Who are you?"

"You will find out in time Chosen." The figure smirked under the cloak's cowl as Shinryu glared at him. "I have plans for you young one. But all will be revealed soon. Very soon. You see, you are a piece to a puzzle. A complex puzzle that requires me to use you last to complete it."

Shinryu scowled at the figure before him, irritated but unable to respond as he registered what was said.

"In three hours you will be freed. I cannot guarantee you will come out as a licensed Trainer though. This Trema League is quite stiff in its stance against crime. You see… Your crime was easy to pull off. Someone pulled some strings after your event yesterday with a certain Agent Onyx." He held up a hand, cutting off Shinryu's retort before it could be voiced. "Hold your tongue. Listen. The Agent you fought decided to play a game of faking a fraud. He took a sample of your blood required to get into your stock profile and screwed around with Triam Inc during the time it took you to arrive here in Skymarsh. The Company your Grandfather worked so hard to build from the ground up was destabilized sadly by his meddling. You lost everything you had Chosen."

Shinryu was stunned. But I have my answers now I guess… "What is your game?"

"There is no game to this conversation Chosen. Merely me trying to keep you in play for my puzzle to be completed eventually. I have a friend trying to plead your case to the League Council in order to retain your ability to participate in the Trema League. Be glad for it."

The snarl curling Shinryu's lips mad the figure chuckle.

"Now now. Anger gets you nowhere. I am neither an enemy nor an ally at this point. Do not push my hand towards wanting to be your Enemy. I could end you quickly." Smiling slowly as Shinryu stopped snarling, the figure kept speaking. "However you do have an enemy I cannot point out. He is close to you, someone you know. Someone you think you can trust. Perhaps someone you'd defend because you firmly believe them innocent?"

Shinryu's eyes narrowed. Hayato. He thought before looking away. Did he do this?

"You have suspicions of someone? Don't act on them." Shinryu blanched. "For you might be thinking of the wrong person. I don't know. As I said, the person is masked to my Presience."

Shinryu snorted.

"Be wary of everyone."

"But you said that the person was male."

"Correct. Be careful young Chosen. I need you alive and remaining in the League." The figure soon vanished in a swirl of smoke that cleared away leaving nothing behind.

Shinryu glowered at the spot the figure had stood, his fury growing at what he had heard. I am being used, and mocked! Bah! Then he sighed reluctantly and finished his food before laying back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling above him. Night… I will be by you soon I hope.

Night paced around the room she was in with Amber, growling in worry. Shinryu… I hope you're alright. But at least I know you aren't dead. She thought dimly.

Amber watched the Absol pace restlessly, still stunned at what had happened the night before. She had watched as Shinryu was arrested and then given custody of his pokemon as a guardian. To be honest… I'm touched that he trusted me to watch over his pokemon. I haven't wanted to let out any of the others, because I fear that Night's mood is contagious. She is worried sick over her master and friend. She sighs and goes to the fridge and pulls out a complimentary soda and cracks the lid open to drink it slowly. I gotta admit. I'm worried as well, and if Shinryu could call his girlfriend I am sure she'd be just as worried if not more.

Both pokemon and human were distracted and alert as soon as a knock was heard at the door.

Night perked up with a hopeful look as Amber got up and answered the door, but looked crestfallen as she smelled a different person behind Amber.

Amber blinked. "Officer Jenny?"

Sarah chuckled. "One of several after all. But I am from Hoenn and got here as soon as I could."

"Why?" Amber asked.

Sarah smiled. "I'm Sarah Jenny. Shinryu's adoptive sister."

Amber blinked in surprise as Night pushed her aside to look up at Sarah.

Sarah looked down at Night. "Hey Night. How you holding up with him gone?"

Night let out a whine, unable to talk to her friend yet.

Sarah knelt down and hugged the Absol tightly, and Night relaxed slowly. "I visited him." Sarah whispered into her ear discretely. "He's fine, at least physically. But he is distraught and for good reason, I found out from him they didn't tell him why he was being detained before I left."

Night's eyes widened slightly. "When can I see him? Is there anything you can do?" She whispered back.

"Not right now. All I can do is hope." Soon Sarah stood up. "Amber, mind if I go on a walk with Night?"

Amber nodded quickly. "Yeah, not at all. I think she could use some time to not be pent up in this room." She then handed the Pokeball that was Night's, and Sarah closed her hand around it.

Sarah nodded to Night, and she turned to leave with the Absol as Amber sat down to stew after closing the door.

The figure who had previously been in Shinryu's presence appeared in a large meadow outside of the reaches of the marsh around the City. "Hmm… Shinryu is quite the puzzle himself." He muttered as he lowered his cowl. A hard hawkish face came into view, with a deep scar marring the left side of his face that had disabled that eye a long time ago.

Another figure entered the meadow and lowered their hood, revealing a beautiful female who smirked. "Is the plan going along nicely?"

The man nodded. "Yes. Shinryu took the seeds of doubt quite well I might add. He knows one of his friends did this, but not who. Because honestly neither do I."

The woman chuckled. "And you will not know. Our Sponsor is very secretive of his reasons."

The man shrugged. "Either way, we get paid and have amazing resources at our disposal."

Another figure walked into the meadow. "And I pay you handsomely. I trust everything is in order?"

The man nodded, not at all perturbed the figure wanted to keep anonymous. "Everything is." Including my own plan.

The figure chuckled, the voice completely androgynous and indistinguishable for gender. "Well. Good." And then the three of them vanished.

Shinryu was pulled from his short nap by the sound of keys jingling and the cell door opening. Sitting up, the irate trainer looked up as the same burly Officer stood at the door.

The officer just remained passive. "Follow me, or do I have to make you?"

Shinryu grunted and rolled his eyes in annoyance, but complied nonetheless as he stepped out and let the Officer cuff his hands again. He followed him with a brooding look to a room with a series of TVs and a webcam on a table viewing a single chair.

"Sit." Commanded the Officer, and Shinryu reluctantly sat at the chair knowing what was coming.

One by one, the TVs started displaying faces he recognized: Lance the Dragon Master, Steven Stone the Iron Genius, Cynthia the Golden, Alder the Inferno, and a face he didn't recognize appeared on the last screen.

Alder spoke up soon… "Shinryu the Dragonsong. You stand accused of Criminal Fraud. We have compiled evidence that you have started a Counterfiting ring." Shinryu looked at his friend from Unova, and was glad he heard doubt in his voice. "However we also have evidence you are innocent. For hours your case was pleaded before the Council of Champions and then the League Syndicates for your charges to be dropped and allow you to remain in Trema. However we haven't come to a full decision yet, but we cannot allow you to remain locked up for a crime you haven't been PROVEN," Shinryu noticed Alder glance towards Cynthia's TV screen. "guilty like some believe."

"Shinryu, due to the circumstances…" Lance started reluctantly. "... Your battling privileges in Trema have been revoked until further notice. You cannot challenge or accept a challenge of anyone until they are restored. Also, your assets and property have been seized and are on hold until the charges are finalized in either direction."

Shinryu flinched slightly at this. "I see…" He said in a hollow voice.

"You may not know me Shinryu," Said the person he didn't recognize. "But I am the current Trema Champion. My name is Tessia. I do not have any opinion of what is happening, and I have no reason to believe you are innocent or guilty. But I do have your Reputation at heart and managed to get the Trema Syndicate to be lenient on you until things have been decided."

Shinryu nodded slowly. "I understand Tessia."

Steven finally spoke up. "You do, however, have a permanent room at the Hotel. But you cannot leave the room. You are also under house arrest for two days when we convene again once more evidence has been collected. I am sorry my friend, but that was the most I could do."

Shinryu nodded again. "I thank you for your kindness my friend."

Steven smiled slightly, and soon the TVs became black.

This prompted the Officer to have Shinryu stand up and he escorted the sulking Trainer to the Hotel.

Sarah stopped in the middle of the empty park and looked around a few times before sitting at a bench. "Alright Night. Can you tell me what happened?"

Night sighed. "Not that I know of. We had just gotten to the Hotel last night before he was approached and arrested. His rights weren't even read to him and it was so confusing."

"He was really worried about you Night. More than anything I could tell he wanted me to tell you he missed you… What is that about?"

Night fidgeted a bit. "Promise not to tell anyone?"

Sarah smiled a bit. "You know me Night."

Night sighed softly and looked away. "Me and him are… Together." Smelling confusion she sighed more. "As mates."

This made Sarah blink in surprise. "What?"

Night rolled her eyes and began explaining what a Chosen and Guardian were destined for as gently as she could.

Shinryu was pushed roughly into the room that Amber was in and fell flat on his back, but he was glad the cuffs were removed. "Ow…" He muttered, not realizing he wasn't alone.

"Shinryu?" Asked Amber in surprise, making him jump out of his skin and enter a ready stance for a fight.

Slowly Shinryu realized who it was and lowered his fists. "Oh Amber. Where's Night?" He asked with worry.

"Sarah took her on a walk."

Shinryu blinked but then relaxed a bit. "Thank Arceus…" He grumbled soon after and slouched into a chair. "But now for some bad news. I'm under house arrest, and to top it all off facing false Fraud charges!"

Amber cringed. "Fraud? How?"

Shinryu sighed. "Don't ask. I wanna say when Sarah gets back with Night."

This made Amber nod. "Understandable. But… What of the League challenge?" She asked softly with concern.

"It's on hold until I can battle again. As I said, my battling privileges were revoked."

"... You never said that…"

Shinryu blinked. "Oh… I have a lot on my mind. Well now you know."

"I'm sorry this is happening to you Shinryu… You don't deserve this. And I am sure your girlfriend would feel pretty bad about you too when you call her."

So Night did behave. Shinryu thought idly before nodding. "Yeah… She will be."

The two adults went silent after that, but Amber could tell Shinryu had sunk into a brooding state of mind. Poor Shinryu… I feel bad for him. You know what, I'm not gonna battle either and help him cheer up. Amber pulled out her Trainer ID and walked over to Shinryu. "Here." She offered it to him.

This made the brooding male blink in surprise and shock. "Amber?" He asked uncertainly. "What are you doing?"

"If you have my ID I cannot battle because it means you're still processing a payment for me losing a battle to you that was suspended during your privileges being revoked." Amber said quietly. "I feel like it'll be easier for you to cope with being set back… If someone you know stayed with you to keep you company the whole while."

Shinryu looked down at the bronze colored ID card before shakily taking it and putting it in his pocket. "Amber… You have no idea what you're doing for me."

"Yes I do. I'm helping a friend. Even if I am told you cannot be shared… I still want to be friends."

This placed a small smile on Shinryu's face. "Well, who am I to deny you that?"

He then turned to the door just as it opened, smiling a bit more as Sarah walked into the room with Night.

Sarah blinked before darting forward and pulling the startled trainer into her arms, hugging him tightly. "You're free now?!" She exclaimed.

Shinryu chuckled a bit. "Yeah yeah. I am. Thanks for walking Night, I don't think I'll be able to."

Sarah blinked. "Why is that?"

Shinryu frowned a bit. "Why don't you all take a seat and I'll tell you three?"

Hayato dodged a stray Thunderbolt that rocketed his way. "Etheria! Use Scald on that Stunfisk!"

Etheria hissed and sprayed steaming water all over the electric and ground pest that had attacked his Trainer. Soon the Stunfisk fainted.

"Damnit!" Growled the Team Chaos grunt who recalled the Stunfisk. "You'll be sorry kid!" He roared before running off.

The temple was in chaos. Hayato stood back to back with Mark, who had a strong looking Flying type pokemon as his partner. He had found the Gym Leader, but accidentally set off a trap which led to what seemed like hundreds of Grunts swarming their way and attacking them ruthlessly.

Mark looked back at Hayato. "Your pokemon doing okay kid?" He asked calmly, despite the deep gash on his arm. Thankfully, it wasn't bleeding too badly after a quick tearing of a shirt and wrapping it as an impromptu bandage.

Hayato grunted. "I only have Etheria and Draxio still in fighting shape. You?" He countered.

"My Zephyren is all I have left. I hope it is enough. Their pokemon may be weak, but they have the advantage of numbers." Mark turned to face the ten grunts that remained while Hayato faced the ten that he had left as well. "I hope we get out of this intact. I never expected such a huge operation down here."

Hayato nodded grimly in response, a bruise on his cheek courtesy of one of the Chaos nightsticks.

Amber, Sarah, and Night all stared at Shinryu with dumbfounded looks after he finished his story. But the four of them could agree on one thing… Things have definitely gotten more complicated than they had ever expected for the man before them.

"Shinryu…" Sarah started. "You mean to say you were approached by someone who knew what you were?"

This made the only male in the room nod silently.

Amber frowned. "What is a Chosen?" She asked suddenly, making the other three flinch a bit.

Sarah looked at Amber and was about to speak before she was interrupted. And it wasn't by Shinryu.

"A Chosen is what Shinryu is. He technically isn't human anymore, and has a strong bond with a Guardian. Now to answer your questions I see, yes I can speak like you. And a Guardian is a pokemon directly linked to Arceus. We are stronger than normal pokemon and have a strong bond with our Chosen." Night started, figuring it best to explain everything. "We Guardians and our Chosen aren't exactly a new concept, but we've been hidden in recent years because of the society that might fear our potential or want to experiment on us if discovered. Precious few non-Chosen, like you and Sarah, know of us and we try to keep it that way out of concern for not just ourselves but that if people wanting to get at us went after you people to get at us. I am the Absol Guardian obviously, and there are lots of other kinds of Guardians out there. But pokemon that aren't fully evolved cannot be a Guardian unless they evolve by certain means outside of growing in power."

She couldn't hide her smirk as everyone blinked in surprise.

Shinryu frowned. "I thought there was a Guardian for every pokemon?"

Night giggled. "No silly… It is counter productive for that. There'd be multiple Blaziken Guardians if that were the case. Or Charizard, and Lucario. But you get the point I hope."

This made Shinryu nod slowly in realization. "That… Makes a bit of sense."

Amber slowly raised her hand, getting everyone's attention. "What else is there Night?" She asked with a voice full of latent shock.

"We can both sense a Chosen with ease." Shinryu said calmly. "Guardians are trickier, but what the real kicker is… The Chosen and Guardians are each other's soul mates."

Amber looked shocked even more at this.

Night nodded. "Indeed. I do not know everything about how Arceus set us up, but I can say with full honesty a Guardian is always the opposite gender of his or her Chosen."

Soon Amber passed out and slumped onto the bed she was sitting on, making the rest of the beings in the room go quiet.

"Well…" Sarah started. "She took it quite well. Think she can keep your secret lil' bro?"

Shinryu shrugged. "I know she can. If not, I know how to make her forget everything. But you don't seem surprised by me and Night being together."

"Night told me after I persuaded her with questions."

"Hey!" Night exclaimed, making both adoptive siblings laugh at her outburst.

"Well, no harm done." Shinryu admitted calmly. "At least you took it well sis."

"Now I know why you had such horrible luck with the ladies." She countered.

"Hey, Rose don't count."

"Who said she did?"

"You implied it."

"And?"

"Grrr."

"Getting mad little one?" Sarah asked smugly.

Shinryu tackled her to the ground and pinned her below him by sitting on her back.

"Hey! Get off me!"

"Not until you apologize."

Night rolled her eyes and shook her head. What a bunch of kids. She thought and laid down on a bed before falling asleep. It's gonna be a long two days…

Thunder rolled in the distance as lightning struck at a tall black pillar, illuminating deep engravings upon the ebony surface. With a brilliant flash brighter than the rest, another bolt struck the pillar and a large menacing form could be seen from inside.

"Hurry up men!" Yelled a man wearing ornate armor and wielding a spear. A large white beast at his side with a black scythe on its head howling to the sky as the pillar cracked slowly. "We have to seal it away quickly! This is our only chance! Harrow the storm! Arceus is watching over us!"

The men worked heavily with pokemon, a huge variety obscured by darkness as they rushed to complete the ritual.

The commander looked up suddenly as a piece of the pillar fell and was about to crush someone important. He moved quickly with blinding speed, catching the tumbling piece with a sickening squelch. The man grunted in pain, but held the shard fast as the ritual made the air thrum with power. Looking up, he smiled weakly at his companion that moved to his side with concern in its dark crimson eyes. "I'm sorry love. I had no choice." He confessed even as blood dripped down his mouth, his chest split open from the sharp jutting of the shard that had pierced armor, bone, and flesh.

The pokemon nodded. "It is alright." It spoke, a soft feminine voice heard. "You did what you had to, and we have no regrets. We will meet again in another life, I am certain of it."

The entire area became bathed in pure white light before everything went black.

Shinryu bolted upright from his spot next to Night, panting as he broke out in a cold sweat. He panted heavily, wiping his forehead as he tried to clear his mind. "That dream was so real…" He murmured quietly. His hand felt his chest, he could still feel the pain of that man. And the voice of that strange pokemon was so familiar to him.

Shinryu looked around the room carefully, and heaved a sigh as he stood up after making sure Night remained asleep to walk towards the balcony overlooking the inner courtyard garden the Hotel had. Leaning against the railing, Shinryu stared into the distance quietly. What was this dream? I haven't had one so lucid and could remember it completely. It must mean something…

He jumped a bit as a hand touched his shoulder. "Shinryu?" Asked Amber quietly from behind him. "You okay?"

Shinryu closed his eyes before turning to face the woman before him, who was clad in a camo pajamas. "I'm not sure. Today has been a long day…"

Well here is another Chapter. I hope everyone enjoys the effort I am putting into this. Forgive me if I am not writing as many words as I usually do, but I am easing back into things. And sorry for not as much Hayato spotlight, I am changing up the structure me and Du Mar had settled on while we were coauthors. Originally, this was a story about Shinryu after all. Anyways, Read and Review please. But if you have anything bad to say about this chapter or anything else, I kindly ask you PM me instead of putting a derogatory Review.

Sincerely,

Veloran