Chapter 10

Wes went only slightly slower than he did the other times he drove the bike. That was probably because I was sitting in front of him. I'll admit, it was unbelievably comfortable leaning back against Wes. From time to time he'd wrap an arm around me to make sure I wasn't falling off. It was unnecessary but relaxing. Espeon and Umbreon were looking on from the sidecar, laughing to each other secretly. Wes noticed but just rolled his eyes and continued.

I thought the rain had only hit Pyrite Town, but it turns out that the rain hit a much larger area than that. The desert for a what I guessed was a whole fifteen miles was drenched in nothing but rain. Not a single grain of sand was left untouched by the storm. In lower areas, the water puddled. Woopers and mudkips splashed about happily in these areas, laughing gleefully. On the other hand, disappointed sand pokemon sat on the banks of these, scowling. As Wes flew past, two sandiles and trapinch bit at the bike. Espeon knocked them backwards with a wave of confusion. As we disappointed in the distance, I heard them shouting in protest.

By the time the muddy regions of Orre started fading behind us, a lush prairie greeted us. The wind rolled over the emerald blades like waves. Where there wasn't grass there were flowers. It had to have been weeks since I'd seen grass. Ever since I'd been camping out at Outskirt Sand since the walk from Kanto, I didn't think I'd see grass anytime soon. I would've started traveling up here eventually when I got bored of southeaster Orre, but it would've taken longer. Much longer. And the desert was something I didn't like crossing on foot. Now that it was was laid out before me, it was better than I imagined.

It was beautiful. It was breathtaking. And for the first time in the longest while I'd known, there was someone beside me. Company, that's Wes had called it. Were we friends now? Only time would tell. Eventually.

Wes revved the engine. The bike took off even faster, kicking up flowers in its wake. The smell of soil and grass mixed with the scent of river water washed over us. Just as quickly as it had appeared, a river crossed our path. Wes only had to slightly adjust so we could travel beside it. Espeon and Umbreon looked over the edge of their sidecar where their sparkling reflections greeted them. They smiled and showed teeth as if there were pieces of food stuck in them they were trying to spot.

Now the terrain was getting a little rougher. Wes had to time when he could go fast or risk hitting the side of a taller hill. He swerved here and there to avoid rocky outcropping covered in grass until the plains opened up again.

There it was: Agate Village. It had been built right on a ragged island in the middle of a large lake, connected to land only by an old wooden bridge. We stopped right in front of it. Good thing he didn't pull closer because it would've been quite the ways down the water. There was no sand, just a short drop off to the water than a startlingly long way down to the lake floor. I doubt anyone had ever made it to see the bottom.

Espeon and Umbreon jumped off first to look over the edge and lap at the clean water. While they fueled up, Wes carefully helped me off the bike. The ride had left me sore, but not enough to where I couldn't walk. I would be just fine.

But my grandparents, what would I say to them? It had been so long since I'd seen any of my family, why would I have to start here? More importantly, what would Wes think when he found out why I was here in Orre?

I watched him as he pet his two pokemon lovingly. They licked his cheeks and purred at his touch.

Maybe he'd understand. Maybe he wouldn't care what made me leave.

The bridge was long enough for Wes' bike to cross it easily, but he abstained from using it. It was big and loud, the last thing he wanted to disrupt the peace that sat over Agate Village like a thick fog.

We stepped onto the cool, damp grass of Agate Town. The air smelled fresh; I could finally get a full breath without having to force my lungs to suck in more. Everyone in my sight was either old or very old, each and every one with a pokemon hopping up by their sides. There were no baby or half-evolved pokemon. Only fully-evolved, heavily muscled yet gentle pokemon around. They padded beside their trainers chewing on berries or nudging them along. I even saw a blastoise helping an old woman reach an apple from a tree that was too tall for her to climb. Agate Village was the retirement home for Ace Trainers. It was so peaceful.

An old man bending over a cane was just about to stroll by until his mightyena saw us. At first he didn't know what was off about us. His nose worked to sniff the air. Then, his tongue lolled out of the corner of his mouth in a dopey smile. He barked at us.

"What is it, boy?" The mightyena barked again in my direction. The old man grunted and reached into his pocket, where he pulled out a pair of huge glasses before wiping them off with his shirt. They slipped down his face when he put them on. Then he adjusted them and saw Wes and I. "Oh my. Rui, is that you?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "Are Grandma and Grandma in town?" I walked up to him, Wes a ways behind me. The old man blinked at the espeon on my shoulder.

"Oh my. I didn't think you'd have another pokemon with you after…" He glanced at Wes. "After the accident." My partner narrowed his eyes.

"She's not my pokemon. She's his." I stepped to the side. "Herald, this is Wes. Wes, Herald."

"Oh my. A boyfriend, too?"

"Nononono," I said quickly. "We just-" Wes held out his hand to interrupt me.

"Pleased to meet you, sir." Herald took his hand and shook it.

"A firm grip, a noble stance. My, my! You've caught yourself quite the man, young lady! How long have you been gone? Six months?" He adjusted his glasses. "Or was it seven, I wonder…" Wes released his hand. "Anywho, your grandparents were terribly worried about you, Rui. They've had people searching Hoenn for the past week."

"Hoenn?" I asked. How far did they think I went? Hoenn is literally its own island. Did they expect me to swim across? "Nevermind that. Are they at home?"

"Yes. Haven't left for longer than a day in case you showed up." Ok, now I felt bad. I really worried them, didn't I? Wes was probably piecing together that I had run away by now. His expression was guarded but his eyes were still narrowed in thought. Great, now it felt like the hug I had given him that morning was for nothing.

"Thanks, I'll talk to you later." I started across one of the many bridges in Agate. This time, Wes wasn't the one who didn't check to see if my partner was following me. I could hear him following. If he wasn't staring at me, trying to piece together what was going on, I didn't know what he was doing.

Agate was like Phenac in the fact that it was multi-leveled. However, unlike the Oasis City, this one had no straight paths. Everywhere we went we had to swerve around and cross bridges to find the stairs to the next level. It was confusing especially considering how much time had passed since I'd been here. Even though Wes was sure to know the way, he followed me. It was embarrassing. What a stupid way to avoid talking to him.

Finally. We were at the biggest house in the whole place. It was right on the top of the town, too. You couldn't miss it whether you'd been in Agate or not. Grandma and Grandpa's house was carved out of the giant trunk of what used to be a redwood tree. It was like walking up to an elven fortress. They had been in the town the longest, so it was only what they deserved.

I stopped at the door. Was I really going to do this? Was I really going to face them? They'd more than likely be mad. More than that, they'd be disappointed. Oh, how I hated to see them disappointed. That was worse than upset, angry, or sad. Great, now I was psyching myself out of it.

"Rui?" I looked up from my feet. Grandpa Eagun had just opened the door to his house in preparation to leave. Instead, there was his missing granddaughter on his doorstep.

"Oh, um, hi." I said, waving weakly. He couldn't believe it. He had to think about the situation before realizing it wasn't a dream.

"Where have you been?" he asked, leaning in close to my face. His white beard mustache were neatly trimmed, just as always. He hadn't missed a single hair while he arranged them into that spiky fashion that made him look like a kung fu master. His breath smelled of fresh berries. I tried to lean back, but he would've just moved in closer. "Um, I was traveling."

"Traveling? By yourself?" He spotted Wes in the background. Then he said something that made my heart drop into my stomach.

"Wes, my boy! How long has it been?" Wes smiled.

"Too long, Eagun." Grandpa walked past me and gave the pokemon trainer a huge hug. I watched them both, pale in the face. What was happening? He knew Wes? How?

"Oh, is Wes here?" Grandma poked her head out the door. "Oh, and Rui, too? Wow, what a reunion." She walked out in her pink skirt and white turtle neck. "Give Grandma a hug, Rui. It's been so long since anyone has seen you!" She embraced me warmly. Usually Grandma Beluh wasn't too happy when I broke the rules. This was completely different from what I thought. My whole expectation of this scene was being turned upside down. I hugged her, my arms trembling. When she pulled away, she greeted me with a soft, wrinkly smile. "My, look at this darling Espeon! Is she yours?"

"No, honey," Eagun laughed, clapping Wes on the back. "That's Wes' right here!"

"And she's letting you carry her?" Espeon purred loud enough to hear and swished her tail happily. "Oh my, that smile! What a perfect friendship you two have!" Grandma's face was suddenly concerned. "We've been worried about you, little girl."

"Indeed we have," Eagun boomed, suddenly in my face again. I held up my hands and stepped back. He followed me. "What do you think you're doing? Traveling all the way to Orre, and for what? You could've been killed and we would've never known."

"Oh my. Look at the bandages on this one." Grandma pointed out the one thing I hated to them to see the most.

"Bandages?" He glared at me. I had no choice. Slowly, I turned my back on him so he could see what the bandages were hiding. I wasn't sure if there was any more blood on it or not, but he seemed to know that what had hit me nearly killed me. "A dunsparce," he snapped. "What were you doing, messing in a dunsparce den?!"

"It wasn't a den," Wes intervened. "Please, if we could speak inside." Eagun glared at me again.

"I suppose you brought my boy Wes to try and soften the fall when you came to see us," he snapped. "Or did he force you to come here when he saw that you were my granddaughter?"

"Um, what?"

"Neither, sir." Eagun looked to him again. Wes had a stern expression on his face. "I had no idea that Rui was your granddaughter. I knew you had one missing, but Rui and I met only by chance." He held the door open for him. "Please, after you."

I had never been glowered at more in my life than at the table right then in there. Wes was explaining everything to Grandma and Grandpa, but only Grandma seemed to be listening. She made eye contact with the capable trainer and nodded to show she was listening. Grandpa, on the other hand, sat on the opposite side of the table just to cross his arms and try to burn me to death with his blazing glare. What else was there to do while your family was doing that? I tried to smile, apologize, and look away, but he was adamant about staying like that. The whole story, fights, battles, action and all, he wouldn't budge.

He only looked away when Wes finally said that I could see Shadow Pokemon.

"What?!" He stood up, nearly toppling over the table. "You can't be serious?!"

"We have confirmed it," Wes said. "She's the only one we can rely on. The other one I've met was faithful to Team Snagem, and she went missing after the explosion."

"That means you can't ground her, Eagun," Grandma Beluh said, folding her hands on the table. "She's got to go out with Wes."

"I don't want Rui running away again!" Eagun boomed. "She's been gone for eight months! Eight months I tell you! Look how thin she is! How beaten up she is! How she's survived this long is nothing short of a miracle!" He slammed his hands down on the table. "How could you think to involve her in all this?"

"Now, Eagun. If you had been paying attention, you might've noticed that Rui wanted to join him from the start. Wes only agreed to have her join. Then they realized she could see Shadows."

"That's only putting the blame on me!" I nearly shouted. Eagun leaned across the table to better glare. He was so close that the table has leaning in my direction. I swallowed.

"Please, Eagun," Wes started. He pushed off the table and sat back down.

"She can't join us, Wes. She's too vulnerable." Wait. Us? Does that mean- "The mayor won't approve of someone her age assisting in Shadow Pokemon affairs. She is to stay here and never leave. That's final."

Beluh sighed. "You're so stubborn. Can't you see that young Rui is traveling with Wes?" She stroked Espeon, who was curled up in my lap. "Surely you can't ask for a more capable trainer than him?" He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He was actually thinking about it.

"Are you guys in the same thing as Wes?" I asked her in a low voice, hoping not to disturb Grandpa. It worked.

"Yes, dear. We have been for quite a while." He picked up her cane and laid it across her lap. "Your father knew Wes before Eagun and I thought to start searching for a way to cure Shadow Pokemon. We didn't think to involve him in it until Team Snagem started showing interest in him. We had no choice but to trust him as a spy so we could get word on how Shadow Pokemon were made and how to capture them." She nodded at him. "It's a good thing, too. Young Wes accomplished almost everything we needed to get done."

"Then Team Cipher kicked in," Eagun mumbled. "Team Snagem were just researching and learning about Shadow Pokemon. Team Cipher were producing and strengthening them."

"So you guys are the head of the all the Shadow Pokemon stuff," I assumed.

"Bonding Shadows," Wes said softly. "The group name we decided on is called Bonding Shadows."

"Which she will not be a part of!" Eagun said again, slamming his fist down on the table.

"Eagun," Beluh sighed.

"I can assure you she is in safe hands."

"Obviously not!" He jabbed a finger at my bandages. "Look at this! All these wounds and she still refuses to pick up a pokeball!"

"Please, if you'd-"

"NO!" Eagun's face was red. "You shall not take her anywhere" He jabbed a finger at the able-bodied pokemon trainer. "Wes, you are to continue without her. She is in far too much trouble to even consider going out of the house, even for a pint of milk!"

Wes paused. He stood up, walked over to me, and helped me to my feet. Then, making the cutest begging face I had ever seen, put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me close. "Even if we're dating?"

Eagun's jaw dropped. Beluh covered her mouth, giggling. All the color drained from my face. Was he serious? Or was he trying to get Grandpa to let me go with him? Either way, the question took me by surprise. What the hell was going on with my life right now?

"Oh my," Grandma said with a smile. "What a coincidence! Fate must be on our side, Eagun. Your favorite granddaughter dating your favorite spy. What more could you hope to ask for?" Eagun was frozen solid.

"You… you've got to be kidding me." He put a hand over his eye. "Wes, you can't…. It's not… Argh! Why would you put me in a position like this?!"

The sound of wood hitting the floor startled me. As soon as I turned around a boy zipped past, nearly knocking me over. He looked a bit younger than me, maybe fifteen or sixteen. He was sweating and had small scratch marks on his face like he had ran straight through some shrubbery. He was in so much of a hurry that he had knocked down the door to Eagun's house.

"Eagun, it's a serious situation! Some outsiders went into Relic Forest!" Grandpa's expression changed entirely. "I tried to stop them but they had these weird pokemon that tried attacking me!"

"That's enough, boy." He turned to Wes. "Follow me, I'm going to need you."

"I'm coming with," I interrupted. He scowled at me, ready to protest, but he had no time.

"Fine." He whipped around the table and started out the door, Wes and I on his tail. I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I checked to make sure my feather was still sheathed on my back. Thankfully, it still was. Espeon hopped up on my shoulder, ears twitching.

Relic Forest wasn't a simple walk away from Grandma and Grandpa's house. We had to go down almost every incline and across every bridge in the town, winding left and right to get to it. One would think that it would more than well hidden because of that, but apparently not. When we darted past the waterfall a hidden tunnel opened up to us. Grandpa ran straight through it, blindly running into the darkness like he could see through it. I could hear him enter yet as soon as I emerged into the light on the other side he was nowhere to be seen as cave continued onwards. There was, however, two Team Cipher Peons holding out their pokeballs to me.

"Old Man may have passed us up," the girl on the right said, "but you two are going to stay here and battle." She released a kirlia at the same time her male partner let out a baltoy.

"Umbreon," Wes called. The dark type jumped off his shoulder and bit the kirlia on the arm. She screeched and jumped backwards, but the eeveelution held tight. She ended up injuring herself more by throwing him around then actually taking the time to yank him off. Baltoy jumed in, prepared to use confuse ray. That's when Umbreon let go and the move instead hit Kirlia, who started stumbling around like a drunk.

"You idiot!" the girl snapped. "Aim for the umbreon, not my kirlia!"

"Get your stupid pokemon out of the way, then!" The boy waved his hand. "Baltoy, rapid spin, go!" His pokemon made a clicking noise before throwing his arms and giving himself the momentum to spin around like a dreidel. Umbreon waited, leaning down on his front paws and wagging his butt like a cat prepared to bounce. When the pokemon drew near, he hit the pokemon with the hardest feint attack he could manage. Baltoy stopped spinning and was thrown backwards into Kirlia, who had already fainted from hitting herself too many times.

We didn't even wait for them to process what had happened. We just ran past and deeper into the tunnel. It sloped downwards slightly so we were able to pick up speed until the brilliant exit at the bottom opened and swallowed us whole. I stopped to let my eyes adjust.

There was another power ranger, this one silver. He was slightly different the others. He had a slicker helmet and what looked like a fin branching off the forehead. His suit was clean and slick, almost like he was ready to race cars. He was taller than the other ones we had seen, thinner too. If anything, he looked more intimidating. Standing in front of him was my Grandpa and his pikachu.

His wounded, defeated pikachu.

"Hey!" I shouted, darting past Wes. The silver Cipher Peon watched me, bored, as I drew the skarmory feather and stepped between them. "Get away from my grandfather!" The silver peon smirked.

"Grandfather, huh? It's unusual to see a girl protecting an old champion." I bared my teeth. "Don't get angry at me. I beat the old man fair and square. It's only natural that you listen to me now."

"Never!" I pointed my weapon at him. "Leave! Now!"

"You don't scare me, Rui. Not with that wound." He knew my name. I was probably famous now that I'd beaten Miror B. "Why don't you get out of the way so your old man can tell me how this place works? I won't hurt you if you do." He took a step forward. I held firm. His smirk vanished. "I see how this is."

I didn't remember seeing a hitmontop next to him, but apparently I had missed it. When it leaped at me, I barely had enough time to retaliate. At the same time his kick landed on my stomach, his leg was graze by my metal blade. She didn't get enough time to harm me as much as she wanted. She jumped backwards and landed beside her master. Unable to stay up on both legs, she spun herself using the point on her head.

I dropped to my knee. Ow, ow, ow! She hadn't hit me hard enough to open the wound but the jolt had shaken me. Damn, how was I was worthless until I was healed, wasn't I? I should've watched my back. Then I wouldn't be in this mess!

Wes, goggles over his eyes, stepped between me and the hitmontop. It was faint, but the hitmontop flashed black. Wait, was it a Shadow Pokemon? How had I not noticed that before? It would've been useful a few moments ago. Was I losing my touch?

"It's a Shadow Pokemon," I told him. "The Haze is faint, but I can see it."

"Faint?" The silver trainer laughed. "You must be blind." He pointed at Wes when Espeon and Umbreon took the field. "Go, take them out in one hit."

Hitmontop cackled in reply. Her body tilted to the side and she took off in the direction she leaned. Espeon was barely able to dodge as it sped towards her like a tornado. The moment delay gave Wes enough time to prepare a Snag Ball. Hitmontop saw him throw it and jumped to her feet, a wild smile on her face. She willingly let the ball capture her. But after two shakes, she burst free, tearing the device in half like a piece of paper.

"You think you can capture her like that?!" he laughed. "Hitmontop is one of the best weapons of war there is. If you want her to go with you, you'll have to pry her ball out of my cold, dead fingers!" She held up her fists, red eyes ready for a battle.

"Umbreon, Espeon, get her HP in the red!" Wes portrayed no emotion as his eeveelutions darted forward, fur standing on end. When they started closing in from the sides, Hitmontop spun once, knocking the two of them different directions. Espeon fell into the shrubbery while Umbreon skidded to a stop against the stone path. Now Wes was starting to look concerned.

"Attack whoever you please, Hitmontop!" he laughed. "We control the field now!"

She laughed loudly before jumping back on her feet. Wes' pokemon were still trying to gather what was happening when she charged at him, laughing like a broken record. My partner held up his hands and braced from impact. Hitmontop took to the sky and brought her foot down, but it wasn't him she hit.

It was the edge of my blade.

She squealed like a dinosaur pokemon. It was the opposite foot that I had grazed when she tried to attack me, so now it pained her to stand either way she positioned herself. All her body weight had been put into that single move. Blood trickled between her toes.

"Rui," Wes whispered, surprised.

"Pokemon or not, I'm not letting you hurt anyone else!" I held the feather horizontally across my face. "I'm your opponent now, Shadow!"

Eagun And Beluh Found Rui!

Eagun Is Enraged!

Rui Challenges Hitmontop To Battle!

Saving Game…

Game Saved!