Revival Chapter 14: Trial by Blue Fire

Despite the gender of Ash's pokemon being not known, I will give them genders. Quilava is a female, while Buizel, Staraptor, Torterra, Pikachu and Glalie are males (their genders have been confirmed mostly, except for Torterra. Because having asexual pokemon can be just awkward.

Also, I wish to apologize for posting these next two chapters very late. I typically post on Fridays, but because of school work and medical issues I was unable to post on my regular schedule. Now I'm relatively on track now and to make up for the delay, I'm going to post the next two chapters instead of one, this one and the next one. Thank you for your patience and sticking by me.

Night was quickly falling on the small cave where Ash and Misty was staying at. Quilava was in a corner of the cave, Ash's jacket and other fabric goods drying on the heat vents on her back. Ash was still beside Misty, placing a gauze pad on her wound. It was a jagged gash, deeper in some places, shallower in others. She still hadn't woken up yet though, which worried Ash greatly. He didn't have Pikachu nor Brock, so he was unsure how to tend to injuries this severe. He pulled the gauze pad away from her leg, checking the rate of bleeding. The bleeding had slowed down to a trickle, but it hadn't stopped completely. He did a mental checklist. He cleaned it, and placed a disinfectant on the wound, then the gauze. It just seemed so futile, since she wasn't waking up.

"Man, Mist, I'm so sorry," he said finally, into the gloom. "If I hadn't did the Aura Sphere, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess." As he said it, his hands started to glow as the Aura flowed through his veins, as if it was reminding him of his mistake. Whether by instinct, or something else, he tentatively pulled the gauze pad away from the horrific wound and placed his hands just a few inches above it. Without guidance from him, the Aura flames spilled over from his hands, seeping into the wound. Before his eyes, the wound began to knit itself from the inside out, fueled by the Aura. Ash knew it was Aura and not something else; he felt the steep drainage of strength whenever he used Aura. The cave took on a blue glow as the healing process continued. A few heartbeats later, the wound was completely healed, with only a faint scar to show it was even there. Color rushed back to her face and she took in a deep breath. Ash, scrambled back, stunned by the turn of events.

Her eyes fluttered open and she started to choke on the water she inhaled in the river. She pulled herself upright, her hands going to the wound. Ash watched as she inhaled sharply as she realized that there was no wound. She whirled around and she caught the gaze of Ash, who looked embarrassed. "Wh-what just happened?" she stammered, looking at Ash's glowing hands.

"I-I don't know," he replied, glancing down at his hands. The glow began to subside, dimming the cave. "I think I just healed you, I think."

She tilted her leg, studying the thin scar. "I think so too. Where are we?"

"I don't know. Buizel found the cave, not me."

"How did we get here?" Clearly, she didn't have a crystal clear recollection of the events.

"You-you fell into the river. I went in after you."

"You saved me?"

"Yeah, that's how we ended up here."

"I realize that." she paused, clearing her throat. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Saving my life."

"Oh." the cave was cloaked in silence as they were deep in there own thoughts. Ash shuffled uncomfortably, for his jeans were soaked from the river. He glanced over at Quilava, who was asleep, curled into a ball, heat radiating off her like a furnace and noticed the blanket draped over her heat vents. He reached over and grabbed it off. Quilava opened a half lidded eye drowsily, then went back to sleeping. He offered it Misty. "You look cold. Do you want it?"

She was taken aback by the gesture, but she took it gratefully, nonetheless. "Thank you. What about you?"

"I'll be fine, I promise. I can just sleep next to Quilava. She's warm." Quilava brought her head back up and shot him a look to say 'as if'. She shook her head and went back to sleep, wondering how many more times her trainer was going to disturb her rest. Ash grabbed his jacket, which he had taken off earlier and dried, and turned it into an improvisational pillow. He closed his eyes and fell asleep rather quickly.

Misty remained awake however, the blanket warmed by Quilava wrapped snugly around her. The heat radiated off the blanket, warming her to the core. She stared off into the darkness, the roars of the river pounding in her ears. Today's events flew by in a flash, like the currents that took her away. If it wasn't for Ash, well, she might have not survived the day. She shuddered at the thought. Her eyes tore away from the inky blackness of night, to rest on Ash's sleeping form. He had a horrible habit of snoring, one that seemed to escalate as a teenager. He saved her life twice today, but neither of them knew how he did it the second time. The memory of the Aura on his hands and the look on his face rose up again and couldn't help but feel concerned for him. This Aura, it changing him, in more ways than he probably wanted. The thick fabric of the blanket brushed against her bare skin, breaking her away from her thoughts, giving her an idea.

She crept forward, careful as to not to wake him. She sat next to him and shifted the blanket off her shoulders and she draped it over his back. She paused, realizing that they would have to share the blanket, if she wanted to keep warm. Misty flushed at the thought of being in such close proximity of him, but survival instincts kicked in. Besides, two people next to each other was warmer than just one, right?

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that," she thought with a snort. But sleep was starting to override any sense she had and she finally gave in, crawling under the heated blanket, falling asleep with her back turned from Ash.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Blaidd and the others managed to find a cave up further along the path. The others had finally fallen asleep, after a dinner conducted in somber silence. Blaidd berated himself for allowing Ash to do such a thing. What he did was incredibly stupid, even though some would have thought it as brave, maybe even noble.

"But 'noble' doesn't get you anywhere, especially after you jump into a raging river." Blaidd prodded the dying flame with a stick. They didn't find much for fire making supplies, but what they did find was quickly used up for both heat and protection. Wild pokemon, if there were any lurking in the mountains, generally avoided fire. They saw it as a threat, a harbinger of destruction. He felt tears prick his eyes and he fought off the urge to let the tears fall. He may be a human, but that didn't mean that he would give into his emotions like humans tend to do.

"Blaidd?" Max was awake, and inching towards him, trying hard to not disturb the others.

"Max you should be asleep." Blaidd looked up from the fire.

"But I can't, I have to talk to you."

"About what?"

Max leaned in close, like he were telling a deep and dark secret. "I know what you are."

Blaidd nearly choked. "What?"

"I know what you are. I should have guessed it with the chocolate."

"What about the chocolate?"

"You're that Lucario, aren't you?"

Blaidd panicked. His mask had been pulled down, his assumed identity going away with the wind. He had to keep up his bluff, or else."A Lucario?"

"The one that hung out with Sir Aaron. The one who taught Ash about Aura the first time."

Blaidd closed his eyes. Max was on to him. The boy was good, he had to admit, catching onto his identity like that. "Alright. How did you know?"

"Your eyes for one. They're red. And the fact that you know about Cameran Palace and the staff. Plus, you know a lot about Aura and you like chocolate. It's just connecting the dots." Max shoved his glasses back up nose, looking decidedly smug.

Blaidd shifted positions to where he was now cross legged. "You're quite good at observations, you know."

"Quite." Max placed his hands on his knees. "So it is you then."

"Quite," Blaidd shot back.

"But why didn't you tell us?" Max's tone was a blend of curiosity an accusation.

"I have my reasons, none of which need to be told here." Blaidd leaned in "But whatever you do, don't tell anyone."

Max nodded. "Alright."

"Promise." Blaidd insisted

"I promise."

"Good." Blaidd ruffled Max's hair, earning an indigent glare from the blacked hair boy. "Now, off to bed."

"Night Lucar-I mean, Blaidd." Max crawled back to his sleeping bag. "Wait, is Blaidd your real name, like the one you had when you were a , you know."

"Yes, it is my real name, the one my parents gave me. Night Max."

"One more question."

"What is it?"

"We'll find Misty and Ash, right?" He sounded tentative as he asked it, unsure.

Blaidd winced at the question, reminding him of his failure. "Yes, yes we'll find them." He had to, for his sake and theirs.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Gary frowned as he studied his Pokenav. He had gotten one while he was traveling through Hoenn, as a much easier tool then the typical paper. Now he was wondering if having the paper map would have been a good back up. "Dang," he cursed. "I think the thing's dying. The battery thing in the corner says so."

"Then you should have charged it at the Pokecenter," Dawn retorted sharply. It was either an elaborate setup by powers unknown, or a major coincidence, but they both ended up at Rustboro town when they landed in Hoenn. By mutual agreement, they agreed to travel together, for both security and just for companionship. It was always lonely when one was traveling alone. Gary was studying the effects of evolution in the different regions, while Dawn was competing in contests. Two vastly different goals, but they both shared a fierce drive and determination.

Gary shot her a sideways glance as Piplup snickered. "I did charge it thank you very much."

"Or was it your cell phone?"

Gary let out an exasperated noise as Umbreon joined in with Piplup's chuckles, a cross between a rasp and a purr. He swore, the cheerleaders that used to follow him weren't this outspoken. But he had to admit, it was a nice change of pace. "Yes, it was the Pokenav."

"But then why is it 'dying'?"

"I'm not the techno geek. How should I know?"

"Then let me see it."

"What makes you think-"

"Hand it over." Dawn was very stubborn when she wanted to be, especially if she thought she was right about something.

Gary rolled his eyes. "Fine. Here."

Dawn snatched the Pokenav and she studied it intently, her head at a tilt, her dark blue eyes studying the device, biting her bottom lip. "Let's see. What if we pressed this button..."

"Dawn, duck!" Gary pulled her down as a black blur flew over the pair.

"What the heck was that!" She exclaimed.

"I dunno, but here's come another one!" The pair flew away from each as something landed in between them with a heavy 'thunk'. It was a net, made of heavy cords, with weights at each corner, to give it added momentum.

Gary growled. Whatever this was, he wasn't in the mood for it. Umbreon, use 'swift' in the direction where the net came from!"

"Um, -bre!" Gold stars shot from the golden bands around the black beast's tail. There was a muffled cry as the stars spun into the woods, colliding with something.

"Piplup, use whirlpool!" Dawn commanded

Pipluuuup!" Piplup summoned a massive whirlpool above his head, a spinning kaleidoscope of colors. He flung his flippers forward, launching the whirlpool. Debris and small trees were caught up in the swirling mass of water, clearing the woods in front of them. Two dozen men and women charged out from the woods, escaping the woods and the destruction of the whirlpool. One snarled and pointed at the pair. "Get them! Now!"

Two men knelt and aimed what appeared to be cannons. In a plume of steam, two nets shot out. One of them caught Dawn, entangling her in the cords, with Piplup with her. The other one barely missed Gary

"Dawn!" Gary bellowed. "Let her go, you sleazes! Umbreon, use screech now!" Umbreon let out an ear piercing cry a sound that sounded like metal sheets scratching down a chalkboard. The men collapsed down on their knees, hands to their ears, their teeth clenching. Gary seized the opportunity to dash to Dawn. He hissed in frustration as he tugged on the cords, which refused to give way. "Argh! Why won't this break!"

One of the men, the other one who held the pneumatic cannon, managed to fight against Umbreon's screech attack and aimed the net at Gary. He pulled the trigger.

"Gary, look out!" Dawn cried. Gary just started to turn as the other net landed over them. They were trapped. A pair of men snatched Umbreon up, which kicked and clawed and scratched at its kidnappers.

One of them, presumably their leader, smirked in triumph. "That was easy. Archer will be pleased."

Figures that Max would be the one to figure out Blaidd's real identity ;). The others will to eventually, but all in good time.

And remember, review on the way out!