Author's Note:

Welcome back to another summer of weekly chapters! I'm still doing the bonus chapter thing again. You can find the updated policies either on my profile page or summarized on the first chapter. Most of it is the same. However, I do have a couple of submission challenges for the story. One of which I will post at the end of the chapter. All submissions count the same as the other types of reviews that get bonus chapters, so fire your ideas away!

So what's new? I'm getting chapters up to quality in far fewer iterations now. But due to my busier life, I'm not nearly as far ahead as I was at the beginning of last summer. I am also working on two other big projects. One of which is a video game template where new developers can add features, levels, and characters in Unity. It's in 3D and has a bit of a fantasy feel to it. The second project is a CGI Pokemon parody short codenamed 20 Leaves. I'm going for a higher quality than typical SFM parodies using Blender and Cycles rendering, so I'm definitely not finishing this one any time soon. I'll be streaming my work on both of these projects once Swiftel stabilizes our internet. As for personal life, I got my butt kicked in academics this past year. But now I have a VR development internship, which is absolutely amazing!

Phillip Harbindinger: I'm curious to see if you stick to your theory after the next few chapters. Sorry for not telling you until now why I stopped so soon, but SDSU starts mid-August. We technically get out the first week of May, but I don't start uploading until June after I get myself situated with everything else.

Dusky Flareon: You're thinking! I like it! I encourage you to keep a closer eye on motives. Kieren, Melody, and Trent are pretty much open books, but the other characters are much more subtle. Regardless of what happens, motives will help you answer the "whys?". As for your submission, whether you have an account or not makes no difference to me. As for the name, I probably won't use it for the particular character I had in mind. Instead I can't decide if I should use the name for the wife, the daughter, or the princess? I'm not going to say who any of those characters are, but the name works really well for all three.

This chapter is pretty short. Sorry, but it was necessary in the grand scheme of things. Anyways, what better way to start off a hot summer than with a heated chapter? Enjoy!

Today is 6/4/2016 and this chapter is 700+ words.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, just dream it.

Chapter 18: Melody! TELL ME! (Start of Arc II)

"Brhgddggsgdddgrodhhh" Trent groaned as the light pestered his shut eyelids. Minutes later, the flareon gave up and opened his eyes. He attempted to rise to his feet but in doing so, felt his muscles stiffen and complain.

"Kieren got me good," he grumbled as he tried to stretch out his limbs and ease the aching.

He took in his surroundings. Someone must have dragged him into his bed.

"Good morning," spoke the voice of his father.

"Did you sleep well, Trenton, honey?" asked his mother.

Trent nodded.

"You were shaken up quite badly," his father told him, slightly concerned.

"Did you bring me back?" Trent asked.

His parents nodded.

Trent sighed in relief. The fact that he was beaten by an exile wasn't good for his reputation. At least no one else was reminded of it in having to take his body away.

"No one has mentioned anything about it," Trent's father told him, as if reading his son's mind. "It seems like a fairly normal day. Just stay away from the ceremony site. Samantha's family is having a party there."

"Thanks dad. I'll keep that in mind," Trent answered to the information. After a quick breakfast, he walked out onto the pathway that led towards Kat's hideout.

"Trenton, dear?" his mother interrupted.

Trent glanced back, meeting the gaze of his parents one last time.

"I know it is hard to go on after what happened last night, but try to stay strong. Alright?"

"Thanks mom. I'll try," Trent answered, turning back towards the path that led to his destination.

"Trent! Help!" yelled a panicked feminine voice that did not belong to an eevee nor any of its evolved forms.

"Melody!" Trent gasped, as he spotted the vulpix dashing over to him.

"I can't find Kieren anywhere! Did everything go alright last night?"

Trent stood wide-eyed as Melody gasped for air.

"Melody! Were you with Kieren on his journey?" Trent asked, back into sleuthing mode.

"Yes. Now where is Kieren?" Melody answered hastily.

"Melody! I need you to tell me what happened during your adventure."

"We went to the city, Kieren got hit in the head from my father's bad aim, we met 'The Gaurdian' at the Pokemon Center, and he gave Kieren a moon shard, saying it was a long time since he had handed one out. Now where is Kieren?!" Melody hurriedly demanded.

"Was 'The Gaurdian' Zach?"

"Yes! Where's Kieren!" the vulpix asked, starting to steam.

"What was this Zach person like?"

"WHERE IS KIEREN?!" Melody screamed.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Trent responded, flustered. "I'm trying to figure that out."

"What?" Melody shrieked in horror.

"Melody! TELL ME! What was this Zach person like? What happened?"

"Fine!" Melody conceded as the two began walking again. After taking a couple deep breaths, she told Trent everything that had occurred inside the Pokemon center: Kieren's nightmare, the photo, and the moon shard. Trent's eyes widened as he heard Zach's story. He had also been at the Pokemon Center getting his leg fixed after the incident long ago. He remembered Zach in his youth, always full of concern for the two of them. He cursed himself for not recognizing the name.

"So did Zach say anything about this moon shard?"

"Hmmm. He did say Kieren had to battle with it to activate it," Melody recalled.

"That explains that!" Trent announced.

"Did Kieren battle someone?" Melody asked.

"Yea. Me."

"You? Did he hold up ok?"

"Yea. I got mad when he wasn't evolving, so I attacked him to try and turn him back to his senses, but instead he taunted me and got the crowd chanting for a fight. Then he beat me good."

"Thanks Trent," said Melody.

Trent gave her an astonished look.

"Did Kieren evolve?" Melody ask.

Trent nodded.

"What did he evolve into?" Melody asked excitedly. "I totally missed the surprise!"

A pause followed as Trent recalled the flash as he was lying down, defeated.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Melody asked, raising her voice in frustration.

"I don't know what he was! He was entirely black! I've never seen anything like him before in my life! He scared everyone, even Celestia!" Trent spat aggravated.

Melody paused and let the words sink in. She had never expected this. Now that she thought about it, it all made sense. Zach had given Kieren a rare evolution, apparently so rare no one in the tribe remembered it. That worried her.

"So what happened next?" Melody asked quietly.

She allowed the flareon time to answer.

Trenton looked back at her with a grim frown.

"He got exiled."

"No!"

Author's Note: How's everyone doing? Ready for more? Don't forget to review for the bonus chapter. Plenty of ways to earn it. Here's the details for the name submission. The character will make an appearance in Chapter 26, so I will need a solid name by then.

I am stuck on a new female protagonist's name in Moon on the Water. I'm looking for an American name whose meaning associates with things like "hidden talent", "sly", or "hope in the shadows". Bonus points if the name has a soothing sound to it, like "April" or "Melody" or "Selena", rather than something like "Kat", "Tori", "Jeanette", or "Vicky", where the names start or end with sharp consonants.

Send in those reviews! Extra reviews get applied to a bonus surprise, so don't let your ideas go to waste. And don't be afraid to PM me if you have personal interests or questions in the things I do. Enjoy this awesome summer! ~Dreaming I'm Latios