So we walk through the forest that we had been in for the past few hours and I suddenly stop, my gaze on Riolu as his eyes seem to gaze into the horizon.

"What is it?" My sister asks as she grasps my arm gently, terror clearly showing in her blue eyes.

"I'm not sure," I answer as I look at her for a moment before resuming my gaze on the giant grey, crumbling building that lays just feet away from where we stand.

Santerous rolls his purple eyes in disgust and reaches for the Turtwig's poke ball.

"Return," he grumbles lazily as the turtle vanishes in a flash of red light.

Tronay turns to glare at him for a moment before focusing her attention to Vulpix. The little red fox lays curled at her feet, shivering with fear. Tronay releases her grip on my arm, finally returning its circulation, and binds down to stroke the fox's back.

"It is okay," my sister says gently as she rubs the fox's back with her calm, caring hands.

I stare at her, so much has happened in her life and yet she will not give up and let go of what still keeps her on this earth. I honor my sister for that. Suddenly a mound of dirt rams into the backside of my head. I instantly turn around to find Santerous laughing at me. With a hatred burning in my eyes, I advance toward him. This is the last time he annoys me!

I can not remember much more after my attack on my brother. We kicked. We hit. We called each other names, hateful ones at that. He gets on my nerves so bad but yet I still love him. To think what I would do if I wasn't related to him!

The warm, sweet sound of birds chirping awakens me. I roll over to find myself staring into a mass of blueish fur and it takes me a moment to remember the events of the past day.

Riolu, I mutter to myself. You never fail to amuse me.

After Tronay and Santerous get up, I join them. My icy glare tells them to not bother me, not unless they want a fight. I stoop low to the ground and run my hands through my mass of silver hair that covers the top of my head. Oh why did I put up with this? Why didn't I just leave them right now with Riolu?

I shook my head, I couldn't leave them. Tronay and Santerous were the closest thing to a family that I had, they were my family, my adoptive family.

Master?

I blink, unsure of the sound that I heard for a moment.

You okay?

I turn to see Riolu stare into my purple eyes, his tiny red eyes seeming to calm me.

"I am fine Riolu," I mutter as I pat the young pokemon's head.

After the events of the early morning, the three of us set out for the castle. Tronay and Santerous keep their pokemon held inside the poke ball, only I allow mine to roam free, although Riolu loves to sit on my shoulder.

Around noon the next day we finally find ourselves at the giant, grey castle.

That's huge! Riolu exclaims as we stare at it.

I gaze at the castle's crumbling walls and then at Riolu.

"Want to check it out?" I ask.

Sure, Riolu replies as us walk closer to the castle.

"This place is huge!" Tronay exclaims as we walk through the crowds of people that litter the narrow bridge that leads to the castle's craggy exterior.

"I found out why there is so many people," Santerous says as he comes running up with Turtwig as his heels.

"Why?" I ask. "And why have you let Turtwig out?"

"It is none of your business and I believe that there is a pokemon tournament going on," my brother growls, his hands clenching into fists.

"Pokemon tournament? What's that?" Tronay asks as she is bumped by a passing woman.

It's where pokemon battle each other and their trainers call out their attacks for them to use to make the opponent's pokemon faint, Riolu explains as he growls at the hundreds of people as we pass by them.

"It sounds fun. Should we check it out?" My sister asks.

"Sure," both Santerous and I sigh as our sister leads us into the castle.

After walking for what seemed like hours, we enter a room full of costumes.

"So we dress up for the tournament?" Tronay asks after we are in the room.

"I suppose so," I answer as I move off to one side of the room and begin to search for something to put over my white cloak.

"Come on! Show some spirit!" My sister says as she drags Santerous over to where I stand. "It'll be fun!"

Fun? What fun is dressing up? Riolu asks and I nod in agreement.

"Oh boys just give up! You're getting a costume on before the tournament or you can't enter, right Santerous?" My sister asks as she turns her bright and cheery face toward our brother, who stands still.

My brother looks bewildered as he snaps to attention, I guess Tronay pulled him out of a trance, he has those sometimes.

"Yeah, sure sis," he answers quickly as he shoves his hands inside the pockets of his grayish robe.

I finally pick a blueish-looking suite that has a cape to go with it, since it seems to match my personality. As I slip on the blue gloves that go with it a sudden image races through my head.

- - -

A jagged cliff, a human with the same costume as mine, a pokemon that somehow resembles Riolu.

'Why master? Why?'

The pokemon is sealed within a staff that the human throws at it. The staff contains a blue crystal in the center, surrounded by a black steel cage-looking covering. The human jumps on the back of another pokemon and takes off, leaving the staff behind.

- - -

"Bro, you okay?"

Are you okay master?

I'm jerked back to reality when I hear both Tronay's and Riolu's voice.

"I'm fine," I say. "I was just daydreaming for a minute."

That wasn't daydreaming master. You look pale, is something wrong? Riolu asks.

"No, I told you I'm fine now shouldn't we be getting down to the stadium?" I snap.