Aura less: Black and White Chapter 24: Truly Questionable Battles: Hero's fight, a pokémon fanfic

Well I'm back. I somehow feel that as time goes on, the original ideas that appear with my head expand and come to overtake the actual storyline that occurs within the story. But in the end, this world has systems that are not yet explained. I haven't even thought of them however as normality occurs and the world continues to revolve around Aura, the systems and rules of such will eventually evolve as well.

But here we are again. After everything that happened last chapter with the explaining, I suppose that you could consider this the movement chapter. So I hope that you'll expect me to deliver what you think I'm aiming to get across. And as my own head makes note of different things that don't make sense, I hope that this story does to you.

Also, I'd like to thank everyone that has read this far into the story. You guys contribute more than you think you know? The same can be said for everyone that has constantly supported this story and given their input which can allow me to truly move through the story in the best way I can.

But in the end, it's all up to me right? Hehe.

And with that, the only thing I can do is hope that you enjoy this twist of the world of Pokémon that we love so much.

So, with hope in my heart:

Enjoy.

Mr Question Mark.

Conflict had never ended. Instead, it merely sprung up in a different location. Different place, a different time, the one word that could truly be said to occur, even though it did not seem true, everywhere in the world was one that one could only really apply to certain situations.

However the fact of the matter was, that word applied to every moment in time.

War.

It was happening always. There were legendary wars. Simple wars. Wars that lasted years. Wars that lasted days. Wars that had no one die. Wars that had everyone die.

And the Swords of Justice had once participated in the interest of Pokémon everywhere in order to protect them from being drawn into the spiral of nothing but blood, death and violence.

Stories had risen from their achievements however even then there are always those that stick out in others minds.

….

Huh? What do you mean why are there wars? It's just the way things are. We try and stop them, we fight them, we try our hardest to survive but in the end, nothing can stop them. Once they are in motion, it's just something you have to see to the end. And you do that by living or dying.

…..

Absolutely. Pokémon fought in wars. Haven't you heard of the Legend of Sir Aaron? Cameran Palace? No? Well it doesn't matter. Huh? You want to hear a story where a Pokémon fought in wars? Maybe not. That is a time for maybe when you are older. After all, the legends are somewhat violent in their nature. It is war after all.

…

Hahahaha. Alright, alright. I'll tell you a tiny bit. I told you about the Swords of Justice right? Well then, let me tell you the ending of one of those. Where was that book?

…

And Virizion had melted into the shadows where she had come. Cobalion had already chosen a place of rest. Terrakion become one with the earth and returned to its home that it could truly live in in isolation. Keldeo chose a different path. The nature of the Justice and its actions that it took made it a Hero that could only be matched along the lines of other Legendaries.

But Virizion chose a different path.

She had been wounded in the Battle for the Field of Rumination and had retreated however even then, she had used too much of her aura. She had been satisfied though. She had protected each and every Pokémon in the Forest that surrounded her but even still, she collapsed and her vision was surely going to be gone.

She would become one with the earth. Her Life Force would surely pass into the earth and become one with it.

The Swords of Justice had all survived. However Virizion herself had taken too much damage.

She was content. However the one that she had protected above anything else, the Forest watched on. The Forest had its own Life Force and in the face of the Hero that had protected it, there was only one choice that it could make.

Virizion was empowered by the Forest…however even then, she was made to live inside the Forest, having being so touched by its kindness and Life Force that she decided to protect that same Forest that had protected her in turn.

And when the Forest was weak, Virizion would implant its own Life Force into the Forest to allow it to sustain itself.

She loved the Forest and the Forest loved her.

And in the midst of the Forest of pure life, that which powers over all rests where it should. Lying in wait in order to protect the Forest from the one constant that the Hero had faced.

Virizion lays in wait even now. And there is nothing that will prevent it from standing up once again to protect its home that it loves so much.

Unova Mythology: Hero Chapter Virizion End Verse.

Ash Ketchum yelled as he flew through the air. The river below him was something that he was sure would break his fall however he didn't know how deep it was, where it went or whether there was a Pokémon living in there. There were too many questions to make going into it safe but even then, as he flew off the side of the ledge and headed straight for it, the only thing he could do was yell.

He clutched tightly to Pikachu, hoping that he would shield the Pokémon with his body but even then, something unexpected happened.

Something white and sticky, with a hint of blue stuck onto his arm and he opened his eyes, looking up the thread, eyes wide as he looked at what was at the end.

"S-Sewaddle?!" The Bug Pokémon had fired an Aura String Shot however it was too small and weak to successfully pull up the boy towards its level. And as everyone had thought it would, the small Pokémon fell off the ledge as well as right towards the same river that Ash was heading towards.

Ash's hands moved fast, grabbing the String Shot and pulling it, Sewaddle flying through the air and Ash grabbing it in mid-air before clutching that Pokémon to his chest, like he was doing with Pikachu. But even then, that did nothing to protect the boy.

But even then, he closed his eyes and tensed his body. All he had to do was wait in order to feel the cold water on his skin. After that, he would have to-

Something cold touched his skin. He kept his eyes closed however he knew what it was. There was no way that he would ever forget that sensation that was touching against his skin. This was a world that was ruled by that same sensation.

And it was something that everyone would face whether they were an Aura Zero or not.

Ash opened one eye however found that the sensation was slowly disappearing. But even then, he could only look in shock at the object that had saved him in the last second.

The Aura Platform was slowly disappearing and right when it did, Ash fell a few centimetres before hitting the soft ground. He blinked a few times before touching the grass beneath his hands and looking from where he had just arrived.

It was the bank opposite the one that he had fallen from but even then, he scanned the ledge that he had fallen from. There was nothing. There was nothing that could possibly be there that could have saved him.

So who had saved him? Why would they hide themselves? He thought hard about who it could have been in his group but dismissed the idea. If they had saved him, why stay hidden? Why not join him so they could look for the poachers together? It didn't make sense. Who had saved him?

Ash thought hard however found himself looking over towards a bigger issue on hand.

"Pikachu! Sewaddle! Are you guys OK?!" He turned towards the Pokémon that were pressed against his chest and they both looked up towards him with concerned looks. Either they were worried about the actions that he had taken or were thinking the same thing that he was but Ash couldn't tell. But the thing was, they were safe.

They had been saved.

"P-Pikachu pikapika!" cried Pikachu as it looked towards its trainer. Its mood seemed rather chipper however at the same time, there was a hint of concern behind the Pokémon's voice.

"I'm fine buddy." Responded Ash before looking over towards Sewaddle. "But I'm even better now that you tried to save me Sewaddle. Thanks." He grinned towards the Pokémon and the Pokémon merely looked to the side as if ignoring the boy however one could tell that it was clearly pleased with itself.

"Se wa wa."

Ash let out a small chuckle and put both of the Pokémon on the ground before noticing the smoke that was rising in the air. He scratched his head. Not only had he been separated from the group, but he had no idea where he was in the maze of the Forest. Cilan had the map, Iris had a somewhat sense of direction however Ash was sure that when it was just him, he would surely get lost and end up being on the news for getting lost for over a week.

He was sure that Sewaddle could get over to the other side however it had tried to save him. Not only that but his own sense of responsibility for the Pokémon had increased because of such and he truly wondered what to do now.

After brooding on the point for a few seconds he made up his mind, turning back towards the Forest that was right behind him. If anything, looking for something was what he needed to do. Why hadn't he thought this from the beginning?

Virizion was near a location where there was a large amount of aura, where it was expelling it to rejuvenate the Forest. If that was the case, there would be an area that was more concentrated in aura that anywhere else.

And if that was the case-

Ash focused his eyes, scanning the area once more behind him. Blue mist seemed to cover the area due to his Aura Perception however, it was denser in a location to his right. There was nothing more that he needed to know in order to where he needed to go.

There might not be a path however he was sure that when he had gotten started, there was nothing in the way that stopped him from protecting Virizion.

Ash Ketchum took that first step, Pikachu jumping up on his shoulder as he did so and he scratched the Pokémon's chin, only to feel pressure on his head. He tried to look up, only to see Sewaddle looking down at him from the bridge of his cap. He smiled and took a second step.

"Aright then guys. Let's go."

When Iris had been blown back, her first thought had not been one of relief or thankfulness that she was safe. Certainly, she was however her Aura level was Very high so she had no problems in that regard. She had put up the Aura Shield around herself so fast that it was like it was there the entire time.

She felt Axew move inside her hair however even then, she felt definite fear within her very soul.

After all, when she had seen Ash fly towards another part of the Forest without his own Aura Shield, her own thoughts went into a panic. She had seen him fly off into the Forest and she quickly lost sight of him however even then, she felt something inside her head curse herself for her lack of realisation in the situation.

Ash was someone with an Aura level that was Low, which was the only way that explained his limited use of Aura abilities, but even then, she had never seen him use an Aura Shield. He had not done so in the Striaton Gym when Pikachu had attacked the Aura Mud Sport. So why would he suddenly do so now? It made no sense and there was a good reason:

He could not use an Aura Shield.

She wanted to shout out towards him however he had already been lost in her sights.

She landed heavily on the ground, her Aura Shield causing dust to move along the ground, kicking up around her. Smoke rose from the Jeep that was near her but even then, she didn't dare to move towards it.

Why had they been targeted in the first place? They were riding in that Jeep and now that they were 'dead' in the eyes of the poacher that had attacked them, they could get the upper hand in terms of where they were holding Virizion, if it did indeed exist and rejuvenate the land with its aura.

So there was no way that she could move towards the Jeep itself. Instead, she was forced to move deeper into the Forest in order to find a position that would allow her to observe and follow the poacher that had attacked.

But even then….there was something that she had to prioritise above all else.

She moved towards the Forest, kicking off the ground with her aura in order to increase her speed, shooting through the Forest so fast that it was a blur. She did not know where she was going but even then, the frequent, strange indentations in the ground could only mean one thing in the context of what was going through her mind.

They were the places where Ash had hit the ground so hard that they created those indentations.

She sweated unnaturally and held onto Axew as she increased her speed and something filled her ears. She immediately stopped and her mind raced. She knew that voice, that sound.

It was the yell that made her stop. What was happening with Ash? Was he OK? Why was he yelling? What was the overwhelming reason for him to do so? What was wrong?

Her mind sped with questions but even then she shook her head and focused her Aura towards Aura Listening. If she could determine his location through the sound of his voice then-

She had a direction to head in. She looked towards it and brought Axew out of her hair and moved fast, the small Pokémon clutching to her chest in an uncomfortable due to the speeds that it was made to travel. Iris darted between the trees before she reached a ledge, something that caused her to stop suddenly and kick dirt up as she did so.

The sound of rushing water went underneath her but even then, she paid no heed to the river beneath her feet. She scanned the ledge that she was opposite, breathing hard as she used her aura to enhance her own vision, looking for something, anything that could locate Ash's location.

A dangerous thought entered her mind.

Ash couldn't use Aura Platforms, so how was he able to save himself from entering that same river below her?

She scanned the ledge for any traces that he might have climbed up it but even then, she saw nothing. She scanned the waters for a trace of something that was clambering in them but she saw nothing.

"A-axew?" asked her Pokémon as it scanned the river as well. Its voice was quiet however Iris felt her own heart race.

Where was Ash? Where had he gone? Had he been submerged? If so, for how long? Where was he now? What if he-

Iris shook her head. Think! She had to think! Had she heard some kind of splash from someone hitting the water? No…..she would have registered that with her own Aura Listening so there was no way that that was the case. But then where was he? Ash hadn't fallen into the water so using logic, that meant he was on land but where?! Where was he?!

She gulped but even then…she realised something.

Ash Ketchum was on land. That meant that he was safe. And if he was safe-

Iris exhaled suddenly and felt her knees buckle before she fell down backwards. She breathed heavily as she wiped some sweat of her brow. She frowned as she looked at the sweat. She had gone through distances that were ten times what she had just done and she hadn't sweated this much. Why was she so anxious? Ash could take care of himself. He might have been a kid however he could handle himself.

So why was it that she was so concerned about him?

A change had come over her since she had started her journey with him. She couldn't place it and she wanted to ask someone about it, but even then she wasn't sure that it would solve the problem.

"….."

She was silent if only for an instant before standing up and giving the ledges around her a good look. Ash was nowhere to be seen but even then, he had to be safe. That meant that Iris could focus more upon an issue that she had been here to deal with in the first place.

And that was-

"Right! Virizion!" Iris turned her head back towards where he had just come however she knew that heading back that way was not the most efficient way to deal with things. That would waste time and mean that wherever the poacher was, she would eventually lose them. After all, they mostly had a mode of transport and all she had were her own two feet.

But yet, Iris smiled.

She had one trick up her sleeve. It was something that she didn't like to tell others about as it was her own secret. It was something that only she could truly hold to herself and understand and experience for herself.

She remembered exactly how it was that she had come into contact with the idea that had blossomed through her own body and caused her to work towards having that Aura ability.

It had been her love of Dragon Pokémon of course. Their elegance and ability to be free wherever they wanted meant that it was possible for them to rule any part of the world that was laid out in front of them. They could rule the land, earth and air all at the same time through their awesome ability and grace. She had tried with all her might to be able to match that however she had not gotten very far in most of the aspects when she had been young.

However it had been through persistence that she had finally achieved something. Something that she could call her own in terms of her ability. Mostly, people used this ability through the assistance of the Aura Platform however there was an even more basic way to do things that way. Watching other Pokémon told her that much.

She focused all of her energy, clutching onto Axew tightly however just a tiny bit.

"Axew! Axew!" the Pokémon cried out in joy. It loved this part about its trainer, the fact that it could truly come into contact with a part of the world that it would never be able to, even if it did manage to evolve into a Haxorus. Iris however did not let that break her concentration.

And when she opened her eyes, she let all that energy loose, directing it towards one part of her body.

Her back glowed blue for only an instant before that same pure energy passed through the clothes and appeared on her back. She did not need an Aura Platform in order to reach the higher levels of the world.

All she needed were the wings to do so.

Her Aura Wings sprouted from her back and she gave a light kick off the ground as she ascended towards the sky. This was her own place. This was the one place that she wanted to keep to her own and make sure that it was protected at all costs.

Dragons could fly without wings after all. And although they might be a part of the different elements through their types, those wings that allowed them to rule the skies were only a greater part of their elegance.

And it was only through hard work that humans could truly reach those same levels that they had managed to gain with their own hands.

Iris ascended further and further, before she could see the entire Forest below her, the massive tree in the middle acting as a spotter so she could see the entire area before her. There were paths that were visible through the foliage however even then, she could barely see them. She frowned.

"It looks like we can't see the paths themselves…" she said. A Pidove flock passed her without a care and she watched them leave. How did they see the paths? There was only one sure-fire way that she could even get that close and that meant one thing was needed for her.

She needed to descend; move among the trees and become one with the nature around the Forest. Through concealing her own presence, she would be the only one that could hide and view the poachers that were in the Forest itself. And if that was the case…..

She angled her body to be stream like. She descended at a frightful speed.

If she wanted to know where the poacher would be at that exact moment, she needed to use that smoke that was rising from the overturned Jeep as a starting point.

Cilan had rolled into the Forest with Burgh as soon as the Jeep had exploded. Since he had bailed out to the right, it meant that he was separate from the group that had bailed to the left. But even then, it had been the rough landing that he had endured that meant that he could do nothing as his own body tumbled with the Shield protecting him before he slammed against a tree.

He gave a cough in response and rubbed the side that hurt. Although the Shield had protected him, he still felt a part of him throb in pain as a result of the rough collision. He looked up, noticing how simply averting his eyes for a second meant that he did not know where he was in terms of the Forest path. It was only once he looked at the smoke that was rising from the Jeep that he knew where he was.

He stood up and looked around him. He had thought that Burgh had come with him however he found that he could not see the man anywhere. Although that did not trouble him in the slightest, he was after all a Gym Leader, he still felt somewhat anxious for the other members of the group that he had been separated from.

Ash and Iris were like him, civilians. They had no experience in these kind of matters to his knowledge however the way that Ash spoke of such things meant probably meant that he had experienced this kind of thing before.

Still, Cilan needed to be prepared for anything to which he reached for his Pokéballs on his belt and brought one out, opening it to make a Pokémon appear.

"Pan pansage!" cried his trusty partner. Pansage looked towards Cilan with a smile and Cilan returned it however he quickly looked up towards the rising smoke and then back at Pansage.

"Alright Pansage, we need to move. We acted as bait in this situation so we need to make sure that the recipe is followed to the end perfectly."

"Sage!"

Trainer and Pokémon nodded to each other before not going towards the path however moving through the Forest, towards where they knew the path continued on. They moved as fast as they could in order to try and make sure that they did not lose the poacher however they soon found themselves on a small hill that overlooked the very same path that they had taken.

The path curved around the hill itself however it was high enough to mean that anyone driving on the path itself would not see whoever was on the hill unless they looked up. Cilan could see the overturned Jeep on fire in the distance however did not move from the spot.

As long as they sat there, the one that they were looking for would-

Sure enough, something drove right underneath them. It was a green coloured Jeep however the patches of brown along the side probably meant that it had been spray painted in order to serve as camouflage to hide the Jeep. Of course it made sense when Cilan thought about it however he looked at its occupants with greater focus.

The bulky man, of course he knew. After all, he had been the one that had fired the RPG towards them. However it was the Pokémon inside the van that he did not recognise that drew Cilan's attention.

The Tyranitar sat in the back of the Jeep and one could see that it was actually causing that part of the Jeep to sink down however not so much that it meant that the back was scraping along the ground. Cilan did not need to guess the role that the Tyranitar had played in the attack: after all, the Aura Hyper Beam had been the one that had taken them out in the end by destroying the Aura Shield.

Cilan watched the man circle around the small hill but even then, something was coming out of the back of the van, unnoticed by the man and his Pokémon.

It was white in colour, almost bordering along the lines of pure but even then, it stuck to the ground like gel. It was coming from the van so either the man did not know about it or he did but took no notice of such. If it was the former, did that mean that that gel like object could benefit them in some way? If it was the latter, how did it affect the poacher's plan?

"Pansage," said Cilan as he looked towards his Pokémon. "Do you think you could do down there and get some of that gel? I'd like to have a better look at it up close in order to see what it is. This ingredient doesn't seem to be too tasteful…"

Pansage nodded before heading straight for the gel by moving down the hill. The action of the Pokémon was probably one that would not seem strange however the same could not be said if it had been Cilan moving down the same path that Pansage had taken.

At the same time, Cilan followed the man's Jeep with his own eyes and began to move in order to determine a better position in order to truly follow the path of the vehicle however at the same time, something moved behind him.

Cilan didn't even consider what it was that had snuck up behind him. The very fact that they had snuck up did not bode well for any matter of fact at all. However at the same time, Cilan did not know whether to attack or merely retreat. Whatever he did, the chances were that he would eventually lose sight of the Jeep that he was supposed to follow.

However…he had comrades that he could trust. And right now that meant one thing for him in regards to what action he could take.

Cilan put as much aura as he could into his feet and launched through the air, at the same time, causing dirt to fling into the face of the person that was behind him. He heard a shout and as he flew through the air, turned at the last minute in order to see who it was that had snuck up of him.

Cilan did not recognise him and that was all Cilan needed to know in order to launch him next attack. He did not have any Pokémon with him that could attack in mid-air however at the same time, he did not need anything of that sort.

He created an Aura Sphere within his hands however at the same time unleashed an addition part of his aura abilities at the same time. The Aura Sphere gave off an intense amount of light, something that Cilan had to close his eyes in order to not look at it directly however at the same time, a cry of pain from behind him was all he needed to isolate the target.

He launched the Aura Sphere towards the target and he heard it collide with something however even then, Cilan had already begun to fall. He hit the ground without enough time to create an Aura Platform, looking to his side as he saw that Pansage had come right next to him, holding in its hands something that was the gel that Cilan had asked from it earlier.

He began to reach out towards the Pokémon however something was fired from the hill that he had just been on.

Frantically, Cilan rolled out of the way as the Aura Flamethrower hit the ground, however missing him and not even striking the gel like substance on the ground. From the hill itself, something jumped down towards him and he froze however something else happened.

Something from right underneath him burst from the ground as an Aura Dig struck the Pokémon that was heading straight for him. It hit its mark and the Pokémon cried out as Cilan grabbed the Pokémon and dragged Pansage away from the battlefield that had been created. If anything, he had to avoid a straight fight and make sure that he had enough time to-

"H…..Hahahahahahaha! Wow! Man, you certainly did leave a mark on me! Not many people can actually say that you know."

Cilan looked up to the hill and saw a man in a leather jacket standing there. He wore sunnies however they had been smashed. His bikie look seemed as though he was trying to imitate something that he had seen from a cheesy TV show however at the same time, there was a hint of intimidation around him.

That probably came not only from the dense aura that surrounded him due to his hidden anger but also from the cut that was above his eye as he glared towards Cilan with blue eyes.

"But you seriously messed up when you thought about tackling me."

There was a growl from the Pokémon that Pansage had struck and the Houndoom bared its canine teeth towards Cilan and his Pokémon. Cilan began to back off however cursed himself internally for his mistake. What had he thought? That things would be easy?

That idea should have been smashed the moment the RPG had been fired.

"Pansage….get ready." Said Cilan as he looked towards the man and his Pokémon.

His time to battle had come early.

And he hated that it had to be so.

"What is this stuff?"

Ash lifted up his foot and glanced towards the object that had stuck to his foot. The gel like substance that had stuck to his foot was sticky and like a piece of gum. What was this? It had a funny smell and Ash wanted to make sure that he didn't want it entering his nose. He wiped his foot along the side of the path and looked at the path that was in front of him.

He had managed to find one however at the same time, he found that there was nothing that he could do as he tried to find where it led. It curved all over the place and while Ash tried to move in a way that would make him get closest towards the location where his Aura Perception told him where the aura was strongest, the path didn't allow him to do that.

Conflicted towards leaving the path and heading towards a certain direction where the aura was strongest, he had chosen the path.

Still, when he had first noticed the gel he had found it strange but in the end there was nothing that he could do about it. If anything, it seemed to follow the path itself so he was kind of glad it was there. It would prevent him from getting lost.

"Pikachu pika?" asked his Pokémon from his shoulder.

He didn't know what the Pokémon was saying however he could guess given the situation and the fact that they were both wandering around aimlessly.

"I don't know where we're going. If anything, I want to avoid getting lost but….." He scratched his head. "Where is everything? I can't tell whatsoever."

Ash let out a groan and hung his head and the movement on top of it told him that the movement had almost thrown Sewaddle off his head. He wanted to apologise towards the Pokémon however at the same time, a low rumbling filled his ears.

"Say…do you guys hear that?" he asked the Pokémon. Both Pikachu and Sewaddle stopped for an instant before slowly giving cries if agreement in the affirmative. Ash froze at the information that his head was creating in response to that information.

He knew that sound. It was one that he did not think that he could forget however at the same time, he was not attracted towards it whatsoever.

Instead…..

"D-Don't tell me that another van is here!?" he almost shouted out and made his way towards the Forest to the side of the path hoping that he could avoid any confrontation with the poachers. He tensed up every part of his body and found that the Jeep that entered his sight was definitely not one that Agent Jetstream had called.

It was not the police or the back-up that Agent Jetstream had called. It did not have the insignia of the AJD or any law enforcement individual. However the fact that it did not meant that Ash could only assume one thing.

The van had one occupant, a woman who was wearing strangely casual clothes. Her radio was on full blast and she was listening to a tune that Ash could not identify whatsoever. She seemed relaxed however the fact that the tips of her fingernails were bright blue suggested that she was ready for any attack that came her way.

Ash gulped and moved backwards even further into the Forest, Sewaddle getting off Ash's head and looking ready to charge forward at a moment's notice however it was Ash and his outstretched hand that prevented the Pokémon from launching and attacking the woman.

"Don't. We can't get noticed remember?" Ash said that not only out of concern to try and make sure that he stuck with the plan but also to make sure that he avoided any conflict. Although he was sure that Pikachu could handle itself, he did not know enough about Sewaddle's ability to make that same judgment.

Yet something about the situation itself changed drastically in a way that no one could have foreseen whatsoever.

The ground in front of the path suddenly dipped down and a hole was created as a result. That hole remained empty for only an instant before something poked its head out and looked around the area. The sunlight made the lens on the sunglasses that it wore shine maliciously and Ash felt himself gape at the sight of the Pokémon.

The sunglasses Sandile.

Ash felt his mind go blank as he looked at the Pokémon. The Pokémon itself was looking around the area that it had risen its head as if it was looking for something however even that, Ash could not fathom the idea.

However even though, that was the fact the approaching Jeep had no knowledge of the Pokémon that was innocently in front of it. Ash did not even consider what he was doing and shouted a command towards the only Pokémon that he knew could do the job, even though it was using a method he didn't like.

"P-Pikachu!"

The instant he yelled that, the woman at the wheel immediately rose her head and scanned the area but even then, Ash didn't care.

"Aura Quick Attack!"

Pikachu leaped from the side and its body glowed yellow, not with electricity but with the Extremely High aura level that it had gained through the accumulation of its ability. The Pokémon shot forward, leaving a yellow trail of light that was only visible as an after image.

Almost like a laser beam, Pikachu shot forward and rammed right in the Sandile. The movement of such and the speed that it had gained meaning that both Pokémon skid to the side in a cloud of dust that even the woman at the wheel found shocking. She turned the wheel out of pure instinct however even then, the wheels narrowly missed the hole that was in the ground.

One of them anyway.

She turned and the wheel on the opposite side of the Jeep caved into the hole, the weight of the vehicle causing the entire thing to cave in suddenly. The sudden descent through the woman forward and she lurched, the only thing preventing her from smashing through the windscreen being her seatbelt.

The entire Jeep stopped in the ground, the wheel that was still spinning in the empty hole causing dirt to fly everywhere, only digging itself deeper into the hole. The sudden lurch had thrown the poacher into a momentary blank state and it was Ash that used that to his full extent.

"Sewaddle! Help me out and use String Shot!" The Pokémon looked strangely at Ash at the strange command that he had given it.

String Shot? Why not use aura to strength the attack and ensure that it had the maximum effect that it should have?

Sewaddle considered the thought for the moment however followed the trainer's command like he wanted. The white thread shot out of its mouth and before the poacher could even react, the thread covered her entire body as she gave a surprised scream, something that lasted for only an instant as her entire body was covered.

Sewaddle felt proud of itself in that one moment however it was Ash that took the next action, grabbing Sewaddle and holding it close towards his body as he raced past the Jeep and towards Pikachu and the sunglasses Sandile.

"What are you doing here?!" Ash was surprised and had a number of questions for the small Pokémon however at the same time, he felt somewhat shocked that the Pokémon was here instead of where he had encountered it for the first time. Mind you though, it had shown up at the kindergartern…

"San?" asked the Pokémon towards him. It sounded weak or probably a bit shaken that Pikachu had managed to smash into it at that speed. Pikachu looked apologetic towards the Pokémon however all it could do was apologise anyway.

'At any rate, we need to get out of h-?!" Ash stopped talking as a yell of pain behind him made him around. The next thing he knew, a burst of air threw him to his knees and sent him sprawling on the ground.

Shocked, he turned around and looked at the Jeep where the poacher had been trapped.

She looked incredibly pissed as she glared towards him, her red eyes showing off her pure anger towards him, the mix of blue of the aura surrounding her only revealing that even more. However even then, the most surprising thing that was about the scene that was in front of Ash right now had to be the two Pokémon that were at her side.

The Weavile looked as surprised as the trainer did however that was probably not due to the fact that they had managed successfully free their trainer but rather because of the fact that when they had, their Aura attacks had caused the explosion of air that had thrown everyone off their feet.

"You aren't going anywhere." The woman hissed towards Ash and he gulped audibly before standing up and slowly backing away from the woman. At the same time, Pikachu stepped forward, its cheek sparking as it looked towards the Pokémon that were in front of it.

Ash would have normally felt proud….no…..honoured that his Pokémon was standing up to him however the fact was that it was two against one. In a fair battle, those odds weren't something that were created from the start but led towards when one Pokémon was knocked out. However the fact of the matter was that Pikachu right now was on its own.

But not for long.

Ash realised the inevitability of the situation and reached for his Pokéballs on his belt. The Dual Dark and Ice types in front of him meant that his best choice would be-

"SANDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILE!" Sandile let out that small roar and stood forward, next to Pikachu as it growled towards the Pokémon that it had deemed its enemy. Why had it done that? Was it because I recognised them as a threat to it? Or to Ash or Pikachu?

"Sandile?!" yelled Ash towards it. The Pokémon turned its head back towards Ash and the light inside the Pokémon's eyes made Ash keep silent for only an instant. He let Sewaddle drop towards the ground and didn't even look at it as he spoke.

"Sewaddle, you stay out of this one for now."

Pikachu and Sandile. Ash had an idea of Sandile's move-set however right now, there was only the knowledge that he had. He hoped that Sandile might recognise that and go solo for an instant before he actually decided to use strategy in it.

Weavile and Weavile. Both of those Pokémon flexed their claws, a familiar but dangerous blue light appearing at the tips of its claws but even then Ash did not even flinch. The poacher used pure force to rip herself from the 'chains' that bound her before leaping from the Jeep and onto the ground.

"Weavile. Make this brat pay. We won't be making a hostage out of him at any rate."

Ash felt the weight of the situation hang above him like a guillotine.

There were greater stakes in this game than simply protecting the Forest and Virizion.

But that wasn't going to stop him here.

"Pikachu, Sandile. Get ready."

He was ready more than ever.

Iris flew through the trees, dodging them as they went past keeping an eye on the path that was in front of her. She did so while keeping to the tree line and out of sight of anyone that might be on the path. She thought she had seen Cilan below her at some point however assured herself that it was not the case, if it was then he would have called out to her and she was sure that he was fine at any rate.

He was a Gym Leader after all and as a result, knew how to handle himself. The problem though was the other member of their group that she had not found. However at the same time, Iris felt that Ash knew what he was doing. His bravery towards entering this situation somewhat meant that this was not a situation he was experiencing for the first time. While that made her question his travels, at the same time it put her at ease with the idea that he was used to this sort of thing.

Iris circled in mid-air, barrel rolling to the side and Axew clutched tighter towards her hair as it momentarily went upside down before readjusting itself. It looked down towards the path and saw the exact same thing that they had been following this entire time.

The Jeep was moving faster than Iris however any faster and the air resistance was sure to place a burden upon her body, something that she didn't want to hinder her advance.

Yet at the same time, both Iris and Axew wondered about the mysterious gel that seemed to be coming from the end of the Jeep. Both the poacher and the Tyranitar paid it no heed however whether it was because they knew about it or not was unknown. Was it some kind of gel like transmission device from the AJD that Agent Jetstream had placed? Or perhaps some kind of fluid that Leavanny had placed from Burgh?

She hadn't seen either of them and she hoped that they were safe as well but she kept all her focus upon the Jeep.

The vehicle continued its trek through the path and reached an area that made Iris somewhat concerned. The lack of trees here meant that Iris couldn't take cover like she had normally and while she could quickly go across the area to reach another where the trees accumulated, she was scared of being seen.

She looked around her and noticed how some of the trees curved around, Iris moving towards it and following the curve while still using her aura to heighten her own senses in order to keep an eye on the Jeep that was in the distance.

She looked away from it for an instant and followed the rest of the path with her eyes, noticing how it too curved around the Forest. Where did it even go? The dirt road continued through the road however at the same time seemed to be linked towards another road. However the lack of tyre tacks on that road eliminated that as a possible route in Iris's mind.

No, it was the path that curved around that caught her eye. She followed it with her gaze before losing it in the tree line however at the same time, she looked up towards where she saw the path head towards.

The massive tree towered over the others and Iris frowned as she looked at it. Was that where the Jeep was heading? The centre of the Forest? Just because it was the highest point did not mean anything in terms of the Legendary Virizion and Iris questioned the placement of the location.

"Hold on tight Axew." She warned her Pokémon. "We're going towards there." She pointed once and the Pokémon looked before giving a small cry of it name and holding on tight.

Iris looked up and ascended, leaving the tree line and looking straight at the tree that was her new destination. She had to be careful and she knew it herself but the thing was that now that she could see the entire Forest once again, she couldn't see the path and had lost the Jeep.

That annoyed her but at the same time, did not worry her. She flew towards the tree however something below her burst from the tree line, heading straight towards her.

She just noticed the mysterious beam of light, twisting her body out of the way in time as the greenish-blue light went right past her. She recognised the attack on sight, her training in the Village of Dragons allowing her that ability to know that one attack.

The Aura Dragon Breath sailed into the sky and she looked down towards the Pokémon that had fired it, the Flygon bursting from the same tree line with a person on its back. She paled as she looked at the woman, because of the fact that she had looks and features so beautiful that they were at odds with what she was holding in one of her hands.

A sniper rifle.

She held the weapon low but not aimed at Iris as she flew towards Iris. She brought something from her loosely fitting coat that she wore and held up something that Iris looked at once before frowning.

"Sorry kid. I'm from the AJD. This area has been restricted for the time being, as well as this air space. Where are you heading? I'll take you there myself." She smiled once, her blond hair whipping on the wind while looking at Iris.

Iris put up her guard immediately. AJD? Area restricted? From the sounds of the tone of her voice, it was almost like-

"Oh? Hahaha! I must've not really noticed. I don't really pass this area too much. Since when has this area been restricted? What happened?" asked Iris innocently.

"Unfortunately the details have been deemed confidential. But we can say that this area has been in lockdown for the past two days. Don't worry, you aren't the only one to make this mistake so if you would please…" The woman trailed off however Iris had almost decided on her next move.

Two days? Confidential? It stank of a bad lie and Iris had her own question to ask about the person that was in front of her. Burgh hadn't mentioned anything about that and Agent Jetstream had called for back-up as she was the only one here but Iris had seen her do it.

There was no way that anyone from the AJD would be here and lie to her. Especially when they came from a location that was right near the destination that she was heading towards.

"Right right. Sorry about that. But you said the AJD right? Tell me, how's Agent Aura Jetstream?" she asked with a smile.

The woman's face seemed to twist in rage for only an instant however at the same time, Iris had already moved quickly. Using her aura, she reached behind her and grabbed Axew who had been just as prepared. She gripped the Pokémon and threw it towards her opponent with a quick movement and command.

"Axew! Aura Dragon Rage!"

Axew sailed through the air and blue energy gathered in its chest. It started to release it however at the same time, it flew right over the woman and her Flygon.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaxew!" yelled the small Pokémon as the blue energy that had gathered in its mouth formed in the back of the throat however once again, Axew chomped down at the last minute.

The energy exploded everywhere at once and the air was covered in smoke from the blast, a small figure being blasted up into the air. Iris used her Aura Wings to fly towards the small Pokémon and gripped it before it fell. She hovered above the place where the smoke had gathered looking down at the place where it was however she knew one thing.

And as the smoke cleared the woman revealed herself, her clothes ripped in some places while Flygon still looked as healthy as ever. The woman rubbed her face once before looking up towards Iris and she felt her finger tighten on the trigger of the weapon that she had brought.

"So…you know all about what we're doing is that right?" she asked. There was not anger in her voice however at the same time Iris could see the aura begin to circle around her in response to her negative emotions.

"How else do you think I would know Agent Jetstream's name?" responded Iris.

"So she's here is she? This will be interesting! Very interesting! But I think I'll start with a bit of early game hunting! Flygon!" The Pokémon ascended so that the woman was eye level with Iris and she pointed the rifle right towards her.

"Let's get this bit of early hunting over for some bigger prey."

Iris was the first to move as she dropped as the sniper rifle went off in mid-air, missing her completely.

The battle for the skies and supremacy had started above the heads of those who were fighting all out of the ground.

The Aura Flamethrower shot into the sky and Pansage immediately created an Aura Shield in order to block the incoming flames. The moment that they touched, the sound of cracking glass filled the air however at the same time, Pansage had already ducked underneath the path of the Aura Flamethrower.

"Pan!" The Pokémon let out that pant as soon as it touched the ground and Cilan called out his next command.

"Use Aura Dig!"

Pansage buried underneath the ground as it left the Houndoom's sight however at the same time, Cilan had realised one thing during the short battle that had started to take place.

There was more than one target.

Houndoom's Aura Flamethrower passed over Cilan's head as it missed him however he had already ducked underneath the flames. At the same time, something headed straight towards him as he watched in pure shock at what was coming towards him.

The man with the sunnies and wannabe bikie look held an Aura Sword within his hands as he swung it down towards Cilan's head. Cilan rolled to the side, using his aura in order to make sure that his roll made him move to the side even further. The man watched as Cilan did so however at the same time, something broke up from the ground.

Pansage smashed its fist into the chin of the man and he reacted too late in order to block. His sailed through the air for only an instant before hitting the ground with a groan. Houndoom took the reins, smashing into the small Pokémon with its body glowing a blue colour.

Pansage flew backwards for only an instant before straightening out and Cilan yelled his next command as he looked towards the Pokémon that had attacked his.

"Pansage! Aura Bullet Seed!"

"Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaage!"

Pansage let loose the seeds that had a blue glow towards Houndoom, the seeds smashing against the Pokémon in a repeat fashion and it let out a cry in response to the move, sprawling out along the ground with dust flying in the air. Cilan stood up and looked towards that same spot where the Pokémon had fallen however another voice pierced the air and threw Cilan's thoughts into a mess.

"Houndoom! Aura Flame Charge!"

Within the dust, a shape of red came through it that shone with a sinister glow. Cilan grit his teeth as he called his own attack towards Pansage.

"Pansage! Aura Dig once more!"

Pansage dug underneath the ground and at the same time, Cilan put all of his aura into his feet and leaped into the air, above the dust cloud and the shapes that were surely beneath it. The same moment, a shape of flames passed where he had just been, the Houndoom stopping momentarily as it found that its second target was not where it should have been.

Cilan grit his teeth as he considered his options right now, the instinct of survival taking over his body as he looked down at the Houndoom. He had doubts that the Pokémon would kill him however if it wounded him to the point where he needed to seek medical attention, it was basically the same thing.

Cilan charged up an Aura Sphere and let it loose towards the Pokémon that was on the ground, the sphere connecting and causing Houndoom to let loose a cry of pain in response to the blow that it had just received.

Cilan fell down through the air and onto Houndoom's back before kicking off and leaping into the air once again as he grabbed a tree branch and looked down at the battle from overhead.

"Damn you!" a voice came through the smoke and he turned to face the man that had been the one that had attacked him in the first place. He started to form his own Aura Sphere however then ground beneath him broke as Pansage let loose its own attack, hitting the man again in the chin.

He stumbled however at the last minute, grabbed Pansage by the leg and threw it as hard as he could, causing the Pokémon to smash against a tree branch.

"Pansage!" Cilan let out that worried yell however he knew that there was no way that he could let down his guard. Pansage slowly got up however at the same time, the man leaped towards where Cilan was with the same Aura Sword formed in his hands.

"Use Aura Bullet Seed on Houndoom!" said Cilan as he leaped from the tree branch. His Pokémon looked at him with a worried glance however trusted its trainer to make the right decision in regards to who it should be attacking. Pansage let loose the Aura Bullet Seed however the Houndoom managed to dodge, its speed increased after having used Aura Flame Charge.

It did so, circling in the dust as it kicked up more around its own body as another flash of red came through the smoke and Houndoom started to charge straight towards the Pokémon that was on the ground.

Cilan though, dodged the Aura Sword slice that happened in mid-air and yelled his new attack towards Pansage as he readied his own.

"Aura Dig and dodge Pansage!" Pansage buried underneath the ground, just in time as the Pokémon managed to dodge the Aura Flame Charge that had been slowly getting closer towards where it had been.

In the air, the man tried to attack Cilan once more however Cilan parried it with his own Aura Sword, hastily created with his own aura. Its lack of expertise in its crafting only showed itself as the Aura Sword shattered upon making contact with its enemy, continuing its trek and towards Cilan. He let out a surprised yell and put his am to block, the warm sensation of pain and blood splattering along his clothes as they ripped from the contact with the blade.

The man then let out another shout towards Houndoom in order to make sure that the small Pokémon did not escape from Houndoom's grasp.

"Aura Flamethrower into the hole and get that Pansage!"

Houndoom complied as it fired the flames into the hole and Cilan frantically gave his own command into order to match that which had been given, thinking fast as he thought of a way to counter the attack.

"Surface and strike Pansage!" yelled the boy as he let loose his own attack.

Cilan began to fall however knew that if anything, this was the opportunity to attack. He let loose a kick with his Aura, smashing it into the man's side and sending him flying towards a tree where his body slammed against, Cilan falling onto the ground painfully, his arm hurting from the blow that he had received from such.

At the same time, Pansage jumped from the ground and smashed its small fist into Houndoom's jaw. At the same time, the Aura Flamethrower that had been sent into the original hole struck both Pansage and Houndoom like a deadly blowhole that could only wound.

Both Pansage and Houndoom, who had also been effected with the super effective Aura Dig, let out cries of pain and Pansage took the opportunity to focus its aura in its feet and launch itself from Houndoom, kicking itself from the larger Pokémon's body, causing itself to be blown back but also Houndoom to be blasted against the side of the hill.

Both Trainer and Pokémon panted as they looked towards their opponents who were slowly getting up. The man and Houndoom looked towards them with pure anxiety and they spat out words that surely showed how malicious they were.

"What do you think you're doing here anyway? I can only think of one reason for you to intervene in such a way however you aren't one of us are you?"

Cilan looked towards Houndoom however felt that the opportunity to grasp one's breath was something that should be grasped with full force in this situation.

"Of course. There's no way that I would be coloured with the distaste of being a poacher." Cilan gave his remark that was surely the mark of a witty individual with a smile on his face despite the blood that was running down his arm.

"Is that so? Then why are you here? You don't actually think that Virizion exists do you? That you can save it should we capture it?" The man spat out those words and Cilan returned them with ones of his own.

"Is that so? Then why is it that you are putting up such high resistance for something that doesn't exist? Virizion belongs to the Pinwheel Forest…..no, even then it belongs as part of the world here. I can't simply let you take what you want and think that there will be no form of justice that will try and regain what is trying to be taken. Doing otherwise will only create a failure of a recipe."

The man was silent as he looked towards Cilan with a sadistic grin on his own.

"Don't you think that that's awfully arrogant? You can't actually think that you can take on all of us do you? There's over 50 of us here, and most of us are right where the prize is. You're outnumbered 1 to 50."

Cilan was silent for only a moment before returning the comment with his own.

"Hardly….I have people that I trust working with me to stop this. And…..it's my responsibility of a Gym Leader to see this through to a conclusion that will surely have the right ingredients for success."

The man seemed to pale at the title that Cilan had just given however it was Cilan that spoke before the man could even react.

"So I simply ask that you stay out of this fight until we can truly bring you and the others to justice! Aura Bullet Seed." Cilan gave that command and Pansage fired the Seeds towards the enemy Pokémon, the man watching as his Pokémon stood fast in response to the attack.

"Dodge!" he yelled and the Pokémon did so, blurring out of the way before the Pokémon appeared in the distance, Pansage continuing its attack while Houndoom continued to dodge. The man began to open his mouth however saw that Cilan had come in close with an Aura Sword of his own that the man had to quickly form his own to protect himself from the attack that had been sent his way.

His words were lost on him as Houndoom continued to dodge out of the way of the Bullet Seeds that were being fired at it as Cilan formed another Aura Sword in his opposite hand, spinning it so that the hilt was the item that was going to be struck down towards the man's face.

"Houndoom!" Shouted the man as he reacted to the attack that was heading his way. "Aura Flamethrower!"

Cilan's mind thought of the possible options that were available to him and tried to think of a way that should surely be powerful enough to knock the man unconscious as well as that of his Pokémon.

He was unaccustomed to violence. He had never actually managed to knock someone out in a fight before and he had no desire to actually do so today. He felt that if he hesitated here, the future travels that were ahead of him were something that would surely could towards a halt.

This was different from Team Rocket. To some extent, this was probably a part of the darkness of the world of Aura that very few people can a glimpse towards. There were surely people that did not know of it. There were surely people that did know of it.

Yet at the same time, there was something needed that would surely blow all of that violence away. Cilan had felt that as a Gym Leader and Connoisseur, he had seen quite a lot. However now that he was faced with this choice, he silently felt that he had, just as the man had said, been arrogant.

Gym Leaders had to maintain a position that was respectable and revealed their strength. However right now, that darkness truly was something that made Cilan doubt his own actions. He had chosen to act. So he had to use violence.

But even he felt that something had to blow away this violence that was heading towards him.

And there was one method that stuck out in his mind that made him smile.

He had started this journey without knowing of this method. And it was this new experience that meant that he had to use this new method that he had discovered in his journey. This surely would be the finishing blow towards the horror of the man that was in front of him.

And if that was the case, that meant that there was surely a way to blow away all of the painful ideals that were evident in this one moment.

"Pansage! SolarBeam!" he shouted his command as the sunlight came through the foliage of the trees. That fact meant that there was no need for an extended charge up that was usually needed.

Pansage realised the tactic that Cilan was using and charged up the Beam…and almost instantly, fired it.

Cilan immediately dispelled the Aura Swords as man watched in surprise as Cilan threw himself to the side, an Aura Shield forming around himself and Pansage as they threw themselves to the side.

The Aura Flamethrower collided with the SolarBeam.

The explosion of air that was created as a result from the blow threw everything that one knew about the world into chaos. Normally, power overcame those without it. That much was obvious.

In a straight fight, those more powerful Pokémon obliterated the weaker. And of course, with comparison to aura powers, the same applied. However here was something that completely destroyed that idea. No matter how strong it was, the truly weakest attack completely created a new method to overcome strength.

And that method was something that Cilan had truly learnt upon his journey. Strength could always be overcome. All it took…

Was the will to stand despite being labelled weak.

Dust and dirt flew everywhere as a result of the explosion of air. Both Houndoom and the man were blown back, trees rustling violently as a result and the hill that they had originally gone down being cut into by the force of the wind.

Cilan and Pansage tumbled head over heels as they were thrown back from their own attack however it was the fact that it had worked that stuck out in their minds. As soon as they stopped, Cilan did not release the Aura Shields until he felt it was safe and even then, that was something that was hard to judge by.

The crater in the ground only revealed the force at which the attacks had collided and both the man and Houndoom were quite a ways away from where they had originally been, both of them knocked out and unable to battle as it were.

Cilan gave a wipe of his brow, his cut causing his forehead to be dyed red to which he let out a grimace. He looked at the cut sleeve and wound, making a note that he would have to fix that using his aura in the close future.

"Pan?" A voice came from the rising dust and Pansage looked at its trainer with worry. Cilan himself gave a smile in response and a slow nod.

'Don't worry. Things aren't that bad with me Pansage. But we need to hurry. There's something else that needs to be done. We are here for this one reason after all."

He nodded towards the small Pokémon and received one in return, to which both the trainer and the Pokémon looked forward into the distance.

They had already managed to get this far.

And with their destination in sight, all they had to do was follow the path that was laid out in front of them.

It was Sandile that attacked first.

Stones appeared around its body that seemed to levitate and had a familiar blue glow surrounding them. Ash could tell what they were on sight.

Sandile launched the Aura Stone Edge towards both of the Weavile and they expertly dodged out of the way from the attack and the woman gave her own command towards the Pokémon that were circling the area with their fast movements.

"Weavile!" she called out to both of the Pokémon. "Aura Icy Wind!"

Both Weavile elegantly moved out of the way of the Aura Stone Edge and moved to both the left and right of Pikachu and Sandile. In one motion, they both opened their mouths and a bluish white air came out of them, causing both Pikachu and Sandile to cover their faces, a fine frost covering their body as they tried to withstand the attack.

Ash grit his teeth. He understood type matchups and that Ice was super effective against Ground. Although he had little knowledge about Sandile's attack patterns, he had to work with what he had at the moment.

Using Pikachu's attack would only mean that colliding with aura attacks and non-aura attacks would blow his Pokémon back, rather than their opponents. What he needed wasn't something that allowed him to attack head on, but rather something else entirely. And if that was the case-

"Sandile!" Ash shouted. "Use Dig and Pikachu, into the hole!" Sandile wasted no time like Sewaddle had, using its claws without the use of aura to burrow into the ground at a face pace to avoid the attack and Pikachu following into the hole.

"Weavile!" called the poacher. "Use Aura Icy Wind into the hole!" Both of Weavile used their aura to speed towards the hole and started to blow their own attacks into the hole however it was Ash that yelled out towards the Pokémon inside the hole.

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"

"Chuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" That cry came from within the depths of the ground and a spark of electricity burst from the ground. However Ash hadn't directed the attack in order to hit the Weavile first as they were the ones that could attack the Pokémon who had nowhere to go. Instead-

The Aura Icy Wind struck the Thunderbolt right at the entrance of the hole, pure energy being diverted in one direction. Like a blowhole, the explosion of air shot both up and down the hole, shooting the Weavile into the air. At the same time, Sandile and Pikachu shot up into the air, probably having being too close to the surface in order to make the Dig effective.

They all sailed into the air as dust kicked up from the attack itself, all Pokémon looking rather surprised at what had happened. However even then, it was Ash that took advantage of the surprise that was created as a result.

"Pikachu! Again! Sandile, use Stone Edge!" He called out to the Pokémon.

Without a hitch, both Pokémon launched their attacks within the air, Pikachu's Thunderbolt and Sandile's Stone Edge. Electricity and pointed rocks flew through the air and towards the Weavile and-

"Just what do you think you're doing?!" yelled the female poacher. "Counter and use Aura Slash!" Both Weavile recovered in mid-air, their claws shining with a dangerous blue glow as they swung their claws down in order to strike the attacks that were headed their way.

The Thunderbolt and Stone Edge met their marks. And like always, the attacks collided, the close quarters at which they met meaning that Pikachu and Sandile were far from their effects.

The explosion of air hit both Weavile hard and they were blown backwards as their backs slammed into the trees behind them. They let out cries of pain as they slowly descended the tree trunks before they landed on their rears before slowly standing up, glaring at both of the Pokémon that were looking at them with those same glares.

Ash let out a small smile as he looked towards the Pokémon that were glaring at each other. He had the poacher by the reins. As long as he kept up these repeat attacks, then there was surely going to be-

"Sewa wa!" A cry from his side made Ash looked towards that direction however as he was turning his head, the sight of the poacher heading straight towards him with an Aura Sword made his eyes widen. Almost completely on instinct in response to a fright, Ash threw himself backwards, the Sword piercing the ground where it sunk in deep, leaving both the boy and the woman looking at each other.

There was silence as Ash looked at the deed in front of him. He momentarily racked his thoughts and remembered how poachers did not play by the rules. He had seen this before. Why did he just assume that things would be different the next time? There was more on the line than just a victory in this battle. Once one understood that, it was obvious the lengths that some people would go to in order to achieve that.

The woman looked up at Ash beyond the dust, that mysterious gel sticking to the Aura Sword as she tilted her head as she looked at him.

"You fight well kid. I've never seen such techniques in a battle. But this is a problem for adults. And kids like you should not interfere."

"Pikapi!" called Pikachu as it moved towards the side however something rammed into the side of the Pokémon, throwing it to a tree trunk that was behind it.

The Weavile that smashed into the Pokémon rubbed its claws against each other like a chef did with knives. It looked proud of itself and Sandile, behind its sunglasses looked shocked at the move before glaring at the Pokémon, its teeth bared.

"San, sandile!" it shouted towards the Weavile however they did not even acknowledge the pleas of the Pokémon.

"See? No matter what happens, things can only progress in one way from here kid." The poacher gave a devilish grin, her blond hair covering parts of her eyes. "I don't blame you for wanting to play a hero. But let the adults have their fun OK?" The poacher rose the Aura Sword into the air and Ash looked in a panic with his eyes wide.

His mind flashed back towards the Scar on his back and how he had gotten it. He had never forgotten the pain behind it and the scene in front of him only reminded him of the horror that he had been made to face at that young age.

Yet-

"Sewaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" A shout from the side made both poacher and boy look there, only to see Sewaddle plough its body into the side of the poacher. The Aura Tackle slammed the poacher to the side, causing her to thrust the Aura Sword into the ground once more in order to stop her from being blown backwards even more.

As aura swirled around her, she glared at the small Pokémon that stood in its way, Sewaddle looking angrily towards the woman, thrusting its head forwards in challenge towards the woman.

"Sewaddle?" asked Ash as he looked towards the small Pokémon. "But why-" He stopped short. Why did Sewaddle want to help? This was its home wasn't it? Why else would it want to fight? There was nothing that was stopping it right now. And if that was the case…

"Right." He said. "Pikachu!" he called out towards the Pokémon that was trying to stand up after having received the unexpected attack from the others. 'Can you still stand?!"

"Pikachu!" called the Pokémon in response and went on all fours as it looked straight at its trainer.

"Then we'll have to work on these two fronts! I'll try my best to make sure that you guys don't get too hurt so please bear with me!" Ash shouted out those words as he glared at the poacher that was his enemy in two respects. "So use Thunderbolt! And Sandile! Use Dig to follow that up!"

Both Pokémon responded and sent out their attacks towards the Pokémon, the Weavile dodging out of the way as soon as they saw the attacks heading their way. Sandile buried underneath the ground and disappeared from sight instantly and the woman shouted out words of her own in order to meet her own battlefield.

"Weavile! Use Aura Dark Pulse!" Both of the Weavile put their claws close together and held them near their chests before shooting a beam of dark purple, outlined by blue energy. The beams sailed through their aura, heading either for Pikachu or through the ground, mercilessly cutting through the ground and leaving a large crevice in the ground itself.

At the same time, the woman kicked off the ground with her aura, heading straight for Ash. Seeing the move, Ash immediately used all of his strength to fling himself to the side. The same instant, the woman sliced the spot where Ash had just been, the sensation of something swinging past his shoe making Ash shudder for just an instant. However he took fast action and directed his attention towards the Pokémon that was on his side.

"Sewaddle! Use-" He was about to call his next attack however realised that, like Sandile, he had very limited knowledge about the attack pattern that the Pokémon had. However, sensing that, Sewaddle took its action. It launched a fury of leaves that headed straight for the woman, however she quickly put up an Aura Shield.

The Aura Razor Leaf pounded uselessly along the side of the Shield, Ash registering the attack at the back of his mind however took the time to divert his attention, if only momentarily.

"Sandile! Ascend and Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Both Pokémon took to action, Pikachu jumping through their air as its tail shone with a metallic glow, striking the ground as a Weavile dodged out of the way. It jumped to the side and the other Weavile scanned the ground for where Sandile was going to come up.

However, just behind it, the ground burst open, Sandile appearing from behind the Weavile, the Pokémon turning at the last minute however not even getting an attack in as Sandile clamped its jaws right around the claw that was being sent its way, its jaws glowing with a familiar blue, an Aura Bite.

The Weavile let out a roar of pain and its partner turning in its direction, leaping towards the Pokémon with its claws shining blue as it prepared to slice Sandile with an Aura Slash. It began to slice down the blow however Pikachu intercepted the attack with Iron Tail, throwing the Weavile towards another direction where it slammed against the tree trunk itself.

At the same time, the poacher tried to swing once again towards Ash however he had already managed to let out his own command.

"Sewaddle! String Shot on her legs!" Sewaddle complied, shooting the thread towards the legs that tied around and around her legs before the woman let out a yell of surprise, falling onto the ground, her Aura Sword implanting itself into the ground as well.

Eyes filled with rage, she looked up towards the boy and the tips of her fingernails seemed to glow blue for only an instant. Ash however did not even have time to react as the nail itself lengthened and pierced Ash right through the knuckle of his left hand.

Ash let out a yell of pain and held the hand within his other, looking as blood seemed to flow down the finger that had been cut. It wasn't a deep cut however the fact that blood was coming down it in various amounts did not prove to be something that he wanted to come into contact with the dirt.

The poacher gave a sinister smile and Ash used his Aura Perception in the last minute to move ahead of where the woman was thinking. She would surely use her attack to cut the thread. However at the same time, she would probably-

There! Ash saw aura seemed to gather on the tip of her middle finger on her right hand. Something that was moving closer and closer to where Ash was. Assuming that it extended straight, Ash instantly made his move.

Moving fast, he thrust his clenched fist into the way of the extending nail. He clenched his teeth for the pain that was sure to come and it happened just as he thought it would as soon as the aura nail hit his open wound.

The Sound reverberated through the air, throwing both the woman and Ash backwards through the Forest. Pain ran through Ash's hand as the explosion of air hit him right in the wound, ripping it open even more but even then he kept his eyes open to see the results of what he had just done.

The poacher had been thrown back perhaps more because of the fact that she had not been as prepared for what had happened as Ash had. There was a cut on her forehead and she looked daze, something that Ash felt he had to grasp before the opportunity left him again to truly take a hold of the situation by the horns.

"S-Sewaddle!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. "String Shot!" Sewaddle seemed just as dazed as Ash was however at the same time, it launched the fine thread so that it wrapped around the poacher's body until she was immobile.

Soon a white cocoon occupied the space where she had just been but even then, Ash was not sure that it would contain the woman for long. He turned his attention towards the other battle that was happening, only shocked to see Sandile zoom past his head and smash into the Jeep that was sitting awkwardly in the ground. It let out a pained noise before falling straight towards the ground, looking weakly at the Weavile that had launched it there with the Aura Dark Pulse.

The Weavile itself looked hatefully at Sandile as it clenched its hand and flashed its claws towards the Pokémon. Sandile itself looked tired and wore out from the direct hit and Ash called out towards Pikachu however the pained cry from his partner made him look in the direction that the voice had come from.

Pikachu was being held by the neck by the Weavile who was panting heavily as grinned at having grabbed its opponent already. Ash questioned how the events had happened while he was worrying about himself however still felt that nothing would change what was happening in front of him.

Silently, he cursed himself for taking pure notice of his own situation instead of those that were fighting alongside him and yelled out towards the Pokémon.

"Pikachu! Try and escape using Thunderbolt! Sandile! Are you OK!? Can you stand up!?" His cries were not unanswered as both Pokémon gave cries of pure determination.

Pikachu launched a Thunderbolt straight towards the Weavile that shocked its entire body however the sight of the Weavile still standing was something that shocked both Pokémon and Trainer.

Ash used his Aura Perception to try and determine what had happened but there was no way that a Pokémon could change its Type just by using its aura. So what else was at work here? Ash saw it a moment later and immediately sweated heavily at the sight.

Weavile had both of its feet planted into the ground.

The electricity was surging through its body however at the same time that electricity was being expelled into the ground leaving nothing for Weavile to get shocked with. All in all, the entire attack was harmless and it reminded Ash of the time that Pikachu had used its tail as a ground when he had fought Lt. Surge.

Weavile looked proud of itself as it held one of its claws higher into the air and struck Pikachu point blank with an Aura Dark Pulse. Pikachu let out another pained cry and Ash grit his teeth as he looked at his partner being assaulted so in such close quarters.

He turned his gaze towards Sandile who had managed to stand despite the wounds that it had received but even then, it was something else that came through his ears that made Ash sweat.

The sound of the explosion of air came through the air and with no Pokémon having attacked in that one moment, it was obvious where the sound had come from. Ash turned his gaze towards the cocoon that was on the ground however like a Butterfree breaking free from the Metapod shell, something came out.

The poacher appeared from the cocoon as if reborn but even then, her ideals were the same. She looked towards the group that had managed to push her back however looked at the situation, Ash on the ground and the Pokémon helpless as she gave a grin.

She formed an Aura Sword within her hands and cracked her own neck. Sewaddle stood in front of Ash however he could tell that it was as nervous about the situation as he was.

"I guess this is game over then kid." She gave a sinister grin as she held the Aura Sword and Ash could tell without Aura Perception that aura was beginning to gather at her feet.

There was no way out of this one. There was no way that some mysterious form of aura was going to come out of nowhere and save him.

Both Pokémon that were on his side gave out cries, perhaps they were his name, however they didn't even register in his mind.

Sandile could not move. Pikachu could not directly hit Weavile with an Electric type attack; Iron Tail, Volt Tackle and Quick Attack being most effective in throwing Weavile's grip. As they were unusable as they needed momentum to be the most effective, Pikachu was stuck too.

However those cries of the Pokémon were something that was truly revealing how much they cared for that boy who was lying on the ground with a split knuckle. Was it a good thing? Was it a pitiful thing?

That was in the eye of the beholder. But even then, those cries of pure desperation were almost pleas towards Arceus for assistance.

And…..something began to change. Almost as if the very fabric of the reality that surrounded the group was twisted. It all began to change, starting with bright lights that came from both Pokémon.

And the true battle had to start there.

Iris dodged through the sky from the Aura Dragon Breath. She twisted in the air itself and Axew tried to hold on the best it could in the air however even then, it had difficulty in doing so.

A gunshot pierced through the air however Iris had managed to spiral out of the way, the tiny bullet going somewhere in the sky that would not have hurt anyone.

At the same time, the woman that was on top of Flygon gave a clench of her teeth, while looking with nothing but hate towards Iris.

"Stay still dammit! Come here for a second so we can least tell who is more worthy to take Virizion for their own!" The woman shouted and Flygon let loose another Aura Dragon Breath but Iris dodged it in mid-air once again, looking at the enemy that was in front of them.

She had taken on bigger opponents at the Village of Dragons so there was only one thing that she needed to do in order to make sure that her and Axew's attacks did the most damage possible. There was nothing saying the weak could not defeat the strong. All one needed to do:

Was get close.

"You want me closer!? Then here we go!" Iris let out that battle cry as the poacher reloaded, zooming through the air so fast and sudden that when she collided with the Flygon, the cry from the Dragon Pokémon seemed to pierce her very soul.

However this was her enemy. In a normal battle, she would have no qualms about attacking, whether it be in an Aura Battle or a simple Pokémon battle. But this was something even greater, something that only heroes in the tales of legend engaged in. This was a battle of life and death.

Flygon let out that cry and Iris let out a shout from up close to both of the enemies that she had determined were her greatest threat.

"Axew! Aura Scratch!" she yelled and Axew immediately, leaped from her hair and its hand glowed blue as it let loose the attack both towards the Pokémon and the woman. The weak attack did very little however the Flygon still yelled out in pain while the woman screamed as she clutched her face where Axew had struck.

Iris moved quickly, using her hands in order to grab the sniper rifle, the cold metal making her shiver at the heartless nature that someone needed to shoot an innocent person with it. She used her aura in order to fuel her next attack and sent a head butt towards the woman which collided and the woman was thrown off Flygon in response.

Iris pulled the rifle from the woman's grip and threw it as hard as she could towards the falling figure, the rifle smashing into her side before falling the ground. The woman herself gave out a gasp of pain and Flygon sped down in order to catch the woman.

Was the woman's aura ability of a Low level? Iris did not know however there were no feelings upon the basis of harming the weak. After all, it had been her that had been the one who had pointed the weapon. This wasn't a matter of doing something that was unlike her; this was about survival.

Iris was not about to kill anyone however the same could not be said for the other woman poacher. And if that was the case, there was only one thing that had to be done.

Iris reached for Axew in her hair and Axew braced itself for the next move that it would have to use in order to make sure that it did the most damage.

Using her aura, Iris threw Axew downwards let a jet and shouted one command however even then, the small Pokémon had already begun to charge up the attack that it was about to launch immediately.

"Axew! Aura Dragon Rage!"

Axew flew through the air and the same moment that it reached where the woman was, where Flygon had managed to fly as well, it chomped down on the attack that it had manage to fail so many times. But even then, in that limited success, there was something to be gained.

The energy of the Aura Dragon Rage expelled in the air, smashing both into Flygon and the woman as she fell further towards the ground, throwing Axew up into the air as Iris caught it with an Aura Hand.

She looked down as she saw that Flygon had caught the woman despite the fact that both of them were wounded, something that she found herself being glad about despite the fact that she saw the woman as an enemy.

The Flygon spiralled in the air as soon as it caught the woman and Iris frowned as she looked at the strange movements of the Pokémon. She had assumed that the woman would immediately head straight for her in an effort to deal with her quickly or use an attack from Flygon that would deal with her however the movement below her did not follow any of that.

Instead, the Flygon merely hung around the tree line. Was the woman that badly damaged? Or was it something else?

Iris's thoughts immediately went blank as a gunshot pierced through the air once again. She looked towards the location that had been hit, seeing a hole appear right in her left Aura Wing. She blinked once as the crack seemed to widen as her thoughts went into turmoil, causing both of the Wings to shatter.

Just before she fell, she looked towards the woman, seeing the flash of metal against the sunlight as she let out a grin of triumph. Where had she hidden that? Was it even possible to have a gun that large without Iris seeing?

Her thoughts were in a panic as she fell downwards, looking at both Flygon and the poacher the entire time as she passed them. Their faces were ones that were proud however at the same time, so was Iris's.

"Axew…hold on." She said to her Pokémon and the Pokémon did so with a small cry of its name. And in one motion, Iris immediately sprouted new wings. The action was so sudden and removed from the situation of shock and joy that had been experienced by Iris and the poacher respectively that the poacher herself could feel nothing more than a panic as Iris sped along the tree line once more as she ascended towards the poacher.

In Iris's hand, an Aura Sword appeared, as she looked towards the woman, scanning her for the gun that she had used just before. She spotted it quickly, the metal shining in the sunlight.

"What is this?!" shouted the poacher. "I shot your wing dammit! I shot it!" The small scar that had appeared on her face due to the attack from Axew twisted in response to her rage in an unsightly fashion however as Iris came closer, there was only really one thing that she could say in response to the complaints of the poacher.

"Aura is something that is created by a life force. As long as I'm alive, did you really think that my aura would be so easily removed?" Iris's words were sharp and hit home however it was the face of the poacher that changed upon hearing them.

"Is that so? Well then, we'll just have to change that!" She pointed the gun right at Iris's face however it was no use. She pulled the trigger and the gun barked but even then, Iris had put up an Aura Shield. She started to lower it however at the same time, a cry from behind her made her stop right in her tracks.

"Axe axew!" Her Pokémon's cry made her stop in mid-air with the Aura Shield still formed and look around for something that was out of the picture that had alarmed the Pokémon so.

The next moment, she figured it out, albeit it being through a rather violent medium. The Aura Dragon Breath collided with her Aura Shield and she felt herself being pushed back as a result however she still kept the Shield up despite the fact that she was being pushed back.

The Dragon Breath dissipated and Iris flew backwards in order to get some distance between but even then, she still knew her options were limited.

Axew's attacks were mostly balanced. On paper, anyone would tell you that her attacks had the upper hand, both a mixture of close quarters and long range. However in truth, that was not the case. Dragon Rage only worked in close quarters as the small Pokémon had yet to master the very basics of the attack. As that was the case, it only meant that she could truly only use were close quarters attacks.

Aura Dragon Rage and Aura Scratch. Strong attacks, for a Pokémon of Axew's age however there was the same problem that presented itself once again.

And that was experience.

The Flygon and the woman poacher clearly had the more experience in this matter. And what did Iris have? Nothing more than some experience fighting Team Rocket and the incident that had occurred at the Hale Mansion. What else did she have?

She tensed her body as those cold hard facts came through her mind and began to slowly take over her body. She forced them down. No, she was someone that could do something to protect Virizion. She was here in order to make sure that it would be protected from these people who focused on nothing more than their selfish ideals and to please themselves.

Not only that, there were people that were counting on her. Ash, Pikachu, Axew, Cilan, Burgh, Lucario and Aura. She didn't want to let any of them down and there was something else that filled her mind in that one moment.

Ash had charged into this situation of his own free will. He had done so, with knowledge of how dangerous the situation was however this was not the only time that she had seen him do so. Hadn't he done so in Accumula Town? The Hale Mansion?

Bravery and courage had to start somewhere, deep inside the very being of the person. And all it took was to show that outwards in order to truly inspire acts that could be considered miracles and awe inspiring.

So if that was the case, there was only one thing to do.

Without a word, Iris shot forward, heading downwards as she flew towards an area that was below Flygon and the poacher. There was a glint of metal against the sunlight and another command that flew through the air that made her sweat.

'Flygon! Aura Giga Impact!" Flygon's entire body seemed to glow a bright blue colour as it descended at the same speed as Iris as they moved to meet at a point near the tree line.

Iris still continued her descent. The collision with the Aura Giga Impact was sure to do a number of her body for sure, even with her using aura there was no way that she would be able to completely counter something like that head on. She realised that however still continued her descent down, Axew gripping tightly onto her hair however choosing to trust its trainer in the spur of the moment.

Closer and closer, Iris and Flygon flew towards each other and even then, Iris could see the poacher holding something straight towards Iris as she followed them in the arc that they were travelling.

The pistol and Aura Dragon Breath served as contrast to the abilities that Iris and Axew had. However the fact that there were once again going in for close quarters combat meant that they would need to come up with something fast and hard hitting in order to make sure they had the greatest effect.

Flygon and Iris both looked at each other, Pokémon and Trainer looking at each other. Flygon had nothing in its eyes, a look that suggested that what it was doing was not a moral issue of right or wrong. To an extent, it trusted its Trainer's judgment and acted accordingly. Iris did not know how she looked either. Did she view what she was doing as right? Was she a hero of justice, fighting to protect the weak?

She put those overwhelming thoughts aside. Morals here would not save her. She had to keep an eye on the grand prize, something that was only realised by one thing.

Victory.

Iris and Flygon finally reached their point of intersection having made a 'V' shape flight at it was then that both teams made their moves.

Iris formed an Aura Platform at the last minute, putting it in front of her, curved in shape and like a slide, she used her momentum to slide down it and then upwards. Flygon reached the tip of the 'slide' and flew down it, Iris and Flygon going to meet in the centre. However that was not Iris's plan.

"Scratch on the Platform Axew!" shouted Iris as she looked straight at the Pokémon and the Pokémon jumped from Iris's hair, landing in a spot that was right in front of Flygon. It threw its claw down and it touched the Aura Platform.

The moment it did, an aura negation occurred. Axew's non-aura attack collided with the formation of aura that Iris had set out in front of her and the result was explosive to a quite literal extent.

Iris had already braced herself however the sudden rush of wind that collided with her chest caused her to be winded even though she had been expecting it. She was thrown upwards and Flygon was as well, Iris looking at both Trainer and Pokémon.

The Pokémon looked completely astounded however its body was still surrounded by the power of the Aura Giga Impact. The poacher that was on its back looked exactly the same as Flygon, completely shocked at what had just occurred however Iris felt, hoped, that it was more than that.

What she needed wasn't a hunch that was wrong right in this moment. So she took action.

"Axew! Dragon Rage!" she called out towards the Pokémon and Axew immediately began stirring up the energy it needed for the attack. Flygon could not react in time, probably from the effects of being so close to the Aura Platform when it had been negated however the trainer on its back was not the same.

Whether it be she was reacting out of pure instinct or whether it be purely out of a desire to crush those that she should have crushed moments before, the air was pierced by a short bang.

The gun discharged in her hand and Iris felt something whiz past her leg, causing the skin to slightly spilt and blood to flow out in a small trickle. It was a small wound however at the same time, Iris's thoughts went into a massive panic in that one moment.

She…..had been shot. She had been shot. Iris looked down at the wound, pain crawling up her leg immediately however at the same time, it was the psychological effect of the wound itself that caused the most pain. It exaggerated the wound inside her mind and there was only one thing that she could do in response.

Her mouth opened wide as she began to scream in pain, pain that was both physically and psychological however it was something that was drowned out by one thing.

Axew unleashed the Dragon Rage, the energy exploding everywhere and touching two things, one of them that had Iris been in her right mind, she could have avoided.

Both the Aura Giga Impact and the Aura Wings on Iris's back were negated as a result, explosions of air piercing through the air as both Iris, Flygon, the poacher and Axew were beaten by their own attacks.

Flygon's Aura Giga Impact had covered its entire body and the 'cage' that the attack created meant that the energy that was created from the negation hammered it from all sides, beating the poacher and the Pokémon from all sides. It wasn't as bad for Iris.

In a way, it could be viewed as worse.

The effects of her Aura Wings were immediately negated, slamming into her back as she felt herself struggle to get the right amount of oxygen into her lungs. The pain in her leg increased from the simple failure to drop her Aura Wings in that one moment and the scream immediately stopped as she was thrown forward.

Probably because of the surprise of the negation of the attacks, Flygon had stopped using Aura Giga Impact as it looked as though it was ready to pass out from its own attack. The poacher looked the same however even then, the semi-attack was not over yet.

Iris slammed into the Flygon's chin, throwing the Pokémon back before the momentum of her body caused her to hit the poacher in the mouth with her shoulder.

The poacher bit down on her tongue as a result, causing her to drop the gun and scream in pain.

And with nothing keeping them up, the Dragon Pokémon and the Trainer that were in the air did something that they had intended to do from the very beginning.

They descended into the tree line, heading straight for it. Axew immediately angled its body down and reached its trainer.

"Axew! Axew!" it called out to her however even then, the battle had already taken its toll on the girl. The Pokémon looked at the tree line and did something that was purely on instinct. Like a baby seeking shelter from villains, it sheltered itself in the place where it felt the safest: Iris's hair.

Logic would have told the Pokémon that it was the worst spot to choose however it didn't care. Axew would stick with its trainer despite the situation and it planned on keeping that way.

Iris on the other hand could feel nothing but the rush of wind against her back as she hit the tree line, the soft landing of the leaves being short lived as she went further down. Her back struck branch after branch but even then, while they did damage to her, they slowed down her fall gradually.

When she hit the ground, there was a soothing pain in her back, almost slowly pulling her into a small sleep. There was a crash from beside her, kicking up dust and her face fell to the right, causing her to see the soft green light of the massive tree that was in front of her.

Its allure was calm and she felt comforted by it, thinking that this was truly a place where she could manage to feel at peace within the Forest that had been home to so many. She could feel it in her very being.

And, although she had no reason to, she gave a small smile as she fell into an unconscious state.

Cilan breathed heavily as he walked down the path, following the tyre tracks that looked the most recent. Pansage by his side, he felt as though this path was something that would continue for ages and ages until he found the end but even then, he knew that stopping was something that he could not do.

He had already used his aura to cover up the cut sleeve and mend the material but even then, the colour of the white material was slowly turning red as more and more blood came out. He was sure that it would stop soon as at any rate, he had to focus on the goal that he had set for himself.

The tyre tracks in the mud got deeper and Cilan took that as a sign.

"Look here Pansage." He noted towards his Pokémon as he leaned towards the dirt and ran his fingers towards the ground. There was gel here too, what in the world was it, but he paid it no mind. "The indentations here are deeper than the other tracks we've been seeing."

"Pan sage sage?" asked the Pokémon.

Cilan himself looked up towards the location of where the path was leading, seeing the large tree that was standing monstrously above the entire Forest in its majesty.

"Perhaps. This does have the flavour of a large amount of vehicles passing through here. There would only be one reason for them do so. I think we've found it." He said towards the small Pokémon. He turned his gaze towards the trees that surrounded the path and pointed to them.

"Come on. We have to try and find the others and make sure that we can do what we can. Gathering the most information possible right now is what we need to do."

He made his way to the side of the Forest, Pansage following him as he moved slowly towards the Forest, looking at the path the entire time as he made his way through the Forest. His steps were slow, avoiding any branches that were in the way that could possibly cause a sudden noise that would attract attention.

With slow movements, he reached a part of the Forest where he could get a large view of the entire area surrounding the large tree, he could only pale at what he had found himself up against.

Pansage came up to his side and he could hear the worried voice of the Pokémon that was right beside him.

"Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaage….." Cilan was in complete agreement.

The area itself was like the clearing that he and the others had first met Burgh and Jetstream however even then, it was larger in size. The ground itself did not have the rough colour of brown dirt but rather the green glow of the leaves and the small amount of sunlight that came through. It was almost as if the Forest itself was breathing aura into the air through the use of the leaves and how they shone brightly.

There was a smell quite refreshing in the air and Cilan was sure that under normal circumstances, he would embrace it fully and probably spend a few hours here just relaxing in the nature that the world had given him.

The tree that stood in the centre of the clearing didn't seem so much a tree but rather a monolith. He could see the roots, larger than himself, curling up the body of the tree and the trunk of the tree itself was so large that Cilan was sure that at least it would cover 3 Jeeps wide and over that in height.

He looked up to see the leaves of the tree itself but even then, the tree spread out so much that he had to angle his head all around in order to view the entire foliage. However what his attention was focused on was not even that sight or the beauty of it.

It was the artificial poison that made its way into that scene.

Numerous Jeeps and Pokémon surrounded the area, poachers standing in front of the tree or around the area with either Aura Swords in their hands or weapons that Cilan could not even identify, associating them with a number of action movies that he had seen. He let out a small gulp as his eyes scanned the entire area.

In the centre of the Jeeps, a large machine had been set up, its size like that of a portable generator that one found for air conditioners. It hummed silently however on top of the machine itself, which was attached to another Jeep, a small antenna swirled around, giving off frequent beeps every now and then.

Cilan wondered what it was for however it was once he scanned the area once again that his eyes went wide as he looked at the people that we on the ground, their hands behind their backs and chained with those special handcuffs that Jetstream from the AJD had brought.

He was about to call out towards them however a voice came from his right, making him jump suddenly.

"Hmm….I really can't think much about these poachers. They place themselves at the top of the natural order when it is harmony that we should be trying to achieve with all of our heart. Seeing things like this today does not bode well for my own pure heart."

Burgh and Leavanny appeared silently towards Cilan's right and he felt as though his heart had just jumped out of his mouth before dying.

Burgh however did not seem to mind before noting the red patch on Cilan's sleeve. His face turned to worry however his fellow Gym Leader gave a small smile.

"Don't worry about me. The bleeding has stopped so it just has to heal. I ran into some trouble on my way here." Said Cilan.

Burgh gave a slow nod. "Leavanny and I too. I resorted to using Aura String Shot however that will not last forever. If anything, I want to make sure that we can escape this with everyone safe and unhurt. Although I doubt that this will be the case if a Gym Leader like yourself ended up like that. This really does hurt my pure heart. Especially those two."

Cilan agreed silently as he looked down towards the two people that had been detained by the poachers that probably numbered over 30 however Cilan did not want to count them all.

Iris lay on her side, breathing and still alive however her face seemed awfully pale. Cilan did not know what was wrong with her and Axew was next to her in the same handcuffs, stroking its head against her face. She gave a small smile in response and from where he was Cilan could tell that she was calming down however the cut on her leg was something that was surely not something to be put away. It was not bleeding however it was the only wound on her body.

Cilan had thought her to be rather resilient, something that he was sure was correct, so it must have been some injury that was there.

However that was not the only other person that was with them there.

Agent Aura Jetstream and her Lucario sat cross legged next to Iris. Her mouth was moving, probably talking to Iris and the words that were coming from her mouth seemed to be calming her even more. Although Cilan wasn't sure, he was positive that Lucario was doing the same with its telepathy.

Yet unlike Iris, Jetstream did not have any visible injuries apart from a bruise along the side of her cheek. Her facial expression was of the utmost seriousness and it was clear that taking this situation with a complete idea of what was going to happen and when. Yet there was a hint of calm as she surveyed the situation. Cilan did not know what she was thinking however he felt that whatever it was, it involved the situation here.

Lucario though was scanning the area with its eyes carefully however even Cilan was not sure what the two of them were planning as they did not have a chance of escaping the handcuffs.

"We have to make sure that they are alright." Said Cilan. "But how do we get down there?"

"You're thinking that we should do so." Said Burgh. His tone had changed suddenly and Cilan did not like it however he felt himself being drawn into the words that were about to be said. "But that would be unwise. We have to make sure that we maintain this position where we can be of the most use when it matters. Without that, we can't ensure their safety."

His words were logical however there was nothing but the truth within them. Cilan felt himself silently curse the situation and the events that had led to this situation.

What had been the motivations? What had been the goal? That was much obvious however at the same time, there was a small doubt at the back of Cilan's mind.

Was Virizion even real?

What if this was for nothing more than a dream? A myth?

He could not be too sure however he was sure that every single person in front of him, on the floor of the Forest, had chosen the path where they would be comfortable ripping partners from the trainers, all for the glorious aspect if money. And here he was, doing nothing.

Was this justice? Was this cowardice? What was he fighting for? Fighting for a myth? His disliked conflict that bred of a foul nature and even then, here he was actively taking part. He had chosen this. He had chosen the right path for sure.

But even then, what if Virizion wasn't real? What if everything that had happened today was nothing more than an illusion?

Cilan felt that it had to be real. There was no way that this violence and situation could be justified otherwise. There was his friend and a member of the AJD on the floor with those poachers and it was all over a myth.

And if they were hurt because of that-

Cilan looked towards the tree and silently spoke to Burgh.

"Why do you think they chose this tree though? Is there something special about it? We came here following the poachers…but could Virizion even be here expelling aura?" he asked.

Burgh frowned towards the question. "I can't say. But I can tell from the last time, the aura in this area has increased largely. My Impressionist skills can tell me that much. There's…so much more history in the air right now. I don't know if it is the Forest's aura causing that or Virizion's….but something has changed. Something is definitely here."

Cilan took the words to heart and looked around the area, more questions filling his mind. However even then, there was something else that he considered.

If Virizion was real….

How were the poachers going to make it appear while it was expelling its aura?

The two lights that came from the Pokémon were different colours.

From Ash's left, the light that embraced and enveloped Sandile was blue, shining brightly as if its very form were the light itself.

And at the same time, the light that was coming from his right, from Pikachu was something yellow and with the same glow.

The poacher looked back and forth between the Pokémon in pure shock at what was happening about her and there was nothing that could be done to stop it. Ash looked between both Pokémon as the slight change began to overtake them.

Sandile's body glowed that bright blue light. It circled and circled around it as if it was spreading out and a change could soon be seen. It was slow however it was like the reality that surrounded the Pokémon seemed to distort. It started with its height.

Like an Ekans that was climbing its way out of a hole, the entire Pokémon seemed to snake upwards in height, growing taller and taller gradually. Its tail lengthened to twice its length. Sandile's front arms seemed to dissolve into its body and as the Pokémon grew in height in front of the people in front of it, those same arms appeared from chest height, sharpening in the same light that covered it.

A snout appeared in the light, feet and soon there was a clear shape that was in front of Ash. And as soon as that shape seemed to take a proper form, there was a sound like cracking glass and a small rush of wind pressed against Ash's face. It was not strong however it beat lightly against his face.

The Pokémon that was to his left, against the Jeep was no longer a Sandile. The only thing that was left of that past era were the sunglasses that were up against its face, shining even more brightly in the face of the sunlight as the Pokémon stood on its hind legs.

"Krokorooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooook!" The Pokémon let out a roar and Ash was left stunned only momentarily, as the light that was coming to his right also attracted his attention. He found his gaze switching over towards the side where Pikachu was on almost pure instinct and was equally as stunned.

The yellow light that had covered the Pokémon was not covering its body. It had moved past that, being concentrated towards a singular part of its body; its tail. The light seemed to grow and pulse with intensity and Ash could tell from the mere nature of the light that it was Pikachu's aura, pulsing and moving along with the light.

Its tail suddenly burst in extreme light, almost blinding Ash from the mere sudden appearance of the light. His eyes throbbed however he found himself being drawn into that same light, light that was slowly and slowly being concentrated towards a singular area of the tail.

"Pikaaaaaaaaaaa….." said the Pokémon while still being held up by the neck by the Weavile. The Pokémon itself seemed unsure about how to respond, almost as engrossed in the light as everyone else was.

"Pika pika pika pika pika pika pika pika-"

With every shout of its partial name, the light grew and grew more focused, coming more and more into a physical shape that seemed to take on a brilliant, shining form of a ball of electricity. It sparked with life and Weavile suddenly realised that there was a genuine threat that was heading towards it as the ball of electricity grew and grew in size.

However there was nothing that it could do as it was trapped in the ground as Pikachu finally finished.

"Pika pika pika pika chu-pi!" The Electric Mouse Pokémon moved its tail like swinging a bat towards Weavile, the ball that had gathered at the end of its tail slamming into the Pokémon. Whether it be because it was a new move or the fact that Weavile had been completely thrown off guard by the attack, the effect was clear.

Weavile immediately let go of Pikachu and was thrown backwards as it burst from the ground, further into the Forest, as Pikachu fell onto all fours and panted heavily while looking at the Pokémon that had been blasted back while the other Weavile looked at Sandile's evolved form.

"A Krokorok and Electro Ball!? Are you kidding me!?" shouted the poacher in rage as she looked at both Pokémon, the attack on Ash completely forgotten.

Ash took note of the new attack that Pikachu had just learned, reaching for his Pokédex and using it to scan the Krokorok, while still making sure that he was completely alert towards the situation that was in front of him.

"Krokorok, the Desert Croc Pokémon, and the evolved form of Sandile. Like Sandile, Krokorok has a membrane that protects its eye from the sun however as its aura evolves with the evolution, its eyes gain the ability to see in the dark, an ability that is amplified due to the use of aura."

Ash felt elated and proud of the two Pokémon for what they had done. He wanted to express his joy at the situation and congratulate the Pokémon for all the work that they had put in in order to actually achieve both evolution and a new move. However at the same time, Ash knew within his head that this was not the time.

He needed to take advantage of the surprise, something that he had done numerous times in conventional battles.

"Krokorok!" shouted Ash. "Stone Edge! And Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Both Pokémon complied, forming pointed stones around Krokorok's body and Pikachu leaping forward towards the fallen Weavile.

Ash himself also took advantage of the confusion, standing up and getting ready to dodge whatever attack came his way as he glared at the poacher that seemed to only be outraged at what she had seen, a dense mist of aura slowly covering her body as she glanced at the Pokémon that were attacking.

"You think that this is even remotely over!? Weavile, use Aura Dark Pul-" She never finished as she turned towards the Pokémon, only to see that Pikachu had already slammed into the Pokémon, sending it further into the Forest where its back slammed against a tree.

At the same time, there was a crack and a branch from up ahead snapped off the tree, slamming down onto Weavile's head. There was a smashing sound and Weavile's entire body went limp, circles swirling in its eyes as it hung its head, not even able to battle after the unexpected beating that it had received.

The poacher's words fell silent as she looked at the other Weavile and was ready to finish her command however pointed stones whizzed past her face and slammed into the Pokémon, Weavile letting out a cry of pain in response where it fell to one knee as a result of the attack that had been sent its way.

The poacher considered her options. There was no way that she was going to win, not with the new found power that had suddenly been inspired in the Pokémon and their trainer. No, there was something that she needed to do in order to truly win this battle.

People would definitely frown and condemn her. She would definitely be hated within the community. However she felt nothing as the idea crept into her head. She felt nothing as the idea of pure, cold blooded murder of the boy in front of her that was justified in her mind filled her entire being.

She stepped forward, an Aura Sword forming there, Ash already having reacted towards the move of the poacher.

"Pikachu! Finish it with Electro Ball! Krokorok, use Dig!" shouted Ash towards the Pokémon. Pikachu immediately moved forward with a shout, the Ball of electricity forming and being thrown towards the Weavile. With no commands and the fact that its Trainer was not even directing it to dodge, Weavile's thoughts went into turmoil before the Electro Ball struck it, electricity coursing through its body as it was both thrown backwards and experiencing a jolt of electricity.

Its body smoked as it fainted while the poacher leaped forward with the Aura Sword in her hand. Ash sweated immediately as he jumped back, feeling his back slam into a tree as a result, as he turned and faced it with a surprised look on his face at his sudden lack of advancement in terms of escaping.

There was a gleam of victory upon the face of the poacher as she raised the Aura Sword-

Only for her thoughts to be cut off as Krokorok burst from the ground, using Dig, and slammed a fist into her chin. Still moving from the momentum of using her aura in order to allow her to move forward faster, she sailed through the air in a backflip and slammed into the tree that Ash was pressed up against, the force that she did so at meaning that she was pushed forward a tiny bit before she fell towards the ground, unconscious.

Ash breathed heavily as he looked towards the poacher and her two Weavile before wiping the sweat from his brow. It was extremely damp more than Ash had thought it would be however he could simply look up and found Krokorok looking down at him front where it stood.

Ash looked at the Pokémon for a moment and a grin covered his face within moments.

"Krokorok…..that was amazing! Your evolution at the last minute! That was just…" Ash struggled to find the words to truly express his own gratitude however found them easily when he looked at his own feelings. "…AWESOME!"

Ash let out that shout towards the Pokémon and gave a laugh before turning towards Sewaddle that was where it had been after Ash had decided to flee the scene.

"And Sewaddle! You were great too! Using those String Shots did their job perfectly!" Ash praised the Pokémon and the Sewaddle seemed to turn its head in arrogance however Ash could almost seemingly tell that it was proud to have been effective and helped out.

"Pikapi!" called Pikachu and Ash turned towards the Pokémon that jumped up towards the Trainer, Ash embracing the Pokémon and feeling its warm fur against face.

"Of course you were great buddy. Of course you were." Said Ash softly towards the Pokémon before pushing Pikachu away from him, his eyes gleaming. "And you learned a new move! You know what that means right?! Special training to get it just right for our Gym Battle with Burgh!"

Pikachu nodded in response however Ash let the Pokémon fall to the ground before looking at the unconscious body of the poacher that was on the ground. He had seen their type before and he felt his fist clench in silent rage and he winced, looking at the cut that had been formed there on his left fist.

The wound itself had grown from the small cut that it had been however Ash flexed his hand and found that only a small amount of pain went up and down it. He could handle it.

He had to. It was the only thing that he had to do in this situation.

He looked towards the Pokémon. Their victory had meant one thing: victory was possible. So they had to extend that thought beyond just this one moment and ensure that they saved Virizion.

"Right you guys. We need to follow the path. There was a poacher along the path. That can only mean that we're heading the right way." Ash moved towards the path however noticed the Jeep that was on the path, in the hole that Krokorok had made when it was still a Sandile.

He hadn't noticed it before however in the passenger seat, a bag that was fairly large bag. Ash went over to it and opened it, often recoiling upon seeing the contents. He looked at the contents with a glare before turning his gaze towards the other object that was in the bag.

He moved the bars of the cage, that was obviously meant to hold Pokémon, out of the way and touched the folded map that he outstretched and gave a look over as he turned towards the Pokémon, laying it down on the ground as everyone gathered around it.

"See this guys?" he asked the Pokémon. "I have no idea where we are…but I know where we have to be." He pointed towards one spot on the map that was circled in red before turning around and looking off towards the distance towards the same location that was circled on the map.

And the tree that was the king of the Forest hung over everyone's head like a silent guardian, watching their every move.

"There's no question." Ash said. "That's where we have to go."

The only thing that he got was nods of agreement.

When Ash Ketchum had actually managed to reach the place where he was supposed to be, he had already managed to find a way to hide among the foliage. Choosing to find loose leaves and stick them to his body using Sewaddle's String Shot, he managed to blend into the environment like he had seen the ninjas in the movies do so.

There were spots that were uncovered however all Ash was trying to do was get close and keeping himself covered to a small extent while everyone else was focused on other things meant that he didn't really need to try that hard.

The other Pokémon did the same thing and the four shapes covered in leaves leaned over the edge of the hill that they found themselves on. They had no idea where the others were however through what he could see, Ash noticed two people that were familiar.

And they were in the worst possible situation.

Iris was on the ground, Axew next to her while Agent Aura Jetstream was also by her side as well as Lucario, cuffed and bounded as they sat among the large group of poachers. Ash felt himself gulp as he looked down at the group.

He had struggled with one of the poachers, however now that he had the element of surprise, there was something that he could do that he could not do before.

However at the same time, he was painfully outnumbered. Even with the extra Pokémon that were on his side, it would probably by 8 against 30, odds that he did not like as a Trainer.

He looked at the faces of the poachers that were strolling across however he was more focused upon what they were doing rather than what they looked like.

Each of them was moving to and from a large generator that was on top of a Jeep, something that Ash had no idea what it did, a small parabolic antenna on top, swirling around and around. They seemed impatient and Ash wondered what it was that the machine was for.

"Hey Pikachu." Whispered Ash. "I know I'm asking much…but can you try and see if Agent Jetstream and Iris are OK?" Ash could not tell too much from where he was, despite his eyesight and Pikachu gave a slow nod in response, using its aura to heighten its senses and look towards the two trainers before turning towards Ash, who felt slightly guilty for using Pikachu to use its life force despite what he felt about the issue.

"Pikachu pikapi pikapichu chu pika." Said the Pokémon silently towards the Pokémon and Ash gave a few blinks in return, judging what Pikachu was trying to say from its hand movements.

"Iris is hurt!? W-What about Agent Jetstream!? Is Iris hurt badly?" Ash's voice went into a frantic mess however Pikachu shook its head and spoke once again, using its paws to gesture once again.

"Only cut? What happened to her?" wondered Ash however he looked at Jetstream, her posture and attitude looking rather calm despite her serious glare. What was she planning?

No, there was something else.

Was Virizion even here? Ash tried looking for the Pokémon, using his Aura Perception to try and determine where the Pokémon was however there was nothing that he could see, apart from the fact that this area shone with more aura than the rest of the Forest had. This was definitely where the aura was being expelled into the ground…..So was this where Virizion was?

Ash felt rather nervous, both for himself and Virizion as he looked around. What were the poachers doing? How were they going to even bring out Virizion? What did this place have to do with the place that 'powers over all' that had been mentioned in the myth as stated by Jetstream?

Not only that, was this the right place? Thinking back, the group that Ash had been with had chosen the lake because if the entire Forest was supposed to be rejuvenated through aura, then wouldn't the best place be the lake?

Why was this place chosen?

Was this truly where Virizion was? If it was that was good, he could do his best in order to protect the Pokémon however what if it was somewhere else and there were another group of poachers in a different location?

He wanted to be absolutely sure. Otherwise, how could he make sure that Virizion would be OK?

Not only that but Iris and Aura were down there. He had to make sure that they were OK with his own eyes, even if Virizion was here or not.

Ash's thoughts went fast and he edged closer.

All of the Pokémon looked towards him however he merely gave them a soft look.

"Don't worry. I'm just going to get a closer-"

Ash never finished as something hard pressed up against his skull and there was a clicking sound through the air.

The person had come up silently and placed something at the end of Ash's skull.

And in his mind there was only one thing that it could be.

This time….there truly was no chance for escape.

And here's an update upon everyone's Aura abilities as noted in this chapter before we get to the notes!

Iris
Aura level: Very high
Aura abilities: Using aura to strengthen her attacks
Uses aura to create physical objects like fists and platforms and by extension Aura Spheres
Uses aura to run faster and leap higher
Uses aura to create shields
Uses aura to flush out any unwanted substances in Axew's body
Uses aura to project voice
Uses aura to help close wounds
Uses aura to create light
Uses aura for an AURA BURST!
Uses aura to enhance senses
Uses aura to create wings that enable flight
Uses aura in a combination attack of any of the above abilities

Cilan
Aura level: Very high
Aura abilities: Uses aura to analyse a connection with a trainer and their Pokémon
Uses aura to create shields
Uses aura to create physical objects like fists and platforms and by extension Aura Spheres
Uses aura to distinguish and memorise smells
Uses aura to help close wounds
Uses aura to run faster and leap higher
Uses aura to set up sound barriers
Uses aura to fix materials
Uses aura to create light
Uses aura for an AURA BURST!
Uses aura to enhance senses
Uses aura in a combination attack of any of the above abilities

Cilan's Pansage
Aura level: High
Aura abilities: Aura Bite
Aura Bullet Seed
Aura SolarBeam
Aura Dig

Well, here we are at the end of the story. More or less, this was a chapter about heroes. We can't simply have protagonist without their respective antagonists can we?

We have the travelling Gym leader, the boy with experience but no power and the Dragon Master who wants to come as close as she can get. When I say it like that, it surely is a strange group isn't it? But at the same time, I felt that there was one thing here that I wanted to emphasis with each of their battles.

And that was that they were human. With Cilan it can be seen in the fact that he hated being involved in the violence that was being created. For Ash, it's clear in how his lack of aura is something that can only disadvantage him in this aura filled world unless it works in his favour and he needed to be saved by his Pokémon. And with Iris, it's in her loss. After all, she might be able to dodge the bullets but the effect of being shot isn't just the cold fact of the bullet piercing through you. It's the effect of it. I felt that maybe Iris is how I connect with you guys the most, out of the three, she's the one that shows the most emotion and humanity.

Of course, Ash and Cilan can show those aspects too, but for this chapter, it was Iris that did it the most here. But at the same time, I sort of addressed the idea of myth vs truth.

For Cilan and Iris, it's probably the major issue as both have been and seen someone hurt because of it. However for Ash, I suppose he looks towards the truth of the matter. Virizion might not be here, however Iris is hurt because of it so he at least wants to make sure that he can save her. I hope that strange insight somewhat improves what you think of the story.

Yet, we have another cliffhanger and some questions unanswered!

And I hope that you enjoyed this chapter despite all of the battle sequences and look forward to the next one.

And as always,
Review if you please

And I'll see you when I see you and I won't if I don't.

I actually got to a third chapter of this small arc. I was like…..wow.