Chapter 5: Lessons

Riley was standing in the middle of the forest, alone and scared. He had a blind fold over his eyes and he had no hope of trying to slip it off or untie it. He could feel the brush of the bushes and trees tickling his finger tips, and his feet tried to walk on something that wasn't hole or rock ridden. He had to try and find Aurora, Kirlia, and Riolu… Or was it Riolu, Kirlia, and then Aurora? He didn't know, but he remembered the last time he spoke with Aurora. She had told him this, "I'm going to disappear, along with my Pokémon and your Riolu. Then you're going to have to try and find me," He could still here himself laughing at the task, thinking it was going to be simple and that he would find her in five minutes flat. But now look at him he thought, wondering the forest blind and it was going on an hour now. "Now you just remember Riley, I'll be close by so if you need a break or you give up just holler, okay?" He thought on that for a minute then continued to walk. Then his least favorite memory came, "I know you're thinking this is all just one big joke, but you're going to have to find me using your aura. Not just that, but you'll be blind folded the whole time," He can still see her holding out the handkerchief, black as midnight. She told him to clear his mind and want to see the aura, focus on the aura within to see others around him. She assured him that the aura within him was strong and able, but now he thinks that it was just something she did just cause.

Riley sat down, exhausted and overwhelmed by his disappointment in himself. He was on a smooth rock and knew that if he were to ever find a spot to rest it would be this rock. He was about to attempt at unknotting the tie again when he noticed something, he saw shadows. Riley couldn't be sure if he was seeing through the fabric, or just seeing things. Then he looked down at his hands as he rubbed them together thinking of what to do. Then it hit him, he looked at his hands. They were almost clear as day with a deep blue glow that left a faint light streak when he moved them around. The more he thought, the less he could see them, but if he just wished it, with some concentration, he saw his hands up to his elbows then shoulders and saw feet attached to legs. Everything was black all around him but his body; he saw the aura within him. He stood up and took a look around him; he could see shadows forming into shapes now that he knew what to look for. Riley concentrated very hard and saw as the forest was lying out in front of him, and he saw for miles on end. He picked out various Pokémon he knew until he saw a familiar shape. Something other than the shape was familiar, but the "aura" about it too. Two other beings stood tall and bright next to it, one was unmistakably Kirlia and the other his Riolu. So the brightest and most distinctive shape must've been Aurora, but her aura was nothing like he would've thought.

Riley started walking over to them, then he picked up the pace, then he started to run. He would've caught them, but they started to run too and he quickly knew why. While looking through aura, he was more aware of his surroundings than he ever would've been and practically could see behind his back. He made out what seemed to be a swarm of Beedrill coming straight at him, then sure enough he could hear the hum of their wings.

He found himself gasping for air and his aura lined path blurring. Riley tripped over an exposed tree root that he caught his foot in and as he was crashing into the earth he yelled out "Aurora! Help Me!" But he couldn't hear or see her. He wished that he would be alright, he wished harder than he ever had. After a few quiet moments he was alright, as though he was invisible. He was unsure of what exactly happened but glad to have survived.

Riley heard a thunder of feet coming towards him and he struggled to his knees expecting it to be some horrible Pokémon. The blind fold was flipped off his head as hands hit his shoulders, the light was blinding. He assumed it was one of Tony's men trying to grab him and get information he didn't have, but quickly calmed by a voice he was hoping to have heard a while ago. "Riley! Are you alright? Oh my god! Do you know what you just did?!" Aurora's frantic voice flowed out.

Riley slowly regained his vision but didn't lose any of his sarcasm, "Yeah, I just ticked off a whole whopping nest of Beedrill!"

Aurora giggled, "No you talented klutz! You just made and aura shield!"

Riley stood up strait and looked at Aurora seriously, "What?"

As Riley and Aurora walked she explained to him how only the most talented Aura Guardians, users of aura, can create an aura shield. Riley was sure that he just got lucky, then Aurora telling Riley that she had asked the Beedrill to charge only reinforced this thought. She insisted that he had accomplished the shield and it could happen again if he heads off to the Kanto region for training. Aurora even gave him the detailed description of Kanto's great legend of Sir. Aaron and how he was a great Aura Guardian of the Cameran Palace. Nevertheless Riley turned it down and closed the conversation just before they were overlooking the bustling city of Jubilife. Riley only had this to say, "How did we miss Floaroma Town?"