Disclaimer: I do not own the character Ben, and also don't own Fusion Warriors. I only own Talo, and technically, I'm lending him to PichuAuraGuardian18 right now, so let's just say I claim no rights to anything that isn't mine.

Great, now I'm confused.

Chapter Five: A Long Walk on the Beach

"So let me make sure I got this straight" Ben frowned. "Because it sounds as stupid and boneheaded in my head as it probably will coming out of my mouth. You're telling me that you asked Hazel, the girl who used to be a bloodthirsty hybrid trying to kill you, out on a date?"

Talo put his head in his hands. "Well when you say it like that, it sounds pretty stupid."

"Pretty stupid?" Ben almost chuckled. "We've gone a bit past stupid. We're at making-out-with-the-enemy stupid. In this case, possibly literally."

"For the last time, Hazel isn't the enemy now. She and her brother were brainwashed by Rosethorn into hating the Fusion Warriors."

"And you think that's been undone in only a few months?" Ben asked incredulously. "Talo, I've seen this scenario work out in every adventure movie out there. The boy meets the girl who has "changed her ways" and ends up getting knifed in the back in the middle of the night." He crossed his arms over his chest. "That girl is just plain bad news."

Talo started pacing around Ben's room. "This isn't like one of your Lucario Kid movies, Ben. People can change, especially if they didn't want to change the first time."

"Still, I resent that" Ben said pointedly. "I do not just watch Lucario Kid movies."

"Not even because of Rosa?"

"Shut up; this is serious."

"I know that" Talo replied. "Look, I've been tutoring her since she enrolled at our school, and she's really a good person. She's trying to make up for what she did."

Ben sat in his chair, sighing. "Alright, fine, redemption is possible. But until I get firm proof that she isn't still working for the hybrids, I'm skeptical."

"Now that that's out of the way" Talo grinned. "What am I going to do? I promised I'd take her to diner, but I haven't exactly done this before."

Ben held his hands up in surrender. "Don't look at me. I've never taken a psycho chick out on a date before either."

Talo nodded. "Then I guess I have no choice." He slung his bag over his shoulder and headed for the door. Ben sat up in confusion.

"Where are you going?"

"To get some advice."

"From who? Amy?"

"Nope." Talo took a deep breath. "From Gem."

-X-

"Let me just say, Talo my man, you have come to the right place" Gem grinned, giving the young teen a friendly slap on the shoulder. "Being a secret agent, I've delved deep into many secrets, but none quite so deep as the mystique that is the female mind. In my line of work, I interact with them constantly. In fact, I've even found it necessary to impersonate one on multiple occasions."

Talo instantly attempted to burn the image of a cross-dressing Gem from his mind.

"So I know what I'm talking about when I tell you that females are difficult to comprehend. The best advice I can give for tonight is to act natural. That, and don't let your girlfriend just order a salad. It's an insult to manliness."

Talo tried to interject that Hazel wasn't his girlfriend, but Gem cut him off. "You need to be punctual, cordial, and above all for Pete's sake, make sure you take a shower before you leave. I don't think I even need to tell you how many relationships have been broken up by shallow women due to a man's B.O. being worse than his personality."

Talo dropped his head into his hands. This had been a mistake.

"And just to make everything better, I had Zorua go out and make reservations for you two at the Meteor Palace. You know, that nice little restaurant by the beach on Route 115? That is where your romance begins."

Well, at least that was a bit of good news. Talo had been planning to bring Hazel to the Meteor Palace anyway. "Thanks for all your advice. I should get ready."

"Anytime, my little friend" Gem nodded. "I know everything there is to know about women. You can ask me anything and I'll be able to answer."

Talo smirked. "Okay, then why is Tara always so pissed off at you?"

"I haven't the faintest idea" Gem replied, his smile unfaltering. "Run along now."

-X-

At 6:30, Talo arrived on the step of the house Simon and Hazel had been living in since they had been cured. Their housing, food, and all their financial needs were provided by the Fusion Knights, so they didn't need to work jobs tomaintain their homes. Of course, the same benefit was offered to Talo, but he rarely used his money. If Tara realized that he was buying things way out of his normal price range, a few red flags would definitely fly up.

Either way, he was now standing here in a white shirt and blue silk tie, waiting to take the girl he tutored on a date.

Yes, life was weird.

A few seconds after he rang the doorbell, Simon opened the door. He had purple hair like his sister which was spiked up in the front, as well as the same green eyes. Unlike his twin, he was exactly the same height as Talo, and was proud of the fact that he was taller than Hazel. Currently, he was wearing a maroon vest over a black T-shirt with ripped jeans. The same skull-and-crossbones pendant his sister war hung around his neck, and Talo suspected that it was a DNA Repressor as well.

"Took you long enough" Simon grinned at Talo. "I've been waiting for you to go on a date with my sister since you guys met. She's been going crazy for the last two hours over what she should wear and stuff."

Talo nodded knowingly. Tara was the same way ehen she went on dates. She was always running around, screaming for Talo to find her pepper spray in case Gem decided to show up.

At that moment, Hazel appeared beside her brother. "Hello, Talo" she smiled at him. She was wearing a simple violet evening dress with sparkling sequins all over, as well as purple shoes with only slightly raised heels. Her hair was loose, worn back in her usual simple style as always.

"You're wearing makeup" Talo noted.

"Yeah, so?" Hazel asked.

"You told me you'd never worn any before."

"Your point?"

"It just...looks nice" Talo decided. "I remember the first time Tara tried putting makeup on, she managed to smear lipstick all over her face."

"Didn't you also say your sister managed to burn a pot of water once?" Hazel teased. "Maybe I'm just a bit more coordinated than she is."

Simon coughed. "Well, you two go have a good time. I'll be waiting here when you get back." He gently motioned for his sister to step outside, which she did.

"Yeah, we'd better get going" Talo nodded. "Our reservation is at seven."

"Reservation?" Hazel's eyes flashed with curiosity. "That sounds fancy. Where are we going?"

"You'll see when we get there" Talo grinned mysteriously. "It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you."

Hazel pretended to pout, but did not resist as Talo led her up the street onto Route 115. As they walked along the beach, she happened to look up and laugh. "Are you serious? How on earth did you manage to get a reservation here?"

She was, of course, referring to the large building which stood before them. The Meteor Palace was lit from the outside by countless powerful lights shaped like sparkling stars. It was three stories tall, the top floor having a glass dome for a roof so that the diners could see the stars at night.

"Let's just say that I have a good friend who decided he owed me" Talo replied. He extended his arm. "Shall we?"

Hazel giggled as she took it. "We shall." She allowed him to lead her to the door where an attendant checked their name and bowed them in. From there, they were led up to the top floor where only a few other couples sat. The glass dome had been retracted as the sun went down, so the calming scent of the ocean drifted in.

"This is amazing" Hazel smiled as they sat down. Talo noticed that she suddenly seemed very tense, even in the calm atmosphere.

She's never even had a chance to go on a date before he realized. She's even more nervous than I am!

A shorter girl with a kind face walked over. "Hello you two, and welcome to the Meteor Palace. My name is Zizi, and I'll be your attendant tonight. Just let me know then you're ready to order." She flashed them a smile before handing out there menus and turning to leave. Talo wasn't sure, but he could have sworn he saw the tip of a bushy tail sticking out the bottom of her skirt.

"Oh no" he groaned quietly. "Tell me he didn't."

"Who?" Hazel asked curiously. "What's wrong?"

Talo tried to nonchalantly flip his menu open. "Nothing. Let's decide what we're going to eat." He looked at the choices, trying to ignore the fact that their waitress was Gem's Zorua.

They both chose the same first appetizer, Chicken and Gnocchi soup, before trying to decide on an entree. Hazel selected a Chicken Alfredo pasta-much to Talo's relief-declaring that it had been her favorite dish as a child. Talo chose the Four Cheese Ziti dish, not actually knowing anything about it besides that it was a dish from the Kalos Region, and he only knew that because it said so on the menu.

After a few minutes, Zizi returned, and Talo could clearly see the black Zorua tail tucked under her skirt. Gem had told him that he'd sent Zorua to get reservations, but failed to note that she had also decided to pose as their server. This was further confirmed when she and another server returned with their meal. His hair was jet-black and gelled back against his scalp, but Talo could pick out the red which hadn't been covered by the color spray at the base of Gem's hairline.

I'm going to strangle him, Talo thought as the disguised Aura Guardian put their soups on the table.

"So Talo" Hazel started once their imposter servers had left. "Tell me about...being a Fusion Warrior. It must be amazing, becoming one with your Pokemon."

Talo checked to make sure the other guests were out of earshot. "Yes, it is. It's amazing every time my Pokemon and I fuse. We're all there together, one massive consciousness."

"Can you talk to each-other?" Hazel inquired. "When you're fused together, I mean?"

Talo nodded "It's sort of a strange feeling. Noctowl is the tactical one, always planning strategies in battle. Sceptile is more laid back, but when we're in a fight, the last thing you want to do is make her angry.

"And then there's Torkoal, who's our resident tough-guy. He can take the hits and dish them out, but he brags about it a lot."

Hazel nodded, intrigued by Talo's words. "And what about the other three? Kingdra, Froslass and Ampharos?"

Talo frowned. "They don't talk to me very much. I can tell that Ampharos and Froslass want to, but they follow Kingdra, and he definitely doesn't trust me. He was abandoned by his old trainer and stayed in the Daycare for a really long time. I don't know if he'll ever be able to trust me."

"That's so sad" Hazel sighed. "Poor Kingdra. I'm sure I'd be angry and depressed too if nobody wanted me around." She blushed a bit. "So I wanted to thank you, Talo. A lot of the hybrids who Lord Pondera and his knights cure have a hard time fitting in with others. Simon says that's because people thought they were monsters for a long time.

"But when you met me, you weren't like that. You talked to me, helped me in school, and were nicer than anyone's ever been to me, even Simon. So, thank you." There were tears in her eyes as she finished.

Talo gently laid a hand on top of hers. "I'm glad I met you, Hazel. No matter what happens from now on, just know that." He leaned forward, not sure whether he was plannig to kiss her, hug her, or just comfort her. He never got the chance to find out.

"Aww, isn't this sweet?" A squawking voice cackled. "The two lovebirds getting all sappy on us. Well, those are the only kind of birds I can't stand!"

Talo turned sharply to see a lone figure at the closest table stand, the crimson suit he wore sending up curls of smoke. With a wave of heat, he was engulfed in flames, spinning forward as crimson feathers curled out from beneath the fabric. "It's time for you to burn, Midnight Angel!"

The two watched in horror as the hybrid emerged from his disguise. He had a beaklike face and red hair that stuck out in three points. His body was covered in black and red feathers, save for black-banded legs.

"What kind of hybrid is that?" Talo asked in shock, not recognizing what Pokemon's traits the man had.

"He's a Talonflame hybrid" Hazel whispered. "It's a Fire and Flying-type Pokemon from the Kalos Region. I've seen this guy too; his name is Sootfeather."

"Shut up, Haze!" Sootfeather cackled. "I'm here for your little friend. My brother was very hurt that he just left him in a block of ice in a back alley, and now I've come to exact revenge!"

"Block of ice?" Talo asked. It dawned on him. "You and Stoneplume are brothers."

"That's right" Sootfeather cawed in an angry voice. "You totally humiliated Stoneplume, and the Avisix will not stand for it."

"Avisix?" Talo smirked. "What, is that your group name? Are there more who will "exact revenge" when I beat you?"

"Shut up!" Sootfeather screeched. He waved his wings and a stream of hot embers emerged, causing the temperature to rise dramatically. "I will burn this place to the ground an mark the site with your charred bones!"

Talo gritted his teeth. Can't let these people see me fusion, especially Gem. We need a plan. He looked around and noticed one thing which would definitely help them-a fire extinguisher. Quickly, he dropped a pokeball to release Froslass. "Froslass, I need you to distract Sootfeather with Mist!"

The Ice Body Pokemon nodded, spreading her arms to release a cloud of fog into the room. Sootfeather shot forward in an attempt to grab the Pokemon, but Froslass vanished into the haze.

While this was happening, Talo darted over to grab the fire extinguisher. As a blast of flame from Sootfeather evaporated the fog, he pulled the pin, pointed the nozzle, and pushed the grip.

A stream of CO2 foam gushed into Sootfeather's face, blinding him with a scream of rage. Talo continually held down the trigger until the last of the foam sputtered out.

"Fool. Your weapon is useless now" Sootfeather cawed, wiping foam from his eyes. "If you will not fusion, you will perish! I will char your-" He was cut off as Talo swung the empty metal container against the bird's face. Even though it was empty, the blunt container sent him reeling.

The fog was reasonably thick, so Talo pressed the button on his PokeFuser, causing it to spiral out into gauntlet form. A second tap transformed him into his fusion with Kingdra, Frloslass and Ampharos. Due to his greater evasive abilities and power to fade from sight, he'd begun referring to it as his Concealed Mode. It had a nice ring to it in his opinion.

"Make sure everyone is out of the building" Talo instructed Hazel. "I'll deal with Mr. Fire Hazard over there." He darted forward with Ampharos's speed, nailing a Thunderpunch on the Talonflame hybrid's chest. As he did this, he noticed tendrils of power sparking off into the dissipating mist, drawn to the water particles.

Probably best to avoid electric attacks with the fog here. That kind of energy surge would be drawn to every particle of fog in the room. An idea flashed into his head. Every single particle. That would be very difficult to avoid, even for a speed fighter like this guy. A plan was beginning to form, but he would need to make sure everyone was out of the building first.

"Blizzard!" He called, unleashing a wave of frosty air at Sootfeather. The hybrid simply launched another Heat Wave to fend it off. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're stalling for time. What's the matter, Midnight Angel? Are you afraid my flames are going to melt you?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Talo could see the serving girl, Zizi appear. She gave him a quick thumbs-up before seeming to vanish in a blaze of light. A moment later, a Pidgey emerged from the fog and flew into the air.

"That's exactly what I'm doing" Talo grinned. Throwing his arms wide, he launched another Mist attack, filling the air once more with water particles. He jumped high, using a bit of lift from Froslass's power to float as he did so. His Ampharos Whip came to life as he brought his arm up.

"Storm..." The whip blazed with electricity. "Warning!" He thrust his arm down as the weapon extended, striking the heart of the fog and spreading like a wild fire to every single particle of water. The roof of the Meteor Palace became a sea of writhing energy.

Finally, the power ceased and Talo dropped back down. The fog had been completely burnt up by the lightning, and Sootfeather lay smoking slightly at its center.

"I lost too" he wheezed. "The boss is definitely not gonna like this."

Talo defusioned as he approached the defeated hybrid. "Who's your boss then? Is he the same person who sends hybrids to attack the Pokemon Knight?"

Sootfeather laughed. "The Avisix serve no-one, but we are led by our strongest member. A bounty hunter and jewel thief like the rest of us, I believe you've met him before."

Talo froze. Avisix. Avian was the latin term for bird. Stoneplume and Sootfeather were both bird hybrids, and so was...

"We're done here" Talo told the hybrid, twirling and walking away. "Don't ever let me see you trying to hurt people again." With that, he walked down the stairs and out of the building.

"I'm really sorry about our date" Talo sighed as he and Hazel walked along the beach.

"It's okay" came her reply. "I'm actually kind-of glad something exciting happened, to tell you the truth." She looked out at the stars reflected in the midnight waves. "Besides, it's not every night you get to walk past the ocean at night with your best friend."

Talo nodded. "Best friend? I'm not exactly an exiting person."

Hazel smirked. "During the day, maybe not. But watching you leap to protect those people was amazing. You're my Midnight Warrior, Talo. Or as the hybrids like to call you, my Midnight Angel."

She leaned in without warning and kissed him then and there. It was quick, and when she withdrew Talo could see her flush scarlet as she quickly turned back to the ocean, but it seemed to make the whole night worthwhile.

"I think I can live with that" Talo grinned quietly. They simply stood there for a moment, before turning and strolling arm-in-arm back down the beach.

Nearby, Gem and Zorua, who had returned to her Zizi form, popped up from behind a sand dune.

"Wow" Zorua grinned. "You were actually right about those two."

Gem laughed. "Tara owes me ten bucks the minute she gets back."

-X-

In the shadows of the abandoned restaurant, Sootfeather was still gasping for air. It had been a few minutes since the Midnight Angel had left, and he was waiting as calmly as he could.

Then, it happened. A wave of shadow rolled over him, healing his wounds. He smiled as he sat up, completely revitalized.

"The boy is more troublesome than we expected" a smooth voice declared from a corner of the room. "He's gained a new fusion form, and if he can combine the two it will only triple his power."

"I failed, boss" Sootfeather bowed in fear.

"I can see that" the other figure nodded. "However, I am not a man who expects perfection from his allies. I'm not going to punish you." He glared at his fellow hybrid. "But ido/i try to win next time, alright?"

Sootfeather nodded. "Of course. We'll learn all his weaknesses and exploit them the pest we can. Thank you, boss."

The other figure nodded. "Yes, Talo Zeph will regret the day he incurred the wrath of the Avisix. He will be struck down, his wings clipped and his halo melted down and pounded into dust. We will make him suffer." With a beat of his wings, he led Sootfeather out into the sky.

And The Raven laughed.

FIN

Alright, I've been thinking about it and I've decided that this isn't just going to be a group of random oneshots. I'm actually going to organize it into a proper story once I get a bit more of the whole plot figured out. I'll likely also wait for PichuAuraGuardian18's story to get further into the action. He's rewriting the entire story at the moment, so it might take a while. Either way, expect for this story to eventually become much more linear.

And here we have Talo's own little group of hybrids who want Talo dead. Like the name implies, there are six of them, and each is a hybrid of a birdlike Pokemon, one from each Region. You'll be seeing a lot more of them in the future of this story. Although the only one likely to debut in Pichu's story is The Raven, these guys will be Talo's main obstacle in the story. But he's already defeated three, right? How strong can they be?

Even Fire and Ice have a Dark side...