-April 6th, 4 PM, Michael's POV (Orphanage Founder)-

It's been about three days since I woke up in the dusty cabin, west of Fallarbor Town. To be honest, it's rather cramped, but I'm thankful that we have it nonetheless. I shouldn't be complaining, it's a great place to hide from the world. We needed that.

Gale's injuries, it turned out, were far worse than he let on. Burns covered the back of his legs, and several of the gory, sensitive cuts weren't stitched, as we didn't have supplies at the time. His arm didn't fare much better. After an argument that finally led me to threaten to drug him, the normally independant Gallade allowed me to use my Aura to make sense of his right arm. The bone, blade and all, had been shattered.

Shattered.

I managed to convince him to allow me to put it into a sturdy, homemade splint. The Psychic Type seemed almost heartbroken about it, as though submitting to being treated meant admitting that he couldn't help.

Unfortunately, for the most part, that assumption was rather accurate. Thankfully, he was still able to aid with many, many objectives. Celebi, true to Gale's word, hadn't received any new wounds, so Gale took it upon himself to aid her around the small cabin. The pair developed a rather close bond, Gale was almost parent-like.

I was extremely happy about this, not just because Celebi was opening up to the more mature pokemon, but because it freed me up to search for Luke. At present, I was sitting on my temporary bed, cross legged. Focusing my energy, as I had done almost nonstop for the last three days, I spread my mind. My Aura flew across the land, albeit very, very thinly stretched. Only those who had truly mastered their Aura could do this, spreading their presence at this far of a range, covering most of Hoenn. Granted, I would only be able to connect directly to Luke if he senses me and attempts to return the mental embrace, but I'm sure he'll do so eventually.

-April 6th, 4 PM, Gale's POV (Shiny Gallade)-

Damn, I feel like crap.

After Michael finally shouted me into submission over my horribly broken arm, I allowed him to put it in a splint. Granted, now that it can't move it feels miraculously better, but I still feel more depressed about it then anything. Here we are, in the middle of an Arceus-damned war, and I'm completely broken. I've always taken pride in being independent, and working at the Orphanage was an amazing experience. It allowed me to impact the lives of young ones for the better, which is something I enjoy doing. I don't want to rely, to depend on others. I'm a leader, not a follower, even if I do follow all of Michael's orders without complaint… Well, most of them…

But Michael's different. I would follow him to the depths of Hell, without hesitation.

Thankfully I have still been of good use. The parenting skills I picked up while working at the Orphanage are extremely useful. I have managed to befriend Celebi. She trusts me, which I'm truly happy about. Stuck in this awful house most of the day, we hang out, listening to the news, considering locations of the Masters and Keepers. At this moment, I'm doing just that, relaxing on the cot that Michael managed to buy without getting recognized. The news channel we deemed most reliable was playing on the small, old fashioned TV that sat on the counter by the oven. I listen halfheartedly, hoping something positive will come out of the reporters mouth.

"ACK!"

CRASH!

Turning quickly, I see Michael laying facedown on the floor, moaning. I start to get up but he quickly puts up a hand, signaling that he's alright. I lay back down, knowing that it would be better to move less, as much as I hate to admit it. After a moment, the Aura Guardian pushes himself off the ground, into a sitting position. Shaking his head to no doubt rid himself of the stars that danced there, he kneads his forehead with his knuckles. After a moment, he stills and speaks.

"Luke connected. Although it was only for a moment due to my excitement, I'm fairly certain that he's somewhere in Fortree City, or nearby. Damn, my nose…" He adds, rubbing the bridge of the appendage. Despite the seriousness of the discovery, I can't help but laugh. Celebi joins in, having witnessed the scene from her small bed of leaves, which was positioned next to mine. After a moment of sarcastic glaring, Michael joins in as well.

"Sure, laugh all you want." He says heartily. "Give me about twenty minutes, I'll see if I can find him again. Now that I know his general location, I can focus my Aura more in that area. Perhaps I should stay on the floor though, I doubt I'll keep my nose straight if that happens again, my luck is horrible." He finishes sarcastically. Without further ado, he leans back against the wall of his mattress and closes his eyes. I sense his Aura focusing and block myself off from it, not only because I don't want to interfere, but because I'll end up with a migraine if I get caught in that much energy at point blank.

I've enough on my plate, pain wise. Screwy arm...

-4:30 PM, Luke's POV (Shiny Lucario)-

"What the hell are you doing up?" Crystal asks, sounding both surprised and agitated. I had just appeared in the doorway of the main floor of their treehouse. The room was circular, very similar to that of the room I was in originally, but much lighter due to the natural light from the many windows built into the logs. Her agitation came from worry, which I wasn't surprised about. She and Billy had been taking care of me for the last three days, and while my many injuries had healed extraordinarily well under Billy's expert medical skills, I was still weak. Nonetheless, I stood on my own two feet, which was good enough for me. The nodes on behind my ears floated just slightly as I responded with Telepathy.

"I just connected with Michael's Aura. It was only for a moment, I need to get up higher so I have a better chance to find him." I respond, very aware of my shortness of breath. Billy suspected bruised ribs, but I wasn't going to let them stop me from connecting with the man that had saved my life on more than one occasion. Her concern explodes into a confidant, happy expression.

"You should have just called me down, than! I'll take you up top." She responds excitedly, rushing off her couch and proceeding to hook an arm under mine. I don't really want the help, but Arceus knows I could use it. She takes me up another set of stairs, and a few minutes of steep climbing later, we arrive at the top of the tree. The leaves, whose branches had been trained over the years by the siblings, formed a very solid roof, with a few spots here and there for natural light. Wind still was able to get through, so there was always a slight breeze blowing. Billy looks up in mild surprise at the sight of us, he had been up here reading in one of the few spots of light.

"Luke felt the Orphanage Owner's Aura for a moment, Billy. I helped him up here so he could have a better chance at receiving his thoughts." Crystal says in response to his confused look. Understanding replaces confusion and he moves, allowing me the cool, quiet corner he had originally been using. The pair of seasoned trainers head back down the stairs, leaving me in peace.

Sitting upon the rough bark, I breathe deeply. My nodes raise to full height, defying gravity like they usually do when I focus my Aura. Activating my sight, I scan the general direction in which Michael's familiar thoughts had come from. Almost immediately, I sense him once again. Clinging to them almost like mental vines, I tie our consciousness's together, completing the bond.

"Luke! Oh thank Arceus… What the hell happened?" Michael's voice, in the form of a thought that was not my own, floats into the back of my head. It feels good to hear him again, more than I would like to admit.

I could write several books about what happened in the last four days, Michael. Where should I start?

His thoughts fill with comical emotions, and I can't help but smirk slightly. "I dunno, brother. How about right after Gale teleported Celebi and I out?"

I figured he would want the explanation from there. After you got teleported, I started assisting with cleanup. It went on for about a half hour before backup for the SSM showed up. Fortunately, you're loss of control with your Aura cleaned up their original forces, so the backup was outnumbered. They retreated a little ways, before splitting up. Half their group led the Police on a wild goose chase, while the other half circled around and chased me across half of Hoenn… I wouldn't have gotten away if some trainers hadn't stopped them. They got away safely, I know that much. Anyway, I found a safe place for that night and let Gale know that I was alive. The next day, I got found by a couple of teenage trainers while I was drinking from the river by Fortree. I paused at that moment, letting Michael get caught up.

"Teenage trainers, eh?" He says questioningly. "Did they cause you further trouble?"

Don't underestimate them, Michael. Both had Keystones. The girl, Crystal, her partner was a Blaziken, the boy, Billy, his friend was a Medicham. They are both very powerful, and I'm sure the friendships with their pokemon were more than Mega-Evolution worthy. Thankfully, the siblings didn't attack me when they saw that I was injured. They brought me to their home in Fortree, cared for me while I recovered. To be honest, I doubt I would have lived through my injuries without their help. I had no supplies and was too weak to hunt.

Michael is silent for several moments, I only knew our connection hadn't been severed because I could feel his presence residing in the back of my head. I can almost hear his heavy sigh as he continues.

"Well, I'm glad you're alive, Luke. Gale, Celebi, and I are all together, we made it out in one piece as well. Gale is severely injured though, so I doubt it would be at all safe to try anything right now. We're west of Fallabor Town at the moment, in a house whose owner allowed us to hide out in while we recover. What do you think we should do as to our next move? Any ideas?"

I put my chin on my fist for a moment, considering options. I've one good idea, but I don't know if it would be doable at present. Turning my thoughts back to our mental conversation, I speak up. I've one good idea, but it would be risky to pull off, and it might not even be doable. Will you do me a favor and keep your Aura focused here for a few minutes? I've got to ask Crystal a question.

After receiving confirmation, I slowly get up, standing slightly shakily on the tree bark. Taking a moment to assure my balance, I stride confidently, albeit a little slowly towards the stairs, and proceed down them. Arriving in the main living room of the treehouse, I accept help from Billy to move over and sit on the couch.

"I've got a request for the pair of you…" I start as I lay back, trying not to wince as my ribs sting. Billy just nods solemnly, before exiting the room, headed to a lower level of the tall building. A few silent minutes later, he returns, and trailing behind him is his sister, Crystal. They sit on the other couch across from me, relaxing on the leafy sofa. Billy beckons for me to continue.

I sigh before talking. "The owner of the Orphanage, his name is Michael… You guys need to know the full story." I hesitate for a moment, nervous about admitting the true events that had led to me being found by the trainers. They had taken care of me, hadn't asked questions, nursed me back to health. If I couldn't trust them, I couldn't trust anyone.

Add them to the list of people I can't repay.

"You know of the Masters and Keepers, right?" I ask the pair. They both nod, seeming interested. "Celebi, her title is the Keeper of Time. It turns out, the Society of the Shattered Moon had abducted her, held her prisoner for over three months. They sexually assaulted her, brutally, in an attempt to get her to comply to their demands. When she finally escaped, she was bleeding out and had to find shelter and protection. Michael's Aura was the strongest in the area, so she went to him in hopes that he could keep her hidden. Michael saved her life and he, along with a shiny Gallade whose name is Gale, are working on healing her wounds, both physical and emotional."

I paused for a moment to allow them to digest that block of info, before forging on. "When the SSM attacked the Orphanage, they were attempting to take Celebi back. After Michael defeated their original troops, Gale teleported Celebi and he to safety. I would have went with them, but Gale and I had been split up in the chaos. About an hour into cleanup, backup for the SSM arrived, but they weren't expecting to be outnumbered by the Senior pokemon and Police. They retreated a little ways before splitting up, half retreating completely and half chasing me across Hoenn. Had they caught me, I would have been tortured for information on Michael and Gale, and held hostage to try and get them to comply…" I trail off, looking at my paws sadly.

Billy speaks up. "That's… a lot to hear. Nonetheless, I'm glad it was us that found you, and not someone a little less friendly. Now, you said you had a favor to ask of us?"

I nod slowly. "Celebi didn't receive any new injuries, but she's still hurt badly. It's Gale that I'm worried about. He's got several broken bones, burns all over his legs, deep cuts, and more. We need him on his feet and in fighting shape if we're going to have any chance at getting Celebi safely back to Master Dialga." I look up at this point, pleading the question. "Michael and Gale need medical attention, and we need it privately, in secret. If I can get them here without being found, will you help them?"

Both Billy and Crystal seem slightly surprised by the request, Billy in particular. After a moment, he responds. "I would love to help them, Luke. I've a couple questions, though. Firstly, how long will it take them to get here? I need to know, because if their injuries are extreme, I'll need lots of supplies. I'm well known in Fortree City as a Pokemon Doctor, so if I walk into the PokeMart asking to buy out the shop's medical cabinets, there's going to be questions floating around. Secondly, do you even have ANY sort of idea as to how to get them here safely?" I shake my head, I was planning on working the details out after they had agreed. "Well, in that case, I have a better idea. How about we travel to their safehouse? That way I can split buying the supplies into fourths as we travel from Fortree to Mauville, to Lavaridge, and finally Fallarbor Town. Besides, it sounds like you are better fit for traveling then they are."

I ponder this idea, and have to agree on his points. "Alright, but how can I travel without getting seen?"

Crystal speaks up. "You could lay on Torterra's shell and be covered by a camouflage blanket. It's probably better we travel at night anyway, so as long as you don't move, it wouldn't be noticeable. Besides, you won't be able to walk the entire way, even if you are more fit to travel."

"Sounds good to me." I reply, albeit rather depressed sounding.

"We'll head out tonight." She says.

I nod, before my nodes raise to full height and I reconnect to Michael. As I'm about to speak with his thoughts, I sense another familiar pair of Aura's join us.

"Dunno if you wanted this private, but if it's ok with you, I think we should all make sure we're on the same page." I hear Billy's thought.

Crystal speaks up, sensing my confusion. Billy and Medicham are experienced with Aura as well, they connected to your thoughts and pulled me in as well."

Fair enough. I state. Michael, this is Billy and Crystal, they helped me recover. We've an idea you might like. They are willing to travel to your house and help you and Gale recover from your injuries. We'll travel at night, and be there in about a week.

"That sounds good to me. It's great to meet you two, even just in our thoughts. Thanks for helping Luke and agreeing to help us. We'll stay here for now and keep hidden. Stay safe, you three." The Guardian finishes, before severing the connection and sending us all back to the present.

Crystal speaks first. "All right. Let's get ready so we can head out by sunset."

"Agreed."