-April 7th, 5:30 PM, Billy's POV (Human - Ace Trainer)-
"EXPLAIN YOURSELF!" Luke shouted.
It had been almost three hours since the silver and white furred Lucario had disappeared from the clearing, with Luke on his heels. If it wasn't for Medicham's Aura Sight, Crystal and I would have lost them a long time ago. As it was, they finally came into view, resting against a couple of large trees about fifty feet away from the main road that led to Lavaridge. Or at least, Tsuyoi was resting. Luke was on his feet, Bone Rush staff in hand, taking a fighting stance.
Tsuyoi notes this but doesn't do anything about it. Rather, he waves him off. "Give me a moment to catch my-" the rest was turned into a gasp of pain as Luke spun his staff around in a deadly arc, before slamming one of the bluish ends into Tsuyoi's stomach.
"EIGHT YEARS AGO YOU FELL OFF A FUCKING CLIFF! FOR EIGHT YEARS MICHAEL REFUSED TO SPEAK ABOUT YOU, YOU BROKE HIS HEART! NOW YOU TURN OUT TO BE ALIVE AND YOU EXPECT ME TO LET YOU REST BEFORE YOU EXPLAIN? FAT CHANCE!" Luke screamed, preparing to swing the staff into Tsuyoi once again.
Not on my watch. "Medicham, Force Palm!" I say, releasing her from her pokeball. Medicham charged the move as she dashed at Luke, forcing her whole arm to glow with a bluish white energy. She swung, but as it was about to hit, Tsuyoi came out of nowhere. He used a Protect shield, effectively negating the attack. Medicham, confused but alert, cartwheeled back to stand next to me. Tsuyoi looks at me and shakes his head sadly.
"Whatever I say doesn't excuse my absence, and whatever Luke decides to do to me, I deserve it. Don't interfere." He says to me sternly.
Luke sighs, the anger draining out of him. "Eight years…" Luke moves in front of Tsuyoi, a pained look on his face. "Why didn't you return, Tsuyoi?" He pleads the question.
Tsuyoi avoids Luke's eyes. "We should sit down. It's a long story, to say the least."
A few minutes later, Crystal and I have set up camp by the trees. Tsuyoi and Luke sit across from us, neither looking at each other. After a moment of silence, Tsuyoi sighs.
"It starts shortly after the raid on the Eastern Base," Tsuyoi begins. "The Society of the Shattered Moon took a huge hit, forced almost into extinction. I remember all the gore… I was at Michael's right hand the entire fight. The troops seemed endless, but our perseverance and spirit was just as much so. The Guardians were there to get the pokemon out, or die painful deaths trying."
Tsuyoi pauses for a moment, grimacing. "Several of them did, but they all agreed it was a worthy cause. The Guardians that didn't make it were given the highest of Honors. After that, everyone thought they had been finished. That the SSM was done for good. After all, their Eastern Base was so strong that they knew if it could be destroyed that their other bases could be found and demolished as well. By the time they were found, they had been abandoned and razed to hide the evidence… But Michael knew better." Tsuyoi said bitterly.
Luke spoke up hesitantly. "What do you mean?"
Tsuyoi clenched his teeth for a moment. "Michael knew they were weakened, of course. But he knew they were long from finished. He kept prodding, doing his best work behind the scenes to prevent the SSM from getting back into power. At that point, Michael became their most important target; the one person standing in their way of another rise to power. So they decided to do something about it."
Tsuyoi paused, seeming to struggle with himself to get the words out. "They sent him a warning one night: This is your one and only warning: Stop meddling in things that you don't understand. There are higher beings at work than you. If you don't cease your intrusions, we will destroy everything you know and love.' Of course, Michael took them seriously, but he never truly stopped. On the contrary, he knew that if the SSM was daring enough to make a direct threat to him like this, they were growing stronger by the day. He redoubled his efforts to find them out. So they decided to take action."
Tsuyoi abruptly stopped, and seemed almost unable to speak. Luke prodded. "What did they do, Tsuyoi…?"
The few seconds of torture on Tsuyoi's face before he answered were enough to make even Luke seem disturbed. Finally, he spoke. "They took me. Back to a hidden base. In the night, they tortured me, put me through so much pain until I did what they wanted me to do. They forced me to write a note to Michael saying that I was leaving on a short journey to another town. That I had heard rumors of my biological family there and I wanted to see if they were true. Michael had taught me to write, so of course if it was in my hand writing and placed upon my bed for him to find that morning, it would have been believable. After that was done, they used all sorts of torments on me over the course of a week, until I had become a slave to them out of fear and pain. They told me to betray Michael, to fake my death and by doing so shatter his soul so completely that he would never again fight the SSM."
Tears streamed down his cheeks, but he did nothing to remove them. "I did what they asked me, and since then was treated as a prisoner of the SSM, though I believe I was treated better than the others, since I had followed orders." The look on his face seemed so hopeless it was hard to keep myself from crying. "I had bent to their wills and destroyed Michael's soul in the process. In the time it took him to get back into the fight, the SSM revealed themselves and acquired a power so great that they became the most feared Terrorist Organization in history. This war is my fault."
Suddenly Tsuyoi scrambled to his feet and in one swift jump, he was up in a high branch above us. It seemed as though he was hiding as he lay on the bark, and I couldn't blame him. As much as I wanted to deny his heartbroken admittance, this war was his fault. But I knew he wasn't out of the fight either.
I cupped my hands together and yelled. "Get down here!"
Tsuyoi stared, as though trying to decide what my motive was. I didn't move, staring back, my will crashing against his. Soon enough, as I thought, he came back down, landing smoothly. I stare him hard in the eyes. "This war may have been your fault, but you can still change it. Get off your sorry ass and help us."
The white Lucario seemed taken aback, almost stunned. After a moment, his expression hardens and he nods, the smallest trace of a smile forming. "Billy… You remind me of Michael. This is exactly what he would have told me." He turns to Luke. "Where is he? It's time I talked to him."
-6:30 PM, Tsuyoi's POV (White Lucario)-
Trying to understand that I'm actually free is like trying to create an Aura Sphere as a Riolu - it's possible, but so hopelessly far away from happening that I've given up trying. I wake every day in a cold sweat, bracing myself for the shock treatment that comes with wakeup. When it doesn't happen, I open my eyes, only to find that I'm not in a cell, wearing a tight collar, but rather in a tree or a cave, watching the sun rise.
It's like floating in a dream, not subject to the pain and fear the SSM put me through. I ponder these thoughts as I sit on my tree branch, high above the small camp that the trainers Billy and Crystal setup. They had filled me in on everything they knew about recent events, including how they had meet Luke.
Luke. I don't know if I should consider it a gift or a curse that it's him of all beings I run into first. I sigh, then focus. Hopefully Michael doesn't have a heart attack when I do this… Anyway, I'm waiting for him to connect me to Michael's Aura. It's been so long that I couldn't even find him on my own...
-6:30 PM, Michael's POV (Human - Orphanage Owner)-
This Arceus damned cabin is going to be the death of me. I hate being stuck here, but it's not like any of us have a choice. Gale's been resting, allowing his many cuts and burns to slowly heal themselves. Celebi has been opening up more to him, and the pair of them have been working on a plan to get her back to Dialga. Her injuries are still severe, though they've been healing remarkably well.
As of right now, though, I was about to make a big leap forward in terms of safety. Pulling out the cell phone I had stolen from a citizen in Fallarbor town, I grimaced slightly as I dialed my sons number. Hopefully I can repay that lady for her loss. Until then…
The line picked up on the fourth ring.
"Hello?"
Just hearing Paul's voice lifted such a large burden of worry off my shoulders that I felt light headed. "P-P-Paul…! Thank Arceus you're ok…" I manage to choke out.
A sound, something like a half sob and half cheer of delight sounds on the other end as he responds. "Daddy?! Where are you? What happened? You're ok? Everyone, it's Michael!" The last part is shouted away from the mic and suddenly the speaker is filled with static-laced cheering.
"Kid, I know you want to talk to him, but I need to speak to him first. Please, it's important." I hear a voice next to the mic.
"I understand. Dad, an officer is here. We'll talk again soon. Don't worry, I'm ok!"
The phone is jostled on the other side as the policewoman takes hold. "Guardian Michael-Fucking-Tellings. It's a miracle hearing your voice again. Seems like just yesterday you and I were meeting for the first time, rescuing that Shiny Riolu."
My heart skips a beat. "Treacy Kenns, is that you? What the hell are you doing in Hoenn? You're supposed to be in Almia, working on Top Ranger business against Team Dim Sun!" I laugh slightly. "The media must be kissing your ass, being both a Guardian and a Top Ranger."
My old friend laughs. "Besides documenting the cleanup of SlatePort, yeah they are. By the way, you owe me. I'm not picking up after one of your Auric temper tantrums again." I can almost hear the fake frown in her voice. "Anyway, I'm assuming you want to know what's happening."
"Yeah. First off though: Don't let anyone know where I am. I'm assuming you know the events that lead up to SlatePort. That being said, Gale and Celebi are still really badly wounded. Luke got separated but was found by a couple of Ace Trainers. They're helping him to get here and are bringing medical supplies. Until then, it's safest that no one knows where I am. If the SSM finds us there's no way in Hell we could fight them off." I say, forcing my tone as serious as I could.
"Fair enough. I'm still going to let the police know you're alive. They've dropped all charges against you, by the way. The Orphanage was burned to the ground, but no one got seriously hurt. All the Pokemon were moved to a grocery store that was going to be demolished. They've made it a temporary safe house. It's not perfect, but it'll do. The Seniors were happy with anything the Government could supply them with. They have made it work. Your son Paul is safe, although he did get a broken wrist in the initial firebomb strike. Fell down the stairs, I think. Shaken, butler all unharmed and in good spirits. You've raised a good son and family in the seniors, Michael." She sounds almost wistful. "I probably would have settled down by now, but shit just keeps going down. I got transferred from Almia because Dim Sun is finished. That bastard Blake Hall, turned out that tower was a giant Pokemon Mind Controller. Kellyn and I went head to head against his machine, he summoned pokemon after pokemon to his side with the flick of a switch. Finally, after we had caught and freed the summoned pokemon from his device, he turned the machine to maximum power and summoned a Darkrai. Damn machine, the over intense power caused it massive pain… The Darkrai went insane, captured Blake Hall and his assistant, nearly caught me as well. Kellyn sacrificed himself to get me out, and once I got back to a safe distance I was able to capture the beast and free them. Blake finally came to his senses, he walked out on his own. Kellyn on the other hand... He was carried out on a stretcher, muttering incoherently. Arceus knows what he saw in that void, but it wasn't good. He's in the hospital still, and while the doc says he'll make a full recovery, it's gonna be a while…"
"Arceus be damned, Treacy. I'm sure he'll be ok, and I am glad I've got some help to defeat these SSM bastards. Is Yang still with you?" I ask, trying to change the subject. I figure it's touchy, after all I know for a fact that she likes Kellyn.
She audibly brightens. "Of course she is. Yang's being treated by Nurse Joy right now, we got into some fighting with the Society of the Shattered Moon on the way over here. Nothing major, but if I know that Greninja, she could get an arm torn off and still fight to her last breath, just like me."
"I believe it." As I say the words, I feel a familiar sense in the back of my head. "Treacy, I need to let you go for a bit. Luke is trying to contact my Aura."
"That's fine. I'll call if anything comes up. Stand With Aura."
"Stand With Aura."
I hang up the phone and lean back on my bed, resting my wrist against my forehead. Closing my eyes, I focus my conscious, gazing at the mental image of Luke's thought waves. I tie the vines of energy together and his thoughts come into a sharp focus.
Hey, Luke! Guess who's in Hoenn? Treacy Kenns!
"Wait, what? Oh… That's great! Listen, though. You're sitting down, right?"
Yeah, I am.
"Tsuyoi is alive."
(Author's Note: Had to cut it off here, that way the next part of the story continues the way I want it to go. For those of you who played 'Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia' this timeline takes place after the events in that game. Treacy Kenns is technically Kate, and her backstory will be explained in the next update for the Character List. Note: I don't own Pokemon or any of its copyrights; all rights go to their respective owners.)