Chapter 40: striving for better

Josh:

Seemed like the time that we had spent together had flown by so slowly and yet so quickly at the same time. The journeys and tests through that time has all been memorable, just like the people that helped me and supported me the whole way. Before I even knew it, I was exactly where I wanted to be, the skill level of a champion and could be champion to any region I wished with the blessing from the pokemon associations. Though I wanted to be champion level, it wasn't my dream to be tied down to one place. I declined to continue having many more adventures and all of which will take me to new places, Jolteon and Leafeon were just as excited as I was about this even if they were as surprised as the association to learn of my decline to their invitation for champion.

We made our way to the edge of the region and looked out to the ocean, wondering where life will take us next. Our bonds help make us move forward and motivate us to chase after what we believe is right.

~end of flash back~

"I know you just found out you lost someone you were friends with, though I don't think bonds like that really are lost. Seems like everything keeps changing in ways that we may not understand and it just seems too unfair for it all to happen" I said trying to find comfort for her and Courtney just looked to the side saying "in that story though your bonds are still around, the friendship I had is dead, just like Tabitha is. Pain is literally all I'm feeling along with rage and sadness" I thought and thought "what would Nei do if she were here?" I can't help but to think that she would have done a better job with this than I" she looked to me and said "I see what you're trying to say, that as long as I remember him and hold him close in my memory then he's not really dead. For now, I just feel hurt and nothing much can be said to make me feel any different, for better or worse, than how I am right now. I just want time alone" she got up and headed into the building.

Tank came over to me and he was holding his pokedex, that wasn't strange because moments ago he was battling Winona. He showed me the message that was written on it, it was from Lace and it said "infiltration was successful, Nei was able to join without issue and the submarine has started construction. Team Aqua and Magma admins have said that it'd take at minimum a week to complete it. You all have a week to train up and I'll train Nei too, good luck" I couldn't help but to smile, I thought that there's not much that Nei would need to be taught and that I had faith in her abilities to push through any kind of challenge. Tank looked to me and said "with this new information, we have leeway for the deadline. That means we can relax a little but not by much, we can keep training so that when they make their next move, we're more than a little ready" I couldn't agree more but that means, getting him up to those higher levels is needed more so now than before. I have faith in Nei and thanks to her faith in Tank, I've learnt to put my faith in him too. Leafeon and Jolteon looked to me, along with Umbreon and Espeon not too far from them, they seem just as determined as Tank to get as far as we need to ensure that this region keeps its place in the world. The last time events like this happened, the region was threatened to be torn apart and no worse things may be on the horizon.

Winona stood to the side with her Altaria, her pokemon was floating like the cloud they resemble. I could feel what she was going to say and she spoke those words with more elegance than I expected "this is our battle as gym leaders and elite four to deal with, however I need your help for this. My gut feeling says that there's worse to come now that everything is piecing together. I ask you and your undercover friends to help us in our darkest hour" my need to do what I felt was right was boiling, looking to Tank I could feel the same energy coming off of him. He turned to me and said "Lace knows when to do good and when to steal from others. Nei has always had that sense of doing right, even when other people never knew what was right. We all have a clear conscience to do what we feel and know is right. We joined forces before to take down a threat" he paused and gave a smile as he clinched his fist. He continued "care to do it again?" I gave a nod and bumped my fist against his answering "this is gonna be a wild ride, how could I refuse?" asking rhetorically. Leafeon seemed concerned while Jolteon and Umbreon were hyped for the events to follow. Espeon comforted Leafeon and both myself and Tank prepared for our week of training against Winona. She would be fighting with all of our spirit and to the best of our capabilities.

Little our knowledge, Winona's gut feeling was more right than I think even she would have known, things were evolving in a way that was both unclear to where it was heading or even how they would devolve into anarchy. One thing was certain, whatever is going to happen was neither going to be good nor was it going to be without hundreds of deaths across this region. Peace was threatened and that threat only continues to grow. Before we know it, all things may be changed before our eyes and the association may very well crumble upon its weight.

~to be continued~