I actually had to think about what happened after the gym battle with Chuck. XD
Amy47101 does not own pokémon. Only Vale and Sara. All rights go to their respective owners.
o.0.o.0.o
The Adventure Saga
Enlightening the Soul
o.0.o.0.o
"I've got it!" Lyra exclaimed, running up to Silver, Fire, and Dayna, waving a paper bag around enthusiastically. Upon reaching them, Silver snatched the bag from her hands, his Golbat flying faithfully next to him.
"This whole trip would have been pointless if you fling this into the ocean." he stated, tucking it safely into his pocket.
"Not entirely!" Lyra chirped. "We got our gym badge!"
Silver rolled his eyes with an irritated huff.
"All right, now that we have everything, we should get going." Dayna said, glancing at the sea. "Before we know it, Leaf'll somehow end up in Unova."
"Not without Gary, though." Fire snickered, letting out his Dragonite. "So who wants to ride with me?"
"I will." Silver said curtly. "Lyra can use Golbat." Fire blinked, taking a cautious step back.
"Hey, he's not gonna shove me off, is he?" he asked Lyra. Lyra laughed.
"He only seems threatening." she said, grinning brightly.
"I dunno..." Fire trailed off. Silver rolled his eyes, taking liberty to climb onto Dragonite.
"Golbat." he said, pointing to Lyra. Fire sighed, climbing onto the back of Dragonite with Silver, Dayna using her Butterfree to fly.
o.0.o.0.o
Her black bangs were plastered to her face as she stood on her perch near the Lake of Rage.
Vale hardly understood why Mask wanted her stationed in the lake. Well, she partly understood. He told her to sit and wait for an 'odd trainer' to appear. Vale hardly understood what that meant, as anyone could be considered odd or strange in this world. He said she'd 'know when she saw her', giving her a little insight and saying he wanted her to battle said mystery trainer.
So was she supposed to travel every person on a walk to the lake? That was almost as ridiculous as it sounds.
Should she go back? She was freezing! True, this uniform blocked out cold and extreme heat, but it didn't block out water and she was cold.
Knowing Mask, though, he'd make her stay in her wet uniform until the morning. That, or in the rain until this 'mysterious trainer' showed up.
She sighed.
"This is so pointless." she murmured, rubbing her arms.
She focused in the lake again, blinking at a figure with equally matted and wet hair. How had she gotten there without her noticing?
"Simply attack her if she shows up." Mask had instructed. "If you kill her, then she's not your target."
Vale shuddered at his casual tone. It was as if he was saying "If the shoe doesn't fit, then it's not the right size." Mask has never, to her knowledge, ordered a kill on anyone.
At least, not yet.
"He wouldn't order a kill." Vale murmured to reassure herself, pulling out two pokéballs. She was the trainer, wasn't she? Who else would be walking in the rain? Mask wouldn't want her attacking just any trainer, would he? She had to be important. That, or an agent he sent out to make sure she was still following orders.
Swiftly, she leapt out of the bushes, releasing her Scizor and Altaria on the young woman.
What happened next surprised her.
Almost immediately, there was a Venusaur was beside her, knocking her two pokémon aside like they were measly Caterpie. Vale widened her eyes at the one hit KO on both pokémon. Vale stepped back, wide-eyed and slightly, dare she say, frightened of her strength. She was in no way weak. She was, in fact, extremely strong when it came to battling. Mask didn't name her the Destroyer for nothing, after all.
But this teenage girl, maybe seventeen or so...
She had the strength of a champion.
Vale swallowed, taking in her appearance. Long brown hair, red pleated skirt with a light blue tank top and blue leg warmers of a similar color, red and white sneakers with a white sunhat with a premier ball design. Slowly, she reached for the brim of her hat, moving it just so that a single, piercing green eye was visible.
She said nary a word as Vale returned her fainted pokémon.
"Hmph." she heard Mask say into her earpiece. "So they are here." Vale didn't say anything, so not to tip the woman off. "It's obvious you still lack the strength of a champion. Come back to base and train."
"Train...?" Vale murmured. How odd. She hasn't been ordered to trainer her pokémon in two years. What was she still lacking?
But dutifully, she stepped back, then turned, walking into the forest. The young woman did not give pursuit, nor did she seem to even notice that she had left. It was as if being ambushed was a normal occurrence for her, and she dealt with it accordingly.
"And Vale," she heard Mask say. "I have an item I need you to collect."
"Oh?"
"When I give you permission to leave, go collect what it rightfully yours."
Vale blinked at that, slowly realizing what he was implying. Her hand went and covered her visible eye, and for once, she actually was happy to comply to one of Mask's orders.
Letting her Gallade out, she ordered a teleport. For e brief moment, she turned and looked back at the woman Mask wanted her to ambush. She was still staring at her, piercing green orbs shining through the darkness of the shadows, a warning, never to attempt another ambush.
Otherwise, the mysterious trainer woman didn't say anything, simply watching as they teleported away.
o.0.o.0.o
Lyra climbed up the last ladder leading to the top of the lighthouse. At this point, she and Silver had split ways. She wasn't exactly sure where he planned on going, as he hasn't obtained his gym badge yet. Maybe he went for training?
Lyra shrugged it off. She always seemed to run into Silver, so she knew they'd meet up again. For good measure, though, she gave him her pokégear number. Maybe he'd call on a payphone or a pokémon center phone or something.
She recalled the last time she tried to give him her number, back in Goldenrod. All he did then was crumple it up and throw it away.
At least he accepted it this time.
She climbed up what she assumed was the last ladder. Opening the door, she saw a cute young lady around her age with light brown hair, tenderly trying to treat an Ampharos. Lyra felt a pang of sorrow for the girl and her pokémon, immediately thinking about her own Ampharos. Said Ampharos suddenly popped out of the pokéball on her belt, worriedly kneeling over her fellow pokémon. The young lady jolted at the sudden appearance at her pokémon.
"Jasmine?" Lyra asked, recalling that the gym leader said she was treating the pokémon. The young woman glanced at her for a moment, then turned her attention back to the pokémon.
"That's me." she said softly. "...This Pokémon always kept the sea lit at night." she paused, staring over the pokémon, panting with its eyes scrunched up in pain. "...But it suddenly got sick... It's gasping for air..." she glanced up at Lyra. "...I understand that there is a wonderful Pharmacy in Cianwood... But that's across the sea... And I can't leave Amphy unattended..."
"No need to worry." Lyra exclaimed, gently nudging her Ampharos aside. She pulled out the medicine from her bag, pulling out one of the tablets and holding it towards the pokémons' mouth. The Ampharos flinched away, refusing it.
"Will that medicine cure Amphy?" Jasmine asked, staring at the tablets.
"It should." Lyra said, furrowing her brow. "But its not taking it."
"...Um, please don't be offended... Amphy will not take anything from anyone but me..." Lyra blinked, then smiled.
"Okay!" she passed the medicine to Jasmine, who turned back to Amphy.
"Amphy, hang on!" Amphy ate a few of the tablets from Jasmine's hands. A minute or two passed, then the Ampharos sat up. Jasmine stared at the pokémon. "Amphy, how are you feeling?"
To prove its point, Amphy popped up, and with a determined cry, unleashed a flash of bright and brilliant light, lighting up the room and beyond. Lyra let out an ecstatic cry, grabbing onto Jasmine's arm and shaking it back and forth.
"Its all better!" she grinned. "Isn't that great?"
"Yes." Jasmine glanced back at Amphy, who was happily talking to Lyra's Ampharos. "...Oh, I'm so relieved... This is just so wonderful... Thank you so very, very much."
"Does this mean you'll return to the gym?" Lyra asked. Jasmine blinked, then stood up, smiling.
"Yes..." Jasmine trailed off. "I will return to the Gym..." she glanced up at Lyra. "Thank you so much. ...I look forward to battling you, trainer."
o.0.o.0.o
"Thank you for your help at the Lighthouse..." Jasmine said politely as Lyra approached her.
"It was really nothing." Lyra responded happily.
"I'm sorry for the trouble... but this is different." Jasmine glanced at her shyly. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm Jasmine, a Gym Leader. I use the steel-type. ...Do you know anything about the steel-type?"
"Not much!" Lyra grinned. Jasmine paused, staring at her.
"...Um... They are very hard, cold, sharp, and really strong! Um... I'm not lying." she trailed off, glancing around. "May I begin?"
"Sure!" Lyra said, walking to the other side of the field and choosing a pokéball. Jasmine sent out a Magnemite. Lyra grinned, and tossed the ball in the air. Growlithe let out a roar as it landed, though seemed more cute than ferocious. He grinned wildly, staring at his opponent. Jasmine glanced at him.
"So you know something."
"Well, yeah!" Lyra grinned. "Everyone knows fire is weak to ste-" she stopped herself thoughtfully. "Nope, it's the other way around!"
Jasmine was seriously having trouble discerning if her behavior was an act to throw her off or she was truly this ditzy.
"Magnemite, Sonic Boom!" Jasmine commanded. Rings of power came from Magnemites magnets, along with an echoing, screeching noise meant to harm and confuse the opponent. Growlithe winced, bowing his head for a moment as the noise rattled in his brain.
"Growlithe, you're fine! Flame Burst!" Growlithe roared in response, slamming into the steel type.
"Thunder Wave!" Jasmine exclaimed. Magnemite glanced up, sporting a few burn marks on its skin, then unleashed a wave of thunder. Lyra winced as the electricity hit Growlithe, paralyzing him.
"You're fine!" Lyra said. "Don't try to move to much, okay? Save your energy! Use Flamethrower!"
Growlithe ground his teeth at being crippled, but complied to unleashing the flames. Magnemite was engulfed in them, letting out a cry before falling in a scorched pile of metal. Electricity crackled around Growlithe as he tried to shake off his paralysis.
Jasmine blinked at the development, but didn't flinch. She simply sent out her next pokémon. Lyra widened her eyes as her gaze slowly travelled up the towering pokémon, so tall that it actually had to hunch over to stay at its full height.
"Properly tempered steel," she said, narrowing her eyes at her opponent. "Won't be made rusty by things like this! Steelix, Sandstorm!"
Lyra let out a small shriek as sand suddenly whipped around the field, blinding her. Despite the risk of sand getting in her eyes, she opened them and saw Steelix knock Growlithe aside with its tail.
"Growlithe!" Lyra exclaimed, thinking back to what Silver taught her about move combos. "Agility! Use Flame Wheel!" She watched as Growlithe began to pick up speed, then summersaulted into a ball engulfed in flames, slamming into Steelix. Steelix grunted at the attack, then smacked Growlithe aside again.
"Rock Throw!" she heard Jasmine cry over the billowing winds. Lyra let out an exclamation of shock as huge stones smashed around her. She barely saw what happened, but one minute she was looking at her pokémon, the next she saw Growlithe laying unconscious on the ground in front of her.
Lyra bit her lip as she returned the pokémon. She honestly had not expected Steelix to know a rock type move. This sandstorm was not helping matters. She wracked her mind for a moment, then selected another pokémon.
"Dragonair!" she exclaimed. "Use Twister!"
Dragonair winced at the sandstorm, but quickly whipped up the whirling winds. Lyra cheered for her pokémon as the winds blew away the sandstorm, successfully clearing a path and doing a bit of damage to Steelix. Not much, but a bit.
"Screech!" Jasmine exclaimed. Steelix opened its mouth wide and let out an earsplitting shriek. Lyra cried out as her ears popped, slamming her hands over her ears. She winced, shaking her head, then glanced up at the battle.
"Dragonair, Aqua Tail!" she ordered. Dragonair nodded, tail becoming enveloped in water. Whipping around, he prepared to slam it into Steelix, only for an iron tail to block it.
Lyra watched in awe as Steelix and Dragonair had a battle of wills, trying to outdo the other. Dragonair growled, then skillfully wrapped his tail around Steelix's tail and yanked, throwing the steel-type off balance. Dragonair leapt into the air and slammed his water-enveloped tail into Steelix's head.
Dragonair retreated back to standing in front of his trainer, confidence bolstering as Steelix fell to the ground with a loud crash. Dust actually billowed up from the amount of weight behind the fall.
Like usual, Lyra let out a cheer, throwing her fist in the air in victory.
Jasmine returned her pokémon with a sigh and walked across the field.
"...You are a better Trainer than me, in both skill and kindness." Jasmine said quietly. She looked up at Lyra and her Dragonair. "In accordance with League rules, I confer upon you this Badge." she held up the hexagonal-shaped badge, a simple little thing, silver and plain, glistening from the newness.
Lyra smiled as she clipped it onto her overalls.
o.0.o.0.o
Silver entered the gym but a few minutes after Lyra left. He had a feeling that she would probably be a bit hurt at his sudden departure, but alternatively, he was certain she'd bounce back to being a happy-go-lucky idiot afterwards.
It was for his and her own good, anyways. She didn't need to be around him, with the Masked Rockets and the police on his tail, and he didn't need to be dragged into her little annoying adventures.
At least, he was trying his damnedest to convince himself of that.
"Stop thinking like that, you idiot." Silver thought to himself.
Call it a premonition or what have you, but he had a feeling something very, very big was going to happen very, very soon. He couldn't tell what, and he couldn't say when, but whatever it was, he didn't want Lyra to get tangled in the web of danger and destruction that had somehow become his life.
Ignoring the odd and sudden burning sensation on the back of his left hand, he approached Jasmine, awaiting her new challenger with now healed pokémon.
"Let the fight begin."
o.0.o.0.o
Krystal stared wide-eyed at what stood in the middle of the small lake outside of Ecruteak City, separating the paths and forcing travelers to go into Mount Mortar to get to the next town.
Staring at the sky above, Suicune seemed to study the sky, as if contemplating something. Krystal slowly reached for her belt, pulling out two pokéballs. This was a once in a lifetime chance, a moment to fill in a rare page on her pokédex.
In one fluid movement, she whipped out her two pokémon and attacked.
"Hitmonchan, Xatu!" she exclaimed, pointing to her target. Suicune snapped its gaze to her, then roared. Water suddenly blasted around them, surrounding them. In but a few moments, Krystal saw Suicune leap over her, a truly majestic sight, then disappeared over the mountain range.
Krystal silently fumed at loosing her chance to catch the pokémon, crossing her arms. Her two pokémon glanced up at her, as if asking if she was okay. Krystal sighed.
"There's always another chance." she said, glancing up at the cliff that Suicune disappeared over. "Lets go back to the center." she said, holding up the two pokéballs. "Return."
She turned and began walking back towards the city, finishing her little late night stroll. Perhaps her step was a little peppier than usual, as she was a bit excited to tell Ethan of this rare encounter.
o.0.o.0.o
Ethan held his right hand up, staring at the little mark on the back of his hand. It was a small thing, really, colored like that of a scar or a dark birthmark, but he knew it was no such thing, as he noticed it only yesterday, and he was pretty sure he'd notice such an odd-shaped birthmark.
"It almost looks like..." he trailed off, bringing his hand closer to his face to get a better look. He's only seen brief pictures and such, but he swore that the markings reminded him, faintly, of raikou's faceplate and muzzle.
Could it have been connected to that electric shock? Earlier in the week, he was shocked so bad that his arm spasmed and knocked over the beside lamp on the pokémon center nightstand.
Two days later, the mark showed up.
Could it have truly been mere coincidence?
There was a knock on the door.
"Ethan?"
He quickly pulled his fingerless glove back on, hiding the mark as he gave Krystal came through the door.
"Heya, Krys!" Ethan grinned. Krystal's excited look did a one-eighty, her eyes narrowing.
"What are you hiding?"
"Me? Hiding something? From you?" Ethan chuckled nervously. "Nope. Not at all!" Krystal's eyes narrowed further.
"Ethan..." she said in a dangerously low tone.
A sudden rap on the door drew Krystals attention, momentarily distracting her. Ethan let out a sigh of relief. Saved by the knock. His eyes shot to the pokémon center window.
...
It might be a tight squeeze, but it was better than Krystal's wrath.
"Yes?" Krystal asked as she opened the door.
"Krystal Quartz?"
Ethan turned his attention to the person in the doorway, seeing a seventeen-year-old female with an older man beside her. The female was holding up a police badge.
"Hey," Ethan said, stepping forward. "What's going on?"
"My name is Sara Knight, also known as Agent Blitz." she cast an 'are-you-satisfied' look to the man behind her. "This is my partner, Agent Looker." She tucked the police badge away, and held up a piece of paper. "And we have a warrant to take an item currently in your possession, the G.S. Ball, into protective custody."
o.0.o.0.o
Lyra stared at the flickering flames off the cave walls, trying to get asleep, thought had trouble doing so.
She felt lonely.
She was never a big fan of caves to begin with, as she viewed them as empty voids, but she was even less of a fan with being alone in a cave. Zubat and other creatures of the darkness twittered around her, set off and cautious of the fire.
She clutched Heart, her Vulpix plush from her dad, inhaling the musky scent of her old room.
If you move out, you can never move back.
Those last few words from her mother rang through her head. Lyra felt tears burn behind her eyes as she thought about it.
"Mom..." she whined silently, clutching the plush tighter. Suddenly, a bunch of pops echoed from her pokéballs. She blinked, looking up. Had they forced themselves out. A small mew echoed in the cave.
Lyra looked over, and saw her Espeon coming over, licking her cheeks in an attempt to cheer her up. Growlithe cuddled into her side for warmth, and Bayleef moved under her head as a makeshift pillow. Frosslass kept her distance, as not to get Lyra any colder than the damp cave already had, but made her presence known. Dragonair coiled himself up close to Lyra, and Ampharos leaned against Dragonair.
"You guys..." she murmured as Espeon laid next to her. How could she have forgotten her own pokémon, her constant companions?
She was never truly alone, was she?
o.0.o.0.o
"This is just a souvenir shop!" Lyra jumped as the creepy old guy who was previously at the counter suddenly popped up. He shoved her away from the gold shelf she was studying, simply curious. "No need to be alarmed!"
Growlithe growled menacingly.
"Growlithe!" Lyra scolded gently, scooping up the pokémon. "Sorry. Usually he's... Well, usually he's always kind of hostile, but that's just for show."
Growlithe barked something, obviously disagreeing.
"What's with the big shelf?" Lyra asked, peeking over the clerks shoulder. "It takes up half the store! Is it hiding something?"
"Nothing! Nope! Nothing at all!" the old man said, pushing her farther away from the shelf.
"Uh..."
Lyra suddenly found herself standing on the front stoop of the shop.
"We're closed!" he shouted, slamming the door shut. Lyra stared at the door in surprise then sighed, glancing at Growlithe.
"I just wanted to know if he was hiding some treasure or something. Wouldn't that be so cool?"
Growlithe continued to growl at the door, as if angry.
"Stop that, Growlithe." Lyra said, rubbing his head. "It's just an innocent little-"
She blinked as a young woman bumped into her. She had her eyes glued to a pokégear. Lyra could hear some sort of awful sound coming from it, and noticed the radio app was up. The woman shot her a glance, then continued on her way.
Growlithe barked after the woman, most likely for her rudeness, while Lyra stared at her back in awe.
Was that...?
No way...
But it certainly looked like...
But she was rumored to be atop Mt. Silver...
"Leaf Green?" Lyra murmured to herself before giving chase.
o.0.o.0.o
Silver held the one Rocket grunt by his measly throat, glaring menacingly.
"So lets try this again," Silver said with a menacing glare as his Sneasel threateningly held the other goon back with her claws to his neck. "How much is it to get through this outpost?"
"Free!" squeaked the grunt. "Free of charge! Absolutely free!"
"Good." Silver smirked, tossing him aside and continuing onto the Lake of Rage.
Rain pelted down around him, plastering his red hair to his face and making the spike that usually stuck up on his head lay limp. He glanced at Sneasel, having half the mind to return her to her pokéball, then thought better of it. He didn't know if there were any other Rocket grunts ahead, after all.
He briefly saw people huddling under trees to keep dry. The ages ranged, but all had one thing in common. All were staring at the lake.
Silver flicked his gaze up as well, and saw an oddity of the group. A young woman with long brown hair, staring at the lake, hardly flinching as she got more and more soaked with each passing moment.
"Crazy." Silver muttered. Why would some random girl just stand in the middle of the rain? At least he had a reason. He was trying to see what was going on with Team Rocket!
His eyes trailed to the lake, a smirk coming onto his face. A red gyrados?
"Nidoking." he said, letting out the pokémon. "Use-"
Suddenly, a purple beam shot out and hit the thrashing pokémon. It roared, rearing back its head and attacking. Silver shot his gaze up to the attacker. He saw Lyra riding on the back of her Dragonair, fighting the pokémon. One hand was clasping her hat on her head, the other arm wrapped around her pokémon, trying to hang onto the slick scales as the water continued to assault them.
"That IDIOT!" he roared, unleashing his Golbat. "Golbat, get me up there before she kills herself! Nidoking, Sneasel, attack that Gyrados! If it gets weak," he shoved a pokéball into Sneasel's claws. "Catch it!"
Golbat clamped its wings around his shoulders, lifting him into the sky. Below him, he saw his pokémon attacking the gyrados, forcing it to come closer to shore. Lyra glanced at the sudden distraction, and glanced up gratefully to him.
"Lyra, you moron! Land!" he yelled as the wind and rain whipped around them. Lyra nodded, then tried to maneuver to a safe landing.
Silver saw the danger before she did.
Rain continued to fly around them, pelting them, making it hard to see. A slash of wind blew up and around her. She lost her grip. A flash of lightening, and all he saw was sheer terror shoot through her eyes as she fell, arms outstretched for Dragonair.
"GOLBAT, MOVE!" he roared, becoming increasingly frustrated as his pokémon didn't move fast enough. Or perhaps time was moving slower? He couldn't tell, all he was seeing was flashes. He knew that she would die from such a fall, especially upon mpact to water, and after everything, after all of the things that she's been through, she could not die...!
Before he even came close to reaching her, someone had beaten him to it.
o.0.o.0.o
Well, I'm sure we all know who the 'mysterious young woman' who showed up through the chapter is. XD
Somehow, I feel like this chapter was kind of... deep on some levels. I was listening to Dead Hearts by Stars throughout the chapter, so understandable, I suppose.
I guess you could say that aforementioned song is sort of the theme of this story now.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed!
Amy47101 signing off! ^.^