Me: Hello peeps! I knew that my reviewers liked this, I also knew you all wanted this sooner... Sorry! I got a small bit of, for want of better words, writer's block. I don't really believe in that, but it happened anyway, so there's no excuse for being late in writing this up and turning it in.
Me again: If any of you spot the parody moment, please accept soft sugar cookies with my compliments! :D I mean, I'm practically quoting the whole scene! So it shouldn't be hard to spot...
Riley: I rather like it though.
Me: Good. For once, we actually agree on something.
Riley: Then shall I do the disclaimer?
Me: Yes, you may.
Riley: She does not own the following: Pokemon, the locations not previously identifiable on any official Poke-Maps, and the non-original characters portrayed within... Do I have to say the last one? Oh, fine... She also does not own toast!
Me: Thank you, Riley. As he said, I don't own it. So I can't be sued unless I claim otherwise, as far as I know. But something I do own, after all is said and done, is the happiness and tears of my audience. Thanks again for reading, and please enjoy my latest installment! (I hope... *sweat*drop*)
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Chapter Three:
And there was a Dream
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Once a long time ago, Riley's parents, then working undercover as ordinary citizens of Hoenn, had run a quaint little shop off of east Oldale Town.
Yes, it was just them. Mother, Father, and a baby brother no older than two... One day while Riley was busy with his squire's training in Sinnoh, a terrible fire struck the shop that also doubled as a home. Although both of his parents survived, there was no sign of the baby, either in the wreckage or... Anywhere. It was a terrible loss, but they had to face the fact that they would never see him again...
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Riley awoke feeling the warmth of tears sliding down his face. 'Why now, after so long?' he wondered with new sadness, wiping them away. He thought he'd come to terms with that part of his past a long time ago.
And yet, it all felt so strange... Both he and his parents knew that the boy would've made a great Knight, if he so chose to be one day. That the fire had ended any hopes of this, was just too unbelievable... And maybe Riley sometimes wished he could've been there to save him.
Looking at the time, Riley realized it was only four am. 'Much too early to greet the day...'
Rolling over, he tried to settle back in for a nap until it was time to meet the Grand Councilman. But when it became apparent that sleep would rather evade him, he rose and got dressed for the day. Going about the usual motions, Riley pondered his dream again.
"I know I've had it before, when I was much younger." he said this quietly, so as not to disturb his still-sleeping partner, "But it isn't real. It's just a nightmare. An illusion of something I can't change, no matter how much I wish otherwise."
Saying it to convince himself more than he actually was, he crept past the sleeping Lucario to go and meditate.
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Later...
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"Are you enjoying your meditations on my favorite rock?"
Opening his eyes, Riley saw, Starr, the Grand Councilman. He watched as Starr moved to sit on another rock, and proceeded to meditate himself.
"Yes, very much, thank you." Riley answered with a smile
"I see," Starr had a mock grumpy voice going, it was just like the old days when Riley was a snarky hotshot, and Starr was an older Knight, "Then I suppose even you won't make deference for an old man?"
"Oh, Master Starr, you're never old!" Riley said in a faux shocked tone, "I'll soon be pushing up daisy's, and you'll never change... You'll just be the same Starr you always were."
"As much as I'd like to agree, my body itself doesn't," Starr said ruefully, "I know for a fact that I'm getting old. And it's you snarky hotshot's that'll never change!" he added as a playful jab
Both laughed at this. It felt good to remember things as they were with old friends. Even 'snarky hotshot's' and 'old men', can have their moment.
Meditating had helped Riley considerably that day. He, at first, denied that his long-dead baby brother had anything to do with the goings on now. That is, until he realized what his brother symbolized. It was the young stranger in the hood. The boy who had committed a deadly act against Team Galactic. Somehow, his dream interpreted that saving this boy, would be like redemption for his loss. A loss that was always at the back of his mind, making him both guilty, and stronger.
He knew he tried hard as a Knight because he really enjoyed helping others. But he also did it to make up for what his brother was denied. On the small chance that he would've wanted to be a Knight, too, Riley trained harder. Training and meditating, he did it for the both of them.
"Master Starr..." Riley began slowly, not wanting to rush and mess up what he intended to say next, "I want to go looking for the youth in the hood."
Starr sighed, "I knew you wouldn't be put off, but then, you've had enough time by now to come up with sound reasons, too."
Riley waited.
After sighing once more, Starr continued, "I agree that it should be you who goes to look for him, but," and here Starr paused, thinking about the consequences of his decision, "Can you present one good reason, to affirm my belief?"
"Yes," Riley did not hesitate now, "I want to go search, for the sake of bringing him back safely."
Starr looked into Riley's eyes, saw the truth of his words and consented, "Then there's nothing I can do, eh?"
"Thank you, Master Starr! I'll go prepare for travel right away."
Riley ran, with the sun glancing off his back. Moving to his favorite rock, Starr sighed into the warmth of the sunlight, and said, "I know you weren't telling me everything, Riley. But I trust your judgment, more than I'd trust that of those three times your age."
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The plan was dastardly. It was cruel. But most importantly, it was evil.
As Allan prepared to leave the island, Gallade fussed and said things like, 'You'll be hurt, Master Allan,' or 'Please reconsider... This isn't like you, and you know I can't go through with this, even if I am your loyal partner!'
"I know how you feel, Gallade, but I have no choice! If Master Raze believes I will betray him, he will kill not just me, but you as well. I don't want that to happen..."
'Master Allan...'
Gallade was saddened by this. It was the very worst that that evil man, Raze, had ordered Allan to do... And there was no way out!
"We should hurry," Allan said to nothing in particular. He too, didn't like the plan that had been concocted by the DK Masters. Why it had to be him, and not one of the other squires with a bit more cunning, Allan had yet to figure out. It was true that he'd be seeing the other squires on occasion, too, but that would only be as the plan required.
Turning to leave at last, he wondered when he'd see this dark, cave-like room again.
At the edge of Spire Island, he called his aquatic friend, Lapras, to his side. The quiet water Pokemon sailed out of the mists, and locked eyes with him.
'You summoned me?'
This Lapras, like many other Pokemon, could communicate telepathically with humans. Allan was the only one that this particular Lapras would willingly connect to. This had something to do with the fact that it was the sole surviver of it's herds violent poaching... In Lapras' eyes, all humans were untrustworthy.
However when it looked into Allan's eyes, it saw in him a kindred sadness. And it was there that Lapras found companionable trust.
"Yeah," Allan felt like being honest, "We have to head for mainland Sinnoh."
'You don't seem to want to go,' observed the solemn Pokemon, 'You look as though you'd rather go anywhere else...'
"I don't have a choice in that matter... Will you take me there?"
Lapras, as a species, could connect very intimately with humans and their hearts. Why Allan would put himself through so much suffering, on the orders on such an evil man, left Lapras even more saddened for him.
'I will, but...' Lapras felt the need to coax him into another view, 'You could try to run away. I would help you to freedom, you need only give the word.'
"There's no way to escape them!" Allan was tired of explaining it, "We leave, now!"
Allan leapt onto the Pokemon's large shell, and nudged it to set out. He wouldn't run away. He'd face this task. If failing meant it would lead to the enemy's success, defeating the Dark Knights once and for all, then maybe going through with the risks would be worth it.
"Yes. Let that be my one defiant thought, before I start on my mission..."
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As Riley crossed the northern Coronet foothills, he paused and looked back out over the southeastern lowlands. 'The view from here is amazing, like always...' he thought peacefully
Turning back to his chosen route, he glanced briefly northward at the constant mist that harried travelers on their way to Celestic Town. He wouldn't be going that way anytime soon. Instead, he turned back to his less frequently explored trail, that leads to the coast just north of the Eterna forest.
More than actual knowledge, he could feel that this was the direction he needed to go to find the mysterious kid that had made an impression on him, and the council. It could take days, or even weeks, but when a Knight is guided by the power of their Aura's intuition, they very often meet with their goals.
'I feel it...' Lucario breathed in the cool mountain air, and raised herself to her toes, 'Master Riley, we will find them.'
"Yes, I agree," Riley began to walk again, "But we must be vigilant that our anger doesn't get the better of us, should we catch him at another heinous crime..."
'If he is doing something awful when we do,' Lucario growled, 'You'd better not stop me from at least smacking him once!'
"I don't know if you could restrain yourself enough, to keep from seriously hurting him, if I do."
If Pokemon could blush, Lucario would have.
It's no small wonder, that there are Pokemon out there who are smart enough to understand morality and kindness. As well as the ability to forgive where forgiveness is due, and Riley hoped dearly that Lucario would treat the odd youth with some civility. Maybe Lucario felt the same, somewhere deep down. She had, after all, seen the boy and his Aura. She'd know if he was happy about his actions at Iron Island or not.
Glancing up, Riley saw a little mountain town called Vala. Lucario moved towards it as he did, at first. But then she stopped, and looked at the Pokemon Center as if it had something awful contained within.
"What is it, Lucario?"
'This Aura... I know this Aura!'
Lucario still seemed disturbed, like this particular Aura was not expected!
"Yes?" Riley was still confused; There was nothing there to suggest danger was in the air, "I don't see why you should be worried-"
"Riley!"
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(Sanada'srose! My first reviewer, this one goes out to you! *Big*muah*)
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Riley looked up at the call, and was met with a flying tackle, a.k.a. The Glomp!
Gasping in shock under the sudden weight that decided to seat itself on top if him, he looked up into ocean blue eyes, and understood why Lucario had been wary of the Pokemon Center.
"Sam? What are you doing here?" Riley looked meaningfully at her knees that were still set on his chest
"Oh, Sh-! I didn't know I was sitting on you!" Sam promptly moved away so Riley could stand up
"Yes, you were," Riley stated dryly, and then on a more serious note, "But you didn't hurt me, so there was really no need to use such a foul word..."
"Yeah, well..." Sam turned pink
Lucario rolled her eyes and said, 'If I think humans are weird, human females are even weirder!'
"Huh?"
Sam doesn't understand Lucario, but then, a lot of people don't. The first requirement to understanding Pokemon like Lucario, is a higher Aura awareness... Something Sam does not have, although her Aura is something to be reckoned with.
"It's not important," Riley doesn't enjoy these little awkward moments that come up when Lucario decides to be cute, "Lucario just felt like complimenting your hair..."
'Yeah, sure I was, Master Riley,' Lucario had a smirk going, 'I'd also like to compliment her choice of words, when she realized she was still on top of you.'
"What did Lucario say this time?"
All the best in the world, Lucario never means any harm when she becomes this sarcastic. Actually, she only ever becomes that witty when she knows her opponents can take it. The only one who can't, is poor Riley who's caught in the middle, between the honest truth and a white lie.
"Um, it's not important," Riley decided to brush it off and try again, "Why are you out here? I thought you told me in your last letter, that you were training with the gym leader, Crasher Wake?"
"I did train with him," Sam answered easily, "I'm just out here to work on Gyara's 'Waterfall' technique."
"Oh, so your Gyarados is trying to learn 'Waterfall'?"
"Yeah, we're still having trouble with the timing and such. Gyara's taking a rest at the Pokemon Center now."
"Really?" Riley kept up a polite interest, if only for the sake of his friendship with the girl, "Well, Lucario and I have to be going. You know, for the work we do."
"Yeah, Riley?" Sam looked at him searchingly, "When are you going to tell me what it is that you two really do?"
'We go around serving the efforts for peace, and fulfilling the call to justice that is required of members, like we, of the Aura Knights.' Lucario rattled off; She knew Riley secretly winced every time she did that, because he'd be the one asked next, what she'd said
But before Sam could ask, Riley cut in and said, "We really do have to go. I'm sorry, but it would take too long to explain at this point in time; My task is on the urgent side right now."
"Well, you could just explain on the way."
"On the way?" Riley repeated to be sure he heard right
"Yes, I want to go with you to see for myself this time." Sam smiled
'Well, I've had my fun, but she really won't be able to keep up with us if you say, yes... You do know that right?'
'Yes, Lucario, I know.'
Riley didn't like having to resort to telepathy around people, it just seemed wrong to have to be secretive sometimes.
Especially around friends. Lucario frowned.
'Alright, I'll see if I can't help you out...' Lucario began, 'How about if we battled her? She can't follow us, if you stake that and win.'
'Maybe not, but we don't have time for a battle.' Riley answered quickly, he knows how strange this looks to an outsider
Lucario thought for a moment longer, and then took off running ahead with as much speed as she dared!
"Lucario?!"
Riley was a little shocked by his partners actions, not really pausing to tell Sam to wait there, he charged after his distant friend. 'Why would Lucario do that?' he thought in dismay
This wasn't her normal behavior. The suggestion to battle was fine, but running away? That choice was more than a little odd; She was predisposed to hit first, ask questions later. And running was never an option! 'Oh, well... We really shouldn't have stopped in the first place.'
And Lucario had helped to put some distance between them and Sam. Some? Actually, a lot!
"Riley! Wait up!"
"Huh?" Riley turned to find Sam not ten feet away, "Sam! I thought you left your Gyarados at the Pokemon Center?"
"I did, but he's right here with me now!"
To say that both Riley and Lucario were surprised by her catching up to them, would be an understatement. They were more shocked, astonished, and ten shades of unsettled, to be concise. But Lucario seemed even more flabbergasted than Riley, for she had stopped running to stare at Sam with wonder. Only someone as fast as Riley could catch her, and Sam had to be even faster if she could catch up to them both!
"What?" Sam asked unsure why they seemed so surprised
"Never mind..." Riley had a sinking feeling that neither he nor Lucario would be able to outrun her this time, "You wanted to know what we do...?"
"That's right! I asked again, but you didn't answer." Sam play-pouted a bit
"Well, I can't tell you everything." Riley was firm, "I can say that we are very well traveled, as our occupation requires at times."
"Yes?" Sam leaned forward, or at least, closer to Riley so she wouldn't miss it
"Lucario and I are a bit like Pokemon Rangers, in that, we help people and Pokemon in need."
"Yeah, and?"
"That's it." Riley answered
"'That's it'?" Sam was skeptical, "Come on Riley, you and Lucario have a special bond! You may, 'help people and Pokemon in need', but there's got to be more to it than that!"
"Well, there really isn't." Riley relaxed a bit, this was easier than he'd thought, "If there's something that needs to be done, and normal police officers can't handle it, then someone else will."
"You mean like a 'Secret Agent'?"
Sam got stars in her eyes when she said, 'Secret Agent'. Riley had an exasperated sweat drop moment.
'How is it secret if everybody knows about it?' He never could figure that out
Riley's hair might be blueish-black, but Lucario swears an ancestor of his had to be 'blond', for how many times things floated over his head.
"Not quite..." said Riley when he came back to himself, "But I'm no vigilante either. I do get valid orders."
"You'd have to." Sam agreed, "You wouldn't be called the 'Gentleman', if you were a vigilante. At least, that's what most people would think."
"Well you're not 'most people', and I really can't say anything more about my career."
"Aw, come on, Riley! If you are a secret agent, I won't tell anyone!"
"Nice try. But I'm not, and I can't say."
"Meanie!" Sam stuck her tongue out
Lucario rolled her red eyes, and thought affectionately, 'Humans are weird.'
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Water like slate, as far as Gallade could naturally see. As he looked out over the water, Allan slept, tired after sailing a whole night and most of the day on Lapras' back...
I say 'naturally' because Gallade can see much farther, if it focuses it's mind and Aura. 'The technique for doing so was perfected many centuries ago, by a Lady Knight and her Togekiss.' This fact, like so many others, had been drummed into Allan since he was old enough to grasp a pencil, and use it too.
The 'History of the Knights', as the Elder DK's called it, was integral to the training they put Pages and Squires through. By the time they were Knights, they were expected to have memorized everything. Including the 'noble' history of the Dark Knights' founders.
'But how could deception, and ignoring the cries of Pokemon and people in danger or distress, be noble?' As a Page, Allan had asked that question once
Just once. And he'd disappeared for several weeks. After that, when he came back, he was made to be Raze's personal Squire.
Gallade never learned what had happened, he just knew that Allan had survived something so horrible, that he wasn't the same defiant boy who believed in gentleness and humility. But maybe somewhere deep down, he still was. He never said that he wouldn't consider running when the chance presented itself.
'But why, Master Allan...' Gallade turned away from the sea to look at his friend, 'You don't have to surrender to them that easily. You would have fought back against their orders, if you hadn't been contained in some dark dungeon somewhere... Without me, or the others...'
'I don't believe he's given up yet,' Lapras stated calmly, 'I think he'll fight back, when the time is right.'
'But real heroes don't wait that long!' Gallade met the gentle profile of Lapras with some defiance of it's own, 'Master Allan doesn't have to wait now that we've come this far!'
'If it were that simple, I could sleep more easily at night.' Lapras replied truthfully
After a pause, Gallade asked, 'Is it so wrong to hope that we have a chance?'
'No.'
Lapras looked back out ahead towards their eventual destination, and Gallade followed suit. The sea colored like slate, stretched on, 'til a dark line that was the northwestern coast of Sinnoh, became apparent.
And then Lapras said, with all the mysteries of it's kind clear in it's voice, 'There in that land... We will find hope!'
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Later...
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'Good evening, Master Allan...'
"I wish you would stop it with the 'Master' thing! I don't need to be called master, to know I'm your partner. You know why I don't approve..."
'I do.' Gallade sighed, 'But it can't change the truth... You are my trainer, after all.'
"No. Ordinary people are 'trainers'... I can only be a criminal."
'That's not true!' Lapras responded sharply, 'The only crime you'd ever commit, would be to give up when so much depends on your will alone!'
"It would be nice to believe that, but I can't run away from this. I haven't explained yet, but it's true. There's no running from Squire Evan... He'll be checking up on me the most, to make sure I'm doing my job."
Neither Gallade, nor Lapras, had been expecting this revelation... This meant that running away would become next to impossible!
Evan is a relentless tracker.
And if Allan tries to escape, it will him that brings Allan back! So far, only one creature has ever escaped the Squire of Master Crush... And that one, supposedly got away because it jumped into a live volcano.
Like the Aura farsight, Evan has a particular talent for locking onto a targets specific Aura signature, even over great distances. This is something he mastered under the tutelage of Crush, proving that their skills with Aura, were to be respected, and feared.
"I won't say that I approve of this plan, I almost dare to wish it were anyone but me... But I have to do it." Allan swallowed, "I-There might be a way, if I have something to do with it..."
'A way for what?' Gallade asked, surprised that Allan might have come up with a plan of action already
"You'll just have to wait and see."
Lapras touched the rocky edge of northwestern Sinnoh, and looked back at it's riders. Allan glanced up at the rock strewn tide line, and opened his senses to check that they had arrived on the shore unobserved. Of course, a Knight could conceal their presence, so it wasn't likely they arrived completely unnoticed, but the odds were still in their favor.
"I don't feel anything unusual... Gallade, what about you?"
Gallade opened it's own senses and felt around, then, 'I cannot discern anything out of the ordinary. Allan, I don't think that Lapras and I should be kept in the dark.'
"Not going to quit asking, huh?" Allan raised his eyebrows at them, "Well, I don't plan on answering that, unless its the only way to make you understand something about my next choices."
'Take me too, then, Master Allan!' Lapras didn't like the idea of letting Gallade be Allan's only protector if things turned sour; It wouldn't do if he ended up cornered at some distant shore, unable to continue
"Alright. I was counting on you wanting to come, too."
'So I am a part of your plans?' Lapras shared a look with Gallade, 'Am I really going to be useful away from the sea?'
"Yes. There are all sorts of lakes and rivers I may need to cross, to find the Aura Knights."
The look the two Pokemon had shared earlier, was nothing to the one they gave each other now. What could Allan mean by, 'find the Aura Knights'? Was there something in his plans that had to do with them directly, after all? They could just as easily have misheard him too...
'The Aura Knights? Master Allan, we are always told to avoid them on our missions... We are to confront them directly?'
"Yes, Gallade... Do the two of you trust me?"
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Me: If some of you feel like saying, "BS!!!", for me choosing to post these later than I complete them, my only excuse is; I don't actually write as fast some people can sometimes. I also have to say sorry for making the last chappy a bit shorter than the first. But, I hope it turned out well enough. And this one, too!
Riley: I'm feeling a little sick in the heart... Why are you doing this to me?
Me: Well... Although I don't like you, I won't ruin a good script for niceness either, you know. So, I'm not actually trying to be mean, when I put you in that hard little position.
Riley: Sam's risking very real danger by following me... You can't put her in that position!
Me: What'cha gonna do about it? I don't think you realize she can take care of herself, albeit, clumsily. And I didn't have a choice anyway: She ran all by herself when she caught you up! Besides, I quite liked that awkward moment.
Riley: You're even more irresponsible than I thought...! (Unable to say much more out of shock)
Me: I am, but only for sheer laziness. It's not like I'm completely careless.
Lady Sharinn: You asked me here because it was my turn to do the 'Review Call'?
Me: Yes! Lady Sharinn, if you please!
Lady Sharinn: To Sanada'srose, yuki-neechan, Yereton, and her baby sister (Who's also reading this)... Lady U. would like to thank you all, heartily, for waiting patiently. She knows it's both boring, and frustrating, to have to wait to read something you like... I'd be slightly annoyed, too, if I didn't want it to turn out well.
Me: Hey, now, no guilt-trips! They didn't do anything yet, and they definitely didn't beg for more, like those annoying people who review only to do just that. So I like my readers, few as they are.
Lady Sharinn: Yes. Review please! (Gives the Knight's Bow)
Me: (Of course, I also know how annoying it is to be reminded to review as well... *sweat*drop*)
Riley: Why am I being completely ignored...?