Me: Happy Birthday, to me! Oh, hi there. I see you've noticed the new chappy. I posted it in celebration of my birthday, which is today, the fifth.
Riley: What are you doing? And why do I have to were this silly hat?
Me: Don't knock it 'til you've gained an understanding of what its for, buddy boy.
Setting that aside, I've lined up someone rather close to my heart to give the disclaimer today. So please give a warm welcome to, Gi the Raikou!
Gi: Rooooaaaaarrrrrr!
Me: I couldn't have put it more succinctly myself! Enjoy your reading, everyone!
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Chapter Fourteen:
The Chase Continues
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"Off on your merry way so soon, Allan?" said a mysterious female voice, as Allan turned back to the disused trail leading to Pastoria city.
"That voice..." Allan stopped, and began to quickly search the area with his eyes.
Sadistic laughter rang out among the trees surrounding the trail. Allan turned to face the laughter's source, then had to turn around again completely, as the sound of rushing footfalls dashed across the trail behind him.
Exhaling slowly, Allan shut his eyes and stood still. He knew that trying to find the girl who was tormenting him would only whet her appetite to harass him further. The laughter continued, but in a more calm fashion, as Allan held his ground.
When the laughter stopped entirely, Allan almost flinched as the girl stood right behind him and whispered in his ear, "You have been a very bad Squire, Allan."
Taking another small, relaxing breath, Allan said, "And you think hiding in the shadows, instead of punishing me openly, is the best way to handle it, Squire Tera?"
"So good of you to remember my name," Tera, Master Shock's protégé, backed off and said sourly, "But I won't be disobeying my Master's simple instructions about not fighting you. What have you been doing? Have you made contact with the leader of Team Galactic?"
Her imperious tone suggested that she thought herself better than the task she'd been allotted. Retrieving information was not the way she should be used... Or so she thought. At least she was finally getting right to the point.
Still wondering if the answer he was about to give was too risky, Allan said nonchalantly, "No, I have not... But I think I can do something even better."
On hearing this, Tera looked at him suspiciously, trying to find something in his Aura that would reveal any lies he might be telling. When she decided that she would not find anything, she waited for him to continue.
Taking his cue, Allan elaborated further, "I believe that I'll actually be able to gain access to the secret base of the Aura Knights... Assuming the one I'm dealing with is gullible enough to let me."
"And you think that Master Raze, ruler of all Spire Island, and eventually the world, is going to appreciate having his first instructions defied?" Allan opened his eyes, and turned to face Tera. She was white with suppressed anger, but said in a calm, almost reasonable tone, "I doubt your new plan will be received well, but I'll relay your message just the same."
She turned, made ready to leave, then said, "I'm warning you now, though... If you darecross us, Master Raze's displeasure will be the least of your problems!"
With that, she vanished back among the red and gold shrouded trees. A chill wind from the north ruffled Allan's cloak, making him shiver lightly. 'Only so many more days until the first snows before winter arrive...' he thought, as he watched a cloud moving sluggishly across the pale blue sky.
Looking southward again, Allan stepped out on his way down the trail. The wind, still blowing through the trees, making each brightly colored leaf break off for an elegant dance to the ground below, was picking up speed at an alarming rate.
Checking the sky again, Allan saw that heavy dark clouds were floating in from the north. A storm was coming.
"That might complicate things..." he frowned, and debated going back to Veilstone, as it was only half an hour away by foot, vs keeping on the trail southbound for an hour, or more, and being overtaken by the storm.
Rushing through the barren boughs with a loud whoosh, the wind threw Allan's hood back, and almost knocked him off his feet.
"Crap," Allan narrowed his eyes as he leaned forward, pulling the hood back into place, "That's the last kind of problem I want, going back to check if the Knight's realized I've started south."
'Well, maybe it isn't such a bad thing if he sees your face...' Gallade interjected into Allan's thoughts, 'It's not like his partner, Lucario, didn't already get a good look at you... Come to that, he may already know, if she showed him using telepathy!'
Stopping in his tracks, Allan considered this, then said, "I didn't think of that, but I know he's still in the dark about what I really look like."
'What makes you say that?' Lapras asked, joining in the conversation.
"Because," Allan looked at the ground, watching the leaves roll southward on the strong winds, "I asked him about it earlier, and he told me truthfully that he didn't know."
'Oh,' Gallade was silent for a moment, then, 'I guess you just need some time to get used to him then.'
'Oh, yes,' Lapras agreed, 'Not to mention... Did you notice it, Gallade?'
"Notice what?" Allan asked, suspicious of what the two Pokémon could be discussing.
'Ahm, well...' Gallade, still in his Pokéball, fidgeted uncomfortably.
Seeing that Gallade was reluctant to answer, Lapras decided to break the ice, 'Allan, did you notice that Lucario's partner, Riley, has the same blueish-black hair as you?'
"So? Half the trainees on Spire Island have black hair," nonplussed, Allan started to walk back up the trail. He added, "And that's not to mention how many other people around the world, that have the same hair color."
'Well, granted, but that's not the only feature I thought was similar,' said Gallade, feeling more confident now that he knew Allan wasn't being too touchy about the subject.
"Should I just leave your Pokéballs, along with you both, in the forest?" getting irritated by the combination of strong wind, and having his small similarities compared to an air-headed Aura Knight, left Allan feeling less than conversational.
'Why are they so interested in suggesting that we look alike? Not only do I not look like him, I'm way smarter. Or at least street wise...' Allan thought about these things, not really paying attention to the path ahead.
He almost walked past someone who was waiting for him, when they caught his attention by coughing, "Excuse me, but aren't you forgetting something?"
Allan looked up, and saw someone he recognized, "You're that annoying trainer from before..."
"Yeah. Name's 'Vincent'," he said casually, looking Allan up and down with a smirk, "I don't suppose you battle. You look a little scrawny under that blanket to be much of a trainer."
Deciding this guy from the Pokémon Center still wasn't worth his time, Allan said, "Maybe because I'm not a 'trainer'... Even still, its you who wouldn't stand a chance against me."
"Not a trainer?" Vincent shook his head, and followed when Allan started walking again, "I saw you catch that Budew earlier, though it wasn't much of a challenge... Maybe that thing was just desperate to find someone to take it in, though if you ask me, I think it should've chosen someone who's actually strong enough to rub off on it."
"Like you for instance?" Allan said in a voice that concealed his sarcasm.
"Yeah, like me! Except that I wouldn't pick up a lost cause like... Wait, are you messing with me?"
Turning, and getting right in Vincent's face, Allan said, "Good boy. Now stop following me, and go do whatever it is you useless trainers do all day."
Allan put his foot out to start walking again, and Vincent stepped on it getting in Allan's way, "Not until you either apologize for the way you've been treating me, or accept my challenge to battle!"
Although Vincent was stubborn, he really had no idea who he was messing with.
'I could drop him like a bad acorn, if I wanted to...' Allan thought defiantly, as he glared at his annoying shadow, 'Doesn't he get that I could kill him as soon as look at him?'
'Even if he doesn't, it isn't right to just treat him like that leaf under your boot, Allan.' Gallade answered, attempting to sooth Allan's rising irritation.
'Huh, you're so certain...' Allan pulled his foot out from under Vincent's, and tried to get past him... No such luck.
"I'm not letting you go until you do one, or the other, guy," Vincent said flatly.
"And I've got no reason to listen to your pointless complaining," looking one way, Allan feinted, and got past Vincent with minimal effort.
Blinking in surprise, Vincent turned and rushed to block Allan's path again, "That wasn't fair! You should at least apologize for being a jerk!"
Allan let out a frustrated sigh, and said, "You're insufferable. Go bother someone else, for a change."
"No," after Vincent said this, the two youths glared at one another, just waiting to see who would blink first.
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'You let him get away?' Lucario barked in frustrated disbelief.
"Sorry, Lucario. I didn't think he'd try to pull a fast one just then, because I was trying to earn his trust by giving him some space." Riley shrugged, reasoning with himself that it probably would have happened one way or the other.
Silent for moment, Lucario looked southward again, to be sure that the Aura Farsite was not mistaken that that was where Allan and his team had gone. When she spoke again, it was in a more calm, and collected tone, 'I did involuntarily promise that we would give him a head start if he actually helped to free you... I guess I didn't really believe that he would take advantage of this before we were even aware of it.'
"Its alright, Lucario," Riley nodded, glad to see his partner wasn't really all that angry with him. Looking south, Riley said, "He's not that far off, and we might just catch up to him if he's headed for any type of shelter to avoid the storm that's coming on."
Appearing thoughtful over a particularly serious subject, Lucario said, '... Are Dark Knights even afraid of bad weather?'
Riley busted up laughing. Lucario, taking offense to his merriment slapped his shoulder with her paw, and growled, 'That wasn't a joke! I was being serious... Dark Knights do unnatural things with their Aura powers... And worse, they can use these twisted abilities to subjugate the meek and innocent like its nothing!'
"But what does that have to do with the weather?" Riley asked, coming back down to earth.
'I forgot how infuriating you could be when you think you know more about something than I do,' Lucario narrowed her eyes, and stumped down the trail that would lead to their target.
Using his Farsite abilities again, Riley noticed that Allan was not walking alone this time, nor was he with one of his partners... In fact, he wasn't even headed south anymore!
"What changed?" asked Riley, to no one in particular.
'The sooner we get there, the sooner I get to pound him into unconsciousness,' Lucario called back, 'And the sooner I do, the sooner you get to carry him tied up over your shoulder, back to base!'
Smiling with bemusement at the thought, Riley just followed Lucario southward.
As they walked, the wind, which was already blowing very hard, picked up even more speed, making the path unusually difficult to traverse. Leaves went swirling in swiftly looping patterns, before smacking against the trunk of a tree, or shredding themselves on sharp brambles, then continuing on their way when the wind pried them off to cast them further south.
"This might be dangerous," Riley called, attempting to get Lucario to walk closer to him in case he needed to get her back inside the safety of her Pokéball.
'I know what you mean,' Lucario snorted when a leaf blew onto her nose with a sharp slap, 'My instincts are telling me to hightail it to the nearest sheltered location before this gets any worse!'
Uncharacteristically, Riley swore. With a worried look, he said, "Allan is still out there..."
'Yes, I got that, Riley. But this storm is turning into a late monsoon... Its going to get much worse!'
"Then come here," Riley held up her Pokéball, and called her back to it.
Lucario went reluctantly. She'd much rather stay outside to make sure nothing serious happened to her partner, but the sudden change in the weather, which had been predicted to be nice and sunny, was making her nervous.
Riley reached out with Aura Farsite once more, to see how far away Allan was from where he was standing.
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Neither Allan, nor Vincent, would have moved from the spot where they stood and glared at each other, had it not been for the tree that dropped a huge bough on them.
Allan was quick enough to get away from the danger, but Vincent wasn't so lucky. Just barely dodging aside, Allan looked back to be sure he hadn't been the only one to avoid the branch.
Swearing as he approached his one-time adversary, Allan said, "Are you still conscious?"
"Unh..." Vincent groaned and opened his eyes. His left leg was trapped under the branch, with his foot pointing in a sickening direction. Speaking coherently, Vincent winced, "I think its sprained."
"I think its broken," Allan stated, frowning at the end of this dry remark. Moving to pull the branch up, Allan added, "Don't you dare move that leg until I get a closer look at it."
"What are you talking abou-Owww!" Vincent flinched when Allan lifted the tree limb off his leg. Gripping his left thigh in both hands, Vincent tilted his head back, and cried, "Ow, that friggin' hurts!"
"Hold still, dumbass!" Allan smacked Vincent's hands away, and carefully took a closer look at the damaged ankle, "It hit you pretty hard..."
"You think I care about that? Do whatever it is you're going to do!" his face paling, Vincent lay back panting in discomfort.
'Master Allan, we have to do something! The storm is getting worse, and we can't just leave him here, even if he did tick you off!' Gallade strained to be freed from his Pokéball.
'Every time I think you've finally kicked the habit...' Allan thought, annoyed.
'Allan, please!' Gallade responded, sounding panicked.
"Why are you just sitting there?"
Looking over at Vincent, Allan frowned his displeasure, and said, "I could just leave you out here to fend for yourself, you know."
Vincent's jaw dropped. Continuing, Allan added, "I don't have any obligation to you. Besides, you were all for pissing me off, not too long ago."
"That was then!"
The wind was positively howling now. Anything that could be easily lifted and carried off, was rushing along with the wind as a deadly projectile, leaving tiny cuts or bumps in whatever they smashed into.
Deciding that now was not the time to be vindictive, Allan broke sections of the large branch off, and braced them on either side of Vincent's broken ankle. Ripping off strips of cloth from the hem of his cloak, Allan tied the braces into place, then pulled Vincent into a sitting position.
"Do you think if I let you lean on me, that you'll be able to make it back to Veilstone?" Allan asked.
"Unh, I don't know," gritting his teeth, Vincent reached for Allan's shoulder, then panted out, "But I'd rather not stay out here in this storm!"
"Then hang on. We're not going to make it anywhere if we move slowly," pulling his charge up onto his right shoulder, Allan stood up and took a step forward.
"Yeow! Couldn't you be more gentle?"
With Vincent complaining after only one step, the idea of dropping him and running sounded highly tempting to Allan. Shrugging it off, he hiked Vincent a little higher on his shoulder, and kept going.
After a few more steps, and much wincing and whining, Vincent cried out, "For the love of Aura, make it stop!"
Allan dropped him like a hot potato.
"Who are you?" backing off a few steps, Allan inwardly berated himself for not recognizing Vincent's true nature sooner.
"I, that... Who are you?" Vincent stared at Allan mystified, clearly missing something.
"Allan! Look out for that branch!"
"Crap..." Allan looked up in time to see it coming, and just barely evaded it as it fell. Picking himself up off the ground, still berating himself for being too lax, he glanced up the path, and saw Riley running toward him with worried look on his face.
"Allan," stopping in front of Allan, Riley leaned down with his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Then, looking up, he said, "That was too close!"
The wind whistled loudly through the trees, and then seemed to still itself. A momentary calm before the storm picked up again, bringing with it rain, hail, and lightning, which could be heard drawing closer from a distance.
The wild Pokémon of the area had long since hidden themselves away, afraid of the dangers this bad storm brought forth. Gallade, too, felt that precious time was being wasted... That if they didn't find shelter soon, they would be a lot worse off than a few large boughs dropped on their heads!
"It was already a chilly afternoon, without all this wind-chill causing the trees to snap off their branches!" Riley said, moving over to check Vincent's leg, "That doesn't look too good..."
"It hurts, too..." Vincent replied, staring at Riley with wide eyes, "Aren't you, Riley? The 'Sapphire Knight'?"
Looking up at Vincent's face, Riley grimaced, "Please. Just, 'Riley', is fine. I don't go by anything else, really..."
"So you two know each other?" Allan interrupted, before much else could be said.
"Um, no... He has me at a disadvantage," Riley answered lightly.
"Are you kidding me? He wouldn't know who I am..." Vincent seemed incredulous. Taking a breath, he added, "My name is, Vincent. I'm a Squire on leave to gain some battling experience from all over Sinnoh... My Master assigned this journey as a mission."
A look of sudden comprehension dawned on Vincent's face at the end of this monologue, but before he could say anything, Allan quipped, "Introductions over. Let's move out!"
Allan and Riley supported Vincent on either side, while walking back along the path toward Veilstone city.
Not satisfied to remain quiet while he was being hauled like the catch-of-the-day, Vincent said, "You're called, 'Allan', right? Well, I think I know why you dropped me earlier, but I still don't quite get it..."
"Isn't that nice..." Allan muttered sarcastically.
The rain had begun. Instead of being wild and crazy, like they had been expecting, it seemed to be coming down in relatively quiet buckets, with only a pip or two of hail. The lightning appeared to be moving away, and the wind, although it was back, wasn't quite as strong as it had been.
"Seems to have blown itself out a bit..." Riley commented.
"Yeah, a bit." Vincent replied.
"Though I wouldn't call it gone, yet," Riley added, looking over at Allan.
Glaring in response, Allan turned his head away, and concentrated on the trail.
Looking forward himself, Riley saw a fork up ahead that he recognized.
"Hey, let's turn up here, in know where this path leads."
Riley nudged them over to the left fork, and Allan, finally breaking his silence, said, "The best place for this moron is a hospital! We should be heading for one in the main part of Veilstone city."
"Where we're going, Vincent will be looked after just fine," Riley answered with a smile.
"Excuse me! What makes me a 'moron'?" Vincent interrupted testily.
"The fact that you failed to dodge an incoming threat to your safety, dumbass," Allan retorted.
"Would you stop calling me names! I introduced myself, unlike you, and you've been nothing but snippy and mean to me ever since we met!" Vincent pulled himself away from Allan's side to lean on Riley, and glared at him, "I don't know why you think you can just treat people like that... But you can't! You should apologize!"
"Allan," looking at Allan with a serious expression, Riley said, "He's right. The way you've been treating him is wrong. Please, just swallow your pride and apologize to, Vincent."
"Pride is the last thing I have, Aura Knight," Allan glared at Riley, and turned his back on them, 'I don't have to take this... Even if it is true that I haven't called doofus over there by his proper name, I still don't see how any of this is my fault.'
'Master Allan...' although Allan couldn't see Gallade's face, he knew the Pokémon wore a sad expression, 'I recognize that he didn't have to get in your way, thus getting himself injured when neither of you would back down earlier, but you have been nothing but mean to him... At the very least, for everyone's sake, please apologize... Just this once?'
"Is he not an Aura Knight? Or at least a Squire, like me?" Vincent asked Riley, a confused crinkle on his brow.
"No, I'm not," Allan turned back to face them, "I'm not about to say anything more, regarding that, but I will... Apologize..." Allan stared at the muddy ground, heat rising on his cheeks.
"What was that last bit? I didn't quite hear it," Vincent had a straight face as he said this, "You were mumbling."
Closing his eyes, wondering if his face could get any hotter, Allan said once again, "I'm sorry!"
'I wish you'd let me out of my Pokéball so I could dissuade them from trying to make you say it again, with more 'feeling', or whatever,' Gallade groaned.
"That didn't sound like a 'sorry', to me," Vincent frowned.
"It's fine," Riley cut in, seeing that this was as good as it was going to get for now, "Allan, could you come back and help me with him? We're almost there, and we'll be able to rest after we settle Vincent somewhere comfortable."
Not entirely sure what to believe, Allan moved closer to allow them to become a three-legged race team again. Keeping to the trail, the odd trio saw that it was starting to get dark out. Riley suggested moving just a bit faster than they were, to reach their destination before night fell over them.
Suddenly, a fair sized shadow leapt out in front of them, with a menacing growl.
"What's that?" Vincent freaked.
"Hello, Rex," Riley said nonchalantly.
Growling ceased, Rex the Lucario stepped closer, so that they could see him better.
'I thought that you were going to be headed over to Solaceon by now, Riley,' Rex said, looking them all over, 'Who are they?'
"One is my charge, the other is a Squire who's badly injured himself," Riley answered, nodding in Allan and Vincent's general direction.
"Huh? You mean this guy is your Squire?" Vincent asked, dumbfounded.
"Not remotely," Riley laughed nervously, "I don't think Allan would like to be compared to any Squire I might train someday..."
"'Not remotely', is right," Allan agreed, "Nor do I plan on just going wherever you want quietly, Aura Knight."
"My name is, 'Riley', you know..." raising his eyebrow, Riley decided that Allan was the type that takes forever to trust anyone.
'If you're all done talking, I'll lead you to the gym's dorm,' Rex said, turning to lead the way.
"Alright, Rex. We're ready when you are," Riley smiled with a nod.
Walking onward, it took them another five minutes to get to the gym, where they were greeted enthusiastically by Maylene, the gym's leader.
"Riley! I can hardly believe that its really you!" she said, charging down the steps, and catching him in a hug around the waist, "Everyone was worried sick!"
"Yeah, sorry about that..." Riley scratched his head, a bemused look on his face, "I won't be getting into that kind of trouble again for a little while."
"You better not!" Maylene retorted smartly.
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Me: Well, that wraps up chappy fourteen. But don't think I'm done just yet, I'll see if I can't get another one out there sometime next week, or a bit later... Whichever comes first.
Riley: It's kind of obvious which would come first, Lady...
Me: Did I say that? I don't recall...
Riley: -.- Okay... Did you finally gather up all your favoriteers, and reviewers?
Me: To put on the ever-growing list? Hold on, I got someone really interesting to do the Review call this time... (Walks down some stairs, over to another desk, and gathers up some papers.)
Okies! Now put your hands together for... Dr. Diggins of Fossil Fighters!
Dr. Diggins: Um, hello there, but this is an interesting world you have... Very messy.
Me: Yeah, yeah. Could you read this? And, yes, I mean into the microphone so everyone can here you...
Dr. Diggins: Alright then... Lady U. would like say a special thanks to the following: Sanada'srose, Yereton, yuki-neechan, Selhyia, Silver-Love14, Lauren 'Blue' Shaminluvr, rolypolycat, legends in the sky, werebunny131, Gweniveve Skyes, Heavenly Angel of Light, amichalap, Iaf Aros, Nightshade07, shinx2326, Xamem-The Heart of Oblivion, xKROWEx, Y3d594F8d594897w... What a name!
Me: Ahem! You are not done yet!
Dr. Diggins: Er, right! Moving on: Hikaru-pichu, and Hareru1995... Huh! That wasn't necessarily alphabetical order...
Me: Irrelevant, but thanks anyway, Dr. Diggins! I'll send you back to your world, now... (Everyone back there must be panicking! Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to take someone so important away for something like this...)
Well, anyway, I will now sign off. Thanks again for reading! And on one final note: yuki-neechan! If you're reading this, you should know that I'm going to have your OC in the next chappy. She's going to play an interesting role in... Wait a minute! I can't just give my plans for the story away! %&%#%%$#%^*$##$!
Riley: Uh, while Lady recovers from near-meltdown, let me just say this... Please review! (Dang, it has been a while...!)