Aiden's heart leaped for joy once the holo image of his mother appeared on the Holo-Caster. Her hair was in its usual bun style and her signature pink apron was tied around her waist.
"Aiden?" she asked as she fixed her glasses a bit.
Aiden smiled. "Hi, mom. It's been a while." he replied.
"Oh, my baby!" his mother cried in joy as she slapped her hands together. "Look at you Aiden, you've grown since I last saw you."
"Yeah, well..." Aiden rubbed the back of his neck. The moment felt a little awkward. "How are things back home?" he asked.
"Fine, Honey. Your father is at work, but nothing's changed since you've left" his mother replied, "Where are you now?"
"I'm staying at a Pokemon Center in Coumarine City. I just got here and it's very late. But I decided to call and see how things were back home. By the way! I got a new Pokemon."
"Really? What Pokemon would that be?"
"It's a Lucario! The Gym Leader of Shalour City gave him to me after an epic battle we had! Apparently the Lucario likes me a lot."
"That's wonderful, Aiden. You're beginning to remind me of Ruby when he first started his journey."
"Huh? Ruby?" Aiden whispered. He then closed his eyes and smiled. That's right. Ruby is one of the heroes who saved Hoenn from Teams Aqua and Magma. Along with Sapphire and Steven, they were able to summon Rayquaza and stop the raging fude between Groudon and Kyogre. Steven is still the current champion of Hoenn, but the whereabouts of Ruby and Sapphire are still unknown. Aiden always saw him as an idol when he was younger. "Anyway, I have to get going now."
"That's right. You should get your rest." his mother said.
Aiden chuckled. "Of course mom, love you."
"I love you too, Aiden. Call me back when you have the time."
Aiden nodded and ended the call. A sigh left him as he placed his Holo-Caster on the nightstand by his bed and turned his attention over to the window. It was a clear night and could see nothing but dark blue water and a large full moon with the stars glittering around it.
I wonder what those little red lights are in the horizon? He thought tiredly before falling asleep.
...
Aiden woke up rather early the next morning. Just as the strands of sunlight reached over the horizon to mark the beginning of a new day. It actually gave Aiden enough time to Train his Pokemon for the next battle. He threw the covers aside, got dressed, and left the Pokemon Center. The City was almost deserted. Except for the few fishermen out at sea doing their morning rounds. He had already battled a few Trainers on his way over to Coumarine last night, and decided to head over to the beach to see if there were any fishermen who wanted a quick battle. To his dismay, there were none.
"Well this sucks." Aiden sighed before falling on the sand. The scent of ocean salt filled his nostrils as he gazed at the sea silently. It wasn't so bad. Especially the sunrises and sunsets in this region. He didn't think much of Kalos when he first arrived. But looking at it now, he wasn't regretting his decision to come one bit. A small light coming from his Mega Ring suddenly caught his attention. He lifted his wrist up and noticed the Lucarionite glowing. "What the hell?" he muttered to himself.
The light suddenly grew brighter and he felt an overwhelming urge to stand up. Once he did he outstretched his arm to get the light away from his eyes. "What the hell is going on with this thing?" he asked himself. As if on autopilot, he suddenly found himself walking in a direction he didn't remember thinking of walking in. As he did the light grew brighter and brighter. As though it was leading him somewhere. He then stopped in front of a large rock. By now the light had become so bright that it caught the attention of some freshmen out at sea.
He noticed a second light. Though this one was a pale red. He knelt down and looked behind the rock. A soft gasp left him before he outstretched his hand and reached towards the glowing red stone. As soon as he pulled it out, the glowing stopped. Aiden examined the sphere shaped stone he now held. It was a Mega Stone. A red Mega Stone. But for what Pokemon? He placed the Mega Stone in his pocket for safe keeping. Just as he turned to go back to Coumarine City...
CRASH!
A young girl-age 14-with long lime green hair suddenly fell face-first on the sand. She appeared to be wearing a white tank top with green shorts, boots, and gardening gloves.
"GOOD ARCEUS, ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?" he gasped as he ran over to help the girl.
The young teen sat up on her knees before rubbing her head a bit. "Yeah, I'm fine." she replied, "This isn't the first time this has happened to me. For me to trip and fall on my face is kind of a habit." She looked at Aiden with glittering sunflower yellow orbs and a smile. "Thanks for your concern, though."
Aiden smiled and nodded. "Not a problem. When I heard you fall I knew I had to come over and see if you're alright."
The girl suddenly held her head up high and crossed her arms. "Yeah, well, thanks. I'm actually out looking for a hat."
"A hat?" Aiden asked.
"My grandfather's hat. It was given to me as a gift after I inherited his Gym."
"Wait, you're the Coumarine City Gym Leader?"
"Yep! Eglantine Fukuji of Unova at your service!"
"Eglantine, huh?" Aiden smiled, "I'm Aiden. I was actually going to challenge you later."
Eglantine raised both of her eyebrows leaned back a bit as though she was surprised. "Really? Well isn't awkward then. Challenger meeting Challenger. This is certainly something that doesn't happen every day." she giggled.
"Tell me about it." Aiden murmured. He then offered out his hand to Eglantine, who accepted it and allowed herself to be helped up. "So what was it that you were looking for?" he asked.
"My hat. My grandfather's actually. It's sort of a dark green flat cap, if you know what I'm saying. I was wearing it when a large gust of wind suddenly came out of nowhere and sent it flying in this direction! I ran after it, but before I knew it I suddenly tripped and fell."
"If you want, I can help you find your hat." Aiden offered.
Eglantine's yellow eyes suddenly glimmered with joy. "Really? You'll do that for me?" she asked.
"Of course. I can't just stand around and do nothing."
"Great!" Eglantine leaped for joy before gently taking Aiden's wrist and tugging him along. The duo spent most of the morning searching high and low at the beach for the missing hat. But came to no avail. Just when they were about to give up hope, Aiden spotted something moving against the wind.
"Is that it?" he asked, pointing his finger up at the tree branch.
Eglantine gasped. "Yes! That's it!" she said before she swiftly brought out a Pokeball and tossed it out. A long green Pokemon emerged from the capsule. A Pokemon standing on two short legs. "Servine, see if you can get Grandpa's hat down before the wind takes it again!"
"Servine!" the Pokemon nodded before two vines emerged from her sides.
"Is that your starter Pokemon?" Aiden asked as he watched in awe.
"Mm hm! In Unova, we have different starters. This is just her second evolution."
The vines carefully wrapped themselves around the cap before swiftly pulling it down. She then handed the cap over to her Trainer when she and Aiden ran over. She purred happily when she received a rewarding pat on the head.
"Nice job, Servine!" Eglantine said before returning her Pokemon to her Pokeball.
"Looks like you got your cap back." Aiden said as he watched her adjust it on her head.
"And I couldn't have done it without your help, Aiden." Eglantine smiled at him, "Say, I'm going over to my grandfather's grave. Would you like to come?"
Aiden blinked. Did she just ask him if he wanted to visit a dead guy's grave? Not that he was being disrespectful or anything. As if reading his mind, Eglantine added, "It's not very far. It's actually very secluded. But I'll understand if you don't want to go."
"No, no." Aiden assured her, "I would like to come. What's your grandfather's name?"
"Ramos." Eglantine replied.
...
Eglantine wasn't kidding when she told him the grave was secluded. The grave itself was nothing but a rocky grave mark near the edge of an ocean cliff outside of town. Surrounding it were flowers of different species. Laying against the marker was an old photograph with an old man and his Gogoat. In his hands was a pair of large silvery hedge trimmers.
"Grandpa always loved his garden." Eglantine chuckled softly as she gazed at the grave with folded hands, "Gogoat and Grandpa were like two peas in a pot. Soon after grandpa died, Gogoat died too. They were both cremated and their ashes were released on this very spot. Grandpa Ramos was a very good Gym Leader, so after he passed away I inherited it and his remaining Pokemon. It's been over a year since he died. So..." she brought out an Eglantine rose from her pocket and placed it in front of the picture, "Rest in Peace."
Aiden gave Ramos and Gogoat a silent pray. He's heard about the old man from Calem after he challenged him. It seems he always had a habit of using the name "whippersnapper" or "sprout" on everyone.
"Well then!" Eglantine clapped her hands together and looked over to Aiden, "How about we go back to town and have that Gym battle, eh?"
"Sounds good." Aiden agreed.
The two turned and left the gravesite and soon reached the main road. Aiden suddenly came to a pause when he noticed something running in the opposite direction of them. A large dust cloud following behind it. "What the hell is that?" he asked. Eglantine stopped and looked over as well.
"That looks like..."
"HELP US!" A little girl was on the back of a shiny Skiddo. Both with horrified expressions on their faces. Aiden barely had time to jump out of the way when the glittering Skiddo suddenly crashed into him and the girl fell into the arms of Eglantine.
"SALLY!" she gasped.
"Eglantine!" Sally looked up at the young Gym Leader with watery eyes before she immediately buried her face in her top and wept heavily.
Aiden groaned as he pushed himself up once the Skiddo climbed off him and bowed her head in apology. "What's going on here?" he asked as he dusted some dirt off his already wrecked jeans.
"Sally, what's wrong? What happened to you and Skiddy? Where's your father?" Eglantine asked as she hugged the weeping girl tightly. Sally's sobs were soon reduced to hiccups as she looked up at Eglantine with watery, frightened eyes.
"Oh, Eggy! It was horrible! Just horrible!"
"What happened? You must tell us what happened!" Eglantine said.
Sally sniffed, "It all started this morning..."
Flashback
It was a pleasant morning for "Baa de Mer Ranch" and its only two human occupants. Skiddos of all sizes casually grazed or rested in the lush green pastures under the rising sunlight as it claimed the land once more.
Sally happily ran through the pasture with Skiddy by her side. Running over to the watering hole that was present on their Ranch. Despite being a family of two, Sally and her father managed to survive this far in the world. Sally, being the carefree child she still was, played with her favorite Skiddo without a care in the world.
"Come on, Skiddy! Let's go play in the water!" she giggled.
"Baa! Baa!" Skiddy cried happily.
As soon as they arrived, Sally grabbed a handful of water before splashing it all over Skiddy's leafy coat. Skiddy retaliated by jumping into the watering hole itself and splashing water all over the place. Sally laughed and screamed happily when a large splash of water hit her. Her laughter slowly died down when something suddenly caught her eye. She curiously made her way over to the wooden, ignoring the fact that she was still a bit wet.
"Baa?" Skiddy climbed out of the watering hole and joined her Trainer by the fence.
"Do you see that Skiddy?" she asked in a wondrous voice.
It was a light. Probably the brightest light she's ever seen coming from the beach. Both Trainer and Pokemon watched it as though they were in a trance until a loud noise snapped them out of it.
"What was that?" Sally asked. A gasp of fear left her when she noticed smoke coming from the Ranch. "Father!" she cried before jumping on her Skiddo's back. "Come on, Skiddy! We have to see if daddy's okay!"
"Baa! Baa!" Skiddy nodded before bolting at high speed back to the ranch. They were only a mile away when they suddenly spotted a grim scene.
Men and women dressed in familiar red suits were forcing the other Skiddos into large cages big enough to fit four or five of them. Some of which were already cramped with seven! She spotted her father, tied up in thick ropes and glaring up at a woman who was dressed different. She was wearing sleeveless black top with orange-red lines and matching black pants and boots. Her hair was pink and it was in a style that she couldn't describe. One of her hands was on her hips and she was tapping her foot a bit impatiently.
"For the last time, old man, where is that shiny Skiddo of yours?" the woman asked in a cold, ruthless tone of voice that sent fear throughout Sally and Skiddy.
"Like I would tell anyone like you people." her father growled.
"Look, the Boss gave is instructions not to harm you or your kid in anyway. Our orders are to snatch all of the Skiddos on your damn Ranch. Including that shiny one. Now, I'll ask you one more time." the woman brought out a Pokeball, "Where. Is. That. Shiny. Skiddo?"
Greg kept his mouth shut and had his eyes wander away from the woman's hidden gaze. His eyes came to dead stop and widened when he spotted his daughter and Skiddy. He gave them both a look that clearly said "Run and get help".
Sally whimpered before she gently tugged on Skiddy's petite horns. "Come on, Skiddy. We have to get help for daddy." she said tearfully.
"HEY! I FOUND THEM!" a grunt suddenly yelled, pointing his finger over to them.
Sally gasped in fear and nearly fell of Skiddy's back.
"RUN, SALLY, RUN!" Greg roared.
The woman snapped her head over to them, a reddish-pink visor present on her face along with a small flare insignia on the upper left side of her chest, and snarled. "GET THEM!" she screeched. A few of the Grunts suddenly tossed out their Pokemon, most of which were Houndours or Golbats.
"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" Sally cried before directing Skiddy away from them. Dodging some attacks that were thrown at them in an attempt to stop them.
Flashback ends
By the time Sally had finished, a new wave of tears rushed down her face. "That's how Skiddy and I got here. Those bullies in red attacked us!"
Aiden and Eglantine looked at one another. Aiden clenched his hand into a fist as anger swelled up in him. How dare they do this sort of thing to this little girl. Especially to her only family! He had only encountered Team Flare once, but he was getting the feeling that he was going to have another real soon. "Don't worry, Sally." Aiden said firmly, "I'll head on over to your Ranch and teach those red bullies a lesson."
Sally's eyes glittered with hope. "Y-you will?" she sniffed.
Aiden smiled and nodded. "Cross my heart and hope to die." he said.
"If that's the case, then I'm coming too." Eglantine said, "I've only know this family for two and a half years, but they've been so kind to me since I first arrived. It's the least I could do for them."
Aiden knew that there wouldn't be a point in trying to convince her to not go. So instead he only nodded before looking back at Sally and Skiddy. "Sally, you and Skiddy head on over to Officer Jenny's station. Ok? You'll be safer there then out here. Stay with her until we come back."
"Okay." Sally bobbed her head.
...
"So you've met these guys before?" Eglantine whispered as they snuck their way through Route 12.
"Yeah. A friend and I saw them in Glittering Cave. They were doing the same thing over there: caging up Pokemon." Aiden couldn't help but growl softly at the thought. Pokemon weren't meant to be in cages! To have a Pokemon in a cage is beyond cruel. It's blasphemy! Oh, as soon as he storms into that Ranch...
"Aiden!" Eglantine whispered sharply, "Pay attention! You almost stepped on a twig!"
"Oh. Sorry." Aiden quickly apologized.
The two were now mere feet from the Ranch entrance, which was packed with Flare Grunts and their Pokemon.
"So what's the plan?" Eglantine asked.
Aiden was dead silent for a moment before he replied. "I don't have one." he admitted.
"WHAT!?" Eglantine yelled out in dismay.
"Hey! Just what the hell are you kids doing here!?" a Grunt yelled.
Crap...
X.X
Uh oh... Thus begins our second encounter with Team Flare and their second Commander...