Return to you

DISCLAIMER: I Do NOT own Pokémon.

Chapter 10: A World Unseen

Sapphire's POV

The Daycare couple welcomed us in for some snacks, mainly Oran berry pie and Apricorn juice while senior Gold was somewhere looking for spare clothes to change into, after I pushed him into the pond, serves him right.

I sat down at the table with Momo curiously looking over the food from my shoulder. I'm glad she didn't react badly to the Apricorn juice. I didn't know what I would have done if she had thrown a tantrum.

Lapis sat beside me, still fawning over the female Mudkip in his arms. Azura followed behind and took a seat near her trainer. It sort of just hit me that I'm travelling with him, though that wasn't my intention at all. I only planned to accompany him till he got better. As soon as I reach Goldenrod and earn my third badge, I'll part ways with him. Whether he agrees or not, it's not my problem.

As our plates were handed to us, senior Gold came down with a similar set of clothes, only drier. He was eager to chow down on the newly baked pie, but then his attention was drawn to the shiny Kirlia. I figured he had the same idea as me when I first saw Azura. She is the uncanny resemblance of Ruby's Gallade, Zaffiro. Lapis introduced his pokemon and made Gold completely shrug off the subject. Another reason, I figured, he had other important priorities in mind.

"Let's eat!" He sat down opposite to Lapis and quickly grabbed a knife and fork.

Senior Gold sliced off a piece that was almost a quarter of the pie. The old couple didn't seem to mind. They just smiled and offered us some juice. Lapis evenly cut a part of the pie for me and for himself. The rest of the pokemon had food for their own which they heartily enjoyed.

"It's so nice to see a young couple travelling together these days," commented the Day-care Lady.

I nearly choked on my food when I heard it. I desperately corrected her between coughs. "W-we aren't… a c-couple."

The Daycare elders were taken by surprise and they looked at each other in wonder. Meanwhile Lapis remained silent for some reason. He didn't mind that we were mistaken for boyfriend and girlfriend, nor did he react when I said that we weren't.

Unexpectedly, Gold came to my rescue. "This gal already HAS a boyfriend and it's NOT him." He purposely emphasized a few parts as if he was implying something to Lapis, but still he didn't show much of a reaction to his words. The golden-eyed breeder turned to the old couple and continued, "…Her boyfriend is a prissy pretty boy with a weird hat and even weirder tastes."

At first, I thought that senior Gold was trying to help. Now he's just flat out insulting Ruby in front of me. I growled under my breath and clenched my fists, almost bending my eating utensils. "Don't make me kick ya back in the water…"

Gold flinched and quieted down, but not fully. He softly mumbled but I could still hear what he was saying. "See? He's even chose a violent gal for a girlfriend."

If we were the only ones present, I would have shown him how violent I could really be. But lucky for him, we weren't. I didn't want to give a bad impression to the Day-care couple who were kind enough to offer us some snacks.

The conversation went only smoothly afterwards. I told them about my journey so far in Johto and Lapis also talked about more of his travels. It was interesting hearing more of the places that I never knew of. It just goes to show how little I saw and how small my world in Hoenn actually was.

After eating, we let out all our pokemon to enjoy what was left of the afternoon. Lapis was patiently teaching the Mudkip to get along with other pokemon, specifically Xylo, Moro and Momo. Azura was exploring the yard while towing the flustered Rilo by the paw. I knew the Riolu had a crush on the blue Kirlia but seeing them like that, made me think of that Azura was being an older sister towards Rilo. Toro was hanging out with Gold's Explotaro. It had been a long time since they've seen each other. They must have lots to catch up.

"Hey."

I heard Gold's voice calling out. I turned around and saw him walk over to Lapis. I didn't hear what they were talking about but it was really short because a minute later, Lapis headed towards me while still carrying around the little blue mudfish pokemon.

"Watch her for a few minutes, okay?" He handed me the female Mudkip but she didn't want to part with him. After some encouragement and reassurance, the timid pokemon finally agreed to let me hold her.

"If you are wondering, Gold and I are just going to have a man-to-man talk, whatever that means." Lapis chuckled and petted the Mudkip for a last minute confidence boost. "I'll be back to play later."

Then he ran off and left me with the Mudkip. A man-to-man talk? I decided not to mind it. Last time I did, it didn't end well. I sighed at the memory and settled down on the grassy ground. Moro and Momo came towards me to assist in baby-sitting while the two boys started having their conversation at the other side of the wide open yard.

Normal POV

The pale saffron sky signalled the day was nearing its end. The clouds above were still white but were lined with a hint of yellow. Pidgeys and Pidgettos flew overhead and descended to the woods. The warm afternoon wind was beginning to chill down.

"I'll give it to you straight, Flower boy." Gold spoke in serious tone which was uncommon for him. "What do you want with my junior?"

"I-I just want to travel with her. That's all..." Lapis replied as calm as he possibly could, given the piercing stare that the older boy was giving him.

"Do you plan on hitting on her?" asked Gold bluntly.

The younger boy sweat dropped. "Why are you asking these questions?"

"I want to know what you're up to." The raven-haired breeder came up to him, emitting a menacing presence as a warning. "She's already had it rough. As her senior, I don't want someone causing her problems. Got it?"

"Yeah." Lapis turned away and dwelled deep into his thoughts. "I don't plan to cause her problems. I just want to go with her on her journey."

"That's it?" Gold didn't believe him.

"I have other reasons as well." Lapis added, smiling. "But that's something I cannot tell you or her… But I guarantee that it's not something bad."

"Oh, really? If it's not bad, then why don't you just say it?" Gold stood his ground, not willing to let the boy off the hook yet.

"I just said that I can't tell." Lapis tried to reason with him.

"Then how about a pokemon battle?" Gold suggested. "If I win, you either spill the beans or leave my junior alone and if you win, I'll let things slide."

Lapis hesitated but in the end, he agreed. He motioned for his Kirlia and in an instant, Azura teleported to his side.

"Explotaro!" In a loud voice, Gold called for his Typhlosion who got up and hurried over to him.

The breeder's sudden shout alerted Sapphire. By the looks of things, she guessed they were going to have a battle. It was an unexpected turn of events. Curious to know how it will turn out and how good or bad Lapis does in a battle; she stood up and came closer. The rest her pokemon followed suit behind her, as well as the Mudkip. Rilo also joined up with them to see Azura's battle. The pokemon at the daycare sensed the hostility in the air and moved back to the side-lines.

It was a one on one battle. Gold took his position on one side of the field and Lapis on the other. Both their pokemon eyed each other as they readied themselves.

"Let's get the party started!" The Johto dexholder commanded first. "Explotaro, Smokescreen!"

A thick black cloud emerged from the fire pokemon's back and shrouded the battlefield.

Lapis was not bothered by the decrease in visibility. His eyes didn't waiver from the battle unfolding in front of him. "You do understand that my Kirlia is a psychic type? Something like this is nothing." He called out to his pokemon in the dark mist. "Azura, find out where the attack will come from and counter accordingly."

The amber eyes and horns of the Kirlia glowed neon blue in preparation for its attack. Moments of heavy tension passed. Azura's psychic senses kicked in. "From below." She jumped out of the way and a second later, Explotaro burst out from the ground. On cue, Azura blasted the Typhlosion with Psychic, knocking back the Volcano pokemon and clearing the smokescreen.

"Explotaro, use Flamethrower!" Gold shouted. The breeder's Typhlosion regained its balance and landed nimbly on its feet before releasing blazing red torrents from its back.

"Azura, Lightscreen!"

Lapis' Kirlia created a translucent powder blue glass in front of itself and deflected the fiery stream. When the onslaught ended, Explotaro followed up with Flame Charge. Engulfed in flames, it charged at its opponent at tremendous speed, breaking the defensive barrier and tackling the Kirlia.

Gold smirked. "Nothing much you could do at close range—"

"Thunder Punch now!"

Azura's eyes shot open. She landed on one leg and swung a fist full of golden of electricity at the unsuspecting Volcano pokemon. Explotaro jumped away from his enemy, shaken up but not paralyzled.

Lapis didn't waste a second of the opportunity. "Azura, follow up with Magical Leaf!" Illuminating crescent leaves shot out from the psychic pokémon's arms and spun rapidly towards the the target.

"Explotaro escape underground!" Gold' Typhlosion snapped out of its daze in time and dug through the earth, evading the Kirlia's attack.

Lapis eyed the situation carefully. "Azura, freeze the area with Icy Wind."

As instructed, the shiny Kirlia conjured up a frosty cyclone that turned the battleground into an ice field. The pokemon at the side-lines huddled together and braced themselves against the freezing atmosphere.

"There's only one escape." Lapis muttered under his breath as Azura read his mind and anticipated the next event.

"Explotaro!" Gold called for his pokemon who was trap somewhere beneath the frozen ground.

A second later, Explotaro, coated in fiery red flames, charged out from the hole he dug out. He roared and glared at his enemy but the Kirlia had vanished. Before he could find her location, Azura appeared in front of him, just a few inches away from the fire surrounding the volcano pokemon. Her irises lit up with an eerie red glow as her enemy did the same before falling to the ground.

Azura landed gracefully and stood before the slumbering enemy. Lapis looked towards the golden-eyed breeder who was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. "Give up now. If Azura uses Dream Eater, your Typhlosion will be even more injured."

Gold sighed and relaxed his fists. "Fine. You win this time, Flower boy."

Lapis nodded and gestured to his Kirlia. Azura extended her arms towards Explotaro and conjured up a light pink sphere between them.

"Hey! I lost already! What gives?!" Gold exclaimed as he rushed towards his pokemon.

"Calm down." Lapis approached the middle of the battlefield. "It's only Heal Pulse."

The peach-colored orb emitted little sparkles that showered down and healed the Volcano pokemon's injuries. Afterwards Azura skipped to her trainer's side and received a gentle pat and a well-deserved praise.

Lapis faced Gold and smiled. "A deal's a deal."

"Yeah, yeah…" The Johto dexholder averted his gaze and crouched down beside Explotaro who was beginning to wake up. "That was a good fight… Sorry Explotaro. We underestimated our opponent this time."

Gold stood up once again and turned to Lapis. "I didn't expect your Kirlia to know Thunder Punch and Icy Wind."

"Azura's father takes credit for the Thunder Punch. The Icy Wind, however, I have to thank a certain someone for it." Lapis' face softened as he recalled something from his memories. Gold was about to ask more about it but he noticed Sapphire coming towards to them.

"Why the sudden battle?" The Hoenn dexholder questioned.

"Heh." Gold chuckled and wrapped an arm around Lapis' neck, catching the younger boy by surprise. "It's something between guys. You wouldn't understand."

Sapphire sulked at his response. Rilo shyly popped his head from behind his trainer's leg and wondered if Azura was alright. The orange-eyed Kirlia met his gaze and smiled sweetly, making the Riolu shrink back behind the brown-haired girl.

"Well, I'm beat!" Gold stretched his arms in the air and yawned deeply, releasing Lapis. "There's an extra room upstairs. I'm sure Granny won't mind. It's reserved for guests anyway."

"Huh?" Sapphire thought she heard wrong. An extra room meant that there was only one and that she had to share that room with her stalker. "I'm not sleeping with Flower boy here!" She yelled, pointing to Lapis.

"What's with the Flower boy nickname?!" Lapis exclaimed, but he was ignored.

"Eh? Who said you'd be sleeping with Flower boy here?" Gold curled his arm around Lapis once again. "Of course he's bunking with me. Why? Did you have any hidden motives?" He narrowed his eyes towards his junior. "Maybe he's not the one I should be watching…"

Sapphire flushed bright red in embarrassment and anger. "W-what are ya tryin' ta say?!"

"I don't know. You were the one who was implying something in the first place." Gold started walking away with Lapis struggling to break free from his hold. Azura as well as the female Mudkip followed suit, leaving Sapphire standing there, dumbstruck.

"Mincci..." Momo patted her trainer's leg as if she was saying, "I didn't know you were that kind of person." It was lucky that Sapphire didn't understand. Otherwise the consequences for the Minccino would have been deadly.

Night settled in. Gold convinced the Day-care couple to let the two stay for the night. Dinner was served. Lapis helped out, much to the delight of the two elders and to the surprise of Gold. The atmosphere was more peaceful than before given that the two boys were getting along, somewhat. Lapis was getting annoyed being called Flower boy over and over again, but there was nothing he could do. The scent of Xylo's Aromatherapy didn't fade.

After dinner, it was time to round up the pokemon for the night. Only a few were allowed in the house so they could sleep with their trainer, namely Sapphire's Minccino, Gold's Ambipom and Lapis' Kirlia. Momo was cleaning up the Hoenn girl's room while Sapphire walked out to the porch and watched the two boys herd the pokemon to a special barn. Lapis was riding his Sawsbuck and Gold was being assisted by Ataro.

Lapis saw Sapphire looking at them and waved at her direction. The brunette didn't wave back. She replayed the memory of Gold and Lapis' battle in her head. She didn't want to admit it at first but there was no doubt. The boy was good as well as his Kirlia. He cornered Gold's pokemon and made use of Azura's psychic abilities as well as her unique ones. One good example was Magical Leaf. Even if Explotaro tried to burn the attack, the leaves would have maneuvered and struck their target. There was no choice but to escape below the earth but after the ground was frozen, there was one exit left. Lapis had completely thought everything over.

"Hey! Wild gal! Did you finish cleaning up your room?" Gold ran over to his junior with his Ambipom clinging on his shoulder.

"Momo's got it covered." Sapphire replied. "She just loves ta clean."

"That's no surprise. She's a Minccino after all." Lapis rode towards them and shifted his attention to Sapphire. "The female Mudkip is finally getting used to others. Right now, she's huddling together with the smaller pokemons."

"That's a relief." The brunette said.

"Well, it's time to hit the hay!" Gold abruptly jerked Lapis off his mount and dragged him indoors.

Xylo walked back to the barn, paying no heed to his trainer's predicament. Sapphire was left alone again. She looked up at the clear dark sky. The stars weren't that numerous; probably because they were close to Goldenrod. The moon was almost invisible. Only the thin circular outline remained. Sapphire took a deep breath as the cool evening breeze passed by, fluttering her brown locks against her face. Only a few days had passed in her journey, but so much had happened already. She wondered what more the future had entailed. Her thoughts circled around the subject, but soon they came to a stop when Gold called her to come in. Sapphire turned towards the door, but only before one image lingered vividly in her mind.

Ruby...

Date: (Unknown)

Place: (Unknown)

The black shroud of the night spread across the sky and its stars cascaded down towards the horizon of the open sea. The luminous round moon showered its light unto the earth as waves crashed into the rocky beach and howling winds chilled the atmosphere.

A ball of light pierced through the darkness and two figures appeared on the cliffs overlooking the watery edges. The first one was a boy with eyes that were dyed in red while the other was smaller and wrapped in a brilliant white glow.

"…What happened? I-I was in the forest just now." Ruby was on his knees, trying to recall what had occurred to him. Bits and pieces of his memories flashed rapidly in his head. Most of which were about him running through the woods, following a strange light that was calling out to him. One particular image jolted him…

Sapphire.

He raised his head and was startled by the scenery. "W-Where am I?"

The glowing white ball hovered closer to him.

Ruby turned his head towards it as the events started to sink in and the realization of what took place became clearer. He was still confused but beside him was someone who could answer all his questions. Standing up, he faced the entity as its light faded and its true form revealed. "Just where did you take me… Celebi?"

September 5th

A new day dawned on the region of Johto. A fresh vibrant orange stained the cold blue sky and streamed across the horizon. Sapphire greeted the morning on the rooftop, silently as to not disturb the people who are still sleeping inside. The wind was warmer compared to the evening's but it still whipped her caramel hair.

"Mincci..." Momo climbed out of the window and ascended to where her trainer was. She was still drowsy but she forced through the continuous yawning as she sat beside Sapphire on the red tiled roof.

"Momo, you should have stayed in bed." Sapphire spoke up, stretching her arms upward and soaking in the gentle sunlight.

"Min... ccino." The scarlet-eyed chinchilla yawned again and rubbed her eyes. Then she caught a glimpse of someone walking out in the yard. It was Lapis along with Azura. They seemed to be heading towards the barn. Momo tapped her trainer and pointed towards the two.

"They're early..." Sapphire murmured to herself, wondering what they were up to. She clutched Momo and agilely jumped off, panicking the Minccino.

"Shut it, Momo..." Sapphire whispered, grabbing a branch from a tree below and landing neatly on the ground. Momo froze up. She never got used to the girl's wild unpredictable feats nor does she think that she'll ever will.

Sapphire hid behind the thick shrubs and watched at Lapis take out Xylo from the barn. He led the Sawsbuck into the open field and patted its head. So far, nothing was out of the ordinary until the cascading autumn leaves on Xylo's antlers began to glow radiant gold before emanating glittering green and yellow powder.

A strong soothing aroma filled the air. Lapis' body became outlined in green as waves of the same hue moved around him. When the light faded, he let out a deep sigh and rested his head against Xylo's.

Sapphire knew that move was Aromatherapy, but for what purpose was it? She poked her head out to get a better view, carefully so she still wouldn't be noticed although; hiding with a psychic type nearby wasn't a good idea.

Azura turned her head in their direction, alerting Lapis and Xylo. The boy jolted but then recaptured his composure. He bit his lip and called out to them, "You and Momo can come out."

Seeing that they were found out, the two did as they were told and came nearer. Sapphire met his gaze and asked, "Feeling sick, or somethin'?"

Lapis stroked his Sawsbuck's side. "I just didn't sleep well last night. Gold was snoring nonstop. I just thought a little Aromatherapy would give me an energy boost."

"Did it?" Sapphire studied his expression to see if he was lying or not.

"Yeah." The cerulean-eyed boy smiled. "Everything's okay now."

Sapphire continued to eye him with discretion. There was a nagging voice at the back of her head that wouldn't shut up. Lapis kept calm and walked passed her. "We should have breakfast. Today's the day you're getting the badge right?"

It suddenly struck her. Lapis was right. Goldenrod City was up ahead as well as her next badge. "Shoot! I almost forgot!" Sapphire dashed back to the house to get ready.

Lapis stopped and stared at her as she entered the Day-care house. Azura tilted her head and peeked at her trainer's face. "She almost got you there."

"I know…"

"You sure you're alright?" Azura inquired through telepathy.

"Yeah. It was just precautionary measure. I don't know when I'll be able to use Xylo's Aromatherapy in the big city." Lapis answered and started moving towards the building. His pokemon trailed behind with Azura still feeling concerned.

Midmorning came. Any remnants of the night were now swallowed up by the bright rays of the sun. Feathery white clouds smudged the wide open skies of blue. It was a nice sunny day. Sapphire and Lapis thanked Gold and the kind Daycare couple and bid them goodbye before heading towards Goldenrod City.

It was only a very short distance away. Sapphire raised her head and awed at the skyscrapers growing bigger and taller with each passing step. They seemed to even touch the very clouds in the sky. And without fully realizing it, the girl now stood before a golden arch leading to the sprawling Metropolis. The sound of the train echoed through her ears as well as the voices of people buzzing to and fro. So many things whirled in her head, but one thought struck her deep in the heart.

"This… is the place where Ruby grew up." Sapphire muttered to herself.

"Hey!" Lapis softly tapped her shoulder, snapping the Hoenn girl back to reality. "Are you alright?"

Sapphire placed a hand on her face and took a deep breath. "…Just a little overwhelmed."

"I told you before, didn't I?" Lapis grabbed her hand and coiled it into a fist. "The day is still long. Take your time…"

The boy wandered further in front with Azura at his side. Sapphire opened her hand and found a yellow candy that Lapis left for her. Without thinking it through, she removed the wrapper and tossed it in her mouth. Momo watched from the girl's shoulder as Sapphire savored the flavor of the small treat.

"…It's sour."

Sapphire finally stepped into the city. The atmosphere was totally different from Hoenn. The streets were paved in a mix of light and dull gold. The urban sounds reminded her of Rustboro and Lilycove, particularly the latter because of the faint ocean smell in the west. She walked slowly and gazed at the various structures that easily towered above her.

*crash*

Because she wasn't looking, Sapphire bumped into someone, but even though her head was elsewhere, she was someone who wasn't easily toppled over. However, the same could not be said to the other person now sitting on the road.

"Sor—"

"I thought you'd get lost when I saw you just walking aimlessly. I didn't think you'd ram me like a Donphan." It was Lapis, worrying as usual about leaving Sapphire on her own. He got back to his feet and brushed off the dirt. "Also, I wanted to let you know that we should check in at the pokemon center. Busy places like these, available rooms are hard to come by."

"If that's the case, it's better to camp out." Sapphire concluded.

"That's the thing. Policemen often patrol the areas at night. They might find it really strange to see a couple of trainers camping out." Lapis pointed out. He shifted his eyes to the pokemon center and then to a tall luxurious building. "It's either a pokemon center or a hotel."

Sapphire didn't want to sleep in some fancy hotel room. That plan was out of the question. Suddenly an idea popped in her head. Goldenrod was the place where Ruby used to live. It is also the place where he was neighbors with Lapis. "Where's yer house?"

"…eh?" Lapis was surprised by the question. "M-My house?"

"Yeah. You were neighbors with Ruby in Goldenrod City before, right? So that means you live around here too." Sapphire presumed.

"W-well…I-I…" Lapis trailed off, stuttering nervously.

"Ya what?" Sapphire noticed his off behavior and began to raise suspicion. "Well? Where is it?"

End of Chapter 10

Well guys…. Good news and Bad news.

Good news: it's the end of the Semester so more time to write!
Bad news: there won't be further revelations because if I added the next few parts it will reconnect with Lapis.
And as for his identity, sorry to say that Sapphire has to collect all badges before I fully reveal it.
I'll add hints and clues as the story progresses.
Have fun finding out who he is and why he is there. I won't say if you're right or wrong.

Ruby is with Celebi. That spells a lot of open possibilities. At least now, everyone knows who kidnapped him.
Congrats to those who guessed it.

I've been practicing symbols and stuff so I change Lapis' grass whistle into ● ~ •~ ● ~
I wanted musical notes but Fanfic wouldn't let me. I'm still trying to find other good ones.
Also, I'm running out of food ideas. What the heck do they eat in the pokemon world?!

Dead Bones Sam & Novaking: I really can't resist my loyal readers/reviewers. XD

Facelessclocks: So much LOL. I didn't mind the Spam. It made me laugh. I'm happy you're enjoying my story.
I did say reviews. I didn't specify reviewers. Hahaha... Even if it was 18, I would have posted it anyway...