Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I only own the characters and story, unless otherwise stated. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Kira panted heavily as she fell on her butt, her heart beating heavily while she tried to catch her breath. At the moment, she, along with Swanna and Audino, were helping the town to a feast like no other. Kira hadn't really expected this when she had come back, but at least she was getting to help instead of being pampered. In fact, this felt a lot better than anything else, apart from her first night in the town.
She shook her head as she stood, glancing at the Pokémon who had come here for the feast. Most of them were village Pokémon, but she realized that most of them were likely explorers since they had only really arrived that day. The smell of the fresh air and the sight of the many Pokémon around her told her that things were getting better around here. Last time, they had almost been attacked by all those Infected, but perhaps it was all starting to slow down - that was a great sign.
Kira laughed excitedly as she grabbed a tray of berries to serve them to the nearby Pokémon. Along her way, she noticed that some were looking at her - more or less, it was actually at the gem on her chest that caught their eyes. Kira was sure many Pokémon recognized it, but any question that was directed at it was ignored. She was here to help and have a great time, not have to answer questions about what she was doing down here instead of talking to people they would think were her parents.
After a few more hours of all this partying, Kira found herself in Swanna's café, which was practically filled with Pokémon who liked to stay up late or had a bit too much coffee. She herself was on her last feet, which was why she had nearly a gallon of coffee beside her, which was nearly almost gone. She was kicking her legs as she sat on an island, humming as she watched the Pokémon. She then noticed Audino walking over to her, and smiled lightly. He had been rather quiet the entire party, but she wasn't exactly sure why. But apart from that, she trusted that he had his own reasons for just being there and helping when needed. It was probably just work or something.
"So, you're still up and drinking coffee?" Audino mumbled, jumping onto the island and sitting beside Kira; she nodded in response. "Well, who am I to judge a Pokémon who's becoming more and more powerful?" He sighed lightly before glaring at her. "You seem like you're trying to hide something from me, Kira. I thought we were friends. I trust you enough to tell you what's wrong, so why don't you tell me?"
Kira shrugged lightly, looking down as she tried to think. It wasn't like there was anything wrong, but this necklace just wouldn't get off her mind, nor would Leaf or Ragnarök. She remained silent as she thought of reasons for looking or acting down, but nothing would reach her. She then felt Audino's hand on the black opal, her heart beating faster as an odd sensation of joy was sent through her.
"I was there for Duke's birth," Audino told her, feelings of pain and joy tearing through Kira and her mind. "I was there since his mother had given him the gem. I was there for pretty much the entirety of his life, and then I find you with his stone, which he had abandoned upon coming here to Esperanza Village for the first time in his life." Audino's grip then became rough, pulling her close. "Where did you find this? Are you aware of the danger this thing puts you in? Why are you still carrying it around?"
Kira actually felt fear, but it wasn't her own. Rather, she could tell that it was Audino's from the past. "I... I want to tell you, b-but I can't wh-when yo-you're holding m-me like this," she whimpered, the fear becoming her own until he let her go. Upon release, she fell back, landing with a loud thud. "Oww. Did you really have to grab me so harshly?"
Audino didn't respond as he jumped from the island and stumbled to the door. Before he left, he turned and glared at her. "Do what you came here to do, but I don't want to see you wearing that necklace ever again." He then left the café, an odd silence following before being brought back to life by a cheerful and probably drunk Swanna.
Kira sighed as the party returned to life, standing and jumping up onto the island once more. Now that she was alone, she was actually getting the chance to think, but perhaps it was best she didn't. Before she could leave the party Swanna walked over to her, wrapping her wing around the small Snivy, shocking her greatly.
"Come on and lighten up!" Swanna chirped, glancing around at the party. It wasn't exactly wild, but the amount of Pokémon made Kira feel incredibly uncomfortable in the situation. Swanna seemed to notice this, but then simply pushed her into the middle of it. "Cheer up and have a drink or two! There's nothing wrong happening! Just a little celebration for you coming back after all this time."
Kira was now a bit more uncomfortable, especially with Swanna's behavior. She then felt a hand on her arm, and swung around, her tail connecting with the face of whoever had touched her. They instantly released, then being sent through the wall of the café with her burst of power. The party froze as they stared at her, her heart beating wildly before she noticed their stares. She quickly turned and rushed away from them, wondering to herself why she had even lashed out.
After what felt like forever, Kira stopped running. She fell to her knees, tears falling slowly but in great amounts. She quickly wiped them away, collapsing to the floor as she tried to think. It was probably just a reaction, but Kira hadn't liked being in that crowd. Was it perhaps because of something that had happened during her time in the human world that she could no longer remember? There was lot she couldn't recall, so maybe it was because of a similar event that she had lashed out. Neither Leaf nor Ragnarök were speaking, so Kira couldn't even ask them.
As she laid there, the odd silence of the night washed over her. It was a feeling she had never felt in her life before, so maybe it was a nice change from all the drama and action that had happened in the past. In fact, it seemed like a nice place to relax, here under the stars. She rolled over, smiling faintly as she saw the stars for the first time in what felt like years. The peaceful quiet and warm air felt like home, but she knew it wasn't. It was foreign air to where she had come from, right? She was a human from the human world - that was what she had been told by Houndour, Leaf, and Ragnarök. If that was so, then why did this feel like home?
Kira sighed and closed her eyes, allowing her thoughts to drift softly instead of run all over the place like they usually would. Although, as she was thinking, images of what appeared to be humans started to fill her vision. No matter how hard she tried, she wasn't able to open her eyes, even though she tried. That was when it became a solid picture. She sat up, her eyes wide as she took in the memory of the human world.
Her breathing was heavy as she stood a hand on her gut as pain tore through her nerves. But even after she stood, she was knocked to the ground by a male with dark hair. Around her, people would laugh as he pushed her down over and over and over, until he just started to beat the hell out of her. She cried and begged, but nothing would get him to stop. Even when he had finally gotten off her, he still ridiculed her, calling her a "filthy pest" or "disgusting rat." Kira felt tears as she forced herself to her feet, but nothing hurt worse than the feeling of all those bystanders just having watched as she was hit. It made her feel terrible, weak, and worthless.
Kira stood to her feet, only to collapse to her knees as she felt pain in her body. There was a moment of silence before movement took her attention. She looked up to the humans who offered their hands to her. One was a female with bright green eyes, the other a male with red. She smiled weakly before she took their hands. They reminded her of someone, but she couldn't recall it at the moment. They just felt so familiar.
The memory then became foggy before it cleared. It seemed to have jumped to another day; this one she was with the two she had met the other day. Just like the last memory, that male came back and the crowd formed around them. Kira felt fear grip her, expecting to be hit, but the other two acted so calm and collected.
"Leave her alone," the male beside her said, his voice deep and bold. "You know what'll happen if you challenge us, Ari. You've had your butt kicked hundreds of times before, and we aren't afraid to tear you to shreds once more."
Ari returned with a deep and cold voice. "You think you can really stop me this time?" he whispered, many more surrounding them, even some Pokémon. "You're a fool for thinking that you can stop me in this form, Ragnarök. You're still weak and useless."
"That's what you say, but you were almost destroyed back when we were still our normal selves," the female said, a green aura surrounding her fist. "I know you have no access to your flames, so don't bother trying to attack or fight back. Just turn your sorry ass around and we won't have any problems here."
Ari growled, about to step forward, only slam into the ground as Ragnarök appeared behind him, hitting him right across the neck and practically paralyzing him. He shrugged and headed back over, placing a hand on Kira's shoulder. She looked at him with shock, but he simply smiled.
"Remember: we're always here for you, Kira," he said with a light chuckle. "Don't ever look at the sky and say that you're alone. From now on until the day we all die, I pledge my allegiance to you, my friend."
Kira smiled and nodded before the memory shattered in front of her. Her breathing sped up as she raised a hand to her head. The memory felt so new, but if it was back when she was still a human, then how could it not be old? She looked at the ground before smiling lightly. So they had lied about the fact that they had been jumping from host to host, right? Maybe that was why they were a part of her. Maybe they weren't the original Ragnarök and Leaf, but just Ragnarök's promise to be with her until the end, dragging a bit of them with her! She felt tears welling up, but quickly wiped them away. Now was not the time to cry.
She forced herself to stand, but the pain from the memory rocketed back, sending her to the ground with tears coursing down her cheeks. Maybe that memory was the key to unlocking something, but the pain made it hard to figure out. She could recall the crowd and how often she had been hit in front of them. Was that why she had lashed out? Kira figured it was likely, but she was unsure of just how plausible it was. The memory hadn't really told her anything apart from how Ragnarök and Leaf were with her. Maybe... Maybe there would be more to unlock in the future, but she would have to deal with this for now.
Kira laughed and stood, forcing the pain in her body to become null and nonexistent. As she started to head back to town, she could hear footsteps approaching her. She turned quickly, noticing a dark shape moving closer to her at a slow pace. Kira didn't feel threatened by the dark figure at all, but simply saw it as a possible traveler. There was nothing about it that made it seem like an Infected at all.
As it approached, Kira started to feel something a little off about the creature, and slowly backed away from it. But with every step she took backwards, it would move two steps forward, soon covering the distance between them. She looked up at the creature, noticing its dark yet somehow soothing eyes. She wasn't sure why, but it reminded her of Sage in a way, although it stood on four paws instead of two. Now that she thought about it, this creature looked to be wearing some sort of cloak.
It was silent before sighing lightly, cold air mixing with warm and creating a light fog. "You are Kira, the human sent here due to Necrozma, correct?" he asked, to which she then nodded. He sighed lightly before shaking, the cloak sliding off rather quickly and revealing the light brown wolf. From his underbelly to his muzzle and around his eyes was white fur, and a collar made from similar fur surrounded its neck and covered what appeared to be stones. "My name is Aaron; I am a Midday Lycanroc from Post Town. It's great to finally meet another one of your kind. After Shinko disappeared, I feared never seeing one of you again."
Kira was... more than confused by the sudden appearance of the Lycanroc. She hadn't really expected to meet one after Sage, but, well, she was sure there had to have been more out there. Quickly, she shook off the thought and looked at him. "I'm sorry, but I don't exactly understand why you would be looking for me. It's not like I'm exactly anything special, Aaron. I'm just a Snivy trying to save her world. What's special about that?"
"Because I've been looking for adventure for a very, very long time," Aaron responded, sitting in front of her and laughing lightly. "You see, back before you existed, I was an Explorer with my best friend Shinko no Tsubasa. We weren't really known, but there was this big baddy known as Lonliness who wanted to take over our world, and it soon became our mission to stop her! I myself wasn't any use, but Shinko managed to defeat Lonliness on her lonesome, although she often would say that Lonliness changed on her own. But then there was this thing called Kyofu that wanted to take of the world and make them fear him, but, well, the rest is history that you can really only find in an old book or from me." He laughed before shaking his head. "Anyways, I was wondering if you would mind me tagging along on your journey. Ever since the loop had been broken, I was hoping to find something to do for the twenty years left on my life."
And now this was where the confusion just became overwhelming. She backed away slightly as she tried to process what he had been telling her. He had a friend who was the hero to this world because she was rumored to have saved it from darkness, but she had never even heard of a possible thing from Duke. But then again, if Duke had become a former prince and she was now in his place, why couldn't she trust him? It was like this world was just dropping things on her to slow her down.
"I don't see why you couldn't," she told him with a faint smile. "If you really are the friend of someone who saved the world, then I'm sure you are no different from her. You must be really powerful to have kept up and be with her side-by-side against those two enemies!"
"Well, we weren't always together, but that's a story for another day," Aaron said, smiling lightly before he turned his head, the sun now starting to come over the horizon. "Looks like the morning is starting to come. I think it's best if we get away from town before they start to wake up. Not many Pokémon actually know I'm still alive anymore, so I say we just leave this place."
Kira nodded, but then turned to look at the village. She never got to say thank you or goodbye to her friends, but she also hadn't seen Houndour after that thing that she had barely survived. Without muttering a single word, she began to follow Aaron, who brought her to a large field with a tent in the middle of it. There appeared to be no signs of protection, but Kira could tell there was more than met the eye here. It felt like there was something watching them, but Kira couldn't exactly tell what. Maybe a hidden psychic-type or something.
"Welcome to base camp," Aaron told her as he slowly moved towards the camp. "This is where I live when I'm not saving the world or I'm just trying to hide from public view. This place is so well hidden that not even a Lucario could track us here. But then again, the nearby lake emits some sort of protective fog over the area, so we're basically invisible until we exit its range."
"That's pretty cool," Kira whispered, noticing an odd fog covering the area. It was so thin that it was barely noticeable, but there was a mythical feeling about it. She wasn't sure what it was, but something about this fog made her feel like the life was being squeezed from her, only to be forced back. "This is such a weird place," she then pointed out. "The fog looks like mist, but it also feels like something is draining and giving me life force. Can you explain that, Aaron?"
Aaron looked over to her before nodding lightly. "You see, this lake was made by a Pokémon who controlled something we currently call the Flame. It's like aura, except it holds living things together through a connection of the soul rather than by just life force. It powers many Pokémon, but there are some who are practically made of the Flame. Some of us have more than others, and that will allow a lot of us to access something known as the Hyper Mode, which is a stage where the body and mind react as one. It's like being a God, except you're still very much mortal and you aren't the only one who can access it. Unfortunately, I can't access it myself, but Shinko could. I guess that's how she took down Kyofu. They were both insanely powerful, and yet there was nothing left of either. They're both gone now, so that's a story of the past."
Kira nodded lightly and watched as Pokémon started to form in the mist. They were so transparent that it made it rather obvious that they were nothing but just a small illusion. But to her, this felt all too realistic. It felt like she had been here before, but that was impossible. Even if she had her memories, she had come from the human world. How could she visit this place if she was human? Maybe it was because of Leaf or Ragnarök, but how likely was that?
Kira sighed lightly and focused back on the area around her. The odd fog was growing thicker and thicker, but Aaron didn't seem to notice it. Eventually, Kira's vision was completely filled with the odd fog. She tried to find her way though, but without any form of vision, Kira couldn't see anything. That was until light flashed in front of her.
Kira gasped as she landed on her hands and knees, pain once again coursing through her. She looked around once more, finding herself back in the world where her memories were. She was alone this time, although there was a familiar person in front of her. He looked like an older version Ari, but she wasn't exactly able to tell.
"You're such a weak and pathetic rat," he told her, his voice similar to Ari's but deeper. "You really are nothing without Leaf or Ragnarök, aren't you?" He simlply chuckled before kicking up, his foot slamming into her gut and sending her backwards. "Get up and fight! You want to be stronger, don't you?! You can't ever be a good trainer if you're just crying on the floor over every simple hit!"
"Please, you don't have to do this," Kira whispered, forcing herself to stand even through the pain. "I asked to talk, not to fight, Ari." She whimpered and wiped her nose and cheeks of the tears that had begun to stream down. "I just wanted to ask about the Pokémon I saw at your house yesterday, the Snivy. Wasn't that your mother's Pokémon?"
"It was, but it's mine now," Ari said, punching her harshly, but she simply stumbled back, the pain dull compared to the fear. "After she was murdered, I took over everything she had. Dad was so devastated that he just up and abandoned me, taking whatever wasn't a memory of her for his own. And then Juniper offered help, but only the weak will accept it. After all, that's why you want to talk, isn't it? You want to make me look weak!"
"Th-that's not it at all!" Kira said, swiftly moving and grabbing his fist as he punched at her once more. There was a moment of silent before she pushed back, sending him to the floor. "I wanted to say I was sorry about what happened." She smiled and wiped away tears. "I lost both of my parents as well, you know. They were both killed in a car crash when I was young. I never wanted to look at that memory, but seeing as you started to become quiet, I had to look back and tell myself you were suffering too. I don't want to make you look weak, but sometimes even the strongest of people can't do everything on their own. I would know, Ari. I may not look it, but I'm alive because I was strong and I have people who understand me. Please, Ari. let me help you."
The memory then faded only to be replaced by another one. in this one, Kira was back with Leaf and Ragnarök, although Ari was now with them. They looked a bit older, although not by much. It was likely just a few months later compared to the last one. At the moment, they were walking along a street filled with few people but many vendors; it reminded of the aftermath of some sort of festival.
Kira smiled as she looked at the three. Although Ari was still cold to the others, they had grown to be a bit closer than before. As Ari stood, he motioned to Kira to follow him. She then looked at him before smiling and nodding. She said a quick goodbye to Ragnarök and Leaf before she followed after him to behind a nearby building.
Once sure there was no one nearby, Ari took Kira's hand and sighed. "Kira, I have something I need to tell you," he whispered. He was silent for a moment before he sighed. "I should have told you back then, but I was scared of what would happen between all of us. In truth, we can't stay here with you. It has become time for us to finally disappear from this world. Me, Ragnarök, and Leaf have to leave. I'm sorry."
"What are you talking about?" Kira asked, confusion hitting her. "You've been with me for only a few months and you're already abandoning me? I thought we were friends, Ari. I thought I could trust you."
"You can, but I'm putting you in danger by staying near you," Ari responded, his hands now on her shoulders. "Kira, I don't know how long they've been keeping track of me, but every second of me being near you puts you in danger. You won't remember it, so for your safety until that time, don't ever look at us like we're friends, and don't ever talk to us. They won't say it, but it's coming soon. I'm so sorry, Kira."
"Who are they?" she asked, her voice now barely a whisper. "Who's been keeping track of you, Ari? Why wouldn't Ragnarök or Leaf tell me about this before now?" She wiped away tears, pulling away from him. "How can I trust you if they don't tell me? How do I know you're actually telling me the truth?"
"Because you won't remember this, I guess I could tell you," Ari whispered. "Long ago, back before Pokémon took the power they have, there was a group of mages known as the Flame Guard. They were the strongest humans in the world, even capable of taking on Arceus on their own. There were five humans and a Pokémon in the group. The five humans were known for their abilities: Counter, Attack, Balance, Darkness, and Light. And then the Pokémon was known as the first one to be able to match their styles by taking on their Flame into its own body, even able to fuse the battle styles into its own. For years, this power was sent through the generation until the bloodline finally died. But only thirteen years ago did it resurface, in the birth of five new Flame Guards. Me, Leaf, and Ragnarök are three of them, and we're searching for the other two and the Pokémon. But because of that, there was a team that has tried to harvest our power for themselves - the Infected. We're nonstop nomads, searching for our target, only to be chased away by the Infected. Kira, you can't tell anyone this before your memory is wiped. Soon, we will be able to see each other again, but it won't be here in the human world ever again. Please, don't ever talk to us again. I'm sorry, but it's for your personal safety."
Kira looked at him before she hugged him tightly, feeling as he began to fade away in her arms. She begged not to forget; she didn't want to forget the ones who she had grown close to in place of her parents. She felt tears as she fell to the ground, only to look up at the fading form of Ari. He waved before he finally disappeared.
Upon his disappearance, Kira returned to the real world, she was still following Aaron, but the Lycanroc was now looking at her confused. He went to speak to her, but she quickly walked past him, silencing him as she headed to the tent in the middle. She was there in a couple of steps, soon lying down just outside it. It had been a long day and night, and Kira really needed her sleep. The sun was just getting over the horizon fully as she fell asleep. Today was a new and wonderful day.
Duke groaned as he stretched his wings wide, books lying on the table in front of him as Sage snored away at another table. The two had been up for hours searching for anything that would be of use. Unfortunately, there was absolutely nothing that they could find that had been able to tell them anything.
As Duke was debating to leave, Sage's little device started to beep. The Lycanroc still hadn't woken, so he quickly swiped it, throwing it on the table, which then activated the holographic machine. Unlike last time, a Midday Lycanroc had appeared on the screen.
"This is a message to Sage from his brother," the Lycanroc said quickly before smiling. "It's great to know that you're still alive if this machine is working. I don't know where you are, nor do I care to know, but I have some information regarding the one you were looking for. Kira - the one from the human world, I mean - has apparently been able to recall memories upon meeting me. She's zoned out twice so far, something that I myself did when recalling what I didn't want to know. I haven't told her, nor has she told me that she had remembered anything, but I just wanted to tell you, Sage. But apart from that, I say it's time that we should meet up again. I will await your arrival at our special location: The Flaming Lake. If possible, please bring Duke along. I have already sent a message to Houndour and Duke's parents in case it was anything special. For now, this is Aaron signing off. Don't call me back."
The hologram, upon disappearing, then rocketed back at Duke, although he did manage to catch it since he recalled the events from last night. He sighed and shook his head as he stood from the chair and started to put books back in their shelves. If Kira was beginning to recall things, then maybe they could get more details on the events that were to take place. Heck, maybe the memories may have been coming back to tell her just what she was needing to do to save her world without destroying this one. Duke wasn't sure, but maybe they would be able to help soon enough.
After having put the books away, Duke put the machine on the table and started to shake Sage, who woke after just a few seconds, albeit still drowsy. There was a moment of silence before Sage slapped Duke harshly, which sent him rolling along the floor.
"I told you not to wake me," Sage growled, grabbing the machine before shoving it into his bag. "Well, fuck you anyways." Sage stretched and yawned loudly, kicking his feet up on the table. "What's so important that you had to wake me from my nap, you filthy bird? You hungry or something?"
"Actually, it's about that thing that you had made. You see, I was just doing research when this image of a Midday Lycanroc named Aaron popped up and started to talk about Kira and this Flaming Lake place. He also said that he had messaged Houndour and that he wanted to meet up with you there." Duke left out the part about his parents, though. Because of just that simple term, he was mentally begging not to go.
"That little bastard wants to see me again after not listening to me every other time before?" Sage hissed under his breath. He was silent for a moment before he chuckled. "Fine. I'll go, but I don't want you to come along, Duke. My brother is as big of an asshole as any other Pokémon you can meet, although he is smart when he needs to be. Just stay here in Treasure Town and I won't have to claw your eyes out for disobedience."
"I understand," Duke said, still remaining silent about the truth. "Besides, I'd rather stay here and do research on what needs to be known. Leaving would just ruin that."
Sage was silent for a moment before he shrugged. "Just don't fuck anything up," he growled before he then left, heading towards the beach where he planned to meet with his partner.
With Sage gone, Duke sighed and took a deep breath. He knew he would be found out, but he didn't want to deal with his parents right now. If they found out about what he had done, then he was sure that they would send someone after him. He quickly shook it off, doubting anyone would go to the beach due to his lies, but also blissfully unaware of what was going on. Kira was none of his business at the moment, nor was anything happening to her not related to Houndour.
"Besides, I need to worry about the future instead of the present," he whispered to himself. "There must be a way to save our world from the prophecy on those walls."
Input: Hello. If you are reading this, then it means you have finished Chapter 8: Forgotten Memories P1. I hope you have enjoyed this brief look into Kira's long-forgotten past, as well as the revival of a thought-to-be-dead character. Also, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. If you notice any errors, please inform me and I will fix them as soon as possible. If you have any questions, please ask me and I will try to explain them to the best of my ability. Thank you for reading.