Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. I only own the characters and story, unless otherwise stated. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
'What was going on with that child?' That was the question running through Aaron's head as they followed the Queen and King to their palace, which, luckily, wasn't that far. He had kept his eye on her the entire time of the run, but her bright orange eyes looked peaceful and sweet, unlike what they had looked like in that foggy place. He was sure it was probably just a result of extended exposure to the fog, but he couldn't be sure. Her flame had suddenly exploded, even tearing apart the lake's own; it was calm now, though, so he stopped worrying as much.
Aaron quickly shook his head and began to slow as the palace came closer and closer. He wasn't exactly sure why, but the old and mystic feel about it felt somewhat familiar. It felt like that one time he had gone to that cave, only to be captured by the forces sent by that creature he could barely remember now. His question was why it felt like that, though. Was there something there that had come from that cave? If so, what was it?
"You seem distracted, Aaron," Kira said as she slowed next to him, keeping up with a short burst of speed every once in a while. "If you want to go home, I wouldn't mind it. Besides, what business would you have here? I doubt you've ever been to this castle, so what would its importance be to someone like you?"
"That's something I want to ask as I search around the place," Aaron mumbled to her, his voice low so the royal birds wouldn't hear him. "There might be something there linked to my past, and I kind of want to find it so that I can put my curiosity to rest. Shinko would have done the same thing, I'm sure. After all, she was bold and willing to sacrifice herself for what she thought was right. That was why... That's why I'm even here today."
Kira nodded in response, smiling faintly as she continued to follow. She looked down until they approached a rather large gate. Kira and Aaron came to a stop at it, looking up as the massive gate reached for the sky. Well, it was only about thirty or so feet high, but it was still massive compared to both of them.
Kira, being filled with interest, moved forward and placed a hand on the cold steel that made up the gate. "It feels like ice," she whispered lightly, shivering as she moved back. "But why would it feel like that. It isn't cold out here, so why does it feel frozen? Is there something on the opposite side?"
"Actually, these bars were made with the remnants of Kyurem's ice crystals embedded into the bars," Pidgeot setting down on the opposite side of them. "The bars were unable to handle the flames of some Pokémon, and so that was when we began searching for ways to stop that. We then found out about Kyurem's ice, which actually managed to somehow nullify the flames. That's why the bars are so cold."
"That's not what I heard about Kyurem's ice, but I guess not all facts can be trusted," Aaron mumbled, gripping the bars in his maw and pulling. The faint sound of ice shattering reached their ears, and the bar was then pulled clean from its place. "Try finding something that can bend. Pokémon can easily shatter these with enough force if they wanted."
Pidgeot glared at him before turning and hopping away. Kira and Aaron followed after, using the small space between the bars to fit through. At least the broken one had given them enough room to actually make it. They both had to admit that the other spaces were noticeably smaller, and probably too tight for them to squeeze through. Once on the other side, though, they quickly followed after Pidgeot.
The bird remained silent as he led them through the grounds and to a building all the way in the back. The building looked old enough to be considered a relic, but Pidgeot didn't seem to think so. He pushed the door open rather quickly, likely due to how the door hung on hinges that were probably cared for tenderly. Kira really had no idea, but she shook it off as they followed him into the large building.
The inside of the building seemed rather new. It was lit by candles, but Kira could just make out several chandeliers above that would light the place if it was needed. Other than that, Kira could make out what seemed to be hundreds of bookshelves stretching into the darkness, which even the candles further in couldn't light. It looked so ancient, but it was so much like the present day. Kira couldn't help but feel a bit of joy at the massive amount of books they had here.
"Welcome to the Ancient Library," Pidgeot mumbled to them, skipping past the entrance and stopping as he crossed a bright white line. "This place has been home to the secrets of Pokémon for millions of years, teaching every king and queen the truth of the history before them. Even now, the books here are being constantly updated and rewritten to keep up with time as it occurs." He then turned and looked at them. "If you mess anything up, I will have you sent straight to the dungeon. Kira, follow me. Aaron, don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Aaron sighed and rolled his eyes as Kira left, following after Pidgeot as he brought her deeper into the library. He remained silent for most of the way, but Kira could tell he was struggling to not speak. Kira wanted to ask what was wrong, but she didn't want to upset him. She could already guess that he had been upset when Duke had left, but this was just odd to her. Maybe... Maybe there was something else about this that she didn't know about. Maybe he was just trying not to snap at her for coming when she had? Kira shook her head at the thought. After all, the only important thing was continuing on, not bothering with the past.
After a few more moments of silence, Pidgeot eventually stopped Kira in front of a large vault-like door. He motioned for her to come closer, which she then did. "You know, once I allow you in here, you have officially become the heir," he told her, grabbing the gem and pulling her to a small slot in the door. "That is, if it really accepts you and your blood."
Kira nodded in understanding, moving closer as he pushed the gemstone into the small slot. Pain suddenly coursed through Kira, but she was forced to remain silent as something paralyzed her. Voices screamed within her head, begging for someone to stop what they were doing. But Kira knew she couldn't stop, mainly because she couldn't move, but also because it was Pidgeot's doing. That was when she heard the loudest scream of all, gasping as she fell back and to the rough floor.
"What an odd sight," Pidgeot mumbled as Kira rubbed her head. "The door opened, but it didn't even flicker like it used to for Duke." Pidgeot turned and looked at her, a glint of hatred in his eyes. "You really must be determined to return home if it unlocked so easily for someone with your pathetic blood. I'll leave you to your business, but don't you dare ruin a single thing. If you do, I'll make sure you pay for it, Snivy."
"The name's Kira," she returned, standing and walking over to the vault door, which had swung open some time as she had fallen to the ground. "Still, I understand if you're upset with me, sir. I just want to save the people that I know the best. Being here has taught me many things, yes, but I was never meant to come here. I was always weak, sir. I just can't leave home behind."
"I understand, but sometimes the smartest decision is to move past what you used to know and do what you do know," Pidgeot told her. "I know you don't remember your old life - news spreads fast here, young child. Maybe you should look around and see how much you've grown here instead of looking back and telling yourself home is best. After all, you're a princess now. Isn't that enough to be happy?"
"Home is where the heart is," Kira told him, chuckling lightly as he growled in response. "I may have made amazing friends here, but I don't want to stay here, sir. I'll visit whenever I can, but I belong in the human world, not the Pokémon one. After all, humans have been extinct here for ages, right? My kind don't belong here. We upset the balance the world makes on its own."
Pidgeot was silent for a moment before scoffing loudly. "Then read through whatever you want," he told her, hopping away now. "When you see the truth of what your actions could cause, maybe you'll change your mind. After all, humans don't belong, but are you a human here? And what says that you'll return to human upon entering the human realm? You might be stuck like this, after all."
"It's a risk I'm willing to take to see what I have left there," Kira told herself, turning way and jumping through the vault door. "I was born there, and that's where my heart will forever lay. I may love this place, but it's about as foreign as it gets. I belong in the human world, not this one."
Kira shook her head and raised it, looking around at the small room she was now in. The room, much like the main library, was lit by candles, although these ones seemed to have been burning for years. They looked so worn, and yet they were still so bright and warm. Not only that, but Kira could also feel the age as though she was the candle itself. It felt weird, but she didn't mind. After all, being one with your surroundings made it a lot easier for you to tell if something was off.
As she was looking around, Kira came across some rather old books. They looked like they would turn to dust if she even touched them, but upon closer inspection, they were just covered in dust themselves. She simply shrugged and grabbed one with " ︎□︎⧫︎ ︎●︎●︎ ︎❒︎ ︎ ⧫︎ ︎ ︎ ⬧︎ ︎❍︎ ︎" written in bold black ink in on the cover.
"What a weird font," Kira told herself as she sat back, placing the book on the ground. Luckily, the inside was written in Unknown, which she was actually used to reading thanks to Xatu. "He sure was a weird trainer, but I guess he did something right every once in a while," she reminded herself. "Especially with his survivalist and literature training."
Kira scanned through the pages for anything interesting, although she could only really just about make out passages about legendries and humans having once came to the world. She wasn't really interested in that, but as she was about to close the book, a familiar word popped up in the text: Kyofu. Hadn't Houndour told her that name when they had met in the forest? Or was it when they were at that lake?
Shaking her head, Kira began to read the text aloud. "Kyofu was a beast few knew of, and even fewer had seen, only having been seen by two recorded eyewitnesses, one of which is still alive to this day. This beast was known for being able to access something known as Meteor Darkness, which even the royals before had never heard of. This force allowed Kyofu to control Pokémon without them even realizing it, although one had managed to break free when she saw the light of day. But after his defeat, it appeared that he was finally gone, along with the second eyewitness, presumed dead by all but the second witness; however, recent events have led many to believe that he is alive and well, especially after the attacks of Skarmory on Treasure Town and Torterra on Lively Town. It appears his name, meaning Fear, has finally allowed him to access the red aura often known as Flame. Flame on its own is already incredibly powerful, but research has shown that mixing it with Fear can drive a Pokémon to a forced Breakthrough of over ten-thousand percent, although this state has been accessed before by royals and similar figures. It is also believed that Kyofu had made generals to fight anyone who was trying to stop him or the one who had started this all: Necrozma. The steel guardian is believed to be hidden in a cave hundreds of miles beneath the surface, almost where no Pokémon can live. The Ghost and Psychic also appear to be in unreachable places, one in the sky near Sky Tower and the other on the toughest mountain in the world, which is often called Mount Travail by many explorers and travelers. The generals themselves have lived in secret for so long that no one in the records has ever managed to even get one down or even learn what species one may be. But soon, we believe a hero may find and defeat them, ridding that area of the Infection forever. End of Chapter."
Kira was silent for a moment before she chuckled to herself. She hadn't actually expected this much information, but it gave her reason enough to believe that Kyofu may have been the one that she had to defeat if she was to face off against Necrozma. The problem was the guardians, but something told her this much information was enough. Then again, the fact that Mount Travail was home to one actually scared her. She wasn't sure why, but that place brought up memories of Xatu. She couldn't truly come to believe it, but perhaps he was the general of the Infected in the area as the book had stated.
"But... I don't want to believe it," she told herself as she closed the book, keeping a mental idea of where the generals were likely hiding. "Why did they call them guardians and generals with lowercases? Is it because they aren't proper titles or something?" Kira shrugged it off, forcing herself to step out of the vault. "Well, that doesn't matter. What matters is finding and fighting them with all my might and hope."
As she walked back through the library to the entrance, she thought she could hear arguing coming from one of the rows on her right. Curious, she silently walked over, peeking her head around the corner and noticing Duke and the Unfezant talking with what they thought were hushed voices.
"Duke?" Kira asked as she came around the corner, not really concerned with what they were fighting over. "I didn't expect you to come after Sage said that you had stayed in Treasure Town. I would have thought you'd only come after hearing about... Do you already know?"
Duke turned and glared at her, his eyes showing hate and anger. "I told you to stay away from the beach for a reason, Kira! Now you hold the responsibility of an entire nation on your shoulders, and it's not like you can throw it away! Or did you already figure that out?" He snarled and hopped over to her, pointing his wing into her chest. "You've done something so stupid that even a Magikarp makes better decisions! What are you going to do now?! You can't go home with that stupid gem! You'd be leaving the royal family with nothing, especially after I was just disowned by my own father and mother!"
"At least I did something that can actually save the world, for once," Kira mumbled, grabbing his wing and pushing him away with a bit of disappointment in her eyes. "I found out where those three guardians or whatnot are, and I know who we have to fight to reach Necrozma, Duke. What would you have done? Would you have just allowed the world to be destroyed, because that's what'll happen even if I did nothing. Your world would be crushed under the fist of a tyrannical ruler, and mine would be lost because I did nothing. Your world is dead anyways, so why are we arguing? Let's just move on, please. I want to go home. I want to sleep in a proper bed for once. I... I... I just want to go back to being human again."
Duke growled and moved away from her, turning and shaking his head. "But what if you defeat them?" he asked her. "Then this world would live on, unless you decided to go back home. Kira, I know what will happen. No matter what you chose, billions of Pokémon or humans will die. The past hurts, so why go back to it? Do you think that these consequences won't follow you? It doesn't matter what you do. Billions will die, and possibly even more."
Kira chuckled and lowered her head. "You came back here just to tell me that, didn't you?" Kira chuckled, then raising her head to notice a shocked Duke. "You came to your past to tell me not to go back to mine, didn't you, Duke? What a hypocritical thing to tell me when we're in your past, Duke. For some reason, I think you're actually scared of me going home. Why is that, Duke? If not for your home, why?"
"I... I..." Duke looked at the ground and screamed to them, "I DON'T WANT TO LOSE MY BEST FRIEND!" He sniffled as he tried to keep eye contact. "Kira, you never asked where I was from, and I felt I could trust you with my life. But when I learned you were a human, it broke my heart to know I might have to let you go one day. That was why I wanted to keep you here. I tried to make you strong, but I never expected you to want to go home. I... I don't want to lose you, Kira. I want you to stay. Please, I'm begging you!"
Kira smiled and walked over, taking him into a light hug. She was silent before she said, "You don't have to leave my side. Duke, I don't want to leave you either, but I have to go home. So why don't we do what Ari did? Why don't we escape to the human realm together? If a Pokémon did it before, then you can do it now."
"I... I can't leave home without someone to rule it," Duke told her. "It took so much to get rid of it the first time, but maybe I was wrong to do such a thing. Kira, I want you to find those champions or whatever and take them down. I'll do whatever I can from here and give you information regarding whatever you need to know."
"That's great, but I already have an idea of where my first opponent is," said Kira, clenching a fist. "According to the book in the vault, the psychic one is holed up in Mount Travail, which is where Xatu was training me a while back. I think... I think Xatu may be the first guardian I have to fight. But if there's something I need, it's anything you know about Xatu, Duke. Anything will be useful."
Duke was silent before he sighed. "Xatu is one of the most powerful Pokémon I know of, Kira. He's stood his own against hundreds of Infected with a single attack of Ominous wind. I'm not sure if you can beat him in your current state. Besides, as you said, he trained you. He knows all of your moves, Kira. And he can see the future and past as well. He'll know everything you'd throw at him."
"Then I need to mix up my strategy mid-battle is all," Kira said jokingly. "Xatu doesn't know everything about my battle style when I limit-break, Duke. He's never seen my access the power I truly hold. Besides, in that tournament, I found I'm only tapping into ten percent of my power in my Overgrow state. I hold a lot more of a punch than he'd ever be expecting."
"Even then, he is no pushover on his own," Duke responded, sighing lightly. "If he is indeed an Infected, then he's even more powerful than you can ever think he is. He'll obliterate you unless you can come up with a proper strategy, and even I can't do so! I recommended him to you not having ever expected this. I... I don't know if you can win this battle, Kira."
Kira sighed and nodded in understanding. She understood that even Duke was afraid of Xatu, but that wouldn't deter her from finding and taking him down. She clenched her fist, smiling as she looked to Duke. Even if he was scared, there was only so much fear could do to her in this state of determination. She had to return home, even at the cost of her life; she wasn't going to die here without her past to keep her sane.
"I guess this is goodbye then," Kira said with a light chuckle, starting to walk past him. "I'm going to find Jamie and head back to Treasure Town. I want to find that ghost guardian next. They're holed up somewhere near Sky Tower, so I'll need any information on a nearby location or how to get there. The steel one can come last. I think it would be best to wait for that one."
"I'll get on it as soon as possible," Duke told her, smiling lightly. Even though it hurt, he knew he'd have to say goodbye one day - it had just come earlier than he thought it would. "Please be safe, Kira. I don't want to hear you had your tail handed to you by a psychic bird that can't see the present."
Kira nodded, then realizing what he had said. That gave her a silent idea, but she kept it to herself in case it would be seen in the present or future. She then left, passing by Unfezant as she began to head all the way back to Esperanza Village. She found no sign of Aaron or Pidgeot as she left the castle, which kind of confused her. She didn't worry about it, though. She didn't need to when the future and her destiny was coming closer.
Input: Hello. If you are reading this, then it means you have finished Chapter 10: Separation. What's this? Kyofu's still alive, even after his "death" in Meteor's Shards? Shouldn't really surprise anyone who knows me. 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.