Summary: Human turned Pokémon have suddenly started disappearing without explanation. Their teammates and loved ones are left to scramble about in worry and wonder as to where their missing friends may be. However, the arrival of Celine, a newly human turned Pokémon, suggests that the Pokémon world is in danger once again. As she sets out on her journey, she is blissfully unaware of the darkness that follows her and her team…
-x-x-x-x-
Chapter 6: Overcoming Her Fear
It was safe to say that the members of Team Echo Hearts and Team PokéStars hit it off immediately. Namely, Vivian and Kalista. The two fire-types quickly bonded at first sight. In their short time together, they shared stories involving their leaders and dearest friends. They spoke of their adventures and hardships they faced. While neither said it aloud, they were surprised to see how similar they felt about their comrade and friend. Both were happy that there was another pokémon out there who understood what it meant to be a friend to a former human.
Jaxon, being the second in command of Team Echo Hearts, especially knew what felt like. But under his carefree exterior was a worried raichu wondering about the welfare of his best friend. But he wouldn't show that side to the newcomers.
His façade didn't fool Kalista, however. She knew he was faking his happiness for the sake of not worrying the others. She remembered just how hard it hit him when the news of Nyla's disappearance reached their ears.
He was currently agitating the newest member of Team Cosmic, Lizette. She had her nose stuck in an old book. She was trying to gather information that could help her team. She knew she was no fighter like Celine and Aiden, but she knew how to gather information and she was positive that what she could get was something they could use.
Her right eyebrow twitched occasionally as Jaxon batted at her tails. He would giggle, knowing that he was annoying the meowstic. She shot him dirty looks and asked him to stop. He would shrug it off and continue his pestering. Eventually, she exploded, putting down her book, and chased Jaxon around the house.
The commotion was enough to alert the two outside. Aiden and Celine, practicing with their new skills, watched as Jaxon raced out of the house with Lizette hot on his tail.
He raced past them, laughing all the way, and jumped on the branch of a nearby tree. Lizette stood at the foot of the tree and huffed. "Haha! You can't get me!" he taunted, making faces at her.
She gasped and hissed at him. She snorted, sticking her head in the air, and turned away from the raichu. "Please do not bother me when I'm reading!"
"You're such a bore!" he whined.
She glared at him form the corner of her eye. "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm in the middle of collecting information to help my team!"
He stared at her, a bored look coloring his features. He sighed and slumped on the branch. "Bookworm…" he pouted.
She stuck out her tongue. "I rather know what to expect and how I can help rather than stand there and look like a fool!"
Jaxon rolled his eyes, watching the psychic-type pokémon stroll away from him. His ears flickered at the sound of giggles. He looked over to their source: Celine. She was watching Lizette walk away with her head in the air.
He leaned against his arm. He wondered how Celine felt when she discovered she wasn't a human anymore. He felt a smile come on as he remembered the fond memories of when Nyla first arrived. It was hard to believe that they were both evolved and grown; he sometimes still saw her as a little skitty who braved against everything that happened.
Jaxon gazed at the sky. Was she all right? He certainly hoped so. He couldn't help chuckling as he pictured her yelling at her captives about her hair. She was always playing with her hair. He found it odd, but she always told him that a "rescuer must always look their best."
"I'm glad to see you really smiling again. Remember something funny?" Jaxon looked down at the foot of the tree to see Vivian and Kalista standing there. Kalista was smiling at him.
He shrugged. "Just thinking about Nyla and her odd obsession over her hair."
Kalista laughed. "Yes, always into her hair! I can imagine she's giving anyone grief with her rant about how her hair should look. It sounds just like her!" She frowned, seeing that his smile was no longer there.
"We'll find her," she reassured. "She's counting on us."
Jaxon nodded. "I know, but I still can't help but worry about her."
"I know how you feel," Vivian said, catching the raichu's attention, "my partner is almost the same. She's always getting herself into trouble! Thankfully they're nothing ever really serious. But cheer up. Worrying about it won't help. Like we count on them, they count on us. After saving us, it's our turn to save them. I'm positive that our partners and friends are just fine."
He nodded, a smile once again gracing his features. "I wonder what they're talking about." Kalista thought aloud, eyeing Aiden, Celine, and Lizette. The three were in a circle talking about something. It looked serious, judging by Aiden's expression.
While Kalista and Vivian worked on cheering up Jaxon, Lizette came across something odd and strange.
As the newest member of Team Cosmic, she was determined to find something to help her friends grow. She wasn't confident in her ability to fight, but she certainly was confident in her ability to gain information. This newfound determination led her to an old book that she'd found in the library. It was dusty and worn. The text faded out in a lot of spots, much to Lizette's dismay.
But eventually she found something that demanded her attention. In large, bold, and somewhat faded text the words "Super Evolution," introduced the page. Unfortunately, most of the page was worn out, especially around the bits of information that spoke about what was required to achieve this power. The only key information she understood was that it was a process to help pokémon become stronger; it was more power beyond their final evolved forms.
Interested in this process, she scanned the rest of the book for any more information. She was disappointed to learn that there was no other information about it.
She closed the book. Just who would know anything about this? The book seemed so old and tattered that she didn't believe anyone in their hometown would know anything about it.
It was around the time that Kalista, Vivian, and Jaxon looked over to see that Aiden and Celine had approached her. "What's up?" Celine asked.
"I found something promising, but there's hardly any info about it. Most of the text is worn out, and I doubt the librarians would know anything about it." Lizette sighed.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because I found this book in the older sections of the library. A section hardly anyone knows about. They bypass it because they're not sure the information there is legit. And I can't think of anyone who could help."
"What's this 'promising' information you spoke about?" Aiden asked as he folded his arms.
Lizette turned back to the page about Super Evolution and showed it to them. As they examined it, she explained. "It's a process called Super Evolution and it's supposed to grant strength beyond a pokémon's final evolved form. Though it doesn't say much else; it doesn't say what's required or anything. Just some old legend about how it was used long ago. I wish they specified how long ago!"
Celine moved her hands over her mouth in surprise. "More power beyond our final forms? That does sound promising!"
Aiden nodded in agreement. "There has to be someone who knows something about it. I don't think there's anyone in our town who would."
Celine tilted her head as she tapped her chin in thought. She brightened when an idea came to mind. "What about Zoroark?"
"Excuse me?" Aiden asked. His ears went back, indicating he already hated the idea she was gong to say. "What about him?"
"He might know something. After all, he did mention that his family has been helping heroes from afar. I'm positive that if they had any legends, they would've passed it down."
Lizette perked right up. "That sounds like a wonderful idea!"
"Whoa! Hold it!" he said, putting up his paws to stop them from getting ahead of themselves. "He said that he would send us something when he thought that we were ready to challenge him. Let's say we do find him; he'll think we'll challenging him."
"That's why I'll bringing this!" Lizette held up the book. "Before he even has the chance to attack, I'll tell him that we're not there to challenge him. That we're only there because we came across something that we believe only he would know. Certainly that would make him pause!"
Celine nodded in agreement. "He's not a brute, Aiden! I'm sure he'll ask instead of randomly attacking us!"
"Could've fooled me when we first met…" he grumbled. Celine rolled her eyes.
Lizette offered a weak smile. "I know you don't like him after what happened, but if this can help you two get stronger, I think it's worth looking into. Don't you agree?"
"I do, but…" Aiden began, but paused when Celine raised a paw to silence him. "You worry too much," she grinned, "it is something worth looking into, Aiden. He wouldn't hurt us. He was testing us last time. Now we're just visiting him for information that could help us save this world! He's not a brute – he'll listen."
Aiden opened his mouth to protest, but immediately shut it. He knew that they were right, but he still didn't trust Zoroark. His last visit hadn't put him in Aiden's good graces. But he knew it didn't matter if he disliked the idea or not. As loathsome as it was, they did have a point. Zoroark was their only lead.
He sighed. He'd just need to trust the girls.
"What are you guys talking about? It seems pretty serious judging by Aiden's sour expression," Vivian chuckled as she approached the trio. Celine and Lizette smiled and nodded in her direction.
"We found something that just might help us get stronger. Though… our only lead is Zoroark and we have no clue where to find him!" Lizette looked at Celine, distressing over that small bit of detail. "We don't even know where to begin…"
Kalista tilted her head curiously. Vivian, noticing this, turned to her. "I take you've never heard of him?" Kalista shook her head. "Well," Vivian continued, "he's a pokémon that left a rather… strange impression on us. He came here under the guise of Grovyle and attacked Celine. Apparently he's a master of illusion. Wouldn't surprise me if he were prankster either. He later justified his actions, saying that he was 'making sure Celine was strong enough for the trials ahead.'"
"He sounds like a fantastic guy…" Kalista laughed weakly. "Are you sure you guys can trust him?"
Celine was the one to answer. "Of course!" she said. "He's doing it to protect the pokémon by making sure it's supposed hero isn't someone weak. It's perfectly understandable."
"I'm sure if you were weak you wouldn't have been sent here to help solve our predicament…" Aiden grumbled. Celine glared at him.
"Oh you two, calm down." Kalista said. "I might be able to help. What does he look like?"
"He's tall, black with red markings… and…"
"…and he looks like a bipedal fox with a pony-tail mane." Celine finished, smirking as Vivian blushed.
"Not one for descriptions, are you?" Kalista teased.
Vivian's blush reddened. "Hey! In my self-defense we only saw him once!"
Kalista snickered and waved her paw. "Alright, alright, I think I get gist. Now… the description you gave me sounds an awful lot like the pokémon we saw in Greenfall Forest."
Celine immediately perked up. "You've seen him?"
"I think," Kalista specified. "I could have mistaken him for another pokémon."
Celine frowned, then brightened up again. "I have a great idea!"
She began walking towards the forest behind the house. Aiden arched an eyebrow curiously. "What the heck is she doing?"
"Celine being Celine…" Lizette said.
"ZOROARK!" Everyone winced, immediately covering their ears. Lizette jumped, blinking wildly at Celine's sudden yell. "ZOROARK!"
"What in blazes are you doing?!" Aiden yelled.
"I'M CALLING FOR ZOROARK!" she screamed, making the fighting-type flinch. "ZOROARK!"
"Stop with the yelling!" Jaxon cried, covering his ears. "What the heck are you hoping to accomplish?"
She turned to them, blushing when she saw their angry stares. "Well, he did say that he would be nearby. He told us that it was his family duty to watch over the heroes… so I figured he might be near us."
Lizette face palmed. "Did you forget that Aiden has the ability to sense other pokémon in the area? You could've asked him to scan the area to see if there was another pokémon signature that we aren't aware of…"
Celine chuckled weakly. "Well, it was an idea…"
Kalista shook her head. "I wouldn't be surprised if the pokémon in the nearby town heard you and wonder if you're sane…"
"He's not near us." Aiden said, having checked the area with his aura ability.
Celine huffed and folded her arms. "So then we better head towards Greenfall Forest."
"I will not be tagging along," Vivian said, turning her head to see Silver and Grovyle waiting for her near the woods. "We have a lead and we want to chase it. Kalista and Jaxon offered to stay behind. Is this alright with you guys?"
Aiden and Celine exchanged looks. "Where's the lead?"
"Rocky Meadows."
"Good luck!" Celine smiled. "And I think it's totally fine that these two stay behind. Just don't cause a mess, otherwise we'll never hear the end of it from Mr. Neat!"
"Hey!" Aiden protested. Celine playfully stuck her tongue at him.
"Thank you for your good wishes. Same to you three as well." Vivian nodded her head in farewell before chasing after Grovyle and Silver. Kalista was watching them until they vanished, a frown appearing on her face. She felt uneasy about letting them go. She turned back to the others to see Lizette getting up and dusting herself off.
"Well sitting here won't get us anywhere. We better be on our way. Greenfall Forest is known for its tranquility and serenity. We shouldn't have to worry too much about fighting other pokémon. I've read about the place, so I know where it is and what to expect."
Celine cheered. She ran into the house, coming out a moment later with a purple bag. Their team badge was attached to it. She grinned confidentially as she put her hands on her hips. "NOW I feel like I'm ready to take on anything!"
"Where did she get the bag?" Lizette asked. Aiden sighed, shaking his head. "She bought it from one of the shops in town. She wanted to use it after she evolved."
"And it works out so much better than I predicted! Originally I was planning to make you carry it, Aiden, but now that my body is bigger and better, I can do it on my own!" The fire-type fox began laughing, causing her two friends to stare at her in worry.
"I think she's finally lost it," Lizette murmured to Aiden. He nodded in agreement.
Jaxon strolled over, raising his eyebrow questionably. Kalista shook her head. "You don't want to ask."
"Good, I wasn't planning on it. By the way, where can we find a map of this region? I thought it would be best that Kalista and I familiarize ourselves while we wait for Team PokéStars to return."
Lizette tilted her head. "I actually have two maps; one for us, and one as a spare. It's at my house. I can give you directions if you'd like."
The electric mouse nodded. "Thanks, we'd like that."
As she gave him directions to her house, Aiden and Celine stood off to the side. Aiden was scanning the forest, mentally preparing himself for what was to come. Despite what Lizette said, he was still wary of the place. He wouldn't have been surprised if the pokémon were a little more hostile due to the recent natural disasters and growing unease.
Celine could also feel his uneasiness. She wasn't sure if he was afraid of other pokémon attacking them, or if he was worried that Team Poisonix would try to ambush them. Either way, she could understand his worry. She put her hand on his shoulder, earning his gaze, and smiled reassuringly.
He returned the smile, putting his own paw over hers. The gesture made her blush, but she didn't remove her hand or say anything. She looked out towards the forest, also mentally preparing herself for the worst.
-x-x-x-x-
The trip was a lot smoother than either Aiden or Celine had expected, but a little bumpier than Lizette expected. Some of the pokémon did attack them out of fear, but they were easily defeated by the fire-type and fighting/steel-type.
As the trio approached the deepest part of the forest, Lizette felt herself become uneasy. There was something in the air that set off all her alarm bells. She had stopped about five times, either startled by a sound in the forest or paranoia that someone was watching them.
Eventually they came across a small clearing. Aiden and Celine were in awe of its beauty, but Lizette flinched inwardly. Her hair was standing on end. She backed away, whimpering. Celine looked at her curiously.
"I have a bad feeling about this place…" she explained, looking around. "Something just doesn't feel right!"
Celine walked in the middle of the clearing much to Aiden's dislike. "I don't see anything. And nothing seems wrong. What do you think-"
Suddenly there was a roar, startling the trio. A second later a large tree-like pokémon appeared behind Celine. Before she even had the chance to spin around and defend herself, she was sent flying past Aiden and Lizette. Lizette screeched in horror, running behind another tree in fear.
Aiden instantly attacked the pokémon. But panic rose within him as he realized that his attacks were fazing right through the pokémon. He managed to block an attack from the pokémon, but winced. "What the heck? My attacks aren't even affecting him!"
Lizette popped her head out from behind the tree. She had a calculating gaze, horror washing over her face as she realized just who the pokémon was. "H-he's a ghost-type, that's why!" she called. "That's Trevenant; he's a ghost and grass type! Psychical attacks have no effect on him!"
She screeched in fear again as a shadowy blob flew past her. She instantly cowered. She jammed her eyes shut. She yelled out again as another shadow ball hit the tree she was hiding behind. She ran behind another tree, hugging herself. Fear was quickly grabbing a hold of her. She was beyond terrified!
She heard a grunt to her left. Looking over, she saw Celine wincing as she stood. "C-celine! He's a ghost type – physical attacks don't affect him!"
"Then I'll just burn him!" she growled, whipping out the stick that hid in her tail. She was ready to shoot the fire attack when Lizette jumped in front of her. "STOP!"
"W-what are you doing?"
"If you attack him with fire, you risk the chance of setting the entire forest on fire! It would do more harm than good!" Celine bit her lip and glared at the trevelant. Aiden was still fighting him, but it was easy to tell that his energy was depleting fast.
"Do Psychic type attacks work against him?"
"They should…" Lizette said. Celine didn't waste another second. She jumped back into the fray, using her psybeam to even the odds and buy Aiden some time to recover. Lizette frowned as she watched her friends attack and defend themselves.
"L-lizette, help us!" Aiden called.
Lizette quickly lost her nerve and backed away. "I…I can't! I'm too scared!"
"I've seen you fight, Lizzy, I know that you can do it!"
"But those were just practice dummies!" she countered. "They're nothing like the real things!"
She winced as she watched him get slammed into a nearby tree, his painful cry echoing throughout the forest. I have to help! She took a step forward, but instantly took two steps back, her ears going back in fear. B-but… I'm not a fighter! What if I miss and I hit one of them?
Shaking her head, she ran over to the injured fighting-type. "A-are you okay?"
"Lizzy, we need you to help… we can't fight this thing on our own!" He winced, trying to get back on his feet. She gasped in horror at the sight of his wound. "But…but… you're hurt! You can't fight anymore than I could! I'm not much of a fighter - you know that! I don't practice that stuff – I practice reading books! I've never fought a real pokémon!"
"LIZETTE! WATCH OUT!"
"Huh…?" Lizette turned to see the trevelant right behind her, it's gaze locked on her small frame. Her body froze, her eyes going wide. It took this chance of momentary fright, swiping her off the ground and raised her in the air. It made sure to tighten its grip around her small body. She screamed in agony, pleading for him to stop.
Aiden tried attacking the ghost/grass type again, but met with the same results as before. His attacks fazed right through with the trevelant counter attacking him a second later. He winced as he went flying, landing right next to Celine.
"L-lemme go!" Lizette sobbed, struggling to get free. Her screams got louder as he tightened his hold on her.
From the corner of her eyes, she saw Celine falter in her attack. It was obvious that she was afraid of hurting the small cat-like pokémon in her attempt to free her. The idea of her concern warmed the psychic-type cat, but she could feel her panic rising.
She tried to formulate a way to get out of the pokemon's grasp, but the pain was making it hard to think. She could see black around the edges of her eyesight. She shook her head and continued to struggle. Then she froze, an idea hitting her. It was risky, but it was the only shot she had.
"A-a-attack him!" she cried. "Don't worry about me! Just attack him!"
Celine's eyebrows crunched up in worry, but after a moment of internal debate, she shot her psybeam attack. While it wasn't doing much in terms of damage, it provided Lizette the distraction she needed.
Trevelant roared in pain, glaring at Celine. She got into a firm fighting stance, her hands readying another psybeam attack.
Suddenly a blueish glow outlined both the trevelant and Lizette herself. Her eyes were glowing with a bright yellow light, her ears unraveled to reveal two more 'psychic' eyes in which started to glow as well. The trevelant growled as he felt his grip on the small cat-like pokémon loosening.
Once free, she floated in the air momentarily before a shadowy blob took form between her two hands. With a war cry, she shot it directly into the trevelants face. He roared out in agony, toppling over.
Lizette landed on the ground a second later, but quickly fell to her knees. She didn't have much time to relax as the tree like pokémon reared up once more. "Lizette!"
Lizette gazed over to see Celine readying up another psybeam. "Your attack was effective him! Do it again! I'll distract him!"
And so, while the trevelant was busy with Celine and her psybeam attacks, Lizette was busying herself by creating another shadow ball. In the back of her mind she was overwhelmingly surprised with herself. She was fighting! And turning the tides in their favor! This feeling she had… the feeling of her adrenaline rising to its max was invigorating. What's more, a sense of pride was filling her.
And for once in her life, it wasn't her being saved. It was her saving others.
With one last cry, she fired the shadow ball at the trevelant. Overwhelmed by both pokémon, the trevelant let out one last cry of shrill pain before collapsing.
Nobody moved from their spots. Celine remained in her fighting stance, ready to pounce at moments notice. Lizette was also in a fighting stance, but was backing away from the trevelant. Aiden, on the other hand, was picking himself off the ground.
"I think it's over," he said. "You two can relax now."
Celine let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding. Lizette crumbled to the ground, relief washing over her like a tidal wave. Celine and Aiden took this the wrong way and ran over to check to see if she was hurt.
She smiled at the two. "I'm fine. I've just… never fought before. And it felt wonderful. I'm so sorry that it took me so long to jump into the fight. My nerves were getting the better of me."
"Think that'll fade now?" Lizette shook her head with a frown. "I doubt it, but it should gradually go away. I'm not so terrified now. Besides," she smiled at both her friends, "I will conquer this fear so I can better help those dear to me."
"I must say that was a very interesting battle," a familiar voice said, catching the trio's attention. "I can see all three of you are growing, two of which have grown a lot since I last saw you."
"Zoroark!" Celine brightened upon seeing the fox-like pokémon.
"I watched the fight. I was debating on whether or not I should jump in, but I'm glad that I decided against it. But I'm sure that's not why you came here – to show me how much you've grown, I mean." he said, folding his arms in front of his chest.
As Celine explained their reasoning's for being there, Lizette went through their team bag and brought the book out. She walked over to him and presented it. "I found this in the library back in town and it contained something very interesting. However, most the information is all but gone due to its age. I was told that your family has been watching over the human turned pokémon, so I assumed that you might know more about this."
He examined the book, flipping right to the page that Lizette had bookmarked. He let out a small chuckle. "Now this is something I haven't seen in a long time."
"You've heard of it?" Lizette asked, eager to know more.
He nodded. "Yes, it's one of many family legends passed down. Though it's an extremely old tale; one that dates back to ancient times when humans actually inhabited our world. This is not the place to discuss it though." He scanned the tree lines. "You never know when one has followed you in pursuit of the truth. Come now," he said, walking away.
Aiden and the others exchanged looks, but complied. Five minutes later, they arrived at a small house. They were surprised to see the scenery change upon entering the house. "It's an illusion," he said, "to keep intruders out."
"You get many of those?" Aiden asked skeptically. Zoroark shook his head. "No, but the times are growing more dangerous. So I'm not taking any chances. Before we head into this long conversation about this legend, I suggest all of you get comfortable."
Once he believed that they were all settled and comfortable, he cleared his throat. "As I have said earlier, I am familiar with this legend. Before I get into the specific details, allow me to correct the book. It's not called Super Evolution; it's called Mega Evolution. It is a process that allows pokémon to temporarily evolve further past their final evolved form. It was rather beautiful, or so I have heard. However, it doesn't just require one thing. It requires four major components. The first two things required are items that can be found. They are called the Mega Bracelet and the Mega Stone. The last two things are rather simple, and come from the heart."
Lizette leaned in, her ears perked up. "Where can we find this mega bracelet and the mega stone?"
"Well, there are various types of mega stones. Each pokémon has their own specific mega stone. For example, a lucario's mega stone would be called a lucarionite. Charizard's being charizardite, gardevoir's being gardevoirite, and so on. They must acquire this mega stone and use it in tune with their human partners mega bracelet. I cannot tell you the location of the mega bracelet, as I do not know where it is myself. However, I don't think the process would work anymore. Humans have all but vanished from our world." Zoroark leaned against his wall, watching the trio's faces fall.
He sighed and closed his eyes. "I am sorry for crushing your hopes."
"Wait," Lizette suddenly blurted, getting to her feet, "what about Celine? She's not exactly a pokémon – well, okay, her body is, but what about her soul?"
Zoroark raised his eyebrow. "I don't think it matters. Her soul wouldn't make a difference. Why do you ask?"
"Because she wasn't originally a pokémon," Lizette said, "so I'm thinking that she might be an exception to the rules. The mega bracelet might still work for her considering she was once a human!"
Celine jumped to her feet. "Yeah! It still might work for me considering I was a human!"
"If it did work, then you'd have to find a compatible partner." Zoroark eyed Aiden, who in turn raised his eyebrow questioningly. Then it dawned on him. He quickly lowered his head in embarrassment.
Celine didn't quite understand why he was nervous, but she beamed. "Then my partner would be Aiden! After all, you did say that the first pokémon we befriended would be our 'true' partner! So it makes sense!"
Lizette couldn't help but snicker as she noticed Aiden's blush.
Zoroark suddenly dashed outside of his house, startling the three pokémon. They quickly followed after him outside to see him glaring in the direction of a figure running away. "It would appear to be that you were followed." Zoroark said.
"I'm so sorry," Celine said, her ears going back in shame, "we hadn't realized that we were being followed."
He said nothing at first. "It's not your fault. This pokémon had eluded my senses as well. I'm not sure how they managed it, but it's very concerning. Did you sense anything Aiden?"
The fighting type shook his head. "No, I hadn't sensed anything at all."
Lizette looked surprise. "It eluded both of your senses?"
Both of the females exchanged worried looks. They weren't sure if it was normal for Zoroark, but they knew for a fact that Aiden could detect other pokémon in the area. For it to have evaded his senses was alarming. "Did you see who it was at least?"
"No," Zoroark said, shaking his head, "strangely enough the pokémon was wearing a cloak to hide it's identity." He frowned, turning back to enter the house. "If I were you, I'd be careful treading back home. Unless you have further questions?"
"No," Lizette said. "I pretty much got everything I could think of. Oh, wait, is there an easier way to get in contact with you incase something does pop up?"
Zoroark shook his head. Lizette's shoulder slumped; she was disappointed that she'd have to travel back here in case she had any further questions.
Team Cosmic bade farewell to Zoroark and made the long journey home. The trip was quiet, each of them thinking about what they learned about mega evolution and the sudden appearance of the cloaked pokémon.
-x-x-x-x-
It was late when they got home. Lizette dragged her feet to one of the guest rooms. Celine was surprised the cat-like pokémon made it there without falling to the ground and falling asleep right there.
Aiden and Celine heard the light snoring of Kalista and Jaxon as they slept in the living room portion of the house. Aiden went to check the other rooms, but found no sign of Team PokéStars. "Perhaps their mission was much longer than we thought?"
He jumped at the sound of Celine's voice. "Y-yeah, probably. Well, I'm going to retire for the night. Goodnight!"
She watched him leave, frowning as he rushed to his bedroom. "Goodnight…"
She slowly entered her own bedroom. Her mind was on Aiden. Why had he suddenly become so distant? Did he feel that she hadn't shared his feelings of love? She groaned and collapsed right on her makeshift bed.
Everything was happening so fast. She did care deeply for Aiden. The thought of being separated from him was enough for her heart to ache. Her pain only grew as she thought about what would happen when she completed her mission. Would she be forced to leave?
She winced. She didn't want to think about that. Their mission wasn't over yet. Sighing, she decided that she would leave the discussion alone and see what would happen from here on out.
Nightmares would plague her that night.