Secrets of the Night
DISCLAIMER: I Do NOT own Pokemon!
Chapter 22: The Spur of Independence
It was now mid-morning.
After their preparations, Aeron and Faye Lin headed out of the Main Fortress and towards their new destination, somewhere in the northeastern side of the mountain. They scaled down the earthy pass and descended to the lush green woods located at the very base.
All around, voices of the shifting trees echoed in the breeze. Above the horizon of verdant treetops, the blue heavens, feathered by snow-white clouds, stretched vastly from one end to the other. It was so much different from the big cities with the bustling noises and busy streets. Here, the smell was calmly refreshing and the overall atmosphere was much more peaceful.
Faye Lin lagged behind Aeron as she watched him walk silently with Vivi at his side. She had no clue where they were headed and Aeron didn't say a word about it. But what concerned her more was that she had yet to explain herself. Aeron told her that he had no qualms about her wanting to join, but she still felt that he had the right to know.
Taking a deep breath, Faye Lin hastened her pace and caught up to him. "Aeron…"
The raven-haired boy glance back and met her gaze. He could tell from her aqua eyes that something was bothering her. For him, it was sort of troublesome. Showing emotions too easily was a sign of weakness, especially with the kind of expression the girl had. He stopped and decided to hear her out.
"I understand what you told me before, but I feel that I must inform you of the circumstances," Faye Lin said with visible anxiety. She lowered her gaze and mustered her resolve. "As you may recall, I am searching for my sister, and after reading her journal, I have come to the conclusion that she came here several months ago."
Aeron absorbed her words and recalled the recruits that he trained with during that time. There were around sixty of them, him, Rozalia, and Kirian included. He rarely talked to a single one of them, excluding them. And besides that, most of the time, they were divided into groups and trained separately.
"I read of the hardships my sister went through after we were apart, and I feel that I should be there for her, for our mother's sake," Faye Lin continued, restraining the sorrowful recollection of the entries she read in her sister's journal. "I am aware that many years have passed, but is for that reason that I must be with her. I am her sister and that means we are family. I shall not let her face those hardships alone anymore."
Aeron studied her resolve. He could tell how determined she was, but at the same time, he felt that she was being naive. If her sister made it through the training in Semira, then she is very much able to take care of herself. Looking at Faye Lin, Aeron was not so sure if she could even take care of herself.
"Let's keep moving…"
Faye Lin flinched and raised her head, only to see Aeron walking away. Her optimism was dampened by the cold gesture, but then her mood lit up again when Vivi, Aeron's Snivy, wrapped a vine around her wrist and smiled encouragingly. Faye Lin returned the smile and they both caught up with Aeron once again.
A while later, they got off the forest trail and dwelled deep into the woods. Faye Lin's eyes panned the green scenery. She couldn't tell how long they traveled or how far they were away from the Main Fortress. Everything looked the same. Trees stood tall all around them, towering over their heads with their vast cluster of branches and shimmering collection of verdant leaves.
The sky was no longer visible, and only faint sunbeams, showering down from the treetops, were the only traces of the morning. The former warm breeze was becoming cold as the tranquil atmosphere faded into the shadows. Slowly the wind died down and a feeling of uneasiness settled in the air.
"We're here…" Aeron declared as he stepped into a clearing.
Faye Lin followed and was momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight. Immediately, she blocked the rays with a hand as her eyes fluttered constantly. Her vision adjusted gradually. When the haziness subsided, she looked around to where they were.
It was wide clearing, surrounded by a circle of trees. On the grass-covered ground stood large spike-shaped rocks, nearly towering above their heads. The slate-gray surface was covered in cracks, moss and etchings that appeared like they were carved many years ago. And in the middle of it all, rose a colossal tree that made the surrounding ones seem like shrubs.
"This place is called Torterra Ruins," Aeron explained, snapping Faye Lin's attention to him. He stood next to the gigantic tree and placed a hand on its rough ancient bark. "This is where all new arrivals start, so that means, for the rest of the week, you'll be staying here."
Faye Lin was completely taken aback by his words. She tried to mentally prepare herself prior for what would be in store for her, but actually hearing what she would be doing was still very much startling.
"In short, it is a Survival Course," Aeron added as he approached Faye Lin and extended his hand. "Your bag…"
Faye Lin was growing anxious with each passing moment, but she understood that she had no place to object what Aeron wanted her to do. She handed over her travel pouch and watched quietly as Aeron took out a canteen, a long towel, an extra set of clothes which were covered by a protective plastic cover and finally, Isis' pokeball, which was highly unexpected. He sent the Fennekin out in the open and then closed the bag and held it at his side.
"Before, trainees worked together in groups of two or three, but there were some who chose to remain on their own," Aeron elaborated further as Faye Lin listened attentively. "None of us had any pokemon to assist us with. We relied on our personal strength and will... I'm sure your sister had to as well."
Faye Lin glanced at her Fennekin who looked backed at her with worry. "Then, may I ask why Isis is here?"
Aeron met her eyes and sighed. "I don't expect you to survive here by yourself. At the very least, you can have your fire-type help you. But I should make this clear, the purpose of this course is to rely on your abilities as a regular person. Your Fennekin can help, but ultimately, everything rests on you to make it through."
Faye Lin nodded, holding back the growing anxiety.
"Unlike those outside of this island who merely depend everything on their pokemon, we train ourselves in order to stand on equal terms with them. Their fight is our fight and their pain is our pain. That is the main principle of Semira Isle."
Faye Lin stared at Aeron with amazement. The bond of the people in Semira and their pokemon was without question. She turned to her Fennekin once again, and asked herself about what kind of connection she had compared to Aeron and Noir.
"I'll be taking my leave now…"
Faye Lin snapped her back at Aeron who was walking back towards the woods. Fear and anxiety began to grow in her heart. Unconsciously, she ran after him, but stopped abruptly when Aeron turned around with a cold gaze.
"Also, don't wander off too much and most importantly avoid being seen by anyone," Aeron warned and then he gestured to the northern side of the woods. "There is a fresh water source over there, and nearby you can find a few berry trees. As for your belongings and your Espurr, they'll be in my care for the rest of the week."
Faye Lin nodded. She had no choice but to accept her circumstance. "Yes, I-I understand. Thank you…"
Aeron turned his head and started walking away. Vivi was trailing close behind him, but slowly lagging behind. He had been listening to the conversation and was becoming worried about Faye Lin. The Snivy looked back at the girl and her Fennekin and wondered if they were going to be alright.
Faye Lin caught the little grass snake's stare and forced a kind smile. "Goodbye Vivi, we'll meet again soon. In the meantime, watch over Aeron for us."
Vivi nodded hesitantly and scurried off to catch up with Aeron. Slowly, their figures blended in with the shadows of the trees until finally they were completely out of sight, leaving only a tense silence to descend upon the atmosphere and a blonde girl and a yellow fox.
Isis didn't understand everything, but she could feel something was amiss, especially her trainer. The Fennekin looked up at the girl and noticed her staring blankly at the cluster of trees where Aeron and the Snivy were.
The next second, Faye Lin jolted and turned to face the small yellow fox. "I apologize Isis. Did I worry you?"
"Fenn!" Isis answered and then nuzzled against her leg.
Faye Lin bent down and rubbed the base of her starter's ear. "I'm glad you are here with me, Isis."
Isis grinned brightly and scampered around the clearing to explore the area. Faye Lin followed right after she collected the remainder of her belongings. It wasn't much, but she assumed that Aeron was already being lenient. After all, he did leave her with her Fennekin.
"Alright, Isis," Faye Lin called her Fennekin over. "Firstly, I believe we should gather some branches for a campfire, as well as food."
Meanwhile…
Aeron was on his way back to the Main Fortress. He had to meet up with Kirian and Rozalia, otherwise they would throw a tantrum. Behind him, Vivi was hurrying to match his pace, but the long walk was already wearing the small grass snake down to his limits. He decided to stop and catch his breath.
"Vivi?" Aeron turned around and saw the Snivy heaving on the forest ground. He approached the exhausted little pokemon and bent down. "If you're already tired, you can rest in your pokeball."
Vivi recalled what Noir asked him to do, and that was to keep an eye out for Aeron in case that shadow thing came back. Determined to prove his reliability, he swallowed a deep breath and shook his head.
Aeron sighed and patted the grass snake pokemon's head. "You don't have force yourself…"
The boy saw right through him. Vivi sighed guiltily, but then his expression shifted into wonder when Aeron brushed his hand off and instead extended an open hand in front of him.
"If you don't like staying in your pokeball, I can carry you instead," Aeron offered. Vivi lit up and happily accepted the offer, leaping unto Aeron's arm and coiling securely with his leafy limbs.
Aeron then stood up and continued walking back to the Main Fortress. Vivi was now settled comfortably, but part of him remained uneasy. The grass snake's thoughts traced back to Faye Lin and Isis. He peered behind Aeron, but he could see nothing but tree, after tree, after tree.
Aeron noticed his troubled behavior and softened inwardly. "There's nothing we can do, Vivi. It was father's orders… But don't worry, nothing bad will happen."
Reassured by his sincere words, Vivi looked up at Aeron and smiled.
A while after, they returned safely to the Main Fortress and found Kirian and Rozalia, along with their two pokemon, waiting anxiously. The redhead was sitting on the barrier, rubbing her Cherubi with a finger, while, the spiky-haired boy was leaning against the building with his Joltik staring down from his forehead. Aeron approached them with Vivi on one arm, and Faye Lin's bag with his opposite hand.
Rozalia was the first to spot him. A grin streaked across her face as she bounded off of the wooden railing and went over to greet her long-time friend. "Aeron! Glad you finally made it."
Kirian followed up upon hearing the other boy's name. "Glad you decided to show. I was starting to think that you ditch-huh?"
The two noticed the new pokemon that Aeron was carrying. It brought them quite a shock since they knew that Noir was the only pokemon that Aeron had, and any other wingless pokemon was really questionable.
Rozalia stepped in, being more of the grass-type expert. She leaned down and met the shy green reptile's gaze. "Is that a Snivy?"
Kirian looked at his red-headed friend with bewilderment. "A… Snivy?"
"Yup. They're a grass-type starter pokemon native to the Unova region," Rozalia answered.
"Soooo the real question is how did Aeron get a pokemon like that? And why didn't he give us one too?" Kirian complained as he looked at Aeron accusingly.
The silver-eyed boy glanced at the Snivy and then redirected his attention to his two friends. "It just happened…"
"Classic Aeron. Always the one with the vague answers." Rozalia sighed in exasperation. "…Care to elaborate?"
"Yeah. What she said!" Kirian seconded, sulking.
Aeron placed Faye Lin's bag on the wooden floor and began to explain. He told them about how he accepted a mission from Lord Tristan, but he left out the part of his father's connections and his realization of his past. Kirian and Rozalia were beyond shocked and concerned, but he reassured them that he played no part in the assassinations.
Then he introduced Vivi and explained how he winded up in his care. Rozalia and Kirian thought it was a very cutesy name, which was very unlikely of Aeron, who in the end clarified that he wasn't the one that gave the name, but Faye Lin.
The mention of a girl's name rendered the duo speechless. But the next second, they snapped and began to bombard the raven-haired boy with questions. Aeron could barely catch what they were saying, and neither could he find a moment to cut-in.
Luckily, the excitement mellowed down, somewhat.
"Oooooohhhhhh…. Aeron found a girlfriend!" Rozalia chanted with a wide grin, as her Cherubi, Sakura mimicked her joyful and expression as well as her chanting with her own pokemon language.
Kirian elbowed his friend and shot him a creepy suggestive grin. "Gotta hand it to you, Aeron. I thought you'd be a loner forever. Guess, I won't be the only one with a girlfriend…"
Rozalia ceased her actions and stared at Kirian with absolute bewilderment. "The only one? Since when did you get a girlfriend? Better yet, who in their stable state of mind would even think of dating you?!"
"Why? Jealous?" Kirian stuck his nose in the air as she shot a smug grin at the redhead. "Don't worry, Rozie, you'll find someone. Hopefully one that can keep up with your sarcastic mouth and boyish strength."
"Heh. I'd rather be single than be the sorry girl whom you would refer to as your girlfriend," Rozalia quoted. She was pissed by the insult but the news about Aeron and a girl was too great to have Kirian's words dampen her mood. At any rate, she wasn't going to let him get away with it anyway. "So… What kind of girl is your girlfriend anyway? Not that I believe she exists…"
"Hmph. Sorry, but that kind of talk is between men. Girls wouldn't understand," Kirian denied as he slung an arm around Aeron's neck.
Rozalia felt something was off. She crossed her arms and stared suspiciously at Kirian. "Try me."
"Well, if you must know…" Kirian brushed his arm off of Aeron and stared at the sky while relating to his friends with an unusual accent. "She is as dainty as a Gothielle, with long silky black hair, perfectly mirroring the eternal night, while her eyes are like the rarest of sapphires-"
"-ugh. Cut it out! You're gonna make me sick!" Rozalia leaned against the wooden railing and made gagging noises.
Kirian's smile drooped into a frown. "See? This is exactly why boys don't share these kinds of talk with girls …right Aeron?"
Aeron didn't look at him, nor did he show a sliver of interest to be involved with that kind of talk. Kirian tried to get his attention, but all the raven-haired boy did was look away.
Rozalia could tell that he felt the same way about Kirian. Grinning widely, she approached Aeron. Surely, he would give a more lunch-friendly description compared to Kirian. "So Aeron, what about Faye Lin? What is she like? And more importantly, what do you think of her?"
Aeron glanced at the intrigued redhead and then shot a glance as well, at his other friend who also grew interested in the new direction of the subject. He guessed it was the right time to answer the previous barrage of questions. But where would he start?
What is Faye Lin like? Aeron thought back and recalled their first meeting. She was a frightened shaken-up girl-a completely fragile, frightened, shaken-up girl who was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was quick to cry and easily trusting of people. Her accent was unusually formal. In short, she was unlike anyone he'd met before, from her personality to her gentle smile and soft expression.
"Hey! Aeron?!" Rozalia called, waving a hand in front of the silver-eyed boy's face. "Don't go spacing out on us!"
Aeron blinked and at met the gaze of his two upset friends. "Sorry…"
Rozalia shifted her frown into a sly grin. "Daydreaming are we, lover boy? Hmmm… This seems more serious than I thought. To make it simple, just tell us what you think of her."
"What I think?" Aeron asked himself aloud.
"Yeah, and no lying. If you tell lie, we'll stick a Joltik in your eye." Kirian shoved his partner in front of Aeron, and the little arachnid grinned cheekily while pounding its two front legs together like fists.
Aeron was not threatened. He closed his eyes and thought deeply to find the shortest answer possible. "She's naïve."
Kirian and Rozalia exchanged looks of disappointment, but then Rozalia decided to dwell deeper. "So she's soft-hearted. Your type is not exactly the tough ones. You're more interested with small and fragile things, like newly hatched bird pokemon, am I right?"
"She's not a bird pokemon."
"Yes. She's a girl, and that's a good thing." Rozalia smiled suggestively.
"Hey, this is going way too slow… She's in Semira right? Can't we just go and see her?" Kirian suggested.
Rozalia froze and stared at Kirian. "Actually that's a great idea! Kirian you're a genius!"
"Heh. You think?" The spiky haired boy grinned proudly.
"Yeah. That only goes to show that you and Brain make a great team!" Rozalia complimented with sarcasm, making Kirian groan.
"Brain?" Aeron asked.
"Yeah. That's his Joltik's name!" Rozalia answered with a giggle.
Kirian grumbled, leaning his head against the building. "It's all your fault that my partner won't respond to another name."
"Why? I think it's perfect," Rozalia quipped. "Anyway, let's go back to the main subject." She turned to Aeron and stared at him with eagerness. "Where's Faye Lin at?"
Aeron explained the situation, skipping Faye Lin's reasons to join and directly informing them about the first task that Lord Altair had planned: the survival course.
Rozalia and Kirian were immediately taken back. "She's out there alone!?"
Aeron nodded plainly.
Rozalia sighed heavily. "If it were you or me, it wouldn't be a problem. C'mon Aeron. She can't possibly do it on her own. I mean, Kirian was assigned to both of us because he was completely clueless!"
"Hey! I resent that!"
"Care to argue that you could have been okay on your own?" Rozalia shot back, making Kirian grumble back in silence.
Aeron decided to cut it. He didn't want to delay things further. "This is why I want to ask you both a favor…"
Kirian and Rozalia's interests perked. "What kind?"
Aeron placed Vivi on the floor and opened Faye Lin's bag. He took out a pokeball and handed it over to Kirian, who peered at the contents and immediately got goose bumps at the sight of the creepy-looking gray kitten that stared back at him, intensely.
"I want you to look after Freya, for the meantime," Aeron explained, gesturing to the Espurr. Then he took out a pokeball from his own belt and gave it to Rozalia. This time, it was empty. "That's Vivi's pokeball. He'll be staying with you."
The Snivy flinched and began to panic. Did he do something wrong that Aeron would give him away? It wasn't possible. Vivi was part of his team. He refused to believe it, and clung firmly against Aeron's leg.
Rozalia stared at the whimpering grass-type with pity. "Aeron, it seems Vivi doesn't want to come with me. He'd rather stay with you."
Aeron bent down and picked up the Snivy. He gently stroked Vivi's head and calmed him down. "I'll be busy at the Zephyr Pillar. It's not safe for a grass-type to wander around there. Besides, I'm sure he'll be happy to help out at the greenhouse instead."
Rozalia understood the reason, but Vivi was still intent on staying with Aeron. "Are you sure?"
Aeron softened his gaze and looked down at Vivi, meeting the green reptile's gaze. "I'll drop by when I can. This'll only be temporary," he reassured. Vivi nodded and finally agreed.
Then Aeron further explained his plans for Faye Lin. Kirian and Rozalia listened attentively and smiled at the idea. They willingly agreed and soon bid their goodbyes to Aeron, who waited until his two friends disappeared from his sight, before sending Noir out in the open.
The Noibat yawned and hovered lazily in the air. Aeron reached out his hand, and gestured his partner to come closer. Noir complied and nestled against his palm. He purred and then looked around for Vivi, but was nowhere in sight. Aeron explained what happened and then informed his partner about a task.
"Noir, you'll be staying with Faye Lin."
Noir was startled, but Aeron reassured him that it was necessary. The boy had a pile of work waiting for him at the Sky division headquarters so he wanted to make sure that Faye Lin was well-watched. Kirian and Rozalia won't be around all the time since they both have their own unit assignments. It was up to Noir, but the Noibat was reluctant in leaving Aeron, now that Vivi was not with him and the mysterious entity was still out there. Then again, he'll be in the Zephyr Pillar with Lord Altair. Certainly, he would look after the boy in his absence.
So it was settled. Noir flew to Torterra Ruins while Aeron headed back to the Zephyr Pillar, but first he needed to pick up a few things from his room inside the Main Fortress dorms. He picked up Faye Lin's back and walked to his room.
Aeron placed the travel pouch on the floor and packed up his belongings. Afterwards, he readied to depart. But when he picked up Faye Lin's bag, something inside moved. It was strange. Isis was with the girl, Freya, the Espurr, was with Kirian. Noir and Vivi were not around either.
Aeron unzipped the bag and a yellow spiky head poked out. "Togepriii…"
End of Chapter 22
Not so eventful. meh.
Ikari's story is later. He'll be around Neo's chapters.
Speaking of Neo, it's his turn :D
He'll be taking on the Kanto Gym leaders *spoiler
Reason? Next chapter.
The travel transitions will be consumed by Aeron and Faye Lin's chapters.
As for the gym leaders, I'll be introducing a brand new generation.
So much work... lol.
Don't worry, I'll go ask in a forum for the OCs. ;)
Anyone want to join Lakevalor.$net/forums ? :D
Review! Big thanks to my frequent reviewers and LV members who are participating in the review exchange.