iSecrets of the Night

DISCLAIMER: I Do NOT own Pokemon! Nor the songs mentioned. ;)

Chapter 24: Friendships and Beginnings

Floe Island, Sevii Archipelago

The vast blue sky stretched across the infinite heavens, overlooking its darkened reflection on the roaring ocean waters. In contrast to its grandeur, it was a quiet afternoon in the beautiful isles of the Sevii archipelago, located in the south of Kanto. At the northern most island, a warm salty breeze swept through the white sandy beaches, moving towards the rugged mountains.

Outside the local pokemon center, Neo was sitting at the shaded porch, tapping on a laptop. After he made up his mind, concerning Chase's suggestion, he took time and recuperated in bed. And after waking up a few hours later, he went out to do some needed research. His first agenda was to fully understand what battling gyms was all about. Growing up, he had no interest in a pokemon journey. He was far too busy fighting his illness and keeping his prestigious family's name alive.

Neo skimmed through the profile and type-specialties of all eight gym leaders of Kanto. It was pretty much basic battling in his perspective, exclude the fact that badges were handed out in the end. After figuring the locations of all eight gyms and mapping out the common routes, he sighed and moved on to his next agenda: Semira Isle. It was the mysterious island that Gremio mentioned. He said that it is where he was trained to hold a sword. It was also the place where the assassins originated. Neo meticulously inspected the entries, but all that came up was the meaning of the name which was shadow companion.

"Young master?" Gremio walked up to him. The look on his face was worry and guilt. He found Neo's decision very much unreasonable and tried to talk him out of it, but his charge had made up his mind, and he could no longer go against him, not without shattering his already shaky relationship with his charge. "Are you certain about your decision?"

Neo closed the laptop and looked up at Gremio. "Yes."

Dejected, Gremio bowed and averted his gaze. "If that is your wish, then I will proceed with all the necessary preparations."

"Thank you, Gremio." Neo nodded and reopened his laptop, after the older man took his leave.

Having no luck with information regarding Semira Isle, Neo gave up and searched for another subject, and that was the winged pokemon that the assassin had. Determining the pokemon was one way he could identify his parents' murderer, if ever he will see him again.

There were a lot of flying-types that came up, making it difficult, coupled by the fact that the image in Neo's mind was kind of vague to really identify any distinguishable features. All he could clearly recall was the screeching cry of the merciless creature. And so that became his starting point. He began with the ones native to Kanto, specifically Charizard and Aerodactyl. The former was crossed out since the creature in question had no fiery tail. Aerodactyl was better choice so he played the pokemon's call over and over, and compared it to the one in his memory.

"Sheesh. Just what kind of music are you interested in?" Chase approached, disrupting Neo in his concentration. The silver-haired teen had a sour look was plastered on his face as he covered his ears with his hands. "If you're looking for some rocking tunes, I can give you a whole list of recommendations, like Legacy or Rebel Love Song."

Neo pressed the pause button and sighed calmly. "It's not music. It's the sound of an Aerodactyl."

Chase saw the picture of the gray prehistoric pokemon and shrugged in disappointment. Giving up, he placed his hands down and took a seat on the arm rest, next to Neo. "Looking for clues regarding your parents' murderer, huh?"

Neo nodded. "I want to know what I might be up against."

"That's good." Chase complimented, giving a thumbs up. "But, don't you think that you should focus on the gym leaders first."

"Perhaps…" Neo replied plainly and continued skimming through images of flying-types, as well as dragon-types. He bookmarked the Aerodactyl sound for later and moved on to Dragonite and the legendary birds.

A heavy silence settled in the air. Neo was serious in his work, while Chase had nothing to do but sigh in boredom. He thought of ways to pass the time. Then it hit him. Standing abruptly, he beamed with a brilliant idea. "Say, what kind of pokemon do you have?" Chase eagerly took out a pair of pokeballs and presented them to Neo. "If you show me yours and I'll introduce you to mine!"

Neo responded with a nod, and so Chase quickly sent out his Gallade, Vince and his Gardevoir, Faith. Neo immediately recognized the first pokemon since Chase used it earlier to battle Gremio's own Gallade.

Vince noticed that the raven-haired boy was staring. He averted his eyes and stood very still. Faith, on the other hand, simply smiled at Neo and then directed her attention to the wide beach that stretched out behind her.

Chase laughed softly and introduced his pokemon more properly. "The Gallade is Vince. He's kind of shy around strangers, while the Gardevoir over there is Faith." He motioned to the embrace pokemon who seemed deeply engrossed at the picturesque scenery.

Neo put away his laptop and stood up. Then, he lightly knocked three times on the wall, summoning his two ghost-types. At the sound, Nero and Arana phased out of the wall and hovered over their trainer's shoulder. Neo introduced them just as his third pokemon finally made his appearance behind Chase.

Novus had been staying at the yacht, which was docked at the harbor. He kept a watchful eye over the vessel as well as the pokemon center in the distance. He saw Neo talking to a boy and then sense that he was being called. And so he left the luxurious vessel and flew towards the pokemon center where he descended behind a silver-haired boy clad in black.

Chase felt a chill behind him as well as an eerie presence. He turned around and almost lost his footing when he came face to face with a bulky spectral Cyclops, staring piercingly and observantly with its blood-red eye.

"This is Novus, a Dusclops. He once belonged to my father before his death," Neo introduced, unmindful of the startled expression that Chase had.

"Whoa. You really have a solid team on your hands. Two are already fully evolved," Chase complimented while gazing with fascination at the three pokemon that hovered around Neo. "Although, I think it's not a good idea if you focus solely on one-type. Gym leaders have different specializations. What if you come across one that is strong against ghost-types? You'll never know..."

"I understand that. I've done my research." Neo replied. "The first gym that most trainers go to is a rock-type, located in Pewter City."

"Sounds like it's gonna be an even battle since each side has no advantage over the other," Chase thought out loud. "But, I still think you should keep other types handy, like a grass-type or a water-type? Most new trainers get starters, you know…"

"I see." Neo thought deeply and understood Chase's perspective. If he were to prepare for anything, then he would need to balance out his team. "Very well, then."

Neo collected his laptop and went inside, along with his trio of ghost-types. Chase remained outside, wondering what was going on inside Neo's mind. He got nothing, but a headache. Sighing, he decided to leave the other boy alone and air out his own confusion by enjoying the beautiful scenery with his Gallade and Gardevoir.

Inside, Neo approached Gremio and told him of his plans. Before he would travel to Pewter City, he explained to him that he wanted to catch a new type of pokemon. Gremio was already on the edge of his nerves with worry over his charge. He was well aware that Neo was seventeen, but in regards to his health, he can never be too careful.

"Excuse me." A feminine voice intruded before Gremio could say anything else. It was Nurse Joy, coming from the other room. "I can't help but overhearing that you're planning to catch a pokemon."

"That is correct," Neo responded.

Nurse Joy smiled eagerly. "Then, may I suggest that you try the Icefall cave, located on the eastern side of the island? You can find a lot of strong ice-types and water-types living in there. I don't know if you've heard, but Floe Island is notable for being the hometown of Lorelei, the first of the Kanto Elite Four and it was in that very cavern that she befriended a Lapras that soon became one of the main members of her team."

"Thank you very much for that information, Nurse Joy. I shall take you up on that suggestion," Neo said with a kind smile, before turning to Gremio who looked like he was just about to protest. "Gremio, may I inquire the status of the preparations?"

Gremio disregarded his worries and answered his charge. "They are well on the way, young master. I have made arrangements with Kanto's leading researcher in order for you to acquire your own pokedex and your trainer card. I have also preordered all the travel necessities required, as well as the clothes that you have requested."

"Very good, Gremio." Neo extended his approval as he mentally went through his checklist. New clothes were a must so that no one would suspect or recognize him as a nobleman. Neo usually wore his long sleeves and navy blue vest, but he will soon change into a regular black and blue jacket with navy blue denims.

Early the next morning, the parcel, containing Neo's new pokedex, trainer card, clothes and other travel necessities arrived. Neo stared in curiosity at the digital encyclopedia. Then he moved on to his trainer card which displayed his name and picture. Gremio dutifully stood watch as his charge examined the contents, like a child opening his Christmas present.

Chase, who was sleeping in the other room, was unceremoniously woken up by Neo's Lampent and Gengar. They invaded his dreams and levitated his body over the bed, along with the sheets and other objects in the room. Chase's eyes shot open and he unexpectedly dropped back unto the bed with a soft yet aching thud. Groaning, he exited his room and made his way to the other room while being led by the two mischievous ghosts.

After changing into his new attire, Neo began to load his belongings inside the backpack. As he did, the reality of what he was about to do was sinking in. Never in his life had he thought of going on a pokemon journey to battle gym leaders. Just as he zipped his backpack, he saw his two pokemon and Chase stepping inside. The boy's hair was a mess and his pajamas were wrinkled and unruly.

Gremio made his way to the grumpy, yawning teen and handed him a freshly pressed set of clothes, which included a goldenrod scarf, a pair of gloves, and black parca that seemed similar to Neo's. Chase didn't raise a fuss. He took the clothes from Gremio and consequently, returned to his room. After he left, Gremio turned around and approached his charge.

"Young master, I have another parcel on the way," Gremio told Neo, drawing a curious gaze from the young nobleman. "I am certain it will arrive later this day, so please try not to push yourself."

"What's inside the parcel?" Neo asked, slipping on the black parca and fidgeting the blue scarf that was lying on the bed.

"Another item that would aide you in your journey," Gremio replied simply. Although intrigued, Neo didn't pursue the subject further and finished his prepping.

Shortly, Gremio went out to serve breakfast. He passed by an open window and scanned the dim blue sky. Slivers of light were peeking out of the horizon, gradually overlapping with the remaining stars that donned the dawn sky. The vast canvas of faded blue and pink showed no signs of living things. Gremio turned away and resumed his responsibilities. What he was looking for had not yet returned.

Several hours prior, just as everyone went to bed, Gremio was awake in his room. He was sitting in front of a desk, writing a letter. It seemed important and kept secretly from Neo and his new friend. When he finished, he sent out his second pokemon, a Fletchinder with a crimson leg band to carry notes in. He rolled up the parchment and slipped it inside the small barrel.

"You remember the way...?" Gremio whispered to the small fire-type bird who, in return, nodded its head. Satisfied, the old man bid it farewell and watched as the pokemon hopped towards the open window and flew off into the darkness of the night.

It was now midmorning. The sun had risen over the blue horizon and shone its brilliant warm rays across its domain. Salty serene breezes blew across the surface of the lands and glistening seas. Its refreshing smell, though, was overlapping with the chilly air seeping out of the Icefall cave.

Neo and Chase were already standing in front of the famous cavern's entrance, fully equipped for the cold. All their pokemon were inside their pokeballs, excluding Arana, Neo's Lampent whom was going to help lead the way as well as provide some extra warmth, and Nurse Joy's Lapras, whom they borrowed prior since they required some water transport.

Neo and his pokemon stepped inside first, followed by Chase who had to return the Lapras to its pokeball. Upon entry, a cold icy world opened up to them. The ground was covered in white slush, extending to the water's edge. The deep blue waters were unfrozen, but they expected it to be extremely frigid. Up ahead, a grand waterfall roared, enveloping the atmosphere with a damp and cold mist.

Neo wrapped his arms around himself as he gradually adjusted to the cold. He could see a white cloud of vapor escape from his mouth with every breath. Arana hovered closer and lit up more brightly to spread her ghostly heat in the air. It wasn't much, but it did replace the icy air with the kind of chill that Neo was used to.

Chase, on the other hand, was left to fend the cold with only the set of clothes that Gremio gave him. He rubbed his arms briskly and attempted to keep his mind off the cold. "Neo, any idea what kind of pokemon you want to catch?"

Neo turned on his pokedex and checked the list of pokemon that could be found. Remarkably, there were a lot listed and the digital encyclopedia presented them in a more organized manner compared to the laptop. Neo found out that there were Seels, Woopers, Marills, Psyducks, and even Swinubs and Laprases. There was an amazing diversity of water-types and ice-types living in different areas of the cave, making it difficult to single one out.

"Let's see what we come across…" Neo suggested and turned off his pokedex.

Chase nodded and sent out Nurse Joy's Lapras unto the cold waters. It was another short surf to reach to the inner regions of the ice cavern. Neo mounted first unto the transport pokemon's rough shell, followed by Chase. Arana flew in front, keeping a good distance from the water's surface.

Unbeknownst to them, a shadow was watching observantly from behind three tall frost stalagmites. It waited patiently for the two boys to reach the other side, before moving out and slipping into the frigid dark waters.

Neo and Chase arrived at a new section of the cave and awed at the scene. It was like a paradise for pokemon. They spotted a pod of Seels and Dewgongs lounging about by the water's edge. Sneasels were darting across the higher regions, chasing after a quick-footed Delibird. And above, Zubats and Golbats were screeching and swarming the cavern ceiling, some looking down at them with hunger.

In precaution, Neo and Chase sent out Nero and Vince respectively. On sight of her teammate, Arana hovered over and paired up with the Gengar to protect their trainer, while the Gallade simply stood on the opposite side of Chase. With their battle positions established, all three pokemon panned their surroundings for any impending enemy.

A moment later, several Zubats dove in, shrieking hungrily and baring their sharp fangs. Neo and Chase reacted quickly and gave their commands.

"Nero, Night Shade! Arana, Flamethrower!"

"Vince, use Psyshock!"

Neo's Gengar unleashed a black energy wave from its eyes that combined with the Lampent's surging torrent of bluish blazes, creating an ominous mix of black and blue fire, while Chase's Gallade leaped into the air and hurled masses of energy that shone with blue, light blue and purple. Many of the blood-thirsty bats went down by the initial attack, while the rest were taken out by the psychic-type's super-effective move.

Alerted by the battle, more bat pokemon dove in for the opportunity to feast on warmer blood. While others zoomed in haphazardly, some were clever to launch Confuse Rays which posed a threat to Neo and Chase's pokemon. Arana was first to be struck by the move, but Neo switched immediately and sent out Novus who fought back with Dark Pulse.

"We should've carried some kind of Zubat repellant," Chase quipped as he sent out his Gardevoir and issued a command, "Faith, use Psychic!"

Appearing elegantly on the battleground, with eyes glowing, the embrace pokemon summoned an expanding blue energy wave that knocked back the assaulting swarm, before they could close in. The rest of the pokemon followed in and unleashed another barrage of attacks. But despite the overpowering strength of the Chase and Neo's pokemon, the fight continued to rage on. The mass of Zubats and Golbats kept coming in from the depths of the cave. It seemed like there was no end to them.

"This… is impossible… We need to fall back." Neo heaved as he panned the surroundings for an escape route. Adrenaline was rushing, masking his chest pains, but his vision was fading in and out of a blur, evident that his weak body was feeling the strain of his condition. He cursed himself and endured. It was not the time to break down.

Then suddenly, Neo caught a glimpse of another opening, but it was further up a steep ledge. They had to find a way to quickly go over so that they wouldn't be caught blindsided by the Zubat/Golbat swarm. But thinking analytically was now impossible in his state. He had no choice but to jump to every first idea. "Everyone! This way!"

Chase and all the pokemon glanced back and saw Neo heading towards what they understood was an escape route. Nero was the first to fly after his trainer, followed by Chase and Faith. Vince and Novus lagged behind to hold back the persistent swarm. Energy waves of blue and black streaked through the cold air and prevented most of the Zubats and Golbats from advancing. Some, though, managed to maneuver overhead and dodged the onslaught, inevitably slipping closer to feast on their prey.

Neo kept running, ignoring his erratic beating heart and short breath. He kept telling himself to hold out a bit longer, but amidst the voice in his head, another voice resonated through the pain and chilly air.

"Neo, look out!" Chase screamed at the sight of three Zubats, diving in, baring their fangs at the raven-haired boy.

Neo turned around and saw the trio of bats lunge at him. Seeing the danger, his Gengar hurriedly fired a Night Shade attack, but before any pokemon's attack made contact, something happened.

*crack*

The ice beneath Neo's crumbled, and the boy fell through the ground. Nero and Novus wasted no time and phased through the frozen ground, leaving Chase and his pokemon at a dire predicament. The silver-haired teen ceased abruptly and took a split moment to see the situation. Continue to face off the bat pokemons? Leave Neo and make a break for the exit? Or jump in the formed hole after Neo?

*crack*

Chase was given no option. The frozen floor shattered, sending him and his two pokemon falling to the lower section of the cave. Ice was raining down, like hail, all around the boy. Chase shielded his face and darted his eyes to look for Vince and Faith. Then suddenly, he felt a large hand grab his leg. Hanging upside down in the air, his eyes shifted towards the entity. The shower of shattered ice receded and Chase realized that it was Neo's Dusknoir, Novus.

The gripper pokemon held on to Chase securely, while supporting his trainer using his other arm. He managed to save both boys in time before they crashed unto the lower ice chamber. Neo leaned against Novus' shoulder, desperately trying to catch his breath. Nero, his Gengar hovered nearby, guarding vigilantly if ever the bat pokemons were to pursue them. Chase's pokemon, were safe as well. Faith formed a psychic orb that supported Vince and her own self in the air.

"Neo? You alright?" Chase inquired after he breathed in relief, but before struggling to keep the blood from rushing to his head. Neo only nodded. He was still having trouble breathing.

Novus and Nero knew that their trainer was in bad shape and that they needed to leave the ice cave as quick as possible. The Dusknoir descended unto the icy floor below and neatly set his trainer's new friend unto the solid bluish-white surface.

After thanking Arceus, Chase rushed to check on Neo. Upon closer inspection, the raven-haired boy seemed pale and very much ill. A pang of guilt and regret settled in the insides of Chase. He felt that it was his fault for encouraging Neo to pursue this whole journey. Thinking quickly, he called for his two pokemon.

Vince and Faith had just touched the icy ground, when they heard their trainer call. They hurried over and Chase told them that they needed to Teleport everyone out. Faith nodded began to form a brilliant white circle around all of them.

"W-Wait…" Neo muttered, dismounting from his pokemon's thick arm. His legs wobbled but Novus and Nero were instantly able to support him. Neo took a deep breath and raised his head. "N-Not yet. I-I still… have… to…"

"Neo, you can't be serious!" Chase protested as his Gardevior, Faith halted her teleportation ritual. Sure, he was hell-bent on seeking out the assassin and taking his revenge, but not at the expense of someone's life. "I'm as determined as you to be ready to face those murderers, but I won't just stand by quietly if you act choose crazy like this."

"Chase…" Neo murmured. It was the first time that he called his name. Even if they only met yesterday, Neo felt the kinship between them. But as much as Chase was right, Neo didn't want to give up just when they were that close. "F-Five. Five minutes…"

Chase felt like slapping himself in the face. He knew that Neo was a year older than him, but at that moment, he felt like he was talking to a little boy who was staying up past bedtime. He admitted that Neo was stubborn for a frail rich kid, but he admired him for that. "Fine, but I don't want to be included when that butler of yours starts scolding." Neo laughed and straightened himself up as best as he can. Then Chase looked around for the first sign of a wild pokemon. "Just catch something quick. I don't care if it's another Zubat. Let's just find one, weaken it, nab it and go back."

Neo nodded and took out an Ultra Ball in preparation. Then he motioned Nero to help him battle when the wild pokemon appears. A sudden silence descended upon the environment. Neo and his companions continued to scan their surrounding until they noticed a movement behind a couple of frost-covered boulders.

"There!" Chase shouted as he motioned Vince to attack. The Gallade leaped into action with an arm glowing blue, and struck the boulder, shattering it and forcing the mystery pokemon out of hiding.

A round brown shell with a white snowflake pattern rolled unto the icy ground, and suddenly launched a cold Water Gun attack from one of the openings. Vince dodged back and nimbly landed on a rock. The shell continued to roll and fire a barrage of Water Guns at the blade pokemon. Vince evaded the attacks and dove in for another strike. This time, missing the shelled pokemon and only shattering the ice below it. The wild pokemon slid across the frosty floor and finally revealed its arms, legs, curly tail and round blue head.

Out of curiosity, Neo opened up his pokedex and examined the pokemon. The device beeped and displayed a picture of the pokemon, but without the snowflake pattern on its back.

Squirtle
The Tiny Turtle Pokemon
Squirtle's shell is not merely used for protection. The shell's rounded shape and the grooves on its surface help minimize resistance in water, enabling this Pokémon to swim at high speeds. During battle, Squirtle hides in its shell that sprays water in its opponent whenever it can.

"This pokemon wasn't in the list before…" Neo muttered as he remembered the list of pokemon that resided in the Icefall Cave. But that wasn't important anymore. There was a wild pokemon in front of him and he was determined to catch it. "Nero, Shadow Ball!"

Neo's Gengar conjured a dark ball of energy with ominous black and violet sparks and hurled it at the enemy. Noticing the attack from anothe enemy, the Squirtle countered by creating a giant Bubble that slowed down the opponent's attack in time for it to slide away and evade the Shadow Ball.

""Nero, follow up with Shadow Sneak!" Neo commanded.

Just as the Squirtle stopped, the Gengar charged in and swung a fist enveloped in a black aura at the startled light-blue turtle, but it wasn't enough to render it immobile for easy capture. Unfortunately for it, Nero added a second attack which was Lick. The Squirtle cringed on contact of the elongated tongue and fell back unto the frosty ground.

"Neo! That's it. Now catch it!" Chase coached as he grinned excitedly.

Neo quickly threw the Ultra Ball and struck the wild pokemon on the shell. The device opened up and swallowed the Squirtle when it converted into a bright red matter. The Ultra Ball dropped to the ground and shook three times before sounding off to signal that the pokemon was caught.

"Neo! You did it!" Chase ran to his friend, only to see Neo collapse to his knees, trembling and on the verge of losing consciousness. Chase wasted no time and signaled his Gardevoir to Teleport them out.

As the white psychic rings formed around them, Nero flew over to his downed trainer and handed him their newest teammate. Neo accepted it and smiled. he looked down at the round device in his hand. It was a great accomplishment for him, and that moment, marked the beginning of his pokemon journey.

End of Chapter 24

Did that make up for the late update before?
*sigh* I'm still late to update my other story...

I liked this Chapter. XD
From the little secrets of Gremio to the Zubats and the battles.
Lol. Am I self-reviewing?

The next chapter will probably be a mix of both Neo and Semira.
I say Semira because Aeron and Faye may not be there.

Then it'll be the uneventful trip to Pewter.
Like I said, trips will be filled by Faye and Aeron's chapters.
By the way, should I really start from Pewter and end in Viridian City?
Or I could map a more logical route?