Secrets of the Night
DISCLAIMER: I Do NOT own Pokemon!
Chapter 32: The Visitor
A tenseness shrouded the land as the morning sun in the blue horizon, rose with its golden glow casting away the dark shades of the previous stormy night. It was still very early yet many of the inhabitants of the mysterious island were already buzzing.
Rozalia was on her way to the southern area, specifically the Gambit unit's base, riding a Tropius that she borrowed from the greenhouse. Atop of her shoulder was her partner, Sakura, a Cherubi, snuggling against Rozalia's neck to fend off the cold winds. They glided across the vast deep green forest and zoomed towards the maze-like ruins that everyone referred to as Trickster's Labyrinth.
Awaiting her was his close friend and constant target to tease, Kirian. The spiky-haired boy was in the open outskirts of the base, sitting on a rock and gazing at the skies with anxiousness. In the tree beside him, his Joltik, Brain was mindlessly weaving a web between some branches to pass the time. Kirian sighed for the nth time. Waiting around was stressing him so much. He was planning to meet up with Rozalia as well as their senior from the Sky unit.
Suddenly a black shadow loomed over him, accompanied by the war drum-like beating of wings. A loud shriek shredded the air and the dark silhouette dove in at break-neck speed before halting in a split-second, inches off the ground. The momentum of its descend pushed Kirian off of his rock and sent him tumbling back into the shrubs. The winds died down. Planting its feet firmly unto the ground, the Staraptor ruffled its feathers and folded its wings as its rider leaped off.
"Thanks for the ride, Ekaitz." Corentin patted his partner on the wing.
"Senior! Thank Arceus! You made it!" Kirian scrambled to his feet and bounded towards the tall brown-haired guy in an aviator jacket.
"Yeah. Sorry for being late. I had some special business to take care of," Corentin explained as he tossed a pokeball in Kirian's direction, jolting the younger boy to a halt as he caught it. Kirian beamed with gratitude and thanked him over and over. Corentin nodded with brotherly smile in response. Then after understanding he had accomplished his task, Corentin huffed and once again mounted his Staraptor partner. "I'd like to stay and chat but something big is currently going on in Zephyr Pillar. I have to go back and help."
"Did something bad happen?" Kirian inquired, wondering if Aeron was involved.
"No." Corentin shook his head, thinking back to the events earlier. "A very important guest just arrived..."
"O-Okay then..." Kirian calmed down and watched his senior mount securely on his Staraptor. Shrugging off the uneasiness, he once again smiled in gratitude at Corentin. "Thanks again, senior!"
"Anytime." Corentin grinned back and took off, leaving couple of black feathers behind him.
A few minutes later, Rozalia arrived and jumped off the Tropius. "Thanks for the lift, Haru!"
"Roz! You just missed senior Ren," Kirian informed, happily waving a pokeball in his hand. "He caught me an Espurr like he promised."
"Oh, good... But you know, you still have to explain to Aeron that you gave the Espurr to someone," Rozalia reminded with a hand on her hip and another on her Cherubi.
"Relax... He'll never know the difference." Kirian sent out the Espurr and motioned to it. It stared at him blankly and shifted its attention to Rozalia, still casting the similar stoic expression. "See? It's practically the same."
"Uhm... Kirian?"
"Yeah?" The sandy haired boy looked at Rozalia with confusion.
"The first Espurr, Freya, is a female..." Rozalia pointed out. "This one ...is male."
Kirian was struck dumbfounded. "Oh dammit..."
Vivillon Glade, Trickster's Labyrinth
Beyond the Aztec-like ruin maze, was a secret grove filled with pastel flowers and swarms of Butterfrees, Beautiflies and diversely-patterned Vivillons. After the storm, nature itself was coming into bloom to welcome the sunshine. The leaves and petals still had remnants of dew and collected raindrops on their surfaces and grooves, but it simply added a sliver of shimmer to their presence in the light.
Maya was sitting under the dark shade of the tree, watching Freya and Lyvette play in the flora field. Their dark and dull shades were easily distinguishable in the sea of tender pastels so she was at ease watching them from afar. She breathed in the calm and peaceful atmosphere as a soft smiled curved in her pale-skinned face.
"Maya, you should play too..." The telepathic shiny Zorua motioned to her with a shy yet expectant smile.
"I'm fine, Lyvette," Maya answered, waving a hand before setting it on her lap.
"Puurrrr..." Freya picked a couple of light-blue flowers and walked back to Maya, shaking off the dew from her fur before handing them over.
Maya let out a rare giggle and accepted them. "You're so sweet, Freya."
"Maya! Me too!" Lyvette leaped out of the flower field with a mouthful of pink and violet flowers. She delightfully gave them to Maya and curled up beside her. "Maya... This is nice. Let's play again tomorrow before training."
"Alright. I'm sure Freya would like that too." Maya glanced at the Espurr as the little gray kitten went closer and down on the opposite side.
"Puuurr..."
"Freya says she'd like it too," Lyvette translated as she nuzzled against Maya's hand that laid on her.
"I believe Espurrs are psychic-types so I think it's possible for Freya to know telepathy, don't you think?" Maya asked aloud.
"I can teach her, if you want..." suggested Lyvette, looking up and meeting Maya's soft blue eyes.
"That'll be great, Lyvette," Maya agreed with gratitude. She smiled softly and looked up at the blue sky as a black bird flew by.
Corentin and his partner glided towards Zephyr Pillar, passing vast forests and short mountain ranges. Earlier, Corentin had just returned an extended trip from Kalos at the break of dawn and saw what seemed to be a giant green serpent descending onto the main headquarters. His heart raced as he flew in towards the landing bay on his Staraptor and hurriedly reported to Lord Altair who was already busily ordering this division with various tasks. Corentin was given a brief run-through of the situation and much to his surprise, they weren't in danger of a Hoenn legendary raiding the base. Instead, they had an unannounced guest arriving, Lord Altair's predecessor.
Corentin reached the eastern area and saw the earthy mound standing just beyond the woodland. At its peak was a green serpent-like dragon, coiling its long body around the upper portion of structure. The huge creature took notice of his presence and turned its head, growling in a cautious tone. Corentin locked eyes for a moment with the leviathan-like legendary, his storm grey eyes swallowed in the creature's ominous golden orbs, sending a cold surge down his spine. Biting his lip, he turned away guided Ekaitz into the middle section's landing bay to avoid flying close to the Sky High pokemon.
Upon entry, he was met with the bustling voices of his fellow Sky members who were running back and forth with prepping the headquarters. Their pokemon were also frantically following their human partners. Sighing with a headache, he recalled his Staraptor to his pokeball and entered into the halls. He only had a few hours sleep before he arrived in Semira Isle so he planned to finish his duties quickly and head to bed. Sending out his second pokemon, a Linoone, he hurried to the upper floors to join his fellow seniors. "Let's go, Linnea."
The whole Sky division headquarters was buzzing. In the highest levels where the halls were less noisy, Aeron waited. There were only a few people around but it didn't make the atmosphere as calm as it usually was. He leaned outside his door with Noir hanging from the ceiling. Aeron was already tasked with greeting their visitor along with his father, but he had other priorities to adhere to before that.
Last night, he woke up and found Faye Lin sitting on the bed, trying to coax the Togepi from the corner, the light from the ceiling lamp casting a dim glow in the room. The little pokemon was quite cautious of her, seeing as it didn't know that she was her rightful owner. Quietly standing up from his chair, Aeron walked over, casting a momentary glance at Noir whom he found bundled up in a towel and sleeping soundly on his hole. It was a relieving sight. He was worried that Noir could have caught a cold from the rain. He also checked Isis, Faye Lin's Fennekin who was also asleep on the foot of the bed, comfortably curled up in sheets. Having reassured himself of the state of both pokemon, he shifted his full attention to Faye Lin, bending down beside her and calling for the Togepi.
"Togepriii!" The baby pokemon beamed with glee at the sight of Aeron and trotted over.
Faye Lin's gaze followed the Togepi as it approached Aeron and reached out to him with its stubby hands. A tinge of envy settled within her, dwindling her smile. Then she saw that tender gaze in Aeron's silvery eyes that he grew to admire. The envy suddenly shifted to a different reason. Aeron was usually emotionless, but when it came to pokemon, he showed his soft side. Snapping out of her daze, Faye Lin recalled that she had to thank Aeron for rescuing her and Isis. Breathing calmly, she sat more comfortably on the bed and smiled in the boy's direction. "Aeron... Thank you once again for helping Isis and I."
You don't have to thank me. You are my responsibility so it's only natural that I'd do it," Aeron responded, making Faye Lin feel slightly disappointed.
"I also want to thank you for looking after Aegis," Faye Lin added with side glance to the baby pokemon beside Aeron.
"Aegis?" Aeron looked at her with barely detectable wonder in his eyes and voice.
"Yes. That is the name I had planned to use when the pokemon that hatches is a female," Faye Lin explained and then looked down at her fidgeting hands that were resting atop of her lap. "Aegis is the name of a legendary shield that I have read in book. Since Togepis are said to be filled with happiness, I want Aegis to be able to help me spread and protect the happiness that people around me have."
Aeron noticed a lonely air around Faye Lin and looked down unto the Togepi, gently nudging her over to the girl whilst casting a sort of fatherly gaze. "Aegis, Faye Lin is your owner... I may have been the first person you saw when you hatched, but that doesn't mean I should claim you as my own... Do you understand?"
Aegis cocked her head in wonder before glancing back at Faye Lin who met her gaze with a warm smile. All of a sudden, her expression perked up and she reached for Faye Lin's hand, delighting the girl to a great extent. Faye Lin placed the tips of her fingers daintily on the Togepi's hand. Then much to Aeron and Faye Lin's surprise, Aegis looked up at the boy and used her other stubby limb to motion for his hand. Aeron complied, not exactly understanding the Togepi's intentions. Aegis grinned broadly as she squealed with joy as it held up each of their hands. That was when Faye Lin and Aeron realized that she dubbed both of them as her parental figures, mother and father, respectively.
Faye Lin brushed her hand away and blushed slightly. "A-Aegis is quite the innocent pokemon, isn't she?"
"Yeah." Aeron replied plainly as Aegis walked back towards him and leaned against his leg before falling asleep. Sighing, he shot a glance over at the window and saw that it was very dark out. It could have been from the harsh storm, seeing as droplets of rain continued to pound against the glass, but given the event that occurred before he fell asleep, he knew that they needed to rest early. "We should all get some sleep. Looks like the rain won't stop for sometime."
"I understand..." Faye Lin nodded and shot a glance at the bed and then to the room itself. She figured that it wasn't any random room since there was a hole in the wall, purposely made for Noir. And judging by the room's layout, she knew that they weren't in the Main Fortress but were in Zephyr Pillar. "I apologize for asking but, may I ask if this is your room?"
"Yeah, it is," Aeron replied, standing up and placing the egg-like pokemon beside Isis.
"Then, if it's not trouble, may I ask where shall I sleep?" Faye Lin inquired, getting up from the bed as well.
"You'll be sleeping in my bed," came Aeron's reply as he gestured to the bed where Isis and Aegis were now sleeping on.
Faye Lin felt the heat rushing back to her cheeks. She immediately ducked her face in attempt to hide her embarrassment. "Uhm... I-I apologize, but I cannot stay here. If I may, I wish to borrow an extra room instead, i-if there is..."
"It's too late to arrange for one. Plus, no one knows you're in here." Aeron denied her request.
Faye Lin awkwardly gave in. "So then... May I know where you are going to sleep?"
"I'll be sleeping on the desk like before," Aeron answered, looking at the far-end of the room where he was sitting and sleeping previously.
"Oh, but that would be uncomfortable, would it not?" Faye reasoned with worry.
"I'm fine with it. It'll just be for tonight," Aeron concluded, giving no room for Faye Lin to argue further. "And if you're wondering about that Espurr... Freya was it? She's with Kirian."
Faye Lin flinched."Oh, yes... I-I need to express my gratitude to him as well."
"Save it when we see him," Aeron said as he sat on the desk and turned his head away from Faye Lin.
"Alright... T-Then good night..." Faye Lin stammered.
"Yeah... G'd night."
Aeron sighed as he looked up at Noir, staring down at him, snickering. He narrowed his eyes and murmured, "What's so funny?"
*knock* *knock*
"Aeron?" Faye Lin's voice reverberated behind the door.
"Are you done?" Aeron stood erect and turned to face the door which slowly opened before him.
"Yes." Faye Lin stepped out shyly, dressed in a blue and white collared garb with swirling accents, matching skirt, boots and finger-less gloves. With her face slightly pinkish, she glanced at Aeron. "How do look?"
Aeron looked at her from head to toe. The clothes Rozalia gave her fitted her well. The shades mirrored the radiant blue sky along with the feathery white clouds. It was a fitting theme for a newbie of the Sky Division. Not only that, the colors of her new clothes blended well with her golden hair which elegantly and neatly flowed down her face towards her shoulders, glimmering like the sunlight during the setting of the sun. Aeron stared wordlessly as Faye Lin turned about. When Faye Lin met his eyes, he finally got some words out. "They look good," he said with an approval tone.
Faye Lin's face lit up at the compliment, her smile and blue eyes sparkling. "I shall have to thank Rozalia for these."
"Are you sure you want to come with me?" Aeron asked in concern.
"Yes. We are greeting an important visitor. I believe I can manage that," Faye Lin answered with a confident smile.
"Fenn!" Isis walked up from behind Faye Lin along with Aegis.
Faye Lin scooped them both in her arms and turn to face Aeron. "Shall we go?"
"Sorry," Aeron said sternly. "Isis has to remain in the room, seeing as she's unfit for pokemon in the Sky unit."
"Fenn?" Isis' ears drooped to her sides as she looked at Faye Lin who met her gaze with regret.
"I am sorry, Isis but we have to follow Aeron's rules," Faye Lin reasoned out with a kind voice, but Isis still didn't like the idea. Walking back to the room, Faye Lin placed Isis on the bed, next to an Audino plushie which she got during her time in Unova. "I shall return shortly, I promise. Be good."
Giving up, Isis nodded and settled on the bed, sulking. Faye Lin patted her head and exited the room, glancing back in hesitance before finally closing the room.
"She'll be fine," Aeron reassured her as he began to walk off, Noir taking flight and trailing overhead.
"I know..." Faye Lin nodded and proceeded to follow Aeron.
They both headed to the top of Zephyr Pillar where Lord Altair and their certain guest waited. The winds howled ominously as Aeron reached the outer surface, followed by Noir, then Faye Lin and Aegis. They stood on the earthy platform and were momentarily lost in the scenery. The blue sky stretched vastly above them, grandly embracing the world of Semira; its vast forests, steep mountains as well as the azure oceans that surrounded it.
It was beautiful sight to behold, but being so high up, Faye Lin felt her feet turn jelly and she staggered back. Luckily, Aeron was there to catch her by her shoulders and support her.
"Be careful not to fall off. Also, the air's a lot thinner so save your breath," Aeron warned in a soft voice before turning to his father and the man that stood beside him and the Hoenn Legendary.
The rumored guest, the former leader of Sky division, was a tall man, a good ten years older than Aeron's father. He wore a long-sleeved navy blue long coat with a mark similar to Rayquaza's, outlined in silver on the back and shoulders. He wore it over a white shirt, a thin gray scarf and dark trousers tucked into black boots. Around his neck was a small jade sphere pendant held by a thin gold chain. His hair was spiky and bleached flaxen with a long tail-like strand, mirroring the crest of a mega Pidgeot, while, his eyes were pale blue like they sky.
Walking ahead of Faye Lin, Aeron made his way over, glancing at the hollow large opening in the middle of the mound. Meeting their gazes, bowed in acknowledgement to both men. "Greetings, master Altair... and Grandmaster Vindryl."
Faye Lin cautiously followed behind, Noir flying close to keep her concentration away from the sights below. With Aegis in her arms, she bowed deeply a couple of meters away in the same manner as Aeron.
The former leader, Vindryl Aurelius, shot Altair a smirk before stepping forward and placing his hands in his pockets. "Well, it seems you've grown a lot since I last saw you, Aeron." The raven-haired boy raised his head and met the carefree grin of the man. Lord Vindryl chuckled in amusement and turned towards Altair. "I'm surprised. I didn't actually think you'd pull off being a dad."
Glancing behind Grandmaster Vindryl, Aeron saw his father standing there in silence, arms crossed and expression seemingly annoyed. Breathing in, he peeked over his shoulder and motioned Faye Lin to come closer. Faye Lin complied and stood nervously beside him. Her legs were still weak and her hair continued to fly in the strong breeze. Noir hovered between them.
"So Aeron..." Grandmaster Vindryl drew the boy's attention. "How's training for you going? I expected you to be already flying about with the big birds, but I hear that your father waited till you're the right age to begin the official training."
"Father was following the standards," Aeron answered back.
"Still..." Grandmaster Vindryl frowned and glanced at Aeron's companion. He smiled slightly and returned to the subject at hand. "With your gifts, you can out-fly even your father."
"Aeron is taking responsibility like those of a senior. I had him mentor his fellow juniors as well as take on the routine patrol jobs. The only task I haven't had him do is the formal missions. Those can wait till he reaches the right age of a normal senior," Lord Altair explained, studying his son's reaction.
Grandmaster Vindryl chuckled and walked back towards his successor, leaning down and whispering to him, "You can't keep him under your wing forever."
Faye Lin stood patiently and took shallow breaths. Her mind was becoming hazy. She was not use to such altitudes. She was growing nauseous, but chose to keep quiet about it. Aegis, though, took notice and squeaked frantically, gaining Aeron's attention who glanced at his side and saw Faye Lin looking pale.
"Aeron, your father and I shall take this discussion in his office," the former Sky unit leader said, drawing the boy's gaze. "Might as well...Your companion seems to lack the proper training."
"She's new. She hasn't had any formal training yet," Aeron reasoned out, stepping close to Faye Lin and lending her an arm for her to support on.
Faye Lin held on to Aeron and lowered her head. "I apologize for this..."
"No. I should have been more aware of the circumstances," Aeron argued.
"Aeron, I'll take it from here." Lord Altair placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I have some things to discuss with Miss Arzil anyway."
"In the meantime..." Grandmaster Vindryl interrupted. "Why not take my Rayquaza, Odin, for a flight around the island? I'm sure you're just as good with dragon-types as you are with flying-types, isn't that right, Altair?"
The current Sky division leader didn't speak, only narrowed his gaze with his predecessor before ushering Faye Lin towards the lower levels.
Aeron kept watching them closely until they disappeared from sight, leaving him with Noir and Vindryl Aurelius. His Noibat looked at his partner and then shot a glance at the massive dragon that was simply glaring at them from the beginning. Odin met the minuscule bat's gaze and growled lowly, scaring Noir and making him shrink behind Aeron.
Grandmaster Vindryl simply chuckled and pulled out a pokeball from his coat."Odin is a handful, but I'm sure you can handle him." He handed it to Aeron and began to walk away. "That's an early payment for this task. I'm sure you'll like him. I found him during my visit to Hoenn." Climbing down to the lower level, he waved goodbye. "Don't tell your dad."
Finding himself alone with only his partner remaining, Aeron approached the Rayquaza. Locking gazes with the Hoenn Legendary, he tucked away Grandmaster Vindryl's gift unto his belt, not caring to check the contents.
Grandmaster Vindryl's Rayquaza raised its head and glared down on the boy, observing him very cautiously. Aeron's silver eyes didn't waiver even when Noir was quivering behind him and the dragon was snarling lowly. Odin opened his gum-like jaws and lunged but stop inches away from Aeron who stood perfectly still, unlike Noir who drop from his partner's back and scrambled to his feet behind Aeron's leg.
"Odin, was it?" Aeron calmly spoke, looking deep into the golden eyes of the leviathan. "Shall we go?"
The rumbling growl simmered down and its gaze softened. Odin closed his jaws and lowered its head passively, giving way for Aeron to ride atop of its head. Aeron grabbed a hold of its dense brow ridge and got on while Noir flew up and clung securely on the boy's back, avoiding contact with the terrifying dragon. With its new riders in place, Odin raised its head, removed his claws from the structure and uncoiled its body. Then letting loose a loud roar, it shot up and surged through the air.
End of Chapter 32
Vindr= wind
One of my OCs. No art unfortunately, but I hoped I described him well.
He plays an important role in Aeron's past as well as Altair's. hehe...
Refresher Art links (remove Dollar Sign)
Aeron: ht$tp:/$/fav.$me/d7wbnhy
Maya: ht$tp:/$/fav.$me/d6ri0f8
Rozalia: ht$tp:/$/fav.$me/d7xe28w
Corentin: ht$tp:/$/fav.$me/d808xo8
Tech - Corbin will be in the side-stories so I can incorporate him in better.
CK - Hmm... I'm not yet sure where i can fit him and I'm confused by what you mean by "Mayor" persona
Okay. Enough with the main storyline. Time for some side-stories with the OCs of Semira Isle.
I have a planned date for Aspen and Corentin, Ikari's training...
Review! Please and Thank you.
If you have requests on what you want for your character to do Review or PM. Though Review is more advised.