Secrets of the Night

DISCLAIMER: I Do NOT own Pokemon!
Romance Fluff and Action to the max! BEWARE!

Chapter 70: Inseparable Pair

After breakfast, Faye Lin borrowed one of the Altaria in the aviary since her Togetic was not big enough yet for aerial transport and headed to Sedgwick Valley.

In the sky, she flew with grace and calmness. The winds were very favorable that late morning. Faye Lin felt the exhilarating rush that she had come to enjoy during her training days when they were riding flying-types, provided by the division. They had a good variety of pokemon to train with but she had grown quite fond of Altarias. They were gentle flyers despite their dragon-typing.

"Toge-toge~"

Aegis gleefully glided overhead of her, chirping while riding the refreshing breezes. Faye Lin reached up and tickled her underbelly, causing the Togetic to giggle and tumble back but recover and once again fly over her.

Despite evolving around a week ago, Aegis was a good flyer. Faye Lin guessed she was really paying attention to the times Aeron and the seniors were teaching during training, plus Noir was always showing off in front of her. All she actually needed was time to develop the muscle for flying.

It didn't take long for her to reach Sedgwick Valley's Trading Post. Faye Lin dismounted at the nearest open area. It was a cave with a large wooden sign nailed against over the entryway. It read, 'Semira Tradepost' with big bold letters and a grinning Delibird logo at the left of it and at either side of the entrance were two Kecleon statues, one green and another violet. There were also other smaller signs advertising merchandise and pokemon.

Faye Lin threw the signs a curious look which was mimicked by Aegis before coming inside. Once inside, she awed at the massive display of pokemon items. The shop was actually a huge chamber with tons of merchandise lined up on shelves carved into the wall. The amount of items reached the ceiling and was extended further to other chambers.

"Watcha lookin' for blondie?" The trader slightly spooked Faye Lin and her Togetic as he popped out from under the stone counter. He was a thin yet muscular man in his late thirties with ruffled auburn hair, the front bangs of which pinned back with a gray clip, chocolate eyes and a slight stubble starting to grow. "Heh. First time, eh? Well, feel free to browse-hmm. Yer not that little sky gal they told me about, are ya?"

"Uhm…" Faye Lin stammered, slightly taken aback by the weird accent but she gave a nod when she noted the sky part. "I am here for supplies."

"Weeeeelll~ Go ahead!" The trader beamed as he motioned to his vast array of merchandise. "I've practically got everythin' from Rage candy bars of Johto, Lava cookies of Hoenn, Castelia Cones of Unova to locally made stuff from the other divisions. Ya name it, I've got it!" He laughed heartily. "Ya Sky kids are my best suppliers, after all."

"Thank you very much, sir." Faye Lin gave a deep bow and took a look around with Aegis.

With the help of the trader's Delibird, they got a light blue standard messenger bag, a white scarf with a blue insignia of the Sky division, a matching pair of goggles, a white travel cloak, other basic traveling necessities, a set of berry concoctions from the Rosette division, and a Shiny stone, as recommended by senior Ren. Aegis particularly chose a couple of plushies; a Minun and a Plusle. Faye Lin beamed at the idea that she could give one to her sister.

"Take these also." The trader came up just as Faye Lin was about to leave and tossed a small velvet bag in her hand. "A few Rare candies and a Dusk Stone."

"Are you sure?" Faye Lin asked as she peered inside and stared at the glistening violet stone and small pile of candies inside. "I don't want to impose too much."

"Nah! I restock very fast... 'sides, it ain't everyday that a pretty gal enters the shop, and a well-mannered one at that. Plus Togetics are supposed ta bring happiness. Maybe it can toss in some luck as well." The trader chuckled and waved the girl off after she bowed deeply and thanked him.

An hour after the blonde girl left, another customer came in with a Linoone scampering beside him. He had swept up brown hair, gray eyes, and he wore an aviator jacket and a black falconer's glove.

The trader shot a smirk as he chugged a bottle of berry juice. "Why ain't it Ren-ma-friend~ How're things goin' with that spunky girlfriend of yers?"

"As usual, she's trying to kill me," Corentin replied casually before skimming the shelves. With the ambiance still high in the Sky division base, he figured to take a stroll to relax. "Got anything new for me?"

"Ya mean an errand? Or somethin' ta help with yer female problems? Cause I've given ya both last time." The trader ran a hand through his loose auburn locks as he shot the younger a suggestive smirk.

Corentin laughed and patted his Linoone on the head. "I dunno if the latter worked..."

"What're you planning this time, Ren?" An annoyed voice suddenly spoke up from the entryway.

Corentin turned around and saw a brown-haired girl, wearing a violet jacket with a gray inside shirt and faded jeans, leaning against the frame of the cavern entrance, eyes narrowed, arms crossed and lips curved into a frown. In front of her, an Absol coolly strolled inside, adorning a pretty black collar and glimmering Mega Stone.

"Hey Aspie, care for lunch? I'll pay for it, just spare a Penny for me," Corentin teased with a wink that could very well have been him signing his death sentence as the brunette narrowed her auburn eyes dangerously at him.

Feeling the temperature plummet several degrees, the trader decided to retreat. "If you'll excuse me, I have some sortin' I outta do in the back. See ya!" And with that, the guy bolted.

As soon as they were alone with just their pokemon, Aspen walked further inside and Corentin decided to continue the conversation.

"C'mon Aspie, haven't you forgiven me yet?"

"No." That was direct.

"How's the little present I gave you? I hope you didn't slice its head off." Corentin chuckled with a nervous smile but lit up when Aspen didn't answer but avert her eyes. "So you did keep it! Hahaha."

"Shut up!" She snapped at him, her cheeks slightly red and her hands balled into fists.

"Then am I forgiven for the race thing?" Corentin asked hopefully.

"That's not why I'm mad..." Aspen turned away again and folded her arms over her chest.

"Then what?.. oh. You're mad about that." Corentin nodded in understanding.

It was around a few days after the Sky Race. Corentin was in the trading post, picking up a job while finding a 'forgive me' present for Aspen.

"How about a Pancham plushie?" Corentin asked as he held up a black and white bear with a tough looking smirk. "Kinda has her personality. She's always acting mean but she does have a cute side under all that hostility."

"Ren-ma-friend, are ya even listenin'? The trader snapped the younger out of his thoughts. He sighed when he was met with a 'huh' instead of a 'yeah'. "Look, pay attention or yer gonna get yerself killed, got it? Plus, I'd go with the whole Pangoro, if I were ya. Dunno if there actually is whatcha call a cute side to her."

"Hey, she's not all snarky and scary," Corentin argued as he looked back at the plush toy. "Hmmm… There has to be something I can get her. If I don't get her to simmer down, I might be dead anyway."

"Her headin' to Hoenn, right? Then get her somethin' from there. Hoenn's her home region, ain't it?" the trader suggested as he took out a Growlithe plushie. "And if yer bent on gettin' a plush ta soften her up, get somethin' that reminds her of ya not her. That way, she'll kill the plush first 'n not the person. Sort of like that Substitute thing pokemon do."

"Gotcha," Corentin agreed and bought the Growlithe plushie which he added one of his red scarfs to complete the look. Taking a deep breath, he stared at the orangey brown puppy doll and thought about his job in Hoenn. An idea struck. "I got it! It's so perfect!"

"Well, Romeo… Get goin' and don't forget the errand." The trader waved him off with grin of approval.

Dashing outside, Corentin nearly ran into Aspen who was standing her ground, armed with her black dual blades. Behind her was her Skarmory and beside her was her Absol. The two didn't seem hostile towards him but the girl they were accompanying was radiating a menacing aura. Frantically hiding the plush behind him, Corentin gulped and stepped back, feeling Aspen's glare bore into him.

"H-Hey Aspie… What's up?" He feigned an innocent smile. "Were you waiting for me? T-That's sweet."

"Can it. What errand are you running?" Aspen demanded bluntly.

"Usual stuff," Corentin answered as he shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry about it. Besides, I thought you're not one to butt into anyone's business."

"I don't like people butting in to my business," the brunette corrected and raised one of her blades. "Now. Tell me what it is."

"Picking up a secret package and sending to a client," Corentin explained, raising one hand in surrender while keeping a hold on the Growlithe plushie behind him.

Aspen's gaze shifted to his not raised arm."What are you hiding?"

Corentin grinned and lifted the puppy pokemon doll in front of him, just inches away from the tip of the short sword. "Surprise! Do you like it?"

Aspen raised a brow and lowered her weapon to look at the bundle of brown fluff that Corentin was holding. It was a Growlithe plushie with a red scarf tied around its neck. Aspen could already guess that it the crimson fabric belonged to Corentin.

Kyria, her Absol walked up and eyed the plushie with intrigued. She then smirked and lightly nudged her human partner. Aspen glared at her but the disaster pokemon merely rolled her eyes and gestured to the plushie as if she was prodding Aspen to take it.

Inwardly groaning, she glanced at Corentin who was grinning like an wagging Growlithe himself as he cautiously inched the plush closer to her. With an exasperated sigh, Aspen sheathed her weapons and swiped the stuffed toy from the older teen and intensely eyed it in front of her.

"...So?"

Corentin deflated. "I was wondering if you like it..."

"I mean what's it for?" Aspen restated as she studied him with a slight glare and a frown. She did understand that it was one of Corentin's schemes. She just didn't know the specifics of the scheme.

Meeting her look, Corentin ran a hand through his light brown hair. "It's part one of my peace offering. You know, about the sky race incident?" He waited for the blow to come.

"Part one?" Aspen quoted with slight intrigued that made her childhood friend breathe a little easier.

Corentin was glad that she chose that part and not the Sky race one. Smiling casually, he stepped back and called for his Staraptor, Ekaitz. The huge black hawk-like pokemon descended and Corentin smoothly mounted on his back, securing his bag of supplies and necessities.

"Be a little patient. I'm picking it up after my job but you still have to wait till I come back to Semira."

Ekaitz opened up his massive wings to take off but Aspen ran up to the Staraptor and stopped them. "Wait! I'm coming with you."

"Huh?" Corentin was taken aback. "Since when do you like tagging along during my errands?"

"Just shut up and let me come," Aspen demanded.

"But it wouldn't be a surprise…" whined Corentin.

"I. said. shut. up." Aspen snarled, giving her childhood friend no choice but to let her come.

"I'm meeting someone from Lilycove City," Corentin informed before taking off over the canyons. "I'll wait for you at the coast. Pack light but make sure provisions last for the whole trip."

"Quit the lecture! I know the damn basics. I'm no noob."

Corentin nodded apologetically and flew off. Aspen watched the form of his Staraptor get farther away before she turned towards her main partner. The Absol was also staring deeply at Corentin and Ekaitz's form in the air. Aspen's expression shifted as looked at her partner worriedly.

"Are you sure, Kyria?" She asked her Absol who gave a solemn nod. At first, the girl thought that disaster pokemons were only able to sense natural calamities, but because of her bond with Kyria as well as their bond with Ren, she guessed she developed a sense that was greater than a hunch but less accurate than her normal ability. "If you have a bad feeling about Ren, then I'll take the warning and protect him." Kyria smirked at that, making the girl raise a suspicious brow. "...This isn't one of your schemes of playing cupid, is it?"

"..." Kyria didn't answer.

With a defeated sigh, Aspen recalled her Skarmory to her pokeball and hurried to her room with her Absol sprinting alongside her. Once she reached her personal chambers, she grabbed her travel pack which was she had always prepared in case she went on on-the-spot missions or mere emergencies and placed the Growlithe plush on her bed. After casting it a brief look, she bolted outside where she recalled her first partner and sent out her Skarmory. Leaping onto Ailith's back, she then headed towards the rendezvous point.

The journey to Hoenn was uneventful.

Aspen and Corentin kept a short distance away from each other as they traveled over the vast glimmering blue oceans. Time to time, Aspen often saw Corentin chatting to someone on his Xtransceiver. She couldn't hear what they were talking about, but her childhood friend seemed to be grinning from ear to ear, making it suspicious and intriguing.

They landed in the outskirts of Lilycove City and the two sent out their land pokemon while their flying-types roosted in a nearby tree. After giving instructions to Kyria and Linnea, they entered the bustling metropolis. The Absol and Linoone skillfully blended into their surroundings, keeping out of sight but dutifully following their respective partners. Corentin led the way to the meeting place while Aspen followed behind him, eyes panning alertly and hands ready to grab her weapons.

"Aspen? You okay? You seem more tense than usual," Corentin whispered to her as they maneuvered through the narrow alleyway of the city's central commercial area.

"We're on a job. Take things more seriously," Aspen reprimanded him, her level of caution unwavering.

"Alright." Corentin nodded and grabbed Aspen's hand, jolting the girl who then tried to wrench it free but Corentin's grip was stronger than she initially thought. The older of the two, on the other hand, was smiling as he pulled the girl along. "Try not to get lost."

Aspen couldn't help but roll her eyes, her senses on alert but gaze focused on her hand which was clasped by Corentin's.

They made a few turns before they stopped in front of a door. Despite Aspen's insistence, Corentin went inside alone, leaving the brunette to wait anxiously outside. Minutes passed. Aspen had already unsheathed one of her black blades and began tapping it against the concrete wall she was leaning on.

The doorknob clicked.

Backing up against the other side of the alley, Aspen took out her other blade and immediately took on an offensive stance. A figure stepped out, holding a small box in one hand while raising a freehand covered by a black glove to show imply that he was not a threat. Aspen grumbled under breath as Corentin fully came into view, a bewildered look in his gray eyes.

"Aspen? Is something wrong?" Corentin whispered in concern. "You've been really anxious since we came here. Is this about coming back to Hoenn?"

"Nothing." Aspen lowered her weapons and cursed under her breath. Maybe it was just Kyria's little scheme to get them closer.

Groaning at the thought, Aspen turned away and stomped off into the alley where they came from. Corentin, confused by his childhood friend and apparent interest's behavior, followed after her.

They rounded a few turns, not speaking up once during the whole trek. As soon as Aspen finally reached the exit, Kyria dropped in before her, half crouched, shaking her head as she blocked her human partner's path.

"What?" Aspen demanded, her tone was annoyed. But then her demeanor changed when she saw the wary look in Kyria's crimson eyes as she glared in her general direction. What was she looking at? Pulling out her blades once again, Aspen spun around and was met with an empty alleyway. "Ren?"

Corentin was gone.

*bam*

His back slammed against a concrete wall and he sank to the floor with a pained groan after he was punched in the gut by one of his abductors. He should have expected as much. It happened just before they rounded the last turn. A pair of bulky arms grabbed him and pulled him into the shadows.

Shaking off the pain, Corentin raised his head and scowled at the five grown men circled around him. He could barely make out their faces under the dim lighting of the room but he noted the forms of the pokemon with them; a Medicham, a Seviper, a Lairon, a Loudred and a Ninjask.

"Must you guys be so rough? I mean, I'm outnumbered here." Corentin leaned against the wall as he analyzed his surroundings for an escape route. The room was big, perhaps an abandoned storage depot.

"Where's the package?" One of the men demanded bluntly.

Meeting his face, Corentin shrugged and raised his hands casually. "Not on me. That's for sure."

A few growls were elicited and the guy with the Loudred stomped towards him, dragging and shoving Corentin to the floor before yanking off his brown jacket and searching for the said package. While he was pinned by the Loudred, the Ninjask flew over and confiscated the Xtransceiver off his left hand and dropped it next to the Lairon who immediately shattered it to pieces. The Medicham then used psychic and pulled out the two pokeballs from Corentin's jacket pocket. Its trainer promptly inspected each and determined that they were empty.

"It's not here!" The Lairon trainer snarled.

Corentin smirked at their frustrated expressions but his grin faded in an instant when he was given a hard kick to his side. As the Loudred backed off, he curled inwardly to protect himself before he felt a force circling his wrists. He then found himself levitating off the ground with his arms raised far apart at either side.

"Let me ask you once again..." The thinner of the five men strode towards him, his Seviper slithering by his side. Basing on how the others stepped back to let him pass, Corentin guessed that he was the leader. "Where. is. the. package?"

"On its way to its rightful recipient," Corentin replied with a wane smile.

After he stepped out of the room, he secretly handed the box over to his Linoone who dutifully speeded off to the outskirts of Lilycove in order to meet up with Ekaitz who would then drop it off at the final destination. It was contingency plan they had practiced during training.

"Tch." The leader cursed before looking over their captive. The kid had no pokemon and his companions aren't around. A dark smile curved on his lips as he chuckled lightly. "Guess we'll have a little fun instead then."

As he said those words, Corentin was slowly lowered to the floor where the leader's Seviper began to coil around him, starting with his legs. Corentin struggled but the black serpent only tightened its grip more and more. He could feel his breathing narrow when the Seviper's body coiled around his arms and chest, its head slithering over his shoulder.

"Seems my pokemon is quite taken with you." The leader sneered.

"S-Sorry…" With his breathing becoming more shallow, Corentin leaned his head away from the serpent and shot a smirk at the blurring form of the guy before him. "I'm already taken."

A crash reverberated through the room, alerting the occupants. The door was forced out of his hinges and sent crashing against a wall. A lithe figure of a girl with a brown messy ponytail stepped inside, scowl on on her face and a pair of gleaming black blades brandished at each hand.

"That's a new level of pissed." Corentin chuckled weakly as he desperately kept a hold on his consciousness.

At the sight of the intruder and the command of their trainers, the Loudred and Lairon immediately charged towards her but was swept back by a quick strike of Psycho Cut from the girl's Absol who leaped back and took her place alongside her human partner, a whirling breeze building up around them.

Frustrated, the men drew their guns but they weren't quick enough to shoot as a smoke ball fell from above and exploded at their feet, surprising them. With that distraction, Aspen darted towards them, stepping on the Loudred's head and launching into the air before dropping right in front of two men and slicing the gun barrels in halves with elegant crescent swings. And as the cut pieces cluttered to the floor and the shock faces of the men meeting the girl's burning gaze, Aspen lowered herself to the floor and swept her leg beneath them, sending them crashing to the floor with loud thuds.

Gunshots were fired by the remaining men but the bullets were cut down with the Absol's Razor Wind, inflicting damage to the Ninjask in the process. As Kyria took care of the Loudred and Lairon, Aspen didn't waste time and lunged towards two more men.

One of the guy's Medicham attempted to use Psychic to retrain the girl but was thwarted by a sudden Shadow Claw from a Linoone who then swiped the gun from the Medicham's trainer just as Aspen closed in on the other and disarmed him. Meanwhile, Kyria, her Absol, then followed up with a Night Slash from behind, knocking the two men to the floor.

"Imbeciles!" The leader exclaimed as glanced back at their captive who was growing very pale. With a sneer and a snap of his fingers, the Seviper smiled slyly and sank its long fangs deep into Corentin's shoulder, causing the teen to release a raspy cry of agony.

"Ren!" Aspen spun around at the pained voice and stared at her childhood friend who went limp as he was dropped to the cold floor, blood staining his white shirt as well as the floor.

*ba-thump*

Her Absol's warning was true.

Fearfully, she ran towards him but was surrounded by the four men and their pokemon who staggered back to their feet. Kyria and Linnea darted back to her side and stood protectively in front of her, eyeing their opponents closely. They had a few scratches and minor injuries but were otherwise alright.

The leader gave an amused laugh and stroked his Seviper's head as its long slender body slithered over the boy's unconscious form. "Had enough, girly? Give up. You can't save him."

Aspen gave an unfeminine growl as she tightened her hold on the hilt of her blades. Her eyes traveled to Corentin who still seemed to be breathing still, then to the two pokemon beside her and finally to the prismatic gem that hung like keychain from her belt. Her auburn eyes softened. The day Corentin gave it to her was vivid in her memory as the amber skies that blazed the sky.

"Heh. Looks like now's a good chance to test it out," Aspen said to herself as she traded looks with her Absol whose azure blue and white gem began to glow on her black collar.

The air seemingly became dense and the glowing orb began to pulsate in sync with Aspen's Key Stone that she gripped tightly in her hand. The grown men exchanged wary looks before their leader yelled at them to seize the girl. But it was too late.

"Kyria. Mega evolve."

Dashing up front, enveloped in a brilliant aura, Kyria's fur thickened and somehow appeared to have grown a pair of angel wings and smaller ones on her heels. Her horn became larger and curved more elegantly as a smaller one jotted on the other side of her head where her mane grew longer. Her tail became more saw-like and her once round oval gem became a rounded triangle.

"Kyria. Razor Wind! Follow up with Night Slash!" Aspen exclaimed immediately as she and Corentin's Linoone jumped back into battle.

Howling winds whipped around them as Aspen delivered a series of cuts on one man's legs and thrusted the hilt of her blade forcibly unto his gut, doubling him over and knocking him out cold. She then moved on to another guy who was charging towards her with a knife. She sliced the feeble blade clean and stabbed the man's leg, making him scream before driving a roundhouse kick to the head that rendered him unconscious as he slammed against the wall. The other two then ran off with their tail between their legs as Razor Wind nearly whipped them from behind.

With their trainers in frantic disarray and their pokemon at a loss of what to do, Kyria and Linnea made easy work with their remaining opponents using their speed and agility. The Razor Wind struck down the Ninjask as it tried to defend itself with X-scissor but was easily overwhelmed by the mega evolved pokemon's power and inevitably sent crashing into the nearest wall.

With grace and finesse, the Mega Absol dealt with the Loudred and Lairon with Night Slash as they haphazardly attacked her. Kyria dodged their attacks with Detect before delivering another onslaught of Night Slash as Linnea finished off the Medicham with Shadow Claw as it futilely used Psychic on the dark-type. The Lairon and Loudred retaliated but overwhelmed by their opponents. Because of that, they followed after their trainers who bolted out the room.

"Enough!" The leader who was the only one left standing, drew Aspen's gaze. The young brunette turned around and froze when she saw the man hold Corentin by his hair, the Seviper's blade-like tail inches before her childhood friend's neck. To make things worse, a gun clicked and it was aimed directly at Aspen. "Recall your pokemon and drop your weapons."

Aspen stared at Corentin whose face was distorted in pain, beads of sweat blanketing his skin and his mouth hung agape as he gasped for air. He wasn't going to last much longer with the poison and blood loss. With a stifled growl, Aspen threw her weapons down with a loud clang and Kyria reverted to her original form before taking several steps back away from the man and her human partner.

"I said recall it!" The man demanded, hand yanking his captive tighter and eyes darting from the girl to the disaster pokemon and the brown badger-like one. Aspen returned Kyria reluctantly and glared at the man who returned the look with a snarl. "The other one too."

"Sorry. She's not mine." Aspen replied bluntly.

"...R-Right." Corentin chuckled raspily and grinned weakly, drawing the grown man's angry gaze. "S-She's… mine."

Without warning, Corentin's Linoone dropped from the rafters and snatched the gun from her human partner's captor using her jaws whilst slashing the guy's hand with her long claws. The captor grunted in pain as he clutched his bleeding hand and glared at the Linoone who darted off to the shadows with the gun. The other Linoone was actually a Substitute created by Linnea.

"Insolent pests!" The man snapped towards his Seviper to command it to finish off their captive but wasn't able to when Aspen appeared in front of him and drove a knee to his groin.

During Linnea's attack, Aspen had used the moment of distraction to retrieve her weapons and lunge at him. The man doubled over in sheer agony as the girl's form loomed over him darkly. Then without warning, he was struck against his temple by the hilt of Aspen's blade and collapsed to the hard floor.

But the battle had yet to end.

The Seviper, angered by the attack on its trainer, withdrew its tail away from Corentin who laid very still on the ground and lunged towards Aspen with a tail enveloped in a violet glow. The brunette blocked the assault by crossing her blades. Then Kyria charged in and drove the black serpent back with Psycho Cut. It hissed in pain and once again lunged at at the girl but this time with its fangs.

Aspen didn't waver as she twisted her dual blades in full offense. And with a swift strike, she broke off one of the Seviper's fangs and dealt a long vertical gash, forcing the black viper to cowardly withdraw from the battle and slither away.

Aspen took one last glance at her surroundings to make sure their opponents were all taken care of. Three unconscious men plus two knocked out pokemon. No one else was there. After confirming it, she instantly dropped her blades and rushed to Corentin's side. Kyria was already beside him, nudging him to get a response but was not fortunate to get any.

"Ren!" Aspen pressed two fingers against his neck and felt for a pulse. She released her breath when she felt it. Although weak, it was a confirmation that he was alive. Kneeling to the floor, Aspen carefully turned him over and laid Corentin's head on her lap, her hand brushing the stray locks that stuck to his damp forehead and her eyes inspecting his bleeding shoulder.

Kyria, already understanding the situation, retrieved one of the blades and handed it to Aspen's open hand. The girl tore part of Corentin's shirt and used to to dress the wound. When she tightened it, Corentin shifted and grunted in pain before continuing to take shallow gasps. Aspen placed a hand on his pale face, feeling its clammy and damp surface. It was cold and a tinge of purple was beginning to show.

It was bad.

"Ren! Stay with me." Aspen coaxed him just as Corentin's Linoone, Linnea bounded over with a utility bag that her human partner had specially made for her. Without a second thought, Aspen grabbed it and began rummaging for an antidote. Skimming her fingers through the arranged bottles, she pulled out a Pecha berry potion made by the Rosette division.

After opening it up, she tried to wake Corentin but the boy continued to restlessly toss back in forth in his sleep, his gasping becoming more ragged with each breath. It was certain. He couldn't drink on his own in that state.

Aspen looked for options and was met with the expectant looks of her Absol and Corentin's Linoone. The two were sitting down and occasionally gestured to the bottle using their snouts. Aspen was no pokemon whisperer but the whole situation was deja vu, only backwards.

Muttering a curse or two, she poured the sweet tasting drink in her mouth and steadied Corentin with her hands. She would have been angry when she looked at him but given his pained state, all she felt was fear and worry. Inching her face closer to his, memories of their times together swirled in her head.

Even when they were kids, Corentin had always stuck with her whenever it was possible. Despite her hostility, short temper, and sarcasm, he stayed with her, flashing that friendly and carefree grin of his. He was reckless at times, like now, but he also had a certain sweetness to him which may or may not include his list of cheesy pick up lines.

Inclining Corentin's head slightly upwards, Aspen closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his, her warmth clashing against Corentin's cold yet soft touch. An ethereal silence settled in the air as the sweet-flavored medicine flowed between them, trailing down a bit at the edge of their lips.

"So I was a little careless…" Corentin shrugged at the memory.

"You nearly got killed! You were lucky it didn't puncture a major vessel." Aspen snapped as she pointed an accusing finger at him. "And if it wasn't for me-"

"I knew you'd find me." Corentin smiled confidently at Aspen who appeared not amused by his words as she then proceeded to punch his arm. The older teen yelped instantly. "Watch it! It still stings!"

"Then don't get bitten by a Seviper! And aren't you supposed to be still recovering?"

"But hey, we got a souvenir." Ignoring her words, Corentin pulled out the broken Seviper fang that he turned into a necklace.

"That and a scar on your shoulder," the brunette reminded with an unamused look.

"Must you alway be so angry with me? Besides..." Corentin started walking towards her, his gray eyes locked on to her auburn ones. Aspen backed away unconsciously against the wall. "I may have been delirious or something at the time but I think you had to kiss me to save me."

"Y-You're wrong! Y-You were delirious!" Aspen answered back, her red face betraying her words.

"Riiiiight…" Corentin took off his falconer's glove and cupped the girl's face with his bare hand that still had the scars caused by the Mightyena's claws when they were kids.

Aspen flinched at the contact and placed her hands on his shoulders to push him back, nearly forgetting the injury. But relaxed at the gentle strokes Corentin gave her along her cheek.

Feeling his warm breath brushing against her skin and his other arm sliding behind her and pulling her closer, Aspen closed her eyes and finally their lips met. This time, their individual warmth blended harmoniously and the kiss was deeper and more passionate than the previous ones where one or the other was half-conscious.

*clang* *clang*

A loud clattering sound snapped them back to reality. Her eyes shot open and Aspen shoved Corentin back just in time to see a teenage boy with dark skin, brown eyes and black hair picking up metal rods that he had dropped near the entrance, a short blue bipedal canine stood beside him, staring at Aspen and Corentin.

Flustered, the younger male teen frantically picked up the last metal rod and bowed deeply. "I-I'm really sorry!" He then bolted off but only after peddling back, grabbing his partner's tail and speedily dragging him away.

For a quiet moment, Aspen and Corentin stared at the spot where the kid disappeared, the latter had a half-sorry and half- disappointed expression while the former had an annoyed look but it wasn't directed at the kid. It was directed at Corentin.

"Look now! You just scarred a kid! And you call yourself a senior," Aspen chastised as she glared at him and walked towards the exit where a Treecko was crawling down from the ceiling.

After the incident, Aspen took Corentin to a more secure location, specifically Fortree City which was also the place that Corentin had intended to meet a friend of his father who agreed to give him a set of Hoenn starters, seeing as both he and Aspen didn't get a chance to get one when they were kids. It was Corentin's part two present for Aspen.

The brunette was surprised that Corentin remembered that detail since it really didn't matter when they arrived at Semira. However, when they returned to the place where they first met, Aspen couldn't help but feel slightly nostalgic. Despite the lonely memories she had, Fortree City was her home. Her old house was still there, dusty, overrun by vines and a family of Zigzagoons but still brimming with memories, including the times she spent with Corentin.

After clearing away a place for Corentin to lie on, she carried him in and continued to tend to him, much to the amusement of both her and Corentin's pokemon. A research assistant with a box then came by, looking for Corentin. Shrugging off the fact that her old house was the meeting place, Aspen figured out that he was the one on the Xtransceiver and received the parcel, explaining to the researcher that she was a friend, plus it helped that her parents were both local researchers before they disappeared.

It was then she saw the contents, three pokeballs. Knowing full well what were in it, she placed it aside and waited for Corentin to regain consciousness. Only after he woke up and Aspen finished chewing him out for his recklessness that they picked their pokemon.

"Let's go, Verdan," Aspen called and the green gecko pokemon hopped unto her shoulder. Without another word, they then made their exit. Kyria, Aspen's Absol trailed after but not before she rubbed herself against Corentin's leg and bid him farewell.

"Wait!" Corentin chased after them and found the three outside standing and watching Corentin's Torchic leaping off the back of a Staraptor as if trying to practice flying.

The orange chick furiously flapped its little wings but continued to drop until finally it touched the ground with a surprised look on its face. Aspen glanced over her shoulder and raised an incredulous brow that said 'you kidding me?' at Corentin who couldn't help but sigh at the situation.

Walking over, he picked the Torchic up and ruffled the feathers on his head. "I like your enthusiasm but try not to be disappointed, okay Gallus?"

The Torchic chirped and flapped his little yellow wings, seemingly not understanding what Corentin meant.

"By the way, what did you do with the Mudkip?" Aspen asked as she reached up and patted her Treecko.

"Oh. I gave it to one of the juniors," answered Corentin with a brotherly smile. "You know I can't raise water-types. I can't swim, let alone get anywhere near deep water. Flying high above is fine but near the surface..." He cringed and placed the Torchic back on his Staraptor.

Aspen was well-aware of Corentin's fear of water due to nearly drowning and having been stuck in a coma for some time before his father vanished. "All the more reason to get a water-type. That way, someone will be around to fish your sorry butt out."

"Aren't you there?" Corentin smiled at her.

"Yeah, I'll be there... watching you flail around like a confused Magikarp."

Corentin frowned but lit up once again as he approached Aspen. "Maybe drowning won't be that bad... just as long as you'll be the one to resuscitate me."

As the Treecko transferred to the Absol, Corentin's arms circled around the girl once again, pulling her closer but this time, she didn't flinch but merely met his eyes.

"You want to drown that badly?" Aspen challenged.

"Can we practice the resuscitation first?" Corentin asked nervously but there was indeed a sparkle in his eyes.

"...hmph."

End of Chapter 70

I'm not that used to action-packed human fights. Hope I did it right.
Two kissing scenes. XDDD Aspen is still in denial.
Hmm... That gives me an idea. How about Corentin just openly declares it. xD

A cute filler chapter that features not only the most popular ship in the story but also features just how dangerous certain jobs can be for the seniors around Semira. Next up, we see how Corbin is faring after being scarred by that romantic scene. xD (I'm so mean).

Read and Review! Thanks again my loyal reviewers and readers.
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