Streak resumed! I mean, I'm always on time. Thank you for Reading so far!
Daniel tossed and turned fitfully in his sleep as the scene replayed in his mind. He was back on the beach where they had battled the rampaging Salamence. Daniel relived the frantic fight, feeling the same desperation and fear gripping his heart.
The dragon loomed before them, scarred face twisted in wild fury. It unleashed a torrent of flame, then shook off Lazuli's Thunder Wave. Daniel shouted the command for Wilson to strike, and the brave Oddish sprang forward, launching a jet of acid right at the Salamence's hateful eye.
But in the nightmare, events took a darker turn. The acid stream went wide, narrowly missing the dragon's face. Before Wilson could react, the Salamence pounced with terrible speed, mouth gaping wide. Its razor fangs snapped shut on Wilson's body with sickening force.
"NO!"
Daniel cried out but could only watch helplessly as the Salamence viciously thrashed its head, pulverizing Wilson's small body between its jaws. With a final crushing bite, the Oddish went limp. The dragon spat out the mangled, bloody remains indifferently.
"No!" Daniel screamed, rushing to Wilson's side. But it was too late, the Oddish was gone, his bright aura extinguished forever. Overcome by grief and rage, Daniel could only stare at Wilson's broken body as tears streamed down his face. He had failed to protect his friend. The Salamence's roar of victory echoed as darkness closed in...
Daniel awoke with a violent start, shaking and drenched in cold sweat.
"Just a nightmare", he told himself, trying to slow his frantic breathing.
But the ache in his heart persisted, the pain and guilt still raw and real. He hugged Lazuli close, taking comfort in her warmth as he tried to banish the lingering visions from his mind.
Lazuli woke up with a pained cry. Daniel had squeezed her too hard.
"I'm sorry", he said, panicked and ashamed that he hurt her. "It's ok. Just go back to sleep"
Sensing no danger nearby, Lazuli slipped out of Daniel's arms and returned to sleep.
Daniel sat up and tried to shake off the haunting nightmare. The grove around him was still and quiet in the midnight darkness. Lacking money and unable to find Hana, he was forced to spend the night in the woods outside of town.
It was just a dream.
But the vivid scenes from the nightmare lingered in his mind. Once again he had helplessly watched the Salamence crush the life out of poor Wilson. The gruesome images sent a chill through him despite the mild night. He could almost smell the blood and hear the terrible crunching sounds echoing in his memory. Still upright, Daniel closed his eyes.
Breathe in and out. It's over now. It's all in the past. You did all you could.
Daniel did not believe that last thought. With his eyes closed he noticed the human and Pokemon Auras that populated the town. His aura was stirred.
That's weird, I don't remember doing that. And it's moving faster than in the forest.
It was the nightmare. Daniel had ignited his aura when reliving that fateful day. Daniel sighed.
These powers, I have no idea how they work. I can only faintly remember what they did in the show. Sensing life and emotions seems to fit, but I don't think punching dragons was one of its features.
Daniel laid back down on his bed of leaves. Looking up at the stars twinkling between the swaying branches helped ground him in the present. He was here in this grove, not back on that beach battling the Salamence. The night sky's vast beauty stirred a well of courage and purpose within Daniel. The future was unwritten, and he would live on to seize it.
Feeling centered once more, Daniel settled next to Lazuli. She instinctively nuzzled close, comforting him with her tranquil aura. Letting his aura slow to a stop, Daniel drifted back to sleep.
Motobu sighed as Azalea's angry footsteps receded down the stone path away from the dojo. The echoes of their argument still rang in his ears. He had been too blunt, too rigid in declaring her destiny as the next heir to the Ora-Ryu legacy. But Motobu feared Azalea was blind to the true essence of their art in her impatience and thirst for glory.
"Why can ye not see, lassie, that I'm just trying to keep our family traditions alive" he muttered. For now, words would not reach her.
Moving slowly to the shrine alcove, Motobu knelt creakily. He lit a stick of temple incense and watched the fragrant smoke coil upward, calming his own disquiet mind. Azalea was young, still unforged by life's trials, and still bitter from her parent's betrayal. She would come to understand in time.
Closing his eyes, Motobu extended his senses outward as he had done for decades, attuning himself to the flow of aura on the island. He felt Azalea's presence still simmering with frustration as she stormed down the wooded path. But then, an unfamiliar aura flickered in the distance - a surge of grief and rage quickly suppressed.
Motobu's brows knit in contemplation. This was not any aura he recognized. It wasn't Azalea's, she had returned to the house and this new aura burned from across the town. It belonged to a human but burned like a Pokemon's. It was the telltale sign of an awakened aura guardian.
Perhaps fate has seen fit to send me a new heir?
Motobu shook his head. Azalea is your granddaughter. Your family. It is right that she be the next head. Perhaps she could do with a rival.
Regardless, There was a person with latent Aura abilities on Three Island. Someone who could learn the secrets of Ora-Ryu, not just karate and judo. Motobu briefly ignited his aura and stood. He would find this new aura in the morning. His wife would tear his ear off if he went out into the woods at this time and at his age.
Morning came and with it, a silent breakfast. Motobu didn't need Aura to sense that Azalea was still mad. She ate with down-turned eyes and pouting lips. Did she know how childish she looked?
"Oh chin up lassie, that's terrible table manners", said Sakura as she nudged her granddaughter. "I won't have ye spoiling the meal. That goes fer both of ye!"
"Yes, Sakura," said Motobu, his words rehearsed. He did have 41 years of practice after all.
"I'll have no lip from ye, darlin'. I understand ye two had an argument, but that's no excuse fer ruining this meal. Now chin up, both of ye!"
Azalea straightened her back and let the pout fade from her face. She continued eating her meal, refusing to meet her grandfather's eyes. Motobu looked past his family, towards the area he had sensed that ignited aura. It was outside town, on the side opposite to his home. If only he were a few years younger.
Breakfast finished silently and perhaps a little hastily. Sakura sent Azalea off to wash the dishes and the lass went with only a hint of resentment. At least it was directed at him and not her grandmother.
"I'm heading out fer a walk", said Motobu.
"Now wait just a second, darlin'. We need to talk about Azalea." Said Sakura.
Motobu remained at the table, and his wife continued.
"Azalea's getting to her rebellious age. She feels trapped here in the Sevii Islands. I think it would be fine fer her to spend a year or two traveling the world."
"So she told ye? That she wants to abandon us and go running off on some adventure." Motobu said, anger rising in his voice.
"Don't use that tone with me, mister."
"Sorry", Motobu said, cowed. "But she's too young, and she has so much more to learn."
"She's 19 darlin', many trainers go traveling when they're 16 or even younger. As fer both Ora-Ryu and Bōjutsu, she's spent the last 10 years after school learning it. She even practices at the academy."
She practices at the academy. Away from home. Without me prodding her? Maybe I've been misjudging her. Motobu thought.
"Well, she should still learn Aura Sense before she leaves."
"From what you say, a journey of introspection will help with that." Replied Sakura.
Damn. She had a point, but Azalea should still learn it in his dojo. He didn't want her to leave until she was ready. Motobu had already lost his first daughter.
"Azalea should stay," Motobu said as he rose from his seat.
"Darlin' if ye don't talk to her about this, she will make a decision on her own."
Motobu looked at his wife, then towards the kitchen where his granddaughter was washing the dishes. Then he moved towards the door.
Having a rival will motivate her to finish her training. I bet the lad I sensed can already throw Aura Spheres.
Sakura sighed. "At least tell me where yer running off to"
"I'm fetching a new student since Azalea ain't interested."
"I haven't heard anything about this. When were ye planning on telling me?"
"It was a surprise to me too. I'll be back fer lunch, love."
"Ye better bring back some groceries from town then." she sternly replied as she fished a list from her pocket.
"Of course," Motobu replied, smiling. With that, he took the paper and left the old wooden house.
Motobu stepped lightly along the stone path, nodding and greeting to the townsfolk he passed. How this seaside town had grown since his boyhood days six decades prior. Where open meadows once sprawled now stood blocky concrete shops and houses.
Yet traces of the past remained if one knew where to look - like the ancient oak tree next to the shrine, now thicker and more gnarled. Motobu recalled playing in its dappled shade as a child. Even the wind carried memories upon it - the salt of the sea, the cry of wingulls, just the same as it ever was.
The faces were familiar too, if older. There was the baker, once a skinny youth when Motobu went to school with him, now with a prosperous paunch. And Gantetsu the pokeball craftsman, silver hair replacing raven black, still greeting Motobu cheerfully.
The retirees playing checkers outside the marketplace waved him over. "Master Kumite, tell us again of when ye journeyed to Kanto and beat up all those posers!" Chuckling, Motobu obliged with an abridged tale, then continued on his way.
He passed through the town square and its old fountain. The towering stone Lapras was as clean and mighty as 50 years prior when it was first erected. He lamented how fatigued he felt after this short walk, and he was only halfway to his destination. He rested on a bench watching the market.
The marketplace was lively at this hour, with tourists and locals alike bustling amongst the stalls and vendors. Motobu remembered a time when such foreign visitors were a rare sight here. Back when he was just a boy, the few who did make the ocean voyage wore ornate kimonos and traditional Johto garb. Nowadays tourists favor more modern attire from distant Unova and Kalos. How quickly the tides of fashion shifted.
Yet the Three Islanders largely kept to the old styles, including Motobu himself. He wore a comfortably worn hippari and pants made by his wife. The durable fabric was well-suited for training and meditation alike. Though he wished his granddaughter Azalea would wear the lovely floral kimonos Sakura had sewn for her. Alas, the girl vehemently refused.
Perhaps all the martial arts training has sapped the lass of her femininity—such a shame. I would have loved to meet my great-grandchildren.
Watching the market crowd, Motobu nodded greetings to the villagers he'd known since childhood. Some waved eagerly, others bowed respectfully to the master and elder. Despite the island's growth, its heart remained the same.
Near Hana's berry stall, Motobu noticed a peculiar sight - a bearded young man with unkempt hair wearing dirty Islander garb. A Dratini was draped casually around his shoulders. The man handed a heavy basket of berries to Hana, who took it eagerly.
Though dressed as a native, this youth was clearly an outsider. Yet the Dratini's calm, affectionate aura indicated a strong bond between them. Curious, Motobu reached out his senses.
Yes! This is the lad.
It was immediately apparent that this was the source of last night's ignited aura. The signs were there, a cleanly shaped aura whose light flickered like fire. Motobu could sense more. Behind the man's simple exterior, he sensed profound loss and turmoil still simmering. Here was a soul who had suffered greatly and recently.
What fate had brought ye to this island, he wondered. Motobu decided to observe him a while longer. There was more here than met the eye.
Daniel counted his payment. 602 Pokedollars for 86 Topo berries. This was an absurd amount of money. A full meal would cost him only around 5 Pokedollars. He could use this to leave the Sevii Islands and start a Pokemon journey! But then he remembered the price of Gantetsu's goods.
500 for a handcrafted pokeball. It's safe to assume that the in-game prices are accurate.
That means that a single standard pokeball would cost a third of his current funds. And he could forget about buying great balls or ultra balls.
At least the Pokemon Center is free. I think. I didn't actually get Lazuli checked out there. I guess I could do that today. I could also say hi to Eddie. How long did he say my trainer card would take?
Daniel wandered over to the open-air food court, following his nose as the scents of sizzling meats and oils enveloped him. Despite the early hour, the area was already abuzz with activity as vendors fired up grills, chopped vegetables, and prepared for the coming lunch rush.
Goddamn, I am hungry. I am going to feast today.
It was 10 AM according to the old clock post standing like a sentinel in the center of the array of wooden tables. The clock's once bright red paint had faded after years exposed to sun and salt air.
Most stalls were still in pre-service prep mode. Griddles heated up with a sizzle and pops sounded as grease hit the hot metal. Vendors diced, sliced, and chopped all manner of vegetables - peppers, onions, mushrooms - their knives making a rhythmic cacophony on wooden cutting boards. Skewers of meat, shellfish, and vegetables were assembled and laid out ready for the grill.
"I think we deserve a good meal Lazuli. You've been behaving very well in town today."
Lazuli joyfully bobbed her head, both from the praise and anticipation for lunch.
Daniel approached a stall that appeared to have opened despite the early hour. They were serving rice bowls with grilled meat on top. It was run by a pair of middle-aged couples in bandannas and local clothing. Daniel didn't hesitate.
"Can I get two pork belly bowls please?"
"Aye lad," said the lady at the register in a sweet voice. She gave Daniel a warm smile as she briskly tapped the keys of the old register with well-practiced fingers. It clattered noisily as it calculated his total. A moment later, the printer buzzed and spit out his order ticket, which the lady deftly snatched up without glancing over. With a flick of her wrist, she clipped it to a spinning wire cylinder overhead.
At the sizzling grill, the two men immediately set to work on Daniel's order. They plucked slabs of marinated pork belly from metal bins and slapped them onto the hot greased surface, sending up billows of smoke and the sound of searing meat. Beside them, another woman scooped steaming white rice into two ceramic bowls from a steaming pot nearly as large as herself.
Before long, Daniel was handed a red plastic tray loaded with two piping hot meals and a pair of disposable wooden chopsticks. The pungent, fatty aroma of perfectly charred pork belly immediately made his mouth water. After over three months of subsisting on fish, berries, and coconut, these expertly seasoned dishes smelled like manna from heaven.
"Thank you so much," Daniel said sincerely.
He carried the tray carefully through the sparsely populated food court in search of a place to sit. The tantalizing smell of his lunch continued tormenting his empty stomach, but he remained focused on teaching Lazuli discipline before digging in. She was eyeing the bowls intensely.
I guess she has no problems with trying new food.
Finding an empty table near the food stall, Daniel quickly ripped open his disposable chopsticks and grabbed one of the steaming bowls. He immediately began wolfing down the meal, barely chewing in his ravenous hunger.
"You can eat too, Lazuli," he said through a mouth half-full of rice and pork.
The Dratini needed no second invitation. She eagerly dug into the second bowl. The pork was perfectly charred on the outside, yet still juicy and tender within. Each piece was infused with a balance of salty, savory, and subtly sweet flavors from its marinade. Combined with the steaming white rice, it was an absolute delight.
This is absolutely divine. I should have prayed before eating, just like Grandma taught. Nah.
Daniel was so enraptured with eagerly devouring every morsel that he forgot he hadn't purchased a drink. In his singular focus on filling his empty stomach, he also failed to notice the approach of an old man who took the seat across from him. The bald, clean-shaven gentleman simply watched with an amused smile as Daniel continued to inhale his food oblivious to all else around him.
Only when the last grain of rice had been scraped clean did Daniel finally surface from his ravenous feasting. He froze in embarrassment when he saw the stranger sitting opposite him, who gave a small chuckle.
"My apologies, lad. I did not mean to interrupt yer meal. Ye were clearly famished," he said in an aged voice.
"Hey... uh, how long have you been there?"
"Not too long, lad. But where are my manners? Sneaking up on ye unannounced. My name is Motobu Kumite." Motobu extended his hand for a handshake.
Daniel wiped his hand off on his pants and shook it with Motobu's. "I'm Daniel, and this is Lazuli."
Motobu? Didn't Mister Ryoshi say something about Motobu?
He did indeed. After dropping him off on Three Island, Mister Ryoshi directed him to seek out Motobu, a martial arts master. He indicated that Motobu might be willing to take Daniel in as a student and presumably feed and house him.
"I think Mister Ryoshi told me about you", said Daniel.
"Ah, did he now? Now what did he have to say?" Motobu raised an eyebrow.
"Um... that you should... get off your ass and attend the festival", Daniel said, hesitating.
Motobu broke out into a hearty laugh. "Wahaha! If that lazy bastard would actually pick me up on time I might consider it!"
Daniel sat silently. How could he ask this man to house him? They were strangers and Daniel didn't think he had it in him to beg. He would sooner sleep in the woods again.
"Ah but I still haven't told ye why I've come up to ye," Motobu said, lowering his voice. "Ye see lad, I'm the 22nd head of the Ora-Ryu school of Seviian Kobudō, and I can tell ye got a pool of untapped potential. Ye just need someone to stir you up and ignite yer fighting spirit."
Daniel thought for a moment. Stir up and ignite his fighting spirit? Those words weren't throwaway lines, they were calculated. Daniel thought Motobu was hinting at something, at his latent aura abilities.
Can he tell just with a look? Was it a coincidence that he met me here today?
"Are you an aura guardian?" Daniel asked.
"I'm a little more than that, but I don't want to appear in the papers anymore so let's just keep it quiet fer now."
He wants to keep aura a secret. Why? Is there something wrong or dangerous about having these powers? What does this old man know?
Curious, Daniel stirred his aura. It took a few seconds, seconds spent in awkward silence as Lazuli licked her bowl clean, but Daniel did it. The old man's aura burned brighter than any other he had seen. Brighter than the Hypno, and perhaps brighter as all the Hoppip combined.
What the hell? Aura radiates from him like... like the sun!
He opened his eyes to see Motobu staring at him intently. As their gazes met, Motobu nodded in approval.
"Ye are the lad I was looking for. I'm sure ye have many questions. I can answer them if ye join me at my home."
"Why me? Are... people like us such a rarity?" Daniel asked.
Motobu sat back. "I can better answer yer questions at home, lad. Come over for lunch, ye look like ye still have room fer more."
Daniel's stomach growled, and he laughed nervously. "Hehe, I suppose I'll accept your offer."
"Great! As yer first training exercise, I'll have ye carry the groceries my wife asked me to get!"
Sitting on the deck outside her bedroom, Azalea watched Smoldering and Blaze playfully chase one another around the garden. The ponyta's flaming mane cast dancing firelight under the shade as he cantered by. Azalea took comfort in the familiar tatami mat floors and delicate shoji walls surrounding her - such welcome sights after weeks spent in a cramped student dorm. This house embodied her childhood, filled with memories both happy and sad. Part of her longed to hold onto those memories forever. But another part now planned to leave it all behind.
Why can't Grandpa understand? I'm not like him. I'm a Pokemon trainer. And man did I enjoy training Blaze.
Blaze was a Chimchar bred and conditioned for battling. Azalea had earned the right to receive her as a sponsored Pokémon by placing third in her senior class rankings. She also secured a coveted Sinnoh League sponsorship along with Blaze, granting special benefits once she graduated. Technically none of it yet belonged to her – training Blaze during the semester was her final test. But Azalea remained confident; her hard work had almost guaranteed her dreams would come true after graduation. For now, she enjoyed watching the feisty Chimchar scamper around the garden, picturing the victories they would share.
We could compete in the Sinnoh Conference after a single season. Two if I wanna take my time. I'd only be gone like a year or two.
Graduation marked the perfect chance to escape. The first deposit of sponsorship funds would hit her account a week later - plenty to book passage to Sinnoh. With her grandparents remaining on Three Island, no one would be there to prevent her from leaving. The wide-open vistas of Sinnoh called to her; she could practically smell the fresh mountain air. This was her chance to finally experience true freedom beyond the confines of the Sevii Islands. The timing aligned flawlessly, fate itself urging her to seize the opportunity.
Grandma Sakura approached Azalea with some tea. "How are ye faring, Lee-Lee?"
Azalea silently accepted the tea, her orange eyes downcast. Confessing her plan to flee felt unthinkable under her grandmother's loving gaze. The longing for freedom still smoldered within, yet loyalty gave her pause. For now, she swallowed back the words on her tongue, the bitter taste of secrecy her punishment.
"Yer grandfather's just being silly. He cares about and loves ye just as much as I do."
"Are you sure about that?" Azalea said bitterly.
"Of course, Lee-Lee."
"Then why did he call me and my dreams stupid?" Azalea said, bursting with anger. "He said it was my duty to be the next head of Ora-Ryu. Well, I don't want that!"
Grandma knelt down and hugged her granddaughter. "I'm sorry he said that. He's just an old fool that doesn't know what he has to lose."
Azalea's will faltered in her grandma's arms. She and Grandpa were the only family she had left. Could she really abandon them? That would make her no better than her parents.
The two separated. "I... I still wanna go to Sinnoh. Can't you convince him to let me go?" Azalea said, her voice unsure.
"I've been doing my best. But he ran off into town before I could knock some sense into him." Replied grandma.
"What's he getting in town?"
"Oh, he said something about fetching a new student. Said it was a surprise to him, so the man must have had some sort of vision or whatnot. Perhaps I shouldn't have let him off the hook so easily."
A new student? Grandpa hasn't taken any new students in years. The last student he took in was her dad, and that didn't end well.
"This new guy, he's got an ignited aura, right?" Azalea asked.
"You two would know better than me. But I assume so."
At her grandmother's news, hope bloomed in Azalea's heart. For years, her dreams played second fiddle to upholding the Ora-Ryu legacy. But a new heir apparent could finally free her to travel as a trainer. Visions of gym battles danced in her mind, unencumbered by generations of expectation. She dared not seem overeager, though giddy excitement bubbled within.
Grandpa doesn't need me. I would make a terrible master, that's why he's getting someone else! Ah, this is perfect.
"Grandma, tell Grandpa that I haven't changed my mind. I'm going to Sinnoh whether he allows it or not." Azalea said with a renewed vigor.
"Now, lassie we don't know if this new student possesses the right abilities or even if he would want to take yer place as the heir", said Grandma, emphasizing Azalea's role.
"It'll be fine. Grandpa gets a new heir, and I get to travel to Sinnoh. We both win!" Azalea stood up and began packing her bags. She could return to school knowing that Ora-Ryu was in good hands.
"Lee-Lee, ye should talk to yer grandfather again. Before you do anything hasty."
"Don't worry, grandma. I'll send you a postcard every week. Hey, Blaze keep your flames under control!" Azalea ran into the garden and stomped out a smoldering flowerbed.
"Sorry Grandma," Azalea said as she bowed. She returned Blaze to her pokeball. "I'll be out of your hair tonight."
"But spring break lasts another three days," Grandma replied. She had a sad look on her face.
"I should get back to training Blaze. She obviously needs it."
Though apprehensive, Azalea knew lingering would only make leaving harder. She would deeply miss her grandmother's loving presence. But the siren call of adventure beckoned - too sweet an opportunity to ignore after years of tireless work and sacrifice. Forgoing friendships, and pushing through sleepless nights, all while concealing her true feelings about martial arts. The time had come to seize the fruits of her labor.
Everything will work out fine, she thought.
Hooray, teenage angst! I hope Azalea's feelings about martial arts come off as complicated rather than contradictory. I write these week by week, and sometimes I get lost. For example, I don't know if I've actually described how exactly Azalea looks. I've dropped hints (I think) on how she might look, but not any explicit description.
Thanks for reading!