"What is this place?"
Grayson's voice echoed throughout the box-like room. Atena gazed about in a moment of wonder. Several entryways led to other parts of this place, which was carved out of the side of the mountain.
"An old monastery," Chuck chuckled (how fitting). "Who or what it used to belong to is ancient history, but this place has remained standing for a few hundred years. We call it the 'Temple to Suicune.'"
"So it's a Suicune shrine?" Gray asked, turning to Chuck as the rescued citizens moved past them, filling the monastery.
"Uh, no," Chuck scratched the back of his head. "Suicune just happens to be the only Pokémon ever seen around here. Wild Pokémon seem to avoid it."
Atena frowned, turning to look at the old man. [What is the cause of that? Wild Pokémon will avoid a place they know to be unnatural.]
Chuck shrugged.
The gardevoir turned her attention toward her boyfriend. [This may not be a good idea. This place could be abandoned and avoided for a reason.]
She could sense Grayson agreed with her caution, but he held hesitation. [Where else would we send them?] he asked. [They're wanted fugitives now.]
Atena pursed her lips, and turned her gaze away to think. She could think of nothing, not in regards to Cianwood. The only alternative would be hiding in the wilderness, without shelter. Still, this place didn't seem right. She wasn't picking up any negative energies, but something was still… off.
"Whatever's the matter with this place, I can handle it!" Chuck laughed and gave a thumbs up. "You kids got a place you need to be! Don't worry about us."
"No offense, Chuck," Gray turned to the old man. "But Atena and I aren't really the type to ignore something like this. Is it all right if we investigate the monastery?"
The gym leader offered a shrug. "Go ahead, I don't own it."
[Thank you,] Atena nodded to Chuck, before she began to drift around the gathering camp of fugitives, gliding through one of the archways as Gray followed her.
[Do you feel anything?] the trainer asked.
[Nothing,] Atena admitted, pausing in the second room. It was much like the first, but longer. Empty basins for fire lined the walls on either side. [If only Suicune comes near this place, then either it is theirs, it is sacred, or it is too dangerous for anything less than a legendary. Or all the above.]
[Meaning we don't stand a chance, probably,] Grayson pointed out.
Atena gave a small nod. [Meaning none of them do, either. It would be wrong to not investigate and make sure it's safe for them. Otherwise we'll trade them one prison for a potential other.]
Once more, she could sense his agreement.
This room led into another, wider room where a row of faded, dusty fabric greeted them. Seats, where important people would be positioned. This was some kind of chamber for the leaders of the monastery, Atena guessed. However, this room led nowhere else. Casting Magical Fire, the gardevoir ignited the basins within the room. She could see nor sense any sort of power, secret doors, anything of the sort.
With a small, audible "hm," she turned and left the room behind to return to the main lobby where everyone was congregating (igniting the basins along the way), going down another direction this time. A similar hallway as before, where she also ignited these basins.
The following room was the largest yet, and it vaguely reminded Atena of both a warehouse, and a tea shop. An odd combination. Corroding round tables sat about, some with cracked and dusty porcelain dishes atop them. If they had ever had anything edible left atop, it had long since disappeared.
Strangely, it seemed almost as if the monks that had originally been here had just… left one day. It further cemented her unease about this place.
Yet as minutes turned to hours, Atena was finding nothing. The monastery didn't offer much more outside of the rooms visited. Another large room with beds, another that seemed to be for meditation and training, and a small room with a hole in the corner floor for private waste disposal. She wondered back and forth through the entire "Temple of Suicune" more than once, Grayson following her lead the entire time. She could sense his uncertainty with each lap, before finally, he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
[Maybe we're wrong,] he thought. [Maybe we're reading too much into it.]
[I know there's something wrong with this place,] Atena insisted.
Gray shrugged. [You can't sense it, we can't see anything new. What else can we do?]
Atena let out a sigh as she briefly looked about the room they were in- back in the tearoom. [There has to be something we missed. I mean, look at this place. It hasn't been touched in hundreds of years if Chuck's timescale was accurate. But no wildlife? Nature certainly hasn't seeped in. And look at these tables. It's like the monks just left one day.]
[It's weird, yeah, I don't disagree with that,] Gray put his other hand on her other shoulder, squeezing gently in reassurance. [But we're just running in circles. Maybe whatever happened here is long gone now, and nature just avoids it on principle.]
She could feel her shoulders relax under his grip, and closed her eyes, savoring the tender touch. Her mind, however, was not so easily put at ease. [That sounds ridiculous.]
[So does our original theory,] Grayson chuckled. [It's starting to get dark, so maybe we should just try to get some rest.]
His thumbs rubbed into her shoulders, and Atena could feel her body relaxing further at his simple, yet effective massage. Letting out a sigh, she moved closer to him and leaned her head against his chest. His arms moved around her, embracing her.
[I think I was just really hoping for something… else, for a change,] Atena's mental voice sounded exasperated. [All of this Rinsik stuff… and then there was a proper Pokémon-related mystery. I thought it would be nice to experience something familiar, and fun again.]
She found her arms around him, pulling him tighter against her. His musk was strong this close. Maybe it wasn't supposed to be a good scent, but she really liked how heavy, and how… him, it was.
[I know what you mean,] Grayson's mental voice too had taken on an exhausted quality. [It's like the whole world's been turned upside-down. But there's something good we can find in it.]
Atena pulled her head back, tilting it up to look at her boyfriend. [Is there?]
She could tell that little twinkle in his eye meant one thing: he was about to say something super cheesy, and she was going to love it anyway. [Each other.]
[That was duuumb,] the gardevoir grinned. [And it doesn't even make sense, we already have each other.]
[Then I've got a better line,] Grayson smirked. [Rinsik's taken away a lot, but they won't take what we have.]
[Dork. Also cheesy… but very sweet…] Atena could feel herself leaning in. His face, too, was nearing her own.
[You know me… when I get to feeling romantical...]
"Gray!"
Atena's breath hitched in her throat. Their lips had been a hairsbreadth apart when Chuck's booming voice called from the main room. She and Grayson immediately pulled away from each other, reminded they weren't in any sort of private space. That had been stupid, they couldn't risk flaunting their relationship like that, not with so many people around…
Gray cleared his throat, and Atena could feel his heart hammering for a moment before she stepped away and he turned around. "Chuck?"
The old man was eyeing the both of them, and Atena didn't need to read his thoughts to know he'd seen more than enough to come to accurate conclusions. However, he instead motioned them over. "I found somethin' you'll both wanna see."
Atena shared a look with her boyfriend before they approached Chuck, the gym leader turning around and leading them out of the monastery.
[He saw, he knows,] Atena tried not to sound too worried when she sent her mental message to Gray.
[He thinks he knows,] Gray replied. [We'll just deny it. We're best friends, best friends can hug.]
[And if he doesn't believe it?]
[He'll have to.]
Gray seemed so sure of it. Chuck led them down the mountain path they'd taken to reach the monastery, before he stopped, turning to a patch of trees to his left. "Something reeaal interesting through here," the old man told them.
Pushing through branches and bushes, Chuck led the way down what vaguely resembled a path. One that had been grown over, but bits of stone protruding from the earth emphasized this used to be a curated trail of some sort. Being just outside of the monastery, they were likely related. Grayson was in the middle as Atena took the rear, following the men until the dense foliage gave way to an opening.
Peering from around Gray, Atena's eyes widened when she realized what she was looking at.
A shrine.
A lone statue sat in the middle of the clearing, resembling something like a lion… or a dragon… its cube-like totem form condensed its features into a fearsome, blocky aesthetic, with large eyes glaring back at them. Behind the statue was a carving out of the mountain, which rose steeply upward: a mural. Strange symbols were carved across its surface, though none of them the gardevoir recognized. An ancient language.
"Think this will answer any of your questions?" Chuck asked, stepping to the side to let Gray and Atena wander further into the shrine.
"Maybe… Atena?" Gray asked.
She didn't answer, not right away. Her gaze was fixated on the mural as she approached it, trying to make sense of the curves and lines that made up some shapes. Time had worn so much of the imagery away, and it was getting too dark to see too much. Getting an idea (a rather complex one), Atena raised her hand and summoned a psychic barrier. She tried to make it weaker, more pliable, like dough, taking away from its defensive elements.
Stretching it to be the size of the mural, Atena pressed it against the stone, forcing the barrier to seep against the cracks and carvings, and when she pulled her glowing barrier away…
Well, it was probably more efficient than using charcoal and paper. Only downside was that this barrier wouldn't last forever.
Staring at her easier-to-see replication, Atena walked from end to end, hardening the barrier again to solidify its shape before running her hand over the lines and grooves.
"What do you see?" Gray asked.
[A war…] Atena projected her thoughts to both of them, tracing one of the lines for a moment, before she stepped away and looked at the statue. [See that?]
Pointing to the etching she'd just traced, Atena grinned brightly. [That's our statuesque friend, here. And he…] the gardevoir moved her hand, following another carving, this one more intricate and somehow imposing. [Was a servant of Giratina.]
Looking back at Gray, she could see him blinking as he slowly started to draw the pieces of the puzzle she was laying out for him. "The war between Arceus and Giratina?"
Atena nodded eagerly. [This… General of Giratina, seems to have been his right-hand man. His name is etched here, but, I can't read this.]
"Oh man," Gray's grin stretched as wide as hers. "This is cool."
Atena beamed at him. Grayson removed his backpack and took out his dex, using one of its functions to trace the strange symbols down. Once he was done, Atena severed the barrier, and it vanished. It was a little darker than before.
"Arceus and Giratina fought their war in Sinnoh," Chuck spoke up. "What's this doing way out here in Johto?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Gray shrugged.
Atena approached the stone wall again. Maybe this couldn't explain what had happened to the monastery, but it was still very interesting, nonetheless. Another distraction from all the Rinsik bullshit they'd been dealing with.
However, when Atena placed her hand upon the stone, to trace one of the carvings again, she finally felt it: the thing she'd been waiting for.
A dark energy, swelling up from he rock so rapidly that it felt as though it was scalding her hand with the mere touch. Letting out a sharp gasp, Atena pulled her hand away and slowly hovered back, staring at the mural in concern and intrigue.
"What's wrong?" Gray moved to her side, then followed her gaze. "A sharp rock?"
[No, it's…] she struggled to describe what it was she was feeling. What that brief darkness could have meant. Turning her gaze, she looked again at the statue. [The stone is… alive.]
[…Alive!?] Gray appeared incredulous.
[Not… in the traditional sense,] Atena elaborated, rapidly trying to figure it out in her mind first. [It's almost like this general of Giratina is… inside of it.]
Blinking a few times, Grayson cleared his throat. "Alright, uh, that's probably our cue to… get the fuck away from this shrine, yeah?"
Atena tore her gaze away from the statue, but she could feel a pull from the mural, as though it were begging her to look at it again. She didn't, instead nodding. [Chuck, do not let anyone come in contact with this mural. It is dangerous.]
Chuck didn't seem to fully understand what was happening, but nodded nonetheless. This time, Atena took the lead, gliding back onto the mountain pass. Once she emerged, she felt like she could breathe again. Until now, she hadn't even realized an oppressive atmosphere had fallen over them. It had been so subtle.
"Whoa…" Gray muttered, feeling the veil lift as well when he followed her out. "So what was that whole shrine about, anyway? The monks here… worshiped Giratina's general?"
[A part of me thinks that it's the reason they're not here anymore,] Atena replied. [I can't imagine they would worship him, though.]
Shaking his head with a slight shudder, Grayson shook his arms as though waving the dark presence away. "Alright, well, never doing that again. At least I snapped a pic of those carvings!"
Atena looked back as Chuck emerged from the forest, and he himself breathed in relief. The shrine, she could still feel its beck and call. Her discomfort increased. She wanted to put as much distance from that thing as possible. [Yeah. Let's get out of here.]
Gray and Chuck had no qualms about that suggestion, the three making their way back up the path as Atena stewed over what they'd just experienced. However, once they neared the monastery's entrance, Chuck said a loud 'ahem' to get their attention.
Turning, Atena raised a brow. The sun had set by now, and with the moon in the sky, everything was bathed in an ambient blue glow. She felt a little cold, and was thankful for her hoodie.
"So uh, before we head back in, while we're still alone…" Chuck began. "N-Now listen, it's none of my business what ya get up to and who ya get up to with, Gray, but… you know we have laws for a reason, right?"
Atena lifted her gaze to Gray, who appeared far less confident about this than he had earlier. "…Yeah. I'm sure, I just… that's… I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh come on, don't insult me," Chuck shook his head. "Do I look that damn gullible to you?"
Atena took a moment to look at the old man, from his tattered shoes to his shorts, to his bulging belly, to his big white beard and lackluster hair. She decided not to answer that question.
"Chuck, I've… I already gave this loads of thought when… it began," Grayson insisted. "She's not some… animal. I mean, you just saw her deduce some mural we both were stumped by. She's the smartest person I know, and-"
Chuck raised a hand for him to stop. "Like I said, it's none of my business. Just as long as you know the risks."
Gray seemed floored for a moment, so Atena spoke for him. [You're not going to… do something about it?]
"Hah! Why should I?" Chuck's laugh made his belly shake. "This is somethin' every trainer goes through, part of the natural process that nobody's comfortable talkin' about. I went through it. I'm sure mosta the kids that've come through my gym have experienced it at some point."
"Y-You!?" Gray's eyes widened. "You… copulated with a Pokémon?"
Chuck paused, looked at Gray, then Atena, and gave a nervous chuckle. "Uh… oh. I thought we were talking about kissing…"
Atena and Grayson were nonplussed, but Chuck recovered quickly. "Doesn't matter. Like you said, she's smart. You're consenting adults, so far as I'm concerned, you should be free to love who you love. Within reason. Just try and keep it a little more private, yeah? Not everyone's as understanding as ol' Chuck!"
It was Gray's turn to give a nervous chuckle before rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah. We… got a little… caught up in the moment."
"Well, try not to do any 'copulating' when you have another moment in public," Chuck poked Gray's belly, before he laughed, then strode past them into the monastery.
Gray and Atena were left standing in the moonlight for several long moments, before they turned to look at one another. [Well,] Atena swallowed. [That could have gone worse.]
[Much worse,] Grayson agreed. [I wonder what Pokémon he's kissed before.]
[Probably a Machamp,] Atena grinned, earning an involuntary snort from her boyfriend.
[Yeah!] He laughed out loud. [Probably!]
Feeling in higher spirits, the two followed Chuck back into the monastery, but as Atena crossed the threshold not the interior, she paused, glancing back in the direction of the shrine. She could not feel its pull from here… but the fact it was still there was making her skin crawl.
She was thankful they were leaving tomorrow.
Atena had probably shaken every person's hand in this monastery twice now. Why couldn't they have done this yesterday? Atena gave another smile to yet someone else as they shook her hand in thanks.
She and Gray were trying to leave the monastery to meet with Chuck and the friend he'd mentioned. Once the fugitives learned their rescuers were leaving, they'd flocked to the local 'heroes' to give them their thanks. As it turns out, that involved a lot of handshaking.
Once they finally stumbled their way outside, they took a moment to straighten their clothing. [I thought that would never be over,] Gray thought.
[I know,] Atena gave a small laugh in exasperation. They could already see Chuck and his friend down the trail a ways, so covering the distance to them was a trivial matter.
"My friends, this is Professor Redwood," Chuck splayed his arms wide as he gestured to his companion.
Atena cocked her head in slight surprise. She hadn't expected a professor, and the tree-related name denoted a higher status than most researchers. All major professor's had tree names. It was probably a law, somewhere.
Professor Redwood was a tall and thin man, wearing a business-like vest over a long-sleeved white collared button-up shirt, tucked into his brown slacks. His white hair was combed over a bald spot on his head, and his eyes were shielded behind a thick pair of glasses that were tinted in the sunlight. He was a lean, scrawny old guy, that much was certain. Practically the polar opposite of Chuck.
"Edmund will suffice as well," Redwood dipped his head in greeting. Atena felt a surprisingly strong sense of gratitude that he didn't extend his hand for a shake.
"I'm Grayson, this is Atena," Gray gestured to himself, then the gardevoir beside him. "Chuck said you had a way to get us to Sinnoh."
"Indeed," Redwood confirmed. His voice was a weathered rumble. It reminded Atena of gravel. "My Lapras can provide you safe transport. She's fast, dependable, and sturdy."
He procured a pokéball from one of his pockets, then enlarged it to its normal size before holding it out.
"You're just… parting with her?" Grayson asked, confused.
"I'm old," Redwood scoffed. "She's seen me through thick and thin… but I'm too feeble to accept her ferry any longer. She has many years left in her, and she needs to be back in the water. The life she deserves is one I can no longer provide."
Gray swallowed. "But… you don't know me."
"Chuck trusts you. You and your team freed us from Rinsik. You want to join the fight against them. You need to get to Sinnoh to do that," Redwood rattled off. "Or I could just keep her confined and not help you at all, if that's what you really prefer."
"I-" Gray cleared his throat. "I just… can't understand how you can… give away a close companion like that."
"This isn't sudden," Redwood noted. "She and I have been prepared for this for years. I've already said my goodbyes… please, take her and put the sea back on her belly. Return the wind to her shell. Her name is Lunara."
Hesitant, Grayson finally reached out and accepted the pokéball, staring down at it for a moment before he looked back up at Edmund. "Thank you, Edmund. I'll take good care of her."
"You better, she'll be a real pain if not!" Redwood laughed. "Good luck. Take down Rinsik if you can. They're vile… and whatever they're planning, it can only be more villainy."
Tucking away the pokéball, Grayson nodded at the old man. "We'll do our best."
"Good luck, kids. And try not to get caught!" Chuck winked. Atena barely kept herself from rolling her eyes at the double meaning.
And finally… they were alone again. An almost jarring transition after having been surrounded by people constantly since they'd raided the museum.
Atena hovered by Gray's side as they went down the mountain path, headed not towards Cianwood City, but planning to detour to the beach in a non-civilized part of the island. It would enable a clean getaway, and hopefully leave them free to reach Sinnoh unimpeded.
Grayson seemed preoccupied. His eyes were distant. She knew he was thinking about the Lapras.
[Do you want to talk about it?] Atena asked.
His eyes focused, and he glanced toward her, before he pulled out the ball and looked it over. [It feels heavier than most pokéballs.]
[Well, it has a Lapras inside.]
[Har har,] Gray smirked slightly. [You know what I mean. The last time I was given a Pokémon, it was Ares. He was just a torchic, and for a long time, my only real friend. And then my group of friends expanded as I met more of you. I never thought I'd get as close to any of you as I was with Ares… but you managed it. You were so persistent to evolve, and honestly, your determination was… inspiring. Maybe I started loving you then and didn't realize, or maybe that didn't come until later. I'm… getting sidetracked. Anyway… aside from Ares, I've been the one to build my team. To work on a foundation of friendship and trust from virtually the ground up. But this Lapras… Lunara…]
Gray held it up at eye level. [She's had so many adventures. She's watched her trainer grow old. Her lifelong friend… and now she's with strangers. I'd be heartbroken if I were her. It feels wrong, to accept responsibility over a Pokémon like this.]
[And she no doubt is,] Atena thought. [Redwood, too. But like he said, they've planned for this, said their goodbyes… Lapras have long lifespans. You and I will be old by the time she's in her twilight years, I imagine. I doubt Redwood would have given her to us if she wouldn't be willing to help… or part ways.]
Gray didn't respond right away, instead staring at the ball for a couple more moments before he tucked it away and sighed. [I don't think I could do it,] he admitted. [Just… handing any of you off to a stranger, no matter what they've done… it'd kill me.]
[Best not dwell on that concept, then,] the gardevoir advised. [There's any number of variables to such a situation. There's no use in thinking like that.]
[Yeah…] Grayson nodded. [You're right. You're always right.]
Atena winked at him. [I try.]
Their trek down the mountain wasn't very arduous- the two were highly accustomed to hiking, after all. Well, Grayson more. As a gardevoir, Atena could simply hover all over the place. They wound down into a valley, and followed a stream through to the beach, glistening water reflecting the sunlight.
The pair stopped for a moment to simply stare. They were never the type to pass up a good view. Their silence was a comfortable one as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder, watching the waves lap at the sandy shore, and the sparkles flashing in the distant waters.
The wind pushed at them from behind, carried down to the waves. Gray was the first to sit, dropping himself to the ground before he stretched his legs out and laid down, placing his hands behind his head. Atena looked at him, before she sat down beside him.
[Nap time already?] she teased.
[Nah,] Gray scoffed with a smirk. [Just… taking in the moment. This might be our last chance to really be alone for a while.]
Atena thought about that, before she laid down beside him. The sun angled above them cast its warm rays, and the gardevoir closed her eyes. [A Lapras for company on the trip… and then linking up with the Rinsik Resistance.]
[Exactly,] Gray confirmed. [I just want to enjoy this for a bit.]
A smile drifted over Atena's face, before she turned herself onto her side, leaning into Grayson as she put a hand on his chest, and pressed her head against his bicep. [That massage last night was… pretty great,] she said after a few minutes.
[Oh yeah?] Gray opened one eye to look down at her. [Is that a request for another?]
[Hm, maybe later…] the gardevoir traced a finger up his sternum slowly, not unlike how she'd traced the patterns of the mural before. [I was thinking I could give you one, instead.]
[With those dainty hands?]
Atena raised her head and pouted. [They're not dainty! I'm just… petite.]
[Apparently I'm into that,] Grayson smirked at her, and Atena felt blood flush to her cheeks, before she quickly leaned in and pressed her lips against his. At the contact, she let out a small sigh, and leaned further against him as her tracing hand found his cheek, cupping it while she gave his lower lip a small nibble.
His hands moved out from under his head, one wrapping around her middle as his other grabbed her thigh, which was now draped over his hip. After a couple of moments, Atena pulled her face from his, her eyes connecting with his. [A part of me still finds this so… impossible to believe.]
[What? Us?]
[Yes, us,] Atena confirmed. [I spent years pining for you… I had always assumed you would never be within reach. Not like this…]
[I wasn't, really,] Grayson admitted. [I had thoughts, of course, but I never humored them. Not until you kissed me.]
Atena pushed herself to be fully on top of Grayson, her empathy horn pressing against his sternum, bending a bit at the weight. He could feel the emotion in Atena with this connection, the unadulterated passion she bore for him. [Gray. I love you.]
His eyes stared back into hers, and his smile widened a little bit more. [I love you, Atena.]
Their lips connected once more, and Atena drew in his scent deeply. She loved his musk. It was so intoxicating. Both her hands were cupping his jaw, pulling his head gently against hers as their lips danced together in a unique embrace of their own. She could feel a hardness forming beneath his pants, pressing against her thigh. Her underwear was getting wet, and for a second time, she pulled away, more breathless now.
[I'm going to give you that massage I promised,] she pulled further away, sliding off of him. [We're supposed to be making up for lost time, anyway, remember?]
[How can I forget…] Gray watched her as she moved further away, inch by inch, appearing uncertain of her next move. [What are you… doing…?]
[Remember our first time doing something naughty?] the gardevoir was wearing a sultry grin. [Most nights I'll think about it… your face between my legs. Your tongue… inside me…]
She was speaking slowly and deliberately, her words clearly rousing Gray as his own face began to flush. [Uh…]
[I haven't returned the favor yet,] Atena teased, her right hand grasping his pants waistline. [Do you want me to?]
[Atena…] Gray seemed hesitant.
[Come on, it's already been in my pussy, Gray, I can manage it somewhere else.]
[Atena,] Gray repeated. [We haven't cleaned up in days.]
The gardevoir paused, having been a moment away from tugging down his pants. She looked away for a moment, before pursing he lips. [I see your point.]
[Yeah…] the human chuckled nervously. [I'm… I really want to… you know, do that… but… knowing you, it just isn't a good idea until we wash up.]
[Well… shit.] Atena plopped back down beside him, a little deflated. [I was going to tease the hell out of you. It was going to be fun, and sexy, and… now I'm really horny…]
[Atena.]
She looked up at his face. [What?]
[It's a little salty but… we've got an ocean to use…] he grinned, a glint in his eye.
Atena blinked, slowly looking toward the shoreline, then back up to Gray. [Undress, now.]