JOHN POV
I woke up with a groan. My head hurts. I tried to move only to feel pain in my back. I yell out, scaring a couple curious pokemon. With a growl I force myself to sit up. Sliding off my pack and letting it sit on the ground.
Dad's training kicked in.
"Take measure of your surroundings. If it is safe, first check yourself for wounds. You can't do anything if you will just bleed out."
I do that, looking around. The pain in my head making any movement makes the world spin. I saw my pack. There was a small amount of blood near the top. I reach up and touch my head feeling the dried remains of a cut on the back of my head.
"If there is nothing that will be either life threatening or hamper your movement check on your teammates if any."
I snap to attention.
'My sisters!'
I look around, finally seeing the damage in the area. A toppled tree, slide marks in the dirt, battle scars in the land from various attacks. But no drag marks, and none of my little sisters. My heart sank painfully.
"Where are they?" I mumble, struggling to stand. I checked my thigh, the balls were still there but they buzzed empty when I tried to open them. They were not returned.
"Don't let your emotions run. That leads to panic and failure."
I took deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. But my heart would not stop racing. No matter how hard I tried. I looked around and started to collect my things. Finding my bow in some bushes. It was undamaged, lucky for me.
It would be hard to use with my injured back so I put it away. I checked the rest of my gear, my mind slowly remembering what I should be doing. Arm guards and shin guards were still there. I then called out to my sisters. Hoping to see them run to me. I was greeted with silence.
I tried to stay calm but no matter how I looked I couldn't find a trail. It's like they just vanished. Then I remembered the beach shack. The owner said that there were reports of a group of Gardevoirs and Gallades in the forest. Did they-
[Yes and if you want to see them again you will leave. The little one stays with us theif.]
My thoughts were interrupted by a masculine voice in my head. I whipped my head around. Seeing who spoke, who read my mind. My vision turned red as I growled.
"Give them back!"
POV OPAL
"LET GO OF ME!" I screamed, being rewarded by the feeling of grass rushing into my face. I pushed myself to my hands and knees, looking around. I was in a different part of the forest. A Gallade had shown up and attacked John. The three of us were scared and tried to fight back but we were out matched.
"Wait there little one." The Gallade started to walk away with Sapphire and Ruby still under his arms.
"Stop!" I sent out a psychic wave. He stepped to the side, avoiding it.
"Stop being a brat!"
"Where are you taking my sisters?" I screamed, rushing to my feet. Sending another psychic blast at the Gallade. With a twitch of his head my attack was dispersed.
"Stop it. We are trying to save you."
"Save me!? You attacked my family!" I screamed.
"These are not your family. We are." He tried to walk away again. I wouldn't let him. With all my strength I summoned the swift stars and set them flying. He dodged a few but the rest hit home hurting him.
"You little-!" He stopped mid sentence as the ones he dodged turned and slammed into the back of his head. Making him drop Sapphire and Ruby.
The Gallade growled as he straightened his back after the hit. His face contorted in rage.
"You Stupid little Nemaka. If you want them so bad. Then stay here." He waved his hand and I was slammed into the ground. The world turned black.
When I came too I was laying on something soft.
"Oh thank goodness you're awake little princess." The voice was that of a gardevoir. I shot up, my head started to throb. I tried my best to ignore it. But I couldn't stop myself from holding the side of my head with one hand. The other I held in the semblance of a fighting stance.
"Oh no dear. No need for that." The voice was soothing but I knew the situation. My vision was swimming. All I could see was a mass of white with green. Something was off.
"Where, where are my sisters?" I stumbled over my words at the start.
"They are fine. I am having them rest. My son did quite the number on you three. That trainer must have been awful for him to bring those not of our kind."
I flinched at John, my brother, being called an awful trainer. I lashed out with my fist. Unable to conjure any moves due to the pain.
"My John is the best trainer!" My fist connected but I lost my balance and fell down. "He has been there since we all hatched." My eyes burned. "He is my brother."
There was silence for a while. Then I could feel a pressure in my mind. It wasn't the pain. Then I realized. "Get out of my head!" I screamed, clutching the sides of my head as if that would keep her out.
The Gardevoir yelped as I released that 'feedback' that John described when touching my horns.
"What is that dear?"
"Stay out of my head!" I was angry and scared. John and I had a rule. No reading minds. Now I understand why.
"I just want to see him."
"No!" I yell again.
There was silence. I panted, trying to rein in my emotions. They were all over the place. I couldn't even take a proper deep breath. It was then I could feel a comforting warmth.
"What are you doing?"
"Healing you. Maybe we can just talk. My son only told me about finding a trainer with a blue child."
"Your son is an asshole." I growled.
"Well, I learned you have a foul mouth."
"Doesn't make what I said any less true." I shot back. My vision came back as the migraine went away. What I saw made my jaw drop. In front of me was the largest Gardevoir I had ever seen. We are at most 5' 9" but even kneeling with her dress pleats splayed out she was easily 6 feet tall. I did some quick guess work using her pleats. Her total height could be at least 10 feet tall if not taller.
"You… you…." I couldn't find the words.
The Gardevoir smiled. "I know, I am tall. All the children we save say that."
That remark brought me back. "You didn't save me. You pokenapped me!"
The gardevoir tilted her large head confused. Her long hair let flowers that adorned it to fall as it moved with her.
"What do you mean? You were forced to be with him. Moonblade told me he hit you."
Again I was left in shock. "If that is your son he lied to you. My John would never do that unless we are training. Even then he only touches me to show he got through my defense."
"Isn't that abuse? To force you to fight?"
"I want to. We dream of becoming champions. Just the four of us." I looked around for Sapphire and Ruby, finding them using the Gardevoir's massive pleats as beds. I ran over to check on them.
The Gardevoir was silent for a time while I checked them. "There are no lies in your words. But you keep calling your trainer 'My John'. Why?"
I was startled by her words. Was I really? No, he is my brother. There is no way.
"I was not. He is my brother. I was saying, my brother." My chest tightened when I said that. By Arceus what is going on with me. This is not the time.
"Well I guess my son and I are going to have a talk when he gets back from your 'brother'."
I froze, realization kicking in. "Wait, he went back?"
The gardevoir nodded. "Yes. He was to tell him to leave the forest before we returned these two." She motioned her hand to Sapphire and Ruby.
"Oh no." I stood up ready to run when five more Gallades appeared to stop me.
"Get out of my way I need to go to him."
"Sorry little princess, we are here to keep everyone in the clan and White Spring safe." The biggest of them said. A scar on his side showing he has fought with his life on the line before. "I will say I am sorry for my offspring's mistake."
I was in a panic, trying to push past. "You don't get it. He will hurt your son if he finds me gone!"
There were chuckles all around.
"A human cannot beat a pokemon by themselves. They are too fragile." White Spring, the Gardevoir, said.
"You don't know my brother." I made sure to say brother that time. My voice grim to the situation.
"Worry not. Everything will be fine. Sit and relax. I will return you three to him when he leaves the woods."
I looked at the final evolutions of my species. All of them are ready to stop me with ease. With a sigh I gave up. Sinking to my knees in a patch of grass close to Sapphire and Ruby.
After an hour the two woke up. I was telling a recently hatched Ralts how to lift objects. She was so small. When I saw Sapphire and Ruby stirring I ran over. Telling the Ralts to keep trying.
The two were scared when they saw that they were taken too. They asked so many questions that I got dizzy. In the end they calmed down and we huddled together. The ralts had gotten the hang of using their powers they ran off to somewhere. Leaving us alone
"When are we going to see John?" Ruby asked, laying her head on her paws.
"I don't know." I sighed, worried for him and those around us.
"Your just worried because you-"
"ENOUGH!" I cut Sapphire's goading off. "Did you forget the situation we are in? We are hostages and you know personally how John gets when we are involved!" I was angry and yelled at Sapphire.
Sapphire's ears drooped. "Sorry, I was just trying to make you smile."
"This is not the time for that." I sighed. "I hope John is ok." I held my hands to my chest. There was what felt like a knot in there.
"Don't worry so much. John is a hunter. He will come get us." Ruby said, brushing her tail against my face. She was always there when things were tough. Both John and I loved how fluffy she was. I hugged her burying my face in her fur. Sapphire joined us.
While we were like that I could hear a flurry of activity. Looking up I saw the older Gallade marching up to us. He looked enraged.
"You!" He psychically pushed Sapphire and Ruby away. Both of them protested against it. Then he picked me up. My body froze in his power's grasp.
"What is your trainer?" He growled.
"What?"
"Don't play stupid! I went to check on my son and found him beaten within an inch of his life!" He lifted his hand and I could feel pressure on my throat. "Tell me what he is!"
[Don't you mean where?] I switched to speaking mentally due to the pressure on my throat. The Gallade made it difficult to breathe.
Just then the clearing was filled with Ralts and Kirlias. One of the ralts, a shiny, ran to White Spring. Diving under her dress' pleats to hide. At the same time three more gallades showed up while ten Gardevoirs came in to grab the young ones to be teleported away.
"Fuck! He is already here!" The Gallade holding me yelled. "Get in formati-" he was cut off as an arrow flew in and grazed the side of his head. His pokemon body was strong enough to deflect the arrow without him dying. The arrow flips once before landing on the ground. I fell too gasping for air.
As I recovered I could feel it. Behind me was a thick wall of negative emotions. I felt that if I turned around Darkrai would come out of a wall of smoke in the tree line. In reality I could see nothing. It looked like a dark foreboding forest. I knew better. Blood spattered the ground from the cut on the old Gallade's head.
"Fucking bastard!" He sent a psycho slash into the forest cutting down a large tree. It fell loudly then he screamed again as another arrow struck. This time lodging itself into his forearm. The one he just used. The Gallade yelled in pain. Cursing as his compatriots encircled him. Giving him cover from John's shots.
"Find him! I tried to be nice." The gallade broke the arrow in his arm to remove it.
I was in shock. They were going to kill John. I stood and rushed past them. Blocking the Gallades from going further.
"NO! This is your fault!" I could feel my eyes burning. "You took us from him. Then held us hostage even after I told you that you were wrong." The pressure behind me was so intense. It was suffocating. John had so much rage and pain. I almost fell to my knees. If it wasn't for Sapphire and Ruby coming to my side to stand next to me. Their brighter emotions push back John's dark ones.
"You are the bad ones!" Sapphire yelled.
"You hurt our family!" Ruby added. Her tail puffed up.
"You little shits!" The Gallade growled ready to swat us to the side. Then White Spring stepped in front of the Gallades. The shiny Ralts in her arms. The child was scared and looking sick.
"Let calm minds prevail." She said looking into the forest. She was quiet as she looked out, her hand stroking the ralts' head protectively. Then the pressure behind me started to lessen.
"It seems your trainer is willing to talk."
"Let them go. Then I will leave." John called out. I sighed as that meant he was calming down. Though none of the wild pokemon were safe yet.
It seems that White Spring knew where John was. She had to if she was using telepathy to speak with him.
"He took my sisters. Of course I would be hostile. His attitude didn't help either." John's voice rang out. White Spring must have asked John why he attacked her son.
"Then I found that one was hurting her. What would you have done?"
The Gallade growled at that. "You fucking asshole!"
This was going to be hard. John had attacked two of them. I noticed White Spring looking at me with a gentle smile.
"It's ok princess. He won't hurt us now."
I looked at her confused as John stepped out slowly. He had bruises and small cuts from his scuffle with Moon Blade but otherwise he was fine. My sisters and I rushed to him. His grim look brightened to a smile as he knelt down. Taking all three of us in a hug.
"Thank god you're all ok." He said.
I could feel my forehead get damp as a tear slid from his eye. I trilled at his words. Not using my telepathy to speak. He would know what it meant.
[It seems that what my son did was a grave sin.]
I felt a flash of anger in John and then it was gone.
"Are you having a laugh? We need to kil-" The Gallade was cut off when his body fell to the ground.
"You need to go to the others and calm down. We can talk to him. This is because our son was too rash." White Spring retorted. She gave the ralts in her arm to another Gallade. Telling them to go to the others.
John watched as the child looked at him with fear. I could feel his pain as he turned his attention to White Spring. I took my spot by his side. Happy to be back.
[How did you meet that little princess?] White Spring asked.
"I was there when she hatched. I was even the one who gave her name." John answered without hesitation. Curious as to why he was being questioned. I just watched, it wasn't my place to interfere.
[Were her parents not present?]
"Her mother was there. We don't know her father."
White Spring looked on curiously. Shaking her head slightly. [I apologize about my son. He should not have interfered in the way he did.]
John nodded. "I am sorry about your mate. I reacted on instinct to protect Opal." I could feel his hand on my head, rubbing. It felt nice like always.
[Yes, that temper. You should learn to control it. Else it might make you do something you will regret.] White Spring's face was grim. Her eyes flowed as the frown deepened. [Yes, you will regret, for a long time.] she waved her hand. [I will take you back. Please leave my forest. I hope our next meeting is more pleasant.]
With a snap of her fingers we were back at the spot where my sisters and I were taken. Fresh damage to the area was around. Gouges in trees and a few knocked down.
[What happened here?] I asked reaching down to touch a furrow in the ground.
"Don't worry about it." John picked up his discarded pack, putting away his bow and arrows. The rabbit carcasses gone. "We should leave before they change their minds." He rubbed all our heads with a smile. Though I could sense the shadow in his heart.
I wanted to say something but I knew what would happen. He would deflect and I would push. Making us get into an argument. We didn't need that. I followed him.
"He is hurt." Ruby said.
"Where?" Sapphire asked, ready to grab the first aid kit.
I shook my head. "Not a physical pain Saph. But a mental one."
"I think he needs us tonight." Ruby chuckled, knowing how I have been around him recently.
"This is not a laughing matter."
"Am I wrong?"
I sighed. "No, you're right."
Sapphire looked at the two of us. "I am confused." She complained.
I smiled, giving her a hug. "Don't worry about it. We are going to sleep on him tonight." That cheered up the blue eyed Riolu. She cheered as she hugged both Ruby and I. She was always the easy going of us three. We all followed John out of the forest.