Welcome to Gaia! ::

The missiles were coming down fast. The Rockets were coming down fast. The helicopters were moving fast. Opal felt a heavy panic rising in her chest. How on earth were they going to fight all of the Rockets off? Many of them had already been taken down by the other trainers nearby, but still more were raining down from the copters like a foreboding shadow. Opal looked around for her Pokemon frantically until she spotted them to the side, trying desperately to ward off the remaining Rockets. The trainer shook her head and called to them. "Nezz! Itzal! Ursa! Stop! Come back here!" The two ghosts and the bear turned to their trainer and obeyed her command, rushing to her side as quickly as possible, dodging other Pokemon's attacks and the stray Rockets.

Opal, now joined by her Pokemon companions, stood off to the side of the fray. She was breathing heavily and held her ghosts and her bear close. She did not want them to get hurt in any stretch of the imagination. Itzal was quivering nervously. Ursalyn's eyes were darting back and forth in fear. Nerezza was nestled close to Opal, eyes almost filling up with tears in fright. Opal looked to her Pokemon and held them close to her, stepping out of the way of the continuing melee. After what seemed like an eternity, the battling quieted down a decibel or two. The girl and her Pokemon looked out to the clearing from behind a tree and watched as a large missile from one of the helicopters went off course and barreled it's way into... the shrine in the middle of the clearing.

The stone shrine shattered on impact and debris scattered across the clearing. All activity ceased and trainer and Rockets alike stopped to see the breaking of the shrine. As the dust settled, a small ancient Pokeball rolled out of the broken stone monument and stopped in the middle of the clearing. Opal and her Pokemon moved through the trees near the shrine, keeping one eye on the Pokeball at all times. The four stopped once they got close enough to the Pokeball to see that it had ancient engravings on it. It looked very old... Like an ancient artifact one would find in an archeological museum. Everyone held their breaths. Then, in a burst of light, the Pokeball opened, and a beam of energy poured out and formed into a solid shape. The light died down and there, standing in the middle of the clearing, was a Lucario.

Opal's eyes were wide with fright and pure wonder. "A... real life... Lucario..." she murmured to herself, as the Aura Pokemon looked about the battlefield. It scanned the area, looking at each human and Pokemon there individually. Eventually, it's eyes came to rest on the broken shrine. Opal and her Pokemon all held their breath, not wanting to catch the Lucario's attention. The ancient Pokemon stared at the tattered monument for some time before it's eyes narrowed and a pure cold fury entered it's gaze. It began to growl and slowly, ever-so-slowly, turned around to face the humans and the Pokemon in the clearing. All beings present filled with terror at the sight of the angry Aura Pokemon. It took a fighting stance and, still filled with rage, unleashed a series of Aura Sphere attacks.

Mass pandemonium ensued from all sides. Trainers and Rockets and Pokemon alike began to flee for what felt like their lives. Many escaped unscathed while others were hit by the powerful attacks and had to get assistance from others to get away from the clearing and the furious Lucario. Opal and her Pokemon stayed hidden behind the trees near the shrine for fear of being seen and personally targeted if they moved. Trees were crashing to the earth, the ground was cracking, and the screams of terrified humans and Pokemon rang out in the forest as they tried desperately to escape and be as far away from the clearing and the angry Lucario as possible.

On the outside, the Lucario was furious, but on the inside, the Lucario felt like crying out in pain and anguish. That shrine, that sacred stone was a monument and a tribute to his human and his trainer. The last living remnant of the trainer that had stood by his side and cared for him and loved him... exterminated. It was destroyed by these idiotic, dim-witted, conceited, horrible humans! These humans and their Pokemon... They weren't partners together! Those Pokemon were slaves to the humans' will! Nothing but puppets! Toys! There was no true friendship there! There was no true compassion there! Only lies! Lies that have desecrated the holiness of this shrine and the forest that housed it! These lowlife humans... All of them would pay! All of them would suffer for what sins they had committed! They would all die for destroying the last memory of his trainer and his best friend!

Opal and her Pokemon, from their vantage point in the trees, could see clearly this inner turmoil and hurt inside the Lucario while the others ran for their lives. Opal's heart lurched at the sight of the broken shrine and the Lucario's broken heart. Her mind told her to flee while she still could, but her heart told her to help calm the Lucario down and prevent it from killing the whole town. Before she could come to a decision, Nerezza and Itzal nodded to each other and slipped away into the darkness of the surrounding forest. Opal gritted her teeth and looked around her frantically. "No! Nezz, Itzal, get back here!" They did not follow the girl's orders, and as soon as the Lucario ceased fire for a split second, Nerezza came out of the trees and faced it right in the eye.

The Lucario jumped back from the Gastly, growling fiercely and preparing another Aura Sphere. Nerezza lifted her gases up in a mock "unarmed" position. The Lucario lowered it's attack by a few inches, but kept it ready. Nerezza could see that the Lucario trusted no one, be them human or Pokemon. She sighed deeply and spoke to the Lucario. "Great Lucario... It is plain to see that you are ancient and wise and very powerful. You protect this forest, correct?" The Lucario nodded slowly. The Gastly smiled a small bit. "You have much anger and pain in you, I can see. Pain for the loss of your human." Again, the Lucario nodded. This time, it spoke.

"This shrine and this forest is a monument to my human. He was more than a trainer. He was a legend. The whole world knew of him and I. We kept peace in a world at war with itself. Now... Now look what you and your humans have done. You have destroyed the last testament to my trainer! My best friend! My companion! His memory is forever tarnished because of your foolish actions, and now all shall feel my wrath and pay for what they have done!" Nerezza could see tears beginning to well up in the Lucario's eyes. "You Pokemon mean nothing now! You are mere puppets to your trainers, to your masters! There is no friendship! There is no love! There is only the master and the slave!" When the Lucario said this, Nerezza gravely shook her head.

"You are wrong. You are very wrong. I love my human, my friend, more than anything else in this world. When I was abandoned by my clan and my own family, and when I was on the brink of death, she found me and saved me. She nursed me back to health, and for that I owe her my life." Nerezza looked away and blinked back tears that were forming in her own eyes. She gritted her teeth and looked back to the Lucario. "My human is compassionate, kind, loyal, and giving, and I know that if she were gone and if she was hurt by anyone, I would kill everything in my path to avenge her. But you must accept that your human is gone, no matter how much you may love him. You have to move on, but you must always keep his memory alive in your heart. Please... Please ebb your anger and be at peace."

Opal watched the dialogue between her Gastly and the Lucario with quiet apprehension and wonder. She could not understand what the two Pokemon were saying, but she could tell from the emotion in Nerezza's eyes that she was recalling her nightmare of a past, when the two first met. The Lucario made no move to attack, so he must have been listening intently. Opal looked to Ursalyn, who was watching the pair of Pokemon as well. The Ursaring glanced at her trainer with slight worry in her eyes. Opal nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm worried, too. I certainly hope Nezz knows what she's doing."

The Lucario listened to Nerezza, a blank expression on it's face. Once the Gastly was finished, the Lucario remained silent for a second or two before raising up it's Aura Sphere again. Nerezza floated back in alarm. The Lucario spoke. "Compassion for your human or not, my trainer is still forever gone, and I will not rest until he has been avenged!" With that, the Lucario began unleashing many more Aura Spheres in every direction. Nerezza quickly took cover behind a tree and cried out. "ITZAL! NOW!"

From an opposite tree came the Gengar, who had been hiding with a Focus Punch charging in case the Lucario went crazy again. He rushed out towards the Lucario and aimed his attack. The Lucario turned towards him and pushed him to the side. Nerezza went rushing out again with a Shadow Ball aimed at the Lucario to buy Itzal time. The Lucario began firing Aura Spheres at Nerezza, who dodged them to the best of her ability. After a second [which seemed like a millennium], Itzal struck his Focus Punch hard against the Lucario's back. It buckled to the ground and was sprawled face down on the forest floor, unconscious.

Opal and Ursalyn came rushing out to the two Ghost Pokemon and knelt down by the knocked-out Aura Pokemon. She looked pointedly at Nerezza and Itzal, who were both badly bruised at that point. "Never do that again, please. You'll give me a heart attack." The Gastly and Gengar chuckled half-heartedly and sat down by the Lucario. Opal smiled kindly at the Pokemon. "You truly loved your human, hm? Your love for him carried into rage when you realized that he was truly gone." She sighed and, still looking at the Lucario, pulled out a Pokeball from her belt. "Love does not end, though. It continues on. And if you'll permit me..." She fingered the Pokeball in her hands. "I should very much like to love you." With that, Opal gently touched the Pokeball to the Lucario's head. In a flash of light, a beak was sent out from the Pokeball and enveloped the Lucario in its embrace. The light faded as the Pokeball closed and wiggled once... twice... three times... and stopped. Opal breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the Pokeball. "I shall do my best."

Opal stood up and gingerly placed the Pokeball safely into her backpack. She looked to Nerezza, Itzal, and Ursalyn. All looked back to her and smiled. She smiled back. The four looked around the clearing. It was a disaster area. Debris was littered about and a couple of bodies could be seen in the distance. Opal grimaced and turned to walk back into the town to make sure everyone had gotten out all right when she stopped and turned back. She walked wordlessly to the spot where the shrine stood. There was a small piece of the base left. Opal knelt down in front of the broken shrine and, after taking it out of her backpack, held the Pokeball in her hands. She closed her eyes, as if in prayer.

"To you whom this shrine is in monument for: please hear me. I swear that I will take care of your Pokemon like it was my own, and please be assured that I shall do my best to love him as you did. In time, I hope that he shall one day love me as he loved you."

Opal opened her eyes and stood. She turned around and began to walk out of the clearing, motioning for her Pokemon to follow her. "We should get back to Motterossa to make sure everyone is alright." The four proceeded to walk back to the town, while behind them, a small light emanated from the broken shrine, as if answer to Opal's prayer.

Back in Motterossa, the Rockets had all fled after battling the other trainers once they escaped the forest. The shield to the inn had been lowered and the police had arrived soon after the Rockets were gone. The Pokecenter was full to bursting with Pokemon and humans in need of treatment for their wounds. The whole town was in a hubbub, but it was more peaceful and happy than it had been in days. Once they reached the town, Opal and her Pokemon sought out their various friends to be sure they were alright. Motterossa had hardly ever been livelier.

Anala was not the bravest of Pokémon, nor was she the strongest, oftentimes battling only when she had to. But she could run. Before humans had come along, her ancestor's best method of survival (besides their attacks) had been their legs. They could dodge the gaping jaws of Mightyena and leap easily past packs of Houndoom, racing away from all that threatened them. It was something instinctive that stuck with her, that running should be her way of protecting herself. So that was what she did.

Despite Mina’s protests, the Ponyta rushed past trees and shrubs, avoided missiles and other projectiles, intent only on reaching the shrine that had provided safety for her and the trainer that clung to her back just the other day – only to realize it had been destroyed. Small blazes lit the grass, sending smoke rearing high to the air as a dark pillar of warning. The cries of wounded people, both trainers and Rockets alike, could be heard, along with the helpless mewls of Pokémon. And in the center of it all: a broken shrine, a cracked Pokéball, and an enraged Lucario.

The first two alone seemed unimportant, but they were the cause of the third’s dangerous anger, and Anala shied away from the fury she could see blazing in the Pokémon’s eyes. The Lucario opened its jaws and it glistened alarmingly with the prospect of an aura sphere, which it soon shot off. More followed the initial blast, and one crashed against a tree close to the retreating Ponyta, who tripped and fell to the ground hard, a surprised squeal emanating from her panicked lips.

Mina gasped at the sudden tumble and she struggled to right herself after having been thrown a few feet away from her mount. She was stiff from having to cling to Anala for dear life during the Pokémon’s retreat and was glad to finally be able to move off on her own again, although with the Lucario still so close, she wasn’t sure if it was a good thing that Anala had stopped rushing off, or a bad thing. She stood, trying to help her Ponyta, which scrambled where it was, searching for a foothold within the loose dirt and grass. But after a single step, she fell.

‘s**t,’ she thought, trying to relieve her wounded foot of its burden by leaning on her hands. She assumed she had hurt it during her awkward fall, but now wasn’t the time to worry about it. She hobbled on her knees towards the Ponyta and retrieved it back into her Pokéball after a few rushed, reassuring strokes. Anala was a skittish thing, and she didn't think the Ponyta could take much more fright. And she wasn’t sure if she could risk another ride herself when one ankle was already sprained – or worse, broken.

The sudden screech of crushed metal, followed by an enormous boom forced her to return her attention to the furious Lucario, who had just downed a helicopter with another quickly trailing after the first. What she and the mass of trainers struggled to do, the Lucario managed to accomplish with a few blasts of its aura sphere. Evidently, it wasn’t one to mess with. And, as luck would have it, as soon as she had thought it, the Pokémon spotted her. It raised its ears, as if surprised that someone had stayed so close and without other Pokémon for protection, but its expression soon reverted back its original state and it bared its fangs at her, uttering a low, threatening snarl. “Leave,” he commanded in her language, although his lips did not move.

Mina quickly complied and backed away – or at least, she tried to. It had never occurred to her before now, but dragging herself on her butt with her hands and a foot wasn’t as easy as it seemed, and the Lucario didn’t seem to be the patient sort. As if in silent agreement, the Lucario took a step towards her.

“W-why are you doing this?” she asked, forced to stop when her back came in contact with a tree. She attempted to delay what seemed to be an unavoidable demise.

In response, the Lucario aimed an aura sphere to his left, and Mina flinched when another explosion and fresh cries of pain reached her ears. “It should be I who asks you,” he practically spat, although, as before, his lips didn’t move. “Look at what you’ve done.” He stepped off to the side, revealing the broken shrine and cracked ball. They hadn’t held much meaning to Mina before, but now she knew they were obviously of some importance to the Pokémon.

“It was Team Rocket who started this!” Mina cried, knowing she was acting like a child, and hating that she was unable to help it. “We’re only trying to help! They—”

“Enough,” the Lucario roared, and an aura sphere smashed into the tree beside her, showering her with splinters. He continued, and his voice seemed to grow louder which each word, each breath. “You claim that you are defending and you claim that you are helping, but you and everyone that came with you are one and the same with the Rockets: those you consider your enemies. Everyone fights for what they think is right, for their own reasons, to reach their own goals and fulfill their own purposes. You cannot claim to be better than them, or be more righteous, when you do exactly what they do. In the end, every last one of you is destroying this sacred place, the land that held what remained of my trainer…”

His words faded away, and the relentless fury that had filled him with such power only moments before was suddenly gone, replaced with the unending grief he felt. He seemed to wilt before Mina’s eyes, as if he had lost his reason to fight.

“But you’re doing the same,” she whispered.

At this, the Lucario looked up at her, his gaze cold. “I know.” He looked back at the destroyed shrine, the cracked Pokéball that had once been a symbol of his bond with his trainer. They were broken, and even if they were repaired, they would never be the same. “But I’ll be the one to end it.”

With that, he turned, and soon became lost from her sight as he stepped into the raging battle.

----- ---------- -----

She didn’t know when she had fallen asleep (or, more likely, unconscious), but a hand was on her shoulder, shaking her, and she blinked awake.

“Hnn?” she mumbled groggily, trying to look up at whoever was now speaking to her.

“Hey, you okay?” the girl asked, stepping back now that Mina had finally woken.

“Yeah…” Mina replied, looking around. The place looked devastated. Trees were bending at the base, grass had burned to a crisp black, and people seemed to be everywhere, whom she assumed were attempting clean up the place. “Wh—”

Her question was cut short when a sharp pain traveled up her leg after she had tried to stand, and everything she had gone through the day before came rushing back at her. “What happened?” she struggled to say, scanning the damage done again. “The Rockets—”

“Easy there,” the girl said, pushing Mina back so she was leaning against the tree again. “I just found you. You’re lucky you didn’t get hurt, you know. I can’t believe you fell asleep here, even with that leg. If everyone hadn’t run off to chase that Lucario from before, I’m sure something would’ve hit you. Really,” she said with an exasperated sigh, looking over Mina’s leg and making a quick splint. She seemed to be a healer.

“The Lucario broke most of the helicopters when it ran away – and, well, hit some of the guys on our side, too. But Team Rocket took the most damage, and they couldn’t do much except leave or get blown up, so they just left,” she said with a shrug. Apparently she didn’t care much now that the threat was gone. “Anyway, the name’s Jasmine,” she said. “What’s yours?”

“Mina,” Mina replied, a little taken aback by the sudden chance of topic. That was it? The fight was over?

“Nice to meet you, Mina. Now you just stay here while I get some others to get you along with some others over to the Center, all right?” she said, leaving without waiting for a reply. It wasn’t as if Mina had much choice, anyway.

She sighed as she waited, brushing off some of the splinters that remained tucked within the folds of her hat. When she put it back on, she caught sight of something that made her jump: the Lucario. They stared at each other for a few, tense seconds, both knowing someone was bound to come sooner or later, but neither doing anything.

“You didn’t lie,” Mina said quietly, breaking the silence. “You ended the fight.”

The Lucario raised a brow, as if wondering if she had really doubted him in the first place. He sat and, as he did the day before, looked at the shrine. But it didn’t fill him with resolution as it had done during the conflict. He had saved the land from more destruction and with that, his one goal was gone.

Mina frowned, suddenly realizing how alone he seemed. But what could she do to help? Reviving the dead wasn’t something she – or anyone else, for that matter – could do. So she did the one thing she could: she took the Pokéball she’d had since the beginning, the once that had been used numerous times, the one that had failed numerous times – and rolled it his way.

The soft noise it made as it rolled through the foliage made the Lucario turn, and he watched it until it stilled. It stayed between them, a silent question, offering so many possibilities but so many more hurts, too.

After a few long moments, the Lucario stood and approached it slowly. He nudged the ball’s center with his nose, and with a red glow, he was gone.

Corn had very little knowledge of her Onixes moves. She knew he knew Rock Climb, and that was about it - so she told him to use it, and frequently. It seemed to work out pretty well. Emily was working with a combination of Sand Attack and Quick Attack. It was a very wearying performance, given how little she had been battling with her trainer. Corn was between them, running back and forth, making sure Emily and her Onix were still healthy. She was a little skittish to attack the Rockets themselves at first, but quickly realized most of them had no such reservations. Poor a fighter as she was, Corn threw a punch or swung a heavy arm whenever a Rocket was in striking distance.

Everything was going pretty swell, all things considered, until a stray Rocket rocket hit the pretty little shrine in the clearing. Suddenly, Aura Spheres were flying every which way - Corn's only warning was that one just barely missed her as she was tussling with a Rocket grunt. She looked back over her shoulder, and the sight of the shattered shrine and the Lucario glowing with a pulsating fury dismayed her - and distracted her longer than the Rocket she was fighting, she found out as he punched her in the face. The Pokemon was MAD AS HELL and was apparently full of equal-opportunity hatred, attacking everyone, regardless of affiliation.

Fighting off the Rocket, for the moment, was a priority - or would be, had her rented Onix not daintily picked him up and set him in the higher branches of a nearby tree. "You're a life saver, Onix," Corn panted, calling him back and running to grab Emily so all three of them could get the hell out of the way. But, lo and behold, the goddamn borrowed Eevee was trying to fight the ******** Lucario that was DOUBTLESSLY more experienced than she could ever hope to be given her life of luxury.

Goddamnit, Corn thought, I am starting to get sick of this.

She ran for Emily.

the Rockets charged the line of Trainers.

s**t keeps going wrong left and right.

Time slowed down.

Missiles fell like rain. Man and Pokemon were locked in mortal combat.

Swarms, storms, fires, a rock slide, helicopters, Rockets, kidnappings, theft, attempted murder, attempted murder again, a punch in the face,

She tripped.

The defending trainers were outmatched by the lawless criminals.

And now, this goddamn hot s**t of a horned dog thinks he can flip a tit just because a chunk of rock was blown up while Team Rocket is shooting to kill

She tried to grab Emily as she fell.

The trainers made another desperate push of their own, trying to break the Rocket line.

And all I wanted out of this trip was to maybe find a purpose in my life, maybe get a nice pet out of the deal, maybe start having things go right for a change,

She missed.

The trainers' attack was repulsed.

But OBVIOUSLY that ISN'T going to HAPPEN.

She tensed on the ground, shutting her eyes tight to fight back the tears, making fists so hard that, if she didn't bite her fingernails too short to do it, they would cut into her palms. One more failure on a long list of failures, one more ******** thing gone wrong, one more domino fell down in the long, long line, this pattern of Horrible Things that Happen to Corn. It felt like the entire world was fighting against her, and she was almost ready to let it win. In her sorrow, anger, and hopeless desperation, she cried out.

"WILL YOU CUT ME SOME ******** SLACK PLEASE."

Almost nobody fighting heard it, and she barely realized she said it aloud. The only reason she did is because the world suddenly went silent in the middle of it. She looked left and right while still huddled on the ground - the battle had... stopped? No; time had stopped. She was startled into looking up when she heard feet in front of her - the Pokemon from the shrine stood before her, glowering.

It spoke to her mind with surprising clarity and obvious anger. "What makes you worthy of any mercy, let alone mine? I have suffered loss, and suffered greatly. All I wished was to be left in peace. I offered you warnings and you brought destruction to my home and the only thing left of my lost trainer, his grave marker. You all must be punished."

Corn affixed a menacing glower of her own to her face. It was time to out-whine this whiner.

"Shut the hell up." That was obviously not a reaction it was expecting.

"I will tell you what makes me worthy of your mercy. I have been s**t on for pretty much all of my life. My mother was a crazy drunk whose antics got me and my brother into a foster home - our father had to fight for us back in court. I was teased incessantly from third grade until eighth. My father died the next year - and I found the body - walked around it, in fact, for several hours before realizing he was dead, not sleeping. My grandparents and I ran out of money to continue my college education. I had to do menial labor and temp jobs because I did not get a degree, and now I will not be able to because I have been out of the system too long for my credits to count."

As she ranted she rose and began pacing. The Lucario sat quietly, watching her, ears folded back. "I heard about this Eevee swarm and decided that the time was ripe for a fresh start, for a little success instead of the usual incessant failure. You know what I got instead? Storms. Wild Pokemon attacking me. A forest fire. A rock slide. An attacking helicopter. A kidnapping - specifically, my own. Attempted murder number one - outside the rocket base. Attempted murder number two - this battle. ATTEMPTED MURDER NUMBER THREE," she snarled, pointing at the Pokemon, "YOU THROWING A TANTRUM OVER A GODDAMN GRAVESTONE WHEN THERE ARE NUMEROUS LIVING PEOPLE AT RISK OF DYING." Corn let her arm fall to her side again, shaking with suppressed emotion. She drew a shuddering breath and concluded, "I think it's due time for SOMEONE to fight WITH me rather than AGAINST me."

The Lucario sat, still, and stared. It seemed to be considering. It tilted its head, and spoke to her again.

"... You left the offering." Not a question.

Corn answered anyways. "Yes, I did."

Time started moving again, gradually. The Pokemon spoke to her again. "Which are the ones I should attack?"

Corn smiled, genuine and vicious. "They're wearing uniforms. Their Pokemon are not banded with Red, Green or Purple fabric. It's harder to tell past that, individual consultation will be necessary."


Directing that Pokemon's fury would prove to be a decisive event in that battle. Corn and the Lucario established a sort of furious feedback loop - they kept each other angry and indignant so that they could keep fighting out of spite, but controlled carefully to prevent death and severe, crippling injury. Aura Spheres, Dark Pulses, Force Palms and Feint attacks were thrown around like confetti (and not just on the ground!), a party of pain for the Rockets. They howled like wind in a canyon, fell like lightning, hit like a meteor falling at terminal velocity. The trainers, once panicked by the Lucario's presence, were now relieved that his terrible power was on their side. His shock and awe tactics were serving to confuse and frighten the Rockets. With his help, much of their force was incapacitated. A few of the helicopters had gotten away, but victory was had for the trainers.



[[I hope noone was expecting us to be angry together, because that's totes what happened and I like surprising people]]

The forest was in ruin.

The sun had begun to set, late afternoon having waned into early evening while the trainers had had their backs turned. It had stolen into the glade just as the Rockets had, like a thief looking for a victim, and through the broken boughs of trees a blood-red light cast shadows through the battlefield, heightening the feeling of fear and devastation that wrought what had once been the peaceful glade. Where there had once been gentle beams of sunlight, now the crimson burn of twilight tore through the gashes in the canopy created by the explosions, large masses of dirt replacing what had been smooth green grass. The sounds of snarls and the whistles of missiles filled the little air not devoured by the sounds of helicopters, claiming this land as its battlefield; screams of pain, of fear, of rage and the distraught ran rampant through everyone’s heads, shaking the ear drums and chilling to the very core.

Just beyond the epicenter of the wreckage, a pink-haired teenager lay stunned against the collapsed form of a striped-tailed tauros, dirt and blood staining both skin and fur. The side of the pokemon’s flank had been burned, fur singed down to the flesh to reveal a split in the skin where a piece of shrapnel had grazed him. It had been the bull pokemon’s body that had saved his rider from the brunt of the explosion, and resting against his back, the teen looked as if he had escaped mostly unharmed. The side of his forehead was bleeding profusely, a sharp rock a ways away the culprit, and the blood seeped into dazed, sightless eyes, making the wound look much more intimidating than it actually was.

’Don’t forget Liam – apply heavy pressure to the wound for five minutes.'

It was colossally hard to focus. In his twenty some-odd years of life, Liam had never found it so hard to focus. The healer had never thought of himself as an overly bright person – he was not a genius, and had obtained average marks in school (as well as some below-average ones, mostly for skipping class.) He had witnessed classmates who had struggled all through their academic career, finding the most simple tasks to be a challenge, and had watched with a distant, mild fascination, never fully understanding. He couldn’t comprehend someone not being able to remember simple multiplication tables… and yet now, laying there, his mind could grasp nothing. Somewhere in Liam’s jumbled thoughts, the fuzzy memory of his aunt’s voice permeated the haze, the sound distorted and jumbled a little, as if the words were just barely fitting together to form a sentence. 'Head wounds bleed a lot. Make sure the pokemon doesn’t panic.' It was a silly, simple little memory, but it above anything else came easy, along with the image of a small town much like this one, complete with a little playground with a lake near the swings.

Make sure the pokemon…

…the pokemon…

Liam’s muscles suddenly tensed, a sudden sense of panic washing over him like an icy chill, and his body went rigid in terror before he was spurred into action, scrambling at the dirt with his fingernails. “Nitro,” came his whisper of fear, lithe body twisting and fighting to get up as the sounds of the fight started to slowly unmute from his shell-shocked form. The helicopter. The missile. It came back in horrifying clarity, from the moment he had offered his hand to Luna all the way to watching himself and his tauros skid in the dirt. Pale blue eyes automatically snapped to where Nitro lay on his side, legs splayed out, and another shock of terror overtook him. No. No no, no. Dirty sneakers kicked off of the clumps of grass still clinging to the flung dirt, providing enough traction for him to twist around, push himself around to face his pokemon, fingers curling his the course fur. Automatically those trained hands started flying shakily over the form, feeling for injuries even as his mind blanked in panic, finding only the slightest relief in the bull pokemon’s heaving chest.

There should have been thoughts. In stressful situations, the mind tended to race, to make connections between events, correlations between fear and the enemy. Liam wanted them, thoughts of things like ‘how did this happen’ or ‘why did this happen,’ things that he could have used, as he always did, as a catalyst to spur him forward. And yet there was none. There was nothing, no thoughts at all as he mindlessly searched for broken bones, internal bleeding, punctured lungs, and it took a minute to realize he was likely going into shock.

It was a surreal feeling.

His search came back fruitless, and like a computer scan, the healer stopped as soon as the results were returned, his hands lifting and falling as the pokemon heaved in heavy breaths. It was a surprisingly short, unsatisfying relief that his tauros was not mortally injured, the muted feeling matching the equally muted look of his eyes. Another sign of shock – lack of relief. Lack of anything, really. Beyond a clump of mangled trees, he caught a glimpse of familiar pink hair in his peripheral vision, swiveling his head in that direction. Lumina clung to another trainer, looking fierce as she spurred her newly-caught eevee to assist in the battle, trying to take down one of the helicopters before it reached the inn. The look was startling, in a way – through the entire trip, she had been nothing but optimistic, a picture of sanguinity. In his mind’s eye, she turned her head to look at him the way she had so many times during that short trip, her own blue eyes sparkling, flashing that cheerful smile. ‘I’m sure things’ll be looking up soon.’ But the moment faded, leaving him unnoticed as she battled on, and he was left with that blankness. It was the same with Rhia – his eyes automatically found purchase on the familiar form, lifting to her face, thoughtfully remembering her swimming in the glade. Her attention was caught in a battle with a rocket, ponyta’s hooves coming down in a hard stomp attack on the rocket grunt’s sandslash. Oyumi was nowhere to be found.

Neither was Ridley.

It was ultimately a flash of grey and red and not familiarity that spurred Liam back into action. Not far from where he stood, the muscled form of a well-toned rocket was approaching, a blackened pokeball in one hand. It was this image that constricted the expression on Liam’s face, twisting it in that accustomed anger he often used irrationally. It was that image, of the rocket’s approach, of the sneer contorting his lips, that shook him back to reality, his mind connecting all the blame, all the carnage to that one image. Immediately he was up, dirt kicking up from his sneakers as he dashed forward, rearing back his fist, and before the rocket could react there was the sound Liam’s punch connecting with the rocket’s solar plexus. It sounded like a heavy thwack against a hunk of meat. The rocket stumbled back a little, doubled over, but it was obviously not the first time he had been in a fight. His counter attack was fast, despite the bulk of muscle to slow him down, and the fist returned hard against the healer’s side. From then on, it was anarchy. The battle went back and forth, rocket and trainer twisting and thrashing as they struggled for the upper hand, until the healer’s hands finally found purchase, squeezing around the rocket’s windpipe, snarling angrily into the other’s face. Into a … remarkably familiar… face…

Liam froze at what he found there, his fingers twitching in surprise around the rocket’s neck.

Ridley?

No. It wasn’t him. But by that time it was too late – that second’s hesitation left the rocket open, his fist connecting with Liam’s cheekbone. It knocked the healer back, and he would have fallen, but the rocket's fingers curled into the front of his shirt just before he stumbled out of reach. He loomed over the healer, exceeding him in every aspect, weight height and build all overshadowing the average healer. Grabbing the fist that held him, the healer thrashed weakly, both participants panting from the effort of the fight. They both knew it was over, and the grunt smirked, laughing at his victory.

And yet... it wasn't.

In the corner his eye, there was a flash of light, and suddenly the hand lost it's grip on his shirt, a jolting force throwing the rocket grunt off his feet to skid harshly along the ground.

“What…?”

Liam looked up from where the rocket had fallen just in time to catch a glimpse of a canine pokemon, more round iridescent spheres launched radially from it’s crouched, snarling form. Fumbling for his pokeball, the healer returned his fainted tauros, ducking behind a tree just as one of the orbs smashes into it. The side of the oak splintered with the force, tossing chips of wood. At either side of his vision, trainers and rockets alike fell to the orbs, and Liam watched as their bodies snapped like tossed rag dolls as the attacks hit their marks. The sanctuary, which only that morning had been a peaceful haven, had become a nightmare.

Unbidden, Ridley’s words flicker across his mind.

’I’m sorry Liam… it wasn’t supposed to be this way.’

“It wasn’t… supposed to be this way.”

‘…It wasn’t.’

Liam’s body tensed as the familiar deep voice entered his head again, shaking him from his core. It was angrier than before, the snarl almost unrecognizable from the collected, guiding voice that had showed him the glade. The healer could feel the lack of control, the power lashing out in tight cords, like solar flares. And then came the memories. Snippets of memories that were not his own. A warm-looking hiker. A campfire and makeshift tent by the lake. The hiker, pokemon by his side, defending a tiny town.

The hiker, old and in bed, his hand resting on the blue canine’s head.

The shrine.

“The shrine…”

No. It couldn’t be.

In the center of the wreckage, the Lucario’s head snapped in his direction, red eyes giving him a piercing look even through the solidness of the tree.

“You can’t be serious.”

The eyes narrow.

It made perfect sense. It made no sense. Liam reeled at the realization, pushing off the trunk of the tree, turning to face the pokemon. It followed his movements with its eyes, lips beginning to pull back over sharp teeth, threatening even the single step the healer had taken towards the rubble. “That… that thing. That’s it?” he couldn’t stop the words, mouth open in an incredulous, angry stare.

“I’m sorry about your STUPID rock,”

‘STUPID?!’ The snarl was furious.

“But it was just that – a pile of ROCKS. Memorials can be rebuilt, memories you can keep, but LIVES. Once their gone, they’re GONE.”

There was a pause, and the glade itself seemed to hold its breath. The Lucario’s expression was unreadable through the smoke and dust, but the red eyes held fast. The distinct feeling of being read, being searched inside out from the pit of his soul, was overwhelming, enough to make Liam flinch. ‘What do you see there?’ he wanted to ask. Because if it was looking for a soul, pure and untainted, he had been destined to fail from the start. The irredeemable qualities far outweighed any that might endear him in anyone's mind.

Lucario’s eyes flickered, and the healer’s gut fell as it lunged forward suddenly, teeth bared in a violent sneer. He had no time to back up, no time to get out of the way before those sharp fangs closed around his arm, and the blue canine snapped it’s head, flinging his body roughly to the side. Liam tumbled to the ground, skidding and stumbling along the dirt until he came to a halt on his back, expecting to see those eyes staring back at him as claws ripped through his flesh. The sight he was met with startled him. Where he had been standing, the canine countered an attack from a baseball bat, claws glowing purple as they knocked a rocket unconscious.

The healer stared up at the pokemon, and after a time that familiar steadfast gaze turned back towards him, those crimson eyes cryptic. There was no more judging, no more searching, but the stare still seemed thoughtful, as if considering something completely different than it had been before.

An overwhelming calm washed over the healer, as it had two days before.

‘Worry not, young one,’ came the answer, just as calm as it had been then, ‘This is my domain.’

Liam stared as the Lucario turned its back on the healer, leaping away, and suddenly the exhaustion of the battle took over, making him dizzy with the effort.

A metallic sound filled the air, and suddenly everything went black.

Lumina cried out in alarm as she felt herself thrust from the mount, pale fingers entwined about her eevee by sheer instinct alone. For a moment the only thing the watcher was aware of was a sharp pain in her shoulder that traveled down her arm, dirt from the ground filling her nose and throat as she coughed. Her eyes swam in a sea of blue for a moment, until slowly she became aware of her surroundings.

Grimacing as she pushed herself off the ground, Lumina felt herself go numb as she watched the blue orbs firing indiscriminantely forward. What tiny semblance of serenity that might have been left in the clearing had long since disappeared in the onslaught. The clearing was no longer a shrine of respect, no longer even a battle field, but rather it had become the craddle of chaos as helicopters either fled or rained from the sky and both trainers and pokemon alike were thrown into the confusion. The sun reached its rosy claws across the sky, scraping away with reds and oranges as it slowly began its descent into darkness.

Blue eyes swept the field until settling upon the ancient rocks now fallen from the shrine, the creature who burned of anger standing before it with the power and will to wipe the entire playing field clean. Any who were too close with a mind to try and catch him were forced back by his aura sphere, lest they were hit by it. Lumina's mind scrambled for a coherent line of thought, the villager's tale of their city's proud beginning floundering to the forefront of her mind. She stared at the pokemon, his eyes blinded by anguish and rage. She never did hear the rest of the story, never did learn the name of the pokemon that resided there for the sake of his trainer. Even as he stood there, she knew not what to call him by. She was, after all, still learning and was quite terrible at picking up on rumors.

The young watcher had little battle experience and neither muscle or weapons. She couldn't just throw a pokeball at it and hope for the best, not with his mind in the turmoil that it was in. Lumina did as she always tended to do, and for a moment she simply observed him and took witness to his pain. He wasn't acting out with the intention of killing those who disturbed this sacred shrine, but rather reacting on the torrent of emotions that had come with its destruction, defending it with all his might as his aim came forth from blind rage. The girl drew in on all that she could to face him, knowing full well that trying to stop someone in the midst of an emotional tornado was next to impossible. She could only hope that he could pull himself together before it was too late.

This wasn't about how she could talk him out of killing everyone. This was about how he could overcome the trauma of having the last remnants of his trainer destroyed, of having to give up years of only watching, guarding that shrine and the lands around it. It wasn't just a statue he had lost, it was the meanings behind it, the symbol of the ties and bonds of a family he had called his own. This was about how he could step away from all of that to find something more. He had to be willing to meet her half way.

“Is this how you honor your home?” Her voice rang out over the distance, determined that her words would not be drowned amidst the anarchy, “This is how you protect your memories? Obliterating everything else so that there's nothing left to protect?”

Her message had carried over the noise and he looked at her with that piercing stare of his, with eyes that testified to many years of memories that were as precious and as delicate as baubles of glass. The watcher met his eyes with an even stare of her own, Chai still protectively wrapped in her arms. The cacophony of noise was still strong in the background, but for that narrow instant in time, Lumina felt as if they were the only two in the world.

“Sadness, hope, strength, knowledge. Everyone has a story to tell.” Lumina began, her voice still hoarse from the dust, “You've protected these woods and all that surround it for a very long time. You've protected your trainer for even longer.” She could sense that his fury had not ebbed, however he still listened, still watched.

“I am sorry that this battle came to your lands, but we have something to protect as well. We're fighting for the safety of others, for our integrity and for hope of tomorrow.” She swallowed, unconsciously clutching her eevee closer to her chest, “There are people and pokemon out there who would do harm to others, but that's not everyone. We can guard those who still hold to ideals and respect, for living a life fulfilled by their own hand, not by their feet in stepping on others.”

Lumina hadn't cried even once on this trip, even as her niavety was stripped away. Not at the fire or the rock slide, not at the first time she saw a man beaten to unconsciousness or when she had become spectator to pokemon being shot at with missiles. Not even when she found herself betrayed by those she had befriended, nor when she was held captive by an organization whose teeth were sharp and cruel.

And she wouldn't cry now.

The watcher did what she had learned to do during this entire trip: She smiled. That was the only thing she could give now. Just a smile. Yet it represented all that she had attained for herself, what strengths she had grown into and the determination that she brought with her. She knew that she was asking him to leave behind a lifetime of guarding his beloved trainer for the sake of the future, and that in itself was a great deal to ask for.

“This town that you and your companions had started needs help now. They are simple, good people. Farmers and families who still tell your trainer's story.” Lumina spoke, her smile warm, “A home isn't a pyre made of stone; respect and honor isn't a shrine, it's the memories and feelings you hold inside and what you do with them. It's not worth the lives of these people and these pokemon. This town hasn't forgotten your story. And neither will I.”

“Vree! E-vee!” Chai trilled, looking up at Lumina before turning an encouraging chirp to those red eyes.

Lumina watched his face carefully, his stance shifting as he struggled with his own emotions and being forced to face his loss. She took a chance now and stepped forward until she stood before him, kneeling down to pick up his old, broken pokeball with her arm throbbing at the movement, then holding up a new one, side by side, “We could use your help now.” Lumina said, looking around as she assessed the scene, each individual struggling with their own feelings on the ordeal, either retreating or reaching for their loved ones. These were all people she had grown to care for during their journey. They had fought hard and bore against the odds of technology and cruelty, and yet...

Neither side had won.

“Lucario,” She paused, not sure where the word had come from, but he was staring straight into her and so she continued, “Lucario, there is still a fight ahead to rescue the pokemon that are under Team Rocket's grip and to win back the city. Please help us to protect these innocent lives.” As he looked at her, his eyes no longer bore outrage, but rather a solemn, calming strength full of wisdom and the sense of duty. He was willing to meet her halfway, to make that sacrifice of the past to move on. The air of sadness still clung to him like dew drops to blades of grass in the morning, but as the sun rose with time, those droplets would fade away.

“Everyone has a story to tell,” She said again, this time with a whisper, “And I want to tell mine with you.”

(Picking up from my last IC post)
Kacen grinned angrily as the electricity tore through the air toward the helicopter labeled “2”. The air crackled with its energy and he knew if it hit right the copter would be down for the count, and he’d have one less group of rockets to deal with.

Life was seldom that easy.

With a sound of pure anger a blue and pale yellow Pokémon leapt into the air and countered the attack with one of his own, creating a destructive force that dissipated both attacks. Time slowed, dribbling by like molasses. Kacen gasped, turning in a slow circle to watch Pokémon flying through the air so slow that he could see the movement of the individual hairs on their body. He stared at the Pokémon before him, and knew had no time to pull out a pokedex, and no real care to. He didn’t need to know what it was to realize it wasn’t a rocket Pokémon. Its anger was too pure, not being channeled through a trainer.

“What are you doing? We need to stop them!”

By destroying my home? The voice was accusing and unrelenting.

“To keep them from destroying others’ lives!”

There are other ways. You’re bringing chaos into my place of peace. I do not appreciate it.

“What do you suggest we do?” Kacen’s anger and frustration boiled and spilled over. “The trainers aren’t working together, the Rockets have a well organized team, and half our pokemon can’t even target the helicopters because they don’t have the abilities!”

Not my problem. I warned you all.

Kacen blinked. “You warned us? You sent the visions to Rhia and the others?!” For some reason, he hadn’t expected a Pokémon.

I did. And you barely did anything with them. I told you what would happen, and you did nothing about it. Now the frustration came from the Pokémon standing before him, and Kacen was nearly winded by the sheer force of it. Standing in front of him was at the Pokémon who knew it all would happen, and tried to forewarn them, and what had all the stupid trainers done? Nothing.

“I…. I apologize.” He frowned. Now he was less certain of what he needed to do, of what would be the best course of action. “… What do we do?”

Not my problem. The pokemon glared.

“This won’t stop unless we have another plan! You must know SOMETHING!”

I told you what I know.

Kacen stomped his foot. “We’re not going to be able to save anyone if you stand here and prevent us from doing anything! You have to help. Please. Before anymore damage befalls your home or this town. Please…”

Without warning time started again and the sudden boom of sound and activity was disorienting.

I will do it for my home, and for the lives it will save. Follow me, and gather your peers! We need to lead them to water.

"Please, stop!" Shina cries. "Everyone stop! We shouldn't be fighting, not in this holy place. This is wrong." Shina's voice is choked, and she looks around at the formerly peaceful clearing. The ground is scorched from fire and electric attacks, muddy where water attacks have hit, and craters dot the clearing. The small shrine is in ruins, and the Lucario stands protectively over the remains, eyes full of fire and rage.

If this were a fairy tale, the battle would have paused, and Shina might have been able to end the horrible fight with persuasive words. Instead, the roar of the helicopter blades, trainer orders, and pokemon cries drown out her words before they can reach the ears of those around her. "We shouldn't be fighting," Shina whispers, and this time her voice so soft it doesn't even reach her own ears. "Rasha, return." The rental ponyta is recalled to her pokeball, which Shina tucks away.

While the girl's words were not enough to reach the humans, Lucario heard them. Remorse from a human, one of those who caused this? Why should he believe the pathetic attempt to halt the chaos? Why was she recalling her pokemon in the midst of this battle?

Amidst the chaos of the battle, Shina makes her way towards the ruined shrine. A few yards from the shrine, she stops. "Please, let me help," she begs. Lucario does not back down, but he also does not attack. Shina takes a deep breath and takes one step, then another, towards the shrine. "We can rebuild the shrine. Once the battle is over, we can rebuild the shrine, and try to repair the damage to the clearing," Shina tells the Lucario. Carefully, she kneels and begins to sift through the rubble.

Lucario is wary of the human, but can sense no malice from her, just a deep sadness. He will hold his judgment for now.

Most of the shrine is completely ruined, but Shina's heart leaps as she recognizes one particular item in the debris. "Look! The memorial tablet survived!" Shina announces, carefully pulling the small item from the wreckage of the shrine. As she frees the memorial tablet, the hair on her neck stands up. Not bothering to waste time checking behind herself, Shina simply curls protectively around the tablet, determined to protect the sacred item.

The human screamed as the stray attack struck her back, and Lucario could smell fresh blood. A step forward, and Lucario could see the raw mess of the human's back. Despite the terrible damage, the human was smiling as she looked up at him. "Don't worry Lucario, I'll protect your heart," the human murmurs. For a moment, Lucario sees not the girl, but his first trainer. "Don't worry Riolu, I'll protect you." Wrapped in his trainer's arms, he had stared in shock at the pained smile of his trainer, finally realizing that the human truly saw him as a partner, not a tool. He had evolved then, and defeated the pokemon that had attacked them. Strange, he could no longer remember what pokemon had attacked him, just the pained smile, the same smile this girl had.

The fire in her back is horrible. Shina cannot recall ever being in such pain before. Despite this, she is glad. The tablet presses against her belly, whole and undamaged by this second attack. She can feel the blood oozing down her back, and knows she will pass out soon. Before she does, "Lucario. Team rocket, they are the ones who did this. They came here, bringing pain, hurting pokemon and people alike. Their attack destroyed the shrine. Please, they have hurt so many. Don't let them win."

Lucario hears her plea, and comes to a decision. He will not allow the invaders who destroyed his trainer's shrine to win. He gathers his power, and he can feel the difference between the trainers. Many are like the girl at his feet, sorrowful, outraged and determined. They feel like protectors and at their sides, the pokemon feel similar emotions. The love between these trainers and pokemon is nearly a solid thing. The ones in black with the splash of red across the chest feel different. They feel of greed, cowardice, and in a few cases, guilt. Bullies, bullies and followers too weak to leave. Their pokemon largely feel of fear, though Lucario's heart aches for those who have become just as tainted as their owners. A rare few seem to feel some sorrowful affection for their trainers, the trainers who seem to feel the most guilt. Decision made, Lucario unleashes his attack, this time aiming only at the tainted ones.

Shina feels Lucario's attacks pass over her head, but feels strangely safe. Slowly, the tone of the battle changes, and finally "Retreat! Fall back!" Team rocket is leaving, defeated. "You did it, Lucario," Shina breathes. She tries to turn, to see them leave, but the damage to her back is too great. Her vision goes white with the pain, then black rushes in from the edges.

With a weak moan, the girl goes limp, and with her slight movement, a pokeball rolls free, coming to rest against Lucario's paw.

POKEBALL GO!!