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Brian watched as his two Pokemon double-teamed the Dracozolt, the ancient Pokemon taking quite a beating from the two. Hmm, with how it reacted to Chase's Draining Kiss, could it be part Dragon-type? He couldn't worry about that now; that Pokemon was reeling from the painful beating it had just taken, and Brian saw his opportunity. He fired the Pokeball he'd primed from his SNAG, the red and white sphere sailing through the air to smack into Dracozolt's body. It sucked the Pokemon inside and slammed shut, shaking violently as it tried to resist the ball. Once, twice, three times, it shook, then shook a few more, getting weaker each time, before finally ceasing all movement, the ding coming from the sphere indicating that the snag was successful. Brian gave a sigh of relief as he saw this, Chase using Psychic to float the newly-captured Dracozolt's ball back to him. Once he had it in hand, he leveled a dangerous look at the Eolith admin. "Ye've lost," he said simply. "Now leave, before ye find yerself becoming the history ye love so much."

Brian watched as the admin’s cool exterior finally cracked, and he gave a satisfied smile as the man teleported away. Hmm, his words about Eolith being resurrected didn’t bode well. Still, he couldn’t think on that now; Riley’s voice had him turning to see the Channeler standing next to him. ”Ye’re welcome,” he said. ”Though I get the feeling we’ve not seen the last of them yet. And ye have nothing to apologize for. I know a lot about Pokemon, but I’ve never heard of Dracozolt before, so I still have more to learn. If it’s any consolation, that Beak Bolt caught me completely off guard, especially since Dracozolt doesn’t look all that fast.” He would certainly have to do some studying to find out what typing Dracozolt had.

Another explosion interrupted his thoughts, and he saw Riley call out his Lucario, the Fighting/Steel-type barely awake at this point. He watched as the pair used their aura to open a passage in front of him, Riley asking him to stop Eolith from entering the ruins. As Brian began to walk down the path, Lu at his side and Chase back in his ball, Riley’s voice stopped him. He listened as the man warned him that the path ahead was a winding maze, and that he would have to rely on his bond with Lu to find the correct path. He’d assumed that would be the case, and he dug around in his bag for a moment before pulling something out. ”Give that to yer Lucario,” he said, tossing the Sitrus Berry back to the man. ”I’ll make sure Eolith regrets ever stepping foot on Iron Island.” Having said this, he and Lu walked into the darkness.

The way behind them closed with a scraping of stone, leaving them in complete darkness. Lu was able to navigate using her aura, while Brian had to rely on listening to her footsteps at first, until he realized that he, too, would have to try and use his own aura to find their way. There were points where Lu would stop, as if unsure where to go, and Brian had to try and sense out their surroundings. It took several tries before he was able to make any use of his newfound ability, but even then, using it wasn’t easy. He found that if he didn’t think about what he was doing, it came easier, but even then, it was still taxing. He was going to have to practice to be able to utilize this ability to its fullest.

The two wandered for a good chunk of time; how long, Brian wasn’t really sure. They weren’t wandering aimlessly; Brian was starting to get a handle on using his aura to sense things, even if it was only a small amount at the time. He learned from watching what Lu had done to use her own aura, and he was putting that into practice. He remembered something he’d read a long time ago, in a book he didn’t remember the name of: Focus your mind on a singular goal. Would that help him now? Only one way to find out. He stopped walking, Lu stopping beside him, as he closed his eyes and cleared his mind of all but one singular thing: finding Eolith and stopping them. That was the only thing that mattered to him right now. He could work out a new goal later on, once he’d finished them and found his way out of the tunnels.

As he concentrated, the world began to light up, his minds eye painting a map of the tunnels they were in. He could feel various tunnels branching out from the one they were in now, could almost feel the emotions of nearby Pokemon, though it was faint. Hmm, could he use that to find his way? After a moment’s contemplation, he decided against it. Using emotions to find his way, especially when he had no idea what emotions he should be looking for, wasn’t going to help him here. He would still have to rely on Lu and their bond to do this. Lu’s paw on his shoulder seemed to make the mental map he was making a little brighter, and he sent her a grateful smile, though he knew she couldn’t see it.

When they finally decided on a path, they headed down a nearby tunnel, only to find what looked like a flower made out of some kind of crystal. Curious, Brian knelt down and reached out a hand, touching it before Lu could warn him. The instant he did, the flower burst open, lighting up the passage they were in with a myriad of colors. Confused, Brian wondered what was happening when he saw various silhouettes outlined in the images projected from the flower. He could hear words, but couldn’t understand what was being said. It was like he was hearing it from underwater; the voices were muddled, unable to be understood. He could see men and women, martial artists by the look of them, facing off against others that had Pokemon out, surrounding them. One of the ones from the group with Pokemon walked forward, a Lucario at his side. He said something that Brian couldn’t quite make out, and a gesture from one of the martial artists had the Lucario trainer scowling. He gave a signal to his Pokemon, and the Lucario attacked the one that had made the gesture, prompting the martial artists to release Pokemon of their own, mostly Fighting-types but with a few Flying and Psychic-types, as well. As he was wondering just what was going on, the images faded, leaving them in semi-darkness again. What had that been? Who was the one with the Lucario, and why did Brian feel like he’d seen them before?

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he wondered what this meant? What was the meaning of that image? He would have to do some research when he returned, but for now, he and Lu had to keep pressing on. They made decent time now, Brian having gotten the gist of picturing the cave system in his mind. He placed a mental marker on places they’d been, and physical ones on the tunnels he knew weren’t dead ends. This was, hopefully, to keep them from getting lost. After about another half hour, they came across another of those flowers. Brian still didn’t know if they were important, but he couldn’t focus on that right now. He did the same as with the first one, kneeling down to touch it. Immediately, more images flooded the tunnel, different from the first time.

This time, he could understand what was being said, his aura having attuned to the flowers without him realizing it. The same man from before, the one with the Lucario, appeared again, this time standing in front of some kind of audience. He seemed to be speaking about how he would bring the village back to its former glory, whatever that meant. The audience seemed dubious, but none spoke against the speaker. He could see fear and uncertainty in the faces of the audience, and he realized that they were afraid of the Lucario and his trainer. What made them fear the pair so much? The man gestured to one side, where the man from before, the one from the first image, was dragged onto the stage, bound and beaten.

“Behold the usurper,” the Lucario trainer said, indicating the bound man. “Lionel Freesoul, a man I once called brother, has betrayed us. He has sown discord among the faithful, tried to turn the loyal from our noble goal. No more will he be allowed to spew lies; no more will he be allowed to walk among us a free man. I sentence Lionel to a lifetime of imprisonment. From this moment forth, he is dead to me. No one shall be allowed to speak his name, or make any mention of him. Anyone found disobeying this law will be put to death by fire.”

As the Lucario trainer waved his hand to take Lionel away, the image faded again, leaving Brian with even more questions. Who was Lionel Freesoul, and what had he done that warranted him being imprisoned? What was the Lucario trainer’s goal, and why had Lionel tried to oppose it? He needed to find out more, find out what exactly the Lucario trainer’s end goal was, as well as who he was. He had a sneaking suspicion that he had seen this man somewhere before, but he couldn’t remember where. Lu’s soft growl brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked at her to see her looking at him with some concern. ”I’m alright, Lu,” he said. ”Come on, let’s keep going.” The Lucario gave a nod, walking beside him as they continued.

When they found the final flower, Brian was leery of touching it, not really sure he wanted to see what it held. He knew what these were now; he remembered reading about them in a long-forgotten book he’d found in his parents’ small library. These were time flowers, living recordings of things that had happened in the past. These particular time flowers seemed to be triggered by his aura, and were showing him things that had happened long before he was born. He knew they had to have some significance to his family, but what, he wasn’t sure. He glanced at Lu to see her give him a nod, and he gave a slight sigh as he knelt down and touched the Time Flower. The images that sprang from this one were far different from the first two. These showed the Lucario trainer from before, but instead of him being in a position of leadership, now he was the one bound and placed before what looked to be some kind of court. What had happened between the last time flower and now that had warranted this? Brian kept watching, curious but also slightly apprehensive of what he would see.

“Bertrand Adams, you stand accused of using your abilities to oppress the people you swore to protect,” one man said, looking at a scroll of parchment laying in front of him. “You have used your Lucario to threaten anyone who did not see things the way you wanted them to, even going so far as to have him physically assault a woman because she dared speak against your beliefs. What have you to say in your defense?”

“Let the liars say what they will,” Bertrand snarled, fighting futilely against the bonds holding him. “I did what was necessary. You fools lack the ambition to rise higher, while I used those who have fallen before me as stepping stones to further my family name. Any of you would have done the same if given the chance.”

“Silence, worm!” a woman’s voice spoke, her hatred clear for Brian and Lu to hear. “You had my husband imprisoned because he didn’t want to see you go down this path. Your brother, your own flesh and blood. How can you sit there and say you feel nothing for the man that stayed by your side no matter what happened? How do you justify leaving him to rot in prison just because he spoke against you?” Bertrand turned to look at the speaker. It was clear that he didn’t really care what this woman thought, but he let her speak her piece before speaking his own.

“Lionel needed to be silenced before he destroyed everything that I’d built,” he said contemptuously. “He would have divided the people we were trying to protect, and I couldn’t allow him to step out of line like that. Had he kept his mouth shut, then perhaps he would still be here among us now. He had his chance to prove his loyalty, and instead, he betrayed me, his own brother, by trying to turn the people against me. There is no greater crime to one of our standing than for a family member to turn traitor.”

“And yet, you have done exactly the same thing,” the first man said. “You have betrayed the people by forcing them to see your beliefs and no other. You have willfully and knowingly attacked innocent citizens simply for saying their own thoughts. You had your Lucario attack a child who dared speak Lionel’s name in front of you. That child will never regain the use of his legs because of what you did. Do you deny this?”

Bertrand scoffed. “He’s lucky I didn’t put him to death by fire, as the law states,” the man said. “Any who dare speak that traitor’s name are traitors to the village and all that we’ve built. You should all be thanking me for everything I’ve done for you, not putting me through this farce of a trial.”

Brian gritted his teeth as he listened to Bertrand continue to rant; it was abundantly clear that the man was long past the point of redemption. He watched as the man presiding over the trial declared Bertrand guilty of all the crimes he’d been accused of, and as Bertrand tried to argue, he noticed something. There was movement from the side of the room, and as Bertrand turned to look, his face went pale. The newcomer was apparently someone he wasn’t expecting to see, and Brian could see a hint of fear in Bertrand’s eyes.

“I assume you know your nephew, Jonah, Lionel’s son,” the judge said. “He’s agreed to be here today to personally deliver your punishment, Bertrand. See, like you, Jonah has studied the ways of aura, and has become quite proficient in it. However, he does not use it to oppress the people, as you have so willfully done, but instead, to aid those who are less fortunate. Just like his father, he seeks to right the wrongs you have done, and has mostly cleaned up your mistakes. However, there is still one thing that must be done if we are to live in peace from your tyranny. Jonah, if you would.” The young man nodded, stepping forward and placing a hand on Bertrand’s shoulder and his head. A moment later, his hands began to glow, the light encompassing Bertrand’s entire body after a few moments as Jonah began to speak softly. It took several minutes for the glow to subside, but when it did, Bertrand looked far older than he had just a few moments before.

“Wh-What did you do to me?” he growled, his voice sounding much older than it had.

“I severed your connection to your aura,” Jonah said. “You will never again be able to Channel with your Lucario or any other Pokemon. Additionally, any of your descendants that would have had the potential to use aura have now lost the ability. Our family will not suffer from your mistakes any longer. Until such a time as your descendants have learned the lesson imparted here, your lineage will never again have another aura user. Only once one can truly form a bond with their Pokemon and use that bond to help the less fortunate will this seal weaken and fade. When that happens, my descendants will be keeping a close eye to ensure your tyranny never happens again. Should they resort to the same methods you have used, my descendants will step in and sever their aura again.”

Bertrand looked defeated at this point, and he knew that nothing he could say would change the fact he could no longer sense his Lucario or any of his other Pokemon. He would never again be able to terrorize the people like he had been; the seal would see to that. Still, that didn’t mean that he couldn’t teach his children the same way he’d been taught. With any luck, the next aura user in his family would have his same ideals and be willing to do whatever it took to reach his goals.

The images faded after this, and Brian sat back against the wall hard. So that was why he’d never heard of another aura user in his family; there hadn’t been one until now. But how was he the one to break the seal? Was it because he saw his Pokemon as more than tools, or was it because he wanted to protect those that were less fortunate? He didn’t have an answer to these questions, but one thing was certain; Jonah’s descendants would certainly know that the seal had weakened, and would surely come looking for him. He knew now that Bertrand was one of his ancestors. He would have to be extra careful not to draw their attention if he didn’t want to lose his connection to his aura like Bertrand had done. Lu knelt beside him, looking at him worriedly as he didn’t move for several minutes. She was starting to worry that activating that many time flowers had taken its toll, but when Brian looked up at her with that smile she knew so well, she relaxed. So he would be alright, then.

"Come on, let’s find these Team Eolith arseholes and send them back where they came from,” he growled, letting her pull him to his feet. He would ponder what he’d learned later; right now, they had far more pressing issues to deal with. The two continued down the path they’d been on, branching off when one of them sensed a shift in the air, or when one of them could sense a faint aura trace from another tunnel. Eventually, they were able to make their way to a large cavern, and just from looking, Brian could tell these were the ruins Riley had spoken of. Now the question was how to send Eolith packing.

The large open chamber they reached made Brian stop short for a few seconds, in awe of the place. Despite the crumbling pillars, he could see the beauty in the place. The steel didn't look like anything he'd seen before, and he had to wonder if it was man-made or something else. He could see a door not too far away, and he could see the Braille language on it as he got closer. Hmm, could he somehow record that, to be translated later? His thoughts were interrupted by a voice from nearby, and he saw a strange woman standing in front of the door, wearing clothing he'd never seen before. The smile on her face seemed... warm, somehow? Did he know this woman?

He blinked when she called him by name. How did she know who he was? "Apologies, miss, ye've got me at a disadvantage," he said, stopping a short distance from the stairs. Wait, what did she mean the Time Flowers had shown her that they would meet here and now? He'd thought they only showed the past, but if what she was saying was true... Her next few questions made him wonder just what she was on about. "Why do ye ask?" he inquired, his voice wary. He wasn't going to give her any information if he could help it. The Mienshao that moved to stand in front of her prompted a response from Lu, but as she stepped forward, readying herself for a fight, Brian's hand on her shoulder stopped her. She looked at him to see him shaking his head, and gave a nod as she stepped back, showing she had no intention of attacking unless necessary.

OK, so now he knew her name. That still didn't explain what she wanted with him. When she started asking questions to answer his, he had a feeling she was testing him, trying to see exactly what he knew. "I know next to nothing," he admitted, willing to answer at least that. "All I know is that one of our ancestors misused his Channeling ability and was punished for it. I didn't know anything about aura until just a few days ago. I mean, I'd heard of it, of course, it's what Lucario uses, but I knew nothing beyond that. And if ye're here to make sure I don't turn out like that cretin that I saw, then ye're wasting yer time." Maeve's sleeve moving on its own had him wondering if he'd seen things, given the faint tint of energy he was sure he saw coating her hand for a split second. Her final question had alarm bells ringing in his mind, especially when he saw that tiny orb she'd formed come flying at him. Given which side of his family she was apparently from, he'd been expecting some kind of test, and Maeve certainly didn't disappoint.

"Ye must be mad," he said, jumping back to avoid the concussive force of the explosion that tiny orb caused. "I've only just started learning about aura, what makes ye think I can use it to fight?" Could he fight? That had him wondering what she was on about, and he thought back to what he'd learned from the time flowers. Was she here to make sure he wasn't going to abuse his abilities, like Bertrand had? Or was she here merely out of curiosity, to see how much he knew? Either way, it looked like he wasn't going to get out of this without a fight, so he turned to look at Maeve again. "I hope ye don't mind me not using aura here," he said, taking a stance he used when he was sparring with Lu. "Like I said, I've only just started learning about it, so I don't really have any control over what little I've been able to do."

Brian frowned at Maeve's answer. He knew that she knew what he meant, but for some reason, it seemed she was purposely trying to irritate him. "Don't give me that 'dear cousin' line," he growled. "Just because we're related doesn't mean we have anything in common." Maeve's words about testing a theory she'd heard had him bristling. Just how was she planning to do that? "Am I to understand that ye wish to awaken my aura, then?" he asked, a grin beginning to form at the thought. "Well, if that's what ye wish, then don't let me stop ye! Lu, ye know what to do!"

Lu gave a nod as she focused her attention on the Mienshao, who apparently had been silently ordered to keep her occupied. She wasn't prepared for the Fake Out she took to the head, but she recovered quickly, retaliating with a Bone Rush flurry, and following up with an Earthquake. Brian was ready for Maeve as the woman came at him, and as she started striking with her palms, he ducked and weaved, evading as many blows as possible and deflecting those he couldn't evade. He kept his eyes open for any openings she might give him, and if he was able to spot one, he would make a quick jab, aiming to throw her off her game. He was hoping to wear her down, get her to make mistakes before truly striking back.

Lu didn't react right away as Mienshao used her aura bone to do a handstand, only able to watch as her fellow Fighting-type leapt into the air to avoid the Earthquake. She wasn't able to dodge the Reversal aimed at her head, but thanks to her quick thinking, Lu was surrounded with red energy as she used Counter, aiming to do double the damage she'd just taken as she straightened and leaped forward with a Drain Punch.

Brian spotted the opening in Maeve's guard and took the chance, not realizing that it was just a feint. When she swept his leg and tried to spin throw him, he instinctively grabbed the arm holding his wrist, using his own momentum to try and turn the throw against her. The cavern shaking violently made Lu realize that perhaps using Earthquake wasn't the best idea, seeing small pieces of rock falling already. She decided not to use it again, hoping the cavern wouldn't suddenly collapse and bury all of them.

Lu gave a slight smirk as Mienshao was thrown back, but the Detect and then being used as a virtual springboard to avoid her Drain Punch weren't on her list of things to do today. Granted, Mienshao had great instincts when it came to fighting, and Lu was most likely younger than her fellow Fighting-type, so it stood to reason that Mienshao had more experience than she did. And that Reversal had done quite a bit of damage, as well; despite being part Fighting-type, Lu didn't have all that much defense against Fighting-type moves, thanks to her Steel typing. Thankfully, it hadn't been critical, or Lu almost certainly would have been knocked out, especially after that battle with Dracozolt.

Brian watched as Maeve allowed herself to be thrown, using the momentum to land next to her Mienshao. The rumbling had him looking at the cavern around them, and a second later, he realized their predicament. The cavern was beginning to collapse, the force of Lu's Earthquake too much for it. He turned his attention back to Lu as she came to stand by his side, and Maeve's words about making it out right before she teleported away had him growling. Oh, how he wished he could give her a piece of his mind, but right now, he needed to figure out a way to survive the cave-in. The sound of a Pokeball opening had his attention drawn toward Chase, and Brian saw the Kirlia was pointing toward the ruins. The entrance they'd come through was too far away to get to without being crushed by falling rocks, so it stood to reason the only safe place to go now would be the ruins. Riley had said that he couldn't allow anyone to enter the ruins, but surely an exception could be made for this? The trio bolted toward the ruins, looking desperately for a way to open the doors to avoid being crushed.

Brian couldn't see a handle or any other way to open the door. How did they get this open? Was it meant to keep people out, or keep something in? In examining the door, he could just about make out the faint outline of a hand on each of the doors. Wait, what were those for? He placed a hand on the one closest to him, immediately feeling and seeing the door respond to his aura. Wait, what the heck? The other symbol was too far away for him to put both hands on, so how did they open the temple doors? An idea popped into his mind, as he recalled Riley and his Lucario using their aura together to open the passageway Brian had used to get here. Was it possible that was the answer? Only one way to find out.

"Lu, activate the other hand symbol!" he called, the Lucario spotting the place he was talking about and giving a nod. The ceiling falling and blocking them in made the situation all the more desperate, and Brian knew they were running out of time, and fast. Once Lu was in place, he recalled Chase to his ball and put his hand back on the door. As one, he and Lu pulsed their aura into the door, hoping this was the key to opening the door. If it wasn't, they were done for.