The Saga of Team Supernova (rated PG 13)

[FocusPresenceEndurance]

Quick update!

I've edited over the first post.

That means that the introduction has been expanded upon, as well, I have also re-rewritten the prologue. I feel that it is worth a second read for those who have read it already. It has changed enough for you to enjoy it. =)

[Turpise]

Good Fan Fic FPE

[FocusPresenceEndurance]

Good Fan Fic FPE

Thank you very much! ^_^ I'm glad you enjoyed it! And Sorry for replying to you so late as well.

@ anyone who happens to read this: Yeah yeah, I know, I know. I am super super super late again for posting a new chapter. I am aware of that. I've been through quite a bit over the last number of months. I am not one to make excuses, so I'm not going to try. All I can say is that I am sorry for being so late. =(

Having said that, the next chapter is ready, so I'll be posting that momentarily! ENJOY!!!!! ;D

[FocusPresenceEndurance]

Chapter 27

The Delayed Reunion. A Nightmare Relived.

The sound of a distant breeze drifted lazily into his ears. Somewhere far off, waves were rolling up onto the shore. As he became aware of his surroundings, he could also hear the low murmur of voices, which were also very distant. Something didn’t seem right. What was this? He could hear things? But that would mean... he was still alive? Thinking back, he tried to recall what had happened.

He was grabbing onto the the edge... the edge of the floor, where the water was so deep that he couldn’t see the bottom. Then he lost his grip, and slid beneath the surface. He remembered looking up to see the surface, the light darkening as his eyes began to close. And just as the last of the light diminished... Something changed. The flicker of a shadow? He couldn’t tell... it was on the very edge of his memory. After that... nothing.

So he wasn’t dead after all.

Tristan opened his eyes only to be blinded by painful bright white light. His vision was so blurry, he couldn’t see anything and it felt as if he was using his eyes for the first time. It took several minutes before they had adjusted.

There was a white canopy above him, which billowed slightly in the breeze. He recognized this. He was in a tent. He’d been in a tent like this when they’d returned from Mount Blaze. That explained all the distant sounds. They were coming from outside.

He tired to sit up, but the moment he did his entire body sang out in pain. With a grunt, he collapsed back onto the bed. “Well, that was smooth...” he told himself. Looks like he wouldn’t be leaving here anytime soon.

Instead he looked to the left. There he saw a short wooden table with several medical utensils resting on it, as well as several piles of seeds, berries, and other types of medicinal herbs he’d never seen before, all organized according to size shape and colour. As he looked he heard the sound of snore on his other side.

He turned around, and found himself face to face with an orange furred head with two yellow cheeks and two curly brown ears. Dave! He was slumped on a small chair, with his head and arms resting on the edge of his bed. What was Dave doing here sitting right next to him?

He looked back up at the tent ceiling. Could it be that it was Dave who saved him? How could he have known where they were or that they were in danger? Another question then struck him like lightning. How were the others doing? Croconaw and Torchic looked like they had both been beaten up pretty bad, but the members of Team Supreme had all taken it much worse. Were they alright? Had their journey off into Stormy Sea actually been worth something?

“Ah, you’re awake!”

“Woah!” Tristan exclaimed, jumping slightly. His body retaliated with another jolt of pain. After a moment of getting back to his senses he looked back to Dave. He was now looking right back at him, his eyes wide and bright with happiness.

“I’m so glad you’re alright, Tristan!” he said happily. “The nurses said you weren’t going to make it when we brought you in. But I just knew you’d make it, I just knew it!”

“You... what?” Tristan asked.

“What, you’re surprised to see me?”

All Tristan could do was nod dumbly.

“C’mon now. We’re friends right? It’s only natural that we’d do things like this for each other. Oh, hey, you know what? This kinda reminds me of the time when I got so sick that I needed to go to the hospital, and you were the one who would come visit me the most and sit by my side to keep me company. Remember?”

Tristan nodded again, fondly recalling the memory. “And I would sneak in those video games cause you had nothing else to do and those stupid nurses - Wait.” That was one of his human memories! He stared at Dave in disbelief. “You... but I thought-”

“Thank Gardevoir for that one,” Dave finished with a wink. “Yes, I remember everything now, especially you Tristan.”

“I... I...” Tristan tried to say, but he found himself stumbling over his words. He still couldn’t believe it. He really was talking to Dave again. After so many years since that fateful day. That day that preceded a life of loneliness. How difficult those years had been to him. And now he was back. It was all too overwhelming. He stretched out his hand, and Dave reached out to grab it. It felt warm and comforting, and strangely familiar despite their new bodies. He could feel his eyes becoming moist he gazed upon Dave. “I... I thought I’d never see you again... not a day passed that I didn’t think of you, wondering what had happened to you... where you went... why you left and if it was somehow my fault.”

“Oh Tristan... I’m so sorry,” Dave said, squeezing his hand tighter. “I was-”

“I know,” Tristan cut him off. “You were here all all this time.”

“My memory was wiped when I arrived. I remembered nothing from the human world.” He shook his head in shame, biting down on his lip. “I just feel so awful about what you had to go through. And I knew nothing about it...”

Tristan shook his head. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. I know now the reason you forgot about me. My memory was also wiped when I came here. You can’t blame yourself.”

“I know... I know... Still...” Dave said, ears drooping. He sniffed. “I’ll never forget that look you gave me. The one when you asked if we’d always be friends. You looked so serious, but I didn’t take you seriously at all. And then I ended telling right to your face that I didn’t know who you were. I don’t think I will ever be able to live that down. It will always be a painful memory for me.”

“Dave...” Tristan said again. He didn’t like to see him like this. It was so unnatural to see an optimistic person like him depressed.

“Yeah?” Dave asked looking up.

“I’m not upset anymore. I don’t feel bad about it. And... I’m just so glad that you remember me, and that we can keep being friends just like we used to be.”

Dave’s eyes began to water, he closed them tightly and covered them with his arm. Mixed in with his tears came small chuckles. “Imagine that... you’re the one who went through the most, and here I am crying...”

“Well you always were very sensitive to these things. You would cry at movies when they weren’t even that sad.” Tristan answered jokingly.

Dave brought his arm back down, revealing his eyes. They were still glistening with tears, and his cheeks were red, too, but he was also smiling.

“Maybe its just because you are the one with heart of ice,” he shot back. This was the exact type of conversation they had a number of times back as humans.

Both of them started to laugh, but Tristan had to stop abruptly as his sides began to hurt. Despite this, he was still happy and content on the inside.

“Well... I told the others I would go and see them as soon as you woke up,” Dave said. “So... I have to go now. I know that we weren’t able to talk long, but I know I’ll be seeing you a lot more later. I just needed you to know that I do remember.”

“Hold on a sec!” Tristan blurted out, just as Dave sprung up from his chair. “The others... how are they?”

“Everyone made it back alive,” Dave answered happily. “Most of them are almost fully recovered now. You are the one who was worst off out of all of them. If there was one person who would have died, it would have been you. But fortunately that didn’t happen.”

“And you,” he continued. “Was it you who saved me?”

“Didn’t you see us when we arrived?”

Tristan shook his head.

“It was a sight to behold!” he exclaimed, spreading his arms out wide. “We saw you running towards your partner... um... Todotile?”

“Totodile...” Tristan answered rolling his eyes. Despite this he couldn’t help but smile. “But his name is Croconaw now.”

“Okay, so you were running towards Croconaw just as the big blue whale guy... erm... Kryo-”

“Kyogre...” Tristan finished.

“That’s it! We saw you running towards them and, oh I couldn’t believe it. Turning his own storm against him! It was so amazing! And well, you were completely wiped out after that, and I saw what was about to happen. I could just imagine Kyorga making a huge splash and sweeping you away. So I got over there as fast as I could. You were already underwater when I got there, so I jumped in after you. Thank goodness I was just in time...”

“Really? You were there for that long?” Tristan asked surprised.

“Yes, you must have been so in the moment that you didn’t see us,” Dave answered. “Sceptile, Typhlosion... even all of Team ACT were impressed.”

“Wait... what? Team ACT was there too?”

“Yeah, well we were expecting some sort of fight when we got there right? So all of us went together. But imagine our surprise when the legendary beast was already taken out by you guys.”

“Well, only by the skin of our teeth...” Tristan said. Dave had made it sound as if he were some sort of hero or something.

“Oh don’t worry, I’ve been in similar situations before...” Dave answered. “But anyhow, I’ll be off now. I’ll see you later alright?”

“Yeah...” Tristan answered with a smile. “And Dave!” he added just before Dave could reach the flap of the tent. “... I’m happy we can be friends again...”

Dave smiled, “Tristan... I’m happy too.” He took one more moment to look back at Tristan before taking his leave.

Tristan was about to reflect on the things that had just happened when the flaps to the tent burst open again, revealing another sight for sore eyes. Croconaw leapt into the tent.

“You’re awake?” he cried! He met eyes with Tristan, answering his own question. “You are awake!” he cheered and ran to his bedside. He practically jumped on Tristan's bed to give him a hug.

“Ow! Ow! Croc... Croconaw! I’m still... recovering!”

“Oh!” he said, as he realized his friends pain and eased off. He dragged the chair next to the bed and took a seat. “I was told you weren’t going to wake up when you were brought in! But I wasn’t worried!”

“Yeah I heard.” Tristan answered. “Dave told me.”

“Oh and Dave! I’m so happy he finally remembered you! It must feel so great!”

Tristan nodded. “It was good. I was so surprised to see him sitting right next to me.”

“That’s quite a friend you’ve got there. He sat there during the entire time you were out.”

“Oh really? And how long was that?”

“Oh, easily a week.”

“A week?” Tristan repeated, dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe he’d been out for an entire week! “He sat by my bed for a whole week?”

“You got it. He ate there, he slept there. He refused to leave your side till you woke up.”

“He did?”

“Yeah. He said he felt so bad for what he’d done to you. He wanted to be there the moment you woke up so you would know. Not even the nurses could get him out, he was so stubborn about it.”

Tristan took that moment to think. Dave had been there that whole time for him... He really was lucky to have a friend like him. From deep inside he felt a warm feeling of affection. He’d have to thank Dave again.

“So tell me,” Croconaw said, popping his thought bubble. “What happened to Kyogre after I passed out? How on Earth did you beat him?”

Tristan had to think a moment, then relayed everything that had happened to his big blue friend, adding in the things that Dave had told him.

“Wow... I can’t believe you did that!” Croconaw said, wide eyed.

“Yeah, it was kind of a split second decision. And it was mostly luck too. I didn’t know if it would work or not.”

“It’s still genius, though!”

“Maybe...” Tristan said, hoping that would be a satisfying enough answer. “So... what happened after the battle? D’you know?”

“Yeah,” Croconaw answered. “I actually woke up soon after. By then Team Blue and Team ACT were already there. I think I was the only one who woke up back in that dungeon. After that we were all brought back here.”

“Alright...” Tristan answered, satisfied. There was a moment of silence where he gazed off into space. Everything was back to normal then? Then... why did he feel strange? Like... something was missing? He took another look around. Then it hit him. “Where’s Torchic?”

At this Croconaw averted his eyes. His mouth curved down in a frown.

“Yeah... about her... See, she’s-”

“Don’t tell me she was hurt that badly?” Tristan interrupted. Dave had told him that everyone made it out alright.

“It’s not that...” Croconaw said, waving it down nervously. “Physically... she’s fine...”

“But...”

“I tried to go in and see her at her tent. But she refuses to see anyone. The nurses won’t even let me in. They told me she’s been devastated emotionally.”

“Emotionally? You don’t mean... Oh no...” Tristan moaned. “Don’t tell me...”

“I think so,” Croconaw said, reading his thoughts. “It was because of our battle.”

“But we told her that her worries were groundless. We told her that she was extremely useful to the team.”

“I know, but I guess she forgot or something. I saw you two arguing a bit during the battle. What was that about?”

“I had just saved Aipom and she was having a bit of trouble carrying Misdreavus. But when I tried to help her she refused saying that she could do it herself.” Tristan explained. “I couldn’t argue with her over it during a battle, so I compromised with her saying I’d watch her back. That was when Kyogre saw her and sent the blast of water. You know what happened after that.”

“Yeah, you pushed her out of the way, taking the brunt of the attack yourself.”

An awkward silence followed when neither could think of something to say. What to do. Tristan could definitely feel where Torchic was coming from. But he also knew that she was making herself depressed over nothing. Both he and Croconaw valued her.

“So what do we do?” Croconaw asked.

“Well I can’t exactly do anything like this,” Tristan said, indicating to his body. “You’ll either have to do something on your own or wait till I get better.”

“I heard from one of the nurses that most of your wounds have recovered. All that rest you got worked wonders on your body. Apparently all that pain is just your body working at recovering, and a little from the underuse of your muscles. I think they said that you shouldn’t be in here much longer and that you could even start trying to walk in a couple days. Well with assistance that is. And of course we can’t do missions for a while... but I’m sure they won’t mind if-”

“I think we should take the nurses advice just this once,” Tristan whispered.

“Oh... well sure, I guess we could do that too. But I did hear some big things from Team Blue and ACT. Apparently something huge will be going down, but I haven’t heard much.”

“Alright,” Tristan said. He found himself opening his mouth wide for a great yawn. He was suddenly feeling sleepy again.

“Well, you look tired,” Croconaw stated. “I’ll let you rest some more. I’ll be back to check up on you tomorrow?”

Tristan nodded as his eyelids became too heavy to keep open anymore. Sleep was quick to follow.

The day that followed was slow, but productive. For the first time in a week he managed to get out of bed. His legs were very wobbly at first, and he couldn’t walk very far before he had to retire because of pain, but it was a start. Throughout the day he kept trying and was able to walk farther with his steps being less laboured. The nurses were very impressed with his recovery.

“So when d’you think I’ll get out?” Tristan asked later that day.

“Hm? Oh...” one of the Chansey said, looking up from the table she was working at. Se was mixing and grinding several berries into some sort of mush that was meant to dramatically increase the rate of recovery. Many more times than an oran berry, or even a sitrus berry. “You know, I believe you will still need a week to fully recover. But that doesn’t mean you can’t walk around before then. I’d say you’ll be fine to leave the tent by tomorrow. That’s what you wanted to hear wasn’t it?”

Tristan nodded from his bed.”Yes, thanks.”

As well Croconaw paid a visit that day too, and together, they decided that the next morning would be the time when they would try to confront Torchic, whether she wanted to see them or not.

***

A cool breeze greeted him as he stepped out into the fresh air the next morning. It felt great to be outside again after being cooped up in his tent. Clouds were scattered across the sky like giant puffs of cotton, pushed by the warm breeze that came from the sea. Every so often, a cloud's shadow would pass over him, cooling the air.

It turned out his tent was on the edge of the camp, and faced the beach directly. He turned to look at the other tents nearby. Just like before, he couldn’t tell any of them apart among the sea of white tents. He began to regret telling Croconaw that he would meet him there, navigating this mess would not be an easy task.

He shrugged it off, and began to follow the directions Croconaw had given him. After all, it was pointless to dwell on it now. As he walked, he received strange looks from Pokemon that he passed by. He’d gotten looks before when he returned from Mount Blaze. But this was different. Whenever he returned a look from someone, they would suddenly avert their eyes and look the other way as if distracted by something else. It was weird.

“Tristan!” a voice rang out.

Tristan turned to see an orange, black striped dog bounding towards him. It was a relief to see that the pup was alright.

“I heard what happened,” he said when he arrived. “Did you really beat Kyogre?”

Tristan gave a groan of despair. “What are people saying about me? It wasn’t like that...”

“Well, I’d say that these kind of rumours are much better than the rumours you’ve been getting before you fought him. Wouldn’t you?”

“Perhaps...” Tristan shrugged. “Is that why I’m getting all these strange looks now?” He glanced quickly around once more.

“Well yeah,” Growlithe answered. “It’s not only your display out at sea. Team Blue and Team ACT both cleared your names too.”

“They did?” Tristan said gratefully. “Then what’s with all this?”

“Well... I guess people just feel bad for jumping to conclusions and treating you the way they did. I’m sure it’ll pass soon enough when things go back to normal.”

“I hope so...” Tristan answered, looking up again. “Hold on... The last time I saw you, you escaped Stormy Sea... You’re sister! Is she alright?”

The smile on the Growlithe's face suddenly vanished. Lowering his head, he kicked at the ground as he took a moment to choose his words. “Oh... Ruby? Well... she’s fine... I guess...”

“What do you men you guess?” Tristan asked.

“Well... when I got back, I found her around here in the medical area... It was the first place I came to look.”

“But there was something wrong?”

Growlithe took a quick sniff, the continued. “She... she didn’t recognize me! I don’t know what happened... she must have hit her head or something... I tried to remind her remind her of everything. Her parents, the games we used to play, I even mentioned when you guys rescued her. She doesn’t remember a thing! She’s forgotten all about me... All that we’ve been through, means nothing to her now.”

Tristan bit his lip. It was similar to what he had been going through.

“I... I don’t know what to do now...” he sniffed again. “I mean, she’s my sister and all.”

“I know how you feel...” Tristan answered comfortingly. “I’ve been through things like that before.”

“What did you do to deal with it?” Growlithe asked hopefully.

At that moment he realized that this problem wouldn’t be fixed as easily as his own. He couldn’t exactly ask Gardevoir to revive other peoples memories or something. “Well... I know it may seem bad now. But... in the long run, I think it won’t be such a bad thing” he said.

“What do you mean?” The pup asked.

“She’s alive right? Before you were worried whether or not she would be alive. Now you know that she is, and you have the rest of your lives to spend with each other. She may not have any memories of the past now. But you can make new memories that are just as special. Who knows, she might remember a few things eventually.”

“Maybe... maybe you’re right...” Growlithe said, squinting away a few teardrops. “You’re right, I should be happy to have her with me. We still have each other. I’m not alone after all!” He looked up to Tristan, eyes glistening. “Thank you Tristan.”

Tristan looked away in embarrassment. “It... it was nothing!”

“Still... I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t spoken with you. I think I’m going to go try and speak with my sister again. I’ll start slowly like you said. I’m sure she’ll be able to accept me as her brother.”

“Yeah, that’s how you do it,” Tristan replied quickly, eager to keep the conversation moving away from being about him.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you some other time then...” Growlithe said. “Um...” He began to kick gently at the ground again, this time out of shyness.

“Yeah?” Tristan asked.

“You don’t suppose... perhaps one day... when I’m older...” he said. He looked down at the ground a little longer before gaining the nerve to finish. “If I could... join your team... could I?”

This surprised Tristan. This was the first time he had been asked something like this. “Well sure,” Tristan answered simply. “I mean... I wouldn’t have a problem with it.”

“Really?” Growlithe asked, ears perking and tail wagging excitedly. “You mean it?”

Tristan nodded.

“Thank you so much! You’re awesome!” With that he ran off, leaping and bounding as he went. He was in such a state of bliss that he almost crashed into a Lickylicky as he turned a corner.

Smiling slightly, Tristan returned to his search for Torchic’s tent. That was an unexpected delay, but one that was definitely worth it. Not even the looks that he was getting from bystanders seemed to bother him now.

As he turned yet another corner, he finally saw Croconaw up ahead. He was pacing back and forth in front of one particular tent impatiently, arms crossed and eyes scouting out all over the place. The moment he laid eyes on Tristan he ran over.

“Where were you?” he asked frantically.

“I’m sorry,” Tristan answered, startled by his friends urgency. “I ran into Growlithe. You know, we saved his sister?”

“Okay that’s great and all, but we’ve got a serious problem now!” he cried.

“What now?” Tristan asked in exasperation.

“Torchic’s gone!”

“What?” Tristan asked in horror. This definitely was something to worry about. “Gone? As in you can’t find her?”

“Exactly! I came to the tent a little early to find that the tent was open! A Chansey was inside fixing an empty bed telling me that Torchic had already left! I don’t know where she is! Did she visit you, cause she certainly didn’t visit me.”

“No... she didn’t,” Tristan replied. “What could this mean?”

“I don’t know, but I’m worried,” Croconaw replied. “We need to go look for her!”

Tristan spread his arms out wide. “In this maze? We’ll never find her!”

“Maybe not on our own, but we can ask if people have seen her. I’m sure someone has.”

“Good idea,” Tristan said. “Let’s split up and meet up back at say... the entrance of the camp. We’ll tell each other what we know there.”

With that, the two team members split up, wading through the crowds of Pokemon, asking and questioning all the while.

No more than an hour later, Tristan arrived at the main entrance with little success. the few Pokemon who had seen her couldn’t tell where she was headed. A short distance away, he saw the reception tent, where he had seen Kecleon. From there he could see that the chameleon was still there.

“Ah! Tristan!” Kecleon announced as he entered. He was sitting from behind the table as he had been last time. But something was different. This time it was the purple Kecleon, and his eye patch was on the opposite eye compared to his brother. But Tristan had no time to think about anything else. Geoff, the Shinx, was also nearby, although this time he was napping near the foot of the table, his yellow coat shining in the dim light.

“I’ve heard everything-” Kecleon began.

“There’s no time!” Tristan interrupted hurriedly. “I’m sorry, but this is really urgent! Torchic, have you seen her?”

The Kecleon was frozen stiff for a moment until he nodded slowly. “I was just starting my shift when she walked by. Why what’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” Tristan replied. “But do you know where she went? What she was doing?”

The purple chameleon pointed towards the woods to the west. “She was headed that way down the path on her own. She was carrying a few supplies with her too, but I couldn’t tell what they were.”

“How long ago was this?” Tristan pressed on.

“One hour? Two hours ago?” Kecleon blurted. The stress was getting to him to the point where his speech faltered “I don’t know exactly, it was something like that.”

Tristan had no time to talk further, he had all the information he needed. “Thank you Kecleon,” Tristan replied. “Sorry for being so urgent, I’ll tell you what’s going on as soon as I can.” With that, he dashed out of the tent, to see Croconaw waiting for him outside.

“I couldn’t find out-”

“Follow me!” Tristan cut him off the moment he arrived. “She headed out to the woods.”

Croconaw broke into a run to keep up with Tristan. “You mean she left the camp? Why would she do that?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. But for now I want to focus more on the question of where she went rather then why she left.”

“She couldn’t be heading back to the remains of the village could she? Maybe there was something there valuable to her that we didn’t know about.”

“I doubt it,” Tristan said. “It doesn’t seem to fit in with the way she’s been acting.”

“Well... we can’t just run any old place. You got any ideas?”

“Actually...” Tristan said as a thought entered his mind. “I do. This way!”

***

It wasn’t long before Croconaw took the hint as to where they were going. They ran uphill with the woods on either side of the path. It was the route they had often taken when they departed for and returned from missions.

Tristan gasped and panted with exertion. He still wasn’t ready for this kind of action. He found that he was tiring easily, with his muscles aching with each motion. Still, he was determined to keep a fast pace.

The team base appeared around the corner, untouched since the time he had run away from the village, which now seemed like ages. And in front of it, standing by the mailbox, was a small, orange feathered Pokemon. Torchic!

As Tristan and Croconaw ran into view, she turned to look at them. She watched in dismay as her two teammates ran towards her, stepping back slightly when they arrived.

“So this is where you went!” Croconaw cried as soon as they reached her. “We practically turned the refugee camp upside down looking for you!”

“Torchic, what’s going on?” Tristan panted. “Why did you come all the way out here?”

“I... I...” she hesitated, shifting her eyes, looking at every other possible thing besides her two friends. “I just came to look at the team base.”

“That’s not why you came.” Tristan replied. “Tell the truth. Why wouldn’t you see anyone after we returned from Stormy Sea? Or why did you leave all of a sudden without even seeing either of us at a time when few Pokemon would see you?. Torchic, is there something going on that we should know about?”

Torchic took a deep breath, trying to gain the confidence, closed her eyes and began to speak. “Please... I just want to be alone right now...”

“Talk to us Torchic,” Croconaw pleaded. “Please. Maybe we can help.”

“No...” she replied. “I don’t think you can... You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try us,” Tristan said.

At this she opened her eyes to look at Tristan. She then turned around so she wouldn’t have to face them. “I... I can’t do it anymore. Be a part of this team I mean.”

It was just as they had dreaded. Both Tristan and Croconaw stared at her in shock. It was still too difficult to believe.

“I’ve been thinking about it for some time now,” she continued. “I’m just not as useful as I used to be, if I ever was. So I’ve decided to resign.”

“No!” Croconaw wailed. “You can’t!”

Tristan sighed. “Come on Torchic. We’ve been through this before... you know you’ve helped us a lot and you know why you haven’t been able to do your best lately.”

“Let me guess,” Torchic said. “You’re going to tell me I was out of my element aren’t you? That it was out of my control? I remember. You already used that one on me in Stormy Sea.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” Croconaw answered. “It’s not your fault your powers were limited. So why are you blaming yourself?”

“You want to know why?” she asked, her voice becoming firmer. She turned to stare him in the face. “Because I’m not the only one weak against water here, Croconaw! You can’t use that as an excuse! Tristan is a ground type, he’s weak against water too! But that didn’t manage to stop him from saving the day! As usual!”

This offended Tristan. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he growled. “But all I was doing was hanging by the skin of my teeth to try to survive! It was luck that kept me alive, not skill or anything else like that! There were plenty of times where I could easily have died!”

“Because of me!” Torchic shrieked. “Because I wasn’t strong enough to carry out a simple task! And what happened when you tried to help me rescue Misdreavus? A good team member would have accepted help from another. But no, I had to let my pride get the better of me. I had to show myself that I could actually do something useful! And where did that lead? It led to you needing to save my sorry ***! How does that make me a good team member, Tristan? None of that disaster would have happened if it weren’t for my stupidity! So tell me, why the hell would you want me on this team?”

“Because you’re my friend!” Tristan hollered.

Torchic stood in silence a moment, as Tristan’s words echoed throughout the clearing for several more seconds. She put on a brave face, but it didn’t stop the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes.

“I wouldn’t care if you were the weakest Pokemon in the world!” Tristan yelled. “You’re still my friend! I would risk my life for you and I know you would do the same for both of us! Didn’t what you told me on Mount Blaze mean anything to you? Or have you forgotten? Why are you suddenly trying to leave now after we’ve been through so much together?”

“You don’t understand...” she sniffed. Tears were beginning to stream down her face. “You just don’t understand! I won’t go through with it again! It’s too much for me! I don’t want to see anyone else die because I was too weak! I don’t know what I would do! I couldn’t handle it you hear me!”

“Get a hold of yourself, Torchic!” Tristan shouted. “What are you talking about? What do you mean ‘again’?”

“That moment... when you saved me...” she said between sobs. “Was so similar to something that happened to me when I was younger.”

“You mean... your past?” Croconaw asked.

“Yeah,” she said with a shrug. “Might as well tell you, now that it’s come to this. That week when you were recovering. It was so stressful for me. I spent nights wide awake in bed, reliving what had happened that long time ago, and worrying that the same was going to happen to you. It was so painful to live through. I tried to forget my past for a reason. But at that moment I found myself staring it in the face.”

“Torchic... you don’t have to-” Tristan was about to say.

“The village I grew up in was very unlike the one you knew. The Pokemon who lived there were very superstitious. They took their traditions seriously, and always stayed true to their rituals. My parents were well respected among the villagers, and were among the more influential of the Pokemon. I guess I just didn’t think the way they did, cause I never really got into any of it. I liked to take part in the traditions, but it was because I liked to feel like I was a part of the community.

“Because of that I didn’t look up to my parents as much as others might have,” at this she gave Croconaw a slight nod. “But there was another villager who I respected. Someone who I felt was more like me. He was an explorer called Terran, a Donphan who had traveled from another land. My village was where he had settled. He went along with the traditions of the village, and became pretty well liked. But the thing that drew me to him was his stories. Places he’d been, things he’d seen on his travels, he always loved to share his experiences with others. He’d tell me all about what lied beyond the borders of my town, which was all I knew of the world.

It wasn’t long before we became friends, and we grew closer to each other. I think he saw something in me too. Something that made me different from the other villagers. I was curious, and not afraid to question things. It came to a point where there would rarely be a day when I wouldn’t see him.”

“And something happened to him didn’t it?” Tristan asked.

Torchic gave him a blank look before continuing. By now her tears had dried. But he could tell that she could break down at any moment. “Foundation Day was one of the most important days to the villagers back where I lived. It was said that an early Pokemon saw a star fall from the sky. It was on that spot where the star landed that the Pokemon founded the village. From then on, the star became an icon of the village, and was more precious to the villagers than anything else in the world. It would be brought out into the center of the village for three days to symbolize the three day journey it took to get there. And during that time, it was under constant guard in case anyone ever thought of stealing it.

“Many Pokemon volunteered to protect the artifact, including my parents as well as Terran. I too wanted to guard the star, but everyone told me I was too young to do it, and I wasn’t strong enough. The only one to vouch for me, was Terran. He managed to convince them that I could help guard it with him. At the time it was like a dream come true. A chance to prove myself as well as spend time with my friend.

“Our turn to stand watch was in the early hours of the morning, just before the sun would rise. The only reason they chose that time, I think, was to discourage me from actually going to guard. But they underestimated me, because there I stood with Terran, alert and vigilant.

“Nothing happened the first two mornings, but on the third and final one, a newcomer to the village came to pay us a visit. A Golduck, I forgot what his name was. Nobody had really gotten the chance to know him. But he became real interested in the treasure. He tried to volunteer to guard it, but he was rejected because he was still new and couldn’t be trusted. That morning, he came up to us and asked to see it. Of course Terran stood in his way, not letting him get close, and I followed his lead.

At the mention of the Golduck, she began to tremble. Not out of sorrow, but of anger. She pressed on, her voice becoming more and more ragged. “It started out as a polite conversation. He asked to see it, Terran denied. But kind words quickly turned to insults, and tempers rose. It came to a point where the Golduck made us aware of his true intentions. To steal and sell the star. He figured that if we valued it so greatly, it would make him rich. Without warning he struck out at Terran, but didn’t catch him off guard. He wasn’t only an experienced explorer, but over his travels he had learned to fight as well. When he had a moment to talk, he instructed me to go wake the village and get others to help. I went partway, but then decided somehow that if I teamed up with Terran, we could save the star together.

“By the time I had gotten back, they were both were standing on their last legs, running only on fumes. When Terran asked where the others were, I told him I was alone. That was the first time that he ever became angry with me, which confused me. I was so confident that we could win together I didn’t think we could lose. I was so distracted that I didn’t even see Golduck coming in to attack me. Terran yelled at me to look out, but I didn’t realize what was going on fast enough. Only when he knocked me out of the way of a lethal attack did I realize was happening. He took the brunt of the attack, and it would never have happened if I had just done what I was told!

“Only moments later Golduck went to attack me, combining his water and psychic powers. He must have underestimated me, was too weak or wasn’t actually intending to kill me, but whatever happened, I was left alive. The next thing I knew I was being shaken awake amid yells and screams. Terran had died and the star was stolen. All the blame was placed upon me. If I hadn’t gotten in the way, things would have been different. If I had been stronger, nothing like this would have happened. No matter where I turned I was confronted with cold stares from hateful eyes. And even my parents, who had loved and cared for me were among them. Some even went as far as to saying I was cursed and I was a plague upon the village.

“Whether that was the reason, or because of my horrible failure they exiled me from the village. I never felt so alone in my life, and I was still a young chick at the time. My best friend was gone and I had nobody to care for me. It was such an awful time to live in, Tristan. I don’t know how I was able to live with myself. Always being reminded that it was my fault. If I hadn’t been so weak or stupid, I still would have had Terran... It took several years for me to get over it. By then, I had vowed to myself that I would become stronger, strong enough so that I would have the power to not let thing like this happen again. I pushed my childhood behind me, and ended up wandering to the Pokemon village. It was there that I met Totodile, who asked me if he wanted to form a rescue team with me. I saw it as the chance I was looking for, and soon after that, you entered the picture as well.

“Now do you see Tristan? Can you see the parallels of what happened? Terran was a ground Pokemon, you are a ground Pokemon. Golduck was a water type, and Kyogre was a water type too. Terran pushed me away from the attack, taking the brunt of it himself, and the exact same thing happened with you. And why did they both happen? Because I was weak, and because I was stupid! It was too much for me, waiting to hear whether you would live or die! I was certain you were going to go just as Terran had!”

“But I didn’t,” Tristan interrupted.

“That doesn’t matter. There is one fact that remains. And that is since those days, I haven’t changed. Not one bit. Even my attempt to become stronger, to stop it from happening again was just me being afraid to accept what happened. Well I can’t do it anymore. I just can’t. You may try to stop me, but nothing you say will keep me on the team. This is where I draw the line. This is where it ends for me.”

“But-” Croconaw was about to say.

“No, Croconaw.” It was Tristan who had cut him off.

“Tristan!” Croconaw gasped.

“Listen,” he continued. “As much as I hate to say it... we cannot force her to stay on the team. If she wants to leave, there is nothing we can do.”

“Thanks Tristan...” Torchic sniffed.

“Don’t thank me,” he replied coldly. “Just because I’m siding with you doesn’t mean I agree with you. I don't want you to leave either. But after what you said... well I just can’t argue with that. All I can say is that I wish you would stay, and that Team Supernova won’t be the same without you. I don’t know if we’ll be able to keep going without you.”

“Don’t say that...” Torchic said. “You guys have been doing fine without me for a while now.”

“No, that’s not true. You are a key piece in our team. And when you are gone, there will just be an empty space where you used to be.”

“I’m sorry then,” Torchic replied. “But if that’s the case, you’ll just need to find someone else to fill it.”

“Nobody will ever be able to replace you.” With that, Tristan turned to Croconaw. “Let’s go.”

“But what about-” he was about to ask.

“Don’t you see?” Tristan snapped. “It’s a lost cause! She’s not coming back! There’s nothing else we can do!”

“But she’s...” he muttered as he turned back to her. He trailed off and wept softly.

“I know,” Tristan answered. “I know just as much as you do. But it comes to a point where no matter how hard we try, we get nowhere. This is one of those times. Lets just leave now, and make things as painless as posible.”

“I’m sorry...” Torchic sniffed from behind.

Tristan turned to face her one last time. “I know you are.” Tears were welling up in his eyes. “And I’m sorry too.”

With that he departed the scene, followed quickly by Croconaw, leaving Torchic behind to watch them as they disappeared amongst the trees. Leaving behind the team base, where they had shared so many fond memories. His tears streamed freely as well as Croconaw. They knew they had just lost something so valuable to them that could never ever be replaced.

To be continued...

[Brumrha]

The initiative is mine! HUZZAH!!

Ahem... that aside, as I started reading this, the first thing that I've noticed is that there are a bunch of asterisks dotted all over the place. Unless there's a good explanation as to why they're all here, get rid of them, because for me at least, they stick out like a sore thumb.

[FocusPresenceEndurance]

The initiative is mine! HUZZAH!!

Ahem... that aside, as I started reading this, the first thing that I've noticed is that there are a bunch of asterisks dotted all over the place. Unless there's a good explanation as to why they're all here, get rid of them, because for me at least, they stick out like a sore thumb.

Well that was annoying >=C, cause I sure didn't put those in... And I don't remember Serebii censoring the posts either... =/ Guess there will be three asterisks that'll just have to stay... -_-

Thank you for letting me know BTW. Probably would have taken longer for me to notice if you didn't mention in. =)

[Locked In My Asylum]

Hello, I'm a closet reader who decided to show her face.

I love this fanfic. Description is lovely, and your characters are awesome!

I love Ashley, though she seems to be down in the dumps now. I hope she joins back with Team Supernova soon. I'm rooting for her!

All in all, 100/100 for a great storyline and amazing characters. Good job!

Keep it up!


(I also love Sanngot. He's an awesome baddie! =D )

[FocusPresenceEndurance]

Hello, I'm a closet reader who decided to show her face.

I love this fanfic. Description is lovely, and your characters are awesome!

I love Ashley, though she seems to be down in the dumps now. I hope she joins back with Team Supernova soon. I'm rooting for her!

All in all, 100/100 for a great storyline and amazing characters. Good job!

Keep it up!


(I also love Sanngot. He's an awesome baddie! =D )

Always nice to see a new face! =D

I'm glad you've been enjoying it so far and I look forward to see more of you! ^^

Yeah, Ashley seems to be a popular character. But will she come back? She seems to have set her mind on leaving right now. What will happen? I guess only time will tell. O.o

Thanks again! =)

And yes, Sanngot is pretty awesome. XD

[Koridojo_Blaziken]

WHOOOOAAAAMIGOSH I should really think about mebbe making a return to this forum once in a century, shouldn't I. O_O; ...sorry! D: *ducks under a table*

Hmm. Maybe I should've caught the elipses as well? :/ I dunno, though, those have already been pointed out, so I wouldn't feel very useful repeating that... XD;

...although personally, my favorite's still Geoff. :/

[FocusPresenceEndurance]

WHOOOOAAAAMIGOSH I should really think about mebbe making a return to this forum once in a century, shouldn't I. O_O; ...sorry! D: *ducks under a table*

Hmm. Maybe I should've caught the elipses as well? :/ I dunno, though, those have already been pointed out, so I wouldn't feel very useful repeating that... XD;

...although personally, my favorite's still Geoff. :/

Geoff is your fave? The one who has only gotten, like (oops O_O), 2 lines so far? XD lol, jk, jk.

What's this? You think I overdid it with the elipses? =P

[sweet_piplup123]

Oh my god, terrific twist you have here... but I guess Tristan has a point, Torchic is sounding like a lost cause, and if he ended up managing to convince her then everything would've been cliche and unrealistic. So well done on that. (:

Can't wait for the next chapter! I better start writing mine too...

[FocusPresenceEndurance]

Oh my god, terrific twist you have here... but I guess Tristan has a point, Torchic is sounding like a lost cause, and if he ended up managing to convince her then everything would've been cliche and unrealistic. So well done on that. (:

Can't wait for the next chapter! I better start writing mine too...

Well thanks for mentioning that. ^^ I'll let you in on a not so important secret. This scene never originally happened when I was posting this on Nsider, and Torchic never revealed her tragic past. I think it is much better this way, though.

It is coming to a point where the chapters are so different compared to the original that they don't resemble each other, and it has been like that for a while. Surprisingly, though, I am pretty sure that there will be some stuff in the next chapter that will make it from the Nsider version unscathed. O.o

[FocusPresenceEndurance]

Quick update. I went and edited over chapter 2. Somehow I missed the fact that Plusle and Minun just seemed to disappear into thin air. That's been fixed now. In updates for later chapters I might end up slipping in 4th gen Pokemon here and there. Just so ya guys know.

[Anortherguy]

Can i be on the pm list please?(if this isnt discontinued)