The Dark, The Light

[midnightjewelz]

Shippings: Ikarishipping.
Rating: PG

I told myself i wouldn't write a new fic unless i finish at least one im writing right now but this came up right after i finished Mysterious Stranger. it started off as a drabble but i couldn't stop, more ideas came flooding in.

I used my own relationship with my own father to help in, how do we say this...im not very close to him. lol. Dawn might not come in until chapter one or two. i haven't decided.

Sorry if its short. i don't want to spoil everything at once and plus its a prologue, their meant to stay short right?

~midnight


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The Dark, the Light

Prologue: My pain is only an imagination in your eyes

All I wanted was his respect. Is too much for someone like me to ask for?

"Paul." The way he pronounced my name, it was full of disgust but I didn't expect any less of him. "Let's re-from the red chain." He placed his hands under his chin. I continued to sit right in front of him. Refusing to reply. "This time I won't fail!" he laughed as he raised his arms into the air. His terrible voice echoed in small room. He eyes were filled with the ego to fulfil his dream of this new world he always spoke of. The guards quickly came in and took a hold of his arms. "Get off of me you fools! Don't you understand, my plan is unstoppable!"

"Idiot!" I slammed my hands onto the metal table as I stood up to him. "That's how you got into this mess. Daydreaming of this new world, the reason you want a new world is because you can't accept the one you're living in." I pushed the chair away from me, making it fall off its four legs and hit the metal surface. I turned my back to him and made my way out. Refusing to speak with him for any longer for that day.

He wasn't always like this, wait I take that back. He was always like this. An idiot.

"Finish for today Mr Hayden?" one of the guards greeted me. "How was your chat with him?" He asked.

"The usual." I closed the door behind me. I tightened my grip on the sliver push down handle. "Speaking nonsense." I looked up the guard. All of them wore the classic white formal uniform. Badges on the right side of their white shirt and even that classic European black police hat. Their shirts tucked into their black pants. Belt up. The usual formal stuff I was never into. "How long has he been like this?"

"As long as we could remember. Ever since he started the old group, Team Galactic." He replied. He wasn't the real up tight guards at the front. Staring at you like you just committed murder. Standing up straight twenty four seven and not speaking word to you. The guards back here were more laid back since this place wasn't the most pleasant place to hang out for hours to come or the most protected or watched.

"I will come back tomorrow." I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked right past him.

The halls in this place were dark and gloomy. The walls were made out of strong titanium and the bolts were fixed in tightly. The hanging lights swayed left to right and felt like they would crash on me any time soon. I could hear the others grumbling and swearing behind the walls. There were only a few guards around this place. And most of them would just sleep through their shift.

"Pathetic." I reached the door that would lead me out of this dump. I looked back at the last room in this depressing hallway. "And so is that man at the end of this disgusting place." I spat onto the floor with his name with disgust and opened the door and let myself out.

How could he wake up each morning not thinking what he has done to us? To the people he used to get to this 'red chain' to nearly open this new 'universe.' God, I hate him.

It was another rainy day. A perfect reflection on what I had been through earlier. The rain kept on falling onto me but I didn't care. I couldn't understand why the girls on the street screamed as they went through the rain with no umbrella and get wet. This is nothing if you compare what I have to go through now. I walked down the main path as cars drove pass me. I could hear one drive extremely fast and ran over a deep puddle and splash the remaining water onto my face. I could taste the dirt in my mouth and quickly spat it out. The lights of the tall buildings provided me light as I finally headed off the city footpath and to my usual road back home.

Small pokemon hid in the soggy old boxes on the side of the walls as I walked through the wet and soggy alleyway. I reached a wooden old pitchfork fence. As a child you would turn back, but not me. There was a small crack at the left side of the fence. I pulled off the old piece and made my way under it. My jacket gain a few tears as it collide with the sharps ends of the fence but it wasn't enough to bother me and stop.

I soon reach the usual muddy path that lead me straight home. The rain got heavier the more I walked down that path. My shoes fell into small muddy puddles making them covered in mud when I took my feet out of them. Teasing nearby neighbours would ride their bikes around this time. They always seem to know what time I would come back home. Many of them headed my way, ready for a collision but sadly they were too smart for that kind of stunt. They quickly turned to the left and splashed mud right into my face by their back wheel that they used to break and turn left passed me.

"Take that Galactic boy!" many of them called. I scraped the mud off my face and turned around to face them. I wasn't pleased.

"This is all your fault old man." I gritted my teeth and shook my head many times to get the mud out of my long lavender hair and continued my way back home.

Ever since he got caught everything changed. I hardly get a pokemon battle, I won't be able to walk into any store with scaring a family or two and everyone in my hometown disrespected me or my brother.

Lighting flashed across the night sky. The wind picked up and sending chills down my spine, making me feel terribly cold. My soaked up clothes made me feel even worse since every time the wind blew it would just keep getting colder and colder. My feet soon made their way up the front stairs and to the front door. I knocked on the door many times. But every knock felt so painful and just kept on getting weaker and weaker.

My brother, Reggie. His is the only family I have left. Family...I wished... I had... one.

It rain continued to fall heavy; I could hear it clash on the roof of the house and the shelter in front of the door. The wooden decks were soaked and the plants were full of drinking so much water. I was getting colder and more soaked the longer I stood there. I felt my legs tremble and soon collapse and fall down to the wooden deck. I back lay against the white front door.

"Where the hell is he?" I asked myself. I looked up as soon I heard that familiar engine sound a car would make. It was the family looking green sea van. The fog began to grow thicker quickly and I saw a shadow figure heading my way. The more he came closer the faster his footsteps became.

He dropped the shopping bags on the decks right near the door in a rush and kneeled down by my side. My head felt heavy and I was getting tried rather quickly. I looked up and saw it was Reggie, calling out my name but each call just got weaker and weaker. Fading into existence. He shook me by the shoulder but my body was going numb. I looked on his face and saw water running down his cheeks. I couldn't tell if it was the rain that did that or he was actually crying for me. He was crying because he cared for me.

Well that's a first for me.

I closed my eyes and began to drift to sleep. I felt so tried, every part of my body felt so painful. My wounds came back every time my mind wandered off to my past. I could feel my older brother carry me somehow and place me somewhere soft. Where it didn't hurt. Where it wasn't so painful to be. My past. It's just a blurry memory now.

It's so faded out and so blurry that there is nothing left of it. Nothing.

End of the Prologue

[Skiyomi]

Well, it's certainly off to a very emotive start. Would you mind slapping a rating on this puppy for me?

I've said it before and I'll say it again--I don't like pointless description. So it was a treat for me to start reading this because your description is definitely not pointless. Good job using the setting to convey the mood of the piece!

There's certainly a lot of drama already. I'm interested to see what happens, particularly when you bring Dawn in.

There are some technical issues here that could benefit from revision, I won't list them all (umm... unless you want the red pen treatment), but here are some things that struck me particularly:

"Finish for today Mr Hayden?" one of the guards greeted me. "How was your chat with him?" He asked.

Correction: “Finished for today, Mr. Hayden?” one of the guards greeted me. “How was your chat with him?” he asked.

If you're gonna have more dialogue (which I'm assuming you are) you're gonna want to make sure you're observing the correct rules for handling dialogue. I messed up on the whole capitalization/comma issues regarding dialogue when I was starting out and it's something you want to definitely get in the habit of learning to do correctly.

On a less technical note, some of these sentences sound a little clunky to me and warrant revision. A good example would be:

Refusing to speak with him for any longer for that day.

I find the repetition of 'for' pretty jarring here and I think it takes away musicality from the sentence. You don't want to bog up your sentences with extraneous prepositions, and in this case I'd say that second 'for' is pretty unnecessary.

That bit also brings up something else I've noticed throughout this prologue: fragments. Now, if you ask me, fragments are okay in some cases. Sentence fragments can be very powerful when used sparingly. However... if they're not used sparingly then it just makes the prose choppy. I'd suggest making use of our good friends the comma, colon, and semi-colon to join some of these clauses together, or reword them so they are sentences in their own right with subjects and verbs and all that good stuff. I think it'll make things flow a lot nicer.

With that said, this seems like a big improvement in writing since I last reviewed you. Good work and good luck continuing this!

[midnightjewelz]

Well, it's certainly off to a very emotive start. Would you mind slapping a rating on this puppy for me?

Thanks for reminding me. i will right after replying to you review. ^w^

I've said it before and I'll say it again--I don't like pointless description. So it was a treat for me to start reading this because your description is definitely not pointless. Good job using the setting to convey the mood of the piece!

Thanks. by reading other fanfics it helped me improve my abilty to describe better.

There's certainly a lot of drama already. I'm interested to see what happens, particularly when you bring Dawn in.

There are some technical issues here that could benefit from revision, I won't list them all (umm... unless you want the red pen treatment), but here are some things that struck me particularly:

"Finish for today Mr Hayden?" one of the guards greeted me. "How was your chat with him?" He asked.

Correction: “Finished for today, Mr. Hayden?” one of the guards greeted me. “How was your chat with him?” he asked.

My problem is the basic grammer, such as when to add the comma or fullstop. sometimes i forget to put them in since i type so fast. T_T but i will try to put more when i can.

If you're gonna have more dialogue (which I'm assuming you are) you're gonna want to make sure you're observing the correct rules for handling dialogue. I messed up on the whole capitalization/comma issues regarding dialogue when I was starting out and it's something you want to definitely get in the habit of learning to do correctly.

On a less technical note, some of these sentences sound a little clunky to me and warrant revision. A good example would be:

Refusing to speak with him for any longer for that day.

I find the repetition of 'for' pretty jarring here and I think it takes away musicality from the sentence. You don't want to bog up your sentences with extraneous prepositions, and in this case I'd say that second 'for' is pretty unnecessary.

Now that i read it aloud. that does sound kinda weird and akwarkd. guess i have to edit my stories even more for longer.

That bit also brings up something else I've noticed throughout this prologue: fragments. Now, if you ask me, fragments are okay in some cases. Sentence fragments can be very powerful when used sparingly. However... if they're not used sparingly then it just makes the prose choppy. I'd suggest making use of our good friends the comma, colon, and semi-colon to join some of these clauses together, or reword them so they are sentences in their own right with subjects and verbs and all that good stuff. I think it'll make things flow a lot nicer.

With that said, this seems like a big improvement in writing since I last reviewed you. Good work and good luck continuing this!

Fragments? i don't really understand what you mean by fragments. but anyway thanks for the helpful review. i will put all the things you taught me in mind for the future chapters. thankyou.

[Skiyomi]

Fragments? i don't really understand what you mean by fragments. but anyway thanks for the helpful review. i will put all the things you taught me in mind for the future chapters. thankyou.

A fragment is something that, despite beginning with a capital and ending with appropriate punctuation, is not a complete sentence: it's missing the subject or the verb. The best way to spot these is that they can't stand alone.

Let's take the example I used before

Refusing to speak with him for any longer for that day.

You've got your verb phrase "refusing to speak" and the object of your sentence "him" and the aforementioned prepositional phrases, but this sentence has no subject. Finding the subject is as simple as turning the verb into a question: who was refusing to speak? This sentence doesn't supply that subject, so it's incomplete. In this case, the best way to fix that is to go to the sentence before it, which is complete:

I turned my back to him and made my way out.

See how that has both a subject and a verb? Now you can join that up with your second statement so that "I" becomes the subject of both.

I turned my back to him and made my way out, refusing to speak with him for any longer for that day.

Joining with a comma (and sometimes an 'and') will work in some cases like this one, but it won't always. If you've got two fragments next to each other and join them with a comma, then that's just a comma splice and it's still not a sentence. In cases like that, it's best to just reword the thing so that there's both a subject and a verb.

...I hope that made sense.

EDIT: By the way, I think you said you have trouble knowing when commas/periods are appropriate? There is a great book on punctuation that I can recommend called Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynn Truss. Not only is the book very helpful for learning the correct use of punctuation, but it's damn funny as well.

[midnightjewelz]

Now i understand and it makes alot of sence now. thankyou very much for that. i hope i will get use to adding this and that one that sentence etc.

Next chapter.

This isn't my fav chapter, why? there is a HUGE OOC moment that im not too sure about. i wrote as much as i can to make it not so OOC but its up to you guys if you find it OOC or not.

And ALOT of people been saying that normally Cyrus is Dawn's father, well i tend to write advanceshipping fics more than Ikarishipping so i don't know. but now that i do, doesn't mean im not going to change anything. the idea of Cyrus begin Paul's father actually came from a old Ikarishipping forums at least a year ago.

(I'm really updating this too fast. 0.o)

~midnight


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Mission One: Emotions that don't live in his world

One year later...

To be able to wake up without something to bicker about, that would be a nice change for once.

My first signs of conscienceless were when I could feel my hands grasp something soft and something solid. I knew I was safe. My eyelids were next as they soon woke up from their slumber and let my eyes giving me of a vision on where I was. I was home.

I could feel the warmth of the hot air circulating in the house. The fire place was bright and alive and the hot chocolate on the table had just been made. The hot air coming out of drink somewhat felt relaxing for me. I soon saw little water ripples getting formed in the drink. I knew Reggie was coming down to see me. He had the usual stuff on, that peachy long sleeve shirt with the white pants. He always seemed to wear them all the time. But his hair wasn't in a ponytail, it was down. A smile soon grew across his face but I didn't know why. He sat next at the end of my feet.

"I'm glad you're alright." He grinned. He patted my head. It was of the things I hated him to do was treat me like a child. I knocked his hand off me.

"Give me a break Reggie." I pushed myself off the couch. I regained my balance but getting up from a lying down to a sitting down position made my head sore and dizzy. "What is wrong with me?" I complained.

"You just got a fever, silly." Reggie patted me on the back. Even it was soft it really did hurt me. I had no idea why. "Getting wet like that really took a beating in ya. I mean visit Dad in this kind of weather. I could of-" I soon stood up and looked my older brother in the eye.

"No!" I yelled. "I went there to mock him, to make fun of him. Things he used to do to me. I'm just returning the favour to him." My blood boiled every time my mind would bring an image of him into my head and anyone mentioned him near me. I was heading into my room until Reggie called my name again.

"Paul, please stop this." He sighed. He stood up and looked me in the eye. "Stop hurting yourself. You know that's not the reason you go there. You want him to respect you, don't you?"

To be able to admit to myself that I'm not lying would be a nice change as well.

"To mock him, to make fun at him. They are my reasons to visit a man like him." And I continued to make my way upstairs. To get my pokemon trained.

I didn't care about about the weather, I didn't care about what Reggie told me and I didn't care about him. I only cared to get stronger so I could defeat everything that headed my way. I slammed my door wide open with a huge 'thud' sound. My room was a mess in the eyes of Reggie who always cleaned my room so often that it annoyed me. I walked over to my dresser and pulled out the first drawer. There laid millions of pokemon balls I've caught on my journeys, mostly from here, Sinnoh. I grabbed a random red and white ball and close the drawer and made my way out.

I was half way down the stairs until I noticed Reggie just starting to watch a pokemon battle on television. I soon noticed one of the opponents showed on the screen.

"And advancing to the semi-finals is Ash Ketchum from Pallet town!" an announcer called out and into his microphone, spreading that stupid name into the crowd and pass the television's speakers.

"Can't believe that pathetic trainer even made past the first round." I grumbled.

"Well he beat you didn't he?" My older brother teased and looked over his shoulder. "I heard his in Unova now. How come you don't tag along him? It's been at least a year since you travelled." He asked.

"What am I? His official stalker? I'm sure his friends are doing that job for me." I continued to make my ways down the stairs. I could hear Reggie laugh and then calling to me again.

"Paul please. Rest and train in the morning. You can't battle in the state you are in." My brother called in his usual concerned tone of voice.

"I don't care, I don't I don't care!" I repeated and yelled at him. "I need to get stronger, to beat anyone who gets in my way!" And right after that I ran into the rain.

I need to get stronger, I need to beat him and earn what I deserve. Respect.

The weather was horrible in the eyes of others. But I treated this as a perfect condition to get better, stronger. I threw the pokeball into the air and it released a red light and soon hit down to the ground. The red light soon formed a very familiar pokemon to me. He was green and brown. He had a huge thick tree placed on his back with huge thick grey spikes pointing out from his back and the sides of his head. His legs were thick by the strength I've trained him by and he roared his name out to the skies above. His red eyes glowed in the night sky.

"Torterra." I greeted. "I should have known that you would be in that pokeball. "Let's start, knock out those trees with Frenzy plant!" I yelled from the top of my lungs.

My pokemon roared and released its powerful move he had mastered. Giant roots from the ground below erupted and knocked down the trees in front of us. The roots were cover with thorns and would do heaps of damage when it landed a hit on my opponents. The wind picked up speed out of nowhere and made me lose my balance and hit right into Torterra. I placed my left hand on my right shoulder where it collided with Torterra's strong and firm body structure. I was in so much pain, but I couldn't be. I had to be strong, I had to get over this stupid pain I was having. Soon I heard a girl calling to somebody in the forest.

"Come on Mamoswine. We can get through this storm." A girl cheered as she held onto her Pokémon's thick winter fur as she headed to my direction. The huge twin tusk pokemon soon stopped its tracks to run over me and collide into Torterra. A young girl soon dropped down from her Pokémon's back and turned around to face me. I soon knew who it was after hearing her annoying voice.

"Hey it's you, Paul." She pointed right into my face. I noticed she was wearing something different.

She had that red mini dress she wore back in Snowpoint. The mini dress only reached past her waist with four huge pink buttons near the ends of the mini dress. She wore ridiculously high white knee shocks with her usual pink boots. She still had that huge white scarf from before, wrapped around her neck and her usual pink hair clips and white and pink beanie were in their usual places.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Shouldn't I ask you that?" I asked. I soon coughed right afterwards. "Damn. I'm getting worse."

"Wait your sick and you still come out in this weather to train. Wow, hard headed." She teased.

"Not now girl." I held my head. I was getting dizzy once more. I placed my hands on Torterra to help me get up to get my balance. But even that my head just got much worse. "I need to get his respect before I get back home..."

"If you are talking about Ash beating you in the league well you-" But I cut her short.

"It's not only him dammit!" I yelled. Thunder roared across the midnight skies and the wind continued to blow across the forest at the same pace. "It's everyone who thinks I'm weak, useless, and junk!" I turned around to my rival's friends. "Ash is just one of the people who treated me like that!" I continued to yell at her.

"Ash doesn't think like you like that. He respects you because you're such a strong trainer!" She yelled back. "And you're sick. You don't know what you're talking about!"

"I know what I'm talking about completely!" I yelled. I soon heard Reggie's car coming towards us. His headlights soon broke through the night fog surrounding us. "The way he raises his pokemon. Love, care, kindness, all those things doesn't exist to me!" My head began to hurt even more and my legs began to shake. I was losing my balance again. I heard the car door opening and footsteps running over puddles and towards me. "I was raised in a world without those stupid things. Why start now?"

Love, care, kindness. Those ridiculous emotions don't live in my world. They won't and never will!

It was my older brother Reggie. He placed my jacket over my shoulders. His hair was still down and his teal apron wasn't wrapped around him right. He looked like a complete wreak and I can tell it was my fault. It always was. I tried to push him away from me but my arms just gave way.

"It's alright Paul. Calm down." I could hear her footsteps coming towards me with her huge pokemon beside her. "I'm here." He placed both his hands on my shoulder. "Let's go home." I knew he was talking to all of us, including that girl Ash would always travel with.

"Leave me alone! Leave me like Dad did..." I muttered. I was losing the sense of my mind and what I should tell it do to. Random words were leaving my lips and to the ears of others.

Somebody stop me, I'm doing it again. I'm feeling...sad again.

I did it again. Every year around this time I would act like a complete fool. I act like a child that lost their candy. I hate this side of me. I spit it with disgust. I want to out of me, leave me alone. Why can't it do that? My mind was losing its senses and let lose the pathetic side of me.

I cried.

I tipped my head down towards the ground so nobody would see in my weak state. I couldn't stop. I just felt so hopeless that I had to. It just, why did all of this happen to me! Pick somebody else other than me! My life is horrible enough. I could feel Reggie pat my head softly. I always hated it but something in my mind told me to let him go, just this once. And that girl that was always with Ash placed her soft hand on my shoulder. I never thought this would happen to me again. Not in front of her, not in front of Reggie.

That night, was a horrible night. I wish it never happen. I wish I could wipe it out of my mind, like my past.

My memory of that night was little. I could hear the passage side doors slide open as my brother guild my in. My eyes were closed tight. My body felt cold. I felt some sort of blanket covering my body. I hate all of this, I hated begin and treated to weak. After that more sounds of openings and closing doors came through my ears. Reggie started the car with the car keys and drove back home. My mind soon fell asleep but came back up alive as soon my ears picked up of sounds of two people talking.

"Reggie what is wrong with him?" She asked.

"He always acts like this around this time of the year. Every year he would come back home for a few days before going back to his travels. I'm surprised he stayed home for a whole year without leaving to a new town." My older brother replied back to her.

"What happens around this time of the year?"

"Three years ago, our old house in a small town burnt down and inside that house was our mother." I could hear a shocked reaction gasp from that girl. "Paul was only seven back then. The experience was so traumatic for him that he didn't remember a thing. He told me that night in the hospital that he couldn't even remember what out mother looked like." Reggie continued to talk in his usual tone of voice. Acting like he wasn't effect by that night. He continued. "Our father, left three days before that accident. We didn't see him again until recently."

"Is that why Paul is like that?" She continued to ask. "And your father. Is he alright?"

"I rather not talk about the issue of my father Dawn." I could hear the gearbox go into a 'park' position as Reggie turned off the engine and the lights went out. "Anyway why don't you stay here for the night? The weather is horrible to even walk through."

"I guess so." I could hear a car door open and feet colliding with the wild wet grass below. That same sound came back as one of them closed their door and made their way to me. I soon felt that same soft hand brushing their fingertips through my hair. "Paul...if I only knew back then, I wouldn't have treated so bad back then. I'm sorry." Soon my side of the door opened wide and someone carried back into the house.

I hate this. I hate begin so weak. I'm sure he is making fun of me again. Like he always does. Stupid man.

I felt like I was in a re-run. I fainted in front of my house, ran away again and then fell asleep again. I felt disgusted by myself. Having to rely on others to care for me and make up for my mistakes. I felt so bad in me. I'm ending up like him. I sat up from my bed and sat there as I remembered what happen last night. I felt angry when I finally remembered.

"I did it again, didn't I?" My blood boiled once more. "Why can't I get over it, why?"

"Don't you go acting like that again Paul." It was Reggie. His haired was tied back and his apron with on him properly. He even had a tray with waffles and orange juice on top. He walked towards me and placed the tray on the side table next to me. He patted my head again but I took his hand away. "Ha, I see your back to your normal state again. Grumpy as ever."

"And I see you're annoying as ever." Reggie just laughed at me. I looked around me and noticed that Dawn girl wasn't here. "Where is that girl from last night?" I asked.

"Dawn you mean? She left just now. She said she had a few things to do while she was here in Veilstone." He made his way to the entrance of the door before speaking to me once more. "And can you try not to do that again. Go into the rain like that. You make me worry." After that he made his way out of my room.

I make him worry about me?

So there was somebody in this world that cared for me. I looked on the side table and reached over for the plate of waffles. I took a bite but quickly spat it out. I looked at the waffle. Half of it was golden brown and the other was black.

"He burnt it again." I sighed and I continued to eat.

To be able to accept everything, to accept who I was. Was something I still have to learn.

I finished my half decent, half burnt breakfast and dressed into my usual street clothes. The ones I seem most comfortable. I was walking down the stairs and saw Reggie watching television again, on the same channel I saw Ash on. He was getting interviewed by a reporter on the battle he had and how he lost and where he would head next. All I heard him say was as I headed outside was that he had to do a few things to please a certain someone before going back on the road. That froze me in my tracks.

"That Ash has to do something to please a certain someone? Funny that sounds a little like my situation." I ran out of the house and into town. I didn't hear Reggie call me back into the house since he didn't know I left. He always would let me stay at home around this time since I was going through a painful time and that I needed to relax for a few days. He always thought that trapping me in a house would make a difference. Staying inside one house won't change the past I went through.

The muddy roads was still wet by the storm last night and those annoying neighbour kids weren't up to annoy me again. I took the usual short cut by taking a route through an alleyway and under an old wooden pitchfork fence. Most of the pokemon that had hidden in boxes had become soggy and weak by the rain as I walked right past them. I was soon back on the main footpath of the town. The lights were still on as joggers run right past me. A few cars drove to their work place as I walked to that same place I would always go around this time. Somehow going to him was the only way that helped me get through this horrible state I was in.

I walked up the stairs until I reached that same gloomy old detention place. Most would call it a maximum security jail, I just call it a place where horrible people rot. A dump. I pushed the door forward and saw the same guards that were in front of the doors that lead me to that horrible man.

"Hayden." One of them spoke it that bored cold tone of voice. "Come in." He pointed his thumb to that gloomy hallway where the worse lived to rot. I walked in as they closed the doors behind me. They were the only words they would say to me before closing the doors on me.

I walked past the sleeping guards that I was guessing were meant to be on high alert. I found it hard on how they could sleep so well on those hard titanium walls with thick bolts placed in. I also walked past the hanging lights above me that could fall any moment as I ignore the grumbling prisoners behind the walls and in their little depressed rooms. I finally reached the room I wanted and saw the usual guard that was in front and was in my way.

"Early as usual Hayden." He greeted. He never knew my first name and I glad he didn't. "Is it that time of the year again?" he asked.

"Sadly it is." I sighed. I placed my hand firmly on the metal push down handle.

"Well, take it easy in there. He isn't a morning person you know." He folded his arms and looked at me. "I will be right here if things get rough in there." I didn't bother to reply and made my way in. The room was dark and had very little light in. The window was placed high above the flat bed he was on. The windows had three thick bars going down vertically. The table was more on the right side of the room as his belongings where all over the floor. He was already awake, like he knew I was coming here again.

"So you came back again. Fool." He stood up. The light shined the half of his face. I saw his spiky sky blue hair and his awful eyes staring at me. "Why bother? My look on you won't change."

"I didn't expect you to."I clutched my fists. "I won't forgive you; on what you did to us old man." My anger began to heat up.

"Why that is the first time you used words to relate to the word father." He devilishly smiled.

"You have no right to even call yourself that word!" I slammed the wall with my left fist. "After you leaving us before the fire. You are disgusting!"

"Aw, how hurtful. How can you call me those words to me, my son?" He took a few more steps towards me.

"Don't you dare call me that again, you idiot!" I took a step back. "Your son died after the day you left his mother and brother in the house to die!"

"I know why you come to see me every year since that night. You want me to actually respect you, to love you as my son. Isn't that right Paul?"

Why do I even bother, I know he will never accept me. He never did. So why am I still trying?

"Shut up!" I yelled. To hopefully get his words out of my head.

"Deny it was much as you want my son. I'm right and you're wrong." He came up to me. He was so close he trapped me into a corner. I felt so useless. He raised his left arm and pushed his left hand against the wall, above my head. "Well I can help you with that little boy." He grabbed me by the chin. "Help me re-form the red chain!" I pushed him back into the table.

"Your really are insane! How can mother like someone so heartless?" I yelled.

"I'm perfectly fine Paul. In fact I'm going to be released from this dump tomorrow into house arrest. That's how well I am." He pushed himself off the floor and brushed the dust off his body. "And you want me to finally treat you like my son, so help me and I will grant that wish you always want. Help me restore the red chain!"

"..." I wasn't able to reply. This horrible insane man was going to be able to live in a less up tight security home and was going put up an act of a nice man. If I didn't do it there was going to be a bigger chance that his old recruits will and will cause a bigger mess. I knew I had no choice. the world was going to under huge chaos once more. Even if I helped him or not.

But felt there was another reason behind helping him. I couldn't figure out what it was.

"Fine." I crossed my arms. "What do you want me to do?"

[midnightjewelz]

Mission Two: Rights and Wrongs

I would have never imagined that I would travel with her. She was one of the annoying people I've met. How could anyone stand her?

"You need me to help you to get to Twinleaf?" She asked for the hundredth time. I wanted to face palm myself on how can someone ask the same question over and over again.

We were in the main shopping centre of the town. The building was at least five stories high and was the main attraction to the town. It was another of those boring humid summer days that I really hated. Wingull's called out their names to other Wingulls and citizens of the town went in and out of the shopping centre with a few making their distance away from me. A few girls were gossiping to each other while looking at me. I knew they were talking to me and asking each other why I was hanging with somebody other than my brother.

"Yes. I haven't been to that town before so I need your help." I lied. I had already been to that small town. I had to do this in order to finish the mess I had joined into.

"Well okay then." She finally spoke words that didn't form a question. "I'll help you." She smiled. "So shall we go then?" She asked. I shrugged my shoulders. "Oh wait!" She quickly added out of nowhere. "We have to tell Reggie that you're leaving."

"Seriously." I sighed. "There is no need for that. He doesn't care if I go or not." I placed my hands into my pockets as we made our way away from the huge shopping centre. She was walking ahead of me with her hands behind her back.

"Not what I saw last night." She spun around and turned to face me. "You have a lot of people that care for you Paul. Why can't you see that?" Once again, another annoying question.

"I don't need nosey people like you to interfere with my personal life." I started to walk ahead of her. I soon stopped when I didn't hear her footsteps behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and noticed she was still looking at me. I turned around to face her. We were a few steps away from each other. "What now?"

"I wonder how Reggie can still care for somebody who doesn't do the same back to him." She asked me. I didn't bother to reply. She didn't either and soon walked right past me, hitting my left shoulder on the way.

I turned around and watched her walk ahead of me and I soon tagged along. How could she possibly understand what I've been through? Did she forget her past when she was only seven? I walked behind her and placed my hand on her shoulder and spun her to face me. She looked just as upset as me.

"You have no idea what I've been through girl!" I told her. "No idea." And I took the lead, walking back to my brother's home. To where I have to say goodbye before leaving him again.

I walked down that main path I always took to get home, but instead I had a girl following me around this time. It was the busiest time of the day as cars sounded their horns as loud as they could. Telling the car ahead of them to hurry up. Not noticing that they were stuck in traffic just like they were. Idiots. The tall buildings held the voices of an anger couple a few stories above us. Yelling and screaming like children. Their window was wide open so even the frustrated drivers stuck in traffic could hear them complain and bicker. The annoying girl I had to travel with was now in front and I felt like we were taking turns on follow the leader. The yelling couple soon hit a flower pot placed on their window sill. The flowerpot was heading down towards that girl.

I quickly grabbed her arm and pushed her back to me as the flower pot crashed down onto the cement, the same place where she was standing a few seconds ago.

I saved her. But I had no idea why.

She turned to face me and looked right into my eyes. Why was she staring at me for? Did she want something from me?

"Thanks Paul!" She cheered and she quickly wrapped her arms around me. I felt completely embarrassed. The crash of the flower pot made half the noise from the traffic to stand still and focus their attention to me and this girl, Dawn. Instead of annoying car horns that I would hear at this time of hour, the muttering of the drivers soon became more annoying than their car horns. I quickly pushed her off me and ran to the usual route I would always take.

I ran down the alleyway that was the quickest way to get home. As I ran down the alleyway I could see the small pokemon hide within the boxes lying around. I reached the old brown pitchfork fence. I kicked the fence so hard that I could imagine it falling over. But it didn't. I soon the sounds of somebody running to me filled the alleyway. I turned around and saw she was still here.

"Did you know how embarrassing that was!" I yelled at her. I was still wondering why I bother to save her if in the end I was left with complete embarrassment.

"I didn't know it would end up like that!" she took a few steps towards me as I took a few steps back but was blocked with the old pitchfork fence. "Why do the town people treat you like some sort of criminal Paul?" my heart stopped with the horrible word.

Criminal.

The way she said that word was with the tone of confusion and sight innocence. Like a child asking what happened to their parents when they go away for a long time. Soon that horrible image of our house burning came into my mind. It was my earliest memory I had. I remember yelling out for my mother to come back as the firemen held me in their arms. I stretched out my arms to the house as far as I could. Hoping that I could just pick my mother into my small hands and she would soon be safe and be with us again.

I waited in that firemen arms and watched the flames die down. As the flames went down, so did my mother.

"How dare you say that word to me!" I complained as I yelled to her. "You're just like the others. Acting first before thinking." I bent down to the crack placed on the left side of the fence and went through. Without caring if she was still following me or not.

I reached that path that always brought me home. With that Dawn girl still following me. After all it was her idea for me to say goodbye to my older brother before heading to Twinleaf. It was around that time when those pesky neighbours would head my way. I saw figures of children on their bikes heading to me. I sighed. I hated when I was right.

Dawn picked up her pace and was walking right beside me. Without saying a word. I hated when she walked right beside me and this close that our shoulders could touch each other if we wanted to. The bikers soon rode onto max speed right toward me. They were going to do that same technique they always did. They headed straight to me and used their back wheel to stop and splash mud onto me.

But I didn't get dirty.

I was shocked with what my eyes showed me. It was that annoying girl that I always disliked. She had taken the attack for me. She had her arms aligned with the height of her shoulders. It was the pose that someone would do to stop an attack of any sort. Her hairs and beanie was covers in mud and the same went with her red mini dress, socks and her boots. The bikers just stood there, just as shocked as I was. I couldn't believe she would get herself dirty, just to protect me. I somehow felt weird as I never felt like this before.

"What right do you have to do this to him?" She looked up, upset and anger. "Splashing mud on people for your enjoyment. How low can you boys get?" She yelled. I had never seen her, this upset on anything before. The bikers seemed a little intimidated by her and ran back the way that came. She turned around to face me and smiled. Her anger and frustrated self just melted off her face completely. Like it never happened. "You okay?" she asked.

"I should be the one to ask you that." She just chucked as I sighed at her.

We both soon stopped at a nearby tree. The tree had a huge shade area and also had a fallen tree log right beside it. She soon sat on that log as I did the same and sat right beside her. I opened my bag and look through my items. My bag was rather empty since I hadn't been travelling for awhile. In there was a few notes and an old version of my black Pokenav from Johto. I dug deep in my grey bag and soon found what I was looking for. I pulled out a sky blue handkerchief and handed to her. I had noticed she was starting to take the mud out of her pink boots. She had taken her right boot off and shook turned it upside down, shaking it up and down quickly to get the mud out of her boot. She soon stopped when she felt I was wiping her face with my handkerchief.

"What are you-" she asked but I interrupted her.

Then I started to help her as well. Was I starting to be like my brother, was I starting to be...nice?

"Be quiet and stand still." I replied. "If you didn't take that attack for me we would be home right now." I stopped cleaning her face and handed her the handkerchief. "Use it and keep it." She somehow smiled at me for no reason as she accepted the handkerchief. I couldn't help but ask. "Why are you smiling at me?"

"Oh, nothing." She giggled. "Anyway why do the people in this town treat you like that? They never did this to you when I last visited here with Ash and Brock."

"Go ask the town people. They will do a better job than me." I stood up and started to walk away from her. I never did like standing close to her for long.

"Hey where are you going! Don't you dare leave me now!" She quickly slipped her boot back onto her foot and ran after me. She was now back into her annoying state which I hated to most.

If I never needed her, then I would have never travelled with her in the first place.

"I need you to get these people with you." He opened up one out of three yellow manila folders. All held three photos of three completely different people.

One was a young girl by the name of Dawn. I never did remember her name that well. She had long blunette hair with a pink and white beanie with a half pink pokeball design in the middle. She had a short summer ruby scarf wrapped around her neck. She also wore a ridiculously short black mini dress with the ends tipped pink. And also wore pink boots with knee high black socks.

"She was one of the first people Mesprit made some sort of contact with. I want you to head to the lake with her and make Mesprit come out and catch it with this ball." He grabbed out a small black ball. He pressed the white centre of the ball to saw me what it was. It was a very rare pokeball. It was a master ball. A ball that never fails to catch a pokemon. The ball had a huge giant white 'M' at the top half of the ball. Showing that it really deal. "I will give you three of these. Use them wisely because once you fail, you fail. Don't show your face in front of me again."

He rolled over the three balls across the table and I soon placed them into my bag. The words he told me, that if I don't do this right, I would fail, stuck in my mind. It didn't bother to leave and I felt it would be there for a long time. Was I really doing this to stop the chaos it will bring again or was I really trying to get his respect Reggie had told me before? My mind began to felt painful and confused, more than before.

"Are you starting to back out already boy? He mocked me. I looked back at his face, his horrible disgusting face.

"No." I clearly stated. I zipped up my bag and turned to face him.

"Good, let's move to your next target." Then soon he opened the next folder.

"Oi!" I heard a painful call right into my ear. I felt like I nearly fell onto my backside. "Is there something wrong?"

"Not until you yelled into my ear." I rubbed my right ear in which she yelled into. As I reminded myself of that day I didn't notice we were home already. The shelter above the door kept both of us cool from the humid weather as I knocked on the door again. I knocked again and again. Somehow that night, on that cold winter night came into my mind.

Running away from the town people on that night. Running away from the truth about myself. The only words I remember that night was 'father'. I was sure that was the reason I was running away from the town that night. When they caught him the truth about myself and Reggie was scattered across town. Soon the sound of the engine from Reggie's car snapped me back into reality. I looked back and saw he had paper bags in his hands, filled with food he had just bought from the poke mart.

"Well isn't this a surprise." He laughed slightly. "Paul travelling with somebody." He laughed once more.

"We just came here because Paul wanted to ask you something." Reggie blinked at me for a few times. He was never use to that I would ask him for something since I could always get it by myself. I walked a few steps from the door to him.

"I just want to say it was her idea." I pointed to the person behind me. "I need to go to Twinleaf with her. I need to do a few things over there."

"but I thought that you already-" But I cut him short as I did that common sign to be quiet by putting one finger across my lips. He could tell that what I was going to do wasn't right. He continued to play his loving and happy go lucky older brother role towards Dawn. "Oh I see then, you can go with her Paul. Just don't do anything naughty with her." I covered my face with both of my hands and once more I felt embarrassed again.

"Ah...um...I'm going ahead now Paul..." And she quickly walked away from the house in a faster pace than usual. I was going to do the same until I felt Reggie grabbed my left arm.

"What are you really going to do when you get there Paul?" She asked in a serious manner.

"Like you care." I refused to face him.

"I'm asking because I care Paul. Is it something to do with him?" he asked once more.

"It's either me or you Reggie. " I pulled my arm away from his grasp and turned to face him. "He wants to re-form the red chain and I'm helping him."

"You do know he is he just using you Paul. Don't fall for his tricks again!" He complained and placed both of his hands onto my shoulders.

"And so am I." He dropped both of his hands off me and made my way.

As I walked away from my brother I couldn't help but look back. Was I really making the right move? By helping out him to re-form the red chain once more. Last time he nearly did succeed until Ash and his stalkers stopped him. And now I'm going to bring it back, it's just this time they won't be able to be there to stop it. I turned away from him and looked up towards the sky. It had that common sky blue tinge to it, without a cloud in sight and the wind hardly blew. I began to think to myself.

"Mother."

[midnightjewelz]

Mission three: The good side of the dark side.

If I really wanted to fix the mess I got into, I had to make sure nobody else would interfere into it.

Before we headed out I had to retrieve something. Something that he told me would help the red chain activate. I had no idea what it was and I didn't care what it was. I just wanted to get this done and over with.

I was standing in front of the old Team Galactic Storage area. The roof had many holes placed everywhere and in all different sizes. The walls had graffiti all over them and in many colours. The two doors that were in front weren't there. Both pieces were already on the cement floor and by the look of both pieces of metal; there was no door in front of this building for awhile. I had told Dawn to wait at the poke centre while I had to do some 'last minute shopping' I didn't want to look after somebody else that would get their sticky beak into this mess.

As I walked in I could hear the crunching of broken glass bottles under my feet. The hanging lights above me were lose and most had a broken light bulb still intact. Old delivery crates were everywhere and made it hard for me to go further into the old storage building. I reached one last door but big crates were in my way. I pushed a few out of my way until the door was visible to me and I was able to continue my way into the place. I jumped over a few more old and unstable crates and was about to make my way to the door until I heard a voice calling to me.

"What is a kid doing here?" An old hag voice yelled. I glanced over my shoulder.

She looked much younger than her voice had sounded. It was one of those old Team Galactic grunts. The girl had two men by her side .Their outfits were quiet old and rugged. Their sleeves had either had tears or ripped holes in them. Their white tops had stains of dirt on them. The two men on both of the girl's side had their half their pants ripped up to their knee height. The girl's sleeves were ripped off completely and her pants were ripped off until they looked like mini shorts. The boy's hairstyles look more modern and less geeky then the last time I saw them on television and the girl's hair was longer than that Dawn girl had and the colour of her hair was tipped teal from top to bottom.

"Throw him out of here. Only Team Galactic members are allowed in here!" she pointed at me which become a sign for both men to come right towards me, like angry Tauro's would do.

"Wait." I held my hand in front of me. Telling the men to stop charging at me. "I have a message from your boss."

"Do you know how many times we have heard that? Your just another of those pesky children that come in here and play pranks at us!" The girl continued to yell. Both men grabbed me by both of my arms as I struggled to escape. Things were starting to look dull.

"I'm not playing a prank on you! I have met Cyrus myself!" Both men dropped their arms, setting me free. The girl walked up to me. As she walked up to me I had a better view of her. She looked like she was around Reggie's age or younger. Her eyes shot out a frustrated violet colour. She grabbed my hair and pulled on it. She moved her face closer to mine.

"It's Mr. Cyrus Hayden to you jerk." She whispered right into my face. She released her grip on my hair and pushed my into a pile of old crates. She laughed and soon her men joined her as well. They soon turned their back on me. I threw off the pieces of wood from the crates that were on top of me and threw into off me and stood onto my two feet. Refusing to accept what was happening to me. The girl must have heard me standing up and quickly flashed around to face me. We were only a few feet away from each other. "Wow, hard headed." She mocked. "You just don't know when to give up."

"Listen to me fools." I began as I wiped away the blood off my lips. "When I tell him what you have just done to me, he won't be very pleased." The girl and the men beside still weren't convinced. The girl had her arms crossed. Still glaring at me, very annoyed and irritated.

"One more word that is going to come out of your mouth and I swear that I-" But I interrupted her.

"I'm his damn son!" I yelled. I clutched my fists together and closed my eyes. Even I couldn't open my eyes to truth surrounding me.

When I told them I was his son, I suddenly felt disgusted and horrible about myself.

They all dead silent.

And suddenly how they treated me changed quickly.

He flapped the next folder down quickly. Not giving enough time to see who my next target was.

"Before that." He began. "There is something else I need to tell you about." He paused and soon added. "To activate the red chain you need to get a key and a few old friends of mine." He placed his hands under his chin and closed his eyes. "In an old storage building is where most of the Team Galactic equipment is. If my source is correct, a few of my workers and my old friends should be there." He opened his cold bitter eyes towards me. "When we got caught they took everything. But before they did, we hid the key there and my companions are hiding there as well. Seek them out and tell them that Team Galactic are back." He added a devilish smile towards me. "And tell them you're my son. When you say that they will automatically believe you."

"I'm pretty sure these workers and friends of ours won't believe that were related." I refused to speak the word 'son' in front of him.

"They'll believe you. Back before I got caught I actually had a photo of you, your older brother and your mother in my office. Only the people I trusted saw that photo."

"Liar!" I slammed my hands down onto the metal surface. "You're not a family man type Cyrus!"

"Hmph, let's see."He laughed slightly and soon showed me my next target.
He was actually telling the truth.

"Sorry about that." The young girl apologized. Her voice was much calmer than before. She grabbed bandages from an old cardboard box lying around the building. I was sitting on a bigger than normal old wooden crate watching her grab stuff out of that box. "It's just a lot of kids your age have been coming in here lately. Playing pranks on us." She tied the white cotton bandage around my arm. Still not looking me in the eye. "It's nice to meet you Paul." She got both ends of the white material and tied it into a knot." She soon looked up to me. The frustrated look in her eyes had faded away into calm women. "I've seen a photo of you when you were younger in my boss's office once. You looked very cute back then."

"I wasn't cute." I tried to hide the embarrassment on my face with my long hair but it didn't work.

"Don't be embarrassed Paul." She laughed. She took a few steps back. "There all done." She smiled. I never knew that the grunts he had told me about had a good side to them. That side where they weren't so angry and stressed looking. Where all they cared was to steal other pokemon and make other miserable. The media never really showed that not everyone working for Team Galactic were actually bad all over.

"Anyway my name is Namiya. I was an old assistant of your father's." She winked. "I heard you're not very close with my boss. So what's with the change of heart?" She asked as she took a seat next to me.

"Personal reasons." I really didn't trust this Namiya girl well enough to tell her why I was helping Cyrus. "Anyway he told me that I need to find a key and his companions. Do you know who they are?" I asked.

"Hm, Sure do." She jumped off the crate I was sitting on. It wobbled a little before going back to normal. "By the old friends I'm sure he meant Saturn, Mars, Jupiter and Charon." She turned around to face me. "They are all in the old Team Galactic head quarters; it's not far from here." I pushed myself off the crate and walked up to her.

"I think I can manage it myself." I replied. My left leg was limping a little from my crash into the old crates.

"Do you really want to be thrown into a bunch of old crates before they believe you?" She asked. I turned around to face her. "And plus most of the others don't know the boss even had a son, or to even add the fact he had a family. You need me to show you around the place."

"Fine." I pouted. I knew she had a point it just was I hated to accepted that a girl was right and I was wrong.

"But we can't go now." She walked up to one of the broken windows. It was sun setting. The light of the sun filled the whole town as it started to sink down behind the millions of houses in Veilstone. "It's still daylight. Police Jenny might catch us."

"Great." I muttered. "She will be frustrated when she finds out I'm going to be out so late." I was starting to imagine her angry volcanic face she gave to me once before, back at the Oreburgh Gym. And she got that mad just because I forgot her name, I began to wonder how angry she would be when I came back to get her around past midnight.

"Who, your girlfriend?" Namiya asked. Her question brought me back to reality.

"I have no girlfriend!" I complained. "It's just a stupid girl that I'm forced to travel with back to Twinleaf. Your boss's orders."

"Hm, interesting." She started to pace around the room. After a few rounds of walking around in circles she soon stopped with her finger under her chin. "I wonder what the boss wants with a girl that's no older than his youngest son?"

"Like I know." I lied as I crossed my arms. I knew exactly why he needed Dawn. But I had no plans to tell Namiya. I didn't want that annoying companion I'm force to travel with to cross into my path.

But I began to wonder something. Why was I so worried for her not to interfere into my problems? Did I actually start to care for... her? No, that can't be right.

Night quickly feel over the town. All the lights from the shops and the houses flashed off one by one. The clear and quiet sky quickly became crowded and overcast. You couldn't see one speck of the night stars above us. Fog quickly engulfed the town and the wind blew cold chills down my spine. It was another of those cold summer nights were it can be hot in the day but freezing cold at night. The night lights of the town soon popped up and with nobody in sight it was a good chance to head to the Team Galactic Headquarters.

My leg wasn't limping much as before and half the pain was gone. I was able to walk slightly faster than the normal walking pace. Every time we would see an unknown shadow figure crossing our path. We both had to hide in bushes, trees, behind a house or a shop. Or when we saw Police Jenny doing her last patrol of the night we had to hide in tight gaps in the house or buildings around us. We kept on moving closer and kept on hiding from anything that looked like a moving object. While the more I did the hiding and running that more I felt like that horrible person, a criminal.

We walked up millions of stairs until we reached it. The Team Galactic Headquarters.

The place was more destroyed then the storage place. The walls that had millions of windows on them had nearly had a crack on them or a hole in them, from the size of a golf ball to the glass wall completely off. The three automatic sliding doors were jammed as two of them wouldn't open and the middle one had the pushed hard to even open at all. The big 'G' at the white dome part of the roof of the place had the bottom half of the letter missing and the yellow arc over it were loose and ready to fall off.

Namiya pushed the middle sliding door hard until it was big enough for her and me to enter into the building. The inside part of the place wasn't as bad to what I saw inside. The creamy brown carpet was dry and sticky but no parts of it were missing. Some parts of the wallpaper began to peel off and the half the furniture was missing. My guess that thieves must of come in here and took it and made it their own. Namiya walked up to a thick metal door. She picked up a key card and swiped it. The door didn't open and first. She hit the machine with her fist a few times before trying again and when she swiped her key card once more, the door opened.

"What are you doing here?" A voice called from behind. It felt like the same greeting call Namiya had greeted with me earlier.

I looked over and saw it was a man, around Reggie's age once more. He was a white vest on with black skinny jeans on with a black long sleeve top underneath. His hair was a dark blue colour. His hair was much longer since I last saw it on television and the top of his hair was pointing up slightly, like horns. Half his face was covered by his long fringe and only his right eye could be seen. On his black long sleeve top had a clear yellow 'G' in the middle. I knew he was part of Cyrus's criminal group.

"Namiya." He spoke in a normal talking manner. "What are you doing here and why do you bring your friend here. You do know the rules around here."

"I know the rules Saturn." Namiya spoke in a formal manner. Like this Saturn guy was in a higher rank than her. "Do you remember that photo that was in the boss's old office?"

"Why do you ask?" He pulled out a cigarette out of his pocket and a firelighter and began to light it up. "That was over two years ago. When those annoying children ruined our plans." He blew out smoke out of his mouth and returned the cigarette back in. I didn't understand the reason for adults to smoke so many chemicals into their body which would end up killing them in the end.

"And remember that young seven year old boy in the photo? The one that was frowning and holding a Turtwig doll in his hands?" She pointed to me. "This is him, Paul Hayden. The son of our boss." Saturn took the cigarette out of his mouth and began to cough. He dropped the cigarette onto the floor and squashed it with his left foot.

"You're joking right?" He asked. Still unconvinced that I was a son of a convict criminal. "That's him?" he pointed at me. Namiya nodded. "But I thought you two weren't close." I knew he was starting to talk to me.

"We aren't and I have my reasons behind that." I crossed my arms together. "He told me to find you guys and get this key to activate the red chain."

"I see the boss hasn't changed one bit. That's why I respect him so much." He laughed. The word respect echoed into my mind. I clutched my fists together.

"How can you possibly respect somebody who only knows to ruin people's lives?" I yelled with anger. I couldn't let Saturn's words pass in and out of my ears just like that. "He only wants to make a new world so he can escape the sins he has left in this one! He isn't the person you should respect because he is really a coward inside; wanting to run away what reality has given him!" Namiya was holding me back by my right arm as the blue headed boy got out a new cigarette and lit it up. He placed it in his mouth and walked up closer to me and blew the smoke right into my face.

"You have a lot to learn Paul." He laughed and walked right past us. I gritted my teeth together.

"His just like him. Unforgiving." I spit his image onto the carpet and shook Namiya's grip off me. I began to head up stairs with the Namiya behind me.

Now I knew why I wouldn't let her into my problems. It was because once you're in, there was no way out. A problem without a solution or a cure.

The stairs led us to a hall. A huge hall that you would use to summon everyone that worked for you for huge announcements. The room still stayed intact and looked like it was taken cared very well. There were two huge banners with that same yellow 'G' in the middle. In the middle of the hall was a stand. But it was very up high. I could imagine Cyrus brainwashing his workers to do his dirty work. I could have never stood him so why did so many workers work for him and obey him? My mind soon raised questions but was interrupted when a woman with pink reddish hair showed up from the stand. She didn't seem to care if anyone was around but that all changed when she soon saw Saturn gazing at her, slightly annoyed.

"Jupiter." He commanded. "Get down from there!"

"Why should I?" The woman replied. Without a care in the world.

"The boss's son is here!" He yelled. Jupiter nearly fell off the stand when she heard those words herself. I could see she wanted to ask Saturn another question but once glance at me seemed to answer her question somehow. She jumped off the stand and landed on her feet easily. I was surprised that she didn't get sore feet but maybe jumping off that stand many times made her ignore the pain.

She had also changed from the last time I saw her on television. She had the usual white overall but strapless, and the right side of her pants were cut short. She wore black long sleeve underneath as well and she had a black knee pad on the right side of her leg. She had black socks and tight white boots. Much different from that annoying girl I'm forced to travel with. She didn't have those two ponytails anymore but instead she only had one. She walked up to me and took a closer look at me.

"Well you grew up a lot since I last saw you in that photo." She patted on my head. Her patting my head reminded me of Reggie and how annoying he could be at times. She looked away from me and looked around the room. "Mars get in here!" She called out. I knew this could be another of his friends he had told me about.

"Gee, you don't have to yell." A voice called from a hallway behind us. A woman about the same age as the others around me entered into the room.

Her red hair was no longer short, but long. Long enough that it had just passed her shoulders. At the back she still had the piece of hair that stuck out and one pointing upwards from the top. She had some sort of vest dress but only strapless. She also had a black long sleeve top underneath with matching black stockings with high heel white boots.

"Hey Mars, remember that told photo in the boss's old room? Well this is one of his kids." She pointed towards me. Mars blinked at me a few times before replying.

"Yeah I remember it. You are one of his kids. What's his name...Patrick?"

"It's Paul." Saturn answered for me. "Now since he is the boss's kid we should treat him well. We don't want him running off to his daddy to sook." He glanced over to me. "Isn't that right?"

"Shut up." I muttered. "You have no right to speak to me like that criminal." I spoke that whole sentence with disgust. I truly hated working and dealing with people that relate or knew Cyrus other than my older brother.

"Hmph." He shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway I'm getting Charon and informing about this. Namiya get some of your fellow workers to dig up and find that old key to activate the red chain." Saturn began to command the people around me. "Mars and Saturn, try to find a few equipment that could help us in any way possible. Team Galactic is back." He slightly smiled at the idea of Team Galactic rising from the dead concept. "And I'm guessing the boss left the fun part to his youngest son?"

"What I'm doing isn't fun." I grumbled. "It's disgusting."

"We better head out. The poke centre closes soon and we have to return Paul back there. We don't want to raise any issues right now." Namiya began. "And we have orders to do. We have to get them done as soon as we can." The rest of the group nodded except me.

"See you soon then." Saturn looked towards me.

"Hope not." I turned around to face the three; they all were smiling at me. But it wasn't that happy smile; it was more of the bad smile. The smile you want to avoid looking at. "I really do mean that." And made my way out of the building with Namiya guiding me out.

Their faces still are fresh in my mind, their like paper and I'm glue and no matter what I do they will stick onto me, and have now become a part of my life.

Namiya pushed the door some more before walking through. The clouds had separated and the moon's glow shined throughout the town. Namiya said her goodbye and ran off into the night, back into that old crummy storage building. I took a few steps down the stairs until an annoying stare was in my way.

"Where have you been?" She called out. Acting and asking questions like any worried mother would do when their child had been gone for a matter of hours. I walked up towards her and covered her mouth.

"You keep talking like that the town will hear your annoying and irritating voice." I took my hand away from her mouth and made my way to the poke centre. "Promise, tomorrow we will get going to Twinleaf." I continued to walk down the steps.

"So what was so important that you had to make me wait that long?" She asked in an angry manner. I turned around to face her.

"It's complicated for a little child like yourself to understand." I turned my back on her and made my way.

"I'm not a child. I'm twelve now!" she bickered but I continued to ignore her. "Hey listen to me!" she added and once more I ignored her. "Paul!"

And like before, I continued to head back to the pokecenter, still ignoring her.

[midnightjewelz]

Lol, my titles never make sense to me. I'm not really good at making chapter names. i try to avoid writing stories with some but sometimes you just can't avoid it. *sigh* anyway this chapter is the start of some Ikarishippiness. enough detail about Paul and what trouble his in. its time for some love, after all, its Valentines day today. let's share the love!

~midnight


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Mission four: To fool a fool

I wanted to get rid of her, to make sure she wouldn't get any deeper into this mess. But I needed her trust, I needed to use her, I needed to fool her.

It was a new day in my hometown. Flying types were singing, people beside me were laughing and having a great time. Children running around me. Smiles on everyone's faces. Things like that annoyed me. Always did and always will. I walked to the new part of the town, Myself and my new forced to travel with companion looked at the sign, written in black capital letters.

VEILSTONE SUBWAY

The words were written on a sign above the stairs. It was placed on a green arc design entrance. There were no signs of scratchers or rude words written on the arc. Underneath was stairs lead down to the subway. The stairs were leading down and it was pitch black. It was nearly six in the morning and I had asked for a train early in the morning, so we would arrive at Twinleaf around ten. Dawn wrapped her arms around herself, hoping it would keep her warm. I looked at her and saw that idea failed as she was still shivering in the cold summer morning. Even she wore a thick white scarf and thick pink boots, the clothing wrapped around her body wasn't really meant to keep her warm for long, the length of her red mini dress truly did prove that statement.

"Don't you have something warmer to wear than that?" I asked. Pointed at how short her mini dress was. "How can you possibly wear something like that so early in the morning?"

"Bee...causee I can...nn." She replied. I could hear her teeth clattering together. I just sighed.

I walked ahead of her and made my way down the stairs. I wasn't in the mood to wait for her and skipped a few steps. I took two at a time while she took one. When I arrived I saw the platform was rather empty. Homeless men and women continued to sleep on benches with newspapers over them to keep them warm. Up ahead of me were many train tracks in many directions and many of those tracks were occupied by old trains that weren't in service anymore. I soon heard Dawn making her way towards me, her teeth still chattering together.

"Nobodyy...isss...eveennn...heree." She complained. "Letsss...go...backk."

"No." I replied firmly. "The train should be here soon. I'm going to wait on those benches over there." I walked myself to a green bench and sat there. I threw my bag right in front of my feet and stared at the entrance where the train we had to take would enter from. I soon heard her bag dropped onto the cement platform and took a seat next to me.

"Sooo..." She opened her mouth. I knew she wanted to start a conversation with me. I had no idea why though. "What made you become a trainer?" She looked over to my direction. I continued to refuse her question. She blinked at me for a few seconds. "Come-on, I won't show you the way to Twinleaf if you keep ignoring me like this." She crossed her arms.

She had a point. I knew how to get to Twinleaf by myself but if it wasn't for the stupid old man of mine I would of never travel with such an annoying person. I knew I had to keep this joke up until I get what I was coming for.

"Because I wanted to. Hands down." The sounds of the train's brakes filled the station. I stood up and threw my bag over one of my shoulders.

"That wasn't the type of answer I was looking for." I heard her grumble afterwards.

"Deal with it." I glared at her. "Next time don't ask questions about my personal life. It irritates me."

Soon the train made its stop and the speakers around the station began to speak. The homeless people in the station treated it like an alarm clock as others treated it as a message to hurry and get onto the train before you miss it. The train had the shade of a pale grey and a few strips of yellow across the body of the train. The windows had red curtains inside and it was hard to see how many people were inside. The doors of the train opened and a few passages got off. We made our way in and soon the doors of the train closed. I could hear Dawn just entering the train and was standing right behind me. The train was rather empty and most of the passengers were still sound asleep.

"Okay then." She pulled out the train ticket from her white and pink shoulder bag. "Our seats should be at seat twenty seven and twenty eight." She pointed her finger and the two numbers located on the train ticket.

"Wait, our seats?" I asked in confusion and I turned to her direction, hoping that my ears heard that sentence wrong.

"We are travelling partners now, so where you go, I go to." She placed both of her hands on her waist rather proudly.

"Let's just hurry and get to Twinleaf." I suddenly wished that when I blinked my eyes I would be already there and I could get rid of the extra weight on my shoulders.

But no, I still had to deal with these irritating-always-ask-me-annoying-and-personal questions about me. Suddenly I felt the train move forward quickly which made myself and Dawn move backwards. She screamed as she landed into my arms. We both crashed onto the short dry carpet of the train with my arms around her. I honestly had no idea why I saved her again or add to the fact my arms wrapped around her. I opened my arms and saw her face totally red and somehow my face had the same shade of red as hers. I quickly let my arms go and pushed myself back from her.

It was really weird, what I felt for that moment, for those few seconds. Yet the effect lasted longer than that.

"Do you have to scream like that?" I complained. I rubbed my head. "And be so damn clumsy!" I added.

"The trained moved!" she got onto her knees. Her hands where clutched together in front of her chest. "And you fell to!"

"Because you fell towards me. Idiot." I stood onto my two feet and dusted myself. I walked away from her and started to look for our seats. I soon found the seat twenty seven and twenty eight. I took the seat closer to the window while my companion took the seat right beside me. We both didn't say anything to each other for awhile. I truly did enjoy the peace for the moment until someone had to ruin it.

"Wait, it can't be." A voice called from behind our seats. It sounded like a boy, around my age. "Dee Dee?" I turned around to face where the sound had came from. The name Dee Dee was interesting and I had to find out who this Dee Dee was.

"It's Dawn, Kenny." She replied, slightly annoyed. "Can't you say my name right, even once?" I sighed to the fact it was only Dawn, and probably another of her childhood friends. Most likely just as annoying as her.

"Sorry Dawn." He chuckled and he scratched the back of his head. "I just couldn't help it. I missed calling you by that name."

The boy was by the name of Kenny. He had short brown hair he had a dark sea green long sleeve top underneath his lime green and white striped T-shirt. She had pale white cargo pants on white his brown backpack over one of his shoulders.

"Well I didn't." She crossed her arms and turned her attention away from him and turned to me. When she found out I was next to her she turned away from my direction and just looked straight. She soon sighed and stopped crossing her arms.

"And who is this guy here? Your boy...friend?" She asked nervously. Soon his face went faint pale pink. Did he feel insecure that I was near her? If she didn't see me as her travelling companion I would of chosen the last seat this train had to offer.

"Pfft, boyfriend, I'm just helping him to get to Twinleaf. That's all." She shifted her eyes to me, glaring at me with anger. "It just so happen I'm going there as well."

"Well that's great...I mean I just thought that you were. I mean your hands are on top of each other." We both looked down and noticed that my hand was on top of hers. I had no idea that my hand was even on hers. I quickly took it off. I looked up at this Kenny person.

"Don't get the wrong idea. If I wanted a girlfriend it wouldn't be someone as annoying as this girl." I turned around to the scene outside. It was still dark and I could see the lights of Veilstone starting to flash up one by one. I watched as nocturnal pokemon returning to their homes after a long night hunting for their food.

Silence filled in the cabin as that Kenny boy said his goodbye and went looking for his seat. I looked up at the hand that touched hers. I looked at it for awhile and dropped it down again. I watched the street lights quickly zoom by my window and another one would soon come in and do the same thing. Everything I was looking at was so...repetitive. Then my eyes suddenly saw something rather unusual. I saw a person, its face was blurred out and its whole body figure was transparent. I couldn't tell if that person was a boy or a girl, all I could see clearly was long violet hair, swaying in the breeze. That person's hair was a long as their body. The dress was a bright white and shined out the most. The longer I stared at the strange figure the more I felt like I knew who that person was. As soon my mind discovered its answer something happened.

The darkness of entering a tunnel broke that connection.

Now I was staring at a pitch black window as the train continued to make its way out of the tunnel. Then I felt a soft thump on my left shoulder. Since the cabin of the train was painted black, I couldn't tell what it was. After a few minutes in the dark a burst of light filled the cabins, showing the old repetitive scenery outside. I looked at my left shoulder where I felt something hit onto it. I soon notice it was that Dawn girl; she had already fallen asleep and was now treating my shoulder as her pillow. I looked at her feet and noticed her pink pillow had fallen down there. I reached out for it without disturbing her and placed it on my shoulder. I really didn't want her drool over my jacket.

She continued to sleep like I never had placed her pillow on my shoulder. I was about to reach for my pokedex to look at what possible pokemon I could catch in Twinleaf until I felt somebody watching over me. I looked over back at the window and noticed that strange figure was gone.

"I must have been dreaming." I muttered to myself and opened up my blue Sinnoh version pokedex. While looking at the list of Twinleaf pokemon my eyes could help but notice someone else glaring at me. I looked up and noticed it was that Kenny boy. He was seated more on the left side of the train while we were on the right. He was on his knees, facing towards us and his hands gripped tightly on the head part of the chair. He seemed to notice me looking at him with utter confusion and soon dropped down and sat on his seat normally.

"Weird." I muttered and continued to look at the list of pokemon I could find at Twinleaf.

She was weird, to an extent that I couldn't handle. Same goes with her friends. They were always so happy, no matter what trouble they seem to be, they always...smiled.

Hours pasted and I finally arrived to Twinleaf town. It was still the same old boring dull town I remember it to be. Same cottage styled houses to the right, small shops to the left and annoying weak pokemon scattering everywhere. The train station to Twinleaf was old, so old that I was afraid the platform would just collapse underneath my feet. The windows were broken and wild weeds started to grow inside the once waiting room of the station. The wooden walls of the station were painted with all sorts of pokemon painted by small young children. Rubbish was everywhere at the station. I was even surprised this place was still somehow safe to hang around.

"It's so good to be home!" Kenny stretched his arms into the cold chilling Twinleaf air.

"Wait, you live here as well?" I asked.

"Yup." Dawn answered for him. "So does Barry." She cheeky smiled.

"You're kidding right?" the thought of Barry coming towards me like a bunch of Tauros haunted my mind. That kid was wild and crazy. I wished he didn't admire my training style and stalked me like a fan girl would do to people they loved. He was a creepy kid but I had to admit. He had fairly strong pokemon.

"But it's weird that Barry and I never met until I started to travel and yet you've met since you were kids." She turned her direction to Kenny. "How does it work?" she asked.

"Dunno." He shrugged. "But at least we've met him right? No introductions necessary?" they both smiled.

"Can we just going?" I asked. I couldn't bear the fact that I was still with her, but now we were here in Twinleaf. I could finally process with part two of the plan.

"Dawn Berlitz. She somehow has a special connection with the emotion pokemon, Mesprit. When Mesprit was in trouble, she summoned her to help her escape." He slid a photo of Dawn begin summoned to the old Galactic building. "Charon has been doing research about her, her friend involved, the three sprits and the red chain. It seems that the red chain is more powerful with all the three humans they interacted with are near it. If we somehow be able to keep them in a cell nearby with the three pokemon, the power of the red chain will be more powerful than before!" He yelled in excitement and raised his arms in the air. He laughed like a crazy manic would do. The photo of my next victim flipped over by the wind in the room, covering the face of my next victim.

"So you want me to travel with her and make her somehow get Mesprit from its sleeping area and catch it with one of these?" I held up one of the Master Ball he had earlier given to me. "Seems simply enough."

"Not exactly." He sat down and spoke with a much calm tone of voice. He placed his hands under his chin and closed his eyes. "Catching Mesprit into the ball is the easy part; it's the girl that will be challenging for you."

"How?" I leaned back, crossed my arms and placed my feet onto the table.

"When you travel with her, you will gain something called trust. When the team will come to collect Mesprit they will collect Dawn as well. Her trust for you will be broken and most likely her friends will come and save the day." He opened his eyes and stared at me. His stare was starting to really annoy me. "I need you to prevent that from happening."

"So how are you going to catch her without her trust getting broken?" I asked.

"We can catch the pokemon one by one and contain their power in the master balls but humans are different. Their powers can't be released unless their requirements are met. We need all of the three people who had contact with these sprits to meet once more. When that happens you can say their connections with these three pokemon are unlocked for a certain time. When that happens we can start to catch them and hold them in special jail compartments. When they are in there we can use the connection they have with the sprits to increase the bond and power of the red chain."

"That's just plain disgusting." I glared at him.
"Welcome to the family Paul." He devilish smiled at me and soon followed a horrible sick mocking laugh.

"Paul?" A voiced called my name, breaking my memory and sending my back to reality. I soon realized it was Dawn. "Stop spacing out will ya?" She asked in a tone a worried mother would use. Something I haven't experienced before.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because we here, at my place!" She raised her arms in the in a slight angle, showing me her home. "Now let's go inside everyone!" She cheered, inviting myself and Kenny to enter her home. "I'm sure my Mom will have some great food inside." Dawn and Kenny smiled at each other as they raced inside the building. I just walked up to building at stared at it for a few seconds.

Her home was rather big than normal homes. It was two stories and had a teal tint colour roof on top. The walls were painted white and the windows inside had teal curtains. All tied up nicely by a sky blue ribbon. Her home was surrounded by trees and many multi coloured flowers. Her home had no surrounding neighbours as such in most towns would. Everywhere I would look at that huge building it seemed to be a happy, warm and cheerful place to be. I sighed at the fact that I had to deal with that and a mother that could be just as annoying as only daughter. Soon the word mother rang into my mind.

"That's right. She has a mother." I looked up at the sky. "Not like me. I wonder who it feels to be loved by a parent?" The country smell of the wind running past my face returned me back to my normal senses. I could hear an annoying voice calling out my name. I shrugged my shoulders and walked into the building, unsure how I would bear inside the Berlitz residence.

[EifieChan]

Hello! I'm just here to review your fanfic!
I think most of the problem I noticed were already pionted out by Skiyomi so I don't have much left to say. There are some sentences that are worded wrong

Her home was rather big than normal homes.

Like this one.

Her home was rather large, compared to normal homes. or Her home seemed bigger than normal homes.

yeah those aren't very good examples but I have trouble with that. ^^"
But that's pretty much it. ^^ I love the way you describe Paul's emotions, and your writing style reminds me of Margaret Peterson Haddox. Your doing a good job at keeping Paul IC, in spite of being his POV. (He tends to get OOC when its in his POV, but here he is perfectly in character.) I am now a fan of yours.
I hope this doesn't seem spam-ish...

[midnightjewelz]

Hello! I'm just here to review your fanfic!
I think most of the problem I noticed were already pionted out by Skiyomi so I don't have much left to say. There are some sentences that are worded wrong Like this one.

yeah those aren't very good examples but I have trouble with that. ^^"
But that's pretty much it. ^^ I love the way you describe Paul's emotions, and your writing style reminds me of Margaret Peterson Haddox. Your doing a good job at keeping Paul IC, in spite of being his POV. (He tends to get OOC when its in his POV, but here he is perfectly in character.) I am now a fan of yours.
I hope this doesn't seem spam-ish...

Thanks for that Eifie. i have a few problems writing my sentences and seeing if they make sence. my parents aren't from a english speaking country so yeah, that probably explains most of my mistakes. but thanks for that, and yay to my new fan. *highfives*

[midnightjewelz]

Chapter five: Afraid of the truth

To be in a place where I felt uncomfortable was common, especially if it's in a place were the person you dislike lives.

"So you Paul then?" she placed a bowl of soup in front of me. "I'm Johanna, Dawn's mother." She sat on next to her only child on the right side of the table as I sat on the left, in front of them.

The dining room was combined with the living room. The walls were combined with the colours pink and white as the floor were made out of hard timber. There were a lot pot plants around the house and photos. The room was mostly held many trophies cupboards holding ribbons and trophies from contests. The windows all had pink curtains hanging from them and each one showed the scene of a hard worked garden filled with colourful flowers and trees, her homes had a much happier feel if compared to mine.

Her mother looked younger than most mothers I would see when I travelled. Her blue navy hair was short and looked nearly like an afro. She wore a long while sleeve top with a peach coloured apron wrapped around his waist, tied back with a red ribbon. She had knee high blue pants and wore peach coloured slippers. She reminded me of Reggie slightly as he too wore an apron wherever he went.

"My daughter has spoken about you a few times." She took a spoonful of the chicken and corn soup. "So do you have a brother back home?"

"I do." I took the spoon and mixed the soup, looking at all the ingredients spin. "His name is Reggie." I looked up at her. She looked like she had seen a ghost when I mentioned my older brother's name. "Did I say something wrong?" I asked.

"Mom?" Dawn asked. Her mother soon returned back to normal when her daughter called her name.

"Oh, sorry about that." She sweat dropped. I took a spoonful of the soup. "I just thought of something just now." She drank some tea from her cup and added. "So now your here in Twinleaf, what are you going to do?"

"I was planning to go to Lake Verity." I looked up at Dawn. It only in a matter of hours she would soon discovered the real reason why I needed her. I needed to use her to finish one part of the mess I got myself into. "It's not far from here right?" I asked her mother.

"In fact it's only a five minute walk from her. Why Dawn, can you show Paul where the lake is?" Dawn's mother asked her. It was now just getting too easy. Her mother had just did the hard part for me, the part where if Dawn could take me to the lake. If Dawn would agree to it, she would be able to awaken Mesprit, catch it and then leave this old small town.

But then I thought to myself, I would finally leave this Dawn girl for good. Yet it just didn't feel right to just dump here just like that.

"Of course mother." She smiled. "It won't take me that long to show where the lake is. " She stood up onto her own two feet. "Let's go then."

"As in now?" I asked.

"Yup." She smiled. "We'll be back soon Mom!" she raced to the door as I stood up onto my two feet and tagged behind her.

We ran out of her home quickly and soon found ourselves at the entrance of a thick forest. Long branches of the trees nearby overlapped each other and blocked most of the space of the entrance. The leaves were big and when they were together looked like a curtain, ready to be pushed aside for the show to start. Dawn led the way as she pushed some of the leaves aside and leading me to the lake. I looked up and saw how high the trees really were. So tall that not much light could come through leaving the place quiet dark. I looked back down and saw Dawn getting a poke ball out and threw up into the air.

"Time to shine!" she called. The red and white machine opened up wide and soon red light escaped and collided with the grass below. The red shape moved and soon from the shape of a Pokémon. The light soon quickly flashed as the ball returned back to the trainer's palm. What came out was a fire type, Quilava. "Can you help us light up this dark forest?" the fire type replied with a nod and made the fire on it's back bigger and brighter.

She looked back at me and waved at me to hurry up. I shrugged and continued to follow her. A few minutes later we were at a huge clearing and in the middle was a lake, Lake Verity. Dawn thanked her pokemon and returned it it's ball.

Now, it was time. Time to get this whole things started, but why did I feel so

uncertain about the idea? All I had to do was catch it...right?

And then something amazing happened. Something I thought only sci-fi novel writers would write about.

The lake started to glow an intense white quickly, nearly the same white that you would see when a Pokémon is about to evolve. The wind picked up quickly and powerful; in fact the leaves on the branches of the trees fell off like they never hanged onto them. Clouds quickly formed around the lake and the sky went nearly pitch dark. I looked back and saw that Dawn was on her knees and was glowing white as well, just like the lake. She had here hands on her head and just screaming, screaming in pain. I felt the odd one out as nothing bad was happening to me. I looked back and watched what was happening around me.

It just felt so unreal. Everything happened around so quickly that my mind tried to convince me this was all a dream. Five minutes ago I was in the Berlitz household and now I'm in the forest, having no clue what is happening around me. I looked up and saw something else to unusual.

There was a man on the branches of one of the trees. He was dressed completely black with a hood covering his face. Beside him looked like a Pokémon but I couldn't catch a glimpse what it was. Was everything happening around me because of them?

"Hey!" I yelled. The man turned to face me. I had full vision of his face but it was just plain black. I felt like this man wasn't a person but a thing. "Are you the cause of everything happening right now?" it continued to stare at me and shook his head saying it wasn't and pointed to the lake. I looked back at the lake and saw a white radiant image floating out of the glowing lake. I shifted my attention to the tree and noticed the thing was gone. I noticed that Dawn's screaming had stopped and saw she had fainted onto the ground and the intense glow from the lake vanished. The only thing that was left was the emotion Pokémon, Mesprit. It stared me with its eyes, still floating above the lake in silence. I reached into one of my pockets and pulled out a master ball. I clicked the only button on the machine which made it double its size.

"You're Mesprit? I've never seen a legendary pokemon in person before." It didn't reply so I continued. "Don't they try to avoid contact with humans? For their own protection?" It still remained still. "Aren't you going to do anything?"

It closed its eyes and it began to glow again. I had an idea that it was going to go back into the lake, making my time getting here completely pointless. But I was wrong. It changed its shape into a human, a human girl ghost. Its hair was pink and was long as her body, she wore a pale pink dress and it continued to float above the water. It opened its eyes and looked back at me. It's eyes shined with a deep violet colour as it soon spoke back to me.

"You have a good heart." It replied. "That is the reason I've showed myself to you."

"Liar." I replied. "What good have I've done to be called such a thing?"

"You saved that young girl behind you." She pointed to Dawn behind me who remained to lay silent in the wild grass. "And I speak from the heart. Words from the heart don't lie." I looked back at the emotion Pokémon who had now taken the form of a human girl just to be able to speak with me. I remember in the books I've read as a child that some Pokémon can take a shape of a human, but never about the three lake guardians, never. It closed its eyes and spoke. "I know why you have come here." It looked back at me. "You need me for so your father can finally accept you into your life, am I right?" I froze. This thing had just read my mind as f it was a book.

"Yes." I replied firmly. "I'm sorry but I have t do this." I threw the ball towards it direction. Mesprit opened its palm and stopped it using its Psychic move. Its purple eyes turned blue as she continued to use the move. It turned its attention from the ball and back to me, speaking once more.

"I understand. I can feel that you don't want to do this, but you're forced to. You're afraid that if you don't accept the role to help your father, your father might call the help from your brother instead. You're afraid to lose your brother to your father. Your brother is the only person you find as your family after the fire four years ago when you were seven. You don't want to lose anymore people that are close to your heart." It paused and soon added. "It is because of this reason I agree to go with you and not by the hands of your father's men. You're different to him and I believe that no matter what happens, you won't end like him. Just promise me I can stay by your side until I'm reunited with Aslef and Uxie." I looked up at Mesprit.

"Agree." It was only a small deal in the end. I just to make sure I would be able to keep Mesprit until I catch Aslef and Uxie. I had no plan on how I would do that as my main focus was catching Mesprit first. Mesprit canceled the attack and let the ball collide into it. The red light engulfed its body and sucking it into the ball. The ball dropped right into the water and seconds later it floated up to the surface. The button in the middle of the machine had stopped blinking which confirmed that Mesprit was now mine. I walked up to the lake a little more closely and grabbed the ball and placed it into my bag. And as quick the bad weather came in, the quicker it fled and returned back to normal, like what just happened to me never happened.

I looked up to the sky and noticed how clear it was. If I had told anyone that a storm had just happened they would just laugh and treat it like a joke. I looked down and back to the young bluenette lying on the ground without conscience. She was lying face down and not moving, for one second I thought she was gone but I placed two of my fingers on her wrist and found there was a pulse. I turned her over to her back and still saw her still unconscious. It looked like her bond with Mesprit really took a big effect on her. Her beanie was off her head and her hair was left in a big mess. Normally I wouldn't care when people I wasn't close to get hurt but she was different. As in I've travelled with her for a few days and it wasn't so easy to just walk away and leave her just like that.

I brushed her fringe with the back of my fingers and I trailed them down to her cheeks. She was so defenceless when she was a state with no conscience. Anyone could just take her and do whatever they wanted with her. I reached out for her beanie and placed it back on her head. Just when I thought no one was around I decided to take her in my arms but somebody interrupted me.

"Hey, whoever interrupted my training with that huge flash will get fined!" I knew who that voice was. I sighed. I heard his footsteps coming towards my location. "Ha I knew...what?" he blinked at me blankly. "Paul and..." he looked down. "...Dawn?" he looked back at me. "You caused that huge flash a while ago?"

"No." I shook my head and decided to carry Dawn in my arms. "Just help me carry her home." I asked. Even though I was hanging with two people that annoyed me so much I didn't have to guts inside of me to leave or ignore them. For once I actually needed help.

If I only knew things would turn out the way they were then I would never taken the deal. But when I think about it, the words Mesprit come to haunt me. Telling me how nice I'm supposed to be. What a joke.

"Mhmm." She muttered as she moved left and right on the pink sofa, still not awake to find out what really happened to her. Her mother was right next to her, putting a towel on top of her daughter's forehead. Barry was watching her do so and soon followed a sound of a door slamming into the wall of the house. I had an idea it was another of Dawn's crazy friends. I was at the trophy cabinet looking at all the ribbons and trophies stored in it.

"Is Dee Dee okay?" he panicked. I turned around to found out it was that boy Kenny. He had the face of a friend who deeply cared for his friend. In fact he acted like he was her boyfriend, liked I cared.

"She's fine Kenny." Johanna replied as she took off the towel from Dawn's head. She placed it in the bowl full of water and squeezed the water out of it. "She just got a small fever. Nothing serious." She placed the towel back onto Dawn's forehead.

"But what really happened?" He continued to ask in a panicked tone of voice.

"I dunno." Barry put his arms behinds his head. "I was training near the lake and then out of nowhere a huge flash of white covered the whole forest. I came running to the light and saw Paul with Dawn." I could hear Kenny's footsteps come towards me. I decided to ignore him for awhile. He glared at me. I looked back at him. His actions reminded the way Dawn would pout every time I wouldn't reply back to her when she wanted me to.

"This is all your fault isn't it?" He raised his voice slightly. "What really happened near the lake?"

"Don't know." I lied as I looked back at the ribbons in the trophy cabinet. "I just wanted to see the lake and she joined me. When we got there a huge flash came out of nowhere." I continued to lie through my lips. I knew if I told them what really happened they would just laugh.

"Weird." Barry yawned. "That never happened here before. I've never heard such a story before."

"Well then." Dawn's mother stood her own ground. She walked up to the kitchen bench and took the newspaper and gave it to Barry. "Read this." I saw his eyes move from left to right as he read the front page article. I knew he understood the issue when he yelled in shock about the article.

"No way!" He replied in shock. "The same thing happened at Lake Valor? How?" I walked up to Barry and snatched the article off him, hoping to find his answer so he would tone his voice down. I began to read the front page article.

A FLASHING LIGHT FROM NOWHERE!

Late last week, Lake Valor shot out a huge white flash all over the city around midnight. The flash was so bright that it took awhile for the citizens' vision to return to normal. Some people that were near the lake said they saw a young man figure near the lake at the time the event happened. They have said that the man did not stay for long and was gone right before the flash began.


One witness has reported that he saw the boy catch the guardian of the lake, Aself in a master ball. After the legendary pokemon was caught the huge flash covered the town and the man vanished. The police said there are no leads to the man some of the witnesses have said but they will continue to search in the area until they get more of an idea on how the flash of light happened.

"So, this must be the same man I saw earlier." I muttered to myself. "And his after the guardians just like me." I scrunched up the newspaper into a ball. I looked up the rest of the members inside the household, waiting for my answer. "The article said that the same flash of light happened last week at Lake Valor and saw a young boy or man near the lake before the flash happened. They are trying to find him but they have no clues to him yet."

"But who would want to do such a thing?" the single parent asked. "I mean look what they have done to my poor Dawn." She looked like she was about to cry.

So that was how I mother would act. They would be overprotective over their child and worry about them constantly. When they were sick they would always be by their side and won't leave until they got better. They would always make sure they were doing the right thing and would do everything they can for their child. Now that I wondered about this, I wonder if my mother did the same back to when I was young. Too bad I've forgotten everything about her. I can't even remember her name.


"I'm sure the police will get the bad man who has done this to Dawn!" Kenny replied. He still had the deep concern a boyfriend would have when their girlfriend got badly hurt. I had a gut feeling he liked her but I was no expert in love so I didn't even bother thinking about it any longer. I turned around to look at the window and noticed it was still sunny. My mind still tried to remember the horrible weather that happened near the lake and try to convince me it was only a dream.

"Hey Paul." I looked to my left and noticed it was Barry, A trainer who idolised my training style. "Just wondering but where are your parents? I mean don't they worry about you?. I've heard your never home a lot and you never seem to mention them, not even once."

"My parents eh?" I turned around to face him. "My parents died in a house fire when I was seven. I can't remember anything past that age." I told him. I lied about the part when my parents died when really only one died which ended up being my mother. My father fled three days ago and didn't even bother to come back for us after the fire. Sometimes I wished he had died instead of my mother.

Every time my mind flees to my past, I start to turn into that weak useless child that my father would despise. It was a feeling that made me weak. Love was my weakness.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation boys but you said you lost your parents to a house fire when you were seven?" Johanna asked. I nodded. "Wait here." She walked up to the bottom part of the trophy cabinet and pulled out an out cardboard box. The top half was dusty and she soon blew the dust away. She soon peeled off the white masking tape that held the top together. She grabbed what looked like a small object that looked light to carry. She turned around and walked up to me and held the object in her hands. I quickly knew what it was.

It was my old Turtwig doll.


It was old and rugged. His eyes were made out of coat buttons and it had stiches everywhere. One half of the leaf on its head was gone and it had a huge rip on its brown shell. I looked up to her and saw she had a relieved smile on her face. I on the other hand was filled with confusion and fear. Confused to find why an old toy of mine was inside of a home like this and afraid to hear the answer I would get.

"How?"

[midnightjewelz]

Hi guys, im going to make this short. anyway thanks for the PM reviews on this. don't be afraid to review on the story itself. i don't bite...much. =)

~midnight

Mission six: What hurts the most

I thought my past had no connections, as they had burnt down four years ago. Oh how wrong was I.

"I'm sorry Paul but I really don't know." She spoke in a depressed manner. "I found that box in front of my home four years ago with that doll and your name on it. I decided not to touch anything in that box until I gave it to you."

"Creepy." Barry added. "Weird things happened four years ago right after that fire."

"There was a fire? Here? Can you tell me more about it?" I asked. My past that continued to creep up to me made the trip to Twinleaf actually worth it.

"Yeah. But nothing major." He yawned. "I was too young to remember it. Hey! I got an idea!" He cheered and turned towards me. "Ask Professor Rowan. I heard he use to live near the house that got on fire. Maybe he knows more about it."

"Ask that old man? Really?" I lifted an eyebrow. "All he talks about is Pokémon. I doubt he knows anything about that fire."

"Why don't you give it a try Paul?" Johanna asked. I turned my direction to her. "I'm sure you know the way to his lab. You can't miss it." She winked.

"Sure thing..." I replied as I walked out the Berlitz household.

Everything was happening around me too quickly. First a Pokémon turned into a human girl to talk to me and now my old Turtwig doll comes back to me. Why did a doll like this end up in that home or even in this town? Was my past connected to this small town? I need to know, I had to know.

I walked down the main path that led me to a lab. The lab was located on high hill and was quiet hard to get on top. The lab was in Sandgem town which was only a ten to fifteen minute walk from Twinleaf. Also the lab was surrounded with thick trees that were filled with common Pokémon that could only be found in Sandgem. Soon I reached the old building and it still stayed the same since I last remember it. The building was made out of bricks and higher up, near the roof stood and span the huge windmill, giving power to the lab. I knocked on the door a few times and sighed to the fact nobody was there to answer the door.

"Lousy Professor." I sighed. "Going out into the forest to do research."

"Well well." I heard a familiar voice call from behind me. "Why it isn't Paul Hayden." I turned around to face him. He didn't look a day older with the same outfit he wore all the time with his long brown coat. Underneath was his blue vest with a white shirt underneath it. With a black tie tucked in nicely. He wore his usual long black trousers and in his right hand was his suitcase filled with all his research. "What are you doing back here in Twinleaf?" He asked.

"Do you know anything about a fire four years ago?" he dropped his suitcase onto the grass. He seemed surprised that I asked him such a question. The bag opened up and his notes slipped out.

"Why do you ask?" He knelt down and began to pick his notes back into his brown handbag suitcase.

"Because of this." I held up my old Turtwig doll as he looked up. He had the same expression on his face when I asked about the fire four years ago. He looked down and locked the bag up and stood up, facing me.

"Follow me." he walked right past me and entered me into his lab. Like his appearance, everything stayed the same.

The floor had huge purple tiles underneath and fitted well together. All the walls were covered with machines for pokemon research. There were three huge arc designed windows in front of me with stairs up to them placed on the right of the lab. Also there was a white table with a pink couch nearby. He asked me to sit on the couch as Professor went to the bookshelf and pulled out a toy chest. It was mainly blue with a white outline near the edges. His eyes were focused on the chest. Like something inside it was very valuable. But what did it have in common with the fire and my old toy doll?

"Only the youngest son of Cyrus Hayden would have that doll. Is he your-" But I interrupted his.

"Don't ever use that word in front of me." I stood up quickly. "Now tell me what that chest has to do with the fire four years ago!" I yelled. I was getting irritated that I wasn't getting the answers I wanted.

"Your Turtwig doll, the back is ripped. Put your hand in the hole until you pull out a key." He commanded as he pointed to the chest. "Then use that key to open this chest. All your answers are in here." I glared at him.

"Is this some sort of joke? This doesn't make any sense!" I continued to argue. I looked around and saw my voice was starting to gain attention of other professors and young trainers around me.

"Just start looking for the key and it might solve your confusion." I dug my hand into the hole placed at the shell of the doll. I felt nothing and looked at him, staring at him telling him this was a joke. But as soon I felt a plastic object. I knew that was the key Professor Rowan was talking about. I pulled it out. It was a simple treasure chest toy key. It was silver and matched the toy chest.

That key was only the start of a bucket load of more questions heading my way, and I had no idea if half of them could be solved.

I looked at the key and back to the toy chest. I tightened my grip on it and thought to myself. What was my connection to all of this? How did the Professor know about him? What part did this town have on me? I shook my head to get those thoughts out but they stayed there. I had no choice but to deal with it and proceed. I entered the toy key into the keyhole and twisted it until I heard a 'click' noise. I let my grip off the key and slowly lifted the lid of the toy chest. Inside was a cassette player with a letter.

"What the hell?" I asked and looked up to the Professor. "You're not serious are you?" He didn't reply. I sighed and grabbed out the cassette player and the letter.

"Listen to the tape Paul. Trust me." the Professor asked. I knew asking him why, was a waste of my breath as I pressed the play button on the old cassette player. I heard white noise to start off and was about to turn it off when I heard a sweet innocent voice in the background.

"Paul." A voice of a woman called out. "Come here and talk into the microphone!" I heard footsteps coming towards the woman.

"Why? It's not like anyone going to listen to it." I knew that was my voice. My voice sounded younger than the one I had right now.

"Who knows? Maybe when you turn old you would want to hear this." She suggested in a calm manner.

"But I don't want to turn old." I heard the younger version of myself complain.

"If you don't do this, I won't finish making you Turtwig doll you really want." She teased.

"Okay Mom." I walked closer to the microphone. "Hi." I spoke in a bored manner. "Can I go now?"

"Yes you can Paul." I could hear footsteps running away from her. "Just make sure you don't too far from Lake Verity. I don't want you to get lost! Don't forget we live in Twinleaf. You can get lost easily in the forests." She called.

"Yes Mom!" I replied back.

And the cassette soon clicked once more, telling me that was the end of the recording. I fell back onto the couch with mixed emotions I had ever felt. I looked back at the doll, after hearing the recording a faded memory of me watching my mother hand sow came into my mind. I looked up at the doll. I had received this doll for my sixth birthday. I threw the doll onto the ground and buried my head behind my knees. I couldn't accept what was happening around me.

"No." I muttered. "NO!" I yelled and looked up the Professor. "It's not true. It's all a lie!"

"I'm sorry Paul." She shook his head in disappointment. "I wanted to tell this to you when you first came here but your brother asked me not to. That you were too young to understand." He looked into my eyes. "But you had a right. She was your mother too." He closed the lid of the chest. "Paul, you were never raised in Veilstone but right here in Twinleaf. The fire that happened here four years ago was your home."

"Shut up!" I yelled. "Stop it!" I soon burst out of the lab and down the hill.

The hill was on a downhill slope; with the pace I was running at I couldn't stand my ground and tripped over my own feet, sending me crashing down onto the ground into a puddle of mud. Instead of moving on I just laid there. I didn't care anymore. I didn't want to know anymore. I wanted to just fade away from this world and find a new one. I looked up at the sky and noticed it was overcastted again. The clouds were dark and grey and could rain any moment. But I didn't care. I closed my eyes and opened them up half way. Now I understood why he wanted to make a new world. So all the pain and mistakes he did in this one could be avoided in the new world. I could hear the Professor coming up behind me. I looked on my left and saw his big black grey shoes near me. I shifted my eyes away from them. I could hear the sounds of paper begin unwrapped from some sort of envelope. I really didn't care if I was wrong or right. I just wanted to be alone.

"Dear Paul." The professor began to read. "By the time your reading this I would probably be gone. I'm sorry if I didn't spend enough time with you and I wish I could spend my last days with you. I'm sorry if I can't be the person you will look up to and have me by your side to help you grow up. But I know when I'm gone I can rely on your older brother Reggie to look after you." He paused and looked down at me. He noticed I still wasn't moving from my spot. He continued. "You are the most important people to me and I would do anything I can to live by your sides longer, but faith has refused that request for me. When I'm gone I want you to remember that I love you and always will. I want you to achieve your goal and become the best pokemon master you can be. Remember that my son. Love, your Mother."

"Why did you read that to me?" I asked. I still refused to look at him.

"Because you have a right to." He offered his hand to me, offering to help me onto my feet. "You need to find out the truth."

"Why...does it hurt to find out the truth?" I looked at him. "Was I a bad child?" The Professor shook his head. "Then why?"

"Some of these things happen for a reason. It's up to us to find out what that reason is." I stared at him and thought of the words he told me. I accepted his help soon afterwards and he helped to push me onto my two feet. He looked at my clothes. "Stay at my place tonight. You're a little dirty to head back to Twinleaf." He walked past me and up the hill. I was still at the same spot when he turned around to me. "Aren't you coming? The rain will catch up faster than you if you don't hurry." I shrugged my shoulders and walked up to him. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone at the moment. I still had the fact that I was born in this small town was my original home town and not Veilstone. I just wanted to find out why my brother never told me about this earlier.

Even I now knew about the truth of my hometown, I still had many questions about myself to be solved. Which were things I didn't know if I can handle them.

It was around ten in the morning when I was at in front of the lab, sitting on the grass thinking to myself. I hadn't spoken with the Professor since yesterday and I still felt my lips were too traumatized to even start talking about it. I held my Turtwig doll that my mother made for me and gazed at it. Now that I knew about this doll I began to treasure it more than before. I didn't care what the other children would call me; all I cared for was that I now had something that reminded me of my dear mother. I looked up the sky and saw the clouds didn't cover the whole sky anymore. It had a bright tint of the usual sky blue with a few occasional clouds passing by. Flying types flew over me as I closed my eyes as I lay down on the wild grass. I wanted to relax and I didn't want anyone to disturb me.

But I never seem to get that request.

The sound of my Pokenav called me. I dug through my bag and turned the screen on and saw the words 'Private Number' flashing numerous times on the screen. I pressed the green handset button and waited for the screen to show the face of my caller. I felt like I could crush my Pokenav when I found out who it was.

"What now?" I asked in an aggravated manner. "I'm not in the mood to talk to you right now."

"I can tell." He spoke at the other end of the phone. "But should you really speak to your father in such a way?"

"You have no right to talk to me like that... criminal." I gritted my teeth together. "Tell me what you want before I hang up on you."

"I just want to congratulate you for catching Mesprit a few days ago. I'm impressed how fast you did it."

"I don't care if your impressed or not. I just want to get the job done." I was now getting very tempted to just hang up him right now.

"Now you do now what's going to happen next right now?" He asked as he lifted up one eyebrow.

"How stupid do you think I am?" I yelled at him. "I know who's next its-" But my conversation with him was interrupted when I heard the door of the lab slam open. I turned around and saw it was Professor Rowan holding a cordless phone, calling out to me.

"Paul!" He began. "Johanna wants you back to her place now. She needs to ask a favour from you!" He yelled. "I would like to come but new trainers are coming today. So I can't drop you off like I suggested yesterday."

"Don't worry about it." I pressed the red handset button on the Pokenav which ended the call. "I mean that's how I got here in the first place." I threw my Pokenav back into my shoulder bag and stood up from the grass. I turned around to face the Professor. I took a breath before adding. "...thanks." I muttered as I shoved my hands into my pockets and made my way back to Twinleaf.

No matter how far I would run away, I would always end up back where I started. There was just no way out.

A few minutes later I was back in the Berlitz resident. Feeling like my jaw had just dropped down on the ground hard. What was I hearing right? Or was I just having a bad day?

"You want me to be her escort?" I stood up from the pink couch in the living room. "What for?"

"After seeing my daughter like that I decided you will take her to Lake Valor." Johanna replied with her hands firmly on her waist. "She told me that Ash is heading there with a few of his friends from the Unova region for the Wallace Cup. I want you to help her get there." It was just too horrible to bear. I was going to travel with her again? I felt like heaven and earth had just fallen on top of me again, and just when I finally got rid of her too.

"Why is Ash coming down from Unova for the Wallace Cup? He isn't a coordinator. I see no point for him to enter and fail again." I felt a boot hit the back of my head.

"Take that back!" I heard her scream from the stairs. I glanced over my shoulder. "Ash is not a failure!"

"No and yes he is." I crossed my arms.

"He bet you in the Sinnoh league so you have no right to talk about him like that!" She pointed at me.

"He just got lucky." I turned to face her. "Now hurry up and get your stuff ready. We are heading to Lake Valor now."

"Wait...we?" She asked. I knew she was shocked just like I was. I shifted my attention away from her. She stomped her feet together. "Mom!" She complained. "Why? I can go there by myself!"

"I think I know Paul enough to trust him to take you to Lake Valor, after all his from here." Dawn's mother smiled. I sighed that Professor Rowan had told her about my past and how that I was originally from Twinleaf.

"I don't understand." Her voice dropped down from an angry old woman to a confused little girl.

"Paul was born here, his from Twinleaf as well." She smiled. I felt Dawn rush down the stairs and right by my side. I could feel her body touch my shoulder.

"You're from Twinleaf to?" she asked in excitement. "Since when?" Her distance between me and her was starting to get awkward. I started to walk to the door, ignoring Dawn. "Hey don't go without me!" and she rushed up the stairs and I heard her close the door behind her, no doubt choosing her millions of clothes to take on the trip. I sighed. I could hear the sounds of someone in slippers walk up to me.

"Paul." She asked. She had her hands over her lap. "I heard everything from Professor Rowan when I called him this morning. I didn't know that your family was part of that fire. Sorry."

"No need." I replied. I placed my hands into my pockets. "I wish I knew about this stuff earlier. I wish I knew why my brother never told me about this stuff." I looked down onto the ground.

"Why don't you ask him?" I looked up.

"Not now. I don't want to talk to him right now. I can't face him right now." I soon heard Dawn tripping over her own feet and falling down the stairs and landing on her face. Her mother quickly raced to her aid.

"Sorry about that." She sweat dropped. "So let's go then?" she got up on her feet quickly.

"Just be more careful dear." She mother asked in a concerned tone of voice.

"No need to worry." Dawn smiled. She soon turned to me. "So let's go?"

"Like I have a choice." I sighed and turned around. I placed my hand on the doorknob until I heard Dawn complaining...again.

"Ahh, my shoe!" She panicked "Where is it?" She quickly scoped the room, in search of her missing pink boot. I sighed afterwards.

"This is going to be a long trip."

[Wuster]

One word. Well two. Simply, Amazing.

[Eon Master]

"Yeah I remember it. You are one of his kids. What's his name...Patrick?"

*dies of epic laugher*

I would've paid money to see the look on Paul's face.

Oh and...

"Ahh, my shoe!" She panicked "Where is it?" She quickly scoped the room, in search of her missing pink boot. I sighed afterwards.

"This is going to be a long trip."

xD

Anyway...

I don't understand why it has so few reviews, it's fantastic and Ikari is an awesome shipping. However, one thing does detract from the overall story: Grammar and spelling errors. Do you proofread your work? If not, I suggest starting, or getting a beta reader. If necessary, I'd even help out with that, since I love this story so much.

Cheers, and keep up the good work.

[midnightjewelz]

Thanks you two, about the reviews. i guess i scare my readers so much they don't want to review here, i get a few review PM's here and on FF.net. but it feels different when they review here.

About the Beta Readers, i've been reading my own stories and editting them for three years. i've been asking but nobody replies. sad story but i guess i have to deal with it. but i do try to edit as much as i can. its just im in my last year of high school adn the teachers like to flood my life with homework. *sigh*

But thanks for that. i'll try to edit my work more carefully. some of my mistakes are normally caused by typos. so yeah ^^; NOW to the story. =3

God, you don't know how badly i want to say who the thing in black is. arghh. also, when there is a fire in one part of the house, close all the doors into the room and the air in the room will slowly fade away and the fire willd die down. true fact. you will understand why i said that as you read on.

~midnight

Mission seven: Slipped through their lips

Like everything wasn't bad enough, I just had to step foot into hell.

"Paul?" I heard Dawn call out my name in a questioning manner. "I want to show you something before we head to Lake Valor."

"Make it quick." I sighed. I felt her arm wrap around mine as she dragged me somewhere deep in the forest.

We soon past the lake and soon reached to a wall, all covered in weeks and plants wrapping themselves around the cement wall. Big huge trees were behind the wall and looked like there was really now way over the wall. I glanced over to Dawn, annoyed.

"You sure know how to waste my time." I crossed my arms and sighed.

"Wait." She winked at me. She walked closer to the wall and pulled out a long thick vine. She tugged on it a few times to check if was strong enough to use. She looked back at me. "We will climb over the wall." She grinned. "Now come-on lets go!" She grabbed gold of the vine and started to climb on the wall, lifting one foot at the time. As soon she had reached the top it was my turn to climb over it. We were now both on top of the wall and the view were more crowed than the last. High tall trees blocked most of my view and more wild weeks and plants were scattered around the place.

But there was something ahead of me that wasn't covered in plants or green.

It was a burnt mansion.

"This is where you use to live. After the fire broke out I would come here to discover new things and I saw a few things written 'Hayden' on them." She glanced over to me. "When I heard your surname was Hayden, I began to come here a lot to see if my guess was right." She smiled. "And it was."

I didn't bother to reply and instead jump off the wall and enter what Dawn has told me, my old home. I heard her drop down after me as I pushed many leaves and vines out of my way. I soon reached a clearing, there were creamy white dead vines and weds everywhere. As I stepped closer to the home I could here them crunch underneath the sole of my feet. After listening to the dead weeds crunch into tiny particles I reached the front entrance of my former home.

There were a steps leading to the front door. Many of the windows were already broken or chipped. The roof didn't have that classic triangle shape that the Berlitz resident had, it was flat and the home was designed differently. It was more modern mansion to say at least. The first story walls had a white-creamy tinge to it as the second story was more dark chocolate brown. Even most of the house was covered in black there was a few sections of the home that remained unharmed. I walked up the brick stairs that lead to my home and walked through the front door and saw everything was black, ashes of the old furniture had already swiped into the air, leaving a empty old burnt home. I heard Dawn come right behind me, scoping the room like she had never been here before.

"There's nothing here. This is a complete waste of time." I grumbled. I turned around to the door until Dawn got into my way.

"We are not leaving until you're ready to give your past up." She told me in a firm, angry manner.

"What are you on about?" I lifted my eyebrow in confusion. Dawn really never made any sense whenever she spoke.

"Just look around and maybe you will understand." I shrugged my shoulders and turned away from her.

I walked up the stairs which were all covered in ashes. The second story of the home was smaller than the second as it only contained three bedrooms and a bathroom. Well that was what I could get from what was left of the place. I walked into one of the rooms that had the door lock. I placed my hand on the door knob and twisted it to open it, but it wouldn't budge. I shook the handle but nothing worked. I soon decided it was best to knock the door down. I kicked the door down with my right foot and the door slammed onto the ground. Inside I saw a child's room, completely unharmed.

"How is this even possible?" I questioned myself. I didn't bother to think about it and instead enter the room. The walls were painted in a cream colour. In the middle laid a single bed, untouched and showed no signs the person in this room slept in it. The mirror combined with a drawer was placed on the left side on the room as the left side was covered in drawings and toys. I walked up the mirror and saw the bench was filled with toy Pokémon figurines. I picked up a Pikachu figurine, all smiling and cheerful. I placed it back on the bench. "This must have been my room I guess." Then in the top corner of the oval shaped mirror was a photo. A photo I was shocked to see.

It was me and Cyrus...smiling...together.

I quickly grabbed the photo and looked at it longer. How could this be? How did this happen? What the hell happened here? My mind was filled with many questions similar to these and I had no idea how I would deal with them or yet find a answer to each and everyone one of them.

I wanted to rip it up and watch it burn in flames, but I couldn't. It felt like when I look at that photo, it gave my hope that he could treat me as his son...again.

I looked at the background and saw the photo was taken in front of the house and I had my Turtwig doll in my hands. That gave me a fair idea that the photo was taken after my sixth birthday or maybe a few days before the fire ever happened. I wanted to let it go, I wanted to rip it up, I wanted to shred it to many tiny piece, I wanted to burn it and watch the smiles on our faces melt away into the flames of the fire but I couldn't. As I looked into that photo is somehow gave me hope and convince myself that him treating me as his son can actually...happen.

"Paul?" I quickly shoved the photo into my bag. I didn't want to but I had to hide away from her that Cyrus was my old man, the man that she and her friends helped to go into jail. If she knew he was my old man, everything could go bitter, very quickly. I turned around to face her. "There you are!" She smiled. "Ready to go now?" I nodded. I wasn't in the mood to talk right now, after what I had just seen. I need to think to myself and ask myself why this was happening to me.

We were at the top of the stairs and started to make our way down. My mind was reminding me of the scene I saw in the photo. That happy smile, the cheerful background and how close I was to him but soon a scream knocked me out of my senses and back to reality. I looked down and saw Dawn had skipped a stair and was falling down, and once again I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards me.

"Stupid girl." I began to think as I grabbed hold of her hand. "Always tripping over her own feet and leaving me with the hard part to save her." I pulled her towards me and she crashed into me, hugging me tightly. I looked down at her saw she was out cold, but why?

The air in the room began to feel slightly eerie as I walked down the stairs, I held Dawn in my arms until we reached the bottom of the stairs and I placed onto the ground. I looked through one of the broken windows and saw the sky was painted black once more. Just like back at the Verity. The wind picked up and sending chills all over my body. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the same thing with the black hood staring at me, and beside it was Azelf, in its spirit form. He was in the form of a boy, with short blue straight hair with simple light blue top and dark blue jeans. He gazed at me with his golden eyes, with such determination and willpower that it started to overpower mine. He raised his arm out to me, opened his palm and continued to look at me.

"Give me back my sister." He replied firmly. I knew straight away he wanted Mesprit. I dug my hand into my bag and got pressed the button located in the middle of the ball. One pressed would make the ball double in size and the next one it would summon a Pokémon out of it, but that didn't happen. In fact it ball didn't double in size to begin with. I pulled the ball out and saw my guess was right. Somehow Azelf and the man in black's appearance had made Mesprit and Dawn unable to wake up from their trance.

"What did you do to her?" I asked. I placed the ball back into my bag.

"I'm surprised you even care for her to begin with." Azelf retorted. "But what's happening to them isn't from us. It simply their connection beginning to refresh in a way, but now." He paused and soon added. "It's a good time to get my sister from you while this is happening." I took a step back from Azelf.

"No." I replied. "I have a deal with Mesprit which I plan to finish." Azelf lifted his eye brow in surprise.

"And that deal would happen to be?" He asked.

"To reunite her, you and Uxie together." I looked at the man in black. He didn't move from his spot since he had come. Even though his face was completely black I had a feeling it was staring at me.

"I can do that for her." He replied. "You don't have to go through this." He dropped his hand down. He was starting to speak in a calmer tone than before.

"As much as I don't want to, I have to do this. You see, Cyrus is my old man. You know who he is quite well." I crossed my arms together.

"You're his son?" Azelf quickly got angry once more at me as his eyes glowed bright neon blue. He was going to use psychic and I was his target.

"Enough!" I heard two people call out at the same time. White light emerged from my shoulder bag and merged into Mesprit, in her sprit form. As for the other voice it came from the thing in black, well now as the boy in black. I couldn't believe when I heard his voice. I never knew it could be him. As soon I wanted to open my mouth and ask why, Mesprit had already started to speak. "What he says is true brother." She had her arms stretched up wide. A sign to say no body would go past me without going through her first.

"But why?" He placed his hands deep into his pockets. "This boy has no emotions, but I can feel his willpower and determination to fulfil your promise together. But his heart is empty. Why Mesprit?"

"I'll be the judge of that!" She began to yell. "We only show our spirit form to the people we trust and share the same emotions we have." She glared at the boy in black. "I'm sure you trust that boy well enough to show your spirit form to him." His eyes widen in shock. "I know what you're feeling and what his feeling as well. When it comes to what the human heart feels I'm the person who can tell what it speaks." She looked back at me and slightly smiled. "And this boy has a well intended heart. He doesn't want the people he cares for to get in trouble. That's why your here, isn't it?" I shrugged my shoulders and looked over at Dawn. She was starting to wake up and if she saw all of this, she would freak out and probably faint. I looked back at saw Mesprit knew about it as well.

"Arguing with you won't change the fact you will come with us." Azelf spoke. "I guess we will see you and Lake Acuity." The man raised his arm and returned Azelf back into its ball. The boy looked at them both and raised its hand to its face and widen its fingers, like he had a mask on his face and was going to take it off but he suddenly stopped. He dropped his hand and turned around and went through the window. I wanted to chase after him, ask his why he was doing this and how everyone would react if they knew what mischief he was up to but I felt Mesprit holding my back by my arm.

"Let him go Paul." I escaped her grasp and turned around to face her, slightly annoyed.

"What for?" I complained. "What his doing is just not right, it's not him."

"I'm sure whatever his doing he has good reasons to back them up."

"Wait, earlier you said you could feel what it's in his heart. What does he feel about all of this?" I asked. I needed to know since why he was here made no sense at all. She pointed to my heart.

"He feels just like what you're feeling know, an eager feeling to save the ones close to his heart." I grabbed her hand angrily.

"I have no intentions to save anyone here!" I yelled.

"You can lie as much as you want through your lips, but what the heart feels and say will always remain true." She closed her eyes as red light engulfed her and the ball sucked her back into the ball, making the group number drop from three to two. I turned to face Dawn and looked down at her. She had just woken up and was staring at my sleepily.

"What am I doing here again?" She asked, in her usual sleepy tone of voice. She yawned afterward.

"You fell asleep while walking down the stairs." I replied in sarcasm.

"I did?" She asked in confusion. I knelt down and pick her up, and threw her over my shoulder. Since her connection with Mesprit was getting refreshed I knew she was going to act like this for a few more days. Fainting in the middle of a walk, sleeping more often, tripping over her feet more than before, I knew these symptoms and many more to come would happen to her and all I could do was just learn to deal with them and her.


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

After walking a few steps out of my old home I placed Dawn onto the wall of the cement wall and waited for her to regain her senses, but as soon I placed her onto the ground I saw she was back to sleep again. I knew her connection to Mesprit would make her sleepy, but nots as much as this. I kneeled down and tap her softly twice on the right side of her cheek. She yawned and blinked at me a few times before asking me more silly questions.

"Where are we now?" She asked. She scratched one of her eyes.

"Outside." I replied. "So your finish sleeping now princess?" I added. I was tried of carrying such a heavy load in such a long distance. "Now let's go." I offered my hand to help her onto her feet. "If you keep falling asleep then I might as well leave you here right now."

"I'll try not to fall asleep, until I reach a bed." She laughed and grabbed my hand. I dragged her up to her feet. She wobbled for a few seconds before regaining her balance. Even though she was standing onto her feet well she still wouldn't let go of my hand. I looked back at her and saw her smiling, at me.

"Do you mind?" I asked. I waved our hands together. "I can't climb over a wall with my hands locked with yours."

"Ah, sorry." She sweat dropped adding a silly smile. "Guess I'm still out of my mind." She laughed afterwards. I looked for a tough strong vine and pulled it down and saw it was strong enough to use as a rope. I looked at Dawn and she was waiting for her go. I thought it was best for her to climb up first, I mean if I went up first who knows what she will do. She still seems to be her trance.

"You go." I offered the vine to her.

"Thanks Paul." She smiled once more and grabbed the vine I had offered to her. She pulled it down a few times before climbing on the wall. I looked at her as she reached nearly to the top before losing her grip, and using me as a landing mattress. I looked up and saw and felt something horrible.

When I was leaving that place, it felt like something had to go wrong. Something had to happen that would scar me forever and yet, become something important to me.

We had out lips locked.

I pushed her off me quickly and started to spit and wipe my lips clean. I saw she was doing something similar. I turned to face her. Her face was all red, in fact nearly as red as a Marcargo.

"You're so clumsy!" I yelled. After her landing on top of me and our lips locked like that. That was the last thing I really needed. "You can't even climb up a damn wall." She quickly stood up with her hands placed firmly on her hips.

"Look Mr Hayden." She began. "The vine broke just as I lost my grip; it was your fault for standing behind me!" I got off my knees as glared at her.

"I was just waiting for my go. It's not like I wanted to kiss you!" I pointed. She turned her back to me and crossed her arms.

"Hmph." She retorted angrily. "I can't believe I shared my first kiss with a jerk like you!" She turned to face me once more, with her arms still crossed. "I wanted to share it with someone romantic and nice."

"Like Ash?" I lifted an eyebrow. I felt like picking on her was one way to punish her on begin so clumsy. "I know you like him."

"Who I like is none of your business!" She pointed at me. Her cheeks were blushing faint pink "You have no right to ask these types of questions to me!"

"So after saving your life nearly three times this is the thanks I get?" I face palmed myself lightly. "Oh why do I have to care for someone like you?" I sighed.

"You...care...for me?" She asked in her confusion. Her angry upset tone of voice had dropped down. She was now speaking in a really innocent way. I soon realised what I had said, that I cared for her. I never had done that to anyone other than my brother.

"Forget I said that." I turned around to the wall, looking for another vine that Dawn wouldn't break. I shifted my attention to her and saw she was...blushing, but what for? "Hey!" I called out. "Are you going to paint your face red all day or help me find a way over this wall?" she quickly looked up at me.

"Um, sure." She kept looking onto the grass as she walked up closer to me. She didn't seem to really focus on helping me find a good vine to use to climb over the wall. I saw her holding a good one as she continued to day dream with a red face.

"This is fine." I said. She looked up and her face went even redder. "Are you sick or something?" I asked, wondering if her red face was part of her, refreshing her connection to Mesprit.

"Nahhhh. It's justttt yyyour handsss areee onn mmmineee." She spoke nervously. I looked where my hands were placed and saw she was right. My hands were on top of hers again. I took them off quickly and turned my back on her.

"Just climb up already." I tried to cover the embarrassment all over my face. I soon heard her starting to use the vine as a rope to get over the wall. I didn't hear her scream as she fell to the ground which told me she actually got up to wall. I felt a vine hitting my head.

I grabbed the vine and looked up and saw Dawn holding the other end. Her face wasn't as red as before and she was holding the other end of the vine to make sure I wouldn't fall. As I climbed up the wall I wondered what had got into her to make her suddenly...nice to me. When I reached the top I saw that it was still daylight. I looked back to where Dawn was and saw she was heading down the wall; she did all of this without saying a word. She jumped onto her two feet and turned around and started to walk away from me as I continued to stay on the wall. I watched her as I continued to wonder.

"What has gotten into her?"

[Sapphire Sapphirine]

"Thanks Paul." She smiled once more and grabbed the vine I had offered to her. She pulled it down a few times before climbing on the wall. I looked at her as she reached nearly to the top before losing her grip, and using me as a landing mattress. I looked up and saw and felt something horrible.

We had out lips locked.

Well, that's one way to get a kiss. XD LOL

"Who I like is none of your business!" She pointed at me. Her cheeks were blushing faint pink "You have no right to ask these types of questions to me!"

"So after saving your life nearly three times this is the thanks I get?" I face palmed myself lightly. "Oh why do I have to care for someone like you?" I sighed.

Aw, how cute. :3 Secret's out, Paul! XD


Anyway, I did notice a few little errors. Such as:

We soon past the lake and soon reached to a wall, all covered in weeks and plants wrapping themselves around the cement wall. Big huge trees were behind the wall and looked like there was really now way over the wall. I glanced over to Dawn, annoyed.

I'm sure you meant 'weeds' and 'no'.


Also:

I walked up the stairs which were all covered in ashes. The second story of the home was smaller than the second as it only contained three bedrooms and a bathroom. Well that was what I could get from what was left of the place. I walked into one of the rooms that had the door lock. I placed my hand on the door knob and twisted it to open it, but it wouldn't budge. I shook the handle but nothing worked. I soon decided it was best to knock the door down. I kicked the door down with my right foot and the door slammed onto the ground. Inside I saw a child's room, completely unharmed.

Here, 'first' instead of second.


And several others; but other than that, very well written. Love the story, and can't wait to see what happens next.
Hehe. Now we're starting to get into more shippyness. x3

[midnightjewelz]

Thanks. i just noticed a HEAP of mistakes right now but i have no time to fix it up, but i do notice them. thanks for the review sapphire. it means alot.

[Wuster]

Nice little chapter here, seeing as it's already been done, I won't give an in-depth review. *Writhes in agony over Paul* Huh? Who said that :P

[midnightjewelz]

Is anyone else having that Fanfiction.net error that you can't edit your stories? i've having that trouble. i hope they fix it soon. i have heaps of stories to update. zzz.

So i have no choice but to update this story here until that problem gets fixed. arghhh, so annoying. FF.net! don't delay it anymore!

Eight pages...zzz too short. (sorry from the rambling. i'll try to stop it now.) =)

~midnight

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Mission Eight: The confusion

I never thought she would become a part of me, I hated everything about her but I guess that’s what makes her get under my skin.

Three days have passed since that weird incident. With the mansion, that photo, the man with Azelf and Dawn’s weird actions. We had now arrived at Lake Valor and we were waiting for Dawn’s companions to arrive. While we have been travelling together I’ve notice something. She isn’t as annoying as I first thought. I thought her as an annoying clutz because every time I saw her she would always be doing something stupid. But travelling with her for at least two weeks now, that’s change. Yes I do admit she is still annoying, but not as much as before. It’s like I’ve gotten use to her silly actions.

We were both at the pier, for nearly twenty minutes. Dawn was at the waiting dock, playing with her Piplup who was for once, in its pokeball. She was on her knees, splashing water at her water type’s face. It giggled as she laughed. I was at the bench and only a few feet away from her. I had my book out, I would always read it every time I had to wait for something interesting to happen but something different happened on that day. Instead of reading my book I was gazing at Dawn and her playing with her pokemon. It felt like watching her was always going to be more interesting than the book I had in my hands. Soon my ears picked up a faint call, up high in the sky. That call woke me from my trance and stood onto my feet, looking up high into the sky.

“Hey!” Another voice called up in the skies. Dawn held Piplup in her arms and stood up, looking up into the sky. A small black image started to come into my view and a few seconds later my mind painted the picture what that image was. It was a plane that could land on water; they were rare so see these types of planes in Sinnoh since it was a region close to the others. “Hey!” The voice repeated. The voice was much louder and more recognisable.

“Wow!” Dawn called out. A huge smile grew across her face. “It’s Ash!” She added. “ASH!” Dawn raised her right arm and started to wave back at her friend. “Ash!” She called out.

“He isn’t going to hear you from up there.” I walked up to her and pointed up to the sky. “Save your breath until he gets down here.” I pointed to the platform.

But she wasn’t listening.

I blinked at her blankly for a few seconds and saw she hasn’t replied or even look at me. She just continued to gaze up in the sky, watching the plane Ash was in and watch it about to come close to us. She looked like she didn’t even hear me, like she had cut all her hearing senses and just watch Ash come down from the sky. It felt like she would rather watch her old friend arrive than listen to me. I was surprised she even ignored me without complaining first. I shrugged my shoulders.

“Whatever.”

“Huh?” Dawn returned to reality. “Did you say something Paul?” Dawn asked at me blankly.

“Forget it.” I sighed.

Soon the plane my old rival was in, touched into the sea. Its landing rails splashed water everywhere but it didn’t get me or Dawn. When the plane has stopped moving the passenger side door opened wide and jump out Ash.

“Hey Dawn!” He greeted with one of his goofy smiles. “Long time no see!”

“Too long Ash!” Dawn chuckled. “And I like your new outfit.”

I noticed that as well. He wasn’t wearing his black vest with that ‘V’ yellow stripe across it. His outfit made him look somehow, more childish that before. He wore a vest-T-shirt type of top with the half top painted blue and the bottom half white. It had a huge yellow zipper running down the middle and two black lines, one near the shoulders and one slightly lower. His cap was also different; the front half was white with the usual blue pokeball design on the middle as the rest was red. He still wore cargo type of pants but only grey this time. Also his old companion Pikachu was on his shoulder, cheerful as ever.

“Thanks.” He scratched his head. “My mother made this for me back home. In fact she is the one always making me new clothes every time I go into a new region.”

His mother? Mothers do that kind of stuff? Then I began to wonder to myself that if I didn’t lose my mother at a young age would I be as kind as Ash? Would I say things like ‘be kind to your Pokémon’ or ‘Pokémon are our friends’ like he always told me? Would I?

“Oh, hey there Paul” Ash waved at me. “I’m surprised your here. I thought you would be in a different region right now.”

“If I stay here or not, it’s not part of your concern.” I replied.

“So Dawn.” Ash turned his attention back to Dawn. “Have you been in any contests yet?”

“Not recently.” Dawn sighed sadly. “Ever since you left me I haven’t been able to pull myself together.” Ash placed his hand on her shoulder. I felt like I was ruining their special moment of some kind.

When he looked into her eyes like that, I felt like I had to stop it before it got worse. But I didn’t know how.

“Hey, I was sad when we parted but remember I knew that we were going to see each soon.” He added another smile of his. “But hey what matters is that I’m here.”

“Yeah your right.” Dawn’s sad expression soon faded away. “Let’s head to the poke centre then.”

“Oh now we aren’t!” Another voice called from inside the place. Ash turned around and his backpack was nearly face palmed into his face. He grabbed he backpack into his arms and a young girl popped out of the plane. “You told me we were going to eat first.”

“Sorry, I forgot about that May.” Ash apologized. “I was so excited to see Dawn again.” He laughed.

The brunette girl who went by the name of May was another of Ash’s friends. I remember watching her do her appeal barely back when I was walking past the Wallace Cup. Also her outfit remained the same since I last saw her on TV. An orange vest that reached up to her waist, with her green fanny pack on her waist with two white pockets on her vest. Black cycling shorts that just reached to her knees and a bright green bandana wrapped around her short unusual hairstyle.

“May?” Dawn asked in confusion. “I thought you were back home after winning the Johto grand festival?”

“Well I got bored doing nothing at home and when Ash told me that he was going to visit you in Sinnoh. I decided I might as well come along.” She added a smile. She turned her attention towards me. “And you are?” She pointed at me with a confused look on her face. “Have we met before?”

“No.” I replied. I placed my hands into my pocket. “I’m going.” I stated to Dawn. Dawn turned her attention away from Ash and to me.

“Huh?” She began. “Where are you heading?”

“To Lake Valor.” I replied. “There is something there I want to find out.” I gazed at Dawn quickly before I saw Ash walking up to me, whispering a few words into my ears. Something I found unusual for him to do.

“There’s no point going there now.” He whispered to me in some sort of chilling cold manner, something awkward for him to say before turning to the other two girls. “Azelf isn’t there anymore after what happened to him.” He smiled at them. “Well then Paul.” He turned towards me once more. “Dawn, May and me will head to the pokecenter now. See you there later!” He rushed right past me, letting Dawn and May tag after him quickly before they lost track of him. I watched as the three of them ran off toward the pokecenter and began to think to myself.

“There’s no point going there now.” What does he mean by that? Why did Ash talk to me like going over there was wrong or yet a waste of time?

I walked down the path of the city. Children ran past me with many different colour balloons in their hands, other teenagers eating ice cream on benches in the park, pokemon running around and having fun with each other. I placed my hands firm around the rails of the the fence while in front of me was Lake Valor. Where Azelf was usually found at. I dug my hand into the depths of my bag and released Mesprit, in her sprit form. She sat on the rails, with her back facing the lake.

“So, were finally here eh?” She asked me. I looked at the lake and saw how dark the lake’s colour was. “Don’t expect my brother to be here.”

“I’m not an idiot. Of course I know that!” I yelled. I shifted my eyes from left to right and saw nobody had heard my call. If they heard me they would call me an idiot, talking to myself in front of Lake Valor. “But my head can’t get around it that it’s him. It nots him!”

“I find it hard to believe it myself, but we have to find out why his doing all of this. If we don’t he will get Uxie soon.” Mesprit added.

“Damn!” I placed my elbows against the rails and raised my hands on top of my head. “What the hell is happening around me? It’s not making sense anymore!”

“Calm down Paul.” Mesprit placed her hand gently on top of my shoulder. “Keep your voice down to avoid any attention. He could find us here. As long he has Azelf with him, he can see me as well. We could get us in trouble.” I looked up at her.

“Knowing him, who knows?”

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

Hours had passed since the arrival of Ash and May at Lake Valor. Dawn told me when I got back from the Lake that the Wallace Cup was cut off since Wallace had to fight challengers that wanted to take his spot as Champion of Hoenn. It was around midnight and I couldn’t sleep because of the words Ash whispered to me. Also adding the face that him was in my mind. I knew who he was but I couldn’t come to the fact to accept it. It just wasn’t right. I lay on my side, facing the door that was slightly open, letting the light of the halls enter into my room. I threw the blanket over my face to hope to fall back to sleep again but I just couldn’t. I soon heard muttering from outside the hall. At first I thought it was Dawn snoring but she wasn’t. She was sleeping quietly while hugging her Piplup. I threw the blanket off me and put my violet and purple jacket on me. I popped my head out of the door to listen to the muttering words from the hall. I walked myself out of the room and let my ears guide me to the words I heard. Normally I didn’t be bothered with gossipers but the voice I heard sound so familiar that I had to know who it was.

I was at the end of the hallway and was about to walk into the main room of the pokecenter. I hid behind a thick pot plant when I saw Nurse Joy talking to Ash with a scared expression of her face. Ash was rather more surprised than frightened. Nurse Joy nodded before leaving the counter for her to receive a good night’s rest as Ash headed to the computers, where trainers would talk either by phone or via videophone. I sighed.

“This is a waste of time.” I sighed before heading back but a phrase stopped me.

“I’m surprised someone like you even bothered to call me. What a surprised.”

He acted so different. He spoke so differently. I never saw him that interesting to think about but now, that’s all changed.

“So what do you want now?” Ash spoke in an annoyed manner as he crossed his arms. His Pikachu wasn’t on his shoulder so I knew this was different to his talks with his close friends. So what did really happen while he was in Unova? Did he change or was he really like this? I had to know. “No, Forget it.” He shifted his eyes away from the webcam. He turned his attention back to the cam. “Be glad you called? Please.”

The person’s voice Ash was talking with was all faded and weak and was really hard to here from the hallway. If I was where Ash was standing at then I would be able to hear who this person he was talking to.

“Please be joking. Talking to you is the last thing I want to do.” He rolled his eyes. “This is such a waste of time. Why did I bother talking to you? Nothing is going to change.” I heard the person responding to Ash’s’ statement. “If you’re going to ramble about things I already know then I might as well hang up on you.” He ran his fingers through his hair, looking irritated. “Just shut up.” She spoke. “Please.”

The more Ash spoke in this type of manner the more shocked I became. To start off he never spoke to anymore in such a negative manner and never got mad at anyone so quickly. Well he did get mad at me when I told him what a pathetic trainer he was but this time it was different. The words he used were words I thought he would ever say. Just what did Ash really hide under that cap of his?

“Don’t you dare turn the webcam on.” He placed his hand near the keyboard. “I’m not in the mood to see you.” He placed on of his hands on his face. “Your looks are always the same, hard to look at.” The person on the other side of the conversation yelled in response. Ash looked at the speaker annoyed and with his eyes half open. “Goodnight.” He replied as he pressed his fingers on the ‘on’ button and yawned. “How annoying.” He sighed. “That conversation made me hungry now.” He added. “Guess I have to hold it in until breakfast.” He placed his hands behind his black hair and began to walk to the hallway. I stood up and started to walk towards his direction, pretending I had just waked up and never heard his conversation. I looked up to him.

“What are you doing up so late?” I asked, acting like I was surprised to see him up this late.

“Nothing.” He grinned. “Just had to speak to someone important to me.” He chuckled afterwards.

“Family perhaps?” I asked.

“Yeah.” He let his hands down from behind his head. “Mother just annoying me about some stuff.” He walked right past me, bumping into my left shoulder by accident.

“You’re a bad liar Ash.” I spoke without looking back at him. I heard him stop walking back to his room.

“So are you Paul.” He replied before heading to the room he was staying at. I turned to face him and watch him open the door and walk in, without a single glance at me. I was shocked with the words he said.

Did he know I was listening to him? Was all of that an act to get me thinking? Was this new Ash the real him or just a simple joke? At the start I could read him like a book I’ve read over and over again but now the words have become blurry and I had to now try to read what was left.

And it felt like the old Ash I knew was gone and this new one, had now become a treat, but what kind of treat did he really pose and what for?

[Sapphire Sapphirine]

“There’s no point going there now.” He whispered to me in some sort of chilling cold manner, something awkward for him to say before turning to the other two girls.

“I find it hard to believe it myself, but we have to find out why his doing all of this. If we don’t he will get Uxie soon.” Mesprit added.

“You’re a bad liar Ash.” I spoke without looking back at him. I heard him stop walking back to his room.

“So are you Paul.” He replied before heading to the room he was staying at. I turned to face him and watch him open the door and walk in, without a single glance at me. I was shocked with the words he said.

A few errors there. Just needs some comas; other than that, pretty good! ^.^

What's up with Ash? That's what I want to know. xP

[midnightjewelz]

A few errors there. Just needs some comas; other than that, pretty good! ^.^

What's up with Ash? That's what I want to know. xP

What's up with Ash? hehe. i want to tell you guys so badly but it will ruin the story. just wait a little longer. i promise i won't delay it any further. hehe, or will i? lol.

[midnightjewelz]

Yayyy, this fic has a five star rating. i wonder who rated this fic? anyway whoever did it, thanks!

~midnight

Misson nine: My heart just won't allow it

When I wake up every day, I feel so uncertain what to do or say. Everything around me changes every day. It's hard to compare yesterday to today.

"That ramen was great!" Ash yawned right after.

"Of course." May grinned. "I always choose the best places to eat."

"I never doubt your great taste in food May." My rival grinned at her afterwards.

"It's a bummer now that the Wallace Cup is cancelled now." Dawn sighed. She had both of her hands under her chin; her elbows placed against the poke centre table and sighed. "I was really looking forward to it."

"Same but complaining for it to come back won't change anything." May comforted her. "Let's just enjoy each other's company instead." She shifted her attention to Ash. "Right Ash?"

"Yup!" He cheered. "We should be having fun instead of mopping like this!" He smiled.

To compare his personality to now and last night seemed impossible. He was nothing to the boy I saw last night. Nothing.

It was only yesterday since Ash and his friend May had come over to visit their friend Dawn. We were all in the dining area of the poke centre and we all were having our lunch. Ash and May had both finished their fourth meal in a row and Dawn wasn't even passed her first. Me, I haven't even touched mine. Everything around me was confusing; I didn't what to do or what I was even doing. I needed to talk to someone and let them explain everything to me. I crossed my arms in an irritated manner.

"Hey Mr. Grumpy Gills." Dawn poked a handful of noodles wrapped around two chopsticks at my left cheek. "Why haven't you ate your noddles yet?" she asked.

"Because I'm not hungry." I replied. I didn't even bother looking at her.

"But you just woke up." She added.

"Do you always have to be hungry after you wake up?" I asked in a sarcastic manner.

"Just one spoonful please?" She asked as she did that usual puppy eye trick. I glared at her and I soon sighed afterwards. I knew that if I ignored her any further she would never stop annoying me for days to come. "Fine, just one." I looked away from her in an annoyed manner.

"Alright." She cheered. "Open wide." I opened my mouth and she stuffed the noodles straight into my mouth. I swallow the noddles quickly before choking.

"Are you trying to kill me?" I asked in a higher talking tone than normal. I held my neck. "Why so much, so quickly?" I heard this May girl and Ash laughing softly.

"How cute." The brunette girl giggled. "Dawn is feeding him, how romantic."

"Say wha?" I lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "Romantic?" I placed my hand down quickly on the table. "She nearly killed me." May continue to laugh.

"Romantic, as in love?" Ash asked in a dense manner. "I didn't see anything romantic with that."

"It's because your just one of does people who won't know what love is, even if it hits you in the head like a rock." May teased. Dawn laughed at him afterwards.

"So true." She added. Both girls high fived each other afterwards.

"Girls." Ash and I said simultaneously. We both looked at each other in a surprised manner. We didn't expect to say the same word at the same time. He laughed right after.

"That was unexpected." He sweat dropped.

Soon I felt an object vibrate from inside of my bag. I lifted the flap over and pulled out my Poke gear and saw the screen light up every few seconds with the name of "old man" flashing at me in thick black bold letters. I pulled out the phone and answer the call. Even though Dawn and her friends were around I really didn't care. I would just pretend I didn't know the man I was talking to.

"I'm surprised you even picked up my call so quickly." He mocked.

"Shut up." I muttered. "I'm not in the mood for your stupid jokes." I heard Cyrus laugh right after.

"You are such a spoiled sport." He added. "Anyway I want you to meet me now."

"Are you stupid?" I asked. "Your still in that horrible cell and it will take me days to get back there."

"You're the idiot out of us two." He added. I heard a faint knock on the window. We were all sitting in the corner of the building and on Ash's side was one huge square window and right there was Cyrus, glaring at me in a scary and terrifying manner. I nearly dropped my poke gear when I saw him so close to me and yet outside.

That evil crazy psycho man was right in front of me, in front of the people that put him into jail. If they saw him there then I was doomed.

I scattered off my seat as I heard Dawn calling my name to come back. I couldn't come back; my life would go into more darkness if I came back and showed them the light of my real past. I pushed the doors of the poke centre and right in front of me was that horrible man I hated to admit that was the man that brought me here. Cyrus. He had his hands in his brown body length coat and underneath was a simple white shirt and blue jeans. He was smiling at me which irritated me and made me want to wipe it off his face with one slap.

"What are you doing here old man?" I pointed at him. He smirked at me once more.

"To see my youngest son of course." He still had that devilish grin on his face.

"Liar!" I yelled. "Just stop it!" I complained. "Stop it!" I repeated. I glared at him. "Tell me why you're really here."

"Don't tell me." He sighed and placed his right hand over his face in a disappointed manner. "That you even forgot your own birthday?"

Underneath his coat he pulled out a brown paper bag. He dug his hand to the bottom of the bag and pulled out a device, it was known as the poke gear but it was the newest one out in the market. It had a much slimmer design than the last and instead of the old black or grey colour, it was blue instead. Cyrus reached over the item to me. I looked at it for a few seconds before snatching it out of his hands. I looked away from him and at my gift. I wasn't able to look at him. Everything he was doing was so…different.

"I'm not that cold hearted as you think Paul." He remarked at me. I looked up him.

"You need to do better than give me a gift to make me actually respect you." I growled slightly. "But I'm not as stubborn as you think I am." I added. He shrugged his shoulders before turning his back to me. I watched him take step by step away from me and back to where he came from. And suddenly words came out of my lips without permission.

At that moment, that seemed to be the only moment where I understood what I was doing was actually…right.

"Thanks." I replied arrogantly.

Those words made him stop in his tracks. I saw him about to look over his shoulder but refused to do it. He lifted his hand saying that it was alright or saying no problem. Afterwards he continued on his way. I soon heard the doors of the poke centre open wide and footsteps of a familiar girl came up right behind me. I looked over my shoulder.

"Was that Cyrus right now?" Dawn asked. She asked me in what seemed to be a worried tone of voice.

Then the sound of glass smashed and I was starting to hear the tiny fragments of glass falling down onto the cold dry cement. It was all over, she knew I had to do with something with Cyrus and if Dawn knew, there was no doubt she was going to leave and go after him, with Ash and that May girl by her side. I sighed sadly and turned to face her.

"Yeah." I replied. I showed my new birthday gift to her. "I dropped this today and he just gave it back to me."

"You sure that was all?" she placed her hands firmly onto her waist. "I feel like you're lying."

Lying is what the truth had become. Lying has become the reason to protect. Lying has become my reason to live.

"Yes. That's all."

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Night had fallen over Sinnoh and the small flashes of light started to pop up in different areas of the town. Dark heavy clouds started to make their way over the town and the wind began to speed up. As the clouds went over us, each star started to blink out of existence as the cloud ran right over them, minutes later only the strong glow from the moon was the only light that shined through the thick barrier of the night time clouds. I watched all of this happen from the window in the poke centre. I was on my bed watching this from the window, looking at like it was some sort of television documentary. I held out the gift my old man had given to me hours before.

"How could I forget my own birthday?" I sighed. I looked back at the scene outside. "Maybes it's because what's happening around me." A gentle soft knock echoed into the room. I gazed my attention to the door and soon it was starting to open on its own. It was a young blunette that I've come to know as Dawn. She was wearing a light pink night gown that reached up to her feet. She looked somehow worried. "What do you want?"

"I heard it's your birthday today." She spoke. "I wanted to give this back to you."

She walked in and in her hands was my old Turtwig doll. A new leaf was added as its head and the eyes were replaced with fairly modern black coat buttons. The rip on its shell was stitched back on and the dirt on it was wiped off clean. Dawn had a slight faint of pink over her face as she walked closer to me, covering her blush with my doll. She reached out the doll to me which gave me the sign she wanted me to take it from her, which I did. But as soon I took it from her she turned from me quickly and move towards the door in a rather quicker than the normal walking pace. I reached my hand to her and gripped my hand onto her wrist. Her strange behaviour was really starting to bug me.

"What is wrong with you?" I complained. "Why are you acting so weird around me?" she continued to refuse to speak with me. "Tell me." I spoke in a much calmer tone of voice.

"A boy like you won't understand anything." She finally spoke.

"When we started to travel with each other you was so open to everything that you never seem to shut up but now you're so quiet that I'm starting to worry about you." I released my grip on her. She stood where I had stopped her, her arms on the sides of her body with her head facing onto the short dry black carpet, her fringe all over her face.

"You're worried about…me?" I saw her head move up but the rest of her remained still. I didn't respond. I soon saw her body twist to my direction. "Why?" I looked into her eyes and saw she was…crying.

I had never seen anyone like that before, so sad that they cry in their own self pity and shame. To see a girl like her like that, really affected me.

"Why are you so worried about me if I act like this?" She wiped her tears away. I watched her as my mind started to think of an answer.

Why was I so worried about her? Why did I feel so sad when I see her like this? Why do I keep trying to save her every time she just herself into trouble? What is the reason behind all of this?

She rushed towards me and grabbed my jacket. She held it tight and looked into my eyes. Even though she wiped her tears away, she continued to cry.

"Tell me!" She yelled. My mind began to boggle many letters, sentences and phrases together than it all didn't make sense. It was so confusing that my lips made the decision for it instead.

"Because I care for you!" I yelled. She released her grip and I took a few steps back. I looked back on the ground, avoiding seeing the reaction she had after the words I spoke.

Yes, I will admit. She has grown onto me so much that I started to in fact care for her. But why did it feel such a bad move to make?

I looked up at her with the corner of my eye. I saw her reaction was just as shocked as I was, her hands cupped over her mouth and her eyes widen in shock or surprise.

"I care for you okay?" I repeated myself. "I don't know why and I don't want to know. It's just I find you as an important person to me."

"That's all?" she had her eyes fixed onto the ground. Her left hand gripped nicely on her right arm. She was starting to shake. "That's all I'll ever be right?" She looked up at me. "An annoying girl that you care about. A girl that is nothing more but a travelling companion."

"What are you going on about?" I asked. "You're making no sense at all!" She shook head head quickly and opened her eyes after shedding a few more tears at me.

"When will you see me more than that?" She yelled.

"More?" I questioned her. She shook her head once more and ran out of my room, leaving me in a huge state of confusion. I lifted an eyebrow in confusion. "What the hell?" I asked myself. "What just happened?"

"Her emotions are playing up, it's that simple boy." Mesprit spoke as a she released herself out of her ball which was placed deep in the depths of my bag. "Our connection is getting to its final stages." She looked at me. "And since I master in the area of emotions, Dawn's emotions are getting affected. Temporally." She stated. "but." She added as she looked at the door where only moments ago Dawn had rushed through. "What she was talking to you about had nothing to do with our connection as it never gets up to that kind of level. Well maybe slightly but mostly it was in her own doing."

"Get to the point already." I sighed. I looked at my doll Dawn has repaired for me as a gift for my birthday.

"I think what she was trying to say is that..." the spirit formed pokemon turned her attention to me. "She loves you."

[Sapphire Sapphirine]

There was a lot of dialogue that ended with periods instead of commas, other than that, I think that's all the errors.

Oh, how nice of Cyrus; he remembered Paul's birthday. *rolls eyes*

And how will Paul react to this (indirect) love confession? Hmm.

[midnightjewelz]

Mission ten: Your love will kill me

She loves me, she loves me not so what about me? Do I love her back?

"No!" I replied with mixed emotions. "You're lying!" I continued to yell. "That's not true!"

"Calm down Paul." Mesprit spoke in a calm manner. "You will wake up the others."

But I couldn't calm myself down. My weakness wasn't love but, to be loved by somebody else. It felt so wrong, I felt so selfish, I felt so guilty. It wasn't right. If I told her why I had to travel with her will she still see me the same, will she still love me?

So why I was an acting like this if I didn't love her?

Dammit why?

I laid my back onto the wall and hit the back of my head once, before letting my back slide down and onto the ground. I covered my face with my hands. I couldn't face myself, I couldn't even face Dawn. I felt so disgusted with myself. I shouldn't deserve to be loved by someone like Dawn. Why was I getting things I don't deserved? I felt something wet coming into contact with my hands. I removed my hands from my face and saw I was shedding tears. I quickly wiped them away but I knew Mesprit knew I was crying. But why was I crying. I don't understand. I hit the back of my head on the wall again.

"Damn." I muttered. "Stupid girl." I spoke underneath my breath.

"So is this the boy with the well intended heart and strong heart Sis?" Azelf spoke. We both turned around and saw Azelf on the window, sitting on the window sill, smirking with teasing eyes. He pushed himself off and he let his master, all dressed in black in. "He looks like a weak fragile little child to me." He added.

"Shut up!" I yelled. I rose up to my feet. "You know nothing!"

"But my master does." He smirked and crossed his arms afterwards.

"How much do you know you-" but I was interrupted.

"Enough to care." He replied.

He dug his hand deep into his coat and pulled out a white envelope. He pointed the envelope to me and moved it up and down as I continued to stare at it. He sighed and moved closer to me and softly patted the white envelope at my right cheek.

"Are you going to take it or what?" He replied sightly annoyed. "This wasn't easy to get."

"What is it? A straight to jail card, hm?" I replied in an annoyed manner. I heard him slightly chuckle before replying to me.

"Open it." He replied. "If I stay here for long she might find out about us." He whispered into my ear. "We don't want her to find out that the man she loves is using her now, do we?" He mocked afterwards.

"Shut up!" I repeated and took the envelope out of his grasp and took a few steps back. "I got the letter now get out!"

"Nah." He sat himself on the window sill and crossed his arms. "I want to make sure you open my gift. After all it's your birthday today isn't it?"

"Keep talking and I will rip that silly hood over your face." I gritted my teeth. He laughed afterwards.

"Oh I'm so scared." He continued to laugh. I sighed and opened the note inside the envelope.

A small note was inside which I knew would be inside. The letter was handwritten in a fancy royal manner. It was written recent despite the style of the font.

"Happy birthday Paul." I looked up and saw the man in black and Azelf was gone.

Each letter became like a drug, each word become more additive than the last. Each sentence became more shocking than the last. The whole conversation felt painful to read.

The letter was from my mother.

Hello Paul, It's me.

I want to tell my real name to you but I've forgotten.

In fact I'll soon lose myself in this long battle.

I was wondering if I could see you.

I might not be the person you once knew back all those years ago.

But still,

I hope you will still call me your one and only mom.

~Love Mother.

I felt like heaven and earth had crashed down on me. The person I thought was long gone had risen from the dead. How was this possible? I saw her burn down in our old home in Twinleaf. I dropped the letter down to my feet and placed my hands on my head. Screaming and trying to block to sound entering into my mind. I was trying to stop all of my problems from coming into my mind because I couldn't take it anymore.

I felt Mesprit return to her ball and for what reason I didn't know. I closed my eyes and flashbacks flashed in pure white came into my mind. Screenshots of my unknown past came in faster and faster until I fell to the break of losing it.

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"Mommy?" A young boy asked as he tugged his mother's light blue apron. "How did you and daddy meet?" The young mother of two turned to her five year old son.

"In Sunnyshore." She spoke. The young mother picked up her youngest son into her arm. "He was also into building new things. I was into raising pokemon for other trainers." she walked to fridge with the top half was covered in family photos; held with different coloured magnets in the different letters of the alphabet. "See here?" She pointed to a photo of the boy's parents, around ten years old each. "This is me and your father here."

The photo showed a young girl with a cheeky grin, holding a small black Murkrow in her arms, looking happy to be by the boy's father, who looked annoyed and frustrated with the girl by his side.

"This is me when I was around then. Your father didn't like me at first but I began to change him." She looked to her youngest son. "And then you and your Brother Reggie came into our lives. The best things that happened in our lives." her son smiled.

"I'm really happy you and daddy met." Her young son giggled. His mother smiled.

"Yes, so am I."

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"Paul!" A voice screamed my name out.

I was fading away from my fantasy and now sinking deep back in my own reality. My eyes woke from their temporarily slumber and my ears began to pick up that voice who continued to scream my name to me, over and over again. My blurry vision faded and I soon saw Dawn with her face looking right down on me with water running down her face. I soon felt that I was in her arms with her friends Ash and May right beside her.

"Hey." I barely muttered. "Stop it." I raised my hand and patted her on her right cheek softly. "I'm still alive you know." I soon felt myself begin dragged to her body for a tight embrace.

"Don't make me worry like that again please." She softly muttered.

I couldn't see her expression but I knew she was crying. I looked at her friend May and saw she was pleased to see that I was okay and grinned as for Ash, he was smiling too.

Friends, for that moment I began to wonder about my…friends. And if I could call these people…my friends.

"I'm glad to see your alright." my rival spoke. "You really had the three of us worried." He grinned at me. Dawn pushed me away from her and looked me in the eyes.

"We are all going to go now and go back to our rooms. Promise me you will look after yourself." I nodded. I couldn't speak since I felt my face go all red. Dawn smiled and she moved her face closer to my cheek and was about to lay her lips on them but I interrupted.

"You can go now." I interrupted. It was the first thing that slipped out of my lips.

"Alright." She smiled and pecked me on the cheek very quickly. Even the kiss was light I felt my whole head just go red and started to steam. I had never had a girl kiss me before. She stopped the embraced and turned to her brunette friend. May held her hand out and helped Dawn to her feet. She waved at me and walked out of the room with May ahead of her. Ash was about to tag along until I stopped him.

"Ash I need to talk to you." I stood up onto my own two feet. "It's about this letter here."

"Hm?" He turned around to face me. "Letter?"

"Stop playing dumb Ash. I know it's you. You have Azelf with you."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "How can I have Azelf? me and May just came here."

"You can stop the act now." I asked in a slightly more irritated manner. "You're after Uxie aren't you?" Ash looked at the hallway and watched the two girls walk away from my room. Ash faced the door with his back and slammed the door shut with the back of his heel.

"I still don't know what you're talking about Paul." He scratched the back of his head. "You must really hit your head hard to think of something like that." He chuckled slightly.

"You have five poke balls on your belt when you normally have six. Where's the other one, hm?" Ash's eyes widen in shock. I had him cornered. He knew he was caught.

He smirked at me devilishly and pulled out a purple and white ball with a pink M in the middle of it from the depths of his pockets. The ball also had two pink circles on both side of the pink M. He pressed the middle and the ball double in size. As pressed the button once more, out came Azelf.

"Why are you after Uxie?" I demanded. Ash stared at me evilly. A stare I was not use to looking at.

"If I am, are you going to try and stop me?" he grinned in a mocking manner. "I'll like to see you try Paul."

This Ash was so different to the one I was always so use to seeing. Is this the real Ash?

"Is this kind, fun loving boy all an act Ash?" I asked with anger. "Tell me!" he smirked.

Ash continued to stare at me, like he was using his auburn eyes to tell me my answer.

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"Paul!" Mespirt called. I opened my eyes and saw I was back in the corner of the room. It took me awhile to notice that everything was a dream. Even when Dawn pecked me on the cheek was also a dream. But what about the letter, was that a dream as well?

I looked onto the ground and saw the letter was still there. Everything was real until the point that I fainted and seeing Ash so evil like that. It was so out of character for him to do such a deed and plus, his voice sounded nothing like the man in black. Why am I thinking things like this?

"You alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine." I lied. I wasn't alright at all. All this confusion and speculation wasn't helping me at all.

"You had a horrible dream when you fainted didn't you?" I glared at her. "What's with the stare?"

"I didn't faint." I corrected her. "I was just tried."

"So how are you going to deal with that gift of yours?" She handed over the letter to me. I accepted it and held it with both of my hands.

"It just says she's alive. It doesn't tell me where to find her." I felt a sting of disappointment within me.

She's alive yet; she seems still buried deep in my heart. I want to take her home but I feel it will be a stranger I will take home, rather than my own mother.

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"So why are we travelling with them again?" I sighed.

"Because their heading up to Lake Acuity to see the lake and plus Zoey lives up there. I want to visit her." The blunette cheered. I sighed once more.

"And I have to come because?" I asked.

"Because mother said you have to come with me, remember?" She glared and placed her hands onto her waist.

"I thought you didn't like travelling with me and that it was a silly idea for you mother to make us travel together." I saw her face blush with embarrassment. I could hear her friends muttering in the background.

We were heading to Lake Acuity in Snowpoint city. We were taking another train up there since it was the only transport up the mountain other than walking. Even it was mid summer, the roads would still was small amount of snow over them and the surface of the road was unstable. In winter harsh blizzards would blow over the mountain and the roads would be covered in thick deep snow. The train was going to arrive within fifteen minutes and we were all waiting at the departure/arrival port. It was at least seven in the morning and I still wasn't feeling myself.

In fact I haven't been myself in a long time.

Soon I felt something hit my head. I glanced over my shoulder and was shocked to see who it was. As Dawn made her distance from me after embarrassing her, I ran to the person who caught my attention.

"What the hell Namiya?" I asked in confusion. "What are you doing here?" I continued to ask.

Namiya had returned to see me. We hadn't seen each other since Veilstone. She was hiding in a tight alleyway where the wall of the station and a fence were very close to each other. There were boxes and old ripped bags everywhere with train tickets scattered everywhere. Namiya was sitting on a pile of bags and boxes as I climbed up the mountain of old luggage to speak with her.

"I'm on orders from Mr Cyrus Hayden to follow you from now on." She stated to me in a formal manner. I face palmed myself.

"I have no time for this." I replied, slightly irritated. "Dawn's friends are travelling with me; I don't need you to tag along as well."

"I won't join your group. I'll pretend that I don't know you and you do the same." She explained. "Since there is only one lake guardian left, we need to make sure we get this one. There have been rumours that Team Rocket is after the lake guardians as well."

"Team Rocket?" I asked. "That group?" I lifted an eyebrow. Soon three images of those weird stalkers of Ash's came into my mind. "If you talking about those three who are always after Pikachu, then you have nothing to worry about." I looked over my shoulder and saw nobody had noticed I was gone.

"They are a criminal group to be feared with Paul." Namiya spoke. "They have done some major damage in the Unova region. I believe they might take Uxie for their purpose there." She handed me her poke gear with had the mixed colours of white, yellow, black and teal. "Saturn and the others want to talk to you." I glared at the phone and slowly picked up the object.

"What now?" I asked. Talking to anyone relating to my father really made my blood boil.

"About time you picked up the phone." Saturn replied in a mocking manner.

"If your going to mock me over the phone; then there is really no point talking to you." I tightened my grip around the machine, ready to break it in many pieces.

"Fine, I'll get to the point." He sighed and added on. "At Lake Acuity, we will take Mesprit and Dawn from you when you have caught Uxie of course. You need to get there fast before that man that is rumoured to be from Team Rocket gets his hands on it. We will fly down onto your group when Uxie is caught."

"And how do we know Uxie hasn't been caught yet by that man?" I asked, pretending to be half interested in his plan.

"The man hasn't caught Uxie yet because he needs the person that has a connection with Uxie first off. Uxie will be completely useless without its other half. But, surprisingly it's not that gym leader guy, Brock. It's somebody else."

"I know." I stated. "I knew that from the start." I turned to look at that brunette girl. She was laughing and smiling while talking to her friends, still unknowing that they were walking into a deadly trap.

Finally he opened the second of the third manila folders. One held the photo of Ash in his Sinnoh outfit. He was grinning with his Pikachu on his left shoulder. He soon placed the last folder in front of me and opened it up and it was a photo of a brunette girl with an interesting and yet strange hairstyle.

"This one is Ash Ketchum which I'm sure you know very well and this is one is of his good friends, May Maple."

"I understand why his on the list." I placed my finger over Ash's profile picture. I soon pointed at the young girl. "but wasn't it Brock that Uxie called to help ruin your stupid plan?" I teased.

"Brock was the closest person it could call at the time. You see, sometimes the person doesn't have to see a Pokémon to make a bond with it."

"I don't get it…"

"You see my foolish son, when Uxie opens its eyes and a human looks into them, they will completely forget their meeting. This May girl went into the cave where Uxie was at the time to evolve her Eevee and I'm guessing the two must of met and Uxie did what it felt was right at the time; it was to open its eyes and make May forget them ever meeting."

"You are such a stalker." I spoke underneath my breath. I looked at both of my new victims. "And how am I going to make these two come over here? These two people are in completely different regions!"

"Let me worry about that." He closed his eyes and placed his hands underneath his chin. "You just worry about getting Uxie when your there." He glared at me. "Alright son?" He grinned at me devilishly.

"Don't speak that word in front of me you disgusting old man."

"And you decided not to tell us this because?" Mars asked this time. Saturn and given up talking to me and gave it to the red head.

"Because I thought you idiots would have known by now." I stated.

"If you weren't your boss's son I would already killed you." Mars spoke in an annoyed manner.

"I'm so scared." I said sarcastically. Soon the brakes of the train echoed all over the station and I saw many heads turning in all directions looking and calling out to me. "Anyway I have to go, I might get caught talking to fools like you."

"Arghh!" Mars yelled as I ended the call. I looked at Namiya.

"I expect you to be there as well Namiya." I spoke. "I have a feeling things won't go according to plan like my father told me."

"Wait, you referred Cyrus as your father, I thought…" but the horns of the trainer interrupted her. I looked over my shoulder and saw Dawn was making her way to my direction. I looked back at Namiya.

"Forget I said Cyrus was my father, just go!" I spoke. Namiya nodded and quickly made her way out. She ran up the piles of boxes and jumped over the fence and I made my way down to greet Dawn.

"There you are!" She greeted. "I was wondering where you went." She smiled. I looked behind her and saw Ash and his friend were making their way onto the train. "Come-on, we better hurry or we will miss the train!" She grabbed hold of my hand and rushed me to the train.

When she held my hand like that, I felt so complete.

I felt so underserving of her love to me. It would make sense that she had some kind of romantic feeling towards me which I felt like I didn't deserve such a well earned reward. The signs she was showing towards me and that talk with Mesprit proved that. She was so kind and so innocent and all she wanted to do was fulfil her dream which was to become a top coordinator. But I felt like I was in her list of important people to her. Whenever I would go for awhile she would be the first to come to look for me, when I was down she seemed to be by my side at times, when I needed her help it seemed that her being with me was already making the pain go away.

When I held her hand back, it felt like I was finally responding to her calls of help.

I tightened my grip on her hand but and she seemed to notice but continued to run to the train. Hoping we wouldn't miss our ride.

Why was I thinking like this? Why did I feel like I had to return something back to her? Was I starting to find her a big part of my life?

Did I love her back as well?

Was all of this confusion happening because I loved her?

I never thought I would be thinking of that word. It was so uncommon of me. I never felt like I this before toward anyone. I mean I cared for my older brother because he has been by my side for the whole of my life, I didn't care at all about my father and I'm begging for that love from my mother I miss so much. There are so many different types of love and many more ways how to get it. It's how we react to it that still remains the same. We react by loving them as well. We tell them by saying we love them as well and our lives won't be the same if they parted.

It's confirmed then.

I wouldn't be thinking about this if it wasn't for her.

I don't know if this is right or wrong.

Dawn…

I love you too.

[Kyroid]

Great Fic! I can't wait to read the next chapter. When should it be up?