The Chasm

Dawn finally managed to get her key card to work and threw open the door to the boy’s room, rushing into their bedroom.

“Everybody up, NOW!” she ordered, switching on the lights, “Come on, come on!”

Her voice forced JC awake immediately but Cameron just sat up lazily in bed and rubbed his eyes. “What’s going on?” he asked, squinting in the bright light.

“We have to leave. Like, right now,” she said as she rushed out of their room. They heard her ordering Serina and May around just outside, telling them to wake Kira and gather the things from their room.

Dawn ran back into the bedroom and groaned at their lack of movement, “Didn’t you hear me?! I said get UP!!” She moved to their dressers and scooped up what she could find before rushing back into the main room in a huff.

“Well something’s definitely up,” JC said nervously. He quickly dressed and joined Dawn in the other room, leaving Cameron alone in the bedroom.

Cameron moaned before reluctantly dragging himself out of bed. “Too early…”

 The boys packed their bags and followed Dawn into the quiet hall where May, Serina and Kira waited for them, the latter just as tired and sloppily dressed as JC and Cameron. She handed off Tori who had been sleeping with her to JC and he safely tucked him away inside his coat for warmth, the baby Pokémon barely stirring in his sleep.

Still very early in the morning, the Center was eerily silent as they crept down the stairs and past the counter where Nurse Joy was surprisingly absent.

“What about Lartar?” Cameron asked as Dawn pulled him along behind her to the door, “He’s been helping out Nurse Joy tonight, remember?”

“It’s fine,” she answered, “We’ll worry about him later.” Dawn stopped as the door swished open automatically, nodding to May who poked her head outside nervously to check if the coast was clear.

The dim lighting in the Center had hidden it before, but JC, Cameron and Kira finally noticed the strange stick May carried as she slipped out into the moonlight. When she motioned for the rest of them to follow the three also noticed that Dawn, Serina and May were breathing heavy and that they looked as though they’d been sweating. Even stranger, Serina had exchanged her usual hat for May’s bandana, the bright green fabric looking oddly out of place against her deep red hair.

“This way,” May whispered, moving everyone down one of Snowpoint’s straightaways. They moved slowly and cautiously, but despite their best efforts to be sneaky the sound of crunching snow only seemed to grow as it echoed off the rows of buildings.

On top of it all, JC, Cameron and Kira were still completely in the dark without a clue as to why they were sneaking through Snowpoint at 3 in the morning, why May was leading the way with a fancy pointed stick, or why they had to leave in the first place. But no matter how many questions swam around in their heads they kept silent; something about the three girl’s collective anxiety gave them the impression that it was better not to ask.

Finally reaching the outskirts of town May picked up the pace, forcing everyone into a sprint towards the wood’s edge. Just shy of the trees they all stopped as an explosion hit their ears from the opposite direction, high in the forest near the temple.

“What was that…?” Kira asked, stepping closer to JC as they watched a plume of smoke rise above the treetops. She squinted as she tried to focus her eyes on a dark shape moving through the cloud, tilting her head in confusion as it disappeared into the night sky.

Serina suddenly perked up, “Everyone into the woods,” she urged, throwing their group into the deep snow between the wide trunks. JC, Cameron and Kira shook the snow from their faces and started to protest as their babies awoke but were quickly hushed by May, Dawn and Serina watching the sky fearfully from behind the trees.

They managed to look up just in time to see two figures swoop overhead: a massive bird and a black dragon carrying a third creature—a large gray dragon—limply between the two of them. A cloud of snow followed in their wake as they flew by, the gray dragon’s head crashing into the occasional tree as its carriers hauled it over the woods and out of sight.

Dawn and May brushed the snow from their coats and helped the others to their feet, apologizing for Serina’s harsh treatment.

“I can understand that, I mean it’s Serina,” Cameron dismissed, “But WHAT did I just see?!”

“Um…” Dawn smiled, “Would you believe me if I said you’re hallucinating?”

Cameron lowered his eyes at her and she sighed, turning to May and Serina for help. When they only shrugged at her she stepped forward, taking Cameron’s hand.

“Cameron, honey…” she said sweetly, “Remember when you asked if there was something up between me and Serina and I said no?”

“Yes…?”

“Well I lied. There is something going on with us, and it’s kind of huge…”

Cameron eyed her suspiciously, “Okay?”

Dawn fidgeted with her hands, “Well, it’s kind of difficult to explain… See, I’m not exactly what you’d call ‘normal’. None of us are, actually…”

“Again, I can understand Serina,” he nodded, “But why the rest of us?”

Serina grunted but otherwise remained silent, allowing Dawn to continue.

“Normal probably wasn’t the best word; we’re all special. You guys don’t know it yet,” she pointed, “But you three can make a special bond with certain Pokémon. You’re all—”

“Wielders,” Kira finished, drawing surprised looks from everyone but JC. “We all are, aren’t we? That’s what you were going to say: we’re all wielders.”

“We’re all what?” Cameron asked, “What’s she talking about?”

Dawn smiled, “So you did know. How’d you find out?”

“Jemkyn told me.”

“And Rowan told me,” he spoke up, Tori’s head popping out at the neck of his coat. “After I found Kira I called him. He explained it all to me and told me to tell her when she woke up.”

“Wow,” Dawn nodded, “And I was so sure you had no idea! You didn’t let on at all when I questioned you about it.”

JC shrugged sheepishly, “Rowan made me swear not to tell anyone other than Kira. He said it was crucial that no one knew who we were.”

“Well we already knew, so technically you didn’t break your promise,” May smiled. “Great job on fooling Dawn, though,” she winked.

“So you’re telling me that I was the only one who didn’t know?!” Cameron exclaimed, “Why didn’t anyone tell me?!”

JC shrugged again but Dawn hugged him tightly, “We weren’t allowed, sweetie! I was under strict orders not to tell you. But now you know!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he sighed, feeling a little left out.

Dawn hugged him again, “But you did figure something out on your own! She’s not human!” she said, pointing a finger at Serina.

“DAWN!” Serina cried, gripping the bandana on her head, “Must you do this all at once?!”

Dawn laughed, “It’s not like he was totally clueless!” She turned to Cameron to explain, but he was already smiling to himself.

“I knew it! All along I knew it! There’s no WAY a real girl could be that annoying! And what’ve you been hiding under that hat, ears?!”

Serina slapped him across the face, “I AM a real girl, thank you very much!” she shouted, “I may not be human, but I am female!”

JC and Kira gasped as she turned her back to him and pulled the bandana from her head, “And for your information they are my ears. And I would appreciate it if you did not stare…”

Her comment singled out JC and Kira who quickly averted their eyes, staring down at their feet buried in the snow instead.

“So… what are you?” JC asked, still not looking at her.

“I am not a ‘what’,” she corrected, “I am a Latias.”

Cameron was in shock “Wait, you’re a dragon? She’s a dragon?!” he asked loudly, searching the faces around him for an answer. When Dawn nodded his eyes grew wide, “Then, your brother… he’s a…?”

“A Latios, yes,” Serina answered, walking up to JC. “But now that that is out of the way,” she said, taking his hand in hers, “Jemkyn, will you partner yourself with me? Our souls would be ever so wonderful together!”

Kira’s jaw dropped but Dawn was the first to protest.

“Serina!” she cried, “You’re my partner!”

“Yes, yes, I am well aware of that,” she dismissed as her ears perked up in excitement, “But Jemkyn is not yet partnered, and thus he is available…” she said seductively, staring deeply into his eyes.

“You can’t just trade up!” Dawn exclaimed and turned to May, “She can’t, right?”

Caught off guard May fumbled over her words, the sight of Dawn’s big, blue eyes demanding a response leaving her speechless. “Well, I mean normally I’d say no, but she seems pretty set on it…

“Unless…” she said as a thought popped into her head, “JC, what number are you?”

“Number..?” he asked.

“Yeah, number-child,” she clarified, digging through her pack for her Pokédex, “Did Rowan tell you?”

“Oh, yeah he did, actually… Fourth? Why?”

May flipped open her Pokédex and checked the data she’d downloaded from Steven’s computers, “Just a hunch…” Dawn watched over her shoulder as May selected “Fourth Child” and brought up a picture of JC along with a short bio.

“I thought so,” May said, closing the device, “I remembered reading about you. Each of the ‘numbered children’ have a unique ability about them; that’s why we’re so special in the first place.”

JC eyed her suspiciously, “And mine is…?”

May opened her Pokédex again and cleared her throat, “The Oracles have divined that the Fourth Child has virtually unlimited synchronizing ability,” she read aloud, “He is thus surprisingly versatile, and may be able to synchronize with any partner after proper training.”

“So what’s that mean?” Cameron asked.

Serina cozied up to JC, “It means that while Dawn is my true partner, Jemkyn and I can still…” she winked.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Kira asserted, sliding herself between Serina and JC, “There’s not going to be any ‘soul matching’ or whatever it’s called between you and him, you got that?”

“Now hold on, Kira,” JC started.

“No, you hold on!” she shot back. “I’m tired of her always trying to Buizel her way into our relationship.” She glared directly at Serina, the markings on her right eye starting to glow faintly, “Now you listen to me: Jemkyn is mine, and mine alone. No one is ever going to come between us, not you, not May, not anyone!”

Everyone held their breath for Serina’s biting response, but it never came. Surprisingly she backed down from Kira, her ears drooping timidly as she shrunk back to Dawn’s side.

Kira swayed a bit and pressed a palm to her right eye, her face scrunched as a twinge of pain shot through her.

JC moved to hold her, Kamé and Tori both expressing concern for their mother. “Kira? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she grunted, “My eye just hurts.”

In the wake of Kira’s outburst their group fell silent. Unsure of what to say, they merely stood around in the snow at the edge of the woods, a few shivers reminding them how cold it was outside.

“Is anybody else freezing?” Cameron asked, pulling his arms inside his coat. “Tell me again why we left the Center?”

“We weren’t sure if it was safe anymore,” May explained, “Cynthia sent us out on a scouting mission tonight and we ran into some… trouble.”

“You mean those things that flew by?” JC asked, “What were they?”

“Two other wielders,” May said, “And Kyurem.”

“What’s a Kyurem?” Kira asked, shaking her head as the pain subsided.

“Wait,” Cameron started, “I think I’ve heard of it… It’s one of the legendary dragons from Unova, right?”

May chuckled, “Leave it to Cameron to know every dragon out there. Yep; Kyurem was the monster behind the disappearances you mentioned before, JC. We ran into him in the woods and barely escaped. Then those other two showed up.”

“But you said they were wielders.” Kira said, stroking Kamé’s head, “Doesn’t that mean they’re on our side?”

“Not exactly,” Dawn sighed. “Serina, can you go get Lartar from the Center and meet us back here? We need to start moving.”

Serina nodded and left, appearing rather eager to get away from the group, particularly Kira.

After she left, the five Trainers started moving through the snow towards Route 217, and Dawn continued where May left off.

“JC, did Rowan tell you how many wielders they know about?”

“Yeah, he said at least six, maybe more. He wasn’t really sure…”

“Exactly; the Oracles can usually sense a wielder when they’re born, but only rarely can they provide an exact location. That means that many wielders are found through sheer luck. And if that’s the case, surely someone with bad intentions find a wielder or two themselves, right?”

JC stopped, “Are you saying there’re two sides to all this? Like a good/evil thing?”

Dawn laughed, “Not that I’ve heard about. It’s just something my mentor drilled into my head, and I’m guessing May’s did the same. Our abilities are a rare gift and it’s only natural to want to use them properly, but it’d be stupid to believe that everyone thinks the same way.” Dawn looked at him, “We just have to be sure we’re on the right path.”

“And those other wielders weren’t?” Kira asked.

May scoffed, “I’m guessing not, considering they tried to kill us!”

JC and Kira’s eyes widened. “They tried to kill you?” JC asked, “Wh—why would they do that?”

“Beats me,” she sighed, “But that Lugia nearly fried us on sight. We barely managed to get away when Kyurem woke up!”

“The two wielders said they knew we were in the area. We could only guess that meant they knew where we were staying, so we figured the best thing would be to run.”

“But Rowan told me you guys use weapons,” JC thought, “Couldn’t you just fight them off?”

Dawn and May blushed slightly and looked away, JC’s question being answered by an unexpected third-party.

“Perhaps I can explain,” Kyogre said, “While you are correct that wielders use weapons, it is not that simple. It seems that Dawn is severely weakened after she synchronizes with her partner, and my wielder, well, she is only one person against two.”

Cameron, JC and Kira straightened up and nonchalantly glanced around the group while the voice echoed in their heads, casually checking to make sure they weren’t going insane.

“Um, Dawn…?” Cameron asked nervously, “Who was that?”

“That was Kyogre,” she smiled, “May’s partner!”

JC suddenly caught on, “Wait, that spear! That’s him isn’t it? Kyogre! He’s in his weapon form!”

“That’s right,” May laughed, holding her staff out to him, “Here, take a look.”

JC took Kyogre in his hands. Overall, he felt like any fancy walking stick, and JC traced his finger along the runes carved into his surface, watching them pulse a beautiful red hue from deep in his core.

“He’s beautiful,” JC said, watching the bladed tip glisten in the fading moonlight. But he soon put a hand to his head as a hot flash washed over him, Kyogre’s ribbons twitching anxiously.

“Whoa there,” May said, steadying JC when he started to sway, “You okay?” She took back her staff, “Kyogre, what’s up with him?”

“It appears your data on the Fourth Child is correct…” he said, “I believe a bond was just forged between us.”

Even after her own explanation of JC’s ability May was surprised, “What? Are you sure?”

“Completely,” he answered her, “I can feel him now, just as I feel you! It is almost… exhilarating!”

“But, you’re my partner…” May sighed, feeling as though she’d been violated.

“That is true, and it will never change, young one. In fact, I can already feel my bond with him diminishing. It appears that these bonds he forms are short lived.”

“Well, okay…” May agreed, “As long as you’re sure…”

“I am sure. Even though we bonded, I felt that I am not this boy’s rightful partner. There is another out there for him; I am yours.”

Dawn and Kira made a compassionate “aw” and May blushed, realizing that Kyogre was still speaking to the entire group.

“Look you guys; I don’t want to overstep any boundaries…” JC said, “I didn’t even know I was ‘this’ until recently.”

Dawn shook her head, “Don’t take it the wrong way, JC. We’re just not used to someone else being able to do what you can…”

Yeah,” May added, “What you are is great; don’t feel like you need to apologize to us. We’ve all got something unique about us, after all!”

JC accepted their explanation, but something in him still felt uneasy. He felt Kira slip her hand into his and he squeezed it, overly glad to have her back with him.

Serina finally caught up to them with Lartar in tow, the poor Pokémon barely tall enough to see over the snow he trudged through. At around 160 lbs he was too heavy for Serina to carry, so she did her best to carve a path through the snow for him with her legs.

Now reunited, the group picked up the pace with the rising sun helping to warm their frigid bodies. Kira shifted her bangs over her right eye and Serina had donned May’s bandana once again in case they ran into anyone along the way, a thought that was later justified when a pair of skiers sped down the slopes around them, gliding along the fresh morning snow. May’s staff drew a few odd glances, but aside from that no one seemed to pay them any mind. In fact, Cameron, JC and Kira were beginning to wonder if May and Dawn had been right in hurriedly leaving Snowpoint…

After a few hours of walking they came across a large cabin at the base of a mountain, a sort of rest stop for travelers attempting to brave the vicious conditions Route 217 had to offer. As Dawn, Serina and May hadn’t slept at all the night prior, they sweet-talked the others into letting them stay long enough for a quick nap, a request that Cameron, JC and Kira didn’t hesitate to accept.

With the rest of the cabin devoid of guests, the three girls quickly passed out together on a couch with Lartar at their feet, leaving the rest of the group to sit and talk amongst themselves. The overwhelming information from last night was still fresh in their minds, and while JC and Kira fed their babies the three of them fantasized about what legendary they would each be partnered with.

“What’s so funny about mine?” Kira huffed over Cameron’s laughing, “I didn’t laugh at your idea!”

“Sorry, sorry,” he choked out as he wiped a tear from his eye, “I just can’t imagine anyone would want to be paired with a Shaymin!”

Kira turned her nose up at him, “I think they’re cute! And they can change form!”

“So does a Cherrim but I wouldn’t want one of those as my partner either!” Cameron laughed again, “Besides, aren’t we only partnered with Legendaries?”

“Shaymin IS a Legendary!” she shot back, “Look it up!”

“Sorry,” Cameron shrugged, “I don’t recognize Shaymin’s Legendary status at this time. Try again,” he joked.

Kira turned to JC who sat with his arm around her, “Jemkyn, help me out!”

“You know, I’d rather not get involved in this one…” he sighed, playing the neutral party.

Kira crossed her arms over her chest but backed down, slumping back against him. And when JC’s Pokégear started ringing in his coat pocket she quickly retrieved it from where it hung by the fire, laying back on him before she answered the call.

“Hello, Professor,” she smiled, “It’s nice to hear from you!”

“Oh, my dear Kira! How are you doing? I’ve been so worried about you!”

“I’m doing alright, thanks for asking. How’s everything on your end?”

“Very well, thank you,” Rowan smiled, “I must say it is a true joy to see you back up and about.” He cleared his throat, “But I’m assuming Jemkyn has discussed a few ‘things’ with you…?”

Kira turned the camera so that Rowan could see them both, “Yes, Professor,” JC said, “Sorry I didn’t get back to you; there wasn’t anything really to report.”

Rowan was silent as he eyed the two of them: JC’s arm around Kira as she reclined on his chest.

“My, my; you two are getting rather close…” he commented, prompting JC to try and straighten up. But Kira held her position, forcing him to remain how he was.

“And what about it? He’s my boyfriend,” she said blatantly.

Rowan’s eyes widened, “Boyfriend…?” he repeated, nervously clearing his throat again, “Well, humph, I suppose there’s no problem with that. Now, um, Jemkyn; what was it you were saying?”

“Uh, just that Kira doesn’t remember anything from that night, so there wasn’t anything new to tell you…”

“Right, well, that’s truly unfortunate. But on to the reason why I called; your Pokédex tells me you’re somewhere along Route 217. I’m guessing you all made it out of Snowpoint City in time?”

“In time…?” JC asked, “In time for what?”

“You don’t know? Well I guess that’s actually a good thing…”

Kira was getting annoyed, “What are you talking about, Professor?”

“Snowpoint City: it was raided.”

Cameron came around behind the couch, the conversation getting way too interesting for him to just sit out.

“You mean like just the Pokémon Center, or some shops, right?” he asked, “You can’t mean the entire city…”

“Cameron, I didn’t know you were there,” Rowan said, “I’m sorry, but this conversation is a bit private…”

JC spoke up, “Professor if this has something to do with ‘us’ then it’s alright. He knows what we are.”

“I see, and how did this come about?” he asked in a slightly harsh tone.

“It wasn’t me,” JC defended, knowing exactly why he sounded angry, “May and Dawn told him. Trust me, a lot has happened lately.”

Rowan sighed, “You’ll have to fill me in, but it’s good to have you with us, Cameron. And to answer your question: yes, I did mean the entire city.”

“But how’s that possible?” Kira asked, “How could someone break into every building in the city without getting caught?”

Rowan shook his head, “How indeed. It happened at exactly five this morning; every home and building—including the Pokémon Center—was broken into simultaneously. It was organized like some sort of military operation! According to every one of the reports, the suspects were in different sized groups corresponding to the building they were entering: small homes usually showed a pair of individuals while larger buildings seemed to warrant entire parties. Their method was incredibly efficient, and it took them only minutes to raid the entire city.”

JC, Cameron and Kira were in shock. “What about Snowpoint’s police force?” JC asked, “Couldn’t they do anything?”

“You’re forgetting: every building was invaded at the same time. The police station as well as every off-duty officer’s home was subdued without a fight. Apparently the suspects all carried weapons, modern ones, but there were reports of a young woman identified as leading the operation; she was armed with nothing but a sword. Based on what we’ve gathered, the only conclusion is that she was a wielder.”

Cameron, JC and Kira looked at each other nervously, the three of them following the same thought process.

“Professor…” Kira started, “I think we know who she is. Well, we know of her, at least.”

Rowan was taken aback, “What? How is this?”

Kira left it up to JC to retell the story they had just heard a few hours ago, adding in the occasional detail he left out. When JC finished the professor was quiet, but they could tell his mind was turning.

“So the First Child and the Eighth Child are already fully realized wielders. And all without our knowledge; that’s incredible…”

“Professor, why did they take Kyurem?” JC asked.

Rowan sighed, “The only reason I can think is that they already have Kyurem’s partner, or that they know who it will be and they wish to prevent their union. But that’s impossible…”

“What,” Cameron asked, “Their knowing who it is?”

“No,” Rowan corrected, “For Kyurem to have a partner. It’s an impossible feat; for a wielder to synchronize with their partner it’s required that their souls connect. Kyurem has no soul: he can’t synchronize with anyone!”

“Yeah, I’ve been wondering,” Kira piped in, “What’s the story behind all that?”

Surprisingly, Cameron was the one to answer her, “Kyurem’s a member of the Tao Trio: three dragons from Unova that are all sort of the same dragon. See, the three of them were originally one dragon controlled by twin brothers. But the brothers fought really violently over their ideals and so their dragon split its soul into two new dragons: Zekrom and Reshiram. Then the leftover body from the first dragon somehow took on sentience of its own, and that was Kyurem.”

“Very impressive, my boy,” Rowan praised, “Looks like all those classes actually paid off! But there’s one part you left out, a part that’s not as easily discovered with general research. The twin brothers were actually wielders, and strangely enough they were paired with the same partner. As that had never happened before, the previous generation of wielders were rightfully suspicious, but allowed it to continue. But when the brother’s own hearts separated to such an extreme degree, their fighting caused an equal reaction in their partner during a synchronization, splitting him into the dragons you now know.”

“That’s insane,” JC said in awe, “Some Pokémon can actually do that?”

“Well, it probably had a lot to do with the circumstances of it all, but yes. Wielders exert very powerful forces on their partners, and reciprocally the Legendaries can have very strong effects on their wielders.”

“So, what did they want with him then?” Cameron prodded, very interested in the subject.

Rowan shrugged, “Honestly, I have no idea. If it wasn’t blatantly obvious that these wielders had ruthless intentions, I would’ve deemed it a public service! Because of his inability to be tamed Kyurem has been causing loads of trouble across the world. It’s good to see him contained, but I fear for what might be coming because of it.”

The three of them nodded in agreement; after everything they’d heard about the beast, they were going to have nightmares for sure.

“So what do we do now?” Kira asked, “Is Snowpoint safe again? I mean, after everything that’s happened to us…”

Rowan shook his head, “I wouldn’t go back there for awhile if I were you. You see, there’s more to the story I was telling earlier. These raids didn’t actually result in anything being taken or damaged; not a single thing. However, the suspects did interrogate everyone on the location of three young women. The descriptions weren’t disclosed to the public, but after what you told me and what I gathered from Nurse Joy earlier, I believe they were searching for your three companions.”

JC, Kira and Cameron glanced over at the couch where they slept, the three girls clearly exhausted.

“It’s probably best that you don’t return to Snowpoint while these descriptions are still so fresh in everyone’s mind,” Rowan added, drawing their attention back to him. “As for what you should do, well, I would suggest that you just continue on as you were while we sort things out here. As I told Jemkyn a while back, you three have yet to meet your partners, and are thus vulnerable as wielders. If something like what came upon Dawn and May happens to you, you’d be defenseless.”

“So you just want us to fall back into normal life?” Cameron asked, “I think I can do that…”

Kira protested, “You just want us to act like nothing’s happened? What am I supposed to do about this?!” she asked as she brushed the hair from her face.

Rowan gasped, “Jemkyn, you never mentioned…”

“Yeah, sorry; we kind of didn’t know until she woke up.”

“What is it?”

“It’s ugly, that’s what it is!” Kira said, perturbed. “How am I supposed to be normal when I look like this?”

Rowan thought for a minute. “Well I didn’t notice until just now; you could always wear your hair like you were.”

She scoffed, “Oh right, because walking around with one eye will be fun.”

The professor eyed her questionably, surprised that he was actually having any form of an argument with Kira Fuego.

“Jemkyn, does she seem a bit more… outspoken to you?”

“You don’t know the half of it…” he sighed, warranting a light punch from Kira.

“And then there’s that…” JC added, laughing and wrapping his arms around Kira. “She’s just become really comfortable around us.”

“Yes, I’m sure that’s it…” Rowan said unconvinced. “Kira, do you mind leaning forward?”

“Guess not,” she grunted, getting close to the camera.

“Thank you,” he said, “You can sit back now. I took a screenshot of your eye; I’ll run it through a few databases and see what I can find for you.”

“Oh,” Kira stuttered, “Um, thanks. That’d be helpful.”

“In the meantime, I’m going to ask that you all take my advice. A group of travelling Trainers isn’t uncommon, and moving around will keep your location relatively difficult to pinpoint for ‘certain people’.”

Kira huffed but nodded along with the rest of them after a nudge from JC.

“Where do you want us to go?” Cameron asked.

“Actually, I would prefer if you could pass through Eterna City; I’m almost certain someone will want to meet with you there.”

“Really?” JC asked, “Who?”

“It’s probably best if I don’t say, as I’m not entirely sure how this information will go over. Be sure to fill the others in on everything we’ve talked about, and tell May to call her mentor; he’ll want to know all that’s happened.”

“Yes, sir,” JC nodded, “And thanks for calling.”

“Of course,” Rowan smiled, “I try my hardest to look out for you all. I’ll talk to you again soon,” he said, ending the call.

◄►

Alone in his office in Ever Grande City, Steven Stone wasn’t surprised to hear his phone ring. As Champion of the Hoenn region he received countless calls on any given day, pertaining to anything from interregional business to challenge requests to average Trainers calling for his advice.

“This is Steven Stone, what can I do for you?”

“Hey, Steven.”

“May!” he exclaimed as he leaned back in his chair, instantly recognizing the voice, “How are you? Did you meet up with your friend okay?”

“Yeah, I did. And I’m alright. Look, Professor Rowan told me to call and let you know what’s been happening over here…”

Steven slowly sat up in his chair, “Edward Rowan?” he asked. “What’s happened? May, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, we all are. But listen, before I say anything I want to apologize. Steven, I’m sorry, but I used your computers to access the research network before I left. You just left me with so many questions and one thing led to another and… I just wanted to say I was sorry.”

Steven could tell she was tearing up, “May… It’s alright. And I suppose it’s partially my fault; I should’ve explained it all to you. I’m your mentor, and as such it’s my responsibility to answer questions when you ask. For that, I apologize.”

“Thanks,” she sniffled, “But you don’t have to. I know you keep things from me for a reason.”

“Yes, but you’re growing up,” Steven smiled, “You’re not the little girl I met 10 years ago. I don’t have to keep things from you anymore.”

“You really mean that?” May asked.

“Of course I do.”

“You’re the best, Steven. Thank you.”

“Anytime,” he said sweetly. “But hacking into the research network? When did you become such a little deviant?”

May laughed, “Well… let’s save that for another time, okay? I’ve got a lot to tell you.”

◄►

“That’s absolutely incredible!” Steven exclaimed, “And you said you told Rowan everything?”

“I didn’t,” May explained, “I was sleeping. But JC, Cameron and Kira did. That’s when he recommended I call you.”

“And I’m glad he did! I talked to Cynthia not four hours ago to offer relief aid from Hoenn if needed, but I had no idea you were there… Did she know?”

“Yeah, she’s the one that sent Dawn and I to investigate the temple last night.”

“Hm. I’m going to have to have a talk with her… But back to this: if they really were looking for you then I’m overjoyed you made it out in time. A very smart move on your part, I might add.”

May blushed, “I was just trying to keep everyone safe.”

“And you did; that shows true leadership potential,” he commended. “You’re quite the capable wielder!”

“Oh stop,” she laughed, “I’m still just your student. But anyway, Rowan said we should just roam aimlessly like normal Trainers for a bit. He said that would help keep us off the radar.”

“That’s just like him. In times like these, Rowan’s always been the voice of reason. But did he really say aimlessly..?”

“Well, not exactly. We’re on our way to Eterna City now; he said someone might want to meet us there.”

“But he didn’t say who?”

“Nope.”

“Curious,” Steven thought. “Well I’ll look into it. Thank you for calling and updating me! It’s always nice to hear your sweet voice.”

May blushed again; her mentor always knew what to say to get her flustered.

“It was nice talking to you, too. Bye, Steven!”

“Goodbye, May!”

May tucked her phone away in her coat pocket and turned back to the group, her friends all staring at her.

“What?”

“You guys seem pretty chummy,” Dawn commented, “You’re sure that was your mentor? If I didn’t know any better, I’d have said that was a boyfriend you were talking to…”

May quickly went on the defensive, waving her gloved hands in resistance. “No, it’s not like that! He, he was just worried about us…”

“Worried about us, or about you?” Cameron nudged.

May pushed him off the trail and into the snow, “He’s my mentor; how could you think that?!”

“Didn’t sound like any conversation I’ve had with my mentor,” Dawn smirked, “Mine are usually full of ‘yes, ma’am’ ‘of course, ma’am’ and stuff like that.”

May wrinkled her face in frustration but kept silent, not really knowing how to come back at her. When the conversation dropped off JC took it as an opportunity to speak up.

“So, these mentors… do we get one, too?”

“What do you mean?” Dawn asked.

“Well it seems like as a wielder you have a teacher or something. As far as I know, Cameron, Kira and I don’t have one; do we get one?”

Dawn thought for a moment, “Well, I’d guess you would… I don’t really know! I was just told that I had an appointment with Cynthia and that I needed to attend. When I showed up she explained everything and told me I was to be her student…”

Cameron was suspicious, “You keep mentioning that name. Which Cynthia do you mean, exactly?”

“Just that: Cynthia,” Dawn answered him. “The Champion of Sinnoh.”

JC, Kira and Cameron were dumbstruck. “So you’re telling me…” Cameron started, “That the number one Trainer in the world—our Champion—took you on as some sort of apprentice?!”

“Mhm,” she nodded. “Is something wrong with that?”

“Oh, not at all!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands up, “Except, maybe this: WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?!”

“Well I didn’t think it was very important,” Dawn told him, “I mean I spent several months with her, just the two of us. I’m pretty much used to the idea.”

Cameron was still dumbfounded, “This is huge! You have to let me meet her!!”

Dawn was surprised, “What, do you have some sort of crush on her?” she winked.

He blushed, “Well, I… no! She’s just… inspiring…”

“Yeah, awe-inspiring,” Kira laughed under her breath, “You should’ve heard him talking back at the Academy whenever Cynthia’s name was brought up.”

Cameron quickly put a hand over her mouth to silence her, “So May, who’s your mentor again?!”

“Oh you’re not getting out of this that easily,” Dawn said as she narrowed her eyes at him. “You never told me you were into her…”

Kira commented from under Cameron’s hand, her muffled voice indecipherable as she spoke. When he didn’t release her Kira stuck her tongue through his fingers, and Cameron jerked his hand back in shock.

Kira danced around their group like a child, “He would always say how hot she was and how much he wanted to meet her and tell her that himself!!”

“Oh he did, did he?” Dawn asked, “Cameron..? Is that true?”

Cameron just stared at his hand. “She licked me…” he said in disbelief.

Kira put her hands to her hips. “So? I lick things all the time,” she laughed as she ran her tongue along JC’s neck.

Serina gasped and JC slapped his hand to his neck as a shiver ran through him. “Whoa, now! What’s gotten into you?”

“What do you mean?” she asked innocently, “You always like it when I do that…”

Dawn covered her mouth in surprise and laughed at JC’s embarrassment. Kira was growing bolder by the minute!

JC cleared his throat, “So, um, May; who’s your mentor?”

“Steven Stone,” she answered.

“Are you serious?!” Cameron shouted, completely blown away yet again. “Is this like the Champions-only Club or something?”

“Mentors don’t have to be Champions,” May explained, “Professor Rowan was Cynthia’s mentor.”

“Yeah I heard that, too,” Dawn agreed. “Apparently you just have to be a really great teacher.”

“So wait,” Kira asked “Is Rowan a wielder, too?”

Dawn shook her head. “No. At least, not that I know of…”

They all took a minute to imagine the elderly professor masterfully wielding a weapon, everyone joining in a fit of laughter.

“There’s just no way!” Kira managed to say when she finally caught her breath, “No way!”

“So,” Cameron laughed, “Who doesn’t want Rowan as a mentor?”

JC and Kira immediately joined him in raising their hands, the mental image still pushing them to the brink of tears.

Dawn rolled her eyes, “I’m surprised at you, Cam. I would’ve thought you’d flip at the chance to be trained by your dear Cynthia’s mentor.”

“Aw don’t be like that…” he said apologetically, “There’s not a woman in the world who can hold a Litwick to you.”

Cameron took her hand in his, “I waited nine years for you. That should be evidence enough for how much you mean to me.”

It may have just been from the snow landing on her cheeks, but Dawn’s face suddenly flushed a rosy red. Her eyes fluttered as Cameron’s words sunk in, and she quickly turned to hide the wide smile growing on her face.

“You’re too much sometimes, you know that?” she grinned, biting her lip in embarrassment.

May cocked her head at them, “Well aren’t you two romantic?”

“This is nothing,” JC groaned, “You should’ve seen them right after we left home; they were a little too romantic…”

“Shut up,” Dawn chided, sticking her tongue out at him, “Are you saying you and Kira weren’t?”

JC stopped and thought for a moment, “That’s exactly what I’m saying!”

“He’s right you know,” Cameron added, “Kira was all shy and everything when we started out. She’s really only gotten this way recently. Actually…” he thought, “Ever since she woke up from her coma…”

Dawn touched a finger to her lips. “You know, you’re right! Maybe—”

“Let me derail your train of thought right there,” JC interrupted, “I can say for a fact that Kira started getting more ‘open’ even before we split up. Trust me.”

“I love how we’re talking about me like I’m not here,” Kira laughed, “It’s like I’m listening in on some candid conversation. Talk about me more!” she added excitedly.

Cameron and Dawn glanced at her but continued walking. “See, that’s what I mean,” Dawn whispered, “The girl’s turning into some sort of an exhibitionist…”

“Aww speak up,” Kira whined, “I can’t hear you now!!”

“Kind of the point…” Dawn whispered again, drawing a snort from Cameron.

Kira wasn’t amused. Their lack of a response bored her, so she slipped back up against JC and slipped her gloved hand into his.

“Jemkyn, how much longer until we get to Eterna City?” she asked sweetly.

He pulled out his Pokégear, “Well, four or five days at least, depending on the weather. Ooh, speaking of which…” he grunted, noticing an alert on the screen, “Guys? It looks like we’ve got another storm coming our way.”

The group let out a unanimous groan, not one of them pleased at the news.

“Are you serious?” Cameron asked, “How soon?”

“In the next hour, it looks like,” JC answered. “Man, this isn’t cool.”

“Perhaps we should begin looking for shelter?” Serina spoke up, having stayed silent until now.

“Oh, Serina!” Dawn exclaimed, “You’ve been so quiet I forgot you were here! Lartar, too!”

“I am glad to hear that I have such a strong presence,” she humphed, staring off into the woods.

“Cheer up,” Cameron smiled to her, “It’s not her fault. I’ve never seen you this quiet either; is everything alright?”

“I suppose,” she sighed. “I am only remaining silent because,” she stopped, seeing Kira glare at her. “Because… because I—I simply do not have anything to say. Yes, that is it. I have nothing of interest to say.”

“That never stopped you before,” Kira muttered under her breath. The bandana on Serina’s head fluttered as her ears moved underneath, a telltale sign that she heard Kira’s comment.

JC glanced from Kira to an obviously saddened Serina and then back again, wishing desperately that there was something he could do to smooth things over between everyone.

He quickly passed Tori and Kamé to Dawn, “Take them, and you two, come on,” he said, grabbing both Kira and Serina’s hands and pulling the two girls along with him through the deep snow.

“Where are we going?” Kira asked, “And why is she coming?”

“Because,” JC said plainly, “The three of us need to have a talk.” He spied what looked like a cave a few hilltops away and headed for it, eager to get these girls into a private setting.

“Don’t go too far!” Dawn called after them, “Remember about the storm!!”

“Don’t worry,” JC shouted back, “If the weather turns bad you can join us in that cave up there. If it doesn’t, we’ll meet back up with you in a bit!”

Dawn watched the three of them hike through the snow, Serina staring down at the ground while Kira’s face showed her disgust.

“So how do you think this’ll go?” Cameron asked her, sounding slightly amused at the thought of JC mediating the coming arguments.

“Not sure, but I’m glad he’s finally doing something about them. They’ve gone too far recently.” Dawn turned to face him, “But I think you were right earlier, about Kira’s attitude changing after she woke up. There might be more to her ‘situation’ than just a memory lapse and those marks she got. It’s possible whatever happened to her is still happening.”

“What do you mean?” May asked, “Like she’s progressing or something?”

“Exactly,” she nodded. “Obviously I can’t say for sure, and we’ll have to wait to see if Professor Rowan can find out anything about that mark, but I just can’t shake this feeling…”

“Well hopefully it’s just a feeling,” Cameron sighed, “The sooner we can put all this behind us, the better.”

◄►

JC shook his head, “This isn’t going to work if you don’t talk to each other. Come on, just say how you feel!”

“I know exactly what I feel about her,” Kira said as she crossed her arms, “She’s a no-good man-stealer who thinks only about herself! And I’m sick of it!”

“Now you know that’s not true, Kira,” JC reasoned.

“Oh really?” she snapped, “Then explain to me why she’s always all over you! We’re dating; she should respect that.”

“And I’m sure she does, she just has her own way of showing it…”

“Actually, she is correct in what she says, Jemkyn. I do not respect it,” Serina said flatly.

“Um, okay,” JC said, caught off guard, “And why not?”

“Jemkyn, you must understand that you are very important to me,” she explained, “And as the fourth child you are very important to a great many people.”

“And as my boyfriend he’s very important to me!” Kira shot at her, “What’s your point?”

Serina sighed and walked to the entrance of the cave. “Dawn advised me not to mention this, but here it is: there is a prophecy. A prophecy about you: the chosen ones. It explains that there will be a deceiver from among your group, one who turns to the other side and causes you all much harm.” She took a deep breath, “I believe that person is Kira.”

“What?” JC gasped, “But, why would you think—”

“You must understand, Jemkyn,” Serina said as she faced him, “As a Latias I have much stronger instincts than you. I have been watching the two of you grow close and I can honestly say I have not felt good about it.”

“No kidding,” Kira grunted “You make it pretty obvious.”

“Please listen to me, Jemkyn,” Serina begged, grabbing his hand, “Merely look at what has occurred as of late! Look at her skin, her eye! They are no normal marks! They are obviously some sort of curse-mark! What more evidence do you require to show that she is dangerous?”

JC stood up, “We don’t know what they are yet. And I’m not sure I appreciate your thoughts about Kira.”

“I don’t either,” Kira said angrily, “I love Jemkyn; I would never do anything to hurt him or our friends!”

“I am begging you, Jemkyn, please protect yourself!” Serina continued, tears welling up in her red eyes as she stood on her knees. “If anything happened to you I do not know what I would do!”

“Nothing’s going to happen because Kira isn’t dangerous,” he said, withdrawing his hand from Serina and moving to Kira’s side. “Now please, don’t ever say anything like this ever again. I won’t let you talk that way about someone l I love.”

Serina slumped down onto the cave floor, sobbing quietly to herself. JC looked away, but soon he felt the familiar tug of regret on his conscience.

“Look, Serina, I just don’t think…” he started, but before he could finish Serina rose to her feet and ran for the entrance. Her coat was torn to shreds as her body transformed into its normal state, and in a flash of red and white she took to the skies and disappeared.

“What a drama queen,” Kira grunted, folding her arms again. “You know she just did that for the attention.”

“Kira, chill,” JC chided, “You have to have gotten the same vibe I did from her. She really believes what she said.”

“So what? A person’s just as crazy as the things they believe.”

“Now you know that’s not true. Come on, we should go look for her.”

Kira laughed derisively, “If you think I’m wasting even a second of my life looking for her then you’re sorely mistaken.”

JC looked at her, shocked. Sure they didn’t like each other, but he’d never know Kira to be cruel towards anyone. It just wasn’t like her…

“Fine,” he said, moving for the opening of the cave, “Then I’ll go look for her.”

Kira started to protest but fell silent as Dawn stormed into the cave holding Tori and Kamé, followed by May, Cameron and Lartar.

 “Does somebody want to tell me why my partner just went flying out of here?!”

“Calm down,” JC said, slipping past her out into the snow, “I was just about to go look for her.”

“No you’re not!” Dawn exclaimed, grabbing his arm and swinging him back into the cave, “The clouds are moving in and the snow’s getting heavier. You go out now and you’re probably not coming back.”

“But what about Serina?” he asked, “Shouldn’t we make sure she’s safe?”

Dawn sighed heavily, “Serina can fly incredibly fast. I’m sure she’s long gone by now. But this storm will keep her away for a while; she is a dragon after all. We just need to wait it out until she comes back.”

“Well, alright,” JC resigned, habitually sitting next to Kira. When he realized what he’d done he stood back up, not ready to fully forgive Kira for her comments.

The rest of the group moved into the cave as the winds picked up behind them, whistling across the opening of their shelter. Almost immediately the sky grew dark and the snowfall visibly increased, the heavy flakes flooding from the clouds.

Dawn saw the tension between JC and Kira and decided to do a little intervening, digging through her bag for a Poké Ball.

“Cameron, it looks like this cave goes pretty deep into the mountain. Why don’t you and Kira take my Quilava and see what you can find. We need something for a fire if we’re going to stay warm through this storm.”

“No problem,” he smiled, picking up on her hints and releasing Quilava. “Come on, Kira!”

“Whatever,” she huffed, grabbing her bag before following Cameron and the fire-type deeper into the cave and out of sight.

“So what happened?” Dawn asked, handing May the babies, then leaning against a large stone. “I thought you were trying to smooth things over with those two.”

“I don’t even know,” JC sighed, sitting back down and putting his head in his hands. “At first I tried to get them to share their feelings but they wouldn’t say anything. Once I finally got them to talk, it went downhill fast. Kira said she wanted Serina to back off of me, then Serina said she didn’t care and that she needed to protect me from Kira…”

“Damn that girl,” Dawn muttered, “I told her not to say anything about her ‘theories’.”

“What theories?” May asked.

“Serina’s convinced that Kira’s the betrayer from the prophecy of the chosen ones. She’s been on this anti-Kira kick since we were in Jubilife City.”

May looked confused, “But why Kira? What evidence does she have?”

“None,” Dawn replied. “She says it’s just a feeling, but she’s convinced herself of it.”

“Well, she cited Kira’s eye and neck this time,” JC spoke up. “I’m kind of curious about the prophecy, though. What is it exactly?”

“Oh you don’t know?” Dawn asked, “I’d have thought Rowan would’ve told you when he explained the whole wielder thing. Another name for us numbered children is ‘Chosen One’. After the Great War one of the Oracles in Fioré made a prophecy about us, the Chosen Ones. They said that an enemy to the wielders would recruit one of us to their side. That person would betray us and weaken our numbers, not to mention break our spirits as we’d have to fight against someone that was once our friend.”

“Well that doesn’t sound too good…” JC said, surprised, “Why would someone do that?!”

“We don’t know why, we just know it’s going to happen,” May shrugged. “Although…”

Dawn looked at her, “What?”

“Well think about it; we’ve already come across two wielders who I’m going to guess are on the ‘bad’ side. What if the prophecy’s already happened?”

Dawn was silent, but JC and May could tell she was thinking. After a minute she started to nod her head.

“You know, you might be right… I’d just assumed that it’d be someone we knew. But after last night…”

“Exactly my thoughts,” May agreed, “I’d never met a wielder who wasn’t on our side, and after I heard the prophecy for myself my mind came to the same conclusion.”

“So, just so we’re all clear,” JC interrupted, trying to sort it all out, “We’re saying Kira’s not the betrayer or whatever?”

Dawn swayed uneasily, “Well I mean we can’t say for sure but I just can’t imagine it being her!”

JC let out a sigh of relief and slumped back against his rock.

“Wait, did you…?” Dawn asked. “You actually believed Serina…?”

“I don’t know…” he replied, “I mean, I didn’t want to, it’s just that she was making her points and in the back of my mind I was sort of following her…. Please don’t tell Kira!”

“JC, I don’t think I would’ve told her even if you hadn’t asked me,” Dawn said, “That’d break her heart!”

JC slumped his shoulders, “What do I do?”

“Well, you can start by working out an apology.”

“For what?” he asked.

“Doesn’t matter what,” May answered, “You just need to have one. Kira needs to hear that you still care about her. The apology itself is just a means to an end.”

“She’s right,” Dawn agreed, “And while you’re at it, come up with one for Serina, too. She probably needs to hear it more.”

“Alright,” JC nodded, standing up, “Sounds good to me.”

◄►

Cameron sighed to himself as he and Kira walked casually through the dimly lit cave, making sure to keep up with Dawn’s Quilava as it lit the way. He knew Dawn wanted him to talk with Kira to help ease her mood, but he had absolutely no idea what to say.

She could’ve at least given me something to go on… he groaned, I don’t even know what they’re upset about!

“Do you think I’m… mean?” Kira asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“What? No; not a bit!”

“Be honest,” she said, confronting him, “Do you think I’ve gotten mean?”

“Well, um…” Cameron stuttered, “I mean you’ve definitely gotten more outspoken…”

Kira sighed heavily and resumed walking. “Jemkyn’s mad at me. And it’s my fault.”

Cameron stayed quiet, waiting for her continue. When she didn’t, he decided to prod her slightly.

“What happened between you two? You seemed fine back in Snowpoint…”

Kira sniffled, “I—I don’t know. I just…” She turned to face him, tears running down her face. “I—I’m scared, Cameron! Something’s happening to me and I don’t like it! I’m not me anymore!!”

“Kira…” he started, the girl falling into his arms as she broke down. Her body shook heavily with her sobs, and Cameron couldn’t think to do anything but hold her and pat her on the back.

“It—It’ll be okay, Kira…”

“No it won’t!” she cried, “I know I’m being mean to him and everybody else, and they don’t deserve it! Not even Serina!! You hear me, Serina?!” she shouted, “I’m sorry!!”

Cameron was completely taken aback, and even Quilava jumped at her shouting.

“I— I’ve said such terrible things to her… to everyone. I’m a horrible friend!”

“No, no…” Cameron reassured her, “You’ve just had a lot happen to you recently. It’s understandable that you’d have a lot of stress.”

“But it’s not stress,” she said, wiping her eyes, “That’s the thing. I feel completely liberated, like there’s nothing holding me back. And it scares me…”

Cameron was caught off guard; that wasn’t quite what he’d expected…

“I do things and say things without thinking,” she continued, “I can’t help it, it’s like they just happen. Like I’m watching someone else live through me… It started when Jemkyn and I came to Snowpoint and it’s only gotten worse since. What’s wrong with me?” Kira begged him.

“I—I don’t know what to tell you…”

“I’ll tell you what it is,” Kira said, her voice growing angry, “It’s this stupid eye! If I didn’t have it, Jemkyn would probably love me again!!”

Cameron barely caught sight of her tightening her grip on a sliver of rock and he quickly grabbed her arm before she could finish her plan.

“No, no! That’s not the way to fix it, Kira! He can’t love you if you’re in another coma!”

She struggled to break free of his grip, “But I have to! Don’t you see?! It’s the only way!!” Her right eye was glowing faintly, and Cameron could easily see the mark illuminated in the dim cave.

“No, it’s not!” he shouted, prying the rock out of her hand. “We don’t know what your eye means; we have to understand it before we can deal with it!”

Kira fought against him for a moment more before collapsing on the cave floor, crying again.

“Then what am I supposed to do?” she bawled, “I can hide my neck, but this eye makes me a freak!!”

Cameron was almost moved to tears himself; Kira seemed so hopeless. He knelt down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder, “You’re not a freak,” he said calmly, “And JC knows that. He’s more worried about you than anyone, trust me.”

Kira sniffled loudly, “R—Really?”

“Yes, really,” he nodded, “And I don’t think gouging out your eye would make him feel any better.”

Kira lowered her head, “I know… And I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to scare you like that. I just get so passionate about things so quickly now…”

“It’s okay, just try and control yourself a little better, alright?”

She nodded and wiped the last tear from her eye, the glow of her mark subsiding and returning to normal. Cameron helped her to her feet and she smiled, giving him a tight hug.

“Thanks, Cameron. You’re a good friend.”

“No problem,” he smiled back. “So, do you think we’ve explored far enough?”

Kira shrugged, “Maybe we could go a little farther? I mean it’s kind of exciting, you know? Being deep in a cave with no idea of what’s around the next corner…”

“You know,” Cameron sighed, “If someone had asked me back at the Academy if I’d ever hear you say those words, I would’ve said no.” He shook his head, “You’re a pretty cool kid.”

“Hey, I’m not a kid. I’m basically as old as you!”

“Sure,” he laughed, ruffling her hair. Kira wrinkled her face but broke away and jumped a few steps ahead, her braid swaying gracefully behind her.

“What’s that sound?” she asked, tilting her head to listen to a soft patter coming from deeper in the cave.

Cameron cocked an ear in her direction. “I don’t know… What do you think it is?”

“Like I know?” she laughed, grabbing his arm, “Let’s check it out! Come on, Quilava!”

Quilava squeaked and ran after them, lighting the cave with his flames as they moved toward the source of the sound. Soon they came upon a small group of Pokémon digging at the walls of the tunnel.

The little creatures weren’t more than a foot tall with four stubby little legs and bodies that shimmered in the glow of Quilava’s flames. Several dark spots peppered their bodies, and two large holes on their heads displayed their big blue eyes.

Startled by the intruders the Pokémon quickly began scurrying about, eager to find the quickest escape routes. A handful began digging at the ground in an attempt to burrow to safety, while others simply scaled the walls to take refuge in the craggy ceiling. Still others turned tail and ran deeper into the tunnels, leaving Kira and Cameron in a small cloud of dust.

“No, don’t run!” Kira coughed, “Quilava, can’t you stop one of them?”

Quilava grunted, releasing a fiery burst from his mouth and bathing the walls in searing flames. Several of the Pokémon fell from their hiding places and scurried away, but one fell just close enough to them for Quilava to block its escape.

“Great job, Quilava,” Kira cheered, “Keep it there!”

“Why?” Cameron asked her, “What are you doing?”

“Catching it of course!” she smiled, “I’ll show you I’m not just a kid! This one’s going to be mine!” Kira dug out her Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon while simultaneously searching her coat pockets for a spare Poké Ball.

Cameron eyed her, surprised. “Really…?”

BingBing! “Aron, the Iron Armor Pokémon. Aron have bodies of steel that they grow by eating the iron ore found in mountains. When ore becomes scarce, they occasionally cause serious problems by eating bridges and railroads.”

“It looks like it’s a steel and rock-type,” Kira read, “Well then, Quilava: flamethrower!”

Surprisingly Quilava obeyed her, jumping forward and breathing a stream of fire over the Pokémon. The Aron managed to burrow its way underground to avoid the incoming attack, reappearing behind Quilava and leaping forward with a headbutt. Quilava was struck hard but swung around quickly, apparently not taking much damage.

“Again, Quilava” Kira ordered, thoroughly enjoying her battle.

He fired again, the attack grazing Aron’s rear as it dove underground again. Aron reappeared and struck Quilava again, but the Trainers could tell the Pokémon was slowing.

“One last time!” she called, Quilava’s attack finally making its mark. Waves of flame washed over the Aron, the intense heat causing its metal skin to bubble and melt.

Aron collapsed to the cave floor, a small pool of molten iron forming around it. Kira cringed a bit at the sight, never one to enjoy injuring a Pokémon that severely. She threw her Poké Ball and drew her new Aron up into the sphere, the ball plopping into the leftover iron pool.

“Eww,” she commented, plucking the surprisingly cool orb from the glowing slag. As she tucked the ball away in her pocket, her Pokédex alerted her to her new capture.

New Pokémon captured: Aron

Gender: Male

Condition: Weakened and Burned

Immediate Medical Attention Recommended

“Way to go, Kira!” Cameron congratulated, “That was fast and intense! You really melted that thing to pieces!”

Kira’s eyes widened and she quickly pulled the Poké Ball back out. “You’re right!” she gasped, “And I’m all out of burn heals! Oh Cameron, what am I going to do?!”

“Well don’t look at me; I never carry anything with me!”

Kira scowled at him, “Well this is just great; the poor guy’s probably suffering terribly in there!”

“So what can we do?”

“We have to get back to the others as soon as possible. Maybe Dawn or May have some.” Kira closed her eyes and clasped both hands around the Poké Ball as she held it to her chest. “Hang on little guy!”

Cameron sighed at her girlish outburst, but took a sharp inhale as the ball started to glow in her hands. Kira’s body began to sway, and when she opened her eyes again, her right eye was glowing strongly.

“Um, Kira..?” Cameron started, remembering what happened the last time her eye glowed. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah…” she squeaked out, “Yeah, just give me a second…” She stumbled on her feet before Cameron caught her and supported her, the Poké Ball falling to the floor with a clang.

“What was that?” he asked, setting her down on the ground.

Kira held her head, “I just had a hot flash is all. I’m alright now.”

“Are you sure…?” Cameron asked, nodding towards the Poké Ball, “That thing was glowing and you…” he paused when she looked up at him; her eye had stopped glowing again.

“What about me?” she asked, getting back on her feet.

Cameron shook his head, “Nothing. Come on, let’s get back.”

“Yeah,” Kira agreed, picking up her Poké Ball but feeling her Pokédex buzzing in her pocket.

“What the…?” she said, flipping it open.

Pokémon: Aron

Condition: Normal

“Wha…?”

“What is it?” Cameron asked.

“My Pokédex must be acting up,” Kira said, tossing him the device, “It says Aron’s fine now!”

Cameron looked over the data on the screen. “Well, is it?”

“Of course not,” Kira scoffed, “You saw him! He was melting!!”

“Well let’s see, then.”

“What? Cameron, we don’t have time for—”

“Just let him out; let’s see him,” he said, “Trust me; I don’t think your Pokédex is broken.”

Kira eyed him suspiciously but complied, releasing her newest Pokémon who looked even healthier than when they’d first encountered him.

“B—but… how…” Kira stuttered, “This doesn’t make any sense! He must’ve used recover or something!”

Cameron stared in astonishment at the Aron. “I see it… But I just don’t believe it.” He shook his head, “I don’t think it was him, Kira. I think it was you.”

“But I didn’t use any medicine. You’re not making any sense…”

Cameron tried to explain, “It’s like I said: you held the ball just then and it started to glow.”

“But why…? How?”

“Your eye,” he motioned, “It was glowing, too.”

Kira suddenly turned serious. “Are you saying that I… healed a Pokémon? Without any medicine or anything?”

“It looks that way,” he smiled. “I guess that eye of yours isn’t a bad thing after all.” He waited for the excited cheers from Kira at the good news, but they never came. Instead she stayed silent, kneeling down to pet her new Aron. She smiled, but soon her eyes began welling up with tears once again.

“Kira…?” Cameron asked, “What’s wrong now?”

Her sniffles echoed loudly through the cave. “Nothing,” she said, standing and wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her coat, “It’s just a relief, you know? I don’t want to hurt people.”

“Hurt people…?” Cameron eyed her, “Where did that come from?” he asked.

Kira returned her Aron to its ball and started walking back, “Serina said there’s a wielder among us that’s bad, someone who’s going to turn around and hurt us all real bad. She accused me.”

“Don’t listen to Serina,” Cameron shrugged, “Just ignore her like I do,” he added with a grin.

“But she said it’s all there in the prophecy…”

“Man, now there are prophecies, too?” he exclaimed, throwing his hands up, “This wielder stuff is getting way too complicated. And I just learned about it today!”

Kira giggled and shook her head, “I was just worried that she might’ve been right, and that I was the one. I mean, I’m the only one with these freakish marks, and I have been getting kind of aggressive…”

“We talked about this…”

“I know, and I’m going to try my best to handle it. Plus now that I know my mark is good, I can’t be bad, right?” she asked, looking hopefully to him.

“Of course not,” he reassured her, “You’re all good.” However, her words lingered in his head; he was beginning to see Serina’s point…

Kira smiled, “Thanks, Cam.”

◄►

By the time they made it back to the group, Cameron and Kira had been away for nearly an hour. Dawn, JC and May had long since finished their own conversation and Dawn eagerly looked to Cameron for a report, his thumbs up quickly putting her at ease.

“Is Serina not back yet?” Kira asked, glancing around the cave, “There was something I wanted to tell everyone…”

“No, she’s not,” Dawn explained, “But it’s pretty bad out there; she’ll probably show up once the storm passes.”

“Oh,” Kira sighed, looking a bit disappointed, “I guess I can just talk to her later. Anyway, everyone…?” she started, “I… um, wanted to apologize for the way I’ve been acting lately. I’ve been getting a little out of hand and I’m sorry. I’m going to work hard to better control myself in the future,” she said, bowing her head.

“Aw, Kira,” Dawn said sweetly, hugging her tightly, “We all know you’re still just as sweet as you always were. You’re just going through some tough times.”

“Thanks, Dawn,” she smiled. “It means a lot to know you guys still believe in me.”

On that note JC cleared his throat, figuring this the best opportunity for his apology.

“Uh, Kira, I’ve got something to say, too.”

May and Dawn nodded, having coached him through what to say. But Kira’s eyes locked on his, hanging on his every word.

“I, um… well I…” he stuttered, seeming to have forgotten what he was going to say.

“Yes…?” Kira asked, her soft voice almost begging the words out of him.

JC sighed heavily and took her in his arms, embracing her in a loving hug. “I haven’t been as supportive as I should’ve been lately. You are going through tough times and as your boyfriend I should always be there for you.”

“But,” Kira started, “You’ve been nothing but supportive…”

“No, I haven’t,” he corrected, still not letting her go. “When Serina said what she said, well, I doubted. I shouldn’t have. And I never will again.” He sniffled, “You’re Kira—my Kira—and I love you.”

Everyone watched on as if they were watching a TV drama, silent and with bated breath. Slowly Kira began to tear up, finally bursting into tears for the umpteenth time that day.

“Why don’t we give them some time to themselves,” Dawn suggested as JC and Kira sat down on the cave floor. “We’ll be over here,” she motioned to the rest of the group, moving May, Cameron and Lartar to the opposite side of the cave. “Cameron do you mind letting us use your Charmander? There’s really nothing to make a fire with in here and Quilava’s not going to cut it.”

“Yeah, sure,” he said releasing his newest Pokémon into the cave. The flames on Charmander’s tail added to the warm glow of Quilava, and in seconds they felt the small waves of heat on their faces.

Charmander glanced around the cave as he yawned, taking in his surroundings before walking lazily over to May and cuddling up next to her.

“Oh, okay,” she laughed, stroking the orange lizard’s scaly back. Charmander moaned quietly and May chuckled again, noticing how his flames rose and fell with the physical contact. Obviously feeling left out without Serina around, Lartar set himself on May’s other side, nudging her free hand to pet him as well. May just smiled and shook her head, giving both Pokémon as much attention as they desired. Moments later, the two baby Pokémon scurried over to her as well, Kamé crawling onto her lap and Tori clambering up to her shoulder.

“You couldn’t have picked a more perfect Pokémon for yourself,” Dawn whispered to Cameron, nudging him in the ribs.

“Dawn…” he groaned, thinking he was going to have to defend himself once again. But as he turned to face her he saw her reach into her coat and lift her Dawn Stone necklace out just enough for him to see.

“I’m just kidding,” she smiled, dropping the necklace back against her chest. “It’s so nice to have all this love in the air, you know? It’s a nice change of pace from the usual arguing.”

“I hear that,” he agreed, relaxing onto his side, “But what about Serina? Is she going to be alright in this storm? Dragon’s and ice don’t usually mix…”

Dawn closed her eyes and copied Cameron’s position, “I can’t sense her right now which means she’s probably pretty far away. I’m sure she’s far enough that the storm isn’t bothering her.”

Cameron rolled onto his back, “This wielder stuff is crazy,” he sighed. “Not sure I can get my head around it all just yet.”

“You will,” May assured, “Trust me; I felt the same way when Stephen first told me. But once you bond with your partner everything else just seems to… make sense.”

Cameron shrugged and closed his eyes; he was surprisingly tired for it only being early afternoon. He felt Dawn rest her head on his chest which just made him more comfortable, and before he knew it he had drifted off to sleep.