Chapter 34

(Note: I hate flashbacks. So. Stinking. Much. The chapter is very long, my estimate was more than 10,000 words. Usually I wouldn't add a flashback to a chapter like this, but we need to get a move on flashbacks.)

White sat outside the grotto quietly while poking at a mushroom with a stick. She continued to ignore the falling rain that splattered on her head. She didn't want to be inside. It was too quiet and smelled of sickness.

It had been two weeks since Missy had fell ill to the plague. Her health had began to deteriorate slowly, and from what she had heard from the older pokemon's private conversations, she was not close to recovering. The Mismagius was nearing the end of her life.

Sky Blue had not been the same since Missy got the plague. He had rarely left the grotto or Missy's side. Despite Rapi and Thundrous's attempts to get him outside, he had ignored them and continued to help care for the sick Ghost Type. Not even White was able to take his mind off the dreary situation.

With Sky Blue's depression and Missy's illness, White began leaving the grotto to be by herself. Sometimes one of the other Pokemon like Blue Moon or Pichu would join her, either to sit in silence with her or ask why Sky was acting so hostile toward them. She had no answer to give Blue Moon whenever he asked this.

A soft patter of paw steps made White aware that she was about to have a visitor. She looked over to see Blue Moon settle himself beside her. The shiny Eevee's eyes were sad and his ears were drooping.

"What's the matter, Moony?" White asked him quietly, using Blue Moon's nickname.

"Sky Blue still won't play with me," The silver Eevee answered sadly. "He says it's a waste of time. He still won't leave Missy. Besides, it smells funny in there."

"It smells funny?"

"Yeah, like a sick smell. It smells unhealthy in there, it makes me wonder why no one else has gotten sick yet."

"Yeah..."

Silence fell between them. They simply watched the rain run down the tree leaves.

"White?"

"Huh? Yeah?"

"Do you think Missy will ever get better? Will Sky Blue play with me again even if she...she..."

Blue Moon gulped, the last few words to gruesome to echo aloud.

"I...I don't know," the young girl said honestly. "I hope so."

She meant it. She longed for the old Sky Blue. The Sky Blue that was enthusiastic and fun. The one that could make anyone smile and laugh. She didn't want this depressed and hostile Sky to stay. She wanted her best friend back.

A low thud echoed from behind them a few minutes later, as if something with large padded paws was walking toward them. White and Blue Moon turned their heads to see who was there. Ray the Lucario was exiting the grotto. He looked weary and shaky.

He looked down at the young girl and the Eevee. White was startled by the emotions behind the Lucario's eyes. She could see helplessness and misery.

"Blue Moon, could you go back inside?" Ray asked the Eevee quietly. "I need to talk to Whitney alone. We'll be inside in a moment."

Blue Moon glanced at White nervously before obeying Ray's instructions. Once the shiny Eevee left, the Lucario approached White and sat down on the grass. The little girl watched as Ray crisscrossed his legs with a grunt. She felt a smile flicker across her face as she watched the Aura Pokemon try and get comfortable. It quickly slipped off once Ray finally got comfortable and turned to look at her.

"White, I must tell you something." The Lucario told her quietly.

"Tell me what?" White asked uncertainly.

"White, I'm afraid Missy is dying. There's nothing more that we can do for her."

"But she'll recover on her own, won't she? She can't just die!"

"Whitney, this plague has taken so many lives already, I don't think Missy has a chance."

"But she's a Ghost Pokemon!" White argued, angry tears beginning to slide down her cheeks. "She can't die!"

"Ghost Types aren't immortal, Whitney." Ray said quietly and calmly. "They are born and they die just like every other living being. Not even legendary Pokemon are immortal, they merely have extended lives. They can be killed in battle, die from sickness, and even die by old age. Missy is dying because of the plague."

White bit her lip to prevent herself from wailing.

Dying.

The word scared her. It frightened her. The thought of losing Missy or any of the others into the oblivion. The thought that she would never see the Mismagius again was terrifying.

"Whitney, I know you're scared," The Lucario continued, laying his paw on her shoulder. "We all are. But we don't think Missy will live to see tomorrow. It's time to say good bye."

"G-Good bye?" White stammered. "I don't want to say good bye! I don't want her to go!"

Ray closed his eyes and put his head in his paws. For once White thought Ray had began to cry. But when the Aura Pokemon looked up, his face was tearless and his voice was still calm.

"White, I know this will be difficult," Ray croaked. "But I need you to be strong, especially for Sky Blue. Losing Missy will be harder on him than on any of us. Please, White, can you try and be strong?"

White looked into the Lucario's eyes. He looked pained and saddened. She knew he meant well for asking her to stay strong for Sky. Sky Blue had lost his parents and his sister. Missy had become his mother, the Pokemon were his family. If Missy died, he would break, shatter. Ray knew White would never want that to happen.

After a minute, White reluctantly nodded. Ray sighed with relief and patted White on the leg.

"We will get  through this, Whitney," he whispered as he began standing up. "We have taken hits before. Come, we must get inside. Time to say good bye."

The Lucario scooped the human girl up in his arms before carrying her back into the grotto. White put her arms around his neck and squeezed her eyes shut. She dreaded the events ahead.

She opened her eyes once the familiar sickly smell hit her. The grotto was dark and dreary, except for the small fire in the center of the clearing. Thundrus was leaning over the sickly Mismagius that was laying toward the fire. On her other side was Di-Di, who had been assisting in caring for Missy. Across the clearing Rapi was laying down next to Sky Blue and his Pokemon. Junior, Chatter, Jo Jo, and Blue Moon were all sitting around the human boy, who was hugging his knees while rocking back and forth.

Archy had been pacing back and forth until seeing that Ray and White had returned. The Arcanine approached the Lucario and whispered sadly, "She doesn't have long now. She wants to see the children, and you, Ray."

"Me?" Ray replied blankly. "Did she say why?"

"No, I suppose she wants to talk about the boy."

The Lucario sighed and nodded before moving past the Arcanine. White felt a great sense of foreboding as Ray carried her over to Missy, Thundrus, and Di-Di. He set her down next to Thundrus before kneeling down beside Missy.

The Ghost Type turned her head slowly to look up at Ray. Her breathing was slow and ragged as she spoke softly yet croakily, "I don't have long, do I?"

"I'm afraid not," Ray replied quietly.

Missy glanced over at White before continuing even more quietly, "Ray... please... please take care of Skyler..."

"We will, we will take care of him and the others, I promise you."

But Missy shook her head and said through a coughing fit, "Regulus, the boy, he is special, you know this. H-He is different for a human. P-Please, watch over him, Regulus! I know you know what he is! Teach him to control his powers!"

White had no idea what they were talking about. Sky Blue was no different than White, he had no powers she didn't.

But no, that wasn't right. She had almost forgotten about that surge of energy that he had created the day Missy was overcome with the plague. White couldn't produce such power. That was the only ability he had that White didn't.

"I will do my best," Ray finally assured Missy in a whisper. "I promise."

Missy coughed again but managed to nod. She then closed her eyes and murmured, "My children...where are they?"

Knowing that Missy was referring to her, White crawled over to the Mismagius and said quietly, "I'm here, Missy."

"Oh, my dear girl," Missy whispered hoarsely. "I am blessed to have known you. So sweet and innocent...so young to be feeling the scorn of reality."

White felt Ray stand up and walk away to get Sky Blue as Missy said this. The young girl had a hard time processing the last bit.

"What do you mean by that, Missy?" White asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"It means you have learned about the harsh conditions of living on this earth far too early. Nevertheless, I am proud of you, White. You will grow up to be a fine young woman, I'm sure of it. Promise me, Whitney, that you will make sure no one else suffers the way you have. I want you to be the last child to be brought down by reality's harsh conditions. Children like yourself and Skyler don't deserve to live in the wild, in hiding."

White wiped the tears away from her eyes as she sniffed, "I-I promise, Missy..."

"Thank you, child..."

At that moment, Ray returned to her side with Sky Blue grasping his large paw. White could tell that the boy was crying by the way his glasses were fogging up.

"Y-You wanted to see me, M-Missy?" Sky stammered as he knelt beside his caretaker.

"Oh, my dear child," Missy whispered, raising one of her rags to touch Sky's cheek. "I wish I could watch you grow up into a strong young man..."

"But you will! Y-You'll get better, you'll see!"

"Not in this life, I'm afraid..."

"Don't say that!" Sky protested, his voice becoming shaky with sobs. "You're not gonna die! Y-You can't!"

"My dear child, my son...dying is a natural part of life. I have been around for more than a hundred years...I thinks it's about time that I rest..."

"B-But Missy..."

"Child, listen to me...I would like to tell you a few things before my passing."

She waited for Sky to object. When he didn't, the Mismagius continued on, "Skyler, you don't know how much I regret leaving you like this. I would like nothing more than to live, to watch you grow, but I'm afraid you will have to move on without me. My dear boy... promise that you will be good for Archy, Rapi, and Thundrus for me. Grow up into a fine gentleman... and don't ever lose that precious smile of yours. I don't want you to ever stop smiling. Can you do that for me?"

Sky Blue did not speak, but merely stared at Missy. After a moment, he nodded slowly. Missy's ragged arm slowly slipped off his cheek as she gave another hacking cough. It couldn't be that far now.

A shadow fell over the two human children and the Mismagius as they were joined by Archy, Rapi, and Thundrus. The smaller pokemon also squeezed between the larger and older Pokemon. Chatter, Blue Moon, Jo Jo, and Junior came to Sky's side while Pichu and Di-Di joined White.

"Chatter... Junior... thank you both for helping me after all these years..." Missy whispered to the Chatot and Mime Jr. "You have no idea...how much it means to me..."

"We should be thanking you," Chatter replied weakly, speaking for the first time in a few days. "You took us in when we had nowhere to go. We owe you so much more..."

"Oh, you've already repaid your debt, I assure you..." The Mismagius told the Chatot before looking up toward Rapi and Arcanine. "Rapi... Archy... take good care of my boys... I know you will treat them just as well as you've taken care of Whitney, Pichu, and Di-Di..."

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Rapi assured her softly, placing her hoof gently on Sky's shoulder. "After all, we've all become one big family."

"And you don't know how happy I am that we have become one... I always hoped to expand our small family... now, where is Thundrus?"

After hearing his name, Thundrus floated to Missy's side. White could not tell what Thundrus was feeling at that moment. He had kept his face quite expressionless.

"I am right here, Missy," Thundrus whispered, placing one of his fingers on one of Missy's tiny shoulders.

The Ghost Type gave a shaky sigh and told him quietly, "Oh, Thundrus, you have no idea how much I wish things had been different... I regret that I must leave after finding you..."

"There is nothing we can do, though," the legendary Pokemon growled softly. "It is how it is, and this is how the great Creator intended it to be. But... I don't regret the time we've known each other, I only wish we had more of it."

Missy suddenly gave a startled gasp, causing the smaller Pokemon and the two humans jump.

"Oh my," she breathed, her eyes becoming foggy. "I think it's time... it got so dark..."

"M-Missy-" Sky Blue started in a sob, but Missy hushed him and whispered, "Don't you worry, child... I will never truly leave you... I will always watch over you and be by your side... the exact same thing goes for you, Whitney..."

White opened her mouth to protest as well, but she found that no words would come. Instead Ray advised the Ghost Type, "Don't be afraid of the darkness, Missy."

"Oh, I'm not afraid," Missy replied, her voice turning slowly into a whisper. "I don't think I've ever been less afraid... Farewell..."

The Mismagius then closed her eyes and coughed one last time before shuttering as her strength left her. She did not move, nor did she even breathe.

Missy was gone. Her presence was gone where they couldn't call her back.

This proved to be too much for poor Sky. He burst into tears and flung himself onto his lifeless caretaker. He kept sobbing, "Missy, d-don't leave me! Wake up, Missy! Wake UP!"

White bit her lip to keep herself from crying as well. She felt like her heart had disintegrated, like something had fallen out of place in her chest. Thundrus had turned his back on Missy while Chatter, Junior, and Blue Moon scrambled to comfort the boy. Rapi also tried to calm Sky Blue down along with Archy. White could feel Pichu and Di-Di's gazes on her as Ray bent down and felt for a pulse on the Ghost Type's neck.

"Don't cry, S-Sky!" Blue Moon was saying to his friend, though his own eyes were wet with unshed tears. "E-Everything will be fine, we'll get through this!"

"She c-can't be gone!" Sky protested angrily. "S-She'll wake up, you'll see!"

"Sky Blue, I'm so sorry," Rapi told him softly while once again placing her hoof on his shoulder. "There was nothing we could do, she was too sick. She won't wake up-"

"NO!"

Sky rounded on Rapi and smacked away her hoof. White had never seen him act like this toward Rapi before. He usually admired her and even saw her as another mother figure next to Missy. Now he was glaring at her with fury. White was startled to see his eyes flash from blue to red, but it must have been her imagination.

"She's not gone!" He shouted at her furiously. "S-She'll wake up! She c-can't be..."

The realization finally seemed to be baring down on him. Sky Blue didn't finish his sentence, but wiped his tears away with his sleeve. After letting out one more shaky sob, Sky got up and pelted away from all the Pokemon and White.

"Skyler, don't!" Ray called desperately, but Sky had already ran down the passage and out of sight.

"Sky Blue, don't go!" White cried, jumping up and running after her friend. But once she reached the entrance of the grotto, she saw no sign of Sky Blue. He had disappeared into the rainy forest.

"Where could he have gone?!" Rapi asked fearfully as she caught up the White.

"He could have ran to several places from here," Ray pointed out as he, Archy, and the rest of Sky's Pokemon reached the grotto entrance. "Nevertheless, he shouldn't be out there alone! We'll split up, we'll each check one of his hiding places. Rapi, you stay here in case he comes back on his own. Archy, you check the park. I can search Chargestone Cave, I know he has visited there more than once. Chatter, Junior, Blue Moon, can you think of anywhere else he might be?"

The Chatot and the Mime Jr exchanged looks before Chatter answered, "Well, there is one place he might've gone to, but it's not a simple location. It's near Celestial Tower."

"Very well, you three will take White. We should hurry, let's go!"

The Lucario then turned and ran in the direction of the town. Rapi watched Archy and Ray depart with a distressed look on her face. She turned to go back into the passage but whispered to Chatter, "Please, watch over White, and bring Sky back safely."

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Junior assured Rapi as Chatter began to fly toward the direction of the Celestial Tower while Blue Moon chased after him. White waited for the Mime Jr before following.

White felt numb as she trailed behind Chatter and the others. She was still unable to process Missy's death. She barely felt the agonizing pain of despair inside her. It was all just...unreal. It was odd how she could be horrified at the thought of losing the Mismagius before she had died, but now that she is actually gone she barely felt anything.

"White, are you ok?"

Blue Moon had slowed down so that he was at the same speed as the young girl. Unable to get any words out of her throat, she merely nodded.

"Are you sure?' Blue Moon persisted, watching the expression on her face. "You're awfully quiet. Do you want us to slow down?"

White shook her head no. She would rather run and search for Sky then sit and face the terrible reality of Missy's death. At least she felt something when thinking of Sky, mourning by himself while in q forest infested by wild infected Pokemon.

The shiny Eevee didn't press the matter, but he didn't leave her side. After about ten minutes, Chatter stopped flying and landed on the soggy ground. He gave a loud painful squawk as Junior accidentally ran into him. Jo Jo, who had been perched quietly on Chatter's tail feathers the entire time, squeaked with surprise and released a surge of electricity that electrified the Chatot and Mime Jr.

"Eep, Jo Jo stop it!" Blue Moon yelped as he skidded to a stop before he could be pushed into the chaos. The Joltik gave a few more squeaks before the electricity stopped. Chatter and Junior both gave feeble squawks and squeaks before collapsing onto the ground from exhaustion.

"Next time, I'd prefer it if you gave a fair warning about when you're gonna stop like that!" Junior snapped at Chatter furiously as he got up slowly.

"W-Where are we?" White interrupted in a stammer before Chatter to squawk a retort. She had noticed that they were now on the dirt road that led to the large tower north of the city.

"This road leads to Celestial Tower," Chatter answered huffily, still glaring at Junior and Jo Jo. "If Sky isn't at any other location, he'll undoubtedly be around here."

"What's so special about this place?"

None of the Pokemon answered her question. The smaller Pokemon, all except for Blue Moon, exchanged looks full of meaning but said nothing.

"Come on, let's hurry up and find him," Junior continued hurriedly while getting up and skipping down the path.

White exchanged a curious look with Blue Moon. White had never seen Sky Blue come to this area of the forest before while she had been staying with them, and seemed that Blue Moon was just as lost. Even though they had unanswered questions, the little girl and the shiny Eevee followed Chatter and Junior down the path.

It didn't take long for the small group to become within viewpoint of a tall, white bell tower. Missy and the other older Pokemon had forbidden White and Sky from going inside Celestial. Apparently it was a burial ground for Pokemon, but other Ghost Type Pokemon had also made the bell tower their home. White had obeyed the adult Pokemons' wishes out of respect, but she knew Sky only obeyed out of fear of the Ghost Types. She couldn't imagine why he would come here of all places.

"Do you think he went inside?" Blue Moon squeaked, who looked petrified at the thought of entering the Celestial Tower.

"I doubt it," Chatter replied as he flew around the area. "He would never enter it, he must be around..."

The Chatot then suddenly divided into the tall grass on the right side of the road. Not even a second later did Chatter fly out with a frightened squawk as someone in the grass bellowed, "GO AWAY!"

"Sky Blue!" cried Blue Moon with relief. Before anyone could stop him, the shiny Eevee leapt into the tall grass and trudged through to his trainer.

A moment later, Blue Moon ran out of the grass with a yelp as Sky Blue yelled from within, "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

White had never heard Sky Blue speak to anyone like that before, even when he was angry. This time Junior approached the tall grass, though he did it with caution. He glanced nervously at Chatter and Blue Moon, who were now hiding behind White, before pushing back the grass and squeaking, "Sky, p-please come out... it's time to go home..."

A stone flew a few inches over Junior's head. The Mime Jr squeaked and joined his fellows behind White.

"I-I don't think he wants to go back..." Junior stammered nervously.

White watched the spot in the grass where Blue Moon and Junior had returned from. She didn't say anything. She thought she could hear sobbing through the wind and rain.

"Do...do you think you guys can wait out here a few minutes?" White asked the Pokemon quietly , not moving her gaze away from the grass. "I'll try and talk to him by myself..."

"B-Be careful..." Blue Moon stammered as White edged into the tall grass.

A few feet into the grass, she found that there was a tiny clearing of flattened grass. Curled up in the center was Sky Blue, his face buried in his hands as he cried.

"S-Sky Blue?" White stuttered as she kneeled down next to her best friend. "Sky, please talk to me... I know you're upset, we all are, b-but we can't cry forever..."

She saw Sky Blue stiffen but he said nothing. White then looked around in order to think of something else to say.

"Why did you come here, to this place?" The young girl then asked, her voice shaky from the effort of holding back tears.

Sky Blue sniffled a little before stammering, "This is where M-Missy found me..."

"What?"

The young boy pushed himself up off the ground and slowly looked up at White. His eyes were filled with tears and his dirty face was wet. White felt a little uneasy after seeing his foggy blue eyes. Was it just her, or were his eyes a darker shade than usual?

"W-When K-Kelly died, a Pokemon took me out of the forest and brought me here," Sky whimpered as he hugged his knees. "She told me that if I stayed here, s-someone of my own kind would find me and take me in. B-But Missy found me first, a-and she made sure no one would ever hurt me..."

White hesitated before saying, "S-Sky, we all feel what you are going through. Missy was like my mommy too! She was the other Pokemons' friend! This will be hard on all of us but we'll s-still have each other!"

A low growl rose from Sky Blue's throat. His eyes flashed angrily and caused White to shrink away in fear.

"You don't know how I feel!" Sky snarled in an unnaturally harsh voice. "None of you do! Nobody does!"

"S-Sky-"

"NONE OF YOU UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL! NONE OF YOU  KNEW MISSY LIKE I DID!"

Then several unthinkable things happened. Sky Blue's bright blue eyes flashed blood red and his pupils shrank to slits. He let out a howl like a wild animal, rounded on White, and struck her.

White gasped with shock and pain and collapsed backward. She stared at the boy with disbelief and fear. She no longer saw her kind and gentle best friend. All she could see was a terrifying monster.

Tears began streaming down her cheeks as she stared down the young creature. As Sky Blue let out another animal-like snarl, White edged away from him and began sobbing, "S-Skyler, p-please... P-Please, d-don't do this..."

The snarling stopped and to White's relief, Sky's eyes returned to their normal bright sky blue. The anger washed away from his face, and his expression was one of absolute terror.

"W-Whitney," he choked as tried to move closer to White. "W-Whitney, I-I'm sorry, I'm s-so sorry!"

But White backed away, her hand moving to her cheek where Sky had struck her. She couldn't believe it. Why would he hit her? He never hurt her before.

"W-Why'd you do that?" White began to sob as she curled her hands into fists and rubbed her watering eyes. "W-Why? Why are you h-hurting me?"

"I-I didn't mean to really! I-I was just angry! P-Please believe me!"

White shook her head and cried harder, burying her face in her hands. She didn't know who Sky was anymore. The Sky Blue she knew would never hurt her. He was kind and gentle, the boy in front of her wasn't her best friend.

She then felt someone put their arms around her in an embrace. Then Sky Blue's voice sobbed quietly, "I'm so s-sorry, Whitney! P-Please don't be mad! Please forgive me! I-I can't lose two of my family in one day!"

The plea made White's heart stop a beat. After a moment, she shakily put her arms around Sky as well and hugged him. She couldn't stay mad at him. Ray was right, Missy's death affected Sky more than anyone else. He had lost his parents, his sister, and his caretaker. Of course he was hurting more.

The two children continued to cry and hug each other as the rain fell. It was as if the sky mourned with them over their loss. But if the weather truly reflected White and Sky Blue's feelings, they would be in the eye of the largest, fiercest hurricane.

And the hurricane would last for several long weeks before dispersing.

*~*~*

Dear Mrs. Parker,

I realize it's been a while since I have written to you, I apologize for my late response. A lot has happened since my last letter.

First, I think I should explain to you why Fiona is still in my care. It turns out her father is connected to a sort of twisted organization in Kalos called Team Flare that tries to make money off of selling stolen Pokemon and other unmentionable things, like dealing in the black market. Neither me, Danny, nor any of the others wish to return her to such an environment. I'm not sure what you'll think when you read this, but please understand my problem.

We've also run into some...odd individuals. One of which is a Gardevoir who was held against her will by Team Flare. Her memories have been erased, but we believe she had a trainer before being in Team Flare's custody. What makes her so strange is that she can speak like us humans. She knows how to speak English. I'm sure Samuel would be interested in meeting her sometime. Anyway, she will be staying with Danny until we can locate her old trainer. However, that may prove difficult since the little memories she has regained show her possible former trainer being critically injured in a fight with Team Flare. We are hoping that he survived the ambush, and if not, there were three other female traveling companions with him that we can possibly track down.

I'm sure you may have heard that Margaret has finally found an activity to try in Kalos, the Pokemon Showcases. She had lost her first showcase, but she is entering the upcoming showcase that will take place here in Geosenge Town. I believe she is practicing for the Theme Performance as I write this. She recently gained two more Pokemon, a Flaaffy named Amelia and a... enthusiastic yet strange Hawlucha called Curandero. Deborah the Gardevoir will be performing with Margaret along with Amelia and Curandero. I believe the showcase is in about a week, otherwise I'm sure Margaret's family will know full details on when it will be if you wish to see it.

In truth, I must admit that I myself have been sneaking out to these showcases, but not as a member of the audience. Yeah, I have been making appearances in showcases as Maya, the Zoroark of the Showcase. I have got quite a reputation here already... Please, don't tell anyone this. It started as some harmless fun, but then I started to win showcases... I have two Princess Keys already, I just need one more before being allowed into the Master Class. I didn't want this fame, but now I'm stuck with it. I'm not sure what to do. I can't just quit, yet I don't want any of my friends to find out I'm the famous Maya that keeps accidentally beating them at the showcase.

But I do have more pressing matters than possibly becoming the next Kalos Queen without even trying. My friend, Sky Blue, he has a serious mental condition that hasn't gotten any better. It hard to keep it a secret when his mood can change to the worse when he feels extremely angry or frightened. We just learned that he can either die or become permanently insane from this condition if we don't find the right people in time. Well it gets worse. That group I mentioned, Team Flare, they want Sky for his DNA. Sky is part of an almost extinct race of people, and they want him for some sick deal in the black market no doubt.

White looked up from her half written letter at this point and looked out the window of the Pokemon Center. She could see Sky Blue and Danny battling on the Pokemon Center battlegrounds, Shane against Samson. Danny had reluctantly agreed to battle Sky to train for his gym battle in Shalour City. Apparently Danny was learning some things from Sky, like not to battle on attacks alone. Amos and Leia were both refereeing the battle, and Margaret was in another part of the Pokemon Center with her Pokemon. Mira and Fiona had not made it back yet.

The older trainer averted her eyes from the window and tapped her pen against the table, unable to think of what to put. Finally figuring out the words to put, she put her pen to paper and began to write again.

I must admit that I feel very frightened about what could lie ahead. Sky Blue has been my best friend for almost ten years, he's like a brother to me. He is a brother to me. I almost lost him once, I don't think I can lose him permanently. No matter how many times I push him away, I can't deny that he means a great deal to me.

I know what most people would say on what to do, or what they themselves would do or would've done. Most people would have told me that I should've left Sky long ago, so that he would've gotten the correct "treatment". But I'd rather try and fight to find the right doctors than hand him over to the wrong ones. I can only pray that God will grant us a safe passage through this struggle, and that he will somehow instruct me on if what I'm doing is right or wrong.

A loud hiss and a snarl caused White to look up from her writing. Across the lobby she could see the doors to the kitchen flying open with great force as Deborah pushed through them. The Gardevoir looked as if she were in a towering temper.

"Just leave me alone you filthy little bat!" Deborah bellowed over her shoulder, causing the other trainers and Pokemon in the lobby to jump with fear.

"But Deborah my darling!" Curandero cried as he scurried after the tall humanoid Pokemon, wincing slightly from the burns on his back. "I only ask for a chance to prove myself to you!"

"Non, now leave me be, or I'll toss you out the nearest window!"

At this, there was a loud squeak of terror as Amelia ran out of the open doors with Margaret and they both ran between the Gardevoir and the Hawlucha.

"Oh Deborah, don't hurt him!" Margaret pleaded with Deborah in a frightened voice, grabbing hold of one of Deborah's hands. "H-He's still a new team member, he's still learning, you have to be patient!"

"I have been tolerant of his flirting for too long! I refuse to perform with him until he behaves like a Pokemon of his age!"

"Oh dear, please, Deborah..."

White sighed and stood up, folding up her letter and putting it in her coat pocket. She would have to finish it later, at a time when Deborah wasn't threatening the lives of others,

The trainer strode over to Margaret and the three Pokemon and to,d Deborah coldly, "Deborah, if you're going to kill Curandero, do it after the showcase. Margaret can't afford to lose any of her Pokemon at the moment, not when the showcase is so close already."

The Gardevoir growled in response and removed White's hand from hers. She then gave Curandero a disgusted look before stalking off toward the doors that led to the Pokemon Center's outdoor battlefield.

"Wait!" Margaret's Hawlucha called after Deborah as he ran after her. "Deborah, my darling, wait for me!"

Amelia also gave a loud squeak and cried as she pelted after her friend, "Curandero, we shouldn't follow her, she wanted to be alone!"

"Oh my," Margaret sighed as she watched the Pokemon run off. "If this keeps up, I don't think we'll pass the Theme Performance..."

"That bad, huh?"

"No, it's not really them that are the problem, I can't figure out my routine for the Freestyle Performance... It's just kinda complicated..."

"Well let's sit down first, then you can tell me about."

White glanced over at the other trainers in the lobby as she said this. She had begun to notice that some of them were watching them suspiciously. She wasn't sure if it was because they knew who she was, or if it was because everyone in the city, especially trainers, had been advised to be alert because of continued attacks and thefts caused by Team Flare.

"I'm just so lost on what to do for the Freestyle Performance," Margaret sighed once she sat down across the table that White had just sat back down at. "I don't know where to start, I just know I have to improve it since my first showcase. I guess I need ideas, but I'm also a little more nervous about this showcase. I mean, Mira said she probably wouldn't participate in this one because of the Theme Performance. I'm on my own now..."

"What is the Theme Performance anyway?" White asked, her stomach shifting uncomfortably. She hadn't heard what it was yet, and she couldn't practice for it if she didn't know what it was.

"Oh, it's a baking performance. It's apparently a lot like the one in Ambrette Town. Three performers go against each other and whoever makes the best Poke Puffs wins. It must be the performer's own recipe. Me, Deborah, Amelia, and Curandero were practicing in the kitchen just now."

"Well, I'm sure that girl, Shauna, will participate in the showcase. And that other performer, Maya, she'll probably be there too."

White regretted this action immediately. She hated bringing up the subject of her alter ego. She always feared that someone would figure out her secret just by talking about her.

"I guess so, I wouldn't be surprise if she did," Margaret agreed. "I was hoping to win this showcase, but if Maya will be there, I don't see how I have a chance. She's so good at performing..."

"She can't be good at everything," White told her reasonably, thinking about how terrible she was at cooking even though she was the one who always cooked for herself, Sky Blue, and Mira when they traveled together. "Have you cooked before?"

"Yes, I have, sometimes I would cook the meals and desserts at my house when my grandmothers couldn't. But I haven't made my own Poke Puffs before, I must admit..."

"Well I certainly haven't..." The older trainer muttered under her breath so Margaret could t hear her.

"What?" The rookie trainer asked blankly, who must have heard a bit of what White had said.

"Nothing, nothing! Margaret, I'm sure you'll do just find. You came in third place at the last showcase, k sure you can make first this time. You have a week to figure it all out."

Margaret sighed and looked out the window sadly as she said, "Yeah, u guess you're right..."

When Margaret didn't speak again, White risked taking back out her letter to Mrs. Parker. She took up her pen again and slowly began to finish her letter. She would occasionally sneak a glance at Margaret to see if she was watching her write. She felt a little exposed writing this letter in front of her. White told Mrs. Parker things she usually didn't tell anyone else.

"White," Margaret began after a long time of silence, causing White to look up. "May I ask you something?"

"What about?" White replied a little defensively.

"Well, it's about your brother, N..."

"Yeah, what about him?"

Margaret looked nervously at White before averting her gaze uncomfortably. She then continued in a slightly shaky voice, "W-Well, I was wondering, I noticed that N doesn't really have any friends besides me and you. I noticed that when he, Sky, and I were together, he tried distancing himself from the rest of us. But when he and I are alone, he seems to open up more. I was wondering if you know why that is, and if there is anyway I can help him make more friends."

White didn't answer right away. She couldn't help but smile slightly at the question and at how naïve Margaret was.

"N doesn't open up, or at least connects to people as easily as I do," White told her at last. "You should be honored that he has opened up to you at all. It's probably because he knows you understand his predicament more than anyone else besides me."

"What do you mean?"

"One of the big differences between me and N is that he wasn't really around other humans for most of his childhood. I lived with Sky Blue through most of my childhood, so I am use to communicating to people, but N was mainly raised by Pokemon. He might've been the king of Team Plasma with many servants and caretakers, but he surrounded himself with Pokemon friends. He only made human friends when he was almost an adult, but all three of them, as you probably already know, were arrested because they were members of Team Plasma. He still doesn't entirely know how to connect with people whom he has no common ground with, so he only befriends those who understand what he has gone through, the pain he has endured."

"But... I'm not the only one who understands him," Margaret protested in a squeaky voice. "I know Sky Blue probably understands him just as much as I do! Why can't N try and befriend Sky?"

"As you've seen, Sky and N's relationship is complicated," White answered, looking back down at her paper and began writing again. "Despite their similarities, they refuse to see eye-to-eye. That's why he only makes an effort with you. It's not like he only befriended you either. He gets along well with Mira and Fiona, that's partly why I teamed them up together."

White stopped for a moment before continuing, "I want you to know how grateful I am for you becoming N and Sky's friend. The two of them both don't make friends to easily, or at least N doesn't. Sky isn't taken very seriously, which is partly my fault. I'm glad that you have made an effort with trying to be their friend."

"Oh, there's no need to thank me," Margaret assured her. "I just wanted to make friends with them, and I guess I also know what it's like to not have many friends."

"Actually that reminds me, I wanted to ask you something, something I'd rather have you keep between you and me."

"Ask about what?"

White felt her face grow hot as she looked back up at Margaret. She then told her, "I need some help...with controlling my temper..."

Margaret looked taken aback and replied uncertainly, "Oh... I see."

"I've noticed that I've become more short tempered recently, especially toward Sky Blue," White continued on slowly. "I need to start acting my age and I was hoping that you could somehow help me try and control my mouth."

"W-Well, I'm not sure if I can," the rookie admitted. "It's something that you kinda have to learn yourself. All I can really tell you is that you just gotta think before you talk aloud. Sometimes you just need to be tolerant of others."

White snorted and muttered, "I haven't been tolerant of anyone since Team Plasma came back the second time."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. I mean, you tolerate me. You tolerate Fiona, Danny, and Mira. You tolerate most of us. I'm sure if you practice and pray about it, you can become a little more tolerable."

White nodded, though she didn't feel very assured. She then looked back down at her letter and continued to conclude it. Margaret had turned her gaze back to the window.

After a few more minutes, a familiar voice called out to them, "Hello, you two! Remember me?"

Both White and Margaret looked around to see who had spoken. White then saw a girl she recognized from Cyllage City striding over to them. She then remembered her as the girl Danny had befriended and whom had ended up being Serena's older sister, Emmaline. Beside the trainer was the Riolu that White and Sky Blue had met, Blazestar. The only differences was that the Riolu had grown into Lucario, and the Pokemon had a chain earring on his pointed right ear.

"Oh, hello Emmaline!" Margaret greeted the trained, standing up and smiling at the acquaintance. "We didn't see you there! When did you arrive here?"

"Shauna, Trevor, Tierno, and I got here an hour ago," Emmaline replied happily as her Lucario gave a low growl. "They all went off to explore the city, but I had to heal my Pokemon before anything else. Has your entire group arrived here? You have a fairly large amount of people traveling together."

"We split into three to four groups," White answered calmly. "There are eight of us in all, three boys and five girls. We are waiting for two of our number right now."

"How long have you been here already?"

"Most of us got here this morning."

"Wow, you guys got here pretty fast then!"

"Um, Emmaline," Margaret began slowly and nervously. "Are you alright? I mean, last time we met, you weren't having a good day."

Emmaline's smile faltered slightly at this. But she quickly shook her head slightly and answered Margaret assuringly, "I'm fine, really. I'm use to it by now. Serena never liked me much, but Shauna and the others are very kind to me. As long as I have them, I'm not too concerned. But, thanks for asking anyway."

White noticed that Blazestar looked irritated at Emmaline's view of this mistreatment. He was glowering to himself and huffed angrily. The older trainer was sure that he wouldn't take mistreatment like that lying down. He probably was angry that his trainer wouldn't stand up for herself.

"Oh, hey," Emmaline began with interest as she moved past Margaret to look out the window. "Who's that?"

"Who are you talking about?" Margaret asked, moving next to the other trainer.

"That boy, the one with the black hair who's battling, who is he?"

"That would be Sky Blue," White answered unconcernedly as she finished her letter. "He's been traveling with us. I don't think you were ever formally introduced to him, he  wasn't feeling well the day we met."

"How long has he had that Key Stone? The rainbow colored stone tied to his wrist?"

"Um, I don't think that's his," replied the rookie performer uncertainly. "I think that's White's, isn't it, White?"

"Yeah, he has been studying the Mega Evolution lately, so I let him borrow my Key Stone. I rarely use it anyway, but he is just having it until he finds his own."

Emmaline swiveled around to look at White and said surprisingly sharp, "It's yours?!"

"Yes," White answered slowly, looking up at Emmaline. "It's a family heirloom, but since Sky has more than one Pokemon that can Mega Evolve, I let him use it. Why are you so concerned?"

"I was asked to research Mega Evolution when I set off on my journey," the young trainer explained as she turned to look out the window again. "I was actually going to receive my own Key Stone in Shalour City, along with a Lucarioite for Blazestar. I haven't met anyone else who has a Key Stone. How many of his Pokemon can Mega Evolve? You said more than one of his Pokemon could Mega Evolve."

"I think it's just three, four unless you count his Squritle, but I have a feeling he won't be a Blastoise anytime soon."

"Wow, three Mega Evolving Pokemon! Do you think you can introduce me to him?"

White raised an eyebrow at this. Clearly someone who got excited at meeting Sky Blue wasn't someone she couldn't see eye to eye with.

"I don't see why not," White sighed, folding up her letter again and putting it in her pocket. "He should be done with the battle soon."

"Oh good, thank you!" Emmaline thanked her happily as White stood up and pushed her chair in.

"It's fine, I got nothing better to do," the older trainer muttered before turning to Margaret. "You coming too?"

"Oh, alright, I guess," the performer replied wearily. "I can't really practice for the showcase without my team, can I?"

White barely registered Emmaline and Margaret's continued conversation of the Pokemon Showcase as they began to make their way outside. She didn't even remember that Blazestar was there until he hissed softly as he moved behind her, "Made it this far without an incident, have you?"

"Fortunately, yes," Whige growled back in a whisper, speaking in the Lucario language.

"That's surprising," he whispered back. "I thought he would've sprouted another leak by now. They are only to be expected."

White ignored him and quickened her pace so she wasn't near the newly evolved Lucario. Despite his helpfulness when learning about Sky's condition and the tribes, she had yet to fully trust Blazestar. While Emmaline was kind and outgoing, Blazestar was more serious and warrior-like. He was a true fighter, just like most Lucarios.

The three girls had clearly made it onto the battlegrounds just as the battle had finished. Clouds of dust and dirt filled the air all over the field from the fighting Pokemon. When it all subsided, White could see Shane the Gallade standing over Spirit the Honedge. It appeared that despite the type advantage, Spirit had lost to the Fighting and Psychic Type.

"Honedge is unable to battle!" White heard Amos shout so both sides could hear. "Gallade is the winner!"

"Oh dear, Danny lost?" Margaret squeaked as they watched Danny return his last Pokemon. "But the battle was one against three! Shane against Samson, Loopy, and Spirit!"

"Shane is one of Sky Blue's strongest Pokemon, it's not surprising that Danny lost," White said dismissively. "The only reason Sky is using him at all is because the next gym battle is against the Fighting Type gym leader. In a regular battle he would probably use Chatter or Junior, one of his weaker Pokemon."

"Wow, his Gallade is so strong!" Emmaline commented as she watched the Gallade move back to its trainer's side. "How long has he had him?"

"About eight years. Right now Shane has been helping him more with getting around than battling. Sky was injured a few weeks back, so he can't walk very well. He usually just rides on Shane's back now."

Something I still find questionable, White added inside her head as she began walking toward Sky Blue again. She thought she heard Blazestar begin to growl threateningly as they got closer to Sky and his Pokemon.

"Well if it isn't Miss Snappypants," Sky called once he noticed White coming toward him, though she was glad to see that he suddenly looked very nervous. "And I see you brought that scary little goblin with you."

"I have two things to say to you," White snapped at the annoying one eyed trainer. "One, if you weren't about to have company, I would throw you into a wall for calling me Snappypants!"

"You gotta admit, it's the truth, you can't deny-"

"Secondly, the little goblin's trainer wanted to meet you!" The female trainer interrupted furiously.

Emmaline seemed to notice that this meant it was her turn to speak. She gave a small cough before holding out her hand to Sky Blue and saying nervously, "Hello, I'm Emmaline Gābena, I'm a Pokemon Trainer that collects gym badges. I actually know Danny and a few of the others, but I don't believe you and I have met."

White saw Sky hesitate before shaking Emmaline's hand. He must have been expecting her to be like her Lucario. While the two trainers seemed to get along well, Blazestar and Shane were glaring and growling at each other.

"Well, I'm known as Sky Blue," Sky told Emmaline as he quickly let go of her anything. "Was there something you wanted...?"

"Emmaline, what are you doing here?"

Danny had come over to meet them while he clipped Spirit's pokeball to his belt. White noticed that he looked irritated at his lost to Sky.

"Oh, hello Danny!" Emmaline greeted him happily. "I watched some of your battle, you and your Pokemon did well! I'm sure you will get your next badge soon!"

"Thank you for the vote of confidence."

"As for my being here, well, at the moment I was hoping to have a Pokemon battle with your friend Sky Blue!"

"You want to battle me and my Pokemon?" Sky repeated uncertainly.

Emmaline nodded eagerly and continued hurriedly, "You see, I was asked when going on my journey to help gather information on Mega Evolution, and I noticed that you had a Key Stone. Your friend White told me that you not only had a Key Stone, but several of your Pokemon can Mega Evolve. I was hoping to battle at least one of your Mega Evolving Pokemon against my Lucario. I would understand if you don't want to, I mean you just finished a battle already."

Sky Blue looked taken aback at this request. He glanced at White, but she merely shrugged her shoulders to show that she didn't care if he used her Key Stone against Emmaline. He then turned to his Gallade and asked him, "Well, what do you think? Do you think you're up for another battle."

The Gallade stared intensely into his trainer's eyes before agreeing in his Pokemon language, "Gal, gallade!"

"Is that a yes?" Emmaline asked uncertainly and nervously.

"I think so," Sky replied before calling across the field at Amos and Leia, who had been talking to Margaret. "Oi, little man!"

White felt the corner of her mouth twitch as the three younger trainers all jumped and instantly turned to see who had yelled.

"What is it now?!" Amos yelled back with abortions signs of irritation.

"We're having another battle, and you're gonna be the referee!"

*~*~*

"This battle will be a one-on-one battle!" White heard Amos shout to the battling trainers on the left and right side of the field while she, Margaret, Leia, and Danny watched from the sides. "Each trainer is limited to one Pokemon each! The battle will be over once one Pokemon has been defeated! Once both trainers are ready, let the battle begin!"

"Go get 'em, Blaze!" Emmaline immediately told her Lucario. Blazestar gave a bark of agreement before running onto the field. His chain earring glimmered and swayed at the sudden movements.

"Do your best, Shane!" Sky Blue said to his Gallade encouragingly as Shane nodded and teleported in front of Blazestar.

As the two Pokemon began growling again, White heard Leia ask with confusion, "So which of the two has the type advantage here? I mean, Shane is a Psychic and Fighting Type while Lucario is Fighting and Steel."

"W-Well, I'd imagine Shane has the advantage at the moment," Margaret stuttered. "I always thought Steel was neutral to Psychic but weak against Fighting, and Psychic has the advantage over Fighting Types. Then again, you probably know more about the power of a Lucario more than myself, since you actually raised one."

"White, Emmaline mentioned Mega Evolution," Danny began, successfully gaining White's attention. "What is that again? I don't remember too well on what it is."

"It's not exactly the type of evolution we know," White explained with a sigh. "It's more of a transformation. Only certain types of Pokemon have been known to accomplish it. It's mainly when a Pokemon reaches a new form during battle, causing it to gain new abilities and more power like in a normal evolution. To reach this form, two stones are needed. One to be held by the trainer and one for the Pokemon. The only bad part is that Mega Evolution is only temporary, it wears off once the battle ends or when the Pokemon is defeated."

"You can go first if you wish!" Sky called to Emmaline, causing White to turn her attention back to the field.

"Well thank you very much!" Emmaline said politely before turning back to her Lucario. "Ok, Blazestar, let's start off with Bone Rush!"

Blazestar gave a growl of pleasure as he created a bone made of aura. He swiped at Shane as he howled, "I've been dreaming of doing this for YEARS!"

"Oh no you don't!" snarled Shane, extending his blade on his arm and blocking the attack.

The two part Fighting Types snarled and gnashed their teeth at each other as they clashed their blades together. To rivals facing off after being separated eight years. Each trying to take down the other, to prove which was stronger and more skilled.

Blazestar then roared again and swiped his aura bone at Shane's chest. It barely grazed him as Shane leapt back immediately, though he stumbled a little.

"You doing alright, Shane?" Sky called to his Gallade. When Shane nodded and gave a forceful growl, his trainer then instructed him, "Hang in there and try using Close Combat!"

The Fighting Type gave a respectful cry and sped toward the Lucario. Before he could reach his opponent, Emmaline ordered her own Pokemon, "Blazestar, quick, use Endure and defend yourself!"

The Lucario stiffened at the order and began bracing himself for a powerful attack. He stared intently at the advancing opponent, not showing any signs of retaliating. Then at the last moment, Blazestar roared and flung his hands out in front of him. An Aura Sphere formed between his paws, and he threw it at Shane's chest. 

Shane let out a pained cry as he was pushed back by the force of the Aura Sphere. He then collapsed once thrown all the way across the field. He forced himself to get up after hearing Blazestar give a bark of laughter.

"Oh my, that Lucario has certainly grown since Cyllage City," Margaret said nervously as Shane struggled to his feet. "How does a Pokemon get that strong in such a short amount of time?"

"You underestimate the power of a Lucario," White replied quietly. "A Riolu is a powerful Pokemon even if it is a pre-evolved Pokemon. It will also gain even more strength and power as a Lucario. It will also begin to start learning to control the power of aura. Even though Shane is more skilled and powerful, Blazestar has gained the power of aura, which can be more powerful than hand to hand combat."

"Shane, hang in there and try Psychic!" Sky Blue shouted to his Psychic and Fighting Type, who gave a cry of agreement.

"Use Endure again!" Emmaline commanded her own Pokemon just as Shane's eyes began to glow with his aura.

The Aura Pokemon roared again and began bracing himself for the Psychic Attack. Shane's aura surrounded his body and levitated him above the ground. The Gallade then began tossing Blazestar against the ground with great force. However, Blazestar was enduring through the attack, even though it seemed to be taking its toll on him.

Blazestar gave another howl of pain as he was finally dropped on the dusty field. Something silver flew through the air as he landed on the ground. His chain earring had detached itself from his pointed ear because of the attack and landed in the dirt with a tinkling clatter.  

"Blazestar, try and stay strong!" Emmaline called to her Pokemon encouragingly as Blazestar pushed himself off the ground.

White saw the Lucario wince as he stretched out his paw and grabbed his chain earring. He shakily lifted it up and clipped it back onto his ear. He then stood up and began to growl ferociously.

"Now you've pulled the last straw," Blazestar hissed in a deadly tone as he began shaking with anger. "If you had wrecked my earring I would destroy you, but you've only earned a heck of a beating!"

Before Shane could do anything, Blazestar gained extreme speed and began punching the Gallade rapidly in the chest. White couldn't understand why the Lucario would lose control over an earring. Then it occurred to her that it was possibly a gift to him from Emmaline. She doubted that he just found it and decided to wear it.

Shane gave a loud cry as he was finally thrown backwards and returned to the other side of the field. This time it didn't look like Shane would be able to get up. He tried standing, but collapsed.

"Shane, don't give up!" Sky Blue called to his Pokemon, almost pleadingly. "Try getting up, please!"

His Gallade grunted and once again tried to pick himself off the dusty ground. This time he succeeded in getting up and standing straight. Shane seemed to cringe from the Close Combat, but he still managed to glare at Blazestar.

"Alright, let's try a new tactic!" The one eyed trainer continued as he rolled up his right sleeve, revealing White's Key Stone tied to his wrist. "Shane, let's take it to the next level! Time to Mega Evolve!"

The Key Syone suddenly began to glow brightly and golden strings of light began to tangle out of it. At the same time, the Galladite that was attached to Shane's belt began to activate as well. The mixed colors of pink and pale yellow twirled in the air and clashed in the air. Shane let out a loud roar as he began to glow and became surrounded by the light.

Shane's features then began to change. The axe-like horn on his head began to curve, while the blades on his arms extended and curved as well. His arms became thicker, and his blades turned pale red and more jagged. While most of his body had been green, it was now turning white. A white cape suddenly sprouted from his shoulders. He looked more knightly then before.

"Oh my, he's changed!" gasped Margaret as the light subsided to show a new form of Gallade.

"So that's a Mega Gallade!" Leia said with astonishment. "I've heard of them, but I've never seen one before!"

"I don't think I have either," Danny admitted, before looking to White. "Have you seen this Mega Evolution before?"

White shook her head and answered, "No, Shane and Alan only acquired the ability to Mega Evolve very recently. I've never seen them Mega Evolve before now."

Blazestar looked a little more reluctant to battle as Shane began to approach him. It was unlikely that he could beat Shane now.

"A Mega Gallade?" White heard Emmaline echo with amazement as she observed Shane's appearance. "Incredible! He will certainly be a challenge! Blaze, let's give it all we got! Now, try Aura Sphere!"

The Lucario let out a howl and began to form another orb of aura between his paws. The sphere grew larger and larger. Right when he released the Aira Sphere, Sky Blue shouted to his Mega Gallade, "Quick, slice it in half!"

Shane gave a low grunt and sped toward the advancing Aura Sphere. As quick as a flash, he sliced through the sphere and reappeared ten feet past it. A few seconds later, the sphere exploded and caused fragments of Blazestar's aura to fall to the ground.

"Bone Rush!" Emmaline commanded her Pokemon next.

Blazestar nodded and created a bone made of his aura. He extended it and quickly swiped it at Shane, who leapt swiftly away from him. The Mega Gallade then began blocking the Lucario's attacks with his own blades.

"Try Night Slash!"

Shane's blades became surrounded by a much darker aura. It's color was blue and dark violet. White could've sworn she could here faint, rapid whispers coming from the darkness. The Mega Gallade let out a howl of his own and successfully cut Blazestar, who yowled and leapt away from him.

"Blaze, try and make the biggest Aura Sphere you can!"

The Lucario howled and formed another aura sphere. This time it became like a small hurricane. The blue aura swirled around violently and it blasted like wind. Whispers and shrieks began echoing out of the aura sphere. Voices from Blazestar's own memories.

The sphere was then released as it reached the size of an Electrobe. The volume of the voices grew louder as it traveled toward Shane.

"Try and reflect it back!" Sky Blue ordered his Mega Gallade.

Shane let out a loud battle cry as he crossed his blades in front of him in order to protect himself. The aura clashed with his blades and continued to turn in mid air. Sparks flew from the aura and a sound like nails on a chalk board came from it. The aura continued to turn and push Shane backwards inch by inch.

"Now, reflect it back as hard as you can!"

The Mega Gallade slowly removed his blades from in front of himself, yet quickly grabbed the aura by the sides. The aura began to grow steadily larger as Shane added his own aura to Blazestar's. His own memories, experiences, and thoughts were jumbled together to grow the aura sphere to the same size as himself.

With a roar of rage, Shane lunged it toward the Lucario. Blazestar's eyes widened as the Aura Sphere sped toward him. He let out one long howl like a Houndoom's before the attack hit him.

An explosion of sound and wind surrounded the field as the massive Aura Sphere exploded. Everyone in the area had to cover their eyes t because of the blast of wind and aura. Once the powerful waves subsided and the field cleared, they could see that Blazestar had been thrown across the field and into the wall surrounding the arena. Emmaline had had to run to the side to avoid being hit by her Pokemon.

"Blaze!" Emmaline cried desperately while Amos called from the sidelines, "Lucario is unable to battle, the winner is Mega Gallade!"

"Wow, it's over already?" Leia asked with a mixture of amazement and disappointment. "I was expecting it to go on a little longer than that!"

"I guess Shane just became so much more powerful in his Mega Evolved state," Danny replied as Emmaline ran to her Lucario's side. "Shane's new powers seemed to have overcome Blazestar's new abilities."

"Nevertheless, they both fought with their all," White cut across Danny. "And I believe both sides are satisfied."

Well maybe not Blazestar, White thought to herself as she watched Sky Blue and his Mega Gallade approached Emmaline and Blazestar.

She watched as Sky held out his hand to the young trainer and told her encouragingly, "You and your Pokemon did very well for a beginner like yourself. Most trainers don't last as long as you did."

"I can't take any credit for it," Emmaline replied a little sadly. "Blazestar was the one fighting. He does the most work, I just tell him what to do. Everything is all Blaze's doing, and he did magnificently."

Blazestar, who was kneeling beside his trainer, growled and blushed with embarrassment. He then noticed that Shane was watching him, causing him to look away angrily.

Shane blinked and slowly extended his arm to the Lucario in order to help him up. Blazestar attempted to ignore him, but his gaze kept flickering to his outstretched hand. He finally yet reluctantly accepted his hand and allowed the Mega Gallade to help him up.

White remembered that Shane, Alan, and Blazestar were all rivals. Blaze still had a long ways to go before he could reach the same height in power as Alan and Shane. Emmaline also had a ways to go before reaching Sky Blue's level. But White had a gut feeling that she didn't have far to go, and she would go beyond even that. She might even reach White's height of experience, since she was the only one to beat Sky in a fair fight.

~~~

I'm done. I'm so done. I hate flashbacks. I hate em so much. 11K words. This chapter broke the record for longest chapter in SWS2. That's why it's so late.

It's also Shōta's fault. Meet Shōta. He finally came after almost 2K soft resets, so I had no choice but to play Pokemon Omega Ruby after getting him.

Oh, and it's Bonnie's fault too. Totally gonna make her share the blame. Don't got a picture of her, but she's a shiny Bunnelby I caught through random encounters in my Pokemon Y Shiny Badge Quest.

Anyway, I apologize for the late update. This took so much time, and I get very unmotivated when it comes to flashback chapters. I'm hoping that the new chapter will take less time since there is no flashbacks and I got some surprises coming in.

vvv IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!! vvv

For the Geosenge Town Pokemon Showcase, I am reopening character sign ups! Anyone is free to fill out the form below and submit a female character in the showcase! The sign ups are open through Chapter 35! You can resubmit a character from the Ambrette Town showcase if you'd like! Some characters I would really like to use again. Here is the form:

Name:

Age (Must be at least 13):

Appearance:

Dress/Outfit (Please be appropriate):

Pokemon (Please don't submit legendaries, if you add legendaries, I will not use them):

Personality:

I hope that a few people will sign up characters! You can either request it through the PM or the comments. If you have any questions just ask.

^^^

I think that's it. Again, I'm sorry that it took so long to update. I've been doing other things, like shiny hunting and school. I also had to start writing a memoir for school in just two days, so all my writing went into that and a history essay. Anything I miss will be added later. Please let me know of any errors, I type faster than the iPad so it will autocorrect even the correct words. I will do my best to make the next chapter better than this. Until next time, farewell!