The Becoming [A Pokémon Fanfiction] [PG-13] [COMPLETE]

[IMG]http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/c/2/riolu_top1_by_brookreed-d7si9i1.png[/IMG][background=http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/7/2/riolu_middle1_by_brookreed-d7si9i6.png][css=padding-left:15px;padding-right:13px][color=lightgray][font=Times New Roman][center][size=11]♣ [b]Chapter 5[/b] ♣[/size][/center]For the third time, I raise my fist and knock on the worn wooden door. I had tried twice already, but no one answered. But just as my paw makes contact with the door, it is thrown open. “Who is it, eh? What do you want? Go away!” A Medicham stands in the door, a large wooden staff in his hand and a strange relic stone hanging around his neck. His eyes seem unfocused and cloudy, and I assume he is partially if not completely blind. Before he can shut the door, I respond. “Nodi sent me. She wants me to train under your instruction.” He pauses and then squints at me. “Nodi, eh? She’s a nice old creature. But I don’t train younglings anymore.” “Please, sir,” I say. “This is important.” “Well...what exactly do you want from me?” “I want to get stronger in a week.” “A week, eh? That’s pushing it.” The Medicham strokes his chin thoughtfully. “I can do it if you’re willing to give me a chance,” I say. “A chance you shall get, then,” the Medicham says. “Where do we start?” I ask, ready to begin as soon as possible. “Ah, you are eager, eh?” He leans against the doorframe of the small hut, thinking for a long moment as he taps this staff thoughtfully against the wall. Then he says, “To strengthen the body, you must strengthen the will. In order to achieve what you have requested, you must survive on willpower alone for the week, and only eat one berry a day.” I stare at him. This was not was I was expecting. One berry a day? That would not be enough to sustain a single Pokémon even if they [I]weren’t[/I] doing rigorous training. “Wh-what?” I manage to stutter. Surely he couldn’t be serious. “That’s right,” Medicham confirms. He moves his blurry gaze beyond me to the icy lakeshore beyond. “Why, when I was a Meditite, I only ever ate a single berry a day. And look where that got me. Back in my youth, I was known as Keen Will because of how strong I was. You may only have a week with me, but I intend to drive you to your limits.” He nods to affirm that his mind is made up. A single berry a day...no, that’s not what this is about. This is the first test--to see if I truly am willing to do this training, I can’t focus on that. I have to survive anything Master Medicham throws at me. I clench a fist determinedly. “Let’s do this.” [center]♣ ♣ ♣[/center] “Harder, Reason!” Master Medicham’s call is barely audible above my own groans as I struggle to lift the final boulder and fling it on top of the pile I have already created. I heft the boulder up, but my knees crumple under me and I drop it. It must have been by Arceus' power alone that the boulder did not land on me. “The only thing that is stable is yourself! Remember that, and you will find balance.” Master Medicham’s call of encouragement comes once more. With one final surge I heave the massive rock upwards, where it lands with a loud crash on top of the other boulders. I stare at the pile for a moment--if they fall, I will have to do the exercise all over again. But the boulders stay in place, and I turn towards Master Medicham, waiting for his approval. The old Pokémon has his back turned. I am not even sure if he saw my triumph. As I approach to see what he wants me to do next, I smell what appears to be the lavish lunch he has prepared. But I know the meal isn’t for me. He turns, and in his hands is a single Oran berry. This will be my only meal today, as it has been for the last four days. I sigh, and take the berry, trying to ignore the delicious smells coming from the meal Medicham has prepared for himself. “You can’t just sit there and eat a feast while I only get a single berry,” I protest weakly, holding the Oran berry in my paw as though it is precious gold. “Oh yes, I can,” Master Medicham says. He picks up what appears to be a piece of freshly-baked berry pie, still steaming hot from the oven. He takes a bite from it, and then says, “And I can also tell you how mouth-wateringly delicious everything is.” I sigh and eat my own berry, trying to savor it. It is gone too soon. “Master, I wanted to ask you...what exactly is in that cave out on the lake?” I point out to the small island that rises above the water of the nearby lake. Master Medicham leans back. “The old tales say a legendary Pokémon lives there. Personally, I don’t believe in that stuff, but who knows?” I consider this. A Legendary Pokémon...the masters of the universe. Perhaps someday, I’ll get to meet it. [center]♣ ♣ ♣[/center] It is the second to last day of my training, and I am not sure how I have managed to stay on my feet. I am weak and slow, but I refuse to give in even as Master Medicham has me doing tasks that include building him a new door by punching down trees with my bare paws or swimming in the frigid lake while he sits on the shore sipping warm tea. That evening, as I watch him prepare his own dinner, I try to distract myself from the tantalizing scents wafting through the small one-room hut by asking him a question that has been weighing on my mind. "Master?" I ask. "What is it, Reason?" "Nodi mentioned something to me once. She said my species was supposed to be able to sense the emotions of others. Yet, I have felt nothing from others." The Medicham turns round to look at me as best he can with his cloudy eyesight. He considers me for a long moment. Then he says, "You cannot sense the feelings of others because you are not acquainted with your own emotions. I sensed it the moment you set foot here. You have built a barrier against your emotions, and turn your feelings into the punches you throw at your opponents." He stops once more to collect his thoughts. "In order to sense another's aura, you must feel comfortable with your own." "But...how do I know my own emotions if I can't even feel them?" "You [I]can[/I] feel them. You just have to let them in." I stay silent for a long while, thinking. [I]Let them in...let them in. Let them in.[/I][hr][center][color=white]♣ [url=http://q.pokefarm.org/forum/post/365413][color=white][u]Go to next chapter[/u][/color][/url] ♣[/color][/center][/font][/color][/background][/css][IMG]http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/4/a/riolu_bottom1_by_brookreed-d7si9ib.png[/IMG]

Wow, amazing story. Very interesting especially the more you read. Can't wait to see what happens next. I have so many questions: why is Gallant so mad? why did Prior leave and what is he doing now and that mysterious Snark. Can't wait to see how this story turns out. XD

[IMG]http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/c/2/riolu_top1_by_brookreed-d7si9i1.png[/IMG][background=http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/7/2/riolu_middle1_by_brookreed-d7si9i6.png][css=padding-left:15px;padding-right:13px][color=lightgray][font=Times New Roman][center][size=11]♣ [b]Chapter 6[/b] ♣[/size][/center]It is the final day of my training. I am exhausted. My entire body feels as though a single gust of wind could blow it away. And yet, Master Medicham drives me harder than ever. And his final test is the most difficult task of all. To pass his training successfully, I must best the old Pokémon in battle. If I fail, the training will have all been in vain. Another Pokémon might have thought the battle against an elderly, half-blind former warrior might be easy. But I know better. Master Medicham always knows more than he lets on. Everything he says barely scratches the surface of the meaning beneath it. I have seen his wisdom--and now I am about to see this experience coupled with his fighting skills. I don't think I can face him, yet the battle begins anyway. I clench my paws into fists and hold them defensively in front of me, watching the Medicham. He has his staff in one hand, and despite being almost completely blind he still seems to know my exact position. He makes the first move, and I barely manage to dodge out of the way of his Force Palm attack. And yet even as I land he turns and uses his staff to sweep my feet out from under me, and then sends me flying with another Force Palm. I skid through the snow, my movements slow and unsteady with fatigue even as I struggle to my feet. "Concentrate!" Master Medicham says, still instructing despite also opposing me. "Just a little longer!" "I can barely stand, let alone fight!" I shout back angrily. My exhaustion has put me into a terrible mood; I am irritable and frustrated. "Let your willpower take over!" Master Medicham proclaims even as he charges at me. I throw my paws up to block the blow, but he sends me flying backwards with a harsh kick to the chest. A series of punches rains down before my opponent backs off, waiting to see if I will get up or let myself stay defeated. "Reason, you aren't even trying." Master Medicham's resigned voice comes from near me, though my eyes are shut trying to keep tears of pain and frustration inside. I have never cried, not ever. I will not cry now. I will not give up. In what I hope is a sudden movement, I lunge towards Master Medicham. Yet the skilled Pokémon easily leaps out of my way, and gives me a half-hearted kick in the back as I fall flailing past him. "I can't hit you..." I say. "You're too fast...too strong..." "Remember your willpower," Master Medicham says. "Remember your emotions!" I can hear him coming up behind me. Perhaps to finish the battle, or perhaps to simply tell me that I have failed. But I refuse to give him that chance. With a wild cry I turn, landing a Force Palm right on the Medicham. The force of the attack sends him flying across the ground. And at that moment I let my tears fall. A raw surge of emotion comes flashing through me--my anger and frustration is swept away as all the emotions I hid myself from. Sadness, guilt, loneliness. Doubts of my past actions, even when I assured myself I was so sure of my decisions. And my focus turns to my opponent. I practically fly towards the downed Medicham, delivering blow after blow after blow. It seems like forever until Master Medicham raises a hand to deflect one of my punches. I let my balled paws fall to my side, though I don't unclench them. "That's it, Reason. You have passed my training." He stands slowly, using his staff for support. "My goal was to get you to bring out not only your emotions, but your natural ability. Your Steadfast is evident now, and your spirit is even stronger." "Steadfast," I repeat. My exhaustion begins to return, as does the ever-present ache of my body. But I have done it--passed Master Medicham's training, and discovered how to use my ability as well. Physically, I don't feel any stronger. But my spirit feels as though it could soar higher than the clouds. And I have grown stronger. [center]♣ ♣ ♣[/center] Gallant may not care that I have returned, and Snark may not notice me, but I am sure Nodi will be proud. This thought is what gets me home--Master Medicham wouldn't let me eat anything before I journeyed back, but my spirit felt so energized that it was more than enough to sustain me. Still, I try to push away tempting thoughts of the delicious berries Nodi will have back in her cave. As I near my destination, I hear a familiat voice. I turn as Gallant speaks from high up in an towering evergreen tree. "Well, would you look at that?" she says. "The newbie came back." "I never truly left," I respond. "And I'm not a newbie any more." "We'll see about that." [hr][center][color=white]♣ [url=http://q.pokefarm.org/forum/post/370964][color=white][u]Go to next chapter[/u][/color][/url] ♣[/color][/center][/font][/color][/background][/css][IMG]http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/4/a/riolu_bottom1_by_brookreed-d7si9ib.png[/IMG]

Interesting. I really look forward to more - when I'm not busy clicking that is.

[IMG]http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/c/2/riolu_top1_by_brookreed-d7si9i1.png[/IMG][background=http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/7/2/riolu_middle1_by_brookreed-d7si9i6.png][css=padding-left:15px;padding-right:13px][color=lightgray][font=Times New Roman][center][size=11]♣ [b]Chapter 7[/b] ♣[/size][/center]Another month has gone by. I have been trying to use my newly-discovered Steadfast ability in battle, and also develop my abilities to sense emotions. I haven't been very successful at the latter, but I know I am growing stronger still. On a particularly sunny day after training, I stand in the high branches of the tree I just conquered. Around me the snowy land fades into a hazy horizon, dazzlingly white with ice and sharp as ever with cold. A movement below me distracts me, however. I look down to see none other than Gallant walking below me, seeming completely unaware of my presence. I decide to follow her, perhaps so I can do a sneak attack on her. She had once again brutally beat me in training the day before, and though I tried not to be terribly upset I was still looking for a reason to fight. This would be the perfect opportunity to attack. And maybe, just maybe, I would win. I begin to leap silently across the trees, using the thicker branches of the towering evergreen trees to balance on as I keep her in view below. She is looking around as though she does not want to be seen--but she has neglected to look up, where I am following undetected far above. I come to the last tree within jumping distance as she leaves the shelter of the frozen forest and heads out into the open, on the lake shore. I frown, wondering at what she could be doing here. Perhaps she had in fact overheard my telling of swimming in the lake under Master Medicham's training, and has decided to try it for herself. She walks out as far as the ice forming on the lake's edges will allow her to, and then leaps to another ice block, going further out across the lake. I continue to watch silently. She is headed straight across--straight for the island where Master Medicham said a legendary Pokémon lived. Why could she be going out there? I decide to follow her across the ice, and use the path she had taken to do so. There could be nothing out there on the lake, unless what Master Medicham had said was true. But I don't think Gallant is one to believe in stories. And even if the tale is true, what could Gallant want to do with a legendary Pokémon? Unless, perhaps, she is receiving some sort of secret training... The thought makes me move faster, leaping from ice block to ice block. Extra training from a legendary Pokémon would explain why she is so skilled in battle. And if she [I]is[/I] getting training from such a powerful Pokémon, then I want to be in on it, too. I reach the island, letting my paw steps trace the trail Gallant has left. I come to the entrance of the cave where Gallant has vanished into the darkness beyond. I take a deep breath, preparing myself for what great deity Pokémon I might encounter--and am completely unprepared for the scream that reaches my ears. Without hesitating, I enter the cave. As I do, a bright light begins to shine, coming from a small Pokémon that is pale and yellow in colour. Its eyes appear to be closed--perhaps it is asleep, even. But I can tell it is far from slumbering when I see Gallant, the source of the scream, lying on the wet cave floor, her body contorting in pain. And I can make out the words that Gallant is screaming. She is begging the Pokémon before her. "St-Stop! This isn't what I wanted!" I rush to Gallant, pulling her so that she is facing me. She continues to scream, her eyes unseeing even as I force her to look at me. "Stop, stop! It's too much!" she wails. "I...can't..." I let Gallant slide to the floor as I turn to the glowing Pokémon that hovers nearby. "What have you done to her?!" In my mind, I hear a voice. It is a clear and calm sound, and I know it comes from the creature before me. "I have only done what she asked me to do." "She doesn't want this!" I shout back. "She asked for all the knowledge in the universe. And I, the Being of Knowledge known as Uxie, am granting it to her." "You're killing her!" My paws clench into fists as anger courses through me. "Knowledge is a heavy burden to bear." The emotionless voice is so uncaring, so unknowing of the pain Gallant is in. Gallant weakly claws at her head, still screaming and begging for the pain to stop. "Stop this!" I demand. "Knowledge cannot be stopped," replies the voice. I turn back towards Gallant, reaching out to hold her twitching body steadily. "Gallant, Gallant, stay with me..." I don't know if she hears me, though her scream dies down to a moan for a moment. I have to do something. If I don't, I am sure Uxie will kill Gallant. And Gallant does not deserve a death such as this. I stand to my full height, and face Uxie. I will not let this hovering Pokémon that does not even have the audacity to open its eyes and see the pain it is causing Gallant to kill the Gabite in this way. I take a step, and then I am flying at the Pokémon, ready to deliver a Force Palm to the center of its body. But I don't even make it anywhere near Uxie. The glowing light around the Pokémon throws me backwards. I skid to a halt, the rush of previous emotion disappearing. Gallant has lost even the energy to scream. Now she lays still, moaning softly. "My head...it hurts...there's so much...so much..." I can't even attack the thing that is killing Gallant. I am not strong enough. I can't save her...can't... I lift Gallant as best I can, pressing my forehead against that of the dying Pokémon. I can't attack Uxie directly...but perhaps I can use my emotion-sensing abilities to share Gallant's burden. Concentrating as hard as I can, I try to focus on Gallant alone. I don't fight the terror that is rising within me, but instead use it to channel my own soul towards Gallant's. And a moment later, I can see everything that Gallant is seeing. Faintly, I can feel my body seize up as the things within Gallant's mind are transferred into my own. There are things I don't understand, things I know are not of this world and should never be known, but Uxie is giving Gallant everything. Stars, planets, people, and Pokémon flash through my mind in an instant. And it hurts so, so much, but I can't stop until Gallant is safe. And then, quite suddenly, everything is gone. Well, not exactly--I am still in Gallant's head. But I have gone deeper into her mind, past all the knowledge Uxie is flooding her with. Now, only Gallant herself remains. I don't understand the things I see. I seem to be viewing scenes of the past as though from Gallant's perspective. I see a young trainer with a mane of blonde hair, and other Pokémon such as a Feebas and a Shellos. There is even a Riolu, though it is not me. I see these Pokémon fighting alongside her, and the human commanding the team with skill on the battlefield and rewarding them after a hard day's work. And I can feel Gallant's emotions towards these fellow teammates. They were a group that Gallant once called family. And then, suddenly, Gallant's emotions changed. Betrayal, loneliness, and frustration set in, as the family began to quarrel among itself, their trainer desperately trying to keep the team from falling apart. There was a final moment of blind hatred as the Riolu on the team struck me--no, struck Gallant, I had to remind myself--down, calling her weak and useless. And then there was only Gallant, running, running, running as fast and as far as she could... Suddenly, I am thrown back out from Gallant's inner mind, back to myself. My head physically throbs, and Gallant has slumped to the ground, perhaps dead. But I take the knowledge that I received from Gallant, and I channel it to my next attack. I condense it into a punch, just as Master Medicham had said. And then I attack Uxie once more, hurling all the knowledge back at it in a Force Palm attack. And this time, my attack hits. As soon as I make contact, the deity Pokémon lets out a cry before vanishing in a flash of light, its own knowledge being its downfall. The darkness returns, but I find my way to Gallant. She is still breathing, though shallowly. Through the darkness, I hear her voice. "R-Reason?" "Shh, don't try to talk," I say. "Oh Arceus, I'm glad you're safe." I can't see Gallant's reaction to that last part, and even I am a tad surprised at myself. She is, perhaps, my greatest opponent, but she is also part of Nodi's family. And I mean it when I say I am glad she is safe. "My head..." Gallant murmurs. Quietly, I say, "Let's get you back to Nodi's cave." [center]♣ ♣ ♣[/center] Nodi sent me out of the cave because she said my hovering was making her nervous. But I can't focus on training, and Snark has wandered off somewhere anyway. I see Nodi come out of the cave, and hurry to her. "Is she going to be okay, Nodi?" I ask. "I think so. She went through a horrible ordeal, poor thing." I had held off on telling Nodi the full story, saying that the Gabite had been attacked by some Pokémon and I had fought them off after they felled her. Not the entire truth, but not exactly a lie, either. As Nodi leaves the cave, I hurry over to Gallant's bedside. She appears to be asleep, lying under the covers as I had done upon my arriving all those months ago. She has a few bandages wrapped around her head, and her facial expression seems off without its ever-present glare, but other than that she looks fine. Peaceful, even. It isn't the Gallant I am used to, and yet seeing her like this makes a strange feeling of comfort come over me. "Gallant..." I whisper. "Why did you have to get yourself hurt..." "Newbie...is that you?" I gasp, not realizing she was awake. I blurt out, "Gallant, you're awake!" She snorts softly. "Clearly." "How do you feel?" "Fine..." She lets out a very low groan, however. "Just stay here and rest," I say. "I'll be here if you need anything." I sit down across from her, ready to wait as long as she might need me here. Even if she tells me to go away, or insults me, I know she needs me to care for her in this moment. Her response surprises me, however. "Yes...thank you...Reason."[hr][center][color=white]♣ [url=http://q.pokefarm.org/forum/post/379547][color=white][u]Go to next chapter[/u][/color][/url] ♣[/color][/center][/font][/color][/background][/css][IMG]http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/4/a/riolu_bottom1_by_brookreed-d7si9ib.png[/IMG]

[IMG]http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/c/2/riolu_top1_by_brookreed-d7si9i1.png[/IMG][background=http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/7/2/riolu_middle1_by_brookreed-d7si9i6.png][css=padding-left:15px;padding-right:13px][color=lightgray][font=Times New Roman][center][size=11]♣ [b]Chapter 8[/b] ♣[/size][/center]A few days after Gallant's episode, she is ready to join us once again for battle practice. It had been only Snark and I during the time she spent recovering, and I find that I am looking forward to battling Gallant once more. It is obvious that since the encounter with Uxie that Gallant seems...different. She is more reserved, and less prone to lashing out with words or claws. Yet, when I look at her, I too see her differently. I thought I knew her well before the incident, but the memories I saw as I struggled to save her from the deity Pokémon showed me there is far more I do not understand. And I am unsure whether Gallant knows I saw these things. And on that day, I finally manage to beat Gallant in battle. It was not because she was any less powerful--on the contrary, she seems to think her moves through and take a more strategic approach. But even after I beat her, the victory does not seem as important as it might have been only days before. Afterward, I don't offer my paw to help her stand, but I do pick up the purple scarf she still wears and hand it back to her. She looks surprised for a moment as I offer the stolen prize to her. Then, she nods to me. Taking it gently from my hand, she says, "Thank you, Reason." Again, she thanked me. It is the second time yet. And she hadn't called me newbie, but instead used my name. It makes me wonder--have I finally earned her respect, after all those months of trying to prove myself to her? Something tells me I earned her respect, and also something more in the process. [center]♣ ♣ ♣[/center] A week later, I find myself again locked in a battle against Gallant. Nodi stands off to the side, watching as the Gabite and I collide once more. I rush forward, preparing to feint and deliver a Force Palm. But before I can get close, she uses a sudden Sandstorm attack, the force of which throws me backward. Now I can barely see her, and the mix of snow and sand is disorienting. I growl to myself and narrow my eyes. "Can't see a thing..." Her voice sounds just behind me. "That's kind of the point." I am sent flying forward, landing on the snowy ground once again. As best I can, I attempt to use my emotion-seeking abilities. A moment later I can sense where she is--and from where she is about to attack. "I see you!" I shout as I block her Slash attack. She vanishes once more into the sandstorm. I can feel her emotions growing, spreading out to fill her and energize her for the next attack. I know I must move to land a blow before she comes after me. "Here I come!" I shout as I rush in her direction, following the swell of emotions coming from her. Suddenly, though, I skid to a halt. In the last moment, the emotions I was sensing swelled so suddenly, and now something feels different. And then, the sandstorm clears, and I see that she has, indeed, changed. Her stout Gabite body has grown larger and far more agile. She stands silhouetted against the bright snow, the sunlight reflecting off her Garchomp scales in a million tiny colours. "That sandstorm concealed me...and my evolution!" Gallant shouts. "Wow--!" I exclaim. "Don't get distracted!" Gallant growls before charging at me and sending me flying in my moment of distraction. But I couldn't care about that--seeing her new evolution form was amazing. But then another thought hits me, striking me harder than the ground as I fall. Prior left right after he evolved. Would Gallant do the same, even as a possible friendship was beginning to form between us? Nervously I stand, and look to Nodi. "Congratulations, Gallant," Nodi says, nodding with a pleased expression. Gallant puffs out her chest, lashing her tail. "This new form is so much stronger." "What will you do now?" Nodi asks. Gallant shrugs slightly. "Keep training, I guess." She pauses, and then gives a slight shake of her head. "I still have a lot to learn." I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Gallant was going to stay. And we could grow stronger--together. Nodi acknowledges this with an affirming nod. But then, the Nidoqueen frowns. "Have either of you seen Snark? He has been showing up later and later to training, but I haven't seen him at all today." I shrugged. "I thought maybe he was doing some sort of special training for you." I had tried to ask Snark about his long periods of absence, but he had shrugged it off, saying he was getting in some extra training on his own. "He wasn't at breakfast, either," Gallant offers. "He's been going off on his own so much lately...I'm beginning to get worried." Nodi pauses. "Why don't you two take the rest of the day off and look for him?" "Sure. And I can fly in this form, so that should make the search easier," Gallant says. "What do you say, Reason?" "Yeah, let's go!" [center]♣ ♣ ♣[/center] Sitting on Gallant's back with the wind whipping around us, we search for Snark together. So far, though, we haven't had any luck. "See anything?" Gallant asks, shouting over the sound of the wind. "Your eyes are better than mine, so how should I know?" I ask. "True." A moment later, she twitches excitedly. "Hey, I think I see footprints!" "Where?" I ask, narrowing my eyes against the icy wind. "On a cloud," she replies with heavy sarcasm. "They're on the ground, of course." Gallant lands on the snow, and I leap off her back. Together, we examine the tracks. They are definitely Sneasel tracks, but there are many Sneasel around this place and I cannot tell if they are Snark's footprints or another's. "Hey, look," Gallant says, pointing with a claw to the trunk of a tree. At first I can't see anything, but then I notice a pattern slashed into the bark--an odd shape that resembles an eye with a slash mark through it. Just like Snark's scarred eye. "It must have been Snark," I say. I look over at Gallant, who is staring off into the distance. "Gallant?" I ask. "This is bad..." she says. "Gallant, what is it?" I ask. "The tracks!" she says. "Yes, what about them?" Normally, I would expect her to reply with sarcasm, but the tone she uses worries me. "Look where the tracks lead, Reason." I follow the tracks with my eyes. They lead through the forest, to a clearing I can just see through the trees. And within that clearing... "Oh, no," I whisper, realizing why Gallant sounds so panicked. The footprints lead up to the Snowpoint Temple--the place that ordinary Pokémon are never meant to set foot near. Still in a whisper, as though some great spirit might be disturbed if I speak to loud, I ask, "Did he go...[I]inside[/I]?" "Oh...this is really, really bad," Gallant says. "What do we do?" I ask. "Should we go after him?" "No...no, that would make it worse," Gallant says. "Let's wait and see if he comes out on his own..." "Sounds like a good ide--" I begin, but am interrupted as the ground suddenly shakes and a strange, unearthly noise echoes through the silent forest. "Arceus, what is that?!" I exclaim. "Sacred ground...for a sacred Pokémon," Gallant whispers. At that moment, a dark blur comes rushing form the temple, springing past us. A Sneasel--Snark. But behind the tiny Sneasel, another Pokémon follows. It is huge, bulky, and though slow it is the most terrifying thing I have ever seen. It looks like no other Pokémon, with a strange, thick body that moves but doesn't seem quite alive. The creature bellows once more before continuing to pursue Snark. Gallant and I dive into the trees lining the path as the massive Pokémon barrels past, knocking trees down as though they are merely twigs. Gallant is focused as ever, thankfully. As soon as the creature is past she says, "We have to help Snark!" I leap onto her back as she takes off, flying after the monster. "What is that thing?!" I shout over the wind. "It's Regigigas! The great slumbering giant, put into an endless sleep in hopes it would never awaken..." She doesn't need to say anymore, for I can guess the consequences as she comes up behind the creature. "Hold on!" Gallant shouts. She folds her wings into a steep dive, rocketing sideways across the path of the Regigigas and snatching Snark just before the giant can grab him. The creature fires a Hyper Beam, but as Gallant gains altitude she is able to dodge it easily. Gallant flies in the opposite direction, until the creature's bellows are only echoes. The, she lands at the top of a tall tree, folding her wing sails back. "Oi! Put me on the ground!" Snark demands. It was a known fact that Snark isn't fond of heights. "Shut up! If you think you're in a position to talk, you have another think coming!" Gallant unceremoniously drops him onto a branch. At the same time, a massive explosion happens in the distance from the direction we just came from. But Gallant keeps her gaze focused on Snark. "You have three seconds to tell me what in Arceus' name you were doing, or so help me I will drop you from this tree." "I don't have to tell you anyth--" Snark begins, but then Gallant grabs him by the leg and flips him upside down so that he is hanging over the forest floor far below. "One!" Gallant says, beginning to count. "Not talking!" Snark says defiantly. "Two!" Gallant says, letting him slip a bit. "Okay, okay!" Snark says. "I just wanted to challenge Regigigas to a battle." "Why in Arceus' name would you do that?" I ask, though I share the briefest of glances with Gallant. This story is all too similar to her encounter with Uxie. "I wanted to win a battle for a change!" Snark snaps. "You two are so strong I can't even compete." Grudgingly, Gallant sets Snark back down. Then she says, "That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard." Yet there was something in her tone that acknowledged she could understand why Snark had gone looking to prove himself. Another explosion occurs, but this time closer. Gallant and I look up at the smoke rising in the distance. "Come on, Reason," Gallant says. "Let's take this monster out." She shoots a glare at Snark. "You coming with us, or not?" "Fine," Snark glowers. "Reason and I can attack from the ground, and you can fly in from the sky." And just like that, we move out. As I run towards the explosions and unearthly bellowing, I pass Pokémon fleeing in the opposite direction. Sneasel and Snover run past, herded by an Abomasnow who looks at me fearfully. These Pokémon are running away from certain destruction. Yet we are running straight into it. I waste no time in attacking with a Force Palm, with Snark using Slash beside me. But even though I make contact with the blow, I can see is does absolutely nothing. The Regigigas doesn't even seem to feel the blow--it does, hoever, notice when Gallant attacks with a powerful Dragon Rage from above. Gallant dodges a Hyper Beam, but now that Regigigas has targeted her she can't get close without endangering herself. "Gallant!" I shout, struck by a sudden thought. "I have an idea!" Our attacks are useless, as they were with Uxie. But perhaps I can try to use my aura-seeing powers to try to calm the Regigigas. I shout up to her once again, "I just need to touch auras with it!" "How are you supposed to do that?" she shouts back. I pause. I hadn't thought that far ahead. With Uxie, it had been done suddenly and in the spur of the moment, but how am I supposed to focus when I am against an opponent that uses Hyper Beam on anything within ten feet of it? But I am going to have to get close, and showing aggression will not help. So I say back to Gallant, "I'm going to walk right towards it." "What--!" Gallant says as I close my eyes and begin to walk towards Regigigas. I find my own aura, surrounding me and filling me with emotion. Slowly, I reach those raw emotions out toward Regigigas. I murmur gently, "Hear me...sense me...let me in..." I repeat the words, both out loud and in my head, trying to calm Regigigas. I walk until my outstretched paws are resting against Regigigas. And then, I can see into Regigigas' mind. It's not like Gallant's mind, though. There is more, yet less within it. It is alien and strange, but as I pry deeper I find the roots of the emotions are the same as those of every other living creature. And I can see it now. Regigigas is not a monster--it was awakened from its slumber. It has a right to be angry. But now awoken, it is only looking for a good fight...an opponent that could stand a chance against it... And I know that feeling more than anyone. [center]♣ ♣ ♣[/center] I watch from above as Reason slowly walks towards the Regigigas. He has a small glow around him, and the Regigigas also begins to glow just slightly. He walks until he reaches the creature and can place his paws gently upon it. "You're doing it, Reason," I whisper. "Keep going..." Then, quite suddenly, I see a blur rush towards Regigigas. Snark, left unattended as Reason carried out his plan, has decided to take the moment to attack the calm Regigigas. In one awful moment that seems to take centuries, I see Regigigas turn, swiping Reason's small body across the clearing with one hand. With the other, it picks up Snark and hurls him in the opposite direction. "Reason!" I shout, rushing towards the where the Riolu landed in a blur. As I rush towards him, however, I find Nodi has appeared, leaning over the little Riolu with his ever-present covering of bandages. "Nodi!" I gasp, landing next to her. "I...we...Snark...we couldn't..." Nodi holds up a hand to stop my babbling. "You did all that you could. And that is good enough." "But the Regigigas--" "I know," Nodi says, turning to look directly at me. "I will handle it. You must take Reason to a safe place. And whatever happens, you must not interfere with this battle." "Please, Nodi...be careful," I whisper. Nodi turns without another word and begins to walk towards the rampaging monster. I gather Reason up and fly up into a tall tree, though I stay near enough so that I can still see Nodi facing off against the Regigigas. I set Reason down gently on a thick branch. "Oh, Reason..." I whisper even as I turn my attention to the battle. "You tried your best..."[hr][center][color=white]♣ [url=http://q.pokefarm.org/forum/post/386059][color=white][u]Go to next chapter[/u][/color][/url] ♣[/color][/center][/font][/color][/background][/css][IMG]http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/208/4/a/riolu_bottom1_by_brookreed-d7si9ib.png[/IMG]

I'm beginning to detect a patter, here...

A patter? What patter? I know you meant pattern but it was funny. I can also sort of see it.

Hehe, patterns are good. Pft, that last chapter was actually twice as long in the original draft, so I had to cut it in half so as not to post a wall of text. Heh, sometimes I wish the effort I put into fanfictions could be put into writing an actual novel or at least catching up on RP posts. But nope, looks like I am destined to write fanfiction and fanfiction alone.

A Pokemon thinks they're not strong enough, they go to someone(usually a Legendary) for help, Reason ends up somehow cleaning up their mess. Also, I so understand. For some reason i'm only able to RP, and write Pokemon fanfictions.