A Beginning

-- --

‘Thoughts'   "Speech"   (Pokespeech)  (Telepathy)

-- --

Under a blue afternoon sky, below the high branches of a forest east to Lake Verity, a single figure could be seen walking down a roughly-made path.

His name was Zeke, and you could tell by his appearance that he traveled down this path a lot.  His clothes were worn and had multiple scratches and tears in it, and his body didn't look all that better either.  From head to toe, he was covered in scratches and bruises; he even had a scar that cut vertically across his right shoulder, but was currently covered by his crimson t-shirt and a black, leather jacket.

The 18 year old was walking home, tired from his long day at work.  As he walked down the self-created trail in a pair of brown hiking boots and an old pair of jeans, he reviewed the events of his day.

He worked at the local lab run by the famous professor Rowan.  He managed to get a job there after he showed the professor one of his most unique talents.  Though, even if it did pay well, most of it went into his local bank account.

You see, Zeke could talk to Pokemon.  Even he didn't know how he did it; he used it to his and others advantage.

Zeke worked at the lab as a Pokemon translator, his only request was that the professor to keep his gift a secret.  Whenever the professor had trouble understanding a Pokemon's needs, or was working on a new study, Zeke wasn't very far behind.  Most of the Pokemon at the lab trusted and even befriended Zeke, him understanding just about anything they wanted to talk about.  Many of them found that Zeke would understand the problems they were going through, and he would keep it a secret if they asked.

Today though had been a slow day for him and as such, the professor had let him take the day off.  All in all, Zeke's life at the lab was pretty relaxed, although none of them knew of his life outside of the lab.

Speaking of home, Zeke saw the wooden cottage he called home through the branches and undergrowth of the forest.  Although it wasn't much, at only being two rooms large, it was what he had known as home for the past two years.

He walked up the creaking, oak steps and up to the front door, ready for a hot meal, and nice nap.

As he opened up the door, he wasn't surprised to see a shiny Quilava sleeping on his bed.  Instead of the normally seen, navy blue fur that could be seen on a Quilava's back, she had a ruby red coat.  Also the tan that could be seen on her underside was also shade darker than the typical Quilava.  And while seen awake, if she felt herself or Zeke threatened, she could have bright orange flames burning across the top of her head, and across her back, but since she was asleep, the flames were put out, revealing the bright red colored hot spots of her fur that the fire would ignite from.

‘Ah, typical Scarlett.'  Zeke had long since grown accustomed to coming home to see the crimsoned-furred Pokemon sprawled on his bed, or outside, just exploring parts of the forest.  He was sure that Scarlett would be surprised when she woke up.

Although he only had to go to work three times a week, he typically didn't get back until late in the night.  Zeke chose that he'd leave the fire type on his bed; he needed to get dinner ready anyway.

One drawback to living out in the forest was the lack of electricity.  The only form of electric power Zeke had in his home was a gas-powered generator in the back that he managed to get from the professor.  Although it was small, creating just enough electricity to power Zeke's refrigerator, it was quiet and clean enough to not disturb the forest or its inhabitants.

Today though, that little fact didn't matter as Zeke had managed to get some fresh fish down by the market.  One great thing about living to a town so close to a lake would be the constant stock and affordability of fish.  With the large Trout in the fridge, Zeke got a fire going in the shack's fireplace.

Within minutes, Zeke had a nice fire going, his years of experience making it all the easier.  As he waited for the coals to cool down to an appropriate temperature, he remembered the day he had met the Pokemon who he considered family.

-- 2 Years Ago --

"Ugh, oh man, where am I?" a 16 year old Zeke asked to no one in particular.

‘The last thing I remember was... wait a minute, I can't remember anything,' Zeke thought as he staggered to his feet.  ‘Well, standing around isn't going to get anything done.'

With that thought in mind, Zeke started scouting around, looking for anything that might tell him who he was.  The only thing he seemed to remember was his name, but it wasn't like that was going to help him much at the moment.  Eventually after several minutes of fruitless searching, he finally managed to find what looked like some sort of weapon on the ground.  It was placed in a black sheath with his name on it, so he assumed it was his and strapped it onto his pants.

Now that he found something, Zeke gave up the search, but promised to come back later.  Just as he was about to head to his right, something caught his attention.

BANG!

Well, one thing for sure, it was loud.  So Zeke, ignoring his instincts screaming at him to run the other way, headed in the direction he heard the loud noise.

It was a few minutes before he found anything.  Just as he was about to give up he heard the sound again, and this time it was a lot closer.  So with more caution than before he continued onward.

As he was about to break through the undergrowth in front of him, he stopped as he heard voices on the other side.

"Did you see where they went John?"

"No, I think we lost them again Greg."

"Well, lets not stop now, we almost have them."

With that, Zeke stayed as still as possible until the two, he guessed, poachers were gone.  Once he was sure he wouldn't be heard, he emerged from his cover and followed the two mysterious men.

He hadn't been walking long before he heard them yet again.

"Alright now, come nice and quietly, and we won't have to hurt you."

Zeke decided to take his chances and peek through the brush, and what he saw shocked him.  He saw two large canines, both with tan fur on their chests, but while one had navy colored fur on its back, the other had a ruby red.  They also both had flames that spread across their shoulders and the back of their necks.  When he took a closer look he even noticed a smaller version of the creature with red fur cowering behind the larger one.

The one with navy fur, the male was his guess, ignored the human and responded by using a flamethrower.  Sadly, it scared the two gunned men and they opened fire with their MP5s on it.  The poor guy never stood a chance; Zeke looked away as he heard the dying cries of the creature.

"Well, that's one more Pokemon out of our way."

Zeke was stunned at the emotionless tone of his voice.  He just killed, even murdered, and yet he talked about it like it was an everyday thing.  He continued to watch as one of the poachers aimed for the second one and yet again opened fire.  Meanwhile Zeke just continued to watch on helplessly.

He then remembered something, the weapon he found.  He knew he'd probably regret it in the morning, but at that moment he didn't care.  The only thing he cared about was saving the lives of those two remaining Pokemon.

So being extremely cautious, he slid the object out of its sheath, finding it to be a large hunting knife, and slowly stood up.  He readied himself for what he was about to do, he'd be damned if he watched them kill the little one.  He saw that the closer of the two had his back to him and so he threw the knife, hoping for all miracles to get a hit.

Lucky for him, his aim held true.  The knife flew through the air, embedding itself in the back of the man's neck.  He was running, already halfway to the man as the guy died instantly.  He made a grab for the man's rifle knowing he only had a few seconds.  He aimed at the second man just as the guy looked at him.

Zeke didn't even give the man time to speak as he emptied what was left of the clip into the guy.  Once he was sure both men were dead, he fell on his bottom, the adrenaline going away.  He looked over at the creatures known as Pokemon and was surprised to see the mother talking to the younger one.

He scowled as he saw the critical condition of the scarlet canine.  He felt sympathy for the smallest one, who was obviously still a child.  He decided to try and talk to her, knowing that her time was quickly coming to an end.

-- --

He noticed that as soon as the two noticed him, they gave him their attention.

"Uh, hey," Zeke said, feeling a little awkward from the stares.

(Thanks human,) the mother greeted, her voice ragged and forced.

"You talk!" Zeke screamed, not expecting that.

(You can understand me?) The mother asked with her voice full of curiosity.

"Uh, yeah, I can," Zeke answered, calmed down from his initial shock.

(Well then, that changes everything, thanks for saving my daughter human.)

"Yeah sure, don't mention it; I just did what any person should have done."

(What's your name?) She asked.

"It's Zeke, and you?"

(My name's Venus and this is my daughter, Scarlett,) she said, motioning toward the child.  (Zeke, I know it's sudden, and we don't really know each other at all, so I wouldn't know if this would be a mistake, but could you take care of Scarlett, like an older brother.  We both know I'm not going to survive much longer, and if you were willing to get yourself killed to protect us.  Well, I feel I can trust you with her and besides, there's no one else to do it.  So could you Zeke?)

"Yeah, definitely, how could I say no?"

(Thank you, Zeke,) Venus continued, (could you give me and my daughter some time?)

"Sure," Zeke said as he turned around, "I'll be right over here," he said as he pointed to the edge of the clearing.

Once out of earshot of the two Pokemon, Zeke decided to take a look at the damage.  He felt a bit squeamish as he looked at what he guessed was the father of the group.  He continued turning his gaze until his eyes came on the first man he killed.  He walked up to the guy and reached down to grab his knife, he might need this later.  As he took a look at the last man though, he was scared to realize he didn't feel any sort of sympathy for the man, in fact, he felt almost happy that he was dead.  Yet, that was what scared him more than anything.

He took another look at the couple and felt his heart sink as he saw Scarlett curled up next to her mother's motionless body.

‘Wow, poor thing, she just lost both her parents, even worse she had to watch both of them die right in front of her,' Zeke thought as he headed over to Scarlett.

"C'mon Scarlett, let's get out of here, I don't like to be around this much death."

Scarlett didn't answer; she just laid there, staring off into space.  Zeke exhaled a sigh and picked her up, wrapping her in his arms, and started carrying her away from the site.  After a few minutes, Zeke felt his heart break, as he finally heard her break into sobs.

-- End Flashback --

Zeke was brought out of his thoughts as he heard Scarlett stir behind him.  After the incident, Zeke had later learned the name of her species were Cyndaquil, while her parents had been Typhlosion.  Of course, within the past two years, Scarlett had since evolved into a Quilava.

Zeke ran a hand through his spiky, black hair as he continued to sit on a chair in front of the fire, waited for the Quilava to wake up, his bright blue eyes staring at her, unflinching.  Zeke prepared himself for the barrage of questions he would receive.  Although Scarlett had taken on the sisterly role in their relationship, she'd also taken the motherly.

She claimed that it was because she wanted to keep Zeke out of trouble, but he knew it was she did it because if Zeke had learned anything it was that Scarlett's biggest dream was to have little pups of her own.  The thing that had puzzled Zeke though was despite the years; Scarlett never took on a mate.  Whenever he brought it up though, she'd just use an excuse like ‘I didn't meet anybody special this year' or ‘no Zeke, I still haven't found the right guy.'  Zeke's attention was brought off though as he realized he wasn't staring at Scarlett anymore, but into a pair of ruby red eyes.

(Daydreaming again Zeke?) Scarlett asked.

"Scarlett, there's this new thing, you might have heard about it, it's called personal space," Zeke rebutted as he stood up and went back to attending to dinner.  "So, what did you do today?"

(Nothing much, walked around a bit and then slept on your bed for the rest of the time.  I'm guessing that your day hasn't been much either since your home early.)

"Nope it wasn't, but anyway, dinner's ready."

(Really, great!) Scarlett said as she did a little flip off of the bed and headed to the second room of the small home.

Zeke followed her, now wearing a pair of hot oven mittens, holding the hot grate he had over the burning coals.  He grabbed a plate from the small selection he had and placed the metal grate in the sink, taking off his oven mittens, he also placed the cooked fish on the fresh plate.

On his way to the table, he also made sure to grab the bottle of meat seasoning sitting in one of the cupboards and a long cutting knife from one of the drawers.  The one thing that Zeke always did enjoy about buying the fish instead of catching it was the fact that it was already gutted, meaning it was ready for you to eat at any time.  And as he placed it on the table and cut it into two different portions, he and Scarlett dug in.

-- --

"So we have any plans today?" Zeke asked, grabbing a Pecha berry from the basket at the center of the wooden dining table.

(I don't at the moment, why?) Scarlett answered.

"Well mostly because it's only 5:48 and I've got nothing planned."

(You want to go for a walk, maybe you'll think of something, and if not, the walk itself can always count for something.)

"Yeah, guess your right, let's go I guess."

With that, Zeke and Scarlett left the small cottage, no real plans in their head at all.

-- --

They'd been walking for about ten minutes before Scarlett decided to strike up a question.

(Hey Zeke, back there when you were daydreaming, what were you thinking about?)

"I don't know if I should be saying this, but I was having a sort of flashback of the day we met."

Scarlett just remained silent.

Zeke realized his mistake too late and quickly apologize, "Listen Scarlett, I'm sorry for bringing it up."

(No Zeke, it's fine, really, I got over my parent's death a while ago.  I'm not saying I've recovered, but I can talk about it.  Besides it's just like you always say, talking about things always helps, right?) Scarlett responded, flashing Zeke a happy smile.

"Right Scarlett, it's great to see how much you've progressed since then."

(Well Zeke, I wouldn't have been able to if it hadn't been for you.  Heck, I wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for you.  If there's one thing I do know, it's that there's a lot I owe you for.)

"Scarlett, you don't and never will owe me anything.  I promised your mother to be an older brother to you, even if we're different species, we're family, and that's what families do for each other.  They show their support and confidence in you when you have none for yourself.  That's why I did what I did back then.  And let me tell you something, I don't regret any of it, Scarlett, and I'd do it all again if I had to.  Now, come on, no more of this negative talk, let's try to think of something more uplifting."

And as their discussion continued, so did their walk, and eventually, they were once again standing in front of the cabin they called home.

"Well Scarlett, we should probably be going to bed soon, I can't believe we've been gone for almost four hours.  Let's go in before it gets any darker outside, C'mon."

(Right, Zeke,) Scarlett replied as she followed Zeke and entered their quiet little home.

-- --

Now Zeke was lying on his bed, Scarlett curled up on top of his chest, as he stared at the ceiling, random thoughts going through his head.

‘Man, do I wish something exciting would happen for once.  My life's great and all, but sometimes I just wish for some excitement.  Times like these I wonder if maybe I should become a trainer.  I mean, I never went on my own, because with Scarlett losing her parents and all, it just didn't seem right, but it has been two years since then.  Who knows, maybe Scarlett would like to travel too; she already does it on a smaller scale whenever she's exploring our home.  I'm going to have to think about it.  Not to mention, it'd be awesome to meet all the different kinds of Pokemon in the Sinnoh region.  I just need some kind of push.  Oh well, maybe something'll happen tomorrow.'

With those thoughts in mind, Zeke gave in to his body's exhaustion.

-- Dream Sequence --

He was standing in some sort of cargo hold, all the walls, and even the floor were made of some kind of metal.  When he noticed his reflection on the wall, he took a good look.  His appearance didn't look much different from before, but his clothing looked new and well taken care of, instead of the tattered version he wore.  He also noticed that his skin had fewer blemishes than before, many of the cuts and scrapes he got on a daily basis were all missing, but there were still some there.

The big difference was the items on his back.  The thing he eyed the most though were the twin swords that were sheathed and both had to be at least three feet long.  On top of those was some sort of pack that mixed a small oxygen tank, a daypack, and a parachute.  Unfortunately he didn't get to see much else as he turned away; noticing what looked like a metal door in front of him.

All of a sudden he heard what sounded like an intercom turning on in the tight space.  "Alright Zeke, this is Echo 4, we're almost at the drop point, hope your ready to drop the package."

He then spoke himself, "All set Echo, and the package is ready for drop."

His confirmation was followed by a load screeching noise as he noticed the door in front of him opening.  "Alright Zeke, this is a scout mission, your to scout the area and report your findings.  To avoid any detection we're committing to a standard HALO jump, so you might not want to look down."

He heard himself again, "Yeah, yeah, I've done the all before Echo, let's just go already."

"Right Zeke, prepare to drop package in 5... 4... 3... 2... Go!  Go!"

On signal, Zeke felt himself take off at a running pace and leapt out of the hull of the plane, and...

-- End Dream --

BANG!

Zeke woke up to a start as the gunshot went off, waking him and, sadly, Scarlett out of the realm of dreams.

(What's happening!?)

"Scarlett, calm down, it's just a group of poachers."

Sadly, one other negative to living out here would be the hunters and poachers that came through, often waking him and Scarlett up in the middle of the night.  It looked like he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.  Well as the saying goes, if you can't fight them, join them.

"Scarlett, you want to go check these guys out, they're probably here to catch some rare Pokemon and sell it.  Of course, they're on our property, and you know how I don't take kindly to those kinds of people.  So you want to go?"  Zeke asked.

(Uh, sure Zeke,) Scarlett responded now that the initial shock had gone away, (it's not like I'll be getting any more sleep tonight anyway.)

With that Scarlett hoped off the bed and waited for Zeke to get dressed, since he often chose to sleep in his underwear.  Once he was ready in his usual outfit, he grabbed the .243 Winchester caliber rifle he kept for emergencies, and he and the Quilava set out to find the cause of the disturbance.

Zeke was thankful for the full moon as he and his sister set out.  It helped him see better in the dark, even if all he really needed was for Scarlett to lead him, since she could see even during a new moon.  One of the advantages of being a Pokemon, he guessed.

One thing he knew he could always count on though was his sense of direction, as one of the first things Zeke had done was map the surrounding area in his head.  From what he heard before, the gunshot sounded like it had come from the direction of the lake, so that's where he and Scarlett were headed.

After a few minutes of walking however, he and Scarlett noticed a yellow light they knew to be a campfire up ahead, so Zeke put a tighter grip on his weapon, crouched down and preceded cautiously towards what he could only guess to be the poacher's camp.  Once he was hidden behind a bush, he went prone and crawled underneath, Scarlett on his right during the entire time.

As soon as he saw the camp, he knew he'd been right in assuming they were poachers.  All the gear was camo themed.  Camo tents, camo bags, even a pair of camo themed .22 caliber rifles leaning against one of the two tents, well at least now he knew he outgunned them, if nothing else.

The two poachers themselves were sitting around a campfire, dressed in what, why camo of course.  ‘Wow, a little over the top it seems, these two look like their about to go out to war.'

Once Zeke's attention was back on the poachers, he noticed they were having a discussion; he strained his hearing, hoping to hear what these two were doing.

"Jake, where do you suppose she went."

"I don't know Brian, but we've come too far to give up now."

"I agree with you and all, Jake, but don't you think we're pushing it a bit, we've been following her for almost a week straight, she has to be just as tired as us, getting some shut-eye tonight is not going to make a big difference."

"Ugh, as much as I hate to admit when you're right Brian, you're right.  Getting some sleep tonight won't make much of a difference, so let's hit the hay, and be up again early tomorrow."

"Right," Brian replied as he dowsed the fire with a bucket of water, ridding the clearing of the light source.

Seeing that he wouldn't get anymore out of the conversation, Zeke crawled out from under the bush and stood up, wiping himself off.  He looked down to see Scarlett doing the same.  "Well Scarlett," he whispered, "looks like we have a rescue to be made."

Scarlett just nodded her head, (well one thing's for sure, we can't let those two get that Pokemon, and do you have any ideas as to what she might be?)

"Nope, sorry Scarlett, all I got was that she was really rare, maybe if we're lucky it'll be a dragon type."

(Zeke, you hope every Pokemon's a dragon type.)

"Hey, it doesn't hurt to dream, and you know I have a bit of a dragon fetish."

(Fine, fine, let's go, we'll have most of the night to look it seems so let's get started now.)

With that thought in mind the two headed west, their first guess to find the Pokemon, being the lake.

-- --

Lake Verity was like a local tourist attraction, with the natural beauty of the lake on its own, and with all the way to rumors of a sleeping Pokemon beneath the lake, it could attract the attention of just about anyone.  That wasn't why a guy and his Pokemon were at the beach for though.

Zeke and Scarlett had been searching already for the past half hour.  While they had managed to cover most of the east shore, the west was going to be a bit more troublesome.  The terrain was a lot rockier, and there were actually a few caves that something could hide in.  All in all, unless they found something soon, it looked like another long night ahead of them.

-- --

Another hour later, they still had nothing, if they didn't find something soon; they'd have to call off the search.  Although Zeke was willing to fight for himself or Scarlett, he wasn't about to put his life up against these hunters for some Pokemon he didn't even know.

Just when they were about to head into the final cave, Scarlett just sort of stiffened; Zeke knew that she had probably just found something with her nose, and not to interrupt.

(Zeke, follow me, I think I found her.)

With that, Scarlett took off, not into the cave in front of them, but into the forest behind.  Zeke followed without hesitation a second later.  Keeping up with the Quilava was no easy matter though, because while her body was small and could weave between tight spaces, Zeke had to crawl under trees, over rocks, and sometimes had to go around an area all on its own, needless to say, he lost track of her on several occasions.  Eventually though after about ten minutes of following her, he noticed they were approaching a cave that he'd realized he never saw before.

He also looked just in time to see Scarlett run into said cave his last thoughts being, ‘Well, I'm definitely not turning back now,' before he too entered the dark recesses of the cave, his gun pointed at the ready.

With the sunrise still yet to happen though, it was difficult to see much into the cave.  "Hey Scarlett, could you give me some light?"

The cave was then brightened by the flames igniting on the hot spots underneath her fur.  Zeke's attention though wasn't on the Quilava, but the Pokemon next to her.  As he lowered his gun he exclaimed, "Oh Crap!"

(Yeah, I know, they said they found a rare Pokemon, but a Latias!)

In front of Zeke laid a red dragon.  She had wings in place of feet, and a teardrop shaped body.  She also had a blue triangle on her chest, and two arms she could pull against her body to fly at faster speeds.  She was also covered in a down of red and white feathers, which Zeke knew, she could redirect light with to become invisible or even create a whole new appearance.  Although, at the current time she wasn't doing anything since she was unconscious, asleep most likely due to exhaustion.

"Dang!  Scarlett, I think our task just got a whole lot harder.  I mean a freaking Latias; I always said I wanted to meet a dragon type, but definitely not one like this.  Scarlett, how'd you find her though?"

(Personally Zeke, I don't know.  I think she was using telepathy, but your guess is as good as mine.)

"Well I guess that doesn't really matter much, we need to get her home, she definitely can't stay here, those poachers might find her.  Well I'll carry her, but I need you to take point ‘sis, protect her from any obstacles."

With that said Zeke put down his rifle, put his hands under the fainted Latias, lifted her up and put her in a comfortable position on his back.  He was surprised that even though she was only about a half-foot shorter than him, she was incredibly light, probably not weighing anymore than 90 pounds.

"C'mon Scarlett, let's hurry up and get out of here," he announced as he picked his gun up once again.

-- --

"Arceus, what a night," Zeke said as he lay down on his bed, next to the resting Latias.  He had also put his rifle back in its case under his bed.  Too tired to even take off his clothes, he just lied on top of the bed covers.

The trip back, to Zeke's appreciation, was not filled with anywhere near as much excitement as the trip in the opposite direction.  They were also really lucky with the Latias, when Zeke finally checked her, her injuries were a few minor cuts and bruises as it seemed she was only suffering from exhaustion, one good night of sleep and she'd be fine.  The only thing that was bothering Zeke was how quiet their little group had gotten since he and Scarlett had discovered the Eon Pokemon.  He knew it was because similar thoughts were going through her head like they were for him.  One thing's for sure, he had a lot of questions to ask this Pokemon when she woke up.

Now though, Zeke was just tired, being up all night had definitely taken its toll on him.  And as Scarlett once again curled up on his chest, lying next to a new Pokemon, Zeke felt himself give in to his body's needs.

-- --

A few hours later Zeke was once again awoken from his sleep, not by someone else, but by his own stomach growling.  ‘That's right; I haven't eaten anything since that fish I bought yesterday.  I bet Scarlett is hungry too and that Latias is probably starving, so I guess I better get started on breakfast, ' taking a look at the clock he added, ‘or a late lunch.'

So Zeke slowly picked Scarlett off of his chest, placed her on his right side, and went into the kitchen.  Zeke took a look at the small space trying to figure what to have for lunch.  The cupboards lined against the far wall were mostly empty of filled with some sort of spice or seasoning.  He could try to get something out of the fridge to his left, but that really only had some drinks in it to keep cold.

He decided his best bet was to gather some berries outside or have some Pokemon food from out of one of the cupboards.  ‘Well, with our guest I'll probably want to stick with something natural, so berries it is I guess.'  So Zeke grabbed the berry basket that he kept on the dining table in the center of the room, and opened up the screen door in the far right corner and headed to a tree where he knew he could find the best Oran berries.

-- --

Zeke returned 15 minutes later with a basket piled high with berries.  Since he hadn't known how hungry the two Pokemon were, he'd decided to just be safe and grab as many of the blue colored berries as possible.  He brought the basket with him into the main room and placed it on the night stand next to his bed, since it was one of the few pieces of furniture he had in the room.  The other three being a dresser where he kept spare outfits, all of which needed a trip down to the local tailor, the bed, which he was standing at the end of right now, and a chair in between the fireplace and the bed.

He walked up along the left side of the bed until he was standing over the Quilava, reached out and shook her a bit, all the while whispering, "Scarlett, Scarlett, you need to get up ‘sis."

One of the things he had always found weird between the two of them was while he'd always been a light sleeper, his sister definitely wasn't.  Eventually though, he did manage to wake her up.

(Huh?  What?)

"Hey Scarlett," Zeke whispered again, as he got down on his knees to be at her eye level, "you need to get up; you can't sleep the whole day away."

(Can't I just sleep in a few more minutes?) Scarlett asked with her eyes still closed.

"Sorry Scarlett, we have to go to town today, and I need to do some errands, especially now that we have our new friend to take care of."

At the mention of the Latias Scarlett just about jumped up.  (Oh, I thought that was all a dream.)

"Well you weren't dreaming, C'mon, I brought breakfast," he explained, pointing over towards the filled basket.

A few minutes later they were sitting at the end of the bed, both of them munching on a berry, waiting for the Latias to wake up.

(So you think she'll get up anytime soon?)

"I don't know Scarlett, but we aren't going anywhere until she does.  I am not taking any chances with those poachers around."

(Understood Zeke, but can't we just nudge her just a bit,) Scarlett asked, doing her best impression of a tackle.

"No because of two reasons.  One, I've seen how you like to get others up when you're impatient, and you'd probably end up hurting her more than anything.  Two, we don't know how tired she is, so it might be unhealthy not to let her get the rest she needs."

(Come on Zeke, pplleeaassee?) Scarlet pouted, doing the best attempt she could muster at puppy dog eyes.  Zeke just laughed.

"Scarlett, how long has it been since that's worked on me?"

(A couple of months,) Scarlett mumbled, having given up trying to tempt Zeke.

"Exactly, and what did I say about it?"

(That it was your biggest success since rescuing me,) Scarlett continued to mumble.  Zeke just laughed at her embarrassment.

Suddenly the Latias started shifting on the bed, both the other two in the room suddenly quieting down and behaving almost motionless.

Zeke noticed her face was scrunched up in a painful expression; she seemed to be having a bad dream, well it looked like she wasn't waking up after all, false alarm.

(So, are you going to do it?) Scarlett asked next to him.

"What?" Zeke asked, caught off guard by Scarlett's question.

Scarlett explained, (Zeke, you're the most attentive person I know.  When we were younger, right after my parent's deaths, I had nightmares all the time about it.  Somehow you knew that, and whenever I woke up, I'd always find myself in a hug from you.  Zeke, I know you might not realize it but you're probably one of the biggest reasons I got through that time.  You kept reminding me that even if my parents had died, I got a new family in return.)

"Wow, Scarlett I..."

Scarlett cut him off, (And before you say something like ‘I didn't know' Zeke, realize that that's what makes you even more special, you somehow do those things without even realizing what your doing.  So as I was asking before, are you going to do it?  I know that you can see good and well that she's having a nightmare, so go and be the big softy I know as a brother.)

"Ok, before I say anything else, I'd like to make one thing clear: I am not a softy."

(Yes, you are,) Scarlett replied, a big cheeky Quilava grin spread on her features.

"No, I'm not, and also, you really think of me like that?"

The grin on Scarlett's face was replaced with a serious expression, (Yes, I do Zeke.  Now stop wasting your time with me and go help that Pokemon.  I'll be in the kitchen with breakfast if you need me,) she said, part of it mumbled as she grabbed the basket of berries in her mouth, carrying it with her to their dining table.

Now that Scarlett left, Zeke had no real choice except then to pay attention to the Pokemon in front of him.  He was a bit hesitant about this though, if she woke up, how was she going to react?  Unfortunately, since he didn't know anything about the Latias, he was basically stuck.

Due to the size comparisons, he'd be unable to put her in his lap like he would with Scarlett so Zeke spent about five minutes before he finally found a comfortable position for both himself and the Eon Pokemon.  He finally opted with just sitting on the edge of the bed, the Latias' head in his lap while he rubbed her head and ears.

After about five minutes, he felt the Latias start shifting again, but this time he was sure he heard her mumble something.  As he strained his hearing to hear what she was saying he managed to pick out a few words.  (No... mom... dad... no, please don't.)

The only thing Zeke could feel at that time was like an idiot.  One of the first things he had done when he had found Sandgem Town was find the local library and learn all he could about Pokemon.  One great thing about having the professor's lab in town was that he had almost a limitless account of information in the library.

He'd learned about all the known Pokemon specie currently discovered, the attacks they could learn, and had even gone as far as to learn different techniques of how to use those attacks.  It was also there that he had discovered his obsession with dragon-type Pokemon, the different appearances and sub-categories amazing him to no end.

One of the things he'd learned about Lati families was their family groups.  Whenever a Latias gave birth, she always gave birth to twins, a Latios and Latias.  The parents would then stay with the kids until they found mates or grew to full maturity.  Another thing was the Latios' protective nature of his sister, the young Latias usually being the weakest member of the group.  The only chance of finding a Latias alone would be if the rest of her family were separated or, even worse, dead.

That meant that the reason that this Latias was alone most likely had to do with a lost family, dead or otherwise.  Having to deal with Scarlett's depression, he felt sorrow and sympathy for the young legendary.  And as Zeke continued his pondering, he failed to notice the waking Latias.

-- --

‘Ugh, what happened?' the Latias thought to herself.  ‘The last thing I remember is entering that cave, and then, nothing.  I must have fallen asleep.  Arceus, I was tired, those humans just don't give up, those two have been chasing me all week.  Wait a second?  It doesn't feel like I'm sleeping on a cave floor, so where am I?  Oh no!  Please don't tell me those two poachers found me when I was asleep.'

Afraid to what she would see, the Latias hesitantly opened her eyes.  She was surprised though, not to see one of the poachers she was accustomed to, but a human boy and that could only mean one thing.

‘How did a trainer found me?  Was he nearby and saw me or...'

Her thoughts were discontinued as she saw that the boy noticed she was awake, and spoke to her.  "Uh, hey there," he greeted, a nervous smile on his features.

-- --

Zeke had stopped rubbing the Latias' head when he felt her stiffen.  Once again, he knew from experience with Scarlett that she'd just woken up.  But unlike Scarlett, she might find being rubbed by a complete stranger not so comforting.

He was surprised though to see her looking right back at him.  Feeling suddenly really nervous, he said the only thing he could think of at that moment, "Uh, hey there."

(Who are you?)

"What?" Zeke questioned, wondering where that voice came from.

(Down here,)­ He heard it again, but this time also an audible sigh coming from below him.

Looking downwards, Zeke figured it out.

‘She's using telepathy to speak to me'

"Who know, you don't have to do that, I can understand Pokemon, really," he explained.

Although he could tell she was a bit disbelieving, she tried anyways, (Alright, what did I just say?)

"You said, ‘alright, what did I just say'.  There, do you believe me now?"

(Not quite yet.)

"Not quite yet," he mimicked.

(What are you doing?)

"What are you doing?" he repeated.

(Stop that,) the annoyance clear in her voice.

"Stop that."

(Alright, alright, I believe you,) the Latias said as she rose from his lap.

Zeke just had a silly grin plastered on his face, answering, "good."

(Well, now that we have that out of the way, once again, who are you?) She asked, repeating the question from before.

"Name's Zeke, and you are?"

(My name's Julia but why do you want to know my name, don't you trainers just pocket us and call us whatever you'd like.)

"Well, one, I'm not a trainer.  And two, I'd only give you a name if you didn't have one."

(Wait, you're not a trainer?  How else would you have managed to find me?)

"Actually, it was my sister who found you, not me.  I was just with her at the time."

(How did she find me?  Did she see me flying or I don't know, but how?)

"I'm actually not sure, you'd have to ask her yourself, she never really told me either.  Hey Scarlett, could you come in here for a ‘sec."

Expecting to see a human girl pass through the door, she was surprised to see a shiny Quilava come out.

(Yes Zeke, what is it, is there a problem?) Scarlett asked.

"No problem Scarlett, our new friend here just wants to know how you found her."

(Well Zeke, it's like I said before, I don't know.  I just had this sudden feeling that I knew where to look.  My best guess is some sort of psychic reaction.)

(Well I guess,) the Latias admitted, a little embarrassed, (I might have sent some sort of call for help while I was asleep.)

"Hm, guess it makes sense, anything else?" Zeke said, not really interested in the conversation at hand.

(Zeke, if you're not a trainer, then why is there a Pokemon right in front of us?) Julia asked with an accusing glare.

"I already told you, she's my sister, albeit my adopted sister, I still view her like a younger sister, even if we are different species."

(What do you mean by adopted?) The Latias asked.

Scarlett went back into the kitchen; Zeke knew it was to avoid the approaching conversation, while the Latias floated there confused.

"I mean that it was her mother who asked me, a final request I guess you could call it."

(Oh,) the Latias whispered, suddenly a lot more downtrodden, (What happened?)

"Personally, I don't really know, Scarlett doesn't like to talk about it.  All I know is that I woke up with no memory and one of the first things I see is Scarlett's father being torn apart by gunfire.  I didn't even react fast enough to save her mother.  I don't know how I did it, all I know is that her mother's and father's deaths caused something inside of flare up, and I used the adrenaline to kill those two poachers, but even I know I just got lucky.  If they'd been paying more attention, I probably wouldn't be here either.  It's stupid really, that a Pokemon here is worth just about as much dead or alive.  It's one of the reasons I'm so distrusting of humans.  I could count all the humans I respect with the fingers on one hand sadly."

(Wait, you lost your memory!?)

"Yeah well, I don't know what happened.  I woke up and all I knew was my name and apparently a few fighting techniques."

(Oh wow, I'm sorry, guess maybe I judged you guys a little too quickly.  It's just that the last eight years of my life have been heck because of humans.  I guess it just sort of happened.  I mean when I lost my... family...) the Latias just resolved to shaking her head lowering down to the bed, her head filled with bad memories.

Zeke, not expecting something like this, did the only thing that made sense.  He put his arms under her, lifted her up to his level and wrapped his arms around her in the best hug he could muster.  After a few moments like this, he could feel the Latias shaking a bit, small cries escaping her lips from time to time.  Zeke just sat there, offering words of comfort to the Lati, but otherwise staying quiet.

-- --

Unknown to both Zeke and Julia, a pair of scarlet colored eyes were watching the tender moment between the two.  Scarlett just smiled, yet again proud for her older brother, but couldn't help but to feel a bit of jealousy towards the Latias, wishing it were her having the moment with Zeke instead.

Zeke was always trying to find a mate for her, yet what he failed to notice was that she had already chosen her mate; he was just completely unaware of it.  For the past two years, her small crush had gotten stronger and stronger as the days went by, until she'd come to the final conclusion that she was in love with her older brother.  She didn't care about the difference in species; it was his personality that she was in love with.

No matter what he was doing, he always made sure to make a space in his day for her.  And while he had his moments of immaturity or stubbornness, it was those faults that she fell in love with too.  He rarely spent any time brooding, but spent his time fixing something so he had no reason to brood or complain.  He rarely got angry, but when he did, he exploded, but he always kept control and he'd never directed any of his anger at her.  The one thing that had been the icing on the cake though was the comfort he always gave whenever she was reminded of what happened with her parents and how he had consoled her just as he was doing now with the Latias.

He was also a mate her instincts approved of as well.  He provided her with shelter and food for everyday; he was willing to put himself at risk for her safety as he had done multiple times in the past.  And even her instincts knew that he'd make a great dad one day, and all that was just the top of the list for her.

Her thoughts and feelings for Zeke went blank as she saw the Latias calming down, Zeke loosening his hold around her.

-- --

Zeke loosened his hold on Julia as he heard her sobbing calm down and felt her relax into his hold.  What surprised him was when she spoke, (Zeke, thank you.  I really needed that.)

Zeke grinned at her appreciation, "hey, don't mention it, Julia.  You needed a shoulder to cry on, everybody does from time to time, I just happened to be closest."

Julia just giggled a bit, shaking her head from side to side, (Zeke, you need to learn not to be so modest, take some credit for once.)

"Ya, Scarlett says that a lot too," his expression looked a little sullen suddenly as he thought of something, "so I guess you'll be leaving now, right?"

(What!?) Julia asked, caught off guard by the change of subject.

"Well, you distrust humans, which mean me.  And you're used to traveling which I don't do all that often, so why would you want to stay here?"

Julia felt tears come back to her eyes as she realized what Zeke said was true, but shook it off and suddenly a determined look crossed her features.  (Zeke, you're my first friend in eight years, I can tell you have no harmful thought directed at me, and Zeke, let me tell you something.  Traveling isn't any fun when you don't have anyone to share the experience with.)

"Julia, what are you...?"

She cut him off as she knew what he was going to ask, tears in her eyes yet again, (Zeke, I'm saying I want to stay here, I don't want to leave, I don't want to be alone again.  So please Zeke, please can I stay,) she finished as she pulled Zeke into an embrace of her own.

Zeke didn't hesitate for a second before answering, "Julia, of course you can stay, why would I say no.  Just realize that I can be a bit dense sometimes."

Julia smiled at Zeke's answer pulling him tighter into their embrace.  Meanwhile a Quilava in the other room couldn't help but let a single tear of happiness roll down her cheek.

-- --

Zeke, Scarlett, and their new family member, Julia, were now all sitting, or in some cases, floating around the table, enjoying a breakfast of Oran berries while discussing any plans for the day.

"So Julia, are you going to come with us?" Zeke asked as he took another bite out of the Oran berry in front of him.

(What?) Julia asked, questioning what Zeke could mean.

"Oh sorry, I forgot I never told you, today's mine and Scarlett's shopping day.  We're going down to the market to buy any supplies we'll need for the next week."

(Oh,) Julia responded with a new understanding, (I guess I will since it's not like I have anything else to do, and it would be nice to get to know the area a bit, especially if I'll be staying here.)

"Right well, then first we need to do something about your appearance.  I don't need every poacher and hunter in Sinnoh paying us a visit because some trainer sees you in town."

(Well, I can make myself look like a human.  Would that work?) Julia asked as she made a grab for another berry out of the basket at the center of the table.

"That's right," Zeke said in realization, "Latias and Latios have feathers that they can use to change their appearances.  But if it's just a trick of light, couldn't someone feel the real you if they made a grab for you?"

(Actually, I put a psychic barrier around myself so it feels like I'm a real human, even if I'm not really.)

(Oh wow, really!  I wish I could do that,) Scarlett suddenly piped up, interested in the current conversation.

"Ok, well then, Julia, let's see what you got, and then we can head down to the town market."

Julia rose from her spot at the table and went into a corner of the room.  She closed her eyes, and went through all the different combinations in her head.  She eventually settled on a brunette girl who had hair that went down to her mid-back.

When she felt the change she opened her eyes but was confused to see Scarlett appear to about burst out laughing, and Zeke who had a deep blush on his cheeks.

Her questioning expressing was answered when Zeke closed his eyes and exclaimed, "One word Julia!  Clothes, give yourself some clothes, damnit!"

While Zeke was panicking, Scarlett, unable to hold it in any more, burst out laughing, and almost fell off the table.  Julia blushed too as she realized the problem, and closed her eyes to try again.

-- --

Zeke opened up the front door to the cabin, holding it open for the brunette girl and Quilava behind him.  Julia, after the first failed attempt, had settled on something simple.  She'd gone with a white top with black jeans, and a pair of brown sandals.

Zeke now walked down the rough path to town yet again, his old friend on his right, and his new one on his left.  This, Zeke decided, was definitely a start to a great day.

-- --

End of Chapter 1

Pokedex Entry

Cyndaquil, the Fire Mouse Pokemon   ~Fire~

It has a timid nature. If it is startled, the flames on its back burn more vigorously.

Quilava, the Volcano Pokemon   ~Fire~

It intimidates foes with the heat of its flames. The fire burns more strongly when it readies to fight.

Typhlosion, the Volcano Pokemon   ~Fire~

It attacks using blasts of fire. It creates heat shimmers with intense fire to hide itself.

Latias, the Eon Pokémon   ~Dragon, Psychic~

Its body is covered with a down that can refract light in such a way that it becomes invisible.

*Entrees written from the Platinum Pokedex*

Zeak's Team

Scarlett

Age 16

Species: Quilava

Element: Fire

*Shiny*

Julia

Age: 18

Species: Latias

Element: Dragon, Psychic

Trainer's Info

Name: Zeak Ironfist

Age: 18

Current Location: A path east of Lake Verity

Region: Sinnoh

Badges:

None