Story Notes:
This is my first attempt at a Pokemon Fan fic, so please bare with me.
Ch.3 Guiding Star
Disclaimer: I do not own the Pokémon franchise or any of it characters, locations, ECT.
Everything else is of my own work.
Ch.3 - Guiding Star
The storm came out of no where. They had been lucky to find the shelter they had, because he doubted that their little tent would have held against the wind and the rain. They had just gotten settled in when the stranger in the odd clothes had shown up. They had shared their shelter and their food. Rio had been leery of the man called Saturn. There had been a battle, Saturn had been easily defeated. He had also been a sore looser. He drew a gun, there was a loud explosion...
Present day
Devin jerked awake nearly dumping himself out of the chair he had slept in. He was momentarily confused about where he was, than it all came rushing back to him. He was Nineteen again and in the Floaroma Town Pokémon Center. He settled back into the chair trying to collect his thoughts. For some reason he had been dreaming about their early life. He was confused about this till he looked in his lap and noticed Rio sleeping there.
Devin smiled she must have been the one dreaming of the past. Their strong emotional connection must have bled the dream over in to his own dreams. Devin reached under her arms and gently picked her up. Carefully standing up so as not to wake her Devin hugged her close to his body and started to rock with her, he added in her lullaby for good measure. In her semi conscious state, Rio wrapped her arms around Devin's neck and her legs partially around his chest. Devin stopped singing so he could readjust her in his arms now that she was waking up.
{"Don't stop singing, you were just getting to the good part."}
"Okay" Devin responded as her started to sing to her again.
Rio sighed contentedly as she snuggled her face closer into Devin's neck. Breathing deeply Rio took in a lung full of his scent, only than was she reassured that every thing was okay. She exulted in the feelings of love and relief that poured from Devin's aura as he held her.
{"I love you too."} Rio said and then planted a kiss right on to Devin's neck.
Devin just smiled and nuzzled her check as he continued to sing and rock with Rio. It didn't take too long after that for a Nurse Joy to visit the room to see how every one was doing. Seeing that Rio was up and about Nurse Joy gave her one last inspection to make sure every thing was indeed fine.
"Well all her X-rays and tests came back fine. About the only thing bad that is going to come out of this is that she will carry that scar for the rest of her life. It may even prevent her from getting her chest spike if, or when she evolves." Nurse Joy explained to them both.
Rio looked down and pawed at the area of exposed flesh on her chest. She couldn't begin to imagine how she would look with out a chest spike. But she was alive. That's all that really mattered. Devin thanked the Nurse Joy as she left the room. Looking around Devin noticed that Mocha had managed to sleep through the entire meeting. Pulling her Pokéball, Devin returned her to it and placed the ball on his belt.
"Well you've survived getting shot, its time to see if we can survive our parents." Devin said looking down at Rio.
{"I think I would rather be shot again."}
Devin picked Rio back up and headed for the door.
"I know the feeling, however if we don't tell them ourselves they'll find out from some one else and then we'll really be in trouble."
{"Seriously, can I just get shot again."}
"No."
Together they walked out in to the lobby and found one of the many communication centers that were provided for travelers and trainers. Finding one that was open was more of a challenge as every one seemed to be taken. Devin took a moment to step out of the Pokémon center and get some fresh air. It was very early morning. The sun was just barely starting to rise. Now he really didn't want to call home. Hoenn was 3 hours behind Sinnoh.
Devin hung his head and turned back into the center. As he approached the front doors automatically slid open and he ran right into a female trainer that was leaving. Devin was only about six feet tall, but she ran into him with such force that when the top of her head hit his chin it knocked him down. Rubbing his chin he looked at the trainer, who was like wise rubbing her head.
"Oy! Why don'cha watch where you're going!" She said in a very cross way.
"Sorry I was distracted." Devin replied slightly irritated as he picked himself up off the ground.
Devin offered his hand to the girl and got a really good look at her as she got to her feet. She was about 5'11", dark-skinned, had an average build and her short dreadlocks hid a set of really beautiful brown eyes.
"Hey, what are you starring at?"
"You, I've never seen any one like you before."
"Weren't you ever taught that it is rude to gawk."
Devin gave himself a shake.
"Sorry, I'm not trying to be rude."
She gave a snort and barged right past him, continuing her earlier action of storming out of the center.
"Next time watch where you're going, hey!"
With that she was gone.
Devin watched her go. He noted that she was probably about his age, maybe younger and was very attractive in an exotic kind of way. He could have done with out her attitude though. He hardly noticed as Rio walked up beside him snaking on a poffin.
{"You know I think she over reacted just a little."}
"Yeah she did." Devin said heaving a sigh.
{"And calling you rude was very rude of her."}
"Yes it was."
{"She did have a nice ass though."}
"Rio!"
{"Just saying. Nice boobs too."}
"That is quite enough! God, I think you have walked in on Aunt Rose and your mother a few too many times."
{"Yeah, we should really give the love birds a call."}
Devin rolled his eyes as he gave Rio a swat on the butt to get her moving back into the Pokémon center.
"Glad to see you've made a full recovery. No more alone time on the computer for you either."
Rio made a whining noise around a mouth full of poffin that Devin chose to ignore. Instead he sat himself down in front of an open vid-phone. Placing his trainer I.D. in the card reader he dialed up his Aunt, and waited for her to answer. Finished with her snack Rio climb on to Devin's lap and watched as the little digital Pokeball on the display spun in circles as the call was being placed. Devin blanched and his face turned red as his Aunts naked upper body came into view of the vid-phone. He could plainly see Lu asleep in his Aunts's bed behind her. Aunt Roses voice brought his attention back to the vid-phone.
"Devin do you know what time it is dear?"
"Yeah Aunt Rose, I do. Could you cover up please?"
Rose looked down at her self and slowly got up to get a robe. Devin did have to admit that Aunt Rose had not lost any of her youthful beauty as she got older. He watched as Aunt Rose gave Lu a nudge on her way back to the vid-phone.
"So Devin what's up that you're calling at 3am. One of you had best be dying if your calling this early."
Devin watched as Lu walked up behind Aunt Rose and lovingly drape her arms around her lover's neck and shoulders. He decided to get right to the point.
"Rio was shot last night."
Both the older women on the other end of the line were instantly awake. Devin had to try really hard not to laugh as he watched Lu suddenly shove Aunt Rose out-of-the-way. Aunt Rose was just as surprised too.
{"Where is Rio? Is she okay? She had better be boy! You promised you would take care of her."}
Devin wondered how long it would take her to realize that Rio was right there in his lap. However he could feel that Rio was becoming more and more embarrassed and agitated by her mother actions.
{"Mom I'm fine, I'm right here."}
Lu looked momentarily confused as she looked down at the smiling and waving Rio.
{"R, Rio... What the hell are you scaring me like that for? Were you even shot, or just trying to give your poor mother a heart attack?"}
Rio and Devin both heaved a deep sigh and started telling Aunt Rose and Lu about the events of that day. With agonizing detail they told them about the sudden storm, finding the cave, and the strange man called Saturn. Devin continued from the point that Rio had been shot and his mad dash back to Floaroma Town. When he was done telling his story he waited Aunt Rose and Lu to say something.
"Devin come home." Aunt Rose finally said.
"I have hardly started here though." Devin protested.
"I know sweetie. But Hoenn is much smaller and safer for a new trainer."
"But I wanted to start here, because Riolus and Buneary are from around here. And I thought it would be great to see where Rio and Mocha originated from."
Aunt Rose sighed and hung her head shaking it in exasperation.
"Devin, I don't want to see you kids hurt. Please come home." Aunt Rose pleaded.
Devin like wise hung his head till his mouth and nose were resting on top of Rio's head. He wrapped his arms around her and shut his eyes to think. Taking in a deep breath that was heavy with Rio's scent, he gently kissed the top of her head. Devin looked up at his Aunt's and Lu's expectant, waiting eyes.
"I can't give up yet, Aunt Rose. We haven't even begun to try."
Devin watched as Aunt Rose lowered her head again, and Lu wrapped her arms around her in comfort.
{"I want you kids to promise us that you will, be more care full from now on. Okay."} Lu said.
Devin and Rio both agreed before logging off. When the connection finally broke Devin and Rio got up and stretched. Devin felt several of his joints crack as he did so. Looking at a giant clock that was hanging on one of the lobby walls, he noticed it was almost 8 o'clock.
"Well Rio its too late to go back to sleep and too early for most things to be open. What do you want to do?"
Rio made a show of putting thought into what she wanted to do, but her rumbling stomach told him exactly what was on her mind. Rio looked up with a blush and a smile.
{"I'm hungry can we get something to eat?"}
Devin chuckled, one of the things he had learned early with her was that she could eat. He understood that she burned a lot of calories in a day, especially if she was battling. But even if she wasn't that girl would eat three times as much as he would.
"Haven't you eaten enough yet?"
{"No I'm really hungry."}
Devin hoisted her up and balanced her on his hip.
"You're going to get fat if you keep eating like that."
Rio giggled and nuzzled Devin's cheek before resting her head on his shoulder.
{"No I'm just storing up for when I evolve so I can have great hips and a killer bust like mom.""
Devin chuckled, because every Lucario he had seen had massive, child-bearing hips. He knew from experience though that those hips contained some massive muscles. And those hips didn't lie when they wanted to make a point and deliver a kick.
"You keep eating like that and you'll have bigger hips and tits than Aunt Rose and Lu combined."
Rio puffed out her cheeks in mock anger as Devin laughed and made his way to the nearest eatery. Neither one noticed the figure in black watching them as they walked down the early morning street laughing.
Latter on that morning
{"I don't know why you won't let me train."} Rio whined for at least the hundredth time that morning.
Devin heaved a deep sigh as he continued to watch Mocha as she tried to scare up some wild Pokémon to battle and capture.
"It's because you were shot last night, and you need to rest."
Rio puffed her cheeks out and turned away from them. All morning they had been trying to catch wild Pokémon. But all they had come across was wild Bidoof and Starley None of them had been worth catching as far as any of them were concerned. Rio continued to sit there and pout as Devin and Mocha pounded away at the worthless little wilds.
Rio continued to watch the flowers and grass as the wind blew through the Valley Windworks. An odd movement made Rio look closer. Cautiously she got to her feet and made her way to where he had seen the movement. What Rio found was a set of Shinx. If she had to guess a brother sister set. Rio was about to turn and tell Devin, but then thought better of it. Devin had been babying her all morning and she was sick of it. So Rio took off after the pair of Shinx.
Shinx twins
The pair of Shinx ran as fast as they could through the Valley Windworks. They had set out bright and early for Floaroma Town, to get the berries they had needed. Now, berries in mouth, they ran back across the Valley Windworks to where they had left their mom. They both hoped that they weren't too late to save her, especially the little girl. She knew she was not as strong as her Luxray mother, and even now as she was falling behind him, she also knew she wasn't even as strong as her twin brother. She needed her mother yet, she could not imagine life with out her.
On they raced. The place they were hiding was just past the Valley Windworks, in the hollow of a giant tree, not too far into the Eterna Forest. Both Shinx were so preoccupied with getting to their mother that neither one noticed Rio Following them at a discreet distance.
When they got back to the hollowed tree they found their mother in worst condition than when they had left her. They noticed that they wound in her side from a Beedrill's "Poison Jab" attack that she had received two days ago had become very red, and smelled like rotting flesh. It reminded the little boy of a Rattata that he had killed once and then hadn't eaten. The smell had been pretty bad.
Both of the little Shinx laid their berry prizes in front of their mother. For a few moments she just laid there breathing laboriously, her sides heaving from the pain involved with the effort of breathing. Eventually though her long cat-like tongue snaked out and licked up two of the Lum Berries. The cubs watched as their mother slowly chewed the berries, and then swallowed them.
{"Momma? Momma? Do you think she is going to be okay brother?"} the little girl asked her brother pleadingly.
The little boy heaved a deep sigh, he could sense his mother end was near, but he couldn't bring himself to tell his sister.
{"Absolutely! These Lum Berries are going to get rid of that nasty poison. And tomorrow we'll go back to that shop with all those berries and we'll get some Sitrus Berries for her and she'll be back on her paws in no time."} He replied with mock bravado.
The two cubs were so engrossed with their mother that they still had failed to notice Rio. However Rio had noticed them and that they had stopped running. Her excitement at having found two prime wild Pokémon for Devin though evaporated when she saw the mother and the nasty wound on the side of her body. Slowly and quietly she made her way to the cubs.
{"No she won't."} Rio said her voice very sad.
Both Shinx literally jumped at the sound of Rios voice. The little girl dove behind her mother as the little boy took up a protective stance in front of them both. He glared at Rio and started to growl, as his fur stood on end from the gathering electricity flowing through his body.
{"You! Who are you, and what do you want?"} The little boy demanded.
Rio held her paws up and took a step forward. The little boy growled louder and poured on more electricity. Rio took the hint and stopped.
{"I want to help."} Rio said in what she hoped was her most calming voice.
{"If you come one step closer I'll tear you apart!"}
Rio gazed around the little boy and at the Mother and daughter in the hollowed out tree.
{"Is that your mom? She is very hurt, and she needs help. I can get help for you."} Rio said as she started to back away.
With out warning the little boy charged her trying to hit her with a "Spark" attack. His attack went wide as Rio side-stepped it. Quickly he turned around and did it again. This time when Rio dodged she followed it up with a Quick attack. The little boy landed in front of his Mother and sister, glaring at Rio.
{"You guys stay right there, I'll be back very shortly."}
With that Rio tore off as fast as she could back to Devin, and Mocha. She was in such a rush that she didn't notice the girl from the Pokémon center hiding in the bushes. She watched Rio run as fast as her little black legs would take her till she was out of sight. When she was sure that Rio was gone she stepped out of the bushes, and looked in the direction Rio had just come from.
"I wonder what got that Riolu all excited, hey Vul." She asked looking down at where her Vulpix was sitting on its haunches licking one of its paws.
The Vulpix gave its trainer a board stare before going back to cleaning its paws. The trainer looked into the forest and then back down at her Pokémon before taking off in the direction that Rio had fled from. The Vulpix stopped licking its paw, rolled its eyes and took off after its master.
A Short Time Later
"Rio I swear to Arceus if this is a ploy to get me to pay more attention to you I'm going to put you into your Pokéball, duct tape it shut, and bury it at the bottom of my back pack."
Rio looked at him with a mixture of horror and betrayal.
{"You wouldn't."}
Devin looked down at her with a smirk.
"Care to test the theory?"
Rio still had that look of betrayal. Devin continued to smile and scooped her up, balancing her on his hip. Rio refused to look at him, and puffed her cheeks out in agitation. Devin leaned his head in to nuzzle her, but she leaned away from him.
"What?"
{"You know what! I hate that round prison!"}
"Rio, when was the last time I put you in your Pokéball?"
Rio thought about it for a moment, and the more she thought about it, the less angry she became. Devin could feel her anger bleeding away.
{"I don't remember."}
Devin cracked a bigger smile as he readjusted her on his hip.
"The last time I put you in your Pokéball was the first time I put you in your Pokéball. You carried on so much about how much you hated it, that "I" have never put you back in it. Now your mother and my Aunt however have stuffed you in that ball quite a few times, and that was only when you were really naughty."
Rio shrugged excepting the explanation, and jumped out of Devin's arms.
{"I left them over here."} Rio said taking off into the forest.
The closer they got to where she had left the thunder lions the more worried she became. She could smell something, something that just didn't belong. She could distinctly smell something burning. That and the sudden increase in heat caused her to put on an extra little burst of speed. Together they rounded the last set of bushes to the site of the Amazon looking trainer from the Pokémon center picking up a freshly used Pokéball. The red indicator light gave its last flash, and than turned off. What ever she had captured was hers now. The Vulpix sitting at her feet looked less than thrilled. Rio looked past them and saw the little girl Shinx in tears next to her mother, who actually looked worst than she had before.
{"That's them, she must have caught the little boy."} Rio said tugging on Devin's shirt.
The trainer heard Rio, she had no idea what was said, but she turned to the sound of Rio saying her own name.
{"Oy! What'cha doing now? Are you stalking me?"} The trainer said immediately going on the defensive.
Devin was in no mood for her rudeness this time and he let it show.
"No, actually my friend Rio here told me she had found some Shinx who's mother needed some help, and came to see if there was any thing I could do. I see you caught the little boy, are you going to capture the other two and take them to the Pokémon Center or are you going to leave them here to die?"
The trainer didn't even answer as she picked up her bag and made to leave. Devin didn't move when she got closer. They stood there glaring at each other.
"You're in my way."
"And your skills as a trainer are about as good as they are with people. You are just going to leave them here to die."
"What I do, and what I chose to capture is none of your business. You can't stop me."
"You are absolutely right I can't."
With that Devin stepped aside to let her pass.
"Still doesn't change the fact that you are a lousy trainer that is going to leave that little girl and her wounded mother to die while you take the little boy for your own self-centered gain. Come on Rio, we have work to do."
Devin stormed off in the direction of the wounded Luxray and the frightened Shinx. The trainer looked after them for a bit, thinking about what Devin had said. Giving a sniff she looked down at her Vulpix, who in turn was looking right back up at her.
"What?"
The Vulpix shook its head and started walking in the direction that Devin had taken off in. Heaving a sigh she too took off back towards the hollowed out tree, and the injured Luxray. It didn't take long before she could hear the male trainer talking, seemingly to him self.
"It's okay little one, I'm here to help you. Easy now, I just want to help."
She rounded the bushes and saw him crouched down so he didn't look so intimidating to the already frightened Shinx as it tried to defend its dying mother as well as her brother had. She watched as he took a ball from his waist and released a Buneary from it. She was openly shocked as sparkles went up from the ball and a Buneary with pink fluff came out.
"Rio, Mocha, see if you can calm her down, she doesn't want to listen to me."
Rio and Mocha approached slowly both speaking in quiet tones as they did so.
"You speak to them as if you can understand what they're saying back. Do you do that with all Pokémon, or just your own."
Devin looked over his shoulder at her.
"Even when you're asking a question, you can't help but be rude can you."
She was appalled, but Devin cut her off before she could start ranting again.
"I was born in the Kanto Region, near the Veridian Forest. People born in..."
"Or around the Veridian Forest can understand Pokémon speech as well as other random things. I've heard the story, didn't think it was true though."
Devin just shook his head and went back to the task at hand.
"Any luck girls?"
{"She won't let us near, especially now that Miss Gives-A-Shit has shown up."} Rio snapped.
Mocha gasped at Rio's out burst and Devin heaved a deep sigh.
""Rio, language, I raised you better than that. Try again, let her know that this one is not with us."}
{"I'll try, but I doubt she'll listen."}
"You're right, come back here Rio. Mocha you try by your self."
{"What! Why not me too?"}
"Because Rio, she is eyeing you as menacingly as she is eyeing her." Devin responded jerking a thumb over his shoulder.
Rio stormed back to Devin and sat down in a huff next to him, sticking her tongue out. Carefully Mocha approached again. She held both of her hands up in front of her like she had seen Rio doing, and talked calmly as she inched forward.
{"It okay, friend, none of us are here to hurt you."}
{"You're trainer is here with the trainer that captured my brother, I don't believe you!"} the little Shinx said getting more panicky.
Mocha looked back at the other trainer that was with Devin. She had never seen the female trainer before, and Devin's body language said he didn't like her either.
{"I have honestly never seen her before, and I don't think my master likes her. Rio told us about you and your mother, we came to help."}
The little Shinx backed up a half a step and took on a more aggressive stance. Sparks started to emit from her coat.
{"That Riolu lead the other one here."}
Devin had listened to every word, and glanced over his shoulder at the other trainer.
"Thank you for needlessly making this difficult." He said bitterly.
"Me, what did I do."
"She won't let us near, because of you."
"Oy, not my problem. Just capturing wild Pokémon." The trainer retorted crossing her arms defiantly.
Devin shook his head. "Mocha, "Pound"!"
The little Shinx had no time to react as Devin yelled out his order, and without hesitation Mocha tilted her head forward and quickly unfurled her rolled up ear, nailing the little Shinx squarely in the face. The little Shinx flew back into her mother. Feebly she tried to get back up, but was smacked in the head by a Pokéball. In a flash she was transported into a strange new world.
Devin heaved a deep sigh as he picked the Pokéball up. Yeah he had wanted to catch a new Pokémon or two, and the little Shinx was the best prospect he had come across all day, but that is not why he had been here. Cautiously he approached the dying Luxray and knelt down again. She didn't try to defend her self as Devin started to look at the wound. He knew almost instantly that there was nothing he could do, maybe if he had gotten here way sooner, but now there was almost nothing he could do except maybe make her passing less painful. Devin scooted around to her head and pulled her up so her head was resting in his lap.
"You already know what I am going to tell you, don't you." Devin said quietly as he gently stroked the thunder lionesses soft head and mane.
{"Yes I do trainer. I have known now for some time."} She responded relaxing into Devin's lap.
"You are very brave, and I admire that you are facing the end with a calm and dignity, that is only surpassed by your beauty. I really wish I could have seen you in your prime."
{"You are the kind of trainer I wish I would have had. We would have been some thing special."} The Luxray said followed by some really pain full rasps and wheezes.
{"Please trainer, take good care of my daughter. I know the other trainer will take good care of my son. Believe it or not their personalities are similar. But my daughter will need some one strong to show her the way. Promise me trainer, promise me that you will show my daughter how to be as strong as she can be."}
Devin kissed the top of her head.
"What is your name?"
{"I've never had one, I was never caught."}
Devin looked into the hollowed out tree and saw several Lum Berries laying on the ground.
"You will be known as Lum. And I promise you Lum that your daughter will grow up to be as strong and beautiful as you."
{"Thank you, master."} She said, her breath getting shallower.
"My name is Devin, and those are my girls Rio and her sister Mocha. Is there any thing else I can do for you?"
{"I want to see my beautiful children one last time."}
Devin stopped stroking her mane and pulled the new Pokéball from his belt.
"Release the little boy, their mother wants to see them one last time."
With out word or protest she pulled her new Pokéball as well. Together they released the Shinx twins. Both cubs shook their heads upon their release and made their way to their mother.
{"Mom, what's going on?"} The little boy asked eyeing Devin suspiciously as he had gone back to stroking her head and mane.
{"Mom, I tried to protect you, I tried, I'm so sorry." }
Lum gave a week smile to her children.
{"Everything is going to be okay my children. I want you to go with your respective trainers now. They will guide you down a path of adventure, and wonder. A path I could have never shown you my self."}
She coughed and wheezed a few more breaths before she turned her head to look better at Devin.
{"See master, aren't my children beautiful."}
Devin did his best to not cry out for the dying Luxray in his lap, the noble lioness that had wanted nothing more than to watch her children grow up strong and happy. A dream she was not going to live long enough to see.
"Yes Lum, yes they are. They are very beautiful." Devin said leaning his head into hers to cover the tears he could not suppress any more.
{"My children, my beautiful, precious babies... I will always be with you..."}
Lum, the free and beautiful Luxray, gave one last shuddering sigh, and succumb to the Beedrill's poison that had run through her body. Her head sank one last time into Devin's lap never to raise again. Her eyes stared off into a sky she would never see again. And her face shown with a happiness that would never leave it again. The Shinx twins instantly fell on their dead mother, yowling, and bawling their eyes out. Devin held out for as long as he could. He could not bring himself to tear the crying cubs from their dead mother. It was the other trainer that made the first move, for once her rudeness saving Devin from discomfort. With bright red flashes the Shinx twins went back into their balls.
"Well what now?"
Devin looked at the dead Luxray in his lap, and kissed the top of her head one last time.
"I want to bury her here in the hollow of this tree. Interested in helping?"
The trainer looked at Devin, and the body that he held in his lap.
"Yeah, yeah I am."
Carefully Devin removed Lum's head from his lap and stood up. Reaching into his pack he pulled out a small travel shovel. It wasn't meant for the kind of digging he was about to do. But it was sturdy, and should do the job nicely. He than handed Rio the back pack, and Mocha the little girls ball.
"While I give Lum a proper send-off I want you two to find a suitable place to set up camp. Also see if you can't help out our new member. Make her feel welcomed and apart of the family."
Rio and Mocha accepted their tasks, and their loads with a nod before taking off into the forest. The female trainer pointed after Devin's Pokémon.
"Oy, Vul you go with'em. And behave your self."
The Vulpix rolled its eyes and took off after Rio and Mocha.
Together they removed Lum's body from the tree and set about digging her grave. Devin set him self on auto pilot. With a grim expression on his face he dug into the soft ground. The female trainer too set about digging, but the silence got to heavy for her.
"So, you be from the Kanto Region?"
Devin paused for a moment to give her a slightly suspicious look.
"No, I said I was born in the Kanto region. I grew up in the Hoenn region. And you."
"The Orange Islands."
"Really, well that explains the accent, and your Amazon like looks."
Devin noticed her blush a little, he hadn't expected that. Apparently she wasn't used to being told she looked good. They went on digging in silence again for a little bit.
"So, Devin was it, what brings you to Sinnoh?"
Devin heaved a sigh, he just wanted to get the job done.
"Rio and Mocha actually. My Aunt Rose, who raised me, has a Lucario of her own named Lu, and Rio is her daughter. Lu entrusted her care to me. She is my best friend and I love her dearly. Rio and me kind of sort of found Mocha while doing some survival training four years ago. She had been abandoned in the Hoenn region by some really bad trainer. She has been with us ever since.
How about you, what brings you to Sinnoh..."
"Amaya. My names Amaya Navela. I am in Sinnoh because I didn't care much for the Orange League. Was a little too... Childish for my tastes."
Devin fixed her with another funny look before going back to digging. They finished digging the hole in silence. When they were done, Devin hoisted Lum's lifeless body in to his arms. Squeezing his eyes shut, Devin tilted his head back and gave one last prayer that Arceus would welcome Lum in his thousand arms, and take her to the eternal garden that was the Pokémon after life.
Gently Devin laid Lum's body in the hole. He filled the hole in silence, the entire time pondering the life and death of Pokémon. He knew it was a natural part of the world. Pokémon both wild and tamed died all the time, be it by natural causes or accidents. He dared say though that watching a Pokémon die was much more painful than watching a human die. Maybe it was because he didn't have any strong bonds with many humans out side of Aunt Rose. He just didn't know, maybe he never would. Did that make him weird, maybe it did, but he didn't care.
As he was putting the last pile of dirt on the grave Amaya approached, holding a large rock. Carefully she set it at the end Lum's head was resting. On it she had inscribed "Forever Loved, Lum". Devin took the two Lum berries he had seen on the ground and planted them on top of the grave.
"She'd like that Devin."
Devin nodded his head with a smile and started off in the direction he felt Rio. Amaya was hot on his heels. When they got to the camp they found Devin's tent popped and a fire going. They also found Rio, and Mocha talking to the little Shinx that was their new sister.
"Any luck?"
Rio just looked at him and shook her head. Devin knelt down in front of her and picked her up. Devin knew that every Pokéball came with a standard program that caused captured Pokémon to be friendlier towards their trainer. Normally Devin didn't like this function, and turned it off. He didn't need any mechanical aids to get his girl's loyalty and friendship. But right now it might be necessary he didn't feel like getting sat on his ass by electric attacks.
Devin looked her over carefully. He could plainly see that her brother was bigger and stronger, but that didn't matter to him. He could feel her powerful muscles under her fur. Her eyes sparkled despite her shyness, and worry. He didn't have to think very hard about what to call her either. Both her ears had yellow stars on them as did the tip of her tail.
"I will call you Star. How do you like it?"
{"It's okay, I guess. I just want to see my momma again."}
"I know you do sweaty. But your mom has left."
{"Where did she go?"}
"She went with Arceus to the eternal garden."
Star looked at him for a second before it dawned on her what Devin had said. Visibly she sunk. Devin noticed that Amaya had the little boy out and on her lap. She was gently brushing his fur. Devin could see that the little boy was watching him with his sister.
"But you know what Star. Your mom wanted me to help you to find your own true strength and power. She wanted me to guide you as you learned to be strong. I will guide you on this journey. And you will be my guiding star as well. You will help me to remember what it means to be a good trainer, and breeder. Together we all will be something special. We will find our own strengths and over come our weaknesses together. And someday you will be just as strong, just as powerful, and just as beautiful as your mom."
Star looked up at Devin searching for the truth of his words. She found him smiling right down at her, the truth written all over his face and eyes. Devin set her down and Star curled up into a ball and rest in his lap.
{"But I miss her so much."}
"I know you do sweaty."
Devin absent-mindedly started scratching Star behind the ear. Devin noticed that Star's twin was already asleep in Amaya's lap.
"So what are you going to call him?"
"Bolt. You should have seen him battle to defend Lum. He was fast and strong, just like a bolt of lightning."
Devin watched as she absent mindedly stroked the sleeping cub in her lap, a content smile on her face. Maybe she wasn't such a bad person after all.
"Oy! Can I change in your tent?" Amaya blurted out of the blue.
Devin decided she was just a little rough around the edges.
"Don't you have a tent of your own?"
Amaya got a little red on the cheeks.
"Me Vul burnt it down a few nights ago when he was having a nightmare."
Devin watched as even the little Vulpix got a sheepish at the mention of its mishap.
"Yeah sure, go for it."
Amaya grabbed a pair of night pants from her bag as well as a night-shirt. Before she stepped in though she turned back towards Devin and his girls.
"Now I don't wanna see any of you peeking in while I'm changing. It's the last thing any of ya will do."
Devin just shrugged at her. He had not intention of peeking on her. But he decided to get changed himself. He gave Rio and Mocha a stare before he fished out his night pants.
{"Come on Mocha, Devin's taking away all of our fun again."}
Mocha got a little rosier on the cheeks and covered her eyes.
"Rio stop trying to corrupt your sister."
Rio puffed out her cheeks and blew Devin a raspberry.
Devin shook his head and started to get undressed. A few minutes latter Amaya stepped out of Devin's tent to the sight of Devin pulling up his pajama pants. She was treated to a full view of his bare back, and back side. It was quite the site if she did say so. Of course she wouldn't say so out loud. After putting his shirt on Devin turned to see Amaya standing there.
"If you would like you can sleep in my tent tonight."
Amaya was taken a back at the sudden statement.
"I most certainly will not sleep with you tonight, missta. Just what kinda girl do ya think I am?"
Devin heaved a deep sigh.
"At what point did I say, Amaya have sex with me tonight, or even that we should share the tent. I ain't that kind of guy either, and the tent is hardly big enough for me and the girls. So it most defiantly would not hold all six of us. I am offering you the tent for you and Vul's use only. Us four will sleep out here."
Once again Amaya got a little red in the cheeks and hung her head. Amaya silently gathered her back pack and issued Vul into tent. Once again she got to the thresh hold of the tent and turned towards Devin.
"Thank you Devin. It was a wonderful day, and I learned a lot, mate."
With that she entered the tent and shut the door.
Devin shook his head one last time for the night and laid out his sleeping bag. As he laid there looking at the stars, his girls surrounding him, he felt more lost than ever. But now, at least he had a guiding star. Even if she needed a lot of guidance her self.
"Thank you Arceus for such a great gift."
With that Devin closed his eyes and went to sleep.
Back at the Hollowed out Tree
A man dressed completely black stood at the fresh grave just looking at it. Floating off to his side was an equally dark figure, its flowing white hair and glowing blue eye the only thing giving it away as a Pokémon.
"What do you think Darkrai, do they pose any threat?"
Darkrai didn't say a word, it didn't have to. It just swiveled its glowing blue eye at the man who was just as wrapped in shadows as it was.
"Your right of course, Saturn is full of him self and got over-confident. But still the boy shows promise."
Darkrai continued to stare at the man.
"He reminds me of my self when I was younger."
With that he bowed to the grave and walked deeper in to the dark Eterna Forest.
"Come Darkrai, let's get out of here."
{"Yes, Void."}
The two melted into the darkness, leaving no trace that they had ever been there.Chapter End Notes:Sorry it took so long, things have been busy at work and home. Please Read and review. Constructive crits are welcomed but please no flaming
Everything else is of my own work.
Ch.3 - Guiding Star
The storm came out of no where. They had been lucky to find the shelter they had, because he doubted that their little tent would have held against the wind and the rain. They had just gotten settled in when the stranger in the odd clothes had shown up. They had shared their shelter and their food. Rio had been leery of the man called Saturn. There had been a battle, Saturn had been easily defeated. He had also been a sore looser. He drew a gun, there was a loud explosion...
Present day
Devin jerked awake nearly dumping himself out of the chair he had slept in. He was momentarily confused about where he was, than it all came rushing back to him. He was Nineteen again and in the Floaroma Town Pokémon Center. He settled back into the chair trying to collect his thoughts. For some reason he had been dreaming about their early life. He was confused about this till he looked in his lap and noticed Rio sleeping there.
Devin smiled she must have been the one dreaming of the past. Their strong emotional connection must have bled the dream over in to his own dreams. Devin reached under her arms and gently picked her up. Carefully standing up so as not to wake her Devin hugged her close to his body and started to rock with her, he added in her lullaby for good measure. In her semi conscious state, Rio wrapped her arms around Devin's neck and her legs partially around his chest. Devin stopped singing so he could readjust her in his arms now that she was waking up.
{"Don't stop singing, you were just getting to the good part."}
"Okay" Devin responded as her started to sing to her again.
Rio sighed contentedly as she snuggled her face closer into Devin's neck. Breathing deeply Rio took in a lung full of his scent, only than was she reassured that every thing was okay. She exulted in the feelings of love and relief that poured from Devin's aura as he held her.
{"I love you too."} Rio said and then planted a kiss right on to Devin's neck.
Devin just smiled and nuzzled her check as he continued to sing and rock with Rio. It didn't take too long after that for a Nurse Joy to visit the room to see how every one was doing. Seeing that Rio was up and about Nurse Joy gave her one last inspection to make sure every thing was indeed fine.
"Well all her X-rays and tests came back fine. About the only thing bad that is going to come out of this is that she will carry that scar for the rest of her life. It may even prevent her from getting her chest spike if, or when she evolves." Nurse Joy explained to them both.
Rio looked down and pawed at the area of exposed flesh on her chest. She couldn't begin to imagine how she would look with out a chest spike. But she was alive. That's all that really mattered. Devin thanked the Nurse Joy as she left the room. Looking around Devin noticed that Mocha had managed to sleep through the entire meeting. Pulling her Pokéball, Devin returned her to it and placed the ball on his belt.
"Well you've survived getting shot, its time to see if we can survive our parents." Devin said looking down at Rio.
{"I think I would rather be shot again."}
Devin picked Rio back up and headed for the door.
"I know the feeling, however if we don't tell them ourselves they'll find out from some one else and then we'll really be in trouble."
{"Seriously, can I just get shot again."}
"No."
Together they walked out in to the lobby and found one of the many communication centers that were provided for travelers and trainers. Finding one that was open was more of a challenge as every one seemed to be taken. Devin took a moment to step out of the Pokémon center and get some fresh air. It was very early morning. The sun was just barely starting to rise. Now he really didn't want to call home. Hoenn was 3 hours behind Sinnoh.
Devin hung his head and turned back into the center. As he approached the front doors automatically slid open and he ran right into a female trainer that was leaving. Devin was only about six feet tall, but she ran into him with such force that when the top of her head hit his chin it knocked him down. Rubbing his chin he looked at the trainer, who was like wise rubbing her head.
"Oy! Why don'cha watch where you're going!" She said in a very cross way.
"Sorry I was distracted." Devin replied slightly irritated as he picked himself up off the ground.
Devin offered his hand to the girl and got a really good look at her as she got to her feet. She was about 5'11", dark-skinned, had an average build and her short dreadlocks hid a set of really beautiful brown eyes.
"Hey, what are you starring at?"
"You, I've never seen any one like you before."
"Weren't you ever taught that it is rude to gawk."
Devin gave himself a shake.
"Sorry, I'm not trying to be rude."
She gave a snort and barged right past him, continuing her earlier action of storming out of the center.
"Next time watch where you're going, hey!"
With that she was gone.
Devin watched her go. He noted that she was probably about his age, maybe younger and was very attractive in an exotic kind of way. He could have done with out her attitude though. He hardly noticed as Rio walked up beside him snaking on a poffin.
{"You know I think she over reacted just a little."}
"Yeah she did." Devin said heaving a sigh.
{"And calling you rude was very rude of her."}
"Yes it was."
{"She did have a nice ass though."}
"Rio!"
{"Just saying. Nice boobs too."}
"That is quite enough! God, I think you have walked in on Aunt Rose and your mother a few too many times."
{"Yeah, we should really give the love birds a call."}
Devin rolled his eyes as he gave Rio a swat on the butt to get her moving back into the Pokémon center.
"Glad to see you've made a full recovery. No more alone time on the computer for you either."
Rio made a whining noise around a mouth full of poffin that Devin chose to ignore. Instead he sat himself down in front of an open vid-phone. Placing his trainer I.D. in the card reader he dialed up his Aunt, and waited for her to answer. Finished with her snack Rio climb on to Devin's lap and watched as the little digital Pokeball on the display spun in circles as the call was being placed. Devin blanched and his face turned red as his Aunts naked upper body came into view of the vid-phone. He could plainly see Lu asleep in his Aunts's bed behind her. Aunt Roses voice brought his attention back to the vid-phone.
"Devin do you know what time it is dear?"
"Yeah Aunt Rose, I do. Could you cover up please?"
Rose looked down at her self and slowly got up to get a robe. Devin did have to admit that Aunt Rose had not lost any of her youthful beauty as she got older. He watched as Aunt Rose gave Lu a nudge on her way back to the vid-phone.
"So Devin what's up that you're calling at 3am. One of you had best be dying if your calling this early."
Devin watched as Lu walked up behind Aunt Rose and lovingly drape her arms around her lover's neck and shoulders. He decided to get right to the point.
"Rio was shot last night."
Both the older women on the other end of the line were instantly awake. Devin had to try really hard not to laugh as he watched Lu suddenly shove Aunt Rose out-of-the-way. Aunt Rose was just as surprised too.
{"Where is Rio? Is she okay? She had better be boy! You promised you would take care of her."}
Devin wondered how long it would take her to realize that Rio was right there in his lap. However he could feel that Rio was becoming more and more embarrassed and agitated by her mother actions.
{"Mom I'm fine, I'm right here."}
Lu looked momentarily confused as she looked down at the smiling and waving Rio.
{"R, Rio... What the hell are you scaring me like that for? Were you even shot, or just trying to give your poor mother a heart attack?"}
Rio and Devin both heaved a deep sigh and started telling Aunt Rose and Lu about the events of that day. With agonizing detail they told them about the sudden storm, finding the cave, and the strange man called Saturn. Devin continued from the point that Rio had been shot and his mad dash back to Floaroma Town. When he was done telling his story he waited Aunt Rose and Lu to say something.
"Devin come home." Aunt Rose finally said.
"I have hardly started here though." Devin protested.
"I know sweetie. But Hoenn is much smaller and safer for a new trainer."
"But I wanted to start here, because Riolus and Buneary are from around here. And I thought it would be great to see where Rio and Mocha originated from."
Aunt Rose sighed and hung her head shaking it in exasperation.
"Devin, I don't want to see you kids hurt. Please come home." Aunt Rose pleaded.
Devin like wise hung his head till his mouth and nose were resting on top of Rio's head. He wrapped his arms around her and shut his eyes to think. Taking in a deep breath that was heavy with Rio's scent, he gently kissed the top of her head. Devin looked up at his Aunt's and Lu's expectant, waiting eyes.
"I can't give up yet, Aunt Rose. We haven't even begun to try."
Devin watched as Aunt Rose lowered her head again, and Lu wrapped her arms around her in comfort.
{"I want you kids to promise us that you will, be more care full from now on. Okay."} Lu said.
Devin and Rio both agreed before logging off. When the connection finally broke Devin and Rio got up and stretched. Devin felt several of his joints crack as he did so. Looking at a giant clock that was hanging on one of the lobby walls, he noticed it was almost 8 o'clock.
"Well Rio its too late to go back to sleep and too early for most things to be open. What do you want to do?"
Rio made a show of putting thought into what she wanted to do, but her rumbling stomach told him exactly what was on her mind. Rio looked up with a blush and a smile.
{"I'm hungry can we get something to eat?"}
Devin chuckled, one of the things he had learned early with her was that she could eat. He understood that she burned a lot of calories in a day, especially if she was battling. But even if she wasn't that girl would eat three times as much as he would.
"Haven't you eaten enough yet?"
{"No I'm really hungry."}
Devin hoisted her up and balanced her on his hip.
"You're going to get fat if you keep eating like that."
Rio giggled and nuzzled Devin's cheek before resting her head on his shoulder.
{"No I'm just storing up for when I evolve so I can have great hips and a killer bust like mom.""
Devin chuckled, because every Lucario he had seen had massive, child-bearing hips. He knew from experience though that those hips contained some massive muscles. And those hips didn't lie when they wanted to make a point and deliver a kick.
"You keep eating like that and you'll have bigger hips and tits than Aunt Rose and Lu combined."
Rio puffed out her cheeks in mock anger as Devin laughed and made his way to the nearest eatery. Neither one noticed the figure in black watching them as they walked down the early morning street laughing.
Latter on that morning
{"I don't know why you won't let me train."} Rio whined for at least the hundredth time that morning.
Devin heaved a deep sigh as he continued to watch Mocha as she tried to scare up some wild Pokémon to battle and capture.
"It's because you were shot last night, and you need to rest."
Rio puffed her cheeks out and turned away from them. All morning they had been trying to catch wild Pokémon. But all they had come across was wild Bidoof and Starley None of them had been worth catching as far as any of them were concerned. Rio continued to sit there and pout as Devin and Mocha pounded away at the worthless little wilds.
Rio continued to watch the flowers and grass as the wind blew through the Valley Windworks. An odd movement made Rio look closer. Cautiously she got to her feet and made her way to where he had seen the movement. What Rio found was a set of Shinx. If she had to guess a brother sister set. Rio was about to turn and tell Devin, but then thought better of it. Devin had been babying her all morning and she was sick of it. So Rio took off after the pair of Shinx.
Shinx twins
The pair of Shinx ran as fast as they could through the Valley Windworks. They had set out bright and early for Floaroma Town, to get the berries they had needed. Now, berries in mouth, they ran back across the Valley Windworks to where they had left their mom. They both hoped that they weren't too late to save her, especially the little girl. She knew she was not as strong as her Luxray mother, and even now as she was falling behind him, she also knew she wasn't even as strong as her twin brother. She needed her mother yet, she could not imagine life with out her.
On they raced. The place they were hiding was just past the Valley Windworks, in the hollow of a giant tree, not too far into the Eterna Forest. Both Shinx were so preoccupied with getting to their mother that neither one noticed Rio Following them at a discreet distance.
When they got back to the hollowed tree they found their mother in worst condition than when they had left her. They noticed that they wound in her side from a Beedrill's "Poison Jab" attack that she had received two days ago had become very red, and smelled like rotting flesh. It reminded the little boy of a Rattata that he had killed once and then hadn't eaten. The smell had been pretty bad.
Both of the little Shinx laid their berry prizes in front of their mother. For a few moments she just laid there breathing laboriously, her sides heaving from the pain involved with the effort of breathing. Eventually though her long cat-like tongue snaked out and licked up two of the Lum Berries. The cubs watched as their mother slowly chewed the berries, and then swallowed them.
{"Momma? Momma? Do you think she is going to be okay brother?"} the little girl asked her brother pleadingly.
The little boy heaved a deep sigh, he could sense his mother end was near, but he couldn't bring himself to tell his sister.
{"Absolutely! These Lum Berries are going to get rid of that nasty poison. And tomorrow we'll go back to that shop with all those berries and we'll get some Sitrus Berries for her and she'll be back on her paws in no time."} He replied with mock bravado.
The two cubs were so engrossed with their mother that they still had failed to notice Rio. However Rio had noticed them and that they had stopped running. Her excitement at having found two prime wild Pokémon for Devin though evaporated when she saw the mother and the nasty wound on the side of her body. Slowly and quietly she made her way to the cubs.
{"No she won't."} Rio said her voice very sad.
Both Shinx literally jumped at the sound of Rios voice. The little girl dove behind her mother as the little boy took up a protective stance in front of them both. He glared at Rio and started to growl, as his fur stood on end from the gathering electricity flowing through his body.
{"You! Who are you, and what do you want?"} The little boy demanded.
Rio held her paws up and took a step forward. The little boy growled louder and poured on more electricity. Rio took the hint and stopped.
{"I want to help."} Rio said in what she hoped was her most calming voice.
{"If you come one step closer I'll tear you apart!"}
Rio gazed around the little boy and at the Mother and daughter in the hollowed out tree.
{"Is that your mom? She is very hurt, and she needs help. I can get help for you."} Rio said as she started to back away.
With out warning the little boy charged her trying to hit her with a "Spark" attack. His attack went wide as Rio side-stepped it. Quickly he turned around and did it again. This time when Rio dodged she followed it up with a Quick attack. The little boy landed in front of his Mother and sister, glaring at Rio.
{"You guys stay right there, I'll be back very shortly."}
With that Rio tore off as fast as she could back to Devin, and Mocha. She was in such a rush that she didn't notice the girl from the Pokémon center hiding in the bushes. She watched Rio run as fast as her little black legs would take her till she was out of sight. When she was sure that Rio was gone she stepped out of the bushes, and looked in the direction Rio had just come from.
"I wonder what got that Riolu all excited, hey Vul." She asked looking down at where her Vulpix was sitting on its haunches licking one of its paws.
The Vulpix gave its trainer a board stare before going back to cleaning its paws. The trainer looked into the forest and then back down at her Pokémon before taking off in the direction that Rio had fled from. The Vulpix stopped licking its paw, rolled its eyes and took off after its master.
A Short Time Later
"Rio I swear to Arceus if this is a ploy to get me to pay more attention to you I'm going to put you into your Pokéball, duct tape it shut, and bury it at the bottom of my back pack."
Rio looked at him with a mixture of horror and betrayal.
{"You wouldn't."}
Devin looked down at her with a smirk.
"Care to test the theory?"
Rio still had that look of betrayal. Devin continued to smile and scooped her up, balancing her on his hip. Rio refused to look at him, and puffed her cheeks out in agitation. Devin leaned his head in to nuzzle her, but she leaned away from him.
"What?"
{"You know what! I hate that round prison!"}
"Rio, when was the last time I put you in your Pokéball?"
Rio thought about it for a moment, and the more she thought about it, the less angry she became. Devin could feel her anger bleeding away.
{"I don't remember."}
Devin cracked a bigger smile as he readjusted her on his hip.
"The last time I put you in your Pokéball was the first time I put you in your Pokéball. You carried on so much about how much you hated it, that "I" have never put you back in it. Now your mother and my Aunt however have stuffed you in that ball quite a few times, and that was only when you were really naughty."
Rio shrugged excepting the explanation, and jumped out of Devin's arms.
{"I left them over here."} Rio said taking off into the forest.
The closer they got to where she had left the thunder lions the more worried she became. She could smell something, something that just didn't belong. She could distinctly smell something burning. That and the sudden increase in heat caused her to put on an extra little burst of speed. Together they rounded the last set of bushes to the site of the Amazon looking trainer from the Pokémon center picking up a freshly used Pokéball. The red indicator light gave its last flash, and than turned off. What ever she had captured was hers now. The Vulpix sitting at her feet looked less than thrilled. Rio looked past them and saw the little girl Shinx in tears next to her mother, who actually looked worst than she had before.
{"That's them, she must have caught the little boy."} Rio said tugging on Devin's shirt.
The trainer heard Rio, she had no idea what was said, but she turned to the sound of Rio saying her own name.
{"Oy! What'cha doing now? Are you stalking me?"} The trainer said immediately going on the defensive.
Devin was in no mood for her rudeness this time and he let it show.
"No, actually my friend Rio here told me she had found some Shinx who's mother needed some help, and came to see if there was any thing I could do. I see you caught the little boy, are you going to capture the other two and take them to the Pokémon Center or are you going to leave them here to die?"
The trainer didn't even answer as she picked up her bag and made to leave. Devin didn't move when she got closer. They stood there glaring at each other.
"You're in my way."
"And your skills as a trainer are about as good as they are with people. You are just going to leave them here to die."
"What I do, and what I chose to capture is none of your business. You can't stop me."
"You are absolutely right I can't."
With that Devin stepped aside to let her pass.
"Still doesn't change the fact that you are a lousy trainer that is going to leave that little girl and her wounded mother to die while you take the little boy for your own self-centered gain. Come on Rio, we have work to do."
Devin stormed off in the direction of the wounded Luxray and the frightened Shinx. The trainer looked after them for a bit, thinking about what Devin had said. Giving a sniff she looked down at her Vulpix, who in turn was looking right back up at her.
"What?"
The Vulpix shook its head and started walking in the direction that Devin had taken off in. Heaving a sigh she too took off back towards the hollowed out tree, and the injured Luxray. It didn't take long before she could hear the male trainer talking, seemingly to him self.
"It's okay little one, I'm here to help you. Easy now, I just want to help."
She rounded the bushes and saw him crouched down so he didn't look so intimidating to the already frightened Shinx as it tried to defend its dying mother as well as her brother had. She watched as he took a ball from his waist and released a Buneary from it. She was openly shocked as sparkles went up from the ball and a Buneary with pink fluff came out.
"Rio, Mocha, see if you can calm her down, she doesn't want to listen to me."
Rio and Mocha approached slowly both speaking in quiet tones as they did so.
"You speak to them as if you can understand what they're saying back. Do you do that with all Pokémon, or just your own."
Devin looked over his shoulder at her.
"Even when you're asking a question, you can't help but be rude can you."
She was appalled, but Devin cut her off before she could start ranting again.
"I was born in the Kanto Region, near the Veridian Forest. People born in..."
"Or around the Veridian Forest can understand Pokémon speech as well as other random things. I've heard the story, didn't think it was true though."
Devin just shook his head and went back to the task at hand.
"Any luck girls?"
{"She won't let us near, especially now that Miss Gives-A-Shit has shown up."} Rio snapped.
Mocha gasped at Rio's out burst and Devin heaved a deep sigh.
""Rio, language, I raised you better than that. Try again, let her know that this one is not with us."}
{"I'll try, but I doubt she'll listen."}
"You're right, come back here Rio. Mocha you try by your self."
{"What! Why not me too?"}
"Because Rio, she is eyeing you as menacingly as she is eyeing her." Devin responded jerking a thumb over his shoulder.
Rio stormed back to Devin and sat down in a huff next to him, sticking her tongue out. Carefully Mocha approached again. She held both of her hands up in front of her like she had seen Rio doing, and talked calmly as she inched forward.
{"It okay, friend, none of us are here to hurt you."}
{"You're trainer is here with the trainer that captured my brother, I don't believe you!"} the little Shinx said getting more panicky.
Mocha looked back at the other trainer that was with Devin. She had never seen the female trainer before, and Devin's body language said he didn't like her either.
{"I have honestly never seen her before, and I don't think my master likes her. Rio told us about you and your mother, we came to help."}
The little Shinx backed up a half a step and took on a more aggressive stance. Sparks started to emit from her coat.
{"That Riolu lead the other one here."}
Devin had listened to every word, and glanced over his shoulder at the other trainer.
"Thank you for needlessly making this difficult." He said bitterly.
"Me, what did I do."
"She won't let us near, because of you."
"Oy, not my problem. Just capturing wild Pokémon." The trainer retorted crossing her arms defiantly.
Devin shook his head. "Mocha, "Pound"!"
The little Shinx had no time to react as Devin yelled out his order, and without hesitation Mocha tilted her head forward and quickly unfurled her rolled up ear, nailing the little Shinx squarely in the face. The little Shinx flew back into her mother. Feebly she tried to get back up, but was smacked in the head by a Pokéball. In a flash she was transported into a strange new world.
Devin heaved a deep sigh as he picked the Pokéball up. Yeah he had wanted to catch a new Pokémon or two, and the little Shinx was the best prospect he had come across all day, but that is not why he had been here. Cautiously he approached the dying Luxray and knelt down again. She didn't try to defend her self as Devin started to look at the wound. He knew almost instantly that there was nothing he could do, maybe if he had gotten here way sooner, but now there was almost nothing he could do except maybe make her passing less painful. Devin scooted around to her head and pulled her up so her head was resting in his lap.
"You already know what I am going to tell you, don't you." Devin said quietly as he gently stroked the thunder lionesses soft head and mane.
{"Yes I do trainer. I have known now for some time."} She responded relaxing into Devin's lap.
"You are very brave, and I admire that you are facing the end with a calm and dignity, that is only surpassed by your beauty. I really wish I could have seen you in your prime."
{"You are the kind of trainer I wish I would have had. We would have been some thing special."} The Luxray said followed by some really pain full rasps and wheezes.
{"Please trainer, take good care of my daughter. I know the other trainer will take good care of my son. Believe it or not their personalities are similar. But my daughter will need some one strong to show her the way. Promise me trainer, promise me that you will show my daughter how to be as strong as she can be."}
Devin kissed the top of her head.
"What is your name?"
{"I've never had one, I was never caught."}
Devin looked into the hollowed out tree and saw several Lum Berries laying on the ground.
"You will be known as Lum. And I promise you Lum that your daughter will grow up to be as strong and beautiful as you."
{"Thank you, master."} She said, her breath getting shallower.
"My name is Devin, and those are my girls Rio and her sister Mocha. Is there any thing else I can do for you?"
{"I want to see my beautiful children one last time."}
Devin stopped stroking her mane and pulled the new Pokéball from his belt.
"Release the little boy, their mother wants to see them one last time."
With out word or protest she pulled her new Pokéball as well. Together they released the Shinx twins. Both cubs shook their heads upon their release and made their way to their mother.
{"Mom, what's going on?"} The little boy asked eyeing Devin suspiciously as he had gone back to stroking her head and mane.
{"Mom, I tried to protect you, I tried, I'm so sorry." }
Lum gave a week smile to her children.
{"Everything is going to be okay my children. I want you to go with your respective trainers now. They will guide you down a path of adventure, and wonder. A path I could have never shown you my self."}
She coughed and wheezed a few more breaths before she turned her head to look better at Devin.
{"See master, aren't my children beautiful."}
Devin did his best to not cry out for the dying Luxray in his lap, the noble lioness that had wanted nothing more than to watch her children grow up strong and happy. A dream she was not going to live long enough to see.
"Yes Lum, yes they are. They are very beautiful." Devin said leaning his head into hers to cover the tears he could not suppress any more.
{"My children, my beautiful, precious babies... I will always be with you..."}
Lum, the free and beautiful Luxray, gave one last shuddering sigh, and succumb to the Beedrill's poison that had run through her body. Her head sank one last time into Devin's lap never to raise again. Her eyes stared off into a sky she would never see again. And her face shown with a happiness that would never leave it again. The Shinx twins instantly fell on their dead mother, yowling, and bawling their eyes out. Devin held out for as long as he could. He could not bring himself to tear the crying cubs from their dead mother. It was the other trainer that made the first move, for once her rudeness saving Devin from discomfort. With bright red flashes the Shinx twins went back into their balls.
"Well what now?"
Devin looked at the dead Luxray in his lap, and kissed the top of her head one last time.
"I want to bury her here in the hollow of this tree. Interested in helping?"
The trainer looked at Devin, and the body that he held in his lap.
"Yeah, yeah I am."
Carefully Devin removed Lum's head from his lap and stood up. Reaching into his pack he pulled out a small travel shovel. It wasn't meant for the kind of digging he was about to do. But it was sturdy, and should do the job nicely. He than handed Rio the back pack, and Mocha the little girls ball.
"While I give Lum a proper send-off I want you two to find a suitable place to set up camp. Also see if you can't help out our new member. Make her feel welcomed and apart of the family."
Rio and Mocha accepted their tasks, and their loads with a nod before taking off into the forest. The female trainer pointed after Devin's Pokémon.
"Oy, Vul you go with'em. And behave your self."
The Vulpix rolled its eyes and took off after Rio and Mocha.
Together they removed Lum's body from the tree and set about digging her grave. Devin set him self on auto pilot. With a grim expression on his face he dug into the soft ground. The female trainer too set about digging, but the silence got to heavy for her.
"So, you be from the Kanto Region?"
Devin paused for a moment to give her a slightly suspicious look.
"No, I said I was born in the Kanto region. I grew up in the Hoenn region. And you."
"The Orange Islands."
"Really, well that explains the accent, and your Amazon like looks."
Devin noticed her blush a little, he hadn't expected that. Apparently she wasn't used to being told she looked good. They went on digging in silence again for a little bit.
"So, Devin was it, what brings you to Sinnoh?"
Devin heaved a sigh, he just wanted to get the job done.
"Rio and Mocha actually. My Aunt Rose, who raised me, has a Lucario of her own named Lu, and Rio is her daughter. Lu entrusted her care to me. She is my best friend and I love her dearly. Rio and me kind of sort of found Mocha while doing some survival training four years ago. She had been abandoned in the Hoenn region by some really bad trainer. She has been with us ever since.
How about you, what brings you to Sinnoh..."
"Amaya. My names Amaya Navela. I am in Sinnoh because I didn't care much for the Orange League. Was a little too... Childish for my tastes."
Devin fixed her with another funny look before going back to digging. They finished digging the hole in silence. When they were done, Devin hoisted Lum's lifeless body in to his arms. Squeezing his eyes shut, Devin tilted his head back and gave one last prayer that Arceus would welcome Lum in his thousand arms, and take her to the eternal garden that was the Pokémon after life.
Gently Devin laid Lum's body in the hole. He filled the hole in silence, the entire time pondering the life and death of Pokémon. He knew it was a natural part of the world. Pokémon both wild and tamed died all the time, be it by natural causes or accidents. He dared say though that watching a Pokémon die was much more painful than watching a human die. Maybe it was because he didn't have any strong bonds with many humans out side of Aunt Rose. He just didn't know, maybe he never would. Did that make him weird, maybe it did, but he didn't care.
As he was putting the last pile of dirt on the grave Amaya approached, holding a large rock. Carefully she set it at the end Lum's head was resting. On it she had inscribed "Forever Loved, Lum". Devin took the two Lum berries he had seen on the ground and planted them on top of the grave.
"She'd like that Devin."
Devin nodded his head with a smile and started off in the direction he felt Rio. Amaya was hot on his heels. When they got to the camp they found Devin's tent popped and a fire going. They also found Rio, and Mocha talking to the little Shinx that was their new sister.
"Any luck?"
Rio just looked at him and shook her head. Devin knelt down in front of her and picked her up. Devin knew that every Pokéball came with a standard program that caused captured Pokémon to be friendlier towards their trainer. Normally Devin didn't like this function, and turned it off. He didn't need any mechanical aids to get his girl's loyalty and friendship. But right now it might be necessary he didn't feel like getting sat on his ass by electric attacks.
Devin looked her over carefully. He could plainly see that her brother was bigger and stronger, but that didn't matter to him. He could feel her powerful muscles under her fur. Her eyes sparkled despite her shyness, and worry. He didn't have to think very hard about what to call her either. Both her ears had yellow stars on them as did the tip of her tail.
"I will call you Star. How do you like it?"
{"It's okay, I guess. I just want to see my momma again."}
"I know you do sweaty. But your mom has left."
{"Where did she go?"}
"She went with Arceus to the eternal garden."
Star looked at him for a second before it dawned on her what Devin had said. Visibly she sunk. Devin noticed that Amaya had the little boy out and on her lap. She was gently brushing his fur. Devin could see that the little boy was watching him with his sister.
"But you know what Star. Your mom wanted me to help you to find your own true strength and power. She wanted me to guide you as you learned to be strong. I will guide you on this journey. And you will be my guiding star as well. You will help me to remember what it means to be a good trainer, and breeder. Together we all will be something special. We will find our own strengths and over come our weaknesses together. And someday you will be just as strong, just as powerful, and just as beautiful as your mom."
Star looked up at Devin searching for the truth of his words. She found him smiling right down at her, the truth written all over his face and eyes. Devin set her down and Star curled up into a ball and rest in his lap.
{"But I miss her so much."}
"I know you do sweaty."
Devin absent-mindedly started scratching Star behind the ear. Devin noticed that Star's twin was already asleep in Amaya's lap.
"So what are you going to call him?"
"Bolt. You should have seen him battle to defend Lum. He was fast and strong, just like a bolt of lightning."
Devin watched as she absent mindedly stroked the sleeping cub in her lap, a content smile on her face. Maybe she wasn't such a bad person after all.
"Oy! Can I change in your tent?" Amaya blurted out of the blue.
Devin decided she was just a little rough around the edges.
"Don't you have a tent of your own?"
Amaya got a little red on the cheeks.
"Me Vul burnt it down a few nights ago when he was having a nightmare."
Devin watched as even the little Vulpix got a sheepish at the mention of its mishap.
"Yeah sure, go for it."
Amaya grabbed a pair of night pants from her bag as well as a night-shirt. Before she stepped in though she turned back towards Devin and his girls.
"Now I don't wanna see any of you peeking in while I'm changing. It's the last thing any of ya will do."
Devin just shrugged at her. He had not intention of peeking on her. But he decided to get changed himself. He gave Rio and Mocha a stare before he fished out his night pants.
{"Come on Mocha, Devin's taking away all of our fun again."}
Mocha got a little rosier on the cheeks and covered her eyes.
"Rio stop trying to corrupt your sister."
Rio puffed out her cheeks and blew Devin a raspberry.
Devin shook his head and started to get undressed. A few minutes latter Amaya stepped out of Devin's tent to the sight of Devin pulling up his pajama pants. She was treated to a full view of his bare back, and back side. It was quite the site if she did say so. Of course she wouldn't say so out loud. After putting his shirt on Devin turned to see Amaya standing there.
"If you would like you can sleep in my tent tonight."
Amaya was taken a back at the sudden statement.
"I most certainly will not sleep with you tonight, missta. Just what kinda girl do ya think I am?"
Devin heaved a deep sigh.
"At what point did I say, Amaya have sex with me tonight, or even that we should share the tent. I ain't that kind of guy either, and the tent is hardly big enough for me and the girls. So it most defiantly would not hold all six of us. I am offering you the tent for you and Vul's use only. Us four will sleep out here."
Once again Amaya got a little red in the cheeks and hung her head. Amaya silently gathered her back pack and issued Vul into tent. Once again she got to the thresh hold of the tent and turned towards Devin.
"Thank you Devin. It was a wonderful day, and I learned a lot, mate."
With that she entered the tent and shut the door.
Devin shook his head one last time for the night and laid out his sleeping bag. As he laid there looking at the stars, his girls surrounding him, he felt more lost than ever. But now, at least he had a guiding star. Even if she needed a lot of guidance her self.
"Thank you Arceus for such a great gift."
With that Devin closed his eyes and went to sleep.
Back at the Hollowed out Tree
A man dressed completely black stood at the fresh grave just looking at it. Floating off to his side was an equally dark figure, its flowing white hair and glowing blue eye the only thing giving it away as a Pokémon.
"What do you think Darkrai, do they pose any threat?"
Darkrai didn't say a word, it didn't have to. It just swiveled its glowing blue eye at the man who was just as wrapped in shadows as it was.
"Your right of course, Saturn is full of him self and got over-confident. But still the boy shows promise."
Darkrai continued to stare at the man.
"He reminds me of my self when I was younger."
With that he bowed to the grave and walked deeper in to the dark Eterna Forest.
"Come Darkrai, let's get out of here."
{"Yes, Void."}
The two melted into the darkness, leaving no trace that they had ever been there.Chapter End Notes:Sorry it took so long, things have been busy at work and home. Please Read and review. Constructive crits are welcomed but please no flaming