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Priceless Treasures-Chapter 9

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Father

   Who...am I...?

   How long had he been running? Where was he running to? What was he running from? An elaborate lie, or an undesirable truth?

   Who...am I?

   Was he the son of a master thief? Had he accidentally killed his mother when he found out the truth of his lineage? Had he been so afraid of his abilities that he had no real control over his power? Was he...Sparky?

   Who am...I?

   Was he the son of a great explorer? Was his mother murdered because of his father's mistake? Had watching her die traumatized him so much that he forgot everything? Was he...Aden?

   Who...

   Ray; when did he begin lying? Was what he said about the past he created for both of them the lie? Was it the truth? Why did Ray think he couldn't handle the truth? What ulterior motive did he have for lying about who he really was, who both of them really were? Was he...his father?

   Am...

   The dreams; were they more than that? Were they his brain trying to make him remember his past? Were they his brain trying to fabricate a happier youth to shield him from the much grimmer one? Had he really thought that they would go away once he confronted who he thought to be his father? Were they...his true memories?

   I...?

   Ivy...How long had she known about Ray's deception? How much had she known about Ray's deception? Did she really have amnesia? Was she really a human that had transformed into an Eevee? Was she lying to him from the moment they met? Was asking her to form a team with him doing her a favor? Was it something more than that? Why did he convince himself that being partners with her was a big mistake? Why did he do everything in his power, even going as far as pinning her down and saying saying that he never cared about her, to make her want to end their partnership? Why was he so desperate to have her out of his life?

   Even now...why couldn't he stop thinking about her?

   Was she alright? How badly did his unintentional attack hurt her? What did she think of him? What did she think of the past Ray spoke of? Was she still sick of the thought of remaining partners with him?

   Did she...hate him?

   An unseen rock in his path caused him to trip. He landed flat on his face, dull pain shocking him out of the numbness that had consumed his body. He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, which felt slightly wet. "Who am I?"

   A sound reached his ears: Rushing water. Slowly, he lifted his head and found himself at the banks of a moderately-sized stream, its depth shallow enough and its current slow enough for someone to safely cross, or for a child to safely play in.

   He carefully rose back to his feet, a small ache in his heart drawing him toward this small obituary of a much bigger river. The ache he felt; it was the ache of familiarity. Had he been here before?

   Eyes scanning the length of the stream, he jumped a little to see a Pichu playing in the water to his left. Something about this Pokémon seemed off and, upon carefully studying it, the child proved to be not really there. Just an illusion his brain was making his eyes see. He approached the mirage Pichu, watching the child laugh without a single sound, splashing the water without causing a single ripple, picking rocks to skip out the river bed without disturbing a single pebble, coming across-

   He froze in place. The mirage Pichu had picked up a rock that was far too big and oblong to successfully skip across the water's surface, but kept the child's now undivided attention. The rock the mirage held was smooth on one side and had an intricate, seemingly ancient symbol engraved on it. His hand moved to his neck, to the twine necklace hiding beneath his Defense Scarf, to the small rock he'd had carried with him for as long as he could remember.

   Holding his Relic Fragment in front of his eyes, he realized that it bore the exact same enigma as the rock in the mirage Pichu's paws. He gasped and looked back to the illusion. Is that...me?

   Grinning, the mirage Pichu scrambled out of the stream, shook the excess water off his body, and ran upstream, his new find in one hand. Blinking dumbly and in disbelief, he followed after this illusion. Why did this Pichu have the Relic Fragment? Was this really him as a child? Was this another memory? The memory of when he first found his personal treasure? Was this...the dream he had a week ago? If this was truly bearing likeness to that dream, then the Pichu was running to-

   He froze again. He had looked up, his eyes ripping away from the mirage in his vision, and resting on the ruins the mirage had been leading him to. Blackened, crumbling wood sat in a large pile about a yard in front of him. The faint smell of smoke and charcoal hung in the air and wafted into his nostrils, the odor making him unwarily cringe. He closed his eyes, the sight of the remains of a long ago fire causing fear to grip his heart. Why...why am I so...afraid?

   "Aden."

   His eyes snapped wide open. The ashen ruins before him were no longer there; replaced instead by the illusion of what they once were. A small hut stood by the river, its walls made of sturdy bamboo shoots and its roof made of giant palm leaves. The dwelling had no doors or a floor and was big enough to house a small family, preferably a child, a father, and a-

   He blinked. Standing in front of the hut, back turned to him, was another mirage. This illusion, one of a Pikachu, soon turned around and met its gentle brown eyes with his. His heart began to ache again, only it was stronger and grew more so the longer he kept the stare of this brown-eyed female. The Pikachu smiled, which caused another pang of nostalgia, before her mouth formed a word, the name he had heard just moments ago: "Aden."

   The mirage Pichu from earlier ran up to the mirage Pikachu, the two electric-types sharing a conversation that didn't reach his ears. His eyes remaining glued to the female, his feet slowly moved him toward the pair. "M..." The ache in his chest overwhelming, he reached out toward the female. "Mama...?"

   His paw passed through the Pikachu's head and touched blackened wood. The entire illusion - the hut, the Pichu, the Pikachu - disappeared. He gasped, feeling as though something had been ripped out of his chest the moment the mirage faded. His lip quivering, he felt himself sink down to his knees, his paw still touching the ruins of the hut that once stood here. A cold reality dawned on him. No matter which of his pasts was the real one, one truth remained the same: His mother was dead. "Mama..."

   "I knew you'd come back."

   He snapped his head up. The voice was unknown, sinister, and nearby. Scrambling back to his feet, he looked to the left and found the owner of this voice. The Pokémon calmly walked on all fours from behind the pile of burnt wood, the fur on its back scarred and soiled with dark soot. It had a scar over one red eye that stared straight at him in a malevolent gleam.

   "How long has it been, Glenn?" the Typhlosion asked, mouth curling up in a grin. "Ten? Fifteen years? I admit that I've lost track of time 'cause I've been waiting for so long for you to finally man up."

   The scent of charcoal lingered on the Volcano Pokémon, growing stronger the closer he came. "I...I don't know what you're talking about."

   The Typhlosion's smile widened, flashing sharp white fangs. "Playing coy? C'mon, Glenn, I thought you'd be better than that!"

   The Typhlosion was coming dangerously close. Feeling nervous, the Pikachu started backing away. "No really, I have no idea what you're-"

   A pillar of fire erupted from the ground behind him, right where he was about to place his next step. "Trying to bail out on me?" the Typhlosion asked, tapping one paw on the ground in irritation. "On our first conversation in, what, thirteen years? Honestly, Glenn, did all those grand conversations we used to have when you called me 'Boss' really mean nothing to you at all?"

   The Pikachu, having just barely avoided getting burned by the Eruption, stared at the fire-type in confusion. "B-boss?"

   The Typhlosion chuckled and began walking in a circle around the Pikachu. "Didn't we use to have a great time together back in the day? Raiding small villages, looting all those banks, dealing with those who thought it wise to cross me; I know I sure had fun!"

   Having kept the fire-type in his line of vision the entire time, the Pikachu watched as the Typhlosion's smile became a frown. "But you just had to go and rain on my parade, didn't you Glenn? Or should I say, 'The Amazing Glenn'?"

   The Pikachu's eyes widened at the mention of that name. "I-I don't, I'm not-"

   "Do you remember what I told you the day you joined?" the Typhlosion barked angrily, quickening his pace. "I said, 'The gang is family, and ya always gotta protect the family'! Do you remember agreeing to uphold that promise, Glenn? Do ya?!"

   The Pikachu gulped, finding it difficult to keep watch on the fire-type without becoming dizzy. "I-I'm not Gl-"

   "You broke your promise, Glenn!" the Typhlosion roared, making the Pikachu flinch. "You betrayed my family and got them all tossed into jail is what you did! And do ya know what happened to them after that?!" Smoke started puffing out of the collar on the fire-type's back, a hostile glare in his red eyes. "They all got executed is what happened, and it was all because of you!"

   Intensely burning flames now shot out of the Volcano Pokémon's collar, making the already sinister Pokémon even more intimidating. "See, I got a policy when it comes to matters like this, and I'm positive you remember exactly what it is." His wide, cruel smile returned. "You burn me, I torch you."

   The Pikachu looked at the Typhlosion, eyes widening even further. "You...?"

   "I thought burning the dump you called a home to the ground would satisfy me," the Typhlosion confessed with a slight shrug, "but I supposed that hearing your little wife scream as I torched her to a crisp wasn't enough for me!"

   A beastly laugh filling his ears, the Pikachu stared in wide-eyed horror at the fire-type. "It was...you?"

   Ignoring the question, the Typhlosion bore his fangs in a wide, manic grin. "I've been waiting here for you to return for one reason, and one reason alone, Glenn." He rose to his hind legs, his staggering height making him tower over the Pikachu. "To finally even the score."

   Fire blasted out of his mouth. The Pikachu just barely dodged out of the powerful Flamethrower's line of fire in the nick of time. "W-wait!" he pleaded. "Y-you got the wrong guy! I'm not Glenn!"

   The Typhlosion threw his head back and guffawed loudly. "You think I'm gonna believe that?! You already pulled the wool over my eyes once, and I'm sure not gonna let that happen again! Now quit your excuses and put up a fight before I kill you!"

   There was no way he wanted to fight this Typhlosion; the Pokémon was out of his mind! Breathing heavily, the Pikachu made a mad dash to try and get away from the fire-type. Barely moving two feet away, the Typhlosion banged his fist on the ground, causing pillars of fire to erupt from the ground all around the Pikachu, blocking his escape. He soon found his back against the pile of burnt detris, completely blocked and without any means of escape.

   "You disappoint me, Glenn. You look like you haven't aged a day, but I guess the years really haven't been too kind on you," the Typhlosion commented, calmly approaching the trapped Pikachu. "It's no fun if my prey doesn't put up a fight, and you're offering no resistance at all! When did you get to be so boring, Glenn?!"

   The Typhlosion sneered. "Well, whatever," he sighed, his right fist becoming coated in fire. "Revenge is revenge, and I've waited for too long to be picky anymore."

   With nowhere to go, the Pikachu could only look up in horror as the Typhlosion raised his fist over his head, a crazed grin on his face. "Be sure to send me a letter from Hell, Glenn."

   Fear overcoming him, the Pikachu tightly closed his eyes as the Typhlosion began his attack. "No!!"

   Clang!

   An interesting, if not strange, sound resonated throughout the area. Confused because he was not feeling any pain, the Pikachu slowly opened his eyes and found, crouching right in front of him, his Iron Tail blocking the Typhlosion's Fire Punch, that someone had come to his rescue.

   "You already took Emily from me," the Raichu growled, gray eyes glaring up at the Typhlosion. "You will not take away my son!!"

   Shocked by the newcomer's appearance, the Typhlosion didn't have time to react before the Raichu swung his tail, pushing him away before he used Thunder Punch. As the Typhlosion staggered backwards, holding his abdomen and cringing, the Pikachu looked up in wonder and surprise at the Pokémon he'd known as his mentor for as long as he could remember. "You?!"

   Ray said nothing as he rose to full height, standing in a defensive position in front of the Pikachu. "It's been a long time, Damien," he addressed the Typhlosion. "Fourteen years to be exact. After all this time, even though I look different, I'd think you'd still be able to tell me apart from other Pokémon."

   The Typhlosion, Damien, looked back and forth from the two Mouse Pokémon, his shocked expression turning into an amused grin. "Ah, I see," he said with a chuckle. "Evolving to hide yourself; That was some clever thinking, Glenn! I should have expected no less from you, what with all your other deceptions!"

   The Pikachu blinked in confusion. "Wh-wha-?"

   "Listen up, kid," Ray spoke to the younger Mouse Pokémon, back still facing him. "You see that Typhlosion over there? His name's Damien, but he's more commonly known as the 'Devil'." His scowl deepened. "And he's the Pokémon that destroyed your home...and killed your mother."

   Raising an eyebrow, Damien released a loud, maniacal laugh. "Is that what he's been telling you, kid? That I'm the big, bad Pokémon that took Mommy away from you?" He shook his head. "Open your eyes, kid, and learn not to be duped so easily."

   Brown eyes widened. "W-what are you talking about?"

   The Typhlosion smirked cruelly. "Sure, I torched your house; I'm guilty of that much. However, only one Pokémon is responsible for the death of your mom, kid. And that Pokémon..." His smirk widening, he pointed a single claw in accusation at Ray. "is standing right in front of you."

   Brown eyes looked in horror and disbelief at the older Mouse Pokémon. "You...what?"

   Ray didn't speak, his face turned toward the ground as Damien continued talking. "Don't act too surprised, kid. You're not the only one he's fooled. Take me, for example. He lied to become part my old gang. He lied and weaseled his way up my gang's chain of command until he was practically my right-hand guy. He lied when he told me I could always trust him, even! And I, like a fool, didn't know he was lying until the day he lied to my entire gang and walked them right into a trap! 'The Amazing Glenn' my foot! 'The Lying Glenn' is much more appropriate, wouldn't you agree?"

   Not a single peep came from the Raichu. "I never would've guessed, however, the extent of your lying," Damien continued, a frown appearing on his face. "I'd never peg you as one who'd lie to his own flesh and blood. Keeping the truth about who you once were and what you've done from your own kid? That's low even for you!"

   A moment of silence passed before a spiteful chuckle burst from Ray's mouth. "Assuming you even have one, what kind of moral compass do you run on, Damien?" he blatantly asked, eyes still on the ground at his feet. "Yes; I have lied many times in my life, but that would be considered nothing compared to all the wrongs you've committed. Throughout all the time I had the displeasure of being a part of your 'family', I've seen things I wish I could forget. All those innocent Pokémon I've seen you kill, all those lives I've seen you personally destroy...Compared to you, I'd look like the perfect model citizen!"

   Damien arched an eyebrow, his frown deepening. "But," Ray continued, his voice lowering, "I know I'm not perfect, nor could I ever even come close anymore. I've lied more times than I can count, but at least I have the morality to hate myself for every lie I've ever told...which is more than I can say about you, Devil."

   The Typhlosion's red eyes narrowed, upper lip curling up into a small snarl as Ray continued talking. "I lied my way into your gang originally because it was my mission, but it became more personal with every sin I saw you commit. You lie because you think it fun and amusing, whereas I discovered that I had a much different, more noble reason. Like everything else I've done in my life, I lie..." Slowly, Ray looked over his shoulder at the Pikachu he claimed to be his son, a small smile coming to his face. "...because I have something worth protecting."

   The Pikachu felt something stir in his heart as he gaped at the smiling Raichu. Ray...

   Damien's sadistic laugh interrupted the moment the two Mouse Pokémon were sharing. "There you go lying again, Glenn!" he scoffed. "As I recall, in the end, all your lying couldn't protect your oh-so precious family from me!"

   His smile vanishing, Ray looked back to the ground. "A long time ago, I made a mistake that cost me my home...and my wife. I've lived with the regret that she's gone because of me for all that time, but now I understand there's only one way I can redeem myself."

   His entire body surging with immense electrical energy, Ray glared up at Damien in the most deadly, threatening way imaginable. "By making sure you never see the light of another day!"

   Crouching down onto all fours, Ray unleashed a fearsomely strong Thunder attack. Damien just barely dodged and counterattacked with Flame Wheel. Ray dashed forward, straight toward the oncoming Pokémon and blocked Flame Wheel with Iron Tail. The two attacks cancelled each other out, but that didn't phase the two males as they started launching attack after powerful attack at each other.

   As the battle between the two fully-evolved Pokémon ravaged on, the Pikachu became less focused on the battle and more on his own thoughts. A vision, a faint memory buried deep within his mind, resurfaced. Himself as a Pichu, barely two years old, being held in the arms of another Pokémon. Smiling and laughing, he was tossed into the air and gently caught in the other Pokémon's arms multiple times. The other Pokémon - a male Pikachu - was enjoying himself as well, smiling and watching him with cool gray eyes.

   Those eyes, that smile; everything about the briefly recollected memory sent the faintest twinge of recognition within his heart. P... The smile the memory Pikachu had, and the one Ray just gave him moments ago...they were undoubtedly and exactly the same. Papa...?

   "You attack with such serious ferocity, Glenn!" Damien taunted. The battle had come to a standstill, his hands coated in fire while his opponent's sparked with electricity, both equally powerful and holding each other back, locking the battlers in a standoff while both eagerly awaited for one side to give in. "Is it truly your intention to kill me?!"

   "Nothing would give me greater pleasure," Ray growled back, his feet digging into the earth to help him stand his ground and hold back Damien's advances. "However...it is not my place to decide whether you should live or die."

   With a stained grunt, Ray was able to push Damien back and, with a turn of his torso, throw the Typhlosion to the ground. Damien grunted upon impact and, before he had the chance to get back up, found Ray's Iron Tail pointed directly at his throat. "I'm not going to kill you, Damien," Ray said lowly, his cold gray eyes trained upon the Pokémon in front of him. "I'm going to arrest you, turn you over to the police, and let them decide what to do with an outlaw of your status. I'm an explorer, not a murderer."

   Damien's red eyes narrowed at Ray, however his lips soon curled into a grin. "You're failing to understand something important, Glenn," he claimed. "I've been waiting fourteen years for my revenge and, one way or another..." His sinister grin widened, flashing his sharp white fangs. "I will have it. Today."

   Without another word, the Volcano Pokémon turned his head, opened his mouth, and launched an insanely intense Fire Blast directly at Ray's son.

   Ray's eyes widened in horror. Damien's target, lost in a long forgotten memory, was not moving and completely unaware of the deadly attack coming right at him. "ADEN!!"

   The Pikachu blinked, the screamed name releasing him from the dreamlike stupor his memory had trapped him in. He looked up and, to his astonishment and fear, saw fire racing toward him at an alarming rate. There was no time to avoid the attack, not even enough to move out of the way before the attack made contact. The Pikachu unable to do anything, the Fire Blast just kept creeping closer, closer, its intense, burning heat becoming more unbearable the closer it got-

   It happened quickly. It happened unexpectedly. At the last second, an unknown force pushed him to the side and out of the line of fire. Having just barely gotten to him in time, after pushing him out of the way, Ray now took his son's place as the 'Devil's Fire Blast hit its unintended target.

   Ray screamed as he became engulfed in fire, his body twitching and convulsing as the flames ate away at his flesh. Seeing the Raichu suffer triggered another of the Pikachu's suppressed, long forgotten memories:

   It was the dead of night when the young Pichu was woken by the smell of smoke. The smoke made his eyes water, inhibiting his vision even more as he groped around in the dark for his mother, who surely must know what was going on. After much blinking and searching, he found his way out of his room and saw the source of the smoke to be an immense fire consuming his entire home. Fear filling up inside him, he intensified his search for his mother, and soon found and ran to her. When he was at his mother's side, the fear died down a bit, but flared back up when he and his mother saw the back of a tall, dark shadow spouting the flames that were destroying their home.

   As the shadow slowly turned to face the pair, red eyes gleaming demonically in the light of the inferno, his mother did something unthinkable and pushed him away. As he stared up at her in confusion and slight hurt, his mother only looked at him in horror and urgency and screamed one word at him: "Run!"

   That was when the red-eyed shadow spouted more flames directly onto his mother.

   The shrieks, the convulsing body, the scent of burning flesh, the intense, lethal fires; History was repeating itself right in front of him. Only, instead of his mother being killed in the inferno...now it was his father. "No!!"

   The flames engulfing him extinguishing, Ray fell face down on the ground. Entire chunks of fur and flesh had been eaten away from his body, which lay still and unmoving as streams of smoke rose from the smoldering burn wounds. Laughing maniacally at his handiwork, Damien rose to full height and turned his attention on the shocked, petrified-with-fear Pikachu and smirked. "Your turn, kid."

   "NO!"

   A flash of brown barreled past the Pikachu and rammed the Devil right in his abdomen, not only knocking the breath out of him but also knocking him off his feet. Wrapping an arm around his stomach as he fell to his knees and other arm, Damien gasped for breath as he and the Pikachu stared in astonishment at that day's second unexpected newcomer.

   "Leave..." the small Eevee hissed, piercing amethyst eyes glowering at the Devil. "Leave my partner alone you monster!"

------

   "You alright, Ivy?"

   "I guess so," Ivy groaned as she slowly got back to her feet with Ray's help. "Where did Sparky go?"

   Ray didn't immediately answer, an apprehensive look on his face as he looked away. "It doesn't matter," he finally said. "It's none of my concern where he ran off to to get away from me."

   "'Doesn't matter'?" Ivy repeated, looking to the Raichu in surprise. "Of course it matters! He's out there all alone and you say that it's none of your concern?!"

   "Because it isn't!" Ray snapped. After a few seconds, his shoulders slumped forward and he let out a deep sigh. "He most likely hates me now, and has every reason to. I just told him that his entire life had been a lie, and that I'm the one who created that lie. If he needs to be alone right now, then I have no right to go after him."

   Ivy couldn't believe what she was hearing. "'No right'?! You're his father, aren't you? Doesn't that basically entitle you to those rights?"

   Ray suddenly snapped his head around, giving Ivy a cold, hard stare that made her cower a little. "I've done enough to him already," he strainfully muttered. "You wouldn't understand."

   There was a slight shine in Ray's gray eyes, as if he were holding back tears. Ivy stared up at him a moment longer before looking down, a rueful chuckle bouncing off her lips. "You're right, Mister Ray, or Glenn, or whoever you are. There are lots of things I don't understand. I don't understand how I got amnesia, or who I was before I lost my memory, or why I was unconscious on that beach. I don't fully understand exploring, or the time crisis, or most other things in this world, and I certainly don't understand why you're electing to ignore the current situation."

   She looked back up, determination gleaming in her eyes. "But one thing I know for sure: Sparky's been told a whole lot of new information that the couldn't comprehend or accept right off the bat. He's probably just wandering around, lost and confused about who he is and what he's been told. If I were in his current situation, I'd like to have someone to turn to to help me understand the truth behind who I am. No one deserves to be alone at times like these, which is why I'm going to go look for him. What about you?"

   To her disappointment, Ray didn't say anything and only looked at his feet. Sighing, she turned and started walking away. "If he's really as important to you as you claimed he is," she called back to the Raichu, "then I'd think you'd be racing to comfort your only son in his time of distress. Wouldn't you agree, sir?"

   Without hearing an answer from him, Ivy continued walking the way she briefly saw Sparky running down earlier. She only walked a few meters away before she heard a distinct set of footsteps approaching. She paused momentarily and looked over her shoulder to see the Raichu with a walking staff jogging up to her. "It's just a hunch," Ray said after he joined her, "but I may know where he's going."

   Hearing this, Ivy smiled to herself. "Lead the way, Mister Ray."

   The pair began walking again. All the while, Ray kept looking at Ivy out of the corner of his eye. "Now here's something I don't understand," he said after they had been walking a while. "From what I've seen, he hasn't been all that friendly toward you. After the way he's treated you, after hearing the absolute truth about who he is and where he came from, after he accused you of being a liar... Why are you concerned about him?"

   A small smile appeared on her face. "Simple," she replied. "It's because-Is that smoke?"

   It was far away and barely recognizable, but there was a column of smoke rising into the sky in the distance where Ray was leading the pair. Seeing this, he stopped dead in his tracks, eyes widening in alarm. "I-it can't be...!" was all he said before he dropped his staff, dropped to all fours, and sprinted toward where the smoke was coming from.

   Worried and confused, Ivy immediately took off after the Raichu. "M-mister Ray!" she called out to him as she steadily closed the distance between them. "What is it? What's wrong?"

   Ray didn't answer her, all his energy going towards making himself run faster. Taking the hint, Ivy didn't say any more and pushed herself to keep up with the speedy Raichu. The two Pokémon ran faster and faster toward the smoke, a river coming into their line of vision before Ray suddenly came to a halt. Skidding, Ivy soon stopped behind Ray, panting a little from running such a great distance in such a small amount of time. She turned to him, wanting an explanation, when she noticed his fur was standing on end and the horrified look in his eyes. Following his gaze, she saw two figures in the distance. One was a Pikachu, his back against a big pile of burnt wood.

   The other was a Typhlosion, his fist coated in flames and raised above his head, ready to attack.

   "Stay down and keep quiet," Ray suddenly ordered Ivy in a tense, commanding voice before he rocketed towards the two Pokémon, stopping between the two and blocking the Typhlosion's Fire Punch with Iron Tail before knocking the Volcano Pokémon away. Ivy watched Ray's and the Typhlosion's lips move, wanting to hear more of the conversation the two fully evolved Pokémon were sharing, but honoring Ray's order to remain unseen by hiding behind a cluster of rocks.

   A fierce battle soon ensued between Ray and the Typhlosion, each attack feeling powerful and intense even from where she was hiding. Remaining well hidden, she inched closer and closer to the battle, both intimidated and entranced by the fight Ray was having with this stranger. At one point, it looked like Ray was going to be victorious. However, the Typlosion surprised everyone when he aimed a Fire Blast right at the Pikachu, who had remained in the same spot since the time the battle began and stayed there even now, with the lethal attack coming directly at him.

   Ivy stifled a scream when she saw Ray push his son out of the way and take the Fire Blast in his place, becoming more and more horrified as she watched the Raichu's body being devoured by the flames. She was whimpering by the time he fell to the ground, covered in multiple burns and completely unmoving. Hearing a demonic laugh, she looked to see the Typhlosion turn toward the terrified Pikachu, grinning maniacally as he said in a dark, deadly voice, "Your turn, kid."

   "NO!"

   She couldn't take anymore. Abandoning Ray's warning to remain hidden, she dashed forward and rammed into the Typhlosion, making him fall to his knees. "Leave..." she hissed, eyes glaring at the murderous Pokémon. "Leave my partner alone you monster!"

------

   Though still shocked, the Pikachu had no trouble in recognizing the normal-type that had suddenly appeared. "Ivy?!" he gasped. "What are you doing here?!"

   Hearing his voice, Ivy spun around, looked at him and smiled briefly. "Sparky!" she cried in relief as she rushed to his side. "Are you alright?"

   Her sudden mood swing made him feel a twinge of irritation. "You idiot," he muttered lowly. "It isn't safe; you need to get out of here right now!"

   "And leave you all alone with this maniac?" She firmly shook her head. "No. I'm not running away, and neither should you."

   "I-I wasn't planning on-" he began, then stopped. "Wait, what do you mean by that?"

   "You gotta stay focused, Sparky!" she replied with a groan. "Wasn't your reason to join the guild and become an explorer to find the Pokémon who did you wrong years ago? Are you really going to pass up an opportunity like this to bring that Pokémon to justice?"

   His eyes widened. Her words were starting to make sense. Even though he had been told that his inability to fully control his power caused the death of his mother was a lie, it had remained true in his heart that his father's absence was really to blame for the tragedy. For as long as he could remember, all he wanted was to get stronger, more in control of his abilities, so that he could find the criminal he blamed for the death of his mother. Even now, now that the real culprit had been identified, bringing that Pokémon to justice still remained his number one goal.

   "He's standing right in front of you," Ivy continued. "Now you really need to get your act together and-wait where is he?"

   The Pikachu turned his head up and looked around. Sure enough, Damien was completely out of sight. Ivy padded over to where the Typhlosion was before, frowning in confusion. "Where did he g-"

   Out of nowhere, a bog of thick black smoke enveloped the area. The Pikachu covered his mouth, trying hard not to breathe in too much of the gasses. Is this... Smokescreen?

   "Sparky?" Ivy's voice called out, coughing a few times. "Sparky, where are y-MMPH!"

   "Ivy?" he yelled, choking on the noxious fumes and feeling deep dread from how the Eevee's voice was suddenly cut off. "Ivy?!"

   Soon enough, the Smokescreen dissipated, making the air around the area clearer and cleaner. Taking in a deep breath of clean air, he coughed the rest of the smoke out of his lungs before looking for the other member of Team Sky. To his relief, he quickly spotted her.

   To his horror, she was in the Devil's clutches.

   "Well, well, what have we here?" Damien said in a curious tone, his right arm wrapped around Ivy's head and holding her body to his chest as she feebly kicked and thrashed in his grasp. "Such a pretty little miss; Ivy, was it? What business could you possibly have here, angel face?"

   Small, muffled whimpers came from the Eevee, her forelegs trying desperately to pull Damien's arm away. Seeing her struggle in the Typhlosion's strong grip, the Pikachu felt anger and electrical energy building up inside him. "Let. Her. Go."

   Noticing his reaction, Damien raised an eyebrow and looked back and forth between the Pikachu and the Eevee a few times. "I see," he said with a sneer. "She your 'special someone', kid? How sweet; the girlfriend coming to her lover's aid. Isn't that just precious?"

   His cheeks flushed the slightest shade of pink at what was being implied. The embarrassment quickly shaken off, he rose to full height and took a step toward, electricity in his cheek pouches buzzing as angrily as he felt. "I said let her go!"

   "Ah ah ah," Damien said in a scolding tone. "Don't want me to make a mess out of your sweetheart, do you kid?"

   The Pikachu immediately stopped. Damien had his mouth opened wide, a faint orange glow seen in the back of his throat. His mouth was aimed directly over Ivy's head. Feeling the heat of the fire the Typhlosion was threatening to spew onto her, Ivy's eyes looked to her partner, full of fear and pleading. Seeing this, he unwarily took a step forward, reaching out for her. Ivy...

   "Did you not hear what I just said!?" Damien barked, flexing his arm and tightening his grip around Ivy's head, causing another muffled whimper to come from her. "Or do you really just not care about what happens to her?"

   He froze once again, events from earlier that day re-entering his mind. Me? Care about you? What a joke. Among other things that he had said, those specific words stuck out the most. Ivy appeared to be thinking about the same thing, for she looked back to him in a condemning stare. Beneath the accusation were subtle hints of desperation and questioning, as if she was begging to know if it was true that he really didn't care with just a glance.

   The longer she held his gaze, the more her eyes softened until, slowly, calmly, she stopped struggling and started closing her eyes.

   He felt his blood run cold. Why did she stop fighting? Was she accepting her fate? To die at the hands of the Pokémon who sought revenge on his father and killed his mother? Did she misread the look he was giving her? Had he really convinced her that he didn't care whether she lived or died? No, no, Ivy...don't give up! What I said before; I didn't mean it! I only said it because, because I-

   In the middle of their descent, one of Ivy's eyelids stopped just before they completely closed around her eye, the other closing in a subtle wink.

   He blinked. No; he didn't imagine it, nor was he misreading her. From that one simple gesture, he understood Ivy's intentions and knew what to do. Inhaling a deep breath, he held his ground, focused his sharp glare at the Typhlosion holding Ivy hostage, and fired his most well-controlled Thunder Bolt to date straight at the pair.

   Damien's eyes widened in shock. What's this kid thinking? Does he seriously want to risk hurting this girl just to get back at mYEEOW!

   His attention focused entirely on the Pikachu's questionable actions, Damien hadn't realized his grip around his hostage had loosened until he felt the Eevee's sharp teeth piercing deeply into his flesh. The surprise Bite attack from the seemingly weak Eevee involuntarily loosened his grip even more than before. With only seconds to spare, Ivy swung her hind legs backwards with full force, kicking Damien in the abdomen and completely freeing herself before she, with a push, used his body as a launch pad to send her head-first toward the ground. With her legs extended, the moment she made contact with the ground, she disappeared beneath the earth's surface with blinding speed.

   Which put her well away from danger as her partner's Thunder Bolt hit Damien square in the chest.

   The Typhlosion roared as electricity surged through his entire body. When it had finally ceased, he staggered backwards and held his chest, breathing heavily and deathly glaring at his attacker. "Y-you little-"

   He didn't get to finish his curse before another bolt of electricity coursed through his body. The Typhlosion continued to howl and roar in pain as the Pikachu continued his relentless barrage of electric attacks, this combination of such precision and power the likes of which he had never been able to accomplish before. With each attack, he inched closer and closer while Damien continued to stagger backwards, but not showing any signs of going down any time soon. Even with this new-found control of his powers, the Pikachu's efforts to bring down the criminal weren't getting the job done. If only there was some way to weaken him more. Something to distract him, to confuse him, to make him slip-up or-

   His wondering was answered when a small hole appeared right were Damien was about to place his foot, making him trip and fall backwards into the river. Insanely furious, the Typhlosion scrambled back to his feet, snarling ferociously as he opened his mouth to release another Fire Blast at the Pikachu. The only thing that escaped his throat, however, was a puff of black smoke. His tumble into the river hand completely rendered his ability to use fire attacks useless, along with completely drenching him in water, which proved to be the perfect conductor to the Pikachu's next, and that day's most effective, Thunder Bolt.

   Damien screamed and bellowed, the pain wracking his soaked body so immeasurable that by the time the attack ended, he no longer had the strength to continue standing. With a great splash!, he collapsed into the river, his entire body submerged in water. The only area that remained above the surface was his head, mouth inhaling and exhaling ragged, labored breaths and eyes straining to remain open. As darkness started creeping into the edges of his vision, the Typhlosion saw two figures, one emerging from a hole in the ground, the other standing on the river bank before him.

   "For the record," the smaller one climbing out of the hole and approaching the other spoke. "We're not a couple. We are explorers."

   "Rain or shine, day or night," the taller of the pair said, sharply glaring at the water-bogged Typhlosion. "We are Team Sky, and we'll make things right!"

   Unable to hold on anymore, the Devil's body went limp and his red eyes closed.

------

   The moment Damien lost consciousness, the Pikachu released his breath in a low sigh and fell down on his hands and knees, completely winded from using so many attacks. I...I did it, he thought to himself, taking deep, rejuvenating breaths. It's all over. My goal, the thing I've been striving for, my sole reason for becoming an explorer...is complete.

   A distant, ragged cough reached his ears. Having heard the sound as well, both he and Ivy turned their heads and saw a figure, lying in the dirt and covered in burns, slightly moving. "Mister Ray!"

   Ivy was the first to rush over to the Raichu's side, the Pikachu soon moving to join them. When he arrived, Ivy had carefully rolled Ray onto his back, a gasp escaping her mouth when she saw the full extent of the damage he had received. "Oh Arceus..."

   Ray coughed some more, his body shuddering with each one, before he opened one eye and stared at his former pupil, a small smile coming to his lips. "L-looks like...you f-found something worth protecting," he hoarsely whispered. "Or, s-should I say...someone, right?"

   "Stop talking," Ivy softly ordered, eyes examining the full extent of his injuries as she tried to think of what she could do. "You have to save your energy."

   "I g-guess..." he stammered, ignoring Ivy's precautions. "M-my ill-performed attempts t-to raise you right...didn't go to waste a-after all." He coughed a tiny chuckle, which made him wince. "T-that's...one weight off my chest."

   Seeing the state Ray was in, hearing the tone in his voice; it tore the Pikachu's heart. "Why?" he couldn't help asking. "Why did you do all this? Why did you make me afraid of my abilities? Why did you keep the truth from me for all this time?"

   "B-because I was selfish," Ray wheezed, his smile turning upside-down. "I h-hated myself...for what h-happened to Emily, and w-wanted you t-to hate me...more than I did." More violent coughs. "A-as for your abilities... I n-never knew how to be a parent. I d-didn't know how t-to properly raise a child o-on my own...so I t-taught you the only way I k-knew how: As an e-explorer. I w-wanted to teach you control and respect...b-but the end result turned out t-to be the exact opposite." He looked back up to the Pikachu, his apologetic smile returning. "I ruined you...didn't I?"

   "That's not true!" Ivy proclaimed, her eyes shining with the beginnings of tears with the realization that there was nothing she could do to ease the Raichu's suffering. "That's not true at all! Sure he's rude and arrogant and a jerk to me, but there's much, much more to him than that! Everything I've seen him do has had reasons behind them, and they were good and noble reasons! You asked earlier why I was still concerned about him, and here's my answer: Even though he's been mean to me for so long, a small part of me just knew that he didn't really mean it! And that's what made me decide to believe that no matter what..."

   A meek smile flashing across her lips, she looked to her partner. "I will always trust the Pikachu who saved my life. Nothing is going to change that."

   He felt the slightest hint of pink color his cheeks at the Eevee's confession. Ivy...

   A cross between a cough and a chuckle escaped Ray's throat. "Y-you're a good kid, Ivy," he whispered, raising a shaking arm to pat the top of her head. "B-be sure to...take care of him...alright?"

   Ivy gasped a little at what the Raichu was implying. She bit down on her lower lip, amethyst eyes becoming wetter. "M-Mister Ray..."

   "T-take care...of each other," he stressed. Removing his paw from atop Ivy's head, Ray looked back to the Pikachu, gray eyes wet with tears. "A-Aden," he whispered, weakly reaching out to his son. "I-I'm...sorry..."

   Less than an inch away, Ray's arm fell to the ground, his body became still, and his eyes slid shut.

   "PAPA!!"

------

   "Owowowowowow!"

   "Hold still! And oh my gosh, stop acting like a baby already!"

   After it was discovered that he had only passed out from exhaustion, Ivy and her partner carried Ray, with a generous amount of difficulty, back to the guild for treatment. Thankfully, Treasure Town was surprisingly not too great a distance from where they were; all they had to do was follow the river downstream. Now, the Raichu was fidgeting and complaining loudly as Callie treated his burn wounds. "Take it easy!" he whined as the Sunflora applied more of a paste made from Rawst berries to one of his arms.

   "Do you want to get better or not?" Callie snapped, sternly frowning at her patient. "You're lucky Sparky and Ivy brought you here so quickly so kindly stop talking and let me do my work!"

   Ray grumpily pouted, but kept a stiff upper lip as Callie continued applying the Rawst berry medicine and wrapping bandages around his burns, wincing every so often. "Really though," she commented in a much softer tone, "you're actually lucky to still be alive. These burns could've done far worse damage, but for some reason, they didn't. It's so strange..."

   "And I think I may know the reason." Ray turned his head and grinned slightly at the far end of the room. "Looks like knocking that bucket of water all over me turned out to be a smart idea, hey, kid?"

   The Pikachu Ray was talking to did not find his comment to be humorous. He stood leaning against the archway that connected the infirmary to the main room of the lower floor of Wigglytuff's Guild, his arms folded over his chest and a frown on his face. Hearing that he was being addressed, he glanced at Ray and slightly narrowed his eyes, not saying a word.

   However, other members of the guild - who had gathered in the small room - had plenty to say about the guild's visitor.

   "I can't believe it," Mal said, awestruck. "THE Amazing Glenn is here, in OUR guild!"

   "I heard that he single-handedly took down 20 outlaws in a single day, hey hey!" Raul commented.

   "Wow! That's so cool!" Simon said. "Hey, Sparky, why didn't you tell us you were related to such a famous explorer?"

   The Pikachu didn't answer, his gaze still on the injured Pokémon the other guild members were praising. "Golly," Turk sighed, "I'd give anything to see such a celebrity in action, yup yup!"

   "Oh, please," Ray said with a light chuckle. "All this flattery is too much! I'm infirmed and retired now, anyway, so I'm afraid that 'seeing me in action' won't happen anytime soon."

   Turk felt crestfallen at this piece of news, but he was far too excited to be in the presence of The Amazing Glenn to feel that way for long. "Well, can I at least settle for an autograph?"

   "That's a GREAT idea!" Mal agreed. "Could I also have an autograph?"

   "One for me, too?" Raul requested.

   "I'd like two, please!" Simon said. "One for me and one for my Papa!"

   "Hey, I was the one to suggest it!" Turk reminded the others. "I should get mine first!"

   "No, ME first!" Mal argued.

   "Me first!"

   "Me first!"

   "Me first!"

   "Alright that's it! Everybody out!!"

   The bickering males stopped bickering once they heard Callie's stern voice over their squabbling for who would get an autograph first. "Mister Glenn needs to rest and you're all being too obnoxious so out with you!" The Sunflora started stomping toward the males, angrily waving her leaves in a 'shoo'ing motion. "Out out out out out out out!!"

   Due to prior experience, the guild members knew it was a bad idea to cross the Sunflora when she was this peeved. The group hastily retreated out of the infirmary when they heard Anju's bell ringing, indicating that dinner was ready. As everyone flocked toward the mess hall, Callie looked back to her patient and smiled. "Get some rest, Mister Glenn," she said. "I'll come check up on you later."

   Ray waved as Callie left to join the rest of the guild for supper. He soon noticed that someone had stayed behind in the infirmary with him. The two Mouse Pokémon held each other's gaze for what felt to be the longest time, unknowing of what should be said, before Ray finally took the risk of breaking the ice. "Listen, kid...I-"

   "You're wrong if you think I've accepted you as my father."

   Ray was taken aback at the Pikachu's bluntness, but soon frowned. "I figured as much," he replied sadly, laying his head down and closing his eyes. I knew I'd set my hopes far too high to think you'd ever forgive me for everything I've done. "Don't worry; I'll be out of your hair soon enough and stay away from-"

   "Yet."

   Gray eyes opened yet again. By the time Ray turned his head, the Pikachu was gone. Thinking and rethinking what he had said, a small smile appeared on Ray's face before he settled down to get some sleep. Fair enough...kid.

------

   "Furthermore," Chatot continued. "Your team deliberately ignored a direct order from me; a serious violation against the guild's rules."

   "I know," Ivy humbly replied, feeling more shame from being chided so roughly. She had suggested to be the one to explain to Chatot the events of that day ("He'll be more lenient on me," she told her partner) in hopes that she could make the second-in-command understand without him being too harsh on her.

   Seeing how ashamed the Eevee was, Chatot sighed lowly. "However, the guild's rules also say that I let you two off with a warning. You and Sparky apprehended a notorious and dangerous murderer and yielded a great reward, but as a further warning and punishment for violating the rules, you will not receive any of the bounty money. Break the rules again and your team's punishment will be much more severe. Have I made myself clear, Ivy?"

   "Yes, sir."

   "Good, good. I'll see you at dinner." Giving Ivy a quick smile, Chatot spread his wings and flew toward the mess hall. As he passed by the infirmary, he also passed by the second member of Team Sky and gave him a look that seemed to say 'Son of a famous explorer or not, I still got my eye on you'. The Pikachu returned this look with a scowl before the Music Note Pokémon flew out of his sights. When he looked back down, he saw Ivy standing in front of him, apprehensively and sheepishly glancing up at him.

   How was she supposed to say this? Were they still teammates? Or had the events of that day completely terminated their partnership? He did say the motto she came up with for their team that he seemed to dislike, even though he changed the ending a bit, so...what? Did he still frown upon the idea of being teamed up with her? "Um..." she muttered, nervously scuffling her feet. "Uh, Sparky... I-" Whap! "OW!"

   "Quit mumbling, idiot," he said in slight annoyance. "It's been a long and stressful day and I'm hungry. We'll need to get our strength back up before we continue our training tomorrow." He turned and started walking toward the mess hall. "Let's go."

   She dumbly blinked a few times before she decided that he was still okay with their relationship. "R-right!"

   "And another thing," the Pikcahu said as Ivy raced up to join him and both teammates walked the rest of the way to the mess hall together. "My name...is Aden."
I'm not dead yet! Here's chapter 9!

Aaaaaaa BW2 is so much fun! It's already been a full week and a half since I got Black 2 and I've already beat the elite 4, champion, and did every single movie in Poke Stars Studios.

And the story....LDSKHALKJDFLKHAGKDSJFKDA N N N N N BBY BOY ALKDSJGLKAJDFKJALSKDJ

...Anyway! Onward to the plot points!

Damien - Typhlosion (farah u know this was inspired by you) :iconheplz:

-Sparky, in his confusion about who he is and what the truth about himself is, has unwarily wandered back to his burned-down home.
-Memories start to slowly come back to him, making Ray's recollection of the story sound more and more plausible.
-Turns out the maniac who destroyed his home has been waiting there for all these years for Glenn to come back and actually mistakes Sparky for him. Uh oh. :o
-Dah-dah-dah-daaaaaah! Ray/Glenn to the rescue!
-A fight ensues, and as Damien and Ray/Glenn duke it out, Sparky slowly starts remembering time he spent with his father as a child.
-OHHHH NOO! RAYYYY! :nuu:
-Dah-dah-dah-daaaaaah! Ivy to the rescue!!
-Turns out that if it wasn't for Ivy's advice, Ray wouldn't have even gone after Sparky. U go gurl!
-Surprise attack! Damien captured Ivy! :ohnoes:
-Moment of truth: Does Sparky care enough about Ivy to save her?
-Survey says: Huh derderder OF COURSE HE DOES.
-Team Sky takes down the 'Devil'! But Ray......
-...is gonna be okay! :hooray:

After all is said and done, Ivy and Sparky remain partners. Also, Sparky decides that he is, officially, Aden. (which means that this is what he will be called for the rest of the story)

What new adventures await Team Sky? Find out in the next chapter!

Pokémon and all its characters belong to Nintendo.
Story is mine.
Have a wonderful day/afternoon/night/whatever.~ :heart:

*EDIT P.S. you can now read Chapter 10 here: [link]
© 2012 - 2024 FallenFromInsanity
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Tenshineko01's avatar
dude you gave me a heart-attack!!! I though ray died!!!at least we know he'll be ok. i complacently forgot about the water.