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Shadow and Light

chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
After ten months of writing, I have finally finished Aftermath, the second arc in my Chronicles of the Chosen One series. Which brings me to this, the start if the third arc. Before we delve into the upcoming story, I want to explain some things that may be unclear or that you may have a question on.

First of all, you do not need to read ANY of my former fics to understand this one. All of the backstory you need will be build right into this story. If you want to, you may read Aftermath, which will give you a little summary of the first arc. I repeat, you DO NOT NEED TO READ ANY OF MY FORMER FICS TO UNDERSTAND THIS ONE. There, moving on…

This is a journeyfic. But, before you sigh and turn away, read the following. This is not the usual first trainer journey type of deal. All of the trainers and coordinators in this fic have been training for YEARS. Most of them are 17 years old and having been training since they were 10. When you’ve been training for seven years, you aren’t going to have the same type of journey experience as a rookie trainer would have.

Thirdly, this fic takes place 17 years after Aftermath and follows the Platinum storyline..but only roughly. This means that the gym leaders will be older, some characters have different roles, and technology is more advanced. Let me go ahead and tell you that this takes place in the year 2024. The prologue takes place a few months after Aftermath.

Last, but not least, PLEASE REVIEW. Some people have a habit of reading, but not reviewing. I love criticism. I thrive on it. But, be respectful to me and other reviewers. And please do not spam. I don’t just want a review like, “Oh, that was so good.” TELL ME why it was good. Also, you may PM, VM, or simply put in your post that you want to be put on the PM list. I am wiping my Aftermath PM list completely, so if you were on the Aftermath list, you still need to indicate if you want to be put in the Shadow and Light list.

Now, without further ado, here is the prologue, fit with as many quotes, legends, and scenes than you can shake a stick at. Enjoy.






Shadow and Light


Rated PG-13


<<Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” And I looked, and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. – Revelation 6:1-2>>




The struggle between good and evil
Reigns over this earth and its people
Hell sent the Shadow and heaven sent Quamachi
In the Great War between sky, land, and sea
A demon arose after the last battle
Sent so the six powers would be rattled
The Dimensional Warrior rose to this fight
And saved Quamachi from her plight
Now a time of peace has come to the Earth
And the Chosen One has finally given birth
But the struggle between angel and demon must be made right
So here will rise the Daughter of Shadow and Light.




Prologue

The chains around his wrists scorched his flesh and he panted, his body covered in sweat. He could find no relief from the fiery heat that surrounded him. Waves of pain scorched through him, causing him to drift in and out of consciousness. He could barely see anything through his bloodshot eyes, so when he came into consciousness, the only senses he had of his surroundings were the scent of sulfur, the burn of the chains, and the screams of the damned. During his conscious states, he mulled over the irony of his situation. For millennia, he had dragged mortals to hell. Now he himself was imprisoned in its depths.

Months passed by. He had no contact with any other living thing…at least in reality. In his dreams, he had memories of his former victims. He felt no guilt. It was impossible for him to feel guilt. Guiltlessness was built into every fiber of his being. He only felt pity for himself and for what he had become. Once one of the strongest demons in hell, he now was the lowest, looked down upon and shamed by the others. He started to lose his mind from lack of contact. He started to have hallucinations in which he was destroyed numerous times by the same purple light. His hallucinations had almost happened once…almost…

He heard footsteps sound out in front of him and he froze, struggling to open his eyes. Was he hallucinating once again? Suddenly, the pain and heat that surrounded him melted away. His eyes cleared, and his heart panged with terror at the demon who stood in front of him, for she of all other demons in hell was to be feared greatly.

She pushed a long stream of inky black hair out of her pale face, which held no color in it, especially in her eyes. Her eyes were devoid of color, completely black and soulless. She wore a long black coat that brushed against the stone floor around her feet, a low cut black shirt, long black pants, and black stiletto boots. She was tall, taller than he. Her presence was indeed intimidating, the dark aura surrounding her stronger than any other demon he had ever met. Her eyes were exceptionally cruel, as was her smile when she saw him.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Ojinan, the Shadow’s mentor.” She reached up and grabbed his face, jerking it around so that he could look straight into her eyes. He burned him to the core to look into them. “You had quite a struggle with the Dimensional Warrior, didn’t you?” She laughed. “You are so lucky that I saved your *** from being destroyed when that dimension caved in on you.” She let go of his face and he sighed in relief as she turned away from her, tapping her foot against the stone floor. “But your luck has run out. You failed in your assignment. I was explicitally clear when I sent you to the earthly realm: if you failed, you would face the wrath of destruction.”

Ojinan’s body tensed up in fear as her smile grew larger and darker. “Good-bye, Ojinan.” She whispered, turning around and walking off. His screams reverberated off of the stone walls, causing some of the demons in the chamber to flinch. When the screams ceased, a pile of ashes was left in Ojinan’s place.

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Too many voices echoed throughout the meeting hall. It was too loud. Katharine whimpered a bit as the sounds reached her sensitive ears. I clutched her closer to my chest, my eyes sweeping over the room as panic rose up inside my chest. What were they going to do with her? It seemed as if more legendaries than just the six major powers were in attendance. All were in their Aquapolian…mortal…forms. I caught a glimpse of a pair of bright pink eyes to my right. A young woman with bright pink hair swept up into a bun at the back of her head smiled sadly at me. I tried to smile back, but I was too nervous to do so. Still, I was glad to have my old friend Mew by my side in the matter.

I cradled Katharine even closer, brushing back her fast growing black hair. Her hair was the same color as her father’s, dark as night. She was asleep, but I longed to wake her so that I could catch a glimpse of her soft Aquapolian crystal eyes that mirrored my own. I looked back up at the long marble table that sat in front of me. The six powers were already seated, every one of them silent, studying the child in my arms. I averted my eyes from their gaze, not wishing to meet the eyes of the man sitting between the powers of time and dimension. His eyes used to be a steely grey shade of blue, intimidating and piercing. They had not lost their affect when they had changed colors to a soft and pearly pink. I knew he was watching me and his grand-niece with a careful eye, making sure no one approached us the wrong way. He had always been protective of me, and even before Katharine was born, he was protective of her. We had a close father and daughter bond, though he was technically my uncle.

The noise in the room quieted down as a fairly tall angel approached the platform were the six powers sat. She pushed back her white robes and sat down between the powers of sky and dimension, her bright blue eyes alighting on me and Katharine. Her hair was so long, it touched the ground around her chair, brushing it softly with a golden sheen. She cleared her throat before she spoke, her voice deep with an authoritative edge to it.

“This Angel Council meeting will now begin. Before us, we have a strange, but important, case. As you know, the Chosen One, an angel, has given birth to a daughter, whose father is a mortal. Furthermore, she was not married to him when she knew him in her mortal state during the Great War that ended last year on Earth. Now…we must make a decision about this child’s future. She has inherited an eclectic string of traits from her parents, including a both mortal and immortal nature. As far as her immortal nature is considered, she is half angel and half demon.” I heard a few gasps at this statement, and I groaned. Katharine had two paths to travel down. I was sure she would travel down the path of righteousness.

Of course, Athena loved to twist words. She loathed me. Why? She was the head of the Angel Council, but she was not the most powerful angel in heaven. That gift had been given to me for the purpose of my fighting the Shadow and the Demon Council. She hated that I held more power than she did. She thought she had deserved to be named as the Chosen One. “As some of you know,” she looked over at the power of space. “the father is a former Shadow Follower, forced into service when he was quite young. We must make a decision today. Should she be allowed to stay with her mother here in heaven or be taken to her father down on Earth, never to be allowed access to her mother again?”

I knew full well what Athena would choose. Luckily, there were six other voters on the council, and at least one of them would vote in my favor. As the council discussed the matter amongst themselves, I met Cyrus’ eye, silently pleading for him to help me. He looked away, avoiding my gaze. He could only do so much; his vote only counted once.

It took the council a full half an hour to decided Katharine’s fate. I started to rock back and forth, humming to the tiny child in my arms songs that I hoped she remembered for years to come. If she was sent to Earth, I wanted her to have at least a faint memory of me. I tried to look as motherly as I could. If I looked as if I would just crumble apart at the very thought of them taking away my baby, they may take pity on me.

But angels took no pity on the sins of other angels. The council quieted down as Athena stood and fixed her eyes on me, a spark of cruel happiness shining in her eyes. Who said that angels were innocent? I would like to bring him personally to heaven, show him Athena, and ask him if he would like to change his statement. “The Angel Council has deliberated, and we have decided that the child must be taken to Earth to stay with her father and that you are to be banned from seeing both of them…even when they expire.”

Though I had expected this decision, I started to cry, sobbing as I clutched Katharine even closer to my chest. The six powers looked away, none wanting to meet my eyes except for Cyrus. I then realized that five of them had voted against my favor. The meeting ended and the rest of the legendaries filed out of the temple, several shooting sad glances at me. A young man with dark blue hair and bright yellow eyes nodded silently at me as he walked out. Lucario was completely faithful to me as was Mew. They both agreed that I should have kept Katharine.

Mew approached me as Athena and five of the six powers left the temple. “Athena gave me the job of taking Katharine to Kirio.” I drew in a sharp breath. Surely, they didn’t expect me to give her up without being able to spend at least another day with her. Mew nodded silently, reading the expression on my face. “Athena wants her gone…as soon as possible. I’ll make sure she gets to Kirio safely. I promise.” She glanced down. “You may spend another minute or so with her, but I need to take her before the hour is finished.”

I lowered my gaze to Katharine’s eyes, which were open and sparkling with an Aquapolian crystal sheen. Kissing her forehead, I pressed my cheek against hers, whispering, “I wish you a safe journey, an exciting life, close friends, and a man who will love you for being who you are. Travel safely, my little Chosen One.” I looked up and reluctantly let Mew take Katharine from my arms. “Good-bye,” I whispered as they disappeared, leaving me…alone.

I could feel his presence behind me instantly. I closed my eyes, willing myself to turn around, but as he put a hand on my shoulder, I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep back the tears burning behind my eyes. I swung around and buried my face in his chest, sobbing violently. “Why? Why did they have to take her?” I wailed.

Cyrus wrapped his arms around me and placed his chin on my head. “Kirio will take care of her, don’t worry. One day…I’m sure you will see her and Kirio again.”

------------

The chamber was musty, causing Athena to recoil from the walls. The deepest parts of the Cave of Origin had been untouched for millennia, causing them to become moldy and filled with cobwebs. She brushed some aside as she entered the large chamber, remembering her confrontation with the head demon of the Demon Council three thousand years earlier. They had decided the occurance of the first and second Great Wars which had ravaged first the Aquapolians, then the humans of the Earth.

The altar in the middle of the chamber had not changed in three millennia. Athena stood beside it, brushing away the cobwebs on its surface as she waited for Nyx. The demon was always hard to deal with, and Athena knew for a fact that this time, she would be especially difficult. Nyx entered the chamber a few minutes later, her usual cruel smile plastered across her face. Athena sighed as she entered the chamber.

“What is it this time, Nyx?” She asked, though she knew something big was about to happen. They were here to decide the next big legend, she was sure.

“I propose that there be another legend to be written. Since the Chosen One’s daughter is now on the Earth, the third of the three Heavenly Warriors is on Earth. There will be a battle. We will provide an opponent for her. Each side will receive one helper, one for the heavenly side and one for hell’s side. Any other help will break the contract. Deal?”

Athena groaned. Was there to be another Great War? After two wars, the heavenly side had come out as victorious, but it came at a great price to mortal life. Still, she was sure they would be victorious once again…but there was still the matter of the Chosen One’s daughter’s affiliation. Half angel and half demon…which side would she choose?

“Fine,” Athena consented. “But remember, Nyx, the more wars we rage on the Earth, the sooner the End of Days arrives.”

“Oh, yes, Athena…I know that quite well.”





And so the next adventure begins! The first chapter will begin the 17 year time jump. Please read and review! And I will see you when the first chapter is complete.
 

Eon Master

Born from the Flames
Ha! Yay, first one to review!

Judging from the banner, you gave Katherine a Shiny Umbreon? Interesting markings on that pokemon, if indeed that is what it is, but the eyes should be gold. Some sort of fusion, or is it Kris' Umbreon that was in the crystal pokeball?

Besides that, your prologue is very well written and has some great detail. One of the questions I had has already been answered, the fact that Ojinan was immortal, and you've shown an interesting point that all angels are not totally pure like Kris. Can't wait to see where you go with this. Good Luck!
 

Zadros

Incorrigible slacker
Wow, a sequel already? That's some quick work =) I thought the length was pretty spot on with this.

It was good seeing what happened to Ojinan, because it gives you a sense of what the demons are like, specifically, unforgiving. I do wonder why you chose an odd spelling of Katherine, but eh. The thing I'm mostly concerned with is the whole dark/light nature of her. I mean, after reading that I thought ah, she's going to be good, then maybe turn bad or feel she is bad, but good will win in the end. I hope it's different to what I described, because that could get boring. So yea, it's a good start and I hope you spring some surprises in there for us all =)
 

chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
Eon Master: The Umbreon on the banner is not Katie's Umbreon, though she does have one. :) You'll find out who the Umbreon on the banner is later. Thank you for reviewing!

Zadros: Yes, I had plenty of time to write over the summer, so the sequel will be on its way by the time school starts back. Thank you for reviewing!


Here's chapter one!

Chapter One



Moonlight cascaded into the clearing, spreading out across the snowdrifts that covered the ground. The air was quiet; only a few Murkrow cried out in the still night. A flash of shadow raced through the clearing, racing across the snow and leaving small footprints in its wake. Another shadow followed after it, racing to catch up to the first. An explosion rocked one of the trees by the first shadow, causing the tree to fall, felled by a large pulse of dark energy.

Light illuminated the shadows for a second, yellow lines pulsing around the first and blue lines around the second. Red eyes glanced at each other as the first shadow took off again, unfazed by the attack. Dodging around trees and across a cliff face a few yards away from the clearing, the first shadow ran along the cliff’s edge, unaware that it was being stalked by the second, which had run to the top of the cliff above and launched itself into the air, releasing a large dark pulse of energy as it landed on top of the other one, sending both scrambling down the cliff and into the patches of snow below.

When they reached the bottom, the second shadow jumped off of the first and the blue lines on its fur illuminated its cat-like form once again. It laughed as the first scrambled to its feet. “Nice one, Umbreon, but I guess I’m just too fast for you to dodge.”

The Umbreon growled, the yellow lines on his fur standing out strongly against his black fur. He puffed his chest fur up in a show of strength, then relaxed. “Whatever, you cheated.”

“Did not! I was just more clever than you were!” The second Umbreon exclaimed, shaking her unkempt fur into place. They started to pad side by side across the snowdrifts to a house nestled in the pine trees a few yards away. The second Umbreon’s paw prints started to change shape until they became bootprints. The dark type creature had disappeared, leaving a young woman in her place.

She pushed her black bangs out of her eyes and brushed her hand over her shoulder length black hair, tying a grey bandana over her dark locks. Her observant gaze followed the movements of a tree nearby, knowing full well that it was an Abomnasnow. Aquapolian crystal sparkled in her gaze, the color of the pendants each Aquapolian wore. The half human, half Pokemon race distinguished itself from the similar looking human race by wearing Aquapolian pendants, which disappeared after an Aquapolian died.
The door to her home was unlocked, but her small family didn’t have to worry about intruders. They were located a little ways to the west of Snowpoint, an isolated area where few Aquapolians dared to adventure. She stepped inside and wiped the snow off of her boots, crossing through the hall and to her father’s study. She could hear the sounds of the Sinnoh evening news broadcast in the study, reporting stock figures in the world market. Her father worked for Akagi International, an Aquapolian based company which built high tech buildings and security around the world. Her father was known as its eccentric CEO. He rarely socialized, but spent most of his time traveling abroad to other countries. She didn’t see him often, but they were quite close.

The thing that saddened her, though, was her father’s constant cycle of depression. During the year, he would cycle through three stages. The first stage was the stage in which he enjoyed life: exploring the cultures during his travels and training his lifelong companion Umbreon. The second stage was a quieter stage. He still traveled, but spent most of his time reading and watching the various tournaments which took place in Aquapolis. The third stage was, well, the stage that worried his daughter the most. He would sink into a dark depression, usually in the fall, in which he rarely left his home and worked only in his study.

She knew the source of his depression, though. Long ago, he had lost her mother. She had been barely a few months old when her mother died, and her death sent her father into a downward spiral. She knew little about her mother’s personal life, but she knew much about her mother’s professonal life as one of the best trainers of the age.

“Dad?” She pushed open the door to his study, squinting into the dark room. It was fall, and naturally, he was in his third cycle. Kirio Karasuma sat in a chair, his hands clutching a Poke Ball tightly. His hair blended into his surroundings, its color the shade which she had inherited. His black eyes were dull as he stared ahead, watching his company’s stocks grow higher and higher with each passing day. Luckily, the recession that had plagued the company in the late 2000’s had ended with a period of great prosperity in the early 2010’s. When he heard her voice at the door, he turned his head to view her with his dark and saddened gaze.

“Yes, Katharine?” He always called her by her full name, but she preferred to be called Katie. Only Kirio could call her Katharine; all others who did so lived to regret it.

“Dad, you know I’m leaving for Sandgem tomorrow morning…right?” Katie had planned to leave soon after the start of August to begin her second run for the Sinnoh tournament. She had won the Diamond Conference years before, and now she was returning to battle in the Platinum Conference.

Kirio groaned. Katie knew without him saying that he had forgotten the date she had set to leave Snowpoint. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, trying to relieve them from the strain of the flickering TV light in the dark room. “You’re leaving..tomorrow? That…that’s fine. You need to go ahead and get a jump start on your competition.”

Katie sighed as she closed the door to her father’s study and moved into her room, changing into her black and yellow pajamas and sliding into bed. She was too tired from her and Umbreon’s race to spend time reading before she went to sleep. She was already packed and ready to go, her backpack and clothes laid out on her desk chair, all of her Pokemon ready to go. Umbreon curled up on her bed, ready to get a good night’s sleep before they left on yet another adventure. As Katie drifted off to sleep, she imagined her sleek and powerful Umbreon form, a trait inherited from the demon half of her soul.

------------

The next day was dreary. A snowstorm blew outside, forcing Pokemon and Aquapolians alike to take shelter from the powerful white gusts. Katie had always loved the snow with its clean lines and cool substance. She stood in front of her bedroom mirror, eyeing her outfit one last time before she walked out the door. Her favorite black and yellow boots where strapped onto her feet. She wore a pair of black shorts and a small black skirt stripped with yellow lines. Her sleeveless collared top was black as well with a streak of grey ringing around the collar. She tied her hair back with her favorite grey bandanna which depicted red and white Poke Balls on its surface. Grabbing her black and grey shoulder bag, she hurried down the hall to her father’s study with Umbreon in tow.

As she suspected, Kirio was still sitting in his chair, the TV turned off. “Dad?” Katie whispered, softly making her way into the room. His eyes flew open as if he were already awake, and he turned his gaze in her direction. For the first time in days, he got up out of his chair and made his way across the room to talk to her directly.

“Make sure you travel safely. Never travel alone. Stay by Samantha the entire trip between cities.” He paused. This was a speech he had given her before each new journey to various parts of Aquapolis. This time, though, he gave her the short version, cutting the end. “And if your Umbreon form gets more hostile…make sure you call me.”

Katie nodded. Sometimes, she transformed into her Umbreon form without her mind’s consent, racing off in a destructive rampage and attacking Aquapolians and Pokemon in her path. Kirio was worried that her demonic side was showing. The transformations were starting to grow longer and harder to break away from. It scared Katie, but scared her father even more.

“I’ll be careful, Dad,” Katie nodded, giving him a hug. “I love you,” she murmured. He returned the sentiment, though his whisper was so soft, she almost mistook it for a prayerful message to her mother. Her father’s Umbreon walked into the room to speak to his son before they left. Katie imagined that he was reminding him that if he was to bring home a mate, which he almost did many times, it was to be an Umbreon and not of any other variety of Eeveevos. Her father’s Umbreon was deadset on the notion that his son would follow in his footsteps.

A few minutes later, she and Umbreon stepped out into the large snowdrifts which lined their two story glass and steel house on all sides. Kirio, of course, had designed the building in a sleek and ultra modern way. As she made her way to the south of Snowpoint, she turned back to get one last look at her home in all of its modern glory. She smiled and hoped that once again she would be heading on another successful journey.

------------

Samantha Lynn had had enough of the long line that snaked backwards from the computer that issued coordinator licenses. The wall sized holographic screen had read a computer error for the past hour and had just booted back up into its normal setting a few minutes earlier. She had hoped to be through with her registering for a license and the Sinnoh Grand Festival by the time her friend and traveling companion had arrived from her home in Snowpoint.

Samantha sighed and flicked her long green hair away from her face, her dark purple eyes glaring furiously at some of the Aquapolians in line who had stopped to stare at her. She was not new to training her Pokemon, but she was new to the coordinating aspect. She had for years been a performer, a dancer who traveled from city to city to show off her Pokemon’s prowess and skill. She had refused to battle on the stage for years until Katie Karasuma, her closeset friend, convinced her to sign up for the Sinnoh Grand Festival. Katie’s reasoning was that it would boost her popularity, but Samantha had already made a name for herself amongst the coordinating community. She was famous by the time she met Katie during the trainer’s first journey through Hoenn.

Her Leafeon sat beside her shoes, licking his pale green fur into place and eyeing a Flareon who sat halfway across the lobby of the Sandgem Pokemon Center. Samantha nudged him, reminding him that he was to stay on task and not to get sidetracked by a female Eeveevo. Finally, she had reached the computer screen, which took her picture and registered her in under five minutes. Samantha smiled at her new license, no longer imprinted with just the Hoenn citizen logo. Her card was emerald green like every other Hoenn citizen, but now it had the coordinator logo imprinted across its holographic surface.

“Well, well, if it isn’t star performer Samantha Lynn?”

Samantha turned, grimacing as a young woman her age made her way across the lobby to where she stood, a sleek Glaceon following in her wake. The young woman had icy blue hair and a pair of bright pink eyes, giving her both a soft and striking appearance. But Ashley McCauley was anything but soft. She was one of the best coordinators in Aquapolis and her twin brother was Katie’s biggest rival, David McCauley. Unlike her brother, Ashley was rude and cruel, running over anyone she could to get to the top. And she had made it without any competition…so far.

‘What do you want, Ashley?” Samantha said, looking at her PokeAll. It was almost time for Katie to show up at the Center, and Samantha didn’t want a fight on her hands. Katie and Ashley hated each other with a passion.

“Just want to wish you luck. I hope you make it to the Grand Festival…not many coordinators do during their first try,” she smirked and glanced at Samantha’s Leafeon. “Even with a powerful team of Pokemon, you aren’t as…experienced as other coordinators out there.” Ashley smirked once again, but her eyes glanced around at the rest of the lobby. She was impatient to get started on her journey. “By the way, when you see Karasuma, tell her that David is looking forward to destroying her in the Platinum Conference this year.” With that, she walked off, leaving an enraged Samantha and Leafeon behind her. Samantha knew that Ashley was all talk about her brother’s career as a trainer. He was the black sheep of his coordinating family, refusing to go into the family tradition. He was a powerful trainer, but he had never been able to beat Katie…at least on the tournament level.

“Hey, did you get your license yet?”

Samantha turned to see Katie and her Umbreon standing right behind her, smiling. “If you’ve already got it, we need to head on over to the lab.”

Professor David Rowan (the second David Katie and Samantha knew) lived just down the road from the Center. He was known as the most renowned legendary researcher of Aquapolis, and, possibly, the world. He had worked for years with Katie’s mother and the Legendary Team during the Great War. Katie tried to picture her young mother traveling around Aquapolis, battling in tournament sand fighting criminal syndicates with her band of close friends. Rowan had known Kristal Reeves for quite some time before the Great War ended, helping the Legendary Team whenever he could. He had also become friends with Kirio after the Great War ended.

The lab was quite as Katie and Samantha slipped in, calling out to see if anyone was in the building. After a few minutes, Rowan appeared from the back of the laboratory, where he kept a small library on legendary literature. “You made it down from Snowpoint rather quickly,” he remarked to Katie, leading the two girls out into the pastures out behind his lab where Pokemon were kept. A small group of Sinnoh starters- Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup- was playing around a small pool in the center of the pasture. Katie smiled. She had never chosen a starter from Sinnoh, choosing instead to begin her journey with her newly evolved Umbreon.

“Well, here they are. I’m sure you two know which you want to choose,” Rowan remarked. Something in his voice suggested that he was not altogether paying attention to what was happening in front of him. He had a faraway look in his eye as if he were thinking about something else. Katie wondered for a second if he was okay, but decided to focus on the task at hand. She observed the starters as they played and spun around the pool. Samantha knelt down to pet one of the Chimchar and it cried out happily.

“A fire type would be amazing on the coordinating stage…” she mused. “Plus, if I train it enough…I would have a powerful Infernape to use against Ashley’s Glaceon…” She stood up, holding the Chimchar in her arms. “I’m going to pick Chimchar.”

Katie’s gaze flickered over the other Pokemon, then rested on a Piplup a few yards away. “I think I’m going to choose Piplup.” She reached out and picked up the Piplup, turning to Rowan. “Thank you for letting us take them along for our journey.”

Rowan smiled faintly. “Yes, well, I have something else for you while you’re here.” He pulled out a sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to Katie. “During your travels around Sinnoh, you need to speak to these individuals. All of them knew your mother and can give you vital information about her life.”

Katie scanned over the list. She didn’t recognize any of the names on the paper, but she did recognize all of the cities they lived in. Most of them lived in the huge cities spread out across the region. “Thanks, Professor.”

He nodded. “Let me know if you need any help locating anyone on the list.”

“I will, Professor.” She turned to Samantha. “Let’s go. We need to get to Jubilife before the end of the week.” They left the laboratory, striking out for the small route that separated Sandgem from Jubilife City.

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The night flickered with shadows as Colin walked down the dusty route toward Mt. Coronet. He had been called from his journey around Sinnoh to the headquarters at the mountain’s base. His Umbreon walked silently beside him, her footsteps light on the sand that surrounded them. It didn’t take him long to climb up the path to headquarters and walk through the base to the main computer room. He shook his white hair out of his face and glanced over at his colleague Kevin, who sat in front of a computer screen, his dark blue hair shielding his eyes from Colin’s line of sight. Adrian was in the room as well, his long black hair rising and falling in the sudden breeze that rushed in with Colin’s arrival.

“What does she want this time?” Colin asked Adrian, placing his backpack in front of a computer monitor nearby. Adrian shrugged, his face stolid and unchanging. Colin could tell that he was mulling over the business arrangement he was trying to work out between their leader and Giovanni Rocket, the leader of the criminal syndicate Team Rocket which operated in five out of the six regions of Aquapolis.

“She wants to give us our assignments for the final mission plan,” Kevin muttered, not looking up for a second from his computer. Colin nodded. Their leader was about to start their final plan which would launch them straight into their ultimate goal.

A few seconds later, the door in the back of the room opened and a young woman with long light purple hair that contained blue streaks and dark red eyes walked into the room. The three young men stood up and to attention as they waited for their leader to speak. She sat in her favorite chair on the platform above them so that she could address them.

“The time for our final plan is upon us,” she spoke. “Each of you will be given a mission that you are to carry out…perfectly.” She frowned as the door across from her opened and an old man in a lab coat walked in. He had light purple hair and dark eyes that he hid behind glasses. “It’s about time for you to get here, Pluto.” Pluto simply nodded for her to continue. “So…Posideon, you are to continue your business talks with Giovanni for the funds we need for the project Apollo will head…the Red Chain project,” she nodded at Adrian and Kevin in turn, using their appointed team names. “Hermes, you are to follow after the Daughter of Shadow and Light. Watch over her every move until we are ready to go into the final stages of the plan.” Colin grimaced at his team name. Their leader had given her commanders each a name of a different Greek god. The former commanders of Team Galactic had held the names of the Roman gods and goddesses, which was why Pluto still kept his old team name instead of changing it to Hades.

“Aphrodite…” Apollo murmured. “Have you found the old documents of the former leader regarding the Ceremony of Dimension?”

“No, which is why I need you, Apollo, to retrieve them for me. They should still be buried deep into the old Legendary Team database.” Aphrodite turned away from her commanders, her eyes trained on the computer screen in front of her. “Soon enough, we will have the records of the greatest Galactic leader of our age…If the rumors are true, Cyrus still walks this Earth in an immortal state.” She turned back to her commanders. “Now, let’s get to work.”

------------

The trip to Jubilife was a short one. It took Katie and Samantha only a few hours to ride on the moving path that connected Sandgem and Jubilife. They chatted about many things, mostly the latest books each had read. Both were bookworms and loved to discuss literature, especially the intriguing literature by human authors. Katie waved around a book by an American author from the late 2000’s, explaining to Samantha the details of the story which chronicled the lives of three human Italian girls growing up in New York City during the 1920’s, an entire century before their time. Samantha was taken in by the story, nodding and asking questions about the Italian and Irish cultures depicted in the book. Then, she pulled out a book about an animal that lived in an American library, an animal neither girl had seen before called a cat. They knew that a cat was supposed to look like a Meowth or Skitty, but they had not seen one up close.

Jubilife was bustling with life, trainers and coordinators rushing through on their way west to Canalave, north to Floaroma, east to Oreburgh, or south to Sandgem or the other six regions. It was the second largest city in Sinnoh after Veilstone and was the technological capital of the region. The TV station was located in the city as well as the two biggest companies in Aquapolis, Akagi International and the Petalburg PokeAll Corporation. The PokeAll Corporation was started by one of the former Legendary Team members, Max Petalburg, who had built the most advanced computer system of their age when he was merely eight years old. He had invented the PokeAll, which was a combination of the many devices used around Aquapolis. It contained a PokeGear from Jhoto, a PokeNav from Hoenn, and a Poketch from Sinnoh all in one device. Katie’s mother had owned the original prototype of the machine that every trainer and coordinator owned.

The moving path dropped them off at the Pokemon Center, where they ate supper in quiet silence. Both had a map of Sinnoh laid out in front of them, simultaneously planning their route around the region. Katie’s journey was easy to predict, but Samantha had to pick and choose which contests in which cities she was going to participate in. Umbreon and Leafeon ate at another table, eyeing each trainer or coordinator who walked in and gazing at any Eeveevos who happened to come in with them.

After a while of observation, Umbreon spotted a female Umbreon nearby. Her owner was no where close beside her, so he decided on a whim to approach her. When she saw him coming, she narrowed her red eyes in amusement and he knew she would be a hard one to talk into having…adventures with him. For some off reason, though, he felt nervous around her, stumbling over his words as he looked into her wide eyes. “Hey…er…you from around here?” He admonished himself for his poor choice of words. It wasn’t the greatest pick up line ever, but it got her talking.

“No, I’m from the home country of Jhoto,” she said. Their species had originated from Jhoto millennia before and only Umbreon from Jhoto were pure blooded Umbreon. He knew this because his father had drilled it into his head that he should be proud of his heritage.

Umbreon ducked his head, trying to come up with another…more brilliant question. Before he could devise one, the female Umbreon’s trainer walked up beside her, shouldering a black backpack onto his right shoulder.


“Umbreon, are you bothering him?” He asked, laughing. Katie approached from behind her Umbreon, scowling at him. He shrugged. He hadn’t caused any trouble as far as he could see. The trainer looked up at Katie and smiled. “You’ve got a strong looking Umbreon there. My name is Colin. I’m from Canalave.”

“I’m Katie,” Katie blurted out, her face turning red. She was always nervous around new people, terrified that she would say something stupid or wrong. Umbreon nudged her, scowling back and silently telling her to stop being nervous. He wished that his trainer was more comfortable in her skin around other people. Katie wrapped her arms around her stomach in a subconscious attempt to protect herself as she stumbled on with her introduction. “I’m from Snowpoint.”

“Are you participating in the Platinum Conference?” Colin asked. Katie just nodded and affirmed her answer with a squeak. Umbreon sighed. She was not being bright at all that day. Colin smiled reassuringly, trying to ease Katie’s nervousness. “You know, if you want to battle sometime, here’s my number.” He took a slip of paper and a pen out of his pocket as Katie fumbled for her own scrap of paper and pencil. As they traded numbers, Katie’s hand brushed against his and her cheeks flamed up once again. Colin bowed, saying good-bye to a silent Katie and left with his Umbreon, who turned around and winked at Katie’s. He smirked. He might have just found himself a lady.

“Ooh…who was that?” Samantha asked, creeping up behind Katie and snatching the piece of paper out of her hand. “A number?!” She screeched, causing Katie to erupt with a train of loud shushes. “From that guy with the Umbreon? Katie, that’s great!” She squealed, shaking her friend’s arm violently. “Are you going to meet up with him?”

“M…Maybe…” Katie stammered, trying to get over her little run-in with Colin. He was cute…but Katie was too nervous to approach him. She couldn’t even begin to think of meeting up with him again. She started to dig around in her backpack, searching for something to distract Samantha from the subject. Her hands met the sheets of paper Rowan had given her, and she pulled them out, searching for any addresses in Jubilife. The one she found astonished her.

Max Petalburg. The inventor of the PokeAll.

“Samantha, I think we should go over to the PokeAll company…”

“Ooh…good idea. I need a new one.”

“No, I mean to talk to Mr. Petalburg.”

“What?” Samantha snatched the piece of paper from Katie’s hand. “THE Max Petalburg? Well…he WAS in the Legendary Team. But, I doubt he would meet with us. He’s EXTREMELY busy.”

“Maybe…but if I mention my mother…our chances would increase.”

------------

The PokeAll company building was a huge skyscraper, once used as a global trading station and built by the founder of the Akagi International company. It spanned forty-eight stories, disappearing into the clouds as they rolled in, threatening the city with a rain shower. Katie and Samantha entered the huge lobby area with its modern glass and steel displays. The secretary sat behind a huge see through glass desk studded with swirling images of sapphire, crystal, ruby, diamond, pearl, and opal Poke Balls. Katie wondered if the colors were supposed to represent the six powers of land, sea, sky, time, space, and dimension. The secretary was typing away on her holographic keyboard, staring at her monitor which was see through from a visitor’s viewpoint, but solid from hers. The two young women approached the desk, and she looked up. She seemed to be only five or six years older than they were. Her hair was a shocking shade of pink with purple highlights streaking through around her face. Her eyes were the same color as her highlights, leading Katie to believe she tried to match her highlights to the shade of her eyes.

“May I help you?” She asked in a tone that suggested that she was halfway to bored. Samantha noticed that a book sat beside her, obviously finished and laying abandoned by her post. She couldn’t leave her desk, which was why she was unfortunately left in the boring circumstance of being stranded without something to read. Samantha smiled, acknowledging the presence of another reader in the room.

“Yes,” Katie cleared her throat. “We would like to speak to Mr. Petalburg, please.”

The secretary’s eyebrows shot up and the bored look disappeared. This request was intriguing and interesting to her, they could tell. Katie hoped she would be able to fulfill it. It turned out that the reason the secretary was so intrigued by their request was that the company’s CEO was actually standing behind them at that moment.

“You two young ladies want to see me?” They both turned with astonished gazes to meet a man who could easily be in his early thirties. His dark blue hair was messy and fell over his eyes in an annoying fashion. He brushed it away and readjusted the glasses that sat on his nose and played up his dark brown eyes. The most curious thing about Mr. Petalburg, though, was the way he dressed. Katie never saw Kirio leave for work in a t-shirt and jeans; he always wore suits. Mr. Petalburg, on the other hand, wore a green jacket over a blue t-shirt and jeans. Black sneakers completed his casual look perfectly. A few decades younger, and he could have passed for any teenager on the street.
“M…Mr. Petalburg, my name is Katie Karasuma and this is my friend Samantha Lynn,” Katie said, gesturing to Samantha. “This may sound a little odd, but…” Katie pulled Rowan’s list out of her pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to Mr. Petalburg. “Professor Rowan gave me this list of people who could tell me more about my mother’s life.”

Mr. Petalburg looked up from the list with a confused look spread across his face. “Your mother?”

“Yes…” Katie paused. “Kristal Reeves.”

Mr. Petalburg shook his head and lowered his eyes to the list, frowning. “I…didn’t know she had…” He looked back up at Katie, obviously studying her face and her eyes. “You do look like her. Especially your eyes. Aquapolian crystal blue…very rare eye color. Only runs through her immortal family.” He looked up at the ceiling and sighed, taking off his plain black glasses to rub at his eyes. “And Karasuma…I never knew.” He replaced his glasses and looked back at her. A smile started to spread across his face and he laughed. “Well, then. Why don’t you follow me up to my office? We can talk there.”

Katie and Samantha sighed a breath of relief. Both had expected their acuisition of a meeting with him would take far longer. As they followed him to an elevator nearby, Katie felt a sense of excitement well up inside her. She was finally going to find out more about her mother…and possibly more about herself.

The building was structured in a pattern that reflected her father’s work. Katie frowned. If her father had built the building for Mr. Petalburg…why didn’t the young inventor know that Kirio had a daughter, much less that she was Kris’ daughter? She wondered faintly if Kirio had withheld this information in order to protect her privacy, but that didn’t make any sense to her. She gazed into the distance as the glass elevator slipped up even higher above the city. Sinnoh was splayed out in front of her, looking close enough to touch. She could see Coronet in the distance and wondered how she would tackle the problem of getting over the mountain to the other side of Sinnoh. The moving sidewalks the trainers and coordinators of her generation were used to did not reach through the mountains. They had to climb up as their parents and grandparents had done during their journeys long ago.

Mr. Petalburg’s personal lab was filled with different kinds of machines and computers, some a bit old compared to the current technology, others quite advanced for even their day and age. At the end of the long winding room that contained the lab was a 2000 era super computer with multiple screens. Mr. Petalburg smiled, gesturing to the machine. “This is the Legendary Team super computer I built back before the Great War.”

“Wow…” Katie had heard about the super computer Max Petalburg had created at the early age of nine years old. He had created it to keep track of all of the Legendary Team’s missions. It contained a communication and tracking system that connected each of the Legendary Team members together during their outings. It was older than both Katie and Samantha, but still ran smoothly. Mr. Petalburg’s glass desk sat in front of it along with two chairs. He motioned for the two teenagers to take the chairs and he himself sat on the edge of the glass desk.

“Now, you want to know about Kris? Well, I guess the easiest place to begin would be when I first met her. Of course, when looking at Kris’ life, it was as complicated as the machinery you see behind me…”
 

Eon Master

Born from the Flames
Hmmm..... I'm confused, but that's probably expected because we're still on Ch. 1. So Katie has a demonic Umbreon form that goes off randomly and attacks people? Yikes! *hides under table* So that's what was with the banner. The bad guys are trying to re-create the red chain, they're watching Katie's every move, trying to do something with the power of dimension, AND they're in leauge with Team Rocket?! Holy crap, that's a motherload of evil plans for our heroes to sort out. I assume that the leader of the enemy is the demon who killed Ojinan? Or is it Tess, since I think she ran away from the battle (correct me if I'm wrong).

I have only one thing I think you should correct:

An explosion rocked one of the trees by the first shadow, causing the tree to fall, felled by a large pulse of dark energy.

Wording is really akward on this sentence, so I'll make some possible changes:

An explosion rocked one of the trees by the first shadow, as a dark pulse of energy brought the tree down.

Really like this story, even though it's only Ch. 1. Keep up the good work :)
 

chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
Wow. o_0 This was one quick review. Normally, I don't expect a review within a few days of posting a chapter. :)

Well, Eon Master, yes, the Umbreon in the banner is Katie's dark form. You will see her dark form get even more demonic as time goes on. As far as the evil team(s) go, only one will be at the center. Team Rocket is just there because one of the commanders has a connection to Team Rocket (which you will discover later). The leader of the new team is not Tess or Nyx (the demon who destroyed Ojinan). She is a completely new characters whose past will be revealed toward the end.

Thanks for the suggestion...yes, that sentence is quite odd...

I'm glad that you liked chapter one. I wasn't all too sure about this chapter and the next for two reasons:

1. Both are MUCH longer than I'm used to (12 pages on MW instead of 6)
2. I thought I was going a bit too fast as far as traveling goes.

Still, I'm used to fast paced, and I believe this fic, though a journey fic, may not exceed say 40 chapters. Still, that's a good bit to write.

In the NEXT CHAPTER (dramatic music): Katie and Samantha learn more about Kris' past and...what is this new evil team up to in the mines of Oreburgh?

Next chapter up by the end of this week...hopefully.
 

Zadros

Incorrigible slacker
The first thing I'm wondering is, does everyone in the world own and Eevee evo? XD Or is that just how it seems? There's been a stack of Umbreons, a Glaceon, a Flareon and a Leafeon so far, compared to the Abomasnow, Chimchar and Piplup, who only appear for short while each. I haven't read the first trilogy, so forgive me if I'm missing something from them about the abundance of Eevees XD

I had to reread the first scene before I realized what it was talking about, with all the first shadow and second shadow stuff. I'm not really sure how to make it clearer, maybe describe them in a variety of ways. Like how you referred to Ashley as a 'young woman' twice in a paragraph.

The demonic Umbreon, as she has been dubbed, is a bit puzzling. You do say it scares her, but I don't really see any more evidence of that at all, not even a stray thought while she's in her Umbreon form. I am interested to find out why her being part demon allows her to change shape (I thought Kirio had only been shadowified, not actually a demon?).

Travelling around to find out about her mother's life is an interesting idea. Kris' life does sound very...Rubik XD Careful you don't end up with cliched rivals though. Samantha's performing interests me, is it like busking with Pokemon? It's something different =)

Oh, one fix up:
Both had expected their acuisition of a meeting with him would take far longer.
Acquisition I think you mean.

Until the next chapter =)
 

Eon Master

Born from the Flames
The first thing I'm wondering is, does everyone in the world own and Eevee evo? XD Or is that just how it seems? There's been a stack of Umbreons, a Glaceon, a Flareon and a Leafeon so far, compared to the Abomasnow, Chimchar and Piplup, who only appear for short while each. I haven't read the first trilogy, so forgive me if I'm missing something from them about the abundance of Eevees XD

Let me see if I can help with some of this. Umbreon is Kris' and chosen_one's favorite pokemon, so that might be part of the reason. The other part is that eeveelutions are extremely popular among pokemon trainers. Correct me if I'm wrong, chosen_one.

The demonic Umbreon, as she has been dubbed, is a bit puzzling. You do say it scares her, but I don't really see any more evidence of that at all, not even a stray thought while she's in her Umbreon form. I am interested to find out why her being part demon allows her to change shape (I thought Kirio had only been shadowified, not actually a demon?).

I think the fact that she's trigger happy with her dark pulse attack is some evidence, but that's just me. Kirio was part demon, and he had the ability to turn into an Absol (and a really evil one, even for a demon). Umbreon was Kris' favorite pokemon, so that might explain why that is her shape. Lots of symbolism in that one. Once again, correct me if I'm wrong.

Well, I hope that helps with your confusion. I don't quite know as much as the author (obviously), but I have read all of the Chosen One sagas.

Wow. o_0 This was one quick review. Normally, I don't expect a review within a few days of posting a chapter. :)

I am a huge fan, and reading the Chosen One saga inspired me to write my own fanfic, so I try to read and review as fast as possible. :)
 
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chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
Well, Eon Master, I think you were successful in clearing up Zadros' questions. XD Thank you all for reading. It's so nice to have people actually read and review...

And you have a fic, Eon Master? I need to check that out.
 

Eon Master

Born from the Flames
You're welcome, anytime. As for the fic, there's a link in my sig below the Trainer Card. It's not really anything special though, so you might end up being hugely disappointed.
 
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chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. Things are starting to spiral into the senior year chaos that will officially start next Monday. Here's chapter two. Enjoy!

Chapter Two



“I met Kris when I was about eight years old. My older sister May had started traveling with her during her first trip around Hoenn for the Sapphire Conference. They arrived in Petalburg only a few days after Kris arrived in Hoenn. I was hanging around Kris’ father’s gym at the time. Of course, you know the current gym leader of Petalburg City as Ash Ketchum, second in command of the Legendary Team, but your grandfather, Norman Reeves, was gym leader before him. He was a great gym leader, but Kris’ surpassed his abilities early on in her career as a trainer. In addition to his abilities, he was also the only multi-type gym leader in Aquapolis at the time. I wanted to become a Pokemon researcher and eventually, a professor, so naturally I studied his battles.

“I had seen many of Kris’ battles on TV, so I was naturally very impressed by her. I wanted to study her Pokemon and battling style as well, so I asked her if I could travel with her. This was before the Legendary Team fully formed, mind you. She accepted me into the group, so I got my chance to travel around Hoenn.

“It wasn’t long before we ran into both Team Magma and Team Aqua. Team Aqua wasn’t a problem. They were just a bunch of wanna-be pirates with a crazy leader. Team Magma, though…they were a great problem. When we finally had to have a big showdown with the group, we met their leader, who I’m sure you have heard about. Kirio has told you about Maxie Ayanokoji, right?”

Katie slowly shook her head. She hadn’t heard of him in her life. She had heard of Team Magma…but not him. She frowned, wondering how much Kirio had kept from her.

“You’re serious? Maxie and Kris were at each others’ throats for years. First of all, he could read Aquapolian, which, as you know, is a very rare skill. Second of all, he was possessed by the power of the land…in a way similar to Shadowfication. He tried to kill her many times, but he never succeeded. When the war began, he was freed partially from the power of the land and became Kris’ mentor.

“Anyway, during Maxie and Kris’ rivalry, which we named the Team Magma Days, the Legendary Team was formed. Back then, we were only made up of me, Kris, Ash Ketchum, Misty Cerulean, Brock Pewter, and my sister. I started to work on a database that we could use to communicate with each other. As the Team Magma Days progressed, Tory Lund, Sarah Reynolds, Taylor Meadows, and Michael Hail joined. After the war began, Rachel Gina joined. It wasn’t until the Team Galactic Days started that we gained our twelfth and final member, Dawn Twinleaf.” He glanced down at the list. “I’ll let someone else talk about the Team Galactic Days. After Kris’ death, I helped the six powers find the six orbs in order to free her. Kirio’s told you something about that, hasn’t he?”
Katie nodded. Her father HAD told her about how her mother was trapped after her death and about the journey he and six others went on to release her. But, she didn’t know anything about the people who had gone on the journey or what exactly had happened.

“Well…That’s all I can tell you.” Mr. Petalburg smiled. “Kris led an adventurous life and I’m glad I got to work beside her for so long.”

“Thanks, Mr. Petalburg…”

“Please, call me Max.”

“Thank you…Max…for giving me so much insight into my mother’s life.”

Max laughed. “I haven’t told you even a fraction! You make sure you talk to the others on this list now,” he said, handing her back Rowan’s list. “Now…before you leave, I need to make sure you leave prepared.”

Katie and Samantha cast confused glances at each other as Max got up and walked to his desk, pulling out a drawer and taking two boxes out. Two PokeAll boxes.

“These are my new version. Faster, more powerful computers and GPS. I want you two to try them out for me and be my trainer test panel.”

Both girls took the boxes and smiled. “Wow…thank you…” Katie said, taking out her new blue PokeAll and examining it.

“Just make sure you give me some feedback on it the next time you come through Jubilife. Now, I’m sure you are ready to get back on your journey. Let me guess, you’re here for the Platinum Conference, right?”

“Yes, sir. Samantha is participating in the Sinnoh Grand Festival, too.”

“Well, I’m sure you two will blow your competition out of the water. Farewell and a safe journey.”

The two girls bowed and said their good-byes. As they made their way back to the elevator, Katie glanced back at Max, catching a glimpse of a worried expression on his face.

------------

Katie and Samantha wasted no time in starting out on their journey to Oreburgh. It was nighttime by the time they reached the tunnel, but they didn’t care. They might as well just sleep on the moving path, but they knew they had to get off and travel through the tunnel on foot. So, they made a camp and decided to stay there for the night.

The various noises coming from Pokemon hidden deep in the forest were familiar to Katie. She was used to camping outside and being close to the natural world. It was second nature to her, a trait gifted by her demonic Umbreon form. The moon made her shiver and she surpressed the urge to transform. It wouldn’t do to continue the press of her demonic form. A few more transformations could be enough to stick Katie in that form permanently. She shuddered at the thought of being eternally damned as a demon.

She tried to focus on the stars overhead, tracing out the different constallations with her finger and humming to the tune of a song in her head. She didn’t know where the song came from, but she liked to believe that her mother hummed it to her when she was just a babe. Umbreon’s ears perked up when he heard the song, and he sighed, turning over in his sleep. Samantha was dead asleep, as was her Leafeon, who was snoring rather loudly beside her. Katie stifled a laugh. How her friend could sleep with all that noise right beside her ear was a mystery to her.

A star caught her eye and she sat up, entranced by its brightness. Perhaps it was the Bethlehem star and her angelic side was calling out to her. She pushed herself to her feet and looked around the clearing. Trees ringed them on three sides, their branches dancing in the small night wind. On the fourth side, the entrance to Oreburgh Cave stood large and impressive. She felt herself drawn to the cave, and decided to do some midnight exploring to help her sleep.

As she slipped into the cave, she once again fought the urge to transform. Even without her transformation, though, she could see through the darkness that filled the rocky cavern. She heard water drip up ahead and followed the sound until she stumbled upon another cavern, one which had a hole in its ceiling. Moonlight filtered in, bathing the cavern floor in a soft glow.

“Bright moon tonight.”

Katie gasped loudly, reaching only a decibal or two below an actual shriek. She whirled around, her heart beating as she turned to discover who spoke behind her. Even without the moonlight, she was sure that she would have able to see the white robes and bright eyes of the man who had snuck up behind her. He almost seemed to glow in the cavern, but Katie was sure that was just the trick of the moonlight on her eyes. Silence reigned between the two as they sized each other up. Katie wasn’t scared of him, just curious now that her heart had stopped racing. He had a strange shade of blue-grey hair which seemed to contrast greatly with his piercing pale pearl colored eyes.

“Are you traveling to Oreburgh?” Katie found something familiar in his voice, as if she had heard it before, but she couldn’t find a name to match to the voice. She nodded at his question, backing up a few steps and emmersing herself completely in moonlight. She glanced behind her, wondering if she should run.

“You should take some time to explore the mining shafts in the town while you are there. Usually the gym leader spends his time in them.” The man bowed and turned away as if he was going to leave. “But, I would be careful. Be sure to bring a friend with you.” With that he slipped back into the shadows of the cave, leaving Katie stunned and confused.

“What just happened?” She whispered aloud to herself. She still couldn’t shake the feeling that she knew him. And, even though he had unnerved her, she wished that she had caught his name in case she wanted to look him up. She slunk back out of the cave and made her way back to their campsite. She was finished with exploring for the night.

------------

Oreburgh was filled with police. Each way Katie and Samantha turned, they ran into one police officer after another. Police blockades and yellow tape surrounded the mining shafts of the town. The two teenagers exchanged looks as did their Pokemon. Katie had told Samantha about her encounter with the strange man in the cave. Samantha warned her to be wary of his advice, and it looked like she was right. They tried to advance a little closer, but an Officer Jenny pushed them back. She was the only one in the area;all the other officers were men. Katie suspected she was the captain of the local precinct.

“Sorry, but the mines are closed until further notice. I suggest you visit the gym if you want to see Roark.”

They stepped back and observed the scene, wondering if they really should try to get into the shafts. A man in an overcoat caught Katie’s eye. He was speaking with several of the officers, who were addressing him as “detective.”

“Excuse me,” Katie said, tapping on the shoulder of the nearest officer. “Who is the man in the brown trenchcoat over their?”

The officer glanced over. “Oh, that’s Detective Looker of the Sinnoh National Police and Detective Agency. He’s the best we’ve got. Regular Aquapolian Sherlock Holmes.”

Katie started to push through the crowd of mixed officers and bystanders until she came to Looker. She wanted to know what was up before she and Samantha attempted to get into the tunnels. She glanced around, looking for anything that could cause a distraction. Right before she got to Looker, she caught a glimpse of a Flareon guarding the entrance to the mines. She smiled. It was a female.

“Excuse me, sir.” Looker spun around as she tried to get his attention. She could feel his observant and piercing gaze alight on her as soon as she spoke. She froze for a fraction of a second, nervous about proceeding. “M…My friend and I are new in town. We would like to know why there are so many officers around the mining shafts.”

“New in town, huh? You look familiar….” He paused for a few seconds, rubbing his chin as he tried to remember why she looked so familiar to him. “Maybe it’s your eyes…”

“Maybe you’ve met my mother…Kristal Reeves?” The last part was whispered. Katie had spotted several reporters nearby, and whenever her mother’s name was mentioned, paparazzi always seemed to flock to her.

“Ah, yes! I remember now!” Looker snapped his fingers. “I helped her research some of the Team Galactic cases years ago. Well…” he cleared his throat. “Several miners have been killed over the last few weeks. We’re pretty sure the killings have had nothing to do with the actual mining shafts in regards to the working dangers they face every day. We don’t even think Pokemon were involved.”

“You mean…Aquapolians have been killing off the workers?” Katie gasped. Murder wasn’t a very common criminal offence in Aquapolis. Their race just wasn’t programmed to murder…at least this randomly. Outside of criminal syndicates, it just wasn’t heard of.

“Listen, if you get wind of anything unusual, here’s my card,” Looker dug around in his trench coat pocket and pulled out a small white holographic card. On it was printed “Detective Robert Looker, SNPDA Chief Detective” and his PokeAll number. “Am I correct in saying that you are just as curious as your mother?”

Katie laughed. He was right. “You sure are.” She thought for a minute, then pulled out Rowan’s list. Rowan had made a tiny subsection for her mother’s aquaintances. Looker was in it. Obviously, Kris had trusted him enough to work with him. “My name is Katie Karasuma, by the way.” She dug around in her pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. “Do you have a pen?” When Looker pulled one out of his pocket, she wrote down her contact information on it. “Here’s my number. I’ll definantly be in touch with you.”

“Have a nice journey and keep your eyes wide open!” Looker said, taking her paper and walking off to speak to the Officer Jenny. Katie slipped back through the crowd to speak to Samantha, who was watching several officers approach the caves.

“Who was that?” She asked when Katie got nearer.

Katie glanced around and lowered her voice. “Detective Looker of the SNPDA. Listen, he’s on the list, so I got his contact information. Now, about diversions…” She glanced over at the Flareon guarding the police line. “I think Umbreon and Leafeon can take it from here.”

“Hey, baby.”

The guard Flareon glanced over toward the Umbreon and Leafeon slowly approaching her. She followed their movements warily as they reached her post.

“You belong to the Jenny in this town?” Leafeon asked, glancing over to where Jenny and Looker were arguing about something. The Flareon nodded, cocking her head to the side and observing the two Eeveevos.

“When are you getting off of your shift?” Umbreon asked.

Flareon huffed, her attention fully on the two Pokemon as Katie and Samantha dove into the tunnels behind her. “I get off whenever this case is solved. Back off.”

Umbreon and Leafeon glanced at each other and snickered. “Oh, come on. Don’t you want some company?”

As the two Pokemon continued to distract the guard, Katie and Samantha slunk deeper into the tunnel, swinging their flashlights around to illuminate every inch of the rock walls.

------------

“They are going too slow, Apollo. There is no way in hell that I can get enough material to create a second Red Chain before the autumn is over.”

Apollo frowned at the scientist standing before him. “Pluto, just make them go faster.”

“They’re already going fast enough. They’ve already killed several miners. Do you know how many police are outside? What if they come in?”

“I doubt it. They won’t venture down here until that idiot Looker comes exploring himself. If he does, capture him and send him to the Coronet Headquarters.” With that, Apollo swung around and left Pluto’s office. Pluto turned to observe the workers in the mine for a second, frowned, and left the room.

------------

Katie and Samantha went further down into the mining shafts, anxiety creeping up on them as they worried whether or not the murderer (or murderers) would creep up on them. The shafts were completely abandoned. Katie came to believe that the police had evacuated everyone out after the first killings.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps resound off the walls up ahead, causing them to freeze and straing their ears to find out what made the sound. Katie could pick out two pairs of footsteps and held up two fingers for Samantha to see. Samantha nodded and they silently crept forward to meet whoever was coming toward them.

Their flashlight beams hit two pairs of startled eyes. One pair was blue and the other was green, but both faces had green bowl cut hair. Katie nearly laughed at what they were dressed in, but kept it to a smirk. They wore what looked like spacesuits; the woman wearing a skirt and the man wearing pants. As soon as they realized who they were looking at, they reached for the Poke Balls at their belts. Katie realized that neither she nor Samantha had a well trained Pokemon to fight with, so she turned and nodded to Samantha, who nodded back.

This was their signal to attack. And attack they did. Samantha caught the woman right in the face with a Thunderpunch which sent her flying backwards into her partner. Katie swung around and slammed her foot up under the man’s back, flipping him around and slamming him into the wall. For the finishing touch, Samantha caught both of their opponents in a Thunder Wave, paralyzing them.

“They didn’t even see it coming!” Samantha laughed as she and Katie walked farther down into the mine shafts. “They probably expected us to leap right into a Pokemon battle!”

“Maybe they were responsible for the miners’ deaths…” Katie mused. She made a mental note to herself to remember to gather the two lookalikes when she and Samantha made their way out of the shafts. She caught the flickering of lights ahead and they snuck forward and into a large chamber, concealing themselves behind a wooden crate. The sound of mining reached Katie’s ears and she wondered why mining had continued after the death of the workers.

But, the miners weren’t working for the local company. The miners in the shaft at that moment all looked similar to the two goons she and Samantha had taken down back in the tunnels. They were digging deeper and deeper into the walls, looking for God knew what. Katie could make out an observation deck up above the chamber, its entrance guarded by just one person. Katie creeped forward a few steps, then silently willed her body invisible. She faded into the rock around her as she ran forward, knocked the guard out, and dragged him away. Samantha slipped into the deck entrance without anyone spying her. She guessed that the workers didn’t expect company at all.

Katie pressed her ear to the door of the observation deck, hearing no one inside. Unfortunately, when they flung the door open, there WAS someone standing and overseeing the workers below. Obviously a scientist in a white lab coat, the man had light purple hair and glasses. He was a bit shorter than Katie, and she guessed that he was close to Rowan’s age.
Before the girls could slip back out of the door undetected, the man swung around to face the two trainers, his eyebrows rising nearly to his hairline as he spotted the intruders. “What are you doing in here?!” He shouted. “This is a restricted area…though I must say it is impressive that you have gotten past the police force outside…”

“Are you responsible for the miners who died down here?” Katie asked, ignoring Samantha’s tugging at her arm. She wanted to find out exactly what had happened before they even tried to make their getaway.

“Absolutely not,” he shot back, folding his arms. “The agents are. I personally believe it’s foolish to attract that much attention to our work…” He trailed off, and Katie froze. He was staring at her eyes.

After several awkward moments of silence, he asked, “You’re the daughter of Quamachi, aren’t you?”

So he knew her mother’s legendary name…that was strange. Most people referred to her as Kris or the Chosen One. As she nodded to affirm his question, she wondered if he had known her mother.

He straightened up and muttered, “Well.” Then, he smiled. And laughed. Katie and Samantha exchanged puzzled glances, wondering if he was a bit crazy in the head. “Of course, you would happen upon the only project we’re carrying out in this part of the region! Still…” A serious expression crossed across his face once more.

“Did you know my mother?” Katie blurted out, wanting desperately to know if he had known Kris.

“Ah, yes. The only Aquapolian in the world capable of taking Team Galactic down…Perhaps you will do the same,” he said quietly. “Do you know what is going on here?” Both girls shook their heads. “This is the work of the new Team Galactic…Neo Team Galactic, if you will. I’d be careful if I were you…”

Katie suddenly wondered if he was trustworthy. “So…you knew my mother…who are you?” She reached for Rowan’s list, ready to track down a name.

“I am the former commander of Team Galactic and the current head scientist of Neo Team Galactic. Pluto is my name.” Samantha smirked at this, and he frowned. “Laugh all you want, but no one will laugh at our names once our leader has fulfilled her goal. Personally, I believe she is inferior to our former leader…which is why…” He glanced around as if to check if anyone was listening to their conversation. “I want to undermine her plans.”

“So…you are on our side?” Samantha asked as Katie searched Rowan’s list. She found Pluto’s name and contact numbers halfway down the first page and smiled.
“He’s on the list, Samantha. If Kris trusted him, why shouldn’t we?” Katie pushed aside the notion in her head that Pluto may have changed in the past two decades since her mother had known him. She always had tried to see the best in people: a trait her father said was the downfall of her mother. He had warned Katie about the dangers of trusting anyone, especially those wrapped up in shady actions, but Katie chose to view his warnings as just a part of his paranoid and protective nature. If she was burned later on by Pluto, she didn’t care. She and Samantha could take on anyone together. They had gotten into scrapes before. They would get out of this one.

Samantha sighed. She was much more street wise than her excitable friend. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to argue with the list. Besides, if Rowan wrote Pluto’s name on the list, Pluto was more than likely trustworthy. “Okay. We just need to stay away from whatever Neo Team Galactic is planning.” Pluto smiled wryly at Katie’s expression. He knew how Kris had been concerning criminal syndicates. And from what he had observed about Katie’s nature, she was quite close to her mother’s way of thinking.

“Are you kidding? Samantha, they killed several miners…for…I don’t know what! They must be brought to justice somehow!” Katie clinched her hands into fists. She was going to play up her stubborn nature on this. She knew Samantha would follow along after she had played her stubborn card for a while.

“Let the police handle this, Katie! This is none of our business!” Samantha snapped. Deep down, she was afraid of confronting Neo Team Galactic. If they had killed several miners, they wouldn’t hesitate in doing the same to two teenage girls. “Besides, we don’t have a Legendary Team backing us up like your mother had…” Trailing off, Samantha sighed. She had inadvertadly turned the light on in her old friend’s head.

“I wonder what a Neo Legendary Team would look like…” Katie said wistfully. Samantha groaned. “No, Samantha, it’s a wonderful idea! We could find…we could find other powerful Eeveevo trainers and create a whole new team!” Katie’s eyes glowed as she thought through the list of trainers and coordinators she knew, picking some out who had different Eeevevos. Samantha smiled. She had to admire Katie’s imagination. She got things done, all right. Maybe a Neo Legendary Team was for the best.

Then, Pluto cleared his throat and the two girls remembered where they were: inside the mining shaft occupied by Neo Team Galactic, whose other members wouldn’t be so welcoming to them as Pluto had been. “I suggest you two make your way out of these shafts immediately,” the old scientist said. “I sense powerful psychic energy nearby…” Suddenly, he threw open what looked like a broom closet door and pushed the girls inside, slamming it shut as footsteps echoed up the stairs outside.



“Pluto…I heard voices in this room…” A man’s voice sounded from outside of the closet. Katie pressed her ear closer to the door, eager to hear what he had to say. She tried to calm down her racing heart, which was pounding in her ears. What if they were caught inside and obvious Neo Galactic base? Would they dispose of them as they had of the miners they had caught?

“I was speaking to several agents about the rate at which they are digging. It is going quite slowly, Apollo. I trust you are having issues at Fuego as well?” Katie pressed her ear even harder against the door. This was her chance to find out something about Neo Team Galactic’s plans.

The man sighed. “Yes, but not with the actual work. It’s the funding for the machines that are being built on the property…The parts are much too expensive for our budget…at least until Poseidon pulls through with the funding from the Rockets.”

Katie could hear Pluto smirk. “Too bad we do not own Akagi International anymore.” Samantha tapped her shoulder and Katie turned around to see the same shocked expression plastered across her friend’s face. She had no idea the company had once belonged to Team Galactic. She made a mental note to talk to her father about it later.

“Yes…” Apollo muttered. “But it is too late now. Once Giovanni Rocket agrees to our deal, we won’t have to worry about money any longer. I should return to the Coronet base.” There were a few seconds of pause before he spoke again, possibly as an afterthought. “Oh, and I have reports that the Daughter of Shadow and Light is in the area. Pluto, don’t let her snoop around here.” Katie heard his footsteps as he left the control room and shut the door behind him. She let out a sigh of relief and inched the door open. Pluto motioned for the two girls to come out.

“So…how are we going to get out of the base without anyone seeing us?” Katie asked him, glancing out the control window to where a tall man with dark blue hair was speaking to a group of agents. She wondered if he was Apollo. It would be hard to get past him without causing trouble.

“There is a back passageway we have been using to get in and out of the shafts without being seen by the police,” Pluto said. “While Apollo is distracted by the agents, I’ll take you to it.”

The entrance to the back passageway was just outside the control room, allowing Pluto to sneak Katie and Samantha out without Apollo even catching a glimpse of the two girls. The passageway was short and took them right to the plain that lay between Oreburgh and Mt. Coronet. Katie and Samantha squinted at the sunlight, trying to get their vision back in order as Pluto checked to see if any police officers or Galactic agents were in the area.

“It’s clear,” he mumbled. “To get back to Oreburgh, just go east around this plain until you reach the museum.” Both girls thanked him, but before they could start heading back to the city, Pluto said, “If you want to learn more about your mother’s involvement in Team Galactic, I suggest we meet at the Oreburgh Center at ten tonight.” With that, he disappeared into the passageway, leaving the teenagers to their journey back to Oreburgh.

------------

“So, after all that fuss, you still didn’t get a date out of her?”

Katie and Samantha sat in the Oreburgh Center dining hall enjoying a nice supper of peanut butter sandwiches and American brand Doritoes. It was rare to find anything of an American brand outside of Coke in Aquapolis, which usually made all of its own food supplies. Maybe they had an Aquapolian branch of the chip company.

While they enjoyed their American meal, Umbreon and Leafeon were chowing down on Poke food and telling about their experience with the police Flareon. They had succeeded in distracting her, but after all of their smooth talking, neither had been able to secure a date with the pretty fire-type. They weren’t sad, though. As they put it, there were plenty more Magikarp in the sea.

“So…tell us about…Team Galactic,” Umbreon said in a hushed tone. There may not have been anyone else in the cafeteria, but they certainly didn’t want anyone else to hear their conversation.

“We don’t know exactly what they are doing…but we do know that they’re digging for something,” Katie explained. “And, that they have scientists working on something at the Fuego Ironworks near Floaroma. The scientist we ran into in the shafts is on Rowan’s list…and he knew my mom when she faced Team Galactic years ago!” A chorus of shushes followed her outburst and she calmed down. She had gotten too excited and raised her voice a little louder than she would have liked.

“We should listen to what he has to say. If we learn about the original Team Galactic, we could learn something about the new organization,” Samantha pointed out, taking a bite out of her sandwich and growling at Leafeon, who had nearly made away with half of her chips. He smiled sheepishly and tried to get the orange cheese powder off of his green fur.

“In the meantime, I need to get started on my strategy for the Oreburgh Gym!” Katie said, taking out her old fashioned notebook and pen. No one in those days used actual paper notebooks and ballpoint pens to write, but Katie like the feel of the paper and the look of her handwriting. In her notebook was written all of her Pokemon, their stats, and their moves. She started to circle all of her water and grass types, thinking over which Pokemon she would request for Rowan to send to her. Samantha continued to eat as her Leafeon pulled a map out of her backpack.

“While she’s coming up with gym strategies, it wouldn’t hurt for you to map out where you’re going to participate in contests.” Samantha sighed and took the map, wondering if becoming a coordinator was the best decision.
 

Eon Master

Born from the Flames
Once again, you're leading us readers on a merry chase, while we try to figure out where the plot is headed. I don't mind acctually, it makes the story more interesting.
You really do a good job with writing the plot, and you have excellent discription.

Only one thing you might want to correct:
“No, Samantha, it’s a wonderful idea! We could find…we could find other powerful Eeveevo trainers and create a whole new team!”

I believe the correct term is "Eeveelution" for any Eevee evolution. That's the one I've been hearing around the forums, anyway.

One other thing: Can I use your idea for the PokeAll in my fic? It would be useful, and it makes more sense than the other PokeDevices, since my fic takes place almost 12 years after the Sinnoh Leauge.
 

chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
Oh, yes, Eon Master, the plot is a rollar coaster ride in this fic. XD

Eeveevo is kind of how I address the Eeveelutions. It's kind of different, so I put it as an actual term in this fic. I like different. :)

Oh, and of course you can put the PokeAll in your fic. If you want to, you can borrow Max Petalburg as well...if he isn't already in another role in your fic.

Thank you for your review! New chapter up soon!
 

Eon Master

Born from the Flames
Lol, no kidding. The Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point has nothing on this fic.

Oh, Ok. I just didn't want you getting yelled at by some Eevee fanatic who thinks that anything different is taboo (fanactics, ugh...) XP

Thanks a bunch! Acctually, Max has another role in my fic as the Petalburg Gym Leader. I'll just have it be manufactured by Devon or something.

You're welcome, Anytime. Although, I might be a little later in reviewing your story than I have been b/c I have band camp, and now that I'm a junior, it's my job to chase down the freshmen who go off in the wrong direction, so I'm dead tired afterwards. Sorry to make you listen to my whining, and I can't wait for the next chapter. :)
 

chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
So Max is not the gym leader of Petalburg in your story? Cool. :) Ash is the gym leader of Petalburg in my arcs. Hmm...he hasn't shown up in a while hasn't he? At least, not in the flesh. :)

Ah, it's not problem. Once next week hits, the chapters themselves will start coming slowly. It's senior year for me, so I have applications...plus I'm Student Council president this year and I have to keep my grades up so I can keep my number one rank up. >_< It's going to be busy.

Next chapter should be up by the middle of next week...hopefully.
 

Zadros

Incorrigible slacker
Oh man, sorry! I completely forgot to review, but I did read it the day you posted it XD So, can I safely assume Katie had an encounter with her great uncle Cyrus?

I liked the twist on the mines, along with Pluto XD Yea, he's funny. I thought it sounded a bit funny that they were getting worried about Katie sneaking around, but I suppose there's a prophecy that's scaring them. Still, it always gets me that huge criminal organisations are scared of a teenager. I'd like to see some more differences between Kris and Katie though. They are mother and daughter, but they barely knew each other.

Good luck with your next chapter =)
 

chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
Wow Zadros, you just snuck in, didn't you? XD Yes, you will see more Cyrus in this chapter...hopefully.

School starts tomorrow for me. Sorry for the crappy battle scene. Let the ride begin again. Sorry for the confusion.
Chapter Three



Katie stared out of the Oreburgh Center window, watching shadows flicker as the police continued to swarm around the entrance to the mining shafts. She wondered whether or not the police would actually dare to go into the shafts, or if they deemed the passageways too dangerous to risk any of their officers going in? She snorted with disgust. Once again, the police force proved its inadequacy. If only they would venture inside…they would run across the Neo-Galactic base hidden inside the caves.

For some reason, Katie didn’t want the police to know about this new Team Galactic. She had an idea that they knew nothing about the team anyway. Along with Samantha, she wanted to discover their goals and bring them down herself…like her mother had decades before. She smiled at the thought of the adventure that would await her and her teammates further down the road as they faced the criminal syndicate.

“Seems as if they are still patrolling the outside of the caves. Those fools…”

Katie spun around to see Pluto right behind her. She wondered how he crept up on her without her noticing him. She was pretty good at sensing people who were nearby. “I’m not sure if they are even going to go inside…” She commented after she got over the initial shock of Pluto’s arrival.

“Perhaps it’s for the best…even for our plans.” Katie was struck by the words “our plans.” She didn’t even know they had a plan yet…or was Pluto talking about someone else inside Team Galactic? “But for now, we must look to the past.”

A few minutes later, Pluto, Katie, and Samantha were gathered around one of the center’s tables. Katie was amazed at how empty the Center was. Usually, at that time in the evening, any Pokemon Center in the country would be bustling with the activity of trainers and coordinators checking in, socializing, and getting something to eat. Maybe they were scared off by the murders in the mine.

Pluto cleared his throat, then began. “As I remember it, during the Great War, all of the Pokemon League Conferences were still being held…to keep morale up and such. Your mother, though the Chosen One, wanted desperately to achieve her tenth league title, so she traveled here to Sinnoh to participate in the Diamond Conference. It wasn’t long before one of her new traveling companions…I believe it was a girl named Dawn Twinleaf…told her of Team Galactic.

Now, as you know, your mother faced many other criminal syndicates as well…such as Team Rocket in Kanto and Jhoto, Team Magma and Aqua in Hoenn, and, of course, the Cipher in Orre. As soon as she found out about Team Galactic, she was highly intrigued. Though her friends tried to discourage her from launching herself into the work of bringing down the syndicate, she pressed on against it. She made enemies…and some relationships that were too hard to describe…” Pluto trailed off, a faraway look clouding his eyes.

When he didn’t speak after a few minutes, Katie looked at him incredulously and asked, “Is that it?” Was that all he was going to tell them.

“Let me see Rowan’s list, and I’ll tell you if that is all I will tell you.” Samantha’s eyebrows rose as Katie pulled out the professor’s list and handed it to Pluto. He scanned the list and shrugged. “You will have to learn more from some of the others on this list. Now…I can tell you where some of these people are. Gardenia Eterna lives in, well, Eterna City, of course. She was the gym leader there years ago. Sarah Reynolds is the current gym leader. I see she’s on the list as well. Mars Ayanokoji is in Veilstone as well as Saturn Nagano and Taylor Meadows. As for some of the others…they’re drifters, so I have no clue where they are.” He handed the list back and stood up. Katie fought back the urge to ask him to stay and tell them more. He obviously wanted the others on the list to explain more about Team Galactic’s past. Besides, he was risking his own safety by staying and talking to them.

“I have to return to the mines to make sure the agents don’t make a mess of the mining equipment,” he mumbled. “Young ones today are just too darn lazy to use the old machinery they still work with in the mines.” He turned and glared at Katie. “Don’t even think about getting too mixed up in our…Team Galactic’s…affairs. The former leader was more dangerous than our current leader is…but our leader now can be quite hot-headed. So different than him…” His eyes sparkled with the faraway look again as he waved good-bye and quickly slipped out of the Center.

“So…what do you think?” Samantha asked after Pluto was out of sight and out of earshot.

“I think it’s time to get some sleep for our gym battle tomorrow,” Katie replied, yawning. She didn’t want Samantha to know that deep down inside, she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps regarding her approach to Team Galactic. It was as if some part of her was pulling her in that direction.

She hoped it was her angelic part.

------------

The lobby of the gym was pretty scarce of trainers the next morning. As Katie admired the rock and fossil collection in the glass cases that lined the walls, she wondered if trainers were just being scared off by the news of murders in the mines. Even if she knew nothing about the situation, Katie would never be scared off from a gym challenge, especially the first one of a conference. She placed a hand lightly on the three Poke Balls at her waist, thinking about her strategy. She had battle Roark, the gym leader, before, and knew that he used mostly rock and ground types. Instead of charging ahead with whatever she had in her party, she had gained three of her most powerful water and grass types for the challenge. Even though she was at an advantage, she still expected Roark to have some water and grass counters in his team.

“Have you beaten the gym already or are you waiting for your turn to show off?”

Katie turned and gasped delightedly as Colin walked into the room. She had thought of him from time to time after they had left Jubilife, but she never really expected to see him again. “Oh…I…I’m waiting.” She cursed herself for stuttering. Why did she have to be so nervous around guys? “Are you here for a gym battle?”

“No, I’m not participating in the Diamond or Platinum Conference this time,” he shrugged. “I’m actually training a secret team of mine. One that I will use in the next conference to blow everyone out of the water.” He winked at her and she blushed, wondering what it would be like to face him and his developing team. Would he be better than her? Oh…that would be so awkward.

Suddenly, the doors leading to the main arena burst open and a teenage boy swaggered out. His floppy blonde bangs fell into his eyes, and he pushed them away with a flip. Katie rolled her eyes. He always had done that, convinced that it attracted the ladies even more so than his battling skill. She had to admit, though, that David McCauley was quite good looking…but quite smug. Luckily, he wasn’t as stuck up as his sister Ashley, who was a coordinator. David turned his red eyes to Katie and shrugged.

“Roark’s looking a bit weak today, Katie. I’m sure even you will be able to beat him.” David winked, then laughed at Katie’s ****** off look. “I’m just kidding! I know you’ll do well.” He stopped short before he left the lobby, looking Colin over. “This your new boyfriend?” He asked in a curious, but aggressive sort of way.

Both Katie and Colin blushed. “No,” they said at the same time, shaking their heads. David shrugged. He had never really been interested in Katie in that way, just as a mix between a rival and a friend. He had told her at one time that he really cared for Samantha, who shared the same feeling for him.

“Well, see you in Pearl City!” He called over his shoulder as he walked out of the lobby. A Jolteon appeared by his side. Katie wondered for a second why the electric-type hadn’t followed David into the gym despite some of the disadvantages against it. Jolteon was his first and most powerful Pokemon, fast and agile in battle. Katie smirked. Even though he was an electric-type, she had specially trained her Umbreon in speed attacks to outrun David’s Jolteon in battle.

The doors to the arena burst open again and a man with rusty brown hair and glasses stepped out. He wore an orange miner’s hat on his head and a miner’s uniform. Katie didn’t find this at all strange. In fact, she wondered why he wasn’t trying to get into the mines himself in order to find out what happened to his fallen comrades. Roark had worked as a miner for a part time job for as long Katie could remember. Her father told her he had even been a miner when he was her age.

“So…” The gym leader surveyed the room, looking at each of the teenagers. “Who is my next challenger?”

“I am!” Katie said, raising her hand. Colin chuckled and she blushed, putting her arm down. Did she just come across as a rookie in front of him? Well, after watching her battle with Roark, Colin wouldn’t think she was a new trainer.

“So, I guess it’s a Platinum Conference battle this time?” Since there were two levels of Conferences in Sinnoh: Diamond and Platinum, each gym leader had to prepare a different team for both types of challengers: a lower level team for Diamond challengers and a higher level team for Platinum challengers. Katie smiled. He must have recognized her as one of his previous challengers in the Diamond Conference. He led her, Samantha, and Colin into the main area of the gym which housed the battle arena. It was bigger than Katie remembered, with large boulders and even rock columns dotting the battlefield.

“Have you renovated the gym since I was here a few years ago?” Katie asked, taking in the large panel television on the side of the gym. She wondered if the gyms had new computer referee systems.

“Oh, yes. Keeping up with the times, I guess,” Roark laughed. “Used to be pretty easy fixing up battlefields in the old days. We also used to have Aquapolian referees instead of computers. Just put your license in the slot in the wall so it can read your information.”

Katie looked around the bottom of the computer panel, searching for the slot and sliding her trainer’s license into it. The computer immediately booted up and the screen flashed. Two columns appeared on the screen, one for Katie and one for Roark. The two trainers faced each other on the battlefield and a mechanical voice started to speak.

“The gym battle between Roark, the gym leader of Oreburgh City, and the challenger Katie Karasuma of Snowpoint City will now begin. This will be a three round one-on-one battle. Whichever trainer reaches two out of three wins first achieves the victory of the battle. Now, the computer will choose at random who will release their Pokemon first for the first round.”

A beeping noise sounded from the machine as it switched from one trainer to the other. Suddenly, the voice spoke again. “The gym leader Roark will choose his Pokemon first during this round.”

Katie tensed up, ready to observe his choice of Pokemon as soon as he called it out. She thought over the three Pokemon she brought. They were sure to pack a punch in this battle.

“Lunatone, go!” Roark shouted, releasing a half-moon shaped flying piece of rock. It’s red eyes shifted around to survey its surroundings as it hovered over the battlefield, using its psychic powers to stay afloat. Katie thought for a bit, wondering if she should go with Umbreon right off the bat because of her opponent’s half psychic-type. Then, she decided she would go a different route.

“I choose Blastoise!” She shouted, releasing a large blue turtle-like Pokemon with a brown shell and powerful hose pumps built into his back. He stomped his foot and roared, ready to get started. “Now, Skull Bash!” Katie knew the attack itself wouldn’t cause much harm to Lunatone, but she knew it would give her Blastoise a chance to get up close to the Pokemon.

“Lunatone, Rock Throw!” Roark commanded. A barrage of stones flew up off of the ground and at the water-type, who blasted them with a powerful wave of water to push the attach back. Lunatone dodged the attack nimbly, rising above Blastoise’s head.

“Lunatone, Psychic!” The rock type’s eyes started to glow and Blastoise cried out as she was constricted by a wave of psychic energy. Katie knew that if she couldn’t get her Pokemon out of the attack fast, Blastoise’s energy would be worn down until it fainted.

“Blastoise, Skull Bash, but withdraw into your shell!” Blastoise struggled to obey her trainer, her muscles working against the powerful energy surrounding her. She managed to get her arms and legs into her shell, and finally her head.

Roark took this chance to strike. “Throw her, now!” Blastoise was launched into the air, but Katie smiled. That was a bit mistake on the gym leader’s part.

“Hydro Pump, now!” Blastoise spun around in mid-air as blasts of water emmeted from the holes in her shell. She propelled herself higher as the fans of water flew in all directions. Lunatone dodged the fans, which started to get faster and stronger. “Turn it into Hydro Cannon!”

Blastoise spun faster, causing her to disappear in a wave of levitating water which nearly covered the arena. Katie smiled. It had taken her weeks to find the old lady in Kanto who would teach the elusive and powerful attack reserved only for water starters. It had payed off many times over. The wave came crashing down on Lunatone with a powerful force that knocked it out completely.

“Lunatone is unable to battle. Blastoise and the gym challenger Katie win this round,” the computer announced.
Katie clapped excitedly. She had gotten off to a good start in the battle, which was always imperative to her strategy. She liked to start a battle off strong and finish it in the same way. She was good like that. Recalling Blastoise, she waited for the computer to announce the second round’s starter.

“The challenger Katie will start the next round of battle.”

Katie’s hand flew to her belt, and with the flick of her wrist, she released a large reptilian creature which stood a foot taller than she on the battlefield. He stretched his muscles and stared across the arena at Roark, waiting for his opponent to be released. Roark smirked, releasing a large dinosaur-like creature which stood on its hind legs and roared, its smooth and round head glinting in the glare of the gym spotlights.

“Sceptile, start off with a Leaf Blade!” Katie shouted, swinging her arms in an arc to imitate Sceptile’s signature move. He sprung into the air and stretched out one of his leaf covered arms, spinning around in mid-air to reach his opponent.

“Cranidos, Skull Bash!” Roark yelled. The Pokemon’s head started to glow a purplish tint and it sprung into the air, deflecting one of Sceptile’s Leaf Blades, but receiving another right across its face. It cringed and crashed to the ground on its side, crying out in pain. “Flamethrower!” Its trainer yelled. A blast of fire roared up into the air, missing its target by just a few inches. Unfortunately, Cranidos had hurt itself when it slammed into the ground, preventing it from being able to get up. Its Flamethrower’s trajectory was thus affected.

“Sceptile, finish it!” Katie shouted. Sceptile moved in for the kill, but approached the wrong side of Cranidos. Instead of coming from behind, he moved in the perfect spot for him to be hit with a massive Flamethrower attack. Katie cringed as her beloved grass-type fell to his knees, panting and grimacing in pain as burns spread across his body. Not only had the attach taken a massive chunk out of Sceptile’s energy, it had also burned him badly. As she watched her Pokemon shudder in pain, Katie stepped back a minute from the battle and quickly decided she could stand to lose at least one of the rounds. “Sceptile, return!” She called, holding up his Poke Ball and forfeiting the round.

“The gym challenger has forfeited this round. Roark and his Cranidos win the second round.” A beeping sound filled the air as the machine decided which of the trainers would release their Pokemon first for the third round. Katie straightened up, giving Roark a confident look. It had been years since they had faced each other, and she was no longer the over confident rookie who believed she deserved to be the best just because of who her parents were. Now, Katie was powerful in her own right and had stepped out of her mother’s shadow. No one referred to her as Kris Reeves’ daughter anymore…or Kirio Karasuma’s for that matter. Soon enough, the name Katie Karasuma would be just as much a household name as the other two.

“The gym challenger Katie will choose her Pokemon first for the third and final round,” she heard the computer announce. She smiled. Even though she would be at a slight disadvantage this round, she knew that she would be able to put a strong foot forward with her star Pokemon.

“Umbreon, let’s go!” She shouted, releasing her signature Pokemon. He crouched down into an attack position, waiting for Roark to release his last Pokemon.

“Go, Golem!” Roark shouted, releasing the large boulder Pokemon. “Start out with Dynamic Punch!”

“Dodge it, Umbreon!” Katie screeched. She knew that if Umbreon got hit with even one Dynamic Punch, the battle would be over. Umbreon scrambled out of the way, launching himself into the air over Golem. “Dark Pulse!” A round ball of dark energy slammed into Golem, knocking him back a few steps. “Now, go in with a Secret Power attack!” Though the attack was of the normal-type, Katie wanted it for its ability to cause Golem a crippling status ability.

“Dynamic Punch!” Umbreon spun around in mid-air as Golem lunged forward with its attack. He pinpointed the back of the rock Pokemon and slammed into him full force, causing shock waves of electricity to course through the Pokemon. Golem fell to his knees, shaking as the paralysis overtook his body.

“Finish it off with Dark Pulse!” Before Roark could order another move, Golem was knocked into the back wall by a powerful Dark Pulse attack that instantly finished him off. He slid to the floor with a giant thud.

“Golem is unable to battle. Katie and Umbreon win this round and the gym match.”

“Good job, Umbreon,” Katie said as he ran back to his trainer with a goofy smile on his face. He loved battling more than he loved flirting with female Eeveevos. Even when he lost, he itched to get back into the arena.

“Once again, you impress me with your Umbreon’s ability,” Roark commented as he crossed the battlefield to hand Katie her badge. “He’s won you the Coal Badge once again.”

“Why thank you,” Katie said, taking the charcoal colored badge from the gym leader and taking out her badge case. Roark handed back her license and they headed back into the lobby.

“Looks like there aren’t any more challengers today,” Roark sighed, looking around the deserted lobby. “Trainers have been staying away from Oreburgh ever since the first murder in the mines. It was a good friend of mine I discovered near the entrance to the shafts. I hope the police find whoever did this soon.” Katie looked down at her boots, avoiding the pained look in Roark’s eye. “Well, I suspect you’re heading to Eterna now. Good luck with the rest of your challenges in the Platinum Conference.” With that, Roark disappeared back into his gym.

Colin frowned. “I wonder what’s going on in the mining shafts.” Katie and Samantha shot each other a knowing look, not saying a word about what they had seen during their escapade in the passageways. Luckily, Colin’s focus shifted back to the gym battle Katie had just finished. “I’ve heard rumors about your Umbreon’s power, and I’ve never really believed them.” He laughed. “Until now when I saw him take down that Golem. He’s got some power.”

Katie smiled, warmth spreading through her unexpectedly. Why was she so happy about getting praise from Colin? Did she actually like him? Katie ducked her head. That was impossible. They had just met…and Katie didn’t believe in love at first sight. Or did she? She had never been in love before.

“Mind if I become your unofficial cheerleading force?” Colin asked.

“W…what?” Katie stammered.

“I want to see more of your gym matches. Is it okay if I meet up with you before each one?” Katie could feel her face grow hot as she nodded. “And….I heard that there’s a contest in Floaroma,” he said, glancing over at Samantha, but keeping his eyes mostly trained on Katie. “I might check that one out.” Samantha smiled nervously. She didn’t want too much of a familiar crowd at her contest debut. “I need to get going, though. I have work to do if I want to ever compete against you in the future.” He gave Katie one more big smile before he left the lobby, walking out the sliding doors as Katie stared after him, her face aflame.

Samantha nudged Katie’s side with her elbow and laughed. “He’s into you, I can tell!” She laughed. “Stop being so nervous…he like’s you and you like him!” She gasped, her eyes widening. “Floaroma…such a romantic place!”

Katie laughed, shoving her friend away playfully. “Right…I get you. I’m supposed to ask Colin out to a date in the meadows, right?”

“Of course!” Samantha said, smiling broadly. “Why not?”

“I’ll think about it…” Katie murmured as they walked out of the gym doors and into the fall sunshine.

------------

“No…no…no…no…NOOOOO!!”

Max threw his head back and groaned loudly. “It’s not here. All of it….is gone! GONE!” He banged his hands down on his desk, nearly cracking the glass apart. The woman who stood beside his desk jumped, her long brown hair swinging back over her shoulders as she stared, shocked, at the computer screen.

“I…is it all gone?” She asked, not believing what she had heard come out of her brother’s mouth. His computer system had never failed them before…why should it now? And what was gone wasn’t even any normal, everyday company files. The most important files…the Legendary Team files collected during the Great War…were all gone.

And, considering what was in those files, the situation looked very bad.

The door burst open and Kirio Karasuma stepped in, nearly flying in front of Professor Rowan, who had a very concerned look on his face. Considering Kirio’s company was located right next door, May Petalburg wasn’t surprised that it hadn’t taken him long to get to Max’s office. Rowan lived only a town away, so his journey was short as well.

“They took everything?!” Kirio roared, pressing his hands firmly down on Max’s glass desk. May winced, hoping it wouldn’t crack from all of the energy radiating from Kirio’s hands. Any minute, she expected either her brother to ice over the whole room or Kirio to crush Max’s desk with dark energy.

Max groaned and nodded. “Who else is in Sinnoh? Dawn? Mars? Saturn? We need everyone here. They all need to know…”

“I know Dawn is here…we’ve been attending all of the contests as guest judges,” May spoke up. “As for Mars and Saturn…well, I think they’re in Veilstone.”

“Has anyone contacted Ever Grande?” Kirio asked.

“I called the Hall of Fame this morning. The secretary said that she’s in Sinnoh…around Coronet,” Max mumbled. He turned around to face Kirio. His companion’s hands were shaking, and Max knew why. He feared for his daughter. Whoever had stolen the Legendary files had stolen a sacred ceremony which meant destruction for Katie if it had fallen into the wrong hands. He frowned. After Team Galactic had broken up years ago, who else in the world was able to hack into his computer system?

“I think you should call Katie…” Kirio frowned, and Max broke off. Before Kirio could say something, Max pushed himself up out of his chair with an angry motion. “You can’t hide her from her past! You’ve been keeping everything about Kris a secret from her! Hell, she doesn’t even know about Cy…”

“Enough!” Kirio shouted back, causing even Rowan to flinch at the sound of his voice. “Don’t judge how I raise my daughter,” he said in a low voice, swinging around. “I’ll call her…she’ll be back in Jubilife in a few days. No one is to mention anything…about her past.” Kirio turned on his heel and pushed past Rowan, who watched the dark-type disappear into the elevator.

“Did you give her the list, Professor?” Max asked, sighing in frustration.

“Yes, Max, I certainly did.” As Rowan said this, May smiled sadly, remembering how hurt her friend would have been if she had known Kirio had kept her past from her daughter. Kris had always been proud about her past and about the relationships she had formed with others. Now, her daughter didn’t know a thing about the people she had loved the most.

------------

Katie wondered if the moving sidewalk was broken. At times, it sputtered along at a pace she and Samantha could have walked faster than. At other times, it sped up to a speed that made both girls wonder if they were actually in the game Mario Kart…except for the fact neither girl was on a kart or bike and neither spotted an Italian plumber riding beside them. Katie was starting to get annoyed at the sidewalk, and she stomped her foot in frustration as if slowed down again. This time, though, it stopped completely.

“Great going. Now you’ve broken it!” She heard someone call out from in front of them. She looked up to see David standing on the sidewalk, perturbed and glaring at her. “Now we’ll have to walk to Jubilife!”

“’We?!’” Katie shouted back, striding forward. “There is no ‘we’ that includes you, David.” She stuck her tongue out at him, and he returned the gesture. Samantha laughed and rolled her eyes. Katie and David had never been serious cutthroat rivals. They were more like pretend and friendly rivals.

“Really, because I thought that I might join the Eevee Club,” he said, turning away. “But now, I see that I am not invited.” He started to walk away, but Katie ran to stand in front if him.

“First of all, it’s called the Neo-Legendary Team. Second of all…” Katie paused, thinking of her brainstorm in the mining shafts. David was a perfect candidate to be a Neo-Legendary member. He had a powerful Jolteon…and was powerful himself. Still, she wondered about how awkward it would be to travel around with someone she was going to face up against in the Platinum Conference. In the end, her wish for a new crime fighting team won out. “…you’re in.”

David looked taken aback. “Really?” He smiled. “Well then, I guess that means I’ll have to pay you back. How about we start this thing back up?” He flicked his wrist, releasing his Jolteon. She sat down on the sidewalk and yawned as if he had woken her up. “Little help here, Samantha?” She nodded and David and Katie stepped off of the sidewalk. David gestured to Jolteon and the sidewalk lit up with sparks as the two electric-types charged up the walkway, being careful not to shock each other. The sidewalk started up against, going at its normal pace across the landscape. Katie and David jumped back on.

“So, anyone want to stop by Jubilife and see how Max is doing?”

------------

Kirio stared at the holographic pay phone, squinting his eyes as the sun started to sink behind the horizon, leaving the city dark before the streetlights started to flicker on. He didn’t want to call Katie at all about the problem. He was too afraid to let it slip that the loss of Max’s data was dangerous to Katie’s life. As he leaned against the side of the booth, his eyes caught the glint of white robes fluttering in the dark.

He stepped back, staring at the figure who stood only a few yards in front of him. He couldn’t believe who he saw. After decades…he hadn’t expected to see him on Earth again. Silence passed between the two men as the figure stepped into the streetlight. He had light blue and spiky hair which stood out against the pearly color of his piercing eyes. He wore a pair of white traveling robes which were buttoned with different colored pearls.

“W…what are you doing back here?” Kirio stammered, aware that his question was quite vague. He had always felt nervous around the power of space, even before he had become one of the six powers of the Earth.

The man hesitated before he answered. “I’m taking care of some…business. Is there trouble inside the Legendary Team?” He asked, a worried expression crossing across his face. Kirio frowned. Of course, he retained his ability to read people’s faces. Kirio wondered how he could change his face so that it couldn’t be read.

“Yes. Some of Max’s files have been stolen…all of the Legendary Team files, in fact,” Kirio said, glaring at the man in front of him. He had been the one to put the ceremony in the database. He had been the one to actually look it up…and perform it. It was all his fault.

The man sighed. “Do you know who took them?”

“No…but I need to…”

“Call Katharine?”

Kirio froze, his hand paused in mid-air. “What?”

“I resent the fact that you have hidden her mother’s past from her. She doesn’t even recognize me.”
Kirio frowned, but before he could speak, the man disappeared, leaving Kirio shaken up by his first conversation with Cyrus in years.
 

Eon Master

Born from the Flames
O...m...g... (this would normally be beneath my dignity, but) I LOVE THIS FIC! I really love how you have not just Katie, but also Pluto and Kirio struggling agains their darker natures. This fic truly lives up to the name "Shadow and Light". The way you make the characters personalities so real and lifelike is incredible. I can't say enough how well you write.
Sorry I can't give you stuff to work with, I thought I'd go the Rave Review route this time XD
 

chosen_one386

Angel of Chaos
Wow, Eon Master, thank you very much! :) I'm glad to see you're enjoying the roller coaster ride that is Shadow and Light! Yes, I'm trying to focus on the darker side of Katie, but Pluto, Kirio, and other characters are also struggling with their dark sides...including one main character whose struggle should become more apparant in future chapters.

Speaking of future chapters, since it is the school year, I have some bad news. The chapters will now be...shorter. Like, six pages shorter. Sorry, but this year is a busy one. Chapter four...up by the end of next week.
 

Eon Master

Born from the Flames
Hey, no worries, that just means more chapters for us to enjoy. I'm glad you're not having as much trouble with writing as I am right now -_-.
 
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