Pokemon Sky Dreams: Chapter 27

A shriek split the air that was barely below painful caught their attention. Sky and Sandshrew turned to the horrid sight of hundreds of Taillow and Swellow flying towards them. It looked like a river flowing out of the trees and emptying out into the darkening sky as even more of the bird Pokemon entered into the fray, ready to eliminate their joined target.

"This isn't good." Sky said, managing to hide the panic that had sprouted within his chest. "We need to get out of here. There's no way we can even consider taking them on." Immediately after saying this, he threw his brain into overdrive. If he could ever choose to activate his powers at will, this would be the time. Unfortunately, despite gazing into the sky with full content, nothing stirred other than more stress for their bleak situation. "To think I'd even want to use these powers." The thought ran through his mind, refusing to run away but in laps.

Suddenly, the flock broke out in frenzy, several more shrill cries coming from the flying types. Sky couldn't see what was happening for sure, but it appeared as though something had startled the entire mass. Sandshrews prying eyes were trained on the group and walked as far down Aerodactyls back as he could to get a better view.

Without warning a small convoy of the Swellow from the flock raced forward using Quick Attack and was nearly upon the trio in moments. Sky feared a deranged attack by them, but he soon saw what was happening to the rest of the flock. What almost looked like a tornado of pink matter had erupted from the forest below, greatly damaging the entire flock. The hurricane moved closer, as if chasing any of the Taillow and Swellow that had managed to speed ahead and avoid its initial wrath. His mouth went dry as he realized what was making up the incredible attack.

"That's Petal Dance." He said, completely drawn in by the sheer power of the attack. His mind cleared up even more, amazement being the current champion of his emotions. With his mind so focused on the petals, he completely forgot about the few Swellow still charging towards them.

What finally got his attention was the sudden weight change that he felt, and he saw a brown body fall back behind them. His mind went blank as he saw Sandshrew falling back straight at their pursuers, but he noticed that his Pokemon was now curled up in a ball.

Within moments, Sandshrew collided with the first of the Swellow with a powerful Rapid Spin attack. This caused the entire group, now consisting of fewer than ten members to panic at the sudden attack. However, Sandshrew uncurled and began looking amongst the Swellow from the back of the first one he had attacked. He almost appeared to be looking for a specific one, scanning each one quickly.

His thoughts now focused on one thing, Sky had been gifted with the ability to react, daring to take the chance to slow down. Aerodactyl was now only feet away from the few remaining Swellow, no longer fearful of a possible attack.

Sky managed to find a stable footing and bravely stood up, meaning to get closer. His only idea was to reach out and grab Sandshrew, then rush ahead and fend off whatever offense they would have to deal with. He grew nervous as the distance between him and the small flock diminished.

Before he could get close enough, Sandshrew spotted an individual Swellow and jumped once again, this time aiming to use Fury Swipes. His target, one of the Swellow towards the back, saw him coming. Barely in time and to Skys horror, it increased in speed and managed to use Quick Attack against Sandshrew before he could ready his claws, hitting him hard in the stomach and leaving him to fall into the forest below.

Sky wasn't even able to comprehend the situation and think of a reaction before another event occurred. A blurred green figure leapt out of the forest below, moving towards the falling Sandshrew. Sky couldn't even see what it was before it was upon his Sandshrew and disappeared with him into the crowd of Swellow.

A cry echoed out once more, coming from one of the Swellow. The entire group turned and panicked, making any chance of viewing the culprit disappear. All Sky could see was that the Swellow were in distress, and there had even been two that had fallen to the forest below, unconscious.

A break in the group and a blur later left Sandshrew flying into Skys chest, pushing him to fall on his behind and nearly falling back over Aerodactyls wing. Holding the ground type close, he turned to see his unexpected hero. A long green cape and a white tuft of petal shaped hair was what stood before him as the Pokemon raised a single green arm towards the remaining Swellow.

The unfortunate Swellow scattered as a large ball of sludge was fired at them. The single Swellow who was directly impacted was instantly knocked out, but the explosion of poisonous fluids was large, damaging the remainder of the flock.

By this point, there were only four Swellow who dared still pursue them. One was the apparent leader of the group and another being the very Swellow Sandshrew had made a personal attempt to attack.

"These are odds I can work with." Sky said, ready to enter into battle. He felt his fear dissipate; allowing the trainer he had worked hard to become to take front and center. Sandshrew gained a renewed sense of motivation and readied to continue the battle.

The green Pokemon turned on one foot and gave a large salute, the three rose buds forming its right hand standing out from the white behind them. Sky couldn't stop himself from feeling a moment of anxiety before banishing it for admiration. The Roserade that stood before him was a familiar face from several days prior, sharing the same smile it had after he had saved it from the shadows within its being.

"I'm glad to see you're here. Were you really the one who used that Petal Dance a few moments ago?" Sky asked, although he knew the answer. He was just too in awe to agree with it just yet. He received his answer in a nod and a wide smile, and his own smile continued to grow.

"All right then. Roserade, if you're willing to work under my orders then use Sludge Bomb!! Aerodactyl, speed up again!!" Sky stood once more, daring to weather through the forces pressing against him to try and motivate his Pokemon as he felt the wind pressing against him grow stronger.

Roserade nodded and took a single step back and off the edge of Aerodactyls back leg. Before even appearing to fall, he disappeared from sight. The next vision of him was of him hovering above the lead Swellow. With a swift thrust of his petal coated hand, another poisonous projectile was launched straight down, forming another noxious cloud of toxins that trailed behind them. The clearing left just a single Swellow remaining as the other three fell to the forest below, and it was clear that the thought of fleeing was a presumable option in its mind. Only its pride and stubbornness kept it in pursuit.

"Sandshrew use Swift and then follow up with Rapid Spin!!" Skys commands were met with acute action as a storm of glowing stars were launched from behind him at their foe.

The Swellow adeptly flew through the stars, working hard to avoid a single scratch. The endeavors were met with some success until a renegade star swept across its wing, causing it to flinch. That single moment was all Sandshrew needed to land a solid blow as he flew back and into his foe while rotating wildly.

"Aerodactyl you know what to do."Sky shouted. His mount raised his wings so that they were hit with more air pressure, making for a great decrease in speed. The Swellow, even after having taken a powerful blow, was still moving fast enough from momentum to rush above its foes. Sky reached up, Poke Ball in hand and threw it the few feet separating him and the two combatants above him.

Sandshrew knew what to expect and jumped off of his opponent just as the familiar red light swallowed the Swellow. He landed atop Aerodactyls head just as the Poke Ball fell back into Skys hand, already locked.

"Now we can finally head back." Sky said in relief. He more of fell back than sat down, but the end result was laying back and looking up into the dimming sky. He felt like sleeping, and with Sandshrew safely perched near Aerodactyls neck and Roserade magically appearing at his feet it was a comforting thought. The only thing keeping him from doing so was the reminder that he knew he was short on time to prepare. Instead, he allowed himself to daydream of what his life was going to be like once he became a travelling trainer.

……………

"Swampert Magnezone return!!!" Grant shouted, throwing the two Poke Balls out over the arena. Each paused mid-flight and fired a red beam of light, each hitting their respected Pokemon and returning them to their trainer. After clipping them back to his belt, Grant looked up at the two young women before them. Alice and Ruby had both chosen to stay until it was close to dark, too motivated to even consider quitting. Grant was obviously impressed with both of them, not only of their skill but the rate at which they learned and adapted. In the several hours he had worked with them, they had managed to defeat three of his challenges.

First, they had used a relatively deceptive tactic in using shadows to conceal them in order to evade his attacks. Usually, he found trainers trying to out-speed him. This only led in failure until they learned to evade instead of match his speed. These two had figured it out after just a single battle and observing another, and had mastered the technique in under an hour.

Their second challenge had proven the most time consuming. Their task was land more blows than their opponent before a set time limit. For two hours, the girls faced defeat after defeat in dealing with his Hitmontop and Jumpluff (whom he had obtained from his P.C account prior to the battle.) The lesson was a harsh one for them, but he watched as they finally learned that it was easier to try and hamper their opponent's movements than rush their own.

The most recent challenge had been the most bizarre, but one that had proven itself vital in his own experiences. He asked them to only damage his Pokemon with their own attacks without fainting. Another hour passed until they learned to re-direct his attacks using both sound and wind.

Now, Alice and Ruby had recalled their Pokemon and were ready to leave for the day. The only reason for wanting to leave was Grants persistence in a good night sleep. Grant lowered himself from the platform and watched as the two of them approached. "That was a phenomenal performance from both you and your Pokemon. You may very well be some of my best pupils ever. And Drake of course." Grant thought over his sentence and rephrased it. "Sky that is. It seems my fatigue has my memory playing games with me." He scratched the back of his head and laughed, causing the two girls to snicker.

"Thanks sir. I think we've really grown today." Alice spoke, her voice sounding very bold for her usual speech.

"Yeah, although now that the adrenalines dying down I'm beginning to agree with you about the sleep thing." Ruby said, yawning as fatigue also got the better of her.

"Well, we'd best rest tonight. However, I'd like to speak with you Ruby. In person if you don't mind." Grant said, looking at Alice apologetically.

"Sir, if you don't mind, I'm pretty sure this has to do with Sky. So I'd like to stay. He's my friend too, and I want to help him as much as everyone else has." Alice spoke without any sort of fear or a negative response.

Ruby was slightly concerned, but any worries were quelled as Grant placed a hand on Alices shoulder and looked her happily in the eyes. "I suppose I understand. Just please do me the favor and head on home and clean up a bit, then return here. You both should get some food in your stomachs. We'll meet back here in about an hour, but be prepared. I have a lot to say."

"Understood." Alice put her hands together happily and left, promising to return as soon as possible.

Ruby hung back, seeming to wait for something. "I take it you're waiting for Sky to return, aren't you?" Grant said, able to read her like a book.

"Yeah, I kinda want to drag him over for dinner tonight."

"So what will you be preparing for him then?" Grant asked quizzically.

"Pffff. What are you talking about? He's gonna cook for me, my sister and my mom. He's better than any of us are." Ruby seemed to want to laugh at his question and response.


"I should have seen that coming." Grant said as he stretched his arms. The sleeves of his cloak, which he had put on over a change of clothes, were clearly tattered and stained. "I was never a good cook, so we either ate out or ate what he made. In the later years, it was mostly the latter of the two."

"Well, that never changed with him. It's actually kind of funny actually. When I first met him, he was very open to admit he couldn't remember anything about his personal life. But damn he was a good cook, and a decent trainer to boot." Ruby snickered, remembering those old memories. "First thing he ever made for me was ironically a sandwich. It was the best one I've ever had. Until he made me another one, that is."

"That's good to hear. He kind of grew into the role out of necessity actually.  If I bought it and it wasn't moving and wasn't likely to kill us, he could make something good out of it."

"Yeah. So what is it exactly that you want to talk to us about?" Ruby asked, feeling it was her turn to be curious.

"Well, I was actually going to tell you, Justy and Sky about Skys life prior to coming to Orre. I already talked to Justy, and he asked if he could bring Prof Krane for it. I told him that if Skys fine with it, then so am I. Same with Alice, and likely Bull when he gets here. I doubt Sky will object, but it's his life. I can't make that decision for him."

Content with her answer, Ruby remained quiet as she waited for Sky to return.

……………

"What happened to you?" Bull asked as Sky dismounted from atop Aerodactyl and recalled him to his Poke Ball. "It looks like you got in a pretty bad fight if you ask me."

Roserade had easily dismounted before they had landed, and was hiding somewhere within the treetops for some unknown reason. At this point though, Sky was more focused on replying to Bull.

"You might say that. Got some good training in though, and even managed to catch a few new Pokemon to add to my collection." Sky said, sounding almost cocky in expectation of Bulls reaction.

"Not bad. I managed to gain a few new ones myself." Bull, playing against Skys game. Retrieving several of his own Poke Balls from his pocket, he threw all of them up into the air. As the three released their inhabitants, two formed on the ground and the third was released mid-flight. "I can't really call them new, but I can say that they've grown by quite a bit." His Tangrowth and Golem stood proudly in their new forms, while Crobat exhibited a great amount of speed in flight.

Sky didn't change, not willing to back down in bragging to his friend. "I suppose that's good to see."

"Yeah, but we should probably have Elane take a look at you before we head out."

"Probably, but I also need to send over the two I caught before I can retrieve the rest of my team." Sky said, looking over towards the small cottage.

"They've dropped in now and again throughout the day. Meditite has been following Elane around since you weren't here.  I think that the other two are somewhere nearby, so it shouldn't take long for them to come back."

"All right. I'm gonna go talk to Elane, then we can head out." Sky said, walking towards the home. He couldn't see if Bull had done anything to reply, but it didn't make much of a difference.

The door opened before he could reach out to do so himself, and Elane seemed relatively pleased to see him. "I'm glad to see you came back in one piece, although it looks like it may be a bit smaller than when you left." Hinting at the cut on his head, she ushered him into the house and onto one of the chairs at her small dining table.

Meditie sensed his presence before he had even landed, but only now undid himself from his traditional meditation stance to approach him. Noticing the cut on the side of Skys head, Meditite grew concerned.

Sky could see Meditite walking towards him and could also see the worry that was present in his eyes. Trying to ease the situation, he smiled. "I'll be fine, so stop stressing over it. You should have been there though. It was definitely an interesting encounter."

Elane, returning with a small container of medical supplies, obtained a deep grip on Skys head and tilted it in an awkward and rather uncomfortable position in order to better inspect the wound. "I'm not sure whether to call you stupid or lucky. Had this gone much deeper, your health would have been at risk. For a brighter mood, I'll say that you're lucky. This is very shallow, and doesn't look like it will even need stitches. Blood loss isn't much of an issue either, but just be sure to drink some water here in the next few hours and try to avoid any serious head trauma."

"Is that all? I thought it would be worse." Sky, managing a sarcastic attitude even with the cut and the painful angle his neck had to endure.

"Smart ass." Elane muttered under her breath. After quickly applying some disinfecting ointment on the wound and taping down a small medical patch, she released him and patted him on the back. "That'll do. Now, I'd like you to return tomorrow. Your friend got in some good training with me today, mostly focused around teaching his Pokemon to adapt to their new bodies. All he had to do now is practice the techniques I taught him, so he has no need to come back here for now."

"So then why do I need to?"

"Because. Tomorrow, I want to work exclusively with you on mastering Meditites psychic abilities, especially the attack. Prior to him landing in your lap, I had worked on the basics of the attack. But seeing as how he's with a confident trainer, I feel I can teach him to truly use that move."

"I think that sounds good to me." Sky, reaching down and picking up the Pokemon of discussion and placing him atop his shoulders as he always did. Meditite was cautious of touching his bandage so he placed more of his weight on the shoulder farthest from it. "Before we head out though, do you think you could do me a favor then? I caught a few Pokemon while I was out, so do you think you can send them over to the gym for me?"

"I don't see how that's a problem. Hand them here and I'll have them transferred." Elane held out an empty hand as she waited to be handed the Poke Balls.

Sky obliged and gave both of them to her. He watched as she walked over and within moments of placing them on her small station they had been teleported to the gym. He was about to turn away when a blur caught his eye. Turning, he managed to catch the Poke Ball that had been thrown at him. Startled, he gave Elane a skeptical look. "What's this?"

"My Linoone came and let me know of a grass type that had followed you here but hid before you landed. I take it that it's the one from the gym. Dare to correct me?" Elane gave Sky a cold stare as she awaited his answer.

"Only reinstate what your theory. It actually happened to be the Roserade I mentioned earlier." Sky said, holding up his hands in defense.

"The one owned by that shadow wench? My, you're growing quite popular with these Shadow Pokemon aren't you?" Elane chuckled before waving Sky to the door. "I hope to see you tomorrow Sky. I'm afraid to admit it, but I find it rather amusing having your company."

"Ditto. I'll see you tomorrow Elane." Heading for the door, Meditite twisted around and waved to his old trainer. Elane could just make out his bright smile before the door closed.
Lost Chapter 4: Past, Present, and looking forward to the Future.

"Bout time they got here." Ruby, letting loose a large sigh before speaking. She watched as Sky and Bull walked towards the gym from the West gate of Phenac. They both walked with fatigue, but as soon as Ruby saw the patch on the side of Skys forehead she grew concerned. Standing, she slowly walked towards them.

"Well well flyboy, looks like you have someone who's been waiting for you." Bull, pointing ahead of them. Sky looked up to see Ruby approaching and waved at her. She didn't wave back, but he took it as a good sign since she was at least smiling.

"I'm afraid to ask." Ruby said, clearly meant for his injury.

"You should see the other guy." This earned Sky a swift jab, but he easily caught it and pulled Ruby in close. "I missed you today. I've gotten too used to doing dangerous stuff without you."

Ruby returned his action by hugging him and allowing herself to smile. "As long as you're still standing then it can't be all that bad. So what all did you do all day?"

"I think I'll leave you two to your intimacies." Bull, walking away from the two.

Sky was eager to reply, not so much to get back at Bull but to do something to stop himself from blushing. Ruby beat him to the punch though. "You're just jealous Bull. But I need to tell you something before you go."

"And what might that be?"

"Well, tonight Grant is planning on explaining about Skys past. He said that as long as Sky was fine with it, you're welcome to join." Ruby looked eagerly at Sky and waited for an answer. He looked slightly confused, but nodded his approval none the less.

"That sounds pretty interesting. When and where should I be?" Bull said, allowing his face to turn towards the two just enough to show the tip of a smile.

"Justys quarters in about fifty minutes or so. Alice is going to be there too." Ruby said. Bull nodded and walked back towards his home.

"Care to explain?" Sky said as he gave Ruby a determined look.

"Over dinner. You promised to cook."

"I don't remember ever saying anything like that."

"Well I do, and that's all that matters. Come on." Ruby let go of Skys waist just to grab his hand and lead him towards her family's home. Sky didn't object, being used to this sort of thing with her. If anything, he was relieved that he was being allowed a normal night for once.

………….

"Thank you big brother!!" Amy shouted from the other side of the counter. Her dark brown, almost crimson hair was the only sight as she and her plate of food magically disappeared from the counter. Sky watched as she quickly rushed to the table, sliding the last few feet on her socks. Her Ivysaur was right behind her, waiting for his own food to be served.

Sky gave a snort and prepared a few more plates of food. After he had finished, he left his own plate on the counter and turned to the sink, rinsing the few dishes he had needed in order to make the meal. He reached down and opened the small dishwasher, pulling out the lower rack. As he finished rinsing the dishes, he held them out. As practiced, Meditite used Psychic from atop Skys shoulders and gently lifted the plate, placing it perfectly on the rack.

"You're pretty good with that move now. I can't even begin to imagine how you could get better tomorrow." Sky said, focused on finishing the dishes. He kept up the pace, with Meditite managing to keep up with him.

It wasn't until Sky felt a warm hand being placed on his shoulder that he allowed himself to stop. "I take it you want me to eat with you?"

"Not right now." Ruby's sullen voice caused Sky to lose his sarcastic tone. He turned to Ruby while at the same time reaching for a rag to dry his hands.

"Mom wants to talk to you. Alone." Ruby looked very worried, causing Sky to feel that way.

"Of course. I'll bring her food into her too. Meditite, stay with Ruby for now all right?" Sky tossed the rag and grabbed the small plate he had prepared for Rubys mom. Meditite jumped from his shoulders to Rubys, and the similarities were shocking. Both Ruby and Meditite wore the same worried face as they watched Sky walk through the living room and into one of the bedrooms.

"Here's your food Ms. Estime." Sky said as he closed the door behind him. In front of him was Rubys mom, lying in bed. She was buried under the comforter and looking rather pale. Her once beautiful auburn hair was now a mess. She sat up at the sight of Sky and tried to speak. However, a coughing fit overtook her before she could say anything.

Sky set the plate on a nightstand and went to walk back out the door in search of a glass of water.

"Please stay Sky. I'll be fine." She said, breaking through the coughs to speak.

Sky was hesitant, but stepped away from the door and sat in an old wooden chair sitting in the corner. "You wanted to speak to me Ms. Estime?"

"First, call me Kate. I don't know how many times I'll have to tell you that." She smiled at him, seeing if he would lighten up. "I'm fine, really. I've just got a bit of a cough and my back hurts but that's nothing unusual. Don't look so doom and gloom."

"I suppose, but worrying is what I do." Sky said, having a hard time believing what Kate was saying. Having known her since he had known Ruby, he was aware that she often disregarded her health as a serious problem at times. While she was usually perfectly healthy, she had grown ill not too long prior to the news of their graduation. "And since you're like a mother to me, I have even that much more reason to be concerned."

"Well stop. Worrying won't be good for your health. Besides, there's something I need to tell you. I heard that you and Ruby are going to be travelling together when you both graduate. I've also heard about some of the hell the both of you have had to endure the past few days. I know that there are things weren't said, but I guess that's for the better right now. So before I don't the chance to say this in person, I had better get this off my chest." Kate seemed to relax some, allowing herself to lie back down.

"What might that be?" Sky asked. He wasn't sure exactly what to expect but with her having to wait to say it, it didn't seem to be anything good.

"If Joseph were still here today, he'd hate you." Kate said this without any form of emotion. No malice, but no sign of sarcasm. It was clear that she wasn't saying it out of humor or an emotional outburst.

Sky wasn't sure what to say, but he felt like crying. He was heartbroken at the idea of Rubys deceased father hating him. The man who Sky had heard nothing but the best of.  The man who Ruby adored to this day. Hating Sky himself. Sky stammered, at a loss for words.

"Now let me explain. Joseph, before he passed, once told me something. He said that if a boy ever came one day. A boy who was respectful, kind, caring, trustworthy. A boy who would lay his life down to protect who he loved and what he believed in. He said that if a boy like that ever came along and either of his daughters fell in love with him, he would hate that boy. He would hate him because he would know that his daughter had found someone who could take better care of her than Joseph himself could, and take her away from him. He told me that if a boy like that ever came along and took his baby away, he would hate that boy. He would love him, but he would also hate him. Now, I don't think he could have been more accurate when it comes to you Sky." Kate smiled at Sky, watching the emotions on his face evolve from despair, to shock, then finally to surprise.

"You see Sky, even if Joseph could have molded the perfect boy for Ruby to fall in love with. If he could have chosen from every man in existence, he wouldn't have found anyone as close to perfect as you are Sky. These past few years, you've become like a son to me. You've taken care of my daughters and me. You've cooked, you've cleaned. You've helped my girls to grow as trainers and people. Most importantly though." A tear rolled down her cheek as she spoke. Somehow, it magnified the emotions in the room as though they were light. "You've helped us to recover from losing Joseph. Sky, you're like a light that has lit up this whole family." She paused, allowing Sky to comprehend everything he had just been told.

Sky was at a complete loss for words. He had gone from near depression to being praised in such a way. Everything that anyone had ever told him, this trumped all of them. He knew just how much of a compliment he had just received. He couldn't stop his own tears from pouring from the overflow of emotions he felt.

"Sky. You're special. You are someone who will undoubtedly change this world for the better. If anything ever happened to you, I think this world would become a grayer place. Now come here." Kate pushed back the covers and sat up, signaling for Sky to come to the bedside.

Sky stood, but found his legs weak. He took several shaky steps until he reached the bedside. Once there, he was grabbed and dragged down until he was close enough for Kate to pull him into a close hug. He wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug.

"Now go out there and prove me right, k?"