The Aura Cycle

Yamikarasu · May 25, 2009

The Aura Cycle
By Yamikarasu

Alright, I'm just going to post this now. Hopefully I'll finish this, but I've had a nasty habit of letting unfinished work build up on my hard drive. I've gone over this a few times, so I think I've weeded out all the grammar errors. Just so you know, this is pretty much the first fanfiction I've posted on PC, although I posted another very similar one a few months ago on SPPf and didn't do much past the first chapter due to lack of inspiration. Hopefully though any comments I get will encourage me to stay focused on this. And it will help having three months of summer coming up in a few weeks to spend writing.

As for the story, I've had this general idea in my head for about a year, but I was only inspired to begin it once I started reading the Full Metal Alchemist manga a few weeks ago (that was where I got the idea for the initial train scene). Also, I've had a four-day weekend thanks to Memorial day, so it's given me time to finally put it down on digital paper.

This fic is basically a fantasy/adventure, and is about a teenager named Allen who has the strange ability to speak to Pokemon as well as use their powers. He's traveling with his friend Kara and Mew (this will be explained later) to solve the mystery of how he came to be, also with the help of Kara's older brother, Erik.

C&C very much appreciated. I'm going to put this as PG-13 for language and violence. And by the way, I do in fact own Pokemon, Nintendo, and all of its subsidiaries. :P

Chapter List

The Aura Born (this post)
New Questions
A Brief Rest, An Anxious Departure
(in progress)

Chapter 1 - The Aura Born

It was just morning, and they were facing east, the sun rising in the west behind them. The train moved swiftly over the tracks as it traveled through the mountainous valley. Allen stared lazily out the window, supporting his head in his hand, and unfocusing his eyes, letting the colorful scenery pass by in a blur. He had only woken up from an uneasy sleep. There was no position that had been comfortable in the cabin they were sitting in.

Mew was currently in the form of a Murkrow perched on the back of the opposite seat, and seemed to be in the same position as Allen was in. He had not seen her asleep at all the previous night, but then again, Mew never needed much sleep anyway. Kara, on the other hand, was sleeping soundly in the seat next to him, her head turned away from him and resting on a pillow. She snored lightly.

Allen sighed, letting himself become hypnotized by the quick, rhythmic clicks of the train over the tracks. He was not in a very good mood, and not just because he had not slept much last night either. The lead in Soil Town had been false; the self-titled "Wise Lady of the East" had been a fraud. She had not known anything about Allen's abilities after all. Just a crazy woman with a scheme to stay above poverty, and he had heard such nice things about her too…

But nothing gained, nothing lost but effort. And luckily he and Kara had seen through her sham before Allen revealed to her what he could actually do. They were careful about that. They had long ago decided that it would be easier to find answers without the publicity Allen would no doubt attract.

"<You look tired, Allen.>" Mew commented. She spoke with the voice of a little girl, but with all the power of someone with her legendary status. Allen just looked at her as if she had just said something completely obvious. "<You didn't sleep very well last night, is something the matter?>"

"<No.>" Allen replied through Aura, and returned his gaze out the large window.

Mew laughed, "<You're so easy to read, Allen. I know you're disappointed we didn't find anything in Soil Town.>"

Allen made no noticeable response.

Mew was silent for a moment, and then said: "<You have to admit though, that old hag was extremely amusing.>"

Allen smiled. She had been an incredibly eccentric woman. She mostly made her dishonest living telling people their fortunes. She would always say something about how they were destined for greatness, wealth, or that they will marry a beautiful woman or a handsome man. The people of Soil Town were barely able to make a living themselves, and they were willing to believe anything the woman told them if it meant they were going to have a better life someday. She gave them hope. Maybe she was not such an "old hag" after all.

Kara stirred in her sleep. She made a small noise and shifted her body. Allen felt a hint of jealousy.

A bell chimed over the public announcement system, then the voice of the train driver: "We will be passing through a tunnel under the Rannoa Mountains in a few minutes. We'll be through in another three minutes or so." Then a click as the train driver set down his microphone.

If they were passing through the Rannoa Mountains, then they should arrive at the station in Binge Port before noon, and Erik would be waiting there to take them back home. Allen was glad they wouldn't be on the train much longer. His butt was getting sore.

Kara opened her eyes and yawned as she came out of her hibernation. "Good morning," she said lazily as she stretched her arms above her head. "Are we nearly there yet?" She looked around at Allen and Mew.

Mew spoke: "<We're just about to pass through—>"

There was a whoosh sound as the train entered the form-fitting tunnel. Everything went black, except for a light coming through a crack under the cabin door.

"—the Rannoa Mountains?" Kara finished for her. "Well damn, I thought I'd be able to sleep longer than that," she moaned, "My neck is sore…" Kara was not able to communicate through Aura—that was one of Allen's special abilities—but over the years she had learned from Allen how to understand it. Allen had tried to teach Erik as well, but he had never caught on as easily as Kara had.

Kara reached for a chord hanging from a light bulb on the ceiling and pulled it. It lit up the cabin with a dim, yellowish glow. "This is a long tunnel…" Allen commented.

BOOM

Suddenly the train began to shake violently as its wheels fell off the track. "What was that!?" Allen shouted.

There was a crashing sound and a screech of metal as a train car ahead of them fell off the tracks and wedged itself against the wall of the tunnel. Suddenly, the train came to a dead stop, catapulting its living and non-living cargo forward at forty-plus miles per hour. Kara screamed.

With lightning quick reflexes, Mew cushioned the impact with her psychic powers, but they still hit the wall at a considerable speed, enough to disorient all of them thoroughly. Shouting could be heard from other cabins, and the lights had lost their supply of electricity.

"What the hell happened?!" Allen yelled loudly, half-expecting an answer. Their luggage had shot off the rack above the seats. The suitcase hit Kara, who was now clutching her wrist in pain. The backpack had hit the opposite wall, spilling its contents everywhere.

There was a flash of light as Mew transformed into a Flaaffy. She used her new tail to light up the cabin, which Allen could see was now tilted at an angle. They were still deep within the tunnel, and if it were not for Mew there would be no light at all. The door, which had slid along a rail, was now shaken off its track and leaning against the wall in the hallway.

"<Is everyone alright?>" asked Mew, who walked over to Kara to inspect her hand.

"I'm fine," Allen said.

"I think my wrist is broken," Kara was in obvious pain.

Allen scrambled to his feat, and awkwardly made his way to the doorway and looked out into the hall. People in other cars had the same idea, and Allen could see with disgust the unconscious body of a man who had been walking in the hall at the time of the crash. A few of the windows in the hall had shattered, and Allen could see in the dim light that the shards of glass littered the floor.

A man who had stepped out of his cabin had a large gash in his head, and his blood covered the right side of his face. Allen hesitated for a second, but then called to him, "Do you know what happened?"

The man just shook his head, his eyes wide in a state of shock. "My wife…" he muttered, and then muttered again, his eyes not quite looking at Allen. A shiver went down his spine. Allen flung his head around behind him, but there was nothing there except the door to the other train car—if the other train car was still connected. He looked back, but the man had already disappeared, probably he had returned to his wife's side.

Allen walked back to the cabin, and stood there for a moment, placing his hand against the wall for support on the tilted floor. "<Did you see anything?>" Mew asked, and Allen shook his head. "<We should probably go outside to see what happened.>" Allen and Kara agreed.

Allen went into the hall once more and returned quickly. "It's no use. The door to the outside is on the side of the train that is leaning against the tunnel wall." He looked around the room, hoping an idea would come to his mind. His heart was beating wildly as adrenalin was pumped into his veins. Allen began to breathe heavily.

He walked over to the large widow, and raised his hand, ready to break the glass with force. He hesitated, and realized that smashing the glass would just send the broken shards back down on himself, Mew, and Kara. Allen thought of something else.

He made a fist, brought it to his mouth, and blew through. A white hot flame about three inches long came out of his hand, and he used this to slowly cut through the glass. He maneuvered his body awkwardly in an ark, and after stopping and starting again to catch his breath, he was finally able to cut out a circle. He pushed the glass with little effort, and it fell to the ground outside where it shattered. The sound echoed down the tunnel. "Alright, let's go."

Allen went through the hole first, climbing through and jumping to the ground. Next they carried out the luggage after making sure that they had found all of the contents of the backpack that had been thrown about the cabin. Mew quickly and agilely made her way outside, and Allen had to help Kara through, who at the moment was unable to use her right hand.

"Oh, look at that!" Kara pointed to the fire that was raging a few cars down. The smell of smoke filled the air, and Allen covered his mouth with his sleeve. "It looks like a bomb went off." Kara said, not exaggerating in the least.

The train itself had bunched up inside the tunnel, and was in a kind of zigzag shape. Instinctively, they moved closer to the fire, and the smoke became thicker. They could hear talking. There was a flash of light and as the side of the car nearest the fire blew off. Allen and Kara flinched at the sudden noise. They could hear even more shouting coming from inside the train.

"Ha ha! Good job, Electabuzz!" said a man's voice, followed by the sound of static electricity, "Wow-wy, that bomb sure did the job, didn't it Mike!" Allen, Kara, and Mew kept still and quiet, but their fear was tangible.

"Sure did, Mike!" came a second voice, "I hope we didn't kill that Aura Born kid, or the boss'd be furious." The second man laughed manically.

"She'd kill us!" said the man with his deep, booming voice. He laughed as well.

The silhouette of a heavy set man stumbled out of the car, followed by an Electabuzz who seemed to be pulsing with excess electricity. Next out of the car was an equally large man, followed by a Magmar.

"Hey Mike," said the first man, "it looks like some kids can't find their parents. What should we do?" Allen and Kara flinched as they realized they had been noticed by the men who no doubt blew up the train. "Get back into the train, you two. Take your little Pokémon with you, wouldn't want you to get hurt." The men approached Allen and Kara, barely able to fit in the space between the wreckage of the train and the tunnel wall.

"Aw, Mike, I almost feel bad" The two Mikes were indistinguishable: they were both large, had scraggly, unkempt beards, and wore tattered denim overalls. Their heads were bald, and reflect the orange flames behind them. They were both either drunk or insane, or possibly a mixture of the two. "Hey, have you two seen a kid on this train who can do magic?" The man said the word "magic" as if he was talking to kids much younger than Allen or Kara.

Allen shook his head, his mouth frozen shut—terrified that they knew about him, were looking for him, and willing to blow up a train to find him. At least, he was sure they meant him, although he would not have called his abilities "magic." But what did they mean by Aura Born? Mew kept quiet as well, but Allen could tell she was ready to attack if the need arose, and so was he.

"What's the matter, afraid to speak? We don't need to hurt you, so there's no reason to be scared." The man closest to them chuckled, and put on a pseudo-friendly grin.

"Hey—hey Mike! The meters glowing, doesn't that mean the Aura Born kid is nearby? That's what the boss said!" Allen noticed in the hand of the man farthest away a small device with a light bulb that was glowing a bright green color.

"Well, yeah—" an idea seemed to flicker on in the man's eyes as his brain made the connection. "Hey, kid," he was referring to Allen, who took a defensive step back, "you wouldn't happen to have magic powers, would ya?"

"<It's no use Allen, we'll have to fight. Stand back, Kara,>" Mew concluded. Kara nodded and took a step back.

"<I've never fought with my powers before…>" Allen reminded her.

"<If I knew any advice for fighting, I would say just do what comes naturally. Besides, neither that Electabuzz or Magmar look very experienced—although the Electabuzz does look like he has a lot of electricity built up so watch out.>"

"Not talking, eh? Well, it's no use. Your cover's been blown, little boy. Electabuzz! Take him out!"

The Electabuzz leaped towards Allen and Mew; the Pokémon's fist was raised and rippling with electric energy. There was a flash as Mew transformed. A jet of water came out of the blinding white light, repelling the Electabuzz backwards. The light faded, and Mew had transformed into a Blastoise, barely fitting into the tight space.

"Holy ****, Mike! There's the Mew, ha ha!" cried the man furthest away. "Come on Magmar!"

Like Electabuzz before him, the Magmar jumped into the battle. Thinking quickly, Allen brought his fist to his mouth and blew, this time sending out a huge flame towards the orange and red Pokemon.

"Allen, try something else! Magmar isn't going to be hurt much by a fire type attack!" Kara shouted from behind.

"Oh, right." Allen had just been desperate to be something other than useless. Magmar lunged forward, unfazed by the attack.

"Whoo-hoo, did you see what that kid can do, Mike?" exclaimed the nearest man giddily.

Magmar flung his flaming fist forward, intending to do as much damage as possible. Quickly, Allen dodged the attack with a side step, and once again brought his fist to his mouth. This time, however, a torrent of water shot out of Allen's hand, hitting Magmar point-blank in his side, causing steam to billow off the fiery Pokémon. "Magmar!" the Pokémon screamed as he took heavy damage. He fell to the ground and struggled to get up. Allen smiled proudly.

"<Watch out!>" warned Mew, but not quickly enough for Allen to dodge Electabuzz's Thunder Punch. It hit Allen square in the back with heavy force, while at the same time sending a surge of powerful electricity through his body. Allen was pummeled to the hard ground beside Magmar.

In response, Mew sent out a Hydro Pump at Electabuzz, flinging the Pokémon against the side of the train where he made a dent in the metal frame. With both Electabuzz and Magmar now unconscious, Mew turned to the two men and gave them her most intimidating glare.

"Oh damn, Mike, what do we do?" One man asked the other as they both recalled their Pokémon into their respective red and white pokéballs.

"Run, Mike, run!" And the two took off with an unrealistic speed, back through the train car where they had come from. Mew did not chase them, and turned to Allen.

"Are you alright, Allen?" asked Kara worriedly; she moved toward Allen to help him up but then hesitated when she remembered her own injury.

"Yeah," Allen assured her, coughing from the thickening smoke.

Buoysel · May 25, 2009

Okay, your story sounds interesting, so I will read it. I read the first line and had to post this.

the sun rising in the west behind them.

o.O Unless they are on a different planet, or world, you have it backwards.

I will edit this post when I finish reading it.

Yamikarasu · May 26, 2009

Yeah, I thought somebody would notice that. I just thought it would be fun to set it in a different universe, and I thought that would set the mood a little bit.

Buoysel · May 26, 2009

Well since I fell asleep before I could come back, and you already posted, I am not going to edit my other post.

Over all your story has an interesting idea, but perhaps you should elaborateabout how Allen is able to use his powers. For example, what are some limits to his power, does he have to strain to use attacks, thus limiting the effects of the attack?

Your story could also use just a dash more of description, its not bad, it just feels like it could use a little more.

I only noticed two things that need attention:

[FONT=&quot]...denim overalls. There heads were bald, and reflect the orange flames behind the...[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]
Should be "Their"
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]...that mean the Aura Born kid is near by? [/FONT][FONT=&quot]...[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]
"Nearby" is one word.
Over all I enjoyed your chapter, and plan on reading your next one.
[/FONT]

Yamikarasu · May 30, 2009

Thanks for your review, Buoysel. I've gone through the chapter and fixed everything you mentioned, and I've checked this chapter as well for similar errors. As for Allen's powers, I figured the limit would be that he gets exhausted the more he uses his abilities, but I didn't really think he had used them enough in Chapter 1 for him to become exhausted. I will definitely make a point of explaining that in later chapters. I've also tried to add more description to this chapter, I hope it's better.

Chapter 2 – New Questions

"No, Erik, we're fine—no my wrist is just broken, it's not a big deal. Yeah, Allen isn't hurt. Um, yeah, she's fine too." Kara spoke into the phone, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible. Allen could hear Erik's voice, he was shouting so loudly. Apparently, Erik had seen the explosion on the news, and had been calling the train company that entire afternoon for answers. Kara had apologized more than once for not being able to call sooner, but they had only just made it to the Pokémon Center.

Kara, who was standing in front of the phone that was attached to the wall, sighed. "Yeah, OK Eric, we'll see you tomorrow. We'll tell you more about what happened when you pick us up," her eyes darted around at the people inside the Pokémon Center, "there are too many people hear now. OK, Bye." She placed the phone back on the hook with a click. She walked back over to Allen, who was sitting in the waiting area with Mew (in the form of a Flaaffy once again) on his lap. Kara scratched at the brace on her right hand; it was already starting to become itchy. She had been quickly bandaged when the first ambulances had arrived at the scene, and had been told to get a proper cast as soon as possible.

"Erik is going to pick us up tomorrow, so I guess we'll have to stay in Verdan for the night." Verdan was the name of the town they were in. It had been the closest town this side of the Rannoa Mountains, so therefore the easiest for the train company to transport all it's passengers to. It was just a small town in the middle of a forest, although it was home to one of the Shima region's Gyms—not that Allen or Kara were interested in that.

Kara sat down in the chair by Allen, folded her arms and began watching the crowd of people waiting in the lobby. Most of them had all been on the train that now was confirmed to have been bombed in the tunnel. Nineteen people had died. Many had to go to the hospital to be treated for various injuries. Kara felt sick, confused, disturbed, and terrified. By the way Allen had been reluctant to talk she could tell he felt the same. He was so easy to read.

The nurse behind the counter was dressed all in white, and had her orange hair tied behind her in a braid. She was young. She struggled with the frantic people, begging and pleading and yelling for her to move more quickly as she took care of everyone. A lot of people needed a room for the night, and this was the only building in Verdan that offered rooms for visitors. Others wanted to see their Pokémon that were being taken care of after they had been hurt in the explosion. A few people just wanted someone to tell them what to do or where to go because they were so distraught.

"Don't tell me you feel guilty about what happened today," Kara said, breaking the silence between them.

Allen looked at her solemnly and with heavy eyes. "I know I shouldn't…but they were looking for me, weren't they? How did they know where I was?" his voice was growing from a whisper to a subdued yell, "How did they know what I am? Why did they call me 'the Aura Born?' What does that even mean?" Though he was speaking loudly now, the commotion in the lobby still drowned out his voice.

Kara did not know what to say, so she decided to just let Allen keep to himself for now.

The television in the lobby was turned to the national news, with the top story being the attack on the train that morning. Helicopters were flying outside of the tunnel, with their cameras capturing the black smoke billowing out of the mountain. Police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks had all gathered around the entrance, along with an army of journalists and cameramen. The news channel cut to a shot of the train inside the tunnel, or what was left of it. The train car that had exploded was on its side and was shredded into an almost indistinguishable mess. The train car behind it was firmly wedged in the tunnel, and the news reporter made a comment explaining how it had caused the abrupt stop. Apparently, the majority of the injuries were caused by this sudden halt in momentum.

The police were clueless as to why someone would do something so terrible, or who even set off the bomb in the first place. Witnesses had said that they saw two large men in overalls leave the scene shortly after the blast, but there was nothing the police had to track the men.

"It looks like we'll be sleeping out here in the lobby tonight…" said Kara languidly, starring with heavy eyes at the nurse behind the counter. The crowd was growing more anxious, as the nurse explained to them that the guest's rooms were now full. "And I was hoping I could sleep in my bed tonight." Kara placed her head on her fist and frowned.

"Don't tell me that's all you're thinking about—sleeping in your own bed," Allen spoke quietly and sharply.

Kara flinched, "No, no I wasn't, I was just saying—" but she could not think of anything more to say, she was taken off guard by Allen's words. She thought quickly, feeling guilty, "Allen, don't be like that."

Allen didn't say anything. He bent over with his hands resting between his thighs, staring down at the polished tiled floor.

"<What more could we do, Allen?>" began Mew, "<We've already given the police a description of the two men and their Pokémon.>"

"<We could have told them why they blew up the train.>"

"If we did that, you'd have to tell them who you are, and I thought we all agreed that was exactly what we did not want to do." Kara reminded him, leaning over the armrest that divided their seats and keeping her voice low.

"<And what would that have accomplished anyway? The police are going to be looking for these men whether or not they know why they blew up the train.>" Mew explained. "<And they will be brought to justice, even if the police never find a motive.>"

Allen nodded. "<But don't you think that once the police do find them they'll be able to figure out that the men were after me? I'm—we're screwed either way.>"

"<Who would believe a couple of insane guys both named Mike that they were searching for some kid who can breathe fire like a Charizard or shoot electricity like Raichu?>" Mew giggled to herself, thinking of the absurdity of their situation.

"Mew's right. Don't be so worried. For the three years we've been trying to solve this mystery, and there still isn't anyone but us and Erik that knows anything about you," Kara told him in a whisper.

"You guys and the two Mikes," Allen had a sarcastic tone in his voice.

Kara sighed, "Just don't worry, alright?"

Allen agreed.

* * * * *

Another sleepless night.

The lobby was filled with sleeping people. Most of them, like Allen and Kara, were lying on the ground in sleeping bags that had been provided for them. The room was lit dimly by two auxiliary fluorescent lights, and through the windows the night sky could be seen through the trees.

This time, Allen could not make the excuse that he was not comfortable. The sleeping bag was warm, soft, and he was using his dark green jacket as a pillow. Now, Allen could pin point the cause of discomfort in his mind. It buzzed around in his head like a Beedrill, and it stung just as hard. There were so many new questions...

* * * * *

Allen woke up slowly, not wanting to leave the comfortable dream world for reality. There were many conversations going on at once in the lobby of Verdan's Pokemon Center. Yellow morning light filtered in through the windows and directly onto Allen's face. He could hear Kara and Mew talking nearby, although to anyone else it would have just sounded like Kara talking to herself.

Allen remembered from last night that Erik was supposed to meet them here in the morning, and he wondered how long that would take. The drive from Binge Port to Verdan would take at least the entire morning, he estimated. So assuming that he was on the road now… what time was it?

Allen sat up, which was a difficult task considering he was wrapped in a sleeping bag. He looked around, blinked; he could smell breakfast.

"Finally, I'm not the one who slept in the longest," remarked Kara, sitting behind him and stroking Mew's cotton mane with her un-braced hand. On her armrest was a glass of blue Oran Juice and a crumb-covered paper plate.

Allen groaned. He must have fallen asleep sometime after midnight, and he felt like he could still sleep for hours. But he squirmed out of the sleeping bag, put his jacket back on (he noticed it was getting filthy, he would wash it when they got back to Binge Port), and slipped on his shoes.

"Where's breakfast?" He asked through a yawn.

Kara just pointed to the kitchen area on the other side of the lobby where a crowd of people had gathered. Allen walked carefully across the floor, making sure not to step on anyone who was still sleeping. He noticed the time on an analog clock hung on the wall. It was only a little past eight. Erik should arrive by lunch, and they would be home by dinner. He picked up a bagel out of a basket, smeared it with cream cheese, and filled a glass with juice.

Allen walked back to Kara and Mew, once again dodging bodies. He noticed the news on the television was still talking about the explosion in the tunnel. It was attracting national attention, nothing like this had ever happened before in the Shima region. Some were already wondering if this was an act of war by the neighboring Denti and Hinote regions, but investigators as well as politicians had swiftly denounced that as "imaginative speculation." Most people were calling it a terrorist attack, but Allen thought that if it had been a terrorist it attack, then the terrorist were not doing a very good job of getting their message across. Even though he knew what was actually going on, he was interested to see how the public interpreted it.

Allen sat down, and took an eager, hearty bite out of his breakfast. It tasted good, and he was hungry. He noticed Kara was looking at the television intensely, absorbing the news even though the reporters had repeated the same figures multiple times. She could see him watching her out of the corner of her eye, "Three more people died in the hospital last night."

Allen paused mid-chew, but then continued eating. Kara continued talking, "One of them was a boy. He was seven years old." Her voice was not sad, but rather emotionless.

Allen swallowed, "I don't know what to say to that." He spoke honestly.

Kara turned to him, a look of sadness showing through her face. "I'm sorry. It's just that…I feel like something big is happening, and you might be at the center of it all."

Allen smirked as he took another bite from his bagel and wiped some cream cheese from his face onto his sleeve. "I thought it was you who told me not to worry last night," he said cynically.

Kara turned away, obviously fighting back tears. She turned back and smiled, "You're right; I'm not going to worry. What happens will happen, and I'm sure we'll be prepared for it."

They waited out that morning, watching the clock and estimating the time it would be before Erik would arrive. The sun rose into the sky, and the people who had stayed the night gradually left. What had looked like a refugee camp now turned into a leftover mess of sleeping bags and paper plates. The television stayed on, occasionally turning to smaller news stories, but it always returned to video of the smoke flowing out of the tunnel. By now the rescue teams had pulled most of the wreckage outside, and the tunnel was closed to the public for structural repairs. Engineers had said it was a miracle that the whole tunnel had not collapsed in on the train.

The three of them talked sporadically, it was hard to think of any topic besides what had happened yesterday. Kara mentioned how she would hate to work at a Pokemon Center; she wouldn't enjoy dealing with all the people on such a regular basis. Allen replied, saying that the nurse probably got to meet every trainer who came to the town. Kara agreed that she had probably met some interesting people that way. Another fifteen minutes of silence. Allen read a newspaper cover to cover. It was a day old, and told of a world with no clue about its future. That took an hour. Kara stood up, saying she wanted to go for a walk. Her back was getting sore and she wanted to see what there was to see in Verdan. Allen told her to have fun. She came back an hour and a half later. The trees were pretty. There wasn't much to see in Verdan.

"So what do you think they meant by 'Aura Born?'" wondered Kara, breaking their unspoken pact.

"<Well we know what Aura is: it's how all Pokémon communicate, including me, and for some reason, including Allen. It's how Allen and all Pokémon are able to use their attacks.>" Mew responded as if she had been meditating on the topic all morning.

"Well, yeah," said Kara, "Most people know what Aura is, they just can't use it."

"<Most people don't even believe it exists,>" Mew corrected her, "<Which is why they never bother to learn how to understand it, unlike you, Kara.>"

"But why is Allen called the Aura Born?" Now that there were less people and therefore less noise in the lobby, Kara had to be even more careful about keeping her voice down. She was barely audible. Better safe than sorry.

"<Precisely.>" said Mew.

"<I was born with these powers,>" Allen began, "<Is that why they called me the Aura Born? Born with Aura? But then how did they even know about me? How did they find where I was? We didn't tell anybody about our trip to Soil Town, did we? And we didn't tell anyone we were from Binge Port either, so how could they have guessed we were taking that particular train?>"

"Yeah we did," interrupted Kara. Allen raised an eyebrow. "We told the Wise Lady, remember? Although I guess 'wise' lady is a bit of a misnomer, isn't it?"

"<You don't think she was involved with those two on the train, do you?>"

"Maybe she didn't know those two directly, but maybe they have the same boss," Kara suggested.

Allen was silent for a moment as he digested Kara's words. Of course, all this was only speculation, and it was certainly possible that they were missing something. Either way, the trip to Soil Town had certainly produced more questions than it had answered. Many more questions. However it did seem like they were actually getting somewhere, although they weren't using the exact method of transportation as they would have chosen on their own. Now they knew that somebody else besides themselves knew about Allen's abilities. It was too bad that person did not seem like the type to provide their information with a smile.

"Erik!" Kara's voice startled Allen. She jumped out of her chair and ran over to her brother as he appeared through the automatic sliding glass doors. They were obviously related. Erik was tall, skinny, and had the same brown hair as little sister. His face wore an exhausted look, probably a mixture of worry and the stress from driving all morning. Brother and sister embraced each other for a happy, relieved moment.

Allen was the obviously the odd one out, with his dirty blond hair and his slightly thicker build. However, they were all family, despite Allen not being blood related. He and Mew had lived with them for three years now, ever since his guardian had finally decided she had enough when Allen was twelve years old. Allen's former guardian had not known about Allen's powers, or even about Mew for that matter, but there was something else about Allen that had scared off every person who had taken care for him—except Erik and Kara.

Allen had grown up with Ms. Naoho (his former guardian) after his parents had abandoned him while he was a baby. Ms. Naoho was at first a caring woman, but in the years up until she finally gave up and left him, Allen had noticed that she had become increasingly less trusting of him. Erik and Kara had always been his neighbors, and he eventually was spending more time over at their home than at his own. When she disappeared, it had not been a hard transition to move in with them. Erik, who was seven years older than his sister, owned the house. He made his living by managing a bakery, which was on the first floor of the house. Erik was a great cook, so he never had any trouble getting business, and Allen and Kara (and occasionally Mew) always had plenty of food to deliver to houses across Binge Port.

"Hey Erik!" Allen greeted, standing out of his chair, and genuinely relieved that they would finally be going home.

* * * * *

Rain pattered against the glass. The view of King's City was distorted by the water flowing down the side of the tall building. It was night, and dark clouds covered whatever natural light that would have shined down on the city. The fluorescent lights that shown through the windows of skyscrapers provided a scene that was if the night sky had fallen to the earth.

The room was dark as well. No need to risk drawing any attention to the room, even if it was a one in a million chance that a wandering pair of eyes would chose that exact speck of light to focus on. Besides, the darkness provided a certain mood, did it not?

"We're really sorry, boss. We did our best, but they were too strong. Right Mike?"

"Y-yeah. We couldn't do nothin' against that Mew. And that kid, he could fight too. We didn't expect nothin' like that." The two men were a pair of gigantic silhouettes in the dim light.

They were speaking to a figure that was sitting down in a large, comfy chair, and was just as poorly lit. The figure was obviously a woman, and she was not pleased.

"Well there isn't much more to talk about, is there?" she said slyly.

"You're not gonna kill us, now, are ya boss?" said one Mike. The two men were utterly terrified.

She smiled devilishly. "No, no, I'm not going to kill you."

An air of relief washed over the men. "Oh, that's real good to hear, boss."

"You two are still of some use to me, even though you failed to capture the Aura Born. However, I suppose I should have given you more explicit instructions, so I'll take a share of the responsibility. Now, I've had someone call the police, they'll be here to arrest you shortly. Don't try to resist them—you're already in enough trouble already."

"But Boss, what are they going to do to us? We didn't want to go to jail!"

"Oh, well… they'll give you a trial, present you with the evidence against you, and you'll probably get some state-issued lawyer. He'll hate you, of course, just like everyone else in this country by now, and he'll give a half-assed defense. If you two are lucky, you won't have to endure too much time in prison before you're both executed."

There was silence as the two tried to compute the meaning of the woman's words.

The woman stood out of her chair, and the light from the window revealed her long, black hair. She had pale skin, and she did not appear any older than thirty. "Well, the police are probably already in the building, maybe they're in the elevator right now." Her eyes shifted swiftly to the door and then back into the men's eyes, filled with horror. The men turned nervously to the door, wondering how long it would be before an army of uniformed officers flooded through. "I wish I could say that it's been a pleasure knowing you two." A hole appeared to open up in the floor. It was a perfect black circle, and the woman fell through it like there had never been any floor at all. The hole closed behind her, and the floor returned to normal.

There was a knock on the door. "Open up. It's the police."

The men looked at each other, and knew not what to say. The police officer behind the door repeated his command, but the two Mikes remained like statues. There was a crash as a Machoke pummeled the door down his fists. In rushed the uniformed men, holding batons and guns. "Get on the floor!" they screamed. The Mikes obeyed. The batons came down on them as the police released their frustration and anger on the terrorist. The Mikes begged for them to stop, but the police could not hear them.

Buoysel · May 30, 2009

[FONT=&quot]. It had been the closest town this side of the Rannoa Mountains, so therefore the easiest for the train company to transport all it's passengers to. [/FONT]

"It's is a conjunction, meaning its just like saying "it is," so if"it is" does not fit in the sentence, use"its" without the apostrophe.

[FONT=&quot]"It look's like we'll be sleeping out here in the lobby tonight…"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]

Don't add the apostrophe.

[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"<And what would that have accomplished anyway? The police are going to be looking for these men weather or not they know why they blew up the train.>"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]

I think you mean "whether," because "weather" is what is happening outside.

[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Who would believe a couple of insane guys both named Mike that they were searching for some kid who can [/FONT]breath [FONT=&quot]fire like a Charizard or shoot electricity like Raichu?>"[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]

Correct spelling is "breathe."

[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Kara mentioned how she would hate to work at a Pokemon Center, she wouldn't enjoy dealing with all the people on such a regular basis[/FONT][FONT=&quot].[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]

The comma after Center needs to be replaced with a semi-colon: because both sentences are complete, but still rely on each other.

[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]"<Well we know what Aura is: its how all Pokémon communicate, including me, and for some reason, including Allen.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]

This time you need to add the [/FONT][FONT=&quot]apostrophe, see above for expiation.

[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It was night, and dark clouds covered whatever natural light that would have [/FONT]shone

[FONT=&quot]

[/FONT]The correct spelling is "Shown."

Much better all around, despite the errors I found. I only had one issue with the description, and that was with the nurse, It seemed too much like a list, but everything else was excellent. I especially like the opening description of the last scene, it was pure epic.

Yamikarasu · Jun 6, 2009

Thanks, Buoysel. Once again, I've gone through and edited the mistakes.

Here's the third chapter. Sorry it took a while, but for some reason it was more difficult to write this chapter than the others. School is basically out for me now, so hopefully updates will come in shorter intervals. Not much action in this chapter, but certainly there is character development.

Chapter 3 – A Brief Rest, An Anxious Departure

The drive home was long and filled with conversation. Erik had insisted that they turn off the radio. Every channel was airing the latest headlines of the train bombing. All that mattered now was that Allen, Kara, and Mew were fine and undamaged, except for Kara's wrist, which was certainly a relatively minor injury. They explained to Erik everything that had happened since they had left for Soil Town, as well as every bit of speculation. Erik agreed that it was a possibility that the Wise Lady could have been the one who had told the bombers' boss that they would be heading back to Binge Port, although, like Allen, he was hesitant to jump to conclusions.

Allen sat in the back seat of Erik's old compact car, Kara was sitting in the front seat, and Erik, of course, drove. Allen remembered when Erik had bought the car over a year ago. Erik had spent at least a month looking around Binge Port for the cheapest piece of metal he could find. Mew was resting in the seat beside Allen, still in the form of a Flaaffy; only when they got back home could Mew freely take her true form without the possibility of being spotted.

The scenery, which had at first been thick forest as they drove out of Verdan, was now wide plains. The Rannoa Mountains could be seen towering above the landscape in the distance. The small, old, beat up car sped along the road that was sparsely populated with cars. Allen imagined that Erik could have closed his eyes for over a minute, and as long as he kept the steering wheel straight, nothing would happen. Off in the distance Allen spotted what he thought was a herd of Tauros. When the sun began to set, Allen could no longer stare out the window without being met with the glare of the sun. He turned away, shading his eyes with his hand.

"So I guess you had to close the bakery, right?" Allen asked, once their initial conversation had died down.

Erik sighed, "Yeah, but it's alright. One day isn't going to do much damage. I had to cancel a couple orders, but it's fine. When I explained that you two were in the train bombing they were completely sympathetic."

The traffic began to pick up as they came near Binge Port. It was a large city compared to Verdan, but was easily dwarfed by King's City in the north. They began to go downhill as they approached the coast, and the sun went down behind the horizon. Kara mentioned her relief when they could see the ocean, and not longer after was the glow of the city. Allen could smell the salty air as it filtered into the vehicle. They were home.

The bakery was on the corner of a fairly idle street, and in a mostly residential part of Binge Port. It was a welcome sight when they pulled into the small parking lot behind the building. The bakery was two stories tall, with old white brick walls and windows filled with advertisements for bargain sales. Allen stepped out of the car once Erik cut the ignition, and relished in the familiarity. Kara and Mew felt the same way. This place was constant, calm, safe. They would be able to think clearly here. And it had a bed.

Erik flipped through his keychain for the appropriate key, placed it into the lock, twisted his wrist, and the door swung open to the sound of jingling bells. There was nothing baking at the moment, but the sent of bread seemed to be permanently etched into the room, or maybe that was just Allen's mind creating the smell.

It was dark, but when Erik flipped the switch the fluorescent lights flickered on above them, lighting up the tile floor, the counter, and the foods that were on display behind glass. The door to the kitchen was located behind the counter, and to the right of the counter were the stairs that led up to the second floor, where it looked a little bit more like a cozy home.

Allen and Kara thanked Erik for driving them home once again. They said goodnight as they trudged up the staircase single-file, ever-energetic Mew falling behind. Erik stayed downstairs for a moment longer to make sure everything was in check, and turned off the lights before heading to bed.

* * * * *

Allen got up first, as usual. He took a shower, got dressed, and headed into the living room after fixing himself a bowl of cereal. Mew was sleeping on a chair, curled up, finally in her natural form. He sat down with his legs folded on the couch as he ate his breakfast. He looked for the remote for the old television set in the corner, found it wedged between the cushions, and turned on the television.

There they were. The two Mikes, handcuffed as they were being stuffed inside a police car, their faces were turned away from the camera but Allen instantly noticed the bruises covering their body. Obviously, they must have acquired them since they had met last. Allen focused intensely on the television screen that lit up the room in the faint morning light. The cereal in his bowl became soggy.

They had been found in King's City in a hotel with the help of an anonymous tip. The reporter made the point that no one was quite sure how the two, with their distinct figures, had made it up to the empty hotel room on the eleventh floor without even being noticed. Now, however, the two men were locked away in a jail cell in King's City prison until they could be transferred someplace more secure.

Allen scooped a spoonful of cereal into his mouth passively as he contemplated the matter. These two men, the terrorists they might be, knew something about Allen. They knew him well enough to have located him on a train. They had been looking for him, specifically because of his powers. These people had answers, and Allen was feeling more sure of that than anything else in his life.

Allen reflexively ran into Eric's room and then Kara's to wake them up, then returned to wake up Mew on the chair.

"That was fast," was the first thing Kara said when she saw the news. She was still groggy, and she yawned.

"<I wonder how they got those bruises?>" Mew commented.

"How did they find them?" Eric asked. Allen explained that there had been some sort of anonymous tip. To his bewilderment, none of them seemed as anxious as Allen was at that moment. He stared at them, switching his glance rapidly between them and the television, expecting them to suddenly feel a similar emotion.

Kara looked at him with folded arms and raised an eyebrow. "So you want to find out what they know?"

"Well, yeah." Allen snapped back, his anxiousness was obvious.

"And how do you expect to do that?" Kara asked sarcastically.

Allen was annoyed, "I'll go to King's City! It isn't that far away."

Erik sighed exhaustedly, despite having just woken up. He sat down in a chair in front of the wooden table where they commonly ate their meals. "Allen," he began, as if talking to a child—who Allen surely was, "Just two days ago you and Kara were nearly killed." Erik reminded him, "Don't you think that it would just be… wise to just stay here for a while and think things through?"

Allen looked at Eric, frustration showing on his face.

"These people are obviously not safe," Erik went on, "And just the idea of traveling to King's City to try to question them is irresponsible." He paused as he thought about his words, "Have you ever thought about how much we do for you? All three of us, for three years now, have centered our lives on trying to figure out why you are what you are. I don't want you to think that we don't care—we do—but I just want to let you know that you are starting to act selfishly."

Erik's words cut through Allen like a blade. He glanced at Kara, but she looked away.

Sensing the harshness of his words, Erik spoke again, "No, I didn't mean that, I'm sorry Allen. I know how important it is to you and it's important to me as well. I just don't think you should be putting your life and others' in danger to find answers. That's all. I've just been under a lot of stress these last few days, we all have…"

Allen turned to Kara, wondering if she had anything more to say, but she just gave him a look of sympathy. Mew remained silent.

"Really, Allen, I'm sorry. You know what I meant," Erik repeated, desperate to console Allen.

"Yeah…" responded Allen contemplatively. He did know that Erik was under a lot of stress, and maybe he really had misspoken, but Allen could not shake off the criticism easily. Eric and Kara awkwardly left the living room to fix themselves breakfast and left Allen to his thoughts.

"<I didn't mean to put anyone in danger,>" Allen said to Mew through Aura.

"<Of course not,>" she responded kindly.

Allen thought for a moment as he returned his gaze to the television. "<I need to become stronger. Back in the tunnel, I had been able to fight pretty well, but I still needed your help and Kara's guidance. If I had been alone I would have been captured, or maybe killed. If either of you hadn't been there I would not have been able to do a thing on my own.>"

"<So you want to be able to use your powers in battle… you need to do some training.>"

That word rung like a bell in Allen's mind. He needed to train. He needed to become comfortable with his abilities in a way he never had been before.

"<But how would I do that?>"

"<Well, I'm sure all of us will be willing to help you.>"

Allen was relieved and his expression showed it, "<Thanks, Mew,>" but then a problem occurred to him, "<I couldn't train here though.>"

Mew, who was watching the TV, responded without a pause. "<You still want to find out what those two know, right?>"

Allen nodded. "<But I don't want to put anyone at risk.>"

"<Right. They just said on the television that the Mikes would be kept in King's City for a week. That gives you some time to practice your combat skills.>" Allen gave Mew his undivided attention, "<However, I doubt Erik would be happy driving you, myself, and Kara—I have no doubt that she will want to come—all the way to King's City. I could take you, if I took the form of a strong flying type Pokémon, but I would be limited. I would estimate that as long as I am able to get enough rest in between flights, I should be able to carry you two to King's City within a week. We could help you train in the periods when I am resting. Just a week of training won't be enough to be significantly better in battle, but at least it will be a start.>"

"<Thank you.>" Allen said genuinely. He was grateful that speaking through Aura did not in anyway involve his vocal chords, for he was afraid that his voice would have cracked.

Out of all the people he had met, he knew none better than he knew Mew, and vice versa. Mew had been with him his entire life, since the day he was born. Allen may not have been able to remember that day, but Mew could, even though they shared the same birthday. Mew had recounted to Allen his parent's shock when she had appeared in the room the very instant Allen had come into the world. This had been one of the reasons Allen's parents had been so afraid of their own son, and eventually led them to abandon him within the year.

Mew had made a point of staying hidden or disguised from Ms. Naoho. Although Allen was still developing his consciousness, Mew had been born fully aware, and fully in the dark of her own means into existence. Not wanting to cause Ms. Naoho to leave, Mew was cautious around Allen's new caretaker. When they met Erik and Kara, both Mew and Allen had decided they could trust them early on. Of course Erik and Kara had been startled at their neighbor with strange powers and the Mew who followed him around, but rather than fear they felt a compelling curiousity.

Allen was happy he had such good friends.

* * * * *

Later that day, Allen explained Mew's plan to Erik and Kara, after the awkwardness had somewhat dissolved. As Mew had predicted, Erik was unwilling to drive them, but would not protest if Mew offered to fly them. Also, Kara was adamant about accompanying Allen, despite her brother's cautioning. He reminded her of her broken wrist, but she assured him that it was only a minor break, and that she would not actually be doing anything very strenuous. Eventually, Erik softened as he realized Allen and Kara's determination. He would support them, and frankly, it was probably a good idea for Allen to become more experienced with his powers.

So, Allen, Kara, and Mew made plans to leave early the following morning. They found a map of the Shima region on a bookshelf and unfolded it out onto the table. King's City was located north of Binge Port along the coast, and would take them at least three days to get there, arriving on the morning of the fourth day.

They made sure to pay attention to what the news said, making sure they were aware of any potentially plan changing details. They would bring a small radio with them to make sure they were current with everything. The Mike's would be kept in King's City for six days until they were scheduled to be moved to a much more secure prison in the west.

The three of them realized that if they were not able to enter the jail legally, they would have to break in. Mew was confident that with her powers she would be able to safely enter the jail cell. They would have to think of something when they got there, because they could not know exactly what obstacles they would face.

Allen fell back into his chair and exhaled as all the pieces of their plan came together.

The Aura Cycle

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Yamikarasu

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Buoysel

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Yamikarasu

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Buoysel

Trust me, I'm a Professional*

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Buoysel

Trust me, I'm a Professional*

Yamikarasu

Wannabe Hasbeen