The Aura Within | Pokémon

Thirty Three | Promises For the Future

Father... why?

How could you keep such a big secret from me?

Soul slammed her fist down on the rocky ground next to her, leaving behind a small dent as a result. Normally, she would never resort to violence to release her anger, but could you blame her? Her own father kept a huge secret from her, his own flesh and blood. Soul was the current holder of the Ethereal Sphere, the precious treasure that both the Johto and Hoenn Knights have been after all this time. The essence within her was the root of all the problems that have been going on.

The Ethereal Sphere was the driving motivation for all this unnecessary bloodshed.

With a slow breath, Soul leaned back against the smooth rock wall. When she ran away from Nicholas's house, she found this place called Blacktail Cove. She stayed here ever since, thinking of all the complications that's been going on, mostly about the damn Ethereal Sphere. Her hand trailed over to the item that adorned her neck. It was the necklace that contained the charm and wedding ring that belonged to her mother.

The blonde woman pulled it out from underneath her shirt and got a closer look at it. The sea green gem in the middle reminded her of her mother's eyes, the same ones Soul inherited from her. Perhaps that's why her father got it for her mother. It was beautiful, but not enough to distract her. That conversation with Nicholas still lingered in her mind. What he told her was beyond what she expected.

With this new piece of information, it could mean potential danger to her and everyone else. Those knights were out there killing their way through anything to find the Ethereal Sphere. The thing they were all after was right under her nose and she didn't know it until it was too late. Her friends all had to struggle against the people who were after it. Not only that, but she also lost a comrade because of it.

"The Ethereal Sphere is no legendary treasure, but a cursed jewel," Soul bitterly spat under her breath. "I'd rather die than live another day and put everyone in danger."

"That's no way an aura guardian should speak."

Her eyes widened when she heard his familiar voice that chimed in. Although, she wasn't surprised that Aaron of all people would come find her, especially after her outburst in Nicholas's house. An annoyed sigh left her mouth as she didn't even bother looking his way as he came closer her way.

"What do you want? Are you here to yell at me for not keeping cool back there?" Soul questioned, keeping her gaze away from him.

"No," he assured. "I was worried about you. After all, you kind of just blew up and left."

Her eyes softened a bit as she turned her head to look at him. The first thing she noticed was the concern he held in his eyes. Seeing him like that made Soul feel bad for talking to him so rudely.

"I'm sorry." The blonde woman frowned, dropping her gaze downward. "I guess I'm... not okay. It's just that I was—"

"Overwhelmed?" he answered, to which she nodded to.

"Yeah, but that's not all," she revealed. "Hearing that my own father kept such a huge secret from me made me feel betrayed, as if he didn't trust me enough to tell me himself."

Soul felt the tears beginning to build up again, but she refused to let them fall. It took her a while to stop crying beforehand and certainly wasn't easy. Her eyes were still a little puffy and her cheeks were moist from those tears. She sighed and buried her head in her hands, taking an exasperated breath.

"You shouldn't assume that your father didn't trust you," he stated sternly, causing her to look up at him with teary eyes.

"Then why, Aaron? Why was I kept in the dark of something that's putting us all in danger? Why did it take almost twenty three years for the truth to come out? Can you answer that?" she snapped.