Sapphire Aura: Prelude

Chapter 4

"How in the world are you so professional?" Ash asked as he gawked at Sapphire. Not surprising, honestly. Sapphire had just emerged victorious out of the champion battle, earning herself the title of Hoenn Champion, in addition to the already high ranking name of Royal Princess. Although she didn't like to be called princess, she still bore with it.

"Well, I've got Spark and Gecko to thank," Sapphire laughed. "I had already trashed the first five Pokemon on the ex-champion's team when Gecko refused to fight. Apparently he was scared of anything that looked like a dinosaur because of an experience he had during his childhood. Spark nailed the last one onto the board of knocked out Pokemon."

"I wish I had a team as good as yours! Too bad Gecko didn't like me." Ash laughed. "GAWR!" came Gecko's complaint from the air. Oi!

"Ash, it's not that Gecko didn't like you. It's that you weren't approachable enough. The trick to bonding with Pokemon is that you have to take the initiative." Sapphire provided some information that she personally found very helpful.

"You know, since our journey to the league has ended pretty happily, why not let's explore the remaining of Hoenn? This region is pretty dang big," Ash suggested.

"Sure, why not?" Sapphire gave the green light and without looking backwards, they set off on the road to discover more of Hoenn, and as much as they could before they moved on to Sinnoh.

—————

So these two were who I had sensed. A Pokemon nearby thought sadly. I thought he had come back for me. He sat down on the roof of the Pokemon center, watching the two happy teenagers take a relaxed stroll down the beach in the sunset. The Pokemon remembered his trainer, and how they used to watch the sunset together from the balcony.

But the trainer had disappeared without a trace, after trapping the Pokemon in his staff. When the Pokemon sensed its trainer's aura, he broke out of the staff and tracked the aura down to its source. He had hoped that it would be the person that he had been looking for, but it wasn't.

It was then that the Pokemon realised a truth that he didn't want to accept.

His trainer was never coming back for him.

—————

"Wow," Ash breathed. "I've never seen a sunset this beautiful before. I wish I could stay here, but Sinnoh would be expecting me."

"I made a promise to never abandon you, because you're the best friend someone could ever have. And I'm going to keep that promise. Whichever region you choose to go to, I'm coming." Sapphire nodded. "Tor!" Spark agreed. "Graaaaaawrgh!" Gecko let out a call from midair, making everyone laugh. Mainly because Sapphire understood Gecko and conveyed his meaning to everyone: Ooooh, romantic! Everyone was pretty familiar with the fact that Gecko shipped Sapphire and Ash together by then, so no one really minded.

All of a sudden, a boy popped out of nowhere, holding a notebook and pen. He ran up to Sapphire and asked, "Tell me, how did you defeat the champion with only two Pokemon?!" Spark seemed startled at the boy's sudden appearance, and blasted a large jet of fire at the boy.

"Woah!" Sapphire giggled. "Calm down, Spark! Don't chicken out! Get that pun?" Ash was immediately in stitches, and from high above was Gecko's loud, parrot-like laugh. "Right, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Your Torchic is powerful! Luckily my notebook didn't get burned!" the boy seemed to be upset, but the fact that there was absolutely no menace in his voice gave it away.

—————

The Pokemon watched the three teenagers laugh and exchange information together, and felt a twinge as he too, remembered that he had done the same thing with its trainer in the past, when nothing was wrong. And the girl and the black-haired boy—there was something about them that just didn't seem right. Both of them bore his trainer's aura, yet he did not recall his trainer having two children.

He decided to tail them to see where they headed next.