Seven years have passed since the war on Kanto grounds ended due to the sacrifice made by Sir Aaron and Soul Fraverden. While their legacy has been immortalized by the people of Kanto, not everyone has completely moved on from such a tragic loss. Qu...
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Blacktail Cove was Hope's secret sanctuary. It was the first place she ever explored on her own back when she was still adjusting to her new life in Sirena's Island. She remembered having an unpleasant encounter with one of the elder citizens of the island and as a result, wound up here to release her pent-up emotions in solitude. The loss of her family was still a fresh wound in her grieving heart, and on top of that, she was obliged to learn how to control this unstable power within her. For an orphaned teenager that was suddenly thrown into this new life, she was going through a lot at the time.
Despite her first encounter of Blacktail Cove being associated with the memory of that awful elder citizen, Hope found herself always coming back when she wanted an escape from reality. This was the place where she would come to if she wanted solitude, and it's been that way even now. She enjoyed feeling the cool ocean breeze run through her blonde locks and hearing the sound of the water crash against the giant rock formations. On some occasions, she'd kick off her shoes and jump into the water for a swim. Time felt irrelevant when she was in Blacktail Cove, but of course, an earful from her mentor awaited her if she stayed out passed her given curfew.
Today was one of those days where Hope was in the mood to swim. Her shoes were off and her belt and vest were hung on a jagged piece of the cove's structure. She was left in a sweaty tank top and a pair of baggy earth-toned shorts. Hope released the black hair tie that sloppily held together her messy braid. Facing the ocean, the blonde woman took a deep breath before jogging out of the cove. Wet sand clung to her feet until they were washed away once she edged closer to the water. Upon being waist-deep into the ocean, Hope held her breath before submerging herself completely underwater.
One of the perks she discovered when she was first starting her training as an aura guardian was her ability to see things without using her eyes. Even if her physical vision was cloudy underwater, she was able to see the marine life using her aura. Hope swam underwater with her eyes completely shut, the darkness suddenly illuminated by blue energy in the form of underwater Pokémon that inhabited the ocean.
A school of Goldeen, led by a Seaking, swam by her. Hope moved out of the way before she could get caught up by the school. A few feet below the ocean were a couple of Tentacool that maneuvered through the underwater rocks using their toxic tendrils. The Omanyte and Omastar nearby tried to quickly get out of their way. Behind her, a Horsea and a Polywag were dancing around in a playful manner.
Hope wanted to stay underwater a little longer and see more aquatic Pokémon further out, but her lungs were begging for a breath of air. The blonde woman kicked her way up and broke through the water's surface gasping for air. She wiped the water from her face, blinking a few times so she could adjust to the afternoon sunlight. It had cooled down a little compared to the blazing heat from a few hours ago, and the ocean's breeze certainly helped a lot.
The blonde woman tilted her head back and soaked in the sunlight. Having been born and raised in a rural village, Hope never had the opportunity to enjoy the ocean as much as she did now. All her life, she'd only known the coldest of winters and the rainiest of springs. Some might find that kind of climate unbearable to live in, but she didn't mind it. Never had it occurred to her that the life she once knew would drastically change in the blink of an eye.
