Race of a Lifetime

Chapter Eleven-Adira's POV

"You will always be under my beloved care my dear." The meter was racked up from 10 to 20. 

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!"

"You will always be here." The meter was racked up from 20 to 30. 

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

"You will always, ALWAYS be mine." The meter was racked up from 30 to 40. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"

"And there is nothing that you can do about it." The meter was racked up from 40 to 50.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

Then everything went black and I woke up, not in the torture chambers back in Team Rocket headquarters, but on a camping site in Galar, in a sleeping bag, with Gladion next to me, his eyes wide. 

"Are you okay Adira?" I stare at him, half of my mind still in those retched places where I was tortured, tested, and manipulated by HIM, HIS officers, and HIS team of scientists. I nod, feeling unconvinced myself, knowing it was a lie. Gladion closed his eyes and sighed. 

"You and I both know you're lying. I am not going to ask questions though, from personal experiences, nosy energetic people are the last helpful thing in this world." With that, he walked away, going back to his Zoroark and Unbreon, who was curled up before the leftover fire from cooking. His Midnight form Lycanroc was alert, watching the place with careful observance. He seemed to go through similar details that I have from his reactions back when we decided to trust and travel together along with our younger sisters Marie and Lillie. 

FLASHBACK:

Watching carefully, three figures came towards me and my pokemon companions. Lillie and Gladion looking guilty, but Marie running up to me and hugging me like her life depended on it. Ignoring the stares of the newcomers, it took me a minute to reluctantly hug her back, a little awkwardly due to the distance I had put between us over the years. Then I pulled back. 

"Why were you three spying on me?" Marie stepped forward, speaking up in her cheerful voice. 

"Gladion and Lillie here are looking for their father. I am helping them!" She giggled, making me give her a soft but unsure smile. I am the reason she is in danger. I need to stay away from her as much as possible to keep that smile and cheerful girl safe and sane. I turned to the Alolan siblings. 

"I am assuming this is from previously?" Gladion nodded. Lillie looked at me and Marie. 

"How are you two siblings? You are complete opposites!" Marie looked at me expectantly. 

"Adira changed after she left. Why did you leave anyway?" I stiffened slightly, when Gladion spoke up. 

"Adira, what is the pokemon behind you?" Turning to see that Zacian was right behind me and I silently asked the ancient Warrior pokemon for help.

"AROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Mistress, you can trust them. I have met many humans in the past, these remind me of you and Hop, the only humans in decades me and my Shield have trusted wholeheartedly. 

"...." Marie huffed. 

"This is just like you! Leaving and being mysterious! I have to spy on my own older sister to see her after four years? Why sis?!" Gladion seemed to wince at Marie's comments but I ignore them. 

"This is Zacian, one of our region's protector pokemon." With the introduction completed, Zacian turned and leapt into the air and run through the sky out of sight. 

CURRENT TIME:

Gladion seems to be the more trustworthy out of the others, so I decide to take my chances, since I know for sure, I'm not going back to sleep where nightmares are sure to find me. Standing up, I walk over to the fire with Twilight following me and sit down on the lush green grass. Twilight curls up next to me and falls back asleep, purring in content. I let a small smile grace my lips, which is extremely rare. When I look up, Gladion is looking at the book I gave him. That dang research log. 

"Which part are you reading now?" Gladion looks at me in surprise. 

"Father's theories of Dynamaxing and its connection to Z-moves." Nodding, my mind turns back to when I read it. 

"Your father has quite an interesting perspective on such topics. Especially for someone who has never done it." Gladion raises his eyebrows. 

"What do you mean?" I shrug. 

"Magnolia spoke of the mystery of Dynamaxing often, it was the height of her research development, but it is very hard to become able to secure a Dynamax band yourself. Unless you are in the Gym Challenge, but even many challengers don't have one. I was lucky to have one myself from the get go." Gladion seemed to ponder this for a moment.

"I haven't seen many challengers here." I chuckled. 

"Of course there aren't as many as other regions, you have to get a Letter of Endorsement by someone of respect here. We take our Gym Challenge very seriously in Galar." 

"Who did you get yours from?"

"The previous champion of Galar, Leon." With that, Gladion seemed to almost choke on his own saliva.