The Tale of Seven: The Summon of Sorrow

[Reno]

"Ah-" He started to say, when he heard footsteps coming down the hall. Uh oh... He knew it was Axel; but the mother was instantly on alert and growling quite fiercely. He knew he shouldn't be surprised that she was upset; disturbances easily upset the balance of things.
"Zoor?" Came a tiny whine from the fox as he lifted his head, the door swinging open. He seemed not at all panicked by the newcomer.

"Umm... hey Axel!" Roxas said, looking uneasily between the mom and his lover, seeing the tension between them. That negative energy was going to build up on itself and cause her to react in a negative way if they weren't careful. He made a hand motion at the red-head clearly telling him to stay calm.

"This is my partner, Axel." Roxas explained to the mother. "You've met him before. He's the one who took care of your leg while you were sleeping that first day we brought you here."


"Heh... if only it were so easy huh?" Sora chuckled as his dad mentioned the large screen, understanding such a feeling. He wished he could do the same with Tensai; not wanting to miss a moment. But eventually they all grew up, didn't they?

Still, he wished there was a way... to make sure his dad wasn't lonely. Maybe they COULD make room back for him at their place; he just wasn't sure Riku would like that. And now that he was thinking about it, what about Carina? Maybe they could convince them to live in the same house, together. At least then it wouldn't be so bad... of course his dad was kinda stubborn...

He was taken from his thoughts though when his dad mentioned his mother's former Pokemon friend. He blinked some before glancing over at the other, and smiled suddenly. Now THIS he could solve in an instant. And she'd still be able to help out too; Kirlia had always been able to calm down a troubled mind with her techniques and was naturally motherly. She'd be perfect...

"Well... that's easy. The Haven. Roxas and Axel could not only really use her help, but they also have that stage too for Pokemon who like to perform." He knew, also, that Roxas and Axel were big fans of dancing, and often played music there to dance with each other - of which the more excitable and playful of Pokemon (A.K.A. Flareon) joined them. "She could practice whenever she liked!"


That was it then? He...He lost? Already...? Tensai frowned, lifting his pokeball and returning it while his opponent did the same for Bastiodon. He stared down at his own dismally, blinking away a sudden wave of tears as he heard the cruel laughter.
"Smeaaar..." Charlie said sadly, patting him on the arm and looked up as Roxel came over.
"Yeah... I know..." Tensai sniffed, and rubbed his eyes some.
"Ahh... poor baby's crying!" He heard echoing from the bleachers, making him shake some with anger. He placed the Pokeball back on his belt.
"I'm... gonna go to the Pokemon center..." He mumbled, stepped down from the platform, not minding as Smeargle jumped onto his shoulder and perched there. He also didn't mind it when Roxel started to hurry after him. He paused and looked at the gym leader as he passed him. "Thank you for the opportunity Byron."
The man looked down at him but smiled and nodded. "It was a great match." He commended.
The words made Tensai smile just a little before he turned and walked out of the gym with his best friend, ignoring the echoing laughter from the bleachers.

But someone was still hearing it quite clearly and suddenly she stood in quite a fury, turning and glaring at the Almasy siblings with hate. "You guys are jackasses, you know that?!"
"Ah, what's wrong Barettes? got your panties in a twist cause we made your friend cry?" Lucina taunted.
Roxanne's face was beginning to turn a little red. "You bitch." she snarled, "You don't even KNOW Tensai. What the hell is your problem?!"
"You got something to say pigtails?!" Lucina growled, standing now.
"No, I'M JUST GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS!"
"Whoa, whoa, Roxy, calm down!" Sanyi cried, grabbing her arm before she could do just that. He glanced at Bonnie for help, but she, being raised by two people who thought fighting was the answer to world peace, didn't really seem to mind.

"Well when any of you children decide to become adults, you can feel free to challenge me. Until then, I'm going to ask you all to leave." The gym leader called up to them, looking none too happy by any of them.

[Rikugurl]

Green eyes widened as other natural narrow ones glowed at him. Red tips of the mother's mouth opened, revealing the sharp teeth that Axel had once cleaned when she was out. He heard Roxas explain to the Pokemon who he was but it didn't seem to make the mother any happier. She was still extremely irritated by his presence and anyone who knew the redheaded rescuer, he didn't take rejection from Pokemon very well. Even after having the Haven for years, being rejected by many different, it didn't make him feel any better. For some reason, in his young age, he thought he was a Pokemon expert since many Pokemon he met instantly liked him.

Still, he knew she wouldn't calm down until he left. This had happened a few times with Dark pokemon. Roxas really had a good understanding with them... Slowly, he rose his hands and backed away, showing that he wasn't going to do anything and was leaving peacefully. When he stirred clear from the mother's eyes, he sighed before glancing at the room they were in. He might as well clean some things up to get rid of any bacteria laying around that wouldn't help the baby any.

Back in the medical room, the mother still growled even if the redhead was gone. She was still on the edge, her trust slowly starting to break. Red claws flexed on the table and her breathing was still frantic.


"Kirli?" The pokemon looked up at Sora as he explained a place called 'Haven'. It sounded very close to 'Heaven'... which was the place where he heard Sirocco say Bryna was! It was a place that Arceus made where everything was nice and peaceful. She wasn't sure why Roxas and Axel were there but it seemed like a nice place. "KIR! KIRLIA!" She clapped happily before twirling around, dancing some. This made the old man smile brightly as he watched her. "Well, I can't say no to that. It sounds perfect, Sora. She will definitely be happy there."


The group slowly headed out, not really minding that they were literally KICKED out. All they cared about was catching up to Tensai and Roxel to make sure the boy was alright. Sanyi knew where the center was easily, having lived here most his life so he lead the way and when they got inside, they saw the two boys with a torchic and smeargle at the counter. As they walked over, they could see that Tensai had some tear streaks down his cheeks, making some frowns spread over them. "Hey... you did a great job. That was your first ever gym match and you eliminated two of his three Pokemon. Byron is not an easy first match. You did great, Tensai!" Bonnie reassured him, patting him on the shoulder.

"Yea! I mean, if it was me... I wouldn't be able to do that, Ten-chan!" Roxel continued to cheer up the sunset eye boy, seeing his pokeballs being handed to Nurse Joy. It took some reinforcement for them to really get Tensai to smile again and some time passed before the pokemon were returned back to him. When they were, they all voted for some lunch and as they turned to head out.
"UGH!" Roxel growled, seeing two of his most favorite people walk in.

A smug look ran over Gunnar's face the minute he saw the irritated group, only walking by them before flashing... a Mine Badge.

[Reno]

It was an age old saying; Saffron wasn't built in a day, but it could be destroyed in one. Trust was the same, it built slowly over time, every piece being worked on with a delicate care - but just one mistake, one stone out of place, and it could come toppling down. And everyone would have to start from scratch.

And he was close too. Damn it! Not that he could blame Axel or anything, he hadn't planned this and the red-head had had no warning. No way of knowing... but damn!

"It's alright, Axel wasn't going to hurt anyone." Roxas said, trying to stay calm and in effect calm her but he was forgetting a very important element...

"Mama..." Came a soft whine from her child sending her on higher alert. It seemed her fierce reaction seemed to scare even him, his ears lowering some. Of course, for such a young Pokemon, he probably just realized that when his mother was in such a state that trouble was near.


"Well, I can still solve some problems..." Sora said and smiled faintly, seeing how happy his mother's past Pokemon was. He'd always wanted to help her, the way she always helped him during his childhood. She was the Pokemon who helped break up many childish fights... and kept him from crying over scrapes as his mother bandaged them up.

They say that a person's closest Pokemon are often reflections of themselves. Now, Sora would call that silly...
but when he looked at Jolteon he saw... that it was true. Jolteon was his only Pokemon who protected him from both physical and emotional pains. He had a fighter's spirit and a healer's heart.

"Don't worry dad, I'll figure something perfect for you too!" Sora promised with a determined nod. "Somewhere you can be happy too!"


Tensai sighed as his assorted cousins tried to cheer him up... and couldn't help a smile as their efforts finally paid off. By the time he was getting his Pokemon back, he was feeling ALMOST better enough to have forgotten everything. That was until he turned around.

It was like a reoccurring nightmare. Only worse.

The minute he saw the Mine badge, being brandished like a trophy he lost, his heart twisted with failure, making him feel as low as dirt. How could anyone... be so cruel? He thought Roxel was exaggerating after all this time... but for once he wasn't. Not at all. The Almasy's cared about no one but themselves!

"Smeargle..." Charlie sighed at his side, seeing his master deflate like a popped Drifloon. He'd never felt Tensai in such a sorrowful state before. He was regularly fairly cheerful; maybe this journey was a mistake.

Of course, other people reacted to Tensai's re-saddened state as well. Most of all... Roxanne. With the way she acted 99 percent of the time, people often found it hard to believe she WASN'T Roxas' biological daughter.
"ARGH!" Suddenly two pokeballs sailed across the Pokemon center and smacked both the siblings in the backs of their heads.
"Ow!" Lucina winced rubbing her head and looked back, glowering at the smaller blonde. She looked down at the offending object, kicking it slightly. It was empty. She scoffed. "Your eyesight going bad barettes? Are you mistaking people for Pokemon these days?"

Roxanne ground her teeth, snarling angrily. "You two sure have some nerve! You think you're so great! Well I'm challenging you both to a double battle, right here, right now! And WHEN your asses are kicked, you are going to apologize to Tensai!"

[Rikugurl]

The mother quickly looked back at her son, seeing his frightened look. Though she was a logical being, smart and intelligent compared to most other Pokemon, she was still a mother above all and natural mother instincts were almost as reckless as love. The room suddenly felt so small, making her feel boxed in. She realized the situation in a whole instead of being fixed on just the trust that she had just had with this blonde human. Everything suddenly screamed 'trap' to her, having been in the same situation one too many times. She would not jeopardizes her only child's life from another foolish act on her part. Her eyes started to glow brighter, quickly grabbing the small fox from the cold bed.

Her arms began to glow a bright red as she opened her mouth. "AAAAAAAARRK!!" A blue orb wrapped around her which contained enough energy to make everything in the room suddenly shake.


"You're on, you twit!" Gunnar called back, hearing the threat and immediately taking the challenge. Some more words were though but they were all quickly interrupted.
"EXCUSE ME!?"
Everyone currently in the pokemon center paused, looking over at Nurse Joy and her Chansey. The pink haired woman gave the small group a good look, frowning some before pointing towards the door. "No one will be dueling in here. Please take your business outside. We had a battle in here once and it was completely out of control. Worse yet, they were adults! Now please, exit."

"Fine." Gunnar grinned before turning, walking out the door with his sister and then quickly, the group of friends. Roxel still stood close to his best friend, wanting to be there for him thought anything! What was a friend without some comfort. "Don't worry, Ten-chan. My sister is a great fighter! She'll kick their butts!"

A pokeball was quickly tapped on the bottom, the ball popping opening and a blue beam shot out to reveal a small, little, blue dog. It took a stance, standing on his hind legs and glaring at the girl with barrettes in her hair. "RIO!"

[Reno]

Roxas' eyes widened, seeing the mother on a rampage. And he knew what he had to do.

This was, arguably, the hardest part of his job. Dark types were fierce and strong-willed. They fought, and they fought hard and they had little qualms in harming others. Roxas hated to give them such a stereotype but... they always attacked at one point.
The hard part about this?

You had to face it; it was a way of earning, maybe not precisely respect, but... recognition. Sometimes and usually... he got hurt doing it. Absol's bite marks still stood clear on the skin of his hand. The evils of poisonous Umbreons, Drapions and Stunky's had him sick in bed for days. Heh it was a wonder Axel didn't retire him just because his job was too dangerous.

And so Roxas forgot the needles as he dared to take the few steps forward even if they were shaking from the uncertain trembles, "Listen! I know your angry. What people have done to you... it was wrong and cruel! But you're safe here. No one is going to hurt you or your child."


"R-Roxy!" Sanyi called in worry at her challenge, unsure what she was thinking! But luckily Nurse Joy stepped in... sort of.
'We had a battle in here once and it was completely out of control. Worse yet, they were adults!'
He frowned at those words, mumbling under his breath, "Wonder if it was my mother and Uncle Terra..." Had anyone heard him, it might of earned a few chuckles, but everyone was preoccupied, following after the three. Roxanne was a little in over her head; sure her challenge was justified but Gunnar and Lucina had been battling a LOT longer then her and had been on their journey;s for awhile now.

When it came to experience, they outshone her. It made Sanyi worried for her.

And even moreso, Tensai. "I know but..." He murmured softly, feeling horrible. His cousin shouldn't be doing this for him! Unlike Roxas, she was over-confidant in her abilities and that often got her into trouble.

They found a moderate clearing outside, The Almasy's taking one side, Roxanne and her 'collection' on the other. Gunnar was so over-confidant he didn't even converse with his sister as he made his choice. Roxanne didn't seem to flinch as she stared down the Riolu - if only it was a Lucario she'd have plenty of fire types to face the half-steel creature.

Lucina, beside Gunnar, also didn't say a word as she made her choice. With another burst of a Pokeball, a much taller figure peered, almost like a giraffe but one that was on two legs and red gems on it's forehead and at the end of it's tail. "Phaaaros!"
Roxanne looked from one to the other, reaching for her Pokeball when-
"Wait!" Tensai cried.
"What? Lucina scoffed in annoyance and even Roxanne looked a little put out.
"Well this is a double battle right?" Tensai started hesitantly. glancing at his cousin, "How can you have a double battle when you're the only one on this side? The rules state that... both teams have to have two partners."
"Tch, hey lamer unless YOU want to step up and fight for your own honor and not have a girl do it, butt out."
Roxanne growled in annoyance. "Shut up Luci!" Her eyes darted to her cousin, raising a curious eyebrow. "...Do you want to Ten?"
"Well..." The boy hesitated then glanced down. To the Almasy's it looked like he was looking at the ground but Roxanne saw he was inspecting his belt...
And then she grinned, understanding him as if Tensai was her twin.
"It would be nice... to get some jabs back at them." He finished softly.
Roxanne couldn't contain her grin and she looked back smugly, "You pussywillows got no problem with that right?"

The elder sibling glanced at her brother, sharing an understanding. They saw how Tensai had fought back at the gym; he was somewhat smart... but his Pokemon weren't strong. If anything this match just got easier! "Tch, the end result will be the same but better for us cause we get to beat TWO losers."

So soon enough, Tensai was at Roxanne's side and they shared a soft and quick conversation, before they made their choices.
"Alright Sayen, you're up!" Roxanne choose first and she let free her Pokemon. It was a four-legged creature, the only one in the match thus far and was a pale peach color except for the leaf-like ring around it's neck and long, large leaf protruding from it's head. A sweet smell filled the air, the natural scent coming from the Pokemon's leaves.
"Bay, Bay!"
A few people might ask her how she got a hold of both a Cyndaquil and a Chikorita - considering both of them were also from the same region. It was actually an interesting story. It was a standard transport of the rare three starters of Johto to the professor where eager trainers would adopt them. Totodile, Chikroita and Cyndaquil. They were still very young, hardly out of their nests really.

Long story short, the transport vehicle was attacked by a team not far from Lavaridge. The creatures were very badly injured; and Lavaridge got the rescue call. They brought them back, but the overload at their own center had them turning to the haven for aid for the three. She remembered her daddies doing their best - but they lost the little water dinosaur an hour after they were done caring for it - and neither the other two as well. There were survivors though... and lonely and sad without their the water alligator they had come to befriend.
Roxanne had attached herself to the pair, unable to resist their cute, young baby charms. She even named them. Thinking they were twins she gave them matching names just like her brother and herself. She called one Kegan (little flame) and the other Sayen (sweet). She found out later they weren't siblings at all but with the way they acted it could of been mistaken as such. They did everything together - they even evolved at the same time! And they were her good friends.

"Go Faber!" With the noble name of the sword, Tensai's Pokemon burst from the bright light of his Pokeball. The perfect choice against the fighting type.
"NOOCTOWL!" Came the glorious cry, the large winged owl flapping and surveying his opponents with wise, knowing eyes and pinning on Riolu, knowing it was weak to both his aerial AND psychic abilities. But he had to be wary of the electric one...

[Rikugurl]

It was a bold move when Roxas moved forward instead of back and if his husband was still here, he would of ran off and called the ER then the nut house. What Axel never understood though was that this was the way one had to handle Dark types. They were one of the only types that gained trust from those who stepped up to them. They knew they were scary and could get their way if they wanted to but when someone stepped in, demanding them to halt their actions, there was some honor shared. It wasn't a good idea for amateurs to get right into Dark type's faces, as these pokemon were still very dangerous and wouldn't stop just because you got in their way.

Roxas knew better and had learned his lesson many times. He also learned that not every type was like this either. He had been pretty badly burned when he started working with some fire type, stepping in front of a very angry Monferno, demanding it to stop... only for it to use a fire attack on the blonde.
Axel had to teach him that Fire types were pretty much the opposite of Dark. They were... hot headed and bad tempered and the best way to calm them is to let them be to cool down.

The mother's face got close to Roxas, growling vicious and being so close that Roxas could feel her breath on his face. Her glowing eyes narrowed, the growling slowly crackling down into an irritated purr.


Roxel blinked, seeing his best friend join the fight too. Well... he supposed it really was his battle but... couldn't they have a dance contest instead!? He could definitely win!
"Oi..." Bonnie rolled her eyes, shaking her head and placing her hands on her hip. Sometimes Roxy was a true handful. She blamed it on all the fire types she was raised around. She acted just like them!

It was quick for Gunnar and Riolu to spot the first real problem. Huh, it looked like this loser knew a thing or two about type disadvantages. They needed to get this bird out of the sky first and fast. "Riolu, use Rock Tomb on that Noctowl!" Gunnar was the first to call an order, making the puppy growl and quickly started the attack. Rocks from around the area started to lift and fling towards the large bird pokemon.

[Reno]

He faced the angry green gaze, blue eyes boring into hers, and felt almost like he was facing Axel for a moment. She just had such a resemblance to him; it was somewhat creepy. She seemed to calm minutely, but he was still in a red zone.

"We just want to help." He said softly in the calm. "Think about it. I know you could hurt me right now. You're strong enough to; you have enough energy to possibly even get out of the Haven if you tried... so why would I take you from a place you really are trapped if I wanted to keep you that way?"


"Magical leaf Sayen!" Roxanne called.
"Bay, bay!" The leaf on the dinosaurs head twisted, an array of glowing leaves flying up into the air and crashing with rocks, dust and rock shrapnel exploding everywhere.
"Use foresight!" From the dust the big-winged owl appeared, his red eyes glowing and a red beam seemed to glow over Riolu... but did no damage, simply faded away after seemingly 'scanning' him.
"Pharaoh, use thunderbolt!"
"Ammmpharos!!" The creature called it's body glowing before electricity shot up into the air.
"Confusion!" Tensai countered and as his owl listened to the order the electricity stopped short, seeming to crackle and bend painfully in the air like a withering snake... until it was shot down straight at Ampharos' partner! Gunnar told the Riolu to dodge... but the Pokemon actually seemed... slower than before. The attack hit without any trouble.

Foresight was an excellent move strategy to use on ghost Pokemon regularly; it forced ghosts to be damaged by normal and fighting type moves. But it also had an added effect - A pokemon's ability to evade went down to 0% for the duration of the battle.

The black-haired boy smiled, feeling a bit proud as the siblings seemed to scramble some, Gunnar looking none too happy that his SISTER just attacked him as she apologized. "I hope you're Riolu knows how to take attacks." He taunted this time, "Because it's not getting away from any of them!"

[Rikugurl]

Her aggravated growl never stopped as the blonde continued to talk to her, but she slowly turned, placing her whimpering son back onto the table gently. Her claws loosened around his waste hesitantly and the area seemed to calm some. "Zooooooroooooroark, ark." She howled some, speaking to the little fox for she did not have the energy to make another illusion. "Tell him to hurry and get us out."


"H-HEY!" Gunnar growled, seeing the little puppy fall hard on the ground. He quickly stood up though, shaking his head. "What was that cheap shot!?" Gunnar demanded, ignoring his sister's apologies. He knew it wasn't her fault these jackasses were cheating! "Alright, forget the bird for now and go get that weed!" The slightly older boy called, pointing towards the Bayleef. "LU!!" Like Gunnar's Shiftry, the pup was fast to make it over to the grass type, dodging the attacks it was told to do and when he got close enough... "Use Blaze Kick!"
"RRRIO!!" A vicious growl was called just as a strong black leg rose, suddenly blazing with fire and slammed into the leaf Pokemon's chest.

"Now use Thunder Punch!"As Roxy's pokemon cried and fell, the Riolu seemed to have no respect as it bounced off it's head and went soaring towards the owl, curling his one paw. Crackles of electricity surrounded it before he took a swing.

[Reno]

"Zoooor..." Came the soft sound of understanding before the Pokemon looked up at Roxas passing along the message. Of course if you asked the little fox personally, he would rather this take as long as possible. The man merely nodded, picking up the first needle. He rubbed the creature soothingly before pulling up the skin of his fat doing the first two needles quickly but careful. Zorua, knowing his reactions were just causing trouble, only flinched and bravely took the pain.

He couldn't deny he usually did feel better after these visits. They helped him sleep at night. The third was the worst though and he gave a little whimper as the IV was placed in. It didn't precisely hurt, but it made his blood feel cold and odd.

"There, all done." Roxas murmured, petting Zorua kindly. "Wasn't so bad, see?"
"Yeah..."


"Razor leaf!" Roxy called but the attack was too slow, the speedy Riolu able to get past her and get in a good shot before he was up in the air, after Noctowl with a deadly sounding attack.
"Faber! Dodge him!" The little guy may be fast but he sure wasn't maneuverable in the air. With a hard flap of wings, Noctowl easily flew higher than the little flying type, "And now use air slash!" A wing glew a deadly white before he struck down at the blue dog hitting him hard in the back and sending him sailing back down to earth.
Lucina, seeing the failed attack, called for a hopeful helping hand. "Pharaoh, use thunderwave on that bird!"
But someone else wasn't remaining idle either. "Bayleef, flash!"
"Leef!" Came the understanding call before the Pokemon tilted it's head as if bowing to the sun, it's leaf raised high... and suddenly the area became bright white, causing the human;s to squint and the Pokemon to cry. Phaoroh cried loudly, ducking his body low to the ground and threw out the attack blindly. There were two cries - one of which made Lucina hit her head as she realized she had nailed her brother's Pokemon again!

But she also managed to get Bayleef, which could be helpful.

Noctowl squinted his eyes open as the attack wore off and they could see again. Bayleef and Riolu were staggering as the electrical paralysis affected them.
Lucina scoffed, cursing under her breath. She was taking that bird down in one shot! "Charge." She ordered.
"Ammmpharos!" The crouching Pokemon said, sparks building up around him as he charged up his electricity, giving more power to his electrical attacks.

[Rikugurl]

The large pokemon growled every time the young foxed whimpered, not enjoying the sound of her son in pain. She let Roxas finish and bandage the Zorua up. When Roxas indicated that he was done, the mother picked up her child with care before checking him over some. He just seemed a bit sore and smelt a bit alien but he was fine none the less. There were many questions the worried mother wanted to ask but from the lack of energy, she couldn't as he brought her back to the nursery. The door was opened and the room was offered. It was tidied up and smelt like gentle cleaning products.

Axel had washed all the chew toys, cleaning them from bacteria and ones that were severely chewed on were thrown out and replaced with new ones. The bed was different too. Axel must of pulled out the other one to wash it from bacteria as well. The mother gave the blonde a look before slowly walking back into the room, hearing the door close behind her. She immediately walked to the bed, laying down and pulling her child close to rest. Glowing narrow eyes sneaked a glass to the window where she saw Roxas looking in on them before nuzzling up to the baby to fall asleep.

"That was awfully stupid of you... but amazing." The blonde jumped when he wasn't expecting a voice to come from behind him, looking back to see the older rescuer walk up to him. "You really have a charm for Dark types."


"LUCI!" Gunnar growled, now getting pissed off at his sister even though he knew it wasn't her fault. But she had jeopardized his match now that the Riolu was twitching on the ground, paralyzed instantly. What was the purpose of having berries that cured paralysis if the pokemon couldn't even reach for their bag!? "Riolu, good job!" Gunnar grabbed the pokeball that the Emanation pokemon called home. The energy sucked the puppy back, making Roxel cheer. "YEA! GO TENSAI!" Fire hair bounced all around as Xel started to do his freakish little dance, making Bonnie smack him out of it and hard enough for him to topple over. "WHOA!"

"Sal, let's do this!" A red flash released a red winged dragon. "SAAAAAAAA!" It roared, making Sanyi hold back a squeal.

[Reno]

The blonde smiled faintly, before looking back into the room where the two Pokemon were snuggled together, knowing just moments ago he almost faced the prospect of certain death - or at least injury. "I suppose..." He sighed softly, "But I never feel like I do enough sometimes..."

There was that old low self-esteem talking again. Even at this age, every once and awhile Axel would hear it again. But luckily, Roxas just shook his head and looked at his husband, smiling, "But, I think I really got somewhere today."


Orange eyes narrowed some, looking up at the large dragon. Salamence was incredibly fast - faster than Faber. This battle had just become a lot harder... But he wouldn't quit now! He was going to slap those Almasy's smug looks right off their faces!

"Sayen- return!" The girl beside him called, recalling her Bayleef who was shaking with paralysis. Like her father always taught her, she knew better than to keep pushing the grass-type to fight. She set the pokeball back on her belt, about to choose her 'brother' Kegan for some much needed revenge, but hesitated. Luci and Gunnar had been battling for a lot longer than her - she needed a Pokemon that was stronger and more experienced.
Yes, she knew just the Pokemon.
"Take her." Her father Roxas told her as he handed her the pokeball, "Things haven't been the same around here since... well, you know. I think a journey would be good for her."

"Alright Borva, you're up!" She called - surprising everyone, even her own team. Even Roxel, who hadn't know she had been given the Pokemon. There was a burst of light before the magnificent creature appeared.
"Taaaaails~" The fox called, swishing out her nine silver-colored tails, looking about the battle-field curiously.
"You had Borva!?" Tensai called beside her in surprise, itching to go and hug the daring fox - though he knew that would probably get him taunted by their opponents.
"She's a great secret weapon~" Roxanne grinned, before looking toward the other fox, "Ready for this Borva? You're first real battle!"
"NINE!" Came a sudden energetic cry the ruby eyes glowing some as she shook her mane and swished her tails eagerly.

She had always been a rowdy Pokemon. Even as a Vulpix, she always had a taste for rough-housing, often barreling over her smaller, redder-colored sister or chasing after the heels of her wolfen-siblings. It was because of that, she was a Ninetails now. She stilled remember that fateful day, barely a year ago, when she evolved. It was an accident...

"Vuuul!"
"Dot-Dot!" Came a cry as a little red acorn came running into the kitchen, a fox playfully romping after, chasing him in between the legs of the kitchen table and chairs. But, unlike her much smaller friend, she couldn't get around the legs quite as quickly, and as Thad slipped between the leg of the table and the leg of the chair, she tried to follow, but the space in0between was only big enough for him. Her shoulders crashed into the wooden legs, the chair toppling over and items on the edge of the table rattle before falling.
And fatefully, one fell right on top of her head. A little yellow stone with an engraving of a flame on the inside. And suddenly light burst into the kitchen.

"Here you go girls!" Roxas said with a grunt of effort, lifting the hay up and over the corral and letting it drop at the two horse's feet. One was Axel's Rapidash - the other was his daughter's Hotaru. Once upon a time, Roxas used to be deathly frightened of these creatures when he was afraid to ride them as a young boy - a fear that expanded to nearly all fire Pokemon. That was, until he had Flareon at his side... and Axel as well.
Just as he was reaching in the pet them, he heard a sudden cry that made him spin around.
"DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!" The little red acorn came running out of the open back door, big fat tears streaming from his eyes.
"Thad...?" Roxas asked in confusion - only to see what he was running from come swaying out of the doorway, looking almost dizzy. It was Ninetails!
Only... It wasn't. Because even though the eyes were the same shade of red, instead of her cream-colored fur, this one was bright silver, with blue tips on the tails. And in a heartbeat, Roxas figured out what happened, as he remembered the fire stone they had left on the kitchen table, an item that one of there rescuees - a Snubbull - has been fiercely guarding since she had come here.
"...Borva?!"

Since her evolution, things had changed drastically. Everything was different - even her siblings didn't see her the same way and it was so much harder to play with Thad, who seemed more nervous around her. She had felt isolated and alone, and often grew so depressed not even Axel could find a way to perk her spirits. Until he discovered one morning, just how fierce Borva was compared to his own mild-tempered Ninetails, when some wild Pokemon invaded their haven and she alone battled and chased them off, never feeling more useful.

Here, she felt in her element again. Confident. Brave. She growled at the Ampharos. And now, she was going to kick this... sheep-thing to the dust!

Lucina scoffed, staring at the fox and feeling her anger rise again. That was four! FOUR shinies?! "For parents who like to protect Pokemon, you all sure are idiots carrying around all these shiny Pokemon."
"Shut it Ribbons and just fight!" Roxy said and the brief pause on the field was over. She glanced at Tensai, and he grinned at her.
"Faber! Dive and use Foresight!"
"Borva, follow up with Will-O-Wisp!"
The owl Pokemon swooped from the air and flew fast across the field and, with another quick order of 'spin' from his trainer, spun in a circle mid-air, the glaring red-beam hitting Sal further in the air before it turned and hit Pharaoh down below. He flew and with a powerful wing beat flew straight up as Borva's attack hit next. Blue flame burst from her mouth and as the stream graced the air they split and surrounded each opponent, embers of flames seeming to dance around the Salamence and Ampharos, before closing in and hitting them both hard, no chance for escape with foresight hindering them. And yet another Status Effect came into play for the battle, as they were both inflicted with burn.

[Rikugurl]

"What? Of course you got somewhere~" Axel smiled, slowly wrapping his arm around his husband's shoulders before pulling him down the hallway and paused in a door frame. "I mean, who's the best Dark trainer in all of Hoenn?" A grin ran over the redhead's face while his free arm presented their office and all the certificates hanging on the wall. Many were for Roxas and his work with Dark types. "Come on, you're even famous in Lavaridge Town for what you did with Absol." Axel cheered on, walking away into the room only to lean on their desk. Red eyes from the floor slowly looked up, a black and white creature watching as the blonde sighed and stepped in the room. "Sol?"

"If it wasn't for your... Absol would have been dead... and we wouldn't have the wonderful Pokemon we have now." His bright smile seemed to brighten the room for a moment when red locks were brushed away from his glasses. "I mean... we wouldn't even have such a successful place if it wasn't for your expertise. Already, those two are getting better every day. They're going to be fine and even if they don't... say it, I know they'll both be grateful to you in the end."


"---I'm sure they'll have no problem with taking her, Sora. Don't worry about asking them. Do you want me to?" Riku was saying as they walked down a busy street, heading away from Sirocco's house. Sora had felt bad leaving but they had to get going back to their hotel room. Axel and Roxas were already pretty busy and though Kirlia would help them, she was getting old too. She would live longer than most Pokemon but not like a Ninetales or Arcanine. "I'm sure she'll fit in fine and will be happy there. She can dance all day and---"
"Bre?"
The couple stopped and glanced back, seeing the yellow ringed fox looking at a brochure rack. "What is it?" The silverette called before they all turned around and headed back to where the eeveelution stood.

Riku lent down, glancing at the brochure his friend was looking at and picked one up. "Huh..." It was a picture of a beautiful town that was covered with beautiful flowing water and was obviously a resort city. "I never heard of this place before..." He knew Bre must have picked up on it due to the water, the Pokemon loving the ocean as much as his master. The man opened the paper and looked at what this place had to offer. "Aqua Resort of Sophian Island, huh? It says a millionaire bought the island and turned it into a resort... and look, Sora," He pointed, showing the brunette a large caption. "Perfect place for retirement. 85% of the population are elderly and a well know elder doctor lives there."

Silver hair was pulled behind a pale ear as aquamarine eyes turned to look down at his husband. "Maybe we just found the perfect place for our parents."


"Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaance...." The dragon shuddered as a flame flushed over his body, but his head shook, trying to shake it off. Having an overconfident pokemon wasn't always a good thing. Though the dragon could take care of himself, he forgot some things that would aide him through battle. "Sal! Have a berry!" Gunnar called, reminding the creature that he had a small sack around his neck. Quickly, his wing opened the snap pouch and he grabbed the stem of a rawst berry. A quick gulp down and another shudder due to the bitter tasting fruit, the flush of heat disappeared. "SAAAAAAAAAAL!!!"
"Let's get that overly fluffy CAT back!" The boy smirked, insulting the beautiful canine and making her huff.

"Hydro pump, now!"
"MAAAAAAAAAAAAANCE!" The large dragon pulled his neck up and inhaled, making a swirl of water collect around his teeth. With a mighty flap, the Salamance was up in the air before a heavy, harsh jet of water was blown down at both opponents.

[Reno]

The gleaming glass shined like trophies on the wall, each certificate glimmering in a beautiful frame of wood whether it be red oak, maple, cherry or birch. They came from all across the world, recognition that told him all his hard work had paid off. But not only was the name Roxas Holani (and the more recent ones, Roxas Xipil) on them. Many also were graced by the name of Axel (some of them so aged they were yellowed even in their protective case) - and, a select and special few - had both their names.

"Hmm," Roxas hummed softly, smiling as he glanced at Axel, "You make it sound like I did it all alone. But... I wouldn't be here at all... without you Axel." The layer of meaning in that sentence wasn't missed by the red-head, but he didn't get to dwell long in those darker memories as Roxas leaned up towards him and gave him a gentle kiss. "Thank you," He whispered against the other's lips.


"Well... I dunno Ri. It's pretty far away from here... and dad can be stubborn about the weirdest things." Sora said softly, though, he had to admit it looked like a great place. He just worried his father wouldn't want to leave the town in which he and his mother lived their life together and raised there sons in. It already hurt his dad none of his sons were nearby or could visit too often. Now he would be asking him to leave the town he had always lived in and known?

"Pika~" Came a happy squeak from Sora's shoulder, little paws grasping the edge of the brochure and taking it from Riku. Reggie pretending to review the place as if he could really read before giving a nod. "Pika-Pi!"

"Heh, was that supposed to be your approval? Even Still I-HEY!" Sora chuckled at the electric mouse - who smacked him on the head with the brochure as if he wasn't allowed to disagree. "Okay- okay!" He stole the brochure from the mouse, looking down at the picture of the beach side resort, smiling. "Well, it never hurts to try and ask. I bet Carina would love to. She hasn't lived by the ocean for awhile, huh?"


"Nine?!!?" Came an offended cry, fur bristling in response to the taunt. How dare he!?
"SHUT UP GUNNAR!" Came an angry shout from her would-be trainer behind her. But neither got to make a come-back when the attack was announced and neither were really prepared for it. But Tensai was as he called, "You'll have to do better than that! Faber, Confusion!"

"Tooowl!" The owl called, his eyes glowing red as he stopped the on-coming hydro pump in it's tracks. But, they all seemed to of forgotten about the other battler in this fight, and with Noctowl distracted, he was now vulnerable to a very dangerous attack.
"THUNDERBOLT!"
Lightning graced the sky, hitting the owl head on. The bird gave a screeching cry of pain- unable to keep his concentration his psychic hold fell away.
"DAMN IT! BORVA, FLAMETHROWER!"
"TAAAILS!" This time fire swept the land as it hit Amphros instantly. Just after her attack hit, Sal's did as well, smashing into Noctowl and smacking in into the ground as well as hitting Borva, making her almost off balance.

As the water cleared away and soaked up into the ground, Borva rose to her feet and huffed, shaking herself out. Noctowl didn't, the poor owl twitching on the ground with swirls in his eyes. On the other side, Pharaoh also lay, not knocked out but grimacing at the heat of his burns and struggling to get to his feet while above them, Salamence flew proudly, still in great shape for the fight.
"Return!" Came two calls, Lucina recalling her Ampharos as Ten called back Faber, the boy frowning as he set the pokeball on his belt. Now who would he choose...?

Lucina had no such hesitations. "Saphira, let's go!" And in a burst of light, Sanyi nearly squealed again as the beautiful, dark-blue Dragonair appeared with an almost melodic cry, her body very snake-like in appearance.
Tensai viewed her with a worried frown. They were in trouble. Dragon types were resistant to fire, electric, water, and grass types... So he couldn't use Pepper, Lambert OR Napoleon. Faber was out. And Moxley was still recovering.
If only he had an ice type! Or a..... a........
That's it!!
"Charlie!" Tensai called with a grin, looking back to where his painter Pokemon was with the rest of his friends, smiling, "How about it?"
"Smear!" Came a happy call, the normal-type rushing forward eagerly and onto the field besides the still-wet Borva, sticking his tongue out to the two dragons.

[Rikugurl]

"Hahahaaa!" Riku laughed, seeing Reggie finally come back to his old self again. It even seemed to cheer up Lily. "Yea, it really has been awhile. I don't think living in Lavender Town and growing old is a good mix even if the Tower is for deceased Pokemon."
"Bre...." the Umbreon's ears suddenly hung low, knowing that was where his resting place would be. His ears perked again when the silverette rubbed his head and they turned to go inside the hotel.
Once in their room, Riku rested on the bed as Sora helped the few creatures out of their outfits he made them all wear. He continued to look at the brochure that Sora had handed back to him, reading other features that the resort had.

"Hey.... listen to this. It says 'Suicune is the protector of Sophian Island. This legendary provides all residence with the cleanest, clearest waters. There have been Suicune spotting around the Canal Ruins, which is beautiful for sight seeing.' That sounds pretty great, if you ask me. And oh! 'Aqua Resorts is very bird and Flying type friendly. Because Aqua Resorts is a warm place throughout the year and contains such clean waters from natural snow found on Mt. Sorbet, birds of all kind can be seen during different parts of the year.' I don't know about you, Sora but this sounds like a great place for our parents AND Pig---"

Riku paused, catching himself as he remembered a grim subject.
"I just have been feeling a bit lonely and depressed this week. I brought Pigeot to the center today and they said she would only last one week. Her heart isn't doing well and she can hardly fly anymore."
"Maybe... he could find a new friend there..."
Sora still didn't look confident about it though. "Well.... why don't you ask your brothers?"


"Mmmmmmmmmm~~~~" The redhead smiled as he felt the kiss, wrapping his arms around his husband's waist. "It was actually Moltres who saved your life... but I'll take the kiss for her~" He grinned, trying to lighten up the once horrible experience that happened so many years ago. Lips parted and a gentle, warm tongue ran along his lover's lips, pulling him into a more passionate kiss. The scythe headed wolf glanced up and rolled his red eyes when he saw just what they were doing. He was sort of glad his masters couldn't conceive or there would be more humans trying to pull at his tail! He was just about to clean himself, his white front paw coming up, expanding his blue claws and his tongue waiting to touch some fluff when an annoying ring filled the office.

A large TV on the other side of the room lit up and a Ninetales and Absol icon appeared, both of their heads swaying back and forth with music notes floating above. Someone was calling.
The two Haven workers glanced at each other before smiling, heading over to TV and pressed the "Accept" button.
They were a bit shocked to see a cheery looking face sudden fill up the camera but it was nice once in awhile. It wouldn't have been any fun if they had another rescue patient today.
"Hey Sora!" Axel greeted, waving to the TV.


"Oh man... we better watch out Luci~" Gunnar taunted, elbowing his sister teasingly as they saw Charlie walk up to the plate. "This mutt thinks he can take on our dragons~ Let's put him back into the dog house, Sal!" He snapped his fingers, giving Tensai a smirk. "Rain Dance!"
"OH COME ON!" Roxel cried in pure desperation as Bonnie and the rest quickly pulled their jackets or bags over their head while the dragon flew around in circles, making rain suddenly fall over the area. "Now heavy up and use Steel Wing!" Apparently 'heavy up' meant pulling his wings back, making it so it was hard to spot him now that the bright red wings weren't noticeable. Still, it was hard not to spot a HUGE dragon falling back down to earth.

The dragon's wings started to glow and he did a corkscrew, making the two opponents nervous since they weren't sure which one of them it was attacking. "LEFT!" A glowing wing came down, heading straight for Charlie!

[Reno]

"Why didn't I think of that!" Sora cried softly.
"That's why you married me sweetheart! You needed someone smart in your life!" Riku burst into laughter as his pillow was yanked away from him and he was hit repeatedly with it. From the floor, where Umbreon, Jolteon, Lily and Pikachu were eating (with a ghostly hand sneaking parts of their dishes without their notice) they only shook their heads, used to their masters' strange behavior.

But, after awhile, Sora decided to spare his lover. "Darling, you're lucky you're cute~" He dropped the pillow on his chest before crossing the room where the phone sat on the desk, dialing out to the rescue center. On the screen, a little Meowth was chasing after a ball of yarn, signaling he was waiting for someone to pick up. He didn't worry whether they were out on the field or not - Roxas and Axel always wore a radio on their belts when outside to get in-coming calls even when working with the animals, in case they were needed for an emergency.

Luckily, he didn't need to wait too long before two faces appeared on the screen.
"Hi!" Soran chirped cheerfully, waving back to his brother-in-law. "Long time no talk!"
"Hey, how was the funeral?" Roxas asked curiously.
The brunette chuckled, "It was a funeral Rox, how do you think it was?"
"....Depressing?"
"Bingo~ But Lily's doing alright. I think it really settled her to say Goodbye to him."
The blonde nodded in agreement. "It was a good idea." People often forgot just how alike Pokemon were to them emotionally. They needed closure just like everyone else. "So what's up?"
"Well, Riku and I went and saw Dad afterwards..."

From his tone, Roxas knew that this wasn't going to be a fun conversation. "...And?"
"Well Pidgeot isn't doing so well. And dad wants to find Kirlia a new home... and said he wanted to move into a retirement home. So, I said I'd ask if Kirlia could come and live with you guys if he wanted - she'd be a big help."


Tensai scoffed as his black hair flattened more against his skull, shivering some but his eyes narrowed as he heard the call, seeing the speedy dragon soar from the sky. "Charlie, get ready!" The beagle nodded, getting down on his haunches and as Sal came close - "JUMP! AND GRAB ON!"
Paint splattered on the ground as the Beagle hopped up and used his tail behind him to give him extra air, the wing missing him by a mile. Before Salamence could recover, feet landed on his head and paws gripped onto the two spiky 'ear-like' appendages on his head, and wrapped his long thin tail around his neck to ensure he wouldn't fall off easily.

During these actions, Lucina gave her own call, taking advantage of the rain dance "Aqua Tail!"
"Draaa!" Came a call, the serpentine Pokemon lifting herself into the air and gracefully flying up into the sky, the blue balls of her tail growing brightly before a strong spiral of water circled down towards the fox.
"Dodge it!" Roxy called, watching her fox make a run for it, the aqua tail so damaging it made grooves into the ground. But the girl was quick to counterattack. "Confuse Ray Borva!"
"Nine!" The fox called, looking up towards the Dragon and growling, her red eyes glowing and meeting the dragon-types.
"Nair....? Dra...Dragon!" The Dragonair shook in the air shaking her head, obviously affected by the move. She wasn't able to stay flying and came crashing to the ground.
"Saphira! Ugh, you'll pay for that Baretttes!"