Rising of a Guardian - Chapter 9

"Speech."

'Telepathy.'

Thoughts

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Latias gritted her teeth in frustration at the rotating set of floating rocks before her. Each mound of Earth was surrounded by a faint, pink psychic glow as they clumsily moved around in a circle, out of sync of one another by a large margin. Her head pounded against her skull with pain, begging her to give it a break from the immense amount of stress. Noctowl had called this one of the most beginner psychic lessons he could think of; Latias preferred the thought of shoving it down his beak as the perfect exercise for her to try out.

Said Pokémon was currently walking beside her along the beaten path, watching the exercise carefully for any possible mistakes or slip-ups. Latias has thought of trying to somehow hide her mistakes but she knew that nothing would ever escape those keen scarlet eyes of his. Especially under the blinding shine of the mid-afternoon sun.

The brief, momentary thought about Noctowl caused her psychic grip to shift ever so slightly on the rocks. The stones grazed each other for the briefest of seconds, causing a dangerous growl to escape her lips as she could already feel the piercing gaze of her mentor. Latias tried to hastily rectify her mistake but she knew it was already too late.

"Focus, Latias." Noctowl warned, narrowing his eyes at the flash of anger upon the dragoness' face. "Do not become distracted with your own powers. The gym leader warned us about using yours in such a haphazard and careless manner, and surely you remember what you did to her poor battleground."

Not be distracted? How could she not be distracted after what had just happened?

Team Rocket had just attacked her after four years from nearly killing her, her brother, and everything that she held dear. Four years of nightmares, four years of waiting, four years of preparing to see them once again. She had thought that despite all of this that she would be ready for when she would inevitably encounter them once again. Yet, in the face of their oppressive shadow, she had become frozen with absolute fear.

Too dumbstruck to even realize what was happening, her muscles refused to budge no matter how much she screamed at them to move. It was as if that scarlet letter "R" had completely overpowered her and shut down all of her bodily functions. Not only that, but she had to be embarrassingly carried off to safety by her friends while Pikachu was being kidnapped.

Latias was the sole reason that Pikachu had been stolen from them, and none of them could deny it.

This one simple fact angered her beyond any reasonable measure. She had come on this journey to grow more powerful, to become the guardian that Alto Mare and her friends needed her to be. But she was too consumed with her own personal fears and anxieties to even use them when she needed them most.

Latias' wings curled at her tips in rage as her claws flexed out to their maximum length. Her entire body felt on edge as she could already see herself tearing through those goon's Pokémon, proving to Ash that she wasn't going to sit by like some wimpy first stage evolution. The rocks within her psychic grip began to crack under the immense pressure she was beginning to put on them with the images of violence.

"Latias…" Noctowl said precariously, giving the enraged dragoness an expression of worry.

One of the eon Pokémon's long, feathery ears twitched at the voice but chose to ignore it. Instead, she delved deeper into her own thoughts.

To think she could have been so stupid to even let Team Rocket attack them! Every conceivable sign was being shoved into her head to get as far away from them as physically possible. But what had she done? She said nothing and let Ash, the one person who trusted her the most, to waltz straight into their trap.

Now everyone in the group was probably looking at her like some massive child that'll break down at the first sight of a fight. Her previous accomplishments meant nothing. Her bravery at Alto Mare, the scar she had received, all meant nothing at the end as she continued to cower in the presence of Team Rocket. Her battle at Santalune City was void now that she wouldn't even use this newfound fighting ability. Her running away from everything she knew to train might as well have never happened if she couldn't stay away from home for even a week.

I might as well just call home to Bianca and have her tell Latios to come and pick me up. Then I can have him hover over me for the rest of my existence and never leave the Secret Garden.

She bared her teeth, showing off her sharper fangs and canines. First, her brother wouldn't believe in her and soon her friends would quickly lose hope that she could ever be a guardian of Alto Mare.

The stones held within her grasp began to form large cracks upon their surface as her mind became fully consumed with rage and frustration.

Noctowl flapped his wings fearfully at the sight of Latias. "Latias! Drop the exercise, it's time for a break." He ordered quickly.

Latias didn't listen to him as all of her thoughts of anger and frustration were unleashed full force on the poor, defenseless rocks. The legendary power instantly crushed the rocks like tissue paper, turning the once rough exteriors into a fine powder as it sent out a small shock wave due to the sheer pressure. Gravity took hold as the dust fell to the ground, but not before a gentle wind sent it spinning into the air.

Latias stared at what she had just done in disbelief before letting out an exhausted sigh. She craned her neck down low to the ground, too tired to even pick herself up. Her head felt as if someone had gone full speed into her head with a gondola, the pain becoming all-encompassing as she desperately searched for some form of relief. Her breathing was hoarse and rash, like she had been traveling through a desert without water. The dragoness groaned as she stopped her flying and simply floated in place above the dirt road. Pulling from her legendary reserves had completely drained her of all her energy.

For how long she sat there she didn't know, but what Latias did know was the scent of fresh berries invading her nostrils. The enticing smell was enough to make her lunge out like a ravenous Snorlax, teeth gnashing as she scarfed down whatever food was in front of her. The multiple unique tastes of Oran berries, Leppa berries, and Pecha berries barely registered in the eon Pokémon's mind as she ran solely on her feral instincts.

With the last of the rejuvenating food gulped down her throat and her energy restored, she opened her amber eyes to the light of the serene world once more.

Only to come face to face with Noctowl, only centimeters away.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Latias let out a startled scream as she flailed her arms about wildly, stumbling awkwardly onto her side.

Noctowl tilted his head to the side curiously at her reaction, mumbling something under his breath. "Are you ok?" He asked, carefully observing his student for any outward injuries. When she did not respond he let out a small grunt and folded his wing back over his body. "You had a large outburst of energy back there, didn't seem to take it very well so I brought you some berries."

Latias' wings flared up in agitation as she growled to herself, her cheeks becoming red with embarrassment. To think she had let herself be so controlled by her own anger. She glanced around and spotted everyone else several steps ahead of them, though they had now turned around at the sudden interruption of the dragoness' scream.

First was Clemont, who was trying to assess what had gone wrong with Latias to see if there was any reason for her outburst. Next was Serena and Bonnie, they had worry written all over their faces as they looked on at her, unsure of what they could do to help in the situation. The worst to see, and who she could barely look in the eyes, was Ash. His face was a whirlwind of emotions from distraught, confused, worried, angry, sad, relieved and probably a hundred others that she would never even be able to name.

Had she become so distracted by her own thoughts that she had forgotten about everyone around her?

"Latias!" Ash called out as he dropped what he was doing and broke into a full-on sprint towards her. Bonnie, seemingly snapping out of whatever trance she had put herself into, carried her smaller legs forward in a vain attempt to catch up with Ash.

The eon Pokémon held a claw over her heart, an intense feeling of warmth washed over her body at the sight of the two humans. She needed some form of comfort to get these thoughts of anger out of her mind, yet she could hardly pick her own head up as she looked down out of disgrace.

Noctowl held up one of his wings to stop Ash in his path. "I can assure you that I have the situation completely under control. Go back to tracking Team Rocket and I will have Latias back up in no- squawk!" He let out a shocked caw as Ash pushed through his winged barrier.

"Sorry, pal!" Ash apologized, continuing his dash towards the prone dragoness before sliding next to her form. Latias tried to fold her wings over her body to hide herself from view, but Ash gently moved a hand over to her paw and grabbed it reassuringly.

Noctowl rolled his eyes at his headstrong trainer. "Or you can just throw yourself into the conversation as well, that works perfectly fine." He muttered, folding his wings back against his body.

"Wait for me!" Bonnie cried out as she nearly jumped forward onto the much larger dragoness' belly. Latias let out a gasp of shock as the smaller human threw herself onto her, wrapping her tiny arms as far as they could around her back and nuzzling into the crux of her neck. "I told everyone that we should be with you but they said that you needed 'space' or whatever they were talking about." She said with disdain.

Latias forced a small smile to grace her lips at Bonnie's comment. She could never bring her heart to shove the young girl off of her stomach, so she begrudgingly accepted the hug.

Ash gently caressed one of her claws as Latias embraced Bonnie with the other. They stayed silent for a few moments, letting the red dragoness relax and calm down from her sudden outburst. "Latias," Ash started. "You have got to tell me what's going on with you. You seem like a completely different person ever since we left Santalune City. You've been barely talking to anyone, closed off in your own thoughts, and not acting like… like Latias."

When Ash finished his words all Latias could do was sit there in silence. Her heart was screaming at her to tell him what was wrong, to let out all of her repressed feelings of anger and frustration. However, the shame and despair of her defeat weighed too heavily on her mind.

Bonnie tightened her embrace around the dragoness' neck, digging into the nearly invisible feathers that coated her body. "You can tell us anything, Latias. I promise we won't judge you for it." She comforted.

Ash appeared to be connecting the dots in his head, then his brown eyes widened as a light bulb finally went off. He tilted his cap up and looked straight into her golden eyes. "This is about Pikachu being kidnapped, isn't it?" He inquired, already knowing the answer to his question.

The dragoness only nodded her head weakly. 'Yes, it is.' She whispered telepathically into their minds.

Latias already knew that they wouldn't be mad. Despite all of her thoughts, everyone was simply too nice to ever actually scold her for being weak or disappointing. Yet, her own pride told her that was the case. She had to prove herself to them for respect, no matter how much their supportive attitudes told her otherwise.

"Oh Latias," Ash said, giving her a genuine and sincere smile. "You don't need to worry about those guys, I already told you that I've dealt with them for years now at this point." He reached out and ran his fingers through one of her great, fluffy ears."Staraptor has probably found them at this point and is flying back to tell us all about it."

"Yeah!" Bonnie interjected ecstatically, shooting up from her belly. "Then we can all go in and beat those guys up for stealing Pikachu!" She exclaimed. The young girl made a few punches into the air, trying to show what she thought she was going to be doing.

Latias and Ash giggled at her enthusiasm, the dragoness finding just that small spark of happiness from her youthful vigor.

"I don't know about that," Ash explained, standing up and letting go of Latias' claw much to her disappointment. "I doubt Clemont will want to put you anywhere close to danger, and I'm not about to disagree with his opinions of safety concerning his own sister." The comment brought a frown to Bonnie's face.

"What do you mean I can't help you guys out!" She argued, stomping her foot down onto the ground. "I've helped out plenty with everything else, at least let me watch!" Latias let out a small sigh while shaking her head, she knew Clemont would not budge an inch on this.

The inventor walked over to the commotion and crossed his arms at his sister. "We're not bringing you along, Bonnie. Me and Ash have already come up with plans for how we are going to engage Team Rocket." Said trainer appeared to be making a hand motion for him to cut it off but he wasn't paying attention. "You will be staying with Latias whenever we make camp while we go out and rescue Pikachu."

The words echoed through her mind whenever he said this, over and over again like the incessant ticking of a watch. Her blood began to boil with anger once more, forgetting all the sadness and shame that she had felt just moments before. Flames danced within her eyes as she slowly floated over to the poor Ash who was cowering under her gaze. 'You were going to do WHAT WITH ME!' Her voice escalating as she screamed into his mind.

Her psychic voice radiated amongst the group, even managing to terrify a group of Fletchlings not too far away as they quickly flew out of their nest. Ash held up a hand as he regained some of his confidence, cautiously moving towards Latias. "There's no need to be angry about all of this Latias. I'm putting you off to the side for your own safety, not to antagonize you."

This only managed to further her anger as she growled at her human trainer. 'Yet you want to keep me out of the one battle to prove myself despite you saying multiple times how you can easily handle these criminals no problem!' She lashed out, draconic energy beginning to sizzle off of her claws.

Ash motioned Clemont and Serena back who had walked a bit forward to see what was going on between the eon pokémon and himself. "You wouldn't even be able to fight them, Latias." The pokémon trainer explained, bringing his full attention back to the dragoness. "I don't care how idiotic I think these crooks are, I'm not allowing any possibility for you to reveal yourself." He stood his ground against the legendary Pokémon despite the danger she was attempting to project.

Latias shoved her face into his, bringing them nose to nose in an attempt to intimidate the much smaller human into backing down. 'Then let me do something, anything! I'd rather sit there and watch then be a coward hunkering in the camp while everyone goes to fight my battles for me!' Her judgment was becoming cloudy like before.

"Ash!" Clemont called out, struggling to keep his glasses from falling off his face from fear. "Maybe we should let Latias watch to help her to get over her fear of Team Rocket faster?" He suggested as he struggled to tear his gaze away from her sharp, energy-fueled claws. Ash didn't respond, prompting to ignore the comment and focus solely on Latias.

"We can't have you panicking like that again, Latias." Ash countered, the determined and calm look in his eyes not faltering one bit. "We won't be able to help you if you fall out of the sky while we are battling Team Rocket. There's too much of a risk for them to see you."

Latias rolled her eyes at Ash. 'It was one time and they came out of nowhere, it'll just be like that one time with the bugs.' She snarled, pointing a claw into his chest and applying a slight amount of pressure. 'I just freak out the first time I see them then I'm completely fine afterward.' The eon Pokémon was fixed on getting what she wanted no matter what.

Bonnie stepped forward towards Ash. "Just let her do it! She'll never get over her fear if she doesn't fight against it anyway!" She exclaimed while exasperatedly throwing her hands into the air as if it was obvious. Clemont glared at his sister's intrusion into the argument, looking about ready to scold her once again.

Ash advanced, pushing Latias' head back slightly as her claw against him faltered. "There's a massive difference between a calm and organized battle where the only stakes are pride versus a rescue operations against a well known criminal organization that will stop at nothing to capture you." He stated, giving the dragoness a stern look. "Word of an untrained legendary can spread like wildfire in the criminal underworld, you have to be prepared to take them on!"

Latias felt tears forming in the pits of her amber orbs. 'You said you trusted me, that you trusted my own opinion and would let me do whatever I want.' Her voice was cracking as she said this, unable to hold in all of her pent up emotions. She flicked her claw back off Ash's chest and ignited it with draconic energy, making Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena flinch violently at the action. But not Ash. 'You were supposed to be different from my brother!' The eon pokémon practically screamed into his fragile mind.

The earth itself seemed to stand still as silence fell across the land. The rustling of the leaves, once so prevalent in the blowing breeze, had fallen deathly still. The calls of wild Pokémon had been long scared off by the enraged dragoness as she unleashed her fury amongst the group. A rumbling thunder up ahead broke through the everlasting silence, clouds of darkness consuming the rest of the sun's shining light. Thoughts of fear and panic were all around Latias, the only one standing up against her hatred was Ash.

Inside of him was a turbulent amount of emotions, yet he remained calm in the face of the ever-present danger. Serena crying out for Ash to not go closer while Clemont pulled out a pokéball in terror, yet Ash still dared to step forward. Latias continued shooting daggers out of her eyes, flaring up her wings and form to make herself as large and intimidating as a legendary should be, to wipe away any thoughts of coming closer to her. Ash continued his advance and, in the blink of an eye, he quickly reached out and clutched her razor-sharp Dragon Claw. The power instantly fizzling out as he made contact with it.

"I know you won't hurt me, Latias."

As the words left Ash's lips, she yanked her paw out of his grasp with the expectation that Ash would hold on. Yet, he simply let her go and continued to give her that calm and understanding gaze.

Why did he have to be so right! She shrieked within her own mind. Can't you see that I need to do this? That I didn't come here to be babied like I was in Alto Mare?!

Ash moved his hand towards her face and gently laid them on her cheeks, tilting her head towards himself. "I'm not doing this to hinder your training, Latias." He said softly. "I want to help you, I really do, but my number one priority has been to keep you safe and protected from harm. You entrusted that to me and I intend to keep that promise to you."

Latias stayed silent, angry tears rolling down her face as she stared into the sea of chocolate that was Ash's eyes. 'You promised to train me, to make me the most powerful legendary there ever was. Not to guard me.' She swatted away his hand, her scar beginning to ache with pain. 'And that's exactly what my brother told me, and look at where that has gotten me.' She finished, gesturing around her.

"I-" Latias didn't listen as she roughly pushed by Ash and continued down the road. Tears continued to roll down the dragoness' face as she feebly attempted to wipe them away with her claws.

Latias' whole body ached down to her very soul. It was a deep pit of emptiness and despair that she had dug herself into, unable to find a way to crawl out. She knew that Bonnie had run alongside her with Clemont calling her back, yet she had no response to the situation. Bonnie, Ash, and just about everything else seemed to fade away from her reality as she was left cold and alone.

The ice cold rain droplets barely registered in her mind while she floated aimlessly down the path. Darkness fell over the land as lighting zipped between the waves of darkness, thunder following not too shortly afterward. Bonnie's small arms gripped one of her loose claws tightly, another strike of lightning off in the distance as the winds from Lugia herself threatened to blow them over. However, none of this mattered to Latias.

For her journey to become a guardian of Alto Mare may have ended well before it had even began.

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Pikachu tapped his foot impatiently inside his makeshift prison with a scowl. The thudding of his foot echoed through the container, his sensitive ears becoming increasingly annoyed with the repetitive sound.

Ya know, they really went all out in the space department with this cage. He thought bitterly to himself.

He wished he could say that was the case, but the cage could be compared in size to the average cardboard box. The small, transparent cube barely allowed him to fully stand up on his hind legs. His ears continuously brushed up against the roof of the cage and it annoyed him way more than it should have. Some might think to sit down but that created new problems as he couldn't even stick his tiny feet out without bumping into the adjacent wall. His tail had nowhere to go so he was either forced to wrap it around himself or have the ever feeling of the prison pressing up against him.

So, he was forced to try position after position to make himself comfortable. Some poses actually worked a bit, but most tended to make him feel like he slept on a rock for eight days straight. He was half tempted to start beating the box with Iron Tail or shocking it till it hopefully opened. However, this seemed to agitate the electric mouse more than actually doing anything to the prison.

Pikachu finally rolled his eyes and sat down, bringing his knees up to his chest as he looked on at his trio of captors. At least I have live entertainment with these hooligans. A small smirk came about him as a half-hearted chuckle escaped his lips.

The three clowns that had managed to capture him, two humans and a Meowth that could speak the human tongue, were currently dancing around a campfire and singing praises to their precious boss. Their dance was ridiculous and their songs more so, but did they care? No. They acted like they had found all the pokédollars in the world with their cowardly heist. Each criminal had a look of exuberant joy on their faces, wrapping their arms around each other and laughing to their heart's content.

Pikachu hadn't bothered to look at where they were heading when he had been kidnapped. He had been slapping himself in the face one too many times for being fooled by the same exact trick Team Rocket had pulled a thousand times over. The terrified look on Latias' face should have told them everything, along with the poor disguises that Team Rocket wore in all of their schemes.

Perhaps this way just Arceus telling him and Ash to stop being so oblivious, but this was a minor annoyance if anything so it didn't matter much. He would just wait it out like he always had, have Ash rescue him and then blast Team Rocket only to see them once again. The eternal constant struggle in the universe between them. Yin and yang, push and pull, and whatever other universal struggles he could later come up with in his head.

Pikachu groaned, trying to find something to fill in the gap that boredom had created. There was no use in worrying at this point, Staraptor or Noctowl had probably already found him by this point. He already guessed in his mind what Ash was going to do to save him, even the most unpredictable of trainers could be predicted with enough time and patience. Shocking the box would only serve to make him tired, and he sure as hell didn't want to sleep in this thing.

So that left one thing for him to do: annoy Team Rocket.

"Hey, imbeciles!" Pikachu called out, bringing his paws close to his mouth as if it would amplify the sound. "At least be good hosts and give me some food for crying out loud!" He slapped the cage with a light Iron Tail for added effect.

His voice and the slight rattling of his prison seemed to grab their attention as they stopped dancing and looked over in his general direction. Somehow, the expressions on their faces didn't seem to put two and two together that it was their captive yellow mouse.

Pikachu rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner. "Over here you piles of rocks!" He yelled, kicking the prison but instantly regretting it as cried out due to the pain. "Mother of Arceus!" He grumbled, holding his small foot due to the pain.

James pointed a finger at the currently suffering Pikachu. "I think the twerp's Pikachu wants to talk to us." He inquired.

Pikachu gritted his teeth. Way to figure it out, genius!

Meowth got an evil grin and jumped near his capsule, leaning against it while giving him the smuggest, most overconfident look he could. "What do you want, Pikachu? We got a big day ahead of ourselves when we personally deliver you to the big boss tomorrow, so make it quick." He spat in his thick accent.

The electric mouse stood up, ignoring the pain in his foot, and lightly sparked his cheeks at Meowth. "Fat chance you'll ever get even close to that happening. When I get out of here you can start Team Rocket's goal of stretching out to the stars by setting a base on the moon."

The brief thought of being blasted off once again sent a wave of fear through Meowth, however, he shook his head and banged on the transparent cage. "You're never getting out of this thing, shock and electric resistant glass coupled with rubber sealing means you are never leaving that thing with outside help." He replied smugly. Pikachu smirked and sent out a current of electricity through the box, making Meowth leap back out of shock.

"Stop humoring the twerp's pokémon!" Jessie ordered, walking over with the amount of sass someone of her age shouldn't have. "We've already caught him, no use in arguing with him until we deliver him to the big boss for his new orders." She said with a mischievous smile.

New orders? Pikachu snorted at the mere thought that he would listen to these goons. After all this time of trying to catch him, were they really so stupid as to believe he would simply obey every order they gave him? He would rather be possessed by the Red Orb again then listen to them, not that he would really enjoy it.

The yellow rodent shook his foot and stood up, slamming his two paws against the glass. "What makes you guys even think that I'll listen to you? If you bring me to your boss I'll just take all of you out myself!"

Meowth glared at Pikachu's defiance. "Oh, we have ways to make little rats like you listen." He replied, showing off his claws as an obvious threat towards him. "You started this whole mess with Team Rocket and you're going to fix it for us whether you like it or not."

Pikachu stared dumbfoundedly at him. "How is this my fault?!" He asked, pointing an accusing finger towards them. "It's not my fault that your criminal empire was filled with enough idiots whose asses could easily be kicked off the street by a ten year old!" He growled, bashing the cage with an Iron Tail once more.

Meowth became flustered as his two partners in crime looked on in confusion. "I don't care what you twerps can do or if it's your fault! You are still going to fix all of this!" He responded, growing more and more angry by the second.

Pikachu groaned and facepalmed at their plan. "So let me get this straight." He began in an exhausted voice. "Hypothetically, I get captured by you three and you guys managed to get me to work for your side, yeah? How for the love of Arceus am I going to single-handedly revive your collapsed criminal empire?"

Meowth did not respond.

"Maybe!" Pikachu continued with mockery. "I am going to go to your hardened criminal boss and he will just be so impressed by seeing this awesome Pikachu that he will revive Team Rocket. Thousands of former members will flock straight out of their prisons and regroup for the next big operation. After, of course, your big boss manages to recover the millions of pokédollars he lost during the many failed operations to try and capture legendary Pokémon with no reward." He finished, giving them a look of absolute, pure disbelief.

Meowth crossed his arms and turned his head away from Pikachu as if he wasn't worthy to see the cat's face. "It isn't the best plan, but at least it is a plan!" He spoke through his accent, his voice betraying the belief he had in his own plan.

Pikachu sighed, his ears down with pity as he held a calm hand against the glass. "Just give it up guys, Team Rocket is dead." He said, almost feeling a little sorry for them. "You've been chasing after me and Ash for five years now at this point, just go into retirement or whatever it is you humans do."

Meowth narrowed his eyes. "Go into retirement, what do you think we are? A bunch of normal people?" He asked dangerously as his two human companions nodded in agreement.

"Yes." Pikachu said bluntly. The trio had to get money for their equipment and robots somehow, and it certainly wasn't from any actual criminal activity or mischief. He was pretty sure that the three clowns could be excellent entrepreneurs if they actually put some time into it.

Jessie growled and shook her frizzled pink hair. "What sort of petty insults is the twerp's Pokémon trying to throw at us this time?!" She screamed, looking about ready to start shaking the small container and the poor Pokémon contained within.

"He's calling us a bunch of normal people!" Meowth exclaimed with a wave of his paw. "Pikachu here doesn't realize that he is looking at some of the baddest, most hardcore criminals that you can find on this planet. If anyone is gonna bring back Team Rocket, it is going to be us."

James raised a fist into the air excitedly. "Yeah, and that twerp will never be able to find us with the foolproof plan we pulled off back in the city!" He stated with confidence.

Pikachu looked up and was hoping the dark, cloudy sky above him would provide some sort of break from these fools blabbering. Low and behold, the familiar red crest of Staraptor stood out amongst the grey rain clouds, hovering a ways distance above them but his sharp bird eyes could hopefully see Pikachu easily. The electric mouse let out a small chuckle at the sight, finding the irony a little too convenient even for himself. Taking one last glance at the trio of goons, he shooed the predator pokémon away while they were distracted.

Staraptor nodded his head and folded his wings tightly up against his body, diving out of sight at mach speed before anyone dared to look up. Thunder rumbled off in the distance as a single drop of rain fell upon Pikachu's cage. The mouse's cheeks sparked in anticipation for the storm and, while the lighting was something he enjoyed, he knew most flying types hated it with a passion beyond anything on this Earth.

"Safe flying, bird brain." He muttered tiredly, sitting down as Team Rocket continued to ramble on and on about how great of criminals they were. Promptly ignoring that their actions didn't seem to really back this up.

Meowth raised an eyebrow at his hushed speaking. "What'd you say?" He asked, tapping his claw against the glass a few times.

Pikachu rubbed his paws on his temples, just wanting to sleep at this point. "I said you guys may be idiots but at least you are loyal idiots." He replied. "I bet Giovanni could throw you under Groudon himself and you would still follow his every order. Not that you would still be alive anyways."

The greedy cat didn't hesitate to pound his own chest twice with pride. "Team Rocket isn't kind and it certainly is rocky, but it's the only family we got." He responded, narrowing his eyelids. "I'm sure you would do anything for your family no matter how flawed it was. You and your twerp trainer should at least know that bit, if he was smart he would have given you up to us a long time ago." He said, turning around and walking off. "I'm done with ya, you're only making this situation worse for the both of us."

James kneeled down in front of the transparent box. "Heh, make yourself comfortable, rat." He said, cackling evilly as he innocently waved a hand. "It's going to be a long trip and it hasn't even begun yet." He and Jessie strolled away as they laughed to themselves at Pikachu's suffering.

The electric mouse let out a groan and rolled his eyes, getting sick of their ridiculous antics. He couldn't wait for their momentary success to crumble underneath their own feet. With the big organization of Team Rocket gone, they would slowly run out of supplies until one day, just maybe, they wouldn't be constantly attacking them. Being able to live a life carefree of them, without having to worry which shopkeeper was going to try and capture him or what robot was going to come tumbling out of the woods.

Pikachu knew how far away that day was, but he held onto the hope that one day they would give up. Despite knowing how sore he would be, he closed his eyes to get some shut eye and prepared himself for his inevitable rescue. With the brewing storm not too far away, it was almost certain that Team Rocket wouldn't be making any hasty departures anytime soon. They were dumb but they certainly weren't that dumb.

Pikachu could have been worried about more pressing matters but all he could think about was if his rescue would be more interesting than his capture.

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The rain came down in torrential torrents against the soft cloth of their tent, battering against it like a thousand thrashing hands. Each gust of wind threatened to blow over the recklessly put together pegs as each blow became stronger than the last. Flashes of lightning briefly illuminated the outside skyline for a split second, only for the ear-deafening crash to follow milliseconds later as it struck somewhere nearby. The flashlight they had propped up was only providing just enough light in the cramped space for Ash to see what was going on his companion's faces.

Clemont and Serena shared the same look upon their features but for different reasons. Serena looked terrified at the lighting storm, each strike making her flinch violently as she cowered her brand new pokéball close to her chest. One of the few things she had neglected to tell them was her fear of lightning, it had made setting up the tent that much more difficult with one less hand to help them.

Clemont's azure eyes could only stare on in fear between the small crack of the tent that led to the outside world. His whole body was tense, his jumpsuit still soaked from the storm, and the constant tinkering with inventions was for once absent from his hands. Bonnie was out of his care, in the clutches of someone he seemed to trust less than Serena, who he had only known for less than a day.

Staraptor continuously shook and ruffled his feathers, trying to get the stray bits of water that had stuck themselves to his body on his return flight. He appeared more miffed than anything in Ash's eyes, his permanent scowl and constant mumbling indicated a sense of annoyance that had built up within him.

The predator pokémon had been the bearer of good news that they needed. He revealed that Team Rocket wasn't too far away and they had been grounded by the storm that was now battering at their shelter. All they had to do was travel a few more kilometers and they could camp out right underneath their noses. Ash couldn't have been more grateful for his work, he had been non-stop flying since the moment he was summoned out of his pokéball. He wanted to repay Staraptor in some way for his actions but nothing could ever come to his mind.

The globe trotter had hoped that this would have been the end of all their issues with going in, fighting Team Rocket, and making them blast off again. But that could not have been further from the truth.

Latias, alongside Bonnie, were missing from inside the safety of the tent. The two had taken it upon themselves in either an act of defiance or pure stubbornness to wait out in the rain while everyone else stayed dry. It had made both Ash and Clemont worried sick as the two were left with nothing but themselves to survive in the harsh cold night. Sure, Noctowl was out there but he highly doubted that they would use the owl pokémon as some sort of makeshift umbrella.

Clemont's leg shook anxiously as he continued to stare in the same exact spot, struggling to keep his glasses situated on his face. He did not seem to trust Latias at all after her argument with Ash, nor was he very pleased with the fact that Bonnie had decided to join alongside her.

Ash let out a sigh, the inventor had made it no secret how much he was displeased with the red dragoness being his younger sister's only form of protection. He knew the only way to rescue Pikachu tonight in this dreadful storm was to calm his terrors of Latias. There was no way Ash was going to bring Latias along with Bonnie on a mission against Team Rocket.

Ash reached over and gently tapped Clemont's shoulder, successfully grabbing his attention. "Latias isn't going to hurt Bonnie, Clemont." He said, making it short and honest. "I doubt she would ever hurt anyone of us out of malice, let alone her pseudo sibling."

Clemont rolled his eyes behind his glasses, turning his head to look out the crack in the tent once more. "Says the one who nearly got himself cleaved in two by the exact same legendary pokémon." He replied, gripping his fists tightly together.

"Latias isn't like that." Ash hissed, narrowing his eyes. "She has done plenty to help us out with training and taking care of Bonnie, that all can't be ruined based on one bad experience with her." The trainer felt a little insulted that Clemont would judge Latias based off of that. He had known the dragoness for four years, granted he had been away from her, but her character still stuck with him. To say she was now all of the sudden angry and rage-filled was borderline blasphemy.

Clemont gave Ash a sideways look, his posture becoming rigid like a machine. "And what if you didn't know who Latias was? What if the only opinions of her you had were strangers you've known a week and your sibling's safety was on the line?" He inquired not too pleased.

Ash's expression became one of hurt as he found the ground to be more favorable to look at. "Do you not trust me?" He asked, unsure if he wanted to hear the true answer. He had felt a level of trust build amongst everyone but did Clemont not feel the same way?

"It's not that, I just…" The inventor didn't know how to respond.

"Let's not try to get too heated about this, boys," Serena interjected, brushing her tangled, long blonde locks. "I think we should trust Ash on this matter, he hasn't failed us now on anything and he is the most experienced out of all of us." She stated, giving Ash a beaming smile along with a confident thumbs up.

Only the sound of the rain pattering against the tent was heard as silence overtook them. Clemont turned around and attempted to study every little detail about her. "You've barely been with us for a day and you're claiming that? I think I would have more knowledge of this matter than you would at this point." He claimed, slightly adjusting their light to better cover the rest of their shelter.

"But… you aren't denying it, are you?" She said, waving a finger as her soul slightly jumped out of her body from the roar of another strike of lighting. "And I would prefer to rescue Ash's Pokémon before this whole thing somehow gets worse!" She admitted through clenched teeth.

Clemont paused for a brief moment of deliberation, becoming as still as a statue. Ash prayed that the urgent situation of Pikachu would convince him to accept Latias and Noctowl to protect Bonnie while they were gone from the camp. At least Serena came to his defense, in the end, she must have really wanted to get out of this storm.

Serena let out a nervous laugh. "Uhh, two to one overruled?" She suggested with an unsure shrug of her shoulders.

The inventor seemed about ready to crack underneath the weight that burdened him. The ravaging storm outside doing little to quell his fears about his younger sibling's safety from the rain. Finally, he let out a groan of defeat and slouched down, closing his eyes and hung his head close to the ground.

"At least get Bonnie safe in the tent, we'll move as soon as you do that." He moaned, pulling out one of his pokéballs and checking over it's smooth, reflective surface. "After that we are rescuing Pikachu and getting back here as fast as we physically can. No exceptions."

Ash gave him a reassuring smile, greatly relieved that Clemont appeared to be fine with the decision. "Don't worry, I wouldn't trust anyone else with her safety than Latias." The trainer said in a vain attempt to dispel his terrors.

"Yeah, whatever," Clemont muttered under his breath. "Go talk with Latias, I'm sure she will listen to you more than me." He motioned a hand towards the exit of the tent, out into the raging torrent of the storm.

Ash nodded and stood up, walking over to the exit and pulling back the flap. He took in a deep breath and as he was about to leave he got an idea went off like a light bulb inside his head. He turned around to face their newest companion, stilling trying to get her frizzled hair under control.

"Hey, Serena, want to come with me?" He asked, motioning his head towards the outside world.

The young Kalosian girl looked with up with the excitement of someone half her age. She seemed about ready to jump up onto her feet to join alongside him, until a bolt of lighting struck barely ten meters out from their camp. She let out a shrill scream of terror and curled up into a ball, the sound of the lighting striking making Ash's ears ring as even he flinched slightly. She held her knees close to her chest and her chin atop her knees.

"Nope, nope, nope. I'm fine." She quickly got out, covering her hands over her ears.

Ash covered his mouth as a muffled laugh managed to barely leave it. How she would be able to survive on a team where his best friend often used thunderbolt out of nowhere would be beyond him. She was probably a strong enough girl to get over it… just like Latias was. But it would take some time, of course, they would all have to get stronger in order to face their fears eventually.

Reaching over and grabbing an umbrella from a pile tucked off into the corner of the tent, he stepped outside. Almost instantly the rain pounded against his clothes, skin, hair, and hat as it was relentless in its downpour. He struggled to unfurl the umbrella but managed to successfully, though still leaving him soaked head to toe as if he had jumped straight into the ocean. His brown eyes scanned the tree line before lying upon a red and white outline, standing out brightly amongst the muted and dark colors.

Latias only sat a few meters away from the tent, able to reach it in mere seconds if any trouble managed to arise. Lighting was the only source of light out here, briefly illuminating the clouds high above and the forest down below. The hundreds of trees, all of varying sizes and species, whipped their branches and leaves around in the violent gusts of the storm. Even the ancient and sturdy trunks swayed through the immense might of the wind. The rain drowned out any other sound, not the calls of wild Pokémon nor the rustling of leaves broke through the overpowering noise.

It was a raging storm of pure chaos, yet Latias seemed calm throughout it all. The whole scene felt even serene and peaceful. Not one part of the dragoness' body looked tense or on edge, her posture was very relaxed as her wings wrapped around a small form held within her grasp. Only a brief flash of lightning illuminated them which showed Bonnie's short, blonde hair. She was held in an almost motherly embrace from the legendary Pokémon, fast asleep in the disorder and anarchy of this force of nature.

Ash didn't know for how long he stared at the two of them but he quickly came to realize Latias' beautiful, golden eyes locked straight onto him. There was no anger and frustration like before, only a neutral gaze while she shifted her hold on the human in her clutches. Those seas of amber called out to him. They begged him to come closer and tell the Eon Pokémon what she so desperately needed to hear. However, Ash knew that he couldn't submit on his own position.

Protecting Latias was his goal, even if she wouldn't have liked it. He could never bring himself to see fear control her. Not like what happened at Alto Mare, not like what happened in the forest, and not like what had happened in Santalune City. She may hate him now but… she had to get stronger physically in order to face these fears. Right?

Taking in a deep breath and twirling the umbrella slightly, Ash slowly moved towards the red dragoness not too far away. His shoes squelching in the muddy grass barely registered to him as he became focused on Latias and Latias alone. He tried to think of what to say but nothing ever sounded good in his head. The trainer gulped, feeling a tightness in his throat, he was now standing barely even a meter away from her.

Maybe she does really hate me. Ash wondered, the dragoness staying completely still as the rain fell upon her soaked body. He noticed that Bonnie did not have a single drop on her, she was as dry as a desert. His nerves felt completely on edge, on fire, as his mind was trying to distract him from the topic at hand. Why isn't she saying anything!

The human trainer tried to loosen the collar of his jacket while straying his gaze away from her amber eyes. He wished this storm would just blow itself away, leaving just him and Latias instead of the unbearable noise of rain falling. The rain… maybe he could start out with a comment about the weather… what was he thinking? It's quite obvious what the weather was!

He paced a little in place before taking a deep breath, in and then out. Just remember all the good times you had together, both in Alto Mare and in Kalos. This thought calmed his nerves as he looked back at Latias, preparing to speak from his heart. Then, he opened his mouth to break the silence.

"You're wet."

…

…

...

...What?

Ash tried to have a neutral expression as Latias scanned him with a raised eyebrow. Of all the things to say, I say that. He was internally panicking. How was she supposed to react to a comment like that? How was he supposed to respond to her reaction to his comment? He had taken whatever seriousness was in the air, crumpled it up like tissue paper, and thrown it in the dumpster.

Latias blinked and Ash blinked. She blinked, he blinked. They both blinked.

Latias smiled.

Ash didn't know what else to do but smile as well.

Latias' smile grew wider.

So did Ash's grow as well.

Latias began to giggle, snickering with the kind of innocence that only she could have.

Ash followed suit, barely even able to contain his own chuckles.

Soon the dragoness and human were both bellowing with laughter as they wholeheartedly submitted themselves to the absurdity. They couldn't stop, they wouldn't stop as they both craned their necks back and continued to laugh and laugh. The tension between the two was sliced in half like a hot knife through butter.

Ash wiped away a few tears from his eyes as he struggled to hold himself, nearly dropping the umbrella when he moved to put a hand on his knee to support himself. Whether it was Latias that made him laugh or himself he didn't care, all that mattered was the two enjoying the moment. He looked up to see Latias giving him the dumbest grin he had ever seen anyone produce.

'Come over here and-' She said, struggling to form a coherent sentence. '-And give me the umbrella then you dork.' She got out in between a laugh, waving him over with a claw while still uncontrollably giggling to herself. Her body continued to rock itself with laughter, the girl on her chest somehow not waking up.

Ash obeyed the legendary Pokémon's demands and held the umbrella over her, shielding her from the harsh, unending rain. He collapsed next to her and sat down, not caring about the fact that the mud would horribly stain his pants. The two stayed there for a minute or two, still amusing themselves with Ash's out of nowhere comment.

"Hehe." Ash felt a shiver go down his spine as Latias laugh rang through his ears like an entire orchestra of musicians. 'Heh, you're wet?' She asked him telepathically. Ash felt himself blush as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. The dragoness only continued to laugh. 'I mean, it's not the worst way to open up a conversation.'

"It was the first thing that came to mind." Ash admitted, snickering to himself while Latias nudged her head into the crux of his neck. It dampened his already wet skin as she continued to find a position that made herself the most comfortable. Despite how cold Latias felt, he was so unbelievably warm while he was in her presence.

'Well it is quite obvious that both of us are currently soaked.' The dragoness replied, her voice filling the air with mirth. She leaned her body against his, laying a paw across his chest. 'So is the appropriate response for me to say that you are wet as well? Or do I need to find some other obvious fact to point out?' She teased, tapping a claw against his chest softly.

Ash shook his head. "Nah, that's perfectly fine." He said. The trainer leaned back against the rough bark of the tree and let out a tired yawn. He had been up all morning and, with how much they had been traveling, he was exhausted.

Latias sighed a deep and longing sigh, breaking the silence as she looked up at his tanned face with despair. 'You're still not going to let me help you against Team Rocket, aren't you?' She asked, the tone in her voice signaling she already knowing the answer to her question. The human's smile faltered as his embarrassed blush faded into nothingness.

Ash eventually nodded, gently hugging the dragoness' head against his neck. "Yeah, we were planning to head out but Clemont wanted to get Bonnie back into the tent." The trainer whispered, trying to not wake up the sleeping child. "I was hoping that you along with Noctowl would watch her while we rescued Pikachu."

Latias averted her gaze from her human companion. 'So I'm being reduced to a babysitter now?' She grumbled, her ears flattening themselves against her head in sorrow. Ash wasn't sure if he was seeing water droplets still stuck against her cheeks or tears rolling down them from her eyes.

"I'm not gonna make you Bonnie's permanent babysitter." Ash stated, nudging her with a shoulder reassuringly. "First of all, I don't think Clemont would ever let me and secondly, I still have to train you and make you grow stronger. If you had to watch over Bonnie and keep her from trouble then you would never have time to practice your moves or skills." He finished with a laugh, wrapping an arm around her long, feathery neck and scratching behind one of her fluffy ears.

The eon Pokémon struggled against his embrace as Bonnie shifted in her sleep from all the movement. She soon fully submitted to Ash's pets, closing her eyes and leaving herself completely at his mercy. 'But I have to fight Team Rocket.' She moaned. 'You're taking away one of my best training opportunities yet, to fight against the organization that nearly killed me!'

Ash nodded his head in understanding. "I know, but there is a very fine line that I have to draw between protecting you and giving you new experiences." He explained, patting her head lightly. "If I hide you too much you don't get the experience you need, if I don't protect you enough you won't ever be able to have any new experiences again."

The legendary Pokémon continued to grumble and groan, mumbling something in her own tongue that Ash barely understood. 'And what if I don't want your protection?' She asked. Latias disappeared from view, turning invisible though the light struggled to bend around her rain-soaked body. The water somehow interfering with her invisibility. 'I could just follow alongside you and you would not have the faintest clue that I was there.'

Ash reached out with a hand and flicked her snout amusingly. She instantly recoiled and reappeared to his naked eye, playfully narrowing her eyes at him. "Because I know you won't," Ash responded truthfully.

Latias raised an eyebrow at the statement. 'What makes you so sure about that?' She asked, taking her head out from underneath his and looking directly into his eyes. Ash stared back, wanting to show that he meant every word he said.

"Because I know you trust me and that I trust you," Ash stated. "You've given me no reason to not and you came to me to train you. None of this would have ever happened if we didn't believe in one another. We would have never met, never saved Alto Mare, and never have ended up here."

The thunder continued to rumble and the rain continued to fall. Latias looked away for a few seconds in contemplation before gazing back into his coffee-colored eyes. 'And what if I don't listen to you? What happens then?'

Ash paused for a brief moment, scratching his arm absentmindedly. "If you don't, I trust that you will always make the right decision," Ash said, giving her a toothy grin. "I might not agree with it, your brother may think you are foolish but you always make the choice that benefits everyone in the long run."

Latias returned the grin, her bright white canines being illuminated by a distant strike of lightning. 'So taking that dumb little red hat off your head and claiming it as mine is for the greater good?' She asked teasingly into his mind, jokingly reaching out a claw towards his head.

Ash let out a chuckle and joyfully pushed it away. "It would certainly do wonders to up your cute factor." As he said this, the red dragoness' white face became as red as the scarlet that adorned her body. She floated quickly upwards, nearly dropping Bonnie's sleeping form in the process. Ash looked on, perplexed. "Is something wrong?"

Latias shook her head hastily, hugging Bonnie closer to her heart. 'No, just, we should probably head out now so that we- I mean you can rescue Pikachu and all that.' She said, the redness on her face still slowly creeping over her.

Ash shrugged, maybe she just gets embarrassed by compliments.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Keep watch over everyone and keep the camp safe, Noctowl." Ash ordered, stepping out into the worsening storm. "We will be back before you know it."

Latias didn't know how Noctowl responded, only having a line of sight on Ash as the tent was closed off from the outside world. It had been a few minutes since her and Bonnie had "fallen asleep." Ash, Clemont, and Serena had all departed out to rescue Pikachu from Team Rocket's clutches, leaving the two pokémon and the child alone. Not much had been said, Latias simply announced that she was tired and promptly laid down next to Bonnie. The inventor did look like he wanted to say something, but, in the end, he kept his mouth shut.

Bonnie rustled in her embrace, slightly shaking the red dragoness' much larger form. "Are they gone yet?" She asked in a low whisper.

Latias peeked her eyes open and scanned the small tent's interior, only finding Noctowl shifting through the pages of a book with a claw. 'The coast is clear. Get up!'

"You kinda have to get up first!" She hissed, being stuck under the eon Pokémon's embrace. Latias complied and floated upwards, allowing the young girl to clamber to her feet in a hurry. She stretched her aching back and rubbed her tired eyes. "Do you know how hard it was to fake sleep for that long?"

Latias tilted her head to the side. 'Uh, no?' She said while Noctowl looked at the two incredulously.

"Well, it was hard." She answered, searching around the tent for whatever could be useful on their adventure. "And don't you dare think that I didn't overheard everything that was said between you and Ash!"

Latias rolled her eyes. 'Mention Ash calling me cute and I swear I will wipe any memories you have had today.' She threatened dangerously, narrowing her eyes at the young child.

"You can do that?" Bonnie asked with some surprise. Stopping her shifting as she haphazardly threw a bag to the side. Her blue eyes widening while she gazed back at the red dragoness.

'Y-yes!' Latias lied, horribly.

Bonnie blinked. "And why didn't you tell me about this until now?" She questioned, pulling out a large pink jacket and draping it over her shoulders.

"Uh," Latias paused, trying to come up with some sort of excuse. 'Cause every time I have told you about it, I erased your memory about it, stuff keeps getting in the way.' She answered, shifting her eyes away from the younger girl.

Bonnie's face contorted in thought while she fit her small arms through the sleeves of the coat. "Wait, have you been erasing all of our memories this whole time?"

The legendary Pokémon shrugged her claws, struggling to stop herself from laughing at Bonnie's innocence. 'I don't know, it's not like you would remember me doing it anyway.'

"Huh."

The sound of a book slamming shut reverberated throughout the tent. The human and legendary looked in its general direction, finding Noctowl squinting his eyes at them with disdain. "What are you two trying to go on about?" He inquired, standing up to his full height.

Latias straightened herself and focused in on the owl pokémon. She towered over the smaller shiny Pokemon, her head nearly brushing against the roof of the tent. Yet he continued to stand up, not cowering back like she had hoped. "We are going to go help Ash save Pikachu from Team Rocket while you are going to stay here and let us go." She responded, her eyes glowing with psychic energy.

Noctowl snorted, shaking his head in pure disbelief."You're plain idiots if you think that'll work." He spat. Latias' mentor turned back to his book without a second thought, all the while she was seething with rage.

"You wanna elaborate on that?" The dragoness snarled, lightning striking the outside of their tent close by. Bonnie seemed to sense the hostility between the mentor and trainee, reacting similarly to Latias.

Noctowl begrudgingly tore his gaze away from the book and back towards the legendary pokémon. "How do I put this," He started, pausing briefly. "You and the girl are the biggest fools I have ever seen if you think you can just confront Team Rocket again after what happened back in Santalune City."

Latias' ears shot up on alert. "I'm over this already! I can go and fight Team Rocket perfectly fine without becoming completely helpless!" She shouted, advancing towards Noctowl in an attempt to intimidate him.

"Are you ready?" Noctowl challenged, staying where he was. "Or is it that rage has consumed your mind to make you believe that you will be ready? Once that anger towards yourself has run its course you will collapse onto the ground as defenseless as a newborn Togepi."

The red dragoness shrunk back at the comment, her glowing eyes dimming down to show the fear hidden underneath. "N-no." She spoke, almost cowering down to the ground herself. "No." Her voice trickling down to barely a whisper.

"You will never be able to fight against Team Rocket if you do not manage to face this fear of yours." Noctowl replied simply, walking towards the nearly prone legendary pokémon. Latias looked at him with uncertainty, almost begging for answers.

"Then what do I do?" Latias asked with anguish. Tears were forming in the pits of her eyes as they slowly dripped down her already wet face. Her heart felt like a rock weighing her down, she struggled to barely hover a few inches above the ground. "How do I get over this fear that has haunted me for the past four years?" The eon pokémon threw herself to the ground, now pleading at his knees for any solution.

Noctowl ruffled his yellow feathers, not bothering to drop the disappointed look on his face. "You want to be a guardian, correct?" Noctowl inquired.

Latias nodded her head confidently at the mention of her goal, wiping away a few of her tears with a paw. "Yes."

"Then be brave."

Latias slowly rose up from the ground, her previous feelings of sadness wiped away in an instant. "What do you mean be brave? I've been brave!" She shouted, her breaths becoming more erratic and harsh by the second. "I didn't run away from my brother, my only family, just so you could yell at me for not being brave!'

Noctowl let out a sigh, hitting the ground with his talons repeatedly. "As a guardian, you are supposed to be strong, brave, courageous and just about everything that you are not." The eon pokémon growled, she wasn't sure if he was insulting her or not. "You react on impulse, never stopping to think about what your actions truly entail. Becoming a guardian is not only a physically demanding task but mentally as well, I bet you weren't thinking about that whenever you left your city."

Latias only continued to snarl as Noctowl continued. "You fumble in your confidence with your emotions. Being brave is all about doing the heroism that being a guardian entails while standing up to such impossible odds in the face of fear. You do not stand up to fear, you attempt to slap it aside only for it to come back at your harder than ever before. The false portrayal of confidence is what you hide behind, only for it to come crumbling down around you as your emotions betray you when you need them most." He finished, keeping his eternally neutral expression.

Latias sat there in utter silence. Every thought urged her to scream, yell, tell Noctowl that he was wrong. Yet, She couldn't. No matter how many times she opened her mouth to speak, no words came out. Her claws were lowered as they seemed heavier than ever before. Her red wings relaxed, and her ears lowered themselves against her head. She knew exactly why.

Every word of what Noctowl said was right.

Her mentor stepped forward. "You now see what I have been trying to tell you." It was more a statement than a question, but Latias still nodded her head. "Then you must stop and think about what it is you want to do. It might seem redundant, but truly delve into your mind and see what the root behind this all is."

Latias nodded once more. She inhaled slowly, trying to enjoy every bit of that sweet air before exhaling at the same rate. She closed her eyes, imagining images of home. Her brother, Bianca, Lorenzo, Ash, and Bonnie all came to mind, each memory filling her heart with a sense of lost warmth. With each smile, she felt her lips continue to tug at her corners just that little bit more. With each laugh, she felt a deep, hearty rumble roll through her throat. The eon pokémon felt at peace, her raw fury and determination having withered away.

First came the question of her goal: To become a guardian of Alto Mare. To prove herself to Latios, to the legendaries, to Ash that she could and would become stronger. Her paw traced over the exposed flesh of her scar, carefully moving along the base of her neck down to her underbelly. To show everyone that the sacrifice made at Alto Mare was not a fleeting moment of bravery but a true sign of her inner nature. And there was that word once again: bravery.

Her heart became wracked with fear as thoughts of that fateful night returned once more. She closed her eyes tightly, almost to the point of pain. Her heart started to beat out of her chest, the panic starting to overwhelm her. Images of the tsunami flashed in her mind, becoming bigger and more imposing as she went closer and closer. There was anger in her mind, at herself for not acting and sitting there while everyone else did the work for her. Yet, that anger was completely overwhelmed by the sheer terror she had experienced that night.

A gentle and soothing touch was laid over her right paw, the much smaller hands caressing it in a reassuring manner. Bonnie's dry skin was warm to the touch, soothing her freezing body as she pressed her face against the blue triangle on her chest. The young girl's arms wrapped around the freezing dragoness, unable to reach around fully but still squeezing Latias firmly. Bonnie probably didn't understand a word of their conversation but she certainly saw the distress on her face.

Latias wrapped two shaking paws around Bonnie's head, embracing her head against her heart. "I was so afraid." She whispered, carefully combing her claws through the girl's blonde hair. "Even when I was charging straight at that wave, I was terrified. I could barely look straight ahead, I was just waiting for the inevitable to happen." The eon pokémon opened her eyes and looked at Noctowl, seeing a grin somehow form on that beak of his.

"Congratulations, you figured it out." He stated, ruffling his yellow feathers. Latias expected some follow up explanation but he just turned around and walked off. He stopped at his book and flipped back over to a random page, seemingly without a care in the world. The dragoness blinked, that was it?

"What did I figure out?" Latias called back to him, gently putting Bonnie back onto the ground. She rubbed a feathery cheek against the young girl's face, gently tickling her as a fit of giggles escaped her mouth. She moved her head back up and floated towards Noctowl. It wasn't much distance to cover, barely even a few seconds later she was hovering a few inches from the reading owl pokémon.

Noctowl looked at her while still keeping his head down in his book. "I thought the answer seemed pretty obvious to you." He said, his scarlet eyes going back to tracing the words on his page. "You said verbatim what you had to do, go out and do that now." He waved a wing out to the exit, not bothering to shift his attention at all.

Latias shook her head slightly from shock. "To- to be afraid?" She asked, almost not believing it herself. "Why would I have to be afraid? The whole point of me being here was so that I wouldn't be afraid. Now I'm supposed to be scared… I… Did you see what happened to me this morning?" She molded her paws against her face as she let out a long groan.

"As I said before, you mistake your anger for your confidence." The tips of his crest nearly slapping Latias in the face as he finally picked his head up. "If you let your anger control you, your fear will come back tenfold as it completely immobilizes you. That is why you must go in with the knowledge of your situation that you will be afraid. You may cower in terror at the mere presence of Team Rocket but the point is that you try. Bravery is not about overcoming your fears, it is about facing them and still accomplishing what you set out to do."

Latias looked down out of shame, her gaze drifting towards the book on psychic training. "And what if I can't face my fears? What if every single time I collapse like I did back in the city? Alto Mare was life or death but here I have every chance to run and escape."

Noctowl's face contorted in thought, shutting his beak together tightly. "Ok, then I will give you two options: go and confront your fears with Team Rocket even with the knowledge that you may completely shut down, or leave Ash, this camp, and everything that you have trained so hard to achieve."

Those words sent Latias' head spinning in several directions. She had never agreed to anything like that and Ash almost certainly wouldn't either. "You can't just force me out of the group like that!" She exclaimed, narrowing her eyes at the owl pokémon as her nerves instantly became on edge. What business did he have telling her where she could and could not be.

Noctowl raised an eyebrow as she said this, a curious look in his eyes. Surprisingly, he nodded his head like he agreed with her. "That is true, I suppose. But I can simply opt to not train you at all." He responded slyly. He gave the red dragoness an annoying smug look that she did not like at all.

Latias was now nervously tapping her claws together. This was something that none of them would force the stubborn owl Pokémon to do no matter how much they tried. "Y-you have to keep watch over me though, Ash ordered you to do so." The stuttering nor the nervousness in her voice didn't escape Noctowl as he smirked at her reply.

"Ash told me to both watch over you and keep guard at the camp. Now, if you happen to sneak out right underneath me, I cannot abandon my duties to protect the camp from any possible intruders." He plopped himself down onto the ground, giving Latias a look telling her exactly what he wanted her to do. "It's time for you to make a choice, Latias. Moonlight is running out and they are getting closer to rescuing Pikachu with every second we spend here talking."

Latias gulped, the feeling traveling all the way down her long throat. Noctowl had gone to distract himself with his book for one last time, she knew that no matter what he was not going to look back up. Every part of her body was conflicted on what to do. Her claws urged her to fight while her wings begged at her to flee. Her mind screamed at her that she would simply fall apart while her heart continued to push her out of the tent. She laid a paw over her heart, over her scar, feeling its beat through the exposed flesh. It was a steady, calm rhythm, fully prepared for whatever challenges it may have to face.

She knew what she had to do, it was only the question of if she would have the strength to do it.