Chapter 2: A New Dawn

  Warm light filtered through the canopy above, pouring across the walls of the room. It danced over smooth wooden beams and shelves lined with jars of dried herbs, glinting softly on suspended wind-chimes made of shells and polished stone. They sang with every breeze, a quiet, high melody that sounded oddly peaceful.

  Auri's ears twitched at the delicate sounds, and a small breath escaped him as he blinked open tired eyes. It was a calm and relaxing atmosphere. But that feeling of peace didn't last long.

  Suddenly fragments of memories assaulted him, flashes of motion through tangled underbush, the shouts of unknown voices, the sharp bite of pain from an attack that had barely missed him. His breath caught, then steadied. The fragments passed as fast as they came, Auri himself nonethewiser what they meant.

  Across the room, Juno sat with her legs tucked neatly beneath her, a bowl of something steaming cradled beside her in a subtle field of psychic light. The move [Psychic], Auri thought to himself. He didn't know how he could recognize the move that easily, but it felt familiar. Like a known quantity.

  As Auri shifted slightly to get a better look at what exactly the Guardevoir was doing. Juno of course looked up instantly upon noticing his movements, her expression softening as she noticed him shifting around.

  "You're awake," she said quietly, setting the bowl down on a low shelf with a careful motion. "That's good. You've been resting well."

  Auri blinked slowly, then gave a small, uncertain nod. His limbs still felt heavy, but the pain from the day before was mostly gone, with only some ghost pains remaining. At least as long as he didn't move around too much.

  "I want to check your type energy reserve again," Juno continued, her voice gentle. "If you allow it."

  Auri didn't object, instead pushing himself up with a soft groan. His body still moved stiffly, but it responded far better than yesterday, that much was noticeable instantly.

  Juno knelt beside him and extended one glowing hand. Her fingers passed a few inches over his fur, tracing the paths of his type energy. Auri watched her face more than her movements. She was calm, focused, but the relief on her face was easy to see.

  "Better," she murmured after a moment. "Much better in fact. Your wounds are closing nicely, and your type energy reserve is starting to repair. It'll take a few more days, but you're out of danger now. A full regeneration of your type energy reserve is likely as well, so there should be no permanent damage from what you went through."

  Auri nodded again, slower this time. His memories may have been gone, but his instincts remained. He was well aware how important his type energy reserve was. Every Pokemon had one, it could be seen as some kind of core inside a Pokemon's body really. That core was what allowed a Pokemon to control their type energy, the same energy necessary to form moves and that strengthened a Pokemon's regeneration and physical build as well. In turn, should his type energy reserve ever be too damaged, his ability to use moves would be crippled. He was thankful it seemed to repair itself without a hitch.

  There was a pause. Then Juno's hands folded in her lap, and she looked down briefly, hesitating. "I believe I owe you an apology… for last night," she said, quieter still. "I shouldn't have attempted to use [Imprison] on you without your consent. It was a careless action on my part, for I didn't consider that it might trigger something traumatic for you."

  Auri's ears drooped slightly, and his gaze fell to the patterned mat beneath him. He was silent for several long moments. Then he gave a small shake of the head. "It's… fine," he said, though it was decidedly not fine. He still shuddered at the terror he'd felt at that moment. "You couldn't have known. I didn't even know. Things like that happen sometimes."

  His voice wavered slightly saying that, but Auri pushed back against any doubt that remained in his mind, against the very part of him that wanted to stay curled up and hidden just at the mention of this vile move. He would not surrender himself to his base emotions like that! And forgiving Juno for an honest mistake was the only right thing to do!

  Juno met his eyes and gave a small nod. She didn't press, though she could probably guess at his internal conflict, and instead simply rose to her feet with a smooth motion, her for a Guardevoir typical white robes catching the morning light as she turned towards the door. "You've been holed up inside for long enough. Come, let's get some fresh air. A small walk will do your sore muscles some good."

  They stepped out into a warm morning filled with the chatter of village life and the distant hush of water. The light outside was brighter than Auri expected, and he squinted, blinking against the sudden clarity. Waiting near the building was a tall broad-shouldered and sleek figure, with dark fur that rippled like storm clouds under sunlight.

  Electric-yellow eyes met Auris with quiet calculation. The Luxray spoke in a low, even tone. "Morning Juno. And the Pikachu... You must be the newcomer then. Welcome to Newleaf Village, I suppose."

  Juno nodded with a calm smile. "Vira, this is Auri. He's also much better than yesterday, thankfully."

  Vira turned her gaze on Auri again, appraising him in silence. There was nothing hostile in her expression, but there was no softness either. After a moment, she dipped her head slightly. "As Jono has already said, the name's Vira. I've been assigned to take over for Risa after midnight. Further orders were to escort you to the guard's headquarters as soon as Juno's preliminarily done with you."

  Auri felt the muscles in his back tighten, but he gave a quiet nod. "Alright… I guess there's a specific reason for that?"

  Juno turned to him one last time and placed a light hand on his shoulder. "Yes, but I believe that you'll be fine. I need to gather some supplies, send Yuki on another small errand, maybe speak with Saph and Ilyra regarding your amnesia. Please come around for another checkup at my hut later, alright?"

  With these words Juno turned around, waved one last time, and walked off deeper into the village. Auri watched her go, her figure soon swallowed behind a corner, leaving him alone with the imposing Luxray.

  With a shake of her head, Vira turned sharply and started walking, motioning with her tail for him to follow along. "Come on, it's not far."

  As they walked Auri couldn't help but observe everything going on in the village around them. Other Pokemon moved along the narrow paths of the village, some hauling goods, others chatting quietly beneath canopies of trees that were wildly planted throughout the village. Some looked up as they passed, whispers still trailing behind them uncertain, but also curious.

  "Newleaf Village isn't all that used to outsiders. At least not anymore after what happened in the past," Vira said after a while, her gaze fixed forward. "Especially ones who just fall from the sky. Yuki just doesn't stop talking about it."

  Auri let out a breath that was almost a laugh. "Yeah. I'm not used to it either and I would've preferred not to make the experience," he replied somewhat ruefully.

  The path to the guards headquarters soon after started to wind upward, past moss-covered stonework and old wooden markers. Auri followed Vira mostly in silence, their conversations always short and limited to a few sentences with both of them not being fans of too much talking.

  The guards headquarters itself sat nestled into the curve of a hill, half-cloaked in ivy and crowned with an arched rooftop. Banners fluttered lazily at either side of the entrance, depicting an orange sun with a green leaf inside. Auri hesitated for just a second at the threshold before stepping inside.

  Instantly he noticed just how much cooler and more stale the air inside the building was, compared to the fresh air pertaining Newleaf Village. It smelled faintly of dried leaves, old wood, and something sharper, maybe iron. A handful of Pokemon stood gathered near a broad, low table at the center. Their voices were low, postures alert. Some wore brass tokens clipped onto their body, probably some kind of identification. Their conversation halted the moment Auri entered, which made him strongly suspect they had been talking about him. And nothing nice at that.

  Auri hesitated again, but Vira stepped in beside him, her voice low and even. "Stay calm. No one here is your enemy, we all only want what's best for the village." It went unsaid that the best for the village wasn't necessarily the best for him as well.

  Captain Kaen stood at the rear of the table, tall and silent, mane glowing faintly in the orange light. The Arcanine's expression was unreadable. Around him stood Risa, the Hawlucha's arms folded in front of her chest. Durro, the gigantic Donphan from yesterday, was also there, standing next to a grim-looking Pangoro leaning slightly with his paws behind his back. The last Pokemon present was of course Myra, standing slightly apart from the rest, wings tucked close. Her sharp eyes had been fixed on Auri since he'd entered. Vira joined the other guards present without another word.

  Captain Kaen's voice broke the silence first. "Auri, I hope you've recovered some since yesterday?"

  Auri nodded once, not trusting himself to speak. His ears twitched, and his posture shrank under the weight of their collective gazes. Captain Kaen didn't press further, only nodding at him once. Instead, it was Risa who spoke next.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  "I still speak in his support. He's nothing more than a scared kid and without his memories he's in no state to pose a danger to Newleaf Village. We'll have to reevaluate once he gets them back," she said. Her tone was calm, matter of fact.

  Durro gave a small nod beside her. "Nothing's strange about his type energy either, he doesn't seem to be a Dungeon Pokemon. And I was watching closely yesterday. At the very least, Juno would've noticed. He's not the bringer of another Dungeon invasion"

  The Pangoro tilted his head. "The kid looks like he couldn't knock over a berry crate and it's clear he's still injured. Hasn't said a word since walking in, clearly not the rash and abrasive personality I would want to keep out of the village. Not that it would be reason enough to send him away either. We already have Yuki and the other kids, what would be one more little headache running around?"

  Vira's eyes stayed on Auri. "I agree with Risa and Zekel. There is no way he poses any danger to us in his condition. He's also shown himself to be cooperative and hasn't lied to us once. I do not believe we have to worry about him at all. He seems like a good kid."

  A sharp scoff came from the rear. Myra stepped forward, her talons tapping the stone. "You're all falling for the same trick as last time!" she spat, voice clipped. "We've seen before how tricky these Dungeon Pokemon can get! Just because we've become aware of one trick doesn't mean the Dungeon Cores cannot find a new one! I'm not willing to put the village I'm supposed to protect at such a deliberate risk just for some pity!"

  She looked at the others. "Think about it. A strange arrival, conveniently without memory and therefore without explanation. And now he's here, exactly how it was back then! Forgive me if I'm not ready to roll out the moss mats for him!"

  Durro exhaled softly through his nostrils. "He's a child," he said finally. "Even a stranger deserves warmth. Especially one so young and alone. Also, we managed to deal with the Dungeons last time they decided to get tricky. We would be able to do so again."

  Myra didn't look convinced. "We're not a charity! We're protectors! And if this 'child' turns out to be something else, then that's on us for letting a threat thrive in our midst a second time! Just like the previous generation of guards failed to notice the last threat, because they weren't careful enough!"

  "It's not a question of charity," Vira said. Her voice was quiet but firm. "It's a question whether we're willing to taint our conscience like that. I've done many things I regret while working for the guards, and I'm not quite willing to put this case on the same list. I'm sure most of the others here agree with me. The situation is not the same as it was back then."

  The tension swirled for a moment, unspoken, but tangible for everyone. Myra looked like she wanted to say something but was stopped as Captain Kaen raised his paw slightly.

  "He stays," the Arcanine decided. "As long as I am Captain of the guards, Newleaf Village will not turn away the lost and helpless. We lack the manpower to supervise him, but I am sure with Yuki we have someone more than willing to do that for us. And if necessary, even she should be able to deal with him while he is still injured."

  Zekel grunted in agreement. "Not like he's dangerous, no matter how banged up he came here. I mean, look at him! A good physical condition for his age but clearly lacking in nutrition and not yet fully matured either. His type energy is still naturally developing as well. He hasn't reached a point where he could be a danger, even should he hold the potential to become dangerous one day."

  Risa gave a faint shrug and said nothing more. She may not completely agree with Zekel's estimation of how dangerous Auri could be, but that wasn't what this discussion was about anyways. Durro's silence was the same. Even Myra didn't look willing to continue this discussion, but her feathers remained tight, and her gaze never left Auri. There was a hint of anger in her eyes, but it was clearly overshadowed by sheer distrust.

  Auri looked down, ears low. He was clearly far less welcome than he'd hoped. He turned slightly, ready to leave the guards headquarters now that his case was decided, as his instincts prickled up, pointing out a disturbance in the type energy at the edge of the room.

  Brow’s furrowing, he looked directly towards the anomaly and the moment he laid eyes on it, it hit him. Power, so immense and compressed he nearly recoiled physically from it.

  "What… is that?" he asked more to himself than anyone else. Captain Kaen, confused, was clearly about to speak up, as suddenly Victini stepped forward with a gentle, amused smile.

  "Interesting," the small voice said, now noticed by everyone. "You actually detected me, even as I did my utmost to not be noticed."

  Auri was unable to answer. Enormous power pulsed around the Victini, dense and vibrant, but clearly contained. Fire-type and psychic-type energy braided together so tightly that Auri had to question how he had only noticed just now. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was impossible to ignore.

  "Honorable Vian," Captain Kaen said with a light bow towards the Victini, but the Pokemon didn't react, instead deliberately slowly moving towards Auri.

  "Don't worry, this is quite a surprise to me as well, " he said to Auri. "Someone's clearly got far sharper senses than I was led to believe."

  Auri blinked, intimidated by the approaching Victini, that Captain Kaen had called Vian. "I… don't understand. How can you hold such power at bay? How does no one else sense this?"

  "I know," Vian replied, not unkindly. "But trust me, one day you will. I think you'll be worth keeping an eye on, little Spark."

  Then, without another word, Vian turned his gaze away from Auri and towards Captain Kaen, his incredible presence only receding slightly in Auris senses.

  "He's really quite sensitive to type energy, it seems. It didn't matter that I consciously suppressed my energy, just a tiny slip-up seems to have been enough for him to unveil parts of my power. I must say, I'm impressed," Vian said, only for silence to answer him.

  The Victini shrugged. "I will take my leave now, then. I commend your decision to keep little Auri. He could become quite valuable to your village in time." Then, a torrent of psychic energy flowed out of Vian before he just disappeared, and all his power with him.

  "…Just what was that?" Auri whispered.

  Behind him, Captain Kaen exhaled through his nose. "What you just witnesses was Vian, a Mythical, or in other words a Pokemon of incredible strength. He's also living in the Umbral Abyss and is the protector of the land that Newleaf Village lies in and uses as gathering grounds. We're essentially living in what’s his territory and he lets us. He's not officially a guard, but he does interfere with our work quite regularly. He cares in his own way for us, I believe. For some reason."

  Auri wasn't sure how to respond. His heartbeat still hadn't settled. Vira gave him a sidelong glance. "He's clearly taken an interest in you. Maybe there really is more to you than it seems. We'll see."

  Captain Kaen just gave Vira a sharp look, before turning back to Auri. "You're free to go, there won't be a guard presence following you. If even Vian is okay with you being in the village, we truly shouldn't worry about you. I hope you can learn to appreciate our little village and integrate yourself with everyone else without any problems. If you need help, that's what the guards are there for. Don't hesitate to talk to us just because you're new."

  Auri nodded gratefully towards Captain Kaen, before leaving as told. Sunlight met him as he stepped back outside, along with the sounds of the village life. He remained there somewhat aimlessly for a moment before shaking himself out of his stupor.

  "So... that just happened. But what to do now?" he mused to himself, for he still didn't really know anything about the village he now found himself in. He honestly felt somewhat aimless at the moment.

  ...He should probably go search for Yuki, shouldn't he? At the very least a thank you for how she had helped him out yesterday was in order. And if he could make it up to her he would!

  The sun stood high now, warm and steady above Newleaf Village, casting short shadows and chasing away the last traces of mist. The midday breeze stirred banners and leaves alike, carrying the scent of river moss and distant cooking fires.

  Outside the guard’s headquarters, in the dappled shade of a crooked old tree, three Pokemon stood slightly apart from the village bustle.

  Juno leaned against the tree's trunk, arms crossed, her gaze resting somewhere far off, past the rooftops and the noise. The Espeon Saph was nearby, tail flicking in a casual pattern. A very weird-looking Slowking, Elder Ilyra, stood at an angle to both of them, posture calm but alert, eyes unreadable. Together they watched how a Pikachu left the guards headquarters, looking around somewhat aimlessly for a few moments, before heading deeper into the village.

  "So... that's him," Saph said eventually. "He doesn't look like much, to be honest."

  "He's barely more than a kid," Juno replied. "And he's quite a bit more composed than yesterday."

  "Are you sure that's not just a mask he wears?" Saph asked. "You said he nearly shut down the moment [Imprison] touched him."

  Juno didn't deny it. She leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on her knees. "I'm not saying he's harmless. I definitely don't think so. But at the very least he didn't fight back. He was disoriented, confused, and when he panicked... he crumbled instead of wildly lashing out. It's not the type of behavior I would expect from someone who just fakes this. And it looked real to me."

  "He reacted the way he did because he literally couldn't fight back," Saph countered. "Not because he chose not to."

  "I know the difference!" Juno snapped, sharper than intended. Then she took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing to speak. "Look. I told you what I saw and what I was told by Yuki. That's all we've got right now, seeing how he clearly has amnesia. The guards at least seem to not have an issue with him."

  "But unlike us, they don’t understand what's truly at play here. Except for Vian, that is," Elder Ilyra said softly. "Saph, did you have any visions these last few months?"

  Saph shook her head slightly. "Nothing concrete yet. But every time I think about patching up his memories, I get a vague feeling of impending doom. There's no way I'd support something like that."

  "I know," Juno said with a sigh. "And I won't ask you to either. You know I take your divinations seriously."

  "I'm not saying we shouldn't help him at all. That feels barely better in my vision than patching him up completely," Saph said, sighing, before turning to Elder Ilyra, who had just watched on with an unreadable expression. "I know that look. You know something else, don't you?"

  Elder Ilyra barely reacted except for slight flutter of her eyes. "I think there are higher, stronger, and more capable powers than us at play here. Especially with the Mythical Vian already intervening. We all know that this Pikachu is more than he looks. And I think we should just quietly play our role in the grander scheme for now. It's preferable to being crushed as a consequence of our hubris. And I think at least smoothing over the mental damage he took could go a long way to help him."

  Juno's brow furrowed. "I understand you. I really do. It's just... It doesn't feel right not to help him to the best of our abilities."

  Saph gave a soft exhale, somewhere between frustration and acceptance. "In a sense, we will. Forcefully reinstating his memories could actually do more harm than good, even for him. At least that's the feeling I'm getting."

  "Saph speaks the truth," Elder Ilyra added. "You cannot see this as us not doing our very best to help him. But if Saph is correct, and I'm inclined to believe her, then giving this Pikachu back his full memories would just worsen the situation for everyone, including him."

  "For now, all we have to do is smooth over the damages and let the greater powers at play do the rest,” Saph said. "It should already immensely help his mental stability and energy manipulation. But I will not touch his memories until I know what exactly I'm dealing with."

  Juno nodded. "I think that's acceptable. Let's give him the chance of a fresh start here in the village. I'll talk to Auri about it this evening."

  With that, their small group broke up, and they went on to do their own things. Juno still didn't feel like leaving Auri out of the loop like that was the right thing to do, but she also had a duty towards the entirety of Newleaf Village before towards a specific individual. For now, she would just go along with Saph and Elder Ilyra and see how all this would play out.

  Important characters in the chapter:

  Pikachu (Auri) – Level 12

  Ability: Lightning Rod

  Battle Nature: Lonely

  Stats:

  TE Pool (Health/AP): 59 (Heavily Damaged/Unusable)

  Attack: 38

  Ranged Attack: 34

  Defense: 40

  Speed: 45

  Total: 216 (Strength Level: Kid)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Nuzzle], [Tail Whip], [Quick Attack], [Thunder Wave], [Feint]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Thunder Shock], [Electro Ball]

  Utility Moves: [Nasty Plot], [Charm], [Double Team], [Growl], [Agility], [Dig]

  Torchic (Yuki) – Level 14

  Ability: Speed Boost

  Battle Nature: Hasty

  Stats:

  TE Pool (Health/AP): 65

  Attack: 34

  Ranged Attack: 37

  Defense: 42

  Speed: 33

  Total: 211 (Strength Level: Kid)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Scratch], [Quick Attack], [Feint], [Fire Spin], [Flame Charge], [Aerial Ace], [Counter], [Slash]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Ember], [Sand Attack]

  Utility Moves: [Growl], [Detect], [Dig]

  Guardevoir (Juno) – Level 35

  Ability: Synchronize

  Battle Nature: Docile

  Stats:

  TE Pool (Health/AP): 184

  Attack: 83

  Ranged Attack: 125

  Defense: 142

  Speed: 93

  Total: 627 (Strength Level: Adult)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Hypnosis], [Draining Kiss], [Imprison], [Skill Swap]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Mystical Fire], [Disarming Voice], [Confusion], [Dazzling Gleam], [Psybeam], [Stored Power], [Gravity], [Misty Explosion]

  Utility Moves: [Misty Terrain], [Psychic Terrain], [Healing Wish], [Charm], [Heal Pulse], [Growl], [Double Team], [Teleport], [Life Dew], [Wish], [Calm Mind], [Psychic], [Protect], [Reflect], [Light Screen], [Trick], [Helping Hand]