Whew. I'm finally done with this chapter. Its a very long one, around 5,000 words or so, longer than my usual chapters. I made it longer since I know that I may not be able to produce a chapter easily. And so, I decided to make Chapter 9 as long as I could write it.

NOTE: I have decided to revert their names back to Japanese. When I have time, I'll be revising the previous chapters just so they could have their Japanese names back. Example, Maylene will now be referred to as Sumomo from this chapter onwards. Pokemon names, City/Town names and Character names will now be in Japanese. The exceptions would be the name of the gods, so the readers won't be confused. Hope you guys forgive me for the abrupt change.

Major thanks to Hidan no Jashin for always beta-reading my fics, for giving me ideas and for the late night chats just so we can discuss and make this story more interesting. Thank you! :3

This fic is dedicated to the active posters of SPPF's Ikarishipping thread. You know who you are, girls/guys (if there are guys. XD). :D Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Terrene

Chapter 9: Training

Shinji sighed to himself as the last of the check-up was finally done. He had done a blood test, thorough-check up through a full-body scan, as well as a physical exam.

At least there isn’t a psychological test this time, he thought, dreading the stupid test wherein the Royal Household Agency had gotten a psychologist from the Kotobuki City Hospital to ask him about his love life, which was very much non-existent. He did NOT have a girlfriend, nor did he want to get married. However, as a Kaiser, it was also his task to ensure an heir to the throne, particularly a male heir. An heiress was not as important as the male heir, for there was the summoner to be considered, and that would mean he would have to try and try until he gets the needed male heir.

Disgusting.

The thought of bedding the summoner was enough to make him heave all of the food he had eaten.

I can’t believe I have to do that. He thought darkly to himself.

Before he could even continue with his private monologue, his train of thoughts were interrupted by the physician.

“Your Imperial and Royal Majesty?

He looked up suddenly and gave the physician a look that told him to continue with what he was saying.

“If I may say so myself, sir, you have looked better than ever. I have never seen you so alive since your dear father and mother have passed away, sir.” The physician beamed happily. Shinji was not surprised. The physician treating him right now had been the same old physician who always checked up on him ever since he had been a baby.

He blinked, however, thoroughly confused at what he had just said.

What did he mean by that…?

Thankfully, a follow-up question came. “May I ask as to what has been happening to His Majesty lately?”

“… Nothing much, though I am busy at the moment. The summoner is taking up my time.” he said, referring to his summoner hunting.

The royal physician nodded thoughtfully, then said, “Then I must extend my gratitude to the lady summoner, for making His Majesty feel very much alive and looking very healthy for the past few days.”

Shinji, meanwhile, shook his head.

It was official.

The royal physician has gone senile.

He ignored what the doctor had said after awhile, until…

“… bed rest for a week… until then…”

“Excuse me?”

“I recommend that His Majesty have complete bed rest for a week. And you cannot decline this. I will personally check up on you for that whole week.” He reminded him sternly. “The Royal Household Agency has asked me to do this, and you cannot overrule them, please remember that.”

He growled angrily to himself.

Since when did some bunch of people overrule the Kaiser?!

He cursed his ancestor, most especially the arrogant one who had starved the people of Sinnoh, made them even poorer and did unnecessary killings in order to justify his rule. No thanks to him, the Royal Household Agency was born, and was the one who kept the Kaiser in line whenever he made a decision. However, when it came to the summoner, even if the Royal Household Agency would frown down on what course he would take, he wouldn’t care.

The summoner was his business, not theirs.

Speaking of the summoner…

His mind suddenly drifted to the night before he had found himself on his bed.

Odd, his heart was beating madly against his chest.

…

She kissed him.

…

She kissed him?!

…

His left eye started to twitch, and unknown to him, he was blushing faintly.

What the hell was she thinking when she did that?! Stupid girl. Shinji knew that she was probably gloating at him right now because of that little deed. She was probably proud of herself to render him speechless and even fazed, if only for a few seconds.

As if on cue, his heart began beating madly again, and the scene replayed on his mind…

He never knew that psychic attacks were THAT painful.

The dungeon guards had their own fair share of that pain, but combine that psychic attack and her fueling hatred for him added more pain than the usual. He had found himself flying some feet from the side of the bed and as soon as he had slammed against the wall, the young man gritted his teeth in pain. He would NOT allow himself to yell out in pain in front of the summoner. He would not give her the pleasure of even thinking that she had overpowered him, even for a moment.

He had managed to stand his ground, and when he saw her walking over to him, he knew that he was going to be a dead man if he didn’t do something about it.

He was about to summon Darkrai to his side.

Unfortunately, she beat him to it.

Before he knew it, she had kissed him. On the lips.

Soft, warm lips covered his own, and for once in his life, he experienced mental block.

He had no idea what he was going to do next.

He was at a total loss.

Damn her.

Shinji pushed her away as hard as he could, mustering the best disgusted expression he could. Silently, he wished that she wouldn’t hear the violent beating in his chest.

“What the hell are you doing?” he remember himself yelling at her.

“Just giving you a little kiss?” she said coyly. Perhaps she was trying to sound cute, or, dare he say it, ‘seduce’ him? “Kiss me goodbye?”

The next thing she said nearly sent him to a coma. “Extrasensory.”

And, to his embarrassment, it was that said attack that made him scream out loud in pain.

He sighed out loud.

He was going to have his revenge. And very soon at that.

“Sir, the madam who left earlier had informed me that you have bruises on your back. Can you please unbutton your shirt so I can check the injury?” Shinji did what the doctor had asked and turned his back to the old man.

“Reiji-sama… since when did the markings disappear?”

“A little over a month.” He did a mental count of the weeks that have passed.

“… I don’t believe it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your father, sir. When he had been the Kaiser, your mother told me that she had removed some portions of the seals on your father’s back… but in your case… the whole seal was removed? That’s… amazing.” The physician nodded his head. “Did the summoner do this, Reiji-sama?”

“Yes.”

“… She is talented then. There has never been a summoner that I know of who had been able to remove the whole seal that belonged to a Kaiser.” The older man informed the ruler. “Only a god is able to do such, sir. Did you not know of it?” he asked again, once he noticed the look of pure surprise and horror on the purple-haired young man’s tanned face.

“Unfortunately, no.” came the reply.

When his bed rest was over, he would have to give the Royal Library a visit. A thorough research is to be done.

When the exam was done, the physician asked, “Is there anything else that His Imperial and Royal Majesty needs?”

Shinji nodded his head. “Send one of my personal guards here.” As soon as the physician had exited the room, one member of the Kaiser’s personal guards came running in, and had stopped by the bed side.

“You have called for me, Your Imperial and Royal Majesty?”

“Have someone get the Pokétch I have requested in Jubilife. Contact the Royal Librarian, tell her to locate every material that has a connection with summoners in Sinnoh. I don’t give a damn about those from Hoenn, she should only give me materials about the Sinnoh summoners. I want those summarized in a week’s time. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Imperial and Royal Highness.” The soldier bowed.

“Good. See to it that I am not disturbed. “ He waved away the soldier and stared at his four-poster bed. One week of inactivity. Even if he was against this, he had no choice. If the Royal Household Agency had been the one who had decreed his ‘house arrest’, defiance would mean punishment, and he knew his limits. Even if it means that for a week he could not see her, Shinji was fine with that.

He might as well sleep for the meantime so he could recover fully.

Before he drifted off, his brain had wondered as to why he felt down when he realized that he was not to see her for a week…

It was only until early morning, around half past five in the morning or so that the summoner DID wake up, and as soon as she did wake up, someone had grabbed her arm and started dragging her. She protested, screaming even, but no one seemed to go to her side and help her. Even that Shinji…

Damn, where the hell is he? She thought darkly, feeling really, really murderous right now. She wanted to go hide somewhere, instead of even being in the Lady of Veilstone’s Manor, for somehow, in the back of Hikari’s mind, she knew that no one would beat her up if she was to go hiding somewhere. She had received quite a huge bruise when she had stepped a foot inside, and she was NOT going to get herself killed here.

“DAMN THAT SHINJI! WHAT IS HE PLANNING?!” she muttered angrily to herself.

The person who had grabbed her arm had hauled her up to her feet.

Hikari balanced herself, wincing because of the cold breeze that passed her way.

Apparently, the karate gi she was still wearing was not enough to keep her warm.

“Ohayou gozaimasu!”

Hikari raised an eyebrow and turned her head at the direction of the speaker. It was the pink-haired lady from before. Suddenly, she gave the lady a glare. “Well, aren’t YOU the one who knocked me out yesterday. I’m surprised that I even managed to wake up in the morning. For all I know, you’re just going to send my ass back to the Kaiser.”

The older woman shook her head. “I have made a promise with Reiji-sama that I will help you out. I cannot back out.”

“Reiji?” she echoed.

“Yes, my husband… or as you know him, he is called Shinji.”

Hikari nodded, confusion still in her mind. “I don’t get it. Is his first name Shinji and his second name Reiji?”

As if on cue, the man whom she had called Shinji the night before appeared before her. “My real name is Reiji… but for my own safety, I am to be called Shinji.”

Hikari nearly screamed in shock and fear.

The man who had saved her was the exact replica of the Kaiser. The only difference was their skin color and their eyes. While this Reiji person had a fair complexion, the Kaiser was tanned. While Reiji had brown eyes, the ruler of all Sinnoh had gray-colored ones.

“O-o-oh my god…!” she said out loud. “Y-you…!”

“Surprised that I look like the Kaiser?” a smiled tugged at his lips. “You shouldn’t be, Hikari-kun. It is not a surprise that I am the brother of the Kaiser, yet I am his older brother. You look so shocked. Why is that?”

“H-how come he’s in the throne…? And… not you…” she managed to say, despite the big shock.

Before Reiji could explain as to why it had happened, the summoner had provided the answer for him. “A-ha! I knew it! He pushed you off the throne and declared that you abdicated, didn’t you?! Figures!” she said, then proceeded to her rambling. “That man would really stoop THAT low just so he could get what he wants? What. An. Idiot.”

Reiji chose not to clarify what she had said.

What matters the most was that she knew little of that issue, and he knew that it was not in his place to speak of it.

Sumomo, his wife, changed the topic. “You are probably wondering why you were brought here, lady summoner. It is because I am to train you to fend off for yourself.” She explained. “Yes, we know that you have both Azelf and Uxie at your disposal, but I am afraid that it is not enough.” She said quickly, as soon as Hikari glared at her again.

“Excuse me, but I can take care of myself.” The blue-haired girl looked very much offended.

“If you say so, then why was it that you were captured a second time?”

Hikari sighed. They had a point, after all. “Fine. I concede. What do you want me to do?”

Sumomo’s ruby-colored irises lit up. “As you know, mastering a martial art takes half of a person’s lifetime. There is no shortcut when it comes to learning it, but in our case… we have to hurry this up. Basics and advanced forms, as well as kicks and punches, will be taught to you, and it will all depend on your skill, and how your body can cope up with the harsh training. We can be done as early as a week, but this can drag on until the gods-know-when. The choice is yours.

“Are you willing to undergo this training? I can guarantee that when you are done, you will at least be able to hold your ground. You cannot rely on your guardians all the time. Even if you use them against the Kaiser, you will get mentally and physically exhausted, and that will put you in danger.

“Let’s say you want to use Azelf against the Kaiser. Yes, you get yourself boosted, but there is a limit to what you are doing, isn’t it right? Lord Azelf’s power is not unlimited. When he does not possess you anymore, the scenario would be you on the ground, exhausted, and the Kaiser towering over, glaring.”

Before the older girl could elaborate, Hikari rubbed her head in irritation. “Fine, fine. I get it. I’ll go through with the training. I’m not the summoner for nothing, you know.” She then smirked. “I’m prepared. Do your worst.”

Sumomo nodded. “With great honor, my lady.” She said, bowing to the blue-haired girl before assuming a stance. “The martial art that I shall be teaching you is…”

Hikari held her breath.

“It would be Taekwondo.”

Hikari wasn’t very much familiar with the said martial art, but she knew that it was the one that used the feet more than the fists. She was fine with that set up, for she didn’t like punching so much. Kicking someone in the face was something she had always wanted to do…

Most especially if she kicked a certain Kaiser’s face.

She grinned with glee.

Oh, this was going to be so much fun when this was all done.

Hikari decided that she spoke too soon.

She was in pain right now.

Currently in Day 03 of the martial arts training, and, she looked like she had been through hell. Her hair was in a total mess. It always stood up, no matter how much she tried to use a hairbrush to bring it down. She did not have time to use Pochama, for her training started at 4 AM, and if she was late, she was to do ten sets of jumping jacks, pumps and squat thrusts. The first time she had been late, she could barely stand up after doing all those, and at the end of the day, which was a 3 PM, Hikari was unable to walk back to the manor. It had taken Etebosu, Pochama, Pachirisu and Mimirol an hour to move her back to the manor, and when she had already able to crawl, she headed straight to the bathroom to take her bath, have dinner with the couple and sleep until it was time for her to start with the training again.

Hikari was currently kicking a punching bag filled with sand and was trying hard not to grimace in pain. Both her instep have had multiple bruises over it, some were over the other. One of her toes on her right foot was colored a dark purple, a blood clot from the day before, when she had a sparring match with Sumomo, complete with the armor, headgear, arm guards and shin guards. Her arms were filled with bruises, but some were yellowing, signaling that it was healing already.

“Kick harder!” Sumomo snapped.

Hikari did what she was told, biting her lips as not to cry in pain.

‘Summoner, are you alright?’ Azelf has the gall to ask.

‘Oh, everything is just so perky! My feet are probably turning black in a matter of days!’ she replied sarcastically, blood boiling at a dangerous level.

‘Calm down, you two. This is better than nothing at all. We can’t let her get captured.’ Uxie spoke up, breaking the tension.

‘Damn right! I’m not your prissy summoner who needs a knight to save her ass! I can do this on my own!’ as if she had been revived with maniac energy, the girl began kicking the bag furiously. Apparently, she had only managed to do so when she had been blatantly reminded how her first kiss had went. Regardless, Sumomo had been smiling from ear to ear after the session and had decided to end the training at 1 PM.

Tired and exhausted, Hikari decided to sleep all of the pain away until dinner time.

The same routine went on.

A week had passed, and before she knew it, her arms were forming muscles. Her reflexes were sharper as well. Her punches were enough to shake the leaves out of a small tree. Her kicks were able to break four 6-inch thick pieces of wood, and she was now at par with some of Sumomo’s students, mostly those from the high blue belters. At least she was halfway with what she was learning…

Still, she wanted this to be done and over with.

The summoner still had an issue to score with the Kaiser…

Shinji had set out for Mio City as soon as he was given the go signal by the Royal Household Agency. During the time he was confined to his bed, he was studying the way Mesprit moved using the Pokétch he had commissioned for. Mesprit, it seemed, moved from one location to the other after a day or so. Its pattern was predictable, for whenever midnight strikes, it would immediately move to another location, and for this week, it was in Eastern Sinnoh. Right now, it was settled in Route 218 in Western Sinnoh, and will only be there until the stroke of midnight. Right now, he was at Kannagi Town for a quick rest, then head to Mt. Tengan. There, he would do his best to get through the damn cave that connected it with Hakutai City. It was already nine in the morning, and it took him four hours just to get to the town from Tobari City, what more if he goes through the damn the mountain?

Taking a last sip from his tea, he set off to the entrance of Mt. Tengan to confront the last of the lake guardians and submit it to his will.

Unfortunately for Shinji, he was NOT happy about what had transpired on the cave located at the foot of the mountain.

It was already proof that what happened inside was the gods’ revenge against him for maltreating and abusing the summoner, their ‘maiden’, as she was always referred by the gods. Some god (Shinji had suspected Giratina) had played a mischievous trick on him and made him go in circles for a full hour before letting him out from where he had started. Of course, he had gotten pissed over this.

Next came the herd of Geodude and Zubat that had greeted him just as he was about to exit (He knew it was either Dialga or Palkia who had done this, for they live in Mt. Tengan). Despite the fact that he had called out both Eleboo and Dodaitose to knock out the enemies, he was unsuccessful in doing so, and before he knew it, all of his Pokémon have gotten knocked out. He had no choice but to run. Fortunately for him, he was quite athletic, and he had managed to dodge every single attack.

Well, except for Supersonic, that is.

And add Rock Throw as well.

It was enough to knock him down, but not strong enough to knock the living daylights out of him. Sure, it made him bleed, but he wasn’t even dying.

Not now, anyway.

And so, the usually short Route 211 that takes an average of an hour to cross had taken the Kaiser four hours. The gods currently had too much free time in their hands and had found it funny to make the defiant ruler their current play-thing, if only for a little while. Also, combine the fact that he kept going around the circles and the exit was blocked off by the herd of Geodude was enough to make him waste so much time.

Shinji had gone livid once he had been able to get out of the cave. He was tired, hungry, pissed and was in a very foul mood. The trainers that had wanted to battle him started to approach, but one icy glare thrown their way was enough to make them shrink in fear. As if it had been like a plague, the news of a ‘purple-haired ponytail trainer’ striking fear in every trainer spread throughout the area, and everyone was casting their eyes elsewhere.

As Shinji began his walk once more, suddenly, time stood still.

Trainers stopped moving, those in battle stopped giving their commands, and the Pokémon ceased to move as well.

Shinji knew that only a god could stop time.

“Show yourself!!”

Mesprit appeared before him, its face nearly touching the young man’s.

It spoke only four words.

‘You look worn out.’

His patience had suddenly been thrown out of the window.

The tattoo on his right forearm glowed madly, a dark aura surrounded the man, and to Mesprit’s shock and surprise, the aura grew larger and larger, and enveloped Shinji. It seems that Darkrai was on the boy’s side, but why? What made the Dark god take the side of the antagonist, Mesprit mused. Unlike the summoner, the Kaiser had limited powers, and most of the time, the Kaisers could not utilize the powers that a god had to offer. But when it came to Darkrai, as it had noticed before, he was able to muster a huge amount of energy in one Dark Void attack. Yes, the seals have been removed, the Kaiser had made it clear, but a summoner could only do so much as to remove a few of it…

‘Every seal was…!’

The Psychic god used Protect on itself when the dark energy suddenly became erratic. It could not afford to be hit. The Dark element was its enemy, after all.

The dark energy that had surrounded the young man suddenly disappeared with a blink of an eye, and there stood the Kaiser, but at the same time, he was not the Kaiser…

Why, he looked just like Darkrai, though in the form of a human.

The purple hair was gone and was replaced by platinum locks that reached the middle of his back. The said hair also covered his right eye. A red, tattered scarf that had a concave shape on the front was wrapped loosely on his neck, the material billowing behind. A long black mandarin-style trench coat covered his body, and when the clothing reached his waist, it was unbuttoned all the way down, billowing, as well tattered-looking. Black loose pants were what he wore inside the coat, as well as black boots that reached his knees. On the shoulder part of the trench coat were wing-like shaped clothing.

The most noticeable feature of the Dark god was not his outfit, but his aqua-colored left eye that shone brightly in the still-time dimension.

“Ah, Darkrai. You took possession of the human.” Mesprit stated. “This rarely happens.”

“… You pushed him to his limits.” A statement, not a question.

“Then he should not have pushed the summoner to her limits as well.”

“And why should he not do such?”

Mesprit shook its head. “You will not understand…!”

“Try me.” Darkrai-Shinji pressed on.

“Everything… must be in balance. Press her too hard or she is much too good, the results are disastrous. That is all.”

“I do not understand.”

“You don’t need to know.” with that, Mesprit levitated away, trying its best to run away. Darkrai had the advantage, and even if it tried to use its Normal-based moves, it was useless. It zoomed past the still trainers, all the while avoiding the Dark god.

Darkrai-Shinji, however, had another thing in mind.

He flew as high as a hundred meters above the ground, gathered as much dark energy as it could and burst the small dark ball into a hundred or so. “Give it up. You are no match for a Dark type. See the humans and their Pokémon? They’ll be food for me.” Slowly, the dark energy had hit the two living creatures, entering into their system. Despite the fact that time stood still, the life energy of both human and Pokémon were being drained slowly…

The Being of Emotions suddenly cringed.

The feelings of the humans and the Pokémon…

It was screaming at it loudly.

They were all in pain.

“I will not allow this to happen to the humans and their partners!”

Mesprit decided to do something that it has never, ever done before.

Though the Dark type may be its weakness, it decided that it would have to bear it…

… And throw back the nightmares that both humans and Pokémon were feeling using its Extrasensory skill.

Mustering as much energy as it could, Mesprit recalled back all of the dark energy that had made its way to the humans and Pokémon. Slowly but surely, it was working. The dark energy ball was now swirled violently in front of the god, and it tried its best to retain it in that manner and position, careful not to burst it, resulting into a very, very disastrous situation that it did not want to think of.

‘Focus…!’

At once, the Psychic Pokémon closed its eyes and focused all the energy it had… the shot it was about to make was a one time, big time hit. If it failed, it would be over.

“I told you, it is useless…”

“Extrasensory!”

Despite the fact that the attack did not, in any way, affected him, Shinji was in for a big surprise himself. The Being of Emotion had somehow managed to mix both the psychic attack and the nightmares that were being experienced by those hit by the Dark Void attack. Contrary to the fact that nightmares were greatly welcomed by Darkrai for its nourishment, too much of it could be a bad thing… most especially if it had a host, particularly a human.

Apparently, the Dark Void attack had backfired on its caster.

Darkrai-Shinji was suddenly felt like he was sucked into a hellish domain that was impossible to break into.

His life suddenly flashed before him…

“Don’t go!”

What the…

Shinji saw himself, his younger self, around the age of ten… begging?

He remembered.

That was the first and the last time he had been on his knees, begging, lowering his pride, just so the most important person in his life wouldn’t leave him.

“… Remember, you are not Shinji anymore. You are…”

That day…

The day he had been ‘reborn’ into someone else.

He was to be renamed Reiji now.

Shinji… was a thing of the past. He was discarded, to be laid forgotten by everyone who had known him. The only ones who knew, rather, remembered that Shinji was ‘alive’ would be his brother, his mother and father, Ayako and that woman...

Only they knew of his true identity.

“Have we not told you that you are no longer going to be called Shinji?! Reiji! You will only respond to the name Reiji! How many times to we have to remind you of that?!”

His father had yelled at him those statements when he had refused to be called by his brother’s name. Of course, being the stubborn child that he was, Shinji had refused.

His brother had betrayed him.

How could he leave the responsibility of the whole region in the shoulders of a ten year old who had not been groomed for this? Why, Reiji has been taught everything he needed to know about Sinnoh, the gods, the summoner and even the myths his whole life! The younger one, on the other hand, had not been forced to read thick books until now.

He hated his brother for doing this to him

What had he done to even deserve this stupid predicament?

He did not even want this to happen.

He only meant to be the second son, and never the Kaiser.

He felt uneasy ruling Sinnoh. Not only did he felt like he had stolen what his brother’s was rightfully, but he had also inherited something that wasn’t his to begin with, namely, the summoner.

She was never his to begin with. She… she belonged to his brother.

That was before he had married that woman, but still, the summoner was never his…

Though there had been too many cons than pros, he was still grateful that he was the current Kaiser.

He had met her for the first time at the age of fifteen.

“Shinji-kun… the summoner… my heiress… take care of her and protect her… she… she is… unique…”

And for that, he would have to fulfill his promise with his mother.

Shinji vowed to protect her, even if it meant that he was to be the villain.

He will make sure of that.

“Do you feel better now, Your Imperial and Royal Majesty?”

It was a day after she had removed the seals. As soon as he had woke up, that was the first thing that had greeted him. That, and her smile…

“… You care for her.”

The nightmares ceased at once, as soon as Mesprit had spoken.

Darkrai-Shinji had chosen not to reply to the statement.

“I am surprised that you have been able to withstand the trials I have given you: the maze in the cave, the running, the herd of Pokémon chasing your way… why, you’ve been able to face your own nightmares and fears.”

“Shut up already.” Darkrai’s host called out.

“Your intentions were clear to me, however, and even if you try to put up walls right now, it is useless. I have read them all.” Mesprit felt its spirits soar when he saw the look of dismay in the young man’s face. “Nevertheless, I am relieved to know that you give a thought about the summoner, despite what your actions tell the gods.

“Though the summoner might find this strange, and probably the gods might disagree with me, they know better than to be mistrustful of me. Very well then, human.” Mesprit closed its eyes once more, transforming into the familiar amber-colored ball. “I have decided that you are worthy. You have passed my trials, no matter how tedious it was on your part…”

No kidding. Darkrai-Shinji spat bitterly to himself.

“I shall join you.”

The amber-colored spirit ball made its way in front of the young man, but before he could even grasp the spirit ball, Darkrai-Shinji had fainted right on the spot. Slowly, time went back to its normal pace, and the afternoon sun that had graced the Route before was now replaced with the night sky. As soon as the human hit the ground, his features went back to normal. Mesprit made its way into Shinji’s body, becoming one with the Kaiser and fulfilling the pact. Unlike the summoner, who was rolling on the ground in pain upon the contact, he made no indication that Shinji was in pain. A cause of this was probably exhaustion.

“I’d never see the day that one of the lake guardians is joining the ‘bad side’.” Darkrai’s spirit appeared suddenly.

“I’d never see the day that the Dark god would even think of using this human being as its host.” Mesprit remarked as well, its spirit appearing on the normal world. The runes that were on Shinji’s right arm bore the proof that Mesprit had chosen him as its master. The tattoos on both his arm and forearm were also glowing.

“He is the perfect host and candidate for me, I’ll have you know.” At once, the remaining dark energy in the area began to surround Darkrai, giving it nourishment.

“I am puzzled as to why your host had fainted when the nightmares hit him. Darkrai, you feed on nightmares!”

“It is simple, really. He… we had consumed too much of it. Too much of a good thing is bad, do you not agree?” the Dark god nodded. “It is good now, because my host is currently exhausted. He needs to replenish both his physical and mental energy again.”

“Is he alright, by the way?”

“Of course. He doesn’t need to get checked by those human healers again. I can feel that he is quite alright…”

Amber light suddenly shot up in the sky.

“And the three guardians of the lake have finally been contracted…” said both Darkrai and Mesprit. The two of them looked at each other.

“Soon… it will happen.”

While Hikari was having dinner with the couple, she suddenly jolted in her seat and felt very much uneasy all of a sudden. Despite the fact that she had been hungry some minutes before, for some odd reason, her appetite was gone. Her beef and bowl of rice were suddenly forgotten on the table. “Excuse me, but I don’t feel so good right now…”

Ignoring the calls of Sumomo and Reiji, she headed upstairs to her room and stared at her dresser mirror.

“What… what just happened to me back there…? What’s with this uneasy feeling…? I hope it’ll go away…”

She prepared for bed right away, knowing that a good night’s rest helped calm down her nerves. It would also clear her mind, as well as to help her relax a bit. She offered a wish, hoping that the uneasy feeling would die down when she wakes up.

It did not happen.

Something had gone terribly wrong, and she had no idea what it was.

Notes:

Mio City - Canalave City

Hakutai City - Eterna City

Ohayou gozaimasu - Good morning

Etebosu - Ambipom

Pochama - Piplup

Mimirol - Buneary.

Okay, about that Royal Household Agency... I based it from Japan's very own Kunaicho, more commonly known as the Imperial Household Agency. Like the one in my fic, their function is to manage the affairs of the members of the royal family. :D

Before anyone goes violent on me for not choosing a Japanese sport for Hikari to learn, then I'm sorry. Despite the fact that there is the internet for research, I do not think it is enough. I chose Taekwondo because I've tried this sport, and even if I have only reached a blue-colored belt, I've had real life data as to how training would go, as well as how the kicks are done. Forgive me for not choosing Aikido, Karate-do, Naginata-do or even Kendo. Maybe in the next fic that I'll be writing, I'll go for any of these sports. XP

For any more questions or anything terms you didn't understand, drop me a review or a PM!

And we're done. Too lengthy? Too short? What do you guys think of this chapter? Has my 'standards' dropped, increased or did not change? Please tell me in your reviews! :D