Chp 46: Aien
 
“Child... why are you here?”  
 
“Poemon!” The infant said happily, stumbling over and reaching out for the snake shaped dragon.  
 
“Are you lost? I am Zygrade. Your people are afraid of me. I am the monster of Terminus Cave.”  
 
“Zy!”  
 
“Remain here. I will find a pokemon to escort you back to the surface.” After a few minutes of the infant poking and climbing on the legendary pokemon, a gallade entered his chamber. “Gallade, please take this child back to Couriway Town.” 
 
“Right away, master.” 
 
+++ 
 
“Zy!” The infant greeted happily when he stumbled back into the cavern.  
 
“Child...” Zy said in confusion. “Where are your parents?” 
 
The boy said nothing. He merely approached and began to pet Zygarde.  
 
“You cannot stay here. You must go back to your family.” 
 
“Zy! Zy!” The child said happily, climbing onto his squishy back. A few minutes later,Gallade returned.  
 
“Master.” He said with a bow. 
 
“Please, make sure this child is taken to the proper place in town. I fear for his safety.” With that, the child was carried away again. 
 
+++ 
 
The night passed without incident, but when Zygarde awoke, the child was resting in his coils. Gallade arrived within minutes, still looking groggy.  
 
“I suspect this child may be abandoned.” Zygarde explained. “Take him into town one more time, while I accompany him.” A cell emerged from the ground and crawled up the child’sleg, coming to rest on his chest under his shirt. The boy giggled and played with the blob whileGallade carried him out of the cave. 
 
Gallade dropped the child off just outside the police station. Couriway town was still sleeping on the Saturday morning, so very few people noticed the pokemon carrying the kid in the quiet town. Not long after, one of the officers noticed him. 
 
“You again? You gotta stop running away kiddo.” He ruffled the boy’s hair. “Come on, let’s get you home.” The policeman took the child’s hand and led him through town, back to the orphanage that took care of him. It only held about five kids, under the care of a kind older couple. This particular child was orphaned from the beginning, when his single mother died during birth. A tragic story, and there was no one in the small village to take him in. “Alright, you stay put this time.”  
 
It took a grand total of five minutes for the child to escape, stumbling out the back door and out of the fenceless yard. He made a beeline back to the cave, easily wandering through the darkened passages until he returned to Zygarde’s chamber.  
 
“I see...” Zygarde said, deep in thought. He lowered his head, allowing the child to pet him. After a time, a goodra entered his chamber.  
 
“Master? You wanted to see me?” She asked. 
 
“Yes. This child has no family and seems intent on staying with us. Will you take him in?”  
 
“A human? Yes... I can if you wish.” Goodra kneeled down and picked up the boy, giving him a gooey hug. “Come along young one.” She set the slimed child down and guided him away. They went through the cave, until they came to a hole leading into a rocky den. “I don’t know if you can understand me, but I am kind of a substitute mother for a lot of lonely young pokemon.” She tried to communicate with gestures. The pair crawled inside, the child going willingly, even excitedly. Inside, there were a bunch of other young pokemon. There were several goomy, a group of beldum, a pair of ralts, and a froakie.  
 
“Everyone, this is... Human. Human will be staying with us, so be nice.”  
 
“Hey! A human?” Froakie asked, bouncing over.  
 
“Froakie!” Human said, patting his head.  
 
“Oh, hey, that feels nice.” Froakie patted him back. 
 
Goodra walked past and began taking berries out of a storage hole for breakfast.  
 
“Hello. What brings you here?” The female ralts asked.  
 
“Mama?” Human asked, pointing at Goodra.  
 
“Yes.” The male ralts said. “Well, she isn’t really our mother, but she cares for us while Dad guards the cave.” 
 
“Dada?” Human asked. 
 
“Yes, Gallade. You must have ran into him if you made it here.” 
 
“Yeah, he’s tough and loyal to the master of the cave, the mighty Zygarde.” The female said. “Oh, and we can talk to you mentally, so we can translate.” 
 
“Maybe we could teach him to speak like us?” The male suggested.  
 
“Hey!” Froakie shouted. “You know how I hate when you two do that whole mental talk thing. I wanna know what you’re talking about!”  
 
+++ 
 
“Here’s this weeks food.” A gruff voice growled from outside the den. Human followedGoodra out to find a large charizard. He had a few large bags sewn out of plant fiber containing berries along with some cooked fish.  
 
“Thank you sir Charizard.” Goodra said. 
 
“Please, just Charizard is fine. I swear, I tell you that every time.”  
 
“You do. But it seems rude not to speak properly to such a gentleman.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek.  
 
+++ 
 
“You see, humans are quite like pokemon.” Gallade explained. “They live in large groups, each member of the community performing a service. Some protect, others gather food, some care for children, some educate and train others. They are all a part of one great whole, much like master Zygarde himself.” 
 
“Then... why do we live separately?” Human asked. 
 
“Some don’t. Groups like us just want to be left alone, like in the old days. Many humans do the same, sticking to crowded places called cities. But some, called trainers, make friends with pokemon and live together like family. Now, that is enough for today. Go get some exercise with the others.” Gallade said, ending their almost daily education session. 
 
“Why am I human? Why wasn’t I born a pokemon?”  
 
Gallade’s eyes widened. “Hmm... I do not know how to answer that. Fate simply is. Perhaps it would be better to pose questions like that to master Zygarde. He has been alive for years beyond our imagining, with wisdom to match.”  
 
+++ 
 
“Fate? Gallade mentioned that?” Zygarde asked Human, receiving a nod. “I see. You are growing up fast. It’s hard to believe it was only four years ago you wandered in here. Life is complex. Everyone has their own idea of what it all means. Even being a step down from our creator, Arceus, I do not know the truth.” 
 
“I just want to know why. I was born a human, but raised a pokemon.” The eight-year-old Human said, looking at his hands. “It just seems... all wrong. Like some kind of joke.”  
 
“It very well may be. Who knows what the mind of Arceus dreams? The first creations ofArceus however, we are each entrusted with a task. I am to protect this planet, to ensure the survival of all who live on it, plant, human, animal and pokemon alike.” 
 
“Past that, what do you believe life is?” 
 
“I believe Arceus has a plan for us. That he guides us along, watching over us and protecting us so that we may do our duty.”  
 
+++ 
 
“Hey! Human!” Frogadier called.  
 
“Morning.” Human greeted. He was twelve now. They were outside the cave, in the nearby forest. “Same old practice?” 
 
“Well, hey, we gotta toughen you up somehow. You’re almost as squishy as mamaGoodra. And nowhere near as tough.” 
 
“I guess.” 
 
“Hey, what’s wrong?” 
 
“It’s just...” 
 
“Frogadier! Human!” Goodra’s voice called. “Are y-” A deafening crack echoed through the forest.  
 
“Hey! What was that?!” Frogadier yelped.  
 
“C’mon, let’s go check!” The pair rushed through the woods, easily traversing the rough landscape with experience. They spotted Goodra’s purple color in the distance and closed in. But as they neared, they saw her lying face down. Red liquid was pooling around her. Kneeling next to her was a human, holding a long metal object.  
 
“Qui est là?” The human asked in unintelligible speech as Human and Frogadier broke into the clearing. 
 
“Hey! Mama!?” Frogadier cried out, recognizing the sight of blood.  
 
“Juste un entraîneur... Battez-le, gamin.” The man said threateningly.  
 
“Human, we need to go. NOW!” Frogadier grabbed Human and dragged him back into the bushes. 
 
+++ 
 
“Zygarde...” 
 
“I know. I realized too late to do anything. I am sorry.”  
 
“She raised all of us. And now... He just...” 
 
“Some people are just evil.” 
 
“BUT WHY HER!” Human shouted. “What did she do to deserve this? Why not me!”  
 
“You?” 
 
“Me. I’m a human too. Just like that evil monster. Why couldn’t he have just killed me instead?!” 
 
“It has nothing to do with being human. Evil exists among all species. Nothing could have stopped this.” 
 
Human sighed and sat against the wall, tears streaming down his face. 
 
“Don’t feel bad. Do you remember fate? Well, I believe Arceus has a plan for everything. There must have been a reason for this.” 
 
“A reason?” Human looked up. “Yeah... Arceus is evil.”  
 
“What?!” Zygarde gasped, losing his composure for the first time Human had ever seen. 
 
“Yes. Evil. Think about it. He created us, right? So he must be the most powerful thing ever. And what does he do to stop evil like this? Nothing!” 
 
“Human, it’s not like that. Things will work out in the end.” 
 
“Wouldn’t it be better if it never happened in the first place? If we get revenge on that man, Goodra is still dead!”  
 
“Yes, but-” 
 
“Arceus could have spared or saved Goodra, but he let her die, for no reason. He’s a monster.” 
 
“Hu-” 
 
“You exist to protect people, right?! Why not protect people from the god playing games with our lives!? Wouldn’t it be a safer world if someone like you ruled?” 
 
+++ (5 years later) 

	“Hard to believe it was five years ago.” Zy said.

	“Huh? I’m seventeen. We met when I was like… four.” Aien responded.

	“I meant when we began our journey. It seems like only yesterday.”
 
“Yeah.” Aien said. “This could be the end of it. Are you ready?” 
 
“Yes.” Zy responded. “This has been a long time coming. Soon, the world will be a safer place. With a new god.” 
 
“A god of justice.” Aien said. “First, Stark mountain. Then, we finally dethrone the tyrant.”