Creidi passed the next few days in a stupor. She kept muttering that she was a bad trainer and other such things that made Jace say ‘nonsense’. Raikou was well on his way to recovery. The Nurse, who was still amazed that the thunder cat had lived, said that he needed at least a week’s rest. Jace, for her part, made good on her threat to get Rain canned. The police had come by the next day with the girls’ prize money and badges, and delivered the message that they were looking into Rain’s history. Jace was taking Creidi’s behavior as best she could. She wasn’t really as good at comforting as Creidi, and the whole thing was starting to strain her nerves.

"Do you really think I’m a good trainer?" Creidi asked gloomily as she sat on the bed looking at her shoes. How could she be? She had let her pokemon nearly get killed.

"Yes, Creidi, you are a good trainer." Jace said in exasperation. It was the third time she had answered that question in the last hour, and god only knows how many times today.

"You’re just saying that… because you’re my friend…" Creidi sighed.

"That IT! I’ve had it!" Jace snapped, "You cannot keep moping about this, Creidi! What happened in that gym wasn’t your fault, and you know it!" Jace had never yelled at Creidi before and it felt strange, but this had to be done. "We are the best Camp had to offer. We meet every challenge head on and as a team. We’ve gone straight to the level five league. If you don’t snap out of this soon I’ll…I’ll…I don’t know but it won’t be pretty!!!"

Creidi stared at her with a blank expression. Her hand rose slowly to her reddening cheek. Some where, deep in her sub-conscious, she had heard and understood Jace’s every word. She blinked. Then she looked into Jace’s worried and angry face. She smiled.

"Thanks Jace. I needed that." She said. Jace’s face flooded with relief.

"Damn Straight!" She laughed. It felt good to have the real Creidi back. "Now let’s go get Raikou out of the center and catch our boat to Jet Island and our final gym battle." Both girls smiled and nodded.

***********************************************************

To say the boat was lavish wasn’t even a start. All the interior hallways were covered in rich red carpets. The walls were starch white and perfect in every way. The outer walkways were perfectly laid wood floor and the metal railing was polished to a high shine. The ship had to be at least a hundred and fifty meters long. The size was more due to the fact that it contained six full size arenas (one on the upper deck, two on the middle deck, and three on the third deck) then the number of trainers. The ship had over 800 rooms, but they weren’t all needed as there were only about 500 trainers on board. Jace and Creidi were probably the youngest people on board. The man taking tickets had given them a strange look, as did many other people. For their part, it didn’t escape the two girls that the person closest to their age was at least twenty. The girls hadn’t even found their room when they were faced with their first challenge.

"What are little girls like you doing in the big leagues?" a snotty male voice asked. The girls looked to see a purple haired boy leaning against the wall to their right. He had cool mint green eyes and was dressed in a navy blue shirt and khaki pants.

"We earned it." Jace replied snidely.

"You daddies buying you the best pokemon at high levels doesn’t count." He said coolly.

"What are you deaf?" Jace snapped, this guy was getting on her nerves, "I – said –

we – earned – it."

"I seriously doubt that." The guy laughed. Creidi grabbed Jace by the shoulder to restrain her. Having Jace rip this guy a new one, however much he deserved it, wasn’t going to solve this.

"If you think we bought our way in, then let us prove you wrong in battle." Creidi said simply.

"HA! I would KO your pokemon so fast it would make your heads spin." He laughed. By this time a crowd had gathered in anticipation of a battle, and it seemed they were all rooting for the boy.

"Tough words," Creidi continued, "Let’s see you back them up."

"Gladly Missy. I’ll see the two you in arena one in ten minutes." The ridicule of the two girls continued all the way to the arena. It seemed everyone had something to say about their age or their dads’ finality status or anything they could think of. Creidi had to keep reminding Jace that once they stomped this guy in battle, then no one would have any thing to say. They followed Noah, their challenger, to arena one; the seats around which began to fill with spectators bent on seeing the girls get their teeth kicked in. This arena was on the upper most deck and was an open-air arena.

"Six on six ok with you children?" Noah mocked, "Or do you not have that many between you?" The stadium burst out laughing. Both girls growled.

"That’s fine." Creidi said through gritted teeth, she was starting to loose her patience.

"I’ll give you the advantage by choosing first, Go Charizard!" Noah tossed the ball out casually.

"This one’s mine!" Jace said, "Go Aquatro! Water Cannon!"

"Charizard, Flame Shield!" The beautiful water bird appeared and shot off the spherical blast of water. The fire dragon responded by shooting out a forward dome of fire. The water collided with the fire with a loud hiss and a plume of steam.

"Now Charizard, Fly!"

"Aquatro Agility, show that flying brick how’s done!" A flying brick was, in Creidi’s opinion, an apt description. The Charizard was big and strong, but definitely not graceful or fast. Aquatro was flying circles around it, literally.

"Charizard Flame thrower!"

"Aquatro Dodge and Counter!" Creidi thought this was a brash move on Jace’s part. It gave Aquatro free range of any attack she wanted until Jace gave a new order. But it did seem to be working. The water bird was gracefully dodging ever jet of fire and retaliating with blasts of icy water and flying attacks.

"Charizard!" Noah sounded like he was getting annoyed, "Finish it when that bird comes in close!"

"Aquatro don’t give him the chance, Neptune’s Gale!" Aquatro started to hover in midair and with a scream of her name a storm of ice, water, wind, and lightning engulfed the fire dragon. From with in the monster screamed in anguish.

"Charizard, Return." Noah said, trying to hide his reluctance.

"Aquatro Return." Jace said with a smile on her face, "I guess the first round goes to us, huh." She crowed, a fresh cocky smile playing on her lips.

"You shouldn’t be so cocky!" Noah snorted as he pulled out his next pokemon.

"I tell her that all the time, and look how much good it’s done." Creidi called back as she ducked Jace’s swing.

"Go Maganium! Vine Whip and prepare and Solar Beam!"

"I got this one," Creidi said, "Go Articorn!" The vines wasted no time tying up the ice horse. The green ropes wrapped around his legs, wings, neck, torso, and one even wrapped around his horn. The ice horse neighed and reared up trying to pull free. It was fruitless. The grass dinosaur began to retract its vines as the pedals around its neck began to glow.

"Articorn, Ice beam!" Creidi called, her own smile crossing her lips. The blue white light shot from Articorn’s throat and slammed square into Maganium’s face. The antenna on the dinosaur’s head flipped forward with the force on the blast, but the vines held firm despite the attack. Articorn continued to slip forward. Creidi’s mind raced. If that hadn’t been enough to shake off the vines what else could she do? Most of his other attacks required the use of his wings at the least. Noah only smiled. Then a plan formed in her mind.

"Articorn Permafrost!" The ice horse’s horn glowed azure and the respective vine froze. Maganium pulled it away instinctively. Jace smiled inwardly. Creidi had that ‘I’ve got a plan’ look on her face. She had full confidence in her friend; at least Creidi’s plans hadn’t failed them yet.

"Now Articorn, Hailstorm!" Creidi yelled. Articorn raised his head and screamed into the sky his horn turning bright cobalt. A heavy black cloud formed over the grass type and almost instantly began to pelt the dinosaur with balls of ice the size golf balls. Maganium cried with each successive hit, but it never wavered from its task. By now Articorn was only a few feet from his opponent.

"Now Maganium!" Noah said coolly. The grass type opened his mouth to reveal a bulb of light forming in its throat. With a cry of its name the light exited. Articorn had no where to go and no way to block. The Solar Beam hit him squarely in the chest. The light consumed him. Creidi didn’t need to see the out come of the attack, her ice horse could never stand against that kind of heat.

"Articorn return." Creidi conceded. The crowd roared at Noah’s victory.

"Return Maganium." Noah said coolly, his cocky tone returning, "Looks like we’re even." He started to finger his pokeballs, as if unsure what to use next, but the girls weren’t fooled. This was a trainer who used the same line up every time no matter what. "I think I’ll use… Mistallion!" The girls paused, they didn’t have anything to combat a dark type.

"What’s the problem?" Noah laughed, "Daddy not buy you the right pokemon?"

"Shut up! Go Umbreon!" Jace called out hotly. Creidi swallowed hard. It was another of Jace’s hotheaded moves. However, this one seemed to be even less thought out then most. She really hoped this wasn’t going to blow up in their faces. "Crunch!

"Mistallion, Beat Rush." Noah said with a cool, calm air about him. Both pokemon charged. They meet in the middle of the arena. It took all of Umbreon’s agility to keep from being crushed under the enormous hooves. Suddenly Umbreon’s needle sharp teeth dug into the tender flesh of Mistallion’s hind ankle. The horse gave whinny of pain and surprise.

"Mistallion, Mega Kick." Noah ordered. The giant horse raised its leg, with Umbreon still attached, and its hoof began to glow. Suddenly the horse kicked out. The hoof caught Umbreon right in the chest and sent him flying across the arena. The dark eon slammed into Jace’s stomach and the two went tumbling back.

"Jace!" Creidi yelled and ran to her friend’s side. The crowd around them seemed to be at an impasse. They still wanted Noah to win, but they didn’t seem to approve of such force.

"I’m fine." Jace coughed, trying to regain the wind she had lost. "Just beat him!" Creidi nodded and returned to the trainer’s box.

"Ready to give up?" Noah asked as he recalled his Mistallion.

"Just choose your next pokemon." Creidi said through gritted teeth.

"Have it your way. Go Rhydon. Horn Drill." The crowd gave another unsure buzz.

"Go Suicune, Dodge and Hydro Pump!" The rock type lowered its head and charged. To Creidi’s surprise her water dog did the same. At the last moment however Suicune leapt into the air directly over Rhydon’s head. The angry rock type roared his challenge as it looked up. This was its mistake. Suicune had reached the apex of her jump, several meters over Rhydon, and at that moment her eyes flashed an angry teal. She opened her mouth and shot out a heavy blast of water, the force of which not only shot her even higher, but also pinned Rhydon to the ground. When she could no longer hold the attack, Suicune flipped through the air and landed on all fours only a few meters from her opponent.

"Rhydon!" Noah yelled, "Sand Storm!"

"Suicune, Summon Storm!" Rhydon roared and the diamond structure on Suicune’s head began to glow. Simultaneously the two storms erupted. The result was like muddy rain. The water hurt the rock type while the sand that had escaped the rain cut into Suicune. It was a stand off. Suddenly Suicune’s diamond and eyes turned sapphire and the rain increased ten fold. The wind picked up so high that people were having trouble staying in place. Creidi fumbled for her pokedex.

"Hurricane." The pokedex chirped, "The advanced form of Summon Storm. No other information." Creidi frowned at the dex, ‘stupid technology’. The poor Rhydon was being battered with the wind, water, and sand. With a sad, defeated cry the rock type fainted. They recalled their pokemon and the wind died.

"Now we’re even." Creidi called. Noah growled.

"Go Thundar! Thunder!" An electric yellow bird the size of a mini van burst from the ball with a scream. Creidi heard Jace audibly gasp next to her. Creidi turned to see a dazed sort of happy look on her friend’s face. Creidi poked her as she wondered how long she had been there. Jace turned and looked at her blankly. A small bit of drool rolled down chin. Creidi made a face somewhere between amusement and exasperation.

"You ok?" Jace nodded, then as if suddenly remembering where she was and what she was doing, she shook her head and fumbled for a pokeball.

"Go Gyrdrake!" Jace yelled and let her huge dragon roar forth, "Blizzard!" The bolt of lightning struck the dark/ice dragon head-on. Gyrdrake roared more out of anger then pain, before opening his huge mouth and blasting out ice and snow at the bird. Thundar dodged, but not fast enough. Its legs and tail were coated in ice. The bird made a valiant effort to stay aloft, but to no avail. The ice weighed too much and it was pulled to the arena floor.

"Thundar, Thunder wave!"

"Gyrdrake, Tail Lash!" Thundar opened its wings and gave a cry. From its mouth and wing tips wave after wave of electric energy start to swell outwards. The waves hit Gyrdrake and made her convulse. With an angry roar the dragon swung her ebony spiked tail and smashed into the electric bird. The bird of prey sailed across the arena and skidded to a stop out of bounds. Noah looked livid.

"The best you can do now is tie!" Jace yelled, her cockiness never wavering as she recalled her dragon and Noah his bird.

"I choose my best pokemon." Noah said coolly, but there was an unmistakable edge on his voice as he tossed a green and white pokeball on to the field. There was a flash and a pokemon as big as Gyrdrake emerged. When it touched down every one had to catch their balance, because the ship had sunk several feet lower in the water. The pokemon looked like a deformed Onix. Its head was over sized and it had large flat spikes sticking out all over its body. In the late morning sun it gave off a silvery gleam.

"What is that?" Jace voiced the question Creidi felt. Both girls pulled out their pokedexes and pointed it at the pokemon.

"Steelix: The iron snake." The pokedex chirped. "This is one of the few steel type pokemon."

"Steel type?" Jace asked, "Never heard of it."

"You should read more." Creidi chided holding up one of her books. "Good thing I got this one. Go Arcanine, Fire blast!" Jace gave her friend a cold stare. Why should I read when I can just ask you? While Jace was complaining to herself the battle had commenced. The crowd held its collective breath.

"Steelix, Iron tail!" The firedog had the advantage of speed and had shot off several stars of fire before the snake could even try to attack. The fire had made it wince but it didn’t seem to do any real damage. Steelix retaliated by swinging it’s tail on a wide arc. Arcanine simply jumped it. Creidi made a face. Fire blast was one of the strongest fire attacks, and weren’t steel types weak to fire?

"Ok, Arcanine, Flamethrower, close range!"

"Steelix screech!" Arcanine charged and Steelix roared. A shiver ran through the dog’s body as the sound wave hit her. When she was right on top of the snake Arcanine blasted the attack. Again Steelix only winced.

"What is going on?" Creidi asked rhetorically.

"My Steelix has over come most of its weakness to fire." Noah cooed, "Does the little baby want to surrender now?"

"Over came, its resistance." Creidi muttered. Then it struck her. "Ok, resist this! Arcanine, Inferno…" Arcanine’s front legs came together and she lowered her head. A growl rumbled in her throat. A thin angry red line, which would have been missed by the casual observer, formed a circle around Steelix.

"Soul!!!" Arcanine throw back her head and howled. The inside of the circle erupted in a column of fire that reached the sky. It was red hot, flaked with white. The sound of Creidi’s voice, Arcanine’s howl, and the roaring flames filled the air as one. The fire only faded when the girl and dog released it. In its wake it left a charred Steelix and floor.

"What was the hell was that?" Jace asked in shock.

"Inferno Soul: This attack is dependant not on the power of the pokemon, but on the strength of the bond between it and its trainer." The pokedex in her hand answered.

"I’m telling you" Creidi cooed, "You should read more."

Noah in the mean time was just standing there staring. The crowd was deadly silent. Slowly someone started to clap; then another, and another, and another. Soon the stadium was a roar with claps, cheers, and whistles for Jace and Creidi. Arcanine returned to Creidi’s side for praise as Jace waved happily to the crowd.

**********************************************************

The rest of the boat ride went by without incident. The victory over Noah had been enough to convince most of the trainers that the girls were serious. Creidi helped teach Jace’s Typhosen and her Houndoom the Inferno Soul attack. Jace made several attempts to learn from Noah where he got the Thundar, but he wouldn’t so much as look at her. It was female trainer named Jessica that told her about a set of islands to the far south where one might be found.

"The islands are called the Isles of Elements." Creidi read from a book with a strange symbol on the cover, "Every Island has only one pokemon type on it."

"Cool." Jace cooed, a dreamy happy look on her face as she thought about a Island with nothing but flying types.

"Attention Passengers." The PA broke into their conversation, "Those who will be departing on the island of Jet, please be ready to depart in one hour. That is all, thank you."

"That’s us." Creidi said happily, the excitement beginning to build.

An hour later the boat slid into port and Jace, Creidi, and a handful of other trainer’s disembarked. The City of Jet was small by comparison to the other cities in the Jewel League. The most prominent buildings were the pokecenter and one large hotel. All the other structures were no more the two stories and the homes were little more them cottages. The girls made their way to the hotel.

"We’d like a room please." Creidi said politely as she and Jace handed the desk clerk their pokedexes. He took them with out a word and began to type. A moment later a surprised look came over his face and he left in a hurry.

"How rude!" Jace snorted, "Where is he going?"

"I don’t know…" Creidi answered calmly, though she had to agree with Jace on this one. The man returned looking quit excited. Jace gave him a cold stare, but Creidi tried to look pleasantly confused.

"This arrived for you a week ago." The man said, sounding as if it were Christmas morning, as he handed a letter to Creidi. She took it and opened it, Jace looked over her shoulder.

Dear Jace and Creidi,

It has been brought to my attention, by my fellow Jewel League Gym Leaders, that the two of you are among the best to come through the league in sometime. You have shown great skill in battle, compassion for pokemon; both in your care and out; and commitment toward each other in all things. I hereby invite you both to my gym. The gym may be found in the Valley Cave.

Sincerely,

Cole

"The Valley Cave?" Jace asked, "Sense when did they start telling us their exact location?" Creidi shrugged; maybe they missed the memo?

"Everyone knows where Cole’s gym is." The desk clerk interrupted, "The Valley Cave is in the Vale of Light and Shadow. It’s just north of town."

"But why tell us where to find him? None of the other Gym Leaders did." Creidi asked.

"You’ll be lucky if you find the cave in any hurry. The Valley is huge and the cave’s exact location is only known to those who have been there, and they won’t tell."

"I guess we’ll be doing some camping, huh Jace" Creidi said giving her a playful elbow in the ribs. Jace frowned and gave a loud groan. She hated camping.

************************************************************

Jace and Creidi had decided to split up and search different parts of the Valley. They kept in contact through the walky-talkies in their pokedexes. Creidi’s theory had been that they could cover twice the ground in half the time. At least in theory. So far the Valley had yet to yield a cave. The Valley had, however, proven to be rich in pokemon. Jace had come up with a solar type falcon called Re, a bird of stone called Sentinel, a steel type Skarmory, a Doduo, Murkrow, Cubone, Delibird, a Syther, a Dratini, and her own Epony (the unevolved form of Mistallion). Creidi had made off just as well. Over the last week they had been in the valley she had caught a Rhyhorn, a young Entie, a Larvitar, a Lapras, a Greyhound like ghost called a Quicksilver, a Staryu, an Onix, a Stantler, and her own Dratini.

But at this moment all Creidi’s thoughts were focused on the task at hand. In the clearing before her was herd of horse pokemon. But these were no ice or fire horses. These horses were built like Thoroughbreds, long in leg and wind. They had no horns or wings, and from the look of the herd did not evolve to or from anything. Their pelts looked to be made of mercury, the silver hair sliding over their muscles as easily as the liquid metal would over glass. Every strand of hair in the mane and tails moved just as the fur did but was deep raven. The hooves, surprisingly, were golden; but Creidi had enough sense to know they were harder then diamonds. Her pokedex had called them Stalloy: the Steel horse. They had the attack and defense of the steel type but could still hold their own in a race with other horses.

"Ok Arcanine," Creidi instructed the dog next to her in whisper, "See that yearling there?" she pointed to a young mare that she was sure had already been weaned, she would feel bad separating a baby from its mother. But she wanted one young enough so it would still grow to trust her. "Separate it from the herd and use Flame Wheel." Arcanine nodded her understanding. Creidi smiled, "Good, Go."

The firedog charged out of hiding. The horses panicked. With a throaty cry Arcanine encircled the chosen horse in a ring of fire. The other horses were running in all directions. Creidi hide behind a tree to keep from being trampled. She knew the herd would soon regroup, so she didn’t worry about it too much.

The horse in the fire ring was neighing, rearing, and running around looking for a way out. Arcanine was being very careful not to let the flames get low enough to jump.

"Ok Arcanine," Creidi said coming out from behind the tree, "be gentle she still young, Fire spin." Arcanine nodded and released a small tornado of fire. The poor horse had nowhere to go. The tornado engulfed her as she screamed.

"Enough." Creidi said after a moment, and Arcanine released the horse. The horse lay on the ground giving weak whinnies, her silvery hair was scorched and the crystal blue eyes looked to be on the verge of tears. Creidi’s heart almost broke. She took an ultraball from her pack and tossed it with well-practiced aim. It struck the horse on the shoulder and sucked her in. The ball gave one valiant shake before pinging. Arcanine let down the fire ring and Creidi picked up the ball. Almost instantly it vanished in a bright white light. Creidi frowned; she had wanted to keep that one in her party. Creidi sighed, to keep Stalloy she would have to send one of her other pokemon back.

Creidi released her other pokemon. They emerged ready for a fight, but finding no opponent they looked to Creidi for instructions. Creidi sat down in the grass. How could she tell them she wanted to bring in a new pokemon? She refused to split up Suicune and Raikou, Articorn and Astral saw her as their mother, Espeon and Houndoom had been with her sense camp, she had hand raised Radianz from an egg, and Arcanine was her first. She loved them all so dearly. She looked up when Espeon crawled into her lap. Her pokemon were all looking at her with worried faces. Creidi smiled and scratched Espeon’s back. Was Espeon chubbier then she remembered?

"It’s like this," Creidi started slowly, "I caught a new pokemon that I would really like to get to know better. But I can’t do that and keep all of you. I love you all very much and if you all want to stay that’s fine too." She said it all very fast. All her pokemon looked at her unsure what to do. It was Espeon that made the first move. She got up and dug Creidi pokedex from her pack. Creidi watched as her psychic lay the dex before her in the grass, opened it, and began hitting buttons with her delicate paws. When she finished her task she walked over and curled up next to Houndoom. Creidi lifted the dex off the grass and looked at what was printed across the small screen.

Young Pokemon

Article XII

Section III

Pokemon Trainers are advised heavily against using pregnant pokemon in battle.

Creidi’s head snapped up to see Houndoom licking Espeon on the head. ‘I don’t believe this. Some pokemon trainer I am!’ she thought. ‘Two of my pokemon pair up and I miss it entirely. But Espeon shouldn’t be traveling in that kind of condition’

"Ok Espeon, I get the point. You definitely need the rest." Houndoom gave a whimper, "You want to go too?" Creidi asked unsurprised and with a smile. The hellhound nodded. "I wouldn’t dream of splitting you up."

Creidi recalled the two to their pokeballs and placed them on the transport pad on the pokedex. There was a flash and the two pokeballs were replaced by one ultraball. Creidi knew the pokemon inside had already been healed, but she hesitated. She was unsure how the horse would react. Creidi stood, took a deep breath, and tossed the ball to the ground. The ball split open and Stalloy emerged in a flash of white.

The horse looked around at the pokemon that now surrounded her. None were in threatening poses, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

"Shhhhh, It’s ok. No one’s going to hurt you." Creidi reassured the horse in a calm voice. The steel type looked at her. Creidi could understand the horse’s fear. She had just been painfully ripped from everything she knew. Now she was surrounded by pokemon she didn’t know and face to face with her captor. The horse started to back away as Creidi approached her, only to find Arcanine behind her.

Creidi extended her hand to pet Stalloy’s nose. The horse snapped at her. Articorn neighed a challenge and lowered his head. Creidi raised her and he fell silent. Again Creidi raised her hand to pet the steel horse. Her hand gently touched the horse’s soft nose, but every muscle in Stalloy’s body was tensed in fright.

"You’re ok." Creidi cooed gentle and pulled a tin of Pokemon chew from her bag, "Are you hungry?" she asked offering it to the horse. Stalloy sniffed it suspiciously. Then took a tentative bite, then another.

"You like that?" Creidi asked as she ran her up the horse’s forehead and down her neck. Suddenly the horse froze. Arcanine was standing next to Creidi and nudging her pack.

"You hungry too?" Creidi laughed. She set Stalloy’s food on the ground and began opening tins for her other pokemon. The horse watched the girl laugh as each pokemon thanked her for the food. From the dog’s slobbery kisses to Articorn’s gentle ear nuzzle to Radianz playful push. This girl was not the monster Stalloy had been brought up to fear. Slowly the steel horse lowered her head and began to eat again, but her eyes never left Creidi for a second.

Creidi knew the best way to gain a new pokemon’s trust was to show them you could be trusted. With the pokemon eating she pulled out her own lunch, a sandwich, an apple, and some water. She leaned against Arcanine, who was lying down, and began to read while she started with her sandwich. A moment later there was a crunching sound that made her look up. She looked over her book to see Articorn eating her apple.

"Is that good?" she asked with a smile. Articorn, despite the fact he still had the evidence in his mouth, did his best to look innocent. Creidi laughed and closed her book. "Now you have to help me get a new one." Articorn trotted over to a pear and cut a piece with his horn. He picked it up gently by the stem and brought it to Creidi. Creidi accepted it gratefully.

Stalloy approached the tree herself. Standing on her hind legs she pulled a piece of fruit down herself and ate it. Walking around she started looking for another she could reach.

"You’ll be at it all day like that." Creidi said and the horse jumped in surprise. Creidi had walked up next to her and placed a gentle hand on the silver furred neck. "Articorn, will you come her?" The ice horse cantered over happily. "Give the tree a kick." Articorn nodded, turned his rump to the tree and gave it a relatively gentle kick. A dozen pears fell to the ground. Creidi watched the horses eat before returning to her book.

Five or so minutes later a pear fell into Creidi’s lap. She looked up to see Stalloy standing tentatively over her. Creidi smiled and took a bite from it.

******************************************************************

Creidi and her pokemon had spent the rest of the day looking for the cave with out luck. They had reported into Jace, who hadn’t found the cave either, and made camp in a small clearing. It was a cloudless night and the full moon beamed down as if it were looking for something. The cool, crisp air was only broken by the ghost of a breeze. Somewhere a Noctowl gave out an eerie call.

But despite the perfect night, Creidi couldn’t sleep. After an hour of tossing and turning she crawled out of her sleeping bag. A cool breeze rustled her raven hair and the stars where reflected in her amber eyes. Something was different tonight. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she could feel it. She pulled Arcanine and Stalloy’s pokeballs from her belt and began rotating them like stress balls. When this too failed to calm her she replaced them.

She lying down in the grass she looked up at the stars. They hung from their celestial posts twinkling down on her in a happily oblivious way. The moon was no better. Creidi sighed and rose to a kneeling position. She felt restless and sleepy at the same time. The trees surrounding her suddenly grew still in the lack of a breeze. A chill ran up Creidi’s spine. She had been a pokemon trainer long enough to know that the woods had just grown too quiet. Nothing moved. Instinct took hold of Creidi and she pulled out a pokeball incase it was needed.

Foot steps, to her right. Creidi turned. She saw nothing. But the footsteps grew closer. Then under the cloak of the trees she saw it. In the dark of the forest the creature seemed to glow. It couldn’t have been any taller then her waist. Its pace was slow, steady, and purposeful. Something was trailing behind it. Creidi was in a trance. All she could do was kneel where she had risen and stare. The creature stopped just under the trees’ shadow and the two stared at each other.

Then it moved again and stepped from beneath the trees and drew close to Creidi. Creidi gasped at the most beautiful horse she had ever seen. The moonlight and horse seemed to become one. It was the purest white from the tip if it’s ears to the feathers about its feet. The mane and tail were of the finest gold and looked more decorative the functional. Its hooves were Jet black and every place it stepped flowers bloomed. Large cobalt eyes looked at Creidi with absolute trust. The horse’s body looked as delicate as a flower pedal, but some how stronger then any she had seen.

Creidi suddenly realized she wasn’t breathing and sucked in hard. She wanted to pull out her pokedex but feared the sound would scare the creature. Slowly she extended her hand to the horse. It looked at her and stood just out of reach.

"Why are you scared?" a misty, child like voice said in Creidi’s head and made her jump.

"Who said that?" Creidi asked, looking around, but didn’t see anyone else nearby.

"I did. Why are you scared?" the voice said again. Creidi looked at the horse.

"Are you? Can you speak to me?" Creidi asked the horse feeling rather foolish, as even if the horse could speak it had not moved.

"Yes. Why are you scared?" Creidi sat back in amazement.

"I…you surprised me. Who are you?"

"My name is Paladin. I was sent to you."

"What are you? What do you mean you where sent to me?" Creidi asked still a little dumb struck.

"I am a pokemon of light. You and your friend have been chosen."

"Chosen? Why? What for?" Creidi was starting to loose the numb feeling on her body.

"To fight Nemesis."

"What is Nemesis?"

"He is what he is." Creidi’s head was spinning, "Sleep now." Creidi eyes fell shut and she collapsed into the grass.

**************************************************************

Creidi shivered as a cool wind swept across her. She sat up and rubbed her eyes with a yawn. ‘What a dream’ She thought. ‘Talking tiny horses made of moonlight. There’s no such thing as pokemon of light. Is there?’ Creidi reached for her pack, which she always kept right next to her sleeping bag, and set her hand into dew covered grass.

Creidi realized at that moment she wasn’t in her sleeping bag and jumped to her feet. Looking around she saw her sleeping bag was where she had left it, but there was no trail of flowers, no tiny white horse. ‘Note to self: Ask Jace if I sleep walk.’ Creidi went and pulled out pokedex to call Jace. She paused. ‘Oh, what the hell.’

"Pokedex, Information on pokemon of light." She said sitting down on her sleeping bag.

"Pokemon of Light: No information."

"Ok, Paladin."

"Paladin: No information found." Creidi rubbed the bridge of her nose. Maybe she was loosing her mind.

"Ok just contact Jace." Creidi said. The screen blinked and a sleepy and excited Jace appeared.

"I was wondering when you’d call." Jace said, "I’ve got good news I think I found our cave."

"That’s great! I’ll home in on your location a be there ASAP."

"Cool see you in a bit."

"Uhhh…Jace? Can I ask you something?"

"You just did, but go ahead."

"Have you ever known me to sleep walk?

"No, why?"

"I’ll explain when I get there."

***********************************************************

"Ok, let me get this straight." Jace began, "You couldn’t sleep. Then a tiny white horse appears and starts talking to you. You pass out and wake up in the grass." The girls where walking side by side through a slightly wooded area towards a sheer cliff wall.

"Strange, huh?" Creidi said, rubbing the back of her head. She was feeling foolish again. The dream sounded even dumber when someone else said it. Jace, however, didn’t seem as surprised as Creidi would have expected.

"Not as much as one would think." Jace replied. Creidi raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you say that?" Creidi asked looking up in confusion.

"I had the same dream only it was a bird small enough to sit in my hand. It called itself Glimmer. Here we are." Jace announced as they stepped up to the wall. Creidi looked around.

"Where?" Jace pointed up. Creidi looked. About 100 meters above them was a hole in the cliff. Jace pulled out Pidgeot’s pokeball and looked to Creidi for her selection. Jace could understand how her friend felt; her dream had left her feeling strange and disoriented as well. But that is all they where just dreams; strange and strangely similar dreams, but dreams none the less.

She tossed Pidgeot’s pokeball to the ground with out looking and saw Creidi’s face freeze. She looked and saw in place of her pidgeot a small bird. It was pure white except for large cobalt eyes and golden tail, flight feathers, and head markings. It could have easily sat in a hand. It looked at Jace with absolute trust.

"Glimmer?" Jace whispered. She was just a dream. Wasn’t she? "Where’s Pidgeot?" The bird just looked at her. "I know you can talk. Where’s my Pidgeot?" No answer.

"Check her location with your pokedex…" Creidi suggested blankly. Creidi ran her hand along the pokeball on her belt. ‘1…2…3…4…5…6…7… …8…’ She pulled off the last one and tossed it to the ground. Paladin appeared. Creidi gaped.

"Pidgeot’s with Prof. Elm." Jace said. "But how?" The question was more directed at the bird then Creidi. "How!?" Jace yelled at Glimmer. The bird only hovered.

"Talking louder won’t make them answer." Creidi reminds her calmly, "Let’s get through this gym battle and then we can sort this out." Jace made her ‘I’m going to kill someone’ face as they recalled the two pokemon.

The girls called out their dragons to get to the cave. The interior of the cave was dismal. The walls, ceiling, and floor where at best an ugly brown gray. Stalactites and Stalagmites where every where. The cave itself was fairly narrow and straight. The two friends walked side by side, extra spring in their step with excitement as they neared the end of passage.

"Here it is," Creidi said excitedly as they stepped up to a wooden door at the end of the tunnel, "behind this door is our last badge."

"Let’s go kick some ass." Jace said and, in an attempt to be dramatic, kicked the door karate style. The door sung open easily with a loud bang. The room on the other side was nothing like the arena they expected. Instead the chamber beyond was as nice as any hotel room the girls had stayed in thus far. The floor was carpeted and the walls painted. On the far side of the room was a window cut into the rock that over looked the valley beyond. There was a beautiful wooded desk before them, behind that was a leather chair. The chair back was to them and the occupant was looking out the window. Jace had a brief vision of some sinister man with a white meowth turning around and pronouncing their doom before a young male voice interrupted the thought.

"Why must everyone do that?" The voice sounded annoyed and amused at the same time. The chair swung around to reveal a boy no older then themselves. He looked nothing like Jace’s vision. He had a pleasant happy face, dark hair, dark eyes, and a plain green shirt and jeans. "Please, have a seat." He gestured toward two cushy leather chairs before his desk. The girls complied, but couldn’t hide the confusion they felt. The boy obviously noticed.

"It is safe me to assume you are surprised, no?"

"We were expecting an arena…" Creidi confessed, still unsure what was going on.

"I’m sorry to disappoint you but there will be no battle." He paused and raised a hand for silence as Jace jumped to her feet in protest; "The reason for this is that my test for the two of you is not one of strength, as most gyms test for, but of character." He turned and pulled a remote from his desk and pushed a button. A screen slide down from the ceiling, the lights went out and a piece of tape began to play. The girls watched clips of them selves as they listened to the boy speak.

"You have always been fighting for this badge, you just never knew it. It tested your Courage (Creidi going head to head with Raikou and Suicune flashed onto the screen), your Compassion (Jace’s concern for Lugia replaced the previous scene), your Daring (Jace and Creidi’s capture of Manfred), and the bond you share with each other (Creidi calming Jace) and your pokemon (The Inferno Soul Attack)." He pushed another button on his remote and the room returned to its original state. He put the remote away and brought out two diamond cut Jet badges and set them on the desk before the girls before leaning back into his chair. Both girls stared at the badges in silence for a moment.

"But those where just ordinary things any one could have done." Creidi said looking him, perplexity still firmly set into her face. The boy smiled at her.

"You’re correct, anyone could have done them. But no one but you two did. Do you have any idea how many people walked away from Lugia before Jace happened along? Creidi, did it ever occur to you that you were alone in your fight with Raikou and Suicune? Many traveling companions have very similar personalities, but you two do not and yet your friend ship is almost unparalleled. Do you have any idea how few trainers can use Soul attacks?" both shook their heads no, "I can count them all on one hand and the current master is not among them." He gave them a final smile then swiveled his chair back to the window. The girls picked up their badges and took their qui to leave.

"Well," Creidi said closing the door softly behind them, "That was anti-climatic."

The boy listened as the door shut and the footsteps disappeared down the tunnel. Before him out the window a white and black Chinese dragon and a golden western dragon appeared and lowered their riders into the woods below. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon and the stars were coming out in the darkening sky. The boy sighed.

"You may come out." He called. A door, visible only to the well-trained eye, to his right swung open. Out stepped Crystal, Avis, and Pyrrhus; each with an unsure looks on their face. Beyond them an arena was visible.

"You let them go with out battle. I do not understand." Crystal said.

"Yeah mate, what’s the deal." Avis added.

"I must confess, Cole, I don’t understand either." Pyrrhus said.

"They would have beaten me anyway." Cole said, "Besides those girls have much before them. Something dark is looming a head, I can feel it."

"What has that got to do with those two?" Avis asked. Cole was silent for a moment. The hues of the setting sun playing upon his face.

"They are the place where the earth meets the sky. Jace is as fiery as the Sun and Creidi as calm as the Moon. But they are as much a part of each other as those two celestial bodies. Their strength is forged from the bond they have with each other. What their destiny holds I cannot foresee, but it will be spectacular and they will meet it with all the strength, courage, daring, and compassion they have."