"Come on, Seth! You need to hurry!", Andrea said. "Hey, you need to wait up! You know this route better than I do!", I told her. She had lived on Route 108 all her life, and knew how to get around it a lot better than I did. Being a Jolteon also made her naturally fast. We climbed up to the entrance to Meteor Falls and sat there, talking and laughing. "Ouch, that's gotta hurt, turning into a Jolteon by tripping over a Thunderstone." "Well, it's not as bad as being a 13-year old Riolu." "Hey, when you live in my family, happiness is a limited resource." My family was poor and constantly mad, and Andrea was my only refuge from it. "Well, when you're in my family, you are blessed if you don't become an Espeon and get yelled at for it." "So, have you ever wanted to become an Espeon?" "Not really. I mean, they look cool, and Magic Bounce is cool, but I always just wanted to stay as an Eevee." "But hey, now you can yell at me for being slow!" "I guess that's true!"

She scooted next to me. "So, you mind if I suggest something crazy?" "No, I'm not fighting another Vespiquen! I still have a bump from the last time." "Good idea! We can do that later, after we run around inside Meteor Falls for a bit!" "But what about all those Dragon-Types? We won't have any protection against them!" "Right now we don't, but I know a way." "Oh, really? How?", I said in a sarcastic voice. "This.", Andrea said before kissing me on the mouth. We passionately kissed each other, and while we did, a strange power started to fill me, starting in my heart, before spreading through my entire body. I could feel myself growing stronger, taller, with spikes coming out of my chest and hands. When we were finished, she smiled and said "Now I have a Steel/Fighting type to protect me."

I ran to the nearest body of water and checked my reflection, and where I expected a Riolu, I saw a Lucario staring back at me. I turned towards Andrea, ran towards her, and hugged her as hard as I could. "Andrea, this is the greatest day ever!" "Not yet, cause we still have to go in. You ready?" "Oh, no, please, ladies first!" "Well, okay!" She dashed in, and I followed her. We were in awe with how it looked.

A grand waterfall and beautiful rock formations greeted our entry. Unfortunately, so did a Gengar that we knew meant trouble. "So, what do we have here? A naive, thrill-seeking Jolteon, and a cowardly, newly evolved Lucario. How precious!" He attempted a Shadow Punch, but Andrea pushed me out of the way and took the hit instead. She was sent flying into the wall, and as I was trying to help her, a Lucario ambushed me and choked me out.

I woke up in the back room of Meteor Falls. Andrea and I were tied up, and the Lucario was watching us. "Why, hello. Welcome to Meteor Falls, make yourselves at home." "Why are you keeping us here?" "Why, it's only a gesture of hospitality! You wouldn't like it if you were back on Route 108!" "What's that supposed to mean?" "Hmm, a new Lucario. Here, I'll show you." He placed his hand upon my head, and I saw a horrifying sight. In the time we had been knocked out, the houses along Route 108 were burning, with no sign of stopping. He released his hand, and I fell, gasping for air.

"No, how did that happen?" "Oh, just a little thing that I call fate, my boy." "And what's that?", Andrea asked, now finally awake. "You see, the events that have transpired today, such as your play date, your evolution, and your capture, were all decided from the beginning of time. All these events were bound to happen at one point, and nothing that you can do will change them." He went on to give this long speech about how our roles and our actions are truly not our own, how time is like a river, that even if it's path is changed, it will always reach the same destination, and about how Andrea was supposed to die soon, but I barely listened to it.

Eventually, he left the room to attend to other matters. "Seth, help me. Use the spike on the back of your hand to break my ropes.", Andrea said. I did, and she rushed out of the room to Route 108. Frantically, I tried to tap into the Aura and stop her. "Andrea? Andrea! Do you copy?" "Yes, I do, how are you doing this?" "I think it's something called an Aura, but that's not the point. You can't go out there! You heard that Lucario, you're going to die!" "That may be true, but I need to save my family!" "Andrea no! Andrea, don't go!", I yelled as she ran out the exit.

She ran into her house, trying to grab as many of her family members as she could. As she was getting her mother out the door, however, the doorframe collapsed, leaving Andrea trapped inside. "Andrea! You need to find another way out!" "There's no time, Seth. You were right, and I'm sorry. Just promise me one thing - that you'll go and kick a Vespiquen's butt for me." "No, Andrea, no! Jump through a window! Make an exit! Don't just lay on the ground! No! Andrea!" "Just remember Seth, I will always love you...", Andrea said, as her Aura faded. "No. No! NO! This can't be happening!" "I'm sorry, Seth, but no one can change the course of fate. This event was scripted long ago, and you couldn't stop it. Face it, Seth. Andrea's gone."
"ANDREAAAAAA!"

"That was 3 years ago, and it still haunts me to this day. Even when she knew what was going to happen, I couldn't save the woman I loved. It was then that I learned, I learned that nothing could stop the workings of fate. No matter what you do, no matter how big your victory may seem, your fate cannot be changed. I will not let you live out that blind fantasy. The sooner you realize it, the sooner you can stop chasing shadows."

We were all in tears after Seth's story, but I wiped them away and confronted him. "No, I'll never stop! Every single one of my victories, no matter the size, I will revel in. I won't let fate toss me around, tell me what to do! I am Kilian Shelgon, and I am choosing my own destiny! Outside of fate, outside of you!" "Fine! Waste your time, chase all the shadows you want! Guard someone 23/7, and they'll just escape during the one hour you can't catch them!"

Seth jumped away into the distance, as was his trademark. "Raven, we don't want you to leave, but we understand that we can't stop you. So at least promise us this: if you catch any sign of Gary's army, you'll come back, and let us help you through this rough spot." "Okay, I will. Thank you, Kilian." Raven waved goodbye to us, before walking out through the hole and onto Route 108.

Keeton had a forlorn look on his face, the kind that you get when you watch a show you liked as a kid, only to find that it is so bad. Haylee walked up to him and started rubbing his back with her tail. "Keeton, what's wrong? You seem like everything you've ever known is walking away." "Well, I've always known that this day would come, but I never knew it would be this soon. My twin sister, the being I was born with, who I've known since I was first conceptualized, is leaving my side, and going on her own path. It's..it's like losing a part of who I am, but also, strangely comforting."

"It's okay, Keeton. We're here for you. Just because the being you've been connected with since childhood isn't, that doesn't mean they're gone." Emilee had a shocked expression on her face, only being able to say out the words "Born...being...child", before tears started welling up in her eyes and she took off. "Emilee? There's no reason to run!", I said, chasing after her. I chased her across the falls, until I cornered her under the tree by the Mega Rayquaza statue.

"Just get away, Kilian. The less you know the better." "Emilee, what's wrong? If you don't tell me, I'll just have to enter your mind." She just looked at me, with a gaze all solemn and forlorn. "Okay, I'm coming in." I held onto her shoulder and heard her thoughts rushing forwards. "Why is he doing this? He shouldn't need to know! The less said about our Egg Groups, the better!" I let go of her. "Emilee? What did I hear about Egg Groups?" She gave me the same look as before. "Emilee. Tell me what you meant." She just kept staring.

"Fine! I'll go ask someone else! Goodbye, Emilee!" As I started walking away, she got up and yelled to me. "We're not in the same ones!" I looked back at Emilee, who was now curled up in a ball and crying. "Emilee? What's wrong? Why is it bad that we're in different Egg Groups?" "Be...because...because we can't have children together!"

Emilee looked absolutely devastated, like she'd cry forever if she could. "Emilee, shh, it's alright.", I said, pulling her up. "Now why do our Egg Groups prevent us from having children?" "Because of biology! Only Pokémon of the same Egg Groups can have children together, and you and I aren't in the same Groups!" Tears started welling up behind my eyes too, as I had never known about this. "So, I could never give you any children?" "Yes, that's correct." The tears were almost overflowing at this point.

"If you don't want to be in a relationship with me anymore, I understand." When I heard her say that, all of my sadness was replaced by rage. "Emilee, no. Stop saying that. I won't listen!" "Kilian, what are you talking about?" "Just because I don't have something to provide to you, doesn't mean that I'll find someone else I can provide it to." Tears started coming back into my eyes. "Emilee, I may not be able to give you children, but I can give you anything else. My heart, my soul, my eternal devotion, all things I can give to you. Just because I can't give one thing, that doesn't mean I can't give anything at all. Emilee, you're the only one that I love, and don't you ever forget it."

Rain had started to fall at this point, and we were getting soaked. "D-do you really mean it?" "I meant every word." "Hey, Kilian, can you open up the bottom half of your shell? I want to test something." "Sure, Emilee." I moved the three bottom portions of my shell, making my lower body soaked by rain. "So, mind if I do something stupid?" "Sure, it might just be the last time." "Okay, here I go." She leaned down, and kissed me on my now exposed mouth. We passionately kissed each other, the feeling from when Haylee kissed Keeton flowing between us. However, I was feeling another power. A stronger, more personal power. And I knew exactly what it meant.