Pokemon Yarroh

Chapter 11: And The Curtains Rise!

When Augustus arrived at school the next morning, he could hear people whispering, eyes turning towards him. Despite the anxiety that flooded through his veins, he headed to class, ignoring the eyes that stared at him in the halls.

When he arrived in the classroom, Ashley greeted him with a warm smile. Her Umbreon was napping on her desk as she stood up, crossing the room to shake his hand. "Well, well! Congratulations, my dear, on your first Gym Badge!"

Augustus laughed softly. "It was just one badge...Miles has more, doesn't he?"

"We're not talking about Miles here," Ashley commented. "We're talking about you, Augustus. You got your first Gym Badge. And you're here early, too."

"Yeah, I asked my mom to drop me off early today," Augustus said with a nod. "I wanted to talk to you about-"

"Delia?" Ashley finished, and Augustus nodded again. "Yeah, she's-"

"Lower your voice," Ashley cut him off, gesturing for him to take a seat opposite at her desk. Despite the empty classroom, Ashley still looked around almost fearfully. She gestured for him to sit, and he did, before continuing in a lower tone. "-she's a Region Guardian?"

Ashley nodded. "Your suspicions about it being a lie were correct. We couldn't tell you due to the fact that we had to sign an agreement to keep their identities safe. You, however, figured it out, so it's nothing against me."

"Is that hard for you?"

The question burst from Augustus, and Ashley raised an eyebrow as he clarified. "I mean, your kids and Maisie, they're all out there. Aren't you worried?"

"Of course I am," Ashley said with a nod. "I'm scared to death about it. But I know they can handle themselves."

"Are they all Region Guardians?" Augustus asked, and Ashley nodded. "Evelyn, Kayden, Maisie, Melemele, Miles, and Delia. All of them are a part of it."

"Is she not here now?" Augustus asked, looking around. "I know Lillian and Yancy are on their way."

"She's, well, at work," Ashley replied. "You know, normally, I would heartily deny any involvement with children, especially my own. However..."

Ashley sighed, and her Umbreon stood up to gently nudge under her arm, comforting her. She patted the dark creature with a small smile. "The Champion herself promised that she'd only send them out under the most dire of circumstances."

"And what did your wife say about that?" Augustus asked. Ashley laughed softly. "She told Cleo that if anything so much as happened to our children, she'd show her exactly why she was so feared."

Augustus laughed as Lillian and Yancy entered, and he waved to the two of them. Lillian waved back, but Yancy didn't respond, only went to sit down at his seat as Augustus turned back to Ashley. "If I may...Delia mentioned a Mega Stone earlier. I know Mrs. Paris has hers on her wedding ring, but-"

Ashley smiled and pulled a small chain out from under her shirt. Attached to the chain via a charm was a sparkling Key Stone. She spun it around her finger with a smile. "I use it to Mega Evolve Cobalt. My Aggron."

"Shiny?" Augustus asked, and Ashley nodded. "Certainly a thing of wonder. But I suppose class is about to start. To your seat, dear. We've got something special for today."

Augustus nodded and scurried to his seat as several of the other students emerged, Delia being one of them. She waved to Augustus as she sat down, and he waved back.

After all of the students had been seated and accounted for, Ashley stood up. She smiled and clicked her tongue. A rusted-copper colored Aggron entered, tail swishing, holding something in its hands. The giant Pokemon wore some sort of tail band, and in it gleamed what Augustus thought was a Mega Stone.