A Different Start

Chapter-23

December XX, XXXX

Day sevety-two of training.

It's been a few days since I wrote in my journal. Much has happened.

So far my egg hasn't turned dark like one of the other trainees. Just the other day, Manuet, had to have his egg put to rest because he couldn't care for it well enough. The little life inside of it died. My fear of one day messing up the Aura Transfer sessions hasn't left me, but my egg has lightened up a bit so it gives me hope I am doing something right.

Master Roque has told me that Manuet won't get another egg until he goes through training again from day one, but he was happy with the progress with my egg and has given me a day off from training to do whatever I wanted.

I visited my mother.

I know I wasn't supposed to visit her, but I had gotten word from one of the Knights in the castle that she had fallen ill. My mother was never one to complain about her own illnesses when others had it worse, but to hear of her visit to the Royal Healer has caused my heart to skip a beat. Royal Healer Roark didn't know what was ailing her when I had spoken with him and could only ease her day to day life with medicated teas.

I can only hope and pray to Arceus that my mother gets better.

If Master Roque had known that I had visited my mother he didn't give me any indication that he did. My training went on as usual though my heart and head were clouded with fear for my mother.

Two days after getting the news my mother was ill I had found out that Lucinda, another trainee like myself, was blessed with the hatching of her Riolu. The small newborn pup was precious and its Aura Life was so strong that everyone knew how well cared for in its egg it had been. Master Roque told me that it would be a few months before she could begin training with Riolu.

The hatching of Riolu cleared a bit of the fear in my heart over my own egg.

I can't wait to one day hold my own Riolu in my own arms.

End of day seventy-two of training.

A. R.K.

Ash softly closed the journal as he leaned back to rest against the headboard of the bed he was sitting in. The entry was a heavy one, but at least there was a little bit of light in it. He couldn't understand the fear Aaron had when he learned his mother was sick since his own mother was exceedingly healthy, but he did understand the fear of his egg not hatching. His own egg, thankfully, hadn't darkened, but it also hadn't lightened which was understandable since he didn't know how to channel his Aura. The only thing that was keeping him sane regarding it was the band around the egg letting him know how the little life inside of it was and the fact Ralts was letting him know how the baby was. He hoped just bringing his Aura to his hands as he held the egg was enough to keep it sustained until he could figure out how to channel it into the little life inside.

Ash took a deep breath as he looked around the room he was staying in. After he had returned to Kanto he had delivered what he needed to; to Oak, as well as visiting his mother. He had glanced through the other books he had left, but none of them were helpful in knowing how to channel his Aura, not even the book explaining what Aura was. After leaving Pallet he had decided to stay in Vermilion since there was only two weeks left until the cruise ship docked at its harbor.

It was only two weeks until Paul came back as well.

Speaking of the older teen had been messaging him while he was gone, but Paul refused to tell him why he had kissed him right before he left. Paul said he would rather wait until they met face to face to explain why he did it. Which Ash understood so he let it be.