1 Ch 1. Ares

(A/N: I apologize if comments have been deleted in the coming chapters. I am currently editing some of the chapters, grammar, misspellings, etc.)

Deep in the snowcovered forest, hidden from clear sight, a small village thrived. The village was very secluded and didn't accept any strangers. Once a stranger came, they would immediately be brought back to their own civilization, without any memories of having been there at all. The worse ones of would be abandonned in the wild, at the mercy of the wild pokemon. Such was the way and tradition of the village. They had no mercy for outsiders.

The village was known to the inhabitants as Argis, in ancient tongue it meant, The Forlorn. The total inhabitants numbered in the two hundred, the number dwindling by the years. Even the amount of children became less and less, as those deemed weak were left in the forest to be killed by wild Pokémon. Life was cruel, especially if one was born in this particular village.

There was one peculiarity that all the inhabitants of this village shared. They all had an innate gift. This gift was called aura. Though aura existed in every living being, there were a few amongst the many creatures that could harness that power and use it.

Those people who became adept at using and controling those powers were called: Aura Guardians. These guardians were accompanied by their partners, though it differentiated with every hidden village what kind of Pokémon that partner was, this village only used Riolu and Lucario as aura partners, as only this kind of Pokémon had a strong sense in the aura and was capable to utilize it in combat and other things.

At the outskirts of Argis, a lone boy with pitch-black hair and amber colored eyes was being pelted with rocks. From the smallest of pebbles to ones the size of a fist. It didn't matter, as long at it could be thrown and would hurt the one it was thrown at.

The child subjected to this treatment was barely six years old, but that didn't stop the other children from taking out their stress and irritation on him.

"Abomination"

"Cursed child"

"Freak"

"Devil's spawn"

These words were yelled at the boy daily by the adults, while the other children, having learnt from their parents, took the words to heart and acted even crueler towards the young boy. They would throw stones at him, beat him to a pulp, break bones and even went so far as trying to drown him in the river running through the village. It was only by chance that he survived that, as an Alomomola had brought him back to the shore.

It wasn't strange to see the boy limping back towards his home, blood covering his face, black and blue bruises covering every inch of his body. His parents had long perished, the only adult left to take care of him was an indifferent grandfather. One that seemed to have a strong dislike for him as well.

They didn't share any resemblance to the other, besides the stubborn look they gave others. The old man looked strong for his age, strong enough to easily take out a few of the younger men in the village. This was also the reason why none of the kids and parents acted out when the boy was near his home. The reason being, that one of the parents had thrown a stone at the boy, only to have it returned twice as hard, leaving the poor man to clutch his head as he ran away. This made the vicinity of the house a sort of safe haven for the boy. This didn't mean that the old man did it for the boy. Oh no.

The old man had a reputation to uphold. That meant that if the boy was attacked on his own property, he had no choice but to retaliate. How dare they attempt this own his own turf! His pride did not allow him to ignore it. But once they were gone, it was back to being indifferent to the whole situation.

Whenever the boy came back, covered in wounds, his grandfather would just look away, not caring if he died right in front of him. He couldn't care less about the little parasite. The same happened today after being nearly stoned to death by the village children. Once he arrived back home at the small wooden cabin, the boy saw his grandfather scorn at him is disgust. The boy ignored the grumpy old man, as he went towards his two-by-two room. Inside was a small bed covered in filthy bedsheets. A small cabinet, that was only hanging by a few loose screws, was dangling at the footboard.

Inside the cabinet he found a little roll with bandages and a cream that would stop bleeding and improve the natural healing of the body. It wasn't easy for him to get it, as he had stolen it when no one was watching the little apothecary. Otherwise he was left only with the medicinal leaks that were growing near the gate, another dangerous place for him to be.

Ripping a few strips of bandages loose from the roll, the boy called Ares began to dress the wounds. Every now and then he winced at a stinging pain that shot through the affected areas, yet he didn't make a sound. If he did, his grandfather would barge in and beat the living sh*t out of him. Something he could not afford at them moment.

Even a small sound could set the old man off. A soft scraping sound alerted Ares at the potential danger coming his way. Ares stealthily went towards the door, pressing his ear firmly against it. Soft steps were heard, the wooden floor creaking beneath the weight of his grandfather, becoming softer and softer as it stopped when the slam of the door was heard. His grandfather left.

Ares released a sigh in relief. Seeing a chance, Ares packed the little things he had into a filthy bag. A diary, in which he noted down the important things he needed to remember, such as the healing herbs like Medicinal leaks and Vivichokes. Other important herbs would be the poisonous plants, which he had occasionally eaten by mistake, one he would not repeat again. Stuffing the last of the medicine and a few pieces of worn out clothing in his bag, he pulled the bag shut with a string. All that he owned easily fitted in the knapsack, a testament to the poor life he was living.

Looking around the house, he felt a spark of courage rise up in him as he dashed forward, grabbing the many valuable items from the house, as much as he could carry in the little bag. Every now and then he peeked outside of the window in fear of his grandfather returning.

He even grabbed the precious box his grandfather always kept locked away under a floor board. Everything be damned, he at least wanted to hit his grandfather where it hurt the most. When he packed everything he needed, Ares checked for any sign of his grandfather.

Not finding anything missing, Ares stealthily left the house. He sneaked towards the tall walls surrounding Argis. The town was heavily guarded. Not only was it meant to keep outsiders out, it also kept the inhabitants inside. Ares had often tried to escape the village, but was heavily beaten every time he was caught.

Even if he was called an abomination, he was a valuable user of aura, one that was powerful at that. He had the largest amount of aura that anyone had ever seen, causing the villagers to be afraid of him as he had more than once lost control and blown things up. Added to the fact he had inhuman attributes, sharp fangs instead of human teeth, he wasn't even treated as a human.

Some even tried to outright kill him when they had the chance, though it was always stopped just when he was at deaths doorstep. The chief didn't take kindly to such transgressions, though he didn't stop the beatings from happening.

Having lived like that for many years, Ares had finally been broken when the only person that had ever been a little kind to him had pelted stones at his head. The boy stopped meeting him afterwards.

Ares sneaked through the dense trees, crouching at a self made hole in the wall. The wall was more than four meters thick, having taken Ares a very long time to break through it. The fact that the guards hadn't noticed was a miracle as of itself.

Ares made himself as small as possible and crept through the hole, scraping against the jagged edges and drawing a big amount of blood from his reopened wounds. Wincing every now and then when another sharp edge penetrated the skin, Ares finally made it through, revealing a dense forest. Ares hurried towards it, looking every now and then if he was seen.

Not sensing anyone following him, Ares entered deeper into the forest. Whenever a Pokémon appeared, the occasional Caterpie and Ratatta, they would run away in fear at the immense pressure his aura made them feel. If they were weak Pokemon like that, he would be save, but if an Arbok showed up, he would have no chance of survival at all. He would only end up as an easy meal in the serpents stomach.

Having run from hours on end, Ares panted with a parched throat, his stomach grumbling in protest as it didn't have a decent meal the past couple of days.

Stumbling forward, Ares smelled the air, while hearing the soft running sound of water. Ares walked towards it, tripping every now and then over a rock or a tree root. His body, already covered in blood fell down near the small creek, as he dragged himself near it.

Once his head was close enough, he pushed it into the water, taking large gulps, while the dried crusts of blood soaked free from his long hair and face.

Once clean, his black hair had traces of crimson red streaks running through it, having once been hidden by all the dirt. One more reason to be an outsider there. Luckily it was easily covered up.

Ares exclaimed in relief when he finally had satiated himself enough, his strength returning bit by bit. Lowering himself into the shallow waters, Ares slowly and meticulously washed the old and new blood from his skin and clothes. His filthy disposition was washed away, revealing a white skinned, ruddy cheeked face. Scars covered his arms, legs and body yet his face was still unblemished by scars or wounds, besides the usual bruises. It had taken him a good amount of strength to guard his head, as he knew that if he got hit there, it was end of story.

He took of his clothes and began to wash them until the water started to become muddy. The worn out clothes became, after a thorough wash, a pastel white. Small tribal paterns in different colours decorating the sleeves and neckline.

After satiating his thirst once more to strife of the hunger and having cleaned his body, his stomach couldn't help but still let itself be heard. Ares rubbed it in an attempt to alleviate the pain of his empty stomach. Scouring through the forest, Ares ended up finding small berry trees. From it hung Pecha and Oran berries with the occasional Sitrus berry. At the foot of the trees, a small number of young Medicinal leaks grew, enough for him to treat his injuries.

First treating his worst wounds, he was somewhat healed. Looking at the pile of berries he had scavenged for himself, he couldn't contain his hunger any longer.

Ares didn't wait as he began to gorge himself at the prospect of a full stomach. Tears spilled from his eyes as he'd never eaten something as delicious as now. His sharp fangs sank deep into the soft flesh of the berries. The sweetness spread in his mouth as the feeling of liberty truly sank in. He really escaped.

Juices spilled down his mouth as he shoved berry after berry in his mouth like a gorging ghoul, staining the clean clothes in the colorful yet sticky juice. Ares licked his arms and fingers, not wanting to let even a morsel escape.

He let himself fall down on the ground, weeping as he let his emotion take free reign. He was alive, away from the torment. He rubbed and rubbed his eyes, the tears slipping through his fingers as he began to wail loudly. Ares couldn't help it as he was relieved to be free.

Attracted by the sound, Pokémon began to move closer. They peeked through the bushes and trees, curious of the weeping human child in front of them. The aura that had been menacing before had become melancholic and depressing, making it easier to get near.

Two small Pokémon couldn't help but come closer. One was a pink cat-like Pokémon with a long tail. The other was a bright green fairy like Pokémon, its head looking like hair combed all the way back.

The pink Pokémon flew in front of him, making all kinds of weird faces to cheer the child up. It even hugged the child, wiping away the tears that came flowing down nonstop.

The green Pokémon flew around them and didn't know what to do. It flew away and brought all kinds of things. Berries, pretty stones, even an abandoned Pokémon egg. It copied the behavior of its pink furry friend and hugged the child, wipping the tears away as well.

Ares tearfully chuckled at the acts of the kind Pokémon, yet the tears still fell.

"F...Fi...ne...I'm...f..ne." Ares incoherently muttered, the words feeling foreign in his mouth. This was the first time he had ever tried to speak. It felt strange and weird at the same time.

The green Pokémon pushed the egg in his hands, hoping to cheer him up. Ares firmly hugged it in the hope to gain the strength to keep his tears at bay. The egg was somehow warm, a soft beat comfortingly pounding against his hands. Though it took a while, the tears finally halted, making the pink and green Pokémon cheer in happiness. They circled above him, the miserable aura gaining a tinge of warmth.

[Okay now?] A voice said as the pink Pokémon stopped in front of him, her head cocking to the side.

[Not sad anymore?] The green Pokémon said as she cocked her head to the other side.

"Not....S..ad." Ares confirmed, though his aura still carried the cold feeling of sadness.

[I'm Mew] The pink Pokémon said, introducing herself in a happy tone.

[I'm Celebi] the green Pokémon said, sounding as happy as Mew.

"Me. Ares" Ares said, as Mew and Celebi sat down on his knees.

[Why were you sad? Does something hurt?] Mew said, as she eyed all the wounds. While he had treated some, a lot of them remained, painting a gruesome contrast to the healed patches. Not even waiting for Ares to answer, Mew placed her tiny hands on his bare skin. A soft and warm glow shortly covered his body, healing all the wounds. Unfortunately the scars were still there. Mew frowned, yet didn't attempt anything more. It would be pointless to try.

"Not...Now.... Was...Hurt...Bad." Ares said with a pained undertone.

[Bad guys?] Celebi said staring towards the path Ares had come from, as if she could see who had done it.

"Bad...guys." Ares responded in confirmation as he held the egg closely to his body.

[Want to go somewhere far away?] Mew and Celebi said at the same time. They looked at each other and giggled.

"Yes...Please." Ares said as he didn't want to be here anymore. He wasn't sure if he was far enough from the village to remain safe from them. They had aura pokemon that could track him. It wouldn't be hard to do with the amount of aura he had.

[Far away from bad people?] Celebi said as a twinkle was in her eyes.

"Yes"

[Want to have friends?] Mew said as she moved towards his shoulder and wrapped the long pink tail around Ares's neck. If anyone needed a friend right now, it was the poor human boy in front of her.

"Very...much." Ares said, though he wasn't sure if he could ever trust other people anymore.

[Let's do it, Celebi. I'll go with him to keep him company. His aura feels nice.] Mew happily said.

[Sure.] Celebi nodded, a green vortex suddenly appearing below Ares's feet. A time ripple had been made, especially for the three of them to pass through.

[Take good care of him, Mew. I'll come by every now and then to see how he is.] Celebi said as she waved at Mew and Ares. She wouldn't join them, aside from dropping them off somewhere safe.

[Sure, We'll be waiting!] Mew yelled as she waved back at Celebi as she and Ares fell through the time ripple.