Magby and training

Adding in Magby was an experience all of its own, Vali was exposed to a rather interesting thing about her pokemon. Magby wasn't automatically accepted by her pokemon unlike everyone else in her pack. He seemed rather out of place among them though Balto and Smaug treated him fairly well. Celina, Elrond, Terra, Idril, and Arwen treated him with some caution. Eevee and Empress were distant. Pippin, Galadrial, Bombur, and Pele had no idea what to do with him. Irmo simply ignored him for the most part just to sleep. Aragorn and Eowyn wanted nothing to do with him. They disliked him greatly with Eowyn being especially aggressive towards the Magby. Seeing this, Vali had to adjust things to ensure that Magby didn't get hurt.

Being such a curious pokemon, Magby often ended up wandering off which led to Vali needing to run around looking for him with Elrond's help much to the amusement of her fellow Gym Trainers. Seeing this energy and need to see things, Vali decided to set up times where she'd take Magby around new places simply to explore while she watched over him much to his excitement. The other gym trainers were happy to offer suggestions especially when it came to things Vali hadn't experienced yet. Magby became a bit less prone to running off though it still occurred to her exasperation. Despite this though, Magby proved himself to be eager when it came to learning how to battle and trying to become part of the pack despite everyone's lack of acceptance.

Magby looked at the Alpha of the pack he'd been brought into with slight awe. The power each pokemon held was amazing to see especially when it comes to those that were as young and new to this pack as him. It made the fire within him burn just that much hotter. A soft laugh sounded from above him and he felt a gentle hand settle on his head. The strange human that felt almost like a pokemon with an inner fire who'd brought him into this pack, Vali, smiled at him. The look in her eyes was of amusement and understanding, "Amazing, isn't he?"

The Alolan Raichu, Elrond, floated beside her shoulder and peered at him, "She will understand you. I've connected you somewhat."

Magby nodded as he looked back at the Alpha, Balto, who was sparring with Beta Charizard, Smaug, "Both."

"They've fought hard for their power," Vali dropped down to sit beside him, "You'll be like them one day," She let out a low sigh, "I know that everyone's been pretty distant, but it's mostly because they need to get used to you,"

Magby thought about the snarling Houndour, "Houndour?"

"She's," Vali paused for a moment while gazing at the sparing pokemon, "Not normally like this. Eowyn's just aggressive because she needs to get used to you," She grimaced slightly, "She's had to deal with Irmo and Bombur appearing so close together. It took her sometime to get used to them especially once we ended up in this new place. Just as she finally got used to this place and those two, she ended up finding out you were being brought along,"

Magby nodded slowly, "Fox?"

"Aragorn is," Vali stopped a minute, "While change is dealt with more easily, he is struggling too just like Eowyn. We were in a bad spot not too long before we ended up meeting your clan, Magby," She grimaced a bit and touch her side, "Everyone save for Irmo and Bombur were injured since I hadn't taken them with us on Blaine's recommendation. Because of that, he doesn't trust new people or pokemon very easily anymore. He will learn to trust you in time,"

"Waiting?" Magby asked feeling slight despair.

"Yes, Darling," Vali began to pet him again, "I know that isn't the best thing to hear, but many things do take time. It is an unfortunate thing that comes with life," The feeling was still odd even after she'd begun petting him, "Just bare with it for the moment, you will find yourself bonding with everyone over something or another soon enough," A barking call sounded from Balto and Vali stood up with a soft grin, "Well there's the call, I need to head over, why don't you think on what I said? I know that everyone will open up eventually,"

With a final pat to his head, Vali took off over to Balto. Magby watched as both Smaug and Balto listened to Vali as she directed them to do various things.

On one of her days off, Vali made her way to one of Cinnabar's unpopulated areas. Unpopulated by humans that is, the pokemon were still fairly prevalent. She felt some tension release from her body once Balto had reached the area she'd had in mind. She released her pokemon once she'd dismounted from Balto's back. They all appeared and looked around themselves curiously, "Everyone, I want you to keep an eye on the area. Smaug, Balto, Elrond, Celina, and Idril do permitted checks however you wish to. Everyone else get orders from Balto and Smaug. Balto, you're on Magby watch."

Vali dropped her bag and settled onto the ground next it. Eevee settled in her lap and she ran her fingers over his head gently. Elrond spoke as she began to settle into her meditation state, "Just magic today? Or Magic and fire?"

"Both of them, I'll focus on magic first," Vali closed her eyes as Elrond let out a soft mental hum, "It needs more exercise since I can actually use it,"

Vali settled further into her meditative state and quickly found her way to the energies swirling around her body. She focused on her magical core and its pathways. Slowly at first, she began to guide her magic through the pathways slowly at first before increasing the speed of it allowing her pathways to warm. When she felt it was enough, it was time to focus on her inner flames which were just a bit more controlled than before, but still fairly wild. She pushed and prodded them carefully through the new pathway in her arm. The flames were fairly unwilling to move, but eventually did after some continual gentle coaxing. After awhile it got a tiny bit easier which was nice, she eventually pulled herself away to focus on the outside world.

Vali slowly stood up after shooing Eevee off her lap and called over Terra from where she was training, "Terra," Terra made her way over with a curious coo, "Mind making some targets for me to practice with?"

Terra nodded while Vali explained some of what she needed made in detail. Once the targets were made and Terra given a treat for her work, she began casting spells. From the most basic spell she knew to the hardest that Sirius had taught her, it worked her magic hard and caused sweat to form. It was a good work out and something she would definitely need to do more often. She focused on her inner fire and took a deep breath before beginning to try anything with it. She slowly formed a fireball and nearly shouted from the pain that erupted in her ar. It took all her concentration not to let the fire ball disappear. She threw the fireball at a target and watched it fizzle out of existence before even coming within five feet of the target. Taking another deep breath and bracing herself for the pain, she began forming another fireball.

By the time she felt it was enough, it felt like every single nerve in her arm had been burnt to a crisp and iced over. She gripped her arm with a hiss as Elrond asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Vali told him as she sat back down with a grimace, "I think that since these are new pathways and I'm not exactly supposed to use them it's going to cause me a lot of pain trying to train them,"

"Exactly," The rather unexpected voice of Xen commented from nearby, "Especially given how young that pathway of yours is. Congrats on actually managing a fireball though, a lot of first timers only manage a flicker of flame before backing out,"

"Xen?!" Vali gasped out in shock as she whipped her head around to look at him, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Someone felt your powers begin to mature. A bit early I might add," Xen told her as he came a bit closer, "Granted, it doesn't mean you'll get called any sooner, but it isn't exactly something that can go unnoticed among us,"

Vali looked at him in shock then at her arm, "My new pathway? It's part of my power maturing?"

"Mhmm," Xen plopped down on the ground earning a wary look from Eevee, "Though the fact its happened so early odd,"

"How so?" Vali asked as she ran a hand across Eevee's back while making sure her aching arm wasn't touching him.

"The various powers have different times they mature though all of them happen after puberty begins," Xen frowned slightly, "I've talked with a lot of Legendaries to brush up on what'll happen with beginner Bearers since I can barely remember my own time just starting out. Flame Bearers always mature early due to volatile nature of their element same with that of Lightning. But never this early,"

Vali bit her bottom lip while considering that information, "Is that bad?"

"Potentially," Xen shrugged slightly, "I can't say for sure," He eyed her for a moment, "Perhaps it could be responding to your soul's actual age since you have that other energy within you,"

Vali jolted a little at the fact Xen knew that she had come from another world and been deaged. But it's likely that he'd talked to a Legendary that had a hand in bringing her to this world, it only fueled the questions about which Legends had done it. She pressed a hand to Fawkes feather over her shirt, "So rather than age with my physical body, it'll age with my spiritual one?"

"Yes," Xen nodded his head, "It might make things a bit difficult. If your power matures too quickly, you'll need to be trained sooner in order to ensure you won't be harmed by your powers,"

"So the time limit has basically increased?" Vali looked at her aching arm, "I've still got so much to learn with Blaine though,"

"You'll need to learn it quickly then," Xen sighed deeply, "I'm sorry that this is happening, Vali. I know that this isn't something that you wished for, but it might be best for your future,"

Vali shook her head and looked at him, "It's fine, Xen. My powers are at fault after all," Eevee cuddled into her, "We'll have to work harder to absorb what they'll teach us here. I'll do my best to learn everything under Blaine that I can," She thought about Amity, "There is a girl here on Cinnabar, she's like us, but connected to the water."

"Ah yes, I remember Lugia mentioning that the newest Water Bearer had been brought to Cinnabar," Xen hummed lightly, "She has a Kingdra, right?"

"She named her Nemu," Vali revealed earning a light smile.

"A good name and one not far from what she was once known as," Xen chuckled at her confused look, "Lugia is more protective over those under his purview and often sends a pokemon partner to them. Normally they're more lower level with room to grow and he sends a stronger pokemon towards the Bearer after a little while,"

"Amity was in a lot of trouble before she came to Cinnabar though," Vali pointed out earning a nod.

"In cases like hers, Lugia sends strong pokemon that are willing to be with the Bearer in question to protect them and form that strong bond you share with Balto," Xen explained as he waved a hand towards Balto, "Nemu, as the Kingdra is now known, was the strongest member of Lugia's guard who'd been willing to go with Amity when her Lord called upon his subjects to find one willing to guard the newest Water Bearer,"

"So Lugia rules the waters?" Vali asked curiously.

"Not quite," Xen shook his head lightly, "He rules over the great portions of the waters. Manaphy and Kyogre when the latter is awake rule the portions he does not,"

Vali whistled softly at the fact there was a ruling system in place, "So don't they all claim her?"

Xen shook his head, "No, Manaphy finds it too much work while Kyogre only wishes to claim a Bearer when they prove themselves to him. A lot of the Legends and Mythicals are like that though some will automatically claim certain Bearers at random without giving a reason. It happened recently."

The pointed look Xen gave Vali told her she'd been one of those claimed seemingly at random. She frowned softly, "And you still won't tell me who's claimed me?"

"It's not yet time," Xen shook his head earning a slight glare, "I'm sorry Vali, but it's very dangerous if you knew who they were without being under His protection. Just wait a little bit longer,"

Vali inwardly growled at the lack of information, "Dangerous how?"

"Because there is power to their names and the connection they share with you," Xen replied as a Gengar appeared from his shadow, "With that power, it adds a weight to your power which can be felt by all that are sensitive to it. Until you are able to shield yourself which can only be learned when under His protection, it isn't something we can really risk,"

Vali grimaced a bit despite understanding it to a point, "So it'll just be another part of the waiting game?"

"Unfortunately," Xen sighed deeply, "I know that this isn't something you really want to hear. It never is for any Bearer that learns of their connection to the Legends,"

Vali shook her head, "I only gain more questions each time we meet, Xen."

"An unfortunate thing that will hopefully not happen one day in the future," Xen replied as he stood, "Do try to not train your inner flame too much, Vali. It will only speed up its maturity or damage the pathways,"

"I will try," Vali promised as she watched Xen began to walk away, "Where are you going?"

"To observe this Amity girl you spoke of, Lugia will want to know of how she's doing," Xen looked back at her, "I will likely speak with you again soon enough. With Amity being in such close proximity to you, we'll be wanting to keep a close eye on both of you,"

Vali nodded with a slight grimace, "I suppose I'll be seeing you around then."

Xen nodded before disappearing in a plume of shadows.