I awoke to a gentle prod on my shoulder.
My eyes flashed open, and my vision began to clear, revealing leafy, emerald branches above me and the tops of trees as they slowly danced in the wind.
I was prodded once more.
"Lugia?" I murmured, twisting my body around.  My face contorted with pain, my muscles aching in protest of my movements, not to mention I could feel the caked up blood on my face.
I was relieved to meet Lugia's familiar crimson eyes no more than a foot away from me.
I stretched out a hand, caressing his cheek.  He looked exhausted, his body shaking and streaked with dirt and ash.  His feet were scratched and bloody, yet he seemed able to stand.
"Where are we?" I gazed around, surprised to not see burnt up trees and puddles of blood.  In fact, the forest looked peaceful, leaves and grass sparkling in the faint sunshine, suggesting it had rained not long ago.
I must be dreaming.
Lugia puffed out his small chest, looking rather pleased with himself as his eyes flickered from myself to the area behind me.  I turned to see faint scuffs along the ground, along with a few drops of blood.
"Lugia, did you drag me here?"
Lugia squeaked, eyes gleaming with satisfaction.  He was clearly proud of his efforts to keep me safe.
"You're something else," I murmured, a smile crossing my face.  Though it soon disappeared as a turned around, taking in my surroundings.
"But where are we now?"
Dread began to creep into my body, squeezing at my mind as I remembered the events from the night before.  The town I had grown up in being torn to shreds, the screams of terror, and the cold, unrelenting eyes of our enemies.
More than anything, I wanted to return, to see my home one more time, to go back to my parents.  Maybe they were still alive.  Maybe my mother hadn't been torn apart, my father still by her side, and all my friends waiting for me.
Yet as the tears began to stream down my face, I realized those thoughts were too good to be true.  There was no going back now.
"Come on," I murmured, wiping my hands down my dirty, tear-streaked face.  "Let's go see if we can find anyone nearby.  We won't be able to survive out here for long."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lugia nod briskly, giving me a worried look, but came to my side as I began to walk forward.
"You must never go out into the forest alone, Veerium.  There are dangerous people and pokémon out there," my mother's words echoed in my mind.  Swallowing, I gripped my hunting knife firmly with a trembling hand. 
We must have been walking for hours, yet we saw not a single person nor pokémon.  I began to grow worried that we would never find salvation, and end up dying of starvation.
Lugia suddenly cried out, rushing forward with a slight limp in his hurried steps.  At first, I raced ahead with him, thinking he must have spotted danger behind us.  However, I instead came into a large clearing, and within it, a large, glimmering river.
Lugia had already jumped into the cool, sparkling water, splashing about eagerly.  Trails of dirt and ash slipped away behind him as he cleaned his body, a look of relief over his face.
"Good eye!" I commented to him as I rushed in, slipping off my boots.  I daintily dipped my toes in the water, relaxing when the cool, refreshing liquid seeped in around my feet.  Feeling encouraged, I stripped off my ripped, dirty pants and ash-covered shirt before submerging my entire body into the water, which ended up being deep enough to cover my waist and stomach.
I sighed as I felt the dirt streaming off my body, my aching muscles relaxing.  My long, pale lavender hair trailed out behind me, caught in the gentle current.  The water was clear and glimmering, in fact so clear that I was able to see my dark blue eyes look back at me as I glanced down at my reflection.  Suddenly feeling exhausted, I closed my eyes and let the water clean the rest of the dirt off my body.
Lugia's alarmed cry jolted me awake, and I looked up to meet his wide, terrified eyes.  I was about to open my mouth to ask what was wrong, but then I heard it.
The human voices, at least a few of them, and they were nearby.
Stomach clenching in fear, I lurched forward, treading through the water until I reached Lugia's side.  I put a finger to his mouth, telling him to remain silent.  However, I cringed when I heard a voice call out in our direction.
"Hey, there's a person over here in the river!"
Grimacing, I looked up, watching as a younger man, probably in his late teens, ran out of the undergrowth and ran towards us, a spear held in one hand.  A younger looking woman followed him, a long cloak draped over her shoulders and a bow grasped in one hand.  I flinched when another, more intimidating man covered in dark clothing followed them, a huge, furry pokémon following him.  It was dark orange and white with stripes, and glared at me with keen, dog-like eyes.
Embarrassment quickly overcame my fear when I realized I was currently naked, being confronted by three people who all looked like they could easily rip me to shreds.  I gazed longingly at my clothes and knife on the river bank before quickly looking back at these strange, hostile people, who didn't seem to care that I was wearing nothing.
However, when their eyes rested on Lugia, their expressions quickly changed.
The first, younger looking man, was first to comment, his eyes wide as he met Lugia's crimson ones. "Is that...?"
"Yes, I think so..." the woman beside him whispered as she stood motionless.
The second, colder looking man stepped forward, glaring at both Lugia and I with icy blue eyes.  "That, indeed, is the legendary Pokémon, Lugia."  I stiffened when his eyes suddenly flashed with hunger as he stared at my companion.
I stepped forward, ignoring my embarrassment and fear.  "Do not touch him.  He is my friend, and I am his.  You cannot take him away."
The huge, furry Pokémon that belonged to the cold looking man growled, its eyes narrowing as it took a step forward.
"Easy, Arcanine," its master spoke firmly, holding out a hand.  He looked back at me, giving me a brisk but irritated nod.  "Fine then.  You and your Pokémon will be coming with us," he commanded, clearly not expecting any kind of protest, not to mention his tone suggested he had other, less accepting plans for us.
I bit my lip.  These people could be with the Crimson Army for all I know, I thought with distaste as I remembered the people who had slaughtered my town.  But if I don't find some kind of food or hospitality soon, Lugia and I will surely die.
Reluctantly, I moved towards the river bank, embarrassment making my cheeks flush as I exited the water.  However, I was surprised to see the young woman come to my side, draping her long, thick cloak around my dripping body. 
"If you cooperate, no harm will be brought to you or your pokémon," she said firmly, though I detected warmth in her gaze, which quickly eased me.  I gave her a nod of gratitude before bending down to pick up my dirty clothes, knife, and Lugia's pokéball, while slipping my boots onto my feet.
Lugia struggled to get out of the water, probably due to his small size and sleek body, not to mention his tiny, arm-like wings.  I smiled, hauling him out and drying off his body with the cloak I was given.
"What is your name?" the cold looking man asked me.
I stiffened for a moment.  "Uh, Veerium.  Veerium Fawning."
The man tilted his head, clearly surprised at my odd sounding name, but did not question it, instead trudging forward with a sense of purpose in his step.
I grew wary as the younger man and woman came to stand on either side of me, clearly trying to close me in from escaping.  I felt the hot breath of the large pokémon, Arcanine apparently, on the back of my neck, causing me to freeze and Lugia to press up against my legs.
It's probably best if I don't tell them that Lugia and I couldn't fight for anything, I thought as I glanced at Arcanine, looking cautious and hostile as it glared at Lugia.
We walked on for a while in silence, twisting through the woods and behind various trees and rocks that seemed like an all too familiar path for the people taking Lugia and I away.  My vision turned to the young woman who was slightly in front of me, walking gracefully with her short, dark brown hair swaying with each step.  Her skin was pale and her dark green eyes shown with a strange light, yet she looked like a character out of a fairy tale.  She looked no more than twenty, maybe not even.
I gasped as I suddenly tripped on the edges of my cloak, nearly falling to the ground before Lugia braced me with his shoulders.  The younger man next to me snorted at my careless stumble, but clearly had no intentions of helping me.  His golden eyes met mine, and he quickly turned away, looking annoyed.  He had tufty ginger hair and a narrowed face, and his broad shoulders were framed around his dark shirt.  For a guy, he was rather pretty, so to speak.  Unlike the other man walking in front of me.
He had a tall, muscled frame under dark, padded clothing, and a long knife was held at his belt.  He had short dark hair and scarred, tan skin, and his blue eyes were cold and menacing.  He gave off the vibe of a brutal, experienced killer.
I noticed that we had begun walking on a clearly marked path, the area cleared and the ground marked with dirt and stone.
"We're approaching our town," the ginger haired man said to me, giving me a warning glance, as if telling me to keep my guard up.
"Kouen, don't be rude," the young women scolded him.
"You're too much of a softy, Arien," the young man, Kouen apparently, retorted.
I stiffened, appalled, as the tops of buildings came into view just a little ways in front of us, looking over the tree tops.
Just how big is their town?!
However, my question was quickly answered as the trees began to clear, and we stepped through a tall, stone gate.  A guard stood on either side, and I shrank under my skin when they each gave me a cold, threatening stare, but said nothing.
This "town" of theirs might as well have been a city, with huge cobblestone roads, massive buildings that far exceeded our own, and the area bustling with activity, both human and pokémon.  Everyone seemed... cheerful.
Arien turned to me, smiling when she noticed me staring around at my surroundings with an open mouth and wide eyes.  "You like it?"
"...It's beautiful."
The young woman seemed please with my answer.  "Indeed it is," she replied, waving at someone nearby.
"Welcome to Aquacorde Town."