A grim arrives at the Plateau

Vali was sprawled across the couch with Aragorn's head in her lap and Houndour under her feet. She was watching the news from today while Steven was making something in the kitchen. A knock sounded on the cottage door and Lance called out from somewhere in the hall, "I'll get it!" which was quickly followed by, "Hey, Vali?"

"Yeah?" Vali really needed to find a water-type pokemon at some point since some of them were right up her alley from what she was seeing based on their battle styles, "What's up?"

"Do you know anyone by the name of Sirius Black?" Lance asked causing her to sit up and Aragorn to rise up at the familiar name.

"Sirius?" Aragorn was already rushing toward the door to investigate, "He's here?"

"So you know him?" Lance asked as Vali headed towards the door to see if Sirius was really there.

Vali heard her godfather's familiar bark of laughter as he bent down to pick up Aragorn, "Hello there, Vulpix."

"Aragorn, Actually," Vali corrected with a slight grin, "You've been in the wilds and out of contact for a bit too long, Siri," She looked at Lance, "This is my Godfather, Sirius Black. He's a Pokemon Ranger with the Kanto Branch. My Houndour is his partner Regulus' pup,"

"Aragorn?" Sirius looked at the Vulpix in his arms curiously before nodding, "A good name," Sirius looked up at Lance, "And you are?"

"Lance Blackthorn of the Blackthorn clan in Blackthorn city," Lance answered as he looked at Sirius in surprise, "So you're Miss Delia's fiance?"

"That I am," Sirius looked past them as he put down Aragorn, "Steven,"

"Sirius, it's good to see you again," Steven greeted Sirius with a light smile and extended his hand.

Sirius took it and grasped Steven's forearm tightly for a moment, "You as well. I hope you guys don't mind me taking my goddaughter for a bit. They're only giving me a bit of time away before I've got to get back."

"It's fine. You two haven't seen each other for a long time after all," Steven shook his head lightly as they pulled back, "Have some fun,"

Vali pulled on her shoes quickly as she called Houndour away from investigating Sirius. They left the cottage with her asking, "Where's Regulus?"

"Nurse Joy's looking him over. He took some damage while we were taking care of some poachers," Sirius sounded exasperated as they walked towards one of the nearby parks, "He'll be just fine. So you won your first match?"

"With Empress and Pele. Empress even evolved, she's a Shelgon now which means we're going to be doing some heavy training once Nurse Joy clears her to figure out a new battling a style just like with Smaug though it'll be more difficult," Vali sighed softly reaching up to run a hand through her hair, "Shelgon have such heavy bodies like Numel only without the benefit of having a ton of attacks being offered to them, I'm going to have my work cut out for me getting Empress up to snuff, but it'll be worth it in the end just like any other pokemon in the end,"

"Definitely," Sirius grinned brightly, "Damn good job raising her up to that level, she's definitely changed from the Bagon she was back during Christmas," He nudged her lightly, "I saw the video and news report. Destroying the battlefield, huh?"

Vali flushed lightly, "Higher level battles do that kind of thing."

Sirius let out a bark of laughter, "True, but damn did you destroy that field."

"I'm just glad that I don't have to pay for it," Vali muttered with a shake of her head as they passed through an wrought iron gate, "That be expensive as hell,"

"Yeah," Sirius frowned softly, "So, Pup, Lavender Town?"

Hands shoved into her pockets, Vali watched Aragorn and Houndour walk ahead of them while releasing Elrond to keep the two from wandering too far. Elrond floated beside her shoulder while keeping an eye on the two and greeted Sirius earning a light grin from the man. She sighed lightly, "Delia explain the basics?"

"They pulled you from Pallet pretty late. You ended up in the hospital for awhile and were drained for weeks. You're still drained even now," Sirius told her earning a small nod, "You didn't tell them everything, did you?"

"I told Agatha," Vali would have been crazy not to, "Other than that, no," She closed her eyes for a moment, "Sirius, Lavender Town wasn't bad. It was without a doubt dangerous, but not as bad as it could have been. Had it not been for the whole last bit and the general mood, Lavender Town wouldn't have been bad," She opened her eyes to look at Sirius, "Siri, I'm okay. I promise,"

Houndour raced up with a stick and Elrond psychically took it from her to toss it earning a cheerful bark as the hell-hound raced after it. Sirius released a soft breath, "I just worry, Pup. Some of the situations you've been getting into on your journey are really dangerous and the League got you into that when you're only a first year, it bothers me quite a bit."

"I came out fine and got a lot of valuable experience against ghost-types out of it," Vali's pokemon could deal with ghost-type pokemon better than a lot of other first-year pokemon trainers and even most second years, "I got a new partner out of it," She pulled a hand from her pocket to touch Litwick's pokeball and felt the candle-like pokemon's chilly warmth against her fingers, "I also got some important information. About our arrival though nothing fully concrete,"

Sirius' eyes widened, "Really?"

"Legendaries were involved, My inner flames were likely the reason," Vali replied as she ran Xen's words from that day through her mind once more, "I'm a Bearer. A Bearer of Fire and there are others like me out there though I don't know who. Two legendaries have claims on me, the Lord of Flames and one other though I have no idea who," She swallowed heavily, "Siri, things are going to be getting a lot worse. It isn't going to be all at once, but it's going to start once this person that someone named Xen told me is called the Chosen One starts their journey. Shit is going to hit the fan and a war is going to start,"

"Damn," Sirius grimaced at her words, "No wonder things seem to be getting worse lately and you're going to be right in the thick of it. Aren't you?"

"Chosen one's guide after all," Vali replied with wry grin, "Didn't really get to make that choice, but it got us both to this place, right?"

"Right," Sirius smiled likely thinking of all the good things that had happened since they'd landed here in this world that snowy day, "Have you told Steven?"

Vali felt a flash of guilt run through her, "No, I haven't. I will, but with the fact we've only just been reunited..."

"You've been reluctant," Sirius gave her an understanding look, "I get it," He ran a hand through his shaggy hair, "It sounds like a ton of chaos is heading our way and we've got no actual time frame on when just a that there's some years away,"

"At least two," Vali reminded him, "Moltres is also here looking for something,"

Sirius gave her a curious look, "How do you know that?"

"I made a guess and had a little visitor the first night of the tournament," Vali told him, "Someone's here that this Moltres wants to meet. Don't ask me who, I wasn't told by my visitor,"

"Visitor?" Sirius frowned softly, "What do you mean?"

"His name is Xen," Vali wasn't sure how much to tell Sirius, "He's a Spirit Caller. He's pretty nice and the one that's been able to tell me about all this,"

Sirius' frown grew, "Vali just because he's nice doesn't mean he isn-"

"He's dangerous without a doubt," The almost careless way he'd spoken of killing the people who'd summoned him and the feeling of his aura ensured alongside her journey so far, "I'm not so naive to believe otherwise, Siri. Do not believe me to be so foolish,"

Sirius winced, "Pup, I didn't mean it like that."

"I know," Vali shook her head lightly and decided to move the conversation onto a lighter subject since so much heavy news had been shared, "So have you and Delia begun planing your wedding?"

Sirius caught onto her idea and went with it rather happily, "Not just yet, we actually wanted you kids involved in the planning. For all that it will be Delia and I's day, you kids are a big part of our lives."

Surprised and touched by Sirius' words, Vali could only murmur his name and hug her godfather tightly earning a gigantic grin from the man as he returned the embrace just as tightly.