Pokémon Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Determination
- Thread starter DuskForm
- Start date
DuskForm
Local Bewear
- Pronouns
- he/him
PROLOGUE
I
I
«Do you understand what you've done?» the crimson-eyed Raichu asked. «Let me reiterate; DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!».
«Yes» Lugh admitted, lowering his gaze. The Lucario brought a paw behind the back of his head. «I really made a mess, didn't I?».
«Definitely!» the Mouse Pokémon shouted, smacking his hands on the table. «YOU MADE A POTENTIALLY APOCALYPTIC MESS!».
«Wow, now you're overreacting!». The Lucario crossed his arms. «I don't think the boy can-».
«I AM NOT OVERREACTING!» the Electric-type interrupted him. He took a deep breath, pinching his nose. «The problem is not the boy himself, but the unbalance he could bring. Not to mention that-».
«WOULD YOU PLEASE SHUT UP?! I AM TRYING TO SLEEP!», someone shouted from the flat below, hitting its ceiling with a broom.
The Raichu lowered his voice: «Now I why you would keep disappearing, sometimes even for days!». His eyes closed, he shook his head, without even trying to hide his disapproval. «You shouldn't have done it - you weren't supposed to do it! None of us is allowed to!».
«I know, it was... a moment of weakness» the Lucario confessed.
«A fifteen years long moment?». An eyebrow raised, the Raichu stared Lugh right into his sapphire eyes. «Listen, here, Lugh; you, just like all of us, have duties to attend! You have obligations, you have responsibilities!». He threw his hands up. «You can't just up and quit, for heaven's sake!».
«I've already told you that I know!» the Lucario exclaimed, standing up. Blue flares enveloped his eyes. «I am more than aware that I've made a mistake!».
The Mouse Pokémon raised an eyebrow. «So... are you going to correct it or something?».
Fire vanished from Lugh's eyes. The Lucario slowly took a few steps back. «You... you aren't suggesting that... that I should...».
«Kill him?». The Raichu shrugged. «Well, obviously, I am! In my book, the sooner we get rid of him, the better we are!».
«YOU CAN'T ASK ME TO MURDER HIM!» Lugh declared. Once again, he crossed his arm, shaking his head. «No. No, I refuse».
«Alright, do as you see fit» conceded the Mouse Pokémon, getting down his chair. «Well, if you won't do it, then I wi-».
He quickly sidestepped, dodging a punch which hit his TV instead, shattering its screen. Flames had yet again enveloped Lugh's eyes, but this time they were glowing with brighter rage. «If you even dare to lay as much as a finger on them, and I will obliterate you».
The Raichu didn't flinch as a reddish aura manifested around his narrowed eyes. «I am pretty sure you remember what happened twelve years ago. If you wanna, we can have another go, see how it goes». The air around his cheek cracked with electricity as his fur got pervaded by arcs of tiny, blackish thunders-bolts. «But if you lose, you'll have to give up on your Authority. What do you say? Wanna take that bet?».
The Lucario wavered, and fire left his eyes as he let his arms fall along his hips.
«That's better» the Mouse Pokémon commented. «Now, listen, I accept the fact that you are against it - it's absolutely understandable». He shook his head. «But it's for the greater good, Lugh - the boy must die. Period».
Lugh clenched his fist. Then, he suddenly turned around and stomped out of the apartment, shouting: «DON'T YOU THINK THIS IS THE END!», slamming the door behind him.
The Raichu sighed; surely, Lugh was going to try and stop him, which worried him; it would be a disaster if he found himself forced to kill him too. Then, he turned around, and his gaze finally fell on the shattered TV. He blinked a couple of times, as if he had just understood what had happened. «That was a brand new... 70 inch... plasma screen TV». How much had he paid for it? Something like a million and a half Poké, if he recalled correctly. And now, it was a useless mess of plastic and electric circuits - something that even the best electrician on Earth was unable to fix. The Raichu cussed, adding: «OH COME ON, I HAD BOUGHT THAT THIS MORNING!». He sighed. «Oh, heavens... I could really use Òrdugh's help right now, yes...».
II
"Wherever there are sentient lifeforms, you will find religions. However you look at them, you will always find a battle of Good against Evil, Light against Darkness, Virtue against Sin, Angels against Demons. Every religion, every cult hopes for the victory of Good over the forces of Evil, so that the world may be "cleansed". However, this concept of Light's absolute victory is a sure path towards ruin for every society. We can say the same about the infamous Dark Side. If Good was to win definitively, society itself would stagnate and fall due to the absence of something to fight and people wouldn't be able to show actual noble moral compasses by defending each other with their lives, for they wouldn't have anything to defend themselves from. If Darkness was to win, the world would escalate into anarchy, and probably some circumstances will happen to make the end of the world as we know it a lot closer. Also, life would be very tedious in both cases. The key to everything is balance. It's fine for both sides to win, as long as one of them doesn't win too much".
Said words, written by Sir William Sacheverell Breckenridge, at page 50 of the first edition of his "Gray Philosophy", had been read by two people only; the author, who had killed himself at 24 years old after his book sold only two copies, and the one reading one of said copies in that exact moment, in a small studio inside a workshop at number 3 of Peppermint Street.
In the small and modest town of Peppermint Creek (baptised Peppercreek by its oldest citizens) every soul alive knew Cedric Elric Dickinson, also known as "the southern pansy" by some narrow-minded people. A nickname which was only partially right about him, given that, while Cedric manners and speech were undoubtedly southern, ha had actually never shown (nor had for) anyone an interest beyond simple curiosity or, at least in once case, friendship.
Cedric closed the book and put it on his workshop's desk, though "warehouse" would've been a more correct word; the Minccino couldn't even fathom the idea of selling one of his books. And he had books to sell - meaning that some people would've paid astronomical loads of money for even one of the tomes in his private collection. Among them, there were mostly books with the slightest printing mistake. For example, one of his shelves featured at least a dozen copies of the "Arkéarium", all of which had some sort of mistake. There was the "Arkéarium of One Thousand Cussings", filled with vulgarities; the "Arkéarium of the Immutable Order", who said "and the first ones will be first, while the last ones will be last"; the "Go-Get-Dead-You-Little-Shit Arkéarium", the "Arkéarium of the Five Knights", which featured the arrival of Death, War, Pestilence, Famine and Economical Crisis; the "Arkéarium of the Damn", who said "blessed are the damned". And, last but not least, the centrepiece of his collection; the "Screw-all-of-this-I-am-out Arkéarium". Every other wrong edition could only pale when faced with that "magnum opus", probably because it was the only book featuring comments from Michael Waterpie, the proofreader, had put in place of some verses. The error (if an error it was) that Cedric found most amusing started at verse 6 of the Book of Time, 64th chapter, and it read:
1 Arceus made Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, the Unown and - a stain of ink covered three words, making them unreadable - and Mew.
2 Dialga and Palkia made Celebi, Mesprit, Uxie and Azelf.
3 Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf made Victini and Meloetta.
4 Arceus then made Xerneas, Yveltan and Zygarde.
5 Mew then made the Shaymin, Manaphy, the Phione and all mortal Pokémon waiting to die.
6 Screw all of this, I'm out! I can't take it anymore of this damned book - Sir Elwyn is an ingrate, and Sir Felix is a true - a stain of ink made that word unreadable -, hands down! Oh, but I've had enough of their behaviour - I'm quitting tomorrow! Oh, I'd like to see how they'll do without my accurate orthographical checkings! Seriously, screw sitting inside this damned office! Holy - and another stain of ink-!
7 -the entire verse was covered in ink-.
Reading beyond that point, but also before, even the most distracted of readers could notice that Michael had put aside the idea of quitting, going for a more satisfying revenge by "correcting" the holy book. The Arkéarium by the Elwyn & Felix Edition only ever sold two copies; one to a crazy folk who had escaped from a madhouse, the other one to Michael Waterpie himself who, on his deathbed, decided to auction it. It then landed in the hands of a lad named Martin Gray. And from then on, it got from hand to hand, until it landed on a small, foul-smelling stand in a street market, where it was immediately spotted by Cedric, who obviously couldn't let go of such a rare volume. Unluckily, the Minccino made the mistake of telling the seller the actual price of the book, and negotiations became hard. That evening, Cedric had returned home empty-handed. However, the next day, the Arkéarium was exposed right into his shop's window. And the seller was nowhere to be found.
A destiny fit for everyone who ever refused to sell him a book.
The Minccino kicked-back a bit. «Jeez, I really stayed up late tonight...». He yawned, tired. «Better if I go to sleep...». And he would've gladly done so, if someone hadn't knocked on his door in that exact moment.
Cedric (this was the name he introduced himself with) held a cuss in his throat; he could discern his brother's knocking amongst thousands.
III
Meanwhile, in a moment and a place outside of time and space, two Pokémon had witnessed the discussion between the Raichu and the Lucario.
«They had an argument».
SO IT SEEMS.
«And they talked about killing a boy to preserve the world's balance».
IT WOULD SEEM SO.
«And you have no intention whatsoever of stopping theme, do you?».
EEEEXACTLY.
«...why the heck not?!».
FIRST, I HAVE TO DEAL WITH AN IMPORTANT BUSINESS - A VERY IMPORTANT BUSINESS. SECOND, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU TRIED TO STOP SOMEONE FROM DOING SOMETHING?
«I-».
IN THE LAST ELEVEN-THOUSAND AND SEVEN-HUNDRED YEARS, I MEAN.
«...ok, you have a point».
SEE? SO, STOP CRITICISING MY METHODS.
«Alright. But, apart from that, apart from that... what the heck did Lugh do?».
AN INTERDIMENSIONAL SHITLOAD OF A MESS, THAT'S WHAT HE DID.
«...excuse me?».
HE MADE A TRUE MESS, BUT I DON'T THINK HE'LL FIX IT.
«What mess are you talking about?».
I AM NOT GONNA TELL YOU.
«What? WHY?!».
OH, COME ON; WHAT FUN WOULD THERE BE IF I SPOILED YOU THE JUICIEST PARTS?
«...I can't tell if you're screwing with me or not. And honestly, that's terrifying».
...WOW.
«What?».
NOTHING, IT'S JUST... I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD HEAR THOSE WORDS COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!
«And I never thought I would've said them, but... it seems like there's a first time for everything».
IT WOULD SEEM SO.
«Anyway, there's something I wanted to ask you for a long time».
SHOOT.
«About the Aspects. How come that none of them has chosen a successor?».
WELL, MAYBE THEY STILL HAVEN'T FOUND ONE. OR MAYBE THEY'RE JUST AFRAID. AFTER ALL, FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS LIVED SO LONG, DEATH IS SOMETHING NEW AND SCARY.
«Ah... got it...».
I ALSO GAVE THEM A SPEECH ABOUT DEATH.
«...and what di you tell them exactly?».
I SAID: "WHEN IT HAPPENS, DON'T THINK AS IF YOU WERE DYING. IMAGINE IT AS SOME SORT OF... INTELLIGENT DEPARTURE".
«What kind of speech is that?!».
A VERY MEANINGFUL ONE, IF YOU CONSIDER WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU DIE.
«Well, you're not entirely wrong».
SO, ABOUT LIFE AND DAETH... DID YOU KNOW THAT RECENTLY, SOME MORTALS TRIED TO DISCOVER HOW OLD THE UNIVERSE IS?
«Wait, really?!».
YUP, REALLY! RECENTLY, SOME STARTED SAYING THAT THE UNIVERSE WAS BORN BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO, STARTING FROM AN INCREDIBLY DENSE STATE AND THAT, SOMETHING AROUND FOURTEEN BILLIONS YEARS AGO, IT EXPANDED IN A SUPER BRIEF MOMENT, AND THAT IT'S STILL EXPANDING TODAY - A BIT LIKE RAISIN IN A RISING PANETTONE.
«Oh. Well, they're wrong about the date».
PFFT! OF COURSE! WHAT WERE YOU EXPECTING? BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! UP UNTIL A FEW CENTURIES AGO, SOME THOUGHT THAT THE UNIVERSE WAS SOMETHING AROUND SEX-THOUSAND YEARS OLD. IT'S USELESS TO SAY THAT THEY WERE WRONG, TOO.
«That's some crazy stuff».
BUT WAIT, THERE IS STILL MORE! SOME DUDE GOT EVEN FURTHER, AND DISCOVERED THAT HE THOUGHT WAS THE EXACT DATE! NOW, PREPARE YOURSELF, 'CUZ THIS IS SOME CRAZY DELIRATING STUFF! ACCORDING TO HIS CALCULATIONS, THE UNIVERSE WAS BORN EXACTLY IN THE YEAR 6002 a.E.V, PRECISELY ON A SATURDAY AT 7.00 a.m. BECAUSE, AND I QUOTE, "ARCEUS PREFERS TO WORK IN THE MORNING, AFTER A LONG REST".
«Wha the- what kind of crazy calculations did he do to reach that conclusion?!».
HELL IF I KNOW! OH, YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE THEY DIDN'T FIGURE OUT?
«What?».
EARTH'S A VIRGO.
«...pardon?».
I AM SERIOUS. EARTH'S A VIRGO. YOU KNOW WHAT THE HOROSCOPE SECTION OF TODAY'S "THE CLOVER" SAYS?
«...are you kidding me?».
NO, I AM NOT! HEAR THIS:
VIRGO: August the 24th - September the 22nd. You'll be cursed with a terrible feeling of impending doom. A meeting between a Lion and a Scorpio will put you in trouble, but you'll notice it much later. Stomachaches are behind the corner, so please avoid curry. Yours will be a chaotic week, but you will brave through it.
SEE? THEY'RE RIGHT ABOUT THIS - EXCEPT FOR THE CURRY PART -, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW.
«That's some crazy stuff...».
YOU KNOW, THE FUNNIEST PART IS THAT ALL THE SCIENTISTS IN THE WORLD STIL HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT THAT ALL THIS STUFF ABOUT POKéMON'S FOSSILS IS ONE BIG HELL OF A WELL-ORCHESTRATED JOKE WITH AN UNKNOWN PURPOSE. IF THEY WERE TO FIGURE IT OUT, THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT DEITIES DON'T PLAY DICES WITH THE UNIVERSE. A DEITY PLAYS AN UNFATHOMABLE AND INEFFABLE GAME OF THEIR OWN CREATION THAT OTHER PLAYERS (BASICALLY EVERYONE ELSE) SEE AS SOME DARK ROULETTE, PLAYED IN A DARK ROOM, WITH INFINITE NUMBERS, INFINITE DICES WITH INFINITE FACES, INFINITE STAKES AND A CROUPIER WHO JUST WON'T STOP SMILING, AS IF THEY WERE TELLING YOU THAT THEY HAD LET YOU WIN UP TO NOW JUST TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLAY MORE AND PLACE HIGHER BETS, ONLY TO STRIKE YOU DOWN MERCILESSLY WHEN THE BALL STOPS MOVING. BUT THE BALL NEVER STOPS, AND THE ROULETTE KEEPS ON SPINNING, SPINNING, SPINNING, STAKES GET HIGHER, PLAYERS COME AND LEAVE AS THEY PLEASE... AND THE CROUPIER KEEPS SMILING.
A pair of bright, rainbow-coloured, glowing dices appeared in a Mew's right paw. She was wearing a black, orange-sleeved sweater and a bright orange beret; a small necklace around her neck, made out of a metal which name and elaboration methods had been lost in time. A Cheshire grin appeared on her face as she soared in the air until she lied down belly-flat on her interlocutor's head. Compared to her, he was a fairly large - yet, he allowed the New Species Pokémon to lay on top of his head, though he was unable to hide an annoyed visage.
SPEAKING OF GAMES, the Mew said, WOULD YOU LIKE ONE OF DICES?
The larger Pokémon sighed. «Thea... may I ask you a question?».
The Mew lazily turned on her back. SHOOT.
«DO YOU REALLY THINK THIS IS AN ADEQUATE MOMENT?!».
The shout was powerful enough to startle the Mew, who lost his balance and fell down. However, she flipped midair and stopped her fall, a shocked expression on her face. She didn't expect that.
...YOU DO KNOW THAT I CAN BE ANYWHERE AT ANY TIME, RIGHT?
Her interlocutor pulled his head back, surprised, but regained his composure a moment later. «Holy me, I keep forgetting».
IT'S BEEN LIKE THIS FOR MORE THAN TEN-THOUSAND YEARS. YOU HAVE THE WORSE MEMORY ISSUES. YOU ARE GETTING OLD AFTER ALL.
«Well, if I'm not old...». However, he immediately got back to the point. «HEY, DON'T YOU DARE DISTRACT ME! A WORLD CRISIS IS COMING; ARE YOU GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT OR NOT?!».
A mocking smile sprouted on Thea's muzzle. OH, BUT I AM DOING SOMETHING. She opened her arms. I HAVE A WELL-THOUGHT PLAN IN MIND, AND THAT CRISIS IS A PART OF IT.
«...what kind of "plan" are you talking about? What are you plotting?».
RELAX - IT'S NOTHING THAT COULD BRING THE MULTIVERSAL APOCALYPSE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, Thea explained. She made a gesture with her right hand, and a small purple cloud appeared beneath her, quickly taking the form of a comfy velvet pillow, upon which she sat, her legs crossed. BUT YOU KNOW... MORTALS NEED TO BE TESTED FROM TIME TO TIME. She closed her fist, shook it and threw the dices. They both showed the same number; ∞+1. She raised her gaze, staring into the other Pokémon's green eyes. YOU SURE YOU DON'T WANNA GIVE IT AT LEAST ONE GO?
Her interlocutor stood silent for a second, before sighing in acceptance. «Alright,» he conceded. «But just one, ok?».
Thea shrugged. YOUR LOSS.
«And if I win, you have to tell me what are you planning exactly».
OOOOOOKAY. BUT IF I WIN, WE'LL PLAY ANOTHER MATCH. DEAL?
It was the other's turn to smile. «But of course».
Info dump:
Òrdugh is the Aspect of Order, a figure associated with peace. He's also the protector of those who repair things for money; thus, many electricians/technicians or Pokémon trying to tidy their house call out to him.
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DuskForm
Local Bewear
- Pronouns
- he/him
Chapter 1: It's Not Water All That Rains
I
I
Feeling the air messing with his fur, Arthur awkwardly opened his eyes, his eyelids heavy as stones after a good, long night of rest. He yawned a couple of times, then he looked around; left, right and up, upon which he noticed something was very off. For starters, he wasn't laying on his bed, nor any other solid surface; instead, he was surrounded by a limitless blue, surely because he was flying with the same elegance and precision of a bag full of potatoes. In simpler terms, he was free-falling.
He sighed, annoyed. He hated dreams where he would fall from great heights, they'd always gave him a near heart-attack at every awakening. Then, he had an idea. Starting slowly, and getting faster and faster, Arthur started moving his arms as if they were wings, which only succeeded in making him look like a potato-filled bag with two tiny, useless arms sprouting from its sides.
"Oh, bugger all this for a lark!" he thought, pouting. "I'll once again wake up in cold sweat". He shook his head. "Well, it doesn't matter; soon, I'll touch the ground and wake up". He smiled blissfully. "After all, this is just a dream". He closed his eyes shut and relaxed. "I'll just have to close my eyes, and everything will end soon".
A second passed.
Then two.
Then three.
Then four.
Five.
Six…
Confused, Arthur opened his eyes.
"Hey, hey, hey, wait a sec!" he thought. "People usually wake up when they close their eyes in a dream, don't they? After all, this isn't the first time for me…". For a brief moment, his mind seemed to black-out. "…or is it?". He couldn't remember the last time he had a dream like that. Or the last time he woke up. Or anything else, actually. "All right, this is… weird". He couldn't remember his home, his friends, his family… had he even had one of those things to begin with? He didn't knew. He couldn't remember them. He remembered nothing, apart from his name; Arthur. Panic surged within him. "All right, alright, alright, keep calm" he ordered himself. "First of all, I need to remember the most important of things; that this is just a dream!". He looked at his paws. "And to prove that, I will now slap myself! I'll certainly wake up after that!". He pulled his hand back and slapped himself on his right cheek, unexpectedly hurting himself more than he had expected. "Ouch! My slap… it hurt me!" he realised, touching his hot-with-pain cheek. "Hold up, if it hurts, then…".
It was only in that moment that he decided to look down. He could see a green stain of vegetations, maybe trees, slowly coming towards him… no, he was the one getting closer to it. Once enough data were gathered, Arthur's brain started elaborating an idea of what was happening.
II
The ashen sky, filled with stormy clouds, and the cold winds, bringer of storms, made Lugh feel uneasy. A pack basket on his back, a Treasure Bag on his shoulders and a scarf wrapped around his neck, the Riolu kept on walking along the path, smoothed by countless years of paws stepping on it. The Emanation Pokémon's sensitive nose quickly smelled the incoming rain – something quite usual in the Éire, especially during the autumn on the western shores. The boy clenched his teeth, allowing an annoyed grunt to flee from his lips – just because he was used to heavy rainfalls, it didn't mean they were pleasant. He lifted his snout to the sky, trying to see the Sun beyond the clouds. He had left the Guild half an hour ago, so it would take him less than an hour and a half to get to the Emerald Forest, and then it would take him two hours to get back. Basing on the weather and his experiences, Lugh estimated that he'd get wet enough to turn into a Water-type Pokémon on his way back.
«Great» he grumbled to himself. «Really great». He opened his back and rummaged through it, getting more and more annoyed. «Where the heck is it?! Where did I put it?!».
After five minutes of careful rummaging and scanning, Lugh reached the annoying conclusion that he hadn't brought a Weather Band with him. Somehow, the Riollu managed to hold back a cuss word so creative that at least a couple of gods would've descended upon Earth to compliment him for his… "creativity".
However, he was more than free to swear as much as he wanted inside his head.
"Fánach, you cursed thief!" he silently shouted against the god of deceit. "Just die already!".
Lugh didn't actually have anything against him – after all, why would the Lord of Deceit, Weaver of a Thousand Scams and Protector of Thief, make a Riolu like many others forget his Weather Scarf? The boy was insulting him only because he needed to blow off some steam against whichever god, and Fánach was the first one to pop in his mind.
«Fánach, you tool!» the fifteen-year-old swore, this time actually shouting, kicking a big half-buried rock beside the path. «Why does this kind of stuff happen to me?!».
As if answering his question, the rock shivered for a moment, and two wiry arms popped out of its sides. Propping himself on said arms, the rock – which Lugh understood too late to be a Geodude – turned towards him, staring at him with not so amused eyes.
"Oh…" Lugh thought as a considerable amount of rocks started hovering around the Rock Pokémon, "… … … blast!".
Then, the Geodude shouted: «I'll teach you not to kick other people, you little rascal!».
The Riolu immediately raised his hand. «Hold up, hold up, there's a mis-». He sidestepped to dodge a Rock Throw. «-understanding! I was sure you were an actual rock!».
«ARE YOU SAYING I'M A FAKE?! YOU THINK I'M NOT A TRUE ROCK-TYPE?!».
«No, no, you're misunderstanding my words!» Lugh tried to explain himself as he stepped back to avoid a Rock Tomb. «This is a huge misunderstanding!».
«WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, MH?! GOING AROUND, KICKING SLEEPING FOLK!».
«But I-».
«I'M GONNA TEACH YOU SOME RESPECT, YE RASCAL!».
«But actually-».
«I'LL TEACH YE A LESSON!».
«W-wait, I-».
«I'M GONNA SNAP YOU IN HALF!».
It was then that Lugh understood that arguing with that thick-headed Pokémon was pointless. He dropped his Treasure Bag on the ground as he swiftly dodged a Stone Edge attack.
«Alright, forget I said that» he grumbled to himself. A thunder roared and rattled the sky. «I just hope the rain can cool this guy down» he hoped, assuming his combat stance and whispering: «Fánach, I'm going to be so mad at you…».
III
Despite being awake for barely twelve minutes, Arthur's brain had developed three facts. First; that was no dream at all. Second; its owner was falling from a considerable height at a considerable speed. Third; in a soon-to-come moment, the boy would've shared a passionate, brief kiss with the ground, upon which he'd be turned into a pancake. And as soon as the brain elaborated said data, it sent several inputs to the boy's body, which resulted in a perfectly reasonable and appropriate reaction from him.
«AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!».
He didn't know for how long he had been screaming, and he didn't actually care about it that much. His pupils and irises had shrunken so much that his eyes looked like tiny white pebbles, tears gushing from them and soaring in the sky due to inertia. His desperate attempts to slow his fall by stretching his arms and legs wide, had all failed miserably, and he didn't know how much air he had in his lungs.
«This can't be the end! I'm too young to die!» he shouted, desperately flapping his arms as if they were wings in order to fly. Which, obviously, didn't sort any result. «HEEEEEELP!».
IV
Several minutes and kicks and punches later, a pretty roughed-up Lugh finally set foot inside the Emerald Forest. He wasn't at his best; he was covered with cuts and bruises, courtesy of the Geodude he had defeated with difficulty, despite his type advantage. As soon as he entered the thick scrub, he went beside the path and sat down, tired and in pain.
«Ugh…» he moaned, holding his knee. «That guy… punched hard as heck… aaaah…». He breathed some air through his clenched teeth, and moaned again. «Aaaah…». He leaned his back against a nearby tree. «Well, at least I have some Oran Berries…». His eyes narrowed as he rummaged through the bag. «…I hope».
Luckily for him, his Oran Berries were actually in the bag, unlike his Weather Scarf. He greedily scarfed two of them, and after two seconds he felt refreshed and soothed. Without losing any time, he heaved himself on his paws.
«And now, let's get down to business!».
Picking up dry twigs was indeed a tedious, boring job, but it had to be done. Lugh started scanning the ground, looking for some twigs but finding none. After a minute or two, he decided to venture further inside the Forest, hoping to strike luckier. Which he did. The ground closer to the Forest's centre was entirely covered in twigs and branches. Lugh's lips curled into a satisfied smile as he started picking them up.
«Now this is a lot of wood» he commented, pleased, while turning around. Even though that day had started badly, the Riolu now felt like nothing could go wrong anymore. «Well, it's better if I get a move on». A lightning lit the sky up for a second, followed by the roar of thunder. «Luck can only get me so far – I'm sure as heck that it's gonna rain soon».
He stepped forward, but he slipped on a twig and fell with this back on the ground. Upon which his pack basket's bottom broke, spreading all of its precious contents on the ground. Lugh propped himself up on his elbows. He did not need to turn around, he already knew what had happened to all of his precious dry twigs.
«Holy…». Half lying on the ground, he clenched his teeth and hissed: «…blast!». As he looked around, however, a sadistic smile crept on his face. «Hey, wait a second… there are o kids around… I CAN SWEAR FOR REAL!». He inhaled and roared his fury at the sky. «FU-».
The Riolu would never complete his invective against whichever god, mostly because in that exact moment something far too solid, big and heavy to be a drop of rain impacted with his belly, squeezing the air out of his lungs. The Riolu instinctively curled in a ball, and so he stayed for at least ten seconds, before stretching his arms and legs out in order to see what the heck had hit him so hard.
There was a Pikachu on his belly, lying belly-flat – and probably unconscious, but definitely alive; the Riolu could feel his warm breath on his abdomen. However, before he could figure out what to do, the Mouse Pokémon grumbled something and raised his head. Lugh winced upon seeing the Electric type's eyes; they were of a bright shade of red, pierced by a white pupil, and there was something about them that made them different from everything that Lugh had ever seen… though he didn't know what it was exactly.
The Pikachu blinked a couple of times, staring at the Riolu's eyes. Then, he suddenly threw his arms at Lugh's neck.
«Oh, my heroic living pillow!» he said. «You save-!».
«GET OFF ME RIGHT THE HECK NOW?!». The Pikachu was cut off in the middle of expressing his gratitude when Lugh punched him hard enough to send him flying.
The Mouse Pokémon harshly landed on his face, seven feet away.
Slowly, Lugh turned around. All the twigs he had picked up had been scattered around, and the waterproof cloth he was using to cover them had been filled with holes. So, not only the Riolu had no mean to carry all the wood, but he also had no way to keep it dry. «DAMN IT!». Frustrated, he kicked a twig. «DAMN IT, DAMN IT, DAMN IT! HOLY DAMNED FÁNACH!». After that brief moment of anger, he let out an annoyed sigh. «Alright… the waterproof cloth hasn't been damaged that badly… and I can still carry some twigs under my arms…». As if on cue, a thunder roared between heaven and Earth. Lugh's eyes narrowed as he raised his gaze to the sky, pointing menacingly at the stormy clouds. «Don't you dare rain right now» he hissed, «or I swear on Anord that I'll curse the name of every god I can think about».
«So… need some help over there?».
Lugh turned his head around. The Pikachu had heaved himself on his paws and approached him. His rough landing from before had filled his face with tiny bruises and cuts.
The Riolu regretted his action a bit; maybe he had overreacted. Nevertheless, he shook his head. «I don't need your help» he said as he crouched down and started picking up the twigs.
«Are you sure?» the Mouse Pokémon asked. «I mean, it does seem to me that you could use a little help…».
«I said that I. Don't. Need. Your. Help» he said without even turning around. «What are you, deaf?».
The Pikachu backed off. «Okay, I just wanted to help… jeez…». He blinked a couple of times before asking: «And what about you? What are you supposed to be?».
«What do you think I am?» Lugh rhetorically asked.
«I dunno…». The Pikachu shrugged. «Some kind of magical talking dog?».
Lugh's eyes widened as he turned around, pointing at the Mouse Pokémon. «What the- are you being serious right now?!».
«Uh… yeah?». He looked at his paws. «I mean… I have no idea what I am… or who… I can't remember…».
«You don't know who you are?!». Metaphorical cogs started spinning inside the Riolu's mind. "Alright. He doesn't know he's a Pikachu, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't know he's Pokémon either… heck, he probably doesn't even know what a Pokémon is! So… he's either making fun of me, or genuinely dumb". Both options were plausible, but the Riolu went with the former. «Okay, that's funny and all, but I've got no time to lose, so… leave».
«But-». The Pikachu's eyes widened. «B-but I don't have anywhere to go…».
"Oh, Anorddamn it!". Lugh silently swore against the god of chaos, before turning to the Pikachu. «Alright, listen, it's gonna rain soon, so what about this; if you help me bring the wood to the Guild, I'll find you a shelter for tonight. Deal?».
The Pikachu's gaze brightened up. «Reallyyyy?!».
«Uh… yes» the Riolu answered.
«Thanks a bunch, then!». The Pikachu then bent down, and started picking twigs up, carefully placing them under his arms.
"Neat!" the Riolu thought, satisfied. "Now I can bring him to the Guild, where he'll be a bother for someone else". He sneered. "And I'll also manage to fetch the dry wood to the Guild… it's like taking two rewards for one mission!". In his little inside-world, the Riolu closed his eyes and brought a fist to his chest. "I am a genius!".
«Say, what's your name?» the Mouse Pokémon asked.
«Lugh» the Riolu answered.
«My name's… Arthur» the Pikachu answered. «…! I can remember my name!».
«Nothing else?» Lugh asked.
Arthur opened his mouth but said nothing. He immediately closed it, doubtful. «…nothing else», he eventually admitted, a despondent look on his face.
The Riolu did his best not to cuss. "Why am I asking him questions?! I just need him to help me bring the wood, then I'll dump him at the Guild, and that'll be it! What do I care if he's got amnesia?".
Eventually, they somehow managed to gather the twigs and wrap them with the waterproof cloth without poking any holes in it. Lugh loaded the improvised pack on his shoulders. «Okay, follow me now» he told Arthur. «I have a good feeling that we won't get wet at all!».
SPACK.
Something tiny and cold broke apart on Lugh's nose; it was a raindrop, promptly followed by another raindrop. And another one. And another one. And another one.
In less than ten seconds, the sky unleashed a full-fledged squall upon the two Pokémon. Lugh took a deep breath before turning to Arthur.
«Tell me, how old are you?».
Arthur shrugged. «I can't remember».
«Well, I'd say you look somewhere around my age, but plug your ears just in case» the Riolu recommended. Once the Pikachu had followed his advice Lugh raised his gaze to the sky, an almost blessed look on his rain-kissed muzzle. He closed his eyes and brought his paws together, almost as if he was praying, and said: «Oh, Lugh and Dubh, Òrdugh and Anord, Cóir and Slánú…». He suddenly opened his eyes and arms, making body gestures as if he was possessed, and shouted: «I SWEAR UPON YOUR MOTHER THAT I'LL BREAK YOUR NOSE, YE ACCURSED, INFAMOUS, DAMNED, FILTHY, GAMMY, MANKY MUPPETS BORN FROM A SORRY BANJAX OF A MOTHER!». He kept going like this for something around thirty seconds, adding more and more insults. Eventually, he shook his fist at the sky. «Especially you, Fánach! Ye worthless fecker!».
V
Arthur could only stare as the Riolu went on with… whatever he was doing. Even though the Pikachu couldn't actually hear what the boy was saying, he was still able to get the general picture.
"I think he's swearing" the Mouse Pokémon thought, "and pretty violently, too".
An almost idiotic smile appeared on his yellow muzzle. For some reason, seeing him lose it was pretty amusing.
Suddenly, however, the light surrounding the Riolu changed its colour and shape, and Arthur soon wasn't in the forest anymore.
Instead, he was in an empty dark space, void of any form and essence, where neither rain nor light could reach him.
Therefore, I shall grant each one of you a fraction of my power, a voice echoed around him. He couldn't tell who it belonged to, nor if it was masculine or feminine. But don't you dare misuse it, or there will be dire consequences.
Before Arthur could say or do anything, the veil of darkness collapsed.
«Hey. Hey! You alright there?».
Arthur blinked a couple of times. Lugh was swinging one of his paws before his face.
«Y-yes… everything's fine» the Pikachu lied. «What happened?».
«You were staring at the ground» the Riolu explained. «And I couldn't grab your attention – you wouldn't even answer me».
«How long have I been like that?».
«Seven long, excruciating seconds».
«Oh» Arthur said. «Okay».
«Did you remember something?» Lugh asked.
The Mouse Pokémon shook his head. «No… I don't think so…».
Lugh set off. «Well then, let's get going – I don't wanna get wetter than necessary».
Arthur followed him silently, but his head brimming with questions. "Okay, so… like… what the heck was that?! I've undoubtedly heard a voice… is it a memory I lost?". He shook his head. "I don't know, but maybe it means that-".
His train of thought stopped when he noticed something moving amid the trees, just barely inside his peripheral vision. He stopped. «What in the world-?».
He quickly glanced at Lugh, just to keep track of his position, then plunged headfirst in the trees. Almost immediately, he felt something different than wet mud under his right foot. He looked down. There was something on the ground. Trying not to let any twig fall, the Pikachu bent down and plucked the object out of the mud. He found himself with a long piece of torn cloth in his hands. It looked just like some kind of scarf, but it was so ripped, dirty and run-down, that it could've been any other thing. Still, Arthur picked that maybe-it-was-once-a-scarf and used it to tie the twigs together, making his job a bit easier.
«Stay determined» a deep, masculine voice whispered in his ears. «Or it will be the end of everything».
Arthur quickly turned around, his fur standing on end from fear. But there was no one behind him. The Pikachu stood silent for a couple of seconds before backing off a bit. Then, he turned around and run towards Lugh. After all he had gone through, he just wanted to get the hell away from that place as soon as possible.
Stepping on a puddle, the Pikachu couldn't notice his red eyes' reflection on the surface. For an instant, they glowed red, and a thin crimson fog steamed from their irises. But it was only for an instant. And Arthur didn't notice it.
DuskForm
Local Bewear
- Pronouns
- he/him
Chapter 2: Sword
I
I
It was a peaceful winter morning - which meant, for every Peppermint Creek's resident, a season of rainfalls, fog and icy winds. In the last few hours, a storm unlike anything ever seen in forty years, had been striking the Æthelish town.
«So... what's the plan?» Cedric asked, sitting behind his desk, interested more in the raindrops hitting the windows than his guest's words.
«Simple» his brother answered. «First, we find Lugh and the boy. Then, we murder the boy».
«Hell no!» the Minccino protested immediately, his eyes wide open. «How is that possible that your only solution to every problem is violence?».
«Alright, genius» the Raichu deadpanned, making himself comfy on the chair by laying his paws on his brother's desk. «Have you got a better idea?».
«Yes!» the Chinchilla Pokémon answered, a vein on his head bulging. «As a matter of fact, I have a pretty precise idea of what will happen to you if you don't take those filthy paws of yours off my desk! It's mahogany!».
«Alright, alright» the Raichu said. «Sometimes, I just can't read you. I mean, how expensive can this thing be?».
«At least two-thousand and seven-hundred pounds!» Cedric answered, annoyed. «Give or take a few pandies!».
«Wait, really?». The Raichu sat up straight again - not because his brother had told him to. He was simply getting tired of that position. «So, back to the point again - do you really have a better idea?».
«Not now, no» the Minccino admitted, tapping his fingers on the chair's armrest. «For starters, we don't even know if he's an actual threat».
«I'm one-hundred per cent sure he is» the Mouse Pokémon answered without hesitation. «I'm positive he got something from his father».
Cedric raised a sceptical eyebrow. «Yeah... sure...».
The Raichu crossed his arms and huffed. «Oh, come on! You know that's true!».
«Well, for starters, something like that has never happened before». The Minccino adjusted his eyeglasses on his nose. «And even it is as you say, you know how much I hate senseless violence! Sorry, but I'm not helping you!».
«Ok, what about this - we go and have a look around, just to be sure» the Raichu proposed. «And then we decide what to do. Deal?».
The Minccino thought about it for a few seconds. «Do you even know where the boy is?».
«Nope» the Mouse replied innocently. «Not a clue».
Cedric slowly performed a double facepalm and sighed, dismayed. «No way». He shook his head. «I'm not doing that».
«Hey, don't beat yourself up!» the Raichu tried to encourage him. «Listen, would you like it if I treated you to dinner?».
The Minccino raised his gaze. «Ah...».
«I owe you one from... from...».
«From that time in Bànlind, 1800».
«Oh» the Raichu said, surprised. «It's been... a while...».
«Yup». Cedric stood up and jumped on the floor. «Well, we'd better shake a leg - this is going to be a looooooong search».
«Oh, it won't be so bad» the Mouse promised. «We'll just have to look around a bit, ask a couple of questions...».
«No, I'm sure it's going to take much longer than that». Cedric adjusted his eyeglasses. «For starters, we don't even know where to start from».
A sneer appeared on the Raichu's muzzle. «But if we use our Authorities, it will be like a walk in the park».
«That is also true» the Minccino admitted as he bent down to pick a book up. «But first, let me tidy up my office».
II
The more they walked, the more nature seemed to give way to civilization. At first, they saw nothing more than a few rural houses in the middle of the country or beside the path, but the landscape grew more crammed with buildings as they went Souther.
All this under an unstoppable rain, which made the two travellers look like two walking dishcloths.
Pulling aside the wet fur covering his eyes, Arthur rushed to reach a water-drenched Lugh, whose greater height came with a quicker pace. «Hey, so...» Arthur started. «Where are we going, exactly?».
«We're going to the city of Cuan na Seimre» the Riolu explained, without so much as looking at him. «Then I'll bring you to the Guild, where you'll receive some help».
«The Guild?». The Electric-type raised an eyebrow. «What's the Guild?».
«A Guild is a group of people carrying out the same profession» Lugh explained. «There are traders guilds, scholars guilds, artisan guilds and many others. The Emerald Guild - also known as Cuallacht na Smaragaide - is an Explorers guild, but the citizens of Cuan na Seimre simply call it "the Guild"».
Arthur tilted his head to the side. «What's an explorer?».
«An Explorer - with a capital "E" - is someone whose job is rescuing other Pokémon» the Riolu explained. He then turned his head, showing the brooch pinned on his green scarf: it was white, consisting in three metallic, heart-shaped petals, encircling a pink glass marble. It looked like a clover. «I, too, am an Explorer from the Cuallacht na Smaragaide». However, he suddenly turned the other way and groaned: «Oh, why the hell am I even telling you this?! We'll soon be at the Guild, and all of your questions will be answered».
«Do you think I'll ever get my memories back?» the Pikachu asked, his ears standing on end.
«Hell if I know!» the Riolu answered sharply. «Hell if I care!».
«Well, you must care to a certain extent» Arthur said, «since you decided to help me».
«I did that only because I'm an Explorer» Lugh replied coldly. «I would have done the same for any other Pokémon. You're not special».
The Electric-type ears went limp as he lowered his gaze. «Oh... a-alright, then...».
The Pikachu kept staring at his own feet for the majority of the travel, until he noticed that the barren ground had given way to a stone-paved street. Upon realizing this, Arthur lifted his gaze. The rural landscape had disappeared, replaced by an urban one of streets, shops, houses and streetlamps. Busy as he was with looking around, the Pikachu failed to notice that Lugh had stopped, consequently colliding with his bottom.
«What the-». The Riolu turned around. «WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!»
«Sorry» Arthur whispered, rubbing his hand on his head.
«Anyway... here we are!» the Riolu announced, pointing forward. «The Cuallacht na Smaragaide».
The building they stood before loomed over the others, like a sequoia in an oak forest. Its grey-painted walls and stark façade gave it an imposing vibe. Arthur roughly estimated it to be something around eighty feet tall, not to mention the antennas on the roof.
«Now» Lugh said as he approached the gate, «let's get down to business». He was facing some kind of small, black box, equipped with a numeric keypad and a screen. «What was this week's code? 4-9-8-5-7, right?». He entered the code and pressed the enter button. Almost immediately, the screen lit up, showing a Fennekin sitting at a desk and chewing a pencil.
«Hi, how may I help-» she started, keeping on chewing the pencil, before looking down. «Oh... it's you, Lugh».
The Riolu brought two fingers to his forehead. «Hello, Bridget!».
The girl closed her eyes and sighed, putting the pencil on the table for a moment. «Did you bring the wood?» the Fox Pokémon asked with a tone suggesting she expected a negative answer.
«Obviously» the Riolu answered plainly. «That, and a guy with amnesia».
The Fennekin raised an eyebrow. «...excuse me?».
«He's right here!». Lugh turned to Arthur, signing him to come forward.
The Pikachu took a hesitant step towards the gate and raised his gaze to the screen. He stood still for a few second, unsure on what to do.
«Oh» the Fennekin said. Slowly, she took the pencil and shoved it into her mouth, caressing it with her tongue. «Mmh... are you sure he's got amnesia?».
«He doesn't even know what a Pokémon is» Lugh answered. «Sounds like amnesia to me».
«How can you be so sure? What if he's lying?» Bridget asked, nibbling her pencil. «And don't tell me you read his aura, because we both know you can't do that».
Lugh's expression immediately changed as a vein on his forehead bulged. «Listen, going to the Emerald Forest and coming back took me longer than gathering wood, this guy», and he pointed at Arthur, «fell on my stomach from Fánach only knows where AND IT'S RAINING SKITTY AND LILLIPUP, BRIDGET! I'VE BEEN UNDER THE RAIN FOR TWO HOURS AND A HALF!».
«...alright, you have a point» Bridget had to admit, as she pushed a small red button on her desk. Slowly but steadily, the gates opened. «You may come in, Lugh. And as for the Pikachu, I'll arrange a meeting with the Captain... if I can find her».
«Thanks!» the Riolu said before turning to Arthur. «Alright, now shake a leg! The sooner we get in, the better it is!».
After crossing the gate, the two walked through a short cement walkway, before passing under a big stone arc, after which there was a vast, square garden. At its centre stood a huge fountain, made out of two circular concentric marble basins, on top of which stood a marble cup decorated with four bronze statues of a creature Arthur could not recognize. Looking around as he walked, Arthur noticed the garden was divided into five areas; the central one was covered in gravel, just like the walkway; the north-west one was occupied by a thick bush of white roses; the north-east one hosted a shrub of crimson roses; the south-east one was home to a hedge of roses that were just as yellow as his fur; and last but not least, the south-west area hosted roses of a red so dark to appear almost black. Everything was rain-soaked, drenching, while tiny raindrops slithered on leaves, between thorns, and on petals. Arthur went back to looking forward, only to notice that Lugh had gone pretty far ahead of him.
«H-hey, wait for me!» the Pikachu protested, as he clumsily rushed towards him.
III
After going under a second arch of stone and through the main door, the two found themselves in the actual entryway. Arthur was stunned by the sheer hugeness of that room. In front of him a staircase stretched downwards, surrounded by two other stairways going upwards and curving towards a landing. There were no gimmicks or unnecessary decorations - just stone. Two lanterns on top of the bannisters illuminated everything.
«What the- how ginormous is this place?!» the Pikachu almost shouted, raising his tail and ears in disbelief.
«More than you think» Lugh answered. «It was built by the same architect who designed some palace... I can't remember that lad's name... ah, who cares? He's long dead now». He then pointed forwards - down at the end of the staircase, one could see a door at the end of a short aisle. «That's where the guildhall is, and we also use it as a dining ro- WHY THE HECK AM I EXPLAINING THAT TO YOU?!». The Riolu let out an annoyed sigh. «Grand, let's just get this over with, before-».
«I could recognize that shout amidst hundreds».
Lugh interrupted himself upon hearing the voice of a Pokémon. A Pokémon that, according to his calculations, was NOT supposed to be there. He suddenly froze, slowly raising his gaze till he crossed that of she who was standing on the landing. A figure elegant and limber as a stream, strong as a storm and sturdy as an oak; a marmoreal austerity and an indomitable will; a posture so stern, yet so elegant; and a gaze both royal and terrifying; and a steel-like spirit that had earned her the nickname "Sword". She was wearing a black scarf, upon which there was pinned a brooch just like Lugh's, but black; and the marble in the middle was dark-green. The Lucario kept her arms crossed behind her back as she climbed down the left stairway, keeping on looking down on the other two Pokémon. Her face was just as unperturbed as a sword's edge.
«Hi» she said then. There was no kindness whatsoever in her voice - just an unfathomable, stern coldness. «Lugh».
«H-hi» Lugh stuttered, straightening his back and trying to keep his tail from twitching. «C-Cruach...».
«You weren't expecting me to be here».
«W-well, I thought you were on a long mission in the North... I wasn't expecting you until next week».
«There was a change of plans, and I finished early - I came back home today at 9.00 a.m. I went looking for you, but I couldn't find you - then I caught wind you had gone fetch some wood with a pack basket».
«W-well, we were running low on it, and s-since winter's at the d-d-d-door...».
The taller Pokémon's eyes narrowed as she gazed upon the wood-filled waterproof cloth under the Riolu's armpits. «...what's that?».
«T-the wood I g-g-gathered t-today» the Riolu muttered, his fur now soaked in both sweat and rain.
«Why isn't it in the pack basket?» Cruach asked, sounding like she exactly knew the answer to her own question.
«I b-b-broke it» the Emanation Pokémon admitted. «I s-slipped and l-landed on my back, s-so... I had to improvise».
Cruach's eyes narrowed even more as her arms relaxed by her side. The spike on her paws retreated. What happened next was too sudden for Arthur to stop it. There was a blueish blur, followed by a smack-like sound and a yawp. The Pikachu's eyes widened - a red spot had appeared on Lugh's cheek.
The Riolu brushed his wound. In doing so, he dropped some twigs on the ground.
«Listen to me carefully, Lugh, because I won't repeat myself». Cruach's tone was as reassuring as having a sword hanging over your head by a Joltik's thread. «You need to achieve perfection with every task - because there will be moments in your life when you'll have no space for mistakes». She crossed her arms behind her back. «Have I made myself clear?». She pointed at the waterproof cloth under the Riolu's armpits. «So, bring that wood inside, then get yourself another pack basket and start over».
Lugh held back a comeback and bowed his head. «Y-yessir».
Arthur was livid with rage. His muscle tensed, he felt ready to slap that arrogant person in the face. However, all of his anger quickly disappeared as the Lucario looked upon him. Under that fiery gaze's pressure, the Pikachu's courage failed him. The Mouse Pokémon stepped backwards, shivering.
«As for you...» the Aura Pokémon started. «What you came here for is no business of mine, but if you want to become an Explorer, then I need to make myself clear about one thing». Her pupils shrunk to sand grains. «If you'll ever find yourself on a mission with me, allow me to tell you that I'll always demand one thing from you».
«W-what is it?» the Pikachu asked, his knees trembling.
«Nothing but perfection» the Lucario answered before turning around. «Well, I've expressed my opinions. See you later».
After that, the Aura Pokémon climber the stairs and left through a door on the landing's left side.
Three seconds later, Lugh bent forward, moaning sadly. Outside, rain was pouring down like a drum - it probably had started hailing.
Arthur clenched his fists and teeth. «What... a... maggot!» he exclaimed before turning to Lugh. «Are you alright? Who the hell was that?».
«That was no business of yours» the Riolu coldly answered. He bent down and started collecting the wood. «I'll get you to the-».
«LUGH!».
"JUST LET ME FINISH SPEAKING FOR ONCE!" Lugh silently shouted as he raised his gaze to the landing.
Arthur did the same, but this time he didn't see anyone... until a small, cream-coloured head, topped by a pair of pointy ears lined with red fur, peeked through the balustrade. The Pikachu immediately recognized her; it was the same Pokémon Lugh had talked with at the video intercom.
The Fennekin tilted her head. «The Captain wishes to meet you».
«What the- now?!» the Riolu asked.
«Yes, now» the Fox Pokémon answered before gazing upon the Mouse. «And your name is...?».
«Ah». The Pikachu raised his hand in greeting.«My name is Arthur, it's a pleasure to meet you...».
The Fennekin frowned. «"Arthur"? That's a weird name... you're not from around here, are you?».
«...I can't know that» the Electric-type answered. «I have amnesia».
«Ah, right!». The Fennekin closed her eyes for a moment and facepawed. «Sorry, I had totally forgot about that». Then, her expression went back to seriousness. «Anyway, please follow me».
And she walked towards the hallway opposite to the one Cruach had taken. Arthur questioningly gazed at Lugh, who answered wit ha shrug. Then, the both followed the Fox Pokémon.
IV
«How long have we been walking for?!» Arthur asked, bending forward. «My legs hurt as heck!».
«Well, that sounds like your problem» Lugh answered, without so much as a trace of weariness. «If you can't hold your own, you're free to go back to where you came-».
«LUGH!» Bridget scolded him, stopping ant turning towards the Riolu. «Would you mind telling me why the hell are you always acting like this?!».
«H-hey, he's got reasons to be mad!» Arthur exclaimed, having seen a golden occasion to step in. «Some bloke slapped him when we entered! She said her name was Cruoch... Cruah... Cruà...».
«Cruach?». Bridget blinked, dumbfounded. «What the hell are you talking about? Cruach is the Guild's best Explorer - she would never hurt a little boy, much less her brother!».
«But I saw... wait, WHAT?!». Arthur quickly turned to Lugh. «That was YOUR SISTER?!».
«Yes, so what?» the Riolu asked, slightly clenching his fists.
«Then-» the Mouse said, but he couldn't finish his sentence.
«Then, that's no business of yours» Lugh cut him off before turning to the Fennekin. «Please, pay him no mind, he doesn't know what he's saying».
«But-».
«He fell from high up and must have hit his head, he must be delirious».
«BUT-».
«And that's the end of our argument».
«BUT-!».
«BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP!» Bridget suddenly scolded them. «Anyway, we've arrived».
The Fennekin stopped before a ginormous door. Arthur's eyes widened; that thing was at least four times taller than him and just as wide.
The golden plate attached to it sported few but plain words; "Captain's Office".
V
On the day of her tenth birthday, Kelly Moriarty had swore that she would have died rather than becoming a dull and boring grown-up always working behind a mahogany desk in a dull and boring office. Thirty years later, she was able to partially keep true to that promise - sure enough, she had become a solar and cheerful grown-up always working behind a mahogany desk in a dull and boring office.
Drumming with her fingers on the fine piece of furniture's surface, Kelly stood silent for a few minutes, almost not breathing, analyzing the last page of the document she had been sent the day before, the one she was supposed to sign to confirm that she had indeed read it. In a couple of days, that very same document would end between the Minister of Defence's paws alongside the other ones from every Explorer's guild in the country. About a month later, Kelly would receive a letter confirming that the Minister had actually received the document.
In her mind, Kelly would always go back to the good old times, when every new day meant new adventures. When she could still hope in the existence of a Guild independent from every government body, aimed only at improving the Éire's Pokémon's lives. When she was a few years younger and had much more coloured feathers, the exact opposite of the pasty plumage she was sporting now. When things were simpler and more immediate.
Snorting, Kelly dipped the pen in ink, signed where she was supposed to and slid the document to her side, leaving the ink to dry. She looked at the ceiling, longing sadly; oh, the things she would have done to get just another bite of the emotions of her days as an Explorer.
DuskForm
Local Bewear
- Pronouns
- he/him
Chapter 3: Criminal Mess
I
I
Bridget raised her paw and knocked gently on the heavy door. «Captain» she announced loudly. «There's some here who wants to talk to you! It's crucial!».
The Pikachu's ears rose up as he heard muffled noises coming from the office, followed by a sound of footsteps.
«I swear» an approaching feminine voice grumbled, «that if it's another reporter of the Clover, I'll smash their face!».
In that exact moment, Arthur hoped, with all his heart, he had never been a reporter from the Clover, whatever that was; whoever had spoken sounded as serious as they were mad. Slowly but steadily, the door opened. The Pikachu didn't even dare to imagine what kind of behemoth could push such a large and hefty thing open. He was sure his eyes would witness a ginormous creature, with beefy arms, massive deltoids and a hairy face. SO he was dumbfounded when his eyes gazed upon a feathered figure whose wan, almost grey plumage called an incredible sadness to mind, a complete opposite to the rage their voice was giving off just a few seconds ago.
The feathered creature gazed at the three Pokémon, before turning to the Fennekin. «Bridget».
She briefly lowered her head. «Captain». She pointed her ears at the two Pokémon behind her. «This morning, Lugh went to the Emerald Forest to gather some wood, and he stumbled upon this Pikachu, who declares to suffer from amnesia. I considered it worthwhile for me to bring him to you to assess his situation».
The feathered creature's eyes narrowed into slits as she gazed upon Arthur. He froze, his arms petrified along his sides. The Pikachu felt as if his soul was being inspected, and he couldn't shrug off the feeling that it was actually happening.
«...good» the Captain commented after five long seconds of silence. «My name is Kelly Moriarty. Now, shall we discuss this in my office?».
«Do as you please» Lugh instantly commented, pivoting. «I've got better things to do».
«No, you stay here» the feathered creature said with a decisive tone.
«What?!». The Riolu suddenly turned around again. «Why?!». He pointed at Arthur. «He's the one in needing help! What the hell have I got to do with this?!».
«You're the one who found him, so your statements are decisive» the Captain answered. She then turned to Bridget. «You go back to your duty, I'll call you when I'm done».
The Fennekin raised her tail. «As you wish, ma'am» she said before drawing away and disappearing in the hallway.
«Now». The feathered creature pointed at the office's door. «Let's make everything clear».
II
«And that's all I remember».
Kelly drummed her feathertips on the desk. «Nothing else?».
Arthur shook his head. «Nothing else».
The Riolu had kept his arms crossed the whole time without uttering so much as a word. He gave the Pikachu a subtle, annoyed glance before shaking his head. Having grown up without parents, the Captain was the closes thing to a mother he had. But at the moment, the boy just wanted to get out of there to fetch some wood.
«Now». Kelly turned to Arthur again. «We've made it clear that you know nothing about your past, so it's time to test your common knowledge».
The Pikachu tilted his head. «...my what?».
«Common knowledge» the feathered creature repeated. «You know, type relationships, dungeons, Pokémon species...».
The red-eyed boy blinked twice before asking: «What the heck is a Pokémon?». He glanced at the two of them. «What are you?». He stared at his paws as his ears and tails drooped. «What am I?».
«He doesn't know a thing» Lugh butted in, without making so much as an effort to hide his disdainful tone. «I mean... how?».
A smile crept upon the feathered creature's beak, who turned to Lugh with remarkable composure and straight up told him: «Lugh, if you cut it off with this behaviour you'll be Normal-ranked as long as I live. Do you understand?».
Lugh huffed, annoyed. «Yes, yes, we do...».
«Good». Kelly turned to Arthur again. «So, you don't know anything?». She raised an eyebrow. «I find that highly hard to believe».
Arthur's head sank between his shoulders. «What do you mean by that?».
«You may be lying» the feathered creature said as she got up. «After all, you've got no proof to back up your statements, have you?». Leaning with her wings on the desk, she bent forward. «You could be an ill-intentioned lad who wants to take advantage of us; you could be a prankster; or are you a spy?».
«A s-s-spy?» Arthur whispered nervously.
«Or you could be a crook» Lugh added, sneering. «You wouldn't believe how many of those we get every day».
Arthur was dumbfounded. He was told that the Guild would've helped him... so why were they accusing him? Why were they ganging up against him? What had he done wrong? He had seen the Cuallacht na Smaragaide as an anchor of hope... and now, he had been deprived of that anchor, leaving him to drown again.
He didn't know who he was. He didn't know where he was from. He didn't even know what he was. No, upon reflecting on it, it was clear that he was one thing: alone. He was lost, in a world he knew nothing about, unaware of his origins and destiny, without anyone to help him. And maybe someone was worried sick for him; he could've had parents, brothers, sisters, wondering what had happened to him. But he could do nothing about it. It was a truly terrifying thought.
He covered his eyes with his paws. There was no hope for him.
«Hah, see?» Lugh commented. «He doesn't dare to look ut in the eyes because he knows we've exposed him!».
In that same moment, a single, faint sound echoed through the office; it was the same as that of the raindrops hitting the ground outside. Then, there was another one. And another one. And another one.
Arthur was crying. Tears were falling on the ground, lining his face, which he was hiding behind his paws.
The small, black appendages hanging from the Riolu's head shivered as he realized he had slightly crossed a line.
Kelly glared at him before letting out a weary sigh. «Well, now I've got no doubts». She then turned to the Pikachu. «Arthur, I apologize».
After a few seconds, the boy raised his gaze. His sight was blurred by tears; he could only discern shapeless colour spots.
«I just wanted to see your reaction» the feathered creature calmly explained. «And I think it stands to reason that you're being honest».
Arthur stood silent for a couple of second, dumbfounded.
«Unluckily» she added, glaring at Lugh, «it appears that someone did not understand my intentions».
«HOW THE HELL WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT?!» the Riolu protested, slamming his hands on the desk. «I really thought he was trying to scam us! I mean... come on! How can you forget what a Pokémon is? HOW?!».
«Listen, Lugh» Kelly nonchalantly responded as she raised two fingers. «First; keep your voice down. Second; there is a reason why they call it memory loss».
The Riolu rolled his eyes to the sky. «Alright, alright, I understand...».
«Good» the feathered creature commented, a stern scowl on her face. Keeping her glare on Lugh, she gestured towards Arthur. «Then go and apology».
The Riolu took a deep breath before turning to the tearful Pikachu. «I'm sorry».
The Electric type stayed silent for a couple of seconds before nodding meekly. «Apologies accepted». Arthur doubted of Lugh's sincerity, but he had more urgent things to worry about. He turned to the Captain one again. «So... you can help me, right?».
Kelly remained silent for five whole seconds, keeping her wings joined over the desk before saying: «Arthur, I've got a deal for you».
The Pikachu tilted his head. «A... deal?».
«Since you've got no place to go,» the Captain said, «I think you should stay here for a while, until you get your memories back».
Arthur's ears and tails stood on end. «W-wait, really?!».
«Well, I sure as heck don't want to kick you out and have you live on the street» the feathered creature joked. «But in exchange for board and lodging, you'll have to do some work for us. Cleaning, maintenance of the Guild's equipment, guarding the gate... you know, that kind of things». She leaned forward and held a wing out to him. «Do we have a deal?».
«Do we have a deal...». Arthur wiped his face clean, and energetically shook the Captain's wing. «Of course we do!».
«Perfect!» the feathered creature exclaimed when the paw-wingshake was over. «In that case, you start now! There's this girl who joined us yesterday, an Eevee named Fay. You need to tell her to come here. She's in the room 104, on the first floor».
«Alright, I can do that!» Arthur confidently commented.
At which point Lugh got off his chair. «Well, if this is over, I believe I'll be going».
«Yes, with him».
«...pardon?».
«You, Lugh, will go with Arthur» the Captain explained. «I want you to accompany and explain him the way, then you'll be showing him around the Guild».
«What?!». Lugh's jaws dropped. «Why me?!».
«Because maybe you'll stop acting like a jerk» Kelly answered firmly. The Riolu opened his mouth but closed it soon after, unable to think of an answer. At which point the Captain added: «You may go now».
III
Slowly, Lugh closed the creaking door behind his back. He took his paw off the handle, letting it hang by his side. He was staring at the ground with an unreadable expression on his face.
Arthur stood silent by his side. He simply stared at the boy, a bit frightened. It took him five seconds to gather enough courage to say: «Uh... you okay there?».
Much to his surprise, Lugh turned to him with a seraphic smile on his face. «Yes» he answered calmly. «Yes, I'm okay... that's weird». He stared at his palms. «It's almost as if I wasn't angry at all- oh, no, wait». He clenched his fists and with a calm voice said: «It looks like I'm having a delayed reaction. Just give me a minute, and I'll get furious enough».
Arthur raised an eyebrow in surprise. «..wait, really?».
«OF COURSE NOT!» Lugh burst, taking the electric rodent by surprise. «I'M MAD AS HECK! I'VE GOT TO-». He lowered his voice to a whisper as he remembered that the Captain might hear them from behind the door. «I've also got to work my arse off to guide you!».
«H-hey, you don't have to» Arthur muttered, raising his hands. «The Captain told me that room 104 is on the first floor. I can do this on my own, really».
«Probably, yes, but it would take you too long» Lugh responded, «while I already know the way». He sighed, annoyed. «Listen, the sooner we go, the sooner I can have you out of my way. Follow me».
Arthur followed him. «So... what's a Pokémon?».
«Pokémon are the sentient lifeforms inhabiting this world» Lugh explained without facing him. «There are many species of Pokémon».
«So... the two of us are Pokémon?».
«Yes. To be more accurate, I'm a Riolu, and you're a Pikachu. The Captain's a Decidueye, while Bridget is a Fennekin».
«What about your sister?».
«...she's a Lucario. Something that I'll probably never get to be».
«What? Why?».
«Because-». Lugh stopped in his track midsentence. He stood still for a second before turning towards Arthur. «WHY THE HECK AM I EXPLAINING IT TO YOU?!» he almost shouted. «Leading you is a pain in the neck of its own, so why the heck am I bothering to explain things to you?!».
«How should I know?!» Arthur answered. «If you don't want to tell me, then don't tell me! I can learn things on my own; I mean, there has to be some kind of... library somewhere, right?».
«Yes, there is one in the Guild, you can- HOLY-!». He squinted and shook his head. «Alright, enough! No more explaining! Also, we're here».
Arthur raised his gaze. A wooden door stood in front of him. It was slightly smaller than that to the Captain's office. The number 104 was carved on the brass plaque. The Pikachu raised his paw and knocked.
«Fay?» he called. No answer came. He knocked again. «Fay? The... the Captain would like to have a word with you, ms Fay».
Again, his call was unanswered. Arthur tilted his head, confused. "Maybe she's not in her room?".
«She might not be in her room». Lugh voiced the electric mouse's doubts. «Great, now we also have to look for-».
A deafening thud echoed behind the door, followed by rustling noises and cussing. «Damn it, damn it, damn it, they found us!». The cusser was undoubtedly a male.
Arthur raised an eyebrow, confused, as he turned to Lugh. «That... didn't sound like a girl's voice. Maybe she's sharing her room with someone?».
«Not as far as I know» the Riolu answered, shrugging. Then, he violently rapped on the door. «HEY! Whoever's in there, open up! We need to-».
Lugh never finished his sentence. There was a loud bang, a purplish flash, and the door flew on his face, knocking him out and raising a cloud of dust.
«What the-?» Arthur started, but he was also forced to stop midsentence upon seeing a hail of green spheres racing towards him.
The Pikachu raised his arm, somehow managing to block the attack.
«Bullet seed? BULLET SEED?!» the male voice from earlier shouted. «YOU CAN USE MUDSHOT, YET YOU CHOSE TO USE BULLET SEED AGAINST AN ELECTRIC TYPE?! SERIOUSLY?!».
«Sorry, sorry!» a second, higher-pitched male voice said. «I panicked!».
The dust eventually settled, and Arthur could see the faces of his aggressors. The smaller one was a grey Pokémon with chubby cheeks and a bushy tail culminating in a black tuft. The second one was a taller, reddish, four legged-creature whose eyes were surrounded by rings of black fur, like a mask; his tail, culminating with a prehensile appendage, was tightened around a big fabric sack.
They noticed Arthur. He noticed them.
They stared at each other, the three of them, for a silent moment, unsure about what to do. The silence was promptly broken when a beastly scream echoed through the hallway. There was a bright yellow flash, a door flying somewhere, and cussing so foul that a priest's ears would bleed upon hearing it.
All three of them turned around to see; the Riolu had heaved himself on his two feet. His pupils narrowed, his fur standing on end, and his fist clenched so hard that Arthur could see the veins on his paw. He was also wearing a very unpleased expression on his muzzle.
«Damn it!» the reddish Pokémon cussed. The idea of getting hit by a meteor-hard punch must have been terrifying, so much so that he dropped his bag, turned away and ran, screaming: «Let's get the hell out of here! Screw the loot!».
«What the- HEY, WAIT FOR ME!» the other begged as he rushed behind him.
"Loot?". It was only then that Arthur understood. "THOSE ARE THIEVES!".
He was about to chase them, but the Riolu picked him up under his arm like a bag of potatoes and started chasing the two outlaws.
«Hey, what- HEY!» the Pikachu protested, squirming and throwing not-so-effective punches at the Explorer's arm. «PUT ME DOWN!».
«We'll make it faster if I carry you!» Lugh explained as he abruptly swerved left. «You wouldn't keep up with your short legs!».
The Pikachu opened his mouth to protest, but looked at his legs. He had to admit they were much shorter than Lugh's. Eventually, he decided to shut up and stick with it.
They kept chasing them until the two reached a small grey door at the end of a hallway. A locked door, to be more precise.
Lugh finally put Arthur down and started cracking his fingers and neck. «Well, well, WELL! FINALLY!».
«Damn it!» the reddish Pokémon cussed. «Damn it, damn it, damn it!».
«Okay, here's what's gonna happen». Lugh stepped forward. «Surrender now, and maybe I won't hurt you».
«Yeah, like HECK WE WILL!». In an inexplicable moment of bravery, the grey Pokémon inflated his chest. «WE FACE NO DEFEAT! EVEN BETTER; WE FACE NOTHING AT ALL! NOT EVEN REALITY!».
The reddish one stood by his side, annoyed. «Holy crumb, lower your voice! Do you want everyone to hear us?».
The grey Pokémon lowered his head. «S-sorry». However, he raised his gaze again, this time turning to Lugh. «But you, Explorer... you shall know that even if you've got a type advantage against us, Alastar and Domhnall don't fear you!».
The reddish Pokémon blinked twice before smiling. «Alastar?».
The grey Pokémon turned to him. «Yes?».
«Why in tarnation did you tell them our names?» Domhnall asked, smiling in a seemingly calm way.
«Why, to instil fear in their HEARTS, OF COURSE!» Alastar exclaimed, inflating his chest with pride. «This is crime 101, duh!».
Domhnall got serious again. «Yeah, of course! Now they can track us down and report us!». He raised his forepaw and slapped his accomplice on the nape. «YA EEJIT!».
«Very polite» Lugh commented, making the two of them turn towards him. «Very polite of me to let you have that conversation».
«Well, sorry for the wait» Domhnall said with mock-courtesy. «Indeed, my accomplice may be dumber than a potato, but he's right about one thing - we never give up. Ever!».
Lugh sighed. «I did warn you...». He raised his fists, taking a fighting stance, and turned to Arthur. «Come on, help me take these two down».
«H-hey, hold up!» the electric mouse said. «I can't fight!».
That statement took Lugh by surprise. «What... NOW YOU TELL ME?!».
«YOU NEVER ASKED!» the Pikachu pointed out. «And even then, I didn't think that-».
He stopped midsentence when a ball of dark energy struck his jaws, sending him flying. He landed belly-up, but managed to get up fast enough to avoid an all-out assault from Domnhall, whose paws were wrapped in a weird, blackish aura.
«Well, that makes things simpler for us!» the reddish Pokémon commented. «Oh, yes, it will!».
He attacked again with a second Night Slash, but Arthur managed to dodge it by rolling backwards. The Nickit's claw got stuck in the wooden floor. The Fox Pokémon tried to free it, but it didn't move an inch, which allowed Arthur to punch him HARD on his jaws.
However, the impact was enough to free the outlaw, who took advantage of that by firing a Shadow Ball.
Seeing another ball of darkness coming towards him, Arthur quickly sidestepped it, leaving himself wide open to his opponent's following Night Slash. The full-power attack got a bull's eye on his chest. The Nickit swiftly landed behind his opponent.
Arthur could only stare, powerless, as three crimson gashes opened on his chest. His blood dripped on the floor.
Meanwhile, the Skwovet had attacked Lugh with Iron Tail, hitting his legs and tripping him up.
"Damn, he's fast!" the Riolu thought, crossing his arms in front of his face to parry a second Iron Tail.
Then, displaying stunning reaction times, he grabbed the Cheeky Pokémon by his tail and hurled him in the air. The Riolu's fist glowed as he prepared a Rock Smash attack.
When his opponent fell down and got in reach, he launched his attack. As he hit him, however, an orange brilliance enveloped the Skwovet's body, a glow that Lugh knew far too well, for it was typical of a move he had witnessed many times while training against his sister. He shielded himself with his arms a second before being hit by a violent orange beam.
"Bloody heck!" he mentally swore as the enemy's Counter pushed him three feet back. "He's got a type disadvantage, but he's a tough one...".
However, he had no time to react before a streak of blows to his legs from behind took him by surprise. Lugh clenched his teeth, silently swearing; he hated Play Rough with all his heart. The Riolu fell forward, slamming his face on the floor. He tried to heave himself on his feet, but Domhnall landed on his back, grounding him.
«It appears your type advantage was useless» the outlaw teased him. «Your legs are injured, and your friend is bleeding to death».
«Uh... shouldn't we... like... help him, or something?» the Skwovet shyly suggested. «M-maybe put some pressure on the wound... I mean... w-we don't actually want him to die, right?». He glanced at the Pikachu, lying face down in an ever-expanding pool of his own blood. «...right?».
«Alastar, you feckin' eejit! Which side are you on?!». The Nickit got off Lugh's back and approached the Normal type. «We're outlaws! We live by damaging other people!».
«Y-yes, but-» the Skwovet tried to object, but the Fox Pokémon didn't let him.
«Just open that damn door» Domhnall ordered, annoyed. «The sooner we leave, the better-».
A sound of stepping on a liquid and footsteps stopped him midsentence. They turned around.
Arthur had heaved himself on his feet. The three gashes on his chest exposed his warm, crimson flesh, throbbing with life. The fur surrounding the wound had turned a dark red, soaked with blood, and his breath was slow and irregular. But he had gotten up.
«Well, I hope you're happy!» the Nickit sarcastically commented, growling. «It seems I've missed all his vital points».
«I mean... i-it's a relief» the Skwovet admitted, «...but also a pain in the neck...».
«Anyway» the Nickit said, turning to Arthur as he prepared another Night Slash, «I hope you're ready for a second rou-».
A few drops of blood and a canine flew in the air as Arthur's fist connected to the Nickit's jaw with a precise upward movement from below.
The Fox Pokémon was surprised more by the simplicity of the attack than it's effectiveness. It wasn't a Quick Attack or a Thunder Punch - it was just a simple, regular punch, but it hit pretty hard.
«Okay, I'll break you in half!» the Nickit shouted, forgetting every escape plan.
Unsheathing a Night Slash, he jumped forward with a downward movement from up, aiming for the Pikachu's shoulder. But the latter moved back, and the Nickit's attack hit the floor. Then, Arthur slapped him on his left cheek.
«DON'T JUST STAND THERE, YOU EEJIT!» the Nickit shouted at his accomplice. «HELP ME! DO SOMETHING!».
«R-right!» the Skwovet muttered as he took a fighting stance before telling the Pikachu: «T-to be honest, I... I don't l-l-like fighting a-all that m-m-much, so... I m-mean, s-since you're in r-rough shape... w-would you c-consider the idea o-of... g-giving up?». He looked at him, hopeful. «I m-m-mean... w-we don't have to fight, do we?».
Arthur stepped forward, or at least he tried to, but his head suddenly felt dizzy, probably due to all the blood he had lost. He stumbled and teetered before falling belly-flat on the ground. The effort had been too much for him to handle.
"It hurts... it hurts so much..." he thought, gritting his teeth. "My muscles feel like they're on fire!".
Alastar stood silent, staring at him, his gaze occasionally falling on the ever-expanding pool of blood. «Uh... is... is everything alright?».
A slap on the nape from Domhnall made him whine. «Are you dumb or what?!» the Nickit scolded him. «Open that damn door before some kind of backup come!».
«R-right now, okay!» the Skwovet muttered, fiddling with the handle. «...it's locked...».
«THEN FORCE IT OPEN!» his accomplice shouted. «Holy heck, it wouldn't hurt you to use your brain from time to time!». He turned to the Pikachu, lying defenceless in front of him. «I'll be honest; this is my first time killing someone...». Dark energy gathered around his paws, forming a Night Slash. «It'll be a clean job».
His eyes fixated on the Mouse Pokémon, the Nickit slowly raised his paw, ready to strike.
«Roses are red».
Domhnall turned to Alastar, who was still striking the door with Iron Tail. «What was that? What did you say?».
«Me? Nothing... wait, you heard that, too?». The Skwovet stopped for a moment. «Was that a girl's voice?».
«Violets are blue».
«Holy heck, I knew it!» the Nickit swore while turning around, ready to face whatever opponent there was. «Backup has arriv-».
«Omae wa... mou shindeiru!».
There was a white flash, a brownish and pink blur, a loud bang and the sound of something being hit with extraordinary force. Domhnall ended up flying at his accomplice, and they were both thrown against the door, breaking it and raising a thick cloud of dust. With his last energies, his sight already getting blurrier and blurrier, Arthur raised his gaze.
He found himself behind a quadrupedal creature. Their body was covered by nut-coloured fur, except for the bushy tail's creamy tip.
«Let that be a lesson; NO ONE can steal from me! HAVE I MADE MYSELF CLEAR?!» she shouted, before taking a more relaxed stance. «Jeez, you just can't leave for two seconds without this kind of things happening...». She shook her head. «Unbelievable...». She then turned around to face Arthur. «Maybe I should call the doctor...».
Her furry collar was also cream-coloured, and her eyes... sweet heaven, her eyes. So big and... pink. Arthur could have looked at himself in them, if only he wasn't bleeding to death.
He was cold. Very cold. Slowly, the world got darker and darker, colder and colder, weariness gently enveloping his flesh, calling him to sleep. Then, nothingness.
DuskForm
Local Bewear
- Pronouns
- he/him
Chapter 4: Going to the Doctor
I
I
The storm mercilessly raged above the dark ocean. Pale lightnings and loud thunders rode the skies, masters of clouds and winds. The maelstrom kept getting bigger by the minute, almost as if Kyogre was ready to shout his rage at the entire world.
However, right between the clouds and the waters, two Pokémon were fighting each other.
The wind brushing against his pitch-black fur, the red-eyed Mew raised his right paw. Small stripes of dark and red energy gathered there to create a tiny black sphere, which grew and shattered, revealing a sword with a blade blacker than darkness, split by a few irregular, scarlet, blood-coloured veins. He raised his weapon above his head before delivering a downward blow, unleashing a wave of dark energy against his opponent.
Water soaking his fur, the blue-eyed mew raised his left paw, calling upon all of his power. A ball of pure light gathered in his palm. It then grew and burst, unveiling a bright-white sword with a blade, as shining as a star, wrapped in curled, vine-like stripes of blue energy. The pale Mew raised the weapon above his head and, with an upward blow, released a wave of light against his enemy.
Both attacks clashed midway, a wave of darkness to devour all light against a wave of light to ban all that was dark, two completely opposite sides of a dichotomy. Darkness and light united briefly before disappearing with a bang.
«How long are you going to keep this up?» the black Mew asked in an earnest tone. «Is this really how you want it to go? Two immortals doomed to fight till the end of the world, completed with trumpets blasting?». An amused smile appeared on his muzzle. «'cuz then, I'd regret not having a huge bag of popcorns; if I do see the apocalypse, I want to enjoy it as epically as possible».
«Dubh, do not mess with me!» the white Mew angrily shouted. «You know it all to well that I'll keep going until one of us either gives up or dies!».
«As long as we're in the human world, dear brother» Dubh answered, summoning a second sword, «I'll never kill you».
The white Mew copied him, creating another sword in his free hand. «Then I'll never stop».
«It doesn't have to end like this» Dubh continued. «You just need to give. Me. The. Boy».
«Killing him would achieve nothing!» the white Mew exclaimed. «Even if his presence threatened the world's balance, him dying would solve nothing. His power would just end up in someone else's hands!».
«Oh, I know that well» Dubh commented. «But I won't just kill him».
Suddenly, the dark-furred New Species Pokémon disappeared. The blue-eyed Mew had less than a second to react, raising his guard just in time to parry two close downward blows. Their swords clashed.
«I WILL COMPLETELY DESTROY HIS SPIRIT AND SOUL!» Dubh shouted while pushing forward. «Just think about it; it's the only way!».
«NO!». The white-furred New Species Pokémon pushed his brother away. «There must be another way!».
«Well, I'll give you this; you've gotten stronger» Dubh admitted. Then, he raised a finger. «But, you see... your brother would like to ask you something. Just one thing». He pointed at his brother's eyes. «When we talked last time, you looked pretty angry. But now... now that I'm closer than ever to finally getting the boy, I see hatred has left you. Why is that? What's pushing you to fight? Why are you protecting a threat to the balance of our world?».
The white Mew's face darkened as he tilted his head. Eventually, he let out a faint laugh. «Aaaah… ahahahahaaah… of course... all of our brothers would ask me the same thing, wouldn't they?». Still clinging to his weapons, he opened his arms. «"Hatred"? "Anger"? I've got no reason to fight you, brother...».
«What the heck are you saying?». Dubh frowned, mostly out of annoyance. «You should know better than anyone else that everyone needs a reason to live, something to fight for, a role to fill!».
«True. But there are Pokémon and human exceptions». A lightning soared the sky, lighting up his rain-wet muzzle; his clear light-blue eyes glowed like embers. «I've got my reasons not to have a reason; it's just common sense». Suddenly, his gaze got deadly serious. «And it's something you'll never understand».
«...so that's how it is?» Dubh asked, tightening his fists. «Well, what can I say... you never cease to amaze me». A mocking smile appeared on his muzzle. «But you still can't beat me».
The white Mew's eyes narrowed. «It's not over yet... I'll protect him... WHATEVER IT TAKES!».
II
A cold breeze caused his fur to stand on end, and Arthur woke up feeling like he had just come back from an icy shower. He found himself laying belly-up, half-covered by a white sheet, his eyes opened under an unknown roof. As he tried to sit up, pain hit his chest, causing him to moan. It probably had something to do with the three pinkish scars disfiguring his chest. He almost immediately noticed he was laying on some kind of canvas cot identical to the six canvas cots at its left. Light entered the room through a big round window.
«Good, the patient reacted to the stimuli» a voice commented, jump-scaring him. «The Heal Pulses have worked».
The Pikachu slowly turned to his left. Right there, there was a definitely bizarre creature, with a folder in one hand and a pen in the other. They were bipedal and plump, tall as three times as him and covered in pink and creamy fur. They had light-blue eyes and weird appendages with curly extremities hung from their ears. They wore a yellow, green-checkered scarf around their neck.
«Uh, e-excuse me?» the boy started, raising his paw. «Where am I?».
«In the infirmary» the creature answered, looking away from the folder. «I'm sure you have a bunch of questions, but I'll need you to cooperate before I can answer».
Arthur's ears stood up on end upon hearing the word "infirmary". He then remembered his "fight" against the two outlaws; from his point of view, it had seemed more like several meaningless struggles to beat an enemy he had no hope of defeating.
«Oh, right; I forgot to introduce myself» the pink creature said while placing the folder on a nearby small piece of furniture. «My name is Poppy».
«M-my name is Arthur» the Pikachu introduced himself, slightly bowing his head. «It's a pleasure to meet you».
«I don't doubt that» Poppy commented, keeping up her serious attitude. Without even turning around, she opened a drawer on the cupboard behind her and pulled a flat, thin wooden blade. «Now, I think I should take advantage of you being here to run a quick examination - just to check if you're sick or something». She approached him. «Now, open wide». The Pikachu obeyed, and Poppy inserted the tongue depressor in his oral cavity. «Okay... from a first glance, I'd say you're fine». She took the tool out and threw it in the nearby bin. «Now» she continued while grabbing the far end of her right ear's appendix, «I want you to sit up straight».
Arthur was uncertain, but he nonetheless obeyed despite feeling slightly uncomfortable when Poppy pressed her ear appendix against his chest.
«Now, breath in» the creature ordered, and the Pikachu complied. «That's good. Now, breath out... good... now, turn around...». She placed the appendix on his back. «Again. Breath in... breath out... alright, that's good».
«Erm... not to be rude» the Pikachu attempted, «but ...what kind of Pokémon are you?».
Poppy didn't appear to be surprised by Arthur's question. «I'm an Audino. I'm a Normal type and the Guild's doctor; I'm specialised in family medicine». She grabbed her pen and folder in her hands. «So... have you got any allergies?».
«N-none that I can remember» the Pikachu stuttered. «I-I mean... being amnesiac and all...».
«Ah, right, the Captain did tell me about that». Poppy went back to the cupboard. «If that's the case, we'll have to run a few quick tests».
«The Captain?». Arthur tilted his head before suddenly remember about the feathered creature. «When did she come here?».
«She came when you were sleeping» Poppy nonchalantly answered, without even turning around. «And you slept for a long time; it's almost lunchtime».
As if to emphasise the Audino's words, Arthur's stomach loudly grumbled, prompting the Pikachu to blush a bit. Embarrassment aside, however, he did have to admit that Poppy wasn't wrong. He (quite literally) couldn't remember the last time he had eaten something.
«Anyway, you'll be free to go in a while» Poppy reassured him, turning towards him. This time, she was holding several phials and needles. «Now, we'll run a few tests for allergies, then I'll quickly check your teeth».
«Oh, come on!» the Pikachu commented. «What else? Blood tests?».
«No, it's better if we run those tomorrow».
III
«Mmh... mmmh... good, very good» Poppy commented, satisfied, as she checked the Pikachu's oral cavity with a mouth mirror. «I think I can undoubtedly say that you've got the cleanest, healthiest teeth I've ever seen».
Arthur closed his mouth, blushing slightly. «Uh... t-thanks».
«You're welcome» the stern Audino commented. «That makes it all the more important that you keep taking care of them. Understand?». The doctor then allowed the Pikachu to hop down the dentist chair. «Well, I'd say we're over». She turned to the cupboard and placed all her tools back there before glancing at the nearby pendulum clock. «My, my, it's half-past twelve p.m. already?». She calmly walked towards the door. «It's lunchtime; I suggest you follow me, Pikachu».
Arthur couldn't understand if it was a piece of actual advice or an order, but he chose not to make that bet. He quickly ran towards the door, upon which he noticed that the scars didn't hurt that much anymore, and he followed the doctor.
«So» he whispered, unsure, as they entered the hallway, «what is it that you Guild-guys do?».
«We explore» the Audino answered. «Why did you ask me?».
«Ah... Lugh told me about that» the Pikachu said, «but I don't think I've understood it well...».
«Well, we basically help people for money» Poppy seriously explained. «Sometimes a child gets lost, or someone gets robbed, and that's when we step in». They passed a wooden door and turned right. «We often end up in Mystery Dungeons, which are pretty dangerous, so they pay us well».
Arthur tilted his head in confusion. «Mystery... Dungeons?».
«They're... weird places. Their position is the same, but their insides change each time you enter them» the doctor answered, «so you never know what to expect».
«Hold up, how can their insides change each time someone enters them?!».
Poppy shrugged. «That's part of the "mystery". Some dungeons are also affected by special conditions; you can only enter alone, or you'll lose half your items the moment you step inside. I know for a fact that there are at least five of those dungeons somewhere in the world, on a hellish island... I think it's called "Zeta Island" or something...».
«That seems interesting» the Pikachu commented. «And what about us? Where are we?».
«We're on the Éire, an island of the Unwederic Isles» the Audino answered. «You'll do great here. Most people around here are pretty calm».
«Well, I guess that's good for me». However, Arthur's ears suddenly stood on end. «Hey, so... what happened to those outlaws?».
«The Nickit and the Skwovet? We caught them and delivered them to the authorities. They won't bother anyone for a while».
«Phew! That's a relief! Honestly, that... grey guy... I believe his name was Alastar... he seemed confused. First, he told me a thief never quit, then said something about not being forced to fight and giving up...».
«Weird. But I don't judge him».
«So... what's for lunch today?».
The Audino shrugged. «I dunno. Kells can be unpredictable».
The Pikachu raised an eyebrow. «Whos' Kells?».
«Our cook» the Audino explained. «Weird guy, but he's got his head on his shoulders».
«Oh. Cool. Very cool» the Pikachu commented. Suddenly, however, a stabbing pain in his chest caught him off-guard. «Ouch!». He brushed against the wound. «It hurts!».
«Well, they did beat you up pretty badly» the doctor told him, keeping her earnest behaviour. «There was blood everywhere».
Memories of the battle flashed in Arthur's mind. Pain stabbing his chest... fatigue burning his muscles... blood gushing out like crimson rivers... he could remember everything almost too clearly, as if he was still there, his face on the ground and his fur wet with his own life essence, still warm. The Pikachu couldn't help but shiver at the thought.
«Try not to think about it too much» Poppy suggested, albeit her voice made it sound more like an order. «It would ruin your appetite».
«B-but all that... stuff, those dark claws, that orange flash... what the hell was that?!» the Pikachu asked. «Heck, I almost died!».
«We will all end up facing "almost death", sooner or later» Poppy said, «and since you're alive, you've got nothing to complain about. What you saw before were "moves". They're Pokémon's way of fighting each other».
Arthur shivered, nervous. «You talk about it as if it happened every other day...».
«It does» the doctor said. «My theory is that the average Pokémon spends forty-thousand hours of his life fighting».
The Pikachu felt all blood leaving his face. «Ah... that's... uhm... a... an awful lot of time». Then, he added in a whisper: «Please don't kill me...».
«I won't» Poppy reassured him in an earnest voice. «As long as I don't have a reason to».
«Ha... hahaha...» the Pikachu laughed nervously. «That's... a nice joke...».
Poppy raised an eyebrow. «Joke? I never joke».
The Pikachu would rather not comment on it, and changed the topic. «So... you guys... explore?».
«Yes. We're Explorers» the Audino answered flatly. «It's what we do. Sometimes a new dungeon pops up, and we go take a look... we explore it. That's why we're called Explorers».
«Hold up... dungeons can pop up out of thin air?!».
«Oh, yeah. They keep doing that. And only when no one's watching. But there's, like, a one in a million chances of one popping up under your feet, so don't worry».
«If you say so...» Arthur whispered despite not being totally positive. «And... are there many dungeons here?».
«About fifty» the Audino answered. «The Emerald Forest is the closest, and that's where the Captain told me Lugh found you».
«That place didn't look that weird to me» the Pikachu said. «I mean... I got out of it just fine...».
«Then you probably were on the dungeon's outskirt». Poppy turned right, entering a hallway. «Well, that's for the better. You'd have had a heck of a harder time if you'd been deeper inside».
After two minutes of complete silence, the two finally reached their destination; the Guild's entryway.
«Wait, haven't I already been in this room when I... well, when I entered here?» Arthur asked while tilting his head.
«Indeed you have» Poppy answered as the walked towards the door under the stairways. «Hurry, now; it's lunchtime».
"Huh... I wonder what's for lunch", the Pikachu asked himself, following the doctor.
IV
The dining room was huge and incredibly crowded, and Arthur noticed - with a bit of embarrassment - that he was late. Four couples of table were lined amidst the room, all of which were occupied by several creatures. And all of them were eating.
«They sure are digging in...» Arthur commented, talking to himself more than Poppy, as he looked for an empty seat. «There's an awful lot of people» he quietly whispered, looking around as he advanced through the tables. «I just hope there's a free spot for me, too...».
«Here's a seat, if you want one».
A feminine, somehow familiar voice caught his attention. Turning around, the Pikachu found himself staring at a four-legged creature. He immediately recognised her; she was the Pokémon he had met that same morning, just before passing out. She was facing him, her forepaws leaning on the table, smiling quietly. There was an empty space right between her and... Lugh. Arthur didn't make her wait and immediately sat down.
«Uh... t-thanks» he shanked her, nervously scratching his wrist. Suddenly, he remembered about the job Kelly had entrusted him with. «Ehm... the Captain wanted to speak with you...».
«She already did» the Eevee told him. «She just wanted to ask me how I was doing in my room, nothing more».
«Ah» was all that came out of Arthur's mouth. «And... how are you doing?».
«Pretty fine» Fay answered. «Technically, it's a room for three, but all the other rooms are occupied».
«Well, that's nice» the Pikachu commented, just smiling. He then took notice of Fay's steaming bowl of soup. «...won't you eat?».
«Not yet». Fay wrinkled her nose. «The soup is still too hot, so I'm waiting for it to cool down before eating it».
«Oh. Yes, I guess that makes sense» Arthur commented, looking at the empty spot in front of him. «..hey, where's my plate...?».
«Oh, neat» Lugh said, thrusting a spoonful of soup in his mouth. «Yet another pest».
«Don't be a prick» Fay told him.
«Yeah, yeah, whatever» the Riolu said while eating another spoonful of soup.
The Eevee turned back to the Pikachu. «So... I heard you'll be working here as a staff member?».
«Yeah... so it seems» the Mouse Pokémon answered while trying to ignore his stomach's complains.
«May I know why?» Fay asked, answering to the Pikachu's quizzical gaze with: «I mean... the vast majority of those who join the guild do so to become Explorers. Have you got no ambition?».
«Wha- no, no... well, maybe yes, but... I can't remember!» the Pikachu quickly answered. «I'm amnesiac - I don't remember who I am, where I'm from, I don't even know what my favourite food is». He allowed his face to sink in his hands. «I only know my name, and the first thing I remember is that I was falling from the sky!».
«Oh... I'm sorry to hear that» Fay whispered. «Anyway, I don't believe we introduced each other; the name is Fay. It's a pleasure to meet you». She stretched her paw to Arthur, who hesitated a bit before shaking it.
«I'm Arthur» the Mouse Pokémon introduced himself. «...it's nice to meet you».
«Are you doing alright here?» the Eevee asked.
Arthur peeked at the three scarves disfiguring his chest. «I'm not sure... I mean, I literally almost died...».
«Yeah, I heard what happened» Fay commented, frowning with anger. «Honestly, I'm happy those two ended up in jail!».
«Yeah... yeah, me too» the Pikachu admitted. «...I just hope nothing like that ever happens to me again because it was terrifying».
«Aw, you poor thing» Fay whispered, feeling really sorry for what the Pikachu had to endure. «Come on... after all, tomorrow is another day».
«Ah, uh... thanks». The Pikachu gazed at the Eevee's bowl. «I think it has cooled down enough; it's not steaming anymore». He then glared at the empty space in front of him. «...how is it that I don't have anything to eat yet?».
«I have no idea» Fay answered as she shoved her face in the bowl. When she re-emerged, her nose was wet with soup. She immediately cleaned it with a few quick licks. «Maybe the didn't warn the cook about you being here, but that'd be weird».
«Listen, I know it may sound like a dumb question» Arthur started, «but... what do Pokémon eat, exactly?».
Fay looked at him as if he had asked how much 2 + 2 was equal to. «...are you serious?».
«Hey, I'm amnesiac» the Pikachu remembered her. «I can't know!».
«Heck, sorry! I forgot!» the Eevee apologised. «Okay, so basically most Pokémon eat things like fruit, vegetables and mushrooms, but some of them can also eat metals, or poison, or other... less than edible things».
«Oh». The Pikachu was impressed. «That sounds really cool!».
«Well, that's... that's not how things have always been» Fay whispered, thrusting her muzzle in the soup. When she re-emerged, she said: «A long time ago, Pokémon had to eat each other to survive... it was a true nightmare. However, preys started evolving to defend themselves, and predators had to evolve new ways to kill them, thus triggering a true evolutionary arms race». She sighed in relief. «Luckily, all around the world, some Pokémon understood that we couldn't keep going like this, else we would end up destroying each other. That's when the first "civilised" communities began to pop up, communities where herbivores and carnivores could coexist... not always peacefully, but it was a step forward. It wasn't easy at first, but... well, that's how we got where we are today».
«Wow! So, like, cannibalism was considered normal?». Arthur's eyes widened. «Heck... those must have been some horrible times».
«Well, it's not exactly over yet» Fay explained, lowering her gaze. «Some Pokémon still practice cannibalism». She turned to Arthur. «But don't worry; you're very likely to never meet them». Suddenly, her voice and face got serious. «But there are still people who discriminates "potential carnivores", that is Pokémon that won't, but can, eat meat».
«Yeah, it'd be truly amazing if people stopped being pricks to each other just because of what they can eat».
The Pikachu almost fell off his chair as he heard a masculine voice from over his head. He looked up; there was a weird... purple thing hovering above him with an amused look. He had two arms, two legs, a tail, two reddish eyes and a smile with undoubtedly too many teeth. Arthur would think that he had come out of a nightmare if it wasn't for the chef hat on his head and the steaming bowl in his hand.
«Hi there» he said as he waved at the newcomer, landing. «The name's Kells».
«H-hi» Arthur stuttered, raising his paw. «M-my name is A-Arthur...». The Pikachu then glazed at the white, steaming bowl in Kells' hand. «...is that...?».
«You lunch». The cook placed his food in front of him. «You better eat it before it gets too cold; otherwise, it'll taste gross».
The Pikachu stared at the bowl's contents. It was full of soup, the same that Fay and Lugh were enjoying.
«Well... thank you. And... I guess I'll enjoy this meal» he said as he began to eat.
DuskForm
Local Bewear
- Pronouns
- he/him
Chapter 5: Morning
I
I
He wasn’t sure he could keep going. Not for long, at least. He was loosing worrying amounts of blood, mostly due to a large wound on his shoulder, brought upon him while he was distracted. Lugh pressed his paw against his wounded shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding. If such a wound had been inflicted by any other opponent, it would’ve disappeared in a couple of minutes. But he wasn’t fighting against the average foe; he was fighting against Dubh.
The black Mew threw away his blades, which vaporized mid-air in a cloud of dark smoke. Then, he raised his right arm, surrounding it with black, steamy string.
“Oh, crap!” he thought, immediately understanding his opponent’s intentions.
He immediately raised his left arm, ready to mimicry the attack, but it was too late. In less than a second, he found himself assaulted by a river of darkness, dragging him up and down. It felt terrible, probably the worst pain he had ever experienced in all his life; it was like being hit by a thousand scorching needles. The attack didn’t last longer than ten seconds, but it dealt a serious amount of damage. As the shadow disappeared, Lugh was surprised to see he was still in one piece. But how long could he keep going. He decided that he didn’t want to find out; before Dubh could attack again, the white Mew made his move. He felt a shiver run down his spine, and his body turned into light. The world seemed to freeze in time. In less than a second, he flew behind the enemy and summoned a small globe of light. Then, he moved and positioned a second globe of light, this time to the enemy’s right. He did the same thing over and over, until Dubh was surrounded by whitish spheres. At that point, his body turned back to matter and time unfroze. Thousands upon thousands of glowing bolts raced towards the black Mew, too fast for him to react. But when each of them phased through him as if he was made of fog, Lugh realized that his enemy expected that attack and had turned his body in pure darkness beforehand. When the storm of light ceased, the black Mew opened his arms and fired a wave of darkness from his body. Lugh backed away, but he was too slow and the dark energy covered part of his foot, only to vanish instantly.
Along with said part of his foot.
Lugh wanted to scream in pain, but his pride didn’t allow him to, even when half of his right hind-paw had been obliterated.
Dubh rose in the air and crossed his arms. «It’s useless; we’re two faces of the same coin when it comes to raw power, but I am way more experienced than you in battles». He flashed a teasing smile at his opponent, his eyes glowing red. «You can’t beat me».
«We’ll see about that», Lugh replied through gritted teeth as he rose to reach his enemy’s altitude, staring fearlessly in his crimson eyes. «As long as there’s air in my lungs, I’ll keep fighting!».
«Admirable», Dubh sarcastically commented, «but dumb». He touched his temple with his paw. «You are loosing copious amounts of blood… when was the last time you got hit?».
«It doesn’t matter». Lugh gritted his teeth even more. «I will not fall. Not by your hand, Dubh».
The smile on the black Mew’s muzzle disappeared, and an annoyed expression appeared in its place. «Alright, we’ve played more than enough». He clenched his right fist. «It’s time to get serious».
“…played?!”. Lugh’s pupils shrunk in shock. “He almost completely destroyed me… and he wasn’t even being serious?!”.
He wondered if he hadn’t underestimated his foe. The answer came to him in the form of Dubh’s fist pummeling his stomach.
«You’ve always been too weak. Too slow», Dubh coldly said. «You can’t defeat me».
«True», Lugh admitted. «But I know for a fact that you won’t kill me».
The white Mew knew he had hit a soft spot when his brother stood silent for a couple of seconds before closing his eyes and letting out a sigh.
«I’m just adking you to think about the greater good», Dubh replied, calmer. «It’s a matter of principle».
«…the greater good?». Lugh blinked his eyes, keeping his unyielding rage in check, before saying: «The greater good?! What kind of “good” will come from an innocent’s death?! Dammit, Dubh, this isn’t his fault! He did nothing wrong!».
«And yet his existence is a threat to out world», the darker Mew continued, firm in his belief. «It’s his life against those of everyone else, Lugh».
«It’s not true. It can’t be!», Lugh protested.
«But it is true», Dubh insisted, now slightly annoyed. «Dammit, sometimes I just can’t understand what’s wrong with you all! First, our big brother, now you… that kid is a threat to the world’s balance! It doesn’t matter whether it’s his fault or not. The germs causing diphtheria don’t know what they’re doing, the don’t know they’re hurting us. And yet, we try to destroy them. The kid’s situation is not that different; as sad as it is, there is no other way. Accept it, and make things easier for everyone».
«You know, I think longevity must’ve gone to your head!», the white Mew replied, furious. «It’s happening to everyone of us; one of our big brothers has gone missing, the other one hates himself. Out little brother is no longer the same, and our little sister feels like a useless piece of trash, holy heck!».
«And you have forgot your duties», was Dubh’s reply. «Come the heck on, am I the only one with a bit of common sense? I at least try to do what I have to! Yeah, maybe you think my methods are less than pleasant, but I’m literally the only one who does something, for heaven’s sake!».
Lugh opened his mouth, only to close it immediately. He didn’t know what to say. Truth to be told, his brother’s words had hurt him more than his attacks; probably because he knew he was right.
«Listen, I want to help you», the Mew said. «Get out of my way, and no one else will get hurt. Be in my way, and I’ll have to make you reconsider several of your life choices».
Lugh clenched his teeth, impervious. «Never».
II
He was walking in a ginormous field under the night sky. As he raised his gaze, he noticed the cloud-covered Moon, surrounded by a yellowish flare. The sea of tall grass tickled his chin. He lowered his head; he could see two blurred figures in the distance, a few yards away from him. He walked towards them; what else could he do? The closer to them he walked, the loer the grass got, until his paws touched naked soil. Eventually, he reached the two creatures, stopping just a few feet behind them. They both had their backs turned to him and were staring at the moon. The taller one stood on two legs; streaks of black hairs topped his head, long enough to brush against the ground. The smaller one, instead, was floating a few feet aboive the ground; his long tail would seemingly hover in the wind, while his milk-white fur was painted a scary, pale yellowish hue under the weird moonlight. He didn’t recognize either of them.
The Pikachu glared at the sky for a while, shivering in the breeze, before finding enough courage to ask: «Hey… what’s wrong with the moon tonight?».
«Isn’t it clear?», the white creature replied, slowly turning towards him. His eye-sockets were filled with two scorching fires. «Can’t you feel it? Can’t you see it?».
«It has a good enough reason», the other creature answered, turning her head and showing an eyeless, noseless face. «With its light, it gives life to dead eyes».
Scared, the Pikachu took a step back… only to feel the groundless void under him. Surprised, Arthur couldn’t avoid falling in the awaiting darkness. Suddenly, however, he smashed against a water surface, sinking in the shadows. The Pikachu fought to keep himself afloat. But the current pushed him down, down, way down, in the open maw of an unimaginable abyss. The Mouse Pokémon thrashed his arms, legs and tail, until he was able to fight the water as best as he could. Now almost breathless, Arthur began to swim upwards against the current. When his head finally broke the water’s surface, he took the most desperately wanted breath of air of his entire life. Then, he opened his eyes. And he found himself surrounded by pitch-black darkness. No matter where he looked, all he could see was one black, thick shadow. The Pikachu kept afloat for a while, not knowing what to do, when a gurgling sound echoed in the air. In that same moment, the Mouse Pokémon began spinning on himself, slowly at first, then faster and faster, out of control. He thrashed his limbs, trying to move as much as he could, but the current suddenly dragged him down again, and the water closed above his head.
III
The Pikachu squirmed violently, fighting against the water and its monstrous strength, but his paw grasped something softer and drier. Arthur threw the bed-sheets on the floor and sat up, panting, drenched in cold sweat. Then, he looked around; he was still there. In his room. Safe. He stood sat still for a bit, before letting himself fall on the bed with his arms wide open, unable to do anything but think about his situation. Not that there was a lot to think about, except for the fact that things had taken a turn for the better; the previous morning, he had found himself with no memories at all, in a world he didn’t know and filed with weird creatures, some of which could eat him. After that grumpy Riolu had taken him to the guild, he had been hired as a latter’s staff member. Then, he had been attacked by two outlaws who had somehow entered the building, and he had been knocked out for a bit. After waking up, he had lunch. And after having lunch, he had been asked to clean hard, which he had done. And then, he had been informed on what his daily tasks would be, including but limited to; clean the rooms, clean the hallways, wash the dishes, help in the kitchen, take car of some important tools’ maintenance, take care of the garden, and other things. Long story short, it had been a very tiring day, after which the Pikachu wanted nothing more than to sink into his bed and stay there for the next five millions years.
Unluckily, after repeatedly turning around under his bed-sheets, Arthur realized that he just couldn’t go back to sleep. Frustrated, he glared at the alarm clock on the night table; 4.00 am. There were only two hours left before having to wake up, so maybe going back to sleep wouldn’t be that good an idea.
“Well, I might as well get ready”. He climbed down the bed, which felt weird to him because whoever occupied that room before him was taller than him, and the bed was fittingly big, just enough to make him hold on to the sheets in order to safely get down. “Holy heck, did this room belong to some kind of giant or something?!”.
He shook his head. It was pointless to think about such things. The Pikachu stretched his hand towards the lower doorknob (there was a higher one and another one even higher than that, for reasons beyond his comprehension) and turned it, opening the door. He closed it behind his shoulders as soon as he got out before taking a quick look around, scanning the hallway and its doors, each marked with a number on a plate. His room was the number 025, ground floor. Arthur stretched his arms behind his back as he headed to the bathroom.
«Why are you up so soon?».
Arthur froze upon hearing a familiar voice. He turned around; behind him, maybe a bit too close to him, stood Cruach’s proud and stern figure.
His ears flattened against his head. «W-well… I w-w-woke up early, a-and I thought I m-m-might as get ready for the day earlier…».
The Lucario stood silent for a bit, her face like an iron mask, before saying: «I heard you’ve lost your memory».
«Y-Yes…».
«And you don’t know how things work».
«N-Now, now, l-let’s not judge people hastily… like, I know some things! I know how doors work, I know what a tree and a glass are…».
«Can you use Thunder Shock?».
«…the hell is a Thunder Shock?».
«Double Team?».
«Pardon?».
«Spark? Thunder Wave? Feint? Is there anything you can do?».
«…I didn’t even understand half of what you said…».
«…are you telling me you couldn’t even defend yourself if someone Fire Punched you?».
«What’s a Fire Punch?».
«What’s a Fire- are you kidding me?».
«Well, I mean… no, not really. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard about a Fire Punch, and I have no idea what that is… though judging by its name, it sounds like a punch-shaped thing that’s constantly on fire».
At that point, the Lucario added: «Well, I hope you quickly learn how things work around here, least you want to find yourself in some very unpleasant situations». With that said, she went beyond him and disappeared behind a corner.
The Pikachu clenched his fists; that woman pissed him off, especially given the way she had slapped Lugh the day before. But she was also scary enough that his common sense suggested him it was better not to annoy her. Frustrated, Arthur headed down the same hallway and soon found himself standing before the bathrooms’ doors.
IV
As soon as he entered the kitchen, Arthur noticed that Kells, the guild’s cook, had already put a teapot on the fire and set a small table in a corner.
The Pikachu sat at the table, half-asleep, which appeared to surprise Kells.
«You don’t look too good», the Gengar sure enough commented. «You didn’t stay up late, did you?».
«I don’t know… I’m not sure I understood how the schedule works», he answered the Pikachu, taking a couple of bread slices and putting them into the device designed for their toasting. «I was super-duper tired yesterday evening; I didn’t know cleaning could be that tiring. So, I probably didn’t pay enough attention to you when you explained the schedule to me».
«Well, then let’s make one thing clear; for us staff members, the wake up call is at 4.00 am». The Gengar took the air, grabbing a pat of butter and a jam jar from a nearby shelf. «You know, since we have to prepare breakfast for the Explorers…».
«Yeah, makes sense», Arthur commented. After hearing an unmistakable ding, he collected his bread slices. «…we aren’t the only staff members around, are we?».
«For the moment, yes, we are», Kells answered. Upon seeing the Pikachu’s surprised face, he added: «Oh, don’t be so surprised; the Captain didn’t probably mention it, but this staff thing is a work in progress. Some Explorers are tasked with cleaning shifts. But Kelly doesn’t like that; she thinks Explorers should, well… explore».
«Well, I won’t mind if someone helps me from time to time», the Pikachu said, buttering his bread slice. «I mean, I was so tired yesterday after cleaning a part of the building! I mean… how big is this place, actually?».
«Very big», the Gengar explained, pouring himself some tea. «But don’t worry; Kelly is old, but she sure as heck isn’t dumb. She fully knows that we could never handle cleaning all of this, given that we also have to cook. Explorers take care of the cleaning for now; and they must keep their room in order».
«Well, that’s a relief; I can’t imagine what I’d do if I also had to clean the bedrooms», the Mouse Pokémon commented as he finished his breakfast. «I was exhausted after cleaning the hallways, really».
«Goodmorrrrrrning».
Arthur turned his head towards the serving hatch. A small, brown, quadrupedal figure with a thick-furred tail and long ears had entered. Her fur was unkempt enough to make her look like some kind of hazelnut-cloud on four legs. It was only thanks to her voice that Arthur recognized her.
«…is that Fay?», he asked Kells under his breath, surprised. «I thought she was an Explorer… why is she up this early?».
The Gengar shrugged. «Maybe she’s just a morning person; we can’t blame her for wating to get up early, can we?».
«Yeah, no, we can’t», the Pikachu answered, keeping an eye on the Eevee.
Fay stopped in the middle of the dining room, as half-asleep as could be, before giving herself a good shake, probably – according to Arthur – to wake up. She looked around, with a more aware expression… and headed towards Arthur.
«Good morning», she greeted him. «How are you?».
The Pikachu blinked twice. «Uh… I’m f-fine, I guess… also, good morning».
«Good morning to you, too!», Fay said, this time talking to Kells.
The Gengar raised his thumb. «Good morning».
«So», the Eevee continued, now back to Arthur. «I came here because I hoped to finish our chat from yesterday».
«Oh, uh…». Arthur turned to Kells, who was ransacking the sideboard. «It’s not a problem, is it?».
«No, don’t worry», the Gengar reassured him. «Hurry up, though, I can’t do everything on my own».
«Alright, I’ll be quick», the Mouse Pokémon promised while turning to Fay. «So…».
«There’s something I’d like to ask you». The Eevee tilted her head, a puzzled look on her face. «How come I didn’t see you at dinner, yesterday?».
Arthur just stood there, stupefied. He hadn’t had dinner yesterday evening. He hadn’t even thought about it.
«DAMN IT!», Kells cussed, facepalming hard. «That’s what I forgot yesterday!». He then turned to Arthur. «Sorry. I forgot to tell you when dinner was…».
«Huh… that’s why I was hungry». The Pikachu gave him a thumb-up. «Don’t worry, it’s okay».
«Geez. It must’ve been nasty», Fay commented.
«Yup. Going to sleep while hungry is not pleasant», Arthur confirmed.
«Feck, do I understand where you’re coming from!». The Eevee sighed, and her ears drooped. «Every time I did something bad, my parents would send me to bed without dinner».
«Oh my!». Arthur’s eyes widened in shock. «That… that sound nasty…».
«Eh, it wasn’t that terrible. Also, it was completely justified», Fay admitted, wrapping her tail around her paws. «I’d get in all kind of troubles… there was this time when I ate every pecha berry in my parents’ garden, felt sick and puked on my quilt. They didn’t like that».
«…oh», was all that the Pikachu could say, mentally adding; “Does she really talk about this kind of things in a normal conversation?!”. Then, however, he thought of a question to ask her. «Hey, uhm… can I ask you something?».
«Oh, of course!», the Eevee, who didn’t appear the slightest bit embarassed after telling that story, conceded. «Ask me as many questions as you want!».
«Why are you talking to me?», Arthur inquired. «Like… why did you decided to speak to me of all people in here?».
The question seemed to take the Eevee by surprise. She pulled her head back. «Why wouldn’t I? I’m new here, and I’d like to socialize». Then, she got closer and her voice turned into a whisper. «Also, I want to have nothing to do with that Riolu. He’s so unpleasant!».
«You don’t say», Arthur commented sarcastically. «But really, why me? I mean… there must be at least someone else your age here!».
«…you didn’t look around too much, did you?», Fay asked, somehow amused. «There’s no one else my age here, come on!».
«…wait, how old are you?», the Pikachu asked before slapping a hand on his mouth; he didn’t quite know how, but he knew that asking a girl about her age was rude.
«I’m fifteen», the Explorer answered with extreme calmness. «What?», she asked upon noticing Arthur’s surprised face. «…did you thing I’d get offended? I’m not old enough to feel the need to hide my age!».
«What? No!», the Mouse Pokémon immediately replied. «I didn’t want to offend you!».
«Cool», the Eevee commented. «Cool». An awkward silence fell between them, until the girl said: «I have no idea what we should talk about anymore».
«Okay, uh… let me try». The Pikachu closed his eyes and massaged his temples, reflecting intensively; what was a good question to ask. Then, suddenly, he came up with a perfect one. «Where are you from?». Arthur rejoiced on the inside; that question would allow him to know something about geography.
«From Maigh Cuilinn», the Eevee answered. «It’s a small village near the Emerald Forest. My parents bought a house that’s basically thirty yards away from its outskirts!». It was impossible to understand whether she was scared or excited. «And it’s small, too! I bet they bought it for a laughable price!».
«…okay», the Pikachu commented, not knowing what else to ask. «And… Maigh Cuilinn… is it a nice place?».
«Why are you asking that?», Fay inquired out of sheer curiosity.
«Because I’m curious», was Arthur’s completely sincere answer. «I mean, think about my situation; I’m amnesiac. Is it really weird for me to ask about the world and stuff?».
«Hey!». Before Fay could reply, Kells hurried over to Arthur. «Okay, listen, I just realized something!».
«What is it?», the Pikachu asked, immediately turning towards him.
«You can’t cook!», the Gengar answered. Upon noticing Arthur’s puzzled expression, the Gengar explained. «Your fur would fall in the food! Holy heck, why the hell did I realize that now?!».
«O-Okay, s-so… what can I do?!». The Mouse Pokémon desperately wanted to earn himself some money. «I won’t be thrown out of the Guild, right?!».
«No, no, listen; you’ll deal with the tables», the Gengar ordered. «This way, we can split the work».
«Alright, that’s great», the Pikachu commented, aware that the Explorers wouldn’t come in before two hours. «Do you need anything else?».
«No, don’t worry», the Gengar reassured him, giving him a thumb-up. «I can do this».
«And what can I do in the meantime?», Arthur asked.
«Set the tables», Kells ordered, pointing at a cupboard in the kitchen. «The cutlery’s in there. Pull it all out. And if you find any fur on it, take it off».
«Yes sir!». Arthur turned to Fay. «It was nice talking to you!».
«Same! Do you need a paw with setting the tables?», the Eevee asked.
«No, thanks! It’s my job, I have to do it», the Pikachu answered, hurrying over the cutlery cupboard. «Okay», he whispered to himself. «Time to get some work done!».
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DuskForm
Local Bewear
- Pronouns
- he/him
Chapter 6: Concussion
I
I
The house was pretty small, with just two rooms and a bathroom, yet it felt incredibly comfortable, undoubtedly different than the average studio flat, probably due to the crackling fire place, or the half-eaten leftovers on the table. There was only a plate on the tablecloth, and in it lied a miserable, half-eaten slice of bread and cheese. There was a small picture on a short chest of drawers, right next to an old TV.
«I never would’ve thought my own brother would go this far», a deep voice commented, a voice whose owner’s black paw was lightly touching the picture’s frame, as if he wanted to examine it with his fingers first. «And yet, here we have an irrefutable proof». The dark creature moved, sliding mid-air towards the bedroom. «Is this where they slept?», he muttered to himself, eyeing the double mattress on the bed. «I’ll take that as a yes». He knew that bed had experienced more… interesting things than the two of them sleeping, but he’d rather not think abut that. «…it’s crazy that he went this far! And for what?!». He shook his head. «I’m getting too distracted… clues, I need clues…». His eyes shone red, and with a light Psychic attack he opened the nigh-tables’ drawers, pulling out of them whatever he could find. At a first glance, it looked like there was nothing special in there; mostly paper folders, ornaments, books and a weird rectangular thing whose nature he didn’t care to understand.
“…dang it!”, he mentally swore, dropping everything on the bed. “It will take a lot of time to check all of this out!”.
In that moment, a jerking of his tail made him turn towards the shadow cocoon linked to him through a thread of darkness. Dubh’s calm, crimson eyes crossed his brother’s blue, furious ones. As much as Lugh tried to squirm, he couldn’t free himself from the cocoon, with his head being the only part of his body he could move.
«Ah, I see what’s going on!», Dubh exclaimed, pointing at his brother, whose mouth had been conveniently gagged with a gag of darkness. «You don’t like me rummaging through this stuff!».
Unable to answer in a better way, Lugh struggled. In an act of pity, the black-furred Mew removed the shadows from his brother’s mouth so that he could express his opinion.
«TAKE YOUR PAWS OFF THOSE!», the white-furred Mew immediately yelled. «WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING? WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?! THAT STUFF AIN’T YOURS! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!».
«Okay, I see where you’re coming from», Dubh explained for the umpteenth time, «but this situation is all your fault! None of this would be happening, had you been more careful! That’s it! That’s all you needed; a bit of common sense! Did you even think what kind of consequence your actions would’ve had?!». His crimson eyes narrowed. «Did you forget why we accepted our Authorities?». His gaze turned calmer, and his tone softened. «I’m sorry. I’m sorry for you, and for that boy, for he is nothing but a victim of your rashness!».
«…you have a very weird way to show your regret», Lugh whispered, lowering his head. A shadow covered his eyes. «Let’s suppose you’re right; let’s suppose his death is the only possible way. And let’s suppose you will kill him. What do you think will happen after that?».
«The balance will be restored, and the world will take a step away from destruction».
«And what abut me?».
Dubh froze for a second. «…what do you mean?».
«What do you think I’ll do after you kill him?», Lugh asked. «What actions will I take?».
Dubh stared at him as if he had asked him which way the Sun set. «…why? What kind of actions would you need to take? You can just move forward; leave this story behind and keep doing your job. There is no reason for you to do anything else but that-».
«That’s where you’re wrong!», Lugh abruptly interrupted him, raising his head; his eyes were shining like cold stars. «I’ve got reasons to do something different! I’ve always had them, but you’d never understand!».
«EXACTLY! I DON’T UNDERSTAND!», the dark Mew burst. «HOLY… HECK, LUGH! YOU JUST… YOU JUST… YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO NOTHING, YOU GET IT? NOTHING! NONE OF THIS WOULD’VE HAPPENED IF YOU HADN’T DONE ANYTHING! YOU JUST HAD TO COME BACK HOME, BUT NO! YOU WANTED TO EXPLORE! AND AFTER FIFTEEN YEARS, HERE WE ARE IN THIS TERRIBLE SITUATION! WHY THE HELL DIDN’T YOU THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS?! BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE, LUGH, YOU COULD HAVE. AFTER ALL, WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLY COMPLEX ORGAN IN OUR SKULLS THAT ALLOWS US TO PROCESS INFORMATION!». He stood silent for a bit, breathing heavily. Then, with a much calmer voice, he added; «It’s called a “brain”, have you ever heard of it?».
And at that point, Dubh reapplied the shadow gag on the Mew’s muzzle, in order to shut up any possible source of distractions.
He had work to do.
II
Lugh’s entrance in the dining room was, as usual, ignored by everyone, which the Riolu didn’t mind; he always had breakfast alone. That day, like every other day, he headed towards the serving hatch and waited in line behind a few other Explorer. When it finally was his turn to collect his breakfast tray – which consisted, by the way, of the usual porridge and water glass – he was taken by surprise upon noticing the one serving him was that red-eyed Pikachu.
«Hi there!», Arthur greeted him, pouring a perfect serving of porride on a ceramic bowl which he proceeded to put on the tray. «How’s life going?».
«It’s fine, thanks», Lugh answered flatly. «You know, I still remember those times when no one would get on my nerves at 6 am».
«…you know, I feel like you don’t have many friends. If you were nicer, maybe you’d have some more», the Pikachu replied, putting the glass of water near the porridge bowl. «It’s just a friendly advice…».
«Thank you and goodbye», Lugh said, taking his tray and going to sit in his usual spot, where he’d be able to have breakfast in peace.
And yet, even after sitting down, the Emanation Pokémon couldn’t be unaware of his sister’s gaze from the other side of the dining room. He raised his gaze; he could see her staring at him, almost as if she wanted to have him for breakfast. But he couldn’t look her in the eyes, because Cruach’s only presence was enough to clutch his stomach in an iron grip.
«Wow», a feminine voice next to him commented. «Guess where the only free sitting spot is?».
«I imagine it’s right next to me», the Riolu sarcastically guessed, «and I believe it is your intention to sit on it».
«Yes», the Eevee confirmed. «I hope you won’t mind if I turn my intentions into a reality».
«Not at all», Lugh replied. «I’m fine with it, as long as you’re not annoying me».
«That won’t be a problem». The Evolution Pokémon put her tray on the table and sat down. «There is no reason for me to talk to you».
«Great». The Riolu started eating his insipid porridge.
Fay did the same, trying her hardest not to spit it out as soon as it touched her tongue; that thing was really, REALLY disgusting! Nevertheless, she swallowed her food; she’d rather avoid the previous morning’s shameful scene when, unprepared for her breakfast nonexistent flavor, she had spit some porridge on the face of the Pokémon sitting right in front of her. Just thinking about that was embarrassing enough; she didn’t want to relive the experience! So, fighting against her gag reflexes, she managed to consume her breakfast.
«Holy heck…», she groaned, drinking her water immediately. «I swear, I’m never eating porridge in my life ever again…».
«Ain’t that what you said yesterday?», Lugh pointed out, after consuming his breakfast with no issues. «That guy didn’t look too pleased to have his face covered in half-chewed porridge and spit».
Fay turned towards him with murder in her eyes. «Shut up, you. Weren’t you supposed to mind your own business?».
«Yeah, but seeing you trying not to vomit was way too hilarious, I couldn’t resist», the Riolu answered. A grin formed on his lips. «You should’ve seen yourself, you looked as if you were about to choke».
«The next time I need to puke, then, I’ll puke on your face», the Eevee replied. «How about that? Would you like it?».
«…no», Lugh replied honestly. «No, thanks; I have standards. It’s funny only if it happens to somebody else».
«Good», the Eevee said, balancing the tray on her head. «I’m going to put this back and-».
A sudden bang echoed through the room, followed by a crack. Fay jumped in surprise, dropping the tray on the ground; both the glass and the bowl shattered into pieces.
“…what the hell was that?”, Lugh asked himself, raising an eyebrow as he stood up on his chair to have a better look. “It came from the kitchen”.
The Riolu peeked beyond the serving hatch. And only then did he notice the faint but persistent smell of blood soaking the air.
III
Voices.
Just voices.
They were the only things inhabiting that tug-of-war between reality and darkness, that limbo between the material world and the unconscious.
«How is he?».
«Not good… he fell from a pretty high place, after all…».
«Then what the heck are you waiting for?! Bring him to the infirmary!».
«I can’t just move him! He could’ve had a concussion! About that», the voice turned into a whisper, «we should lower our voices, so that things don’t get worse».
«Okay. Sorry».
«That’s better. Get out of here, though; the more, the worse! I want you to stay at least eleven feet and a half away, got it?».
«Okay, okay!».
«Good. Now, let’s have a look… there’s no blood coming out of his head, which is good. But one of his ears is bleeding, which is bad».
Arthur didn’t reply. He couldn’t reply, as much as he wanted to. But how was he supposed to reply, exactly? Everything was so confusing and… dark, except for a few sporadic spots of light splashing through shadows.
“What the heck?”, the Mouse Pokémon asked himself, rightfully confused. “What the heck just happened?”.
And eventually, he found himself laying on a hard and cold surface. In front of him stood two pink-and-cream furred creatures with light-blue eyes.
«Aaaah…». Slowly, Arthur stretched his arm towards them. «You two… I dunno who you’re supposed to be, but… your fur… looks so… soft…».
The two creatures stood silent for a bit. Then, speaking in sync with one feminine voice, they uttered: «Okay. Diagnosis; cerebral concussion».
It was the last thing Arthur heard before sinking in darkness.
IV
He woke up after what felt like hours, laying on something soft and fresh.
«Good morning, eh», a familiar feminine voice greeted him. Poppy was writing something on a folder. «You’ve been out of commission for a while».
«What the hell happened?», Arhur asked, his head throbbing painfully.
The Audino tilted her head. «You don’t remember?».
The Mouse Pokémon shook his head… and fell prey to an atrocious migraine.
«…alright, let’s make something clear. DO. NOT. MOVE. YOUR. HEAD», the doctor explained. «You had a cerebral concussion, for heaven’s sake!».
«…a what?», Arthur asked, arching an eyebrow.
«A concussion. That’s when your brain touches your head», Poppy explained, still writing. «You were asked to get some glasses, but they were on a pretty high shelf, so you climbed on a stool, but then you… well… you lost your balance».
«Ah», the red-eyed Pikachu said. «…why did I need glasses?».
«Probably because you had to pour water in them», the Audino hypothesized. «Kells can float, so he’s used to keep things in high places».
«I see, I see», Arthur muttered, resting his head on the bed. «…so, what happened?».
«You fell from a stool?».
«And then?».
«You hit your head».
«And then?».
«You passed out».
«And then?».
«You were conscious for a brief moment».
«And then?».
«You passed out again».
«And then?».
«I brought you here».
«And then?».
«You woke up after two hours».
«And then?».
«I explained you what happened».
«Ah», the Pikachu replied, blinking twice. «…and what happened?».
The Audino allowed her face to sink in the palm of her paw. «I’ll tell you after you get better. For now, you need rest. And when I say “rest”, I mean COMPLETE rest! Got it?».
Arthur gave her a thumb-up. «Okay»
«Good», the Audino said, sitting on a nearby stool. «I prescribe you a period of rest, with adequate night sleep and light activity during the day, which will continue until the most obvious symptoms are gone. Then, you’ll gradually go back to normal».
«Cool!», the Pikachu commented. «And… how much time will this take?».
«The symptoms usually disappear after seven, ten days», the Audino explained, going back to writing, «but it takes more time for kids and teens. You should be fine in two weeks».
«Great», the Pikachu commented, sarcastic. «My first day at work, and I got in an accident. That’s what I call a great start…».
«So… for the next days, try to avoid activities that require attention and focus». Poppy continued, reading from her folder. «You can’t read, watch TV (we don’t have one anyways) or play videogames».
“Videogames”. The word sounded weirdly familiar to Arthur. “…where did I hear that already?”. Because he was sure he had heard it, even though he had no idea what it referred to. And yet, it felt like there was… something, lurking in his mind. Some kind of mix of words, advice and concepts. He just needed to focus and go deeper…
«YOWCH!», the Mouse Pokémon yowled as he fell prey to an unpleasing migraine. It felt like someone was hammering a nail in his brain! He jerked forward, grabbing his head between his hands. «Ouch… ouchouchouchouchouch…».
«…excuse me, what did I just tell you?!», the Audino exclaimed, slightly annoyed. «You mustn’s focus on anything, got it? ANY-THING!».
«Aaaaah… s-sorry, sorry…», the Pikachu muttered, massaging his head. «It’s just… um… that thing… video… those videothings, those…».
«Videogames?». Poppy sighed, putting herself together. «Don’t even think about them! You can’t play them!».
«But I don’t even know what they are», Arthur explained. He crossed his arms on his chest. «I mean, I do know the word… but I don’t know what it means!».
«Well, they are electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device – such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device – to generate visual feedback, which is then shown on a screen and-». She froze for a second before tilting her head. «…how can you know a word and ignore its meaning?».
«Well… how can I explain it?». The Pikachu scratched his head. «I’ve heard that word before, somewhere. But I didn’t know what it meant».
The doctor lowered her gaze on the floor, scratching her chin with a paw. «…interesting». Then, she turned back to her patient. «Arthur, I don’t want to get your hopes up, but you might’ve made a minuscule step towards recovering your memory».
The Mouse Pokémon’s ears stood on end. «R-Really?!».
«Yes». The Audino rubbed her face. «But we can’t investigate any further. I’ve said too much already. Now, you must rest. The rehabilitation treatment will start tomorrow. For now, don’t do ANYTHING».
«Alright, alright…», Arthur resigned himself, allowing his ears to drop on the mattress. «…well, I’ll try. Out of curiosity, what time is it?».
«8.00 am», the Audino answered. «Enough, though. Sleep, don’t sleep, do what you want; just rest».
«Okay, okay». The Mouse Pokémon closed his eyes, remaining silent and still for a few minutes. «…wait, are you still here?».
«Of course I am», the doctor whispered. «I can’t just leave you alone; I need to keep my eyes on you because if you vomit, if you bleed from your ears, I need to intervene. Getting a concussion is different than stabbing your foot against a doorstep».
The Pikachu opened his eyes. «So you’re gonna watch me sleep».
«Yes», Poppy answered, serious. «Don’t worry, though, I won’t follow you into the bathroom».
«Well, that’s not too reassuring», the Mouse Pokémon commented. «I think I just found out that I don’t like being watched while I sleep».
«I’m here to help you», the Audino patiently explained. «I need to keep my eyes on you in case something bad happens».
«…I can’t sleep like this». Arthur sighed, frustrated. «I just can’t».
«Well, what do you want to do then?», the Audino asked, leaning forward.
«I don’t know», the Mouse Pokémon replied, letting his arms fall along his sides. «This situation feels absurd; I don’t know who I am, I don’t know who I am, I don’t know anything about what I am, I mean… it’s hard». He looked at his paws. «Those guys from yesterday… one could shoot dark balls and the other… could shoot seeds. I felt useless there. Like, I can’t do anything like that! I’m mediocre!».
«You can’t know that». Poppy looked at him in the eyes with a serious face. «You probably just need some training».
«Training for what?», Arthur asked, raising an eyebrow.
«Training for using moves», the doctor replied with seriousness. «Now, according to what I know, you’ll tell me that you have no idea what the heck I’m talking about».
«I sure as heck don’t», the Mouse Pokémon indeed admitted. «What the hell is a “move”?».
«Well, let’s start from the basics». The Audino got up. «First of all, you need to know that every living being on this planet possesses an energy called “aura”. You can think of it as the essence of every life form». She then clenched her fist, which, right in front of Arthur’s widened eyes, caught fire. «As for now, we have identified eighteen different types of aura; Normal, Fire, Fighting, Water, Flying, Grass, Poison, Electric, Ground, Psychic, Rock, Ice, Bug, Dragon, Ghost, Dark, Steel and Fairy». She shook her hand, and the flames disappeared. «The many ways through which aura is manipulated are called “moves”». She opened her hands and showed the Mouse Pokémon her palms. He was surprised to see they weren’t burnt in the slightest. «What you just saw is called “Fire Punch”. And it’s a Fire type move».
«Holy… heck…». Arthur’s eyes sparkled. «THAT WAS SO COOL!».
«Don’t get too excited», Poppy warned him seriously. «Or you’ll never catch some sleep».
«But you’re the one who told me about FLAMING FISTS!», the Pikachu pointed out. «Holy heck, how can I do that?».
«You can’t», the Audino explained. «You’re a Pikachu. Pikachu can’t learn Fire type moves».
«…ah», Arthur said, trying his best to hide the disappointment of seeing his blazing dreams of glory turn into smoke. «…so I can’t spit fire?».
«Don’t beat yourself down», the doctor reassured him, serious. «You’re an Electric type, so you can use electricity».
«Wait, so I can shoot lightnings?!», Arthur inquired, his eyes sparkling. «THAT SOUNDS SO DAMN COOL! HOW DO I DO THAT?!».
«Maybe I’ll tell you when you get better», Poppy said, without abandoning her serious expression. «But for now, SLEEP!».
«But it’s eight am-». A gaze from the Audino was more than enough to shut the Pikachu up. «…alright, I’ll try to get some rest…».
V
«So, the problem is that everyone seems to think I’m gay», Cedric explained. «Even though I’m not. I. AM. NOT!».
«…are you sure about that?». Rosemary buzzed towards the “Prose” section. «I mean, maybe you subconsciously refuse to accept it».
«…Rosemary, I’m pretty sure I know my sexual orientation», the Minccino said, sitting behind his desk and taking notes, sometime gazing at a book opened to his left. «I’ve NEVER shown any kind of interest towards males… and yet, EVERYONE in Peppermint Creek think I’m homosexual!». He slammed his fist on the desk, frustrated. «BUT. I. AM. NOT!».
«Where do you keep crime fictions?», the Ribombee asked.
«Prose section, Narrative category, ninth shelf», the Chinchilla Pokémon answered, going back to focus on his noted. «I even told them; I keep telling them every time, but it’s like banging my head against a wall! THEY KEEP CALLING ME “FAG”, AND I HATE IT!».
«Wow». The Ribombee picked up a book with a dark and golden cover, and started flipping its pages. «That’s way beyond rudeness».
«I know, right?». The Minccino adjusted his glasses, pressing them on his snout. «To be honest, it’s fine for me if they get it wrong… but that’s no reason to call me names! The “southern fag”… can you believe that?».
«Cedric, I’ve never heard a southerner accent than yours», Rosemary pointed out, buzzing in front of him. She kept herself in static flight for a bit before landing on the floor. «I’ll take this», she said, putting the book on the desk.
The Chinchilla Pokémon stopped paying attention to his note-writing work in order to look at the volume’s title. «“Murder on the Iron Sue”», he read aloud, before looking at the buyer. «I didn’t know you liked seafaring crime fiction».
«Oh, I don’t like them», the Ribombee specified, thrusting her hand in the purse around her neck. «Not yet. I’m trying new things».
«It’s six pounds». Cedric pulled a small book out of a drawer, writing down the article’s title, its price, its buyer’s name and the buying date. «Will you pay now, or…».
«I’ll pay now». She put six shining coins on the table before grabbing the book and putting it under her arm. «Here’s the money».
Cedric ripped a piece of paper from his book and handed it to her. «And here’s your receipt».
«Thanks». Rosemary turned around and left the shop.
Cedric just stared at her as she flew away. Had he been honest with himself, the Minccino would’ve admitted that he only used the bookshop as a warehouse for all the books he had collected, given that he actually never had any intention of selling them – he just needed a place to store them. With the underground chambers, his bookshop contained a rather impressive amount of book, somewhere around two hundred thousand volumes between narrative fiction, essays, religious books and so on (there was also a four volumes encyclopedia about pokédermic bibliopegy, which was the practice of binding books in Pokémon skin, bound, ironically, in Pokémon skin). He wouldn’t have left them for no reason at all. Except for Rosemary.
Rosemary was the one and only Pokémon that Cedric considered something close to a friend, and a loyal customer.
The Minccino took his glasses off to rub his eyes and resumed working on his notes. He now regretted not going with his brother after having a change of mind at the last second.
«I need to find him», he told himself, dashing off important info. «I need to find him before he does».
DuskForm
Local Bewear
- Pronouns
- he/him
Chapter 7: Theory
I
I
Poppy hurried behind the Captain, quickly moving through the hallways. She had promised Arthur she’d keep an eye on him, and she felt sorry for having to delegate that task to someone else; but since Kelly in person had called her, so she couldn’t not come. The Audino knew the Arrow Quill Pokémon enough to be sure that she wouldn’t come out of her office for a trivial reason. Poppy, however, had no idea what the reason was; the Captain had simply asked her to follow her, promising her that she’d tell her everything once they were in her office. She had an excited look on her face, the likes of which the Audino hadn’t seen in years.
They soon reached the office, and Poppy closed the door behind her back while Kelly immediately sat behind her desk, exhorting the doctor to do the same. The Audino grabbed a chair and sat down, hands on her lap, asking herself why her Captain looked like she was about to blow up from excitement. She seemed to be a completely different person than the dull and monotonous Pokémon worn out by years of duty. She was sure where was something going on with her.
«Poppy, you’ll never believe this!», the Captain started, hardly containing her enthusiasm. «Darn it, I don’t know why I haven’t thought of this before… it’s just so simple… so obvious…». She burst into a high-pitch short laugh. «I must’ve gotten dumber in the last years… too much time spent working».
The Audino looked at her, puzzled. «…are you sure you’re okay?», she asked after five seconds, knowing she was the only one authorized to be that informal with the Captain.
The Decidueye raised a wing, as if to tell her not to worry. «Yeah, yeah, don’t worry, don’t worry… it’s just… HAH!». She laughed again, more loudly. «It’s just… I never thought a day like this… a day like this would come».
«What are you talking about?», Poppy asked, a serious expression on her face, as she mentally went through every CPR maneuver she knew, just in case the Decidueye got a heart attack by laughing that much.
«Alright, alright». Kelly stopped laughing, but her smile did not leave her beak. «Alright, I’ll tell you. Now, follow me; what happened sixty years ago, when the world nearly ended?».
«Who the hell can forget it?». Strange as it was, Poppy answered the question: «The world was almost erased by a meteor, but Maya, a human turned Mudkip, and Keahi the Torchic managed to prevent the disaster».
«Exactly, Poppy, exactly!», Kelly enthusiastically exclaimed. «Now, tell me; what happened when the world almost ended a second time?».
«Simple», the Audino answered. «The Paralysis of Time was avoided by Eram, a human turned Skitty, and Ramiel, a Shinx».
«Exactly, Poppy, exactly!». The smile on the Decidueye’s beak widened. «And now, tell me; how was the world not destroyed a third time?».
«The Voice of Life summoned a human named Brian», the Audino explained, wondering what the reason behind all those questions was. «Brian was turned into an Axew and yote into our world, when he met Alon, the Snivy. Together, they stopped the Bittercold’s plan to spread negative feelings through the entire world to make every Pokémon commit suicide».
«Exactly, Poppy, exactly!», the Captain repeated, somehow looking like she was about to burst out of her own feathers. «And now, explain how the apocalypse was avoided a fourth time».
«Ah, w-well», the Audino, who didn’t like to think back to those days, stuttered. «N-Nereus, a human turned Oshawott, and A-A-Alexis, a Chespin and reincarnation of Mew, fought the entity known as D-Dark matter, after it had turned everyone into s… into s-sto…».
A gentler, more comprehensive expression appeared on the feathered creatures’ face, replacing her former euphoria. «It’s okay. Everybody went through it at the time».
Poppy took a deep breath; being petrified and thrown into the Voidlands had left an everlasting scar in her mind. The only word she could think of to describe that place was “Hell”. Every single Pokémon on the planet had been there. Literally everyone had gone through it.
Despite the painful memory, the Audino kept going; «T-They fought the entity known as D-Dark Matter, who had t-turned every P-Pokémon in the world into s-stone, except for the t-two of them, who were protected by the power of the Tree of Life embedded in their scarves».
«Exactly». Kelly appeared to have calmed down a little bit. «…sorry I had to bring those memories back… it was horrible for me, too».
«Everyone who remembers it would agree», Poppy said, going back to her serious face. «…so? Did you really cal me to see how well I do with history?».
«Yes and no». Kelly opened one of her desk’s drawers and pulled four books out of it. «The stories you told me… tell me, what did all the humans have in common?».
«Well, they were… humans», the doctor answered, confused by the question. «And all of them – with the exception of Brian – had…». Her eyes dilated as she understood where the Captain was going. «They had… amnesia».
Kelly nodded, pleased. «Exactly». She pointed at the four books. «These are the tales of their adventures – their biographies, if that’s what you want to call them. And three of these books state that each human, except for Brian, lost their memory when they arrived in our world».
Poppy couldn’t believe what the Decidueye was implying – the mere concept was simply bewildering. And yet, it was a possibility. «So… you’re telling me that Arthur could be…».
«A human?». Kelly nodded again. «I’m not one-hundred percent sure, but I feel like it could be very much possible; I mean… he id pop out of nowhere and remembering nothing. Heck, what am I saying? I’m basically sure he’s a human!».
The doctor brought both her hands to her face, shocked. A human. A human had come into their world, and he was there, in their guild. IN THEIR GUILD! Then, however, a bloodcurdling question made room into her mind.
«You’re wondering what kind of catastrophe will befall us, aren’t you?». Kelly’s words were spot-on. She could read the Audino like an open book.
«I… well… I mean… like… YES!», the Audino burst. «I-I mean… a meteor, the time paralysis, the Bittercold, the Dark Matter!». She grabbed her head between her hands. «What the heck! It’s almost like our world is constantly on the brink of destruction!». It took her a moment to calm down and go back to her serious demeanor. «But since we know there’s a human among us, that means we know something horrible will happen. And that gives us an advantage, right?».
«It sure does», the Decidueye asserted. «Speaking about Arthur… aren’t you supposed to keep an eye on him?».
«Well, yes», the Audino replied. «But then you kind of called me saying it was urgent, so I asked someone else to take my place».
Kelly raised an eyebrow. «And… who is that?».
II
He didn’t speak.
Pain.
He didn’t look.
Regret.
He didn’t listen.
Anger.
He didn’t move.
Sadness.
It had been two days since everything seemed to have stopped for him.
Grief.
Two days spent looking at the ceiling.
Two days of starvation.
And agony.
He turned on his belly and thrust his face into the pillow.
He screamed in it.
Silence.
Another scream.
Silence.
He stood motionless, laying on his belly.
Tears.
Warm.
Of rage.
He was mad at nature.
He was mad at destiny.
But most importantly, he was mad at himself.
He wanted to go back.
He wanted to have more time.
He wished he had spent more time with him.
But it was too late.
Time had passed.
Fate had done its job.
And he wasn’t there anymore.
He asked himself if that was really the case.
If there actually was some god of destiny who saw everyone’s lives and feelings as puzzle pieces, essential components of a cruel joke.
He pressed his face against the pillow, and screamed his frustration.
Again.
And again.
Until his lungs burned.
Until his tongue dried.
Until he was exhausted.
His cheeks burned.
It wasn’t fair.
It wasn’t fair at all.
Why?
Why was he gone?
It was like being near a hole.
A dark pit.
A bottomless abyss.
Swallowing everything and everyone equally.
And one day, he would end up there as well.
So, why waiting?
Why would he wait?
Why not end everything immediately?
Knocking on the door.
One, two, three knocks.
A question.
About the permission to enter.
He said nothing.
He didn’t turn.
Silence.
Creaking.
The door opened.
Footsteps.
He didn’t turn.
He remained silent.
Smell of food.
His stomach protested.
He told him to shut the hell up.
He bit the pillow.
The sound of a plate being put on the night table.
Silence.
«…is everything alright?».
Dumb question; nothing was alright.
«Listen, you can’t keep doing this; you need to-».
«No», was his dry, quick answer. «Leave me alone».
Now it was her time to deny. «No! There’s no way! Goddamn it, I… I literally found you covered in bruises and scratches! Why are you behaving like this? I know something happened; why won’t you talk about it?».
«It wouldn’t do anything. You wouldn’t understand».
«Not if you refuse to talk to me, I won’t».
«Leave. Me. Alone».
«No. I will not leave you alone. Not until you tell me what’s wrong. I found you wounded, bleeding and in tears! It’s obvious want to know what’s up with you! I’m trying to help you!».
She put a hand on his head.
A whirlpool of emotions stirred in his guts.
Fury.
Rage.
Sorrow.
Regret.
Confusion.
Frustration.
Despair.
Self-deprecation.
They flooded his bloodstream, pumped through his veins.
His heartbeat accelerated.
His body jolted.
«I said leave. Me. ALONE! I’ve got nothing to tell you. I don’t have to tell you. Why would I? You have no idea what I went through. You don’t know anything. You have no right to ask me anything. LEAVE ME BE!».
«No». This time she lifted him and put his hand under his chin, forcing him to look at her. «Tell me what’s wrong».
He tried to get away.
He failed.
She was bigger than him.
«DON’T TOUCH ME!».
Smell of burnt flesh.
She fell from the bed.
«WHY DO YOU KEEP BOTHERING ME?! IN THESE PAST FEW DAYS, YOU KEPT BOTHERING ME AND ASKING ME QUESTIONS AFTER QUESTIONS AFTER QUESTIONS!».
He was now breathing heavily. He stood on the bed, panting.
Shouting.
Screaming.
«YOU’RE ANNOYING! I JUST WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE AND DIE!».
His cheeks heated up.
«STOP COMING HERE DEMANDING TO KNOW EVERY DAMN THING! I’VE GOT NOTHING TO TELL YOU, YOU HEAR ME? NOTHING!».
Warm tears were pouring from his eyes.
«I OWE YOU NOTHING! NOTHING!».
His throat was burning.
«I DON’T HAVE TO TELL YOU SHIT, YOU BITCH!».
The words echoed through the room.
Through the house, empty – except for the two of them.
He felt himself sink in a pit of horror when he understood what he had said.
Her eyes filled with tears.
Those eyes who had always been so kind to him.
So patient.
So happy.
So sad.
With him.
Always with him.
Those eyes who had helped him sleep whenever he’d got nightmares.
Those very same eyes.
He couldn’t.
It was too much.
He couldn’t take it anymore.
Not after realizing what he had done.
He shouted.
He screamed.
He bit his fingers.
He pulled his ears until he almost ripped them off.
He gritted his teeth.
He tore the sheets.
He scratched himself.
He approached the end of the bed.
He jumped.
He fell like a bag of potatoes.
Landing on his wounded belly.
And he screamed.
He hated it.
He hated himself.
He stood there, motionless.
Crying.
Hurting.
Sobbing.
He stood still for a minute, maybe two, before feeling himself being lifted.
Through his tears-filled eyes, he could see it.
Her face, too, was lined with tears.
Tears caused by him.
And yet, there she was.
He stared at her, bewildered.
«I-».
She closed his mouth.
«You don’t have to do this. I’ll help you. Whatever it takes. And I won’t leave you alone until you tell me what happened exactly. I went through it as well. Many times. Alone. Without anyone by my side. But you’re not alone. You have someone by your side. That’s all. Please. Talk to me».
He talked, hesitating at first, but ended up in saying a river of words.
III
Arthur woke up suddenly, breathing heavily, his heart beating like crazy. He looked around; he was surrounded by walls, beds and tools. Sunlight filtered through three windows.
He blinked, confused. Then, the memories from the day before hit him like a lightning from a cloudless sky, sinking into his neurons.
“Right…”, he remembered, painting. “I’m in… the infirmary…”.
What was that dream?
«Good morning, princess», a deep, masculine voice commented.
The Pikachu quickly sat up, surprised; right next to him, instead of the doctor, sat a very annoyed Lugh, his arms crossed. His eyes widened; why was he there?
«In case you’re wondering what I’m doing here», the Riolu explained, almost as if he had read his mind, «it’s because Poppy had to meet the Captain in her office, and I was the only other Pokémon available to keep an eye on you». He sighed, bothered, whispering: «I wanted to go on a mission, and instead I have to babysit this guy…».
Arthur lowered his gaze to the ground, embarrassed, muttering a “sorry” as his ears and tail drooped. He didn’t want to bother anyone. He silently cursed himself for getting into that situation in the first place. How could he be so careless? He had been tasked with doing ONE THING… and he had failed.
“…maybe I’m not as good as I think I am”. His gaze fell onto his palms. “…I need to get better”. He tightened his fists. “I need to get better. I need to be useful to those around me”.
He didn’t know where this feeling of needing to be needed came from, but his heart harboured something he couldn’t put his finger on, some kind of sense of duty. He had no idea what it was exactly, though, not why it was there in the first place. All he knew was that it was there. Not to mention it was the least of his worries.
“Who am I?”, he asked himself, a question that seemed to have resurfaced from the deepest pits of his mind. “Where am I from? Is there anyone in this world worrying for me?”. It was something he wanted to know, no matter what. “…who the hell… was she…?”.
He remembered her. He knew he had seen her somewhere. But he couldn’t remember where exactly.
A sound of pawsteps from the outside distracted him from his thoughts. Slowly, the infirmary door creaked open, and Fay’s brown, smiling muzzle peeped in.
«Hi», the Eevee greeted them, staying on the door. «Can I come in?».
«Don’t you have work to do?», the Riolu asked her, already annoyed with her. «Like exploring a Dungeon or something like that?».
«Hey». Suddenly, the girl’s tone got really serious. «I just came back from the Emerald Forest, where I rescued A LOST CHILD. So don’t you lecture me, mutt». She then turned to Arthur. «You really got your ass handed to you by the floor, you know?».
«Y-Yeah, I think I did», Arthur muttered, having no idea why he was being visited by someone he had known for less than a day. And as a matter of fact, he asked her: «Why did you come here?».
«Because I wanted to see how you were doing», the Eevee simply answered. «…so, may I come in?».
«Ah», was all that came out of the Pikachu’s mouth. «Okay… b-but… why? I mean, it’s not like we’re friends or something like that».
«What, am I not allowed to be interested by people?». Fay started getting slightly irritated. «So… can I come in?».
«Oh, uh… y-yeah, of course», Arthur stammered, wondering what the girl had actually came there for. «S-So, uh… how are things going?»
«I can’t complain», the Eevee answered, entering. «How about you? How’re you feeling?».
«I’m good, I’m good», the Pikachu said, remaining silent for a few seconds. «…so, uh… how… how was your day?».
«Pretty good so far». The Eevee sat on the floor as far away as possible from Lugh. «The food is good, the bed is comfy, and I just earned my first money!». She smiled confidently. «Not to brag, but I think I’m off to a really good start?».
«What do you want, an applause?», Lugh commented, unimpressed.
«…would you stop acting like that?», the girl reprimanded him. «No wonder you don’t have any friends!».
«Guys, there is no need to fight», Arthur butted in, before turning to the Riolu. «You should be nicer, though».
«Listen here!», Lugh started, pointing his finger in his chest. «Mind your own business, alright?».
«Ah-ehm!».
The throat-clearing sound made them turn towards the door. Poppy slightly bowed her head, as if to thank them for their attention, before entering.
«Good morning, Arthur», she greeted him with a serious tone before turning to Fay. «You can’t stay here. The patient can’t receive visitors. I’ll let it go this time, but if you do it again, I’ll tell the Captain».
«O-Okay», Fay whispered, her ears drooping as she trotted away. «I… I’ll be going back to work…».
“There was no need to send her away”, Arthur silently stated, feeling a little bit sad. “She wasn’t bothering me…”.
«Oh, good!», Lugh said, jumping off the chair. «Since you’re here, I’ll go and-».
«Not so quickly». Poppy stopped the Riolu by placing a firm hand on his shoulder. «The Captain wants to talk to you».
Lugh’s eyes widened. «Again?! What does this-». She was about to say “old chicken”, but he stopped himself. «…what does she want?».
The Audino didn’t answer. Instead, she turned to Arthur. «How are you feeling?».
«Uh… good», the Pikachu said.
«Can you walk?»
«I don’t know… give me a second…».
His feet touched the ground. He took a step forward. Then another. Then another two, three, four. Yup, he could walk.
«Good, good», the Audino commented. «…this is such a bad idea…»
The Pikachu blinked. «…what’s a bad idea?».
«The Captain would like to talk to you», the doctor replied without enthusiasm. «She’s got some… theories about your… provenance».
The Pikachu’s ears shot up. «REALLY!? WHAT-».
A throbbing noise in his skull forced him to stop mid-sentence and curl on the floor, his head between his hands. He heard a ringing in his ear, which didn’t help much with his situation.
The Audino got serious again. «Okay, no». Slowly, she picked Arthur up and laid him down on the bed. «I told her this was a bad idea…». She turned to Lugh. «I’m telling Kelly that Arthur can’t meet her now, and that you need to stay here to keep an eye on him». She pointed to the Pikachu. «So stay here, and keep an eye on him».
Then she walked out, closing the door behind her shoulders.
When his headache and ringing ear faded, Arthur sat up. «What the heck!». He sighed, annoyed. “She can’t just tell me someone knows something about me and leave!”.
An irritated Lugh sat by his side again, his arms crossed. «Great. Now I have to stay here for who knows how long», he grumbled, without bothering to lower his voice. «I could be working right now. But no. I need to look after this guy who got a cerebral concussion after falling from a stool…».
Arthur ignored the Riolu’s comments and laid down, closing his eyes and thinking, trying to organize the pieces of information he had. A terrible headache struck him almost immediately, and he understood that maybe it was better if he waited. However, he did remember something.
«Hey». He turned to Lugh. «Do you remember the day I first got here? Like… before we entered the Captain’s office, didn’t we have some wood with us? Where did we leave it? I can’t remember…».
«It’s likely that Kells sneaked up on us and took it to the woodshed without us noticing», Lugh answered. «He’s good at that. It wouldn’t be his first time either».
«…why, though?», Arthur asked, perplexed. «Like, I got it, the wood must go to the woodshed, but why take it from us covertly?».
«Hell if I know?». Lugh sighed, frustrated. «Listen; I’m not your teacher. If you want to know, go ask him».
«Okay, okay, alright». Arthur turned on his side, giving his back to the Riolu. «Sorry, eh…».
And suddenly, his hand touched something wet.
IV
«He is in no condition to explore», the Audino referred once she was back in the Captain’s office.
«Are you sure?», Kelly asked, skeptical. «Are you completely, undoubtedly, absolutely sure?».
«He fell on the ground prey to a headache and curled in a ball», the doctor answered, with an absolutely serious voice. She didn’t like it when her medical accuracy was objected by someone who wasn’t a doctor. «I mean… I think that’s a pretty clear sign». She let her amrs drop along her sides. «Also, what the heck were you expecting? Humans have their limit, too… and we don’t even know if he’s a human in the first place… he might be just a random guy… after all…». She brushed her chin with a hand. «He never said he was human… at least, now when I was around».
Kelly’s eyes widened. «That’s… true. Now that I think about it, he never told me that, either…».
«Also, isn’t it weird that he doesn’t know what a Pokémon is? All the other humans had some kind of familiarity with us, but Arthur… he doesn’t know anything. He didn’t know what a move is, until I told him about them… and that’s another reason why you shouldn’t send him exploring a dungeon too soon; he needs to be more familiar with the world surrounding him, and he needs to defend himself… in order to do so, he has to know some attacks… or at least a defensive move. I think he could use our RTM Protect».
«Arceus bless the day we found it, it made things so much easier for us…».
«Yeah, yeah. As I was saying, I think he should go under a training session… and I don’t think it’d be a good idea to force him into an exploration team. You should ask for his opinion first; you can’t take it for granted that he’ll join just because the other humans did so».
«Okay, I understand… you’re right».
«Anyway, I’m absolutely positive Arthur will have to begin some kind of training once he’s better. It’d be good for him».
«I completely agree, but… if he has no idea how to use a move… it’s going to be hard. And where the heck are we going to find him someone who’ll teach him how to fight?».
«…Lugh».
«…you’re kidding me, right?».
«Not at all. Think about it; Lugh is a good fighter, and it’s more than likely that having a pupil will make him be less of a jerk».
«…Poppy, I so hope you’re right, or I swear on Arceus I won’t let you see the end of it».
«Eh, it’s a risk I’m willing to take. Now I’ll go back keeping an eye on him; I’m pretty sure Lugh has had enough».
V
Arthur’s eyes widened when he found himself holding on tight to what looked like a mud-soaked scarf… the same he had found in the Forest and used to tie the wood to his back the day before.
«…what the heck is it doing here…», he whispered, his voice so low that even Lugh couldn’t hear him. «…where did it come from…?».
He tried to wrap his brain around it… and got struck by another headache. He immediately stopped thinking about it; as curious as he was, he had more important things to think about… except he couldn’t think about them, unless he wanted his head to explode in pain. He huffed, frustrated, but he was forced to acknowledge that it was better to follow Poppy’ advice and think about nothing.
In that moment, Arthur heard the door creak.
«Hi», the Audino greeted him, before she turned to Lugh. «You can go now, I’ll deal with this from now on».
«Finally», the Riolu said as he jumped off the chair.
Arthur heard him leave, then silence fell. “…what now?”. Arthur stared at the scarf in his paws. “…should I tell Poppy about this?”.
«So, are you alright?», the Audino asked in that moment. «Have you had any issues?».
Arthur thrust the scarf under the pillow ant turned to answer, keeping his mud-soaked paws under the bed sheets. «No, not at all».
«Great», the Audino acknowledged. «So, me and the Captain talked about you».
«Ah?». Slowly, the Pikachu sat up.
«Basically, you’ll need someone to teach you some stuff», the doctor explained. «Specifically, you’ll need someone to teach you how to fight… or how to defend yourself at least».
«R-Really?». Arthur’s ears shot up. «…does that mean I’ll be able to shoot lightning?».
«…yes, you’ll be able to shoot lightning», the Audino answered. «But only after your rehabilitation. Which will begin tomorrow».
«Okay». The Pikachu stood silent for a bit. «…ms?».
«Yeah?».
«…do you think I’ll be able to get my memories back?».
The Audino froze for a second; in all honesty, she didn’t know if telling him about her and the Captain’s theories about his nature. And she didn’t want to get his hopes up for nothing. So, she simply shrugged.
«I… I don’t know», was her answer. Her heart wrenched as she saw disappointment flood her patient’s eyes, so she added: «But, uh, don’t lose hope…». She stood silent for a bit, having no idea what else to say. Then, she gave him a thumb-up. «Okay?».
«…okay», the Pikachu mumbled, laying down once again. «If you say so…».
«Hey, don’t get yourself down», the doctor tried to comfort him. «Everything will be alright».
Arthur didn’t answer. He could only think: “I hope so…”.
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DuskForm
Local Bewear
- Pronouns
- he/him
Chapter 8: No More Waiting
I
I
«You look a bit burnt out».
Cedric raised his gaze as he heard Rosemary’s voice.
«I’m fine», he lied, sliding her newly acquired book in a paper bag. «Just… there are some… things, happening… in my life. Things I can’t really control. I’d rather not talk about that».
«I think you should take a vacation», the Bee Fly Pokémon suggested, laying a bill on the Minccino’s desk. «Seriously; every time I get here, I see you sitting at this desk. I really think you work too much».
“Quite the opposite”, the Minccino thought, disheartened, as he took the money and gave her change. “I’m not working enough… I’m not doing enough… it’s not enough…”.
«Like, have you ever heard of the Hot Spring?», the Ribombee asked, taking the paper bag into her hands. «The one in Treasure Town… I’ve been there, once, and it’s amazing! It works wonders against stress!».
«In the Grass Continent?». Cedric sighed, exhausted. «Of course I’ve heard about it, but I don’t think I’ll ever go there; it’s too far away. Also, I’ve got stuff to do».
«No, listen; I got it, you’re busy, but, like… have you ever looked at yourself?», Rosemary reprimanded him. «I mean, you have some… monstrous bags under your eyes!».
«Don’t worry, Rosemary», the Minccino tried to reassure her, forcing a smile. «I’m fine. Really».
«If you say so…», the Ribombee said, not at all convinced by the bookseller’s words. «See you again, I guess».
«See you again». Cedric said goodbye to her, waiving his paw.
The Minccino looked at her until she had buzzed away from the entrance. Then, he closed the door shut and turned the sign hung on it over, so that the word “CLOSED” was visible from the outside, before switching the lights off and closing the curtains. Then, he lit up a small oil lamp and placed it on his desk, illuminating the various books and notebooks laid open in front of him.
«I have to find him». For ten days, those words had been his daily mantra. «I have to find him… I have to find him… I have do find him…».
II
«No».
«Lugh…».
«Why should I? It’s literally the last thing I want to do!».
«Lugh…».
«Also, why me?! Can’t someone else take care of it?».
«Alright, I’ll be honest with you; I don’t want to task Cruach with this. I know she’s a good Explorer, but you did tell me her training methods are kind of… brutal».
«It doesn’t mean she doesn’t know what she’s doing».
«Yeah, but I trust you more than her».
«Still, no way. I don’t have all that time».
«Lugh, allow me to be completely honest with you; you do have all that time. After you meet your daily mission quota, you spend your time walking around the Guild. I’m sure training Arthur will be a positive experience for you».
«Yeah, but I also have a right to decide what to do with my free time!».
Kelly sighed, annoyed. «You really don’t want to do it!».
«Absolutely not!». Lugh crossed his arms and turned around. «Ask someone else; I don’t care».
«I see…». The Decidueye looked disappointed, but she was smiling on the inside, ready to play her trump card. «To be honest, I didn’t really think you’d be up to the task».
The Riolu suddenly turned the other way. «…I’m sorry, what?».
«I’m saying that maybe training someone like Arthur would be too much of a challenge for you», the Captain continued, knowing she had just defeated (more like bypassed) the boy’s stubbornness. «Simply, I don’t think you can do it».
The Explorer stood still for a second, gritting his teeth before whispering: «Of course… I… can».
Kelly bent towards him from her desk. «I didn’t quite catch that…».
«I SAID I’LL DO IT!», the Riolu shouted, slamming his hands on the desk. «I SWEAR ON ÒRDUGH THAT I’LL TURN HIM INTO THE BEST ARCEUSDAMNED EXPLORER THE ÉIRE HAS EVER SEEN!».
The Decidueye’s beak bent into a smile. «Great. Training sessions must not last more than two, three hours a day, and they mustn’t interfere with Arthur’s working routine. I leave the rest to you. That works?».
«IT DOES!». Lugh bowed. «I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY!».
With that said, the Emanation Pokémon turned around and walked out of the office, happy as a Shaymin high on Gracidea leaves, shutting the door closed behind him.
Then, he stopped and thought about the conversation he had just had.
“…hey, wait a minute…”.
After at least fifteen seconds of complete and utter immobility, he slowly clapped.
«Well played, Kelly», he whispered, after realizing he had been played. «Really, well played…».
III
«Zilpah! Wait-».
«GO AWAY! AND DON’T USE THAT NAME!».
«I can explain-».
«I DON’T CARE. I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU EVER AGAIN!».
«Please… let me explain…».
Zilpah stopped running. «…there’s nothing here to explain, Arthur. You lied to me! I thought I meant something to you…». Slowly, the creature turned towards him. Sunlight, filtered by the canopy, covered her golden eyed, highlighting her irises’ veining. «…but I never did, did I?».
«You’re wrong», Arthur drawled, fighting to hold his tears. «You’re everything to me…».
«Apparently, it wasn’t enough», Zilpah scoffed. «Do you want to know what you are to me, instead?».
Arthur didn’t reply. He couldn’t find the strength to.
«You’re the most disgustingly unnatural things to ever walk on this world». Zilpah’s green fur stood on end from rage, her lips curled to show a row of sharp teeth. «Something like you shouldn’t even exist, and yet here you are!».
«Zilpah, I-», Arthur started, but she cut him off.
«You what?». Zilpah approached him slowly, until she was face-to-face with him. Arthur found himself forced to slightly raise his head to look her in the eyes; she was bigger than him, even if not by much. «Maybe I didn’t explain myself; you lied to me, Arthur. I trusted you, and you… you…». Her gaze hardened. «How could you hide such a thing from me?».
«I-I…», Arthur tried to reply, but he knew he had no valid points. «…I was afraid you’d never want to see me again if you found out…».
«…you’ve kept it secret for two years, Arthur. TWO. YEARS». Zilpah stressed the last two words with a growl. «Tell me, what was I for you?».
«Zilpa, I…», Arthur whispered, «…I love-».
The pain wasn’t unbearable, but just sudden enough to catch him by surprise. Zilpah’s fur was whirring with electricity, tiny thunderbolts arching on her green pelt.
«DON’T. EVER. SAY. THAT. AGAIN!», she growled, displaying her sharp, pristine fangs. «And don’t call me “Zilpah” again!». She pursed her lips, seemingly calming down, but her tail’s movements betrayed her frustration. «…I thought I was important, for you… but… what was I in your eyes? Some kind… of… some kind of pet?».
«No!», Arthur replied, vehemently shaking his head. «No, how… how can… how can you think of that?!». A tear ran down his cheek. «…I’m sorry… r-really, I’m sorry… I swear I meant to tell you sooner or later-».
«‘Sooner or later’ when?», Zilpah inquired, slamming a paw against the ground. «Maybe you misunderstood me; I was ready to spend MY ENTIRE LIFE WITH YOU! You… you made me feel… like I mattered… like you needed me… the same way I needed you».
«But you do matter to me!». Arthur was crying; there was no denying it. The canopy-filtered light reflected on his tear-filled cheeks.
Zilpah turned around. «I am sorry. But it is over. Goodbye».
IV
The Pikachu woke up all of a sudden to the hammering sound of the alarm clock. Puzzled, he looked around; one moment he was in a luscious forest, but now he found himself… in a room? It took him a while to realize that it was all a dream. But was it really a dream? It felt so real… too real. He asked himself who that creature… who that green-pelted Pokémon was.
«…what the hell…?», he whispered to himself, brushing his face with a hand. He pulled it back when he realized it was wet, almost as if he had cried for real. «What… the… heck…?».
He shook his head; there was no time to think about it. A hard day of work awaited him.
After ten long days of absolute rest, the Pikachu now felt great; slowly but steadily, he had been able to go back to working. Gradually, his life was becoming somehow normal. And after his rehabilitation, the Mouse Pokémon had never felt better.
His routine was simple; getting up, going to the restroom, getting ready, going to the kitchen, having breakfast, helping Kells with making breakfast for the Explorers, cleaning, helping the Gengar with making lunch, cleaning some more, helping with making dinner, cleaning thoroughly and, finally, going to bed. In his free time, instead, he would often visit the Guild’s library; and despite feeling like he should’ve studied things like history or geography to get a better grasp of that world, he’d rather occupy himself with narrative.
Sometimes he had found Fay in there as well, but she’d always look so busy that he would rather not bother her.
That day, however, after showering, having breakfast, cooking ans speaking to the Eevee in the library for the first time, the Pikachu bumped into Poppy while leaving the kitchen.
«Hi», she greeted him with absolute seriousness. «Are you feeling alright?».
«Uhm… yes, thanks», the Mouse Pokémon replied, wondering why the Audino had struck up a conversation with him. «I haven’t felt nauseous or had a headache for a while, so I think I’m alright…».
«Goooooood, good, good». Poppy remained silent for a few seconds before clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. «So, there’s something I have to tell you about».
«OH GOSH, what is it?!». The Pikachu covered his mouth with a paw. «I-I’m fine, right?! I won’t fall into a sudden coma, right?! RIGHT?!».
«Don’t be ridiculous», was the Audino’s serious reply. «You’re completely fine now. You’ll be okay… I hope». The doctor scratched her right ear. «I’m here to give you a message from the Captain».
V
«Alright, I’d say we’re done», Lugh announced, leaning against the wall.
Arthur simply allowed himself to collapse belly-up on the ground, exhausted. While catching his breath, he couldn’t help but think how far away the relief he had felt was, when Poppy had told him that yes, he was completely fine. That relief was short-lived anyway, however, since the doctor had also told him that Kelly had already organized him a training session with Lugh, who had turned out to a brutal although effective teacher (though Arthur was pretty sure he was doing all of this just because the Captain had ordered him to).
Long story short, the Pikachu had found out he hated exercising out in the open at 3°C top. And before that, he had discovered that his training sessions would take place in the yard behind the Guild; the grass was better than gravel, but he would’ve gladly done without the mud sticking to his fur.
«Now we can rest», the Riolu commented, crossing his legs. He had exercised alongside the Mouse Pokémon, yet looked far less tired than him. «We’ve been training for two hours, I’d say we deserve it».
«Gggggrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaatttttt!». Arthur sighed in relief, his limbs tired and his breath short. «…was it really necessary to stretch at the end?».
«Absolutely. Otherwise, our muscles would be in tremendous pain», Lugh explained. «But don’t relax too much, because we aren’t exactly done».
The Mouse Pokémon’s eyes widened. «…are you kidding me?! We’ve been training for two hours!».
«I meant to say that this won’t be our only training session», the Explorer explained. «We’ve trained our bodies for two hours. Given what the Captain told me, you have no idea how to use an actual move, do you?».
«YOU’RE GOING TO TEACH ME?!». Arthur jolted up, his fatigue from before replaced by an unstoppable excitement.
«Wow, wow, slow down!», the Riolu warned him, a very serious expression on his face. «I’ll teach you another time. I’m tired, too, you know?». He brushed his chin. «Though I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to start with some theory…».
The Pikachu couldn’t hold his curiosity back; he had to learn how to use moves! Kelly had told him about other techniques, such as Thunderpunch and Earthquake, and the Mouse Pokémon was dying to learn one!
«It’s basically something Pokémon start doing when they’re young, usually without putting much thought into it». As the Explorer began to divulge he knelt down, placing his left palm on the ground. «Basically, you need to think of what move you want to use, then you prepare your body and…». There was a small yellow flash, followed by a tiny bang. «There. That was Force Palm». Lugh heaved himself on his paws. «It was low-powered, so it didn’t look too flashy… especially since I’m actually kinda weak. But my sister can break walls this that move!».
«Ah, about that». Arthur’s ears drooped. «Did you tell the Captain? About how she-».
«I have no idea what you’re talking about», the Riolu replied, coldly. «And our training session is over».
The Pikachu looked at him as he left, and his ears drooped even more; he was sure that Lugh wasn’t a bad Pokémon deep down. His rude and unkind behavior was probably a consequence of his sister’s abuse. He felt himself quiver in rage as he thought about the Lucario; a rage towards her and himself.
“If only I had the courage, I’d freaking chew her out!”, the Mouse Pokémon thought, fully aware that Cruach would probably massacre him. “…if only I were stronger…”.
That was the end goal of training with Lugh: becoming a better fighter.
And one day, Cruach would have to pay.
His eyes glowed red for a short moment.
But Arthur didn’t notice.
IV
«…that sounds brutal».
«It wasn’t that bad. Better than laying in bed all day. And to be honest, Lugh is a good trainer».
Fay stood still and silent for five seconds, before blinking twice: «…what did you just say?».
«I said Lugh’s a good trainer», Arthur repeated, dunking the ladle in the boiling pot containing lunch. «He’s brutal, yes, but moderately so».
«…are you kidding me?». Fay turned to stare at the Riolu, who was nos sitting alone, away from the other Explorers, eating. «Because I’m honestly having a hard time believing it».
«No, really», the Mouse Pokémon wore, pouring soup in her plate. «He didn’t go over the edge. I truly believe we had a very efficient training session. Really, I’m just as surprised as you are; he might be a… jerk, but I don’t think he’s mean. You probably don’t know, but…». He wanted to say “his sister beats him”, but then he realized that Lugh would come to know and probably get very mad at him. «Uh… no, never mind».
Fay gave him a long stare, but then she left with her soup-filled plate, and their conversation ended there.
VII
It was a calm winter afternoon in the convent, one of incredibly rare nice weather.
Emer had spent most of his life waiting, alongside her sisters. Every day of every week of every month of every year a rigid routine took place, dictated by hours of praying. They needed to spend the time, waiting for him. Waiting for Òrdugh. For some reason, the Aspect of Order hadn’t shown himself in centuries. No one knew how or why that was. But Emer’s faith was unshakable, just like the other nuns’. Day after day, for twenty years, the Furret had dedicated her body and soul to waiting and charity.
After lunch, they usually had two hours of spare time. Sometimes, Emer would spend them reading or knitting, but she had to tend to the orchard that day; the apples were ready to be harvested. A twig basket under her arm, the Long Body Pokémon began to work. She started from the first tree in row; she bit the basket’s handle and climbed the trunk, wrapping her flexible body around the branches, picking apples one at a time and putting them in the basket. It took her around five minutes to clear the whole tree. She gazed beyond the canopy; there were other forty-nine apple-bearing trees. Her work had just started.
«Howdy! Working hard today, are we?».
There are things a nun can’t withstand too well; swearing, swearing against the gods, violent crimes, profane acts. And sweet masculine voices whispering stuff into her ears. Especially sweet masculine voices whispering stuff into her ears.
The shock was so great that she lost her grip and fell ruinously on the ground, which was more than justified a reaction, since she had just heard a sweet masculine voice whispering stuff into her ears. Not to mention that it was too masculine, too sweet and definitely, DEFINITELY too close a voice.
Her eyes widened and she almost screamed; «WHAT THE FU-!». She blocked her mouth with a paw, remembering the golden rule of silence. In a whisper, she corrected herself: «I mean… what the cabbage?!». She raised her gaze to the canopy she had just fell from like a brain-dead potato. «Who’s there?!».
There was a weak, fragmented flash, a flickering light… and the Furret’s jaw dropped.
Right before her eyes, coddled on one of the sturdiest branches, there was a cat-like Pokémon, with a long tail resting on a frond. His head-fur was long, falling on his shoulders like long hair. His eyes’ irises looked like diamonds, pierced by a white pupil.
The green-furred Mew gave her a warm smile. «Hello!», he greeted her, rasing his paw. «I’m here for-».
Emer knelt immediately, lowering herself to touch the ground with her forehead, and whispered; «IthankyouimmenselyforgiftingusmortalswithyourdivinepresenceoholyprotectorofOrderwearenotworthyofthishonorand-».
«Okay, okay, there’s… you needn’t to kneel». The New Species graciously floated down the tree, stopping right before the nun. «L-Lift your head, come on…».
The Furret immediately obeyed, still incredulous. Twenty years. She had waited for twenty years, but some of her sisters had been waiting for far longer than that. Emer wished with all her heart that the ancient founder of their order could be there to witness the glorious moment, as the Mew gave her a comforting smile. For the first time in twenty years, she couldn’t control herself. Her eyes began to tear up unrestrained, as joy and fulfillment filled her heart.
Finally, the wait was over.
Finally, Òrdugh was back.
«Ah! N-no!», the Mew muttered, raising his paws as if he was surrendering. «D-don’t cry! Please!».
«P-Please f-forgive me», the nun stuttered, sobbing. «I c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-can’t…». She heaved herself on her paws. «I… I must inform the others… they… they must know». She cupped her paws to her mouth and shouted; «SISTERS! ABBESS! JUBILAMUS! THE GOOD DAY HAS COME!». Her tears shattered on the ground, soaking the grass. «…the good day… has come…».
She was heard from afar, and soon they all came, from every corner of the convent. And they saw that their god had finally returned.
Happiness began pouring from their hearts, almost covering the abbess’s heavy steps.
«Alright, what’s with all the ruckus?!», the Kommo-o demanded to know, arriving with haste. «What’s so amazing that you had to break the rule of silence for… it…». Her jaws hit the floor as her eyes lied upon the green-haired Mew.
In a seemingly embarrassed fashion, he raised his paw and waved. «H-hello…», Òrdugh whispered. «It is… nice to meet you?».
Bevin (the abbess) fell on her knees, unable – like her sisters – to hold back her tears of joy.
«Okay, okay, listen», the Aspect of Order continued, turning to every nun there. «There is no need to cry. Like… I get it, you’re happy to see me… but enough. Please».
It took thirty seconds for the abbess to find the strength to mutter: «S-s-sisters… c-come on… cleanse your tears». Then, she turned to the god, prostrating herself. «It’s-».
«No», he interrupted him. The nuns gave way as he approached the abbess. «There is no need to prostrate yourself. Stand up».
The Kommo-o obeyed, surprised that the god wasn’t demanding a show of respect.
«Listen», the green-furred Mew continued, talking to everyone, but especially the abbess. «I need help. And you’re the only ones you can give it to me». He rested his arms on his waist. «But we need to talk about this in private». A sly smile appeared on his muzzle. «It is a very dangerous task. For now, I can only tell you this». He pointed his finger to the sky. «I need your help… to save the world».