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Author note at the end of the chapter.
Add together the choices you make, the environments you're exposed to, and the instincts inherent to your very being and you then get the sum of yourself. That doesn't change, even if you remember a past life.
729 nautical miles north of Cinnabar Island
"Mum!" A kid wailed not too far from where I was. Which meant I needed to find another empty corner. "When can we go out of here?" He asked.
"It's, 'when can we get out of here,' sweetie." A feminine voice corrected not unkindly. "And I'm afraid I don't know either." Her voice taking a slightly worried tone at the end.
"Aww shucks… I thought pokemons were good, Mum. Why are the jerk pellipers so mean?" He asked with a nasally voice.
"Timothy, look at Mommy," I heard clothes ruffling, probably her kneeling to his level. "What would you do if a stranger with a really big car came into the living room and drove out without even saying sorry?" Wow, that's a weird analogy if I ever heard one. "I'm sure you would be upset at the jerk in the car, yes?"
"Uh… Yes! It's our house, duh!" Gods… can't you be a bit louder, Timmy?
"Well, it's the same for the pellipers. You see, they consider the place where they live as their territory. So, if someone comes near their home, they will try to defend it. Do you understand?"
"Um, I think?" Timmy told his surprisingly level-headed mother. "Well, I'm not chicken! When I'm big and strong, I'll go out and beat up all the mean pokemons." Heh. You'll need that bravado out there, kid. I'm sure ursarings will appreciate the cannon fodder.
"Hey, you! What's so funny?"
What? Oh,no… He must have heard me snorting. Aaand he's got his mother in tow.
I finally got my head out of the paper bag I was clutching in my hands and took a good look at the bane of my existence for the past five minutes.
And I have to say I'm not impressed. A mop of brown hair stuffed under a white rimmed blue cap, blue eyes and an impossibly aggressive stance looming over my floored form.
The woman behind him had on an unassuming and conservative yellow sundress which fitted her dead-anime-mom-styled hair nicely. Making me cringe at the thought of my own mother who had her hair done the same way.
"Well, what's so funny? I heard you laugh, you jerk!" The ball of hostility before me said that in such an entitled tone, I'd be hard-pressed to find similar in a Sylph-owned convenience store's employee.
I raised my gaze to his mother who gave me a sympathetic look and tried to usher Timmy away.
"Timothy, stop bothering this young man, there's a TV over there." She said while tugging gently on his shoulder. "Oh, look! There's Dedenne & Glameow on. You like that show, right?"
"Muuum," Timmy whined while still glaring at me. "That show is for little babies. I'm nine and three quarters. I'm big, now!"
'Nine'?! The last line struck me hard. This brat was nine?
I stopped paying attention to the back and forth taking place some feet away in favor of rethinking every little decision I've taken for the last four years of my life. I was literally the same age as Timmy when the dreaded decree 130-13 passed through the Kantoan Elite Four oligarchy.
The mortality rate for rookie trainers had been steadfastly increasing for years until 991, where it reached 12.1% for Kanto, and a historic high of 16.9% for Unova. That was the metaphoric last straw for the Pokemon League, which imposed on the seven regions it oversaw a series of programs to follow and approve by the end of the year 992 under threat of overhaul by the Sinnoh and Hoenn's united front.
Such an alliance, however temporary proved to be enough for the ever elusive and neutral Galar to adhere to the treaty. Same for the antagonistic Unova and the eternally tussling Kanto and Johto, who, for the first time since the Sevii treaty, rallied under a shared decision. The embargo needn't be anymore.
After the first two years of resetting the debut age to twelve, results had been registered. Positive results, stellar in fact. Enough that the average mortality rate for the six regions plummeted down to 10.79. For a Sinnoan lowest of 8.3, reflecting their progressive methods, and an unsurprisingly Unovan highest of 13.6. A tragedy dreadfully veiled as a factual improvement.
Which naturally prompted a couple additional increases in the debut trainer age until it unfortunately capped the previous year at fourteen. Unfortunately, because it meant at the time another year of waiting for Ash who had to witness before his eyes each one of his peers leave Pallet Town until only him was left.
There he was, a twelve and some years old boy in a town filled with elderly and retired people, now empty of any soul he could have called his friend. Naturally, he cursed any and all God known to his inexperienced mind.
He could hear his mother talking with Samuel and her friends on the phone, he wasn't deaf and a house bought by a single mother couldn't conceivably have thick enough walls for him to ignore what was said when they thought him asleep.
They thought him depressed.
They'd say he had something called dysthymia or something. A search on the internet and a correction later taught him it was a prolonged period of sadness. He wasn't sad, he was angry… angry and bitter. Bitter at his mother for not birthing him 3 months earlier so he could have gone out in the world with his friends. Bitter at Samuel for giving him those eyes full of pity. Bitter at the league for reporting his journey a second time. Bitter at the world for him being sad and angry and bitter and weak enough to let those tears running down his cheeks.
They thought him depressed.
I wasn't.
Cutting out my musings, I looked back up to see that Timmy and his mother already went back to sitting on a couch near one of the TV of the vast ballroom, accommodated for entertaining the passengers until we could get out of the pelliper zone as the captain jokingly called it.
Which led me to consider once again, was I really like that kid when younger? If so, I can understand and maybe even condone the actions of the League. I was so angry for the past two years at the world for not giving me my chance to prove myself. But maybe, they were right?
Maybe I could put all those thought behind me and enjoy more of what the world had to offer. My eyes trailed of their own accord to my mother, who met my gaze as well. Her smile always seemed to cheer me up before the League took everything from me and I became angry.
Maybe I should cherish what I have indeed.
I got up to my feet and realized I wasn't feeling nauseous anymore, even though the whole trip until now was ruined by sea-sickness.
I skipped a step and approached my mother, a beautiful woman who had given me everything I have and made me who I am.
It felt as if a dark fog was cleared out by a swarm of cutiefly using defog. As if the boulder chained to my ankles was rock smashed by a fluffle of buneary. I could finally see the beauty of the world again.
Maybe the tournament taking place later in the afternoon would be a good place to start for our previously lost bond to be forged back?
"ASH!" Mom's cry of anguish ejected me out of my musings again.
Maybe I couldn't do any of that.
Her horrified visage and an excruciating pain in the back of my head were the last thing I remembered… as Ash Ketchum.
Delia's arm was still outstretched in shock. One second her son was walking her way, looking happier than she'd ever seen him be since he was ten. She thought blowing all her savings and missing a week of work for this cruising trip to Cinnabar Island had finally paid off; her baby boy finally seemed bright - dare she even say, relieved, as if the weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders - after puking his heart out for the past two days.
Then, a hypno popped out of the very air behind him and knocked her son out with what seemed to be a confusion attack.
Except, humans don't get knocked out by psychic pokemons if not by hypnosis. Confusion scrambles the brains of under-developed humans and less intelligent pokemons.
She oh so desperately hoped for a case of hypnosis, but her years as Samuel's assistant left her with enough understanding of psychic forces to recognize their most distinguishable moves.
Ignorance was bliss, as they said. She could have shared Ash's last instants at his side if she had thought him merely unconscious. But no, she could do nothing but stand still like a statue while what looked like men in black and gray uniforms barked orders around the room.
It was total chaos.
And… was the man in front of her screaming something at her?
She wouldn't know. A foreign and bizarre sensation of brisk chilliness invaded her skull and she collapsed in a frothing at the mouth seizuring mess.
Crack
Thunk
Crack
Good, this one makes it… fifteen saplings? Should be enough for now.
I began my trek back to the clearing on the cliff found earlier. Making sure it was far enough from the surprisingly clear and clean looking pond at the base of the hill.
I still didn't want to risk it and would boil the heck out of it before trusting myself not to die.
Waking up to the feeling of coarse sand roughing up every single inch of my skin wasn't what I imagined would be waiting for me beyond that blinding light.
The deluge of foreign memories following my awakening wasn't it either.
The uncontrollable sobs wrecking my once again adolescent frame were equally unwelcome.
Don't get me wrong, I could understand Ash's sorrow at seeing his own mother receive a bullet to the head, all through the eyes of a stranger possessing his very own body. Even more so when it was the last thing he would recall and bring up with him to the afterlife.
Sadly, I could only stall the breakdown I was sensing coming. The dark clouds looming over the horizon wouldn't be courteous enough to give me the reprieve I needed after all.
Pinning six of the sturdier young bamboos into the ground, I mused that being stranded on an island might have been even better an option than drifting to a populated beach or such. I needed time to sort out all of this mess.
The flexible saplings went next, fused together with the bamboos by long filaments extracted from some of them. Hopefully they would be dry enough to survive the oncoming storm.
I couldn't stop my mouth from humming "On An Island" of David Gilmour as I flexed and tied together the three opposite pairs of saplings with another bunch of wood-string. I could have learned the correct terms for all those, but my uncle used to teach me silently.
The bundles of palm tree leaves came next. What a relief it was to see the variety native to this island were relatively close to ground level. It still took me around two hours to collect enough thatch for what I had in mind.
A train of thoughts that eventually led me to questioning everything that seemed to go well for me until now. Please, don't misunderstand. I was fucked well beyond repair in this situation.
Still, I survived a shipwreck, – or at least, getting thrown out of a ship – miraculously floated to a non-hostile island. An island, I might add with a large and cleared out beach even though the tide looked to be at its highest level.
An island which, by all means, shouldn't have existed if Ash's dim knowledge of Kanto's geography was anything to go by.
An island with a conveniently easy of access source of seemingly potable water, I might add. As well as what was a really close approximation of the vegetation I was used to see back home.
Anyway, I began splitting the large leaves in two and finished "building" the roof at just the right time to correctly shelter myself from the rain. I then began the arduous task of lighting a fire.
It was a bit after resolving myself to endure the smoke in exchange of sweet heat that I realized none of this was coincidental.
If me being "reborn" as Ash Ketchum of the Pokemon franchise wasn't enough to make it clear, then all the succeeding coincidences were enough to hit it home.
After an exhausting day of collecting resources a la Minecraft to put a roof on top my head, I finally let my thoughts come back to the issue in question.
God, were those seconds of shared consciousness with Ash weird. I'm sure nothing in this world would ever top that in term of sheer bizarreness. Enough that I decided to bury it deep inside my mind and act like the adult I was close to become in my… in my past life?
And wasn't that weird? I lived much longer than what my second set of memories told me. Older enough that I could recognize which set was the original.
Though, what really let me know for sure was the detachment I felt while watching Mum dyi- Delia. When I watched Ash's mother – Delia – die.
For fuck's sake, I have nothing to gain from this angst. Let's think of something a bit more exciting.
I focused for a moment on the crackles of the embers under the fire and the gentle pitter-patter of the rain evolving gradually into a crescendo of water bullets, which would effectively destroy the rushed job I accomplished if the storm lasted beyond dawn.
I was in Pokemon.
I absentmindedly reached for the pile of fire wood and pushed it to a corner which wasn't getting soaked in errant raindrops.
As in, there were pokemons in this world. And pokemon battles were a thing, here.
And they weren't like simple animals of my world, no. You could bond with them and the more developed pokemons could understand human speech.
I used to be an avid consumer of fanfiction and such. Reading stories depicting pokemons as nothing but animals with extra conception steps, like electric sacks, or nitroglycerin creating saliva glands.
Here, they were supposed to be of equal overall intelligence to humans. Some psychics and ghosts even managing to surpass them.
Sure, the wild ones representing the majority of the pokemon population were ranging from docile to immensely dangerous, leaning heavily towards the latter. But that wouldn't stop me from trying my hand at training.
No… No, I wouldn't just try. I would excel and go beyond anything this world had ever seen.
I have no idea how, where or when, but I've fantasized too much about this situation for me to let such an opportunity slip.
I've lost everything I had; a family, friends, a pretty good future. Sacrificed all I had, but not all I was. Only to gain the opportunity to fulfill an ambition I would never have dared to even think possible before this day.
I've lost everything I had, just as Ash did on this very day. – or was it yesterday? -
Delia seemed to be an exceptional woman, forfeiting her own well-being to assure a good future for Ash. A boy who mourned her passing.
I did no such thing.
No, I felt disgusted with myself. But I was relieved. I always hated lying, and I always was honest with myself. Honesty which let me acknowledge the woman as nothing but a burden whom I would deceive and pretend to be her son.
I owned nothing. Except maybe a house which I would try selling to finance my journey and get officially emancipated.
From Ash's recollections of his days fawning over the various regions' Conferences, The Indigo Conference last took place six months prior. That should give me about two and a half years before the next edition.
I was currently 13 years and nine months old. Three months before I would be allowed to take the test to grant me a trainer license.
Ash, for all his numerous faults, was really passionate about his prospective career. He worked as hard as to know the two previous curriculums by heart. It did left me feeling tremendous guilt over the unfairness of the situation, but I quashed that doubt with my greed.
Greed? No… It was more than that. So much more than that.
Avidity.
I was avid of glory, I wanted to set records impossible to break for thousands of years. I wanted my legend to be portrayed and told to future generations until the end of times.
Yes, I can see a plan forming in my head.
I needed a starter. Samuel was really close with Ash, enough to be considered a grandfather figure by him. If I played my cards right, I could perhaps even make him cover the totality of the costs of my debut.
I needed gear. As in proper traveling gear. Delia still hadn't bought any for Ash. I could take a guess and imagine she intended to take a loan just before Ash's departure was due. Her meager salary wouldn't have covered the costs of feeding them both after such an expensive purchase. Meaning she waited until the right moment. Again, a smart woman she was.
I neede- I can't hear the rain anymore? I quickly shuffled out of the primitive hut. Only to be greeted by the sight of a torrent of falling stars galloping through the starry sky.
Such idyllic beauty was too much for my brain or my eyes to fully register. I could only gaze upon the spectacle before me, mouth agape, and brain too mushy to try and put on words on the alluring and enchanting meteor shower.
It was minutes later when I realized my feet took me of their own accord to the peak of the cliff. Situational awareness returning to me, I discerned two such meteors detaching themselves from their brethrens' path, making rapidly their way to my position.
Rooted on the spot, I gradually spied startling details about the seemingly sentient projectiles. One blue, the other red.
The blue one reached me first and abruptly stopped its course some thirty feet above me, sending me crashing on my backside. Seconds before the red one did as well, without any air displacement whatsoever.
Embarrassment flowed through my veins when I realized I fell not due to a gust of wind, but startlement.
Fuck, why is Red getting even closer?! I quickly got up to my feet and took a step back. An idiotic reaction I cursed myself for, they obviously could have crushed me if they so wished.
With bathed breath, I stared at the creature as it slowly made its way to where I stood, ready to bolt at the first sign of hostility.
Once it was close enough for me to accurately see its features, I focused on its eyes. And my breath caught into my throat.
The smiling pair of warm amber orbs gazing back at me instantly filled me with reassurance and made me feel safe. The aerodynamic white head they were connected to stretched into a long neck meeting the bright red fur of a bird-like squat body ending with a pair of jet wings.
A closer examination of the ear-like fins on top of her head revealed the previously assumed fur to be feathers instead.
Her, for it was a female indeed. A Latias.
A Latias.
Which meant the blue one still sharply examining from afar was a Latios.
Fuck, this is surreal.
Yeah, I have to get something out of this. It's too good an opportunity to pass up.
I hastily plastered a smile onto my face and warmly addressed the legendary in the front of me. "Hey," I started.
"Are you real Latias and Latios?" I asked, channeling my inner Ash. Left unsaid that he probably wouldn't recognize them.
A tilt of the head from Red was the answer I got back. Idly, I compared it to be left on read by someone you texted.
"Uhm," I began uncertainly. "Yeah I suppose that was a dumb question, yeah..."
I stepped to the side and beckoned them with a hand to my pseudo camp. "It would be rude of me to not offer you any refreshment." I didn't let myself dwell on their reactions and scurried back to the camp.
At this point, I had no idea what I was doing. Maybe trying to throw them off their game before they could do the same.
A sudden chill ran down my spine. They were psychics, what if they could read minds? I would be truly well beyond fucked if it was the c-
'Actually we can,' A cheerful voice resonated through the walls of my head, making me wince for a brief moment at the foreign sensation.
I stilled for a beat, and kept my stride up. "Oh?" I began without facing them. "And how much do you know about me, exactly?"
She began giggling in my mind, a weird tweeting sound its physical equivalent. 'It's much more fun to leave you guessing' She teased.
I said nothing for a moment until I sat on a soaking wet trunk I'd found conveniently waiting at the top of the hill.
Collecting my thoughts once again, I looked up to see the Latias floating a safe distance ahead, with her eyes still glinting mischievously. Her brother… mate? Her something a few lengths behind her, giving me an impossibly disgusted look that made the hairs of my neck stand on end.
"Ah," my posture slumped and my eyes moved to the mud stuck in my white sneakers. "So you already know." I stated more than asked.
None of them said anything.
Not wanting to waste time on this, I opted for a more direct approach and looked the Latias dead in the eye, ignoring the antagonistic Latios. "I guess Blue doesn't have much sympathy to spare for me, no?"
She smiled at me, then brought up a paw to her mouth to laugh. "He's not really talkative, is he?" She got out with a fond look back at Latios, whose features softened for an instant.
"Now, don't you have any questions for us. We're only messengers in this case, but I'm sure we can answer some of them." She turned back to face me.
I mulled over that for a bit and went with the most pressing concern I had. "You're the first pokemons I've met, you know," I got up and began to pace around without realizing it. "I've been on edge all day, waiting for an ekans or something to pounce on me." There was a rant coming up. "I mean, it's cool of your employer or whatever to have kept me alive from the tentacruels and to have left all those handy things around the island and all, but I'd have preferred an earlier confrontation, you know? And what the fuck am I supposed to do around here. Are you here to give me a ride to civilization? If so, I'd be fucking mad to have built all this crap only for you to come and get me out of this shit-ho-
"No," I stopped dead in my tracks. I could feel my eyes bulging and my lips peeled back into a snarl.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a minute or so. When I came back to, I could see Latias peering at me with a comprehensive smile and Latios glaring at me with less intensity than before.
Finally exhaling through the nose, I decided to delay the inevitable once again. "Sorry for that," Air filled my lungs again. "I'm not really in the best state of mind right now, it kinda makes sense for you to give me space to take it all in."
Latias gave my deflated form a kind look. "Yeah, the big boss thought so as well. I mean, we didn't realize you had replaced Ash until halfway-through the ride but he still said to go through with the plan until he thought of something."
I perked up at what she said, "What? Are you saying there was a plan for Ash before I- before I… took over?
"Well ye-" She clammed up out of the blue and I could only guess she was having a telepathic conversation with Latios.
After 30 seconds or so, she gave me wry smile, "Sorry, he likes his strong and silent persona." I snorted at that. "Anyway, I might not supposed to do so, but you grew on me after seeing your past mind. You're not as bad as they think you are."
It was enough to make me let out the breathe I didn't know I was holding.
"Yeah, I've been often told I was a good guy," My lips naturally tugged up into a smug smirk.
She smiled at me and threw her head back in good natured laughter. "And an incredible expert at being humble as well, I see. You might need to get that ego under leash, kid."
"Oh don't worry. I would never call myself an expert in any field other than being born." I scratched my temple with a finger, smiling disarmingly. "You could say I did exceptionally well when you consider I managed two of those before majority."
Her smile got a bit crooked at that. "One wouldn't technically accept one of those as a valid one, you know?" Practically all the mirth drained out of her face after that, replace by a contemplating look. "It's actually one of the things we're supposed to get out of you."
A sense of foreboding crashed over me when Latios began approaching as well. I felt another of those light tingly feelings to the back of the head before a rich and deep voice assaulted my mind, much harsher than Latias' warm, feathery touch.
"Boy," He rumbled. "The Light-Bringer demands you atone for your crimes."
Feigning confidence, I reared up as tall as I could. Raise your voice, act like you knew exactly what you're doing and that you damn well have every right to do it, and most people tended to believe you. That was the first commandment of any bullshitter deserving of their title. Well… them, and 45 year old mothers named Karen.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Uh-oh one of the worst way to start an advocacy. "I meant, I really don't know either. Like, I think I know what you have in mind, but I really am as much in the dark as you in this situation."
Seeing the look-down Latios and I were having, - well it was more him glaring and me fidgeting in place – Latias took the reigns back. "Haha… Yeah, I guess you don't die and be reborn every day."
Here, she gave me a comprehensive look and added, "Still, we really need to know how and why you're in this situation." Her features turned contemplative and she began rambling to herself. "Mew might have messed up when she tried to shield him from that hypno's attack. Awww, I can't come back with nothing again."
"Hey," I hurriedly interrupted her, confusion rising within me. "Are you saying your boss wasn't the one sending me in this guy's body?"
She started and looked up at me. "Well, that's what we were going for initially, but something broke Mew's connection with Ash's mind for a split second and -"
"Latias!" Latios barked out.
She gritted her teeth and frowned at her blue counterpart. "What! Don't be so rude, yo-" She then adorned a sheepish smile and somehow reached with her stubby arm to scratch the back of her head. "Yeah, yeah sorry. Shutting up now." Again, in an impossible show of dexterity, she mimed her mouth zipped.
Captivated by the surreal experience that was a Latios looking embarrassed, I didn't react fast enough to distance myself from the Latios who came up to tower intimidatingly over me.
"Now boy," he spat. "You'll tell us everything we need to know, or we-"
"You'll what?!' I snarled, feeling the most angry I felt since a long time. "Or else, you'll what?! Huh?! You'll get it out of me? Fucking jackass, you already read all my memories and I didn't even throw a fuss about it since it was already done.
"Now when I tell you that I don't fucking know what happened to me going to hell or heaven or wherever the fuck, you threaten me into what, exactly?! Are you gonna pull a third set I didn't know about out of my ass?!"
"Please!" Latias hastily jumped into the fray. "We haven't read everything, only surface thoughts and a vague idea of who you are. We can't do that without you not trying to defend your mind."
"Yeah and what about it? Do I have to roll over and wag my tail for you to be able to?"
"No, no! You just have to let us in without making us use force. The alternative is your mind turning into scrambled eggs."
I scowled at them both and considered my options. I could let them in, as I genuinely didn't know about my untimely fate, all for not pissing off two legendary dragons . On the other hand, I'd have to relive my death and lose a fair bit of dignity, revealing all the fucked up and weird quirks of mine.
Call it pride, call it idiocy, call it whatever you'd like. My personal favorite was hubris. But I didn't give a damn and refused.
At that last thought I saw the two eon pokemons getting all grim and determined until I hurriedly waved my hands in front me.
"Wait, wait please! I just thought it would be funny to see you reacting to my thoughts, I'm okay with it." They both relaxed, Latias holding both paws over her maw to stiffle her laughter, prompting me to do the same.
Not even Latios' thunderous expression made me stop for a good thirty seconds.
"Alright," I wheezed out, "Oof… That was unreal. Sorry for that, Blue I just had to do it."
Nope, he just glared at me again. It honestly wasn't as intimidating as he probably thought it was.
Latias gave me the equivalent of a sigh telepathically, I gave her a grateful nod for her thoughtfulness.
"Cool," I began. "So, I don't really want to know how you'll do your thing. Just… Don't judge me too harshly, I guess?" My voice cracked a bit at the end, making me wince.
Sympathetic eyes were the answer I got. "Don't worry, we might be the youngest of our siblings, but we've seen enough evil to not be too surpris-"
I didn't hear the rest of her sentence as it was drowned out by a growl of frustration and and my vision turning black.
Coming back to consciousness, I realized I still hadn't opened my eyes, nor did I overtly moved. It was the perfect time to try and overhear conversations the way I saw it in some movies back in my world.
…
…
"Yeah, you can't talk out-loud and I just wasted time looking stupid, didn't I?" Getting up, I took my time to take in once again Latias' cheerful countenance and Latios' stoic one. It never got old.
"Since I'm still alive, I can only assume you didn't found anything incriminating?" I dusted my jeans and button up shirt. Yep they were definitely ruined.
At this, Latias stopped guffawing for a moment, "Yeah, you get out with a slap on the wrist this time young man, I'd suggest leaving trans-dimensional travel to professionals." She playfully admonished, though I could detect a certain warning in her tone.
"Nah, I'd definitely do it again if I still can do what I have in mind." I sobered up a bit at the thought crossing my mind. An errand thought I was dying to ask, but simply couldn't for fear of what they would say.
Fortunately, Latias put a stop to my inner turmoil with a disarming smile and a paw on the shoulder. "I'm sorry for what you had to do. Having to take such a tough decision as young as you were wasn't exactly fair."
I just nodded at that and stayed silent for a minute.
"What did you think, though?" I looked her dead in the eye.
She tilted her head, "What do you mean?"
I huffed self-depressingly at that. "I think you know perfectly what I mean. You read my mind." I couldn't help the knot on my throat to form. "You know literally everything there's to know about me. Maybe more than my own mum."
She shuffled even closer tome, and I could see Latios tensing from the corner of my eye.
"You don't have anything to prove to me, you've been given a second chance. I don't know how or why, but you have. And to be honest, I kinda like you. We haven't had too much experience extracting memories before, but you're the first I didn't outright dislike after doing so."
Here, the mischievous glint in her eyes brightened her features back. "But if you really want an genuine answer, I have to say you sucked real good out there."
A wry smile overcame mine at that. "I'm not sure whether to interpret that as good, bad, both, or just plain perverted?.
That initiated another bout of hilarity between us.
"You're so silly," she strained to say.
"And don't you forget it," I said with my chest puffed out.
After calming down, we took a long look at each other. And so, it dawned on me.
They were going back where they came from, and they would leave me here. My first thought was to bargain a ride to the nearest populated area.
I would have, if not for the apologizing look Latias gave me.
"I'm really sorry," she said. "If it was up to me, I'd get you at the doorsteps of your home, but we have orders."
I couldn't drop this just like that. "Is there really nothing I could do to convince you? I can cook a mean pizza if you'd like?" I asked hopefully.
"Haha! I'm sure it would be delicious but we really can't." She obviously felt uncomfortable but I didn't want to stay here any longer.
"Please, I'm already sick of this shithole and it hasn't even been a full day yet." I pleaded.
Latias looked conflicted. Good, that's what I was going for. Only a little push and-
"Stop!"
I reflexively took a step back and stood on the balls of my feet, ready to bolt at a snap. Well, I tried anyway. The blue shimmering outline trapping my movements clearly wouldn't go away if I asked nicely.
The cause of my restrains came up to my face and loomed over my frozen form – wow, those are some serious muscles he has.
"Be careful what lines you cross, Deceiver."
His hot breath washing over my face stank of blood and death. I was then reminded that those were apex predators I was trying to haggle a ride out of.
Nonetheless, I pushed back with a snarl and summoned all the confidence mu gut could spare for this stupid line I had in mind.
"My apologies then," I began. He seemed to be surprised at the apology. If he had indeed seen my memories, one thing that jumped out would have been my compulsive reject of any form of apologies.
I loathed empty platitudes. Whenever I did something I felt deserved me being sorry, I would try and do better the next time. I would owe a favor to the person wronged or do something to make up for it. But I wouldn't apologize.
"You know, I've always found that metaphor a little unfitting," I continued as I knew I had his attention once he lifted the constricting force on me. "The thing about lines, in the sand or otherwise," I picked up a discarded wet branch and dramatically traced a line between us.
"… yeah. Once you cross over them, you can actually step back again without any problems." I demonstrated as much, to the confusion and then rage of the flying blue dick in front of me.
I matched his frown with a shit-eating grin of my own. "That wasn't the case when you've fucked with my brain earlier you fucking areo-dick. I might one day end up forgiving Red, but you… You've been nothing but a bitch to me even before you had any idea who I was."
An intense stare-down took place after my rant. One I was sure of winning since he apparently couldn't kill me without upsetting whomever their boss was.
An intense stare-down which I won after an ethereal mirthful laugh from Latias made him look her way incredulously. An expression I matched after patting myself in the back for technically making a 500 pound psychic dragon back down.
What made my dumbfounded expression morph into a full blown dropped jaw was Latios joining her in laughing at a still unknown reason for my part.
After a few beats, Latias promptly turned back to me. "I think you'll do just fine," she said, further confusing me. "Look, I'll be back soon with something," she turned her back to us and a light began shining from her… well I certainly hoped those were reactors of some sort and nothing else. "So, if I'm not back in an hour…"
I think she was trying to say something cool or maybe it was important, but I felt obligated to cry out, "I'll wait longer!"
Her loud coos – probably laughter - were then drowned out by what I later guessed was a sonic-boom. Point being, it left my ears ringing from it.
My eardrums would have probably burst if not for the blue shimmering shield erected by Latios. I tried to nod thankfully to him but he wasn't even looking in my direction, preferring to get lost in the breathtaking picture painted by the ever changing shades of the sun appearing on the horizon.
True to her words, it took Latias what I estimated to be a little less than an hour for her to reappear into view.
Relief flooded me at the change from the awkward and tense silence between us two bros. Not that I didn't try to rectify the situation. Blue was simply that stubborn. It was frankly unsettling.
Looking back to my favorite of the two, I noticed a small vaguely oval object at her side, held in a red outline of what I assumed to be Latias' doing.
She floated to me again and brought the oval thing before my arms.
Impulsively, I reached up to it with both hands. After grasping it, the red light disappeared and I could finally perceive more of its details.
The feeling of smooth and warm and quivering ceramic greeted my firm but gentle touch. A deep feeling of happiness and contentment flowed through my veins, encompassing my very being.
An egg.
A pokemon egg. A real one.
I examined it closer and eventually registered the sparsely spread red and blue intertwined triangles, crisscrossing into a beautiful patchwork of cubist and abstract brushes.
"It's ours," I heard reverberate inside my head. "Us Eon pokemons are prohibited from raising our youngs, you know? We intended to deposit it at a place called the Grampa Canyon. A friend of ours predicted someone who could make it happy would find it there, but it never really sit well with us to simply leave it unsupervised." Went unsaid that they thought me worthy enough to raise it myself.
Overwhelmed by emotion, I was still clear-minded enough to pick up on something she said I should have clarified way back. I decided to try something.
"Yeah, Ash- Ash knew about the Grampa Canyon," I ventured. "A coal mine where they excavated fossils out of, right?"
She appeared a bit startled at that. "Uhm, yeah. It's… weird, I don't remember Ash having ever heard of that in any of his memories."
I got a shade paler at that. Did that mean they weren't aware of my meta knowledge? That… that totally changed the game.
Abruptly, my train of thoughts were interrupted by what felt like a sledgehammer punching clean through my rib-cage.
A snarl was heard from somewhere on top of me. "What was that? What did you do!"
"Wha- I- I don't-" I wheezed out.
"I won't repeat myself. Your mind went dark for a moment. How did you do it?"
That was unreal. Something was encrypting my thoughts to psychics, apparently. I could only hope it was extended to any thoughts that could potentially cause my demise and not only the meta-knowledge oriented.
The Latios towering over me got even more enraged and sent me skidding on the ground until I was mere inches away from the precipice.
"This is your last chance, Deceiver. Your mind has been obscurely veiled ever since earlier. It was no mere mistake on my part."
I hurriedly backpedaled away from the fall, only to be met by the rancid and meaty breath of the other hazard to my health.
"Okay! Okay please! Stop!" My heart was beating faster than it ever did at this point.
The monster in question wouldn't have complied if not for Latias once again coming to my rescue.
"My love," she soothed. "Let him explain himself, please."
So they were mates, not brother and sister. That was reassuring to hear.
The Latios seemed to deflate at her tone, but still hadn't strayed his angry glare away from my own frightened one.
Taking a couple of calming breathes, I tried to come up with a way to come out alive and whole out of this mess.
A glance at Latias told me she wasn't on my side for this one; understandable. I had to sway the Latios this time.
At the end of the day, two choices were presented to me; Coming clean, or bullshitting my way out of this.
The truth meant a higher chance of living and perhaps dusting my hands off of the fate of the world. If I kept the knowledge of the future dangers the world would face to myself, I would have to take up the responsibility of preventing anything too cataclysmic from happening.
Something, I thought, that would add some serious glory points to my curriculum vitae.
It was oh so tempting to go with that option, but I didn't know how their "Light-Bringer" would react to someone with the potential to destroy the planet with his actions, or rather inactions in this case.
It was with that reasoning that I took a left and chose my go-to pick.
Assuming a frightened and shaken countenance once again, I murmured. "I- I… I felt something strange since I've… entered this body."
I tried not to look at their no doubt skeptical faces and ruin the act. Choosing instead to peer dubiously at my right hand. Idly noting the egg still cradled under my right arm, probably what kept Blue from throwing me over the edge.
"I wouldn't know how to describe it, but… I see the color blue for a moment, then I feel… Then I feel stronger, more perceptive. Even- even more confident once.
"I wouldn't have been able to defy Latios if not for it. I guess I was too pumped of adrenaline to realize something was amiss."
I know I was pulling at straws here, but it's what I've always done when I wanted to get out of something. Put the onus for the decision in their hands, use guilt whenever you can.
I was hoping for Latias' compassionate personality to overwhelm whatever the fuck Latios had against me. Enough to make them think it was aura or such. I knew Ash was supposed to have it.
Looking up with the most defeated expression I could muster, I looked between them both; evading either of their gazes. Oh yes they were starting to feel guilty.
"I guess even when I'm courageous, other forces are at play." Shoulders slumped, head hung down, posture hunched. And they said I didn't have any talent acting.
After a bout of silence on both ends, I saw a light blue color enveloping me and looked back up to be met by the sight of Latios' eyes glowing the same ethereal blue encompassing my body. No- It wasn't only my body, he was staring straight at my… my soul.
"Incredible..." I heard.
A glance back at the embodiments of the East and West winds, I saw them having a sort of rapid fire internal debate.
A debate which seemed to be lost by Latios, if the conflicted look he sent to me was anything to go by.
I felt like a child watching two parents arguing over the custody of the kids. Punctuated by appropriate growls and whimpers from Latias and Latios respectively.
It was minutes later that their argument ended with Latios shooting me a look full of resentment and blasting off in a burst of pressure that would have sent me flying if not for a brilliant red shield, courtesy of Latias.
Turning back to my savior, she sent me a wry smile.
"I'm sorry for him," she consoled. "It's not that he hates you, it's… well…"
"Don't worry, I think I get it." I sent here one back. "I've been making his job harder for him since the beginning, you see to have taken my side for most of the disagreements we had. And to top it all off, I literally got custody of his child."
At the last line, my good mood died and I had to ask. "I mean, if you still think I'm worthy of it?" I gripped the egg closer.
Her face seemed to brighten at that. "Haha," she giggled. "Nah, it's calm. It actually was one of the few things he seemed to agree with, you looked like you would have given your life for the egg with how close you were clutching it. He was mortified when he blasted you back and realized you had the egg in your hand. Only for you to roll yourself over it to cushion the fall."
I- really? I guess I did it unconsciously?
My back straight and my chest puffed, I took the opportunity for what it was -
"Well… I did say I was an alright guy, no?"
- a set-up to look good and drive it home.
We obviously doubled over in laughter and all that.
At least, that was the plan until the egg began wiggling in my arms and glowing a bright white.
Latias sent me a panicked look I distractedly picked up on and blurted out a panicked "Oh shit, it was good to meet you. Live a long life."
Stunned I sent an incredulous look to her rapidly shrinking form. Did she really leave me with her baby?
Fuck, what am I supposed to be? Like, a dad without having ever went to second base with a girl?! Where are the producers of 'You Are Not The Father" when you need them?! Fuc-
My inner turmoil was suddenly replaced by a peaceful and idyllic sense of serenity I had never experienced the like of before.
Smiling down at the bundle of joy in my arms, I was greeted with a light brighter than even the sun.
Yet, I wasn't blinded.
It was mesmerizing.
It kept fluctuating between sun-levels bright and dim enough to see the vague oval shape of the egg.
After a good five minutes, the glow went incandescent and surrounded everything around me- around us.
Blinking the spots out of my eyes, I looked down and was greeted with the gorgeous small, light yellow round body of a Togepi, still encased in its eggshell.
The egg part had conserved its and red and blue shapes, even though they seemed to have converged into the front.
His stubby little hands - wait how can I be sure it's a he? - and round feet had two toes each. And oh my god, are those cat pads on the sole of his paws?
My urge to squee killed dead, I came back to attention at just at the right moment to see him open his sparkling dark brown eyes.
Once he got sight of me, he adorably reached for my eyes or nose or hair – I didn't know but I'd let him have absolutely anything I could get him in this world and beyond.
And lo and behold, he decided to go for the hair, and used a strand to climb my face, using my nose as a grip for his chubby little paws.
It was with extreme caution that I guided him until he sat on top of my head.
Of course, I forgave him the pain he caused me the moment he trilled his first 'Togepi'.
And thus I found myself, on top of a beautiful cliff overlooking an ephemeral tropical beach – location unknown -, a cool and gentle breeze caressing my skin where it was exposed – making me acutely aware of all the tears and scratch I had accumulated from the various treks through the rain forest.
A ball of sunshine on top of my head – where the hell did the rest of the eggshell go? - gazing together at the rising sun where I could spy a Latios turning back a last time to nod at me – how can I have seen that at such a distance?
"Eole," I blurted out.
Regaining my bearings, I continued once I got the small togepi's attention.
"Your name… Eole."
I couldn't be sure, but I thought he had accompanied his confused trill with a tilt of the head.
"Your name will be Eole, buddy. He was supposed to be the god of wind in an ancient civilization," I clarified.
"I have big dreams, you know? And to accomplish that, I'll need to rise to the level of legends and beyond. Which means I'll need a partner of the same ilk."
I hesitated at the idea of further imposing my will over a newborn.
"I suppose I'll have to wait until you grow up to let you take the final decision. But I'd be really happy if you end up choosing to follow me."
The little togepi obviously didn't get everything, but I felt he had grasped the broad strokes.
My hand snaked down to my waist and I got out of my pocket a red and white marble sized device. A simple click on the central button enlarged it to base-ball size. One of the few amenities I could salvage from the duffel bag that I found lying conveniently in the sand.
I looked at it for a moment and addressed Eole, "This is a pokeball, Eole. I'm supposed to capture you with it so you can be my pokemon."
I felt genuinely ashamed at my omitting a good part of its uses. This wasn't fair to him and yet my greed and desire to basically own him overcame the disgust at myself.
Not to be deterred by my now somber mood, Eole made a sound I understood as him asking to be lifted up from my scalp.
I obliged and got him down into my arms. He then turned to me, looked me resolutely in the eyes and tapped the pokeball without breaking eye contact.
I was expecting that, to be honest. And so I snorted and swore to myself I would never catch a pokemon without getting its explicit agreement beforehand.
A long sigh escaped my lips.
…
Now, how the fuck do I get out of this island?
A/N: Before anything, I would like, before anything else, to give you my thanks for sticking around until now. I hope it was worth it.
So, hello I guess. And welcome to my first serious attempt at fanfiction.^^
Actually, I don't really have anything more to say, but I don't want to delete the A/N at the beginning. I like how professional it males me sound.