Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.
A Roselia by Any Other Name
by Lady Hespera
Superstitions are universal. Each culture on the planet, whether it be human or Pokémon, has their own set of superstitions. Most disturbing in each of these cultures are the superstitions about death omens.
Some claim that death omens are infallible. Others say that they are nonsense, the products of foolish minds. Over the years, many different objects have been considered omens of death: the Grim Reaper, the ace of spades, "Ghost" Pokémon and the black rose . . .
Deep in the forest, far from any humans, a miracle had occurred. After several hours of labor, a Roselia, Lily, had given birth. Her mate Herb, a Bellossom, sat beside his mate. The new lives that they had awaited, for seemingly an eternity, had finally arrived. The parents looked proudly at the five tiny eggs that were nestled snugly in a nest of dirt, leaves and twigs. The eggs were white with green and brown swirls.
Herb looked lovingly at his mate. She was so beautiful. Her tiny blue face displayed a contented smile, her long eyelashes batting up and down in her exhaustion. Her green body was slightly pale from her exertion. At the end of each of her short arms was a rose, one a pale red and the other blue. Herb put his hand on her shoulder and smiled down at her. She smiled back.
"I love you," Herb told his mate, his body shaking slightly in his excitement. The green and yellow leaves around his waist, that seemed to form a skirt, swayed back and forth. On his head, two red flowers grew, one on either side, and his green face was flushed with pride.
"I love you, too," Lily said wearily.
"Get some sleep, my love," Herb said, "You're exhausted." Lily smiled and closed her eyes. She put her head on Herb's lap and drifted to sleep. Herb stroked her face for a few seconds, and then gently set his sleeping wife's head down on the ground. He glided to the entrance of their den, which was inside a hollow tree.
The moon shone brightly in the sky, even though it was only a sliver. A few wispy clouds were visible in the sky. Herb felt warmth run through his body. All members of the Oddish family were naturally nocturnal, and they drew their energy more from the light of the moon than the sun.
Herb surveyed his surroundings. He was surrounded by trees on every side, tall trees that seemed even larger to the small Pokémon.
The forest floor was covered with leaves, evidence that summer would soon be over. The trees were gorgeous, with splashes of gold, orange and red shining in the moonlight. The area was empty except for a lone Oddish that stood facing Herb's den. The Oddish hurried over, her leaves rustling in excitement, and her round blue body was quivering from her excitement.
"Well?" she asked quietly, her voice barely a whisper.
"Five eggs," Herb announced, his tiny body rustling with excitement, "Lily is resting."
"Congratulations, Herb," the Oddish said.
Herb beamed at the Oddish, who laughed quietly.
"Make sure to tell me when they are close to hatching. I want to be there when I become an aunt."
"I will, Jasmine," Herb promised. "Can you go tell Lily's family? They told me to let them know the minute that the eggs were laid."
"Sure," Jasmine said, "I'm sure they'll be thrilled. I'll come and visit tomorrow."
Herb watched as his sister hurried off as fast as her tiny feet would carry her. He turned and walked back into his den. He smiled at the small eggs that were nestled in the corner.
He wondered idly what gender his children would be. How many would be Oddish, and how many would be Roselia? Only time would tell.
"Five more weeks," Herb thought, as he settled down next to his wife. He drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the day when he would finally get to see his children.
Lily watched anxiously as the first egg began to shake. Finally, she would meet her children! Her husband put his arm around her, and they watched as the egg began to rock violently.
Outside of the small den, a large collection of Roselia and members of the Oddish family stood, each trying to get the best view. The Gloom and Vileplume members of the family were forced to stand in back while the shorter Oddish, Bellossom and Roselia were gathered in the front. The assembly of plant Pokémon were blocking most of the sunlight. There was barely enough light to make out the figures in the den
The egg cracked, and a tiny body fell from the egg. The minuscule Oddish was slightly damp, so Lily hurried over to wipe her daughter off. The baby Oddish looked up at its mother and blinked. She stood shakily on her feet.
Soon, the other eggs began developing cracks and within less than twenty minutes, three of the eggs had hatched to reveal another Oddish and two Roselia. Lily and Herb cleaned each one off as they were born.
The last egg began to crack, and the proud parents' attention was divided between the final egg and their newborn children. The last egg finally broke open to reveal a female Roselia. She stood up unsteadily on her legs and looked around.
The parents motioned the assembled family out of the way, and Lily began walking for the opening with her husband. The children followed clumsily in a line.
It was just past midday, and the moon was visible in the light blue sky. Herb smiled. It was just perfect for children of Pokémon of both day and night.
As the children stepped into the light, the parents were able to get their first good look at their children. They began naming them as they emerged. Herb and Lily had agreed shortly after the eggs had been laid that Lily would name the Roselia, and Herb would name the Oddish.
The first born, an Oddish, was named Sunshine. The second born, a female Oddish, was named Tulip. The third child and only male was a Roselia. He was named Thorn. The fourth, a female Roselia, was named Dandelion. Finally, the youngest inched her way towards the opening. She reached her arm out of the den, and her rose became visible in the sunlight. It was pitch black.
The assembled Roselia gasped and began murmuring darkly to each other.
The tiny Roselia gazed around dazedly, blinking rapidly to try and adjust to the sudden light. She was slightly smaller than Thorn and Dandelion. Instead of the healthy green skin of most Roselia, her skin was a pale green. Her legs and face were not blue, but the same shade of yellow as a wilted grass. Instead of the twin red and blue roses that Roselia normally had, her roses were purple and black.
Lily looked at her daughter in shock. She was speechless. Herb glanced at her, wondering what was taking her so long to name their child.
"What's wrong, love?" he asked.
"N . . . nothing," she stammered.
"Don't lie to your mate," Lily's mother, Iris, said. Her voice was quiet and deadly serious. "The child bears the symbol of death, the black rose."
"She is an omen of death. She is the very specter of death." The other Roselia nodded their heads and murmured their agreement.
"That's just a superstition," Lily said angrily, defending her daughter. Her voice was strong but filled with doubt.
"You know very well that it is not," Iris chided, "The last Roselia like that caused the death of her entire family!"
"You can't be serious," Herb said. He could not believe what Iris was saying.
"Believe what you want," Iris said, "But I am leaving. I will not be here when that child brings the death of us all."
She left, followed by all of the Roselia present and many of the Oddish family. A few lingered briefly, but they had soon all left.
"What shall we name her?" Herb said, pretending that nothing had happened.
Lily was shaking and her voice fearful. "Nightshade."
Herb stared at his wife, "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Lily said, "That name is supposed to give strength and good luck."
"All right," Herb said. Lily and Herb turned their attentions to their children, who were beginning to wander away from the den. Herb chided them gently as he rounded them up.
The new parents began giving their children a tour of the area, leading them through their territory. The children dutifully followed as they were lead around the tree that housed their den. The tiny newborns were shorter than even the grass, making it difficult for Lily and Herb to keep track of them.
Herb watched his youngest daughter carefully. Nightshade trailed slightly, and her siblings seemed slightly wary of her. She seemed curious about her surrounding, stopping in front of a dead sapling and prodding it slightly. Herb ushered her over to rejoin her siblings.
Iris was crazy. There was nothing wrong with Nightshade.
Nightshade felt her temper rising. "Why can't I come with you, Grandmother?" she asked angrily.
Why should she be excluded from a family activity? Her siblings were being taken to visit their mother's family to celebrate their sixth month of life, but Iris had refused to bring Nightshade along.
"Because the other Roselia will know what you symbolize, and they'll refuse to come out," Iris said firmly, "I am not taking the specter of death to a family reunion."
Nightshade angrily stepped towards her grandmother. It was almost comical. Iris was scared of Nightshade, who did not even come to Iris's neck. The young Roselia looked up at Iris angrily.
"Grandmother, you're not being fair," Tulip said. The little Oddish stood behind her sister near the entrance of the den, her face sorrowful. Everyone else was outside, because Nightshade had thought it would be best to confront her grandmother in private. Tulip had insisted on being present for the conversation.
"Tulip, dear, you don't understand. I'm not trying to be mean. I'm trying to protect others," Iris said, "You're too young to remember the last black Roselia. Within four months, they were attacked by a hungry family of Spearow, and they all died. I will not allow that to happen to my family."
"But, Nightshade's part of your family, too," Tulip pleaded, "Please, Grandmother."
"I'm sorry, Tulip," Iris said, patting the little Oddish on the head. She glared at Nightshade, who was suppressing the desire to slap her grandmother.
"Fine, be that way!" Nightshade yelled, "I don't need to be around your stupid family anyway! I hope you step on a Muk!"
Tulip looked surprised, "You don't mean that . . ."
"Oh, shut up, Tulip! I hope you both drop dead!" Nightshade yelled, and left the den. She stormed out of the den, passing her siblings.
Her siblings were outside practicing their various spore and powder attacks, so they could show off for their family when they went to visit. Sleep Powder, Stun Spore and Poison Powder were all thick in the air. Nightshade could barely see to walk, but she pushed past her siblings.
She hurried away, toward the spring that ran through the forest. She bent down and lapped up the water. When she had drunk her fill, she stared at her reflection.
"Stupid Grandmother," she thought, "Stupid Tulip."
She slowly felt her anger die down as she sat next to the stream. The anger was replaced with guilt. She had yelled at Tulip, who was the only one willing to stand up for her. She even felt guilty for yelling at Iris, even though that was nothing new. She wiped away some tears from her eyes.
She sighed. Why did she have to be different? Not only did she scare away potential friends, she was nowhere near as beautiful as her siblings, with their bright blue and red roses. She had been forced to endure being called a "black Roselia" and "the specter of death" by other Pokémon. It was not like she had wanted to be born different.
Nightshade picked up a rock and threw it into the stream. A Poliwag popped its blue head out of the water, searching for the Pokémon who had thrown the rock. It glanced at Nightshade and quickly disappeared beneath the surface.
Nightshade sighed. She stood and began walking slowly back to her home. She would apologize to Tulip, and she would probably be forced to apologize to Grandmother as well. Tulip had a forgiving nature, but Nightshade knew that she must have hurt Tulip deeply.
As she walked, she was annoyed to discover that the air was still thick with the black powders and spores of her siblings. It did not affect her, but it was making it harder to see. She stopped suddenly.
Black? She was not seeing powders or spores. She was seeing smoke!
She ran quickly toward her home, praying to the Creator that her family was safe. She soon reached her den, which was ablaze. Her family was nowhere in sight. She ran through the burning underbrush, crying as she went. Where was her family?
The heat was unbearable, and Nightshade felt her roses begin to wilt from the heat. Most of the smoke was above her, but some smoke seemed to cling to the ground. Nightshade's chest burned as she breathed in the fumes.
She heard a weak whimper to her right. She ran over and discovered her sister, Tulip, lying face first on the ground Tulip was black from soot and her leaves had been burnt to almost nothing. Nightshade flipped her sister over. Her body was stiff, and her eyes were open in a vacant stare.
"No! Not Tulip! I didn't mean it," Nightshade screamed, "You can't be dead. You can't be . . ."
Nightshade heard another whimper amid the crackling fire and ran in the direction of the sound. She found Iris, her body pinned beneath a tree branch. Her roses had been burnt to almost nothing, and her face was covered in ashes. Nightshade pulled with all her might, but the branch would not budge. The fire was spreading quickly, and it would soon reach them.
Nightshade began coughing as she desperately pulled on the branch. It was easily twenty times her weight, but she could not leave her grandmother.
"Help!" she screamed in despair, "Please, help!"
Nightshade closed her eyes, readying herself for her inevitable demise.
Suddenly, she felt water pouring down on her. She opened her eyes. A family of Poliwag stood almost a dozen yards away, spewing streams of water into the air. They soon managed to quench the fire. Nightshade dragged herself up wearily and knelt next to her grandmother.
From behind the Poliwag, the rest of Nightshade's family appeared. Nightshade's parents and siblings hurried over. Lily and Herb ran around calling out for Tulip, begging for her to answer. Nightshade tried to speak but only managed to begin coughing again. Lily soon found Tulip's lifeless body, and her cries of sorrow echoed through the silent forest.
Iris stirred and opened her eyes. She coughed weakly. She looked up at Nightshade, a horrified look on her face. Iris gasped, "You have brought death to us all."
Iris closed her eyes. She, too, was dead.
Nightshade backed away from her grandmother. It could not be true. Nightshade, to her horror, realized that the two Pokémon that she had become angry at had died within minutes of her outburst.
"No," Nightshade thought, backing away further, "It can't be true."
Her own words began to echo in her ears, as her family's weeping grew louder. "I hope you both drop dead."
Nightshade scanned the assembled Pokémon, tears streaming down her face. Her family was all huddled around the body of Tulip, but several of the Poliwag were looking at her. Their faces were suspicious and angry. Nightshade could not bear their gazes. She turned and ran.
Nightshade stumbled through the forest, every inch of her tiny body in agony. She forced herself to keep going, her mind racing.
How could it be a coincidence? Just a few short minutes after she had said she wished Tulip and Iris dead, death had come. As she had run through the remains of the woods, she saw the blackened bodies of dozens of dead Pokémon. The smell had been horrible. The smell of burnt flesh.
Nightshade tripped and landed face first in a pile of ash. She tried to get up, but she was too tired. She had been running for hours, trying to escape the horror of the destruction.
"Oh, Tulip," Nightshade thought, "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, Grandmother. I didn't mean it."
"Are you all right?" a voice asked. Nightshade lifted her head up wearily. A floating dark blue head was above her. It had "hair" that seemed to end in purple flames. It wore a red beaded necklace that shone in the sunlight.
Its red eyes were concerned, as it gazed at Nightshade. The Misdreavus floated downward, so that her face was level with Nightshade. She floated barely an inch from the ground.
Nightshade began to crawl backward fearfully, but then realized how stupid she was being. If she truly was the specter of death, then she had nothing to fear from a ghost.
"No," Nightshade said. "My family . . ." She began to cry, unable to finish her sentence. The Misdreavus nodded sadly in understanding.
"It will be all right," the Misdreavus said, trying to comfort the distraught Roselia. "Do you need a place to stay?"
Nightshade looked up at the ghost. She seemed sincere. She pulled herself up onto her knees. Her face became determined.
"I need a place as far away from other Pokémon as possible . . ." she sobbed. She had to escape. She could not stay any longer. She did not want to hurt anyone else.
The Misdreavus seemed confused. "I live in an abandoned human house. The only others around are a few other ghost Pokémon."
Nightshade nodded. "Perfect," she whispered.
"I am Mystery," the ghost said in a gentle tone, "What's your name?"
"Nightshade."
Mystery nodded approvingly. "Don't be afraid."
Mystery's eyes glowed brightly, and Nightshade was surrounded by a purple glow. She felt herself being lifted off the ground. Mystery smiled reassuringly, and they shot off towards the east, flying hundreds of feet above the ground.
"I'm sorry," Nightshade whispered as she looked back at the blackened remains of the forest.