A month... It had been a month since that day. Since that day when we had looked up into the sky, and we saw the bright yellow orb of light, floating away on the breeze, going higher, and higher up into the air, until it ceased to be. And I was hurt, on the inside.
My name is Ocean, and I am a co-founder of Paradise, as well as a team that helps Pokémon in need across the region. I have many great friends, like Emolga and Dunsparce, two rather different personalities, that come together so well. Emolga was a feisty, tough, and very mischievous little electric type, who loved to play tricks on us. Dunsparce was his best friend, a ground type with the biggest heart you could ever see. Then there was Virizion, and Keldeo too.
Virizion was a calm and collected girl, who initially was rather cold to us all. But after we found out more about her past, we began to understand her pain, and we all became good friends with her. Although, I think Emolga might just be more than friends with her. Keldeo was one of Virizion's old friends from a long time before we met them. Keldeo had been trapped in the Glacier Palace, a large ice palace that was home to the evil Bittercold! We all rescued him, and he joined our little group soon after, wanting to help build our Pokémon Paradise, and although he had some pretty violent mood swings, he was an alright guy.
Then there were Espeon and Umbreon. They were the ones who rescued Keldeo, back in the Glacier Palace. Both of them were Entercard Researchers, and their talents were with the construction of Magnagates, portals that could control these things called Ley Lines, in order to teleport people to uncharted places, although not without risks. But enough of that! We found them when they were on the run from a gang ran by Munna, an old enemy of ours. We saved them and they joined our team soon after, becoming great allies.
Lastly, there was Hydreigon, the Voice of Life. He was a weird one, but he was very polite. When we first met him, he was a bad guy, or so we were led to believe, but then, then... We were tricked, and he was killed by Kyurem! But, being the Voice of Life, he came back to us, since he cannot die until the entire world is destroyed. But... He was also the reason why this whole mess had begun, why I had managed to set up my paradise in the way I did.
It was all because Hydreigon had done one thing. He had brought a human from the human world here, to the Pokémon world. And his name was Sparky. And... He was my best friend, and now... He's gone.
"Guys! Sparky isn't here!" My voice shouted, as I zoomed down towards the centre of our Pokémon Paradise, breathing in the crisp morning air, as I noticed a few of the resident Pokémon had woken up. "Quagsire! Sparky is -"
The blue Pokémon whose name I had spoken, turned to me, his usual expressionless smile on his face, except, I could see a few glimmers in his eyes. "Did it happen? Did he-"
Just as Quagsire was about to ask further questions, I heard some voices coming up from behind me. As I turned, I felt myself shaking, trembling even. There, coming up the road to Paradise, were the other Team Members. The black, white and yellow squirrel-like form of Emolga was grinning as normally as ever, while behind him, Virizion gracefully approached, looking very concerned as she noticed me... Had she realised?
Dunsparce, Espeon and Umbreon followed up behind the other two, Dunsparce looking rather upbeat, Espeon looking towards us, a hint of sadness in her eyes, while Umbreon seemed to be in pain, but not physical... More like mental pain. They all approached, and everybody was soon standing in the centre of the small square. I looked to everyone, my eyes meeting theirs, and we all seemed to understand what was going on at that moment.
"It's happening, isn't it," Virizion calmly stated, looking into my eyes once more for a sign, any kind of assurance from me. I just nodded, closing my eyes slightly, making sure not to let anybody see I was upset. I was the leader now, I couldn't be upset! I had to stay strong, even after we had recorded that giant message for Sparky, and even after my talk with Hydreigon about the matter, I needed to stay strong.
"He should be leaving any time now," I whispered, my voice coming out rather weak, in comparison to the graceful, and ever charming, voice of Virizion. I saw Espeon glance towards me, and I could see a few tears in her eyes. "I-I'll see if I can spot the light," I choked out, moving my head to look up, so that I did not have to look at all of the others. It would be too much for me.
My eyes gazed up into the light blue sky, some fluffy white clouds passing by overhead, and I let a slight smile slide onto my face. Even in the worst of times, we could count on the weather being perfect as usual. No rain, no fog, just a clear blue sky. Some Pidgey flew overhead, and I followed them with my eyes, until I made contact with something else entirely. There, up in the sky, I could see a dark black form, which looked like it was floating, and then, just next to it, a yellow orb of light. "I see them..."
I could hear everybody raising their heads to gaze towards the spot where I could see the figures. As they came slightly closer, I realised they were heading straight for us. Maybe they would land? And maybe we would get to say goodbye to Sparky... I mean, that is him in that ball of light, heading back to the human world, and he doesn't even know that we still remember everything. That we can still remember the memories we all shared. Defying the laws of nature, that was our thing!
But then, the orb began to float away, all of us wordlessly watching as it began to ascend into the sky. I watched as the clouds moved around it, dissipating, allowing us a clear view of our vanishing friend. And then, I saw the black form vanish, probably Hydreigon, he was so fond of Sparky, like I was... I was so fond of my friend. And then the yellow light just vanished, and the blue sky shone through the sphere, and within moments, it was gone, as if it was never there.
"So sad, Sparky was ever so delightful," I heard a familiar voice mumble, and my head snapped down, coming into contact with a pair of red eyes. I jumped backwards, landing at Quagsire's stomach, and I watched as the Dragon Pokémon in front of me gasped slightly.
"Hydreigon," I choked, Quagsire picking me back up and placing me up right, all the while, I just kept my eye contact with the dragon, who was looking at me with a surprised expression. "Why were you standing there? You could have warned us that you were coming to watch Sparky leave!" I saw Hydreigon's eyes widen even more, and he tilted his head, confused.
"You remember Sparky?" He asked curiously, a rather bemused smile forming on his face. What sort of a question was that? He was my best friend? More than that, he was my one true friend in the whole wide world, the only person that I had truly opened myself up to!
"Of course I remember him! He's my best friend, and he saved the entire world!" I raged, everybody looking at the conversation as it took place. I was still fuming as I felt a paw on my shoulder. I turned backwards to see Emolga looking at me, a worried look in his eyes. His grin was replaced with a frown, one of genuine concern.
"But, how can you remember our Sparky? His bravery was meant to be erased from your memories, this... This is absolutely marvellous, fantastic, crazy!" Hydreigon beamed, suddenly launching into me and pulling me into a hug. "How is it possible? This must be some sort of a miracle!" And then I felt myself dropped to the ground again, as Hydreigon's face suddenly darkened, his body tensing up. "This could cause a rift in the universe... This could destroy us all!"
"WOULD YOU QUIT YOUR YAPPING HYDREIGON, OR YOU WILL GET NO FOOD FROM ME!" An angry voice shouted, and everybody turned to see the white feathered, Signora Swanna, storming towards the group. "Can you not see that Ocean is rather upset by this, I mean, look at him, he's crying!?"
I put a paw to my face, noticing the tears falling from my eyes, and I recoiled slightly in surprise. Looking around, I could see everybody staring at me, while Hydreigon was looking at the floor in shame. I never could remember when I started running... All I knew was that I needed to be alone, and I ran, down to the crossroads, and out into the countryside, not looking back. It was then that I let myself go, that I just cried, and the tears just would not stop.
They would never stop...
When Hydreigon told us that Sparky could be brought back to our world, I was in complete shock. I could not move, I could not breathe, I could only stand a watch in awe, mouth open, gaping. Everybody stood around the Inn's restaurant, and I suddenly felt everybody staring at me, just like that day, when he left.
"You think I should go," I mumbled, a frown on my face. Silently, I was weeping inside, trying to hold myself together, as leader of the team. Although, I had hardly been a leader, I mean, I kept myself locked away for half a month in the house, and when I finally emerged, all I got was everybody's sympathies and regrets. Why could they not understand that I did not need it? I don't need any apologies, I need Sparky!?
I need my friend, the one who has been with me through thick and thin, the one who defeated the Bittercold and saved us all, the one that made me into the strong Pokémon I am today. But... What about his feelings? He's want to stay in the human world, with his family, the people that raised him, right? Unlike me... I never had a family, I never had anybody when I was younger. I had to fend for myself, hoping I would get a friend one day.
"Well who else would go but you," Emolga grinned, giving off his signature smirk, before walking over to pat me on the back, but I moved out of the way, and he just slipped past me. "Hey, what's the big idea?"
Silently, I walked over to the exit, and then, I felt something, something in the air. My head snapped up, and I gazed up, sensing something... A presence? Was it... Could it be? "Sparky?" I whispered, but then, just as soon as the feeling came, it went again, and with it, I snapped back into focus, seeing I was on the floor. When did that happen?
"Ocean!" I heard a voice shout, and I dizzily looked up to see Virizion standing there, a confused and concerned look crossing her features. "What happened to you?"
"I-I...uh.." I closed my eyes, trying to block them out.
"Hey, we know you're still upset. I get it, you're taking it hard, but we'll get him back," I heard Dunsparce console, but, something just sparked within me. How selfish could they be? Wanting him back when he has a life where he was?!
"Stop it!" I growled, my tone venomous, and I stood up, pushing past Dunsparce. "Nobody gets it... Not even the Great Hydreigon! Well, have any of you thought about Sparky's world, all of the people there that need him!" I shouted, looking at Virizion, who lowered her head. Emolga looked at me, eyes glimmering sadly, while Umbreon just sighed. "I let him go because there are people that love him out there, people who care for him! And you expect him to abandon all of that to come back?! How selfish is that!"
And then, in my anger, in my fury... I did not mean to do what I did, but, I just could not control myself anymore. I grabbed my shell, and then, like a boomerang, I threw it, smashing a chair that sat nearby. It cut straight into two pieces, and I heard everyone gasp in shock. Swanna just stood there, expressionless, as her eyes met mine, and I saw a flash of sorrow... Why was she not angry at me?! I JUST WRECKED A CHAIR!?
Turning away, catching my shell, I stormed out of the Inn, and all I could see was red as I looked up, darkness replacing my vision, as I noticed it had turned into a night sky. Shaking, I walked up a few stairs, not bothering to see if anybody was following me, and I felt the cool grassy hill spring up beneath my feet... The last place where me and Sparky talked...
Slowly propping myself against the solitary tree, I let my eyes drift up, and I let my tears fall again. But unlike last time, they were not tears of upset... They were tears of regret. Whenever somebody close to you leaves, there will always be a regret there to make you feel guilt, and I had one such regret. It was here, on this hill, half a month ago, after the party had died down, when myself and Sparky had come up here to relax.
This was... This was after the talk with Hydreigon, so I knew what was coming, so I wanted to make the last talk we had count.
I felt myself plop down onto the grass, a small smile on my face as I realised Sparky and I were alone. I saw him sit down, his brown and yellow tail swishing around as he looked at the grass, a melancholy look in his eyes. I just gave a reassuring smile, trying to make him happy... I knew the truth, and he knew it too, so why should I hide it from him.
"Sparky?" I asked quietly, fiddling around with my shell on my stomach, a grin on my face as I saw the moon rise up into the sky. I looked to my friend, who seemed to be in a whole other world, but he still turned to me, meaning he had heard me.
"Yeah, Ocean?" He replied half-heartedly, giving me his usual mysterious and thoughtful expression, like he was being cautious. I knew his faces inside and out now, I knew he was worried. "Is something the matter?"
"Sparky... I know you're going tomorrow," I plainly said, closing my eyes, a faint breeze drifting past my face as I heard him sigh, although was it content, worry, relief, I didn't know. I turned to him, seeing him staring into my eyes, and I felt myself zoning out for a moment, until I heard him speak.
"I-I'm sorry," He sighed again, looking at me, a true look of upset in his eyes. "I just thought... If I didn't tell you, then you wouldn't worry, I mean-"
"Sparky. We've been friends for a while now, and I think you know you can trust me, right," I stated, giving him another reassuring look, to show I wasn't mad at him, but just in case, I moved a little closer to the Pikachu, putting my arm on his back, as if to comfort him, although really, I just wanted an excuse to be close to my friend. He wasn't always one for contact, so I took it when I got it.
"I thought it would be better for you guys if I just went quietly," I heard him state, although I heard, if not for a moment, a crack in his voice. That is something I rarely hear from him... Was he that upset? "If you forget about me anyway, then why would it matter," He choked out, trying to form the right words, and I just felt horrible for him, I mean, he really thought I could forget my perfect best friend? The one who has cared for me from the beginning! To the end of our journey too.
"I'll never forget you Sparky; you know, for a thoughtful guy, you sure are stupid sometimes," I chuckled, as he turned to look at me, confusion etched across his face. It was at that point when I realised we were pretty close to each other, as in, very close. "You are my closest friend, and my first true friend. I've opened up to you about so much, and you think I'd just forget it all, like the past few months were a blur, and nothing happened?"
The Pikachu in front of me was looking rather upset by this point, and I knew this had to be affecting him as badly as it was affecting me. I mean, he never cries, or gets emotional. He's always been the calm one, the determined one! And then I heard it, the sobbing, the sound of crying, and within a moment, I felt Sparky's head nestled into my chest, and as his body wracked with sobs, I could only soothe him, ease the pain by patting him on the back, but... You know, I felt like crying too.
So there we sat, a couple of sobbing Pokémon, best friends, crying into each other's fur for all we were worth, and I felt something strange in our moment. I knew at that point that I would never forget Sparky, but... I felt something more, I felt a spark, like I had just had a realisation, and as we sat there, after all of the tears were gone, and we were practically dried out, I knew something had changed.
I needed to be near him, my Sparky. He was so warm, so fuzzy, so relaxing, and I was surprised to find myself drifting off into the darkness of sleep. All I heard before I was out like a light was, "I'll miss you so much Ocean... My one true friend..."
Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh of sadness. Why did he have to leave us, leave me, alone? Why did the universe have to be so cruel, so malicious and unforgiving in its intent. Sparky did what he could to protect the world, no matter what it took, and this was his great reward for all of his efforts, for all of his toils and labours, for all of our work, to be sent away to the Human World, and unable to return.
Clenching my fists tightly, in a trembling fury, I felt an angry spark energise my body, but it was not a refreshing spark, it was an angry spark, the same feeling that I had felt in the Inn, that caused me to destroy Swanna's table, it was emerging. I could feel my own power growing, but with it, I felt all of my insecurities leaking out of my mind, the raw emotion I was feeling causing me to let out such a pained scream.
"WHY?!" I cried out, slamming my fist into the solitary tree, letting a small flurry of leaves float to the ground around me.
"Ocean..." I heard a voice sigh, and I turned to see the dark black, blue and purple, three headed, Hydreigon, sitting behind me, a solemn look in his eyes. "I wonder whether even you understand your feelings," He mused, my eyes narrowing as I glared straight at the dragon type.
"What do you know about feelings, my feelings?" I spat, turning away to the view of the hill once more, trying to block the dragon type out, except I could feel his presence behind me, the slight beating of his wings beginning to annoy me, anger me, in ways I would never normally have thought bothersome.
"I am the Voice of Life. I am the embodiment of feelings, Ocean, and I know exactly what you are feeling, more than you know yourself, at least," The dragon type stated, taking a small step towards me. "But only you can understand your true feelings Ocean. I cannot help you h-"
The razor shell sliced through the air, sliding to the left of the dragon type, causing Hydreigon's eyes to widen in surprise. I quickly pushed myself out of my sitting position, stalking past the dragon Pokémon, not bothering to even look at him. "I know my feelings Hydreigon. I'll go to the Worldcore, but I know it will be a useless adventure..."
The electro ball that suddenly smashed into my chest, flung me backwards, shocking my system to the core, and as I looked up at the Pokémon that had fired that attack, I felt all of my anger suddenly wash away, but along with my anger, my spirit seemed to weaken, as I finally came back into a sensible state, realising what I had said and done. "Emolga..." I sighed, turning my head away from the squirrel Pokémon.
"Ocean!" Emolga growled, staring straight into my eyes, his usual grin replaced with an angry scowl. "How could you say all of that?! You want Sparky back, but you just cannot see the truth, can you!?"
"You need to calm down and think Ocean. You cannot go to the Worldcore when your heart is filled with rage, I will not allow it," The female voice of Virizion called out, appearing behind Emolga.
"Your mind is clouded with emotions, both good and bad, but you need to find a way to separate them, if you are to be our representative," Espeon's voice rang out, and I watched as she emerged from a small bush nearby, Umbreon standing with her.
"Sparky needs to make this decision, the decision to return himself. Not you Ocean!" Umbreon stated, looking at me with his steely gaze. "If he does feel the same way as us, then it is by his word that he should return."
"Ocean, you and Sparky taught us all the truth about friendship in a world... A world where morals seemed to have vanished. And... And we need that Ocean back, the happy and cheerful one, who cared for us all, and most of all, the one who would want to meet Sparky again!" The muffled voice of Dunsparce cried out, burrowing himself out of the ground, right in front of me.
Everybody had their eyes locked on mine, and something about the situation, it just made the tears well up in my eyes. I felt myself fall to the floor, legs giving way due to the emotions I was feeling. I could feel everyone running towards me, my tears falling onto the dark green grass, and as they all surrounded me, trying to keep me upright, I could only muster a few words.
"I'm sorry... I-I'll go, to the Worldcore... For us all..." And then I blacked out.
When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the feeling of a soft bed of hay underneath me. Lazily opening my eyes, I looked around, noting the familiar look of the place I was in. It all clicked for a moment, when I realised I was back in the house Gurdurr had built. Pushing myself upwards, I looked to my left, seeing the empty bed that had been left there in memory of Sparky.
I walked over to it, noticing that it still had Sparky's body moulded into the bed, a small Pikachu shaped hole in the straw. "Sparky..."
Turning to the door that led outside, I took a few steps forwards, still remembering the events of the night before. I had been a jerk to everyone, and I even attacked the Signora's chair. I felt so guilty, as I stepped out into the morning sunshine. I was surprised to see that a small frism sat outside of the door, and it was a crystal white. That meant a message had been recorded on it!
Picking up the frism, I began to warm it up, letting the ice melt on my paws, and as the hole in the top opened up, I could hear voices.
"Hey Ocean, Emolga here. The team, and I, all decided that you should be alone for a while. We know you're going to the Worldcore today, and I think seeing us might be a bad influ- Why am I saying this again Virizion? We should be helping him!"
"Emolga, we're doing this because he obviously gets more worked up when we are around. He said his apologies, and we said everything we needed to say last night. The least we can do is wish him a bit of luck."
"Fine... Anyways, we hope you have a safe journey to the Worldcore. We won't get our hopes up too much, since there is a big chance the wish could fail. Hydreigon also told us to tell ya that he's already gone on ahead, and that he'll be waiting for you at the bottom of the dungeon. Something about, travelling with you will cause your wish to not be granted, or something like that. Good luck thought Ocean, we all want to see Sparky again, but nothing risky, okay!"
The sound cut off there, and I looked at the frism, a small smile on my face as I made my way through Paradise, to the Crossroads rather quickly. The sun was shining brightly as I set off on the path to the Worldcore, and I knew it would be an adventure to remember. I could feel it, and I knew I would make it... Because, because I want to see Sparky again, no matter what!
"Where the heck are those stairs?!" I gasped, rushing down another hallway, a large Purugly in hot pursuit. I couldn't fight anymore, I lost all the power for my moves a long while ago, and all I could do was run. I had gone down at least twelve to thirteen floors, and I was so tired. I don't think I'll be able to make it after all... Not if I don't find those blasted stairs! "Come on! I need to make my wish, I need to get to the Hill of Universal Order, I need to see Sparky!"
And then I saw a heavenly sight. A set of stairs sat in a small room, no other entrances. My heart leapt as I jumped for the stairs, shooting a glare back at the Purugly, who cowered away from the stairs, as if afraid to approach them. I wasted no time in rushing down them, until I was engulfed in the darkness, the darkness of an abyss.
I saw a faint light, shimmering just a few paces away, and I slowly walked towards it, noticing that the cave I was in was emerging, widening, and then I was engulfed in light. When I opened my blinded eyes, I could see a very weird sight. A night sky, stars dotting the area above me, glowing a bright blue. Darkness in the distance, and I was in awe at this place... This world of ours was hiding this place all of this time.
As I approached the light, I felt something clatter, and I looked down to see a sheer cliff, falling into a foggy abyss of nothingness, below my feet. My eyes widened, and I took a few steps back, taking my time to adjust myself to this universally beautiful landscape. It was as if I could see the entire universe, like a small model. And as I looked around, the familiar sound of beating wings had alerted me to Hydreigon's presence.
"The Hill of Universal Order. I bet you wonder why it is called a Hill. Well, those stars and that sky, they are fabricated. Due to the importance of this sacred spot, the cave is seemingly above ground to show the universe, in all of its glory, when in reality, it is far below the earth, in the depths of the world."
I looked to the dragon, the Voice of Life, a small smile on my face, as I gazed out once more, being careful not to slip off of the precipice. "Thank you, for yesterday. You all helped me clear a lot from my mind, and... I'm so sorry for breaking Signora's chair," I guilty looked down, listening to a small chuckle from Hydreigon.
"You know, the Signora Swanna is not angry. She was just glad it was only a chair that had been broken. I paid her for the damage, but she said, 'No need, just go help the boy.' She is such a humble soul, just like you," The dragon mused, looking at me with a grin on his face. "Now, for what we are here for. You must stand at the edge of the precipice, and speak your wish, loud and clear to the universe, and if the balance is not upset, it will be realised."
I nodded, moving up to the precipice, closing my eyes as I felt a small breeze brush past my cheek. I shivered for a moment, before looking up into the sky, taking in a deep breath, before letting my words come forth.
"I know I said good-bye... But the truth is... When all is said and done... I-I really want to see Sparky again, and so does everybody else, in Post Town, in Paradise, and the simple fact is... We need Sparky here with us, in our world again! None of us could forget Sparky, he was our friend... He was special to me! So... If you could just allow Sparky to be a part of this world, if there was some way to give him free passage between the two worlds, well, that's all I could ever ask for... Please, please... Hear my wish!"
Lights, all I could see were flashing lights, and then, blue shining lights, blurring my vision for a moment, the entire room lighting up, as if it actually heard my wish. Suddenly, it all went dark. The walls began to turn black, swallowed by the abyssal darkness that was rising from the precipice, and I could only watch in shock, as the lights that had once filled the Hill of Universal Order, vanished entirely, leaving Hydreigon and I in darkness.
"It didn't work?!" I choked out, closing my eyes as I heard Hydreigon's voice.
"I-I knew it. The strain is too much for the universe to handle. I am afraid that Sparky cannot return. No matter how hard we tried, we could not bring him back," Hydreigon gasped, eyes closed, a bead of sweat dripping from his forehead. "Ocean, we have no choice, we must flee!"
My eyes widened at his words, and I looked at him in fear. "F-F-Flee?"
"Yes, the entire room is going to be swallowed in a Universal Distortion, and the room could take years to reappear, and rebuild. In other words, this cave is about to collapse!"
My eyes darted to the ceiling, to the walls, to the floor, realising the truth. But... I could not go back without Sparky! There was no way I could! Nobody at Paradise would be able to take the news, no matter what they had said, and I knew I just could not leave, not when the chance was so close. "I-I'm not leaving!"
"What?!" Hydreigon whipped around to face me, eyes widened in shock.
"Our friendship will never end! I am determined, and I will stay, even if that means I will be swallowed by the distortion! I HAVE TO STAY!" I growled, looking back at the Hill of Universal Order. Hydreigon looked at me, a sad look in his eyes.
"It seems my theory was incorrect... Even though your determination shone through, the wish still will not be granted. Something even stronger than true friendship is needed to make this wish possible, and I am not sure that you have it," Hydreigon explained, suddenly grabbing me in his paws. "And so, we must leave!"
"No! I'm staying!" I shouted, trying to wrench myself from the grip of Hydreigon, tears falling from my eyes as I thought about Sparky, whether he could see this or not. "I will not abandon hope, not when Sparky is on the line! He is my one true friend... No, he's more than that!"
Hydreigon quietly looked at me, suddenly rather sombre for the moment. "More than that... Elaborate, now!"
I felt more tears falling from my eyes, and I turned to face the dark abyss once more, less aware of the real peril I was in. It was Sparky I was trying to help after all! "He's more than just my friend! He is more important to me than any friend, than any team mate, than any family, I-I can't live in a world without him!"
"And why is that?" Hydreigon asked calmly.
"Because... B-Because I love him!" I cried out, just as the abyss swallowed us up.
Darkness overtook my vision, and then, there was a light, and I opened my eyes, seeing a night sky, grass beneath my feet, and a small solitary tree to my left. I was back at the hill, in Post Town. I could hear panting behind me, and I turned to see Hydreigon standing there, weakly grinning at me. I just stared at him, lost for words, confused.
"I knew it Ocean, from the very beginning, that you and Sparky, would grow to be a perfect team..."
I just watched as the dragon slowly made himself levitate slightly, and I could see he was laughing slightly, but there were tears in his eyes.
"But I knew that you would develop feelings, and I knew Sparky would have to leave one day..."
I turned away, letting the tears fall, as I felt myself slam the grass hard with my fist. I had lost my only chance, my one chance to see him again, to see Sparky... My-My love. I felt Hydreigon's paw on my shoulder, and I turned my head, looking up into his eyes, before pushing myself against the dragon, crying into his chest, unable to stop the waterworks from flowing.
"Ocean, my poor friend, I'm sure that if Sparky were here right now, he would feel the same way," The dragon consoled, pulling the Oshawott away to look in his tear stained eyes. "I know he felt the same. You see, that last night before he left, I watched you both on that hill, and it wasn't just you content, I could see that Sparky felt the exact same, and I still have hope that one day, someday, your love for each other will connect the worlds again, and he will return."
I just chuckled for a moment, listening to Hydreigon's words. "I just don't see that happening any time soon, do you?" Looking away from the dragon, out up into the night sky, I felt myself engulfed in the brightly lit stars. They were my only comfort at this point, the beauty of the world I loved... It was all I really had left. "The stars are shining bright tonight," I sombrely chuckled, a few more tears falling.
I felt Hydreigon snap his head up, and I jumped slightly at his movement. "Stars, you say," The dragon curiously choked out, eyes narrowing towards the stars. I looked up, nodding, and I felt Hydreigon's body tense, and when I looked up at him, he was crying, but he had a large grin on his face. "How is this possible? They should be gone!"
"The stars... Gone," I whispered, to which the dragon nodded.
"Yes, when the Hill of Universal Order shattered, the stars should have vanished for a few days along with them. If there stars are still here, then that means..."
"The Hill is still intact, still safe!" I cried out, looking at Hydreigon excitedly. Could this mean there was hope after all, or was it a joke? No, it couldn't be a joke, not when the Voice of Life says it is true!
My eyes gazed up into the stars, and I could make out the yellow lights they were all emitting, shining brightly in the skies, a beautiful and elegant sight. And then... And then I saw it, just floating along with the breeze, a small flash of golden. My heart leapt into my throat for a moment, and I saw something that made me smile in surprise. "Hydreigon, up there! That light!" I saw him look up, seeing the light too, and his eyes widened. And then, there was the sound of movement behind us.
I turned, seeing all of the Post Town residents standing behind us, all watching up into the sky. When had they arrived? Virizion, Emolga, Dunsparce, Keldeo, Umbreon and Espeon all walked up towards us, still looking up at the light that had transfixed everyone. The light lowered, fluttering downwards, and when it got close enough so that we could see it perfectly, my eyes lit up. It was a golden orb of light! And as we watched it rest on the grass, it just hung there for a moment, before a large flash made it vanish, bursting into glistening particles of gold, which rained down towards the grass, lighting up the hill.
And there, standing at the top of the hill, a familiar Pokémon that I had not seen for over a month, a Pokémon that I missed with all of my heart, that we all missed, the one person that I truly loved more than anything else in the whole world. The yellow fur, the brown and yellow tail, the red cheeks, it was a dream, it had to be, but there he was.
"H-Hey everyone," I heard the figure stutter, and I could only watch as Sparky walked towards us, a cheery look on his face, although he seemed pretty dizzy.
"P-P-Sparky?" I whimpered, looking up to my best friend, my true friend... My true love, disbelief etched across my features. "Sparky!?"
I raced up to him, tackling him to the floor, wrapping my arms around him in a huge hug, tears falling from my eyes as I hugged Sparky. It was like a dream come true, my Sparky, back here, in this world. Our wish was granted!
"Ocean!" I heard him laugh, and I felt him wrap his arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace, filled with so much friendship, and happiness, that he could not keep the tears back. I felt Sparky crying on my shoulder, and we were both smiling so goofily, it was dream-like.
And then there was the stampede. Every last Pokémon rushed towards us, the sound of the town talking filling my ears, and a few moments later, we were suddenly thrown a party by Swanna. Everybody shook hands with Sparky and me, and we both stood there, just taking it all in, until finally, it was just me, Sparky and the rest of the team, sitting there, looking up at the stars while Swanna got ready for a large party in Post Town.
"Sparky, I'm glad to see you back," Emolga grinned, sending a playful electric shock towards the Pikachu, a friendly gesture between electric types. "Looks like Ocean here won't be lonely after all." Emolga then jumped up, followed by Dunsparce, both looking at us with gleeful smiles.
"I'm so glad to see you here again Sparky! You are one of my best friends, and an inspiration! I can't wait to keep working with you," Dunsparce cried, letting a few small tears drop in his emotional state, and Emolga embarrassingly grinned.
"C'mon Dunsparce, we need to calm you down! See you guys at the party!" Emolga waved, escorting Dunsparce off of the hill.
"See you then," Sparky waved, still keeping that goofy smile on his face, then again, so was I, so it was all fun! "Virizion, Keldeo, how have you guys been?" The Pikachu looked at the two, who both smiled back with sincere, yet much calmer attitudes that most of the other Pokémon.
"I'm very happy to see you again Sparky. You know, Ocean was very depressed without you, but we all got through it, and I look forward to the times we will soon be sharing," Virizion smiled, standing up rather elegantly.
"I know I haven't known you very long, Sparky, but I'm doing your team proud, and I hope to be of service to you soon!" Keldeo grinned, jumping up to follow Virizion, who waddled off in elegant fashion, both of the horse friends having a spring in their step.
"It has been rather sombre without you Sparky, but you being back, I think it will help us all," Espeon smiled, looking to Umbreon, who seemed to be crying. "Umbreon, are you actually crying?!" Espeon gasped in mock fashion.
"It's all just so emotional, and it's not a rumour anymore that you could come back, it's the facts! And that makes it even better!" Umbreon grinned, wiping some tears away with his front paw. "I think I'll go join the party too, leave you guys alone."
And so Umbreon and Espeon left too, leaving just me, Sparky and Hydreigon. The dragon looked at us both, tears in his eyes. "Just like old times," He smiled, and we both grinned back. "I still remember you both when you first met, and your friendship has lasted through so much... Born companions," The dragon laughed, before flapping his wings. "I think I'll go enjoy some Signora Swanna food, I know you both need to talk alone, so I'll allow you that privilege."
With that, Hydreigon vanished, leaving just two Pokémon on the hill... Just me and Sparky. I looked into his eyes, those dark black eyes, with the small white shine, and I burrowed myself into his arms. Sparky wrapped his arms around my waist, leaving me lying at his front, both of us facing the stars.
"Sparky?" I asked quietly. "Why did you come back?"
I felt him tense up for a moment as I asked this, and he just sighed, something he just would not stop doing! I looked back up into his eyes again, and I could see a faint red blush appear on his cheeks, more than that actual red on his cheeks. "I-I-I... Well, I saw everything that had happened since I left in my dreams, um, including the Hill of Universal Order..." I heard him pause for a moment. "I-I heard you, that last thing you said, and then I heard something whisper to me about a choice. I got the chance to decide whether to return or not... And I came back..."
"Your family, your friends, what about them?" I asked, and I just heard Sparky sigh, upset.
"I didn't have a family. I was an orphan, no parents, no friends. When I arrived back in the human world, I realised just how much I missed you all, and every night, as I watched you all in my dreams, I just wished I could be back there, and then you and Hydreigon made it possible!" The Pikachu then pushed his head into my neck, and we just sat there, in each other's comfort. "And... Well... I feel the same way..."
Had I heard that right? Did he love me too? "P-Sparky?" I asked, wheedling out of my spot to look at him, face to face. We just stared at each other for a moment. "You love me?"
I just saw the Pikachu nod, a fully grown blush on his cheeks, and on my own too. "Ever since our last night, that talk we had... That moment... When I returned to the Human World, all I could think about was you, how much I wanted to be with you again, and I always watched you. I saw your outbursts, and they made me sad to know I wasn't there to help you. I saw your bravery, and your courage at the Worldcore, and now... And just want to spend as much time with you as possible. I want to be with you Osha..."
We stared at each other's eyes a moment, and for a moment I was lost, and I didn't even notice myself leaning in, and he didn't either. We both just let nature take it's course, and within a moment, our mouths met. A simple kiss, and as I leaned in to the kiss, I felt myself fall backwards, into his arms, and as we broke away, the sensation was enough to make me happy. Snuggling up close to Sparky, we wrapped our arms around each other, and shared another kiss, followed by another and-
Well you get the picture.
But that is all another story.
"Sparky, I love you," I whispered, both of us sleepily looking up at the hill. I felt my eyes grow weary, and I looked at his. He was almost asleep too.
"Ocean... I love you... too," He whimpered, before closing his eyes, and resting his head on my arm.
I felt my arms wrap around him, and my eyes drift steadily shut, as I fell asleep, never letting go of him, of my Sparky. I would never let him go! Not anymore!
I have no more regrets, I only have reasons to love the world even more, and I'll experience those reasons with Sparky, my love, my true love, my world...