I hope you enjoy the new story, thanks for reading! I'll be explaining more about the plot in the A/N at the bottom, but it's skippable. Not going to fore you to read it, heh!
Also, I apologize about how slow this story starts off and how short the first chapter is. Forgive me, you critics!
*I do not own Pokemon.*
~Denying Change, Chapter one - Differences~
Changes, differences...These were the two things that society had learned to despise as more of the world's advancements forcibly dug their way into our lives. We could not stop the flow of change, but those who felt helpless would force fear and hatred into the hearts of newer generations in response.
As I stared at the reflection of myself in the large mirror before me, I gave a slight sigh of defeat. The reflection that stared back at myself forced me to look away, for I was an outcast; something no one would ever learn to accept as an equal.
The being who stood before me in this mirror was who I was, no matter how I wanted to change.
As I returned my discolored, lavender eyes to the elegant mirror, I felt my eyes waver in doubt as I stared at my disgraceful differences. The oddly pink Gardevoir that stared back at me was no different than any other Pokemon; I held a beating heart in my chest...So, why did my simple differences bring so much ridicule towards myself?
As I observed myself in the crystal encrusted mirror, I slowly returned my attention from my disfigured coating to my oddly colored eyes. My eyes spilled disappointment as they met my own in the mirror, dissatisfied with the color.
They had been another reason I was instantly ridiculed, for they were a color unnatural to a usual Gardevoir. Both my eyes were a soft shade of lavender, which paired with the single crest in my chest. I never did understand why being different was so deeply frowned upon in this world, but I always kept those thoughts to myself...No one would listen.
Anything out of the ordinary about an appearance was considered taboo, and the fact that I contained a pink coating instead of a green one caused extreme amounts of discrimination in my childhood. And the fact that such a major difference was paired with discolored eyes just added to the hatred I was dished on a daily basis.
I gave a saddened sigh as I turned away from the large mirror, knowing that I could not change the way others would view the world and its changes...Knowing I could not change what I was.
At my birth, my parents had hastily shoved me into the nearest orphanage without a second glance due to what I was cursed to look like. My original parents had looked forward to my birth, excited to welcome a new Ralts into their open arms. However, they hastily changed their opinion on me as they quickly noticed my disfigured colors as I was born, and instantly threw me away as if I were a waste of life.
I was labeled as a freak the second I could breathe, but I eventually became numb to the names I had been given...For they were all true. These words had all numbed my emotions, yet I still felt pain from the memories.
My parents were high up in society; they were almost royalty in most eyes. They held such wealth that word of such a daughter with an untraditional coating would damage their reputation...Their name would become tainted. With nothing but a name for myself, they gladly threw me to the streets without hesitation.
I was the only living soul outside of my biological family who knew of my birth, and I gladly kept it a secret. I felt tainted to be related to such a family that was tarnished by greed, and I felt no lonesomeness as I thought of them...Their memories simply brought me the familiar feeling of betrayal.
In my childhood, I was constantly eaten away from lonesomeness. For ten long years I was treated as filth in the orphanage, and I barely managed to survive through every single minute of it.
On my ninth birthday, I decided that no one would notice if I ran off...No one would care. I had given up on my isolation in the orphanage for "unique" children, for I was constantly bullied and harassed for my differences all my life, and those young children held no mercy when it came to physically and emotionally damaging me.
When I had run away at the age of ten, still an ignorant, young Ralts, I had quickly found myself regretting my actions. I was alone, cold, and hungry. I clearly remembered sitting on a lone bench while the pouring rain merged with my salty tears, wanting nothing more than to disappear from this reality.
I remembered the memory as if it had happened yesterday, and I felt my disappointed eyes fill with a sad happiness as I recalled my first encounter with my hero.
After I sat alone for several hours on that lone park bench, an extremely short Riolu had eventually noticed me and stared at myself with worried eyes from across the park as he walked towards myself, and I felt my tears run even harder at the sight of him.
I had quickly noticed that this odd Riolu was also a Pokemon that was ridiculed by society, for his right eye was a startling shade of emerald, while his left was a beautiful, silky gold that seemed to glow in the darkness that surrounded us both. That was truly the only reason my tears fell even faster at the sight of him, for I knew he held the same fate I did.
As the damp, cold Riolu held out his paw towards me, he kindly introduced himself while I shyly took his hand in mine.
This Riolu's name was Vinson, and it was a name I would never forget...for he had saved me from my painful isolation the second he had grabbed my hand, and he had instantly became my hero.
As we both sat in the pouring downfall, we both ignored the disgusted stares we received from passing Pokemon, only giving our attentions to each other as our bodies continued getting damp from the soft pellets of rain that danced off of our beings.
We had talked for hours on that lonely park bench, yet neither of us seemed to feel any regret as we sat in the chilling rain.
As Vinson and I became close over the course of several months, hiding in a valley where he took shelter, we had quickly found our way to the legendary guild Solace at his suggestion.
It had apparently always been a dream of his to fight for our equality in society, and I started feeling myself feel the need to accomplish similar goals as we continued becoming closer by the day. I did not only want equality for myself anymore, but for the one who had saved me from the cold isolation of discrimination.
This guild was well known all over the region for being exactly what it had been named; a solace for those like myself. No one was treated differently, no one was ignored. If anyone entered the hidden guild base with a cry of help, someone would do everything in their power to assist them...No matter the differences the client held.
This kind Riolu and I were welcomed me to the guild as he held my hand, leading me to the front doors. We were both welcomed with open arms, and I had spilt countless tears that night at the unfamiliar hospitality.
The guild truly did live up to its name, for there was not an ordinary Pokemon in sight. All of us were beautifully different, and I remembered feeling my heart bubble at the amount of colors that were painted onto the countless Pokemon who littered the opening of the large building.
I felt a warm smile creep onto my face at the memory, for it was the first time anyone had treated me as an equal.
"Louise," a steady, slightly annoyed voice called from behind my closed chambers while the being knocked impatiently. "I feel like you lock the doors just to annoy me."
I gave a soft chuckle as I left the mirror, happy to hear such a familiar voice.
"Sorry, Vinny," I apologized with another laugh, quickly unlocking the single door. "Force of habit."
As he stared at me with his usual discolored eyes while he leaned against the door frame, he gave me a sly smile as he walked past me towards his bed.
Vincent had quickly evolved after he had turned sixteen, following my evolution to a Kirilia. Now that he had trained endless hours to achieve his final evolution, his once innocent eyes were replaced with stern, wise eyes.
"You do realize that this isn't only your room?" He asked in his usual, stern voice while he laid down on his separate bed. "You can't keep locking me out like that, Lou."
As I quietly closed the large door behind him, I felt an amused smirk force its way onto my face as I walked towards my bed.
"Here's some advice, Vinny," I teasingly whispered while jumping onto my own bed, ready for sleep. "Don't lose your key."
He suddenly sat up, his stern gaze replaced with a defensive glare.
"Louise!" He annoyingly spat, though his face continued to hold a slight grin. "You know that's not my fault-"
"Oh shush it, Vin," I whispered while I launched a pillow in his direction. "We should get some sleep, we have quite a few clients tomorrow."
He gave a loud sigh of annoyance before finally resting his head back onto his small bed.
"But, Lou," he impatiently whispered while he calmly laid down in his bed. "I d-didn't mean to lose it-"
"You still did," I whispered in an amused tone as he gave another annoyed sigh.
As we both closed our eyes, sleep consumed our vision as we faded away from reality. Both oblivious to the strange Pokemon leaping from building to building outside our very window, we both continued to sleep in solace.
I decided to cover a more modern issue in this story that many of us face today...Discrimination. If it's race, gender, religion...it needs to stop. We are all equals, and there is nothing that should say otherwise.
I'm not writing this story to toy around with the sensitive subject, for the saddening effects it has on people's daily lives has fueled my words in this story. I truly did feel sad writing this simple chapter, it just relates to modern times far too much.
I will update when I can, so bare with me! Follow/Favorite to keep updated!