A.N - Hello again everyone! As promised, here are the side stories. They will take place mostly after the end of Stone Heart, but this first one takes place sometime during.
For those who stumbled across this story without first reading my fanfic 'Stone Heart', hit the back button now and go and read it, or this story, and following chapters, will not make a lick of sense.
Now, onwards!
Stone Heart - Side Stories
Story 1 - Hat
Nimbasa City was a fun place. Haru usually came to the city to indulge herself and buy new clothing or look up the new medicines being brought out for Pokémon. In general, the Pokémon Healer came to this city for a day of pure indulgence, a rarity given how busy she was normally.
She ate her lunch at the fancy cafe's and tried on the expensive dresses before going to her normal clothing store and buying some more clothes she'd actually wear. After making her purchases, she had them sent to the place she was staying for the night and proceeded to explore the city more.
It was when she went passed the Musical Hall that she let her Liepard out. She had always loved to dress up and have fun at this place, so Haru always brought her some new kind of accessory so that she could have fun on the stage. None of her other Pokémon had shared this fascination, and she doubted that a certain Legendary Pokémon on her belt would be at all pleased if he knew what was going on.
But it seemed as though he caught on anyway, because once they left the hall and went to the local park for some afternoon tea, Virizion suddenly came out of his Pokeball looking none too impressed.
"V-Virizion!" Haru was shocked and hoped to Arceus that no one was around! "What are-"
"What was that place we were just in?" He asked, looking at the bow on her Liepard with distaste.
'I knew it,' Haru sighed to herself and said, "it's a musical theatre. It's a place where Pokémon go to perform with other Pokémon for fun or in competitions."
"And you participate in these... musicals?" Virizion asked, and Haru grinned,
"Lei does. She likes it, don't you girl?"
"Lei!"
"Did you really think I'd subject my Pokémon to that if they didn't like it, Virizion?" Haru said, folding her arms.
"Well-" Clearly he was suspicious, but he covered his tracks quickly, "I didn't know what to think!"
Haru stared at him for a moment, but then she giggled and said, "Why are you so interested, Virizion? Do you want to perform on stage?"
"I do not," Virizion growled, "why would you think I'd want to do that, human?"
"'Cause you're quite the performer when you want to be," Haru winked, "I've seen you fight. It's almost like your dancing."
Virizion looked quite happy with that assessment for a moment, but then shook his head and grew serious, "either way, I'm not performing in some foolish musical!"
"Relax, I didn't really think you'd want to," Haru chuckled and smiled at him, "I wouldn't force you to do something you don't want to, you know that."
Indeed, Virizion did know that, and he relaxed somewhat. Looking at Lei, he noticed that the decorations Haru had used were rather tasteful... nothing overbearing like he had seen in some of the other performers through his Pokeball. Lei was just wearing a pretty bow around her neck and a little hat on her head, which made her look rather nice. Pondering for a moment, he then looked at his trainer.
"These 'props' that you use... are they just for performers or can any Pokémon wear them?"
"Oh, anyone can. I just like to keep Lei's nice and clean, and she doesn't like wearing them all the time," Haru then recalled Lei to her Pokeball and stood up, brushing herself down, "break times over!"
Virizion watched her as she rose and then turned to him, holding up his ball, "are you ready?"
The legendary Pokémon sighed, "let me out later."
"I promise," Haru returned Virizion to his ball. As she did, she pondered what he had said... wondering what she should take from that. Did Virizion not object to being dressed up?
'But he already has a scarf of sorts and he doesn't have a tail... hmm...' Thinking more on this, she wandered along until she passed a Prop stand, and looked. Right there on the end was a beautiful red Fedora, with a white feather coming out of the top. It looked just perfect!
"Excuse me, can I get one of those?"
Later on that night at the quiet resort, Haru had just come out of the hot spring. It was not a natural one but it felt just as good, and the place had no one else staying at the time, giving Haru plenty of privacy, just the way she liked it.
Wearing one of the resort Yukata's, she went out into the garden and released Virizion from his Pokeball so he could get some fresh air. After having a drink from the pond and having a good look around, Haru called him over.
"I got you something," she said, looking a little nervous.
"Oh?" Virizion was surprised. He had no idea what Haru would have got for him... maybe a special new medicine out on the market to boost his power? (not that he needed to of course) or something else entirely? He looked confused as Haru reached into one of her shopping bags and pulled out a red hat with a white feather on it.
"A hat?" He questioned, leaning down to look at closer.
"Yes..." Haru smiled, looking slightly less nervous since Virizion didn't seem upset but rather interested. "You seemed interested in props, and you always steal my hats... so I thought you might like one of your own. What do you think?"
Virizion had to grin at Haru's detective work with his interest. As expected, she got an item that was both tasteful and something he would actually like... so he leaned forward without an answer and allowed Haru to put it on his head and tie it under his chin.
Holding up a mirror so he could see himself, Haru asked, "w-what do you think?" Haru thought it made him look rather dashing!
Virizion looked at himself in the mirror from both sides and then the front, and said, "it's... interesting. I never imagined myself wearing a hat."
Haru giggled, relieved that he seemed to like it, "I think it makes you look very handsome!"
Virizion blinked at that, blushing a little, then shaking his head, "I-Is that so? I suppose that's a good thing..."
"I bet if you went into the Musical tomorrow you'd get a LOT of fangirls, Virizion," Haru teased.
"I don't know what a 'fangirl' is, but if it involves them coming close enough to touch me, then I am not going anywhere near that place," Virizion made a hilarious expression which caused Haru to laugh hard.
"I-I'll protect you from the fangirls, I'm your knight after all!" Haru giggled, unable to contain her laughter.
"Hmph, humans."
Haru couldn't help but laugh even more.
In the end, they didn't go to the musical, but Virizion followed Haru outside of his Pokeball with his hat on to the Prop stall to get hats for Cobalion and Terrakion. Not only was he a legendary Pokémon, he was a legendary Pokémon rocking a sweet hat, so of course he got a lot of attention.
"Whose that Pokémon?"
"Ohmygosh, that's a Virizion!"
"Oh, it's so pretty!"
"Its wearing a hat, maybe that girl is its trainer?"
"Waaa~! A Virizion!"
Despite the fact that none of the humans came close, Virizion felt extremely uncomfortable with the people gawking at him. Honestly, hadn't they seen his kind before?
Haru, who had expected the crowd, merely gave them a look that clearly told the gathering people not to get close to Virizion lest they want to get hurt, but otherwise ignored them. Picking up a blue hat, she held it up for Virizion to inspect, "think Cobalion would like this one?"
"Get a white feather on it, so it matches," Virizion replied in response, which Haru did and held it up for him to inspect. "Perfect."
She purchased it and then pondered what to give Terrakion; he had little horns on his head almost like a hat already... then she realised she could modify it with holes for his horns and decided to get a grey hat for him. Holding it up for Virizion to inspect, he nodded.
Purchasing the hats, Haru put them away and said, "we'd better move before your admirers get too close for comfort."
"Indeed," Virizion glanced at the gathering crowd once before being withdrawn into his Pokeball. Haru put it on her belt. It was then that she was surrounded by people all clamouring to know where she had captured Virizion or wanted to pet him. Overwhelmed, Haru managed to break out of the circle and run away.
"Uuugh, I'm tired..."
The Pokémon Healer flopped on her couch with a rather amused Virizion settled in his spot on the lounge room floor.
"It's like being in Johto with Entei all over again..."
"You've had this happen before?"
"I took Entei out of its Pokeball to get a check up at the Pokémon centre and was swarmed... I guess it can't be helped. Legendary Pokémon are like idols..."
Haru looked over at Virizion who looked rather smug at that, "you look like you enjoyed all that attention," she teased.
"I did not!" Virizion huffed.
"Did too," Haru teased right back, lying on her stomach and crossing her feet in the air.
"You try my patience, human," Virizion glared, but Haru just stuck her tongue out at him.
"You're just too proud to admit that you like being admired," she pointed out.
Virizion snorted at that. Part of him did like being admired, but it had been so long since humans had done it with respect rather than with desire...
"I admire you," Haru grinned.
The Grasslands Pokémon looked up at her then, "you do it with respect, not desire."
Aah, so that was the trouble! Haru looked a little sad at that, knowing the tales of humans who had sought out the legendary Pokémon for power rather than companionship.
"What about the people in town today?"
Virizion pondered that. He had tried not to pay them too much attention... but he eventually said, "it was a mixture, but mostly respect."
"There's always going to be those out there who desire what isn't there's to take, after all," Haru grinned, "but I think most people would just have loved seeing you there."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, most people don't get to see legendary Pokémon out in the open like that. They have to go to the legend's locations to do so, and they're not always easy to get to," Haru explained, "so most of them were probably stunned to see one just right there in front of their very eyes. That's why..." she grinned, "you're like idols!"
"I was more surprised that I was worshiped," Virizion looked into the fire, "we were dishonoured, remember?"
"I do, but the people's anger has long since gone. I didn't even know of the hatred towards you until after I met you and did some research when you told me about it," Haru sat up then and came over to sit by her friend, stroking his neck, "don't worry, I'm sure most people, if they see you, will be more than delighted to meet you. I know I was."
Virizion smiled a little at that. Yes, that was true... Haru had not known, and it was acceptable to think most others didn't either.
The next day, Haru presented the other two hats to Cobalion and Terrakion. She made holes on the brown one for Terrakion and put it on his head.
Cobalion seemed rather indifferent to the idea, but Haru thought he looked very dashing in his blue hat. Along with his usual appearance, he gave off a real royalty vibe.
"You look so regal!" Haru said happily.
Terrakion thought the idea was totally stupid and said as much, until Haru put a mirror in front of him so he could look at himself. After that, he declined to comment, but Haru distinctly saw him smile.
Needless to say, the three of them liked their hats. Haru kept them in her house, and decided if she ever took them somewhere, she would give them their hat to wear if they felt like it.