Author's Note: It's periodical cicada season where I live! And I immediately thought of Aaron and Lucian. Yeesh. But seriously, cicadas fascinate me. I moved one freshly-molted guy from the porch to the weeds so it could grow out in its natural surroundings, and it kept climbing up my arm like it didn't want to leave me. Precious creepy babby. I love bugs.
This was going to preface a larger story about the changing Elite Four, but I gave up on that. Keeping this one around because I still like it. I sure do miss writing Lucian.
The late May warmth had come at last, and Lily of the Valley Island's namesake flower began to bloom. Summer was an extra joyous season in Sinnoh, between the bright sunshine, beautiful clear skies and flowers everywhere, and the eager bustling of trainers preparing for the annual tournament, which would be held in August. The gym leaders were making arrangements for the summer rush, and the Elite Four got their schedules for region-wide appearances and demonstrations.
It was all routine to Lucian. In fact, he didn't have many feelings about it at all. He was more interested in savoring afternoon tea with one of his most treasured books, despite the fact that he'd read it many times already. This young adult tale was about a girl who ran away and fell in with a nest of dratini, and found herself inducted into a clan of dragon trainers. It comforted him. He didn't want to think about his hundredth appearance in Canalave; he wanted to lose himself in one of his favorite settings while relaxing in the plushest armchair of the Elites' lobby.
Some chattering from Aaron and Bertha made him glance up. They were passing by, though they stopped when Bertha said, "Just what are you doing inside on a beautiful day, Lucian?"
It was obvious to all, so he just raised an eyebrow at her. Bertha smiled knowingly. "Why don't you go show him what you were telling me about?" she suggested to Aaron.
"Aw, he doesn't want to go look at some bugs out in the woods," Aaron scoffed. "Right?"
"But it's interesting. And Lucian likes interesting things. Besides, I'm not quite up to such a long walk." Bertha patted his bare arm.
Lucian knew Bertha could ride anywhere on her hippowdon, but he kept that to himself. Politely, he bookmarked his page and rested the novel in his lap. "I do like learning about things. What is it, Aaron?"
"Well..." Aaron removed one hand from his orange pants pockets to scratch his head. "The periodical nincada are emerging this year, and I've been going out to watch 'em."
"Periodical nincada?"
"Yeah, a special brood, not like typical nincada. They live underground for seventeen years, and they're just now coming out to climb trees and evolve into ninjask."
"That's quite a long time." Lucian finished off his tea. "I would like to see them."
Aaron's whole face lit up. "Yeah? I mean... if you want." He quickly adopted a nonchalant expression again. "Don't wanna bother you if you're absorbed in reading. I know how it is."
Bertha patted Aaron's arm again fondly. "I'll leave you boys to it." And she went on her way.
Lucian stood up, smoothing the creases in his jacket. Aaron watched him for a moment. "No, really, don't let me interrupt you," he said guiltily.
"It's fine. I've read it before, and I'm only doing it again to take my mind off something. A walk on a nice day sounds better." Lucian smiled at his junior.
Bright sunlight would normally bother Lucian, but his tinted glasses helped. The aroma of flowers filled the air, which was most pleasant to his senses. He preferred spending time indoors, but he liked the reminder that a rare warm day did just as well to put him at ease.
"So, like..." Aaron said after they had walked in enough silence. "I'm scheduled for a bunch of appearances in Eterna this summer. What's up with that? Haven't I been associated with that city enough?"
"We all have trademark towns," Lucian said. "I'm from Canalave, Flint's from Sunyshore, you're the former Eterna gym leader..."
"Bertha's from Eterna too, originally. I just thought I'd be going around Sinnoh a lot more. Or, you know, do stuff in Jubilife where all the action is."
"I'm going to Jubilife in July. I'll trade you."
"Man..." Aaron mumbled. "I can't believe I've been an Elite for a whole year now. Time really flew by."
"Has it really been a year?" Lucian mused. "Doesn't seem like it."
"Right? I'm ready to be Champion now."
Lucian, who had challenged Cynthia frequently throughout her Championship, just smiled at his colleague's impetuousness. "You need a few more years of experience before you can defeat her."
"Or a secret weapon." Aaron grinned. "I'm working on some stuff. Just you wait."
Lucian adjusted his glasses. It was true that Aaron had many strategies and shrewd tactics, else he wouldn't have made it to the Elites while specializing in the fragile bug type. Maybe he could figure out a way to take down Cynthia's solid, varied team. Though Lucian doubted it. If he, an Elite for seven years, hadn't yet defeated her, Aaron wouldn't have much luck, either.
They reached the edge of a wooded area some distance from the Elite headquarters and the huge stadium it overlooked. It didn't even seem like the same island. Despite being the home of the Sinnoh League Tournament, Lily of the Valley Island was still a remote place of tiny villages and thriving nature. Sometimes Lucian forgot, as little as he left the cathedral. He gazed up at the budding trees, brilliant emerald green even with the violet tint of his lenses.
He sneezed. He also forgot, in his reclusiveness, about springtime pollen.
Aaron pointed to brown exoskeletons clinging to the tree trunks. "See? Nincada emerge from the ground here—" He gestured to a series of holes in the ground— "and attach themselves to the bark until they evolve. Then ninjask come out and fly off. They're almost impossible to catch, since they're so fast."
"Hmm. Evolution at its most primal," Lucian remarked, leaning a little closer to examine the large abandoned husk.
"Yeah." Aaron looked around. "Ooh, look here! This one's emerging!" He tugged on Lucian's sleeve.
Lucian had been prepared to look at some bug pokemon, which, as anyone knew, were much larger than normal insects. He'd interacted with Aaron's bugs, even, both on and off the battlefield. They didn't bother him, being so well-trained. The winged ones were lovely, even. But Lucian was not at all prepared to be faced with a two-foot, beady-eyed ninjask wriggling its way out of the shell of its former self. He gasped loudly and clutched Aaron's arm.
The bug master laughed. "Don't worry, it won't bite you or anything. It's concentrating on getting free. Then it has to wait for its wings to stretch out and dry." He pointed to another ninjask higher up on the tree. It wasn't near any of the empty husks, and, compared to the teneral, looked fully formed with its wings and black body.
"Why is this one still white?" Lucian asked.
"That's how they look when they come out. They turn black as their wings unfurl."
"Fascinating," Lucian mumbled. Which it was, but it was also alarmingly creepy to be so close to those gleaming red eyes. Though he'd let go of Aaron, he stuck close behind him.
Aaron was visibly amused. "Isn't it? I love that you can actually watch them evolve. It's not a sudden transformation like most pokemon. I really hope I can catch one. I like ninjask, but one of these periodical ones would be extra special."
"Well, catch that one up there before it flies off." Lucian pointed to the black one, hoping he would get it over with.
"Uh... I didn't bring any pokeballs."
Lucian gave him a long look. "To be an Elite is to always be prepared, Aaron."
"Hey, I didn't even think we were coming out here!" Aaron crossed his arms sulkily. "I'll come back alone when I'm ready for an actual capture. I want to bond with just the right one."
"You haven't already, as much as you come here?"
Abruptly, the black ninjask launched itself from the tree and zoomed just over the taller Lucian's head with a deafening buzz. He yelped and ducked, covering himself. "Oh holy Arceus!" he cried.
Aaron stifled his laughter. "I told you, they're too fast. You have to catch them before they fly off, but not before they're done filling out. I'll need to find the right one who wants to be my pokemon."
Shakily, Lucian stood up straight, smoothing his hair and adjusting his glasses. "W-well, good luck with that. But you're the bug master. I'm sure you can do it."
At his dismissive tone, Aaron pouted. "Man, I didn't think you'd be so freaked out. I just wanted to share this rare event with someone. But Flint's not around, Bertha obviously didn't feel like it, Cynthia flat out refused..." He kicked at the ground. "This is so cool and special, and nobody cares but me."
Lucian composed himself as quickly as he could, feeling a pang of sympathy for the youngest Elite, who never disguised his unending passion for all things bug-related. "I'm sorry. It is special, you're right. I do care. You'll just have to forgive me for being a little jumpy when a ninjask dive-bombs my head. Psychic-types are weak to bug-types, you know."
"Oh, I know." Aaron smirked. "I remember beating you in a couple of battles."
"You got lucky, is all." Lucian smirked back.
"No, I got stronger. That's how I know I can win against Cynthia someday. Because I can beat you."
Lucian's smile faded. Aaron had always been cocky, but now he was rubbing it in. Lucian couldn't accept a still-junior Elite winning what he never could. All the Elites were rivals for Championship — except Bertha, who never wanted that kind of fame. Lucian and Flint had both been working towards this goal in recent years; Aaron, joining their ranks just one year ago, couldn't possibly be on their level. Except, with how he was talking about secret weapons and strategies, he was catching up faster than either of them had. He had ambition and youth on his side, and he very well could rival his seniors.
How had he grown so fast? A year was like the blink of an eye. A year had seen Aaron come such a long way, while nothing had changed for Lucian at all.
"Hey, I'm just teasing," Aaron said suddenly. "You've beaten me plenty of times too. You're still the strongest pokemon master in all of Sinnoh... right after her."
"I know." Lucian watched the white ninjask. It had finally wriggled free of its exoskeleton. Its wings were more stretched out, its body a little darker. The brown shell it left behind was a perfect replica of its form. Lucian knew that standard ninjask remains were indeed a kind of substitute pokemon that had a life of their own, in the way some ghost-type pokemon "lived." He wondered if these periodical ninjask husks became special shedinja. And he also wondered how it would feel if the ghost of your former self was sentient, and you could converse with it.
"You wanna hear something kind of dorky?" Aaron interrupted his contemplation.
"Hmm? Sure."
"I like these seventeen-year ones so much because I can relate to them. All these nincada spent my entire lifetime underground, and they're just now coming out to evolve. That's what I'm going to do this summer. My seventeen years are up." He looked around at all the ninjask and their shells clinging to the trees, as far as the eye could see.
"Didn't you just turn eighteen?" Lucian asked.
"Yeah. See? I'm a year behind. Or maybe your first year of life doesn't count. Whatever!" Aaron grinned. "Anyway, I'm really going to make some changes and evolve. I survived one year in the Elites and I'm still going strong, but I don't want to hit a plateau. I'm going to be the Sinnoh Champion... or do something else great. Can't stay an Elite forever."
Lucian frowned, a contrast to Aaron's enthusiastic speech and resolutely clenched fists. "No," he said softly, "you don't want to plateau."
Aaron looked over at him. "I wasn't saying you have. I just— you know what I mean, right?"
"I get it, you can't stay in one place too long. Barely a gym leader long enough before you tried out for the Elites. Not an Elite for a year before you've got designs for Championship. And then that won't be enough."
"What's wrong with having goals? Isn't that the whole point of what we do?"
"Goals are fine, but so is stability and reputation. The League expects their Champion to be someone dependable, the face of the region for a long time, so the next wave has someone to look up to. You won't be able to win a title and then flounce off to Hoenn or somewhere for your next adventure."
"I know that," Aaron mumbled.
"Do you?" Lucian couldn't stop himself from ranting. "Could you be the Champion for as many years as Cynthia has? Could you constantly train yourself to defend your title against every challenger who comes at you with an advantage? Because I guarantee Flint would take it away from you in an instant if you don't."
Aaron's pretty face bore a scowl. "Could you? Is that why you haven't beaten her yet? Are you afraid of losing all that stability?"
"I—" Lucian was taken aback.
"Better to stay top Elite for years than risk being a famous Champion, in the public eye way more?" Aaron didn't look at him, which Lucian couldn't tell was better or worse. "Everything changes, and it happens fast. You can't cling to your position forever just because you're scared."
It stung. It gripped him and stung just like a skorupi. When did Aaron, a naive and cheerful newcomer just one year ago, become so perceptive and so deadly?
He closed his wide green eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry, Lucian. You kinda pissed me off. Hopefully I'm wrong about you." He turned on his heel. "Gonna go back and make sure I have enough net balls."
"I'm… going to walk around some more," Lucian said quietly. "Since it's so nice out."
Already shaken, it didn't help when another ninjask buzzed over his head, zooming past the departing Aaron and off into the great blue sky. Lucian held a hand to his chest, as though that would calm his racing heart. He turned to the tree again, and realized the ninjask that had just flown off was the newly-molted one. It, too, had finished its evolution and moved on far too fast.
Whether or not the husk was a sentient shedinja, the ninjask had left its former self behind. Lucian stared at it, trying not to think about Aaron's piercing accusation, but about the lifespan of these special nincada instead. Surely Lucian, too, had changed in seventeen years? He thought of himself at age eleven, spending most of his time at the library, the biggest one in Sinnoh that made him proud of his hometown. He remembered not wanting to leave Canalave particularly, since it had everything he needed. Being accepted into the Elite Four, however, was fair compensation to move to an isolated island. Was that the last thing that had changed for him?
He also recalled that age eleven was when he'd first read the Dratinisinger book. The same one he reread to this day, despite knowing the story by heart. Could he help it if he liked revisiting his favorite books? Wasn't that the mark of a good story and the point of collecting them?
But the truth was he couldn't let go, he couldn't move forward, and he'd never change. Seventeen years, and he was pretty much the same person, plus a mastery of psychic pokemon and a title. A title he couldn't bear to give up. What would his eleven-year-old self think of him?
His entire thin body clenched, while his gaze remained transfixed on the unmoving shedinja. Something was going to change. He had no precognition, or any other psychic powers, but he knew, somehow, that this summer would be different.