Chapter 2 – Part 2
-Carmine's Thoughts-
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'The name's Carmine. Pleased to meet you.'
…Is what my mother would expect me to say.
Ya, my name's Carmine, what of it? It's not like you'll tell me yours, this is only paper, after all. Now shoo, I have…things to do.
…
Get lost already.
… … …
…Alright, I admit it. I actually have nothing to do, there's nothing to look at that I haven't gone over a billion times, there's no one I know well enough to talk to, and that Croagunk over there is continually looking over his shoulder and flashing me a creepy grin. Freakin' pedophile.
…
This isn't how I imagined things, y'know, though I'm not sure what I expected. When I left my small, untidy village (does a gathering of 4 familys even constitute a settlement?), with starry eyes and little to no idea how dangerous the world can be, I thought making my way in the world would be easy, easy and full of glorious adventure. I was, I admit, full of tales that had no bearing on the real world.
Let's back up a bit.
I'm not sure who my real parents are, but my egg was found floating down the river, and my soon-to-be uncle managed to fish it out. Not really sure what to do with me, he brought the egg home, much to the surprise (and annoyance) of his friend Flareon, Elly. At first, she wanted to crack open the egg and have it scrambled, for breakfast. But, after leaving me by the doorway for the night, she realized she could feel a slight heat from the shell (Flareons, being fire types, are sensitive to heat), and, suspecting that I was alive, warmed the shell by lying against it for several weeks, until one day, I hatched. Woopty doo.
Elly, and Chagrin, the Graveler, eventually became my mother and uncle (reluctantly, in my mother's case, and Chagrin is technically my adopted father, but an uncle suits him better). I was always a timid child, Torkoal, the ancient story-teller, said that it might have had something to do with how the river had carried my egg downstream. That might be possible, because although I'm scared of everything, water remains my greatest fear.
To cover up my scaredy-cat ways, I adopted a bully-ish façade, talking down to the other kids in the village, baring my teeth at anyone who laughed at how easily startled I was, and pretty much throwing my weight around. Well, as much as I could get away with.
Eventually, I went too far and used an Ember on that stupid Wurmple. He deserved it, you know, he led a band of his 'forest friends' and tied me up. Said he was gonna just 'see how tough you are hangin' upside down!' I tell ya, I was so scared, I was shaking. It wasn't easy to hold up that façade in the first place, but in that 'situation,' it just dissolved like a barleycorn in a strainer.
However, after they had their fun calling me names and talkin' down to me, they start poking me with sticks. And, while they're do'in that, that damn Wurmple waltzes right up to my face, and he…he…uh…
…
Geez, I can't remember. Well, anyhow, to cut a long story short, I nailed him in the face, and then he goes home and tells his papa an' mama some phony story about how I ambushed him and his friends and almost killed him. His parents were all 'Holy branches! We gotts to punish that evil cre-a-ture!' and called a town meeting about my 'destructive conduct,' or something.
My mother, the Flareon, was pretty darn pissed at what I'd 'supposedly' done, and forbade me from going outside the house, said that she was going to 'put a stop to this unreasonably masculine and unseemingly behaviour!'
At the time, I had no idea what was coming. Speaking lessons! She weeded the slang out of my speech, but not out of my thoughts, praise the creator. Walking lessons! No more slouching, not for me, ever since she forced those lessons on me. 'Walk to the wall! No, keep the shoulders straight! Stop dragging your tails!...Okay, now walk back- stop slouching!' Sleeping lessons. Now these were my favourite. Every time she woke up and heard me snoring, she'd come over and hit me. Yeah, she actually did.
Gradually, I dropped the bully act and became something resembling a princess. A tame, mild as milk, slightly dim-witted barking princess! AAAAGH! Inside, I seethed with anger. My crazy mother had stripped away every wall, every bluff that I had between my timid, run-from-water self, and my masks, my beautiful, cool-faced facades.
…
Well, maybe I am grateful to my mother, if not for her, I'd probably be still running from reality, and from my true self. Instead of changing myself, I ran from myself, truly. However, thanks to my lessons, I now know who I am. And, being true to myself, I no longer 'deceive' myself. Really, mother, thanks. Thanks for stopping me from becoming an average, run-of-the-mill cowardly criminal.
Back to the story. At that time, after finally being let out of the house by Elly, who was satisfied by my transformation, I held none of the 'sentiments' I hold now. I thought she had made me something lesser, something that wouldn't be able to do anything. I thought I had become an emotionally weak, wretched creature, and I blamed her for it.
So, I ran. I remembered old Torkoal's tales of adventure, and imagined myself great, so great, and then coming back to the village, and dazzling them with my awesomeness. With stars in my eyes, I sneaked away some food, 'borrowed' some Poke, and set off! To…
…
About three or so miles away from my village, I suddenly realized I had no idea where to go, and night was coming on fast. I panicked, slightly at first, but it mounted as the sun fell from the sky. I blundered into the forest, and eventually wriggled into a hollow space beneath a spreading oak, as I no longer had the will to continue. I fell into an uncomfortable sleep (who wouldn't be uncomfortable with tree roots digging into their backside?!), and was awoken by someone prodding me with a stick. I was startled, and pressed myself back as far as I would go. However, peeking through the sort of 'archway' between the roots, I saw my attacker was a worried-looking Cherubi. She managed to calm me down, and easily lured me out of the tree with an Oran pancake, which I'm a little ashamed to admit.
She asked me where I was headed; I replied that I honestly didn't know. The Cherubi was a little surprised, and then flatly asked me what I was thinking when I left home. I tell ya, I must have been red as a beet. I mumbled something about wanting to become an explorer. She smiled, clearly amused (at my expense) and replied that all explorers are required to apprentice at a Guild before they are allowed to operate. And then, in a wonderful act of kindness, she offered to let me ride with her and her caravan to Treasure Town, where I could apprentice at the Guild there (*Sob* I was so touched).
We reached the town a few days later. We said goodbye, hope we meet again, yada-yada-yada. She left me standing beside the Kecleon shop, whom she had just made a delivery to. After politely asking the green chameleon which way the Guild was, I set off.
At first glance, the Guild was rather forbidding, at second glance, it freakin' loomed. I approached, in mounting terror, the sentry post (the Cherubi didn't know much about the Guild, but she had heard about the sentry post from a Persian). I had thought I had gotten my cowardly nature under control during they ride to Treasure Town, but apparently not. Hearing that booming voice from such a dark hole made me mindful of an old story that Torkoal had told me, a story about Giratina the demon and the Great Abyss. I thought I saw a spiked wing, and bolted.
I ran through Treasure Town, all the way to a cliff (which over-saw the ocean), where I caught my breath. Looking down at the waves, I actually half-thought about giving up, but no, I wanted to be an explorer so badly. After contemplating for a while, I realized that I needed to get my nerve up in order to face down that terrifying voice. So I sat there, staring at the waves, trying to psyche myself. For a while. Alright, a long time. When the sun touched the horizon, I reluctantly admitted that I wasn't going to be able to apply today, and looked around for someplace to stay. I brushed past some bushes on the way back to Treasure Town, and, much to my surprise, one of my feet didn't stop at the ground, so I overbalanced and fell through the 'bush.'
I tumbled down a few dozen stairs, and landed in a strange cavern. There was a large opening in the far side, which I realized was the cliff side, a fountain in the shape of an anchor, and a few barrels by the doorway (which I had just fallen through). There were no signs of belongings, and the barrels looked rather old, so I decided that that place was unlived in, and cleared out a space beside the barrels for my bed, as far away from the open cliffside as possible.
The next day, I tried to apply again, with the same results as the day before. Same with the day after that. And the one after.
Three days later, I hadn't gotten any closer to conquering my fear, and I had run out of Poke. So, thinking that 'today is the day!' and 'It's now or never!' I grabbed my good luck charm, and sped towards the Guild as if I had left a harvest worth of barleycorn there.
However, stepping onto that grate, I felt the same old fear as before clawing at my belly. I managed to stand a little longer, convincing myself that my 'good luck charm' would not be so easily thwarted, but, in the end, I thought the darkness seemed to be bending towards me, and I ran, carefully holding the 'relic fragment' in my teeth.
I arrived at the beach, heart still beating wildly. I dropped my carved rock in the sand and plopped down with a slight oomph. I stared at the waves, the sunset, the bubbles, and rotted in despair. How can I do this? I thought. It is beyond me. I tell ya, I had to bite back tears. I let my gaze wander, along the beach, along the redstone clifftop, along the dead body lying on the tideline, and at the infamous Beach Cave's rugged archway.
Wait, dead body? Are you serious?! Holy Milktank, holy Milktank, holy Milktank.
After running in circles for a while, I gradually calmed down. I let out a breath. 'Welp,' I thought to myself. 'There's nothing for it but to see if he's dead. Steel yourself, Carmine!' I gingerly approached the small blue-y creature. 'Hey,' I poked him. 'Hey, are you alright?' Crimson eyes snapped open, the nutty creature leaped to his feet.
Funny, the Riolu thought he was human! I'm still laughing over that, and at the time it took every inch of lady training I got from my mother to keep from 'rolling on the floor laughing.' I was about to take him up to 'ol Kangas' for a cup of taf and a whack to the head, when someone whacked my head and I went crashing into Caleb (that's the Riolu's name). I got up and was yellin' at them when I realized that they were mugging me! Yeah, me! The one pokemon in this entire town with no Poke! I tell ya, I was half amazed, half rooted to the ground in horror as they walked past me an' Caleb, carrying a certain rocky something with a pattern on it. It was my Relic Fragment. As you can imagine, I was full of reckless 'wrath.'
Oh-oh-oh? Caleb's awake! Sorry, but we'll have to cut this short, maybe later, okay?
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I've stared at that last paragraph for a month or two, and I've decided to post it, carry on with the story, and continue it later. Review, please!
Signed, BrazenVulpine~