Disclaimer- I don't own Pokemon or anything else.
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Intermission 0- Little Garden -Awakening Will-
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I never was one to believe doing good deeds for others would ever greet good things in return.
All I'd be doing is smiling falsely for those who secretly bare their fangs at me. Especially when it came to me… I could do everything the people here want and still be considered a vile fighting demon only infecting their children.
That truth would never change itself no matter what I do…
From her window, May watched as two second-tier junior high gangs let their over-swelled tensions rise in a huge street brawl.
The girl continued to watch until she heard a few people scream "BARF!" after hitting the ground. When she turned away she instantly found herself outside and in front of the combat zone.
Even though none of the remaining members on either side noticed her, the attacks towards each other grew savage. May had to step back when she watched her peers literally transform into blood-lusting demons that tore away at the others flesh.
Giving out death cries that wasn't of the mortal world.
May cringed in disgust as the two remaining demons finished each other by an impaling through the chest and biting of the neck last breath counter attacks.
When it was all said and done, demons weren't amongst those piles of dead bodies, but those of children lying in a thick puddle of their own blood were the eyes attraction. Gathering the attention of a countless mob of people.
After their cries of sorrow, they all glare May.
"Guh-Wait! I didn't-"
May tenses up when a strong arm grips her right bang from behind. Some voices scream something about shattering a horn, but all back off when the grabber hits the floor.
When I really think about it, I never really enjoyed fighting. It just became something of a second nature I thought nothing of…
Breathing heavily, May tightens her fist and faces her enemies only to display shock when the crowd of people appeared to be nothing more than red-eyed, blackish-purple gel in human shaping.
One of the gel-people extracted their arms to grab at May's wrist, leaving her to evade the three-miss attack while forcefully warding off all those who tried to lunge at her.
Eventually, the girl defeats the crowd with only a good number of bruises to call her own. Sadly, May had to repeat this process twice more when a fresh batch of foes, twice in the originals number, stormed the scene.
…More and more, after each conflict my body aches while that hollow feeling inside me only deepens!
Severely battered, bruised and covered in their "blood", May crushed the head of the last attacker, falling to her knees with heavy breathing.
"That's fine… just keep showing me all you're really good for…" she muttered, only to be welcomed by a countless number of raged gel-people.
May tried to clench her fist in her struggle to get up, but only winced at the numbness in her hand.
And that second nature I was beginning to feel defined me, slowly abandoned me…
The girl gets thrown back from a kick from a more bulky gel-person, making her feel as if she was hit by a speeding vehicle. None of the attackers even wait for her hitting the ground when they began their onslaught.
Rather than feel the agony of her foes ripping away at her, she only heard bitter death cries along with sounds of zapping.
May opens her eyes to meet a clear blue sky where cotton wisped along the playful breeze. Not trying to make sense of the situation, she used what little strength remaining to force herself up.
This would have ended in failure had not two hands, one of them holding a rather large golden ring, touched her cheeks.
"Such a strong will to live. Now I see why those heartless creatures were so aggressive…" a female voice comments.
The warmth emanating from the voice's hand made May forget her usual distrustful instincts and faced the entity calmly…
…And widen her eyes in shock.
The figure before her was that of a woman, yes, she also wore a lovely white gown… But her skin complexion, even her short curly hair, was shrouded in a strong spectrum of light.
"Your battles have come to an end, now please, let your strained spirit rest…"
The odd markings on the ring began to resonate; it wasn't long until May looked as though she never entered injury.
"Nyaa, what a beautiful child!" the entity gushed. "I'm sure your wings are the most envied!"
May blinked twice at this. Leaving the entity to pick herself up and reveal cotton wings that sparked with static. Despite the further look of surprise being expressed, the entity offers out her hand.
"Don't you enjoy your wings?" the entity asked. "With a heart as lovely as yours, you shouldn't be afraid to show them off. Just enjoy the breeze as you set yourself free."
"…Wuh-what kind of stupid question is that?" May answers uneasily. "This is a dream; it really has to be… Asking me if I have wings to fly? I must be really ill…"
The entity remained silent for a moment, continuing to face May's direction until she patted her ring against her free hand.
"Ah! I get it! You're at that point in life where you're very insecure, so insecure your benevolent heart gave you invisible wings! So you don't even know you have them! That really is ama-"
"You're so annoying," May cuts in. "I don't have wings or a pretty soul or whatever! So… so…STOP PRAISING ME AS IF I'M ANYTHING SPECIAL!"
"But if that's the case, then why are you shedding tears of joy?"
May questions this until she felt the heat of her tears rolling down her cheeks. No matter how much she tried to wipe her eyes or make an excuse about them, the tears continued to fall.
The tear flow only strengthened when the entity enwrapped her in a tender hug.
"My, my today's youth is in such a rush to be so grown." The entity replies, ignoring the fact May was struggling to push free. "Though they have the cool individual part down-pat, there seems to be a huge factor that makes you look like a silly, immature child…"
With tears still running down her cheeks, May stopped struggling and let the entity tighten her hold.
"Still haven't guessed it?" the entity teased. "Being mature is something anyone can do, but conveying what's in your heart is something only the truly grown can accomplish. Be it through your fist or your powerful words, everything fueling those actions come straight from the colors reflected in your heart… Don't hide that, control them."
The entity released her hold on May, only to step back and hide her hands behind her back. "Oh! It looks like the tears stopped." She said. "Chaining down your heart with so much regret doesn't suite you. You're looking a bit refreshed though, maybe next time a smile might be along the horizon, right?"
May's only response to this was wiping any remaining tears with indifference.
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The cheerful chirping of Pidgeys played a great role in the coloring of the wonderful afternoon scene. Though it would've been an excellent moment for children to be outside playing, May Hiromi rested soundly in bed.
Waking up in discomfort, the girl sat up, quickly takes note of the warm tears that stained her cheeks. This was followed by the realization of a covered plate of soup on her dresser…
I was never one to complain about wishing life were more convenient. This was the world we lived in, just accept it and move on.
…And finally, a sticky-pad note that fell from her forehead.
The ink was a little blurred but still readable:
"May,
Temperature has fallen near normal, accepted a call-in with overtime from work for you to ease when you awake. Please rest and eat lots of nutritious soup to fight the fever! Reheat for best results. Don't lose spirit!
-Mom."
"Right… I remember now…" May voiced groggily. "Rumors of a flu that brings warning of season change hit town and caught it… Acted like it was nothing and told her to bug off. Everything got hazy later on and body just got heavy… I really thought--And even after all of that…"
Since reality never changes, is this why we dream? Yes, that must be it; I would never cry otherwise.
But if that's the case…
May opens her window-sill being greeted by a very refreshing breeze. She couldn't explain it, but those usual surroundings of the outside world seemed so much more, "agreeable" than usual.
Why do I feel as if a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders?
Basking a bit more in the cool air, May began to think back to a situation a couple of years ago when Mrs. Hiromi was cleaning a very nasty cut on May's knee.
The girl did nothing but hold back that urge to scream and release those tears welling in her eyes, leaving Mrs. Hiromi to chuckle and say: "You shouldn't keep swallowing that, after all, crying makes your heart lighter and a light-hearted person is the only type who have the courage to spread their wings to realize their fullest dreams."
As she stared into that cloudless blue sky, even if it was for a brief moment, May actually to believe those words when her hand grasped out to snatch what it could never reach…
"Is it really that simple? Is that all that is needed?" she murmured. Her vain attempt finally ends when her stomach growls, leaving her to taste Mrs. Hiromi's nutritious, but very cold soup.
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It didn't happen immediately, but as days went by, dreaming became almost a deeply welcomed activity to me.
Be it being lost in thoughts I never gave a thought to, or letting myself fall into those deep periods of slumber, a dream would somehow follow these actions.
And in every dream, my location is always in that green pasture, that seems to shine with greater beauty each time I visit. Along with that cotton-winged angel, who would greet me every time.
Balls of cotton danced freely along the playful breeze as May enjoyed a picnic with the cotton-winged entity she's grown so used to.
The entity had her large golden ring placed close to her side as she sipped tea.
"Such a big mug; are you sure you wouldn't like tea instead?" she addressed May. "Drinking coffee at your age stops your growth."
The entity sighed and helped herself to three crackers while May continued to gulp down her drink with little concern.
"This place really is beautiful…" May voiced. "It's hard to believe I dreamt up something like this…"
The girl was taken aback when a cluster of cotton balls stop playing with the breeze and begin to hover around her.
"What's hard to believe?" the entity argued. "Of all the places I visited, I have to say the radiance this world emits makes me visit it the most."
"Makes sense, no way could I ever dream of someone like you."
The entity takes one final sip of her tea before placing it back in its holder. She then takes a small breath while staring at the sky.
"…This world really is beautiful, but it's nothing more than a well-decorated pillar in museum full of graffiti. When I really think about it, it's not the radiance of this strip of soul that draws me to it, but the fact that its unique enough to stomach four conscious beings…"
The entity jumps when May stares at her in confusion.
"M-maybe I should start from the beginning…" the entity said. "Each person is born with set characteristics that make them whole. And here, their soul reflects that mentality creating these dream zones for their spiritual consciousness to be secure when the physical consciousness rests. As the persons thoughts intensifies so does the world the soul creates, this can be enjoyable as it can be problematic."
The entity shakes her head sadly before continuing. "Watching a once sunny world turn into a place of pure malice is a painstaking one…" she continues. "The story of yours and a few others are ones that baffles and fears even the most experienced."
"Heh, you're speaking over my head, so this doesn't concern me in the least."
The balls of cotton circling May spread out while picking up speed before unleashing a strong surge of electricity that forced down a winged beast that lacked any qualifications of a Pokemon. This act startled May as much as it left her without a beverage.
"There's no doubt about it, you might be the conscious body but whatever glimmer of hope flickers, whatever trickle of doubt sways your heart, it becomes food for the ones of Ether and Aer to continue their fierce battle." The entity replies.
"Wh-what are you talking about?!" May fumes. "What battle? What consuming? It's just us and…" May gets a good look at the downed creature and spilled coffee before an X-shaped vein pulsated on the left side of her head. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ANYWAY?!"
"I already said it, you ARE the true consciousness of this world, but this field that seems never ending to you, is nothing but a strip of hope in a ravaged soul." The entity explains. "Though I'm pretty sure it has to do with events in the physical realm, there are a good number of forcefully tainted worlds that have sprouted up over the years containing a parasite-like entity that corrupts the thoughts of conscious beings… The tainted world and parasite would usually waste away with the weakened conscious being but to have two-"
"…Just answer me this… you said I had four conscious beings…"
The entity turned her face away from May. "…The third is just the cries of a deceitful creature too weak to act against the other two…"
May didn't know how to react to this until she looked out towards the horizon of her world… Viewing not a sunset in the mountains, but a once lovely sky crack and crumble… Slowly but surely, revealing a vortex rippling with red thunder.
The realization of the matter overwhelmed May so deeply she vomited. After a small recovery of bearings, small chuckling managed to escape her being.
The tears she revealed when standing however, revealed otherwise…
"So I really am some kind of monster…" May muttered. "Is this where you kill me for the sake of humanity? You had a good enough time pretending to like me, so just finish me off already! I'm only a troublesome monster after all!"
"…I won't let any harm befall you…" the entity voiced to May surprise. "A precious child like you, a lovely zone like this, I will do everything in my power to protect you!"
Though choosing to rub her eyes over voicing anything, the feelings of relief soothing May was pretty apparent.
The entity watched this with growing relief herself.
"This still feels hard to swallow… but I-" wiping the last bit of her tears, May faces the entity with determination. "Three parasites… I won't let them run around as they please with me any longer!"
"Wh-DO NOT SEEK OUT THE ONES OF ETHER OR AER!!" the entity shouted. "Though both will kill you on sight, the Ether one only wishes to consume you, while the one of Aer-"
The entity shields her face when a piercing gust of wind that shredded everything in its path circles May's body.
"So I should be an emotionless vegetable now that I know this? Didn't you tell me this world reflects whatever my heart truly feels without my control?" May countered. "This MY world! I'll… Only I… Will change this world under MY terms and only that! I'll make it so that no one will be confused or afraid and everyone is welcome to come! Even Pokemon like the one you always have hovering around you will be more than welcome to play and stay! SIMPLY BECAUSE I AND NO ONE ELSE WILL ALLOW IT!!"
The wind continues to rip through the atmosphere, intensifying just enough to reveal the wool Pokemon Mareep. The frightened creature hastily hid behind the entity until it all finally died down.
Both, entity and Mareep stared at the panting child, jumping lightly when she faces them.
"…I… I don't have wings… I'm not amazing… But! This… THIS IS WHAT I WANT! I'll morph my whole heart; this field is all you'll see from here to the end of the horizon… I swear it!"
May marches off leaving the entity with her turn to digest current events.
"Always hovering around me… All this time you…" a small chuckle escapes her being as she pets her loyal Mareep. "You become a vegetable? In a matter of minutes you blew me away with a hurricane of emotions… That's as spectacular as it is unbearably destructive."
Watching the sky mend itself, the entity gratefully accepted Mareep's passing of her ring and picked herself up to spread her cotton wings.
"This is your world after all, seize it! The door to your heart is fragile but yearns for those wild emotions! Spread those invisible wings and grasp your dreams!"
End Intermission
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(Notes)
To be honest, this chapter, well the concept of it, was actually supposed to be a flashback that took place within Chapter 0 Part C. But due to planning and wanting to cut page length it was dropped…
Dropped but not forgotten. This chapter was refurbished and is made to take place between the events of Chapter 0 Part B and C. becoming an explanation of past and framework of the future.
Until Chapter 1...