"Hello,
I've got something to tell you,
But it's crazy,
I've got something to show you...,"
-Another Believer; by Rufus Wainwright
Nova wanted to put as much distance between herself and those people as possible. She wasn't really in a friendly mood, given the circumstances. How was she supposed to interact with them? Nova looked terrible, and then she's faced with having to talk to three random kids, who may or may not be working with whoever caused the rioting in Meridian. Nova wasn't ready to deal with other people yet. A good part of her knew that she'd have to think of something to get her home back to the way it had been, to stop whatever madness was occurring. That also meant she'd have to rely on other people.
Who was Nova supposed to trust? That was the real question.
Sighing, Nova held her satchel close to her. That was another thing — Nova had no clue what the importance of the satchel was. The only thing she knew was that it housed Pichu until she could find some sort of temporary living arrangement. Was there something else in there she was supposed to be aware of? The boy who helped her escape never mentioned anything. Maybe there wasn't anything in the satchel; it was just for Pichu. But. . . .that didn't seem to make much sense.
Nova would've had some sort of opportunity to look in the satchel at the Pokémon Center — it was a possibility, at least — if she had just been given the chance to actually think it over.
Letting out a sigh, Nova tried holding herself together. She couldn't keep herself focused on what she should've done, it'll keep her focus off the more important things.
Once you find somewhere else to rest, you'll be able to see what's in the satchel, she thought worriedly. After you get a few hours of rest first.
Thankfully, there seemed to be some kind of path leading down to the Pokémon Center — not like a manmade path or anything, like a path worn down by travelers — and Nova was happy about that. It gave her an idea of where to go down.
If those guys needed their Pokémon healed, then they probably won't be able to follow me, right? she thought, biting her bottom lip. It was an innocent enough thought. Those people would be too focused on their own Pokémon, they wouldn't be worrying about her. . . .even though she looked awful, and she probably did cause a bit of worry for them.
Sighing, Nova tried pushing the thoughts — those terrible intrusive thoughts — out of her head. It wasn't going to do her good.
Misdreavus seemed to catch on to Nova's behavior, cuddling up to her while it floated.
"I'm overthinking all of this," she sighed, smiling at the Ghost Pokémon. "I'm sorry for making you both worry so much; it's not fair to either of you." Pichu popped its head out of the satchel, looking at Nova worriedly. "You've both had to do so much, go through so much," Nova murmured; she went and gently scratched the top of Pichu's head. "Misdreavus, you're still a wild Pokémon, and you chose to stick around when you didn't have to. And Pichu. . . .this must be horrifying to you. I am so, so sorry."
Pichu let out a soft whine, climbing up Nova's arm and perching on her shoulder. Misdreavus frowned softly before cuddling against her again.
. . . .
"She seemed like she was scared," Dawn said, looking between Ash and Brock worriedly. "Should we go after her?"
"Nurse Joy's almost done with our Pokémon," Brock said firmly, making sure to stay calm. "Once she's done, we'll go after her."
"Looked like she was in that storm," Ash mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I think we should go after her!"
"But she could be anywhere by now!" Dawn exclaimed. "What if we don't find her?"
"We'll figure something out," Ash exclaimed, a determined look spreading across his features. "She couldn't have gone that far, right!"
Before the conversation could carry on any further, Nurse Joy came back — Chansey in tow — with the Trainers' PokéBalls. "Here you guys go," she said cheerfully. "Your Pokémon are in perfect health."
The three said thank you, getting their respective PokéBalls — aside from Pikachu and Piplup, who happily jumped into the open arms of their Trainers — before Ash asked where the next town was.
"Town?" Nurse Joy blinked in slight surprise. "You're actually really close to Era Town."
"Era Town?" Dawn asked.
Smiling, Nurse Joy nodded. "If you check your map, you'll see you entered Meridian," she responded. The confused looks on the young Trainers' faces caused Nurse Joy to look more serious herself. "Meridian is a kingdom that almost neighbors Sinnoh, but not by much. The people of Meridian and the people of Sinnoh hardly ever interact with each other."
"We're in some kind of kingdom?" Brock asked.
Nurse Joy nodded. "Meridian's an ancient kingdom," she informed, "rumored to have formed before even Sinnoh came to be. It's said that the kingdom got its name after Princess Merida, who stopped a war from breaking out with two Legendary Pokémon."
"That's amazing," Dawn exclaimed.
"What Legendary Pokémon were with her?" Ash exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"I think she had Palkia and Dialga." A thoughtful look came across Nurse Joy's face as she thought it over. "Yes, I think that's right. Palkia and Dialga were seen as deities in those days, and are still worshipped in certain parts of Meridian today."
"Maybe that girl was from around here!" Ash said. "She'll probably be able to show us around once we find her."
"She looked like she was from the Capital," Nurse Joy said. "She had that look to her."
"OK!" Ash smiled excitedly to Brock and Dawn. "Let's go to Era Town!"
"I'd be careful if I were you," Nurse Joy added, before the three Trainers left. "There have been uprisings going on lately. The Capital has been receiving the worst of it. I'd say Era Town's a close second."
"Uprisings?" Brock asked.
"You didn't happen to come through any towns or cities on your way here, did you?" Nurse Joy asked.
"No," Dawn said. "Why?"
"You must have come through the fields," she sighed. "That's good, but still dangerous."
"Why?" Ash asked.
"Just. . . .be careful on who you trust, OK?" she asked, worry lacing her words. "Things have been problematic for a while. Stay close to one another, especially with your Pokémon."
(A/N):
I know this chapter should've been up sooner, but I've been having a busy day so I couldn't really have it done when I wanted it to be. Either way, here it is. Ash and the gang briefly met Nova, who ran off before any of them could get to know her. Nurse Joy gave Ash, Dawn, and Brock a brief warning on what's been going on in Meridian lately — I'll be sure to go into a little more detail on the layout of Meridian as the story goes on — and it seems as though Ash, Dawn, and Brock are willing to go find Nova.
Do I own anything in this franchise? No. No I don't.
So! For anyone who's a little confused on this chapter, here's a little explanation. Meridian is relatively close to Sinnoh, and the inhabitants of Sinnoh and Meridian rarely ever interact with each other. Meridian has a capital — where the royal family lives and a lot of the higher class citizens — and the rest of Meridian is left as cities or towns. Palkia and Dialga are worshipped as deities. Is there something I haven't covered that's still a little squishy for anyone? If so, don't hesitate to let me know.
Also, if you have an OC or a subplot you'd like to see added into the story, don't hesitate to PM me or leave a review!
Just tell me if something's confusing and I'll explain it.
Thanks.
Kaia Milligan