~Nameless Supplanter~

Act 7

He smiled weakly.

"That's a cruel joke to say, Nurse Joy."

Her eyes were shut tightly looking away from him. Even with the rain drenching her face he noticed the tears.

"No…" He was speechless. It was over. The dagger dream was coming true.

He collapsed on his knees followed by his bottom, absolutely awestricken.

"I'm—so sorry." choked Nurse Joy.

He turned away from her, looking down at his single fist pressed deeply into his leg.

"Just go, please." he muttered.

"But—" begun Nurse Joy.

"Please!" he cringed.

A moment passed before he heard the bell chime as Nurse Joy left him, unknowing that he didn't own Starmie and it would be only a matter of time before Kasumi heard the news.

He desperately tried to figure a way to salvage this. The hundreds of TVs in his mind filled with different solutions on their screens. One by one their screens shattered when discovered they failed in recovering from this horror. There was no escape from the truth: he was now a murderer.

I… killed Starmie.

Opening his fist he imagined seeing blood on his palms; blood that wasn't his but was Starmie's. The rain wouldn't cleanse it away.

He attempted to block his mind from thinking about what happened. The emotional state was so sickening he threw himself on his free hand and vomited powerfully. The yellow contents he released lay around the base of the bush, slowly being washed away by the rain.

"Yuki." said a voice.

He faced up to see the Yukimenoko from the park floating in front of him.

Yukimenoko looked at him confused and nudged his side with its head.

"I'm not in the mood." he said droningly.

The rain was colder and stronger now, pounding on his back relentlessly. In his condition it felt like hail.

Yukimenoko moved closer and opened its mouth in front of him.

He was expecting another Ice Beam but he didn't move. There was some hope the attack would numb away the dread and depression that consumed him, which he knew was impossible.

"Yu-yuki!" it said.

There was no attack.

Looking at its mouth he saw a red glass-like shard.

"You want me to take this?" he asked.

The floating pokémon nodded.

Hesitantly, he took the red glassy object. Looking at it he assumed it was a fire stone. He guessed the reason for giving him this was some attempt to keep warm from the cold, although fire stones didn't work that way. He then assumed the gesture was a form of a peace treaty.

"Thanks." he whispered, unsure how to feel about the gift.

The pokémon smiled at him and spun up into the sky in a display of ice particles.

"Yuki-Yukimenoko!" it called out before disappearing, bits of snow landing around him.

He looked at the red shard and thought about what drove him to this point. He remembered being at the park and sitting on one of the metal benches while reading his book. Then, for no reason at all, he would look away from his book to see someone walking on the bench's path towards him. It would be the first time he saw Kasumi. He studied her appearance: the fiery red hair, the gentle sea-green eyes, the slim athletic legs, and the modest perky bosom. Her beauty linking with her confident and majestic body language was an orchestra of desire and lust he had never experienced before. Oh how he wanted all of her, the object of obsession. It would all have been his if it weren't for Starmie, battered with its electrical burns, gash, and chipped gem.

Chipped gem.

The shard in his hand, it looked—no, it "was" the chipped portion of Starmie's gem. Nurse Joy had mentioned they couldn't heal Starmie with what they had, which could mean they didn't have something specific.

There was a surge of revelation and hope.

Before he knew it, he dashed into the Pokémon Center knocking by other trainers there. Ignoring their outcry, he entered into the hallway and slammed the doors opened into the room where he saw Starmie. He stood there with labored breath, dripping water all over the floor after having come from the rain. The doctors, both Nurse Joys, and the two Lucky were still there around Starmie, who remained lying on the table.

"What are you—" spoke a doctor.

"Here!" he shouted and thrust his arm forward showing the soaked red shard.

Everyone looked at him oddly.

He was becoming increasingly impatient.

"You said you couldn't heal Starmie with what you had, right?" He looked towards the Nurse Joy who had given him the dire news outside. She was still surprised at his outburst.

One of the doctors, the shortest one there, approached him and leaned to look at the shard in his hand.

"Why, this is—yes! It is!" said the doctor astonishingly.

He shoved the shard into the doctor's hands.

"Then take it! Take it and save Starmie!" he demanded desperately.

The doctor, with the shard in hand, walked quickly over to Starmie and held it above the cracked portion of its gem.

"This looks to be all of it, thankfully. We'll have to work quickly." the doctor motioned to the Lucky and one of them placed a tray for the other to hand the doctor a tool from it.

Nurse Joy, the one who ran the Pokémon Center they were in, quickly left the room. The remaining Nurse Joy stood in his view holding a towel with a look of relief.

"I… am at a loss for words. I can't tell you how happy I am for this miracle." she said tearfully and happily.

"But…" Her voice turned to one of disappointment.

"It pains me greatly to say this but I have to ask you to wait outside again, please." she smiled softly. She had regret in telling him to leave after he was the one who brought in the cure for Starmie.

He wanted to stay and watch but he knew she'd tell him it could interfere with their work.

"Fair enough."

He accepted the towel and wrapped it around himself like a cloak. Walking out of the room and into the hallway, he bit his nail in thought as the Nurse Joy who had left the room earlier returned.

I still have a chance, yes, it isn't over. I already claimed her, nothing can't stop me now.

Having reentered the lobby, he noticed the sisters and the two guys had spotted him. He panicked, having forgotten they were there. No façade of any kind was planned in case he was caught before Starmie was pronounced to be stable.

He had considered running back into the hallway and entering the room he awoke in. Inching back before they could call him, he bumped into someone.

"Ah ha, there you are!" It was the doctor who was watching over him when he was unconscious.

"You had me concerned you ran away in your condition! I need you to come back into the room and await the ambulance that is going to take you to the hospital."

This was his moment to escape from the others. What stopped him from immediately going with the doctor was the thought of being transferred to the hospital, away from whom was to be his. He had to keep the moment of his appearance and injures as fresh as possible. The only way out of this predicament was using the pity plan he came up with outside earlier than intended.

Turning slightly to the group, he saw they were still watching him. Now was the time for him to play with Kasumi's heart. He imagined holding a leaning Kasumi with one arm and his hand thrusting through her chest, plucking and fondling the heart-strings like a lyre to the hypnotic tune of the mermaid from his dream.

I shall enrapture you with the sound of your own melody, my beauty.

He faced the doctor again with great determination in his face.

"I'm sorry; I cannot leave this facility yet. Not until I know of Starmie's condition." he spoke confidently and defiantly just loud enough so the others could hear.

The doctor looked at him as if he were crazy.

"It would be unprofessional of me to let you go like this. They need to examine for any possible trauma and your chest and arm especially."

He had expected this type of answer and used it to his advantage, hoping Kasumi would be able to hear him.

Can you hear it—feel it, my dear?

"You don't understand! I am the reason Starmie is in its current state! My condition was because of me bringing it here by running on foot and being attacked by a random pokémon." he shouted.

He lifted up his shirt to reveal the bandages, bruises, and his casted arm in its sling. There was extra care that he angled himself so Kasumi could see his injuries.

The doctor was about to retort but he interjected first.

"And don't even say I've done enough. You have no idea how I felt inside during this entire excursion. These injuries are minuscule in comparison. If I go to the hospital now I will be unable to rest until I know Starmie will be ok."

Releasing his shirt, he extended his arm toward the doctor sharply.

"So if you want to take me to the hospital then you'll have to do it forcibly, risking further injury to myself. You saw my heart rate when I awoke. Just imagine those machines going off constantly when I am strapped in a hospital bed far away from here awaiting painfully for news of Starmie." He honestly felt he should have won an award with this performance which wasn't finished yet.

The doctor took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead in thought. Listening to the whole speech must have taken a lot out of the old man. He knew there was nothing the doctor could do to stop him and would have to compromise.

"I would still have to say "no" professionally, but I know nothing I say will stop you. If you were willing to trick me to get out of bed for this pokémon, what would stop you from hurting yourself further from escaping the hospital?" sighed the doctor as he placed his glasses back on.

"At the very least, I must ask you to admit yourself to the hospital after your Starmie is well. It would put my old heart at ease."

There was a notion of sympathy for the old doctor. They both shared the bitterness that came with being in an uncontrollable situation and end up hoping for the best. While he could've just defied the compromise, he decided to use it to enhance his performance.

"Don't worry. I'll go as soon as this is over. Rest easy, you don't want to end up with me in the hospital do you?" he laughed, patting the doctor's arm teasingly.

"That is all I could ask for." The doctor smiled at the joke, relieved he had accepted the compromise.

"It has been a stressful night for all of us. I will delay the ambulance until you are ready. But please do be careful." said the doctor as he walked back into the hallway.

Sighing deeply he prepared for his encounter with the group, particularly Kasumi. It would be the first time he would see her beautiful eyes all night. The once fearful eyes of hers will now be of concern for him at last and not Starmie.

Now for our melody, my Kasumi.

He turned to face the group and saw they all had stood up. His gaze was solely focused on his beauty, everyone else phased out. He moved forward slowly so he could relish this moment.

Kasumi's hair was still let down but now her sea-green eyes were visible. Her look was of slight curiosity that was becoming one of realization with each step he took. A small smile of relief and pity emerged from her lips. Her lowered hair mixed with the relieved look in her expression gave him such a rush throughout his body that he could feel his face hardening and reddening more than ever before. It was so enticing and addictive he desperately wanted more. He slowed his walk further, allowing the small limp he had every few steps to augment the pity and to embrace more of this ecstasy rush.

As he was nearing his beloved, he nearly stumbled over. He wasn't sure if it was intentional or not. The small smile she had was now gone and replaced by worry. She started to walk quickly towards him. The rise in attention, while normally a welcome for him, was more towards weakness, something he didn't like. After having taken another step, he stumbled again, his legs shaking violently. The way his body was when he left the clinic bed was catching up to him. He suddenly felt heavier than when he was carrying Starmie. The events of when he first set foot in the Pokémon Center with Starmie were starting to repeat. He didn't want to collapse here, not in front of Kasumi. Weakness at this degree was not part of the melody to play at her heart-strings. He had to remain strong though battle-scarred. It was as if their ballad became out of tune and was played at a spastic tempo.

He tried to concentrate but his mind was clouded with a constant sensation of falling. Vertigo wouldn't let him focus and maintain his balance and posture. It frustrated him greatly during this crucial moment.

Why can't I win once!

Sighing bitterly, he ceased his walk and tried to stand still. He couldn't stop his legs from shaking. It was only a matter of time before he would pass out again and he needed to conserve his energy to stay awake.

His vision started to twist and spiral twitchingly again. Kasumi, however, remained intact amongst the whirlpool of chaos as she arrived to him. She looked more concerned than before. He knew what she'd ask and he didn't want to her that question, especially from her with that worried look that made him sick inside. He spoke first before she could.

"Sorry—for what I did—to Starmie." he apologized softly. It was harder to speak than he thought.

Before he knew it, he stumbled forward but Kasumi caught him by the shoulders.

It all felt like déjà vu.

"Wha—what are you doing, Ms. Kasumi?" he uttered slowly, trying to retain strength and formality in his words. He faced the floor where his towel fell, unable to raise his head to see her face.

"Let me go-I'm fine-really." He was able to sound more coherent this time.

"Stop…" pleaded Kasumi.

"What—?" He didn't know what she was trying to say.

"Just stop, please. You've done enough." Her voice sounded hoarser.

Something wet landed on his head. He used all the energy he could muster to force his head up just enough to see her tear stained face.

"I don't—I don't want anyone else hurt."

Surprisingly, she placed his head on her shoulder tenderly. Being this close and touching her should have been a euphoric moment of unparalleled proportions, but he was numbed and fatigued all over. He wanted to enjoy this rare opportunity, but couldn't muster it. He wanted to be angry about not being able to get this rush, but couldn't muster it. All that was there was warmth, making him sleepy.

"Thank you, for saving Starmie." she whispered.

He cursed voraciously inside.

End of Act 7