*Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon
Silverville
"In the darkest night hour
I'll search through the crowd
Your face is all that I see
I'll give you everything
Baby, love me lights out
love me lights out
You can turn my lights out"
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Day 39
Back in Pallet Town, Annastasia's parents had already installed Clement's teleporter in their garage and purchased a house on one of Alola's dozens of islets a few miles off shore of the largest island, typically referred to as the main land. Elsa and Hiro turned out to be semi-retired realtors, and got them a good deal on the bungalow before they took their yacht and went their separate ways.
Michio, Annastasia, Bleu, Lil-G, Peruva, and Mienshao arrived in Silverville the night of the last day of the festival. This was the first time Annastasia had been to the old mansion since she inherited it from her great-grandparents. They planned to spend one night, then return to Pallet Town and afterwards take the teleporter to Alola. The Pokemon yawned and sighed with relief as they parked the car, for it took them several hours to arrive due to mis-directions given to her by Sandshrew.
"Sorry guys", Annastasia told her Pokemon. "You'd think after traveling to here regularly for eighteen years I'd be able to find my way without getting lost".
"Taria Tar", said Bleu.
"That's true. This was my first time driving shotgun", she responded.
"It was that monster's fault it took us so long to get here", Michio pointed out.
"You talk about me quite often", Sandshrew said suddenly. It climbed out of the backseat and sat down between Annastasia and Michio. "It is almost like you enjoy my existence".
"You tagged along", Annastasia commented unenthusiastically.
"Why?" Michio complained as Annastasia exited the car.
"None of your business", it annunciated what has now become its catchphrase.
"What about all those helpless, innocent, fragile fusion Pokemon left to suffer alone at Professor Oak's lab?" Annastasia asked dramatically.
"Fools. Fusions are superior to regular Pokemon. They are more than capable to defend themselves from those mongrels", it replied.
"Lillllli pupp!"
"Alta!"
"Miennnn!"
"Lieeeep!"
"Curse at me if you wish, but I know I am right", Sandshrew told the Pokemon.
Annastasia took a deep breath and decided to ignore the creature.
"If you were coming along why didn't you fucking teleport us here?" Michio demanded.
"I don't mind long drives", it responded.
Annastasia and Michio moaned.
"If you go into that forest and leave us alone until morning I will buy you as much chocolate cake as you desire", Michio bribed the Sandshrew.
"Excellent", it responded before heading out into the woods.
Annastasia let out another huge sigh as Michio got out of the car. She stood in front of the house for a few minutes, staring at is intensely as she contemplated.
"Are you ok Annie?" Michio asked.
"I just feel a bit overwhelmed right now. I love this place, but so many things are different now. I miss my great grandparents. And Scarlett. I wanted them to be part of our future", she responded. "I can't help but think of them right now even though it makes me sad".
"I...what do you want me to do?" he questioned.
"Nothing. Let's eat our dinner, then we can go up", she told him.
They took each other's hands and entered the house. Peruva, Mienshao, Bleu, and Lil-G followed. After turning on the lights, they headed towards the kitchen. They took out some plates and emptied the sandwiches out of their backpacks.
"We can eat up there too", Michio suggested. "I don't mind".
"I am too hungry. Let's eat here", Annastasia replied.
The two of them and their Pokemon ate the food they had packed. After that they headed up the mountain, Bleu and Lil-G in the lead. They stopped once they reached the familiar clearing, the one with the boulders arranged for sitting and the small patch of roses. Michio took a small bag of seeds out of his pocket. Then there was the sound of humming and the gently chanting of familiar wild Pokémon.
"Illlumise lu"
"Vollllllbeat"
A group of twenty-something Volbeat and Illumise came out of the shadows to join them.
"You all must have known we were coming up" ,Ananstasia said to them.
"Illlumisssse", the leader replied with a nod. She pointed to Bleu and Lil-G.
"Oh I see. Some little birdies told you", Annastasia replied. She pet Bleu and Lil-G on the heads. "Thanks".
"Tarrria"
"Lilii"
"We were going to plant a tree here in memory of our friend. You can stay here with us if you want", she told the Pokemon.
The Pokémon nodded in understanding and sat down on the surrounding boulders. Michio used his hands to dig a small hole in the ground. Annastasia carefully planted five little seeds, saved from last winter, when they had gone to visit Professor Oak's terrarium. Then they covered it up and patted it down with soil.
"Volbeat?" asked one of the Pokémon. "Vol vol?"
"One day it will be a Cherryblossom tree", Annastasia explained. "We are dedicating it to Scarlett. We had a plaque made too".
Michio took a little golden plaque, some nails, and a small hammer out of his backpack. Annastasia carefully nailed the plaque into a tree stub while Michio held it steady.
"Illu mise lu?" asked one of the females. She did an impression of Scarlett. "Illlumise?"
"Scarlett's body was returned to the Tree of Beginnings", Annastasia answered her. "After all, the Tree if the source of all life, and when you think about it, life and death are both new beginnings, and it is where she was born and where she died. It made the most sense".
"Mise", the Pokémon sighed in understanding.
"And we will have our own little tree here one day", Annastasia continued. "It will take a while, but not forever".
Annastasia touched the ground where the seeds lay. A few tiny green sprouts rose from the surface.
"That was pretty cool", Michio commented.
"I suppose it is" Annastasia responded. She stared at the ground for a moment then turned to Michio. "Do you want to go back to the house now?"
"I thought you would want to stay out here for the night", he replied.
"I do. But you prefer the great indoors. That is fine with me", Annastasia responded.
"But it's beautiful out here. I thought you would rather stay out", he told her. "I really think I would too".
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Yeah sure. I don't see why not", Michio replied.
"Ok. We should go back and get some blankets and pillows though", Annastasia suggested.
The Pokémon followed Annastasia and Michio as they made their way down the hill together. About an hour later they were back at the estate. They were surprised to find that several Pidgey, Weedle, Oddish, Bellossom, Ratatta, and Caterpie had entered the house while they were gone.
"I suppose they saw me unlock the front door and decided to come in", Annastasia wondered. She picked up an Oddish. "Is that it?"
"Oddishhh", it answered.
"I wonder if they think your grandparents came back", Michio mused.
"Maybe. I am sorry you guys, but they aren't coming back. You can stay here if you like. I can show you how to use the key to the house, and if it ever gets too hot or too cold outside you can come in here. When I move in, I will take good care of you. But for the next few months, I am going to be gone", she told the Pokémon.
"Tari Altaria tarrrr tar", said Bleu. "We are traveling, but we will return in a few months. Then we will stay".
"Ratta ta taaa ta", one of the purple rats responded. "We will be waiting".
"Pup Lili pup pup lil", said Lil-G. "If you really want, Annastasia and Michio will take you with us".
"Oddish odd?" the Oddish that Annastasia was holding asked its peers. Most of the shook there heads 'no'.
"Pidddddgggeee pidge", a Pidgey told them. "We would rather stay here".
Annastasia put the Oddish down and it went over to the others. She went over to the backpack she had left lying on the ground and took out a bag of Pokemon food.
"You can eat this. We are going to sleep outside tonight, but you can stay inside if you want", she told the Pokémon.
"Weeeedle"
"Pidgeeee"
"Bella"
"Oddddish"
Annastasia took a few bowls out of the cabinet and poured the homemade Pokémon food into each of them. The Pokémon ate the food gratefully, and Michio and Annastasia headed up the stairs.
"So technically we can have any room we want", Annastasia told Michio. "My grandparents' bedroom is the second largest. The one I usually stay in is pretty big too, but it doesn't have its own bathroom. Of course, you can have your own room if you want. We don't have to share".
"I thought you liked sleeping with me", Michio responded. "You don't want to do that anymore? I always thought you were comfortable".
"You misunderstood. I didn't mean it like that. Of course I want you to stay with me. It's just that if we are going to be here a while, I figured you might want your own space. I like the closeness, but I know you like to be alone sometimes. That's okay. I used to be like that a lot", she replied.
"Am I good for now. Maybe just for storage for my stuff", said Michio. "If it's just us, then I am okay".
"That is sweet", she told him.
"This place is enormous. Just like my parents' house", Michio commented as he looked down the passing corridors.
"I was thinking about that. I definitely wouldn't want to live in such a large place alone. That is why I was thinking of bringing all the fusion Pokemon up here. They don't get along too well with the others in Gary's terrarium, but up here there is so much extra room and even though I am not allowed to let loose into the wild, I can at least give them a lot of space. I can take care of the sick and injured wild Pokemon too, just like Nanny and Pop-pop did. And since this land is my territory and not the Pokémon's, I do have to worry about settling land disputes", Annastasia explained.
They arrived at the hallway with a dozen wooden doors.
"I don't know if you remember, but this is where most of the guests usually stay", Annastasia told Michio. "I sometimes stay in the one on the end".
"You said your grandparents had the second largest bedroom. Which one is the largest?" Michio asked.
"That would be my papa's old room", she answered. "He stayed in it when he used to visit them in the summer. It has a basketball court and a king-sized bunk bed perfect for our Pokémon. I suppose we can stay in there. It's not like he uses it anymore"
"If this is our house for a little while and he doesn't mind, then why not?" Michio responded.
"I would actually like to this that this you be our house forever", Annastasia responded. "Not just for a little while".
"All the more reason then", he replied.
Annastasia led him and the Pokémon down a different hallway. This room was separate from the others. She pushed open the large wooden door.
"Wow. I didn't think it'd be this big", Michio gasped.
"Tarrria"
"Lillli"
"Liiiiepard"
"Mienn"
"I have only been in this room a few times. It's like I was saying, papa wouldn't mind though. It's not like we have any secrets between us", Annastasia told him.
Michio observed the photos James had posted on one of the walls. There were lots of him and the kids and their Pokémon throughout different stages of their lives, as well as pictures of him, Jessie, and Meowth that looked like they were taken a long time before any of the kids were even born.
"The only ones missing are Rose and Silver", Michio observed.
"Mom and papa haven't stayed in this room since they were born. I think we should leave those up, but add our own. Lily and Logan took a bunch of us. I have you and Scarlett, you battling Misty, our traveling group with all of our Pokemon, the two of us sleeping together…"
"They took a picture of us sleeping together?" he interrupted. "When?"
"Probably when we fell asleep outside. Lily and Maya always snuck out at night too, remember?" Annastasia responded. "Don't worry, it's a cute picture, nothing embarrassing".
"Ok", he said hesitantly. He wondered what she would consider to be an embarrassing picture of the two of them together.
Michio looked up at one of the shelves and noticed a collection of photo albums.
"Those are from my father's childhood", Annastasia explained as he picked up a blue one. "He kept them here all this time. I have seen most of the pictures. You can open it, if you want".
Michio nodded and lifted the cover to reveal the first page. Annastasia watched over his shoulder. It was a photo of James as a baby.
"Is this Jay?" Michio asked.
Annastasia giggled. "Read the caption".
Every photo was dated and had a small description. According this one, James was four months old.
"I wasn't paying attention. It's kind of weird to have someone who looks like you but smaller", he commented.
"You look a little bit like your brother", Annastasia responded. "And I don't think that's weird. That is the way families are. Most babies look like their daddies".
"I don't think my dad is my real father actually", he told her.
"Really? What makes you think that?" Annastasia questioned.
"We don't, and never have, looked alike. And he and my mother had a lot of issues. They cheated on each other a lot, especially right before I was born", he explained.
"That is very sad. I'm sorry", Annastasia replied. "Is that what your mother thinks?"
"Yes", Michio answered. "But she isn't going to ever admit it to anyone but me, even though I am sure most of my relatives already know".
"It's sad that their relationship was like that. But even if he isn't your real father, he still raised you. He is your dad in that way", Annastasia reminded him.
"I suppose. It's not that I really care", he replied.
"Yes you do. Otherwise you wouldn't have mentioned it", she commented.
"I am not going to get upset because he hates me. He never liked me, never will, and the only reason they bought us a car was to bribe me. That's why we are going to visit them. No visit, no car, and we needed a car. I would rather you not go near them at all. They aren't going to respond to you well at all, I can't emphasize that enough. They were only nice to you earlier because they were looking down on you as a rocket grunt whose only job was to supervise my dumb trip through Kanto. That is what is pissing me off", Michio explained.
"Don't get angry over things you can't change. Let's not worry about the future tonight. I want us to just relax, focus on the positive things ", Annastasia responded.
"Yeah, we can talk about this some other time", he agreed.
Annastasia threw a few items into her backpack while Michio got cleaned up. Then they switched places. After that they each grabbed a pillow and a blanket.
"These will have to do, since there aren't any sleeping bags here", said Annastasia "Are you sure you want to go outside?"
"It's your special spot. And you were right. I did come to appreciate it. It just took a while", he responded.
Bleu, Peruva, and Mienshao helped them carry their things up the mountain. When they got to the spot, they discovered the Volbeat and Illumise waiting for them.
"Hey you guys", Annastasia greeted them. "Why are you still here?"
"Lumise mise"
"Illuu mise"
"Volbeat Volllbeaaat"
"Liepard?" Peruva asked them.
"It seems they knew we'd be coming up back here", Annastasia explained to Michio. "And they have something more to share with us".
"Tar tar ia?" Bleu asked them.
"Illuuu mise Illumise", the leader answered.
"They want stay with us for a little bit while we are in Alola", Annastasia translated. "Awe, that is sweet. You really want to travel with us?"
"Volbbbeeeea", one of the males answered.
"Illuu!" a handful of the females agreed. Everyone else nodded.
"That makes me very happy", Annastasia told them.
"Lillipup pup"
"Liepard Lieeeparr parrrrd"
"Altttta tar taria tar"
The firefly Pokémon nodded at them and then flew off. The Pokémon waved pleasantly before disappearing into the darkness. Peruva rubbed up against Michio before she, Mienshao, Bleu, and Lil-G followed the others into the woods.
"What did they say?" Michio asked Annastasia.
"They wanted to give us some time to be alone for once. It rarely happens. Even when there aren't any other people around, the Pokémon are usually with us, y family is around, or Sandshrew is spying", Annastasia replied.
"That is nice. I…well…I was sorta hoping they would do that", he told her.
"Me too", she responded.
Annastasia took two blankets and laid them on the grass. Then she placed the pillows and rested on top of one of the makeshift beds. She invited him to join her in watching the stars. He lay down next to her and they talked about their Pokémon for a while. After a while she rolled over in order to hug him close.
"So on a scale from one to ten, how much do you trust me?" Annastasia questioned.
"Random much?" he asked.
"It's relevant", she assured him.
"Well more than ten usually, but what are you going to do? Are you going to play another prank on me?" Michio asked nervously. "It wasn't funny the last time".
"No, not that" Annastasia replied, giggling to herself. "Michio, that was one time. It's not my fault you can be so gullible. Besides it was harmless. You laughed too, I saw you".
"Promise you won't do anything to hurt or scare me?" Michio questioned.
Annastasia rolled her eyes. "You are acting like a child now. But I like this part of you. I promise I won't hurt or scare you. At least I think I won't. Just trust me, please".
"Okay, I trust you", he told her.
"So, sit up and face me", she instructed. "And your eyes. Shut them".
"Sure…" Michio responded hesitantly as she did what she requested.
Annastasia quickly tied her long hair back and reached into her bag. Michio heard the sound of her rummaging through her stuff and stared to get nervous.
"You are fucking scaring me", Michio told her.
"That isn't my intention", She told him.
He didn't open his eyes, but he could feel Annastasia staring directly at him. despite her comforting words, he still felt the same anxiety that normally vanished during moments like this.
"There is nothing to be scared of, relax", she replied.
Before he could ask what she meant by that, there was a loud crack of thunder. A moment later it started to pour.
"Damn. The weather totally ruined my moment", Annastasia sighed as she stood up.
Her and Michio held their pillows up over their head and ran under some nearby trees. Michio looked up into the sky and saw a large black figure, noticeable against the dark blue sky. The ominous object was gone by the time Michio had gotten around to processing the image.
"The weather app on my phone said it wasn't going to rain for at least twenty four more hours", said Annastasia.
"This sucks. Sorry Annie", Michio responded.
"It's fine", she murmured.
Annastasia, Michio, and their Pokémon made their back way to the house. The sky was almost pitch black and the rain was coming down hard the entire trip. When they saw the emergency light they ran under the covered porch. Annastasia roughly opened the front door and flicked on the lights.
"Bella"
"Oddddishh"
"Ratta?"
"We don't want to sleep in the rain. We are going to stay here tonight", Annastasia told the Pokémon.
The Pokémon nodded their heads and went back to minding their own business. Annastasia and Michio went back up to their bedroom. They changed into dry clothes and then climbed up onto the top bunk of the multi-layered bed. Annastasia closed her eyes, content to just lay there, but Michio was anxious to talk about what happen right before the rain started, and the menacing figure he witnessed in the sky.
"What were you going to do to me?" Michio questioned. "Why did I have to close my eyes?"
"I had a feeling you were going to ask me that", she responded nonchalantly.
"Well obviously. You built up the suspense", he replied. "Are you saying you did it for no reason?"
"I'd rather leave it a mystery", Annastasia answered.
"Ok", Michio sighed uneasily.
Annastasia watched his anxious expression.
"I have something to give you", she admitted.
"Like what, a present?" he asked.
"Maybe", she replied.
"Oh. Well that would have been fine", Michio responded.
"I'll keep that in mind", Annastasia replied. "For next time".
Michio raised an eyebrow, but Annastasia didn't seem to notice or care. She snuggled into the place between his shoulder and chin, assuming he would eventually stop thinking about the comment.
"I…I have been thinking about something. It has been bothering me for a while", Michio said after a few minutes had gone by.
"Then tell me about it", she responded.
"Do you think that thing we just saw was the harbinger?" he asked.
"What thing? Harbinger for what?" Annastasia questioned.
"The shadow thing that flew over us. You know, that was in the sky. You had to have seen it too. It was fucking huge", he clarified. "I think it was the thing Helena was telling me about".
"I didn't see anything", Annastasia responded. "I honestly have no idea what you are talking about".
"When we were up at the spot I saw thing big black thing in the sky. Didn't you see it?" Michio questioned.
"No, but I was wondering why you were staring at the sky like that", she responded. "You saw something that you think is an omen. Where'd that come from?"
"Forget it. It's just between that and what Helena said last time we saw her…" his voice trailed off.
"About meeting us in Alola?" she asked.
"No. She warned me about something. She said I had to be careful and that there was going to be a sign that I should look out for…I don't remember completely. I do remember that it was this weird voo-doo witch conspiracy thing", Michio answered.
Annastasia looked at him quizzically.
"I don't know what it's called", Michio mumbled.
"Supernatural stuff?" she guessed.
"Yeah, something like that", he agreed.
"Michio just relax. We don't have to worry about voo-doo conspiracy witch thing", Annastasia responded. "She could have also just been messing with you".
"Usually taking her advice is a good idea", Michio replied.
"Fine. Just don't get all worried about it. The last thing we need is panic. Panic and worry can be just as dangerous as a curse", she finished.
Annastasia lay back down. She folded her hands behind her head and looked upwards. He followed her lead.
"Goodnight", she said with a yawn. She closed her eyes. Lil-G, Bleu, and Peruva snuggled closer to her.
"Goodnight", Michio responded, following the Pokémon's lead. He murmured something subtly then closed his eyes.
Annastasia opened her eyes briefly. "Ditto", she replied.
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Lyrics by Beyoncé Knowles, Ryan Tedder, and Terius Nash.
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AN: Thank you for all your comments in reviews. I forgot to answer Umbreon's question about Annastasia's Pokemon. The reason her Pokemon were weaker than she expected is because she had left them at Team Rocket Headquarters. She used to train new recruits, and her Pokemon were the Pokemon they used for the grunts in training. The grunts are not very good battlers (as you might recall from the earliest Pokemon games) so they did not know how to use the Pokemon's fullest abilities. They got lazy, and I remember a manga that I read (can't remember which one) said that if a Pokemon doesn't practice a certain moveset for a while, it will lose that ability and that part of a trainer's job is to make sure they can maintain that ability. I hope that answered it all. As for Sun and Moon, I am going to share it with my friends, not buy my own game because I have no money to buy fun things. But it's okay. I still have Pokemon Go, and I just hit level 32:)
Also, I have a brief message that has nothing to do with this fanfic. You don't have to read it, but if you have a few extra moments…
So,
For those of you who have been hurt or offended by the election of Donald Trump for President of the Unites States, please remember that there is always a silver lining. For all you women, environmentalists, Black Lives Matter advocates, Hispanics, LBGQT+ individuals/allies, Muslims, immigrants, Native Americans, Asians, low income individuals, homeless individuals, victims of sexual assault, black youths, black anything, veterans, children, teenagers, college students, and anyone that I may have missed, please remember that love trumps hate. Good people will continue to work for their good causes. Donald Trump is unpredictable, he might end up really helping us, who knows? The worst think he can do is pause our progress. As a political science major I can assure you that he does not have the ability to deport Muslims, or to make Mexico build a wall. He cannot overturn state laws that prevent racial discrimination or tolerance for the bullying of LBGQT+ individuals. It will be almost impossible for him to repeal gun regulations since most of that is state legislature. He cannot repeal supreme court decisions or prevent women from getting contraceptive devices. He may appoint a Climate Change denier as the new head of the EPA, but that doesn't mean that companies dedicated to creating environmentally beneficial businesses and organizations will change their mission.
Keep in mind that the majority of Republicans (both Trump supporters and anti-Trump supporters) are not as awful as many people may think, and most of them do not hate minority groups. If you know someone who is a Republican or Trump supporter, do not assume that they are a hateful person. Many intelligent and wonderful people voted for Trump, and it is important to remember that all of us are untitled to our opinions. Just because you voted for Trump, it doesn't mean you are a horrible person. If you are a Trump supporter or Republican and are suffering isolation or bullying because of your political views, remember to follow your arrow and spread love, regardless of whether your Democratic friends are doing the same. For all you fighters, keep working towards your good causes, we need you more than ever. If you are a minority and are suffering from depression or hate because of this election (or for any reason, really), please contact me, I have some words that will hopefully make you feel better. Or, better yet, talk to your friends and family, or a professional counselor so that you can get support and validation.
I hope I didn't offend anyone by getting political, but I think it is important to spread this message. Stay safe and please spread the love:)
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