Chapter 10: Learning the Truth - II

It's already five in the afternoon when Steven and Eclaire arrived at the cemetery. They headed straight to the fresh graves. Not bothering to talk to each other. The silence felt unsettling that Steven decided to speak.

"Maybe I should leave you alone for a while," Steven said, "If that's alright with you."

Eclaire turned to look at Steven, "I don't really mind."

"I'll be back later," Steven walked away. "For goodness' sake, I can't do it," he thought to himself, "I don't know how to ask her about it."

When Eclaire can no longer hear his footsteps, she called out her pokémon, "Gardevoir, Gallade, I believe this is a good time to explain to me everything."

The two psychic pokemon came out from their pokéballs and stood behind Eclaire.

"You both knew, from the very start, that I'm not the one you used to know," Eclaire turned to face them, "Yet why are you responding to my calls?"

Gardevoir and Gallade just stood there. They didn't answer the lady's question.

"Why? Just why are you doing this? And about your former masters, why did you tell me that they were my parents? You could have told me the truth!"

"That's because we're waiting for the right time, which is now," Gardevoir said, "We're sorry for not telling you your identity. And, we're sorry for lying about their death."

Eclaire shook her head, "Arceus only told me in a dream… That their death is one of the consequences I received. I want you to tell me the real story about it."

"It wasn't a lie when Gardevoir told you that we sensed someone's bloodlust on the night of their death," Gallade began to explain, "But we lied to you on the part about telling them. After sensing the approaching danger, lord Arceus spoke to us from far away, preventing us from telling our masters."

"It was a pokémon who did the killing, not a human." Gardevoir continued the explanation, "We don't know which it was, but that pokémon has been sent by lord Arceus. Another pokémon was also sent to create a barrier around the town and prevent other people from interfering."

"What about the Keystones then?" Eclaire asked.

"They handed us the Keystones before they enter the bedroom." Gallade answered, "It was that time when the pokémon sent by lord Arceus came into the mansion. Our masters never gave us orders to protect them. Instead, they ordered us to remain in our pokéballs and kept us in the safebox right before the pokémon get into the room. For the first time, we weren't able to figure out what they were thinking."

"So that's how it was," Eclaire looked down on the ground, "Could it be that they knew what was going to happen by then?"

"It is impossible for them to know about their fate," Gardevoir replied, shaking her head, "…Since lord Arceus has told us that he hasn't spoken to them about it."

"So they just accepted the danger… Their death… Even when they were expecting me to arrive by the next day." Eclaire began to shake. She covered her face; it's hard for her to accept everything she has heard. "Cruel… How cruel…"

Eclaire let some tears to fall. She calmed down after a while. "I have one last question," she spoke once again as she wiped her damp cheeks, "This morning when you rejected to Mega Evolve, is it because you felt different about me?"

"Yes," Gardevoir answered, "We may have shared deep bonds with the Eclaire of this world but since we have the knowledge that you came from another space, it didn't felt right"

"And yet you responded and went out of your pokéballs when I called out for you for the first time this morning."

"We didn't want to disappoint you, since you're still unaware of the situation until this afternoon."

Eclaire turned to face the couple's graves, "I wasn't born in this world, but it's now impossible for me to return to where I came from. After learning about everything, I no longer know how to start."

"I knew something's odd about you," said a familiar voice.

Eclaire got startled and turned around, "Steven?" her eyes widened after seeing him on his hovering Metagross, "Since when were you here?"

"I just arrived," Steven answered as he slid off from his loyal pokémon. He soon took out a pokéball and pointed it at Metagross, allowing it to return.

"Gardevoir, Gallade, please return as well," Eclaire ordered while looking over her shoulder, hiding her face from the man in front of her.

The two pokémon nodded. Gallade returned first. Gardevoir, on the other hand, walked closer to Eclaire, "There is nothing to be cautious about this man, which is why we haven't warned you that he's coming." Gardevoir soon returned to her pokéball, allowing Eclaire and Steven to talk alone.

Gardevoir's words have somehow soothed Eclaire. She soon lifted her face and looked towards Steven.

"So," Steven broke the silence, "What does that mean?"

"It's exactly as what you have heard," Eclaire replied, "I'm not from this world."

"Tell me, when was the first time we've met?"

"During that night, when I woke up at the hospital."

"And you asked for my name."

"Yes."

"But earlier this morning, you mentioned about my position as the League's Champion. I don't remember telling you anything about that. When did you learn about it?"

"…When I was still in my own world, before the clash between the two ancient pokémon."

Steven gave her a serious look in the eyes, "Then why did you asked for my name?"

"I just thought that you might find it weird if I suddenly mention your name, since we never met each other face to face," Eclaire looked down, avoiding Steven's eyes, "That's why I asked."

"I thought you acted weirdly since that night, and you also don't know about Primal Reversion nor Mega Evolution which makes it more odd," Steven walked closer to her, "Until I found out that you're not of this world."

Eclaire flinched as Steven got closer. She made a step backward.

"But I'd like to thank you," Steven made his last step.

Eclaire got confused, "What?"

"That night, when you woke up at the hospital, I found your voice very familiar," Steven said, "Then I realized that it's the same voice that I heard that time."

"What do you mean?"

Steven lifted his hands and grabbed Eclaire's shoulders, "That time… When I died… Thank you for calling me out," Steven looked down. He may have managed to hold her but he can't bear to look at her from that short distance. "It was you, wasn't it? You called me many times. I was surrounded by darkness until I heard your voice, telling me to live," Steven's tears trickled down to his chin, "It was your voice… I'm sure of it."

Eclaire felt the shaking of Steven's hands. She can't figure out what to do. He's holding her shoulders tightly yet it doesn't hurt her. She's struggling in her mind, looking words to say.

"I didn't mean to do that. It just happened," she finally spoke, "You may have lived, but I have led these two people, who are now my parents, to their end."

Steven opened his eyes and realized that he has pulled her into a hug. His tears have finally stopped, "Lately, I find it weird that I've been yearning to just be by your side and protect you. This must be the reason… My heart and mind has been telling me to repay you," he broke the hug and looked straight at the lady's brown eyes.

"I don't think I could stop you from doing so," Eclaire said. She made one last glance over her parents' graves and walked out of the cemetery with Steven by her side.

Meanwhile, in Mossdeep City, the alarms have been beeping loudly in the Control Room of the Space Center—a sign of disaster approaching the planet.