The Order of Arceus
Chapter Nine
Iuncta Pectora
Michael
I led Amber and Nicole through the Ilex Forest. I didn't like the whole idea of leaving my home and setting out to see the Great Absol, but they were direct orders from Lady Calypso.
When the sun set and the sky darkened, I decided we would camp out. Nicole went out to look for firewood while I looked for big leaves we could use as sheets. Amber sat back on her hind legs, hanging her head. Her beautiful amber eyes were filled with sadness and confusion, and I didn't like it. Since I had met this girl I had never seen her sad, a little angry, but not sad. It was as if the sun had turned off. She'd been like that since we left the shrine. If she wouldn't tell me, I'd find out in her dreams. But I couldn't tell her that. She'd get mad at me.
Nicole came back carrying firewood on her back. She complained about the weigh and set it down in a neat pile. Amber breathed out sparks of Ember, and our bonfire ignited. "Ever notice how the flames disappear when they go up high enough?" Amber asked suddenly. She was staring intently at the fire, as if lost in a dream. I nodded. "Maybe that'll happen to me. I'll just keep going and going, then suddenly die, like Red Knight." She said. So that's what had her like this.
I had felt pity when I'd watched Red Knight suffer, but I was actually thinking he deserved it. I was Azalean; his past actions were glued to my brain since birth. "Es un pokémon muy malo," my mother used to tell me, which meant that Red Knight was a bad guy. "He must be brought to justice." She'd say. I wondered if Lady Calypso would inform my family back in Azalea of my departure. She tended to forget things.
Around midnight, Amber curled up into a ball and fell asleep. She snored softly, warmth radiating off of her. "G'night, Michael." Nicole yawned loudly and dramatically. "Sweet dreams." I replied. Of course, I would know her dreams. I could infiltrate dreams, but I required a little more experience if I wanted to do it on anyone's dreams. I couldn't enter the dreams of stronger or older pokémon.
Soon, I was the only one awake. The fire was starting to die down, claiming back the light it had given. I lied down and put my arms behind my head. I took a look at the glistering moon and fell asleep. And my dream began.
I stood atop a mighty palm tree towering above the beach. Over the horizon I could see the sun shinning brightly, but with the full moon right beside it, creating a weird twilight. The ocean shifted colors from green to blue to purple repeatedly. I hooked my paws around the leaves to keep from falling. This scenario meant only one thing. Somebody was weaving my dream. And that somebody always preferred this landscape. "Master Xepher," I called out. The icy breeze picked up and froze the leaves of the palm tree.
I slipped off the frozen solid leaves and before I reached the ground, a feathery bed appeared. I landed and after I stopped bouncing, I hopped off the bed. "Good evening, Michael." I heard Xepher's voice. The sea water spouted and spiraled around, turning multiple colors. The water created a human shape. Then the shape became Xepher. He just loved to be dramatic. "Don't you get tired of that same act every time?" I asked. "Actually, I'm thinking of a new introduction. It is amazing, what I can weave. And even though we are far away, I can still contact you." Xepher said. His sea green eyes were full of amazement.
"So…what happened after I left?" I asked him. He shrugged.
"A General from Biomegas came to inspect Azalea. When he saw our leader was absent, he was about to kill Lady Calypso's son as 'punishment'. Then Lady Calypso suddenly jumped in with a knife. Long story short, we had a bit of a problem." He explained.
"What about my parents?" I asked.
"They were told about your task. Your father sends you his best wishes. Oh, and your mother says there'll be cookies waiting for you when you come home." Xepher informed me. It was good to know that my family didn't have to worry about me. My mother usually stressed about the simplest things.
Xepher's expression turned serious. "Now, to important matters," He started. I nodded and turned my face serious. "As I can see in your memory, the Insect Plate has chosen Amber. This means only she can come in contact with it." Xepher said. I raised my paw and stared at my burnt skin. It didn't look too bad; it would heal soon. I couldn't believe how contact with the Insect Plate had caused this. "It repels whoever comes close," I said. "All Plates are said to do that." Xepher said. "It's a way of defense. Only a select few may touch them without getting hurt." He stated. "She's been acting strange since she left. She won't look me in the eye, or talk to neither of us. She's been acting depressive, and it's freaking me out." I said. Not even after we left the shrine had she looked me in the eye. She barely spoke a word. She'd been behind Nicole and me as we walked through the forest.
"It is to be expected. The Plate's power is so great, it is influencing her attitude." Xepher said, sulking. He was right. She'd changed. "I would not advice she takes it off, but if it gets too out of hand, try to remove it. I'm sure she could carry it in a bag or something." Xepher suggested.
The scenery started to falter. It must've meant one thing: that I would soon wake up. "Hum, I must go. I need to communicate with Nicole and Amber, too. Farewell, young Dream Weaver. And always remember, I will always be there for you, in your dreams." Xepher's image started to waver. Then he disintegrated into mist.
It was still dark when I woke up. Amber snored softly inside the fire, that's right; she was inside the bonfire, flames engulfing her. She didn't seem to mind, in fact, she seemed comfortable. Nichole was sleeping away from the fire, snoring loudly, and drool running down her chin. She began to slightly stir, her snoring becoming softer. Xepher was now in her dreams.
I stood up and stretched my muscles. Now that I was alone, I could take matters into my paws. I had no idea where Ameithus City was, only knew that it was up north. I needed a map, and I knew who could get me one.
In the Ilex Forest lived a sneaky pokémon known by the name Canella. I'd been told she could get anyone anything, for a cheap price. She was known to travel, and everyone knew about her. If I could find this Canella, I could get guidance toward Ameithus City.
I walked away from our campsite and dove into the dark woods. I unwrapped my scarf and looked into its pocket (yes, some scarves come with secret pockets) for money. I had twenty bronze coins, enough for anything necessary. The forest was dark and ominous, but I was used to it. I looked for a tree with branches firm enough to climb. I climbed a tree by grabbing other branches. When I reached a large branch, I grabbed it, but it was so old it fell apart in my paws.
The tree was too weak. I leaped into a neighbor tree and tried its branches. They were firm, so I hopped on one. Then I started to leap from branch to branch, from tree to tree, toward east, the direction I'd been told Canella would be.
Traveling through the trees was much safer than going by land. There were many traps set by desperate predator pokémon who couldn't catch anything during the day. Sneaky pokémon could ambush you at any moment. My father had been attacked by a Golbat once, but he was too strong to be hurt. He'd taught me how to travel with the trees, and it had been useful.
After a few minutes, I came to a clearing and ran out of trees. Carefully, I jumped off the branches and landed on the ground. I knew I'd reached an important area, because there were four lanterns on each side of the clearing. They were lightened with fire, not electricity. The dim lighting wasn't enough to brighten the whole clearing, so I didn't know what was ahead. I got an idea. I grabbed a lantern from its pole and walked forward. What I found wasn't expected; a large tent.
I was greeted by an Ekans at the entrance. "Greetingsssss, traveler. How may I asssssisssst you?" He asked, fully alert. "Uh, yes, do you know where a certain Canella is?" I asked, keeping my distance from the purple pokémon. You couldn't trust nocturnal pokémon, they were experts in treachery. "Why, yesssss! Thisss isss the Cinnamon Tent. Inside you shall meet her." He informed. He moved away from the entrance and let me pass, but before I was inside, he hissed: "Make sure you have coinssssss."
When I walked inside, I had to shut my eyes because of the strong light. I slowly started to open them so they could adjust. "What the Hell…" I muttered. I hadn't seen that light from outside. It should have, since this was a tent. When I adjusted, I fixed my eyes on a figure lying on a hammock. It didn't seem to notice me, so I looked around. I saw the source of the light was a big bonfire in the center of the tent, right behind a big desk.
A sign was painted over the desk, and it read THE CINNAMON TENT. I heard the hammock stop swinging, and I looked ahead. "Ooh, a last minute client…" A female voice said. She walked toward me, and I could identify the pokémon. It was a Lopunny with brown eyes. Her ears were cut shorter, tomboyish. Her fur was dirty and dusty and untrimmed. She was the exact opposite of what Lopunny were supposed to look like.
"Hello, my name is Canella." She introduced herself, sitting down on a chair behind the desk. She folded her arms and angled her eyebrows in a serious face, looking professional. "I'm Michael." I said. "You have a weird accent…do you speak Spanish, by any chance?" She asked. "Uh, yes. It's my mother tongue; I'm Azalean." I explained. What accent? Everyone else had an accent, not me! I guess that's what happens when you're bilingual. "Remarkable! Now sign here," She pulled out a folder filled with papers. She handed me a pen and pointed to the document. I signed my full name hesitantly. As soon as I was done, she took away the paper and the pen swiftly.
"I'm collecting the signatures of pokémon from all over the globe who speak different languages. This way, I will have my name in the Hall of Fame as the pokémon who traveled the world!" She stated enthusiastically. After putting it away, she looked at me seriously. "Very well, how may I help you?" She asked. I cleared my throat. "I am heading toward Ameithus City with my group but we don't know how to get there…" I was interrupted by Canella. "Ameithus City? Small world, that's my next destination as well! I need to get the signature of an Ameithan and set up my shop there. I have an idea. I know where it is, so maybe you and I could travel together." She offered.
Her offer was very tempting; I wouldn't have to spend my money. And we could get someone who knew the area. However, I wasn't so sure about trusting her. I needed to consult Nicole and Amber to see if it was okay with them. "What's the catch?" I asked, suspicious. Canella waved her fluffy hand. "No catch; just help me evade some thieves that want my merchandise. Every day, someone comes by to try and steal my things. I can't deal with them by myself, even with my buddy Ethan, I still can't handle it. Usually thieves come in groups. So, I'll take you to Ameithus, if you can help me get there safely. Deal?" She offered me her hand. I grinned and shook her hand with my paw. "Deal. We will set out in the morning, with my group." I said.
"Very well, just let me pack up and I'll join you and your team." She said. Then she put her hands to her mouth and whistled loudly. The Ekans burst into the tent. "Yessss, Canella?" He asked. "Ethan, we have to pack up! We're leaving." She ordered. "Of coursssse, like you command." He said and crawled outside. "That guy's Ethan?" I asked. "Yeah, but don't worry, Ethan is friendly and loyal. He wouldn't hurt a Caterpie, unless it was his lunch." Canella said. Yeah, I really didn't want to become friends with that Ethan guy anyway.
Nicole
"Just five more minutes, mom…" I grumbled sleepily as someone shook me. "Nicole, I'm not your mom, now wake up!" A voice yelled. I groggily sat up and glared at her. Amber saw my glare and made a face. "Michael brought a friend, and we need to go now!" She shouted. "Yeah, yeah, stop yelling at me, I'm up, I'm up." I replied. The fire was out and the sun was up. The sky was clear, no cloud in sight. "Uh, what time is it?" I asked groggily. "Around 9:30am." Amber said. I hated waking up early.
Last night I'd had the weirdest dream ever. First I'd been dreaming about pokémon battles and sunshine, and then suddenly I'd been on some weird beach with glowing water and a sun next to the moon over the horizon. That Xepher guy spoke to me; he'd said he'd always keep us company, in our dreams. He also told me that my mother was fine.
When we'd left the Veilstone colony in a rush, I'd forgotten about her. The school had been destroyed, but she managed to escape. All teachers did. But after that we were separated, and I never saw her again. All that time I'd been worrying that she had died or that she was alive and missing me. Xepher said that he saw in someone else's dreams that she was fine. He said he would reach her dreams and let her know I was okay. My mother, Delia Katty, would be okay. It warmed my heart and gave me an inspiration for today.
I yawned loudly and shook off the drowsiness. I gazed beyond Amber and saw Michael, chatting with another pokémon. It was a Lopunny (wow, it was really tall compared to us), but its appearance made me question its gender. Its fur was dusty and dirty, its ear fluffs were cut short, as if it had short hair, and it had cinnamon colored eyes. Another pokémon was coiled around its neck, like a scarf. Only the pokémon was alive. It was an Ekans, who hissed and slipped its tongue out as it met my eyes.
"Er, who are those two?" I asked Amber. She sighed. "Canella and Ethan. When I woke up, they were already here. They put out my fire!" I saw annoyance in her amber eyes. You could literally feel the irritation radiating off her body, like fire boiling inside. The Insect Plate pendant glowed faintly green, and I realized it was manipulating her mood, like Xepher had said. "The Plate's power is so great; it may affect her attitude. Be on the look out." He'd told me in my dream.
"Amber, chill out, at least we're not alone…" I said. Yeah, I wasn't the best at being positive. "I guess you're right…" Amber muttered. But the heat didn't cease. I got the feeling there was more to it than getting her bonfire bed put out.
"Oh Nicole, you're up. I'd like to introduce you to Canella," Michael pointed to the Lopunny. "And her henchman, Ethan." He pointed to the Ekans wrapped around Canella's neck. He smiled, revealing his bracers (an Ekans with bracers?).
"Howdy. Nicole, is it? Pleased to meet you. I'll be traveling with you until Ameithus, because I know how to get there and you don't." Canella said, waving. She had a friendly smile, but that Ethan guy was looking at me like I was his lunch. Yeah, bud, get anywhere near me and it might be the other way around.
After chatting for a while, we set out again. The forest was getting on my nerves. All I saw was trees. No sunshine penetrated the immense canopies. As I walked between Amber and Michael, I was completely bored.
"When does this forest end?" I asked in exasperation. Ethan, still wrapped around the Lopunny's neck, hissed at me. "Jussssst a few more minutesssss, misssss." He said politely. A few more minutes, my ass. We'd been walking for over a half hour, and still no sign of advance.
"It's as if we've been going around in circles. Canella, are you sure you know the way?" Amber doubted. Her six tails flexed constantly, and I figured it was stress. What if we ended up back at Azalea Village? We'd have to start from zero. And I was NOT walking all that again.
I was lost in thought until I abruptly bumped against Amber's still body. Her ears had shot up, and she was sniffing the air. Soon, I caught the scent as well. A Posion type pokémon neared.
But it wasn't Ethan's scent. Michael bumped into me as well, but instead of complaining he caught the scent as well. Canella stopped moving, and her large potent ears shot up in alarm. Ethan hissed and slid off Canella's shoulder, going around in circles, watching out.
"There is a pokémon near by. A powerful one, judging by the smell." Amber said, beads of sweat running down her forehead. I wondered about how fire types could even sweat, but that wasn't important at the moment.
Amber was flung at a nearby tree. My reaction was too slow; a huge body rammed into me, sending me next to Amber. "What the Hell?" Michael shouted. I rose to my feat angrily. There was a ferocious roar as a purple blur proceeded to attack Canella, but she was ready. Her fist became frosty blue, and then she hit the purple silhouette with intense force. I went in and used Water Pulse, and the creature roared as it connected with it. "Where is she? Give her back!" It shouted. I fixed my eyes on it and managed to decipher the pokémon. It was a Nidoking with unusual green eyes. He was outraged.
Nidoking's claws glowed light purple and he smashed them against me, but I dodged. That was Poison Jab. He aimed another one at me, but a huge column of fire shot past me and directly at the Nidoking. The strong blow sent him flying, and he landed, charred, on a bush. "I'll never get her back…" He mumbled. He opened his mouth and it became filled with flames. It was as if he'd eaten a bonfire. "Where did you take Indira?" He shouted as he fired the flames. They took the form of a star, and it was so big it would impact all of us.
I readied a Water Pulse. But I didn't get to fire it, as Amber jumped in front of everyone and…took the attack. "Amber, are you okay!" I shouted. She breathed in air, and absorbed the Fire Blast! From her mouth she shot a powerful Flamethrower, wider and bigger than usual. Nidoking was hit one last time, before he passed out.
"Why do you think he attacked us?" I asked as I looked at the defeated pokémon. "Obviously another thief. His plan really turned out great!" Canella said, folding her arms against her chest. "I don't think so. He came yelling: 'Where is she, give her back!'" Amber said, trying to mimic her voice.
"Urgh…Indira…" He mumbled. I jumped up to look at him. He rubbed his sore head and opened one eye. "You…didn't take her, did you?" He asked. "No, we don't know who you're talking about." Michael replied, hiding one glowing fist behind his back, incase he needed to attack.
"My sister Indira. She was taken by a Vulpix and a Skitty…but I couldn't see their faces." Nidoking explained, stretching his legs and getting up wobbly. "I need to find her, before she gets into trouble." The Nidoking roared in pain. "Urp, this was all a misunderstanding. I'll be taking my leave. If you see my sister, let me know!" Nidoking said. He began to walk away, but Ethan coiled around his leg and stopped him from moving. "Hey bud, not ssssso fassssst. We could help you look for your sssssisssster, for a very low price." He offered. Canella nodded. "Yeah, low price." She said sarcastically. "But, I will accept to help you. No pokémon must be left in need. Nidoking, what's your name, darling?" Canella said.
Nidoking mumbled something under his breath, and then nodded. "I am Nijash, and my sister is my Iuncta Pectora." He said. "What's an 'Iuncta Pectora'?" I asked suddenly. "I'll explain later." Canella said. "Very well Nijash, I see the situation is grave. Where was your sister taken to?" Canella interrogated.
"I wish I knew. My guess, outside Ilex Forest. I was just about to exit when I bumped into those two over there," He pointed to Amber and I. "And confused them for the kidnappers. Yeah…sorry about that." He said sheepishly. "No worries, battling helps us get stronger." Amber said. I nodded. "Great, then let's get out of here because I'm getting tired of this beautiful scenery." Canella said, disgusted with the forest. Yeah, I was pretty sick of it too.
Nijash turned around and put his claws to his chin in thought. After a minute, he turned. "I'd appreciate the help." He said. "Very well, let's get out of here!" Michael said.
Amber
Iuncta Pectora? Yeah, I was used to not getting explanations. But that sounded important, and Michael probably knew something about it. I'd have to ask him later. Anyway, we were racing across the forest toward the exit. We jumped a fallen log, and broke through the remaining trees. Finally! We were out of the forest.
Bright sunshine poured down from the cloudless sky. The grass underneath my feet was damp, including the fresh air. There was a stone road leading up to a hill, on which stood a lonely maple tree. Its leaves had turned orange and brown, and some had even fallen off. They were carried by the wind and right into my face. I torched the leaves with Ember, and watched them burn away. "You like destruction a little bit too much." Nicole joked. "My sister loves this landscape. She could be nearby…Indira!" Nijash called.
A cold winter breeze blew. "Nijash! Nijash! On the other side of the hill-AH!" A female voice yelled. Something happened. Nijash jumped and ran off in hysterics, his head lowered and ready to jab anything with his toxic horn. We raced behind him but Canella, with her more potent legs, hopped faster and stopped in front of the charging Nidoking. "Control yourself. We don't know what kind of enemy lies beyond." She said. "That'sssss right. And, Canella'ssss advice is only worth five centssssss." Ethan said, wrapped around Canella's neck. Nijash mumbled, dug into the bag strapped across his chest, and flicked a nickel at Ethan, who caught it with his mouth.
We continued up the hill. We reached the maple tree, and Nijash charged down in fury. "Raticate, use Hyper Fang!" A girl shouted. There they were, down the hill. The girl had shoulder length honey blonde hair with purple streaks, pale skin, and turquoise eyes. She wore a tight jumpsuit that looked like it was made of flexible metal. In front of her was a Raticate. Following her command, its fangs glowed yellow and it lunged at the foe. Their foe was a Tauros, looking very angered.
Raticate clenched its jaw around Tauros's back, and he roared in pain before rampaging. Nijash came yelling, and the girl noticed; she nodded and threw her fist in the air. "Nijash, use Horn Drill!" She commanded. Nijash's horn began to glow white and spin like a drill. He came in contact with Tauros, nailing him right in the gut. The pokémon's eyes widened, before he fell to the grass defeated. "All right, Link Net!" The girl shouted as she aimed her arm at the Tauros. On her wrist was a weird machine that looked like a gun. It fired a silvery net that headed right toward the pokémon. It grew larger than before and tangled the pokémon in it. After having him entangled, the net contracted roughly, energy coursing through it.
It was a weird display, and I found myself immobile as Tauros became nothing but silvery dust. The girl pulled out a crystal ball from her bag and ran at the silvery dust. The dust became sealed inside the crystal ball, and as soon as it did, the name of the pokémon became magically encrusted into it. It read TAUROS in big, black letters. "I'm going to see if I can bond with this guy. If not, then I went through Hell for nothing." The girl joked. "Oh Indira, I'm glad you're okay." Nijash said. "Well, well, Nijash you came back! You know, ditching me wasn't nice!" The girl named Indira said, pinching Nijash's arm angrily. "I didn't ditch you! I saw a twosome kidnap you!" Nijash argued. "Really? You must be hallucinating."
Wait, back up. That Nidoking had said Indira was his sister. But how could he be a pokémon and her a human? It was biologically impossible! There was something wrong, very, very, wrong. Something I didn't understand…
"Well, howdy!" Nicole shouted, breaking the silence. "Oh, how cute! You wouldn't happen to already have an Iuncta Pectora, would you? Because you'd look so adorable with me!" Indira ran to Nicole and picked her up, petting her and admiring her. There was that Iuncta Pectora thing again. "Excuse me," I began. "What's an Iuncta Pectora?"
Indira set Nicole down and picked me in the same way. She began to pat my head, but when she petted my tails I felt annoyed. I involuntarily growled, and Indira took her hand away. "My dear, how could you not know? I can tell you later. Do you lot have anywhere to go?" Indira turned to the rest of the group. "Actually, we were heading to Ameithus City when we bumped into Nijash." Michael explained. Indira played with my curly hair. "Ameithus? You lot have to come home with me, in that very same city. After all, it'll start snowing soon, and I don't want you guys to freeze." Indira said. Canella extended her hand. Indira shook it. "Canella Range, pleasure to meet you." Canella said. "Indira Suhndrany, a pleasure, as well. Now come, before the sun sets."
Indira put me down. She pulled out a purple crystal ball that had the name NIDOKING encrusted into it. "Nijash, rest up." She said. Nijash nodded and became pink dust. Then the crystal ball absorbed him inside, and Indira put the ball into her bag. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Raticate complained. "Oops, sorry." Indira said. The same process was repeated with Raticate, only her ball had RATICATE written on it.
Indira picked up Michael and petted him. In fact, she thought all of us were cute, except, obviously, Ethan, that slithering idiot. She pointed over the horizon. "That's where we should be heading." She said. Then she ran off with Michael in her arms, who kept yelling "HELP!"
We chased after Indira until we left the hill far behind.
I was amazed, stunned, shocked, mesmerized. Ameithus was the perfect definition of advanced. Streets made of silver, lamps made of diamond, buildings all made of iron. There were vehicles, because I couldn't say cars, since they hovered above the ground. They had tinted windows, so I couldn't see who was driving. They didn't let out smoke, like they used no fuel. They had rockets attached to the sides. Then, I heard the traditional siren of a police patrol. A black and white vehicle with three sirens, one blue, one red, and one green, was chasing a runaway vehicle. The criminal inside the floating car sped up, making the rockets of the sides turn on. It flew away at high speed, while the police patrol copied the action. The chase continued in the sky.
"Wow…" I said in perfect unison with Nicole. "Pretty ain't it?" Indira asked. "Uh-huh." Nicole said. Her mouth was hanging open. "Alright, let me get my Hovercraft." Indira pulled out some keys from her bag and pressed a blue button. It was so fast I didn't even see the Hovercraft arrive in front of us. But there it was, as if it had always been there. It was like the others, only it was purple and had three black rockets instead of two.
"Hop in." Indira invited. A door opened, and revealed the cushiony insides of the vehicle. "I get the middle seat!" Nicole announced. "No way." I said. I raced her to the Hovercraft and hopped inside first. We fought epically for the middle seat that seemed comfier than the rest. "Uh, move away, excuse me, ladies." Michael said awkwardly as he tried to get past me. He finally made his way next to us, and I finally threw Nicole off. She landed on the left seat and pouted. "I loathe you." She joked. "The feeling is mutual." I joked back.
"I call shotgun!" Indira shouted as she threw herself at the front seat. But there wasn't a steering wheel. There was a pad where the wheel should be, and it displayed a map of the streets. Canella got into the Hovercraft and sat beside Indira, with Ethan sitting on her lap. "Ssssstart thissss machine, lady, or we'll charge you." Ethan said. "He's creeping me out." Nicole whispered and I nodded.
Indira touched the pad with her fingers, and the vehicle's motor started. She moved her finger along the map, and we began moving above the street. I saw through the windows as the modern city sped by. I was sitting back on my hind legs when I felt something slide across my back and just lay there. Michael groaned a little and began to whistle. What the Hell? "Michael, get your freakin' arm off me, NOW." I growled. Michael pretended to be shocked, and took his arm away swiftly. "Oh, I'm sorry, I was just stretching!" He argued. Stretching, my butt. I heard Nicole start to giggle, followed by Canella, and then Indira. Heck, even Ethan giggled. It was as if they were sharing some kind of inaudible secret they weren't telling me.
"So, Indira," I began, trying to get them to shut up. "For the second time, what's an Iuncta Pectora?" I asked. Indira stopped giggling. "My dear, you don't know…It's actually quite simple." Indira said.
She pressed a button that read AUTOPILOT and turned to me. "Iuncta Pectora means 'joined hearts' in Latin. An Iuncta Pectora is what reborns would call, 'Pokémon Trainers', only we are much more advanced than those savages." Indira said, and fire boiled inside me. "Excuse me, I was a Pokémon Trainer." I growled. Indira flinched.
"Oh…sorry, dear. I didn't mean it like that. Reborn, huh? Anyway, what I meant was, that Pokémon Trainers were rather too rash when it came to pokémon. We Iuncta Pectora bond with pokémon. It is a special bond that is created between pokémon and human, at first sight. That Tauros I encountered earlier, I felt a special connection. The same happened when my brother was reborn as a Nidoran. We immediately became linked. When this connection is felt, it's the human's job to capture the pokémon to later become fully bonded. We use special items called Heart Balls." Indira said. She pulled out a crystal ball from her bag and handed it to me. I examined it. It was beautiful, pink and perfectly crafted. But it was empty.
"They are the latest technology. Inside, the pokémon may see the world the way the human does. When I try out this Tauros I caught, I'm going to see if we can bond. If it fails, I cannot keep Tauros. He'll brake free from his Heart Ball and go into the wild, and the link will be gone." She explained. "So, if you don't get along, you can't use it?" I asked. "Correct. I guess that's the only flaw in us, what makes us a little inferior to Pokémon Trainers. We are eternally linked to our pokémon. If I die, my pokémon die. If one of my pokémon dies, I go with them. And eternal bond, that if broken will cost us our lives. Aside from that, it's a very good thing to be Iuncta Pectora." Indira explained. "A pokémon who is bonded is also called Iuncta Pectora, by the way." Canella added. "Do any of you have one?" Indira asked, deactivating the autopilot and continuing to drive with the pad.
"Nope." Nicole said. "I don't, either." I said. Canella and Ethan shook their heads. "I kind of do…" Michael said. "Kind of? What do you mean, 'kind of'?" Indira questioned. "Well, my friend is a human, his name is Xepher, and he said he was trying to make me his pokémon. I don't think it's working, though, because he never lets me in my Heart Ball." Michael explained. Now that I thought about, it made a little sense. And Foolish had to be Xepher's pokémon, too. "It means the linking didn't work. It happens often. But it looks like you share friendship, and that kind of bond never breaks. He might not become your Iuncta Pectora, but he'll remain a friend." Indira said. Michael shrugged.
She removed her fingers from the panel, and the Hovercraft came to a stop. It turned off and parked, landing safely on the ground. I reached for the handle to open the door, but there wasn't one. "Just press your paw against the window." Canella said, doing exactly what she said. Nicole pressed her paws to her window, and the door opened and she jumped off. Michael did the same and exited the vehicle, followed by me.
I stared up at the huge building before us. It was a skyscraper so tall I couldn't see the apex. The building seemed to be made of pure steel, and it was painted golden. It looked like what in my time was a Resort Area luxurious hotel, only more advanced. We walked over the red carpet that leaded to the double doors, and we were greeted by a man in uniform. "Welcome to the Ameithan Luxury Apartments, we hope you enjoy living here." The man said in a robotic voice. "And we all know you're lazy, Bob." Indira waved her hand dismissively at the man, and his image faltered and disappeared. A hologram? Weird way to greet people.
We walked inside into the lobby. A huge chandelier hung by the ceiling, potted plants were on every corner, the floor was covered entirely by red carpet, and the walls were painted gold. Indira went up to the employee and he handed her a pair of keys, and Indira came back to us. "I live in apartment number 345 on the eightieth floor. Since we're a lot, we'll have to take separate elevators." Indira said. She went into one elevator with Canella and Ethan, and I entered another with Michael and Nicole. Now I could see what she meant. The elevator was very narrow. It was a good thing we were rather…*coughtinycough*.
We climbed on top of each other so Michael could press the correct button for the eightieth floor. As soon as he did, we fell apart because of the intense speed the elevator ascended with. It was so fast; I could feel the need to throw up. In a heartbeat, the elevator stopped abruptly, and we were flung to the roof. Once we landed on the floor, the doors slid open diagonally. Nicole's face was turning green, and Michael stumbled, getting his feet entangled as he stepped out.
When we came out, we saw Canella and Indira already waiting for us. Canella's hair was standing up erratically, while Ethan was totally green, his eyes swirling. Indira rolled her eyes. "Wild ride, huh?" She mocked. She slid her card key into the door and it slid open. We walked inside her fancy apartment.
The floor was carpeted. There was a huge wall-size window that gave view of the rest of the city. Break that window, and you're finished. Now, the ceiling was amazing. I didn't know if it was a window, or if it was painted-on, but I could see the night sky. A beautiful crescent moon was present, and in the pitch black sky I saw moving Hovercrafts in traffic. I could've sworn I saw I Clefable sitting on that moon, giggling down at the city. Okay, it wasn't painted on. "Since I'm on the top floor, I got a twin-view room." Indira said as she began to work in the kitchen. I could already smell she was cooking.
Nijash popped out of his Heart Ball as pink dust. When his body regenerated, he stretched, yawned, and scratched himself in an area I do not dare tell. "So, what's for dinner, Indi?" Nijash asked. "Tamato stew and baked Magikarp." Indira said. "Aren't Magikarp too hard to eat?" I asked. "No, all you have to do is crack the skin. Thank technology for immediate-prepare-ovens." Indira said as she opened the oven and pulled out a tray with the baked Magikarp in it. "I find it a little sad to kill and eat this guy, but their meat is too good to pass up." She said. Nijash tried to sneak a bite, but Indira slapped his hand away. "You're always impatient! Go sit down and watch some intergalactic TV." She scolded.
Canella sat down on the couch while Ethan slithered over to the kitchen. "We have sssssssoy sssssssauce, only two dollarsssss." Ethan said. "Ooh, I love soy sauce! I want some." Indira said. Canella tossed Indira a bottle of the sauce that seemed to come out of nowhere, and Indira gave Ethan the money. "Thank you for your kindnesssssssssssss." Ethan said as he slithered back to Canella.
"Dinner is ready. Come on, there's enough for everyone." Indira said. She pressed a button on the door and a dinning table with chairs emerged from the floor. Mechanical hands placed placemats, dishes, and even candles. We all went over and sat, but Nicole and I had to get some books so we could seat properly. Nicole gulfed down her food faster than you could count to ten, while Michael struggled to use the fork right. I started to eat my food. It'd been a while since I'd had a nice, cooked meal.
"Well, it's really weird I don't know your names yet." Indira said casually. "I'm Nicole, mmmmm." Nicole said with her mouth full. "Michael." Michael raised his hand and kept eating. "And you, darling?" Indira asked me. "Amber." I said.
"Great! Well, after dinner you guys make yourselves at home." Indira said. "Indira! Look, the tournament is on!" Nijash shouted suddenly. "Ooof, that was a low blow! GO BLUE CORNER! You can do it! YES!" He shouted enthusiastically at the TV. Indira stood up abruptly and sat down on the couch. Then she started shouting along with Nijash. "Ouch, no, no, no, no, aw damn, the blue corner lost." Nijash said. "GO RED CORNER!" Indira shouted. "What? You dare be against my favorite Iuncta Pectora team? How dare you!" Nijash said disbelievingly. "Easily, because I can do this." Indira said as she pulled out Nijash's Heart Ball. "No, no, please I wanna see this fight!" Nijash was sucked back into his Heart Ball.
"What are you watching, Indira?" Michael asked, finished with his food. "The I.P. Tourney. It's very exciting to watch, and useful to learn some strategies. Come, watch it with me, you guys might learn something." She invited. Michael jumped up and sat beside her. I finished my food and sat back on my hind legs in front of the incredible 50-inch plasma screen TV. "I just wish I had a better TV. This old piece of junk is very crappy. It only has 3D, and no holograms. And the audio also sucks…" Indira complained. But that TV was amazing! How could it be as junky as she said it was? We sure didn't have anything like this in my time.
In the TV, there was a large midair stadium. People and pokémon cheered on the sidelines, and some booed while throwing rusty machine parts at the competitors. There were two corners, the traditional setting for a pokémon battle. Only each side used six pokémon all at once. And the humans controlling them were right in the middle of the field, completely unprotected. Their pokémon battled around them, one corner against the other as they shouted commands. It was very, very weird. "What's this about, anyway?" I asked. Indira muted the TV. "Well, it's a basic battle. Each Iuncta Pectora commands their pokémon from the center of the ground, protected by a force field. The pokémon must fight according to their Iuncta Pectora's commands, exactly. If one pokémon is defeated, another is sent out. The battle goes on until Judge decides which side is out. They're competing for the first prize…an antique item called the Soothe Bell, which guaranties a bond between human and pokémon. If I studied right, it would be what Pokémon Trainers used to call a 'Master Ball'." She explained.
"Soothe Bell? An antique item?" I inquired. Soothe Bells were actually very common when I was human, almost every trainer used them, even I did. Their soothing chime made pokémon friendlier. "Yeah, they say they're like centuries old. They dug them up from the ground along with a few fossils a few months ago. I really wanted them, but the Tourney's all the way in Irisia, and I can't travel there…I'll try next year." She said sadly and turned up the volume.
"And Breloom is down! Looks like the Red Corner have run out of backup, and they only have five pokémon left!" The announcer said enthusiastically. "And here comes the Blue Corner's Heracross to land the finishing blow on Kadabra! What an amazing Megahorn attack! Folks, this fight is the best one I've seen in a while." He said as the Red Corner's Kadabra was defeated. There were only three pokémon left on each corner. One of the Iuncta Pectoras exited the force field, and mounted her Steelix. "Wow, an amazing stunt! But what is this woman thinking? She better be ready to go down with her Steelix, because here comes Magcargo!" The announcer said. Steelix spun its huge body around and kicked up sand, creating a sandstorm and sending straight at a Magcargo. The pokémon took the hit plainly, and as its partner commanded, it slid underneath Steelix and lava erupted from its body. Steelix screeched as the lava engulfed it and the girl, and she fell off her pokémon, unconscious as Steelix followed to fall.
The unconscious Steelix was about to crush her, and I shut my eyes. "A beautiful Lava Plume and it looks like victory goes to the Blue Corner! What a great fight!" The announcer said. I opened my eyes, but there was no sign of the girl. I only saw Steelix lying in the ground, along with its fellow pokémon. "Ouch, the Red Corner girl got squished. Oh well, that's a tourney for ya; nobody ever gets out unscathed." Indira said uncaringly. I didn't know why she'd said Pokémon Trainers were inferior to Iuncta Pectora; at least we didn't get mauled!
"I'm going outside for some air." I said.
I walked alone around the streets of Ameithus City. Sure, I stuck close to the building where Indira lived. The night sky was much clouded, and the air was cold. I willed fire to ignite in me and circulate through my entire body to keep me warm. I exhaled roughly and watched sparks fly out of my nostrils. As I walked I barely saw people. Most of the Hovercrafts were parked. A few pokémon walked past me. There was a place with the lights on, and it seemed interesting, so I headed toward it.
An Armaldo greeted me by the door. "State your business here." He said in an unfriendly tone. "Just getting to know the town." I said, trying not to sound nervous. The Armaldo played with his claws for a second. "Okay then, welcome to the Galactic Bar. Please, come in." He said as he opened the fancy double doors.
I walked in, and the fancy jazz music caught me a little off guard. From a bar, I'd expected some loud hip-hop music, but no, the music was nice and relaxing. I looked over and saw a Jigglypuff singing, with a crew of pokémon playing the instruments. Pokémon and human alike listened to her intently, and applauded when her song finished.
I jumped up to a stool and put my paws on the table. "Well, hello. I haven't seen your face around before. You new here?" The bartender asked me. "Yeah. So, do you serve anything that can help me sleep? I've been having trouble counting the Mareep lately." I told the Grumpig. He wore a white hat and a stained white apron, and occupied himself cleaning a glass. "Ah, I know. Winter nights are almost unbearable. My guess, you'd like something without liquor or alcohol right, kid?" He asked me as he started to pick out some bottles. "No, none of those stuff." I said. One, I was too young for that, and two, I'd heard it didn't taste nice.
"Vey well, here's something nice and sweet. That'll be ten dollars." Grumpig said friendly. I almost choked on my drink. Ten dollars for a bottle of juice? What a rip off. I stammered a little. I had money, but not so much! "Put it on my tab, Bill. She's with me." A voice said. "Alright, Star, whatever you say." Grumpig said. I almost choked again. That voice! Star?
"Mistress Jirachi!" I turned around on my stool and saw she was sitting beside me, bottle of beer in her hand. She looked at me and flashed me a tired smile. "Hey kiddo. Didn't expect to see you here." She said. "Oh, Mistress! Are you feeling better? Have your wounds healed yet?" I asked happily. "Yeah, I'm just fine. I came here to meet up with…someone." Star said, blushing bright red. Someone? But everyone she knew was back at Azalea! Unless… "Mistress Jirachi, are you on a date?" I asked, shocked. She nodded and ordered another beer.
She giggled. "I know, I know. Nobody ever saw the bitter, cold, and bossy Star as the dating kind of girl. But believe it or not, I'm engaged." She said, and showed me a beautiful diamond necklace that hung by her neck. There were several ways to get proposed to, I guessed. I applauded lowly and took another sip of my drink. "That's great news, Mistress! So, who's the lucky guy?" I asked joyfully. "His name is Metorax. And you know him already." She said. "Then, where is he?" I asked, looking around for anyone who could possibly be her boyfriend. "He went to pick up today's news." She said. As if on cue, the doors burst open, but I couldn't see who it was because they had blinding speed. They zoomed in and sat beside star, and I could finally make out who it was. "Star, I have the news right here." Doexys said, placing a newspaper on the table.
Wasn't he supposed to be fighting with Mewtwo? How did he survive? "Amber, this is Metorax, my fiancée." Star said. Deoxys was in his speed form, then he turned back into his normal form to pat my head as a greeting. Then he put his arm around Star lovingly. "Hey, Bill! Hand me a bottle of beer, will ya?" Deoxys shouted. The Grumpig threw a bottle of beer from the other end of the table, and it slid across the wood until Deoxys caught it.
"Deoxys? How did your fight with Mewtwo go? Did you win? Is Veilstone safe? Can we go back?" I asked quickly. Star's head met the table. "Girl, relax. That coward fled when I called in some help. Veilstone is rather okay, and everyone is safe." Doexys informed me. That was great news for me. "And, I'm returning to my colony after my wedding, to which, by the way, you're invited. And I'm taking back everyone with me." She said. "Everyone as in, me, Nicole, Morty, Fuego, Hoja, Shadow, etc.?" I asked. I wanted to go back home, and let everything go back to normal. Back at my little, warm, underground lair with Morty.
"Oh, and congratulations to you two." I said as I finished my drink. "Yes, thank you. Hey, look at this news report." Star said, eyeing the newspaper with disbelief. Deoxys and I read the headline. AZALEA TAKES A TURN FOR THE WORST, it read. I began to read it aloud.
"Just a couple of days ago, a special inspector from the dictator was sent to inspect the small village known as Azalea. When the inspector arrived, the village's leader was not present, so he held her son hostage as a threat. But when it was least expected, the village's leader Lady Calypso, and former Irisia leader Lady Teph came into the scene and declared battle. The wild woman attacked the inspector with a jagged knife. Lady Calypso kicked the inspector out of Azalea with the help of other villagers, and freed her son. Local residents of Ameithus say this was a brave but stupid act, and it could cost the villagers their lives. I will make sure justice is made, the inspector has told the press. But are these empty threats? All we can do is hope Azalea comes out alright." I read. The image beside the paragraph was a colored, moving picture of Lady Calypso holding a knife to the throat of a Cacturne (who I guessed was the inspector) while holding the arm of a young boy, trying to take him away from the grass type pokémon. As the picture moved I saw the child screaming, the Cacturne trying to fight back, and Calypso pressing the knife more. It was a horrid image, but somehow I was glad Calypso wasn't afraid of the evil dictator.
"The woman's got spunk. How I wish she were our leader." Grumpig said as he eyed the paper, cleaning another glass with a handkerchief. "The woman's insane, that's what she is. She just can't accept the fact she's not a powerful pokémon anymore. Yet she still acts like one." Star said, drinking a whole bottle of beer in one gulp. "Hey, has everyone heard about that Calypso chick? She's awesome!" A guy in the bar said. "Dude, a woman like that would never go out with you." An Ampharos who sat beside the man in a booth said. The man face-palmed. "Don't degrade me!" He complained. Then a woman in a space outfit stood up. "Nu-uh, she doesn't believe in technology. A woman like that ain't worth nothing, you idiot!" She shouted. She raised her arm and pressed a button on a machine she wore on her wrist. The machine shot a laser at the man, but his Ampharos created a Light Screen and the laser bounced back, blasting a chunk of wall. "Hey! You could've killed me with that thing! Ampharos, Thunderbolt!" The man said. The woman pressed another button and turned on the jets of her jetpack. She tried to fly out of the bar quickly, but the Thunderbolt caught her and electrocuted her. "Why you son of a…Metang, use Metal Claw!" The woman said angrily. A Metang floated up from a booth and bared its sharp claws. Then it lunged at the Ampharos. "Use Fire Punch!" The man said. "Gladly." Ampharos replied as his fist caught on fire.
"Stop it, stop it, you'll ruin my bar!" Grumpig begged. Just as the attacks were about to collide, Deoxys stepped in with his Attack Form. With his tentacles, he grabbed Metang and Ampharos. Then he spun and flung both pokémon against the wall. He grabbed the man and the woman and kicked them out of the bar. Their pokémon stood up, looked scarily at Deoxys, and ran out the bar. "Heh, pipsqueaks." Star chuckled. Her face was flushed and she started to hiccup. She was drunk out of her mind! Deoxys came back and put his tentacles around her. "Let's go Star, you're drunk. Farewell, Amber." Deoxys said as he helped Star up. As the twosome floated away, everyone at the bar eyed them with fear before returning to their drinks.
The drink was starting to affect me. "Uh, gotta go. Thanks for the drink…what was it, anyway?" I asked the Grumpig. "Oh, special Miltank milk mixed with Sitrus berries and honey. Hope you enjoyed." He waved goodbye as I walked out of the bar, yawning.
I came back outside. It was very cold, so I exhaled fire. As I walked back to the apartment, I felt small snowflakes begin to fall onto me, as the ground slowly became covered in a blanket of pure, white snow. 'Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…' The ancient voice in my head sang.
I looked up, and watched the snow fall.
Wow…long and quick chapter! I just took my final exam today! So no more school till late January, which means I get to write as much as I want! HUZZAH! I'm going to try to make a Christmas special chapter, but if I can't, then sucks to be me. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It'll be the last time we see Star and Deoxys for a looooong time. Also, Indira and Nijash aren't mine. They belong to my best friend who was kind enough to read this fic and love it, even though she doesn't play or watch pokémon! Now that's what I call a true fan. Oh, and special thanks to HeartGold12 for Canella! Heck, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT! Please, review!