Chapter Twenty-four: Vision

Running From Myself

A few days later I sat in my room, attempting to contact the beloved spirit world. Ever since my last encounter my presence hadn't been… Present. That annoyed me. I hadn't even tried to get rid of the thing and it left, talk about rude.

I sighed and stood up from my bed. "No use, huh." I walked out into the kitchen. Grandmother was coming through the door, she was coming in for lunch.

"Hello." She greeted, her gentleness perfectly portrayed on her face and smile.

"Grandmother," I nodded and smiled. I had eaten late so I started off to the shop to find Jamie.

The past two days was spent solely with Jamie. We visited Ember's parents and talked to them some, they weren't very helpful.

"The day before he left, he was very angry. He was all upset because he hadn't started his journey." Donald, Ember's father, had said. Well that was one guilt-trip. Great.

Since then Jamie and I have shared theories and talked about what we could do. We discovered that we couldn't do anything. He was out in the world and we were back in the normal life.

I walked into the shop. Jamie stood there. "Hey Cyn, ready to go?" We were going to take a walk out of the town's limits and train. Ever since I took her with me training, she loved coming and watching. It was nice to someone to keep my company with my Pokémon.

In the two days I went to the Center and found out what Pokémon the sailor gave to me, it was a Milotic. She was pretty tough, but I was still trying to get her to be quick and actually do something when I command. Jamie found it amusing, I found it irritating.

After a short training session we went back to my house. Grandmother was gone again. We sat on the sofa and turned on the television. Jubilife News was on, they were talking about the 'raid' going on in Canalave City.

"The raid is getting larger and larger," explained the news anchor, "Lea has no comments. Is this what it's coming to? Our own Champion having not one comment?"

"Yes." I said, not caring is Jamie heard me. She knew my hate for Lea. Hate was the wrong word, fear was better.

"We will have more information on the raid later tonight, stay tuned." The logo spun around the screen.

"It's getting worse out there." Jamie said, referring to the raid.

"I know." I muttered. The rebels hadn't tried to contact me, probably for the best. Hilbert may have even told them to shut the whole thing down. If that was so, I didn't have a reason to feel guilty. Even if he didn't I still had no reason to be guilty. Then why do I feel so guilty? I thought. Guilt ate at me.

What was going on was attackers were repeatedly bombing places in Canalave. First the research center, then a set of loading docks, then a place reserved in the forest nearby for studying and then the latest, the lighthouse. It wasn't the rebel, I knew for a fact, the bombs used were apparently high-tech. They had to be Lea's.

Unless it wasn't Lea… Then that confused me.

As if she read my mind, Jamie spoke up. "Do you still think Lea is behind this?"

I nodded. "Yes, more than ever since I have left." We hadn't discussed the whole 'quitting' thing yet… I was hoping that I would never have to say it, but I knew I would have to eventually. And it would be awful.

The day went on. Jamie left and I went back to my bedroom, I sat on my bed and cleared my mind. I was going to try to get my presence present.

After a half hour, I began to lose patience. But I felt the hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes, the black shadow manifested in front of me.

"I'm happy you came." That wasn't a lie, it was relieving for it to return. "Is there more you're going to show me?"

No reply, I was getting anxious. "I really need your cooperation."

"Are you ready for me to show you more?"

I thought for a second. "Yes." Instantly peace flooded into me. I laid on the bed and soaked it up, sleep found me and I slipped into a dream.

The scene was a ballroom. Similar to the one nightmare I had a while ago. I was sitting in a chair, I stood up. This time I had control over my body. I started walking to the middle of the ballroom. Lea and Maroon appeared in front of me. I stopped in my tracks, fear shot through me.

At first I thought it was real, I had to re-convince myself it was a vision.

"Maroon," Lea's voice was professional, not husky like my nightmare, "the time's drawing near."

"Yes, Sir, I know." Maroon cleared his throat. "People are going to die…" His mousy voice was a murmur.

"I don't care!" Lea yelled. "This is what we need. This is what we are going to do." Lea turned around and walked off, he faded away.

Maroon sighed and shook his head. "It's what you want, not what we need…"

Everything went black. The scene changed again. I was watching the statue burn. Ash and smoke filled my nose. The gem glowed brightly right before it collapsed to the ground.

I opened my eyes. I was out of breath again, I gasped and coughed. The shadowy haze appeared. "I still don't understand." I muttered between a cough.

"And you may not ever…" It left the room. I rolled my eyes.

"Why are you always so helpful?"

The next day I sat on my couch with Thumper lounging beside me. Grandmother was taking a trip to Solaceon to run errands today. She wouldn't be happy about it, she was all about sticking to the laws, as was I before I became a rebel. You're not a rebel anymore! I kept telling myself.

I quickly became bored and walked back into my room. Thumper was on my heels. Once I walked in Thumper squawked and fluttered over to my desk. He sat on it and grabbed one of the stones. I was expecting him to evolve or something, but he didn't. He just stared at it.

"Whatever sinks your ship." I laughed at myself, I picked up on Jamie's lingo.

A few hours passed when Grandmother came home.

"Hello Cynthia." She said when she walked in.

"Hey Grandmother." She went to the kitchen to start on dinner. I approached her. "I was wondering if you would help me with the stones you sent me for my birthday."

She turned towards me and smiled. "Sure thing dear, does this mean you are training?"

Great, I knew what she was getting at. "Yes I have trained a bit, but I am not getting back out there."

"Why not? Try to explain to me." She caressed my face.

"Grandmother, it's hard out there and I am not ready. I am not cut out for it, and I don't want you telling me any differently."

She dropped her hand and her expression softened. "Dear, sometimes—"

I held my hand up. "Please, don't start."

Grandmother sighed. She smiled again. "Just think over everything."

"I have. I am making the right choice."

"Alright. Let us go get your stones."

I walked to my room and got one of the stones and brought it out to her.

"This is a Shiny Stone. It would help your Togetic or Roselia."

"Let me get Togetic." I grabbed Thumpers ball and brought him out. We stepped outside and she handed him the stone.

"Alright little Pokémon, use the stone." She said. The stone lit up and the brightness enclosed Togetic. It was mesmerizing. Right before my eyes he evolved into a Togekiss. A huge Flying Type.

"Wonderful!" I cooed. I walked over to Thumper and patted his head. "You're not sleeping in my bed anymore." I whispered and laughed.

"I bet I could get you another one for your Roselia, let me run to the shop."

Grandmother quickly went to the shop and returned with another Shiny Stone. Roselia evolved into Roserade, a beautiful addition to my team, and I went to train.

Roserade had newly found speed, she still wasn't as fast as Bibarel, but she was certainly getting there. Togekiss had to learn how to use the move Fly; that was an amusing sight to see.

I brought out Milotic. She laid out on the ground. "Come on, use any move!" I yelled. She ignored me. Great, that made two Pokémon who ignored what I said.

I released Gabite, the other Pokémon who wouldn't listen to me. "Dragon Rage." She was being beaten by Bibarel. "Come on!" Bibarel used Rollout, he hit Gabite. She used Dragon Claw but then sat back on her haunches yet again.

I returned Bibarel and walked out to my Snorlax-Gabite. "Do you want to leave? Do you want to run off?" She growled. "I'm not stopping you Gabite, maybe you leaving would be the best thing, you think?"

She roared and jumped up. She glided over my head, I swiftly turned around. She sat on the grass, facing away from me. "Gabite, either listen or leave." A hiss escaped her lips. She didn't move. "Fine." I returned her. "You better get your head on straight—" I stopped mid-sentence. Why did she have to get her head on straight? I could release all my Pokémon if I wanted, I wasn't going to battle again anyways.

Of course I didn't do that then, I wanted to release Gabite, but not Roserade, Bibarel or Thumper. Even Spiritomb had a place in my heart. I had gotten over Noctowl and Golduck. Noctowl was gone and Golduck was making someone happy. I hoped, anyways.

I sighed and gave up. I attached Gabite's Pokéball to my belt loop and headed home.

That night the presence woke me from a nice slumber. It didn't speak, I could just feel it around. "What do you need?" I murmured sleepily.

"Mistakes. Mistakes." The strange whisper filled the night air.

"Yes I get that. Anything else? A vision, maybe?"

"No." The presence left.

"Thank you for waking me up." I said, sarcasm dripping from my tone. Roserade, who slept on my floor, peeked up at me. I could see her faintly in the moonlight streaming in from the window. "It's okay Grass Type, go back to sleep."

I yawned and followed my own advice.

Except it wasn't all that easy.

A nightmare came to me. A nightmare that started out with me in fear.

I was in the mirror room. I looked at myself, I wore a blue ball gown. My hair was a mess and blood covered me, yet I felt no pain.

I looked at the reflection behind me. A bird's body, Noctowl's body, hung upside down. He was headless and covered in blood. I almost vomited at the sight, but the worst sight came next.

Beside the bird was another body. A human body. A man's body.

Ember was hanged by the neck, his eyes open and meeting mine through the reflection. They were glassy and lifeless. I gasped and fell to my knees. I felt like weeping but no tears came from my eyes. "No." I whispered.

Laughter filled the room. Lea appeared beside me. His eyes were blood red and his smile was wicked. "I love it when you get like that." I looked up and met his gaze. He looked less scary through the mirror. He grabbed my face with both his hands. I didn't try to escape. "You're so very pretty. Too bad you have to die." His voice was rough. The kind that made you cringe and scream.

"Why?" I was barely audible.

His laugh rang out. "Because you're in my way, Cynthia Marie Everheart."

With a grin still planted on his face, a sword, dripping in red blood from its past kills, was thrust through my chest and right through my heart.

I sat up in my bed and yelped. Roserade jumped to her feet and readied herself for a command. "It's alright. Just a dream." I smiled and patted the Grass Type's head. It was morning, but I was so exhausted from my dream that I collapsed back on my thin pillow.

That couldn't have been a vision… Right?