Ah family.
People define it differently. Some believe that family is only those who are related by blood. The ones who we are bound to physically, that we will always be connected to whether we like it or not. We may not be anything like them, but they will always be associated with us.
Others define family as those who stand by your side. The ones you can rely upon for help when you really need it. These people make their families from their friends, from their coworkers, and from those that they trust.
Finn had a combination of the two viewpoints. His relatives – of which he only had his parents – were definitely family to him, but Finn also viewed his Pokémon as his family. Together they had been through so much, and the trust they shared was unbreakable.
Finn's mother was the only member of his family that he had seen regularly in the past five years or so. Of course, the last year had been spent wandering around the Toreta region to battle Pokémon gyms. As far as a faithful son went, Finn had been quite neglectful.
"Heh, hi Mom…" Finn muttered, scratching the back of his head. "Um, no, not really."
"I have the same name as your mother, Finn." Athena really wasn't asking a question. She reached out with her sashes again. "When did you intend to let us know?"
"Finn…" His mother reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Alright. What's your technicality?"
"Well, she shares the same name origin as you." Finn took his Pokémon's sashes gently, stroking the soft silk. "You know, named after the goddess of wisdom and strategy. I find that it fits."
"I'm getting too old for your shenanigans, Finnegan." Athena Ferris wasn't a young woman anymore by any means, but she was healthy and fit. Her long grey hair was tied up in a neat bun, befitting her formal suit and strict appearance. Even though her dark eyes seemed harsh, Finn knew full well that it was an act. She did this every time he got himself injured.
"I just thought it fit." Finn shrugged. "I named half of my team after ancient gods. Or rather, goddesses. My gliscor is named Nyx, and my machamp is named Bellona."
"Alright, alright, fine." The elder Ferris shook her head, closing her eyes. "Craitarot told Torina, and Torina told me. I have a question for you." When Finn's mother opened her eyes, she glared directly at Finn. "What the hell possessed you to do any of this?!"
"Define 'this', please."
"Where do I begin? Leaving home without telling me face-to-face, nearly dying to your first Pokémon, leaving Vernac before I could get there, going to Geistom of all places-," Finn's mother took a breath. "What were you thinking?"
"Well… I will admit that leaving home and only leaving a note was, um, kinda stupid." Finn chuckled nervously. "It's not Athena's fault I nearly died, though. It was an accident. As for leaving before you got there…" Finn looked up at his mother. "Would you have let me continue on my journey after I had an episode like that?"
"No, and you shouldn't have gone on anyways!"
"Yes, I should have." Finn sighed. "And what do you have against Geistom? Yes it's a weird place, but they're nice people."
"Have you met the gym leader?" Finn's mother asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Yes?" Finn wasn't sure where she was going with this. "He's a religious fanatic, but he's also very accepting and reasonable. What's the issue you have with him?"
"He's a Plasma."
Finn's eyes widened. "No."
"He's the oldest of the Numer siblings. We don't know much about the middle child, but his youngest sister is Trinity, who we are certain is a Plasma." Finn's mother held up a finger to stall his question. "And both of them vanished, with certain people close to them having gone missing. Terrance was last seen sauntering into the gym over a month ago, and the revenant, Reaves, was found lifeless in Mono's office." Athena Ferris ran her fingers through her hair, letting out a sigh. "And that's not even the last of it. Ada and Heather have gone missing, and nobody can get into the Library in Skolar, so we don't know if Carsen is even still there. I've warned Lorenzo and Dracul, but there's only so much we can do to prepare ourselves for what's coming."
"Oh Arceus." Finn sat there, eyes wide. "Someone needs to stop team Plasma. Someone needs to do something. I need to do something." Finn started to push himself up and out of bed, only for four hands, a pair of sashes, and psionic force to all push him back down.
"You aren't going anywhere young man," Finn's mother ordered. "You've got a broken leg from your little traipse into a cave-in, and your condition is getting worse."
That gave Finn pause. "Worse how?"
"It's stage two, Finn," Athena Ferris took a deep breath. "And you've only got about six months before it becomes stage three."
"What happens when Finn's condition becomes stage three, exactly?" Crai asked, his red gaze shooting back and forth between Finn and his mother.
"It's not for me to say," Athena Ferris said, shaking her head.
"I understand." Crai nodded, only to mutter aloud. "Mind like a fortress…"
"Then all the more reason for me to get going now," Finn protested, pushing himself up once more.
Finn's mother sighed. "You know, I knew you'd keep protesting. You do realize that you have another three weeks or so before you're supposed to be walking on your broken leg, right?"
"Thank you for a more specific time frame. I have crutches." Finn was now sitting upright and swung his legs off of the bed.
"Well, you never were very good at arts and crafts. That's why we got you actual crutches." Finn's mother gestured to one corner, where a pair of metal crutches were leaning against the wall.
"I made those!" Finn protested.
"I can tell. They're only good for if you're in the middle of nowhere." Athena Ferris shook her head.
"Can't really argue with that, actually." Finn shrugged. "Crai, could you get my crutches for me?"
"Of course." The gardevoir extended one hand, and the crutches flew across the room to Finn. They stopped just a couple of inches away, allowing Finn to reach out and take them.
Finn experimentally planted the crutches against the ground and pushed down, putting his weight on the supports. After a moment he pushed off of the bed and tucked the crutches under his shoulders, finding that they worked perfectly. "Thanks, Mom."
"I figured you wouldn't let a broken leg stop you, considering that you managed to get through the History tunnels with it," Athena Ferris replied, a small smile appearing on her face. "But I doubt you'd even have much difficulty with your Pokémon by your side. If I was looking for a team, I'd envy you. All of your Pokemon are extraordinarily loyal." Her smile turned to a scowl as she glanced down at Bastion. "Except that one. Why'd you have to catch a mareanie? They're foul-tempered little bastards."
"Hey! Watch your tongue lady, before I rip it out!" Bastion growled, bunching up his tentacles.
"I'll be honest, that was an accident. He's mine, though. He's part of the family." Finn shrugged. "Bastion has proven that he's good, at least in battle. Outside of battle… he's a bit of a jerk."
"Excuse me?" Bastion muttered, scowling.
"Sorry, I meant a lot of a jerk," Finn corrected himself.
"Much better." Bastion's scowl turned into a triumphant grin, his yellow eyes glinting oddly.
Finn just gave the diminutive creature a look, trying to figure out what was going on in the mareanie's head. Bastion confused him. Shaking his head, Finn looked back up at his mother. "Did you hear about me understanding my Pokémon?"
"Absolutely. Torina told me." Finn's mother glanced back out at the hallway. "Seven Pokémon that are inextricably linked to you. I had Xollen, Clarent, and Kasparov all looked at you, and though they could distinguish a unique link between you and your Pokemon, they couldn't figure it out at all. Xollen said that your mind is in your doublade's body, Clarent tried to mold your soul into an easier to scan form only to find it unmovable, and Kasparov took one look and decided that you were beyond saving."
"Well, Kas is a bisharp. They're known to be harsh." Finn shrugged.
"Yes, but he knows you. He's known you for years. Even Clarent warmed up to you after three years." Athena Ferris ran her hand through her hair again. "Kasparov didn't recognize you. Xollen and Clarent did, but Kasparov didn't. He was looking through you, or something. He called you an abomination."
"Zekrom called me an abomination too." Finn closed his eyes and tilted his head back, trying to think. "I think it was because of my aura, or something. I don't know. I'm not an auric."
"Well, neither am I. Your father knows more about that, but Arceus knows where he is right now." Finn's mother sighed. "I do, however, understand psionics. How is it that your doublade has a sizable chunk of your memories? And for that matter, what happened to her?"
"I don't know why Athena has my memories. I really don't." Finn opened his eyes, looking at Athena. "And, well, Darrell happened to her. His probopass used earth power to smash her eyes out."
"That would explain how it happened. The gemstones that make up a doublade's eyes are just about indestructible, though certain Pokémon are strong enough to do it. Probopass is one."
"So how can we get her healed?" Finn set his crutches and tucked them under his arms. His hands freed, Finn reached out with his right arm, and Athena wrapped her sashes around his scarred limb.
"As far as I know, there are two ways. The first is evolution, as evolution fixes a lot of issues. Inherent genetic disorders, broken bones, and many diseases are all healed by evolution. But I don't know for sure if it'll help with this." Finn's mother paused, thinking. "The other option is to make new eyes, but for that you need a phantasmal gemstone, like a dusk stone or a ghostly elemental-charged crystal. They're hard to find, but they're some of the few things that work."
"I think I have one of those, actually. Where's my bag?" Finn looked around the room.
"I'll get it!" Nyx quickly hopped out of the room, slipping past Finn's mother. After a moment she returned with the bag in her arms. Smiling to herself, she proudly extended her arms to Finn. "Here you go!"
"Thank you, Nyx." Finn grabbed the bag strap and set the bag on the bed next to him. He reached his right hand into the main pocket and concentrated, tapping in to the nerve sensor in the bag. After a second, he felt something materialize in the palm of his hand, only to hiss and drop it as a jolt shot up his arm.
"What happened?" His mother asked, stepping forwards.
"I don't… know." Finn looked at his right arm. The scar from Athena's sash was pulsing violently, and a tingling sensation ran up and down his arm. "Didn't hurt, just… surprised me."
Shrugging, Finn turned and reached into the bag with his left hand, pulling out the faintly translucent purple crystal he had bought at the market fair in Vernac. Once it was in the light, his mother gasped. "Finn, do you know what that is?"
"Not a clue. I bought it thinking it was a dusk stone, but it didn't make Athena evolve when she touched it. She said she felt odd, but nothing else happened." Finn paused, furrowing his brow. "Why?"
"You're right, it isn't a dusk stone." Finn's mother stepped even closer, reaching out to request the crystal. After a moment, Finn shrugged and handed it over. Taking a closer look, his mother nodded. "Yes, this is something far harder to find. A rare gemstone usually only mined in Alola: ghostium. It's far better for making the eyes we need, mostly because it's nontransformative. It makes a Pokemon able to unleash their inner spiritual power. I'm no real expert, but I do know that this will be a far better material for a functional pair of doublade eyes than most native gemstones."
"It won't have any odd effects?" Finn asked.
"Maybe. Less than a dusk stone would, that much I'm sure of." Athena Ferris examined the stone. "Do you mind if I take this with me back to Bluebell? I'll have it carved into shape by the time you get to the gym."
"Thanks, Mom." Finn hesitated. "And I'm sorry."
"I just… I worry about you, Finn." His mother hesitated. "I know I'm harsh, but it's to keep you safe."
"I understand." Finn nodded.
"You always do, Finn." Athena Ferris smiled. "You always do."
And then she was walking off, leaving the room with long strides. Silence reigned for a few moments, then Bastion spoke, "Good riddance, I say."
"Bastion," Finn warned.
"I mean, did you listen to her? She didn't do anything but scold Finn. Geez, who does she think she is?" Bastion ranted.
"She's my mother, and she has plenty of authority to tell me off," Finn said quietly and coldly, glaring at the mareanie. "Now shut up."
"I mean-," Bastion continued obliviously.
"Bastion, shut the hell up," Crai growled, his eyes lighting up with blue energy as the mareanie lifted off the ground from the psionic assault.
"Like you're gonna do anything, you twinky little dress-wearing-,"
"Do you want me to tear you apart?" Crai snarled, his face twisting into a vicious scowl. "I will kill you if you don't shut the hell up."
"I'd like to see you try." Bastion's face contorted into a wicked grin.
"Both of you stop," Finn interjected, taking a deep breath. "Crai, don't kill him, please. Bastion, either shut up or I will put you in a ball and only release you for battles. Understand?"
"Fine," Bastion grumbled, his grin vanishing.
"Alright." Finn took another deep breath, closing his eyes. "Let's just go outside and calm down."
"I second this decision. Tensions are too high," Athena spoke, floating around Finn to rest behind him. She didn't have her sheath mount, he noticed. What had happened to it?
Then he was answered by a thought rising from the depths of his mind. It wasn't necessary anymore.
Finn grabbed his crutches and began to shuffle towards the door. A quick glance around the room told him that Belle was rising from her seat, Crai was gliding across the floor towards him, and Nyx and Jitters were following close behind. He really wasn't worried about Bastion coming along; the mareanie would probably be happier to be on his own.
With five Pokemon in tow, Finn hobbled his way through the building. He made his way for the back of the building, heading to the large enclosure that he knew was there.
A wall-hanging mirror caught his attention for a moment, and Finn was shocked to see his reflection. The face that stared back at him was sickly and weathered. An unruly mane of black hair covered the top of his head, a dusting of grey clearly visible. His hazel eyes were sunken in their sockets, the skin of his face pulled taut against the bone. He looked like death.
But worrying about his appearance wouldn't get him anywhere, so Finn turned away from the mirror and continued on outside. He might be in horrible condition, but he would get better. He always recovered.
Finn paused at the door, not quite sure how to open it. He didn't have to, though, because the door opened for him, and Professor Aspen almost walked straight into him. She quickly stepped back, her eyes widening. "Finn, what are you doing out of bed?!"
"I'm going outside," Finn replied tiredly.
"You can't do that, you need to stay in bed to recover-," Aspen argued.
"I haven't seen the sun in a month," Finn interrupted. "And I want to see Harvest."
"But-,"
"I'll stay another night." Finn sighed. "Just… please."
Aspen looked at him for a minute, then sighed as well. "Alright. Just… don't stress yourself."
With that, Aspen stepped aside and held the door open for Finn and his Pokémon. Finn stepped past and gave her a grateful glance, hobbling outside.
A surprisingly large field spread out in front of Finn, separated at points by fences and gates. And the fences were necessary, too. Pokémon of all varieties made residence in this field, divided by predator-prey relationships and rival species. Finn knew full well how to tell which Pokémon lived where; he had done his research long ago. With this knowledge in mind, Finn hobbled his way towards where the predatory bug types made their home.
The short walk over was well worth it for the scene that Finn saw.
A stilted and warped bipedal creature stumbled across the grassy field towards a towering drapion. Its three-fingered hands held a purple corpse, the body of a wild rattata. With its stumbling and unsteady movements, it appeared that the sickly creature was about to fall over at any moment. But instead, it maintained its upright stance despite its odd feet.
As the leaf-clothed creature approached the massive purple scorpion, it hesitated, then continued. When the drapion turned its head to look at the biped, the leaf-covered bug type hesitated again.
Then, with trembling arms, the bipedal bug type extended its arms in offering.
Both of the bugs were motionless for several moments.
Then the drapion accepted the rattata with its claws, sniffing the corpse. It crooned, an odd sound to hear from the huge dark type, and leaned over to rub its head against the twisted bug type's torso.
Harvest returned the drapion's affections, chirring happily as he nuzzled the larger creature.
Finn just smiled as he looked on. Harvest appeared to be recovering quite well from his ordeal, readjusting to life.
After a while, Harvest disengaged from the drapion. The hybrid had noticed Finn, and quickly chittered to the drapion. Harvest ran across the field with deceptive speed, his stunted stride giving him an astonishing ability to traverse ground. With a leap, the hybrid hurtled over the fence and wrapped his arms around Finn. "Fiiiiinnn."
"Hi Harvest." Finn smiled, planting one of his crutches and wrapping his arm around Harvest.
It was an amazing time. Finn felt his worries fade. Harvest was here, all of his Pokemon were here, and they were all happy.
All but one, the water type who was looking on from a distance.
A/N:
So Finn's first Pokemon shares her name with his mother. As explained here, they both have the same name origin.
Since I already explained where the name Athena comes from, I'll explain the family name instead. Ferris is a corruption of the word ferrous, as in ferrous metals like iron and steel.
And the mysterious stone that Finn bought in Vernac is revealed to be ghostium Z! He doesn't have a Z ring, though, so no Z moves here.
That's all for this time. Review to let me know what you think!
Now read on!