Hello again! Since I am now quaratined for a month, I will begin cranking out chapters for this! Maybe I'll finish it before the end of the year, lol!
Amy47101 does not own pokémon, only her OCs, Vale, Agent Blitz/Sara Knight, and the Bennet family.
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The Adventure Saga
The Truth Behind Us
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Start Date; June 2nd, X017
Current Date: November 4th, X017
o.0.o.0.o
"This is weird." Hilda muttered, glancing around at the scene before them.
Team Plasma members were everywhere, but not in a criminal sense, or even in a preachy, holier than thou sense. No, these Team Plasma members were talking jovially with the townsfolk, playing with the children, and helping pokémon whenever they could. A couple of members were even teaching children about how to keep their environment clean for the pokémon's benefit.
And the citizens just seemed so happy to have them there. It was utterly baffling. She supposed in every cult, there was a group of people that were the outlier… But these people were either high as a kite, or exponentially clueless.
"I have to say I agree." Black said, standing a little closer to her. "Don't go to far, I'm not sure how I feel about this…"
"Oh, hello!" a female grunt smiled at them with her hands folded in front of her. "Welcome to Mistralton!"
"Uh, hi…" Hilda trailed off. It didn't seem like an act…
"What are you doing here?" Black asked with a grin. "You guys look busy."
"Team Plasma works towards creating a better life for pokémon." she continued with a smile that somewhat reminded Hilda of the nurses at the pokémon center. Just… kind and good intentioned. "When our group was dispatched to Mistralton, we understood that it would be difficult to make any significant change because the cargo planes create so much air pollution. Since we knew that the cargo was important for pokémon, we decided to work on helping to educate the populace and develop a means to control air pollution."
"Whitney?"
The grunt turned, catching Hilda and Black's attention as well. There stood a man with wheat-colored robes and the Plasma emblem. Next to him was a woman with red hair in a bun on the side of her head. Hilda recognized her as Skyla, the gym leader of Mistralton City. The old man spoke up again, his gaze settling on Hilda.
"Who are these people?"
"Just some travelers I was greeting, Sage Rood!" Whitney chirped.
"Ah." the old man smiled gently, nodding only once. "Whitney, do you mind going to help your fellow knights? I want to have a word with these two."
"Of course!" the girl grinned, then ran off.
Hilda's guard was up really high as she made eye contact with the sage. After all, a sage meant a high ranking member of Team Plasma, and she had no clue what the hell he wanted with them. Black's guard seemed to be up just as high, taking a subtle step forward, as if preparing to leap between her and Rood.
"Miss Hilda, correct?" Rood asked, smiling slightly. He looked almost like a grandfather like that. "I'm aware you're not particularly fond of Team Plasma. If we have done you wrong in any way, I want to offer my most sincere apologies."
"What the fuck?" Hilda asked, eyes flying open wide. "I'm sorry, what the fuck?! Do you-"
"Hold on, Hilda." Black whispered to her, holding out an arm to keep her from marching straight up to him. "You're apologizing?"
"Yes." Rood nodded his head once. "It's obvious that you have disdain towards the organization, and members have spoken of your strength. Skyla has also informed me that some of our members are a tad bit… extreme in their methods. I know you were caught in the insanity at some point or another, and I wanted to apologize on their behalf."
"Uuuh…"
"As you can see here, I have been working really hard to ensure Team Plasma improves the lives of pokémon whilst also coinciding peacefully with the townfolk." Rood said, holding out an arm and gesturing towards the town. "I want to express that, irregardless of whatever experience you've had before, we are trying to work peacefully here."
"… Skyla?" Black asked, glancing at the gym leader. She smiled cheerfully.
"Aren't they so sweet?" she asked. "They've been so kind to the people in Mistralton, and Rood here thought up of all sorts of ways for me to help keep the air cleaner for pokémon. Turns out, what we do to help pokémon helps humans too, and I want the best for my city and for Unova!"
"Hilda and…" Rood trailed off, staring at Black in a quizzical manner.
"Black." Black introduced himself.
"Yes, Black. Would you like me to show you what we've been doing here?"
"I'll come with you!" Skyla grinned.
"Sure, I'd love to see what's going on here." Black nodded once.
Hilda clenched her fists tightly, averting her gaze from Rood and Skyla. There was nothing influencing either of them, both of them were being honest, and it was bothering her. She wanted to start shouting and screaming about all the shit Team Plasma had done, wanted to smack some sense into these two!
Opening her mouth, she inhaled deeply to speak, when Black put an arm around her shoulder, forcing her to come along. He leaned down a little so he could whisper to her.
"I know you want to shout about your experiences, but hold it in for now."
"But-"
"We're surrounded by enemies." he muttered. "We can't risk upsetting them."
Hilda knew this, and she hated to admit it.
"Fine." she huffed, shrugging his arm off. "I'll keep my mouth shut."
Black smiled gratefully, towards her, with both of them following after Rood and Skyla.
o.0.o.0.o
Hilda had to admit, there was quite a bit of things Team Plasma accomplished here. Since Mistralton was such a huge cargo area, there was always air traffic and travel. Additionally, there were pokémon who would wander into the cargo area and get hurt. However, Rood had lead the people on a way to keep pokémon out of the runway area.
Skyla had happily explained how the people of Mistralton and Team Plasma, together, bonded over creating a border of plants around the runway that repelled pokémon so they could lower the risk of them being caught in cargo or being hurt. Additionally, Skyla explained how Rood was helping her draft documentation requesting more air-friendly fuel alternatives for the planes that were just as efficient as their current fuel.
Overall, Hilda was begrudging to admit, Rood and Team Plasma actually seemed to be accomplishing something here… which made her wonder why the hell the rest of the group were such assholes.
"You seem to be wondering why things are so different here." Rood noted as Skyla continued to prattle on. Hilda shot him an accusatory glance, crossing her arms.
"It is bothering me, yeah." she answered gruffly. Rood crossed his arms behind his back, staring at the town.
"I've heard rumors about Team Plasma. I'm not sure how much of it is true, but the continent seems split on our intentions. Some people call us activists, some people call us terrorists…" Rood trailed off musingly. "Both could be true, of course."
"Could be?" Hilda prodded.
"I have not left Mistralton very much, nor have I been updated on the day to day happenings in Team Plasma. I am simply told to continue to lead here in Mistralton, so I couldn't tell you either way. Irregardless, I believe that the best course of action to achieve our goals is to connect to the people and help them to improve their way of life. This way, they can strive for an ideal world… That is how I feel I can best serve my King."
"… I see." Hilda muttered. She was… honestly taken aback. Rood just seemed so out of touch with what was going on around him, at least in terms with Team Plasma. It was like he was completely unaware of what was going on with the organization, despite being a sage who was leading a group of knights.
Irregardless, he seemed to be living up the best to Team Plasma's message, in her opinion. She looked over the city again, the members coexisting so peacefully with the people, and pokémon smiling happily. Children smiling as Team Plasma members educated them, Team Plasma members escorting old people across the street, teaching wannabe trainers proper ways to care for pokémon… Is this what N thought of when he thought of Team Plasma?
… If this is all I knew about an organization I was in charge of, I'd probably be pretty defensive is some loudmouth started screaming accusations about those same people being kidnappers and hurting people.
"… Rood, be straight with me." Hilda glanced at the old man. "Do you believe in Team Plasma's ideal? Completely liberating pokémon from people?"
"… I'm aware you'll be able to sense my lies, Hilda, so I won't be dishonest." Rood spoke with a tone that indicated he was quite wise. "No. I do not agree one hundred percent with King Natural, that all pokémon should be liberated from humans."
"… You realize you're an oddball, yeah?"
"I'm aware." Rood let out a chuckle. "I believe that pokémon should be saved from humans that are hurting them. I believe that people aren't being as careful as the world would like to think, and it hurts pokémon in the end. This does not mean, however, that I think all pokémon should be ripped away from humans. I believe that to solve this problem, it would require reeducating the populace in order for humans and pokémon to live in harmony. And I do feel that our King feels the same way… But his heart is blinded by his emotions."
"His emotions?"
"Natural has has a lot of contact with pokémon who were hurt by humans. He has made a sweeping generalization that, in order to ensure an ideal world, that the two species must be split apart to start anew. I, however, believe that pokémon and humans will always drift back together, so keeping them apart will never work. So I'm hoping that, if Natural can see my success here in Mistralton… Well, maybe it will cause him to rethink his 'black and white world', so to speak."
Hilda was quiet, contemplating that.
"What do you think, Miss Hero of Truth?"
"Don't call me that." Hilda instinctually snapped in response to Rood's teasing. Rood let out a good-natured chuckle.
"Apologies. But I am asking what your opinion on my work here is."
"It's… pretty jarring." Hilda answered. "It's almost weirding me out, to be honest. I'm so used to all y'all gettin' into fights with me. But… I'll admit it's nice."
Crossing her arms behind her head, she continued.
"To be frank, I don't think I'd be so pissy at you weirdos if all of you were like this."
"I'm glad we're making at least a little progress." Rood was subtly laughing, seemingly amused by her response. "It's good to know that my work managed to convince our harshest critic that we are capable of doing good."
"Sage Rood! Skyla!"
A couple of knights, soaked to the bone, came running up to them. Skyla turned around, standing at the frantic tone in their voice with Black following.
"What is it?" Skyla asked, coming up to them. "What's wrong?"
"There was a storm on route seven and I think it hit some pokémon." one grunt exclaimed.
"We managed to get most all of them to the pokémon center, but one Swanna was reluctant to go with us." the other grunt exclaimed. "It fought us and struggled until we had to let it go, and it flew to Celestial Tower."
"The storm is insane!" the first grunt continued. "It was way worse than any natural phenomenon…!"
Skyla went pale, wearing a worried look on her face when she heard that information.
"What is it?" Hilda asked her. Skyla glanced at her, then sighed.
"My grandma told me a long time ago that sometimes, near Celestial Tower, two pokémon will fight for dominance of the land around it. Those two pokémon are Tornadus and Thundorus. Now I'm not saying those two are fighting right now!" she quickly waved her hands in front of her as she spoke. "It's only an old tale that they used to scare children so they don't play around on the route since it's super dangerous…!"
She awkwardly laughed. Hilda shot her an odd look. Was she scared of the route or something?
"A-Anyways, I can't just leave an injured pokémon!" Skyla turned back to the Team Plasma grunts. "I'll have a look into this right away. You two, Hilda and Black, why don't you come along?"
"Why?" Black asked, cocking his head and furrowing his brow.
"Well, you're gonna challenge my gym, right? Route seven would be a good place to train up, plus there are all sorts of unique pokémon in Celestial Tower, plus the more the merrier, right?"
"I mean, sure." Hilda shrugged. "Black, we don't have anything better to do today, do we?"
"Not that I can think of." Black crossed his arms. "The only thing we really came here for was to get to the Gym, but it seems like, until we resolve this problem, you won't be able to challenge it."
"Then it's decided." Hilda glanced up Skyla, nodding. "Lead the way."
o.0.o.0.o
The three of them practically collapsed on the marble floors of Celestial Tower. Hilda was shivering, soaked to the bone from the rain. The wind was so strong that it was actually forcing them to move side to side. If it weren't for Skyla using some escape ropes to keep them together, Hilda was pretty certain they would have been separated by the sheer ferocity of the winds.
"I hope this dies down once we finish." Black glanced over his shoulder, where the winds and rain still howled outside. "We made it here relatively okay, but I'm not so sure that we'll be able to do the same without having to stop for the night… And I don't want to camp in that weather."
"I'd rather not camp here," Skyla said quietly. "This place is a resting place for pokémon that have passed… I don't want to be disrespectful."
"Yeah, plus it's hella creepy to set up camp in what is essentially a graveyard." Hilda muttered as she wrung out her ponytail.
"Then we need to hurry." Skyla stood, having finished untying the rope from her waist, and gathering the rope from Hilda and Black. As she wrapped it into even circles, she smiled at them. "Thank you again for coming with me."
"Yeah, about that," Hilda glanced at her, following her up the spiral staircase. "What is it? You scared of storms or something? Why did you want us to come along?"
"I'm a pilot!" Skyla exclaimed. "Flying in a storm is possibly one of the scariest experiences imaginable… I'm not scared of storms, but…"
"But…?" Hilda prodded. Skyla shot her an embarrassed look.
"I am petrified of these typhoons that are supposedly caused by the legends, especially on land. When I was really little, I accidentally got lost int he middle of one of these things because I was chasing birds. All I could remember was my grandma telling me the story about Tornadus and Thundorus… and I was convinced I was going to die!" she shot them a smile. "However, there was a happy ending, obviously. A Vullaby found me, and then I guess it's crying attracted a Mandibuzz, and then she carried me home!"
"Aren't Mandibuzz known for attacking weakened prey, though?" Black asked. "What kept it from, you know… adding your bones to it's collection?"
"Well, that's true, but Mandibuzz are also known for taking weak and lost Vullaby under their wings." Skyla grinned at him. "Maybe I reminded her of a lost Vullaby and she took pity on me!"
"Or mercy." Hilda muttered under her breath, knowing her sarcastic words were already lost to the wind.
"Anyways, after that day, I one hundred percent dedicated myself to becoming a specialist in flying types. I actually dreamed of being a flying type… But being a pilot is the closest I could get to it!" Skyla let out a good natured laugh, despite the environment. "But since that day, I've just never been as comfortable on land… Especially in a storm."
"Sooo… what? You dragged us along so if you get lost and croak, you'll have company?"
"Well… That's a perk, but I was also curious." Skyla glanced between the two of them. "I wanted to talk to you guys. Hilda, Black… You and your friends are kinda like little celebrities among the gym leaders. All of us are impressed by your growth… but also concerned about how much you are encountering and battling Team Plasma. One could say you seek them out… Or alternatively, they seek you out."
She let out a sigh, lowering her gaze as they passed by some graves. She paused at the base of the second staircase, then looked over at them.
"I was a little worried. I'm not deaf… Other gym leaders are reporting the wrong-doings of Team Plasma to me, warning me and some even chastising me for being so hospitable to Rood and the Team Plasma knights in my city. I mean, look at what they're doing!" she threw her arms up, as if trying to account for everything they've done. "They've helped improved the quality of life in my city, not just for pokémon but for the people too… They're so kind and patient with everyone… I don't want to believe they're the same organization that shut down Castelia, or robbed Lenora, or tried to kidnap Iris…"
Her voice got quiet for a moment.
"But can you blame me when all I see is how great they are to my citizens? I was worried you were going to come after them. Accuse them, yell at them, start fights with them…" Skyla trailed off, clenching her fists. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to jump to conclusions, but Hilda… your fiery temper is kinda your staple, yeah?"
"… I won't deny that I was surprised about Rood and the grunts being so… nice." Hilda said as they climbed up to the third floor. "To be frank, if Black here hadn't told me to keep my mouth shut, I probably would've cussed Rood out."
"I want to believe in what Rood tells me." Skyla said quietly. "I want to believe they're an organization that wants to help people and pokémon, that just wants to improve the quality of life overall…"
"But you have to understand why some people might disagree with you, right?" Black suddenly spoke up. Skyla met his gaze. "Skyla, I understand you're attached to what Rood and Team Plasma are advertising, but they are a minority. Just in Chargestone Cave, some Team Plasma members kidnapped our friend. They're threatened people, hurt them…"
"I know." Skyla nodded quietly. "I'm not in complete denial."
"Team Plasma is a rather large-scale organization." Black continued, shoving his hands in his pockets. "It's natural for there to be differing factions and 'mini-groups', so to speak, within the organization that strays from the 'normal' of the organization. That being said, when the boot falls, and these people need to atone for what has happened, will you turn them over?"
"If there is sufficient evidence to prove it!" Skyla said sharply.
"Allow me to rephrase that." Black closed his eyes. "Team Plasma is lead by a King, whom has seven advisors. These advisors are known as 'The Seven Sages'. Rood is one of those sages, and he might be hiding things from you. He might know more than he's letting on, after all, he's pretty important in Team Plasma…"
He opened his eyes, sharply meeting Skyla's gaze.
"Will you turn him over if the police come searching for him?"
Skyla looked conflicted, then she unclenched her fists.
"As a Gym Leader, I need to do what is best for Unova. It is my duty, an oath I took when I took the position of Gym Leader. So I know that means, that when the time comes, I will have to turn Rood and the knights over to police. But," she smiled softly, placing a hand over her heart. "I believe in Rood and what Team Plasma does, at least in those who are in Mistralton. I believe they will turn themselves in peacefully, and they won't be connected to the wrongdoings of Team Plasma. As for Rood, if he is hiding something from me, then that would be my mistake as a Gym Leader. But I will vouch for him if it comes to it in court. He has not shown any aggression or criminal intent in my city, he simply has been working to make Mistralton a better place."
"At least we all seem to be on the same page, then." Black sighed. "So you were curious about us?"
"Ah, yes!" Skyla smiled slightly. "Well, you see… at the top of this tower is a bell. My grandpa used to be the caregiver of Celestial Tower, and he taught me about the bell. The bell is rung to pacify the spirits of pokémon buried here… and it is said the sound of the bell will reflect the character of the person who rang it. The bell has always rung true…"
"Sooooo… you want us to ring a bell?" Hilda asked.
"Well, not so much the both of you. I want you to ring the bell, Hilda." Skyla nodded once. "I believe I'll get the best understanding of you by having you ring the bell…"
"I'm not sure I completely understand." Black stopped. "How does Hilda ringing the bell help you? Why is understanding her so pertinent?"
"… Because you know the legend of Unova, right? The original Twin Heroes whom fought over truth, ideals and how to rule? How there have been nine battles in Unova's history, all nine fought by the descendants of the original kings?" Skyla lifted her head slightly. "Well, Rood told me… that the tenth battle is coming, and that their King… is the Hero of Ideals."
Skyla met Hilda's gaze.
"And I heard Rood call you 'Miss Hero of Truth', Hilda."
Hilda felt her stomach drop. Black snapped his gaze to hers, eyes wide. She was trying very hard to keep that secret from him, because she wanted to distance herself from Team Plasma's insanity as much as possible… Irregardless of what was going on.
"Obviously, I know that I'm going to have to choose a side… I don't want to side entirely with Team Plasma since Rood and the knights I know are just a small part of a seemingly terroristic organization… But I don't want to follow the other hero without truly knowing her." Skyla crossed her arms behind her back, grinning. "I know we don't have time to just sit down and have a lovely heart to heart over ice cream, so the bell is the next best bet. You could say having you follow along was simply for my own peace of mind."
Skyla turned, then continued up the stairs. Black placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Listen, I knew Team Plasma was interested in you, but I thought it was because Ghetsis has this fascination with children with unique or strange abilities. I figured you had some… strange detection ability since you always could see through my acts. But there's a big difference between having a simple ability, and being a so-called 'hero' that directly opposes their king. Were you aware of this? Being the the other half of the tenth coming of old kings?"
"I…" Hilda trailed off, then she reached up and rubbed her temple. "Look, it's a really, really long story. A lot of the stuff I didn't even know until recently."
"Hilda." Black stepped in front of her when she tried to follow after Skyla. "Listen. We both know Ghetsis is extremely dangerous, even more so if someone poses a threat to whatever plan he has… If what they're saying is true, then you are hypothetically the biggest threat to Team Plasma. Every step you take could be another step towards being a hostage, being hurt, being killed…"
He placed his hands on her shoulders, a surprisingly earnest and worried look on his face.
"… It's obvious I don't have a lot to live for, or at least I don't feel like I do. We've been lucky on this journey, just barely escaping Ghetsis. I've got the training to keep you safe, but if I don't know all the information, how am I supposed to know what to do?"
Hilda averted her gaze, then let out a heavy sigh.
"You were open and honest with me about your family, so it's only fair I tell you about mine." she glanced up, hearing Skyla shouting for them. "But first, we need to appease Skyla. I want to keep this as under wraps as possible… Not even Bianca and Cheren know the full extent of it."
"That's fair." Black nodded. "When we're alone, I'll be ready to listen."
"Hey!" Skyla called out to them, a little louder. "If you two are done flirting, we're almost to the top!"
"SHADDUP!" Hilda exclaimed, jumping away from Black and glaring at Skyla, cheeks flushed. She saw Black grinning out of her peripheral vision, so she turned and snapped at him. "What're you grinnin' for?!"
"No reason." he answered. "You just humor me, that's all."
"I ain't laughing!" she snapped. Skyla seemed to be giggling, the sound echoing down the staircase. "You! Stop that laughing!"
Letting out a small roar of frustration, Hilda decided to pointedly ignore Black and continue marching up the stairs, with Black trailing behind her.
"I think the weather is starting to calm down." Skyla said as they reached the fourth floor. "I'm not hearing anymore howling winds. Maybe Thundorous and Tornadus reached a truce."
"Or maybe they got so fed up with each other, they just decided to leave." Hilda muttered.
"Or," Black spoke up. "Maybe the storm wasn't caused by the legends and instead was just a natural storm."
"Yeah, but where's your sense of mystery and fun?" Skyla shot back with a playful grin.
"Geez, Black, way to ruin the mood with your logical thinking." Hilda rolled her eyes sarcastically as she teased him.
"Watch your step on this last staircase." Skyla said as they reached it, climbing the long spiral. "There's no door or anything that blocks the roof from the stairwell, it just climbs straight to the roof. So water is probably on the stairwell and it'll probably be slippery."
As Skyla braced her hands against the wall and tentatively climbed the stairs, Hilda and Black followed until the cool November air hit them as they reached the top.
"Huh, there's a bit of snow up here." Skyla commented, glancing around at the light dusting. "Well, the top of the tower is at a higher elevation…"
"Aren't you cold?" Hilda demanded, shivering slightly and staring at Skyla, wearing shorts and a cut-off top.
"Nah." Skyla shook her head. "Weather in Mistralton is pretty cold for three fourths of the year, you get used to the weather."
Jogging up the few stairs, Skyla glanced around, looking for the injured pokémon they had set out to find.
"Ah!" she gasped, coming to a small mound of snow. "Here you are! You're probably chilled to the bone, poor thing!"
Hilda blinked as Skyla quickly unearthed a small Vullaby.
"It's odd that you made it all the way up here…" Skyla trailed off. "Vullaby are't known for being strong fliers."
"Maybe the wind carried it up here?" Black suggested. Hilda kneeled down next to Skyla, placing a hand over Vullaby's head as Skyla treated her.
"So what brought you up here?" Hilda asked.
"I have nothing to say. You people don't listen anyways…"
"By people, I'm guessing you mean Team Plasma?" Vullaby looked up at her. "Weirdos with hoods?"
"Yeah! The didn't listen at all!"
"All right, so how'd you end up here?"
"You understand…?"
"Yeah."
"… I'm the smallest of the nest, and the other Vullaby's make fun of me. They keep saying I'm never going to grow out of my bones and that I'm to weak! And I'm tired of it!" The little Vullaby suddenly sprung to life as she told her tale. "I was going to prove to them that I wasn't weak! So when Mandibuzz gathered us all up, I snuck under her wing so I could weather the storm, and prove them wrong!"
"Didn't work out, did it?"
"It would've!" Vullaby insisted. "If those stupid knight weirdos didn't try to gather me up! They kept saying it was for my safety and that they'd bring me back and all that garbage! I kicked and fought with them, but then when I got free, a huge gust of wind carried me all the way up here!"
She settled down, pouting.
"And then I crash landed on my right wing. Now I really will never be able to fly…"
"Pay attention to her wing, Skyla." Hilda said simply. "The right one."
"Uh… yeah, right!" Skyla's fingers brushed over the right wing, blinking slightly. "Huh, it's dislocated. Well, potions and heals work well enough to fix up scratches and give them a boost in energy, but I'm not sure I have the medical knowledge to fix this. Hey there, do you mind if I take you back to Mistralton, so the pokémon center can fix up your wing?"
"You won't be able to fly properly unless we do." Hilda said simply, noticing Vullaby's hesitation. Vullaby let out a small sigh and nodded. Skyla beamed.
"That's great, little guy!" she grinned, holding him up. Suddenly, Vullaby let out a screech, and pecked Skyla on the head. "Ow! Vullaby…"
"Don't call me little!" Vullaby snapped at her. "Maybe I should call you stupid because you sure look stupid!"
"Don't call her little." Hilda sighed. "She's… sensitive about it."
"… Noted." Skyla whined, rubbing where Vullaby pecked her. Readjusting her hold on Vullaby, she glanced at Hilda. "Are you some sort of psychic or something? How do you talk like you understand them?"
"It's complicated." Hilda waved her hand off, standing up and looking towards the edge of the tower. "So this is the magical bell you want me to ring? The one that will give you insight on my character or whatever?"
"Yep!" Skyla stood. "Just give it a shove."
Hilda glanced at Black. He shrugged in response.
"Go on!" Skyla insisted. "Don't be shy!"
"I'm not going to stop you." Black gestured for her to go ahead. "And Skyla probably won't let this go."
"Whatever you say." Hilda shrugged. She took a step forward, placing her hands against the frosted over bell. She pushed on it slightly, testing the strength. It was pretty heavy… But irregardless, she braced both her hands against the bell, and gave it a mighty, heave-ho of a shove.
The bell rang, letting out a beautiful sound that echoed across the tower. Hilda was taken aback by how… nice the chimes of the bell was, almost like it belonged in an orchestra or something.
"What a pretty sound…"
Skyla was the first to speak, breathing out those words with her eyes closed. Hilda turned to her, raising an eyebrow.
"Is that good?" she asked.
"Yes." Skyla nodded once. "Yes, it's wonderful, even. Hilda, you are a kind and strong person. You are true to yourself and care for those around you, and those you don't quite know. Your strength is only outweighed by the kindness in your heart. … That is what kind of sound that was."
"Geez…" Hilda trailed off, crossing her arms. She felt kinda embarrassed from all that praise. "I wouldn't say I'm exactly kind… You can really tell all that from a bell?"
"Yes, I can." Skyla approached her with a smile. "You're destined for great things, Hilda, I can feel it. Thank you for giving me the confidence to follow you."
"You're a gym leader." Hilda muttered, crossing her arms and lowering her gaze. "You sure you should really be pledging to follow some rando trainer like me?"
"I wouldn't be to concerned about our positions." Skyla waved her comment off with a smile. "The strength of one's character… that is what makes someone truly powerful."
With that, Skyla turned to Black.
"I don't really have any business with you, Black, but you made it all the way here. Might as well ring the bell, right?"
"Yeah, Black." Hilda said. "You got to hear all about how great the bell thought I was, lets see what the bell has to say about you."
"… Only because you insisted." Black said as Hilda stepped aside. Using only one hand, he gave the bell a shove.
However, unlike Hilda's chime, that was light a joyful, his rang with a deep resounding gong. Hilda felt a shiver shoot up her spine as the clapper hit the side again, sending the deep sound across the area again. In truth, it actually surprised Hilda how markedly different the sounds were. She assumed that the whole thing was just some funky trope that Skyla used to attract tourists or to get people to ring the bell to please the pokémon here, be they living or dead.
But the sounds were so markedly different…
Hilda looked to Skyla, waiting for her explanation.
"… That sound…" Skyla murmured. "Usually, deep sounds like that… It reflects a deep sadness… Bottomless even. But between the sound of the bell, you can hear an underlying sound. The whistling of the clapper going through the air."
"What does that mean?" Hilda barely muttered. Black didn't seem to be listening. Skyla glanced at her, and smiled a small smile.
"He found hope, somewhere, in all that sadness." turning, she walked up to Black, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey Black, whatever it is that's giving you hope… Keep holding onto it, okay? You'll come out all the brighter because of it!"
Black didn't really say anything, almost like he was ignoring her. Skyla's hand dropped awkwardly from his side, and she stepped back.
"Anyways, I'm going to ride Swanna back, since the skies are clear." she said, turning to Hilda. "You and Black…"
"We'll stick around." Hilda said, waving her off. "Take care of Vullaby, I'll see what's up with Black."
"Right!" Skyla nodded, reaching for a pokéball on her belt. "Thank you again for coming!"
With that, she climbed onto her Swanna and took off towards Mistralton. Hilda turned back to Black, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You okay?" she asked him.
"… I'm fine, but I'm a little bothered." he said simply.
"I can understand that," a new voice suddenly piped up from behind him. Both of them turned, seeing a young woman that was faintly familiar to Hilda. She glanced at Black, whose brow was furrowed in confusion. The woman raised her arm, pointing at Black. "You. You little brat. I finally found you, Pitch Black!"
o.0.o.0.o
I was himming and hawing over whether or not to end it on a cliffie or not, but I decided that if I went into the full on confrontation between Black and Sara, it'd be a 30 page chapter and i didn't wanna risk it.
So here you are, Amy cranking out chapters under quarantine!
Amy47101 signing off! ^.^
