I sincerely apologize for the lack of updates. I let myself get distracted my two separate spats of anger (involving the same people, believe it or not) and I really am sorry.
So, I figured I'd kinda skim through this really quick and give you guys this. Part one of this chapter. You guys deserve that much at least.
If have not bothered with separate parts, but after you finish the end of this chapter, I hope you'll understand. In fact, I'm sure you will.
Anyway. On with the show!
Back to Alola - Part one
Latios floated above a pond, a scowl set firmly in place. A scowl that he seemed to have reserved for his sister, especially when doing rather stupid things like last night.
Like not coming home at all, despite him telling her to go to sleep. Instead, she decided to wander off, again, and then spend the night with Ash. How did he know this? Because a certain pink pest was floating around, giggling to herself. This pest had come early in the morning, practically cackling, explaining that she had seen Latias go into the hotel. Latios wasn't sure what surprised him more; the fact that his sister could be that daring, or that Mew had apparently not only stayed up late but woke up early in the morning as well.
Unless, he thought, she never actually left Alto Mare at all. Mew always had some trick or scheme up her… Er, sleeve. It wouldn't surprise me if Ash and Latias were simply her latest victims. Could she have somehow drawn Team Rocket here?
He wouldn't put it past the Mythical Menace to do just that, simply for entertainment purposes. Although if she did, she'd have to be far more stupid than she seems. While she didn't exactly think ahead on most occasions, even this was far too extreme. Even so, she should have dragged Latias back here. It is far too dangerous now to let her-
"Hey, Latios. When do you think Latias will be back?" Mew giggled, going back to soaring and looping through the air in amusement, making him grit his teeth. "Mew, that's the third time you've asked that, and the thirtieth time you've laughed about it."
The cat giggled again. "Of course. You know that's how I roll." Latios rolled his eyes so hard, he could practically see his brain. He was about to respond when he heard a rush of air. Looking back towards the entrance, he became more serious, ready to lecture his sister when she came in. He didn't get the chance as a red blur sped past him and into the distant tree they called their nest.
He blinked, nonplussed. What was that about? He noticed Mew become still, and he glanced over to see her staring after Latias, seemingly concerned. Giving the entity next to him a final glance he slowly approached the tree, eventually hearing sobs emanating from her.
Scrunching his brow together, he floated closer. "... Latias?" She didn't look up for a moment, but when she did, it nearly broke his heart. The normally happy dragoness was anything but; instead, she looked more miserable than He's ever seen her, which was definitely saying something. He pushed back any thoughts of rebuking her as he took in a more comforting expression. "Would you like to tell me what's wrong? He didn't… hurt you, did he?"
She flinched and shook her head. "N-no. He didn't hurt me at all. But… but…." Her eyes watered even more before squeezing them shut. Latios placed his clawed hand on her back, rubbing it sympathetically. She sniffed, rubbing her eyes, before looking up at him. "... He's leaving, Latios. He's leaving today, this morning… and I never got to be with him. Now… I'll never be able to see him again. It has barely even been a day and he is already leaving." She looked down, idly scratching lines into the nest before continuing. "Why, Latios? Why must I never obtain happiness?"
He shook his head, sighing. "Latias… You knew that he would be leaving sooner or later. It just so happens that it's sooner."
She didn't say anything, merely curling up tightly. She finally mumbled, "I was hoping that maybe… that maybe I could convince him to stay." Latias looked up suddenly, frowning at him from her tear-stained cheek. "Latios, if you were aware Ash would be leaving, then why did you distract M- that girl so I could dance with him?"
Latios gently stroked her cheek, sighing, "I did it because you were the happiest I have ever seen you when Ash arrived. It reminded me of who you once were, not this sulking pile of feathers."
Latias suddenly picked her head up, eyes bright with excitement. "Let me go with him!"
The statement shook Latios to his core. Let her leave? After she just revealed herself to hundreds of people here? The idea was ludicrous, but it made some slight sense within his head. If she went with Ash she would obviously be happy and he was a trustworthy person in his own book. Plus, it wouldn't keep her locked down here in Alto Mare where people could search for her.
However, this would require Latias leaving him and his protection. To allow his sister out into the world without him seemed foolish in his own right. She would leave behind one of the few safe places that almost no one could find: the Secret Garden. Besides, they were the legendary guardians of Alto Mare; they had a duty to protect the city, its inhabitants, and the Souldew.
Ultimately, he decided against the request.
"Absolutely not." He replied sternly. "You know that most likely, people will come looking for us, now that they are aware we are here. As much as I trust Ash to keep you safe, I don't trust that anyone won't find and try to steal the Soul Dew...again."
Latias growled, irritation flashing in her eyes. "That's a lame excuse, and you know it. The waters around Alto Mare are no longer bound to the Soul Dew. We are free, Latios. We have been for three years. And why? Because of Ash. The only thing that has been keeping us here is that Bianca and Lorenzo live here. We-"
Latios interrupted her at this point, irritation seeping into his voice. "We are guardians. We guard this city. We guard these people. That's why we're here. Bianca and Lorenzo aren't the only ones 'keeping us here'. Our duty to protect Alto Mare and its citizens are."
His sister rose up, level with him. Her normally cheerful eyes were blazing with anger and desperation. "Then maybe I don't want to be a guardian anymore."
Silence permeated the garden, Latios' jaw dropping slightly. Latias shifted slightly before she continuing. "Maybe I actually want to see beyond the city. Maybe I actually want to have fun without having to see the same view I have been for decades. Maybe," she said, her voice dropping and starting to crack, "maybe I want to be able to experience love for more than a day. Maybe I want to wake up every day like I did this morning." When she finished, she abruptly turned and rushed away. Latios didn't attempt to stop her.
He sighed, annoyed with not just his sister, but himself. He honestly felt like he could have handled that better. He was pulled from his thoughts as Mew twirled through the air, stopping at his side. He turned to look at her, in time to see her shake her head. "You know, you really don't have to coddle her. Or the city, for that matter. She made a valid point about the city no longer having to be guarded against misuse of the Soul Dew. It holds almost no power anymore. Alto Mare is, effectively, just another city."
Latios opened his mouth and then closed it again. He had no reasonable argument to that. Mew broke the silence once again, this time with her typically annoying voice. "You would not believe how cute Latias was, sleeping with Ash. In the same bed! They were cuddling and everything, although I doubt that boy knows how intimate that is."
Latios felt a migraine coming as he groaned.
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Ash frowned as he haphazardly stuffed one of his shirts in his suitcase. His expression wasn't because of the pokédex currently flying around his head, although that was certainly wasn't a help, either.
No, his mood was because Latias had suddenly stood up and rushed out of the hotel and into the streets of the city. He knew she enjoyed his company, but not quite to the point where she'd be in tears about him leaving.
What had he done to get such feelings of friendship from the dragoness? He was aware of the fact that Alto Mare was her home, and as such, would feel very protective over it. But that didn't explain why the other legendaries hadn't acted like her in the various times he had saved them.
Then again, he thought, they aren't her. And the majority, if not all of them, are way older than her. Maybe because she is so relatively young?
Shrugging the thought away, he continued to pack. He hoped an opportunity to talk to Latias and say goodbye to her would arise. With an unexpected pang, he realized he'd miss her. Whatever her reason for being attached to him was, he had to admit he didn't mind it. With a mild flush, he recalled this morning when his class had woken him up. Or rather, him and Latias.
He didn't know what had been going through him when he invited her to sleep with him last night. He at first saw it as a way to comfort her, she obviously needed it, but it turned into a weird feeling. A bubbly feeling inside him, one he had felt while they were dancing.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to think what the feeling, the emotion, was.
Before he could ponder further on the issue he heard a soft knock from his room's door, it creaking open as he came face to face with a green-haired girl. Mallow stood there uncomfortably at the entryway, looking down at the ground as to avoid any eye contact.
"Hey, Ash," she started, gripping her hands on the door as she looked up at him, "Do you mind if I could come in? I need to talk to you about something."
He waved his hand absentmindedly. "Sure, come on in." Ash welcomed the distraction, thinking about all of this was making his head hurt. He wasn't too used to these kinds of things and didn't know how to deal with them.
Mallow entered and closed the door softly behind her, walking towards him she held her hands in front of her. "I wanted to apologize for how I acted yesterday…" she trailed off as she seemed to think for a moment. "And this morning. I don't feel like I am myself right now, I get… homesick a lot, ever since my mom…" She trailed off once more, trying to compose herself at the thought of her mother.
Ash placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, understanding what she was talking about. "It's alright, no need to worry yourself over it." Ever since Mallow's mother died without her being there, she often got worried whenever she would leave friends or family. It had come up a few times during their trip through Johto but never her being this irritable.
"Thank you." She muttered, relaxing her body a bit."Are you… alright? You seemed troubled that we were going to leave so soon. Ever since Latias ran off you were quiet through the rest of breakfast." She looked almost hesitant to ask this.
A sigh escaped his lips, his thoughts returning once again to the dragoness. "Yes… No… I don't know." He sat down on the bed, putting his hands over his face. He simply didn't know what to make of the whole situation. "I'm a little sad that we are going to have to leave so early, I only got to see her for a single day. Now Ultra Beasts are coming back so we have to deal with that. As if things aren't bad enough, Latias seems almost depressed at the thought of me leaving and I don't know why."
"So, Latias isn't coming with us?" She asked, Ash thought he might have heard some hope in her voice.
He looked up and didn't think about it further. "No, she has her own duties here in Alto Mare. She is one of the city's guardians, and this is her home." At least he didn't think she would come. The Soul Dew was now practically unnecessary, so all she really was at this point was an invisible legendary police officer. If she wanted to leave she probably could as she pleased, the only thing really keeping her here were her family.
Relief seemed to come over her face before being quickly replaced with a look of comfort. "Well, you could always visit her later. Of course, after we completely deal with the Ultra Beast threat, which we don't know how long that will be if they are coming back again." Her mood had brightened for some odd reason.
Ash weakly nodded. "I guess, I just hadn't seen her in so long and to just abruptly leave like this. I just feel bad for leaving her here alone again, she obviously missed me a lot more than I thought."
"Do you… feel something else for her?" Mallow had anxiously moved a little closer now.
Ash shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really know what I feel, this is all just so confusing."
Mallow sat down next to and brought him into a one-armed hug over his shoulder. "Don't worry," She said with a smile. "It will all make sense eventually, I can help out with that." The green-haired girl started leaning in closer to the dense trainer.
"You're right," Ash stood up rapidly, making Mallow clumsily fall down onto the bed in disappointment. "I probably just need to think about it, and I can talk to her about it." If they had enough time, talking with Latias would probably more pieces together than just thinking about it.
"Yeah…" She grimaced, grumbling to herself about something which Ash couldn't pick up. Standing up she regained a skip in her step as she moved towards the door, opening it. "I'll see you down by the docks, no funny business." She quickly left before Ash could reply.
He rapidly shoved his remaining clothes in his bag and zipped it up. Making sure Rowlett was in his backpack, he zipped that up as well and put it on.
Wait. Where is Rotom? Ash shook his head. Ever since the gang had come to Johto, the possessed dex had vanished before coming back sometime later. Hopefully, the same would happen here.
Suddenly, another knock disturbed the silence. Grabbing his suitcase and making sure everything was accounted for, Ash turned and opened the door, where he was met by Professor Kukui. He had an apologetic look on his face.
"Hello Ash, we are going to have to head down to the docks right away. The only boat that leaves early is fifteen minutes from now."
Ash's expression fell at the news. "So we probably won't even be able to say goodbye?"
"Yes, I'm sorry." Kukui tried to avoid his gaze. "We could still say goodbye to Lorenzo and Bianca but we don't know where Latios and Latias are at the moment, and we don't have the time to look for them, I'm afraid."
Ash didn't even bother to look up as he reluctantly nodded his head. "Alright, I'll head down." He knew Latias probably flew off to the Secret Garden, but that was further into the city and he would almost certainly be late if he tried to find her.
"But, she still might show up." Kukui quickly added. "Don't get your hopes down just yet."
The young trainer nodded again and shuffled in place. He looked up at the professor. "We should probably go now. We don't want to miss the boat." Kukui gave a start of surprise as he looked down at his watch.
"I suppose we should, I'll gather everyone up; you head down to the lobby and wait for us there." He sped off to get the others, leaving Ash in his dust.
Sighing, Ash went over and shook Pikachu awake, who thankfully didn't shock him, and walked down the stairs to the lobby. It was almost completely empty, save for the receptionist behind the counter.
Out of the corner of his eye he swore he saw a red blur flash by the glass entrance. Rubbing his eyes he assumed he was just tired before moving over to one of the many scattered seats around the foyer. He heard the door open in the empty silence, turning to face the noise he couldn't react as a red-haired girl tackled straight into his chest.
Ash staggered, taken by surprise at the force behind the hug. Quickly realizing it was Latias, he wrapped his arms around her. She was crying into his neck, keeping him a death grip around his body.
"L-Tia! I didn't think I was going to see you again!" It felt like he was being crushed in her embrace but he didnt care, he was just happy to see her before he had to leave.
She seemed to calm down, if slightly, and looked into his eyes. "Sorry for running off, it's just…" She paused as her face grew a little red. "I don't want to see you leave again, ever since you left I've waited for you to come back. You are one of the few people that really know who I actually am."
Ash wanted to comfort her, to tell her he wouldn't leave her, but he couldn't lie to her. "I want to Tia, I really do, but I can't just abandon my duties as a guardian against the Ultra Beasts. They are still a threat to the people of Alola and I can't leave them when they rely on me."
Latias looked up at him, eyes filled with unimaginable sadness. She continued to gaze up at him, before squeezing her eyes shut as he hugged her a little harder. She didn't say anything, probably understanding due to her own guardian status.
"But I'll come back, sooner this time." He tried to reassure her.
Once again she fell silent, clearly thinking about something. "It won't be three years this time, will it?" There was disbelief within her voice.
"I promise I won't stay away that long again; I'll come back the moment all the Ultra Beasts are dealt with."
She once more opened her eyes, gazing at him desperately with another, unknown emotion in her eyes. He was about to open his mouth to reassure her more, when he was interrupted by Lana's soft voice.
"O-oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude," the bluenette said, looking embarrassed as he glanced over. She was holding her suitcase with one hand. Popplio was at her side, surprisingly quiet.
Ash hesitantly let go of Latias, who backed off somewhat reluctantly. He cleared his voice, throat surprisingly dry, and replied, "N-no, it's fine. Just talking things over, is all." Lana seemed to understand, nodding as she walked further into the lobby. Popplio quickly followed, glancing up at Ash and Latias for a second, before continuing on her way.
They sat in awkward silence as Lana sat down in a chair, all three reluctant to talk. Ash was mildly annoyed as he crossed his arms. He felt he was so close to figuring out what this unknown emotion was. Unfortunately, that was ruined by Lana walking in on them.
He doubted he would get another chance to talk alone with her before he left. To be honest with himself, he wasn't even sure if he could keep the promise this time either.
"Um, I don't think we ever really got to know each other, Tia." Lana started, breaking the silence between the three. "My name is Lana, I'm studying water type Pokémon to become a trial captain over in Alola." She held out a hand for her.
Latias grasped her hand and shook it "I'm Tia, or Amber, or another name I can't mention cause secrets and all that." The disguised dragoness seemed to visibly relax. "You said a trial captain? Is that like a gym leader where you are from?"
"Oh, yes but at the same time not really. You aren't a trial captain for too long like in a gym, it's used as a way to help hone our craft and become masters at the type we specialize in." Lana explained, letting go of her hand.
"We have our own mastery of water challenge here in Alto Mare, called the Tour de Alto Mare." Latias stated with a smile on her face. "It's meant to be a race through the canals to commemorate the saving of the city, however me and my brother often have to save everyone from crashing into walls. Like Ash over here, who went full speed into the wall without any hesitation." She nudged his side playfully.
Ash chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I didn't go full speed, I tried to avoid it."
"With how hard you slammed into me it sure felt like full speed." She countered with a laugh.
Ash was red with embarrassment but took it as the two girls laughed. It was nice seeing Latias so happy after she was so sad about him leaving again, all he wanted to do was see her smile.
"Thing is, I would have won the race for him as well," Her smile was beaming at this point. "But my brother decided that me helping him out was against the rules, apparently."
"When is the Tour de Alto Mare?" Lana asked, seemingly intrigued by this water competition.
"It's in a few days actually, a date is always sent up in advance so the weather can be clear and the canals free of boats." Latias explained. "You could actually do it while you are here… but you are leaving right now." A somber tone over took her as her smile faded.
Ash shuffled his feet, looking slightly guilty. "We could always come back next year to compete, with Lana there it would be a close race."
Latias sighed. "Maybe…" She sat down and looked off into the distance, not focusing on anything around her. Ash and Lana glanced at each other, the atmosphere feeling a little uncomfortable and just slightly awkward. The two slowly eased down in the nearby chairs, occasionally tapping their feet on the floor impatiently.
"I have returned!" A robotic voice sounded throughout the lobby. "My adventure is over!"
Ash groaned. "Not now." The trainer grumbled to himself. Of all the times for Rotom's overdramatics this was not the time for them to happen.
"Now that I have your attention, Ash, you shouldn't have left me in the room." The floating pokedex explained with anger. "I was trying to tell you have twenty nine similar species of Pokémon found in both the Alola region and in Alto Mare. Now I-" He stopped as he finally seemed to notice Ash giving him the motion to cut it out.
"Not now." Ash mouthed to him. Rotom seemed to droop a little bit as he protested. "But-"
He stopped as Ash glared at him. "Not now," the trainer quietly hissed. Rotom dropped further, looking glum at first before spinning and replying. "You won't escape my data results, Ash! Mark my words!" And with a final glance around, the Dex shot up the stairwell.
A quick scuffle on the stairs sounded the arrival of Mallow as she attempted to fix her green hair. Spotting Ash she ignored it and put on a smile. "Hi, Ash!" She called out in a chipper voice.
Kukui followed after, along with the rest of Ash's classmates. He waved over the trio. "Glad to see you two are packed." He shot a sorry look over to Latias who wasn't looking. "Are you all ready to leave."
Ash did a mental check of everything he had before coming to a sudden realization: Pikachu was missing. Before he could ask anything a grey and yellow ball tumbled down the stairs, out sprung Pikachu who ran to get on top of Ash's head. Togedemaru sat there looking saddened at his departure.
"Sorry sorry sorry!" A voice called down as Sophocles appeared, panting and out of breath. "Togedemaru snuck Pikachu out of your room somehow, I don't know why she would do that."
Ash just sighed and waved that he was fine, there was enough to think about all ready and he didn't want to add yet another problem on top of that. Latias' problems seemed a lot more important than Togedemaru acting a little weird.
He turned his attention towards Kukui, who seemed to be trying to get everyone else organized and out the door. Professor Burnet appeared at the doorway, and walked over to her husband to help.
Ash shook one of Latias' shoulders, catching her attention. She looked up out of her hands the somber look still all over her face, overshadowing any happiness she may have had. "What?" She asked.
"I thought you'd like to be able to at least see us off."
She only nodded as he took one of her arms and helped her out of her seat.
Kukui clapped his hands together, getting everyone's attention. "Alright, follow me. I'll explain why we have to leave as we walk." The class nodded mutely, gathering their respective suitcases, Rotom flying back down and whizzing around their heads. As a group, they walked out of the lobby, the receptionist calling out good yes behind them.
Each of them looked around one last time, before heading towards the docks. Kukui cleared his throat as they started walking. "Early this morning, I got a call from the Aether Foundation. More specifically, Lusamine. She has informed me that an Ultra Wormhole has opened up, and something came through. We highly suspect that this is, of course, an Ultra Beast, and as such, Lusamine and Wicke have decided to dub this creature "UB-02 Absorption".
Latias interrupted with a quiet but curious voice. "Ultra Beast? What is that?"
Kukui turned to look at her. "It's a Pokémon- we think, at least- from what we can only assume is an alternate dimension. The first one we encountered was absolute trouble for us. That's why it's really important for us to get this one back through the Wormhole."
Latias nodded, falling silent again.
Ash tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Did you find out where this Ultra Beast is?" Kukui nodded, before replying, "I'll tell you on the way. We've got just a little bit further." the group acknowledged this and continued forward.
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It seemed with every second, Latias' heart only grew heavier and heavier, each step bringing them closer to her love's departure. She hadn't bothered listening to their conversation, only wishing they were walking away from the docks instead of to them. Latias had a practical death grip on Ash's hand, not eager to let it go. He hadn't questioned it, merely seeming to understand.
The dragoness was tempted to enter his mind and see what he was thinking, but she wouldn't breach his privacy without his permission.
The dreary clouds up above seemed to fit the situation almost too perfectly, hiding any of the sun's warmth from reaching the surface.
As the docks came into view, she squeezed her eyes shut for a second, heart clenching. A lone tear made its way down her face, before dropping onto the cold ground. The turbulent waves crashed rhythmically against the dock, rocking the boat along with it.
"It'll all be okay, I promise, I'll be back sooner than you know it." Latias looked in the trainer's eyes as he said this, despite seeing the confidence within them she wasn't sure if she could actually believe it. He had said it so many times that to her it didn't matter to her anymore, she just wanted to make these last few moments last.
She quickly gathered him up in a bone-crushing hug, burrowing her face into his shoulder. He hugged back a moment later, rubbing her back in what could be described as an attempt to make her feel better.
It didn't work.
When she finally opened her eyes and pulled back, she looked up into Ash's eyes, seeing sympathy. No words needed to be spoken between them, both knowing it would only make their parting harder. With some difficulty, they pulled away from each other, as the clouds grew darker. They looked at each other one last moment before Ash turned away and boarded the boat.
The class muttered their goodbyes to her, before following him. Kukui paused before her, looking sympathetic and regretful. "I'm really sorry. I wished we hadn't have to leave, but… Alola needs us. Ash included."
She nodded mutely, looking down. Kukui seemed to sigh, before he boarded the boat as well. Burnet now stood before her, giving her a gentle hug. "Maybe we can fly you over to Alola some time. Then he won't have to wait." Latias looked up at her. "R-really? You'd do that?"
The professor smiled, replying in a gentle tone. "Of course. I'll convince Kukui to, although I doubt he needs much convincing. After all, we both see how much you love Ash."
The dragoness choked in her tongue, going a little red. "Am I that obvious?"
Burnet replied with a small laugh. "To everyone but Ash, yes. I'm very sure one could figure it out in no time at all." Latias nodded, the embarrassment not quite overcoming her sorrow. The professor opened her mouth, before closing it again. She patted Latias on the shoulder before following her husband onto the boat.
The whole class waved goodbye as the boat started up. Latias looked into Ash's eyes even as he looked into hers.
The boat departed from the docks, two sad faces gazing at each other, getting further apart. Ash kept his eyes on her, although looking away a moment later. It was all Latias could do, watching as the boat got further and further away. As it disappeared from sight, Latias fell on her knees, letting all the sorrow and pain out with agonizing sobs. Thunder crashed overhead as the rain started to fall, washing away the tears streaming down her face.
Author's Note: So yeah. All that happened. I hope you can see now why I'm dividing the chapter up. I wanted Latias' sadness to be the last thing to be in this chapchapter, in the hope you will be affected likewise. I'm still messing with it, but I'm sure you'll feel at least a little sad. When the actual sad part comes later on, it'll be better than this. I promise.
I have ItsYeBoiGuzma to thank for dealing with my stupid, non-updating self. He really helped me get out of the corner I wrote myself into.
I also have more to thank. All of you, for sticking with me. Even after this story started slowing down updates.
Again. Thank you.
See you in part 2, hopefully. And as always, read review!
~Mimikyu