Iris
By: Xifa and Sefie Lynne Tilmitt
Chapter 4
I walked into Agate City. Wow. Old People Central.
"Wow...is this the huge geezer gathering?" Megumi wrinkled up her nose.
"No doubt. I'll see ya." I walked off, asking anyone I could find if they'd seen Aera recently. Most of them seemed to know her--apparently her grandparents lived in this town.
"Aera? She stopped in to visit with her grandparents, but probably went to her spot after that. Who are you, anyway? She didn't get a boyfriend, did she?" the boy grinned.
"I don't really know. I was going to ask her the same thing." I answered honestly.
"Nah, if it's not you it's not anyone," the boy shrugged. "She's kind of...hard to reach."
"Her 'spot'? Where's that? I really, really have to talk to her..."
"Up as high as you can go without leaving the town and then behind the waterfall," the boy answered cheerfully. "She should be there. She typically is."
"Thankyou." I nodded.
Behind the waterfall. She'd better be happy I was doing this for her. Waterfalls=wetness. Which I did not enjoy. The only wetness I liked was a shower. I walked to the edge of the town, staring distastefully at the waterfall. yuck. Why in the world did she chose this place?! I decided that if I thought about it to much I would back out, so I just held my breath and went straight through. I almost let out a gasp. Almost. The water was like buckets of ice torrenting down on me. I HATE WATER. I pushed my wet hair out of my eyes, breathing heavilly. I would do this -only- for Aera.
Luckily, she was there, so my efforts hadn't been in vain. She blinked, surprised at my arrival, looking different than usual. Her hair was out of pigtails and down for the first time since I'd ever seen her. She was pretty. Very pretty. And human. And then it hit me just how much I felt towards her.
"Storm?" she asked faintly.
"I'm sorry. I was a real jerk back in the City. But y'know what? I was just trying to make you happy. I thought that I was making you unhappy, and that you didn't want to travel with me. I was only trying to get you what you want. Y'know why?"
"No..."
"Because I love you."
She hugged me tightly, smiling.
"I thought you'd just let me go. When you said it didn't matter whether I came or not...I just figured that I didn't mean anything...so I left. I was hoping so much you'd show up here...so much...." she shook her head. "I love you too, I was just so afraid you didn't think the same..."
Magumi majors in female psychology. Jesus Christ, that was hard to figure out.
"I'm so sorry. I was really rude to you. I was afraid to like you, cause I've never even been -friends- with anyone else. So I guess we were both afraid, huh?"
"I guess you're right," she smiled up at me. "But...there's not much of a reason to be afraid anymore, now is there?"
"Nope." I took my goggles off. "Hey, you wanted these, right? I don't think I'll be needing them anymore."
"You have beautiful eyes. You shouldn't wear these so much...but that doens't mean I don't wanna wear 'em!" she grinned, putting them on top of her head. "Whaddya think?"
I raised my eyebrows. "Cute."
"They're a little big, but I'll deal," she grinned. "It's worth it."
"Feel priviliged. To most people it's touch the goggles and -die-. "
"I do feel priviliged. Thank you very much, Storm. This does mean a lot to me."
I sat down next to her, staring at nothing inparticular.
"You picked a very good secret spot. Or not so secret, I guess." I smiled, observing the scene. Fireflies danced around us, making the place seem to pulse a gentle green. It was pretty. The water was clear, and i could almost make out the shape of the newly risen moon.
"It's not so much of a secret. Everyone thought I ran away once, ages ago, and they searched every waterfall until they found me here. Now it's not so much of a secret. Not like it matters...there's few people who ever come up here anyway. Most of the people in this town are really old. My grandparents live here...I moved here about two years ago from Lavendar Town, but I've always wanted to go back there..."
"So maybe.... if you'd like.... we could go together? Because I spent a lot of time as a kid in Lavender."
"I'd like that," she nodded.
"Okay." I smiled, secretly happy about the way things had turned out.
"Maybe we knew each other, as kids, since we were both in Lavendar so long?"
"I was there from the time I was born to when I was six, moved back there when i was 11, then came back to start plotting revenge against the team, so... I dunno."
"I was always in the tower," she smiled sadly. "It used to freak my mother out so much. I kinda liked it there..."
"I visted simply because one of my pokemon had been killed by the team, so I went there every day. I wonder if I ever saw you... It's hard to remember."
"You might have. I don't know...I didn't have any pokemon there, but for some reason I felt comfortable with all the ghosts of the ones that stuck around. I kinda have trouble with people, most people."
"Really?" I looked over, surprised. I figured the guy at the village was being sarcastic.
"Yeah. It's not that I don't like them...it's kinda the other way around. They get that 'strange vibe' from me or whatever they call it..."
"There's nothing strange about you!" I said defensively.
"No, just the fact that I can see things that most people can't, talk to random pokemon ghosts that are friendly, occasionally read a few minds...nah, I'm quite your ordinary person," she smiled.
"Well, y'know what I mean. But you're a great person! They shouldn't judge you before they get to know you."
"No, they shouldn't. But...I guess...I dunno...."
"People aren't smart enough to figure that out, are they?" I shook my head, annoyed at anyone and everyone who had judged Aera before they got to know her.
"No, they're smart enough to...they just don't want to."
"Jerks."
"No, just typical....just typical...."
I shrugged. It hadn't been the fact that she had the Second Sight that made her different to me.... It was the fact that she was compassionate enough to put up with my evil attittude for long enough to get past my bad side.
"I still can't believe you're here," she shook her head. "I'm expecting to wake up alone any second now..."
"Unless we're dreaming the same thing, I don't think so. And I sure as heck -hope- this isn't a dream."
"Me too, Storm, me too..."
Part of me right then wanted to tell her why I had been such a jerk. Why I couldn't handle her at first. But I was afraid she would think it was weird, to strange and all that good stuff. So for then I settled for taking my dad's class ring off my finger (I didn't have one, but I inherited it of sorts from dad) and looking over to her, holding out my hand. She smiled at me, nodding. I smiled back, sliding the ring onto her finger. It was slightly too big, but she was still hanging onto it anyway.
"Sorry. It was dad's so it's really big."
"It's okay, I'll just put it on a necklace or something," she smiled. "It'll all work out."
"Alright."
"I still can't belive you came..."
"Why not?" I looked over to her. "All along, whether I've shown it or not I've really liked you. I'm sorry I didn't show it at first. I had trouble showing what I felt. It was because when I left lavender town as a kid, my parents were manipulated to work for Snatchem. It was our safety in exchange for their work. They had power over us. One day they tried to do an experiment on me, and that's what happened to mom and dad. They died trying to keep them from doing it to me. They closed my heart, just like those pokemon. Team Snatchem hooked me up to all these machines. It earased all my good memories. Everything was dark and bitter to me. When they did it, it felt like a thousand daggers in my heart and in my head.... so that's why I was so rude and such a jerk, and I'm really sorry."
"I figured something like that had happened," she nodded. "You have no reason to apologize. I knew what I was getting myself into the second I saw the aura around you...but it's been worth it, by far."
"Thankyou." I smiled. "I owe you everything. You openned me up, and you've helped me so much... you're there in everything I do, and somehow that's made me stronger. Thankyou."
"Thank you for just letting me stick around."
"Did you seriously think I was going to ditch you in the beggining?" I blinked, surprised.
"Yeah, I did."
"I'm sorry. So I was a little rude. I'll try to make up for it. How's dinner sound?"
"Sounds good to me."
"Whaddya want? And don't tell me popcorn."
"Oh, I don't care. Anything that's not freeze-dried or popcorn."
I laughed. "Then does pizza sound okay to you?"
"I havne't had pizza in like, six years! Sounds great!"
I raised my eyebrows. "Six years?! Gosh, Aera, how did you -live-?"
"Off mashed potatoes and other things that the older people around here can eat without their teeth," she shivered.
I laughed. "Aw, I pity you." I stood up and stretched, still wet. I didn't mind nearly as much, though. It was all worthwhile to hear Aera say 'I love you'.
"You ought to. Stick around in Agate town long enough, though, and you get used to it."
"I'll, ah, take your word for it. I am in love with all things hard, so... yeah... I hate soft foods...." I rolled my eyes. "My mom said I was just like...."
Wait, rewind! That sad looking dude in Phenac City, I knew him! That was... That was Robin! Robin, my older brother. Duh! All my good memories had been erased, but now that I openned up they were coming back to me. How could I forget something like that?! Lord, and he was in Snatchem of his own free will.... maybe. Or maybe there was someone they were dangling out of his reach that he was staying for. Like my parents had for us.
"...like my brother."
"Mashed potatoes are great...to a certain extent," she shivered.
I grinned. "Whatever you say. Ready to go?"
"Sure," she smiled.
I ducked into the waterfall as quickly as I could, shuddering as I came out.
"...Water sucks."
She walked through it as if it didn't bother her at all.
"Why? It's not like it requires swimming to walk through there...it's just like taking a quick, cold shower. ...I'm wet again..."
"Ah, yes, a cold shower, I hate being wet." I brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Let's go get you a towel, and then we can go."
"Okay. We can just stop by my grandparents' house and I'll change into something dry while I'm at it. I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you, anyways..."
Gulp. I hope. I had never dated before. Ever. Let's just hope they didn't gimme the old people's evil eye.
"Sure."
"Or if you want to stand outside and wait, you can. I won't force you to meet 'em if you don't wanna."
"Eh... I'd be more comfortable outside.... Thanks though... I mean, I'm sure they're nice enough people, but... I'm not to good with people."
"Oh, it's totally okay. I don't like people either," she grinned. "But you know how that goes. They're kind of...senile, occasionally, anyway, so you probably shouldn't met 'em until you absolutely have to," she laughed slightly.
I nodded slightly. "Alright then... I'll just... y'know.... wait outside...."
"Okay," she said. "Um...you want me to bring you a towel?"
"If it wouldn't be to much trouble, please do."
"No problem," she grinned, walking in for a second, tossing me a towel, then going back in a little longer.
"Who are you?" a little kid marched up to me, four other little boys following him. They were all dressed in the same outfit and all looked alike--brown hair, brown eyes. "And why are you standing outside the fortress?"
"My name is Storm, and I'm waiting for Aera." I said, amused. Ah, so -these- were her little brothers. Poor, poor Aera. FIVE of them. FIVE annoying little kids....
"Aera?" the first one said, and the others just looked at each other. "It's been a long time since somebody came to see Aera," he laughed, and the others did too.
"yeah, well, she's a good friend of mine." Well, I guess now my girlfriend, but they didn't need to know that now did they? They would torture -both- of us.
"I'm Brock. C'mon, guys, introduce yourselves!" Brock glared back at the other four.
"Cameron."
"Dennis."
"Edwin."
"Frankie."
"Nice to meet you, Storm," Brock nodded on behalf of the midget brigade.
I grinned, amused. "Nice to meet you all too."
"Okay, Storm, I..." Aera walked back out, completely dried off and changed into a dryer outfit too. Her hair was still down, though. "Oh. Guys. Hi."
"Hi, Aera," they chorused.
"Hey..."
I grinned at Aera. Her little brothers were halarious. I hoped she would get my look and understand what I meant.
"Er.... ready, I guess?"
"Yeah, I'm ready," she smiled.
"Ready for what, Aera?" Brock asked.
"Yeah, what?" the others randomly chorused.
"Ready to leave for awhile."
"Did you find Pichu yet?" Brock inquired.
"No, but Storm and I are working on it!" she smiled.
"Guess what!" he grabbed her hand and yanked her down on her knees so that he could whisper in her ear, although it was sort of pointless since I could hear what they were saying. "I met a girl today!"
"You did?" she whispered back. "What about her?"
"She's pretty!"
"Is she nice?"
"Yeah!"
"What's her name?"
"Megumi, but she told me I could call her Meg," Brock grinned.
"...." Aera stood up and smiled at him. "Keep that up and I'll have to make fun of you for having a girl-friend."
"She's not my girlfriend!" Brock blushed.
I stifled a laugh. Megumi, goodness, look what you were doing to the old geezer town....
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive! Hey, Aera, is he your--"
"--well, Storm, we'd best get going, righty-o?" she cut him off, looking up at me.
"Yes." I nodded quickly. "Yes, it's time to go." We walked off, and as soon as we were out of earshot I burst out laughing. "Those kids are halarious, Aera!"
"Until you live with them," she grumbled. "Megumi. Megumi! He must be joking! The same Megumi from earlier!"
"What's wrong with her?" I grinned. "She's just another person."
"There's something about her that I just don't like."
"Okay, whatever you think." I shrugged, smiling.
"Mother must have been insane," she groaned, going back to our previous conversation. "Five of them and one of me...but FIVE of THEM...I don't know how she stood it..."
"She loved them. And I'm sure you do too, deep down. Very, very deep down."
"Oh, I know I love them," she rolled her eyes. "They remind me of that everytime they give me that cute look. But they're so annoying!"
I laughed. "There are some times I'm -glad- I don't have any little siblings."
"Nah, I totally don't regret it. Even when they trash my room, I don't regret it. I just make 'em clean it up," she laughed. "They're good kids, though."
"And I notice, interesting enough, how the name order goes. A, B, C, D, E, F. From oldest to youngest."
"Excellent observation," she grinned. "...I'm kind of embarassed that Mother would think that way," she laughed a little. "But, y'kow...I guess she expects us to continue the tradition and name the next kid in the family, whoever it may belong to, George or Gerald or something like that..."
"Or if it's a girl?" I raised an eyebrow, highly amused.
"Um...Gina. Yeah, Gina. However, I don't plan on carrying out a tradition like that...just a little too weird," she shuddered.
I grinned. "Heh. I think I was an accident. I'm the only one in my family with a strange name. My brother Robin, my mother Misty, and my dad Ash. ; So, yeah, names can be a pain sometimes."
"But I like your name!"
"Thanks. I guess. " I smiled. "Wow, random facts are popping out everywhere."
"Whaddya mean?"
"I just mean I found out a lotta stuff I didn't know today. Like the alphabetized names. And the fact that you like me as much as I like you. That sortta stuff."
"Oh, so I see," she nodded. "And how now I know what your parents' and brother's name are, and the like like that, right?"
"Yeah. And I know you like my dorky name, too." I laughed.
"But it's not a dorky name! I like it!"
"Exactly what I mean."
"Is there a problem with that or something, huh?" she grinned.
"No. Tell me more about yourself, though. Since today seems to be 'reveal all random facts' day."
"Hmm...well, let's see...what all do you know about me already? I'll try not to be too redundant. I'm 17 years old...um...I lived in Lavendar until I was, um, 15, I think, then I moved to the retirement city," she grinned. "You've met my kid brothers...um....you might have heard of my father, once maybe. He'll probably go down in history," she smacked her forhead. "James Rose? Strike a bell?"
I blinked, trying not to laugh. "Of team rocket?!"
"Yep. My mom, Jessie...yeah...might have heard of them somewhere before..." she grinned. "I don't look too much like 'em, do I?"
"No. Not at all. You actually, now that I think about it, look like my mom, which i find quite funny. She had hair just like yours, so... and she always wore it up, but she she did wear it down every once in a while it was pretty. Just like you. But in any case, do you realize what this means? Our parents were archenemies."
"So your dad was pokemon master Ash Ketchup...I can't believe it...."
"I never could remember his last name and no one would tell me, and, being the hard head I am, I would never ask anyone.... Catchem! God, what is -with- the corniness?! Catchem, Snagem, Jesus.... it's everywhere...."
"We've gotta snag 'em all...hahaha....catch 'em, snag 'em....that's not...that's not really even funny!"
"I know." I rolled my eyes, grinning. "Maybe I didn't forget my last name. Maybe it was a supressed memory."
"I would so change it," she laughed. "No offense or anything."
"I think I'll remain Storm with no last name."
"Whatever you think's best," she grinned. "Now it's your turn! Tell me stuff about you!"
"I... I'm 20. And... well, there's nothing interesting I haven't already told you, so...."
"What's your middle name? When's your birthday? What's your favorite song? What's your favorite color?"
"My middle name? O---h no, not till you tell me yours. My birthday is February 29th, my favorite song is Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls, and my favorite color is black."
"Oh, I know that song...I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand, when everything's meant to be broken, I just want you to know who I am..." she sang. "Right?"
"Yes." I closed my eyes. "I love that song."
"Oooh, agreed. I do too. I had their cassette tape somewhere, but my radio ate it after awhile. Guess it tired of hearing it. Someday, when I force you to kareoke with me, we'll sing that song, okay?" she grinned. "February 29th, huh? So you're technically only..." she paused, thinking and calculating quickly. "...five years old?"
"Okay on the kareoke, um, I'll pass on the five years old thing."
"Hehe....hey, you never told me...what's your middle name?" she grinned.
"You first."
"Hope. Okay, now what's yours?"
"Gosh, yours is pretty. Mine... er... isn't." I laughed. "It's... er..."
"Tell me, I told you mine, now you tell me yours," she smiled. "I promise I won't laugh."
"Okay." I felt my face grow hot. "Fabrizio ."
"Hey, we learned about a guy named that back in humanities...he wasn't a composer or anything, but wasn't he the one with a fettish for wearing women's clothing?" she paused, thinking. "I think it was..."
"Whatever." I rolled my eyes. "I never really... stayed in school... so I wouldn't know... besides, is -that- what they teach you guys in school now?! About gay composers?!"
"No, he wasn't a composer! But the composer guy...I think it was Gesualdo...killed his wife 'cause he caught her with this Fabrizio character. And that was just like, one random fact in the entire chapter, so it's not like we studied the guy or anything..." she laughed.
I rolled my eyes again, my way of hiding my embarassment. "In any case, PLEASE do not associate me with gay cheating morons."'
"I'm not. Just giving a quick history lesson. Besides, I think it's an awesome name. I used to joke with one of my friends back in school that I was gonna name my kid that, if I ever had one," she laughed. "We spent forever trying to convice mother that Fabrizio was a better name than Frankie."
I laughed. "It isn't."
"That's so ironic that that's actually one of your names," she smiled. "I like it! You know the drummer for 'The Strokes'? His name is Fabrizio too! Well, I read that in a magazine, at least..."
"I know." I rolled my eyes, "I've haerd that from the people that dealt with my files in Team Snatchem, too. They never shut up about it, and were going to tell everyone. Till I threatened to hurt him. That shut him up. Not like I really planned on doing it. Anyway, I like The Strokes, however werid some of their songs may be. Hopefully they named me after him rather than the gay... not-composer, whatever he was." I smiled, then added. "Hey, you'd better not tell anyone. I've never told anyone my middle name."
"I won't tell anyone. I promise!"
"Alright." I smiled.
"...this is actually really good! Thank you for driving me down here!"
"No problem. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."
"Thanks. ...I hope I'm not the only person having fun," she smiled.
"I'm having fun, too." I assured her.
"Good. I'm really glad about that," she grinned.
"So, uh, do you have a curfew or anything like that?" I looked at my watch.
"Nah, not really. I guess I used to, but I don't really worry about it too much anymore. After I left home for awhile it didn't seem like such a big deal, and I doubt my grandparents'll care if I'm late or whatever."
"Okay. Just tell me if your ready to go home or something...."
"I'm really enjoying myself, actually. This is the most fun I've had in a long time," she smiled.
"I'm glad."
"I've decided that this continent is too big," she said suddenly. "At least in Kanto, I knew my way around well...but I don't know where I'm going here until I'm there. I just know how to find Agate town...how useful...."
"Tomorow do you want me to show you everything?"
"Sure, if it's not too much of a hassle," she smiled.
"It's not." Now how to ditch Megumi temporarilly...
"Awesome. It sounds like fun!"
I nodded. "So, um, I guess I'd better drop you off at your grandparent's now then...."
"You're free to stay, if you'd like. Megumi too. There's no need to camp out when we have an open guest room and a comfortable couch."
"I'd rather camp out. No offense or anything. I'm just more used to the outside now, I guess...."
"Well, whatever, but if it starts raining you'd better come in, okay?"
"Okay." I nodded. "So.... I'll see ya tomorrow morning?"
"Sounds good. Good night, Storm," she smiled.
"G'night, Aera." I smiled at her, and almost reached for her hand. Insread I waved and walked off.
"So," Megumi popped out of nowhere. "Where have you two been?"
"On a date," I mumbled.
"With who?" she asked innocently.
"You know very well who. Aera."
"So I suppose you two got over whatever little squabble you were in? That's so cute," she grinned.
I rolled my eyes. "Thanks. I think."
"I told you that you should follow her," she smiled. "See? See how useful Megumi can be?"
"Thanks." I sighed. "I owe you one."
"Yes, you do. So can I stick with you further than just Agate town?"
"I guess. Just please let Aera and I have our private moments every now and then."
"Aw, that's adorable..." she giggled. "No prob. If I accidentally catch you in some sort of fluffy type scene, I'll totally not make myself noticable."
"Fluffy?"
"Like a marshmallow!" she beamed. "Oh. Fluffy. Y'know, like, romantic."
"Oh. Whatever."
"Man, she's rude. She could have at least offered to let us camp out in her kitchen or whatever instead of out here with all the icky caterpies."
"She says her grandparents old and senile sometimes. She offerend. I didn't say anything on your behalf but I politely declined."
"You goon," she laughed. "We could have slept inside, and you're like, 'no, I'll sleep with the icky bugs'?"
"Well.... yeah."
"Yeah, you're most definitely insane," she shook her head, spreading out her coat and laying down on it. "Good night, Storm."
"Night Magumi." I think it's safe to sleep in my tree again. No Aera. I love her to death but she scared the crap out of me that morning. I covered up with my coat, soon drifting to sleep