Chapter 16: Hikaru's Sad Tale
Amara silently walked through the entrance of a hair salon, with her light blonde hair down. Said salon was quaint and mellow, with grey and purple walls giving it a solemn atmosphere about it. Black leather chairs lined the sides of the building in rows, all of them facing oval shaped mirrors. Large pictures of smiling people with varying hair styles also decorated the walls. White shelves filled with conditioner, shampoo, and other bottles lined the perimeters. A woman at the register looked up at Amara and greeted her with a smile.
"Hello! What can we do for you?" The dark skinned woman asked kindly.
"I hear you dye people's hair here?" Amara asked in a low but oddly polite voice.
The woman, whose name tag read Desiree, clasped her hands together. "We have a variety of hair colors to choose from. We have black, dark brown, auburn, red, orange, light blonde, pale blonde, dark blonde, anything you like!" She suggested in a cheerful voice.
"I'd like my hair to be pale blonde, please," Amara swallowed whatever lingering anger she had. It pained her to keep it all inside. All that boiling hot anger, the feeling of wanting to just explode into a million pieces. "How much is it?"
"That'll be $40, miss," Desiree told her.
Amara silently handed her two twenty dollar bills without a word. Desiree called another woman over to dye Amara's hair. The budding teenager sat in a leather chair and stayed silent as the woman behind her began dying her hair with whatever products she used. "So! Are you a pokemon trainer, miss?"
"Yeah, I am," Amara replied sheepishly.
"I used to be one when I was young," The other woman, whose name tag read Therese, palavered happily. "Those were great times, I tell you! My cyndaquil and I would walk through cities and run through thick jungles! But now I'm here with my kids and husband, just enjoyin' every day. What's your name, dear?"
The girl didn't dare mention her real name. The police were on her tail, so she knew she had to lie. "...Andrea."
"Hey!" Therese's eyes adopted a cheerful gleam about them. "That's my grandma's name!" The hair stylist went on and on about her grandmother, how she was a great pokemon trainer who traveled all the way to Kalos, and settled down, married, and had kids later on. To Amara, Therese's story was just white noise as she lost herself in the confines of her mind. All she could think about was Julia. To be more specific, Julia playing with pokemon, loving them, telling everyone she knew about how great they were, all those things.
To others, it was a happy thing to see. Little kids playing with pokemon, running among them in the meadows and the beach, seeing their radiant smiles. Amara had seen it many times before, so many times she lost count. In fact, she herself used to be happy, not just from watching Julia play with pokemon, but when she herself played with her pokemon. Now? All she could feel was boiling anger. She clenched her teeth, letting the anger simmer, gripping the silver arm rest so hard, her knuckles turned white.
'In your eyes, pokemon can do no wrong…' Amara's rage seethed, but she kept it inside. No way was she going to give them reason to call the police. They were on her tail already. 'You're so stupid, Julia! They're not perfect little angels! It's your precious friends' fault Chanel is gone!' All she wanted to do was explode. Rage. Scream. Howl. Yell. Let it all out.
"So what pokemon did you start off with?" Therese asked curiously.
'Mind your own business, lady!' Amara thought bitterly. But she answered, in a low voice, "...a totodile. He's a croconaw now."
Gradually, Amara's hair went from light brown to a pale, white-ish blonde, and any brown hair follicles were completely dyed. Not a trace of brown hair in sight. Soon, the dyeing process was complete. "Lookit you now!" Therese exclaimed, gesturing for Amara to look up. For a moment, Amara didn't recognize herself. She looked like she had transformed into a completely different person. The white gold hair almost made her look angelic. "I think it looks great, don't you?"
"...Yeah. It's nice," She whispered, twirling a piece of hair around her finger. "Thanks," She stood up, proceeding to leave. But then she turned around. "Hey! Do you know where I can buy contacts?"
"Whaaaat?" Desiree's mouth fell open. "I know a few places, but yer blue eyes are beautiful! Don't hide'em from the world!"
Amara rolled her eyes. Boy, was she dramatic. "No no. I just want to try some out, that's all. Oh, and are there any tanning salons? My friends tell me I'm too pale for my own good."
The two stylists named some places and handed Amara their business card. With that, the blonde teenager left. When the salon was out of sight, Amara found herself staring at the ocean. A sea of endless, pristine blue that reached toward the orange and pink sky. However, Amara wasn't one to appreciate such beauty. The ocean ebbed back and forth, drenching her boots in water. She pulled out the business card and threw it in the ocean before rummaging in her pocket to pull out her phone.
It wasn't a PokeGear, just an obnoxiously pale blue smartphone. A rectangle shaped light flashed white on the top. New voicemail, it said. Amara turned it on and listened to the message. It was from her mother. Amara didn't say a word. She just listened to the phone message. For a brief moment, Amara found herself yearning to go home. To be with her family, just like old times. But then Kassia said this: "Please...do the right thing. That's all I ask."
Amara pressed the delete button like she couldn't do it any faster. "Voicemail deleted. End of messages," A robotic female voice croaked through the static. The girl stared down at the cell phone with contempt. "Yeah, right. Like I'm going to jail," She whispered grimly before shouting, "Screw you, Mom!"
With a great throw, Amara chucked the cell phone into the ocean. She didn't even watch the cell phone hit the water, as she had already turned around to leave. Her scorn had returned in full force. But at this point, she walked over to the PokeMart to buy some pokemon food. Her pokemon needed their strength, as much as she hated their guts.
They say the early bird catches the caterpie, and when it came to rising early, Julia had become quite a pro. When her eyes peeled open, the morning sky was still a serene shade of blue, dark but not the scary kind of dark. She looked up at a clock on the wall. It read 6:08 AM. Tokiko, Papillon, Tsubasa, Saoirse, and Lucretia slept at the foot of her bed, snuggling and sleeping contentedly. But one was missing: Hikaru. Her mother slept on the other bed in the room, her back rising and falling. Julia stayed silent as she put a robe on herself. She didn't want to wake her mother up. Once she put her robe and shoes on, a gentle morning breeze made her skin shiver. The window was open.
Julia peered out the window, seeing the usual sights: old houses with their outside lights on, the pond in the back, and Tin Tower, towering over everything as usual. She was on the first floor, so she found it safe to crawl out the window, silent like a pichu. Although she tried to remain quiet, Lucretia's ear twitched upon hearing her leave. "Vui?" Lucretia squeaked, seeing a flutter of Julia's robe in the corner of the window.
The young girl walked around Ecruteak in her pajamas and robe, her heart immediately filling with a combination of both worry and fear. This was the first time she had ever come out like this, especially so early in the morning. Her parents had always told her that she should never go outside in her pajamas, and should she need to, that she wear a robe covering them. But Hikaru was out there somewhere, and a good trainer would look for their pokemon. Soon, she saw a dark yellow figure sitting in front of what was left of Brass Tower. Fresh, milky morning light creeped over the trees, brightening everything up just a little bit.
Hikaru sat at the bottom of the steps, looking up at the burnt tower with a dejected, wistful expression on her chubby face. The only thing that lingered in her mind was Raikou, her father. She had managed to see him again, and once more, he was gone. A single tear came out from the little pichu's left eye, streaming down to her deep red cheek. How she had yearned to see her father again: his strong face, his gentle eyes, the electricity that would crackle all over his body, his warm nuzzles, his soft purrs, his welcoming demeanor…
"Pichu…" ("Daddy…")
A shadow loomed over Hikaru. The shiny mouse turned around to find Julia standing behind her. Her trainer simply smiled and sat down next to her. "You had me worried for a second there," Julia told her in a gentle whisper. "I'm glad you're safe," Julia didn't feel the need to scold Hikaru for wandering off. She figured Hikaru had her reasons...and she did. "You really miss Raikou, don't you? You said he was your adopted father."
The shiny mouse nodded sadly. "Pichu pichu," ("He loves me very much, and I love him.")
"I know you do."
"He...saved me…"
"How so?"
"My real mommy and daddy...hated me," Hikaru confessed, looking down at the ground beneath her feet. "They didn't like that my fur color was dark. They said I came out wrong. Raikou loved me when they didn't."
And thus began the tale of Hikaru, the shiny pichu.
(flashback)
Two orange mouse pokemon stood over a nest of twigs, watching with awe as a small black and yellow egg glowed in a radiant light. The two large mice pokemon had sunset orange fur, round eyes, yellow cheeks, brown fur covering their hands and feet, big, egg-shaped white patches on their bellies, and long, thin blacks tail with yellow lightning bolts on the end. One pokemon's tail was slightly shorter than the other, looking more flat than the sharp tail her husband had. Gathered around their feet were seven small pichu, all with pale yellow fur and pale pink cheeks.
With smiles on their faces, the two raichu were ready to welcome their final child into the world. Cracks appeared on egg's surface before spreading all over. The egg shell dissipated, and out came a pichu. Said pichu wiggled around, shaking the egg shell off. She looked up at her parents and siblings with a wide smile and beaming eyes. "Pichu!" ("Mama!") The pichu squeaked.
However, as happy as she was, nobody else was happy. The other pichu all looked away. The two raichu looked at each other with confused faces. The pichu that hatched from the egg looked different from the others. Her fur was a darker shade than those of her siblings and her cheeks were a rose red instead of a pale pink. The raichu looked at their other children, then at the dark yellow pichu, at their other children again, and back at the dark yellow pichu.
"Pichuuu!" ("Hiiii!") The dark yellow pichu waddled over to her parents and extended her arms out, expecting a hug. The stub-tail raichu walked right over, staring down at her newborn child not with love and affection, but contempt and disgust. Instead of hugging her new child, the raichu smacked the dark yellow pichu with her paw, knocking her to her feet. Turning on her heel, the raichu walked away. Her husband did the same, and so did six other pichu.
"Pichu!" One of them stopped to try to befriend her new sibling. However, the mother raichu came back and pulled her away, like she was about to be hit by a truck. The mother raichu ran away from the twig nest like she couldn't run fast enough. With that, the shiny pichu was all alone.
That didn't stop the little pichu from finding them later. The mother raichu laid down on her side as her seven children suckled on her stomach for milk. The dark yellow pichu climbed on top of her siblings to get some. The mother raichu, seeing this, instead nudged her away with her long tail. With a grunt, she closed her eyes and let her children feed. But the dark yellow pichu didn't give up. Once more, the pichu crawled over her siblings' heads to get some milk. Like before, the raichu's tail smacked her away. The shiny pichu tried twice, thrice, four times, five times. The result was the same: mother raichu's tail knocked her away, each and every time, preventing her from having any of her mother's milk.
The shiny pichu found herself flummoxed. Why don't her parents like her? She thought that they would love her in time, but the longer she waited, the more that possibility diminished. The raichu parents spent all their time with their other pichu. Feeding them, playing with them, teaching them everything they could, helping them to avoid predators, hunting for food, using electricity, etc. But when the shiny pichu tried to join them, they would always leave her out.
Sometimes, they would ignore her. One time, Hikaru fell into a small hole. She cried and cried for her parents to come save her. Although she saw a raichu's head peer into the whole, Hikaru thought she had come to save her. Alas, the raichu left. By the time Hikaru decided to climb out, night fell. When she tried to go near her siblings, her parents would jump in, either hissing at her or attempting to shock her with electricity. Hikaru never got any milk, only managing to drink water and munch on Pecha berries, since their hide is very soft and easy to eat. All the while, Hikaru wondered...why? Why did her parents hate her? Did she do something wrong? Hikaru was sure she didn't do anything to hurt anyone, so why?
The cruel answer became clear one day, two weeks after her birth.
While hunting for berries, Hikaru found herself standing before a very large pokemon, far larger than she could ever be. Almost ten times her size, he was. A large yellow tiger with a curly purple mane. Hikaru curled into a fetal position, thinking he was going to eat her. Instead, the tiger asked in a deep, concerned voice, "What's wrong?"
Hikaru shivered.
"You can trust me. I won't hurt you."
Gradually, Hikaru uncurled from her fetal position. "You...won't?"
The tiger shook his head. "I am Raikou. I am the guardian of this place," Soon, Raikou noticed Hikaru's skin color. "Your fur and cheeks are darker than normal pichu."
Normal. Hearing that word made Hikaru's skin crawl. "Is...is that bad?"
"I don't think so, no," Raikou replied kindly. "Where are your parents, child?"
Hikaru's ears drooped downward, and she looked down at her feet with a dejected expression. "At the nest. They don't...like me…"
This caught Raikou's attention. "Why do you say that, child?"
"I don't know why. They don't want me around them," Hikaru explained. "Mama won't let me suckle on her. She won't let my siblings play with me. They leave me all alone when I'm scared. They don't let me near them at all," An awful feeling surged up in her heart, and it made her chest feel tight. She had no idea how to describe it.
Raikou listened intently, saying nothing as Hikaru described what her parents would do. Once she finished, Raikou said, "That's no way for raichu to treat their children. May I go with you?" Raikou asked. "I want to see their behavior for myself."
"You're not gonna hurt them, are you?"
"I won't. But if they do something bad, I may need to resort to force if necessary, as much as I don't want to. Take me to your parents, child."
Reluctantly, Hikaru escorted Raikou to her nest. Throughout the walk, Hikaru could feel the static electricity coming from the large tiger's body. In a way, it felt strangely warm. Hikaru found herself feeling safe around this large tiger despite the huge size difference. He seemed nice enough and didn't shun her when she talked to him. Maybe he could be a new friend. But what would her parents say if she brought him to them?
Sure enough, there were two raichu sitting in the nest. At first, they were smiling, sharing Oran berries amongst themselves. Hikaru smiled and squeaked, "Hi Mama and Papa!" with a wave. As soon as they heard her voice, they turned to face her with scorn on their faces. It was enough to make Hikaru's smile fade away. What happened next would confirm both Hikaru and Raikou's worst fears. The mother raichu stood up, ambled over to the shiny pichu, and...let out a strong jolt of electricity. The yellow lightning bolt struck Hikaru, electrocuting her inside and out. Hikaru's insides burned with intense pain. Soon, the attack stopped. Raikou's mouth fell agape, and his eyes were wide with horror.
"Why'd you do that?!" Hikaru wailed.
"That is no way for a parent to treat their child!" Raikou roared, his tail standing straight up.
"That thing came out wrong!" The mother raichu hissed scornfully, her croaky voice dripping with contempt. "It ain't no child of mine!"
"That thing is bad luck," The father raichu agreed, not even looking in Hikaru's direction. "Get it out of here. It'll attract predators, and we cannot afford to get killed."
The electric tiger was completely beside himself. How could these parents just abandon their child and badmouth her while she's within their vicinity? They even talk about her as if she's not even a real pokemon, just an object. All he could see odd with the shiny pichu was her odd skin color. But that was it. He saw nothing about this pichu that warranted shame and abandonment. In his eyes, the pichu had done nothing wrong. There was nothing she had done to deserve being disowned.
All this time, Hikaru didn't move. Despair had possessed her, paralyzing, choking, freezing. Her suspicions were confirmed: her own parents absolutely hated her. To the core of their being. All because of her odd fur coloring. Hikaru couldn't understand. Why was her fur color a reason to hate her? Was it really that bad? All of a sudden, her eyesight blurred, and her cheeks were drowning in tears. Soon, a piercing wail escaped, unable to be contained. Her high pitched crying echoed throughout the forest. Flocks of pidgey flew away from the resulting wail.
"Do you realize what you're doing?!" Raikou roared, right in the raichu's faces. "You're casting her out over something that isn't her fault! You should be ashamed of yourselves!"
The father raichu turned away. "The only thing we are ashamed of is giving birth to that wretched, defective creature. It's lucky we didn't kill it."
Hikaru continued to cry, not hearing any more of what her parents were saying. Everything they said earlier was enough to completely rip her heart to pieces, complete with blood pouring right out. Raikou could see it plain as day...and he was not going to stand for it. He stomped over to them and hissed, "So, that is the choice you make. Very well. I decree that you two are no longer welcome in my domain." He stared straight into their eyes, freezing them in place.
Both raichu's ears stood straight up. "What?!" They both stood up in alarm, eyes wide at the tiger's proclamation. "You cannot banish us!" The mother raichu growled. "Have you forgotten that we served you for years?!"
The electric tiger didn't take his eyes off of them, giving them a glare that could easily kill them had it been any fiercer. Even the father raichu could see it wasn't worth it to try and argue with him. Raikou himself stopped listening to the mother raichu's complaining the minute he made his announcement. He wondered if he was the only one who had any kind of sense around here. Nonetheless, the shiny pichu deserved better than this, and he could see that there was no reasoning with them.
"I rule this domain," Raikou dug his claws into the grass, unknowingly leaving some depressions in the ground. "And I make sure to treat all of my subjects with love and kindness, no matter their color, past, or character. I thought you would do the same," No longer did he look angry. The raichu could see disappointment on his face. Raikou shook his head. "You broke this sacred law, and for this, I must banish you."
The mother raichu let out a growl. "After everything we've done for you…!" A thunder bolt escaped from her long tail. It hit Raikou straight on his face, but the electric tiger, being an electric type, wasn't fazed one bit. "At least let us keep our other children!"
"That I cannot allow," Raikou told them with nothing but seriousness in his voice. "If you cannot love your children for who they are, or love them and everything about them no matter what, then you shouldn't even be having children. Go now. Your children deserve better than this, your youngest included."
Anger seeped out of both raichus' bodies, replaced with dejection. With each word Raikou said, they looked exactly like the shiny pichu they made cry: small, scared, and wretched. Finally, both raichu didn't say a word. "Go. You are not welcome here anymore."
That was all. With that, the two raichu left. Not a trace of them was to be found. Raikou just sat down next to the still crying pichu. He wasn't sure how long she cried, but she certainly did a lot of it. It was understandable, really. Any child would be sad and frustrated if they were abandoned by their parents, especially for things that aren't their fault. Just thinking about it made Raikou feel like he was trapped under a pile of muk and grimer. How could any parent do such a terrible thing to their child? What made them think their child have odd colored fur was a bad omen? He couldn't imagine why. Did they still believe in lingering superstitions? He wasn't sure.
Still, this shiny pichu deserved better than them. No doubt about that. When Hikaru's sobbing quieted down, after five straight hours, Raikou simply licked Hikaru's fur with his large tongue, taking care not to knock her over. This kind gesture made Hikaru's crying finally cease. She looked up at Raikou and asked, "Why are you being so nice to me?"
"I must apologize on their behalf," Raikou told her. "I don't know why they chose to treat you the way they have," He kept himself at eye level so Hikaru could get a better look at him. "I see nothing about you that warrants that kind of horrible treatment."
Hikaru's ears drooped downward. "They hate me."
"I don't."
Her ears popped right back up, pointing to the sky. "Really? You don't?"
Raikou shook his head. "I'm sorry for everything you went through. Would you mind...if I took care of you? I can be your father if that is what you wish," He told her kindly.
I can be your father. Never before had Hikaru heard anything so angelic. She could see the warmth and love in his eyes. Something inside her told her that he meant what he said. True, she had only met him just a few hours ago. But he stayed with her. He gave her parents a verbal lashing for the unlawful way they treated her. He didn't hate her for her odd fur color. He comforted her when she was upset. Something told her that he was the one. The one who would love her forever, no matter what. Once again, the tears returned. This time, they were tears of joy. She buried her face in his white cheeks.
"Yes. Will you...be my daddy?" Hikaru sobbed.
"I will, my child."
(end flashback)
By the end of the story, Julia was a blubbering mess. She kept her whimpers soft so as to not wake anyone up, but not even covering her face was enough to keep her sadness inside. Already, her palms were wet with tears.
"Hikaru...I had no idea…" In a way, she could actually believe something like that happened. She had seen plenty of documentaries and TV shows about parents abusing or disowning their kids for things that aren't their fault, like disabilities or not being their perfect child. Not just parents, either-other adults could do it, if Mrs. Amoretto was anything to go by. She had even seen stories on the news about children getting killed by their parents over stupid things. Animals and pokemon were no different. It didn't make it any less cruel or painful.
Hikaru nodded in agreement. "Raikou...was the best thing that ever happened to me…" She added wistfully. A single tear streamed out from her eye, dissolving when it touched her red cheek. Some electricity had fried it down to nothing. "He didn't hate me because I looked different. He taught me everything I knew."
(flashback)
Life blossomed for Hikaru when Raikou adopted her. Every chance he could, Raikou showered the shiny pichu with all the love and affection a father could give to the apple of their eye. He praised her when she did something good, comforted her when she was sad, scolded her when she did something she shouldn't have, taught her the essential life skills she needed to survive, etc. Foraging for food, holding off enemies with electricity when the situation called for it, running across the meadows and through the forests, etc. By the time the first snow came, Hikaru didn't even consider the two raichu her parents anymore.
To her, Raikou was her true parent. In fact, when she got lost in the forest one time, she sat in front of a tree, crying for him to come and get her. Sure enough, he did, and she took shelter in his warm, fluffy mane as they walked back. It was like she had been reborn, this time as a pichu who wasn't different or hated for her fur color. She had even become friends with other pokemon, and sure enough, they didn't mind her fur color. Whenever there were those who would shun her, Raikou would gently explain that her odd fur color isn't anything to be ashamed of, just something that's part of nature. Sometimes odd things happen, but they're not bad. Seeing him change their ways with just a few kind words only deepened Hikaru's respect for Raikou.
However, her strange fur color wasn't the only thing about Hikaru that was different. She would see her siblings fire little thunder jolts at each other, playing pretend battle or testing their powers. Afterward, they would get themselves hurt and be unable to continue for a while. Raikou explained that pichu's cheeks are unable to store electricity properly, so if they attack others, they unknowingly hurt themselves in the process. During a battle with some rattata, Hikaru was able to drive them away from her berry stash with just a few thunder shocks. Oddly enough, she didn't feel tired or hurt.
"Daddy? How come other pichu shock themselves and I don't?" She asked curiously.
"Well…" Raikou ruminated, losing himself in trying to give her an answer. "I'm not sure. Perhaps it's because we trained together," He replied. "I've heard stories about pichu training under different pokemon and becoming better at containing and controlling their electricity as a result. Perhaps you've gotten stronger."
A good enough answer. Raikou is one of the strongest electric pokemon out there. She considered herself quite lucky to have Raikou in her life. Not only did she adopt her out of the kindness of his heart, but helped her get stronger. Not only that, she knew an attack only a few pichu could learn: Disarming Voice. Only fairy pokemon knew that move, with a few exceptions. A voltorb explained that her father knew the attack, so she must have naturally inherited knowledge of the attack from him. Hikaru's fur stood up in anger. She had come to resent her parents for their decisions, and inheriting something from them made her feel like she was still connected with them. Then again, this new attack could prove to be useful.
Those raichu weren't her parents, she told herself. Her only parent was Raikou. He loved her for her, and that was all that mattered. However, the happiness and peaceful life they shared would soon come to a very abrupt end.
On a warm, clear day, Hikaru was ambling in the woods, plucking flowers from the grass in a variety of colors. Purple, white, and pink. It had been a year since she was born, and she thought this would be a great way to thank Raikou for raising her. As she gathered flowers, she sang a jolly tune to herself, losing herself in the quiet atmosphere around her.
A harsh rumbling in the ground made the earth shake. Hikaru lost her balance and fell on her stomach, dropping the flowers she worked so hard to pick. When the rumbling stopped, she pulled herself up and shook off the shock. Grass blades got caught in the fur on her ears. Screams and howls echoed in the air. Flocks of bird pokemon flew out of their trees. More rumbling sounds followed the big one, but were much smaller in scale, so Hikaru didn't wobble and fall like last time.
Electric pokemon of all kinds ran right past her, along with some oddish, nidoran, rattata, and a few others. Hikaru found herself confused. Why were they running? A rattata suddenly approached her and shouted, "Hurry! You gotta run for your life!" The desperation in his voice was unmistakable.
"What's going on?"
"Pokemon hunters, that's what!" The rattata screeched fearfully. "Bad people are here with big machines! They're gonna kill us or steal us or skin us or sell us or Arceus knows what else! You gotta run for your life, kid!"
Hunters. This was the first time she heard the word. It sounded so strange yet so menacing. But she had heard plenty of tales about bad humans taking pokemon against their will and doing horrible things to them. Some were so terrible, the pokemon who told those tales were still traumatized by their experiences. But only one thing came to her mind, and she was quick to ask the rattata, "Where's Raikou? Is he okay?"
"He's fightin' them off right now!" The rattata huffed. "But he's got no chance against them! Gotta run!" With that, the frightened rattata scurried for his life.
Raikou was fighting them off. Hikaru scurried up a big tree to see what was going on. In the distance, she could see large, shiny black machines with long claws reaching for whatever was within reach. There were three of them total. Hikaru's body shivered with fear. Lightning bolts shot out from the forest. She could recognize them from a mile away. "That's Daddy's lightning!" She scurried down the tree and made a beeline for the northern part of the forest. Raikou might be in danger. There was no way she was going to stand by and let her father die.
She scurried past rows of trees, both in tact and knocked over by the big machines. Some of the trees fell on the ground, blocking the path completely, their trunks looking as though someone had ripped them right off. Hikaru wasn't one to be deterred by obstacles like this, as she had enough experience with climbing to easily get over it. She hopped over the tree, seeing more destruction. Large footprints left big depressions in the soil. If she fell in, she could easily break her neck or skull and die.
The pichu took care to stealthily walk around the big footprints. However, she didn't get very far, as something got in her way. The hem of a long, black leather coat. Hikaru looked up to find a creature she had never seen before, far bigger and taller than she was. The creature stood on two long legs, with long arms, and had short silver hair, apricot colored skin, and a light grey machine strapped to her left arm. The creature was wearing a black leather jacket over red pants, red high heels, and matching fingerless gloves. Her steely blue eyes were cold as ice, and Hikaru didn't see any warmth in them. In fact, just seeing this woman made her freeze in place.
"Hmm...this is a rare find," The woman mused in an icy voice. She reached her hand out to grab Hikaru. She reacted too slow, so Hikaru wasn't able to escape. She found herself being lifted off the ground, dangling in the air. Screeching and howling, she struggled to break free. "I'm definitely going to make a mint off of you."
"DADDY!" Hikaru screamed as loud as she could muster. "DADDY! WHERE ARE YOOOOOUUUUU?!"
"Stop struggling, you little runt," The woman hissed.
Right then and there, a yellow flash of lightning shot down before the woman, surprising her into letting Hikaru go. The woman took three steps back to evade the lightning. Hikaru rolled on the ground, stopping at a small bush. She looked up to find Raikou standing before the woman, howling at her with a mighty roar. "You will leave my child alone!"
"Daddy!" For a moment, Hikaru wanted to hug him. He was okay! But three more strange creatures, all dressed in black outfits, ran over to the woman with grey machines in their hands.
"Master J! Are you alright?!" One man asked.
"I'm fine!" The silver haired woman, J, replied. "Catch that Raikou and the shiny pichu!" She commanded in a booming, still icy voice.
"Yes, ma'am!" A man pulled out a box and said something as J darted into the bushes.
A large machine appeared. Large claws protruded from it. Raikou blasted them away with lightning bolts, but it wasn't enough to make them retreat. Hikaru hid in the bushes so J and her comrades wouldn't find her. All of a sudden, blue rays of light shot out from all three machines, wrapping themselves all around Raikou. The yellow tiger struggled to break free, scratching at them, flailing and writhing, but nothing he did worked. All of a sudden, his entire body burned, and he howled in pain.
"Daddy! No!" Hikaru cried. Her heart was screaming at her to go save him. But what could she do? She was a tiny pichu, helpless against giant machines.
"Pichu!" Raikou yelled. "Run away! Leave this forest or they'll catch you!" Hikaru's ears twitched. "Run as far away from here as you can!"
Run away? Hikaru shivered. How could she possibly do that? "And leave you here?! I can't! No!"
"Yes you can!" Raikou roared. His body burned as the energy from the blue light net trapping him surged through him. "I won't let them take you away! You're a strong girl! Get away from here! Please!"
"What about you?!"
"Don't worry about me! I'll find a way out of this! Now go! GO!"
Hikaru didn't know what to do. She couldn't leave her father here at the mercy of those machines. The one pokemon who treated her like she was his own...how was she going to live without him? And he was expecting her to leave him? But at the same time, those humans could easily catch her. No way was she going to be hunted. With a heavy heart, she scurried deep into the forest. "Run! Faster, my chikd! Don't look back! Keep running! Keep running!"
Don't look back, he said. Hikaru ran through the thick woods with every ounce of energy she had in her body. Her tiny legs burned the more she ran, but she couldn't let those creatures catch her. But she had to heed Raikou's advice. Run as fast as she could, away from those creatures. She wasn't sure how long or how far she ran, but she didn't even stop to eat or drink. Finally, her body gave out, and she fell right into a mud puddle. Sticky brown soil stuck to her yellow fur as she gasped for breath, her lungs burning, her tiny legs feeling heavy, like a pile of berries she would gather. The moon was high in the night sky, surrounded by its beautiful stars.
The reality of the situation hit her right then and there. She was all alone. Raikou was gone. That J woman and the machines took him. She couldn't save him. Tears came pouring right out as she bawled into her dirty paws. With passionate wails, she cried in the night, assuming she was far, far away from those two-legged creatures and their big machines. For all she knew, Raikou could be hurt or killed. He got himself trapped saving her life. Was it her fault he was gone? She cried just like she did when the raichu disowned her. Soon, sleep took over, and she found herself sleeping in mud.
Raikou's screams and roars surged in her mind as she slept. Was he okay? Was he hurt, or even dead? She couldn't bear to think of such a horrible thought. When morning came, Hikaru knew that in her heart, she was going to have to survive on her own. For now, anyway. She hoped everything Raikou taught her would help somehow. She knew how to forage for berries, fend off enemies, and even battle if she could.
Hikaru survived on her own for eight whole days, eating berries and acorns, sleeping in bushes and abandoned thickets. So far, no wild pokemon had attacked her. On one day, her stomach roared like a Raikou, begging for food. She looked up to find an Oran berry tree within her vicinity, with fresh Oran berries dangling from the branches. Using what little energy she had, she scurried up the tree, plucked three berries off, and ate them all, one at a time. Already, her energy had returned.
Bzzzt. A buzzing sound made Hikaru's ears twitch in fear. The fur on her body stood up all at once. Bzzzzt! There it was again. Hikaru turned around to come face to face with glowing red eyes. At least ten of them. All of them belonging to beedrill.
"This is OUR berry tree, you runt!"
"You little thief!"
"Nobody gets away with stealing our berries!"
"Piiiii!" Hikaru let out a thundershock, driving some away, giving herself a chance to scurry down the tree and run for her life. The beedrill were in hot pursuit, chasing her with their large stingers ready for piercing and stabbing. Hikaru blasted them with a few more thundershocks, but since the beedrill could fly, they evaded the attacks easily.
One beedrill's stinger turned purple as it aimed at the yellow mouse, shooting glowing purple lines of energy. Hikaru zigzagged from side to side, evading the stingers. Unfortunately, three of them struck Hikaru right in the back. She didn't stop running, but her body began to burn from the inside, like someone had set it on fire. Her breathing became labored, and it felt as though her lungs were being closed up. She had to run. She had to. She wasn't going to die here. But...was this how it was going to end? Her short life would be gone before she even had a chance to see Raikou again.
(end flashback)
"...And then I met you right after," Hikaru confessed. Once again, Julia silently listened attentively, her sobbing having ceased. "I heard stories that humans were bad. I thought you were going to kill me. But you saved me instead," With a smile, Julia stroke her little friend's yellow head with one hand.
"You've really been through a lot, haven't you?" Julia asked. The dark yellow mouse nodded. "Can I ask...why you never told me any of this before?"
A silent pause permeated the air until Hikaru broke it. "I...I thought...Raikou was really dead. I didn't think...I'd see him again," Hikaru confessed, her voice quivering. "And I wasn't sure if you'd believe me," The dark yellow mouse wiped a tear out of her eye.
Julia let out a sigh. Hikaru really had been through a lot. She was disowned by her parents because they couldn't accept that she was different, the only pokemon who stepped up to be her parent was likely kidnapped by Team Rocket, and she had to survive all on her own. Julia wondered how such a tiny mouse pokemon was able to survive all of that and still go on living. She had to give Hikaru credit, she was a much stronger pichu than she gave her credit for. Far stronger than Julia was.
"Hikaru? Can I ask you something?" Julia asked. Hikaru nodded, gesturing for her to go on. "When we were being chased by the beedrill...why did you try to save me? You were a wild pokemon. You heard stories about bad humans, so...why?"
The dark yellow mouse fell silent for a brief moment. Julia decided not to push it, so she let Hikaru think. The morning sky had become a touch brighter, with pink and orange streaks peeking out from the horizon, giving Ecruteak City an ephemeral air about it. Some street lights had turned themselves off. "I...I was so convinced that I was going to die," Hikaru began sheepishly. "I thought you would just leave me there. Because of my...fur color. Or kill me," Her ears drooped downward. "But you didn't. You tried to save me, even though we both might have been killed."
Although she was weak and disoriented that day, the memory of their first meeting was strong in the little pichu's mind. Her body burning with that painful poison surging through her body. Julia holding her close and running from the beedrill horde with everything she had. Julia shielding Hikaru from the beedrill's stinger despite the potential danger. She could sense the girl's compassion and feel her desire to save her life. "It was like being with Raikou again. I couldn't save him...but you were so nice to me...I thought I'd at least try to help you, weak as I was!"
"We both might have been killed if Mom hadn't saved us," Julia told her. All of a sudden, the trainer scooped her pichu in her arms and held her close. Hikaru found her face buried in her trainer's chest, catching the scent of freshly washed fabric. It almost smelled sweet, like roses. Maybe it was the detergent she used. Julia's soft hands traced her back and her head, holding her like a mother would embrace her child. "I love you, Hikaru. You know that, right?" She asked in a low, dulcet whisper.
A warm feeling enveloped Hikaru's heart. She had always felt it, but never got used to it. Julia had showered the pichu with nothing but unbridled love, care, and affection since that day. She never even so much as noticed her odd fur color, and if she did, she never stopped loving her for it. Was this what it was like to have a mother? Hikaru wasn't sure. Why couldn't the raichu who gave birth to her be like her and Raikou?
"I love you, too. I always have and I always will!"
"Those raichu are stupid. They're really missing out on how wonderful you are," Julia told her. "I'd love to be like your mom, but…"
"You're already my mommy!" Hikaru bawled into the girl's robe. All Julia did was stroke her little friend's back. To her, Hikaru was Hikaru, a sweet little pichu whose fur color was just different, that's all. She saw nothing about her that warranted shame and abandonment. If she ever met those raichu, she'd want to give them an epic tongue-lashing. No matter what, Hikaru was her friend, and she would love her until the day they perished. Nothing would change that.
For the first time in a long while, Hikaru felt as though she were reunited with Raikou. This time, she was happy. Happy that Raikou was at least safe. How he managed to escape those machines still confused her, but maybe she and Julia and the rest of the gang could figure it out together. Right now, she just wanted to spend this morning with her beloved trainer.
"Eevee!" A squeak pulled them both out of their loving embrace. Julia turned around to find an eevee right behind her. An eevee with the purple accessory in her fur.
"Lucretia!" Julia exclaimed. "Sorry! Did we make you worry?"
"Eevee eevee," ("I saw you leave and wanted to make sure you were safe.") Lucretia told her, sitting down before the two. "I overheard everything."
"So you heard about what happened with Hikaru?" Julia asked. Lucretia nodded, her smile unchanging. The fluffy eevee simply walked over to Hikaru and gave her a lick on her head. Julia simply smiled and cuddled them both. "I guess we have a lot in common, don't we?"
"Pichu!"
"Eevee!"
Since they didn't want Kassia and the others to worry, the trio went back to the Pokemon Center and managed to make it back inside without waking them up. It was about 9:00 AM when Kassia had her bags ready. "Sorry, Julia. I have to go back home. I need to take care of the ranch," Without a word, Julia hugged her mother warmly, knowing she would have to go back sometime. "It was wonderful seeing you."
"I wish you could stay longer, but I know you need to take care of the pokemon back at home," Julia told her.
"I know, sweetie. I'm glad I got to see you," Kassia stroke her daughter's hair with one hand. "Now, you all take good care of each other. Okay?"
"We sure will," Perrine said.
Caiseal held a fist to his chest. "You can count on us, Mrs Parisa!"
"Pichu!" Even Hikaru had to chime in at one point.
"If there's anything you need, call me and let me know. I'll tell your father and the pokemon at home you said hi," Kassia told her, pulling her into another hug once more. Julia basked in her mother's warmth and affection one last time. With a goodbye, Julia's mother waved at her and went into a yellow taxi headed for the airport.
"Bye, Mom…" Julia whispered to herself. Already, she wanted her mother back. But she knew she had come this far on her own. Besides, she'll see her again. It wasn't as though it was the last time she'll see her.
"So...where's the next gym?" Caiseal asked.
Perrine pulled up the map function on her PokeGear. She zoomed in on one town by the tea. "Olivine City is nearby," Perrine replied, her blue eyes widening. "How about we go there?"
"Sure. I don't mind," Julia added.
"But before all of that…" Perrine turned to the kids and clasped her hands together. "Can we stop by the Ecruteak Theater before we leave?"
Julia and Caiseal both looked at each other. "How come?" Caiseal asked. It didn't take long for Julia to figure out what she was talking about.
"Oh! I get it! You want to see the Kimono Girls perform at the theater?" Julia asked. "You're a big fan of them, aren't you?"
"The biggest!" Perrine added. "Thanks so much! I've been dying to see their show again at least once!" The kids prepared for their upcoming trip, listening to Perrine palaver on about the Kimono Girls. "My mom took me here once when I was nine, and I just absolutely loved it!"
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Caiseal asked, ready for adventuring. "Let's go!" But before they left, Julia wanted to do one last thing before leaving: exchange Tsubasa for Ladybug.
Chapter 17 will be up when I get the motivation to work on it. I have a LOT of projects to work on this weekend, plus I've been having a bad week overall. I keep losing stuff like my school ID and my favorite jean jacket! My mind is all scrambled and I hate it! I'm at least glad my Japanese class is done reading this one book. I can't wait to chuck it out my window...or sell it to a textbook store for a buck or two.
Random Fact: The name Amara uses to disguise her real name, Andrea, is actually my big sister's name. I wanted to use something else but I couldn't come up with anything better.
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pichu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thundershock, Disarming Voice, Sweet Kiss, Tail Whip
Tokiko (Togepi, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Protect
Tsubasa (Pidgeotto, Female, Naughty Nature)
Ability: Keen Eye
Attacks: Tackle, Quick Attack, Wing Attack, Twister
Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Intimidate
Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Lick, and Scary Face
Papillon (Butterfree, Female, Calm Nature)
Ability: Compound Eyes
Attacks: Confusion, Sleep Powder, Psybeam, Stun Spore
Lucretia (Eevee, Female, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Anticipation
Attacks: Quick Attack, Helping Hand, Bite, and Shadow Ball
Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Vulpix, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Flamethrower, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack
Florian (Chikorita, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Razor Leaf, Tackle, Reflect, and Poison Powder
Fuwari (Skiploom, Female, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Leaf Guard
Attacks: Tackle, Fairy Wind, Bullet Seed, and Sleep Powder
Chirin (Flaaffy, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thundershock, Charge, Cotton Spore, and Tackle
Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Round
Fukuro (Noctowl, Male, Sassy Nature)
Ability: Tinted Lens
Attacks: Confusion, Peck, Hypnosis, and Dream Eater
Caiseal's Party:
Mallow (Cubone, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Club, Headbutt, Growl
Apollo (Quilava, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flame Wheel, Tackle, Quick Attack, and Smokescreen
Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Damp
Attacks: Water Gun, Mud Bomb, Mud Slap, and Slam
Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Super Luck
Attacks: Wing Attack, Night Shade, Dark Pulse, and Haze
Viole (Oddish, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Acid, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent
Geo (Graveler, Male, Brave Nature)
Ability: Sturdy
Attacks: Steamroller, Rock Throw, Rock Polish, and Magnitude