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Chapter III: Restless Relaxation
"I'm actually really excited to try this out," I chuckled as Somin, Axle, and I exited the condo's private bathhouse and entered into a rocky alcove, fenced off from the rest of the area. For whatever reason, I'd waited a few days before trying any of the hot springs myself, instead enjoying the other attractions the area had to offer. Maybe it was my subconscious trying to save the best for last. The resort itself was styled in which the main building, a hotel, was home to most activities, while a few, larger-scale ones, including Rock Climbing and Pokémon Safaris, resided on the outskirts.
After those few days, I'd tried nearly everything the resort had to offer, the present day was meant to be one of relaxation, rather than one of exploration.
Jet and Victor had decided to stay inside, the latter of which would sink every time he tried getting in the water. Vita had a spring all to herself, an odd decision resulting from the awkward fact she happened to be the only female on the team and the lack of knowledge on how to circumvent such a situation. The three of us remaining took the other, second spring.
The spring itself was the size of a small pond, probably a good thirty feet in length. Steam rose carelessly above the water, mingling with the clear, cooler air around it. The ground beneath my feet was a solid igneous rock, red-tinted in color, and heated, yet not quite enough to feel uncomfortable. Around the spring's circumference were multiple, angular, rocky outcroppings, some large enough to climb on, which only went to further the impressive, natural scenery.
"Pretty nice dis—"
Before I could finish my remark, a certain Swampert had pushed past me and dove within the water's depths, instantly disappearing beneath the surface, and leaving a gargantuan splash in his wake. I stood speechless for a moment and gazed at Somin before continuing.
"Someone's excited," I scoffed. The Zoroark shrugged his shoulders with a smirk and motioned to continue forward.
Unlike Axle, I made great care in lowering myself into the water once at the spring's bank, instantly sighing in contentedness as my legs were submerged. The water was a perfect temperature, tingling my skin, cold by comparison. Somin, seeing my reaction, lowered himself in likewise, giving no visible reaction upon inundating himself.
By then, I had almost fully submerged myself, leaving only my chin above water. Axle still hadn't resurfaced, and I doubted he would for quite some time. No exaggeration, the spring felt heavenly, and I found myself giggling stupidly, trying to fathom how something could feel so great. I turned lazily in Somin's direction, the water successful in sapping my energy as it went to work in relieving the built-up tension in my physique.
"Feels good, right?" I asked, a huge smile plastered on my face.
"It's great," he laughed before dunking himself in completely. He resurfaced a few seconds later, his facial fur sopping wet. "I've been in here before, though."
Suddenly interested, I cocked my head. "Really, when?" I asked.
"Oh, a day or two ago," he said, and quite hurriedly at that. "You were out with Jet, Axle, and Victor, so I thought I'd… Uh… Try 'em out."
After a few, empty blinks, trying to contemplate his sudden hastiness in answering, coupled with his flustered nature, before shrugging it off and forgetting about it completely. Instead, my attention was turned back to the spring.
I was able to, firsthand, verify the saying that Lavaridge's hot springs were, in fact, therapeutic beyond belief. I left Somin to his own devices as I closed my eyes and sighed happily, all fatigue and worry collected over the previous week disappearing down the metaphorical drain. I was quick to discover an underwater rock, utilizing it as a makeshift seat, in order to go completely limp.
For the first two or three days we'd been in the condo, Somin's attitude had been consistently dour. He always seemed pensive and expectant, waiting for something to happen. Even when we were supposed to be relaxing and enjoying ourselves, I would find him training; sometimes on his own, sometimes with Jet or Vita, but training nonetheless. I felt quite sad for him, to be perfectly honest.
Yet, for whatever reason, over the last two or so days, he was all but melancholy. He seemed extremely lively, ready to have fun, and actually enjoying himself. I brushed it off as someone on the team, probably Vita, giving him a talking-to. Maybe it was when I left them alone two days prior, the day he said he tried out the hot springs. Hell, he'd even said he'd indulged in the hot springs himself; perhaps they had a therapeutic effect on him.
I hadn't forgotten about what happened, despite my lack of constant thought regarding it. While I tried my best to enjoy myself, there was that nagging thought in the back of my head that we were all unsafe. Yet, after four days with no suspicious activity, I started slacking in my alertness, and truly started enjoying myself. Surely, with how secluded the condo was from the public, they would've tried something should their intentions be so narrowly set on me, correct?
It was apparent I'd dozed off, seeing as I was jolted awake the second I felt my head go underwater. My eyes shot open instantly as I felt some of the hot water make residence in my lungs. I was hasty in jerking my head towards the surface, coughing the whole way. With how out of it I seemed to be, I found myself lucky I didn't drown. A brief look at Somin showed he had followed in my footsteps, and was quietly snoring, his back propped up against one of the rocks jutting from the side of the pond.
Axle was still nowhere to be found, and I wouldn't be surprised if he had fallen asleep himself, underwater. Surprisingly, though, when I dunked my head to check, the bottom of the spring itself was too dark to see.
Unlike any hot tub I'd ever been in, I wasn't bored whatsoever with the water of the spring as time went on. Usually, I would get too hot or uncomfortable, and proceed to exit. Yet, I was still feeling incredibly relaxed, even after however long I'd dozed off for. My muscles seemed lethargic, and, to be perfectly honest, the water increased a latent feeling of apathy, heightening that, 'I don't wanna do anything' feeling.
So there I stayed… For two more hours. By then, I was starting to worry whether or not I'd become a prune if I'd keep myself submerged any longer. I woke Somin with a playful splash of water to the face, fortunately just as Axle resurfaced. He seemed to enjoy the spring most of any of us, given his affinity for the water.
I was walking out of the bathhouse a few moments later, a towel wrapped around my drenched bathing suit. I was about to ascend the stairs back up to the condo when I heard a few, annoyed grunts behind me.
Interested, I turned a full 180°, quick enough to see Somin's sopping wet form exit the bathhouse. He, in an imitation of me, had a towel around his waist, and was struggling to walk with it on due to his physique. His fur was plastered to his body, making him look twice as skinny as he truly was. That, combined with the fact he was leaving a trail of water behind him, caused me to openly burst out in laughter; and after figuring it out for himself, he joined me, albeit ironically and sarcastically.
Vita exited next, though, from a different entrance, hearing our laughter. After scrutinizing the Zoroark for herself, though, she turned away and started giggling openly.
I stopped after a few more seconds, and left them alone as I ascended the steps back inside the house. Victor greeted me upon entry with a happy click of his mandibles; I responded by crouching and giving him a light pat.
Jet was nowhere to be found, yet after a minute or two of searching, I found him screwing around with the microwave, pushing its buttons and staring at it confusedly as if it were the world's greatest invention. I didn't bother interrupting him, and sat down on the couch.
A peek at the tall clock against the far wall told me it was only 11:00 AM, and I still had the full day ahead of me. There were a few attractions at the resort, and Lavaridge in general, that I still had yet to take part in, but there was one in particular that had been nagging me from even before I'd arrived.
The view I had out the back window did little to satisfy my desire.
Yet, I'd held off, due to paranoia of what could be. The specific attraction I'd been pondering would require a few days out in the wilderness, meaning even more vulnerability to myself and my team. However, with not many other options, along with both a nagging feeling of desire for adventure, I finally made the decision the time was right.
So, I voiced my proposal to the team.
"Hey guys, you wanna hike Mt. Chimney?"
Somin and Vita had since ascended the stairs, Axle following behind, and were approaching me as I asked. What followed was a cacophony of noises, each giving their answer. I would have to wait, however, for Somin to translate.
"You sure that's a good idea?" he asked after a few more seconds, narrowing his eyes.
"Eh," I responded, trying to create an air of nonchalance. "If something was gonna happen, it would've happened already. Those people may not even know we're here, and if they did, they would've done something by now, right?"
He turned away, looking towards Vita as he continued. "I… I don't know… Jet and I just don't think it's a good idea, is all…"
Prior to my response, Vita inputted a few words, along with a reassuring (or so I thought) rub on Somin's back with a single vine.
"Hey," my voice lowered, into a serious, yet gentle tone, "we'll be fine. It's just a day or two, nothing we can't handle, right? Like you said, one of the best teams in the world?"
I forced a soft smile as Somin contemplated what I had said. He then turned to Jet, who shot a shrug in his direction in return, before returning to face Vita. With her quiet nod, he sighed, defeated.
"Fine," he said, crossing his arms, "But we keep our guards up; there's no telling what could happen."
"Naturally," I replied, content with his agreement, however reluctant. Overall, though, I was overjoyed, much more than I should have been. I didn't know how to explain it at the time, but something just felt… right… about the thought of traversing the mammoth of a volcano.
I'd seen it at a distance from the airport, but it was a lot bigger in person. 15,000 feet tall, 200 miles across at its widest point; Mt. Chimney was certainly a sight to behold. We'd planned to take the long hiking trail, one that would require camping to complete in its entirety. Hiking trails were designed ingeniously, snaking in and out of vents in the volcano's surface, enabling travelers to view the inner cavity as well.
We'd left only shortly after our conversation back at the condo; I'd gathered my camping gear (consisting solely of a sleeping bag, I'd lost the need for tents a long time ago), stocked up on a few healing items in case of emergency, and packed a bit of food before leaving.
After releasing my team and setting my eyes on the summit, we were off. The trailhead itself was situated at 8,000 feet, the bus ride there taking multiple hours to complete. The entire hike to the summit was approximately 25 miles total.
The first few hours went by as most other days would while in the Unova wilderness: in near-silence. We would have conversations every so often, but soon ran out of content to talk about. During those passing hours, I was able to start feeling the effect of the altitude on my body; we stopped to have a drink of water every so often.
As expected, though, the best part about the hike in general were the portions in which we actually permeated the outer shell of the volcano and trekked inside. Stone pathways were carved out of the igneous rock, giving a perfect view of the crater below, magma and all. The time that wasn't spent outside, enjoying the scenery, or viewing magma and sweating from the sudden heat-boost was in caverns, round and large. These crevices were everywhere in between the two, and we found ourselves walking through those most of the time. Most were the size to fit a large concert, crowd and all.
As we ascended, I was pleasantly surprised to find that, while outside, the cold nipped comfortably against my skin. Thankfully, though, there was not much wind, considering we were on the volcano's backside, but the mixture of cool temperatures and the sun shining down felt genuinely unique and comforting.
Vita, at times, had trouble traversing the steep, rocky portions of the slope, but was still able to clear them nonetheless. Even Axle, with his gargantuan shape and size, slipped a few times on the loose pebbles.
To be perfectly honest, it felt great being in the outdoors again. Sure, it was perfectly acceptable, and amazing, in fact, to enjoy the company of modern appliances and technology, all while relaxing; but after hiking over 7,000 miles in my lifetime thus far, every second I spent walking felt natural, as if I were intended for that purpose.
We'd started the hike later in the day, and planned to hit the summit sometime around mid-morning the next day. After that, we planned on taking the walk back down in a single day, boarding the bus, and being back home by nightfall. However, complications started to ensue.
First off, Vita got sick. It was probably due to the altitude we were at, but even if we weren't particularly acclimated, I found it odd Vita's body couldn't handle going as far as we were. On a notion from Somin, one quite worried at that, I agreed wholeheartedly to spend the night where we were.
As I'd explained previously, I hadn't really found the need for a tent in years. Most times, the sleeping bag I had (a quite expensive one at that), was all I really needed for warmth. For protection from the elements, we would usually make camp in a cave, as we did in one of the crevices dotting the trail. If the area was one without natural rock formations, I kept a tarp and hammock in my pack to sleep off the ground. Tents only made to add weight when traveling hundreds of miles at a time.
I was concerned for Vita, sure, but was slightly ticked we had to stop at six o'clock in the evening, rather than hike for a while longer. Most days of travelling in Unova would be spent until a late hour, such as that of 10 or 11; or at least until we found a suitable campsite.
With that in mind, I prepared a small dinner, consisting of some packaged turkey, ham, and salami. What mattered was the fact that it was quick, concise, space-savvy, and filled our stomachs suitably. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't bother to pack foods, instead scavenging the nearby wilderness for berries, meat, or anything else of the sort. Despite his active personality, one of Somin's odd favorite hobbies was that of fishing.
"Y'okay Vita?" I questioned as the Serperior herself, accompanied by Somin as they returned from another cavern; supposedly vomiting her stomach's contents away from camp.
She looked up at me weakly, giving a curt nod. Her entire posture was slacked, the front section of her body slouched, rather than upright as it would usually be found. Furthermore, her movements were lethargic, as she took big, long strides as she slithered, rather than short and quick jerks of her lower body.
I smiled weakly, attempting to give some sort of reassurance, before turning back towards my pack.
A few seconds later, Somin nonchalantly caught a full, unopened package of turkey, flung across the campsite by myself. He brought it down in front of him and stared at it hungrily, before attempting to open the plastic wrapping with his claws while I addressed Vita.
"You should eat something," I said caringly, "It's gonna suck if you try running on empty."
She stared at me oddly for a few moments before nodding thankfully and turning to Somin, who was close to impaling the wrapping in futile attempts to undo it. He finally gave up, instead piercing the packaging entirely, meat included, dragging it out, and eating a few pieces as if it were on a skewer.
Vita helped herself to grabbing a few slices, straight from the packaging still stuck to his other claw. Handling food was tough for her, without much to call arms, but was able to pin some meat in between two of her vines. She nibbled at the food indecisively, trying to figure out if it would harm her further.
Knowing everyone was set dinner-wise, I left them to their own devices while I tried to fathom what I'd do to entertain myself until it was time to settle down for the night.
Some time later, my eyes shot open, instantly awake.
It took me a few moments to find I was still in the cave, staring straight at the ceiling far above me. After gathering my bearings, though, I observed the rate of my heart and breathing; extremely fast.
The haunting call still lingered in my ears, ringing with every pulse of blood in my head.
"Ray!"
I'd had a bad dream, I realized a few seconds after regaining rational thought. Everything seemed just fine in my mindscape, until, out of nowhere, something, someone shouted my name.
No, not anyone. I knew that call; I just hadn't heard it for a long time. I found it quite odd it was reappearing in my nightmares now, of all times.
I hadn't had that nightmare for years, in fact. To be sure it was a product of my imagination, I turned left, right, and returned looking straight up.
I sighed, attempting to decelerate my body's reaction to the fright, before rubbing my face to rid it of sleep. I could see, through partially-hazy eyes, both the outside and inside entrance to the cavern on either side; a quick look outside relayed the fact it was still the middle of the night.
I was still breathing slightly heavily, and knew I wouldn't get back to sleep anytime soon.
Maybe some fresh air will help…
With that, I wriggled around until I was free of the heavy sleeping bag's clutches. I took the time to stretch my back of any kinks as I surveyed the nearby area.
Vita and Somin, as usual, were curled up against one another, a few yards away from where I slept not a minute before. Axle and Victor were nestled up against different sections of the cavern's wall, the former snoring softly while the latter twitched every so often. But…
Where's Jet?
Even in the lax lighting, I should've been able to spot him, even if he was a distance away. I turned a full 720 degrees, trying to find any sign of the Braviary, for naught. Yet, I shrugged off his disappearance as something trivial; maybe he had the same idea as myself.
Leaving my pack and sleeping team behind, I took muffled steps towards the cavern's exit, the dark view of outside starting to come into focus.
As I'd imagined, the view from how high up we were, coupled with the starry night sky, was stunningly dazzling. I envisioned the small, white sparkles dancing harmoniously in the deep, black expanse they took as residence. Smiling, I sat myself down on some of the tough, altitude-affected grass that dotted the trail in sporadic patches, and turned further skyward.
Staring peacefully at the stars brought about a kind of tranquility I hadn't been allowed to experience over the last few days. By then, I was ready to leave everything behind; all of the worry, all of the strife and paranoia; it was all so close to disappearing for good. The multiple theories that riddled my brain were starting to become less and less important. The peace I felt in that single moment, when I knew we were doing good in life, brought confidence beyond all else in my demeanor.
Until, of course, it was shattered entirely.
"Just because you're safe doesn't mean you shouldn't be on your guard, silly. Don't get too complacent on me."
I yelped as I shot up into a sitting position, turning my head wildly for the source of the voice that permeated the peace I was feeling, but nothing showed.
Yet, that voice… It was the girl from Opelucid, if it could be called that. The center of my thoughts over the last few days had reappeared and disappeared just as quickly as before.
"Oh Arceus DAMNIT!" I screamed, proceeding to clutch my head. Was I starting to go insane? Was this voice only a figment of my imagination? No, how could it be? Why would it only show up at the most opportune times if it was?
Then again, there was what it told me, shoving any theories of safety back into the dark recesses of my mind. I still wasn't safe, even after all that. If this… thing… was telling the truth, I was still screwed over, no matter what.
My rage was still building, and quite rapidly at that. Present was frustration over what I knew, of course, but even more perceivable was my frustration at what I didn't know.
"How hard is it to give me some goddamn answers?!" I vented, slamming my fist into the tough grass beside me. It stung immediately after in response, so I restrained myself, seething.
I then heard a noise, the scraping of pebbles behind me. I swiveled my head fast enough to see a certain Braviary approaching, cocking his head in confusion.
Trying to keep spite out of my voice, I shook my hand through the air painfully, trying to numb it, while greeting him, asking, "Where've you been?"
He remained silent, gesturing with his beak to somewhere behind him. I blew it off, not quite caring; as long as he was alright, of course.
"I heard it again," I said plainly, exhaling strongly. "That bitch who thinks everything that's happened is some sort of stupid game."
He, in response, narrowed his eyes menacingly, in a gesture I took as his form of sympathy.
"You know what?" I said, my anger starting to build up once more. Yet, I wasn't quite sure who my audience was intended to be. "Just when I thought it was okay to enjoy myself, just when I thought we were able to become a normal, functioning team again… It's all some stupid circle."
Jet turned his head, lowering his glare. He seemed extremely confused about what I was speaking about, but I continued to rant nonetheless.
"I'm not a goddamn puppet," I continued, "Maybe, if we all stopped playing stupid games, I would be a lot safer! Maybe, this whole thing would be over and I could go back to doing what I was doing, and actually having a good life, with good adventures, not this SHIT! Maybe—"
"Oh, just shut up already."
After registering that the voice had, once more, returned, albeit jokingly, I was preparing to start interrogating it when I felt myself start to get… Lighter?
"What the h—"
I was interrupted by a huge, blinding flash of light, shining a mix between pink and yellow, drowning out our surroundings. This continued steadily, to the point where I had to shut my eyes for fear of being blinded. The weightless sensation increased dramatically, only a moment before the light blinked once, and both Jet and I were gone.
What followed was a sensation, one extremely hard to explain. It felt as if I was being pulled fluidly through a funnel, my body compressing and decompressing before I landed on my feet, my momentum propelling me forward and into the dirt.
The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was earth and rock, the same kind we'd left on Mt. Chimney. Was this the same place?
No, it was different; a quick and hasty look around revealed we were now inside one of the caverns, a different one than the one I'd set up camp in. I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out whether we had increased or decreased elevation.
"You wanted to talk?" the telepathic voice said nonchalantly.
It's her! I can finally get some answers abo-
My eyes fell on Jet, who'd apparently been transported with me. Teleportation, perhaps? Yet, when I saw the ghastly expression on his face, I grew confused… What was he gawking at?
I turned my head to follow his line of sight, and blanched when I saw what lay on the other side. I instantaneously took back any ill will towards the entity, wishing now, in the face of the creature that had plagued my thoughts for the last few days, I could swallow my words.
Standing, or rather, floating in front of me, was Mew.
THE Mew, previously existing to me in nothing more than myths and legends, as well as the random religious passersby I'd met on my travels.
"Hiya! How's it going?"
I promptly found myself on the ground once more, having stumbled backwards and landed painfully. I didn't even care to notice, however, instead scooting away pitifully in an attempt to put distance between myself and the literal god before me.
The spasms of my voice in that instant conglomerated to produce something close to a yell. Almost all of my questions accumulated over the last few days were instantly answered with the sight before me; but not without thousands of new ones sprouting in their place.
"Not even gonna say hi?" she said grumpily, spinning herself to point her snout in the air snobbishly.
I definitely tried, but failed miserably in formulating words during my shock and fear at the time. "Y-y-you—"
"Y-y-you—" the legendary mimicked, giggling afterwards, her good mood seemingly returning. She then proceeded to, much to my chagrin, gravitate herself even closer to me, tilting her head curiously. "Everyone human's reaction is always the same; 'Oh Arceus, it's Mew! Run for your lives, AAAH!'," she said, spinning in mid-air while waving her paws above her head in mock fear.
"Holy… Y-you're Me-Mew…" I was finally able to spit out a perceivable sentence, albeit plagued with stutters.
"Bravo!" the legendary replied, holding her long tail and spinning around once more. "You wanted answers? Welp, here you are!"
"I… I… Somin, is this a joke? I swear to Arceus, I'll never forgive you."
"Ooh, good one! But no, at least I don't think I'm an illusion. Do I look like one?"
I remained silent, trying to make sense of anything. My mind was in fragments, darting from one thought to the next with no recognizable pattern or design.
"Oh, I get it! You're scared because you called me mean names! Eh, I don't blame you, we all get frustrated sometimes. I got a confession though." She lowered her head, however slightly, before continuing. "I deserved it. Part of me wanted to be mean on purpose." Her head was raised once more, to stare me dead in the eyes. "But it was really funny to watch! You forgive me though, right?"
"Wh-Why?" I choked, failing miserably in lessening my gape.
"Well, seeing humans get frustrated is funny… It's pretty simple, actually!"
"I-uh… No… I mean…" I tried turning to Jet for assistance, only to see he was in much the same state as I.
"Why have I been helping you?"
"YES!" I sputtered, relieved I didn't have to continue with my miserable turn on the conversation. "I-I-I don't..."
"Aww, is it obvious I need something from you? I can't just help outta the goodness of my heart?"
After that, I shut my mouth tight, not wanting to indirectly displease one of the most powerful beings on the planet further. Even if her tone was in good fun, I wasn't able to discern her real emotions whatsoever.
"Hey! I have an idea! How 'bout we all just," she exhaled over-exaggeratedly, tilting her head towards the floor in the process, "calm down. Y'know, calm our chi, or whatever the saying is."
I remained quiet, subconsciously backing away in the process. Thankfully, I was able to focus on a single topic long enough to come up with a plan, however primitive. I traded glances with Jet, and motioned with my head towards one of the boulders populating the room. Maybe, if we were able to get behind one of them without the legendary noticing, we could get away unscathed.
Jet, after retaining what I had said, nodded incredibly slowly, backing away to a boulder of his own. It seemed Mew's focus was dead-set on me, when she wasn't lackadaisically spinning or giggling through the air.
Trying to be as quiet as humanly possible in my movements, I scooted backwards while trying to make some distracting conversation.
"Well, uh… It's nice, um… Meeting y-you and everything, but uh… We should probably get back to the team. I'll, uh, be careful, sure. I don't even care why now; I just…"
By then, I had almost reached refuge from sight, ready to duck behind the gargantuan rock when the legendary spoke up once more.
"I can read minds, y'know… Part of being a psychic and everything. I hope you understand there's no reason to be scared of me, right? No reason to, I dunno, try running away from a god. If I wanted you dead, I would've obliterated you years ago, silly goose."
I cursed under my breath before turning my eyes to the Braviary, who had almost made it to safety himself. Seeing as Mew's attention was still turned on me, even if she was staring at something obsolete at the other end of the cavern, I motioned for him to go.
My reasoning for the command was, hopefully, he would be able to get some help. If worst came down to worst, the entire team might be able to weaken Mew to the point we could escape.
"You're a slow learner, aren't you?" Mew spun around back to face me, tilting her head ever so slightly. "Your Braviary can go if he wants, but I think you should know that trying to take me out will fail miserably, right? Either way, what was it I told you in Opelucid? 'I'm on your side?'"
Much to my horror, the legendary disappeared from her post in the center of the room, reappearing not a second later. The problem, though, was that my nose laid about two inches from her own. The large, bright blue pupils that adorned her face bore deep into my soul.
I tried screaming and scrambling away once more, but something, whether it be my own fear or Mew's psychic powers held me in place; I never figured which. My breath came out shaky and labored; I felt like ten tons of rocks were placed on my chest. Premonitions of what may have been came to mind: my body blown apart from the inside, torture and pain for my team. What would even happen if I were to truly anger a god? Those two men in Opelucid had found out for themselves.
Instead, her irises softened in a pitying gaze. "Aww, you're terrified aren't you?" she asked, pretty much summed up my demeanor with a single word. "Don't worry! I'm a friend!"
Still unable to speak, all I could do was scream in my head as Mew grinned mischievously and twirled around in the air once more. What was worst, though, was when, after finishing, she reached out a single paw, inching it slowly towards my head.
This time, I actually DID see my premonitions. In that 'life flashes before your eyes moment', I saw all the violent thoughts that could be. Blood splattered everywhere, all my friends dead, and standing above it all was the legendary herself.
Oh Arceus, please… No no NO NO NO!
Pat…
Pat…
Oddly, even in my time of petrification, I was able to perceive how soft her paw felt when it made contact with my scalp. Did Mew just… Pet me? It was brief, after making contact with my hair once, she patted it once more, before leaving her paw there to rest indefinitely.
Even with it there, I found myself clenching my eyes shut, hyperventilating with fear. I'd learned, during my brief stint at school while I was young, about the legendaries and their role on Earth. Actually meeting one, though, was the stuff of myths; and now, possibly the second most important and powerful of them all was actually petting me… Like I was a dog.
Her form of comfort wasn't quick to work. Always, I'd heard about how fearsome the legendaries were, and the power they held. I could only imagine what would happen should that power be turned on me. Yet, to see one actually had a personality, and one of extreme aloofness at that, was mind-boggling.
I'm not quite sure how long we sat there, her paw resting comfortingly upon the top of my head. At one point, though, she removed herself from me. I was about to open my eyes in question, finally having calmed down enough to continue humanly function, when I felt two small, stubby arms wrap around my neck and bring me into a hold.
My immediate reaction was, once more, one of fear. Was she trying to choke me to death from behind? Yet, even after a few more seconds of petrified silence, I started to feel her embrace for what it truly was.
I didn't dare try to break it; I was nothing more than a puppet once again at this point, and wanted nothing more than to keep the god happy, if that's what she truly was at the time. A few more seconds passed, myself struggling fruitlessly to reduce the pace of my breathing for fear of passing out, when I felt another, fuzzy object press and rub against my cheek.
Reluctantly, I turned my eyes downward, not moving a muscle, almost gawking once more at what I found.
Mew, a legendary being, one said to have created all Pokémon solely from her own DNA; most likely the second most powerful being ever said to have existed… Was nuzzling me.
I immediately started stuttering once more, extremely uncomfortable with the contact. Even if it was in good spirits, an entity of this power, treating me as if we'd known each other for the longest time, felt amazingly and incredibly wrong.
"You humans have weird thoughts," she spoke up once more after the prolonged period of silence, "No matter how many times I tell you I'm a friendly friend, all you do is go and have bad and scary thoughts about me. Even now, you're still uncomfortable. Why? Don'tcha like me?"
"N-n-no," I stuttered instinctively. "I mean… It's just a little, uh… It's a lot to take in. I haven't had a lotta time to process what's happening, and now you're hugging me, and… I dunno."
"Hmm… I thought you woulda been excited to hear the answers to these 'very' important questions you've been asking yourself. But now you don't wanna ask? How does that work?"
Even if I had succeeded in reducing my breath rate, my heart was racing at a million miles per hour. I believe it was around that time I was comprehending the fact that I was in the presence of a god. And now, I didn't know what to do about it.
"I-I guess I'm just a little shocked, is all… It's n-nothing against you, I swear."
"Oh! Welp, that's perfectly fine! You shoulda just told me. I can help calm ya down, if you want?
"E-excuse me?"
"Hey, relax, alright?" she giggled once more. "Here, lemme try something."
"I… um… Wha—" I started, but was interrupted with I felt the legendary's presence behind me push past my skin. It wasn't a sensation I was even aware of until it was heightened, but all I knew was the fact that I could physically feel my heart slowing as a lethargic, comforting warmth spread through my being.
After careful inspection, though, I recognized it to be very similar to the warmth I felt while Mew's presence was exerted upon me in the streets of Opelucid. By the time all was said and done, however, Mew had retracted from her embrace against my spinal column and taken to flying somewhere out of my line of sight.
My breathing, much to my surprise, became deep and even, no longer flustered and rushed. Furthermore, my heart rate had slowed to the point where I could no longer feel it pulsing against my ribcage with every beat.
Oddest of all, though, was the effect of the power on my emotions; and more specifically, how it made me feel happy. I found myself suppressing multiple giggles, showing themselves for no reason whatsoever, forcing them down to the pit of my stomach. Unable to hold back a smile, however, I scanned the room for any sign of the legendary.
In my search, I realized Jet had, in fact, disappeared. I didn't quite care for the results of his search; whether it be finding the team and leading them to my location or not. I would be getting answers either way.
"See? Everything's a lot better when you're happy!" Mew exclaimed. "It's really weird, actually, thinking about it. I mean, when you think about how a little chemical change in something's brain can create a completely new emotion! Maybe it was intended that way, I dunno. Humans are all weird, so I usually leave that for somebody else to deal with."
I wasn't quite alerted to the legendary's location through telepathy, as the voices resounded in my head, rather than in the air around me, so I was left continuing to locate Mew. I found her after a few more seconds, nearby one of the exits to the cavern; one I hadn't noticed before. Getting up from my position on the ground, I dusted myself off and went to join her.
It was hard to describe the thoughts flowing through my head at the time. Deep down, I still held a small bit of apprehension towards the legendary's sudden appearance. Never had I thought I would meet one personally. And now, despite the fear I'd held, I felt content.
I ruled out hypnosis or other sorts of mind control employed in order to placate me. At the very least, I felt like myself. I was without doubt, however, that if she desired to take control of me, she would've done so. What was the point of having me be aware? Was I over-thinking the entire situation?
"You like the stars, right?" she asked lightheartedly, glancing down at me one I joined her side. After asking, I rose my own gaze to take in the starry night sky.
"Umm… Yeah," I said, unable to hide some of my previous shock. Feeling the prompt to continue the small talk, however, I continued. "I like how different they seem here, even though it's the same sky."
A question popped up in my head then, one I hadn't even thought about in the chaos of the last few minutes.
"Uh… Ma'am?" I said awkwardly, not quite knowing how to address the legendary.
"Excuse me? Ray, I'm a god, but it makes me feel funny when people call me that. I don't like it," she responded, drooping her stubby ears and resuming her 'pouty' demeanor. "I've known you for a while now, so why don't we just skip all that and call each other by our real names, deal?"
"Oh! Yes, yeah, of course," I continued as my face lit up in embarrassment. "How long have you known me for? I haven't met you before tonight, have I?"
"Well," she said, never relenting in her entertained stare at me, "A few years, give or take… Remember Black City?"
Her own ardor, melded with my own, did not stop the dark thoughts and memories from taking the forefront of my mind. "How could I not?" I responded, my mood worsening, "First or second time?"
Mew was quick to notice my change in demeanor, and immediately dropped all acts and jokes. "First time," she said simply. "I… I'm sorry for bringing it up."
I didn't bother editing my own behavior to fit the change in her's, instead nodding, grateful for the apology. Had she seen everything, including what I'd done not even a year ago? She must've known then why the organization chasing me was so incredibly angry at me. I rubbed at my face frustratedly for a moment.
"We haven't really officially met before, but you've seen me. Remember your trip from Black City to Icirrus?"
"That wasn't a dream?! I went to therapy for months because I thought I was hallucinating the whole time!"
"Sorry but not sorry," Mew giggled, "I was only trying to make you feel better."
This conversation was going rather well, if only because it was due to her influence I was able to speak a coherent word. One, glaring question burned at the forefront of my mind, however.
"Why have I been following you?" she finished my train of thought for me. "Welp, a ton of reasons, really, but do you really wanna know?"
"Uhh, sure?" I responded, semi-excitedly, subconsciously bracing myself for what was to come.
"Alrighty then! Let's get started!"
Meanwhile, a certain Braviary was looking on the scene with terrified reluctance. He couldn't comprehend what the two were discussing, which only went to contribute to his growing anxiety.
At present, the Pokémon was at war with himself, trying to find the best course of action. Should things turn sour, Ray would definitely need the help, and if he left him long enough to find the rest of the team, it might lead to him being too late to help.
Yet, on the other hand, Mew's behavior was odd, to say the least. He still didn't fully trust the good-natured attitude exuded by the legendary, but her actions spoke another story altogether. Maybe, he thought, the best course of action was to stay put, and hope Somin, Vita, or anyone else on the team recognized their disappearance.
Yet, there was a third option, one the Braviary was extremely reluctant to carry out. He could, instead of observing on the conversation with no intimations as to what was being discussed, take part of it himself. Yet, how was one supposed to approach a legendary?
"Oh! I can help ya out with that one!"
Jet barely had the time to let out a startled squawk before he was teleported once more, right in front of his trainer and the legendary herself.
"Yay! You stuck around! We should get you caught up too, shouldn't we?"
I had to suppress a small bit of laughter at seeing Jet, usually so stolid in his demeanor, instinctively back down from the more powerful being. It'd only been a few seconds after Mew spoke about 'getting started' when, out of the blue, she threw out, "Hey, wanna see something funny?"
I certainly hadn't expected Jet to still be around, but was quite glad he did, in the end. It would be a lot easier to explain what was about to go down with more than one perspective in the mix.
"Where was I?" Mew continued, bringing one of her forepaws to her chin in mock thought. Yet, when she noticed the extent of Jet's fear, a demeanor not far off from my own not a few minutes before, she paused.
"I don't need to calm you down too, do I?"
The Braviary, not quite knowing what the query entailed, shook his head furiously, struggling to stop himself from quivering.
"Jeez, why is everyone always scared of me? It's not like I've done anything bad, right? Well, REALLY bad."
"Cute exterior, feisty interior, I guess?" I warmly responded, proceeding to sit on the ground and beckoning the flustered Braviary to do the same.
"Hmph, still cute either way," she pouted, crossing her stubby arms and turning away from the both of us.
"By the way!" she continued, addressing me with a rapid spin of her airborne form. "I can, you know, get out of you, if you want."
"Huh?" I asked instinctively, prior to grasping what she was referring to; her power still residing within me. I could still feel the soft glow present, even if I was already habituated to its presence, and had completely forgotten about it in the minute or two after Mew had forcibly placated me. In fact, it was starting to become natural; and I was quite happy with how it made me feel.
"Oh, uh… I actually kinda like it, to be honest… Is it—"
"Don't worry about it! I don't care either way, so go ahead."
"Thanks," I said, plastering a broad smile on my face.
"Great, so we can finally get started?"
"Oh, wait!" I interrupted once more, causing the legendary's ears to droop in disappointment.
"Party pooper…" she said, forcing a frown. "What's up?"
"Uh, shouldn't we get the entire team up here? I mean, wouldn't it be more effective to have to explain this once?"
"You wanna deal with four more Pokémon freaking out about 'Oh, it's Mew!'?"
"..."
"That's a 'no' in my book. Here we go then…"
The legendary exhaled deeply, decreasing her elevation in the air to the point she could peer at me in the eyes as I sat, cross-legged on the itchy flora.
Her voice softened from its normally boisterous tone as she spoke. "Like I told you, I've been watching you for almost three years now. I forget why I started looking after you, but I'm a sucker for underdogs, if you know what I mean."
"I really DO need you for something, Ray, but I had to make sure you were the best fit for me. So, as you may or may not have figured out, I've been watching you ever since, seeing your reactions to everything gone wrong in your life."
"I ended up really enjoying following you on your adventures, and came to appreciate your company, even if you didn't feel the same. Finally, though, I made my decision. Following what happened to Somin in Opelucid, I was beyond any doubt of what I wanted to do. I had to protect you until I figured out how to break the news; hence the incident with the two guys in Opelucid."
"Umm, okay?" I voiced, for lack of better wording. "But, you said there's something you need me to do. Why do you want to be friends, Mew?"
"Yes, there's something…" she replied solemnly. "Understand, though, like I said, I really enjoyed your company. Even now, if I didn't need you, don't take it the wrong way when I say you're an interesting human, and would probably follow you around anyways at this point. But, as weird as it is for someone like me to say, I wouldn't trust any other human to do this…"
"What is it?"
The legendary sighed, giving a small glance out of the corners of her large eyes towards Jet, who had since calmed down, but still exhibited signs of discomfort.
The ambiguity of the entire exchange was cause for frustration on my end, but I tried toning it down, knowing Mew could read me without any effort whatsoever. Instead, I tried focusing on what she had said about me in particular. Who would've ever thought a legendary would take a liking to me, of all people? There were tons of others who treated their own teams in much the same manner; what made me so special among them?
However, all speculations were lost, instantly shattered with the jumble of rushed thoughts that came to me as Mew voiced her intentions.
"I need you to be my trainer."
...
"... Excuse me?"
"I know you heard me correctly, Ray."
"B-but… What? Why?"
"Ray?"
"M-Mew, I don't know if…" I said, shocked, turning away from the feline. My heart started racing once more.
"And why's that?" she responded, filling in the rest of my sentence for me, tilting her head. "Don't you like me?"
"I… I…" I turned to Jet for help, only to find he was staring up at the legendary with wide eyes. Was that a glimmer of excitement I spotted?
"You're a GOD!" I spurted out without thought.
Her spirit and its effects were instantly lost upon me, easily drowned out with the panic my mind was sent into.
"And you're a human… Not quite sure what point you're trying to prove. It's all irrelevant," she responded, much to my chagrin. "I chose YOU. Even if I am a god, I trust you more than enough to do something like this for me."
"I… I don't. Why?! Why would someone like you need a trainer?! It doesn't make any sense!"
"And what if I just wanted to be friends with you?" she responded, ignoring my question.
No. I couldn't do it. Here I was, with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and with the complete disarray my mind was sent into, as a result of surprise, easily clouded my judgement. I'd heard stories of the trainers who would go any length to catch a legendary; people who devoted their whole lives to the task. But now, one was offering itself to me, and I couldn't fathom the proper way to answer.
"Oh, Arceus, how would the team react? How would the world react? There's no telling what could happen! It would put me in even more danger! If the group chasing me got wind of me having Mew, there's no telling what they would to next!"
"Ray, calm down please."
"And then there's the league! What would they say when they figured out I caught Mew?! I'd be bombarded nonstop with reporters, and trainers, and—"
"Ray…"
"I… I can't…" I finished. "I'm sorry, Mew… I just… I have to go."
"You're not leaving, Ray."
I'd since stood and turned away from the legendary, but those few words spun me back around. "What?"
The anxiety I'd started feeling was instantly vanquished, replaced by a reinforced, happy warmth threatening to consume me altogether.
I tried resisting… This was her attempt at bending my judgement. She was exuding herself upon me once more, forcefully this time.
"You have to understand," her high pitched voice sounded, now somewhat desperate. "I really, really need you, Ray… Please. I'm in trouble… I need someone, and even though you don't know me, I—"
"Get…" I struggled to say, combatting with her power. I was putting up a futile fight. "Get… Out of…"
"Oh! Right!"
I gulped in air and coughed as she receded from my system, noticing the legendary back away sullenly.
"Damn it… I'm sorry. I didn't mean for…"
"Mew…" I interrupted, staring up at her. "You saw… Everything? Everything I did since Undella?"
"Yes? What do you want me to say, Ray? I told you I was watching you."
"Everything in Black City… And you still think I'm alright?"
"What?" she spun around. "Ray, you're awesome! I felt bad for you more than anything else! I saw how much it hurt you… To do what you did… You care, Ray… It's why I chose you, out of the millions of humans in this world. You're the one."
I stopped dead, keeping my stare dead-on the legendary's large eyes. Jet was too surprised to move, and was where I'd seen him previously. He gawked at the feline alongside me.
"Now, should I give you some time to mull it over?" she asked, starting to turn around. A hint of her joviality returned.
"No!" I shouted, and a bit too enthusiastically at that. I had no way of telling whether Mew's influence had clouded my judgement once more in her favor, or simply cleared the fog weighing down my own. If anything, her speech invoked a quiet sense of contemplation.
"I just… I can't wrap my head around it. I have so, so many questions."
"Well, I kinda know I'm not the best at introductions… I probably shoulda given you more time to process something this big… I forget sometimes how I'm given a reputation in your society as, well… A god. I mean it when I say this, take all the time you need to process this.."
"Why do you need me to be your trainer? You said you're in trouble Mew… What kind of thing scares something like you? Is my team going to be in danger?"
She stopped, sending a reluctant gaze down at me. Had I said something wrong?
"Just… Know that there's some really, really bad stuff going on, and I could use some insurance. Might as well have it be from a friend. I want to tell you what, but even I don't know what the problem is. They just started disappearing. As long as I'm with you, though, I promise you'll be alright. We would protect each other."
"You need protection from me?" I asked, laughing in order to try to lighten the somber mood. It was obvious she felt uncomfortable addressing the topic. I didn't want to press her any further. The fact I was speaking to a god was not lost on me. "That's got to be one of the weirdest things I've ever heard."
"It's true though," she responded, flattening her ears as her face shone a light shade of red in embarrassment from behind her pink fur.
Now that I had the time to rationally think about an answer to her offer, I did so thoroughly.
This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, to make real change in the world. Whatever she needed my assistance for through her capture, it was obviously important, if her reluctance to tell me was any indication. Furthermore, I didn't even have to make her presence known to the public. Though, I doubted she'd want to be cooped up in a ball, either.
Yet, all I'd said in my terrified frenzy was still applicable. It would be extremely difficult to mask her presence, and it could make me an even larger target. However, if I were to have Mew by my side, that alone would pretty much guarantee my team's safety.
Was this really a responsibility I wanted to take on? I would never be able to live a normal life again, but it wasn't as if any aspect of my lifelong journey would ever be normal after tonight. Perhaps this was the way to go in the future, in pursuit of adventures and travels beyond what I thought previously possible.
I gave it a few more seconds of thought, sighing offstandishly when finished. I'd made my decision.
"Mew?"
"Yeah?" she asked. She'd apparently had her attention on Jet, and was apparently having a conversation with the now-calmed Braviary when I interrupted.
I sighed one last time, averting my eyes from the legendary.
"I want to accept, I really do, but I… I need time to think."
"Ray?"
A drowsy Serperior lifted her head, eyelids half-closed, trying to catch a glimpse of her trainer in the pitiful natural lighting. Yet, for whatever reason, he wasn't where he'd fallen asleep.
She became instantly alert upon finding the human missing, and frantically stole looks of the cave's entire area.
"Somin," she hissed, "Wake up!"
The addressed Zoroark was almost immediately at attention, startled into awakening. He blinked sleepily for a few moments before scanning the room himself. His enhanced vision in the dark allowed for a brief search that yielded nothing.
"Jet's gone too," he seethed. "I knew we shouldn't have come up here."
He was quick to separate himself from the Serperior and start sprinting towards the cavern exit. He quickly shot back an order to the Serperior using telepathy.
"Get Axle and Victor ready. I'm gonna start— what the hell?"
Somin stopped dead at the sight that beheld him upon stepping into the freezing night air. The wind whipped around him violently at different intervals, battering his fur and sending his mane flowing every which way as if it were a mere flag.
Yet, his attention was on none of the above. Instead, his eyes were dead set on another part of the mountain, further uphill. The way the earth was shaped, he could see up the mountain, albeit across a small ridge, without looking directly up the slope.
The sight that met him did not reassure him in the least. A dazzling, amorphous pink light was radiating from a specific point, very large in width. It seemed volatile, shifting violently and consistently.
Distant booms could be heard as the energy lashed out at multiple targets, the force shaking the ground beneath the Zoroark's paws.
He was off, sprinting towards the anomaly without second thought.
