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Chapter XIII - Peaceful Conflict
"You've hardly touched your food."
"I just feel sick to my stomach."
I sat in silence for a bit longer, more important things on my mind than the bowl of milk in front of me. I wasn't the most enthused at the prospect of drinking baby Pokémon Formula, but I'd already gotten over the initial shock of it the day before.
At my request, Seraph had stopped heating it before serving it to me, and rather than use a bottle, I'd advocated for the use of a bowl instead. Still demeaning, but slightly less so. I tried closing my eyes and imagining it was a simple glass of milk. Seraph was quick to notice my reluctance, however, no matter how hard I tried to hide it. She kept any comments regarding the topic to herself, however, until now.
"I managed to get Drayden to convince the nurses not to bottlefeed you. Now you don't want to eat?"
"I'm gonna puke anything I eat anyways right now…"
"You still have a fever. Even without, hatchlings need their strength."
I meant it when I said I felt sick. I had to shut off the television before the interview started, and thinking about all the lies Zach was telling the news didn't comfort me in the slightest.
"I-I'm not really hungry anyways."
"Nonsense," she scoffed. "You just think you're not hungry because you've never felt what it's like to be full. Drink it."
"Seraph, really. I feel fine…"
I felt her gaze pierce my resistance as it grew dark. While having nowhere near the effect Vita may have had, I still felt intimidated, knowing I wouldn't even be close to matching the dragon in strength.
Though I knew she wouldn't attack me, some small voice from the back of my mind pleaded with me to back down. I shoved it off as instinct, and reluctantly resigned myself.
I groaned to myself as I tasted the first bit. I kept trying to tell myself nobody thought of me any differently. This was normality now.
I ended up, after getting used to the bland taste, try and down the drink as fast as possible. Maybe this hell would be over sooner, as Seraph had suggested.
This was getting near-unbearable. I'd gotten used to drinking with my new mouth while on Twist, but this would go on forever if I were to keep it up at my current pace.
I wasn't even halfway done yet.
Groaning again, and not caring for the repercussions, I took a deep breath in, proceeding to dive my entire snout into the milk. I wasted no time in nearly inhaling my meal.
While a lot faster, I found myself out of breath a lot quicker. I could only imagine how I looked, coming up for air every so often, muzzle dripping wet.
I basically shoved the metal bowl away from me as I finished, attitude manifesting into action. Never having gotten over the embarrassment, I wiped my snout with both of my front paws in vain attempts at drying it off.
"Good. That wasn't so bad, was it?"
"I would've liked Berries a lot better."
Seraph sighed and shifted closer to me.
"You're not a herbivore, Nox. And in this case, the formula you drank provides all the nutrients you need. You'll never be a big strong Zoroark one day if you keep eating Berries."
"I don't care… I feel fine either wa-"
"Well, you don't look fine, Nox. You may be smart, but you're small. Tiny, in fact, for a kit your age, but not surprising you've spent your entire life starving on a mountain, without a mother to feed you! I worry, Nox…"
"Fine! I don't wanna make an argument about it," I resigned. "I just… Don't like being fed…"
"You like to be independent, I understand… But there's a common teaching not to bite the hand that feeds you. We can give you real food as soon as your teeth grow in. How does that sound?"
I simply sighed in response, shifting my gaze to a nondescript point straight ahead.
The next thirty minutes or so passed quietly after Seraph offered me a Berry, the name of which escaped me. It boasted an unnaturally sweet taste, bordering on sour.
Seraph proceeded to ask about my illusionary ability, presumably under Drayden's orders. I told her the story of how Somin had taught me, and at her request, the extent of my powers.
"I can keep up a little bit of conversation, but not without getting really tired after a little bit. It's really all I was taught to do so far; make words. After I first met Misa, I kinda remember trying to make her hurt with Illusions, but knocked myself out in the process."
The Altaria had a hearty giggle at that. "Now you have to tell me this one. How'd you come to meet her?"
Letting my guard down somewhat with the casual conversation, I responded, telling the story. "Somin got hurt one day, and I was stupid and tried to go find him some Berries alone, the morning after a blizzard. They got pretty angry with me after."
"I can imagine."
"I accidentally found her den, and she attacked me for being an 'intruder'. She just started following me around after, and wouldn't leave me alone. We started fighting, and, well, I knocked myself out, and Jet came to pick me up."
Seraph seemed highly amused by my tale. "So she just showed up the night we found you? For no reason?"
"Yep. That's just about it… I should ask her about it, honestly. She's just so hard to talk to, though…"
I yawned absentmindedly.
"Well, I can understand that much," Seraph responded. "One day, though, I can imagine you two being great friends."
"Yeah, sure," I sarcastically responded, my mind now out of the conversation. As I let my thoughts meander, another subconscious yawn came to my muzzle.
"You tired?"
"Huh?" I responded, snapping out of my trance.
"You've been yawning. You can go to sleep if you're tired, I don't mind."
"No, not really tired," I nonchalantly explained.
I caught a glimpse of Seraph's warm, reassuring smile before turning and giving my thigh a thorough inspection.
"When do you think my leg will heal?" I asked the Altaria out of curiosity.
"Another consequence of your malnutrition, accompanied by your young age. But, you've been making leaps and bounds even I didn't think possible. Given proper care, you'll most likely be to full strength within a week and a half's time."
I sighed, laying my head down. "That long, really?" How was that true? I already felt well enough to walk for short distances on my own.
"Nox, in all seriousness, it's an absolute miracle you're alright altogether. The consequences, by all odds should have been… Worse. A week and a half is nothing compared to the other options."
I opted to remain silent, rather than grumble something under my breath in spite.
"Look on the bright side!" she offered, "You can be just about as lazy as you want until then. Doesn't that sound promising? I would kill for that kind of relaxation. Much better than fighting to survive every single day in a freezing wasteland, right?"
The situation I'm in right now is even more stressful than being on Twist. Acting 24/7 to save my hide sucks, and I gotta deal with all the repercussions of others' not knowing. Relaxation… It's the exact opposite.
Yet, I lied again, nodding my head in agreement.
"Good, I'm glad you see it that way as well," she said, "I'm also glad I've gotten to know you a little better. I'm sure this all feels unfamiliar to you, but just know that Skipp, myself, and my entire team are here to help."
I didn't respond, instead opting to look up at the Altaria.
"Seraph, I-"
The door opened behind us, making a quiet creak as the hinges twisted. Curious, I turned, only to find Skipp and Misa standing in the doorframe.
"What are you doing here?" the Axew asked, narrowing her eyes at me.
"This is my room too," I responded, spite quick to seep into my voice.
The room was quick to fall into silence as her jaw widened in a form of disbelief.
"Skipp!" she started complaining after absorbing my message, giving a rage-filled glance towards the Flygon. "You didn't tell me he was gonna be here!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" I shot back.
"W-well Misa," Skipp explained, glance shifting back and forth between the both of us. "W-we were kinda t-told to keep an eye… On you two, and so, uh…"
I sent an annoyed glare in Seraph's direction. She encouraged me with a cautious smile. I moved up towards the head of the bed and laid down once again. Seraph moved over to the other bed.
Sighing dejectedly, Misa left the Flygon's side, approaching the far bed, the one I occupied. With an emotionless grunt, she leaped up and hung her body half over the edge of the bed. Struggling, she then clambered the rest of the way up.
I spied Misa giving me a glare out of the corner of her eye, but ignored it. As long as she didn't go through the amount of effort to do anything malicious.
I watched Seraph as she accompanied Skipp on the opposite bed, the two large dragons nearly too large to fit on the singular mattress. Nevertheless, she gave him an affectionate greeting.
I even thought I heard Skipp whisper something along the lines of 'I'm not really good at this'.
Minutes passed by in absolute silence, growing only more awkward as time progressed. Bored, I let my gaze wander, first towards the plain wooden door, then to the beds, adorned with white sheets and brown blankets. Both beds in the room were still made. I wondered, if both of the mature dragons sitting across from me were to fall asleep on the bed they now occupied, how would they manage not to fall off?
The window, displaying a pleasant, light-filled night sky, the open closet near the entrance, the desk to my right.
Eventually, my eyes found the one thing in the room I had tried not staring at for the longest time.
"Whaddaya looking at, pipsqueak?"
I took a moment to sigh frustratedly, Seraph's advice about showing the Axew kindness coming to mind.
If anything, 'breaking the cycle', as Seraph put it, would at least get her to leave me alone.
So, I tried the peaceful response, producing a frail, "Please stop calling me that."
"Why? I like it."
"Well I don't… You don't see me calling you 'runt', now do I?"
The Axew froze, frowning. I'd since let my gaze go back to moving about the room in sporadic fashion, but I found myself looking back at the Axew again.
She was in my face within moments, prompting me to shirk back.
"You're right," she said, advancing. "You don't call me that, because, if you ever did, I would make sure you never talked ever again. Got me?"
"Misa!" Seraph interjected.
"What, I strike a nerve?" I lashed back while leaning forward, now having no mind for diplomacy. "I guess now you see how it feels."
"I can call you whatever the hell I want, because I'm the master and you're the slave!"
"What, a runt?"
"This is your last chance, shorty. Call me that again, and I swear…" she gave a sideways glance towards Seraph and Skipp, watching the scene with apprehension, before leaning in close to my ear.
"I swear I'll tell them all. Call me a… a r-runt again. I dare you."
She's really up in arms about it, isn't she…
"Do I make myself clear?" she asked sharply, much in the tone a drill sergeant would.
Afraid to let my secret out, I reluctantly answered, "Yes…"
At her still-combatative stare, though, I added a simple 'ma'am' under my breath.
"Okay, I think that's enough of that," Seraph's voice cut into the tension. "I'm sure we'll all feel better after getting some sleep. Try not to kill each other in your sleep, you two."
Seeing as I was on the side of the bed closest to the window, I only heard Skipp and Seraph getting ready for bed themselves. A small, trivial argument broke out on who would sleep where. I thought I heard Skipp offer Seraph the bed, seeing they were too large to stay on it together, but they eventually reached a resolution.
I was mentally exhausted, but couldn't sleep for all I was worth, always worrying Misa would in fact murder me in my sleep. Every time I sent the Axew a glance, however, careful to avoid notice, I could see the glint of her eyes. She was still awake, gazing out the same window I would find myself spectating from time to time.
It was obvious I wasn't the only insomniac in the room.
Eventually, I heard the soft snores of both Skipp and Seraph with my enhanced hearing. I relaxed somewhat, glad to be rid of my flimsy façade, if only for a few hours.
I found myself, after the millionth glance towards the Axew, staring out the window indefinitely. My position gave a great view of the courtyard outside, Reshiram statue and all. It was lit up brilliantly in the night, giving a whole other side to the dazzling scenery. I didn't ever remember respecting the decor to this degree when I was human.
We seemed to be in a building on a single side of a plaza, buildings all aesthetically similar. The symbol on the one to my right revealed it to be a Pokémart.
The other two buildings, as evidenced by the signs outside, were a hotel and a restaurant.
The plaza itself was elegantly decorated. Benches and well-trimmed hedges adorned either side of each stone path, leading outwards from the center. Openings in said hedges allowed for the grass areas in between paths to be accessed.
Where are we?
Probably the crowning jewel of the image before me was the gargantuan fountain that sat in the middle of the plaza. Reshiram, the legendary Pokémon said to hold the fire of truth within the turbine on his tail, was depicted in a fearsome pose. Likely life-sized, the statue at the center of the fountain stood approximately thirteen feet tall. Wings risen above his head, the great dragon roared to the skies in permanent magnificence.
Spotlights dotting the rim of the fountain were tilted upwards, illuminating the statue in the growing darkness.
Something about the fountain struck me as odd, but I couldn't quite find the words to vocalize it. I supposed one could say I felt much more affected by the towering prowess of the statue, as opposed to what I would have normally felt.
Perhaps it was the fact I now resided in a Pokémon's body, but it struck an unnatural sense of awe within me. The statue, even without the flow of water for fear of freezing, seemed nearly alive.
Arceus, why did I feel so restless looking at that statue?
Restless, in fact, to the point I felt I would explode if I didn't move. The moon, beckoning me with the increased productivity it brought to my core, taunted me silently. Why was I stuck in this room?
Eventually, I got to the point where I began to twitch. Succumbing to instinct and its deathly grip, I silently rose. I made sure to test my leg out in a wide variety of motions before slowly slipping off the bed. Despite a small sting emanating from the wound every so often, I trusted the bandages, and felt rather fine.
Was it smart to sneak away? No. If I were to be caught, though, I was sure Seraph would understand. It wasn't as if the Altaria got angry often, I'd certainly given her plenty of opportunities before then.
I crept around the foot of the bed, gazing upon an Altaria and a Flygon, both blocking the path to the door with their unconscious bodies.
I cursed under my breath, knowing I would have to get on the bed to proceed. After doing that, however, was when I met my real obstacle.
The door… I doubted I could jump high enough to grab the handle. Even if I could, the noise would prove too much in my hopes of keeping the slumbering dragons as they were. Plus, I wanted to decrease my mobility as much as possible.
Grabbing a chair would make too much noise for comfort, but I opted to try it. The room's carpeted floor definitely helped.
I walked over to one of the two chairs in the room, this one up against a wall. After making sure I got a good grip around it with my front paws, I pulled with all my might.
It hardly budged… Sighing, I tried another approach, reluctantly placing my mouth around it.
It moved, but definitely not the way I wanted it to.
Instead of scooting along the ground, it tipped, prompting me to dive to the side as it crashed to the ground where I was not a second before.
I hid, expecting the dragons to wake up from the sudden noise, but was met only with a slight shift of movement.
Heavy sleepers… That's an advantage.
Seeing the way the chair fell, I carefully stepped on it, balancing my body weight between two edges, mindful of my right thigh and the sting it brought every time I put weight on it. Carefully, I reached up towards the door and pulled the handle, thankful when I heard a gratifying click.
I had only cracked the door, but wide enough for me to poke my head through and squeeze my way out into the hallway.
I trotted carefully down the hallway, now much less aware of my surroundings. While still taking the stairs carefully, I was a lot more reckless with my actions. Hell, I hardly even felt my injury in my excitement to get outside.
All sense of reason was lost as I burst outside into the chilling night air.
I was rewarded for my efforts with the gratifying rush of adrenaline as my core's output increased. I could feel energy pumping through my body, invigorating my spirit while leaving the pain of my leg behind.
Laughing stupidly, I stretched my back through the hyperextension of my front legs. I had no reasonable impetus for departing from the bed to come out here, but I was going to be sure to enjoy my enlightened senses without being cooped up.
Now that I was free, though, I found myself really relaxing for the first time that day.
A new sensation was soon sprouted from my mindset, a sensation of discomfort.
I felt… Pent-up, to put it simply. It was if my muscles ached for something to do, but not quite. This ache, rather, was coming from my core.
Without being under the scrutinous eye of my captors, I felt my energy welling up, practically begging for release. I could only resist a few seconds before it spiked.
I gasped as I felt a large portion of my energy hiccup and leave my system around all sides. I had not needed to direct its flow whatsoever. Instead, it took on a mind of its own.
What surprised me most, however, was how I felt afterwards. If I were to do that in a normal situation, I would most definitely pass out. Now, though, I simply felt normal, staring at the hazy purple discharge I'd created dissipating into the night sky.
It was like I'd simply let out a sneeze. I was familiar with the process of expelling excess energy in Pokémon; I'd seen it many times myself. Though, I'd never imagined it felt so plain… So natural.
As Pokémon got older and gained more of a hold on their energy, they would have to discharge less often. Many never found themselves with that predicament, always fighting and wasting energy through other means. With nothing to do, though, the energy becomes stale, and requires expulsion.
It was, to say the least, extremely interesting to witness it first hand.
As I took a glance around the well-lit plaza, multiple foreign thoughts came to mind, many already having been seen during the previous day.
Roll around in that grass? Pull a prank on that Pidove over there? Maybe practice illusions in general? What should I do not to be bored?
It took me a moment to realize that while those thoughts were mine, they certainly weren't mine, if the explanation fits. Never had I such spontaneous thoughts before.
And never before had they sounded so appeal-
Stop it! I don't know what's going on, but so can't let myself get distracted.
I bet it'd be funny if I made the Pidove think it was hearing things…
I groaned, keeping a constant watch on my thoughts for any new discrepancies. What was wrong with my head?
I took a more in-depth look at the surroundings until I noticed the dark backdrop. In the distance, I could see a mountain range, black in the shadow of night.
I nearly choked, whipping my head around to get another good look at the buildings. I did recognize this place. Timberline, the mountainside resort town. My team and I had rented a cabin up here for four months after arriving to Icirrus, before we'd gone and stayed on Twist. It was maybe thirty miles outside the city.
I snapped back to reality as a shadow passed over me. My gaze whipped straight up to the moon, the only largely visible object in the sky. I caught the smallest glimpse of quite a large figure leaving its light, shadow soon to disappear.
I stepped back, putting my thoughts aside. I tentatively scanned the area for the shadow to reappear.
There! In the residual light given off by the statue, the flying figure reappeared. I soon lost track of it behind a building.
Should I make a break for it?
I wasn't supposed to be out there either way. Cautiously, I stepped backwards, eyes never leaving the sky. I had no way of telling whether or not I should've been afraid. It was most likely a Pokémon used to guard the area. I remembered Seraph telling me about the entire area of town being partitioned off.
Nevertheless, I started backing away, choosing not to turn behind me. The Pokémon Center was twenty, maybe thirty feet away?
My heart started racing. Why had I been so stupid, venturing outside for no reason? Sure, maybe my imminent discharge had led my instincts to guide me outside. Since when had instinct, though, dictated my actions? Instinct had been much more quiet as a human. If I had a human mind, why was it so predominant now?
I stumbled, both literally and mentally over an obstacle I hadn't seen in my walk backwards.
I yelped as I fell, rolling to the side. I sat for a moment, stunned, staring up at the night sky.
A certain, loathed Pokémon appeared in my vision, leaning over me.
"What are you doing out here?" I hissed, narrowing my eyes.
Misa stared back at me, unamused. "You should watch where you're going. Is a master not supposed to know where her slave is at all times?"
"Are you kidding me?" I retorted, getting back up to stand aggressive before the Axew. "That's your reason?!"
"Oh, what's yours then? At least I have one!"
"I'm going back in anyways. Freeze your ass off if you want to."
I started walking away, huffing.
"For someone who needs me to keep a secret for them, you're really getting on my nerves."
I whipped my head back around at what I took to be a threat.
"Is this some sort of joke to you? Do you have any idea where we are, or what's going on? This little game of slave and master is stupid, Misa."
"Really? I kinda think it's pretty fun. Never had a little pipsqueak slave to cater to me before."
I remained silent, resentment for the Axew coming off me in waves.
"Let's start off by telling me why you're out here? There's gotta be a pretty good reason, right?"
I was ready to give her a sarcastic response, but her gaze, illuminated by the light of the statue, made me stop. It said, without any words, something along the lines of 'play along or I'll go and tell Seraph everything'.
Growling to steady myself, I stiffened my body. I spoke as jaggedly as possible.
"The night makes me feel better, and honestly, I could have used a bit of relaxation. You ruined that as soon as you got here."
"It's my job to make your life miserable in return for me keeping your secret," she responded tantalizingly. "I thought you'd figured that out by now…"
"Don't know why it has to be like that," I grumbled, turning to go back inside. "You could just not be an ass all the time."
The Axew snickered. "You're one to talk about being an ass, little hypocrite…"
"Don't call me little," I groaned, stopping dead. "You didn't like it when I called you stuff like that."
"Yeah, well, that's one of the advantages of being your master, right? I get to call you whatever I want, and you can't do a thing about it! I have the edge here, not you. I'm in power now."
I remained silent, knowing she would do something brash if she continued.
"You were the one that said you'd do anything. I only took you up on the offer. Who looks stupid now, huh?"
I forced back a growl forming in the back of my throat.
"We needed to talk anyways," she said in a joking tone. "Perfect time, right?"
"Well, not re-"
"It was rhetorical. You don't got a choice."
I suppressed an instinctive growl. "And what happens if they catch us out here?"
"They won't. Seraph and Skipp are out cold."
"This is a really bad idea Mis-"
"Then you're taking the blame if we get caught, right? I told you it was such a bad idea, but you couldn't resist getting outside!"
I stared at the Axew, incredulous.
"Say otherwise and my mouth might just slip about the name 'Ray'. Got me?"
I stiffened up.
"Yes… Ma'am…"
"See? You're already improving! Nice job, shortstack!"
"Just please… If you're gonna do this, stop with the nicknames."
"Hmm…" the Axew brought a hand to one of her tusks, stroking it in mock contemplation. "Maybe if you be a good slave I'll lighten up a bit. Seeing your reaction to 'pipsqueak' is just too hilarious not to pass up."
I scrunched my eyes, trying to make the wave of anger pass without retaliation.
"Let's just get this over with," I suggested. "It's freezing out here."
"I'm able to figure that out myself, thanks," she responded in a no-nonsense tone, as if suggesting I'd forgotten the fact she was a dragon, and therefore susceptible to the cold. "I'm not stupid."
"Sure coulda fooled me," I said under my breath. Thankfully, she had since turned around and was staring at the Reshiram statue.
"You ever feel weird around this thing?" she asked, referring to the gargantuan statue.
"No," I lied, staring up into its face. I distinctly remembered my reaction to first seeing it just a few minutes before. Something about it was alluring, captivating, even, despite it being made of a simple white quartz. It seemed to burn with life, however, visible much deeper than the surface. The fur on the back of my neck stood on end.
I didn't give the odd sensation much mind. I was now a Pokémon, looking upon an interpretation of a legendary. I thought it natural to feel that way. Just another reason to revert back to a human as quickly as possible.
"Why are they after you and your friends?" she asked, slicing through the silence. "From what I've seen, they don't seem like really interesting 'mon…"
"They're not after my friends," I explained, shooting a glare towards the back of her head. "They're after the human who traveled with them."
"There wasn't a hew-man on the mountain with you guys. Why did they just take you all, then?"
"I think they're still looking for him, but know he's not with us anymore. They think we're hiding him somewhere. Besides, they thought you and I were going to die if we stayed up there without help."
She scoffed. "I was perfectly fine. I think you forget I saved you from that river. I wasn't the one that needed help. So why did they take me with you? I didn't ask them to…"
"You're lucky they did," I responded, looking away ever so slightly. "You wouldn't have lasted much longer alone on that mountain anyways."
"I was doing perfectly fine," she retorted, spinning around. "I didn't want you guys coming up on my mountain and screwing with my chances of getting stronger."
I opened my mouth to respond.
"Don't talk," she said, seething. "I should have just let you drown… If I knew you were gonna be so ungrateful, or I would get kidnapped…"
She paused, kicking imaginary dirt off the ground.
"It's your fault… What's the point in helping people if you only get punched in the gut in return?"
I sighed. I knew it would be best just to remain complacent as she continued. If I did anything else, there would be no telling what she would do.
"So, here's what you're gonna do… You pissed me off and now you're my slave, and I'm sure as hell gonna make the most of it. You have no idea who you're messing with."
My gaze narrowed.
Big talk…
"Now, my first official order… Talk. Tell me why I'm keeping your stupid name a secret."
"U-Uh…" I stuttered, eyes wandering. "I… I can't…"
"Sure you can't," she sarcastically just responded. "Just like how I can't tell Seraph the truth. Spit it out, pipsqueak."
"Look," I tried pleading. Maybe playing submissively would actually work to my advantage. "I can tell you just about anything, or do just about anything. Yeah, I said I would be your slave, but…"
"But?" she chastised.
"ButIcan'ttellyouaboutmyname," I spoke inhumanly fast, clenching my eyes. "Please don't tell Seraph, or Skipp, or anyone else, and I'm sorry I can't tell you, and I'll do what you want, so please just don't tell."
I felt the Axew's annoyed gaze burn into my skin. The silence, mused with the anticipation of her answer, was killing me. I could hear my blood pound in my ears.
"Fine," she gave up reluctantly, prompting a relieved sigh. "I won't tell, but mark my words. I'll figure out one day, and if it's bad, you're going down. Understand?"
I nodded my head quickly. She was on the verge of breaking and spilling my secret, and I most definitely did not want to provoke her further.
"Good," she concluded, lip curling. "But one slip-up, and it's bye-bye. We got a deal, Nox?"
"Yeah… Yeah, sure. I just… I want you to please take this seriously. We may not like each other, but please… Know how important this is for me."
"If I cared about any of what you want, I would tell you," she said, shoving past me on her way back to the Center. "I'm gonna have some fun with this, and you aren't gonna stop me. Got that, slave?"
"Mhmm…" I replied, relieved. She was satisfied, at least for now… At one point or another, I would have to deal with her permanently. What that entailed, I had no idea.
I followed the Axew back into the Center, silent. I pushed in front, leading up the stairs and making sure the coast was clear. Of course I would be more adamant about searching the area, considering I would have no choice but to stick myself with the blame.
Thankfully, Misa had been smart enough to leave the door cracked as she had departed after me. She'd also put the chair back up before she left, which succeeded in surprising me immensely. We were able to sneak inside, get back onto the far bed without notice, and settle down in our respective spots.
I was now trapped in a carbon copy of the exact same predicament I was in before, however. Of course, I was no longer feeling the effects of an overdue discharge in my energy, but I couldn't get to sleep. I simply laid in silence, checking whether or not Misa was sleeping every so often.
Maybe an hour after returning, her eyes finally closed, no longer reflecting the glint of the moon. I sighed, letting my posture finally go slack.
Multiple solutions to the problematic Axew came to mind, not all of which I found comforting. I had to somehow either content her to the point of leaving me alone, or make her forget about my name entirely. Threaten her effectively, maybe?
Getting Somin to talk to her would be the best option, but how would I get him to do that? There's always the option of Mew, but she's stuck in that ball Arceus-knows-where. If I got stronger, I could possibly beat her into submission.
I felt myself cracking a small smile with that last remark.
That'd feel pretty good, if I'm being perfectly honest… Though, there's always the option…
My muscles contracted as a new thought came to mind, branching from my violent pondering.
She's vulnerable right now… I could…
I shook my head rapidly, paws shooting straight to my ears.
Arceus, what the hell's wrong with you?! She may be the most annoying little shit I've ever met, but I'm not a murderer!
…
Yes you are…
If I had the physiology, I would bury my face in my hands. I… I needed to calm down. Going back outside was out of the question… My thoughts flitted back to the shadowy figure I'd seen flying around… Despite the action being stupid, I had no idea if the silhouette was friend or foe.
Knowing I could do just about nothing else, I subconsciously began hiding from myself, slipping through the space between the quilt I lay upon and the sheets of the bed.
I curled up solemnly, eventually passing out.
"Well, you're sure a sight for sore eyes."
My eyes shot open, feeling as if I'd just shut them not two seconds before. However, the lack of a window in front of me betrayed the fact I was no longer in the room.
I'd been here before, a certain occurrence not two days before having been forever burned into my memory. Ignoring the fact I was back, once again, in my human body, I whipped my head to and fro.
"Mew?"
I was forced to the ground, yelling, as something unseen catapulted into my neck from behind. My first instinct was to grab the object and try yanking it off, but its grip was tighter than that of death.
It took me a few moments to let my mind calm and actually realize what it was.
Turning my head as far as possible, I perceived a bit of pink out of the corner of my eye, confirming my suspicion.
"You shouldn't scare me like that," I breathed, trying to get my heart to calm. I was able to both see and feel Mew raising her head to peer into my eyes, relieved.
"I'm not sorry," she tried lightening the air, slowly letting go of me. She was soon to float off my collar, allowing me to view her fully.
She looked just as I last remembered her, no irregularity leading me to the conclusion something was amiss.
"I hope you have good news," I began, sitting on the invisible ground beneath me. "Life on the outside sucks right now."
"Right to business? You almost died, Ray, and you have no idea how useless I felt trying to tether your soul to your body…" she paused, eyes squinting tantalizingly before a sarcastic response, "Sorry if I'm just a little relieved."
"I'm happy I'm okay too," I responded, taking a moment to refamiliarize myself with my human body. As if to test they still worked, I clenched and unclenched my fingers around nothing.
"So, umm…" I heard Mew say, "How're things going? On the outside, I mean… You said not that good?"
I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment. "No, not really. They've got Drayden's Altaria and Flygon watching me 24/7, and the only one I've seen on the team is Vita… We're stuck… First priority is getting you out, but I doubt I'm going to be able to do it alone…"
"T-take your time," Mew responded, reluctantly. "May be a little claustrophobic in this thing, but at least I have some handle on my powers…"
"What are you able to do?"
"Not much… Any telepathy requires the target be close to me, and either way, their mind can't have much going on… So basically, whenever you're asleep is all I can manage…"
"Do you know where you are?"
"Not really… I'm only able to see living things out of this, and surprisingly enough, there's only one person ever around. You would think there would be guards everywhere, right?"
"Yeah, that's pretty weird…"
"I saw some more come through earlier, but the life force of the person who'd been here the whole time just swamped everything. I was hardly able to notice the visitors."
"Life force?"
"Pokéballs, well… Okay, lemme just put it this way. You can 'see' things' life forces, and you can hear some stuff, but it's just really weird and I can't really e-"
"Doesn't matter… Did you hear any conversation?"
"A few names went around… That's really all I heard…"
"Was one of them Vicus?"
Mew paused for a moment, eyes growing confused. "Yeah, how did you-"
"I was told a little bit about him… Apparently a friend of Drayden's." My mind went back to my earlier conversation with Skipp. "I think it's the guy they're gonna use to interrogate you. Ever heard of him?"
"Never… Know anything else?"
"The guy's gotta be wicked smart… I don't know much else, but Drayden and Vulcan and Seraph went to go see him earlier."
Mew remained silent, trying to come up with a response.
"I wouldn't be surprised if the gigantic life force was Drayden to be honest. I may be on his belt."
"I don't know, wouldn't you have heard me earlier then? Well, I guess I never really talked while Draden was around."
"Then maybe not," she replied plainly after a few moments. "I can recognize you from a mile away."
"I guess…"
"So, Vicus, then. You ever heard of a guy like that?"
"No, but if his energy has anything to say about him, he's… well…"
"A Pokémon?"
"No, I don't think. I would be able to recognize it if it was."
"Human?"
"It would make sense because it's so unique, but it's not phyiscally possible for a human to have that big of a core. It might be a disguising device, I don't know."
"I… Okay, I'll try figuring out who he is. He might be a problem."
"Don't let it bother you, if I do end up getting released from this thing and that creep Vicus starts trying to ask me questions, I'll just kill 'em and leave. Simple enough."
"You should really try diplomacy some time," I groaned.
"I've been alive for millennia, Ray… If I was good at diplomacy, I would've figure that out by now."
That statement sparked a chuckle.
"I do have some news, though, that I meant to tell you…"
"Hmm?"
Mew sighed, turning away.
"I overheard a conversation about Jet."
"Yeah? What about him?"
"He's… He never came back the night we were all captured, to put it simply."
My look remained blank. "What?"
"They seem to think human Ray and him are hanging around Twist, and left Brycen up there in case you went back to the cave… He's not here, with everyone else."
"Wh-where is he, then?!"
"I don't know," she sighed.
"Damnit Mew! Why wasn't I told about any of this?!"
"Probably to keep you from getting too worked up about it. In their eyes, you're nothing more than a kit. The loss of one of your friends might've scared a hatchling."
Frustrated, I yelled spontaneously, punching nothing.
"Even Vita! After all that bullshit with not telling me about her being pregnant, she goes and keeps another damn secret from me! What the hell?!"
Mew let me fume on my own, thankfully. After what was probably a minute or two of pacing angrily, I settled down, defeatedly walking back to the legendary.
"I wouldn't worry about it. She probably just forgot to tell you, or didn't want you worrying about it while trying to keep up an act. Jet'll be fine on his own, I'm sure. He'll come around eventually."
"Maybe… How you holdin' up?" I shifted the conversation, hoping not to dampen further the lighthearted air.
"Eh, this sucks… Can't really remember the last time I haven't been able to move this long…"
"Right."
"Sorry we'll have to hold off on… Well, you know… Being human again."
I looked down at my hands, knowing they would be gone when I woke. I resolved to enjoy them for the time being. They felt real enough.
"As long as you come and talk to me every night, I think I'll feel human enough for a while," I responded, raising my head back up. "I know you said this is my mind, but it just feels so real…"
"Your body isn't the only thing you can change," Mew continued, voice growing more aloof. "All we've been sitting in is darkness here… You don't really have a good imagination, do you?"
I let out a harrumph, sarcastically turning away as if offended. I tried pushing the thought of Jet out of my mind, at least for the time being. If anything, it may have proven to be a tactical advantage.
Mew let out a giggle, eventually developing into a small laugh.
"It's nice not to be alone for once," she explained, eyes shut. "Gives me some time to let loose and relax with conversation, despite everything going on."
"I hear you," I said, sighing. "Might as well try a change of scenery, then…"
I shut my eyes in concentration, envisioning the first thing that came to mind; imagining a snowy forest, a small area carved out with a lit firepit and some blankets.
I opened my eyes, hoping to behold my creation. I was met with the same, black void.
"Damnit," I cursed under my breath. Could a single thing have a simple solution?
"Told ya your imagination sucked," I heard Mew tease. "Besides, the morning should be here soon, we should try and finish up without distraction."
"Fine," I relented, frustratedly shifting my gaze towards the legendary. I sat myself down on the invisible ground. The legendary was soon to join me, floating out of the air and into the space created by my crossed legs.
"You know… It's still surreal to think I'm actually touching a legendary… You really make people uncomfortable, you know that?"
"Oh, ha ha," she rolled her eyes. "You seemed to warm up to me pretty fast."
"And to think… All it took was getting controlled, killed, resurrected, and nearly killed again. You have a funny way of showing affection."
"And yet… Here we are…" she paused for a moment, eyes growing downcast. "Do you really think we should be so laid back? We are in really bad positions right now."
"I could use a break," I responded. "Believe it or not, acting like a hatchling is really, really exhausting… Especially when you have an Axew threatening to share the secret all the time."
"They know?!" she exclaimed, astonished.
"No," I explained, hoping to calm her, "this Axew was on the mountain with us, and knows my name… She's been really flaunting her power over me."
"How?" Mew asked curiously, still apprehensive.
"I'm basically her slave," I spit out, hearing an expected laugh from the legendary. "It was all I could do to try and not get her to tell."
"That's a problem," Mew continued laughing, more at my predicament than anything. "I'll try to talk to her. She may sound big, but I doubt she's a major threat. If anything, you can tell it off as her messing around if she does end up telling someone."
"You have no idea how infuriating she is," I fumed.
"Well, you may not like it, but I'm going to give you some advice and just try to make her happy. From your description, I know that's probably gonna be hard. Just try, okay? Better safe than sorry."
"Yeah, fine, whatever."
"Moving on… What's the plan? We should come up with one, shouldn't we?"
"Nothing's happening until I see the team, which seems like an impossibility at this point… I can really only hope I'll be able to see all of them when we go to Opelucid… After that, me and you can coordinate something to do."
"Sounds alright… You have to stay in range, though… If you're too far away, I'm not gonna be able to talk to you."
"I don't have any control over it," I said, sighing. "We just have to hope, I guess…"
I could hear the legendary's disdain in the form of a frustrated growl. "This is stupid…"
"You have another option?"
"I wish… I don't know how trained Pokémon can stand this… Not being able to do anything is so boring, not to mention embarrassing. I should've honestly killed Drayden while I had the chance… No offense, but being outsmarted by a human isn't exactly flattering. He hit me, Ray. A human was able to land a hit on me."
"Don't worry," I said in hopes of cheering her up, "I'll get you out soon, I promise."
"Whatever," she replied, rolling her eyes grumpily. "You sound really cliché, you know that?"
"There's the Mew I know. Less doom and gloom, and more sarcastic. Cynicism doesn't suit you."
I simply laughed off the sardonic stare I received for the remark.
"Killing you is on top of my priority list when I get out of here."
"Already succeeded. Almost did it twice," I smirked.
Mew stuck out her tongue at me, and being the mature teenager I was, I followed suit.
After sharing a brief chuckle, an awkward air filled the room. I averted my gaze from the legendary, regretting my decision to joke about my peril. Mew didn't give any outward reaction of negativity, but I doubted she was over our misgivings herself.
"Should probably send you back," she spoke after maybe a minute of silence. "Don't want you tired and giving yourself away."
"Fair enough… I'll talk to you tomorrow?"
"Count on it. I'll try my best."
Before I could respond with a goodbye, she was gone, and I was alone.
A twitch…
The boy was sure he felt it. A simple twitch, meaning nothing under most circumstances.
His eyes widened, though, as he felt it. A sign of life.
Of course, it could just be nerves firing off after death, but as he stared down into the cradle of his arms, never ceasing in running, he knew.
It could have been his imagination, but he blew it off.
His Zorua had come back to life. He just knew… Somehow…
Somehow… He'd been gifted with another chance. He'd already let seven slip through his fingers, and he was sure he wouldn't let this be the eighth.
I woke with a start, eyes wide. I was soon to squint them, however, with the new sun peeking in through the window. It had just barely risen over the distant town of Icirrus.
The dream… It happened again…
Back out of nowhere… I didn't understand. I'd completely forgotten about the visions, but they still came.
This one was different… A continuation? Why did my mind insist in showing me them? I had no care for them, so what was the point?
I remembered Victor telling me his guess regarding the dreams. I figured then, if I were to ignore them, maybe they'd go away.
I would most definitely be telling Mew about them, though. Perhaps she knew the cause. As much as I trusted Victor, I wasn't exactly a firm believer in his being a proper psychiatrist.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I startle you?"
My heart rate calmed enough to turn and focus on Seraph's face, eyes peering into mine from a safe distance.
"You're a light sleeper," she teased as my expression calmed. "All I did was walk over here to check on you both."
"Uhh… I guess," I responded, starting to stand. Conscious of my injured leg, I stretched my back and gave her an answer I guessed she'd be satisfied with. "Never really had a lot of time to sleep on the mountain, I guess."
My excuse seemed to be expected. The Altaria simply nodded her head before turning towards the foot of the bed.
My gaze, following hers, fell on Misa, still asleep. The Axew looked quite peaceful, and I wanted nothing more than to interrupt that peace.
"Well, we don't have much to do, so if you'd like to sleep in, feel free."
"No," I responded. "I'm awake now, might as well stay up."
"Well, maybe you can help me wake up this lazy Flygon, then. I'm sure I'll need the help."
This chapter, if any, can be called a problem chapter.
While anyone reading this lives sometime in the future, know I wrote this over the Holiday Season 2016, meaning I had to take some breaks.
It definitely didn't help what may be my first case of writer's block thus far. I know the general direction I want the story to go, but adding in detail as seamlessly as possible is oddly frustrating.
Looking into the future of this story, my greatest concern is definitely the amount of characters. I hope, though, that with constant interaction, each character will be burned into the reader's memory. I've introduced all the important ones, for now.
Anyways, as always, I love feedback! I really appreciate any and every review given! 'Till next time.
