Daylight seeps through the curtains as I wake from a knock on the door.
"Breakfast is ready."
I stare at the wall for a bit and realize I don't want to get up. This bed is far more comfortable than any other I had in my life. Why of course, this is the human world, after all…
But the thought of visiting Rue gets me out into the living room in a minute. Latias is sipping a drink while reading a newspaper. Once I sit down, she hands me a map and points out the path that I should follow to arrive at the hospital where Rue is staying. There are only four turns, since I just need to follow along a main road for the most part.
"I'd rather not conjure my human illusion for something as trivial as this, so I'll be staying inside. You can just fly in and out of the window in your room. Don't forget your collar."
A few minutes later, I am full and ready to depart, the collar neatly worn on my neck. A small gust of wind enters the room as I slide the window open, before I steady my breath and leap out.
I take my time to savor the view of this human world, remembering to beat my wings naturally lest onlookers become suspicious. There are plenty of Pokemon and humans wandering about on the ground, as well as various roads and vehicles that operate on them. In the sky, there are a few birds, some even with humans riders, but none of them pay me much attention as our paths cross in the air.
No other dragons come before me as I swerve through the tall buildings. One, two, three turns… and then I am flying above some highway, with human vehicles zooming by even faster than me. I think I manage to spot a Charizard flying far off in the distance, but I don't have time to be sure before a building obscures my view. So I turn my head back down, and oversee the various land-based transport Pokemon like Rapidash or Arcanine with humans riding them.
Finally, I arrive at the rainbow signpost Latias told me to watch out for, and I turn into one of the subsidiary roads. I spot the red cross at the front of the building and dive down towards the entrance. The door surprises me as it opens automatically, and I hastily enter.
It is only after the door closes behind me that I realize how noisy it was outside. Here there is just the mild humming of some device, and mild chatter of people sitting in arranged seats. This is a Pokemon hospital, so I am not surprised to see few humans here.
I head up and line up behind a Politoed. The receptionist is a Raichu whom I overhear directing a Mawile to her mother's room.
I survey the room as the Politoed moves up to the Raichu. There are quite a few species that I don't recognize here, which are likely ones not native to the island. There is also a human reception over there, which doesn't have a line. Probably because there are three receptionists…
"Sir?" The Raichu calls for me. "Who are you visiting?"
"Oh, sorry." I turn to him and step forward. "I am visiting the Haxorus in room 520. Under trainer Alice?"
"Let's see…" He pauses and stares at some screen below the counter. "Yes, we were told to expecting you. Here." There is a stuttering machine sound before he hands me a piece of paper. "Scan this in the elevator and turn right once you exit."
"…Thanks," I say, trying to keep my composure. I quickly dart over and follow the Politoed into a small door, which must be the elevator. The Politoed places his paper over a red light, and a beep sounds. I quickly do the same, before retreating back into the other side of the elevator.
It takes me a moment to realize that this is a machine that brings people up and down inside buildings. I feel a sudden sense of claustrophobia as Politoed leaves on the fourth floor and I am left alone at the mercy of this human device. Nova, you can just teleport yourself out, why are you so anxious…
I dash out of the elevator as soon as the door opens on the fifth floor, and find myself in a silent corridor. Heading towards the right, I follow the narrow corridor until the room number increases to 520, and nudge the door open.
The Haxorus lies supine on the white hospital bed beneath a blanket with her tail hanging off the side. Her remaining tusk is lodged against a protection device, which explains why the pillow is not as worn as the one in Fen's cave. The stump is carefully bandaged and there are no traces of blood left on her body. Her eyelids remain closed as I step into the room, and they only open when I put my hand on hers.
"Rue."
Her eyes flicker open slowly as they turn towards me, her head remaining still. "Nova… You're here too? Where are we? Doesn't feel like the afterlife…"
I can't help but smile at her comment. "We're in the human world, silly. You had to get a blood transfusion."
"Really…" Her tail shifts under the blanket. "But how did you get here? What did you-"
"Calm down." I put my other hand on as well and grip her tightly. "It's a long story, and I will tell you in a moment. But first… how are you feeling?"
"I… I don't know. I don't remember much." She moves her other arm up and into the space where her right tusk would have been. "My tusk is really gone, isn't it."
"Yeah." I sit down on the bed, unsure what to say to comfort her.
She turns her head as much as the tusk-restraining device allows, eyes focused towards the window. "I bet I look ugly."
"No, you look fine," I say and stare her in the eyes. Though I am unused to the missing tusk, I can still see Rue in those fierce eyes. "As long as you're alive, everything will be fine."
She lets a gust of air out her snout, which I guess is her way of scoffing under such conditions. "How long have I been out?"
"Only two days. And the human doctors said that you can be released after about a week. We can head back to the island soon enough."
Just as I say that, I feel self-conscious about being overheard, so I stand and close the door. Rue waits for me as I head over to the window sit down on the only chair in the room. The view here is not as grandiose as Latias's apartment, but it is still higher than most trees. And it looks quite a bit more crowded outside, too.
"How did you even get me here?" Rue asks. "I was sure I had no chance of living."
"It's…" I steal a glance at the small transparent window on the door. "I had to ask the legendary for help."
"Ah." Rue pauses for a moment. "What did she ask of you in return, then? To go marry that illusion?"
"No, she didn't ask anything. It's… strange. We can talk more about it later," I say and shuffle towards the bed. "For now, just keep in mind that we're supposed to be Pokemon under a human named Alice, and don't mention the island."
"Ah, just came back from death and now need to put up an act." Rue closes her eyes as she takes steady breaths. "I'll remember."
"Just rest for now. We'll be seeing back with Phendrene soon enough."
"I wonder what everyone will think of me now. Tuskless tusk dragon…" She lets out a bitter laugh. "What a joke."
"Rue, I…" I find her morose expression to be unbearable. "I still think you look fine. It will all be okay."
"How? You other dragons have flight and fire, or even psychic powers. Me? I only have tusks. And they don't grow anymore now that I'm Haxorus."
"There must be something that can help. I'll ask Lat- our trainer."
"Sure." She blinks a few times, as if pondering the situation. "Dig me deeper into a debt with a legen-"
A knock on the door interrupts our conversation, silencing both of us immediately and a human girl garbed in white appears, her hair hanging past her shoulders. "Oh, hello! I have to give the Haxorus a check up. Mind if you visit later?"
"All right," I answer the human, and stand up. "I'll see you later," I say to Rue.
She huffs a gust of air, unhappy with the arrangement. "All right, just come back soon."
"Of course."
I slide past the nurse and head toward the elevator. Suppressing my urge to simply teleport outside, I wait for it patiently as I ponder our situation.
Rue doesn't appear to have any complications health wise, but I am worried about her self-image. It would be as if I lost my wings and my psychic powers in one fell swoop.
The chatter of creatures and whirs of machines startles me as the automatic door opens. I am about to take flight before my eyes suddenly cross another set of red goggles across the street.
We stare at each other for a few seconds, before the other Flygon dashes into the air and glides down next to me.
"Hey, I haven't seen you around here!" an exuberant, female voice sounds as she lands in front of me. There is a bag strapped across her torso. "I'm Meera. Nice to meet you."
"Nova." I'm a little taken aback by her forwardness, and begin to feel a bit subconscious as I notice a few gazes coming our way.
She gives me a moment to speak further, but continues when she realizes I am silent. "So, are you new in town?"
"Yeah." I avert my gaze and subconsciously begin reading the minds of those around me. Yes, people are definitely intrigued by the presence of two Flygon.
Meera continues to maintain her smile despite my curt responses. "I thought I was the only Flygon around these parts. How about we grab a coffee? I'm free on time."
Coffee? What's that? Remembering Latias's words, I suddenly feel uncomfortable. "Sorry, but I need to go home to Alice. My trainer."
"Come on, don't be shy. You're the first Flygon I've seen in years. And the bill's on me."
Her tail is darting around so excitedly I am beginning to feel bad for her. "I would love to, really, but… I need to report back to my trainer."
"I can wait for that," she says and loosens the belt on her bag. "Should I wait here?"
"No, I mean, I can spare a few moments to talk, I guess." In truth, I do want to talk to her, but Latias warned me about not understanding social etiquette. But if this interaction is worth anything, I'd wager that she is the one who is too persistent.
"Is it urgent?" Her eyes show genuine concern. "Did one of your teammates got injured badly? Is he all right?"
"She's not going to die, but… she lost her tusk." I find my words spilling out after I start talking. "Haxorus tusks don't grow back. She's rather detached now, and I don't know what to do."
"Why not look into prosthetics? I knew a Haxorus who got a prosthetic tusk."
"A prosthwhat?"
"Prosthetics. You don't know what that means?" Meera gives me an incredulous look, and for a moment I am afraid she is going to see through my background, but it passes as she begins speaking again. "It's when someone's limb or body part is missing, and the humans make a mechanical part to replace it. Pretty cool, huh?"
Wait, humans can replace missing body parts? I need to ask Latias about it. "Meera, right? You're a really nice person, but… I'm only going to be here very briefly. Then I'll be gone to a place far, far away." I build up my courage to look her in the eye. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine, nothing to apologize for." She tries to hold her smile as she turns to the side. "Best of luck in the future, then."
"Thanks, you too. Bye."
With that, we take flight in opposite directions.
A cool breeze alleviates the heat from the sunlight as I trace my path back towards Latias's home. The view is much the same. The ground seems to be more crowded, and so are the skies, but after that encounter there are only birds. I wonder if I would be friends with Meera if I lived here permanently.
The sight of a Noivern flying ahead of me distracts me and I lose my train of thought. I end up staring at the tail, and manage to catch her scent downwind. It reminds me of Sylvia. I could use her embrace right now…
When I come to, I realize I have missed my turn for a few minutes.
Sylvia… She is famous in this world, isn't she? Would there be books written about her, like the ones I've read? Perhaps I could ask Latias to find them, but she may question my motive…
The window is not difficult to find, some ten stories above the ground and wide open. Gliding through, I send a gust of wind that throws my blankets against the wall. As I shut the window behind me, I find that I am actually out of breath.
"Latias? I'm back!" I open the door to the living room to find her sitting on the couch.
"Oh? That was quick." She looks up from the television screen. "I thought you'd spend more time with her."
"A human nurse came in. I can visit her in the afternoon again, anyway," I reason and look towards the screen. Some humans are talking about an upcoming election. "What are you watching?"
"News. It's important to keep up with current events." She grabs the remote and turns the television off. "But the program is almost over, anyway. Plus, I need to head out for the day soon. There is food in the fridge for lunch. Here, let me show you how to use a microwave…"
It doesn't take long for Latias to teach me how to operate the cooking machinery. She also leads me into her room and explains that if I get bored, I can play on the guest account. This one takes much longer for me to get used to until she demonstrates to me how to use a 'search engine'. Apparently people in the human world can look for a wide swath of information, and all they need is this machine called a computer.
It is only when she leaves do I remember that I'd forgotten to ask her about the prosthetic. But no matter, I can do some research on it by myself.
Equipped with my newfound knowledge, I search for where the letters are on this piece of equipment called the 'keyboard'. There is a sense of satisfaction as the phrase 'prosthetic tusk' appears on the screen and I press the enter key to find my results. On the first page I find a online encyclopedia, and find a picture of a Donphan posed with an artificial, metallic tusk. My eyes turn to the the summary and I begin reading.
Prosthetic tusk
Prosthetic tusks are a type of prosthetic device designed to augment or replace broken or severed tusks, which may be lost due to trauma, disease, or congenital conditions. Pokémon which may choose to obtain a prosthetic tusk include Donphan, Walrein, Mamoswine, and Haxorus.
There are two major types of prosthetic tusks, decorative and combative. Decorative prosthetic tusks are used to offset the imbalance of one missing tusk and in order to maintain an image of the Pokémon as if their tusk was not broken. Combative prosthetic tusks are comparatively less common and more expensive, and restores the combative prowess of a Pokémon. Their legality in various Pokémon leagues is heavily debated and currently, not all materials are allowed for the International League participants.
After which, the page goes on about a brief history of its invention and application, which I gloss over until I find a section that talks in depth about combative prosthetic tusks. There is a list of material which have varying weights and hardness. In particular, one paragraph catches my interest.
The highest quality combative prosthetic tusk is widely considered to be titanium coated in tungsten carbide. Titanium is lightweight while the coating of tungsten carbide ensures hardness and sharpness of the tusk. However, due to a 4126 controversy of trainers amputating their Pokémon's tusks in order to improve combat efficiency by giving them titanium prosthetic tusks, they are banned from all Pokémon leagues. As such, existing demand of this prosthetic tusk is low, and it is seldom used outside of law enforcement and mafia activities.
Good thing Rue is not participating in the Pokemon league, I think to myself. The page sounds informative and reliable, so I can ask Latias about getting one later.
But she's not here. Should I look into it more? It'd probably be a waste of time, since Latias would be more knowledgeable about me in these affairs. I ponder about what to search and end up reading through articles about the biology of Flygon. Then I decide to search up Latias, which yields surprisingly little information - certainly not on any individual named Aether. Then I search up on Haxorus, and Noivern (which is the only one I learn anything new on), and I am about to move on to Charizard before I remember that Sylvia is famous here.
And so I type in "Sylvia the Noivern".
The first result that comes up is one titled "Sylvia (Noivern)", and I click into it, excited to see what it says. And I am instantly greeted with a picture of that familiar Noivern, with a fancy rainbow ribbon tied to her mane, posing for a photo next to a girl with ebony black hair. This must be her late trainer.
I shake my head of morbid thoughts and begin reading the article properly.
Sylvia (Noivern)
This article is about the Noivern. For other uses, see Sylvia (disambiguation).
Sylvia Sera (born July 7th, 4120) the Noivern is a professional battler under her trainer Kelsey Sera. Sylvia was a member of Team Serawings that won the Kalos League in 4139 and 4141. Sylvia is the one of three Noivern to have won the Kalos League, and the only one to have won two.
Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Competitive career
3 Personal Life
4 Notable tournament results
5 External links
Early life
Sylvia hatched on July 7th, 4120, sired by Hyperion with dam Xiaofei. Her egg was auctioned off to Mason Borne and was traded many times before landing in the possession of Kelsey Sera, who would later become her trainer.
In Sylvia's youth, she competed in the Under-15 1v1 Little Cup, and achieved second place in 4131 as a Noibat. In interviews, Kelsey often commented that she was considered the princess of the team, due to her diva-like personality and younger age.
Sylvia began battling in official leagues at age sixteen, and though her results suffered in the first year, she qualified to the Kalos League with her team in all subsequent active years.
Competitive career
See also: Kelsey Sera, Team Serawings
Sylvia remained a staple of Kelsey's roster for the duration of the Noivern's career, despite not qualifying in 4136. She has the fourth longest tenure on Team Serawings with her trainer, behind Kenny, Jasper, and Sanae. The team's placing of 5th-6th in 4137 came as a big surprise, and many predicted them to place even higher in the following year. However, they failed to meet expectations and placed outside of the top 8.
Following their defeat, Kelsey replaced two members of the team. In 4139, with the lineup Kenny, Icarus, Jasper, Sylvia, Sanae, and Viola, the team achieved first place by dominating the winner's bracket, taking home ¥200,000,000 in prize money. Icarus and Sylvia were widely considered to be the best performing members. Sylvia's performance was widely acclaimed as Noivern was widely considered to be an inferior choice to other dragon-types in competitive battling.
Team Serawings participated in the 4140 International League, which consisted only of champions from various regional leagues. However, they suffered a low placing in the group stage and was eliminated in the first round of the lower bracket.
Kelsey replaced Jasper for Hazelnut in the 4141 Kalos League. Team Serawings remain a unstoppable force, only dropping in the winner bracket finals to Aditya Reddy, but came back and swept his team in the grand finals, with Sylvia taking down three members of the opponent squad by herself.
Sylvia's career came to an abrupt end in early 4142 when Kelsey announced that she had Stage IV breast cancer and that she would be disbanding her team and entering palliative care. Sylvia remained under the Sera household until Kelsey's death. Afterwards, Sylvia requested to be transferred to the Evitern Nature Reserve, despite high demand for her in the competitive battling scene, and was transported over in April, 4142.
In a 4142 poll, Sylvia received the 34% of votes as MVP among the members of Team Serawings, behind Icarus and ahead of Sanae, placing second out of seven options.
Personal Life
Kelsey noted several times in interviews that though Sylvia was the princess of the team and rather rowdy as a Noibat, she grew to become mild mannered and is said to have the best temperament on her team. She would often break up personal fights of other members and never put blame on other members. Sylvia was opposed to removing Jasper from the team, which was different from other team members.
Sylvia had the most public appearances of her team, and in events where Kelsey could attend with only one Pokémon, she was the most often chosen, likely due to her temperament.
Sylvia was the only member of both championship squads that did not sire or become the dam of any offspring.
Notable tournament results
Under-15 1v1 Little Cup 4131 - 2nd
Kalos League 4137 - 5th/6th
Kalos League 4139 - 1st
Kalos League 4141 - 1st
External links
Kelsey Sera: Team Profile - Kalos League Hall of Fame
Noivern in Competitive Battling
List of youngest championship Pokémon adjusted for lifespan
I stare at the small box at the end of the page, titled "Kelsey Sera". It lists all members that were on any roster, with Sylvia highlighted at the top.
Somehow, the part I focus on the most is the fact that Sylvia was the only one of Kelsey's Pokemon to not have offspring. Yet… that day where I visited her house, she had shown me genuine affection. Given how famous and popular she was in the human world, she must have had many suitors. How come she showed interest to me, then…
I find myself smiling as I bring a paw to scratch my face. Did I really catch the attention of such a spectacular Noivern?
Ah, but I missed that date with her! Did she get news of it? I hope she's not angry at me… I'm sure she will understand if I go back and explain. I hope she doesn't feel too bad about me missing our date…
When I come to, I realize I had been lost in thoughts of her for a while. Still feeling a bit giddy, I begin to look through the pages of her teammates. Kenny the Chesnaught, Icarus the Skarmory, Sanae the Excadrill, Viola the Typhlosion, and Jasper the Swampert replaced by Hazelnut the Vaporeon. I can't remember all of this, so I don't try to, and browse through just to satisfy a momentary curiosity. But somewhere along the line I figure out how to find online images and videos of her, and search through as many available ones as possible.
When my stomach rumbles in hunger, I leave the computer to microwave the food as Latias had instructed me to. My infatuation falls back to a more acceptable level after eating, and I remember that I'm not here for her, but for Rue. I head to my room and look out the window, all the tall buildings casting long shadows in the evening sun. It's quite a different view from what I'm used to.
I take the chance to do a little introspection while flying. What is it that I'm feeling towards her? It feels quite different from when I was still obsessed over that illusion. Instead of devotion and gratitude, it's more like… curiosity and excitement? I know little about love, but this seems really different from what I had felt before.
Maybe Rue would know what it means.
"Hello!" I announce as I head back into the room.
Rue's tusk-rest is gone and she is instead choosing to hang her remaining tusk off the edge of the bed as she watches a small television in the corner. "Nova! Please get me out of here," she says in a typical Rue voice. "I'm gonna be bored to death."
"I could go and get you some books," I suggest. "Lat- Alice owns quite a lot of books, some of which would definitely be interesting to you."
"Alice? You mean-"
"Yeah, her. I mean her when I say Alice." There is a sense of comedy that I'm using a pseudonym, but I know I should not imply I know a Latias in public. "Also, I found out that humans can create prosthetic tusks, which can be attached to your face and function like a normal tusk!"
"Wait, what?" She pushes herself upwards. "Really? Am I getting one?"
"Oh, I didn't get the chance to ask. I'll consult her tonight." I find a seat at the foot of Rue's bed. "You would be able to fight with it, you know."
"Really?" Rue sits upright, in her eyes a ray of hope. "Then it will like I never lost my tusk!"
"I think some of the materials make it even stronger than your original tusk." I give her a pat on the back. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."
"Thank you, Nova. You don't know how much it would mean to me if it works out. …For now, though, it still hurts." Rue brings a paw to where here missing tusk is and rattles her fingers. "It's not there, but I feel as if something is burning. The nurse says that it's normal and that I shouldn't worry about it, so I shouldn't, I guess." She shakes her head. "I'm getting soft."
"Soft?"
"Like, sensitive and feminine."
"What's so bad about that? Sylvia is soft, but she is still a great battler."
Rue's eyes focus on me immediately with a questioning look. "That Noivern? Soft? …You're not just talking about her mane, right?"
"No!" I retort before I have the chance to get embarrassed. "I mean her personality… She's mild mannered and has a good temperament. But she's still a good battler." I find myself smiling again as I think of her graceful performance that night at the festival, at least until I remember Rue's right in front of me.
"And she's not me. What's your point?" Rue crosses her arms. "You're trying to mold me into the girl you have a crush on? Ew, no thank-"
"What? No way!" I shove her playfully but she ends up not being prepared and falling straight down to the bed, causing a loud tearing noise when her remaining left tusk embeds itself in something. "Sorry."
There is a moment of silence as Rue gets up and eyes the tear in the fabric, but she just sighs. "I mean, my tusk was bound to cut this bed. But anyways," she continues as she rubs her tusk, "it sounds like you actually like her quite a bit. You don't feel this way toward Phendrene, right?"
I was prepared to talk about Sylvia, but tense at the mention of the Charizard. "What- Why do you have to bring Phendrene up? Why do you have to compare Sylvia to her?"
"Because I'm not heartless," Rue says with a snort.
A longer, more disconcerting silence follows. We both look away to the white, ceramic wall. Phendrene has done a lot for me, I know. But I have done a lot for her, too. And I can't think of her the way I think of Sylvia. With Sylvia, there's a sense of curiosity and wanting to know more about her, as well as anticipating whatever her antics would be the next time we meet. For Phendrene…
I don't want to think about this.
"I'll see you tomorrow, then?" I call over to the Haxorus.
"Aye." She takes a deep breath before lying back down. "I hope we can go home, soon."
"Me too." I stand up and head towards the door. "Bye."
"Laters."
I continue to browse the computer when I arrive home, even though I am not that interested now that I've seen everything about Sylvia. But it keeps me occupied, and that's what I need. The human world is never too dull to read about.
Latias comes home rather late, and brings some fancy food from outside. It is well seasoned, but the taste is too salty for my liking. We don't talk much at the dinner table, and it is when we are almost done that I bring the topic up.
"So, I was wondering… Can we get Rue a prosthetic tusk?"
"Hm? How did you know about those? Was it in the encyclopedia?"
Latias's voice is only of inquiry and not of irritation, so I continue without worry. "I heard that it can be used to replace missing body parts, so I searched for it on your computer."
"I see." She pauses for a moment to ponder the idea. "Human interference is not allowed on the island, though. Not like the humans who set these rules would be able to check, but there are still potential problems. For example, you won't be able to get it fixed if it is damaged."
"Sylvia has gadgets she brought from the human world, though!"
Latias's eyes focus on me as she puts her cutlery down. "Sylvia?"
I realize she had not kept up with my life after the last time she left me. "Oh, this Noivern from outside the island. She had some electronic devices with her. Her trainer passed away and she requested to be transferred to the island."
"Huh, that's interesting." Latias shrugs and resumes eating. "I suppose I can get her a prosthetic, then. Regardless, you still won't be able to fix the prosthetic if it's damaged," she says absentmindedly. "I'm not teleporting you to the outside world for something that trivial."
"But you would if someone's life is in danger?" I ask, unsure of her stance.
"No. I mean, I'm not supposed to be helping you in the first place. This is… just making up for the trauma that I inadvertently caused you."
Latias's words slowed down for a bit, arousing my suspicions. It's true, why would a legendary Pokemon take interest in me in the first place? Suddenly, I remember the excuse she gave me when I first asked her this question, and I realize something doesn't make sense.
"Why did you come to find me in the first place?" I ask, raising my voice slightly. "You said it was because there were no psychics in the land! But you clearly-"
"Stop." Latias's clear and firm voice silences me, as her eyes fixate on the table. "Yes, I was lying to you. But I cannot tell you everything. There are some things that only Legendary Pokemon can know." She raises her head and stares at me. "It's not easy being a Legendary Pokemon. There are plenty of entities, human or Pokemon, who want to use you, abuse you, or even kill you. That is the burden we share for having greater powers. From what I have ascertained, you do not wish to lead this life, and prefer to stay with your mortal dragon friends. As such, you cannot know the full details of why I went after you."
"...That's dumb," is my response. I pause for a moment, trying to make sense of her excuse. "You're just saying you can't tell me anything because of some stupid rule."
"There are some things about my species which are so heavily guarded that I did not even know until I was hundreds of years old," she replies nonchalantly. "I'm not about to disclose them to a Flygon below the age of twenty."
"So you're not going to tell me anything? What about why I'm psychic? You knew I was psychic from my conception! You chased my father away from my mother!" All the memories of my deductions come rushing back to me. Just because she saved Rue, I was too thankful to remember. "You know why I am psychic, don't you?"
She closes her eyes and mutters something under her breath. "Zephyr… help me."
I freeze. A strange desire creeps into my mind, a desire to go over and reassure Latias, pat her, and tell her everything will be okay. In my mind echoes some words of reassurance. Here, here, stop crying… You'll get over it in a year.
But I clench my fists and the thought of Father being driven from Mother keeps me from acting on that impulse. "What are you doing, trying to influence me to feel sorry for you? Latias, you…" Calling her by her species feels wrong, so I stop, and take a step back. "Stop it. You can't make me feel bad for you."
"I'm not trying to. I just miss my brother." Aether rises up from the table and stretches her neck, and somehow I feel that she is endearing. Not as a mate I would like to take possession of, but as a child that needs protecting. "I'm sorry about everything, but I can't answer your questions." She looks at me, in her eyes a sorrow that spreads to me. "I wish I could, your mind is unprotected and you wouldn't be able to resist torture. If the knowledge is leaked, it could spell doom not only for both of us, but other Latias and Latios. I'm sorry."
"But Aether-"
"Don't call me that," she interrupts with a flinch. "Please."
"Then stop it! Stop making me feel sorry for you."
"Nova, I told you, I'm not doing anything supernatural." She breathes in and sighs heavily, trying to get her emotions under control. "Maybe it's just that you're finally realizing how much I'm doing for you."
The impulse fades within seconds of hearing her scold me. "Right, and I guess I should thank you for getting rid of my dad," I shoot back snarkily.
"If it weren't for me, you'd be dead three times over. Then you asked me to leave you alone, so I did." Latias steps towards her door. "I'll get the Haxorus a prosthetic tusk and send you two back to the island. I can't change the past, so this is the best compensation I can offer you."
Her voice has somehow shifted back to that of when she first teleported me over, and I feel that my previous sympathetic urges were completely unfounded. "So I'm going to just have to accept everything for given? Really?"
"That is so," she says and steps into the room. "Good night," she says, and before I answer, she shuts the door.
I have my paw on the doorknob, ready to barge in and ask her more questions. But I realize that since she is already in a terrible mood, I would be pushing my luck, and manage to restrain myself.
I take a few minutes to wash in the bathroom before retiring to my bed. Though it has been a long day, I feel no sense of drowsiness, my thoughts endless as I turn and shift under the sheets. Even though I feel in control now, that sympathy I felt towards Latias… What was it? She didn't seem like she was manipulating me, not with psychic power anyway. Where have I felt this emotion before? Certainly not towards Father, or Rue, or Sylvia, or even Vie, or most of the people I know, because I was the meek one. But it reminds me of Phendrene, how she would cry or worry about things, and I just wanted to comfort her, and to tell her everything would be all right…
Am I really feeling for Latias that way? She's at least hundreds of years old! What business do I have comforting her?
Plus, she still didn't explain why she sought me out. It must be because my psychic abilities are unnatural, right? Then why didn't she go after Silex, who has been around for far longer? Is she merely researching this phenomenon, or does she have an ulterior motive? Are my abilities a freak accident of nature or was it bestowed intentionally by some higher power? So many questions, and so many answers that Latias could provide, but she refuses to.
I wonder if I would be happier if I had just died one of those times. Maybe Spirit wouldn't have died, then, as Father may have realized the danger from my death and relocated him far, far away.
But enough thinking about what could have been. Rue seems to be recovering without any mental impediments, and is eligible for a prosthetic tusk to fix her self-image and battling prowess. At this rate, we can head home in the next few days!
…As soft as the mattress is, it doesn't compare to an embrace…