Chapter 9: Fairy-Types Invading the Dreamyard?! Lillil's Midsummer Night's Dream.
Lillil's patience has reached its limits.
She's going to feel bad about this later, but her jealousy of that clumsy Scolipede has boiled over to the point of consuming all of her attention. How is it that Scoria is the only one on Touko's team to see her fight as a magical girl? Even Touko's starter Pokémon, Ritsu, hasn't been graced with such an experience.
To the Lilligant, this is simply unacceptable.
She was the one who spent countless sleepless nights entertaining Reshiram's tinkering with its luxury ball. She was the one who subtly drove the legendary Pokémon to establish a magical girl transformation as the basis for Touko's new "last resort."
All so she can turn her teammates' dream into a reality. And what is her repayment for all of her hard work?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
But it's not like she is mad at her trainer. The grass-type Pokémon completely understands why she has to be kept within her Poké Ball while Touko fights as Cure Flare. Even with her unparalleled strength, there's nothing she can do if her attacks aren't effective in the first place.
Still, it wouldn't hurt to see her trainer in action just once.
Lillil wakes up surrounded by fog. Touko and N are nowhere to be seen. The moon casts a beam of light over the grass-type Pokémon as she rises to her feet. She scans her environment, searching for any signs of familiarity, but she quickly gives up when she realizes that all she can see is a thin veil of water vapor.
How did she get here? She attempts to recall what got her in this situation, but, like the fog around her, her mind is hazy. Lillil squeaks several times, hoping that someone hears her.
Nothing.
The Flowering Pokémon then decides to explore the area. Lightly hopping on her flower-shaped foot, she slowly inches her way through the fog. One of her leafy arms brushes against smooth limestone. She swipes her arm across the surface, and the sensation under her hand changes from polished rock to bumpy steel. A metal fence stretches into the mist, but a shadow of a small tree no bigger than Lillil herself plants itself a few steps away, interrupting the path into the unknown. Its drooping branches give it a gnarly structure.
She recognizes this tree. It's one of the many trees that Ritsu has sliced down over the course of Touko's journey. This one specifically resides in the Dreamyard.
The Lilligant walks around the tree and heads deeper into the fog. The outline of a dilapidated building looms to her left, while a border of tall trees hovers over her right side. If she remembers correctly, there should be several small gaps up ahead that would allow her to wander around the abandoned ruins.
Oh, there they are. Lillil slips through the narrow opening in the metal fence and squeezes past the clutter of empty drums. As she heads left towards the interior part of the ruins, she looks up and finds the sky blocked by a long walkway that leads to the second floor of the abandoned research facility.
Perfect. Maybe she can find Touko or the rest of her teammates from up there.
"Bom-beeeeee~!"
Lillil flinches when a screeching squeal penetrates the dreamy silence. The Lilligant assumes a defensive position, ready to spray a hearty helping of Sleep Powder onto whoever that is. She hears wings flapping towards her from above.
From above? Looking up again, the Lilligant watches a tiny fairy descend down and hover over the flower on her head. The unknown creature curiously observes the bright red petals and the crown-shaped filaments, zipping around Lillil's head like a fly.
She was about to swat at it when the creature squeals again and flies down to her eye level. The fog parts to reveal a little, bee-fly-like Pokémon with a red scarf around its neck. Its body and wings are tinted pink, and its eyes sparkle with adoration.
Lillil feels like she should know what this Pokémon is. Sadly, the haze over her mind hasn't cleared yet, and she can only tilt her head at the mysterious Pokémon.
It giggles before flying to Lillil's back and gently nudging her forward. Continuing to push the grass-type, the fairy drags its prize deeper into the fog.
Lillil is led out of the abandoned ruins and back into the forest. As she is shoved around, she spots a large flower bed with many foreign plants. Flowers with an impossible blend of magenta and black spread throughout the clearing like a plague. More silhouettes, this time of unknown creatures riding on top of floating flowers, dance above the field.
"Bombeeee~"
Lillil's captor shoves her to the center of the flowerbed. The fog in front of her congregates into a miniature cyclone. It sweeps up a flurry of petals, creating a curtain. The veil parts, splitting the mist for the first time. It reveals a tiny Pokémon similar to the one who has been dragging Lillil around, except its skin is yellow instead of pink, and its scarf is brown.
Lillil squeaks as her kidnapper pushes her towards the mysterious Pokémon. She watches as the two fairies spin around each other, with the pink-tinted Pokémon pointing eagerly at the grass-type.
The Lilligant then feels something pulling her left arm. Something else grabs her right arm, tugging her in its direction.
Soon, she finds herself in a tug-o-war with her as the flag in the middle. She sways back and forth like a hula dancer. While there isn't much force in the tugging, her confusion keeps her trapped within this weird dance.
Eventually, Lillil has enough, and from her flower, she coats the field with a large cloud of Sleep Powder. The shadows drop unceremoniously to the ground. The Lilligant takes one last glance at the ominous field before hopping away as fast as she can.
She will not be their possession. The only person who she can say she belongs to is her trainer.
Lillil has to find Touko now. If there's anyone who can help her make sense of what's going on, it has to be Reshiram's heroine.
"N, just a little bit further!"
"Slow down, Touko. I'm not going anywhere."
Lillil peeks from her hiding spot behind a line of trees, gasping for breath. She wearily turns her head back, sighing in relief when she finds no one chasing her. The sound of footsteps catches her attention, and from the thick foggy veil, she sees two people heading deeper into the Dreamyard.
Is that her trainer? Their shadowy outlines make it hard to confirm their identities. Still, she should go after them and warn them about what the fairy-type Pokémon in this forest are planning. If they get caught in their schemes...
Lillil scurries after the shadows as best as she can. They rush into the abandoned ruins and down the stairs that lead into the basement. Even though she's underground, the fog continues to obscure her vision, and she wishes that Reshiram was here to wipe it away.
"No one can find us here," Touko's voice echoes across the time-worn lab, "It's just you and me."
"Yes, it's like a dream," N says. His voice is breathy, almost wispy, as if made with the fog surrounding them. It is also completely monotone, a huge contrast from the subtle, emotional tinge that borders N's soft voice.
"In here, we can be together forever," Touko affirms with the same tone. The grass-type Pokémon hurries to her trainer's side and gasps at what she sees. Reshiram's heroine is fully leaning onto N, glancing up at him with love-struck eyes. The former king, in turn, has his hand cradling Touko's head, his lips close to her worn cap.
Lillil almost faints. There is practically no space between them. A ray of sunlight descends upon them, parting the fog for just a split second. They seem unaware they have an audience.
"Never leave me, N. Never again."
At Touko's possessive words, the Lilligant recovers from her stupor. Her trainer would never say that to him. The inconsistencies with what Lillil is seeing in front of her and Touko's true self compels her to rethink the situation.
The fairies must have drawn them under their spell. It is the only feasible explanation she can think of. While she may not have the antidote, maybe she can put them to sleep long enough to find one.
But before she can expel a burst of Sleep Powder onto the two heroes, Touko drags N deeper into the ruins, and both eventually disappear into the mist. With a panicked squeak, Lillil dashes headfirst into the dense fog.
Those fairies are going to pay for making a mockery of her trainer's feelings.
She finds Touko again after traversing the underground basement towards the southern part of the Dreamyard. The brown-haired trainer is alone as she stands in the tall grass and stares up at the thick forest cover. Lillil immediately notices that N isn't by her side.
Where did he go? An air of loneliness lingers with the fog around them. But, even with the thick cover blurring her vision, Lillil catches the tightly clenched fist by Touko's side.
A flash of bright white light engulfs the Lilligant's trainer. She sprouts a pair of majestic wings that glow with an ethereal shine. Her hair explodes into a fiery orange color just as the light shimmers away, leaving behind a dainty white dress.
Cure Flare.
The temperature drops. Feathers from Flare's pure white wings slowly fall off and freeze at her feet. She lets out a haunting scream as ice coats her arms, her hair, and her body.
"How could you do this to me?" Flare whispers to no one. Her voice, however, is certainly not her own. It rumbles with bitterness that no human can replicate. "Stop using my power! It is not yours to use!"
A gust of chilly air rushes towards the Lilligant. All she can do is brace herself as the world is swallowed by Flare's inhuman cry. Lillil spots a swarm of fairies circling above the Precure, sprinkling a shower of fairy dust. The pink-tinted fairy from before flies towards her. It tugs Lillil towards the magical girl, who is now on the floor, clutching herself as if to protect herself from the cold.
"How could you say that to me?" Flare whimpers out, "I was trying to protect everyone. I was trying to protect you. Why can't you see that, N?"
The icy, bitter edge in her voice hasn't gone away. Lillil's heart aches at the sight. She reaches out to touch the back of her trainer, and the white Swanna crumbles into a pile of ice and feathers. A jolt of electricity courses through the Lilligant's body, and the pain that it brings causes her to pass out.
As Lillil loses consciousness, silvery words begin to write themselves into the fog.
"Once upon a time, there was a girl who was transformed into a Swanna. She fell in love with a prince, who promised to be by her side. But instead of them standing side by side, the white Swanna found herself fighting her prince, for he had forgotten about their love."
"Squeak?!"
"Lillil!" Touko hovers over her with panic sullying her bright blue eyes. "I'm so glad you're awake! Please don't scare me like that again!"
The Lilligant is swept up into a tight hug. As Lillil wraps her arms around her trainer, she peeks over Touko's shoulder and sees N staring back with a worried frown and clutching his right hand. Next to him, a scientist with long, navy blue hair held back by a flower hair clip is typing into a laptop. She taps a key several times before retreating from her computer in a frustrated manner.
"What is this? Not only was I unable to see the rest of her dream, my data is completely gone. Musharna also started spewing clear mist…"
The researcher, Fennel, checks her Musharna for any injuries. The pink Pokémon coos sadly, just as bothered by what happened as her trainer. Lillil shoots N a confused expression.
"You were asleep for a while," he says. "A few days, in fact. Ever since Touko chased after you in the Dreamyard and brought you back."
That's right. Lillil remembers now. She was upset she hasn't seen Touko fight as a magical girl, and to clear her mind, she went to the Dreamyard. There, she found the Shadow Triad turning Fennel into a Kugeki. It then spewed out some dream mist and put her to sleep.
Touko squeezes her Pokémon tighter. All Lillil can do is apologize softly to her trainer.
"It's okay, Lillil. I'm just glad you're alright…" Touko mutters out as if she understood what she is saying.
"Touko, you should let go of Lillil. She's going to suffocate," N suggests after seeing the Lilligant struggle to breathe.
"Right, sorry."
She lets go and flashes a relieved smile. Lillil catches N still grasping his wrist and asks him if he's hurt.
"Ah, this? It's nothing. I was merely shocked by some electricity when I tried to wake you up. Don't fret, my friend."
His eyes are stormy, and his mind is consumed by some sort of turmoil. Lillil doesn't blame him. After all, the last part of her dream is the only thing she can think about.
"I see. That is rather troubling."
Lillil leans back against the tree she is resting on and stares up at the stars. In her lap is Reshiram's luxury ball. She has once again wandered off on her own to the Dreamyard, but this time, it's to gain guidance from the legendary dragon of truth. N had asked if she can tell him about her dream, but Lillil knows she can't. Touko's secret is within that dream, and she has promised her trainer she won't tell N about her powers as Cure Flare.
"That Kugeki had the ability to warp a person's desires. It is possible that its mist warped your vision of Cure Flare as a proud magical girl. Still, they say Pokémon can be an extension of their trainer's heart. What you saw could be something she is hiding within her."
The Lilligant gloomily stares at the luxury ball. Reshiram senses what its teammate is thinking.
"You believe someone else was talking through my heroine. Is that what you are thinking?"
Lillil curtly nods. A low growl slips through Reshiram's mouth. "It is true that my heroine will never consider my power as her own. She is not the kind of human to lay a claim like that without my permission. She and I are a team, just like how you and the rest of the party lend your strength to her. If that is the case, then who was the one saying those words? Whose power is being used against their will?"
"I thought I would find you here, Lillil. And you have Reshiram with you. Have I finally caught you guys in one of your late-night talks?"
Lillil perks up when she hears her trainer walking toward her. Touko sits down next to her Pokémon and leans back to stare up at the stars.
"Heroine. There is something I must discuss with you."
She raises an eyebrow. "That's quite the serious tone, Reshiram. Honestly, I'm pretty beat, but it sounds like it's better if we talk now than later."
With Lillil's occasional remarks, Reshiram recounts the dream to its trainer. When Touko hears about the intimate display of affection between her dream self and dream N, she struggles to contain her raging heartbeat.
"B-But...Lillil! I know you want me to be with N, but that's-! Great, now I can't stop thinking about it!"
Lillil snickers at her trainer's embarrassment. Of course, there are more scandalous things that she could have dreamed up, but seeing Reshiram's heroine, the definition of "unwavering resolve," get worked up over a simple embrace satisfies her mischievous side immensely. Even Reshiram manages to crack a smile.
"Ughh, I thought we were having a serious conversation."
"We are. It is reassuring to know you are not denying your feelings."
"I never did," Touko huffs, "I'm just being realistic about the whole situation."
"Yes, and given that N did not own an Xtransceiver, the only way you can convey what you wanted to say to him is to tell him in person."
"Yeah, exactly! Wait, we're getting off-topic. I'm sure that isn't what you wanted to discuss with me."
"My apologies. Where was I?"
The light-hearted mood quickly turns sour once the legendary Pokémon explains the part of Lillil's dream where Cure Flare shatters into a million pieces.
"I...I don't know what to say. This could all be an illusion by the Kugeki meant to break and trap its captives. I-It won't come to that." Touko stammers at the end, tripping over her words. Lillil deflates upon hearing her trainer's hesitation. The dream was right; Touko has been suppressing her doubts.
"It will not," Reshiram reassures, "N has changed, and he has new ideals he is chasing after. Observing your journey with him has led me to believe this. He will accept the truth once we decipher how the Shadow Triad is going to bring back Ghetsis."
Touko now looks more unsure than before. She wraps her arms around her legs and draws them close to her chest. Conflict brews in her eyes.
"As much as I appreciate your words, Reshiram," she eventually says, "I'm going to need a bit more time to come to the same conclusion. I've spent most of the time I've known him hating him. I don't want to feel that way again. I have to prove to him that I see him as a friend, not just with my words, but also with my actions. The last thing I want to do…"
All of her regrets, starting from that moment on the Ferris Wheel, when she turned her back on N, are drawn to the surface. She hears the words she had spat to his face and wishes she can go back and stop herself. If only she had realized the truth sooner…if only she didn't let her anger blind her-!
Her voice is like glass, moments away from breaking. "Is to fight him again…"
The tears are rolling down now. She swipes at her eyes, but the tears just keep flowing out. "B-But…that's just what'll…happen…if I tell him the truth. In what world…will he accept…a person wielding a Pokémon's power…? I-It doesn't matter…if he's okay with people being with Pokémon now…this is something else…entirely."
As Lillil comforts her trainer, releasing a gentle scent to calm Touko down, Reshiram releases itself from its ball and folds its wings over her, shielding her from the world. She may not be able to hide her true feelings from them, her Pokémon, but the legendary Pokémon won't let anyone else see its heroine as fragile and vulnerable as she is now.
"I-I won't make…the same mistake again," Touko softly vows, "I won't…delude myself into hoping for more. What I'm getting already…is more than enough."
With a pained expression, Reshiram closes its eyes, not willing to be the one to tell her how she's already failing.
N isn't able to sleep that night. Even after Touko had returned with Lillil and Reshiram and crashed onto her bed, he finds that sleep is elusive again. Those silvery words that emerged in his mind as he attempted to wake the Lilligant up continue to haunt him, drawing him into its cryptic story.
"Another fragment of the fairy tale. What conclusion is it trying to reach? Who is showing me this? And why?"
He turns his body so that he's observing Touko as she sleeps. Even in the darkness, N can see her silhouette steadily breathing up and down. He finds that her cap is on the floor, having fallen off the bedside drawer after she haphazardly flung it off her head.
She must have been exhausted. As loving and close as Touko is to her team, keeping six vastly different Pokémon in check is no easy task. It makes his heart swell at experiencing firsthand just how much effort she puts into caring for her party.
Picking the hat up, N pats off some of the dust and twirls it on his finger.
A small part of him wonders how he'll look with it on. Will Touko even let him wear it? Mei did say small bonding moments are key to establishing trust between two people. Maybe exchanging hats might be a good start.
He gently places the cap onto his chest and closes his eyes. He'll ask her in the morning.
N finds that he and the color pink is a combination he needs to get used to, and Touko discovers that his hat is the perfect size for hiding her scarlet red cheeks. As they leave Striation City after swapping caps, Lillil pops out from her Poké Ball and asks Touko for one thing.
"You want to learn Dream Eater?"
Profile: Fennel
A researcher studying Pokémon trainers and Pokémon dreams. She met Professor Juniper in college and would occasionally help her in her research. While she has many accomplishments under her name, the most impressive of them is establishing a connection between Game Sync, a technique that can extract the memories of sleeping Pokémon, and the Entralink, a mysterious place in the middle of the Unova region that allows the dreams of Pokémon to become reality. Right now, she's researching the Pokémon dream world and the effects that it has on the real world.
Team (Assistants): Munna and Musharna