A/N: Welcome back, or simply welcome, my readers! I'm so sorry for the pretty major mistake on that last story- I usually double enter between new ideas and new scenes but ofc doesn't format like that so I had to improvise and use lines, lol. Again, sorry for that.
Anyways, hopefully this story will be better! It's about…hmm…can you guess? I'll just tell you: ONE OF MY ROCKETSHIPPING KIDS! I love rocketshipping, so this should be fun to write :)
"What's it saying?"
"It's saying…hmm…Skylar Oak is a massive idiot."
"HEY!"
Poppy giggled as her friend glared at the Oddish sitting in front of them. Poppy had been trying to decipher its little calls all day, and had been fairly successful- Sky, not so much.
"Kidding. It's saying you have pretty eyes," Poppy mumbled. She glanced away, hoping Sky hadn't heard the last part. She actually had no clue what Oddish had said.
"Really? Wow, thanks Oddish!" Sky smiled at the grass type, which promptly ran away into a nearby bush.
How dense. Poppy thought, scowling at Sky.
Sky pinched Poppy's cheeks, forcing her to smile. "Oh, c'mon! You'll get it eventually. Meowth's a good teacher. I think. I mean, he is the only talking Pokemon in the world! Anyway, will you stop scowling so much? Your face looks funny when you do!"
Poppy blushed a bit, standing up and dusting herself off. "I've got to get home. The sun's starting to set-"
"But it's way up in the sky-"
"Bye Skylar! See ya tomorrow!" Poppy rushed out of there, not bothering to look back at the girl she had just left sitting alone in the forest.
Communicating with Pokemon is better done alone, Poppy thought.
"It's sayin' that youse seem troubled."
"Well, I'm not."
"Oh c'mon Sen, I know ya better than that!"
Poppy flopped down on the floor, burying her head in her knees. Mime Jr hopped up on her shoulder, giving her a few affectionate nuzzles. Meowth smiled at the rather adorable sight.
"I wish I knew what you were saying," Poppy murmured, picking up the baby Pokemon and cuddling it close.
"Once ya get out there on that journey o' yours, you'll be able to hear em' much better," Meowth assured, "it just takes practice."
"Maybe," Poppy replied.
Poppy was impatient. She wanted, no, she needed to know what the Pokemon around her were saying. She wanted to be in touch with their hearts, with their feelings. Being a Pokemon trainer was nice and all, it was one thing to simply understand a Pokemon, but it was another to actually communicate with one.
"Mime mime!" Mime Jr. chided, launching itself into Poppy's arms.
"Aw, I love you too," Poppy responded.
"See? Ya got that down, at the very least." Meowth commented.
Poppy hadn't even realized she'd understood what Mime Jr had said- it came so naturally, like something she had heard every day. Her eyes grew wide, and she smiled.
"I guess you're right."
Poppy stared the Nidoran down, her gaze never faltering as she met the Pokemon's small eyes. It stared at her expectantly. Poppy shook her head. Her older sister standing beside her gasped.
"Does it not like me?!" Amethyst cried, staring down at her starter Pokemon.
"What? No," Poppy replied. "Like I've told you before, I still don't know what it's saying. It's like Nidoran's head is empty or something."
"But you said you could understand what most Kanto Pokemon say," Amethyst pouted.
"Well, this Nidoran is clearly dumb or something, because it won't say anything."
Amethyst huffed audibly, picked Nidoran up, and marched out of the room without another word. Poppy had been trying to fulfill her sister's wishes by understanding her newly-caught Nidoran's speech, but everytime she tried, it all sounded like gibberish. Admittedly, she'd stretched the truth a tiny bit when she told Amethyst about how she could "understand every Pokemon in Kanto". She could understand bits and pieces, but she could only understand full sentences if the Pokemon had clear intent to talk to her. Most of the time…they didn't.
It's not that Nidoran doesn't like Amethyst. It probably just doesn't like me. Poppy thought, flopping down on the nearby sofa.
She felt something furry curl up next to her, and she shoved it off. Meowth gave her a look, and Poppy just rolled her eyes. "I was here first."
"Tis couch is big enough for two, Sen. What's wrong with ya today?"
Poppy groaned. "I want to believe I can talk to Pokemon, like you. I want to believe it, so badly, but most of the time, it's all gibberish! I feel like I'm lying to myself. Humans aren't Pokemon, and they're not meant to understand them. Maybe…I just can't do it." Poppy bit her lip. Why was she suddenly so emotional?
Meowth climbed on top of the young girl's shoulder, leaning against her head. "I think youse can do it. It wasn't easy to learn human speak, I'll tell ya. It took ol' Meowth years. But I did it. Just give it time, Sen, and youse will get it eventually."
Poppy smiled, and pet Meowth's head. He purred affectionately.
But I don't want to get it eventually…I want to get it now.
"Alright, we're heading out. Poppy, you can stay by yourself for a little while, right?" Jessie called to her daughter, "Amethyst should be back in a little while, she's out with Nidoran right now."
"I'll be fine, bring me back some pastries!" Poppy yelled back.
Her parents had to go work the tea shop; it was backed up at the moment. Poppy would've loved to help, but she had homework to finish (that she really would've preferred NOT to do). She heard the door close, and Poppy sighed, burying her head in her arms.
"I want to go out on a Pokemon journey too…"
A knock came at the door. Poppy sighed, assuming it was Amethyst coming back to rant about all of her new findings in the great wilderness, or whatever she did during the day. However, when she opened the door, she was greeted by the bright, hazel eyes of none other than Skylar Oak.
"What are you doing here?" Poppy felt her cheeks begin to heat up, and she looked away from her friend.
"Well- uhm- I was just walking around, looking for you in our usual meeting spot, and- and this Nidoran, it kept nagging at me! It wouldn't leave me alone, and I know you're good at this kind of thing, so I thought I'd come here and ask you for hel-" Sky was interrupted by Poppy's loud gasp.
"That's Amethyst's," she whispered.
"It is?" Sky cocked her head, glancing down at the Pokemon now frantically running around her feet.
"I can hear it." Poppy muttered.
"What do you mean, hear it?" Sky's eyes widened. "You mean…you understand it?!"
"Yes," Poppy gulped. "It's really worried…about Amethyst…she got caught…she got caught somewhere." Poppy took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind and listen. Nidoran kept crying, and something twisted in her stomach. "I can't make out where she's caught…but I think Nidoran knows. We need to follow it. Now."
Sky could sense the urgency in Poppy's voice, and nodded. Her homework now abandoned, Poppy ran out the door with Sky close behind, the two following the Nidoran running in front of them. It certainly wasn't very fast, but it seemed to know where it was going. The trio made a sharp turn, down a path Poppy had never been down before, despite her many trips into the woods with Sky. Another knot formed in her stomach. She skidded to a stop; the path looked rough and dangerous. She felt someone squeeze her hand, and she turned the color of a tamato berry.
"C'mon. Your sister's in danger, right?" Sky inquired, pointing down the untread path. "Let's save her together!"
Her color returning, Poppy nodded. "Okay. Right. It's fine, there's nothing to be worried about."
"Nido nido!" Nidoran waved its hoof, motioning the girls down the path before them.
Poppy and Sky nodded to one another, and continued running down the path. Plants were overgrowing, almost completely covering where the trail was supposed to be. The two kept running, following after the small Pokemon in front of them. Suddenly, Nidoran stopped. Rocks were blocking the path. They seemed to have fallen from a nearby cliff.
"Someone! Let me out! Nidoran…" The rocks shook slightly as someone hit them.
"Amethyst! Are you okay?" Poppy yelled, running up to the rocks and placing her ear against them.
"I'm- fine- I was looking for cheri berries- they grow in the area, and I wanted to find them for-"
"Get to the point."
"Well, suddenly, all of these rocks fell out of NOWHERE and nearly crushed me, and they fell on my leg, and now I can't get out, and is Nidoran okay? How'd you even find me, where is-"
"Will you calm down? Nidoran is fine, it told me to come here and find you. I just don't know how to get these rocks out of the way…" Poppy sighed. Her sister talked even more than usual when she was nervous.
"Have Nidoran use scratch, see if the rocks move at all."
Poppy was about to command the attack when Sky grabbed her arm, shaking her head. "If the rocks fall, they'll fall on Amethyst and hurt her."
"No, it's fine! Don't worry about me, just move the rocks!"
"AMETHYST, THE WHOLE REASON I'M HERE IS BECAUSE I'M WORRIED ABOUT YOU!" Poppy shouted. The rocks shook a bit at her yelling.
Amethyst had no response to that. Poppy plopped down on the ground, trying to think of a solution to their predicament. The rocks were too big to move by human strength, and Nidoran's moves weren't nearly powerful enough to break the rocks, and even if they were, they'd just end up falling on her sister.
"Hey, I know! What if we tried airlifting her out?" Sky pounded a fist to her palm, seemingly set on her idea. "Got any flying type Pokemon?"
Poppy deadpanned. "No. I don't."
Sky smirked. "Of course you don't! Which is why you need to get some!"
"And how do you suppose I do that?"
Sky pointed to the trees above them, where Poppy knew all of the Kakuna and Beedrill nests resided. Her heart dropped.
"You want me…to persuade those Beedrill…to help my older sister stuck in rocks."
"Exactly!" Sky said excitedly.
"Sounds like a good idea to me!" Amethyst chirped from behind the rocks.
"Are you two stupid or something?! Those Beedrill will attack me! I can't. I don't want Amethyst to get hurt. Let's just wait for Mom and Dad or something." Poppy crossed her arms defiantly, turning away from the rock pile before her.
"Sis…y'know how I said my leg was trapped? Well, it's starting to hurt now, and I'd really prefer if we didn't wait another hour for Mom and Dad to come find us…" Amethyst's voice began to falter, and Poppy could tell she was about to cry.
"Oh my Arceus, you drama queen. Fine, I'll go see if the Beedrill will help. I can't guarantee anything, though."
Sky and Amethyst cheered. Hesitantly, Poppy picked up a pebble from the ground, and tossed it into the air. It hit a Kakuna square in the face. A distant buzz sounded from the trees. She flinched. Suddenly, what looked to be about a million different red eyes pointed directly at her.
"I made them mad." was all Poppy managed to get out before they charged at her.
She felt someone knock her out of the way of the oncoming Beedrill. Sky was on top of her, the two hiding in a bush as the Beedrill buzzed loudly above them.
"You have to do something!" Sky whisper-shouted.
"What do you want me to do? Get stung?"
"You're the Pokemon communicator; not me. And you were the one to make them mad," Sky offered her friend a smile. "I believe in you. Worst comes to worst, I'll just shield you from their stingers. No one messes with me!" Sky proudly pounded a fist to her chest.
Poppy blushed slightly, and nodded. "Okay. But if I die, it's on you."
Sky grinned. "Deal."
Poppy stood up, staring down the Beedrill now beginning to descend upon them. She closed her eyes. She tuned out the sounds of Amethyst whimpering behind the rocks, of Sky's heavy breathing, of the soft breeze blowing through the depths of the woods.
Focus.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to harm you. My sister needs help. Please…don't hurt us. I just need your help. I need to save her."
The loud buzzing stopped. Poppy felt one of the bug type Pokemon's stingers brush her head. She tensed. But then, she felt it start to poke her again, this time more playfully. Almost as though…it was petting her. Poppy giggled.
"You're not so bad after all, huh?"
We will help your sister.
Poppy's eyes widened. "You..you will?"
No one has ever made an effort to understand us before. They all run away. They're terrified of us. But you…you're different.
Before Poppy could respond, a Beedrill had flown over the rock pile and picked up Amethyst, gently placing her down on the other side. Nidoran ran to its trainer's arms, nuzzling her affectionately.
"Thank you." Was all Poppy could manage to get out.
Please come back someday, Poppy.
And with that, the swarm was gone, flying into the treetops where they couldn't be detected. The trio of girls sat in shock. Until Amethyst broke the silence with a loud groan.
"Listen, I get that was impressive and all, but can we please go home now?"
Poppy suddenly remembered why she had come here in the first place, and gasped. "Oh my Arceus, Amethyst, are you alright?!"
Amethyst offered her younger sister a small smile, ignoring the question. "Y'know, I have a feeling that when you become a trainer one day, you'll be much better at this than I am."
The three girls burst into laughter that echoed throughout the forest. Poppy couldn't help the feeling of pride that blossomed in her chest. She glanced up at the treetops, opening her mouth to yell.
"I finally did it! And you won't be the last to hear me! Count on it!" She rushed out of the forest, determination flooding her eyes.
"Hey- WAIT- Poppy, you'll fall into a DITCH-" Amethyst limped after her sister, Sky following close behind.
"I'll be fine! I'm much better at this than you are, remember?!" Poppy called back.
A/N: Okay, this was a little chaotic, and definitely not my best work, but I'm certainly not opposed to how it turned out. I know it's been a while- I've been super busy with life stuff and drama club and being lazy. Writing couldn't be squeezed in until it was like 11:00 pm on a school night.
Oh well. And by the way, yes, Poppy has a huge crush on Sky. At this point it's just a childhood crush but trust me, it grows as she gets older. They gay :)
