I WAS supposed to update a Sabrina chapter, but this one finished first. So… here you go.
Once again, this chapter is all about Blue, as advertised in Destiny. And basically her actions after the HGSS arc regarding the return of Pryce.
Confrontation:
Blue simply stared at the sign of the Gym. Mahogany Town Gym. … She knew this day would come someday… and he probably did as well.
The moment she entered the Gym, an assistant walked up to her to greet and inform her about the Gym's gimmicks. But an ice cold glare from her sent him scurrying for his life.
The Gym's interior was pretty cold. But it didn't match Blue's iciness inside. She simply walked forward, walking across the polished ice floor without slipping an inch. She was used to walking on ice.
The handful of trainers there tried to stop her and battle her, but she shoved them out of the way. One tried extra hard to stop her, and she ended up slamming his face into the ice. Eventually, Blue managed to reach her destination. Pryce's room.
When she opened the door, she spotted the old man in the corner of the room, carefully crafting an ice sculpture. He looked up at her and a mix of emotions flashed across his wrinkled face.
"… I had a feeling you would come," he said after a short sigh. "I was waiting for this."
Blue simply kept her icy glare. This man was responsible for the state of her life. Everything… But at the same time, she owed him everything as well. Her knowledge, talent, and skills all came from him. … She really didn't know what to do or say.
"… Did Silver tell you?" Pryce asked as he got his wheelchair to approach her.
"Do you think I wouldn't know about you if he didn't tell me?" Blue retorted.
The old man smiled. "Of course not. You're resourceful. As you always were." He calmly held her gaze. "Are you here for revenge?"
"What do you think?" Blue retorted again.
Pryce examined her expression for a short while. "It doesn't seem like it. You look like you want something from me. An answer, perhaps, to a question you've been asking yourself."
Blue steadily dropped her glare. She couldn't help it, as she felt as if tears were about to well in her eyes. The fact that Pryce knew her best… … This man knew her better than her parents…
"… You know best…"
Pryce slowly nodded. "Of course." He slowly moved towards a shelf in the other side of the room. "So… what are you here for?"
"… You came back from the temporal void," Blue started. "… You must've seen many alternate futures. Silver told me that you saw an alternate future where the world got destroyed and you came back to stop it."
Pryce stopped moving things on the shelf and let out a long sigh. "I see… you came for that…"
"I have to know," Blue said after a sigh of her own. "What was my life like, if you had never kidnapped me?"
Pryce slowly turned to face her once again. "… That doesn't sound like a question you'd ask. You never looked back on the lost possibilities of the past. Why ask now?"
Pryce's Swinub created a chair made of ice and Blue sat down on it. It didn't feel cold, oddly. So the skills of the old Mask of Ice remained.
"… I need to know," she said. "I need to know how much you screwed me by kidnapping me. Or whether you saved me instead."
Pryce simply examined her expression. "What's bothering you?"
Blue's vision blurred a little. "… Just tell me, damn it."
Pryce sighed and tapped his Swinub. "Show her."
The Swinub proceeded to create and animate a large ice sculpture in front of Blue. Just like in the old days under the Mask of Ice, it instantly thawed and refroze water particles to make it look like the sculptures were moving. And right now, the sculptures were… models of Blue. The Swinub was showing Blue an animated version of what her life would've been like, if she was never kidnapped. The other sculptures were showing different things to show setting. Like a sign that read "Pallet Town".
The ice-Blue lived in Pallet Town. She did not have a Pokédex, and as such, never met Red or Green. She had her Jigglypuff, and simply lived her life as a normal girl. With happy and friendly parents. She lived day to day without purpose, but with plenty of reasons to be happy. She even had a boyfriend. A nice guy who lived next door. He showed her plenty of care and love, sometimes excessively. In short, she always had a smile on her lips and had no reason to get upset over anything.
Blue watched her would-be life. … It was infinitely greater than her current life… She let out a sigh and buried her face into her hands.
"… I'm sorry," Pryce said quietly.
"I would've had… everything… I ever wanted," Blue muttered. "… Everything…" She soon forced herself to calm down. "… Pointless… I shouldn't have asked… I was afraid it would be this way…" She looked over at Pryce and thought about what to say for a second. "… What about Silver? The only way you can justify my kidnapping would be Silver."
"He grows up to be the head of Team Rocket," Pryce said. "Evil. And like his father."
Blue nodded. "… If you kidnapped him but not me?"
"He would not have survived," Pryce said quietly.
"If I never escaped with him?"
"You both snap," said the old man. "He becomes like Will. You, like Karen."
"… I see…"
"Kidnapping you and Silver was the best for him," Pryce said. "You know that. You always sacrificed yourself in some way for his benefit. This is no exception. But it doesn't justify in kidnapping you. And I'm sorry."
"Apologies won't fix my life," Blue snapped. "So save it. As long as Silver's life is much better now than what could have been, I'll accept it. Besides, pondering over those past possibilities is pointless. You taught me that." She let out another long sigh. "… So… my life's purpose has been fulfilled, is that right? I was kidnapped to ensure Silver survived in his kidnapping, and that he won't turn evil. I escaped with him to make sure that he didn't snap and had a chance at a normal life. Now, he's happy and in the bright life. So I'm done. Useless. Is that right? I completed my purpose? All that's left for me is a pointless death?"
"That doesn't sound like you," Pryce said again. "You're usually willing to fight challenges and problems and overcome them. Not give up."
Blue looked into his eyes, suddenly feeling as if she was as old as he was. "… I'm tired of fighting. Tired of struggling. Tired of living only to taste disappointment… I just want to end it all. … What would happen if I die? Would it affect Silver badly?"
"Think of the reasoning behind your actions. You did everything for his sake. How would he react if you died? And how would he react if he found out why you died?"
"… So I have to keep on living in this pointless life… for his sake? That's my destiny?"
Pryce went towards the shelf once again. "Of course not. You can be happy. It all depends on what you do. You would know better than me. After all, you would've considered every possibility. But why are you asking me all of this? Why not discuss with your friends? I'd imagine that you'd have trouble making friends after what I did, but you have them now. Not to mention, you reunited with your parents."
"Stop rubbing it in, old man," Blue snapped again. "My so-called friends and family are worth nothing to me. And I'm worth even less to them. The only reason I'm here is because you were more of a father to me than my real dad. And you were more of a friend to me than my so-called friends apart from Red. You were harsh. Cold. Brutal. And very cruel. But at the same time, you taught me. You trained me, and made me prepare for the world. And you gave me a purpose in life. … I need you to do that again. I need a purpose other than keeping Silver in the bright life. You've seen all sorts of future possibilities. Including my life. I need you to tell me what I can do so I can finally be happy."
Pryce took out something from the shelf. "Sometimes, the correct answer is not the most obvious one." He approached Blue once more and gave her the object he held. "Sometimes, thinking cold and rational can show you the way. Remember how you used to be."
Blue stared at the object in her hand. … It was her mask. From the days under the Mask of Ice.
"Detach yourself emotionally," Pryce said as he returned to working on the ice sculpture. "Don't waste time thinking about all sorts of possibilities. They are merely pointless worries. You know this already. But remember. Don't abandon your friends. That's all I can tell you."
Blue stared at the mask for a long while, suddenly remembering those nightmarish days in perfect clarity. But at the same time, she remembered how… calm she was. She put the mask on over her face. The old familiar feeling was returning. She rose to her feet and felt around her mask once more.
"… Thank you," she said to Pryce. "… If I need you again…"
"You know where I'll be."
…
Blue visited Pryce once more. It was odd, sad, and ironic that she visited him more often than anyone else recently. And he was the nicest to her as well.
"How do you do it?" Blue asked abruptly as she sat down on the ice chair once more.
Pryce looked up from the sculpture he was making. "Hm? Do what?"
"Your thoughts," Blue elaborated. "You've done horrible things in the past. How do you escape those thoughts? How do you stop your memories from haunting you?"
Pryce looked back down at the sculpture. "This. I lose myself in creating something that requires a careful and delicate touch."
Blue took a glance around the room. There were many sculptures here and there. All Ice type Pokémon, majority of which were Lapras. For obvious reasons.
"Maybe you'd like to try," Pryce said. His Swinub created a large block of ice and set it in front of Blue. The old man then gave her his sculpting tools. "Just make whatever that comes to mind."
Blue took the tools and stared at the block of ice. What came to her mind first? … Green, of course. She focused on her memories of him and began to sculpt. She had never done this before, so she took things very slowly, carving a little bit at a time. Pryce simply watched her silently.
Hours passed by and neither said a word. Blue kept on sculpting until Green's face looked rather realistic on the block of ice.
"Very good," Pryce said at last. "Did it work?"
Blue blinked a few times and stared at Green's face on the ice block. She suddenly narrowed her eyes and purposely hammered the ice block, completely shattering it. She took a shuddering breath and set the tools on the table to her side.
"Yes… it worked for the duration. But… is there anything more portable? I can't come here every time I want to escape my thoughts."
"Perhaps you can draw on a sketchbook," Pryce suggested. "There are many hobbies out there that you can take up to escape your thoughts. Painting or drawing also requires a delicate touch. Think of those masterpieces that exist. Some took years to complete."
Blue slowly nodded. "Drawing… yes, I think I can do that. And I can take it with me wherever I go." She rose to her feet as she wanted to go home now. "Thank you again."
Pryce nodded. "If you need me again, you know where I'll be."
Blue nodded once more and silently left, knowing that one day, she'll be back again to seek comfort and advice from the man who started it all.
A short chapter, but I don't think this chapter has to be that long.
I will try to get that Sabrina chapter up for the next SC update. It's kind of long. Let's hope it goes well!