Rejuvenation
I don't own either Pokemon or Pokemon Rejuvenation. If I did, they would both suck. A lot.
…
I stepped off of the train, Treecko still perched on my right shoulder.
"…Wow..." I drawled in awe, gazing at the forest of golden trees under a clear blue sky. A breeze of nature's fresh greeted me, softly rustling my bangs. Treecko seemed to be happy to see actual nature, breathing in the clean air.
I shook my head, and continued into the forest. Need to find Melia.
…Well, forest was a bit of a relative term. In all honesty, the area looked more like a park, just with a very large river, and without the benches. The sound of Vivillons flying and twirling through the sky echoed through the forest, leaving a trail of colorful scales in their wake.
A peaceful atmosphere continued to linger throughout the area, it was really calming sensation. I shook my head out of my thoughts.
"Gotta find Melia." I mumbled to myself. The area was really open, aside from a tree blocking an area or two, so it shouldn't take long until I find, or-
"This is my precious garden! I worked hard on it, and I'd appreciate if you'd ask for permission to enter it next time!"
"I-I'm sorry…"
…hear her. Me and my starter turned towards the screaming voice, which seemed to be a woman in a gardening outfit…and Melia, twiddling her fingers, her head held low, the two standing inside a small garden. I sighed to myself, and walked over towards the small field of flowers.
"Good!" The woman exclaimed, before turning back and walking away. "Excuse me." She pardoned, passing me by. Melia's head was tilted down, I couldn't tell whether in shame or embarrassment. Regardless, I walked over.
She seemed to notice the shadow of someone approaching, and raised her head, seemingly surprised at my appearance.
…
...
...
"Hey." I said after an awkward moment of silence.
"…What are you doing here?" She questioned, a hint of shame in her voice, her head turning. I raised the suitcase with my good hand.
"You forgot your briefcase."
"…Thanks." She choked out, taking the briefcase and bringing it to her side.
…
You know, I came all the way out here to talk to Melia, but I don't have the slightest clue on how the hell to start. I silently glanced at Treecko, who shrugged in response.
"…You should get going. You've already done what you came here for, right?" Melia broke the silence, still avertingeye contact. I sighed. This was both going to be harder and more awkward than I thought.
"…Not…exactly. I wanted to check up on you, I guess." Did that sound creepy? Please don't sound tell me that sounded creepy…
"…Really?" Melia asked, surprised, before shaking her head. "I'm fine…How's your shoulder?" She quickly asked the last bit, still avoiding eye contact.
"Better. Should heal in a day or two." I shrugged…I winced in pain slightly. Damn it Aevis, stop doing that. Melia frowned a bit, sighing. Double damn it.
…
"Can you just skip to the part where you get mad at me?" Melia desired.
…
"What?"
"I know it's coming up. So just get it over with. "You're a freak.", "You're a weirdo.", "Leave me alone and never come back.", if you're one of the nicer ones, anyways." She said, tiredness present in her voice.
"…You're surprisingly okay people calling you that." I noted.
"Well, I have had a lot of opportunities to practice." She jested sadly. "So go on and get it over with."
"…It wasn't your fault." I said. Treecko seemed to nod in agreement on my shoulder.
…
"What?" She questioned, shocked at what she just heard, before shaking her head in disbelief. "…You're lying, aren't you? You are." She claimed. I shook my head.
"I don't blame you for what happened." I repeated, a bit sterner. Melia let out a soft smile…but then she started…laughing…?
"…Stop lying and just blame me already." She snarled, her head tilting even lower, her eyes shadowed by her hair…This was getting creepy.
"…Are you…okay?" I questioned. Melia waved it off.
"Everyone else always does, so go. Get it over with." She choked out, as if desperate, raising her head slightly, a clenched fist was trembling at her side. I glanced at Treecko, who seemed just as unnerved by the scene as I was.
"…I'm not going to blame you." I repeated, although admittedly I could feel my voice quivering a bit. She didn't reply, and seemed to be frozen in place. She stared at me, a shocked look on her face, like she was seeing a ghost. She held her head low again, and whispered.
"Why won't you blame me...?" She whispered to herself. She then dropped the suitcase onto the grass, and raised a shaking hand to her face.
"…It…wasn't your fault." I repeated again, although a feeling of uneasiness lingered in my words. She seemed to be in complete disbelief.
"Just blame me blame me blame me blame me…" She continued on and on, her hand harshly clenching her own face in agony. Her entire body was trembling at this point…I was genuinely creeped out by this. A gust of wind rustled some of the golden leaves and flowers, which seemed to only creep me out more.
I stood there in silence for a few seconds, mentally debating with myself what I should do.
...
I ended up cautiously walked towards her, ruffling the grass a bit.
…
"Are…you okay?"
My question was answered when a trembling fist smashed right into my face. I let out a pained grunt and tumbled back from the impact. A nauseous feeling overtook me for a moment, like my head became a bag of bleach for a moment…How do people brush off feelings like this?!
Treecko looked ready to attack, entering a hostile position, a scowl on his face. I made a quick gesture for him not to…Why? I don't know. I really don't know.
"WHY WON'T YOU BLAME ME?!" Melia screamed from the top of her lungs. She stomped her feet towards me, heavy steps rustling the grass. I slowly backtracked. She raised her two clenched fists and began throwing them at me.
"BLAME ME! BLAME ME! IT'S ALWAYS MY DAMN FAULT!" Melia roared out, relentlessly barraging me with punches. I crossed my right arm over my chest, trying to minimize the hammering pain being inflicted on my torso.
"Calm down!" I exclaimed, still backtracking and defending myself.
"JUST! BLAME! ME! BLAME! ME!" She continued to riot out, hastening her barrage of fists. One of her clutched fists ended up colliding with…
Crack!
A searing pain cracked through my left shoulder, as if a semi truck smashed into it.
I stopped trying to defend myself and released an agonizing scream into the sky, clenching my shoulder for dear life, which only seemed to make the cracking worse. The throbbing pain was too much too bear, it was like having your arm thrown against a concrete wall.
Treecko seemed to have enough of this, and released a barrage of attacks with Razor Wind towards the grass, making Melia jump back.
I clenched my shoulder tighter, and let my knees collapse to the ground. My shoulder was broken glass at this point, and my breathing was becoming lighter and lighter. I collapsed onto the ground, passing out for the second time that day.
-LINE-BREAK-
…
I woke up for the third time that day, lazily opening my eyes.
I groaned lightly, and-
"FUCK!" I cursed, attempting to push myself up with my left arm. The pain was still there, although it was much less painful than before. Still hurt like a bitch though. I took a quick look around. It looked like we were a bit deeper into the garden area. Flowers were blooming, and golden trees were still everywhere. A floral scent lingered through the air, a faint trace of pollen too.
"Tree!"
I turned my head to face my starter, a smile present on his face as he leapt towards my face.
"…What…happened…?" The Grass-type grunted, and silently gestured his head towards the side, where Melia…was crouched into a ball, leaning against a tree, her face deep in her knees and arms. Her briefcase was set aside. I raised my head a bit higher, seeing my Poison-type hovering over her.
"Koffing!" He exclaimed. I gave him a slight wave and turned my head back towards the girl. Sad, muffled sobbing seemed to echo around the garden, and I could practically taste the scent of sadness in the air.
…
…
…
I carefully slung my left hand over to my jacket's pocket, again, which admittedly stung a bit. I mentally debated with myself for a moment, before trudging towards her. I could wonder how Koffing got out of his Pokeball later. I eventually sat down beside her, leaning against the tree.
…
"…Heya." I greeted.
"…Mph." She sobbed out a makeshift "hey", slightly raising her head towards me. Her face was red, tears were rolling down her face, and strands seemed to be have been pulled out of her hair.
…
She quickly shoved her face back into her knees
"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry…" Melia apologized relentlessly, still crying her eyes out.
…
"…It's…okay." I sighed. To be honest, I started to question my sanity as a human being after I said that. She literally nearly broke my shoulder, and I still feel as though I should forgive her?
"…Why?" Melia weeped. "Why don't you blame me? Why aren't you mad at me? Why…aren't you like the others…?" She choked out, sniffing.
"I've hurt you twice now. I pushed you away. You were the one who had to pay the consequences for my actions. The consequence for just being near me…Why would you want me as a friend…? A friend who brings you pain everywhere she goes." She whimpered, her hands noticeably quivering on her knees.
"…Well, who wouldn't want a friend like you? You let a complete stranger into your room for a night, bought clothes for that stranger despite not even asking to, and was completely willing to tag along with him and showed him around the city, again, without even asking." I replied, before sighing to myself.
"I'm…going to be honest. I'm a lonely guy, so when I see you this lonely…I can't help but relate, in an odd, less…traumatizing way." I followed up, glancing at the Vivillons dancing from the trees above.
"…So I'm your friend because I'm the only one left…?" I shook my head.
"Well, who wouldn't want a friend as nice as you?"
"I can think of a couple dozen…" She whimpered, shifting away from me slightly. I sighed. I was really terrible at this.
"Well, nobody's perfect?" I replied, although it was more of a question than a response.
"Nobody's expecting you to be flawless." I clarified. She released a tired sigh. At this point, I was feeling frustrated. How the hell was I supposed to comfort someone I barely knew? I glanced at Treecko and at Koffing, who seemed to be talking…about something. I'm guessing they were just trying to give us privacy or something. Guess I'm all alone here…
…
Or am I?
"Look…" I began, sighing heavily. "I've…only known you for a day, I'm basically a stranger to you, and, I have no general experience with friends. I really, really, shouldn't be the person doing this…" I explained.
"So go call Venam, or Ren for that matter." I followed up, gesturing towards her purse containing her CyberNav. Melia seemed shocked at my suggestion, and turned her head away.
"…They're both probably busy…I'll just bother them." She responded, hugging her knees. I rolled my eyes a bit.
"Well, they're your friends. If they learned that you needed help, they'd rush on over in a breeze." I assured, patting her shoulder.
…
She sighed, and gave in, pulling out her CyberNav, and dialing the number.
"…Hey Venam." She choked out, a somewhat sad tone in her voice
"…I'm fine. Just feeling a little…despressed."
"…Just…dealing with…things."
"…Goldenwood Forest…Why?"
Beep!
…
"Hello?" Melia said, before realizing that the CyberNav was cut off. She let out a depressed sigh.
"See? I just inconvenienced her." I decided to wait a few moments until I responded.
…
…
…
It didn't take too long for a certain purple-haired Gym Leader's voice was booming from the forest.
"MEEEELLLLLLLIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
After several seconds of listening to exhausted running and screaming, the Gym Leader eventually found us from within the garden, breathing heavily.
"Melia!" She exclaimed. I slowly stood up, supporting myself up with my rand arm, and began to walk out the garden.
"I'll give you two your privacy." I said. Venam gave me a look that said 'Thanks.' and 'You better not have done this you little piece of-' and etc. My Pokemon followed me out of the garden.
-LINE-BREAK-
I leaned against a nearby tree, facing towards the garden's entrance. It was actually looked a lot smaller on the outside than on the inside. Treecko was resting on my shoulder, and Koffing was hovering beside the Grass-type.
Venam and Melia were talking from within the garden. I wonder what they were telling to each other.
"Tree?" Treecko pointed a hand towards my shoulder, head titled.
"…I mean, it doesn't feel terrible." I…almost shrugged, before stopping myself. My shoulder still stung a bit, although I'm sure the pain would pass within a few days…hopefully. Treecko seemed to scowl a bit and look away…I don't think Melia's very high on his list for now.
"Why was Koffing out of his Pokeball?" I asked. Treecko let out several cries…which I couldn't understand. The Grass-type rolled its eyes and pointed towards the minimized Pokeball on my belt. He then went on to gently touch his hands together.
…
"You released him?" I guessed. He lightly nodded.
"Why?" Treecko then did…some sort of running in place action, and pointed towards the garden.
"…I don't understand you this time." I admitted. He facepalmed, and remained on my shoulder, arms crossed. I reached into my bag, and popped a Pecha Berry into my mouth. A bit too sweet in my opinion, but I still like it.
…
"Vi?"
"Hm?" I hummed. I raised my head, a Vivillon perched on my hat. I raised an eyebrow.
"Vi Vi!" It waved its stubby hand in a friendly gesture…I know that a Vivillon's wings were different, but this one's design was a bit…unique.
The right wing was had a pattern of white and light gray, almost like a checkerboard, and the left was a pattern of black and dark grey…The difference was, was that the black wing had a bright scarlet design tearing through the left wing, as if it was a scar.
…
I slowly glanced at my left shoulder, and turned back towards the left wing.
…
Oh ha ha, Life. Nice joke. Then again though, I passed out from a simple punch...I really need to exercise more...I sighed, and decided to throw it an Oran Berry, because why not. It smiled, and bit into the berry.
"Vi! Villion!" It cried out. I smiled…and then I realized I was out of berries...I blame Koffing.
I raised my hand and lightly patted the Bug-type on its head. It let out a cry of joy and flew into the sky, dancing, and twirling from side to side. Its monochrome wings scattered scales as black as ink and as white as snow around the sky, blissfully falling down onto the grass.
It seemed to notice something in the distance, which I'm assuming was more Vivillon based on the "Vivi!"-s I could hear, and bolted away, leaving another trail of scales.
…That was an interesting encounter.
…
"Yo." I raised my head to see Venam walking towards me, hands on her hips.
"How's Melia?" I asked. The Poison-girl let out a deep sigh.
"She's fine…mostly. She's still feeling depressed though. I can't really say I'm surprised to be honest. She's always had a few moments like this after all. Well, after the first friend anyways." She answered, before sighing again.
"To be honest, it's getting really frustrating." She admitted. "I mean, I really do care for her…but it's just…you know…" Venam drawled out.
"Understandable." I replied. She sighed in relief.
"Cool. Although the reason I'm here is to hear your side of the story." She explained, to which I raised an eyebrow.
"My side?"
"Melia's still depressed, so I don't really want to ask her too much. All I know is a Pyroar bit into your shoulder, and Melia ran back here where you followed and tried to comfort her. Anything I'm missing?" She questioned.
"That's…the gist of it, I guess, unless you want specifics." I replied.
"What did you say to her when you found her?" She inquired, head tilted.
"I said…that it wasn't her fault. I didn't blame her, and well…she somewhat…lost it, after that." Venam raised an eyebrow at me for that.
"She…kept on telling herself "Blame me blame me" or something along those lines. She ended up…wailing, at me with her fists." I followed up. Venam seemed shocked to hear that.
"For real?" I nodded. "Wow…she's never done that before. Although I can somewhat see that happening…I mean, it's been a little over a year since she met Ren, and he's basically the last new friend she has…and you just broke one hell of a streak." She shrugged. I continued.
"One of her punches…kinda…maybe…crashed into my already damaged shoulder and…made…me pass out." I admitted, somewhat embarrassingly. Venam snickered.
"Wow. You really can't take a hit, huh?" She teased with a cheeky grin.
"…Shut up." I grumbled. I could near a light snicker coming from Koffing too. Traitor.
…
"Thanks." Venam said out of nowhere. I tilted my head at that.
"For what?"
"For, you know, not freaking out when your shoulder got…uh…you know, bit. Melia told me about that part, at least." She explained, arms crossed. "And uh…you know when she…kinda made it worse, too."
"…It's okay…Everything happens for a reason after all." I replied, echoing Ms. Tesla's words. Venam nodded, and glanced back at the garden.
"…Stupid gym battles…" She grumbled, before turning back to me.
"Look, Melia's still depressed, and, unfortunately, I can't exactly stay here for long. I've already cut one gym battle short, and I can't risk cutting another one off or else Amanda or Jan's gonna tell me off. I have no doubt in my mind that I'm not going to be able to convince her to not stay here, so…" She explained.
"The fact that you're still standing there is…well, enough of a reason for me to trust you, really." She shrugged.
"If Melia's cool with you, you're cool with me, kay?" She smiled, playfully punching my-
"OW!"
"Sorry! Sorry…" She apologized, defensively raising up her hands. "Sorry…"
"…It's…okay." I said for the third time that day, and for the second time that day, I questioned my sanity. She let out a sigh of relief, and smiled.
"Seriously though, thanks for…being friends with Melia. I appreciate it."
"…No problem." I replied. She nodded, and pulled out her CyberNav.
"Let's change numbers, call me if Melia gets depressed again, or if anything goes wrong." Venam said. I nodded, and pulled out my own, quickly exchanging numbers. She nodded, and walked back into the garden.
"I'll go get her."
…
"Treecko? Koffing?" I got the attention of my two Pokemon.
"Would I still be considered a sane human being or no?" Treecko facepalmed, and Koffing seemed contemplative of his answer.
…
"Yo!" I raised my head again to see Venam…dragging Melia towards us, the blonde holding onto her briefcase. I let a soft smile appear on my face at that.
"Alright. You two. Stay safe. I need to go back to Gearen, Jan's going to have my ass if he finds out I cut battles short. See ya!" She waved goodbye, leaving me, Melia, and my Pokemon in a somewhat awkward moment of silence.
…
…
…
"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry…" Melia began repeating again, to which I sighed.
"…I'm sorry for hurting your shoulder, again." Melia apologized more specifically, rubbing her arm.
"Do you…still want to explore Goldenwood Forest with me?" She asked, melancholy in her voice.
You know, after getting my shoulder nearly broken, trying to comfort someone I barely know, and waiting for said person…
"Sure." I'd be insane to say no at this point.
"…Let's go then." She smiled, although it was obvious it was forced. I sighed, and followed her down the dirt-traced path. I should try to make her laugh or something, but then again, I'll probably just accidentally make it worse.
"Oh come on!"
We both turned our heads towards a random fisherman, swearing at his own Fishing Rod…Helping people make Melia happy, right? I don't know, but it's the best I can think of.
"Let's try to help him out." I suggested. Melia sighed.
"Sure." She agreed, although she answered with a depressed tone. I can see why Venam feels both bad for her, and is infuriated with her. We walked over towards the Fisherman, who turned his head towards us.
"Who are you two?"
…
Oh. Right. I'm supposed to engage in conversation since Melia probably won't.
…
"…Why are you so frustrated?" I asked, ignoring the question. The fisherman groaned.
"These damn baits aren't getting me anything. I spent a good bit on these too! If only I had some Gourmet Treats…heard they were the best at reeling Pokemon in." He complained. Koffing seemed to get excited at the word "Gourmet".
"…Well, I have some. Would you like one?" Melia asked, somewhat reluctantly, grabbing one from her briefcase.
"Really?! I mean I wouldn't want to impose…but okay!" The Fisherman beamed and grabbed the treat, and quickly began setting up his pole.
"Come on! Jerry needs a new Pokemon!" He exclaimed as he cast his line in, a Toink! Echoing from the river.
…
"How are you feeling?" I asked the girl.
"…I'm fine, I guess." She shrugged. I sighed to myself. Guess that didn't work. I need to think of something else I guess.
"Oh boy!" The Fisherman hollered, the sound of his line being reeled in catching his attention.
"You caught something?" I inquired. The Fisherman nodded furiously as he pulled back his fishing rod, a loud thrashing booming from the river. The force of its trashing could be felt even from where we stood, its struggle even doused some of the nearby trees.
"It's a big one! That's for sure! Imagine the size of it!" He exclaimed excitedly, putting even more effort on his rod.
"And…" The Fisherman grinned, and fiercely pulled back his rod."GOT IT!"
Snap!
…The line snapped, sending the Pokemon flying towards the sky, beginning to fall towards us. The Fisherman started cheering as loud as an Exploud and roared with excitement. Melia seemed to chuckle a bit at that.
"What is it?! What is it?! Oh please let it be a Relicanth! It's the rarest and most valuable Pokemon in this area!" He begged, getting down on his knees. Even Melia seemed interested in the Pokemon. Treecko and Koffing also seemed to be curious, the former seemingly more cautious, getting into a battle stance.
The Pokemon eventually landed on the ground and…and…
"Karp!"
…
An awkward silence loomed over the three of us at the moment, and I could feel the disappointment emanating from the fisherman, his head held low as he began sobbing.
"Why…?"
…
Melia, meanwhile burst out laughing from that.
Me and my Pokemon jumped from her outburst. She let out a roaring laughter, clutching her stomach and even falling down to the grass, nearly crying tears of laughter.
"OH MY GOD!" She cried out between laughs, rolling around the grass…That was…really over the top over a Magikarp…Although, it was really nice to see Melia enjoying herself again.
"…Thanks for the Treat." The Fisherman grumbled. He reared back his foot, and kicked the Magikarp back into the river.
"HOPE YOU DROWN IN THE DEEP END!"
Melia laughed even louder at that, to the point where I was wondering if the Zubats in Johto could hear her. Treecko facepalmed at her, and I couldn't help but release a sigh of relief.
-LINE-BREAK-
The day…ended up being really fun, actually…mostly. Melia seemed to be mostly back to her own usual self though, after that laugh.
Melia released her Togepi, the Fairy-type being held on one arm by Melia. It seemed to get along well with Treecko. Not too sure about Koffing though, to be honest. Me and Melia also decided to exchange CyberNav numbers. She seemed a bit surprised when she saw that I had Venam's number though.
We spent most of the day just playing around with the wild Pokemon, mostly Vivillon. Apparently, being the Professor's daughter means that you have an infinite supply of Gourmet Treats…those things are expensive.
Seriously, ₱2,000 for just one?
Koffing may or may not have taken one…or two. Melia didn't seem to mind too much though. Treecko got a bit envious and took one for himself. Melia didn't seem to mind, again…I seriously hope that they wouldn't get addicted to the taste. I can barely buy one, let alone two.
"The Finneons look like they're having fun." Melia smiled, gazing at the fishes dancing within the body of water. She threw an abundance of Pokemon food towards the water, to which many Finneon and Magikarp gathered around. Hapi released a squeal of joy from that, and I sweatdropped.
"You…have a lot of these things, don't you?" I questioned, Koffing somewhat salivating beside me.
"Like I said, being the Professor's daughter comes with benefits." She smiled, until a frown crept onto her face.
"…Although…it's sometimes the only reason some people deal with me…" She mumbled, her expression going depressed…Quick, Aevis! Think of a distraction!
"Look! It's a child stuck up in a tree!" I exclaimed hastily, pointing behind us.
…
"…Wait, what?" I realized, slowly turning to see a child, indeed, stuck up in a tree.
"Hi!" She greeted, waving a hand towards us.
…
"How did you get up there?" Melia questioned, eyebrow raised.
"I was running away from a Pokemon that came from the caves! It chased me all the way up here, and now I can't get down!" She exclaimed. Kinda figured that last part out when we can see you clinging onto the tree for dear life.
…
"…Koffing, please bring her down." I gestured. The Poison-type nodded, and hovered over to her, that goofy grin still on his face…I couldn't help but feel it was creepy at the thought of a little girl riding a Pokemon with a goofy grin …that sounded wrong.
The little girl held onto the Poison-type tightly, and hovered down to the ground.
"Thanks!" The girl thanked, landing onto the grass. She gave Koffing a little appreciation pet, which he liked, I think.
"Where are your parents?" Melia asked.
"I lost Granpa when we were attacked by the Pokemon and we ran away. I think he's at the station."
"Well, I do faintly remember an old person inside the station…" Melia remembered. I didn't. Was that a good thing that I was focused, or bad because I didn't notice him? I'm going with the former.
"Thank you!" The girl thanked again, running back towards the train station.
"Stay safe!" Melia waved goodbye to the girl. The forest/park wasn't filled with hostile wild Pokemon unless provoked, so I wasn't too worried about her.
"Oh right! That reminds me, we should get going to the cave. Dad wanted me to explore some odd inscriptions there." …Inscriptions? Like Ancient text and stuff?
"Sounds interesting." I replied with genuine-ity…is that a word? It is now. She beamed.
"Let's go!" She grabbed my wrist and-
"OW!"
"Sorry!"
WHEN WILL PEOPLE REMEMBER I HAVE TWO ARMS?!
…
After that, we just walked towards the cave at our own leisure.
When we were about to cross the wooden bridge though, a Vivillon stopped us, landing before us in a dramatic manner…It had the same design as the last one I saw.
Its wings shined scarlet, black and white, and it began to dance, twirling, spinning, and flying around the bridge, black and white particles circling around its body, glimmering in starlight.
"Wow…So that's a Vivillon's Quiver Dance." Melia noted, Hapi chirping in joy. I nodded. It was beautiful performance, although a part of me couldn't help but think it was kind of hungry for attention, considering the moment I had with species earlier today.
"Vivi~!" It sang…I think. It twirled once again, and bowed, finishing its performance. Melia nodded, and clapped.
"Bravo!" She cheered. I would've clapped but…you know. I nodded in thanks to the Pokemon, and we continued onwards, passing by the-
"Vi!" It stopped us in our tracks, exasperatedly wailing its short limbs. I raised an eyebrow, and turned towards Melia, who shrugged.
"Uh…What do you need…?" Melia asked. Hapi gave a cry of confusion.
The Vivillon then went onto do…several positions, is the best term for it. It spread its wings, did a little twirl, and a few other things. I'm guessing it was trying to convey a message…although it looked kinda childish doing it…and by that I mean adorable.
"Vi-vilion!" It exclaimed, stretching its limbs and finishing…whatever that was.
I glanced at Melia again, who seemed just as confused as I was. I turned to Treecko, who I hoped would act out a translation. He pointed towards me messenger bag. Confused, I opened it, and the Grass-type reached in, pulling out…
A…Pokeball?
…
"…It wants me to catch it?" I guessed, to which the Vivillon let out a joyous cry, doing a little twirl into the sky.
"…Is this the same Vivillon?" I questioned. Treecko nodded. I silently turned towards Melia for an opinion.
"What do you think?" She shrugged, Hapi giving a confused cry.
"Well, I don't see why not. It's mot a Normal-type, and you're going to need all the Pokemon you need against Venam after all. All Gym Leaders use a full party of 6 Pokemon, you know."
…
"Come again?"
"Yes. I'm surprised you didn't know that."
…
I silently turned back towards the Vivillon, who seemed to be eagerly waiting for an answer.
"…Why do you think it wants to get captured?" I asked. Melia shrugged.
"Who knows? It could be bored living in the forest, or maybe it wants to become stronger."
"…What do you guys think?" I asked my two Pokemon. Treecko glanced, before shrugging, as if saying "Up to you". Koffing seemed neutral, although he had his eyes narrowed. I'm guessing it was worried about sharing his food with another member or something.
…
I grabbed the Pokeball in Treecko's hands, and raised it towards Vivillon.
"…Do you really want to get-" I didn't get to finish as Vivillon bolted towards the ball and tapped it, absorbing the Pokemon into the capsule ball.
*Shake*...*Ding!*
…
"That was…surprising." I noted. "And…only one shake?"
"It must've really wanted to get caught." Melia shrugged. I released the Bug-type onto the bridge, and it immediately flew into the sky and began dancing in joy, a trail of scales scattered in its wake.
"Vivi! Vivi-lioon~!" It "sang" again, a high pitched voice echoing through the air, which seemed to impress both of my Pokemon.
"…It likes singing and dancing, a lot apparently." I noted, and pulled out my Pokedex.
Vivillon: The Scale Pokémon
The patterns on this Pokémon's wings depend on the climate and topography of its habitat. It scatters colorful scales.
Typing: Bug-Flying
Moveset: Quiver Dance, Struggle Bug, Gust, Stun Spore
Abilty: Compound Eyes: Increases bearer's accuracy.
Gender: Female
I nodded to myself, and closed the dex. I sighed to myself. I really needed to start thinking on what Pokemon I'm going to intentionally hunt and catch for. Although I really hope they were going to be as willing as Vivillon to work with me though.
The Bug-type eventually stopped dancing and…perched itself on my hat, giggling as it did so. Thankfully, it wasn't heavy, at all, being a flying Bug type.
"Aw. I think she likes staying on your cap." Melia giggled. Well, I have three Pokemon now, all I need is three more…or maybe I could try my luck and win with only three…nah.
"Well, at least people will know which arm is which." I said, noting the wing's designs, to which Melia giggled.
"…Hey could you give Vivillon a treat?" I requested, somewhat reluctantly. Melia beamed, and quickly grabbed one from her briefcase.
"Sure! No problem!" She passed a Gourmet Treat to Vivillon, who happily munched on it, and then her eyes…sparkled, awed at the flavor.
…
"Let's…move on." I requested, sweatdropping a bit. Melia giggled, and we continued onwards.
"Hm?" Meilia hummed, turning her head to the side. "Aev, look at that." I turned my head and saw…a Drifblim and…a…um…
…Damn it, I forgot what it was called. I pulled out my Pokedex, and scanned the Pokemon across the small river stream.
Mimikyu: Disguise Pokémon
Although it's a quiet, lonely Pokémon, if you try to look at what's under its rag, it will become agitated and resist violently.
Typing: Ghost-Fairy
Moveset: ?
Ability: Disguise: Allows the Pokemon to take a single blow before taking damage.
Gender: ?
…
I couldn't help but glance at Melia when I read that Pokedex entry.
"Let's go check them out!" Melia insisted, heading towards them. I followed her shortly after.
"Hello!" Melia waved towards the Drifblim on our side, which didn't seem to pay attention to her. Vivillon tilted its head at the Ghost-type.
"Um…"Melia drawled. The Drifblim seemed to be too focused in a conversation with the Mimikyu on the other side of the stream. I turned towards Treecko, who merely shrugged.
"Drif!" The Ghost-Flying type cried out, before floating over towards the other side, and grabbed the Mimikyu. I mentally noted that it grabbed it from the bottom, sliding its…"arms" under it. It lifted the Mimikyu over the stream, and brought it back to our side.
"O…kay…" Melia drawled, shrugging.
"Ah, good boy, Drifblim." We turned back, a woman walking towards us. Her hair was purple and short, diverging at her shoulders. She was clothed in a lavender dress, reaching until her feet. She looked like she just came from a masquerade party, to be honest.
"It seems as though you've finally caught that naughty Mimikyu." The woman noted, flapping a hand-held fan. Melia widened her eyes.
"Y-You're…" She stuttered, raising a finger. "You're Goldenleaf Town's Gym leader! Narcissa!"
...I've been in Aevium for two days and I've apparently met seen Gym Leaders. Great.
"Hmm? Seems as though you know of me. What of it?" Narcissa inquired, before shaking her head. "Well, I suppose that doesn't matter now. " She walked towards the Mimikyu, its…Puppet head drooping.
"Well, look at you now. Seems as though you've bothered two trainers. Deepest apologies." She bowed her head lightly. Melia frantically shook her head.
"N-no! It was no trouble at all! Right Aev?" Wait what?
"Y-yeah. N-no bother." I stuttered out as well. I mean, she already looked intimidating, and Melia's been a trainer for a lot longer than I have, so yeah…Then again it's probably just me.
"Hm? Seems as though you two have quite some patience then…or perhaps you're lying…?" Narcissa raised an eyebrow, before shaking her head again.
"Well, thank you regardless. Patience is one thing my people need…" She mumbled the last part, before walking away, her two Ghost-types following her towards the East Gate.
-LINE-BREAK-
After the two interruptions, we finally arrived in Goldenwood Cave. It didn't really have any outlandish features, it was just your average cave. Then again though, I've only seen them in books and videos, so maybe there is something I'm missing.
"Well, nothing out of the ordinary here." Or not.
"A lot of newer trainers come here to train against other new trainers, so this should be good practice for you." Melia explained. I nodded, and we began to walk in. Vivillon seemed to be curious about the cave, darting its eyes left and right. Treecko remained way, and Koffing was just hovering beside me. To be honest, that grin is basically a poker face for him. I can't tell what he's thinking half the time.
"Hey!"
We turned our heads towards a duo of trainers, a youngster in an orange cap and another trainer with white hair.
"Let's battle!" They chorused, stretching out their Pokeballs. I glanced at Melia.
"So, double battle?" She asked, sending Hapi to the ground. A double battle. Well, my first one's going to be with Melia, so might as well win it.
"Vivillon?" The Bug-Type understood immediately, and flew from my head, joining the Fairy-type. Treecko looked a little irked at that.
"You know, maybe you should nickname your Pokemon, I think it would give you a more personal connection to them." Melia suggested. I raised an eyebrow.
"It's not like I'm the only one who doesn't nickname their Pokemon." I retorted.
"Sandro!" The Youngster sent out a an Alolan form Ratata.
"Chibble!" The other sent out a Rockruff.
…
I swear Melia had a shit-eating grin.
"Shut up. It's not like Venam or Ren do anyways…" I grumbled. They weren't really creative names either.
-LINE-BREAK-
"You know, it probably wasn't the best idea to send a Bug-Flying-type against a Rock-type."
"...Shut up."
Vivillon got knocked out quickly...Luckily, it was after it damaged Rattata with Struggle Bug.
Although…this makes it my third Pokemon in a row to get knocked out in their first battle.
"Vi…" The Bug-type pouted, crossing its stubby arms. Melia was kind enough to heal her back up using potions. Really made me wonder how many things were inside that briefcase though. It seemed to have everything, really.
Several double battles later, where I was mostly useful in, we ended up deeper in the cave. Melia was kind enough to heal my Pokemon after every battle too, again. We eventually arrived to a more open area of the cave, a stream of water flowing to the side, sharp stalagmites and stalactites scatters around the area.
"Greetings, trainers."
We were stopped by a woman, sat down on a rock, legs crossed and her hands raised.
"I am the Master of Affinity, Mars, the first member of the Culvier Clan." A woman with long smooth white hair said before us, a red ring circled around her head. A Leavanny was beside her, bowing its head a bit.
"Um…Hi?" Melia greeted awkwardly. I just gave a slight wave with my hand. Mars nodded, and gazed around the open cave, the sound of dripping water and echoed voices coming from behind us.
"The beauty of nature is truly a sight that none other can compare to, wouldn't you agree?" She smiled, turning towards us.
"It's certainly pretty." Melia noted. I gave a nod. The woman raised a finger to her chin, and glanced towards our Pokemon, before sighing.
"Hm…It seems as though you two are not yet ready to take me on. That is fine. I look forward to when an opponent can stand before me." She noted, Leavanny nodding in agreement. Treecko and Vivillon seemed to take a bit offense to that.
"Treecko, Tree!" My starter exclaimed, leaping down to the ground. Mars raised an eyebrow.
"It seems as though your starter is rather eager to do battle." She observed, standing up from the rock. To be honest, I wasn't too confident. Leavanny had the Type-advantage, and was fully evolved. Vivillon would have a better advantage-
"Treecko Tree!" The Grass-type exclaimed to me. I sighed.
"…Alright." Well, maybe we could win, Leavanny was times 4 weak to Acrobatics, so who knows? Treecko was happy to hear this, and turned back towards the Leavanny. Vivillon crossed its stubby arms and puffed its cheeks. Koffing just seemed to have his usual grin.
"Good luck Treecko!" Melia cheered, Togepi chirping afterwards.
"Very well. Leavanny?" Mars gestured for the Leavanny to take its position in front of her.
"Now then…Let's begin." Mars said, extending a finger.
"Leavanny, X-Scissor."
"Leava!"
Slash!
Leavanny seemed to turn into a blur as it bolted towards Treecko, its arm-blades crossed. It swiftly jabbed at the Grass-type, a clear-cutting noise echoed from the strike. The Grass-type was instantly blasted back, penetrating itself into a nearby rock formation, flying dust towards our direction. A booming crash echoed through the cave, pebbles and small rocks crumbling from the ceiling.
"Treecko!" I cried out. Koffing and Vivillon seemed shocked at Leavanny's power, the latter seemingly shaking a bit on my hat. Once the dust revealed there was Treecko…fainted. In one, single blow.
…
"…Well, I suppose you can't say I didn't warn you." Mars said, Leavanny landing proper in front of her. Melia just stared in awe at the woman, and so did I. Treecko was just a literal starter, sure, but it was still shocking to find him knocked out in one blow.
"That is one powerful Leavanny…" I grumbled. Mars seemed to laugh a bit at this.
"Your Treecko must be patient, after all, every Spring has had its Falls and Winters." She advised, her Leavanny nodding in agreement. I nodded, but was kinda annoyed on the metaphors. It was easy to understand, I think, but seemed like a hassle to use them. I pulled out Treecko's Pokeball, and returned him from a short distance.
"You did well, Leavanny." Mars pet Leavanny on its head. The Bug-Grass type bowed lightly to its trainer in respect.
"Aev." Melia got my attention. "The end of the cave should be just a bit further. Let's heal Treecko later." I felt a bit irked at knowing Treecko had to be injured for a while, but agreed regardless.
"I look forward to the day me and my Leavanny can do battle with you as equals." Mars bowed towards us, Leavanny mimicking its trainer. I gave a light bow myself in response.
…
We eventually reached the deepest part of the cave. On the rough and slightly jagged cave wall was some sort of...symbols, lined up together.
"Here we are!" Melia exclaimed. "Hm…Guess I should take some pictures first." She followed up. I glanced at the text. It looked like…Brail, I think. There was also a line of Unown text too, although those always got confusing at times…
"Hm…Well, there's really nothing out of the ordinary for this text." Melia shrugged. "I wonder why dad wanted me to see them." She leaned a hand towards the wall…which broke, causing her to trip.
"Ow!" Melia grunted as she fell flat onto the rocks. I winced a bit for her, and so did Vivillon.
"Huh…?" She drawled out, getting back up. The once placed inscriptions were now replaced…by a cave.
…
"…That seemed way too easy." I noted, my eyes narrowing. Melia nodded in agreement, but went through the cave anyways.
"Still, it seems like an amazing discovery! I don't think anyone's been in this area before." She drawled, walking deeper into the cave. I sighed, and followed her in. After passing through a small tunnel, we found ourselves…
"Vi-Vi!" Vivillon cried out in joy at the sight of more trees. We were currently standing on an elevated formation, letting us gaze over the many, many trees of the forest. Vivillons were playing in the distance, and my own looked like she wanted to join them.
"Let's go!" Melia said, walking down a set of stairs…I'm no genius, but I'm pretty sure Pokemon wouldn't or couldn't make stairs…right?
"Come on!" I shook my head, and began heading down the set of stairs…I felt envious of Koffing and Vivillon at the moment. Both of them could fly, and I had to walk down so, many, stairs. It didn't help that my shoulder stung every time I went too fast.
Me and Melia eventually reached the bottom of the stairs. I'll admit, I was lightly panting by the time we got down them.
We walked down the somewhat narrow path. Golden trees surrounding me, the scent of flowers blooming and the sound of Vivillons playing gave the area that sense of comfort, and the narrow path just seemed enhanced those features more.
"Wow…!" Melia gasped. I eventually caught up to her to see what she was fussing over…It was a stone statue…of Arceus.
…
"…What did we just stumble on?" I questioned, staring at the statue. Koffing and Vivillon also seemed to be staring at the statue in awe.
"Hey!" The three of us turned our heads towards the girl. Melia had apparently…been able to pack a large picnic blanket within her small suitcase. Hapi chirped in joy, waddling its feet on the blanket.
…
"How did that even fit in there…?" I questioned, before shaking the thought off.
"Let's have a picnic!" Melia exclaimed, grabbing more Pokemon and human food from her briefcase…Again, it's like everything's in there.
-LINE-BREAK-
Melia healed up Treecko quickly, and all of our Pokemon were out, happily munching on some Pokemon food, those…brown marshmallows. I really don't know the technical term for them. I'll need to ask Melia later about that.
Treecko seemed a bit peeved that he was knocked out in a single blow, and he spent most of his time in the trees, munching on his snacks. Vivillon joined him, although that was mostly because she liked flying freely with the other Vivillons. Koffing was scarfing down on all the food he can, which made me sweatdrop a bit…then again though, he probably ate sludge his entire life.
Hapi was just waddling around the blanket, waving its stubby arms around. Melia's Eevee was playing with the Fairy-type, dancing along with it. Stufful was scarfing down food alongside Koffing. The two seemed to get along well. Buneary seemed to be…watching Treecko…weird.
"Today's been really fun, Aev." Melia said all of a sudden, taking a bite into her sandwich. I nodded. Considering this was literally my second day in a completely new region…it was better than I expected. A part of me considered just staying in Gearen with Melia and the others, like Ren, unless he was a Gym Leader too or, something…
Nah. My Pokemon wouldn't want that, I think...Do they?
We continued to eat in peace, the sound of my Vivillon and the other Vivillons flying lingered through the air.
…
"Thanks." Melia said. I tilted my head.
"For what?"
"For…well, today, I suppose. It's…been a long time since I've had a new friend. Ren showed up in Gearen a little over a year ago and…well, I won't bore you with details." She said, taking a sip from her canister. Eevee jumped onto the girl's shoulder, nuzzling her cheek.
"But…today I feel like I've made another lifetime friend…So, thanks. For…being my friend, Aev." She smiled, the most genuine I've seen her do so as she pet the Pokemon. There was just a sense of…pure relief in it. Like releasing a chain tied to a ball.
…
"Friends care about each other, and their problems are their friend's problems too." I responded humbly, taking in another bite of my berry. We ate in silence for a while, the sound of wind rustling the trees' leaves filling the area.
…
"…I'm sorry if this is sensitive but…" Melia began, shaking a bit.
"What's your story?" I raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" I questioned.
"You're a newcomer to Aevium, right? But…you came here, alone. You didn't even have clothes or a place to stay…so why and how did you get here?" She questioned more specifically.
…
I…really didn't know how to respond. Should I tell her the truth? I mean it wouldn't change anything, but I'd probably sound really petty. On the other hand, I basically know of her story, kinda, so she has the right to know of mine. Then again though, it's just a one thing, compared to Melia's years of being shunned…
And…I really don't want to talk about that ship wreck…It just made me feel…horrified, really. I felt my hand shaking as I mentally debated with myself, crushing the sandwich in my hand.
"I-It's okay if you don't want to!" Melia quickly followed up.
"It's just that…Ren's been my friend for over a year, and he's had a…bad past. I don't want to tell you anything without his consent, but I just want to know if you need someone to talk to. It seemed to have certainly helped Ren." She explained.
Her reasoning made sense, I guess. But..I just really don't want to talk about this. I didn't want to be pitied. I'm just another random trainer who got roped up into this. I'm glad I managed to make Melia a bit happier and all, but…She really shouldn't care much about my problems. My thought process was illogical, and hypocritical, but…
Melia continued to stare at me, patiently waiting for an answer. I glanced back, and noticed Treecko jumped down from his tree, also seemingly eager to hear my story.
Damn it. Aevis, just let-go of your nonexistent pride/mindset and answer the question. It's probably just two sentences anyways.
…
Un/fortunately, an explosive blast suddenly roared from the within forest, shaking the ground we sat on and scaring the Vivillon away and other Pokemon away, other than our own…Definitely unfortunately.
"What was that?!" Melia exclaimed, standing up and returning her Pokemon. I stood back up, left hand still slung inside my pocket. Treecko leapt to my shoulder, and Vivillon perched herself on my cap. Koffing…continued scarfing down his food.
"Come on Koffing." I rolled my eyes a bit. The Poison-type seemed to groan, and hovered to head-level. I'm guessing living in the sewers doesn't make you too concerned with nature life.
-LINE-BREAK-
And…That's Chapter five, I guess.
…
Hey, random question real quick-: How did you expect me to deal with Melia? A regular encounter, and everything is all right? Melia cries and Aevis comforts it perfectly fine like he's known her forever? If you did expect that, I'm not sure whether or not what I did was better.
"Melia would never do that! It makes no sense!"
Well, I don't expect it to, actually. Human emotions don't always make sense. Like, when a loved one dies, you instantly begin pointing blame. Whether it's at yourself, or someone else. Whether or not it makes sense for you to do that doesn't really register with you, because you're kinda blinded by that feeling of guilt.
In this case, Melia's reaction is the exact opposite circumstance: After so many people leaving her, when someone finally stays after experiencing why the others left…It's like death, but the opposite; but the reactions remain the same, except she directly blames herself. And since it's somewhat of an out-of-nowhere thing for her...yeah.
"Why would she blame herself for a good thing?!" Well, it's hard to think of another reaction, to be honest. Then again though, I haven't really directly experienced something like this, so I can't say much in that regard. This is literally my first time trying to create character empathy and stuff.
I added in Venam, because, realistically, you can't really comfort someone you've known for a day. I mean, you can, but it's likely you probably wouldn't change too much, compared to a childhood friend.
And yes, I'm well aware that a majority of the Pokemon Rejuvenation players dislike/hate/wanttoseeherburninthedepthsofhellbecauseshe'ssogoddamnperfectlikealittleMeliaSue/She'sbasicallythemaincharactersowhydoweexistandwhydoessheactlikesuchabitchafterwardsandstealsthespotlighteverytime Melia, and I am actually a part of that group.
I probably failed at trying to get Melia to be a bit of a better character, but eh, I tried.
I'm going to do something with Ren, Venam, and Aelita too. I guess also Saki, Amber, Adam, Valarie, Amber, maybe Neved, Amber, Madelis, Amber, Geara, and Amber. I'm probably going to fail, but I might as well try.
Still, sorry if I sucked at that part.
Also, what do you guys think of Vivillon?
…
And yes, I know I complain about the story and plot a lot, but don't get me wrong, I love the game. You can see how much effort they put into the gameplay, graphics, music, etc…It's just that I'm not a complete fan or the plot and story.
Seriously, we don't know why Melia's so important, what Team Xen wants, or why the game seems to have so many plots that take too long to tangle up. It's been 10 versions and over half the badges and we still don't know why Crescent seems to Deus Ex Machina everything.
"Why are you writing a fanfic about it then?"
Because I'm retarded.
Also because I was inspired to make it when I read "Commander's Rejuvenation Written Run" and "Pokemon Rejuvenation: A Terribly Titled Nuzlocke". Props to both of them for both hilarious and legitimate criticism and commentary. It really made me rethink a lot about the game.
Also, I'm not saying the story is terrible and that I can do better. God no, I'd probably make it worse lol. I'm just trying things out and see where they go.
…
Review!
…
WanderingPenguin16: Again, you're the only review…You have my deepest thanks. Seriously. I really like writing this story, but I keep feeling paranoid that the last chapter I posted was literally the worst thing to be written…that's an exaggeration, because I at least have enough self-esteem to say that I've seen some bad fics. I'm not trying to pressure you into reviewing, just wanted to say thank you, so much.
Also…I'm 14 and I'm bored…I don't see how this is something Pokemon fanfics need more. I literally have no experience in writing or storytelling, unless you count my previous fanfics, which aren't even Pokemon related.
The Pokemon community is a pretty nice place, I think. I mean, I've heard of trolls and stuff, although I've also heard them legitimately giving off criticism, albeit in a bit of a condescending way according to what I've heard. I can't say much about the community, really, although I'm sure they make good fanfic.
If a random 14 year old can make something good like you say, I'm pretty sure the community can do that too. Two fics I've read that are absolutely amazing are Pedestal and I am Lucario. The latter focuses more on Pokemon, and it does it really well. Admittedly, the former was made by a College student, and the latter hasn't updates in a long time…but eh.
Gary/Mary Sues, to me, aren't only about being flawless, they're also about somehow getting Deus Ex Machinas every single damn time.
COUGH
ALPHA METRONOME AND RANDOM ABILITY THAT SOMEHOW STOPPED MADAME X DESPITE HER CLAIMING SHE'S STRONGER THAN THE POKEMON GOD OF FUCKING DEATH WHICH IS PRETTY STUPID IN ITSELF I MEAN WHY ARE THERE MULTIPLE LEGENDARIES I GET INFANT VOLCANION BUT WHY GIRATINNA AND YVELTAL UNLESS HOOPA WAS INVOLVED IN THE CATASTROPHE EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT BUT DOESN'T SAY-WAIT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY EXPLAIN NIHILEGO IN WHERE LOVE LIES.
COUGH
…
To be honest, I mainly wanted to write about this for the characters, especially the Pokemon. Really, they're the only ones I can really play around with.
Tesla deserves to get more screentime. She really does.
I can't really change anything about the story. I mean, I really, really want to. But because of how vague everything is, I wouldn't even know how to start. It's not really a sense of mystery anymore, just being plain annoying.
This doesn't mean I'm going to copy and paste events though. If I can try and avoid Deus Ex Machinas without altering the story too much, I will.
Sorry, I'm rambling again.
…
And that's it.
Feel free to leave your criticism, tips, ideas, suggestions, Omake ideas or just thoughts on the story so far in the reviews!
Seriously I could use some criticism. I feel like this chapter sucked, so I could use some.
Thank you for reading, and have a great day.
EDIT: Fixed the Pokemon spellings. Thanks WanderingPenguin!