Chapter Sixteen: Realization
"…Wow. That's quite a story…" Aaron glanced out the window, seeing it get pretty dark. He had classes in the morning. Right now, though, that was not his primary focus. "That's insane. And you just disappeared like that?"
"For several years, yes. I finished my bachelor's, then my master's degree. The only people who came to either graduation were my pokémon. When Adira and I exchanged vows, it was in the presence of her herd. Not my family. It wasn't until this past half year that Dad even got back into contact with me, actually." That idea almost scared Aaron – going a third of his life without his family. But Nathan had managed to cope fine. At least, it appeared that way.
"And you two came to terms with everything? Just like that?"
"We're still working on that," Nathan admitted. "We don't see eye to eye on a lot of things now. We might not ever. But he's earnestly trying the best he can, and I can't help but respect that. He wants to patch things up – and he's still my father."
"But he's helping run Alpha."
"There's a massive difference between the administrative side of things and what happens at the grassroots level. True, they did advocate violence against Delta members back when I was active, and given the chance, I still don't doubt that many people would jump at the opportunity to kill off Delta. But ever since Adira here stirred the pot, the organization has been more or less crippled. Clay's pushing eighty, and after we mopped the floor with his team, he suffered a pretty bad embarrassment. Bad enough that Justin ended up leaving, and once the story broke loose about what had happened, it caused a rift of sorts. Not a big one, but it forced them to back down somewhat and rethink things."
"…They killed a lot of people here in these very streets."
"And Delta killed several of them, too. That's the problem. Both sides would rather kill someone than have civil discourse. Each of them is a potent threat that needs to be done away with."
"Amen to that," Aaron replied. "So… why tell me all this now?" Nathan nodded, understanding his confusion.
"Several reasons. I'd be lying if I said I didn't think it was a bit funny after your little dinner comment. That might've played a minor role in it." Aaron rolled his eyes. "But you had already asked about my history with Alpha. As you can see, that was inseparable with Adira."
"Yeah… I can see why."
"But there's also another reason," Nathan admitted. "I thought it might be good for you to see how I reacted in such a situation. Keep in mind I wasn't sure about a lot of things – especially a relationship like this – but I knew that Adira was someone who more or less forced me to be better, and I think that's the type of person worth pursuing." She held his hand, smiling at the words he had said.
"Yeah, you're right." But one thing bothered him – one question presided above the others. "But… why didn't you take Clay in? Or finish him off for that matter? He might not have pulled the trigger himself, but the organization he leads still has killed a lot of people…"
"Let's say that we had killed him," Nathan began. "Do you remember what Alpha did when one of the senators they sympathized with was killed? The metropolitan area looked like it was going to burn to the ground. What do you think they would have done had I taken Clay out of the picture?"
"…Good point."
"He's not worth making a martyr, and even if they didn't burn the world down over his death, there are hundreds more like him that would only take his place. Clay isn't the issue – the whole movement is. I realized there was no fixing it before our battle. That's why I left."
The living room was full by now. Aiden and Naomi shared the couch, each on opposite ends, while Nathan and Aaron each took a recliner. Adira levitated in place beside him. Though it served as a rather strange family dynamic, Aaron couldn't deny that it had worked out. To some extent, it was what he even did with his own pokémon, though it was only to the level of sibling-like bonds and nothing of this sort. Three empty pizza boxes cluttered the coffee table.
"Well, I guess a lot of things make sense now. And given how long you two have known each other, I'm not surprised you're mates," Aaron said, referring to the milotic and charizard.
"Huh?!" Aiden all but shouted. Naomi looked equally surprised from the statement, then vigorously shook her head.
"We… are not like that at all," she said. "Nathan and Adira have been like parents to me, and Aiden like a brother. Besides, he is mated to Valerie. I have yet to choose a partner."
"Oh, my bad." Aster would surely like to hear that news.
"But yeah, I imagine you can see why I went through such extreme measures to keep Adira's identity secret. Do you know what the Unovan government would do if they knew I had a latias? They'd have her chipped and tracked every minute of the day – and they would try to decide where she could go and when. All for 'national security' and whatnot."
"That's ridiculous."
"That's Unova." Nathan rolled his eyes. "In general, I think we should submit to the law so long as it's moral. But the fact that they'd have her all but caged and turned into a government asset kinda contradicts that, so we live quietly and out of the spotlight."
A few more minutes of idle chat proceeded. It still hadn't sunk in fully, but Aaron now understood why his friend had come from the background he had. Nathan had chosen what was right over what he had been familiar with. It made him proud to know someone like that.
"Nathan?" Adira asked.
"Yes, love?"
"I think it's worth mentioning that this is a school night for Aaron. We shouldn't keep him any longer than he's comfortable with." The younger trainer in question glanced at his phone, realizing that the time was nearing nine o'clock. Considering it would be an hour-long drive back home, he really should get going.
"Yeah, as much as I hate to say it, I do kinda need to start heading back." He didn't really want to; there were a thousand other questions he felt like asking right about now. But Aaron knew if he started down that route he'd be here until morning.
"You're right." Nathan stood up, grabbing his truck keys from the coffee table. Aaron reluctantly headed towards the door, taking one last look at Nathan's family. Knowing what he knew now, he saw how they were so close. He also knew where all the pictures, posted to the refrigerator with tiny magnets, had come from…
"Bye Aaron!" Aiden happily chimed.
"I'll see you guys later." With that, he joined Nathan out the door.
Returning home, admittedly, was an exciting event. Aaron's team had already eaten dinner, and once he stepped inside he called everyone into the living room. As quickly as he could, yet sure to capture as many details as he remembered, Aaron went over the story. His pokémon received the news with great shock, listening to every word and asking questions wherever possible.
"Wow…" Marcus said. "To think we've been near a latias all this time…"
"Yeah… seems like it," Nora said.
"What made you suspect something?" The lucario folded his arms. If the species that was known for seeing through illusions hadn't suspected a thing, it was likely that he wanted an explanation.
"I don't know," she said. "I just did." Throughout his retelling of the events, the typhlosion didn't seemed as enamored by the news as the others. She mostly just listened, nodding occasionally.
"Oh, and Aster – Naomi's still free."
"What?" The serperior perked up upon hearing this.
"Yeah, her and Aiden are siblings. Well… not actually, but you know what I mean."
"This… this is great!" Aster's eyes went wide, a stupid grin stretching across his face. "I'm still in the race!"
"Hurray for you," Nora said sarcastically. He ignored her, but Aaron was unable to. She sat at the table, her head propped up by her hand, and seemed to be staring off into space with disinterest. Aaron looked at Marcus as though he had the answer.
'Hey, is something wrong with her? She's been acting weird these past few days…' The lucario glanced at the typhlosion, making sure nobody suspected their mental conversation.
'I know that it's best you talk about it tomorrow. Maybe even Wednesday.'
'Why's that?' Aaron asked.
'Honestly, there's only so much new information a person can take in one day.' That statement made him nervous.
'So you felt something off with her? It wasn't just me, right?' There was always that chance of it being a particular time of the month, but he dared not to ask either of the two female pokémon living with him such a thing.
'I…' He checked again, seeing that the coast was clear. 'I knew something was wrong. I can't help but feel that. I tried looking a little deeper – just to see her general emotional state – and…'
'And what?' Aaron asked.
'…She told me never again to try and get inside her head…' Even though the words had not been spoken to him, the statement had sent a shiver down his spine.
'What? How did she—'
'I don't know,' Marcus replied. 'I told her I was concerned, and I knew something was up. We talked, and…' He shook his head, cutting himself short. 'No, that's enough for now. You speak with her when you're ready.'
Aaron jotted down the notes from the virtual class, this particular unit focusing on current 'meta' picks within international circuits. Only Marcus belonged in that category; the other three did not. While some might have seen that as a disadvantage, it meant that other professional trainers didn't have nearly as much preparation in dealing with his team. That and the fact that there was a certain excitement that the more 'underused' pokémon brought to the table.
"Marcus, can you please turn the volume down?" Constantly hearing that stupid trainer counting down reps was starting to piss him off, and Aaron occasionally regret getting him those DVDs… The lucario huffed, being overly dramatic, but the noise decreased considerably. "Thank you."
Once that and the next class were done, he shut the laptop and went into the kitchen. Living under a quarantine of sorts was a bit strange with no large gatherings or the like. Even though things had not been this way for long, he yearned for the day that he could go somewhere other than home and work. It was clear that at least two of his pokémon felt the same way.
He prepared sandwiches for everyone, dumped some chips onto each plate, and brought one to the lucario. Marcus had just finished doing his post-workout stretches. "No pickles, right?"
"Do I ever put pickles on yours?" The fighting-type shrugged, then accepted the food. "Where's Nora?" Aster lazily opened his eyes from the couch, tasting the air. He slithered into the kitchen to grab his meal.
"I think she went outside." Aaron nodded, knowing that Krista would come and get hers at her own time. Probably sleeping still.
He carried two plates to the poolside, seeing the typhlosion at the same table they had sat at last week. With all the regulations in place and despite the pool itself being shut down, many people who lived within the complex were spread around the area. "Hey, brought you something."
"Thanks," she murmured. He set the plate in front of her and took a seat.
"Classes are done for the day, and I've got a few hours before work."
"Mhm." He was the first to pick up his sandwich while she just stared at hers for a minute. Finally, she followed suit, though she only nibbled at it.
"Nora?" She looked at him questioningly. "Can you tell me what's wrong? Clearly something's bothering you."
"Really?" she said. "What would possibly make you think that?" Her eyes softened upon seeing his shocked expression. "I'm sorry. That wasn't nice..."
"…Are you alright?"
"I'll be fine."
"That wasn't what I asked." She set her sandwich down and pushed the plate forward.
"It's just… there's a lot on my mind right now."
"Yeah, I can get that. Not every day you find out your best friend is married to a latias…" Nora forced a dry laugh.
"No kidding."
"But that's aside from the point. You know you can always talk to me – about anything, right?" He expected a nod. Instead, she averted her gaze, staring at the sports bar, drowning out in the noise of its visitors. "Nora?"
"What was that like?" she asked. "Finding out that Adira was a latias?"
"Well, I didn't really know what to say at first. But it makes sense, looking back at everything."
"And did that change your opinion on what you said back at the diner?" He looked at her questioningly.
"No, not really – I never had anything against it, I just…" She nodded, still looking away, and it dawned on him. That other reason Nathan had told the story – to see how he would react in such a situation – and why Marcus had been adamant about him sorting this out.
"…Oh. Well… shit." Any appetite he had was taken from him.
"Cat's out of the bag now," she stated. "Not like it matters, anyways."
"Nora, I'm… I didn't know…"
"It's not your fault," she said with a heavy sigh. "It's mine. I have no one to blame for this but myself. And Marcus warned me, too – that's what makes me feel like such an idiot. He told me this wouldn't work and that you only had a thing for your kind." He looked down. Should it have been obvious? She was unusually clingy and affectionate, far more in the past few months than Krista had been over the several years he'd known the audino.
She was right: it wasn't his fault. Aaron couldn't help that he wasn't attracted to pokémon in that manner. But he still felt partially guilty all the same. Had he unintentionally encouraged this? And even if he hadn't, that didn't mean he felt nothing of her predicament. It hurt to see her hurt – that's what innately came with being a good trainer.
"I'm sorry, Nora… I didn't know."
"You have nothing to apologize for. I jumped the gun. I was stupid."
"No you weren't, you just…"
"I joined Sofia thinking that she was someone she clearly wasn't. I tried so hard to earn her affection… to make her feel something for me. When I couldn't make fire, I tried learning every other type of attack, and when that wasn't good enough, I thought that maybe if I could at least help around the house…" She squinted her eyes shut. Sniffed slightly. "But then I became a part of your team. I had everything I ever wanted. A family, a trainer who genuinely loved me, not for what I could do for him, but just because he wanted to. And because of that… I let my imagination get the better of me."
Aaron didn't really know what to say. Part of him wanted to embrace her like he would the others – like he had before – but now that could have different connotations. A few guys shouted from the bar, watching a basketball game on the television, and the atmosphere was noisy. He was almost glad for that; the last thing Aaron wanted was to be heard in public having a conversation like this. With his pokémon that was doing her best to hold back tears, no less…
"I understand if you're disgusted and… don't want me in the picture anymore."
"Don't ever say that again," Aaron retorted. "Look, I don't really know what to say about… well, any of this, but your place is right here with us. Always will be – and nothing's going to change that."
"…Thanks," she murmured, though it was barely audible over the noise. For a moment, neither of them exchanged any words. The shock from having secretly known a latias all this time had not yet worn off – and now this? But then she broke the silence. "Aaron? Could I ask you a question?"
"Of course." And without hesitation, she did.
"Would you have asked me out if I was a human?"
What did he say to that? He wasn't sure what he even could say; a 'no' would imply that he wasn't attracted to her personality while a 'yes' would indicate that her species was the only reason he wouldn't pursue a relationship. Even if the latter were true, that wasn't a very good answer…
"I'm not sure how to answer that, Nora…" She nodded, mostly to herself, and the two of them fell silent.
Alexander stared out over the city skyline. Many generals had undoubtedly felt this before: gazing at a territory, knowing that it would soon fall to your forces. But at this moment, the people below were blissfully unaware. Humans and pokémon alike went about their days under the watchful eyes of a military that would soon be powerless. Perhaps warriors of old would have looked with coveting eyes at the territories they would soon conquer. But not Alex. He looked at them with pity. People weren't meant to live this way. Not at all. We ruined the world, he thought wistfully. Now it's time to fix it.
A chime sounded from the elevator. A man in a sharp suit stepped off with a briefcase dangling at his side. Though he was in his late forties, his face didn't show it. It tended to be that way for people who smiled a lot. At least, in Alex's experience. And his associate fit into that category.
"Thanks for deciding to meet with me a bit early," the CEO stated.
"Of course. I would have spoken sooner, but I've been spending most of my time off this planet." The man's dress shoes clacked against the hardwood as they both took a seat at the couch. "And besides, I should be thanking you for allowing us to use the suite for the occasion. Though I personally wouldn't have been opposed to meeting at the flower shop."
"I'm sure you wouldn't."
"Speaking of which, how is Vivian doing?"
"Great, great – her and the rest of the family were getting everything ready for… well, you know."
"I'm sorry, Nick. I know that building means a lot to both of you." With what was about to happen, purchasing flowers would be the last thing on anyone's mind. And once the average person learned of the Larsen family's involvement, there was no way the Orange Rose would survive. Not in Unova.
"Yeah… I'd be lying if I said it hasn't somewhat upset Vivian," Nick stated. "But she's also excited, too. South America presents a new set of challenges for someone like her, and since that's where a lot of my work will be, things should work out."
"The others should arrive here in half an hour. If that is not enough time, then we can definitely speak after the meeting. I am not expecting to sleep tonight, so we have all the time in the world."
"Half an hour is plenty." The sofa Nick sat on had a frontal view of the window. He looked out at Castelia, immediately singling out that one building complex. "Right there," he stated. "That's where she was diagnosed and treated."
"I see." Nick folded his hands, leaning forth. His features fell. "I hope you never have to hear anything like what I did that day."
"I hope so, too."
"But that wasn't nearly the worst of it." Alex nodded, knowing what he was referring to. "They had the treatment… and yet they were going to let her die if she couldn't pay."
"That won't be the case in the new world."
"I have to know for sure. I know you're a man of your word. But I just have to know how. With everything that's about to happen… I need the certainty." Alex nodded; though he wasn't fond of being questioned in such a manner, as if he would lie about one of the central promises that Omega offered, he could understand. Watching someone you love wither away while the medicine needed to save them was available would likely demand that very certainty within Alexander had the roles were reversed. There were a few words that stuck with him from a conversation they had a year ago: if he hadn't owned a company, Vivian would have died.
"I understand." Alexander was used to having a suit that could produce holograms, and with that, he could go on for hours about the advancements the Megalopolans had made over the centuries. Soon. Today, regular communication would have to suffice. "I cannot pretend to know everything that they have accomplished," he admitted, "but I know the basics. Are you aware of what the first computers looked like?" Nick shook his head. "They were massive, filling entire rooms with multiple machines. The smartphone you and I have in our pockets is over a million times stronger than those ancient machines, and yet they sent someone to the moon with that. Technology advances over time, and typically, that means it shrinks. The Megalopolans managed to create microfluidic chips about the size of an SD card – you remember those, right?" The CEO nodded. "Each chip has various reservoirs, some for viruses or bacteria, others for healthy cells, then the various chemicals needed for experimentation."
"You mean to tell me they found a way to… miniaturize an entire lab?"
"That's exactly what they did. And once they accomplished that, it was only a matter of automating the process. If a new pathogen comes out, they set a single facility with the combined efficiency of our entire race onto the task. As you might expect, they tend to figure out a cure within a week or so. Combining that with various other methods they've developed for dealing with genetic abnormalities over the past couple hundred years, it's pretty clear why health is not a concern among their people."
"And you intend to bring that technology here?"
"Yes. There are many reasons why medical costs are what they are: middleman fees, insurance costs, research and development, and hospitals overcharging to compensate for those who didn't pay their bills – which tends to be due to the previous issues. Unova and Kanoma, for whatever reason, managed to accidentally create the perfect storm which progressively gets worse. But once the technology is readily available, Omega will have managed to destroy this so-called industry and make even the most advanced forms of medicine cost less than a candy bar. And when that happens, I see no reason to charge at all. When the new world is complete, neither rich nor poor will ever have to worry about survival again."
"If you can pull this off—"
"We will," Alexander assured.
"…I'll give you the whole damn company. You can do with it as you see fit. I just don't want anyone else to go through what I felt thirty years ago…" Alexander looked at his acquaintance, then waved off the offer.
"Even if I did want LMC, I would rather you continue to run it as you always have. As your father did, who was someone I very much looked up to. As I see it, far too many people in the world fight for positions or power when they know little about what's going on. And you know as well as I do that this is not about power. The desire to dominate is part of the problem we are trying to solve."
The others gradually made their way into the suite when the time came. Even though they stood before the most powerful person within Omega, and soon the world, it was a relatively casual encounter. Alex had gotten to know each and every one of them; he had personally sought them out from every corner of the world, bringing them into the team to fulfill specific roles.
"This looks like everyone," he stated once Colress arrived. The former Plasma scientist had been instrumental in helping the Megalopolans become familiar with the technology of this world which almost seemed archaic to them.
There was something surreal about this particular group being together; some came from former villainous teams while others were renowned trainers and heroes within their regions. And they were all on the same page, all cooperating for a cause far greater than any of them. Former barriers had been broken to form an unlikely alliance.
Nick's phone lit up. He glanced at it then back at Alexander. "Helicopter's almost here."
"Good. Then I'll keep this short. There's been a slight change of plans – Zinnia and Khalik, I need the two of you to remain here for now."
"I thought I would be helping to take over my region," Khalik stated, almost protesting. And he had every reason to.
"You definitely will. But you know better than anyone how any form of instability will rock the Middle East right about now. We're probably going to have to go guns blazing for the first month or so. For now, you could be a face of our movement. These Unovans have become so comfortable with their excess and wealth. I need you to be the face of what their entitlement has done to the other half of the planet."
"…Of course. But when it comes time…"
"You definitely have a role to play in Ramzaha, but I need you to be alive to do so. For now, I ask that you show these spoiled Westerners what their world has done to yours." Khalik nodded, quietly placing his right fist over his chest.
"I still can't believe this is finally happening," Malva stated. "For so long, we hoped for this. When Flare fell and Lysandre died… we just assumed that humanity was lost." She had been one of the most prominent supporters of the new team, and once the networks were down, her voice would be the only that Earth would hear. "It should have been you back then. We would've won…"
"Lysandre was not wrong," Alexander stated. "He was insane. And to some extent, Omega's purpose is not entirely opposite to that of Flare's. People are not troubled with problems – they have become the problem. He and I could agree with that. Where we differed, though, was in how to respond to that. He wanted to destroy the world. We wish to reform it."
Outside, the sound of an approaching rotor could be heard. Nick Larsen's helicopter drew near, reaching the landing on the top of the building. Everyone stood, ready to go their separate ways. Alexander released Solgaleo to take some along with him while others would remain here within Unova for their final preparations. This region, filled with chaos and spite as it may be, was the political and economic capital of the world, and with both theirs and Kanoma's military, it was clear that North America would be the hardest battleground in the world.
Zinnia and Khalik both headed towards the elevator, ready to board the helicopter and join Iris for the day of reckoning. But before he and Colress could leave the building, intent on traversing the dimensions from within these very walls, he left them all with a few parting words.
"Each of you has undoubtedly sacrificed much in joining Omega. We come from every corner of this horrible, depraved world, having pledged to play our part in fixing it all. I'm glad that I've gotten the opportunity to meet and work alongside each and every one of you." He paused as Solgaleo formed a wormhole, producing a heavy whir within the room that made it difficult to hear. He and Colress mounted Solgaleo, ready to leave for the other world. "Rest easy tonight, everyone. Tomorrow will be the end of the world as they know it."
A/N: Special thanks to FuryWrites for beta reading this chapter.