"A what?" I ask, and the man laughs.
"A Kricketot. It's a bug type pokemon from Sinnoh, very musically talented." My ears perk up.
"How much for her?" I ask, eyeing the man suspiciously, and he shakes his head.
"Free. She deserves a better trainer than me, someone who can take care of her." He hands me the small bug type, who croons and whistles a lovely tune.
"Thank you, I know someone who would be a perfect fit for her." I smile, shaking the mans hand, and we part ways.
The sun is going down, after a jam packed day of training with the crew. As we were heading back to the vehicle, an older man stopped me to ask if I would care for and train his beloved Kricketot, Symphony, to which I agreed.
We hop in the back seat, and the car takes off.
"Kai!" I call, heading into the bedroom.
"Here! Whats up bro?" He wheels out of our make-shift bedroom in the closet, eyebrows raised in confusion.
"I have some...one for you." His eyes go wide, but he stops, and places his hands in his lap.
"Meet... Symphony, the Kricketot." I gently place the bug type in his lap, and his eyes go wider.
"Oh... my... what... why..." He stutters, gently petting the crooning bug type.
And then something amazing happens.
Symphony looks up at Kai, and whistles a six-note register, too which Kai responds instantly with the same register.
Her eyes go wide, and she tests him.
They go back and forth, whistling and humming different patterns for almost a minute, before she giggles and kisses his cheek.
"Symphony, eh? I think we'll call you... Sym!" He laughs, and she nods, whistling away to herself.
"Where did you get her?" He asks, and I explain the situation.
"Thank you!" He hugs me, then calls Delia over from where she was napping.
As he introduces them to each other, I hear a knock on the door.
Rayna smiles at me when I open it.
"Hey." She says quietly, hugging me.
"Hey Ray, whats up?"
"We were wondering if you would... want to come out for one last dinner before we head out." Hey eyes tell me she's not telling me the whole truth, but I agree anyways. I get changed, and we head out.
We enter the restaraunt, and I see Matthew and Nareen are already here.
We sit down, and order drinks.
"So..." Nareen starts, and I stop her.
"Let me go first, Nar. First of all, I would like to apologize," I start, and everyone's eyes go wide, "I scared you guys, and I tried something that was way out of my comfort zone and it didn't work."
"Hey..." Matthew starts, but I stop him.
"I understand if you guys want to end the pact, or keep it between you three. I would accept that, hell, I'd expect that."
Rayna slaps me. HARD.
"You stupid ASSHOLE." She growls, and now it's my turn to look confused.
"What?" I stutter, and she slams her hand on the table.
"Of course we don't want to end the pact! We LOVE you, no matter what. Unconditional. You made a mistake, and we understand that. We called you here tonight cause we have something for you." She sighs, handing me a pokeball.
"What... Who's is this?" I ask, and Nareen laughs.
"My mom sent it over for you, said to feel better, and that shes terribly sorry." I hug her, then tap the center of the ball.
The small pokemon pops out, falling flat on it's face.
"Medi." It stands shakily, brushing itself off, then sits, crossing it's legs, and begins to float.
"What..." I start, and Matthew answers.
"She's a Meditite, a Psychic Fighting type from Sinnoh. She's only a few months old."
"Hey sweetheart..." I put my hand out, and she politely shakes it.
Hello.
My eyes must have gone wide, cause Rayna laughs.
"They are telepaths." She explains, and I nod.
"Do you have a name?" I ask, and she shakes her head.
Our mothers do not name us, generally an elder would provide one for us.
"Okay... Am I ALLOWED to name you?"
Yes. In fact, I would prefer it over the usual Wind-Breaker, or Tide-Chaser.
"He... She?" I ask, and it laughs.
He. I am male.
"Male... okay... where do you hail from?"
I trained for a brief time under a monk, back in the region of Kanto, but I was hatched in Sinnoh.
"So we need... a cool monk name..." I take a sip of the drink that has been placed in front of me, when it hits me.
"What about... Mannix?"
He stares at me for a few seconds, a mystified look in his eye, before nodding.
Mannix would do well. I approve.
I hug him across the table, and everyone cheers.
That night, I'm laying in bed chatting away with Manny, when something hits me.
Master? You seem, upset? Did I do something?
Manny stands, bowing an apology, and I hug him.
"It's not you, bud. Your perfect. It's just... We have a big competition tomorrow... and... I have a friend who... won't be able to make it. She was so excited." I say quietly, and he nods.
I assume by this you mean Persephone?
I nod, and he floats a foot off the bed in a cross legged position.
I never met her, but I can tell you that shes with you.
I turn to him, my eyes wide.
"What? What do you mean?"
I apologize Master, let me explain. I can sense a great deal of her power, coming directly from you.
"You... can?"
Yes, she left her essence behind, her... soul. It sticks to you, providing power in times of need.
"That... that means..." I start to sit up, but he shakes his head.
She is no longer roaming the realm of the living, she just left... a souvenir. Something to remember her by, and I believe it's in that necklace.
He points to the necklace on my bedside table, mabe of the Mystic Water Effie had on, and some of her fangs. Even the Sharpedoite is on it.
"Well... hopefully that'll help." He nods, then floats over to where everyone is asleep in the main room.
Good night, Master. I will guard you.
Without another word, he dissappears in a blip.
I roll over, everything playing through my head like a movie again, when a thought hits me.
What if... I could... summon Effies power?
What if, she left it to me using the Sharpedoite, as it connected our souls.
This and more play through my head as I roll over, and see Kai.
He's asleep, but Sym is still twittering away, playing small tunes with her antennae.
"You don't know Sing, by any chance?" I ask, gently petting her, and she frowns and shakes her head.
Then, a bright smile breaks across her face as she runs out to the patio.
"What the..." She quickly waddles back, holding a rose petal from Mom's flowers outside.
She holds it up, as if asking me if it's okay.
"Yeah, go ahead..." I sit up, leaning against the wall behind me, as she places it in front of her mouth.
Theres a quick inhale of breath... and she begins to play.
A high pitched whistling melody, not too loud, rings out across the room, and I instantly start to nod off.
I lay back down, and she smiles form behind the petal.
As the last note rings out, I fall into a deep sleep.