Save State
By: Aviantei
File Six: Event Buildup
The day of the Shrine Ceremony arrived, and I woke up at the crack of dawn out of sheer nerves. The ceremony wouldn't take place until this evening, so I had plenty of time to kill, but it didn't feel like it. There was a lot that went into the ceremony judging by all the diagrams and plans Fri kept, and it was a lot more than I expected. Maybe that had something to do with the fact that she had been planning two different scenarios, but still.
I planned to help, but nobody was going to be at the shrine this early. Fri had given explicit instructions that everyone was to get a good night's rest, which was why we had finished up our date a bit earlier than I would have liked. At least I had managed to pass out pretty quickly, so waking up this early hadn't made me less than well rested or anything.
I tried to take my time in getting ready— wasting plenty of water in the shower, taking an obnoxiously long amount of time to walk down the stairs, letting my cereal become utterly saturated with milk—but that still only shaved an hour off my morning, which wasn't quite enough.
Finally, I gave in and wandered outside, walking through the trees on autopilot. My feet didn't seem to have any more of a clue where we were going than I did, so I ended up in the middle of the festival area, except it was completely abandoned, not even the stand owners emerged yet. It was almost on the same level of weird as the not-yet decorated stand that would come to house the person who could speak to Pokémon.
It crept me out, so I kept walking, this time heading to the lab. I was going to be challenging a Pokémon today, and I didn't have any of the necessary party members or supplies to manage that. I had put on my pack for the first time in months, and the familiar weight shifted with each step I took. Somehow, that was enough for me to feel like a trainer again, though not yet quite the Champion.
I would need to stop by the Pokémart later, too, to stock up on more balls and potions. Whatever items I did have were probably no good, even with their insane expiration dates, or at least not as effective as they could be. This was going to be the first big battle I had had since hunting down Wicker, and even then she hadn't fought me, just ran until she stood there, almost smiling as I threw the Master Ball her way.
It was early enough that I hadn't considered whether or not the lab would actually be open. True, the professors lived in the lab's third floor, but that didn't mean I could just go and ring their doorbell. Fortunately, though, once I made it through the trees, a light was on in the lab's lobby, even if the door was still locked. I tried to look around inside but didn't see anyone, and instead took a chance, knocking on the glass.
For a few minutes, nothing happened, and I was considering giving things up for broke. Short of tossing rocks at the upstairs portion of the lab in hopes that I would end up hitting the professors' bedroom window—which was not only dangerous but highly improbable given my less than spectacular throwing skills—there wasn't much I could do, especially not without a flying pokémon. And, well, given that my team was inside the lab, I was essentially up a creek without a Squirtle.
Still, I guessed that persistence was my saving virtue in some ways, so I chanced another knock. This time I was rewarded by Professor Spruce sticking her head out of the back room and managing to see me. I gave a pathetic wave, and she took her time in heading towards the door, but at least she was letting me in. Well, I hoped she was letting me in…
"Arceus dammit, Jijri-bozu, you're late!" Professor Spruce shouted, the sound ringing true to the core of my eardrums and making me wince. It was probably a good thing that the Lab was offset enough from the rest of the town, otherwise there might have been a public disturbance on our hands. As it was, Professor Maple had to be hibernating not to have been woken up, though there was the chance both professors were up and at it already. The one that was present crossed her arms over her chest. "Man, what's even wrong with you? I expected you like an hour ago. Where have you been?"
"Um, sleeping?" I lamely offered. Professor Spruce's stern expression didn't fade, and I knew that was the wrong answer. Still, what did she expect? I was more impressed that she was awake.
"Is that so?" I could have been wrong, but I would have sworn that in that moment the professor was pouting at me. "Well, I hope you enjoyed your nice and relaxing sleep. I figured that you might have wanted more than a few hours to actually set yourself up with a working team again, so I was waiting for you. Hey, what's that look for, Bo-zu?"
My quirked eyebrow dropped in favor at wincing. Man, she was really going all out on me. "I just didn't think you would appreciate being woken up too early, so I figured I'd take my time. Sorry for the inconvenience." The apology was mostly thrown in because I wanted my morning to go smoothly. Luckily, though, it seemed to be the right move.
Professor Spruce didn't back down, but she didn't seem to get any more annoyed. That was really all I could ask for right now.
"Well, let's put that aside for now. I need to know who exactly you're taking with you so I can make sure they're ready to go for this evening." She stepped back into the doorway, waving her hand at me to follow. I complied, trailing her footsteps all the way to the pokéball monitoring area. "I thought you might want your championship team, but you did catch more than a few pokémon while you were hunting down Wicker, so I wasn't sure if you wanted to switch things up or not."
Professor Spruce settled down at a computer, pulling up several teams. I realized that they were all composed of my pokémon, and offered a few possibilities I hadn't considered before. The couple displayed on the screen seemed to only be a small portion of several.
"Um, Professor," I said, metering out my words carefully, "just how long have you been at this?"
"Enough questions, just give me some parameters." Professor Spruce deflected my question expertly, clicking through her proposed teams on the screen. "Well, you can ditch these. I figured if you had some training time they'd be good to work with, but you only have until this evening. No dice there. You did check in for training regimens pretty often, though, so these guys are all good. Of course, you could go classic with your Champion Team, plus that Scyther you got a while ago is a pretty good stand in to have around for catching…"
Professor Spruce dragged a few more team options into a "Not Applicable" list without even waiting for my input. I had only glanced the possibilities, but I trusted her judgement. Awkwardly leaning on the desk to maintain my view, I tried not to hover too much. "Um, may I take a seat, please?"
"Be my guest."
I managed to find another chair towards a bookshelf on the far wall and wheeled it over to Professor Spruce's side. She was still swapping between team options, but didn't seem to have made any more decisions. She frowned, and I stared at the screen, too. I trusted my Pokémon, and those teams would have been able to make it through a fair amount, but I still felt unsure.
"…This would be easier if I knew what kind of Pokémon the Shrine Guardian was," I mumbled.
Professor Spruce nodded. "Funny. Angela and I set up our lab here because we wanted to research the Shrine Guardian." I hadn't known that fact, but I hadn't even been born when the Professors had originally come here. By the time I grew up, they were a staple of life. "Almost two decades and we haven't learned anything. It only shows up during the Shrine Ceremony and leaves a blessing. The move is of an unknown type, and then it vanishes. We don't even have pictures…" She sighed. "There's not much I can help you with there, Jijri-bozu, sorry."
"That's fine." I gave a few pats to the Professor's shoulder before snatching my hand back. "Once I catch this thing, you'll be able to make all sorts of discoveries. Your research won't go to waste."
I expected Professor Spruce to snort. She was just that derisive. But she smiled, glancing up at the ceiling where Professor Maple was assumedly resting. "Moving to this town wasn't a waste. It has a great environment, plus we helped a Champion into his place." Ah, was she really talking about me there? "You even caught Naleef, which was a huge accomplishment. We wouldn't have been able to have the progress we have without you."
"Ah, I…" Why was it I could only stammer like an idiot when eloquence would have done so much better?
"So be sure to catch this thing!"
"Y-yes, ma'am!"
Professor Spruce straight up laughed. "Ah, that girl really does have you whipped." I frowned. Fri didn't have me whipped. I was just perfectly aware of the parameters of our relationship. My actions towards her were born out of respect, nothing else! Professor Spruce hummed. "That being said, you don't know what's going to be effective. Having the biggest range of types would be for the best against the Shrine Guardian."
That was logical. I would probably end up with a few weaknesses mixed in, but my Championship team had been built for type variety. I had at least something that could affect every known type in there. While that didn't help much against an unknown type, it was better than nothing. It would be another matter if I could research the Shrine Guardian first, but I didn't want to wait another year at accomplishing this dream. Not just because I would probably finish last, but because I desperately wanted to do this.
I'm getting pumped.
Professor Spruce seemed to be thinking along the same lines as me. She dismissed the other options, pulling up my Champion team. These guys had done me good, and they would stand by me again. Hopefully they would put on a show that would work up the crowd, too. With the Professors' rumor spreading, nearly everyone had to know that the Champion was going to attempt to catch the Shrine Pokémon by now.
Just as Professor Spruce was about to set up the call that would bring my team to the main lab, I remembered Wicker's cry.
I remembered the something important.
"I gotta take her," I said.
Professor Spruce paused, pulling her hand back from the mouse. She crossed her arms and turned her chair to face me. Even at this early hour, she looked straight up intimidating. "Take who?"
"Wicker." Professor Spruce kept her poker face, waiting for my continuation. Ah, how was I gonna explain this one. "She's an unknown type, too. Maybe she'll have some advantage against the Shrine Guardian," I provided, which was only half my reasoning. "Nothing like one legendary to compete against another, right? Plus I—"
Plus I felt like I needed to.
Plus I felt like Wicker was the key.
Plus I knew that Wicker had been part of my dream, the one from before, and that maybe this was the key to figuring it out.
A way to capture the Shrine Guardian…
"Alright," Professor Spruce allowed, not even demanding I finish my thought. "Wicker's already a high level, so she should be okay. Plus you forged that bond with her because you were worthy; otherwise she wouldn't be in this lab right now." For the first time, I actually felt like those words might be true. "Though you're gonna have to switch her out with someone else and possibly lose an advantage. Who's it gonna be?"
Wicker's data card joined the screen, right above the rest of my team. I had swiped up a Leafeon as my grass type of choice, and Wicker had a few grass moves in addition to her unknown typing. Swapping them out was probably the easiest and most logical choice, and I was sure Professor Spruce would agree. She waited for me to make my own decision, though, silence falling over the lab.
"Just Wicker."
"I'm sorry?"
Professor Spruce scrunched her face up like she had just gotten a bear hug from a Garbodor. I didn't think she was particularly mad about me putting her data to waste—ah, that was actually more of a thin hope than anything else. I promised myself to put her team data to use when I actually started my duties as champion. Assuming I lived that long.
"Okay, I know it's dumb," I started.
Professor Spruce growled, "You bet it is." I conceded the floor to her wrath for the moment. "Taking one Pokémon with you is pretty much a guaranteed white out, Jijri. No one will blame you if you can't catch the Shrine Guardian, but I know you don't want to lose this chance. Waiting a whole extra year…"
"I know, I know." I really did know. "But during my journey, I had a sense of certainty to me. What direction I would go, which Pokémon I would catch, the names I would give them. These things just came to me, the same way I built my team and battled."
It sounded like a load of hooey, but that was really what it had been like. I had made a few mistakes because of that certainty like poor move choices and overbuying items I didn't need, but it was a feeling I never fought. It went beyond confidence into sheer conviction.
"Are you telling me this is one of those moments?" Professor Spruce rested her head on her hand. She didn't look furious, but her pout was definitely grumpy. It was hard to believe she easily had two decades of experience over me.
"Not at all."
I hadn't felt any of that certainty since after I had returned home from catching Wicker. That was part of why I had stayed inside so much. Why I hadn't done anything. I had used that conviction as my drive, as the motivation in my whole journey. After I caught Wicker, it had disappeared, and all I had been left with was my own decisions.
"It's a different feeling, but it's definitely there," I said, pressing my palm into my chest. My heartrate thudded against my sternum. "I like to think I have a bit of instinct from all my travels. And I just know: if I don't take only Wicker with me, I'm not going to have a chance."
Professor Spruce stared at me. No, she stared straight through me. But:
"Funny. I have the same feeling you do," she said.
Slack-jawed, I had nothing to say to that.
"Alright," Professor Spruce said, putting aside my Championship team, leaving Wicker's profile on screen. "She might still be sleeping, but I'm sure she'll be glad to head out with you." She smacked my shoulder, leaving me with the sensation that the joint had just been dislocated. "Why don't you go ahead and go get some supplies while I get her ready? You'll be good to go within an hour."
Giving my thanks, I headed out, navigating the trees to the Pokémart.
I dropped my trainer card at the checkout, tumbling to the counter. It had honestly taken me that long to realize she hadn't called me bozu.
Out of consideration for the ceremony preparation, I headed to the Shrine shortly after collecting my supplies. As per tradition on Ceremony Day, guests were only allowed to visit the Shrine for paying their respects, and that was it. A group of vest-wearing festival staff members directed traffic expertly. This was the last time that people would be able to come in until the Ceremony itself, so traffic was steady. Figuring that I could use a bit of luck myself, I queued up and waited my turn.
Maybe it wasn't the smartest job to ask Guardian you were going to attempt to catch for its blessing, but I did it anyways.
I had noticeably poor taste.
That being done, I slipped towards the committee area, trying to see just what the heck I was expected to do. Fri had taken care of all the prep, but she had failed to tell me my role. I mean, yes, I knew what I had to do as a trainer, but where that fit into the Ceremony as a whole was beyond me.
A few staff members quickly caught sight of me, mentioned that Fri was off finishing up some final business, and told me to be back at the Shrine at least an hour before ceremony time. It looked like I was going to have to change to be able to participate, which was honestly the least hassle. In the end, Wicker was going to be the one doing the hard work.
Nervousness slid down my throat like a slime-coated Rattata.
I tried my best to swallow it and spent the rest of the day hanging around Errat and the Noda family, staying as far out of their way as possible.
"You look pretty dashing in that," Professor Maple said as she stepped into the back room of the temple.
I nodded out of courtesy and tried to smooth down my hair. Fri had been as prepared as always, and the male devotee outfit of our shrine fit me perfectly, even though I had never touched a set of hakama in my life. Too bad my pack ruined the cleric image. Not directly participating in the Ceremony, Professor Maple got away with wearing a short-sleeved, long-skirted dress. I was grateful, since seeing my advisor in miko garb would have been a bit much for me.
"Are you still nervous?" she asked, and I nodded again. It seemed that our chat at the lab waterfront hadn't been forgotten. Professor Maple winked. "Well, if it makes you feel better, Lucille is greeting our guests right now, so she might not make it."
Knowing that Professor Spruce wouldn't be immediately present did help, but I didn't need to admit that. She had helped a lot in the morning, that was for sure, but she always managed to throw me off guard. But, "Your guests? You mean the people that can talk to Pokémon?"
It was Professor Maple's turn to nod. "It seems they got held up quite a bit before, but they did arrive safely. Lucille is making sure they can find their booth and get settled into their lodgings. It's quite the long trip."
"Where are they from, anyway?"
"Unova."
Overseas, then. "Well, maybe I'll check in with them," I said. "I mean, if I have both Wicker and the Shrine Guardian, then that'll make for an interesting conversation, right?"
Professor Maple laughed a little. "If you're skeptic, you don't have to hide it." I attempted to hide my face in my collar (it didn't work), and her ring glittered as Professor Maple hid her latest burst of laughter behind her hand. "I hope they don't disappoint you, though. I'd certainly like their help with our research if possible."
"Huh, I guess that would be helpful, wouldn't it?" Who better to ask for information about Pokémon than the Pokémon themselves? Maybe it would help sort out Wicker's unknown type alignment. "Though I'm honestly not so sure I can catch this thing…"
Professor Maple's mirth dispersed as she placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. Instead, I faced her belief. "Jijri, you've already accomplished a lot," she said, voice perfectly steady. "No one will think less of you if you can't catch the Shrine Guardian, but you'll be happy if you succeed. That's what you should focus on and nothing else."
I would be happy if I succeeded? That was a bit of an understatement. But she was right. Beyond everything else, this had been my dream since childhood, beyond becoming the Champion, beyond anything else I had done on my journey. This. This was me.
That conviction to guide me or no, this was my determination.
"Professor, Champion, it's time."
I tried to protest being called by that title, but Professor Maple headed the summons too smoothly for me to interject. The Festival Staff member wished me luck as we stepped outside and shut the door behind us. Following the wooden porch around the building to the front of the Shrine, we stopped to the side of the Shrine platform. Simple wooden stairs lead the way up to where I would soon face against the Shrine Guardian. The sky was a hazy rendition of pastel purple. A crowd was gathered all the way to the Shrine entrance, but they were all pristinely quiet.
Giving me one last smile, Professor Maple ascended the stairs.
Her heels clicked against the wooden platform until she came to a stop in the center. She faced the crowd, and the last whispers faded away when she cleared her throat.
"Everyone, thank you for attending our festival this year," she said, voice projecting clearly into the evening. I had seen similar speeches year after year, but this time I was on the sidelines, not in the audience. "As you know, we hold this yearly celebration in honor of our Shrine Guardian, the legendary Pokémon that has protected this town for decades, even more. While I was not born here, I have lived in this town long enough that I consider it my home, and the Guardian my own. In the spirit of this Festival, I wish to thank our Guardian for keeping this town, myself, and my family safe, and ask for its blessing in the coming year. Thank you for your protection."
"Thank you for your protection," came the whispered voice of the crowd. I had spoken, too, even though my hands were shaking.
"This year marks a special occasion," Professor Spruce continued, "as one of our trainers has completed the challenge of the Pokémon League and has become our region's new Champion." Thanks to the dense coverage of trees, no one could really see me, but I still felt the pressure of being stared at. "Due to this, the Festival Committee and the Shrine caretakers have granted him the opportunity to challenge the Shrine Guardian in hopes that they will form a bond and bless our town further."
Was that the rationale Fri had come up with to make this seem like a good idea? I seriously owed her more than just a festival date and a Pancham plush. She made my efforts look like a piece of crap in comparison.
It at least seemed to appease everyone. Or at least no one protested to my actions. That was a good time.
"As such, we ask that no one interferes in the challenge that is to take place." While her tone had carried an air of reverence before, Professor Maple now addressed the crowd with authority. "Jijri is a Champion and is capable of facing this on his own merit. Beyond that, we further ask that you remain silent until the end of the ceremony out of consideration and respect. Thank you very much."
Professor Maple clacked her way back towards me, and I offered her a hand as she descended the stairs to ground level. The full ceremony already beginning, neither of us spoke a word. On the opposite set of stairs the shrine maiden ascended to the platform.
My hand fell slack to my side.
Fri's long hair was pulled back at the nape of her neck. The shrine lanterns projected flickers of firelight onto her calm expression. Her hands were hidden behind the sleeves of her haori, the sleeves dangling in unison in front of her. Her hakama glided with each step she took.
"Oh, spirit of harmony and protection," she proclaimed.
I forgot how to breathe.
"We ask that you once again bless our home and bring us prosperity," Fri chanted, her voice ringing into the rustles of the trees. Faint traces of summer wind slid across the stage. "We seek your protection and we provide your our respect and faith. We hope to stand in harmony and coexistence once more, for this year and those to come."
The music started, a slow but pure melody plucked out on strings from inside the Shrine itself. Fri moved, along with the two assistant maidens I had completely passed up behind her. Given their garb, the dance wasn't too complicated, but it did involve a fair amount of spins and grace. I had seen it every year of my life, but this was the first time I recognized its beauty and subtlety. I tried to convince myself it was part of growing up.
Fri hadn't just become the coordinator for the Shrine Ceremony; she owned it. How one person could pull so much off at once was beyond me.
After I catch the Shrine Guardian, I'm—
The strings abruptly cut off as Fri's fellow shrine maidens froze. Only Fri stepped forward, inching towards the Shrine itself. I recognized my time was coming, but that thought barely scraped the surface of my thoughts. Within a foot of the Shrine, Fri stopped and bowed into a perfect right angle.
"Our Guardian, we ask for your presence so that our bond may grow once more." Fri could have whispered those words, but I felt like she had whispered them in my ear. Time froze, and I clutched Wicker's Pokéball at my side, ready to step forward when urged, when the light flashed across the night to signal the start of our blessing.
Silence remained.
Fri didn't move, her eyes slammed shut.
I stayed, waiting, with nerves and baited breath.
Our legend, the Pokémon that always appeared—it hadn't arrived at all.
[Avi's Far Belated Author's Notes]
Well, I know this isn't the story that's gonna get anyone riled up about updates again, but it needs to be finished. And so, here it is.
Thanks to Y-ko for the review. Even if you didn't decide to continue reading, I appreciate that you took the time to leave some feedback. Every little bit helps.
Anyways, yes. Save State. This story has seen the longest without updating, so I decided to update it. And finish it. Like, seriously. The remaining chapters have been drafted. This story will be updated weekly until it's done, for my sake a bit more than anyone else's. I'm hoping on finishing up several fics this year, though I don't know how many. That being said, this is the first one.
And getting through this chapter was interesting. I already had the first thousand or so words sitting around, plus I had a completed outline beforehand. In fact, a lot of the ending bits I've known since the beginning. Making them happen was easy, even if I had to adjust back to this narration style. This is what I get for leaving the damn thing alone for so long. Honestly.
For frequent news and rambling about what I'm writing and such, feel free to check out my Twitter, Plot_K_Bunny. I also post news there about my original writing projects, so don't miss out.
That being said, hopefully this cliffhanger will be worth it. And don't worry-it won't take two years for me to get the next chapter up and running.
I'll be seeing you here again next week. Please look forward to it!
[POST] 03.11.2017