"Aries, can you—"
"No."
"You don't even know—"
"I can read your mind; still no."
"—why I want it—"
"I can still read your mind; still, no."
"You're a jerk," was the conclusion Denise finally arrived at after two miles of walking. Sadly, it was the only thing they were arriving at after their sixty-five minutes of walking, and trekking through the dark depths of Mt. Moon, it was hard to look at the bright side of that, proverbially and physically. When they passed an incandescent crystal, Aries was reminded of one of his earlier conversations.
"You really are quite beautiful, Denise," he tried.
"I'm not falling for your crap this time," she snapped back.
"Ah, but I am quite serious—"
Aries, no, Mew said, shaking its head. He smirked at the back of Denise's head anyway.
"Do not ire, for I am sparing the world the obliteration it will surely have at the disobedient and malevolent hands of Denise," he replied. Even her Lucario laughed at that, causing her to face forward a little too quickly.
He is only kidding, Denise, Mew said, patting her shoulder. She swatted it away angrily.
"Truthfully, learning the metaphysical is very difficult," Aries continued, sensing her aggravation. "I have been practicing this sort of control for eleven years and haven't even made it halfway yet."
"Yeah, well, I'm very different from you," she said without turning around.
"I couldn't have said that better myself," he murmured. Although he was disappointed at not completing his psychic training, he was heartened by the fact he had plenty of solitary time to hone it—then Denise very literally dropped in. He didn't mind it much himself—Denise was sure to bring him some amusement, even if it came at the cost of his concentration, and with all of his crap he needed a laugh or two—but he was highly concerned about Mew's health.
If she somehow ends up in trouble—again, he had thought to it privately, how will we help? My psychic abilities are still inadequate for an actual fight, and you, well, are stretched paper-thin with holding the planet together.
Neither liked to mention it too often, but after what Silver did, Mew was the only one left that could hold the world together before the natural disasters overwhelmed it. The task was massive for the Legendaries created for it; for Mew, just one Legendary, to do it, was almost unthinkable, even though it had the most power out of all of them. He wanted to help, really, but what could he, a simple human, do?
Don't worry, it replied. Everything will be fine.
Aries hoped so, because with Silver amassing more power with each day, things weren't looking very fine. "Um, Aries?" Denise said. He blinked just as he came face-to-face with a wall of dark jagged Moonstone. He bounced off like he just hit rubber, falling on his back with a surprised gasp. "Are you okay?" she asked, extending a hand. He didn't take it, getting to his feet on his own instead.
"I'm fine; I was just…thinking a little too hard."
"Not as hard as that wall though," she said, causing Henry to laugh.
"You are really very amusing, Denise." He didn't mean it sarcastically, but by her vehement thoughts she took it that way. "I'm sorry."
"We've been walking for a long time," she complained, slouching against a stone. "Can't we take a break?"
We should, Aries, Mew agreed. The end of Mt. Moon is still a long way's away.
"Fine," he conceded. Mew disappeared for a moment, returning a bit later with a green backpack. "Where did you get that?"
Demetrius.
"You took Dee's bag?" Denise sounded incredulous. Mew shook its head.
He had it ready for you; he was going to deliver it in person, but a thought "occurred" to him that if he left it, unattended, outside, then you would come of your own volition and retrieve it, it said with an almost smug look on its feline face. Denise snatched the backpack from its paws.
"I don't like you mind-bending my brother," she said, irritated, but the loud rumble of her stomach drowned out the latter half of her sentence. She seemed like she wanted to continue at first, but gave up with a grunted, "Well, you didn't hurt him, I think," and plopped onto the ground, opening the pack. "Clothes, Potions…food!" she exclaimed and unceremoniously spilling its edible contents to the ground. Mew caught them telekinetically to prevent them from hitting the earth; there were two roast beef sandwiches on rye, one grilled vegetable sandwich, a metal thermos, and a plastic package of some pastry. Denise's eyes lit up as she snatched it in her hands, holding it up to the light reflecting off of the moonstones surrounding them. "Red velvet!"
He gave you a carpet to eat? Mew asked, nonplussed. She shook her head, curls swishing from side to side.
"No, it's a sweet, Mew. Like candy."
"That's not healthy," Aries pointed out. She gave him a look that would've peeled lead paint. "Well, it's your body."
Idiot, she thought vehemently.
"You're aware I can hear your thoughts?"
Yes; why else would I think idiot, idiot?
"You're a pleasant person to be with, Denise." She didn't respond, only shoved the vegetable sandwich in his direction. He raised his eyebrows a little, looking at her taking a large bite out of one of the roast beefs. "Why not the roast beef sandwich?"
"You look like a herbivore," she said passively through a mouthful of bread and meat. He didn't like the way she said herbivore, derisively and in an annoyed way, but she perceived that, at least, which meant she was more observant than she appeared. He picked it up and carefully plucked any dust mites from it psychically before taking a bite.
"It tastes very good," he said, awed.
"It's just vegetables, dude," she replied, a bit perplexed.
Roaming freely, we have only had Berries to eat, along with the occasional scraps, Mew said, poking at a roast beef fragment it held aloft telekinetically. Nothing as good as homemade food for a very long while.
"That's sad," she said honestly, bits of meat flying from her mouth as she spoke.
"It's not polite to talk with your mouth full, Denise," Aries said automatically, remembering being told the same by Oak and Mew so many times it had become a mantra.
"Shut up," she said, and that was the end of his advice. The rest of the meal progressed within the vacuum of silence, sporadically broken by Denise's coughs and hiccups when she swallowed too quickly, followed by Henry's quiet scolding as he patted her back.
"Why can't he use any Psychic-type abilities?" Aries asked, indicating Henry, halfway through his roast beef sandwich. He looked up, his ears flattening against his head.
"What happened to just being a privy psychic?" she said sourly.
"You misunderstand; I'm only privy with you, Denise. You're just that special." She looked at him, confused, obviously trying to figure out if he was joking or not. "Henry, although similarly gruff, is more good-humored and less of a Sour Snorlax." He grinned at her, which she obviously didn't appreciate.
"He was a Bad Egg," she answered in-between gulps of hot chocolate from the thermos. Sensing there was more to the story, he sent a tendril of psychic energy prodding at her mind, fixing his attention on his sandwich so as not to appear suspicious. "Get out of my head!" she snapped, causing him to flinch.
"I apologize," he said, nonplussed. "That is how Mew and I communicate."
"I don't buy that," she said.
"Ah, it seems I underestimate your sagacity and intelligence."
"Hell yeah you do," she replied, though he doubted she knew what sagacity meant. She threw a few pieces of her cupcake at him. "I'm no idiot, so don't treat me like one, a'ight?"
"I understand," he said, but that wasn't a consent to not making any more attempts on her mind, although if she could feel it, he would have to be more careful. "Anyway, we are done and we should proceed."
"Not so fast!" a male voice called, echoing off of the cavern walls. Aries heard a buzz, then he sensed a very angry Nidoking standing directly behind him. There was another buzz and Denise spun around just as a Hitmonlee materialized behind her. Mew plopped down next to Aries, alarmed, before disappearing from view nanoseconds later. Two men quickly followed, men with a very familiar ensemble of electric-blue hair and silver space suit-like wear.
"Team Galactic, is it?" Aries said, unperturbed. Denise thought for a minute.
"I remember you guys!" she exclaimed. "You're the crazy ones that think Dialga and Palkia are real—although Mew's real, so they might be—"
"Denise, I don't think that's the problem here," he said softly. She glared at him.
"Obviously, you're very worried about this situation," she said sardonically.
"I am; I simply don't wear my thoughts as you do."
"Shut it," one of the Grunts growled, his Nidoking prodding her in the back with his horn. Henry growled, fists clenched and ready to pulverize the Nidoking's shell until he had purchase at the soft skin inside where he could—Aries decided to bail out of his mind at that point, because Henry had enough horrible thoughts to give him a Dark-type.
"Do not fear, Denise, for I am here," Aries said, causing her to roll her eyes so hard he had a tangible fear they would fall out of her skull. He focused on the Grunt with the Nidoking, poking at his mind curiously. The Grunt grunted and scratched his head while Aries pulled back, confused. He is immune to my telepathy, he spoke to Denise, being careful to keep their conversation mental.
Get outta my head, she replied, her eyes dangerous.
Denise, I will not look at your thoughts, however much they tempt me—and they really do, to be honest; it's a fun thing to be privy—because I do actually respect your privacy to some minute degree. We have to stick together right now, as we are in an unknown and most likely dangerous situation.
Get outta my head, she repeated staunchly, turning to the side petulantly. He sighed, shaking his head.
"We're in Cavern 3B," the Hitmonlee's owner spoke into a walkie-talkie. "…Yes, sir, we'll wait."
Mew, Aries thought, stretching his mind around the room.
I'm here, it responded.
I cannot get into their minds.
I as well. Those blue wigs they wear are woven with tinfoil; primal, yes, but it has always been effective with repelling waves of psychic energy.
Can't you attack them to give us a chance to escape?
Not so soon after that Gym battle; my power needs time to recover.
I understand, Aries said before turning his mind to Henry's. Henry, can you hear me?
Uh-huh, loud and clear, he replied.
Why don't you attack?
That Nidoking is too close; he'd get her with Poison Jab before I could smash his brains in, and then what would we do? Your Antidotes don't work on people, he thought, grinding his teeth together. He muttered something aloud that sounded suspiciously like a Pokémon swear word that he may or may not have learned when Mew wasn't paying attention to him.
Hmm.
What?
It's just that your logic, compared to Denise's, is very sound.
His expression calmed somewhat as he stared fondly at his Trainer. She has her idiosyncrasies, yeah, but she's my best friend, and I love her. What's your plan, anyway?
I have no plan, Aries said. My psychic energy can't penetrate their wigs.
That's officially the weirdest sentence I've ever heard.
"No telepathy," the Nidoking's Trainer suddenly snapped at Aries. He pursed his lips; he could easily have defied them—he wanted to, matter of fact—but he didn't want the Nidoking to hurt Denise. He heard slow, confident footsteps approaching from one of the many tunnels in the mountain.
"Who's that?" Denise asked. The Nidoking jabbed her again, and Aries saw that Henry was literally seconds from disregarding the consequences and dealing with him. Luckily, both of them were spared by the arrival of another Team Galactic member.
"Good job, you two," the man said, coming to a stop a few feet away from Denise and Aries. The man looked familiar, with his dark, vacant eyes that lacked eyebrows and blue hair, but Aries couldn't place him. Denise, on the other hand, gaped, eyes and mouth wide.
"Team Galactic Leader Cyrus," she gasped. "I saw you on T.V. the other day. Why are you—why are we—?"
"Is she always so inarticulate?" Cyrus asked Aries, folding his hands neatly and professionally behind his back.
"No; usually, it's the opposite."
"Shut up," she snapped at him. Cyrus knelt down and grasped her chin with two fingers, locking his eyes with hers. She struggled a bit before staring back, hypnotized. Henry shouted in dissent and attempted to lunge at it only to be held back by the bulky Nidoking. After a long while, Cyrus pulled away.
"She's not the psychic," he said to his Grunts. "And though I'd hate to rule a variable out without investigation, the boy isn't either; he's too frail to have endured that sort of training."
Aries blinked as he noticed a tickling sensation on his forehead. He watched as a drop of blood fell from his nose to the ground. I hadn't even noticed I was injured, he thought. What Cyrus said was erroneous; psychic training needed only the mind, and the body would have to endure periods of starvation and insomnia, which made him nearly immune to certain things, including most pains. Apparently, Cyrus wasn't aware of that much, despite being on a search for the psychic. However, he did come frighteningly close to the truth; he was going to have to be more careful henceforth.
"We're sorry, sir!" the Nidoking's Grunt cried. "We heard that the psychic would be passing through here—and we thought—"
"Next time, don't think," Cyrus said in a very controlled voice. "Get your facts straight before we waste valuable time. Let's go." The Grunts returned their Pokémon, albeit grudgingly, letting Henry hit the ground with a pained grunt, and followed Cyrus down the tunnel they entered through. Aries waited until their footsteps completely vanished.
Team Galactic, Mew said anxiously, reappearing on his shoulder. He reached a hand up to stroke its head.
"Denise?" he said, turning to her. Her head was down and her curls obscured her face. Henry knelt down at her side, paws on her shoulders reassuringly. "Denise?" he repeated.
"What do they want with you?" she asked, looking at him. Her expression was an odd one; he couldn't place it immediately.
"I cannot tell; there are too many possibilities. Although, there could be—"
Mew suddenly gasped, and, without warning, leapt from Aries' shoulder and blasted through a tunnel ahead so quickly the air shimmered in its wake. Shortly after, a loud boom! crackled through the cavern, causing it to tremble and vibrate as cracks broke through the Moonstone deposits. Henry gasped; Aries stood up. "Denise, we have to get out of here," he told her. She shook her head. "Denise…"
"Lucario!" Henry said to her. Aries listened to his thoughts.
"'Denise, do you need—'"
"I don't need help!" she said suddenly, getting to her feet and moving forward so abruptly Henry and Aries struggled to follow. She stumbled and staggered for a few strides before moving of her own accord, giving them enough time to catch up. They entered the tunnel just as the Moonstone started crumbling, filling the cavern with the glossy black stones.
