Chapter 15
As Kim led the way to their final stop, the island's massive hotel, Mark flipped through each of the pamphlets. They were little help, offering only vague answers even to the most important of Mark's questions.
What makes a Pokémon evolve into a human? Read the FAQ section of Understanding and Caring for Your New Best Friend.
Though still not clearly defined, there are many factors affecting a Pokémon's evolution into human form. The most fundamental being the will necessary to become human. That was simple enough; a Pokémon had to want to be human. If Maple was in love with him, like Jeremiah suggested, then that could be reason enough to want to be human. But the pamphlet became much vaguer.
Other factors are also known to affect a Pokémon's evolution. Often, Pokémon evolve more easily when in the company of other human Pokémon. It is also believed that wild Pokémon cannot evolve into humans due to the lack of exposure to humans. However, many other factors, such as experience, species, and age have no effect on human Pokémon evolution. All of these effects and more are still being investigated.
Well, at least it admitted it didn't know all the answers. Mark didn't feel so stupid anymore.
"Hey," Kim jolted Mark back to reality, "you have to pay for your room, you know." Still in a daze, he did so.
The three climbed into an elevator and waited for it to rise eleven floors.
"Once they've finished registration and everybody's physicals they'll work out the schedule," Kim explained, "the opening ceremonies are tonight. They'll probably give it out then."
Mark nodded, still flipping through his pamphlets.
Why do human Pokémon still need trainers in battle? The same pamphlet went on.
Although it's true that human Pokémon are much more independent and don't really need a trainer's orders in battle, the bond between trainer and Pokémon remains very powerful. It is through this bond that a Pokémon's abilities are noticeably increased and without the instruction and careful guidance of a trainer, even a human Pokémon's abilities refuse to shine at full power.
Once again, it was a vague answer and not really conclusive. Sure, it explained that a human Pokémon needed a trainer to be at full power, but why? Mark could only assume that nobody knew. They could describe it, but not explain it. Human Pokémon were just as much of a mystery as regular Pokémon. Probably even more so. And their evolution didn't answer any questions, it just created more.
Sighing, Mark folded the pamphlet up and put it away.
"All done?" Kim asked.
"Giving up, really," Mark explained, "they don't know any more than we do."
"The oldest known human Pokémon showed up just around seven years ago," Kim shrugged, "nobody's really had the time to learn much."
"Seven years?" Mark raised an eyebrow, "that's it?"
"That's it," Kim nodded as the elevator dinged their arrival, "good, we're here."
Maple was about to ask who the first human Pokémon was, but the elevator's arrival opened up a new area to observe and explore. She decided she would ask later.
The group passed several rooms on either side before coming to Mark and Maple's room.
"Here we are," Kim announced, "Room 1104, have a good time, kids. My room's down the hall, 1109, if you need anything."
"Okay, thanks for everything, Kim," Mark said, "we wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you."
"Oh, shut up," Kim grinned, "you're just gonna be an easy noob to beat in the tourney. You just make sure you last long enough for me to kick your ass."
"Will do," Mark smiled and Maple waved as they watched her go.
"Well, go on," Maple urged, glad that she no longer had to compete with a piece of paper for attention, "open it!"
"I got it, don't worry," Mark slid the plastic keycard through the door and opened the room.
That night, Alfred Silph stood before a podium on a makeshift stage in the center of the stadium. He beamed out at the crowd gathered for the opening ceremonies. A grand total of thirty-two competitors with over a hundred human Pokémon were going to compete for the championship. There was even a brave, or stupid, sixteen-year-old boy that was going to compete with just a single human Pokémon.
Even better, after Aurum was confirmed for the tournament, the rest of the Four fell like dominoes. Except for PureBlueSky who apparently decided he was going to attend without telling anybody. Not exactly the way Silph wanted to go about it, but as long as they were there, it didn't matter.
Now everything was in place and he could put on the biggest, grandest tournament he was capable of.
The bright lights of the stadium lit up the field, illuminating the trainers and human Pokémon as they marched into the stadium. The crowd roared their applause wishing friends, family and fellow trainers the best. They gathered in front of him in no particular order, asked simply to come down to the field to present themselves to their fans before the ceremonies began.
Silph looked down at the competitors gathered together before him. All of them were ready and willing to claim the title for themselves. Would there be a new champion this year? Or would PureBlueSky defend his title and once again prove why the Four were so feared and respected? Time would tell, as the anticipation of the upcoming fights hung in the air.
The heir to the Silph Co. held up his hands for silence and slowly, the cheers and murmurs of the crowd faded as he prepared to speak.
"My friends," he spoke into the microphone, his voice echoing through the stadium, "it is a great honor to stand before so many talented trainers and human Pokémon this evening. It is with open arms that I welcome you back as well as any and all newcomers. I wish you all the best of luck in your upcoming battles.
"I want you all to remember that you fight not just for the prize and the title. But you are now helping to represent the entire human Pokémon community. A community made up of people just like you. For whether we are human or Pokémon, we are all equals here.
"Remember that here you are accepted and loved by everyone around you. Remember that you are not alone in the world. You have friends that hold each and every one of you dear to our hearts.
"We gather together not just to test our strength and skill. But we also gather together to remind each other of one basic fact. We are not alone and someday we may openly walk through the world without fear of ridicule or persecution.
"As this community grows, so do our bonds with one another. May those bonds strengthen and guide you as we gather together to celebrate what we have and what we are."
Silph continued talking, but Mark missed most of it. Down amongst the other trainers, he and Maple stood together. Most of the other trainers were fairly young, not much older than Mark. He didn't seem out of place at all around the others. Even Maple fit right in as the group consisted of at least double the amount of human Pokémon than normal humans.
"Holy shit…" Kim whispered, next to Maple, "look over there." She pointed through the crowd to a young woman standing with a human Milotic.
Mark could only tell that she was a Milotic from the strange pattern of blue and red blotches bordered by black on the long skirt she wore. It ended with the fan design similar to a Milotic's around her ankles. Her red hair parted in a curious manner into three separate flowing lengths that reached down to the small of her back. Like Maple, she wore no shoes.
Her trainer was a young woman in her early twenties. The most striking feature of her was the fact that there was a streak of hair that was dyed a dark blue down the middle of her otherwise auburn hair. She looked up at Alfred Silph with an expression that suggested she had heard the entire spiel too many times already. Mark thought she would be very beautiful if she didn't have a look of broken sadness in her eyes.
"Do you see her?" Kim whispered. Her tone sounded like she had just seen a celebrity that she had idolized since she was a child.
"Yeah, I see her," Mark nodded, not quite understanding what was so special about her.
"I can't believe it!" Kim was practically hyperventilating, "I knew she would be here, but holy shit! She's right there!"
"Who is she?" Maple asked, more interested in the human Milotic than the young woman.
"That's RiverofTears!" Kim grinned from ear to ear, "She's the only girl member of the Four! She's been my idol ever since I even knew about her! And she's right there!"
"So…she's good?" Mark asked.
"Of course she's good, you stupid noob," Kim scolded, the smile never wavering, "she's amazing! She's practically a goddess!"
"What's the Milotic's name?" Maple asked, curious about her competition.
"Huh?" Kim stopped for a moment to regain her composure, "oh, that's Teardrop. She's one of RiverofTears's strongest."
Maple nodded before turning back to listen to Alfred Silph's speech. She loved it. Every word sounded like he was talking directly to her. He welcomed her home, reminded her she had friends that thought the world of her. Even if half the world was afraid of her or didn't even know she existed. She was accepted and celebrated here. At this tournament, she could be anything and everything she had ever dreamed of becoming.
"And now, I ask that you turn your attention to the wonderfully clear sky that blesses this tournament, for the first of many surprises that we have planned for this year."
The lights of the stadium were switched off as thousands of heads turned upward to the star-filled sky to see what Alfred Silph's surprise was. After a few moments, Maple heard what sounded like a small explosion. A small stream of light appeared over the stadium weaving back and forth slightly. Suddenly, the light went out and was replaced by a plume of red and blue sparks that filled up the sky in a marvelous display of light and color.
She cringed after the first firework exploded, terrified by the noise it made while at the same time awed by the wonderful display. When the second exploded into a mixture of green and blue she realized that the sound wasn't anything threatening and she could just enjoy the lights that came with it. Grinning widely, she turned to Mark who was smiling at her with a mixture of amusement and adoration. Blushing, the two turned away simultaneously.
Spinning in place, Maple looked around to see the entire stadium light up. That was when something caught her eye.
Perched on top of the southernmost pillar of the stadium, a lone human Pokémon watched everyone. Maple couldn't make out the dark shape until the light from the next firework briefly lit up the area. In a quick glance, Maple recognized it as a female human Salamence.
She wore a one-piece dress that was red around the shoulders and faded to white before turning to blue at the base of the skirt. Her deep red hair was shoulder length and the pointed ears of a Salamence could be seen. The three-foot long blue and red tail matched the knee-high boots she wore. Her wings were folded against her back while she rested on the pillar.
The sky went dark again and Maple could only make out the observer's silhouette. She watched as the great wings spread out to an incredible five yard wingspan. Another firework lit up her form as she dove off of the pillar before gliding away, towards the city.
"Cheesy," PureBlueSky rolled his eyes as he looked at the banner in the square. He was alone, waiting for Tempest to come back. Flurry and, what was his name? Evan? Yes, that was it. The two of them were at the stadium. They were virtually inseparable, the kid clinging to her like a puppy, whining to see everything. PureBlueSky had become a babysitter.
Now that he was alone, he paced the square, glancing at the banner every now and then, cursing it.
It was undoubtedly Alfred Silph's idea. The guy was overdramatic and outright stupid enough to actually think it was awe-inspiring. Who in their right mind would think that?
Fireworks erupted from the direction of the stadium, jolting Sky out of his thoughts, temporarily.
"Fireworks…" he sighed, "of course you would." Just how many clichés was Silph going to rely on for this tournament? What was next? Maybe a parade and a dance night? Joy.
He checked the time on his Pokégear, a relic now but it did the job. Tempest was late. Of all the times he didn't want to wait, he certainly didn't want to wait here with that cheesy banner staring back at him, daring him to think about the past.
He would, of course, there were too many memories on Himitsu Island. They were pleasant memories, too, which made looking back more painful, somehow. Why couldn't he hold onto them? It had all slipped through his fingers and there was nothing he could have done to stop it. But that didn't stop him from asking himself if there was something he could have done differently.
The fireworks from the stadium lit up the empty square as PureBlueSky paced.
Was everyone back, again? Were River and Edge and maybe even Aurum over in that stadium watching these cheesy fireworks? River probably was, she was always enough of a romantic to be able to enjoy Silph's bullshit. She was probably watching them with that same girly fascination she always had…
Sky shook his head, clearing away the thoughts of River.
Edge, on the other hand, he might've skipped out. That would be his style. He hated ceremonies like that, not enough action, not enough excitement. Maybe he was in the woods or off in the mountains doing some training.
Aurum would stay. He'd complain the entire time, but he'd stay. That old man was always tough for Sky to figure out. He was usually bitter and cynical as if he just wanted to be left in peace. He was nice to absolutely no one but River.
All three of them had to practically beg him to train them and he hadn't gone easy on them, either. But, without him, they never would've reached the level that they were at now. Sky still felt like he owed the old man more than he could ever pay back.
PureBlueSky looked at the banner, again.
"Asshole," he muttered, before checking the time, again. Two minutes had passed. Where the hell was Tempest?
Finally, another three agonizing minutes later, Sky noticed the dark shape in the sky coming from the stadium. He recognized the wide wing-span of his human Salamence. Moments later, she swooped down into the square and lightly landed a few feet away from her trainer, flapping her leathery wings a few times to steady herself.
"Well?" Sky asked, impatient for details.
"She's here," Tempest nodded, smoothing her red hair as she folded her wings against her back, "so are Aurum and Edge. They're all in the stadium."
"Really?" Sky was surprised to hear that even Edge had the patience to sit through the opening ceremonies. That made Sky the only member of the Four that did not attend. Suddenly, he felt like an asshole.
"You are going to talk to her, right?" Tempest asked, though she was afraid that she knew what the answer was.
"…Not right now," Sky shook his head and turned away from Tempest, unable to face her.
Tempest closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, fighting to control her quick temper. How many times had she heard this from him? She hated watching him do this to himself, it was pathetic. Sky had been such a good person before; he had been strong, confident. He had been so…damn it all!
So much time had passed since they had been here last. She hadn't realized how much she had missed it until she was soaring through the sky looking down on Himitsu Island.
But that time hadn't done anything to help Sky. It just made his pain worse. Worse still, there was nothing Tempest, or any of his human Pokémon, could do to make him feel any better. She felt like she was watching him kill himself right in front of her.
She wanted to hit him. Maybe she could smack some sense into him. It was just about the only thing left that they hadn't tried. Just one good punch, make him bleed and remind him what real pain felt like. Tempest had bled so many times for him, why couldn't he do the same for her?
And yet, she couldn't do it.
Had she noticed a slightly longer delay before that pre-recorded response of his? "Not right now," "the timing isn't right," or "I'm not ready, yet." How many times had she heard that? And still, she couldn't bring herself to hit him and just be done with the coward.
PureBlueSky, the champion of the Second Evolution Cup and arguably the strongest human Pokémon trainer in the world, was a coward.
Still, there had been a delay. They were back in this place that held so many wonderful memories. Maybe this could be the year. This could be the year that PureBlueSky finally got over the past and could move on. Tempest had to hope. It was all she had left.
"Tempest," Sky's voice sounded even more distracted than usual. Was that a good sign?
"Yeah?" Tempest sighed.
"Thank you," he said.
"You're welcome," she nodded. The square lit up as another firework exploded over their heads. Tempest turned to look up and watch while PureBlueSky stared at the ground.
AN: and now everything's set up to get down to some good tournament fighting. 15 chapters and still just 1 1/2 fights (the 1/2 being Maple vs. Mark's normals).
so, yeah, cya next week!