Disclaimer: Pokémon © Satoshi Tajiri; Nesrin and all other concepts © me
V
A Spring of Beginnings: Part 4
Let me tell you something:
Getting dragged somewhere is both awesome and annoying.
The latter because I haven't a choice in the matter.
The former because, whoop-whoop, I get to be carried!
(Yay~!)
"–bottles of milk on the wall, eighty-one bottles of milk~ Take one down, pass it around, eighty bottles of milk on the wall! Eighty–"
Singing cheerfully, Nesrin blithely ignores the fact that she's currently hogtied and being carried off to a certain doom. In fact, the only thing that seems to be missing is an open fire pit. A shame, really, since she hasn't practiced escaping from such a hot hazard in quite a while.
"–bottles of milk on the wall, seventy-two bottles of milk~ Take one down, pass it around, seventy-one bottles of milk on the wall! Seventy-one–"
Tightening his grip on the wooden pole, Green wonders how disappointed his family would be if he were to give into his current desire because throttling the loud menace into permanent silence is beginning to sound better and better with each lyric that passes through her lips.
"–bottles of milk on the wall, sixty-three bottles of milk~ Take one down, pass it around, sixty-two bottles of milk on the wall! Sixty-two–"
Blue, on the other hand, is humming cheerfully along with the simple song. After all, it's not every day that she's able to indulge her inner-child, especially since her best friends prefer being quiet in general. Really, it's a wonder that they're not all pretending to be mute as a result.
"–bottles of milk on the wall, fifty-four bottles of milk~ Take one down, pass it around, fifty-three bottles of milk on the wall! Fifty-three–"
Meanwhile, Red seems to be oblivious to everything that's not the lumber in hand or the path before him because that's just how he rolls.
"–bottles of milk on the wall, forty-five bottles of milk~ Take one down, pass it around, forty-four bottles of milk on the wall! Forty-four–"
From above, Knightmare circles the sky as per usual, keeping an eye out for his human but also appearing to be in deep thought. The sight makes Nesrin antsy and she wonders if she should make a break for it anyway. Still, another part of her is curious to see how things will play out. Regardless, she continues to chirp,
"–bottles of milk on the wall, thirty-six bottles of milk~ Take one down, pass it around, thirty-five bottles of milk on the wall! Thirty-five–"
I suppose that I should've seen the next part coming, but cut me some slack:
Two out of three were clearly enjoying my lovely voice.
Between one blink and the next, Nesrin whites out and dreams of ruling over a kingdom with colorful fluffs for subordinates and a national anthem full of memes.
It was great.
When she finally feels herself coming to, the pink-haired girl opts to stay put and feel out her surroundings instead of bursting straight into action. As a result, she finds herself laying on something soft, a bed most likely, and smells a mix of antiseptic, miso soup, paper, and ink. Her ears pick up on the whir of machinery nearby along with the sound of Pokémon beyond the open window as well as indistinct human voices on the other side of the closed door. From just that, she deduces that she's either at a Pokémon Center or, more likely than not, situated in Professor Oak's laboratory, probably in one of the break rooms that the aides use.
Next, she focuses her attention on herself and notes that, aside from some grogginess, her condition is little worse than before and someone was kind enough to bandage her scratches.
A sigh of relief escapes her lips and Nesrin opens her eyes to see a cream-colored ceiling before she pushes herself up and cracks her neck, rolling her shoulders in order to ease away the soreness, as her eyes drift across the room, taking note of the odds and ends scattered around.
Finally, a sharp grin full of teeth appears on her face.
If payback's a bitch and revenge is sweet, then I must be the sweetest bitch out there.
Dusting her hands clean, Nesrin looks over her handiwork and mentally applauds her brilliance before grabbing a penknife and skedaddling over to the open window, taking a moment to admire the view. Before her is a stretch of open land filled with sloping hills, a variety of trees, glistening lakes and branching rivers, all bordered by mountains in the distance, serving as a home to the many Pokémon entrusted to the Professor by local Trainers. It's beautiful, and she has to admit that the system is working: living alongside one another may not be an impossible dream, after all. Still, it's a work in progress and direct involvement doesn't appeal to her. Instead, Nesrin turns to straddle the ledge and breathes in the fresh air.
Like the calm before a storm, all is quiet before she gives the nearest wall a single, solid knock.
THUNK!
The conversation in the hallway immediately ceases and there's a dramatic pause as she imagines her victims looking at one another in confusion.
Finally, the doorknob twists with purpose and one, two, three pairs of eyes peek into the room, blinking rapidly before widening in horror as the pink-haired girl wiggles her fingers in greeting and smile.
"Hi~ "
And the door slams open.
"YOU–!"
But, unfortunately for him, Green is unable to rant to his heart's content as he stupendously trips over a near-invisible wire. With a startled shout, he grabs onto his friends in an effort to stay upright but accidentally pulls them all down with him instead. And to put icing on the cake, the buckets above shudder as the string holding them up goes slack, promptly spilling a mixture of water, cornstarch, and food coloring before dyeing the trio a nice, bright shade of almost neon-pink.
A swing of her arm and the penknife in Nesrin's hand flies through the air, tripping another wire and embedding itself into a cutting board hanging from a nail on the wall, before a green recycling can is upturned, showering the downed group with shredded paper much like colorless confetti.
And with a flick of her wrist, the pink-haired girl procures a hefty balloon from one of her many hiding spots, hurling it at them before–
Bam!
–it explodes into a flurry of sparkles, covering her targets in colorful glitter.
"Whew~!" Nesrin lets out a whistle of appreciation. "Now that is what I call a makeover!"
A dark aura exudes from the three and the pink-haired girl gives them a sharp grin, mouthing her farewells before leaping out of the ground floor window.
From behind, there's an unmistakable roar.
"This. Means. WAR!"
Let the games begin.
"IGGY, USE DISABLE!"
Out of the three pranked, it is Blue who's currently on a rampage. And her Jigglypuff is only all too eager to follow along as teal-colored eyes glow ominously before Nesrin squeaks, barely dodging a glimmer of light as it grazes against her arm. Immediately, the limb falls limp as an uncomfortable feeling makes itself known from within and the pink-haired girl blanches.
"Oh, crap baskets."
She dives into the nearby bushes, rolls with the momentum, and pushes forward again while concentrating on breaking down the stoppage in her arm's Aura system.
"Oh, no, you don't!" Blue's all but spitting fire at this point. "Disarming Voice, go!"
Nesrin half-expects her sensitive ears to be assaulted by a monstrous scream and half-expects herself to be knocked out again. What she doesn't expect, though, is for Jigglypuff to let out a charming cry that hits her right in the feels. As it is, the pink-haired girl trips over her own feet and smashes face-first into the ground padded only by grass, twitching a few times before falling silent at last.
"Yes!" The brunette pumps her fist before twirling around and posing victoriously with a cute wink. "I win!"
Off to the side, Green looks so done with everything as Red amuses himself by poking the downed girl with a stick that he procured from… somewhere.
Note to self: Blue's a badass, so don't piss her off again.
Pouting, Nesrin refuses to acknowledge anyone as she sits in front of a confused but unmistakably amused old man, bound from the shoulders down to her hips with rope and guarded on all sides by the trio and their Pokémon.
"Well, now," the elder clears his throat, speaking professionally in spite of his mirth, "We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, so why don't we all start over…?"
Ignoring his cue, the pink-haired girl simply jerks her head away with a huff, cheeks puffed out rather exaggeratedly.
And a vein throbs on Green's temple as he flexes his hands threateningly, not liking the way his grandfather was ignored, but is held back by the other two who seem just as unamused but not yet homicidal. Professor Oak sweats but isn't the least bothered as he gestures pacifically.
"Now, now, let's all take a moment to just calm down…"
His advice is followed by a rather… inappropriate snore and one can almost imagine a snot-bubble forming from Nesrin's nose, causing Blue to snap from the pink-haired girl's lack of manners. She attempts to jump on the other in order to smack some courtesy into her but is, fortunately (or unfortunately as some may say), held back by Red who now has both hands full with preventing his friends from committing murder.
The elder of the group scratches the side of his face in thought, watching the scene with a somewhat exasperated smile, before, finally, he sighs and claps his hands for attention. "Alright, children. That's enough."
"But–!" Green starts to protest but backs down when his grandfather shakes his head in answer. So, the redhead decides to spend his time scowling at the bound menace instead.
Blue, meanwhile, has managed to calm herself down through a series of breathing exercises, helped by Red who's rubbing her back soothingly.
"Good, good." Professor Oak nods in approval before clearing his throat again. "Now then, let me introduce you all. Green, Red, Blue–" The trio stand at attention. "–this is Nesrin. Nesrin–" Said girl tilts her head in response. "–these are my grandson, Green, and his childhood friends, Red and Blue."
Honey-brown eyes blink once, twice, thrice before suddenly shifting to the side as the pink-haired rascal sighs in a way that clearly depicts her boredom and disappointment with the entire meeting. Needless to say, the three friends are totally prepared for some jail time but are easily held back by the lone adult in the room.
"Easy there, champs," Professor Oak chuckles, making sure to stand between the two forces, "She's just messing with you."
"Aw~ Did ya have to tell them that?" Nesrin pouts, wriggling in her seat until she's sitting cross-legged. "I wanna see how many more buttons I can push before fearing for my life!"
Stunned, the trio stare at her for a moment before abruptly falling over in exasperation.
And that is the story of how I took down Team RBG without lifting a finger.
The end!
Not.
"WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"
If it were in his character to do so, Green would be crying from frustration right about now. As it is, however, the redhead simply cradles his head in an attempt to rid himself of the throbbing ache inside, almost but not quite whimpering,
"Grandpa, please explain to me how and why you know that psycho over there."
Said elder pats his grandson on the shoulder sympathetically, answering, "Let me start from the beginning then."
Like cute little children settling around for story time, the three straighten up and turn their full attention to Professor Oak who's sitting on the nearby armchair. Nesrin, meanwhile, only yawns from her seat on the Pokéball beanie bag where she'd been unceremoniously dumped so that the others can lounge on the sofa during their pity party. And they call her rude! She makes a face, crossing her arms in front of her chest from beneath the rope.
"Ahem," the old man clears his throat before beginning to explain, "I'd known Lucifer, that's Nesrin's father by the way, since he graduated from the University and then came to work under me at the age of 15. That was… 20 years ago now, I believe. A truly hard worker, that one was, though clumsier than a newborn Ponyta when it comes to fieldwork." A fond smile plays on his lips. "Then, five years later, came Nesrin's mother: Violet the PokéManiac."
Remembering the woman's love for cosplaying, Professor Oak chortles, "It was love at first sight for those two." Here, Blue sighs dreamily, being a romantic at heart. "They simply brought out the best of each other. Eventually, they married and Nesrin here was born ten–"
"Eleven!" The pink-haired girl interrupts, "My birthday passed last month."
"–eleven years ago," the elder corrects himself without missing a beat before continuing on a more somber note, "As you all know, though, we were in the midst of war at the time and things got bad enough to result in a draft."
The air thickens and Nesrin frowns, knowing that dwelling on the subject will only bring up memories that should be laid to rest before deciding to take matters into her own hands. Rubbing the back of her neck, the pink-haired girl wiggles out of the loose ropes and says, "Long story short, Papa never came back after pulling off that major operation and Mama left to find him. (Or, at least, that's what she hopes to do.) I've been living on my own for a few years now with the Professor checking in on me or I with him every now and then."
What, did you think that I was a complete hermit?
Hehe~ Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I do have contact with civilization.
I mean, how else would I get supplies like bandages, utensils, and whatever else that can't be found in a forest or otherwise made from its resources?
"Of course, because of Luke's contribution to the war effort, both Violet and Nesrin are under government protection," Professor Oak clarifies, "This means that they receive various forms of support and what-have-you, even going insofar as to turn a blind eye to the fact that Violet's off to who-knows-where, thus leaving a minor by her lonesome, which (by the way) is why you should become a Trainer, Nessie."
"I refuse," is her blunt response.
The elder sighs, disappointed but unsurprised by the answer, "Will you at least consider attending the University then?"
"Considered but rejected as well." She shrugs nonchalantly. "I may not know everything, but I know enough to teach there, specialized classes not included though."
"You have got to be kidding me," the redhead groans, burying his face into his hands, "This chick is smart enough to be an educator? Standards must gone way down in recent years…"
"Green!" Blue hisses, scandalized.
"What?" He responds defensively. "You can't tell me that you weren't thinking that too!"
"That doesn't mean you should say it aloud!"
Red nods in agreement.
"I can hear you, y'know?" Nesrin looks amused by their conversation.
"Like you even care, what with that grin on your face," Green snarks, "And just how are you older than us?! You're, like, even brattier than I was when I was five!"
"Age is just a number~!" The pink-haired girl singsongs, "Besides, the mark of a true adult is being able to handle whatever BS comes your way."
"Is not!" The redhead bristles like a Persian petted the wrong way. "And stop nodding along with her, Red!"
Said boy droops in response.
"Aw~ Don't pick on the quiet one," Nesrin pouts, wrapping an arm around Red's shoulders, "It's not his fault that he's got more sense than you!"
"She's got a point."
"BLUE!"
I should feel bad for picking on Green, but come on!
How could I possibly resist when he makes it so easy?
"ANYway," the pink-haired girl folds her arms behind her head and asks, "Are we done yet? I've got places to go and people to loot."
The trio choke upon hearing the last three words, but the elder simply shakes his head with a smile.
"Careful with your words, Nessie," Professor Oak scolds with an undertone of amusement, "People might get the wrong idea."
"Or," she says jokingly, wagging her brows, "The right idea!"
"I can't take this anymore," Green groans, dropping a cushion over his face, "Revive me when the world's sane again."
"That might be a while," Blue sighs, hugging her knees, "They seem to be feeding off of each other's craziness," a pause before she adds, "No offense to your grandpa, G."
Said redhead simply mumbles incoherently in response.
Red, on the other hand, has his arms crossed and his brows furrowed in deep thought, debating whether or not to ask the question that's been on his mind for the past few minutes.
Noticing this, the brunette bumps her shoulder against his as a prompt.
Carmine eyes glance over at her, clearly distracted, before he finally makes up his mind and reaches out a hand to tug on Professor Oak's signature lab coat. Upon getting his (and her) attention, Red places two fingers on either side of his head and extends them skywards before pointing right with his left index finger and rubbing a closed hand over it.
Recognizing the signs as "Pokémon" and "to train" and making a simple deduction, the pink-haired girl scrunches up her nose before answering, "If you're asking why I don't want to be a Trainer, then it's because I'll fight my own battles, thank you very much."
He's taken aback by her ability to understand 'hand talk' but accepts it for the pleasant surprise it is and continues signing:
Crossing his index fingers and then pulling them apart, Red does the same with his fists before placing them together, palm against palm, and moving them in a circle.
"But battles entail fighting together?" Nesrin frowns, thinking about that for a moment. "Well, I suppose there's some truth in that… Still, I'd rather be in the middle of it myself." She smirks. "It's more fun that way."
His brows furrow as the self-imposed mute makes to sign something else but aborts it at the last moment, pulling the rim of his cap down to shadow his face.
Realizing that he's done, the pink-haired girl stretches out her arms and rocks back on her heels, chirping, "Now that that's done and over with… I shall take my leave."
That catches their attention and she grins.
"Listen good and well, lady and germs, for I–"
She gestures to herself with an open palm.
"–am–"
Her arm sweeps downwards with a flourish.
"FOREVER FREE!"
And out the window she goes.
("WHEEEeEeeee~!")
"SHE JUMPED!" Green yelps, running over to the swinging pane before squawking at the sight of a pink blur hopping over the fence, "And she SURVIVED?! B-But this is the third floor…!"
Blue sweats but manages to find a silver lining in the situation. "Well, at least we don't have to scrape her off of the ground?"
And the redhead throws up his arms in frustration before yelping,
"RED!"
Said boy has one foot on the ledge, gripping the edge of the window with both hands, and is about to haul himself outside in order to give chase once more but is quickly tackled sideways by his friends as they screamed,
"Are you an idiot?!"
"Stupid!"
"Do you have nothing between your ears?!"
"Dummy!"
And on they rant as Professor Oak chuckles in the background, long used to the antics of children.
Well, that went well if I do say so myself!
Although…
Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?
Meanwhile, roosting atop the laboratory, Knightmare struggles with a particularly difficult cluster of feathers located where his blind spot is.
Oh well, whatever, I'll remember eventually.
Trivia:
8. Sometimes, Nesrin even enjoys dancing in the rain though, generally, she prefers to stay dry.