A/N: Alright, here's chapter fifteen of this wonderful story. Enjoy friends!
Chapter Fifteen
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Them Explosive
And Blow Up Life's House.
"Ha!" Nozawa chuckled, thinking of the answer to Hermione's question of 'I'm sure after you won a gym battle you celebrated, right?'. "Why yes we did, Hermione! And quite well, if I do say so myself."
"Maturely, of course," Espeon added quickly. The group listening, now in the living room for the greater amount of space, laughed quietly at the more-than-obvious sarcasm.
"Pfff! Maturely my foot!" Algida cut in at that instant, giggling madly at the memories. "When I first joined the team and helped get the eighth badge, Aromi here decided it would be a good idea to try drag me into it. I, of course, refused, especially as he started to beg like a kid. So not mature!"
"Yeah, well," Aromi countered, grinning widely. "You were just as bad, what with slipping in those little pranks to get back at Lucario and Espeon splattering you with those pies!"
Algida whistled innocently, as the rest of the team, just now learning this, either stared or exclaimed something like "that was you?" to her. Even the team's two troublemakers were surprised.
"Ohhh," Fred began, Minun on his shoulders and also listening intentively. George and Plusle were taking notes, as the older trainer and his team explained the various stunts they pulled. Clearly, the twins were interested. "What'd she do?"
"Well," Nozawa began, struggling – and failing – to keep from laughing. "You know how she controls time, right? She set up these little pockets of cold water in the air, set off to go at a specific time. She had looked into the future and set them up exactly where the target would be and to release at that exact moment. So for the next few days, at least one member of the team would get dunked and be absolutely confused. Back then, she was only just learning to trust us all, so not only was it really funny, it was kind of a big moment."
"And oh man," Algida said, grinning widely. "The only other legendary that knew was Mew. She's a master at pranks, and she knew what I had been planning because when we next got together, she saw right through me and got me to confess. That started an entire prank war among the legendaries."
"Oh, yeah, that was awesome!" Lucario, usually stoic, said with a broad grin. He loved pranks. He laughed before continuing. "Remember that big one Algida did?"
Laughter erupted from the team, and soon Nozawa explained. As it so happens, Algida had done something due to a dare from Nozawa, whom had been insightful enough to squeeze the info out of the temporaless and give her the dare in the first place. As it turns out, she had gone with it, and similar to her cold water trick, set up a large amount of bright pink, nigh-on-impossible-to-get-out-of-fur paint above the head of someone very, very powerful – Arceus himself. It was perfect, because he was usually an easy-going dude, and had managed to stay out of the prank war up until that moment.
"So..." Nozawa said, laughing as he spoke, the group around him chuckling and/or grinning as he did. He took a deep breath to steady himself – but it failed. "While we were in the middle of the finals of the Sinnoh league, with Algida out of her Pokéball... at that very moment, there was this enormous roar that went throughout all of Sinnoh. It was quickly followed by the loudest voice of telepathy I've ever heard."
"Algida! Roar of Time!" Nozawa ordered, both he and his friend very focused on winning this tournament. As the Dialga prepared to do so, everyone froze as the loudest roar ever recorded was, well... recorded all over Sinnoh.
"Hold the phone!" Exclaimed the announcer. "That is one amazing sound! Reporters are saying that it was heard all over the region, which much mean that –"
DIALGA! The loudest, closest to furious, voice all of Sinnoh had ever heard suddenly went through everyone's heads via telepathy. Algida was instantly giving a sheepish smile to Nozawa's stare. YOU ARE SO DEAD THE NEXT TIME I SEE YOU!
The silence of the stadium was deafening, as everyone stared at the Dialga standing right there, looking very sheepish.
"You..." Nozawa began, staring, eyes wide. A smile was threatening to split his face. "You... actually did it? You actually took the dare?"
Well, uhh... Algida said, her sheepish look growing to a great, big, equally sheepish grin. Yeah. I, uhh... couldn't, uhh... resist the opportunity...?
The crowd was silent. Then everyone burst out laughing, and after a few moments, so did the trouble-making legendary on the field. Soon enough, though, the battle was resumed, and shortly after that, ended in Aromi's victory. The trainer soon found out what it was that Algida had done... and she soon found out how skilled of a prankster Arceus really was. From what Algida had told her trainer, it seemed that his skills even put Mew's to shame.
Algida had the decency to look sheepish as the story was told by her trainer. Of course, she had yet to tell anybody in her team, yet, but –
DAMN YOU, DIALGA! Arceus' voice roared through the heads of everyone in Grimmauld Place. NOT AGAIN!
Nozawa was immediately staring at Algida, as was everyone else in the room.
"...One has to wonder how tempted he is to smite you right about now," Nozawa said, thereby causing everyone to crack up at last. Even Mad-Eye Moody, despite being usually emotionally solid, couldn't resist the smallest of smiles. "Say, why don't you invite him here?"
WHAT! Algida cried out, mouth gaping. She had slipped back into telepathy from the shock at her trainer's suggestion. Are you INSANE?
"Oh, just do it," Nozawa said, rolling his eyes.
"There is no way in hell that am I contacting him right now," Algida said quickly, shaking her head almost violently.
"Fine, could you get me in contact with him?"
"Not if you're going to invite him!" Algida protested.
She did NOT want him here, especially after pulling that prank again. The worst part was that it had happened during one of the bi-weekly meetings, one she'd missed due to excusing herself to spend time with her adopted family. Nozawa rolled his eyes, and while the rest of the team continued to give stories to the gathered group, he eventually got her to connect him with Arceus.
Who is this? Arceus asked, voice defensive and sharp. He didn't recognize the mind he was suddenly connected to.
Relax, Nozawa said calmly. I'm Algida's trainer.
Oh... Arceus said, calming down, and glad to be able to have whatever composure he wanted since the meeting was now over and he'd used his powers to get the paint off. Well... this is a surprise... wait, Algida? You mean Dialga?
Yeah, Algida's her nickname.
She got my message right? Arceus asked, the threat suddenly being deemed of the utmost importance.
Oh yeah. We all did. Just like last time.
What do you mean you all... Arceus paused, sensing Giratina's mind as it connected to his.
Dammit, Arceus, don't do that! Giratina growled.
Nozawa was quickly given the liberty to hear Arceus being yelled at by the Lord of the Graveyard about how the telepathic roar had thrown said lord off balance while flying and nearly crash-landed into a Distortion World building. After a little while, Mr. Graveyard left the conversation, and the two remaining held onto an awkward silence for a bit.
So, anyway, Aromi quickly said, snapping Arceus out of his reverie. It's almost Christmas time, and I was wondering...
What? Arceus asked, curious. He knew he could trust this trainer. After all, if Dialga could, then so could he.
I was going to invite you to spend the Christmas with us.
Arceus was left silent. He... to be honest, he had spent many, many Christmas times alone, and had grown used to it. He wasn't sure if he should accept or not.
Oh, come on, it'll be fun! Nozawa insisted. What's more fun than spending Christmas with friends?
Well... alright, Arceus finally conceded, smiling silently. He hadn't been invited to a Christmas party in... who knows how long.
You'll have to be in your smaller form.
Soon enough, Nozawa cut off the connection and smiled at the story Kyashii was currently telling. Ron had asked about some of the training they'd done, and the Luxray was talking about their training on Iron Island. Lucario, however, didn't think it was all that funny when she mentioned his hatching and resulting instantaneous charge into battle. The talking paused when a small portal appeared and the large group of adults stepped in front of everyone, wands at the ready. Algida recognized, it however, and instantly glared at her trainer. The glare is what clued him in.
"Oh!" Nozawa said, stepping forward, in front of the adults. They looked at him like he was crazy, especially when he motioned for them to put away their wands. "That was fast."
"What are you doing?" Molly exclaimed, questioning his idea of trying to get them to disarm themselves.
"Look, this visitor's a friend, trust me," Nozawa explained, without turning around. "And either put those wands away yourself or I'll do it for you."
Those staring had their eyes widen at this statement. Before another word was spoken, Aromi seemed to nod to nothing, and shortly thereafter, a light blue glow surrounded all of the wands and forcefully put them a safe distance away.
"Thank you, Espeon," Aromi said, smiling to her over his shoulder, before turning back to the portal. He watched as the form of the powerful Pokémon appeared. "Hey, nice to finally meet you."
Nice to meet you as well, Arceus said, nodding with a smile. Then he spotted Algida, who had a perfect 'oh crap, I'm so dead' look on her face. Oh-ho... I can NOT wait to get you back...
"Nozawa, who's this?" Sirius asked the young man.
"Everyone, this is Arceus," Nozawa said, turning to the group. "The Sinnoh legend says he's the one who created Pokémon in the first place."
As he and his team ignored the surprised gasps and glances from everyone else, Nozawa explained the spell he'd learned, and with Arceus' permission, cast it on the powerful legendary.
"This is great and all," Mad-Eye Moody growled at that very moment, as the door opened to reveal Snape. "But it's time for one last meeting before tomorrow."
The golden trio groaned at this, getting ready to head upstairs along with the twins. Nozawa was confused for a moment.
"Wait, where are you guys going?" Aromi asked, confused.
"We're not old enough to listen in," Fred said curtly. The lack of a smile on his face was rather disturbing to Aromi. After a moment, he made his decision.
"Well, you know what, screw that," He said shortly, getting behind them and beginning to push them into the kitchen to join in the meeting. "You get to sit in on this one, whether they like it or not."
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la
"Aromi, what are you doing bringing those kids in here?" Professor McGonnagal asked, unsure of what her colleague was doing.
"Inviting them to sit in on the meeting," Nozawa answered bluntly, as Arceus and Espeon did the same. Algida had decided to stay in the living room – for her own safety, of course.
"What!" Molly screeched, standing abruptly and coming over to begin pushing the kids back out. "No! They are not to hear this!"
"Hey!" Nozawa exclaimed, getting in her way. "Stop, Mrs. Weasley. I'm sorry, but no; they need to hear this first-hand, and so do you all."
"NO!" Molly yelled in the young man's ear. "They are KIDS! They are NOT old enough to hear this!"
"...How rude, yelling in my ear," The young man commented. Molly suddenly realized what she did and took a step back, as Aromi rolled his eyes at her reaction. "Relax. It's not like they're in danger. Besides, they're old enough to have spent the last four or five years without their parents in school, haven't they? I think they're old enough to make their own decisions."
"Nozawa," Moody growled. "They aren't in the Order, and there are matters of secrecy that must be upheld."
Aromi threw up his arms at this, finding the denial to see that the kids were not such any longer quite frustrating. With a ferocious growl that surprised even Arceus – the trainer had seemed so calm just a moment ago – the young man slammed a hand onto the table.
"I don't care," Aromi said flatly and bluntly, his voice holding no room for argument. "I'll admit, I'm only here temporarily, and that I've only been told what's happened, but guess what? These... kids... as you call them, are no longer children. They have been through some damn tough stuff, and the fact that they're still standing as strongly as they are proves my point. Whether you all like it or not, they've grown up. They don't need you to hold them by the hand anymore! From what I saw of Fred's rather frightening expression earlier, they don't want you to, either!"
"Frightening look?" Fred asked, confused.
"Fred, you weren't smiling," Aromi explained. "There's not a single moment when I haven't seen you with a smile. I can honestly say that seeing you without one is just... it doesn't suit you."
"B-B-But... they need to be of age before joining the Order!" Molly exclaimed, a lot quieter this time. "I don't know what kind of family you grew up in that would –"
The table, and even the students, froze on the look Molly received. It stopped her in her tracks. Espeon was not surprised one bit. Arceus was, however; the rage suddenly boiling beneath the trainer's usually calm exterior was rather frightening.
"Don't you dare talk about my family like that," Nozawa hissed harshly. "You have no right to talk about them without knowing them. Mrs. Weasley, I suggest that you sit down and shut up before I really get mad."
The woman had no choice but to return to her seat. Taking a moment to take a deep breath, the tension in the air loosened just a tad.
"Anyway, whether you all like it or not," Nozawa said, utterly ignoring Mrs. Weasley, going so far as to momentarily deny her existence. "These five are going to stay. Any and all arguments otherwise and invalid. Besides, I have something to say that involves them, and before you all say something, idea has been approved by the headmaster."
"Well, then," Moody said in his usual manner. "Why don't you begin the meeting?"
"Thank you," Nozawa said with a grateful nod, standing while the others took a seat. Arceus was standing nearby, listening in as well. "My idea is simple. At the end of this year, I would like to invite Harry, Hermione, and Ron to accompany back to Sinnoh for the summer."
Imagine several voices giving their disapproval. With a roll of the eyes, Aromi quieted them down.
"Quiet!" He said harshly, effectively silencing them. "Remember what I said earlier? These three are old enough to make their own choices; that's why I'm not forcing them to do this and telling everyone now instead. Another thing – I don't care for what you adults think of this. This is their choice to make, not yours. So don't you dare go trying to influence their decisions. Even better, just leave them to decide on their own."
"You mean... you mean it?" Harry asked, unsure of his current decision. Aromi nodded with a smile.
"I would enjoy having you all come along and seeing Sinnoh first hand. However, it's not going to happen until this summer, so you three don't have to decide for a couple of months. Don't worry about it right now. Just relax and enjoy Christmas break, alright? Now then... with that all said, I think I'm going to go ahead and step out."
With that, Nozawa turned, and with Espeon following, left the meeting. The room was silent for a while, even as Arceus also left, more interested in the one whom had invited him than the meeting itself. He dealt with those far too often, anyway.
There's a place I know! It's always jumpin'!
I'm thinkin' we should go and leave our worries!
You've got a friend in me, and I'll tell you somethin':
This time can be extraordinary!
"Aromi, what happened in there?" Algida asked, concerned for her trainer. Arceus watched this as well, interested in how deeply she trusted said human. It was the first time he'd witnessed it first-hand. "I could sense your anger all the way out here..."
"That..." Aromi began, then gave a heavy sigh. "Mrs. Weasley started to talk about my family. I couldn't help it. I'm sorry worrying you all."
The team accepted his apology and soon enough, things were alright again.
When shadows fall, you're feeling small.
It looks like the walls are closing in.
Don't be afraid, the dark will fade!
Just take my hand and look again!
Once they finally were released from the meeting, now learning that it was rather annoying to have the adults dance around what they were talking about and thus leaving the students in the dark, the golden trio promptly left for upstairs. However, when they got to the second floor, they were treated with an interesting sight.
"Ohhh, no you don't!" Aromi exclaimed, grabbing Arceus by his tail and beginning to drag him towards the stairs. "I am NOT leaving you downstairs where you can set up your counter-prank! Save it for later!"
"Hey! Let go of me!" Arceus countered, just as surprised as Algida. The rest of the Pokémon, however, were giggling and/or chuckling madly. Algida eventually fell into a giggle-fit as well.
"No way, sir! You are bunking with me! Save the pranks for another time!"
It continued to go back in forth, but unfortunately for Arceus, the human had been good enough to drag his sorry butt to the base of the stairs, where he finally caved in and climbed up them on his own will. Soon enough, the young man and his team and the guest he'd invited were fast asleep, and ready to face tomorrow morning...
Credits: Quote is a shortened version of one of Cave Johnson's line, spoken in Valve's amazing game of Portal 2. The song lyrics are from the song "This Side of Paradise" by Bree Sharp, featured in Destiny Deoxys.
A/N: Thank you all for keeping with my when it comes to my stories, and being patient for my sporadic updates! I hope that you continue to enjoy my stories and let me know by reviewing (seriously, I love getting reviews).