Parallel Heart Chapter 9
"Is there anything about these Neos Pokemon that we should know about?" Beauty asks the Togetic flying above her.
"According to the research text: Neos Pokemon have incredible power within them... they're normal pokemon that can summon out raw power, power that might even rival legendary pokemon whenever they desire to do so," Knolla explains from the report she just read.
"So they can just be powerful normal pokemon like me?"
Knolla just shrugs in response, "just like battle types, there are different types of Neos that have to go to same type of pokemon. For example, if you are one, you'd be the Neos of Normal."
Beauty just sighs from this, "so, what you're saying is: if I'm the Neos of Normal, then I wouldn't be able to evolve at all?"
Knolla nods to her understanding, "there are only one of each Neos," she continues, "they can be passed down to other pokemon of the same type, according to the pages, and it seems they're usually passed down from parents to their offsprings when they are proven worthy enough for the power."
Knolla can understand why, this kind of power has to be pass down to someone they can trust, or it could spell disaster.
"You said that pokemon can use this power whenever they want to, right?" Beauty asks, receiving a nod from the togetic, "what if they just receive the Neos... will they be able to know how to use it immediately or do they have to learn how to?"
That is a good question, the fast-reading togetic looks through the pages of the research documents and found that kind of information in it, "it says here that the pokemon who inheriates this power will have to learn how to use it on their own first, and the mark of the Neos type shows when they are using it. But if they die before passing on the Neos, it chooses a pokemon throughout the whole region believed to be worthy of its power," Knolla has read all of the research paper and finished explaining everything in it to Beauty... now it's Rose and Mega's turn.
After finishing washing his face, Mega looks at the crystal entrance to the library and wonders how those two were doing on book searching. "Hey Mega, I need a little help mixing juice with honey."
He sighs when he hears this, "okay, I'll be right there," he answers back to Rose and walks towards the counter. When Mega gets there, "you need to learn how to do this by yourself," he says and grabs a nearby stick to stir the juice, leaving the buneary to blush and scratch herself on her cheek shyly.
"I know... but it tastes better whenever you've done it," she explains and brings up another topic, "when are those two gonna get out of that library?"
"I dunno... but they're gonna get their food eaten by me if they don't hurry up."
She playfully punch him in the shoulder from that remark, "jerk," causing them both to laugh among themselves.
"WE'RE HERE!" They hear a shout out from a certain eevee, coming out of the crystal entrance with the togetic above her.
"Don't start eating without us," Knolla says holding the book with both arms.
And soon, they begin to eat and drink merrily of the sweet-tasting honey the two made. It was moments like this that makes Mega feel alive, he wishes that time like this can last forever, but he knows for a fact that happiness ends eventually. He wishes they can come along in his journey so the happiness doesn't have to end so suddenly, but that's up to them whether they want to or not.
"So Knolla... why did you bring that book to the table?" Rose asks concerning the book's safety of being in Knolla room like all the other books.
"This is the research book that contains information about the Neos pokemon," she answers back, "and I need to explain it to you guys."
Mega doesn't know why, but he was getting excited about learning more about the Neos, "so you finally got information about them?" He asks while munching on a honey-dipped sitrus berry.
"Yes, I got the answers I've been looking for," she pauses and winks at him with a cute smile, "all thanks to you."
Mega doesn't know why, but his face heated up from the appreciation, "heheh... anything for a friend," he says while scratching the back of his head.
He continues to keep eating like his large portion of berries as though his throat is a bottomless pit. He then finishes it off with his juice and slams it down on the table, "okay, I'm gonna read that book now," he says reaching for the Neos book, only for it to be snatch by Knolla.
"Mega I told you, I'll explain it to you and Rose when you two are done eating." Mega's ears droop in disappointment, but decide to wait in his room and look through his own.
After finishing the honey-juice mixed drink, Rose was in a happy mood, "that was delicious," she exclaims in joy. She turns her attention to Knolla across the table about what they and Mega have to discuss about, "okay, spill it," she puts her elbow on the table because this was a serious matter, "what's the information we need to know?"
Knolla sighs about Rose's impatient, "I also need Mega too because I don't want to explain a third time," Rose nods to the idea and walks towards Mega's room.
As Mega was looking through the book, he couldn't tell who the other pikachus are. Are they his ancestors? How old is this book? It feels as though he's connected to this mystery and it's an odd feeling. His thoughts changes when he sees the cute bunny girl standing outside his door.
"Are you ready?" She asks, only to receive a nod from him and placing the book back on his bean bag nest, "okay, let's go."
After explaining to Mega and Rose about the Neos Pokemon the same way she explained to Beauty, Knolla took a breather and relaxed on her wooden chair. She then looks back at them, seeing them sinking in what they heard about the Neos Pokemon.
Rose was the first to understand all the information she heard, "so any of us might have the power of Neos and not know it?" She asks concern about the situation they're in.
"I don't know... maybe," Knolla replies, "and according to the message that scientist gave us, Neos Pokemon really exists and they're the faith of this region... maybe even the entire world." She takes another look in the pages but couldn't find anything else that could help.
Mega finally got all this information down and stands up from his chair, "if any of us have the power of Neos, we won't know until we show tremendous amount of power according to our types?" Receiving a nod from Knolla, "so then... I'll just get stronger so I can be greater than them," making everyone else at the table fall over from their chairs over the silly remark Mega just made.
"No offense, Mega, but you don't stand a chance against a Neos Pokemon," Knolla states, recovering from that outburst.
"Why not? The stronger my opponents' are, the sweeter the victory!" He yells with eyes fired up and his fist in the air, "I'm going to train now." He walks o exit through the main door.
Suddenly, he was stopped by a hand grabbing his arm and pulling him back to his seat, "Mega... this isn't a game," Knolla says, "if you go against a Neos Pokemon, you'll surely lose."
This frustrates Mega and makes him stand back up with his fangs showing, "do you think I'm just gonna admit defeat that easily!?" He yells at her, "I didn't train in the Northern Pokeball Forest just so I would hand my ass over to someone else stronger than me... from what I learned is that if you want to stay alive, you have to surpass your limits and get stronger on the spot." With that said Mega walks away to the stairs that leads to the entrance.
"Wait!" He hears Knolla's voice once more before he took another step to leave, "if you would die from a powerful opponent... what will you do... before then?"
Mega just pauses at the question, "if I would die from an powerful opponent...?" He starts smiling sinisterly, "the answer is simple: I'd bite his neck and drag him with me into the afterlife." With that said, he slowly steps outside with that very smile.
After hearing the door close, Rose couldn't help but feel... strange, like as though his answer was all too familiar. This feeling fills her with dread as these feelings travel through her spine as her frown depends with concern.
"Is something wrong, Rose?" She hears Knolla's voice, snapping her back into reality.
"N-nothing... just thinking."
Knolla knows what exactly she's thinking about, "don't let it get to you," Knolla says, "he doesn't know how he will die... but I do."
This is a sudden shock coming from Knolla, not once, has she never talked this way before and only makes her question her friend more, "h-how?" Rose stutters, receiving a head shake from the pokemon she's asking.
"From a slow, painful death." This answer makes Rose rise up to her feet and slap her friend in the face, surprising Knolla in the process, but not as surprised as the very pokemon herself... she just slapped one of her dearest friend.
When Knolla recovers from that sudden slap she rubs her cheek, "why the sudden attack Rose?" Knolla asks.
Rose trembles as she hold the paw to help recover what she just did, "I-I don't know... I suddenly feel anger when you talk about someone's fate like it's no big deal," the buneary answers back. The help paw trembles as it feels her other paw covering it.
"So you think it's alright to just attack someone... just because they know how someone is going to die?" Knolla receives another slap from Rose, "how can you be so defensive towards someone you hardly even knows? Especially going so far as attacking your best friend?"
Knolla wasn't wrong about what she was saying about Rose... Why is she defending a pokemon she hardly even know? Is it because Knolla is judging a pokemon's death like it's nothing? Or is it the fact that she has a crush on him?
Rose stops and sits back on her chair and looks down, "I-I don't know... I feel like I've known him my entire life," she answers back, "Mega reminds me so much of... him... he didn't deserve to die such a horrible death..."
Tears begins to fall onto her fluff, "his personality...his smile... the way he walks... the way he talks... are just so much like his... I don't know what's up and down anymore."
Her paws cover her face as she sobs in sadness, "if Mega is him... I wouldn't know... the way he answered that question... were the exact words... he answered back with a passion. I need him, he made so many promises that I wish he didn't have to keep all of them. Maybe then he would be here today."
"Thunder Pu- Achoo!" Mega's attack was interrupted by a sneeze, rubbing his nose with his arm, "why am I sneezing a lot?" He asks himself, he remembers someone once told him that everytime you sneeze, that means someone's talking about you. He finds that hard to believe... shrugging it off, he focuses back onto his training on the boulders in front of him.
"Thunder Punch!" He shouts and unleashes thunder from his body and onto his fists, charging at the boulders on his hind legs, he smashes a chunk off the boulder.
"Damn, that's not good enough!" Mega looks at the scars on his chest, "I wish you never came into my life," and throws a fist at the remaining boulder, causing it crumble and break down.
"I need to become stronger... I couldn't even keep my promises to my dearest friend," he looks down on his scar once more, "I deserve it... I AM a hypocrite after all," and slams his other fist against a random boulder, that too crumbles up and breaks down...
Beauty couldn't believe what she was seeing... her best friends fighting over a crush, leading Rose to slap Knolla twice before sitting back down and crying. She wants to go over there and make everything better, but she knew she'll only make things worse... her greatest option is to make sure Mega doesn't get himself killed.
She walks up to them, pretending like nothing happened, "girls, I'm going to get some water, do you want anything?"
Knolla and Rose just stare at her, making Beauty uncomfortable. She was about to turn around and leave, but swiftly, arms grabs her back with sheer force into a hug.
"We need you right now." They said in unison as they hug her with tears in their eyes, making the eevee close her eyes as well, "okay, if that's all you need," and embraces both of them with a front paw behind each of them.
Everything seems to slow down; as though time itself has reached a stopping point, but they didn't seem to care... they have each other after all.
Rose was the first to speak, "how about we make a promise," making the other two look at her, "no matter who Mega picks as his mate... we will always be friends."
The other two didn't even need to think about it and says in unison without a second thought, "promise," and the three goes back to their loving embrace...
Meanwhile, on another part of the Amaru Region, there is a certain swinub on important business.
"And that's our report," Diggy says to a shadow figure.
"Excellent... tell Mega that I'll be late."
"like you always are?" Diggy asks in a playful manner before digging back underground.
"How much longer until we can leave this hellhole?" An impatient snivy asks behind him.
"Soon enough," he replies and wavers his jacket around, "c'mon, Midori... it's time for training." The shadow figure walks back to the entrance to the mysterious place they were at.
This frustrates the now-named Midori, "the food better be edible this time, or those pathetic humans will get a good taste of my Vine Whip again," she says while walking behind him, crossed-arm.
