Chapter 6
All characters and settings shown in the story belong to The Pokemon Company except my own and others' OCs.
Listen.
Her mind pulsed and ached, thoughts blurring and slurring as it slammed around like a bouncy ball thrown by a Machamp.
Her body felt numb, her mind in complete and utter pain as she couldn't even simply blink or twitch the tiniest bit. She felt like a balloon near popping, filled with helium as she floated upwards and upwards into the vast expanse of space only to be crushed and destroyed in one single 'pop!'.
Listen.
But…
Her conscious, the barest sense of all, despite the pain, felt like it had expanded outwards.
She could hear the heartbeat of every creature in the forest, lifeforces like will o' wisps flickering and some quick to drain away. Particularly all around her.
She could feel the flood of emotion. Pain. Grief. Sadness. Naivety. Happiness. Pride. Peace. Conflict.
It all welled up inside her like a dam, slowly drowning her in the literal weight of the world.
Listen.
She could feel her own tiny heartbeat, slowing down quick as her life twirled up into her conscious thought like an upside-down waterfall. Blazes of light like a fairy ring twirled around the tiny ember, the sources of strife delicately afraid to touch the shell.
Pain slammed over her, a fierce hot gust that blistered her and elicited a scream from mute invisible lips.
Listen.
Was this her eternal punishment? To become the Atlas of the modern day and take on the task of taking up the weight of the world?
She deserved it.
She could feel the restless souls drifting up with her, shooting up like rockets past her instead of floating above the world in a single thought.
So this is what it felt like to die…
Every conscious memory, every thought and action slipped away from her mind as she simply let go.
In a single moment, she was Nothing and Everything.
She was One and All.
But suddenly she was dragged to earth, a spectral spirit as she felt her head spin. Memories flashed and Alita's eyes opened to look down at her own body.
Listen.
And so she listened.
She watched as Pyrrha and Aristaeus quivered over her motionless frame, delicate despite their new bodies. Pyrrha now merely crouched on two slim legs, fur wilder and bushier as her waist slimmed and her paw was easily near the size of her hand.
Ari now stood rigid, glittering black eyes carrying a thousand words as he stood silently in the stiff brown carapace.
She could even see the dead body of Ormarr Shesha, disturbed by the massacre to lay dead upon the bloody mud. The rain howled as Pokemon wailed and nature quivered alongside them.
Some legends said regular Pokemon were the descendants of gods, so finely tuned with nature after years of evolution and adaption that even one group could throw the natural world out of balance.
Alita's eyes widened as suddenly lightning struck, highlighting an invisible body floating above the parade of mourners.
A girl, unscarred from Death as she smiled for those few seconds, mouthing, 'Thank you.'
Ormarr's ghost faded away into Oblivion.
And now here she was alone, spectral head turning as she bit her lip and tightened her iron fists. She was unable to cry, rain slipping through her like she wasn't even there as thunder boomed and she felt her soul being tugged every which way.
Which afterlife? Which punishment or blessing? Which? Nature was singing, a Fletchling fluttering along in a clear, sunny day as she felt like she was being ripped apart.
She could feel the multitudes of ruby eyes, Ghosts who had chosen rebirth dancing through the spectral plane she supposed she was supposed to call home now sing and dance the macrabe song of death and love and Everything and Nothing.
Which? Which? Which shall the Slave do? Which? Which? Which path will the blood of the Flower choose? Which? Which? Which time will you choose? Which day will it be? Which is your choice, then we'll leave you be!
She was ripping at the seams, literally. What to choose? She was a lost spirit, regarding a dead body as she tuned herself with nature. Her hands drifted different ways, legs in near splits and her head lolling back as though possessed by a demon.
Lightning flashed upon the earth, unholy and roaring as it struck the earth and her heart sang.
Listen.
She felt her temporary senses draining away, her incorporeal form evaporating away as the world was lit green by the sight of the invisible cracks of the world, rivers of the natural energy that allowed the world to thrive.
She listened and closed her eyes.
Everything faded away into Oblivion, her ghost pulled along by the flow of Nature.
Her heartbeat echoed and she felt her essence touch a starburst of blue not far from her body.
Derp.
The little Deino was wailing after his Trainer, Lily's blonde hair flying in the wind as the rain blinded her, screaming something that she couldn't quite hear. Her eyes traced her mouth as Lily screamed it again.
Alita!
Was that truly her name anymore? She was fairly certain she was dead, a ghost of a single mind. Or perhaps she was merely an illusion created by the mind as it prepared to finally shut down. Her head was merely mindless thoughts, tracing away as she started to fade too.
Listen.
That voice again…
She felt a soft tug on her arm and her head lazily turned, eyelids lazily fluttering open and closed as she dazedly stared at the soft glowing red eyes.
They seemed child-like, standing from the ghost's shadowy body as Nature's energy hummed and twirled up its spectral tail to feebly flow through whatever guarded its face.
It gently tugged again and she allowed the Ghost to delicately pull her along, time like flies in amber as she blinked once and they were back in the clearing.
Blood was slowly flowing away, unmentionables sagging as the draining rainwater pushed mud over them and the corpses thrown astray. She barely noticed Ormarr's Pokemon having gone missing, their Trainer's body still unmoved from its sleep upon the ground as she eyed her own Pokemon.
They hadn't moved an inch, watching with stunned eyes at her body delicately eaglespread on the ground. The Ghost gently tugged on her again, its body shifting with the lightning. For a moment, she could've sworn it was a little boy, staring up at her with sad, sad eyes. But it was still the same after that particular flash and she paid no mind to it.
She didn't even think as the Ghost tugged on her wrist and lead her hand to land on her chest.
It was like an electric shock to her system, eyes widening in horror as the Braixen and Kakuna didn't even notice the ghosts hovering over her own dying body.
Without a thought, her arms pushed into her chest to her beating heart and let her body do the rest as her soul slipped back in.
Every bit of her hurt like she'd been boiled in oil, body stiff and muscles screaming as her breath came in loud gasps and her chest rattled with every breath.
But she was alive.
Her ears were ringing and it hurt as her Pokemon wailed happily, but she let them engulf her as they yipped and chittered, voices shaking as they wondered over how she was still alive after that direct blast of Thunder.
But all she could focus on was breathing, throat rasping and her lungs feeling like they'd been crushed as every bone in her body felt like she'd been thrown in a tornado. Even the smallest movement made the sharpest pain zap up her arms.
Her vision blurred and she blinked, hot warm tears streaking down her cheeks as the rain became lighter, slicking her hair back and combing across her scalp like a comforting hand. In the distance beyond her ringing ears, the thunder was only a faint rumble, rain slowing to a sprinkle on the bloodstained mud and she simply closed her eyes, faint smile on her face as she heard faint shouts and barks.
When she came to, it wasn't the forest, instead a plaster ceiling as she squinted up at the white material. Slowly blinking, she stretched out her fingers and toes, body a dull ache as her head turned and she stared at her arms.
While neatly wrapped in white bandages, she could see an expanse of skin exposed, the bruises bright on her skin.
Thick dark marks traced her skin like veins of lightning, with a patchwork of muddy brown bruises like freckles alongside them all at least the size of a pecha berry. Another thick dark line of the worst bruising traced her bones, vanishing under the white bandages and the green plastic hospital gown. Blinking once more, and turned her head and stared down her body.
She was most definitely in a hospital or Pokemon Center, body neatly hidden by either a blanket, her hospital gown, or the white bandages that teasingly covered her body. No one else was clearly in the room with a sweep of her eyes, the soft dull beeping of the hospital monitor ringing in her ears.
Alita's mind felt dull as she went back to staring up at the ceiling, sound drowned out as dazed eyes stared into nothing. What had happened?
For a moment, she swore she saw a wisp of a shadow above, red eyes staring sadly down at her before she blinked and it was gone like a trick of the light.
Alone again.
She sighed, barely audible as her lungs rattled in protest and she closed her eyes. Might as well sleep off the pain until a nurse shows up…
Only to be interrupted by the door slamming up, several screeches and suddenly she was blindsided by three blurs, ribs nearly crushed as she wheezed and coughed in the painful surprise.
Pyrrha whimpered, the large bipedal fox's paws worriedly brushing her shoulders as though she wanted to give another hug, Derp having no qualms resting his front legs on her aching shoulder and cover her cheek in slobber. She giggled, but of course the pain cut it short. Her attention was drawn by a soft chitter, eyes turning to an unreadable Lily as Aristaeus glanced over her shoulder from his silk cradle.
"Hey." She muttered, trying for a smile but wincing again as sharp pain shot throughout her face.
"Don't you 'Hey' me, you half-dead Skitty," Lily growled. "You try dragging your surprisingly heavy ass all the way back to Santalune City while you were dying."
Alita winced and croaked, "Uh, about that-."
Lily firmly cut her off with a glare. "How in the hell did you even get that badly hurt? I found your Pokemon screaming over you in a clearing flooded with blood and… and..."
She cringed, scrunching her eyes shut as she tried to drown out the memories of the disfigured bodies lying in blood, unmentionables scattered across the clearing and smeared across skeletal trees in bloody marks as a monstrous storm roared above in a nightmare display. That was something she never wanted to go through again, the pain as lightning unlike any natural force on this world coursed through her body before…
"You get my point. Why the hell'd you even run away in the first place?! Was it because you decided to chicken out like you always seem to do?"
For a minute she felt like she was going to tear up, but a single memory and she glared back, the younger taken by surprise as her teeth actually pulled back in a snarl.
"I may have run away in fear, but I didn't act like a brat and started an unnecessary fight that could have been prevented! If you hadn't decided to get mad like you always seem to do, Lily, I wouldn't have nearly died in the forest! Hell, I did die once in that clearing!"
"Callalily."
"Wha-." She growled, mismatched eyes glaring at the suddenly calm child.
"Callalily. Not Lily, that's just a nickname. And you're right." Callalily shrugged casually, ignoring her angry bewildered look as the Pokemon sheepishly watched on. "I was acting stupid and made mistakes that nearly cost some lives. You wouldn't have gotten that badly hurt if I'd just talked it out with Matilda instead of shouting at her, even if she deserved it. And I'm sorry."
Alita blinked, staring in surprise at Callalily as the younger lowered her head in shame, Derp whining from his perch over on her own shoulders before pushing off and tackling his Trainer to the floor, ignoring her pained gasps.
The eleven year old screeches turned to gales of giggles as Derp happily covered her face in slobbery kisses, the Deino's stubby tail wagging as Pyrrha daintily covered her mouth with a white paw to smother her giggles and Ari whined in complaint from his position under Callalily.
Maybe they could be friends.
After a nurse nearly had a heart attack and ran into the room, kicking out the band of misfits and thoroughly checking over her bandages while giving her a firm talking to about running off alone into the woods much to her horror as a doctor came and checked her over, she found herself sluggishly walking down the cobblestone streets of Santalune City in her only set of spare clothes alongside Callalily and their trio of Pokemon.
"So what do we do now?" Alita rasped, licking her dry lips as Lily shot her a raised brow.
Lily scoffed. "Isn't it obvious?"
Alita blinked and tilted her head, drawling, "Well considering I'm just now coming out of a hospital after nearly dying, it's clearly not obvious."
Lily lightly punched her arm, procuring a hiss of pain from the elder. "No sympathy from me on that, you heard it here first."
"I'll make sure to spread the word."
The two laughed, grins on their faces as they walked past the ivy-draped buildings, lit by the sun beaming down below as a chilly breeze barely lifted the edges of their hair. Signs hung overhead as they walked past storefronts and shopkeepers who happily called out their goods.
"Freshly made macarons, only five hundred poke per dozen!"
"Hey there, pretty ladies! Need a new fashionable accessory for your Pokemon? Handmade silk scarves for sale!"
"Come and get them while you still can!"
While they didn't stop for anything, she found herself swaying with the warm smell of sweets and warm food wafting through the air. Alita even nearly had to drag Callalily away from the baker selling macarons, the man letting out boisterous laughter as Derp barked happily and his Trainer stared with wide eyes and outstretched hands at the Kalosian cookies with whimpers in the back of her throat.
"Dammit, why can't I have just one…"
"No sympathy from me on that, you heard it here first."
Lily scoffed and grumbled, although she caught the faintest hint of a smile on her face. "Copycat, at least you're not stuttering anymore."
Alita blinked and feigned innocence. "I stutter?"
Lily punched her arm again, drawing out another hiss of pain as Alita rubbed her arm and Ari chittered from his perch hidden underneath her cascade of pink hair. Pyrrha giggled softly in worry as her own Trainer rolled her eyes, grin on her face. Maybe this would be good after all.
They walked past the town square, stone Roselia buds showering the pool of crystal clear water filled with poke wishes with a cascade of rainwater. The crowds were buzzing with the afternoon rush, some walking past them to the street littered with shopkeepers as they turned into a nearby corner street to pass between the taller apartment buildings.
Draped in ivy and crawling with all manners of flowers and moss and other various plants, the occasional tenant waved hello as Fletchling and even a rare Vivillon passed overhead. Little Bug types wriggled in the hidden shade of the creeping vines, Grass types happily clinging on as one lady came particularly close to spraying them with her watering can.
She didn't really pay any mind to where they were going, eyes staring heavenward as clouds lazily drifted through the brilliant blue sky. To think just last night it had been that monstrous storm…
Alita blinked as a sudden thought slammed right in. "Wait, how long was I exactly out for? The doctor never really told me."
Callalily rose a brow. "Hmm, and? Doctors never really give away the key details, you were out for two days just after I dragged you in."
Her eyes widened in surprise, looking at the younger. "I would've thought it'd been a week."
Lily stared at her for a long drawn out moment before she was bent over, wheezing in laughter as she clutched her gut. She gasped for air as Alita grinned innocently, twirling a bit of her hair on a bruised finger as her Braixen sighed and her Kakuna laughed in the excitement of it all.
It took several minutes to calm Callalily down, and then another couple minutes to calm an excited Derp from running circles around the city. The bustle of the city seemed to die down the further they walked into the suburban jungle, sunlight barely scraping the top of their heads as apartments towered above in a silent vigil.
Soon narrow paths widened into sunny walkways, golden rays shining through the wide gaps in the wooden lattices stretching on either side and high above the cobblestone and variety of slowly wilting creeping plants that still clung to the wood. The younger often had to all Derp back when he raced off to curiously chew at stalks or bite at wriggling bugs.
They walked out a few moments later into a wide courtyard, a faded white gazebo sitting in a shaded corner as a battlefield was dug out a few feet in the center with stone steps leading down. The area was clearly old, weeds growing between cracks in the stone and moss growing over the sides of the buildings. The grass was unkempt and the paint dividing the dusty dirt battlefield was so worn she could barely tell where what went where.
"Pretty cool, huh?"
Her attention turned back to her human companion, the child smirking at her as the wind tugged at her long milky white hair and twinkling blue eyes sparked in challenge.
Alita nodded back, gaze turning back to the abandoned courtyard.
"I found it walking around while you were knocked out cold and near death," Callalily explained, smug, lazy grin stretching across her face. "I think this used to be a place locals living around here could come to relax and battle. But, obviously with the gym and living lives away from battling, hell, even the Pokemon Center battlefield, no one needed to use this anymore. But for us, it's perfect."
"Perfect for what?"
"Battle me."
Alita's head snapped around to stare at the other, her Pokemon bristling in surprise as Deino whined and stared up at his Trainer. Her brow furrowed in confusion and her mouth opened only to blurt out, "Shouldn't you at least take me out for lunch first?"
Callalily snorted, rolling her eyes and cackling under her breath. "I'm serious, battle me. Your Pokemon evolved faster than anything I've ever heard and they're clearly strong."
The younger snapped a pokeball off her belt, holding it in hand with a determined glint in her eye as Derp barked happily. "And since I plan on getting strong, I need to battle. So battle me."
Her heart's nervous fluttering calmed as she frowned down at Callalily in thought. "What do I get out of this?"
Lily smirked. "That's for you to find out."
Alita shook her head and sighed, turning her head to Pyrrha. "It's your call, I won't battle if you don't feel ready yet."
The Braixen stared her in the eye, ruby eyes glinting with a fire she'd never seen before as a white paw held up the gold medallion of her Amulet Coin. Slowly, but surely, Pyrrha nodded, Ari humming in agreement on her back.
Alita turned back to Lily, face serious before a small smile graced her lips. "Let's do this."
Not even waiting for her, Lily and Derp swooped down the steps in their excitement, the younger racing over to stand on the left side of the field as Derp barked in challenge. Even if it sounded as it goofy as it was, it was still brought back a flash of memory from the battle from that night. Alita frowned and shook her head to clear her thoughts.
Now isn't like then. But still the doubt weighed down her shoulders a bit as she descended the steps and took her place on the opposite end of the battlefield.
"So who'll you choose?" Lily called over from her side, Derp barking as the Deino dropped into a wide defensive stance. "Hopefully your strongest, Derp's been with me for a long time."
Not taking her eye off the Deino, she gently reached to her back and placed her palm flat against Aristaeus.
"Ari, I know you're still getting used to this, but I want you to take on Derp. Do you trust me?" Alita murmured, feeling Aristaeus chitter nervously before humming.
Alita grinned, firmly gripping her Kakuna as the silk holding him to her snapped and he retracted into the pokeball she had held in the other hand.
"Oh, so Pyrrha then?" Callalily grinned, eyes clear as day as she eyed the Braixen as though she had already won.
"Nope, just had to get something off my back!" She trilled back, taking in the confused expression with a pleased hum of excitement she'd never felt before as she passed the pokeball to her right hand and tossed it up in the air. "Ari, are you ready?"
The Kakuna loudly hummed, balanced on the tip of his carapace as he rocked back and forth. Lily grinned, eyes bright.
"Clever! This'll be a one on one Pokemon battle with each Trainer using two Pokemon! The winner will be decided when either side's Pokemon all faint! Now Derp, Dragon Rage into Headbutt!"
Derp obeyed, mouth widening with a flash of blue glowing within his throat before a steady stream of draconic fire zipped right towards his opponent.
"Ari, jump and spin with a String Shot!" Alita ordered, nervously eyeing the incoming attack.
The Bug type leapt, using the momentum to spin and fire off streams of white silk. Most burned under the Dragon Rage as it slammed into the dirt several feet in front of her and kicking up plenty of dust. Coughing as dust filtered into her lungs she forced herself to look up for any progress.
Ari dived down, course taking him right with the momentum of his spin as he landed in a patch clear of String Shot. Derp was clearly slowed down, forehead dimly glowing white as he bounced over sticky silk and said silk trailing like spindly legs from his back and neck.
"Harden! As many times as you can!"
As Derp came near Ari glowed two times before they made contact, slammed back into the stone wall as he groaned loudly. The opposing Deino happily chirped and awaited for his next move.
She frowned, nervously taking in her Pokemon as he wobbled on the ground. Raised defense, if she remembered right, or not, Derp could easily take him out with the right move. "Poison Sting around you, don't let his close without a taste of your specialty! String Shot if he gets too close!"
Ari's shell slightly opened where his mouth would be, turning in a curved motion to release the sickly purple needles as Derp bounced back.
"Crunch!" Lily called after a moment, Alita barely noticing the other gritting her teeth in frustration.
Fearless, the Deino leapt through the thorny ground with wide open jaws as his fangs extended into a set of shadowy jaws. Ari, on habit, shot off a stream of silk as it slammed into Derp's shoulder.
The Crunch smacked into her Kakuna's side instead of straight on, sending him spinning as Derp tumbled the other way through even more Poison Stings. He kept rolling until he clipped the wall, wobbling on his legs as he stood up before a purple glow overtook him and small purple bubbles popped out of his mouth with a cough.
Callalily's eyes widened. "Oh no. Derp, Dragon Rage, finish it!"
She didn't even think as the skin and fur on his neck started faintly glow blue. "String Shot right down his throat!"
Ari chittered and weakly fired off a feeble stream of silk, heart pounding as it flew before flying right down Derp's fiery throat. She didn't notice the Kakuna fall over, watching as the Deino coughed and another purple glow overtook him and he choked up purple bubbles and dark smoke before falling over in a dead faint.
Lily looked stunned as she stared at her fainted Pokemon and then up at her, shakily pointing at the fainted Ari. "Both our Pokemon fainted, you should probably recall him for now."
Faintly nodding, she held up Aristaeus' pokeball and pressing the button as a stream of red energy quickly returned him to temporary stasis. Pyrrha leapt onto the field without asking as the other recalled Derp, Amulet Coin glinting in the afternoon sun as the Braixen awkwardly tried to mimic Derp's original defensive stance on her two legs.
Lily's eyes glinted with a dangerous light as she called, "Come on out, Silfer!"
In a flash of blue and white light, a spider-like Bug type appeared, a sky blue with a yellow top to its small round body and a thorn-like horn poking from the top of its head. It danced on four delicate legs as though it was skating, beady black eyes narrowed in concentration as two blush-like marks underneath caught the sunlight.
Alita snagged her Pokedex from her pocket, holding it up as the blue glass slid open and calmly read aloud, "Surskit, the Pond Skater Pokemon. They usually live on ponds, but after an evening shower, they may appear on puddles in towns."
Alita sweated as the Surskit continued to dance back and forth before Lily ordered, "Ice Beam all over the ground, cover up that silk!"
"Dodge it!"
Pyrrha danced out of the way as soon as Silfer fired off a stream of jagged icy blue energy that danced like lightning before striking the dusty battlefield and quickly coating it in ice. Now freer to move around, the bug continued its course as Pyrrha danced away only to slip on the slightly bumpy but thin ice.
Lily smirked from her spot, feet subtly shuffling in excitement as her fists clenched and she shouted, "Slam it with a full-on Silver Wind!"
"Pyrrha, get up!"
The Braixen shakily sat on her knees, unable to move without slipping as Silfer glowed silver and the air seemed to swirl around her before with a graceful twirl sharp arcs of concentrated silvery wind raed towards the vulnerable Pokemon.
Alita nearly groaned in her nervous state before she desperately ordered, "Try and burn it all away with your Ember!"
Pyrrha reached back and snatched up the seemingly innocent branch from her bushy tail, cheri berry red fire glowing at its end before she whipped it back in preparation and slammed the stick forward. But instead of a hot rain of fiery embers and air, fire swirled in the air like it was a funnel and met headfirst with the Silver Wind.
It burnt through easily, continuing its course onto Silfer even as Callalily faintly called over the roar of fire.
The Surskit danced away, skating across the ice at insane speeds as the Fire Spin roasted the wall behind it before dissolving into thin air. Taking in the steam rising from the melted path it had created, Alita grinned.
"Fire Spin to melt the field, try and hit the Surskit!"
With a flick of her stick wand, Pyrrha sent the twirling fire straight for the bug only for Silfer to dance out of the way. Trying to remain concentrated, Pyrrha's arm moved with the Surskit as it zigzagged and danced its way towards her. Clearly starting to get frustrated after no progress in the few minutes, the Braixen ended the stream and roared.
Silfer, surprised by the frightening Howl, glowed red and Alita took it to chance. "Fire Spin!"
"Sh-, Ice Beam!"
Before her opponent could do anything, the Braixen released another Fire Spin that swirled and roared around the Surskit. Silfer crying out in surprise and pain, Lily swore before ordering, "Ominous Wind!"
The fire glowed deep violet for a second before violently being flung across the battlefield in trails of smoke, forcing Pyrrha back as the crisp autumn air turned extremely heated.
Silfer clearly didn't escape without injury, exoskeleton slightly burned and legs shaking and drooping as its body nearly touched the wet dust leftover from the ice. At the same time, Alita and Lily ordered, "Fire Spin/Bubble Beam!"
Pyrrha's wand roared with fire before releasing her signature move, at the same time the tip of Surskit's horn glowing blue and a stream of glowing blue bubbles flew straight at each other.
They met at the middle, fire and water clashing as they pushed back and force to no avail before exploding with a force that kicked up dust.
Raising her arms to shield herself as the dust flew right at her and the wind threatened to knock her over. Squinting at the dust cloud, she called out, "Pyrrha!"
She could dimly here Lily calling out for Silfer as the dust started to clear with the more gentle breeze and the two cried out.
Her Braixen and the Surskit shakily faced off on shaky legs, covered in bruises and scratches and all other manners of injuries before suddenly they flopped over, fainted.
Shakily holding up the pokeball, she recalled Pyrrha for the first time in days.
Lily looked equally stunned, muttering aloud, "A tie," before looking up at her and suddenly a big grin crossed her face and laughed happily. "A tie!"
Alita blinked before giggling, euphoria swelling in her heart as the excitement of the battle fluttered over her and exhaustion settling in. "A tie! We should probably get our Pokemon healed."
Lily nodded, grinning goofily before she shouted, "Race you there!"
The younger took off, flying up the steps even as Alita loudly protested and chased after her. Dodging locals and lanes quickly flying through her mind as the street vendors from earlier laughed and Pokemon happily chased in excitement before getting called back by their Trainers.
The Roselia fountain flashed past and Alita tagged Lily's shoulder as they slowed to a stop in front of the Pokemon Center. Taking several moments to gulp in precious air after running across the town, the two turned to each other with understanding reflected in each other's eyes before Lily crowed, "I won!"
Alita stared at her in disbelief as their feet took them inside the cool lobby of the Pokemon Center and before barked back, "No way, I caught up before you got here!"
The two argued all the way to the counter, Alita politely handing her two pokeballs over and politely asking for the stationed Nurse Joy to heal her Pokemon while Lily drawled lazily that her Pokemon needed healing before returning to their heated debate over who arrived first.
"You slowed down and I was right before you when you stopped!"
"No way, you were too slow the entire time!"
"Was not!"
"Was so!"
"At least I knocked some sense by beating you!"
"No way, I beat you!"
"Ahem."
The two turned, Lily growling a "What?" as the Nurse Joy offered their set of pokeballs and deadpanned, "You both got here first." With that, she walked away, slipping after her Wigglytuff through the sliding door before it thudded shut with a resounding thud. Suddenly aware of all the eyes belonging to the various Trainers stationed around the lobby, the two also slipped away into the hallway as they walked in awkward silence.
The platform elevator rose with a faint hum and they stepped off, the technology melting away seamlessly into the floor as Alita fished her key out of her pocket and held it up to the scanner. With a click, the door unlocked and swung open.
The room had clearly been habitated in the past two days, where Matilda should have slept was instead replaced by messy sheets and Lily's bag and clothes tangled in the tossed-about blanket. Realization suddenly donned upon her face only to be distracted by a loud pop!
Derp rolled out in a flash of light, barking happily with skin and fur free of flaws except for the rare clump of fur missing from his mane or even a thin scar on stumpy front left foot. Wiggling around on the floor, he soon rolled to his feet and leaped on the bed, burying himself in the blankets with a tiny roar of approval.
Callalily giggled, rolling her eyes and grinning before pointing to the opposite bed. "Your stuff's still here, by the way."
Her gaze followed the pointed finger, noticing the white bag drooped on the still made bed and slowly walked over.
Opening it with a quick tug, her hands sorted through everything. Nothing had been removed, thankfully, everything she'd been given from Clemont still hidden within even as the smell of old food wafted from the lunch he'd packed. Oops, she'd better throw that out then. Quickly removing the box, she sorted through the supplies Matilda had bought her as the old space technology proved sufficient in expanding to make room for everything without affecting the outside.
A thought of realization whispered in her mind again and she turned to the younger of the duo, who was resting with her shoes kicked off and white-socked feet propped against Derp while her arms rested against the pillow and underneath her head.
"Where did Matilda go?"
Lily's face reasonably soured at the mention of the older woman and groaned, "Ugh, please don't remind me of that. She suddenly ran off with her stuff when you turned up missing and never came back. Good riddance, in my opinion."
Alita stared at her dumbly. Now Matilda missing? What was going on?
Before she could question the younger further, a loud round of knocking rang against the door as a heavy fist banged against it and a deep masculine voice called, "Is Alita Bellerose in here?"
Lightly leaping to her feet, she quickly scampered over to the door before Lily could roll over and Pyrrha popped out of her pokeball and hurriedly followed.
Swinging the door, she stared up at the large muscular man, his dark skin poking out from under his Ranger uniform and deep blue eyes stared down at her. "Are you Miss Alita Bellerose?"
She nodded and croaked, "Yes?"
"We need to talk."
Well, there you have it folks! My first formal and proper battle with some tying a few loose ends with Lily (or should I say Callalily) and leaving the questions of the chapter.
Where did Matilda go? Why is a Ranger at Alita's door? Let me know what you think in your reviews!
This chapter has been very long overdue and I apologize, but I should express now that while Vol is my main fanfic project, I also have a life beyond fanfiction with marching band, school, and a personal life. So please, don't expect weekly updates or anything like that when I take forever with these measly updates. Last time I updated was due to a critical review and I got the fuel to prove them wrong, so please, leave a review if you feel like it!
Review, Follow, and Favorite if you currently enjoy Vol and wish to see more content in the future!
~ Oly