Pairing: ShinyCelebixGrovyle
Why do all humans call oddly colored pokémon shiny? They aren't shiny, at least, not that I've seen. They are pretty, probably because it's so fascinating to see a new pelt on an old favorite. I admit, I always had a thing for shinnies. The coloration always fascinated and I always loved the anomalies of any kind.
It's not wonder I ended up falling for one, not that I'll ever admit that I fell for one. It's not like I'll ever be able to have her, Celebi. Look at her, for goodness sakes! A Legendary, a Legendary for Arceus' sake! How could a Legendary pokémon, a shiny Legendary pokémon, fall for some boring old creature like me? It couldn't happen, never in a million years! Should...would probably fall in love with a shiny Turtwig or something…
…I hate Turtwigs…
And it just occurred to me that these have got to be the weirdest thought of anyone about to die through a transdimensional vortex of time and space, especially since I'm probably lying. Who thinks of being rejected by an unrequited love while they're dying? I guess that's another reason Celebi would never go for me: I'm a creeper. Dammit. This sucks. I bet Aldonza and Dante are having the time of their lives!
(PAGE BREAK)
"We fainted again!" The totodile raved. "How many f--ing times can we f--ing faint at this god forsaken stupid f--ing place? I'm getting f--ing sick of all this crap! Can't we just throw f--ing rocks at the window until Dialga or Palkia or whatever the f-- it is moves its f--ing ass out here? Dante, go get rocks! We'll hit that f--ing window!"
"You know, if out life story is made into a kids' game, they'll have to completely rewrite the script, Ally. And, honestly, I know you're the team leader and all but I have to make the suggestion that any rock we throw is probably going to hit us on the head and there's no window. This is pointless. Let's just go into the dungeon again."
"No! It's going into that dungeon over and over because I'm out of orbs and there's a f--ing monster house on every floor is pointless! Why the hell do they all gather? And where the f-- do they come from? They dropped from the ceiling or some crap!" Aldonza snapped. She glared at the bulbasaur. "Now, come with me to gather rocks, my trembling comrade!" She leapt from the stairs and searched the floor frantically for rocks.
"And I'm in love with that," He sighed. "Well, time to start our mission! …Holy crap, am I the only one who hears a heroic theme song?"
(PAGE BREAK)
Yup, I bet they were living it up in paradise, wherever they were. They were doing something meaningful and here I was, doing something completely pointless! Dusknoir simply refused to go back in his time. I think he was afraid of vanishing.
"It's all over, Dusknoir, you lost! Get back in that damned hole you once crawled out of! I'm going with you, so if you need some comfort, you can hold my hand and call me Mommy," I whispered in his ear, pushing him closer to the vortex. "How does it feel, to know that you've lost everything you've worked for?"
"Why kill yourself in the process, Grovyle? There must have been something for you to live for. Surely you had hopes and dreams." His voice lowered, deathly quiet and persuading in my ear: "Loves you never admitted."
"None of the above," I snarled, pushing him harder.
He strained against me, seeing his chance. "Celebi could love you, Grovyle. I've seen it in her eyes. She desperately loves you, needs you to be by her side. Sure, you could throw your life away, but hers? Are you willing to sacrifice yourself and leave her forever mourning at your grave? It would wreck her, Grovyle. Rip her apart!"
"No," I shook my head.
"Heartless!" He cried. "She's shown you nothing but concern and passion and what have you given her in return? Nothing! At best, a tombstone with you name engraved in ancient footprint ruins. Cruel, horrible creature! She's so innocent, so carefree! I bet she still pulls petals off flowers and murmurs 'he loves me not'."
That was the final straw. I shoved with all my might and we were sucked into the strange area between the past and future. We rocketed through the timestream and I was all set to vanish. You know, something heroic like screaming while my body disintegrated or turning to bubbles with a sad smile. But all that came to me was black from the corners of my vision to swallow me whole.
(PAGE BREAK)
"You're not dead," A voice murmured. "You're always so crazy serious. You're worried and moaning and there's nothing wrong, you silly. How about you let up on the chant and thank me for not putting you in the other cosmic waste bin you call the future or the present or whatever. There are some ugly beasts. That's probably not too nice to say, I know, but it's true. You agree that honesty is the best, even if it's not too nice, don't you, Grow?"
"Celebi? I'm alive? Why?"
"Nothing vanishes, Grow. See, if you exist you always exist because it already happened. There's no way to put this whole time mess into words, at least, no way I know. I'm not too good with words. Grow, I know you're awake 'cuz you spoke so please open your eyes. I'm slightly worried you're blind."
"Why would I be blind?"
"The Vortex likes to steal things. Sometimes watches, sometimes kidneys. I hate having to yell at it. I don't even know where it put all those things. It probably hordes them as prizes. So, open up the lids so I can see if it stole your eyes."
My eyes burst open and I sat up quickly, chilled to my bones with the idea. "My eyes?" Thankfully, the meadow around burst into color and one adorably pink celebi was smiling at me. "Thank Arceus. It's nice to see you, Cel."
"Oh, don't worry. I firmly told that vortex that it better not steal from you. I always keep people I care about safe from that nasty thief." I saw color rise in her cheeks and felt it rise in mine. "That came out sounding awfully funny. I've embarrassed the both of us now! Oh, this is horrible! We're both blushing!"
"Blushing isn't the worst thing in the world, Cel, but what happened? What about Dusknoir, Dante…" My throat grew heavy as I thought of the third name. My partner, my best friend! My trainer! Could she…? I was terrified that she might be dead, or worse, had forgotten all about me. "Aldonza?"
"She chose to stay with Dante She's still a totodile, she had her memories back, but she had this strange obsession with pebbles. She's collecting them in order of size and hardness and color and shape and-"
"I know. She's strange like that. I'm sure there's a perfectly rational explanation. But they're alright? I mean, they aren't hurt or…? I trailed off, uncertain of what else could have happened. I wasn't really sure I wanted to know.
"They're fine, better than fine…In fact; they're one of the best rescue teams I've ever seen. They still remember you. They think or you often. You're practically a hero. Dusknoir…he's in jail somewhere. Super strength. He dies there. Poor guy doesn't even get a girl. You have to pity someone who can't ever get a girl. Hey, do you think that's why he was so angry?"
"Are you trying to tell me," I began, squinting at the bright eyed time traveler, "that you think that Dusknoir attempted to destroy everything and everyone because he didn't have a mate?"
"You'd be surprised what creatures do. I mean, half of your instincts are based on breeding. Well, to be accurate, everything you pokémon do is for reproduction. You only keep yourself alive so you can mate."
"The meaning of life is reproduction?" I snorted.
"No, silly. The meaning of instinctual life is to bow chicka wow wow. I can't tell you what the real meaning is: strictly prohibited to mortals like you." She wrinkled her nose and leaned close. "You know I can't tell you that. You've been trying for how long?"
I stared at her for a moment. Lovely creature, Celebi. All her features smooth, blending into one another, pink and white contrasting. She wasn't normal; I was. But, just for a flash, I decided it didn't matter. She didn't care. I didn't care. All in all, we weren't so different. Pokémon, the both of us. We were the same types too. She seemed fond of me, so what was preventing me from saying, "I think I'm in love with you."
Two seconds later, her face went cherry red and I came to the dim realization that I had said that out loud. "So, how about the time travel-"
She said suddenly, hopefully: "You mean it?"
"Mean what?" I said, a nervous grin spreading over my face.
"What you just said," She accused, beginning to get a little angry.
"I didn't say a thing."
"Yes you did."
"Did you?"
"Say something!"
"What'd I say?"
"I love you!" She shouted. Her face paled, even the darkest pink spots faded to an almost haunting white. Celebi's hands came up and slammed over her mouth, whimpering in shock and shaking her head wildly, legs thrashed around in the air as if she was trying to kick the words away.
I smiled, lopsided and laughed. "Oh, good, want to go on a date then?"
"What now?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.
"You said you loved me. I'm assuming that comes with a date. So, French or Italian berries?" I asked, laying down once more in the grass, arms behind my head.
She hesitated for a minute, then came down next to me and cuddled. "Japanese pokeblocks are my favorite."
I nodded, "Red, right?"
"You remembered! How sweet!" She squealed, clapping her little hands.
I nodded again, then continued to lay with her, a stupid smile across my face. I had the girl of my dreams, Darkrai was in a prison, I wasn't dead. Life couldn't get in better than this. We were going to go to Japan to get some of the finest pokeblocks in the world. People would be positively throwing them at a Legendary, let alone a shiny one. Then, it hit me: "How are we going to get to Japan? You just travel through time, not space, don't you?"
She giggled, almost swooning, "There are abra that know teleport. They can take us to that place Aldonza took you once, with the fantastic chartreuse blocks."
"Have you been planning?" I asked.
She wiggled uncomfortably. "Well, yes…"
"How long?"
She flushed. "Three years."
"But I've only known you for two," I gasped.
"Time travel."
"Ah, right." I said, relaxing. "So, you know this would happen: where and when and how?"
She giggled again, kissing my cheek cutely. "Don't I always?"
"That might get annoying. I have no idea when but-" I began, only to be roughly cut off.
"I do."
"Oh, well when-"
She sighed dreamily and pressed her cheek against my chest, all her nervousness apparently fading. "Our first egg hatched in a year, two weeks, six days, two hours, fourteen minutes and thirty seven seconds from now. It's a boy. We name him Ralph."
"Anything else?" I asked, stunned.
Celebi thought for a moment, then snapped her little fingers excitedly. "He plays with a little totodile." She grinned wickedly. "He inherited a strange trait from his mother: an unhealthy obsession with pebbles."