FOREVERMORE
~Part Three Of The Forever Trilogy~
Chapter 34
To Embolden
February 10, 5001.
(Ethan's POV)
"So we have to pass through this mountain?" I asked.
We were all gathered in front of this massive chunk of rock called Twist Mountain. It was covered in snow, and it was snowing too, adding more to the whiteness. It was cold, so cold, but being here with my friends made it worthwhile for me.
"Yes," said Raven. "Then we will reach Icirrus City."
"All right!" I exclaimed, pumping my fist into the air. "Only two more Gyms to go, guys!"
"Yeah!" Evan cheered, grinning at me.
"I can't wait!" Rosalind exclaimed.
Of course, Tim didn't really say anything. He just was scowling, his arms crossed over his chest. Man, that guy was so annoying sometimes. He just needed to stop groveling around like a idiot. His Venusaur really liked him, and he treated it like crap. I just couldn't understand why he acted that way.
"All right!" I exclaimed! "Let's go!"
I took a step forward, only to have my boot slip on ice. I fell right on my butt. Evan keeled over laughing at me, pointing. Though my ass hurt like hell, I couldn't help but laugh at myself too. Even Rose giggled. I swear I saw Raven crack a smile before it faded. Only Timmy didn't respond; he just rolled his eyes.
"Are you... are you okay?" my brother choked out through laughs.
"I... I think so," I managed to get out through my own laughter.
Evan helped me up onto my feet, and I had to wipe my eyes, which were tearing up. I slapped my twin hard on the back before stepping around the patch of ice, heading towards the entrance to the cave.
"Onward, soldiers!" I exclaimed, heading off again.
Moments later, we were out of the cave. Bright light blinded me, and I had to squint to allow my eyes to adjust. Once I could see clearly again, I was able to take in the city before us. It was familiar, since we had been in Icirrus before. It was still covered in a blanket of snow, but the sky was clear of any clouds, just bright pale blue.
"Let's get to the Pokemon Center," Evan said. "I need some hot chocolate. We all do."
I nodded in agreement. "Definitely, bro."
So that was what we did. We immediately trekked through the deep snow, heading for the Pokemon Center that seemed so far away. I let out a sigh of relief as soon as we stepped inside the building. It was warm, so warm, such a relief after trekking through such freezing conditions. First, we checked out rooms for our stay here, and then we all met up in the cafe to get that badly needed hot chocolate.
Soon we were sitting at a booth, happily warming ourselves up with the hot, delicious drink. I so could not wait for spring.
"So, the Icirrus Gym," Evan said. "It has Ice types, right?"
Raven nodded. "Correct. The leader's name is Rin, and he is not to be underestimated."
"Rin?" Rose gasped. "Ooooh, that's like Big Bro's name!"
I snickered. "Better not get them mixed up."
...
(Viola's POV)
I left the lab in Nuvema Town, adjusting the scarf around my neck. The cold air bit at my skin, and I had to wonder how all my friends were dealing with this. It was insane. I barely took a couple steps away from the building when the person I was supposed to meet up with appeared.
It was Kane, who had finally told me his last name was Kyo. He had agreed to go with me to Icirrus, the city everyone should be arriving at. I didn't care who we met up with; I just wanted to see how they were doing. Kane appeared so suddenly, I started a little. Stupid ninja.
"Don't do that," I said. "It's creepy. You ready to go to Icirrus?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Why are we going again?"
"I need a break from work and I'd like to see my friends," I replied.
Just then, the door of the lab opened, and out stepped Alizarin. I stiffened, and fought the urge to scowl at the boy. Okay, I was trying to act civil lately because he was mainly my only company besides Professor Pine and whenever Kane stopped by. But I still found him so irritating.
No, Viola, try to be nice.
"Hi Alizarin," I said to him, nodding.
He seemed to eye Kane before speaking to me. "Hello. Where are you going?"
"Icirrus," Kane replied. "Wanna come with us?"
WHAT? WHAT? HE WASN'T SERIOUS, WAS HE?
Alizarin blinked, surprised that he was invited. For a moment, he looked like he didn't know how to react. He didn't expect that either.
"Uh... Well... I guess so," he finally replied. "I'd like to check up on my sister, actually."
Dammit.
"Yeah, whatever," I said, turning to face Kane. "Let's go."
He grinned at me, and saluted, which made me scowl at him. He just laughed, and released his Crobat. I rolled my eyes at him, and released Veno. Alizarin sent out his Staraptor. We all got on our Pokemon, and flew to Icirrus. It only took a hour.
We landed out in front of the Pokemon Center, and then returned our Pokemon. We were about to go inside and get out of the cold when the door opened, and we nearly bumped into some kids.
The kids we were looking for.
"BIG BRO!" Rosalind exclaimed, and proceeded to glomp Alizarin in a hug.
"Oh, hi guys!" Ethan said with a grin and a wave.
Evan waved, too, but otherwise stayed silent, as did Raven who nodded to us. Timothy just scowled. Man, that kid just got on my nerves. I thought he'd be better after all these years, but nope.
"Hey, Rose," Alizarin said when she finally let him go. "How are you doing?"
"I'm great!" she exclaimed, her eyes brightening up. "It's so fun! Ethan and Evan are great friends! Raves, too. Timmy's..." Her voice faded out since she couldn't think of anything else nice to say about him.
"Good," he said before eying the two boys. "They haven't done anything to you, have they?"
Rosalind blinked, confused. "Huh? What do you mean, Big Bro?" She turned to me. "What does he mean, Mom?"
I slapped my forehead. Dear Arceus, why did she have to call me that? It was freaking annoying. Kane smirked at me, amused by the fact, and Alizarin looked embarrassed.
"Nothing," I said, not wanting to ruin the girl's innocence. "Nothing you need to know yet." I pointedly looked at the twins to give them the silent message that they should keep their mouths shut.
Ethan snickered, while Evan smacked him upside his head. I sighed. Kids these days, I swear. If I ever had kids, I would not let them get like the Kimus and their descendents. Arceus.
"All right," I said. "We need to get inside the Center."
"Oooh, okay!" Rosalind exclaimed. "C'mon, let's stay with them!"
"A'ight," Ethan said. "That's cool. I don't mind. Do you, Ev?"
"Nope," Evan said. "We were just gonna go train. Right, Tim?"
Timothy just scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. Raven's expression darkened. I opened my mouth to say something, but then I was interrupted.
"HEY! VIOLA! RIN! KANE! AND EVERYBODY ELSE!"
I turned around to see Esmeralda waving as she and the rest of her group—Cyan, Jasper, and Jewel—were walking up to where we were in front of the Pokemon Center. I gave them a short wave, and we just waited for them to catch up.
"Hey everybody!" Esmeralda said cheerily.
"Hi guys," I said. "I take it you just got here?"
"Yeah," Cyan said. "This last route was harsh."
"Tell me about it," agreed Jasper. "Twist Mountain's harsh in winter."
And that was why we flew. Well, their groups were bigger than ours. And they might not have flying Pokemon. I knew Cyan did, but I didn't know about the other two.
"Well, we should all go inside, then," I said.
So we did. We got a big table at the cafe, and somehow managed to fit all of us at it. It was a bit crowded, though, and somehow I ended up having to sit next to Alizarin. I'd be fine as long as the annoying squirt didn't insult me.
"So," I said. "How's everybody been?"
"Never been better," Ethan said with a smirk. "Isn't that right, Ev?" He elbowed him in the ribs.
Evan flushed for some odd reason. "Stop it, Ethan!"
Alizarin narrowed his eyes. "You two... just stay away from my sister."
"Huh?" Rosalind asked. "But they're my friends!"
"Oi, you're just uptight!" Ethan said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I bet you don't even know what true love feels like!"
Evan gave him a shut up look as I took a sip of my hot tea.
"Of course I do!" Alizarin snapped.
I spit my drink out of my mouth, choking. Esmeralda, who was on my other side, patted me on the back as I tried to catch my breath.
"You... know... what true love feels like?" I choked out, and then laughed. "Yeah right!"
He flushed bright red and glared at me. "Oh, and you do, you old hag?"
Okay, I was pissed off now.
"For the love of Arceus, stop calling me that!" I snapped. "Stop being a immature little squirt! You think you know what true love feels like? Ha! Not when you act like a freaking little kid!"
I pushed back my chair and stood up. He looked like I had just slapped him. Good. I was sick and tired of putting up with his crap.
"When you start acting your damn age again, let me know," I snapped before grabbing my tea and storming away.
...
(Jewel's POV)
I was so confused.
What was going on?
Why was Rin so mean to Viola? Why did she react that way towards him?
"You should apologize," Em told him.
Rin sighed, and rubbed his eyes. "Why should I bother? She hates me."
"You think she hates you?" Kane scoffed. "She just has no idea what to do with you."
I glanced at Cyan next to me, and caught his eye. He shrugged, and I bit my bottom lip, and looked away. I was a little uncomfortable now. I hated drama, and any conflict in general. I wished we all could just get along.
"Just let her cool down," Kane said. "And stop antagonizing her. That would probably help."
I took a sip of my hot chocolate. I fidgeted in my seat, I glanced around the Pokemon Center. It was so nice and peaceful here in Unova. It made me wonder why my father had to separate humans and Pokemon, especially since he knew about the bond we shared.
I guess I would never understand.
"Um," I said, catching everyone's attention. "What else can we do here?"
"Well, there's a Pokemon Fan Club here," Jasper said, examining the map. "We could always go there and check it out."
"No," Esmeralda said. "They can go check it out. We are going to have some fun."
"What-" Jasper began.
Em pushed back her chair and stood up. She grabbed Jasper by the arm and pulled him out of his chair. She grinned up at him.
"We're going to go explore!" she exclaimed. "C'mon, it'll be fun!"
And then she dragged him away. I glanced at Cyan. He rubbed his eyes. I looked back down at my hot chocolate. I pushed my chair back, and stood up. Cyan looked up at me.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"I'm going to see if Viola's okay," I said. "You want to come?"
He shook his head. "Nah, I think one person's enough."
"Okay," I said, grabbing my coat off of my chair.
I pulled it on, and buttoned it up. But my scarf fell off the chair, onto the ground. I knelt down to pick it up, but Cyan got it before I did. He handed it to me, his hand brushing mine. I felt my face flush at the touch.
"T-Thanks," I said, wrapping it around my neck.
"Don't get lost, okay?" he told me. "If you need anything, just call me on your Pokegear."
I nodded. "I'll be careful."
"Good," he said. "Don't take too long, okay?"
"I won't," I said, smiling softly. "Okay, I'm going now."
I left then, exiting the cafe and then leaving the Pokemon Center. It was freezing outside; it seemed colder than before. I pulled my gloves out of my pocket, and put them on.
I looked up at the sky, and was startled to see that the once clear sky was now filled with storm clouds. What was going on? That wasn't normal. All I knew was that I had to find Viola fast.
I took out a Poke Ball, and released my Flareon, Cookie. I wasn't about to venture out on my own in this impending bad weather.
"Come on, Cookie," I said. "We need to find Viola before this storm starts."
Cookie nodded, and then we set off to find our friend. I had no idea where to look for her, though. So as the temperature dropped, we wandered. Soon I found footprints similar to Viola's boots, and I followed them towards the path that led to Dragonspiral Tower.
"I wonder why she went back here," I mused to Cookie. "Come on, let's go."
We headed further down the path and when we reached the clearing, I saw Viola standing at the frozen water's edge, looking up at the sky with her Venomoth. I tried not to freak out at the sight of the bug, and instead looked up to see what Viola was gaping at.
I gasped, and Cookie let out a startled cry. What... What... Those were legendary Pokemon!
Growing up in the Government, my father had made sure I was educated about Pokemon. He told me about my heritage. He told me I was just as good as them, maybe even better. He kept me separated from the other admins to protect me. Karen was like a mother to me, though she was a bit harsh and cold at times. We were... a family.
That's why I couldn't understand why he was doing this. Why he was keeping so many secrets from me. I wanted to know the truth. I wanted to know why he did all of this, why he was making so many suffer. I loved my father, but I just couldn't understand what his goal was in all of this.
And seeing the legendary Pokemon Reshiram and Kyurem battle just seemed to make it all so very real.
"Viola!" I exclaimed, running up to her. "What's going on?"
She didn't turn to face me. "I... I don't know. But look at Kyurem! Something's wrong with it."
I moved to stand beside her, and looked up at the sky. Reshiram and Zekrom were duking it out. The storm clouds were crackling with lightning, which was odd; I thought only Zekrom could do that. And when I took a closer look at Kyurem, I saw that it did not look like it normally did.
"It looks like Black Kyurem," Viola said, her expression solemn. "It's formed when Kyurem recombines with Zekrom."
"...But Zekrom's currently in the Dark Stone!" I exclaimed. "That's impossible!"
"Maybe someone messed with time again," she added, turning her head to look at me. "And brought Black Kyurem from the past!"
"But only my father has the time machine!" I exclaimed.
"Exactly," she said.
I gasped, and covered my mouth with my hand. "You think my father went back in time and brought Black Kyurem to the future? But Zekrom-"
"There's a delayed time ripple effect," she said. "You being alive is proof of that, Jewel."
I didn't know what to say.
Black Kyurem let out a piercing screech, and flapped its wings, soaring higher above Reshiram. I gasped, suddenly overcome by a sense of fear for Reshiram, as a bright gold sphere of voltage was formed on Black Kyurem's torso, held up with its arms by a invisible force. Then the attack was launched at the white dragon.
"Reshiram!" I cried.
"Get down!" Viola yelled as there was a explosion in the sky.
I dropped down into the snow, shielding Cookie with my body. I heard Reshiram scream in pain, and then the sound of a retaliating move.
"Holy shit!" Viola yelled. "The Government-"
I pushed myself up, hugging my Flareon to my chest. I gasped at the sight. No no no, this wasn't happening. I didn't want this to be true.
I could recognize the Government's hovercraft everywhere, even without the nation's symbol on the vehicles. They looked like they had been following Black Kyurem as it chased Reshiram. I stared at them in horror as one of the hovercraft turned, and started to head towards us to land.
"Get back!" Viola yelled, grabbing me by my arm and dragging me back several feet, out of the way of the landing hovercraft.
The hovercraft landed, shaking the ground and unsettling the snow. Viola released me, tensing up, and giving her Venomoth a look of warning to be ready. Cookie squirmed out of my arms, and leaped down back onto the ground, standing in front of me protectively.
The door slid open, and out stepped the last person I wanted to see: Flax. Followed by two of the remaining admins, Maroon and Verdant. Those two really weren't that bad, but Flax... There was a reason my father didn't want him around me.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Viola demanded.
"We're here for Reshiram," Flax said. "Nothing more, nothing less."
"Why?" I blurted. "Why do you want Reshiram?"
Flax snorted, looking at me, and I almost flinched. "Don't as me. It wasn't my idea. Or Synis's. Just somebody obsessed with legends."
"...Who?" Viola asked, raising her eyebrow.
"That would be me."
Maroon and Verdant took a step away to make space for the speaker. It was a boy, probably around the same age as me. He was strikingly handsome, reminding me vaguely of a younger version of my father. His shaggy, messy hair was dark, so dark, almost black. But his eyes were startlingly crystal blue, with a gaze that seemed to pierce to your soul. He was shorter than me by a couple of inches, and was skinny and pale, almost sickly looking.
"Who... Who are you?" I asked. "I don't recognize you."
Flax laughed. "Of course you don't."
I frowned, and Cookie growled at him. There was a yip, and suddenly an Eevee leaped up onto the strange boy's shoulder. The boy's cold expression totally changed, warming up, and he smiled when the Eevee licked his cheek.
Who was this boy? Why did I feel like I knew him?
"I'm Jet," he said. "Just... Jet. And this is Amun."
The Eevee barked at us happily. He didn't seem to feel the tense atmosphere at all. But I found him adorable.
Then I heard another cry of pain from Reshiram, and it seemed to hit me right in the chest. I looked up at the sky to see that Black Kyurem had latched onto Reshiram, sinking its fangs into the base of the white dragon's neck.
"No!" I cried. "You have to stop! Reshiram's getting hurt!"
"That's the point," Flax snorted. "Dumb bimbo."
...What did that mean?
"Hey!" Viola snapped. "You have no right to call her that! Agh, Flax, what the hell is your problem?"
"Yeah, man, you don't have to call anyone names," Verdant said.
Flax snorted. "Did I ask for your opinion, faggot?"
Whatever that word meant made a hurt expression come across Verdant's face. Maroon didn't look happy either, and Jet looked shocked. Viola looked even more angry.
"Screw this," Viola said. "I'm not about to let you take Reshiram, for whatever reason you want it! Veno! Go!"
The Venomoth launched itself forward, and I yelped, startled, leaping backward away from it. Flax sent out his Raichu, obviously not in the mood for a battle. I stumbled backward, and tripped over something, landing on my backside. Maroon reluctantly released his Charizard, and Verdant hesitated in sending out his Venusaur. I was surprised to see the admins push Jet behind them, like they were protecting him or something.
I was scared; I had no idea what to do. Viola couldn't handle all three of them. I didn't feel like I'd be of any use. I was too frightened. So I did the only thing I knew would help. I pulled out my Pokegear and picked the person who told me to call.
"Hello?"
"Cyan! Please, I'm at Dragonspiral Tower and-"
"RAAAAAAAAICHUUUUUUU!"
I screamed in pain, dropping the Pokegear, as the Raichu zapped me with Thunderbolt. I dropped down in the snow, my whole body tingling with residual electricity. Cookie lost it then, leaping into battle next to Veno.
"Dude! What the hell are you doing? Synis will kill you if he finds out you hurt her!" I heard Maroon exclaim.
"I don't give a damn!" was Flax's response.
"Jewel!" I heard Viola call to me, and the only response I could make was a moan of pain.
I forced myself to roll onto my back, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried to breathe through the pain. I heard a yelp, and opened my eyes to see Cookie slam into a tree, and drop down.
Then I heard Viola's scream, and her drop to the ground. I heard Flax laugh.
"What a pathetic excuse for rebels. You think you can beat us like that? You deserve to die."
"Flax, chill," Maroon said. "Seriously, we're here for Reshiram, not them."
"Yeah!" Verdant agreed.
"Humph. I suppose we'll stay on task this one time. Thank Marun for this, losers."
No! Reshiram! I wish there was something I could do to help, but I felt so helpless, and I could barely move. I tried to roll onto my side, then stomach, and tried to push myself up. But all I could do was cry out in pain and collapse again.
"Bolt, watch the little princess and make sure she doesn't try anything," Flax said, pointing to me.
His shiny Raichu sneered, and walked up to me. I glared at him, trying to look defiant, and it just sneered harder and slid the sharp tip of his tail under my scarf to press it up against my neck.
I felt defeated.
RESHIRAM! I'M SO SORRY!
I heard a angry, splitting roar that made every freeze. I dared to lift my head to look up to the sky where it came from. It was Reshiram. It was descending rapidly, towards me. For a moment, I was frozen with fear. But Bolt let me go, and scrambled out of the way as the white dragon came crashing down right where I was.
I would have screamed if I could have found my voice. But Reshiram landed right behind me, as if it was protecting me. It snarled, baring its fangs out at everyone else. They were all startled.
"You shall not harm the child, insolent humans."
Verdant gasped, and Maroon's eyes grew wide. Flax looked astounded, and Jet was startled.
Reshiram... was using telepathy to speak to all of us?
"Yes, child," Reshiram said, its voice clearly feminine, gentle, soothing. "As would Zekrom if he were here. But this beast, this Kyurem is not the Kyurem of today. Someone has been messing with time as Dialga has feared..."
Oh my goodness, the legendaries knew?
"You will not get away with this," Reshiram hissed to the admins. "You shall fall. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. The ends do not justify the means."
Flax laughed. "Not today! Black Kyurem!"
Suddenly, something slammed into Reshiram's back, nearly knocking her down on top of me. She howled in pain, and I was horrified to see blood fling everywhere from a spot on her back. I would have screamed if I could have found my voice. I rolled onto my back to see the white dragon's face twisted in pain, blood dripping from the base of her neck, holding herself up off of me.
I stared in horror as a bright light began to shine, and Reshiram began to shrink. She shrunk into there was nothing left of her but a white shard. The Light Stone dropped to the ground, right at me feet. I was frozen in fear as Black Kyurem leered at me, its mouth covered with Reshiram's blood. It moved its head so it was only inches away from my face. I could smell it's vile breath.
"Jewel!"
"Viola!"
I would have turned to see them, but I didn't dare move when Black Kyurem so close it could eat me. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be relieved or even more scared.
"What in the name of Arceus is going on?" Cyan demanded, sounding furious.
"Vio! Viola! Wake up, dammit!"
I let out a shaky breath as Black Kyurem's head jerked away from me, to glare at our rescuers.
"Let Jewel go, you creeps!" I heard Esmeralda demanded. "Seriously, what is your problem?"
"Don't look at me," said Verdant. "It wasn't my idea."
"Shut up, you f*cking queer," Flax snapped. "I'll do that talking here. Look here, Lover Boy and Midget, everything was fine until they get in our way. So I'll handle it however the hell I want."
"EXCUSE ME?" Esmeralda shrieked. "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?"
"Em, calm down-" Jasper began.
"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN! HOW DARE YOU! YOU SEXIST PIG!"
"Oh, for the love of Arceus," Cyan groaned. "Charizard, let's go!"
"YOU ARE SO GETTING IT, SEXIST PIG! GO, LEAF!"
Black Kyurem snarled, and took to the air. I was flattened against the snowy ground as it flapped its wings, soaring higher. Pain shot through my body from the gusts, causing the remaining electricity from Flax's Raichu to shock me.
"Jewel!"
Then suddenly, he was there, lifting me up out of the snow. He pulled me into his arms, holding me tight. It hurt, but I tried not to make a noise, because I didn't want him to let go. Because I felt safe in his arms.
"Cyan..." I choked out, trying not to sound pathetic like I felt.
"Are you okay?" he asked me. "What did he do to you?"
"Raichu... zapped me..." I managed to get out. "Oh, Cyan... It hurts so much..."
"HA! THAT'S RIGHT! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE YOU FREAKING ADMINS! TELL SYNIS I SAID HI!"
"Don't worry," Cyan said after grimacing due to Em's shout. "I'm here. I've got you. You're safe. We'll get you to a doctor. Everything'll be okay."
"No... No," I said, catching him by surprise. I tried to sit up, but I couldn't keep myself up right. I ended up falling forward, but he caught me and stopped me from knocking him down. "I was... terrified!"
"Hey," he said, tilting my chin up so I had to look at him. "It's okay to be scared. Everyone's scared from time to time. You're never alone, Jewel. I'm here for you." Then he did something that totally caught me by surprise: he brushed away my bangs and kissed me on my forehead.
I felt my face flush with embarrassment even though I liked it. I was suddenly terrified by the wave of emotions that hit me at that touch; I had no idea what these feelings were, what this was that I wanted. But I was in no shape to pull away. I turned my head, wanting to hide my red face, only to find myself looking at Esmeralda and Jasper.
Jasper was smiling, while Em had a devilishly smirk on her face. Jasper looked down at her as she opened her mouth to say something, and gave her a stern look. She stuck her tongue out at him childishly, and then pouted, giving in to his silent order.
Cyan shook his head, and then got a firmer grip on me, and stood up, picking me up with him. I had no strength left, so I was of no help.
"Where'd Alizarin go?" he asked.
We all turned to see that he was with Viola, still trying to wake her up. Esmeralda took a step forward, but Jasper stopped her by gently grabbing her arm.
"No, let him," he said. "This could help them."
She hesitated, and then nodded. "Yeah, good point."
We still took a couple steps closer to them. I heard Viola cough, and then groan.
"Viola!" Alizarin exclaimed. "Are you okay?"
"...Wha? Rin? What...? WHY ARE YOU SO CLOSE TO ME?"
Alizarin jumped back. "Well, excuse me for caring that you were hurt!"
Huh?
"...What?"
"Yes!" Esmeralda hissed. "Heh, I knew they liked each other!"
"Oh Em," Jasper sighed, shaking his head.
"What? It's true!"
...
February 11, 5001.
(Esmeralda's POV)
"Jasper, come ooooooon!" I whined. "We were supposed to hang out yesterday, but that thing with Jewel and Viola happened!"
"Em, I would love to hang out with you but I'm in the middle of finishing these recipe cards I've been working on. I'm sorry."
I looked at him from across the table. He looked really cute, with his reading glasses on, as he jot down whatever he needed on the flash card for the recipe. I sighed, and sat down across from him. I leaned forward, propping my elbows up on the table, resting my chin on my hands.
Jasper looked up at me through his glasses. "What are you doing?"
"Well, if you don't want to go anywhere, we'll just have to hang here," I said. "Besides, I like watching you."
He shook his head, and returned to his writing. I managed to stay silent for a few minutes. I had trouble being quiet. I just had to talk. I hated silence.
"Jasper?"
"Mmmm?"
"Have you ever thought of having kids?"
He froze. "What?"
"I mean, not with me, that's crazy. But like after the war when we're adults and married and stuff."
"Oh... Well, I don't know," he said. "I guess it depends. If I find the right girl and all, you know?"
I nodded. "Yeah. But it's gonna be hard. You know, re-acclimating to the world. People might not like since we're in the Resistance and all. And, well... we're not exactly from this time..."
"People don't know that, Em," he said.
"I know, Jaz," I said. "It just bothers me, I guess."
"It bothers us all, Em."
I looked back up at him, but he was back to writing his recipes. I stayed silent for a moment, trying to gather my thoughts. Jasper's support really meant a lot to me. I know I had a lot of good friends, but it just felt good to hear it from him. I couldn't explain it.
"I like the name Peridot," I mused.
"Hmmm?" He looked back up.
"Peridot," I said. "If I have a daughter that's what I want to name her."
He was silent for a moment, and then set down his pen.
"I like the name Chrome," he mused.
I grinned. "Sweet name."
He shrugged, and then gave me a stern look. "Now I really need to work. Especially since we're challenging the Gym later on today."
"All right, all right!" I said, pushing myself up off the table, and standing. "I need to get some training in, anyway. See you later, Jaz!"
"Bye, Em."
...
(Timothy's POV)
"You just don't get it, do you?"
I flinched, startled, and looked up from the book I had been reading. It was Cyan. I had always found him intimidating; he just had that feel to him that you didn't want to mess with him. He was looking down at me, disgust in his eyes. I stiffened.
"Get what?" I asked.
He rolled his eyes. "Don't play stupid. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Well, kid, let me have a little talk with you."
I narrowed my eyes. "Nothing you say will change my mind."
"Sure," he deadpanned. "Look, kid, I'd think you'd understand, since you're a Oak and a Rosso, but here you are being a idiot. Pokemon have been with us for centuries. You know what happened when they tried to separate them in Unova all the way in 2010?"
"...What?" I asked.
"Nobody allowed it to happen," he said. "You've heard of Black, right?"
"Yeah," I said. "Grey's dad."
"Well, he did it. He teamed up with Zekrom and stopped Ghetsis. That takes a lot of devotion. And have you even looked at how humans and Pokemon work together? Have you even noticed how much your Venusaur loves you?"
I stayed silent.
"And yet you still treat it like shit," he said. "What is wrong with you? You're surrounded by all this amazing world we live in and you're just sitting here and groveling and being a jerk."
I couldn't find my voice.
"Just give it a chance," he said. "I bet you're a natural, kid. It's in your blood, no matter how much of it has thinned out over the years. Just, for once, think about everyone around you. Think about your parents, your sister. This world is meant for everyone. Humans and Pokemon are meant to work together. I know you've noticed how we get along."
"Pokemon aren't bloodthirsty monsters out there to get you. They're loving, caring creatures with amazing powers that love to work with us. Just give them a chance, kid."
He left then, leaving me to sit in silence and mull over his words. I never thought Cyan would be the one to say that to me. I thought he didn't talk much. I guess I was wrong. I almost didn't know how to take all of that.
I hated to admit it, but he was right.
I suddenly felt awful. The way I had been treating everyone was terrible. Really, there was no reason for me to be like that. I guess I was scared and I didn't know what to do. So I reacted the least positive way.
Especially to Raven; she had just been trying to help me, and I treated her like crap.
I closed my book, and put in back in my pack. I stood up, and pulled on my coat and other winter clothing. I had to go find her, wherever she was, so I could apologize.
When I reached the door of the Pokemon Center, Ethan, Evan, and Rosalind stepped inside.
"Oh, hey Tim!" Ethan greeted me. "Where are you going?"
"I need to talk to Raven," I said. "I'll talk to you guys later."
"Oh, okay," Evan said. "Well, we're about to get lunch. You can come join us later!"
"All right," I said. "I will."
"Bye-bye, Timmy!" Rosalind said.
I waved, and left the Center. It was starting to snow lightly out. I looked around briefly, but there was no sign of the dark-clad girl. I sighed, and stuffed my hands into my pockets. It couldn't be that difficult to find her, could it?
I wished I had a Pokemon that could help me search.
So I set off to go looking for her. It actually wasn't that difficult to find her. For some reason, I decided to go head towards the path that led to Dragonspiral Tower. And that was where I found her.
She was sitting in the snow, with her thick fancy clothing on, her shirt and coat spread out around her. Her eyes were closed, and it appeared her legs were crossed. She looked like she was meditating. Her Chandelure was out, hovering around her in circles.
I opened my mouth to say something.
"I know you are there, Timothy," she said.
I jumped, startled. "Uh... Well... yeah."
She didn't move. "What is of such importance that you must interrupt my meditation?"
"...You meditate?" I asked.
"How else will I control my powers?"
"Oh."
Still unmoving, though her Chandelure had stopped its circling, she spoke. "What is it you want, Timothy?"
"I... I just wanted to apologize," I blurted. "I mean, I wanted to say I was sorry... for how I've been treating you. You were just trying to help me and stuff and I was being a jerk to you. I'm sorry. That was rude of me."
Her eyes shot open, startling purple in the monochrome landscape. "You are... remorseful... for your actions?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Really."
Her expression softened, and she actually smiled. "Then I pardon you, dearest Timothy."
...What?
I pushed the thought aside, ignoring it. "Thanks, Raven."
"It is nothing," she said, pushing herself onto her feet. "Come, I wish to show you something."
She held out her gloved hand, surprising me. I eyed it suspiciously, and then pushed all negative thoughts aside. I took her hand, and she proceeded to pull me towards the tower. Was that what she wanted to show me?
The land around the mystical tower was still damaged from the battle that had happened yesterday. All I knew about that was that the Government now had the Light Stone, which was basically Reshiram in a deep slumber. We had to inform the leaders so they could make the decision to go after the Dark Stone or not.
My boots thudded against the stone floor as we entered Dragonspiral Tower. Raven released me, and went ahead. I followed her, fine, until I noticed the wild Pokemon lurking. I couldn't help but panic seeing the strange creatures. But I didn't even get a chance to say anything or even move.
"Timothy, you are fine," Raven said, not turning around. "I will not allow anything to hurt you. Do not worry."
I tried to relax, I really did. I didn't want to be scared of Pokemon. But old habits die hard.
"Come," she said. "I will protect you."
She gave me the chance to catch up to her, and then we walked side by side. I felt better. But then I felt weak; I couldn't even take care of myself. Raven probably thought I was a pathetic loser.
I couldn't help but think about these things as we climbed the tower. Raven stayed silent, rarely speaking. I didn't bother to try to start a conversation. If she didn't want to talk, we wouldn't talk.
But what I saw at the top, I never imagined.
The top of the tower was even more in ruins than the rest. Pillars were fallen, and rubble was everywhere. I could heard the wind howl, and it whipped the cold air around us, stinging my cheeks. Raven walked ahead, while I lingered, frozen at the stair well. She walked to the center of the tower, and turned around to face me.
"Come," she said, gesturing me forward.
I slowly walked towards her, and she waited for me. She had me stand next to her, and then turned to face the direction she had been in. I had no idea what she was going to say.
"I am sure you have heard many legends about this tower, have you not?" she asked.
I nodded. "I have."
"Well, dearest Timothy, I feel like another legend is about to be made."
There, she called me that again. What the hell?
"About what?" I asked.
"The Empire is becoming desperate. Why else would they go back in time to obtain Black Kyurem? And then have it chase poor Reshiram and have it be turned back into the Light Stone? Whenever legendary Pokemon are involved, a new legend is created."
I thought about it for a moment. She did have a good point. I turned to look at her. She wasn't finished yet.
"And this time, Timothy, we get to be a part of it."
...
(Jasper's POV)
"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Em exclaimed, bouncing up and down. "I wanna battle Rin!"
"Huh?" Alizarin said.
"She means Rin, the Gym leader," I said.
"Oh..."
Ethan snickered. "Say, Rin, do you wanna battle Rin? Or would that mean you'd be battling yourself?"
Alizarin did not look pleased. Evan smacked his brother upside his head. I sighed, and shook my head at them. Boys would be boys, I supposed, but they really didn't know when to stop, did they? Well, it really was only Ethan.
"All right," I said. "Let's go, guys. Cyan and Jewel are going to go later since she's still not feeling one hundred percent. So it's just us."
"Woot!" Ethan cheered. "C'mon, Timmy, let's go! Rin, you have to meet yourself!"
Rosalind giggled while Alizarin once again did not look like he appreciated the comment. Kane had left earlier today, but Viola had remained, wanting to hang out with us longer.
"Chill out," Timothy said. "Stop being so immature. Arceus."
"Dude," Ethan said. "Dude. Loosen up."
Evan sighed.
I really felt like the only sane one right now. Was this how Cyan felt all the time?
"Come on, guys," Viola said. "We're wasting time. We're trying to get this all done by Valentine's Day."
"Oh? Why V Day?" Em asked, raising an eyebrow.
Viola shrugged. "Diamonda has a party planned or something. She just wants us all together for some reason."
Ethan snickered, covering his mouth with his hand.
"If you say anything I will punch you," Evan threatened.
"Okay, okay, chill bro! I'll just think it!"
I sighed again. Dear Arceus, kids these days. "All right, let's get going. We don't have all day."
...
The Icirrus Gym was, well, icy. It was hard to walk around, and several times one of us would fall down or slide. I had no idea why someone would have a Gym like that; it was irritating.
We were all relieved when we reached the Gym leader. He had to be in his mid twenties, with straight, pale blonde hair, and pale blue eyes. He was dressed in all white—shirt, leather jacket, jeans, and boots.
"Welcome to the Icirrus Gym," he said, gesturing us closer. "You must be from the Resistance."
"Yeah, that's us!" Em exclaimed. "We're here to battle you!"
"Of course," he said. "My name is Rin." Ethan snickered and Evan smacked him. "Who is first?"
Esmeralda suddenly pushed me forward. "Yolo, Jaz!"
"What?" I asked, confused. What was that supposed to mean?
"You only live once, Jaz!" she exclaimed. "Fight, boy!"
"You want me to go first?" I asked.
"Naw, I'm just saying that for no reason," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Yes, for the love of Arceus! Just go already!"
"All right, all right," I said, and then turned back to face Rin. "I'm going first, then."
He nodded. "Very well."
Everyone back away and went to find somewhere to sit down. I didn't bother to take off my winter clothing because it was freezing in here, though not as cold as it was outside. I knew since this was a Ice type Gym, my starter, Terro, who was a Torterra, would have a difficult time. Which meant Dono, my Bastiodon, would be the best choice to battle with.
"This will be a three-on-three battle," Rin said. "You know the rest of the rules."
I nodded. I took out Dono's Poke Ball as the Gym leader took out his own. Rin turned back around to face me, and then released his first Pokemon—a Vanillish. I thought they were some of the weirdest Pokemon in the world.
"Okay, Dono," I said, sending out the Bastiodon. "You're up!"
The prehistoric Pokemon appeared in a flash of light. He didn't make a sound, merely standing up and facing the Vanillish. He was a quiet Pokemon, so I was really expecting that. Now Rin looked surprised to see a Bastiodon, and I didn't blame him. I was lucky enough to have found his fossil.
"You have the honors," Rin said.
I nodded. "All right. Dono, use Swagger!"
This was the kind of move you couldn't avoid. Dono stood up to his full height, tilting up his chin. The move came into effect immediately—the Vanillish become confused, and its attack was raised. But I wasn't concerned about that.
"Vanillish, try to use Frost Breath," Rin ordered.
But it was confused, and ended up just hurting itself. I disliked using confusion because of that, but if we were to win, I had no other choice.
"Now, Flash Cannon!" I commanded.
I had managed to get a hold of a TM with that move, and used it on Dono. And I was glad I did, because that move knocked out the Vanillish in one hit, probably because it was already hurt.
"Impressive," he said, returning his Pokemon. "It's good to see people who know what they're doing." He took out another Poke Ball. "Cryogonal!"
Now if I thought Vanillish, was odd, this Pokemon topped the cake. It looked like a snowflake of all things. There were some really odd Pokemon here in Unova.
"Dono, you're staying in," I said, and he nodded.
Rin didn't seem as sure of himself now, but that was only reasonable. "Cryogonal, Aurora Beam!"
I didn't bother telling Dono to dodge. A rainbow beam of frozen energy hit him right in the head, but it barely did any damage. His head was basically a body shield. If you wanted to do damage, you had to hit him somewhere else.
"Flash Cannon again!" I ordered.
A bright sphere of silver energy formed in front of his mouth, and then shot towards the Cryogonal. It hit the Pokemon hard, and it cried out in pain before collapsing. I couldn't help but smile. Dono was going great.
"Hmm... You're good," he admitted. "But this is far from over. Beartic!"
Now I knew there would be trouble. This ice bear did not look easy to defeat. But I believed we could do it. If I didn't believe, we'd never win.
"Beartic, Brine," Rin commanded.
Okay, I did not see that coming. "Dodge it!"
The rush of water came at Dono, and he struggled to get out of the way. He still got grazed by the attack, but at least it wasn't enough to knock him out. Then we'd be in trouble.
"Now Flash Cannon again!" I ordered.
He formed the attack faster this time, and launched the attack at the Beartic. But it braced itself for the attack, and was able to endure it. I knew I only had so much time left with Dono, and I wasn't sure of how much use Laxo, my Munchlax, would be. So that meant Terro would be my best choice.
"Brine once again," Rin said.
But this time since Dono was prepared, he managed to get out of the way. I was still surprised, though. I thought it had been over for the Bastiodon. But I guess he wasn't about to give up easily, which was good for the war we were in.
"One final Flash Cannon!" I commanded.
And like that, it was all over.
...
"Hey Cyan," I said to my friend once we returned to the Pokemon Center; everyone went to get their Pokemon healed but me. "How's Jewel?"
"She's doing better," he said, looking up at me from where he sat. "She should be up for battling tonight."
"Good," I said, looking back at everyone else. "Man, I wonder why they wanted Reshiram so badly."
"Who knows?" said Cyan, shrugging. "Whatever it is, it can't be good. The Government's never up to anything good."
And he was right. He couldn't have been more right about anything else.
Whoa. Long chapter.
Anyways, sorry for such the wait! School's been hectic, but it's out now, though I have testing still. Meh.
Yes, Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem are involved with the plot. They are very important.
Let's see... We had some Aquamarine and Christmas in here, along with some budding Crow.
OH YEAH. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this already, but the Forever Trilogy now has a wiki! And we need some more people to help update and make pages. Help is greatly appreciated!
I don't have anything else to say other than...
REVIEW!