FOREVERMORE
~Part Three Of The Forever Trilogy~
Chapter 41
Reuniting
May 25, 5001.
(Topaz's POV)
After the military base had been taken, Twinleaf was surrendered to us. We had the vice president of all people in our custody, so we could finally figure out what was going down with the politics side of things. I was relieved that we had been successful in our first battle. We had learned a lot, too, and knew what not to do in future attacks.
We set up several homeless shelters for those whose homes had been destroyed. We, as the Resistance, had tried to avoid battling in housing areas, but the Government had no such boundaries. Many of the homes had been demolished by the Government. I had to wonder if Synis had given those orders. That sounded more like something Flax would do, not Synis.
We had Neptune and Hope destroy the military base, and any other important military base. We took over the hospital, and made up our own makeshift infirmaries outside in tents once the hospital was filled up. We made sure everyone had plenty of food and water, along with clean clothing. We also were set with the gruesome task of collecting the dead and trying to identify them. We discovered that Psychic type Pokemon could do that easily, so we set them to work, led by Hindsight and Eris. I was appalled by the never ending pile of bodies that stacked up. It was a holocaust.
Was the war really worth it if so many died? We were doing this to unite humans and Pokemon, but at this rate there would be no humans left to enjoy the Pokemon. The Government was so willing to sacrifice their people. How much more corrupt could it get?
We made our makeshift headquarters in the high school—as in the high school between Twinleaf and Jubilife that Rubin, Plato, Jade, Viola, Diamonda and I had gone to before we ran away. Classes were still going, however, so we were mainly using the empty classrooms they had, the auditorium, and the gymnasium. Am gave the order that we had to wear a uniform at all times so people would know who we were. Some of us were immediately recognizable, though, since we were on the wanted list and all.
It had been an extremely busy past couple of days, and it was hard to believe we were only just getting started. I was already starting to get exhausted, so I decided to take a little break today. Viola was, too, so we decided to hang out for a bit.
"I'm kinda nervous being back in Twinleaf," Viola told me as we walked along through one of the many halls; classes were going on, so they were quiet and empty. "I mean, my parents... Well, at least my mom should be here."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," I said, looking up at my friend. "At least your mom didn't flip out on you because you had a Pokemon in her house."
She snorted. "Oh yeah, I remember that. Cops came to your house, too. About Grey, right?"
"Yeah," I said, brushing my bangs out of my eyes. "Man. That had been awful."
"We were all so different back then," Viola said with a sigh. "I remember you used to be so snarky."
I laughed. "I had a bad attitude back then, all right? I guess I was just bitter about having to move from Goldenrod and leaving everything I knew."
"I know how that feels," Viola said, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "I had to move from Azalea to Twinleaf when I was ten. I had been so upset. I guess my parents didn't like me sneaking off to go to Ilex forest all the time."
I looked back up at her, surprised. "You really did that?"
She laughed, amused by my reaction. "Yeah. I was a wild child all the way back then, Topaz. You have no idea."
I pursed my lips right as Raiden suddenly returned, leaping up onto my shoulder. I was startled for a moment, and then relaxed. Viola laughed again. I reached to scratch the shiny Pikachu on the head. He let out a happy cry.
"Topaz?"
I froze, and Viola stopped right with me. Raiden tensed on my shoulder, and let out a low growl. I slowly turned; we were near the entrance to the school, which was bustling with Resistance activity. But they would call me General Rosso here. And I knew that voice from anywhere.
Crap. It was my adoptive mother.
Emily King had aged over these past few years, though I could tell she was trying to hide it with makeup. She was of average height, and had gained some weight. Her light brown hair still went down to her shoulders, though it was starting to gray a little. Her blue eyes looked tired, so tired. I was so surprised to see her, I didn't know how to react. The last time I saw her was when she yelled at me about Raiden and kicked me out.
Viola coughed, and cleared her throat, pounding her fist on her breastbone. "Welp, I think I'm going to... see what Rin's up to! Catch ya later, Topaz!"
She turned and quickly walked away. Dear Arceus, of course she'd ditch me now.
"Uh... hi, Mom," I said finally, finding my voice.
I forced myself to walk all the way up to the woman, knowing people were probably watching. I was a general, and that meant I had to make a good impression. My adoptive mother looked down at me, obviously trying to figure out what to say first.
"Do you know where Timothy is?" she asked me at last.
Of course. "Yeah, he's with us. We rescued him. He's fine, Mom. We've been taking care of him."
She let out a sigh of relief, and relaxed a little. Then she focused back on me. "You've... you've changed."
I had to hold back a sarcastic comment. "Of course, Mom. It's been nearly three years. I'm almost an adult." In less than a month, I would be eighteen.
She sighed again. "I... I know, Topaz..."
I was beginning to get impatient. "What are you here for, Mom? I don't have all day. I meant to relax a bit before I went back to work."
I had never been on good terms with my mom, except for when I was little. I didn't remember much of my times as a little kid, which made sense, considering I had been in the past or kidnapped when I was young. I was surprised I didn't remember being adopted or anything.
"I wanted to see my daughter."
I snorted bitterly. "You don't have to play that game anymore, Mom. I know you didn't carry me for nine months. I know you didn't give birth to me. Stop pretending, okay? I know I'm adopted. You don't have to hide it."
Her eyes grew wide with surprise. "How did you find out?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I said hotly. "Now I'd like to have some time to myself, thank you very much."
I turned to go, but she stopped me once again. "Topaz, wait!"
I turned back around to face her, getting angry. "What?"
"I... I know I haven't been the best mother to you, adoptive or not," she said. "We may not share the same beliefs and may not be of the same blood, but you're still my daughter. Just give me a chance to make it up to you."
Raiden let out a little growl as the woman eyed her. I ignored him, staying silent. I didn't know what to say. I didn't expect this. I really had thought she would just yell at me for ruining my life or something.
"...Fine," I said at last, and she relaxed. "But I don't have all the time in the world. I'm a general, you know."
"The media was wrong the whole time," she said, running a hand through her hair. "They said everyone in Mount Silver died. Your father and I... We thought you were dead. And then Timothy was kidnapped... We didn't know what to do. We both thought we lost you."
I stayed silent for a moment. I didn't know what to say to that. I hadn't really thought they would care. About me, anyways. Tim was their flesh and blood. I was just their indirect ancestor, though they didn't know about that.
"This isn't the place to talk about these things," I said finally, calmed down. "We should go to a cafe or something."
I would have suggested a Pokemon Center, but they no longer existed here. I was so used to being in Unova, transitioning into the Empire would be difficult. I had to get used to it again.
"Okay," she said. "There's-"
"Nevermind, how about the diner?" I offered, interrupting her. "I'm actually pretty hungry."
She blinked, surprised. "Is it still standing?"
"It was untouched, Mom," I said dryly. "That side of Twinleaf wasn't hit. That's where the house is, remember? The not bombed part of town."
"All right," she sighed. "Let's go there, then."
...
I made a quick call to Grey to tell him that I was going out for a bit so people would know where I was. Then I headed out with my mom. She had drove here in her car. It was weird riding in a car after so long. I was so used to having Pokemon transport me now.
Like I said, the diner was untouched. The whole northwestern area was void of any damage. How that happened, I had no idea. I was just glad because that was where my family, along with Viola's, lived. The Berlitz estate was outside of town, so they were fine. I was pretty sure Jade's family was in some sort of shelter.
The diner was a quaint, friendly little place styled like in the 1950s. Everything was shiny, and white or red. There was a counter you could sit at. The booths had cushion-y seats with shiny red covers. There was even a jukebox.
The diner was busy; what a shocker. The people were surprised to see me. I had gone to the diner a couple of times with Rubin, Plato, Jade, and Viola, so they knew who I was. Not only had I changed a lot, but I was wearing a clean general uniform. We were seated in a booth.
"So you're still friends with Chase?" was my mom's first question as she picked up the menu and began to examine it.
"Oh? Yeah, I am," I said, picking up my own menu and opening it. "He's the other general. We work together. His real name is Grey Kuro, by the way. He's adopted too. My real last name is Rosso."
Now that surprised her. "Kuro? Rosso? As in the Pokedex owners or something?"
"Yeah," I said. "Most of my friends and I are all descended from them."
"That's... neat," she said at last. "So, you and Chase—I mean Grey—you're just friends?"
I set my menu down at the table and gave her a dry look. "Yes, Mom. He has a girlfriend, and I have a boyfriend. There's nothing going on."
"You have a boyfriend?" she asked me, surprised. "Who? Do I even know him?"
"Yeah," I said with a sigh. "Rubin. We've been dating for two years." If you ignored the nearly two months we were apart.
Again, she was surprised. "Rubin Birch? That sissy boy?"
I gritted my teeth, and fought the urge to snap. "He's not like that anymore. And he's adopted, too. His real last name is Senri. Yes, as in the Dex holder. Nearly all of us are adopted, okay?"
A waitress came over before she could respond this time. We ordered our drinks and asked for more time to decide what to get.
"So where is Timothy?" she asked me.
"He's back in Unova," I said calmly. "With the rest of the kids."
"What other kids?" she asked, confused.
"Ethan and Evan, my friend Gold's little brothers, Hyacinth, Viola's little sister, Rosalind, my friend Alizarin's little sister, and Aqua..." My voice faded out awkwardly.
"Aqua?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Erm... She's... Diamonda's... daughter..."
Her eyes widened and she stared at me in horror. I let out an awkward laugh, and brushed my bangs away from my eyes. I sure hoped Diamonda planned on meeting her parents soon because my mom would probably tell them herself, and then Diamonda would be angry with me.
"She's married now," I added. "They're really happy."
"To who?"
"...The High Commander."
Another shocked look. "How old is he?"
"Nineteen, turning twenty soon."
She seemed relieved to hear that, but then she was alarmed. "Your resistance is led by teenagers?"
"Yes," I said with a sigh. "Ever since the Mount Silver bombing, we've had no choice. All our adult leaders died there. Trust me, Mom, we much rather be regular commanders and soldiers. Being a leader is tough work."
The waitress came back, and we ordered our food. Mom was quiet for a moment after the girl left, and I took the time to try to relax. I took a sip of my soda, and then took a quick look at the Poke Balls on my belt to make sure my team was doing fine. Raiden looked antsy, so I sighed, took his Poke Ball off my belt, and released him out onto the table.
My mom jumped, startled, and everyone else in the diner became alarmed. Oh, duh. They weren't used to Pokemon here in Sinnoh. I really had to get used to being outside of Unova. But Twinleaf was ours now, and they would have to get used to it. Raiden eyed my mom briefly before moving closer to me on the table.
"That's... that's your..." she began, but stopped because she didn't know the names of Pokemon.
"Pikachu," I said as he began to scratch his ear. "But he's shiny, which means oddly colored. They're usually yellow. His name is Raiden. He's my strongest Pokemon."
Raiden smirked deviously. "Pika pika pikachu." Got that right.
I laughed a little, and reached out to scratch him on the head. He let out a happy sigh and flopped down on his stomach. Mom seemed a bit wary of him, but was relaxing a little.
"So... when can we see Timothy?" she asked finally.
That was a good question. "I'm not sure yet. The kids won't be allowed to come down here for a while. It's still too dangerous. But when you can, I'll let you know somehow."
She pursed her lips, looking slightly disappointed. "Okay, Topaz."
...
(Jade's POV)
I was adamant on finding my family.
I had to find out if they were okay. Even though we didn't share the same blood, they were still my family. I was worried sick about them. Twinleaf was much bigger than it was in the past, and had a much higher population, though it was still much smaller than one of the big cities. It would be so hard to track them down.
"Okay, Pinkie," I said to my Wigglytuff as we left yet another infirmary tent. "We still haven't found them..."
She looked up at me, a sad look in her eyes. "Wigglytuff..."
I sighed, and ran a hand through my hair, and started walking through the grass towards the mangled road. Pinkie inflated herself with air, and began to float in the air to follow me. My boots thudded on the damaged and stained asphalt as I walked along.
Pinkie caught up with me, and latched onto my shoulders. I smiled softly, and reached up to place my hand on top of hers.
"Wiggly!" she exclaimed happily.
"I wonder how Plato's doing," I mused. "Dima dragged him off to find their parents. With Aqua. I hope everything goes okay..."
"Tuff," Pinkie agreed with a nod.
I reached another infirmary tent. As we got closer, I could smell the stench of blood and infections—the putrid odor of the dead and the dying. It made my stomach churn, made me feel sick. I couldn't believe what we had done to these poor people. I could almost not bring myself to step inside the tent to see if my family was in there. I took a deep breath and steeled myself to go inside.
I pushed the tent flap open, and peeked inside. It was dimly lit, as were all the infirmary tents, but I could still make out what was inside. It took me a moment to scan the whole area, but I did finally spot them.
"Mom! Dad!" I cried, pushing my way all the way through. "Chloe! Danny!"
There was my family, the Verdes. There was my mother, Sasha, who had brown hair and hazel eyes, and my father Benjamin, who had red hair and green eyes. Then there was my two siblings, Chloe and Daniel. I was the oldest, then Chloe, and lastly Danny. Chloe was fourteen now, I believed, and Danny was twelve. Chloe looked the most like our father, having red hair and green eyes. Danny had brown hair and hazel eyes like our mother. It looked like Dad was hurt the most, seeing as he was laying in a bed, but all of them were bandaged up.
They all turned at the sound of my voice, startled. They all stared at me, speechless. I grinned, so happy to see them after all this time. I bounded up to them, and when they still didn't respond, I spoke.
"It's me, Jade! I missed you all so much!"
They finally snapped out of their dazes, and the next thing I knew my little brother was hugging me. I laughed, and hugged him back, surprised that he was nearly as tall as me now. Chloe got up and joined the hugging.
"Jade, we never thought we'd see you again!" Danny exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Chloe snapped after pulling away. "Why'd you have to leave us like that?"
"I'm sorry," I said truthfully, looking at each one of them. "But I had to support my friends. And what I believe in, too."
"We understand, Jade," my mother said, giving me a warm smile. "I'm proud of you, really. You had the nerve to stand up for what you believe in. There's nothing more I could ask for other than your safety."
"Thanks, Mom," I said with a smile before turning serious again. I walked closer to the bed so I could see my father. "Dad... What happened?"
I took a closer look at him. He was covered in severe burns, and his arm was in a cast. I dreaded to know how he got hurt like this, but I had to know, especially if it had been the Resistance.
"Our house caught on fire," he said wearily. "From a nearby bomb."
I let out a sigh of relief, glad it had nothing to do with my people. "I'm just glad you're all okay."
...
(Plato's POV)
"...Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked my sister as we walked along.
I was surprised that Am even let Diamonda go out like this. Yeah, I was with her, but still. It was weird leaving the destruction of our beloved hometown to the serene landscape that led to the mansion we had grown up in.
I was pretty sure it was the same mansion as the one I lived in in the past.
Diamonda walked ahead of me with Frosty, her Glaceon, and Prince, her Empoleon. All I had out was Ray, my Luxray. People in Twinleaf were really scared of him, so he was a good choice. Wild Pokemon were usually afraid of Luxray as well.
"Dad and Mom have to know," she said, looking back at me a little. "Aqua is their granddaughter."
"They're going to be pissed," I reminded her.
"I know," she sighed. "But oh well. I don't regret a thing."
Well, neither did I. But I didn't get my girlfriend pregnant, now did I? I didn't know a thing about what happened with them, so it could be an entirely different situation. But still.
"Well, just be careful how you address the whole matter," I told her. "You're going to have to word delicately."
"Plato, I'm just going to tell them Aqua is my daughter and that I'm married," she said dryly. "They don't need to know everything."
"It's all up to you, Diamonda," I said with a shrug. "I'm not the one with the kid here."
She turned to roll her eyes at me.
We finally reached the estate moments later. It looked as grand as it did years ago. I was surprised that there were no guards out front like there had been when we lived there. It seemed desolate, even, as Diamonda and I walked down the path.
She shifted Aqua in her arms as we walked up onto the porch. I went up to the door, and knocked on it. We both took deep breaths and prepared for the inevitable. I just hoped they wouldn't freak out too much. I wanted them calm when I told them I was marrying Jade.
Minutes later, the door was opened by our butler, Charles. He was an aging man with balding white hair. His blue eyes grew wide with surprise at the sight of us. I doubted he expected us to be here, and see me in a blue uniform nonetheless.
"Lord Plato, Lady Diamonda... Your return is highly unexpected," he said at last, not noticing the child in my sister's arms.
"Well, we're not quite returning," I told him. "We're merely here to visit."
"Ah... I see... Please come in."
He opened the door further, allowing us to step inside the cool mansion. Memories began to shoot back to me, remembering my childhood here. Of course it was of only my time in the future. But this was my home in both times.
"Oh my goodness! That child..." Charles couldn't finish his sentence.
Diamonda smiled, and adjusted her hold on her daughter. "This is Aqua! She's mine."
The butler just stared at her for a while, horrified. Then he sputtered he'd go get our parents and then left. I gave Diamonda a dry look, and she rolled her eyes at me again. Man, this was going to be awkward.
It didn't take long for our parents to arrive. They walked down the winding staircase, slowly, still surprised to see us. I stuffed my hands into my pockets, knowing I wasn't going to be the one who was going to be yelled at.
"Diamonda! Plato!" our mother called as she finally stepped off the last step of the stairs. "Thank Arceus you're all right!"
She then proceeded to walk up to where we stood, followed by our father. She hugged me first, which I expected because I doubted she nor her husband knew how to deal with Diamonda and Aqua. My father gave me a firm handshake and a pat on the back. Then they both turned to face their daughter.
"Hi Mother, hi Father," she greeted them with a warm, friendly smile.
"Diamonda... Is it true that child is yours?" our father asked slowly, eying Aqua as she sucked on her thumb.
"Yes," she replied evenly. "Her name is Aqua. You don't have to act like she's some sort of diseased spawn."
Father did not like her sassy comment. "I take it she was born out of wedlock."
"I'm only eighteen, Father," Diamonda said dryly. "Of course she was. But I'm married to her father now, and everything is okay."
"Okay?" Mother snapped angrily. "You think this is okay? You've brought disgrace onto our family!"
I sighed heavily, and pinched the bridge of my nose. I knew this would happen, and I was pretty sure Diamonda knew, too. Their disdain in the whole situation was inevitable.
"I'm happy," Diamonda said hotly, getting angry. "Don't you care about my happiness?"
They shut up then. I stayed silent, just standing there. I didn't really have anything to say. What could I say, anyway? This was all them.
"I know I've made mistakes," Diamonda continued, her tone gentler. "But I'm different now. I'm not going to repeat the past. Please, don't judge me for what I've done. I love my daughter and I love my husband. I wouldn't be happy without them."
They stayed quiet, and I took the chance to speak up.
"I have to agree," I said, and they looked at me. "We've all changed. We're not the same was when we ran away, Father, Mother. Don't be quick to judge us. We don't exactly follow everything we've been taught, but does that make us disgraces?"
"Yeah!" Diamonda exclaimed, shifting Aqua in her arms. "You should be so proud of Plato! He invented and designed all the tech we used to siege Twinleaf! He did it all by himself, with no help at all."
I rubbed the back of my head. "It's nothing, really. It needed to be done, so I did it."
"Well... you have made some great achievements," Father admitted slowly.
"We have a right to know who the father is," Mother added sternly.
"Oh, Amethyst Kimu, the High Commander!"
...And then Mother fainted.
...
May 25, 5001.
(Cerise's POV)
It was another busy day.
Even though we had the people from the hospital helping us, I felt overwhelmed. I wanted so badly to end these poor people's pain, and I could with my powers, but I wasn't allowed. Still, once in a while, I would sneak and heal someone's injury a bit.
But I was surprised when they told me to take the day off. Well, I had been working almost without any breaks since the evening on the twenty-fourth. So I went to my temporary room I was sharing with Topaz and changed out of my dirty medic uniform. Since I was just a medic, I could wear regular clothes. I probably should have gotten some sleep, but I wanted to check out and see what was going on.
I was walking through the hallways of the school when someone called me.
"Cerise!"
I paused, and turned to see Diamonda waving me down. She was alone; someone must have been watching Aqua. I waited for her to catch up to me.
"Hey Dima," I greeted her once she reached me. "What's up?"
"Shirou and Alan are bringing the kids down here," she told me. "I just thought you should know in case you want to see your boyfriend."
Everything just seemed better right as she told me that. "When will they get here?" I asked her excitedly.
"In a few minutes, I believe," she told me with a smile.
"Thanks for telling me!" I exclaimed, before heading off outside. I had no idea where they were going to come in, but I had to see Shirou.
When I stepped outside the school, I heard voices talking excitedly. I quickly spotted them, ecstatic that they were here early. The kids were the ones who were talking, and Shirou was obviously trying to get them to calm down.
"Shiu!" I exclaimed, bounding up to them, and glomping him from behind.
I obviously caught him by surprise because he jumped a little. But then he let out a light laugh. "Hey, Cer."
I let go of him, and he took my hand, pulling me up next to him. Alan's arms were crossed, and he looked annoyed by the bickering of the kids. Timothy looked anxious, and I remembered that his family lived here. Raven had come along, too, and was standing next to him.
"Has anyone seen my parents?" Timothy asked, looking up at me.
I nodded, and gave him a reassuring smile. "Yeah! Topaz met with your mom. They're fine. Their part of Twinleaf wasn't bombed."
He let out a sigh of relief, and Raven put her hand on his shoulder. I noticed that Raven didn't quite look like a little kid anymore. She was starting to develop that teenager look. Her dark hair was growing out, too, which helped. On the contrary, Timothy still had a bit of a baby face.
Raven's dark eyes were looking around a lot. "The dead frequent this area. They are confused. Some don't know they no longer have life."
I blinked, startled. "Huh?"
Timothy looked up at me and scratched the back of his head. "Raven can see ghosts."
I gasped, covering my mouth with my free hand. Raven looked at me calmly, and then turned her attention back to Timothy.
"I must see if can get some of them to go into the light," she said, ever so calm. "Will you accompany me?"
Timothy blinked. "Uh, yeah, sure."
Ethan snickered. "It sounds like a-"
Evan smacked him upside the back of his head, cutting him off. Timothy glared at the older boy, and Rosalind blinked, looking confused. Raven's expression didn't change, and she seemed unfazed by the whole thing.
"Then let us go," she said, taking his hand, which made him blush like crazy, and then proceeding to drag him away.
"They so have the hots for each other," Ethan said with another snicker, making Ethan smack him upside his head again.
Shirou then threw his arm around my shoulders, and grabbed Alan by the wrist with his free hand, and dragged us out on the street. The kids got the message and headed inside.
"So this is what happened?" Alan asked after he got out of Shirou's grip, gesturing to the devastation before us.
"Yeah," I said quietly. "The Government bombed the heck out of us."
"That's crazy," Shirou said, sounding shocked. "They killed their own people!"
"That's... that's just the way things are, Shiu..."
I decided to just do family.
AND END WITH SOME MEZZOFORTE
Asdfghjkl
Man
I don't have much to say... Just that...
THE MEMORIES ARE NEXT
MUAHAHAHA
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