FOREVERMORE
~Part Three Of The Forever Trilogy~
Chapter 42
Lost Histories
May 27, 5001.
(Topaz's POV)
"...so if you want me to, I can try to retrieve your memories," Kate finished, her voice calm and steady.
We had flown back up to Unova to the base after Twinleaf was secured. It was still somewhat chaotic, but it was under control. Kate had been doing some research, and she now believed she could restore our memories. We were sitting in the lounge on the first floor. I was sitting on a couch between Rubin and Cerise. On my sister's other side was Shirou, and then Alan.
"Oh my gosh!" Cerise gasped, covering her hand with her mouth. "For real?"
Kate blushed, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes..."
Of course all of us wanted our memories back. We wanted to know what really happened to us. We wanted to know what we were like. We wanted the truth. And this was the only way we could find out.
"Just close your eyes and meditate," she told us, her calm demeanor returning. "I should be able to do this all at once."
We all did what she told us. It was hard to clear my mind of everything, but I managed to after a few minutes. Suddenly, a couple minutes later after I started meditating, I felt a sharp, piercing pain, like the inside of my head was being sliced open by a white hot dagger. I had to bite my tongue to prevent myself from crying out in pain, and the hot, iron taste of blood filled my mouth.
Then the memories just came rushing in at once. I remembered every single thing. The first one I could grasp was when I was three years old.
Like I said, I was three years old. Cerise was barely a year old. Our parents were holding a barbeque for all the Pokedex holders. They were all there, including what kids that had been born so far—Am, Fiori, Goldy, and Cyan. They, along with Cerise and me, were the only ones alive.
I was a very shy and timid child. I avoided Am, who was four, and Fiori, who was the same age as me. Goldy was too young, and I never met him at the party. I was frightened by all the noise and the people.
Finally, I couldn't avoid the older Kimu kids any longer. Mom asked me to go play with them, and I started freaking out and crying. Then I saw that Am had a Pokemon, a Snorunt. I ended up playing with Twitch instead of them.
As the memories become organized inside my head, it became pretty apparent that I was frightened of the outside world. I rarely went outside, and whenever I did, I usually had someone with me. Cerise, on the other hand, was the total opposite. She loved the outdoors, and she loved to play and be around people. Already, she was wild and bold. The contrast between her then and her now was just as startling as the differences between me. I honestly had a hard time believing it.
When I was four, Pika and Chuchu made another egg. My parents decided to give it to me. I treated that egg like it was my own child. I got attached to it, and always had it with me. A month later, it hatched, and a shiny Pichu was the product. I researched some names with my mom until I found one I loved—Raiden. After that, Raiden and I were inseparable. If you wanted me, he had to come along no matter what.
I was so terrified of the outside world that the first day of school was a nightmare for me. I cried the whole day, and refused to eat any food. I cried for my parents and Raiden. They didn't make me go back, and my mom decided to do homeschooling with me.
The months before my kidnapping were like a countdown. Mom was pregnant with Crimson, and neither Cerise nor me had any idea of what was going on. We just thought Mom was getting fat and sick.
One of the clearest memories I had was when I first met Gold Jr. It stood out amongst the other positive memories I had.
"Hi!
I jumped, startled. I was in our fenced backyard, enjoying the sun with Raiden. Mom was making lunch in the kitchen. Cerise had fallen asleep on the hammock, Persia, her Meowth, curled up on her chest.
I whirled around to face the fence, my heart starting to pound faster. It was white picket, but with gaps between the boards, though not big enough for any Pokemon to escape. A boy around my age was peeking through the gap. He was cute, I thought, with his messy black hair and floppy bangs, and startling gold eyes. A Phanpy was by his side, poking at the gap with its trunk. I just stared at him, unable to speak.
"I said hi," he said, sounding a little hurt. "Aren't you gonna reply?"
"H...H...H-h-hi-i..." I stammered out, clutching my plush Twilight Sparkle from My Little Ponyta: Friendship is Elemental doll to my chest.
His face brightened up, and he smiled at me. "That's better! I'm Goldy! What's your name?"
"T...T...T-T-Topaz..."
He cocked his head to the side. "Toopawz?
"T-T-Topaz..."
"Towpwaz? Oh, screw it, I'm just gonna call you T!"
I squeezed my plushie harder. I just wanted this to end so I could escape. I was scared of pretty much everyone. I felt like if I'd try to leave, he'd go after me.
"Say, T, is that your Pichu?" he asked, pointing to Raiden, who was at my feet. "I never saw one like that before! He's special, isn't he?"
The shiny Pichu leaped up onto my head. "Pi pichu!" Thanks!
"He... He says thanks," I managed to get out.
Goldy's eyes grew wide with shock, and his mouth opened. "You can talk to Pokemon? You're so cool, T! I wish I could talk to Pokemon."
My face heated up, and I clutched Twilight Sparkle even tighter.
"You should come out and play, T," he said, sticking his head closer to the fence. "We can have a Pokemon battle! C'mon, it'll be so fun!"
Before I could even respond, a familiar voice yelled, "Goldy, get back over here! Mom wants us to stay near the lab!"
Goldy's face fell. "Aw, I have to go... My mommy's no fun sometimes." He sighed, and pushed himself away from the fence. "I gotta go, T. See you later sometime, okay? Bye-bye!"
I watched him leave right as Mom called us in for lunch. I stayed there, standing at the fence for a moment. Then I went to wake up Cerise and headed inside to eat.
From that day forward, whenever the Kimus were in Pallet, Gold would visit me through the fence. At first, I was terrified of him, but eventually the fear left me. We found out we were both Pokedex holders' kids when Cerise started hanging out with the Kimus and Cyan.
Goldy was constantly trying to get me to come out of the yard. I was terrified of what was beyond the fence. The memory of when I finally did leave was also very clear.
"C'mon, T! It'll be so much fun!"
I shook my head slowly. "It's too scary..."
"No it's not!" he exclaimed adamantly. "Don't worry, T, I'll protect you! Nothing can get past Phano!"
I bit my bottom lip and looked up at him through my bangs. "R-Really?"
He nodded, smiling at me again. "I promise! I cross my heart, T."
I chewed on my lip, and turned to look at the gate. "But it's too high to unlock..."
Raiden leaped up, and swatted the lock with his tail. The gate swung open. Goldy laughed, and grinned widely. Raiden returned to me, and leaped up onto my shoulder.
"Not too high for Raiden! C'mon, T!"
I took a deep breath, and forced myself to walk through the gate. Goldy was still beaming, but he sobered up once he saw my fearful expression. He walked up to me, and held out his hand.
"C'mon, T," he said gently. "It'll be fun, I promise. I'm here to protect you. Just trust me."
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, before reaching out to take his hand. He smiled at me again, it wonderful as always, and gave my hand a quick squeeze. Then he proceeded to drag me off.
Dear Arceus, this was not good.
I was falling in love with Gold when I was little. And with these memories, the feelings were coming back. Subtly due to my love for someone else, but still. They were there. Crap.
Anyway, this continued on. I only played outside my backyard if Gold was with me. Dad was too busy to take my anywhere, so it was always just him.
He taught me more about battling, though I hated it with every fiber of my being. I hated seeing anything getting hurt. Goldy eventually dropped battling around me, only because I begged him too.
Crimson was born in May, and then I turned five in June. Everything was normal until October twenty-ninth.
Professor Oak called a emergency Pokedex holder meeting, so Dad and Mom had to leave us home alone. They didn't think it would be too bad since the lab was nearby and I knew how to call if we needed anything. But they were so wrong.
I was sitting on the floor in the living room with Raiden, playing with my My Little Ponyta toys. Cerise was on the couch with Persia, and was watching reruns of My Little Ponyta: Friendship is Elemental. I was vaguely listening; this episode was boring to me.
Suddenly, there was knocking on the door. I knew it wasn't our parents; they wouldn't knock. I motioned Cerise to turn off the volume, and she fumbled with the remote to push the mute button. Pounding came from the door.
I pushed myself up. "Cer, come with me."
I took my sister's hand once she reached me, and led her up the stairs. Raiden and Persia followed us. I heard the door bust down, and I began to rush up the stairs, dragging Cerise behind me. Panic began to set in. I pushed her and Persia into Crimson's nursery.
"Lock it!"
"B-But what about you, Big Sis? Don't leave me!"
"I'll be fine! You're safe in here!"
"Topaz, don't go! Please! Please don't go! Please don't leave me!"
I opened my mouth to respond, to calm her, but I was interrupted.
"There's the little girl!"
Crimson started to wail, blocking out Cerise's sobs from behind the door. I whirled around, pressing my back up against the door. I saw the woman I now knew as Karen Karin. To my five-year-old self, she was a terrifying giant with a monstrous Umbreon with piercing blood red eyes. I screamed when it snarled at me, and then I bolted for my own bedroom.
I yanked open the door, and ran towards my bed. I dropped down on my hands and knees, meaning to crawl under the bed. I managed to get halfway underneath it before I was grabbed by the legs and yanked out. I started to scream again, but Karen clamped her hand over my mouth.
"Now now, little Topaz, there's no need to fight me," she said with a sneer.
"Pichu pichu pi!" Hey! Put her down!
I tried to call out to Raiden, but it came out muffled. I clawed ay her hand, trying to get free. Karen turned, tightening her grip on me. Raiden stood in the doorway, cheek pouches crackling, looking very angry.
Karen laughed. "The little Pichu thinks it can defeat you, Umbreon."
The Umbreon snickered.
I bit down on Karen's hand. She cried out, and released her hold on me. I dropped to the floor, and then pushed myself up to make a break for the window. Raiden leaped after me.
The window exploded, sending razor sharp shards of glass flying everywhere. I screamed, and dropped down, still getting sliced on the face and the palms of my hands. When I looked back up, an Honchkrow was in the room.
"You little brat!" Karen snarled. "Umbreon, teach that girl a lesson!"
The Umbreon leaped towards me, and Raiden jumped in front of me. I gasped as he began to shudder, and then glowed bright. He evolved into a Pikachu right before my very eyes, and then used Thunderbolt.
I blacked out then.
The next memory I had was when I woke up after being kidnapped. I was in a room made of solid concrete. There were other kids there, all my age—Cerise, Cyan, Jade, Rubin, Sapphira, Esmeralda, Jasper, Plato, and Grey. Then, the man I recognized as Brown from when we were kidnapped for the second time brought in Flax, Maroon, Navy, Verdant, and Pink. Some of them were older than us, of course.
"Jade!" Pink cried, running over to the auburn-haired girl.
"Pink!" Jade exclaimed, hugging her.
Dear mother of Mew, Jade and Pink were friends.
"What's going on?" Pink whimpered, gripping Jade's hand as if she were holding onto dear life.
"I dunno," Jade said, sounding worried.
I, at the time, was sitting huddled, scared as hell, with Cerise and Cyan because they were the only people I knew. I was trying my best not to cry.
"I want Mommy!" Sapph whimpered, hugging herself. Her brown hair was pulled back in high pigtails, and she was wearing a dirty, yet frilly, dress.
"Mommy will f*ck these guys up," Rubin said with a scowl on his cute little face, crossing his arms over his chest.
We all gasped, shocked at the bad word he used.
"Rubes, didn't Daddy tell you to stop saying what Mommy says?" Sapph asked, tugging on one of her pigtails.
"Yeah," he replied evenly, shrugging. "I don't give a d*mn 'bout what Daddy says. He's a pussy."
Esmeralda snickered, and Sapph glared at him, and sat down, wrapped her arms around her legs.
We all shared names, and then waited for something else to happen. I had no idea how much time passed; I just knew I was starving. It even got to the point where we had to go to the bathroom in a corner. The stench was putrid.
Then, finally, men dressed all in black came to get us. They called us filthy animals and threatened to poke us with rods. They marched us out of the cell, and had us line up by region and name in a bright, pristine, white room.
Karen entered and looked at us all with distaste.
"You are here to work with the Masked Man," she told us firmly. "He is now your master. If you do not obey him, you will be severely punished, if not killed. Understood?"
We all nodded, except for Rubin. She narrowed his eyes at him.
"Understood, Senri Boy?"
He said two simple words. "F*ck you."
And Karen decided to make an example out of him.
Her Umbreon appeared in a flash of light, and lunged at him. It leaped on him, pinning him to the ground. We screamed, scattering, But I was frozen on the spot, having fallen to my knees, too terrified to move.
"What was that, little boy?" she asked him with a sneer.
"I said f*ck you," Rubin replied defiantly.
"Umbreon-" Karen began.
"STOP!" I screamed, clutching the hem of my skirt. "S-STOP! Leave him alone! P-Please... don't hurt him..."
Everyone stared at me, shocked by my sudden outburst. The tears started to come at last, streaming down my face. I was trembling, frightened that Karen would sic her Umbreon on me, too. Instead she stared at me for a moment before ordering her Pokemon off of Rubin. Sapph ran over to her brother, and started crying on him.
Karen left us then.
Nurses came to clean us up. We were separated, which frightened me even more. I wanted nothing more but to be with my sister and Cyan. The nurse bathed me, ridding my filthy body of all the blood and grime, and put fresh clothing on me, a uniform. She tended to my injuries, which had began to become infected. She brushed out my hair and put it up in a high ponytail for the first time in my life. She gave me food, and then took me to the room I would share with my partner.
Rubin was there; he was my partner. He had cleaned up nicely, and looked even cuter. He still had that oversize red and white hat on his head. He was sitting on one of the two twin-sized beds, still looking angry. He saw me once I scuffed my shoe on the concrete floor.
"Ugh, I'm stuck with you? You're a sissy," he said with a scowl.
I stayed silent, sitting on the other bed. He eyed me for a moment.
"You're a good girl, aren't you?"
I nodded slowly.
"...Sissy."
Rubin's original self was shocking. He was a male version of Sapph, but swore a whole lot more than she did. He was rebellious and hotblooded, and most definitely had a spine. I wondered if this would rub off his current persona.
Rubin and I had to work together. I was so happy when I got Raiden back, and he got Lady, still a Poochyena. They started training us. They made us battle. Rubin eventually gave in and helped me catch up.
This whole entire time, I missed Goldy. He was my best friend, after all. I told Rubin about him, and whenever I talked about him he would get angry and snappy when he was normally very gentle with me. Now I realized this was jealousy. Rubin liked me all the way back then.
We were very aware that I had some sort of control over the mysterious Masked Man whom we never saw. Rubin and I got the best treatment. Karen never punished me, usually making poor Rubin pay instead. I hated it. I cried whenever he was hurt, whether it was because of me or not. He always reassured me that he would be okay.
As time went by, my feelings switched from falling in love with Goldy to falling in love with Rubin, as much as a little kid could. I still had lingering feelings for my best friend, but Rubin was everything to me during our imprisonment. He helped me survive and get through it all. This was a relief to my current state of emotions.
We were under Synis's captivity for a full year. And then Gold came to save us.
"We have to rebel," Rubin was saying, picking at his food. "It's the only way we can get home."
It was lunch break from training, and we were all eating together, as per usual.
"Karen will kill us if we do that!" Sapph whined.
"Don't be such a sissy!" Rubin snapped at her, and she flinched. "Grow a f*ckin' spine already, Sapphy!"
"Goldy will rescue us!" I piped up after finishing chewing my food.
Rubin's face darkened, and he scowled. "He hasn't come yet, he ain't never comin'."
"Am might come," Cerise added, joining in the conversation. "He'll save us!"
"Goldy vanished, though, not Am," Cyan said quietly.
"Nobody's comin' to get us," Rubin said firmly, adamant on his belief. "We have to save us ourselves. We have to battle the cronies and escape on our own."
I bit my bottom lip, and shivered, not liking that idea at all. I much rather be rescued then escaping on my own.
"I agree with Rubes!" Grey exclaimed, nodding. "We can't just wait around to be rescued! We gotta take charge!"
Well, maybe they did have a point...
But then all hell broke loose.
The wall to our right exploded, sending debris and dust flying everywhere. We screamed and scrambled out of the way, trying to get somewhere safe. The guards flipped out, but our Pokemon quickly silenced them.
"Is everybody okay?" a familiar voice shouted over all the ruckus.
I gasped, and pushed myself up onto my feet. But we couldn't see through all the dust so Sapph had Skari use Defog to clear the air. It was exactly who I thought it would be, and I was thrilled.
"Goldy!" I cried before running up to him and glomping him in a hug, knocking him down on his back.
"Aaaah, T!" he exclaimed, hugging me back. "I knew I'd find you!"
"You came," I choked out, tears filling my eyes.
"Course I did!" he said, sitting up, and then standing, pulling me to my feet. "I promised I'd protect you, didn't I?"
I nodded, and then saw Phano come up from behind his trainer. I gasped in awe, seeing he had evolved into a Donphan. And a strange green fairy Pokemon was with them, one I had only seen in picture books.
"Biii!" Celebi cried, waving at me. Hiii!
"What's... what's that?" I gasped, my eyes wide with amazement.
"This is Celebi! She helped me find you and everyone else," Goldy said, turning to gesture to the Pokemon. "I wouldn't have found you if it wasn't for her!"
"Bi celebi!" Yep, that's right!
"Who the hell are you?"
The rest of the kids finally reached us. They looked confused, though some of them—as in Cerise, Cyan, and Jade—knew Goldy. The others didn't. Rubin had made the demand, looking angry and irritated.
"The name's Goldy! Gold Kimu Junior! But just call me Goldy, okay?" he said, friendly as ever, ignoring my other friend's cold demeanor.
I pulled away from Goldy, walking a few steps up to Rubin. "See, Rubes, I told you he'd come! We're all gonna be fine now and we can go home!"
Rubin scowled, and crossed his arms over his chest, looking away. "Whatever."
I stared at him, taken aback by his strange reaction. I couldn't grasp why he wasn't acting happy. Didn't he want to go home and see his parents? Didn't he want to be safe again?
"How are we getting out?" asked Plato, catching everyone's attention.
Goldy didn't respond right away, too shocked by Rubin's behavior. But then he pushed it all aside, and turned to face the boy who asked the question.
"Celebi's gonna work her magic!" he exclaimed.
"Wait, before we go, I have to get Pink!" Jade said, turning around to head for the door; they kept the others separated from us.
But she gasped, and stopped herself, stumbling back a little bit. There stood Karen and her awful Umbreon, but she was not alone. For the first time ever, we saw the Masked Man. He didn't look like the original one at all; I would have found that even more terrifying. He had a black cloak, yes, but there was no long white hair, and his mask was different. Synis was here to stop our escape.
"Where do you think you're going, children?" the Masked Man asked, his voice sending chills down my spine. I was about to freeze up with fear.
"I don't think nothin'! I know!" Rubin exclaimed defiantly, a fierce look on his face. "We're f*ckin' blowin' this joint, you bastard!"
Everything happened so fast. Raiden blinded everyone with a Thunderbolt, making me scream with fear. Someone grabbed me by the hand and proceeded to pull me back away from our captors. In the chaos, all I heard was shouting and Pokemon attacking. I only could really make out Jade screaming about having to get Pink. It was so loud and confusing.
The next thing I knew, Goldy had pulled me through the jagged hole in the wall, and we were outside in the clean, fresh air. For the first time in a year, I saw the clear blue sky and green grass. I was dazed. Celebi was waiting for us, with a pulsing green and pink portal. I saw my other friends going through the portal to whatever was beyond it.
It terrified me.
"This our way home, T!" he told me, tugging me along. "We just have to go through that!"
I wasn't about to move easily.
Raiden suddenly returned, leaping up onto my shoulder, burn marks on his striped back. Goldy pushed me up onto Phano's back, and he squeezed my hand hard before releasing me.
I snapped out of my daze.
"Wait!" I cried, turning on Phano's back, frantic. "Rubin's still-"
The boy and his Poochyena leaped through the jagged hole in the concrete wall, and started running towards us. Suddenly, Celebi cried out in pain, and the portal began to pulse violently, flashing bright shades of green and pink.
"Go!" Goldy yelled, knowing something was most definitely wrong.
Phano leaped into the portal, and they were right behind us. The last thing I heard before I blacked out and lost all my memories was Celebi's cry of pain.
...
(Goldy's POV)
Mom had to visit Professor Oak for some reason, and Dad was busy helping Silver with something, so Am, Fiori, and I had to go along with our mother. My older siblings played outside with their Pokemon, while I decided to wander off and do some exploring with Phano.
I remembered very clearly when I first saw her through that fence. I had never seen anyone like her, so I thought she was perfect, so beautiful. I had never seen anyone with gold hair before, and that caught my eye, so I decided to go talk to her. And eventually our friendship began.
I couldn't believe I had a crush on Topaz when we were little. But now these memories were starting to bring the feelings back, which was a major problem since I was with Sapph and I loved her. Dear Arceus, when could things not be complicated?
Anyways, when Topaz was kidnapped, I was devastated. I vowed I would save her. I begged Fiori to help Phano and me to train to become stronger.
"Why?" she asked me, curious.
"'Cause I have to save Topaz!" I told her adamantly.
And then she agreed.
I trained for two years. Cerise and Cyan were kidnapped the year I decided to leave. I had heard stories about the legendary Pokemon called Celebi from my parents, but mainly Ruby, who had caught one once. I went to the shrine, and was surprised that she came to see me almost right away. I begged for her help, and she agreed.
Celebi opened a portal, and Phano and I went through with her. We found ourselves outside of a concrete building in a vacant valley somewhere I could not recognize. I had Phano bust through the wall, and was surprised to find more kids there besides Topaz, Cerise, and Cyan.
You knew the rest of the story.
...
(Rubin's POV)
These memories were insane.
The first one I had was when Sapph and I met Esmeralda. We were the total opposite of what we were today. Sapph was extremely girly and feminine. She wore nothing but frilly dresses, and her favorite color was pink. She hated getting dirty, and loved prettying up Skari. She absolutely despised battling. She was Dad's prodigy.
I was, on the other hand, absolutely horrid. I was loud, bold, and had picked up on Mom's swearing habits. I loved battling with a passion, and would come home from playing a mess. I already got angry easily, which was something, sadly, that I had retained.
In other words, I was like Sapph.
We were three when we met Em. Her parents, Emerald and Soul, came over to our house. They introduced us to Esmeralda, whom we called Em since we couldn't say her name.
Esmeralda was a lot like she was today, but less calm and more hyper. she got it from her mom, I figured. We got along pretty well, and formed a trio of sorts. Em and I got into all sorts of trouble, while Sapph got dragged along with us since she had no spine to say no.
Our kidnapping was seared into my mind.
Sapph, Em, and I met up at our usual safe play spot in Littleroot. My sister brought Skari, and I had Lady, of course. Esmeralda had no Pokemon at the moment. We sat down in a circle. Lady lounged on my lap, while Skari sat off to the side behind Sapph.
"Sapphy, I heard some girl gave you a hard time on Friday," Em said, tugging on one of her pigtails. "She tried to fight you, didn't she?"
Sapph shivered, and nodded. "Yeah..."
My hands clenched into fists. "I taught that b*tch a lesson. Nobody messes with my sis. Nobody."
Em gasped, leaning forward on her knees. "Did you get in trouble?"
"Yeah," I said with a shrug. "I had to go see the principal. But it was worth it."
Em grinned and gave me a high-five. But then all hell broke loose.
Three Houndoom leaped out of some bushes, surrounding us. Sapph screamed, and we all leaped onto our feet. Lady growled at the Houndoom, and they snarled back, baring their fangs. Sapph latched onto my arm as if she was hanging on for dear life.
"Very good, Houndoom. Very good."
A woman who I know could recognize as Karen appeared with her Umbreon. I instinctively pushed the girls behind me.
"Who the hell are you?" I demanded.
Karen laughed, amused. "You don't need to know, little boy. You just need to know you're coming with me."
That woman really was terrible.
The only thing I seemed to properly remember was that I was partnered with Topaz during our captivity. And she was nothing like the girl I knew and loved today. Nothing.
At first, I thought she was a pathetic, whiny sissy. I saw her as a burden to my way of survival. But I could never hate her. She was far too kind, too sweet, and too innocent to hate. From the moment I first saw her, I thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world. But back then, I viewed beauty as a weakness.
She grew on me rather fast. I helped her train Raiden to get stronger. I did my best to toughen her up. But she was so timid, I got frustrated so easily. But Karen and Brown never hurt her. Just me.
One day, I mouthed off to Karen, as per usual, and she had had enough. She sicked her Umbreon on me, and it bit the living crap out of me. This memory was fuzzy. All I could remember of the attack was screaming, pain, and redness from all the blood shed.
"Rubin! Rubin! Wake up... Please, wake up! Please..."
I was slipping back into consciousness when I heard her frantic crying. Then I was overwhelmed with pain. My eyes shot open, and I saw that she was clinging to me, crying into my chest, ignoring the blood. And that hurt. I gasped in pain, squeezing my eyes back shut and I felt her get off of me.
"R-Rubin," she stammered out, choking on sobs, her voice shaking. "You... so much... red..."
I reopened my eyes, and saw that my blood was smeared all over her uniform, and a little was even on her face. I tried to sit up, but it was too painful. I gasped again, falling back down. She grabbed me by my arms and pulled me back up. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to steady myself. It hurt even to breathe. My ribs had to be badly bruised.
She said my name again, and I forced my eyes open to look at her. She looked nervous, playing with her high ponytail. She bit her bottom lip and chewed it for a moment, and then looked back up at me, her cheeks tinting pink.
"Do you... do you like me, Rubin?" she asked me, looking up at me through her bangs.
I stared at her, caught by surprise. But I sat there and thought about it. Did I really like her?
"Yeah," I said finally, and it was true; I liked her as much as my five-year-old self could. "I do."
She blushed deeper, and tugged on her ponytail even more. "I... I like you, too..." She paused for a moment, trying to think of something. "What's... what's it called... what mommies and daddies... do to show they love each other?"
"Um..." I wracked my brain; I knew exactly what she was talking about. "You mean kissin'?"
Her eyes brightened up, and she dropped her ponytail, and nodded. "Yeah, that! Um... Shouldn't... you, um... kiss me, then?"
Oh.
Well, I leaned forward and pressed my lips lightly to hers. It was barely a kiss, but back then, it meant everything.
Dear Arceus, I was one little bold bastard.
...
(Plato's POV)
From the very beginning, I could remember Jasper as my best friend. We were nothing alike, but we still got along, like our fathers before us. We were practically inseparable.
So of course we were kidnapped together.
That memory was vague; I wasn't exactly sure what quite happened. But I remembered meeting everyone and the hell that followed. I was partnered up with Jade; that old memory was correct. We were a great team, just like we were now.
And Jade was best friends with Pink.
Now that screwed with my mind.
They were like Jasper and me—total opposites but inseparable. Jade was more like her father—quiet and serious, a stoic. Though she had her moments of loud outbursts and excitement, which was the girl I loved today. I still found stoic Jade hard to believe.
Pink was happy, hyper, and silly. She was easily excited, and nice to everyone. Though she started to get down as the days progressed, she was still pretty upbeat. I also found that difficult to grasp.
And Pink developed a very obvious crush on the very oblivious and also hyper Grey. It was easier to see Grey the way he originally was, considering how his father was.
Speaking of the admins... Flax was one of the nicest guys there. He was very supportive to all of us. Maroon was hotblooded and a daredevil, getting along perfectly with Rubin and Esmeralda. Navy was... exactly how he was today. Verdant was shy at first, but he eventually opened up and became very friendly. I already mentioned Pink.
What in the name of Arceus happened to them?
...
(Jade's POV)
I grew up in Goldenrod City in Johto. It was odd because my family was so far away from the rest of the Pokedex holders, but I guess they were happy that way. One day, I went to the National Park with my mom and met... Pink.
We quickly became best friends. We were inseparable, and did everything together. My parents were thrilled that I had a friend because I was so introverted.
All of this came as a shock to me. As a child, I was nothing like I was today. And I couldn't believe how Pink was in my memories. How could this be the same girl that hated us all so much? The same girl that apparently had a baby out of wedlock? She showed no signs of her awful persona now.
Nothing else really came as so shocking to me in my memories. I got partnered up with Plato, and I enjoyed my time with him, which probably led to why our relationship worked out so well now, even if we couldn't remember a thing.
Of course, there was how everyone else was... The only people who didn't seem to change were Plato, Cyan, Esmeralda, Jasper, and Navy. Everyone else was so different. It made me really wonder how things would be if we were never kidnapped.
The thing that really troubled me was how I reacted when Goldy came to rescue us. I wanted to save Pink, too, but there was no time for that. I freaked out, and Plato literally had to drag me to Celebi's portal. It made me wonder if me leaving Pink behind made her the way she was today.
I sure hoped not.
Because even though she was an awful person, my feelings of friendship had returned.
Maybe... Maybe I could help her.
...
(Grey's POV)
I spent my childhood in Nuvema Town. My family lived next door to the Delaneys—Cheren and Bianca, who were my father's childhood friends. I grew up with Finley and Melanie, their twin children. I was surprised by this; you'd think since Cheren and Bianca were Pokedex holders, too, their kids would have been kidnapped. But they weren't.
Finley, in a way, reminded me a lot of Shirou, though they looked nothing alike. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, and was really fun. He was more relaxed than I was, though he could get pretty hyper at times. Melanie, on the other hand, was serious and quiet, easily annoyed by our antics. Already, she was pretty smart. She had black hair and green eyes.
I was a lot like I was when I was younger. I was hyper and loud and always excited. I often got ahead of myself, and was always go-go-go. I loved Pokemon, though I wasn't allowed to have one of my own yet. I really looked up to my parents, especially my father. I wanted to be just like him.
You know... I kinda wished I could go back to being like that. But I had changed far too much by now.
Finley and Melanie were there when I was kidnapped. They could have been taken, too, but they weren't. They had to be traumatized from that incident. I couldn't help but wonder how they were after that.
Nothing really stood out to me during my captivity. I was partnered with Sapph, who was the total opposite of who she was today. I didn't develop any feelings for anyone or anything like that.
Though what really bothered me was how different the admins were.
...
(Topaz's POV)
We all snapped out of our trances at the same time. We all were frozen for a second, processing what we had just learned about ourselves. Then we just stared at each other with wide, shocked eyes. Kate blinked at us, and Shirou gave Cerise a concerned look. Alan watched us all suspiciously. Navy rubbed the back of his head. The silence was permeating.
"I was such a sissy!" Sapph shrieked, finally breaking the silence. "Agh!"
"Yep," Navy agreed with a nod, and she glared at him.
"I... I was best friends with Pink?" Jade asked slowly, her green eyes wide with horror.
"Yeah," Navy said with another nod. "Back when Pink was sane."
Rubin, who had been rigid beside me, slumped back on the couch and groaned. "Ugh... I was awful. Just terrible. How did I even get like that? Arceus."
"Ugh, don't complain!" snapped Sapph, crossing her arms over her chest. "Too bad you didn't keep that spine."
"Oh, for the love of Arceus. I'm not spineless anymore and you know it," Rubin snapped, glaring at his sister. "I'm talking about the language and temper."
Well, he still had the temper.
"Holy shitaki mushrooms," Gold said, finally speaking up. "The only reason I ever came to rescue you guys..."
"Yep," Fiori said with a wince.
Jade looked from Fiori to her brother, and then over at me, silently questioning me. I pressed my hand against my forehead, leaning forward in my seat. Oh Arceus.
"No no no!" she exclaimed, shaking her head, finally getting it. "No GoldenSoul! Kümmern and AmazonMoon! You have to have six kids! All of my plans!"
Huh?
"What?" demanded Rubin, his eyes wide with horror.
This time I buried my face in my hands.
"Well, six kids for Kümmern and five for AmazonMoon," she clarified.
"WHAT?" both Senri twins shrieked.
"Are you crazy? I'm not having any kids! I don't want any!" yelled Sapph, furious.
"Six is way too many!" Rubin exclaimed. "Arceus, what is wrong—wait, what's 'GoldenSoul'?"
"Me and Topaz," Gold deadpanned, leaning forward, resting his arms on his legs.
Cue awkward silence. I slowly looked up at everyone.
"Oh," Rubin finally said, his voice quiet. "Oh..."
I hated everything right now.
Like I said, the memories brought back old feelings. Yeah, I started liking Rubin in captivity, but I still had lingering feelings for Gold. It was almost like now. I loved Rubin, and now the memories brought back the lingering emotions.
I couldn't find my voice.
"This... This is all my fault," Kate said softly, clutching her hands together on her lap.
"No... It's not," I finally said, speaking up. Everyone looked at me. "We needed our memories back. Don't blame yourself for anything. We'll deal with everything on our own. Don't worry about it, okay?"
She looked up at me, and then nodded.
If Gold's feelings were anything like mine, that meant he must love Sapph, and now have lingering feelings for me. Like I said, they were lingering. My love for Rubin was stronger, so his love for Sapph should be the same. Everything would be okay.
But I still wanted to talk to Rubin about it.
I stood up, and looked down at him. "Rubin, walk with me."
He looked up at me, confused. He stood up after a moment, and I took his hand. I pulled him out of the lounge, and towards the stairs.
"Where are we going?" he asked me.
"My room."
"...Why?"
"To talk privately where no one can hear us. The bedrooms are soundproof, remember?"
"Oh, yeah, that's right."
Trust me, we would know if the rooms weren't soundproof. We were on the same floor as all of the Kimus—mainly Am and Gold were my concern.
When we got there, I pushed open the door, and we walked inside. Rubin shut the door behind him, and sat down on the bed next to me. We sat in silence while I tried to figure out what to say.
"Topaz," he said, breaking the silence. "I just want you to be happy. Just keep that in mind."
I stared at him. "Shut up. Stop it."
"What?"
"Stop being so nice!" I exclaimed with frustration. "Arceus, you drive me crazy!"
"I... I just don't want to lose you again," he admitted with a sigh.
I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder. "You're not going to lose me. I'm not going anywhere. I love you. No one else. Okay?"
He looked down at me, and a smile slowly formed on his lips. "I love you, too."
I smiled up at him, loving hearing him say that, even though he had told me many times before. I reached out to hug him, and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in close, setting me down on his lap. I rested my head my head on his shoulder, and looked up at him.
"So, the memories," I said, putting my free hand on his shoulder.
"I was terrible," Rubin said, wrinkling his nose.
"You were not," I said, poking him on the chest before putting my hand back on his shoulder. "You were adorable."
"An adorable monster," he snorted.
"You were spunky."
"Rebellious."
"Hotblooded."
"Irritable."
"Expressive."
"Annoying."
"Stop it!" I laughed, pushing him slightly. "You're getting some of it back."
"Wonderful," he snorted.
"You can't live through the war without guts, Rubin," I said gently.
"Yes, but I would like to keep my dignity," he said dryly. "And manners. I have my honor, remember?"
"You are," I reassured him, giving him a smile. "You've changed a lot this past year. You'll be fine, Rubin!"
And he had. The prissy boy that got sick at the sight of blood and fainted from time to time was long gone. He had been replaced by a reliable, much more assertive, kind, caring young man. He seemed to be less feminine each day, though that could just be me. I was so proud of him.
Now, sitting here, I could actually think of our future together, after the war. We were already engaged, technically. I could see us as husband and wife now. I... I could see him as the father of my children. Right now, the future looked perfect to me, if we survived the war. Except... our parents would never get to meet their grandchildren.
"I should probably start looking for a ring," he said, breaking the silence, as if reading my mind.
"Yeah," I agreed with another smile. "I don't care what it looks like. A simple one will do."
He nodded, and brushed my hand behind my ear. "When should we tell everyone?"
I bit my bottom lip. "Let's... keep it a secret."
"What?" he asked, surprised. "Why?"
"Crim will most likely flip out," I said calmly. "And, well, people are bound to jump to conclusions. We're teenagers, and teenagers usually only get married if they have to. You don't want the whole world to think I'm knocked up, do you?"
"Ah, crap, you're right," he said with a nod. "Good point. Secret it is, then."
I bit my bottom lip again, and looked up at him through my bangs. There was something I wanted to ask... Something I had been thinking about...
"And... I was thinking... maybe... after the war is over... we could... you know... have a baby."
Like I said, it had been on my mind, especially after helping Diamonda with Aqua and Hyacinth before we headed off to take Twinleaf. I honestly was tired of waiting. I wanted to get on with my life. I didn't care if I was still a teenager or not. After being through so much hell, and helping lead an army and surviving an war, I had the right to live however the hell I wanted. This, however, surprised Rubin.
His blue eyes grew wide with shock when he realized what I was saying. "But... But Am says this will probably be over by the end of the year! That's not long, love... We'll still be... kids."
"I know," I said firmly. "I don't care. I'm ready to start our life together, and I'm not about to wait any longer than after the war. We're more mature than most kids our age, Rubin. I believe we can do this. Besides, we'll have help! Please... I want us to be a family."
He was quiet, looking down at me, thinking. I looked up at him hopefully. He had every right to refuse, but I had a feeling he wouldn't. He had to understand how I felt, right?
"All right," he sighed at last. "We'll... have a baby."
"Yes!" I exclaimed, hugging him tight, pressing my cheek against his chest. "Thank you! We're going to have a great family, Rubin."
*sniffs*
SO BEAUTIFUL
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Does Copal make more sense now? There's more to her conception than that, though. It's a long story, as Amethyst Kimu would say.
ANYWAY SO HERE ARE THE MEMORIES
You'll get some more later, but right now here's the gist of the kidnappings and imprisonment. And time before all that shiz.
THIS WAS REALLY LONG WOW
Anyways, I won't bore you with a long author's note so you can gush to me about the memories.
SO GO AND REVIEW AND MAKE THEM LONG