Inferno, Chapter 16
Heyall, I'm back again! Had a bit of business to take care of (all around) and I was further contemplating this story. I think I can make a slight extension for you, but it will require a time skip. If you don't care about that, please let me know. Anyway, let's get started. Story Spotlight; Family Matters, by nyislandersgirl. Ratings; 1st) United States 2nd) Australia 3rd) Canada 4th) Hungary 5th) United Kingdom.
A New Home, A New Hope
The entire team appeared in a forested, decrepit area. What made it decrepit was the crumbling ruins that surrounded them. Blaze and Lora looked around, and finally Lora asked
"Where are we?" Nicholai chuckled and replied
"We are in Dreamyard, next to Striaton City." Blaze frowned and asked
"Dreamyard?" Loki rushed to explain.
"It's an area where humans used to do research on the pokemon Munna and Musharna. They are known for their ability to see and eat dreams, then expel them in the form of pink mist, often referred to as Dream Mist. They are quite an interesting species, but incredibly rare. One day, they just seemed to vanish, so the project to study them was given up. The ruins you see around us are the remains of the building they used to do their studies in." Blaze looked around again, then said
"I could make a living here." Nicholai and Loki laughed then, very loudly, causing Blaze to pinch his eyebrows together and ask
"What's so funny?" Nicholai and Loki were supporting each other, and Nicholai recovered first. He wiped a tear from his eye and chuckled out
"You are very funny kamiediant, but this is not where you will be living!" Loki recovered next and told Blaze
"We're going to be hanging with Nicholai here until we can get you guys settled in. We just teleported here because almost nobody comes here." Blaze continued to frown and asked
"Then won't it look suspicious if we come traipsing out?" Loki shook his head and smiled, saying
"No, it's just easier to teleport here rather than in the middle of the city where we might land on someone's head." Blaze hesitated, then nodded his understanding. Nicholai complimented his pokemon's efforts, then returned them to their pokeballs. They walked through the Dreamyard until they saw an opening, somewhat like a leafy tunnel, in the forest. Beyond that, Blaze could see buildings, people moving around, and smell something heavenly.
Once Blaze and Lora stepped through, their mouths hung open in shock. This wasn't necessarily a bustling city such as Celadon in Kanto, and certainly not like Saffron, but it was a far cry from an abandoned wreck like Cinnabar. It was in between.
There was a range of apartment buildings that all seemed quite uniform, leading up the one of the two entrances and exits to the city. The big, red roof of the Pokemon Center was clearly visible, but something was different about it. It was much higher now, and had far more windows. Altogether it was kind of pretty, but very strange to both Lora and Blaze. To the right of the Pokemon Center was a building that was one story tall and had flags mounted on the end of the railings that were bolted onto the stairs which led to the door.
To the left stood a three story building. Blaze inhaled deeply, as this was the location the delightful aromas he had detected before originated from. He pointed to the three story building and asked
"What's that?" Nicholai raised an eyebrow and responded
"That? That is Striaton City restaurant. The finest cuisine in Unova can be found there. The three owners, Cilan, Chili, and Cress, were originally gym leaders, until the Team Plasma incident several years ago. They quit as gym leaders and devoted their time to their food-making. However, they still accept battles." Blaze nodded and walked forward, immersing himself deeper in the city. Lora started forward and grabbed his arm, taking him momentarily by surprise. He looked at her and she asked
"Don't you think you should be more careful?" Blaze raised an eyebrow and responded
"Why? Team Rocket isn't here. We're finally free of them. And I plan to enjoy the moment." Lora released him, albeit hesitantly, and Blaze immersed himself into the crowd, shortly followed by Loki.
While he walked among the full-blooded humans, he sometimes acquired strange looks, but nothing like he had in Kanto. There were other pokemon fans who were dressed up in some strange clothes indeed. Blaze saw women dressed like Gardevoir, some men dressed like Machoke, and he even spotted a young girl dressed as a Pidgeot! She even had the wings of one, including a beak that was tied around her face.
Blaze was taken aback by all of that, and more, but after a half hour, he began to feel more relaxed. No one was accusing him of being a strangely dressed freak; instead, people were complimenting him on his "costume"! One such lady even ran her fingers over the material Blaze wore, and she said
"Pretty decent. You get some Leavanny to make this for you?" Blaze laughed momentarily and replied
"More like they kidnapped me and made it for me." The woman's eyes were squinted in confusion, but after a moment she shrugged and went on her way. Blaze felt like running all this happy energy off, or crying, or laughing and spinning in circles. He did none of this, however. Instead, he ran over to Lora, who was still warily by the entrance to the Dreamyard, grabbed her hand and shouted
"Come on!"
"Blaze, wait-!" Lora shouted, but it was too late. She was now being pulled by Blaze through the throng of people, many dressed in bright colors. Lora looked at Blaze and saw, to her surprise, the sheer joy that radiated from him, presumably because they no longer had to fear for their immediate lives. They were among friends now, and she could see the hope in him that she hadn't seen since the day she presented the teleportation crystal to him for his birthday.
Eventually she lightened up, and soon found herself smiling too. Their worry was done, their suffering was finally over! No longer would they have to constantly watch over their shoulders; no more would they battle for their lives and freedom against giant robots; gone were the days when Lora would have to comfort Blaze every time they were attacked.
It had taken a few years, but now their greatest goal was accomplished; to be free. The only question now was, what would they do with their lives? Blaze angled toward some benched to sit down for a moment, Nicholai and Loki a fair distance behind. Blaze and Lora sat down, although Blaze continued to look around the city in wonder. Lora smiled brightly, glad that he could take enjoyment in the sights. At last, Blaze turned to her, still radiating happiness, and he said
"We did it, Lora." She smiled wider and replied
"It took a while, but yes, we made it." Blaze closed his eyes and sighed contentedly, lying back against the bench. He listened as Lora asked
"The only question I have now is, now that we have gained our freedom, what shall we do with it?" Blaze opened an eye and laughed gleefully, saying
"Whatever we want! It's our life to live, however we choose." Lora hesitated, then asked
"Have you given any consideration to what I said before?" Blaze looked at her lazily and asked
"What about?" Lora hesitated, then continued
"You know… about finding you a nice female Blaziken." Blaze jolted up, frowning a bit. He responded
"Lora, I'm not sure. I mean, despite what you might think and say, I'm still an abomination. Chances are I'd be unable to provide anyone with children." Lora giggled and replied
"You don't need to be able to provide children to be happy. Besides, who's to say you couldn't? Would Team Rocket have wasted all their time trying to get you to do so if it would have been a lost cause?" Blaze hesitated, then shook his head and said
"They were probably trying to figure out whether or not I was fertile."
"They could have used other methods to accomplish that."
"But they probably knew I would have beaten them senseless if they had."
"They would have restrained you before you could."
On and on it went for the better part of ten minutes, until at last Loki decided to intervene.
"I don't mean to interrupt your argument-"
"Yes you do. Why do you lie to them?" Nicholai interrupted. Loki sent him a glare, which made Nicholai smirk, and Loki turned back to the arguing duo, saying
"We should probably get back to Nicholai's for now. He agreed to shelter us while we were here." Lora looked at Nicholai in surprise and said gratefully
"Thank you!" Nicholai waved it off and said
"Do not mention it. I am happy to help those who were once pursued by those criminals. One day they shall see their recompense, and when they do, I hope they all burn for it." Blaze and Lora were shocked at the vindictiveness that coated his voice, and in the interest of their comfort, decided not to delve. Instead, they rose, and Nicholai began to lead them to his home, a rather large apartment that felt cozy, despite the fact that it was mostly bare. Nicholai grinned sheepishly at his guests and said
"Pardon the design. I do not receive many guests, so I feel no need to decorate my home. But do not let it worry you, for I have room for you all. You may stay here as long as you need to." Blaze was touched by his generosity, but asked
"Is there a way I can get a place of my own?" Lora looked at him in slight surprise, and Loki replied
"Well, you'd have to get a job, raise up some money, then you buy yourself a place." Blaze nodded and asked
"How do I get started on that?" Loki raised a hand and said
"First things first; we have to get you registered as a member of this region. Only then could you apply for a job here. Then we'll delve into the later topics." Blaze hesitated, then nodded his assent. Nicholai motioned forward and said
"Before we start any of that, however, let us find something to eat."
Six Months Later…
Blaze stood in front of the Striaton City Restaurant, nervously fingering the application and letter of recommendation. He had long since become a member of Unova; he made sure to bug Loki until he caved, about three days in since their arrival. What took so long was Blaze both finishing his education, in a way, and working up the courage to apply here. He was worried that he would be declined, even scorned, for being the hybrid he was. After so many months of acceptance, he didn't want to face that again.
On the other hand, he also wanted to become self-sufficient, and the only way he could was by getting a job, making money, and handling things on his own. Lora, who had accompanied him since she was applying too, touched his arm, making him jump.
"Calm down, it's just me" she smirked. He huffed, then focused his nervous gaze back to the application, and Lora asked
"What's wrong?" Blaze snorted softly and retaliated
"Can't you tell?" Lora shook her head and said
"I can tell you're worried, but I can't figure out why." Blaze inhaled shakily, the aroma of the restaurant calming him, though slightly, and replied
"I'm worried what they'll think of me when they learn what I am." Lora frowned; three months ago, Blaze had proposed that he would no longer run away from what he was, despite the grief it might cause him. Lora had debated the issue with him, but as of yet was unsuccessful in changing his mind..
"Are you sure you really want to do this?" she asked him. He nodded and took a deep breath, then said to himself
"Yes, I want to do this, but standing here isn't getting me anywhere. All it is is a few steps." Trepidation flowed like water throughout his veins as he lifted a foot and started walking up the steps. Lora followed behind, ready to encourage him should he need it. At the door, Blaze paused. Lora was about to speak to him, but he stopped her and said
"No need, Lora, I can do this." He took another deep breath, then pushed the door inward. Lora followed right behind him, and they were immersed in the rich aroma of the various foods they offered, the scents so thick you could practically taste the food itself, and although there was a massive variety of scents that mixed and clashed together, the overall effect practically left the duo drooling. Blaze's attention was immediately caught as one of the servers walked up to the booth and asked
"Do you have a reservation, sir?" Blaze shook his head to clear his thoughts, then said nervously
"Actually, I'm here for an interview." He passed over the papers, which the server looked over briefly, then handed them back and said
"One moment, sir. They'll be with you shortly." He left to attend someone else, and Blaze and Lora stood there awkwardly. Then someone stepped out of the kitchen and approached them. He had a crisp suit with a bleached apron. The most colorful part about him was his hair, which was a pleasant grass green in color. His eyes were small but kind, colored the same as his hair. He approached them and said
"Hello, you must be the new applicant! My name is Cilan, Connoisseur Extraordinaire! And you are?" Blaze stumbled over his tongue for a moment, and Cilan laughed briefly, telling him
"There's no need to be nervous. We do not judge anyone based on their appearance, only by character." He scrutinized him for a moment, then said
"And I must say, you sir, are quite a character! You have the bitterness of suffering, yet the bold flavor of determination! Layered among that is the subtle saltiness of oppression, and the sweet fortitude of compassion." Blaze was merely stunned, and Lora shifted her position, catching Cilan's attention. He looked at her, then back at Blaze and asked
"Your friend?" Blaze nodded, and Cilan returned his beady eyes upon her, until he said
"Your character represents much like what his does, yet you are not as spicy as he. Rather, you embody the sweetness of compassion, dulling down the bitter aftertaste of hopelessness and covering effectively that of oppression. Now then, what may I do for the both of you?" Blaze unstuck his throat and coughed, then said
"I, uh… came here for an interview…" He held up the papers, which Cilan gently took and looked over. He placed a hand to his chin and murmured
"I see… Very well, please follow me." They did so, winding their way through tables and chairs until Cilan reached a door. It said "Cilan, Cress, Chili" on a golden plaque, which Blaze was able to easily read now, thanks to Loki and Lora. He opened the door and stepped aside to let them in. They walked inside the small office, and Cilan followed behind them, closing the door gently in the process. He took a seat behind the desk while Blaze and Lora sat in front of it. Cilan looked at the papers for another minute before asking
"So, the information is pretty much all on here, but I would like you to answer the questions in full. Is that alright?" Blaze nodded, wanting to get this over with. Cilan pressed his hands together and said
"Very well, let us start with something easy. What is your name?" Blaze dry swallowed, then responded
"Blaze." Cilan raised an eyebrow inquiringly, saying
"That is indeed a strange name, robust in originality, yet spicy in implication." He looked down at the form and frowned briefly, then asked Blaze
"Where the question is for species, you marked both "Human" and "Pokemon". Would you care to explain that?" Blaze looked briefly to Lora for reassurance, and Lora nodded. Blaze took a deep breath and told Cilan
"I'm a hybrid. I have both human and pokemon DNA, so I thought it was best to mark both." Cilan's small eyebrows nearly disappeared in his green hair, and he asked
"So you are not merely a pokemon fanatic?" Blaze shook his head and replied
"The clothes are just that; clothes. But the claws, horns, and hair are real." He demonstrated the truth by proving that the aforementioned parts of him were an integral part of his body. Cilan was astounded but interested, and he asked
"What are you fully capable of?" Blaze hesitated, then said
"I can use fire moves like a real Blaziken, I can understand pokemon, but I look like a human." Cilan hesitated before asking
"Who are your parents?" Blaze hesitated strongly before he replied ashamedly, lowering his gaze as he said it.
"I don't know; Team Rocket created me. I am a test-tube experiment, meant to destroy and plunder." Cilan seemed nothing less than shocked, but at last he observed
"You do not seem like that kind of person to me however." Blaze shook his head and replied hopefully
"Ever since I could, I have been fighting Team Rocket in their purpose for me. I didn't accept it, and I wanted a life to call my own. After many years of torture, I finally escaped with Lora here." Cilan was confused, so Blaze sighed deeply and began to explain the whole thing to him. Cilan was silent throughout, though his expression constantly changed. At the end of the narration, he sighed and shook his head, saying sadly
"You have been through too much for one so young. But enough of that; you have come here for a new opportunity, and you shall have one." Blaze stopped breathing for a moment, then asked quietly
"Does that mean…?" Cilan smiled and said
"Not quite yet, but I have a good feeling about you. My brothers are a bit less… shall we say, swayed? as I am. However, I think it's because they do not see the same things I tend to see in people. Tell me, is Lora also here for a job?" Lora hesitated, then said reluctantly
"I'm here mostly for emotional support, but if there is a position open, I wouldn't turn it down." Cilan grinned and said
"Well, one of our waitresses had to leave to go abroad for reasons she did not divulge, so if you are amenable to that, we might be able to work something out." Lora sat up straighter than she already was and asked
"Could both Blaze and I be hired to work here?" Cilan looked over Blaze's papers again and replied
"Well, we are rather short in the kitchen, which is good since Blaze has applied for a position as a chef. And it appears you are willing to fill in our empty spot as waitress. Would you be agreeable to that position?" Lora hesitated, then told him
"I'm not sure I would be good at it." Cilan smiled and said
"A first job is never easy, especially in the beginning. However, once you get into the rhythm of your work, it becomes easier. So, if we can fill out the necessary paperwork, we can start you both next week." Blaze and Lora both nodded simultaneously, and Cilan smiled again. They filled out all the papers, and by the time the restaurant was about to close, Cilan was waving them out the door, saying
"It was nice meeting you, and I can't wait to see how you do. Truly a tantalizing taste of unimaginable flavors!" Blaze and Lora smirked at each other. Some might have found his comparisons somewhat annoying, but they thought it was rather endearing to his character. Blaze jumped for joy when they were out of sight of the restaurant, and Lora giggled. They walked back to Nicholai's apartment, both barely able to contain their glee at their fortunes.
Okay, that's the end there. Now, I can make out at least one more chapter, possibly two, so don't give out on me yet. Please send in your reviews!