"Thoughts"
"A pokemon speaking through telepathy"
"(Pokemon speaking to each other)"
Flashback
Chapter 28: The Curtains Rise
Zoey gave a sigh as she traveled down a route, Solaceon Town just within view. Arceus had given her an order to meet up with Paul and inform him of Mel's disappearance.
"Why are they making me go to Paul, when they could easily tell him about Team Galactic's plan telepathically?"
Zoey stopped short in her steps as she heard nearby bushes rustling. Zoey turned her head, only to stumble forward a few steps as an orange fur ball launched itself onto Zoey,
"W-What the-" Zoey turned her head a little bit more to see the miniature cannonball latched to her shoulder was actually a Monferno. The trainer soon noticed a collar around the Monferno's neck, "Yori? What are you doing here?"
"Mon!" the fire monkey called out cheerfully, "Monferno! Mon! Ferno!"
Yori turned his head around to the bushes he was previously in and motioned for someone to follow. When the bushes moved again, Zoey heard her heart pound a little louder,
"… M-Mel? Are you there?"
The reply was a soft laughing voice,
"Sorry. Mel isn't here right now."
"Huh? You're…"
Cynthia gave a smile as she revealed herself,
"It's nice to see you again, Zoey"
"Yeah, haven't seen you since Eterna City."
A playful smirk tugged at Cynthia's lips,
"I may not be Mel, but I hope I don't disappoint" the champion teased.
Zoey felt her cheeks color as she quickly turned her head away from the giggling champion. Yori let out a sinker from his position on Zoey's shoulder,
"A-Anyway, what are you doing here? And why is Yori with you?"
"Oh right!" Cynthia managed between giggles, "Mel figured that since you and the council know that she was the one leaking information to Team Galactic, that they would do all they could to make sure that she's as far away from you, Paul, and Dawn as can be. Mel asked me to send Yori with you and…"
"And?"
Zoey raised an eyebrow as Cynthia pulled from her pocket a pokeball,
"I've never seen a design like that before…"
"That's because this is a custom made pokeball. It was personally made for Mel."
Cynthia stretched her hand out and motion for the younger trainer to take the item. Zoey reached out, her hand reached out though she hesitated for a second, the doubt was dashed away after realizing who it was from. Once in possession of the pokeball, Zoey examined it carefully. Zoey's fingers traced over the fire design before she looked up to Cynthia,
"I've never seen her carry this when we were traveling together."
"That's because she asked me to hang on to it for her. I saw her a little while back and asked me to pass it on to you"
"Oh… did she tell you why she wanted me to have it?"
Cynthia shook her head,
"Sorry. I'm still trying to figure that out myself. But if you want to know my guess, it's probably just her way of protecting you"
"Protecting me…" Zoey whispered.
She then remembered what Azelf had said the day before,
"Mel would never do anything that would bring harm to you"
"…"
Cynthia watched as the other trainer's grip on the pokeball tightened as she was clearly lost in thought. Cynthia turned around,
"I've done what I was asked, I should be leaving now."
"Wait!" Zoey exclaimed.
"Hm? What is it?" Cynthia asked turning her head.
"What… What pokemon is in here?"
Cynthia was glad her back was turned to Zoey, otherwise the younger trainer would see the smirk on her lips,
"A powerful one… That pokemon shouldn't be let out of its pokeball unless your life is in danger, understand?"
"R-Right!" Zoey nodded as she swallowed a lump in her throat.
Cynthia turned her body fully to face Zoey,
"You have another question, don't you?"
Zoey was shocked by this but simply nodded,
"Do…Do you know why Mel is doing this? Why she's the traitor? Why she joined Team Galactic even though she saved this world?"
"Hm?' Cynthia placed her hand on her hip as she shifted her weight on to one leg, "Before I answer your question, maybe you can answer mine."
"Huh? Um…ok"
Cynthia gave a soft smile.
Mel breathed a sigh of relief as she plopped down on a chair inside the Solaceon Town Pokemon Center.
"Finally! Made it to Solaceon Town!" she exclaimed happily.
"Mel?"
The familiar voice made Mel jump slightly in her seat. Mel looked around to see Dawn, waving and running in her direction,
"Dawn… didn't expect to run into her so fast… Oh well, make's my job easier"
Mel put on a smile and stood as Dawn closed in on her,
"Mel! It's good to see you again!" Dawn said happily, embracing the other in a hug, "Where's Zoey? Is she with you?"
"Oh, no. She has other things to do so she isn't here right now" Mel replied. She placed her hands behind her after releasing Dawn, "What about you? Where are the others?"
Dawn giggled lightly,
"Well Ash and Brock went to the ruins nearby. And well, we meet up with Kenny back in Hearthome City and he decided to join us for little bit. But all he and Paul ever do is get into arguments. Those two went off to argue again and said I wasn't allowed to be there."
As Dawn spoke, she failed to notice that Mel's eye's narrowed at the mention of Kenny's name,
"I see. So Kenny is here with you guys?"
"Yup! Wait, you know Kenny?"
"Er… yeah. Zoey and I ran into him during our travels…"
Dawn giggled softly behind her hand as she heard the venom in Mel's voice,
"I'm guessing you aren't too fond of him, huh?"
"You have no idea" Mel sighed.
Dawn's smile soon turned into a smirk,
"So, can I safely assume he tried hitting on Zoey and you didn't like it?"
"Wha- How did you…?"
Dawn smiled sheepishly while rubbing the back of her head,
"I can tell there's something going on between you and Zoey. I don't know how but I can somehow… sense how you feel"
"Sense how I feel?"
Realizing that she was making no sense, Dawn quickly waved her hands in front of Mel, causing the other trainer to step back.
"Ah! No! Forget what I said! It's nothing! Come one, why don't we go look for a place to eat? I'm starving!" Dawn said hurriedly.
Not waiting for a reply, Dawn grasped Mel's arm and pulled her along to a nearby restaurant.
"Sense how I feel, huh?" Mel thought, "Just like how Zoey's gifted with Uxie's knowledge, seems like Dawn's gifted with Mesprit's ability to sense the feelings of others… I wonder… can Paul sense another's willpower, like Azelf?"
"So let me get this straight. After trying to decipher the legend, you think something might happen to Dawn!" Paul yelled out.
Kenny grimaced at the volume of Paul's voice,
"Y-Yeah. I'm not sure when but something's gonna definitely happen…"
Paul took in a deep breath before turning around, heading back to Solaceon Town,
"In that case, I'm going to look for Dawn and keep an eye out"
Kenny let out a reluctant sigh before speaking,
"Alright, I've done what the council asked me to do. Time for me to head back home!"
"And good riddance…" Paul mumbled.
"Oh, come on!" Kenny exclaimed, his arms flying up, "You're just as bad as Mel! It's not like I'm seriously trying to steal your girls or anything…"
Paul simply ignored the comment and went on his way to find Dawn.
Zoey raised an eyebrow as she waited for the champion to continue. Yori laid quietly on Zoey's shoulders, tail swinging casually behind Zoey.
"Tell me, Zoey" Cynthia began, "Do you know why Mel does everything she does?"
"N-No." Zoey replied, not sure of where this was leading.
"Mel is usually a very laid back person. A person like her, someone so carefree, so calm, why would something, like helping the Council of Legends, interest her? What, or rather who, is Mel's only interest right now?"
Zoey's eyes widened as she realized what Cynthia was trying to say,
"M-Me…"
"Correct" Cynthia nodded, "You are the reason she's done everything." Cynthia let a smile pass her lips as she stared Zoey in the eyes, "Mel told me that you are her first, last, and only treasure…"
Zoey felt her heart beat just a little louder than usual,
"Then…then why would she side with the enemy? Why would she leave us? Why would she leave me?"
"I'm not sure." Cynthia admitted, "Mel would just keep to herself and try moving on to something else whenever I ask her…"
Zoey took a few steps back and leaned against a tree for support,
"Even though she's the enemy, Mel has always looked after me… making sure I was alright…"
"One thing is clear." Cynthia said.
"What's that?"
"That no matter what Mel would never let anything happen to you and those you consider closest. When I say Mel wants to protect you, I mean she wants to protect you, in every sense of the word. She'll eliminate anything that threatens you, then again we've already seen this…."
"Huh?"
Cynthia's head leaned over to one side as she noticed Zoey's confused look,
"Oh, that's right, Mel probably didn't tell you…"
"Tell me what?"
"The reason she wears the wristband"
"Her wristband?" Zoey questioned, "Doesn't that keep her in her human form, then when it's removed she transforms into her pokemon form?"
"…Yes, it does…"
"So, Mel hasn't told her the real reason yet…" Cynthia thought, "Well, that's Mel's story to tell, not mine"
Cynthia gave Zoey one last smile before turning,
"I'd best get going now. Till next time!"
"Right!" Zoey replied as she waved a good-bye, Zoey then turns her attention to Yori, "Well, guess that means you're with me for a while?"
"Monferno Mon!"
"You wouldn't happen to know where that trainer of yours is by any chance, do you"
"Ferno?"
Zoey simply sighed, and patted Yori on the head, continuing on her way to Solaceon Town.
"Man, am I stuffed!" Dawn exclaimed as she leaned back into her chair.
Mel and Dawn were seated in a restaurant, with numerous plates decorating the table before them. Mel let out a laugh as Dawn rubbed her stomach,
"I don't think I've ever met anyone who's been able to eat as much as I can!"
"Hehe, but I have to ask, where does all that food go?" Dawn asked as she regained her posture.
Mel couldn't help the grin that was now tugging at her lips,
"Isn't it obvious? I have two stomachs! One for food and another for even more food!"
With that being said, the two girls busted out in laughter. Mel soon reached out and ruffled Dawn's hair. The coordinator gasped and pulled away,
"Mel! It took me forever to do my hair!"
"My, my, you are such a child" Mel sighed.
"Hmph!" Dawn pouted and turned away from Mel.
This behavior only proved to highten Mel's amusement,
"Don't lie, Dawn! Your childishness has been revealed!" Mel teased before sticking her tounge out.
"Mel!" Dawn yelled out before launching herself towards the snicker trainer.
Dawn half-heartedly tried to protest against Mel's accusations, but soon gave up once the two burst in laughter.
"Ahem."
The two ceseased laughing when they heard someone clear their throat nearby. Once seeing who it was, Dawn's eyes lit up as she jumped into the newly arrived person's arms. The smile on Mel's lips curved into a smirk upon seeing who it was, she slowly stood from her seat and called out to the person,
"Paul."
AN: So... does it now make sense why Mel's done everything she's done? Yes? No? Still completely lost? Hehe
Now there's no more Paul vs Kenny... it's turned into Paul vs Mel and maybe Kenny vs Mel in a side story, when I get to it... :D BTW still haven't heard from Storm Dyru or Pikachu1800...
Credit for editing goes to CityGal45 and Hikaru-pichu!
Anyway...
Starfire1407: Yup! Brock just loves doing things he's not supposed to!
Luna-of-Black-Roses: So was this chapter long enough? Lol probably not
CrystalIceFire: n.n we all adore Paul and Dawn!
Sapphiet: Don't worry! All your questions will be answered soon... if you have a question you're dying to ask go ahead and p.m me or write it the review. I'll try to answer without giving to much spoiler hehe
DGMSilverAirHead03: ... :D another cliffhanger! Aren't you happy? n.n