Chapter 19: Reconciliation
Michael woke up after everybody else to complete darkness. All at once, as though flipping a switch, a map with a full three-sixty-degree view unfurled before him in shades of blue, showing his friends to be nowhere in the treehouse. They had all left the tree house, leaving him alone. Michael could tell they were absent thanks to his aura vision. It was as though he had three-sixty degree vision, seeing everything in different shades of blues depending on their life energy. Rocks and dirt were gray. Dead leaves were a pastel blue, while trees and grass were sky blue, with living beings being the most vibrant, with a shimmering core of color that represented their emotions.
Michael spent half an hour after waking up, merely assessing himself. He was mostly human once more, yet not completely, much like Rachael. It was peculiar how that worked. He had the aura feelers. He had Lucario ears. He had the tail, still. A thin fur mask, identical to that of a Lucario's, covered his face. His left hand was even still a paw.
Feelers, fur, paw, tail, and ears. They all configured themselves to match the size of Michael's human self. So why didn't his eyes recover in some way? He silently mulled over this as he shuffled into an outfit laid out for him. His tail was awkwardly pinned to his back and his one hand being a paw made it particularly vexing to coordinate, yet he would adapt.
He noticed something. It was another article of clothing underneath that which he had just put on. He picked it up and felt the soft surface. It was his hoodie. It was the hoodie that caused the mess with his father. He thrust it away with disgust as it splayed out messily on the treehouse floor. He quickly made his way out of the building, leaving his hoodie behind, as though it would erase the memory.
He couldn't see very far past the walls of the house, so he assumed his friends were in the field once more. He jumped off the balcony, landing deftly in the wavering, dim blue grass below as the wind moved the small blades in a beautiful dance Michael had not noticed before. Maybe it was the utter darkness he saw at the same time as his aura sight. As though one eye was opened and the other closed.
He walked, silently admiring the subtle beauty he had taken for granted.
He sensed the vibrant figures of his friends through the foliage before long. Sure enough, they were all in the field. They must have taken a liking to the sunshine there. He didn't care, though.
Danny noticed him first as he sprinted into the clearing. He seemed to be in a similar position to Michael. He still had the Zorua ears, poking above a fop of messy hair. His tail was still there, awkwardly sticking out of his shorts. One of his hands was also still a paw, though Michael couldn't tell if he still had fur.
"Yo, Michael!" he greeted, waving his hand in a "peace" sign. "Took you long enough! How ya feeling?" he continued to shout across the field. Michael quickly closed the gap, and shrugged in response to the question.
"Still can't talk?" he curiously asked.
Michael shrugged again.
"So you can't?"
Michael shook his head.
"So can you or can't you?" Danny persisted, confused.
Michael only shrugged. He hadn't bothered trying. Perhaps it was the prolonged forced silence. He didn't care anymore.
"Um… okay. Uh… anyway, we'll be going back to the mountain. Since Torterra could send a scout ahead this time, we've been guaranteed absolute safety."
"Yeah, I have some unfinished business there," Rachael intervened, running her hand over the wings drooping from her back.
"Same here," Hannah agreed.
"Well," Danny began, "I didn't have some life-changing epiphany while I was there, so I'll probably just play tagalong."
Michael nodded. Looking to the side, he saw, with his aura vision, the backpack sitting on the ground lazily. He quickly reached over, took it, and opened it.
"Um, watcha doiiiing?" Danny awkwardly asked, watching Michael rummage through the packed bag. Michael shook his head and continued searching until he felt what he needed: a small sphere with a vibrant blue center; it was the Pokéball that held his father. His father was a Yamask. That wouldn't work for his dad or Michael. He carefully tucked the ball in his pocket, Danny's mouth forming a small "O" in understanding.
"Look who finally decided to show up," Ditto grumpily pointed out, walking up to meet the group as a very exhausted looking Machoke, carrying a sleeping little girl. It was Bella, with an Eevee tail and ears, with one hand also a paw.
"Hey, Verto. Thanks for watching Bella for me," Hannah thanked tersely. She bit her thumbnail nervously. "I'm not sure what we'll do with her, though. I don't want her coming with us."
Michael raised an eyebrow. Hannah looked startled when she noticed. "Oh, right, you must not have heard. Verto is a nickname for Ditto Rachael made up." Michael nodded. It seemed Rachael had a trend going with nicknames.
Verto looked exhausted, carrying Bella in his arms. "Fine, fine, I'll watch the twerp. Sleep is overrated anyway."
"Thanks, Verto. Means a lot to me," Hannah admitted, running her fingers through her hair. He grumbled in response.
"So, does anyone need to do anything, or are we free to go there now?" Rachael asked. Nobody said anything. "Alright, I guess we're going then."
…
The group split up as soon as they reached the multicolored mountain. Danny followed Hannah; Rachael went in her own direction, and Michael began a straight-shot climb upward. He had a particular queen from whom he needed a favor. Rather than take the path like any sane human being would, he scaled directly up the wall. He was not in the mood for the scenic route.
There was a surprising amount of footholds in the mountain, perhaps for that exact purpose. Michael only jumped from one ledge to another. It wasn't that different from when he leaped from tree branches when he was running back to his house. Maybe it was just natural for Riolu and Lucario to be good at navigation. Or maybe he didn't care anymore.
He couldn't help but notice what he had become. It was odd. At this point, he was some sort of hybrid. That much was sure. How would this affect his social life? He had his close friends, and that was what was important. He'd earn many stares back at his high school, though. How would he even go to school? He couldn't read with his aura vision, and he got the feeling it's be tiring to maintain it all day. Whatever, he'd deal with it when he got this sorted out. He traveled upwards on the mountain for what felt like a few hours, if Michael were to guess. He wasn't sure where the sun was in the sky. The temperature abruptly dropped and snow roughly six inches deep coated the rocks. Michael didn't feel cold, though. The terrain was beginning to level out, with the ledges becoming wider and more accessible. Michael noticed the barrier was also down that had forced them to pass through the Electric Zone.
Soon, Michael reached the top of the mountain. The ice sculptures loomed overhead as Michael walked down the path. Each sculpture emanated the same color Michael remembered seeing the last time they were here, as though the fire hearths inside them had a unique aura property. It was surprisingly beautiful. Maybe the red hearth of the Salamence statue was just a welcome contrast to the blue that was all Michael saw.
Michael stood in the middle of the pathway, marveling at the newfound beauty of the statues. For the first time since before transforming, he felt… serene.
"Why, hello Michael!" greeted Snowfire calmly and happily. Her voice betrayed her emotions, as a dim purple worry coated the green joy. "I'm glad to see you are okay." Michael shrugged. The green shifted to blue. "Yes… Xatu told me of what happened. I'm afraid I have myself to blame for putting you in that situation." Her voice remained calm as she used one of her tails to gesture for Michael to follow her. The two continued down the path.
Michael raised his eyebrow. Snowfire sang a melancholic sigh. "I suppose you have a right to know. The 'prophecy' that we gave you was fabricated. Xatu saw the future and the many disasters. He determined that to be the best choice for the world, yet at your expense. For that, I apologize."
Michael kept his head turned away, as though to prove a point despite his odd three-sixty-degree vision.
Snowfire continued. "He saw futures where every human became a pokémon. He saw futures where the world fell into chaos when pokémon became a near-extinct species. There were futures where people all became hybrids as you currently are. The best chance for everyone followed the path we took, in which we manipulated you as we did. Regardless, it was immoral of us. For that, I offer my most humble apologies."
Michael shrugged. Snowfire sighed once more. "Surely you see how much you have changed, young Michael. Xatu has told me you made no attempt to speak yet. You are far too impassive as well. Please, feel something. Snowfire requested in a pleading voice; her head bowed, and her voice was shaking. "Get upset. Cry. Be happy. Anything. This is not healthy for you, and your friends are worried sick."
Michael shook his head. Snowfire nodded sadly. "I cannot say I blame you for such a choice. The least I can do is offer my assistance. Though I have an idea, I feel I shall formally ask. What brings you here?" The two of them sat down in front of the statue of Snowfire's fallen master, the bright blue hearth flooding Michael's aura vision. It was too bright for him right now, so he stopped using it as he plunged into darkness.
Michael fell backward, sprawling out in the snow, surprisingly unbothered by the direct contact between the snow and his skin. He sat there for several seconds as Snowfire waiting patiently.
He stood up and reached into his pocket.
"I see…" Snowfire muttered as Michael presented the Pokéball. For the first time in weeks, Michael spoke in a raspy, quiet voice.
"This current arrangement isn't working for either of us."
…
…
…
Danny followed nervously behind Hannah. They spent hours passing by zone after zone. Some of the young pokémon regarded them curiously, while hostility met them from the older ones. Nobody confronted or bothered them, though.
Hannah looked the same, despite also drinking from the antidote. Either she was incredibly lucky, or the psychic barrier used to hold off the virus had been very effective. Danny found himself always thumbing the large Zorua ears atop his head. It felt odd. Where his ears used to be, there was nothing. Slightly up from that, though, the fuzzy Zorua ears began. His hair was back to being blonde, though it was tipped red at the ends of it. His left hand was still a paw, and he still had fangs.
Despite this, it didn't bother him as much as it ought to, though he wasn't sure why. After several hours of walking, however, they reached Hannah's destination. The Electric Zone. Danny nervously glanced at her. "Um, are you sure you want to come here? Last I checked this place was where we got stabbed in the back by Eelektrik. Not on my top ten list of fun things that happened, and I'd rather that not happen again."
"We were guaranteed safety, and I need to talk to him."
Danny shook his head. "He tried to kill you; then you gave him another shot. Then he stabs you in the back again, and you want to give him another chance? Doesn't exactly seem wise."
Hannah turned to Danny, with a lopsided smile. "Well, yeah, but he was being pressured. Lolektrik was being harassed by their leader. Of course, he's going to submit!"
"I still don't understand why you want to give him another chance, but whatever, I guess…"
A few minutes later, they were walking through the main room, surprisingly bare of pokémon. The blue, floating rocks dotted the cave, held up by the odd magnetic properties of the actual cave. It was similar to a famous cave in a distant region. Visiting it was on Danny's bucket list previously, but after the fiasco that happened here, the hype kinda died.
The two of them awkwardly stood there, unsure of where to go.
Danny rolled his eyes. "Whelp, here goes nothing. You said his nickname was Lolektrik, right?"
"Yeah?"
"HEY LOLEKTRIK, C'MERE FOR A SEC!" Danny's yell echoed through the cave.
"Danny!" Hannah exclaimed through gritted teeth as her shoulders bounced, as though she couldn't decide whether to be mad or to laugh. She settled it with a strong punch to his shoulder.
"Yeow!" Danny toppled over clumsily, hitting his head on one of the floating rocks, sending it in the same direction. "Ow."
"Hey, watch it!" shouted a familiar voice crankily.
"Lolektrik!" cried Hannah, smiling broadly as he thrust away the rock that nearly took him down. Only he wasn't an Eelektrik anymore. He was a bright green Eelektross now.
"Um… Hi. Why are you smiling, again? Scratch that, why are you here?" he regarded them coldly.
"I came to see you. I mean, I have one more thing to do, but other than that, it was mostly to see you!"
"But… why?" he asked, genuinely confused. "Is being betrayed and attacked by me not enough for you?"
"Nope."
"I- uh…" he was momentarily at a loss. "Why are you treating me kindly? Again?"
Hannah smiled again. "Because everyone deserves another chance."
"Humans are so confusing… Well… Um… the queen told me you were coming. I called in a favor from her. And… I heard about something. The Starly one? Something about her losing a foot?"
Hannah's eyes dulled and she looked down. Danny turned his head.
"What happened anyway?"
"That's… not something we should talk about."
"Fine, not like I care. Bottom line, give her this." Lolektrik pulled out some sort of pouch. "Don't look in it. It's just for her. I know I can't apologize to you, I don't really care if you forgive me, but it's the only way I could think to apologize."
"Lolektrik… Thank you."
"It's fine. Whatever." The next second, he was dashing away. Then he was gone, and the two were left standing there, alone.
"That… went better than I expected," Danny commented. "Where to now?"
"The peak." Hanna was smiling, holding the pouch to her chest. "We'll meet Rachael and Michael there."
"Speaking of them…" Danny started as they began walking. "Thoughts?"
Hannah quieted and dropped her smile.
"I mean, seriously. I can't stop thinking about… everything," Danny continued, rubbing the back of his ear again.
"Rachael is hiding it fairly well, though she tries a bit too hard. Michael, though…" Hannah mumbled.
"He's so quiet now, even more so than usual."
"Yeah. I don't know if they'll be okay. They're not even talking to us. Are they trying to spare our feelings or something?"
Danny shook his head. "Doubt it. They're probably trying to spare their own. Y'know, avoiding it rather than confronting the issue."
Hannah stared at the ground. "What should we do? It's not as if we're ever going to fit in anywhere ever again. Not only are they going to feel like they do now. Add isolation to the mix."
"Heh. We really are a mess, aren't we?" Danny chuckled, "Normality is overrated and also relative."
"That's true, but aside from that, they do need help, but I get the feeling you and me are their best bet."
"Who's to say they can't figure this out on their own?"
"You saw them. What do you think even happened?" Hannah bit her lip.
"Rachael took a beating to her foot, Michael took some needles to the eyes, they were starved and dehydrated, and I think an electrified chord was wrapped around their necks," Danny concisely explained in an upbeat voice that betrayed how he felt.
"Not to mention being alone for so long, and it being Michael's dad," Hannah added, squinting as they reached the exit, momentarily blinded by the light
"Why do you think he took his dad's Pokéball anyway? Wow, that's weird to say."
"I think we're about to find out," Hannah muttered, seeing Michael and Snowfire in the distance.
…
…
…
"Rachael!" declared a small voice joyously. She was back in her old room in the Flying Zone. Amicus was already there when she arrived. The previously bare wall was now covered in drawings of various quality. It was a rainbow of different berry juices painted to make a beautiful mural.
"Hiya, Amicus," she greeted happily, with a broad smile on her face.
"Wow! You really are a human! Well, kinda! Now your part Staravia! Your wings are so big! And you can still fly! That's so awesome!" She was flying around Rachael's head excitedly. Then she stopped, noticing how Rachael was awkwardly leaning against the wall. She gasped in horror. "Oh no! What happened to your foot?"
"Don't worry about that. It doesn't matter."
"Okay!" she complied without hesitation. "I'm so happy to see you! It's been so boring since you left!"
"Well, I can only visit. Then I have to go home," Rachael explained, slowly moving to sit down.
"Can I come? Can I come?"
"The whole Zone would think I kidnapped you."
"No! I told everyone that if I leave it's because I chose to! They think I'm kidding, but don't worry! I always knew you'd come back. Please, let me come with you! You're the coolest person I've ever met!" Amicus was back to flying happily around the room, then frantically began digging through her basket, looking for one of her gems, while her quick claw was still strung around her neck.
"Are you sure? I don't want to take you from your home." Rachael admitted nervously.
"It's fine! This place is too boring!"
"I doubt my home will be much better."
"That's okay because you're not boring, so I'll be okay!" Amicus persisted, jumping up and down now, fluttering.
"Only if you're sure. I'd be happy to have you with me." Rachael smiled, slowly using the wall to push herself up. "First, we need to meet my friends at the peak."
"Oh yeah! I heard about Queen Snowfire having the barrier taken down! Well, let's go! Come on!" Amicus bolted out of the room, not looking back. Rachael smiled, unfurled her wings, and followed the small bird with a smile.
…
…
…
"Very well, Michael." Snowfire agreed pleased Michael had spoken. "If it isn't working, what would you wish for me to do?"
"I'm fully aware that he can't become human again. He'd be arrested. I don't want that. But why a Yamask? It's cruel. Please, do something, anything, to give him a real second chance."
"My transformation curse usually manifests by turning those affected into ghost types. However, I believe I can help. I owe you this much. Let him out."
Michael kept his aura vision inactive, though he heard the sound of Danny's voice behind him, followed by Hannah. They both quieted as they approached.
Michael pressed the button on the center of the sphere. The ball opened as his father was released from his prison.
"What's going on? Where am I?" His dad's voice was tinny and distorted, and fear was clear without emotion-sensing powers. Michael kept his aura vision off. It was silent for several seconds.
"M-Michael?" his dad asked disbelievingly. "What… who?"
"This is what happens when you leave an unfinished virus in your car."
"Y-your eyes…"
"I recall having them repeatedly stabbed by needles," Michael replied coldly.
Fear. Disbelief. Horror. His father said nothing as his emotions overtook him.
"That's not what we're here for, though. Snowfire?" Michael redirected, turning away. He reactivated his aura vision, forcing himself to watch.
"Human. Your son has requested I have mercy on you. I will not remove the curse. However, I will offer an alternative that you are in no position to deny. Touch my tail." She held her head high as she moved her tail for him to touch.
His dad stayed still, paralyzed with fear.
"Dad! Touch the tail already!" Michael snapped.
His father was unsure of how to properly move in his odd form but found out how to lurch against the tail.
A second later, his dad began to change. His body grew taller, his skin solidified and was coated in feathers. His arms elongated and sprouted long brown feathers. More green feathers covered his chest and head, creating a hoodie-like appearance. His nose became a beak and his eyes shrunk. Then he collapsed, now in the form of a Decidueye.
His father struggled up, groaning in pain, still very afraid.
"It is done," Snowfire commented. "You should return him to the Pokéball for the time being."
Before his Dad could react, Michael returned his dad into the sphere. Michael nodded his thanks to Snowfire.
She smiled at him, then turned to greet his friends, who had witnessed the whole scene.
"Now how may I help the rest of, you, brave humans?"