After an additional week in which Aria, Shii and I worked together, me cataloging Gardevoir culture, Aria teaching, and Shii learning, we had arrived at something of a turning point.
It was nearly September by then. The egg was just a month from hatching, and the weather remained hot and humid.
Unlike the more mountainous region, our te ze did not get as cold during the winter. We might have one or two snowfalls a year, but that was it.
Because of this, we did not expect it to get cool until November, when it would get to the 50's at worst.
This was partially the reason for the long egg laying and incubation times. If it had been any other region, Gardevoir populations would have been much smaller. A fact, I never would have learned from simply watching Gardevoir from a distance.
Since the completion of Shiis instructions in the culture of Gardevoir, I was engrossed in the writing of my findings. After Amelia had left, I had a flash of insight into how to summarize first my findings, and then how to properly write out my observations of Shii's growth as a gardevoir.
So far, the summary of findings were well done. However, the articulation of Gardevoir in the context of emotions from a human understanding was suffering in that, no matter the wording, it felt as though important details and nuances were missing from the description.
Tiredly, i reread the passage in question:
" rectus major muscle acts as an emitter segment with utilization of posterior nerves to articulate the shielding. This protects the ocular cortex from over exertion and can act as a regulation implement in advanced specimens. This muscle, though, is developed through regular use, but suffers an insufficiency alone. The ocular nerve, however, as as a primary channel for low grade psychic reception. In the studied species of Gardevoir, this indicates that emotional visual perception resolves the psychic emissions associated with mood into a coherent image that overlays the prime visual signals noted on the reticulum."
While it was obvious that the description i had arrived at gave detailed visual acuity of emotional states in a set of colors, that seemed to apply to stagnant, nonliving objects as well, it seemed bare to me. As if attempts at cloaking it with words resulted in even less being described than i had intended.
With a sigh, I accepted that words would never fully describe what happens when a Gardevoir uses its abilities.
Part of what i wanted to do, was to be able to hold my findings up as the definitive work on Gardevoir. In a sense, I wished to justify my actions through example. Observation without interaction may be fine for the less sentient pokemon, yet, as i worked more with my beloved, and became a part of the te ze, and her mate, the limitations became clear. In my opening abstract, i had stated as much:
"While observation can simply give the indications to daily activity, much remained that defied simple observation. It is through interaction that details concerning Gardevoir life ways becomes apparent. Notwithstanding barriers to communication made apparent by language gaps, it is possible, through interaction and interview, to thus arrive at a more complete picture of Gardevoir behavior."
I paused for a moment to consider the words I had written.
In a few short months, I had changed drastically. From being a callow, method obsessed person who saw the world impersonally to the person I was now...
Who was I though? I let this introspective question bounce around for a moment. Outgoing, observant, and idealistic in a way to be certain. I had become a selfless person through the sheer necessity of empathy. Of that, I was certain. As a function of becoming more Gardevoir, it was clear that I was a very empathetic person now. Other peoples emotions became mine. Perhaps too, I was more outgoing, and I was aware that i was seeing things for what they were not what I thought them to be. Seeing the forest for the forest and not just the trees, one could say. Further, I considered myself a husband and parent now too.
I smiled as I thought about that. So far had my life come in such a short amount of time. The dull predictate that my life was before seemed so far away now. My work too, did not define me. It was simply a method by which I wished to extend mutual understanding of Gardevoir culture.
Perhaps, one could say it was a path for unity.
Days like this were ones where the self reflective aspects led to minor revelations about myself that resulted in minor bursts of joy. The weather was often a factor, I found, in these occurrences of positive self reflection.
It was thus this bright, warm, day in September when quite unexpectedly, the satellite phone had begun to ring.
Shii kept it in her tent most of the time. She would occasionally leave it out in the sun hooked up to a solar charger to top off the batteries. So, when it began to ring from within her tent, I was momentarily confused.
After a few more rings, i had begun to stand up from my work. However, I never quite made it to her tent as Shii seemed to come running up, then all but dove into her tent. From within, I heard her diminutive voice answer the phone.
"Ah chief," came her happy cry.
Well, I thought, at least i knew who it was.
Aria arrived as Shii's voice rang out in greeting.
Well, i guess i know what pulled Ses Shii away. Aria said in a measure of amusement.
After a few moments, Shii stepped uneasily out from her tent, then handed the phone to me.
"Chief needs to talk to you." She said, " He says it's about your hearing."
A wave of tension hit me. I knew that it was to be expected, but the notion of it coming was actually beyond my thoughts. As if it had become an abstraction that belonged to the previous Rowan Gingko and had no bearing on the life of Beh Rowan mit Gingko the gardevoir.
With a worried feeling that aria picked up on, I took the satellite phone from shii.
"When is it Freeman?" I asked in greeting.
I heard a gentle chuckle on the other end of the line as Dr. Freeman immediately recognized that I knew precisely why he called. His chuckle went on for half a minut before he recovered with a gruff cough, then responded in kind.
"Well hello to you too Rowan," he greeted, "You are slated to present your findings and defend your work in a weeks time. I made arrangements for you and Shii to go to Sycamores Lab and wait there, polishing up your findings. However-"
I quickly cut him off.
"Ya know, I would really like for Ses Fra- I mean, Aria to be there as well... For emotional support and to speak for Shii if need be." I responded.
Thee was silence from the other end of the line before Freeman replied.
"It's not a hard matter for them to accommodate. I say go ahead and bring her along, though she will have to rely on that Gardevoir to translate for her since She can't speak our language."
"Despite being able to understand it.." I added.
There was a silence on both ends as we contemplated what that meant. Perhaps there was some research that could be done on that end. It was safe to say it wasn't a morphological limitation as Shii had no issues. It would strengthen our case to present this conundrum as well as an unresolved study issue that was only discovered after closer habitation.
After a further moment, Freeman spoke again, bringing the train of thought to an end.
"Be that as it may, it bears inclusion in your presentation. How is that coming by the way?" he asked.
I gave a light grin, then glanced back over to Shii's tent. In it, resided the papers.
"Well, I'm all but finished. A complex discussion concerning the advancement of the Ralts ability through childhood occupied 3 sections and required referencing earlier work which was difficult given the absence of research material after the incident, but overall, the paper itself is complete. Adding in the understanding, but lack of cogent articulation vocally will not require the entire section to be rewritten" I answered.
Freeman grunted in understanding, then I heard some rustling in the background.
"Did you remember to at least title the paper?" he asked more as a joke. It was no secret that my previous works occasionally suffered from inappropriate naming conventions.
I grinned at the light joke, then recalled it from memory.
"Sure, 'On the Behavioral Characteristics of the Ralts Evolutionary line' With the sub heading "Results from interactions and observation of Gardevoir collectives and the sociological implications therein" "
Freeman gave a slight grunt before he suddenly said "Cut out the subtitle, though it would work as a summary blurb"
I grinned, then made a note to do so.
"So when should we all leave out?" I asked.
Freeman sighed over the line, his voice rasped slightly in the feeling of tiredness that seemed to mark his tone of voice
"I would suggest leaving tomorrow and trying to get to Sycamores by nightfall. Since the western edge of the forest comes the closest to Lumiose city, it shouldn't take more than a few hours to find one of the border roads and follow them into the city." He suggested.
Freeman and I continued the discussion for a few more moments before I finally hung up. Even with the reforms to the telecommunications acts, prices on data and phone use could be pricey outside of the range of holonavs and holovids. Even the pokedexes holocomms were limited in their range.
I handed the phone back to Shii, then made the barest of eye contact to Aria. Without even the exchange of emotions, she knew what was on my mind. It had been there since the first day, and it needed to be spoken of. She had a taste of it, but did not fully understand it. As a child of the Gardevoir world, she did not understand the more subtle aspect of Kalosian culture that still stood before her. One that perplexed her on the day of the review, but was not spoken of as of yet.
We made our way from the Te Ze to our egg, where within, our child grew ever closer to birth. We could feel its young life as its brain formed, the emotional centers already giving exploratory nudges into our perceptions. We could not sense much other than that, it was an instinctual nudge, without real consciousness associated with it, yet we embraced it just the same. It was the first, and most important, part of our Gardevoir family bond. The mic tem bi du.
With some effort, Aria walked me through directing our emotional link to exclude the young life. This seemingly simple process actually required a fair amount of subterfuge. We would project a false comforting presence that the young, underdeveloped mind would not be able to detect the falseness of, then directly link to one another, sharing our emotions in private.
Beh Sze, Aria began What is it?
I gave a slight nod as the feeling of worry passed from me to her, Well, It's about Kalosian culture... I began.
Aria gave a confused expression as she picked up on my worry. Why is this important now? Did we not see through each others eyes your former?
This... was going to be difficult. arias question trailed off as she realized that our culture had more subtle edges to it that were not expressed through me.
A number of years ago, the power structure in Kalos was different. In our Te Ze, there is a sense of egalitarianism. Nobody here is truly greater than the other. But, in Kalos, the impression of being better than others was a deeply ingrained part of who we were. It doesn't show through me because... well I was born after that to a modest family who didn't really have a big impact on my life. But Kalosians in general are driven by the remnants of an aristocracian mind set. It would be like if in our Te Ze, the Matriarch had full control, the hunters had the second most power, the teachers the third, and the gatherers the least. Further, it would also be as if the matriarch did not truly care for the gatherers and used them whenever she saw fit.
Aria nodded slightly as she empathetically saw the scenario I was referring to. It was a difficult concept to grasp, but she had begun to see it, if only somewhat.
Well, that is the mindset of most of Kalos. My Te Ze... no my parents were representative of both sides. Father was the child of a shipping companies president and his family had a lot of influence in the old government. My mother was a Doctor. They met when the nation was embroiled in this civil war and after things calmed down, they got together. However, their upbringing always put them at odds. The intellectuals eventually were able to seize power and formed a representative system while the moneyed children of bankers and businessmen went about their lives.
Aria could see where I was slowly going, then took my hand, her tiny fingers frolicking in between my own. A sense of urging filled me as I allowed the sensation to ensnare me momentarily. The sense of reassurance and trust filled me with a sense of confidence as I continued.
Because they were so different, they would find themselves at odds. Mom, ever the compassionate one, sought to foster my intellect and enriched my mind, in a way. However, Dad despised that strong sense of empathy, and they both would fight about what was the best way to raise me. I would often lay in that bed and listen as they argued, wishing I was never born just so that they didn't fight. One night, after rescuing a pokemon, mom and dad got into a more aggressive fight.
The memory flooded my senses, a post traumatic stress reaction, I knew, in a detached way, to what had happened. In that moment as I continued to describe what happened, we were both very much in that exact moment.
I heard dad say something, and then mom remarked about how he needs to be more compassionate. My dad then raged at her and I heard a crashing noise. I got up from my bed, and crept out of my room. I stayed at the top of the stairs, and peeked through the banister. Mom was in Dads hands. His hands were around her neck, and she was reaching around while he held her in that position. She finally found a glass dish... or something, and smacked him in the temple with it. Dad let go and stumbled back, while mom gasped, he grabbed something heavy... I don't remember the object, then rushed her, hitting her in the forehead. Mom just kind of collapsed and dad muttered something about "her type". It actually took me about 9 years to realize that Dad was referring to her ethnicity rather than just her being an intellectual, commonly seen now as people not to be trusted by the monied. He was, in the end, still a racist to some degree. She was a faomi, a type of dark skinned nomad who, in the past, was known as gypsies.
See, that type of thinking is still common. In places like the university, those old ways are still dominant. I wasn't able to fight back right then and there, I had incomplete records, and as a frest post doc, I am still seen as a lower class individual and thus, not deemed as relevant or credible as him. Since it was just us, there was no way that we could have won an argument with them.
I then looked Aria dead on. I studied her ruby red eyes for a moment, eyes I could loose myself in for an eternity, peeking into the soul of the only one in this planet I know I would ever love so intensely.
All I can do while some piece of the external me is still human, is open the door for another Gardevoir to step forth and demand civil rights. But to do that, I have to first show them our world through "Rowans" eyes. And to do that, it has to be done with human help. I hate to say it, but a sense of "dominant mans burden" still permeates. It has to be through me, Sycamore, Krafft, and Freeman that the first steps are made. It has to be through multiple people, who look at something independently, and come up with the same basic result, to clear a path for not just Gardevoir, but people as well, to take the next step. It has to be done right. Had I made a mistake back then, before we knew what we had to do, nothing would have been accomplished. I would have been dismissed, and that would have been that. I would have been dismissed, and the fight would have been over before it would have even begun. I'd have just come back, and we would not be moving forward.
I took a moment, then allowed myself a momentary hum aloud. The semi musical notes left my vocal chords, but were joined by Arias, speaking in a soothing tone to match mine, acting as a balance to the turmoil I was facing.
Beh Sze, what you want... Is our happiness isn't it? She asked, You don't have to respond really. Rather, you've told me what I wondered since the day we first met. Up until you were attacked, I sensed a hesitancy in you. A worry about emotional attachment. When you were unconscious, I ended up gently probing your emotions and that triggered a dream you were having. In that dream, you showed me a moment, of pain, and of distance. Since that dream, I had wondered, yet when you awoke, it was like that sense of hesitancy was gone entirely. Before, it had stood uncertainly just before you were attacked.
That brought a question to mind.
Why were they so violently attacked? I asked.
Aria gave a momentarily troubled look. I could sense her hesitancy. However, it was from an uncertainty of wording than anything else.
They... come around on occasion. They were tolerated because they seemed to protect us. They did not prey on us, and allowed the children to pass through their borders unmolested. We were left alone, and we left them alone. However, it was understood that if ours were attacked by them, it would result in our retaliation. So when you were attacked, that was it for me... I was so overcome with rage that my Beh Sze would be attacked that I struck their patriarch. The others joined in, knowing the bond I had begun forming with you was important to me. She smiled that innocent smile To be honest... none of us ever wanted them around. Yet, we had to leave them be. The Matriarch speaks of people who used to be among the borders, who watched us and in the past would take us rather than our children. They would use our caim duc but none would ever speak again.
As she began telling this rather disjointed story, I had flashes of something laying upon the ground, looking up with dead eyes, a decomposing, yet dried body, and a sense of great pain.
They all just laid down. Old men with hands not stained with blood but they're drowning in it. After the great sky storm, the men in red never came again and since then, it was only those Poochyenas. They would come, then leave for a while, then return. Always, a cycle, never changing. Then you came...
The pieces for me began to fall into place. On the outside, it was just a rambling, almost incoherent story. Yet to me, the mental imagery filled in the gaps. Tennyson, who had worked with Flare, extended his aristocratic views to the subjugation of Gardevoir... They were used somehow and discarded, yet the people behind team flare acted without regard for lives and many innocents lost.
In retrospect, had that kid and their friends not stepped in, what would team flare have wound up doing?
Our mood fell into a sense of darkness as we contemplated this. I didn't realize it at the time, but the "men who drowned in blood" were not who I thought they were.
It would actually be many years before I realized the full extent of this...
Our conversation lapsed into silence as she curled up onto the Hammock with me. I could sfeel the proto mic-tem gently run against her own via her back. In the past, I might have said something like her posterior mic tem protrusion, or something equaly asinine. However, it felt hollow in some way now. This moment was spoiled by attempts at elaboration in such a way.
Instead of all of that, it was her proximity. Her Aquamarine hair that fell like soft feathers to my neckline. Her white, porcelin like skin which filled my vision, her clavicle which trained my eye, and her eyes, which caught my own in their pristine embrace. The moment was felt in the proximate, in a level of predictate that not even the most ardent follower of catastrophism would be able to fully expound. In that moment, our awareness slid gently into one another, a collapsing universe in which all superfluous thought seemed to vanish. Like a gently rising tide, the tug of our emotions swept us away from these present concerns. They washed from us to our child, as a wave upon the shore would. It radiated a sense of completion that it would recognize as readily as our bodies and faces.
Yet, it soon seemed to ebb away so that our awareness remained fixed upon one another. her emotions of worry seemed to flow into me, and mine was shared with her. In that moment, as our hearts entwined, fresh as the day we met, it occurred to me that what we had constructed here, in this moment, in the many moments that led up to this, from the very moment of our meeting, was the construction of a house.
A Tet Ze.
The next mornings light fell as bright as ever. As I felt myself rouse (At 7:30, I noticed, like always), The dawning realization that this was the last morning I might ever spend in the Te Ze filled me with worry. Yet, I felt a sense of nostalgia as well. The posture Aria and I shared was the same as the first time I awoke in the Te Ze. Our Hammock was still our bed, and we shared the exact same positions as before. I rubbed my arm lightly with my free hand, the white line of the scar visible in the morning light, then finally ran it ever so gently against her ear clipping.
Her breath escaped her lips as a purring breath as a sense of peace enveloped me. She was still encased in the world of dreams, but was close to emerging from them. It lent an air of serenity that was the most reassuring aspect of my new life.
The morning light illuminated the dew covered field around us. The sunlights refracting through the dew caused a very gentle mist to form over the pond, lending a sort of tranquility that could not be matched by any other memory under recollection. A few bird types seemed to flit around in the nearby woods, which seemed still in the morning haze.
However, the sounds of nature awakening could be heard in their own right. With gentle pulses, various pokemon were in various states of waking. I could feel the sensation of Ladybas i the distance, a newer presence it seemed, beginning their daily task of eating various aphids on clovers and the likes.
Nearby, Asa was waking up, but more subdued today. As if she knew that her "Big Beh" and surrogate mother were leaving for good.
I drew myself short with the realization that I seemed certain that this was it for me. That there was a finality about this day. I was disheartened to realize that I had accepted as inevitable the possibility that I wouldn't return. For a moment, doubt seemed to fill me. Was I really so presumptuous and defeatist? How dare I?
Aria could sense my bubbling sense of defeat, then simply pushed her way into my emotional center from this, I could feel her insistence, without words, that my worries were conflated in some way I did not quite understand yet. Her subtle reassurance allowed me to allow a confident mood to overcome me. I extended this mood to a smile, that I directed at "Little ses" as I had jokingly taken to calling her.
Aria and I knew it was puppy love. Asa admired us greatly, and saw us as the more laid back, yet world wise uncle and aunt who looked out for her before all others. I suspected a few times that the Matriarch had intentions of letting Asa choose between staying with us and going with them when the time came.
Asa seemed to pick up on the reassurance as her mood began to re-brighten as we sat down to eat. Aria and I were nearly finished when we heard the tell tale groan of Shii as she slowly emerged from her tent. Her sweatshirt was once again on, shielding her face from the sun and the slightly reproachful eyes of the Matriarch. For all of her advances, Shii simply was not a morning girl. Her sluggish moves carried as she sat down beside us, failing to even utter a word.
Aria gave a slightly annoyed huff, electric vibrations of annoyance playing through our bond, infecting me with a small measure of that dismay. However, through this same bond, a sense of easing had spread from me, as if asking her, without words, to simply accept this little quirk of hers and leave it be.
"I still don't know how you two do it..." Shii muttered as she clumbsily ate at her leppa berry.
"Well, truth be told, if you wouldn't spend half the night on your mobile computer, doing who knows what, you might be a more morning centric person" I responded.
Shii gave a slightly haughty expression as her cheeks puffed in indignation at being called out for using electronics all night despite the amount of time it takes to recharge it during the day. However, her expression softened as she gave a slightly coy look at Aria, who was happily engrossed in eating an Oran Berry, satisfied that her Beh Sze was speaking to the child and setting her right.
"Well maybe if you would frick frack she wouldn't take it out on me~" Shii coyly responded.
Upon the veiled term for sexual intercourse being uttered, Aria promptly centered back in on the conversation.
Ses Shii mit freeman, As a fully grown Gardevoir it is a severe breach of protocol and a terrible transgression to interfere with the emotional lives of other gardevoirs! Especially with such childish and lewd language! I'll have you know that just the other night Beh Sze and I we-
I gave a slightly panicked cry then suddenly cut in between them.
Ses frau she was joking joking! She knows how you feel about such things being discussed and wanted to press your buttons! I remanded her.
Arias anger was palpable as rough pulses which seemed in sync with our heartbeats. However, as I worked to calm her down, I could feel the anger ebbing ever so slightly.
I turned to Shii, then gave her a reproachful look, complete with a feeling of disappointment that fairly coursed from my body, affecting her mental state to the point of personal shame. Without direct words being spoken, she assumed a more humbled expression. Aware then that while needling is often tolerated, taking it too far only served to feed back on itself and do more harm than good.
"Sorry Rowan..." She meekly let out, "I was just trying to lighten the mood. You two have been so severe all morning and I wanted to see you two relax a little." She elaborated.
Aria grew embarrassed upon hearing Shiis heartfelt expression of genuine, selfless concern. She of all people knew how much Shii had taken in during her stay at the Te Ze, the fact that she was spontaneously demonstrating pure, selfless, concern was enough to soften Aria up.
I'm sorry Ses Shii... I overreacted.
Shii warmly smiled before offering a nod. She felt grateful that Aria was able to, despite her mood, actually hear what Shii was saying and listen.
However, Shii, being the kind of girl she was, couldn't help but to slip in a well placed jab.
"I forgive you! However, you're gonna have to tell me all about what it was you tw-"
Shii didn't get to finish her words as a very flustered Aria let loose a distressed cry then fairly screeched out mentally
There is no way on this earth, or even in the worst of the great calamities that I shall ever divuldge what Beh Sze and I commit in the warmth of our hammock! If you want to know so bad find your own Beh Sze!
Shii turned away, then I saw her hand reach up, then quickly press itself to her lips. However, this move did not suppress the choked back laugh that instead came out as a snort. Mirth roiled from Shii in pleasant waves, infecting young Asa with a fit of giggles, though only serving to make Aria more flustered.
Finally, after a few moments of Aria trying to reassert some measure of control over the situation, Shii brought herself under control, then pulled Aria into a hug. I could feel Arias confusion melting into a sense of understanding, then mirth as the two resolved, without words, their slight differences. Aria, the traditional aboriginally cultured Gardevoir instructing the young, cocksure, metropolitan Gardevoir who was raised like a human, had found some measure of understanding. In that, I was certain that the embrace they shared served more to resolve this long standing difference. After all, Shii had accomplished what she sat out to do on Dr. Freemans orders. That had to count for something.
Later found Aria and I before the matriarch. The purpose of this last visit was actually simple: Handing over the egg to the Matriarch to guard in our absence.
This was a task we had been meaning to do since we woke up. However, Aria and I kept on putting it off. On the outside it was as a means to delay our departure and spend just a few more minutes with our unborn child. In reality, however, it was our way of delaying the inevitable. We both realized that we were using our own child as a means of stalling for time in a rather shameful manner.
So, when we finally presented ourselves to the Matriarch, she greeted us with kindness and sympathy.
Children of the future, she said simply to us When you return, no matter what happens, the child you care for will be ready. With it, comes your dreams and your future. D not fret the coming challenges, though I wish I could come. They will try you, but when you speak from your heart, the truth of what you, Rowan Mit Gingko, Beh Sze of Aria Mit Gingko, have written will shine through. Go forth not in fear, not in worry, and speak the truths you have seen with your own eyes.
Unexpectedly, Aitsu then spoke up, his normally cool red eyes shone with encouragement as he he drew us into his arms.
No matter what happens, you two will always have this Te Ze. May your journey be safe, and your mission successful.
Then, on a summer day, in a tranquil piece of land in the middle of a lush forest, Aria and I set forth to Lumiose city.
Route 4 Santalune to Lumiose city.
After some hours of walking, the three of us emerged from the woods into the fields of flowers that connected Santalune to Lumiose city. As we emerged, I was mindful of our current appearances. I had chosen to once again don my old attire. white undershirt, Button up banyan shirt, Jeans, boots, and the addition of a simple hat. From all appearances, I was no longer easily distinguished as a Gardevoir. All important features remained blocked from view. Thus giving the appearance of me as a normal, if rather frail looking, guy.
Aria and Shii, of course, stood out, though, given that they were with me, who looked like just another Joe out for a stroll, did not gather much attention. As I walked, I was keenly aware of how different it felt. I hadn't dressed this way in quite some time. So the feeling of cotton and denim were almost unusual.
Aria could sense my distraction, but seemed to reserve her reaction for the tingle of amusement that passed from her to myself. She had a measure of amusement at my distraction at the feeling of the cloth on my skin.
Gardevoir skin is especially sensitive. We wear only the bioweave of our species, which is much like a second skin in its own right. You had grown used to it! She bubbled whilst she turned, walking backwards to face me.
I smiled as I distractedly pulled at the shirt.
Well I said I guess it's just one of those minor inconveniences. I figured it would be best to not shock people too much. The full scope of what happened will be revealed in time, but I feel it is better to work the Board into what happened to me by giving everything proper context.
Aria gave a thoughtful look, then shook her head. I knew what was on her mind. She was worried that I was in some way rejecting who I was, but also was happy that I was opting to balance my sense of self to my responsibilities. It signified to her that I was not about to just sacrifice who I was in order to make a point.
As time rolled by, the scenery began to gradually change. The fields gave way to flower beds and hedgerows which showed signs of being well manicured. The population of Flabebes eventually seemed to reach a more normal level. They had seemed especially abundant closer to the woods. However, now that we had crested one of the hills and were within sight of the main road, they seemed to be back to background levels.
With the return to more or less civilization as most humans understood it, came the presence once more of people. Along the path ahead, an occasional person made the walk from Santalune City to Lumiose City. In the nearby field, a lone trainer seemed intent on sneaking up on some pokemon. From a distance though, we didn't even need to see what species it was since we could feel it.
It was a ralts.
The presence of this ralts confirmed a suspicion I had that there were other Te Ze's in the area. The ralts seemed aware of the human, yet happy. Aria seemed ready to leap into action when she sensed through me the feelings the Ralts had. It was waiting on the human to capture it.
With confusion, Aria turned her eyes upon me with the obvious questions floating in the air. She didn't understand why a Ralts was willingly letting itself be captured. Her eyes suggested that she assumed I would know the answer somehow. Yet, when she met mine, she got no answer.
The three of us turned our attention back to the scene unfolding. Shii places her paw like hands into the pockets of her sweatshirt, then seemed to grow interested. Aria was only able to watch in confusion.
The Ralts emitted waves of joy as the child stepped forward and into sight of the young one. It gave a cry of joy which the trainer took as a cry of surprise. However, the Ralts, not fighting back, sent the trainer off guard. The young trainer sent out a fletchling which began to scratch at the Ralts. In response, the Ralts only growled.
This small battle, with no real pain being inflicted it seemed, continued on until the trainer threw the pokeball.
Aria reacted with a sense of indigence, but stayed her hand as the ball came into contact with the ralts then captured it. The ball landed on the ground, then shook three times before dinging. A standard wait time.
The feeling of the Ralts vanished in the dinging of the sensor, indicating a successful capture. The child, full of joy at his accomplishment, ran forth to collect the ball. Shortly, the Ralts was released from the ball, and seemed to latch onto the child.
In then, the wave of emotions from the Ralts told us all we needed to know.
The Te Ze apparently had moved on, and the Ralts got separated. Upon seeing a human who seemed to have a good heart, the Ralts decided to accompany the young man on his own training quest. The determination of the Ralts was strong enough, and focused enough, that we were able to tell this directly.
After a few minutes in which the two seemed to communicate back and forth, they turned, then departed towards Santalune. The Ralts riding on the young mans shoulder.
As this scene ended, Aria, Shii, and I thus proceeded on our way.
As we resumed walking, I could feel Arias mixed emotions at having seen this peculiar display. She was having difficulty with understanding why the Ralts had just given itself over to the trainer and why the Ralts was left behind in the first place.
My hand reached over, then scooped hers up in mine. Our fingers began their delicate dance. The trading of emotions seeming to center the both of us. Without having to resort to telepathic communications, the feelings we shared in that moment readily flowed from one heart to the other.
Eventually, we circled a grand fountain where young kids roller-bladed around, occasionally one would challenge the other. Yet, we were left to our own devices. Three adults, not interested in whats going on between kids, is not an inviting target for would be trainers. Further, since I wore no pokeballs, it was apparently assumed, based upon the passing thoughts of the others, that it was just another non-trainer who happened to have a few Gardevoir in his possession. Aria did, in fact, seem a little put off, but followed my lead.
However, as we approached the gates, a new sensation began to grow. At first, I thought it might have been a sense of anxiety associated with what that gate to Lumiose city represented. However, being no stranger to anxiety, the feeling did not seem to fit the description. Instead, it felt as if I were under some kind of pressure.
Aria seemed to sense it too. Both from me and directly from herself. Worry filled me as we both seemed to stop, our breaths racing despite having walked at a leisurely rate.
"Hey you two, what's up?" Shii asked, seemingly unaffected.
"We uh... we don't feel like... right ya know?" I replied for the both of us.
In fact, the feeling had begun to reciprocate somewhat. The sense of pressure had grown into a greater sense of unease that reminded me of standing in a crowded room full of people talking at the top of their lungs. The sensation seemed to be overwhelming as there was too much to take in all at once.
"Oh, that." Shii said from the mists of this sensory overload, "That's just the emotions of literally everyone in the city"
"Huh?"
What did you say?
Shii looked surprised for a moment, then repeated herself.
"Like I said big Ses, that's like. Everyone. Loud idiots aren't they?"
Aria blanched slightly.
Do you mean to say that we are feeling literally every person in the city? She said in a more panicked tone.
"Well, duh dingus. What'd you think was gonna happen?" Shii replied in a deadpan sort of way.
Sensing another slight confrontation, I held up my free hand. The other was resting itself on my forehead, trying to relax the sense of pressure.
"Why are you not affected?"
Shii proceeded to smile lightly, then struck a slight pose. Her hands placed themselves on her tiny hips, then she jutted out her chest proudly.
"Because unlike you hicks, I'm from the city. I learned how to block them out of course! " Her tiny mouth curled into a smug smile, "I can show you, if you so want, oh great teachers of mine~" She said in a somewhat sing song voice, "Unless if you just wanna do it yourself!"
Aria looked momentarily livid, which made Shii smile slightly wider. However, she did not rise to the bait but instead spoke with a more strained tone.
Please for the love of all things that grow do show us or I swear I will have your mic tim for a pendant!
Shii smiled even wider at the minor victory, then walked over to us. A hand fell on our temples, then we felt the sensation of pressure seeming to subside.
"You see, you just have to center your awareness on your immediate presence. Like, cut down the radius until it's a set distance. For you two though, I bet it'd be just wide enough for the two of you to form your own little lovey dovey bubble!"
Despite the slight snark at the end, we became aware, slowly, of the sensations seeming to fade, but the sensations of those in an area of about 4 feet circle intensify strongly. Indeed, the connection between Aria and I felt somewhat more vivid than it had in retrospect. Yet, the feeling did not seem to be anything more than what we had previously shared. It was as though we had disconnected from everything else, and were simply sharing only one link.
In truth it felt quite refreshing.
Aria and I soon collected ourselves before we finally nodded for Shii to continue.
Upon passing through the gates, we found ourselves on a city street. There was a buzz of activity. Nearby, a massive video screen on a building played a trainer promotional video, since modified to be an advertisement for a new product. The noise and the energy, even when suppressed, seemed infectuous.
Aria stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes turned up to the great moving screen, taking in the sights and sounds of the massive machine with a look of absolute awe.
I could feel the wonder she felt at seeing such an unusual sight. A trainer and their pokemon stopped, then gave her a curious look as I became aware of how it must look for Aria to be standing in the middle of everything.
I sidled up to her, then ever so gently gave her a gentle stroke. My hand caressed hers, then drew it into mine. The sensations seemed to pass between us as my quiet insistance seemed to begin urging her back to reality.
However, even doing that, her reaction was too slow. As a car became visible as it rounded the curve of the street. Easily doing 40Kph, it was moving much too quick to stop suddenly. So, I suddenly pulled her into a full embrace, then proceeded to shove myself backwards.
The two of us went tumbling to the ground until she came to a stop on top of me. My body acted as a cushion for her. Protecting her from serious harm.
We stared at one another for a moment as the shock of what happened ran its course. Then, ever so slowly, Aria became fully aware of what had happened to the two of us. In a fit of panic, she sat up on my torso.
Beh Sze I'm sorry! I'm sorry! She cried out with a voice full of emotion.
I grimaced as she moved. While she wasn't heavy. The body mass loss as a result of what was happening to me did make me more susceptible to changes in her posture. However, I did at least give a sympathetic look that matched the worry I felt inside.
Don't worry about it. I said You're safe and that's all that really matters!
By this point. The two of us were somewhat lost in our own little existence. We did not notice initially Shii standing over us with an exasperated expression on her face. However, we slowly began to be aware of the small crowd we were attracting. The curious and shocked murmurs slowly penetrated the fog of our combined reaction. Driving us back into the realm of reality.
"What's going on-"
"Lovers?"
"-st got hit is what I sa-"
The chattering seemed to cloud our senses greatly as their mixed emotions began filtering in. Combine that with the embarrassment we were feeling, and that meant an awkward scene that was playing out before their very eyes.
We quickly got up, helping one another to get balanced, and rearrange my outfit. With a sheepish look, we finally heard Shiis voice over the crowd.
"Geeze you two! First time back in the city in a while and you almost get yourselves killed! These country kids I tells ya!" She said somewhat loudly.
The crowd seemed to laugh appreciatively at this comment, then began to slowly disperse. With their departure, the teenager walked up to us, then gave us both a quick once over. Her tiny green hand pawing at her chin as she over exaggerated her physical examination of us.
"Well, no serious cuts or scrapes. Beh Rowan is still a pervert and Ses Aria is still a complete airhead. All is right in my world!" She proclaimed with a self satisfied expression.
Arias annoyance began to rise, but was quickly quelled as Shii began to walk off.
For a second or two, we stood in confusion on the sidewalk before Shii suddenly turned gracefully around, placed her arms behind her back, then gave us both a wide grin.
"Come on you guys! Times a wasting!"
Without a further word, we both took off after her. SHii knew the way to Sycamores, so it served as a good idea to let her lead.
End Hibernaculum.
Ok, no elaborate reasons for this holdup. I've been kind of absorbed in some Ediacaran research over the better part of the last two months and had given a public argument for evidence of complex behavior in the later ediacaran, which could be a direct line of evidence for more complex life before the cambrian explosion. On that note, I've been getting some good guidance from one of my advisors. He's noted that I have a propensity for Coral geology and has advised me that if the company I work for does in fact decide to offer me a chance to relocate to Hawaii, that I should take it. The Coral reef structures there would greatly benefit my research.
The plots finally moving towards the conclusion. I included this one as a bit of a needed bit of information and a transition towards the confrontation. The next chapter will have the opening of the hearing. Though I wanted to try something a little bit different when it comes to that, so if the timeline seems scattered, it's intentional.
I have the final chapter written, but I won't be posting it yet. I'm beginning the main cleanup phases and major edits of the final few chapters.
A note:
I decided to finally make a note about the use of tet ze vs te ze.
Tet ze was intended as "Our home" or "Our town" while "te Ze" is meant as "Our hearts contentment" that is, a home that is being formed based upon the bonds of two people. If I had to define it in human terms, it would be like the newly weds house is a te ze, while the family home town (Which, if it's like where I'm from, and everyone knows you and thus are like a big family) is more like the tet ze. The use of tet had its origins in a way in the Stephen King book, but only in the tet portion. In a way, the usage of tet is a send up of that, but it is also a fragmentary artifact of trying to invent a language. A lot of particles appear which seem more to keep the pattern of the language intact than to really mean anything.
Actually, I am going to go ahead and include a bit of the Gardevoir language notes I have as a bit of a bonus:
Greetings: hau fo su mic tem
sic tem culture, standing
et my, self, I
te ze home family
wa grow
caim duc heart
shushefei understanding
kefun sho - abused plaything
wepkefkeh- hunted pursued.
su for You have
wa gro big item.
mic tem heart
tet ze: Grand home. Town, place of family
te ze home
sho: no none not
seo: yes positive
tze- I
fa am
mit thank
tem : outward expression,
Tze fa mit tem!: I am thankful!
Tze Te-Ze sho for!: I have no home!
casu kofu: language
ses girl
beh man
wa su big thing
ka su little thing
wa big
ku small
habu the (Identifier, definite article)
yve it
zef is
ji down
ju up
yvet shall
te ru my room
hag go
wef come
tze yvet te ru hag? WHat language is spoken?
"Yve zef habu ses te ze casu kofu. Habu mic tem casu kofu."
"it is the language of my home. The Heart language."
yvet ji te ru
no: ei
yes: en
maybe: ef
don't know: eguna
sho no none not
seo yes positive
ses kah go Adult Parent mother type respect given
beh kah feh Parent, adult, Father respect emphasized.
kai Fruit
Guh meat
chuweh grain
dusen Vegetable.