EoS: Well, I only got two reviews, and only got two votes on the poll, so come on guys! Review!
Lauren: You used to get so many more.
TheLazyRiver:
Lauren: All humans are limited in their abilities. It's for that reason the someone like me exists, to break through the barriers of potential.
BlazeInfern0:
EoS: Rui is the Eevee.
Moemon Ranger: Memories of Oblivia Revoir
Chapter 14
"Mom!" Kelsi, pale as a sheet, walked down the stairs.
"Kelsi?" Leanne asked, looking up from her food.
"Dad… He's gone…" Kelsi said, frowning.
"What?" Leanne asked. "Oh, he probably went out for a walk before dinner."
"He wouldn't need his jacket if he was going out for a simple walk." Kelsi said, frowning. Leanne's face also went pale.
"Jacket?" Petal asked, frowning.
"My husband…" Leanne sighed, turning to Petal. "When I first met him, he was an incredible trainer, and had a team of powerful moemon at his disposal, but he was also violent and destructive."
"He was?" Petal asked, frowning.
"Yeah." Leanne said, frowning. "I thought that he was on the breaking point, and then all of a sudden, he seemed to calm down like nothing. He was tranquil, as though he figured everything else. Almost silent, like a glacier. He even stopped wearing his jacket. Then, a few months later, out of nowhere, he proposed…"
Leanne stared at the window dreamily. "But that was a long time ago…"
"I see." Petal said, nodding. "Well, maybe Alaude is going back to his 'glory days' huh?"
"I hope not…" Leanne said, frowning.
"He mentioned a guy he knew…" Pichu said suddenly. "Did he have any old friends?"
"…I can think of one." Leanne said, frowning in concern. "His old friend, Lori."
"Lori, huh…" Petal said, frowning. "I see… And he lives in Tilt Village?"
"Yeah, he does." Leanne said, nodding.
"This isn't good…" Petal said, frowning. "Pichu, we're going to head out, okay?"
"Wait, it's too late." Leanne said, shaking her head. "I don't need to worry about my husband, he'll be fine. Let's just eat, go to bed, and you can head out in the morning."
"…Fine, if you think so." Petal said, nodding. "Anyways, can I have seconds on this soup?"
"…Of course!" Leanne said, switching back into housewife mode. "You know, Petal, I'm not capable of having kids on my own…"
"Wh-what?" Petal asked, frowning.
"That's why we adopted Kelsi, my little angel." Leanne said, patting Kelsi's hand, Kelsi smiling, embarrassed.
"I see…" Petal said, looking down.
"So having you here…" Leanne said, smiling. "It's almost like you're a second daughter to me…"
"…" Petal's mouth was open for a while, but she closed it.
"I kind of get it…" Petal said, looking down, frowning. "Thanks, a lot. This really means a lot to me, Leanne."
"It does?" Leanne asked, surprised.
"Yeah…" Petal said, nodding. "I'm the youngest of three girls… And I'm not pretty, like Sakura, or a moemon training prodigy like Leaf, so my parents didn't pay attention to me…"
"Oh…" Leanne said, frowning.
"It's fine though…" Petal said, smiling. "Thank you, it means a lot to me."
"I knew you would come back…" Alaude stood before a house, Pikachu beside him, a man standing in the doorway.
"Hey, old man, I'm back." Alaude said, frowning.
"I'm not that much older than you, brat." The man said, turning, gesturing for Alaude to enter. The man was wearing a black suit over a strange violet covered silk shirt and black tie. He had silvery white hair that reached down to his neck, and piercing slate colored eyes.
"Yeah, but the white hair, man, how long have you had that?" Alaude asked, frowning.
"Well, who knows…" The man said, walking to the counter, pouring himself a glass of wine, then a second for Alaude. "One of the first symptoms was my hair turning white…"
"Lori, what do you know about the Moemon Pinchers?" Alaude asked, frowning.
"The Moemon Pinchers?" Lori asked, coughing, reaching into his pocket for a pill bottle, placing two pills onto his palm, and swallowing them. "Don't know… I'm a recluse…"
Lori turned to Alaude, still coughing a few times.
"How's your family?" Lori asked, grinning.
"Kelsi's growing up so fast." Alaude said, smiling. "Leanne's as beautiful as always."
"You know, I was always envious of you, Alaude." Lori said, laughing. "You got the perfect family life, and what have I got? A rickety house on a cliff, looking over an ocean."
"Sounds great, sign me up for one." Alaude said, smirking. "Anyways, Lori, these Moemon Pinchers are bad news. I need to know if you know anyone who can help."
"Me?" Lori asked, coughing into his hand. He grabbed a towel and wiped his hand, dropping it to the ground, the towel now stained with blood. "I don't know anyone. I'm just a dying man trying desperately to cling to whatever shard of his life he can grab ahold of."
"This board…" Alaude said, walking over to one of the tables, and picked up a chess board. He blew the dust off of it, and revealed the fine wood that made it up. "Remember how many games we used to play?"
"Yes…" Lori said, after another coughing fit. "Even now, you still aren't a match for me, brat."
"Well, let's play a game." Alaude said, grinning. "For old time's sake. And hey, if you drop dead, we can call it my win."
"Please, I might be dying, but I'm not dead yet." Lori chuckled, pulling out the chess pieces, white a stainless marble and black a smooth ebony colored onyx. The pieces were flawless and expertly carved, as though done by a master carver. And though the board was dusty, it had been made of a fine wood and some nice polish would make it as good as new.
"Give it some time, and we'll see." Alaude smiled.
"Some time?" Lori asked, smirking, beginning to set up the pieces. "Please, I might be dying, but I'm still gonna live a lot longer than you are, especially if you keep shooting your mouth off at your elders."
"Yeah, I'm sure." Alaude chuckled, the two of them sitting at the table.
"White leads." Lori smiled, moving a pawn forwards.
EoS: So, what do you think of Lori?
Lauren: I think he's dying.
EoS: Well, you'll a barrel of laughs.