Wheel in Constant Motion
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon
This Christmas special was written a very long time ago, but it was only submitted to my deviantART gallery. I thought I should import this story here as well, especially considering how long I have not updated my other story (I Am Lucario). For those who came here seeking answers about IAL, the next chapter is pretty much complete. I just need a bit more time to fine-tune it; you can expect it within a couple of weeks. I'm so sorry it's taking so long.
This oneshot takes place in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon universe, although you do not need to know much about the series to understand this story. The story contains no spoilers for any of the games.
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The cold was not enough to deter the shoppers, Vulpix mused to herself as she quietly observed the Pokémon walking by the town square, most of them carrying large shopping bags.
It was that time of the year again, when velvet snow would fall and blanket the town in white. Yet, this was usually when the town was at its most colourful, for the residents would adorn their houses with decorations of various kinds in preparation for Christmas. There was no mistaking the festive cheer in the air—like every other year, it had swept the town once more.
As always, it was a busy time for members of the Guild. Aside from decorating the Guild itself, exploration teams were expected to oversee the décor of the town. There was much work to be done, but in general, no one ever complained.
But this year was different for the fox.
It wasn't that she disliked the occasion. On the contrary, she had always been the picture of enthusiasm and joy in the days leading to Christmas. After all, it was not often the town was filled with such excitement, and their happiness usually rubbed off on her. She hadn't believed her old partner initially when he mentioned how easily one's mood could be affected by the vibes emanating from others, but she could see what he meant now. Well, he would know. After all, he was a Riolu.
No matter how joyful everyone else was though, she was unable to shake off the despair that had been plaguing her. Moody and unresponsive, she would have undoubtedly received a dressing-down for shirking work had the circumstances been different. However, the other Guild members were kind enough to just let her be, as they had done for almost a year now.
The days had passed by without Vulpix really realising it. She had been in this robot-like state ("Zombie-like," her partner would have commented with a smirk) for so long, and she no longer participated in any of the Guild's activities.
She had tried to fight it.
She had tried to accept reality, but Vulpix was sure her sanity was steadily slipping away.
"She'll be all right," the fire-type remembered a Chansey saying to the others right after she was brought back from Mt. Snowcap, broken in more ways than one. "Give her time," she had continued.
But the Chansey did not understand. The nurse did not know that she could hear him every time she closed her eyes. The nurse did not know that he frequently visited her in her dreams. It was actually for that reason that Vulpix spent most of her time sleeping: just so she could see him again. It was not healthy, but she just wasn't ready to let go.
All the excitement about Christmas did bring about one change in her though: for the first time in months, she broke out of her trance-like state as she began scrambling for a present which he would like. The vulpine would head out and browse the shops by herself, hoping to spot something nice. Apparently worried, some of the folks from the Guild would tail her occasionally, but she paid them no heed. She appreciated their concern, but the fire-type had never felt more disconnected from the rest.
No. Her main worry now was on what to get him.
Having trudged up to where the fancier shops were located, Vulpix continued onwards, peering through the window of a shop selling apparel for exploration teams. She was instantly reminded of how—two years ago—she had given him a new bandana, much to his amusement. Apparently, he had just bought a new one then. Nonetheless, he had worn her bandana more often than his own, though she suspected it was just to please her rather than because of preference.
Yes, he was wearing that bandana when they buried him too.
And last year… Last year, she wasn't even conscious for Christmas. She had already prepared her present beforehand—a silver pocket watch—but she never got the chance to hand it over. The watch now resided on the table in her room, though it had stopped working for some reason.
In spite of herself, Vulpix's eyes trailed upwards to the mountain which she loathed so much. To think, it was actually visible from where she was standing! The snow-capped peak looked quite small and harmless from this distance, but she would not be fooled. She knew of its sinister nature, and even now, the fire-type was sure it was mocking her.
"I hate you," she spat bitterly in its direction. Here she was, talking to a mountain. She must be going insane. The Deerling who stared at her before scooting away in a fright clearly thought so.
"Vulpix…"
The fire-type turned around quickly to find a Torchic, an oversized shawl wrapped around her neck. Despite this, the chick was shivering slightly as she gazed at Vulpix with a dismal expression.
"You should stay in the Guild, Amber. The weather's not very forgiving today," Vulpix uttered softly, turning back towards the shop. "Don't listen to the others if they tell you to keep an eye on me. I'm fine."
"I came here of my own accord," she replied, taking a few tentative steps towards Vulpix. "You speak of the weather, and yet you're here without even a bandana or scarf."
Vulpix flinched at the word 'bandana'. Slightly irritated, she spun around once more to face the Torchic, lips curled back slightly in a snarl. "Fire-types shouldn't be afraid of the cold."
The fox saw Amber recoil slightly, and she immediately regretted her words. The Torchic had been teased quite often by the others for her susceptibility to the cold. Though the teasings were done in a playful manner—and despite having laughed it all off—the Chick Pokémon had once secretly confided in Vulpix that she was hurt by all the comments.
"I'm sorry, Amber. I wasn't trying to insult you or anything." She walked over to the shivering fire-type. "I'm just saying that you needn't worry about me. I'm merely trying to find a present for Rio."
Amber looked startled at this. "But…" she began slowly, clearly trying to choose her words carefully. "Rio…? That's…"
Vulpix heaved a sigh. Amber was evidently unwilling to broach the subject. "I know he's passed away. But that doesn't mean I can't get something for him, does it?"
"I'm not saying you can't, but at the very least, you should wait for another time. You've been sick the past couple of days, and I know you haven't been sleeping well lately either."
That was because Rio had been appearing in her dreams again, and she would wake before she could ever reach out to him. Still, she didn't mind the lack of sleep. "I'm fine. And actually, you should be glad I'm up and about. Nurse Chansey has been telling me to get some exercise."
"But…" There was a moment of hesitation. "Why don't we go back first, and then tomorrow, the whole Guild can come out together to do all the shopping? You do know that we've been given tomorrow off so we can prepare our presents, right?"
Having been detached from anything related to the Guild for so long, Vulpix was, of course, unaware about this piece of news.
"I'm sure everyone would want to get Rio something too. If you join us, we could ask you for advice on what he'd like." The Torchic regarded Vulpix timidly before adding, "After all, you knew him best."
The fox considered this for a moment as she moved her eyes up towards the sky. It was getting late. She had chosen this time to shop hoping that she wouldn't have to deal with the crowds, but clearly her plan hadn't worked. Shopping tomorrow with the others wouldn't make much of a difference.
"All right," she said resignedly.
Amber's eyes went wide, as though not expecting the red-furred Pokémon to agree so readily. She quickly readjusted her expression into a cheerful smile. "Great! Let's head back, then!"
Vulpix shook her head. "Actually, I would like to pay Rio a visit for a while… You go on back first."
"Oh… okay." For a moment, it seemed as though Amber was about to ask if she could tag along, but then decided against it. To Vulpix's surprise though, Amber removed her shawl and pulled out an item which was wrapped within it. She held it out to the fox, who saw that it was the watch she'd meant to give Rio last year.
"Here, Vulpix; an early Christmas cheer for you!" she said, slightly breathlessly. She looked a little apprehensive as Vulpix stared at the watch in wonder. "We fixed it up for you. The others wanted it to be a surprise on Christmas Day, but I told them you might notice its disappearance."
Vulpix bit her lip, overwhelmed with emotion. "Thank you so much…" She took the watch gingerly and placed the chain around her neck. The metallic surface of the watch was cold, but there was a certain warmth radiating from it all the same. The mechanical ticking felt like a heartbeat separate from her own…
"It's the least we could do for you," Amber said brightly. "And don't worry; this isn't supposed to be your Christmas present. You'll be getting a little something from everyone, I'm sure; not to mention all the events the Guild's lined up for us…" she continued, even flapping her wings a little in enthusiasm. She looked heartened at the fact that Vulpix had opened up slightly today. "Well, I'll see you later then, Vulpix!"
The fox waved goodbye as Amber headed towards the Guild. She had barely taken a few steps when she turned around again. "And… uh… tell Rio that we said 'hi', okay? We all miss him too…"
Vulpix nodded with a small smile. The Torchic beamed before disappearing into the distance.
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It only occurred to Vulpix much later that Amber might have misunderstood her words. Perhaps the feathered Pokémon had assumed that the vulpine was heading towards the graveyard. However, when Vulpix had said that she was going to visit Rio, she had meant the place where it all began—or perhaps 'ended' would be a better word?
To her, Mt. Snowcap was Rio's final resting place, despite his body having already been retrieved and buried at the local cemetery. And—what with the bright stars up above illuminating the terrain, and the surprising calmness of the vicinity—she was sure her hunch was right.
It must have been him watching over her, for she had not encountered a single Pokémon on the way up. It might even be that she was completely alone on the mountain that night.
She was fine with that.
Despite the excellent conditions for a hike, each step that Vulpix took felt tremendously heavy. The further she went, the more painful it became. The place was filled with bitter memories, and these recollections only served to fuel Vulpix's hate towards…
Towards what, exactly?
Whom or what should she blame for the loss of her partner? The question had played in Vulpix's mind constantly, and she was still unsure of the answer. She hated the client who requested for help on this mountain (he was successfully rescued hours later by the team who also saved Vulpix. Why was he hiking up the mountain so close to Christmas anyway?). She detested Fate for sweeping Rio away in an avalanche (why couldn't she have been swept away too?). She despised the mountain for existing in the first place.
It wasn't as though they did not know the risks of becoming an exploration team. Danger came with the territory, and they were prepared to face any perils which might come their way. Yet, surprisingly, it wasn't often you would hear about deaths—especially not this Guild, which dealt with minor cases most of the time.
Indeed, Rio was the first member since the Guild's opening to have died on a mission. His was also the first fatality in Mt. Snowcap. Thus, to those who did not know the Emanation Pokémon, he had become nothing but a statistic.
Furious, Vulpix kicked a rock off the cliff edge, biting her lip as she struggled to stop herself from tearing up. Before her time with Rio, she had once been part of an exploration team consisting of three other members. Perhaps it was because of the group's largeness, but Vulpix felt she never really belonged. There were many hugs passed around when she announced her decision to drop out, but she secretly questioned their sincerity.
She then sought her luck in another guild—her current one—and was paired with Rio. He may be occasionally smart-mouthed, perhaps, and fancied a little bit of mischief once in a while, but they were in perfect synchrony. Vulpix of the past might attribute it to the fact that there were only two members in their team, but she now pinpointed it to the chemistry they shared.
And now he was gone. Never mind the fact that she no longer had a teammate—the Guild was hardly important anymore.
He was gone.
The fox raised her muzzle towards the star-filled expanse above, tears now blurring her vision. The overwhelming grief was making her light-headed, and she fell forward, getting a face full of snow as she broke into sobs. Her heart was aching, and she was weak. Attempts at staggering to her feet proved futile, and she gave up at last as she continued to wail into the night.
Had she known the pain she'd be going through now, it might have been to everyone's benefit if she had stuck with her old team after all. Rio would probably still be alive… But it was too late for regrets. It was always too late for regrets. And it was an undeniable fact that the days she had spent with him were the best days of her life.
Vulpix forced her head up; the spot where Rio had died was just ahead… if she could just walk a little bit more…
Before she could try to get up, it dawned upon her that there was a figure a short distance away. Her heart froze as she squinted, trying to identify who the stranger was. If it was a ferocious Pokémon…
Even through her blurred vision, Vulpix could start to make out the stranger's features. But it was not possible. For the slightest of moments, she had indeed been wondering what a miracle it would be if the unknown Pokémon turned out to be Rio. She had hoped for it to be Rio. And yes she could see now that it was Rio and he was walking to her and this couldn't be real and she was probably dreaming again.
Rio looked exactly as he did from the time he passed, with the exception that he was not wearing any accessories now. His face bore an expression of wonder—or was it surprise? She wasn't sure, but that was hardly important.
With all her fatigue and pain magically gone, she leapt ahead and bounded towards the fighting-type, knocking him down to the snow. He was warm, tangible, and very, very real.
Her eyes moistened with renewed tears. "Rio?"
And now he was crying too as he gripped her paw. Warm, tangible, real. "I've missed you, Pix…"
The momentary fear of this being just a case of mistaken identity faded away. This was indeed Rio. By some miracle, they were together again… "You have no idea just how… how much…" The fox sniffed, too overwhelmed to form a coherent sentence.
"I do," he assured, gently lifting Vulpix off himself as he stood up again. "You shouldn't have been dejected, Pix… I'm not worth mourning over." He reached out a paw to wipe away her tears. "Your health is more important, but you haven't been taking good care of yourself…"
"How could I, after what happened? And… you would have done the same if I were the one buried in the avalanche, wouldn't you?"
Rio sighed and averted his gaze, staring vacantly towards something in the distance. "Yeah… you're right. I would be devastated if you died." A tear trickled down his muzzle and splashed silently onto the snow.
Vulpix stared at him, still a little dazed. The Riolu looked sad about something, though she wasn't sure what. At this point, she couldn't really think rationally anymore. "You're back, aren't you? You won't go away this time?"
Rio remained silent for a moment before making an effort to dry his own eyes, apparently trying to delay his response. "I… I promise to stay by your side forever, yes," he said at last, to which Vulpix beamed. "But I can't stay here…"
The fox's smile faltered. "What do you mean? Don't try giving me some stupid nonsense about… about how you would live forever in my heart or something, Rio!" she said hastily, tackling him down to the snow once more before sitting on his chest to ensure he could not escape. "You're here right now, aren't you? I don't know how you were able to come back from the dead, but that shouldn't matter, right?"
Rio smiled ruefully, caressing her cheek gently. "Vulpix… there's a place I know where we can leave everything else behind and live happily… I promise it's the most beautiful place you'll ever know, but… will you come with me, Pix?"
Vulpix blinked, stunned at this sudden proposal. "But… what about the Guild? What about our home right here?"
He shook his head regretfully. "There's no returning… we can't go back anymore…"
"Oh…" Though she did not quite understand, Vulpix refrained from probing further for fear that he would leave without her. If it meant being able to be together with Rio again, she was willing to leave her home. "Well, yes, I'd love to go with you! But Rio, don't you want to stop by the Guild before we go, at the very least? I'm sure everyone would love to see you again…"
At the mention of the Guild, she was reminded of her encounter with Amber. "Oh, and I've also got this Christmas present for you!"
Vulpix reached a paw towards her neck, but to her horror, she found that the watch had disappeared. "No, I dropped it!" She hopped off Rio and began to sweep her paws around the snow frantically. "Where did I drop it?"
"No, Vulpix," he interrupted softly, pulling her to face him. "We can't bring anything to where we're going, but I promise that you can find absolutely anything you might want over there." The Emanation Pokémon faltered, averting his eyes again. "And… we can't go back to the Guild either. But don't worry… I'm sure they'll understand."
"But…" Vulpix looked around again, slightly distracted by the disappearance of her present. "The watch…"
"It's okay… I really appreciate you getting me something even though I'm… you know… And I've prepared something for you too—just wait till you see it," he added sheepishly. It wasn't often Rio got embarrassed… the sight of it made Vulpix smile. "Come on then… we shouldn't linger around any longer…"
Vulpix nodded, and Rio beamed. Before they moved though, the Riolu turned to stare at something far off once again. It was odd, but despite the joy he was emanating, there seemed to be some sorrow in his eyes. Curious, she followed his gaze.
Though the mountain terrain seemed empty at first, Vulpix soon spotted something curled up in the distance. It was strange how she never noticed it before, when she was hiking up the mountain. It seemed to have manifested out of nowhere, quite similar to how Rio had appeared.
A split second later, it occurred to her that the figure was not moving. "Oh my…" She tugged at Rio's arm lightly. "I think someone has fainted over there! We have to go and help!"
Before Vulpix could dash off, Rio jerked her back hurriedly. "No, we can't, Vulpix!" he said in alarm. "Let's… let's just go… come on…"
She stared at him in surprise. "We can't just leave the Pokémon there! We're an exploration team, Rio! It's our responsibility too!"
"We're no longer part of the Guild…" Rio scratched his head, looking flustered. "We have to go…"
"You knew someone was there, didn't you? You were looking in that direction…"
"Yes, but…" He sighed. Though he was constantly eyeing the figure earlier, he didn't seem to want to look in its direction anymore. "It's too late. I've already checked. It's too late. We can't do anything."
"That's… that's horrible…" she said, looking at the figure.
"I tried, Pix… I really did, but…" His voice quivered heavily, but he quickly tried to disguise it by falling into a coughing fit. Vulpix was startled to see that he was tearing up once more. "There wasn't anything I could do…"
Vulpix nuzzled his side gently. "Don't be upset… It's not your fault. These things happen, right?"
"Thank you…" He gripped her paw once more, forcing a shaky smile. "At least we're together again. Come on then, Pix… Someone will come and discover—" he jerked his head towards the dead body "—so let's just head off now. We can't afford to wait anymore. Are you ready?"
Vulpix smiled as she nodded.
"Ready."
Under the starlit sky, the two then left. Snow began to fall lightly again, and soon a small layer of white was covering the body they had left behind. All was peaceful and silent at the mountain, with only the soft mechanical heartbeat from the object on the deceased's neck piercing the quietude.