Sun and Moon (a 'Pokemon X/Y' fic)
Disc.: I will never ever own a great series like this one, so for now I'll to settle on writing fics like this one.
A/N: So, since a reviewer by the name of GarionRiva bitched and moaned about me limiting Luca to just his current team, I'm gonna try something new…obviously, this reviewer has never heard of playing the game with a favorite team…just like so many of us Pokemaniacs out there in the world. Anyway, this chapter should hopefully put an end to their crying about not switching up the team and I really hope the rest of you don't hate me for doing this so late into the fic.
Ch.16- Loss and Gain
The whole forest was silent as everyone, human and Pokemon, mourned the loss of one of their own. Luca was still crying profusely as Wallace just held him close and also cried for the death of the strong Water/Ground Pokemon; though it saddened everyone, it devastated the brunette Hoenn Champion as he just stood looking down at his Swampert's unmoving body.
After an hour of sobbing, Luca allowed the other Pokemon to take Prilivnyy's body into the forest and give it a proper burial. Ground Pokemon dug a deep rectangular ditch while Grass Pokemon made a bed of soft grass and moss; Rock Pokemon made a tomb to surround Swampert's body and protect it from the elements, and Fairy Pokemon wove together vines with flowers that Grass Pokemon helped supply them, the vines being wrapped around the tomb to give it a beautiful appearance instead of just pure stone. The Ground Pokemon then moved more dirt on top of the stone tomb, while more Grass Pokemon covered the dirt with greenery…the Legendary Pokemon had also pitched in to help with the burial, Terrakion making a grave marker out of a large piece of rock he summoned with his Rock Type power. Diana then used a pink diamond to etch a message into the stone, the other Pokemon and humans watching with rapt attention until she was finished a few minutes later.
The other Pokemon moved aside to allow Luca to read what was written, the brunette Hoenn Champion still letting tears fall from his shale orbs.
'Here lies Swampert, a true warrior until the end.
May he find eternal rest with Arceus, and be remembered for his selfless effort in protecting all of us.'
The brunette Hoenn Champion stood still for a few moments, all other Pokemon leaving the young Trainer to grieve in peace and silence…the teal haired Gym Leader was the only other one present with his fiancé, Riley and Anna having already gone back to their hotel in Lumiose City. Ash also left with his Pokemon, Pikachu sitting on his shoulder as Clement and Bonnie also followed him out of the forest; when the sun finally set, Wallace and Luca left the grave behind while trying their hardest not to cry again.
When they got back to their hotel room, the two lovers just decided to go to bed…neither of them feeling up to doing anything else after the day's events.
(Next morning)
The teal haired Gym Leader was currently eating breakfast in the lobby, the quiet atmosphere soothing his depressed spirit a little bit. The brunette Hoenn Champion appeared fully clothed a few minutes later, his hair in disarray and his clothes wrinkled...he looked like he'd just thrown on whatever was lying around and didn't really care that his clothes were messy.
Wallace just looked at his depressed lover, the silence being what was needed so they just quietly sat there while going through the routine of breakfast…Luca choosing not to eat due to sadness still heavily overtaking him. As he thought back on yesterday's events, he thought of how much he cried; after allowing the events to replay in his mind over and over for the last 20 minutes, anger and hatred towards Yveltal settled in his heart.
Luca knew that if it wasn't for that damn Dark/Flying Pokemon having gone on a psychotic rampage, then Prilivnyy would still be alive and on his team right now instead of buried in the heart of the King's Forest. However, the brunette Hoenn Champion refused to allow his hate towards Yveltal show in front of his lover so he finally ate a Pecha Berry that was sitting in a basket on the table the two lovers shared.
The silence was the most welcome part of their morning, and Luca reveled in it as much as he could.
(3 months later)
The brunette Hoenn Champion was still mourning the loss of his Swampert, his health being neglected as he refused to eat anything or spend time with his Pokemon. By this point, Wallace wasn't sure what to do about his dearest fiancé's behavior and declining health; his Pokemon were also starting to feel like they didn't matter, the same Pokemon that made Luca so happy were now feeling like they were the reason he was so depressed.
Feeling at a loss for what to do, the teal haired Gym Leader walked over to the nearest videophone and dialed a number he knew by heart. After a few rings, Jessica picked up the phone and smiled at Wallace; Norman had also heard the ringing and joined his wife a few seconds later to talk to the teal haired Gym Leader that would soon be their son in law.
"Hello, Wallace! It's certainly a surprise that you would call us instead of our only son. How are you two doing? Enjoying your vacation in Kalos?" the brunette woman asked Wallace, her eyes sparkling with cheeriness.
"Hello, Jessica…it's good to talk to you as well. As for our vacation, it's taken a bit of a depressing turn."
"What do you mean, Wallace? Has something bad happened to Luca?" Norman asked the teal haired Gym Leader, causing Wallace to allow sadness to appear in his eyes.
Deciding that they had the right to know everything that happened, the teal haired Gym Leader told them everything that had transpired…including the death of Luca's Swampert. By the time he was finished telling them everything, both parents were crying and holding each other as the brunette Hoenn Champion walked over to his lover when he heard his parents crying the moment he got within earshot. He could only guess that his lover had told them about what happened with Prilivnyy, and even though he wanted to be mad at Wallace for telling them…he just couldn't find it in himself to feel anything other than grief.
After all, Luca was still torn up over the whole incident, even after 3 months he still couldn't get over Prilivnyy's death…and who could blame him? The brunette Hoenn Champion had pretty much raised Swampert ever since he was a little Mudkip, the two of them having become best friends over the course of their training to become the strongest that ever existed…not to mention the fact that Prilivnyy was Luca's very first Pokemon. How does one move on from losing someone like that?
Seeing his parents so sad made the brunette Hoenn Champion feel even worse than before; it was enough for him to be devastated about the incident…but to see his parents crying about something that Wallace had told them occurred made his stomach do uncomfortable flips.
When everyone had stopped crying, Jessica decided to tell her child something she herself had been notified of only days before this phone call.
"Luca, honey? I can understand where you're coming from…my Pokemon, Liepard, passed away 26 years ago. She was my very best friend in the whole world. I caught her as a Purloin and we just got along so wonderfully; she evolved when I was in danger of being attacked by an Ariados as a young girl. When she died, I could hardly bring myself to do anything other than hole up in my room and cry for days on end. At some point, I realized that she wouldn't want me to mourn over her death for the rest of my life…so I moved on, but it was hard to do. Anyway, that's not what I was gonna tell you."
"Then…what is it, mom?" Luca replied sadly, his voice quivering slightly as he was doing his best not to cry in front of his parents…the brunette woman deciding to continue with what she wanted to tell her son.
"I received a document from your uncle Reggie 4 months ago, and it says that he has a Pokemon Sanctuary in his hometown of Veilstone City, which is located in the Sinnoh Region. As you know, he's been traveling around to other breeding facilities all over Sinnoh to share his knowledge with beginning breeders…he sent a copy of his will to us, and it says that he has entrusted both the Sanctuary and all of the Pokemon that live there to you. He would've left it to your cousin Paul, but that boy has disappeared to who knows where and he has no idea where he's gone."
At hearing the news, Luca tensed up at the thought of meeting other Pokemon that his uncle had supposedly left him as an inheritance gift…true, it sounded nice to have another Pokemon, but it also felt really saddening because it meant that he'd have to replace the empty slot in his party with another Pokemon.
"I'm not saying that you should forget about your loss, but at least come check out the facility for yourself and see what Pokemon live there. We can meet you at the Sinnoh Airport whenever you're both ready to leave Kalos, and perhaps this will be a good thing for you. Luca, just please don't let your grief consume you and hold you back from letting your heart heal."
The brunette Hoenn Champion knew deep down in his heart that he couldn't stay here in Kalos at the moment, so he nodded at his mom and she took that as a sign that they'd be leaving soon. When the screen went dark, Luca sighed and just kept looking at the blank screen with a haggard expression; Wallace grabbed his lover's wrist gently and led him back to the hotel room so that they could pack whatever clothes they'd brought, the silence between them the only thing that was welcomed by both lovers.
(2 days later)
The airplane landed in the Veilstone Airport, Jessica and Norman waiting patiently for their son and his fiancé. The two of them were still sad, but they both knew that this would only help their son in the end…and that it would also keep Luca from heading down a path to self destruction through grief and pain.
A few minutes later, Wallace was waving them over while the brunette Hoenn Champion just looked like he was ready to pass out from exhaustion. After choosing to eat very little for the last few months, his body was pretty much running on energy reserves that all humans have inside themselves. Jessica hugged her son and he hugged her back as best he could, all four of them getting into the back of Norman's jeep as the Petalburg Gym Leader started up the engine. After a minute or two, all of them were heading down the road to Reggie's house.
(Reggie's House)
When the jeep pulled up to the nearest fenceline, a few Girafarig and a couple Skiddo came running up to see who had come to visit. Norman walked up to the Pokemon and gently patted them on the head, all of them letting out chirps and squeals of happiness at being visited after such a long while.
Luca just stared out at the massive field that stretched into a forest and even beyond, his parents ushering him into the house; Reggie had also left instructions on how to get inside using a spare key that he kept hidden under a rock near the house. Said rock turned out to be a Geodude instead, the Rock/Ground Pokemon recognizing them from a few visits they'd had years ago and happily gave them the spare key.
Wallace decided to take his lover into the field out back and both were greeted by many Pokemon, they were all the Types currently known to humans; Jessica and her husband had opted on just looking around the house to make sure nothing had been stolen or destroyed, Luca feeling slightly at ease but still really depressed and sad.
The teal haired Gym Leader decided to let his own Pokemon out to get some exercise, all his Water Pokemon grateful as they went off to see all the other Pokemon. The brunette Hoenn Champion also mirrored his lover's actions and let his own team mates out to stretch their legs; Tiānshàng was definitely thrilled to be able to fly around again after being contained inside his Master Ball for the last few months, the emerald Dragon Pokemon letting out a loud roar of gratitude as he moved through the sky with a huge grin on his face. Latias also took to the sky, a smile on her face as she reveled in the feeling of fresh air caressing her body.
Luca's other Pokemon were also happy to be able to run around again, all of them feeling sad for their master but grateful for the exercise. Lorien, however, had decided on staying with his master and helping him feel better; Wallace allowed Gallade to stand on Luca's other side, the teal haired Gym Leader knowing that Gallade could sense their Trainer's emotions and would try to help them move past any pain they were feeling.
As the three of them stood around looking at all the other Pokemon, which numbered in the hundreds, Lorien picked up a few extremely strong energy signatures located beyond the east side of the forest. Wallace noticed that Gallade was looking off to the eastern edge of the forest, his own curiosity piqued as he watched the Psychic/Fighting Pokemon sprint off towards the trees; watching his Gallade run off sparked something in Luca, the brunette Hoenn Champion feeling that if his Gallade ran off then he'd never see him alive again.
"Lorien, come back!" Luca said with sadness in his voice as he ran off after his Gallade, all the other Pokemon watching him as he tore across the grassy field in a panic. The teal haired Gym Leader ran off after his lover, a smile on his face as he chased after him.
(Eastern Forest Exit)
Lorien had finally reached the source of the energy signatures, Luca finding him not even 10 minutes later and Wallace reaching them both a couple minutes afterwards himself. They all looked at what had caught Gallade's attention, the brunette Hoenn Champion and teal haired Gym Leader shocked at what they saw.
Inside a blocked off section of fence were 3 Pokemon: a shiny Charizard, a Lucario, and a 3rd Pokemon that had its' back turned with a cloak covering its' body…only a long, purple tail could be seen poking out from under the bottom of the cloak. When all three Pokemon saw the humans standing there, they immediately stopped their group training session and stared at the two humans.
The 3rd Pokemon also turned to look at them, and they were surprised to see Mewtwo standing there with a passive expression on his face. Each of them was wearing either a collar or bracelet around their neck, on their wrist, or on their upper arm…Mewtwo gauging Lorien with an appraising stare. He looked away when they heard the sound of Norman's jeep approaching them, the Petalburg Gym Leader and his wife walking out of the car when Norman had pulled up and put it in park.
"Luca, are you alright?" Jessica asked her son, the brunette Hoenn Champion turning to look at his mom and nodded. The brunette woman walked up to her son and hugged him, Luca sighing into the embrace and doing his best not to cry again. After a few more minutes, Jessica released her son and grabbed the paper that Norman had brought with him when he walked up to his wife and son.
"Honey, while we were looking through the house we found a secondary letter attached to Reggie's will. You deserve to know what it says, seeing as it's about you." The brunette woman opened the letter and began reading it aloud to everyone present, even Wallace and Lorien.
"Luca, I know that being on a Pokemon journey is difficult and dangerous. That being said, I have complete confidence and faith in your ability to soldier on through this tough time in your life; as such, you will need strong Pokemon to keep you safe and company throughout your journey…so, I have left you 3 incredibly strong Pokemon to help you take on life's obstacles. They live in a fenced off section of field beyond the eastern side of the forest.
One is a shiny female Charizard named Miki, she was hatched from an egg I got in my younger years and carries some of the most powerful attacks due to her breeding. They are: Blast Burn, Fly, Dragon Claw, and Overheat.
The next one is a Lucario, his name's Auron. He was abandoned as a Riolu by his Trainer, and eventually found his way here; I took him in and raised him as best I could, and we developed a very strong bond. He's strong and fast, and can hit hard when needed. He knows the following attacks: Aura Sphere, Flash Cannon, Dragon Pulse, and Drain Punch.
And lastly, you will find Mewtwo. I happened across him at the edge of the forest near Sandgem Town, and he looked like he'd been through some rough times. I offered him a home with me and the other Pokemon, and though he seemed reluctant to accept a human's kindness, he eventually came with me. Since then, I've kept him away from the other Pokemon to give him time to heal his wounded body and soul…as well as his heart. He has the following attacks: Psychic, Moonblast, Recover, and Shadow Ball.
It is my greatest hope that you take them all with you, I've told them that you will need their help and they are prepared to see you through the end of your journey…perhaps even beyond. Please, dear nephew, take them with you and grow stronger alongside them. The bracelets/collars they wear hold their Mega Stones, whenever you find them, so use them to make the bond between you even stronger.
I hope to hear of the bonds you forge with them very soon.
-Reggie."
All of them stood there quietly, Luca unable to believe that his uncle had left him such a generous gift. The Sanctuary and all the Pokemon living there was already a lot to receive, but to think he'd gotten 3 battle ready Pokemon to help him finish his journey…that was pretty hard to believe.
Lorien just assessed the three Pokemon carefully, each of them also eyeing him in case any of them wanted to fight.
"Luca…what's wrong, honey? Aren't you excited about getting 3 strong Pokemon?" Jessica asked her son, but he just stared at the 3 Pokemon he was torn about taking on his journey or leaving behind. Mewtwo just stared at the saddened brunette Hoenn Champion, his Psychic abilities allowing him to read what was in the boy's heart with ease.
"He is…torn as to what he wants to do. In his heart, he doesn't want to disappoint Reggie by refusing to take us along, but he also doesn't want to betray the memory of his deceased Swampert by replacing him with other Pokemon; he feels as if he'll be disrespecting his deceased friend if he takes another Pokemon in his place." Mewtwo said passively, Luca looking at him with shock in his eyes before letting more tears fall down to the ground.
After spending an hour of crying, Norman gave his son the Pokeballs the Pokemon were kept in: a Moon Ball, a Dusk Ball, and a Heavy Ball. Luca used them to recall the 3 Pokemon and placed them on his belt, Lorien soon joining them as well as Tiānshàng when he flew towards where the brunette Hoenn Champion was standing. When the sun setting had caught their attention, Norman and Jessica decided that it would be best if they all stayed the night at Reggie's house instead of going to a hotel.
That night, Luca had nightmares of his Swampert dying in front of him as he cried loudly and wished that it was all a terrible joke. Wallace woke up more than a couple times to the sound of his lover's loud crying or pained screaming, so he just pulled him into his arms and held him against his body so that both of them could get some sleep.
For the first time in 4 months, Luca finally drifted off into a peaceful sleep…even if said sleep came with many tears.
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T.B.C.- Whew, 12 pages…haven't written a chapter this long in such a very long time. Anyway, I promise the next chapter will come soon so just please hold your horses until then.