I'm not my brother, unfortunately; can't be bothered to think of witty one-liners for the header.
Maybe iNeed To Respect My Brother More Often; nah, that's too hard.
A/N: Sorry it took so long, but our stances are quality over quantity, and this chapter went through one large overhaul before I was satisfied with how it went along.
A/N:
Hi there, readers, this is Trixie.
You know, Sandy's younger sister? His co-editor, spellchecker and whatnot?
Arceus, he really needs to introduce me more.
So, anyways, Sandy's on a temporary hiatus, working on a new school project. Hilarious, I know, but here in Singapore, there's way too much to be done; even on the first weeks of school. In fact, I should probably get back to finishing that Chemistry worksheet that's due tomorrow… ah, screw it, I'll do it later. So, yeah, I've taken over the author's role just for this week, and, hopefully, I don't disappoint you guys.
On a side note, Sandy wants me to tell you that he'll try and get the next chapter out as soon as possible, although he can't really make promises, thanks to his commitments.
That's my spiel. Chop-chop, the show's starting! Grab your seats, turn off your phones, and Altair, pass me the clip-on microphone, right about, now!
The stage lights beamed down on the set, as a figure stepped into it from offscreen.
"Hello there, audience!"
A girl in fancy, glitzy clothing, a glowing black necklace, and knee-length combat boots stepped into the spotlight. She tossed her ridiculously long and pale hair over her shoulder, and gave a dazzling smile that was so disarming, even Darkrai would fall if he glanced at her.
"It's me, your favourite talkshow host, Mary Sue!"
As she walked towards the centre of the stage, a Jirachi floated down, landing in her arms.
"And this is Altair, my Jirachi! Professor Birch gave him to me when I was going to start my Pokémon journey, since I was sooooo late, I missed out on the three starters! What luck, huh?"
The two stared at the camera for a moment, before bursting into laughter.
"Nah, I'm just screwing with you people. Roxy, you can drop the illusion."
In a flash, the being formerly known as Mary Sue disappeared, replaced with a Zoroark, who turned around, the teenage girl with mousy hair leading back-to-back with it standing up straight and holding a hand up in greeting.
"Sorry about that. It's me, Trixie. Since the ban on making things seem as realistic as possible has been lifted, courtesy of my darling brother,"
Off to the right side of the stage, a dark brown-haired boy poked his head in, and yelled, "I'm very sure I didn't lift the ban on you using that nickname!"
"…My idiot brother, who should really learn to keep himself out of my limelight, I decided to play a little prank on you people. Now that that's over with, Roxy?" she turned to her Zoroark, "Sic him."
"Ha-hah," The Zoroark stretched her fingers, "This'll be fun!"
Speeding towards him with a Pursuit, the boy turned, before disappearing off-camera, Roxy right behind him. The sound of crashing accompanied his next few lines. "Woah! Hey, stay back! Hershey, help me!"
Ignoring the scuffle that was likely happening backstage, she made her way to the podium located directly in the middle of the stage, the Jirachi following her.
"Status report, Al?"
"They're all on the sofa on your left."
"Good. Okay, then," she snapped her fingers, "Light 'em up!"
The floodlights, well, flooded the stage, bathing the rest of the stage in a bright yellow light, illuminating the sofa, and its occupants.
Still sound asleep.
They were positioned in such a way, that Calem was leaning against the side of the sofa, Serena was leaning on his shoulder, and Shauna was splayed out on both their laps. On the other side of the sofa, Tierno had one hand around Trevor, with the other holding Trevor's hand out at full length, as if they were doing the waltz in their dreams.
(A/N: I'm an AcarameladoShipper. Don't judge; I know you ship them two too)
Trixie's crowning moment of awesome quickly fizzled up, as she facefaulted onto her podium's stand, Altair laughing his legendary arse off to the side.
"The effects of the Sleep Powder haven't worn off yet, huh?" she said, disgruntled. "Al, couldn't you have, oh, Audino, warned me about this first?"
"I told you that was an overdose."
A Kirlia wearing a headset walked in. "Frankly, I don't recall why you people ever have to resort to knocking them out manually. Can't you just ask them nicely?"
Just as quickly as she had slammed her head onto the podium, it rose up with a smile. "Oberon! Good to know you've recovered from your Teleport cooldown!"
"It doesn't exhaust me as much, now that I'm a Kirlia," he said with a shrug, "So that's to be expected."
"Speaking of being a Kirlia," Altair pulled a small stack of index cards from under his headdress, "The Fans have some questions for you."
"And since we can't question your teammates or your trainers right now, we're going to have to question you, then!"
Taking his assigned spot on a special chair for him on Trixie's right, he leaned forward and put the crooks of his elbows on his knees. "Strange, I expected Sandy to be at the helm. What happened to him?"
"No, Hershey, that's not a very attractive Wigglytuff, snap out of it! Hey wait, don't attack me!"
The boy from earlier ran across the entire full length of the set, a Togekiss with hearts in his eyes, and a Wigglytuff that had once been Trixie's Zoroark in hot pursuit.
"…That clarify things up for you?"
"Yep. Hit me with the questions."
"Sweet. Let's see, first up," Altair scanned the card, "Few questions from a source who wants to remain anonymous. Let's see, here, the basic questions, birthday?"
"Conception or hatching?"
He read the question over. "He didn't specify."
"I suppose he means hatching, so June 21."
"Favourite colours?"
"Shades of white and yellow; vanilla or cream, if you want to be specific."
"Favourite music?"
"I don't actually listen to too much music. Probably just the average pop or so."
"Favourite food?"
His eyes lit up. "Pudding! Definitely; I don't remember when Sir Calem introduced it to me, but I've been hooked on it ever since."
"That's it from this guy."
Altair proceeded to toss the card away.
"That's all? Huh, that was surprisingly tame." Oberon remarked, leaning backwards.
"Compared to the questions your trainer's going to receive later, you should be thankful." She gestured for Altair to go on.
"Another anonymous messager asks, 'I find it quite odd that you didn't react so negatively to becoming a Kirlia, especially with how you look and all. Mind sharing your thoughts?'"
Oberon looked himself up and down once, before replying, "What's wrong with how I look? I mean, yeah, I guess I do look a bit more feminine than I'm used to, but it's all part and parcel of growing up for members of my species. We all become Kirlia at some point in our lives; Mum, Uncle Orion, all of us. Besides, not many people discriminate against male Kirlia and Gardevoir like they used to, so, all in all, there really isn't much to worry about, being a Kirlia."
"Well, in a continuation of that, Animesrock145 asks, 'Dear Oberon,Will you become a Gardevoir or a Gallade? While Gardevoir has Mega Evolution, Gallade has the more masculine body. So which one will it be? I must know!'"
"Hang on." Oberon intertwined his fingers. "Gardevoir has a Mega Evolution? That's news to me."
"You haven't found out about it in-story, well, yet."
Sandy ran in from the left side of the stage, before getting blasted by an Aura Sphere.
"Itwassupposedtobenextchapterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-"
The ensuing crash left little to one's imagination.
Oberon cringed. "Are you really just going to leave him like that?"
"Well, excuuuuuuuse me for trying to milk my limelight for all it's worth." Trixie waved her hand. "Besides, it's fun to mess with him."
"Funnily enough, that applies to the last question. But, Oberon, answer yours first."
"Well, it's kind of a mixed bag. I mean, well, both evolutions are the epitome of their respective areas, at least in my eyes. Gardevoir are experts of psychic energy and utilizing illusionary acts, while Gallade are honoured as the master fencers of the Sinnoh region, where I hail from. Although, now that someone's revealed that Gardevoirs can Mega Evolve, it's looking like a pretty good future evolution."
He twiddled his fingers. "But, if I'm entirely honest with myself, I'd choose to be a Gallade. There are a lot of Gardevoirs out there, but the Gallade are few and far between, which makes them kind of revered in our communities. A bit of a status symbol, if you will. Uncle Orion chose to become a Gallade for exactly that reason, and I think I might just follow in his footsteps."
He paused before waving his hands in front of him. "Not to say I'd mind becoming a Gardevoir. It's just, when you've got a choice between two wishes, you'd pick the one you'd desire most, right?"
A beat followed, before he turned to the Jirachi, "Now that you mention it, Altair, I wish for a-"
"Not gonna work, buddy. Trixie has me on coffee-watch, and I don't want to go back to sleep again."
"Oh, come on!"
"Next question! FlameTaJaDoru asks, 'For no particular reason, who do you like more; Blair, or Fia?'"
"Blair. Fia, if you're watching, sorry, but Blair's been with me longer, and we're siblings, so, naturally, I'm more attached to her. No offence."
"And your final question," he turned the last index card, "Anonymous (seriously, why do they like staying anonymous?) wants to know, 'sandy, is oberon and blair a representation of you and your sister?'"
"Oh Arceus, not the Sucker Pu-"
Once again, Sandy was launched across the entire length of the set, smashing into Calem, before flipping over to the back of the sofa.
With a jolt, or more specifically, a painful hit to the head, Calem woke up. Due to the minor concussion he more or less received, he only heard fuzzy bits and pieces of the girl's voice that followed.
"That's pro-" *bzz* "-ur answer, and now-" *bzz* "-I have to questi-"*bzz* "-guests, so, thanks fo-" *bzz* "-eron!"
Shaking his head, he blinked once more before his vision cleared up. He looked up to see, standing next to a podium, in between where he sat and where Oberon was, a brown-haired teenage girl in a blouse and skirt, next to a- was that a Jirachi holding index cards?
Needless to say, he tensed up.
"Oberon, who is she? And why does she have a Jirachi?"
Calm down, sir. All will be clear in a while.
Oberon proceeded to stare at his master, before nervously admitting, Actually, now that I'm looking at you, I think you might want to start panicking.
It was then he felt two very distinct pressures on his left shoulder, and-
She's on my lap, isn't she?
Yep, sir.
Crap.
"Nana? Nana, wake up…"
Shauna felt someone gently shaking her shoulder.
"Nana, please wake up…"
Dissatisfied with the shaking, she turned her head to the left, such that she was lying on her back, with a slightly small, but comfortable, pillow that was rising the longer she stayed there.
"Ack!"
Wait. What kind of pillow rose?
Slowly, she opened her eyes, to be greeted by Calem looking directly down on her. Judging by his extremely red face, something had happened that was either making him very angry, or likelier, very, very embarrassed. But what?
Wait. Directly down… that meant she was lying on his lap, right over his-
"KYAH!"
She burst up so quickly, her head slammed into his, giving Calem the second concussion of that morning, but at least, just like the afternoon two days before, all the blood rushed from down under to his head.
Falling to the ground, she rolled over, effectively kicking Serena in the shin. Serena herself woke up with a start, flailing her hands out and accidentally elbowed Trevor in the small of his back, by and by proxy, Tierno, who got up, pushing Trevor onto Serena's lap.
To sum it all up, at the end of this chain reaction, all five were sprawled out on different parts of the sofa.
Rubbing her head, Shauna propped herself on her elbows, before looking at in the direction that wasn't the sofa. Another brunette, the one standing on the podium, tapping her feet against it expectantly, raised an eyebrow and smirked. "So, you guys done?"
After getting onto a more comfortable seating arrangement, with Tierno and Trevor sitting between the two girls and Calem, she continued her spiel. "Welcome to the show! I'm going to be grilling you for the sake of my enjoyment, and I expect a correct answer, or-"
Trevor cut her off. "Will you at least please tell us where we are? And why us?"
Calem rubbed his forehead, before continuing. "For that matter, who are you?"
She waved her hand, "Introductions, introductions, whatever; just get my darling brother to do it."
From behind the sofa, a boy shot up, surprising those who were seated on it right now. "Okay, seriously, what is it with you and that nickname?!"
She turned back offstage, before calling, "Oh, Foxy? You know what to do!"
A Zoroark quickly sped onto the scene, before dragging him off, ignoring the yell for help.
"And that's what'll happen to you, if you refuse to answer my questions with nothing but the truth!" She said, with a venomous smile, "Any objections?"
What remained quickly dissipated, as they sank into their seats.
"Now, before any more interruptions, Calem," she said with a flourish, "Your first question, and its many variations with the same meaning, comes from Gyop, who asks, 'what the heck man? You've admitted that Serena is beautiful, even said stuff about shauna, and they like you, yet why haven't you made a move yet? Like with the "indirect kisses" come on man.'"
The two girls turned to look at him. "You have?"
"Damn you, how did you find out?!" He cursed, before holding his hands in front of him for defence. "Look, I know what you're thinking, and seriously, I get it; I'm just not interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with the either of them just yet!"
He opened his hands wide. "I mean, it's not that I don't like them at all. I do, I swear, but I'm not looking for love so soon. Besides, it'd make our journey even more awkward, since the third person would be constantly on the outs if two of us hook up and…"
He turned to look at them directly. "I don't want that to happen. You two were friends when I first came along, and I don't want my inclusion to cause a rift between you two. So, while I appreciate the fact that you two are after me, I don't want to commit to either of you until I know for sure who I want to commit to, and that the other is fine with it."
Silence ensued, before he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Also, to be honest, I don't really know who to pick, either. Both of them have their attractive points, as you've so kindly pointed out."
He didn't have to say anything else to know he had succeeded in clarifying his name.
The grins from the three girls present were enough verification for that.
A slow, steady clap emerged from the host, who set the index card she was holding to one side.
"Well, isn't that romantic. Although, speaking of meeting them, Golden Owl wants to know, 'What exactly led to the whole Shauna/Calem/Serena situation we have now? I mean, we know Shauna and Serena have obvious crushes on Calem, but what on earth led to those crushes developing? Why do Shauna and Serena respectively like Calem?' Interesting; I forgot to ask Sandy that, so I guess I'll hear the answer straight from the source!"
Shauna blanched. "Wait, is it really that obvious?"
Judging by Trevor's 'are-you-freaking-kidding me' expression, the answer would probably be, yes.
"Well, about two months ago, Mum and I came here from Undella." Calem jogged his memory, "She asked me to make new friends once we finished packing, so I went over to the neighbour's."
"That's where I came in!" Shauna raised her hand. "I opened the door for him, and we kinda hit it off straight away. Since C-Sharp was looking for friends, I brought him along to our meetings, and got him introduced to the rest of them."
"Owing to the fact that he was, well, rather endearing," Serena tapped her chin, "We opened up to him near-immediately. It was maybe, I don't know, two weeks into it that I actually started getting interested into him."
Tierno knocked his temple. "Wasn't that when you started to play those chili pranks on him?"
"The less about it being said, the better. Anyways, why do I like Calem? I guess, well, he's just really nice to everyone. Even though I might've put him through some harsh stuff once in a while, like, that one time I sent Tierno and Trevor after him when he accidentally ruined my favourite hat, he still isn't holding a grudge or a vendetta against me."
She turned to look at him, and smiled. "He's just desirable, in that nice guy-ish kind of way, I guess."
Shauna twiddled her fingers, "I started falling for him when I first saw him. Call it love at first sight; it's horribly cliché, but it's the truth. I didn't outright tell him, but I did confide in Serena sometime down the road."
She puffed her cheeks out. "I wasn't that happy to know I had a rival."
"Neither was I, but we eventually settled on an agreement; it's up to see which of us can get Calem to fall for our charms first." Serena concluded.
By this time, Calem was turning his own unique shade of red. "You're turning romancing me into a competition?"
"More or less; a two-month long competition."
"I'm guessing that counts as the answer to his next question, 'How long has this situation been going on for?', so we'll skip that."
Flipping to the next card, she announced, "From 1997, the question, 'Calem, how do you feel about you being in the centre of a love triangle?'"
"…You know, honestly, while I should be annoyed with that revelation, I'm just a bit thankful that it's just a love triangle, and not a decahedron. I've heard stories of other people who have multiple suitors, so it's a much better fate to have two people I personally know."
"And finally, from FlameTaJaDoru, Calem, would you prefer Oberon to evolve into Gardevoir or Gallade?"
"Whatever he'd like to be." He nodded at the Kirlia, "He's a better judge of what he wants to be than I am."
Thank you, sir.
You're welcome.
"And that's it for you, Calem! Up next, a question for Serena! Oh, this guy again, 'What do you think of Calem? (After the shower incident)' Gyop asks."
"Well," Serena turned a slight shade of pink, "Depending on whether he took a peek,"
At this, Calem crossed his arms, and frantically said, "I didn't, I swear!"
"Then, good. My opinion of him hasn't changed in the slightest."
"Next question; FlameTaJaDoru would like to know, 'Have you ever thought about wearing a pink hat and a pair of white glasses to match Calem's?'"
To this, Serena cringed. "I'd like to return that question with a question; how does he know about my favourite hat?"
"Just answer the question."
"Well, then, yes, I did, a few times. Unfortunately, I don't have my hat anymore."
Trixie shrugged. "Good enough for me. Next question's from him is for Shauna; 'Have you ever watched fireworks alone with a boy before?'"
Shauna tilted her head to the side. "No. Why do you ask?"
Trixie grinned, in that 'I-know-something-you-don't' kind of way. "I'll tell you later. Or not. Anyways, to both girls, your next question comes from Blaze storm, who asks, 'Do you have a plan to make Calem like you over the other girl?'"
To the side, Oberon giggled. As a direct result of his evolution, he was able to read the emotions of Calem and his friends much more clearly.
And he was fairly certain, that while both girls promptly answered "No.", one girl was praying, First girl wins, first girl wins, first girl wins, first girl wins…
"Okay, so, now, a question for Tierno. FlameTaJaDoru (huh, this guy's popular) wants to know 'What inspired you to build a Pokémon dancing group?'"
Tierno pondered the question. "Well, back when we were about twelve or so, my parents took me to see a Pokémon Musical out west in Unova. When I saw those Pokémon performing their moves onstage, I instantly knew that I wanted to teach Pokémon to dance!"
He tapped his feet. "Of course, it's ridiculous to teach Pokémon to dance when I couldn't dance myself, so I decided to learn dancing when I came back home. Mademoiselle Caron was very supportive of it, and so, she taught me a few basic styles of dancing, and the rest, as she would put it, is history!"
They all shared a brief laugh, before Trixie continued, "Alright, next question's for Trevor, from the same person. 'If you live in Lumiose, how do you hang out with the others on Aquacorde without running into wild Pokémon?'"
"I avoided the grass and stuck to the pathways when I could. Even if I did step onto the grass, wild Pokémon wouldn't attack me."
Oberon looked directly at the camera. "Chapter 5; I did my fair share of exposition there."
"And finally, a last-minute question." She turned to the original power trio. "From JYDP, 'To Calem, Serena and Shauna: What do you think of the strange incidents you keep getting into with each other, such as bumping in the elevator, the shower slip, etc. Do you find them bothersome or maybe even enjoy it?'"
The two at opposite ends of the sofa looked away, while Shauna looked down into her lap.
"I've, I've been embarrassed far too much outside my comfort zone." Shauna admitted.
"Even I'll admit this is not how I'd like to seduce Calem. I prefer to work it out the normal way." Serena concurred.
"I'm getting injured no matter what I do, you tell me." Calem sighed, before he perked up. "Hey, wait, how do you know about those inci-"
Trixie flung the rest of the index cards in the air. "Well, that's the show, everybody! Let's-"
Right then, Altair's headdress started to vibrate, as a buzzing sound came from within. Retrieving his phone, he looked at the new message.
"Oh, right, we've got to answer a ton of questions for people and Pokémon not in-studio from FlameTaJaDoru…"
Trixie stared at the phone as well, before she grinned mischievously. "Bullet time?"
"Bullet time." Altair nodded.
"Forward that message to me! And I wish that everyone will answer FlameTaJaDoru's questions as soon as we ask them, and that we have the power of instantaneous teleportation!"
Altair's third eye opened, and writing appeared on two of his wishtags.
"Berry?"
Blair opened the fridge door. "Niichan, where are you?"
She closed it, upon which Altair, who Blair was certain hadn't been behind the door when she opened it, appeared.
"Kyaaaah!" If she had actual arms, they were likely to be pointing at the Jirachi. "Who are you?! And what have you done with Berry-nii?"
"Berry, gotta remember to use that later, and I'm Altair. Pleasure to meet you. Now, out of curiosity, who do you like more as your master? Fantina or Calem?"
"Um, Maîtresse Fantina, but- wait, why are you asking-"
"Thank you, gotta go!"
The fridge door opened on its own accord, and closed again, upon which, the Wish Pokémon had disappeared.
"Is niichan a weirdness magnet or something?"
"*cough* Please don't *hack* surprise me like that."
"Sorry about that, mate." Altair patted him on the back. "Didn't think I was going to send you into a choking fit."
"No problem." Almond scooped up some river water to drink, before turning to the new arrival. "So, what brings you here to my abode?"
"I need to ask you a question. What do you think of your teammates, Oberon's and Blair's, relationship?"
"Their relationship? Well, it certainly is a cordial one, which is surprising, since they're siblings."
He crossed his arms. "Then again, back in the playrooms in Lumiose, the other Chespins were very competitive for berries. Brother against brother against brother against that one sister against brother; I was lucky to get anything when they were done with it. I might have a warped view of sibling relationships, sorry. Still, it's nice to know they're so close, even after they've been separated for so long."
"I see, thanks for your answer." His eyes shifted over to the plentiful trees. "Mind if I have one?"
"Go ahead."
Plucking a Pecha Berry, he nodded in thanks before snapping his fingers and teleporting away.
Fia turned around to see a Jirachi materializing in her room.
"It seems I have a visitor. Hello. It's an honour to be visited by a Legendary Pokémon."
Altair took another bite out of his Pecha Berry. "How'd you know?"
"I'm starting to feel these weird vibes whenever certain Pokémon come close. Right now, it's just my friend, Oberon, and you."
"Your latent Psychic powers. You'll see. Anyways, I'm here on behalf of someone to ask you a question."
"Go ahead. I'm not stopping you."
"Sweet. Okay, how are you liking your new form?"
"It's fairly nice, although the twig in my tail," she pulled it out, setting it alight, "Makes sitting down a bit harder than usual."
"I see."
"Out of curiosity, why such a question, though?"
"Well, you've changed more than the other three boys who've evolved."
"It's to be expected. Pokémon naturally mature, both physically and mentally, when they evolve; I just so happened to have matured the most."
"I see. Well, then, thank you for answering." Altair said, as he swallowed the rest of the Pecha, before snapping his fingers.
"*yawn*"
Skye rubbed her eyes with her wings. It's a brand-new day, a brand-new morning, and that's a brand-new Jirachi over-
She squawked in surprise and fell out of her alcove.
"Ah! I'm falling! Someone help meeeeeeeeeeeee!" she screamed, before her expression turned deadpan. "Wait a minute, this is silly. I can fly."
Spreading out her wings, she slowed her descent, and landed on a low-lying branch. Upon which, she looked up to see the same Jirachi gently floating down to where she was.
"Sorry, that was a complete accident."
"You call surprising me in my room a complete accident?" She swept her wing in its direction. "FYI, that's my room, and I had it all the way up there for a reason!"
"Well, can we let bygones be bygones? I need to ask you a question."
"Fine. Ask away."
"What have you been doing lately? Because I rarely see you these days."
It took a while for the gravity of his words to sink in, and for him to realize the brevity of the question. "Uh, wait, that came out wrong. It's-"
"Beg your pardon?!" she squawked, "Have you been spying on me?!"
"N-No! I mean, it's not me who's- Argh! I should have phrased that better! Excuse me!"
As Altair disappeared into the folds of space, Skye facepalmed (or should that be facewinged?).
"Yikes, is this what it's like to have a godly-level stalker?"
"Interesting. A Legendary appears to me to ask me a simple question?"
"Indeed, I have."
"I suppose, then, it is the first question, the oldest question in the universe, hidden in plain sight. If that is the case, then the answer is just as simple; his name is the-"
"No!" He cut in. "Not that question. Chronos has already bugged me halfway over the cosmos when it was answered. Rather, what are your opinions about Serena and the rest of the crew?"
"Serena's a fairly gracious trainer. As for my teammates, they are sufficiently amicable, although they could use a bit more acumen."
"Do you think you'll fit in?"
She folded her small arms. "I am a staunch believer in ameliorating myself, so if I am to catch up to them and, as you say, fit in, I should persist in my efforts. Not gasconading or anything, but I believe Serena should be delegating me in battle more frequently."
"Okay, you can stop with the sesquipedalian loquaciousness."
"Says you."
Altair was about to reply, before he stopped, mid-pause.
"Touché." He admitted, before snapping his fingers.
"Wow, I look good."
When Altair had warped into the next Pokéball, he ended up face-to-face with a carbon copy of himself, down to the two wishes written on his wishtag.
"Well, as much as I'd like to look at myself, I suppose you can drop the act."
Shapeshifting back into his normal, purple, blob form, Meta asked, "So, how can I help you?"
"Question for you; how did you end up in the Santalune Forest, anyways?"
His expression remained neutral as he replied, "Ditto randomly spawn at different places around the world. Most gather in a certain area, such as the Desert Underpass, or the Pokémon Village here in Kalos. I was making my way towards it, and Shauna captured me."
"Well, that's fairly anticlimactic; I expected something more mysterious."
"It's just that. Not every Pokémon has a mystical backstory."
"Okay, then, bye." Altair snapped his fingers.
"Ooh, who are you?"
Altair waved a hand in greeting. "Hi! How do you do?"
She leapt in the air after him, "Ooh, I'm fine, thank you!"
"Kthx, bye!"
The Jirachi disappeared as soon as he appeared, leaving the Skitty a tad more confused than she already was.
"Ooh, he didn't even ask my name!"
"Kat, you'd better not be in here!"
Hearing no response except the sound of running water, he threw open the curtains to find a Jirachi under the showerhead.
And wow, Fontaine was tounge-tied.
"Oh, why, hello there, cutie-"
"I'm a dude." Altair interjected.
"Seriously?!"
"I can prove it; here, let me just-"
"No need, no need! I'll just take your word for it!"
"Now, what do you think about Kat, your teammate?"
"Kat? I can tolerate her, but she annoys the hell out of me!" He pointed at the open doorway, "Now, since I've answered your question, can you please step out and let me shower alone, before you annoy the hell out of me as well?"
In response, the Jirachi snapped his fingers, and disappeared.
"Hey, you took my loofah!"
"Where is it?"
Eugene checked the basket again. "Strange, I coulda sworn I left it around here somewhere."
"Looking for this?"
He turned around to see a Jirachi using one hand to dry himself with one of the constantly restocking fluffy towels, and holding up a loofah with the other. "Hey, hey, where did you come from?!"
"I thought you were lonely, so I decided to drop in. I found this while I was looking for you."
"Hey, hey, thanks!" He graciously accepted the loofah, before adding on, "I'm not that lonely, though; have everything I need right here."
Atair put the towel down in the basket. "But you don't seem to have any teammates."
He crossed his claws. "I have friends outside Tierno's troupe. I can live with being the only member of his team, anyways."
"Whatever works for you, I guess. Nice talking to you."
As Altair turned and teleported, Eugene looked at the black-and-blue shower accessory.
"Hey, hey, this isn't my loofah…"
TanabatAir joined the game.
TanabatAir - Hi there!
PewDieChu - hey. who's this?
TanabatAir - A fan. You don't mind if I join your PokéCraft server, right? Or if my friend joins?
PewDieChu - sure. might not b on9 all d time, tho.
TanabatAir - Yay! Thanks a lot; I've left you a present.
PewDieChu - cool. where is it?
A loud hiss resonated throughout Sparks' headset. Knowing exactly what was going to follow, he turned around and got ready to swing his sword.
TanabatAir - There it is! Seeya!
What he didn't expect was the giant horde of Creepers that were all flashing and hissing.
TanabatAir left the game.
He removed his headset, watching as the red 'Game Over!' screen came on.
"Holy crap…"
*ding-dong*
"Coming, give me a minute!"
Grace threw open the door, well, not literally, but you get the point, to see a brown-haired girl, with a PDA in one hand.
"Bonjour, Madame! I'm Trixie, from the Lumiose Press! Is Monsieur Valentin Lambert home?"
"Valentin?" She shook her head. "He's currently away on tour in Sinnoh; he'll be back in about two months."
"Ah, I see. Alright, sorry for disturbing you. Goodbye."
With that, she turned, and left.
Grace sighed as she closed the door. "Wish he'd come back soon."
"Knock knock! Professor Sycamore?"
"Come on in!"
He turned around on his chair as a brown-haired girl tossing a PDA from one hand to another entered his office.
"Bonjour, Professor Sycamore! I'm Trixie, from the Lumiose Press, here to do an article!"
He clapped his hands. "Go ahead. Ask away!"
"Can you give us a little bit of insight about your relationship with the famous Rhyhorn racer, Grace Culpepper, and her husband, the magician Valentin Lambert, before they got hitched?"
He sweatdropped. "Wait, how-"
"Anonymous sources, who are VERY reliable, so tell us everything."
He straightened his coat and loosened his collar. "Where do I start? I was a suitor after her heart when we were still in our early twenties; so was he. Back then, she was the only semi-famous one between us three; I was finishing my studies under Professor Rowan, and he was an up-and-coming magician, at best."
He walked to his desk and picked up a photo frame. "Our first meetings were in Hearthome City, quite by coincidence. I was attending Valentin's magic show, when he called the both of us up to participate in a mind-switching hypnosis act. After the show, he met up with us separately, and invited us both to lunch the next day. We spent that afternoon chatting away, and I was pleasantly surprised to know a fellow man from Kalos."
He set it down, before turning with a determined look in his eyes. "Of course, since we were so young, hormones were running high across the place. The two of us, me and Valentin, turned from good friends to rivals for affection, and while I would've like to say I won, well…"
He looked out the window wistfully. "You should know that her son just recently began his own journey across Kalos."
"And your relationship now?"
"Well, we'll still friends, and while Grace's in Vaniville, Val's who-knows-where in Sinn-"
It was then the door to the Professor's room opened.
"Professor, Dexio's on break, so I-"
Sina paused. "Um, Professor am I interrupting anything important?"
Trixie's smile widened. "No, you're not. In fact, I've got something to ask you!"
She turned and confronted the purple-hair. "What do you think about your partner-in-crime, Dexio? And I mean it in 'that' kind of way, if you catch my drift."
Taken aback, she stuttered out, "N-Now look here, I-"
"Oh, and just in case you want to deny it, I have pictures of your diary I can and will publish if I detect one lie in the confession you're going to make in the next" Trixie checked her watch, "Ten seconds. Speak wisely."
Fiercely-blushing, Sina retorted, "How did you even- it was hidden under– my diary is off-limits!"
"Tick-tock."
"Okay, fine! I- I do like him, because he's, well, so, um, adorkable- there I said it!" She shouted out that last phrase.
"Good enough for me." Trixie agreed, before she walked out the office door.
Professor Sycamore stared at her quizzically. "How long-"
"Near the end of our journey."
"Ah, finally."
He watched as Tiki's blushing face appeared on the screen, as she confessed her love to his avatar.
"Whatcha' doing?"
It was then Dexio noticed the brunette who was staring over his shoulder.
"Oh, Fire Emblem: Awakening?"
"Yes, but who are you and how did you get into my-"
"Didja know? Donnel can't get Astra or Lethality, and," she scrolled down the support list, "By the looks of it, neither will Yarne."
His jaw dropped so fast it cricked. "WHAT?"
She straightened up and waltzed over to the door. "Go check it online. You'll know I'm right."
As the door slammed behind her, she started counting down from ten as she walked away.
At the three-second mark, a howl erupted from the apartment building, and Trixie teleported.
Viola leaned back on her chair. It was a slow day at the gym, with only one challenger who didn't even pose much of a threat.
Seriously, she thought, how do you lose to a Surskit with a Pikachu? Ah, well, it's kinda slow here, so I guess I'll pay a visit to the Chateau. Probably tomorrow.
She sipped her limonade, as a brunette spiralled down the rope.
"Bonjour!"
Viola recognized the PDA as one of those used by the Lumiose Press. "So, you're here on behalf of my sister, are you?"
"Well… yes, and no." she saluted, "I'm actually here on behalf of Gym Freaks, and I'd like to ask you a question one of our viewers sent in!"
"Well, sure, go ahead and shoot!"
"Exactly how old are you? No, like really?"
Her face turned dark. "I'd rather not answer that question."
"Okay, she seems to be suffering a mild case of memory loss. Perhaps I'll come back later." Trixie fastballed, before she dashed towards the stairs, avoiding the bottle of limonade thrown her way as she fled.
"Yes?"
A bearded man in overalls opened the apartment door. "Can I help you?"
"Hello!" the brunette said, "I'm here on behalf of Gym Freaks. Are Gym Leader Clemont and his younger sister, Bonnie, in?"
To this, he turned around and called into the house. "Clemont! Bonnie! You have a visitor!"
Down the stairs the siblings went, Bonnie and her Dedenne reaching the bottom floor just as Clemont got out of his room.
"Geez, *huff* a year travelling around, *huff* and I'm STILL out of shape." He panted, as he finally reached the bottom of the three-storey house.
"So, you called?" Bonnie chirped.
"Yeah, just gotta ask a few questions. Okay," she turned to the older of the two, "First off, Clemont, do you have a special someone in mind, or is it that you're not interested in girls?"
"Okay, stop, let me clarify something." He pointed at himself. "I'm only thirteen. I won't say I'm not interested in girls, but I don't have any particular interest in them, either. I'm much more attuned to my inventions."
"Then, Bonnie," she bent down to look at the girl, "Have you ever thought that maybe your brother is interested in guys?"
Clemont reacted the same way nearly every other boy his age would react: outright panic. "Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-What is that supposed to mean?!"
Bonnie, on the other hand, tapped her chin. "I always thought he liked girls; does that mean I should start widening his options?"
Limone scratched his head. "Now that you mention it, that does look like a distinct possibility… Especially that one time-"
"Oh, you guys are SO EMBARRASSING! Clemontic Gear, on!"
Instead of a random gadget popping out like it should've, the electronic bag fizzled weakly, and nothing else happened.
"Wait. What happened to my Aipom Arm?" he said, as he swung the bag around to take a look.
BEEP.
"Uh oh."
BEEP BEEP BEEP!
"Not again!"
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
"Oh, screw this, I'm outta here!" Trixie yelled, as she warped back into the folds of space.
When their hosts popped back into the studio, less than a minute had passed, courtesy of the time-traveling properties of Jirachi's teleportation abilities.
It's a big ball of timey-wimey stuff; don't dwell too much on it.
"Phew! Thank Arceus that's over! I thought we were-"
A loud explosion sounded out from outside the studio.
"…Never going to get those answers!"
"I'm on my last wish. You know what to do."
"Right!" She turned to him, "Altair, I wish you could grant three more wishes!"
At once, writing appeared on the third paper, before it, and the writing on the other two papers, faded, leaving his wishtags clear once again.
"Well, that's the show, everybody! Let's have a round of applause for our dear hostess and her Pokémon!"
Nothing happened.
"Our dear hostess and her Pokémon!" she repeated, before turning backstage. "Foxy, that's your cue!"
The cued canned applause came with the press of a button, which Sandy was holding as he walked on stage, looking slightly worse-for-wear.
"Ack! Sandy! How the hell did you get past-"
"Foxy? It wasn't easy, I tell you." He brushed off a few black hairs along his shirt, before smoothing it, and his hair, down. "But flattery will get you anywhere; even with Pokémon."
Shauna tilted her head quizzically to the side. "Okay, who are you, anyways?"
Trixie coughed before speaking into her mic. "I guess a proper introduction is in short order for the two of us. I'm Trixie Woo, and this is my brother, Sandy. He's the one chronicling all of your stories up to now, and knows everything that is know about you five, from your birth up to now."
"Wait. If you know all of our life stories, doesn't that mean you'd know all our secrets?" Trevor pointed an accusing finger at him. "And wouldn't that mean that this question-and-answer session has been relatively pointless?"
He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I needed to answer a few questions to the people reading this, and this was the only medium I could do it through."
"Incidentally," Trixie pointed at the camera, "Everyone out there is watching you. Say hi!"
Beat.
"To put it another way, we're revealing all our backstories on national television. And this guy's the cause of it."
A laugh from Trixie followed. "Yep! Ta-ta, guys! Have fun with my darling brother!"
And then she was gone, having walked off the set.
Leaving Altair, still serenely staring at the assembled group; Oberon, uncomfortably sensing the gargantuan amount of hate spreading throughout the room; Sandy, only realizing the implications of his actions through a fearful epiphany…
Oh, and five very incensed teenagers.
"Altair, I wish for time to turn back to the night before, and that no one else retains their memories!" Sandy yelled, before bolting.
"GET HIM, NOW!"
As writing filled the wishtag, Altair glowed with a brilliant light…
Before it died down, and he pulled out his phone to dial a number.
"Hello, Chelsea? I'm initiating Plan KC."
"On it, Alty! I'll be there as soon as I can!"
He dialled a separate number, as Sandy continued his run.
"HARK! IT IS I, CHRONOS, DRAGON OF STEELY LORDING OVER TIME! HOW MAY I BE OF ASSISTANCE, SQUIRE ALT-AIR!"
"It's Al-tair. Seriously, I don't know whether you're doing this on purpose."
"SO IT IS! FORGIVE ME, FOR I, CHRONOS, DRAGON OF MISPRONOU-"
"Yeah, I'm just gonna stop you right there. I'm initiating Plan KC. Now."
"THINE REQUEST IS STILL MOST VEXING, BUT IT IS NOT I WHO SHOULD-"
"Just do it."
"SO IT SHALL BE! WHOOSH!"
"Couldn't you make it any faster?" Sandy yelled, jumping to the side to avoid one of Tierno's full-body tackles.
In response, he shut his phone, before announcing, "Your wish is granted."
As an Uxie burst onto the set, the flow of time halted, before shifting.
*swish*
"Oi. Oberon."
The Kirlia turned over in his sleep.
"Oberon. Wake up."
He turned over again, coming to rest at his original position.
"OBERON!"
"Kyaah!"
He sat up with a gasp, before looking at the being that was hovering in the middle of the room.
"Altair? Arceus, don't scare me like that, well, again!"
The Jirachi shrugged, before snapping his fingers. "Your reward's in the fridge; just thought I'd tell you that."
Sure enough, when Oberon opened the bottom drawer, it was filled to the brim with Golden Gummis.
"Sweet." He broke one in half, chewed on one half, and tossed the other to the Legendary. "Here, catch."
Altair caught the golden delight in midair and ate it in one full swallow. "Thanks for the treat, Berry."
"No problem. Now, let me get back to sleep. We've still got a full day ahead, even without the talkshow."
Altair snapped his fingers and disappeared once more in a short flash of light, as Oberon finished the Gummi and headed for the bathroom.
He paused once he realized:
"How did he find out about Blair's nickname for me?!"
Our Personal Cadre
Shared
Name: Altair
Species: Jirachi
Approximate level: 80
Ability: Serene Grace
Current choice of moves: Protect, Body Slam, Iron Head, Wish (Paraflinching FTW – Haterz gonna hate)
Trixie's Companion
Name: Foxy
Species: Zoroark
Approximate level: 66
Ability: Illusion
Current choice of moves: Night Daze, Focus Blast, Grass Knot, Sucker Punch
Sandy's Companion
Name: Hershey
Species: Togekiss
Approximate level: 52
Ability: Serene Grace
Current choice of moves: Dazzling Gleam, Air Slash, Aura Sphere, Flamethrower
(23/01/14) A/N:
Oh come on, Trix, I am not THAT big of a cosmic plaything!
*sigh* Really, I shouldn't have made that promise not to explicitly change anything in her script.
Ah, well, at least this is purely in-story. I can't really change anything now that she's finished it, so I'll just give a preview for the next chapter, coming in about… three weeks or so.
Pains me to say it, but I'm a student first, and a writer second.
Next time, on The Kalos Chronicles...
You probably know who's showing up next.
"Good morning, children. I am Diantha; actress, breeder, and champion."
You probably know what's going to follow.
"Oh! If only everyone were like her – what a beautiful world this would be!"
And at the end of it, Oberon will gain a new rival.
"O valkyrie of the doomed rebellion… In the depths of despair, sing us to victory! Lucky Chant: Libra!"
But then again...
So will Blair and Fia.
Join us next time, for Chapter 15: Soleil Luna!