Secrets of the Night
DISCLAIMER: I Do NOT own Pokemon!
Chapter 20: Dreams and Premonitions
The sky was red as blood with patches of black clouds staining its crimson shade. Amongst the barren trees, an ill wind lingered, filling the air with the essence of death. Muffled screams resonated all around, but the voices rapidly died down into an eerie silence.
Aeron stood in the midst of a desiccated soil with tattered feathers and withered leaves drifting aimlessly in the cold breeze. It was nothing like he'd ever seen before. But for some strange reason, it all felt so familiar.
Suddenly, a blood-curdling shriek shook the air and ground. On instinct, Aeron ran towards it, determined to know where it came from, where he was, and why was everything so familiar to him.
The scenes around him blurred in slow motion, but many were still distinguishable; from the line of plain wooden houses to the silhouettes of creatures fluttering all around. Aeron kept on running till in a blink of an eye, he came across a trembling child in front of a massive winged creature with ghostly blue eyes.
Aeron stepped forward but was blinded by a sudden flash. When he opened his eyes, the colossal creature vanished, and a mysterious man appeared, approaching the child. Aeron drew closer to find out who it was but somehow his feet froze midway. He could only see the stranger's lips move, but no words came out.
"Who are you?" Aeron called out. His feet began to move again, but before he could come close enough, a pair of violet claws grabbed his arms and pulled him away.
Aeron struggled to break free but to no avail. He wanted to know who or what grabbed him, but there was this ominous frigid aura emanating from behind that prevented him from doing so. Instead, he focused on the events transpiring in front.
The surroundings were plunging into the shadows, including the child and the mysterious figure. Now everything was swallowed in a sea of black, and the sinister claws that bounded him, grew into long energy-like tendrils, coiling tightly around him.
Another shriek pierced the darkness, but this time, it resonated with no animosity and the boy knew whom it came from.
In an instant, Aeron woke up, sweating, heaving and trembling unconsciously. He now was staring at the wooden ceiling in dark, back in his room in the Main Fortress. Beside him was his Noibat, looking over him, frantic and concerned. Noir had been calling out to Aeron ever since he noticed him tossing and turning violently in his sleep. It was a wave of relief when the boy finally woke up.
Aeron was quiet. He took deep breaths and laid his arms over his head, shielding his eyes. The images of the nightmare were still lingering in his mind. He kept repeating to himself that it was only a bad dream, and that nothing like that ever happened. Even if it felt like he was lying to himself.
Noir felt at a loss. He wasn't some psychic-type so he couldn't tell what was troubling his partner. All he could do was stay next to him, hoping his presence could provide some comfort and reassurance.
Suddenly, he sensed a presence. Noir's large ears twitched and he spun his head around. Something was there. His eyes sharpened and his fangs bared, letting out a soft growl. In a split second, he saw a shadow shift in the dark corner of the room. Then ultimately, the presence vanished and nothing else in the room stirred.
"Noir?" Aeron called out softly.
The Noibat turned back to the boy but stayed alert. Something had snuck in without his knowledge and this unknown entity could have been the cause of his partner's circumstance. Noir clenched his jaws and nestled close to Aeron. Usually, he would hung upside-down somewhere in the room but he wanted to keep a close watch over him. He settled down beside Aeron's neck with his head resting on the boy's shoulder.
Aeron arched his arm and placed a hand over the Noir's head in return. Then once again, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, unmindful of the possible reoccurrence of the nightmare.
Outside, a figure floated near the window and peered into the room. A dark grin streaked across its face. Around its neck, a pinkish sphere with yellow and grey streak gleamed in the dim moonlight. But as quickly as the entity appeared, it vanished into the shadows.
In another room, just across Aeron's, Faye Lin slept with her Fennekin and Espurr curled up beside her. It was only after, she and Aeron made their way to the dormitory of the Main Fortress, courtesy of Itzal, Lord Altair's Noivern.
They had a quiet dinner in the cafeteria with Aeron being his usual emotionless self, only that he was giving off a bad vibe. Faye Lin felt somehow he was angry about her decision to stay. She never got the chance to tell him the reason for it. After that they headed directly to the dorms where they got settled in individual rooms.
Faye Lin was uneasy staying in a new place, especially one that she knew little about, but due to her exhaustion, she slowly drifted off to sleep, with thoughts of her sister and the struggles she faced that were recorded in the journal.
After their mother's passing, life for a quiet little girl turned from bad to worse, when she was told that she needed to return to Unova. Maya was merely six, only a little more than a year older than her half-sister, but she was about to be thrown out of the home she had known ever since her mother married her stepfather.
She couldn't fully understand it. All she knew was her mother was gone, and that she was somehow no longer wanted by her half-family, specifically her stepfather. Her younger sister was an exception. Faye Lin was her playmate and constant companion inside their castle-sized house.
On the day of her departure, the reality of it dawned on her. Maya was heartbroken. Not only had she lost a mother, but also a warm home and a sister whom she couldn't even say goodbye to. That time, she began to harbor ill feelings for her stepfather. Though despite all that, she endured and locked away her aches and pains deep within herself.
The only time she was able to let them out was through a small leather book that she took with her when she left. Before she used it to scribble drawings of pokemon, but now it was a form of release from all the sorrow and anger she had bottled up. And the recipient of her writings was none other than the person who brought her into this cruel yet strange world, her dear mother.
Towards her, she bore no hatred, only love. After all, it was not her fault that she was driven out. In the first place, her mother was the reason she was able to live in a wealthy family, along with a little sister to play with.
Every day Maya wrote to her in her diary, telling her about the happy times and the sad times as she began a new life in an orphanage located in Nimbasa City, Unova.
It was not all bad. Compared to the other orphanages, the one she stayed in was not some run-down and gloomy convent. It was a well-built shelter with white walls, a pinkish-violet roof and outside, hydrangeas in line bloomed in varied shades of blue and purple. In addition, the food tasted great and the bed was warm and cozy. It was probably the doing of her stepfather, so she realized he wasn't at all bad.
Maya spent the rest of her childhood years within the four corners of the orphanage. In those times, not once had anyone decided to adopt her. She was smart for her age and she was the picture of a frail little princess with ebony black hair, highlighted with shades of blue, pale skin, and aqua blue eyes that reflected the far-off sky. It was because of her quiet demeanor and solitary nature.
Maya was not good with socializing. Many found her to be unfriendly and unapproachable, especially when she gave off a gloomy dark aura. She didn't mind though. She preferred being alone. After all, if she did get adopted, and in the end, tossed out again, it would be devastating. She wouldn't survive going through that ordeal another time.
In contrast to her personality, she had a soft spot for pokemon. Some potential parents would bring some along with them as they decided whom to adopt. But ultimately, the orphanage forbade the orphans for having one of their own. All except for a Stoutland, who was the resident guard dog of the shelter. Unfortunately for the children, the pokemon was not fond of them and was serious in its duty to keep a firm watch over its territory.
There were times some kids snuck a pokemon in, but they were immediately found out because of the Stoutland's keen sense of smell. So in the end, it was as if the children grew up without any pokemon around.
It was worse off for Maya since she rarely spoke to people, let alone kids her age. She always saw pokemon kinder than most people. They don't lie, they don't betray you and most especially they don't desert you. Well some pokemon have tricky personalities, but it was more of a playful nature, not evil.
At the age of fourteen, Maya decided to leave. She was already in her early teens so there was zero possibility of getting adopted. Heck, she was old enough to go anywhere she wanted to. Ten-year olds could go already around the world, why not her?
Maya packed up her belongings, her savings from doing random chores around the orphanage and Nimbasa City, and her precious diary. Then in the dead of night, she took off to wherever her feet could take her.
The city life was too overwhelming for a young girl who grew up in a shelter, so she decided to head for the woods where surely, there would be more pokemon than people. At first, it was easy to get by. Trainers with their pokemon were frequently camping out. So food, warmth and a place to sleep was not hard to find. Then again, she had the privilege to stay in a pokemon center once in a while.
This new chapter in her life was a meaningful experience. Though it was hard, she got to meet and see various pokemon. She got along pretty well with them, like it was the most natural thing in the world. She was especially fond of ghost and dark-types. She immediately promised herself that her first pokemon would be either one of those, but she wasn't going to be picky if her destined pokemon was something else.
Right now, given her current situation, she was in no state to raise a pokemon. She was homeless, jobless and a total stranger to the world around her. There was no reason to drag an innocent pokemon along with her to face the hardships ahead.
Maya travelled from city to city, from town to town. Pokemon centers and travelling trainers provided temporary food and shelter, but she knew she needed to be independent.
Every opportunity, she grabbed it. She did various jobs like baby-sitting pokemon in the breeding center, cleaning at a pokemon mart, and helping out at a pokemon center. She was underage, but people were considerate enough to give her a paying job. Humans weren't as bad as Maya thought.
Eventually, she found herself walking into a familiar city, and a familiar street. The carnival music and flashing lights brought back memories. In time, her feet led her back to the orphanage. The smell of hydrangeas didn't change. Even the gentle-tone of the building's colors remained untouched. That was her home for eight years, longer than her life in the Azril estate.
But she decided to never set foot there again.
Her thoughts wandered. Did her stepfather find out that she ran away? Did they ever look for her? Either way, she had nothing more to do with the shelter or her stepfather. Maya was stronger than before, and she no longer considered herself a homeless child. Well, maybe homeless, but that was all about to change.
With the money she saved up, she bought a small cabin, located in the outskirts of Nimbasa City. It was run-down, leaky and smelled of rotting wood, but it was a home she acquired with her own two hands. Now all she needed was someone to share it with.
Maya spent her days in the city streets, looking for new jobs to raise more money in order to sustain living expenses for herself and her future pokemon.
It was around that time, she heard a rumor about some secret region where they train individuals and give them a pokemon of their own. The training was said to be harsh but eventually, the pay would be great, and the expenses in that place were free. It sounded almost too good to be true.
Semira Isle, as the gossipers referred to it as. Maya saw it as something enticingly mysterious. It was a place far and secluded. Surely, there she could begin a new chapter. She could find a better paying job, a better lifestyle, and a pokemon of her own. There was absolutely no downfall. The hardships that the rumors said were nothing to her. She'd been through a lot. Obstacles were part of her daily life.
Maya gathered the facts and information she needed that led her to a meeting where six individuals, each cloaked in a garb adorning a different symbol, spoke about transporting them to Semira Isle. Maya signed herself up and went back home to pack her belongings.
There was no going back. She bid farewell to her treasured home and left her journal as a memento, as it was already full to the last page. She planned to continue writing but that would be in a new place and a new home, for it was a fresh chapter in her life.
Maya went out and glanced back at the old cabin which she had been living in for almost a year. It was sad to leave her home, but she said to herself that someday, she would return and fix the place up. The house might have looked like trash to most, but to her it was extremely valuable.
Maya walked back to the meeting place, but for a moment, she paused and prayed to her mother in heaven to continue to watch over her. Life was going to take her somewhere far and unknown, but she felt her mother would be happy to see her stand on her own feet and move onwards to wherever the road ahead takes her.
The night was still and the dark heavens were dazzled by a glittering sea of stars, twinkling in a beautiful array. In the west, a crescent moon glowed, sharing its faint light to the shadowed world below.
A young girl sat by in an open stone window to admire the night scenery. Her ebony black hair flowed in the cold breeze as her cerulean highlights shone in the moonlight. She sighed ever so softly as she stroked the back of a slumbering fox curled up on her lap.
"Dearest mother, are you still looking at me from up there?" The girl whispered to the sky.
"Maya, are you still awake?" a soft female child-like voice asked.
"I'm sorry, Lyvette. Did I wake you?" Maya looked down unto her lap to see the small slate-gray fox with blue accents, yawn and gaze back at her with its crimson eyes.
"What are you thinking about? Are you still talking to your mom?" The shiny Zorua inquired.
"I always talk to her Lyvette," Maya replied with a kind smile.
"Why? Are you still lonely?"
Maya picked up her partner and wrapped her arms tenderly around her. "No, because you're with me."
"That's good," Lyvette beamed with a fanged grin. "And don't worry. We'll always be together."
"I know…"
Only a few months had passed since the "choosing" but Maya and Lyvette became as close as can be. It was as if they were destined from the start, given the circumstance of Lyvette. Shinies were ultimately rare so it was a given that many people would want one, especially one that was gifted with Telepathy.
It was the day she had waited for all her life: To receive her first pokemon. The newly advanced trainees were approaching the corral one by one. They panned their choices carefully. And after a couple minutes of thought, they walked back to the crowd with their chosen partner.
Maya wasn't first so she had to wait anxiously for her turn. A boy came over and then went back with a Pansear. He was soon followed by a girl who chose a Tailow. The remaining pokemon looked on with hopeful eyes, but some were already on the edge of their disappointment.
Maya sighed. Looking at the others come and go, and leaving behind the other pokemon, made her recall adoption day at the shelter. Someone comes, looks at her and then turns to another child. It was something she had expected so it didn't matter whether or not she was adopted.
But this time it was different. The pokemon were more eager than children in an orphanage. Then again, that also applied to the potential owners present at that moment. All of them were to be partnered by their first pokemon. It was the highlight of their life.
Finally, Maya's turn came up. Nervously, she approached the band of pokemon and eyed the different creatures carefully. At that moment, she felt guilt. She became one of those foster parents adopting a specific child and leaving the rest in disappointment. But what was she to do? Nothing. She could only raise her chosen partner with much care and love as to the best of her abilities.
Suddenly her eyes caught a trio of black furry foxes in a corner. They were the cutest thing she had ever seen. They had tufts of fur around their neck and atop their heads. Red mark tipped their paws, brows and head. Two were pouncing on each other with mischievous grins, while the third was sitting down, watching its two companions.
Maya saw herself as a child mirrored in the tiny form of the black fox. But what was it thinking? Did it want to be taken in? Or did it just want to be left alone? She could have asked herself that long ago. Maya was a loner but looking back, perhaps she was simply too afraid to expect anything from anyone.
The girl reached out and met the gaze of the little fox in the corner. "Do you want to be my partner?"
The Zorua looked on in bewilderment. The others were just picked and taken away. It didn't expect to be asked, let alone be noticed. Why was this person giving it a choice? What was going to be the little fox's decision?
As they continued to stare at each other, a sort of kinship began to form. Maya saw herself in the Zorua and the Zorua saw herself in the girl. It was no longer a difficult question. The answer was plainly obvious.
"Yes!" The Zorua cried out telepathically, in which Maya was the only one able to hear, as it leaped into its human partner's arms. But what was even more amazing was that the red shades faded and gave rise to a vivid blue color.
"Whoa. That Zorua was actually a shiny!?" A person cried out. Then it was followed by a sea of murmurs and indistinguishable chatter, until Lord Owen, leader of the Warrior unit silence everyone in an instant.
Maya didn't like suddenly being the center of attention, but she was too happy to care. She finally had a pokemon. It was a dream come true.
Maya smiled nostalgically as she got off the window and returned to her bed. She laid her partner next to her pillow and bid her sweet dreams for the next morning was a new day for both of them to face together.
End of Chapter 20
Maya's story is a collaboration with my friend, Vikeila (Who submitted this character)
Maybe I should do backstories for the other OCs too. I seem to be good at it. :D
Wew. 20 chapters already.
No on-going artwork, but I have my own OCs. Any request on who should I try to do?
Lord Altair, Lady Amalia? Kirian? Maybe I could do a group sketch with the pokemon only...
Review again! :)
My goal will be 20th chapter = 50 reviews. XD
Thanks ever so much in advance.