Secrets of the Night
DISCLAIMER: I Do NOT own Pokemon!
Simple filler fluff~
Chapter 71: Decisions and Beliefs
Meanwhile, Corbin rounded a turn and stopped when he was finally out of sight and out of range of the trading post. He was simply passing by to pick up some material for the Warrior division when he saw a scene he would never forget. At the recollection, his face grew hot and he planted his himself against his palm while bundling the metal rods in one arm.
"Arceus…"
"Rio!" His partner jolted him out of his reverie. Holding a pile of metal rods in his arms as well, the Riolu called out to him, encouraging him to calm down. "Rio."
"Y-You're right, R-Ryu…" Corbin breathed deeply. "W-We should head back."
A flying form loomed above the canyons, casting a shadow over the two. Soon it descended and landed neatly in front of the two, a small dust cloud forming near its talons.
"Good timing, Aquilus," Corbin praised and patted the reddish avian's shoulder.
The Braviary cawed proudly before looking down at the Riolu who was making sure the rope tied to the rods were secured. Aquilus walked over and clutched the rope with his claw. Ryu beamed at the eagle-like pokemon and got on his back after the Braviary extended a wing to help the bipedal blue canine up.
Corbin grinned at his two pokemon who were getting along just fine. After the Sky race, the head of the Warrior division, Owen Ragnorr gave him the Braviary as a reward for his performance which he found very impressive, much to Corbin's delight. Hearing such a praise from a highly respected man whom he also looked up to, made him want to train even harder.
"Let's get going." Corbin gripped his bundle under his arm and was about to mount his Braviary when the reddish bird took it from him using his beak and placed it near his claws, next to the other bundle. Corbin grinned at him. "Okay. Just remember to tell me if we're too heavy and you need to rest."
Aquilus cawed proudly and stretched out his wings to emphasize his point. Corbin had only understood a small fraction of the Braviary's personality during the race but after Aquilus had officially become his second partner, Corbin found out how headstrong and stubborn he really was. However, he did display a mature role of an older and more experienced pokemon to Ryu and Corbin's third pokemon.
"We better get home before Fulgora wrecks the house." Corbin mounted on his Braviary and sat next behind his Riolu on the saddle. Aquilus then hovered off the ground and picked up the two bundle of metal rods before taking to the skies, heading eastward.
After dropping off the metal rods to the storage depots, Corbin and his two pokemon headed home. They landed on the roof of the house, Aquilus perching on his newly built roost which was adjacent to the window of Corbin's room.
With Ryu sliding in the open window first, Corbin gave his Braviary a small treat in the form of a Grotle nut bar with some berries and then slid inside his room where he found his first partner on the floor and pinned down by a medium-sized blue feline with a ruffled short black mane and a yellow star-tipped tail.
The Luxio growled threateningly before looking over its captive. Upon recognizing the Riolu, the blue feline leaped back and suddenly met Corbin's gaze. The black-haired teen barely had time to open his mouth before he was tackled to his bed by nearly sixty pounds of fur and energy.
Corbin managed to keep his balance as he caught his third pokemon, ending in a sitting position rather than a sprawled one like his Riolu. As the Luxio fondly snuggled against his chest, Corbin stroked her fur and glanced at Ryu who was massaging his head as he picked himself off the floor.
"You okay there?" Corbin asked.
The Riolu gave a grumbling reply before Fulgora interrupted, popping her head right in Corbin's line of sight, blocking his view of Ryu. The dark-skinned boy chuckled calmly and patted the Luxio's head.
"Sorry, Fulgora. I'll take you out later this afternoon," Corbin promised as the blue and black feline beamed, eagerly bounding out the door and heading downstairs. Sighing, Corbin shrugged at his Luxio's enthusiasm. "I did say later..."
Usually, the seniors were the ones allowed to get an additional pokemon. The Braviary was a gift from Master Owen so Aquilus was an exception. Fulgora, on the other hand, was a pokemon from his mother, sort of.
After the race, girls in his division seemed to flock towards Corbin, much to the teen's dismay because of his apparent shyness around females. His mother thought it was kind of cute. Her son was a growing boy and she explained to him that it was normal. On the other hand, Corbin found it extremely stressful and wanted it to stop.
To compromise, his mother proposed an idea to raise a female pokemon, not like her Mienshao who was a constant sight in the house when Corbin's mother was around, but a constant companion for him to get use to the idea, one step at a time. It will be under her name but in Corbin's care.
Fulgora was the result of that.
After hearing the plan, Corbin was given a couple of Ultraballs to catch a female pokemon of his choice. Semira had a wide variety.
He headed to the vast plains of the Warrior division territory with his two pokemon, Ryu and Aquilus. They stood on a rock formation and watched the herds of pokemon graze around leisurely. There were Zebstrika and Blitzle, Rhyhorn, Bouffalant, Taurus, Doduo and Dodrio and many more.
"How are we supposed to tell the males apart from the female?" Corbin asked himself, swinging his legs absently over the edge.
Ryu stood up from his place beside his human partner and enthusiastically pounded his chest with a paw as if to say to leave it to him. Aquilus rolled his eyes before his senses went on alert and he positioned himself in between his two companions and the untimely arrival of a new company.
Corbin and Ryu turned their heads and instantly took on their defensive stances just as a blue and black blur lunged towards the Braviary with fangs emitting yellow electrical sparks. Aquilus took to the air while Corbin and Ryu darted to either side.
Repositioning himself against a boulder, Corbin looked over the attacker which was quadrupedal blue and black feline pokemon. Its star-tipped tail whipped from side to side as it snarled fiercely. Corbin identified it as a Luxio, basing on his knowledge of the species that were usually found in the area.
"Rio!" Ryu called for his human partner with an excited grin and a wave of his paw. He then pointed at the Luxio.
"That's a female?" The dark-haired boy guessed, earning a nod from the Riolu and another snarl from the apparently female Luxio as it charged towards Corbin in a shroud of violent electrical sparks.
Waiting for the right moment, Corbin jumped and threw his arms up, clasping his Braviary's claws. Aquilus quickly pulled him upwards, making the Luxio miss its attack. It was then that the Riolu charged towards the unsuspecting feline and attacked with Bullet Punch. The swift flurry of attacks didn't deal much damage to the electric-type but it was enough to keep it at bay as Corbin landed back on solid rock and equipped himself with his Garchomp hide gauntlets.
"Ryu, switch!" He cued and his Riolu swiftly leaped back, using Corbin's shoulders as a springboard before backflipping over him.
Facing one on one, Corbin raised his hands defensively as the female Luxio targeted him and attacked relentlessly with Thunder Fang and Spark. Corbin blocked the attacks skillfully and evaded when necessary.
All the while, his partners stood by waiting as Corbin studied the wild pokemon. The Luxio was fast and because of her typing, the teen deemed that she would be a perfect addition to his partners. With his mind made up, Corbin attempted to subdue the blue and black lion-like pokemon but he didn't want to hurt her so he decided to tire her out.
However, the Luxio was brimming with wild energy and wasn't going to relent easily. It might have been part of her typing or she really was a very energetic pokemon. Learning that the pokemon could keep up with dodging and acrobatic skills, Corbin began to like her even more.
Since his first strategy was proving to be more draining for him as well, he changed tactics.
Corbin stood his ground and fortified his stance as the Luxio lunged for him again. Claws brandished and fangs bared, the feral feline attacked but Corbin smoothly sidestepped out of harm's way before grabbing the Luxio from behind and pinning her to the hard ground.
The Luxio struggled persistently, releasing electrical charges from its body. But due to Corbin's gauntlets, he wasn't affected. The boy then attempted to coax the Luxio to calm down but failed after which the pokemon squirmed free and attacked once again.
The process was repeated for some time. Corbin used fluid yet effective movements to save his energy as the feral Luxio continued to haphazardly used up hers.
In the end, both ended up exhausted. Corbin settled under the shade of a rock as his back leaned heavily against the large boulder, the Luxio was half sprawled on his lap, her head resting on his leg. Meanwhile, Ryu and Aquilus were sparring amongst themselves after they had gotten bored some time ago.
Shifting his gaze from the two to the Luxio, Corbin smiled satisfying and stroked her black mane and she purred tiredly and glanced up at him with a sleepy look.
Corbin then took out an Ultraball but instead of capturing her, he absently spun it on his finger, thinking that it was better to let the Luxio decide her fate. After all, she had gained some of the boy's respect after their match.
"Want to come with me, Fulgora?" Corbin asked, using the name he thought of during the battle. He knew there was a chance that she would say no but he couldn't help but feel fond of her.
The Luxio looked at him confusingly before glancing at another rock formation where a small pride of Luxio and Shinx were lounging about, or scuffling playfully. There were a few Luxrays that stood on the highest boulder, obvious the alphas. Corbin followed her gaze and patted her in understanding.
"It's fine if you want to stay with your friends. I know your kind are very social pokemon who like to stick together," Corbin told her as his Riolu and Braviary cast the Luxio a grin. "My partners and I are like that too."
As the spark pokemon contemplated, Corbin did the same but for a different reason. The situation kind of reminded him when his mother came to Humilau City. After losing to her in a match, she asked Corbin to come with her and he agreed, despite the fact his mother was a stranger to him because of her long absence throughout his growing years. Right now, he was a stranger to the Luxio and a short match was all the time they had to know one another.
Placing the Ultraball on the ground, Corbin let out a long relaxing breath and tucked his arms behind his head. The act was an indication that his guard was down and that he placed his trust on the female Luxio. Ryu and Aquilus noticed it too and stopped sparring for a moment, anticipating what could happen.
Fulgora tilted her head and stared at him curiously before casting a glance at the black and gold capsule that laid beside her. Getting up on all fours, she picked up the capsule with her mouth and dropped it onto Corbin's lap.
The black-haired teen feigned a smile to hide some of his disappointment but was suddenly pounced on by the Luxio. Ryu and Aquilus instantly rushed over, expecting the feral feline to maul their human partner. However, that was not the case.
Fulgora had her front paws on Corbin's shoulder as he nuzzled against the boy's face. Corbin chuckled warmly at the gesture and ran a hand through the Luxio's thick black mane.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Corbin walked out of his room and leaped over the banister while Ryu slid down playfully. They then walked to the living room of the house and found the couch overturned, the coffee table covered in scratch marks and the rug in tatters. The Riolu took a quick gander at the decimation and swiftly retreated back to Corbin's room, leaving the boy stood speechless at the chaos.
Fulgora came racing in from the kitchen with a piece of raw Basculin in her mouth. She cooked it up with Thunder Fang and chowed it down in one satisfied gulp.
Not even going to guess the state of the room where she came from, Corbin looked down at her and sighed heavily as he brushed a few of his stray dreadlocks. "Mom is gonna throw a fit…" He muttered to himself.
The Luxio glanced at him with a sad pout. Her tail went limp and her ears fell. With a small smile, Corbin patted her on the head reassuringly.
"It's not your fault, Fulgora. I know you're not used to living here yet. It's my fault."
"That it is…" The tone seemed mellow but it had the sharpness of a Haxorus' tusk. Even Fulgora got the message and shrunk behind Corbin as the teen turned to face the woman with an equally displeased Mienshao by her side.
"W-Welcome home… Mom."
After cleaning up and taking his Luxio for a run, Corbin trudged into his room and dived face first onto his bed. His Riolu climbed on the bed and patted his human partner while the Braviary merely peered through the window and squawked quietly. Corbin raised a hand to pat his first partner but as soon as his hand made contact, he noticed the fur was thicker and longer. Raising his head, Corbin saw he was stroking Fulgora instead. His brown eyes traveled to the edge of the bed and found his Riolu picking himself off the ground for second time of the day.
Ryu grumbled at the Luxio who suddenly leaped off the bed and bounded out the door, returning once again but with another piece of steaming cooked Basculin in her mouth. The Riolu lit up at the smell and accepted the peace treaty. Fulgora also brought a piece for Aquilus and sweetly gave it to the Braviary over the window.
Corbin smiled at the sight of his three pokemon getting along. Rolling on his back, his hands unintentionally reached his training gauntlets on the side table. He picked them off and raised them over his head. His thoughts wandered to the person he met a day ago.
"I wonder how's that Kiba guy? I haven't seen him around. Maybe he isn't from the Warrior division. But he seemed to know a thing or two about close combat… " Corbin furrowed his brows. "He can't be from the Saber division. Then does that mean…?" Exhaling deeply, he shook his head. "I hope not… He seemed nice."
Trevenant Woods, Trickster's Labyrinth
Faye Lin steered the Altaria towards a massive Balete tree and landed near the edges of its vast outstretched roots. With a smile, she got off and unloaded her belongings, her Togetic fluttering happily around her in circles.
A cacophony of eerie noises and chilling rustles reverberated overhead as the shadow of the ominous looking tree loomed over them. The Altaria hummed fearfully, deciding whether or not to fly off but Faye Lin preened her soft feathers gently and calmed her down, a manner that was also taught to her by Aeron. Aegis then fluttered over and beamed brightly to help reassure the cottony blue avian.
"You're here early." A girl's voice spoke through their minds.
"Lyvette?" Faye Lin called, eyes panning the surroundings. Her eyes soon caught a glimpse of a girl in the shadows, the slivers of dim sunlight barely making out her black hair, pale face and azure blue eyes. "Sis-" As the person she presumed to be Maya came closer, Faye Lin noticed her hair was above her shoulders and not below. She giggled. "Nice try, Lyvette."
The black haired lolita-styled girl gave a hmph as a pair of gray fox ears popped forth from her head and a fluffy tail swished back and forth. "I keep forgetting the hair length."
"At the very least, you're able to hide your ears and tail," Faye compromised as she approached the fox-eared girl who looked her sister. "Have you seen Maya?"
"Over here, Faye…"
The blonde spun around and jolted slightly to find Maya standing behind her with a female Meowstic in her arms and a Misdreavus floating over her shoulder. Her sister was really getting good with that ghost-like presence of hers.
Maya giggled at Faye Lin's reaction before she set down the white feline on the roots of the Balete tree. At that, Faye Lin sent out her own Meowstic while her Togetic then flew towards Maya and chirped happily.
"Aegis misses you," Faye Lin said as she collected her composure, her eyes glancing at the two Meowstics who were greeting each other.
Maya smiled faintly at the Togetic and patted her gently. Aegis seemed very pleased as her smile widened and the chirping sounds grew louder. She then flew back to Faye Lin and nudged her bag as if she was requesting something inside.
"Yes, Aegis. I remember." Faye Lin opened up her bag and took out a couple of hand-sized plushies; one Plusle and one Minun. She handed the red and yellow one with the plus symbol to Aegis and the Togetic gladly received it and fluttered back to Maya, circling around her a few times before stopping in front of her and extending the Plusle.
"S-so cute," Maya was taken by surprise at the present. Carefully taking the plushie from Aegis, the darkly dressed girl observed the Plusle, sometimes raising her eyes at Faye Lin, who couldn't help but smile widely at her almost flustered sister.
The shiny Zorua and the two Meowstics eyed the little toy from the ground, while Mavis, the Misdreavus quietly took an even closer look, floating right next to the yellow and red stuffed mouse in Maya's hands. The three were almost seemed to be expecting for the Plusle to be alive at first because the plushie was really well made.
"Do you like it?" Faye Lin asked eagerly, although basing on Maya's face, her sister's feelings were quite obvious.
"Yes. Thank you." Maya gave her younger sister a small but warm smile. She was about to ask what the occasion was when she noticed the flicker of melancholy in Faye Lin's azure eyes as she looked at her own Minun plushie before looking back at Maya with a smile that seemed almost forced.
"Aegis found this adorable duo at the trading post and I couldn't help but think how fitting they were." Faye Lin looked back at her plushie as her voice softened. "They even have our favorite colors, red for me and blue for you. I hope that the Plusle will remind you of me just as much as the Minun will remind me of you... whenever and wherever we may be."
"Why does it sound like we'll not see each other again? Are you going somewhere?" A hint of worry could be heard in Maya's voice as she hoped that her sister was not actually implying that they were going to be separated again.
"I'm sorry," was all she could say as tears pricked the corner of her eyes. She had prepared for the scenario before coming, but actually saying farewell for real was too much.
Freya, the female Meowstic looked to Touya sadly as the male Meowstic proceeded to meow an explanation. Lyvette listened in as well, her brownish gray fox ears flickering occasionally.
As Maya took a moment for her words to sink in, Aegis fluttered to Faye lin and the younger girl gently wrapped her arms around her Togetic. Tears finally fell down the blonde girl's face and along her cheeks.
"There's something I have to do in Kanto," Faye Lin began to answer the unspoken question, her voice quivered but was still understandable. "I'm certain you heard what happened last night."
Maya nodded. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Faye Lin answered and broke off from her Togetic to wipe her face with her wrists. "I've been given a task off the island. It isn't dangerous but I'm the only one qualified to do it, it seems..."
"...Do you know what you're supposed to do?" Maya inquired, not looking at her sister, as if Faye Lin would be insulted by the question.
Faye Lin nodded. "I'm watching over a friend. I'm not entirely certain of the details but it's important."
The elder sister sighed inwardly. She felt that this task might be too much for her sister. Even though it sounded easy at first, something was definitely up. Maya even had an idea to somehow follow her sister at first, but she understood that if she were to be found out, Faye Lin wouldn't forgive her easily… Or would she?
"Maya?" Faye Lin called her from her musings. "Is something wrong?"
"O-oh, it's nothing." The elder sister came back to the real world, deciding that guarding her only sister is more important that Faye Lin's irritation, or her stay in Semira. But for her plan to proceed, she needed more information. "So when are you leaving?"
"The day after tomorrow," Faye Lin answered and shifted her gaze to the ground. "Not much time left..."
"...Indeed."
A sudden silence descended between them. The pokemon around the girls looked at each other then at their respective human partners, wondering if they could help in any way. But before they could say something, Maya suddenly broke the silence.
"Could you inform me as you are heading out?" She hoped that after the last farewell, it would be the easiest to follow Faye Lin.
"Of course." Faye Lin raised her head with a small smile and nodded at her sister. "I'll have an Altaria deliver a letter before I depart." She extended her hand to the blue cottony bird who cooed in response.
"Alright. I'll come meet you when I get the message." Maya faintly smiled, both at her sister and the Altaria.
She wanted to see this plan through. She wasn't going to let fate separate them again. Besides, it was an older sister's role to guard the younger. But the more she thought, the more she understood that she isn't equipped with pokemon that can help her chase after her sister.
"Maya? You're spacing out again. Is there something on your mind, sister?" Faye Lin asked with concern.
"I'm just a little bit uneasy that you are leaving, Faye." This time Maya wasn't caught by surprise and returned to reality more smoothly.
"Oh, I see... Well then, I have to finish packing." Faye Lin readied to mount on the back of the Altaria but then she remembered something else. Taking out another item from her bag, she held it out to Maya. "The trader gave me something extra when I got a Shiny Stone. He called it a Dusk Stone."
At the sight of the purplish stone, Mavis, the Misdreavus started circling above it and the sisters' heads, though she seemed to remain emotionless. Maya recalled that in order to become a Mismagius, Mavis needed that stone. She patted the not seemingly excited pokemon once she finally came down and then Maya gladly accepted the Dusk Stone.
"Thank you, Faye. As you can see, Mavis is more than happy about this gift." Maya couldn't help but smile a little bit again. It's strange how much she smiled around Faye Lin. No other person made Maya so happy and actually managed to make her show her emotions. At least no other living person.
"I'm happy for her." Faye Lin gazed at the screech pokemon warmly.
"I know she seems like she doesn't have emotions at times, but this is Mavis's self-defence." Maya looked at her Misdreavus and seemed to become a little sad.
"What do you mean, sister?" Faye Lin inquired, intrigue in her eyes. "O-Of course, if Mavis is alright with me hearing the reason for this." She didn't want to intrude in the personal life of the pokemon.
Mavis simply nodded at Faye Lin and turned back to Maya, agreeing to hear her sad memories out loud.
"Mavis lived in the deeper parts of Trevenant Woods with her siblings. I sometimes stumble upon the Misdreavus group and noticed that the others were constantly hiding from Mavis. And when she tried to approach them, they kept startling her and scaring her off."
Faye Lin fidgeted her fingers, feeling her anger well up. Siblings were supposed to look out for one another, not bully them and drive them off. Taking a deep breath, Faye Lin continued to listen, occasionally glancing at Mavis with concern and sympathy.
"Her reactions seemed to be hilarious to the other Misdreavus. But whenever I found her in that situation, all I felt was anger at the mean ones and pity for Mavis. After I shooed the other Misdreavus away, I approached Mavis to be her friend but it seemed like she didn't want anything to do with me. Although, after a while, she started learning from me, how to be... more emotionless."
As Maya talked, Mavis started floating lower and lower. Even though she had a poker-face, her body language gave off the emotions she tried to hide.
"It's alright, Mavis," Maya squatted down and patted her Misdreavus once more. "And once she stopped being interesting to her siblings, one night they just... left." A melancholic air settled in but Maya dissolved it with a gentle smile and a soft gaze as she stood up. "She was probably considered the runt of the litter, but I can undoubtedly say that she is the most amazing Misdreavus out of the bunch."
Mavis seemed to almost break her poker-face for a smile, but she either wasn't able to, or was still afraid of her siblings coming back to scare her, so she just rubbed her cheek to Maya's with a melodic screech.
"It seems like fate helped you to find one another." Faye Lin watched her sister with pride as the pokemon around them nodded their heads at the two in agreement. "May I ask if… you already made her your pokemon?"
"As a matter of fact, Mavis is still a free pokemon," Maya answered as the Misdreavus hovered over her open palm. Her eyes focused on the little ghost. "But I would gladly accept your company, Mavis."
The Misdreavus seemed to be thinking over the proposition. She never had a human companion before and even though she knew Maya for a long time now, she didn't really think about joining her as a part of her team. She was content of what they had now, but if they were to take it to closer level, did she have a reason to deny?
"Hmm… On second thought, I don't actually have the means to make you one of my partners, seeing as I don't have any spare pokeballs." Maya's face was dampened with disappointed. She wanted the Misdreavus to be part of her team, especially when she felt like Mavis would actually be glad to be with her. But given the current circumstances, it wasn't possible. Fortunately, Maya's younger sister provided a solution.
Faye Lin beamed brightly as she searched her bag, her Togetic guessing her intention, fluttered excitedly in circles as her Meowstic looked up to her from below. Finally, Faye Lin's hand found the item she was looking for. Taking out an Ultraball, she held it out to her elder sister. "I had a few on hand when I left Kalos, plus, I also got more when I visited the trading post." She took out another black and gold capsule. "You can have another one… In case you meet another pokemon as special as Mavis."
Maya couldn't believe her luck. She was genuinely blessed to have such a generous and wonderful little sister. Not only Maya had a means to get a flying-type or a water-type, but she also had the means to bring the Misdreavus with her.
"It's your choice, Mavis." Maya showed the Misdreavus the Ultraball, resting on on her other palm.
To her delight, Mavis didn't refuse the invitation and softly bopped her head on the black and gold capsule that quickly turned her into crimson matter and sucked her inside the pokeball. There was no wobbling or any signs of distress coming from the Ultraball as Mavis finally settled in, officially becoming a part of Maya's team.
"Thank you, Faye." The elder sister hugged the pokeball and smiled faintly. Her other pokemon seemed to be happy about their new friend as well.
"It's no problem. I'm happy for you and Mavis." Faye Lin smiled at her sister before another tinge of sadness flickered in her eyes. Little moments she spent time with Maya were coming to an end. Lowering her head to hide her watery eyes, Faye Lin nearly whispered. "I have to go now… I'll see you tomorrow before I leave." As soon as both her pokemon bid their goodbyes, Faye Lin returned them to their capsules and mounted on the Altaria.
"Yeah. Until then, little sister." Maya waved as Faye Lin took off towards the blue cloudy sky.
"I have a feeling you won't actually let her go that easily." Lyvette who had been keeping quiet for so long walked up her human partner and gave her a suspicious look. Freya also looked at Maya with her golden orange eyes, nodding, agreeing to Lyvette's suspicions.
Maya faintly smirked.
End of Chapter 71
Heh. Corbin is gradually making terms with his mother but is still somewhat a nervous wreck with girls and relationships.
Thanks Aspen and Ren for scarring a kid. XD
And he seems to have taken a positive opinion on Kiba.
With Faye off to meet up with Neo, Maya makes the decision to follow! Woot! xD
What's Naomi gonna say? Lol. What about Neo's Wigglytuff? Harem much.
Next up, we have more Faye's stuff and then Kiba.
Read and Review! Please and Thank you!