Disclaimer: Owning Pokémon: there… isn't an app for that.

Chapter 15: A 'Prophet'

Xatu

You don't have to have Future Sight to be able to predict what happened next. I knew it was gonna happen, and no matter how many times Gallant tried telling me otherwise, saying there was no possible way it could ever happen, it happened. Just like I said it would. You can say that my hindsight's twenty-twenty, but I'll retort that my Future Sight is twenty-ten, thanks you very much.

Even before Vanna called us all together, I knew. I didn't have to read her mind to know what she was going to say. Yeah sure, it helped, but I could just tell from the way she was acting exactly what was on her mind, regardless of how much I knew.

"Everyone… hey, hi…" she said softly, gathering us all in the living room. "Most of you probably already know this from… well, you're all Psychic, after all," she smiled. "But just in case you haven't been reading my mind lately, um…" she paused. She really didn't have to continue, since I'd already told everyone exactly what was gonna happen, but she did anyway.

"Because of what happened with Bertrand… they've asked that I step down from being Gym Leader… for a little while, anyways. Just to… save face, I guess." She frowned. "I don't really understand it much either, but… it is what it is. I've already handed over the League-Specific Pokémon over to Frankie… you know Frankie, and I'm sure he'll do a great job filling in." She smiled. "Which makes it just the four of us again, doesn't it? Like old times."

Gallant, being who he is, acted shocked; sputtering at the unfairness and inhumanity of the whole ordeal even though I warned him it was going to happen. Gardevoir, silent as usual, pulled out a pen and paper, simply writing down:

What now?

"Well…" Vanna began, "that's what I was going to ask you guys, actually. Since we'll have quite a bit of time free from now on, I say we should treat it as a vacation, you know? Maybe head down to the beach now that it's recovered from… well, what happened. Though I suppose it's a little late in the season for that, isn't it?"

"I will happily go to any corner of the earth you wish to traverse," Gallant responded, bowing down to one knee as he usually did. I sent off a message to Gardevoir, who wrote for me:

Xatu would like to visit the bird sanctuary in Jinford. I could have had Gallant tell Vanna for me, but have it written out in perfect cursive script just emphasizes the point more, you know? It was a pretty big request, considering how crazy Death was being this year, so I wanted to let her know I was serious.

And she knew. I could tell from the way she flinched. She responded, hesitantly, "That might not… I mean, it's not the safest thing to do these days, traveling I mean." She looked me in the eye. "I know you've always wanted to go see where you were born, Xatu, but… I just don't want to go when there's no guarantee we'll come back."

"I will gladly provide protection to all of us!" Gallant instantly replied. "It is the nature of my species, nay, the duty of my species, to triumph over any aggressor that attempts to harm others in any way! And I assure you all that not a single man, woman, or Pokémon will get the best of me."

With him saying stuff like that, I knew that someone would come knocking on the door to prove him wrong. So when I heard the knock, I wasn't nearly as surprised as the others… it was just a reaction, is all.

Gallant crosses the room, and opened the door to reveal… Medici. A Pokémon who, if anything, has incredible timing (an insight I gleaned from his concert a few nights ago).

"Hey, um… sorry. I didn't want to interrupt anything," he apologized. "But um… I was just checking through my guitar case before leaving and I think I may have accidentally left a packet of extra strings here? Would it be ok if I…"
"Oh! That's what those are," Vanna said, brightening up quickly, picking up a small plastic bag from the center coffee table. "I was wondering what they were, and for some reason I didn't think that they'd…" she paused, smiling. "Well, who cares? Here you go."

"Thanks!" Medici said, snatching the strings from Vanna unceremoniously. "Phew! Good on you, love. I couldn't head right into the harmless maw that is Oakridge without a set of back-up strings just in case, now could I?" He waved at us all. "Bye! Hope to see you again some time, really!"

Gallant closed the door on him almost as soon as he was out. No one suggested it, but we all knew exactly what idea had just come into existence. Or, well, I knew at least, but I knew that it was gonna happen from the beginning.

It would be safer than going alone. Gardevoir wrote, shockingly being the first to speak up.

"Are you… are you saying that you don't think I'm capable of protecting you?" Gallant asked, offended, prompting Gardevoir to shake her head vigorously. Vanna quickly came to her rescue.

"Don't be like that Gallant, it's nothing about you. But it's true what they say… safety in numbers, right?"

Gallant was silent for a minute, and then bowed down, like I knew he would. "Shall I help you pack then, Miss Vanna?"

"Most certainly, sir Gallant," she chuckled, curtsying.

I knew we wouldn't have to run to catch up, but I'll admit even I was surprised when we saw Axel, Amber, and crew just kind of… standing around near the edge of Oakridge forest. Medici was even leaning against a tree, eyes closed, as if he'd been there for a while.

Vanna stood silent for a minute before asking, timidly believe it or not: "Were… were you guys waiting for me?"

"No," Amber said quickly.

"Why would you think that?" Axel lied unconvincingly.

"As if humans could be predictable enough for us to be doing that," Medici commented.

Vanna tried to keep the smile from creeping across her face. I knew she couldn't, though.

Bertrand

Dark.

Still dark.

The bright things above my head went out a while ago.

Yeah. Dark.

A woman in pink comes in to stick something in my arm. A few lights from the boxes next to me flip on and off. A line goes up and down, making mountains.

Woman leaves. Dark again.

Quiet now. Lots of lights off. Lights outside are dim, nurses walk by sometimes.

Someone else comes in. Seen him before. Wearing my mask.

My… mask?

"You…" I whispered, head throbbing as I remembered things that had happened. "Of all people… why are you here?"

I think you already know the answer to that came its voice.

I started to breath heavier. My heart began to pound, and my vision went blurry. Was this really… Death? "I suppose…" I wheezed out. "You're going to tell me it's… nothing personal?"

Nothing like that, Bertie, it's quite personal. It said, laying an ice-cold hand on my chest. You could have undone everything I've worked for. All my dreams and desires for naught, because of a silly little man's obsession. Her blue eyes gleamed out from under his mask. And we can't have that it said, almost in a hiss.

I became conscious of a Pokéball, tapping lightly against the side of my bed. I looked into Death's face, pleadingly, trying to say anything that would delay his judgment.

"I… I never wanted to ruin your dreams," I explained desperately. "And… and I've got dreams too, you know? How am I supposed to achieve them if…"

Shhh… he said, cruelly putting a finger to my lips. I'm afraid it can't be helped. Or didn't you know?

The Path to Truth and Justice is not as Clear as it Seems,

But strewn with Shattered Illusions and Countless Broken Dreams

I thought I saw him smile beneath her mask. Either way, I started screaming before the Pokéball opened, before the enormous Slugma with red, boiling skin and bright, gleaming blue eyes was on my chest, slowly searing away at me. I was on enough medication that I couldn't feel it… not that it mattered.

Vanna… I'm sorry…

Author's Note:

What? The chapter's over already?

Well… yeah. Think of it this way, the last couple were longer than usual, so this one balances things out. I like my chapter lengths to form a nice bell curve, thank you very much.

You may be wondering why Bertrand is able to say anything, seeing as… he's kind of dead. And well… I'm the author, and therefore God? Goo enough excuse for me.

Ooh! Bonus! Just so you don't get confused at anytime, here's a handy list of everyone travelling in the party so far! Aren't I the greatest? (The answer is yes.)

Trainer: Axel

Pokémon:

Shelligan (Squirtle)

Qwill (Cyndaquil)

Inigo (Treecko)

Medici (Meditite)

Trainer: Amber

Pokémon:

- Totodile (not actually named Toto)

Trainer: Vanna

Pokémon:

Xatu

Gallant (Gallade)

Gardevoir

Toto: Doing something so I won't have to explain things to readers later? Gee, how thoughtful of you to give me less dialogue.

Amaxing: You picked up that it was intentional, huh?

Viva la feminism?