Chapter 12
Departure
"There you go, steady now," Mystic said.
A bead of sweat dripped down Nixie's face as she tried to maintain utmost concentration. In front of her was a small ball levitating in the air, she was trying to carry it to another table. It had been stressful, but Nixie had finally learned how to channel her psychic powers and was just barely learning how to properly use it. Mystic was quite impressed with Nixie's progress, she was the fastest learner she ever taught, and she wasn't technically a psychic type either.
Before the ball did reach the other table Nixie felt a tickling sensation in her nose. She tried her hardest to ignore the sensation, as she realized it hindered her focus. Unfortunately, she couldn't resist what her body impulsively did. She let out a sneeze while losing her focus, all of which caused the ball to fall to the ground.
Nixie looked strongly disappointed in herself. "Damn it..." She sat on the ground and folded her arms.
"Do not beat yourself up Nixie, you are making a remarkable amount of progress in your learning sessions. I believe I have more than likely overworked you. You are not yet ready for too much rigorous training at this moment, but in due time you shall be. Nonetheless, I feel you have earned yourself a bit of a break, more or less. I grant you three days to yourself, but on the fourth day from now, it is back to training your mind and brain muscles yet again. Now go on, I have things I must attend to."
"Thank you, Mystic," Nixie said. Afterwards, Nixie made her way out of the castle and back to her house. She was very tired recently. She worked long hours and could hardly sleep with the strain her brain had to put up with. She was glad to finally get a couple days to herself.
As she went to turn the knob on her door, she looked over to the door that lead to Flint's household. 'I haven't seen Flint in a bit, I've been so busy working and I'm not usually done until after his working hours. I wonder how he's doing...' At that point, she contemplated paying him a visit, but she wasn't sure if it would seem weird since she had just recently met Flint.
Nixie hurriedly made a decision as she walked over to Flint's door and gave it three knocks. Afterwards, she felt nervous. How would she respond if Flint answered the door? Is he even home? Why was she knocking on the door in the first place? All of these questions rushed through her head.
After a moment, the door finally opened. Opening it was none other than Rose, she seemed to be struggling just opening the door in the first place, considering her height.
"Hello?" Rose said.
"Um... hi," Nixie replied timidly.
"Can I help you, Nixie?"
"Is Flint home by chance?"
Rose raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Nixie wasn't expecting things to go down this way. "I-I just wanted to see how h-he's doing...I haven't seen h-him around the castle recently."
"That's because he's been taking care of me the past couple of days. Anyway, to answer your question, no he's not here right now. Anything else you need? I kinda doubt you came here just to 'see' how Flint's doing.'"
Nixie had to admit, Rose was a bit too smart considering her age, she seemed to act smarter mostly when Flint wasn't around. Now she had to think of something to make the situation less awkward for her.
"Nixie?" Came Flint's voice as he approached the house. He was carrying a bag in his mouth, but his words were still audible. "What're you doing here?"
"I-I was just stopping by to see how you're doing."
"Oh, uh, how thoughtful. I've been fine. How about yourself?"
"I'm doing good... th-thank you. D-do you need help with that bag?"
"If you'd be so kind."
Nixie was more then happy to help Flint. She grabbed the bag and carried it into his house, setting it on a counter in his kitchen.
"So, what are your plans for tomorrow, Nixie?" Flint had asked.
"I don't have anything in mind, Mystic was nice enough to give me the next three days off though, so I might relax for a bit."
"How coincidental, I'm actually free for the next couple days too. I ran into Tesla earlier today in the market; they're both leaving tomorrow to complete their next bounty. Before they leave though, Rose and myself were going to visit them tomorrow, you're welcome to join as well."
"Sure, what time are you leaving?"
"Im not too sure yet, I'll come to you when the two of us are ready."
"Wait," Rose interrupted, "Tesla and kindle are leaving? Where are they going?"
"You know, I didn't really ask. You can inquire about it tomorrow." Rose pouted a bit, feeling slightly upset they were leaving so soon.
Nixie was feeling tired from her relentless training sessions with mystic, she was glad she was able to check up on Flint. "I-I think I should get going now," Nixie spoke up.
"Oh, well thanks for stopping by, guess we'll see each other tomorrow."
Nixie waved the two goodbye leaving Rose and Flint by themselves. Rose curiously looked at the bag that Flint had brought. "What's in the bag?" She asked.
"Oh, you know, just some food and some more of those..." Flint cleared his throat, feeling embarrassed to say the correct word, "...things when you're in heat."
"Im just glad it's finally over, that was the weirdest thing I can remember feeling."
"Yeah... I'm sure it was..." Flint struggled to continue the conversation seeings as he was a male and couldn't relate to the heat cycles females went through.
Kindle was using her tongue and teeth to groom her matted fur. The fennekin enjoyed sleeping to stay energetic everyday, but disliked that tossing and turning in her sleep tangled her fur. She was in the middle of grooming her right side when the door to her room suddenly flung open, revealing Tesla on the other side.
"Tesla? Where the hell have you been? I was worried something bad possibly happened," Kindle said, hopping off her bed and walking towards the mareep.
"I was enjoying the sites here in Whitestone."
"You didn't even invited me? I would have enjoyed joining you, you know..."
"Look, Kindle," Tesla began as he hopped onto his bed and stretched, "you and I are always traveling together. I see you almost every minute of every day, I need a break from you. That's essentially what I did. I left so you could relax while you're here too."
"I couldn't go anywhere though, you're the one who has our coins, we're supposed to be sharing what we have with one another. You could have left me a little something, given me a heads up that you were leaving instead of leaving me here worried about you."
"Yet you stayed here in this room?"
"You don't think I tried looking for you? Believe it or not, but it's not exactly easy to find one pokemon in a city crowded with thousands. We need some communication with each other, I don't want to have the feeling that you're not safe-"
"Just stop worrying so much about me, I'm perfectly fine on my own," Tesla interrupted, a hint of annoyance hidden in his voice. Kindle knew him well enough to spot it.
"Well if you're so fine by yourself, why do we even venture together as a team?"
"Like I've said on multiple occasions, your past life as a thief comes in handy; you can pick locks, you have slight-of-paw, and you're very quiet on your toes. You've had a fare share of times you've been useful."
"That's it? I'm just a tool for you? It never was about building a friendship to you, was it? You dragged me along with you for so long for your own personal gain." Tesla was about to interrupt, but Kindle spoke over him. "All of those locks I picked for you, they belonged to chests with various coins and whatnot. You made me steal... steal from innocent pokemon because you said 'our funds were low.' Yet, at the same time, you conveniently always have the coin to buy a drink, grab some food... or grab another one of those cheap girls from the brothel..."
"Wait, how do you know about that?"
"I'm not dumb, Tesla, contrary to popular belief. I'm very observant of my surroundings, I listen to what you all say, I pretend not to. I know a lot of pokemon think I'm annoying, or just some dumb fennekin, but arceus damn it, I'm not. That night in Bark Leaf, right after we exited the cave, the first thing you did was use or coins to drink with Flint that night. You know what happens when you drink? You close your mind, and you're all of the sudden a new person. Even more than that, you become more lustful.
"All of the other inns we stayed at on previous adventures, you would always come back smelling like alcohol and carried the scent of some other pokemon. The next day, I'd notice a lump some of our coins missing, and I knew it all couldn't have been from JUST alcohol. I know you, Tesla, and one thing I know for sure is that you're very light weight with those dangerous liquids, you become drunk too quickly. I started putting two and two together, and though I don't have enough proof, it just seemed the most likely that you had been paying pokemon for services.
"Deep down, I wanted to believe it wasn't true, but there was just so much pointing towards the fact... and the more I realized it was what you were doing, it just... I don't know how to say it... it makes my heart choke in a way... That night you drank with Flint, after you came back, you... tried to force yourself onto me..."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Tesla interjected, not wanting to believe what she had said.
"You tried to fuck me, you were so drunk you don't even remember it that well, or at all. You didn't have time to grab one of those skanks at a brothel, so you tried you're next best bet."
"Damn, at least I think logically while drunk," Tesla said to himself.
"What the hell do you mean?" Kindle said, taken off guard by the comment.
Tesla made a smirk, despite the serious atmosphere in their argument. "I'm just as observant as you, Kindle. You see, I've noticed the way you talk to me, look at me, and act around me. It's different from how you act around any other pokemon. It's not an easily noticeable thing, but I caught on a while ago, and started humoring you."
"W-what do you mean?" She said, with confidence slowly draining from her voice.
"Just admit it already, you like me, a lot. For so long you've been wanting to do lustful things with me. It becomes more noticeable when you're going through your heart cycles. Sometimes you slip just a bit and don't catch yourself. I noticed, and I played along, slowly trying to get you to admit it. When I was drunk that night and tried to push myself onto you, it's because I subconsciously already knew you had been crushing on me, so with no other options available, I used that to my advantage. You ever heard the saying 'a drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts?' Well, that too applied to that incident. You see, Kindle, I'm not against the thought of you and I doing... stuff. I just don't love you back."
With those words said, it was as if Kindle's heart had been suffocated, and a void formed in her stomach. It was painful to love someone and then have them shred all hope of a relationship forming. She felt so dumb for wanting to love him after knowing what he does with other girls. Her heat made it to where it had a mind of its own. She found it harder to think negatively about Tesla while in heat, but her cycle had passed, his words were a hammer burying a nail into her chest.
The emotional and mental pain caused a couple tears to form in her eyes. She tried to conceal them from Tesla, to make him think she wasn't as affected as much as she was. But it was futile, the tears had already stained her fur. Tesla took the hint and headed towards the door again.
"I know you'll probably hate me from here on out," Tesla continued, "That's understandable. Just know I don't hate you... Someone as kind and caring as you deserves someone SO MUCH better than myself... Also, I know this is last minute, but we're leaving tomorrow. Before we go, we'll be meeting up with Flint and Rose."
Tesla knew there was no better way of wording it, though it already sounded like Kindle wasn't given an option on the matter. She just sat in silence as the tears burned from her eyes. From there, Tesla made his exit.
Nixie woke up the next morning feeling completely rejuvenated. She noticed no sunlight bled into her home, meaning she had woken up to her internal alarm clock again. Nixie sometimes found it annoying how her body decided to wake up the same time everyday, no matter how exhausted she was or how late she stayed up.
She assumed she had some time to get ready before Flint arrived, so first on her agenda was to bathe. Being a water-type had its benefits, for one, Nixie had an unlimited supply of water, just as long as she was healthy. Secondly, some water-type pokemon could learn scold, allowing them to heat up their water. This was no exception for her. Using her internal reservoir, she filled her tub with streaming water.
Coming from a colony, bathing wasn't as advanced as the pokemon in Whitestone bathed. She normally would soak in the water cleaning dirt from her fur to the best of her abilities. Mystic had informed her of various fragrances used as well as mixtures of herbs and berries that gave the body a deeper cleaning. After learning more about the advanced grooming standards, Nixie's fur gradually became softer and more colorful. She was happy when Flint started taking notice of it too.
While bathing, she started getting lost in her thoughts.
'Everything feels... perfect. There I was, on the verge of death, ready to die, and all of the sudden I'm saved and brought to this city. I'm given a home, I met Flint, Rose, and their friends, and now I'm getting paid to learn... But, something doesn't feel right. Mystic says I have psychic powers, and I know I do, I've seen it first hand while training. She says its a hereditary thing from some pokemon that was once a psychic type... It doesn't add up though. None of it adds up. There's plenty of pokemon that come from psychic fathers or grandfather's, but non psychic mothers. Why don't they have these powers? Or have they just not found these powers yet? I feel... that there's a lot more missing from this puzz-'
A knock on the door not only interrupted her thoughts, but also startled her, causing her to jump out of the bathtub. Knowing it was Flint, she quickly dried her fur and rushed to open the door. However, standing behind the door was not Flint, instead, it was a manectric, Rykon.
"Good morning Nixie. How've you been?"
She always had a gut feeling not to trust the shiny manectric, especially after the warning Psyche had given her.
"How do you know where I live?" She asked, ignoring his question.
"Im a royal guard, one of my jobs is to know the residence of each member working on the castle. I know where the guards live, the cooks, maids, and miscellaneous workers. You know, it's kinda funny how we work in the same place, yet I never see you. In fact, I haven't seen you since the tour I gave you and those friends of yours."
"So, what are you doing here?"
"I'm coming to check on you, see if you're busy today. If not-"
"I'm spending my day with Flint and the others," Nixie interrupted.
"Oh? Doing what exactly?"
"I don't know just yet," Nixie answered truthfully.
"Hmm. Well, when you're not so busy, perhaps you and I could visit each other? I know of some various sorts of entertainment around the city. In fact, there's a festival next week, you should come."
Nixie wanted to reject the offer due to Psyche's warning, but she couldn't just assume either seeings as he had made it feel no more than casually hanging out.
"Perhaps."
"Well, if you ever reach a conclusion, you know where to find me."
Rykon eventually left leaving Nixie alone again in her home. Time seemed to pass more slowly now that she awaited Flint's arrival. She looked in her mirror and noticed some of her fur had tangled up in several locations. She used her remaining freetime to properly brush her fur, trying to look her best for the day. Once again, a knock came from her door causing her heart to nearly skip a beat. She gave one last look at herself in the mirror, after she felt content, she rushed to the door opening up to both Rose and Flint on the other side.
"Ready?" Flint asked, a quick wag from his tail casted by the energy he gained from a well deserved rest.
"Yup, do you know where we're heading to?"
"Yeah, Tesla said he wanted to meet in the western market so he could then take us someplace he had in mind."
Flint then led the way towards the marketplace, continuing the conversation. "So, I don't see you around the castle that often, and I know you work there too, but what is it that you actually do in the castle?"
"I'm an assistant for Mystic," Nixie replied. It was the quick answer she was taught to say, as it technically wasn't a lie and it was vague enough not to hint about what she'd actually been doing.
"Assisting with all of her paperwork and whatnot?"
"Yeah... something like that."
"Flint?" Rose called. "Why do I have to go to the daycare whenever you work?"
"I dont feel comfortable leaving you home alone."
"You've done it plenty of times these past couple days."
"Yes, that's because of your circumstances right now."
"That shouldn't matter. I don't like it there, I'm the oldest pokemon there and all of the kids are annoying," Rose pouted.
"Well, if anything, I could always schedule a playdate with you and Mystic's children."
"Mystic has children?" Rose asked out of shock.
"Mhm, I was a bit shocked at first too, but it makes sense since she's mated. Usually it's the first thing two pokemon do when they become mates."
"What's a mate?" Rose asked.
"A mate is a a pokemon you consider more significant than any other. You share a type of emotion you don't really share with a lot of other pokemon: love. It's an indescribable type of love, but once the two pokemon share that emotion, it's like seeing the entire world through new eyes."
Nixie knew just then, that's exactly what she'd been feeling. She had been feeling the emotion of love for Flint. She didn't know too much about it, but made a mental note to find out more about it.
"You word it like you've experienced it before. Did you have a mate at one time, Flint?" Rose continued.
"...Yeah... at one point."
"What happened to her? You look sad. Did something bad happen to her?"
"How about a topic change?" Flint suggested.
Rose was bored knowing Flint wasn't going to speak about it. "What about you, Nixie, did you have a mate back where you're from?"
"No, I can't say that I have."
"Why not? Shouldn't it be easier for females to find mates since males contribute to make up most of the population?"
"I- uh, just never found anyone, I guess."
"Hey, Flint, is it mandatory to mate?"
"No, it's just about as optional as any other life decision you make."
"That's good, I don't think I'd want a mate. Especially after that... talk we had." Rose lightly shivered remembering how disgusted she was by the topic.
"Don't let my words influence your opinions at all Rose, but I feel it'd be beneficial for you to find a mate. Just, probably, not anytime soon..."
"How do you figure?"
"Well, like everyone is saying, a lot of pokemon think eevee are scarce right now. The population is basically non-existent at this point. Weather or not it's true about you being the only eevee in existence right now is quite questionable. I find it hard to believe when we live in such a large world with so many undiscovered locations and secrets that hardly even the high profiled officials know about. If it is true though, I feel you finding a mate would help begin the repopulation of your kind."
"I haven't thought of it too much like that, but if I am the only eevee, I feel special. It's almost like I'm a legendary pokemon. To me, it feels great to be the only pokemon of my kind!"
Nixie felt a bit of emotional pain, having to remember that she was in the same predicament as Rose. She, however, found it more depressing, having everyone she once knew no longer exist. Rose couldn't relate since she never grew up around eevee.
"Look," Flint said, "there's Tesla and Kindle over there." Flint used his paw to point out where the two were in fact standing.
"There you guys are," Tesla began, as they approached, "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up."
"It'd be pretty rude of me not to, I do consider you a friend after all."
"Oh, and I see you brought Nixie along."
"You don't mind, do you?"
"I'd sound like an asshole if I said yes. - Not saying it is a problem," Tesla said, quickly correcting himself as to not come out rude.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Food is always on my mind, I was thinking of having a picnic on top of the hill. We could buy our food in the market and then head out before the sunset. After that, Kindle and I will head out, that should be around the time our ship leaves."
"Tesla," Rose began, "where are you two heading off? Flint told me you two were leaving today, but I'm curious as to where your next adventure will be to."
"Ah, yes, we are doing a quick task a bit northeast in a place that was named the forgotten island."
Rose quickly gasped, "Flint, isn't that where Emalra said she was heading?"
Flint had to think for a minute. "Yes, I believe so. Heh, your memory is a bit better than mine."
"I think Rose would make a fine espeon," Tesla said.
"No! I don't want to be an espeon," Rose said in a childish manner with a hint of sarcasm, implying she was somewhat joking about her childish behaviour.
"What do you plan on evolving into, Rose?" Nixie asked.
"I've been asked that a lot. It's almost like an obligation that I have to evolve. But what if I don't want to evolve? What if I just want to stay an eevee and keep my name."
Kindle spoke up for the first time, which no-one seemed to noticed she was there until she did. "What do you mean by that? Keep your name?"
"Oh yeah, they told me, at the daycare, that eevee are given names at birth; once they evolve, they usually change it into something special to the typing of their new evolution. For instance, the Princess had a different name when she was an eevee and changed it to Starshine once she evolved. Years ago, when eevee where more abundant, you would usually hear names like Vapor, Shock, or Blaze after they evolved."
"That actually makes a lot more since," Tesla said, "I always assumed they were born with the name and they just so happened to evolve into the correlating evolution. I wonder if other pokemon with multiple evolutions do something similar?"
"Anyway," Flint interrupted, "we should get ready for the picnic before we end up talking until sunset."
The group gathered fresh produce and other accessories they'd need for the picnic. Once they were content, they each walked to the top of the hill. Everyone did their part in carrying items, Nixie being the most useful since she had arms. Tesla grabbed a blanket from his bag and spread it out on the grass, everyone followed forth by placing the food in the blanket.
"So, about the raw meat," Flint said, while eyeing the fresh, juicy meat, "is Kindle assisting in cooking it or are we enjoying it raw?"
"Actually," Tesla said, "we'll be doing something a little less common. I'll be cooking the meat with my electricity."
Flint was intrigued. "How does that work?"
"I was a security guard, not a scientist. All I remember is that it has a very distinct taste once cooked. It'll take a bit though, so enjoy the fruits I guess." Tesla circuited a current from his body to the orb on his tail. The ball lit up brightly and produced a monotone humming sound. Tesla then placed the orb on the meat and began cooking it.
Flint gave an awkward stare, not too sure what to think. "So, back on topic with evolutions, when are you two expecting to evolve?" He asked both Kindle and Tesla.
"I'm actually past my evolution expectancy date, I've been holding back."
"What? Why would you do that?"
"Power, in a way. It's like pushing your body to do more. I'm supposed to be a flaffy right now, but I'm resisting my urge to evolve. Doing so helps my body grow stronger and enhance my electrical abilities. There's a lot more scientifical stuff involved in it, but I don't care too much to look it up. All I know is the longer I wait to evolve, the quicker I become stronger."
"Interesting. How about you, Kindle?"
Kindle seemed lost in thought, only joining the conversation after hearing Flint call her name. "Oh, um, evolution? I should be evolving..." she thought for a moment, "well, soon actually. I'm already quite matured and developed for a fennekin, it's just a matter of time now."
Tesla then redirected the conversation. "And what about you, Flint? When do you plan on becoming an arcanine?"
"I've thought about it, but I'm not planning on evolving for a while. I still have plenty of years for my current state to mature properly. Also, I have no clue where I'd even find a fire stone. We had plenty back in Ashmond, but we used them for celebratory reasons once a growlithe passed their final test to become hunters."
"Test?"
"Oh yes, we growlithe are big on tradition and heritage. Our final test is what proved we are worthy of evolving and loyal to our alpha. I don't know too much about what the specifics of the test were, we just know the broad explanation that a group of growlithe are sent into the wilderness to survive on their own for two weeks. Usually half the growlithe come back alive, they're roughed up, skinnier, and dirty too. It's every growlithe's dream to go through the test..." Flint trailed off a bit, a slight bit of melancholy in his voice.
"...You mentioned you left your tribe... you can't do that test, can you?" Tesla asked.
Flint's ears slumped downward and he stared at the ground. "No... I can't..."
Nixie had never seen Flint sad before, seeing him this way made her feel sad too. She wanted to try and comfort him, but struggled to find the correct words to say. Instead, she placed her hand on his shoulder, she mentally took a note of how soft his fur was and the warmth he naturally generated. Though Flint didn't say anything, she could tell he appreciated the friendly gesture.
"I forgot to ask you, Nixie," Tesla said, trying to change the present mood, "when are you expecting to evolve."
Nixie flinched a bit from his outburst, "I think it'll be a bit. Buizel usually evolve later in adulthood."
No one seemed to have been paying attention, but Tesla was now finished with the meats. A pattern stretched out across the meat, and its color had darkened from a red to a brown.
"Well, guys, tell me what you think of this."
Each of the pokemon grabbed a slab of the meat and began biting into it. Everyone was greeted with a very juicy and flavorful experience of the tender meats. As Tesla had said, it had a distinct flavor that was quite indescribable. Nonetheless, it was good, and everyone seemed to be enjoying it.
"Holy arceus, this is great," Flint said.
"Thanks, I actually came up with this by accident."
"How do you do this by accident."
"Don't ask. Let's just say I get very curious at times."
"Guys, look!" Rose said, pointing to the horizon.
The sun was finally setting for the day. The bright, orange ball of fire said its goodbye by painting a beautiful display of colors in the sky. As it slowly descended, candle flames were lit throughout the city, and occasionally a star would breath life into the sky as the sun struggled to overpower the sky with its brilliance. All five of the Pokemon were mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the natural event that happened daily.
Nixie looked over to Flint, the sun looked like a brilliant fire reflecting off of his orangish eyes. The wind brushed against his fur softly, and the remaining light outlined the detail of his body. Looking at him made Nixie feel happy. She just couldn't keep her eyes off of him, she was too drawn in to how cute he looked. Just staring at him, she could feel the gradual increase in her heartbeat the unnerved way she started breathing.
The, sun had finally finished setting, leaving only a reddish color fading to blue in the sky. Nixie finally mustered the ability to look away from Flint before something awkward happened. Apparently Rose had feel asleep during the sunset, she was now curled into a ball.
"Hey, Nixie, you mind if I talk to you alone real quick?" Tesla said.
"Uh, sure," she replied, unsure what he needed to talk about.
Tesla then lead Nixie a good way away from the group. Once he felt he was a good distance away from them to hear, he continued. "What do you think of Flint?"
Nixie felt a chill run through her body. Was she that easy to figure out, or was she over thinking the question? "I, uh, he's pretty cool... He's nice and all, I think he's a good-"
"That's not what I mean. I saw how you were looking at him during the sunset. I saw how you got embarrassed the other day. I see a lot of interest you have towards. You like him, don't you?" Nixie was now blushing, but she nervously shook her head. "Why exactly? I'm not discouraging you, I'm just curious."
Nixie then realized she had to bring up the night her tribe was murdered, as that was the night she wished on the star. She still wasn't ready to admit the full truth. "I don't know really, his personality just clicked with me I guess," she half lied.
"When do you plan on telling him?"
"I don't know, I'm really shy and nervous... he doesn't know, does he?"
"No, Flint is kinda oblivious right now. That's not exactly good for you either because he doesn't show interest in you just yet. He just thinks you're a friend right now. If you want to get more of that 'extra attention' from him, you need to make yourself stand out a bit."
"Wait, are you giving me advice?"
"Yes. I'm doing this to benefit both you and Flint. Flint hasn't had a girl in his life in years, maybe. He uses Rose as an excuse not to have any mate. I think Flint just needs to live a little bit again, and you look like a good starting point for him."
"You really think so?"
"Yes. Now, what you've got to do is get his attention. Make it clear that you want to be more than friends without being blunt about it. The best staring point is physical contact. what you did to comfort him is a start, but step it up a bit, such as hugs."
"Hugs?"
"Yeah, it's a common feminine gesture, he more than likely won't refuse a hug. The hug is your starting point in dropping hints. Don't make it a regular, friendly type of hug. Hug him like you actually mean it."
"Then what?"
"I don't have time to give you all the advice I know. I'm just giving you a stepping stone for now. Continue gestures similar to the hug as days go by, just remember not to make it too obvious until it's the right time."
"When's the right time?"
"Follow your gut. As bland and overused as that sounds, it actually works. Just follow through with what you feel is best."
"Alright. Thank you Tesla."
"Dont thank me yet. Also, here's another bit of advice. Don't be clingy. If you're always spending time with Flint, it's still encouraging a friendship between you two. Distance yourself every once in a while. If he offers to hang out, accept it sometimes and make excuses other times. Don't make Flint the only male friend you hang out with. If he sees you spending more time with other guys, he might get jealous; add that on top of the time away from him and he feels neglected."
"What good is that?"
"He'll be even happier to see you, making it feel more rewarding."
"Wow, that sounds very helpful."
"It is, just listen to what I've told you and follow your gut. You'll notice some behavior changes in no time. With that out of the way, we should get back to the others before Kindle and I miss our ship."
"Hey, Nixie, you mind if I talk to you alone real quick?" Tesla said.
"Uh, sure," she replied, getting up and following Tesla.
Flint looked over to Rose. He admired how peaceful she looked while she was asleep. He then looked over to Kindle, she seemed lost in thought.
"Hey, Kindle, you okay? You've been rather quiet today."
She let out a sigh. Tesla was gone, Rose was dead asleep. "Tesla and I talked last night..."
"Oh no, is everything fine?"
"Not really. We kinda had an argument last night..." From there, Kindle informed Flint on the entire conversation from the prior night, while leaving out some of the explicit things they conversed about.
"Wow, that's... rough. So why are you still traveling with him then?"
"I'm just gonna go with him to the forgotten island and stay there. He'll be nothing more than a faded memory at some point. I have no need being around him anymore if he's just going to use me as a tool."
"I'm sorry what happened happened. I vaguely understand your struggles and commend your decisions, but making it your goal to isolate yourself away from him won't do much good. Just make it clear to him that you want to part ways."
"I intend to... I don't even know why I liked him in the first place. Something about running into him at the museum hooked my attention."
"How exactly did that situation go down?"
"Well, like Tesla tells the story, he never turned me in to the guards nor did he try to fight me. He saw me lying on the floor, I was cut up pretty bad from all of the shattered glass. That's when our eyes met. His were a black void, hard to read anything from them. That night, his were full of anger and another emotion: worry. He dragged me away from the glass and checked my wounds to make sure I was okay. After ensuring I was fine, that's when he started asking questions. He had heard rumors of me, apparently I was good enough at my job to have those. That's when he then gave me a lecture and intimidated me. After all of that, he tossed me out the door, I then had to fend for myself for the night."
"That doesn't sound like an ideal romance story."
"You're missing a key point though. Tesla was different from other guards... He cared about my safety before doing his job. Not a lot of guards are like that... I know that from a few friends of mine who didn't make it back from missions."
"And Tesla was a bit of a turning point in your life?"
"Mhm, after I survived the cold night, I went to a church of Mew to start repenting. From then on, I was no longer a thief. After clearing my history and picking myself back up in life, I visited Tesla while he was working. He recognized me." Kindle let out a half laugh. "I basically explained that all to him and he and I started hanging out every now and then. One thing led to another and we eventually stated bounty hunting together. That then led us to where I'm at right now, and I'm not too sure what I plan to do next. I'm sure I'll find something in the forgotten island."
"Well, whatever it is you choose to do, I wish you the best of luck. Also, I know Tesla may have... made poor decisions, but try your best not to hate him. Just accept things for what they are and strive to be better than those around you."
Kindle smile and gave Flint a hug. "Thanks, Flint. It really does feel nice to have someone to talk to about all of this."
"It's no problem. If you ever need to talk to me in the future, I'll more than likely still be living here."
Tesla and Nixie were now walking back into sight. The time had come. Tesla and Kindle now had to go to their ship for departure. Not wanting to wake Rose up, Flint scooped her up with his head and had her rest on his back. The walk was slow and quiet, no one seemed to have anything to say. They had eventually reached the pier. A swellow was at the brow of a docked ship, collecting tickets from those boarding the ship.
"Hey, Rose" Flint said gently, "did you want to say goodbye to Kindle and Tesla before they left?"
Rose slowly woke up and saw she was at the pier now. Looking forward, she saw Kindle and Tesla ready to. "So soon?"
"I'm afraid so," Kindle said.
Rose hopped off of Flint's back and ran up to Kindle embracing her in a hug. "I don't want you to leave, Kindle, you're the only pokemon we've gone on a bounty with that I get along with."
"Trust me, Rose, I don't want to leave either," Kindle said with emphasis, reminding Tesla she wasn't given an option. "Goodbye, Rose."
"Goodbye, Kindle. If you by chance run into a butterfree named Emalra out there, let her know I said hi."
"I will."
"Well, this looks like goodbye for now, Tesla," Flint said while shaking his paw.
"So it is, but not all goodbyes are fever. It was nice working with you, Flint. Catch ya around. And don't forget my advice to you, Nixie."
"Bye, Flint," Kindle said with one final hug.
After they were finished exchanging goodbyes, Tesla and Kindle boarded the ship. Flint, Rose, and Nixie waited at the pier, watching as the ship began to sail away. They weren't sure when they would cross paths again, if at all.
"Are you guys still free to hang out again tomorrow?" Nixie asked, as they were walking back to their homes.
"I don't see why not, we do finally have a day off."
"We already had an eventful day today, Flint," Rose whined, "can't we just stay home and relax?"
"Oh, hush, today was still relaxing enough. Also, there's tons of things to do in this city."
"Like what?"
"We could watch a play, go to the Whitestone garden, there's the beach, and that little cove next to the beach."
"How about the garden then?"
"Sounds good to me. We'll see you tomorrow Nixie, goodnight."
The next day was just like any other, a clear blue sky, a busy city with pokemon traveling the streets, children laughing and playing in the streets, and the aroma of food lingering in the air. Nixie, Flint, and Rose were all heading towards the Whitestone garden, which was in the north western section of the city.
The building was a large glass dome with vines and leaves sprouting out of it and acting like a curtain to keep the inside a surprise for new visitors. Eventually, when the group was inside, they were greeted with a breathtaking view. The dome bred life to countless amounts of trees, flowers, and other plants from around the world. The dome was also split in sections to simulate different climates for the plants to grow in.
"Look, Flint," Rose said, while skipping over to a patch of flowers, "aren't these Mardol mountain blues beautiful?"
"They are. Says here they are only found during the winter atop the mountains, the frozen soil supports their growth."
"I think I read somewhere that they use them for burn healing potions," Nixie added.
"There's so many plants in here," Rose chimed, "I never thought I'd be so fascinated by something so simple."
Flint smiled at the hyper, little eevee. He then turned his attention to a tree and approached it. "No way, I haven't seen one of these in a LONG time."
"What is it," Nixie said, stepping beside him. The tree was very thick and had grey bark. The leafs were a dark green, and the roots sometimes burrowed out of the ground making intricate designs.
"This is a Grey Oakroot, these are native to Ashmond. My tribe would usually make dens right where the roots come out. We would also dig into the bark to retrieve it's sap which was perfect for an adhesive. The wood was nice, but not as long lasting as a Charcoal Pine."
"That's fascinating, I wonder if they have any trees native to where my tribe is from?"
"Possible, let's go look. Do you know any names?"
"I was never told what type of tree it was, but we had this one really old tree that had beautiful colors. The bark had a blue tint and the leafs were a reddish color. We used it as a shrine to pray to our idles."
"Hmm, blue bark and red leafs. We could ask an employee. Come on, Rose, we're moving." Flint walked around looking for someone who possible worked at the garden. After finding a tropius watering some other strange plants, he decided he was the best bet. "Excuse me sir, we're looking for a tree that we don't quite know the name of. It has blue bark and red leafs."
The tropius had to think for a moment. "Can't say I've seen any here. You can always try the central section of the garden, that's where we keep our rarest plants. There may be some staff members there who can help you."
"Alright, thanks."
The group then headed to the said location, but they were stopped by a crowd of pokemon waiting to get in.
"What's the hold up?" Rose asked.
An aipom standing in front of them overheard Rose's question. "We're all waiting to see the most exotic plants in the world! They only let so many pokemon in at a time, that way they have less risk of ignorant pokemon harming these natural phenomenons."
So they waited. The line inched closer and closer to the door, peaking their interests more and more to what was on the opposite side of the doors. Nixie was excited to see her colony's sacred tree once more, but she was also interested at what other mysterious plants would be in the other room. Then their time came as the workers let them in with a small group of pokemon. There were only a total of five plants in the room, the one in the center being completely sealed by glass. Nixie looked around, but was slightly disheartened to not see anything similar to her tree.
"Hello, pokemon," a female vileplume introduced, "I'll bee your quick tour guide through these exotic plants. First, we'll talk about these flowers you see blooming in the pond over here." The vileplume pointed to strange looking plants that had yellow stems with red buds that were surrounded by a bubble. "These are called Dew drop lilies, they were originally discovered when Mardol was in its infancy. The bubbles you see around the buds slowly grow over time, but it's made of a soft mucus-like material, wich happens to be very toxic. The soldiers of Mirrosa's third battalion used the poison to assassinate hundreds of pokemon in one night.
"Next, I bring your attention to this tree." The tree had a slim trunk made of white bark while golden, yellow leafs decorated the top. "These trees have been nicknamed the Forest Oasis, as it will definitely make you do a double take and question yourself. The origin of these plants are from the dens forests scattered around our planet. These trees somehow constantly generate purified water, which can be harvested after boring into them.
"Over here are some bushes that were found in Zerith." The vileplume pointed to a shrub that had pitch black leafs bearing white fruits. "This is known as the Necrotic Limbretta, a creepy looking shrub that produces flavorless fruit. These fruit appear to do nothing, so their purpose remains unknown.
"Before we show you our final plant, we'll be showing off these recently discovered mushrooms that are native to Jagorii." The last exhibit showed a rock sprouting red, opaque mushrooms that had appendages dripping from the head of the mushroom. "These are known as Radial Red's and sometimes referred to as Spirit Shrooms. These mushrooms constantly radiate a crimson red glow from their body, but be warned, the light causes skin damage and slowly eats away at it.
"And lastly, is our most famous and most rare plant here. It's none other than the Mew Spore." Flint had recalled Aurora mentioning said flower back when they were entering the cave. Now he would finally get to see one. The flower was rather large, the petals were a pink color that had a different tint to them depending on the angle you looked at them. Lastly, white particles sparkled beneath the sun's ray of light. "Not much is know about the Mew Spore, but this is one of the only two known in existence. Many pokemon have theorized what the plant may be, but we will never know for sure. We hope you all enjoyed the tour. Now if you could all politely leave in an orderly fashion so we could get the next group through here."
Flint waited for the crowd to die down a but before he approached the vileplume. "Excuse me miss, I'm looking for a tree real quick. It has blue bark and red leafs. Do you by chance have one in your garden?"
The vileplume put a hand to her chin in thought. "I can't say I've seen any tree like that before. If you find any more information on it, please feel free to inform us, we're always accepting new plants."
Nixie was a little disappointed, but started wondering if her tree was by chance considered exotic as well. She didn't know too much about the tree, only that she'd never seen anything like it. After viewing a few more plants, the group decided on moving to more interesting things.
Rose seemed to be happier than usual as she skipped down the street. "Wow, that was great! I wasn't expecting it to be so fun."
"It was pretty interesting," Flint said, "I saw a lot of plants I never would have imagined existed. A bit of a bummer we couldn't find that tree you mentioned, Nixie. It sounds visually pleasing to look at."
"It's fine. The way I see it is that I know of a tree not a lot of other pokemon know about. The tree could be just as exotic as the other plants we saw."
"That would be something to brag about. Where do you guys want to go next?"
"Can we go to the cove by the beach?" Rose asked, "I've been wanting to go there ever since Rykon mentioned it on the tour."
"I don't see why not, we've got plenty of time today."
Rose jumped with happiness, starting to sprint the directing of the beach. Flint decided to let her burn her energy, he figured she would be tired later and would have to carry her again. Whenever Rose got too far, she would do a half run back to Flint and Nixie ensuring they were keeping up.
Nixie realized now was one of the only times she was alone with Flint. She now contemplated starting to make moves to give him hints about her interest in him, but was a bit unsure what she should do. Tesla said to trust her gut, but her gut was just as unsure as she was. This was a common struggle for a shy introvert such as herself. For now, she decided on holding a conversation.
"You know, I-I really appreciate you letting me hang out with you today. I've been stressed with my recent work."
"It's no problem at all, I enjoy hanging out with you. I can't speak for Rose, this is the first time she's really been around you for a long period of time."
"Speaking of Rose, I remember you mentioning that she isn't your child, and you're just a caretaker, but have you ever considered adopting her as your child?"
"The thought has crossed my mind occasionally, but Rose considers me as a father figure in her life. I'm pretty content with that."
"What about..." Nixie trailed off a bit, over thinking the context of her next words, but went with her gut feeling, "...a mother figure. Both are essential when raising one as young as her."
"I haven't thought too much about a mother figure. Kindle gave her... a talk about female stuff not too long ago, she has the chansey at the daycare -that's a bad example actually- but there's also Mystic, she'll be teaching Rose some other... things here soon."
After a few moments later, they had reached the beach area. As they remember, the cove was just west of there, carved into the side of the mountain that isolated the city. All three of them traversed the sand heading to the presumed location. There it was. A large cave naturally carved into the side of the mountain. The hole was wide enough for a ship to fit inside.
The three entered the cove in awe. The interior was quite spacious, the floor and roof were crowded with the usual stalagtite and stalagmite that collected water from the humid air. The sun was at the right angle that it reflected of the water into the back most wall. Rose was mesmorized by the sight of it all. Without much thought, she started walking towards the back wall.
"Don't go too far, Rose," Flint said.
Rose had to climb a bit to make it to the platform that attached to the end of the cove. Sitting there was something that she was truly astonished to see. Along the floor were many colorful tiles arranged in a circle.
"Flint, you gotta see this."
"What is-" Flint was interrupted by his own witness to the mosaic in the floor. "Whoa, I've never seen anything like this."
"You know, Flint, I find it funny how we're amazed by something as simple as this, but not the mountain sized tree with those death fruits we saw back in the cave."
"What?" Nixie asked.
"Nothing, it was just an encounter we had on our way here to Whitestone."
"What is this?" Rose asked.
"A sign of hope," a fourth voice said.
All turned their attention to where they had come from. Statshine was climbing up to the platform they were standing on. The three bowed in respect, but Statshine insisted them not to.
"A sign of hope you say?" Flint repeated. "What do you mean."
"The pokemon depicted in the art, it's the legendary we of the Fourth Light worship. Tell me, Flint, do you know why we call ourselves the Fourth Light?"
"I can't say I do."
"There's three types of lights in this world. The sun is the first. The sun represents bravery and confidence as it shines down on us, sharing its heat with us. The second light comes from the sun's sister, the moon. The moon represents commitment and challenge. It provides just enough light for us to see in the night, tempting us to continue pushing ourselves. The third light are elemental lights. Whenever you cast a fireball, or a pokemon shoots lightning, they generate light. This light represents purpose and reason, reminding us why we exist and what we can do. The Dark Legion is trying to destroy our light as they kill off all purity that exists. That's where the fourth type of light comes from. It's more figurative, this light is the only light that can shine in the darkness. We represent hope and life for every pokemon around us. Our royal guards wear pendants that carry their own light, this is what makes the dark fear us, because we're constantly growing."
Flint could hear the passion in her words, Statshine meant every word she said and she spoke with pure confidence in her voice. Nixie felt a glimmer of hope rising in her chest, she had already lost her colony to the darkness and wanted something to be done about it.
"Who is this legendary though?" Rose asked.
"That's none other than Xerneas. Her majesty devine. She is what can truly end this war, but the darkness will try and kill her. She is the life force of the planet, if she dies, then life no loner exists."
"How could the Dark Legion possibly kill a legendary such as her?" Flint asked.
"I'm speaking figuratively. Anyway, not to interrupt whatever it is you all were originally doing, but I came here seeking you, Flint."
"How'd you know to look here."
"I'm a psychic-type, it was my sixth sense that told me to come here."
"Very well, what is it you need of me?"
"I do apologize for the last minute news, but it's a business trip tomorrow I need you to accompany me on."
"A business trip? Where are we going?"
"We're testing one of our ships for a few days, you need to be there to manage supply of inventory."
"What about Rose? Who's going to take care of her?"
"I'm sure Nixie won't mind watching over her for a couple of days, will you Nixie?"
"I, uh-"
"Splendid! Come now, Flint."
"I thought you said it was tomorrow."
"I did, but you need to pack early."
It was the next day. Flint felt bitter, slightly irritated at how inconvenient this all was, especially since he had the day off. The Princess promised him he'd be compensated, that didn't seem to interest him too much. Nixie and Rose both seemed sad, Rose the most since Kindle and Tesla had just left as well. It sucked, but sacrifices had to be made at a time of war. Flint was now at the pier with his bag packed. Nixie and Rose both waiting with him.
"Please don't leave, Flint..." Rose said in a depressed tone.
"I don't want to leave, but I have to."
"Why? Why can't you just stay here? Just forget about the ship."
"It's not that simple, they are at war right now, they're doing this for our protection."
"We've never been seperated like this before, I don't know how I'm going to handle you being gone." Rose began shedding a couple tears.
"Everything will be fine, I'll be back in a couple days."
"What if you don't!? What if I never see you again!? Did you ever think about that?"
Flint gave Rose a warm hug while petting the back of her head, she cried into his fur. "I'm really sorry, Rose. I promise I'll be fine. Be good for Nixie. I love you, you're like a daughter you me."
After his hug, Flint went to Nixie. "I'm sorry I'm putting so much responsibility in your hands right now. She's going to be sad these next couple of days, just try your best to take care of her, please."
"I'll do whatever I can."
"Thank you, Nixie, it means a lot."
Nixie then embraced Flint in a hug. Like Tesla suggested, she made it feel like more than just a friendly hug. Flint returned the gesture. "Be safe, Flint."
After their goodbye, Flint boarded the ship, along with Statshine and her soldiers. It was one of the most painful feelings Flint had endured. He could only hope everything would be fine. He gave Rose a promise of his return, but ultimately, he wasn't the one making that decision...
We're now officially in the second arc, which will flow into where the prologue left off.