Chapter 3: When a heroine fantasy comes true
I shall start from the very beginning, as I think that will be the best way to explain this whole situation we have found ourselves in.
It all started on the Monday of this very week. As you all know, the class was going crazy at not having seen The Queen of Battles kick anyone's butt in PE. Because she wasn't present at all throughout that day. Making me, and many others, curious as to why this was the case. Although there were many reasons for it to be: After all, we all know that queenie here isn't too fond of school.
I guess her skipping school became the most accepted theory. That I have also stated at the time, to anyone willing to listen to what I said.
But enough about what y'all know! Now I should go into what y'all are less familiar with. At least those that don't go by any funny titles, that is…
That part starting either close to midnight, right when Tuesday started, or close to Tuesday morning. I dunno exactly, because it started in my dreams. As in, I suddenly found myself in this fancy-ass room that sure loved the colour velvet blue. I was staring at this Mimikyu sitting at this grand desk, clearly meant for someone way bigger than him. The fake eyes of his doll head were covered by a pair of plastic, pixelated-cool sunglasses. You know the kind, the one that used to be plastered on anyone's face during the MLG era of memes.
On either side of this desk were two grand couches, facing my current position in front of the desk. Like, holy fuck were they grand! I believe three Dragonite could comfortably fuck on one. Yet no Dragonite was sitting on their velvet blue surfaces. But a lone Gardevoir sat on one, with whom me, The Queen of Battles and Andrei are now acquainted with.
"Where am I?!" I asked the two Pokemon present in this fancy room in a panicked tone. After all, I did not remember ever going to it. The last thing I remembered was going to sleep.
"In the Velvet Room, where I welcome you." The strange Mimikyu responded to my panicked questioning. "I am Igor."
"I am delighted to make your acquaintance." He then said, before chuckling.
"But how am I here?! And why am I here?!" I continued to ask him in a rightful panic.
"You are here because this place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter…" Igor started to explain in his strange way. "…A place in which only those bound by a 'contract' may enter. But it appears you are not bound by one yet."
"How about we change that?"
Right after he said so, golden dust started to rain down onto us. Which then morphed into The Glamorous Adventurer. She was floating between me and the strange Mimikyu. Her whole body was facing the soft, velvet blue floor underneath my paws. Except for her face. Which was staring at my probably shocked expression, while giggling.
"So, this is to be my Master from now?~" The Diancie asked, before booping my nose. "I'm more than glad to be her servant, then!" She then stated, before breaking into the following speech:
"I am thou, and thou art I!"
"As you were noticed by Master Igor, thou hast awakened the power of The Glamorous Adventurer, a Persona of the Lust Arcana!"
"I shall be the contract that bounds you to the Velvet Room…As well as the guide that will help you become the main character of the stories and scenarios you wish to be part of! After all, who doesn't like stories and scenarios with glamorous heroines?"
After finishing her speech, she grinned at me. Before turning herself into a big, pink ruby. Which then encrusted itself into my forehead. To be honest, that hurt like hell. Though thankfully, the pain disappeared as soon as it came.
"As you are now bound by a contract, you are welcomed into the Velvet Room." The strange Mimikyu told my absolutely flabbergasted self. "Because such is the case, I shall also tell you why you have been summoned into the Velvet Room, in the first place."
"Please do!" I begged of him. He responded to my simple beg by chuckling.
"He he…Very well." Igor then added words to his response. "Pokemon have started to get lost in the desires they have, yet suppress. To the point that they may find their ends in them. Your task, if you wish to accept it, is to rescue them."
"What Pokemon? Getting lost WHERE?! And rescue them HOW?" I asked him back, not really understanding too much of his explanation. Pokemon getting lost in their suppressed desires? And apparently I was supposed to rescue them? At that moment, such concepts were unfamiliar to me…Just as they are to you, Andrei and Daniela.
"Well…You might know one of them. Who got lost into something that the eyes of many easily get lost into, in a place where many spend their time in…" The strange Mimikyu answered some of my questions…I wouldn't say directly, but neither indirectly. "As to how you'll rescue them…I'll let my assistant over here explain how to, once the two of you meet outside of the Velvet Room." He then added, while looking at the Gardevoir sitting on one of the velvet blue couches.
"Either way…As I said before, this mission is not obligatory. It is your choice if you wish to help those suffering, or willingly leave them to suffer." Igor then clearly laid out my choices, after looking back at my pretty face. "But for now, it appears that we are out of time. Therefore, you may return back to your realm."
And then, the strange, velvet blue room vanished into a black void. At which I looked in the few seconds, before my eyes shot wide open. I was awake now, back in my bed.
"Such a strange dream." I thought, before falling asleep. Not thinking that anything was amiss.
But something definitely was. As told to me by my own mother, when she spotted me in the morning.
"So, you have decided to put a ruby there?" The Thievul asked, as she sat at the dinner table where we usually eat breakfast together every day. Giving me a grin as she did so. As the pink ruby encrusted into her forehead glittered at mine. At the time it was unknown to me that mine was smaller than my mom's. Just like everything else both me and my mom have.
"Oh, erm…Yes! I finally managed to surpass the fear that kept me away from becoming prettier~" I replied to her question, correcting myself into my best self: The over confident, and flirtatious, girl that you all know. As I realised that what happened in that strange dream might have not been a dream. Or at least, that it somehow affected my body like this. "Sorry for not telling you sooner, I kinda collapsed into sleep the moment I arrived home."
"No worries, dear. Now, how about we eat breakfast?" My mom replied, believing my lies.
Throughout breakfast and the school day that followed it, my brain was busy thinking about the strange encounter I had in my dreams. Remembering the words that strange Mimikyu stated while seeing the empty bench of The Queen of Battles. Where could she have gotten into trouble? A place that contains something in which the eyes of many get lost into, was what Igor told me. And he made it sound like the Riolu got lost in that something. Just like the eyes that, I presumed, looked at that something.
Look, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed. But I'm not a moron, either. It soon hit me that the eyes of many get lost in screens, as mine were lost in my social media feed in one of the breaks between school periods. I don't remember exactly what post they saw as that realisation hit me, but at least seeing it alongside other posts helped me solve a part of the Mimikyu's unnecessary riddle.
From there, it was easy to realise that he was referring to a place with a screen at which many look at. My first guess was a cinema. Cinemas are places that many Pokemon frequent, in order to get their eyes lost in screens.
But my suddenly over-productive brain then realised: Why would I wish to risk myself to save The Queen of Battles? There is a reason why the Riolu over here is called that. Why would she need my help? I soon found an answer to those questions: Because the two of us were dealing with paranormal stuff. Like, from what I knew at the time, she got lost in a screen. And she couldn't fight her way out of this problem, like queenie here usually does. As for how I realised that I should provide said help? Well, I wanted, and still wish, to be a beautiful heroine. The main character of an epic in which I am the main character. Now, the chance for this fantasy to become a reality showed itself to me, better than what I thought would be the closest way I could achieve this dream of mine: By staring in movies. And besides, who else but myself would believe the words of Igor?
The moment I was fully pumped up to save The Queen of Battles also was the moment Tuesday's classes ended. Forgetting completely about the useless homework we received, I went to one of the two cinemas that exist in this town. As the Riolu surely didn't go to the other one, considering that, as you all know, it is the adult one my mom owns. And giving me that judgmental stare won't change that fact, queenie and Daniela.
The cashiers of the cinema were more than happy to sell me tickets for movies displayed in all four of the rooms it has. Although there was no way for me to watch them all, it did mean more money was being spent at the cinema.
The movies started approximately at the same time, but all of which got the same treatment from me: Having the screens on which they were displayed be touched, and looked, at for a few minutes as they displayed both advertisements and the movies themselves. I got a bunch of weirded out stares as I moved between the rooms and touched their screens. Also being the reason why I didn't spend longer on this dead lead.
Welp, that was a dead lead. Now I was standing on a bench in front of the cinema, thinking of what other place in the town contained a screen at which many stared at. All of you here know the answer already:
That massive TV in The Junes Department Store.
I remembered it rather quickly. After all, how can one forget it? It was the first object that let me view images in 8K for the very first time.
Hit by this realisation, I ran over to The Junes Department Store. Where that TV awaited me. In the same spot I remembered it being in. After making sure that not another Pokemon would give me a weirded out stare that day, I touched its screen.
My paw went right through said screen. It weirded me out at first. At least until my brain remembered that this was the result I was looking for. Now grinning, I jumped through the screen. Not ready at all, but wishing to fulfil the role of the heroine that strange Mimikyu wanted me to fill.
I landed on a yellow plain stretching into all directions. I later learned that this plain is called The Hub World. The only thing awaiting me on it was a lone Gardevoir. The same Gardevoir that remained silent in the Velvet Room. He later told me that his name is Ion.
"So. You have decided to accept my Master's Quest." Ion greeted me with these words.
"At least try it for a bit, now. Don't get too ahead of yourself." I truthfully replied, while flashing him my signature grin. Truthfully because I would have definitely pulled out of his Master's Quest if I found out that I wasn't qualified for it.
"That is more than fair." The Gardevoir replied, while not showing any sort of emotion. Like, dude has an almost permanent resting bitch face.
"So…How do we rescue The Queen of Battles? You're supposed to be some sort of guide for me, right?" I asked him, while making myself comfortable on the yellow plain beneath me. As I did just run from the cinema to The Junes Department Store, and did not stop from doing so until I stopped in front of the massive TV. Therefore, I was a tad tired, and in need of rest.
"Yes, but I'll try to keep explanations to a minimum: Time is of importance." Ion replied, before snapping the fingers of his right hand. Teleporting the two of us on a street. Surprised by the sudden shift in environment, I looked around the street. Urban houses that looked the exact same were lined on each side of the street. The typical kind that are shown in some movies produced in The United States of Unova.
"Now, our target may be in any one of these houses." The Gardevoir started to explain, as if the sudden environmental shift he just put me through wasn't amiss. "But I do feel their presence, as well as the presence of this Palace's boss, in that house." He then told me, while pointing towards one of the houses.
"Palace? Its boss? Feeling presences?" I asked him. I understood who he labelled as a target. I just didn't really understand everything else.
"I'll try my best to explain as much as possible while we rescue our target." My companion continued his whole 'time is of importance' mentality. "After-"
He got interrupted by a horde of angry looking neighbours exiting the houses he did not point towards. Making him give me a frightened stare.
"Run into the house! NOW!" My helper quickly instructed me. And my legs were more than happy to follow his instructions. The door between us and the inside of that house was blasted into pieces by a Psybeam he shot over my running body. Right before I ran into it.
I looked back to see the Gardevoir raise a glass-like Protect wall in the space where the door he destroyed used to be. We both watched some attacks and Pokemon collide against it from the safety it offered.
"Strong presences in the living room! I'll hold the other enemies off while you go to them!" He then instructed me.
"I shall!" I replied to his instructions, before running into the living room of the house. I first faced a TV, as I heard two male voices behind me shout:
"What are you doing in our house?!"
Making me turn around to face their owners. Two male Lucario, which appeared to be father and son. Behind them, a female Lucario was sitting on a couch. While holding close two Riolu, which looked exactly like The Queen of Battles. The one on her right side was conscious, while the one on her left side was knocked out.
"Rescuing the child you clearly did not take care of!" I shouted back in the heat of the moment, as a Swift star formed in my tail. Now, I am not the strongest nor experienced of fighters. And I also don't really train my body and fighting capabilities outside of PE Classes. But I still learned some things from those PE Classes.
"We took care of her: She is simply sleeping!" The older male Lucario angrily barked towards me. "Either way, we won't let you have our daughter, you-" He continued to bark, but was interrupted by my Swift star getting stuck into his throat.
Seeing his father choke on the Swift star, the younger male Lucario ran out of the room. Just before I Quick Attacked myself into the stomach of that father. It became apparent to me just how big of a mistake that was as he bent forwards, together with my attack. Stabbing my back with his chest spike and striking my back with his arms. Which had their palms held together, forming a hammer-like structure. I saw that this was the case after he struck me, when I landed back onto the floor and took a few, wobbly steps away from him. He did a Swords Dance as I wobbled away from him, while standing straight once again. The Lucario then spat something towards me as bones made out of blue aura appeared in his hands. The thing he spat was a small cloud of golden dust. Which I presume to have been the Swift star which I lodged into his throat. That I may have removed from there by striking his stomach.
But that is a consideration I made outside of that battle. And not in it, as there was no time for me to make it. The one pretending to be the father of The Queen of Battles rushed towards me, before I could react or think. Bonking me on the head once with one of his aura bones, before I managed to use the move Protect to, well, protect myself. Yes, that plate that looks like a disturbance in the air which I sometimes do during PE Classes. Deemed the weakest Protect in the whole school. It only covers a very small area instead of my whole body, and breaks after a few seconds of concentration or being hit. At least it protected my head from the next four bonks that would have struck it.
"Father! Move out of the way, I've got this!" A male voice attracted the attention of the Lucario kicking my ass for a few seconds. Making him jump to his right. Revealing his son to me. Who was holding a fucking gun! I'm no gun expert, so, I don't know what sort of gun it was.
But I do know that it shot at me. At my head. In the seconds before the Lucario pulled the trigger of his gun, I was terrified. Pretty much begging for my life, for something or someone to save me from the death that seemed to await me. Maybe I could have jumped away from the Lucario's range, but my legs refused to react, petrified by fear.
The bullet struck the pink ruby encrusted into my forehead. I felt it shattering and heard both the bullet and the shards of the ruby hit the floor. Some of the shards got stuck into my forehead, but they were not stuck there for long. As all of the shards quickly dissipated into golden dust, a familiar Diancie appeared in front of me. The same one who I faced in the Velvet Room. She was facing the Lucario who shot at me.
"Master! Why didn't you summon me earlier?!" The Glamorous Adventurer screamed, as the one holding a gun started to shoot at her. None of the many bullets shot at the Diancie touched her. Such being the case because they were met by wall after wall made out of pink crystal. That were raised by The Glamorous Adventurer from the floor, piercing through it in order to act as anti-bullet cover. By the time the gun was only shooting noises of being empty, the floor was littered with what used to once be part of it, pink crystal shards, and golden dust. I later learned that the golden dust is called Mystery Powder, and the attack that was performed is called Piercing Love.
After seeing that his son could not damage my ally with his gun, the Lucario next to her jumped up. Attempting to strike her face with one of his claws as he fell towards the floor. The claw was coated in metal, and it did not make contact with the Diancie. Instead, it made contact with a ball of rubber. That started to surround her the moment she sensed the threat on her right side. I later learned that what the metal coated claw popped into Mystery Powder is the guaranteed result of a move called Protection. Pretty much a condom-like, one time use Protect.
The Lucario never landed back onto the floor. Instead, he was grabbed by The Glamorous Adventurer into a tight, restraining hug. In which his right cheek got kissed. The lips of the Diancie touched it while the wife and son of the cheek-kissed Lucario gasped. The female Lucario covered the eyes of the copy of The Queen of Battles as she shouted:
"What are you doing to my husband, you vile beast?!"
"What are you doing to my father?! You'll pay for all that you have done to us!" The son of the kissed Lucario screamed, before leaping towards the so-called 'vile beast'. Performing a Swords Dance while mid-air, ahead of landing in front of The Glamorous Adventurer. Prior to starting to punch and kick continuously at her. But all of those punches and kicks landed onto his father. That the Diancie smartly used his body as a Pokemon shield. A Pokemon shield that was withering from, as I later learned, getting his life energy sucked out through the kiss implanted onto his right cheek. The effect of a move that goes by the name of Draining Love, as I was later told.
By being punched and kicked while his life energy got drained, the older male Lucario fully turned into a pile of golden dust before he could react in any way. Chunks of his body turning into golden dust whenever struck by a punch or kick. While the parts of his body that were not touched by those punches and kicks withered away into Mystery Powder. Because apparently, all of the enemies in that world that are made up by the that world, are made out of that golden dust called Mystery Powder. As I have learned later. And they are not the only things to be made out of Mystery Powder. Pokemon such as Ion and The Glamorous Adventurer are also made out of it.
"You'll pay for killing my father!" The male Lucario, that was still alive, screamed at the Diancie in front of him. Before starting to punch, kick and claw at her. Some of his claws were encased in metal while they made contact with the body of my Persona. Who, while being assaulted by the Lucario's attacks, kissed his forehead. His body withering as the Diancie got hit less and less. But by the time he was just a pile of Mystery Powder, The Glamorous Adventurer looked like she would become one soon enough. Chunks of her body were straight up missing, and those that weren't were covered by claw marks. Her current state revealed a golden interior. Imagine cutting a Diancie-shaped cake, and the inside is just a golden paste.
"Master, I am sorry…But…I cannot continue like this. Unless you wish for both of us to die." My Persona told me, with what was left of her mouth.
"I don't wish for that!" I screamed back the truth. As I really didn't wish for someone to die protecting me, while I could still protect myself.
"Then…Please, do not fail your Quest in my absence." The Diancie told me, before vanishing into nothing. The moment she vanished, I heard the ruby encrusted into my forehead crack.
"I shall avenge my husband, you bitch!" The female Lucario screamed, before standing up.
"You are nothing without that crystal bitch, you bitch! You'll die for killing my husband!" She screamed after standing up. Following her threats by running up to me. Slapping my very quickly set up plate of a Protect when she got right next to me. I threw a Swift star into her face right as my Protect was being destroyed. I prepared that star while the Lucario was screaming at me.
Her head exploded into Mystery Powder, just like the Swift star that struck it. She was clearly weaker than her husband, but still a threat. Hence why her husband did not get so damaged by the Swift star that I threw into him, while she did.
In the few seconds that followed, I waited for her now headless body to hit the floor, dead. Instead, it slapped my left cheek. Before I could understand what had happened, I found myself sprawled all over the floor. After being sent flying into a wall.
My opponent ran towards me as I stood up. Holding bones made out of red aura in her hands. I ducked underneath her first attempt to bonk my head, then ran to the left. While producing another Swift star. I dodged her next attempt to bonk me by swerving to the right, before releasing my attack into her right hand. It exploded into golden dust as she bonked my head with the red aura-bone held in her left hand. Before I got bonked once more, I Quick Attacked myself through her legs. They exploded into Mystery Powder behind me. With her mobility removed, it was a child's play to make the rest of her body turn into golden dust. Doing so by stomping onto it.
Speaking of a child's play…While I was destroying her mother outside of a bed, the copy of The Queen of Battles snuck up on me. I became aware of her existence when she grabbed me by the tail. I looked back at her face as she swung me 'round and 'round. The Riolu let go of me, making me go straight into one of the walls. I stared straight at the wall as my face kissed it. Doing as such because I had a plan.
While my body hit the floor, the still hurt body of The Glamorous Adventurer made itself present. Because my already cracked pink ruby encrusted into my forehead got destroyed by being smacked against a wall, while I had the intent to summon the Diancie. A course of action that was the reason why I chanced getting knocked out by getting my face smacked against a wall. Thank Xerneas that didn't knock me out!
"I told you that you'd die if I die in this-" I heard the Diancie start to complain, but stopped when, I presume, she saw in what state I was, and in what state my current opponent was. "Oooo nevermind, you'd die without my help. Sorry for doubting your decision, Master."
By that point, I at least managed to face the copy of The Queen of Battles. Just as she screamed:
"YOU again. I'll make you pay for killing my father and brother, you fuck!"
Before Quick Attacking herself towards my Persona. Who very impressively grabbed the Riolu before she could pass through the Diancie's body. The lips of which smooched the forehead of the enemy, as she struggled to get out of this situation. She managed to do so when she turned the arms of my Persona into Mystery Powder. Landing onto the floor while performing a Swords Dance. The dancing stopped when her feet touched the floor. Yet even with that boost, her body had still withered. In fact, her left arm was missing, having turned into golden dust at one point during the energy succ smooch.
I watched these events unfold as I struggled back onto my own feet. I was back onto them the moment those of the copy touched the floor beneath them. Just in time to shakingly Quick Attack myself into the Riolu. I had neither the energy nor the precision to make my body phase through hers, and finish the attack behind her. Neither did my opponent have the reaction time to dodge or block my attack in any way. Not that it mattered: I barely damaged her body. Just a bruise, and a few specks of golden dust flew from it.
My fur got saved from that awkward situation by my companion, who suddenly made her body fall onto the copy of The Queen of Battles. Crushing her into Mystery Powder. I presume that the Diancie floated above the Riolu while she was being distracted by me. I later learned that the move she used to destroy that enemy is called Crushing Love.
Now, although it seemed that this copy was as powerful as The Queen of Battles over here, while enacting her battle doctrine almost exactly, I'm not going to say that The Glamorous Adventurer beat her. That is because her body could get destroyed even a little bit by the smallest of interactions, as it is entirely made out of Mystery Powder. The real queenie over here wouldn't have her left cheek turn into golden dust if I smacked it, would she?
No, of course I'm not going to actually smack it…Unless you want for me to~ No? Alright.
Either way, back to my story. After battle in that I almost lost my life, and The Glamorous Adventurer almost lost hers, the two of us came out victorious. However, I will only take credit for beating one of the four enemies: The other three were beaten by the Diancie, after all.
But we didn't get a chance to celebrate. The moment the Riolu was fully destroyed was the moment a bright flash of light occupied the room. Blinding me and the Diancie until we found ourselves in an entirely white void. I was unable to move or speak. The Gardevoir that had brought us to this strange place was also there. My Persona was on my left side while Ion was on my right side, I saw them with my peripheral vision. I also saw that neither moved nor spoke, the Diancie oddly standing on the 'floor' of the white void on the smallest part of the rock that acts as the lower half of her body, instead of floating. Making me assume that the two were also unable to either move or talk.
Alongside our shared inability of moving or talking, the three of us also shared at what we looked at. Or better said, who. The only other Pokémon alongside us in that white void.
A now conscious Queen of Battles. That started a speech. Which went something alongside the lines of this:
"The freeing of Orbaj Town from the tyrannical grasp of the government of the Social State of Ruinelia. One of the many towns that was freed by the growing country of the Democratic Republic of Ilfev. Who doesn't know about that? After all, it was an international effort. Drafted or volunteer soldiers coming to the region heavily disputed between these two countries, alongside weaponry and provisions, to help either side. The nations that believed in the power of democracy, and even some nations that did not, but wished for some sort of payment for sending help, helped the Ilfev side of the conflict. While the Ruinelia side of the conflict was backed by whatever country with a dictatorship it didn't piss off, or simply wished for payment from that side."
"Because of this, that war did not affect only those living in those two countries. But the lives of any of the soldiers from any of the countries helping with this war effort, alongside the families, friends and lovers they left behind."
"Two of those soldiers were my father and brother."
"It was, just…Ugh! They weren't even drafted! They volunteered for the war effort! They were not forced in any way to participate!"
"But they still did! Leaving me and my mother behind so that they could fight for the great ideal of democracy and freedom!"
"They promised me that they'd be back. And in the meantime, to keep onto these." She stated, as her right hand touched the strip of white clothing going around her chest, while her left hand touched the strip of white clothing going around her hips. "The last presents they gave to me. The one going around my chest was given to me by my father, while the other one was given to me by my brother."
"They asked me to promise to take good care of them. And in return, they promised that they'd be back as soon as possible."
"They did come back. As ashes in urns. They did explicitly state in their wills that they wished for their bodies to be cremated. They were firm believers that graveyards occupied more space than they were worth, and simply wished to not take up so much space that the living could use for other things the moment the two were not amongst them."
"At least their sacrifice actually meant something. A month later, Orbaj Town was declared as being part of the Democratic Republic of Ilfev."
"A month in which my mom struggled to raise me. Unable to find a job thanks to the very great system of employment that was in the States at the time, considering that she was a stay-at-home mom before, she had to struggle to take care of both herself and me on the shitty amount of money Pokemon without jobs were given. That sum wasn't enough to realistically keep a single Pokemon in a good condition, let alone two."
"The moment she found out about the more than fair housing prices of a now freed Orbaj Town, and that anyone not currently being a criminal was allowed to become a citizen of the Democratic Republic of Ilfev by simply asking to become one, she knew exactly what to do. Which was selling the house to one of those companies that are more than happy to buy any house offered to them, as long as they can get away with paying way less than what those houses are worth on the market. And also selling anything we didn't want to/couldn't carry with us to second hand stores. Then buying two tickets for the next ferry that went to Ilfev. A part of the rest of the money she earned by selling her possessions was used to buy the food we consumed on the 2-month trip. The rest was kept to be used to buy a house in Orbaj Town. As she prayed that the prices she saw listed online wouldn't increase by the time we got there."
"They didn't. So, the moment we received our citizenship at the border, we headed through a long-road bus trip to Orbaj Town. Just like many others that had the very same idea my mom had. In the town, my mom bought one of the smaller and cheaper houses. Then she actually had to choose between one of the offers that wanted her to start working immediately. Menial labour, but it paid better than the States for the very same amount of work."
"But I wasn't happy. If my father and brother didn't die, the family wouldn't have been in this situation. At that time, I was too young to understand the whole situation. From my perspective, it seemed like my mother decided for the two of us to move somewhere else after a month of near-starvation that followed the death of my father and brother. It was already painful enough to not see them every day for a few months, as I was used to before they left with the army. The only thing keeping me away from despairing was the hope that they may come back. A hope that disappeared the moment two jars came, alongside an official statement."
"Therefore, I wanted to only hate them! Hate them for their sacrifice, that had cost the way me and my mother used to live! While pretending that I did not wish for them to come back and reform the family their sacrifice destroyed! I wished so hard to pretend that I hated them, that I did not wish them back into my life! Feelings and thoughts that have followed me as I grew up! But-"
At that point, queenie here started to cry.
"My hypocrisy was showing since then! If I truly hated them, I would have disrespected their last wish of taking care of these strips of white material! Although they disrespected their promise! But I never did! Because the truth was, I always wanted to forgive them! And for them to come back and make my family whole again! When I was a child, I wished so simply because I missed them! But when I got older, because I understood what their sacrifice was for! Yet all of this time, I pretended that such wasn't the case, and-"
"-And I'll stop pretending, from this moment on! I miss my father and brother! I forgive them! And I wish that they would come back from the dead and make my family whole and happy again!"
The moment that last shout of the Riolu was over, I could only see white for a few seconds. After those seconds, I was looking at the backs of the four family members me and The Glamorous Adventurers had fought to the death. As they were facing a crying Queen of Battles, while chanting:
"We are thou, and thou art we."
"Thou hast awakened the power of The Happy Family, a Persona of the Hope Arcana, by accepting your own irrational hope for something that will never happen. A hope that your rational side rejected."
"It shall be the guide that will help you get throughout your existence."
The Queen of Battles was then grabbed by the three Lucario and her clone into a hug.
"And remind you that you are loved,"
They then proceeded to state her real name, before disappearing. And because I have promised to never say that name out loud, I will not say it.
"Never…" The Riolu in front of us said, while wiping away her tears. "…Never utter that name to anyone, or I'm going to fucking kill you."
Right after she said that, Ion snapped the fingers of his right hand. Teleporting the four of us onto the endless yellow plain from before. And soon only three of us were present on that plain, because the Diancie decided to go back to resting into the cracked pink ruby encrusted into my forehead.
"Now, why did you do that?" I inquired, as a clearly confused queenie looked around the curious sight of the plain.
"The Reveal Time broke my focus on the Protect keeping us safe. If we would have stayed there any second longer, we would have been swarmed by enemies." The Gardevoir plainly explained. Although I didn't know what a Reveal Time was at the time, from context I understood that it was the whole white void shenanigan I was part of.
"Right, thanks a bunch for saving my fur. Again." I responded to his explanation, before facing The Queen of Battles. "Now, I should probably comfort her."
"Before that." He said, making me face him again as a…Well, I dunno how to describe this. A black line appeared, from which he pulled out an Oran Berry. The black line disappeared the moment he raised the Oran Berry from it. "Eat this. You got rather roughed up in that battle, after all."
"Oooo, thank you a bunch! But, erm…Do explain that weird thing you have just did while I eat it..." I replied with genuine happiness and curiosity. The Gardevoir then very quickly let go of the Oran Berry the moment I practically grabbed it from his hand with my maws. I quickly ate it, its juices healing me up. And let me tell you, that was one high quality Oran Berry! It healed everything! Only high-quality Oran Berries heal that much.
"Oh, it is just my pocket dimension. Some Servants of Igor have them, and prefer using them instead of bags." Ion explained as I fucked that Oran Berry up. Explaining as if having a personal pocket dimension wasn't impressive. "It honestly sounds more impressive than it is. There's barely any space in it, and it takes more focus to open and navigate one than opening and navigating a bag. But it doesn't weight on my fragile shoulders, so, that's why I use mine."
"But that is impressive!" I replied, before continuing with: "But now, I should really go comfort-" I started, but got stopped by Ion's expression shifting into a frown. That was the very first time I saw his face do anything but rest in a bitchy way.
"Didn't you forget about someone else that needs healing?" He asked me, making me remember about a certain gal.
"Oh! She also needs to eat Oran Berries in order to heal?" I responded with a question the moment I remembered about my massive helper, The Glamorous Adventurer.
"Exactly. So, call her forth while I get an Oran for her." He concluded, as his face went back to resting in a bitchy way and his pocket dimension made itself shown again. From which he pulled out another Oran Berry as I ripped off the cracked ruby encrusted into my forehead.
"This better be a summon for healing, I'm barely in any condition to continue fighting…" Were the words used by The Glamorous Adventurer, as the pink ruby in my right paw turned into golden dust and the empty hole in my forehead got replaced by another cracked ruby. Her eyes then spotted the Oran Berry in the Gardevoir's right hand just as his pocket dimension was disappearing once again. Those eyes widened at the sight of the berry.
"Thank you so much!" She shouted out, before floating right next to Ion. Snatching the Oran Berry between her hands, then happily munching away at it. The moment she was done eating it, a now fully healed Diancie gave Ion a hug. She disappeared a few seconds into the hug.
"Well, can I now go comfort The Queen of Battles?" I asked the slightly astonished Gardevoir.
"I-I'll try to aid you, y-yeah…" Ion replied. I could have joked a bit about his reaction to getting hugged by The Glamorous Adventurer, but decided against it. So that I could finally comfort queenie here. Who did not look at all like the mighty, seemingly always furious and/or pumped-up Queen of Battles all of us at this table are familiar with.
"Hey there, queenie…" I started, as I got closer to her. However, I stopped my advancement the moment her left hand extended towards me, its palm almost touching the tip of my nose.
"You say one thing that makes me feel bad, and you're taking all that you have learned to your grave." The Riolu made herself clear, in a deeply annoyed tone.
"Woah woah woah, queenie- Let's not be so hasty to murder, alright?" I replied, not at all surprised to be threatened as such by The Queen of Battles herself. "I'm above pestering a crying child."
"I'm not a child, though." The Riolu continued to make herself clear in the exact same tone she used before.
"Alrighty, I won't pester a crying teenager, is that better?" I corrected myself. "I just wanted to calm you down a tad, is all."
"…Why? I thought that you didn't care about how I felt." A surprised queenie asked me, the tone from before starting to disappear.
"Because you had to go through so much, in an unfamiliar place." I stated my reason. "I might like teasing and pestering, but not when it'll create a big emotional scar."
"…Well…" The girl started, then sighed, before lowering her outstretched arm. "…You got me with that one. And here I thought that you were a soul-less bitch that enjoys harming others."
"So…Friends through this weirdness? I could use some help fighting in my adventures here." I proposed to the Riolu. Because no matter how strong The Glamorous Adventurer might be, even she got absolutely trashed around. So, the more fighting power, the better.
"Fight in what adventures? All I remember is…This need to jump through the massive TV they have in Junes…And then facing you and those two other weirdos in a white void, in which my mouth spoke without my consent…Then being in a living room for a bit, before getting teleported here…" The Queen of Battles both asked me and explained her perspective of the whole matter.
"I can explain all that has happened." Ion volunteered himself to explain. "Now or another time, depending on if you wish to go back home, or remain here for a while longer."
At those words, the Riolu sat onto the plain below her. "I don't have anything of note to do back home. And I'd like some sort of explanation." She then explained why she sat down. Prompting me to sit near her, while also facing Ion. Telling him through my gesture that I would also prefer to listen to him explain as much as possible.
"Alright, then…" The Gardevoir then started.
It was a lengthy explanation, and I have already spent a lot of time getting to this point. So, I'll just summarize the whole lore that was revealed to us through the conversation the three of us had. Through which I also told The Queen of Battles on how I ended up rescuing her.
Although Ion never saw it happen, his master, Igor, informed him that those who get stuck into Palaces are Pokemon with supressed desires. A supressed desire being, for example, lying to yourself that you don't love someone. When in fact, you just want to fuck the shit out of them. These Pokemon become Shocked whenever they spot a certain TV. When Shocked, these Pokemon do anything in their power to smash their bodies against the screen of that TV. They will always succeed, except for when they are killed. But if they're not, they get stuck in a Palace built around their supressed desire, in which they'll rot to death in two weeks from the creation of their Palace.
Ion did not know what TV it was, but it was pretty clear by now that it was the massive one from Junes.
So, you might be thinking that if this TV is destroyed, then no Pokemon would get stuck in Palaces. Wrong. If the TV currently linked with what I was informed to be called The Alternative World is destroyed, or becomes inaccessible, then another TV will make a link with The Alternative World. That's what Igor told Ion, and what the Gardevoir told us.
Now, The Alternative World. Only Shocked Pokemon, Pokemon with Personas and Persona-less Pokemon accompanying Pokemon with Personas can enter it through a TV linked to it. Shocked Pokemon instantly get teleported to the Palaces built around their supressed desires. The others are sent to The Hub World, the seemingly endless plain I was sent to. In all parts of The Alternative World, time passes the same as in this world. So, if I go into it at three in the afternoon and stay two hours in it, when I exit it, it will be five in the afternoon.
The only Pokemon that can travel between The Hub World and the Palaces of the Alternative World are the so-called Servants of Igor, Pokemon who have appeared in The Alternative World for a reason unknown to even Igor. Appearing there without memories of their former lives, and are unable to leave it in any way while their bodies are formed from golden dust. These Pokemon have been taken good care of by the Mimikyu, who also gave them powers. Such as traversing between The Hub World and Palaces, being able to receive some information about a Palace without having ever set foot in it, sensing where the Palace Boss is, making pocket dimension, sending Travellers back to their world, determining the effects of objects by touching them and the name and abilities of a Personas by touching either those Persona or their users. Some use them to help Travellers such as myself, The Queen of Battles and Andrei. That's what they call those who come into The Alternative World through TVs linked to The Alternative World. While others simply vibe around…Somewhere, alongside those actually helping their powers to help others. Ion told us that he'd reveal that somewhere when we'll be trusted more. Considering that I'm annoying and queenie is very emotionally unstable, I didn't object to that. I might like annoying Pokemon, but I'd rather not anger an entire community of Pokemon able of stranding me in a Palace. Although I was told by Ion that they are forbidden by Igor to harm Travellers, I still don't want to take my chances. Especially because rules can be broken.
Palaces. The enemies are based on things related to the supressed desire of the individual stuck in them. For example, the enemies in queenie's Palace, that I was told is called The Palace of the Desired for Family, represent the neighbours of the neighbourhood her family comfortably lived in while it was still whole. As her supressed desire was to have a happy life together with her whole family once again, exactly like they once did. Hence why her Palace looked like a generic neighbourhood of The United States of Unova: Because she used to live in one, together with her family.
Enemies. Enemies will fight until their bodies are fully turned into golden dust, called Mystery Powder. This Mystery Powder then transforms into items whenever all enemies in a room are eliminated. These items are either thematic to the Palace they are created in, or items that can be found in all Palaces. Such as the berries and seeds we are all familiar with, but also, strange orbs, wands and scarves with their own effects. Ion can determine the effects of an item by touching it, as I've said before. Same goes when touching a Persona, or its user.
Palace Bosses need to be eliminated in order to free the Shocked Pokemon they hold hostage. When they are eliminated, the Mystery Powder forming their bodies does not turn into objects, but the Shocked Pokemon they hold hostage regain consciousness. That they first use to explain things against their will in a white void to an audience of Pokemon unable to move or speak. The audience is formed of all Pokemon that were not created by the Palace and that are not the previously Shocked Pokemon. This is called The Reveal Time.
Personas. Personas are entities that live in close proximity to their users, their bond sometimes being represented through an object. Only sometimes because, for example, the cases of myself and The Queen of Battles. Although my bond with The Glamorous Adventurer is represented through the pink ruby encrusted into my forehead, the bond The Queen of Battles has with The Happy Family is not depicted in any way. These Persona can be obtained in three ways, two of which are shown through this retelling I've told you. The first is what Ion called 'the Wildcard Route'. This means that his master, Igor, brings someone he found as interesting into the Velvet Room, and grants that Pokemon a Persona. The second is what Ion called 'the Rescued Route'. For that route to happen, one must first become Shocked and enter The Alternative World while being as such. Of course, this means that said Pokemon gets stuck in a Palace built around their supressed desire. But if they get rescued before they rot away, they will acquire a Persona depicting that suppressed desire, but now, no longer being suppressed by them. Then there is the third route, 'the Convincing Route', as the Gardevoir put it. This route can only be done by users of Wildcard Personas. Pretty much, one of those users can attempt to threaten/convince enemies in Palaces to give their loyalty to those users. If they do give their loyalties, they become bonded to that user. But convincing/threatening enemies into submission is not a thing only Wildcard Persona users can do. Any sort of Traveller and all Servants of Igor can do it, but only users of Wildcard Personas can transform them into, and use them as, Personas.
To summon a Persona, its user must do a certain action that leads to that Persona being summoned. In my instance, that is ripping out, or destroying, the ruby encrusted into my forehead. A clear representation of my bond with The Glamorous Adventurer, even getting damaged whenever the Diancie is damaged. By being the object that represents that bond, the ruby can only be removed from my forehead and/or destroyed when I intend for it to be as such. As I am the user of my Persona. That is also why The Glamorous Adventurer appeared when I begged for any sort of help, an action that let her summoning ruby get destroyed by the bullet shot at my face. Even if I didn't know how to summon my Persona at that time. And I believe it is self-explanatory how the ruby got destroyed when I let my face smack against a wall on purpose.
While in the case of The Queen of Battles, she simply has to punch her chin to summon The Happy Family. Also, for some reason: Summoning a Persona while screaming 'PERSONA!' gives a boost of strength to the summoned Persona. The boost is bigger the louder that word is shouted, and becomes even bigger if the name of the summoned Persona is stated alongside it.
All of these Personas have Moves, just like us Pokemon. They do look as Pokemon, and have Types and Abilities, just like Pokemon. Some of the differences being that their types do not have to match their species, and they can have up to eight Moves instead of four. Moves that do not have to be traditional moves.
The Glamorous Adventurer is a Rock Type and Fairy Type, just like any Diancie. While The Happy Family is solely a Fighting Type, unlike how all Lucario are both Fighting Type and Steel Type.
The Glamorous Adventurer has the ability Clear Body, an ability that makes her unable to have her powers lowered through power-lowering Moves. The Happy Family has the ability Steadfast, an ability that increases its speed whenever one of its members flinches.
Now, the moves these two Persona know. The Glamorous Adventurer knows the moves Draining Love, Crushing Love, Piercing Love, Waves of Love, Protection and Attract. The Happy Family knows the moves Family Punches, Family Kicks, Family Sacrifice and Family Dance.
Now, a description of each move.
Draining Love is a Fairy Type Move, and acts like a more effective Draining Kiss.
Crushing Love is a Rock Type Move. By performing it, The Glamorous Adventurer crushes someone underneath her body.
Piercing Love is also a Rock Type Move. While performing it, the Diancie can either extend the crystal found in her body, or shift parts of the environment around her into crystals that she can manipulate. The later being exactly what she did when she raised those walls of pink crystal to protect herself from the bullets shot at her.
Waves of Love is, surprisingly, a Water Type Move. By performing it, The Glamorous Adventurer sends waves made out of projections of pink hearts towards anybody within a 18 m radius. These projections harm whatever they touch just like any other projectile-based Water Type attack.
Protection is a Normal Type Move. It acts exactly like a proper Protect, except for two things. It being able to only protect the Diancie, and it being rubber-like instead or glass-like or energy-like.
You guys surely know how Attract works like.
Family Punches is a Fighting Type Move. By performing it, The Happy Family can make punches constantly rain on one or multiple enemies.
Family Kicks is also a Fighting Type Move. By performing it, The Happy Family can make kicks constantly rain on one or multiple enemies. Pretty much just the Move Family Punches, but with kicking instead of punching.
Family Sacrifice is a Normal Type Move. By performing it, The Happy Family can shield someone from an attack with their bodies. Sure, theoretically they could do that even without performing this Move. But they receive less damage when protecting someone while performing this Move.
Family Dance is also a Normal Type Move. By performing it, The Happy Family dances in order to increase the attack power of either its members or of The Queen of Battles.
All of this technical information about my and queenie's Personas came from Ion, as he touched our foreheads. Finding out all of this information through his ability that let him do so. And on the other dates me and the Riolu visited The Alternative World, we found out through practice that the Gardevoir did not lie to us.
But before all of that, before we returned to our world, me and The Queen of Battles still had some things to settle.
"Well, this is all pretty story-like, don't you think?" I asked the Riolu, almost immediately after the lore-dump conversation we had with Ion.
"Yeah, it really is…" She replied, while looking at my face. "And you wish to continue the gig?"
"Well, I've always wanted to be the main character of my own story." I confessed to her, while flashing her my signature grin.
"That doesn't surprise me. You've always acted as if you're a main character." The Queen of Battles replied, before sighing. "You've got too much of an ego."
"Well, I consider having my ass, my tail and my ego be the same size as being the best way to live my life~" I stated in response to that truthful statement, while winking.
"No shit." The girl replied to my consideration on what is the best way to live my life. "And that's why you want to keep this gig up. In which you'd like my help."
"Exactly! We could be a team, just like in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon franchise!" I suggested. A suggestion that made The Queen of Battles smile for the very first time while in my presence.
"Yeah, that'd be nice." She agreed with me. "Do you want for it to be a nameless team, or for it to have a name?"
"Have a name, of course! I got the perfect name for us!" I excitedly stated, finally getting out an idea that has been forming in my head during the long conversation with the Gardevoir. "Team Bitches!"
And before the Riolu could object to this team name, I stated my reasoning as to why this name would be a good name:
"Just, think about it! I'm a whore, you're a badass girl willing to smack the shit of anyone that annoys you…We are both girls that can be labelled by the word 'bitch'! And our third member, Ion, has a resting bitch face!"
"Yeah, many Pokemon point that out." The Gardevoir himself agreed.
"See, queenie? It just works!" I finished my reasoning.
"You know what? I don't have any better ideas. Unless Ion wants another team name, we're going with that." Was the feedback The Queen of Battles gave to my suggestion.
"I don't." The mentioned Gardevoir plainly stated.
"Then Team Bitches it is!" I loudly proclaimed, a smile on my face as I did so.
After we chose the name of our team, me and queenie said our goodbyes to Ion. Prompting him to send me and the Riolu back to our world. Doing so by turning a very small section of the yellow plain into a purple rectangle. Through which me and The Queen of Battles were able to jump back into our world. You saw how that looks from the perspective of someone looking at a TV linked to The Alternative World, Daniela.
Unlike when you spotted us, that time nobody saw us phase out of that massive TV. And because The Junes Department Store is open twenty-four seven, we didn't have to worry about being stuck in a locked store. So instead of worrying about that, we just went back to our respective homes.
The following days, immediately after school and before doing our homework, me and The Queen of Battles visited The Alternative World. Visits in which we got accustomed to our powers and got more used to being a team, together with Ion. Visits in which we also created the 'Silence, bitch!' rule, as I call it. That both the Riolu and the Gardevoir can use in order to silence me, whenever I start talking too much shit. Ion can use its benefits by raising his right arm, and The Queen of Battles by placing her left hand in front of my face. Whenever they do these gestures, I must stop talking immediately.
Then this Friday, Andrei became a Shocked. So, Team Bitches had to rescue him.
And about that…I'll tell you another time or he can tell you that yourself, Daniela. Especially because my throat cannot handle another long, constant retelling of my adventures.
End of chapter 3: When a heroine fantasy comes true