Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Harry Potter
BloodyKitsune: So October went by fast and now we're in November...Damn, time really passed. I will admit that I didn't see any reviews until I actually took a look at the story. Fanfiction is messing up, but I'll still update because I want to. Might also have this on A03 just to be on the safe side though.
Reviews:
AchroniaSamara: You'll just have to wait and see.
DGJabberwocky: You'll have to wait and see.
Chapter 27
"So you're leaving already...Feels like a pretty short visit," Grace's lips were pulled into a sad smile as she walked beside Vali along the boardwalk, "Then again, you always end up visiting only for a short period of time,"
Rubbing the back of her neck with a soft laugh, Vali offered Grace a sad smile of her own, "At least this time, it isn't League Business pulling me away," The sun had only just started to rise though both of them were wide awake, "Not...fully."
Frown forming at that, Grace paused and turned fully towards Vali, "So what I've been hearing as of late...the rumors about Team Rocket resurfacing are true?"
"More than true," Vali sighed heavily at the fact she was the one who apparently had to tell one of her oldest friends the news, "The triplets...your League Rep looking after the girls...didn't tell either of you anything, huh?"
"No," Grace gained a frustrated look on her face and moved to look out at the bay with a scowl tugging at her lips, "How much have we missed, Vali? Don't...don't sugar coat it,"
Nodding as she moved to stand beside Grace, Vali began laying everything down for the older woman who had helped her so much once she'd gotten Bombur. Shoulders trembling despite her expression never changing, Grace made no sound as she listened to every word spoken. She spoke softly once everything was relayed, "And that's all we have right now...that you're all allowed to know unless Lance says otherwise or...you take the oath again."
"And you're wrapped up in it...Like always," Grace's eyes were shimmering, "Damn it, Vali, how do you always end up in this position? You're the same age as my girls and already in the thick of this shit,"
"Because my luck is a roller coaster that won't let me have a decent break," Vali offered Grace a wry smile, "And even if I don't want it, I'm able to handle things for the most part," She looked out at the bay, "Just have to keep moving forward and take every second of peace granted to me,"
A hand settled on Vali's shoulder as Grace murmured, "Oh honey..."
"At the very least, I know Walter and you are safe...Just do me a favor?" Vali looked at Grace with a pleading smile, "Keep an eye on those four, alright? With everything going on...with the track record of not only Rocket, but the other Teams, I don't want you two to lose anyone, alright?"
"We'll keep an eye on them," Grace promised Vali, "You keep an eye on those boys, alright? Even Slate, Arceus knows he needs someone looking out for him,"
Letting out a soft laugh, Vali nodded before flushing as her stomach grumbled, "How about we actually go get the breakfast that you told Walter we'd be eating?"
Giggling softly, Grace nodded as she gestured for Vali to follow her, "Of course."
Scowling up at Gold as the man ruffled his hair, Gary swatted the hand away as he muttered, "Don't do that!"
"Have to find some way to pick on ya," Gold chuckled softly as he let his hand drop, "You guys are off to Vermilion, huh? Man, I'd love to see you battle Surge in person. The bastard could use someone to trip him up,"
"Then why don't you just...meet up with us?" Gary asked with his scowl shifting into a frown.
There was a low sigh from Gold, the man moved to lean against the nearby railing. For the first time since they'd met up, Gary saw just how tired his adoptive uncle looked. Gold's voice was soft as he shook his head, "I can't, Kiddo. Much as I'd like to, I've got a lot of shit to do...Pokemon that need looked after...and things to keep an eye on in Johto."
But something tugged at his mind, the way Vali and Gold had acted around one another since those rare visits had started. While his adoptive sister had hid it well enough, a coldness was always present whenever she interacted with Gold. Even when Gold had given her that pokemon egg, Vali's eyes had shown a distinct coldness that was never present with anyone else. In those moments, Gold's eyes always held a pained look filled with regret. Unable to stop himself, Gary told his uncle, "Don't lie to me...Something happened between Vali and you, it's serious enough that you two can't be around each other for long. Isn't it?"
There was a soft curse from Gold, the pained look that Gary had always thought was a trick of the light appeared. The man seemed to age and slumped heavily against the railing as he muttered, "You're Green's son alright..."
Frown deepening, Gary moved closer to his uncle, "Uncle Gold?"
"Look..." Gold's eyes closed as his fingers curled tightly around the railing, "I can't tell you everything that happened..." Gold held up a hand as Gary went to protest, "With this thing between Vali and I...It's not a pleasant thing for all that I'm fully at fault for it," The regretful smile on Gold's face surprised him, "So don't go badgering her, alright? Let her decide when it's time to give you the full story, alright?"
Shifting a bit at that, Gary wondered just what the hell happened. He slowly nodded after a long moment when Gold continued to stay silent, "Yeah...I can do that."
"While I can't excuse myself, I had a lot going on back then, Kiddo," Gold's eyes opened as he stared off into the distance, "Clients were practically through the door even more so than now. But when it came to those I deemed friends, I always vowed to make time for their requests no matter how booked out things got," The regretful look was there in full swing, "And your sister had become a great friend despite the differences we had...have," The man let out a low laugh, "When she needed a pokemon looked after, I was fine with it. Not too hard..."
There was a moment of silence, Gary's eyes widened when he saw a tear trail down his uncle's face and felt a cold chill run down his spine. As if a boulder had been dropped in his stomach, he murmured, "Uncle Gold..."
"Older pokemon are pieces of cake to care for even ones with more delicate palettes," Gold breathed out a bit sharply, "But I...I didn't bother to check what pokemon she'd dropped off until two days later..." He looked pale with a regretful smile, "Despite being on the phone with her and making sure to write it in my notes, I just...being so busy and on an off season," He shook his head, "It's no excuse though especially when a pokemon ended up suffering,"
Mouth drying at that, Gary swallowed heavily as he whispered, "What happened?"
Gold's head bowed as he whispered, "What happens when a baby pokemon is left in its pokeball for more than a day, Gary? What happens when they go without food or water that long? Hell...what happens when you try to rapidly reintroduce things into their system?"
Legs feeling weak, Gary stumbled backward onto a nearby bench feeling sick to his stomach, "System shock followed by flu-like symptoms, the baby pokemon only has a 20 percent chance of making it if they're under the two week-"
Words failed him as his eyes met Gold's, Gary felt bile rise up in his throat. Gold spoke softly as he murmured, "A Dratini that was less than a week old. Apparently Lance's gift to her for managing to stick with the Elite Four for a year..." A soft sound left Gold as he rubbed at his face, "I tried my best, but it wasn't enough..."
Feeling numb at those words, Gary muttered, "You killed one of her pokemon?"
"I...I didn't-" Gold flinched as Gary stood up abruptly.
Breathing a bit hard as he battled against the urge to vomit, Gary shook his head rapidly, "I...You neglected a pokemon...It died on your watch..." He ignored the way Gold flinched at his words, "I...How could you?"
"I..." Gold bowed his head, "I don't have any excuses that can make it better, Gary. I just...it happened and I can't change that fact-"
"No, you can't," Gary turned away from Gold unable to actually look at his adoptive uncle anymore, "I...I'm going head back...I've got packing to do-"
"Gary-" Gold started with a hint of desperation in his voice.
"I'll see you later," Gary began walking away without another word.
"He's still giving you those looks," Elrond muttered earning a small glance from Vali, "And he's ignoring Ash,"
Even without looking back towards her younger brothers, Vali could see the looks being tossed about. Combined with the sour mood Gary had been in since returning without Gold, she could only wonder what could have happened. While she considered the option of Gold actually telling Gary about what had transpired, it was ultimately tossed away. It had been agreed by not only the boys' parents, but Gold and herself as well that they would wait. More than likely, Gold likely gave some story about her needing him to check in on some information in Johto. While she'd check in with Gary to verify it later, she was irritated that he'd toss her under the bus like that.
Brock jogged up to walk beside her as they made their way over a small series of bridges that had been constructed over the marsh-like landscape, "So we'll be making a stop in Saffron city then moving onto to Vermillion?"
"Yes," Vali confirmed as she took out her pokenav and pulled up the map she'd drawn up, "Depending on our progress, we should actually arrive just in time for the yearly migration,"
"That's how you got Arwen, right, Vali?" Ash popped up beside her with a grin stretching across his cheeks as Blitzle raced up next to him.
Swiping through her pokenav again, Vali pulled up the photos she'd taken last year when she'd managed to come across the herds further back during their migration, "Here's the photo from last year, Arwen's got a colt running his own band."
"So cool!" Ash grinned as Vali handed over her pokenav after locking it on that photo album, "Hey, Gary!"
As Ash darted back over to Gary with her pokenav in hand, Vali shook her head in amusement. Brock spoke with a surprised look on his face, "You let your pokemon's offspring go free?"
"If they wish," Vali shrugged her shoulders, "With my pack...my family, I will never prevent them from following their wishes," She pressed a hand to her chest, "Some desire the freedom that comes with being wild, others wish to find trainers on their own terms, others do not care so long as they're taken care of," She dropped her hand with a smile, "I do what I can to ensure they can have their wishes,"
"That's...nice of you," Brock's expression was unreadable.
Letting out a soft laugh, Vali gestured to Elrond, "When you can actively understand your pokemon, it makes a world of difference, Brock," She looked forward as they walked, "Now," She smiled lightly, "We have to work on getting you another pokemon or two. I'm sure your partners would like to have more friends."
"I...I guess," A glance showed that Brock looked a bit lost.
"Brock, I promise that nothing will be forced on you. You forget who I am if that's a fear of yours," Vali offered him a light smile, "Just if a pokemon stumbles into your hands and there's a spark, you should go for it,"
"I...I'll think about it," Brock shoved his hands into the pockets of his vest.
Nodding to him, Vali focused on the road ahead of them as they made their way onto a dirt path. Part of her disliked where they would be taking a detour very soon, the idea of having to deal with the weak-minded brat taking care of those released pokemon wasn't something she really wished to do. But she'd agreed with Elrond that it wouldn't be a bad idea and she was honestly curious to see if Ash could change the Bulbasaur's heart, it would be interesting to see if he could sway the grass-type over to his side.
"Hey, Vali?" Ash called out as he noticed the trees around them thickening far more than they should.
Glancing at him over her shoulder, Vali hummed lightly, "Yeah, Ash? What's up?"
There was grass actively growing on the path around them, Ash trusted his sister when it came to leading them, but something didn't sit right with him about this area. Bitting his bottom lip as Pikachu shifted around on his shoulder, he asked, "I...This part of the route doesn't look normal, Sis. It tooks overgrown."
Far more overgrown than the League normally allowed things to get, Ash had to step around several thorn ladened bushes just to avoid getting torn up by them. Head tilting in thought, Vali rubbed at her chin, "Huh, you might be onto something-"
There was a deep growl from somewhere nearby, Ash jolted as he felt a burst of open hostility directed at them though most of it was aimed towards Vali. Freezing as Pikachu tensed, he looked around as Gary asked, "What was that?"
Lips pulling into a smile, Vali dropped her hand, "That was a very volatile little Bulbasaur-"
Pokeballs burst open as Vali's hand snapped out, she smirked as Eowyn, Smaug, and Balto darted into the underbrush moments after appearing. Eyes widening as he saw a razor leaf sitting between Vali's fingers, a thin line of red forming on Vali's cheek. Gary burst out, "The fuck was that?"
"As I was saying, a volatile little Bulbasaur," Vali looked over the leaf in her hand with an amused expression, "Little shit must've taken some of what my pack said during our last meeting to heart," She looked at them, "Come on, we have a little further to go before we're stopping for the day,"
"But Vali-" Came the protests.
"Ah, ah," Vali clicked her tongue at them, "All will be revealed very soon. Don't worry about that little shit, Balto and the others won't kill the damn thing. Now, c'mon, I'd prefer to be somewhere with a roof before the sunsets,"
Without waiting for them to reply, Vali resumed walking forcing everyone to follow after her. Ash shared a look with Gary and Brock. He shook his head as Brock ducked his head, whispering, "Is this normal?"
"No...to a point," Ash scratched at his cheek while tossing a look in the direction where Vali's pokemon had rushed off, "It depends,"
"I don't think I'll ever get used to this then," Brock muttered softly earning a low snort from Gary.
"Don't bother, Vali likes tossing people on their heads the moment they think they've got their feet under them," Gary's lips pulled into a grimace.
Eyebrows furrowing as he glanced at his best friend, Ash still didn't know what was going on with Gary. Ever since he'd returned from seeing off Gold, Gary's emotions had been a wild torrent that mostly bordered on darker ones especially when looking towards their elder sister. Even when not actively looking at her, he could feel those emotions simmering beneath the surface which was unsettling. Just what had happened during Gary and Gold's last talk?
Eyebrow twitching as Brock began waxing poetic about Melanie making the younger woman blush and stammer, Vali tapped the metal container attacked to her belt three times. There was a soft shout as Brock had bucket of water dumped on him, the teen let out a shout of confusion only to flinch back at Nazgul appeared in his face. Sticking his tongue out and rearranging his face to look scary, the Gengar snickered loudly as Brock stumbled backwards and fell on his ass. Clearing her throat as Melanie went to reach for Brock, she called out, "Melanie," The younger woman paled as her eyes locked onto the Fire-type mistress, "My brothers, our companion, and I will be sticking around for a few days."
"I-Uh-yeah...sure," Melanie nodded quickly, "I'll prepare some, uh-room for you all to rest in,"
Turning on her heel, Melanie darted for the house as Brock whined at Vali, "Why did you scare her? She's so nice!"
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Vali muttered a prayer under her breath before looking at the spiky haired teen, "You've barely even met her, Brock. Give it time before deciding that," She turned to Ash and Gary, "Boys, I want you to take a look around. Tell me what you think about this place...What the actual problems might be."
"Sure, Sis," Ash gave her a thumbs up as Gary nodded with a sullen expression.
As the two trotted off, Brock stood up while asking, "Problems, what do you mean by problems?"
Rubbing at her face, Vali told him, "This place, you see the amount of pokemon wandering around, right?" Brock nodded slowly, "Think about it carefully, Melanie talks about this being a place of healing. A...rest stop so to speak," She dropped her hand, "So," She pinned him with a look, "With this amount of pokemon, what do you think is happening?"
"I-" Brock paused and his eyebrows furrow, "Wait..."
"Think very carefully," Vali crossed her arms as Irmo leaned against her side.
Looking around them with a frown on his face, Brock's expression only turned bleaker as he realized the truth. Vali said nothing as he worked it out. There was a strain to his voice when he finally spoke, a tremor as he looked around them, "They're not leaving...she's making it so they never want to leave..."
"In some ways, it isn't a bad thing," Vali admitted as she watched a Slowpoke missing it's tail wander over to a pond set up, "Certain pokemon can't exactly go back into the wild and won't do well on a reserve, it's fine being in a place like this. Others though, the perfectly healthy ones? No, it's doing little more than making them lose the precious instincts they'll need if they're to return to the wild or even find a new trainer,"
"But if that's the truth, why isn't Melanie doing anything to change it? Or the League?" Brock frowned heavily as he looked around them.
"Grey areas are a bitch as are blind people who have rose tinted glasses practically super glued on," Vali clicked her tongue as she moved to plop down on against a tree, "The League can't really do anything since all she's doing is offering the pokemon herbal medical care which isn't illegal. She isn't forcing them to stay," She took her egg case out of her backpack and began doing her usual routine with it, "If she started offering more than that, it'd go into the Joy's peripherals which we could nab her for. But as that isn't the case and she has permits for anything that isn't herbal, we can't do anything,"
"You looked into it," Brock slowly sat down across from her.
"Not just me, a lot of people did especially among the Rangers," Vali ran a cooled microfiber cloth along the egg carefully, "They can get pretty bitchy when people start intruding on shit that in their purview. If I'm not mistaken, we might actually get to see some of the local rangers. Should be an interesting visit,"
Shaking his head, Brock leaned back on his hands, "You said something about a Bulbasaur, how did you know it was a Bulbasaur that attacked you?"
Putting her egg back into the case and returning everything into its proper place, Vali took out the razor leaf that had cut her cheek. Hold it out to Brock, she explained, "Leaves like this can only come from a Bulbasaur, Brock. If you actually take a look at it, you'd see specific grooves and patterns etched into the leaf itself," Brock took the leaf and ran his fingers along it carefully, "If you dip it in ink and set it on a piece of paper, you'd get a unique pattern specific to that Bulbasaur. If you look at the leaf's axel and base, you can see little notches. Those notches are actually ways to tell what family line the Bulbasaur comes from," She smiled slightly, "The weight and density also pin-point that it comes from a Bulbasaur as other Grass-types either have leaves that are lighter or heavier with only other starter species coming in close when it comes to weight, but the density is always off,"
"I never knew that," Brock looked at the leaf in awe.
"I learned that from Erika," Vali took the leaf back from him, "But even without knowing that information, I knew I'd be attacked by a Bulbasaur. Only that little shit would be brave enough to attack me even knowing that my pokemon might flash fry him,"
"I-what?" Brock looked at her stunned.
Smile turning sad, Vali leaned back against the tree as she told Brock, "That Bulbasaur hasn't lived a good life, Brock. Like many of the pokemon here, it was abandoned by it's former trainer. Only it wasn't done in a way that many can come back from," She grimaced at the memories Elrond had shared with her back then, "Anger and resentment festered, Brock."
"But if it's willing to attack humans..." Brock turned pale.
"Only me so far," Vali held up a hand to stall him, "And that's because his savior is so scared of me,"
As he registered her words, Brock's eyes widened, "You didn't tell anyone."
"No, I didn't," Vali turned her head feeling Balto and the others returning, "Thing about pokemon like that, they never actually mean to cause actual harm. It'll take a lot to push them to the point where they'll actually do something. You can tell by their eyes and the way they move," She held out a hand and Balto nosed her fingers as Brock flinched back at the 'sudden' reappearance of her partners, "Hurt as they've been, it isn't in them to cause actual harm no matter how much they may want to. Not unless they're provoked,"
"I...How do you know?" Brock asked as an unconscious Bulbasaur was settled on the ground in front of Vali.
Reaching into her bag, Vali pulled out a few low grade medical supplies and began taking care of spirited little creature, "I have a penchant for finding pokemon like this little shit. My Flareon, Thorin, was a lot like him only worse off in a lot of ways. His Jolteon Mate, Disa, is another one," She cleaned away the blood and clicked her tongue as she noted a few new scars that hadn't been there the last time she'd come to this place, "Another pokemon of mine that's currently in the hands of another..." A grimace curled across her face, "Harm isn't the word I would use for what she would have done."
Paling at that, Brock whispered, "What...what happened?"
"Humans can do horrible things, Brock. They're capable of doing the worst things imaginable same as pokemon," Vali nodded to Elrond as he began assisting her, "With Narya, it was a mixed bag so deep that she never had a chance to even get a glimpse of the good until it was nearly too late," She began bandaging Bulbasaur, "If I didn't step in when the time came, she would have been put down without question due to how murky things had gotten. But I did even not even a few hours before then she'd tried to rip out my throat and broke three of my ribs," Brock covered his mouth with a gasp, "She still hates most people and barely tolerates pokemon. It's still a sight better than before,"
"But...she tried-" Brock started to protest.
Holding up a hand, Vali pinned him with a look and he fell silent. She explained softly, "She didn't know better and if I threw away every pokemon who tried to kill me at one point, you'd be looking at half of my pack being gone," Brock's eyes widened, "I won't explain why as this isn't the time nor place...I don't owe that explanation to you either," She finished up Bulbasaur's bandages and Elrond levitated him over to the porch of Melaine's house, "What you need to know is that any pokemon who doesn't know better and has been harmed by anyone might make that choice, it's part of their very beings to. I chose to work with Narya-To help her because I knew that there was a broken pokemon inside of her that just needed a chance to see something other than the pain she's endured," She packed away her supplies, "Some pokemon...it doesn't work like that, but others it does and I do my best to help them when I'm able to."
"That's why you're not telling anyone about..." Brock frowned as he looked over at Bulbasaur who was lying unconscious on the porch, "But if you want to help him...why not take him with you?"
"As much as I want to...I don't feel that spark with him which will only make any attempts to help the little shit worsen things," Vali picked up her back as she stood, "Come on, we should go make food, I want to start taking stock of things here. See if I can't find something that will get the brat in charge into some hot water,"
"So...want to tell me what's actually going on or do I need to beat around the bush until you do?" Vali held out a can of soda to Gary.
Inwardly snickering at the sight of him jumping, Vali watched his expression switch between a myriad of emotions before finally settling on the sullen expression he'd been wearing the entire day. Grunting as he took the soda from her, he muttered, "I...What do you think is going on, Vali?"
"I know that you've been acting like a grouchy little Growlithe pup since we set out," Vali plopped down beside him and cracked open her can of soda, "I also know that you haven't been in a good mood since Gold left," She sighed as he stiffened, "Gary if Gold told you that I sent him to go look into something for me-"
Growling under his breath, Gary snapped at her, "He didn't. He just-" She raised an eyebrow at the harsh tone, "Can you just drop it, Vali? I don't want to talk about Gold right now-"
"It's Gold now? Not Uncle Gold?" Vali frowned when he flinched, "Gary, what happened?" He turned away from her, "C'mon, Gary, you can tell me,"
"Vali, I don't-" Gary started to shake a bit which only made her grow even more concerned.
Reaching out to touch his arm, Vali's frown deepened when he flinched away from her, "Gary, what happened? Do I need to talk to your mother-"
"No!" Gary shook his head as he turned back to her, "Vali, I just-Can you not, right now? I...I found out something about Gold that makes things...It's making things hard to think about..."
Seeing the frustrated tears and pain in his eyes, Vali felt a stone sink in her stomach as she realized that she'd been wrong earlier. Even if Gold hadn't told Gary everything about what happened, he'd likely shared something. Swallowing heavily, she murmured, "He told you about what happened...didn't he?" She closed her eyes when Gary stiffened, "Fucking hell, I'd strangle that asshole if I wasn't so damn tired and he was so far away..."
"Sis...did he really...did he..." Gary's voice was weak to her ears.
Realizing that they were going to have this conversation whether she wanted to or not, Vali reached into the inside pocket of her jacket and pulled out her pack of cigs. Ignoring the sharp intake of breath, she pulled out her lighter and tapped one out of the pack. Lighting the cigarette, she took a deep drag before putting her lighter and pack away. Opening her eyes, she finally said, "Yeah...Gold killed a Dratini that Lance had given me...Barely even a week old."
"I-you smoke?" Gary whispered earning a low snort.
Weak grin pulling at her lips, Vali tilted her head as she looked at Gary, "That's the important question? If I smoke? Little brother, I've been smoking for a long time now though don't tell Siri or Delia. They will rip me to shreds."
"When did..." Gary gestured at her.
Humming low in her throat, Vali took another drag and released the smoke before answering, "After a really bad mission that ended with me losing someone really important...a man that was my mentor died even as we saved a lot of people," She looked at the mostly white tub in her fingers, "I was in a bad head space and Surge pulled me out of it though I think Della will probably want to murder him if she ever finds out he's the one who got me hooked on these."
"Probably..." Gary tugged his legs against his chest, "I...Gold let a baby pokemon die...one of yours...how can you stand it?"
Lips pulling into a frown, Vali felt the sharp phantom pain kick up and took a deep breath, "That's the thing, Gary, about grief. It ain't an easy thing to do especially around those that actively cause it. I...when it first happened and Gold...he gave me the box with her ashes and the luxury ball that was once hers, I...I almost killed him that day," She heard Gary gasp, "If Silver and Crystal hadn't been there...Green and Blue...They are the only reasons that Gold is still alive because he sure as hell wasn't trying to fight me. I screamed, I cried, I even almost burned a section of the forest down just trying to get rid of the pain I felt," She reached up and pulled out Fawkes' feather which now had a crystal hanging from it, "The heat of my grief and tears made those ashes and that little Dratini's pokeball combine into this."
"Woah," Gary hesitantly reached out and ran his finger across the small black tinted crystal, "It's...warm,"
"The pain...it doesn't lessen, Gary. It just shifts into something that becomes more of a shadow that's bearable," Vali leaned back as he released her necklace, "It makes it easier to carry though never truly goes away. It always reappears during moments when you aren't quite prepared to deal with it, but somehow that makes it better because in the end, they're still with you," She stamped out her cigarette and took a sip of soda, "Gold and I...I'll never really forgive him for what happened. I can't..." She gave Gary a look, "But you can,"
"But, Vali-" Gary started to protest.
Holding up a hand, Vali's expression was stern, "What happened was between Gold and I not you, Gary. He is also your adoptive uncle and someone who made a mistake. While I am unable to forgive him, it isn't something that you're part of nor do I need you to defend me over it. Gold also needs you," She saw Gary's look of confusion, "The only family he has is Green, Silver, Crystal, Ash, and you. If he loses you-"
"He...Shit..." Gary looked down at his hands, "But, Vali...I just..."
"I know that it's a lot of information, Gary, but what happened was truly an isolated incident...It was something even I can admit that he deeply regrets," Vali wrapped an arm around Gary's shoulder, "Call him in a couple days, I'll even sit with you, alright?"
"I-yeah...I..." Gary nodded slowly as he leaned into her side.
"Good," Vali looked out at the forest around them, "Your mom is not going to be happy," She snorted at the sharp look he gave her, "She didn't want you to know about this until later on. Preferably when you were about fifteen,"
"Why?" Gary asked earning a shrug.
"No idea though my guess is that she didn't want you to know that I tried to kill Gold," Vali scratched her cheek, "The same can be said for Red..."
"So no telling Ash...I can do that," Gary frowned a bit, "Hey, Vali?" She hummed lightly, "That weird Bulbasaur...Is it the reason we came here?"
"Partially, I'm hoping that Brock might find a partner here," Vali grinned sheepishly at the raised eyebrow Gary gifted her, "What? He can't go around with just two pokemon. He'd be severely outnumbered especially when we go near the harder routes,"
"True," Gary pulled away from her, "So...you want Ash to work his magic on that thing, huh?"
"That's the plan," Vali saw Gary frown and grinned brightly, "Don't think I'm leaving you out, Gary. I've got my own plans for you. You just have to wait until we get to Saffron,"
Eyebrow rising at that, Gary frowned at her, "Why?"
Shaking her head, Vali offered him a teasing grin, "You'll just have to wait and see. Now come on, we should head back inside and join the others."
"You just want to scare the shit out of Melanie," Gary stood up as Vali started heading for the door and she merely grinned at him, "Not even denying it now?"
"Why bother?" Vali pulled the door open and waved him inside.
Arms crossing as he looked at the Bulbasaur that was following around Melanie and glaring at Vali whenever she walked by it, Ash grimaced as he felt the jagged pieces of anger stabbing out. He jolted as Gary plopped down on the bench beside him carrying a small basket of berries, "What's up, Ash? You're staring pretty hard at that Bulbasaur."
"Just...Something up with it," Ash reached over and pulled an apple from the basket, "I just...I can tell that it's hiding something though can't tell what...not yet at least,"
Eyebrows furrowing, Gary frowned at him, "What are you going to do, Ash?"
"Just...Vali always told us there is more to the story than what we're being told, remember," Ash looked back at the Bulbasaur as it quickly rushed around to carry a basket for Melanie, "Well...I get the feeling that there's more to that Bulbasaur than what we're seeing...Something that can only be found if we actually take the time to look for it,"
"You're going to use your Aura on it...aren't you?" Gary asked earning a nod, "Isn't that a bit...dangerous considering the fact we don't know how that thing will react?"
Shaking his head, Ash gestured to where Elrond was carrying a basket of supplies for Vali, "Vali is probably having Elrond and some of her other pokemon keeping an eye on us. So...no," He looked at the Bulbasaur again, "And I get the feeling that once I'm actually looking for it...showing Bulbasaur just who I really am, he'll be more willing to do the same to me."
"I don't really trust it, but since you're the one with that power, I'm not exactly able to argue," Gary grabbed an oran berry from the basket, "Just promise you'll be careful, alright?"
"I will," Ash promised before taking a bite of his apple.
As the moon rose overhead, Ash slipped outside of the small house Melanie had only to freeze as he caught sight of Vali sitting on the porch. She merely held a finger over her lips and gestured to Absol who was sleeping on her lap as well as Noibat. Giving her a small nod, he began heading towards the entrance of Melanie's little safe haven. As he made his way to the bridge that marked the entrance, Bulbasaur appeared out of the woods with a snarl and heated glare. Holding up his hands, he slipped to the ground and made a show of emptying his pockets earning a look of confusion.
Speaking softly as he settled down across from Bulbasaur, he offered the confused Grass-type a soft smile, "Bulbasaur, "I know that we came here because of my sister and you're probably really irritated with all of us. You likely just want us to go away because we're annoying you...because my sister scares Melanie," Bulbasaur let out a low growl and narrowed his eyes, "But I'm glad that we came if only because I got to meet you," Bulbasaur's growl cut off as a confused look entered his eyes, "I've met a lot of Bulbasaur thanks to Professor Oak letting Gary and me work in his lab...Hell, I've even met a few thanks to Gym Leader Erika though that's a story that I'll share another time if you're willing to listen," He shifted earning a growl from the grass starter, "Easy, I'm just getting a little more comfortable though I can stop if that'll make things better."
There was a pause before Bulbasaur nodded to him, Ash stopped moving and continued talking, "So like I was saying, I've never met a Bulbasaur like you...I can tell you're really strong, but not in a conventional way which makes you awesome," Bulbasaur made a low sound as that wary look in its eyes increased, "I can tell you've been through a lot...That someone hurt you, I...I hate it when people do that. Humans who take the pokemon who are supposed to be their partners and do horrible things to them, they're-" He made a sound of disgust, "Vali says there's a special place for them when they get caught...I hope she's right," He sighed deeply, "I...Bulbasaur, I can sense things...Emotions..." He saw that look of confusion return and groan, "Shit how did Riley and Vali say I should explain this? How did I explain it to Pikachu?" He tipped back his head, "Wait, I never actually explained it until after we were traveling together..."
Bulbasaur released a low sound and stamped his foot with a glare. Ash rubbed the back of his head, "Right, I'm making no sense. Okay..." He dropped his hand, "So, I'm what's called an aura user though I don't think you know what that is," Bulbasaur shook his head, "It let's me feel emotions on a deeper level than even a psychic type. I can do other things with it, but that's the most important thing right now," Bulbasaur was frowning at him, "If I use it just right, I can let others-Pokemon mostly, feel just who I am. Know who I am without having to say a word," Bulbasaur's eyes widened, "And when I do it, I'll get the same information back."
Backing up a bit, Bulbasaur gained a look of fear in his eyes. Holding up a hand, Ash assured the grass-type, "I won't do it without permission, Bulbasaur. In a lesser state of it, I can radiate my intentions without the whole transference thing. That's...I wanted to offer you the option tonight...The chance to get to know that someone other than Melanie isn't horrible," He extended his hand palm up and Bulbasaur stared at it, "I know it's scary...That the idea of someone other than Melanie not being a good person doesn't sit right with you, Bulbasaur. I'm willing to wait until you're ready," Bulbasaur stared at his hand, "And if you aren't by the time we leave, it's fine. I'm sure we'll come by again at some point,"
For what felt like hours, Ash sat in that uncomfortable position waiting for Bulbasaur to make a move. Just as he was starting to feel tired, a smooth head settled against his palm. Eyes snapping open, he stared into crimson red eyes that peered back at him with distrust filling them. Smile curling at his lips, he let his intention radiate outward just as Vali had taught him. The intention to never willingly harm a pokemon and keep his partners safe. The love and care he held for all his partners slipped into what he was radiating outward. There was a low sound from Bulbasaur, the pokemon's eyes began to tear up though he continued to convey his intentions just as he had done with Pikachu those months ago.
Slipping out from behind a tree as she watched Ash and Bulbasaur fall asleep, Vali walked back towards the house as Xen commented, "Of all the ways I expected that to go, it definitely wasn't that."
"Ash has his own way of doing things though he still hasn't won that little thing over just yet," Vali shoved her hands into the pocket of her favorite jacket, "So what brings you by? I doubt it was just to check in on Ash,"
Lips pulling into a light smile, Xen shook his head, "No, it wasn't though I'll admit your younger brother will definitely make things interest. He's gathering together a team that wasn't quite what anyone expected though it'll only make things more interesting in the long run."
Eyes narrowing at that, Vali reminded him, "Until he's gone through the ceremony, we can't confirm that it's him, Xen. You damn well know it."
"True though Ho-oh giving out that feather says a lot," Xen dodged the punch she threw at him, "Easy, I was only stating facts. Anyway," He adjusted his jacket, "Any chance you're heading to Cinnabar anytime soon?"
Shaking her head with a frown, Vali reminded him, "We're going through the main gyms in order and making pit stops at the smaller ones when we've got time. It'll be a couple months before we hit my old stomping ground. Why?"
Clicking his tongue, Xen cross his arms, "Well...The big man was hoping you might be willing to deal with a ghost problem. Some younger spirits got riled up and ended up finding a loose rift, he normally wouldn't care if it were just a few, but..."
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Vali muttered a few cursed underneath her breath, "And why can't you deal with it?"
"Unlike you, I'm fully bound to my legend," Xen replied earning an eyeroll, "And the firebird in charge of that area is highly tempted to light my ass on fire," She raised an eyebrow at that and he merely grinned, "Long story and one I might share if you help us out,"
"I can't, but I might be able to convince someone else to go check it out," Vali would just need to figure out what kind of mood Agatha was in before she broached the subject, "But no promises,"
"I'll take it," Xen shifted and tilted his head, "And I've got to go. Boss man is calling me. See you later, Vali,"
"See you later, Xen," Vali waved him off and went to go sit down on the porch.
Smiling as Elrond slipped into her lap, Vali wrapped her arms around him. Elrond spoke as she laid her head on his, "Eowyn, Naz, and Glad are keeping an eye on those two. I will ensure that Bulbasaur doesn't freak out when he wakes up."
"Thank you," Vali sighed deeply as she closed her eyes, "This is both a mess and not, I need to call Agatha though that can wait until tomorrow. Eli, remind me?"
"I will," Elrond settled against her chest, "You shouldn't sleep outside without some form of cover,"
Humming low in her throat, Vali muttered, "Got you, Eli...And Balto," She smiled as Balto settled down behind her with a low grunt, "I'll be fine."
Ash's Team:
1. Pidgeotto
Female
2. Electrike
Male
3. Pikachu
Male
4. Blitzle
Female
5. Clefairy
Male
Gary's Team:
1. Weepinbell
Male
2. Squirtle
Male
3. Spearow
Female
4. 'Ziggy'/ Galarian Zigzagoon
Female
Vali's present team:
1. Balto/ Arcanine
Male
2. Smaug/ Charizard
Male
3. Elrond/ Alolan-Raichu
Male
4. Eowyn/ Houndoom
Female
5. Aragorn/ Vulpix-King-Gene
Male
6. Pele/ Camerupt
Female
7. Celina/ Pidgeot
Female
8. Thorin/ Flareon
Male
9. Arwen/ Rapidash
Female
10. Galadrial/ Chandelure
Female
11. Nazgul/ Gengar-Shiny
Male
12. Irmo/ Pyroar
Male
13. Ortho/ Furret
Male
14. Noldor/ Smeargle
Male
15. Terra/ Tyranitar
Female
16. Empress/ Salamence
Female
17. Idril/ Sandslash-Shiny
Female
18. Pippin/ Luxray
Male
19. Bombur/ Dewgong
Male
20. Balrog/ Magmar
Male
21. Khione/ Aurorus
Female
22. Rosie/ Meganium
Female
23. Balin/ Typhlosion
Male
24. Disa/ Jolteon
Female
25. Absol
Male
26. Noibat
Male