Outsiders (ZnT/Pokémon Reverse Summon)
Season 1, Episode 14, Chapter 4
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After Maindo's sudden evolution, Louise and Saito set off once again towards Geosenge Town. It was largely uneventful, although the number of menhirs dramatically increased in volume and frequency the closer they got to the small town. When they entered the final stretch, they noticed that practically the entire field was covered in megaliths, some the size of a grown man while others were as large as a house. It created an imposing atmosphere, one that made Saito nervously scratch his cheek.
"Derflinger, were you awake when these were made?" Saito asked as they passed by a large menhir. The ancient Honedge was silent for a moment, then he nodded.
"Yeah, I was," he softly confirmed. Saito pursed his lips, not entirely liking the tone of Derflinger's voice. He sounded oddly sad for such a jovial Pokémon.
"What were they made for?" Louise asked, picking up on the same feeling as Saito, as well as her own indescribable sense towards the ancient rock structures. Ever since she found the first one, it felt as though they were calling to her, but she wasn't sure why. Most likely it was simple nostalgia, as they reminded her somewhat of home.
Derflinger sighed and paused to look closely at another menhir, one that was roughly the size of Louise, then said, "They were made by an ancient king to honor fallen Pokémon whose lives were sacrificed to end a terrible war."
"Then…you mean…?" Saito began, and Derflinger nodded.
"These are graves, kids," Derflinger confirmed, then moved along. "We're in a graveyard right now."
The entire group went silent once again, only this time it felt heavier and all-encompassing. As they slowly continued their trek, none dared speak, feeling that doing so would only be a disrespect in this hallowed place. By the time they finally left the ancient graveyard and entered Geosenge Town proper, they felt as through their souls were being pressed down by a heavy weight.
A sense of relief coursed through them as they entered the town, and both trainers took the moment to study it closely. It had an old fashioned, rustic look to it. The buildings were made of wood with a small stone wall along its outer border. The roofs were of varying different colors, which at the moment still looked like different shades of grey to Louise. A partial ring of mountains surrounded the small town, and in the distance Louise could see a trail leading up to a small cave. She knew right then and there that was the entrance to Reflection Cave, which they would take to get to Shalour City. Part of her wanted to try going through it now, but the sun was beginning to set and the last thing she wanted was to go spelunking in the middle of the night.
"We should go find a hotel," Saito suggested, to which Louise nodded.
"I couldn't agree more." Louise then pulled out her Pokédex, opening up to the map icon and zooming it in on Geosenge Town. She focused on finding a hotel, and soon found one that was nearby.
"Hotel Marine Snow," Louise read aloud, then nodded and set it as their destination. Luckily for them, it was right next to the Pokémon Center, so they would be able to get their Pokémon healed along the way.
Once they got their Pokémon healed and they stocked back up on essential supplies, such as food, water, and medicine, Saito and Louise decided to walk around. They didn't really have any set goal or destination, merely wanting to spend some time with each other and take in the sights. At the same time, though, Louise paused her sightseeing to pull out a bottle of water along with her eye medication. She popped two pills into her hands then placed them in her mouth, followed by a quick swig of water. As she swallowed, she shuddered at the odd sensation of the hard pills travelling down her throat. Even after all this time, it was uncomfortable, but she had to put up with it for time being. Saito noticed what she did, and after paying for their crepes in a nearby stand, he walked back over to her with one in each hand.
"How's everything looking for you?" Saito asked as he returned, handing one to Louise who happily took it. She smiled and took a small bite, then swallowed before speaking.
"Still grey," she admitted, then groaned. "How much longer do I need to keep taking those pills?"
"Another two weeks, I think," Saito answered, taking a bite from his crepe as well. "Still, out of all the outcomes of Toxapex poisoning, temporary color blindness isn't that bad."
"It's still annoying," Louise grumbled. "I miss being able to see the color of my Pokémon, of my clothes, nature. Everything. Let it be known that I will never take my sight for granted again."
"Amen to that," Saito said, nodding in agreement.
The two continued walking around the town in no particular hurry. Derflinger, as always, was floating along behind them, once again remaining oddly silent. Both Saito and Louise were growing concerned about him. He wasn't normally this quiet, although Louise was grateful that Derflinger wasn't showing his propensity for dirty jokes when things normally got too quiet. Still, it was concerning, and the more they walked, the more she noticed that Derflinger's eye kept glancing over at the three stone pillars in the center of town. Louise was growing more and more convinced that those stones were the cause behind Derflinger's abrupt change in demeanor, and she was determined to figure out why. So, with the subtle assistance of Saito, the two of them walked closer and closer to the structures, then they stopped right in front of it.
"Hmm, these are interesting," Louise admitted, bringing her hand to her chin as she angled her head upward to see the top.
She wasn't being entirely playing it up. The structures, much like the menhirs, were quite interesting on their own, and for whatever reasons he felt drawn to them. In fact, she somehow felt an even greater connection to them, which she couldn't explain. The rest of the world seemed to blur as she focused only on the structures, only to be snapped out of her trance when she felt a firm hand grip her wrist. Surprised, she looked up and saw Saito, who was looking at her with a raised eyebrow. Then indicated towards a nearby sign with his thumb, which read 'Thank You for Not Touching the Monument.' With am embarrassed blush on her face, she pulled her hand back and composed herself, offering a silent 'thanks' to her best friend. Saito nodded back, then pulled up his Pokédex and began to read.
"Says here," he began, "that Geosenge Town is one of the oldest still inhabited towns in Kalos, dating 3,000 years ago to the beginning of the first kingdom. According to legend, this town was were the war was ended, but in doing so inflicted a terrible scar that could never go away."
'Explains the menhir graveyard,' Louise thought to herself as she and Saito glanced at Derflinger. He wasn't looking at them, instead he was staring at the three pillars. Louise then realized that 'staring' wasn't the proper word to use. Instead, it was more like he was glaring at them with compete and utter hatred and disgust. She wondered why, but before she could even ask, Derflinger, with his eye still glaring daggers at the rocks, began to speak.
"Louise, Saito, are you two aware of the Ultimate Weapon?" Derflinger asked. Louise and Saito were shocked, but after a moment nodded. They were told the tale when they visited Shabboneau Castle, and thus immediately understood were Derflinger was going.
"This is where it was fired, wasn't it?" Saito asked quietly, and Derflinger nodded.
"It was, yes. In fact, these pillars you see," Derflinger said while pointing at the rocks with his sash, "they're part of the Ultimate Weapon's original form. I've watched the news. What Lysandre used a year ago was only a pale imitation of the actual thing. With this weapon, the King of Kalos ended the civil war, but only by taking the lives of thousands of Pokémon to power it. I was there when it was used, and I could feel their souls being sucked away. It wasn't pleasant."
Derflinger paused, and both trainers remained silent. They could barely even imagine what that must have been like, but it horrified them still.
"But even then, it was war. People and Pokémon die in wars; that's simply the nature of them. Despite being abhorrent, I could at least justify using it to stop the fighting and end the bloodshed. I could understand using it then. But…," Derflinger snarled, "then the King used it again, this time just so he could bring his Pokémon back. Thousands more died, not so that tens of thousands more may yet live, but instead just to bring back one from the dead. It was a complete violation of nature and a waste of their lives. I just-!"
The Honedge stopped himself as he prepared to shout once again, then the hung his head down and sighed. He looked at Saito and Louise and sadly, and whispered, "I'm sorry. This place, it just…it brings back bad memories."
"No, it's okay," Saito insisted, raising his hand placatingly. "Do…you want us to leave Geosenge Town tonight? If staying here makes you uncomfortable—"
"No, no. I'm fine," Derflinger cut him off, waving his sash at the young man. "Don't change your plans on my account."
Louise and Saito remained silent for a moment, then Louise replied, "Alright…"
She then looked towards the eastern exit of the town. After a moment, she looked at the time on her Pokédex, and saw that it read 6:00 PM. It would be another few hours until the sun fully set and night would fall over them, and she realized that they had quite more time to kill. She had an idea, and she gestured towards the town exit.
"How about we explore over there for a bit?" Louise suggested. When Saito raised his eyebrow, she clarified, "Not go all the way, obviously, but we might be able to get some last minute training in. Don't you agree?"
Louise raised her eye and tilted her head towards Saito, who after a moment finally realized where she was going. He glanced briefly at Derflinger, then he nodded.
"Yeah, that sounds great!" he declared, then he and Louise to walk besides. "Besides, I heard there's some neat crystals growing out of the ground over on Route 11 that glisten just right at sunset."
"Ooh, even better!"
Derflinger stared at the two trainers as they walked off, his eyebrow raised. If they thought they weren't being obvious in why they were actually taking a slight detour, they were mistaken. Yet, at the same time, Derflinger felt touched by how considerate they were trying to be, and with an amused chuckle, he floated after them.
True to its name, Miroir Way was chock-full of large crystals that sprouted out of the ground like flowers. There was a wide variety of colors they could see. Some were a vibrant orange while others were a more subdued purple. They saw greens, blues, reds and more, and they lined the way up the route to the mountain where they could see even more exposed crystals dot the mountainside. It was a marvelous sight to behold, and both trainers could hardly wait for the sun to set and the main attraction to begin.
'This is a waste of time,' Maindo complained. Both Saito and Louise groaned, the boy giving his Pokémon an irritated look once again.
"Well, to me it isn't," Louise insisted with a pointed tone, but Maindo merely rolled his eyes.
'Please. We're not out here to train, we're not going to Shalour til tomorrow. There is literally no legitimate reason to be out here right now,' he pointed out. Louise prepared to shoot back a retort, but Saito beat her to the punch.
"That's enough, Maindo," Saito said, frowning slightly at the Kirlia. The two stared each other down for a few moments, then Maindo scoffed and hopped off the crystal he had been using as a perch.
'You know I'm right,' he declared, then teleported away with a pop. After a moment, Saito sighed and rubbed his eyes.
"And here I thought him being able to actually talk to us would improve things…" he groaned, and Louise nodded in agreement.
"It feels like he's getting worse," she admitted. "Perhaps he should be returned to his Pokéball if he can't behave?"
"I have half a mind to," Saito replied, frowning and placing his hands in his pockets.
Although he didn't say anything else, Louise could tell that Saito was conflicted. He had been trying for so long to mend the relationship between himself and Maindo, but nothing seemed to work. There were times when it almost seemed like they were getting through to him, but almost immediately afterwards Maindo went right back to how he normally acted. Almost as though he was doubling down. It was clearly getting to her best friend, and she felt sad for him.
With one final sigh, Saito turned his attention back to the other Pokémon. Louise followed suit, and felt a sense of relaxation take over as she watched the rest of their Pokémon enjoy themselves. When the two trainers and Derflinger entered Route 11, they had decided that letting their Pokémon out to enjoy the scenery was a good idea. Why should only the trainers have any fun, after all? Outside of Maindo, who had apparently made it his mission to suck the fun out of everything, everyone was enjoying the short detour. Shogun, with Tengu perched atop his head like a little hat, spent their time staring deep into a large crystal that went up to Louise's waist like they felt doing so would unravel the secrets of the universe. Tanuki occupied himself by poking his head in and out from behind another crystal, which caused the reflection of his face to warp dramatically, much to the amusement of Gène. Ronin, on the other hand, was balancing himself on top of another crystal on one hand, his eyes closed as he meditated. Auspice was with Derflinger, going from one crystal to another which, according to the Honedge, seemed to let out an energy they couldn't quite place. Brennaraki and Esprit were content with staying next to Louise while Aile flew overhead, her eyes glued to the crystals below.
Louise couldn't help but smile at the display, then glanced at the sun. It was beginning to dip underneath the mountain peaks, and already she began to see the effect it had on the crystals. They began to glisten and shine like never before, and she gasped in wonder. The entire mountain lit up like a city at night, and all around her their Pokémon stopped what they were doing to gawk as well. When the sunset reached them, the crystals directly around them lit up as well, giving them a front-row seat to the amazing phenomenon.
"This was a good idea," Saito muttered to himself as he stared straight at a crystal, the light reflecting and refracting off of it to send beams of light in all directions. Louise only wished that she could see in color, then she would be able to take it all in its glory.
From the corner of her eye, however, Louise spotted something glistening in a nearby tuft of tall grass. She perked up her eyebrow, not seeing one of the crystals in that particular area. As she observed the area closely, she confirmed that there weren't any crystals coming out of the ground that she could see, yet something was definitely there and reflecting the light. Letting her curiosity get to her, she walked towards the shimmering light, then crouched to part the grass with her hands. Whatever it was, it was deep inside the grass, resting on the dirt beneath it.
Then, Louise saw what was hidden underneath the bed of vegetation. She gasped as she beheld a small crystalline orb with a swirl in its center, and at once she realized what this was.
"Saito, get over here," she called. A moment later, a confused Saito walked over, but as soon as he saw what she was looking at he froze.
"Oh, Arceus… Is that a…?" he asked, remembering the last time he came into contact with one of those things.
"I think it is," Louise replied, wanting to touch it but at the same time refusing to. After all, the last time she touched a Mega Stone, it ended in complete and utter disaster.
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Hello, everyone! Here is the latest chapter of Outsiders! Special thanks to Darwin Candidate, Grendel4823, and Yuri Vampire for all their help in bringing this chapter to life.
Louise, Saito, and their teams have made it to Geosenge Town with little trouble, but now they are face to face with an object similar to the one that brought them together in the first place. What type of Mega Stone is it, and what will it bring? That will be revealed in the next episode.
Now, for the Q&A:
GhostLord45: More than likely, both canon characters and OCs, but only if they fit the story we have planned. As for Pokemon Showcases, Louise has no interest in that sort of thing.
Jlargent: Possibly, but whether or not I do that will be revealed in due time.
Starfigter: No, he will not. Ash is off doing his own adventures, and if he does ever show up it'll be at the very end of the story to do a 'And the Adventure Continues' style ending.
Amindadab Brulle: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy those. I always strive to at least touch upon those things in my works, from my RWBY/DC crossover Hunters of Justice to my RWBY/Halo crossover Dust and Echoes.
DRMAK: That will be revealed in due time, rest assured.
MBenz4268: An interesting theory, but I probably won't be touching upon Pokemon GO in this story in any significant way. Sorry.
keybladelight: Yep. Gotta have those relaxing chapters. If things are heavy all the time, then no one cares.
Boshwa: That's because, to me, Pokemon are characters in their own right. The anime had an entire episode where we could understand what they were saying, after all, and it felt appropriate to bring it up. I do understand the threat of cast bloat, but I like to think that we've kept a good handle on it, all things considered.
Starlight's Poet: Oh, as you can see, he most definitely is.
.549: That he has, and thank you. I really appreciate the kind words.
Steelrain66: Thank you. When we started this story, one of the challenges we wanted to do was do the Louise/Saito romance justice, and to us that meant a slow burn. Diving headfirst into things is just rushed and immersion breaking if we want to form a long lasting relationship, which we aim to do. As for a list, I'll work on adding one to my profile page. Been a while since I've updated that thing, anyway.
K0tar: I'll be adding one to my profile page. I have a similar page on Spacebattles for people to look at and I find that to be much easier to maintain than a foreword.
SulliMike23: That will be revealed in due time.
That's it for now. Please let me know what you guys think and I hope you enjoy!
