Pokmeon Virus Version Chapter 83: Hand-Me Down
Author's Note:
Well guys, it finally happened! I've been flamed!...On the first chapter...My first attempt at ever writing ANYTHING...A chapter that was written two years ago...Flamed by a person I've looked up only to see that their writing is no better than mine, not by a long shot. I'll admit, it kind of stung...for like ten minutes, lol. Anyway, later that day, I finished two chapters. Discouraging, huh? Well not quite, the WeS RoYaL who wrote the first chapter...he has grown as a writer(I know it's about as cliche as a number of lines in this fic). It can't be helped now, just get over it.
Now on to the story. This is the last chapter before getting into the long awaited ship dedication. Yumi & Seth...I believe this shipping arc is even longer than this arc right here., then after the shipping, we'll be in Mahogany Town for a while.
Here's Chapter 83. Read the whole chapter in order to get why 'Hand-Me-Down' is the chapter's name.
Ariel's POV
Yes, it was something I knew this whole time; the broken doll who revealed herself to be the ghost Banette-she was the one who killed my sister. It wasn't as if Banette was cold blooded, her feelings just overwhelmed her.
So here I was, staring at the black doll floating in the air. On my back, were wings as dark as the ones on my Angel of Death. They showed me a Heaven, and that being in the same presence of my sister was not for me, not yet.
Then there was Rose, the minute she realized Banette killed the one who looked so much like her, she began to cower in fear. I never knew her social anxiety was THIS severe.
Was it too late for us? No...this was only a nightmare.
"In this form, my passion for my dearly beloved caused me to kill her. But what is this? Amy cowering in fear right in front of me?" The doll was of course referring to Rose, "If you're not moving, killing you again will me a whole lot easier!"
I gasped as the doll suddenly launched a shade of darkness at Rose, who was too paralyzed with fear to move or even notice the attack. It was up to me now...
"Angel, use Dark Pulse!" I called for my Murkrow.
"Kroowww!" And without hesitation, Angel was determined to defend Rose as she launched a stream of darkness at the undead doll.
"Agh!" The attack was super effective, sending Banette even further into the air, where she stood afloat as she began to glow a dark aura. "You dare stand in my way?! You're no different than that Pumpkaboo I've always hated! No matter, if you really want to die first, I'll be glad to accommodate!" The doll started charging toward Angel with bits of blue flames dancing around her body.
Instinctively, Angel knew to dance around the doll and all the flames of Will-o-Wisp that were sent at her.
Landing, the doll stood right in front of Rose.. But her moment with the defeated girl didn't last long as Murkrow struck her from behind, sending her to the stage ground once more, where the audience of this black and white Hell watched on.
"Rose!" I called to the girl, but she didn't answer. "Rose, you got to stand up and fight! This-"
I was interrupted by a Banette who swiftly bypassed Angel, charging toward me. I narrowly moved out the way.
"You will not tell her. If you do..." Banette knew the words that were about to come out of my mouth. Her attempt to stop me from talking was desperate.
...I knew how to defeat the evil doll...
"What'll happen if I do?" I sassed as I put my hands on my hips.
"I'll...I'll..." Once again, the evil doll, cloaked in a dark aura, charged toward me. The was a hint of frustration on the doll. Did she know what I know? "Haaa!"
I closed my eyes and smiled.
"Huh?!" Gasps came from the Banette, Angel, and the black and white audience as Bannette phased through my body. Caught off guard, the doll landed flat on her face, and remained at the downed position as I faced her. "W-what happened...?" The doll quivered slightly as she picked her face up.
"I've figured it out. how this 'living Hell' works." I answered, "Your powers will no longer work on me because-"
"No! Don't!" At first, Banette was yelling, but being desperate, her yelling gradually turned into pleading, "Please don't..."
I didn't buy it. Turning to face Rose, I was ready to tell her before the doll attempted to charge toward me once more.
"Krooww!" Taking advantage of a distracted and aggressive Banette, Angel interrupted the doll's attack, turning all of that power against her and sending her back to the stage floor with a Foul Play attack.
"Rose?" Because she wasn't moving, I had to sit on my knees and grab her face with my hands. Her eyes were every teary, while Banette's eyes watched on as Angel had her immobilized. Rose had very soft skin..."Rose, this stage-this Hell-it is all your nightmare. Right now, we're in the center of all your fears, and you're the only one who can get us out!" Of course, my fear of not being able to meet Amy in Heaven has already passed me by...It is no longer a fear of mine because I realized death isn't the answer for me. But for Rose and her fears...
"I-I cannot..." Rose answered, "All these strangers...and that doll..."
"You have to get over your fears! You can't hide from the world forever!"
"Yes I can!...Yes I can...There are a lot of things you don't know about me..." Rose said.
"What are those 'things' going to do for you? There are things you don't know about me, yet I STILL overcame my fears-"
"You don't understand!" Rose pulled away from me, her fragile emotions beginning to get the best of her as she began to whimper her words, "You don't know what it's like to be me! I am an anomaly who has been cursed with the burden of life!...I have always been called labels like 'unnecessary', or a 'worthless tool'...My whole life, I have been used and abused by the world around me.! Those I have loved have become strangers. I could never love a stranger, but the amount in my world is so overwhelming...I am misunderstood. I am alone."
I never knew Rose was so 'paranoid' when it came to 'strangers'. But to be called a 'worthless tool'...Ironically, name calling is usually reserved for people who know each other, in the real world.
"How many times have you been insulted by the audience in front of you?" I asked flatly.
In her fit, Rose paused at my question. She sniffled.
"Okay, so here and there, people will insult you, but to let that dictate your entire life? Maybe it's no them you fear. Maybe...maybe the one you fear most, is yourself..." Upon hearing those words, Rose's eyes widened, "YOU constantly think about how YOU look in the eyes of everybody else. Believe it or not, Amy used to do the same thing, behind that smile of hers. The difference between you and Amy was that Amy actually gave people a chance. Sure, she kept her guard up, but she was never alone because..."
I motioned for Rose to come back to me. Wrapping my arms around the little girl, she embraced my hug. A warm smile made it's way on my face, "...Because she always had her sister close."
A moment was set aside for Rose to 'let it all out'. She was silent, and I waited until the teardrops on the back of my blouse to dried before I spoke again.
I once again held Rose's face, "Give the audience a chance. Let the world embrace you, and you'll no longer feel alone."
At first, Rose didn't move, as she was paralyzed with fear...or was she nervous? She apparently needed some more convincing, or maybe just a 'crutch'.
Rose's POV
Facing my fears for the very first time...For me, it was scary, but not so overwhelming this time. Why? I looked into the eyes of Ariel, and then looked back down to see she was holding my hand.
"You're not alone," Ariel clenched my hand even tighter, "I'm right by your side, sister."
I closed my eyes tight as I readied to embrace the open world for the very first time. My heartbeat became faster and more tense. My chest tightened as my nervousness was still very much present. Hand in hand with Ariel, I-the character of Alice in 'Alice In Wonderland'-slowly turned to face the audience around me.
"Murkrow..."
"Go on. Open your eyes. I'm right here, sister."
...My nervousness made my eyes heavy, they opened slightly, and very slowly... "Huh?" I saw...I saw smile on the faces of all these people looking at me.
"Come on, you can do it. You're already halfway there..."
The more I opened my still teary eyes, more color was being added to my black and white surroundings. I felt so relieved that there were no attacks coming from the mouths of all these people. The atmosphere was welcoming, it did not feel like such a nightmare anymore. In the face of the crowd, I smile as they began to applaud. Letting people in for the first time...it was nothing like the negativity I had been expecting. I embraced the shower of love everyone was expressing to my character on stage. I was not lonely, nor was I scared. I was feeling the warmth of love. I WAS loved!
Suddenly, the shades of darkness surrounding us all began to dissipate as light started to creep in. This was the end of my nightmare...
Location: Outside Autumn Town-The Rose Meadow
I was awoken by the light. Opening my eyes, I saw that it was the light of sunrise. The roses surrounding me were no longer black, as they were the night before, they appeared more vivid than ever with the glow of sunrise complimenting them.
Sitting up, I saw that I was right next to an Ariel Angel with her eyes open and staring at me. Her red eyes looked rose colored when seeing them in daylight for the first time.
Angel the Murkrow was with us, as well as...as well as a Banette lying on the grassy ground.
"You did it," Ariel said to me, her face was more jovial than ever.
"That I did," I said with a smile.
When I was able to get over my fears, my nightmare ended, allowing for all of us to wake up this morning...
I had the feeling that today was going to be a good day. I was excited for what was next for me, so excited in fact, that I decided to let it all out.
"Hmhmhnhmhmh hahahahahahaha!" I giggled very loudly as I ran Ariel and Angel into a hug on the grassy ground, showering them with much affection.
"That tickles! That tickles!" Ariel was laughing as I began to nuzzle he very affectionately, "I never knew you had such an affectionate side!"
However, this moment of affection would only last briefly, and when Ariel and I were able to calm down, we heard...the low volume of something crying?
Returning to my usual character, the smile on my face disappeared as Ariel and I got up off the ground to see the crying shadow that was Banette.
"Banette, it's over." Ariel said coldly to the doll of darkness.
Too engulfed in her own sorrow, the doll didn't even bother to acknowledge to presence of Ariel.
The Banette sniffled.
You know, now that I was no longer in any state of fear, I was beginning to think much like my usual self. Though I am very intelligent, I am often described as a girl who has not lived in this world long enough to understand human emotion, much like Brother. Though, unlike Brother, I at least have a heart, a heart that could relate to the loneliness Banette has been feeling for the longest time. Because Amy made her exit from Banette's life, Banette is lonely, and because I have escape her arms, Banette is sad. I did not wish for the doll to experience the struggle I have been through, so I walked up to the crying Banette with one generous proposal in mind.
"Um, Banette?" I called out to the doll, but the doll did not look at me.
"I lost..." The Banette said, hands covering her face.
"No..." With a sympathetic sigh, I put a warm smile on my face as I slowly wrapped my arms around the ghost doll, "No, you have not lost. You are not alone, because you have a heart that can relate to you. You have me: the girl NOT named Amy..."
You could see the rising sun shine on the eyes and unzipped mouth of a Banette who shot her head up, startled by my touch.
"A little girl and her favorite doll..." I said to myself, "Banette, let us be friends."
"F-friends?" Both Ariel and the doll stuttered.
"You can come with me on my journey." I answered, "You will be my very first Pokemon."
"A journey?" Ariel said confused.
"Right." I answered as I looked at Ariel, Banette still in my arms, "Did I not tell you I was just passing by? If so, I sincerely apologize."
"So you'll be leaving soon..."
I gave a slow nod, a smile on my face. I then looked down at Banette, still waiting for a reply from the doll, "Well?"
"I-I..." The eyes of the doll began to tear up again, and a reply was dragged out very slowly, "I would love to, dearly beloved..."
"Then it's settled. But before the time for goodbyes arrive..." I approached Ariel and Angel, grabbing the hand of Ariel as I said, "I would like for us all to watch the sunrise together, in the meadow of roses."
...
It was a long and teary goodbye, even though I only knew Ariel and her Murkrow for a number of hours. The last words Ariel said to me were, "Take care, sister. I love you..."
Autumn Town and the night before us was now behind me as I was on my way back to camp, with my new doll in my arms. Admittedly, the creepy impression of Banette will take some getting used to for the rest of the gangs, but I did not mind.
"Will they like me?" Banette asked.
"You have to be introduced first...Both you AND me." Vincent, Marina, and Kashius...Getting over my fear of strangers has given me the courage to finally open up to them when the time comes.
That time would be now though, for I approached a campsite where Chapel had a worried look on her face. Kashius was leaning up against the tree, while Vincent and Marina had just finished putting away their sleeping bags.
"Maw? Mawile!" Mawile was the first to spot Banette and I. She was quite surprised, seeing Banette for the very first time.
"I have returned." I announced.
Chapel had a huge sigh of relief written on her face, but withing a few seconds, I was merely background character in her sight. She, along with everyone else, were all staring at Banette. I guess now was the time for formalities.
"Chapel." I called, "Mawile. Vincent and Marina...Kashius...It is the beginning of a new day, and the beginning of a new life. I would like to introduce to you, a new life in the favorite doll of a little girl." They all watched as I put Banette on the ground, motioning for the doll to make an introduction.
Banette looked back at me with an unsure face.
"Go on." I encouraged.
It was quite a turn from the very passionate character of Banette that Ariel and I encountered the night before. I knew the doll was not at all timid, she was just concerned about making the 'always-crucial' first impression. If that was the case, then it was up to me. I took a step forward, presenting Banette and I to Chapel and the strangers.
"A little girl and her favorite doll...this doll wishes to join in on the journey. And...that is not all..." I paused. This was going to be the first time I would put myself out there in the REAL world, "Banette is not the only one in need of an introduction. My entire life, I have been sheltered from the outside world, whether the source be myself or somebody else. The old me is as dead as the night before. I am a new person now, and I would be pleased to get to know you all on the way to Mahogany Town."
"Rose?" Chapel was very confused, "You're...you're opening up?"
Banette and I both gave Chapel a nod and a smile. The morning sun began to smile bright in my deep blue eyes, though there DID seem to be plenty of clouds on their way to blanket the sky for what could be the remainder of the day, for all I know.
"Shall we continue to Mahogany?" I asked everybody as I took a single step ahead.
This day will not be forgotten by me. From here on out, I shall fight the war on the front lines, with Banette and everybody else.
One question remains though: Will the relationship between Brother and I be the same once we reunite? He is the only person who still pains me, and I do not look forward to our reunion...
To Be Continued...
Yes, Rose will be traveling with the main group from here on out. I said this was a MAJOR arc. Can't wait to see her face off against Neo Snagem...