Chapter 81- Void Kissed
A/N: This is an original Pokémon Fan Game made by Amethyst. To check it out and play the game, download it at Reborn Evolved. Search for it on your web browser to get to the website.
Hey, all it's… been… wayyyyy too long… Anyone following this story has either forgotten about it since I've written it or is angry at me for how long it's been. Anyway… I'm here, I'm alive, but I'm still full of ADHD and procrastination. However, I do hope I can actually fulfill the hidden delusions of my mind and actually complete this story. Maybe this will be the charm; maybe it will be sometime in 2030 when I actually finish this… But I will make an attempt.
Other to note, ever since the final version of Reborn was updated… I've really wanted to go back and look at old chapters, which will probably be updated as I go. When I post this, Chapters 1 to 3 should be rewritten if anyone wants to go check it out.
Location: ?
It was pitch black around her. It was dark and cold, and her head ached horribly. Forcibly trying to put back together what was lost, a train whistle echoed through the darkness, and she heard a voice call out to her.
"Station master here." It felt vaguely familiar. Almost calling her, "We've got your boarding passes."
She felt something in her hand, paper… but practically invisible in her hazy sight. She could barely read out her name. "Lucille… Luxen…"
"Another one for Reborn City, huh?" The non-existent station master said, "They sure have been pushing that new league. Just between you, me, and the ol' battered fence post, I hear Reborn City's kind of a dump. Why anyone would wanna go there is beyond me. And yet, buncha you ambitious Trainer-type folk have been headin' out in droves. But off you go now. The train's leaving any minute."
Lucille felt something akin to a wave of air as the sounds of train wheels rattling against the racks came in. As the rhythmic echo continued, her headache slowly cleared, along with her vision. Though her vision cleared, she did notice she was still surrounded by an inky void. Some white dots appeared in the distance, like stars in the night sky. Looking down, it was a path, almost like a planetarium pathway. A sort of black carpet decorated with stars.
"…Where am I?" Lucille asked herself, the memories of her past day somewhat foggy. "This certainly isn't the Glass Workstation anymore…"
"Why hello, Lucille!" echoed a voice she had almost forgotten.
Turning around, she saw a boy. He had a white head of hair, a long strand falling to his shoulder, and blue eyes, just as confused as her about their location. "Percy! You're here too!"
"Yes, wherever here is…" Percival said, "Last thing you remember is how we found Bennett and Zero controlling Cain and Shelly, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, right after that pair of Glaceon and Espeon helped us escape the elevator." Lucille Clarified. "After fighting Cain and Shelly, it goes dark… though I feel…"
"Like we fought more than just Cain and Shelly?" Percival asked.
"Yeah…" Lucille sighed.
Before either could continue, they heard the train's loud horn and were suddenly shoved forward by a massive explosion.
BOOOM!
"What the?! Was that Ame?!" Percival shouted, barely catching sight of the figure that pushed them.
"…was… Was that the Train explosion?" Lucille shook with an all too familiar feeling of dread.
"Hihi!" Called the voice of a woman with bright green hair and a yellow cheerleading outfit. "So you're Percival? I'm Julia, captain of cheer and pep, and all things bubbly and bright!"
"What?" Percival looked in shock at Julia, having seen her a few hours before. "Julia, yes, it's me; what are you talking abo—"
"Oh, pop quiz! Are you going to take on the Reborn League?" Julia interrupted almost as if on a track.
"Yes… I have been, I litt—" Though once again, Percival was cut off.
"Correct! That was the only thing you could ever do anyway! I'll be looking forward to your challenge, so go on! Get down to the Grand Hall already!" Said the captain of cheer before dissipating into the darkness.
"…" Percival looked as the gym leader vanished, shocked by what she said before disappearing.
"Percy," Lucille called attention to him, Reaching out her hand towards his. "Whatever's happening? I think it wants us to proceed forward." Lucille pointed to the path behind them, which was slowly disappearing.
"Okay…" Percival took her hand, taking the glowing path before them. Neither knew where they were or how to get out. Their only hope was to continue and hope to find a way out.
Following the path, the two continued into the void. Though as a turn was coming up, Lucille took note of it. "This is…"
"You notice something?" Percival asked.
"Well,… league work had me running around the city a bit. And from where we saw "Julia", this is about the same number of steps from the train station to the Grand Hall." Lucille explained, "And if that's true… then…"
"So, you're Percival and Lucille." Then suddenly, a girl with black hair and yukata appeared before the two. It was Victoria Marlow, a friend of Percival and Lucille, also one of the first people they met in Reborn. "I'm Kiki. It's a pleasure to meet you,"
"…" Both Percival and Lucille froze at that introduction…
"But is everything okay?" The girl before them cocked her head, almost noticing their surprise, but followed along with a given script. "I heard something happened at the station... Well, you're here, so I guess you're all right. Ame asked that I bring you in for salvation, too. Don't worry, it shouldn't take long. Let's go inside." She said before like Julia disappearing into the darkness.
"Kiki…" Percival muttered, knowing how much Victoria cared for her teacher.
"What did she mean by "Salvation"?" Lucille questioned that part of Victoria's statement.
"Don't know…" Percival responded, "But we should be prepared."
So, the two entered the nonexistent Grand hall; following the path, they were led to a room with three large tables, each a different color to differentiate the typings they held.
"The starter room? But why is there only one Pokéball here?" Lucille asked; there was room to hold every type of starter discovered, from Kanto to the Alola region.
"Again, I don't know…" Percival repeated, just as lost as Lucille. He walked to the Pokeball on the orange Fire table while Lucille walked up to the same spot but at the green Grass table. "Ah…"
Lucille also realized, Seeing Percival just a bit away from him, "They're our starters."
"Then, there is only one way to proceed." The two nodded and snatched the Pokeball from the table. Before their vision flashed, the tables disappeared. With only one way to go, the two returned to the darkness.
Having walked back to what seemed to be Grand Hall's lobby, a voice called to the two. "Heyyy, you're cute. You come here often?"
Percival and Lucille turned around to see a boy with purple hair, a fishnet shirt, and a purple jacket. Both recognized this one as Cain. Bur both hesitated in what this one may say.
"Ahaha, just kidding~" Cain laughed, "Man, Lucy, Percy, I am SO glad to see you two."
"It's really you?" Lucille grabbed Cain's hand and felt that this was real.
"Did you really have to start with a pick-up line?" Percival questioned, though Cain was rather inappropriate at the worst times.
"I mean, I thought I had stars in my eyes, but I guess it was just you~," Cain said, nuzzling into Percival's shoulder before smiling. But really, I've been wandering around here for a while and was just starting to get worried."
"Same. Do you know where we are or how we got here?" Lucille agreed with Cain and asked him if he knew anything.
"Nope." Cain shook his head. But what do you say we stick together until we figure out what's going on in this place?"
"Better than nothing." The two said numbers would at least make them feel more comfortable.
"Then again, there's only one path." Lucille laughed.
"Yeah, so I guess that won't be hard. C'mon, let's go~" Cain sang, walking in a different direction from the path that Percival and Lucille saw.
"Um…" Lucille looked in disbelief.
"But that's not the way…" Percival said, also in disbelief.
Just then, another voice called out to the two… "If the path is aligned with my memories, this is about the first time we met."
Lucille's heart dropped as she heard his voice, fearing she'd never hear it again. She turned around joyfully and saw the black-haired boy calling out to her. "N-Nero!"
"You're alive?!" Percival shouted in disbelief, believing Nero to be dead.
"What? You never saw my body, did you?" Nero smirked sardonically, even though he thought he'd be dead as of this moment.
"We saw an arm…" Percival trailed off as he saw the vacant object in Nero's right sleeve.
"Yeah, I don't think I'll give anyone handshakes in a while." Nero sighed, "But I'm still alive.
"I knew you had to be…" Lucille muttered, barely containing the tears in her eyes.
"You probably don't, but do you know where we are?" Percival felt that asking if Nero knew. Even a sliver of information would be helpful.
"No." Nero shook his head. "But, if my hunch is right, we can't stay together for too long."
"What, but you just came back!" Lucille shouted.
"Yeah, I know. But I'm pretty sure whatever this place is… it's replaying our separate journeys before us. Even if we don't move, eventually—" Nero cut himself off as Percival and Lucille suddenly disappeared. Leaving him alone in a room of darkness. With a sigh, he prepared to plunge into the void once again. "Time moves forward anyway…"
The trip through the void had been strange and mysterious for everyone involved. After meeting with Nero, Percival and Lucille continued through their memories. Mainly dealing with Percival's first two gym battles in the league. Having heard different sides of what was actually said,
For example, in her entrance speech for the battle… Julia commented on finding more ways to cover up a persistent revelation that the best years of her life were behind her and that everything was inevitably declining. This was quite a difference from the upbeat person that they always knew.
However, as he progressed, there were many more differences, such as Percival's battle with Fern before Florina's Battle. In the real world, Fern went on about how Percival wasn't worthy of fighting Florina, but this time, Fern said that Percival was worthy while he never was. It was quite a difference, Percival knew, and Percival felt sympathy for Fern for the first time. Though with how things stood with Fern… Percival knew he'd have to put that sympathy aside. Though it was a surprise when talking to Florina, for the most part, she was completely silent. But before Lucille and Percival pushed forward, Florina said. "Please notice…" before vanishing back into the void.
Continuing through, the two had pressed through, meeting with Nero briefly as they saw an ex-gym leader fall from a high place. Then, progress to see the fight between the Bug Gym leader, Shelly, and Cal. Though it was a bit freaking for Percival and Lucille as they saw Cal being stared at by what seemed an army of Cal's Brother Blake.
Before long, they started to hear about Heather's yells against Sigmund Connal. Sigmund practically but legally kidnapped her from the streets. Her struggle against the "good" doctor and Heather's painful start on Electro-shock therapy.
After hearing Heather's screams, the two ran into a young girl with dark hair tied in twin tails and red-violet eyes. She was in a purple dress and holding her usual Jirachi doll, though she was different from the images that Lucille and Percival had previously encountered.
"Anna?" Lucille called out.
Anna tilted her head, her eyes widening as she saw Percival and Lucille. "Oh, it WAS you!"
"What was?" Percival raised his eyebrow.
"Your lights shine brightest in the darkness, after all!" Anna continued, always going on about how Percival and Lucille seemed to glow. "So, make sure you never, ever, ever stop shining, no matter what happens~"
"Well, we certainly aren't going to give up any time soon," Percival responded. Knowing the struggles that both of them had gone through, they didn't have it in them to give up.
Anna smiled and replied. "I know this is a little backward, but just hang in there, okay? She should open a path for you... Unless... Hey, Percy, Lucy?"
"Yeah?" Lucille responded, and Percival was intrigued by the change in subject.
"If two stars fall, passing like ships in the night, do you think they would wish upon each other?" Anna stated and continued. "If that would happen, then which wish would win? Maybe we just have to chase them to the horizon to find out!" Anna said, jumping off the path into the void and walking her way of life. Leaving the two on their paths in confusion once more.
The two continued, though, having seen Sigmund staring at a blonde girl who looked a lot like Heather.
Soon enough, they encountered the boy with purple hair. Unlike his happy attitude last time, Cain seemed a bit shaken. With that, Percival called to him, "Cain? Are you okay?"
"!" Cain seemed to jump when he looked at Percival and Lucille. "Oh, geez… It's really you this time, right?"
"Yeah, who else would it be?" Lucille responded.
"Uh… I lost you two before, and I've been seeing some bizarre stuff down here…" Cain said with a shaky smile. "Earlier, I saw a version of you, Lucy… but I think it was from the past? You didn't seem to even see me at all. It was pretty cold."
"Sorry… I guess…" Lucille said, twirling her blonde hair… Her past was quite… standard… but somewhat emotionless at times. "but if we're seeing visions of our pasts… not much I can do against that…"
"Look, while we said we would stick together, that won't work," Percival told Cain. "Wherever this is, it's leading us on paths based on our memories."
Cain, hearing that, bit his lip. "…And you two love birds spent your whole trip here… Um… Which way is your path?" Lucille and Percival pointed in their direction. Cain felt for that path, but his hands phased through it. "Okay… See you later then!"
With this encounter with Cain over, Percival and Lucille continued further. Having met with this version of Kiki, hearing her life story. Hearing Kiki's anger at her life, at her inability to do anything after becoming sick, and how she didn't ask to become sick.
As they continued, it seemed everyone's paths started to diverge. Each sees memories of each other's pasts, eventually meeting back up at one point.
Cain panicked when he saw them. "Oh… it really is just you guys, isn't it… This place is running me a bit ragged… and not in a good way."
"If you're talking about seeing any unpleasant memories, then sure," Nero answered Cain. Nero was reminded of a lot, some of which he regrets…, and other parts he'd much rather forget.
"To be honest, I'd rather just forget about most of that stuff." Cain sighed with a fake smile. "Well, obviously that's why I ran, Ahah… but then the only place I ever ran was in circles."
"It's pretty hard to avoid when you have no clue where to go." Nero, having run away from home himself, responded. "But your circles still led you a better path than me."
"Nero…" Lucille pulled on his left sleeve.
"…" Percival was silent, knowing something similar…
"Hey, uh, Do you guys know what you want to do in the future? Like, after this is all over?" Cain asked, slight concern in his voice.
"… since we last met, I've become a League Manager, so League management." Lucille was the first to answer.
"I'm becoming a champion, so I have to learn to lead everyone," Percival said, describing his goal.
"…" Cain was silent, looking expectantly at Nero.
"I couldn't tell you," Nero shrugged. With what I've done, the only thing I expect is to get arrested."
"Then I guess you and I are made for each other." Cain snickered at Nero's response before diving into a soliloquy. "So many people seem just cut out and set on whatever they want to do, but I never was like that. Ahaha, I can barely settle on a romantic partner.
Even with how much I joke and flirt about that stuff, it's just a way of keeping myself safe from commitments and disappointment, if those are any different. Who knows~ Maybe one day I could find somewhere I can feel like I belong. Place or person- either way. But I've gotten around enough to know that I'm the problem- not them. Even if they do nothing wrong, I never feel I can stay. But hey, everyone's a little bit broken, right? And some pieces just don't fit together. No matter how much lotion... Well, never mind! You can go ahead this time. Sticking together never works out anyway. And maybe, just this time, I'll stop running."
Percival, Lucille, and Nero now moved through the void together… as while not being there directly, he was always close by. Soon, they ran into their encounters with Sigmund… him muttering the name "Lizzy" and being surrounded by blonde girls who looked like Heather.
Soon after that, they encountered Sirius. Cursing out both Corey and Heather's mother. Going on about how history cares nothing for hopeless romanticism. Only to go on about how the winners will write history, complaining about how he's written too much.
Before then, meeting Lin… Her speech about how no one ever helps. Friends do not help, nothing ever helps, no one ever helps…
It was then continued by seeing Corey cry over his wife's death. Seeing Luna meet Radomus. Then suddenly, a woman appeared, telling a story of a meteor traveling through the universe. Where one meteor decided to go further than any other meteor had before. Having traveled far along the galaxy, farther than all the other meteors… further than all its best friends and family. Eventually, when it was exhausted, it would find a planet to come to rest. Burning up in the Earth's atmosphere gives wishes to many children and people behind it. Giving joy to others, and where the woman asked before she left. "So, make sure to smile for me, too, okay?" Then Radomus appeared, saying the woman could have been a Meteorite instead.
Soon after, the trio found a plat from where Luna was surrounded by Bennett, Anna, Noel, Radomus, Serra, Elias, and Gardevoir. Soon after, they saw another platform where Solaris was staring at Taka. Taka looked back, and then Luna and Elias were doing the same thing next to them.
Eventually, Nero, Lucille, and Percival suddenly heard a voice echo in the void. It was young and childish. "hee hee hee~ this is funny... hey, don't you even know who your real ally is? don't you? don't you~?"
"…" Nero, Lucille, and Percival formed a formation, guarding themselves against all three directions, uncertain where the voice was coming from.
"hey... who's made it so you could get this far? who? who~?" The voice laughed, almost taunting them. Before continuing, "hey... haven't you been having fun? haven't you been having fun? haven't you? haven't you!?"
The void seemed to shake with the voice's echo, so Lucille tried to placate it. "Yes, it's been very… interesting."
"so, you're like me…" The voice seemed to smile as she talked, "hehehe~ Why else would you keep playing?"
The voice went quiet, leaving them alone. Eventually, Percival spoke up, sensing any threat was gone. "Playing?"
"…" Nero remained silent. It seemed that someone had been treating their struggles as nothing more than a game.
"I don't know… but making that voice angry… didn't seem like the best move for right now," Lucille answered.
"Like almost always, we're only left with more questions than answers." Percival sighed.
"Well, no matter. We've still got problems on our hands—one right there in front of us as we speak." Nero lifted his left arm, pointing at a foul creature in the distance. Its eyes were sunken in and black, and a purplish fog emanated from its neck and waist. In its deformed right hand, it held a golden pendulum.
"Isn't that…" Lucille blinked as she saw it.
"The PULSE from the Glass factory…." Percival was breathless as he saw it.
"—NO…" Its voice echoed in anguish through the void. Preparing for battle, they stepped closer to the creature. When the creature designed them too close, it let out a mighty roar. "NOH!"
"Be careful. This thing's a psychic-dark type with No Guard," Nero warned, ripping a Pokeball off his belt. It'll put us to sleep if we're not careful."
"Good thing we have the numbers advantage," Percival responded, holding a Pokeball of his own.
"4 times weak to bug, huh… Guess I should have tried to train up a Scizor or Escavalier. Well, my Vanilluxe has Signal Beam." Lucille prepared her Pokémon as well. While a PULSE was powerful, a two vs one would be at a disadvantage, and three vs one would be even more so.
After having battled and defeated the PULSE, the three continued. Their paths diverged as they separated more. Percival and Lucille replayed what happened between Amaria and Titania. Then, they saw more about Cal's past relationship with his brother Blake. Ame's death…
Meanwhile, Nero had seen other things. Seeing ZEL split into Zero, losing Lumi and Eve. And replayed the scene of Taka's death. After hearing Taka's call, he said he didn't want to give up… he wanted to be strong like him, his sister, and Percival. Nero was pissed but knew he couldn't do anything to change it.
Eventually, the three met again, unsure what they'd find ahead. They suddenly heard a voice call through the darkness. "Enough!"
From the darkness, a new path formed; a girl with blonde hair and a maid outfit was walking on the newly created path. Lucille was surprised to see her. "Luna!"
"How do you do, Percival, siblings?" Luna bowed her head in greeting them. "It has been a fair few moments since our last visit, has it not?"
"Fair few moments? It's been about a week or so, hasn't it?" Percival questioned it.
"Let us not linger on this." Luna cut off the topic. "I fear you three have dallied here far too long as is. Though I do not fault you for it, this is my home rather than yours. So, I will handle this place from here." Luna turned to direct the three to the newly created pathway. "Please, the way forward is yours alone."
"So, this is our way out?" Percival asked in confusion. Where Luna nodded.
"But what about Cain and Gardevoir? They are in here as well," Lucille worriedly said to Luna.
"Fret not, sister. They shall be fine." Luna smiled, patting Lucille's blond hair.
"Don't get lost," Nero said uninterested.
"Oh, but brother, how could I get lost in such a wonderful abyss." Luna smiled brightly at Nero's concern
Nero knew Luna was like that; she always had brighter thoughts on darkness than he ever had. He felt that she would be fine. Nonetheless, he vocalized a feeling he kept sealed away for the first time in a long time: "But seriously… don't do anything stupid. Make your way back out when you can, please…"
Luna blinked; she hadn't ever heard a tone of worry from Nero; it was a bizarre sight. Even still, Luna smiled confidently as if trying to dispel those worries. "Thank you for your worry, brother. But I'll be fine; this is my home, after all."
The three returned from their void-kissed fate into a quite surprising environment.