Pokemon: Blood Curse!
Chapter 9: Mysterious Old Friend?
Feet padded across the ground as rain poured upon Marceline's hooded frame. She did her best to hurry back home, a light skip in her steps proved she was eager to attempt a run but knew better than to risk slipping and hurting herself. Of all times, why did it choose to rain now? Her thoughts, fully annoyed, echoed while her head remained low to keep the droplets from falling on her face.
"It wasn't even that cold out moments ago, so why do I keep seeing my own breath?" Mumbling, halting, the brunette's brows knitted at the thought and looked around the forest. Pichu in the distance and other pokemon were all hiding from the rain but none of them appeared as cold as she felt. "That's so weird... Am I getting sick?" Her hands lifted to examine her fingers, which were a little chilly. A shiver went down her spine at that moment, there was definitely something wrong, nonetheless, her hands were pushed into her pockets and she continued on her way.
Marceline? A pokemon's voice cried out behind her, concerned and masculine. As soon as she heard him, those hazel hues lit up with disbelief and astonishment. Her body froze at the strange, familiarity of his voice, for she knew that it had been a very long time since she's heard from him and very slowly the brunette turned to see.
What? That's impossible... That voice, it can't be! Finally, when her eyes met a pair of red eyes and a silhouette of a man in his early twenties, she was at a loss for words. Dark violet, short hair, and a worried frown, the woman immediately recognized him. He wore a black trench coat that draped past the back of his knees and had dark violet patterns on it. The shirt he had on was a dark violet tight shirt, plain and pattern-less whereas his pants seemed black and baggy. Everything else on him didn't go noticed, except for his spiked hair that almost made him look like he had animal ears.
"Kuro?!" Beyond shocked, Marce finally broke out of her stupor and closed the small distance between them. Her hands lifted to touch his shoulders, grasping them as a close friend would to another, and seemed rather relieved to have met him again. "Kuro, it's been a long time!" However she hadn't noticed the small, odd distortion where she touched him, the brunette was too focused on her old friend to pay attention to those details.
Marce, I've been looking for you for a long time. Why did you move away? His question, still very much worried, made the woman sigh and step back a second.
"Move away? Ah, my parents told me that since I didn't have any friends at school, they were just going to move so I had no reason to be so upset... I told them I had one friend there, you, but they kept saying I was delusional and that you weren't there," With her hands now being put back into her pockets, she turned to carry on towards her tree house. "I... Was... Actually kicked out of the house. It's hard to explain," Her head was low, she didn't want him to see the pain in her eyes when she recalled that past event and could see Kuro walking beside her with silent steps.
Well- you can tell me whenever you're ready. Can I visit you at your house? I'd love to catch up! A bright, toothy smile shone from his overjoyed emotions, as his red eyes lit up with nostalgia at the sound of her addicting giggles.
"Haha... Yeah, okay," To Marce it felt nice to meet her old friend from high school. Even though people always stared at her weirdly and talked about her behind her back, she always managed to ignore them because of her friend. "I'll have you know- Mel is protective over our home and she's my best friend growing up. I met her before I ever attended school," With her attention moving up to view the passing branches in the trees in thought, she wasn't aware of the angry expression on Kuro's face. The brunette was too busy pondering on the fun times spent with her purple feline and how she used to chase Rattata away from the lunches she'd try to take to school with her.
She's protective, alright... I wasn't able to be near you. quietly whispered Kuro as he averted his eyes from the woman, he had hoped she didn't hear him. However, when he glanced back at her he nearly flinched at the suspicious look she gave him with her narrowed hues. Wh- What? Nervous, he asked, with his hands up in defense until a faint smile graced her lips.
"Nothing. Anyway, there it is. Home, sweet home. You'll have to climb the rope if you want to get in," To the side, after she explained, she saw Hornet's old string that he once dangled from and it made her hazel hues light up with astonishment. Not so much bewildered but more cautious and excitement, for she knew why he was missing. "Oh! It looks like Hornet evolved while I was gone!" This time she hurried up the rope and made her way to the top, unaware of Kuro who was somehow already up there without her noticing. "Wha- How did you... Get up here so quick? You were right behind me," Her knitted brows proved her confusion while her fingers pointed to the ground below and back, not once breaking her attention on the purple-haired male.
Huh? Ah, sorry! I was excited to meet your friend and catch up on things. A faint chuckle from the man left her dumbfounded, but nonetheless, she nodded and giggled in return.
"It's fine! Well, come on," With haste, her legs sped past Kuro and swiftly opened the front doors to reveal... "Ah- Mel? What's wrong?" The brunette saw her friend glaring daggers at the man behind her, full of suspicion and caution. Not a single word came out of the cat, all she received was a twitch of the long, curled tail and watched her walk away. "Mel?" Pure concern was evident, for she tried to follow her friend but was soon stopped by Hornet who flew after her and halted just in time. "H- Hornet?! Grats on evolving, by the way. You look strong," Her once astonished face changed to that of approval and gave him a kind smile with a soft pat on his insect-like head.
He needs to leave, now! Beedrill's voice which was different from when he was a Kakuna, demanded protectively.
"Uh- hold on, he's just a friend from high school he's okay," Marce lowered her hand from his head confusedly, she didn't understand why he and Mel were acting strange it wasn't unusual but it was odd nonetheless. Turning to the side, viewing Kuro, an apologetic frown was what her old friend received before she spoke. "Sorry... Can you wait out here a minute, please?" When she asked, for a moment she saw a spark of reluctance and anger. Regardless, she needed to talk with her friends before letting him in so he had to wait.
Of course, take your time.~ With a fake smile, he nodded and watched her gradually shut the door with a click. However, his friendly expression fell into a more annoyed one when they couldn't see him, and soon enough Kuro sat on the edge of the platform. It's not like I haven't waited to talk to you for a decade... Ah, I can't get angry like this though. I'll get to spend more time with my woman.~ Even though it was in his thoughts when he spoke, it resonated like the language of Mon, and sharp teeth clenched when he grinned.
Back inside, Hornet floated in front of Marce whereas Mel simply stared at the brunette with all seriousness on her face. Neither of the two liked the idea of him being there and she has yet to know why, so with her hazel hues narrowed she decided to ask. "Why are you two so strict all of a sudden? Is something wrong?" With Kuro outside, they could talk freely and Mel was the first to answer, for she stepped forward a couple of feet with an occasional twitch of her tail.
Marceline, he's not good to invite here! He's bad news! Adamant, Mel wanted to make sure her friend knew of the dangers of the man outside and watched the brunette's confused eyes light up slightly with suspicion.
"Bad news? I've known Kuro since high school, he's good," A scratch to her cheek and unease was evident when she spoke. Marce couldn't understand at all what the purple feline was saying until she stood there to ponder. "Hold on, are you saying he's a... Pervert?" for a moment, she trailed, and kept thinking about how weird that would be considering she knew him since school.
Marce... He's suspicious, do you really not see anything strange about him? Now, this time, Mel was confused, albeit worried for the brunette. From the buzz of his wings, Hornet hovered closer to poke the woman's cheek with his stinger and it snapped her out of whatever deep thought she had at that moment.
"Wha-? No, not really," Her emotions remained the same as she spoke, not once did her eyes break from Mel's who closed her gaze and sighed. "Well- he's not a bad person. We just want to catch up for a while and hang out, it'd be pretty cool if you two got to know him," With a thumb directed to the front door, her confusion faded after she blinked and stared at them both nonchalantly.
I don't want to be involved. Irritated, a simple answer was what the brunette received from the feline before she turned and scaled the stairs to Marce's bedroom. Beedrill flew over to the screened window near the kitchen and did his best to hold back the temptation of stabbing the man outside.
Marceline, if he so much as touches you wrong I will make sure he can't move for a week... Angry, Hornet was, for he glanced his red eyes at his friend for a moment before moving them to the front door behind her. Despite the robotic stare all Beedrills have, the intensity he gave off was enough to prove that he meant business.
"Don't worry. If it makes you and Mel happy, I'll make sure to have you two or Meigu tag along whenever he's around," A reassuring smile was what she gave to Beedrill. For a second she saw the hesitation in the bug pokemon's movements, which made her brows knit with concern and opened her mouth to speak.
However, when she tried to, he fully faced her with stabbing motions in the air and gradually flew closer toward the door. We Beedrill are protective over our family, so if strangers come by and invade our nest, we will strike! Furious, with a huff, he turned around toward the kitchen and sat on the floor to look out of the screen near the table.
"I'll just let him stay outside then. He doesn't have to come in... If you want, you can come outside with me," Marce's thumb pointed over her shoulder at the front door with an innocent blink of her eyes and stuffed the other hand into her jacket's pocket.
All was quiet, nothing but silence wafted through the air until a couple of minutes passed and he walked over to her, with a nod of his head before following her out of the door. "Hey, Kuro," As soon as she stepped foot outside, her back pressed against the railings of the platform and awkwardly adjusted her jacket.
Hornet, on the other hand, hovered above her head and glared suspiciously at the stranger. Hey, is something wrong? Concern in the violet-haired man's eyes, glued to a pair of nervous hazel ones when he asked.
"Ah, it's nothing. Hornet here just wants to hang with me while we chat. I mean, he just achieved his final evolution. I think he looks pretty cool, you know?" Her small giggle after she spoke, and the kind smile, all made Kuro stare in awe.
Mouth agape, his red eyes became half-lidded at the sight and a sweet memory of her he recalled drove him into a daze. A memory when a small brunette girl who played with her Purrloin, giggled and rolled around in the snow. The tiny Purrloin mewed happily as she wrestled with the girl, as frost stuck to her brown hair and thick coat. He remembered how she and the pokemon chased each other in the white snow until her mother called. Between trees he recalled himself hiding behind and watching the display, it was a lovely memory that he dared not let go of.
"Anyway, how have you been? I hope your family didn't give you a hard time," This time it was her turn to show concern, for her hazel hues met his which seemed to have snapped him out of his deep thoughts, and let out a small breath he didn't realize he held.
My family... Is very far away. We could never get along, so I left and wanted to look for you. Besides- I thought you might, hopefully, give me a place to stay? Hopeful he was, as he glanced at the brunette and inched closer to her frame. He did his best to not seem rude, Kuro wanted nothing more than to be closer, to know her more, so he pressed his backside to the railings further and was just inches from touching her shoulder.
"I... Don't know if you can. Mel and Hornet aren't too friendly toward strangers, especially people who they feel they can't trust. I can make a camp for you though... Or you could check out the hotel in town, it's not too far from here," The woman suggested with a scratch to her cheek and nervously averted her attention from the man.
Alright- thank you! Make sure you stay... Warm tonight. I'll go check out the hotel and see if there are any rooms. With a subtle movement of his oddly distorting hand, he gently touched her own which made her peek back at him curiously, and felt a prick of cold on her skin. Take care! I'll visit tomorrow if that's okay. Slowly, as he walked backward, he saw her kind smile before a nod was given to him and a slight chuckle.
"Sure, I mean- I'm going to visit a friend of mine later tomorrow too. I have some plans, so if it's fine with you- could you stop by tomorrow night? We can watch movies or something and eat popcorn like you used to love," A thumbs-up was what she gave him before she glanced up at Hornet for a moment, to see if he was still there. Alas, he was, for he hovered there with a vibe that could scare even the mightiest of beasts.
Okay! I'd love that! I'll see you tomorrow, bye then! Cheerful, excited even, the violet-haired man gave her his brightest smile that almost resembled a Gengar's. Just as he stepped off of the edge, without care on his face he descended past it and spooked the brunette.
Quickly she ran to it only to glance down to the ground and saw that her friend wasn't there... Nowhere was he in sight, not even a disturbance from the rope most people would need to climb. At that moment, Mel's voice resonated through her ears, as so did Hornet's, recalling what they said and how they thought he was suspicious.
Her hand lifted when those hazel hues stared at the pale skin on top and pondered on the cold sensation she felt. "I always knew he was cold... Every time he touched me, he was. It must be the weather or something, it's pretty chilly out after all," A sigh escaped her lips when she wrapped her open jacket further around her to repel any cold air from hitting her skin. "I can't believe I hadn't realized it until now, that the air was chilly. Maybe I was just so focused on everything else, that I barely noticed. Hm, whatever I guess," With a turn, she faced the Beedrill who hovered there in front of the door and cocked his head.
He disappeared without a trace, how is that not suspicious to you Marceline? A bit angry, Hornet asked before flying over the platform's edge and viewing the ground.
"Yeah, I have to admit... It's pretty weird. Maybe he got into acrobatics while he was in school, I mean he never did tell me what classes he took," With knitted brows, the brunette added as she made her way back inside and heard the buzz of his wings behind her.
That should be more of a reason to be suspicious of him! From the staircase, Mel stood and overheard the woman's words so she spoke up with laced annoyance.
"You have a point... Erm, anyway- Mel?" The frown on her lips proved her unease until her concerned eyes met her friend's on the steps. "I have something to tell you and Hornet. It's... Serious," After a moment when she said that, her eyes became half-lidded at the news she received from Mewtwo earlier and they could see the sadness on her face.
Roughly five minutes later, she, Hornet, and Mel were around the kitchen table. Marceline had a plate of mashed potatoes, peas, and fried meat whereas her friends had their own bowls of pokemon food. However, they both were told about what she really was and that she was going to train to get better with her power. Even the Psychic plate she received from Mewtwo, which dangled around her wrist. The brunette kept fidgeting with the peas that rolled around on her plate, awkward was an understatement at this point and it was evident on her features.
So Mewtwo, the Legendary Psychic, is going to train you and he gave you an Element Plate? Matsuo, the human, is also going to tag along and have his pokemon accompany you too? Mel questioned, she and Hornet took notice of the nervousness Marce expressed, the tight grip on her fork was enough proof.
"Yeah... I'm surprised you guys didn't say anything about me being a pokemon and born to look human. But you know- I told Mewtwo, that I want to be referred to as a human and he seemed to respect that," Finally, with a lift of her utensil, a small glob of mashed potatoes entered her mouth and her hues glanced at her friends to the side.
Marceline! Mel and I both knew you were different from the start. Don't worry, okay? We don't care if you're a pokemon or a human, it doesn't change who you are. This time it was Hornet's turn to speak, for he tried to express the sweet smile that he used to give her as a Weedle and nuzzled his insect head against the side of hers.
"Haha, thanks. I was worried you two wouldn't like me as much, I didn't want to lose you guys," With a quick giggle at Beedrill's affection, all of her worries fell when relief took over. Despite that, she noticed how Mel kept eyeing the peas on her plate and it made her brows knit. "Anyway, I'll be training tomorrow and Matsuo wants me to hang out with him at his private dojo after that. He also wants you two to meet his pokemon, how about it?" Her small smile was given to the two who both nodded.
I guess it wouldn't hurt to stray from our home for a little while. Besides, I overheard you offer Kuro to hang out with you tomorrow night... I don't trust him at all. So of course I'll go with you- I don't want him trying anything stupid if he ends up following you. Irritably the Liepard's tail twitched, along with her one eye, before she turned to make her way toward the living room.
"Cool! Okay! It's been a while since you left the treehouse, so I bet some time away from it will make you feel pretty good," Instead of sitting at the table, she picked up her plate and wandered to the couch nearby. Small bits of excitement were evident on her face as she made her way to the sofa. With a plop, she sat, took the remote, and flipped the television on. Mel quickly hopped onto the cushion next to her and laid her head on the woman's lap, that was until a pea rolled off of her plate. "Ah- dang it!" Just before Marce could reach down to pick it up, Mel playfully swiped at it.
The brunette's fingers barely touched it when the pea was slapped further away. "Mel! Come on," Giggling, she put her plate down and tried again. However, Mel was determined to mess with her so she continued to smack at that tiny pea every time Marce would attempt to lean over for it. "Okay, this is getting annoying," With a lift of her finger, her hazel hues turned black with purple rings around her pupil and the tiny pea rose into the air.
Victorious, her smile was, as she stood there with the pea hovering above her finger; that was until Mel leaped and snatched it with her mouth. "M- Mel?! Hey, that's gross! It fell on the floor, you're not supposed to eat something that fell on the floor!" Fuming, a curl of her lip showed disgust, however, it changed to a small smile again when she saw her friend smirk and flap her tail playfully.
It's not as gross as hunting for bugs. The feline teased with a glance at Hornet, who seemed to be a little triggered by her statement. Quickly, she bolted, running from the Beedrill that pointed out his stingers and chased her all over the house.
Are you saying you eat bug pokemon?! Hornet's anger fumed before he chased her into the second floor and left the brunette alone in the living room. Mel being huntress at night made many mysteries as to what she ate and for all Beedrill knew, she could be lying.
"Heheh, it feels like things are going to become more lively around here now," With a simple shake of her head she turned, sat back down on her couch, picked up her plate once more, and continued to eat. It was amusing, to say the least, Marceline thought they wouldn't get along at all since bug pokemon was a dark pokemon's weakness.