Pokemon: Blood Curse!
Chapter 21: To Grieve over loss.
A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the loooong wait, lol! I was so hyper-focused on completing my Power Ranger fanfics. I NEEDED to write a couple, to get it off my chest. XD
Anyway! I'm back on track :D!
The rain pattered on the roof of her Treehouse. The next day came around and Matsuo had never left her side. There was only silence and sorrow in the air. Broken, she was. Staring through the screened part of the kitchen as she remained at her table.
Tears stained her cheeks and red around her eyes were proof of how long she cried. The buff man who was in a chair next to her never removed his attention from her, nor had his Pokemon when they stayed in the living room and watched on the sidelines.
Pokemon who peered through the screens and windows the best they could, made whimpers of worry and could feel the pain reflected on her face. The Treehouse guardian, Mel, her best friend, and a friend to other Pokemon in the forest, was supposedly killed.
No one moved, no one dared to speak a word of what happened yesterday. Prince and Torch couldn't believe that a life was taken, but the reality of it was too real. "Marce..." Meigu whispered and trailed for a moment, as he lifted the back of his fingers to gently caress her cheek. He didn't care if it was a kind of affection that only lovers would show, he wanted her to know that she wasn't alone. "Do you want some tea?" He made sure to keep his voice quiet. In a situation like this, he couldn't find it in himself to express joyous energy. She needed time to grieve, to heal, and he knew it. They all did.
Her subtle nod was all he needed, for he stood up, and wandered around her kitchen. "Prince, can you help me, please? I don't know where she keeps her tea, so I need some help looking," Brown eyes looked at Amber ones when he saw Prince leave the couch and give him a nod. "Thanks. I need someone to notify Mewtwo about what happened," Again, he kept his voice low to not disturb the brunette.
All of a sudden, the Poliwrath from his Pokeball, popped out and looked at him. The determination in her eyes and the white fist placed on her chest told him that she wanted to do it. "You want to? I suppose... I don't have a Flying-type Pokemon that could fly that distance. Are you sure you want to swim there, Geyser?" Concern over his Pokemon's well-being, made his brows knit, and fully faced her.
However, when Geyser made a quiet cry to reassure, he smiled. "Alright. Go ahead then. Do you know the way there?" As soon as he asked, he saw her give him a salute and straighten up like a soldier in an army. "Good. I have to stay here with her... She won't be able to take care of herself, in her condition. Thank you, Geyser. I'm counting on you," From there, he watched his water Pokemon nod, march out of the kitchen, and past the others in the living room.
Suddenly, flashes of Team Rocket's faces appeared in his mind. When he looked at Prince who stared at him from the side and slowly pulled out a box of Green Tea, he knew he was trying to tell him that Team Rocket saw the display. "Those goons? Yeah, I don't know if they're still around here or not. But what they saw, I can only hope they won't try and cause Marceline any trouble. She's already going through a lot and has been through too much in the past. She doesn't need more," Sighing, nodding to his Pokemon who gave him the box, he opened it and took out a tea bag.
The Gallade's eyes moved down in thought before he began to search for a cup to make the tea in. Meigu, however, walked over to the microwave and opened the door. "If I run into that Gengar again..." Whispering, glaring into nothingness, the handle on the microwave door creaked when he clenched a bit too hard. He could still see the scarred look on Marce's face. He can recall the cries she made and the tears she shed that day. Curling into him and balling as hard as she could into his chest, it made his anger burn like hellfire the more he thought about it. Especially, knowing how close Mel was to her, and how sweet and protective the Liepard was.
She was almost motherly to Marce... She was kind and looked out for her. They were like sisters, family. My Pokemon and I may not have known her as well as Marce did, but, I understand how painful it is to lose someone dear to you.His eyes clouded over when pondered. Soon, he thought about his Father, whom he recalled, had died protecting him. He was but a child, who looked up to him and saw his Dad as a hero of some sort. The way he handled situations, how sunshiny and reassuring he was. He wanted to be just like him and keep things positive as much as possible.
Memories of when an older man pulled out his knife and walked toward his beaten self, resurfaced. It was almost like yesterday, for he could still hear the threats leaving the man's mouth and the thuds of his Father's feet when he came running to his child-self. However, the grab to his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts and looked over to see Prince worriedly staring with the cup full of water in his other hand.
"Sorry. Anyway, thanks. Why don't you try and get some sleep? You've been up all night watching over the Treehouse, it's my turn," A kind smile was given to Prince when he placed the cup into the microwave and pressed two, for two minutes.
He saw Prince nod in his peripherals and walk back into the living room. A soft thud occurred when he placed the cup in front of her and frowned. Seeing her in that state made him want to force a smile on his face and try to bring her some light, but again, he knew better. "Marce... I'm going outside for a moment. Torch, Prince, Hops, Makage, and Hornet, will all be here with you. But I need to go outside and check out the area," With as much gentleness as he could muster, he leaned and pulled her head to his chest for a hug. "Okay?" When he saw her nod against him, he gave her a subtle pet to her head and stepped away.
After he left and stood on the platform, he looked over the edge of the rails and leaned against it. His forearms were folded as he let the rain tap his frame. The cold sensation and the sound of the rain weren't helping him feel any better.I need to check for trespassers. Marce always had someone watching over her house, even while she was here.For a moment, he pondered and examined the trees around him.I think...He began, frowned, and let his eyes cloud over with depressing thoughts.The best thing I can do for her right now is stay positive and be here for her.He said and rubbed his face down to his chin.
However, when he saw an air balloon float down toward the Treehouse, the glare he gave pierced through them like a blade to bread. But that didn't stop them from opening their mouths.
"Prepare for trouble- and make it double!" Jessie and James had their backs together, posing as though it were a routine they rehearsed. "To protect the world from devastation. To reunite all peoples within our nation!" They continued but were quickly overrun by Meigu when he groaned.
"You guys want some tea?" His eyes softened a bit when he asked, it still wasn't enough to hide his anger toward them.I don't want them disturbing Marce and we can't deal with any more drama right now... Offering them some refreshments is the best thing I can do, to distract them.When he asked and pondered, he watched the trio gawk at him as if he had two heads.
"Wait, you're offering us tea? Why? We just attacked you guys yesterday!" James was floored, for he dramatically gasped and leaned back in the basket of the balloon.
"And we don't sit around with a bunch of nobod-" Jessie was going to add to it until the buff man yelled at them.
"You saw what happened yesterday! Marcline's going through... A lot right now. Besides, I don't think you guys want to really do this, especially in this rain," His voice grew a bit softer when he explained, and saw their expressions change from surprised to contemplative.
"Oh, such a kind gentleman, aren't you?!" Jessie grinned, cooed, and sarcastically answered with a lift of her hand near her mouth. "James? Meowth? What do you say? Some free tea and to get out of this cold rain? We could always do this tomorrow, hahaha! Besides, this rain is going to ruin my hair and soak my outfit!" With both hands on her hips and pouting, the pinky's complaint made James hum in thought.
"He makes a good point," The indigo-haired man placed a finger to his chin and averted his eyes to ponder.
"Yes! I would like some! You don't happen to have any snacks, would ya pal?" Meowth chimed in when he craned over the edge of the basket and drooled at the thought of food.
Snacks? I don't see a reason not to have any. Whatever- as long as I can keep them away from Marce, I'll do it.Nodding to himself and looking up at the trio, a finger was raised. "Yeah, sure. Just give me a minute while I make the tea and prepare snacks. I'll meet you under the platform here," He pointed at the balcony he stood on and gestured to go underneath it, before he turned, and entered the Treehouse.
~~~
"Oh, boy! Cookies and sandwiches! Mister, you've outdone yourself!" Meowth comically cried when he picked up a lunch-meat sandwich and sat his warm tea down on the large blanket Meigu sprawled out for everyone.
"Thank you, um..." James trailed a moment, questionably stared at the buff man, and held his tea with both hands.
"Meigu Matsuo," Matsuo sat on his knees and lifted his plate to eat his sandwich. However, he didn't expect to see Torch land skillfully near them with a heavy thud and sit next to him in the same style. "Torch, what are you doing here? It's not safe around these three," He warned his Pokemon, watching the Blaziken intensely stare at the others and clench his fists on his lap.
"W- We're not going to cause any trouble! Not right now, at least! We do appreciate the tea and snacks!" When all three of them tensed and flinched dramatically at the nasty glare from Torch, James was the one to try and defuse the tension.
"Right! By the way, I'm curious about what happened yesterday. What was that all about? How did that woman... Um, Marceline? How did she do that?" Meowth took a large bite out of his sandwich and gave a hopeful look at the cautious trainer.
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. If you're after Pokemon, then you'll only put her in danger. Why did you want to capture her friend? The Liepard- Mel," Matsuo asked and bit a small chunk of his sandwich.I can't tell these guys anything about her. It's bad enough they saw what happened and that Marce chased after them with her power. She exposed herself by trying to protect Mel... They probably won't leave her alone now. But then again, she did scare them kind of badly.Frowning and swallowing what he chewed, he saw Jessie and James glance at one another before the pinky smiled.
"We have to make a living somehow! Our boss will kill us if we don't bring a single Pokemon back! How are we going to survive this harsh world with no money?~ We have our dreams to achieve!" With a whine and a grumble, Jessie sipped her tea and took an aggressive bite from her food, albeit dramatically.
"You guys steal Pokemon to make money? If you're making so little- you'd have more luck with a normal job, then," Meigu finished his sandwich and sipped his tea, but what he said made the pinky gasp.
"But then where's the adventure?! If stealing Pokemon is the only means to achieve our dreams, earn money, and more, then why not do it?!" Jessie clenched her fists and stood abruptly with bared teeth. Her anger outburst didn't faze him in the least, for he sighed and gestured for her to sit back down, which she surprisingly did.
"You do realize... Stealing Pokemon is no different than stealing children or people, right? Do you even know where all the Pokemon go after you take them to your boss? Do you not realize how wrong that is? How would you feel if someone kidnapped you three and kept you secluded from society?" His question silenced her, and made her speechless with a mouth gaped. Not just her, but the other two as well. "Do you not know just how dark your path really is? Restricting freedom from Pokemon is no different than restricting a human being from going outside and living their life. Would you want someone to do that to you?" As he talked, neither of them could find it in themselves to lash out much or protest. Because the look he gave them would've been strong enough to puncture holes into their skulls.
~~~~
Mel... Mel...Marce thought and stared blankly at the rain through the screen. She didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe that her best friend growing up was dead and that Kuro had lied to her all this time.
The Ghastly she used to play with, she could remember tad bits of what they used to do. She was small, too little to recall something from so long ago. But the things he mentioned to her, she was able to.
Over and over, the Ghastly's large smile and laughter from long ago, repeated in her mind. From a Ghastly to a Haunter, and then the Gengar he was now.Kuro... Why? He killed people because of me. My parents, those scientists, and...Mel's face resurfaced. It hurt, so much, to think about her. Her jaw quivered and shaky breaths escaped. The pain of it all put her into another state of crying, weeping with a hand now over her mouth to muffle her whimpers. When her entire body began to shake, she tried to use an arm to hold herself but it did little to help calm herself down.
Onto the table, with her hand still on her mouth, her brown strands became a curtain to the sides of her face when she began to cry a little harder. She didn't care if Meigu's Pokemon saw her, the pain was unbearable. When she felt a solid arm coil around her shoulders, she leaned and buried herself against the side of their chest. Through her blurry vision she could see the red point, so she could tell it was Prince who was trying to comfort her.
Hops, Hornet, and Makage, almost wanted to cry with her from seeing her in such a state. Hornet was just as much a mess as her, for he'd never had anyone die before and how much time he'd spent with her and Mel, the pain was there.
Of course, Marceline couldn't see the look on their faces due to her teary vision, but she could tell they were grieving in silence.Marceline... We're here for you.Prince, albeit sadly, told her in his Pokemon language and used his other hand to hold her head.
He is going to pay for this...Makage growled and spoke in his poke' language, with a fold of his arms.
Even though they spoke, their words barely registered, since Marceline was weeping in Prince's arms. Hops, however, stepped toward her and placed a hand on top of her head with a few pets to try and calm her. Her concerned whimper managed to catch the brunette's attention, hazel eyes blinked to force the tears that were stuck, to leak out so she could see.
You still have your family. They're right here, in this room. My trainer, too. I can't imagine how much it hurts, but I know it's a kind of pain that will take time to heal from.Her kind words and sweet smile made the brunette's breaths heavier and her eyes droop
She's tired. I'll make her something to eat, so she can rest.Prince stood and helped her sit up more so she wouldn't fall. With that, he made his way toward the kitchen.
Marce was too busy staring blankly at the table to watch him. Her crying finally calmed down and what was left were small shaky breaths that were difficult to stop.Mel... Mel. I tried to protect you... It's all my fault. It's all my fault! If I wasn't so weak, I would've been able to take care of the fight myself! I'm weak! I'm useless!Her internal berate continued as she recalled tiny Mel in her arms amid the snowfall, in the past. The way the baby Purrloin shivered and curled into her for warmth, made silent tears cascade down her face.
The sounds of sizzling, scrapping of a metal spatula, and oil popping didn't even break her from her thoughts. She remembered the birthdays they had together, watching as Mel shredded the birthday presents she gave her to see what was inside. The comedic moments of how they roughly played but accidentally clocked each other on the head, just to laugh about how stupid it seemed.
The times when Mel teased her, like the mischievous cat she was. Chasing her around the house while carrying a spider in her mouth and pretending to drop it onto her head when she wasn't really going to.
The moments when Mel protected her in the past. Like the day when she was heading home from school and a bigger kid ran by to knock her down. Mel's Purrloin face, she remembered how infuriated she looked and used Scratch to scare the kid away. She could still feel the soft fur on her teary face when Mel nuzzled her cheek and bashed against her on all fours, to tell her that she was okay.
I'm pathetic... I'm such a crybaby. I hate myself... I hate myself!Her fists clenched tighter the more she thought about the times they spent together and how little she fought to defend herself.
Do not hate yourself, Marceline...That voice. The deep and clear voice she'd heard before, she knew who it was and gradually lifted her head. There to her side stood Mewtwo who was wet from the rain, and Geyser who made herself comfortable on the couch.I hurried as fast as I could when I received the news.The balls on his fingers gently pressed on top of her head and when he did that, Marce's gaze dazed before she put her head back down on the table.
She forgot that he could see into her mind but wasn't aware that he could feel what she felt. The brokenness, the loss of light inside, an abyss, a void that was created when Mel was supposedly killed.
However, it didn't affect him much, but the look on his face that she didn't see was that of pure anger.Kuro... The Pokemon. A Gengar. Are you really going to let him get away with this? If he shows his face here again...Mewtwo spoke telepathically to her, trailed a moment, and clenched his fists, of course, she wasn't aware.Where is the human? Meigu Matsuo.Asked the Legendary, before Marce tiredly pointed a finger toward the front door that was left open.Thank you. I'll return shortly, I have to speak with him.She heard it. With his anger and protectiveness, he almost sounded like a doting Uncle or Father.
With that, the faint thuds of his feet patted across, for she listened to them become distant, and not much longer did she hear the door to her home click shut.
~~~~
Marceline. My sweet Marceline... I didn't mean for this to happen!Kuro lingered in the shadows of the trees, amid the rain and air, as a frown pulled on his ghostly lips when he thought about yesterday's fight.
He couldn't get her scream and the powerful display out of his head. He pressed a hand against the bark of a tree next to him and the other against one of the more serious wounds he received. How quickly she ended Rash with a burst of white light out of her fist, and the part when the rain clouds parted when she cried out beforehand, still left questions. And most of all, what she said to him, and how much she wanted to kill him with that intense look in her eyes.
His ghostly hand tightened at the thought. Had he known what power she held, he would've been more careful.Rash wasn't supposed to kill her friend... She deserved what she got. But, do I deserve such hatred from her? All I wanted was for her to be mine... To protect her, to hold her, to make her smile and laugh. To hear her call for me, to see her run to me, rely on me, and be... My Princess.Sorrow took hold of his heart the more he thought about it.
However, what made his eyes widen from surprise was when he felt something disturbing behind him. Slowly, he turned around, and barely caught a glimpse of emotionless, robotic eyes and waving tendrils before he averted his gaze. Nervous beads of sweat trickled down his face until he heard the amalgamation of distorted Pokemon cries in his head.
Y0u fAiled me. PlAn carefully... 0nE m0re chAncE. Bring her t0 me!With that, he sensed the Pokemon leave at incredible speed behind him and disconnected his mind from him.
Yes... As you wish.Alone in his thoughts again, he pondered and frowned. Would he dare approach her so soon and risk getting killed in the process? It was tempting, he was wanting nothing more than to feel her lips on his again. Yesterday when he confessed and told her everything, it felt like a weight left his shoulders but a new one replaced it.
She didn't get to hear me tell her, that I loved her. I put her to sleep before I did... So, the next time I do, I will tell her.Nodding to himself, he flew above the forest and far from the Treehouse that he was watching from the distance.