The Doomed Sprout
Chapter 27
«Your request is a strange one, Celebi...»
Celebi was hovering along, following Reshiram's flight. Although there was nowhere to go in this realm, most Legendaries still kept the habit of moving around to keep themselves from stagnation.
The pixie gave a hesitant smile. «I know it's not your area of expertise, but I am rather limited on who to ask. And it'll be a good use of a favor»
«I can't help but feel like you traded our favor for Mew's», muttered the dragon under their breath. «Very well. Where should the statue be sent?»
Celebi paused for a moment, pondering the thought before shaking their head. «Just leave it here, I'll carry it back myself»
Reshiram giggled. «Another secret of yours, I see? Sometimes I wonder who between you and Mew hides the most». His smile didn't last, as they found themselves quickly apologizing upon seeing Celebi's furious expression. Being compared to their worst enemy? No thanks!
«I don't wanna hear it from you. You chose to protect the Leftovers and still failed at it. Count yourself lucky that what was stolen didn't have much impact in the end»
«Is that true, I wonder...», questioned Reshiram, drawing Celebi's attention. « The last time we ignored a small device made by humans, we almost became enslaved. This may be merely music, but...»
Celebi flew closer, sitting on their shoulder. «Humans are creative with whatever they find, but I'd be impressed if they ever became a threat with only this. Perhaps if they had more time, though...»
Reshiram said nothing, staring in the distance. They had a bad feeling about this...
«I need a breaaaaaak», moaned a dejected Noelle, barely keeping herself floating. «Why can't Fen do it, she's good with berries!»
Lou sighed, poking her side. «Get back in here, are you seriously going to let someone that's both a Common and a Poison type handle everyone's recovery?Get real! ». The Shinx could barely believe what she was doing here. A fierce hunter, relegated to supporting a frail and exhausted bunch of flowers held together. Pitiful…
«You know she's good at her work, right?», Megan pointed out, softly pressing her side against her friend's, calming her somewhat. « Try to be more lenient!»
Lou grumbled, before muttering an apology. «Fine, fine… I get that you're tired, you can get a little break...»
Her friend giggled. «I meant Fen. Noelle definitely needs a break though, she'd been overusing her healing during the fighting. I'm surprised she isn't asleep»
«Can I?», asked a desperate Noelle. «Oh, please please plea-»
«FINE!», Lou yelled, before lying down in exasperation. «Arceus, what am I doing here...»
Noelle quickly floated away before Lou changed her mind, hoping to reach her bed while Megan patted the furious Pokemon's shoulders.
«It's okay, Lou, we'll talk to them, maybe get us something we're actually good at...»
Lou looked at her in surprise. «Aren't you good at this sort of thing, though? You just calmed me down!»
«I'm good when I'm with you!», corrected her friend. «And if you're good at combat, then that's where I'll be, even if we do different things in there»
The two shared a smile, their tails lighting up as they laid down one atop another.
«...Seriously though, why are we here?», Lou grumbled. «I get you wanna see what we could gain here, but all we've seen so far are two big fights going horribly so far»
Megan giggled, nodding. «Yeah, they didn't show their best side, huh? Well, except that Shinx...Shinx supremacy, am I right? », she smirked, before noticing the other was lost in thought. «...Lou?»
«That's my brother, you know? I always knew he was strong, but just… I thought I'd at least compare to him by now...». Lou's voice was low, almost a whisper. Shaking her head, she continued. «J-just means I need to do better!»
Megan considered what to say before a small knock on the ground caught their attention. Fen was looking at the two Shinxes lying down, their tails still sparking electricity.
«..Why do you need to compare to Lumin?», asked the Nidoran, walking closer, before a small growl from Lou stopped her in her tracks. «Right… you're not comfortable around me yet. Just, it's pretty obvious Lumin isn't normal, and not in the Shiny sense. So why compare yourself to him?»
Lou stared blankly at the Common who was now trying to be the voice of reason, huffing as she replied. «He's the one who kicked me out of my own family. I don't want him to do that again»
Fen nodded, understanding what she implied was her new family. «So long as it helps you get stronger. Just know he's been missing you. I don't think-»
«Oh, NOW he's missing me, huh?», shouted the Shinx, surprising everyone present, including some of the injured who were now looking through the doorway. «He teaches me how to fight, sets me up in a hard battle and leaves me to die, then has the gall to shoo me off when I come back home, and now he's missing me?». Despite Megan's best attempts, Lou was now baring her fangs at the Nidoran, pressing her against the side of the door. «Yeah, right...»
Fen did her best to remain calm, not showing any emotion. «So, why did you come here?You knew he was here, Sera told you so »
«..I don't know», she grumpily replied. «I didn't wanna go, but Megan said it'd be good to try»
«And you've tried for a few days now, right?»
Lou stood silent for a while, before nodding. «Megan seems to like it here. So, we're staying for now, even if I still think you're all weird»
The answer made Fen laugh, for some reason she couldn't describe. Regaining her composure, the Nidoran sat down. «Weird, but together», she replied, earning another nod from the grumpy Shinx.
«...Why did he kick you out, though?», Megan hesitantly piped up, «If he's that strong, why not just deal with an Outcast right there and then?»
Lou waved her claw in her friend's face. «Cause he taught me how to fight. He ain't dumb, I could've fought back!»
Fen nodded, lost in thought, before raising her voice. «And whose fault is that, hmm?»
The two Shinxes simply looked at her, confused, leading Fen to continue her reasoning. «Well… Commons aren't really sharp. It's clear that he's not dumb now, but you said he wasn't dumb before either. And, if he's actually got some brains, then why would he teach an Outcast how to fight before kicking her off into the wilderness instead of dealing with her?»
Lou simply stared blankly, refusing to think about the question. As she nudged her friend to do the same, the Shinx was already answering back, «To make sure Lou would survive? But why?»
«Gee, I wonder why someone would make sure their sister survives, then go out in the wilderness to find them-»
« Stop! I don't wanna hear it!», Lou snarled, interrupting the two. «I've been cast out and you want to turn it into a good thing? Really?». Fen thought of arguing but noticing Lou's gaze, she dropped it immediately. Emotions were hard to handle sometimes…
«...We'll talk about it later. I'm sorry», let out the Nidoran, slowly rising up to walk into the medical post. «You two take care of each other, alright?»
«Count on it, miss Fen!», enthusiastically said Megan, getting a surprised look from her friend.
«...Miss Fen?», she enquired.
«I'unno. Felt fitting», the other shrugged. As they looked back towards the stairs, Fen had already left. It was probably time to fetch Noelle anyway.
On the other side of the village, Sera had been given a task she'd learned to be the worst thing possible for her: sitting around and doing nothing. Well, not exactly nothing, her real task was to guard Lumin, who was sent once again to the cell he'd been in before, something about how they knew no one was strong enough to hold him in any way, so it was better to send someone that could escape and send the word out as soon as possible if something happened.
...Not that she'd already failed to escape from him back when she first saw other shinies, but come on, they were praising her speed, her agility! She couldn't disappoint them!
«...Can you talk?»
The question surprised the Eevee, turning towards Lumin, who seemed bored in the hole he was lying in. «W-well, I can, you know that», she stammered.
«You're usually more chatty. Why aren't you?». The Shinx's deadpan tone somehow worried Sera further, despite reminding herself that he'd always talk like that.
«It's just… kinda hard to talk to someone that's attacked you recently, you know?»
Lumin tilted his head, apparently not understanding. «Fen was talking after I attacked her»
«Fen's not normal! Nothing she does is, even if she were a Shiny she'd still be weird!»
He giggled at that answer, much to the cream Eevee's surprise. «That, she is. I guess I'm weird too, now?»
Sera took a closer step, surprised by his sudden change. «...Is everything alright?»
Lumin hid his head between his front legs, his tail flickering with electricity. After a little while, he shook his head.
«...Is it about attacking us?», she continued. «About harming Amy?»
«Who's Amy?», asked the Shinx softly.
«It's a Furret. They specialize in sneak attacks, so they were hidden in a tree. Apparently one of your sparks knocked him out cold. You also broke the tree, and he fell with it»
«...I really am weird», Lumin grumbled. «Hunters shouldn't fear being strong»
«What?». The words left Sera's mouth before she could comprehend what he had just said. What happened to the emotionless Pokemon she'd known?
...Well, emotionless may not fit Lumin. He seemed really worried about Lou and weirdly didn't want to talk much about what happened. And there's the whole thing with following Fen for whatever reason, and… Okay, maybe she'd been a bit harsh on that Shinx. Might be good to pay more attention to him.
«What's wrong with being strong?», she asked. «That means you are safe, no?»
Lumin shuffled slightly, looking at his surroundings. «It means others aren't. And I don't understand why it matters»
Sera sighed. «Hang on. Stay right here, okay?». It was a risky bet to leave her post since she was supposed to be here in case Lumin left his cage, but his words seemed to be honest. If he's afraid, surely that means he won't leave, right?
As it turns out, Sera was right. In the time it took her to go to the medical post and back, Lumin hadn't moved an inch. She let out a sigh of relief, before speaking up to grab his attention.
«Hey, Lumin, I'm back! And I've got someone you might want to talk to»
«...Wait, I don't remember being told he was still here!». The voice was quivering, realizing who they were sent to meet. «I'm not ready for a fight, not with him!»
«...Diancie», Lumin huffed, making the Pokemon yelp in fear. «...I'm sorry»
A strong silence filled the air, Diancie hesitating on how to reply before a small nudge from the nearby Eevee got her to push through her fear. «I-it's okay… »
«It isn't», Lumin shot back instantly. «You're afraid»
«It really isn't. You're a jerk, and a monster, and you're an Arceus-damned blessed freak of nature!», she spat out, making Sera wince in pain. «...Well, that last part's not true, you're blessed by him, but still! What the hell!»
Sera walked up to the furious Diancie, whispering next to her. «Can you please not make him angry...». The princess simply shot her an angry glare, creating two sharp gems above her head.
«You'd better do more than apologize for this! What did I ever do to you!»
«You felt like an Archon», Lumin let out, confusing the two.
Sera looked through the cage, eyeing Lumin up. «...What-»
«Ask Fen», Lumin cut her off. He wasn't good with explanations.
«Of course, Fen knows everything, doesn't she...», Sera sighed. There was a limit to how much she could take the excuse of being a different species before as a reason for knowing all this, and she was starting to reach that limit. Turning to Diancie, she could see her frustrated expression had vanished, now showing… worry?
«Do you still see me as one?», Diancie hurriedly asked. «As an Archon?»
«A little bit. I sense the energy near your head», he said, pointing vaguely towards the two floating gems, which she hurriedly made disappear.
«Right… That'll do for an apology, I suppose. Can't believe I forgot to hide something so basic...»
Sera poked the gem-like Pokemon, a look of confusion etched on her face.
«Oh!», Diancie giggled nervously. «Right, ermh… I'm kind of here in secret. Do you mind not telling anyone about that?»
A voice was suddenly heard from afar, surprising the group. «We don't mind», they said, «so long as you tell us a few things, miss runaway!». Fen was walking towards them, grinning ear to ear. Things have been chaotic due to the illusion collapsing so quickly, and she wasn't going to leave the culprit go scot-free, not when they finally had leverage against a Mythical!