The Doomed Sprout
Chapter 30
«Got two more Leppas here, Sera!»
Sera looked to her side, nodding towards the excited Grookey as he carried them back her way, adding them to the pile. It was a small pile, but every single one of those berries would benefit the Sprout immensely, not to mention restart the agriculture.
«Well done, Sebastian. Let's go to the next room when Rajeh and Matt are back»
Sebastian worriedly glanced at the pile, before hesitantly talking. «I can get more! I'm sure I...»
«No». Sera didn't bother listening to the rest. «None of us are capable of combat, if something happens, I have to be there. You don't want to add one more Pokemon in need of healing, right?»
He grumbled, nodding slightly. «...but why do you need to be there, if you don't know how to fight either?»
Sera didn't answer. The term ''bait'' isn't something she was comfortable teaching her teammates about. Especially not a kid.
«We're here!». The voice surprised the pair, as an Ariados and Teddiursa came out of an adjacent room, holding a singular green berry with them. «We found something! No clue if it's good, though»
Sera smiled upon seeing her teammates. «Drop it in the pile, Matt. We'll ask the Honorable or Fen when we get back»
Matt frowned at the mention of Fen. «The Common Nidoran? Why them?»
Rajeh poked his side, chittering in annoyance. «Sera has her reasons to consider them, trust her judgment!»
The Eevee nodded, thankful for the Ariados's sense of hierarchy. Out of the small team they had, only Rajeh and her had any experience on missions, or the Hidden Grotto for that matter, and she was still very much a beginner. The decision of the team leader was purely because Rajeh does better at following than at leading. Well, that, and the planned strategy should they encounter hostile Pokemon…
«Sera?». She shook her head, realizing she'd been sitting still for a bit.
«Right, let's go. Remember to also take any cloth you might find, not just berries!»
«Yes, boss!», the others exclaimed, full of energy.
Sera took a look at her tattered blue scarf, longing for how it used to look. Perhaps she might just steal some of that cloth...
On another part of the Hidden Grotto, a trio could be heard bickering, their huffs and puffs echoing through the cavern.
«Of course it wouldn't work! Ryhorns absorb electricity!», shouted one of them.
«There's a limit to how much they can absorb! You just need to force it!», let out the other.
« That's a dumb use of raw strength, just break the stupid horn!», replied the first one.
«You're calling me dumb?!»
«ENOUGH!». Megan looked at the two of them, her close friend, and the supposedly smart Nidoran. «You guys have been bantering for the last… I don't know how long! Since we got here! You're gonna attract hostile Pokemon!»
Both Fen and Lou looked surprised, not used to seeing the calm Shinx this way. They both mumbled an apology, before walking again.
«...Where are we going anyway?», Fen muttered. « Are we going outside the secured zone?»
Lou sighed, before answering. «We're going to your new home. That way, we don't need to repair the shack,and it's also safer if… y'know.»
«...If Lumin goes wild?», finished the Nidoran.
«...yeah»
«...who decided this? Freya?»
Both the Shinxes nodded in unison. «Pushing Lumin out of town won't work, since he'll want to get you with him, and the Honorable seems to really like you, for some reason, so you're staying», Lou added.
Fen simply stared at her, waiting. Lou shuffled awkwardly, before looking away. «What? Why are you looking at me like that!»
She sighed, sitting down in front of the Shinx. «I'm not the only one Lumin cares about, you know?»
«Yeah, yeah, Sera too, we know», grumbled the Shinx.
Fen rolled her eyes. «Not the one I meant, and I'm not even sure what their relationship is at this point, honestly», she retorted, poking at the Shinx's side. «I'm talking about you! I'm sure you've been told about it before, what's so bad about him wanting to find you?»
Megan cleared her throat. «Fen...Let's not… », she started, before Lou's tail raised up, brimming with light, a signal Fen wasn't certain about, though the Shinx's saddened expression cleared up any misunderstandings.
«Have you ever been abandoned?», Lou quietly asked. Fen shook her head. «It sucks, and I don't want to think about it anymore. So leave me alone »
Fen glanced towards Megan sitting right next to her, her head on Lou's shoulder, before standing back up, and walking forward. Pushing didn't seem to be an option right now.
«Your home's two rooms forward, one room left», Megan let out, before letting out an apologetic smile, hugging Lou tightly.
She simply nodded, leaving them to calm down. This part of the Hidden Grotto was relatively safe anyway, the perimeter being completely barred with wooden palisades. Something that'd be sure to prevent any Pokemon from just wandering in there. At least, unless they're Lumin.
The Nidoran sighed. She'd hoped reuniting her friend with her long-lost sister would've only been hard for the beginning portion, but these Shinies are seriously acting more like Humans than Pokemon at this point. She was a medic, not a family counselor!
...Though she could still try and figure things out, right?
Eventually arriving at the designated spot, Fen was happy to realize that their new shelter, despite being a few hundred meters away from the portal and therefore the town, was still in the safe perimeter, and was the size of an entire room, with them having simply barred each opening, with one door to get in or out. Sure, that's a lot of empty space for just three Pokemon, but that'll become something really cozy after cashing in a few requests with Cedric's carpenting skills!
«...Three, huh». Fen caught herself thinking aloud, shaking her head. Not really the kind of family I'd have imagined, she thought. A changed medic who's in over their head, a threat to everyone, and a chatty survivalist. Power trio for sure.
Fen giggled at the thought, surprising herself with the feeling of anticipation. They've both been through a lot. Maybe it's about time I do something for them.
Deep into the Erratic Jungle, Lumin and Cylan locked eyes with one another, their fangs ready to bite into flesh as the Shinx's electricity radiates from his body. The surroundings seemed completely empty of life as battered trees and burnt leaves scattered the ground, the battle having already been going on for a while. No Commons were there to see it, though, nor would they interrupt a fight between a trickster and a force of nature.
Another Zoroark suddenly appeared near Lumin's tail, slashing at his legs and barely missing thanks to the Shinx jumping out of the way, throwing an electric shock back, making the Zoroark vanish into thin air.
Cylan took advantage of the distraction, aiming for Lumin's eyes with his claws, though couldn't avoid the incredible release of energy as Lumin's tail sprang up, calling a bolt of thunder directly onto him, Cylan falling on the ground with a shriek, before fading as well.
«Way, way too much power there, Lumin», remarked Cylan's voice, as he appeared behind a tree, unharmed. «You know these are illusions, you don't need to go that hard on them»
Lumin only huffed, holding his offensive stance.
«You need to restrict your strength, or else you might hurt others around you when you fight. It's not just about defeating the enemy, you know?», Cylan continued. «If your goal is to attack, go wild, but what if your goal is to protect someone?You might accidentally kill them! »
The Shinx tilted his head over that last bit. « What do you mean by ''accidentally''?»
«Well, your role was to protect the Sprout, correct?». He nodded. «Then, in order to protect it, you need to make sure nothing destroys it, and that includes yourself!»
Lumin tilted his head again, clearly confused. «But I've not shown dominance over the Sprout yet!»
Cylan's horrified gasp took the Shinx by surprise, who was sitting down and patiently waiting for a response. «Answer», he added, grumbling.
The Zoroark quickly replied, stressed.«That's not how protecting works! That's just… it's being a tyrant!You don't need to show dominance! »
«You do», he simply replied.
«No you don't!»
«You do»
Cylan's panicked expression grew, not having any clue how to debate with a Common's instincts. If only… Right!
«Well… what about Fen, then? You protect her, right?»
Lumin nodded.
«...Why?». The Shinx's lack of proper communication was starting to bother him, having to constantly ask further.
«She beat me, then healed me. So I follow her»
«Is that the only reason?»
Lumin seemed to hesitate for a moment, frozen in place, before shaking his head, as if refusing to think. «Y-yes», he answered.
Cylan didn't push further, staying focused on the task at hand. «Well, wouldn't you want to learn how to protect her without accidentally killing her?She isn't really good at fighting, after all»
«What do you mean by ''accidentally''?», the Shinx repeated.
«I mean that in the heat of a battle, you might not realize that you're destroying your surroundings, or hitting a wider area than expected. You need to be more precise with your attacks, and that's what I'm trying to teach you!»
Lumin huffed, frustrated. «I don't get it. How would I not notice destroying my surroundings?»
Cylan took a deep breath. «Fine. Let's give you an example. Hold still...»
Lumin waited patiently, before being surprised by an image of Fen, trapped in a Trevenant's grip. His tail raised up, shining brightly as the electricity accumulated in him. A faint whisper could be heard in his right ear. «Careful… Don't want to hurt your friend, now, do you?»
Their training continued all the way until sunset, Lumin eventually calming down after understanding these were all illusions, and while he seemed angry about being fooled, he didn't stop the practice. Soon enough, they returned to the Sprout, Lumin being directed towards the Hidden Grotto and meeting up with a worn-out Sera.
«Would you look at that, I thought you'd be in a cage again!», said the cream Eevee, giggling nervously. «Gonna be more fun with you around!»
Lumin nodded, eyeing her suspiciously.
«Oh, come on, it's just teasing!», Sera grumbled. «I'm happy to see you too! And so will be Fen. She'd been worried sick, you know?»
Lumin smiled slightly at the news, though he wasn't sure why. «Why was she worried?»
«Cause she doesn't want you to get kicked off! If you leave, we'd have to leave too!»
He tilted his head again, particularly confused. «But I'd be the only one cast off?»
«So? Fen's too attached to you to stay here if you aren't, and I ain't letting go of th- the music box, of course!». Sera's nervous smile and blush didn't really help cover her real thoughts, though Lumin seemed preoccupied with something else, which the Eevee picked up on. «...Hey, you okay? You're… thinking, which I'm not used at all from you, no offense»
He shook his head, before walking away. «Let's go sleep», he mumbled.
Soon enough, the pair arrived at the designated area, finding themselves confused over a small pile of gems sitting right outside of the door. Sera sighed, before opening the door.
«Fen! We talked about the hoarding! Why the hell are you-»
She paused, only now noticing what she was looking at. Their large shelter which should've been empty was now decorated with multiple tables and chairs, a large space filled with leaves, crystals on the walls, a small bench and even a chandelier, which she'd never seen before. And in the middle of it all was Fen, gathering rocks in a pile.
«Oh, hey guys! Took you a bit to get here, so I prepared the place!»
While the tone was light, the Nidoran's grin made it clear she was enjoying the reactions, as Sera quickly darted towards each of the constructions made, as if observing art.
«Did… Matt help with those?», she asked, pointing at a few wooden figurines representing a Gurdurr and multiple Timburrs striking various poses.
«...Yeah, he was interested in seeing Cedric's carpentry skills, and I told him about what I knew. Cedric didn't want it for some reason, asked for one of a Clefable instead»
«That's so… it's so nice!», she squealed, gazing at the entire room again. «Why didn't we have that to begin with!»
«Because we were living in a dangerous spot. And because they didn't trust us», Fen replied, before adding dryly, «Well, Cedric didn't. Matt still hates my guts for calling him out on the theft»
Lumin walked into their new home, carefully pressing a paw against the leaves, before fully laying down against them. Fen smiled, happy to see the bed was satisfactory, before frowning again.
«Ah… right, I have a night shift, so… I'll have to go work. But I wanted to show you guys this place. I hope you'll like it»
Sera shot her a smile, nodding frantically before hugging the surprised Nidoran.
«Thank you!». Fen smiled back, before noticing that the Eevee wasn't the one who talked. They both looked at the Shinx in surprise, before smiling to one another. Little by little, Lumin was expressing himself.
It's only a matter of time.