[?????]
A Report to Father-
Father, it is my belief that I should send a message to you at this time, rather than visit you at the Hall. I have gone through time, and have made an…interesting, yet worrying, discovery. The human, whom I now believe is named Zeryph, may have thrown off the timeline from what is intended. Instead of the set path that you had in mind. It would appear, his presence means that what we have seen as the ideal path of progression, may no longer exist.
That said, I believe our current future leads to mass loss of life, all of these lives belonging to criminals, of course. Still, from what I have seen in the present, is evidence that our…wild card, shall we say, has taken the violent route for dealing with the crime in this world.
Still, I shall leave Judgement to you. What is done with Zeryph is your call, and yours alone. Unless, of course, things prove to be much worse than what may happen on the current course. I shall only act within the bounds of my duties, of course.
I feel that I should also mention that Giratina seems much more interested in Zeryph than the rest of us. I feel that there is potential of him contacting Zeryph much sooner. Celebi has been asked to monitor the timelines while I keep an eye on this matter. I shall await your reply before my next act.
Lord of Time, Dialga.
[?????]
A shadow drifted through the void. Its eyes looking through a portal as it came to a stop. What had used to be a place of evil, laid waste by a human and a Mew clone. The being allowed itself to seep through the portal, into the human world. He didn't acknowledge the man in blue and white, though Giratina knew that his brother had seen him too.
"What a fine job you've done here, human." Giratina said. If Dialga heard him, there wasn't any indication. The base was empty, by now, save for the shadow and the disguised dragon. Those who had the chance to leave had already done so. "To strike at evil so viciously. You have my approval, though I doubt it'll win you any favor with my brothers, or Father." He heard Dialga's low hum, though he didn't care about his brother's opinion.
Giratina withdrew, returning to his own world before seeking out the human, using portals set into any reflective surface he could find. And after only moments of searching, he found what he was looking for. The human had just begun to awaken as the light of the sun began to shine from the horizon.
"There's blood on your hands now, boy. Let's see how the timeline goes with a change like that." Giratina's mention of Dialga's domain was intentional. If the timeline wasn't meant to progress this way, Dialga would correct it. If Celebi didn't beat him to it, that is. Though, if Dialga was sufficiently interested, he would wait to see what happened. And then only act if things were way too far off course.
But then again, the human was a wild card from the moment he first appeared. The past eighteen years weren't planned in a way that had him factored in. Him…or those unusual powers of his. Giratina was sure that Palkia would figure out how those portals worked, first. The ghost dragon also decided that he'd need to find a way to slip into a certain someone's shadow, and hitch a ride.
Giratina watched as the human rose from his bed and began to stretch. But as that came to an end, his expression changed. Slowly, he turned towards the very mirror that Giratina had been observing the room from. He began to walk towards it, slowly reaching out for the mirror. And just as his hand would've made contact, Giratina closed the rift he had been watching through.
"Not yet. It's too soon, I think." He drifted away. "I wonder what Father thinks of that little attack, yesterday." Giratina tore open another rift, and flew through it, leaving his world empty, for the time being. Of course, he hadn't missed what Dialga had chosen to write, either. He knew that Dialga's message would already be read by Arceus, long before he even reached the Hall of Origin.
[Zeryph]
I slowly lowered my hand from the mirror. What was that? I knew that something was there, watching us…but, what?
"Hey, something wrong?" I was snapped out of my thoughts by Melanie's question.
"Just…thought I sensed something. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Of course, there's only one Pokemon I know of who makes use of reflective surfaces for his rifts…or portals, whatever you want to call them. If my guess is right…then I've gone and drawn the attention of someone who's very, very powerful.
I heard Kaorah growl quietly as she began to stretch. And as I started on my morning routine, the rest began to wake up. By the time I was done, everyone was up. We headed down for breakfast, and as we were eating, I began to plan out the gym.
Melanie, Mewtwo, and Solais are the obvious choices, here. Although, Kaorah and Pidgeotto can take the field if they really need to. Solais is going to be the main fighter here, for sure. Course, I'm not going to make her fight every battle back to back. Same can be said for the others. On the plus side, Gamer's Mind will be a big help, since everyone's going to have full immunity to the Sleep status.
Following breakfast, we started to head to the Gym. I shared the plan with everyone. Solais would lead, then Kaorah would follow up. Melanie would be third, with Pidgeotto fourth and Mewtwo last. Mewtwo tapped my shoulder as we walked, and barely twitched his head in a direction. Of course, plans are always subject to change.
At a nearby cafe, sat the man in blue. The one from before, in the suit with the top hat.
[Something is strange about that man.] Mewtwo's voice echoed in my mind. [I am not sure what.]
[I remember him. Seen him before, in fact.]
[Really? When?]
[In Cerulean City, when we were getting lunch that one day. Right after you ditched Team Rocket in Alola.]
[Interesting.]
[He had also been watching us, I think I was the focus, though.]
"We're here." Kaorah's voice broke up our conversation. We had in fact, reached the gym. "Let's get this going. I'm itching for a fight, today." The door slid open as we approached.
And, I wasn't surprised by the layout taking shape, in the form of the games layout, rather than what had been seen so far. Definitely doesn't look like what Ash's group dealt with, that's for sure. It's like there's a town inside the building, despite how small the building itself is. Kinda makes me think of the TARDIS, and how it's bigger on the inside.
One by one, we all went through the teleporter in front of us, while Pidgeotto flew up to where we were going. And then stepped on one of the next two pads, teleporting us to the first of the trainers we would be facing. I felt a pressure against my mind, but was able to repel it. The trainer across from us winced, placing a hand on his forehead.
"I wasn't expecting someone with such powerful defenses." He said, just as the last of my team finished passing through the teleporter pads.
"My mind is extremely well fortified due to certain…circumstances. Things which I can't exactly share." I replied. "Although, having two Psychic types definitely helps."
"You'll do just fine here, then. I'm Johan, the first of the trainers you'll be facing today." The Psychic introduced himself.
"Zeryph." I said my name. "Shall we begin?"
Solais took her spot on the field, on our side. While Johan threw a ball that he had on his belt. It burst open, his Slowbro emerging from within. I cast observe on the Pokemon, as soon as she appeared.
Slowbro
Level 4 (41)
HP: 183/183
Ability- Own Tempo
Moveset
Yawn
Psychic
Surf
N/A
"An Absol? Excellent choice, they'll get you quite far in this gym." Johan commented.
"Yeah, I'm sure she will." I replied. A wave of energy shot up from the edges of the building, creating an energy shield, for safety reasons.
"Set or Switch?" Johan asked.
"Switch, normally. Gives everyone a chance when there is one." I replied. It also gives me a way to always have a counter on the field, for whatever my team is up against.
"Very well. Let's begin." I didn't hear the orders given to his Pokemon. But I wasn't going to try and listen in, either.
"Huh…" Slowbro…spoke? That, or she was just making a sound for the sake of a…right, guess that was Yawn. It's…not going to work, unfortunately. They aren't going to use physical attacks, either. But at the same time, likely won't let Solais get close enough to land one.
Sure enough, when Solais tried to charge at her opponent, it was countered with a Surf. Can't communicate a plan telepathically, with Solais being a Dark Type, and the fact we're facing psychics means that I have to worry about them trying to listen in. With her being forced to dodge, I made the decision.
"Solais, their ranged advantage means you can't get in close enough to hit your opponent. Switch out for someone else." I said.
"Good call. You've realized that your Absol isn't able to close the distance, and so you've decided to switch." Johan commented on my decision.
"Melanie, take her spot." Melanie stepped onto the field as Solais stepped off. "Don't use lightning, here, especially with the water around. Energy blasts are fine, just be careful with how you aim them."
"Understood. I'm ready." As soon as the call was given to continue, a Psychic blast was launched by the Slowbro. Since she no longer had to deal with a Dark Type, she could actually use her power, though it would take time to do any damage.
Melanie's Force Cloak flared to life, faster than the attack could reach her. She winced slightly, when it did. Her counter attack was launched just as fast, a blast of lunar energy known as Moon Blast. It was something she had figured out, during our time training in Vermilion City.
"Dodge, quickly." On Johan's order, Slowbro leapt to her left, only to find that she wasn't being pulled back to Earth. Instead, she floated, until she met the safety barrier at the field's edge.
"Huh…? What's…happening?" Slowbro asked. I could see Melanie's expression, she was wincing, and yet, seemed to be really focused on her opponent. It wasn't long before I realized what was going on. She had her left hand held out, her palm lit with a gray light. I thought it might be Psychic, but Mewtwo corrected that. I guess the gravity-related thing in the Pokedex is actually true, though not in a way I thought it would be. It could also be Telekinesis, granted, but that would likely take far less focus than this is.
"Get…over…here." She pulled her hand back, yanking Slowbro towards her. Melanie gathered psychic energy in her right hand.
"Psychic! Quickly!" Johan ordered. As Slowbro began to charge her attack, Melanie swung hers, at the exact right moment for both to meet in the middle, creating a powerful explosion. I was quick to cover my ears, and close my eyes in order to shield them from the dust. I grunted as something heavy slammed into me, though I kept my footing.
Slowly opening my eyes, I realized that Melanie was the one to hit me. Bruised and covered with soot, but she was still conscious. A few flaps of Pidgeotto's wings cleared the dust from the air, revealing a shallow crater, and that Slowbro had been blasted across the field, landing on the other side pretty close to where Johan was standing. She was out of it, for sure, but didn't look like she had any serious injuries.
"Mmm…maybe, should've thought that…through." Melanie said. "Did I…get her?" I smiled down at her.
"Yes, you most certainly did." She smiled, weakly.
"Awesome. But that…really hurt, and it was really…really draining. I think I'm…gonna…pass out, now. See you guys, in a little bit." I kept her from falling to the ground as she slipped into unconsciousness. A quick use of observe showed that she wasn't seriously injured, just drained of energy. She'll be fine in a little bit.
"Sweet dreams, honey." I knelt, gently lowering her to the ground. "Mewtwo, could you move her out of the way, please?" He came over to get her, gently lifting Melanie into his arms.
"She did good." He commented, carefully adjusting Melanie until he had a proper hold on her. "Want me to take her to the Pokemon Center?"
"If you want to, go ahead. We'll continue on here." Mewtwo nodded, vanishing in a flash of magenta light, taking Melanie along with him.
"As both Pokemon are unable to battle, this round is a draw. Send out your second Pokemon." The referee said. Solais stepped back onto the field, as Johan's Kadabra emerged from his Pokeball.
Kadabra
Level 4 (41)
Ability- Inner Focus
Moveset
Psychic
Night Shade
N/A
N/A
[An Absol…interesting.] I heard a voice in my mind.
[You're the first one outside of my team to speak to me, this way.] I replied, quickly realizing that it was the Kadabra who was speaking.
[Hmm, so you're not a stranger to telepathic communication. I assume that your own Psychic Type has taught you.]
[You're right, although, it's not the one who you think it is.]
[I believed that it was the Gardevoir who had taught you. Was I wrong?]
[Yes, because, it wasn't her. Actually…] Mewtwo reappeared, in a flash similar to the one he had left with. [It was him, that taught me. Unfortunately, I cannot share any details on his origins.]
[I understand. Still, there is a battle to be fought. And although I can see that I am at a great disadvantage, I will still make an effort. Whenever you are ready.] I nodded as Kadabra's voice faded. As soon as the referee gave the call to begin, Kadabra launched a Night Shade. Solais was quick to take advantage of this, catching it with her horn through use of Detect, and storing the energy for Payback.
She was smart about it, spacing out the use of Detect, by dodging when she could. In order to avoid the possibility of it failing. With each dodge, she hopped closer to Kadabra, but she was careful with where she landed. Making sure to limit her opponent's movement options, more and more. Until the moment, where she had him cornered.
"I suppose this is where our battle ends. I wish you luck going forward, as things are only going to get tougher from here. Good match, trainer." As Kadabra finished speaking, Solais gathered the energy and unleashed it with a Payback. Backed into a corner with nowhere to go, there wasn't any way to dodge the hit.
Kadabra slid backwards, stood completely still for a moment, then slowly fell backwards, slipping into unconsciousness. Johan returned him before he could hit the ground. As the battle ended, the safety barrier deactivated.
"Well done. Much like what Kadabra said, I wish you luck going forward. The trainers you'll face here will only get tougher as you go." Johan said.
"I'm sure, but we're all going to be ready for it." I replied. I noticed that Solais had leveled up, as my team and I began to move towards the pad. While information still showed her at level 4, matching with my own, her level by Pokemon standards, had reached 43. Melanie hadn't gained any, due to her battle being a double-KO.
"Melanie's OK." Mewtwo told me. "Nurse Joy said that she and Chansey would get her cleaned up, then leave her to rest."
"Good, glad to hear that she is." I replied. "She should be rejoining us, once she's awake."
"I left a note for her, so that she would know to catch up, once she was awake." Mewtwo said.
"Alrighty. Now, let's get going." We stepped into the teleporter pad, one by one. We landed on a building with four pads. I made the decision to step on one of the left two. The building we landed on was occupied, and its barrier went up as soon as we landed.
"Welcome, welcome. Shall we begin?" Straight to the point, I suppose.
"Sure. Kaorah, this one's yours." I told my starter.
"Wonderful…" She stepped onto the field, and prepared herself for battle.
"You might have a hard time, here." Our opponent told us. She took one of the Pokeballs she had on hand, and tossed it. A Haunter emerged from within, and seemed to immediately realize it was up against a Ground Type, as it grinned.
Haunter
Level 4 (40)
Ability- Levitate
Moveset
Shadow Ball
Dark Pulse
Confuse Ray
"A ground type? I'm not sure what she can do, against someone that has levitate." Our opponent spoke up.
"I warn you now, don't underestimate Kaorah." I replied. "Let's get this battle going, and we'll show you why that's the case."
We waited for the signal to begin. As soon as it was given, our opponent…who I believe is named Stacy, based on the most recent games that are in Kanto…that's certainly what version of the gym we seem to have gotten.
"Haunter, open up with Confuse Ray." Kaorah made no effort to avoid the little yellow ball of light. When it hit her head, it fizzled. She blinked a few times, tilted her head and gently scratched the side of it.
"Was that…supposed to do something?" She asked. I couldn't help a short laugh.
"What? What happened? That should've done something." Stacy commented.
"That's…the thing. My whole team, including even myself, is completely immune to any status that affects our mind in some way. Sleep and Confusion will not do anything to us, at all." Thank you, Gamer's Mind.
"Well, that's…good to know. Haunter, Shadow Ball." Kaorah responded to the dark orb by vanishing beneath the ground, through the use of Dig. Though these buildings looked like…buildings, in truth, it seems they are not actually like that, due to the lack of any roof access doors, and the fact that Kaorah's Dig isn't causing any instability.
"That's not going to work, both of my Haunter have Levitate. Haunter, move out of reach." Stacy's Haunter complied, moving up to where he believed Kaorah wouldn't be able to reach him.
"And this, is why I said to not underestimate my Garchomp." I snapped my fingers. On cue, Kaorah erupted from the ground at top speed, the braces that weighed her down, forgotten in the tunnel she had dug. Though I could somewhat keep track of her, to most outside our team, she would be nothing but a blur.
Kaorah rotated, in a way like she had done many times before, bringing her tail upwards and lighting it up with energy. There was a loud smack as Dragon Tail landed, and the Haunter was thrown into the top of the barrier. The hit at that speed had knocked him out in a single hit. In fact, this makes me wonder why I didn't have Solais pull her own, when she was facing Slowbro earlier.
"And, that's why I gave you the warning I did before." There was a flash as Kaorah's weights reappeared, having been teleported to the side of the field by Mewtwo.
"I can certainly see why. I wasn't expecting such an attack, or for your Garchomp to move so quickly." Stacy returned her Haunter, then sent out…a second one. The stats were all the same, but with Confuse Ray being replaced by Sucker Punch.
"Mewtwo, want this one?" I asked.
"Sure, although, I think I'll let another take my position. Pidgeotto, this is yours, if you want it." Mewtwo said.
"Really? Alright…sure." Pidgeotto flew out onto the field, and landed on our side. "I'm ready…let's do this."
"That's the spirit. Just remember, you're better at range, but you can get physical with enough speed. Weights off, you might need it here." Pidgeotto removed the weighted braces from his legs, and gave a few flaps of his wings in order to adjust to the lack of weight.
When the call to begin was given, Pidgeotto started it off with a strong Gust, aimed downwards in order to kick up a heavy cloud of dust. I knew his strategy here. It was something that we had come up with, during training. It took a fair bit of hard work, but we managed. It takes a bit of focus, but Pidgeotto is now able to feel the flow of air around him, and around others nearby.
Thanks to this, he can cut off visibility, and find his opponent through the air itself. Although, I'm unsure as to how he would sense a ghost, but it seems that he has a way to do it. He began to circle, focusing on a specific point, before diving. He gathered pockets of air beneath his wings, and at his speed, he was quickly able to prepare a strong Gust, blasting it downwards into the cloud, just barely avoiding entering the cloud, but not the Sucker Punch that was launched as a counter attack.
"Oof." Pidgeotto grunted, retreating into the air. His use of Gust had the downside of dispersing the dust cloud he had created. Because of Sucker Punch, it wasn't able to land on its intended target. I find it interesting that this Haunter didn't float up out of the dust, with Levitate. With his target visible, the Haunter gathered dark energy, and launched a Shadow Ball. Pidgeotto hastily rolled out of the way, though his focus on dodging the first, didn't prepare him for the second.
"Agh!" Pidgeotto was sent into a tumble, though he recovered before he hit the ground.
"Keep the pressure on, don't let him make a run." Stacy ordered her Haunter. Pidgeotto continued to dodge attacks, seeking an opening. As soon as he had one, he began to dive, quickly gathering air for another Gust.
"Wait, don't forget about--" I winced as another Sucker Punch was launched, landing on the right side of Pidgeotto's face. He grunted, the attack throwing him off course and causing him to crash. At the speed he'd been traveling, he was carried into a tumble as he hit the ground, coming to a painful stop against the barrier.
"...That…hurt…" He groaned out, as he attempted to get up, but he wasn't able to. "I…give. I don't think I can get off the ground, again." I signaled with my hands that Pidgeotto was forfeiting, before returning him to his ball to rest.
"You tried your best, bud. Get some rest, and we'll see you in a little bit." I put his ball away. Even though he's kinda under-leveled, compared to everyone else, he did still try, and I'm proud of him for that.
"Guess it's my turn, then." Mewtwo stepped onto the field. He closed his eyes, and took a slow, deep breath.
"My, he's certainly an unusual one." Stacy commented. "What is he exactly?"
"His name is Mewtwo. I can't talk about his origins, unfortunately." I answered her question. "He's the most powerful Pokemon on this team, period." I said. The moment we received the signal to begin, Mewtwo's eyes snapped open, and he began to charge. I guess he decided to end this quickly.
"Wait until he gets close, then use Sucker Punch." Stacy ordered. As Mewtwo closed the distance, he gathered Psychic power into his right hand. And with his left, he brought up a different sort of energy, launching a pair of small, golden stars. I didn't know he'd known how to use Swift, but apparently, he'd picked it up at some point.
Time seemed to slow down as the stars began to slowly pass through the Haunter. And his own attack slowly approached Mewtwo. The moment the stars passed through, Mewtwo smirked.
"I win." There was a flash of light, Mewtwo vanishing and reappearing right above his opponent. The Haunter had no time to react in any way, as he was slammed into the ground with an extremely potent blast. He was knocked out, immediately.
I don't think I need to explain what Mewtwo had just referenced. And I'm not talking about his fight against the Garchomp Boss.
"What an incredible move. I wasn't expecting that, at all." Stacy commented. The barrier faded as the battle was over.
"Not the first time he's pulled something like that, using teleport at a time his opponent didn't expect him to." I gave Mewtwo a pat on the back, as he walked past. "But it is the first time he's used something to focus on, to ensure it's more precise."
"Well, still, it was a great move. You're free to move on, when you're ready." I smiled. As we began to move to the next platform, there was a light pink flash, and Melanie appeared from the light.
"Hey Mel. All better?"
"Mhm. I'm ready for another round, too. Mind if I have the next one?" She asked.
"Sure. It'll just be a one on one, but I think that's fine." I answered.
"Sure is. Already know what we're up against?" She asked.
"No, but we'll find out when we get there. After that one, what do you guys think about going on to face Sabrina?" Everyone agreed to the idea. Granted, we could've teleported straight to her, from the start. But, where's the fun in that?
We teleported, through use of the pads. Much like the times before, a barrier flared to life as we arrived on the next building. If memory serves correctly, we're up against an Ace, this time. Amanda, I believe her name was.
"Melanie, you wanted this one, it's your show." Melanie stepped onto the field. Amanda responded by sending out her one and only Pokemon, who found herself becoming the subject of Observe.
Jynx
Level 4 (42)
Ability- Forewarn
Moveset
Psychic
Lovely Kiss
Ice Punch
N/A
The Jynx blinked, and tilted her head in confusion. It's likely she'd seen the blank spots in Melanie's own moveset.
"How do you plan to win with just one move?" Amanda asked. So it would seem that information has been shared.
"Melanie has some things that won't show up as moves. Don't underestimate her, just because it looks like she only has one. We're ready, if you are." I answered.
"Begin." On the referee's word, the battle started.
"Put her to sleep, with Lovely Kiss." Amanda ordered. Melanie didn't make any attempt to dodge. Not only would sleep just not do anything at all, but you all know what else there is.
"I'm going to have to say, no thanks. There's only one person in this room I'll ever take a kiss from. Now, back off." The ground beneath Melanie cracked as she brought her Force Cloak up, only to immediately dispel it. The Jynx was thrown backwards, creating a decent bit of space between the pair. But, she wasn't harmed by it.
"What? What was that?" Amanda asked.
"That's what we call Force Cloak. It's both a defense, and an offense, at the same time. Negates ranged attacks, and pushes back physical attackers." I didn't mention the fact that it had limits, and could be broken. Something we found out during training, was that any Dark-Type attack would go straight through, immediately. Ghost-Type attacks are likely to also be quite dangerous, and the same might be true for Bug-Types.
Melanie brought her shield back up, as the Jynx made another attempt to attack her.
"Don't get close while that shield is up. Fall back, and attack from a distance." Perfect. Ranged battle is where Melanie does much better. Though she can fight up close, she prefers not to. Because her magic-based attacks have a charge time.
Melanie hid her right hand behind her back, but I could see the circle forming in her palm. The lightning flickering between her fingers as she prepared a Thunderbolt. Her shield weakened somewhat, to the point she had to use her left hand as a focus to actively keep it up.
The Jynx began to attack her, using blasts of Psychic power. Melanie winced with each blast that struck the shield, and cracks began to spread across its surface.
"When that shield breaks, hit her with an Ice Punch." Amanda ordered. I saw the flash in Melanie's hand, as her replicated Thunderbolt reached its full charge. The moment her shield went down, she threw her right hand outwards.
There was a bright flash of light, accompanied by a deafening bang. If not for the fact that Mewtwo had dampened the noise, my ears would be ringing.
"What?! That…that was…" I nodded.
"While not a true Thunderbolt, in the sense you might think, it is pretty darn close. You wouldn't believe how long it took to figure that out." Not exactly true, as it was a magic spell of the same name, rather than the Pokemon Move. And because of how powerful it is, Melanie didn't aim for a direct hit.
Melanie's eyes flashed, and then she began to stare intently at her opponent. Damaged by the explosion, but not out, Jynx's attention had been fully on Melanie, when her next move had taken effect. They were in a mental battle, now. Much like the one Mewtwo had, back in Cerulean City.
"Mmmm…" Melanie stumbled, before slowly reaching up to her head and wincing. Jynx, on the other hand, slowly fell backwards, with swirls in her eyes. I stepped onto the field, wrapping an arm around Melanie and holding her so that she wouldn't fall. The safety barrier came down as the battle ended.
"You know…this is the fastest anyone's ever gone through at least three of us." Amanda spoke up, as she returned her Jynx. "You definitely seem like you're strong enough to go straight for Sabrina, if you want to."
"I think we will…but we're going to wait, for now." I said. "I'd like to have everyone fully rested for our match with her."
"I'll look forward to it." Amanda replied. "Still, enjoy your rest. Sabrina will be informed that you're going to face her, tomorrow, so she'll be ready." I nodded. "Have a good day, and see you guys here, tomorrow, at any time."
"I'm sure you will. Come on, guys, let's go rest and prepare." My team gathered together, and the world around us blurred as Mewtwo teleported us all to the Pokemon Center. We appeared in the foyer, where there had been just enough space for us to safely land.
I took Pidgeotto's ball from my belt and handed it to Nurse Joy.
"He got a little roughed up in a crash landing, wanted to make sure nothing's wrong with him." I told her.
"We'll look him over, make sure he's not injured." Nurse Joy handed the ball to one of her Pokemon. "Did you get the Marsh Badge?" She asked.
"No, we're going to rest, and prepare for our battle against Sabrina, tomorrow. I'm sure the city's going to be watching." I answered.
"That's a good idea. And, you're right. People are going to be watching." She said. "I'll have your Pidgeotto brought up to you, once we're all done."
"Alrighty. Come on, team. Let's head on up." We passed by some other trainers as we started to head up to our room. I didn't miss the murmurs that had already started. People talking about being there for tomorrow, I'm sure. There were the comments as well, on how strong my Pokemon seemed. And even a few about how they'd like to challenge me.
[Sounds like word has already begun to spread, about us.] Mewtwo commented. [I mean, I already knew that it would. It was mostly a matter of time before we began to notice.]
[You're right.] I replied. [Still, let them say what they want. Nobody knows about…ahem.] Mewtwo blushed, faintly. [That said, I plan to keep that much secret. At least until it's no longer avoidable.]
"Speaking of…relationships. Zeryph? Can I talk with you for a moment?" Melanie asked, as we all reached our rooms.
"Sure thing." I stepped into her room, with her. She shut the door behind us. "What do you want to talk about?"
"Have a seat." She walked over to her bed, and sat down on the end. I walked over and sat down next to her. "So, it's…obvious to me that you share feelings with…two of us, at least." She started, referring to Kaorah and Mewtwo. I'm not surprised that she knows, since she can sense these sort of things.
"I know that Kaorah said she…doesn't have a problem with sharing. And yet, I can't help feeling that…if I don't make a move soon, then something won't ever be sparked, between us." I felt her grab my right hand. "Honestly, though…I'm still not entirely sure of what I'm feeling. You heard what I said in battle, a few minutes ago."
I nodded. "And I was…being honest, when I said that. But, I'm still not sure if I actually have romantic feelings or not." Melanie said.
"Are you saying that you'd like me to help you figure out what you're feeling?" I asked her. Her cheeks gained a faint trace of pink.
"Yes…we've already had intimate contact, when you gave me that massage, that night." She smiled. "I think that's when I started to feel…something. But, I'm just not sure about it, at all. And…if not for the fact that I can focus clearly on battle…it would be a major distraction."
"Tell you what…tomorrow, after we do our battle with Sabrina…I'd be glad to take you out on a date. Let you get the answer you're looking for." I told her.
"What? Are…are you sure? You'd really do that?" I nodded. Earning a smile. Melanie wrapped me up in a hug from the side, which I returned as best I could. Since my right arm was currently pinned. "Thank you…for hearing what I needed to say. Ya know…even if you haven't done that much, you're really shaping up to be an amazing trainer, for more reasons than skill. And I'm happy that it was you that found me, that night." I felt a pair of lips softly settle onto my right cheek.
I felt my face heat up at her actions, but I still smiled. "I'm going to hit the shower. See you in a little bit, for supper." She let me go, then stood and walked into her own bathroom shutting the door behind her, as she entered.
I slowly touched my right cheek, where she'd kissed me, with my smile never fading. I stood up, and walked over to the door connecting our rooms together, and stepped through. Kaorah caught my left hand as I shut the door, and pulled me over to our bed, letting go so I could turn and sit down.
"From that smile, things must've gone well." She said.
"Yeah…Melanie and I have a date, tomorrow night." I replied.
"You're really moving along. First me…and then you got Mewtwo's confession last night. And now, you've gone and got Melanie's, as well. Think Solais is next?" Kaorah sounded happy, and I'm glad to know that she is.
"Actually, I've…already had a talk with him." Solais spoke up.
"Oh, really? When did this happen?" Kaorah asked.
"On…the St. Anne. It was a conversation related to when I was going into-"
"Heat? Yeah…I should've guessed." Kaorah cut her off. "We'll all have to deal with it. Mine hasn't come around yet. But I certainly hope you're ready for it." That last part was directed at me.
"I will be, don't worry. And, that's a promise." Kaorah nuzzled the right side of my face.
"It had better be. I'd hate to have to get irritated at you for something like that." Despite her tone, she was smiling. "Mewtwo has the shower right now, but we're taking one when he's done. And I want a massage." I smiled at her, before pulling her head down and giving her a kiss, much like the ones I had, previously.
"And, you shall get one." I told her.