Chapter 4: Love and Understanding
#4 of Love and Understanding
Chapter 4 of Love and Understanding
POKESPEECH/THOUGHTS:
"Normal Speech"
'Pokemon Thoughts/Pokemon Telepathy'
'Normal Thoughts'
'Subconscious'
"POKESPEECH"
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN POKEMON...AT LEAST NOT LAST TIME I CHECKED...
*Flashback: Twenty years ago*
RALTS POV
'This place doesn't seem so bad.' I thought to myself as my dress trailed along the ground. It was a rather burdensome piece of fabric, its design not taking into account the small arms and legs I possessed as a Ralts. I mentally sighed as all of the grass and dirt I was dragging the fabric along would make for quite a lengthy washing. Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted when I heard a noise coming from what my previous owner called a "house." The voice didn't sound dangerous but I still made a break for the tree located a few meters adjacent to the house.
I peeked around from behind the tree and saw a human with messy blonde hair and peach-colored skin. He was laughing and throwing his arms in the air, as though he were experiencing the throngs of celebration, despite nobody else being around him. This strange behavior confused me so I stayed by the tree to run through the boy's emotions.
'Happiness...hope...pain...anxiety...such an odd array of emotions, and...I can sense something else coming up...sadness...but how could he go from being happy to hurt and, now, sad? What would make him change so quickly with no visible stimuli around him? Could something have happened inside that house? Did he injure himself while jumping around? Why is he by himself? Maybe he is lonely like me?'
I pondered these thoughts in my head, replaying them over and over again, trying to find a suitable course of action to take with this human. He obviously had an unstable set of emotions which made me question his mental state. At the same time I felt bad for him, however, as his thoughts kept centering back on solitude and anxiety. I had quickly come to the conclusion that the boy needed help, and i would have to be the one to do it.
I stepped out from behind the tree and attempted to make my presence known to the human boy, keeping tabs on his emotions in case he tried anything suspicious. I could tell he was depressed and his emotions could not betray the feeling of helplessness surging through me, this boy needed help and I was the only one who could decipher his emotions well enough to adequately pull him out of his slump.
"H-Hello there! Are you alright? You seem sad for some reason."
The human turned around at the sound of my voice and the first thing I saw were his eyes. I was immediately enveloped in their endless depths. They shone like a precious jewel in the midday sun, despite the fact it was very late in the afternoon. I then noticed their color and I felt my heart skip a beat. The boy had emerald green eyes, my favorite color. The way the green blended with the black of his pupil reminded me of the tree line just beyond where we stood. I could feel my little heart beating faster and faster as those piercing pools of green pulled me in deeper. Without even realizing it i had begun moving closer and closer to the human, completely forgetting about the fact I had just met him seconds earlier.
"O-Oh, hello there! You must be a Ralts, correct?" I slowly nodded my head, still focused on those eyes. I couldn't help but frown slightly when the boy's gaze pulled off from my own, his attention now on the small blue bag he had brought with him probably from inside the house. I watched him as he set the bag up so it was "standing" and began pulling on a small metallic object attached to the bag. As he pulled I could hear what sounded like a "v-OOOM" coming from the bag itself. I then saw the boy reach into the interior of the bag for something.
I saw him pull out a hardcover "book" with numerous lines and buttons etched into the surface. It looked fairly old and there was even a large crack running straight down the center of it, probably from rough treatment. When he opened the "book" I noticed there were no pages, just a large glass screen that had small cracks along the edges. The boy pressed a few buttons on the "book" and held it out in front of his body, the back of the device facing me. Suddenly, after a few beeping noises, I heard a male voice "speak" aloud.
"Ralts, the Feeling Pokemon. Ralts senses the emotions of people using the horns on its head. This Pokemon rarely appears before people. But when it does, it draws closer if it senses that the person has a positive disposition." (A/N: Taken directly from the "Pokemon Ruby" Pokedex definition)
"That's odd, you're a different color than a normal Ralts. You must be a "shiny" Pokemon! I know there are a ton of people who have never had the fortune of seeing one before." It seemed the human was very interested in my off-colored appearance which made me feel really good.
'He said I was a different color, then he said I was a "shiny" pokemon. Does it have to do with my blue hair and amber-colored spikes?' I thought to myself.
I couldn't sense any negative thoughts or emotions so he must have been happy with me being different. Seeing the human boy show such an interest in me suddenly created an overwhelming warmth in my head, my spikes practically glowing with positive thoughts and emotions. I immediately recognized these sensations as the same ones I felt coming from the boy the first moment I saw him jumping around.
Suddenly I wanted to start doing the same thing he had been doing!
I started to jump in the air, albeit not very high due to my short stature, and clapped my hands together. This joy I was feeling must have been rubbing off on the human, as he too began running around the front yard with his arms flailing and voice dripping with childlike enthusiasm. It then dawned on me that this boy couldn't have been much older than me, perhaps he was even younger.
I wanted to ask him but I knew he would only hear my name over and over again. I began thinking of a way to get my question across. Spotting some sticks next to a patch of dirt, an idea came to me.
" Come here! I want to ask you something!" I said in the most pleading way I could muster, hoping the tone and pitch of my voice would indicate that I required his assistance. Thankfully my ploy yielded the desired result and the human boy was right on my heels, stopping when I kneeled down next to the patch of dirt. I reached over and grabbed one of the sticks and began tracing along the surface of the ground my message.
I spelled out "A.G.E" and "Y.E.A.R.S." in perhaps the most broken interpretation of the letters imaginable. Sadly my writing skills were less-than desirable but, thankfully, my first tracing seemed to produce the answer I needed. I watched as the boy turned to me and grabbed the stick, prodding the dirt with it and tracing "4" then "F.O.U.R." next to it. I couldn't believe my good fortune, this human boy was the same age as me!
After a few more tracing sessions the sky began to change colors from a peaceful blue to a stunning reddish orange, the signal that it was approaching dusk and night would be upon us. I frowned, knowing my time with the young human was drawing to a close, but I held hope that I would see him again in the morning.
It was a strange feeling of sadness, the prospect of spending an undetermined amount of time away from the human even though we just met. Before he went back inside the house I saw him reach into the bag from earlier and pull out a strange device. It had a long cylinder-shaped base with multi-colored latches etched into the tip. At the tip was a ball like symbol and the device made a distinctive rattling noise when he took it out and shook it.
"This is called a Pokeblock Case! It holds these things called Pokeblocks and many trainers give them to their Pokemon as a snack or reward for doing good work. You deserve one for being the first Pokemon to be my friend, I hope we can continue to be friends and share many wonderful memories together."
I wasn't sure what I would be in for but I gently nodded my head and watched as the boy opened the ball-shaped cap, tilting the device down. The case rattled once more as one of the colored tabs slid open to reveal a small pink object in the shape of a tiny spoon. I tilted my head to the side and hoped the boy could shed some light on what the shape meant.
"I've divided the different Pokeblocks based on Pokemon type and their usual personalities. I'm assuming you're a Psychic-type since you made those sticks move on their own earlier, and you warmed up really quickly to me...I guess you have a Playful nature. Actually, that in itself is a rather rare trait for Ralts to be so open to other people. I'm grateful for that, however, as I had a lot of fun today playing with you! Now open your mouth for me, please."
I gave a gentle nod before opening my mouth and allowing the boy to place the Pokeblock on the tip of my tongue, waiting for something to happen. I waited and waited but, when nothing was happening, I tilted my head to the side hoping he would shed some insight.
"You're supposed to chew it and then swallow it, just take your time and enjoy the flavor it brings." I gave a wary nod before biting down on the capsule, finding it to be surprisingly soft despite its solid shape. My tongue began rolling over to wet the surface some and was met with a very pleasant surprise.
I could feel some sort of powder filter out from the capsule, specifically from where my tongue had been before. My mind was trying to process the slight tingle on my taste buds, slowly finding the flavor to be more than acceptable. After the capsule had completely dissolved on my tongue I swallowed the strange powder and awaited the results.
What I felt next could only be described as pure bliss.
The strange sensation from earlier came back in full force, with extra to spare. My whole body began to shiver and tingle with strange vibrations, which sent goosebumps up and down my spine. The humans must call this "pleasure" because it felt so amazing. I could feel certain aspects of my personality being enhanced. This was worlds better than the time i found that candy wrapped in blue paper! All too soon however, the euphoria began to fade. The happiness i was feeling had left me and I began to frown, looking up at the human boy with a hopeful expression. I wanted more of that tasty thing he called a "Pokeblock" and I pointed at the cylinder-shaped case.
"I want some more! Can I have another? Please?"
"I guess you really liked it, huh? You'll have to wait a couple of days before I can give you another Pokeblock, Ralts. With you being in your earliest stage of evolution I wouldn't want the powder to trigger an addiction in your system. There is a reason they're called "treats" after all. I really do want to let you have some more but I also want to protect you, that's what friends do for each other."
I let out a soft sigh before admitting defeat, not wanting to try and change what I couldn't.
"By the way, would you like a name? As cute as it is calling you 'Ralts' I think a more personal name would let us bond closer and become even better friends. What do you say?"
The boys offer brought back the jubilation and joy I had felt but, at the same time, I was hit with a conflicting realization. This boy, who i first saw as happy and hopeful, became anxious and sad with pain on his heart. Why was that? Was there something he had not told me or, Arceus-forbid, something i had overlooked about him? The innumerable thoughts swirling through my mind sent a strange chill through my body.
My mind began trying to discern how someone as energetic and kind-hearted as him would have been experiencing such sadness earlier. Such an outcome shouldn't be possible. 'Perhaps he has trouble interacting with other humans? I did sense a strong amount of loneliness deep within his heart...' I quickly shook my head to dismiss the notion as I realized two very important things.
He was offering me a name and gave me, what I considered to be, food straight from Arceus' domain. This human was too good to be true, and yet he was standing right in front of me. I had to repay his kindness, somehow, and I felt I knew just what to do.
I just prayed it didn't cause lasting damage, his mind was still developing after all. In addition the human was rather young so, if his brain was unable to accept this gift, it could cause permanent damage. If this worked, however, it would bond the two of us in a way unique to Psychic-type Pokemon. It would create a kind of bond that links human and Pokemon in nearly every way.
" This may sting a little in your head."
My eyes began glowing a fierce blue as psychic energy poured from my fingertips and into the boys body. I kept track of his face the entire time, making sure I wasn't about to fry his brain from psychic overload, there was discomfort evident on his face but I could tell he was handling my infusion quite well. Once I felt certain I had a secure connection with his mind, something we Psychic-type Pokemon call a "mind link," I began to channel my own thoughts and memories into him. I began sharing my own memories and secrets with him, blending and fusing our minds into one cohesive entity.
As I entered the boys mind I immediately was made aware of his name- Michael Kramer. It rolled smooth off the tongue, I liked his name. I began wondering what he would name me...that was until I started to dive deeper inside Michael's mind.
When I reached his memories I could feel my stomach begin to churn. It was painfully clear why the boy radiated so much loneliness and longing for companionship- he had been alone for the most part. I saw Michael display a natural skill with learning new things, as well as an over abundance of youthful energy. For some reason the humans that Michael was around looked at him with a critical eye, which made me curious so I dove in further.
Every time he tried to make conversation with another human they turned and walked away or, worse yet, mocked him and threw insults his way. Part of me couldn't understand why so I continued to dive deeper into his memories. I saw a room full of humans around the same age as Michael and they were all looking at him with what I could only perceive as jealousy. I couldn't understand why so I searched even deeper and saw a vision of the future.
Michael was among a group of much taller humans, easily dwarfed and unable to stake any sort of claim with the opposite sex due to his height. At that moment I could see the hurt on his face every time he was turned away, and it made my blood boil.
The jealousy was a result of Michael having a gift in a faster brain, one that could process information at a clip far beyond those his age. At the same time, the others wanted nothing to do with him because they saw him as something called a "freak." When he had reached the point that he required more instruction he was sent to an advanced learning institution but, because of his short stature and social shortcomings, was unable to attract any friends or love interests. This was what Michael was going through and what he would soon be going through again and again over the years, it broke my heart. I knew what I needed to do, it was only the right thing to do and he deserved it more than any other person or Pokemon I could think of.
I would let Michael stake his claim on me so he would never have to face such harsh realities by himself ever again.
I would be Michael's friend!
I pulled my mind away from his own and backed away slowly, trying to collect my thoughts. I could hear Michael's heart beating faster and faster, probably from being exposed to so much psychic energy, even though the entire process took less than twenty-five seconds in the real world.
"W-What did you just do, Ralts?"
'My friend...I have linked my mind with yours...Michael...my friend...our minds are one...complete and whole...' I spoke directly into his mind. His eyes went as wide as saucers when he heard the voice, i had to hold back a giggle seeing his clueless expression. What happened next made my eyes water and the true implications of our bonding had settled in.
He started crying not just a small amount, but borderline bawling as emotions were on full overload with positive vibrations. Oh, Arceus, I had made this boy so happy! His joyful energy was better than any warm spring or earthly food, even that Pokeblock from earlier couldnt compare! It was at that moment I truly felt like I belonged with this human and I was going to do everything in my power to make my new friend happy.
I could feel his emotions wrapping around me and adding to my own, such joy had been bottled up for so long...the hope of companionship had finally been fulfilled and I could sense that he couldn't have been happier even if he tried. As I turned around to gaze at the sky a young Pidgey landed on the branch I had occupied earlier and stared at me with a knowing smile.
" You have done a great thing this day, Ralts. I have watched that boy since he was a baby and the one thing he desired more than anything was a friend he could call own when he needed companionship."
" I only did what was right given the circumstances, little Pidgey, his past and future were full of hurt and heartbreak that I couldn't just sit back and let it happen to such a kind soul. I can sense something special within him but I can't put my finger on it just yet."
" Take care of the boy, he will be more important than you or him realize, call it a gut feeling."
I gave a gentle nod before walking towards the tree and pondering the days events, sleep overtaking me within minutes as I dreamt of a certain blonde-haired boy.
*Four years later*
As time moved on and the seasons changed the bond between me and Michael only grew stronger. I could feel my heart burst with happiness every time we made eye contact and there was something about his eyes that created a chasm for all things negative to fall into. Just looking into those soothing emerald pools made everything around me seem more alive and vibrant, as though the world had been created fresh on a daily basis. We played what the humans called "games" and they involved running around obstacles and trying to touch the other person on the shoulder or back, all the while trying to create distance between the pursuer. I believe it was referred to as "Tag"
Regardless I had a natural talent for this game it would seem, using my ability to levitate and occasionally using a quick Teleport to create distance from Michael. I felt bad using such underhanded tactics since I knew he couldn't use the same powers, the burden of being a human made me grateful to be a Pokemon. A the same time I realized just how much I depended on him and, likewise, so did Michael depend on me. One would make up for the shortcomings of the other and vice-versa. Through these bonding sessions we were able to better understand how our hearts felt and how our differences gave the other strength to persevere through even the toughest times.
During one of our games Michael kept referring to today being a "big day" and I was curious as to what that entailed, seeing as everyday we had spent together felt like a big day. Leaning in close I began speaking directly into the boys mind hoping to see what had the human so riled up. Over the years my psychic powers had grown vastly despite being a Ralts, I had even achieved the same level of power as my next stage had: Kirlia. I still wanted to enjoy my time as a Ralts and so I didn't allow myself to evolve until I was ready. I wasn't quite sure how much longer I would be able to sustain the power welling up within me though, eventually my small body would be forced to evolve or I would risk causing damage to myself from psychic overload.
'What do you...mean by..."big..day?"'
"My father is going to take me for a ride on the back of a flying Pokemon! It's been my greatest dream to see the world from a birds-eye view and its finally going to happen!"
i could sense his overwhelming joy and happiness with each word he said, surely this was a very important event in his life and seeing him so happy made me just as happy, if not more. The sky began to grow dark and I let out an adorable yawn as Michael picked me up and set me down inside the tree where I would sleep at night. We had reached a point where contact was a normal part of our daily bonding, although it never turned into anything serious. We were still so young and such a sacred bonding session would have to come at a later date, if at all. I closed my eyes and watched as the image of those powerful emerald green eyes filled my vision and I drifted off into dreamland.
I found myself floating in the air above the clouds, a light crosswind caused my dress to billow up and it was all I could do to keep myself decent. Suddenly a massive bird Pokemon materialized underneath my feet, causing me to stumble back and, fortunately, land on the pokemons tail feathers. Moments later I saw a human boy materialize on top of the giant bird, his messy blonde hair fluttering carelessly in the wind. i recognized the boy as Michael, my friend of four years. A third being materialized right behind him, he appeared to be like an older version of Michael with the same unkempt blonde hair and piercing emerald green eyes. What stood out about him was the air of command he exuded.
"Let's go, dad! I wanna go super fast on her!"
"Now, now...I can't go too fast or you won't be able to hang on." I couldn't help but giggle at the childlike antics of the boy I had grown fond of over the years. Before I could do anything else however, the scenery changed and I found myself plummeting into a seemingly endless abyss of darkness. A pair of misty green eyes pursued me through the darkness and I suddenly felt as though I was in the presence of something truly terrifying, my fears being confirmed by a mocking laugh filled with sinister contempt.
" That human boy, what do you see in him?" I recognized the airy whisper and I suddenly wished I hadn't. It was none other than the Pokemon of nightmares, Darkrai.
" W-W-What d-do you m-mean? M-Michael? H-H-He is a g-good friend."
" Well then, you had better wake up because you're about to lose your 'friend'"
The scene suddenly shifted to the same tree I had made residence in before I met Michael and the first thing i noticed was that I was by myself, the grass around the tree had for some reason withered and it was spreading at an alarming clip around my feet. Curious as to what had happened and what was still happening I made my way over to a patch of particularly dried grass and soil, nearly bowling over at the rancid smell coming from it. As I got even closer though I could pick up hints of a familiar scent, one that I knew all too well after a few seconds.
'This scent...there's no mistaking it! It belongs to Michael but...why is it surrounded by dying grass and weeds And being carried by the rancid scent of death?'
I racked my brain, using my psychic powers to reveal the history of the land, negative emotions began bombarding my body and mind the deeper I probed. What in the name of Arceus happened here? I decided to search the history of this particular spot and opened a mind link, branching deep into the soil and the answer came much quicker than I had anticipated.
I could hear Michael screaming from above, begging Arceus to spare his life, to save him. I could see his body plummeting further and further from its origin and closer and closer to inevitable death. I tried casting anything I could to soften his fall but my powers were not working for some reason. I could only watch helplessly as his body slammed into the ground...
I suddenly found myself back in the tree, breathing labored and a cold sweat running down my face. I could feel my entire body shaking with fear at the horrific vision that had come to me. I tried to collect myself but there was a sinking feeling in my gut that something bad was going to happen to Michael, call it a gut feeling or a premonition. All I knew was that I had to find Michael and I had to find him fast. I tried calming my nerves but all sense of reasonable thinking had been tossed out the window when I heard it. It was coming from above, high in the sky yet I could hear it with the clarity of it happening on ground level.
"D-DAD! I CAN'T...HOLD ON...ANY LONGER!"
My heart nearly burst from my chest and I swear I had never been breathing so hard in my life.
'Michael was in danger! My second friend! He needed me! I needed him! He finally had found his first friend and I'll be damned if I'm going to let that fall at the wayside!'
" I'm coming, Michael! I'm coming!" I screamed over and over again, spotting the boys prone form falling off the back of a giant bird Pokemon and plummeting to his fate. I would NOT allow the earlier vision to happen and I swore on my life that I would protect Michael no matter what, even if it meant sacrificing myself to do it.
Blue energy surrounded my body and filled my vision as I began levitating, forcing the massive influx of psychic energy into a sheet above my head, I began rolling and bending it before rolling it some more until it was shaped into a ball of soft yet durable psychic energy. I sent the ball towards the boy and watched it engulf him within its protective core. His descent began to slow but I needed more time to fully strengthen the ball and ensure his well being. I screamed out his name as my head spike began twitching and glowing, further amplifying the powerful spell as it became large enough that even Mew would be impressed. I watched as the ball of energy landed on the ground.
The ball suddenly burst at the seams loudly and Michael's body hit the ground hard. I immediately began bawling my eyes out as I just knew I had failed in my mission to save Michael's life.
"MICHAEL!"
I saw the same older human from my dream now kneeling before Michael with tears in his eyes.
"MICHAEL! OH...OH ARCEUS, NO! NOT MICHAEL! NOT MY SON!"
My heart was almost torn in two at the sheer magnitude of grief radiating off of the man.
'Wait, did he say "son?" No...'
I immediately fell to my knees and wept even louder alongside the man, who I now realized was Michaels father. I had not only failed to protect my friend, I had failed to protect a son...
'Arceus, why?!'
I wanted to crawl into a hole and rot into nothingness, I was feeling so distraught. The boy had finally found happiness, found a friend and he had been unceremoniously snatched away from this world. I closed my eyes and pressed my forehead against the lifeless form of the boy and a miracle came at that moment.
I saw a faint light in my vision.
He was still alive! It had to be. His minds flame had not yet burnt out. He could still be saved. Pooling what little reserves of Psychic energy I could find within me I began channeling them into the boys body, attempting to reform broken bones and torn tissue. I envisioned myself healing his wounds and offering my strength so it would become his own. Before I knew it I was using an advanced Psychic type move usually reserved for the most powerful of Psychic Pokemon...
"Recover"
I watched alongside the boys father as the energy coursed through Michaels body, and his legs and arms, which had been twisted at horrific angles, began to lock back into their rightful place. The sounds his bones made, while enough to churn my stomach, would cause him no pain due to him being unconscious. After what felt like an eternity had passed the last of his bones had healed. It was at that moment there was a second miracle...
"D-Dad?"
'Oh, Arceus! His eyes opened!'
"MICHAEL!"
We both screamed with joy as those emerald eyes once again shone with their unique luster, the spark of life gleaming proudly within them. My heart was about to burst from my chest and I found myself pouring my heart and soul into a mind link...
I could see myself standing in a vast field staring at the sky with my hands wrapped protectively around my orange chest spike. I had evolved into a Gardevoir and my blue hair was in the shape of a curly bun. I could sense so much more in this form, my psychic powers having almost tripled in strength, and my body had taken on a much more human-like appearance. I could hear soft footsteps behind me and I turned around to a most marvelous sight.
Michael was all grown-up, his messy blonde hair looking more like his fathers' and his body was toned and trim with a soft tan covering him head to toe. He was only slightly shorter than me but what got my attention were his eyes. They were burning even more fiercely than before. Deep down inside I knew they would but to see them up close was another thing entirely.
I closed my eyes and felt emotions pouring out from my heart and soul, their receipient the only one worthy of them at this point. My lips curled into a knowing smile and I opened my arms out wide before saying those three wonderful words, the words that would forever change my life as well as that of Michael.
'I love you'
the vision began to flow in reverse, my psychic energy having been exhausted and sleep was taking over to repair the damage. The last thing I remembered before everything went black was his response.
"I love you too, Jessica."