Swole-POV:
"Good news?" Dawn asks.
"Bad news."
"Drat." She lies on the bed, staring at the ceiling and turning Beldum around aimlessly. He... it? Feels closer to a he. He doesn't seem to mind. He levitates on his back as comfortably as on his stomach... He has neither a stomach nor a back.
What a strange pokemon.
"How bad?"
"22 people confirmed dead."
Dawn hisses through her teeth. "That's a lot."
"It might end up a lot worse. Around 200 people are still lost between worlds."
"Maybe they can return. Like my family did." Zoey cringes. Ever since we heard of it for the first time, we suspected the rescue would not succeed. A gut feeling.
Updates are posted on the pokeweb every hour... Oh no!
It's already 9AM! "Dawn?!"
She startles upright, smacking her head on Beldum with a solid thunk.
"How do I look?!"
"Ow! Ow! Ow!"
"So bad? Is it because of the necktie? I thought blue would suit me."
Zoey giggles while Dawn shoots a seething glare at me through teary eyes. "It looks good." She hisses through clenched teeth. A cartoonishly large bump grows on her forehead.
"I'm sure Akari will appreciate you dressing up to greet her either way." Zoey comments.
"You don't like the tie, Zoey?"
"It's mid." Zoey makes a dismissive waving motion with her remaining hand. "I would have preferred red."
"Blue looks better." Dawn counters.
"Red is best."
"No blue."
"Red."
I'm noticing a pattern. In that case, I'm sure Akari will prefer blue as well. "I can wear red for our next date, Zoey."
Giving myself one last look-over in the mirror, I adjust my tie and fix a crease around my shirt collar.
Zoey speaks up. "Thanks, Swole."
"Not for that." Noticing my intent, Lopunny, Salazzle and Lucario hop up from the large bed and surround me. Salazzle climbs on my shoulder, and new creases form on my shirt. Thanks, Salazzle. "I'll get going then. Don't forget to train, Dawn."
"Don't single me out! Zoey messed up just as much as I did!"
Hehe. "Zoey, make sure Dawn doesn't forget to train."
"Will do, darling. See you later, and have fun with Akari."
"Thanks. Bye."
Dawn grumbles her own goodbyes as I walk out the door, into the corridor. Noises come from the room across the hallway. Barry and Ash are probably having fun, and if I had to guess, Brock is currently at the shopping mall trying to flirt with girls.
They're staying for free in my hotel room while I'm staying with Dawn and Zoey. Aren't I a great and selfless friend?
... I knock as loud as I can against the door before running down the corridor and up the stairs.
"HELLO!?" Barry's voice reaches me after I'm long gone.
After a few turns in the stairwell, I reach a tiny room with a metal door leading out to the roof. After pushing it open, a strong wind blasts in my face, messing up my neatly kept hair. I slide a doorstop in place and test its function before heading out.
An amazing sight greets me. Mount Coronet looms in the distance with the city skyline to my left and right. A few hundred meters away lie the meteorite fields of Veilstone City - the surrounding park can barely be glimpsed at between the towering residential buildings.
The gym and the mall are in the opposite direction.
A railing stands between me and a painful tumble down a seven-story building. The alleys below don't look inviting, but perhaps the trash could cushion my fall? If I fell. I won't fall. It just doesn't hurt to be prepared.
A gentleman walks along the sidewalk with his Furfrou - both wear classic top hats, although his Furfrou's is just fur styled to look that way.
Overall, it's a nice, quiet place. Perhaps not the nicest place in the city, but it's definitely worth the money.
~"What now?" Lopunny asks as a flock of Pidgey glides through the air far above us. One is a little larger than the others; a Spearow snuck itself into their midst.
"Now. We wait."
It's the first time in days I've done any waiting. Always training, reading, searching for Banette and Mars, and showering Zoey and Dawn with as much love as I can manage.
I don't want to lose them as well.
... I haven't lost Banette or Mars. I'm sure they're somewhere. They're busy. They're not avoiding me. Jupiter was just playing a cruel joke when she said Mars is avoiding me and that I should stop thinking about her...
... I hate waiting.
I'd love to read or to train, but how would Akari feel when she arrived, and I couldn't even be bothered to give her my full attention?
What if she thinks I'm lazy if I'm doing nothing but waiting?
I could train Aura by reaching out for her, wherever she still is. That way I'm not being lazy, and I spend my whole attention on her! Brilliant, Swole Solo.
Closing my eyes, I let the wind caress my face as it drafts between the high-rise buildings. The sound of air rushing past my ears slowly disappears as I concentrate more and more on only my Aura.
The world shines before me. Slight outlines of concrete with billions of bacteria and algae living within the nooks and crannies of its surface. Brilliantly shining humanoid shapes of Lopunny and Lucario in front of me, and a lizard-like one with Swadloon caught within her tail behind me.
Their bonds connect to my heart, and a dozen others reach from within me for the people I love.
Akari's is quickly found. It leads up into the air - to the south. Another minor bond heads in the same direction. It feels like... Marley - the sad girl we found on Route 218 after the Space-Time Convergence - buried her family alive, and then she was left behind by the people living there.
Our bond is too weak to feel if she's still sad, but judging by the radiant happiness that I sense from Akari, Marley can't be feeling too depressed right now.
Other bonds lead in that direction too. My mom's, for example. She's somewhere in Hearthome City right now with Barry's and Lucas' mothers, reliving their youthful days with a new pokemon adventure.
A car horn honks, briefly tearing at my concentration. I check using Aura and spot a fat man at the steering wheel of his car, just inches away from running over a child with his Rockruff. The boy sits on his butt, staring at the headlights that nearly might have snuffed out his life. Rockruff barks and growls at the metal machine.
The fat man exits his vehicle and approaches the boy with heavy steps. He screams at him; his words are too quiet, but his intent is clear.
"Lucario!" I shout as air rushes past my face, messing up my hair and creasing my shirt, while Salazzle tears holes into my shoulder as her claws dig in deep. "Catch me!"
My motion stops abruptly. Psychic catches me midair and lowers me down to the street while Lopunny jumps between the outer walls of two buildings to catch up.
As soon as my feet hit the ground, I ready myself to beat the living shit out of the fat, ugly bastard--
Huh?
He's frozen in space, with his arm inches from a crying 6-year-old boy - at most 6 years.
"Greetings, dearest fiance." Akari's voice sounds from above. "It seems as if you and I had the same idea."
"Akari?" My fist unclenches, and I look up.
Akari Platinum flies through the air, seated within a little carriage for two underneath the large wings of her Hisui Braviary.
White feathers along his head, neck, wing tips, and tail seem to shine in the morning sun as the purple crest on top of his head literally shines with psychic powers.
She jumps.
Marley screams. "Akari!"
Only a few feet before dropping to the ground, she levitates just like I did, gently floating the rest of the way.
I look at the top of the hotel, where Lucario still stands at the railing, her eyes returning to their usual red colors after she handled Akari. "Thanks for the help, Lucario!" She smiles and salutes as I turn to Akari. "And welcome to Veilstone City, my dearest fiancee. How was the flight, lovely Akari?"
"It was pleasant." She states as her kimono billows with every step. Dark blue to match her eyes and windswept hair. The wind left not a single strand of hair untouched, turning it all into a chaotic frenzy that contrasts wonderfully with her ensemble. Her pale skin, too, stands out against the darker shades of blue framing her face and calloused hands. She smiles. "You look handsome."
"Thanks. You too-- I mean, you look beautiful." I meet her halfway and embrace her. Her hug feels stiff and unpracticed; the muscles along her back are hard and strong, and even her butt feels much more muscular than Dawn's or Zoey's.
Her fingers lack delicacy as they grab mine to pull them up to the small of her back again. Perhaps my fingers lack a little class if they instantly wander down to her butt. "Sorry."
She settles her chin down on my neck, braces her head against the side of mine, and whispers softly into my ear. "Do not worry about it."
Her arms tighten around my shoulders, and her cushioned breasts push against my chest. Slowly, she loosens up, leaving almost all of her weight hanging off me.
"I love you." Her words caress my ear, soothe my soul, and prompt me to hug her tighter. "I have missed you dearly."
A smile flits across my face as all the constant aching pain in my limbs just fades away all at once. "I've missed you too, my love."
The pestering noise of the fat guy's complaints prickles at the back of my conscience, but I ignore it. Marley's quiet complaint about being stuck in the air tickles at my ears, but I ignore it.
Akari's hands trail back and forth across my shoulder blades; her chin and cheek nuzzle against my skin as her body warms me from inside out.
A scent enters my nose like a perfume of flowers and the freshness of snow. "You smell wonderful."
"You as well. What is the aroma? Caramel?"
"Yeah." I'm using my pokemon's shampoo. "Smells tasty, doesn't it? Like you want to take a bite out of me."
She giggles but pushes me away when I nibble at her ear. "It does indeed smell tasty, but please. Not in public."
I feel a clear feeling of justified indignation through my Aura. Two certain pokemon who can't behave in public are thinking I'm a massive hypocrite.
"In fact, do not seduce me like that until we are married, mister." Akari wags a finger. "Do not be so improper."
"Seduce? Was it working?"
Her face flushes. "It is impolite to ask."
"How about this: I'll just continue seducing you until you tell me if it's working or not?" She exits the hug and continues to back away at my approach until she's pushed against an illegally parked car with no retreat. "I'll try everything. Who knows what will pierce your defenses?"
I embrace her again, this time aiming for her butt and kissing her neck.
"Let's find out."
Akari faces away, trying to shield her reddened cheeks but only opening herself up further for my advances. As she speaks, her chin brushes against my face. "You are a terrible philanderer. It is no wonder girls keep falling for you."
"Terrible philanderer? Care to explain if you mean I'm bad at seducing or especially... dangerous?" I bite a little harder and elicit a hiss through her teeth.
"Especially..." She turns her head again and brushes her lips against my cheek. "Effective." Another kiss. "I trust you will behave yourself and not go against my wishes."
"You trust me like that? We haven't seen each other in weeks. What if I'd rather show you a few of the things I had learned? Have you heard of the Full Nelson yet?"
Marley squeaks.
"I have not. But you will wait until you teach me, will you not?" Akari kisses my lips and traces my cheek with her hands. Another, longer kiss, and her eyes dart down at the closed gap between our bodies. She felt something brushing against her nethers. "Even if I surrendered right here and now. Even if I would let you do anything to me at this very moment, my love."
"Perhaps." I wink. "I am a man of fortitude if nothing else, but cute women are my four-times weakness - my only weakness. I could break at any moment, fall all over yourself, and ravish you like a starving pokemon."
Salazzle's commentary pricks at my mind. ~"You would ravish a ssstarving pokemon? That makess no ssense."
"As if you were a delectable meal, and I was the starving pokemon."
Marley squeaks again.
~"Ahhh, now I get it. She's an egg ssandwich."
"Congrats. You're getting away with it today. My pokemon are ruining the mood." I give Akari a kiss on her lips, and she clings to me as I let her go.
It takes her a few steps before she catches herself and speaks, "Too bad--"
"Hey!" The fat man screams while standing still like a statue. The small boy with his pokemon stands on the sidewalk, facing away and trying not to see our public affections. "Let me go already! You think just because you've got a few pokemon you can treat me like this?! My lawyer will hear of this, brats!"
My eyelid twitches. "Oh? What's your lawyer going to do, huh? We've stopped you from assaulting a child - you should be lucky we're not handing you over to Officer Jenny right now, fatty."
"Fat- Do you even know who I am?!" Spittle flies from his acne-ridden visage. "I work for the mayor! I'll get your trainer license suspended!"
His face glows red in anger - a forehead vein struggles with all its might to push against the fat layered under his skin. Wrinkles - more like sausage rolls underneath his skin - struggle to crease in frustration.
He's wearing a business suit. His car... I have no opinion on his car. It looks nice? But I can't tell its value.
Who knows if he's even telling the truth?
Well, either way, "You're out of my league." I take out my phone and dial Officer Jenny's number - 110. Let her deal with this fatso.
"Finally realized it?" The fat man who is about to be a former politician looks smugly down his disgusting nose, his body still frozen solid. "Tell you what, lad. You don't seem too stupid. Let me go right now, and I'll forget about it."
My fortitude is cracking. I may have exaggerated a little. My other weakness... is people calling me brat. Or belittling me. Or insulting me... No, I don't have a fragile ego.
"Hello, this is Officer Jenny speaking. What's your emergency?" Her voice comes through the phone's speakers.
I speak up with a smile gliding across my face, making sure the tub of lard hears every word. "Hello, this is Swole Solo speaking. Field researcher for Professor Rowan."
His eyes widen the moment I said 'Rowan'.
"I've apprehended a criminal as he assaulted a child at the age of around 6. The criminal claims to be a high-ranking politician, so I suspect his intentions could have been much worse than simply beating a child. Can you come to Meteor Boulevard... 17 to arrest this man? We're next to the Star-Shower hotel."
"Understood. Porygon, did you make a copy of everything?" I hold the phone away from my ear when some static noise blasts from the speakers. "Excellent. My sister is already on her way. Do you have any other information on the suspect?"
"Yes. He's pale-skinned, likely due to fear. His stature leans on the very heavy side. Around 170 centimeters tall. He carries no pokemon on him."
"Very heavy?"
"Yes. Very, very heavy."
"Apologies. I was merely talking out loud. Veilstone City has no overweight, high-ranking politicians."
"Oh?" My smug smile grows further. Did he lie about his job? Sweat pearls down his forehead, but it's impossible to tell if it's nervous sweat or just the exertion of standing upright for a few minutes. "He mentioned working for the mayor. Maybe he's just an unimportant assistant after all. Still, catching child predators is important, no matter how unimportant the perpetrator."
"Indeed. Thank you, Mister Solo, for the help. My sister--" A motorbike drifts around the corner of the street block. Officer Jenny has kept the siren off, but the flashing blue lights are on. "--should be right around the corner."
"She's here. Thank you, Officer Jenny, and sorry for the trouble. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
After ending the call, I put the phone away and crack my knuckles. "Akari, how about serving up some justice as the first course of today's date?"
She giggles at the amazing pun. "That was quite witty." Holy shit, she agrees?! "Then let us hand over this criminal and then head for the meteorite fields."
"Later. We have enough time before nightfall. There's something else I want to do with you before that. A surprise."
---
"A goldsmith?" Akari glances at the sign hanging above the store before looking at me.
Meanwhile, I tear my attention away from the unusually dressed Marley, who always walks a few steps behind Akari while holding an egg in her arms. "Actually a jeweler. The person inside makes all sorts of customized accessories. My dad recommended him."
Did I talk to my dad during the timeskip? No. Of course, I did not talk to him.
It was a strange interaction. All of a sudden, he just sent me that address with a note stating that I should get my Mega Keystone here and 'all my other jewelry too. The man is very skilled.'
"I see. Then this must be the place where you are having your wedding band made?"
Marley squeaks again.
"Huh? How did you know?"
Akari tilts her head. "Your father told me, of course."
"H-He did?"
"During our regular phone meetings." She nods. "I mentioned the need to have a wedding band made for you, and he explained you will be taking care of it."
So much for the surprise-- "Wait. That ring won't be for me. It's for you. The first is your engagement ring; the second one is for the marriage."
"No, we will receive your parents' rings for our marriage. You were supposed to get your engagement ring made here."
... Arceus, damn it. "... Why do you know more about this than me? And why couldn't my old man tell me anything about these plans?"
"I do not know. Perhaps he is shy?" She says with full seriousness.
"Haha!--" I reign in my accidental burst of laughter. "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh at you like this."
Akari pouts.
"Let's go inside. Hopefully we can salvage the order."
I walk up the steps leading to the golden, ornate double door, with wisps and fire carved into the dark wood and images of pokemon made of golden strands: Emboar and Gurdurr working together at a forge and anvil station. Emboar keeps the fire burning, while Gurdurr hammers metal into shape. On the other half of the door, Delphox and Gallade handle the finer elements of goldsmithing and inserting jewels into their fittings.
It's all depicted with just carved wood and inlay. The craftsman did his best to create as many possible colors with the light hitting the door just right to make the scene feel almost like a vintage photograph of the work stations inside.
As the door swings open, the image repeats. The forge and anvil are on the right, and the crafting table is on the left, but of the pokemon, only Conkeldurr - Gurdurr's evolution - and Gallade remain, withstanding the test of time.
An old man with gray hair and pale eyes lumbers from the back of his workshop. His hands are crossed behind his back while his feet shuffle across the floor, boards groaning with every step.
"Good evening." He speaks slowly, like old people do when they're always exhausted. "Mister Solo. I'm pleased to tell you, most of your order is finished, and Gallade assures me they came out perfectly."
Not good. "Good evening, Mister Smith. About that. Could we make adjustments to my order? My father made some plans without cluing me in, and now--"
"Don't worry, your father clued me in."
"Huh?"
"Boy, don't you know it's rude to say huh like a dunce?"
Arceus, damn these old men! Is someone going around telling everyone the best ways to piss me off?!
"Your father gave me the specifications of your order ahead of time, including the payments. They differed from your specifications, so I simply made both."
"... Both?"
"Did I stutter?"
"What am I going to do with that much jewelry?"
"Do you even know what you're getting?"
"No?" I swear, something is always fishy with the people I'm buying stuff from. "Can you show me?"
"Gallade, could you-- ah. You're already bringing it. So diligent." The blind man mutters mostly to himself. Gallade had already left the room when I asked, but he heard the old-timer and must've replied with telepathy.
Gallade returns to the desk - atop of which stands an old - OLD - cash register: an elegant antique, with the equally elegant pieces of jewelry put beside it.
Akari can't help but be drawn to them like a Venomoth to fire. An incandescent light bulb shining soft, warm colors onto the desk causes the golden accents to shimmer and sparkle.
The first item is my pendant. The teardrop-shaped, dark ornament that resembles Lucario's horns is usually hanging from my neck by a leather necklace. It reminds me of my mother since she sent it to me.
Because of its sentimental value, I thought it was a nice and proper piece of jewelry to embed a Mega Keystone inside... However, "Where is the Mega Keystone?"
"That piece isn't done yet." How does he even know which piece I'm pointing at? "The material is unknown to me, but I recognized it as one of the works of my colleagues in Celestic Town. I've sent a letter asking for advice on how to work it."
"Celestic Town..." It's not on our traveling route anymore. We had already passed it when we took the train from Snowpoint City to Veilstone City... This better not turn into a side mission. "Can you give an estimate of when you will be done with it?"
"In one to two weeks. It depends on how fast my friend replies."
Barry and I wanted to stay here a little longer anyway. We're far ahead of schedule... At least I am with 5 badges. Meanwhile, Barry is still waiting for his appointed battle for his 4th badge.
Note to self: make fun of Barry and Ash for being slower than me.
Anyway, "That's alright. I can wait for it. Just please, don't send me to Celestic Town for a fetch quest. Anything but that."
The old man just makes an affirmative noise. My joke fell flat.
Akari inspects the next piece along the desk. This one is a golden earring with a slot for a large Mega Stone. It's for Lopunny. I wonder how she will react to getting her ear pierced? Without the Mega Stone, it's still useless and inconspicuous, so I put it in my pocket before Lopunny realizes that this will be for her.
Next up is the engagement ring for me. Instead of an impractical diamond or other jewel, this one has a Mega Keystone faceted into it... "This isn't what I ordered."
"It's part of your father's specifications."
Now I'm going to have two Mega Keystones. What for? A trainer can only handle 1 mega evolution. Maybe Dawn will appreciate it as a gift?
You will wear it.
Or perhaps I'll wear it myself. It does look fairly classy, and in a way, this could be the symbolic ring for Lopunny and me that she can't wear. An engagement ring on her finger would lead to too many questions and could impede her fighting.
That's why her Mega Stone is set into an ear piercing. It will be connected with three prongs through the weak parts of her skin, so there's no wiggle room while she moves.
A necklace or a fur clip might bounce around too much, a ring or bracelet might get struck when she punches or blocks, and an ankle bracelet might slip from her slender feet when she just walks.
Hm. Hm. A piercing is perfect for Lopunny. And the Mega Keystone set into the ring will be perfect to activate it.
It's a good thing I came up with this myself before I thoughtlessly gave the ring away.
But this leaves my necklace without purpose.
A pokemon trainer needs to have a tremendously strong bond with his pokemon in order to unlock their full potential in a Mega Evolution. The resulting strain on both the pokemon and the trainer is so high that the pokemon has a time limit for their Mega Evolution form, and the trainer is limited in how many Mega Evolutions he can trigger.
That limit is one. One pokemon in my lifetime. Once per day.
SO! That's why it's only sensible to simply cancel the customization order of the necklace, since it's far from done anyway.
"Mister Smith, about the necklace pendant--"
You need it. Say this instead...
"Could you forge a second pendant? This one would need to be a little bigger with a socket for the Mega Stone."
Huh?
"Of course. I had already asked my colleague for material samples, so I'll be able to make a second pendant within a month. That'll be an additional 10.000₽."
"Of course." What am I thinking?! "Here you go, 50% for the commission, and the rest once it's done, right?"
"Of course. And speaking of the takeover fees, your father has graciously paid for that already. You can simply take your jewelry with you."
"Of course... he did..." He did? That seems out of character for him. He would have rather wanted for me to work in the mines to pay off the rest. Perhaps I don't know my old man enough?
Akari speaks up, pointing at the third and last item on the desk. "What is in the box?"
"Wedding bands." Mister Smith explains. "Your father seems to be the practical type of joker. Open it up."
Jokes? My father doesn't joke.
Akari flips the top of the black box open, revealing a bed of red velvet cushion and... 9 identical golden wedding bands inside. One is wrapped in a little plastic package - that must be Dad's original, serving as the template for the others.
With Mom's ring, that's 10. 10 is a little much, isn't it?
"Haha! Your father believes you're either going to be very unfaithful, or he wants you to be prepared for a lot of divorces. Very humorous."
"No." I sigh. "Good grief. He expects me to marry nine girls. What a hassle. Hey, Marley!"
---
"Ieep!" Marley jumps and fumbles with the egg held in her grasp. "M-me?! I'm not ready for such a decision! Go away!"
"That topic is over." I say as I'm packing up all the jewelry, minus the pendant. "I've simply been wondering, what's wrong with you?"
"Oh. Umm. Nothing?" Marley Diamond fidgets with her fingers and wrings the hem of her black skirt with white ruffles. "Why would you ask that? Is there something wrong with me?" She touches her face as if checking for a deformity. Her fingers shy away from her eyes just before she could smudge the deep black eyeshadow, black mascara, and long eyelashes. "Well, I am feeling tired from the flight here. Just a little. Did you mean that?"
"I'm asking because you're dressed like a goth maid, and you're carrying a pokemon egg. And you've been avoiding eye contact with me ever since you landed. --" I turn to Mister Smith after packing away the black box. "Goodbye, Mr. Smith. I'll see you in a few weeks."
"Goodbye. Don't let your father's jokes get to your head, boy." He meant it nicely, but my eyelid twitches anyway.
A flood of words exits Marley's throat as we exit the store. She stammers so hard that I can't understand a single sentence.
After a while, "What was that?"
Another floodgate opens and word salad spills forth.
"Marley, dear, would you mind if I answer for you?" Akari takes Marley's palm into hers and caresses the back of her hand.
I raise an eyebrow.
Are they having a relationship? No, probably not. Akari is just a kind and affectionate person.
"Yes, please." Marley's words are silent like night, befitting her darker clothing.
"We watched one of those moving pictures-" A movie? "- together, and Marley fell in love with the role of a maid."
"Really?"
"Really really." Akari smiles proudly. "It was a bittersweet story about a maid killed in cold blood. The hero, a wandering trainer who fell in love with the maid the day before, has investigated the case and arrested the murderer, promising to move mountains to restore his newfound love."
My feet grind to a halt; I stop on the sidewalk.
"The passionate, short-lived love they found was so romantic, and the ending was so tragic that I could not stop the tears from flowing." Akari keeps talking, and she keeps moving until Marley holds the sleeve of her kimono. "Yes? What is it, Marley?"
Marley points at me, whispering something.
"How did the story end?" I ask.
"In tragedy." She says, and my heart wrenches. "The hero climbed said mountain he promised to move, hoping to find divine help, but perished along the way."
Divine help? Is this a hint?
That story is about me-- no! I shouldn't rush to conclusions. Especially this type of conclusion! This is madness! How would they ever have made a movie about something that happened to me just a few weeks ago?!
It's a coincidence. Surely just a coincidence.
Or is it?
What if it's not a coincidence? What harm is there in treating it like something else?
A prophecy? I've seen enough strange things on my adventure. Magic is real, and it might very well be a prophecy.
Then, the mountain is Mount Coronet. Clearly. What other mountain is simply known as THE mountain? "Did the mountain have a name?"
Then there's the divine help. Dialga? Changing time? Maybe both Dialga and Palkia to rescue her from another time and place.
It has to be a hint. What else could it be? Yes! --No!
"Did he die while fighting against Dialga and Palkia?"
Wait, what did they answer to my previous question? I couldn't hear it. "What's the name of the movie? Can we see it together?"
"Of course, the name of the movie is..."
"Is what?"
Akari opens her mouth as if to say something, then closes it with a frown. "I cannot seem to remember. Apologies. Marley, do you recall the name of the movie we watched?"
"Are you kidding? How could you forget the name of the movie?" Marley seems to have taken it as a personal insult. Understandable, if she found the movie so amazing she changed her style to become more of a maid. "It was..."
"It was what?!"
Marley ieeps, stepping back. "I dunno. I can't remember. I'm trying to, I swear!"
This is insane. Messed up. Madness. How is this possible?!
This has to mean something. "Please tell me I'm not going insane."
"You tell me." Akari's eyes widen, and her skin pales. "Why can we not remember? It has only been... I cannot remember when we watched it either."
Marley moves closer to Akari's arm and embraces it as if seeking comfort and safety in the face of oblivion. "It's because the world is falling apart. I've heard it on the radio - things will stop making sense soon."
"But Team Galactic will fix this." I cling to that shred of hope as if it could grant any comfort at all. "It won't be long, and everything will be back to normal."
So why not continue to pretend that things are still normal?
A prophecy. So what? I go to Mount Coronet, seek help from Palkia and Dialga... and I die on the way.
Is it a warning? I need to prepare for it as best as I can. Is that what I should take from it?
... I will continue to train my pokemon. We will be the very best we can possibly be.
There will be no planning for failure. If the world ends, it ends while we are honing our minds, bodies, and skills.
I will find my way to Mary, even if I have to conquer Mount Coronet!
But first...
"Akari, Marley, let's get something to eat. The tournament will start tomorrow morning, and we want to win this for fame and glory, right?"
Both Akari and Marley hesitate, not really meaning what they say. "Right." / "Right."
Me neither. I just want to gain more experience to become a stronger trainer.