《Lunar Magic [Pokémon Fanfiction]》
Chapter 1: Horizon
Human lands meant death.
The supposed truism echoed in the Gardevoirs mind as she woke up from the haze of unconsciousness, one discarded dream and half-formed thought at a time. She wasnt sure how much shed sleptor how restful the sleep she had clawed out had beenbut it mattered little now.
She was awake now, before anyone else, and it was her time to shine.
Trying to keep her emotions under control to not wake anyone else up, she carefully crawled out from underneath the massive, aged quilt her den used as a shared blanket. The cold air sent shivers down her spine and horns. The sun wouldnt even think about rising for a couple more hours, giving her all the time in the world to head out without anyone else noticing. Still, each moment she hesitated was yet another opportunity for her excitement to shine just brightly enough for someone else to notice. Or, worse yet, interrogate her about what she was doing.
As far as her denmates were concerned, her plans amounted to little more than an elaborate suicide and providing an unneeded piece of evidence for the Elders words. She sought the opposite, to prove them all wrong, to witness the truth, the real truth for herself, and return to tell the tale. And, who knewif what awaited her was as wonderful as she often dreamed, maybe her defiance would bring them prosperity, too.
Who and what are Humans, really?
The Gardevoir exhaled sharply at the question shed asked herself and others hundreds of times. For as simple as it was, the patchwork of her peoples combined answers was so at odds with itself that someone had to be wrong. Everyone had their own interpretation, none of them backed by any personal experience more recent than two generations ago, and most so vacuous and vague, she might as well have been asking the wind for directions. However absurd or contradictory the individual answers were, though, most of them shared a through-line that only built on itself with every iteration. And it was that through-line that she refused to accept.
She refused to believe Humans were evil. A single person could certainly be evil, and she saw no reason for that to be any less true of Humans than of her own kin, or Swellow, or Clefable, or anyone else. Her peoples assertions went beyond that obvious truth, however, and straight into describing Humans as bestial and driven by malice, as demons whose mere presence was cause for utmost concern. And, simultaneously, as masters of stone and metal, as builders of settlements so vast she could barely imagine them.
As rulers of the world.
Despite the almost total darkness of the burrow, her psychics easily let her find her way around to the entrance. The invisible tendrils of her telekinesis pulled a small chest away from the hole in the dens wall it covered up, and grabbed the items stashed inside. All the supplies she would need for her journey. A large hollowed gourd filled with drinking water, a wrapped block of dried paste made of nuts and berries, two handfuls of kindling, and a tiny, makeshift knife, its blade secured with felt.
How could anyone consider Humans savages when their resources were so vast they freely tossed away pure metal? Many of her peoples tools were crafted from such tossed away pieces, giving new lives to what were once tubular containers and their deceptively sharp-edged lids.
Its been years since she first remembered being frustrated with that contradiction, made even worse by her peoples non-answers. She was but a Kirlia when she promised, to herself and her home alike, that she would find out the truth one day.
Much had changed in the years that followed, but never her resolve. However, even despite many moons of training self-defensive techniques and healing arts alike, she knew full well she wasnt the best suited person for such a task. Telepathy had always been a struggle for her, and if it would ever come down to exchanging blows, she was as good as dead. She dodged well enough, thoughcould count all the snowballs that had struck her this entire winter on her fingers.
The memories of playful fights, made rarer and rarer by the passage of time, warmed her body up as she put the clothes on. Moms thick, felt shoes, secured to her slender legs with well-practiced knots. A thin bandana lined with Fire-type fur, pulled over the mouth and warming the air passing through it. Aunts hooded poncho, made from the shed hair and feathers of the many non-psychic creatures that called this place their home, and equipped with more than enough internal pockets to store all her supplies. Soft, woolen guards, tailored for her, held in place with twine and protecting her horns from cold and chafing alike.
And last, her resolve, at this very final moment.
With a quiet prayer, she recounted her peoples blessings and pulled the ponchos hood over her unkempt blue hair, supposedly a rarity among her kin. She was a child no longer; she had earned her tattoos, her evolution, and her namePale Moon Swaddled in Midday Sky, a mental image of many stimuli that could only be very crudely approximated with words.
Or, as her non-psychic friends called her, Palemoon. Or Moon Moon, when they felt particularly cheeky
^Pale Moon Swaddled in Midday Sky, is that you?^ a telepathic voice asked, snapping her out of her reverie.
Palemoon cursed herself for taking too long as she faced her uncle, his dimly glowing eyes piercing the dens darkness. She kept her emotions quashed and bent the knee, worried about what he might do. ^O, uncle, shining Ten Blooming Hills, it is me. I beg you to not wake others up,^ she responded in kind, hoping an overt display of deference would soothe his reaction.
She wanted to run; to Teleport just a stones throw away and not turn back until she was done with her mission. Her family had always pleaded with her to abandon her fantasies, first playfully and then seriously, as they reminded her of the dangers involved. Again and again she insisted, and just as many times she received the same fearful reasoning in return.
Eventually, their words were no longer being aimed at her, once her family finally understood trying to argue her out of it would be about as effective as trying to stop a charging Rhyhorn with a stern look. Instead, they aimed their pleas towards the spirits of wind and sun, begging for a divine intervention to sway their daughter, sister, niece, friend, denmate, crush from mortal danger.
Whether she was about to receive all that once more, she didnt know.
For once, however, fate had mercy on her. ^Be at rest, Palemoon. I know full well your curiosity cannot be helped,^ her uncle chuckled, levitating towards her. ^It would be foolish of me to attempt to stop you now.^
As Palemoon processed his words, his light green glow grasped a wrapped bundle stashed beside the dens entrance, its rich scent overlooked in her focus. He brought it between himself and her, illuminating his weathered face just enough to let her make out a soft, understanding smile. ^Instead, I only ask you to eat before your journey, and to remain as safe as you can.^
With trembling legs and damp eyes, Palemoon stood up straight, taking the bundle into her own telekinesis and unwrapping it. Inside, a rolled-up, fried flatbread with Oran jam, a treat lil Moon Moon would ask for every feast without fail. She grasped the gift in her hand and turned to her uncle, thanking him with a curt nod,
And pulling him into the closest side embrace she could manage without their horns poking one another.
^U-uncle Ten Hills... th-thank you so much. Im sorry for causing all this worry,^ Palemoon whispered, keeping her sniffling quiet.
^Such is youth, Little Moon!^ the older Gardevoir chuckled in a whisper. ^Hesitate not to return whenif you encounter trouble. We will all be praying and waiting for you.^
Palemoon nodded, wiping off tears with her free hand. ^I wont disappoint you all, I promise.^
^And I believe you! Now, off you go, oh great adventurer in the making!^
Despite her excitement just minutes earlier, Palemoon had a hard time taking that final step out of the stretch of woodland that comprised her village. She was familiar with much of the surrounding forest, and had even hiked to the northeastern mountains with her friends when she was younger, but never had she set out on such a perilous journey. To her annoyance, her familys warnings had left more hooks in her than she had assumed, sprouting further uncertainty.
Finishing her breakfast would helpas would taking her home in one more time, for reassurance.
A small clearing, surrounded by wigwams, huts, nests and burrows, each different from one another. Cloth and pine and twigs and clay and dirt, decorated with crystals and glass and carvings and reliefs and stars. In the middle, a firepit as big as she was, surrounded with chiseled stones and reduced to cinders in the middle of winter night. In the neighboring woods, patches of crops, berry bushes, fruit trees, and as many flax plants as they could fit without damaging the soil and upsetting their neighbors.
Inside, dozens of souls of several kin, where once just two families of Gardevoir lived, each new arrival welcomed and cherished.
With prideand enough flatbread to fill her stomachwarming her insides, Palemoon turned towards the dark woods once more. To the east, the sky warmed up from its frozen darkness, shifting through colors like a piece of metal held over a fire. It was time to go.
After checking in with the sentry keeping watch for the night, of course.
Aspen? Palemoon spoke out loud, having a hard time finding either of the Swellow with any of her senses. Her voice carried far despite its twinkling softness, and soon after, the quiet flaps of wings filled the air, approaching by the moment.
Moon Moon!? Whyohhh. Not bluffing, were you? the Aspen sister asked, sitting on a nearby low branch.
Of the three of them, she had always been the least serious, but Palemoon didnt think that would extend to presuming she was merely pretending with her curiosity. ^Nope, I told you, Aspen. Ill find Humans, Ill find out how theyre really like, and maybe even get back today! And if not today, then tomorrow.^
And if not tomorrow? Should we have the funerary rites on standby? the Swellow smugly asked.
Palemoon smirked. ^Then youll have to ask Watchful Aspen and Sunful Aspen to help yourself and my family search for me~.^
She barely kept herself from giggling as she felt Aspens emotion bloom from smugness to annoyance at someone confusing their names yet againonly for it to fade into an unamused glare as she realized it was intentional. Fine, then, the Swellow grumbled before flying off to her previous spot. Palemoon giggled, took one more deep breathand began her march.
It was a bit mean of her, sure, but the siblings brought it upon themselves. Three Swellow, all named Aspen, at least as far as their similar-but-slightly-different names in birdsong could be translated. All of them were too proud to relent and let themselves be called anything else but Aspen by others. It was only annoyance at being confused for one another one too many times that forced them to concede any ground. And so, Aspen, Aspen, and Aspen became Watchful Aspen, Sunful Aspen, and Windful Aspen, names they loathed and only tolerated as disambiguation.
Which only made their annoyance at being deliberately confused for one another even more amusing.
Out of all the reluctant admissions by her family and Elders over the years, that of Humanity living mere hours away at a determined marching pace away surprised Palemoon the most.
She couldnt complain about that, thoughnot with this winter being so fierce. The sparkling sheen of Safeguard enveloping her body absorbed most of the surrounding coldness, and when combined with her thick clothing, it left her just warm enough to not freeze out there. Her legs still got numb before long, but numb vastly beat frostbite.
Of course, levitation was an option, but one that didnt pan out at all over long distances. Her psychics could accomplish many grand and neat feats alike, but were incredibly energy inefficient for locomotion. They had legs for a reason, after all.
If not for her big orange eyes and a lock of blue hair still being visible from underneath the hood of her poncho, she might have fully blended in with her surroundings.
As Palemoon marched on, the deep silence surrounding her drilled into her mind more and more. She was deeply unused to itduring the summer; the woods were brimming with life even at night, and she rarely ventured far from her home during the winter. Knowledge that many wildlings hibernated through the winter was one thing; actually feeling their shared, comatose slumber was another sensation entirely.
She just didnt expect it to be so utterly quiet.
On that notedid Humans hibernate? It would be a rather disappointing end for her journey, but it couldnt be fully discounted. Now that she thought about it, Palemoon realized she didnt know all that much about how to even spot a Human. She had the rough outline memorizeda bipedal, upright body structure with skin anywhere from pink to brown, and hair only on the top of their heads. That didnt mean it was the only way Humans could look like, or that there werent any other creatures whom that description could match, however.
Guess shed just have to take it slow. Observe, blend in, apply just enough of her psychics to make herself harder to notice. Humans not being psychics was another of the few commonalities in everyones description of them, one that Palemoon was much more willing to take at face value. Unless they were Dark-types, they would have a hard time noticing her unless she wanted to be noticed.
Hopefully, all that precaution would prove to have been unnecessary to begin with.
In her idle thinking underneath the morning sun, only interrupted by occasional breaks to eat and drink, Palemoon hadnt noticed the woods growing even quieter with every stepuntil now. She paused mid-step at the realization, probing her surroundings with her sixth sense and realizing that she couldnt even sense any hibernating creatures anymore. And, to add to the dread, she just barely made out a break in the treeline in the distance before her, the sight sending a shiver through her horns.
Am I finally here? Only one way to find out.
Palemoons steps grew even slower as she made it through the last stretch of woodland, eyes squinting harder and harder until going wide once she realized just what she was approaching.
A massive, black stone path, chilling in its sheer scale.
Easily ten if not twenty times the width of the dirt paths in and around her home, stretching from horizon to horizon, lightly dusted with snow. Despite looking like it was made of black pebbles, a brief tap from her foot determined it to be rock-solid, the individual pieces of gravel bound with an unknown substance or mechanism. A white checkered line ran along its center.
It felt profoundly unnatural. Wrong, almost. It was obviously crafted by someone, maybe even Humans, and yet it just laid here, unused. Why would anyone have bothered with the no doubt titanic effort involved in creating this vastly oversized path, only for it to sit abandoned like this?
Palemoon couldnt even begin to think of an answer to that question, shuddering at the most terrifying of possibilitiesthat whoever had built it was long gone. She tried not to let that terrifying possibility get a hold of her, though. Even if nobody was using it right now, it had to have been built to lead somewhere, right? Just had to follow it, and shed hopefully find out whod built it.
A part of her was tempted to use the path itself for that purpose, but it was soon overruled. Beyond just looking off, the path had a dark, unnerving aura, and was rather painful to walk on. Useful as it was as guidance, Palemoon decided to stay off it, marching briskly beside the adjacent treeline.
Was this a Human creation? It would certainly fit the claims of their supposed mastery of stone, considering it was a solid surface made of gravel, but... why? Even if all this had somehow been easy for them, that didnt explain why they would undertake this exercise in futility to begin with.
Why make a path so grand if its just sitting unu
*vvvvrrrrrRRRRROOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!*
Palemoon was too distracted to notice the noise building up in the distance behind her. Once it was too loud to be ignored, she finally looked over her shoulder, only to see a massive gray something rocket past her, its roar piercing through the forests silence. By the time shed come to again, catching her breath after a subconscious Teleport further into the treeline, the metal beast was gone, its roar fading into the distance.
Terrifying as it was, its presence at least answered one unknown. This road wasnt Human, instead made by... whatever that creature was. It sure looked much scarier than any Human descriptions shed heard.
With that experience in her satchel, Palemoon decided to play it safe, following along the stone path from firmly within the treeline. Seeing the roaring beast as opposed to any Humans was demoralizing, but she held onto hope. Even if the path wasnt Human-made, that didnt mean that whatever laid on its end couldnt have been. Either way, it was yet another unknown, the sheer amount of mysteries piling up in her mindand she hasnt even seen a Human yet!
Maybe if they turned out to be friendly, she could ask them about this path? Hopefully, they knew more about it than she didnt.
There was something more to these sprinting metal creatures, but they always passed by too fast for Palemoon to investigate them deeper. They were alive; she clearly sensed life and thoughts inside them, but... not a consistent amount of them. Sometimes it was a single consciousness, gone before she could glimpse even a fragment of a thought, and sometimes what felt like three, even four separate minds, huddled close but thinking independently.
Utterly unlike any other creature shed ever seen.
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Thankfully, she would eventually be spared further confusion.
The sun had already crept past noon by the time Palemoon spotted anything new on her journey, something that wasnt just more of the endless path or the beasts racing along it.
Shortly ahead of her laid, the dark path split off into a smaller offshoot, less than half its width. Her numb legs complained as she dashed over, her interest piqued after many hours of monotonyonly to leave her gasping as she saw what this side path led to.
The structure had some similarity to the simple huts in her homea permanent, standing, angular structure. Everything beyond that, however, was so different, so much more extensive, that Palemoon had no idea where to even begin. The building was enormous, with a whole separate floor on top of the ground one. Probing inside with her psychics left her light-headed at the sheer amount of individual, rectangular chambers the building contained.
After making her way over, Palemoon touched and knocked on the outer wall, eyes going wide at it being made of painted stone. She doubted it was the same material as used for the dark road with its vastly different texture, but if anything else, it was even further proof of the control over stone its creators mustve had. Each wall bore many wide daylights, most of them at the right height for her to see through them. Though, they didnt appear to be Safeguarded in any way, leaving the inside woefully exposed to the elements
*tap tap*
No, there was something inside the daylights! An invisible material that felt just like... wait, could this have been glass? Thats how it felt to the touch, buthow would one even produce glass this clear? Using glass in daylights had never crossed her mind before because of how incredibly wasteful it sounded. And yet, here it was, shaped into flat panes, pure enough to be perfectly transparent, and abundant enough for every daylight to have one.
She couldnt be sure this was a Human structure yet, especially with the massive metal creature earlier. Her heart was sure keen to race to conclusions, leaving her giddy as she examined one of the buildings chambers. The perfectly rectangular room looked like some sort of communal space, with very plush, horizontally stretched chairs around an oddly tall table. A confusing choice, using so much more material than sitting on a comfortable floor with a much shorter table would, but what did she know?
The many small decorations along the walls cemented her hunch about it being a communal space, even if she couldnt make out much of most of them. There was one she could see clearly, thougha massive black, glossy rectangle hanging on the wall opposite of the wide chairs. It looked significant, but Palemoon could only speculate about its purpose. Maybe it was a shrine of some sort?
A very simple one, if thats the case...
As she made her way around the structure, Palemoon felt little surprise in not seeing anyone out and about. With a dwelling like that, there wasnt much reason to spend time out in the cold. Not when one could stay in and weave, or tell stories, or make art, or even just meditate. It even looked large enough to have room for light sparring!
What was significantly more surprising, however, was how few minds she could sense inside the structure. The burrow she and her wider family lived inalongside a few friendswas only about half the size of this massive structure, and housed almost twenty heads. And yet, she could only feel a single mind inside this building, and a second nearby, behind it.
And there were no other structures like it as far as the eye could see.
This was even weirder than the massive, dark path. That was just unusual, but living essentially by oneself like this, so far from any others of your kind... this sounded dangerous. Not to mention really, really lonely. Why would these beings even have a communal space if they had nobody to share it with?
Now, she couldve just been jumping to conclusions; she was well aware. Sure, the building was almost empty now, but there were other explanations for that. Maybe others had left to tend to their land, or to help with constructing a shelter for another family, oror as a hunting party.
That last possibility filled Palemoon with dread, leaving her cursing herself for not considering that obvious possibility. What if the creatures living hereor Humans for that matter, regardless of if those two groups were the same or notwere carnivores? What if they were at the risk of succumbing to The Hunger? What if they would try to hunt her?
Deep breaths, deep breaths.
It was a possibility, Palemoon couldnt deny it, but what she could do was take precautions just in case. Looking behind herself, she focused on the spot where the offshoot sprouted from the dark road, committing it to her memory. In the worst-case scenario, shed Teleport there, and either run, incapacitate her pursuers, or both. She dearly hoped it would not come down to it, but felt much more at peace with an emergency plan on hand.
With that checked off, she walked around the building, towards the creature walking around behind it. Before anything else, she had to know what she was dealing with, and whether this den belonged to the fabled, mysterious Humans. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and peeked from behind the corner.
...
...
And here they were.
Bipedal body structure, a single pair of arms, a bit of dark hair and pink skin visible from underneath the many layers of clothing. In any other circumstances, she wouldve chuckled about her already wearing a lotbut not now. Shed done it! Shed found a Human! This had to have been a Human!
It took her all the willpower she could muster to not break into joyful cries and dance at the realization, remaining mindful of not startling them. She had expected them to be... taller, though. For better or worse, she was already used to being the tallest person in the room, and this was just more of that trend. They were clearly enjoying themselves, but what exactly they were doing was a mystery. There were several stacks of large snow balls around them, decorated with pebbles and sticks, the Human already busy with rolling another one.
The scene looked almost sacral, leaving Palemoon worried shed intruded upon a ceremony of sorts. With how carefree their mood and movements were, it couldnt have been too serious. So confusing. Ideally, shed just ask them, but that presented its own issues. Establishing a link strong enough for her to communicate freely with a stranger would be very energy intensivenot to mention possibly scary for them if it was their first time interacting with a psychic. That didnt mean she was out of options. Merely that shed have to get creative and rely more so on communicating with feelings and images.
Which left the biggest question of allwas she ready for this?
The Human looked frankly harmless, though she had no shortage of personal experiences of looks being very deceiving. Mostly in the positive way, but there was always a chance that this would be one of those rare negative occurrences. It didnt feel unlikely, but if the worst came to it, she had her emergency plan, and years of self-defense practice to fall back on.
Nowhow would she actually go about all this? After having spent her entire life ignoring all the talk about Humans being monstrous and horrifying, Palemoon wouldnt have ever imagined the now all-too-real possibility that she would be the intimidating one here. She was almost twice their height, andassuming her stealth was workingwould appear out of nowhere for them! Shed need a more tactful approach, some way of announcing her presence first if she wanted to avoid immediately scaring them.
Think, Palemoon, think.
Well... if they heard her approaching from a distance, itd give them the time to prepare mentally. Or, in the worst-case scenario, to run away. Little she could do about the latter outcome except making herself as non-threatening as possiblewalking as slowly as she could, limiting sudden movements, and so on.
She had this.
As Palemoon made her way around the wooden fence behind the building, she took notice of what looked like several dolls scattered in the snow around the Human. The Clefable one even looked like someone she knew, heh. Aside from that one, there was a Machoke, and a Riolu, and... huh. This one reminded her of something, but she couldnt place what it was exactly. One more thing to ask about!
The rest of the fenced-off area was rendered mostly nondescript by all the snow blanketing it. A couple of trees, a few bundles of something underneath the snow, a... large, peculiar round object with metal legs and a mostly snow-free black surface off in the corner.
Once shed made it a decent length into the treeline to have somewhere to approach from, Palemoon stopped and took a deep breath. She counted to six, then twelve, steadying her racing mind to avoid appearing too forward. Steady heart, a moment of Calm Mind, a touch of Charmthere.
She was finally ready to meet a huright, had to take the Safeguard off, too. They had to hear her walk over, after all.
...
Good Stars, is it freezing out here. Hopefully, Ill be able to reapply Safeguard soon, this is a lot.
Focus, focus.
As Palemoon wrapped herself tighter in her poncho, about to begin her approach to the Human, she noticed... something in the distance. Someone feeling deeply unwell. It was too far away to tell the specifics, but unnerving enough to make her shudder. Hopefully, whoever it was, they were just having a bad day.
Discarding the worry from her mind, she took one thumping step after another towards the Human, each of them slow and loud enough for them to hear her. A jolt of excitement went through her once she felt the Humans attention shift to her, focusing on their ongoing reaction.
Surprised, curiousnot a bad start.
They walked up to the fence, their interest growing with her every step. She bundled up tighter and tighter as she drew closer, letting the warmth of their shared emotion keep her going for that bit longer. Before long, the Human was leaning over the fence towards her, mere interest turning into outright fascination, their focus entirely on her.
By Moon and Stars, this was actually happening.
Once she was within reach of the fence, the Human called out to her. The exact meaning of their words was obviously lost on her, but she filled the gaps in her understanding with their emotions. It was clearly a greeting, making her pause before returning it with the most dignified bow she could manage in her freezing excitement.
She definitely didnt expect them to respond with what sounded like giggling. She couldnt feel any sort of ill intent accompanying it, though. It seemed they just... found it funny? Yet more questions onto the pile.
Once they were done laughing, they spoke some more towards her, clearly expecting a response. It was very endearing, bringing a smile to her faceone that was undercut with worry immediately after. The last thing she wanted to happen was for them to think she was a Human like them, only to become inevitably terrified upon realizing that she most assuredly was not.
Without even waiting for her to respond, the Human ran over to a small gate and opened it, looking up at her with an expectant, smiling look. They were happy; they were excited, there was not a shred of ill intent or fear in their thoughtswhich was why she had to do what she was about to do.
Better to scare them now than horrify them later.
Palemoon took a deep breath and reapplied her Safeguard before psychicing her poncho and horn guards off of her, exposing her white body, blue arms, and orange horns. She reached into their mind, communicating in as clear a way as she could manage right now. A sensation of being greeted, a warm touch, redirection of attention towards herand finally, her name, Pale Moon Swaddled in Midday Sky.
For just a few moments, they perceived the full extent of her name, the serene scene of a half-Moon visible during the daywhat she looked like when she first hatched, according to her family. The demonstration only lasted a few seconds before the freezing cold forced her to slip back into her outfit, shivering as she awaited their reaction
...
...
They gasped, and... got even more excited at it all?
Out of every response, this was the one Palemoon expected the least, her concern getting immediately replaced with sheer confusion at just what was going on. Before she could even respond, the Human ran up to her and lightly grabbed the edge of her poncho, guiding her into the fenced area. She didnt resist, following along while trying to make sense of it all. All the while, the Human continued to talk, voice and thoughts downright ecstatic.
They let go of her hand and took off soon after, dashing towards their scattered dolls. She stood in place, processing having somehow won their adoration without even trying. She hoped their trust would extend to willingness to let her form a link to enable clearer communication, but that could come later. Right now, she was sure curious what it was they were going on about right now.
Some more of that distant, unnerving sensation snagged her attention as she watched the Human talk their mouth off while grabbing their dolls. Before she could focus on it too much, though, a realization built up in her mind, one quite obvious in hindsight. This Human was small, not just compared to her, but even to their own dwelling, doors included. They kept babbling on without even waiting for her to respond, each word, thought, and even movement dripping with youthful excitement.
This is a child, and not an older one either.
Which, considering their parents were presumably around and unaware of her being here... wasnt a good thing.
Before Palemoon could either step forward to announce her presence as soon as possible or back out to avoid a confrontation, the little Human was back with their toy. They presented it to her with a smile, letting her grab it with her shimmer and take a closer look.
Figures she couldnt immediately make this one out. Shed heard about those... siblings of her kin, of a different form Kirlia could evolve into, but never seen how they look like for herselfuntil now. Making out just those similarities wouldnt have been hard by itself, but when combined with a big, black cape, a blindfold, and hair as blue as her own, it became just different enough to need a closer look.
Some fine craftsmanship went into this doll, no doubt. Stiff, but with many movable joints. The material was rather difficult to make outnot wood, definitely not stone, something lighter and smoother. Curious, curious, curious. Even as it raised further questions, the doll did answer at least one. With the way they handled it, it was clear the little Human was attached to it a great deal, and
...
Oh, the Stars.
This wasnt just her first time seeing a Human. In all likelihood, this was the first time this little one had ever seen one of her kin in person, too. Yet more motivation for her to be on her best behavior here.
With a quiet giggle, Palemoon lowered the doll back into the little Humans reach and crouched to be on eye level with them. The child took their toy back without stopping their verbal stream at any point, babbling about something as they glanced between it and her for a while. Eventually, they gently placed the doll down in the snow, taking her abackbefore carefully wrapping their short arms around her, and pulling her into a gentle hug.
Awwwwwww!
She wrapped a poncho-clad arm around the little one, beaming at them with a large, goofy smile as she savored their warmth. Only the emotional sort, thoughthey weren''t too cold underneath all their clothes, but she still could help there, just like she herself had been helped many times as a Ralts. With a moment of focus, she formed a second Safeguard bubble, protecting the lil'' Human from the cold even after they let go. Which they did soon after, whispering something to her before excitedly running in a circle and waving their hands.
Her kin may have been known to turn emotions infectious, but she couldnt help but suspect thats not what was responsible here.
With their embrace over, the lil Human gestured for Palemoon to follow to the unfinished snowball arrangement. They then pointed at the other arrangements of balls around them, their words clearly a question of some sortbut what for?
...
Oh.
As opaque as the little Humans request was, their subsequent struggle in rolling another ball of snow conveyed it without words. Even just piling it on top of the one already there took a lot out of them. With a bit of focus, Palemoon grasped a clump of snow next to herself, compressing it into a solid ball before rolling it around the fenced area, making sure to grow it evenly.
As much as she tried to help, her intervention left the overall productivity unchanged. The little one soon grew completely enraptured at the sight of a snowball much bigger than what they could manage, moving around on its own. They took a while to connect the light purple shimmer around the ball to the glow coming from their new friends eyes, but once they did, they cheered her on, sparking a light blush on her cheeks.
Once she was done, her ball nearly as big as the child was tall, the little one tried to roll their own ball onto it right away... only to finally meet their match. They lost the grip halfway though, letting their contribution fall down and break apart. They werent injured, but it hurt them enough to sting her by proxy.
Palemoon crouched beside the little one as they stared at their mishap, holding back tears. She knew her spoken words wouldnt be understoodbut her tone might, especially when paired with an emotion or two. Hey, its alright sweetie. Wanna try again? she asked, accentuating her words with the sensation of a warm blankets reassuring embrace.
Her words caught them off guard, and the comforting feeling left them confusedly looking around. Once theyd gotten over their surprise, though, they turned towards her and asked something quietly in return. She didnt know what was said, but it didnt matternot with her hands reaching out from under her poncho to roll a whole new snowball to get the lil one rolling again, offering it towards them with a small smile.
They thanked her with another hug, leaving her cooing as she returned the affection and reinforced their Safeguard. Once they let go of her, they mumbled out a couple words that couldnt have meant anything but thank you and took the ball from her, getting into their fun once more. The sight was too sweet for Palemoon to pay much attention to a creeping sensation on the back of her mind, even as it kept slowly building up. She looked towards where it was coming from, but only saw the treeline, with not even her psychic senses clearing the situation either.
Odd.
As the little one rolled their ball, she looked around the other snow structures, trying to figure out their purpose. Between the lil ones enjoyment and the carefree nature of it all, any sort of ceremonial purpose was much less likelyespecially with them not complaining or interfering with her help. Though, if not that, what then? Palemoon wasnt a stranger to building snow and ice sculptures of herself and her friends in the winter, but with how... abstract these looked, she didnt think that would be it, especially since they looked nothing like...
...
Or maybe they did?
Palemoon examined the nearest sculpture, paying close attention to its decorations. A couple of pebbles arranged like eyes on the topmost ball, sticks pointing from sides and the back of the middle one, a pair of tiny twigs sticking out diagonally from the top ball. She scanned the dolls laying in the snow, gaze jumping between them and the snow statuesand, at least, it finally came together.
This must be the most abstract depiction of a Clefable Id ever seen, dear Stars.
Guess they really were trying to build sculptures, but just... didnt know how to do it? Or had a hard time getting the snow under control, especially with their limited reach. Now that she thought about it, crafting any decently looking sculpture would be significantly harder without telekinesisor flight. Just trying to imagine how shed add any real detail without the whole thing falling apart, or psychics to assist her, made her head spin a bit.
The little one was doing their best with the tools and reach they had, and was admirable in its own right. Speaking ofthey had just wrapped up another ball. The result was slightly smaller and more squished than the previous attempt, their movements having become noticeably slower and clumsier in the meantime.
Someone was growing quite tired, hehe.
After eying out the snowballs for a while, the child looked up at her before asking a question. Considering the circumstances, there werent many possibilities for what they could be asking, making Palemoon eagerly respond, Of course Ill help you, little one. She smiled, pairing her soft voice with a feeling of approval.
With a bit of shimmering concentration, the smaller ball shuddered as it rose into the airat least for a moment, before the little one reached in and began pushing on it as well. The unexpected motion made Palemoon freeze it in midair before she realized they were trying to help, giggling to herself as she continued.
By the wonderful ~rrronald on FurAffinity!
After making sure the little ones efforts wouldnt inadvertently topple the whole sculpture over and securing the smaller ball in place, Palemoon got to forming and rolling the third ball to match the other sculptures. The lil Human caught onto that, commenting on it with what was presumably a thanks... and running out of the fenced area into the woods, probably to gather sticks and stones to decorate this one with.
The slight, persistent dread made her want to stop them, but before she knew it, they were already off into the treeline, flinching but not stopping even as their Safeguard dissipated. She hoped that the feeling had just been her anxiety playing tricks on her. Besides, they knew this place better than she did, and it was the middle of the winter. She could count all the conscious creatures shed run into on her way here on the knuckles of one fingermassive metallic beasts aside.
Her mind refused to move on from that pesky sensation. Still, in the absence of its cooperation, she could at least divert her attention back to this adorable play she accidentally got tangled in, loving every moment. The third ball was finished soon after, joining the first two to form yet another sculpture, blank for now. What it would end up depicting, only the little Human knew. And, before they got back, she could take a moment to just take all the events of today in.
She had not only found a Human, but befriended them too, even if they were just a child. Shed been playing with them for long enough for the sun to be creeping towards sunset, and with how tired they were getting, she guessed theyd call it for their play session soon. And once that happened, shed finally have a chance to sit down and talk to them, maybe ask all the questions shed accumulated over the day. At least, assuming their parents wouldnt interfereor worse, freak out.
The thought made Palemoon mentally probe into the building to make sure she hadnt overlooked anything while playing with the little one. Nope, good; the other Human was still unaware. Content, focused on something else entirely, and mostly calm. All was good, stone off her head for sure.
Back to the sculptures.
So, if these were inspired by the lil ones dolls and that one was meant to be a Clefable, then... hmm. The sticks on the sides of this ones head meant it was probably supposed to be the Riolu, the one with the thick branches for arms was Machoke, and the one with a stick pointing straight on top of its head and a second one going straight through its torso represented her masked kinmate.
Trying to imagine her uncle looking like that almost made her break into roaring laughter.
She was figuring it all outbut the question of what would this latest sculpture be remained unanswered. Unless they took a fifth doll with themselves, there werent any more of them lying around, and the only other possibility she could think of was
...
Her.
Now, now, she had to stop herself from jumping to conclusions right away. But, if that really was the case, then... good Stars, the mere idea felt so incredibly sweet. Just thinking about it made her feel so much warmer, the winters cold suddenly losing much of its bite.
Now, she just had to wait until they were back, and hopefully she would figure out how to coax it out of
Somethings wrong, somethings very wrong, Moonblast it!
AAaaaaaaaa-AAAAAA!!!
Chapter 2: Distress
Palemoon was running before she could even consciously decide to move, her innermost urge to protect others pushing her forward. She snapped towards where the little one had run off toward as the dreadful sensation grew in intensity around her, her boot-clad shoes digging into deeper and deeper snow with every step. She dashed, then ran, then sprinted
Only to skip past even that at the terrified shriek that followed. She paused with a gasp, her eyes filling with brilliant light as she prepared to take the fastest route possible. And then, not even a blink later, she was there, standing in front of the terrified little Human to the tune of her screaming protective instincts.
The child gasped as they shuffled backwards, scared out of their wits but unharmedthank the stars. They muttered something afterwards, but Palemoons focus was entirely concentrated on the being that stood before them two, her gaze narrowing at them.
In any other situation, the sight wouldve gotten a vastly different reaction out of her. The Ursaring that struggled for breath not more than a dozen paces in front of them was obviously injured and unwell. The side of their head was covered with badly healed scars, some discolored and festering in their infection. Their fur was patchy and thin, their posture was limping and shaking, they could barely look at them straightabove everything else, they needed help.
None of that mattered, though.
For as much as the Normal-type before them deserved aid, their mind was far too gone to cooperate. Instead of the cacophony of thoughts, dreams and wants, silently weaving on through their daily life, there was only a single sound, deafeningly loud and unquenchably bloodthirsty. One that the Elders had warned her and the other young ones about plenty, one that she had prayed she wouldnt ever have to face.
The Hunger.
It took a few long, drawn out moments for the Ursaring to even acknowledge Palemoons arrival, a gurgled growl leaving their maw as they took half a step back. Palemoon didnt let herself lose focusshe doubted someone as far gone as they would be swayed by something as trivial as another potential morsel showing up.
As long as she had been aware of that most primal urge, she hadnt understood it until close to her second evolution. It used to not make sense to her at all, it or the teachings about how their village protected its people from each other more than it did from outsiders and Humans. It took until the Elders became more willing to share their experiences predating the establishment of their settlement for her to truly get it, the self-evident reality of them all only being able to live together like this because of the food in their stomachs. And, the much more morbid corollarythat without said food, without shelter, it was only a matter of time till their village would fall apart.
Before tribes, friendships, even families would turn into empty labels, before everyones minds receded from thriving to merely surviving, and surviving at any cost. Even if it meant someone else would not survive.
As hollow as the Ursarings mind was now, Palemoon knew full well it hadnt always been so. There was once sapience behind their narrow eyes, emotions and dreams and desires, maybe even a name, a culture, a people. Maybe they, too, used to be as terrified at the thought of the Hunger subsuming them or the ones they lovedas she once was.
The nightmarish dreams of her closest friends and crushes losing themselves had stolen more than a handful of nights rest back in the day. Knowing that her kin would avoid such fatenot because of being any more mentally resilient than anyone else, but merely because of the simple limitation of her kin being unable to eat fleshhelped little.
It was a limitation that the Ursaring before them wasnt burdened with in the slightest. Starvation had weakened their mind to where it could not fight against what their body demanded. Once theyd gotten past their shock, their posture grew more hunched as frothy, thick saliva flowed down the corners of their maw. Their attention creeped towards the little Human behind her again; what remained of their thoughts circled around fantasies of how delicious their prey would be and how much theyd do to taste them.
In blood-chilling, perfect clarity.
They hadnt moved yet, but their mental imagery had unnerved Palemoon into acting. She shifted into a shaky, defensive stance as her orange eyes stared them down, her psychic influence intruding into their ever shrinking psyche. She knew full well she couldnt have hoped to dissuade them with logical argumentation, or pleas to their soul, or even with filthy, violating mental manipulation. Even if shed known how to perform the latter, her psychic voice, however loud, would just be drowned out by starvation.
Which left just threats. She narrowed her eyes, and barked a mental contact through their eye contact, conveying a rule of law more than any specific words: ^Run away, and you will not be hurt.^
Please, dont make me do this.
Palemoon had no idea whether it would work; only hoping desperately that it would. She wasnt a warrior, despised violence, had always been taught that all death, even in self defense, was a tragedy to be avoided at all cost. With how focused, how utterly dead set the Ursaring had remained through her threat, not even reacting to it in any way she could sense, she couldnt help but dread that they would not give up while they still breathed.
Before long, their stunned expression gave way to a fierce snarl as they filled the air with a low, harsh growl. And then, moments later, with a roar furious enough to make Palemoon shake in her stance, her own freezing fear only adding to the ones she could feel around her.
From multiple sources.
With a brief, mental probe behind herself, shed confirmed the worst-case scenario. The little one was still there, rooted to the ground in fear, but they werent the only being there. There was someone else, even more terrified, a few dozen feet back, no doubt their parent. With all the focus she could gather, Palemoon reached into both Humans minds, beaming less of a thought, and more of a desperate, abrupt plea
^RUN.^
And not a moment too late at that. The Ursaring launched their wasting body towards her, their claws gleaming with scraps of an off-white aura as they swung at where she stoodonly for their strikes to be blocked by an invisible wall. Palemoon gasped under her bandana as her foe kept wailing on her Barrier, more and more spiderwebs of tiny cracks springing from where their gleaming claws struck.
Theyre too strong; I cant hold on like this!
She flinched, shoved backwards by the force of the bears relentless assault. Moments later, she Teleported out of the way of the strike that finally broke through, watching as their feral growl gave way to momentary confusion. She gasped for breath, overwhelmed by their sudden onslaughtbut they showed no signs of stopping.
The moment their eyes landed on her again, they lunged at her once more, sharp claws backed by thick muscles digging into the cold air and freezing snow. And again, and again, their mind too flooded by chemical signals to recognize their own exhaustion, to realize how much their body was eating itself just to keep them going. That didnt matter, couldnt matter, not with the sweet release of a juicy meal so, so close.
They kept hacking away, pushing Palemoon back with every leap, every Slash, every Fury Swipe. Her Protects lasted seconds, and she couldnt eke out enough time to gain ground with a more powerful Reflect. It grew very apparent that the Ursaring could swing and Thrash about for far longer than she could feasibly dodge their strikes for.
The Humans were back in their structure, but there was no telling how much protection would their shelter realistically offer against the wild mons assault. Even as bulky and massive as it was, Palemoon knew the likely answer was not much. She had to buy more time, wear them down further, and she had to do it now.
After another strained Teleport to gain distance, Palemoon raised her blue arms, exposing them to the elements as they crackled with a yellowish energy. Furious as the Ursaring was, even they knew that the sound meant danger, making them hesitate for just a moment. And a moment was all the time Palemoon needed to let the Thunder Wave loose, charring a few handfuls of once-brown fur on the bears torso.
They shrieked, slumping over and almost collapsingonly for their gaze to focus on her again, overflowing with fury. Electricity still arced through their body as they resumed their assault, their clumsy swings made even more powerful through their sheer rage. Palemoon had to do something more, had to strike back, heartbreaking as that reality was.
Burning light filled her eyes as her psychics stabbed deep into the Ursarings mind. They roared in pain at her Confusion, at the unending sensation of their head being stabbed with burning needles, at the deafening booming of BEGONE! that exploded in their head, at the Hunger-fueled cacophony in their minds becoming quietened for just a moment. Palemoon hoped beyond hope it would discourage them enough to at least seek different prey
But it didnt.
As loud as theyd reacted to her strike, it hardly slowed their assault. The Slash that followed came too fast for Palemoon to respond to, its sheer force launching her a few meters back as the claws dug into her side, staining the snow and her shawl with fresh crimson.
The wound left the side of her body feeling ablaze as warmth bled out of her body. She looked up at her attacker, body shaking as she desperately tried to get back on her feet. The Ursaring loomed ever closer, their wrath burning brighter than the sunand yet, still eclipsed by the Hunger. Whatever composure Palemoon may have still had, it drained from her once the bear had shifted their attention to the Human shelter in the distance, breaking into a dash towards where they saw them enter the building.
NO! Palemoon shrieked, the bears thoughts filling her own with terror. As hurt and exhausted as she was, feeling their desires, the imagery of the innocent child being reduced to sweet flesh and devoured filled her with enough desperation to stand back up and give chase. Pain radiated from her wound as she forced herself to keep going, to make sure at least these two would be safe.
What even could deter a force like that, someone so desperate they would stop at nothing to fill their stomachs and avoid their own death? She only had one answer to that, and it best worked.
Another Teleport left Palemoon barely able to see as the injury stabbed into her even more, her body running on sheer determination. She stood, facing the approaching Ursaring once more, the only thing remaining between them and their prey. Her legs threatened to buckle as the bear kept their chase, only acknowledging her with a growl, ready to run through her and tear her apart in order to get to their meal.
As long as she breathed, she would not let that happen.
Gathering all the strength she still had in her, Palemoon enveloped the charging Normal-type with her burning aura, bringing them to a still even as they tried to thrash. Her hands reached in and grasped the sides of their head, digging into their fur and hide as her eyes shifted from brilliant white to darkness.
If she couldnt stop them from trying to save their life at the cost of anothers, she could try filling their mind with enough dark terror to convince them that going any further would mean certain death. Manipulating those dark emotions was nothing short of torture for them both, powerful enough to scar the mind or even seize the heart. But she had to keep going; muscles spasming as she subjected them to sights of their own death, again and again, barraged them with fear in hopes of breaking through the Hunger and sending them into a panic.
Her grip on her own consciousness began to fade as she felt the Ursarings will bend at the assaultbefore it finally snapped, terror managing what reason could not. They let out a deafening cry in response, flailing to turn themselves around and run, run as far away from here as they could, run until they could no more. Palemoon was knocked over with one final swipe, the snow absorbing her limp bodys fall as it sucked any leftover warmth out of her. The sheer exhaustion made her faint on the spot, on the deaths door but ultimately successful in her task.
To think Ill die on my expedition, but not even because of Humans
I-I hope Ive made you all proud
Fortunately for her, Palemoon was not alone.
*inhale*
*exhale*
*inhale*
Warm...
There was no telling how long Palemoon laid there, frayed mind and injured body dancing on the edge between deep sleep and consciousness. Much too tired to think, even if she could just barely make out some of the stimuli coming her way.
She was lying on and being covered by something soft and warm, in what mustve been near complete darkness. Pain pulsed from the side of her body with every breath, unpleasant but not incapacitating. There was someone behind her. The only sounds she could make out, aside from intermittent breathing, were heavily muffled. The air was filled with an unfamiliar, disagreeable smell, damp and chemical.
Someone behind me.
Most of Palemoons mind wanted to ignore the observation and try to return to slumber, let her tired psyche join the surrounding stillness. Alas, this unknown was too big for her curiosity to ignore, especially with her unable to recognize who it was off the top of her head. Their aura didnt quite match any of her denmates, not even any of her friends that often slept in her familys burrow. This was someone else.
A tiny groan left her mouth as she tried to focus, further awareness making the pain radiating from the side of her body that much brighter, that much harder to ignore. The strangers imprint wasnt wholly unfamiliarespecially with it being rather fresh in her memory. As fresh as yesterday, even. Yesterday, yesterday
The little one.
Mind and eyes snapped awake in an instant as the memories came crashing down on Palemoon. Her aching escalated in intensity as she tried to sit up, forcing her to lie back down onto her side and take it all slowly. Starting, of course, with the most shocking realization of all.
I-Im alive...
The revelation took over her thoughts in its own right, every tired bit of her faculties ready to spiral down into an endless loop of how!?. Though, as she paid more and more attention to what her other senses were telling her, as opposed to continuing her mental march through mud, things began to make more sense.
It took a moment for her to make out what she was even looking at. Yesterdays memories provided clues that let her eventually piece it together, arriving at a clarifying, but not particularly impressive, observation. It was, in fact, a wall, colored in a drab, desaturated shade of green. There were a couple of daylights on it, covered with dark, thick curtains that plunged the room into dim shade. The scraps of morning light creeping out from around the curtains edges were Palemoons only clue what time of day it even was. And then, like an upstream waterfall, came more questions.
Did the Humans actually save me?
How long have I been out for?
Why is the little one sleeping behind me?
Even if Palemoon had no idea where to even begin answering the first two questions, the least she could do was turn around and find out the last one for herself. She shifted her focus away from idle inward thoughts and towards what was actually happening around her, keeping her mind clear with slow, steady breaths.
The jabbing pain from her side made her movements slow and clumsy, quiet grunts and louder winces leaving her every couple moments until shed flipped onto her other side, her horns in a safe position again. Both for her and the warm covers she was laying underneath, that is.
The little one was enjoying their morning snooze, sleeping close enough to her for her back horn to be within their arms reach. Oddly enough, they were wearing something even for the occasion of sleepa loose, dark blue outfit with moons and stars on them. It covered most of their body and limbs. As weird as wearing clothes to sleep was to Palemoon, she couldnt deny appreciation for their stylistic choice.
The mystery of their presence here remained, though. Thankfully, even a light peek into their subconscious asleep thoughts made the answer perfectly clear, bringing a teary smile to Palemoons face. The lil Human was just worried for her, and didnt want her to feel lonely.
Goodness.
Even in her exhaustion, Palemoon couldnt help but smile. She squirmed that bit closer to them, the warm thoughts and feelings pouring out of the sweet child soothing her aching at least a little bit. Aching that, as much as she didnt want to, she would have to examine herselfthis injury shouldnt have been hurting this much if properly treated.
With equal parts care and hesitation, Palemoon reached to inspect how bad the wound had gottenonly for her hand to brush against bands of fabric wrapped around her stomach, covering the cuts up. That brought her at least some relief. The Humans clearly had something similar to their silken wrap to secure wounds with. Which only made them still hurting so much even more confusing
Wait, diddid they not Heal Pulse it after securing the wraps?
While Palemoon wasnt a healernot yet, at leastshe knew enough basics to have a clear idea of how useful that technique was. For stars sake, all the little ones were taught it by heart, even if it was unlikely theyd need it with all the healers and their families around. Which raised the questiondid the Humans not know how to use it?
That wouldve been baffling, but not impossible to imagine. There were only very few moves Palemoon considered more important than it. Which was, of course, a very subjective metric, but she couldnt think of a reason one wouldnt learn it, just for safetys sake. Unless unless they just couldnt. There were quite a few villagers that werent able to learn it no matter how hard theyd tried after all, especially the non-psychic ones. Which she now knew included Humans.
After discarding her confusion, built off having spent most of her life surrounded by predominantly her kin, she wondered what to do with the injury. Guess if the Humans care wasnt enough to fully patch her up, shed just have to help herself. Once she was no longer feeling so tired, that is.
Palemoon sighed and stretched as far as she could without aggravating her wounds, closing her eyes to get a proper feel for this bedding she laid on. Her head had been too busy to properly appreciate just how comfortable it was. She couldnt quite see the point in it being elevated a foot or so off the floor, but with it being the best thing shed ever slept on, that little curiosity could wait a while.
If only I could still sleep on my back.
As she was settling in, she reached towards the little Human and began to ruffle their hair. Their sleepy squirms brought a smile to her face as she closed her eyes and mentally probed outside this room. She sensed, and barely heard, two people making their way around the house, both of them clearly Human. Neither of them were entirely calm, but one was keeping their worries in check much better than the other.
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They had to have been the little ones relatives, maybe even parents. The weirdness of there being so few people here aside, she had little reason to think they would suddenly turn on her. After all, they had clearly rescued her after the Ursarings attack, and their worries made sense toonot like she wouldnt be just a tad nervous with a stranger in her den, especially after what had happened yesterday. And they didnt even have that psychic assurance of her intent like she wouldve had in that situation!
Things were going to be alright. After she got some more rest, that is.
As Palemoon tried drifting back towards sleepor, at least, as much as the sucking in her stomach and dryness in her throat would let hershe couldnt help but listen to the muffled steps making their way around behind the stone walls. Their soft ambiance, acoustic and emotional aside, helped to doze off
*vrrooooOOOOOOOOMMMmmmmmm*
And whatever these things were didnt. Ugh. At least she had the mercy of their passing roars only coming once in a while, and not startling her as much the second or third time. Her breaths were slowing, her heart was calming, her affection slowed down
Panic.
Palemoons eyes shot open once more at the sudden mood shift outside. The already anxious Human broke down into horrified panic, their loud shouts filling the building. She withdrew her hand and grew stiff at what was going on around her, fear getting the better of her. Their calls continued from all over their dwelling before the second, calmer Human joined in, themselves chilled with fear.
Even despite the soft covers, Palemoon grew cold at sensing it all. She tried to pretend she was still asleep, even if the rest now felt impossibly far away. Beside her, the little one finally began to wake up, their immediate emotions filled with confusion.
The surrounding fear kicked Palemoons mind into a high gear as she tried to figure out what in the world was going on. She heard the little one slide off the bed and call back, the two other Humans instantly growing much more relievedif still anxious.
Were they... looking for the little one?
The picture refused to get any clearer as one of the childs relatives opened the door and started speaking with them directly. Their words were hushed, but their feelings were not; the urgency, worry, and fear crystal clear to her senses.
Fear... of her.
As worrying as the realization was, it was hard to deny. Palemoon shuddered, the already uneasy atmosphere growing even colder. Her mind was as distraught as it was confused at the sensation. She had never thought of herself as scaryslightly intimidating with being tall even for her kin, surebut not terrifying like the older Human was clearly perceiving her as.
They and the little one kept arguing about something, the child matching their relatives fright with concern and determination. Palemoon kept trying to imagine why their relative would be afraid of her. Could the terror shed invoked to scare that Ursaring away have also affected the Humans? But in that case, why was the little one all fine?
This was the one unknown she was liking the least of them all.
As the two Humans squabbled on, the lil one resorted to raising their voice and running back to the bedding, sending their relative panicking while Palemoon grew even stiffer. The adult was even more insistent now, pleading with as quiet a whisper as they could manage, their heart racingas was Palemoons.
Despite it all, she overheard the third Human chime in shortly after. They were still rather anxious, but not outright freaking out like the other adult. They joined the conversation, reasoningor maybe arguingwith the lil one. Even though her body and mind were much too worn down to let her get an exact image of what they were talking about, Palemoon had a feeling, deep inside, that it was about her.
Have I done something terrible by accident? Maybe I was too careless with my move usage, and had hurt them with the Thunder Wave? Thatd be awful, butmaybe I can try to apologize somehow? O-or at least get up and leave, or
*thud!*
The adults left.
In her blooming anxiety, Palemoon didnt notice them leaving until they had shut the door behind themselves. To her worry, they were still scared and unsettled respectively, and whatever point the little one had been trying to convince them of didnt seem to take root. The child themselves was undeterred, though, quickly scrambling back up onto the bed and scooting towards her.
And then; they reached in and petted her. Their little hand stroked her stiff, frayed blue hair, accompanied by whispered words full of reassurance and comfort.
She really, really needed all of those right now.
There was nothing magical about their touch, but there didnt need to be. Just having someone be there for her in her moment of weakness was all Palemoon could ask for. Her breaths deepened once more while the warmth returned. The dread was still there, outside the roombut right now, that didnt matter. Right now, she felt safe and appreciated.
Though, since there was no way under the stars she would fall back asleep after that, it was time to get up. As the little one continued their affection, she pried her eyes open, their excitement immediate and radiant. It culminated in high-pitched words that couldnt have been anything but a greeting of sorts, and an affectionate one at that. Sadly, the sound only begat more worry outside the room, souring the sensation somewhat.
Palemoon tried not to focus on it too much, though. Her smile grew as she nodded in response, let out a yawn shed been holding for a while, and reached towards their head in return, resuming her affection from a few minutes earlier. Their squirming and giggles warmed her up much better than any blanket could. Once shed paused to let them catch their breath, the lil one beamed down at her before reaching in for a hugonly for her to stop them with her other hand, not wanting to risk them inadvertently running themselves onto the pointy bit.
It wasnt anywhere near sharp enough to cause lacerations, but it was uncomfortable to the touch for her, and occasionally even painful to the other party. Even excluding any possibility of accidental cuts, the less of that, the better. She sure didnt want to deny them their hug thoughor herself, for that matter. Instead, she carefully sat up where she laid, stretched a bit, oriented herself for a side hug
And then, let them get in all the affection they wanted.
Goodness, this feels nice
Palemoon was far from unused to physical affection, between playing with her younger relatives and many of her friendsincluding herselfbeing quite the snuggle bugs when they got comfy. Even so, this went beyond that; this was much rawer than any everyday sort of cuddling. For stars sake, she didnt even know their name and they havent been able to do any talking yetand yet; she felt the most secure she had since leaving her village, even with her injuries and exhaustion.
Though, with even the little one having calmed down enough to turn quiet, she definitely could try to solve the limitations of their communicationif they would be alright with it, of course. Sadly, she didnt have a way of asking for that, or even of explaining to them what was about to happen. Without those, the best she could do was to just go as slowly as possible. She closed her eyes and concentrated as her hand cupped the back of the lil ones head, leaving them squirming at what they thought was just affection.
Not like it completely wasnt, though. Palemoon stroked their head some before focusing for real, taking her time in forming a concrete link between their minds. The child squirmed a bit at the wriggly sensation in the back of their head, but wasnt resisting it.
Even if she knew how to do something like this, to establish a fresh link with someone non-Psychic and unaware of it, that didnt mean she had much experience with itnot in years. The process was slower than shed like as she kept running into dead ends, but eventually, shed managed to form a faint bond between their minds. Which left just a bit more work to ensure mutual intelligibility without any further work on his part, reinforcing it somewhat so that it would last for a while, and
Owww! What was that?
Palemoon sighed in exhaustion as she wrapped up her effort, the link taking more out of her than she wouldve expected. It was more than worth the hassle, with the mostly incoherent words suddenly becoming meaningful sentences. The lil ones voice sounded young and decidedly boyishas far as her perception went.
He rubbed the back of his head while Palemoon took her own hand away. She giggled and smiled faintlyhe definitely deserved an answer to his question, even if just a partial one. Her arm wrapped around him, pulling him that bit closer as she answered, her effortless telepathy not just audible, but perceived as a crystal clear feminine voice in his head. ^Something to help us understand each other a bit better.^
The boy nodded before doing a double take. His mind and expression filled with the best kind of surprise as he gasped and looked up at her. Y-you can talk!? he asked with a raised voice, making Palemoon reel back a bit. The noises in the rest of the house seemed to have been enough to cover up for his elated cry, at least judging by the lack of any reaction from his relatives.
She chuckled in response as she calmed down. Her hand continued to stroke his hair, the touch making it easy to plant a subconscious suggestion to keep his voice down. ^Can you~?^ she answered with a faint, tired smirk.
The lil Human thought her words through for a few seconds before nodding eagerly, his hug tightening. Yeah! he responded, in the loudest whisper Palemoon had ever heard. I didnt know you could talk; thats so cool! The adoration dripping from his words made her chuckle as she continued to hold him. She was about to respond, before being cut off Or that you were a girl. Whats your name?
Do I look boyish? Never got that impression from the few times I had a good look at myself in a clear pond. Though, maybe?
Then again, its not like she could blame him for being unsure about her gender. If not for the telepathically translated voice, she wouldnt have any such idea for him, either. She expected her name to be more self-explanatory for him, thoughafter all, shed shown it to him yesterday. ^Ive shown you my name, havent I?^ she asked with a smile, hoping to jog his memory.
You did? the boy asked, dumbstruck. There seemed to be a disconnect, one that Palemoon was eager to clarify. She nodded firmly before showing him her full name again, . His awestruck response to the stimuli almost forced some more laughter out of her, but she just barely held it in. Thats awesome! What was that?
His adoration was appreciated, but it seemed hed missed the point. ^That was my name, sweetie.^
Somehow, he grew even more confused. But that wasnt a name, he insisted. That was just a photo! The unfamiliar noun in his explanation tripped Palemoons translation up, forcing her to reach into his mind to find an accompanying imagewhich was itself an image. Photos were images of sorts, and he seemed to have a hard time recognizing the image shed shown him as a name. Though that wasnt the case here either; the stimuli tied together in her name went beyond just visual
Are you the Moon? he asked out of the blue. The idea itself was sacrilegious, but he was on the right track.
^Im not the Moon, but Im named after the Moon,^ Palemoon explained. Miraculously, that seemed to be the nudge the boy needed to figure it outnot the richness of her name, but that shed been trying to introduce herself to him.
Oooooooh. I have a friend whose name also means Moon! Her name is Luna! Are you also a Luna?
Palemoon was unsure how to respond. On one hand, the correct answer to that question was no without any buts or frills, but on the other she dared a guess that going by a name hed picked for her would be easier than drilling an explanation for how her actual name worked into him. Especially since itd also address the obvious obstacle of them needing a way to refer to her that the Humans could actually use among themselvessomething the boys suggestion would work great for. She hoped.
Besides, his excitement was cute, and the thought of being given another name by a little child she could call a friend warmed her heart. ^Well you can say that Im a Luna, yes!^
Thats so cool! the boy beamed.
^Thank you! Now I wonder, maybe I could give you a name in return too,^ Palemoon giggled.
To her surprise, her idea was received with a tilt of the boys head. But I already have a name!
^Yes, but^ she trailed off for a while, thinking of a way to convey her intent. A quick check of his thoughts clarified Humans were indeed aware of there being multiple languagesand that even the boy himself was being taught a second one. ^What I meant is that I could give you a name in my language!^
Oooh! Okay! My name is
^No no, here, let me come up with one^ Palemoon giggled, placing a hand on his head and focusing to let him see what she was imagining. A serene, wintry scene, with a tall snowy pillar in the middle. Raw and unrefined, containing a thousand different sculptures within itself, and waiting for a skilled artist to free one of them from its confines. There it was, .
Palemoon showed off the sight for a few long moments before doing away with the imagined scene, smiling excitedly down at the boy beside her. He liked what he saw, though it was clear he wasnt sure what did he just see. ^That was the name I came up with,^ she clarified.
Just some snow? But thats boring he pouted.
Not the response she expected, but one she could get something more out of. ^And yet, you turned that boring snow into many interesting statues yesterday!^
Thats true, yeah the boy thought, the deep idea having a hard time hitting in his childish mind. Thankfully, a realization that came soon after freed him from trying to fit that pentagrammal peg in a rectangular hole. Oh! I havent told you my name yet!
Yep, and itll probably be much more useful than what I just came up with, hehe.
^Thats true! Whats your^
Im Ren! Im six! the boy informed, giddy about being able to properly introduce himself to his magical friend. Palemoon couldnt deny being somewhat disappointed about Human names turning out to be just sounds. Maybe there was a dimension she wasnt seeing yet, or some hidden meaning? The way Ren had just blurted it out made it come off as just a sound, though. Something to investigate down the line.
Trying to decipher what hed meant by six was tricky. Neither of the obvious answers Palemoon could think of fit quite right. A six Moons old child was merely a hatchling, unless Humans grew really, really fast. On the flipside, six years would be the oppositeher kin grew slower than almost any other, and by six years old, she was much more mature than Ren.
Either answer wouldve been really weird, which likely meant neither was the answer, and that Ren had some other unit for measuring age. Maybe not entire years, but individual seasons instead? Thatd mean Humans still grew fast, but not unthinkably fast. And in that case^Im happy to meet you, Ren. Im fifty!^
WOW! Ren gasped, youre so old!
Uh, thanks?
That reaction took her aback even more. Was fifty seasons some exceedingly long time for a Human? Maybe even longer than how they usually lived? A terrible fate, if that was the case, a shorter lifespan than even almost all Bug-types. Palemoon hoped she had just gotten something wrong, and that wasnt the casefor her own sanity, more than anything else.
^My uncle would sure be surprised to hear that!^ she chuckled, stretching her arms and grasping the covers in front of her with her psychics. She began to wrap them around her back before the abrupt pain in her temples forced her to stop, making her reel and clench her eyes shut.
O-oh no, are you okay? Ren asked, scooting closer in concern.
Palemoon took a moment to take a few deep breaths before nodding; the pain slowly subsided. She couldnt remember her mind ever getting so sore. By the stars, this hurt. She really mustve pushed herself even harder yesterday than she thought. Guess it was just her physical limbs today. ^Y-yeah. D-dont worry, Ren, Im just really tired.^
With most of the pain having faded to just a dull ache, she wrapped the covers around both of them with her actual arms, and resumed her affection afterwards. Thankfully, Ren understood, about to hug her again before noticing the bandage wrapped around her stomach. He corrected his arms and whispered sheepishly as he held her, I-Im sorry for that Ursaring, Luna
^You did nothing wrong, Ren,^ the Gardevoir tried to reassure.
B-b-but it hurt you a lot, and mom told me not to leave the backyard, a-and Ren began, only for Palemoon to hush him as she held him close. He rested his cheek on her side as she took slow, deep breaths. Before long, the boy began calming down together with her, his breathing and heartbeat synchronizing with her own.
His leftover anxieties about apologizing for yesterday were soon gone, leaving the quiet room in a calm, sleepy state. Before Palemoon could settle on whether she should try to rest some more, Ren asked, What did you do to it? It was so big and scary and then you were laying on the ground and hurt and bleeding
Oh dear.
As useful as her kins sense of truthfulness was, with it came being terrible at lying. Terrible at, and reluctant to do soeven when a situation clearly demanded it, like here. Instead, Palemoon tried to explain her actions with a euphemism. ^Well, I you could say I just really scared them, and then they ran away.^
Ren nodded along, thinking about it for a moment before holding her closer. So you can scare people like that, Luna?
Moondamnit, the one question I hoped he wouldnt ask.
^Yes, but I really dont enjoy doing it, and its very mean and^
Can you make people not scared, then?
The words took Palemoon aback as she felt him grow sadder and huddle closer to her. It wasnt difficult to figure out the intent of his questionhis mind was occupied with his parents, and their unrest further in their dwelling was still there and still clear. As much as some of her wanted to say otherwise, she had to shoot him down here. ^That would be rather mean too, Ren.
B-but my dad is so scared for no reason! He told me to leave you alone and not come close and wait for your owner to arrive, a-and then he shouted earlier today when you were sleeping and wanted me to come out and leave you. A-and he said you will hurt me but youre really nice and really cool and played with me yesterday and scared the Ursaring away a-a-and its not fair! the boy shouted, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
The remark about an owner stood out from the rest, but Palemoon shook it asideit wasnt what was important here. Rens disappointment about his parents actions was definitely shared. As much as the Gardevoir could understand being weary around strangers on principle, she definitely didnt think herself fearsomeespecially after what shed done for them all yesterday, as selfish as the thought was.
Why would they think Id hurt him after that?
The question was deeply unpleasant to consider, and Palemoon discarded it from her mind soon after. Instead, she wanted to lift Rens spirits upeven if she wasnt sure how to do that exactly, considering the messy situation. ^Maybe if he sees that Im not hurting you, hell come around?^
Her magic touch left his scalp ticklish, which she capitalized on with the hair ruffling that followed. It distracted him from the gloom of the subject being discussedand inadvertently drew attention to a sensation shed pushed sufficiently far away from her minds spotlight to not pay attention to until now. Probably for the best, since she wasnt distracting herself away from it now that she had noticed. Didnt have much choice but to ask him, either.
^Ren?^ she began, taking his undivided attention. ^Is there water here I could drink and something I could eat? I havent had anything in almost a day now^
Ren nodded excitedly. Yeah! My mom is making pancakes. They dont let me eat in bed... b-but maybe theyll let you! Ill ask!^ Before Palemoon could stop him, he was already scrambling off the bed and running out of the room, his brilliant excitement contrasting with his parents shifting unease. The link between them was too weak to let her make out his words at this range, leaving her to wonder what was being said.
On one hand, her own mom had drilled into her to keep food and beddings separate. On the other, leaving the room she was in would likely not be received well, considering the ambient fear she could feel even right now. And now that Ren had left her room, who was to say his parents would even let him back in again
I wish I could just ask whats wrong
In the absence of any answers, Palemoon resigned to steady breaths as she tried to meditate through the surrounding uncertainty. She was only partially successful at that, her anxieties inadvertently dragging her attention back to all the emotions she could sense in the rest of the dwelling. No significant changes for now, but it seemed Ren was getting really excited about something, and
Ack, cmon Palemoon! You know what to do in situations like that. Like dad taught you, focus on breathing, on the dance of wind, on the shimmer of sunshine. Dont stress over things you cannot affect.
She still had at least one of the three; it was time to use it the best she could. She wrapped herself tighter in the covers, crossing her legs and holding her hands together. Her head drooped as she felt herself calm down. Breath by breath and second by second, sore joints relaxed, muscles grew less tense, and the anxieties lightened their grip as the meditation comforted both her body and mind.
Even in the worst possible case, she was exceedingly unlikely to be in danger. Even if Rens parents would never warm up to her, that was okay. She would just walk away, knowing she did a good thing, even if ultimately not reaching the outcome she wanted. This, too, would pass.
Nothing stopped her from trying again in some other direction once shed recovered some, either. She was gonna be f
Luna, are you asleep? Ren whispered.
Oh.
Palemoon opened her eyes to find the boy next to her on the bedding. The rest of the senses soon rejoined sight in putting together a picture of her surroundings. Her nose brought attention to the two ceramic plates stacked with what looked like flatbreads, but smaller and softer, resting on the covers a few feet away. Beside them was a transparent jar of something brown, and a few metal tools, she guessed. Humans really liked their glass, didnt they? ^Im awake Ren, Im awake.^
Hello, Luna! Mom brought you some water!
Shed spotted the Human standing in the doorframe right as Ren had mentioned them. His mom had much longer hair and was much taller than himmaybe even taller than her! She was also the less anxious of the two adults Palemoon had sensed earlier, and her actions spoke for that.
Rens moms expression was torn between curiosity and hesitation, with the former winning for now. She held a big ceramic cup in her hands, presumably filled with water. Regrettably, she jumped a bit once Palemoon had made eye contact with her, but calmed back down soon after, nodding weakly at her.
It looked like a greeting, and Palemoon would be remiss not greeting her host in return. She put on a weak smile before bowing as deeply as her sitting position would allow her to. Rens mom seemed to understand the gesture, bowing back at her as her curiosity only grew.
Mom, give me the mug! Ren asked as he ran over to her, eager to pass the water to his friend.
Luna may not have been even close to being a mother herself yet, but she could recognize the amused, exasperated expression anywhere. The boys mom whispered something to him before handing him the mug. Ren had managed to maintain a steady, slow pace for all of three steps before dashing the rest of the way there, avoiding spilling any water on either the covers or the floor by what Palemoon presumed to be a divine miracle.
The cup was heavy, enough so for the Gardevoir to not even risk helping herself with her psychics. Each gulp made it lighter and her stronger, though, filling her with bliss as thirst left her.
Most of it, at least. ^Ren, could I get some more^
Moooom, Luna needs more water! Oh, wait, Ill get it for her! the boy exclaimed as he raced out the room, sending his mom into quiet giggles. With him briefly gone, though, the surrounding emotions had cleared up enough for Palemoon to notice the calmer feelings coming from his mom, toosuch as gratitude. Even if the older Human didnt yet have full trust in her, she wanted to, and that alone was enough to soothe the Gardevoirs spirits greatly.
Especially with Ren running back moments later, maintaining his splash-less streak. Here! Dad says you shouldnt drink any more, though.
The water was appreciated; the message carried with it substantially less so. Its intent wasnt particularly hard to make out, a gentle reminder that the other parent didnt want her here, with their continuing unrest attesting to that. Palemoon just hoped shed be able to make it back home with just this meal and whatever rations she still had stashed in her poncho
Oh? Ren spoke, listening to his momand then his dad from further in the building. But thats what I said! he insisted, and his parents replied. Ohhhh, okay. Sorry, Luna! Dad said that having too much water at once can be unhealthy.
Maybe Im just psyching myself up too much, ha.
^I see. I think Im good right now, anyway. Thank you, Renand pass the thanks to your mom and dad, too.^
I will! Mom, Dad, Luna says thanks! Ren yelled, placing the now-emptied heavy cup on the nearest flat surface. Are you ready to eat now, Luna? Moms pancakes are so good!
The boys enthusiasm left both Palemoon and his mom laughing, their shared worries easing bit by bit. The Gardevoir was still surrounded by more questions than answers, but despite their earlier panic, the boys parents seemed to genuinely mean well. Maybe theyd even be able to answer some questions she had about Humans? Even if so, that would come later.
Right now, Luna was hungry.
^Yeah! They look delicious.^
Chapter 3: Comfort
Ren didnt need to be told twice that his guest was ready to eat. Without skipping a beat, he brought a plate in front of Palemoon, together with a couple of those unusual metal tools. The bounty of several of what the boy had called pancakes was alluring, but it was the tools that she ended up focusing on first.
She had absolutely no idea what to do with them.
Both of them had an elongated flat part that took up most of their length, before either splitting into a few blunted prongs or turning into a rounded, slightly serrated edge. The latter tool kinda looked like a knife, just one utterly terrible at doing anything knives were typically used for. Her horn was better at cutting than this!
Thats an awful mental image and I never want to see it again.
Left without any guidance of how the meal before her was supposed to be eaten, Palemoon simply waited for Ren to demonstrate it for her, hoping to Trace his movements afterwards. The boys excitement was palpable, split almost equally between the wonderful treat before him and his newly-made friendwith the former having a slight, but noticeable edge. The moment hed pulled his plate over, he grabbed the not-knife, opened the glass jar, scooped some of the brown paste out, and smeared it on the topmost pancake.
It smelled odd, unlike anything shed ever experienced. It was sweet, bearing a slight resemblance to some nuts they foraged for during late summer, but very different from any other sweetness shed ever gotten a whiff of. At least what Ren did with it was familiar, adding it to his meal much like her family would add jamthe weird tool of choice aside. Goodness, Oran jam sounded so good right now
Luna, why arent you eating? Are you sick?
To Palemoons disappointment, her reconnaissance wasnt left unnoticed. The moment of internal distraction was all Ren needed to catch onto her inaction, looking up at her confused. She considered coming up with an excuse, but ultimately figured there was no point in not telling the truth. ^No no, dont worry Ren. Im not sick, its just that Ive never used the um, these,^ she mentally mumbled, pointing at the metal utensils. ^Im not really sure what to do with them.^
She didnt expect Ren to be as surprised as he ended up being. The boy gawked at the tools for a while before blurting out, Youve never used a fork? How do you eat?
Hearing and sensing the boys moms exasperation lifted Palemoons mood enough to not join her in it, despite how amusing responding with my mouth wouldve been. Instead, she paid attention to his wording and thoughts, jotting down the not-knifelike object as a fork. As silly as it was, Rens question deserved an actual answer, and a demonstration would be more helpful than a thousand wordsassuming her strain and soreness would let her do even this much.
Hed get to learn something newsomething that, judging by her exasperation, his mom already knew and wouldnt be surprised to see. It was a comforting realization. The last thing she wanted to do was startle her human friends with her actions even more.
Palemoon focused inwardly to probe the limits of what she could do in her current state while avoiding the aching getting too bad again. Her telekinesis couldnt do a lot today, but this should have still been firmly within her capabilities. The topmost pancake lit up in a faint, purplish shimmer, together with her eyes. With her mental grasp firm, she carefully lifted the treat up to her mouth, her hands laying flat on her lap the entire time.
And then, once it was in position, she leaned forward and took a small bite out of it with a giggle, leaving it suspended in midair afterwards. ^Like this,^ she teased, closing her eyes as she savored the sweet, puffy dough
Uh oh.
Palemoon flinched as she sensed the moms sudden surprise, contrary to her prior hopes. Startled as her reaction was, however, her thoughts turned more positive as she watched on; wonder instead of terror. Reassured by that, the Gardevoir looked at her and gave her a modest, appreciative nod, glad shed earned at least this little bit of trust. Thank the stars.
Rens reaction was much less subdued. Oh oh oh! How do you do this, Luna!? You did it yesterday with the snowmen too and it was so so COOL!
His excitement was so bright Palemoon felt warmer just by sitting in his presence, helping her process being suddenly put in an awkward position.
Shed never had to explain telekinesis, or any psychics, to a non-psychic beforeand frankly, she had no idea where to even begin. Most of her non-psychic friends were content knowing that she could do psychic feats, without ever asking how or why, questions she respectively knew very little and absolutely nothing about. Her psychics were such an inherent part of her, all but inseparable from who she was as a person, that she found herself lost for words on how she could explain them as an independent concept.
The best her mind could come up with was listing the individual techniques, something that wouldnt lead to actual understanding. Explaining anything more fundamental, how her mind and its extensions actually affected the minds and objects around her, was made all but impossible by Rens inability to perceive any of it except the actual outcome.
It was like trying to explain the intricacies of differing color palettes and shading techniques to a blind person.
^Well, Ren, Im psychic. That means I can hmm, I can focus on things and make them move. Its, heh, its something of a second nature to me.^
More so first nature, but hell probably understand better if I frame it like this.
But hooooow? Ren asked again, neither satisfied nor dissuaded in the slightest by his friends answer.
Darnit.
She wasnt anywhere near enough of a convincing liar to pull off a I dont know. Instead, she wracked her brain, looking for concepts Ren would understand while trying to come up with something even slightly accurate on the spotbut then, the boys mom spoke up again. Her words were no less gibberish than before, but the tone was gently scolding him, leaving him looking down at his plate in disappointment. Okay, mooooom. Sorry, Luna
This time, she didnt quite keep her giggling contained. She smiled brightly, first at Ren, and then at his mom again. He wasnt hurt or distraught, but she figured he still deserved some affection after his curiosity ended up not being satisfied. She reached to pet himand stopped an inch from his head. With his parent present in the room with them this time, Palemoon figured she should first check with her if itd be alright for her to touch her son.
Predictably, seeing the Gardevoir grow affectionate with her son left Rens mom more unnerved than before, the tinge of fear in her mind not missed on the empath. Thankfully, said fear didnt last long before reason stepped in, reminding the human woman about the psychics actions over the past couple daysamong other things, most of them lost on Palemoon. Some details were muddled by human terms and concepts, but the conclusion wasnt. Ren trusted his friend, and so could she, especially without any sign of her wanting to hurt him.
The Gardevoir returned her tentative nod with an appreciative smile, hoping she wouldnt end up betraying that trust. By the time shed received the unspoken permission from Rens mom, the boy himself had already gotten over any disappointment hed felt, breaking into excited squirming as Palemoons electric, tingly touch spread over his scalp.
It interrupted his breakfast, but he didnt mind. He immediately slid as close to his friend as he could, before pulling her into a gentle hug, carefully avoiding any bandaged spots with his slightly stained hands. It gave Palemoon a good view of his plate, including the purpose of the aforementioned fork. Which turned out to be just holding the pancakes for him to eat.
Even just using hands sounds easier, but who am I to judge?
With that exchange of affection done, the two kept eating, mostly in silence. Palemoons hunger finally had a chance to chime in, making her eat much faster than she usually did. Slow, meandering nibbling soon turned into full focus stuffing. A few failed attempts to Mimic Rens usage of the fork later, she gave up and went with her hands. Her stomach filled with pancake after pancake, the persistent clutch of hunger finally fading away.
The dough wasnt directly comparable with her familys flatbreads. Not crunchy at all, much sweeter and silkier to the feel. Much less dense, too. It was different, but it definitely wasnt bad, especially for filling her stomach up. It wouldve been so good with some jam, too.
Halfway through devouring her stack, though, Ren finally noticed his friend was eating her pancakes dry, the biggest atrocity the six-year-old could imagine. He wasted no time to even swallow before speaking up, Oh, Lhuna, thry thish, yhoure ghonhna lhove iht! He then excitedly pointed at the jar of brown paste, keen on introducing his friend toin his humble viewthe greatest culinary invention in history.
It was finally the time to give the human condiment a taste; it seemed. Afraid of overexerting her psychics again, Palemoon lifted the jar with her physical hands and brought it closer. A whiff only confirmed her suspicion of it being something incredibly different from any condiment shed ever eaten, leaving her cautious. Rens excitement quickly melted through any reservations she mightve had, though, maintained even as his mom scolded him for something again.
Just to be safe, she decided to use the weird human knife instead of relying on her strained telekinesis. She brought the back of her hand to the shiny, uncorroded metal, before cautiously brushing a single finger against it. It wasnt pleasant to the touch, but it was nowhere near the immediate irritation shed experienced with some of the corroded metal scrap shed found in her woods. Not something shed want to use every single day, but safe to grab and use this once.
Maneuvering the tool proved tricky, the shape unsuited to her large, long fingers. Her arm shook as she carefully extracted a blade-full of brown paste out of its stupidly heavy jar before mimicking Rens earlier guidance.
Bring the glob down to the topmost pancake, spread it around, then stick the knife back in the jar afterwards, just like the boy had done it. It was an incredibly finicky procedure for what felt like an incredibly casual breakfast. Though, maybe human anatomy had something to do with the perceived difficulty? As boney and unpleasant to look at as their hands and fingers were, they did seem much more dexterous than anything the Gardevoir could accomplish without her psychics.
Now, onto the correct way of eating the treat. She rolled the pancake up like he did, lifted it up, brought it to her face, aaaand
...
!!!
By the stars, how could anything be this intensely sweet!? Palemoons eyes shot wide at the almost overwhelming, cloying taste as her mouth slowed down. She could not help but slowly savor the flavor, every single tastebud feeling as if itd been hit by a charging Rhyhorn.
She might have put just a tad too much paste, but that didnt change the fact that it really was as good as Ren was making it sound. Definitely not something she would have every day, though. Or even most days. Moderation was important, and she couldnt imagine any way she could ever get fed up with the condiment except for overuseand by the Moon did she not want to get fed up with it.
Buuuuut, since she was already here and Ren and his parents have been such sweethearts to offer the treat to her, she supposed she could have another. Or a third. Or a fourth
Whath*gulp*what do you think, Luna? Ren asked, swallowing mid sentence after spotting his mom giving him another dissatisfied look.
So good, so different, so intense!
^That is the sweetest thing Ive ever had, Ren,^ Palemoon answered, still stunned by the sheer intensity of it all.
The boy squealed in glee. Yay, you liked it! Oh oh oh, add some more if you want! His instruction was accompanied by a finger pointing at the pancake she was adding some more of the condiment to, delivering with the distilled eagerness of someone that wasnt the one paying for the treat.
It was adorable. Same with his words, same even with his moms barely held smile. Unfortunately or not, this was the one idea she would have to decline. ^I think Im comfortable with this much, Ren. Any more would be too much,^ she explained, accentuating her psychic words by wolfing down the treat just a tad faster than usual.
Ren was stunned. What do you mean, too much? he asked with the aghast sincerity of someone who had never heard of the concept of moderation.
^Its really, really sweet. If I have more than this, itll be too much, sweetie.^
B-but, but sweet tastes good, right? Why wouldnt you wanna have more?
Palemoon was doing much worse than Rens mom at hiding the amusement dripping from her face. ^Because you can have too much of a good thing, and I dont want to have so much it makes me sick. Besides, taking our time also lets us spread how long we can enjoy something for! Dont you wanna enjoy it for longer?^
But we can always buy more! Ren countered, to his moms loud-and-yet-still-overlooked cough.
The Gardevoir wanted to respond with something thatd reinforce the simple lesson she was trying to teach, but the unfamiliar concept made it difficult. She had no idea what buying was, and the glimpses she made out in the boys head involved gargantuan buildings stocking more... more, more stuff, more items, more things than she could comprehend, and taking whatever they wanted from there. She was far from a stranger from sharing food or ingredients with her neighbors, but this clearly wasnt it. What it was, she opted not to pry into for nownot with breakfast waiting to be savored.
Thankfully, the boy didnt end up pressing the topic either, content in having taken what he perceived to be a rhetorical victoryfor the thirty seconds that he dwelled on it. Once that thought inevitably slipped away from his attention, it was gone for good, replaced by munching his way through his breakfast while sliding up closer to his magical friend.
Palemoon much preferred those kinds of thoughts, too. They were warm; they drained much of her achiness through their mere presence. Whether said warm feelings merely shielded her mind from physical pain or actively helped her heal was a topic that their elders had often debated, but she cared not for technicalities like that. She felt better, Ren felt better, his mom felt better, and thats all that mattered. Even the faint emotions emanating from his father further into the building had mellowed out greatly.
Despite everything, things were okay.
Once she had stopped over-analyzing everything going on about her, the Gardevoir got through the rest of the meal quickly. Nowhere near as fast as Ren did, but even getting close to his breakneck, sugar rushed pace was an achievement in its own rightand that was after shed slowed down her pace significantly at the end. Not because of anything upsetting, not even because she had gotten full, but because it was a bit trickier to eat with a human child holding her side, carefully orienting his hands to avoid touching any bandaged spots. Returning some of the affection in kind didnt help either.
Are you done, Luna? Ren asked the instant shed lifted the last pancake up, anticipating this very moment.
^Im not planning to eat more after this, no^
Oh oh oh, can I take and wash the plates then?
This time, the boys mom was the one to answer first, putting a small damper on his excitement as he returned to waiting and leaning on his friend. She was clearly trying not to laugh at his antics, but it was the purest kind of laughter, one that shone brightly at her little boy and his willingness to help. One that Palemoon couldnt help but catch moments later, ruffling his hair as she wrapped up her meal. ^Im done now, Ren!^
*Gasp!* Did you like it?
^I really, really did^
Yay! See mom, I knew shed like it! Ren remarked triumphantly as he grabbed every plate and utensil in sight. His mom chuckled something in response, prompting her son to respond, I know everyone likes it; thats why I wanted her to have some! Why didnt you want that? What do you mean some mons cant eat it?
...guess that wont be a treat I can freely bring with myself back home, awwwh.
That sucks. B-but Luna can eat it, right? he asked, only now realizing he hadnt considered that earlier. His mom had, thankfully, with her firm nods banishing both Rens and Palemoons worry before they could build up any further. The former had an obviousto him, at leastfollow-up question, and didnt hesitate to fire it just as he was about to leave the room. Can Luna eat pizza?
The look his mom gave to him mightve been dominated by an incredulous raised eyebrow, but there was a lot more than just cheekiness going on underneath, enough for her to not cross his idea out instantly. At least, so it seemed based on Rens reaction. Okay! Thank you moooom!
With the boy gone, Palemoon finally had a moment to reassess herself. Rens moms radiant pride kept some of the aching at bay as she went through the bandages wrapped around her midriff, the action not missed on the adult human. Sadly, that couldnt be said for the words going the other way around. The reassurance wasnt hard to make out, but any specifics would require a much firmer link, not unlike the one shed set up with Ren. It was on her to-do list, but not at the topthat spot was taken by using her newfound energy to patch herself up the old-fashioned way.
She closed her eyes as she brought her hand to where the Ursarings claws had pierced her skin, holding her winces in. A tingling sensation moved through her body as she concentrated on the most strained Heal Pulse of her life, with only the faint glow around her hand finally catching the humans attention. The boys mom watched, startled, as the magical glow built up for a few more secondsand suddenly disappeared into the Gardevoirs side, leaving her slumped over and gasping for breath.
Much, much better.
The words that followed a good half a minute later were cautious, but no less well-meaning than before, a very welcome sign. Palemoons eyelids took a bit of effort to pry themselves open, but once they did, she could return the humans reassurance in kind. Mostly, at least. There was still a lot of confusion in the humans expression, one that neither of them could get through without talking.
Which meant it was time for talking.
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In Rens case, she had the advantage of the boy trusting her enough to let her link up with him without much difficultyor his knowledge. That wouldnt pass here, though. She resorted to charades, gesturing a connection between her own head and the moms. She seemed to have gotten the what across, but not the why, and for that she had to make a bit of a fool of herself. Repeatedly opening and closing her mouth, as if mocking a particularly unfortunate fish, wasnt an action she ever wanted to repeat. Thankfully, it sufficed here.
With the understanding secured, she reached a hand towards the human, offering it to be taken. The moms grasp was apprehensive, as if ready to be withdrawn the moment anything scary happened, but still there all the same. Palemoon focused, climbing her mental reach through the humans arm and torso towards her head, furrowing her expression as her psychics pushed through flesh.
A couple feet away from her, Rens mom watched in equal parts curiosity and anticipation as the Gardevoir concentrated.
And then, she felt something. A sensation filled up her arm and then head, one very difficult to describe. It was as if her bones grew itchy and ticklish at the same time, the involuntary shaking that accompanied the otherworldly feeling overlooked in all the chaos. She knew the Gardevoir wanted to do something with her head, something involving talking, but the weird, unfamiliar sensations wore down her good faith, letting the earlier worry creep back in. At least, for the ten or so seconds before it was all over, culminating in a build-up of pressure at the back of her head that was then released in what felt like a weak, almost playful pinch.
Was this it? She didnt feel all too different from before, but Luna was panting again and she had let go of her hand
^Good morning!^ a clear voice filled her head, forcing a quiet gasp out of her. It was one thing to watch her son be engaged in a one-sided conversation with a psychic mon, hoping that he was correctly interpreting whatever mental magics they used for communication, but it was an entirely different thing to actually hear them for herself. Not feel, not be vaguely suggested, but hear as if another person was speaking them out loud. Lunas voice lacked some directionality, but it was a detail so slight it took the woman a long while to notice.
A while that the Gardevoir interpreted as some difficulty. ^Can you hear me, maam?^ she asked, staring at her with her big red eyes.
Y-yes I can, the human whispered back, stunned. I... did not expect it to be this clear.
Palemoon giggled. ^Nope, I figured it was best to put in the effort for the clearest communication I can manage.^
Rens mom nodded absentmindedly, her legs weak as she sat down on the bed. Its really appreciated. Thank you, Lunai-if thats your name, I heard Ren calling you that and it felt like a nickname he came up with; my apologies...
The care in the humans words was appreciated, though Luna felt it veered back into worry. The least she could do was reassure her host that everything was right. ^Luna is a name Ren gave me, yes. But you have nothing to be sorry for, maam.^
No, no, I can ask him to use the proper name going forward. The last thing I want is for him to disrespect you... the human continued, nerves not soothed any.
^But I like Luna. Its not a name my family uses, but its still a name, one Ren gave me in good faith. Why wouldnt I use it?^ she genuinely asked. It felt like she mightve been unknowingly brushing against some human taboo the boy had been himself unfamiliar with, and she wanted to help get that whole misunderstanding dealt with.
His mom didnt have any good answers to her question. Once she realized the calmness in the Gardevoirs words was as genuine as it got, though, she finally calmed down, but didnt change the topic. I-I see. Ill admit, not a mindset Im familiar with, but if he isnt saying anything offensive, then I suppose I have no grounds to intervene. Still, Id be keen on knowing your reum, the more commonly used name, if its not a problem. The boys mom was clearly having a tricky time processing it all, especially when she looked towards her guest and got a reminder, again and again, that she was having this conversation with a mon.
It wasnt lost on Palemoon, but it was something she could ask about later. ^Its not! In that case, my name is Predictably, seeing the full extent of her name had quite an effect on the poor woman; her eyes went wide as she leaned back in her seat. It was a lot even for someone who knew it was coming, and for those less learned about psychics, it often registered as a hallucination.
Whether it was one, the woman didnt know, and didnt have the brainpower to dwell about. The concerns of manners came first. I... I am not sure how to pronounce something like... that, she sheepishly admitted, utterly out of her depth.
The Gardevoir could only laugh, the sound calming down the atmosphere in the room. ^My friends tend to just call me Palemoon. Orrrrrr Luna! I really like that name. I mean it. It means a lot to have someone give me a name they like.^
Rens mom took a bit longer than necessary processing Palemoons words, still reeling after the impromptu spectacle in her head, but she eventually got the reassurance. I see. Well, if its a name you like, th-then I dont see why I shouldnt use Luna, too. O-oh my goodness, in all this I forgot to introduce myself, didnt I? Im Watanabe Kaori, Rens mother. Palemoon nodded eagerly as the boys mom introduced herself, though she didnt respond right awayshe clearly wasnt done talking just yet.
Now that I can tell you this directly, I... thank you so much for saving my son, Luna. I dont know what wouldve happened if not for your intervention. The words hung heavy, and even though Kaori had been winning the fight against tears so far, it was nowhere near a decided battle. I apologize for our initial reactions, both today and yesterday. If not for Rens insistence in helping you out, you... she trailed off, too ashamed to look Palemoon in the eye as her body shuddered.
The Gardevoir wasnt entirely sure what to say in response. Even if her life being saved came down to her friends insistence, she was still saved in the end, wasnt she? She saw little use in fretting about what-ifs like that. ^Well, I suppose we saved each other, then!^ Her laugh was only partially forced, trying its hardest to diffuse the tension in the air. ^Its okay, Watanabe Kaori. I cannot blame you or Rens father for your fearful reactions, not after the brutality of what happened. Id certainly be afraid of strangers in such a situation too.^ Probably not afraid enough to even consider leaving someone out to die, but that wasnt the point.
The framing of their fear as being afraid of strangers took Kaori aback, but she appreciated Lunas grace on this topic. Thank you, Luna. I suppose the least I can do to repay some of our debt is to repair your outfit. The mention caught Palemoons attention, reminding her of everything shed been wearing at the time. She wasnt afraid, but her eyes still swept the bedroomand Kaori noticed. Oh, its in the living room; I keep my sewing kit there. We didnt want to inadvertently damage it by machine washing it, though, so all the blood is still there, Im afraid. And, just Kaori is enough.
Her last addition hit Palemoon from the left field, derailing her train of thought. It was an appreciated clarification, though it left her curious what the Watanabe part was for. Did it represent the full name, somehow? Maybe it was an adjective of sorts, like the Aspen siblings used? Another topic to ask about later, on top of an entire pile of others.
At least this one is markedly less worrisome.
^You dont have to, Kaori... but Id really appreciate it,^ Palemoon admitted, any facade of humility only going so far when confronted with something that would be very materially useful in the immediate future.
Oh, its no problem at allgods know I already have to patch Rens clothes all the time. I dont think Ive ever worked with what is it, leather? But Im sure Ill get at least something temporary done.
Focusing on leather in Kaoris answer led Palemoon down the rabbit hole of the mental associations; the sheer extent of gore and violence involved almost making her dry-heave. She had no interest in knowing that clothing made of other creatures skin was a concept in human culture, however obvious it was for any tool-using species that hunted. Rens mom bringing such a vile concept up so offhandedly answered the unspoken question whether humans huntedthough that, in itself, wasnt much of a surprise. Besides, the meal they just ate clearly had no shred of flesh in it, so humans were at the very least omnivorous.
Palemoon knew better than to chastise any creature for doing what it had to survive, even if it involved predation. It wasnt her place to judge for what others had no control over. However, she had no interest in learning anything about such practices either, and if there was any other available way of sating oneself without taking other lives, she would insist on them in her presence.
Another tangent that would have to be put off until later. ^I-i-its not leather. J-just canvas,^ Palemoon explained between deep breaths, calming down her stomach.
Oh, thatll be much easier. Dont have much planned for today, so I figure I might as well get started nowdo you want me to bring you anything before I go, Luna? Kaori asked, the words bringing with themselves a very welcome change in topic.
Some more water wouldve been appreciated, but it wasnt what Palemoon wanted the most. ^Actually, Id love to get up and look around if thats alright.^
Not something Kaori expected, but not anything she minded either. Of course! Do you need any help?
It was time to find that one out the hard way. With much of the energy from her breakfast spent by her earlier Healing Pulse, Palemoons movements were once again quite sluggish as she slid her legs off the bed. They wobbled underneath her once she put some actual weight on them, and even though she could stand up on her own, walking was much more uncertain. ^Yeah, I could use some assistance...^
Kaori didnt need to be told twice, getting over her earlier worries as she offered the Gardevoir a shoulder to lean on. The psychics touch was unlike anything shed ever felt before, but it was far from unpleasant, either. It was quite nice even, calming both their minds as they cleared the door frame into a much better lit hallway.
The carpet covering the floor, dyed with much more vivid colors than Palemoon wouldve thought existed, caught her attention first as they left the room. It didnt last long before her gaze was jumping all over the space, every single corner having some items she wasnt familiar with, some colors she wouldnt imagine being replicated easily, some furniture she wasnt sure about the purpose of.
And she was very, very curious. ^That is a beautiful color on the walls,^ Palemoon remarked, brushing her fingers against it. The surface was very firm, closer to stone than clay or wood or even compressed soil. Even beyond the sheer size of this building, utterly excessive considering only a handful of people seemed to live here, the materials and craftsmanship involved were far above anything shed ever seen.
It was luxury, but thats not how Kaori was thinking about it. It seemed to be... normal to her. Expected, even. Palemoon didnt begrudge her for it, didnt intend to frame that observation into mentally painting humans as having over-inflated, impossible expectationsmerely to note that this, all this, was a standard for humans. This size, this excess, these stone walls and hues no berry could replicate. It was humbling, if indirectly so.
Thank you, Kaori answered. Me and Hiroto chose it when we moved in, felt like itd make the corridors feel larger.
^They feel plenty spacious as is, especially with only the three of you,^ Palemoon replied. She hoped that the human woman would step in to correct her if she got the number of occupants wrong, but that didnt end up happeningwhich meant her hunch was correct in the end. All this space, for so few people. And, going by her words, they didnt even build this place, they merely moved in. ^Who built this, out of curiosity?^
Oh, some development company in Rustboro, I think. They built a bunch of those single-family houses a while back, hoping for an influx of new families moving in. Considering how cheaply we got this place for in the end, they way overestimated the attractiveness of this area. Technically still in Rustboro, but the city limits are just a few hundred meters away. And aside from the other houses they built, there are no more buildings down this road for almost two kilometers.
Most of Kaoris explanation went way, way over Palemoons mind, especially everything involving cost or value. All shed picked up from it is that there were other houses like this in the area, and humans... didnt like them. Did they really have so much to choose from that theyd be willing to put down a dwelling this grand because of some less than pleasant views? Though, those racing metal beasts shed seenand definitely heardrunning down those big stone paths mightve had something to do with it. Palemoon definitely wouldnt want to live near those if she could help it. ^Remote or not, this house is still enormous.^
Oh yeah, it is quite spacious. Will come in handy if we ever decide to expand our family some more, Kaori chuckled.
Palemoon smiled at the mental image of the boy getting really, really excited at the thought of getting a younger sibling. Before she could dwell on it, however, another item caught her attention, one shed seen a handful of during her slow march through the house. ^If I may askwhat are these... round objects attached to the ceiling?^
They were round with a yellowy, metallic rim and gray, cloudy center that bulged outwards, straight down. Even a single one looked like fine artisan work, requiring both immense precision, knowledge of metalworking, and adequate handling of whatever the center material was. But there wasnt just one of themin this corridor alone there were three, evenly spaced apart.
It took the human embarrassingly long to figure out the object of her mon guests question. She was so used to the items in question she barely even noticed them most of the timeand definitely nowhere near with the mix of confusion and outright awe as Luna did. These? she asked, pointing at one of the objects in question, and receiving a swift nod in response. These are light fixtures. There are light bulbs inside them, Kaori answered with a bit of confusion in her voice. She had figured the place the Gardevoir was from was on the simpler side, yes, but even they had electrical light, right?
^Light... bulbs?^
Wrong, as it turned out. Um... oh dear. I suppose itll be easiest if I just show you, then, the woman mumbled, before reaching for the nearest of many identical angled items attached to the walls they passed by. If not for the exhaustion in her body and especially legs, she wouldve jumped at the light assaulting her eyes so suddenly, the resulting daze taking a while to blink through. Far weaker than a Dazzling Gleam, sure, but perhaps even more startling. O-oh goodness, Luna, are you alright?
The Gardevoir nodded as a couple of stray tears flew down her cheeks. ^Y-yes, yes, it just surprised me. Ive never seen anything like that, Kaori.^
Thats... unexpected, the woman mumbled, some of the earlier uncertainty getting added to.
^We have nothing like that in our tents and burrows. It looks really handy, too.^ Palemoon meant her compliment, but Kaoris attention was instead drawn to the mention of burrows specifically. She knew some of the isolated tribes around the mountain foothills lived in mobile tents, but burrows was a new one.
Quite odd Kaori began, before the third voice Palemoon had heard earlier cut her off. She sighed, and called back, Yes, Im talking to Luna, Hiroto. Yes, talking, she stressed, sighing.
They wouldnt have to walk for much longer to find the source of the questioning words. The room Palemoon and Kaori emerged into was one the former had recognized from yesterday, when she first examined the building. Very wide, padded chairs, an oddly tall table, large windows and what she couldve sworn was once a massive black rectangle attached high to the wall. In its place was something very different, something she struggled to put words tomoving pictures displayed on a large, horizontal canvas, so similar and yet so different from the visions and stimuli her kin could experience and present to each other.
Watching said moving pictures was the last human of the house, his appearance not substantially different from Kaori. Slightly shorter, slightly wider, with slightly shorter hair. Palemoon didnt know if the appearance differences between them were minor by human standards, though they certainly felt so by hers. Except maybe the shape of their chin, though that couldve been something she was biased towards noticing.
HisHirotos, if Kaoris call was aimed towards himmind gathered much more of Palemoons attention than his appearance. He was still rather apprehensive and fearful towards her, though it thankfully didnt veer into any sort of hostilityor comments. He was sitting on one of the plush seats beside the central, wide one, with a ceramic cup full of something steaming on the nearby table and a glowing black rectangle in his grasp.
A colder reception, but Palemoon tried not to sweat it. She offered the man a warm smile; he responded with a light nod, as Kaori guided her towards the very wide seat. Between her damaged outfit taking up a decent chunk of it, and a handful of barely-visible-anymore reddish stains on the nearby fabric, she guessed this was where the humans first moved her to while rescuing her.
She sighed in relief as she sat down, twisting herself to the side to avoid poking her horn at anything. Beside her, Kaori wasted no time getting to work patching her poncho up, flaking away bits of dried blood each time the large needle pierced through the stained fabric. The resulting silence was appreciated, but didnt end up lasting longnot with the youngest member of the house having finally wrapped up his dishwashing chores. With a light, creaking noise, a nearby din Palemoon hadnt even noticed before it finally went quiet, followed by rustling sounds, and finally, excited steps.
Mom mom Im done washing*gasp!* Hey Luna! Ren beamed the moment he ran into the living room, immediately climbing onto the couch beside his magical friend. The closeness drew a nervous look from his dad, but neither the boy nor his Gardevoir friend noticed. Oh oh oh, if youre done with breakfast, wanna see my room? It isnt too big, but it has all my
Reeeeen, I think it might be for the best if you don''t drag Luna to your room the first thing after breakfast, Kaori gently chided. Shes still tired, and the last thing shes gonna want to do is climb upstairs.
Awwwwh... the boy groaned, more disappointed than genuinely hurt.
His moms words werent exactly what the Gardevoir herself wouldve said, but... yes, she couldnt deny being quite drained. ^Maybe you can show it to me later?^
It was just what Ren needed to return to his full excitement. Yeah! Maybe once youre not tired anymore?
And right now, how about you bring the toys you want to show Luna down here, Ren? his mom suggested, getting the gears in his little head turning. Normally, he wasnt supposed to play with them in the living room, but if his mom had outright suggested something like that, then itd surely be okay to do this time.
Okie! Ill be right back, Luna! The boy wasted no time before dashing up the stairsor rather, breaking into the worlds shortest sprint, followed by slowing down juuuust slow enough to be walking, remembering what his parents said about running indoors.
And change out of your jammies while youre up there, Kaori added, sighing in an equal mix of amusement and exasperation.
The exchange left Luna giggling quietly, glad Ren was so eager to share his interests with her. Between the remoteness and being the only child, it sure felt like he didnt have too many peers to play with most of the time, the thought souring some of the Gardevoirs smile. Maybe she was just misreading the situation; maybe his friends often came over to visit? Many different alternatives.
Oh, Luna, how does something like this look? Kaoris question spurred Palemoon out of her pondering, tired body complaining as it turned around on the couch to examine the humans handiwork. The stitches going across the first bit of the jagged cut werent the most regular or evenly spaced, but they were thick and looked strong, more than appropriate for now. The Gardevoir nodded in appreciation, and the woman remarked, Hope this will at least be enough for the walk back home, and come off easily enough for your human to patch it in some more permanent way.
...
Oh... oh no.
^Whatwhat do you mean by my human?^ Palemoon tentatively asked.
The air turned icy as soon as she finished beaming the words to Kaoris head. She watched as the human womans calm-ish expression filled with first confusion, then shock, then fear, the latter quickly spreading back to the Gardevoir. The two could only stare at each other as Ren ran back into the room, carrying some dolls Palemoon had seen yesterday in his arms. He wasted no time before getting comfortable on the opposite side of his magical friend, with the realization that there was a wild pokemon between herself and her son only intensifying his moms fear even further.
Palemoon had no idea what shed done wrong for this less nervous of the two adult humans to suddenly grow so terrified of her, terrified that she would hurt her son. She feared what Kaori might do; she was upset at the sudden downturn in mood; her body still achedbut she knew she had to take the charge and speak up. If not her, nobody else would. ^Kaori,^ she telepathically whispered, making the woman flinch. ^I dont know what I said wrong, but Im sorry. I-I promise I wont hurt Ren.^
She was hurt and some of that definitely leaked into her mental voice, and Kaori noticed. It mellowed the worst of her fear, but much of it remained, and the two were still stuck staring at one another even as Ren began going over his action figures. His words, however cheerful and excited, were lost in the tense noise.
Kaori had no idea how to handle all this, but before doing anything further, she opted to confirm her realization first. A part of her hoped, however foolishly, that this was just a misunderstanding and that the people Luna lived with simply used some other terms. She cautiously leaned forward and whispered as quietly as she could manage, D-do you l-live with humans?
The answer was obviousand damning. ^No, I do not. This is my first time meeting any humans, though Ive heard of them before.^ She wanted to go further, to finally get answers to those earlier worrisome questions that were now suddenly being brought into full focus, whether anyone wanted them to or not. Once more, she had to wait. As scared as she herself was right now, Kaoris fear went way, way further, and the last thing she wanted to do was make one of her saviors panic.
Kaori winced at her answer, but maintained whatever she had left of her composure. Without saying a word, she nodded, got up, and approached her husband. The cacophony ringing from her head ached Palemoon if she as much as tried listening to it. It dripped with fear about her potentially hurting them all, and especially Ren. Knowledge that the Gardevoir had saved the boy not even twenty-four hours ago was there, too. It tried to counteract the panic, subdue it however it could, but it could only do so much.
Her husband fared similarly. His body and mind alike stiffened the moment his wifes whispers reached his ears, and his gaze clung to her and refused to let go. It was suffocating; it was humiliating; it wasit was downright insulting to be treated with such suspicion after shed put her own life on the line! Palemoon wanted to be the bigger person, but she wished she didnt have to be. She hurt, feeling no less betrayed than the parents did, but tried her best not to show it. The handful of stray tears leaking down her cheeks ratted her out before long, though.
Ren, on the other hand, was growing annoyed. He was used to his parents not listening much when he went on about his toys or cartoons he watched, or anything he found interesting, but he hoped that at least Luna would be different in that regard. And yet, here she was, not saying anything, not listening, not even looking at him as he kept trying to catch her attention. He even tried pulling on her arm, first gently and then less so, but she only grew stiffer as a result, continuing to stare at his parents
His parents were whispering between each other. He hated when they did that. Whats going on!? Ren finally shouted, upset and frustrated. His voice made everyone in the room jump, finally breaking them out of their tense deadlock.
Involving him in what was sure to be an awful conversation was the last thing his parents wanted to do, but by now it was clear they would have to. Kaori sighed out loud, took a deep breath, and announced, Its... its time for a serious talk. Ren flinched, huddling as close to Palemoon as he could. He hated serious talks. They always sucked, and either left him sad, or left his parents sad. That association wasnt lost on his mom, either. You didnt do anything wrong, Ren, I promise.
The reassurance was always welcome, though it did little here. He was still confused, everyone else was still afraid, and nobody was speaking up about what was going on.
Until, finally, Luna broke the news to him, letting his mom hear her words too. ^You were the first human I met, Ren.^
The news was a surprise to him too, though with none of the deathly terror his parents felt when hearing it. R-really? he asked, bright curiosity cutting through the ambient worry. Wh-what about your owner?
^II dont have an owner, Ren.^
Chapter 4: Clarity
Rens reaction to the revelation that had so utterly terrified his parents was... a confused blink, followed by steadily growing surprise. Contrary to the other humans in the room, however, thats where his emotions stayed, not making the leap into the pits of all-consuming terror. He eyed her up, trying to spot something not even he could put words to, before finally admitting, with the bluntness only a six-year-old is capable of, Thats so weird!
Is it weird? Is it really weird to not be owned by human standards? Im not sure if I even want to know the answer to that question.
Not noticing Palemoons dismay, the boy continued. Does that mean youre wild?
Palemoon got all the way to preparing to send her words into his and his moms minds before stopping herself, flinching at how even that obvious question was made so much more difficult in the current context. Because no, she wasnt a wildling, of course she wasnt! She had nothing against them, of course, but living in her peoples commune, in that fixed spot, was very different from the nomadic, transient lifestyles of most other mons. To her, the answer was as simple as no, but she and the humans werent interpreting the question in the same waythat much was clear to her.
For a moment, she wanted to go into that detail, to explain that she wasnt wild, that her people had customs and culture, but... but. The more she thought about it, the worse that idea sounded. After all, if the concept of wildness as humans used it was related to being owned, then her people not being owned could have bad consequences for them considering how terrified Rens parents got when they realized she wasnt owned, either. It would track, but with how immensely unpleasant thinking about it was, Palemoon deeply hoped that wasnt the case. Ultimately, all she could do was ask while not revealing her hand. And thats what she did, after an overlong moment of thought. ^Well... what do you mean by wild, Ren?^
The boy didnt expect that kind of question. To him, the distinction lived in the same group as other concepts adults usedunchanging, absolute, downright inscribed in the fabric of reality, even if thats not how hed describe it. He wasnt used to people using different definitions for the same word, or even to anyone not being familiar with such pervasive concepts as that. He didnt let that stop him for long, though. If Luna didnt know what wild meant, it meant he could do his favorite thing in the worldexplain! He looked up at her with an eager smile before reciting what he remembered. My teacher told me that the wild mons live in forests and in mountains and in seas! And that the do-dom-duh
Domesticated? Kaori hesitantly cut in. It was only then that Palemoon noticed that the moving pictures Hiroto had been watching had disappeared in the meantime, leaving the glossy black canvas empty.
Damasicateded, thanks mom! Ren confidently replied. They live with humans and mostly stay in pokeballs!
It was a very simplistic, downright childish description of that topic. As far as Palemoon was concerned, a perfect match for the division shed just heard described, woefully inadequate for any practical purposes.
And not just because it placed her and her entire people in the category of wild.
That detail was disappointing; the mention of the pokeballs sent a shiver down her spine despite it being Palemoons first time hearing of that kind of itembut her attention was somewhere else entirely. She kept a close watch on Rens parents emotions throughout, how they shifted at their sons explanation. How they turned even more scared, especially at that last word. It was a different fear, though. It wasnt aimed at her inherent nature anymore, not caused by her just being dangerous, but specifically afraid of her reaction to what their son was talking about.
Palemoon wished she could say it was entirely unfounded.
As much as it hurt her to admit, it wasnt. There was something seriously wrong going on, both in this very room and in the human society at large, and her patiencevast as it waswasnt bottomless. The steadily building frustration made her want to up the heat, to go from beyond this meekness and on the offensive instead; to start demanding answers. About them, about how they and humanity as a whole treated mons, about why they were thinking in the terms of wild versus domesticated. About why they saw themselves as so inherently different from other living beings as to make their mere presence domesticating.
None of that would accomplish anything, and the awareness of that hurt even more than all the surrounding fright. Shed maybe find out something terrifying, something that would inevitably prove her elders right despite her sincerest wishesand for what? Terrifying these random people who, despite their messed up attitudes, saved her life? Antagonizing the only people she knew that could offer her insight into not just the whats, but also the whys of human existence?
This was the most justified opportunity to let all the murky, negative emotions roam loose shed had in ages. But, even here, theyd do the only thing they always dohurt and destroy. Palemoon didnt want to destroy, she wanted to build. Build understanding, build compassion, maybe even rebuild trust between herself and the humansboth ways. Itd be the trust that would have to come first, no matter what. She neither knew nor cared for any move nor trick of mind that would help with that. The only way to build trust, real trust, was the oldest and slowest way.
And she just got an idea for how to start that process. ^I think Id be wild in that case, Ren,^ she answered calmly. His fascinated gasp mightve been a much more positive reaction than his parents, but ultimately came from the same spot of expecting her, as a wild creature, to be inherently different to them. It was understandable. It was disappointing.
It didnt matter, because she continued before the boy could say anything in response. ^Ren, could you go sit closer to your parents?^ Her question was as calm as she could manage in the moment, not revealing the roiling murk in her head.
That didnt make it any more understandable, though. But why? he asked, disappointed.
So that your parents dont fear me as much.
^I could use a bit of alone space at the moment.^ Palemoons explanation wasnt even technically truthful. Shed have loved for someone she trusted to slide up to her and offer her comfort throughout all this. Hell, shed have loved for Ren to stay where he was, his nigh-unstoppable warmth making the freezing fear that bit easier to manage. Alas, she wouldnt have the former for a while, and the latter would be better spent reassuring his parents.
Ren groaned, but didnt question the excuse. Awwwh... okay. He twisted his face into a grumpy expression as he slid off the couch and walked over to his parents, blinking in surprise once his father suddenly wrapped an arm around him and held him closer. A part of Palemoon expected that kind of reaction, but that only slightly dulled how much it hurt.
Fortunately, Kaori caught onto her intent. She watched as the wild Gardevoir on their living room sofa calmly asked her son to get back to his parents, taking away the singular biggest source of her and her husbands unrest. The situation was still terrifying, the power imbalance as stark as ever, but at least now she knew the feral psychic was operating in good faith.
The words that followed only reinforced that.
^Kaori,^ Palemoon began, her tone direct yet calm. ^II can feel how terrified you and your husband are, and... it doesnt feel nice. Im unfamiliar with how human society works, how humans think of other mons, and Im just incredibly confused right now. I have no reason to hurt any of you, especially Ren, even if you were to tell me about something awful that humans do. I dont want you two to be so scared of me, I justI just want to talk.^
Unemotional as Palemoons mental words were, her body language was anything but that. She was slightly hunched over, her attention shifting between the floor and the opposite wall, not wanting to unnerve them all by as much as looking at them. Her eyes were glazed over, maintaining composure with increasing difficulty.
More than anything else, Kaori couldnt help but be reminded of her son when he got especially scared but tried to tough through it. And yet, she knew the situations werent easily comparable. One was her little human son, the other was a powerful, wild psychic.
And yet, they both spoke. They had both shared breakfast like equals; they both cried and bled and acted compassionately towards the other. They were more alike than she wouldve ever expected, more alike than she couldve ever hoped. She was as baffled at all this as she was scared, even after the worst of the earlier terror had cooled off. A wild pokemon was speaking at her, pleading to talk to her, deliberately avoiding any displays of force in order to calm her and her husband down. This shouldnt have been possible.
...
Just like psychics shouldnt have been able to talk like this, according to her high school education. The unquestioned lesson about psychic telepathy being merely a mimicry of speech used to lure their prey or frighten away predators was easy to discard in light of first-hand evidence. The equally unquestioned lesson about wild mons being feral, predatory, and lacking higher order thinking? That one was much harder to get rid of, try as she might. She was finally picking away at the edges of that bigoted mental sticker, though. Just had to keep trying until she could get a good grasp on one of its corners.
Ren hadnt reacted at all to Lunas words, still squirming uncomfortably in his dads protective embrace. There was no way Kaori could respond to the Gardevoirs words without her son overhearing. Might as well speak clearly and out loud. Luna, we... she began, flinching at her boys surprised gazesone of confusion, the other of terror. We are afraid, yes. Youyou are so much more powerful than us. If you wanted to hurt us, kill us even, there would be absolutely nothing we could do to stop you. Weve been taught our entire lives wild mons are unpredictable and dangerous. And... that isnt fair. Its not true, either, r-right?
Kaori flinched internally at her own rhetorical question, regretting framing her words like that. Of course it wasnt true, how could it have been true? You saved Ren, its obviously not true, ImIm sorry for that, Luna.
Just a few feet away from her, Palemoon was focused on an entirely different part of Kaoris response, enough so for her faux pas to not even register. The assertion that Kaori and her family wouldnt have been able to do anything to her was absurd on its face. Sure, they havent given off the impression of being anything but Normal-types, but even those still could Tackle, or Body Slam, or one of the myriad of other basic moves to break out of her psychic grip and dodge her attacks. And wouldve been if she could draw from her psychic strength and it hadnt been completely shot from overexertion, on top of her other injuries.
Kaoris words frankly made no sense. Which sucked for Palemoon, because they were said as truthfully as possible. The ball was in her court to explain how that could be true, and she was drawing blanks. Left with no likely explanation, she mumbled, ^Im not sure why you consider me so powerful. Im not a fighter, I only know a couple of offensive moves, ImIm a healer in training.^
Ren tried to chime in, utterly confused by the discussion he was only hearing one half of. As had happened many times before, though, his dad held him that bit closer once he was about to speak, wordlessly cutting him off. This wasnt the time. It never was the time.
His mom just chuckled sadly in return. Well, thats a couple more than we do. We dont know any moves; we cant do any of that magical stuff you can do. Were just humans.
Just humans echoed in Palemoons mind, as did the assertion that they werent capable of using any moves. The former was telling, the latter absurd. It couldnt have been true. For a moment, she tried to entertain the idea that Kaori wasnt lying, but simply misinformed, but that made little sense either. The Gardevoir closed her eyes and concentrated, plunging the room into a tense silence as she focused on the three humans. Fueled by the most outlandish idea shed heard in her entire journey so far, she tried to find any sign of that energy that coursed through the veins of all the other creatures, from the lowliest insects to the most fearsome hunters.
That every creature had an alignment with one of those energies, one of those types, Palemoon and everyone she knew took as an axiom. It was observably true. She often wondered which type the unfamiliar creatures she encountered had, but only that. They mustve had a type, right?
Right?
The humans before her did not. And the more she thought about the implications of that, the more things fell into place.
Without that inner strength, they wouldnt have been able to either use or absorb others moves. They wouldve been physically weak and way outmatched in any combat situation. They wouldve either had to avoid creatures that did have a type, or find other methods to protect themselves against them. All of that was observably true, in their words and actions alike.
The only creatures that didnt have that inner strength were supposed to be the lesser beings that crawled through the earth; the ones too tiny to even be sentient. And yet, the trio of macroscopic, intelligent creatures sharing the room with her also fit that category, tiling the field in her mind for an exquisite existential crisis down the line. Not now, thoughthe implications of human weakness came first, and they were telling.
The fear Rens parents felt was still awful, but... it made sense, it made a terrifying amount of sense. Of course theyd be afraid, hopelessly paralyzed in fear at the thought of what was almost a demigod in comparison in their midst, wild and uncontrollable. Even the wild and domesticated division made sense, terrifying as the prospect of the latter was. It wasnt a justification, it wasnt even an excuse, but it was an answer, the answer shed sorely lacked until now.
It was sobering. She wanted to cry. ^I... I think I understand now. I wouldnt have ever imagined myself stirring that kind of fear in anyone. It doesnt feel nice, butbut its understandable.^ Between the unease in the room and how unavoidable said unease felt, what remained of Palemoons cheer eroded fast. Was this really it? Was that mutual fear really the best things would ever get?
Kaori had no answers to those questions. What she had, however, was a pair of eyeballs, and those were keen to inform her that their guest was feeling even worse now. Between her somber tone and deflating posture, Luna wasnt hiding her reaction to the news at alland it hurt to watch. With every exchanged word, with every shared revelation, with every tear the Gardevoir was valiantly keeping away from flowing down her face, the human woman felt for her more and more. Shed almost given her life to save someone she didnt even know the name of, only to be treated with suspicion and fear the second she clarified who she was. On an analytical level, it wasnt fair at all.
On an emotional level, Kaori dreaded getting a single step closer. The danger was obvious, and even in her understanding, Luna didnt deny it at all. She was still a wild psychic; she could still burn their house or fry them with electricity or even maul them to death, without them being able to do anything to stop her. All that remained true.
But, for the first time, Kaori no longer thought Luna would do that. However intense the fears grip on her mind was earlier, it had waned enough for her better nature to come out on top, and act on what she saw before her. Her son may have been way ahead of her on that one, trying to squirm away from his dads arms only to be held in place, but she wasnt being restrained like that.
With her heart pounding, she stood up from her crouched position and approached the Gardevoir. Her husband stared in shock, Luna in surprise, and Ren, in envy. The psychic remained frozen as the human folded up her patched-up outfit before taking a seat on the freed-up space, not expecting that kind of reaction at all.
Neither did Palemoon expect the gentle embrace that followed, but that one had a much more stark effect on her. Without straightening her hunched-over posture, she returned the affection however she could. Her hands shook as she wrapped them around Kaori, her larger size and fuller build compared to Ren making that much less awkward. She could tell the human was still fighting internally about whether this was a good idea, still had to wrestle against her worse naturebut she was fighting, she was wrestling, and Palemoon appreciated that more than words could express. Kaori had every reason to distrust her, but here she was, actively putting herself at more of a risk to...
...to comfort her. To help her with her own fright, her own dread, her own sadness. It reminded Palemoon of when she was but a Ralts, getting scared as easily as she got fascinated, only for her family to help her process those feelings every time with affection. She wasnt a little one any longer; it wasnt her family, and the reassurance here went both ways, but the core was much the same.
And so would be her response. ^Th-thank you, Kaori.^ She felt the warmth blooming within the human at her words, and then felt it be mirrored back to her. Compared to the freezing coldness of just moments before, it was downright blissful.
Youreyoure welcome, Luna. I wont deny, ImIm still not sure how to process all of this, Kaori admitted, her hands stopping as she sunk into her thoughts. Everything Ive ever heard about mons tells me I should be afraid of you. But it sure is growing increasingly hard to pretend the young woman sitting on my couch would ever just decide to hurt us on a whim, ha!
Of course she wouldnt! Ren added with all the confidence in the world. His boldness stirred giggling in his mom and guest alikeas well as lowered his dads guard enough to let him finally slip away. He heard the gasp behind himself, but paid it no mind, determined to help his friend feel better in this serious talk theyve all been dragged into.
It helped immensely. ^Thank you for your trust, Kaori. And you too, Ren,^ Palemoon added as she expanded her psychic words to include the boy again. She closed her eyes as she savored the reassurance emanating from the humans beside her, their trust helping her overcome the worst of her earlier despair. Still, beside the two blissful presences, there was still the third, frigid one, and this one she had no idea how to deal with or reassure.
Which, thankfully, couldnt be said for Kaori. Hiroto, I meant what I said, she stated firmly, looking at her husband. His words were worried, uncertainand above anything else, confused. You didnt hear what Luna said because she can only talk to me and Ren right now. If you want to talk to her, youll have to let her... uh...
^Establish a link between myself and him,^ the Gardevoir chimed in.
Do the psychic... link, thing. I dont know how it works honey, but she does, and if were gonna talk about all this, Id rather we talk all together. Hirotos response was predictably uneasy, bringing up a couple of points that each chilled Kaoris mindfor about half a second before being dismissed. Look at her and tell me she looks dangerous, honey. Yes, shes a psychic, and thank the gods for that because otherwise we wouldnt have been able to talk at all.
The father of the family said something in return, and this time, it was Rens turn to cut in. But why would she do that, dad? he asked, baffled. Palemoon wasnt sure she even wanted to know what these words were said in response to.
What they were responded to with, however, were more excuses; the tone of voice that aired them was even meeker than before. If not for everything else that was going on, Palemoon wouldve found it sad. Kaori, however, saw an opportunity. I know its hard, but... can you just trust me on this, Hiroto? Because no, I cant prove to you she wont hurt us, any more that I cant prove to you that I wont hurt us. It just comes down to trust, and if you could just hear her and talk to her, I dont doubt that said trust would be a lot easier to build.
Kaoris words plunged her husband into a thoughtful silence, eventually broken with a weak chuckle and a mumbled remark. For once, there was no more denial in it, nowhere near as much of unpleasant-feeling fearjust an uncertain, troubled acceptance. His wife wasnt feeling anywhere as confident as she wouldve wanted to either, nodding slowly and admitting, Yeah. Have to take that leap of faith somewhere, Hiroto. Thats just how it goes.
Palemoon watched in silence as Hiroto processed everything going on in his head, only occasionally finding the courage to look up at her directly. Some of her found it sad; some of her was morbidly curious just what heand his wife, by extensionthought she would do to them if provoked. Both feelings were dwarfed by her desire to not be feared, by a feeble hope that they would just end up all getting along, no matter the power differential between them. She glanced over at Ren, focusing on his affection and kindness instead. Anything to stave off the hopelessness just that bit more.
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For a moment, she wondered where Rens positive outlook towards her was coming from; what about him was so different as to not leave him as terrified as his parents. Was it just the bliss of ignorance? Did he just not know about all the theoretical violence she and any other mon could inflict upon him, their improbableness not mattering as far as humans en mass were concerned? But, if that was the case, then he wouldnt have maintained that warmth even after shed scared that Ursaring away, right?
There were holes in that possibility, other explanations than just these two, but Palemoon couldnt help but cling to the latter. Even if just as a coping strategy.
She wouldnt get much use out of it, though. The atmosphere in the room shifted before long, drawing her focus away from the psychic equivalent to rocking in place and towards Hirotos actions. For the first time since shed walked into the room, the human pulled his back away from his seat and leaned forward, if tentatively. He had his hand before himself, fingers shaking as he actively struggled to keep himself from retreating.
Luna, my husband Kaori began, before going quiet as the Gardevoir took the initiative. She shuffled that bit closer to the final untranslated human, before extending her blue arm as far out in his direction as she could. Palm up, fingers splayed, ready to be touched. Ready to be trusted.
It was a task that said human wished was as easy as his wife was making it sound. He stared, conflicted, chewing through everything going on, both what he could see and what he had to trust his wife about. That Gardevoirs eyes were obviously intelligent, and yet so very different. Its expression looked sad, but was it, really? What if all of this had been a trap all along; what if he was being actively pulled into a trap? What if all of this had been planned from the beginning, merely the first chapter of something far more sinister that started with the wild psychic getting into their heads?
In the most frank way possible, it made no bloody sensenor did it have to. It was perhaps the single factor that made it harder than any other, one that not just added difficulty to the idea of him trusting the Gardevoir, but which sabotaged the very idea of trust. Pokemon didnt make sense, they didnt have to make sense! Every single folk tale Hiroto had heard from his family up north, every single factoid hed memorized for his classes, every scrap of procedure taught to him while he was studying to treat the victims of mon attacksall were different, messy, often incompatible in details, but all agreed on one central point.
Pokemon werent like them, didnt operate on the same logic as them.
They could never be trusted, not the wild ones, because they operated on fundamentally different rules. Rules of instinct, territory, battles, disproportionate retribution to even the most transient offense. Some people, like trainers, could understand them sometimes, channel their wild natures towards what they wanted, but their understanding would forever remain fragmented and their trust conditional. Even domestication with pokeballs and breeding didnt get rid of all of itespecially when considering how many Scratch or Tackle injuries he had to treat every day, all from people who wouldnt ever dream of being trainers.
Hed spent his entire life assuming all that without a second thoughtand yet, his own partner now disagreed with that. The idea of talking to a wild psychic like that was outlandish on its face, as was it ever being a young woman. That term was meant for people. Which was the entire point.
Hiroto didnt, couldnt trust the Gardevoir sitting on his couch. But he did trust his wife, now and always, despite how immensely difficult that feat was in the present. Maybe nothing would happen. Maybe hed be immediately enlightened, suddenly capable of perceiving the world from the perspective of a being so inherently different to him that certain parts of Hoenn used entirely different verbs when talking about them. Maybe theyd all fall asleep and never wake up again. There was no way to know but to make that leap; to reach his hand towards Lunas blue one; to surrender, even if for just a second, to a force their entire civilization was built around resisting.
It felt nice to the touch; he had to admit that.
Palemoons head spun at the barreling train of thought inside Hirotos mind. Even the glimpses of it she could faintly sense were laced with so much distrust she just wanted to withdraw completely and spend the day crying. And yet, she didnt. He didnt, either, the eventual touch of his rougher, more weathered skin on her own immediately cutting through her mental murk. She refocused her gaze on him, their eyes eventually locking together.
Their eyes are so, so weird, thought both of them.
Shocking as Hirotos willingness to continue was, Palemoon soon finally got herself together to act on it. She closed her eyes and held his hand as gently as she could, anything to avoid further unease or fear on his end. The extension of her mind, strained and bruised as it was, took its time traveling through him, making the hair on his arms stand on end.
And then, at last, the sensation he feared, something being done to his mind. A pressure on the back of his head, first dull, then sharp, and finally absent altogether once more, all of them happening too fast to even give him a chance to react to them. And then... the wild psychic let go of his hand, withdrawing its own back to its lap. He followed in kind immediately afterwards, heart hammering in his chest as if only narrowly avoiding being run over by a car.
The words that followed didnt help any with his heart rate, but at least they utterly distracted him away from any further colorful mental imagery. ^Hello,^ a young, feminine voice spoke. It wasnt quite disembodied, but he could only vaguely narrow down where he thought he was hearing it fromthe Gardevoir sitting on his couch. ^Can you understand me?^
He could. This shouldnt have been possible.
Palemoon and the rest of Hirotos family watched as their husband and father reacted to finally hearing Lunas voice. His wide eyes and shallow gasp drew giggles out of his son and a faint, but visible, smirk from his wife. The Gardevoir herself wasnt feeling as upbeat as either of them, though. She was still on edge about whether Hiroto wouldnt end up lashing out at her after all. She stiffened as she watched him lift a hand from the sofas armrest, then examine itand finally, do the unthinkable.
Ow, Hiroto grunted, not expecting the pinch on his neck to be anywhere near this painful.
His son just found it all even funnier than before. Whyd you do that, dad? Ren asked, peeking from behind his cool Gardevoir friend.
I thought I was dreaming there, in all honesty. Hirotos tone was dazed, somewhat disbelieving, but nowhere near as tense as it had once been. Palemoon thought it didnt come off as particularly masculinenot by the standards of her kin, at least. Very elderly, if anything, what with its lower pitch and a bit of huskiness.
I envy your dreams then, Kaori chuckled. Mine are all showing up late to high school classes and forgetting to put my pants on before going outside. A-are you feeling alright, though? Still processing it? What about you, Luna?
Palemoon closed her eyes and breathed deeply, shaking off whatever stress she could, now that nothing terrible had happened. ^ImI think Im alright. It was just... hard for a moment, with all the fear and all.^
Luna was obviously not fully alright, even after trying to ground herself, and Kaori noticed. She slid closer to the Gardevoir, and offered her a shoulder to lean onwhich the Gardevoir immediately took. This had all been a lot for all of them, even ignoring the incredibly heavy topics from earlier, but Luna had to have been taking it especially hard. Right, with your... psychics, right? Well, I hope that now that we can all hear each other, itll get easier for you as far as all that fear goes.
If Hiroto had been listening, he couldve noticed the heavy-handed allusion to him in his wifes words. Alas, he was still processing her earlier question, still trying to cram the fact of being able to understand Lunas words into his mind alongside the preexisting knowledge. Somewhat predictably, he couldntby design. These just didnt fit together, which only left two options for whoever had found themselves at these mental crossroads. Either everything he knew had to be discarded, or what he was seeing and hearing had to be discarded.
Hiroto chose to skip his turn for now, finally coming up with what to say soon after. Im quite lost, in all honesty, and unsure what to think right now.
I can only imagine, ha, Kaori chuckled, herself having already begun to dismantle the mental bookshelf that held the facts she thought she knew.
^About what, if you dont mind me asking?^
Lunas question dragged Hirotos attention back to his living room, and then to the Gardevoir leaning on his wife. Normally, a wiser, more cowardly part of him wouldve intervened, prohibiting him from bringing up the topic he was about to at all cost. Fortunately for the rest of him and everyone else around, said part of him was lying down in the basement of his mind, tied to a chair after having been knocked out in one fell swoop of a gesture.
And so; he was honest. I find it so hard to believe that Im hearing and understanding a wild pokemon.
Here was that wild thing again. Palemoon knew better than to take offense to these words, despite having every reason to do so. She was much more curious about that fundamental division they had brushed on earlier, and now that the room wasnt being suffocated in fear, it was her time to find out the what and why behind it. ^Would it have been more likely if I hadnt been wild?^ she asked, trying to keep her voice as free of judgment and veiled anger as possible. It wasnt meant to be an accusation. Though, considering that genuine questions about the subject ended up sounding like accusations, it didnt leave her with a lot of optimism about what shed end up hearing.
Hiroto didnt spot that veiled anger that Luna tried to avoidbut his wife did. Oh dear, Im sorry Luna. Thats not what he
^But it is,^ the Gardevoir cut her off. ^I know it is. Im not angry, Im just... lost.^ Ren didnt know what to add to the conversation, the bulk of it going way above his head, but he knew he could make his friend feel better by holding her closeralways a good idea, that.
Hiroto, on the other hand, put words to what had been drilled into his head his entire life, and aired it out for the Gardevoir to see. Possibly... Luna. Its hard to say, though. To some extent, I wouldnt have ever expected to be able to understand any pokemon, but if I were to understand any of them, itd be a domesticated one. It was a suitable answer to Lunas question. It was also completely insufficient at covering the real reason shed asked it, and the father of the household knew.
He continued, As to why, well. Ive always been taught that humans and pokemon are inherently different on every level. Not just in what we can do, but in how we think, why we act, and all that. Its much harder to trust somethingsomeone if you just cant understand why they do the things they do. And since domesticated mons spend much more time with humans, and are friendlier with pokeballs, I figured that was in part because their way of thinking had become more human, more backed by reason.
The well that fueled humanitys fears had turned out to be even deeper than Palemoon couldve ever expected. Hirotos answer was nonsense, harder to understand than even Kaoris earlier explanation about humans not being able to use any moves. Sure, many, many different kin did different things she couldnt, and likely wouldnt ever get. She didnt understand why many birds migrated, the intricacies of why many predator species were as territorial as they were, and plenty of other behaviorsbut that didnt mean they werent derived from the same needs as her own behavior. Sustenance, comfort, safety, belonging, happiness, reproduction, all those and more.
Learning that she, and her kin as a whole, werent all that different from others was an eye-opening lesson when she was still a Ralts. If anything, humanity at large had internalized the precisely opposite message, one that was as incorrect on its face as it was being diligently sustained by every single facet of how they lived and organized.
If it hadnt been so monstrous to think about, it wouldve been so, so incredibly sad.
Palemoon nodded firmly and looked straight at Hiroto. ^From what Ive seen and talked to you all so far, that couldnt be further from the truth. Yes, you all have been acting differently than, say, my family, but only in how all kin act differently from one another in certain ways. No more, and no less.^
Kaori looked at her husband as they both chewed on Lunas words, its message clear. And yet, neither of them fully took it the way Palemoon had intendedstill, close enough for the time being. Hard to think like that with how separated we are from them for the most part, heh... Kaori chuckled under her breath. She only needed a glimpse of Lunas curious expression to elaborate on what she meant, airing another piece of the puzzle.
Well, we typically live far away from any wild mons. Or I guess, any dangerous wild monsobviously there will always be some Taillow on the lampposts or the occasional Zigzagoon behind the dumpster, but for anything larger and more threatening, trainers push it away from human towns. Even here, there are a handful of trainers that come along and scour the side of the road next to us every few months, scaring away any mons that try to move close enough to the road to be a danger to us.
With the human powerlessness established and the intimidating steel beasts shed witnessed earlier, Palemoon immediately associated the term trainer with the latter. It made her even more glad in hindsight that none of those trainers had spotted her while she walked along the black pathanother piece of luck in her initial journey. No matter what the trainers were, the thrust of the message was well received. Humans lived far away from most mons and deliberately maintained that separation. Simultaneously understandable and only making things worse.
But those were the wild pokemon, only one of the two groups of the all-encompassing, and yet utterly nonsense division humans had devised. ^If all you ever see are Zigzagoon and Taillow, I can imagine why my sudden appearance here gave you all a scare, heh...^
The remark broke through the rooms silence. Kaori laughed the loudest, and her son wasnt far behind. Hiroto only chuckled quietly under his breathstill a massive progress considering his immense, almost dissociated seriousness from earlier. No kidding, Kaori summed up.
^What about those domesticated pokemon, then? You mentioned them a few times, that and the pokeballs, and Ive no idea what you meant by either.^
Judging by the parents flinching and the transient flash of fear that went through both of their minds, this topic was somehow even dourer than the ones that came earlier. Their worry was familiar, a much weaker version of the same one from when Ren delivered his oversimplified answer. A fear of her reaction.
This wont be pretty, will it.
Do you really not know what pokeballs are, Luna? Ren asked with all the tone deafness only a six-year-old was capable of.
The boys mom cringed, and Palemoon chuckled. ^No, I really do not. They dont sound like a good thing, though...^
I guess they really arent, huh. Cant say I ever liked them, but always thought they were a necessary evil of sorts, Kaori pondered. As to what they areIm not sure how to explain them, actually. Traps, you could say? They trap pokemon.
Contain more so than trap, Hiroto corrected. They let people store the pokemon they own, among other things.
Kaori shuddered at the word choice, one shed heard thousands of times in her life but which had been given a wholly new terrifying dimension. The own part... gods, now Im thinking back to when my manager told me her cousin owned a Kirlia. Thats such dehumanizuh. How would you phrase that instead, de-personifying, perhaps? Either way, it just paints that Kirlia as if they were an object, thats messed up with a mon as intelligent as them.
Indeed, it was really messed upthough not exactly for the reasons Kaori was thinking about. ^Id say itd be messed up no matter the species. Cant say Ive ever felt particularly intelligent. Many mons outside of my kin, even some wildlings, have taught me a lotabout foraging, and safety, and how to find my way around.^
The human woman blinked at Lunas words, taken aback. F-fellow psychics, Im guessing?
Palemoon had legitimately no idea where that idea came from. It was baffling, and more than anything else, it was incorrect. ^No, of course not. One of my closest friends outside my peoples commune has been a Beautiflyif not for them, I dont think I wouldve known how to find my way here. Why would you assume they were psychics?
For the first time since Palemoon had interacted with the family, it was Kaori that was more scared than her husband. The Gardevoir watched as the humans unspoken assumption about the mon intelligence was violently shattered in front of her, destroying the compartmentalizing shed been doing in the background for the past couple hours. Well, I-II assumed, incorrectly, I guess now, that your kind of intelligence was something that only psychics could do...
The Gardevoir was too baffled to even try to be offended. ^No? I cant imagine why you thought that, in all honesty.^
I Kaori began, before deflating with a drawn-out exhale. I dont think theres even a specific reason I thought that. Just some more assumptions Ive picked up over my life, heh. Though, if thats really the case, then... oh. Oh, no. Oh no no no no no.
Palemoon watched as Kaoris eyes went wide, the fearful realization that filled her mind so intensely freezing it subconsciously made the Gardevoir lean away from her. The shift in the woman wasnt missed on her family, either. M-mom, whats wrong? Ren asked, unnerved.
If thats true, then... all the balls and catching andand breeding... oh gods. What are we doing?
^C-catching?^ Palemoon tentatively asked, the word alone invoking terrifying associations.
Distressed as Kaori obviously was, Hiroto wasnt doing much better anymore. Still, he answered, Indeed. Trainers catch wild pokemon after battling them, using pokeballs. The way weve always heard it was that wild pokemon had an inherent desire for battle, and by satisfying it and triumphing over them, they would then allow themselves to be caught. I never understood it; it made no sense, butbut that was the point, I realize now. It was just yet another weird thing that wild pokemon did...
Kidnapping. They were describing kidnapping. The Gardevoirs stomach sank as she processed Hirotos words, the actions described within nothing short of cruel. This was wrong, this was obviously wrong; how could humans think pokemon would just allow themselves to be kidnapped like this!? Palemoons body tensed up as her body fixated on what it had just comprehended. It couldnt have been just that; there had to have been more to this, some reason behind this brutal madness! ^H-how many are c-caught like that? I find it all so hard to imagine...^
Hiroto shuddered. I wish I had a concrete answer. Tens of thousands every year in Hoenn? Hundreds of thousands?
Hundreds of thousands. The number alone was hard to grasp for Palemoon, and so was the full extent of the tragedy even a single act of capture like that represented. Combining them together was something she was just incapable of, the cruelty of it all literally unimaginable. That didnt mean she didnt try, again and again, each attempt making her feel more and more ill. More and more wanting to scream at it all.
This was it, wasnt it? Underneath the surface level glamour of their creations and technology, underneath their niceness as individuals... shed finally found it. The truth about humanity, one her people had no specific and concrete terms for, but whose monstrosity was conveyed all the same. Shed failed at her mission, hasnt she? Despite all her determination, despite all her good will... shed been wrong. Shed just been wrong. Maybe humans were monsters, after all.
Luna, why are you crying?
For the first time since she woke up here, Palemoon was of half a mind to just blow Ren off. He didnt understand, but she couldnt understand his lack of understanding. She shuddered in place, choosing to not react at all as tears streaked down her face, showing no signs of stopping.
Ren, its... we humans have been very mean towards pokemon. Luna is realizing it now, andand so am I and your dad, too, Kaori admitted, voice breathless. Its not something we thought much about, but its hard not to, now...
Now that the problem had been explained to the boy in terms he could understand, he could join the rest of the room in a distraught reaction. His were for... different reasons, though. Humans have b-been mean towards pokemon? B-but not us, r-right? Not you, o-or dador me, r-right?
His mom had wanted to reassure him that no, obviously not, they hadnt personally hurt any mons, but... she couldnt be sure anymore. I-I dont know, Ren.
As dismissive as Rens counterpoint was, and as childish as the tears that followed at his moms words were... he had a point there, Palemoon realized. She grasped onto that strand of thought, holding onto it for dear life to not drown in a vortex of despair this entire discussion had plunged her into. This wasnt this simple, couldnt have been this simple.
Because Ren was right. His family werent monsters. Theyd been misinformed, taught bigotry which they acted on, but... they could and did realize that it was wrong. They could change. Humans could change.
As much as Palemoon wanted it to be, that fact wasnt that much of a relief. She still hurt, she still hurt so much, for all the obvious reasons and moreand she figured that, at this point, there was no reason not to share that more with Rens family. ^H-have I told you all why Im even here?^ The Gardevoirs question took everyone out of their own respective murk. None of the three humans had given that question any thought, and the two adults grew worried about the potential answers. Kaori shook her head.
^I-I heard my entire life, from my family, from my people, that humans were evil, and that their lands meant death. I didnt believe that, didnt want to believe that. It couldnt have been the truth; I refused to believe humans were as monstrous as everyone else was painting them as. So I set out to find out for myself.^
Palemoon paused, a painful grimace flashing through her face. ^A-and now I have. I know that none of you would support that cruelty anymore, that catching, but... why do other humans do? I justI just cant understand...^
The Gardevoirs words were half factual admission and half emotional cry for helpone that both Ren and Kaori picked up on, passing on any affection they could. A voice deep inside Palemoon shouted at her to push them away, to reject their attempts to suck up to her after shed found out about their evil ways. But she wanted this. She didnt want to be angry; she didnt want that righteous fury. It wouldnt make anything right, wouldnt help anything but fuel her emotional impulses further.
Hiroto thought through her words, mostly arriving at all the factors theyd mentioned before. Its easy to justify, both internally and to others, when its being framed as keeping us all safe. I mentioned how many people think wild mons are illogical. Add to that the difference in power, and their supposed battle-hungry nature, and the course of action paints itself.
^Is it all just lies then? Is the entire human world built on a lie after a lie?^
I dont know, Hiroto quietly admitted. Possibly. Even if that is the case, Im not sure how much it can be changed. Even just the lie about wild pokemon being eager to fight, and dangerous to be around because of that. At some point, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, doesnt it? If your family knows that humans are dangerous, then I can only imagine how much more acute that knowledge is in wild mons that deal with pehumans more. I can only imagine the hostility that would breed after hundreds of years.
He admitted it. Humans are dangerous.
...
...
But dangerous isnt the same as evil.
It was an important point to focus on, that distinction between humanitys actions and their inherent nature. It was also a point Palemoon had barely any strength left for anymore, feeling utterly drained from all the tears she had shed. From all the suffering shed been confronted with. Her empathetic side was keen to point out that the humans around her were feeling much the same way, the shared pain growing that bit lighter. But it could only do so much. This conversation could only do so much.
She wanted to keep going, to keep prying, to pull on each of the dozens of loose threads shed picked up on in her conversations so far. She had to know it all, to learn about the entire extent of humanitys danger and how she might protect those she held dear from it. It was her duty, self-imposed, but no less real because of that.
She wanted to curl up and cry.
And, of the two, that latter desire, to not have to face the unspeakable anymore, was stronger right now. She felt defeated. She was defeated. ^I-I dont know how much more of this topic I can take right now...^
Her words registered as little more than a sad whisper for the family of humans. Concern filled Kaoris expression immediately, with the entire familys warmthHirotos includedpushing against the overwhelming coldness inside her. Would you want to take a break then, Luna? Kaori asked in the most motherly tone she still had in her.
^Yes, p-please.^
Her wish was respected immediately, helped no doubt by exactly nobody else being any more eager to keep discussing the worst of human actions against the world. Hiroto leaned back into his seat, still unnerved but now also concerned about his guest. Kaori got up and walked away, mentioning something about hot drinks.
Ren remained at her side, still processing everything that had happened in his own little way. He only left briefly, before coming back with a large blanket in his hands, and carefully wrapping his friend in it. She might not have been cold in that way, but... she appreciated it all the same, the action pushing the weakest of smiles on her face. ^Thank you, Ren.^
Are you mad at us, Luna? the boy whispered, holding her close.
^No, not at all. Im just... sad.^
Ren nodded firmly. He knew sad; he knew exactly what to do in that situation, in fact. Still, he hesitated before bringing it up, remembering his parents less than enthusiastic reactions at the idea each time he brought it up. When Im sad, I play with my action figures, and it helps. W-would you wanna play with me?
The Gardevoir looked towards the boy, only now paying conscious attention to the handful of dolls hed brought with himself before they had their talk. For how excited he was about them earlier and yesterday, he now felt... uncertain, self-conscious, even. The distraction would be good for her, of course.
^Sure! Whats this ones name?^
But something told Luna that Ren would appreciate it even more.
Interlude I: Heaven
The angry-sounding call jolted the agent out of his thoughts, pushing through the surrounding noise. His grasp on mainland Kantonian was already flaky at the best of times; the islanders accent made it almost impossible to figure out what the man had said. Though, between the annoyance creeping on his sea-weathered face and the rusted fishing boat they were both on having just been tied to the pier, the situation was straightforward enough.
Skipping any inevitably botched verbal reply, the agent just nodded his head and got off the boat, the creaking of the wood underneath his formal shoes much louder than he wouldve preferred. The sun wailed down on him as he got going, with even just a short-sleeved white shirt feeling like far, far too many layers for the tropical sun. He could and had braced himself for Unovan summers, but this felt like another digit of temperature altogetherin either unit.
Hopefully, the interview he was here for would at least take place in the shade.
The seaside town was dingy at the absolute most generous. Not a single piece of infrastructure looked like itd been madeor maintainedwithin the last twenty years, with whatever wallpapers and advertisements he recognized from the mainland sun-bleached into just faded cyan. He stood out like a sore thumb, yesbut so did basically anyone under the age of thirty. At least, if a single band of local kids playing on what remained of a basketball court being watched over by at least twice as many pensioners was any sign. Not dead, far from it, but definitely moribund. A place with plenty of past, but no future. Ironic, considering the locals name for it translated to something in the vein of Island full of time.
It was also, to his increasingly overheated dismay, the perfect spot for a house arrest. Remote enough for the government to monitor all arrivals and departures, insular enough for any outsider dropped here to be at best ignored and at worst shunned, but still free and tropical enough to preserve at least some goodwill from the person held here. As far as the agent was concerned, said individual wouldnt have minded remaining helpful even if he was held chained up in a shoebox, but the intricacies of the minds of the Leagues Kantonian higher-ups were beyond his paygrade to dig into.
Including the decision to allow for this interview to happen at all.
He suspected it was a gesture of goodwill after what had happened following said persons initial capture. To say that having one of the most wanted men in Unova be effectively stolen by the League caused controversy was an understatement. Mostly internally, thoughthe public position was that he was still being held in a Unovan controlled facility. There have been some annoying leaks over the years pointing to the reality that this wasnt the case anymore, but fortunately, the public interest had already long since faded. No matter how big of a scandal they had made back in the day, the so-called Neo Plasma Organization was long gone.
Not from the minds of his coworkers, though. To them, it wasnt just an international policing mishap; it was a personal insult. And when the League had finally confirmed they had moved the man to Kantonian periphery under their watch, he had learned more slurs from his fellow agents in a day than he did in his entire high school.
Thats not to say he didnt have his own reasons for being miffed. He was heavily discouraged from asking about any research the man had donewhat got him on the Leagues radar in the first placebut he hoped that at least hed get him to provide information to help catch his coworkers that remained at large. Foolish idea, perhaps, but deciding on it was again above his paygrade. He was just there to talk.
And so, to his relief, was the man hed traveled halfway across the world for, sitting in the shade outside of a local watering hole. The agent had expected him to have blended in somewhat over the past few years, but the reality had decided otherwise yet again. He was much more tanned than what hed seen on the wanted posters; that awful blue streak in his hair was gone. His lab coat mightve been replaced with a loose flower-patterned shirt, but the expression remained unchanged. The same haunting hazel eyes, digging into the agent the moment hed turned the corner, dissecting him with thinly veiled glee.
The ankle monitor and a couple of suspicious men watching over them from across the street sure didnt help the scene, but those were at least expected. Greetings there, agent! I see the Seviian sun has already made quite an impact on you?
The agent sat down, ignoring the comment. Dr. Isaiah Colress, correct?
In the very flesh! Colress answered, the accent on his over-enunciated Unovan barely noticeable. Before the agent could continue, a waiter approached, regarding one overly pale man with familiar disgust and the other with uncertain apprehension. She said something curt, making Colress pass the request on: What will you have, agent? The selection here isnt the widest, but their local malt coconut drinks are to die for!
Just water, please.
Very well! the researcher eagerly acknowledged, before turning back to the waiter. His Kantonian was what a mathematical sphere was to a physical ballan overly perfect approximation, missing the texture and smoothing out the many crevices. Over-enunciated, correct in a dictionary sense, yet deeply off-putting. Something that the locals eventually got used to.
The agents gaze never left Colress eyes as he continued. I am not here to enjoy drinks, Colress. Ill be as straightforward as I can bedo you have any information that could lead us to your co-researchers at Neo Plasma Organization?
The researchers attention snapped back at him instantly, with the understanding of the question coming after a noticeable delay. Really now? Is that what youre here for, agent? Is the entirety of Unova so boorish that they dont have a single shred of a desire to understand, or even learn, my research after all those years!? Is writing people up, adding wads after wads of paper to that behemoth you call administration, before categorizing which exact size of cell each person is to go to the only thing you people can do!?
Colresss raised voice was unusual enough to catch the attention of any onlookersas was the snarl that replaced his usual smirk. Unsurprisingly, his gaze had changed the least, growing only in intensity, but not in emotion. The flappy sounds of a Psyduck waddling away from behind the building were the only noise filling the street for a few moments.
As if on cue, he sighed and chuckled his way back to his previous self, shaking his head in a mix of pretend and real exasperation. Well, I am very sorry to disappoint you, agent! Thanks to the generosity of my Kantonian hosts, I havent been able to keep in touch with any of my past coworkerswhere theyd gone, what aliases theyd have, what they might be planning, none of that ever interested me, agent~. I was there for research, and research only, untainted by bureaucracy or ulterior motives!
It took the agent a considerable amount of his willpower to not so much as scoff at the researchers words. Hed been part of the team investigating Team Plasmas laboratories after the initial raid; he saw what kind of research the psycho he was speaking with had done. He saw the bodies, the ones they hadnt had the time to cremate yet.
Still, his personal opinions were for himself, and himself only. You have no information to provide us about your past co-workers, then? Just as a confirmation.
Indeed, agent! Confirm it, triple check it, gather aaaaalllll the necessary signatures and rubrics for it, file your non-discovery into the right color-coded folder to be forgotten forever! Anything but to have to think, to investigate the implications of what weve discovered!
The agent retrieved a form from his briefcase, beginning to fill it out right as Colresss final remark hit his ears. He was supposed to be a professional, but so was the clown before him. He supposed he could step down to his level, just this once. Oh, ever the implications of all the dead mons. I would have assumed youd talked the locals ears off all about them by now.
Colress grinned. Both at the drinks getting there and getting to sip on the off-brown malted coconut mix, and at his interlocutor taking the bait. You would think, agent! Alas~. They care not, neither about our discoveries nor their impact on our understanding of the world! They were born on this island, and I can assure you their thoughts will never leave itexcept maybe to rant about the Sevii regional government over the third cup of the worst moonshine you could possibly imagine~.
The agent exhaled loudly from his nose. With the last field on the sheet he was holding filled out, he passed it over to the researcher, together with a pen. Double check your testimony as written, and sign it.
Very well! If you so wishIsaiah Colress, 16th of July, 548 AR, ֮֮uض! Nowis that all, agent? Because if the depth of your intellectual curiosity on this topic is just as shallow as that of the locals, then I would want to terminate this interview~.
You do not get to decide that, Colress. The agents voice was grim at the disrespect, especially from the one person who hed seen many of his coworkers go mad over their inability to bring to justice. Still, the seeds the researcher had planted in his mind werent easy to ignore, and once the testimony was back in his briefcase, he took a sip of water and tentatively continued that topic. Why do you care so much about that, anyway?
Colresss eye twitched. Why!? Because my research fundamentally reshapes our understanding of the one inscrutable trinket that has shaped the world as we know it! Do you not care about that, agent~? Do you not care how that thing you keep strapped to your belt works?
The agent briefly glanced down at the yellow-black service pokeball, suppressing a mounting eye-roll. I do not see how the how of pokeballs has any impact on anything. What matters was that they were invented here in Kanto, fueled a wave of imperialism not seen before and hopefully since, and now the League has a monopoly on their
Not invented, agent!
It took a few moments for Colress guest to refocus after that interruption, the implication as straightforward as it was inane. Excuse me?
Pokeballs were *not* invented here, agent! You asked for any way in which the how of their functionality impacts anything; there you go! They were not invented, they were rediscovered! Colress insisted with an expression that was at most half-hinged.
The assertion certainly took the agent aback, but only briefly. He wasnt an expert on Kanto folklore, far from it, but he recognized this particular reference. Ah yes, of course. They were rediscovered from the ruins of the mythical first dynasty of Kanto, descended directly from the heavens and having conquered the entire world at one time. I had taken you as more intelligent than to so readily believe the he snarked, only for his words to be cut off with laughter. It was loud, piercing, and utterly empty. A replica of the physical sounds associated with amusement, without any genuine emotion behind it.
Oh, agent, the researcher began, any pretend glee disappearing shortly after, I assure you that what Im saying has nothing to do with either Kantonian folklore, nor their national pride~. They may just be the things I care about the least in this entire flawed world, less so than even your wasteful bureaucracy~.
The agent took another sip of water, growing increasingly curious about where Colress inane train of thought was heading. Well then. Who first... invented it then, for Kantonians to rediscover? Aliens?
I, regrettably, do not have a specific answer to that question, agent~. However, I have full confidence that it is nothing as outlandish as thatafter all, there are many creatures in our midst that wouldve been perfectly capable of that feat~!
Colress allusion was neither subtle nor missed, single-handedly wiping away a smirk from the agents expression. He already knew the researcher he was talking to was a nutjob, but an obvious reference to mons as being intelligent enough to have been capable of inventing a machine like a pokeball introduced yet another source of disgust. There was exactly one group of people that couldnt shut up about how intelligent and capable mons were, and when pressed hard enough on that subject, they inevitably crossed the line into wanting that fact to make it so that mons could give consent. And that they couldnt, because the very idea was fucked up beyond description... rarely stopped them.
The very last thing he wanted to do was to investigate whether Colress was that kind of monster too, though. Uh-huh. Well then, humor mehow does your understanding of how pokeballs work infer that?
The grin that graced the researchers face filled its lower half to the brim without ever touching the eyes. Wellare you familiar with how theyre built, agent?
Ive seen some of the disassembly videos, yes. They kept making their rounds across social media every once in a while, always attracting fascination that never turned into anything but idle speculation. Inside the shell of either metal or plastic, a rudimentary set of sensors and electronics, a few springs, and the most hotly debated center component. A radial assortment of cloudy off-color crystals, each the size of a fingernail. On its own, an interesting trivia and little more. Nobody but the League were said to know how exactly they worked, and that knowledge was itself a trade secret. Many speculated about itwronglybut almost all of them inevitably lost interest over time.
Because as interesting as the question was in itself... the answer didnt really matter. They worked, and more importantly, they kept them all safe, gave them the reins to not just survive on the fringes of nature, but to tame it. And it was that fact that mattered the most, much more than the specifics of whichever bullshit mon magic powered them.
Colress continued. I presume youve seen the central crystal assembly, then?
In pictures, yes. What about it? Did you crack the Leagues trade secrets about its functionality? Despite the joking tone of the question, the idea wouldnt leave the agents head afterwards. That would provide a good reason for the speed with which Team Plasma went from just a blip on their radar to enemy number 1, especially with the League meddling in the mix.
Oh, agentthere are no trade secrets! the researcher flatly asserted. I have seen the patent papers, I have seen the documentation, including the declassified appendicesdo you know what they say about the mechanism of function~? Nothing! Not in the patent, not in the internal documents, not even in the top secret files held by the Kanto government! Theres nothing there but decades of speculation and feeble theorizing in an attempt to reverse engineer the miracle theyve been manufacturing for almost three centuries~! Thats why both my hosts and your employers had taken such an interest in me and my research, agent~. Because we accomplished what they could not, developed a scientific theory that could scratch the surface of the physics that powers these devices!
For the first time since hed arrived, the agent saw Colress eyes go wide as they stared into him, the researcher himself leaning forward on the small table. I know what youre thinking, agent; Ive heard it all! How can I assert the League has no idea how their own technology even works, you may think!? Because of how it was rediscovered, because of the written record of that time that the Kanto government has tried its hardest to alter! The only reason that pokeballs exist is that Wen Jingzhao, a second-century court craftsman in what is now the Pewter province, happened to find a pristine, still-functional one in a nearby swamp, and his Abra reactivated it before he could disassemble it for scrap!
The bang on the table that punctuated his final sentence finally drew a reaction from the nearby locals, an annoyed sentence that snapped Colress attention over to them. His eyes burned with fury at being interrupted, even as his mouth remained mostly closed, before he straightened out and refocused on the interviewer. All weve ever done was replicate that design ever since, with no knowledge of what makes it work! Its as if wed discovered a small radio unit and began to mass produce copies of it, without even as much as a rudimentary theory of electricitythats how laughable our understanding is! Or rather, was, before my team finally cracked it~.
The agent reached for another sip of water, only to grab an empty glass. What the man before him was saying was, at the absolute kindest, batshit insanebut fuck if he couldnt hold his attention. On the other hand... there had to have been a reason the League had been so insistent with Colresss arrest, a reason they whisked him away, research and all, to Kanto-controlled territory where they had de facto unlimited power. This couldnt have been it, but there had to have been some truth to his madness.
Figuring out just what said truth encompassed was, again, above the agents paygrade. As he tried to gather words, his attention shifted towards the burly, out-of-place men sitting nearby, the intensity of their ceaseless glares towards them betraying their role. A solid point of evidence against anything this lunatic was saying. If all that was actually true, Colress, why would your handlers let you say any of it out loud?
In all truth, agent? Beats me! I do have a reasonable guess, Id say~, the scientist replied, before gesturing for the waiter to refill his glass.
That guess being?
Colress smirked. Theyre laughing at you~. Not these guys, no, and not you you specifically, agentthe League is laughing at Unova, allows me in its infinite magnanimity to talk about broad strokes of my findings, as long as it serves to impress just what kind of knowledge it has access to now, and doesnt give you any help in replicating it! Id hazard a guess that if I as much as mentioned a specific number involved in growing the crystals at the pokeball core, they would have me knocked out and you shot before I could finish the sentence~. I can show one thing thoughthey havent had me tackled to the ground for it yet, at least!
The agent had a hard time focusing much on Colress, his attention just as locked on the researchers handlers as theirs was on him. His hand rested on his service ball, but he knew better than to even think about letting out the Escavalier unless the situation went hot. Just a few feet away from him, Colress reached into a chest pocket on his shirt, and pulled out a small stack of round magnets, all connected.
Without saying a word, he laid them out on the table in a hexagonal grid, while keeping the last one in his hand. Now, agent he began, the jolt from his interlocutor almost startling him. Oh, dont worry about them, agent. Theyre dumb brutes, yes, but even theyand Iknow better than to try to cause a diplomatic incident. All of us have a role to play here, and yours involves sitting there, listening, and enjoying the vacation on your employers dime, agent~!This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The disrespect from both Colress specifically and the League as a whole was... hardly surprising, especially separately, but together they combined into something that had almost made the agent make the kind of mistake hed only get to make once. Gritting his teeth, he turned to look at the grade school science class demonstration the mad scientist was putting together.
See this arrangement of magnets, agent? They appear stable like this, but he nudged one of the magnets, making the nearby ones slide a bit in return, they arent. Theyre metastable; a lower energy configuration exists, but a potential energy barrier separates the magnets from reaching it~! But, if we, say, were to disturb the system and provide the jolt it needs Colress demonstrated by dropping the final magnet in the middle of the arrangement at the table, causing all the other magnets to jump up and reconnect into a single stack once again we could force it to reach the lowest energy configuration. The... energy providing the jolt now also included. Of course, this demonstration is hardly comparable in the specifics, especially when we account for the impacts of the different type energies used, but I believe its enough to convey my point.
The agent didnt acknowledge the demonstration, instead eagerly downing half the glass of water the moment his refill was placed on the table. It was so hot here; he wasnt doing well; he had very little patience left for this. Though, even in that increasingly suboptimal mental state, a jab aimed the scientists way reared its head. Truly, a fascinating classroom demonstration, Colress. Tell me, then, at which point does fiddling with magnets justify killing thousands upon thousands of mons?
Colress rolled his eyes. I reckon the exact number was merely in the high three digits, agent! Not even as much as what many breeding centers accomplish in a year~. That aside, he smirked, this is that exact point! My generous hosts would not be happy if I were to discuss too many specifics about the impacts of different type energies on the pokeball core in our tests, or divulge which of them commercially made pokeballs use! What I can say is that almost the entirety of casualties during our tests came from experimenting with them, and analyzing their impact on the captured mons~. Many of them, despite extensive testing, inevitably resulted in damage incompatible with lifesome of the effects observed were... particularly gruesome, he mumbled, his expression flashing with disgust for just a split-second.
Far more than the agent thought he was even capable of, thats for sure.
They also included the sedation present in mass-market pokeballs, confirming the hunch that led me to research this area in the first place~!
Now that was something concrete, something the agent had heard of beforesomething hed also dismissed just as many times. Sedation? Wasnt that debunked?
Oh, Id certainly love to see what kind of PR paper the Unovan government had paid some postdoc schmuck to come up with to debunk that. Then again, I suppose sedation isnt the very best term for it, though I struggle to come up with a better one off the top of my head.
Brainwashing? the agent suggested, almost jokingly.
Colress laughed knowingly. Oh, that is an even worse term, agent! It truly inspires the mental image of a thrall obeying its masters commands without question or concern for self-preservation~! No, that is a term best applied to soldiers and government employees such as yourself~. I suppose a more precise description would be an outpouring of love, almost always more than enough to break through the mons brittle psyches! Because, seethe mons actual feelings arent manipulated much; they canand dothink and act for themselves, just that they consider their newly found master to be loving and looking after them~. And for many, perhaps even most, that is true, agent!
The agent was almost too focused to overlook the insult, his gaze narrowing as he nodded for the researcher to continue.
For many feral mons, capture by a trainer is a Faustian bargain they would eagerly take, even without the balls influence! Especially the young, feebler ones, left to fend for themselves away from a nest or a colony; choosing safety, in return for being forced through training more brutal than what they could possibly imagine~. And the ones that are secure in their position in the world enough to reject that idea, to roar in your face and incinerate you for even suggesting it... would likely croak a different tune if beaten to within an inch of their life, would they not~? Whats the term for it, again? Winning their respect by proving your strength to them in battle? Something to that effect, at least! I can only imagine what kind of willpower it would take to resist that~.
The hand that had grasped his service pokeball minutes earlier now shook weakly as the attached mind chewed through the implications. It certainly sounded much more like a personal hunch than anything that psycho had claimed earlier, giving the agent just enough of a firm mental ground to dismiss the idea and not have to think about it. Especially with him contradicting himself just now. How would that be any different from brainwashing, then? Itd still be forcibly getting their trust, just after weakening them first.
Colress nodded slowly, briefly stroking the stubble on his chin. Not incorrect, agent~! There is a detail I discovered in my research, thoughnamely, that this effect isnt permanent~. In fact, it lasts much less than what I had initially theorized, the implications very entertaining to ponder on! Lets just say that it doesnt take that long in the grand scheme for the mons to remain loyal out of psychological dependence alone, especially if they were captured young~. And doubly so if their trainer is on, say, a journey that takes them far, far away from their homeland! Of course, much of that is still conjecture, and, he bitterly chuckled, I doubt Ill ever get the funding, the resources, or staff to scientifically test it myself, ha~!
The joke landed, but the agent couldnt think of many things that were less amusing to ponder on than the process that the nutjob before him would use to verify said conjecture. In light of all that, of the distressing implications and horrid, downright unhinged assertions, the agent had only one question remaining, one pertaining to Colresss idea of just who the beings that had actually invented the pokeball were.
And he wasnt in the mood to mince words anymore. How can you square mons somehow being intelligent enough to invent a pokeball with everything youryour experiments have done to them, with everything youve said!?
Out of all the questions hed asked, this one made his interviewee think the longest. Not out of any sense of internal conflict, though, nothing as humane as that. I believe it would be more accurate to say that a mon culture had invented the pokeball~. For bettercertainly for usor worse, theyre gone now, and all thats left are their feral descendants!
To the agents dismay, Colress wasnt done yet, either. That is a reason, but its hardly the reason, however~. How true that was, neither of them were certain of. See, a... part of the construction process involves the exposure to a... type energy field, the researcher continued, glancing at his handlers over his shoulder. Said field has certain... requirements that essentially preclude it being generated in any way wed classify as humane~. And from the archaeological records, from all the uncountable pieces imperial Kanto had diligently gathered to smelt for scrap, we know the pokeballs original inventors had made tons of them~. Millions, if not more! What Im trying to get at isthey certainly werent bothered by the horrid conditions involved in their manufacture~. Why would we?
Right as he had finished his sentence, the two intimidating men finally got up from their seats and approached their table. They didnt have to say a wordthe gesture was straightforward enough.
Well, agent, it appears our interview has come to a forced end~. I immensely enjoyed itjust like I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in what the mainland calls Kantos Heaven!
I doubt well see each other again~.
Geodude, Rollout.
The command carried through the stadium despite the racket of battle, reaching the rock beasts stone ears. They obeyed immediately, shrugging off the Tackle that impacted their hide soon after. They flung themselves at the taken-aback Nidoran, launching them halfway towards their trainer. The Poison-types little body shuddered as they staggered back to their feet, with their attacker in short pursuit.
Nidoran, d-dodge!
The startled, childish shout from the opposite side of the battlefield got lost in the noisenot that it wouldve accomplished much even if it had reached its destination. The mon kept trying their hardest despite that, only narrowly evading being hit by the Geodudes ever-potent attack again and again, desperately trying to mount even the semblance of a response.
They didnt get very far.
Just a few seconds later, their umpteenth dodge was but a fraction of a second too late, leaving the Rock-type crashing into their flank at full force. Their squeal was abruptly cut off as they struck the rocky dirt of the gyms battlefield, only barely twitching anymore.
Before they could be attacked again, a loud call carried through the hall from the judges seat. HALT! Nidoran is unable to battle!
The mons themselves knew very little Kantonian as a whole, but they knew the command to stop, the single most important word in any human language for them to learn. The Geodude obeyed without question, growling triumphantly as they scuttled back to the marked spot on their side of the field. A few dozen feet away from them, the human teenager held in tears at seeing the blow his friend took, before returning them to their ball. Just one mon left for him, and two for their opponent, the fact underlined by the scoreboard under the ceiling of an almost-empty stadium. He would have a type advantage here; maybe that would be enough to win!
The boy reached to his belt, unlocking the ball attached to it before almost dropping it with his shaking hands. He turned towards his opponent and pressed the button on the sticker-covered plastic shell. Go, Squirtle!
On the opposite side of the battlefield, his opponent sighed, the gesture modest enough to not be visible from a distance. Thankfully, with the stadium cameras turned off because of the piddling attendance, he could get away with only occasional commands while spending most of the battling time lost in thought. And that he had in abundance.
Comes with the territory of being a Gym Leader.
Ready, Brock confirmed once his opponents Squirtle got into position. And, once the boy hes facing also said that magic word, the battle between the two mons resumed, stilted as they always are.
There were very practical reasons for his intervention in his Gym Leader battles to be minimal. It would be very easy to be as hands-on with these battles as he was in the League Circuit ones, to take on fights against what are almost always children with the same seriousness as those against his fellow Gym Leaders and professionals. Itd also go against his intended position on the trainers intended progression, as someone who was beatable with enough practice and training by essentially anyone. The monetary costs involved in maintaining a budding trainers lifestyle already served as the sufficient barrier to entryhe needed to be encouraging.
Besides, the League had specific quotas they wanted to hit, and trying to meddle with that would be... unwise at best. Even if at worst theyd just fire him from this specific position and get someone else to replace him, thats still a sizable Gym Leader paycheck he would not be getting anymore. Something so, so many people around him, his family especially, absolutely depended on.
He would be lying if he said that those were the actual reasons behind his near-silence, though. More than wanting to provide the correct League HQ-mandated difficulty for his opponents, more than wanting to avoid overwhelming his own young mons in the short time before they grew too strong for his gym and were handed off to trainers with him getting younger, weaker replacements, he just wanted to pay very close attention to his opponents. Not the mons skill, not the strategic brilliance with which they were ordered around, but how theymons and trainers alikewere handling the battle, how enthusiastic they were about it all.
He preferred these battles over his professional ones for a reason. And that reason was that almost everyone present still wanted to be here. His human opponents, stoked about their first Gym Leader battle; their mons, excited at feeling their growing strength; his mons, raised from hatching to love battling. There were very few of the looks and expressions he saw constantly in the kinds of battles that people watched, almost none of that pervasive exhaustion in humans and mons alike, none of that crippling fear of results. This wasnt a career yet; this was still an adventure in all its glory.
Whenever he saw an opponent that already didnt want to be here, human or mon alike, he made sure to crank up the heat a bit. Not enough for anyone to get suspicious, but hopefully enough to at least make his opponent reconsider, to pressure them into getting out while they still could. After all, no shame in that. Very few had the means to even set out on a journey like that, but even most of that group flaked out before the first two badges. This was the time to quit. As for the others, the excited trainers and mons, he could only hope that their excitement would last.
Geodude, Defense Curl.
But, deep down, he knew it wouldnt. His didnt.
Oh, how proud everyone was, both back home and even in the League itself. What a story, of the eldest son of a family crippled by poverty and alcoholism breaking out of that cycle and making it in the world, sending his earnings back home. A motivational tale come to life, an underdog that completed the Gym Circuit before eventually taking up the mantle of the first Gym Leader, helming the Gym nearest to his home and guiding a new generation of young trainers to come. The framing made him uneasy at the time. In hindsight, it was nauseating. For every one of him that made it out of that place, there were several who didnt, lives lost to alcoholism or overdose or ruined by non-violent offenses.
He was the exception to the rule nobody wanted to acknowledge, because that would mean having to do something about it. And even in that exception, mass-marketable as it was, he as a person and his team inevitably fell to the same changes hed seen elsewhere, the ones hed dreaded since he first noticed them. That spark, that hunger for battle and growth and strength, was there in his entire professional team at the start. In the wild Onix hed nursed back to health before saving up for a pokeball for him, in the runt of a Zubat flock that wanted to make a name for herself, in the Pineco that was oh-so-eager to take on a Steelix almost a hundred times her size.
And then, at some point, he realized it wasnt anymore. Not anywhere near as vivid, at leastSteelix still trained diligently, but only when he was around. He knew exactly how far away he had to be for the Steel-type serpent to not bother anymore, and he couldnt judge him for it in the slightest. Crobat only trained when peer pressured to, and more often than not actively avoided him these days. Forretress only ever wanted to repeat defensive moves, to push her shell to be just that bit harder. To make the hits hurt just that bit less.
He regretted not giving them names. None of the famous trainers hed heard of had given their mons names, and he assumed that was for a reason. It was only many, many years later, when he was interacting with them not as a star-struck boy but as a co-worker adult, that he learned that they did use names. But only in private, at the Leagues insistence.
Wouldnt want anyone thinking of mons as beings that deserve names.
It was uneasy to acknowledge how differently most people thought of mons, even those he thought better than that. They certainly werent human, no, but they werent driven by feral instincts and raw desire to battle nearly as much as the culture thought, or as the League presented them. For every mon that had joined his team, there were a dozen dozens that wanted nothing to do with him, that clearly either fought in self defense, or ran away the instant they saw the balls attached to his belt. One time, he explained that to himself with cowardice.
Now, after seeing it all, it just felt like common sense. Of course they werent all battle hungry, of course they could think and reason, of course they had personalities, of course they werewell. He wasnt sure if people was the right word for it. It made him even more uncomfortable than usual to think about. At the very least, they werent beasts. Even if thats how the League trained its trainers to treat them as.
Even if that was still how he had to treat them in battle.
Geodude, Tackle.
Sometimes, he wanted to swallow his pride and contact someone he could trust and who owned a Psychic-type, to find out just what exactly his team thought of him. The thought was too terrifying to go through with, each and every time. The realization of just how much of a hypocrite he was burned painfully, no matter how many times hed had it. Even if he knew better, even if a decent chunk of his professional opponents knew better, even if a non-insignificant portion of the population knew better... he remained quiet about it.
Talking to trusted friends had some impact on them, but it tended to be transient. Those that themselves owned mons in a non-trainer capacity fared better, but still internalized what hed told them as only applying to the domesticated mons, those who had been stuck in a pokeball immediately upon hatching. An action that was supposed to remove any and all of their feral brutality, to make them safe to be around. He doubted it. He doubted it all. After all, the Geodude that was evading Water Gun after Water Gun on the dirt before him had also been pokeballed at hatchingand then trained with just as much intensity as a wild caught mon.
What worried him the most was when his words elicited unease. Sometimes, it was aimed at himthe epithets for those getting... too close with their pokemon were many. He doubted anyone actually thought of him like that, if just for the physical difficulty of doing any of that with any of his mons, but the attitude was there, one of moderate, but persistent disgust at the whole idea. That wasnt the worst part, though.
The worst part was when people he talked to did give the idea a fair shake and only bounced off after trying to think it through. Those reacted more strongly, coming up with the wildest of excuses, often leaving soon after. It was the kind of thought that changed a person, and even though some let themselves be changed, and many others kept the idea while compartmentalizing it into only applying to domesticated mons, many others didnt.
Because, to Brocks endless anguish at rediscovering that fact over and over again, they didnt want it to be true. The implications were too severe; it went against too much of what theyd been raised in; it contradicted the very foundational tale of not just Kanto in specific, but of humanity broadly.
That of a race destined to hold dominion over others; to bring knowledge and wisdom to a feral world.
They were sacred in that regard, contrasting the profaneness of wild mons, posing an unending threat to them all because of their raw might. If that distinction wasnt true, if mons were even close to as intelligent as humans werethen that meant they werent special. Werent divinely ordained, be it literally as interpreted by some religions, or figuratively. Werent destined to create their heaven, but had only gotten there because of some lucky inventions. It was a terrifying idea to consider.
Sometimes, especially after a couple of stiffer drinks, he wanted to scream. He wanted to ride into central Pewter on Steelix and use that mighty voice of his to shout the truth from streets and rooftops, to have that confirmation that he wasnt the one going crazy. It wouldnt accomplish a thing. At best, hed be labeled as having gone insanelikely with the blame being shifted on one of his monsbefore being forced to step down. At worst, hed be imprisoned outright for whatever incidental damage his stunt would cause, with sentencing being as stiff as legally possible to drive a point.
In both cases, or if hed just stopped being a trainer altogether in protest, would cause almost his entire team to be confiscated from him. Hed be allowed to keep one of them, and the rest would be taken over to be watched over by the League. Couldnt have civilians getting access to dangerous mons, after all. And that was besides losing the only source of income he would likely ever havecould only do so much with a high school diploma he had to call in some favors to even get in the first place.
If hed tried organizing, hed be charged with sedition. If hed defied the Leagues requirement and kept his mons, with threatening public safety. He had a part to play in the horror that had been strangling him for over a decade now, and he was chained to his post on the stage.
Brock clenched his fist, finally re-focusing on the events taking place before him.
Geodude, Rock Polish! he raised his voice, the change noticed by the few onlookers.
The Rock-type was terrified at the idea, but went through with it as ordered. His trainer had estimated correctly; it gave him just enough of a boost to outrun the Water-types Aqua Tail.
Geodude, Bulldoze!
The mons fists glowed as they struck the dirt before him, sending modest quakes that the dampeners deep below the battlefield prevented from escaping its boundaries. The Squirtle wasnt so lucky, getting tossed into the air and stumbling as they landed on the ground again.
Squirtle, W-Water Gun!
Geodude, Rock Throw!
Despite the turtles best efforts, the blue energy gathering in their mouth could only fizzle out as the fist-sized rock struck the side of their head faster than they could react, leaving them tumbling. And then another, and a third still, the Gym Leaders mon continuing with their onslaught
HALT!
The judges call brought the fight to a standstill again as everyone waited for the dust to settle. As hed expected, the Squirtle was out cold already, and at least one of those Rock Throws could be classified as overkill. Much, much sloppier than hed expected from a trainer of Brocks caliber, but nowhere near enough for a write up. Squirtle is unable to battle! Gym Leader Brock wins the match!
The Geodude cheered excitedly for the couple of seconds before they were enveloped by a red glow and returned to their pokeball. On the other side of the battlefield, the defeated boy ran up to his starter, double checking if he was okay before carefully lifting him up in his arms and holding him tight.
Brock regretted this. But he knew, deep inside, that he would regret letting the boy and his mons proceed, letting their bond be inevitably defiled, even more. His expression remained his usual serious as he approached the boy, drawing a small, fearful gasp out of him.
Dont worry, your Squirtle will be alright. Battling just isnt for everyone.
If hed repeated this stuff too much, he was certain to get in trouble, but... but he had to. Just this once, to express his defiance however he could, in however petty a way possible. What had it accomplished? Nothing. As always.
At least this kid was the last contender for today. He needed a drink, and he needed it badly.
Just like he would tomorrow, and the day after.
Chapter 5: Connection
As much as Ren and Palemoon alike wanted the former to get into describing his toys, the atmosphere that lingered in the room made it hard for the Gardevoir to take part in that as much as she wantedno, needed to. The leftover tension made breathing harder, while the lack of Kaoris reassuring presence deflated much of Palemoons feeble calmness. Hiroto was nowhere near as suspicious towards her as he was before their conversation, of course, but his aura wasnt exactly supportive either. Which, combined with the glossy black canvas showing its moving pictures again, made her want to be anywhere but in this room right now.
She hoped the boy wouldnt mind. ^Ren, would it be okay if we moved somewhere else first?^
Why? he asked, confused. Thankfully, just confused. He wasnt feeling any unrest related to her specifically, even if the earlier discussion had left no less an impact on him than on everyone else.
^Its a bit loud here, is all,^ Luna fibbed, looking away from him, hoping he wouldnt pry the subject further.
To the contrary! He had just the right place in mind. Oh oh oh, can we go to my room then?
Yes, yes, please.
^Sure, Ren. Make sure you dont forget to take^
Of course you can, Ren, Hiroto cut in. The realization of his sons question not being directed at him struck him an instant later. While he was less than thrilled about that possibility, Palemoon doubted anything bad would happen anymore. He was too tired to be afraid like that, at least right now. And Luna can go, too.
Thanks dad! Cmon, Luna! he cheered, not wasting even a moment as he scooped up all his dolls into his arms and speedwalked up the stairs.
Palemoon felt physically stronger than when shed sat down, but not by much. She knew there was an option of asking Kaori for help, or Ren, or even just Hiroto himself, but the leftover murk in her head discouraged her from pursuing any of them. The blanket wrapped around her dragged on the floor behind her as she approached the steps and eyed them out. They were a decent bit smaller than those in her burrow, and the rail on the side was a welcome addition, but she wasnt deluding herself about how unpleasant this would be.
Still much less so than the conversation shed just had, or the suffocating aura she wouldve had to endure otherwise.
With gritted teeth and clenched hands, she took one step after another. Soreness screamed from inside her with every step; the strain that had become little more than numbness was violently reignited. Her blue hand shook as it gripped the railingat first, only when she needed to lean on it for balance, but before long it rattled like mad even when she stood still. All this wouldve been solved with the gentlest application of telekinesis back at home, something she didnt have access to right now and herher hosts didnt understand.
Which didnt matter, except it still dug into her. The distressing conversation might not have ended on a hostile note, but those impulses to withdraw from the humans around her, to be as angry as their kin deserved were still there. She hated feeling this cross, like she was one off comment from blowing up on someone she cared about. Right now, though, she just had to endure it
Luna, are you okay? Ren asked, looking down at her from upstairs. He was worried in the most innocent way, looking down at her tense expression and pursed lips and only seeing a friend that wasnt doing too hot.
Even despite that, she still had to fight against her worse nature to not respond with a snarky how does it look like Im doing. He didnt deserve it, and neither did she. She was better than this, deserved to have the pride of knowing she was better than this. However hard that better nature was to hold on to. ^Im just tired Ren, there are a lot of stairs here...^ The panting she added afterwards wasnt genuine, but it conveyed her exhaustion well.
Possibly almost too well.
Without skipping a beat, the boy waddled down the few steps separating them and reached for her free hand, his segmented fingers firmly grasping her long, slender ones. Lemme help!
Hard to stay cranky for too long like this.
^Sure. Thank you Ren, I appreciate it.^
The boys presence helped, but it did so mostly on an emotional level, his genuine well-wishes melting through the worst of her budding resentment. They didnt erase all of it, but neither did they need tojust had to get to a place where she could start working on it herself. The corridors on the buildings upper floor were almost indistinguishable from those downstairs, splitting off into an array of rooms that an ever-curious part of the Gardevoir wanted so, so much to ask about. Alas, it was outvoted for the time being, with the intricacies of human trinkets and furniture losing all their glamour as they approached Rens room. She wondered whether this kind of burned-out apathy was how all of them saw their own inventions.
Said wondering was cut short as the door before her creaked open, a door she was too spaced out to consciously notice earlier. Regardless of how well she was feeling, Ren deserved her attention and genuine interest, the resolve snapping her back to reality. She looked around as she stepped in, actively trying to take in every detail of the room while the surrounding calmness finally let her psyche relax.
It was a touch smaller than the room shed first woken up in, but incomparably more decorated. There were... things everywhere. Raised bedding with enough colorful pillows and covers for her entire burrow, glossy illustrations on the walls featuring enough symbols and characters to make her head spin, shelves after shelves with more dolls, other toys, as well as a handful of colorful rectangles. On the other side, a tall piece of furniture with what looked like dozens of simple drawings attached to its front, a small table with a chair beside it, yet more items Palemoon had no words for, elongated and colorful. It was a lot; it was so, so much.
Its too much.
She refused to let the thought drag her back to the path of snarky thoughts and spite, but couldnt deny it still lingered in her mind. When she first talked with Kaori earlier, when she got her confirmation that this entire, massive dwelling was just for three souls, she took in the piece of news as plain, emotionally uncharged information. It was interesting, yes, but nowhere near enough to cast judgment on anyone, and especially not on humanity on the whole. Now... she was less certain. It was hard to regain that neutrality, to look at the room before her not as yet another example of humanitys raw greed that expanded even to owning other living beings, but as simply a room where a young child lived in.
She felt like her own elders.
...
And she wasnt okay with that. She was angry; she was distraught by what shed heard, maybe even brokenall that was true. Much of that was likely where the attitudes she was surrounded by came from; the fear and distress passed from generation to generation. It was justified, but it wasnt enough for her. She could go beyond that, and she damn well would.
Tossing that entire thread of thought aside, she sat down beside Ren as he laid out his dolls again. He gave her a nervous look as he grabbed the first one, a small figurine of a Clefable draped in an almost uniformly red outfit. The cape that sat between their wings and on top of their tail looked inconvenient more than anything, but the bows tied along their ears were quite cute. ^I like how they look,^ Luna smiled, pointing at the doll in Rens hand.
The change inside the boy was downright palpable. With just those few words, much of the uncertainty he had downstairs at the thought of showing them to her had evaporated, letting excitement fill in the newly created mental gap. Which it did shortly after, lighting up his expressionbecause someone was paying attention. To his action figure, to his toys, to him. He didnt have the words for any of that, nor the mental maturity to consciously acknowledge those emotions, these needs, but they were there all the same.
With the motivation filling his little mind, he shuffled closer to his magical friend, and began doing one of his favorite activities in the worldexplain. Thats a she, her name is Scarlet! Shes the leader of Team Rainbow and shes very funny, a-and can do magic, and can even do all the random moves with Metronome! I like her a lot! Without skipping a beat, Ren passed the doll over to her, the odd material no less curious to the touch the second time.
Of course, his explanation had left a few... gaps in Palemoons understanding, but something told her he wouldnt be opposed to clarifying them all. ^Thats cool! What do Team Rainbow do?^ She had no idea what the Team Rainbow Scarlet was supposed to be a part of actually was, though she had a couple of guesses. Local heroes, perhaps? Wouldnt fit very well with how humans thought about mons on the whole, though. Them being some sort of folklore or legendary figures would work too, but she doubted it for similar reasons.
Ren knew, though, and was thrilled to share. They fight the bad guys, a-and supervillains! They even once saved all of Hoenn from Achromas evil flying Mecha Rayquaza that wanted to destroy it!
Palemoon blinked at Rens words, equally stumped by their content and the excited tone in which they were delivered alike. A few of the proper nouns she couldnt immediately translate were soon filled by glancing at Rens surface level thoughts, which mostly clarified the what, but not the why. Or how, for that matter. That sounded like a nigh-apocalyptic event, one that she doubted would ever become this, well, childish in its presentation. Though if that were to happen, it would no doubt take decades, if not centuries, for the immediate impact of such an event to fade. ^When did that take place?^ she asked hesitantly.
A couple months ago, it was so cool! the boy cheerfully answered, excitement filling his little body to the brim.
Okay, I mustve misunderstood something.
Despite her best efforts, the Gardevoirs uncertainty soon leaked into her expression, sapping it by the moment. It didnt take Ren long to pick up on that; some of the earlier self-conscious thoughts crept back inthe absolute last thing Palemoon wanted. She considered coming up with an elaborate question to suss out what was going on without being too direct, but figured that being as honest as possible would be the better approach here. ^Dont worry Ren, you did nothing wrong. Im just confused. Did all that really happen? I wouldve thought wed notice something this dire happening in our skies...^
One honest explanation, and the ball of confusion was back in Rens court. Not one built on any negative emotions, nothing as dire as that, just
Hehe, hehehehhahahaha!
Rens laughter made Palemoons heart skip a beat before it was followed up by the boy scrambling over to pull her into a big tight hug, one with no ulterior emotions behind it. If nothing else, it confirmed her reasoning that she was just missing somethingas well as providing a lot of relief to both of them. Ren was laughing, and he was laughing hard, but it wasnt a mocking laughter. It was reassuring in a way Palemoon wasnt even aware of how badly she needed right now.
Its a cartoon! he cheerfully explained. Its not real like that! Though I do kinda wish it was sometimes...
Now that was a much more concrete mental thread to follow, andoh. Little wonder she couldnt figure out just what the boy meant, especially since nothing similar existed in their little village. She wasnt a stranger to plays, but those tended to involve folklore or religious stories, as well as being much more grounded than what Ren was thinking about. The medium of presentation was obviously different, too, but that mattered less right now.
Storytelling for children, drawn and brought to life. Honestly, now she was kinda curious, and wouldnt mind experiencing it herself. Even if, like Rens added words hinted at, it was nothing close to the real deal. Possibly for the better, in this case. ^Oh! I get it now, I think. Its like a fictional story then, right?^ she asked, getting an immediate, firm nodthough one tinged with regret. ^Why do you wish it was real, Ren? The events youve described sound rather dire.^
The question took the boy aback, longing turning into embarrassmentbut only for a moment. After getting a grip on himself, he sat down beside her, leaning on her un-hurt side, and quietly mumbled. Because Scarlet and Team Rainbow are so cool, and I wish I had them here. They would be so fun to talk to and play with, and theyre all so cool... he paused, before taking Palemoons hand. Like you! Youyoure really like them! Youre so cool, a-and strong, and can do magic, too! The realization worked wonders in breaking through a fair bit of the previous longing, replacing it with even more appreciation towards the Gardevoir beside him. And yet, some of said longing remainedand Palemoon knew exactly why.
^Its a bit lonely here, isnt it?^
In an instant, Rens enthusiasm faded, as if a gust of wind had blown through him. He nodded wordlessly, leaning further into his magical friend, clinging onto her with his little hand. He whispered, eyes drilling into the toy before him, Yeah...
Without skipping a beat, Palemoon reached a hand around Ren and pulled him under the blanket still wrapped around her, holding him that bit closer to her side. She gave him a wide, if sad smile, wishing she could introduce him to her entire friend group. ^Im sorry, Ren. Thats a really rough way to live.^ He didnt comment beyond a wet sniffle, focusing as hard as he could on not tearing up.
^Its okay to cry, Ren,^ she mentally whispered, ruffling his hair. ^Dont feel bad if you have to.^
But big boys dont cry, he argued back, not liking the words that had been shoved into his mouth but not knowing how to argue against them either.
Palemoon had an idea, though. ^Why wouldnt they? My uncle cries a fair bitits only normal.^
Ren didnt know how to respond to that. At least, not verbally. Sniffles filled the rooms silence as he clung to her, warm tears flowing down his cheeks. She rocked them both from side to side, the gesturecombined with her presenceas soothing as she remembered it once being. They werent the most pleasant emotions in the world to sense, especially from so close up, but that was just a part and parcel of helping people out, sometimes. Pushing on, even when they were unpleasant to interact with on the spot, because she wanted to help them feel better.
Eventually, a whispered question followed. Are you gonna leave me, Luna?
She wasnt sure how to answer, if she even could answer. The very immediate response was, of course. Of course shed have to leave eventually, maybe even later today, and get back to her people, to their familiar, familial comfort. She had no idea how they would react to the knowledge shed bring with herself, especially their Elders. Considering everything shed learned, though, she unfortunately doubted theyd be at all approving of a second expedition in this vein, or even just another visit. Itd be too dangerous, and whatnot.
Palemoon felt bad for not even being able to completely disregard that imagined objection. Because of course itd be dangerousno more than how it already was, though. And yet, she made it through all the same, and knew a lot more now. Had ideas on how to minimize risk by avoiding those paths the metal beasts used, knew the full danger of at least some human contraptions and could protect herself preemptively, and most basic of all, knew what humans actually looked like. As well as, to a very limited but still valuable extent, how they were like.
Itd be dangerous, and she sure as hell wouldnt let it stop her. As disappointing as many other facets of the human world turned out to be, Ren was still her friend. Kaori was still her friend. A part of her doubted Hiroto would ever wholly earn that label, but it didnt matterhe still cared about, and was very fond of, his wife and son. Of course shed try to visit them, even if it involved a lot more risk than slipping into the next burrow over.
They are worth the effort.
And so, at last, came Lunas answer. ^Ill have to go back home eventually, but Ill definitely try to visit!^
The first half made him shudder, only for the second to send a small gasp through his body. Really? he asked in excited disbelief, looking up at her with reddened eyes.
^Of course! Who knows, maybe Ill even bring friends next time!^
It was not the most responsible claim in hindsight, but it definitely succeeded at reigniting the boys spirits. Thats awesome! What are your friends like? He leaned in, ears and mind ready to absorb her every single word in breathless wonder.
And Palemoon was fully aware of it, carefully choosing her words. ^A rowdy bunch, overall! Though... I think theres one youd really enjoy getting to know once I convince her to give ya a visit! Her name is Eclipse, and shes a Clefable, just like Scarlet^ Her words were interrupted by the loud gasp coming from the boy beside her, his eyes having somehow grown even wider. ^Yep! Though, shes not as chaotic as your Scarlet sounds like. Very headstrong, though, got us out of many a pickle on our adventures in the mountains.^
You went to the mountains? I went to the mountains too, with my preschool class! But only a little, we didnt go very far up, because its too dangerous or something dumb like that. Did you go far up, Luna?
^Yep! And whether its dangerous... it definitely can be, especially the trails we took. Eclipse watched over our supplies. I was just a Kirlia back then, so I mostly kept our spirits up and patched everyone up from any scrapes or scuffles with the locals. The Aspens navigated for us, up from the skies. It took us a few days to get all the way to where we wanted to go, but it was so worth it. The air itself feels so different up there, so much lighter. Youre so much closer to the heavens, and you really feel it. I remember, on our last day up there, after we set up camp for the night, and we took a small trek to the nearby peak.^
Ren didnt even think about making a sound, begging with his entire body for his magical friend to continue.
^It wasnt very cold up there, but the skies were very clear. There were more stars than usual, but we looked downwards instead. I still remember it, this dense cloud of stars further into the valley, as if a piece of the sky was spilled over there. I remember watching it, wanting more than anything to see it for myself up close. And then, heheh, Eclipse cut in, and tried to rain on my paradefor understandable reasons, though. That cloud of stars was apparently a human town, not a good sign. I dont think I ever told her that, but... I still wanted to see it from up close, see a magical place like that. I guess now I can, hah!^
It took the boy a moment to catch Lunas joke, but once he did, their combined giggles filled the air with gentle, emotional warmth. A sensation Luna was used to back home, and one she almost forgot how rough the world felt withoutat least, before this adventure of hers.
A question bubbling up in Rens mind paused any more of Lunas internal pondering, wanting to give the boy all the attention he deserved. She smiled patiently as his mental track took abrupt turns one after the other, before arriving at a question that left him puzzled and excited. Waitcan all mons talk? Like, really talk, not just in cartoons?
Guess that for every human truth that went without saying, there was another truth of her own in that same spot. And just like everything that ever went without saying, it was nowhere near as obvious as people wielding that label would want it to be. ^Yeah, they can talk! Not the same way I can talk to you, not if they arent psychics. But they can talk, and I could help with translation.^ Ultimately, she doubted that piece of information would amount to much more than trivia for the boy, considering his own and humanitys isolation, but it could still help a bit. She could still make a positive change, however small.
I knew it, Daisuke was wrong! I knew he was wrong! Ren triumphantly exclaimed, his expression a mix of smugness and triumph in wildly fluctuating rates. Of course, Luna didnt know who Daisuke was, and this time she didnt even have to speak up for the boy to get the memo. Daisuke is my friend from preschool! He told me that mons cant talk, and even if some can, its only a few. But now I know hes wrong and Ill tell him that when I see him!
Truthfully, Palemoon couldnt resist the emotions on Rens face either, looking at him approvingly. ^When will that be?^
In a week! We have winter holidays right now. The preschool is closed, he gladly explained. Figuring out that preschool corresponded to some kind of social place for children wasnt hard, and its existence reassured Palemoon that the boy at least had some social contact with his peers. Buthis friends still existed outside of that space, right? ^Does Daisuke not visit you?^
It was a good question. It was also a rather clueless question, immediately undoing a fair bit of Rens enthusiasm as the reality of his situation caught up with him once more. Not really. We live far away from everyone, and can only get anywhere by car...
Guess not even all the human opulence in the world could help a very lonely existence.
Nowhere near as much contact with his peers as he should have, parents that, while well-intentioned, didnt seem to give him anywhere near as much attention as he needed to. She didnt want to jump to conclusions about Rens situation being actively hurtful, or worse yet, abusive, but... it sure wasnt healthy, either. It was rough, messed up, and Palemoon didnt have any idea what to say. She figured the best next move would be to redirect the conversation to a more neutral groundor better yet, back to Rens toys and the things that excited him.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
She did want to bring up one more thing first though, with the word car having caught her attention in particular. Before she could do that, she sensed a presence approach from downstairs, with her ears confirming the observation shortly after. The door creaked open behind them, revealing Kaori carrying a hefty mug in each hand. Their contents filled the air with a faint aroma, similar to the curious brown condiment she had for breakfast, but that mightve been the least interesting part of their appearance.
Hot chocolate, everyone! Rens mom announced with a wide smile, carefully walking around the huddled pair and placing the mugs on the oddly smooth wooden floor. Whatever the source of the aroma was, it wasnt the only ingredient in the... drink? Meal? Whatever the contents of the mug counted as, they were covered by a hefty plume of something white and fluffy. And then, on top of that, something that Palemoon could only describe as a shredded rainbow, the multicolored sprinkles taking her aback. It was one thing for regular items to be unusually colorful in the human world, but shed never expect food to fall under that category as well.
*GASP!* Thanks, mom!
Still, food was food, even if it looked more outlandish than usual. Palemoon gladly accepted the offer, including the small metal spoon that Kaori handed out afterwards. The same not-terrible metal as before, letting her follow Rens excited, downright manic lead in shoveling as much of the rainbow-sprinkled cream into her mouth. ^Thank you very much, Kaori.^
No problem! Figured we all could use something tasty to lift our spirits. How are you feeling? Kaori asked both of them, before shuffling some of the nearby toys away and sitting down on Palemoons other side.
Been better.
Im feeling good, mom! Ren cheerfully answered, in between wolfing down the mug-ful of treats. Luna told me that all mons can talk! Daisuke said they couldnt and hes wrong and Ill tell him that when I go back to preschool, and that Luna told me that!
A second opinion immediately pointed out issues with that plan, some of them major. I... dont think thats a good idea, Ren. That kinda thing will draw a lot of negative attention, sadly. And I can only imagine how your teachers would react if you told them about Luna, Kaori shuddered.
The Gardevoir herself was conflicted. She really wasnt sure if she wanted Ren to talk about her specifically eitherthe less attention she and her people got from the human world at large, the better. ^Your mom has a point, Ren. Id rather you not mention me for now,^ Palemoon requested, the disappointment that went through the boy downright palpable. Still, he didnt argue, just nodding somberly.
Mentions of her aside, the idea of not bringing up this topic at all also rubbed her the wrong way, and even more so. ^But, Kaoriwont talking about this help persuade some of his classmates?^ she asked with coy innocence. ^From what youve told me, I doubt they themselves would have any experience to know, and Ren speaking up and being vocal about it could help convince them. Or at least, make them doubt mons not being able to talk.^
Kaori was understandably conflicted at the idea. She tapped her fingers against the floor, rhythmical taps filling the air as Palemoon finally tried the hot chocolate, hoping itd be less overwhelming in taste than it was in appearance. For once, her wish came true. Mostly, at least. The white cream at the top was thick and sweet, and the individual rainbow sprinkles were sweeter still, but even combined, they didnt come close to the sensory overload that was the brown paste from breakfast. The drink they were covering up was even gentler, having a similar taste profile to the paste but substantially deeper, its sweetness limited enough to let Palemoon taste the earthy undertones. Suffice to say, she preferred this incarnation of that sweet flavor.
By the time she was wrapping up cleaning the hot chocolate toppings and got a couple good swigs of the real stuff underneath, the mom of the household was ready to talk again. I mean, yeah, that is a good point. And since itd be just kids arguing, hed get much less backlash from that, as opposed to, say, someone shouting the truth from the rooftops, which would just get them mercilessly mocked. She shuddered at the addition, as if recalling something she experienced personally.
Palemoon gave her a concerned look, feeling a sting of regret for having doubted herbefore the woman clarified, noticing her expression. Oh, dont worry Luna, that never happened to me. Its just... I remember a few years back, there was this anti-trainer protest held in Slateport. It wasnt a massive one, but it was still some good few thousand people. Everyone treated them like idiots and lunatics. I-I doubt I was any better at the time. Though Ill never forget this singular frame of one of the women at the protest shouting something. She looked silly in that fraction of a second, and afterwards that image just became a shorthand for how irrational and emotional people protesting like that were.
As unclear and unfamiliar as Kaoris terminology was, the thrust of her message was well understood by the Gardevoir. Or, at least comprehendedshe couldnt say to truly understand why would people have such a reaction to someone being genuine like that. ^Why would her being emotional equate to being irrational? Arent we all emotional about things we strongly believe in?^
Kaori chuckled weakly. Youd think. But no, apparently many people see it as just immaturity, not being able to talk about things calmly without resorting to emotions and raised voices.
That made so, so little sense. Of course people would get emotional, especially with topics this heavy and dour! She got emotional just earlier, could barely resist sobbing by the end of her previous conversation with Kaori and Hiroto, and that didnt mean she was taking it any less seriouslythe opposite, if anything! Palemoon could maybe understand that line of thought for shouting and other expressions of not just emotions but hostility, but even those were expected here! Hell, more than expected, a part deep inside her that was getting heated by the moment wanted to shout about they were downright warranted!
She was glad to hear about that protest Kaori had mentioned, a sign that not all humans were on board with their cruelty, something she wouldve intensely appreciated if she hadnt been growing angry! But now, after yet another element of particularly callous human weirdness had irked her just the wrong way, she wanted humans to go beyond that, to do something about their cruelty. And especially for her host to not use that fear of being looked at weirdly as an excuse to do nothing, now that she knew how dire things actually were! Oh, how inconvenient would it be for her while mons are being kidnapped by the minute; oh the horror!
Palemoon gave Kaori a brief, but smoldering look, her earlier despair turbulently catalyzed into resentment. Thankfully for the human woman, she didnt noticeshe was too busy in her own pondering to catch it.
But then againwe kinda owe it to ourselves and you to do something about it, eh? To stick our necks out at least a little, especially me and Hiroto. Nudge people close to us whenever we can, even if it wont amount to all that much. Kaori chuckled afterwards, the sound tired and without any relief to be found in it. She then glanced at the Gardevoir beside her, hoping to see some sort of approvaland only saw a frazzled, unwell expression. Luna? Everything alright?
I hate being this angry.
^ImIm sorry, just... I was feeling myself get angry for a moment,^ she muttered, shifting her attention away from Kaori in embarrassment.
For her words, she earned herself a gentle pat on the shoulder, followed by another. I mean, just like youve saidwere emotional about things we strongly believe in. Dont have to feel bad about that.
Yeah! Ren cheerfully added, taking the exchange as an opportunity to rejoin the conversation that had slipped far away from him.
Palemoon wanted to thank them for their reassurance, but the exact words refused to come. Instead, she did the next best thing, reached her hands out from underneath the protective blanket and carefully grasped both humans hands. The warm emotion of gratitude filled their bodies soon afterand this time, they had no issue connecting it to its source, as alien as this method of expression was for them. Youre welcome, Luna, Kaori cheerfully summed up.
The Gardevoir didnt have the space nor the time to plunge herself into meditation, forcing her to stay close to the emotions still swirling through her mind, weaker and weaker by the moment. Afraid of letting them drag her off into unpleasantor worse yet, hostilethreads of thoughts, she instead focused on Kaoris words, and the reassuring idea they conveyed. ^Who would those people youd be nudging be, out of curiosity?^ Palemoon asked, mental voice audibly tired. ^Family? Neighbors?^
The human woman shook her head. Oh no, I was thinking coworkers for a start. Hiroto is a nurse and already works alongside mons, so any change he makes will be immediately helpful. Im an engineer, and there is much less direct mon involvement there, aside from specialized areas. Still, maybe I can convince people to be nicer to the mons theyre already living with.
Palemoon couldnt deny being intrigued at the news of the aloof human having been some kind of healer, like herself. Maybe shed be able to ask him about some treatment methods humans knew her people didnt? However, that was a minor note compared to Kaoris headshake and what it meant. ^But why not? Talking to your neighbors and family about that, I mean. You mentioned there were other human dwellings in the area, right?^
Out of all the topics she expected Kaori to be uneasy about, this wasnt one of them. Well, she sighed, embarrassed, I havent interacted with them in ages, admittedly. They are in walking distance, I could go over there and chat them up, but I havent really done that. Normally I just get everywhere by car, dont think this quote unquote street even has proper sidewalks. The last point certainly sounded like a valid concern to Palemoon, especially with the loud metal beasts whizzing by everywhere.
Kaori knew it was a very flimsy excuse, though. Then again, even if it doesnt, we have some bikes here, stashed in the cellar. I could just drag them out if I really wanted to. The real reason more than anything is how daunting that feelstheyre basically strangers, itd feel weird to just start chatting with them apropos of nothing. On the other hand, she mused, her words dripping with both resignation and determination, whats the worst that could happen? If all of us can only do so much, then maybe its even more important to do the little we can.
Palemoon liked that line of thinking a lot more.
Despite its turbulent trajectory, the conversation ended up calming her a bunch, providing some well-needed relief after the previous one. Still, not something shed want to keep focusing on right now, with her little angry flareup draining a lot of whatever strength she had regained. It was a good reason to change topicsbut not the only one. The shift was gradual, but it was hard not to notice Ren growing more dejected over the course of her chat with Kaori, despite having enjoyed his sugary treat. A high time to steer the conversation to where he wanted it to be at.
^Oh, Ren, wanna keep going? Im very curious about this one,^ Luna chimed in, pointing at the Machoke doll.
And, on cue, his excitement surged back in, somewhat sticky fingers bringing the figurine to his magical friend to examine. Thats Professor Gray! Hes very very strong but also really smart! He makes up all the cool machines Team Rainbow use, a-and he even built a giant robot for them to fight Achromas robot Rayquaza!
Robot, another unfamiliar term for Palemoon. Ren was treating it as both an adjective and a noun, but both meanings were drenched in associations and mental imagery the Gardevoir had the hardest time figuring out. Metal and lights, perhaps? She knew Steel-types existed and wondered how much overlap was between those and the robots of human storytelling. Though, considering he referred to them as being built, she doubted they were beings themselves. She knew nowhere near enough about reproduction and growth to say if that was even possible.
What she did know a lot more about, though, was Kaoris reaction to the change in topic. She winced internally as the woman beside her started scrambling back onto her feet, reaching for the two emptied mugs as she did so. The disappointed, hurt jolt that went through Ren at noticing that was palpable, and while Palemoon didnt doubt that something similar had happened many, many times in the past, she still wanted to intervene here, to do something to help the boy out.
^Kaori?^ she whispered mentally to her, while nodding for Ren to continue. ^Would you mind staying here for a while longer?^
Reassuringly, Kaori did not mind that at all, settling herself back on the wood panel floor with a couple of winces. She wasnt worried or afraid, merely confused at the request. Said confusion quickly built into a question about why, meant in the most neutral tone possiblebut not even that would do here. And so; Luna preempted even that. ^As to whybecause Ren would really appreciate it.^ Right after, she shifted her telepathy to include Ren, continuing their conversation. ^I see! What are robots, if you dont mind me asking?^
The explanation was woefully incomplete. Fortunately, it was still enough for the boys mom to get the message, taking a moment to slide closer towards her son. His expression lit up with a wide smile, his voice growing even more excited as he continued. You dont know what robots are!? Theyre like people but theyre machines, a-and theyre made of metal! Oh, I have one here, look Luna! The words were accompanied by a mad dash towards the nearby box of toys, followed by a large, bulky figurine being presented to her moments later.
It certainly was metal. Not the pleasant sort either, making Luna shift it into her weary psychics before long, her hand growing itchy after touching the material. It was much more detailed than Rens other dolls, depicting many anatomical elements she hadnt even heard of, and which she wondered if they were even possible. ^They look fascinating,^ she commented, as genuine as possible.
I know right, theyre so cool! Oh oh, he has a button on the back that lights him up, try it out Luna!
Taking care to not overburden her mind, Palemoon rotated the figurine until its face was pointing away from her. She could broadly figure out what Ren meant by button, but spotting it with her eyes was a much harder task, the sheer amount of detail turning into noise. Eventually, she brought a finger to brush along the unpleasant material, hoping to find some element that would budge.
Beside her, Kaori realized she still remembered buying this particular figurine for Rens birthday earlier this year. Uncertainty about what exactly the Gardevoir meant with her words was still there, but she figured she could help the two out in their play a bit. I think its here, on the shoulder blade she suggested, pressing down on what looked to Palemoon as just one decoration of dozens. Except this one gave in, making several glass dots around the dolls surface burst with red and blue light, staggering in how vivid it was.
Yeah, there! Thanks mom! Ren commented, sliding closer to his magical friend to watch her reactions as closely as possible. Said friend was enjoying herself as much as possible with the very limited grasp she had on all the human terminology involved, wondering if the lights were meant to represent said robot charging up for some sort of move. They looked quite random for that, but maybe there was some logic to them she just wasnt aware of.
Just like there was logic to the Gardevoir having asked Kaori to stay herebut one the human woman wasnt quite seeing right now herself. Palemoon paused her examination of the doll as she focused on letting only Rens mom hear her words, before taking a deep breath and trying to explain what shed been sensing. ^Hes been feeling quite lonely here,^ she began, her somber tone capturing Kaoris attention. ^Very... nervous about his interests, too. Been quite skittish when bringing them up to me, for example.^
A couple more pieces of the puzzle that had been thrust on Kaori, but ones that filled her with worry more than anything. She took a deep breath, as if ready to respond with something, before stopping herselfRen would overhear.
^I love the colors! And Im curious nowtheyre people, right?^ Palemoon got back to Ren, sending him into his own conundrum.
This one was a character in another of his cartoons, so that made him a personthe boy could figure that much together. Anything beyond that was murkier. The evil droids that Achroma sent to stop Team Rainbow, though? They talked a lot, boasted about how they would stop Team Rainbow, but then they inevitably got destroyed in battle. They couldnt have been people, then, because it wouldve been really weird to have so many of them be constantly destroyed. Really uncomfortable, too. Not all of them, I think, he answered with palpable uncertainty, clinging closer to his friend after his thoughts had brushed against something unpleasant like that.
She wanted to keep nudging them on that front. ^Why not?^
Because itd be so weird! He admitted, voice turning into a whine at the end. Luna sighed inwardly at thathe was probably too young for a discussion like that, even if through the medium of his toys.
She didnt mind. More than anything, she just wanted to make him happy, and she knew just how to do that. ^Very weird, yeah. So, what about this one,^ she continued their earlier tangent, pointing at the little Riolu doll. ^Whats their name?^
The distraction did wonders, piling even more fuel onto Rens excitement as he placed the Machoke down beside the Clefable, before grabbing the other Fighting-type. He was particularly thrilled to talk about this one, seeing himself in the fresh young recruit of the heroic group, and even wishing he was a Riolu too so that he could do all the things hed seen the character do. Palemoon tried paying as close attention as possible throughout, but she could only focus so much. Kaori had found her words in the meantime, whispering them into Lunas ear while positioning herself so that her son couldnt see her speak.
Rens lonely? I figured, in all honesty. Its a great house for us, but not as much so for a child. Ive been trying to find him some sort of group or drive him to the nearest playground where kids his age are hanging out. But then Id have to stay there and look after him, and I just dont have the time, theres always so much stuff to do around the house, and I usually work long hours, and more often than not I just want to sit down after I get back from work and not move until bedtime. Kaoris words dripped with disappointment, both at the situation her son was in, but also at herselfmaybe she shouldve just tried harder. At least, thats what a nasty voice in her head was telling her.
The other part of Lunas explanation was much harder for Rens mom to wrap her head around. Nervous about his interests, though? Thats... weird. Im not sure why hed be. Weve been trying to be as supportive as we can about the things he likes, definitely not skimping out on the toys, as much as Hirotos parents keep complaining that were spoiling him rotten, heh. I-Im not saying I doubt your assessment of him, from what I know Gardevoir can read emotions like that very well, but I dont know where it would be coming from.
Palemoon slumped a bit at Kaoris words, genuine as they were. A single glance around Rens room made it clear his parents were very generous when it came to toys, and the Gardevoir sincerely doubted there was anything wrong with that eitherespecially by the standards of typical human excess. But no, the problem lay deeper, much deeper.
And she had no choice but to be as blunt as the situation deserved. ^Youre supportive of his likes, yesbut do you care? Do you genuinely care what he likes, with all the attention his interests deserve, or do you support his likes so that he can play by himself and not bother you?^
Kaori physically flinched at the Gardevoirs words, and Palemoon herself was not far behind. It was a dose of reality Kaori and Hiroto needed, one which Ren deserved for his parents to hear, and yet she still worried if she hadnt been too blunt about it, too accusatory. Of course, they hadnt been neglectful of Rens interests out of deliberate cruelty; this wasnt something Palemoon would have to teach them a lesson about the hard way. But they had to be forcibly snapped back to the reality of Rens needs beyond just things that he could play with.
In all truth, she was expecting Kaori to get angry at her words, or at least try to argue backbut, instead, all she got in return was silence. An uneasy, uncertain silence, paying close attention to what Ren was doing while keeping herself together as much as she could.
Everything Luna couldve feasibly asked of her.
^What about this one? They kinda look like me.^ Palemoon pointed to the final doll she saw Ren playing with outside when she first ran into him. She remained unsure if the creature it represented was indeed that sibling of her kin that shed heard about from her family, or if it was a product of human imagination, much like the robot she saw earlier. The reality of her learning about a topic this close to her own heart from human toys was very amusing on its face, but that didnt make it any less worthwhile.
What could have made it less worthwhile was Rens limited knowledge on the subject, though. Yeah! This is Blue, theyre a Gallade! he cheerfully informed. And then, a few moments later, realized how weird it was for a Gardevoir to make that comment she did. Incredulous, he asked, Have you never seen a Gallade?
He almost gasped out loud when Luna shook her head. ^I have not! They look remarkably curious, though. Such sturdy legs and hips, almost as if preferring physical, close-range combat. Are they all blue like this, too?^
Blue always fights close up! And noooo, of course Gallade arent all blue like this, only Blue is, because theyre special! Ren explained, as if reciting the most obvious truth in the world. Though, now that he had thought about all this, the curiosity from when hed first spotted Luna crept right back into his head, making him gasp. WAIT! he leaned in close, grasping the Gallade doll firmly. Does that mean youre special too, Luna!?
Not a term the Gardevoir herself wouldve used, but yes, she looked quite different from her family. It was a source of concern more than anything else, about whether that meant that she was sick with something, or if her uniqueness would make her an especially attractive target for humans. At one point, she could only laugh at the ridiculousness of that last thought, imagining the otherworldly, alien race scooping her up into the skies for no reason, just to gawk at her differently colored skin.
Now, though... she could only shudder. Perhaps it was a very bad idea for her specifically to undertake more of these sorts of expeditions to humanity in the future.
^Special? I dont think Im all that special,^ Palemoon answered with a mix of pretend and real humility. ^I know I look quite different from my family, but thats just itlooks. My psychics arent any stronger than theirs;, Im only barely taller than most of them. I havent been blessed by any gods or what not. Im just myself, just Luna.^
Ren reacted to the nugget of wisdom with audible disappointment. Awwh... but you look so cool!
He said it, not me.
^Maaaybe, but believe me Renjust because someone looks different, doesnt mean anything else about them is any different. I doubt Blue would be any different as a person even if they didnt look like they do.^ It was an assertion Palemoon had exactly zero ways of substantiating in any waybut, fortunately, it turned out to be enough for the boy.
Okay... he trailed off, a bit wiser but also a bit more disappointed. At least, until he stumbled upon an even better way of phrasing what he wanted to say: But youre still special to me!
Now that was something Luna was more than content to hear. She ruffled his hair with her psychics, almost pushing herself into another splitting headache before backing off at the very end. The risk was worth it just for his excited reaction. ^Thank you, Ren! I appreciate that a lot. Youre quite special to me, too! After all, youre the first human Ive ever met, and I couldnt have asked for a better one!^
As big of a hug around her as the six-year-old could manage, immediately returned in kind. The quiet thank you that followed was too quiet and emotional to be audible, but Luna heard it all the same. Once Ren had detached himself from her, though, she shifted the conversation back to his interests, and the Gallade doll specifically. ^So, you mentioned that Blue fights from up close! Thats very different from how any of my family ever fought, the few times they had to. Does Blue do anything else but fight?^ After all, if her peoples oral history was anything to go by, even during times of struggle and conflict, art and poems continued to be made.
They like pizza a lot! Oh oh oh and they also pilot robots when they fight against Achromas BIG evil robots!
Palemoon blinked. Guess her internal definition of the human word robot would continue constantly changing, since now apparently they were something that could be pilotedor, as her mind substituted the word, steered. She had a very hard time imagining said robot being both alive and able to be steered. At least, not without that coming at severe discomfort to them. She was about to ask about that, to find out where exactly did she misunderstand something
Only for someone else to cut in first.
The robots Blue pilots... are they the ones Professor Grey makes? Kaori asked tentatively. Her body language was decisively uncomfortable, worry about having gotten something wrong filling her head to an irrational degree. And yet, she still asked, and the other two definitely noticed.
Ren especially. Y-yeah! Theyre really really big mechs, bigger than our house! He was, of course, excited to keep talking. But more than that, he was downright shocked to hear his mom chime in about something silly and stupid, of all things. She usually never did. It was weird, but Ren couldnt say he disliked that.
Ah, I see, Kaori replied, exhaling with relief. There used to be these movies about giant mechs that fought each other and giant mons when I was younger. Wonder if this ties to them
*croooooakkk*
Kaori, your hot chocolates gonna go cold Hiroto began, before stopping at the sight in his sons room. Seeing the Gardevoir playing with him was still unnerving, but that was at least expected. His wifes presence there, especially on the floor beside them, was much harder for him to wrap his head around.
His wife didnt particularly care for his confusion, especially not now. She looked over her shoulder at the sound, together with her son and his friend, and instructed, Oh, thanks Hiroto. Place it down on Rens desk if you could.
Hiroto lifted his eyebrow, followed by Kaori furrowing hers. Whatever was going on, his wife seemed to not want any interruptions, which he figured he could understand. Sure.
One thud of a mug being set down and one croak of the door being closed later, the room was how it was just before the intrusion, now with another mug-ful of sweet treats. Palemoon was distraught by the attitude shed sensed in Hiroto, but that paled in comparison to Ren growing quiet afterwards, worrying as if hed just been caught doing something bad.
Kaori, on the other hand, was determined. Uncertain, somewhat weary, and more tired than shed prefer to be on her day off, but determined as hell. Ren? Hearing his name snapped the boy out of his daze, replacing it with self-consciousness as he looked up at his mom. Wanna keep going? I dont think youve ever told us why Achroma is fighting Team Rainbow in the first place. Another silent look from him, one much more disbelieving this time. It asked a question, its contents obvious even without wordsand his mom answered it as firmly as possible with just an encouraging smile and a nod.
Just like the humans around her, Palemoon could only do so much.
Its because Team Rainbow want to stop Achroma from taking over Hoenn with his droids and his Mecha Rayquaza, and
But she hoped her intervention would make at least one persons life better.
Chapter 6: Discovery
Palemoon mostly stayed back from the play session that followed. Not because she didnt want to contribute or was bored by it, but because she wanted to give all the ground possible for Kaori to interact with her son in a way hed been deprived of for so long. Despite their combined efforts, what transpired was still quite awkward, but that was okay. Not even Ren was under the delusion that his mom would be perfectly capable of playing with him on his terms, but that didnt matter. He could just show and tell, and that in itself was just as funif not more sothan the imagined adventures of heroes fighting against robots.
Thats not to say that Palemoon didnt contribute at all, though. Once the cast of the action scene was explained to her and Kaori, she continued asking questions about them, both the relevant sort and the kind both humans had clearly taken for granted. She probably shouldnt have been as surprised at the lack of detail regarding language as she ended up being, with the source material not delving into that topic at all. Team Rainbow, superheroes they were, could just freely talk with each other, but not the humans. Somehow.
Or at least, that was her understanding before Ren asked, in his usual unparalleled innocence, whether all mons could understand each other. And once Palemoon was done un-smacking her gob, she could gently inform him that no, they very much couldnt. Not even all mons of the same species were guaranteed to share a language, though they often did if they lived in the same area.
To no surprise, that ended up being true of humans, too. They referred to their language as Hoennian, named after the very island under their feet. Palemoon took a while to process that shed been unknowingly living on an island her entire life, but ultimately, even that addition to her knowledge tracked. Just like with most other species, though, Hoennian was but one of many languages, and hardly even the only one used in the area. Providing examples of others proved tricky, with Ren unfamiliar with any of them, and even Kaori only knowing a couple of their names.
Everything in their lives was based on Hoennian, and there was neither the need nor any desire to expand their horizons to include the smaller, local languages. Even the second language shed sensed Ren learning earlier was not one of those local ones, but one from elsewhere in the world, a much larger land across the sea, spoken by many more people than even Hoennian. The offhandedness with which a place so far away had been invoked gave her a pause. Shed imagined that anywhere this far away would be solely a domain of myth, requiring perilous voyages into the unknown to even sneak a glimpse of.
Its name was Kanto and it was half a days worth of travel away by airplane. What either of those proper nouns meant she had no clue about, and the latter one piqued her curiosity in particular, especially once Ren pointed at a spherical, ornate-looking object that stood on one of the high-up shelves.
Any further investigations were, unfortunately, nipped in the bud.
*DI-DI-DI-DING! DI-DI-DI-DING!*
The loud, repeating noise was interspersed with a human voice reciting something. And upon closer focus, it wasnt just any human voiceit was Kaoris voice, gentle yet firm. Whatever it had said, it made Ren groan out loud and put the doll hed been holding back on the ground as Kaori chuckled softly. You hear it, Ren, its 3pm.
The boy wasnt about to go down without a fight, though. But moooom, were having Luna over!
Then maybe she could help you with it! Kaori suggested, proud of herself. Hows that sound? she asked the Gardevoir in question, the only one to have zero clue what the it in question even was.
She was about to make that known, but Ren preempted her. But she wont wanna do homework, please! Maybe I can do it tomorrow?
You already didnt do any of it yesterday because of what happened, Kaori reminded. I dont want it to start piling up too high, for your sake.
That was a point the boy was more amenable towards, but which he still didnt like. Feeling out of options, he turned to the only person he thought could actually influence what would happen, hopeful beyond hope she would choose the correct, play-filled answer. Sock-clad feet raced across his room before he pulled all he could reach of Palemoon into a gentle hug, mindful of her injury, and pleaded: Lunaaaaaaaa, do I have to do homework today?
His mom burst into laughter as his friend tried to piece the situation together, before finally asking, ^What is homework?^
Its bad, Ren simply answered, his voice the most serious whisper he could put on. Its really, really bad.
Its just some learning for kids to do at home, rather than when theyre learning at school, Kaori more helpfully explained. Mostly practicing certain things, especially at Rens age. That framing helped a little more, but Palemoons understanding was still murky. Less so regarding the essence of homework, but more so in Rens apparent vehement objection to it. Sure, practicing her moves or healing techniques was often tedious, but the feeling of improvement that came afterwards was more than worth the effort.
^Whats so bad about it?^ Palemoon genuinely asked, one arm holding the boy closer.
Its so boriiiiing! Its always just reading boring stories for babies or drawing these dumb patterns over and over again! Ren continued to object, the inhumanity of the exercises described self-evident to him. A-and even if I do it, I just get more afterwards!
Reading received a figurative question mark, but unfamiliarity with that noun didnt discourage her. ^Yeah, thats what practice is, Ren. You repeat something to get better at it.^
But we already do that at school! And Im fine doing it at school, I just dont wanna keep doing even more of it as homework... he grumbled. That was a much more reasonable point, at least as far as Palemoon understood. If school was a place for learning and practice, then it made sense for Ren to be annoyed that he had to keep doing it even outside of it. How justified that annoyance was, Luna had exactly no ideabut all the desire in the world to help him out.
^But Id love to help, however I can!^ the Gardevoir excitedly chimed in, validating Kaoris earlier idea. Even Ren lit up at the idea, before one tiny hitch presented itself.
Yay! the boy squealed. The homework is on writing, and its really hard and boring. Can you help me with writing, Luna?
^What is writing?^
Silence fell over the room, only interrupted by a muffled sound of Kaori pressing her face into her palm. To the best of Palemoons ability to tell, it wasnt caused by her ignorance, as much as Kaoris own on the extent of her knowledge. The awareness helped, but only made the situation marginally less awkward. What helped much more, instead, was Rens mind getting lit up with a brilliant wisp of light. Wait! You dont know what writing is, Luna!? he asked in disbelief, the realization forcing just as much shock in him as some of her earlier revelations had in his parents.
Thankfully, that shock didnt come bundled with any fears or other unsightly associationsjust plain, fascinated surprise. One that deserved an answer, however disappointing it was. ^I really dont, no!^ she answered, letting herself be amused at the situation without any more tension adding to the scene. ^Im guessing its very important, though.^
It is, and everyone tells me it is! And that we have to learn how to write to do our taxes and even more homework! Ren informed, forcing a guffaw out of his mom.
And to communicate with others, Ren. Thats the most important part, she chided, much too amused to be anywhere near annoyed.
The boy saw that reasoning as nonsensical. But I can already speak! A-and call my grandparents on the phone!
What if you have to send a letter someday? his mom continued, some of the levity draining from her voice.
Who does that anymore? Ren immediately questioned, baffled at the very idea.
All the while, the hole of understanding in Palemoons mind only continued to grow, every interjection from either human muddling the waters even more. With how important the topic was, she would really need a demonstration of some sort, and... and maybe that was the exact right thing to ask for. ^Ren? Ive never done or seen any writing before, maybe you could show it to me?^
It was a trick about as blatant as placing the worlds juiciest treat in the worlds largest snare, but the opportunity to show off to someone was one Ren wouldnt ever tolerate wasting. Without skipping a beat, he detached himself from his friend and ran up to his desk, climbing onto his chair. He then pulled out a white, mostly clean, rectangular sheet, and grabbed one of the elongated objects Palemoon had seen earlier.
And then, the magic happened.
Luna had walked over in the meantime, curiously observing Rens handiwork as he brought the elongated objects tip to the white sheet. Similarly to the charcoal sticks her people had used, it left a trail as it was dragged along the surface, but was incomparably cleaner and more colorful than even the nicest drawing medium her people could manage. But Ren wasnt drawing, per seinstead, he left a series of symbols on the sheet, one after another, none of them ones Palemoon had any hope of recognizing. Her people had used symbols and markings too, of course, but they were straightforward and denoted universal concepts. Sun, moon, stars, psychic aura, running water, food, meditation. The ones Ren was using were incomparably more abstract, almost looking like an art form than something utilitarian. Palemoon was impressed.
Kaori, less so. Yep, more practice wouldnt hurt. You missed a stroke in I, and thats not how you write wa.
Awwwhh... Ren groaned, some of his excitement smothered at having made a mistake while trying to impress his friend.
Said friend, however, didnt know anywhere near enough to recognize any such mistakes in his handiworkor even for the mere idea of such mistakes to make sense in her mind. She squinted and leaned in, stretching her brain in a desperate attempt to match the assortment of lines and curves before her to any objects or ideas she could think of. No success, again and again. ^Im not entirely sure I see these mistakes, Kaori. Though, admittedly, Im a bit lost as to the purpose of those characters...^
Palemoons words made sense to her, but much less so to the mom of the household. For a moment, Kaori interpreted her words to imply that she did know Hoennian script, and took another, closer look at Rens handiwork to double check if it wasnt her whod made a mistake here. Thankfully, her pride would remain intactthose writing errors were inarguable. Familiar, too; she used to make very similar ones all the time when she was Rens age. A good reason to be more understanding and less I told you so, she supposed.
Right, Kaori began, clearing her mind and bringing her finger to Rens drawn cursive. This is Hoennian script, Luna. Its how we write down our language, she explained the trivialto herselfconcept. Each of those characters has a meaning. Either a word, or one or more syllables. With them, we can write our words down, and then someone else can read them out loud at a later time. She considered adding a cheeky remark about each character only having said meaning if it was written correctly, but stopped herself; she was already regretting her earlier words to Ren, no need to rain on his parade further for no reason.
Palemoon was mostly following. ^I see! We use a few symbols like that as well, but theyre much more... self-explanatory.^
Ooo, like what? Ren asked. Learning the only language he knew was boring, but hearing that his friend mightve had her own secret writing no other human likely knew about? Now that was cool.
His excitement was palpable, getting a warm, amused chuckle out of the Gardevoir. She supposed she could demonstrate, yeah, though wasnt immediately sure what was the correct tool for her to choose. Her eyes swept the dizzying arrangement of elongated, pointy objects, trying to find one that looked the most similar to a good ol charcoal stick. Kaori picked up on her confusion, making the executive decision to offer her what looked like an entirely random one. Better choice than Palemoon could make herself either way.
Her pale blue aura gently grasped the writing implement before bringing it down closer to the sheet that Ren had written on. The very first attempt at mimicking his efforts had failedshe vastly overestimated the amount of force needed to operate the sleek human writing toolbut the next one went much better. One after another, she went through the more commonly used symbols, naming each one.
A circle inside a slightly larger circle. ^The sun.^ A waxing moon, complete with an impression of the most visible craters. ^The moon.^ An array of small circles, each with a cross inside. ^The stars.^ Two curvy lines, combining to resemble a pathor a river. ^Water.^ A simplified depiction of a Pecha berry. ^Food.^
None of those were particularly... surprising to Kaori. It was still fascinating to witness the writing of an entirety different cultureno, an entirely different civilization, but if she were to guess what kinds of symbols an apparently stone-age society would use, most of what Luna had written wouldve been in her first ten answers. Maybe twenty. Then again, apparently Hoennians own writing had descended from symbols not unlike Lunas over thousands of years. Maybe looking at them as just symbols as opposed to a nascent language, no lesser than her own, was wrong.
Ren cared for exactly none of that, because these looked very cool! Woooooow... Ive never seen the Sun like that! Everyone draws it weird with those lines poking out but it doesnt really have any, it looks more like what you drew! In an act of unprecedented foresight, he scribbled the Sun he was used to beside Lunas, a circle with eight equally spaced lines sticking out of it.
It looked just about passable to Palemoon, if woefully crude and very over-exaggerated. ^Thats neat.^
Mhm! Though its not a part of our writing, Kaori added, throwing a wrench into Palemoons understanding. Its a symbol for the sun, but its not a character for the sun. She grabbed a writing tool of her own and wrote down a pair of symbols, one simpler one and one so dense that Palemoon had a hard time figuring out just how many lines it had exactly. This means sun.
Palemoon had so many questions, almost none of which Kaori could answer. What was the difference between the symbol Ren wrote and the one she wrote beyond one being more correct, how in the world was this random jumble of lines and curves supposed to represent the sun, how was anyone meant to remember anything this complex. The one that did eventually arrive at her minds mouth was, fortunately, one of the few that the human could answer. ^How do you even write something this dense?^
Through the power of nigh-infinite willpower, Rens mom resisted the temptation of a proud chuckle. Well, practice! Exactly what Rens homework is forand on that note, I suppose we should finally get it started.
The boy sighed quietly, having already accepted his fate. He reached into a small bundle of sheets nestled against the wall, and brought the topmost one closer, filled with repetitions of several much simpler symbols. They looked damaged to Palemoons eye, their lines broken. The purpose of that was soon made clear as Ren began his work. His writing tool followed these broken lines, filling the gaps to reveal what were presumably full characters. They were much more pleasant to the line than the dense one his mom had written, most of them only having a couple of curves and straight lines, but no more self-evident in meaning because of it, unfortunately.
It looked straightforward enough. ^Sowhat does this one mean?^ she tentatively asked, pointing at the row Ren was diligently tracing. And then a moment later, fueled by her curiosity, ^And can I try doing it too?^
This one is ha! Ren explained with all the excitement and none of the helpfulness in the world. Mooooom, can Luna do one sheet?
Kaori, having been gifted with the sense of hearing, was already thinking through exactly that. She wasnt a fan of her son not doing all the homework he was supposed to, and slightly worried if he could get in trouble for it... but then again, this was just a kindergarten exercise. Hed get plenty of writing experience in the future. Missing out on one sheet wouldnt be the end of the world.
And besides that, she was quite curious to see how well Luna would do. I dont see any harm in that. Here, have this one she glanced at the top few pages before passing the simplest one she could find over to the Gardevoir.
Palemoon was still processing Rens non-answer by the time the sheet was presented to her. She could wait for a moment before digging into the existential conundrum of what do you mean by hait was time to test her mettle. Not wanting to give herself an unfair advantage, she passed the writing tool into her physical hand and brought it close to the paper, trying to Trace the way Rens much smaller hand held it.
Time to show offwait, no. Another trynope; the tool veered way off the dotted line. Another attempt, a wobbly but broadly correct linebefore sliding way off once she tried to follow the curve. Palemoon squinted and leaned in close, the other arm keeping the sheet of paper pinned to the desk. She slowed down, way down, hoping that would help in following what had looked like a trivial exercise. And yes, it didto a very limited extent. She was more stumped than frustrated, really. How was it this hard?
Tricky, aint it? Kaori asked, amusement clear in her voice. A part of her felt weird about feeling pride in her son being better at writing than a wild, illiterate creature, but she didnt dig too deep into that feeling. Ren wasnt doing amazing either, and he was a fair bit off in some repetitions, but Kaori stopped herself before she went ahead in pointing it all out. She trusted her son to know hed made a mistake, and that she didnt have to remind him of it. Instead, she decided to do something else, express a feeling she felt often, but whichto their shared chagrinshe hadnt reminded its recipient about anywhere near as often as she shouldve. Good job Ren! Going well so far, Im proud of you.
As positive as the words were, the boy couldnt help but feel squirmy underneath them. B-but I made a few mistakes here... he muttered, the loss in enthusiasm noticed by his psychic friend.
And you keep trying! Thats what matters. Kaori wasnt used to being this positive, and had to forcibly suppress joking about how he was doing better than Luna. It wouldve been amusing, yes, but it would also give her son the wrong message.
Her son wasnt used to receiving such positivity either, sneaking a glance at his mom to make sure she wasnt pulling a prank or something. Nope, she looked as genuine as she got. It was weird to hear such things from her, and it would take many more repetitions for them to start connecting with him properly instead of sounding artificial. Nothing Kaori couldnt help with in the moment by leaning in to pull her son into a gentle hug, the gesture of affection making everything right.
Palemoon, on the other hand, increasingly wanted to eat the drawing stick she was torturing her hand with. It didnt matter that she was putting in all the effort and focus she could; it didnt matter that the symbol on the page before her was simpleshe just couldnt do it. Every attempt would inevitably veer off the page, each line would break apart into indistinct jittering. Even her ace up the nonexistent sleeve, telepathy, couldnt quite match the results that Ren could do, let alone Kaori.
The Gardevoir expected the former to some extent. Human hands, offputting and misshapen as they were, very much looked finely tuned, and the ease with which Ren could operate even the small, precise toys left an impact on her. What Palemoon wouldnt have ever expected was the latter. Shed grown up assuming that her telepathy alone sufficed to make her mental movements more precise than any other creature could manage. And up to this very day, that assumption was entirely correct, and by a wide margin.
And here was a human child achieving the feats of precision that she couldnt match. Some of it was because of her exhaustion and the strain on her psychics, of course, but a very similar point couldve been argued in Rens favor, too. Even with that consideration, she expected for their impromptu competition to not be remotely close; following a dotted line with a writing point looked like the most trivial task in the world not even five minutes ago.
Palemoon definitely didnt expect that loss to impact her as much as it had, either. Could be stress, could be her subconscious biases being directly disproven, could be many things. A few deep breaths later, none of them mattered anymoreit was a learning opportunity for sure, one that gave her some additional appreciation for those weird, reclusive yet omnipresent beings.
And it made Kaori feel a fair bit smugger, too. Same with Ren, if to a smaller and better concealed extent. Considering that the Gardevoir definitely didnt trust herself to not react the same way if she ended up winning that showdown... they earned it. ^Alright, I just cant do it! This is ridiculous,^ she sighed, content.
Oh Luna, if you think this is ridiculous, then youre in for a rude awakening, Kaori chuckled. There are entire art forms based on writing as intricately and ornately as you can.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Palemoon rolled her eyes. ^As far as Im concerned, all of your symbols Ive seen so far are more intricate and ornate than they should be.^
Maybe the Unovan alphabet would be more up your alley~? Rens mom teased. The factual basis of the tease went squarely above the Gardevoirs head, thoughand Kaori was aware. That one is supposed to be oh so much simpler. Here, lemme write it out...
The table of characters Kaori scribbled down was... kinda different to the characters Ren was writing. Or at least, so Palemoon guessed. She could recognize some artistic elements there that werent present in the symbols filling the boys homework: right angles, larger circles, non-uniform width. And one overarching issue with it, that, while being intensified by Kaoris less than perfect familiarity with it, was clear even in the best-case scenario. ^Half of these symbols look the same.^
I know, right! Ren groaned, interrupting his meticulous writing to vent his frustration. We have Unovan classes once a week and I hate them; its so hard and stupid! Its worse than Kantonian! Stupid albafet.
Its alphabet, Ren.
I know, and its stupid!
If nothing else, watching the humans share her frustrations, but only towards other sets of characters, was quite amusing. For a moment, Palemoon considered asking them how they were doing it, how their writing efforts were so incredibly precise even without the use of psychics. There had to have been some trick to it. But, after glimpsing Rens focused thoughts, she realized said trick wasnt something she could learn. He was paying attention to the same things she had been, except maybe the uncomfortableness of the writing tool. There was no magic involved; his hands were just way more suited to the tasks than hers were, so much more capable of fine motor control.
Not something she could match even with telekinesis, but there she at least hoped shed be able to, one day. Shed have to ask around her family for any guidance in fine tuning her mental grip, but thatd come much later. Right now, Ren was busy, Kaori stood by his side, cheering him up from time to time, and it was getting dark outside. The immediate effects of the last point were eased once Kaori bumped her hand against another of those light-summoning switches Palemoon saw earlier, replacing the outside twilight with a whitish, sterile light.
Oh, LunaRen will be going at this for a while longer, feel free to head downstairs and ask Hiroto to make you something if youre hungry. I dont think Im much in a cooking headspace after all the mess today. Ill order us something, but thats in a couple hours.
Kaoris instructions were appreciated, even if Palemoon wasnt looking forward much to interacting with her husband. The follow-up point flew squarely over her heador so she thought. She mustve misunderstood it; of course they wouldnt make fellow humans bring them food through the darkness and snow outside. That sounded like something out of her Elders caricatures.
Ren, however, laser focused on the one unspecified part of that sentence. Does that mean we can get pizza!? he asked, keeping his excitement veiled with the grace of a sumo wrestler.
His mom sighed, about ready to say no to him on autopilot, but... she couldnt deny being kinda in the mood for it. Definitely not a healthy option, but perfect as a balm for a frayed mind. Something they all needed and then some. Well... Im gonna check it online as well, butLuna, what are the things you cant eat? Her words came at the same time as her pulling out the black rectangle Palemoon had seen used by Hiroto a few times, the item annoyingly nondescript.
The question was straightforward, though. ^Flesh. Were herbivores by necessity.^
Ive gathered that much. I was more so thinking cheese or mushrooms... alright, found something. Cheese is not recommended for its poor nutritional content, but will not cause any health problems if eaten sparingly. Seems its your lucky day, Luna; you get to have pizza.
YAY! Ren cheered with all the intensity he was capable of, his hype infectious. Youre gonna love it, Luna!
Human culinary horizons were one of those things she had given little thought to before, but she figured it would be much broader than her peoples. She wasnt the best person to appreciate them, at least not in any deeper way than finding them tasty. It was hard not to get excited with Rens radiant enthusiasm, though. What she wouldnt give to have her family there too for the tasting of that pizza. ^I hope I will!^
And to have her family here in general.
The thought lingered in her mind as she finally left the boy and his mom alone, letting him focus on his homework. She realized she hadnt given a lot of thought to what mustve been going on with her family in the meantime. They were fine, of course, but theyve certainly started worrying about her not having come back yet. Shed hyped her expedition for a while, yes, but even then it was supposed to be a one-day excursion, two at most. It was the day after, it was getting dark, and there was no sign of her back home. And in her current state, that might be the case for a couple of days more.
Knowing her family, panic would start settling in right about now, plus or minus half a day. Not a maddened, aimless kind of panic, but one that would mobilize them to assemble a group to follow her tracks and find out what had happened to her. The thought brought Palemoon some concerntheyd easily make their way here, and what would happen afterwards, she didnt know. She doubted itd be anything drastic, though. Afraid or not, it wouldnt be like her loved ones to strike first after realizing she was alright and being looked after. Itd certainly be a tense encounter, but only that.
She really, really hoped.
Trying not to concern herself with that foretold worry too much, Palemoon shifted her attention back to the corridor around her. It had grown dark with the creeping sunset, and while she knew how to get back downstairs, shed be loath to not at least try repeating the... trick Kaori had done with the poking bit of the wall.
*click*
And this time, she even had enough foresight to close her eyes first! After having successfully illuminated the corridor, she took the logical next stepand turned the light off. And then back on and off a couple more times, before finally settling at on. It was a weird feeling to be using these very human, almost magical devices, and to have them just work. On a rational level, she knew there was no reason they wouldnt; there was no secret human technique to summoning the light that these clicky elements channeled. It was an assembled tool, not a practiced ability.
Which raised the obvious questionhow did it work? The thought perked her up, pushing through her bodily weariness as she headed downstairs. She had no ability to explain how she was capable of her psychics; they were no less an inherent part of her than her arms or legsjust like humans fine motor control. But this light wasnt that, it was made, it was purposefully built by someone who knew how and why it worked. And now, she wanted to know, too. About everything shed seen so far.
There was the obvious hitch in the plan, and his name was Hiroto. Even beyond the earlier uneasiness, the man didnt feel particularly welcoming towards her, and she doubted hed be willing to answer her random, silly questions. She could, of course, wait for Kaori and Ren to be done, but had no way of knowing how much longer they would take. No way through but to find out if she could convince the cranky, distant human to spill some of their secrets for her
...are you okay? Hiroto asked, looking uncertainly up at her. Palemoon wasnt sure how long shed been standing there for, at the bottom of the staircase, but the answer mustve been concerningly long.
She wouldnt get a better excuse to ask her question, thats for sure. ^Oh, yes, I apologize, Hiroto. I was just lost in thought. Ren and Kaori are upstairs, working on Rens homework, I believe.^
Wouldve thought Ren was old enough to do it himself, Hiroto mumbled, shifting his focus back to the black rectangle in his hands.
It was a weird response. ^He is. But she just wants to help him out some; bond closer with him. Whats wrong with that?^
Not a question Hiroto wanted to hear. His hand clenched for a moment, followed by unease darting through this tense expression. Palemoons heart hammered briefly, the mans emotional response greatly unexpected. Thankfully, it mellowed back out before long, though with a sullen undertone to it. Nothing, of course. Do you need anything... Luna?
She was unsure how to interpret his reaction, but there didnt seem to be anything hostile to it. Somewhat annoyed, sure, but primarily... regretful. Part of her wanted to prod deeper about it, but she ultimately decided against it. There was plenty to talk about as is, after all. ^I am curious about some of the... human objects here, and how they work. Would it be okay for me to ask for an explanation?^
Hirotos emotional response was unexpectedly guarded. Definitely not anything he expected, and the flash of positive surprise made it clear he wasnt opposed to the topic one bit, but said positivity was then forcefully smothered to maintain a neutral pretense. I dont know all that much myself, but I dont see why notassuming its something I have the slightest idea about.
Now that was a curious remark. ^Is it uncommon to know about how your inventions work?^ Palemoon tried to not be judgmental in her tone, since it wasnt her intent at allbut that lack of knowledge just wasnt something she expected. From Ren, sure, but not from the adults.
Thankfully, the father of the household didnt take it personally. He was too busy chewing through his words, trying to frame it just right. It depends wasnt the most insightful seed of an answer, but it was far more truthful than either a yes or no. Most people have a shallow understanding of many topics; its no different from any other domain of knowledge. He paused for a moment afterwards, before asking something he wasnt entirely confident about. Just like Im assuming there are certain topics that others in your tribe know more about than yourself.
Obviously. It was the clear answer in hindsight, but it was easy for the otherworldly nature of these contraptions to make them come off as something beyond just tools, just one part of everyday human experience. ^Of course. Apologies.^
Its okay. But, on that noteanything specific that youd want explained, to whatever degree Im capable of?
Palemoon didnt expect Hiroto to be the one bringing the earlier tangent back up. ^Its hard to know where to start in all honesty. But...^ she trailed off as she scanned the rooms walls, before eventually finding*click!*and pressing the light summoning element. Hiroto squinted, confused. ^These lights caught my attention. How do these little levers summon them? Does it have something to do with the light bulbs that Kaori mentioned to me earlier?^
She wasnt sure what she expected him to do, but getting up from his seat and energetically walking further into the dwelling wasnt it. For a split second, she worried about possibly needing to defend herself, before the real reason for the intensity of Hirotos response reached her senses. Not anger, but... enthusiasm. Not something she even expected him to be capable of, in all honesty.
A few moments of clanking and rustling later, he returned to the living room, gesturing for her to follow as he sat down on the couch, several items in his hand. And once she caught up with him and rested her legs, the explanation could continue. The bulb in this room is LED, he began, showing off one of the rounded objects he was holding. It was almost spherical at the top and tapered off at the bottom, ending in a wide metal screw. They are a bit too complex for me to explain, but I got an old incandescent bulb here instead, which is much simpler to talk about.
The second bulb was, contrary to his assertion, more complex at a glance. Instead of the rounded part being cloudy and translucent, it was clear, showing off the insides. Said insides amounted to a handful of lines, strings if Palemoon had to guess. They looked very intricate, but explained nothing on their own. Before I go further in... ack, I dont know how to phrase it other than the direct wayyour people have discovered fire, yes?
It was hard not to, with a couple of her cousins having almost started a forest fire once while learning Fire Blast. ^Yes, we have. We know how to start and control it.^
Perfect. You know how, when burning wood, the logs dont just give off flame, but they turn red and glow by themselves?
It was still weird to square Hirotos focus, excitement even, with how he came off earlier. He still avoided looking at her where possible, but was gesticulating more with the bulb in his hand than Palemoon had seen him do earlier, much more. It reminded her of Ren, more than anything else. As to his question^I... I havent consciously noticed that earlier, admittedly, but thinking back, that is true, yes. Does that glow have something to do with this bulb?^
Hiroto tilted his head to the sides. Yes, and no. Its the identical physical principle at hand, but the lightbulb filament isnt made of wood. He had to put an active effort to avoid adding obviously somewhere in that sentence, but Palemoon appreciated his effort.
Even if she wasnt sure about that physical principle he mentioned. ^And what would that principle be?^
Thermal radiation. Its not just wood that glows when its hot, everything glows when its hot.
That was a curious insight. Palemoon didnt have any experience with seeing anything non-wooden being burned to such a degree that it glowed, but she didnt see why it couldnt be the case. ^Uh-huh! So this filament is intensely heated and, and glows as a result?^ It made sense, given what hed said earlier, but was hard to imagine. No fire glow was anything like any of the lights shed seen in the human dwelling, they lit up immediately instead of having to warm up, and with the ludicrous temperatures involved, it was hard to imagine everything around them not catching fire. Also, this little string inside was absurdly tiny, which couldnt have been helpful either.
Exactly! Hiroto passionately answered, corners of his mouth lifting in an unprecedented smile. It was almost cute for the fraction of a second that it lasted before being forcibly suppressed and replaced with neutrality again. Does that make sense as a mechanism of function?
^I suppose so, but how is it heated? Unless one of those tiny elements produces flames more intense than any Ive seen in my life, I cant imagine this string ever glowing. If anything, it looks like itd fall apart at the slightest movement.^
However hard he tried to hide it, there was no denying the upbeat tone of his response as he offered Palemoon the bulb in question to examine closer. The filament is made of metal; its not as delicate as it looks. There are no flames involved, but I cant blame you for that assertion. You told me your people have discovered firewhat about electricity?
A glimmer of confidence flashed through Palemoon''s features, pride at how well-practiced she was at Thunder Waveonly for the reality of how little that move amounted to yesterday to extinguish her spirits. Trying not to linger on it, she mumbled, "^Yes. We are very familiar with Thunder Wave for self-defense.^" Her wallowing aside, she wondered what the question had to do with anything. Metal or not, the string at the center of the bulb was so thin it flickered in and out of her conscious perception. She was afraid to even touch it with her psychics, lest it would tear.
The mention of a move and the stark reminder of her inhumanity made Hiroto flinch ever so slightly, but for both of their sakes, he didnt linger on it. I more so meant conceptually, beyond just using it in your moves.
Aaaaand back to being utterly lost. ^In that case, I suppose not.^ Palemoon felt even more deflated, but... this was curious. She had previously assumed the power of electricity to be a power with no purely physical equivalent, one Electric-types and others could tap into, but not humansmuch like her psychics and her special bond with the Moon. And judging by the way Hiroto was talking about it, that assumption was way off. ^Have humans?^
Eh, its only the most important discovery of the past three hundred years, he answered somewhat smugly. I wish I had a flashy way to demonstrate it, but alasany electric arcs large enough to be visible are incredibly dangerous, so its probably for the best that we dont. To the pointyes, we know a lot about electricity and it is responsible, in one way or another, for almost everything around you.
Palemoon blinked. ^Even the seat were sitting on?^
Electricity made it possible to mass produce them, to turn what was once a work of multiple skilled laborers toiling for weeks into a product that anyone can afford. To clarifyits not that this material itself has anything to do with electricity, but that we can construct machines that consume electricity to do work. Sewing machines, chainsaws, lathes, cutters, assemblers, looms, all those tasks that once took the labor of thousands and millions can be replaced by devices that use electricity and do it faster and better.
It was easy to dismiss as exaggeration to an extent, but Hiroto was genuinemore genuine than how shed seen him earlier, even. Palemoon was uncertain what to think. If the impact of those electric machines was as immense as the picture he was painting, that would definitely explain a lot of the human weirdness around her. No wonder their dwellings were obscenely massive if they had contraptions to do everything for them! Of course, that simplified picture still left quite a few unknowns. Some that were answerable by the deployment of more of the aforementioned machinesacquisition of raw materials, large-scale constructionand some that werent, such as the ownership of said machines and what happened to the humans that used to do their tasks.
The revelation was paradigm shifting for sure, but she had a hard time really letting it sink in. It was one thing to hear about those downright magical contraptions that could do labor for humans, and another to grasp just how much of a foundational pillar they were for their society. Not anything Palemoon was really equipped to process fully right now, but it had lodged itself firmly in her head, ready to be dissected and blow her mind at a later stage.
And in the here and now, it was time to go back to the little bulbous trinket. ^Soooowhat does electricity have to do with this bulb?^
The rhetorical nudge was plenty sufficient for Hiroto to rein his zealous excitement in, almost literally shaking it off before focusing back on the object still in the Gardevoirs hand. Right. Have you ever seen a fire being started by a lightning bolt?
^Not personally, no, but I know it can happen. Does the electricity strike this metal string, then?^
It flows through it, Hiroto clarified. It largely went over Palemoons head, the word choice not making immediate sense to her. She had seen plenty of Electric-type moves being used, and she wouldnt have described them as flowing through anything. They arced through the air, sure, but that happened instantly. There was one other thing she was aware electricity could do, but it felt different enough to be unrelated.
...
Though it couldve been something not even humans knew about! Fat chance, but one she was still willing to take. ^I have no clue what electricity flowing through anything means. I know it can fill water, though! Always unfortunate when that happens, really messes all the Water-types up,^ she clarified, trying to put on some confidence of her own.
Hiroto stared blankly at her for an uncomfortable amount of time. Thats, he eventually continued, dumbstruck. Thats the same thing, Luna. What you saw was electricity flowing through water.
Huh? ^But it happened instantly.^
The humans head perked up in understanding. Ah, right. Yes, to us it looks instantaneous, but in reality its not. The physics of electricity get... pretty advanced, but suffice to sayits not instant, it can flow through substances, and it heats the medium it flows through.
Just the tidbit of info she needed, letting her finally put together the titanic mystery of a four-piece puzzle set. It answered the why, but also created an associated why not. ^If thats the case, how come your machines can use it? Wouldnt it set them alight?^
Judging by Hirotos shifting expression and meandering hand gestures, it was a good question. Its complicated, as most things are, but the gist is that the amount of heating depends heavily on what kind of substance the electricity goes through, how much of it, the diameter, the amperage and voltage, and so on and so on. In short: all of our machinery is designed to not catch on fire because of electricity, and if it does, then something terrible has gone wrong. The filament in this kind of light bulb was made specifically to heat up as much as possible, so that it can glow as bright as possible. Thats why its so thin.
A perfectly satisfactory answer. Palemoon wished she got to learn more than just the broad strokes, but considering she started with much less knowledge than the usual human, there was probably a lot more she needed to get a handle on before it was time for specifics. That doesnt mean her curiosity was satiated or diffused, though, nowhere near. ^How hot does this string get, then?^ she asked, staring closely at the hair-thin wire.
Two thousand, two thousand five hundred Celsius. Uhhh, thrice as hot as a fire pit burning wood, I think? Something in that territory.
^How come it doesnt catch on fire, then?^
Oh, the bulb is filled with argon, an inert gas, Hiroto eagerly explained.
Palemoon only blinked in response, looking at the bulb again in case she missed something. ^It just looks like air.^
Argon is a part of air, so it checks out.
If the previous clarification gave her a pause, this one utterly stumped her. What did he mean by a part of air? That implied that air was some kind of composite substance, like how the gray pigment was a mix of soot and ash, butthat just made so sense!
It making no sense was written so plainly on her features, orange eyes jumping back and forth between him and the bulb, that Hiroto had no choice but to address it right away. Right. So, Im not sure how to introduce elements into the mix. Thethe whole type thing youre familiar with is a start, but not everything reduces down to these types, he began, clearly uncomfortable at having to discuss something he knew so little concrete about.
Still, it was enough to provide a jumping off point. ^Of course, yes. Plenty of matter around us escapes simple type classification, and types are only tenuously related to material properties.^
Yes, exactly! Going beyond them, we set out to find the actual building blocks of everything around us.
The Gardevoir had almost no frame of reference for an undertaking like that. ^That sounds incredibly challenging.^
It took us, as a species, some few thousand years, yes. In the end, we have discovered one hundred and eighteen of them he began, before redirecting at seeing Palemoons shock only deepen, but most of them are metals. Air is mostly nitrogen and oxygen, with a bit of argon and other trace elements. Almost our entire bodies are these two, plus hydrogen, carbon, phosphorus and calcium. Water is oxygen and hydro
^Water isnt an element!?^
The sheer surprise in Lunas voice startled Hiroto, especially with him looking at her and not seeing her mouth move. It took a few alarmed moments for him to realize that the mon sitting just a couple perilous feet away from him wasnt hostile, just living through what had to have been a world-shattering revelation. N-no, its not. We thought it was for the longest time too, but its not. Its fascinating.
Fascinating was an excellent word to describe not just that nugget of information, but everything Palemoon had learned in this extended lesson. She expected to learn a lot in the event she met a human and could talk to them, but she didnt expect it to be this earth-shattering. Telling it to her friends and family would be funassuming theyd believe any of it.
Fascinating was also an appropriate descriptor for not just the content of the lesson, but the demeanor of its teacher. It reminded Palemoon of her grandpa when they really got into healer lessons; there was that exact same excitement therenot just about the topic, but also about getting to pass the knowledge on. Seeing Hiroto like this made his earlier aloofness, not just towards her but towards Ren as well, all the weirder. Knowing the boy, even the little she did, he wouldve loved learning about all this.
She wasnt sure how to bring that topic up, though, instead trying to tackle it in a roundabout way. ^It really is. You know a lot about this!^
Hiroto chuckled nervously, eyes darting as far away from her as possible, some of the coldness returning. Nothing Ive said goes any further than pop-sci junk. Its just something Ive always enjoyed reading about, but I dont have any formal education in it.
The two parts of that sentence didnt add up. ^If youve always enjoyed it, why not make it your lifes calling?^
An uncomfortable silence filled the room afterwards. The topic was much more sore than Palemoon anticipated; the emotions flashing through Rens dad were messy and conflicted. Anger, surrender, insecurity, dismissal. Physics and electronics used to be my hobby, but theyre just that, a hobby. The world needs nurse practitioners more than it needs losers mangling breadboards in their parents garages.
Palemoon understood almost nothing of that remark, but its specificity was well apparentas was how personal the topic was for him. ^Is that... the entire reason?^
Her telepathic-word investigation into Hirotos psyche wasnt exactly subtle. What, are you trying to play therapist with me?
^No, its not my goal to provide counsel. But I can physically feel how painful the topic is for you, so I got curious. I can cease, if youd prefer that, Hiroto.^ Of course, her curiosity went further than that, but she was being truthful and her offer was genuine.
Despite his earlier distrust towards her, Hiroto could tell. My parentsconvinced me to pursue a respectable career in medicine. Considering I ended up with a well-paying job, steady income, and loving family, Id say they were right and I ought to be thankful towards them.
...
^But do you actually feel that way?^
The sharp inhale Hiroto let out at the question took Palemoon abackand this time, it was backed by a few drops of anger. She knew better than to dig at what was an increasingly visible mental scar deeper, apologetically looking away.
Before either she could apologize or Hiroto could chastise her for overstepping, though, a loud creak came from upstairs, followed by a set of rapid, excited steps. Ren had to forcibly stop himself from sprinting down the stairs under his dads vigilant gaze, the awkward shift in his mannerisms stark and much more painful to see for his dad than ever before. Even if his childish energy was subdued, his excitement at getting to hang out with his magical friend again wasnt. Luna, Luna, Im done with homework!
A part of her wanted to leap up from her seat and dart off with Ren away from the stuffy living room, dive into anything the boy felt like doing away from his parents. But she also had an opportunity, one the family was unlikely to take on their own. And she very much felt like taking it. ^Thats awesome! Your dad was just telling me about how light bulbs and electricity work.^
Even if smothered, Rens curiosity still shined through. Any earlier idea for the next thing they could play was discarded at the mention of learning about something as cool as electricity. And from his dad, no less! Thats cool! he squealed, before catching himself as he was about to ask a question. His self-consciousness was strong, but despite everything, his child spirit was stronger, ultimately. D-dad, can you tell me how electricity works too?
Despite her earlier insistence, Luna had to admit to something.
Sure. Hop on the couch, Ren. Ill see if I can condense it somewhat this time...
She really enjoyed giving counsel, deep down.