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 Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 6:02 pm
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Katie was sure that she wasn’t the first one to figure out what the writing on the door said – actually, she wasn’t sure she ever figured out the wording. Puzzles and codes had never been her strong suit. Maybe it was the exhaustion and the stress getting to her, but she was having a hard time thinking very clearly right now. She wanted to get out of here, of course she did! She wanted to go home, back to the hotel for a shower and a nap, to recover from how stressful today had been. But that was hardly a unique desire – they all wanted to go home in one way or another, and even though they were working together now, none of them really knew one another, and once they had escaped from this mansion, they would all part ways. Even the little Rattata that she had gotten attached to would leave.
In a way, Katie could understand why the Jirachi had wished what it did. It had no-one to go back too, and all of its resurrected friends would be leaving, too, along with the people who had caught them. It seemed such a tragedy that there was something out there in the wide world who was… who was as lonely as she was. It was only after this that Katie realized that, while lost in her thoughts, the door had opened and she had made it through it.
The room beyond was a simple one, if childish. It reminded her a little of the playroom she, Oyumi, and Kurai had explored, if only in the innocence that the room seemed to exude. The star-shaped bed in the middle of the room was eye-catching, but so were the small stuffed toys she saw lying around – not the kind to play with, but the kind meant to snuggle with and go to sleep. They were in the shapes of various Pokémon, and there were pillows scattered around, too. While all of this was very fascinating, and seemed to add weight to the theory of how young the Jirachi was, in personality if not actual age, the small legendary on the star-shaped bed was the most enthralling thing in the room.
Katie, who had never owned a Pokémon in her life, who had never really gotten to interact with them until she met the Rattata in the basement, despite the number of pokéballs she carried for any potential friends, felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach at the sight before her. The poor thing looked exhausted, and sad, and there was something about its tired gaze that looked familiar – of course it did, she saw it in the mirror almost every day. Biting her lip, she made her way over to the bed, and sat down beside the Jirachi.
”Hello there,” she murmured softly, not expecting much of a response. ”My name’s Katie, but I’m pretty sure you don’t care about that right now. If it’s okay, Jirachi, I’d like to talk to you – just for a minute or two.” She smiled at it, but the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. This was all just too sad, too heartbreaking, too close to home. Putting up a brave front with others was all well and good, but when it came down to important things, she could panic just as much as Jirachi had, and she sighed a little, looking down at her hands, which were folded together in front of her.
”I saw some pictures outside – of you and your friends. It looks like you had a lot of fun before,” she said, not daring to look at the Jirachi again. Not yet. Instead, she let her gaze wander around the room as she spoke. “If I had such nice friends, I’d want them back, too. It must have been very scary to wake up without them around,” the redhead continued, pausing for a moment to bite her lip in thought.
”And… everyone wants to get out of here – not because you don’t have a nice home, Jirachi, but because… because we all have homes that we want to return to, as well. We have friends that we miss and want to spend time with. Well… most of us do, anyway.” She smiled bitterly and glanced over at the legendary then, but she couldn’t be sure if it was listening or not. ”I don’t really have anybody to go back to. I never got to make any Pokémon friends, or really any human ones. So… so I know what it feels like to be lonely, Jirachi. And if I could do what you could, to wish some friends or a nice home where everything’s how I want it to be? I would probably do it.”
Sighing softly, and afraid that her rambling was never going to get anywhere, Katie went over to the corner of the room and picked up one of the plush Pokémon, bringing it over to the bed. ”These toys are nice, but real friends are better, aren’t they? “ The redhead asked, tears forming in her gray eyes. This entire situation was much too emotional, but she just couldn’t stop herself at this point.
”My parents were afraid of Pokémon, because one of them hurt my mom when I was very little – it was an accident, but you can’t really do much about something once you’re afraid. But I know that not all Pokémon are bad… and not all humans are bad, either. Sure, there are some who are mean, but there are so many more who just want to be friends, too. My parents made the wrong choice, by becoming afraid of all Pokémon, and it hurt them – it hurt me, too, since it kept me from making very many friends. I want to go home, too, Jirachi, but for me? Going home will mean leaving the only friend I’ve made here, a Rattata who got trapped in your mansion. And… I’m okay with that, really, because I can make new friends once I get home.”
Katie licked her lips and hugged the stuffed toy once before sitting it by Jirachi, ”I’ll miss Rattata, and I’ll never forget him. And… I’ll hurt for a little while, because being lonely will always hurt. But you know what? Being lonely stops the moment you have just one new friend. I want to go home, Jirachi, and I would love it if you grant my wish… but I don’t want to leave you lonely, either. So regardless of what you do, will you try to make friends with someone here? They may not be my friends yet, but I’m sure someone could be yours. Maybe we could even be friends someday!”
She couldn’t stop the tears now, because gosh darn it she was stressed out, she was lonely, it had been a very long day (or week, or however long it had really been, she wasn’t sure), and she was too full of feelings to stop. But even as she cried, she smiled, nudging the plushie over to the little legendary. ”Do you think you could help me get home? So I can make some friends too?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 6:39 pm
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The door loomed like a towering figure built on a sturdy foundation of regret, confusion, and most of all: guilt. Cetus’s false-colored eyes stared confusingly at the pinpricks upon the door. It was a message; albeit an almost undecipherable one. A willowy hand stretched out and combed the bumps and bruises as she tried her best to understand the painful truth. Unfortunately, she came to nothing.
“I don’t understand this at all.” she murmured as her eyes flickered across the braille again and again in puzzlement . “How am I going to complete the mission if I don’t open this door?!”
She’d never figure this out, would she? Cetus gave a disheveled sigh as her gaze fell upwards. The image of the scared and forlorn Jirachi beheld her left eye and the rock cocoon her right. It bubbled up something in her but she held it down. Again, the feeling fizzled and snapped but she denied it. Moments ticked by with the seconds and the knotted bud she kept forcefully closed in her bosom fought. Suddenly, she surrendered and it blossomed. Realization surged through every capillary and vein as she discovered: It’s as if I am staring into a mirror . . . I must open my heart.
Cetus took a deep breath and slid her fingers onto the door handle. The door creaked as it lurched forward. A waft of gentle warmth brushed her wan skin as she stepped into the core of the star. Cetus cocked her head as she beheld a room that was a childish reflection of space. The walls were painted a lush, midnight blue of the dreariest night. Golden stars of tinsel hung from the rafters and spun slowly from their string bindings. A train track of the constant five pointed figure surrounded a similarly shaped bed, the choo-choo itself the figure of a rocket. Than, there was the mastermind itself. Lying upon the comfy figure of the cosmos was the twinkle whose wish brought them to its dream:: Jirachi.
Trepidation marked each of Cetus’s steps as she marched forward. She was terrified of the legendary suddenly lurching forward and taking her life, but closer inspection proved otherwise. The Jirachi appeared as though it didn’t even have the strength to breathe. The Galactic grunt knelt by the bed and felt the thump of her heart try and beat sense into her.
“Take it and run!” it screamed. “Do it! You want be recognized, praised and worshipped, don’t you? You’d be a Commander! Isn’t that what you want?”
No.
((Inserts a lovely theme for your reading pleasure~: [x].))
“Jirachi,” Cetus whispered and felt her heart clench when the feeble Pokemon turned its head at its title. “Please, listen to what I have to say.” It gave no notice that it was. Its eyes only reflected a barrier of distaste. Prove yourself, its gaze begged.
“I saw your memories,” she began. “It was only glimpses but . . . I saw them. The storm, it was everything, wasn’t it? Your feelings of fury, sorrow and loneliness . . . I-” Cetus wiped away a tear. “It hurt, didn’t it?”
Her teachings from her previous trainer and Commander made it common protocol to not shed feelings while in the face of an enemy. Yet, Cetus could not deny it. This was not her enemy: this was a reflection. Her palms smothered her eyes as she tried to prevent the constant stream of tears. The thirty-five year old tumbled back twenty-nine years.
“Y-You wanted to run away, didn’t you?” she murmured, but found herself sobbing. “T-This world felt so cruel, didn’t it? Dreams became your savior, didn’t they? Your wishes were countless, seeming to never be answered, right? Even when you found company, you still felt so lonely . . . so guilty, misunderstood. How many times have you cried . . . wishing you could just turn back time?”
Her form crumpled and her tears continued as she wept into the star speckled sheets. “Even when your wish was granted, those feelings never ceased, did they? Morning never came and the night was only full of only careless stars refusing to even consider your yearnings . . .”
Cetus raised herself upward as she tried to regain her composure. The sleeve of her shirt wiped her face clean, leaving only the expression of a downtrodden, flushed woman. A finger drifted to one eye and the other, removing a thin, plastic cover that remained upturned bowls on both forefinger and thumb. Suddenly, she crushed the little disks in her palm and allowed the flecks to fall freely to the starry bedspread. Once fallow eyes were now a brilliant turquoise with a warmth blessed from Unova’s coasts.
“. . . We can see eye-to-eye, now, yes?” Cetus mustered up a bit of courage, but it drifted away swiftly. “I-I am a member of a very bad organization. We call ourselves Team Galactic and we are dedicated gaining control over space and time. My duty, by the people I look up to . . . was to take you away and do something bad.” Cetus bit her lip. What was she saying? But no matter what angle she peered at, the mission was to end up a failure. “By worst, I am truly your enemy. But . . . my duties are last to when it comes to what I believe is right in my heart. Jirachi, this world is a wonderful place.”
Cetus gave the Jirachi a small smile and reached a finger out to touch the palm of the legendary. “I joined Team Galactic with the intention to run away from my mistakes. I hurt so many people. I wanted to challenge time and fix my past and return . . . to what I believed was an idea of control and power. No- what I really wanted back was the happiness of being back with the people I loved. But now-” The realization dawned on her again. “I have fallen too far, too low. I signed away my soul in blood. My everything is theirs. We are both held in bondage but now you have a key to set yourself free. Learn from my failures and let your life be your dream. It is too late for me. Open your heart and yield for nothing to catch that morning. Please, Wishmaker, grant my wish: return us home and find your freedom. I wish for us to return back to the world, everyone, together."
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 2:06 am
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Nina was tired; there was absolutely no doubt about that. It had been a long – whatever amount of time there had been. Hours, she was certain. But she wasn’t sure that it was fatigue pulling at her muscles; there had been a Zorua, after all, and apparently everything else had been an illusion. She ran her hand across the bumps of the door, but of course she’d never read Braille. One of her friends had, she was sure, but even so she couldn’t remember when the last time she’d spoken to Ingrid was – pretty, idealistic Ingrid. Anyway, she didn’t think Ingrid was supposed to help her read this (she was supposed to read it, right?) She turned to her left and then to her right and bit her lip; Nina wasn’t even sure if she could ask anyone else there. She’d made a few acquaintances over the course of this dream-adventure-illusion, sure, but they weren’t…friends. They weren’t the people she’d burden with her questions, and besides they all had their own things to be worried about (like reading it for themselves).
Nina didn’t want to wait, though, for someone to shout out what it said. It was probably something related to their adventure thus far, anyway – everything had been linked together. She thought back to the photos earlier in the mansion – how they’d contained…memories. Those images must’ve been Jirachi’s memories, and those Pokemon must’ve been Jirachi’s friends. No wonder, then., that they’d been so combative. She bit her lip. Agyness gave a reassuring chirp by her side. Nina’s own Swablu was a friend of that caliber, too, she remembered. She’d stuck by Nina’s side through all these recent events, even charging between her coordinator and a Joltik. Agyness wasn’t even a fighter! It was no small wonder that Jirachi loved its friends fiercely enough to want them to the point of destroying everything else. Who wouldn’t want friends that’d fight for you, and who wouldn’t fight just as badly for their sakes? But, Nina thought – but – everyone was here for a reason. The trainers here all had friends like that in their Pokemon, and maybe even in their fellow trainers, too. She thought of Bazza, and of Daniel, and of that one guy she’d never gotten to ask the name of, and of Lore and Gregory, who she’d met for only moments but were still dedicated and smart and. And. Everyone – human or Pokemon – had some inherent worth, right? Nina was confident in that.
So there was nothing to be afraid of. She looked up and saw the door handle and laughed – of course she’d missed it in favor of the Braille. She’d never been able to see the bigger picture.
But then she walked into the room – the small, cramped room with its creaking floorboards and the bed that seemed out of place. It was a large, luxurious bed patterned like clouds in a windy autumnal sky, probably with down in the pillows or mattresses or whatever (she was into fashion, not home design, okay?). And Jirachi was blinking from its perch on the bed, sleepy and just as – no, even more fatigued than Nina felt. “Hey, little guy. Or girl.” For a moment she wanted to turn back and tell the rest of the trainers, except that even Nina knew that this was supposed to be a private room, even if suddenly the ceiling was a lot further above her head and there was a cerulean rug on the floor. She had to smile at that. It was sweet of the Jirachi to be so concerned about its visitors, even when it’d tried to erase one of them from existence not too long ago.
“You tired? Can you see me?” It was an odd question. But there’d been Braille everywhere in the mansion, and it made sense. “The only person I ever knew who read Braille was blind,” she explained. “Her name was Ingrid, and she was one of the best friends I ever knew. But then I decided on traveling as well as coordinating, and, well. I guess I’m here now, and I don’t even remember the last time I talked to her.” Ingrid had been a dancer, and super into making sure Pokemon were settled into their natural habitats; she’d have been, Nina thought, a much better choice for talking to the Jirachi than this purple-mohawked coordinator.
“It’s kind of sad, you know? I guess we kind of lost touch, because she’s so busy and I’m always in a different place so it’s hard to maintain regular contact. I’d like to search her out again.” Nina was watching the Jirachi for a reaction. It just looked tired – she wasn’t so sure that it wanted to listen to this dumb little story. “You kind of reminded me of her. I mean, not the, like, wish-granting, although I’m sure Ingrid would’ve loved to do that.” She paused. “I know you had a lot of friends, too…Jirachi? God, it’s weird calling a Pokemon by their species. I always call Ags by her name, even though I can’t understand her. I think – well, I’m sure Pokemon like you can talk. I just…I don’t know how to put this into words.”
“I really want to do something for you. You look sick and tired. Usually I’d bring Ags to a healer and make sure she was comfortable and happy. She’s always known she was safe with me…I think. She’s one of my best friends, too, you know? She’s always doing exactly what I ask of her, and I want to do the same for her, too.” Nina frowned. She wasn’t sure where Agyness had flown off to now – funny, because she’d just been here by Nina’s side (where, Nina thought, she almost always was). “I mean – you had friends like that, too, right? I know the Zorua everyone saw was super devoted to you – that…uh, I think it was a girl, but I’m not sure that I can tell! God…”
Nina was monologuing, and the Jirachi was just blinking sleepily by now. “I want to say it was an honor to meet you, and I guess it is. But I mean – can I be honest with you? My friends are always telling me that the best thing about me is that I tell it like it is. I also like going off on tangents, if you hadn’t noticed.” She waited a few minutes before deciding it was safe to continue. She’d gotten a little closer to the Jirachi, now, and was doing most of her thinking aloud, brushing her hand awkwardly through her mohawk as she did. Sometimes she’d have liked to have long hair to cover her face with when she was kind of embarrassed by what she was doing, but that had never really been her. Nina was usually unashamed for the most part. “To be honest it was kind of a bother dealing with all this stuff. You know? I want to live really badly – I’m sure you know that already,” Nina added, green eyes lingering on the Jirachi’s blacked-out tags. “I mean, everyone does. That’s because everyone has something to live for. Like your friends. I…I got to see a lot of your memories when I was close to you earlier, and in those picture frames. It looks like you were really close to them. I have friends like those, too, and I’d like to hope that I’m that kind of friend for other people.” Nina paused. “I mean, everyone does, right? But at the same time…”
“I wouldn’t want a world with only my friends on it.” Nina was picking up the pace now, excitement building in her voice. “I wouldn’t want a world where all I knew was my friend, because I think everyone needs to be reminded of how important your friendships are. That’s what people who aren’t your friends are for. That, and, well…I’d like to make new friends. New friends are bomb. I made a couple of them because of you – did you know that? I guess I should thank you for that!” Nina turned her gaze now to meet the Jirachi’s. “But the last thing I want is a world where that isn’t possible. I think – well, maybe someday I could be your friend too. I’m honest, and I’m loyal, and I try to keep people happy. I wouldn’t say I’m a bad person, but I’m talking about myself here. And yeah, I’m kind of impatient and snippy sometimes and I’m not the most, like, careful person in the world. But Ags has always put up with me, and so have the rest of my friends. So I believe I’m a good person, and I believe everyone else’s a good person, too. I want…I really want…no, I wish that everyone would be able stay in a world with all of their friends, and all of the people and Pokemon they might not like quite as much, and with all the people and Pokemon that they haven’t had the chance to meet yet.” She paused for a breath here. “Your manor was really pretty, Jirachi. I’m glad I got to see your world. But even though it’s been awhile, I think you’d like my world, too. It’s got a lot of really cool things, I promise! I don’t know how long exactly you’ve been sleeping – probably a thousand years. But a lot has changed. And I think you could find a lot more friends in this world, too, and all your friends that you brought back for us to meet – maybe they come along, too. I guess what I want to say is that – I wish everyone could coexist in a world where we can work toward a new future with new possibilities.” That was the most important thing, moving forward. “It’d be really important to me, Jirachi. I know you’re tired. So am I. But please just consider it, because I think there’s a way to be happy again beyond living in your memories. There is nothing more I could ask for.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 2:26 am
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Shina ran her hand over the Braille several times, slowly “reading” the message. Years of letters to Lacy had taught her to read Braille, but she still wasn’t very fast. Those letters were really the only times she used the knowledge, and it had been a few months since she had brushed up on that particular skill. Once she figured out she had “i” and “e” mixed up again, along with “d” and “f,” things got much easier.
Unfortunately, she suspected that the use of Braille as the method of sharing the message was another test. Touching the door to read it only confirmed the sturdiness of the thick, heavy slab. Well, worst case scenario, she walked into a door. Backing up until she had a clear view of the entire door, she looked the strange carving.
Closing her eyes, Shina took a deep breath. Letting it out slowly, she released all her negative emotions with it. Calm serenity filled her, and she opened her eyes. Looking at the carved eye, Shina walked forward, not hesitating or shortening her stride as she approached the doors. Perhaps they would open before here, maybe they weren’t real at all, or maybe she would crash into them. Whatever happened, she was committed to this course of action.
Apparently the message was literal, because she passed straight through the seemingly solid door. For a moment, as her face passed through the door, her sight went dark. Before she could even really process the lack of sight, she was through the door and in a bedroom. The room is decorated in soft yellows and blues, stars and whorls on a background of gleaming white marble. Shina can see no light source, but the light in the room has the same warm look as the sun room in summer, when the light pours in through the floor to ceiling windows. Unlike in the sun room, there is a softness to edges here. The room almost has a dreamy quality, despite being so brightly lit. The writing did say this was the land of wishes, it made a sort of sense that there should be a dream-like quality here.
No windows pierced the walls. Instead, more of the ubiquitous picture frames dotted the perimeter of the room. Inside the frames were pictures, memories, of happy times playing with friends. But…something was wrong. Looking closer, Shina realized some spots were faded, a few frames looked a bit battered, there were rough, tattered spots on the canvases. These memories had been gracing the walls for eons, taken out and looked at so often they had become worn around the edges.
The furniture is childish, young. Jirachi is sitting on a star shaped bed draped in buttery yellow sheets, a cornflower blue pillow peeking out from beneath the blankets. Taking a seat on a small blue footstool, Shina sighed. “Oh Jirachi. You’ve been wishing for a very long time, haven’t you? You’ve lived in your dreams for so long, you’ve forgotten what the world outside is like. All you want is for things to go back to how they used to be. I understand that. Sometimes I wish I could go back to being a little girl, safe and warm at home, surrounded by those I love. Back to when everything was simpler," Shina says wistfully. "I miss Growlithe. He was going to be my first partner, you know. I was the first human to touch him. I fed him, helped him survive when his mother was too sick to care for him. Then he was crippled that one night when the Ekans got into the kennel. Everything changed. I could have clung to the past, tried to make Growlithe be my Pokemon, made him stay with me no matter what. But he wouldn’t have been happy like that. Growlithe needed to be needed. He wouldn’t have been happy as a pet, and he and I both knew he wasn’t strong enough to protect me anymore.”
Shina stopped for a moment, took a shaky breath, and ignored the tear sliding down her cheek. “So I taught him what he needed to leave me. To move on to someone else who would need him. It hurt when he left. I cried myself to sleep that night. But it was what was best for Growlithe. He has a partner now. A little girl named Lacy. She’s blind, and Growlithe is her eyes. She needs him, and she loves him as much as I still do. Growlithe loves her too, and he’s happy with her. With Lacy, he’s needed. He has a purpose.”
Dashing the dampness from her cheeks, Shina clears her throat. “Jirachi, home for me includes the memory of Growlithe. I miss him, and I miss those days. But I can’t go back. Life isn’t living in the past, living in those perfect halcyon days of childhood. Life is moving forward, living the here and now, discovering new things even as we remember the path that brought us there. Your friends and the time you shared with them will always be special. But they are not the be all, end all of your existence, or theirs. If I hadn’t let Growlithe go, I probably never would have left home myself. I would have lived my entire life within the walls of my home. I would have defined my life, and Growlithe’s, by what we couldn’t do. I never would have known the joy of traveling Zatao, of meeting Rasha.”
For the first time since Shina had entered the room, Jirachi moved, a slow sweep of his eyelids. Unsure if this meant anything, but unwilling to stand down now, Shina continued. “Jirachi, it’s time to let go. This isn’t fair to you or your friends. All of you are trapped in this mansion. No matter how much you love each other, it isn’t enough. Deep down, none of you are really happy here. You are trying so hard to fit into the same spaces you used to feel so happy in, but it just isn’t working. And the harder you try, the less real it feels. Your friends scattered, hid in different places in the mansion. They lashed out with so much anger, so much frustration when outsiders came near. How long will you make them stay here? Never letting them change, never letting them leave.”
Shina shook her head. “It’s time to set them free, and to set yourself free too. Why don’t you come with me, let me show you how living your life can be so much richer, better, than hiding in your room, wallowing in your past. I…” A deep breath, and Shina’s head takes on a proud and stubborn tilt. “I wish you would stop living in the past and let me show you what makes this world special. Come with me, Jirachi. Let me show why each day is even better than a dream. Let me show you how to get through the hard days, how to relish the good ones. You deserve better than a room full of fading memories. Come with me, and together we’ll make new ones, and find our true home.” Shina held out her hand. “Together.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 7:15 am
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Anise stared at the door, trying to puzzle out the message. She didn’t know much Braille, but she wracked her brain and puzzled out some of it. Repeating letters and words that were used several times provided clues. Eventually she thought she understood the main points, though it seemed unlikely. Then again, who could say what was possible in this strange place? Just in case her pokemon wouldn’t react well, she recalled her Swablu. As she did so, she noticed that one of her empty pokeballs felt heavier. When she touched it curiously, she heard the Zorua’s voice in her mind. She was touched by the trust te pokemon put in her, and resolved to show she deserved it. Then she stared the door straight in the carved eye, took a deep, calming breath breath and tried to think sympathetic thoughts and she walked straight at the door.
And stepped clear through it, as if it wasn’t even there. She stood there blinking for a moment, frankly surprised that actually worked. Then she looked around the room she found herself in. It was a circular chamber, which had light coming from no particular source. Like the stairway and the cottage, the walls were lines with pictures of Jirachi and its friends, likely memories. She looked around at them, smiling at the happy scenes . The she turned to the object in the center of the room. It appeared to be a bed, but an odd star-shaped on, and on it lay Jirachi. She stepped forward slowly, quietly, so as not to startle the pokemon. It looked exhausted, as if all the destruction, creation and wish-granting had tired it out. She felt sorry for the pokemon all over again. All that work and it still couldn’t get what it really wanted.
She stopped just out of arm’s reach of the bed and crouched down, so as to be close to eye level and be as unintimidating as possible. “Hello there, Jirachi,” she said quietly. “You’ve had a rough time, huh? Taken away from your home, hounded by people who want to use you, trying to make things like your old home but having it undone. You’ve had nothing but trouble since you woke up.” She was silent for a moment, considering her next words. How could she convince this pokemon that she wanted to help it?
“People call you the Wishmaker because you can grant wishes. Well the truth is, anyone can grant wishes, if it’s the right kind, and I want to grant your wish. I may not be able to make things appear, disappear , or change the world as dramatically as you can, but I change my own little world every time I meet someone, go someplace and do something new. And I can help you change your world for the better, if you’ll let me. You want a home? I can help you find it, by helping you get back to Shinnoh if you want. But it’s been a thousand years since you last knew it, and things have changed. The places and friends you knew are gone or changed. It could be just as strange for you there as it is here. But I can help you find a new home and new friends here. One of your old friends even decided to join me,” she said, remembering the Zorua, “so you’ll have one familiar face in a sea of strangers, to comfort you while those strangers become new friends.”
“If you don’t like humans very much after what we’ve done to you, we could stay away from cities. I’m a traveling healer, I spend most of my time wandering the wild places and helping pokemon. You could make lots of new pokemon friends, explore this new land, see if there’s a place you want to stay. This land has many different climates, and one might be much like the one you left, if you want to stay there. I wouldn’t make you do anything you didn’t want to do, and if you wanted to leave me at any time I would gladly let you. You deserve to find a place that makes you happy, and if that place is far away from humans, then you should find it. But I’d hope you could find happiness with me and my friends.”
“If you change this land back to what it was,” she concluded holding out one hand as if asking Jirachi to take hold of it, “I can show it to you, take you all over it, and help you find a place where you belong.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 8:33 am
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Sabre's finger tips grazed over those ingrained dots, following them along, making out what he could of it at a slow easy pace. His eyes were closed, blocking out all senses that might distract him from the one that was most important now; touch. Claude sat loyaly at the man's side, staring up with the same expression as his guardian. It wasn't familiar to him.. well, not familiar enough to be readable. It was over the trainer's head whether it was a code, or braille, or what have you. Those sharp eyes lowered to the ground just before the door. Great...His hand began to slide down the stone wall, a soft sigh slipping past his nose. How was he supposed to decode this? His half-lidded gaze locked onto the Absol below him, those crimson eyes so full of hope, and faith in the man. The rare sight of a grin twitched at the corner of Sabre's mouth, body kneeling slowly so as to be at the level with his companion. A hand lifted to stroke along that white smooth head, the canine's eyes easing to pleased slits from the attention. It was times like these that Sabre wished he were a Psychic.. surely his buddy knew how to get past this riddled door... This was the end of the line. There was no way left or right to go... The pictures looming overhead said it all. Jirachi... Closing his eyes, Sabre let his head lean forward to gently place against Claude's, the Absol nuzzling tenderly to his trainer, imitating the exact same behavior.
There's gotta be a way... those words repeated on a loop in the human's mind. Had something been overlooked? He had been rather careless in the beginning of the entire adventure, really.. at this point it was only himself to whom he could blame. He'd been so slapdash about the whole experience... But this was real. This was no dream. The affectionate hand trailed down to softly scratch the back of the dog's neck, "I'm sorry, buddy.." the man murmured in a hushed tone, which was met by a light nudging, and a blue cheek smoothing against his own. Such a good boy, Claude was... Ever since he'd been a pup... Inhaling deeply, Sabre tried to calm his mind. There was usually always an answer... a way that wasn't seen. He just had to relax, and open his mind to the possible... impossible. It was at that moment that there was a light that began to brighten around the doorway. A clunk sounded, and then a grinding, as the stone slab began to peel to the side, and recede into the wall. The trainer and canine alike squinted as the light washed over them, Sabre slowly easing up onto his feet. Lifting an arm to serve as a veil he peered into the room. What... how'd that happen...?
He didn't question much more on the matter as a room became more apparent, its interior easier to see as his eyes adjusted. The walls were a plum colour, with various glowing dots scattered about. Hanging from the ceiling were silver and gold stars, cut from shiny paper, glistening as they turned and swayed slightly. The floor had a fluffy white carpet, so soft and plush... just like clouds. The room itself was magnificent. The picturesque scene to being afloat in the heavens above. Right in the center, a golden star lay... it was large enough for a medium sized Pokemon to rest on, and just in the center...
"Jirachi..." Sabre breathed ever so faintly. It was actually here...!
Slowly, and carefully, Sabre advanced towards the small being, his steps placing lighter than they usually would, metal boots buffered and muted in thanks to the cushioned ground. Claude stayed behind, guarding the door in case another pest from earlier were to disturb them, watching his trainer intently, while sparing a slow glance to the resting Jirachi.
Reaching it's side, the breeder kept a respectful distance for just a moment, so as to absorb just what was before him. What had caused this upside down world to even come to existence. The body was so tiny... it looked so fragile. Even the sweet features on the pale face resembled a cherubic expression. Those golden eyes just barely sheathed from heavy lids... It was no surprise to the human. Exerting one's body so much could really take a toll. Another step was taken, so that Sabre was just against the bedside, legs bending so that he could kneel beside it. His eyes watched the slow eb and flow of the tiny Pokemon's chest rising and falling... how drained it was, the minute amount of energy left to sustain it's consciousness. It was painful to see... A deep inhale was taken, eyes closing... This had to end...
Leaning in close enough for the depleated Jirachi to see him, but far enough to give an appropriate amount of space, Sabre spoke in a surprisingly soft tone, one only heard by Pokemon. It was rich, stable, and smooth.
"Jirachi... I know you're hurting... I've seen what you've shown..." he began, recalling the entirety of madness that had ensued the entire time being here. The chaos, and corruption. The other trainers... oh yeah... them... The whole lot of them just wanted to go back home. That's all they'd wanted the entire time... Typical people. Selfish, and self-preserving... Another deep inhale was taken, calming his riling mind. Eyes peeked open to gaze at the Jirachi again, "This is wearing you thin, Jirachi... but I understand why you've done this... Pain can really bring a soul to do exponential things.. trust me.. I know.." a brief pause, and he continued... locking onto those distant bright eyes, "happiness is all I could ever want for you, or any other Pokemon.. to choose their own life.. what ever path it might follow.." his voice trailed off, eyes lowering again to stare at the invitingly fluffy flooring. This was it... the last chance he had... the end of the line; for real. But his gaze lifted, and turned to Claude. His trusty companion... he couldn't let him stay here... keep him trapped in this world... The man's usually hard eyes softened substantially. He could take care of himself. After all, human's are not only a Pokemon's best friend, but also their greatest enemy. He didn't want to become the latter... but he didn't want to leave his greatest friend... this wasn't about the breeder... it was about the welfare of Jirachi. What it needed.
The decision was made...
"Jirachi... I know you're tired... " he started, voice tender, gentle. "I have one wish for you.. literally.." another pause, "I wish for freedom. You're not happy here... but I know you can find happiness. Freedom from the shackles that you were put in.. even the one's you put yourself in.. to be with your friends again. So you won't ever be caged.." that rare flicker of a half smile shined again, "if you can... take Claude with you... he's a good boy.. and can even keep you safe. Life's not always going to be easy, or pretty.. but you can always get back up even in the darkest of times... especially with friends.." like Claude... his bandannaed forehead pressed lightly to the bed, hiding the expression on his face, "Pain and hurt is a terrible thing... but giving it in return never solves anything, Jirachi... so please... find what makes you at peace... what makes you free. What makes you happy..." by the time he finished his final words, the Absol, his companion for years, was at his side, pressed against him, forehead gently resting to the trainer's cheek for the farewell that could possibly follow after.
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 8:57 am
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Cygnus stepped forward from the crowd of trainers to place his hand on the door, Ariel winding around his ankles. There was no handle that the man could find, but, instead, a carving of an eye. Appropriate, he thought. He had not been able to see it as they had been almost devoured by it, but Cygnus knew of Jirachi's third eye. Funny how it had more than enough of the very thing Cygnus himself was lacking.
Below the carving was the last thing one might expect to find under an eye, as it were – another message in Braille. The blind man smiled as he began to read the patterns with his fingers, wondering why the alphabet he knew best was used so often in this place. But he frowned as the dots resolved themselves into words. The cruelest of ironies: a message in Braille, purportedly intended for one such as him, asked that he meet eye to eye...
But perhaps this need not be the end of the line for him. Cygnus raised his hand again to trace the carving. Someone was meant to look into the door's eye – as blind as his own, he thought. If one blind eye could meet another, perhaps that would solve the riddle. But that wasn't all there was to it; he needed also to prepare his heart and mind.
"I think I'm ready for this," Cygnus said to Ariel, though his voice wavered uncertainly. "I'd like for all of us to be able to leave here in one piece – you, me, Duo and Zoey and Lore - all the others, and Jirachi as well... I hope that's possible."
The Espeon nuzzled his human's free hand, chirping a confident "Espi!" as if to say I believe in you.
Cygnus smiled at his friend, who had seen him through thick and thin. "As long as I have your support, I'm sure we'll pull through. Well, then..." He took a deep breath and turned his blind eyes toward the staring carving on the door.
Nothing happened. Perhaps he wasn't ready, after all. Or perhaps his unseeing eyes could not fulfill the riddle's requirements.
He began to turn away in defeat, resigned to leaving the bargaining with Jirachi to another – but then his fingers slipped into thin air as the door swung away from beneath them. Sighing in relief, his self-worth not completely shattered, Cygnus turned back to the doorway.
Once more he hesitated. Could this be a trap? Did the door open onto an abyss? Was he about to step forward into nothing? No fear of the physical, the message had said. If he wanted to confront Jirachi, he had to trust that everything would be all right. Cygnus reached down to give Ariel one more pat on the head, for luck, but, without waiting for his companion's assurance that the way was safe, he stepped boldly through the door.
Though he could not see the room beyond, Cygnus could feel the emotions permeating it. It was cozy, and warm, and safe. It felt... innocent, like a child's bedroom. He thought he could hear a music box somewhere.
And in the middle of it all was the presence of Jirachi, unmistakable even to the blind man. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he approached over a soft carpet, one foot brushing past what might have been a plush toy. Ariel stuck close, a comforting warmth against his left calf, giving no indication of imminent danger. The Jirachi would not strike out.
Cygnus stopped as his legs met what could only be the side of a bed, though an oddly-shaped one. Jirachi was lying in the middle of it, he was sure. He could hear the faintest of heavy breathing – the legendary Pokemon must be exhausted, after so many acts both of destruction and creation. A tiny god taking its rest on the seventh day.
As he sat on the edge of the bed, Ariel jumping up to sit beside him, Cygnus was reminded of nothing so much as his own father, coming into Cygnus's childhood bedroom to have a Serious Talk. He fought back the ridiculous urge to begin with "Your mother and I..." Would he ever have children of his own, the blind man wondered. But that was a thought for later.
The Jirachi was so much like a child, Cygnus thought, a confused, lost child. It had probably never had a parent to show it the right way to deal with its problems, so it had lashed out as hard as it could in order to get what it wanted, what it thought it needed.
"I know that you're upset," Cygnus finally began. "I felt your memories, back there in the dream world. I know you've been badly hurt, by humans, but most of all by time. Humans took you from your home, it's true, but, after sleeping for a thousand years, everything you knew would have been gone anyway, wouldn't it?" He paused. This sounded too much like an accusation.
"I'm trying to say," he began again, slowly, "that I understand what you've gone through. I grew up far away, too, in Agate Village in Orre, and I loved my parents and all my friends there. That was my home, and my whole life was there. But I had to leave, to find my own way. And I missed my home and my family so much–" Cygnus's blind eyes were welling up with tears. He tried to fight them back at first – but what did a human's tears mean to a legendary Pokemon, after all? He let the tears trickle down his cheeks and into the collar of his sweater. Ariel nuzzled his arm in encouragement.
"I missed them so much," Cygnus continued, "but I found a new home, a new family, here in Zatao. Ariel here, to begin with, and he's the greatest friend I've ever had. And Fin and her Pokemon, they visit a lot... It's a small family, I suppose, but I'm sure we'll make more friends in the future. And this new family and this new home are just as much a family and a home as I had back in Orre. And I know–"
He was raising his voice, he realized. Cygnus took a moment to breathe, to speak more gently. It's like a child, he reminded himself. I don't want to scare it. "And I know what I went through is nothing compared to what you have, but I hope it helps. And I know you can find a new home and a new family for yourself, as well. That's what... that's what your old friends want for you." Cygnus smiled. "Your friend the Zorua, she came to us disguised as a human girl, and she guided us through the dreamworld and to you. She and the others, they love you with all their hearts, and they want to protect you, but they also know it's best for you to move on.
"You want home, but home is not one single, concrete thing. It can change, just as a person can change. Home is where the heart is, as the cliché goes." Cygnus chuckled. "Your home is wherever there are people that you love. And consider this... You've tried to create your own old home to the exclusion of all others. You're destroying the homes of others, humans and Pokemon alike, and it hurts them just as much as it hurt you. But you don't have to do that; you don't have to hurt anyone. You can find a new home here, and no one else has to lose theirs.
"You've created this copy of your old home, even resurrected your old friends, but isn't it just a hollow echo of what you used to have? Wouldn't it be better to come into the real world, the real here and now, and to find something real for yourself? Don't lock yourself into the past."
Cygnus pulled himself to his feet. He would have liked nothing so much as to pick the Jirachi up, to cradle it in his arms like a child, to comfort it. He settled for reaching down, carefully running his fingers across the bed until he touched the legendary Pokemon, and taking its tiny, perfect hand in his own. "Please," the blind man said, "let this all go. Come out into the world and live your life." |
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 2:59 pm
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The End You notice that someone has managed to enter the door and you decide to wait a while to see if that person has managed to communicate to the Jirachi...or if the person has been mauled yet. Better him/her than you, right? But it seems that he/she was successful because a while later, you see the walls around you turn from worn-out wooden planks to the bright white walls you associate with the Katarina mansion. Looking outside the window, you notice the fog has lifted. The sun has never felt so warm and the sky has never looked so blue to you than it has now. Then you look to the door and notice that it has returned to a normal door. Opening it, you find an empty office. The Jirachi seems to have teleported to another location with the person that had entered. Most likely to avoid attention. Everything seems like it's back to normal and you are quite relieved. No more random things exploding or catching fire. No more rainbows, unstable clouds, giant freaky eyeballs, or all of the other unreal things you've just witnessed. Then you notice the sound of helicopters and the museum is surrounded by a curious news crew that has been surveying the accident since its beginning. So one last fun prompt to you all: How do you handle the reporters? What would you say to them? Or would you not say anything at all and ignore them as you walk off? (You can control the NPC reporters) (NOTE: Non winning Jirachi entries = we pretend it never happened)
OKAYGUYS THE WINNER IS
Griffinfire!
There's several lines I really liked in the entry that would take me too long to list. Everyone's entries had tons of great lines and I enjoyed reading them a lot as well. Which is probably why it took me so long to choose (sorry about that) @o@;;
I really did enjoy finding everything in entries from hearing mentions about your adventures to the stories your characters told about themselves to some heart-warming but corny (in a good pokemon-ish way!) dialogue <3
Thank you all for the fun event!
Also, I'll start PMing people who get a consolation pogey from participating and they should be sent out by the end of today. Your choices are a rattata or a zubat that are randomly precolored with normal coloration. We'll let you see your options and what your priority in choosing is after we have done our initial survey of who gets one and how many zubats/rattatas we need.
Don't forget to put your certing info in the certing thread - I'll try to have a dump by next weekend. I have exams next week though so please be patient with me.
DRAMATIC PAUSE
PAGE STRETCHING
THIS IS FFN TROLLING YOU
WHY ARE YOU STILL SCROLLING DOWN?
STOP SCROLLING
YOU WANT TO SEE THE WINNER THOUGH, DON'T YOU?
WELL YOU WON'T FIND IT DOWN HERE
NOPE
NO I'M SERIOUS I ACTUALLY WROTE IT IN INVISIBLE WHITE FONT RIGHT BELOW THE FIRST SENTENCE emotion_awesome |
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:22 pm
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Flint jumped up and let out a whoop of excitement as things faded back to the way they were supposed to be. He could hear helicopters passing over and grimaced. of course, the media was going to be all over the place and anyone who had been in the mansion would no doubt be swarmed by reporters the second they stepped out of the mansion. He made up his mind then and there that all he wanted was to forget what had happened to the best of his ability. Of course, he could never truly forget, but he could pretend. Standing up he made his way back down the staircase and managed to find the mansions exit. He stepped out into the bright sunlight, smiling. He hadn't been sure if they would ever go outside again. As soon as he was free of the mansion he was swamped with reporters as he had suspected, but pushed his way through, refusing to speak of his experiences in the mansion. Once he was free of the crowd of reporters, he hit the Pokemon center, Rush had taken a beating in there and Maya, his Emolga was still feinted from their battle. He handed his Pokemon to the nurse and went to the waiting room where he spotted a bulletin board. Walking over he examined the various things posted but a certain flyer caught his attention ' traveler to adventurer: Trip around Zatao!!' read the headline. " huh, sounds like fun! and arceus knows i need a little fun after all of that...."
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:22 pm
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When the mist had lifted the all wrongs were set right, Cetus actually felt quite agitated. It appeared as though the Jirachi had been subdued. With the power of love no less, like any other show directed at those of a younger generation. She sighed a little, stretched herself, gained back her bearings, and made a steadfast march outside the museum. Her Commander was likely going to deal punishment for her not completing her objective. A broken finger, no less. Ah well. She'll down some scotch and send message for Algenubi to bring her home. It'd lessen the pain a bit.
When Cetus pushed aside the doors, a torrent of reporters and journalist occupied both her right and left ears. Their questions were endless and the spinning of chopper blades weren't helping either.
"I-" she began as a robotic phallic was pushed up into her face. Oh, it was actually just a microphone. Another one hit her cheek and she shooed it away. Eventually, her anger dwindled and she couldn't take any more of the attention.
"Menkar!" she cried and the Tentacruel popped out happily. "Hug!"
The Tentacruel rounded up all the media cows in his tentacles and squeezed the living lot outta them. "Warble!" he giggled as Cetus fixed herself accordingly. She started her run, pulling her Pokeball out to withdraw her Tentacruel and make her way to the nearest bar. She even sucker-punched on in the gut during her escape. Might as well get that liquor for the go, the police might be after her too. On her way, a flier suckered itself onto her back. She had little time to read it during her escape, but maybe it'd be her next adventure?
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:29 pm
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:48 pm
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Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2011 3:52 pm
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Genesis interpreted the braille, but she could not fulfill it. It was not yet in her to empathize with another being, especially not one that was so different from her, neither human nor of a lowly status. Thankfully, however, their fates did not rest on her hands alone. A man, blind, it appeared, from his halting actions and clouded eyes, managed to get in, which struck her as nearly ironic, in a way, for more reasons than one.
Shortly after, changes began to occur. The fog lifted, the pictures disappeared, and everything simply went back to normal. It seemed the man and his Espeon had succeeded.
Unfortunately, the outside wasn't as appealing as she had originally hoped for. Helicopters whipped past, a mass of reporters were outside, and there was small hope for leaving without being seen. But at least they were in the real world again.
She had Erebos Aura Sphere a chunk of wall on the first floor, hoping the explosion would scare off anyone nearby. Using the cloud of dust, she barreled through all the debris, the nearby people, the recovering reports, small chunks of rock, and basically got the hell out of there as fast as she could.
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