• Our software update is now concluded. You will need to reset your password to log in. In order to do this, you will have to click "Log in" in the top right corner and then "Forgot your password?".
  • Welcome to PokéCommunity! Register now and join one of the best fan communities on the 'net to talk Pokémon and more! We are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company or Nintendo.

Non Sequitur

Sunnybeam

when the sky is bright
544
Posts
15
Years
  • Age 28
  • Seen Jun 9, 2011
...-headdesk-

I shouldn't be doing this. I really shouldn't be doing this. But the story called to me...

-cough- Anyway, this was supposed to be a oneshot. It was supposed to be a quick practice for the "new" Kalia that stars in my rewrite of The Sixth Warrior. -points at sig- T6W was a gameverse fic that, IMO, failed terribly; so I discontinued it and totally revamped the plot, characters, and concepts.

I guess you could call this a prequel to The Sixth Warrior, though you don't have to read either one to understand the other. Know that this is a Pearl Version gameverse fanfiction, and Kalia is the main character.

And if you've read the first T6W (unlikely - I think there are only two people on this forum who have), know that this Kalia is quite different. Quite.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

From the very beginning, Mystil had been an enigma. It was a strange fortune that led Kalia to venture into Eterna Forest as the sun set, rather than during the day, and encounter a small, timid Misdreavus huddled in the shadows. The tiny ghost shivered as it met the girl?s curious gaze, and jumped when she reached out to pat its silken hair. At that point, Cheryl had called nervously for Kalia to please hurry, that the forest was scary at night; and the timid ghost was left alone.

But the pull of curiosity proved stronger than the Misdreavus? fear, and he trailed the two humans silently, watching their scuffles with wild Pokemon with a wide-eyed fascination, and finally he found the courage to throw himself in front of the blue-haired girl and demand a battle. One well-aimed Razor Leaf later, the ghost found himself tucked into a Heal Ball.

Lewis had scratched his head in confusion as his friend showed off her new capture. ?That?s a weird choice,? he remarked, exchanging glances with Monferno. A shot of Astonish was enough to make him shut up about the topic for weeks; and it was there, in the now-twitching blond?s presence, that Kalia dubbed the timid spirit Mystil.

The first time Kalia truly took note of his peculiarity was several weeks later, in the battle with Crasher Wake. The rest had fallen; Staravia, Gastrodon, and Machoke at the end of Gyarados? powerful attacks, Grotle and Luxio from Floatzel?s vicious assault.

Somewhere, somewhen, a different Kalia brought out her final Pokemon; a Ponyta. The battle was lost, and during her training for the rematch, she encountered a Galactic grunt who was delivering something to his superiors. He was defeated, and the bomb never arrived at Lake Valor.

Floatzel fell to Psybeam, and Kalia was gone from Pastoria before the grunt passed through town.

That was only one of the many instances that caught Kalia?s attention, as time and time again, Mystil disrupted what would have been the ideal story. The patterns amused her, then they intrigued her; it was only after Uxie was taken by Cyrus that they began to alarm her.

What made him so different? Any good Trainer could tell you that having a balanced team was one of the many secrets to success in the League. And the consensus was thus; Fire, Grass, and Water were the fundamentals. It was the reason that Professor Rowan studied the Pokemon he did, and Kalia saw the pattern even in Lewis? team (and that boy was the very last person she would ever suspect of following the typical order.)

She felt confined, claustrophobic in a way that had nothing to do with physical discomfort. Once she even tried to flee her so-called "duty", starting down the road to Sunyshore for her final badge when she should have been making her way towards Veilstone City to free the spirit gods from Team Galactic. Her heart nearly stopped when a man blocked her path, telling her that a blackout had made the port city dangerous. After battling Saturn, she realized - in the vein of the typical story - that the Red Chain had been completed just as she had arrived.

That was when her Pokemon first noticed the change in her. Something off in the way she talked, an odd distance in her eyes, a desperation to her actions when she thought nobody was watching. To everyone else, that was the time when she abandoned fear for a taciturn heart; but those who were closest, her loyal companions, saw how the fear was commanding her, warping her into something unrecognizable.

Even among those six, only Mystil knew how far the terror struck. He had just fought off an Abomasnow, but the blizzard thrown up by the battle swept down the side of Mount Coronet like an avalanche. Clutching the Misdreavus to her chest, Kalia stumbled into a cavern, sinking against a wall and shivering.

"We shouldn't be able to survive this," she whispered, eyes wide and blank. "No human...no Trainer..."

Mystil whimpered softly and rubbed his head against her chin in a comforting gesture.

Her frenetic breathing slowed, but the waves of fear rolling from her were easily detected by her ghostly companion.

"It's all a game. All some kind of game," she continued, a hint of the fear escaping into her voice. "I can't get out, I can't live, I don't want to be some kind of chosen one, I just want to be able to choose -"

Kalia choked on the end of that word and suddenly stared down at Mystil, tears welling in her eyes against her will. Their gazes remained locked, hers in some kind of horrible realization, his in a sorrowful confusion.

"It's not everyone, though," she whispered, but Mystil had a suspicion that she was not speaking to him. But to whom? Who would be listening to one girl's pain?

And then Kalia did something that scared Mystil, shocked him down to his ethereal core.

She laughed.

It was a mirthful giggle at first, but it stretched out into a laugh that held no amusement; only fear and envy and hate and wry despair. Tears rolled from her slate-grey eyes as she laughed, and Mystil, in his own fear, could not move from beneath her blank, blank stare.

"You don't know!" she laugh-cried, shaking her head. "You're free!"

Mystil could only watch in horrified fascination as the smile became pained, only shake his head in protest when the words became accusing.

"When you come into things - they change! You think I haven't noticed? You think I never want your freedom-!"

She stood up suddenly, and Mystil tumbled through the air before righting himself, tears threatening to creep from his own eyes as he saw his Trainer lean against the wall and glare down at him with an envy bordering on hatred. She shook with restrained sobs, her hands curling into fists as she shivered with her own emotion and the freezing cold of the crevice.

Mystil floated slowly, hesitantly, towards his Trainer, reaching out tentatively with an edge of his rippling, robe-like body, scared and sorrowful and loving all at the same time. He drifted closer and closer, but still she did not respond.

It was moments before he would have lightly touched her shoulder when she lashed out with a hand, screaming out a wordless cry of hate.

Mystil crashed to the ground, shocked by what had just occured and dazed from his impact with the stone. All was silent for what seemed like hours to the ghost.

And then suddenly he was in Kalia's arms again, and she was sobbing frantically, and the twisting, painful aura of hate was turned in upon itself; the girl hated herself for what she had just done, how she had succumbed to the burning, burning envy inside of her. Mystil could never hate his Trainer, she had been too good to him. But the language he spoke was not one that Kalia could hear, so all he could do was let her cry, remaining in her grip, letting her beg forgiveness and giving it to her readily.

Kalia's only words as she continued up the mountain were sullen commands to her Pokemon as they mowed down each Galactic Grunt's arsenal. Her face as she entered Spear Pillar was emotionless, the perfect mask to hide from her friends and enemies.

Lewis fought against Mars and Jupiter alongside her, and she nearly broke into tears when he proclaimed he was behind her all the way.

Palkia screamed in agony, twisting beneath the Red Chain's pulsing blood-colored grip, and its shrieks ripped at the essence of all that was around it. Stone columns warped and tore like paper, some melting like wax as they crashed to the ground. Kalia huddled against the mosaic floor, pulling a Pokeball from her belt with shaking hands and flipping it open. Out came Mystil, his eyes wide with fear, whimpering as a roar poured forth from the space god's jaws, staring in revulsion at the madly grinning Cyrus and the end of the Red Chain he held.

"Forgive me."

Kalia's despairing whisper was barely audible, but Mystil heard it. With a chirp, he rubbed his cheek against his Trainer's, telling her through actions that he forgave her, completely and utterly.

The tears fell again, silently, as Kalia pulled a violet crystal from her bag, holding it to her heart. The shadows within it flickered gently, and the girl's whispers were incomprehensible, even to Mystil. With a shaking hand, she pressed it against Mystil's forehead, and her last words to the Misdreavus accompanied him into the the stone's beautiful darkness.

"Thank you."

It was a Mismagius that watched three spirits surround Palkia.

It was a Mismagius that watched the Red Chain shatter.

It was a Mismagius that watched Mesprit appear before Kalia.

It was a Mismagius that watched his Trainer reach out and touch the Pokemon's tail.

It was a Mismagius whose heart seemed to freeze when the girl's eyes turned blank.

Emotionless.

Dead.
 

TheDeadpool

My common sense is tingling!
101
Posts
16
Years
i was pretty confused throughout the entire story... i would try to clarify on a few of the ides in this story, and also develop the characters so we(the readers) know who your talking about at all times.
 

Sunnybeam

when the sky is bright
544
Posts
15
Years
  • Age 28
  • Seen Jun 9, 2011
Well, I tried to time the events so that Kalia could be recognized as the heroine of Pokemon Pearl (talking about going to the Galactic Headquarters, the journey to Spear Pillar, the fact that Palkia appeared.) Mystil is explained within the fic, and Lewis - being shown to be blond and have a Monferno - is the rival.

The story is based around the fact that there are predefined limits within the Pokemon games; you can't go to Sunyshore before you've been to Spear Pillar, yadda yadda. Kalia's character is shaped by the fact that she becomes aware of (and is terrified by) those limits.

Of course, this assumes that you've played Diamond or Pearl, so if you haven't, this story would pass right over your head...
 

TheDeadpool

My common sense is tingling!
101
Posts
16
Years
no ive played, and conquered Diamond.

i think it just feels a little rushed, because i didnt even pick up on her stopping at galactic hq, i thought she skipped right to Mt. Coronet.
 

Sunnybeam

when the sky is bright
544
Posts
15
Years
  • Age 28
  • Seen Jun 9, 2011
It was mentioned, when she tried to go to Sunyshore. This chapter was supposed to be a broad overview of her journey, outlining the main revelations. But for the most part, I'm trying to focus on the events at Mount Coronet, since that's the most vital part to the fic that this precedes.

And keep in mind that there's still a chapter (or two) more to go.
 

Scarlet Weather

The Game is Afoot!
1,823
Posts
17
Years
OBJECTION!

The Pokemon that removes emotions on contact is UXIE, not Mesprit!

That aside, I really like this story. I've always been a fan of fics that have characters become aware of the un-reality of the world they inhabit, and Kalia's short spiral into madness was actually quite entertaining. Mystil as the agent of change is interesting. Of course, I really don't quite understand Kalia's touching Mesprit's tail, since even in the games it's never spelled out that touching Uxie will result in the loss of emotions. It's something the player has to piece together for themselves based on its Pokedex entry after it's been captured. So, why again? I mean, it makes for a stirring conclusion, but I feel like I missed something.

So yeah, nice little one-shot. Not bad at all. :3
 

Sunnybeam

when the sky is bright
544
Posts
15
Years
  • Age 28
  • Seen Jun 9, 2011
OBJECTION!

The Pokemon that removes emotions on contact is UXIE, not Mesprit!

Er..Uxie erases your memory when you look into its eyes. Mesprit takes your emotions when you touch it, and Azelf robs you of your will if you hurt it.

Here's the Bulbapedia page with the myth itself.

That aside, I really like this story. I've always been a fan of fics that have characters become aware of the un-reality of the world they inhabit, and Kalia's short spiral into madness was actually quite entertaining.

That made me laugh. xD Being twisted is fun, ne?

And as for the last bit, Non Sequitur isn't a oneshot. There will be one or two more chapters (probably one, but if an idea hits me...), and then I'll get my lazy butt to work on the fic that this is supposed to precede/lead up to/be practice for. The explanation of why Kalia did what she did - as well as its final effect on her - will be in the next part.
 

Sunnybeam

when the sky is bright
544
Posts
15
Years
  • Age 28
  • Seen Jun 9, 2011
And with this, Non Sequitur ends. Kinda short, but I think it gets the point across. Now I can begin work on The Sixth Warrior proper...which I have one page written for so far...if you liked this mini-story, keep an eye out for T6W. Whenever I get it up. -shot for laziness-

------------------------------

"You're not meant to win here, Cyrus. You're the villain of this story."

What had happened?

"It's very simple…"

No it wasn't. It was far, far more convoluted than this not-Kalia could ever know.

"You're crying, Palkia. Gods don't cry…"

But what if they did? Tears were far preferable to this glassy stare that spoke of no heart.

"Checkmate."

But it was an empty win, for the queen had been lost.

"You seem troubled."

He wanted to scream, to cry that the loss of his beloved Trainer had shocked and terrified and troubled him, but he could not. She would hear it with the ears that had heard the tortured roars of a god and respond with the same dead voice she had used then. So he turned slowly, wincing when his warm eyes of crimson and saffron met her cold, emotionless eyes of grey.

"What bothers you?"

It's not your voice.

Mystil didn't know how to tell this not-Kalia the truth. It would be baring his soul to a stranger.

It's not you.

You didn't catch me in the forest.

You didn't train me for the battle with Fantina.

You didn't share a moment of hushed laughter with me after meeting the Footprint Man.

His eyes flicked to the pendant around not-Kalia's neck; a pearl luminous even in the shadows of night, two pewter wings sprouting from behind.

The wings of a god. For the sake of the god, three spirits were stolen; for the sake of the spirits, a mission was given; for the sake of the mission, a soul was lost.

For the sake of the god, one priceless soul was lost.

"You're an enigma, you know."

The soft murmur snapped Mystil from his reverie.

"After all this time, if it was not for you…I would be a puppet through and through. As soulless as I seem to be now. But this way…is far, far better."

The thundering question from Mystil burst from him in a great wave of anguished thought.

The not-Kalia blinked and turned her head to gaze at him with those empty, empty eyes.

"Why?"

The ghost nodded weakly.

His not-Trainer's lips curved into a faint, blank smile. "Because I can win the game my way now."

There was a long silence. With a shuddering intake of breath, Mystil reached towards Kalia with the tips of his cloak-body and wrapped them around her torso in a tentative hug. The girl made no movement to return it, but instead reached one hand up to the tips of his hatlike head and stroked them distractedly.

"Little non sequitur…" she whispered softly, vaguely.

And the night fell cold and silent around them.
 
Back
Top