pokeman1033
Females and shinies rule.
- 10
- Posts
- 18
- Years
- Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Orre
- Seen Dec 10, 2006
Holon Phantoms Part One
Deep within the unknown lands beyond those laboratories of Holon, where shadows fall and phantoms dwell…
You may think that there is no such thing as phantoms… that is, until you fall in love with one…
1: Phantasmal Memories
He could still faintly remember that time many, many years ago… how he was cast out of his home, how he discovered that place, and how they first met and became best friends…
That life-changing day flashed back before his eyes for yet another time: he went home after another seemingly ordinary day, but found out that the doors were locked… His parents were both home. He knocked on the front door. No one answered. He knocked on the back door. No one answered. He shouted into the windows. No one answered… He rubbed his eyes, and took another good look into the dining room through the windows – his family was right there, feasting around the dining table. He knocked hard on the window. Still, they didn't even take a notice of him, as if they were phantoms, or, as if he was a phantom himself… Anxiety, fear, loneliness and desolation shrouded him, making him begin to wonder whether he did something wrong, but he couldn't think of a single thing he did to deserve that, except…
Except that he never grew up!
That was his seventeenth year with the couple whom he'd always known as his parents; however, he only had a body of a seven years old child… And he never actually realized that something about him was just not right, not until then…
He searched around the house, trying to find a way in before dark, but every single door and window was locked tight. However, he did find a hand-written note outside his bedroom's window. It reads:
Dear Son:
We know this might be too harsh on you, but it's for your own good…
Please let us explain. Firstly, we're not your real parents (whose whereabouts are unknown to us); we found you lying in the forest far-east of the main laboratory, so we took you home, and raised you as our own child. You were just a baby then, but we knew you were certainly not a new-born baby, because you're different from us – as you should've realized by now, you're something other than human; in fact, you're an elf! (Doesn't this explain why you've always looked so young, and why you're having those long and pointed ears?)
We don't know how you ended up here in Holon, but we know that you do not belong in this world. So, leave now; return to where you came from, and there you shall find your destiny!
Love from,
Larry and Melanie Bruonstud (Your "parents")
PS: There is a PokéDex and a Poké-Ball that contains an Anorith under that Pecha berry tree – take them; they might be of some help to you. And there are also five empty balls, too, incase you might need them to capture your own Pokémon. Make sure you weaken them first before trying to catch them. That's all, take care!
He read it. He took the Anorith and those Poké-Balls. And he finally realized what the only right thing for him to do was. That is, to return to where he came from, which might or might not be those untouched forests on the eastern side of Holon…
Therefore, he went, after picking a couple of ripe Pecha berries for supper. He walked; he almost tirelessly walked, eastwards, into those "forbidden" forests, which were rumored to be haunted by phantoms. It was late night already, and he finally felt weary, so he sat down under a giant Sitrus berry tree and tried to get some rest for that melancholic night…
But he was unaware of that he was being watched by a pair of ominous crimson eyes from within the leaves of that tree… He fell into a deep sleep right under those glowing eyes…
2: The Phantom Meadows
She woke him up the next morning.
He found himself in a straw bed in a small hut on the top of that giant Sitrus tree, and he wondered how he got up there – that was the moment he saw her standing beside him… He nearly freaked out; he thought she was a phantom because of the way she looked. She had dark green hair that curled upwards from her shoulders, and a pair of clear but somewhat menacing crimson eyes; her petite, pearl white body had a couple of blood-red pinnacles pointing out from her chest and back, and a pair of long and flexible arms that were also shaded in dark green; her wraithlike, translucent white skirt that seemed to have grown onto her body, waved gently in the morning breeze, making her appear more like a real phantom… Only as the morning sun shed its golden rays upon her, he realized from her shadow that she was a corporeal figure – that she was real.
"Um… excuse me, how did I get up here?" He instinctively asked her.
"I brought you up here, because sleeping under a tree isn't good for you. This is where I live, it should be big enough for both of us – so you can stay here for a while if you have nowhere to go." She answered in a modestly dreamy voice that wonderfully complemented her phantasmal facade. "By the way, why did you come here? There hasn't been a single person here for quite a while..." She inquired.
"I… I got… um, kicked out because I'm different… I mean… I don't really belong here. I'm just trying to go back to where I came from… but… but I don't know, I don't know where I really came from… Um, I know here is where they found me…" He replied in a way that seemed more like gibberish than an answer – at least it seemed that way to her.
"Well, I don't want to know who kicked you out or why, because I hate to get involved in people's matters," She commented, "but still, why did you call yourself 'different'?"
"It's obvious. Just look at my ears… And I'm at least seventeen years old but I still look like a child. How can you call that normal? I'm different because I ain't a human, and I ain't even a Pokémon! I'm an outcast in this world…" He groaned, and shed a few bitter tears.
"So am I," She sighed, "an outcast…"
"Why? I mean, what exactly are you anyway?" He finally noticed something about her…
"A Delta-Species," She answered, "we only exist here, in Holon. And you see those labs over the west coast? Those researchers are doing experiments on us to find out what caused us to genetically mutate into completely different types, and why we all gain the Steel-type's characteristics after we fully evolve…" It appeared that she had only confused him further…
"Um… so you're a Pokémon after all?" He asked.
"Yes, but I'm not the sort of Pokémon you know…" She sat down beside him and sighed again.
He pulled out his PokéDex from a pocket on his shirt and scanned her with it. The PokéDex responded, but with only a flaky screen: "Unidentified species – no available data." Well, that's helpful, he thought, as he shut down the PokéDex and put it back into his pocket. He studied her appearance again; he was certain that he had seen something like her before, and that her species was definitely not unidentified, but he just couldn't recall its name… He buried himself in a deep thought, trying to remember its name…
She noticed his uneasy expression, and tried to change the subject. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm a Delta-Species Gardevoir, they call me June, because I was born on the first day of June. Now, what's your name?" She asked.
Ah, right! A Gardevoir – that's what she is! But why doesn't the PokéDex recognize her? He lost himself in thoughts again…
"Hey! Get over it; you'll be all grown up before you know it! Now, how should I call you?" June nudged him with her elbow, trying to refine the gloomy atmosphere.
"Huh? Oh, sorry… I'm Lorryn, Lorryn Bruonstud."
… That's how they met and got to know each other. Although Lorryn had no idea what June meant by "Delta-Species", he accepted the fact that she was different, just like him, if only because that she can't even be identified by his PokéDex… He learned from June that the forest was one of the "unknown" places in Holon, which people call the "Phantom Meadows".
Lorryn soon found out why they call it the Phantom Meadows…
It is a place that distorts reality…
As he remembers, June had always warned him not to go out without bringing a strong Pokémon with him, because it could be dangerous. However, the only Pokémon he had at that time was that Anorith his parents left him, and it was at a very low level. He thought it'd be good to train his Anorith so it could collect enough experience points to level up and grow stronger, so he took it out deeper into the forest… That was the time he experienced something that actually made him distrust his own consciousness…
He knew Anorith is partly Bug-type, so it'd have an advantage against the Chimecho that he found floating around. He called out his Anorith and ordered it to use Fury Cutter on that Chimecho. It did, but its attack didn't seem to have any effect although Chimecho was supposed to be weak against a Bug-type attack. That Chimecho countered with a surprise Iron Tail attack that knocked his Anorith right into the ground, and it floated away… And that was not all. On his way back to June's place, he was attacked by Confusion from a Vileplume, Thunder Shock from a Pidgeotto, and even Flamethrower from an enraged Primeape. All those attacks from those Pokémon just didn't make any sense to him; he wondered whether he was actually awake.
He was, and all that he had seen were real.
It was the way things are at that particular place.
3: A New Origin
Many years have passed since Lorryn and June first met, and Lorryn had finally grown out of his child's body – he now appears to be a teenager although he is much older than that. He still has no idea where he really came from or how he ended up in this world, but one thing has changed, he no longer sees himself as an outcast. He knows that he does belong to this world; because he has realized that he is a part of it.
Lorryn now opens his own Pokémon medicine shop besides the laboratories of Holon. He took advantage of the fact there are always researchers in the labs that require some sort of potions time after time, and so his business has been extremely well because of that, and he has really made some money from it.
Although people have learned more and more about those strange Delta-Species of Pokémon, they have never really seen one of them beyond the walls of the laboratories. There might be an occasional one or two running around those gigantic concrete lairs, but it is almost certain that they belong to someone in the lab. Those eastern forests that people call the Phantom Meadows were still untouched for some apparent reason, and those Delta-Species the labs catch are all from elsewhere. The residential area in the central parts of Holon had grown quite a bit, however, the development had only been directed westwards – it's a good thing that people still believe that the forests belong to those "phantoms" and shouldn't be touched. Also, there is now an official Pokémon Gym in Holon, it is opened by the labs. The Gym is used to be run by the administrator of the Holon Research Institute, Dr. Christopher Maine, since recently, but he was somehow brushed off by the official Pokémon Gym inspectors, saying that his Pokémon were not "up to standard" to be used in Gym battles. So there has been preparing for some sort of an unofficial tournament to decide who the next Gym leader will be, and the strangest thing is that anyone who owns more than five different species of Pokémon can enter the tournament.
Lorryn and Christopher had known each other for quite a long time, so Christopher believed that Lorryn should have a go at it. He came to Lorryn's store and tried to convince him into participating in the upcoming tournament.
"You know, Lorryn, you were one of the first trainers to have defeated me in the Gym, so I believe that you should definitely enter the tournament. You might just get the position as the official Gym leader of Holon." Christopher persuaded.
"Come on, Chris! How many times do I have to tell you that I only have four Pokémon, including my old Armaldo! And I only won that Delta Badge from you because you took it easy on me. I mean you didn't even use your Salamence, or your Dragonite… No, I won't stand a chance in there, not in that crowd!" Lorryn countered almost automatically.
"No, just look at those people – how many of them are actually newbs that wanted to show off? I'd say at least half! And you know why they kicked me out, right – they just didn't like to have an 'insider' to run the Gym, know what I mean?" Chris said, "oh, by the way, for you fifth Pokémon, just go out to the sea and fish yourself a Sharpedo or Tentacruel, or just go up to the mountains and catch something that can put up with a fight. Anyway, your Armaldo alone can probably take three down – it is an EX after all!"
"Yeah, well, do they allow any Delta-Species to enter? Still, they are Pokémon, and you can't really tell by just looking!" Lorryn asked while showing a hint of interest.
"Of course, mate! That Salamence I used in the Gym is a Fire-type, remember? They do allow Deltas here, and only here!" Chris assured him. "W…Wait; are you saying that you have a Delta? How did you get it - from the lab?" He suddenly realized why Lorryn would be asking about that.
"Um… no, I don't exactly own one, and it's not from the lab either. Well, I've known her for a long time; just thought if she could help, but nah, forget it – she wouldn't want to anyway…" Lorryn shook his head.
"Oh…? Who is the 'she' you're talking about - got yourself a girl already? Just keep in mind that she'll be ninety before you see thirty, ha-ha…" Chris teased him. Lorryn tightened his fist.
"Oh, shut up! I'm not talking about a person here; I'm talking about a… Uh, never mind, you wouldn't want to know anyway…" Lorryn regretted for mentioning it, now he was trying to hide it…
"Huh, you're not talking about some sort of an android are ya? And don't tell me you've…"
"Come on, damn it! You really should clean that perverted scientific head of yours! Okay, she's a Pokémon, all right? A Pokémon, do you understand now?" Lorryn cut him off; he knows that there is no way he can hide it forever, not after once he's mentioned it… "I've known her since I was little, so we're like… old friends, yeah…"
"Well, that must be some close friend for you to refer to as 'she'…" Chris scratched his chin. "Oh, don't get me that way – it, I mean, 'she', is a Pokémon after all, ha-ha… Um, what is 'she' anyway – a Delta?"
"Um, to be honest with you, I'm not that sure myself. She said she's a Delta-Species, but she doesn't look like one of them at all; I mean, she's always been quite… um, normal, you know." Lorryn replied, "Oh, if you want to know 'what' she is, well, she's a Gardevoir – a girl one, of course…"
"Mmmm… a girl Gardevoir, huh – so cute… they make good girlfriends for perverts that can't get a real girl, he-he…"
"Yeah, like you…" Lorryn sounded a little annoyed. And Chris was aware of that; he knew that he's said too much.
"Well, think I should bugger off now – got more work to be done in the lab. Laters for now, and have fun with your Garde-girl, ha-ha…" He exited Lorryn's store.
"Ugh…! Why you…" Lorryn ground his teeth and pummeled the table.
Since they knew each other, Christopher had always made fun of Lorryn's "elvenness", despite of that, they've been close friends.
Speaking of his old friend, Lorryn hasn't been into the forests to see June for a long time; his shop's always been so busy, morning until night… He'd been convincing June for a while to get a cell phone, so they could keep in touch without actually seeing each other face to face, but she warded him off with the excuse of that there wouldn't be any signal in the forests, which might well be true, but the real reason she didn't want one is that she doesn't want to attract any researchers over to the forests with the radio transmissions from a cell phone.
It was a Sunday afternoon, and there haven't been many customers in his shop, so Lorryn had finally decided to close up for the day and spend the rest of the time with June for a change. So he literally sneaked into the Phantom Meadows when no one was around, and he found his way to June's place. However, just before he saw June's Sitrus tree, he spotted a couple of suspicious people creeping around. They were dressed shadily in black and they each had a black hood covering their heads. From their voices Lorryn recognized that the taller person was a man and the shorter one was a woman. He hid behind a tree and watched them…
"… Ah, here they are – this is where the wild Delta-Species live!" said the woman.
"This is a place they live, but it's not the only place, you know, Monica." The woman's name was Monica.
"That doesn't matter; we've finally found them anyway. But Josh, are you certain that they're not the same as those known as Mirage Pokémon? I mean, I do see a lot of similarities between them…"
"Well, for that I cannot say for sure, but I believe they're totally different – these are actually living beings, unlike the Mirage Pokémon, which are purely data… However… as you said, there are a lot of similarities…"
As they held their conversation, a small squad of wild Vileplumes came out of the bushes; they stared at them angrily. Obviously, they've intruded their territory.
"Hey, Josh, I think we shouldn't be here – look at them, they certainly aren't very happy about us being here…" Monica nudged Josh.
"Yeah, you're right; we should run for it, unless you want their Stun Spore all over us!" Josh suggested.
The eyes of those Vileplumes glowed red…
"Eek," Monica screamed, "run for it, Josh!" She dragged him and ran outwards from the forest. Those Vileplumes chased.
"I'm bloody trying to! But I can't!" Josh shouted from behind, as a blue glow appeared around his body and he got mysteriously lifted off the ground. "What the hell…?"
Monica turned around and saw what was before her eyes. Her jaw dropped in awe, and she covered her wide open mouth with both hands; she was completely stunned and speechless, because she just couldn't believe what she saw – Vileplumes using the Confusion attack, instead of Stun Spore or Petal Dance!
"Oy, what are you doing? Don't just stand there! Help me out for goodness sake!" Josh growled.
Monica snapped out of her astonishment and grabbed his legs, trying to drag him back down onto the ground. However, despite of their struggle, those Vileplumes wouldn't let go of Josh; instead, they disabled Monica as well with their Confusion attack. Lorryn saw them, and he decided that he had to help them out, no matter what sort of people they might be.
"Go, Blade, help them out – use Rock Blast on those Vileplumes!" Lorryn launched a Poké-Ball towards those Vileplumes. His Armaldo, Blade, came out and flapped the plates on its back, sending a barrage of rocks into the Vileplume squad and broke their Confusion on the two. "Now, Blade, blow them away with Sandstorm!" Blade flapped its plates even harder, creating a vortex of sand and rock; those Vileplumes fled into the bushes. Lorryn called Blade back into its Poké-Ball.
Josh and Monica got up and saw Lorryn saved them. "Oh, thanks very much for saving us, but we've got to get going now. See you!" They ran off before Lorryn could say anything.
"Hey, wait! Who are you people anyway?" Lorryn chased and shouted towards them, but he gave up as they've run too far… "What the… This is strange… I don't normally see anyone around here…" He mumbled to himself…
"Neither do I, Lorryn, I wonder what they're up to…" Christopher popped out behind him, giving him quite a fright.
"Chris? How did you get here?" Lorryn turned around. "Have you been stalking me or something? Anyway, you'd better get outta here before you get barbecued by a Pidgey or something."
"Hah, like that's gonna happen…" Chris laughed, "Why did you come here anyway - to see your little love-muffin?"
"Shut up, and get over this 'love' thing! I told you, she's just a friend, a 'friend', and nothing more! Do you understand?" Lorryn groaned in frustration.
"Yeah, yeah, I understand. Wish I could have a cute little female Gardevoir instead of my nagging old wife… Man, you're so damned lucky, Lorryn…" Chris said contemptuously.
"I don't need anymore of your lame sarcasm, Chris. Why don't you try saying that to your wife, and see how she'll react? Well, that'll be at least fun to watch…" Lorryn has finally caught a chance to pick on Chris for a change.
"Ha-ha, I was only joking, mate! Anyway, would it hurt to allow me to have a look at your girlfriend? I just want to see how cute she is – I haven't seen a Gardevoir in ages, you know." Chris asked.
"Well, it won't hurt me but it might hurt you, because she can be quite shy around strangers – and she's not my 'girlfriend', okay? Oh, her name's June, by the way…"
"Can you two stop talking about me so loud? The whole forest can hear you! And, who says I'm shy?" June jumped down from a tree; in fact, she's been listening to them since they came. "So, Lorryn, you've finally decided to see me, huh? I was just about to go to your store and stir up some trouble. I thought you've forgotten about me…" She grabbed Lorryn and gave him a loving embrace – the type of embrace a girl gives to her lover, instead of that old friends share.
"Oh, hey June - never thought you'd be out here! Anyway, this is Dr. Chris Maine; he's the admin of the Institute, and my friend. Just be careful cuz he's quite an old pervert, he-he – just kidding, Chris…" Lorryn 'introduced' Chris to her – in a way Chris wouldn't like very much, of course. Well, it's time Lorryn hit on him for a while…
Chris was too astonished to take any particular note of what Lorryn said about him – he always assumed that all that "Gardevoir girlfriend" business were nothing but a joke that Lorryn made up for fun. "W…What, no way, she… she can talk?!" He couldn't believe it. "Hey, Lorryn, that June is really something…! I've never seen a Pokémon that can talk before!"
"Why are you so surprised?" June asked. "I can talk all right. I used to live in the town before I moved here, so learning your language is a piece of cake. Oh, by the way, Lorryn, did I show you this little cottage I fixed up lately? Come with me – I'll take you to it." She led the way.
They followed her to an open area in the forest by a mountain stream. There was an old wooden cottage, which seems to be constructed at least a century ago. It has one small window with a copper frame, and the glass is still in its original shape, but the dents on the frame suggest that it's been changed quite a few times. The door is iron plated and looking worn; it had a number of holes and dents all over the outside, showing that it must have had a rough time then. The same goes for the roof, which is also plated with iron and copper. However, the interior was in near-perfect condition, and there is even electricity, maybe that's only because June had cleaned and fixed everything inside. All those damages to the outside of the cottage suggested that there might have been some sort of a riot, or battle, going on at that time, and it also gave a clear indication that there had been many people living in those forests not too long ago, and the reason that everyone moved out might have something to do with the discovery of those Delta-Species Pokémon.
June says that the cottage was clearly abandoned by people that left there in a hurry, because there were a bed and a table, and even some kitchenware inside when she found it – they've all gone rusty or rotten, of course, so she threw them out. She also said there were other similar cottages on the mountains, but they were all demolished and left to rot, some became the homes of wild Pokémon like Oddish and Rattata. She rarely ventures beyond the forests so she doesn't know much about the other side of those mountains, except that there is the sea.
"What you reckon had happened here, Lorryn?" Chris asked, "It seems that all the damage was caused by Pokémon instead of people; just look at where those dents are – they're all over the place, and most of them are lower than your waist level!" He suggested.
"No idea, mate, and I wouldn't draw any conclusions at this stage…" Lorryn replied.
Chris' cell phone rang – there was signal in the forests; although not very good quality, he can hear the voice from the other side. The call was from one of his colleagues in the Institute, saying that he must return immediately for something terrible has happened – one of their experimental Pokémon broke out of the laboratory and wandered towards the residential area, and it might cause some trouble, but their main concern was its own safety.
"Oh, blast!" Chris cursed, "Anyhow, I got to go, Lorryn. Talk to you later!" He hurried back to the Institute.
"What's wrong?" June asked.
"Don't know, he says some Pokémon escaped from their labs, anyway, he's got to take care of that." Lorryn shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, yes! There's something I need to talk to you about – why don't we go inside?"
They entered that cottage June fixed up. It's not perfect but it is warm and cozy.
"Well, two things actually, one is that there's a tournament coming up, to find the next Gym leader for Holon. Chris got shoved off because those inspector people didn't like him for some apparent reason; he's always too busy to give trainers proper Gym matches, if that's one of the reasons. Anyway, he says you'll need five different Pokémon to enter the tournament, but I've only got four: a Crawdaunt, an Alakazam, a Shuppet, and my old Armaldo, Blade. So I'm just wondering whether you can help me out, just to fill the number, you know… And it's not a professional tournament, so Blade is probably all I'll really need…" Lorryn said, but he doubted that June would like to participate in that sort of a "melee".
"Um… do they allow Delta-Species to enter?"
"Yes, they do! And they even allow them in the Gym as well!" Lorryn quickly replied as he saw June showing some interest – otherwise why would she be asking?
"Great then, I'll go with you! I mean, why not? I'd love to help you out, because you're my best friend, Lorryn!" June gave him an evocative leer, "And you know – you'll be much better off running the Holon Gym than selling your medicines to the lab."
Lorryn was actually quite surprised to hear that from June, saying she'd love to participate in the upcoming tournament, because it was somehow contrary to her quiet nature, and that's also why she left the city, which was far too noisy for her liking.
"Oh, thanks heaps, June!" Lorryn grabbed her hands with joy and gratitude, for that he'd be able to sign up for the tournament. "You're really a good friend – you're my best friend!"
"Um, by the way, Lorryn, what's the other thing you wanted to say?" June reminded him.
"Oh, yes! Did you see those two people just now? They looked pretty dodgy to me – just look at the way they dress – and they've been on about some 'Mirage Pokémon'… if you have any idea what that is…" He said.
"No idea. But I've been watching them for a while too, before you two came. They didn't seem to be looking for trouble or anything, but I don't really like the way they dress either – they seem like in some kind of a secret organization. Anyway, I think we can leave them for now, as long as they don't come back here and cause trouble." June replied; she didn't seem to be concerned at all.
"Yeah, I reckon…" Lorryn agreed. "It's not like we can do anything about them right now, not until they've actually caused any trouble…"
"Hey, when is the tournament? And where?" June changed the subject.
"The tournament won't start until the next month, but we've got to sign up now, because the registration closes this Friday. There must be at least a hundred people going for it, so the earlier we sign up, the better. Oh, and it's just in the Gym, to make it easier." Lorryn answered.
It's been quite a long time since Lorryn last came to see June, and she really missed him a lot; after all, they've known each other since Lorryn was little – to be precise, it was sixty-four years ago when June found Lorryn sleeping under that Sitrus berry tree and took him to her home.
It was nearly dark. They had their supper, and June knew that Lorryn would have to go home soon, but she missed him too much to say goodbye again, so she decided to try and keep him a little longer, that is, at least for the night…
"Lorryn," She demanded his attention, "do you want to stay here for the night? Because I really want to be with you for a little longer; I missed you so much since the last time you left me… It can get quite lonesome here in this forest… Please stay!" She insisted on him staying while trying to remain calm, but as Lorryn gazed into her beautiful crystalline eyes and embraced her compassionately, she held him tighter, and surrendered to a paroxysm of tears…
Lorryn had never seen June crying before; in fact, when he was little, he was the one that always cried whenever he was upset or depressed. So, her crying had made him realize how little he had been in touch with his best and closest friend lately, as he was constantly busy with his business at the store. He also remembered that mutual promise they've made to each other, that none of them would ever experience again the dreadful solitude and despair that they felt before they met. That's why June is crying, he thought, because I didn't keep the promise, I've made her feel lonely again…! So, Lorryn chose to acquiesce to her request, to stay with her for as long as she wants…
"Oh, I'm sorry, June, I've made you suffer from that solitude and misery once again… I'll stay with you for as long as you like, and I promise I'll never upset you again… I promise!" Lorryn caressed her head and tried to calm her down, while he cautiously struggled to free himself from her binding arms, because it hurt when the sensor on her chest was stabbing into him… He wanted June to feel at ease, but he had to keep things from going any further than what he could handle…
After about 10 minutes or so, June finally let go of Lorryn. He scanned around the room and found there is only one bed; it is woven with vines and leaves. So he points out, "Well, June, if you want me to stay with you, you should at least find me somewhere to sleep."
June realized that as well; she thought for a while, and said, "Sorry, but that's the only bed I have here, and there isn't enough room for another one anyway. But I think it should be big enough for the both of us…"
"W…What, are you saying we have to sleep in the same bed?! No way! I mean, we can't do that…!" Lorryn refused point-blank; he shook his head in disbelief of what June just said.
"Huh? What's wrong now? I've seen lots of trainers sleep with their Pokémon; isn't it pretty normal for them?" She couldn't see what was bothering him…
"Yeah, but that's not the point. I mean, you're not even 'my' Pokémon, and, the thing is, you're a girl, and I've never slept with a girl before. It's just… not right!" Lorryn said; he shook his head even harder…
"Oh, come on, Lorryn! Don't you remember, we've always slept together when you were little, so what's the problem now?" June reminded him of the past days…
"But… Oh well, whatever…" Lorryn didn't want to protest further and upset her again, so he accepted the fact. "Just try not to kick me around in your sleep, all right?"
And they did, they spent the night together in June's bed. At first, Lorryn was feeling quite uneasy sleeping with June in the same bed, but as June snuggle up against him and embraced him like a little girl, he actually felt somewhat contented… Lorryn remembered when he was little, June's always been like a kind big sister to him, and he also found her rather otherworldly appearance to be a little intimidating; but now, when he looked at her delicate face in her sound sleep, for the first time he realized how beautifully charming that phantasmal creature beside him really is…
To Be Continued…
Deep within the unknown lands beyond those laboratories of Holon, where shadows fall and phantoms dwell…
You may think that there is no such thing as phantoms… that is, until you fall in love with one…
1: Phantasmal Memories
He could still faintly remember that time many, many years ago… how he was cast out of his home, how he discovered that place, and how they first met and became best friends…
That life-changing day flashed back before his eyes for yet another time: he went home after another seemingly ordinary day, but found out that the doors were locked… His parents were both home. He knocked on the front door. No one answered. He knocked on the back door. No one answered. He shouted into the windows. No one answered… He rubbed his eyes, and took another good look into the dining room through the windows – his family was right there, feasting around the dining table. He knocked hard on the window. Still, they didn't even take a notice of him, as if they were phantoms, or, as if he was a phantom himself… Anxiety, fear, loneliness and desolation shrouded him, making him begin to wonder whether he did something wrong, but he couldn't think of a single thing he did to deserve that, except…
Except that he never grew up!
That was his seventeenth year with the couple whom he'd always known as his parents; however, he only had a body of a seven years old child… And he never actually realized that something about him was just not right, not until then…
He searched around the house, trying to find a way in before dark, but every single door and window was locked tight. However, he did find a hand-written note outside his bedroom's window. It reads:
Dear Son:
We know this might be too harsh on you, but it's for your own good…
Please let us explain. Firstly, we're not your real parents (whose whereabouts are unknown to us); we found you lying in the forest far-east of the main laboratory, so we took you home, and raised you as our own child. You were just a baby then, but we knew you were certainly not a new-born baby, because you're different from us – as you should've realized by now, you're something other than human; in fact, you're an elf! (Doesn't this explain why you've always looked so young, and why you're having those long and pointed ears?)
We don't know how you ended up here in Holon, but we know that you do not belong in this world. So, leave now; return to where you came from, and there you shall find your destiny!
Love from,
Larry and Melanie Bruonstud (Your "parents")
PS: There is a PokéDex and a Poké-Ball that contains an Anorith under that Pecha berry tree – take them; they might be of some help to you. And there are also five empty balls, too, incase you might need them to capture your own Pokémon. Make sure you weaken them first before trying to catch them. That's all, take care!
He read it. He took the Anorith and those Poké-Balls. And he finally realized what the only right thing for him to do was. That is, to return to where he came from, which might or might not be those untouched forests on the eastern side of Holon…
Therefore, he went, after picking a couple of ripe Pecha berries for supper. He walked; he almost tirelessly walked, eastwards, into those "forbidden" forests, which were rumored to be haunted by phantoms. It was late night already, and he finally felt weary, so he sat down under a giant Sitrus berry tree and tried to get some rest for that melancholic night…
But he was unaware of that he was being watched by a pair of ominous crimson eyes from within the leaves of that tree… He fell into a deep sleep right under those glowing eyes…
2: The Phantom Meadows
She woke him up the next morning.
He found himself in a straw bed in a small hut on the top of that giant Sitrus tree, and he wondered how he got up there – that was the moment he saw her standing beside him… He nearly freaked out; he thought she was a phantom because of the way she looked. She had dark green hair that curled upwards from her shoulders, and a pair of clear but somewhat menacing crimson eyes; her petite, pearl white body had a couple of blood-red pinnacles pointing out from her chest and back, and a pair of long and flexible arms that were also shaded in dark green; her wraithlike, translucent white skirt that seemed to have grown onto her body, waved gently in the morning breeze, making her appear more like a real phantom… Only as the morning sun shed its golden rays upon her, he realized from her shadow that she was a corporeal figure – that she was real.
"Um… excuse me, how did I get up here?" He instinctively asked her.
"I brought you up here, because sleeping under a tree isn't good for you. This is where I live, it should be big enough for both of us – so you can stay here for a while if you have nowhere to go." She answered in a modestly dreamy voice that wonderfully complemented her phantasmal facade. "By the way, why did you come here? There hasn't been a single person here for quite a while..." She inquired.
"I… I got… um, kicked out because I'm different… I mean… I don't really belong here. I'm just trying to go back to where I came from… but… but I don't know, I don't know where I really came from… Um, I know here is where they found me…" He replied in a way that seemed more like gibberish than an answer – at least it seemed that way to her.
"Well, I don't want to know who kicked you out or why, because I hate to get involved in people's matters," She commented, "but still, why did you call yourself 'different'?"
"It's obvious. Just look at my ears… And I'm at least seventeen years old but I still look like a child. How can you call that normal? I'm different because I ain't a human, and I ain't even a Pokémon! I'm an outcast in this world…" He groaned, and shed a few bitter tears.
"So am I," She sighed, "an outcast…"
"Why? I mean, what exactly are you anyway?" He finally noticed something about her…
"A Delta-Species," She answered, "we only exist here, in Holon. And you see those labs over the west coast? Those researchers are doing experiments on us to find out what caused us to genetically mutate into completely different types, and why we all gain the Steel-type's characteristics after we fully evolve…" It appeared that she had only confused him further…
"Um… so you're a Pokémon after all?" He asked.
"Yes, but I'm not the sort of Pokémon you know…" She sat down beside him and sighed again.
He pulled out his PokéDex from a pocket on his shirt and scanned her with it. The PokéDex responded, but with only a flaky screen: "Unidentified species – no available data." Well, that's helpful, he thought, as he shut down the PokéDex and put it back into his pocket. He studied her appearance again; he was certain that he had seen something like her before, and that her species was definitely not unidentified, but he just couldn't recall its name… He buried himself in a deep thought, trying to remember its name…
She noticed his uneasy expression, and tried to change the subject. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm a Delta-Species Gardevoir, they call me June, because I was born on the first day of June. Now, what's your name?" She asked.
Ah, right! A Gardevoir – that's what she is! But why doesn't the PokéDex recognize her? He lost himself in thoughts again…
"Hey! Get over it; you'll be all grown up before you know it! Now, how should I call you?" June nudged him with her elbow, trying to refine the gloomy atmosphere.
"Huh? Oh, sorry… I'm Lorryn, Lorryn Bruonstud."
… That's how they met and got to know each other. Although Lorryn had no idea what June meant by "Delta-Species", he accepted the fact that she was different, just like him, if only because that she can't even be identified by his PokéDex… He learned from June that the forest was one of the "unknown" places in Holon, which people call the "Phantom Meadows".
Lorryn soon found out why they call it the Phantom Meadows…
It is a place that distorts reality…
As he remembers, June had always warned him not to go out without bringing a strong Pokémon with him, because it could be dangerous. However, the only Pokémon he had at that time was that Anorith his parents left him, and it was at a very low level. He thought it'd be good to train his Anorith so it could collect enough experience points to level up and grow stronger, so he took it out deeper into the forest… That was the time he experienced something that actually made him distrust his own consciousness…
He knew Anorith is partly Bug-type, so it'd have an advantage against the Chimecho that he found floating around. He called out his Anorith and ordered it to use Fury Cutter on that Chimecho. It did, but its attack didn't seem to have any effect although Chimecho was supposed to be weak against a Bug-type attack. That Chimecho countered with a surprise Iron Tail attack that knocked his Anorith right into the ground, and it floated away… And that was not all. On his way back to June's place, he was attacked by Confusion from a Vileplume, Thunder Shock from a Pidgeotto, and even Flamethrower from an enraged Primeape. All those attacks from those Pokémon just didn't make any sense to him; he wondered whether he was actually awake.
He was, and all that he had seen were real.
It was the way things are at that particular place.
3: A New Origin
Many years have passed since Lorryn and June first met, and Lorryn had finally grown out of his child's body – he now appears to be a teenager although he is much older than that. He still has no idea where he really came from or how he ended up in this world, but one thing has changed, he no longer sees himself as an outcast. He knows that he does belong to this world; because he has realized that he is a part of it.
Lorryn now opens his own Pokémon medicine shop besides the laboratories of Holon. He took advantage of the fact there are always researchers in the labs that require some sort of potions time after time, and so his business has been extremely well because of that, and he has really made some money from it.
Although people have learned more and more about those strange Delta-Species of Pokémon, they have never really seen one of them beyond the walls of the laboratories. There might be an occasional one or two running around those gigantic concrete lairs, but it is almost certain that they belong to someone in the lab. Those eastern forests that people call the Phantom Meadows were still untouched for some apparent reason, and those Delta-Species the labs catch are all from elsewhere. The residential area in the central parts of Holon had grown quite a bit, however, the development had only been directed westwards – it's a good thing that people still believe that the forests belong to those "phantoms" and shouldn't be touched. Also, there is now an official Pokémon Gym in Holon, it is opened by the labs. The Gym is used to be run by the administrator of the Holon Research Institute, Dr. Christopher Maine, since recently, but he was somehow brushed off by the official Pokémon Gym inspectors, saying that his Pokémon were not "up to standard" to be used in Gym battles. So there has been preparing for some sort of an unofficial tournament to decide who the next Gym leader will be, and the strangest thing is that anyone who owns more than five different species of Pokémon can enter the tournament.
Lorryn and Christopher had known each other for quite a long time, so Christopher believed that Lorryn should have a go at it. He came to Lorryn's store and tried to convince him into participating in the upcoming tournament.
"You know, Lorryn, you were one of the first trainers to have defeated me in the Gym, so I believe that you should definitely enter the tournament. You might just get the position as the official Gym leader of Holon." Christopher persuaded.
"Come on, Chris! How many times do I have to tell you that I only have four Pokémon, including my old Armaldo! And I only won that Delta Badge from you because you took it easy on me. I mean you didn't even use your Salamence, or your Dragonite… No, I won't stand a chance in there, not in that crowd!" Lorryn countered almost automatically.
"No, just look at those people – how many of them are actually newbs that wanted to show off? I'd say at least half! And you know why they kicked me out, right – they just didn't like to have an 'insider' to run the Gym, know what I mean?" Chris said, "oh, by the way, for you fifth Pokémon, just go out to the sea and fish yourself a Sharpedo or Tentacruel, or just go up to the mountains and catch something that can put up with a fight. Anyway, your Armaldo alone can probably take three down – it is an EX after all!"
"Yeah, well, do they allow any Delta-Species to enter? Still, they are Pokémon, and you can't really tell by just looking!" Lorryn asked while showing a hint of interest.
"Of course, mate! That Salamence I used in the Gym is a Fire-type, remember? They do allow Deltas here, and only here!" Chris assured him. "W…Wait; are you saying that you have a Delta? How did you get it - from the lab?" He suddenly realized why Lorryn would be asking about that.
"Um… no, I don't exactly own one, and it's not from the lab either. Well, I've known her for a long time; just thought if she could help, but nah, forget it – she wouldn't want to anyway…" Lorryn shook his head.
"Oh…? Who is the 'she' you're talking about - got yourself a girl already? Just keep in mind that she'll be ninety before you see thirty, ha-ha…" Chris teased him. Lorryn tightened his fist.
"Oh, shut up! I'm not talking about a person here; I'm talking about a… Uh, never mind, you wouldn't want to know anyway…" Lorryn regretted for mentioning it, now he was trying to hide it…
"Huh, you're not talking about some sort of an android are ya? And don't tell me you've…"
"Come on, damn it! You really should clean that perverted scientific head of yours! Okay, she's a Pokémon, all right? A Pokémon, do you understand now?" Lorryn cut him off; he knows that there is no way he can hide it forever, not after once he's mentioned it… "I've known her since I was little, so we're like… old friends, yeah…"
"Well, that must be some close friend for you to refer to as 'she'…" Chris scratched his chin. "Oh, don't get me that way – it, I mean, 'she', is a Pokémon after all, ha-ha… Um, what is 'she' anyway – a Delta?"
"Um, to be honest with you, I'm not that sure myself. She said she's a Delta-Species, but she doesn't look like one of them at all; I mean, she's always been quite… um, normal, you know." Lorryn replied, "Oh, if you want to know 'what' she is, well, she's a Gardevoir – a girl one, of course…"
"Mmmm… a girl Gardevoir, huh – so cute… they make good girlfriends for perverts that can't get a real girl, he-he…"
"Yeah, like you…" Lorryn sounded a little annoyed. And Chris was aware of that; he knew that he's said too much.
"Well, think I should bugger off now – got more work to be done in the lab. Laters for now, and have fun with your Garde-girl, ha-ha…" He exited Lorryn's store.
"Ugh…! Why you…" Lorryn ground his teeth and pummeled the table.
Since they knew each other, Christopher had always made fun of Lorryn's "elvenness", despite of that, they've been close friends.
Speaking of his old friend, Lorryn hasn't been into the forests to see June for a long time; his shop's always been so busy, morning until night… He'd been convincing June for a while to get a cell phone, so they could keep in touch without actually seeing each other face to face, but she warded him off with the excuse of that there wouldn't be any signal in the forests, which might well be true, but the real reason she didn't want one is that she doesn't want to attract any researchers over to the forests with the radio transmissions from a cell phone.
It was a Sunday afternoon, and there haven't been many customers in his shop, so Lorryn had finally decided to close up for the day and spend the rest of the time with June for a change. So he literally sneaked into the Phantom Meadows when no one was around, and he found his way to June's place. However, just before he saw June's Sitrus tree, he spotted a couple of suspicious people creeping around. They were dressed shadily in black and they each had a black hood covering their heads. From their voices Lorryn recognized that the taller person was a man and the shorter one was a woman. He hid behind a tree and watched them…
"… Ah, here they are – this is where the wild Delta-Species live!" said the woman.
"This is a place they live, but it's not the only place, you know, Monica." The woman's name was Monica.
"That doesn't matter; we've finally found them anyway. But Josh, are you certain that they're not the same as those known as Mirage Pokémon? I mean, I do see a lot of similarities between them…"
"Well, for that I cannot say for sure, but I believe they're totally different – these are actually living beings, unlike the Mirage Pokémon, which are purely data… However… as you said, there are a lot of similarities…"
As they held their conversation, a small squad of wild Vileplumes came out of the bushes; they stared at them angrily. Obviously, they've intruded their territory.
"Hey, Josh, I think we shouldn't be here – look at them, they certainly aren't very happy about us being here…" Monica nudged Josh.
"Yeah, you're right; we should run for it, unless you want their Stun Spore all over us!" Josh suggested.
The eyes of those Vileplumes glowed red…
"Eek," Monica screamed, "run for it, Josh!" She dragged him and ran outwards from the forest. Those Vileplumes chased.
"I'm bloody trying to! But I can't!" Josh shouted from behind, as a blue glow appeared around his body and he got mysteriously lifted off the ground. "What the hell…?"
Monica turned around and saw what was before her eyes. Her jaw dropped in awe, and she covered her wide open mouth with both hands; she was completely stunned and speechless, because she just couldn't believe what she saw – Vileplumes using the Confusion attack, instead of Stun Spore or Petal Dance!
"Oy, what are you doing? Don't just stand there! Help me out for goodness sake!" Josh growled.
Monica snapped out of her astonishment and grabbed his legs, trying to drag him back down onto the ground. However, despite of their struggle, those Vileplumes wouldn't let go of Josh; instead, they disabled Monica as well with their Confusion attack. Lorryn saw them, and he decided that he had to help them out, no matter what sort of people they might be.
"Go, Blade, help them out – use Rock Blast on those Vileplumes!" Lorryn launched a Poké-Ball towards those Vileplumes. His Armaldo, Blade, came out and flapped the plates on its back, sending a barrage of rocks into the Vileplume squad and broke their Confusion on the two. "Now, Blade, blow them away with Sandstorm!" Blade flapped its plates even harder, creating a vortex of sand and rock; those Vileplumes fled into the bushes. Lorryn called Blade back into its Poké-Ball.
Josh and Monica got up and saw Lorryn saved them. "Oh, thanks very much for saving us, but we've got to get going now. See you!" They ran off before Lorryn could say anything.
"Hey, wait! Who are you people anyway?" Lorryn chased and shouted towards them, but he gave up as they've run too far… "What the… This is strange… I don't normally see anyone around here…" He mumbled to himself…
"Neither do I, Lorryn, I wonder what they're up to…" Christopher popped out behind him, giving him quite a fright.
"Chris? How did you get here?" Lorryn turned around. "Have you been stalking me or something? Anyway, you'd better get outta here before you get barbecued by a Pidgey or something."
"Hah, like that's gonna happen…" Chris laughed, "Why did you come here anyway - to see your little love-muffin?"
"Shut up, and get over this 'love' thing! I told you, she's just a friend, a 'friend', and nothing more! Do you understand?" Lorryn groaned in frustration.
"Yeah, yeah, I understand. Wish I could have a cute little female Gardevoir instead of my nagging old wife… Man, you're so damned lucky, Lorryn…" Chris said contemptuously.
"I don't need anymore of your lame sarcasm, Chris. Why don't you try saying that to your wife, and see how she'll react? Well, that'll be at least fun to watch…" Lorryn has finally caught a chance to pick on Chris for a change.
"Ha-ha, I was only joking, mate! Anyway, would it hurt to allow me to have a look at your girlfriend? I just want to see how cute she is – I haven't seen a Gardevoir in ages, you know." Chris asked.
"Well, it won't hurt me but it might hurt you, because she can be quite shy around strangers – and she's not my 'girlfriend', okay? Oh, her name's June, by the way…"
"Can you two stop talking about me so loud? The whole forest can hear you! And, who says I'm shy?" June jumped down from a tree; in fact, she's been listening to them since they came. "So, Lorryn, you've finally decided to see me, huh? I was just about to go to your store and stir up some trouble. I thought you've forgotten about me…" She grabbed Lorryn and gave him a loving embrace – the type of embrace a girl gives to her lover, instead of that old friends share.
"Oh, hey June - never thought you'd be out here! Anyway, this is Dr. Chris Maine; he's the admin of the Institute, and my friend. Just be careful cuz he's quite an old pervert, he-he – just kidding, Chris…" Lorryn 'introduced' Chris to her – in a way Chris wouldn't like very much, of course. Well, it's time Lorryn hit on him for a while…
Chris was too astonished to take any particular note of what Lorryn said about him – he always assumed that all that "Gardevoir girlfriend" business were nothing but a joke that Lorryn made up for fun. "W…What, no way, she… she can talk?!" He couldn't believe it. "Hey, Lorryn, that June is really something…! I've never seen a Pokémon that can talk before!"
"Why are you so surprised?" June asked. "I can talk all right. I used to live in the town before I moved here, so learning your language is a piece of cake. Oh, by the way, Lorryn, did I show you this little cottage I fixed up lately? Come with me – I'll take you to it." She led the way.
They followed her to an open area in the forest by a mountain stream. There was an old wooden cottage, which seems to be constructed at least a century ago. It has one small window with a copper frame, and the glass is still in its original shape, but the dents on the frame suggest that it's been changed quite a few times. The door is iron plated and looking worn; it had a number of holes and dents all over the outside, showing that it must have had a rough time then. The same goes for the roof, which is also plated with iron and copper. However, the interior was in near-perfect condition, and there is even electricity, maybe that's only because June had cleaned and fixed everything inside. All those damages to the outside of the cottage suggested that there might have been some sort of a riot, or battle, going on at that time, and it also gave a clear indication that there had been many people living in those forests not too long ago, and the reason that everyone moved out might have something to do with the discovery of those Delta-Species Pokémon.
June says that the cottage was clearly abandoned by people that left there in a hurry, because there were a bed and a table, and even some kitchenware inside when she found it – they've all gone rusty or rotten, of course, so she threw them out. She also said there were other similar cottages on the mountains, but they were all demolished and left to rot, some became the homes of wild Pokémon like Oddish and Rattata. She rarely ventures beyond the forests so she doesn't know much about the other side of those mountains, except that there is the sea.
"What you reckon had happened here, Lorryn?" Chris asked, "It seems that all the damage was caused by Pokémon instead of people; just look at where those dents are – they're all over the place, and most of them are lower than your waist level!" He suggested.
"No idea, mate, and I wouldn't draw any conclusions at this stage…" Lorryn replied.
Chris' cell phone rang – there was signal in the forests; although not very good quality, he can hear the voice from the other side. The call was from one of his colleagues in the Institute, saying that he must return immediately for something terrible has happened – one of their experimental Pokémon broke out of the laboratory and wandered towards the residential area, and it might cause some trouble, but their main concern was its own safety.
"Oh, blast!" Chris cursed, "Anyhow, I got to go, Lorryn. Talk to you later!" He hurried back to the Institute.
"What's wrong?" June asked.
"Don't know, he says some Pokémon escaped from their labs, anyway, he's got to take care of that." Lorryn shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, yes! There's something I need to talk to you about – why don't we go inside?"
They entered that cottage June fixed up. It's not perfect but it is warm and cozy.
"Well, two things actually, one is that there's a tournament coming up, to find the next Gym leader for Holon. Chris got shoved off because those inspector people didn't like him for some apparent reason; he's always too busy to give trainers proper Gym matches, if that's one of the reasons. Anyway, he says you'll need five different Pokémon to enter the tournament, but I've only got four: a Crawdaunt, an Alakazam, a Shuppet, and my old Armaldo, Blade. So I'm just wondering whether you can help me out, just to fill the number, you know… And it's not a professional tournament, so Blade is probably all I'll really need…" Lorryn said, but he doubted that June would like to participate in that sort of a "melee".
"Um… do they allow Delta-Species to enter?"
"Yes, they do! And they even allow them in the Gym as well!" Lorryn quickly replied as he saw June showing some interest – otherwise why would she be asking?
"Great then, I'll go with you! I mean, why not? I'd love to help you out, because you're my best friend, Lorryn!" June gave him an evocative leer, "And you know – you'll be much better off running the Holon Gym than selling your medicines to the lab."
Lorryn was actually quite surprised to hear that from June, saying she'd love to participate in the upcoming tournament, because it was somehow contrary to her quiet nature, and that's also why she left the city, which was far too noisy for her liking.
"Oh, thanks heaps, June!" Lorryn grabbed her hands with joy and gratitude, for that he'd be able to sign up for the tournament. "You're really a good friend – you're my best friend!"
"Um, by the way, Lorryn, what's the other thing you wanted to say?" June reminded him.
"Oh, yes! Did you see those two people just now? They looked pretty dodgy to me – just look at the way they dress – and they've been on about some 'Mirage Pokémon'… if you have any idea what that is…" He said.
"No idea. But I've been watching them for a while too, before you two came. They didn't seem to be looking for trouble or anything, but I don't really like the way they dress either – they seem like in some kind of a secret organization. Anyway, I think we can leave them for now, as long as they don't come back here and cause trouble." June replied; she didn't seem to be concerned at all.
"Yeah, I reckon…" Lorryn agreed. "It's not like we can do anything about them right now, not until they've actually caused any trouble…"
"Hey, when is the tournament? And where?" June changed the subject.
"The tournament won't start until the next month, but we've got to sign up now, because the registration closes this Friday. There must be at least a hundred people going for it, so the earlier we sign up, the better. Oh, and it's just in the Gym, to make it easier." Lorryn answered.
It's been quite a long time since Lorryn last came to see June, and she really missed him a lot; after all, they've known each other since Lorryn was little – to be precise, it was sixty-four years ago when June found Lorryn sleeping under that Sitrus berry tree and took him to her home.
It was nearly dark. They had their supper, and June knew that Lorryn would have to go home soon, but she missed him too much to say goodbye again, so she decided to try and keep him a little longer, that is, at least for the night…
"Lorryn," She demanded his attention, "do you want to stay here for the night? Because I really want to be with you for a little longer; I missed you so much since the last time you left me… It can get quite lonesome here in this forest… Please stay!" She insisted on him staying while trying to remain calm, but as Lorryn gazed into her beautiful crystalline eyes and embraced her compassionately, she held him tighter, and surrendered to a paroxysm of tears…
Lorryn had never seen June crying before; in fact, when he was little, he was the one that always cried whenever he was upset or depressed. So, her crying had made him realize how little he had been in touch with his best and closest friend lately, as he was constantly busy with his business at the store. He also remembered that mutual promise they've made to each other, that none of them would ever experience again the dreadful solitude and despair that they felt before they met. That's why June is crying, he thought, because I didn't keep the promise, I've made her feel lonely again…! So, Lorryn chose to acquiesce to her request, to stay with her for as long as she wants…
"Oh, I'm sorry, June, I've made you suffer from that solitude and misery once again… I'll stay with you for as long as you like, and I promise I'll never upset you again… I promise!" Lorryn caressed her head and tried to calm her down, while he cautiously struggled to free himself from her binding arms, because it hurt when the sensor on her chest was stabbing into him… He wanted June to feel at ease, but he had to keep things from going any further than what he could handle…
After about 10 minutes or so, June finally let go of Lorryn. He scanned around the room and found there is only one bed; it is woven with vines and leaves. So he points out, "Well, June, if you want me to stay with you, you should at least find me somewhere to sleep."
June realized that as well; she thought for a while, and said, "Sorry, but that's the only bed I have here, and there isn't enough room for another one anyway. But I think it should be big enough for the both of us…"
"W…What, are you saying we have to sleep in the same bed?! No way! I mean, we can't do that…!" Lorryn refused point-blank; he shook his head in disbelief of what June just said.
"Huh? What's wrong now? I've seen lots of trainers sleep with their Pokémon; isn't it pretty normal for them?" She couldn't see what was bothering him…
"Yeah, but that's not the point. I mean, you're not even 'my' Pokémon, and, the thing is, you're a girl, and I've never slept with a girl before. It's just… not right!" Lorryn said; he shook his head even harder…
"Oh, come on, Lorryn! Don't you remember, we've always slept together when you were little, so what's the problem now?" June reminded him of the past days…
"But… Oh well, whatever…" Lorryn didn't want to protest further and upset her again, so he accepted the fact. "Just try not to kick me around in your sleep, all right?"
And they did, they spent the night together in June's bed. At first, Lorryn was feeling quite uneasy sleeping with June in the same bed, but as June snuggle up against him and embraced him like a little girl, he actually felt somewhat contented… Lorryn remembered when he was little, June's always been like a kind big sister to him, and he also found her rather otherworldly appearance to be a little intimidating; but now, when he looked at her delicate face in her sound sleep, for the first time he realized how beautifully charming that phantasmal creature beside him really is…
To Be Continued…