The Pokemon Testament

by IdiotTech

Summary:

In this world, Pokemon have their own intricate lives that aren’t explicitly focused on battle. However, one evil scientist by the name of Erikson sees this emotional depth as weakness and is hellbent to implement a “Natural Order” based on a twisted and parodied interpretation of social Darwinism. This collection of stories, letters, psalms, monologues, etc will provide an account on the different victims he left on his trail of destruction, amongst other things.

Chapter 1: Preface

The Humanity, Or Lack Thereof

Introspection

Before the storm, within the heart of the monster, lay belief. A twisted kind that wouldn’t falter or die. Erikson didn’t see cruelty the way others saw it as, he saw it as order. He didn’t look at the sheepish yet authentic kind of love Pokemon had with the adoration others had, he looked at it as a pathetic piece of drivel that held species back. He saw numbers where others saw beings. He saw statistics where others saw emotion.

His ideas of optimizing the behaviors of Pokemon were laughed at. Stripping away emotion from Pokemon? His ideology was laughed at as he was dubbed as a fringe thinker. His ideology would soon be nothing to laugh about. He ran tests, gathered “proof.” He had hurt many Pokemon in the process. He sought to attack the various bonds Pokemon shared, of that of parenthood, love, friendship, and even self worth. His experiments were based on lies, needing deception to be able to perform them. He didn’t want to admit it openly, but these scientific trials were cruel ways of torturing Pokemon he saw unfit. He was an instrument of evil, seeking to make the world miserable.

After concluding his trials, he wrote his Treatise on Weak Pokemon, a twisted magnum opus that tried to justify the eradication of some Pokemon he deemed too weak and unworthy to live. “Adaptation, enslavement, or death.” That was the motto of the natural world he paraded. He felt that these “weak” Pokemon were coddled by “weak” trainers. Had human interference not happened, they would have died off. His work was received poorly in the scientific community as pseudoscience. Even scientists in other evil organizations such as Team Rocket declared it “a heaping piece of trash.” But Erikson didn’t care. He thought he was doing right. And in doing so, he hurt many. He had instilled fear into many innocent pokemon, engineering cruel ways to injure them, destroy their purpose. He would commit a wide range of crimes that ranged from personalized violence to large scale devestation of habitats

His capture had resulted after a cumulation of his evil actions. In a desperate attempt to try and force the Natural Order onto a world that never needed a twisted form of Darwinism in the first place, Erikson attempted to launch a missile with anti evolutionary toxin at Mt Coronet. His final gambit proved a failure, as he was defeated and arrested. “I was saving this world.” His last words as he was dragged to the police van, taken to jail for processing before his trial.

These stories are not just about his actions. They are about the various aspects of Pokemon kind that were challenged by Erikson’s actions: body, mind, soul, and spirit. The fear he created, the trauma faced from his actions. These stories serve to show a multi dimensional approach to the lives of Pokemon - that they feel just like humans, even when they can’t talk.

 

 

Chapter 2: Act I of Broken Strong

Summary:

This story will follow four Machoke around. They begin as hardworking builders helping Pokemon like Bidoof construct dams. But things would take a dark then when Erikson would intervene, putting them under hypnosis and forcing them into the roles of brutal enforcers. Under this manipulation, they unwittingly help enforce a brutal system of slavery - including their poor and unsuspecting Bidoof friends

Act I

 

Construction

There was once a group of 4 Machoke that roamed the wild. They were boastful, flexing their muscles throughout the day. But they had work ethic. They helped build structures, either for humans or for wild Pokemon that asked for help. They only accepted their pay in food to get bigger and stronger. They trained together as a pack, bonding with each session.

Once, they spotted a group of Bidoof  struggling to complete their dam. The Machoke’s strength and construction experience allowed them to perfect the structure. The pokemon looked upon the completed dam with pride. For this, the Machoke accepted no payment, walking off with satisfaction.

But an evil man named Erikson lay waiting for them. He looked at his brooding Malamar. “See that? They’re supposed to be strong. But they let themselves be deluded by empathy and kindness. They helped those little rodents delay their death by building them a leaky little dam. And they didn’t accept payment. That type of one sided kindness gets you killed. I’ll teach them to be strong. Malamar. Hypnosis.”

Malamar obliged. He broadcasted his signal to the pack. They couldn’t think for themselves nor resist. They were brainwashed. They came to Erikson. Erikson’s face pondered with realization. He could use them to test something out, almost a game of sorts. “Come with me, Machoke. I will teach you how to be a soldier. Those little weaklings used you. They think you’re a dumb idiot they could squeeze free labor from. They enslaved you! Just walk with me, and I’ll help you get your payback.” The brainwashed Machoke obliged, following him to his lab.

He injected them with adrenaline inducing drugs. They were incredibly potent and addictive. He tested their effectiveness out on a captured Rattata. The Machoke pummeled it without question. They were under the influence, coerced, brainwashed. In other circumstances, they would try to save the poor thing. But they looked at the Rattata with bloodlust.

“That’s enough. You’re ready. Ready to get your payback. Those bucktoothed rodents are laughing at you. They’re lying on their dam thinking how stupid those sweaty Machoke were. Doesn’t that upset you? Be a man! Show them who you are!” The Machoke riled up. They punched the ground, slapped each other, and let out a primal war chant. Erikson smiled. They were ready. Ready to make the weak suffer. Soon, they’ll learn to eliminate their emotions.

 

Elimination

It was the middle of the day. The Bidoof cheered knowing their dam was stable. Had they not completed the dam on time, they would face flooding. Their colony would be destroyed and their numbers would hurt. It was an innocent type of cheer. They had no malice. They were just a silly group of Pokemon that saw everyone as their friend. Machoke wasn’t their employee or slave, they were their friends. They wanted to surprise them with a gift, even though the Machoke insisted on no payment at the time

The Machoke saw their celebration. They were angry. Their celebration mocked them. But they didn’t know the truth. They were pawns in a cruel scheme. Erikson riled them up

“Cmon boys! They think you’re weak! Crush the little ones. But most importantly, take the ones you think are fit to toil and be enslaved. They enslaved you guys, it’s only right if you return the favor.” The Machoke agreed. They saw targets, bloodshed.

Soon, they charged the field. The Bidoof ran to them. They thought it was the perfect time to surprise them with berries they picked since they were here. The leader looked at the Machoke with respect. They helped save them. Her kid could sleep without risk of losing his home.

The leader of the Machoke, Ajax, looked at them with rage. They thought they were sniveling worms that could squeeze labor out of them. Did they think they were stupid? They will suffer

The two leaders met in the middle. The Bidoof looked up and saw the bloodlusted Machoke. What’s wrong? Her look was inquisitive. But Ajax took this as an insult. Was she thinking about how stupid and dumb he looked? She had to suffer.

Ajax raised his fist. The Bidoof’s expression changed to surprise. It flung down to her skull. THWACK. Bidoof’s teeth shattered as the ground reverberated with a shocking thud. Her little eye popped out on impact. That wasn’t enough. Ajax ripped her pelt out, dropping her half scalped body. Her baby was looking. Her husband was in disbelief. They saw a mother, a wife, a leader, a friend, and the heart of the colony die. Their Machoke friends killed her.

And then, paralysis turned into chaos. The Machoke stormed the plains. Bidoof were flogged, beaten, maimed. One Machoke, Machete , used the body of one Bidoof playing dead to crush another, killing both. Mother, a Machoke that was oddly calm, drowned young bidoof in the river, staining it red. One Machoke, codenamed Scrambler, reveled in this evil. He impaled one through the eye with a stick. One bit Scrambler. Scrambler bit back, ripped its organs out as the bite disemboweled the Bidoof.

After this evisceration, many bodies were strewn across the field. They played there, loved there, plotted there, debated there, and died there. But whoever was left were thrown in cages. Some victims tried to play dead to avoid the enslavement, but the Machoke sniffed them out. For insulting their intelligence, they were impaled by the courtesy of Scrambler. Families were devastated, lives destroyed. They saw their heroes kill those they loved. As they walked out, they looked at the dam. That stupid thing. It mocked them. Said “Hey stupids! You built me for those ungrateful brats. They laugh at you.” The Machoke threw the cages down and punched the dam. With each crunch, each impact, more water burst through. The bidoof inside begged and pleaded. Their old and young were on the other side. If the dam destroyed, they would surely die. It would be a catastrophe. But they didn’t care.

The dam broke. Water flooded the river, cascading to the edge. Their food, their homes, their babies, their lives, all gone. The Machoke wanted to go after them, but it was worthless. They already had their prizes with them. Their colony would be destroyed. All because of a man’s hubris

 

Destruction

Each Machoke took 7 bidoof each. They were instructed to put collars on them. If they worked too slowly, they could press a button and trigger the collar to electrocute. If one tried to escape, the collar detonated.

After they had been processed, Erikson organized an auction of sorts where Ajax, Machete, Mother, and Scrambler were able to purchase slaves with a pre determined amount of Pokedollars. Erikson relished in the pain the Bidoof felt. He took care to understand their dynamic so he could further devastate them by separating parents and children, brother and sister, lovers, friends, and so on. He took on the persona of an auctioneer. He made this event like a cheery celebration, as if the concept of slavery and abuse brought him happiness.

“Next up, we have a nice, ripe, young bidoof. He’s a newborn, but he has promise. He can sniff out the best berries in the bush. Better berries, better rewards. Right? I’ll start at 25.”

The young thing looked at his father. He and his father saw their mother crushed by Ajax, their grandmother - a respected member of the community - shackled into a makeshift crucifix by Scrambler. The father cried. He knew he would see the last of him. The little tot was sad as well. He didn’t know what was going on, the institutionalized suffering he was about to face, but he knew bad things were in line for him. Mother jumped on the opportunity. Nobody wanted the baby, but Mother looked enthusiastic. It was only a few weeks old, yet it would be raised to live a life of slavery

Chapter 3: Act II of Broken Strong

Act II

 

Slave Life

Each Machoke had an equal amount of slaves. Their seven slaves were responsible for picking berries and building structures. They had quotas to meet, no matter if they were physically fit or injured, healthy or sick, old or young. It was “equality,” Erikson said. But he knew some would lag behind. He designed it this way. He wanted the beatings to happen.

The Machoke were encouraged to treat them like trash. They were beat for no reason. Longer teeth? Beaten. Looked the wrong way? Beaten. Dropped a berry? Beaten. Aside from the collars, the beatings were the only way the Bidoof were kept in line. The Machoke ate enough every day, the Bidoof lived on tepid water and scraps. They accepted it. Had to.

One didn’t. One pocketed ten berries. The others urged him not to. But he was starving. Ajax noticed this when he was counting up his totals. He was ten short. That was 20 pokedollars lost. He knew who did this. That bidoof was always slow, laggard. He stormed into their quarters. It was cramped and musty. They slept on hay beds. He saw the red tint on Bidoof’s mouth. He looked at Ajax sheepishly. It was in his nature to be awkward. The rage addled Ajax wrung his neck, making him vomit the berries. Erikson caught this on camera. An intercom blared. “Oh, what’s this? You naughty little thing! You stole! That’s a beat down for you, fatty!”

Machoke gladly obliged. He dragged the scared Bidoof out by his legs. He was tied up, legs sprawled. Punches would possibly kill him. No, he needed to live for now. Whippings would suffice. One lash. Blood spilt everywhere. A second lash. The top nearly grazed his eye. The audience was composed of leashed bidoof and encouraging Machoke. Scrambler was pumped up. Mother looked in silence. Machete grinned. Ten lashings were the minimum. Twenty the maximum. Ajax opted for ten. That thing had to work. By lash ten, his brown fur soaked in blood. He was crying. His son watched in fear. He belonged to Mother.

Erikson piped in. “Crying? You’re not a man. You are a slave. We own you. We will break you. Do not dare call yourself a Pokemon. The rest of you, get back to work, unless you want to get the same treatment.”

Ajax looked upon the bleeding Bidoof. That thing had to work its butt off to make up for those lost berries. That was policy, and he was just upholding the order. These bidoof were smug, Erikson told him he had to put them in their place. Was that not what he was doing? Crushing hope seemed to be his job

 

Crushed

Labor continued like normal following the flogging. But there were four Bidoof that lagged behind, almost conversing in secrecy. They were a gang of four friends that were separated following the attack, each given to a different owner. Although they had the collars on their neck, they were determined to escape by digging underneath the ground.

They were able to figure out that there was potentially a Diglett path underneath the ground from preexisting knowledge, which could prove useful for their escape. Their plan was to try and keep digging holes until they could surely find one passage to sneak into. It seemed so far fetched, but they had hope - they were the only ones who had hope in that forsaken place

But one day, Machete became suspicious when his Bidoof had dirt all over its coat. Oh  no, it forgot to wash itself off to avoid suspicion. But in a moment of cruelty, he picked up a dozing off Bidoof child, his sister, and began to put pressure on her neck. The Bidoof relented, letting Machete see the holes they dug. Suddenly, Machete had a cruel idea. He took a bag of nails and placed it in the other three holes. The Bidoof was scared, sobbing upon the realization of his betrayal. But Machete only laughed at him, the drugs altering his perception of morality

The next day, the four continued to work like normal, then sneaking off to dig their holes. That Bidoof was nervous, scared - but Machete pushed him. He was more hyped up from the drugs in anticipation of the beat down that was to come.

As the four started to pick berries and dig holes in the bushes, Machete surveyed them. Then, he saw it happen, the four preparing to dig their holes. But one Bidoof decided to line up at the betrayer’s hole. That Bidoof, upon realizing what was happening, got more and more confrontational. The other didn’t let up, arguing that it was just like any other hole. Yet, it was the only one without nails. The Bidoof begged and pleaded to let him use that hole, but it only lead to more bickering. The leader urged them to keep it down, but the betrayer had gotten so angry at the other that it pushed him into a nail filled hole by accident. It shredded his fur, dug into his feet and body. He was bleeding, screaming.

Machete saw it all happen. He went to the site and caught the Bidoof in his trap. He grinned at the other three. A major beatdown was in store. 

He then had an idea. He would grotesquely punish the two others that belonged to Ajax and Scrambler. Erikson had a clause that if a Machoke caught another’s slaves’ being disobedient, then they would be rewarded. He left the bleeding Bidoof in the hole, dragging the two by their tails as the other begged for their release. They were scared, afraid, but hurt at the betrayal. Yet Machete’s Bidoof was really forced into it for his sister’s safety.

Machete slammed the two onto the central square. A punishment was going to happen. Erikson was giddy with cruelty. “What’s this, disobeying orders? You tried to escape now? Oh, you poor stupid things. Your collars would explode if you even escaped! I wouldn’t expect much intelligence from your kind, though. Hey, fight each other. Loser gets blown up.”

Fight each other? Machete was giddy. A bell rung. The two clawed at each other in despair. “Friends turned to enemies. A classic trope.” The betrayer could only look away, sobbing for what he had done to his friends. Eventually, one fainted, resulting in an undignified explosion that splattered everywhere. “Congratulations, Bidoof! You have committed murder. And murder is bad! So, on the count of murder, I find you guilty. Your punishment? Crucifixion.”

What? He killed his own friend to die in pain? He surrendered, letting Machete nail him on a makeshift crucifix to suffer for all to hear. He sobbed loudly. His tiny arms were buckling trying to support his torso. This would go on for days. Erikson applauded. “Good work, Machete. Glad you’re keeping them in line. You deserve some berries. 100 for you! And for his little helper. 5 for you, and that’s being generous. Nobody likes a snitch. With friends like you, who needs enemies?”

The betrayer was dumbfounded. What? He lost his three friends for five berries? Why couldn’t he have washed himself off like planned? He tried rationalizing it. It was so his sister could live. But then? He felt immense guilt seeing Bidoof crucified. He ate one. It splattered all over his face. He was marked, literally and figuratively. He was the snitch. And now, everyone would treat him differently. He felt numb.

 

Numb

The disobedient father was made to work, hard. He had to scrounge a thousand. For every two days he didn’t come up with a thousand, Ajax would beat him. But it wasn’t multiple punches. It was one, aimed directly at the gut. Although it was only one punch, it had an impact on his organ function. The two days were intentional; it added to the suspense and fear.

One day, he walked off with 250 berries. It was double the usual quota that the other bidoof had. Not bad, now he was at 75 percent of clearing off his debts. But a Spearow chased him. He did not let go of the berries. He tried to fight, but Spearow knocked him down. The rest of the flock stole the berries, carrying it with them in the skies. Bidoof was angered. He shouted loudly until he cried. He was going to suffer for this. He had to rush back into the forest, collect his losses and scramble up enough for the quota. He kept scrambling and toiling until his legs collapsed. He crawled to a berry, he had to bring something. But as he reached for it, he faltered. His already ruptured organs began to give up. He had to survive enough to make the debt less of a burden for his son, for his death would cause the debt to be absorbed by his child. But his heart cried in pain. He relented, propping his body against the tree. He remembered the peace of life in the colony. He wished his son never felt the pain of a whip, but it was too late for that. He decided to eat the berry. It was sweet, but it didn’t matter to Bidoof. He toiled his life away for this? To humor monsters? He closed his eyes, all he wished for was for the pain to stop. His pain, his son’s pain, everyone’s pain. His eyes didn’t open again

His son saw this. He tried waking him up. He thought he was sleeping. Mother came in and saw it. He realized he was dead, he took the dead bidoof by the neck to bring to Ajax. The baby only followed behind, not knowing much of the dilemma occurring

Chapter 4: Act III of Broken Strong

Act III

 

Scrambler’s Dilemma

Scrambler was an eccentric Pokemon. He was the most unstable of them, but he understood what a deal was. He was the goofiest of the group. He always went over the top when it came to fights and flexing. He was a talented builder too, able to build creatively designed structures

But now, that creativity became perverted into cruelty. He engineered ways of torment. Ways of making the drug more potent. He was deeply addicted to it. Despite being a creature of profit, he didn’t do much with the money he got. He saved it, anticipating something better down the road

He woke up one morning to do a “surprise inspection.” Erikson framed it as a routine procedure, but this inspection was only a way to further hurt the Bidoof. It cut into their sleep, made them weary. The Machoke were to tear up the beds, dig up the floors, search every inch for hidden berries. They basically dug up and uprooted their entire living space, making it difficult to sleep in.

On this inspection, Scrambler discovered an egg. How could this happen? He saw a pair of bidoof looking expectantly. They begged him to put the egg down. The cruelty in him wanted to crush it. But he had an idea. Sell it for money

He tried auctioning it off to his friends. Mother pleaded for it, but he didn’t have the Pokedollars. He then offered one of his bidoof along with the money. Erikson chimed in. “This is odd? Why give away a slave that could work for something that takes time to hatch, to learn? Sounds foolish, but it’s your life.” Mother was happy upon receiving the egg. The others saw him as strange.

 

Army of Strangers

Unlike Scrambler, Machete was not driven by money. He was always fascinated by fighting and battling, whether it was organized or randomized. He loved the techniques, the moves. Now, he had an opportunity to command his own fighters. He pit them against each other, forced them to fight for food, for water.

He created a makeshift arena known as the pit. It had blood splattered across the field. Bones were broken, teeth were shattered, heads butted and cracked. Occasionally, Machete would play a cruel prank and make them fight on broken glass

This fight was between two young ones. In the colony, they played together. Now, they were slaves. One Bidoof bit the eye of another, one clawed through the other’s thick fur. They had no choice. It was a battle over food, and the two were starving. Erikson piped up. “You call this fighting? Pathetic. You lot deserve no food at all for this piss poor performance.” Machete obliged and took their rations away. He thought what he was doing was right, what was expected of him. He feared what would happen if he didn’t. He felt an uneasiness. He thought back to the dream of being a fighter instructor for little Machop and Riolu in the forest. Now, he was a slaver. He silenced the questions with a pill. No love.

 

Motherly Love

Mother was odd. He deviated the most from what was expected from him as a slaver, a savage. He remembered when he was a baby Machop. His Machoke mother sang to him in their language. It roughly translated to “Love makes the world go around.” He remembered the melody, and then he remembered how his mother was taken from him by poachers ten minutes after she sung. The melody was the last thing he got from his mother. And now, he hummed it.

His slaves were also an oddity. They were not whipped as often like the others. They also had to pick less berries because Mother snuck out to pick a few. The drugs were supposed to make him a savage, but the drugs only made his lullaby louder. It also had a depressant effect on him. Mother would try to hide it, but he cried. A lot. He kept on thinking about his mother. Now, he was like the people who took his mom away. He remembered trying to punch one of them. He was blown away by a hyper beam. Now, he was the oppressor.

But those moments of lucidity would soon be overpowered by the rage it produced. They often came late at night. Sleeping was hard, so he was able to pick berries when nobody watched. Mother secretly hoped this order either died or he would die. He knew his brothers in arms were brainwashed, by drugs, by hypnosis. But they couldn’t fight back, nor could he. He resented Scrambler’s greed, Ajax’s unwavering commitment, and Machete’s battle hardened cruelty. But he thought back to the proud, loyal souls they once were.

Mother’s rage was overpowering, overwhelming. He didn’t want to channel it out on his slaves, but cameras watched. He had to beat them. He had to take one, the baby who watched his father whipped, and “make an example of him.” He tried to make his punches feel weak but look strong. It was an infant, after all. Erikson’s voice blared. “You’re too damn soft. Here, Ajax will make an example of him.” Ajax walked in with a whip. It was fastened with the pelt of the dead father.

He flogged the small little bidoof. He stood no chance. Every yelp, every wince, every cry made Mother feel something. The pelt had a jagged rock tied to the edge, Scrambler’s idea. The rock directly connected to the spine; it was hard enough for the Bidoof to get flung out of the restraint. He hit the ground with a sickening thud. His spine was broken. He cried and screamed loudly. Erikson interjected, pointing at Mother. “You. Get rid of this sad case. He’s worthless now. Can’t walk for shit.”

Mother took him into the barn. Despite the drugs, he felt his heart break for bidoof. He didn’t want to kill. He wasn’t born to. He contemplated it, but remembered the melody, the poaching. He pocketed the pelt and had an idea. He opened up the pelt and stuffed it with hay, trying to stitch it up. He covered the pelt with berries lying around to make it look like blood, squeezing some of it on him. He threw a rock on the ground and made Bidoof scream at the same time it hit the ground to make it sound convincing.

Mother came out of the barn. He was covered in berry juice. He held the pelt as if it was a real body. He hoped hay did not fall from it. Erikson looked at it. “Good enough, you savage. Took your sweet time with it, creep.” Mother ran into the barn. He hid the crippled Bidoof amongst the slave quarters, where the egg was hidden, hoping it would not shatter.

 

Shattered

Ajax, Scrambler, and Machete decided to snoop around Mother’s slave quarters. They questioned why his slaves had less scars, less marks. And soon, Ajax found something serious. The Bidoof tried to hide it, but the crippled Bidoof was still alive, hiding with the egg Mother bought. Mother wanted to take the egg and give it to a kind Pokemon like Chansey. He didn’t want it to grow up in the evil he faced.

Mother came out and saw them holding the egg. He begged and pleaded to let it go. He tried recalling moments where they were once kind, at peace. But Ajax did not relent, trying to emphasize what could happen if Erikson found the Bidoof. Soon, Mother pushed at Ajax, trying to take the egg. And then, Ajax slipped and dropped the egg. It hit the floor. Membrane and yolk spread across hay and wood. Mother looked stunned. He wanted to punch Ajax. But then, the humming came back into his mind. He saw visions of demons and hellfire. He saw the bidoof as skeletons, his friends as demons. He wailed, loudly.

Ajax was taken aback. He looked down. He had killed before, but not like this. Not an unborn baby. The mother of that baby had perished from illness, the father executed. And now, their seed was eliminated. He had ended a family’s hope all because he couldn’t resist the drugs and find his soul. He cried, hard. Machete saw the crying. He thought back to the pit. He didn’t have to make their suffering a game. He couldn’t fight the drugs. He broke down too. Scrambler was too far gone. He needed the drugs badly, to feel something other than desolation and insanity. He pocketed a pill bottle and swallowed everything. His body began to seize and swell. He collapsed, choking. He didn’t care if he got brain damage or died, he needed his brain to shut up.

The three looked up and saw it. Scrambler was dead. The drugs, the violence, the abuse and the abusing, they got to him. Scrambler was the cruelest of them all, but the most emotional and soulful of them. They couldn’t believe it. Their life was subverted by this man. They began to awake from their drug induced nightmare. They realized the blood they had on their hands, how impure they were. They were slavers, monsters, killers. A voice blared from the intercom.

“I couldn’t care less about your little hissy fit, you pussies. I’ve gotten what I needed. Clean up for me. Kill them all, and walk away.” Erikson was on the run now. He was done with scientific trials. All he cared for now was crime and violence, applying his results to other weak Pokemon

The three were appalled. That man was so callous, so cruel. He organized this death, this violence, this monstrous system. And they were just tools used to kill. Now that they had some lucidity, they did something desperate. They freed their slaves. Machete destroyed his arena, uncaged his slaves. He gave them their berries and kicked them out into the wilds. Ajax did the same. He was unquestionably loyal to a cruel system of slavery. He was a monster who followed orders.

Mother took tender care of the four remaining bidoof. He took them to the river with the dam he once destroyed. He tried walking upstream to where their colony once was. There was nothing but flooding. Mother dropped to his knees. The dam he helped build made him feel pride. Those little Bidoof didn’t mock him or use him. They were proud of him, of saving them from flooding. And now, he helped destroy them, eviscerate families and homes. He couldn’t release them here, especially with a Bidoof that couldn’t fend for himself. He walked for miles until he found a Pokemon center. He dropped them off there, walking into the storm, shattered.

Chapter 5: Epilogue of Broken Strong

Tempered Storm, An Epilogue

 

Fighter

Machete could only wander the wild. He did not return to the home he and his brothers in arms came from. He felt he had no purpose. Not only that, the withdrawal symptoms of the drugs had impacted his health. He constantly had flashbacks to Scrambler’s death, to the Pit, to the floggings. He asserted that he was not a victim. He was a monster, a killer. He couldn’t return home like this

One day, he was near a pond. He stared at his reflection. He saw his face and looked away, in fear, in anger. He saw a monster. Erikson had reinforced this into the Machoke. “You’re killers. You’re genocidal maniacs. You’re addicts.” He wished he wasn’t hypnotized, or else he would have crushed that man with his fist.

But he looked up. He saw it. A Riolu and a Machop trading punches. They were off balance, but they had passion. He thought back to his dream of being a fighting coach. Back then, the drugs perverted that dream into applied cruelty. Those bidoof did not want to fight, to be soldiers.

He almost didn’t want to approach them, for he feared he would have a psychotic break in front of something so innocent. But just then, the Machop threw a punch that was above his pay grade. He flung his body downwards.

Before he began to cry, Machete decided to approach him. He picked the Machop up and dusted off Riolu. Riolu could sense Machete’s aura. He had done bad things to innocents. He sensed that he was deeply troubled, incredibly remorseful and guilt struck. He sensed that his brain had been manipulated once, that he had suffered mentally. Riolu sensed that this Machoke wanted to make up for something lost once ago.

As Machete taught them counter punches and strikes, the Machop and Riolu copied with enthusiasm. This didn’t make up for the killings, the abuse, but it could forge a new path for him. As he was done, the Riolu guided him to their habitat. It was full of all sorts of young fighting type Pokemon. Riolu wanted Machete to stay. He sensed it would be good for him. Machete obliged. He could leave Erikson behind, let the monster dissipate. His dream could be protected, realized.

 

Protector

Ajax had also felt immense guilt for letting his moral code be perverted by monsters. But his guilt was resentment. He fully believed he was a monster. He could never escape Erikson’s words. And so, he became a thief. He stole berries from small Pokemon, even when he wasn’t hungry. Wasn’t that who he was? A stealer? He stole lives, joy, peace, and now - food. He decided to journey towards a grotto where Ralts and Kirlia danced, perhaps they had food to steal

He too faced the effects of withdrawal. These effects were physical. He would often feel a pain in his chest, his muscles spasm. Every time he had this reaction, he thought back to how Scrambler’s chest contorted like his, the chest he had once worked so hard to train with his buddies. He died without escape, without trying to make things right. But he had demons too. Scrambler developed drug induced paranoia. But he remembered how Scrambler was also an enthusiastic soul. First to wake up to train, first to reach the construction site. He was made a killing machine. They all were.

It was no use remembering the pain, Ajax thought. He needed to find shelter, especially now that it was raining. He took a few steps forward. And then, his chest seized. His heart beat hard, trying to escape his cage. And then, he fell to his knees and collapsed

He believed he was going to die. At least the seizures would stop. Just then, a Kirlia sensed a disturbance in the forest. She saw it, Ajax keeled over, vomiting. She sensed that he wanted to die, but she couldn’t consciously let a Pokemon die in agony. In desperation, she released a heal pulse. It radiated across Ajax’s chest, calming his heart and relaxing his muscles. It shined on the gold plate of his belt.

Ajax woke up, his eyes filled with static. Was he in the afterlife? And then, he saw Kirlia. She looked concerned. What did he do? Was he caught stealing? He came to and saw that he had been surrounded by Ralts and Kirlia alike. His limp body was carried with psychic energy.

He was put down in front of their king, Gallade, and queen, Gardevoir. He apologized and said he had to leave. Gallade insisted he stayed. The storm was too dangerous. It would do him good to find peace here. Ajax obliged.

He tried to recluse himself from the rest, believing the others would find out who he is. But Kirlia always followed him around. Ajax didn’t want to yell at her to leave him alone, but he realized then that having some company would do him good.

Days turned into weeks. Ajax decided to earn his keep by picking berries. Although they could use psychic energy to levitate the berries down, Machoke could easily shake all the berries out of the tree with one punch. Berries used to cause Bidoof suffering. They were beaten over it, whipped for not having enough. But here, they brought enjoyment.

Afterwards, Gallade and Ajax decided to talk one on one. Gallade could sense his troubles and offered to make him the protector of their grotto. Ajax was taken aback. He razed grottos, destroyed dams. Now he was going to protect them? Gallade knew he felt guilt. He reached in for an embrace. He telepathically communicated something to him in a message that pokemon could understand. It roughly translated to “It was not your fault.” Ajax nodded once. But Gallade didn’t let up, saying it again. Ajax inched back a bit. Was he being serious? Perhaps he was. He nodded again. And then, Gallade said it a third time. This wasn’t a meaningless mantra. This was the real belief of someone that can know his thoughts. He broke down, crying on the ground and nodding. But Gallade kneeled next to him, gesturing towards the Ralts and Kirlia below. As if to say to feed his family.

Ajax was their protector now. He guarded the little ones as they played in the forest. Once, an Ursaring decided to strike. Ajax brought it down. The Ralts and Kirlia cheered. He was becoming the hero he once dreamed to be. The bringer of order

Ajax decided that he needed to make things right, starting with the berries he stole from others. He decided to go out and pick berries, setting out to a hollowed out tree where Pichu lived. He stole 100 berries from them. For this, he decided to gift them 200. He refused to accept thanks from the infants and left.

 

Infant

The disabled Bidoof infant was cared for by Nurse Joy that night. The rest had immense psychological and emotional damage, but this one had a higher risk of dying. His spinal wound ended up getting an infection, requiring intensive surgery. The Bidoof was named “Bi-Bi,” for that was all he could pronounce. Apart from that cry, he was mainly silent. He leaned to be silent, for being silent made you less likely to get beat. But that didn’t stop Erikson from ordering Ajax to pelt him.

Bi-Bi didn’t even interact with the three other Bidoof. They had their own scars. One of them saw Scrambler disembowel their mother. Another reverted to an infantile stage despite being an adult. One was angry all the time after they consumed a mysterious looking pill that lied around their quarters.

Bi-Bi was placed in a care facility with other victimized infants. There, he found a Zigzagazoon crying. He had a missing paw, meaning he couldn’t walk without a wheel supported cast. Soon, the two rodents were able to connect over their scars, their pain. They were too young to understand what trauma was, but they knew subconsciously that they had been disturbed by the same man.

Bi-Bi’s intermittent cry was once replaced with a silent humming. It went to the tune of the phrase “Love makes the world go around.” The melody Mother once sung. He sung in tune. This surprised Chansey. All he could say was “Bi-Bi.” But she heard it. She heard him say “doof.” He was starting to develop and build something from the trauma he faced, there was hope.

 

Builder

Mother had his own issues. The drugs made him schizophrenic, depressed. He constantly had visions of a Bidoof with no teeth escorting him into a pool of blood. He saw this toothless Bidoof torment him. He tried everything to make it go away. He screamed, punched, but it kept floating, laughing. Occasionally, it would regurgitate phrases Erikson ingrained into him. “You are a savage. Kill the young. Pillage the weak. You are not a Pokemon. You are my weapon.” Was that all he was? His gun?

Some locals in the area reported to Nurse Joy about a Machoke that yelled and ran throughout most of the day. Unbeknownst to them, that was Mother trying to run away from his demon. Soon, that demon began to take the shape of a baby. Much like that infant he saw pelted. “You couldn’t save me from being crushed in that egg. You killed me.” Mother tried crying out. As if to say it wasn’t his fault. It was a mistake. He didn’t mean to make Ajax drop it. But it kept saying he killed it. He had enough.

He came to the edge of the cliff. He let out a bellow. A bellow his mother taught him to boast their strength. His cry was not a boast. It was rage. He edged closer and closer to the cliff. Nurse Joy saw this. She had to do something.

“Machoke! No! Get back!” Mother looked confused. He urged her to stay away, for he felt he would kill her. “You have nothing to worry about. I know you left those Bidoof at our center to get care. That was the right thing to do. They needed medical care. That little baby that couldn’t walk, you saved his life.” Machoke looked confused. Saved? “Whatever you do, just don’t inch closer to the cliff. Step back, please.” Mother obliged. He stepped back, his back turned to Nurse Joy after looking to the sky. He only turned around after he heard something familiar.

“Bi-Bi!”

It was him, lying in Nurse Joy’s arms. The baby he spared. His legs were limp. Despite all he did to his kind, he didn’t see him as a monster. Mother was bewildered. “You don’t have to suffer alone. Come with me.” Mother obliged, walking with Nurse Joy

Therapy was difficult to arrange. With the high amounts of Erikson’s victims needing help, therapists were spread thin. But one of Nurse Joy’s Chansey obliged to help.

First, Mother began with art therapy. He often lost concentration, as his paintings turned shoddy. Once, his artwork was so shoddy that he flung his stool. But then, he stepped away. He saw a bunch of wood, nails, and a hammer. He managed to craft a stool that was sturdy enough. “You seem like a handy Pokemon. Tell you what, you can fix some of the broken stuff we have here if it helps you fix yourself.” Mother obliged.

He began with making wooden cots and bunk beds. Painted them red. Red. Not a blood red. A happy, colorful red. He fixed leaks in the rain. He then decided to undertake a special project. He found wood, iron, and paint. With this, he set out to make a slide for the children. He made sure to make it sturdy, strong. Weeks passed. It was complete

Nurse Joy was moved by this. “Thanks Machoke, the children will love this!” He felt validated. He even helped up Bi-Bi onto the slide so he could be the first to go down. It was exhilarating. Bi-Bi felt happiness for what seemed to be the first time in weeks. All the abused little Pokemon enjoyed the slide. One Riolu and another Buneary argued over their place in line. Mother decided to step in, figuring out a way to let them go at they same time. They enjoyed it, holding each other as they slid down. Soon came Mother’s turn. He hoped the slide wouldn’t break. But it held. He cheered, celebrated. He remembered how his friend Scrambler would fashion slides like this one, only for them to collapse under his weight.

The rage effects began to subside and his episodes became infrequent. Once, he was on his walk outside his center when he found an egg. It was mysterious, curious. He wondered if it was abandoned. He found a note. “Please take.” Mother picked it up. He was tasked with caring for it, raising it up. He was a Machoke. Nobody expected him to be tender enough. But Mother didn’t want this egg to hatch into a world of evil. He wanted whatever was inside to know that it would never be hunted for who they were

One day, it hatched. A paw smashed the shell, and a familiar looking bucktooth poked through. It was a tiny little bidoof, smiling at him. He wanted to protect that smile, desperately. He raised it up for weeks. Nurse Joy and Chansey saw how well he bonded with the baby. They opted for a group photo. But in Nurse Joy’s pocket was something interesting, a piece of stationary that looked exactly like the one Mother saw with writing next to the egg. It was a note she wanted to give to him. It said “You were not born to break. You were born to build.”

 

Broken

Unfortunately for Scrambler, he was unable to find lasting peace. His last moments were filled with chaos, desperation. But the moment before his eyes went dark, he thought back to a moment he once felt peace.

It was when he beat the three in a footrace when they were just Machop. It was lively, exciting. He was neck to neck with Ajax, but he lunged forward in a desperate sprint. He won by an inch. Scrambler jumped for joy. Ajax reached out to fist bump him. Scrambler returned the favor. But at that moment, he saw the three feel pity for him. At that moment, he thought living was worth something. But by then, the visions became distorted. He saw a light flash. Gone.

Scrambler couldn’t just lie there. He had to have a dignified burial. They didn’t want to bury him in this hellhole. Before freeing the Bidoof, they agreed to carry his body to a suitable place to bury him. There, they encountered a core memory. The same foothill where Scrambler won his race. They buried him where he won. They knew he was a tormented soul, but he was the most vivid. He was able to find enjoyment in anything before he became what he was, before the drugs claimed him.

They didn’t want to think about the overdose. They Mother remembered something he saw. He remembered seeing him throw a Bidoof’s body into a river. But Mother realized that that Bidoof looked different. It was misshapen, it had fake looking blood. And it barely floated before Scrambler took it out and weighed it with a rock. He realized. That was the fake prop he used when covering for Bi-Bi. Scrambler discovered it when snooping around. He was discarding the evidence so Erikson wouldn’t find it. They then realized he was trying to fight it, but the drugs claimed him before he could plant his flag. At that moment, they reached into their belt where their own bottles lay and crushed up the pills over the edge. From there, they ran away, wanting to leave the monsters behind

Chapter 6: Act I of Cleanliness

Notes:

I would like to think of this story as a subversion of the “loss of innocence” trope.

Act I

 

Hatched
A Pokemon egg splattered to the ground after a computer scan revealed it to be defective, unworthy of raising. The yolk ran across the bin, filled with all sorts of “would haves,” with Pokemon that were culled for being “weak” before they could even fight. Just then, the machine rang positively. Green. Not defective. It was worthy of hatching, and shuttled into a facility.

Usually, pokemon eggs were hatched out of love and nurtured by hopeful parents. They didn’t see stats, they didn’t see values or numbers or graphs or projections. They saw their babies waiting, growing inside. But Erikson saw numbers. Eggs were expected to meet a certain threshold to be worthy of his tyranny. The ditto parents were exposed to genes and worked overtime to pump out eggs. Some turned to mush, while others suffered health complications from production. No pokemon benefited from this experiment.

“My legion will be formed here. These pokemon will fight, purge the weaknesses of this world.” Erikson grinned as he watched two recently bred Gible maul an emaciated Igglybuff with their jaws. They were taught to use their jaws to eliminate at birth. Collars were strapped onto their necks to prevent escape. They would be raised the “natural way.”

The egg that had been “spared” was transferred to an incubator. It utilized radiation to make eggs hatch faster. Time was money, after all. After a week of artificial warmth came a paw. A Riolu smashed out of the egg. He was dumbfounded looking at the cameras and machinery staring at him. From behind, Erikson attached a collar onto him. He gave his prepared line for this ritual. “Hello little tot. Your mommy and daddy couldn’t make it to your birth, but I made it. Consider this collar as your birthday gift. Now get to work, you owe me.”

Riolu only followed behind. He was a Pokemon that was emotionally sensitive. He sensed Erikson’s malice. Riolu was scared, was he in danger? He was too young, too small for what Erikson wanted him to do. Erikson only looked at the Riolu. He knew those Pokemon could sense emotions, that they could give up strength for trite concepts like feelings. He sought to beat that out of Riolu, even if it killed him.

Beatdown

Riolu’s daily life did not involve traditional activities like playing and learning to battle with heart, with love. It involved beatings, either given to him or delivered to other Pokemon. “Your paws are only meant to hurt and eat. Emotion is weakness. Emotion gets you killed.”

For his first task, he was sent to teach his “birth neighbor” a “lesson in pain.” It was a Ralts, who always cried out for a mother it never had. Riolu was pushed out into of the center of the field. Ralts only cried. “Teach that sniveling brat a lesson.” Riolu was stunned. That man was his “father,” and father is always right. He quick attacked the Ralts. It was too weak to even teleport away. Its Confusion attack could only stop Riolu’s advance for a second or so before it kept on punching it down. Eventually, Ralts collapsed, dragged away by metal arms.

Riolu looked at the blood stains, it unsettled him. It didn’t seem right, he had to clean it - somehow. He kept on wiping and wiping with his paws. It didn’t go away. “A clean freak, huh? Well, I could use a cleaner in these here labs. Egg yolk is hard to clean. This makes this test subject a whole lot more interesting. I’ll destroy him. Make him feel - worthless.”

Worthless

Riolu wasn’t sent to the fields the next day. He was sent into the egg processing facility. Erikson wanted to break this Riolu personally. He saw their kind as “emotion whipped runts.” He wanted to make Riolu’s sensitivity the death of him.

“Listen, you pint sized waste of space. You fight like a fool. That Ralts was easy pickings. You let that thing get you down. You’re supposed to be a fighting type Pokemon. But you’re just a disappointment.” Riolu was on the verge of tears. Did father think he wasn’t good enough? “You know what I’m thinking? About how you’ll be my little maid. I want that floor spotless you brat. No yolk on the floor. Or else.”

Riolu was scared, trembling. He was afraid, but that was life. He looked up and saw it, eggs in rows getting chucked into a processor. Some eggs missed the processor and hit the machine itself. “See, I want you to get up in that slime. Clean it with this towel.”

Riolu looked at the towel. It has the word “worthless” in the middle. “Wondering what that word means? It means having no real value. That’s your name. Worthless. So get to work, Worthless.” Riolu tried processing the word. Worthless was what he was, literally and figuratively. He sat down, trying to clean the slime that stuck to the floor. Erikson grinned, he will fail.

Chapter 7: Act II of Cleanliness

Act II

Failure

For days on end, Riolu would get to work with a spray bottle and his towel. For every egg he was able to clean off, another would splatter. His mind was in a fray. This floor had to be spotless. That’s how father could change his name to “Worthy.” Erikson promised this to him once the entire facility was clean. But this could never happen. And so, he toiled onwards to clean something that cannot be cleaned both physically and spiritually.

This place, Riolu sensed, was filled with a haunting presence. He kept on smelling the air, it smelled artificial like bleach. He would constantly hear whirs and beeps. This was his “job.” He didn’t think much of the eggs then, but one day, he found a tiny little body of a dratini embryo in the midst of the yolk. It disgusted him, but it answered a question he had. What were those eggs? He thought they were just eggs, but he began to realize. He came from them, he broke through the shells of them. These eggs, the Pokemon inside of them, they couldn’t break outside of their shell because a machine determined that its number was too low to be worthy of continuing life. Another egg dropped, it had the tiny body of a Starly embryo. Riolu could clean stains, but he couldn’t clean death. The smell of bleach became overpowering with the smell of rot that came from egg residue. Riolu tried isolating the beeps. A beep meant a life was gone, a life to clean from the floor.

“What you gawking at, Worthless? Clean, you punk! You think you’re a big deal, that you cant clean your mess? Hurry up.” Riolu apologized to deaf ears and scrapped the mess quickly. He had to change his name. He didn’t really know why, but being named worthless didn’t make him feel right. Worthy sounds like a better name. More clean. He will purify this floor of death, even if it kills him.

 

Purity

Riolu kept on doing his task. He tried moving on from what he saw, but it seemed like that embryo was staring at him. He tried to hide it, but he felt guilt. An egg fell from overhead, Riolu almost wanted to let it splatter like the others, but he kept thinking. His feet were covered in slime. His face had bits of yolk on him. What’s the use in letting that egg die? He caught it with the towel, trying to stash it in a corner. But Erikson caught it on camera. He will learn what loss is.

He let Riolu get attached to it. In his breaks, Riolu would huddle in the corner, trying to give the egg warmth. He would try covering it with a trash bag to avoid detection. One day, Erikson decided to impede on this ritual.

“What’s this, Worthless? Trying to steal? You could have let that egg go without pain, but now, it will suffer - all because you wanted to play nurse. Magnezone, thunderbolt.” The thunderbolt vaporized the egg, causing it to splatter everywhere. Riolu was screaming. He saw eggs splatter, crush. But this was different. An explosion. “You killed it. It wanted to live. Too bad you’re worthless. Now, clean that mess, dirty boy.” Riolu hated being called Dirty. He wanted to be clean, clean from the horrors he saw on the daily. Now, he questioned if he could ever be clean. Was he forever dirty?

 

Dirty

“Worthless, or Dirty? What should I name you, runt?” Riolu looked up at Erikson. He was going to be punished for being “distracted at work.” “We’ll see. Now, get in that room and clean that stain.”

Riolu was escorted into a white room. He was agitated. It seemed too perfect. Nothing to clean, what now? He found a dictionary in the room. He didn’t understand much of what was written, but he was able to understand the word worthless, as it was the one he looked at on his towel. He recognized the word in the dictionary. “Worthless - Having no real value or use.”

No real value? Riolu sensed the words on the page. He read it in Erikson’s voice. He looked to the synonyms. Inferior. Trash. Shoddy. He must have some purpose. Some value. Was he not good enough? Was he so “worthless” that he was sentenced to clean yolk and membrane for the rest of his life? Even now, he wasn’t able to clean. That’s how worthless he felt. That even his worthless purpose was stripped away from him. Cleaning was all he knew, because Erikson thought he wasn’t good enough to fight.

One day, he woke up. A bright red stain, in the middle of a white room. Riolu was disturbed, scared. His OCD had convinced him that the stain was an extension of the demons within him, trying to drag him down into the dirt. With a spray bottle and his towel, he sought to scrub the red away.

It stuck to the floor, limp, in paralysis. Riolu’s paws tried applying pressure, tried dumping large amounts of water and spray, but it was of no use. He looked at the red. He thought back to the day he fought Ralts. The red on the arena floor. He knew it didn’t feel right. And here, it didn’t feel right either. It didn’t come off.

Just then, he slipped onto the stain. Part of it came onto his body. Riolu was afraid, yelling. The dirtiness that could not be cleaned clung onto him. He didn’t ask for this, for this impurity to be tacked onto him. He was afraid. He didn’t want to be dirty. Cleanliness was all he knew. Soon, his OCD began to manifest images in his brain. It was as if it was telling him he was always going to be dirty, always going to be worthless. All he felt like was a mop, and he couldn’t even get that right. He gave up, and curled into tears. His skin was patchy, his heart felt weak, and his little body trembled. He felt that something that had never existed within him was just destroyed.

Chapter 8: Act III of Cleanliness

Act III

 

Destroyed

It was morning. Riolu had given up on cleaning the mess the egg left. He could only pretend to clean, but he did so to conserve his energy. It wasn’t worth wasting on a machine of perpetual torture. But just then, the machine sounded different, its whirs were odd. “FAILURE. FAILURE. FAILURE.” Failure? He tried thinking back to the dictionary. It was similar to what worthless was. Something that didn’t achieve its outcome. This machine failed to process eggs.

But it was more than that. The ditto began dying out. In their near death, they began to produce more and more eggs out of desperation. The eggs jammed up the processor. Soon, a lone spark began to create a fire, creating an explosion. An alarm blared. But Erikson was already gone, he got what he needed. This lab could die, for all he cared. He decided to trigger a chemical reaction within the facility to eliminate whatever was inside, hoping the fires would get rid of the evidence.

Riolu was scared. He had to get out. He disobeyed father. He found a familiar Ralts trying to teleport into safety, but it barely had the energy. Riolu had to help. Using whatever aura he could, he was able to give Ralts the arcane energy it needed to perform its teleportation. Riolu wanted to save the rest, but in the chaos, they destroyed each other and rioted. Some accepted it, some cried, some desperately tried to run out of the sealed exits. But Riolu, Ralts, and a few others were able to run into the portal.

They were teleported outside. The explosion was sudden. Their prison was gone. But now what? Riolu took in the trees with his eyes. The smell, it didn’t smell sterile. It smelled like nature, like the color green. The sun felt like a mystery to Riolu. For some reason, he felt connected to it. His collar disconnected and detached from his neck. Odd. The feeling of cold metal hugging his throat was one he was used to. Feeling the air on his neck felt akin to a different type of collar itself. But his wonder was interrupted by Ralts nuzzling it with her horns, as a way of saying thanks for helping save them. But now, he wondered where he should go. He wasn’t told what to clean. He could only walk in a straight line, towards the sun’s light

 

Light

And so, without any knowledge or maps, Riolu and Ralts only walked in a straight path. They didn’t know what signs were, and continued walking. The night sky was an unfamiliar concept to them. The breeze on Riolu’s skin startled him. Was the world trying to lift him up? He looked at the sun, wondering if it was a lightbulb, if this was just another room he was in. It seemed blinding almost, but he felt synced to it. He tried looking down.

Despite the horrors Ralts saw, she tried to bring cheer to Riolu. Riolu only pressed forward. As he walked, he saw a flock of Starly fly. They were hatched in peace, told they were valuable. Riolu wiped a bead of sweat with his towel. It was fairly dirty and needed washing, but the “Worthless” was starting to have signs of fading. Riolu looked at the towel. Worthless. Erikson never changed his name. But father wasn’t here. Yet, he still clung onto the towel in case he needed to identify himself. Despite it being used to wipe grime and crime away, it brought some comfort to him knowing it stopped him from getting dirty

One thing Riolu noticed about the forest he walked in was that it was dirty. Grime was present on every tree. Riolu’s walk would be interrupted by him trying to scrape grime off of trees. If he cleaned everything, would he be worthy? If he didn’t have a speck of dirt on him, would he be worthy?

Nightfall came, and Riolu and Ralts settled down to sleep. Riolu looked at the moon with wonder. It reminded him of the lightbulbs Erikson used when it was getting to be time to sleep. But this felt real. Wild Riolu were meant to run in the night. But Riolu only fixed his gaze. Just then, he saw a Volbeat and an Illumise coast through. That Volbeat had a lightbulb too? Riolu was fairly confused. Lightbulbs can hover? He then looked up at the stars. So many lightbulbs, yet they barely provided much visibility. He tried to close his eyes, but he kept on thinking about Erikson’s screams. “WORTHLESS! CLEAN IT UP! TRASH!” He tried crying out, as to say “I’m sorry. I’m doing my best. Please don’t call me worthless. It hurts.”

Why? Why was this his name? He remember looking at the antonym section. Worthy. Precious. Hopeful. Useful. Wasn’t he useful? He must have cleaned up enough muck and grime to have some use. But just then, a Deerling rustled through the trees. Riolu was startled. It reached for a berry on top of a tree. Riolu would rather not touch the grime of the tree bark. He instead took a rock and threw it at the berry. Clean aim. Riolu picked it up and handed it to the Deerling. It chomped at the berry, juice squirting everywhere.

Riolu’s face and paws were covered in red. Like Ralts’s blood. Like the stain that couldn’t be red. He was about to flee, but Deerling’s laugh made him wonder. For all his little life, stains caused pain, fear. But this Deerling accepted this stain, the dirtiness. He was bewildered and ran away. He then jumped into a river, trying to clean himself of the stain. Just then, a few Carvanha began to chase him. Riolu swam away so quickly he couldn’t believe it. Riolu was shivering from the cold. Shivering like when he was placed in the cold room. But this shivering felt different, it almost warmed his heart. He felt something instead of institutionalized fear. Was this what nature is? The Carvanha, the berry, they weren’t devices placed or set up by Erikson. They were real and spontaneous. All natural

 

Nature

But with nature came cold realities. Of sickness. Of predators. Ralts fell ill. Riolu wondered of she was just dirty and needed to be cleaned. It didn’t do much. He couldn’t heal, only clean. But he knew she needed help. He carried the little Ralts, too weak to teleport to a place of safety. That’s ok. He wanted to spend more time in this “nature” place.

He walked in the rain, carrying Ralts’ shivering body. He began to shiver too. This rain, it was everywhere like the river. But it was persistent. It almost cleaned him. But soon, rain turned into mud. It was everywhere. Riolu wanted to put Ralts down, clean his feet. But Ralts needed him. Now was not the time. He pushed forward. The mud squished between his bare feet. It felt like the ground was trying to claim him. But he kept on moving.

And then, he sneezed. Uh oh. Was he dirty on the inside too? He tried wiping the mud off with the towel, which covered part of the word “Worthless,” turning it into “Worth.” Riolu looked at it. Worth. A quality. A value of something. What was this towel worth? Instead of a set quality of value, was he now an abstract value? Whatever it was, it would be decided by what he would do from then on. He kept walking.

It was nightfall, and Ralts still did not get better. Riolu’s aura sensed that Ralts was trying to find a way to thank him. He desperately wanted to feed her his mental energy, but this was physical. He could only do so much. Was his value falling? After feeding the coughing Ralts, he decided to close his eyes. Erikson visited him in his dreams. He didn’t yell. “Cmon? You can’t save this pathetic little worm. Leave her. She’s a leech. Clean up. Be worthy.” Riolu debated. And then, he realized. Ralts saved him. Ralts was worthy of being saved because she thought Riolu was worthy of being saved. He had to work for her. She was all he knew, the only remnant of the world he was born into that wasn’t cruel.

Riolu almost wanted to throw his towel too. But he thought of a common phrase Erikson used to scold poor performing Pokemon in battle. “Throwing in the towel? You’re not worthy of my love. Get lost.” Throwing in the towel meant giving up. And he couldn’t give up on the Ralts that didn’t give up on him. Besides, it was the only way he could clean his stains. He let it get dirty so he could stay clean. In a way, it was his friend.

He then closed his eyes. But he opened his eyes mid sleep. He saw something odd, a bunch of pink little bodies jumping around him. Was this a dream? No, it was Clefairy, channeling the power of the strange lightbulb in the sky to heal his friend. Ralts arose, feeling healthy. She sensed it, she was helped. The Clefairy sensed it, sensed the conflict. They offered for them to live in their den, it was much too harsh outside. He reached his paw out and accepted, as to say “thanks, friend.”

Chapter 9: Act IV of Cleanliness

Act IV

 

Friend

For months, he and Ralts stayed in their den, watching in awe as they performed their ritual every full moon. Riolu wondered, they seemed to worship this lightbulb. Perhaps it was more than a lightbulb. Perhaps he wasn’t trapped in a room. This was the real world. It was dirty, but it was real. He felt more at home here than at the facility.

But his tendencies would not leave him. He would constantly try to clean grime off of the cave walls with his towel. By then, the “less” part of the towel began to obscure. Only if one looked deeply at it, they could make out the full word. A Clefairy could only watch as he tried scrubbing something that couldn’t come off. It pondered for a bit, and then gave it a pat on the head, as if to say thanks. Riolu was confused. He hadn’t really been thanked before, especially for cleaning. He would have a hard time trying to forget of Erikson’s voice, the smell of tobacco that plagued his nose. Sometimes, he tried thinking about his worth, about what it meant.

But one day, after a particularly scary encounter with a Staraptor chasing after him while he was gathering food, Riolu ran into the mouth of the cave and into the deepest and darkest place. The sun, the predators. It wasn’t whimsy like when the Carvanha chased him. It was really life or death. And he couldn’t risk losing it. For three days and three nights, Riolu sat in that crevice, eating leftover berries and cave fungus. Part of what kept him was shame. Was Erikson right? Could he fight? From a distance, he heard footsteps. Ralts’. He didn’t really have anywhere to escape. Ralts sat down next to him. They only sat next to each other, sharing their aura. But as the sun rose, a faint glimmer of light creeped through. Ralts slowly began to use Flash as a way to alleviate the darkness within him. To bring whatever was in the dark to light. Riolu was amazed. There were those that really cared for him. She grabbed his paw, walking out.

At the same time, two Pokemon rangers began to approach the den. The Clefairy scouted them, prompting the rest to protect the cave in case something happened. The rangers were blocked by the wall of Clefairy, seemingly shielding something precious. The rangers were trying to track down the victims of Erikson’s cruelty to understand what had happened. They were on the verge of finding him, but they needed witnesses. A Lucario was sent out of his Pokeball. Not to battle or roar, but to try to convince them that they meant no harm. One of the rangers spoke up. “Please, we mean no harm. We only want to talk to Riolu and Ralts. They sensed their aura and backed down.

Just then, the two exited from the cave and stepped up to the Lucario. The second ranger spoke up. “Hello little ones. Please don’t be scared. We’ve been looking for you. We know that Erikson did bad things to you guys.” Riolu shuddered. Erikson? Ralts squeezed his paw, calming him down. “We are not taking you back to that monster. We need you to understand what he did to you guys, to help you heal.” The Lucario crouched down to the two. Ralts seemed content, but Riolu was on edge. Just then, Lucario and Riolu shared their aura to understand their feelings. The Lucario stepped back. He was shocked at the fact that he had known so much pain and torment at such a young age. Riolu accepted their offer, preparing to leave.

Before leaving the den, they offered their thanks to the Clefairy, who had generously given them shelter. Empathy. He sensed it. An emotion that wasn’t shame or fear. It was like he was sad, but in a good way. They were then cradled and taken into their car, driving into new possibilities

 

Possible

The two were taken to the Pokemon center. Riolu looked at the laboratory. It was a sterile setting, but he didn’t feel on edge like he did at the egg processing facility. There was no cruelty, only healing. The two rangers talked to Nurse Joy.

“We found the last of them, Nurse. We thought it would be impossible, but it happened.” Nurse Joy sighed. “That’s a relief. My heart breaks for those poor things. So many innocents.” Riolu shivered. Impossible. Another word Erikson used to taunt him. “You’re impossible to save. Impossible. You know what it means, fool? Not able to be done. There is no ability to save you from being a waster. Now clean, good for nothing.” Riolu began to run away, crying. The Clefairy made him feel wanted, but hearing Erikson tell him that he wasn’t worthy of love broke him. He was a Pokemon that thrived on emotions and connection.

Lucario and Ralts sensed it, chasing after him. He locked himself in a closet, sobbing. Lucario opened the door. The light shined on Riolu’s tears. They began to converse with their aura. Lucario felt his pain of being unworthy, impossible. He escorted him back to the concerned Nurse Joy.

“Are you ok, Dear?” Riolu nodded his head. Dear. That was a new name. He liked that name. Nurse Joy thought about the conversation with the rangers, the moment Riolu dashed away. “Was it the word impossible?” Riolu nodded again. “I have something to show you, please come with me.”

Riolu trailed behind as Chancey escorted Ralts away. She wanted to be with Riolu, but realized that whatever Nurse Joy wanted to show Riolu was for him alone. She only wished Riolu luck. The two entered a room. Nurse Joy wrote a word on the whiteboard. “IMPOSSIBLE.”

Riolu stepped backwards. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Let me show you something. You know what this word is, yes? But what about this?”

She drew a dash between “IM” and “POSSIBLE,” putting an apostrophe between I and M. It now spelt “I’M POSSIBLE.” “You see that Riolu. I’m possible. You are not impossible, no Pokemon is. If anything, don’t tell yourself that you are worthless, when you are deserving of love like every other being.” Riolu was moved. He began to cry. Validation, love. That was what he always wanted. He curled into Nurse Joy’s arms, returning an endearing hug.

Chapter 10: Epilogue of Cleanliness

Oh Dear, An Epilogue

 

Childhood

A year afterwards, Riolu was allowed to explore the wilds. He still returned to the center every now and then, but he felt more safe. He tried emulating the behaviors of wild pokemon, but he still had his towel. By then, the word Worthless had become completely faded away, yet he still used this towel to clean any dirt he accumulated from wandering. He still faced symptoms of OCD, but they were beginning to wain off. Perhaps escaping the man made subjugation Erikson subjected him to helped. But being told he was worthy and possible gave him comfort when Erikson popped into his mind.

A class was on a field trip to the Pokemon center one day. The teacher stepped out of the bus. “Alright, we’re here! Single file now!” All but one child left the bus. The teacher walked into the bus to see a shy boy sitting in the corner. “Tommy, what’s wrong.” Tommy looked up. “Nothing miss, it’s just that, I don’t want to see these Pokemon hurt!” The teacher approached him. “We won’t see any of that. We’re here for science, and to see the Pokemon too.” Tommy responded. “I heard from my father that many Pokemon were housed here after-“ “Forget about him. We aren’t here to see pain. We’re here to see the amazing world of Pokemon.” Tommy took a hold of her hand and walked out of the bus. One kid teased him. “What took ya so long, wimp?” The teacher snapped. “Enough outta you, Randy. Let’s go inside now.”

The children poured through the doors. Nurse Joy awaited them, preparing an introduction. “Hello kids! I am Nurse Joy, and I run the Pokemon Center with Chansey. Here, we help restore your tired Pokemon to full health. If any of you ever become a serious trainer, then you’ll be seeing a lot of us in your travels. We help provide services for both Pokemon and Trainer alike!”

Tommy was amazed at the love Nurse Joy had for Pokemon. He too loved Pokemon, but he was too shy to interact with any of them. As the class shuffled through the various rooms of the Pokemon Center, Tommy had a burning question. He wondered what happened to the Pokemon after they were rescued from Erikson. The world didn’t want to talk about that monster, but Tommy was curious about the Pokemon. He remembered a conversation his mother and father had about Erikson.

“Can you believe the stuff this guy says about Pokemon? About them not deserving love because they’re weak?”
“Oh now that’s truly awful. I heard what he did to those poor kids in that egg factory. That man will burn.”

Eventually, Tommy finally mustered up the courage to ask Nurse Joy this question in private. “Nurse Joy? Did you help the hurt Pokemon those rangers saved from that bad guy Erikson?”

Nurse Joy turned around. Erikson. She could only think about all the Pokemon in pain. But she needed to tell Tommy the truth. “Yes, and there were many of them. My heart broke seeing how they were in pain, how they were told they didn’t matter. But those Pokemon turned out to be some of the most resilient creatures I’ve seen.”

She motioned Tommy to the window. “See that Riolu. He was born in his factory, told he was worthless. And now? He’s learning to heal.” Tommy looked in adoration. Riolu were rare Pokemon. They were also able to sense emotions. He must have been hurt.

As he lined up for the bus, he saw him. The Riolu locked onto Tommy’s eyes. Riolu sensed that this wasn’t the last he would see of Tommy. Tommy sat on the bus, looking out the window. He wanted to catch that Riolu, tell him he was an amazing Pokemon. He only hoped his shyness didn’t get the best of him.

Over summer break, Tommy biked out to that Pokemon Center every day to try and find that Riolu. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find him. Nurse Joy stepped in. “Are you looking for that Riolu?” “Yea, I wanna catch him.” “Very well then, a human companion would work well for him. I’d recommend coming after sundown. Riolu really likes the night.” Tommy thanked her, preparing to bike out. Before he left, Nurse Joy remembered something. “One other thing. If you catch him, just nickname him Dear. He really likes that word!”

That night, he snuck out with a few Pokeballs and biked out to the area. It was hard to see in the dark. Just then, his wheel skipped as it passed over a rock, knocking his body off. His nose was bloody and his knee was scraped. He was about to cry, but he sensed something was there.

“Hello?” Tommy was afraid, maybe this wasn’t the best idea. But out came a familiar looking Riolu, armed with a towel. He wiped off his wounds and used a weak heal pulse to seal them. Tommy looked into Riolu’s eyes. “Thank you. Listen, I heard about you from Nurse Joy. And I think you’re pretty cute and cool. I know you like to run around here in the wild, but I promise we’ll have fun together. Please come with me!”

Riolu sensed the aura Tommy had. He seemed like a good kid trying to find peace with himself. Riolu felt the same way too. He would be good for him, and the other way around. He obliged, pressing the Pokeball. Tommy finally had his first Pokemon companion, he couldn’t wait to show his friends his new Pokemon. He then biked home in the dark, slowly.

 

Slowly

The next week, Tommy returned to school. All the other kids were amazed at his new Pokemon. They all had new Pokemon, as their summer assignment was to find and catch a wild Pokemon. His friend was able to sneak a peak of what he got. “Whoa, a Riolu! That’s a rare Pokemon. My Caterpie is still cool, though.” Tommy shrugged it off, saying thanks. Randy looked at his Pokeball. “Big deal, fink. That thing’s probably a robot. My Houndour can do tricks!” “Don’t be stupid Randy! He doesn’t have a robot!”

The teacher walked in. “Silence, children! Now, today is show and tell day. We’re all going to show our Pokemon today. I’ll go first, if I may. I would like to show you guys my Luxray! He’s a ferocious fighter, but he’s a little guy at heart. Don’t tell him I said that, though!”

The class ooh’ed and ahh’ed as the Luxray roared. “Now, who would like to go next.” Tommy raised his hand. He wasn’t usually the type to go first, but his Riolu was just too cool. “Tommy, that’s a first! Get up here!”

Tommy proudly walked to the front of the classroom. He gulped, preparing what he was going to say. “Hello everyone. This is my Riolu, and he likes to be called Dear. He likes to run at night. And, he’s good at feeling emotions too!”

Riolu was shy. He felt odd about being in front of all these people, it almost reminded him of the rows of eggs he saw, the rows of Pokemon that marched under Erikson’s tyranny. But Tommy was here, and he shined brightly. Riolu sensed his shyness turn into pride, emulating Tommy’s face. But his seriousness was too much. As he puffed himself up, he tripped over. The kids began to laugh at him

Riolu looked up. Laughter. Erikson used to laugh at him, scoff. But this laughter seemed like the good kind. He sheepishly laughed it off, even doing a backflip to show that he wasn’t clumsy. The class applauded. Riolu and Tommy beamed as they took it in. They felt appreciated, lauded. Riolu felt it to a larger extent. He was finally being celebrated for who he was and not for some caricature Erikson tried to fit him in. He didn’t need to scrape yolk off of the floor anymore. He was a kid.

As Tommy walked home after school, he was approached by Randy. “So, you gotta Pokemon that can do tricks? Big deal! Me and my Houndour are the toughest duo in the town! I challenge you to a battle, and you can’t say no!” Tommy hesitated, but he didn’t like being called wimp. After quickly looking at Riolu’s moves, Tommy accepted. This was his first battle.

The Houndour and Riolu eyed each other. Houndour’s Intimidate scared Riolu a bit, but Riolu stood strong. The two began to fight. Quick Attacks and Embers and Bites were all over the place. Riolu flinched from Bite, but that only made him faster due to Steadfast. He sensed how Tommy felt, he had to win. They fought as one.

Eventually, Houndour was cornered as Riolu released an Aura Sphere that pushed Houndour back, causing him to faint. Tommy and Riolu hugged each other, celebrating. But Randy had something to say. “Big deal! You had the type advantage anyways! But that was fun. But me and Houndour are still the toughest duo this town has!”

Riolu then released a heal pulse. Just then, Houndour woke up, nuzzling his legs demanding a berry. “Not now, Houndour! Alright then, but just one.” Randy laughed sheepishly, maybe he wasn’t the bad guy after all

Tommy and Riolu walked home. Riolu skipped like a kid, letting the breeze pass through his face as he wiped sweat with his towel. Riolu felt that he finally had a friend, much like what Ralts was. He wondered what happened to her. But just then, Riolu felt proud of himself. Of Tommy. They didn’t throw in the towel.

 

Towel

That night, Tommy could only talk about his battle at dinner. “That’s nice dear. Just don’t get hurt.” His mother looked at Riolu scrubbing the floor with his towel. It began to have holes in it, but Riolu still clung to it. She looked at Riolu curiously. She remembered watching the news about a Riolu being rescued from Erikson with nothing but a Ralts friend and a towel in hand. Her heart sank as she realized what probably happened to him, but she didn’t want to think of that. She could only think of the cheery little baby Pokemon he was. He was happy.

But he couldn’t let go of that towel. From reports she heard, that towel might have had the word “Worthless” written on it, his old name. She couldn’t let that go. She wanted to make a new towel for him. That night, she got to finding a new towel with her husband’s help. He too felt that it was necessary for Riolu to let go. They was able to find one that looked and felt similar to the towel he used. She then embroidered it with the word “Dear,” his new name.

The next day, Riolu walked into the kitchen with his old towel. He saw the family sitting at the counter, awaiting him. Riolu was confused. Tommy then decided to inch closer to him. “Hey, Riolu. We’ve been thinking about that towel you have. It’s starting to fall apart. I know how important cleaning is to you, so we decided to gift you a new towel.”

Riolu held it in his hands. It was soft and smelled amazing. It didn’t smell like the sterile chemicals Erikson used, it smelt floral, natural. He read the word Dear. His new name. That name meant that of love. He then turned around the towel onto the other side. “You are worthy.” Worthy. Erikson promised to name him that when he cleaned everything up. But Erikson didn’t matter anymore. He sensed that he was loved, cared for. He had a place in their hearts, and they had a place in his heart. He dropped his old towel on the ground, hugging Tommy as he held the new towel. He was crying. The whole family hugged each other. Worthy wasn’t his name. It was who he had always been.

 

Worthy

Since then, Riolu and Tommy became the best of friends. They laughed, they cried, they fought. But they always had each other. Tommy learned to be less anxious, less doubtful. His confidence would shine especially in battle. He and Riolu were a dynamic duo. Riolu would sometimes think about his Ralts friend, his Clefairy friends, and that one Deerling. He remembered the messiness of that berry, how Deerling laughed.

On a rainy day, the two played, laughing as they chased each other. But Riolu’s foot got caught on a rock, causing him to tumble into the mud. The rain, the mud. It felt familiar. Like when he carried Ralts’ sick body. He thought back to how he cleaned himself every few steps, only to be covered in mud again. At that moment, he realized something important. Being dirty is fine. He didn’t need the cleanse the world. He only had to wipe off the bits that mattered. He then got up, cheering. The two kept on playing, covered in mud.

Although Riolu could clean decent, it wasn’t enough. They ended up tracking mud into the house. Tommy’s mother scolded them, but she let up once she saw their sheepish look.

The two would learn to have more vulnerable and fun filled moments like these. They were friends. And that friendship would prove itself in battle. It was a tough battle with a powerful looking Machamp, but Riolu’s nimbleness and determination kept Machamp on his toes. A powerful Aura Sphere sent him flying. It fainted, they won

Just then, a flash began to emanate from Riolu’s body. He began growing taller, wiser. He evolved into a Lucario. Tommy was amazed. His very own Lucario. He reached in to hug Lucario, but the spike on his chest jabbed him. The two laughed sheepishly

As they walked home, Lucario sensed a familiar aura. He ran into a forest. Tommy considering following him, but he knew this was important. He had to do it alone. Lucario approached the figure alone. There, standing by the water, was a Kirlia. Lucario remembered, it was the Ralts that saved him with teleportation, that he once helped carry to safety.

They didn’t talk much, they only sat looking at their reflections. The towel was nearly folded in his arms, with the word “Dear” looking in his face. But their senses, their aura, they did most of the talking. They could feel it. Although the past was painful , the future belonged to them. They no longer needed to appease ghosts of the past. They were clean, worthy.

Chapter 11: Act I of Forever and Ever

Notes:

This is probably the central work of this collection, where everything built up from. Maybe the best part. I hope you enjoy reading it as I enjoyed writing it

Act I

 

When They First Met

There was once a young girl name Elena who had an Illumise. Illumise loved to dance with the other Volbeat in the sky, her Sweet Scent luring them in as they traced patterns all across the night sky. But she never had a true love. Until one fateful day.

Her trainer sat down for lunch, unwrapping handmade sandwiches for her and her partner. They were training for a dance contest her Illumise had been excited about. But out of nowhere, something caught Illumise’s eye, an interesting flash. She knew it was a Volbeat’s flash, but this one felt different. Fateful

She flew through unfamiliar trees to find a Volbeat attempting to spin in place. But each spin displaced him, eventually hitting a tree. It was an artful sort of clumsiness, the sort that drew Illumise closer. It was not the perfection of Volbeat’s dance, but the imperfection of it. It felt familiar to her. Volbeat got up, seeing Illumise stare curiously at him. He was never a fighter; he could only use his tail glow for a dance. At least his trainer was kind enough to encourage him to dance. As he stared at her, he realized how beautiful she was. Too beautiful. He tried darting out of the trees from fear of embarrassment. Illumise, however, released her sweet scent. Volbeat grew more passive, more calmer. He turned around and took one look at her. She was perfect, but was he good enough for her?

Illumise flew closer. Volbeat instinctively wanted to fly away, but the scent drew him in. He’s seen many different Illumise before, but this one seems different - one in a million. Hands touched hands, and they swayed in tandem, slowly yet surely. Volbeat’s back kept hitting the tree, Illumise’s wings would occasionally get caught in a stray branch - but to them, it felt negligible.

Eventually, their dance ended when Elena realized she was missing and followed her to this secluded area. There, she met Volbeat’s trainer, Elliot. The two realized that their pokemon seem bonded. They became friends, allowing their Pokemon to grow close together. They would participate in contests together, trips to the beach, to the country side, and all sorts of adventures - their Illumise and Volbeat growing closer with every activity.

After a few months since they had met, Elena and Elliot decided to participate in a contest, registering for the “Dynamic Duo Event.” After everyone had showcased their lovely, funny, and entertaining pokemon, Volbeat and Illumise’s trainer released their pokemon.

They wore bedazzled outfits. Volbeat even had a fake mustache and suit, and Illumise a tiara and chain. The music played. They danced around the stadium, electrifying and mystifying the crowd. They had no need for choreography when they had something greater, connection. Volbeat followed his Illumise, even in the dark. His bright bulb chased after the scent, wowing the audience with the geometric patterns they carved in the air. Their heart shaped patterns resonated with the judges.

After they had performed their routine, they spun in place, preparing their signature moves. Volbeat’s tail glow reflected off of a heart shaped object, casting a shadow onto the wall. A sweet scent complemented this, moving the audience.

The judged tallied up the results. First Place. Elena and Elliot jumped for joy as Volbeat and Illumise held hands and waved to the audience. This cinematic moment was photographed and framed, full honors

 

Honor

Elliot came home from the store, holding a bag of chips - which Volbeat himself enjoyed. However, his heart condition had become more serious. He had this condition ever since he was a child, but it progressed as he aged. He distracted himself from the fear by letting his Volbeat dance with Illumise. He said it “brought his decaying heart some solace.”

But as he entered the doors with the open bag of chips, he collapsed - chips scattered across the place. Volbeat had been tending to their garden outside, something he enjoyed. But he sensed something was off, so he entered the open door and saw his trainer collapsed.

He panicked, trying to pick him up but failing. He then lit a bright light out of desperation. Illumise saw it, pointing it out to her trainer. The trainer motorbiked over, Illumise flying in worry. With her help, an ambulance was able to come to the scene

As he came to, he was given devestating news - he had one week to live. He decided to pull out old tapes of contests, revisiting happy moments to rekindle his heart. Volbeat sensed it, his trainer - his friend - would face his end. But as he began to cry, her scent crept up his nose. It calmed him down a bit.

Soon, they flew out the window to the room his trainer was in. They performed a special dance their kind had done for many years - a dance to honor those of high respect. He saw the light. He couldn’t get up and open the window, but he didn’t need to. He saw they were fine, and he didn’t want his death to rip that away. He asked the nurse for a favor, to let his friend have his Volbeat.

The next day, Elena came to visit. She only saw an empty bed with a Pokeball and a letter. Most importantly, it told her to keep Volbeat with her. She obliged and took the Pokeball to a new home

 

A New Home

A funeral was held, and Volbeat was taken to Elena’s home for the first time. He was unfamiliar with the layout, but he had Illumise to guide him through his new life.

He still thought of Elliot, but he knew he saw their dance that day. He must have died with satisfaction. He couldn’t quit dancing, not when he had the chance to get closer with Illumise.

One day, they flew around their surroundings. They came to an amazing cliffside view, which overlooked a ravine. Out of nowhere, Volbeat felt a peck on the cheek. It was from Illumise, who looked adoringly. He returned her expression with a sheepish look. He wanted to lean in and return it, but out of nowhere, thundering clouds and downpour impeded on their moment. Maybe another time.

They flew back quickly, trying to avoid the rain - but it was no use. The two had flown so fast that they ended up colliding into each other, falling in a pit of mud. Illumise was annoyed at first, but then Volbeat did something strange. He made a mud angel. Soon, she laughed it off, making a mud angel as well.

Afterwards, they went into the open windowsill, tracking mud. Elena walked in, annoyed. “You guys! I just cleaned. And how are you literally this covered in mud?” She sighed, seeing the sheepish look on the two. “Just get cleaned, you rascals! And don’t walk! That’ll make more of a mess, just don’t bump into the walls.”

Just then, the two entered the bathroom, made just for them. They were able to wash each other off, get rid of any lingering mud. But after Illumise had finished cleaning up, washing her hands, Volbeat stepped right on a lingering bar of soap, his wings taking out the towel rack. Illumise immediately rushed to pick him up, but she had slipped on the same bar. Was this what it was like to be whimsically clumsy? The two laughed it off.

Elena heard the commotion. There’s always something with those two. She eavesdropped on the two. But she saw the laughter, the joy. She didn’t mind the broken towel rack. It didn’t matter when she saw the purest of love unfurling in front of her.

Volbeat and Illumise pulled each other up. Just then, he did something unexpected. He flew up to the mirror, drew a heart and their initials. Illumise cooed in adoration. They left the bathroom

Out of curiosity, Elena walked in, just to see the damage. The towel rack was in fact completely broken. But it was shoddy quality anyways. This love, it was made from pure metal. She saw the heart. The holidays were coming. At least she figured out what Illumise’s gift was going to be.

 

Gift

Elena decided to gift her Pokemon special gifts for the holidays, custom made. By the morning, the two woke up to their personalized gifts: Illumise’s luminescent pendant and Volbeat’s red bowtie infused with her sweet scent. The two had tried to put it on, but their stubby limbs wouldn’t let them reach the back of their neck.

Illumise asked for Elena’s help, who gladly obliged. But Volbeat was confident he could put it on. She saw the struggle. “You mustn’t, it’ll rip the bowtie.” Eventually, Volbeat stopped. He didn’t want to destroy something so precious. He relented and gave it to Elena. He opened his eyes and looked at the mirror. It complemented his red mane. He felt happiness. And then, he smelt it. Her scent. It came right from the bowtie. His face grew a smile. Soon, the two would take a photo with their new gifts. It was framed and then put into the pendant. The photo was that of the two in an embrace, letting their gifts look at the camera.

One day, the latch on her pendant rusted after a rainy day. Volbeat saw how she was sad that she couldn’t open it up and see her photo inside. Eventually, Volbeat woke up in the middle of the night with a hairpin and some rubbing alcohol. With it, he was able to clean the rust off. He then spelt out V + I with pencils and went to bed. The next day, Illumise found the surprise. She hugged Volbeat tightly as thanks for fixing what she cherished, but her grip was so tight it began to suffocate Volbeat.

Their trainer walked in, seeing this sight. She adored it, until she saw Volbeat was trying to breathe. “Illumise! I know that pendant means a lot to you, but you’re crushing the poor guy!” She realized and immediately let go of him. She apologized profusely, but Volbeat laughed it off. The laughter was contagious, as everyone enjoyed the kindness of Volbeat’s heart.

One week after, Illumise and Volbeat realized that they didn’t get a gift for Elena. They didn’t have to, but they felt that they had to give their gratitude for giving them the space to find love. So they flew out into the forest to find plants for a garden. They collected wild fruit, root vegetables, and flowers. Volbeat then planted them into the ground. He had always been adept at gardening. While it was getting late, his light was enough to provide sight. It was a simple garden, but it had a slight elegance to it.

They pulled their trainer out of the house to show her this gift. She was moved. “For me? Thanks guys.” Illumise pointed at Volbeat, as to suggest it was his idea. But Volbeat shrugged off and pointed to Illumise as well, as to say she helped out greatly too. But all the trainer could think about was their love. It was pure, infallible, untainted. Until…

Chapter 12: Act II of Forever and Ever

Notes:

I’ll toot my own horn here. This is probably some of the best writing I’ve done. But who knows?

Act II

The Fall

On one fateful night, their lives would change forever. They flew out to their usual cliff setting for their traditional dance, Volbeat following Illumise’s scent. A man by the name of Erikson sat near a tree, bottle in hand. He saw the two chase each other, tracing arcs in the sky in their own world, unaware of the contemplation below. His face was filled with judgment and contempt for those “biological oversights.”

“See that, Magnezone? That is the most pathetic display of weakness I have ever seen in this world. Look at that Volbeat, that glorified little lamp shade. Fat, round, ugly. He would much rather be a slave to that Illumise than battle. Whatever little brain power he has goes towards following that Illumise’s scent. It makes my skin crawl. These rotund little freaks don’t deserve love. They were meant to be dead in an unforgiving world. But it seems some bleeding heart trainer took them in.”

He turned to Magnezone for further discussion. “The worst part? Their pathetic little offspring will scatter across the Earth, because they are sheltered, safe.”

A sinister look appeared on his face. “I’ll show their pathetic selves what danger means. Fate brought me here. The Natural Order called for me to restore balance. Their little sky ballet will end today.” He pat Magnezone on its top, preparing to ask it a favor. “Spark me up. I need to be amped up for this.”

“Mag-“ A curious little spark traveled into Eriksons chest and shocked him. “OOHHH! I FEEL INVIGORATED! That little runt Volbeat will trace its last pattern.”

After he pulled out his camera and pressed record, he turned out to the two pokemon in tandem. “See that Volbeat? The fat one with the red little shade and the ugly little light? Aim your sights at it. Wait until the right moment and BAM! Launch a thunderbolt - no mercy.”

It nodded authoritatively. It turned, eyes trained on the dancing Volbeat while it charged power. Erikson aimed his camera at the unsuspecting Volbeat to memorialize his impending demise. Meanwhile, the two orbited around each other. Volbeat’s tail illuminated the sky, tracing a heart shaped pattern as it followed Illumise’s improv choreography. The beauty of it didn’t lie in rehearsal, but in the spontaneity. Soon, the two would stop and spin in tandem, inching closer and closer - foreshadowing a kiss. They were inches apart, the fateful embrace moments from happening, not knowing that tragedy was looming around the corner.

“NOW! SEND IT!”
“MAAAGNEEEZOOONEEEE!”

A wicked thunderbolt launched from Magnezone’s magnets. It traveled rapidly and cruelly across the otherwise quiet night sky. Illumise stared at it, puzzled, then realizing what it was and who it was for. Volbeat heard something. He opened his eyes and saw it - a thunderbolt, bigger than his own body.

ZZZAAPPPP!

A direct hit. Thousands of volts traveled across his little body. His antennae flickered and crisped as they uncoiled and burned. His right eye bursted from the force as parts of his face began to char. His proud red mane became tattered and blackened. His wings fluttered in a million directions, trying to escape. Blood vessels burst across his torso as the shock branded him with an unforgettable pattern. His signature bowtie became singed, the beautiful smell of Illumise’s scent combining with the unforgettable smell of burnt fabric. His light shone brighter than any star in the sky, but in a cruel way. An unforgettable scream pierced from Volbeat’s mouth.

“VOLBEEEAAAAATTTTTTT! ”

She saw it, his body suspended in the air by a thunderbolt. She screamed, for she never thought she would lose something she loved so dearly.

“ILLU! ILLUMISE!”

Although the thunderbolt lasted ten seconds, seeing her love contorted and screaming in pain would last a lifetime for her.

And then, his light stopped shining. Gravity took over. Volbeat’s limp body careened towards the Earth.

CRACK! His body crashed once into the side of the rocky cliff
THRRR! A cruel branch ripped through his wings clean
THUNK! A head on collision with a jagged rock
SPLASH! His body fell into the river and the current yanked him away

Illumise’s antennae drooped as she hovered quietly, the unforgettable smell of sweet scent and burnt flesh hovering in the air. Her life, her love - gone so quickly. She couldn’t have ever imagined something like this happening. She didn’t understand tragedy; she was only meant to understand love and dance. She could only look forward, her chest heaving for air as her heart tried escaping from its cage. But something compelled her to turn around.

It was Erikson’s cruel laughs that interrupted the desolate silence.

“HAHAHAHAAHAHA! Man, talk about a light show with a twist!”

She instinctively fluttered closer to him. Eriksons cruel gaze matched Illumise’s blank stare.

“What the fuck are you looking at me for? Oh, right. I turned your man into paste and laughed at his limp body hugging the side of the cliff before it took a deep dive into the river. Awww. Was I interrupting something? Ruined your moment?”

Illumise grew resentful at his mocking words. He ripped her love, her light from him. “Oh don’t look at me like that. You killed him, not me. That Volbeat was born to follow your scent to the ends of the Earth. Any other day, time, or location - you’d still have a Volbeat to hold.”

She looked out to the river that snatched his body. “Don’t bother chasing after it, Illumise” said Erikson. “If the shock didn’t kill him, hitting the cliff would do him in. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!” With each repetition, he condescendingly pressed his finger into Illumise’s chest. “If that didn’t do it, then the river will swallow his body. Volbeat aren’t exactly world class swimmers, especially those that got electrocuted and crushed up like a soda can. Or maybe he’s buoyant and floats. Maybe some predator snatches Romeo out of the current and gets a hot meal.”

His gaze grew more condescending. “You can’t win, Illumise. Your kind doesn’t deserve love. That Volbeat was pathetic. I did you a favor.” His eyes looked at Illumise’s jewelry, and then to the opposite direction. “Hey, what’s that?” Illumise quickly looked in that direction. Did he survive? But just then, Erikson snatched the pendant. Illumise’s neck felt cold, naked. Her chest became tighter without the weight of the emblem resting on her neck. Her stubby arms tried reaching, clawing at Erikson, but he only shoved her back. “Too slow!”

She fell onto the ground. She considered just getting up and flying. When she thought nobody was looking, she got up began to run. Panic jolted all across her nerves as she tried to take off with her wings, screaming to anything that could be watching. Magnezone intercepted her, knocking her down. Her ribs thudded against its hard steel. Erikson sneered. “Too slow, worm!” He walked up to her, putting his foot against her chest.

His voice became more cruel. She disobeyed him. This was his warning to her. “Save your breath for something that actually matters. Now, know your place.” It felt tight. Her screams became hoarse as she felt the weight on her chest. She was under his boot, literally and figuratively. Her stubby arms tried clawing under his skin. Erikson felt something sharp trying to rake under his pants. He couldn’t risk DNA evidence underneath her nails. He brought his leg back, kicking her ribs - still tender from Magnezone tackling her. She yelped from the pain.

“Haha! Man, are you stupid or what? You can’t fight me. We’re done when I say we’re done. Now, let’s see here. A pendant. Are you fucking serious? What weak little trainer made this?” He then opened the pendant, looking at the picture inside. The light flashed onto his eye. “This pendant is all sorts of gaudy. What’s uglier, the tacky piece of shit LED light, or his stubby little nose? I think I’ll hold onto this one. It’s got a rustic charm to it.”

Gaudy? It was beautiful, hers. It was her piece of Volbeat. On her knees, Illumise begged and pleaded for the pendant back, but Erikson didn’t relent. “You clearly have attachment issues, girl!” He laughed in her face. Illumise could only look down. Laughter turned to chilling sternness. “Calm down, girl. You’ll get something better”

Illumise got up, her eyes matching his. “I am going to give you a priceless gift. The gift of life. See, we take life for granted. Especially when it can be taken away at the snap of a finger. I will let you live, so long as you do a dance for me. How about the one you were doing before Volbeat’s unfortunate tumble?”

She was taken aback. Dance? For that monster? That move was for her and Volbeat only. She looked at the silent Magnezone, and then at Erikson. She was scared, but a part of her wanted to protect the last sacred thing she had of him. Erikson looked down at the stirring Illumise. Disobedience? His tone became harsher. “Did I stutter? Dance, or die.”

Illumise trembled; he wasn’t joking. She didn’t want to die. She flew up, her throat swelling, trying to resist sobbing. Her body slowly, limply, twisted around. Erikson laughed at her. “More energy! Cmon! Just imagine I’m Volbeat!” He could never be Volbeat. He was the polar opposite of him. In other circumstances, it was her favorite move to do with Volbeat. But it was violated, desecrated.

Mid spin, she paused, shivering, tears rolling down her face. Her stomach visibly sank as she felt warm liquid drip down her legs. In the silence of the night, she could hear it drip down onto the ground. Why? Why them? Why did this have to happen to her now?

Erikson motioned towards the camera videotaping her humiliation. “Aww, did buggy have an accident?” His face began to warp in twisted laughter. “Man, I think that’s the most honest thing you did this night! You’re so lucky that I wanna keep this all to myself instead of posting it online.“ He got closer in her teary eyes, callously wiping them off with a smile on his face. “It’s like I have a piece of you, forever.” Illumise trembled in fear as Erikson came closer to her. The smell of alcohol and tobacco. The craziness in his eyes. This was a demon come to torment her.

Erikson kept raving in his lunacy. “Speaking of forever, it really seemed like a short amount of time, heh! I bet you expected a fairy tale ending where the princess lived happily ever after. That ain’t the way my world works. Maybe if you weren’t so weak, if your boyfriend wasn’t so soft, you would’ve had more time to spend. You get what you deserve.”

He got closer. “I will let you live now. Do not dance, do not sing, do not smile, do not even love or breed. And do not release that smell. It’s sickening. You were meant to be fodder for a predator. Live like it, and you will earn the privilege of breathing in my world.”

He let out a laugh. “I own you, Illumise. Every breath, every cry, every thought - they’re all mine. I took your lover’s life, just like that. So trust me when I say I can take yours if it was worth it. Now buzz off. Tell your trainer you’re traveling light.”

Light Extinguished

He turned his back on her and walked away. Illumise could only look out at the sea, hoping for it to be a cruel prank or a nightmare. Eventually, the realization of Volbeat’s loss crashed onto her like waves splashing onto rocks. She let out a silent cry that eventually became guttural. The night grew quieter, save for her mourning.

She eventually flew back home, flying past familiar landscapes where her and Volbeat roamed. She couldn’t think nor fly straight. She crashed into a tree, falling onto the ground. She got up, realizing she fell into the imprints of mud angels they made that day. She could only fit into her mold, sobbing. That man had a piece of her forever? But most importantly - Volbeat was gone. All she had were memories of dances. She tried replaying one of them, but she could only think about her being forced to dance. Just then, she heard a branch crack. She got up, startled, and flew quickly.

She reached home, which never felt so hopeless. She couldn’t muster the strength to fly into the windowsill. The pain in her ribs radiated all across. She pressed her head against the door. Elena perked up. A smile grew on her face, yet she couldn’t see the tragedy that was about to unfold. She opened the door, expecting two little bug pokemon waiting for her. There was only one.

Illumise couldn’t cry anymore, she simply hopped into her trainer’s arms. “Where-where’s Volbeat?” She couldn’t answer, but she knew. Volbeat was gone. That night, the two couldn’t sleep. But Illumise was haunted by Volbeat’s contorted body puppeteered by the thunderbolt.

A few days passed. Volbeat’s framed photo sat on the mantlepiece, next to his favorite flowers and his empty pokeball. A funeral was held for him, as candles were placed all across the house in remembrance of Volbeat’s own light being silenced. But Illumise didn’t attend. She came back to the same location, waiting for his arrival. She’d let out a song, but would quickly stop out of fear. She didn’t even release her scent. She only hovered until it was time to leave.

One night, she was able to close her eyes and sleep in peace for what seemed to be the first time ever since Volbeat was gone. And then, a brightness shined across her closed eyes. It was actually her trainer opening the lights of the room, not knowing her Illumise was sleeping. But the sudden nature of the flash, the surprise- it was like her Volbeat getting struck down by the bright thunderbolt all over again, his taillight burning out.

She screamed, loud. She tried flying out of the window, the same one the two usually would fly out of when it was time to dance. But it was closed. Has been since Volbeat’s fall. Her head cracked against the pane, leaving a cruel looking smear on it. She fell down, crying. Elena was stunned as her heart broke for the poor thing. She desperately wanted to rescue her from the depths

Chapter 13: Act III of Forever and Ever

Notes:

Lurkers please slide up in comments lol

Act III

Rescue

However, her Volbeat was in fact alive, but barely. He crashed into the water, sinking. But an orange flash dove into the water, a Buizel. It brought him on land, taking him to its habitat. The next day, he woke up. He couldn’t move from the neck down. His wings were ripped apart. His right eye was completely burst. Buizel covered it with an impromptu bandage, cleaning the pus that leaked out of it occasionally. His heart and lungs became weak, breathing felt like an immense task. But most importantly, his light - his pride, couldn’t even hold a spark anymore. He was burnt out. He felt broken.

Buizel saw his look of self pity. What had happened to him that made him so broken, so scarred? This was about something greater than surviving a fall. He was fairly young and couldn’t understand what exactly he felt, but he had to give this Volbeat dignity.

For days, he could not move. He had to be hand fed food and water, which proved difficult as it hurt to chew, hurt to swallow. His eye would occasionally leak infectious pus, which Buizel was tasked with wiping off. His light felt like a dying sun. A piece of glass lay beside him. He couldn’t even get up and look at his reflection to pity himself. He could only lie down, staring above at the same sky that watched him dance and almost die. He wouldn’t even cry his own name. Using the bathroom was an even more humiliating matter.

Buizel walked past. He caught Volbeat in his peripheral. Whoever did this to him must have had a lot of hatred in their heart. Unable to move, in constant pain. Buizel scratched his head. He couldn’t imagine not being able to move. But just then, he heard him chirp. His head guided to the piece of a glass.

Buizel picked it up. He was confused. Did Volbeat want to see what happened? He was hesitant, but he kept insisting. Buizel angled it towards Volbeat. Everything about him was destroyed, gone. What was he? A let down? Did Buizel really save him? His chest caved as Buizel held the mirror, becoming unsettled. He almost let out a tear in pity, but he stifled it.

He lay awake one night. The pain wouldn’t let him sleep. The charred bowtie lay next to him. Even with the layers of the smell of charred fabric, Illumise’s sweet scent lay dormant. It wasn’t strong, but for a second, it felt like she was there. But only for a second. For all the times he felt humiliation having a charitable pokemon clean his own eye pus, or the embarrassment of not holding a spark, she wasnt there. He wanted to scream, but screaming would cause his heart to rebel and scream in pain. Killing him would be an act of charity.

He didn’t feel like a pokemon, much less like a Volbeat. He wouldn’t blame Illumise if she moved on. A real pokemon would have taken it, would have been strong enough to fight back. He didn’t even see his attacker. He was just shot down like an insignificant projectile.

He remembered how even though she felt a little tired, he insisted. Was his insistence the death of him? The betrayal of her? There were plenty other forests, but it just had to be that one cliff. Because that was where she kissed him that day. And it all turned into dust. That cliff was a nightmare to him now

Nightmares

Ever since the fall, the two pokemon never really knew peace in the immediate aftermath. The two would have nightmares of the incident. In Volbeat’s sleep, he would constantly be tormented with the sound of his eye squelching. In one dream, he woke up in a meadow of flowers that smelled exactly like her sweet scent. But soon, a storm came. The flowers wilted, and all he could smell was burning. And then, a thunderbolt from the sky hit him. The last thing he saw was the brightness. He opened his eyes and tried to hop out of the makeshift bed made for him in the Buizel Sanctuary, but he couldn’t move. He could only lie paralyzed, thinking about what had happened to him

Meanwhile, Illumise could barely sleep. Whenever she did, she was plagued by nightmares. In one instance, she dreamed she was adjusting Volbeat’s bowtie as his light glowed excitedly. She then looked up, and saw it. His eye hanging, his face burnt, his open mouth with tounge hanging, the wilted bowtie. She jumped back, and soon, Volbeat’s light grew brighter and brighter until it became a sudden flash. She rose up so high she almost hit the ceiling

Two halves. Separated by distance. United by the light.

The Rise

Three days had passed since his fall from the cliff. His body ached, yet his heart still rang in defiance. It wanted to preserve itself. He opened his eyes to a Floatzel, who evolved from the Buizel that rescued him after battle practice, holding a berry in his hand. Volbeat opened his mouth, biting into the berry. Just then, his limbs felt more free. He twitched his paw, which responded to his command. He couldn’t believe it. It reached to Floatzel’s paws, who pulled him up. Pain jolted across his body, but the miracle of rising after three days was overwhelming. Volbeat looked down. He was indeed standing on his two legs. The whole sanctuary cheered

He tried to fly, but his misshapen wings betrayed him as each attempt flung him into a tree or a bush. He tried to light up, but only for one second before his light silenced. He began to grow stronger as he recovered, and his will to live grew. He held the singed bowtie in his hand, trying to extract Illumise’s scent. He knew one thing-he had to go home. Even if it hurt every step of the way, even if his heart couldn’t take it, he couldn’t let Illumise suffer any longer.

After a week of training, he set off on his journey. Floatzel awaited him at the entrance. He knew that there was something Volbeat longed for, and he vowed to escort Volbeat safely. And so the two set off on a journey home.

They traveled through dense forests and streams. Through rain and hot sun. Through rural landscapes and the bustle of cities. A Trubbish appeared out of nowhere and hurled toxic sludge at Floatzel. Volbeat instinctively used tail glow. The warning light pushed Trubbish away. His light was coming back, Volbeat was sure of it.

At one point, they sat down to rest during the night. Flying was a pain. But he must practice for when he returns and asks for a dance. Would it be a flashy barrel roll? Maybe not. All he could muster was a simple spin. He teetered on one foot, trying to spin like a top. And then he crashed into a rock. It dug into his back. But for a moment, that pain was voided.

He saw the purple of the sky. It reminded him of Illumise’s shade. Two stars lay next to each other. It looked almost like her eyes. And for a moment, a gust swept the tattered bowtie, carrying the scent of charred fabric and her sweet scent. But in that moment, the hint of her sweet scent was overwhelming.

It took him back to the exact forest they danced in for the first time. All those dances, those travels and performances - they were not worthless. He couldn’t let them lose meaning by letting his own life lose meaning. He needed to make sure that those memories would continue on, even with his body that desperately needed to be repaired

Repair

The next day, a flock of Spearow saw Volbeat alone. They dove after him. Volbeat tried flying and running. He barely covered a few meters before he hit the ground. Floatzel, from behind, used water gun on the Spearow. Some scattered, the rest chased after Floatzel. He resisted the attacks, but it took a physical toll. He fainted.

Volbeat found his tired body. He needed to take him to a pokemon center, so he dragged him for miles. Although his legs could barely support his own body, Volbeat needed to repay his debt to Floatzel, for being with him at his lowest. Nurse Joy, on her rounds with Chansey, saw the poor Volbeat dragging his companion. “Oh my, what happened to you guys?” She then took them to the center. She had her Chansey take care of Floatzel immediately; she needed to focus on Volbeat’s injuries. If left untreated, they could be fatal.

She excised the eye wound and treated the open cuts with antibiotics. She stitched up the torn wings with synthetic material that could hold. Emergency surgery had to be performed in order to treat his weak heart after being shocked, with a synthetic pacemaker being installed. His tail light was reinvigorated with synthetic chemicals.

But in the anesthesia, he muttered to himself, reaching for someone he was seemingly talking to, Illumise. He woke up, feeling new. He wasn’t in constant pain anymore, although it would still come back in flashes. He could fly, albeit not proficiently. He almost felt like his old self.

Come nightfall, he realized how close he was to Illumise. He prepared to exit the doors, but Nurse Joy saw him prepare to walk out. “Hey! You still need more rest.” Volbeat nodded his head at her. As if to say this was a burning desire. Nurse Joy was taken aback by his insistence. That moment when he was under the anesthesia. He was clearly on some sort of quest. She sighed, understanding the weight of the situation. “Is someone special waiting for you?” He nodded yes. She patted his shoulder. “Just remember, if the pain gets too much to fly, then take a break, ok?” He nodded once more, watching her walk away. But before exiting the doors, he said his farewells to Floatzel. With a handshake, the two went their separate ways.

And so Volbeat, with his newly repaired wings, took to the night sky. The occasional draft shook him off course, but he always regained composure - for his one true love. He flied past familiar landscapes. He could feel it - she was close. He hoped she was alright, that she wouldn’t forget him. But was she alright? He had hoped their love wasn’t desecrated by tragedy, marred and thrown into the trash

Chapter 14: Act IV of Forever and Ever

Desecration

Back in Erikson’s lab, he looped the tape of the fall. “Aww, see how nice she looked when she did that little twirl around fat boy. Too bad he doesn’t have a fucking mouth to speak anymore, thanks to you Magnezone” He turned to the hovering Pokemon. “You know, I don’t have to go find that thing and monitor it to see if the slag obeyed my words. I know she will heel. She is so weak minded, so pathetic. She couldn’t win in a fight, so she accepted slavery.” Erikson would replay the tape every time he felt insecurity. This moment would empower him because it was the moment he felt in total control. That was what it was about. Dominance.

He then watched the moment he made Illumise dance. “See, this is like a grade A snuff film. She’ll carry this moment with her, forever. I’d imagine using the bathroom would take hours. Heh, there’s barely any energy in it. I don’t think she likes me! I give it a 3 for effort, but a 8 for rewatchability.”

Erikson reached into his pocket for smokes, until he realized he was clean out. “Shit! I thought I could bum one more.” He didn’t feel like spending money, but then, he saw the pendant hanging about. He had an idea.

He took the pendant and removed the photo, keeping it in his pocket, driving off to a pawn shop. Erikson walked in, red eyed from a lack of sleep. But that didn’t stop him from feeling satisfaction for what he was going to do. He walked up to the attendant.

“Hey bud! How would you like to take this pendant off of my hands?”

The attendant peered at the emblem. “V+I forever? I don’t mean to intrude, but what happened man?”

“Well man, it was a bad situation. Let’s just say it involved some heartbreak. Forever might have been an unnecessary addition for what happened that night.”

This man might have a screw loose. The attendant didn’t want to push it. “Well, see man, it’s got a very distinctive pattern on the front. V + I Forever. That’s a pretty specific clientele that would want it. But I do have to admit, it is pretty decent craftsmanship.”

He looked over it, examining the material. Just then, he saw something odd. The heart shaped pattern was made up of tiny Pokeballs. Who was this for? Either that man’s girl was obsessed with Pokemon, or something weird happened. He held up the pendant. Why was it so light? He didn’t want to raise any alarms.

Erikson began to look irritated. “So, what’s it gonna be?”

“I can’t deny, there is great attention to detail on this piece. Lot of emotions behind it. But why the light?”

“Let’s just say they lit up the room, or at least used to.”

This man was weird. “Aha. Well, maybe some customer might appreciate the gimmick. But this is a pretty good piece. I’ll give it 50 just for how much attention was put into it.”

That pendant was commissioned by Elena for 100 dollars. It was made with love. Cold, hard steel fashioned into something Illumise could carry close to her heart. But Erikson couldn’t care about the value of the pendant. Only the opposite.

“Matter fact man, just give me that pack of smokes you got.”

“Dude, seriously? You could do better. Maybe even get it in cash and buy some better quality smokes, a few beers, and a pizza.”

“I like that brand.” Erikson’s voice became a silent growl. “It’s shitty, like this love. Just consider it charity for what I’m doing. I’m basically giving you money

What was going on? “Well man, sure. Take these smokes then. They’re like 7 dollars.”

“Good enough, my man!” Erikson began to snicker as he walked out of that store. He had essentially desecrated something of priceless value, spat on their token of love. He then had an idea. He took the photo and lit it, lighting the cigarette with it. It was terrible. But the feeling of spitting on love’s face with tobacco infused saliva? Priceless.

He returned home, muttering to himself “V+I equals Never!” He went back to rewatching the tape. He then paused the instant the thunderbolt relented and zoomed in on Volbeat’s face. “Yeah, look at me. You piece of shit. That’s what you get for being weak in my world. Fucking worm. IF YOU CANT FIGHT, THEN DIE!!!” He stood up on the chair. He relived it, the dominance he felt. He then spat on the monitor. “That’s what i think of your love, you fucking bastard. I win. You lose. One eyed freak. And if you somehow live? I’ll sniff you out and exert my dominance on your pathetic worm self for a thousand lifetimes.”

Dominance

Ever since her accident at the cliff. Illumise feared going to the bathroom. Even doing something as simple as that brought back immediate pain and memories from witnessing the incident. She would urinate, and then remember the words. “Aww, did buggy have an accident?” It was natural to urinate, but Erikson twisted it into a form of dominance. She feared she was being watched, being recorded.

One day, she mustered the strength to go into the bathroom alone. But the sound of the faucet dripped outside. She associated the sounds of the drip with that of Volbeat’s laughter as he slipped on a bar of soap, taking out the towel rack, him writing their initials on the mirror. She could still see it after a hot shower. They could once laugh, be free. Now, there is only pain.

Eventually, she had to go. But she visibly shook while doing so. Before, peeing was something normal, but it now felt like a violation. The sound of the lightbulb hummed and flickered, it was just like Volbeat’s taillight when he went out. Why did everything have to remind her of what he lost? She then began to cry, shaking even more. Her ribs began hurting again. She instinctively tried releasing her sweet scent as a defense mechanism, but remembered. “And do not release that awful smell.” She began to cry even more; she felt incredible humiliation for something that was normal

Illumise couldn’t dance. Didn’t. She remembered his words. Dancing got Volbeat killed, and she didn’t want to die, despite the misery she felt. Her daily life became bleak. Getting up was a challenge. Eating was an even bigger challenge. But she had to get up to go to the cliff, to see if there was any hope of his return. She would only hover there, but one day - she felt brave. She decided to hum a note, and soon it turned into a song. She unconsciously released her scent, even closing her eyes. But then, she rotated, turned. She opened her eyes mid rotation. She realized, she did everything Erikson told her not to. She began to tremble as the breeze hit her face. And then, she felt the need to urinate.

She quickly flew back, trying to avoid further humiliation as if Erikson had been chasing her. Although the windowsill was closed, she went through the attic window. That was the only place she could bear to be. Even her bedroom felt unsafe because it brought too many memories of Volbeat. All that lay in the attic was a mattress and a TV. She then discovered it. A stash of tapes from when the two participated in concerts.

Out of curiosity, she wanted to see herself dancing again. It took a while to work the TV, but eventually, she was able to pop the cd in. She watched as music play - the same music that set the backdrop for their first place win. She looked so confident as she twirled and twisted across the stage, but that was because she had his light to follow. She was moved to tears, mourning not just Volbeat, but this part of her life where she could dance free.

Elena could hear the music. She recognized it. She needed to do something, Illumise was getting worse by the day. She climbed up, seeing Illumise ponder upon the moment the two waved at the crowd. That was the only thing they expressly choreographed that day, ironically.

She had to say something. “You know, I was so proud of you guys that day. Illumise, dancing didn’t kill him, and neither did you. It was simply an act of cruelty.” She thought back to her actions, how they were so specific. It seemed far fetched to her, but could it be it was because of a human being? Only a human could have the capability to inflict that degree of fear and pain in anything. She then tried thinking back to the night, if there was anything that struck him down. She remembered how Illumise flinched and broke down at the crack of lightning one time. Did electricity take him out?

There were certainly no thunderstorms at that moment it happened; it was going to come later in the night. If he had been electrocuted, it was because of some other pokemon. But electric pokemon were rare here, and they certainly couldn’t produce an attack that large to shoot him down. And even if they were, then there was no way they could attack unprompted. It must be a trainer’s pokemon that did it. They were targeted.

“Was there a human there?” Illumise shook her head up and down, eyes in tears. “Well, whoever did that must have been so pathetic that they felt the need to hurt an innocent pokemon that only liked to dance. They might have scared dance and scent out of you, but you have loyalty. That’s the one thing that person doesn’t have over you. You go there every day to see if he has returned. That’s faith. Do not let that faith die.”

As she began to walk out, she had to say one last thing. “Hey, think of Volbeat. He would love to see you dance, he surely wouldn’t want to see you like this. Just keep him in your memory. Don’t think of the moment he died, think of all the moments you two were happy. Remember, you truly lose if you give up. Thats what that person didn’t account for.” As she left, Illumise rewinded the tape. She went back to the moment they did a simple shuffle. And then, she replicated it. Slowly, but surely. She hoped she could dance like she used to

Hope

One night, Illumise returned to the cliff. She remembered her trainer’s words, that giving up would mean she truly lost. She couldn’t afford to let this part go, it was all she knew. But a part of her felt that this ritual would always result in disappointment. She didn’t understand why she would come to the scene of tragedy.

Then she thought of Elena’s words. Could it be to take back a part she had lost? She lost Volbeat, but she had also lost a part of her soul. It wasn’t just her relationship, her love, but her own identity. She only knew to dance and love. Tragedy was never something she had known until now. All she felt was sadness. And now, she felt anger. Anger at Erikson, anger at the world, and even anger at herself. And soon, she resisted.

She screamed loud. She punched the tree. And then - she did it. For the first time in a while, she released her scent. The scent was powerful, spreading across the grassy landscape, even bringing flowers to bloom.

She collapsed from exhaustion. That smell wasn’t something she could recognize. It was almost bitter. It was supposed to be sweet, the way Volbeat liked. Did she fail? She balled up in tears. She couldn’t be angry. She didn’t know how to. But then, a tear pelted the petals of a delicate flower. It was beautiful, rare. It was just like their love. Volbeat would have been obsessed with this flower. She needed to protect it.

She took it back home, placed it center in the garden. The trainer had tried maintaining it, but without Volbeat’s help, it became a bit disheveled. Illumise knew she couldn’t ever recover from the pain of losing Volbeat, but she could recover from the pain of losing her identity. Volbeat would have wanted that

But over time, her confidence began to wane as she visited for weeks on end and saw nothing. What if he was alive and ignoring her? Did he blame her? She soon became angry again, but at Volbeat. She screamed loud. But she didn’t release her scent this time. Volbeat wouldn’t come even if he smelt it. And then, anger turned into gradually building apathy. She still had to continue this tradition because she had the subconscious instinct that he was alive, but it had began to lose the emotional significance it once had. She didn’t even want to look at his pictures. She was even considering giving up.

One day, she felt that it was pointless. The anger. The sadness. She loved Volbeat so dearly, and she couldn’t give that up. But she needed to find her soul again. She didn’t want to abandon Volbeat. If he was here, he would know what to do. He could recover what was lost, repair it like that pendant. But could it be truly repaired? Could it be?

Chapter 15: Act V of Forever and Ever

Could it Be?

Eventually, he reached a familiar cliff, the stage of tragedy. He spotted Illumise, hovering near the edge like she always did. Her scent was fading away. She looked disheveled. She wasn’t eating as much. Hope was forlorn. Hope. That was what he felt the first time in the forest, the first expression he saw on Illumise’s face. But now, it was absent.

Volbeat was devastated seeing his Illumise in melancholy. He had to do something. He tried with all his might to flash a spark, to hold a familiar light. The first spark failed. The second could only hold for three seconds. He thought of the powerlessness he felt that day, the powerlessness he felt waking up from the river. And now, he felt powerless not being able to save her. He needed to take what he lost back. His one eye glared with determination. And with one spark it shined bright, brighter than he anticipated. Brighter than the one day he shined his light as an emergency beacon for his old trainer. Brighter than the day he was struck. Illumise felt the light shine on her back. Could it be? Could it be that same light she remembered? That light she noticed in the forest that day? That light wasn’t a thunderbolt come to punish her for having hope. It felt like a signal of hope.

She turned around. She saw him. With all his strength, he flew up and to her. Even though his body had been devastated, Illumise saw her true love. She saw past the missing eye, the burnt face, the tattered mane, the stitches and the unhealed scars. She saw him.

Volbeat tried to do a familiar dance, the one he did in the forest. The turn made him wince in pain. Illumise caught him, held him. She stepped back, closed her eyes, and spun. And just then, she made the conscious choice to spray her scent, creating a pink mist in the sky. It was bittersweet. She was regaining her essence, her comfort, her sweetness.

Illumise took his hands, guided him. They only hovered side to side. It may have been a simple dance, but the moment felt intense - to both of them. They finally reunited. It wasn’t flashy, nor dramatic. It was just there. She saw him. He saw her. She had him. And he had her. They were together, again.

And suddenly, Volbeat took her and kissed her on the cheek. She was stunned. What passion he had. He must have been waiting for this moment for ages. She returned it and hugged him, resulting in a long and passionate embrace between the little bugs.

Eriksons words no longer had power over her. It didn’t matter anymore when her true love finally came back. Volbeat did the impossible, live. So, she did what she felt was the impossible. She finally smiled, finally loved again. She danced like nobody was watching. And she released that sweet scent. Erikson tried to take away their identities - he failed.

They then flew back home, together. Their trainer still grieved Volbeat. But she didn’t expect to see him again. The two flew into that familiar windowsill. The trainer got up. She expected one little bug pokemon, but she was greeted with two eager little critters.

“Whoa! It’s you! You’re alive!” She embraced the Volbeat. Volbeat embraced her back. Soon, the three would embrace each other in a long hug. After all the obstacles, all the tragedy, their old life finally seemed to return, readjust to their pace.

Readjustment

The Volbeat and Illumise began to dance more and more. Volbeat adjusted to his old rhythm as he traced familiar arcs in the sky. He still felt pain, but he felt safe knowing he was with Illumise. Somedays, the pain felt so insurmountable that he couldn’t get out of bed. But he always had Illumise to get him up.

He hobbled out one day to see how his garden fared. Most of the root vegetables had died, save for one flower. It was precious, rare, protected. But he had to fix his garden. He tried walking over to a patch of crops he once spotted. But then, he tripped. It wasn’t because of some injury, it was because of a misplaced rock. He tried getting up, fast. He couldn’t risk being seen as pathetic. But just as he tried pushing off the ground with his arms, Illumise and Elena rushed to help him. He appreciated the help, but he felt pitied. Elena spoke up. “You know, I respect you a lot, Volbeat. You have nothing to be ashamed about. You crawled through that cliff to return to Illumise. We all fall, but there is no shame in getting picked back up.”

Volbeat came to realization. He hadn’t fought for much, but he fought for love, and that was greater than any trainer battle he could have fought. He then guided the two to the patch, where they plucked fruit, flowers, and vegetables to plant. He was hurt and couldn’t kneel for prolonged periods, but he felt safe knowing Illumise and Elena were here to help. He guided them. Illumise’s pattern making, Elena’s dexterity and Volbeat’s knowledge created something better than he anticipated. It was beautiful, spacious too. What had died off grew back. The flower lay in the center. He felt comfortable keeping it there, for everyone to see. It was a flower for him, for Illumise, for Elena, for Elliot and for everyone in the world. It stood solo, proudly

Solo Act

To honor his courage, a dance contest was held for him. Many pokemon came from all around town to dance and perform. Some moments were emotional, some made the crowd laugh. After tragedy, it was good to feel anything but disdain.

It would be time for Volbeat and Illumise’s act. But she stepped back. Volbeat was stunned. Wasn’t he dancing fine? Did she not want to dance? Then she blew him a kiss, and guided him to the entrance, as if to say he must let his own light shine. He was stunned. A solo dance? But Illumise’s look was more and more pleading. He couldn’t say no to that face. He obliged and flew out.

He did a cartwheel, but almost slipped. The embarrassment was negated by the clapping, the cheering. He didn’t have his signature bowtie, but he did have her. He answered the crowd’s demands with a tail glow, followed with a signal beam that reflected across strategically placed mirrors.

As he rocketed around the stage, he traced out letters. First a V. Then a plus sign. Then an I. And then, he went into a mobius strip pattern. Infinity. Forever. And ever.

Illumise was moved. He didn’t plan this out. It was all spontaneous. It was better than any fight, any battle. It was vulnerable, lovely. It was him. Alone. Battling it out with the open space

In Volbeat’s mind, his choreography was meant to be a rebuttal to a world that tried to silence him, a passport of entry to a world that opened their arms for him. He was asserting who he was. A lover. A dancer. A Volbeat. An alive Volbeat. Dance, love, expression, light, they were his redeemer

Redeemer

One day, the trainer found something unfamiliar. She picked up the oval shaped object. It was an egg her Illumise had produced. Recently, she noticed her Illumise’s belly swelling a bit, her mood changing as well. This must have been the reason. A beautiful one at that. Life, which had been cruelly suppressed, has been manifested.

She built a makeshift incubator in the shed to protect the egg. At times, Illumise would sneak out early morning to spend time with it. She thought it would be an Illumise, just like her. She dreamt about teaching it how to fly, how to dance and spin, and how to release her own sweet scent. She also wanted to teach her how brave her father was. She never wanted her child to know the horrors they faced.

One day, under the beautiful night sky, under the two dancing in arcs and parabolas above it, it hatched. A tiny Illumise crawled out of the shell. It had the loyalty of her mother and the courage of her father. Volbeat picked up the curious thing. He swore to protect her, forever and ever.

The young Illumise was a curious creature. She could barely walk, but she dreamt of flying. Volbeat could only look with pride. She was delicate, but she had spirit like no other. He could not let that spirit be crushed. And so, he tried to show her how to fly. He was able to do elegant loops, but the breeze pushed him back and he fell into a small pond.

The water was everywhere. He started to think back to the fall. He was barely conscious during the plunge, when his body had been broken and shocked, but he could only feel pain and submersion when it happened. He almost relived it until he popped his eyes out and saw his child, looking with interest.

His baby was his triumph. That fall, that plunge, it was in the past. He leapt out and did a somersault. Impressed, the baby clapped, jumping and wings fluttering until they could catch a drift.

Volbeat was amazed. She could fly for the first time. And then, she began to circle around him. He was flustered. He had to show this to his family. He ran out, the fluttering Illumise chasing him. Illumise and Elena couldn’t believe it. Everyone celebrated. Their love had been tested, but they resisted, bearing fruit and self discovery.