Day 129 | A wild Trainer appears!

[gianthobo]

Who: AZ and open.
Open: Yep.
When: Day 129
Where: Near the entrance to the Skyway, then wandering around. He's nine feet tall, though, so he's pretty noticeable.
What: AZ and his Pokemon arrive at the Bastion.
Format: Either.
Warnings: Pokemon X/Y spoilers.


[Waking up in strange places isn't a new thing for AZ. He doesn't stay in one place anyway - he hasn't for a long time. But waking up on a floating chunk of rock is different, enough that he looks around in confusion. After a few moments of contemplation, he stands and looks around.]

[There's something in the distance. His pokeballs at his belt are secure, including - ... yes. She's there. He can practically feel her through the smooth material of the pokeball. With a faint smile, he starts trudging towards the light in the distance.]

[It takes a while, but he gets there. His large stride makes it easy to cover the distance. The abyss around the path makes him uneasy, so he keeps his partners in their pokeballs. Once he steps onto the Bastion, he lets them out to explore - a giant turtle, a large golem, a strange bird-like thing, and after a bit of hesitation, a small fairy. The first three start wandering around, but the fairy floats up to the man's shoulder and hovers there. He doesn't say anything, but he starts walking, looking around at what there is to see.]

Comments

[gianthobo]

[She floated over to his hand, hovering above it. AZ nodded slightly at the Zoroark, acknowledging his defensiveness. He felt the same way about Floette. The little fairy giggled a bit.]

[You don't have to be so tense, friend. I think things will be all right. I'm Floette! What's your name?]

[AZ relaxed slightly - he could tell that she didn't think he was a bad person. He trusted her judgement more than he trusted his own right now.]

Floette...

[unwrittenformula]

[Zoroark let out a slightly annoyed chuff at her.

I am not tense...

Except that he was and now he's trying to cover for that fact. He does relax a little, though, and moves closer to N's side.]

I'm N. This is Zoroark. It's very nice to meet you, Floette.

[gianthobo]

[Floette giggled again at Zoroark.]

[Silly... it's nice to meet you too! This is AZ.]

[Her tone grew soft as she spoke again.]

[Please be very gentle with him.]

[Az tilted his head slightly, curious as to what was going on. It seemed almost like...]

You can understand her?

[unwrittenformula]

[The comment from Floette earned a faint smile, and N responded to her non-verbally.

I understand. I will be.

After that he turned his gaze up to the much taller man, nodding.]

I can understand the hearts of all Pokemon, even ones I have never met before.

[gianthobo]

... I see. That's... very -

[He catches himself. 'Useful' sounds like he's regarding the other as a tool.]

... That's a... a very wonderful skill. My name is AZ.

[We've known each other for a very long time.]

[The little fairy hovered up to AZ's shoulder again, smiling.]

What... is this place, exactly?

[unwrittenformula]

[N didn't seem to notice the catch, not enough to glean anything from it anyway. He nodded in understanding to Floette before answering.]

It's simply called The Bastion. It's a safe haven for those who have been lucky enough to survive an incident called the Calamity. Whatever happened during it, it caused destruction to many worlds.

[gianthobo]

But... but the weapon...

[Floette nuzzles his cheek.]

[It wasn't the weapon. They stopped it...]

I don't... know of anything else that could cause destruction like that...

[unwrittenformula]

The weapon?

[N looked between the two of them curiously, and a mite worried on top of that.]

[gianthobo]

[Floette suddenly looked panicked, shaking her head.]

[You don't have to tell him...]

... The weapon. Ah...

A terribly long time ago... there was a man and a Pokemon. He loved that Pokemon very much. A war began. The man's beloved Pokemon took part in the war, because he was the king and so he had to sacrifice for the good of the country. Several years passed.

[He went quiet for a few moments, before speaking again.]

He... he was given a tiny box. The man wanted to bring the Pokemon back. No matter what it took. The man built a machine to give it life. Using it required the life force of many Pokemon, and so he used a Pokemon who stole the life force from beings around it in order to power the machine.

[Floette shook, trying not to cry.]

... But he brought his beloved Pokemon back. Even still... the man had suffered too much. His rage had not subsided. He could not forgive the world that had hurt the Pokemon he loved. He turned the machine into the ultimate weapon. The man became a bringer of destruction that ended the war, decimating both sides.

The Pokemon that was given life must have known... that the lives of many Pokemon were taken to restore its life. The resurrected eternal Pokemon left the man's side. The man was surprised and sad. He had revived it so they could be together...

Day after day passed, but they were never to meet. Eventually, he became a mere shell of a man. A man condemned to wander forever by the light of the weapon... and a Pokemon that also wanders eternally...

[Floette whimpered softly, and AZ raised his hand to stroke the back of her head gently.]

Floette... please don't cry...

[unwrittenformula]

... I've read this tale before.

[N stared at the man, quizzically, curiously yet piecing together parts of the equation that were left verbally unstated. Their reactions, and their emotions spoke of more than just a legend, but of truths deep within their hearts.

Truth, and pain.]

Tell me... how does it end for the king and his beloved Pokemon friend?

[gianthobo]

That part... isn't written in any book. It took a very long time for him to get over his anger. Eventually though, he met a hero and his friends. They showed the man just what could happen when people and Pokemon unite their hearts against someone who wants to destroy everything.

The Pokemon saw that the man's heart had been touched, and returned to him.

[Floette nodded a little bit at the words, and let AZ cradle her gently in his hands.]

[I knew you'd come back...]

[unwrittenformula]

[Though not the same, it reminded him a little of how Hilda had showed him a new truth of the world.]

I'm glad to hear that it has a happy ending, even if it may never be written in any book.

[N smiled a little, but it faltered when his mind returned to the issue at hand - that being the Bastion and what happened to their worlds.]

I'm not sure what to tell you about this place. Whatever happened to pull us here and to destroy other worlds started from this one, not an place that we hail from.

There has been destruction, yes, and more than of us could ever have imagined, but now all we can do is rebuild from here and hope for the best.

[gianthobo]

... I can help. I... know rebuilding after destruction. My skills may be a bit outdated, but I will do what I can to help.

[unwrittenformula]

Then you're already better off than I am. "Survival after world destruction" wasn't exactly in my father's training for me...

[Bitter tone much, N?]

[gianthobo]

... I can help you learn, if you would like.

[unwrittenformula]

I'm not sure how much good I'll be at it, but I would be willing to try.

[gianthobo]

Even that is enough. I can't teach someone not willing to try, after all.

[unwrittenformula]

Of course.

[N nods in agreement, pondering something for a moment before speaking again.]

There's another trainer here with me. Hilda, from Unova.

[gianthobo]

Unova... I haven't been there in a long time.

What... is she like?

[unwrittenformula]

Kind... optimistic. New to the world, but she's smart enough to make her way in it.

Honestly, she's one of the best trainers I've ever met. Her treatment of Pokemon is nothing less than compassionate. They are her friends as much as they are her team.

[Wow N gush more]

[gianthobo]

It sounds like you care about her a lot.

[He remembers that feeling. Vaguely.]

[unwrittenformula]

She showed me the error of my ways, several times over. I wouldn't be who I am now without her. She may deny it, but I was heading down a very painful road when she came in to my life and I would still be on it if not for her involvement in it.

[gianthobo]

... I understand that feeling.

[That boy... the power of his bonds with his Pokemon and his friends was what let him start to leave the fog of hatred and sorrow behind.]

[unwrittenformula]

You've been in the same situation, haven't you?

[N isn't all that good with people, but for some reason he can sense and understand AZ a lot better than he can others.

Probably because they are so damn similar. Hell, AZ could have been what N might have become, if certain people hadn't come along...]

[gianthobo]

Yes. I... could not understand the bonds between people and Pokemon anymore, or between people. Some young people showed me differently, though.

'I saw. And that's how I knew he would be okay.'