Act 2: Chapter 26

Later that night, after Zinnia has proven Lee and Brendan round their new residence for the subsequent few weeks, and after everybody has agreed they’d all merely calm down and settle in for the day, Brendan finds himself mendacity in his mattress with most of his pokemon of their balls.

There are 4 particular person bedrooms within the hillside hut, and each is homey, although small. Regardless, it provides every of the trainers and their groups a spot for some privateness, and a spot for them to replicate on their ideas quietly, which is precisely what Brendan is doing.

Mendacity on the mattress along with his arms behind his head, Brendan stares up on the ceiling, thoughts whirling with the revelations of the previous hour. With him is Marshtomp, who’s sitting on the mattress only a foot away, his again leaning towards the wall. Like Brendan, the Water-type is silent and misplaced in thought.

One other world.

No pokemon.

Loss of life.

Rebirth.

It is a story that anybody would label as insane drivel, nevertheless it got here from Lee’s mouth with no stutter or a misstep, without delay really easy to consider, and but completely inconceivable.

For a second, Brendan tries to think about himself in Lee’s place, and it is merely inconceivable. The boy’s pores and skin breaks out into goosebumps, and he rubs his arms to ward away an invisible chill.

To lose every part

Brendan tries to think about himself in his older pal’s footwear as soon as extra, bereft of his mates, his household, his pokemon, and every part else he had ever recognized. He even visualizes the world round him that could be a imprecise parody of all that he is aware of.New novel chapters are revealed on

The chilly that blooms inside his abdomen is gradual and cloying, creeping outward till it seizes his limbs in a paralytic grip. The boy’s power appears to fail him, and the sunshine from the window grows uninteresting. His eyes sting with unshed tears.

Brendan is aware of many sturdy males. His father, Norman Maple, Steven Stone (even when their assembly in Lavaridge was transient), and others.

However for enduring such distress for Arceus is aware of how lengthy, Lee has handily taken the primary spot on Brendan’s checklist.

“Maaa?”

Brendan is startled out of his introspection when Marshtomp takes discover of his trembling. The mudfish pokemon ranges his coach with a frightened gaze and lays a broad hand over Brendan’s arm, stilling his tremors.

“Heh” Brendan smiles. “Don’t fret about me, pal. Simply performing some pondering, is all. You seem like you are doing the identical.”

Marshtomp nods absently. “Ma, gurah gamp?” he croaks, taking a look at Brendan with an unplaceable expression.

The younger coach’s gaze softens. “Yeah. I do not know what I might do with out you, or Breloom, or Mawile and Electrike,” he says, laying his head again and searching on the ceiling as soon as extra. The sensation of chilly returns. “I do not assume I might deal with it so effectively.”

Every certainly one of Brendan’s pokeballs shake, and in a near-synchronized flash, all of them pop open, releasing all of his pokemon concerning the mattress.

Brendan blinks the flash from his eyes and makes to take a seat up. “Hey, what are you guys-!”

He cannot fairly end as every certainly one of his pokemon piles on prime of him in a disorganized hug: Mawile on his chest, Electrike throughout his legs, and Breloom with a clawed hand laid throughout his shoulder.

Progressively, Brendan’s shock morphs into a smile, and he tugs Marshtomp into the hug with a free hand.

“Guys?” begins the Birch inheritor, “if something ever occurs and we will not be collectively anymore, let’s promise we’ll be glad for all of the stuff we did collectively, and never be unhappy over the stuff we by no means acquired to do, okay?”

Every pokemon cuddles nearer, and Mawile can not help however burst into over-exaggerated tears.

He is a Faller.

Lee Henson is a Faller.

It neatly and plausibly explains every part. The unusual data, the gaps in his abilities, the refined accent, every part.

Zinnia stops pacing in her bed room of the hut for a second and appears down, confirming that she hasn’t worn a sample into the picket flooring but.

Off to the facet and standing guard in entrance of the door, Shelgon follows her along with his yellow eyes, dutifully watching.

Fallers are such an excruciatingly uncommon and dire phenomenon that few persons are even aware about the data of their existence. Oh, the idea of vacationers from one other world shouldn’t be a brand new one and is even a preferred plot in fiction, however precise, real Fallers are one other factor fully. All through all the historical past of the Draconid tribe, nobody has really interacted with one. Nobody may even verify they had been actual.

Till now.

I bear in mind, in no unsure phrases, that I burned to demise.

When Lee mentioned these phrases, Ninetales flinched, Grovyle bit down on his twig, and Corviknight seemed away.

Essentially the most telling, although, was Sylveon. Her sudden bout of violent sickness put to relaxation any ideas of doubt. A superb Draconid is aware of her enemies effectively, and Zinnia is effectively conscious of the touch-based empathy possessed by the pink dragonslayer. The Lorekeeper is not certain what’s worse Lee expertly hiding his true emotions on his demise, or really being that informal about it. Both method, it should have been like a psychological flash-bang to Sylveon.

If horror has a style, then it should be akin to bile, Zinnia decides. She swallows the sick that wishes to rise in her throat and begins to tempo as soon as extra, attempting to show her ideas to different issues.

Pokemon existed as fiction inside Lee’s world, and from the sound of it, it was fiction that he was keen on. Has every part been a one-to-one expertise? How a lot has modified from what he is aware of? Brendan requested if he was a personality within the tales, and now Zinnia can not help however surprise if she was a personality in any of these video video games or TV reveals.

‘I needed to have been, proper?’ she muses, rubbing the sting of her cloak between a forefinger and thumb. ‘Lee was startled after we first met, like he knew who I used to be. He knew concerning the Draconids, a minimum of.’

‘Oh, Dolittle is certainly getting grilled later.’

“I do know I am in a brand new world as a result of my previous one ended.”

Zinnia pauses as soon as extra, then walks to her mattress and gently sits down, staring down at her lap.

From his place by the door, Shelgon walks to Zinnia and settles himself on the ground subsequent to her, calmly leaning towards her knees.

“It is nearly like he is a Lorekeeper himself” Zinnia murmurs, reaching out and rubbing a hand throughout Shelgon’s cool, metallic shell. “The very, final of his variety. If one thing had been to occur to Dolittle, then that is it. The ultimate ember of a complete world is simply gone”

Shelgon says nothing, merely leaning into her knees a contact extra.

She may scarcely fathom it; to lose all of it and be dropped right into a world of childhood fairytales, solely to your redo to be threatened by the likes of Magma and Aqua. Being fully sincere with herself, the Lorekeeper does not assume she could be fairly as composed. No, she could be heading for the hills, determined to remain out of the best way and attempting to salvage what bits of her new life she may.

But as an alternative of working away, Lee has determined to face along with her and put every part on the road for the Draconid mission.

Zinnia’s hand wanders to the sting of Shelgon’s shell, her fingers calmly working over the sting. It is invisible to the bare eye, however she will be able to really feel it along with her fingers.

The shell, ever so barely, has begun to peel.

“Hoenn is my residence now. I am unable to, or fairly, will not go away you all behind. I’ve put all of the ghosts clinging to me to relaxation, together with Lee the common zookeeper. I am Lee the pokemon coach now.”

“We’ll get sturdy, Shelgon,” Zinnia murmurs, her eyes hardening and obtrusive holes within the wall. “We’ll be unstoppable, as a result of individuals like Lee, Brendan, and the remainder of the tribe want us to be. We’ll drag that meteor again into house ourselves if we have now to.”

Shelgon trembles, then factors his head skyward and roars.

Eyes of crimson, piercing as will be.

Mantle of gold, majestic as will be.

A fanged mouth talking, damning as will be.

In a void of neither gentle nor darkish.

‘You had been anticipating jealousy?’ Ninetales dryly finishes for him. The vixen licks her lips, her eyes locked on her crying, elder teammate. ‘There’s a half deep down that’s jealous, however I have been attempting to do as you do extra, and pondering of myself within the place of others. Have been I to lose the one most valuable to me, had been I to lose you’ She will’t end her sentence, a shiver working down her backbone and up every of her tails. ‘No. I don’t consider I might be effectively, both. I shall not begrudge Sylveon for partaking in your sympathy,’ she finishes, wanting away. ‘It’s as you thought earlier; none have what we have now, and upon reflection, it’s immature of me to be discontent whereas possessing such a treasure.’

Heat blooms inside Lee’s chest, and he provides her a proud smile. ‘You actually are the most effective, 9.’

The vixen clicks her tongue and shakes her head as if to wave away the reward, however she can’t conceal the swell of affection in her chest, or the insides of her ears blushing crimson.

Progressively, Sylveon’s tears start to stem, and like a water balloon with a gap poked in it, she deflates into an exhausted pink and white pile in Lee’s lap. Regardless of how limp she turns into, nevertheless, the grip of her ribbons stays tight.

Lee pats his latest pokemon on the again. “Higher?” he asks.

Sylveon nods lethargically, sniffling and rubbing her eyes along with her paw. She then lets out a long-suffering sigh and permits a distinctly rueful croon to bubble out of her throat, staring up at him all of the whereas.

‘9, can I get a translation? I am nonetheless not that good at studying her.’

‘She’s embarrassed to be doted upon by somebody younger sufficient to be her youngster.’

Lee grins and squeezes Sylveon. “Ah, do not let that hassle you,” he begins with a smile, “age does not imply a lot. Typically all you want is to be held and instructed it is going to be all proper. Would not matter who’s doing the holding.”

The fairy scoffs, however makes no transfer to drag away.

“Oh, and earlier than I overlook”

Sylveon seems up, as soon as extra assembly Lee’s eyes.

“In the event you’re ever feeling down, or uncertain, or simply need a hug for its personal sake, say one thing, okay?” Lee tells her. “Promise me. I would like you to be glad.”

Sylveon grimaces on the phrase “promise”. She seems round on the room, then to Ninetales, and again to Lee. She units her shoulders, and earlier than her sudden gathering of nerve can go away her, she nods her head, muttering two syllables underneath her breath.

Lee flinches on the feeling of static that coats Sylveon’s ribbons for a cut up second, and wonders what on the planet simply occurred. ‘Fairy nonsense, for sure. Are fairies humorous about guarantees or one thing?’

‘Such a factor wouldn’t shock me within the least,’ Ninetales thinks with a shake of her head.

‘Fantastic. That is one thing to bear in mind for later, then,’ Lee sends again. After pondering to himself, he smiles and comes up with a good way to finish this discuss on a optimistic word. “Sylvy? How about we provide you with grooming? I do know I gave you a as soon as over the primary evening you joined the crew, however I am speaking one thing good.”

Sylveon tilts her head, clearly contemplating the provide, and Lee does not miss the prickle of envy from Ninetales. Considering rapidly, Lee pivots the dialog round. “Actually, how about I deal with all the ladies of the crew to one thing particular? You, 9, and Shinx, after which we will transfer exterior for Corvi, Grovyle, and Octillery. Heck, we’ll make it an everyday factor so long as we’re right here, seeing as everybody goes to be working exhausting within the coming weeks. You deserve it.”

The metaphorical cloud hanging over Ninetales dissipates immediately, changed by open delight, and Shinx’s ball bursts open in a flash, depositing an excited, sparking kitten solely inches away.

Sylveon simply tilts her head as soon as extra.

When Lee mentioned “one thing particular”, he meant it.

He began 9, Sylvy, and Shinx off with full massages. He already is aware of what cats get pleasure from so Shinx was straightforward to show right into a purring puddle, and Ninetales was even simpler contemplating he is aware of her physique higher than his personal. Actually, he needed to prod the vixen’s thoughts along with his personal so she did not go to sleep. Sylveon proved to be an fascinating problem, as eeveelutions take traits from each canines and felines. Finally, although, Lee mapped her out effectively sufficient to get her to calm down.

The Draconid hut, fortunately, has working water, and 9, Sylvy, and Shinx every acquired a full, sizzling bathtub and thorough scrubbing. Sylveon needed to share 9’s traditional shampoo and conditioner, however even when each concoctions had been made for dense, fire-retardant fur, they had been loads mild sufficient to make use of on delicate Fairy pores and skin.

As their fur dried, Lee took the time to trim and file all of the claws between them, then lead them again to the bed room to complete every part off with a radical brushing.

Shinx’s coarse coat zapped and crackled because it was brushed with a fairly common pin brush, and a formidable quantity of shed held collectively by static was tossed within the waste bin. Sylveon’s brief, delicate, and velvety fur known as for a delicate bristle brush that Evelyn insisted Lee take – a present which he was now fairly glad he’d accepted.

Now, he is ending the three-hour-long process off with Ninetales. Her dense, silky fur requires a long-toothed slicker brush to get all the best way all the way down to her undercoat, and every move must be gradual and cautious, however leaves her fur glowing like gold. Being the biggest of the ladies, Ninetales is laid on the mattress along with her hind legs splayed out behind her, whereas Sylveon and Shinx occupy a nook of the mattress. Lee, in the meantime, stands over Ninetales, slowly working his method by way of her coat.

“When’s my flip?”

Lee friends over his shoulder, not lifting his arms from Ninetales’ again and leaving the brushing he promised half achieved.

Standing within the bed room doorway are Zinnia and Brendan, each of whom are watching the goings-on. Zinnia particularly zeroes in on Sylveon and Shinx.

The kitten is out chilly, snoozing away and cuddled into Sylveon’s facet. Her normally scruffy coat virtually shines within the daylight from the window.

Sylveon really seems glad. The smile on her face is small and fragile, and the colours of her coat are nonetheless a bit uninteresting, however they’re brighter than they had been only a few hours in the past. If it is not a mirrored image of the large quantity of progress she’s skilled in the present day, then Lee is not certain what’s.

Lee rolls his eyes and nods his head towards the pokeballs on his belt. “Once you’re keen to hang around in a tiny ball and choose fights with actually something on my behalf,” he says, addressing Zinnia, “then I will pamper you everytime you need.”

“Is that every one?” The Dragon tamer laughs and theatrically cracks her knuckles.

Ninetales huffs on the insinuation, however earlier than she will be able to consider one thing witty to say, Lee strikes the comb to her middle-most tail and renews his work, making the fox too torpid to hassle.

“So, I take it you guys have questions?” Lee begins, slowing all the way down to untangle a knot in his brush. He turns his eyes again to Ninetales.

“A number of,” Brendan admits, strolling in. He takes the chair from the small desk within the nook and sits in it backwards, resting his chin on the again.

Zinnia, in the meantime, follows after Brendan and seats herself on the sting of the desk itself.

“Shoot,” Lee says, ending 9’s center tail and shifting on to a different one.

“So these video games and TV reveals and every part,” Zinnia begins, lifting a hand and twirling her wrist in an not sure gesture. “How I suppose how correct had been they? I do know after we first met, you acknowledged me, so was I a personality in any of these items?”

“Hey, yeah! You by no means answered!” Brendan chimes in, leaning ahead excitedly. “Was I in any of them?”

Hesitating, Lee silently reaches out to Ninetales. ‘Love, your opinion?’

‘I foresee no hurt in informing them,’ Ninetales drowsily sends again, slowly blinking her crimson eyes. ‘As long as you remind them that fictional occasions don’t have any correlation to them as individuals.’

‘The ever smart kitsune all the time appears to have reply.’ Lee chuckles underneath his breath. “Sure, and no,” he says, sparing a glance to his pair of human mates. “I noticed a model of you, Zinnia, in a recreation I did not end, so past your identify and look, I did not really know who you had been after we met. For all I do know, the sport depiction was fully fallacious. I do know not one of the video games or something had any detailed historical past concerning the Draconid tribe like there’s right here, so any type of recreation depiction was in all probability fallacious, anyway.”

Beforehand unnoticed rigidity in Zinnia evaporates, and she or he folds her arms in her lap. “Huh. I suppose I really feel higher?” She shakes her head. “Ugh. Simply fascinated by that is bizarre.”

“As for you, Brendan” Lee regards the keen boy, questioning methods to put issues. “There wasn’t actually a canon depiction of you. There is a participant character in a number of of the video games that vaguely seems such as you, and I believe some model of you was in a number of of the comics, however there’s by no means been a one true ‘Brendan.’ You are fully distinctive.”

Brendan actually appears disenchanted. “So I wasn’t anybody vital?” he asks, slumping.

“Not what I mentioned.” Lee ranges Brendan with a agency stare. “You are the one and solely Brendan Birch. You might be what you make your self, no extra, no much less.”

The boy leans again with a blink. Reaching underneath his white hat, he scratches the again of his head with confusion, earlier than a realization appears to strike him. “Did you assume I used to be going to have some type of identification disaster as a result of I used to be in an extradimensional videogame?”

Lee freezes in brushing his fox for a split-second, however Brendan catches it, and overtly laughs, making Lee’s face burn.

“C’mon, Lee!” Brendan guffaws, throwing his head again in his mirth. “Of all of the issues to be frightened about, that is what you had been afraid of claiming?”

“Brendan, if everybody on the planet was as mature as you, there could be loads much less issues,” Lee grumbles. “No, you wish to know what I am actually afraid of? You bear in mind Ash Ketchum?”

Zinnia perks up. “Oak’s Lab Coach? What about him?”

“Would you consider me if I mentioned there is a non-zero likelihood that he’s some type of Arceus-blessed savior?” Lee asks, deadpan.

“I am sorry, what?”

“Now you are beginning to get why I fear.”