How we meet

Chapter 22

The mythical Pokemon sat with N across from them. Virizion wove the tail together. They crafted a set of vine dolls interwoven with flowers and moss to mimic the appearance of the people. With exquisite detail, they retold the story of the city. While the villages were starving and sick they were dangerously close to the mountain-dwelling of a long-forgotten dragon. For the most part, everything would have been fine if they hadn't started mining the mountains.
When Kyurem attacked, chasing the people from their homes, a woman and her child left to seek out the 4 swords.

The once-bustling villages had been almost completely wiped off the map. When the swords saw the displacement they worked together to carve out a new home to those who would accept it. Terrakion carved out the caves providing the main structure. Cobalion guarded the people as they fled. Kaldeo created a river that ran through the caves. Virizion took over the food and crops providing them with anything else they may need. They watched the village by themselves when the other three left to pursue their own goals. Before they left Cobalion had given Virizion a small silver bell with a single request.

"Give it to the human you trust the most.'' Then he left to continue with Kaldeo's training.

Virizion thought long and hard about who to give the bell to. They didn't come up with an answer for a very long time. When a person appeared in Virizon's slightly more personal garden than public, they recognized them. The same child that had sought them out had now grown up.

Over a few years, the pokemon and human grew close. Virizion had found the person to hold onto the silver bell. The human wore it tied around their neck with a smooth ribbon. When the bell rang a few weeks later Virizion ran; through caves and into the open forests where they laid motionless in the grass. A large Scolipede stood over them. Their body shook with labored breaths crying out when they tried to move away. Virizon attacked, placing themselves in between their trainer and the assailant.

The human survived the attack. They went on to give their life, guarding the city that was now abandoned. The silver bell was now dangling around Virizion's neck.

"They made it sound like they were some great protector who died in battle." Virizion laughed. "They got an infection from a nasty fall. Their leg went green and there was nothing we could do."

The silence was heavy and gloominess clung to their hearts. N sat there quiet as Virizion left. A pokemon as old as them has seen countless deaths and will see many more, yet N found himself grieving for a person he never knew.

In truth you weren't the trainer from the past. The carving was old and some of the features were altered slightly by the artist, basing some of the features off of their late sister to honor both of them. The nose was too narrow, the eyes were too far apart and the chin too sharp to be you, too sharp to even feel like that old trainer.

Their name would have been lost if Virizion did not exist. Yet they never shared it, they held it close. It was the one thing that they had that the world could not. When Virizion died they would release the name from its cage setting it free for the world to discover again, but for now Virizion would hold it close since it was the one thing of theirs that they had to themselves.

N left the room finding you happily playing with the glowing flowers that swayed from the tops of door frames. They dangled down their fingers brushing against your head and hair. They tugged and pulled, making your attention focus on them. How they cherished you. Virizion and the plants knew that you could never be that trainer but the plants still leaned into your caresses as if you were one in the same.

You sat quietly as you scribbled down some of the carvings. Wondering if you could have translated them at a different time or in a different universe. You remember seeing and reading old books on dead languages but you never seemed to remember the contents of them. The scrambled words and letters were something you couldn't understand.

"What do you think of this place?" you asked N when he sat next to you.

"It's big and full of history." he stared across at the fields of crops. "I suppose I wonder what they did."

You looked puzzled by that comment waiting for him to explain.

"Did they have pokemon? I'd assume they did. What games did they have, what was their daily routine." he let you into his mind.

Together you talked and sat letting time melt away until the plant's light dimed and you fell asleep resting against each other.

"I love you," echoed in your mind but neither of you had spoken it. Neither of you had yet realized the way your hearts beat as one.

Your bodies rested against each other swaddled in your blankets. Venipede crawled in later in the night having wandered off to explore the city. He happily curled up on N's chest and made a sound akin to a purr. He was glad that you had become so happy.

Virizion didn't sleep. They stayed awake watching over the two of you until the plants rumbled. Their leaves shaked and they sent frantic messages, hissing their words of warnings. Virizon stepped down from their place atop the sea of buildings and plants, down to where you rested. With a gentle push they awoke Venipede and handed them the bell saying it was a gift to you. Before vanishing into the dark caves. Venipeds whined but took the bell and its light green ribbon and buried it in your pocket. He'd explain it later.

They traveled quickly and silently through the caves, the main entrance filled with cages of vines and roots as they ran to the entrance that you had fallen through. They leaped up skipping from vine to vine. With a polished landing they reached the top before dashing down the mountain. They tore up dirt and dust, it clung to their hooves until they came to a halt glaring down at the cave's main entrance and the army of people who were there.

With a shrill anger filled yell vines and trees tore away from the earth. They pushed down warping and twisting around the cars. They ripped through the tents and they thrashed and tossed around tables, chairs, along with wishing anyone or thing that came between it and total control of the area. Then they screamed again as fire burnt and melted the skin of the plants. One bright vivid greens were now charged and ashy the corpses of the plants dropped to the ground yet the attacks never stopped until an echoing shot rang out across the area.