Mindy | Pokémon Fanfiction

Four 「 Your Voice, My Word 」

Music: 「それを言葉という」by Amazarashi

The next Trade came the next day. It would take the group to another city, a city on the other side of Mt. Coronet — Eterna City. Eterna and Snowpoint were connected in numerous ways, from their proximity to natural rocks that could trigger an Eevee's evolution into Leafeon and Glaceon respectively to the Gym Leaders being second and second last in the roster and sharing a healthy sisterhood at that. While Snowpoint had eternal winter, Eterna never left the point of spring. Best of all, everyone in both cities hated Mindy to the core.

By now, pictures and videos of her lying on the Snowpoint Pokémon Centre's floor had circulated online, beyond the realm of reason. Memes were created, then rumours, then greater extrapolations, then "truths" and "facts" that made their way to tabloids and gossip columns. The journey to Eterna took her longer than she'd liked, for she was stopped by skateboarders, hikers, ruin maniacs and the bazillion of trainers hoping to catch a glimpse of her. The worst ones were those who sprung up from a pile of snow or leapt down a pine tree or sneaked up to her from behind a boulder or smashed a rock (a Geodude, actually, which was horrid, for she had to quell its anger and wrestled it for her right of way) to grab a picture of her. Then there were those who insisted on selfies or group photos as if she were the spawn of Giratina promoting the dangers of the Distortion World to the human body and mind.

The Lake Trio looked on with secondhand embarrassment and cloaked themselves in a sterilising light that rendered them invisible to all but Mindy. Had they stepped in, they would never be able to reach Eterna till half a month later.

When they did reach Eterna after crossing the sprawling caverns of Mt. Coronet, things weren't any better. The city's music station had been hijacked by youths who were anticipating her arrival and jamming to songs designed to curse at her with lyrics that made her cringe and their parents cry in their coffins. If these same people booked a flight to Unova, they could learn to wear a mask and cry in their own coffins at the Desert Resort, Mindy thought.

"So... Where's the girl?" Mindy spoke over the blaring, discordant music.

Uxie pointed in the northeastern direction. On a raised platform overgrown with grass, a strange statue stood basking in its vainglory, draconic and domineering in its posture. It was a hybrid of the Legends of Space and Time, Palkia and Dialgia respectively, shaded in a honey gold, an artist's impression of the Legendaries at the moment of their birth before they became separate beings. The plate had been torn off, marked by an inky indentation. A lanky girl observed the statue with her arms crossed, her platinum-dyed hair a neat bun, a multicoloured bird Pokémon perched on her right shoulder.

Mindy ambled to her side and the Lake Guardians made themselves prominent.

"Mindy? So it's true... You're a Trader," the girl muttered and turned to face her. "You see my Chatot? We don't condone what you did to Kōki, but please make her speak again."

The Chatot made an indiscernible sound as Mindy eyed her. "So it's mute."

"She. Chatty's unable to Chatter and everyone laughs at her for the gibberish she makes. I adopted her so it's my responsibility to fulfil her wish."

Mindy noticed now how shabby the Pokémon appeared, her feathers torn and discoloured, her neck but a beige patch of skin riddled with scars.

Mindy stared at the girl. It was business time. It didn't matter what would happen to her. She would endure whatever came her way if only it led to her grand redemption.

"Would you like to Trade?"

Azelf applauded her gusto.

"Chatty's voice is dear. Trash like you don't deserve anything much. Your voice for Chatty's voice."