Pokémon: Out of the Woods | A Galar, Unova & Sinnoh Fanfiction

Chapter 49: Around in Circles

Caroline left Volo in Team Plasma's infirmary. The nurse pretended to urgently attend to an injured Grunt – who was actually asleep – when Volo stood and left as soon as the clip-clop of Caroline's footsteps faded. She was far too frightened of him to intervene. Besides, he wasn't hurt. He was drunk. A candelabra clattered to the floor in the corridor outside.

'Ouch...'

When the nurse heard that, she wondered if her fears were rational. They probably were. For all she knew, alcohol made him even more insane.

The security room was on the same floor. Volo was so tall that he walked faster than Caroline even when he was drunk, but her back was turned when he disappeared up the luxuriously-carpeted stairs to the top floor. She heard his footsteps. She assumed it was a Grunt on their way to the night patrol of the towers where their 'royalty' and Advisors, or Admins, lived; because that was where Volo crashed off to, knocking over several more candelabras on the spiral staircase.

The loyal Grunts who patrolled there hoped they would serve the king. Pluto never asked for anything. Even Volo and Caroline didn't. It was Jahzeel and another Admin who constantly demanded things. Two flustered Grunts cleaned up a puddle of diarrhea left by Jahzeel's Rillaboom – which was stolen from Caroline's mother – as Volo stumbled by. Their feet squeaked on the perfectly-polished tiles when they stood and bowed.

'Plasmaaaa!'

'Oh, shut up...'

It never occurred to them to send him back to the infirmary. He had a room in that tower, after all, even if he rarely used it. With the mess cleaned up, one ran off to pick up the candelabras and relight the candles. They were the only illumination after night fell.

That flustered Grunt ended up rushing back to a bathroom for another bucket of water. A tumbling candle set the ornate blue carpet alight. He opened his mouth to tell his colleague. She put a finger to her lips. To every Grunt's relief, one of the heavy, gold-rimmed doors had been closed for a long time, but their relief was no more. It was wide open then. It had to be Volo who kicked it open without knocking, because he was the only person other than terrified servant Grunts who ever went in. The servants weren't around. The occupant had been gone for so long that they were unneeded.

As afraid as the Grunts were, they couldn't resist listening in. It wasn't hard. Volo was too drunk to think of closing the door.

'You really ought to stop this, you know. You're going to end up like me. Drunk, miserable and stuck in the wrong century. Stop it.'

'...Excuse me?'

'You really ought–'

'Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I heard what you said. I was just surprised to hear it from you, of all people. Go and lay down. You'll be mad again tomorrow.'

'Indeed, I will. But take it from me – the truth that I can't face sober. You'll end up like me. 266 years and 5,000 miles from home, with nothing to show for it...'

The woman he spoke to hesitated. Around the four-poster bed, where she sat cross-legged on the silk sheets, were various tapestries and golden sculptures of Arceus. A lockable diary was open on the bedside table. Her laptop, old but free of scuffs or stickers, was open in front of her. It displayed the conversion chamber used to produce XD-series Shadow Pokémon. She usually looked at Volo in admiration, but her eyes were cold then.

'So even you think I can't do it. Right.'

'It's not you, personally. No-one can do it. Just like that Ardos Luvaro said. If James whatever-his-name-is can't do it... if I can't... who can?'

'Are you dead?'

'...Pardon?'

'Are you dead? What happened to "only death can stop me?"'

'Not to worry, dear. When tomorrow comes, death will be the only obstacle once again. But as of now, the truth is plain to see. All my efforts brought me to a mouldy castle with an overpriced liquor store, a fake king and a delusional "world domination man," determined to get in the way of the only people who may actually be capable of it. That would be you and I, of course. How sad. If you continue, you will only end up like me... and I would truly hate to see that.'

'Jamie didn't have a Meowth in hell's chance. He was too sentimental. Any serious member of Team Plasma is incompetent. You, apparently... you're too mad. You're drinking because you're mentally ill. And it's making you soft.'

'I'm drinking because I'm miserable, dear. Because pouring all my energy into my natural curiosity and ambition got me... this. I'm stuck. I can't even go home... let alone move on to search for something better... and the people I care about are wasting their lives on the very same futile thing. My Pokémon were turned into Shadow Pokémon...'

'Moving on to "something better" is literally what we're working on.'

'I hate to sound like my grandmother, but... how confidently you speak of successes to which you contribute nothing.'

'What?!'

Despite how cold her eyes were, tears still sprang to them.

'What do you mean?! I thought you believed in me! I thought you were the only one who actually believed in me! I have contributed! Unlike you! And everyone's beloved Lord Pluto only ever fucked up! He's gonna keep fucking up! He'll never do anything because he's just a shell! A shell inhabited by other people's daddy issues!'

'I don't doubt that Pluto lacks the talent or passion to achieve whatever he wishes... but you're not wrong that he will turn as soon as he realises he's been groomed, which will happen eventually... if not soon.'

'But – how dare you accuse me of contributing nothing?!'

She was going to blame Volo for dragging her onto this path, but that wasn't entirely true. Though he encouraged her, she would have pursued it anyway.

'Well, we're going around in circles. Goodnight.'

'Answer me!'

He was already out in the corridor. The Grunts jumped aside before he tripped over one of them.

'Sometimes I wish I'd never been born at aaaaaaaall... ♪'

'Answer me! I'm royalty here, unlike you!'

'The idea you had of me, who was heeeeee...? ♪'