Harmonia | Pokémon Fanfiction

02 | Ball of Confusion

Music in Media: Ball of Confusion by The Temptations

10 January, Monday, 1 p.m. | Winter

The staircase really meant one of the best places in Aspertia City, bordering on Route 19, known for its scenic view of trees and a mountain, and here, there, everywhere were dainty little snowflakes in a whistling breeze. If not for the music distortion, Rae knew her enjoyment of the place would be doubled.

The woman before her introduced herself as Lenora who was very glad to meet a lover of Normal-type like Rae. No time like the present to show her the new artifacts lying at the bottom of an ocean, held captive in an undersea temple called Abyssal Ruins. Surely that would leave an indelible mark on Rae's life?

"This is the Relic Crown." Lenora presented them the crown. "And I believe it has to do with the musical crisis we're currently facing."

The students marvelled at the legendary item, even Icosa and Rae. After all, the crown was only ever mentioned in textbooks and plays revolving around the legend of the Twin Heroes of Unova, the Hero of Truth and the Hero of Ideals, who were twin princes hoping to be king. In the end, both became kings of their own rights because equality for equality's sake, or the like, as the modern retelling would have it.

"But it's just a crown, right, Mrs Lenora?" A girl beside Rae twirled her hair and puckered her lips. "How can some old thing do anything to our world?"

Rae knew it was possible, especially if Ancient Power existed.

"You'll come to see that the old and the new aren't so separate after all," replied Lenora with a triumphant smile. "Besides, I can't put it back where it came from. Anyone else could retrieve it again."

"So you'll let it terrorise us?" A white boy raised his voice and ran about hollering to the world that "Mrs Lenora is being a bitch just 'cause she's got a crown now" before Cheren could stop him. His friends joined in and dashed down the stairs to call upon the residents of Aspertia. Elsewhere, a few students were recording the situation 'live' for giggles.

Lenora craned her neck and frowned when people pooled at the stairs. "That's not true! You know it ain't true! I will research and see what I can do about it!"

"Says every Professor ever!" Another boy stuck his tongue at her.

Rae grimaced at the racuous youths and turned to Icosa for help, but he, too, was at a loss, picking at his hair, wrapping his scarf twice, thrice round his lips till the top touched his flaring nostrils. Was this his way of calming down? Rae felt the urge to laugh. She didn't.

"Boys! Girls! Calm down!" Cheren cupped his mouth as he projected his voice across the area. Sweat dotted his brows as he gawked left and right. His students still occupied in "black terrorist alert!" and "I hate Mrs Lenora!" and "I wanna go home!" and other discomforting lines, he had no other choice but to declare an extraordinary battle would soon commence between him and Rae.

That did the trick.

Lenora gave him a ghost of a smile, her gratitude short-lived for the rancour merely took a backseat. Once the battle was over, they would no doubt bark at her like the insolent privileged brats they were. Save for the handful of students who were people of colour, who did little much to stop their peers from overreacting as they were awfully accustomed to their behaviour.

Yet such behaviour wasn't restricted to the children. Among the adults there were glares and arms thrown into the air and saliva spits and vulgar remarks. Rae was no stranger to racism, not when it was also an everyday occurrence in Johto, as it was in every other region, only that it didn't seem as hostile back at home. Or the grass was just greener on the other side, a wicked shade of green coated with an Applin's Apple Acid.