Harmonia | Pokémon Fanfiction

16 | The Sound of Silence

Music in Media: The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel

13 January, Thursday, 4:15 p.m. | Winter

A city plunged in darkness. A sky peppered with storm clouds. Screams rained on the streets.

"We should head back," said Cheren as he stole a glance at the sky. "I wonder if Professor Juniper and Rae are alright?"

"They have no reason not to be," Fennel told him and directed his gaze to the neon signs all around Castelia City gradually flickering to life.

Behind them, walking at a slower pace, Icosa lifted Amanita in the air and spun her around to allay her fears. The screams subsided and the sound of silence droned on. Icosa caught a glimpse of light pulsing in the windows of several buildings. Of course, some of them must have Fire-types or candles. Would Electric-types be useful in a blackout? Perhaps those with the electricians.

"Big Bro Icosa, I'm dizzy!"

Icosa mumbled an apology and dropped her onto her two feet. It helped not to be distracted. The storm and the blackout... Too coincidental. It might be an effect of the doom jazz instrumental, but it had been cut off. Or was it the power of silence? What darkness was left to be uncovered in this city? He clicked his tongue and tuned in to the sound of silence stirring.

Someone was singing a tune. Another person was playing the piano. Was silence such an insufferable thing? No, he couldn't afford to be distracted.

"Hello darkness, my old friend..." Icosa sang. He continued despite the looks he was receiving. His virulent energy, what he assumed to be the case anyway, made the city sing along. He was sure among the crowd, Linus and Calliope were singing too.

They turned into Gym Street. A frenzied Professor Juniper burst out of the apartment building just as they were about to enter, her lips quivering.

Cheren held her close. "What's wrong, Professor? Is Rae alright?"

She stomped her foot. "I don't know, Cheren! I can't contact her."

"What do you mean?"

"She's in the Gym."

"She's battling Burgh?" Icosa hazarded a guess. Judging from Professor Juniper's apprehension, he must be far off. "Okay, she isn't battling Burgh, but she's in the Gym."

"Oh, oh, oh! There's that tea!" Professor Juniper clutched her heart. "I saw the police walk Burgh down the street in handcuffs! The news said he's under arrest for the murder of the jazz band members. Rae never came out of the Gym."

Amanita knocked on the door of the Gym and turned to them. "It's locked."

"How do you know that?"

"The knocks... They're more muffled than usual." Amanita shrugged and looked at them. "Something must be blocking the door from inside."

On the other side of the Gym, Rae had just attested to the girl's theory. She and the Harlequins had gathered at the entrance shortly after the blackout began only to discover the door locked using copious amounts of honey and String Shot that extended even to the outside world through the gap between the door and the floor.

"Uh-um... Who did this?" Rae swept her eyes across them. They bore unreadable expressions. But it made no sense. Why bother trapping her, a random stranger, in their Gym?

"Gosh, you're really a kiddo, aren't cha? You don't ever ask direct questions like this. Doesn't work." Jack tched and nudged his Scyther. The Pokémon brandished its razor-sharp wing an inch shy of every Harlequin's throat as it walked past them. "Seems like they don't wanna own up too."