Jirachi's Twin Bonus Stories (btyu and others ♥)

Siren in the Rain

Note: This short is non-canon to Jirachi's Twin. (Gloria speaking Latin, and Bede hearing her voice before the Wyndon festival are two details that shouldn't exist in the main story.)

Rain dripped down the trunks of the trees and fell softly into the curly white folds of Bede's hair. Though he stood under the shelter of the foliage over his head, the rain was so dense he could do nothing to stop the few stray droplets that slipped between the leafy branches. His unease grew with each minute he stood in the rain. If it got any harder, his entire hairstyle would likely frizz beyond his control.

"I knew I should've checked the forecast..." he mumbled.

Hatterene trembled quietly next to him, chilly in the wet rain. He glanced sympathetically at her and held out her Poké Ball.

"Want in? I guarantee it's dryer in there than out here."

Hatterene shook its head, "Terene," it mumbled, (I'm okay.)

He sighed, putting the Poké Ball away.

"Fine. Suit yourself."

He tossed his bag onto the forest floor and withdrew a poncho. Though he knew it would be worth it, a part of him dreaded the thought of slipping his hair through the openings in the plastic. It was messy enough as it was, but the static electricity from the poncho would certainly make it worse.

Carefully, he managed to slip his head through the opening in the plastic. Shortly afterwards, he caught a glimpse of something white moving in the distance. For a moment, he worried it was a stray Pokémon. However, as he finally adjusted his poncho, his eyes landed on the figure and deciphered it to be a person.

Is that Gloria?

She was standing out in the rain, her head tilted up towards the sky. From the distance, he saw her eyes fluttered shut and her arms relaxed against her sides. With the mist swirling at her feet, he was almost entranced by the radiance she exhibited. For a moment, his breath halted and his heart fluttered with a sudden rush of adrenaline. It was as if a sudden earthquake had begun pulsing in his chest.

Not this again— he cursed silently.

He inhaled deeply, holding his breath for a few seconds so that his heart pounded excruciatingly in his head. The thudding tore at his eardrums and drummed against the backs of his tightly shut eyes before he finally released the breath. His head spun for a moment, his equilibrium tossing around wildly at the lack of oxygen. When the pain finally melted away, he found his heartrate had returned to a more normal pace.

It was a trick he'd taught himself in Opal's acting school—meant to combat his minor stage fright, but it worked swell in the moments he happened to come across Gloria.

When he was settled, his legs moved swiftly on their own. His wet shoes brushed through the long blades of grass, sending stray droplets of water across his legs, until he was close enough to see Gloria clearly. He was about to greet her, but before he could so much as raise his arm, a melody strung through the air.

From Gloria's vocal chords, a soft, mysterious hum travelled through the air like a musical breeze. Her sonorous voice climbed high and low as she faced the rain. She was clearly a soprano—able to hit a high C6 at times without even the slightest impure waver in her throat. The song itself was so incredibly perfect, he wondered for a moment if she were a delicate, beautiful siren.

"Ne excidat memoria O.

Libera me ex afflictione.

Non expectandum diutius, I sinistram et mox nihil..."