Paradise

2

Note: I've not touched a Gen 7 game in so long that I forgot where everything is sorry

-

Blaise took a moment to look around, blowing his hair out of his eyes. He pulled his hood down. Maybe it'd be a good idea to find someplace to stay, first of all. He studied his surroundings, but everything was so painfully bright it hurt his eyes.

"Excuse me?"

The Magma Admin looked down, startled at being addressed so suddenly. A girl was looking up at him; she was no older than 15, he assumed. Blaise was a little uncomfortable, but went along with it. "Yes?" he inquired.

"You look lost. May I ask where you're going?" she asked.

"Hell if I know," Blaise replied with a humorless laugh. "Mind telling me where I am right now? I'm just visiting. & if you could show me someplace I could stay that'd be great." He hated to demand so much out of this girl, but he just wasn't sure how to talk to someone her age. He knelt to her eye level. "Sorry to ask for so much."

"No, you're fine! Right now you're on Akala Island. I can show you where the resort is!" she said, happy to be helping him. Blaise noticed her tight grasp on the bag at her side. He smiled, in place of the usual smug asshole smirk he usually wore, & accepted her hospitality.

"Show me, then. & thanks." Blaise stood, & followed the girl away from the airport, away from home.

-

Blaise collapsed on the bed, burying his face in the sheets. Raising his head wearily, he referenced the map the girl had given him. His eyes fell to the white island in the middle of it. Aether Paradise, it was labelled. The name of it felt weird in his head. Oddly familiar, but so strange at the same time. The other islands didn't spark any feeling within. But that Paradise... it felt so strange.

That was it, then. Blaise was off to Aether Paradise tonight. He wanted to look around Akala first, & hopefully find a change of clothes. Blaise pulled his uniform off, leaving just his undershirt, throwing it into a corner of the room. He rolled over onto his back, still reading the map. His eyes were drawn to the top of the paper, & they widened when he saw the symbols. A lion & a bat.

Immediately Blaise grew afraid. He folded the map with shaky hands, shoving it in his pocket, not understanding why he was suddenly panicking over nothing. He swallowed, standing up on trembling legs. Perhaps shopping would take his mind off of whatever had suddenly just decided to bother him. He made sure one of his Slugma was with him, then hastily left the room, shaking still.

Blaise left the resort, hands in his pockets as he walked down the road. He nearly bumped into someone; he'd had his head down as he walked. "Watch it," they growled as he managed to avoid them. Blaise couldn't catch a glimpse of who'd snapped at him, but mumbled, "Sorry," as he went on.

Blaise easily found the clothing store, sighing as he looked upon the selection. Everything here would not look good on him, he knew that for certain. Eventually he managed to find a relatively normal looking shirt & pants, purchasing them & changing into them.

Immediately he felt better. The shop's AC was cool on his skin as he stepped out of the fitting room. He stepped out of the store, noticing it was sunset now. Already? Blaise couldn't fathom how long he'd spent in that room but he knew it was time to go.

He rushed back to the resort room, looking for his Swellow's Poké Ball. Finding it, he let the bird Pokémon out, instructing it, "Take me to Aether Paradise. The white island. It's somewhere in the middle of the ocean."

Swellow looked at him curiously, its eyes unsure, but climbed onto Blaise's shoulders, its talons gripping him. Blaise stepped out onto the balcony, again making sure Slugma was with him, & took off into the sunset.

-

It took a moment for Swellow to find the Paradise, but once it had, it dropped him off, flying back to the resort. Should Blaise need the bird to come pick him up, he'd signal for it. He approached the entrance shyly, head down, shoulders hunched. Two people were guarding the entrance.

"Hey!"

Blaise startled, meeting eyes with the man clad in white. "Who are y-" Suddenly the man's eyes widened. He bowed to Blaise. "Your Majesty."

Confused, Blaise backed away, a little afraid. "Um... Hello to you too."

"Alice, get Lusamine," the man said, not getting up, addressing the woman who had also curtsied to Blaise. "She'll want to see this."

The woman ran off. Blaise was about ready to signal to Swellow but the man stopped him. "Wait! Don't you know who you are? You look very perplexed."

"Do I look like I do?" Blaise snapped, turning on the man, who was about to put his hands on him. "Don't touch me."

"I'm sorry, sir." The man stepped back. "It's so great to see that you're back."

"Back? I've never been here in my life." Blaise was now very confused. He looked up upon seeing movement in his peripherals, & nearly fainted.

It was the woman from his dream. She was smiling at Blaise warmly, her arms outstretched. Blaise froze in place, his pulse pounding in his ears.

"My son," she said. "You've returned."