Set in Stone (A Pokèmon Fanfic)

Chapter 3

I stared at my reflection in the steaming, rich brown liquid. Green had set it in front of me a few seconds earlier and was sitting across from me, staring at me.

"Well?" he asked, propping his head on his elbow. "What's your story?"

I took my cup and sipped it... and immediately spit it out. It was disgustingly bitter, and it had an exotic aftertaste that I didn't like much. Seeing my reaction, Green laughed.

"I forgot you didn't know what it was," he said, bringing out a jug of milk and a bowl of tiny crystals. Pointing to the two items, he raised his eyebrow.

"This is milk," he began pointing at the jug. I giggled.

"I know what that is," I replied. Green's mouth opened in a sarcastic jaw drop. Pointing to the bowl, he asked,

"Do you know what THIS is?" he inquired, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. I decided to not focus on his eyes, and answered,

"No, I don't." Green took my hand, and ignoring my blush, dipped my first finger into a cup of water. He then guided it over to the bowl and put my finger in, letting my hand go as he did so. I lifted my finger out and saw that it was now covered in tiny, clear crystals. Green smirked.

"Eat it." I shook my head.

"It's a trick!" I cried, holding my finger in front of me, like it was diseased. Green chuckled and said, "Fine, I'll do it first." He then proceeded to dip his finger in the bowl, sticking it in his mouth.

"Mmmmm." Green licked his lips. I sighed. Bringing my finger to my mouth, I licked all the tiny crystals off, hoping they weren't poisoned.

I didn't regret it.

The sweetness burst into my mouth, filling my brain with thoughts of pleasure. My senses went into overdrive, and I was on cloud nine.

"What is this?" I said in awe, staring at the tiny crystals in the bowl. Green started laughing, snapping me out of my reverie.

"It's sugar," he said, now rolling on the floor laughing, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "It's not my fault I don't eat anything except for vegetables." Green stopped laughing, face somber.

"Right," he said. "Sorry."

I nodded.

Green ran a hand through his hair. "Anyways, put the milk and sugar in the drink, which is called coffee, and it will be a lot sweeter." He reached over and poured the milk and sugar in, stirring it was a tiny spoon.

"Now try it," he urged, pushing the cup towards me. I took a deep breath and drank, hoping that it wouldn't taste bitter. The liquid had magically turned creamy, and I could taste a hint of that delicious... what was it called? Oh, sugar.

"Much better." I smiled and set the cup down. Green nodded.

"And now for your story." My smile vanished, replaced by a heavy sigh.

"Right." And so I told Green everything- who I was, who I was forced to be, and who I had become.

"I was born into our family's villa in Undella Bay," I started, resisting the urge to dump the sugar bowl into my mouth. "My parents were world-famous scientists. Long ago, before they had kids, they decided that they wanted a champion in the family." I stared down and bit my lip. The next part was a little hard to say.

"They had one child," I said shakily. "He was the light of their life, the hardworking one, and he was a world-contender at the age of six." My eyes were starting to water.

"Someone assassinated him." The last sentence came out as a whisper. Green's eyes widened.

"Regina, I am so sorry," he said softly.

"Don't be," I said, and rushed on- "They were so heartbroken, they never wanted another child. And so they made my aunt swear that the next child she had, they would be what my brother was supposed to be- a world champion."

Green looked at me, confused. "Where did you come from?" he asked.

"I was just getting to that," I replied. "I was a mistake. They didn't mean to have me, but they realized that I was their second chance- I could be the second light of their life. So they pushed my harder than they pushed my brother. They beat me, slapped me, threw me into boiling water- so I knew that they were the ones I had to be afraid of." I tried to slow down my breathing. I was about to cry.

"Every day, all day, I was shoved into a room with books," I continued. "I was shut off from the outside world- no TV, no radio, and I was forbidden to play with the other kids in my town. Which may explain why I didn't know your grandfather."

Green nodded. "Which explains why you didn't know sugar," he said with a hint of a smile.

I nodded. "I was put on a diet of carrots, milk, beans, kale, and fish," I said.

Green trembled. "That's horrible," he shivered, giving me a sympathetic look. I averted my eyes.

"Yeah it is," I agreed. "I participated in every single competition, near and far. I won every single one of them... except for one." I sighed, recalling that fateful battle.

Green, naturally, wanted to know more. "Explain," he said, cocking his head and looking at me.

I sighed again. "A few years after I was born, my aunt had a child- a boy. They live in the region of Kalos, and my aunt named him X."

Green chuckled. "I thought my name was stupid," he said. "But just name your child a letter? Why, this naming business has reached another level."

I smiled, a small smile. "True," I said. "Anyways. My aunt stayed true to her word, and X became a wonderful trainer, and participated in the Junior Cup, the same tournament I was in that year. I lost to him- my Noivern to his Kangashan- it was the first battle that I lost. Ever."

Green nodded in understanding. "I never lost a battle either," he said, "Until the Indigo League rolled around, and I lost to my best friend and toughest rival- Red."

"Who's Red?" I asked. Green shook his head. "You'll find out," he said mysteriously. "Go on with the story."

I sighed. "After the tournament, that's when my parents really came down on me. They literally threw textbooks at me, expecting me to memorize them and answer any question correctly." I paused. I didn't want to tell Green about my parents whipping me, making me bleed and ripping off chunks of flesh. Or about the way they put me down, every day, telling me I was a worthless piece of shit. I didn't need any more sympathy at the moment.

I thought for a moment. "I became a walking pokèdex. See for yourself. Ask me any question."

Green rubbed his hands together. "Name an electric type move that can switches pokemon."

That was easy. "Volt switch," I said automatically, like someone had turned a switch inside me. "Harder."

Green pouted. "Oshawott's hidden ability?" I smirked. "Shell Armor."

Green frowned. "You're goooood," he complained. "Even I can't remember that." He thought, rubbing his chin.

Finally, he looked up at me. "The answer to this question is only known to a few, and I happen to be one of them," he said.

"Bring it on!" I cried, smiling.

"What are the inferred colors of shiny Zygarde?"

I laughed out loud. THAT was his hardest question? "Cyan and White," I answered, still giggling.

Green stared at me, shocked. "Regina Fantia, you're really something," he said, incredulous.

I stared at him, wiping tears from my eyes. "Thank you," I breathed. "That's the first time I've been told that."