Crescendo | Pokémon Short Story

Rain Dance

The Absol summoned rain. He sighed. Licking his claws and rolling on the poppies, he froze. Slowly, a smile cut through his face like a sickle. The rain would cease before the dawn chorus.

The meadow—what remained of it—was silent, apart from the howls of an Absol and the wails of the rain. The spirits watched silently. The shadows swayed.

"If I wasn't fast, they'd be specimens." The furry Pokémon licked four pink beaks, their wings holding wings, forming a circle that will loop and never break. "Those humans didn't have to die, though."

He looked around and it dawned on him once more that the spirits belonged to dead Oricorio.

"Leave, I must, now." Swallowing, he bade farewell. Looking back again and again after each step, his heart grew heavier and heavier. "Under the stars, and dance you shall."

When he was just a shadow in the meadow, he smiled. The rain stopped when he reached the forest, the feathers from that time still lying untouched. His howls never reached the moon, but the stars listened as they glistened. Till dawn, he counted the stars—they were all that was left in the sky.

Then, in a crescendo, came the dawn chorus. It sounded duller than usual.

Again, the girl walked with a spring in her step, pulling her momma's hand. Away from Hau'oli City they go, onward to the meadow. She wouldn't want to miss the Baile Style Oricorio's daily dance choreography. She always envied their freedom while she found herself caged in societal expectations, mountains of homework and the harshness of battling. Pokémon were companions, not slaves of entertainment.

When she reached, she heard the songs. Instead of chirps, they were mere clucks. Then, a whirl of her head told her that it's all over.

"Momma, are they dead?" She failed to hide the shakiness of her voice.

"They are sleeping beauties, that's all."

"If I kiss them, do they wake up?"

"I don't know," the woman said and shrugged. "The Oricorio species are forever extinct. Happened last night."

"But they are good dancers! If I become a dancer too, maybe that wouldn't happen!"

The blonde woman wanted to remind the child how foolish and childish her words were, but she was just a small child with big dreams.

Again, the girl was talking. "What about Big Sis? She haven't returned. She said she's gonna dance under the stars of Alola!"

"You don't understand. She is doing very well now."

"Can we visit her?"

No, the woman wanted to say. The news of her death came with the rain the night before. The sky had cried for us.

There was no answer.

"Momma? Is Sister Nox gonna come back?"

"I only have one daughter, simple and pure. Nox is not my daughter." She bit her lips. I lied.

The girl was crying. She hated how her momma always said that.

"I want to save Pokémon. I don't want them to die. I want change."

The woman never revealed that the girl was adopted. Squatting down, she simply said,"I love you."

"I love you too, Momma."

"Let's go home. Heaven is the best place to be."

"Where?"

"Come." The woman was in tears. "The Aether Foundation is waiting for you. Together, we can save more Pokémon from extinction. We will save them! And we will love them!"

Even if that's just another stupid goal.

"Momma?"

"Call me Lusamine, child."

Nox sacrificed herself so we can wipe out some stupid crap Pokémon and get this girl to work for us. How naïve is she to think of me as her mother.

At that, the woman smiled. To the girl, it was radiant; to herself, she knew it was devilish.

All the fantasies in the girl's head will diminish, but she doesn't know; and she never will know that everything was just a plot for the sake of a strong trainer to defeat the Ultra Beasts. Her memory will be wiped and she'll only know her name was Moon.

A crescent moon, a glowing sickle that was not at all bright. Even if Lusamine might be betrayed, she thought it to be bittersweet. An Oricorio population extinct just so Moon could finally make her decision. To Lusamine, it wasn't very evil.

She called it love.

José danced, still, but no one saw him except for the Oricorio. He would never know that their population died because of humans' folly, that their unjustified deaths were for the sake of a stupid plan.

He was just a dancing spirit, along with the others. Pachi was happier now. Lawe enjoyed herself. Maimai was still the same. It was as though nothing changed.

At least, when life's sheet music had many bars of crescendo into misery and minor notes, of whatever drama that would happen next, they would not have to live the horror of the consequences of humans' actions. And for that, they were all relieved.

They wouldn't suffer when Necrozma brought havoc to Alola. They wouldn't suffer when the Fallers appear. They wouldn't suffer from another war, or mass shootings among humans.

They were finally free.