I walk into Olivine, the salty sea breeze more bitter. The seawater laps at my feet as I walk on the beach. It's cold... almost too cold to stand. I curl in my toes, backing away a bit with a slight scowl etched across my face. Dill is there, knee deep in the water. To him, of course, it's up a bit higher, but his head is down so that he's blowing bubbles through his nose.
"I hate you." he mutters through a mouthful of water.
I can't say anything. If our roles were reversed, I'd be angry too. Maybe even more so.
"Did he tell you?! Does he know?"
Lying is going to make things worse. "I probed your mind."
He sends a wave of water at me, blanketing my face in sheer cold. I feel myself shivering involuntarily. Luckily, the Poke Balls and my bag are back at the hotel, so no one gets hurt. Except me. Then again, I deserve it.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. I want to slap myself. The look Dill's giving me says everything. It's not hatred. It's not fear. It's disappointment, pure and simple. He dissolves into the water, nothing left of him over the froth and the waves. My heart sinks, but he's not coming out. Suddenly, the Pokegear rings. Morty. "Are we on for tonight?"
"Yes, meet you at the Samurott Spittoon."
"Should Miki come? We're heading out now."
"I... I guess so." So much for a private date. They always get ruined when there's someone else sitting right there, smiling. Especially when that someone is a shapeshifting kitsune. A female one.
He obviously hears the disappointment in my voice, because he adds, "If you really don't like her, she can come in Flareon form. It'll make it less awkward."
"Is she okay with that?"
I hear some growling in the background, then a short conversation with words I can't make out, and then she gives a long sigh. "Yes. She says she'd like to get to know your Pokemon as well."
"That's great. See you then!" I hang up. "Dill, get out of the water!"
No response. I have a few hours to get ready. Some part of me feels bad doing this, but I'm not waiting her all day. Frostbite has begun to sink in. The cold makes my teeth chatter. I slowly but surely leave the beach, hoping with every forwards step that he'll come out.
He never does.
It's a cloudy day, which turns to a cloudy sunset. The clouds are dyed blood red, but nothing else is that interesting about today. I look up dully, using a curler to run it through. It's so weird, I've never used one before, and I get the strange but sure sensation that any second my hair will burst out in flames.
Sky flies around my head, offering advice. "Add a bit more powder. No, don't burn your head off. That doesn't go at all! What are you thinking?!"
Lilly is watching the sea from our vantage point. Toxis is looking at the Moon Stone in the bag. Bronze is just humming, relaxing in the back. Suddenly, the door rings. Miki comes in as a Flareon. Morty, Gengar by his side, is wearing a tuxedo.
He looks really weird, but also... somewhat attractive.
"If we're not back by 10, we're probably dead." I tell the team.
Everyone nods.
"Speaking of things that need to be back here, where the heck is Dill?" Toxis asks.
"He's at the beach. He didn't want to come for some reason." I say casually. Toxis looks at me quizically but doesn't say anything else. I'm grateful for it.
Morty and I leave, and walk down hand in hand. He's shifting uncomfortably, while I just smile and try to act natural.
Once we get to the restaurant, he goes up to the waiter and asks, "Midnight View table for two?" The waiter leads us to a nice place out on the balcony, far from the brutish yells of the sailors.
"So..." He asks, awkwardly, "How's... life?"
I mess around with my fork, and answer, "It's good."
"Did you get the Moon Stone?"
"Yes."
"Did you use it?"
"Not as of yet. But soon."
"Well, I hope you like it. I knew you had a Nidorino."
"It will help with the gym."
"Any casualties... since..."
The question hangs in the air for a second, and I can tell he wishes he hadn't said it. He meant well, but it drives deep, and I want to scream. "Just Pecker." I say, quietly. Just is not the operative term. I want him back so much, the quirky owl who thought he was a timelord.
"I remember this being the easy part. Watch out for Claire. I lost a great partner there."
An image sears through my mind, the picture of my mom holding a dead Bayleef soaked in blood engraved into my memory. My mascara is running. I'm shaking.
"Holy crap, are you okay?"
"My mom... she lost... everyone there..."
"Oh my Arceus. I'm so sorry."
He orders sides while I shake off the sobs. It's so awkward, this whole thing. We expected a formal affair and I can't take my mind off death. He oozes it, like an aura. It's almost enough to make me want to run, but it draws me closer. I'm not scared of death anymore.
Maybe that's a bad thing. I'm slipping.
"Morty? How much can you remember?"
"From what?"
"Well, if people like us... whatever the term is, if we are really reincarnates of Pokemon, how much do you remember about your past life?"
"I remember bits and pieces. Sometimes. It's not very much. It's so weird, though, the world I was in as a Gengar was nothing like this one... it was all Pokemon. There was definitely some sort of jealousy involved. Then... a fox Pokemon. I always assumed it was Flareon, but lately... I think it's a Ninetails."
I nod. "I remember nothing."
"Try meditation."
Suddenly, as soon as we've actually loosened up, I feel a raindrop fall on my nose. Others follow, and it's raining fast now. The candle on our table fizzes out. I hear a dull roar of thunder.
"We need to go." He grabs my hand, and we run.
I'm about to run to the hotel when I see a flash of lightning, almost directly overhead. "Dill."
"Ashley, what are you doing?" Morty yells as I run towards the beach. There, in the waves, is a limp shape. My eyes glow gold, time thinning around me. I grab Dill, and run like hell. His heavy body doesn't even bother me now, my senses dulled by sudden shock and grief. Reaching my hotel room, I lay him down. Everyone stops and stares. Time spins around me, and my tears grow thicker.
He's not breathing. His heart rate is so slow that it's almost impossible. I take my hands away, letting it rest there. At the window, in the storm, I can see a silhouette. Red is laughing at me.
My fingers clench into fists, but it's Miki who crushes my soul. Turning back to a human, she brushes her hand over his face and whispers, "Brother..."
