Aviva The Half-Breed Pokemon

Chapter 10 -- A Prideful Parting

Once they arrived at the harbour, two dozen of Lapras were docking along the seashore. Those marine reptiles measured up more than two meters in height and judging from the hard shell on their backs, they wouldn't weigh less than 200 kilograms. They had blue hide with a cream underside. Their necks were long which allowed their passengers to grasp onto them easily. Their large black eyes shone with anticipation as they greeted their potential customers.

As Aviva walked along the seashore, she studied the Lapras' uniforms. Some were green and some were yellow. Professor Oak led them to a plump man with a bulbous nose and a walrus-like beard. After a brief introduction, Professor Oak put a wad of currency onto his outstretched palm. The owner, overjoyed, showed them to his Lapras.

The Pokemon wore a red scarf around its neck and a red cap on its head. A silver ring pierced the short, blunt horn in between its eyes. Its thick lashes curled skyward as if it had applied mascara on them. Aviva suspected that it even had put on a lipgloss with a peachy tone. Its mouth broke into a wide grin as Ashley Archer and the Pokemon climbed up to its shell.

Aviva, however, remained onshore. She wore a grim expression as she approached Professor Oak. "Old man, I saw my mother in my dream. I've finally known who she is. She's--"

"Aviva," Professor Oak placed his hands on Aviva's shoulders and spoke in an unusually soothing tone, "your mother would like to see you strong, not indulging yourself in seeking a mystery that will never be solved. At least, not now. She holds a very important role in another dimension and she can't afford any distraction. No, not now."

"Another dimension? Where? What's she doing there that she can't even contact me?"

Professor Oak shook his head when the plump man interrupted their conversation.

With a hideous grin, he swayed his stopwatch as he urged, "My most valued clients, the time is ticking. You must know that I start charging the moment your boisterous children boarded my sweet Susie just now. I'm afraid this money that you had given me couldn't cover the fare that we've agreed upon should you procrastinate any further."

"I have enough money, more than you can chew on." Irritated, Professor Oak shooed him away. 

"Ah, wait a minute! I think I forgot something." Aiva scratched her head, remembering hard.

"The only thing you'll forget is your brain."

Aviva pouted her lips and suddenly, she exclaimed, "Aha, I just remembered! What's Primal Dialga?" 

Professor Oak frowned at the name. "Primal Dialga is... It's... I'm in no position to tell you this but you'll know the answer soon enough. Here, I have something for you." He brought out a book from the inside of his robes. "Though a Pokedex is informative, it can't provide knowledge as deep as a book. This book relays secrets about the other dimensions too. Keep it well."

Aviva grabbed it. Printed on the leather burgundy cover was a line of golden scripts, ancient yet elegant. Aviva squinted her eyes and read out the title, "Pokemon and Their Core Elemental Properties Across Three Realms, by Agatha Christianson."

Professor Oak nodded. "This book relates the nature of Pokemon with the philosophy of the twelve Zodiacs on Earth, from the Underworld, and in the Mid-Heaven. It's understood that every Pokemon is guarded by a Zodiac. You can only make a Pokemon achieve its mega-form if you can determine the time its Zodiac shines the brightest. Do you get what I mean?"

Aviva shook her head.

"I don't doubt that with your shallow brain. Well, most importantly, complete your mission as soon as possible. I will only pay for the first 168 hours." Professor Oak paused to strengthen the hood covering Aviva's head. "You are a grown-up now. You have to discover the rest of your life by yourself. Eh-hem, I can't guide you often and I don't want to."

Professor Oak turned his head away abruptly before his words trailed away. He didn't want Aviva to see his tears welling up his eyes but when Aviva hugged him from behind, he broke into a loud wail, like a child who had his lollipop snatched away.

"What's wrong with you?" Shocked, Aviva let go of him. "You are such a loser."

Before Professor Oak could whack her at the back of her head, she had already hopped up Susie the Lapras. "Salton Shore! Here we come!" Her voice spread through the salty air. 

Susie nodded eagerly. She gave a sonorous call and began sailing.

The group was enjoying the scenery with the gentle sea breeze blowing past them when Aviva suddenly exclaimed, "Let's name our team!"

Pikachu tapped its chin; its tail slashed the air vigorously as it yammered on the names of some foods. Aviva helped with the translation. "Eight Sweet Olives? No. Eight Sour Pies? Nah. Eight... Eight... Aha, Eight Green Peas in A Pod!"

Charmander's eyes narrowed and its nose scrunched up at the mention of "Green Peas".

"Nah, I don't think so too." Aviva brushed the idea away. "How about A Beauty and Her Beasts. Apparently, I'm the beauty and the rest of you--"

"Oh, how about we work the name the other way round, like Seven Warriors and A Misfit?" Gardevoir, who had remained silent, spoke all of a sudden. All eyes landed on her, wide with befuddlement. Her voice sounded as if it had come from the distant. As her comrades were gawking at her with opened jaws, she threw a smug look at each and every one of them.

"You talked! You are also a Half-Breed!" Aviva knew she sounded stupid but sometimes she just couldn't shut her mouth and ended up disgracing herself.

Gardevoir smirked but didn't reply to her.

Ashley Archer burst into a peal of merry laughter. "Girls are always bad at naming. It should represent the team's characters and raise the members' spirit. How about The Brass? Because my instinct tells me that both of you are going to always argue. Your voices will definitely sound like the one created from knocking two brass plates together."

Both girls scoffed at Ashley. Longer and stickier saliva drooled out of Gloom's lips as if agreeing with him. Vanillite clapped and expanded an inch bigger under the cool breeze.

Ashley laughed before waving his hands to cool off the girls' temper. "Well, I actually thought of The Symphony, but I don't think with both of you--"

"No, I think The Symphony is cool," Aviva interrupted with a broad grin. "We are a team. We should lead the quest in harmony, together. So, The Symphony, then. Agree?"

All of them shot their hands to the air, including the Poker-Faced Gardevoir. Lapras let out another sonorous call, sharing their jubilance. As they sailed across the sea, pink dolphins surrounded them, splashing the waves on them. Throughout the journey, Aviva was surprised that Ralts had never put down the umbrella and stopped shielding Gardevoir. Envious, she commanded Ashley to do the same. The boy grumbled and obeyed unwillingly.

When the waves became steadier, Aviva brought out the book and scrolled through the Table of Contents. Chapter One: Introduction to the Twelve Zodiacs. Chapter Two: Aquarius and the Water-type Pokemon. The words began to do a fantastic acrobatic routine in front of her. She blinked the sleep away and tried to concentrate. Chapter Three...

Her head almost dropped on Ashley's shoulders when Susie gave a nervous cry. The waves they rode on lurched as if the seabed was breaking apart. The book almost dropped into the water but Gardevoir held it up with her psychic power. Aviva thanked her before slipping it into her backpack. Perplexed, she looked up and wished that she had never done so.