Disclaimer: All rights for the Pokemon franchise goes to Nintendo. This story is a fan ficition in this franchise universe, categorized under fan fiction.
This story is obviously fiction. It's also PG-13, so... yeah. Probably won't offend anybody, but err, I guess you never know? Huh.
For those prospective readers: don't be alienated if you don't know pokemon! It's a romance story, it's a love story, and the only thing that makes it pokemon is the universe.
Analia
Part One
Love doesn't seem to have any boundaries, really. Thinking back over all the places I've been, my friends and I have seen love in so many forms it's nothing new. But there was one incident in particular that really stood out to me. I talked to just about everybody about it later, and they felt the same way that I do now. Brock told me that it was a true love story. Dawn said it had melted her heart, and Misty began crying over the phone. I think May and Max had some of their own problems to deal with, but I remember May telling me something a long time after:
"Love can never last forever, Ash. So the best thing we can do is swallow it down and hold it in our hearts until we die."
At the time, it seemed really somber, what she said. But looking back on it, I think her statement is a lot more benevolent than it seems. This is the story of how me, Dawn, and Brock gained a new friend. But more importantly, this is like Brock said, a true love story.
"Why don't we just stop there, Ash? We're all hungry and we could use a rest."
Ash, Dawn, and Brock were starving. They had run out of food since they departed from Jubilife again, this time taking the northern path. The sun was beginning to set, and Ash's cap provided little shade to the parallel red light. Pikachu sparked and let out a solemn "Pika..." in agreement with Brock. Ash sighed, and took off his hat to scratch at his head. There was a modest wooden fence to their left, and a very traditional dwelling could be seen past it.
"I dunno. We can't be that far from Floarama Town, right?"
Dawn gasped, and the two turned their gazes towards her. Her eyes were alight, her finger pointing to the gates of the ancient wooden property. "Look! Look you guys! Past the gates!"
Brock tilted his head, trying to get a better look past the barricading trees and the modest but effective fence posts. "What are you looking at?" Ash's mouth gaped open as well, as he saw what Dawn continued to frantically point at. Brock pushed up from behind him, and finally saw it from the right angle.
It was only a peek through a minor breach in the fortification. Still, it was enough to take their breaths away. A humongous field of flowers! It shone with every color of the rainbow, the blossoms iridescent in the bright daylight and the soothing wind. Dawn seemed to forget all feelings of hunger, and rushed towards the front door of the large dwelling via a humble dirt path winding through the wooden gates. Ash followed in tow, Pikachu urgently smiling on his shoulder. Brock slowly trudged after them, looking behind him before passing the threshold of the gates and onto the soft green grass before the entrance.
Dawn knocked on the side of the large sliding paper door, and Ash flew up from behind her, bumping into her shoulder and eliciting a laugh. The door slid open, and Brock slowly pulled the two of them back.
He was only a bit taller than Brock, and only a little older; he had jet black hair that was stylishly messed up, and piercing coal-like eyes. He was shirtless in sweatpants, his upper body large and muscular, from what looked like from martial arts. He frowned grimly. "Can I help you?"
Dawn and Ash exchanged glances, Brock's hands still on their shoulders. Dawn spoke up first. "We saw the flowers. They're just really beautiful, sir!"
The expression melted as the man smiled slightly, and scratched the back of his head. "Haha, thanks, I guess. In case you're wondering, I didn't plant them or anything. They were just like that."
Ash felt Pikachu moving onto his hat, feeling his furry chin pressed against Ash's forehead in a defensive position. "Sorry to bother you, but we came a long way, and we were wondering if we could... stay here?"
The man's face cleared up, and seemed to be one of hesitation rather than negativity. "Stay? Like for the night? I suppose it shouldn't be too much trouble. Could you wait a sec?"
Ash and Dawn nodded, and he dissappeared into the house. They looked up at Brock, his face still stern. Ash was curious. "Brock, what's wrong?"
He looked down at them. "Do you remember in Jubilife, the stories that old lady was telling on the streets? She said that past the town, there was a pair of cursed people that lived on a field of flowers. I don't know about you, but I'm a bit wary that her story might be true. We just need to be careful, alright?"
Ash remembered the rather crackly old woman on the streets, her voice dry and hair stringy as wire. She spoke of a place on a field of flowers- luring strangers in and trapping them with a deadly curse. He thought she was a bit crazy at the time, and by the time Dawn came out of the mall he had completely forgotten about it. Now he couldn't help but swallow his throat.
Dawn began to shiver, and she looked down at her rather stylish but skimpy outfit that she hadn't changed out of since the contest. Ash felt Pikachu jump to the ground, and peek into the door; Ash lifted him back into his arms when he saw the door opening again.
Another person stood in the doorway. His face was softer: his hair a very dark brown, a touch on the longer side and silky, cut in layers so as not to get in his eyes. He was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. The man from before was still shirtless, leaning on a wall in the background of the house. The person in the doorway now was probably several years younger, this time younger than Brock but obviously older than Ash. He had a small frame, much in contrast to the man before.
A smile lit his face when he looked at the three of them. He held out his hand to shake. "Hi, I'm Kai."
Dawn shook it, then Ash. "My name's Dawn."
"I'm Ash."
Then silence. Kai gave a curious look to Brock, gloomily huddled over the two. "I'm Brock."
Kai nodded his head and gracefully retracted his hand. He turned behind him, and yelled to the other. "Reece, I think they can stay." He walked in, and motioned them in as well, smiling. "What are you waiting for? Come in, I'm making brownies."
Dawn and Ash laughed and exchanged glances, breaking away from Brock and running into the house. Brock slowly followed Pikachu's tail, giving a leer to Reece, arms crossed and leaning against a frame of the hallway.
The three entered the kitchen after Kai and before Reece, and Kai was busily unfolding metal chairs around a humble wooden table. He gathered two sets of dishes off the table as well. "Reece and I already ate dinner, I hope you don't mind. I'll reheat it for you guys and then I'll take out the brownies."
Ash put Pikachu on his lap, who put his paws on the table as well. "Thanks, Kai. We're really hungry. We haven't eaten for a while, right Dawn?"
Dawn nodded eagerly. "Yeah!"
Reece in the meanttime slipped on a loose t-shirt that was apparently tucked in the back of his sweatpants. He leaned over the edge of the table, and noted the pokeballs hooked onto Ash's belt. "Hey, are you guys trainers?'
Kai set down three plates of steaming hot meatloaf, which Ash and Dawn proceeded to wolf down. Brock took a tepid bite, and his eyes widened. "Kai, did you make this?"
He looked from his business at the stove, and gave another smile. "Yeah."
"It's really good! I'm telling you, it's very rare to see such exotic spices in such a plain looking dish. Persim... wow, cheri even."
"I'm good at cooking, I guess. Personally, I think it means I have no life, or a little too much time on my hands." He laughed, and filled a bowl with sweet-looking blue puffs, which he handed to a delighted Pikachu. He proceeded to slip on a pair of yellow rubber gloves.
Ash dropped his fork, his plate already clean. He finally got to answering Reece's question. Reece was now sitting back in a folding chair, his arms behind his back and a laid-back grin on his face. "Yeah, we all are trainers. Brock and I have been for a while, we're just new to Sinnoh."
Kai, looking back over his shoulder from the sink, spoke in response. "Hey, that's great! Reece and I are trainers too, you know. Speaking of which, your Pikachu- he's really happy, how long has he been with you?"
Pikachu, giddily munching on a blue puffball, twitched his ears and squealed. "Pikachu~"
Ash laughed, patting his head. "Pikachu's been with me since the very beginning: five years ago. He's never liked pokeballs, so he just stays outside the whole time.
Reece got up, taking the guests' plates to the sink where Kai was. Kai thanked Reece with a luminous smile, and Dawn noticed Reece blush a little. She reached over to the tray of brownies, and took a bite out of one before talking, spewing crumbs at Brock in particular. "That Pikachu completely trashed my bike too. My Piplup and I haven't been together for that long, but I think it's really cool how pokemon and their trainers can just become so powerful over so much time together."
Reece nodded in agreement, as he sat back down again. He gave a warm expression to Dawn. "You're Dawn, right? What pokemon do you have?"
Dawn shifted her eyes a little. "Er... well... I don't really like to use them for battling, just contests. But what about you? Kai said you guys were trainers too, right?"
"Yup." Reece now looked at Brock, who was quiet, but not nearly as defensive as before. They were a bit mystified by his short answer, and were slightly startled to hear the sink shut off and Kai sitting at the table.
"Did you guys enjoy it?" The three nodded in affirmation, Brock especially. "Great!" He looked out the window, noticing the sun begin to set. "It's getting dark outI wouldn't travel out at this time of day if I were you. There are a lot of wild pokemon attacks that are less than accomodating, to say the least. Reece, why don't you set them up in one of the rooms? I'll go get some sheets."
Kai hurried out of the room, and it was just four around the table again. Reece gave a whimsical sigh. "We haven't had any guests in forever. Kai gets really excited when there's an opportunity to help people." He got up, and motioned them to follow him down the hallway.
It was fairly short, but there were about four different rooms on either side. He led them to the farthest one, and spoke as he was opening the door. "You guys liked the flowers, right? I think you'll like this room."
The room was empty besides a small tea table on the right side and a smooth tatami floor. But a whole wall was nothing but a paper door. Ash and Dawn walked in, and Dawn slid the door open: she let out a gasp.
The entire field of flowers was just out the door. A wooden porch extended a couple of feet outward, and Dawn, Ash, and Pikachu ran out onto it, beholding the beautiful meadow under the waning red light. They turned to Reece, who smiled and nodded in confirmation. They ran out into the flowers, laughing all the way.
Brock turned around, Kai heaving three sets of sheets and pillows onto the floor, then kneelig down to spread them out. He let out a breath, then stood up. He looked at Brock. "It gets cold sometimes, so just knock if you need more blankets, alright?"
Brock nodded and smiled. Kai ran his hands through his hair. "Oh, one more thing. I'll introduce you to my pokemon." Kai closed his eyes briefly. Brock felt a power surge through the room, and Dawn, Ash and Pikachu couldn't help but come back in. Reece straightened his shirt, as if in anticipation.
Then, a ripple. In the middle of the room, space rippled, and standing before then was a Gardevoir; her beautiful gown falling to the ground, her delicate legs floating just above the floor. The Gardevoir's hair was long and to her waist, and she carried an aura of happiness like a fine silk scarf. Her red eyes gently scanned over the visitors, who were petrified in part fear and part awe of beauty. Kai walked up beside her. "Brock, Dawn, Ash- This is Gardevoir. Gardevoir, you know them already."
Her elegant head nodded in response, and the three visitors simply stared. It seemed that in this house, it was always one reason to stare after another. Pikachu, on the other hand, jumped down from Ash's head and ran up to Gardevoir, twitching his nose at her eagerly. Sensing her warm aura, he sparked in delight. "Pika~chu!" Gardevoir smiled and laughed in response, and she sent a wave of reassurance towards the rest of the room.
Kai addressed their agape mouths. "There is nothing to be afraid of. So, Gardevoir and I have a bond. So if you need me, just talk to Gardevor; and vice versa if you want. Gardevoir," he turned to her, and she swiveled in midair. "the are our guests. Just like how I'll be doing, tend to their needs, alright?" Gardevoir nodded gently. "Thank you!" Kai walked out of the room, waving to Ash and then to Reece. Reece gave a lazy wave back with a smile.
Ash broke the silence. "Reece... Kai's Gardevoir is amazing."
Dawn piped up as well. "She's so pretty!" She ran up to Gardevoir as well, and began stroking her silky hair. Gardevoir smiled bemusedly. "But Reece, what pokemon do you use?
Reece lifted his head. "Do you want to meet him? He's out in the garden. Come on."He took them out to the porch. Shading his eyes from the sun, he whistled low.
Another ripple, this time deep and powerful. Before them, there was a light and the sound of battle. A figure faded into view: Gallade.
Gallade exuded strength, but the only thing that exeded his constant alertness and piercing eyes was an impeding sense of honor. Ash, Brock, and Dawn felt a wave of power spread over their minds, and Gallade let his guard down. He met eyes with Gardevoir, both of them smiling. "Gallade." Reece called him, and Gallade responded with his own name. "Our guests: Ash, Brock, and Dawn. You may treat them with as much respect as family."
Gallade put his blade-like hands together, and bowed to them. Ash awkwardly bowed back, laughing and scratching the back of his head. Reece laughed as well. "Thank you, Gallade. You can resume your training out in the garden." Gallade bowed farewell again, and began to walk deepr into the prairie, until he found a rather elevated rock. He climbed on top of it with amazing dexterity, and began going through several battle-ready poses.
Gardevoir looked to Pikachu. She spoke: "Garde?" Her voice was gentle and smooth, music to the ears. Pikachu looked to Ash for permission. Ash bent down to Pikachu. "Hey, Gardevoir wants to play?" Pikachu nodded. "Haha, go ahead, Pikachu! Just be back, alright?" Pikachu squealed in delight, and followed Gardevoir, lightly floating through the beautiful flowers. Brock and Dawn went back to the porch, talking about something Ash wasn't sure.
"You know, it's good that you and your Pikachu are close."
Ash turned to Reece, whose face was much more relaxed watching them. Gallade continued his training, as Gardevoir and Pikachu laughingly spun around each other; Pikachu gently suspended in the air by Gardevoir's Psychic. "Are you kidding? Me and Pikachu have been together since the waaaay beginning of me being a trainer. I don't think I could be complete without Pikachu."
Reece gave a wide grin. "I think I know how you feel, Ash." Ash looked over, curious. "With me, Gallade is an extension of me. Gardevoir is also an extention of Kai. Maybe because they're psychic types, and empathic ones at that, I don't know. But we ARE each other."
Ash put his hands behind his head. "Both your pokemon are amazing, Reece. Gardevoir is so beautiful, and Gallade is so strong. This is a weird question, but how did you guys do it?"
Reece blushed a little. "Haha, thanks, Ash. I appreciate it. If you want to hear, why don't I tell you a story about how we met?" Ash nodded. "Alright... Well, first of all, know that in this garden, three big things have happened in my life. And the first one of those things was when I first met my Ralts."
"A long time ago, this house used to be an boarding school, and an orphanage. I was an orphan and a student here, so I obviously never got to know my parents. But the principal was cruel and neglectful, and before we knew it, we were all on our own as the teachers slowly left as well."
"As we got older, more of us moved out to neighboring cities: Jubilife and Orebrough, mostly. They worked as cashiers, miners, and a select few became trainers; very inocuous people, and no one could guess they were literally raised by themselves. I was planning to maybe go to Jubilife, and live the life metropolis. Of course, something changed that.
"It was when I was about 15. I decided to take one last stroll in the field of flowers (which, by the way, was just as beautiful those years ago). A flock of Murkrow had gathered around something on the ground. I ran up to them, and saw them pecking at this poor Ralts... But it was amazing. He was defending itself with a stick." Reece stopped a second to chuckle. "Headstrong since the very beginning... Anyway, I chased the Murkrow away fairly easily, but Ralts wasn't holding up as well. He was on the verge of death."
Ash looked at Reece patiently. "So what did you do?"
Reece sighed. "I picked him up, and rushed him to Floarama City. Their Pokemon Center caught Ralts just in time to save him. I didn't have any experience with pokemon before that, so I figured I would just leave. But when I saw Ralts, he got up and held my leg so hard that I knew he wouldn't let go. Honestly, I wasn't sure what I would do. So Nurse Joy gave Ralts a pokeball, and gave him the choice of being mine. He took it."
"Is that why you stayed here, then?"
Reece looked down at Ash, his face seeming rather hesitant to tell the rest of the story. "...Not quite."
Ash pouted. "So then what did?"
Reece began walking back towards the porch, and Ash followed. "That leads me to the second thing that happened in this garden." He climbed up and sat down on the porch, patting a spot next to him for Ash. He sat down as well, and noted Brock and Dawn engaged in conversation with Kai in the other room.
"Just like how I had planned to leave on the day that I found Ralts, I had planned to leave a week later- and that was the day that I met Kai. Ralts and I were looking out over the garden, when we saw a boy a couple of years younger than me stumbling out of the forest. He was haggard and cut, and he only got so far before completely falling over. We rushed over to him, and noticed that he was carrying a Ralts in his arms as well. It was just like last time... only this time Ralts wasn't the only one in trouble."
"Again, I had to rush the two to the pokemon center. I was lucky that Kai was light, so I could carry him in my arms easily. But this time around, I was shocked by what they told me."
"Nurse Joy took one look at him, and refused to treat him or his Ralts. When I asked her why, she told me that he had Analia: a rare disease that is a blessing in pokemon, but in humans is a stigma. She did nothing to help him. She really was apologetic, but the people didn't want scum in the center. I remember being booed and spit on by the townspeople as we left."
Ash felt himself cringe with anger at the thought, paying closer attention to his words. "It was ridiculous! He was dying, h-his Ralts was dying. See now, Ralts are empathic creatures. His Ralts was experiencing the same pain and death that Kai was feeling, just like how MY Ralts was feeling the same anger that I was. When we got back, I lay him down in one of the bedrooms, and his Ralts next to him. I was expecting the worst."
"...But I found out that something amazing happens when a Pokemon is determined. They start to do things that you don't eexpect them to do."
Ash's ears perked. "What do you mean?"
"I think that my Ralts had seen a little bit of himself in Kai's Ralts. I watched him press his arms together, he muttered to himself, and his horns started to glow. There was a warm flash of light. It was over, and I began to see Kai's Ralts wake up! It was like my Ralts had wished him back alive."
"But isn't Wish an actual pokemon attack?" Ash asked.
"It is. But my Ralts never learned it. It seemed like a miracle. The other Ralts was flustered and thankful, especially towards mine. Still, his master was dying. I was determined not to let him die. I picked berries and grasses and flowers from the garden, and mustered up all the medical prowess I was taught from both the school and my martial arts training. I gave him what medicines I knew that would fight infections, and mended his wounds: I found out that his condition was mostly from loss of blood. Both his and my Ralts helped too. Although it seemed pretty hopeless, he woke up the next week."
"I looked at him, and I remember the first thing that he did was frown and ask, `is Ralts okay?'" I was so relieved that he was alive!"
"I talked to him more while he was getting better, and for one, learned his name. I had to cook all the food and bathe him for a long time, but it was alright. His parents had abandoned him really recently, after the tell-tale symptoms of his stigma manifested. He only had his Ralts that he had since he was little, and he had to find shelter. I guess he heard of our school, and tried to find his way here on his own. What had done him in was an attack by hungry Houndour. Poor thing, it must have been savage... I feel sorry for him."
"His Ralts and mine grew up together too. Soon, they were inseperable, and it didn't take long for me to find out that his was a girl. It had taken a month for Kai to recover. At that point, I really had no need to leave; I had Kai and Ralts, and they needed help anyway. So that's why I stayed."
Reece dreamily gazed into the room, smiling when he saw Kai laughing with Brock and Dawn. Ash saw his look, and decided he should say something. "That was really nice of you, Reece."
He looked back at Ash. "What could I have done? I saw someone in need, and I helped him. And besides..." he now looked back at Gardevoir and Pikachu, playfully teasing his Gallade. "...I can't say I'm not happy." He turned to Ash, who was smiling at him. "Hey Ash, tomorrow morning- you, me, and Kai. Let's battle. 2 on 2."
Ash looked curious, then laughed. "Yeah!"
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Greetings and salutations!
...or something along those lines. Thank you for reading this far, I promise it won't let you down :). Just to put it out in the open right now, the only rule that I have writing this story is that I adamantly refuse to participate any of the original pokemon characters in romance! Err, by that I mean Ash and Brock in particular. I'm not touching them, I remember watching them on TV when I was young, and I would feel weird doing that :D.
So basically, this is only a pokemon fan fic because it's in a pokemon universe, which allows certain plot points, etc... yes, I'm strange :P.
Questions? Comments? Reccomendations? Fan Mail? Hate Mail, maybe? Wanna just chat? Email me at ThePleiadesCall@gmail.com . Love to hear from you!
If you like Pokemon: Amethyst, maybe there's the very vague possibility you'll like other stories I've submitted:
Charmed Reborn, Final Fantasy Rosa, Teth, Diana Celes, and Hallow. (...although not all of these are submitted at this time :P)