NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2.1: Aquacorde
Beneath the blistering Paldean summer sky, just outside of Artazon, I sat atop one of the many ancient stone towers that dot the landscape of the region. I watched in silence from afar as a pair of students, a boy and a girl, casually mingled with a huge herd of Tauros. The boy, having noticed a stray Bramblin, snickered to himself as he swiftly moved over to stand above it. Without much warning, he picked up the tumbleweed before yelling at the girl to “Catch!”, as he casually tossed the thing through the air at her.
Unfortunately, a young calf stepped into the way, and when the ghost Pokemon softly bounced off the young Tauros, every single adult in the herd noticed. In one fleeting moment, the entire herd screamed, and the entire savanna seemed to freeze. The boy’s eyes went wide as nearly forty cattle began to mindlessly run at him, but thankfully the kid’s mind was as quick as his feet. For around an impressive ten seconds, the boy managed to stay ahead of the wave of stomping hooves, but the herd was quickly gaining ground.
Having noticed the shrinking distance between the boy and a cliff, I sighed, then signaled to Eve to get moving. I leapt from the tower, landing on my partner’s back as she swiftly got to work. Each of her steps seemingly weightless despite my presence upon her back, Eve zoomed to the front of the stampede. Then, taking advantage of her Quick Attack, Eve slipped into the mess, grabbed the boy, and slipped out right before they crushed every bone in his body. The herd, losing their focus of their rage, thankfully come to a stop before they all go flying off the cliff.
After a few seconds of acrobatic movement down the cliff, Eve placed the boy onto the ground beside the girl, and I glared at him as I stepped off my partner’s back.
“Are you an idiot?” I spit out my inner thoughts directly, not entirely caring about how the boy felt.
The boy, despite obviously being a bit shaken at his near death experience, somehow managed to crack his neck and viciously snarl, “I'm not.” at me in response.
“Are you sure? Cause’ all I saw before I saved your ass was a fool attempting to end his own life. Besides the fact that you willingly picked up a wild Pokemon like it was an inanimate object, you then threw it in the vicinity of a large group of similarly wild Pokemon, who have long grown wary of humans throwing things near them. Ever heard of a pokeball?” I groan after my tirade, already feeling a migraine coming on.
The boy and girl both immediately went pale at my words, but for obviously different reasons, as the boy’s words soon proved.
“That was a Pokemon?” He muttered, obviously horrified.
I rub my neck and grimace at the feeling of my quickly growing stubble.
“I… You aren’t from Paldea, are you?” I asked, rhetorical question it may have been, I was curious what his answer would be.
The boy shook his head, then looked down at the ground with regret plain on his face.
“I’m a student from Sinnoh here on an exchange, I had no idea." The boy regretfully stared back at where he had thrown the pokemon. "Arceus, is that poor pokemon okay?”
A bit flabbergasted, I squinted at the boy.
“Are you not, y’know, even a bit shaken after that?” I asked, and for this one I didn't know the answer.
The boy shook his head, wiping a tear from his eyes before he looked up at me with a smile. I rolled my eyes.
“It was my fault, none of the pokemon did anything wrong, and you saved me didn’t you?” The boy stated, like my presence changed anything about the situation besides his life being still there.
After I sent Eve my irritation at the conversation, she moved to stand behind me. The boy and the girl both take a step back, finally realizing who my partner was. I scowl. She didn’t deserve this kind of reaction.
“Look kid, just don’t-” I started to chide, but a second later my words stop and I click my tongue as a sheer irritating whistle comes from behind us.
“Fuck.” I started moving immediately after I curse, though still unfortunately too late.
A web went flying at me through the air, but Eve effortlessly cut through it with her horn. Clumsily I mounted onto my partner's back as she took off, leaving the students in a cloud of dust. Two rangers, one far too familiar beside a young blonde girl I didn’t recognize, came racing at me on the backs of a pair of Cyclizars. Spidops leapt out from behind a tree, but Eve didn't even bother engaging it, sidestepping its web before rushing behind it.
Just as I think we’re safe, Eve grunts and twists mid-step as a Fletchling suddenly zoomed through where I had just been. I paled, knowing that if that hit me it would have been all over. There was no way I could have stayed on her back if it did.
Thankfully, as Eve sprinted, the rangers pulled back, probably just going to check if I had been mugging the students or something. Knowing them, they might’ve even put it on my record anyways. As we ran into the swiftly setting sun, Eve and I both sent our appreciation of each other at the same moment, which immediately led to us laughing together, as one.
I didn’t know what I would do without her.
Awakening with a gasp, I habitually check if I am on an edge before quickly realizing where I actually was. Curled up around me, Eve sends me a sliver of worry, but I respond with a smile and affection as I stroke her back. Taking a look around the room, I find it pretty typical of the guest rooms I had previously been in, a few decorations on the walls, a tiny desk, and a lamp on a bedside table, yet not much else defining this as someone else’s space. It was surprisingly comfy.
With a yawn, I stand up and stretch, the extra long sleeve falling down my arm and bunching near my shoulder. I look at my arm, and as the memories of the previous night quickly begin to return I push my face into my partner’s neck and quietly scream. Eve snickers as she nuzzles me, sending me amusement at how I acted last night.
After a quick reset, I jump to my feet and begin to walk to the door, where I find a stack of my newly washed clothes sitting on the desk. Lifting up my only shirt, a simple long sleeve green thing that I had grabbed off a clothesline in one of the several villages that dot the space between regions, the scent of a home that wasn’t my own swirls around me from its fabric.
Suddenly a bit melancholic, I throw the gigantic bunch of fabric I had slept within into a bin then immediately pull my shirt on before I get the chance to be negative about my body. I also put on my reliable thick black hiking pants, the only piece of clothing that I had owned before I met Eve that had survived until now. I hesitate for a moment, then also put my hoodie back on. I didn’t love the combination between my new hair and the faded burgundy color it had, but the damn thing was so comfortable I didn’t really see the point in not wearing it.
Tossing my bag over my shoulder, I slip on my socks before I pick up my hiking boots, which leads my mind to the person I had gotten them from. It was now foggy and swiftly fleeting, but I know I had a dream about him last night. Shaking my head, I pull them on, tapping the toe onto the ground before I step out of the room with Eve right behind me.
As I step down the stairs, I find Sofie and Chamomile sitting in the kitchen beside a large window, silently staring out at the sunrise. Her face, which had been so warm and joyous for most of the previous day, now showed a cold beauty I had not seen from her before. She’s clearly ready to leave, her black athletic jacket on top of a light green shirt, black leggings and sneakers proving that the girl wasn’t going to sacrifice comfort on a trip that was likely going to be quite long. Feeling my face heat up a bit, I clear my throat as I slip onto a kitchen chair.
“G-Good morning, Sofie. Did you sleep well?” I murmur, unsure exactly what to think about my new friend.
Turning with a small smile, Sofie nods in affirmation, but I see the bags beneath her eyes. I grab a pastry out of a basket on the table, taking a bite as I return her smile. “That’s good, when do we leave?”
Scratching her face, Sofie’s eyes shift away from me.
“You’re still sure you’re okay with traveling with me right?" Sofie taps her fingers against the windowsill anxiously. "I just wanna make sure again, since, y’know…”
I take another bite as I nod. "My mind hasn’t changed, so you don’t need to worry.”
Sofie sighs in relief, picking up Chamomile as she stands, who murmurs in complaint but doesn’t bother breaking out from her arms. Eve quietly sneaks a pastry from the basket, and I giggle when Sofie playfully growls at her. Eve pounces away with the bread in her mouth, crouching down close to the ground with her very sharp tail swinging in the air above her. Sofie aggressively takes a step towards her, and growling my partner jumps forward a bit before running into the living room. Sofie and I both crack up, the girl wiping a tear from her eyes as she points towards the other room with her head.
Following behind her, I send my deep amusement to Eve when we find her being chewed out by Cappuccino for having left crumbs behind on the ground. Sofie grabs a large canvas bag and a cute white beret with a flower on its front, its petals dark pink at the edges which gradually brightens until it reaches the center, where its yellow anthers splay out. She slips both on, then opens the front door and steps out into the morning sun. I walk in step just behind her, keeping Eve close when we come into the open air.
The walk to Route One is short, barely a few minutes, and as we pass beneath a gigantic multihouse complex I notice Celine standing off to the side, PiPi on her shoulder. Her clothes are the same as the day before, but when she waves to us vigorously, she accidentally knocks a cap she wasn’t wearing yesterday off her head, which her Pikachu catches and happily wears itself. Sofie snickers at the klutzy display, but returns the wave nonetheless with a smile.
“How long have you been waiting here, Celine?” Sofie asks, her mood obviously a bit improved from before.
Shrugging dismissively at my friend’s question, the girl pulls her pokemon into her arms, where it happily sits as she slowly strokes its back. Sofie rolls her eyes then steps out into the road, but she stops and looks up into the sky. Her back straight, she takes a deep breath before speaking to us with her back turned.
“This day, right now, is the true beginning of our lives,” Sofie mutters under her breath, her words barely audible.
Sofie turns her head to look at us, flashing us the giddiest grin I had seen on her face yet.
“Are you all ready!?” She screams, raising her fist into the air.
Me and Celine look at each other, then at our pokemon. Together, fists and paws shoot in the air, we cheer in unison, our mixed voices echoing out around the empty morning streets of Vaniville.
”UUUOH!!”
Our first steps aside, Route One is remarkably… unremarkable. The incredibly old and uneven cobblestone road that lines its entirety is sort of annoying to walk on, my ankles cursing at the strange height differences that would sometimes happen between my steps. Occasionally, out in the trees that lined the street, I would see Fletchling or other birds flutter about, singing all the while, but for whatever reason no other pokemon seemed to find the Route as a good place to spend time.
“Do you know what Pokemon you’re going to get to choose from, Celine?” Sofie asks, leaning a bit to the side.
Shrugging before she responds to Sofie, Celine purses her lips and looks down at Cappuccino, who keeps running off to sweep loose leaves off of the street. “Nope! I was told I have the last pick anyways, so I don’t reeally get a choice in the matter. All I know is that the other two getting pokemon are a boy and a girl.”
Sofie sighs, putting her palm onto her face. “That’s unfortunate, I wanted to see you hem and haw on which pokemon to choose.”
I almost hear Celine’s ears spit steam as she turns bright red. "I-I can make decisions just fine, thank you very much! If I truly had a choice, I’d immediately choose the one best suited to battle you!”
Sofie snickers, bumping the girl with her hip. “Knowing your luck, you’re gonna end up getting the one weak against me.”
“Hmph!” Puffing her cheeks out, Celine suddenly steps around me, using me as a shield against our shared friend. I giggle quietly, enjoying the casual atmosphere that had arisen.
When I try to think of how long it had been since I was in a situation like this, a couple stray memories begin to dredge themselves from the depths of my mind. My breaths speed up as my heart begins to slam, but I bite my lip hard enough to break skin, banishing them back to where they came. I was in a new place, as a new person. There was no point in reminiscing, that past, that life was gone. Sensing my sudden distress, Eve brushes up against me in worry, and I lean into her as we walk, holding back the tears that threaten to fall.
I’m sure my companions notice my poor state, as I occasionally catch them looking at me with concern, but neither says anything about it as we continue. In fact, the duo go out of their way to lighten the mood, chatting about some animated magical girl show I didn’t recognize the name of before getting into one of their playful bantering matches about whether or not the main character, Vicky or something similar, would get together with a particular one of her teammates. Celine swore that she would get together with the green magical girl, stating how they had spent so much time together and had such good chemistry, but Sofie confidently declared that the dark magical girl was far more attractive and had more blatant shipping moments so far.
Somewhere along the way, PiPi jumps onto Chamomile’s head, who is of course sitting on Sofie’s head, creating a strange totem pole that immediately makes me laugh, placing me into a much better mood. From his crows nest, PiPi’s ears stand up as he notices something in the distance, screaming out in excitement at the sight of something. It doesn’t take long at all for us to see what he saw; building on the horizon. We speed up our pace immediately, reaching the town quite fast once we do.
Stepping into Aquacorde through an arch, I marvel at the sight of the rustic settlement. From atop the hill we were on, we could see the entirety of the town, made up nearly entirely by four gigantic buildings, of which I assume at least half of is apartments. I run to the edge of the hill, leaning on a stone fence as I look out in awe at the beauty of the town’s plaza, a well kept garden beside a deep blue river.
"It's true," A deep baritone voice with a galarian accent states beside me, “It’s quite beautiful, isn’t it?"
I raise my eyebrow at the strange and rather gigantic boy that had randomly spoken to me. The first thing that pops out to me is how tall he is- I probably only reached to his upper chest. His hair, slicked up with way too much hair gel into a Quiff, was sort of ridiculous looking due to how curled it was near the front. Showing off a somewhat chiseled body through the sides of one of those tank tops that were cut way too low. A Rookidee sits proudly upon his raised arm, which was protected from its sharp talons through a thick leather glove.
“Aren’t you cold?” I blurt, unable to help myself.
Vigorously laughing way too hard at my legitimate question, the boy wipes a tear and gives me a small bow.
“Thank you for your concern, my lady, but I am perfectly fine. As a knight, I am more than strong enough to handle a slightly chilly day.”
I grimace, rolling my eyes as I look at the approaching Sofie and Celine, who seemingly don’t give the strange appearance of the boy much mind. The giant grins when he sees the girls walk up, but as his eyes move to Eve, who trails a bit behind them, his expression shifts into one of exaggerated concern. I notice what is about to happen immediately, but before I can stop him, the boy drops his cloth bag and dashes between the girls and Eve, pulling a literal short broadsword from within as he does.
“Get back, maidens! That is an Absol, a bringer of ruin!" He looks back at us with a way too serious expression. "Run away while you can, I, Albert Paddock, shall hold it off! Lancette, back me up!”
Eve, obviously immensely amused at the situation as the Rookidee takes to the sky, she shifts her posture to match the idiot’s delusions, shifting her feet together and tilting her head back arrogantly. I anxiously step forward to stop the dumbass about to attack my partner, but Sofie puts her hand in front of me, a mischievous look blatant on her face.
“I sorta wanna see this, but if we let it happen do you think he’ll get hurt?” She whispers, her tone jovial.
I sigh, shaking my head as I send a bit of concern to the Absol, who of course responds with a dump of mirth that I just can’t say no to. Still, I find myself anxiously holding Sofie’s arm, afraid that something would go wrong leading to Eve getting hurt. This is of course, knowing she’ll probably completely dominate him, but my heart doesn’t care what my brain thinks.
For a moment, nothing happens besides the boy shifting his stance a few times, eventually ending up with his sword level to his face while pointing it at Eve, but then he makes the first move. Rushing forward, Albert raises his blade and performs a wide horizontal swing, an attack which Eve parries with little effort, putting just enough force to not injure his wrists. Responding with her own attack, Eve swiftly dashes around the boy, who nearly fails to block a swing of her tail as she slips behind him.
Seemingly invigorated by the lack of strength displayed by my partner, Albert turns and aggressively shifts his blade to one hand, going for a low blow against Eve’s legs. Flying down behind the Absol in a flanking maneuver, the Rookidee rushes forward, its beak glowing with the power of a Peck. Huffing and sending me her slight irritation, Eve seemingly stands there still as a rock as the attacks close in on her.
Knowing what's going on, I can only sigh as Eve suddenly vanishes. Sofie and Celine gasp as Albert and his Rookidee slam into each other, going rolling across the stone ground before slamming into the stone fence. They rush over to him while Eve haughtily saunters over to me as if she were proud of what just occurred, yet still shares her disappointment with me when she reaches me. I smile as I pet her neck, sending a bit of reassurance, knowing that we’d soon be fighting in the circuit proper.
Suddenly, Eve’s head jerks to the sky, then presses the button on her pokeball and disappears in a flash of crimson light. Confused, I look up to just see a normal Fletchinder, pretty far in the distance. I start walking towards the group, but then, I hear a familiar whistle, and my eyes shoot to the duo running across the plaza below. Two rangers, a brunette boy and blonde girl probably around our age, wearing the familiar orange and black, begin to rush up the stairs carved into the hill. As I look a bit closer, my eyes go wide when I realize I recognize the blonde girl from somewhere: Evangeline Blanchet, the girl that had once been my father’s student, the person who ended up chasing me around the Paldea region with him.
Without hesitation as my blood chills, I take a few steps backwards until I’m out of view, then dash away, ducking around the side of one of the gigantic buildings. Trembling in terror, I lean up against the brick wall while hugging myself, the noise of the world drowned out by the bass drum that is my heart. I suddenly don’t have enough air, my breaths growing more and more shallow with each one I take.
My knees buckle underneath me, and as my vision begins to grow foggy, I see a girl I don’t recognize run up to me. She attempts to say something, but it doesn’t register, my brain refusing to parse anything beyond the darkness quickly dominating my entirety. I want to reach up and touch her, to feel any kind of warmth in my quickly freezing world, but my arms refuse to move. I feel myself gasp when a sharp pain shoots through my chest, my consciousness slowly fading as agony begins to spread through me.
Suddenly, it all ends, and I have control of myself once more.
When I open my eyes, I gaze in silent awe at the beauty of the land around me. The world is watercolor, the forest around me painted in pastel hues. I raise my hand to see that I am the same, my colors partially mixing near the edges with the woodland’s hue. I look up to see nothing but a black sky above, yet I feel nothing.
That’s what is most distinct about this, that I am so entirely numb to everything. In fact, I find that my sight is my only sense of working when I try to speak. Forcing myself to my feet, a task surprisingly difficult when you can’t feel anything, I look around, but see nothing in the darkness between trees. When I look down, I am surprised to see that I was… different then expected.
Instead of my traveling clothes, I find myself in a short white sundress, tattered and ruined by dirt. My feet and legs are red with blood, cuts and scrapes from running through the underbrush without any protection. I reach up to find my hair sheared to my scalp, once again the ugly brown I had dealt with all my life.
Yet, it isn’t all terrible.
My body is exactly what I wish that I could look like. Delicate and feminine, yet with a deceptive strength underlying beneath. A pair of- My small breasts slightly elevate with every breath, and my hips allow for the ruined dress I wear to flare out quite nicely. I’m sure I’d be giddy if I could feel anything.
Rationally, I know that this entire situation is ridiculous. I was probably in a lucid dream or something after my panic attack, yet still… It was indescribably beautiful. Taking a deep, deep breath, I reach up and run my fingers through my hair. There was but one thing I could do now, the first and final thing I could think of doing.
I raise my foot, and take a small, hesitant step forward.
When my foot touches the ground, a wave of color fills the world. The once dark and gloomy forest fills with flowers, the sky once pure black now a deep sky blue. My eyes wide, I kneel down, and with trembling hands I pluck a white rose, raising it up to examine it. The petals, pure and white, unnaturally shine with a beautiful light, and when I move my hand to touch them, I find that my hands, which I hadn’t noticed had been cut by thorns, stain them with blood. The bloody petals greedily absorb my color, their hue slowly shifting into a bright pink as they do.
When I look down at myself again, I’ve changed once more. My dress is now clean and patched together, which seems to function despite the rushed job. My legs and feet are now free of blood, yet the wounds left visible scars, the marks of my flight through the forest still remain. I reach up to find my hair back to the length I was comfortable with, though it remains the same dull color as before.
My head flicks when I see a flash of movement, yet nothing is there when I look. With nothing left to do, I carefully remove the thorns from the rose before placing it into the hair above my ear. I close my eyes, unsure of what to do.
When I open them, I find the world is normal once again.