Categories > Games > Pokemon > The Spirit of Alola - Book 2 - A Hurting Heart
The events had finally quieted and everyone was settling back down. Athini and Myron moved their chairs so they could face the whole group while the rest of us returned to our seats on the couch. Squall and Tempest, the two Raichus, had wandered over to my daughter Himiko and taken up playing with her, using the ample space of the first floor as a racing track.
“So where is the old Gorebyss these days?” Athini asked, looking at Burnet.
“She died when I was six. It was a car accident.” came the simple reply.
“I hope it was slow and painful for her,” the oldest Professor muttered.
“Athini,” Myron cautioned her.
“I do not pity that abusive Litwick in the dark.” The woman growled.
“But what if -“
Burnet stopped him with an understanding look, “No, it’s fine. She wasn’t a good person.”
“I hope she didn’t hurt you,” Mel chimed in. The woman’s silence was answer enough and Mel crinkled her brows in pity. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s over and now she won’t be able to ever hurt another person again.” The white-haired Professor responded.
Athini nodded her head in understanding. “May the Dusknoir torture her to the end of eternity. I left home at ten for my Trainer journey. I had planned on doing it in Johto, but it got so bad at home that I decided to start from as far away as possible, which happened to be Kaneko,” She continued, moving the conversation away from the topic. Though the girls were bonding over a mutual hate for Lilith, the rest of the room seemed uncomfortable.
Particularly Kabir, who looked like his heart was breaking in two. Tinsel had laid down on the couch between him and Mel, her head resting in his lap and her ribbons wrapping around his arms. He rubbed her ears absently. I could see Mel had placed her hand on his shoulder at some point as well, but he didn’t appear to be taken in by any of the comforts.
“You alright Kabir?” I tried to whisper quietly, but with everyone being in the same room, they all heard it anyway, the conversation ceasing immediately.
“I was only three when Lilith left,” he said with a shaking voice. “So I don’t remember anything about her. Both of you had to deal with her for so long though,” He narrowed his unseeing eyes as he continued. “I’m your brother. I’m supposed to be able to protect my sisters. I know you saved me countless times as a child, Athini. Dad made sure to tell me that so I wouldn’t hold any grudges against you for leaving. If Burnet hadn’t been born, she would have probably stayed in the family.”
“Then she would have had a chance to hurt you too,” Burnet interrupted. “What she did is her own fault. Don’t you ever take blame for her actions.”
Kabir shook his head at their responses but didn’t say anything else.
“So,” Kukui pulled everyone’s sullen minds to himself while addressing Athini, “A Professor then. That means all three siblings took the same path for work.”
“Seems it runs in the family,” Myron added. “You said you’re one as well, didn't you, Kukui?”
“I am. My lab is just down the road actually. These guys are my neighbors. Now, I’ve been dying to ask, who is that cute green Pokemon in your arms?”
“This little guy?” The blonde asked, pointing at the creature in her lap clearly just as eager to leave behind the topic. “This is Quoey, a Pokemon found only in Kaneko. And it’s one of my partners.” She patted its fluffy round head as she spoke. “They’re classed as “The Happy Ball Pokemon '' and they are known to do everything in their power to try and keep their Trainer and friends smiling. Go say hi.” She placed it on the floor.
It took one look at the excited face of Kukui and leaped into his lap, eager to soak up more affection. “It smells like sweet grass.” He observed.
“They are a Grass type. The happier they are, the better they smell.”
“The fur is so soft too.” He ran his hands over the ball-shaped body while it squealed in delight at the attention. Kabir reached over and gave it a few pats too, but he knew this Pokemon already, so it was short-lived to allow the other man a chance to give it a thorough exam.
Once done, it bounded over to me and tried to snuggle in my lap as well, but I pushed it off to Burnet instead, not wanting to have so much interaction with it. I heard Athini laugh teasingly at my reaction and glared at her, but I couldn’t keep a small smile from spreading across my lips.
“Do you have other Pokémon?” Professor Kukui asked animatedly.
“Of course I do. A whole lab full of them. I was a Trainer in Kaneko until I turned nineteen and took over as Professor of the Region.”
“So you must be who new Trainers visit to get their first Pokèmon then!” Burnet added. The Quoey had settled down in her lap and now watched the room in contended silence.
Athini nodded her head and Kukui asked. “Don’t they have to wait until they’re sixteen years old to start?”
It was Myron who responded. “They do. And they must travel in groups of three at all times. It's done for their safety,” He threw in when the others looked on in confusion.
“Here’s a fact you may not know,” Kabir jumped at the opportunity to share his knowledge, “Though many Pokemon can be found in Kaneko, none of them can be found in other parts of the world.” Kukui raised an interested eyebrow. “Because the region was bordered off for seventeen years, the ecosystem hasn’t had new Pokemon added, nor have they been spread throughout the world in that time. As well, the lands are so closed off and dangerous that visitors are very rare outside of the main city. While there are Pokemon that were introduced decades ago, they have all evolved into region-specific forms.”
“Take my Pidgeot, for example. It's a Flying and Grass Type.” Athini said. “They were brought into the region to help reduce the population of a volatile and swarming Pokèmon known as Arachnom and its evolution, Lethocagus which are a Poison and Rock Type. Pidgey are able to travel at speeds that would smash through the shells of this Pokemon, making them perfect predators to them.”
Kukui halted her with a hand. “But Flying is weak to Rock and Grass is weak to Poison. Doesn’t that put them at a disadvantage?”
“If you think a normal Pidgey is fast, you should see one from Kaneko. They have no trouble dodging attacks from a Pokemon as slow-moving as Arachnom. Plus, because they eat them, the Pidgey line has been able to gain a distinctly unique intolerance to the Pokémon’s venom. They don’t hold that same strength over other Poison Types though.”
“How fascinating.” Kukui beamed. “You said you have a Kanekan Pidgeot. Is it with you right now?”
Athini laughed at the man’s eagerness to learn. “I do, but they are a fair amount bigger than a regular one. She wouldn’t be very comfortable in here.”
“Let’s go outside then. I want to meet your other Pokémon.” He requested, already rising to his feet.
“Kukui,” Burnet halted him with her voice. “You can meet them later. Athini and Myron have only just arrived here, so I imagine they are tired. Too tired to keep up with you in particular when you meet new Pokemon.”
He looked somewhat put off, but he took a seat once more. Athini mouthed a silent “thank you” at Burnet who nodded in understanding while rolling her eyes in mock annoyance.
“We are here for more important business, I’m afraid,” Myron added, looking at the black-haired man with sympathy.
“That is correct.” Athini agreed, lowering her smile. The Quoey seemed to sense a shift in the mood of the room. It had been sleeping in Burnet’s lap, but when the conversation began to change, it had opened its eyes drowsily. The small creature rolled out of her lap and jumped into its Trainer’s. “Let’s get this started,” She said.
“So where is the old Gorebyss these days?” Athini asked, looking at Burnet.
“She died when I was six. It was a car accident.” came the simple reply.
“I hope it was slow and painful for her,” the oldest Professor muttered.
“Athini,” Myron cautioned her.
“I do not pity that abusive Litwick in the dark.” The woman growled.
“But what if -“
Burnet stopped him with an understanding look, “No, it’s fine. She wasn’t a good person.”
“I hope she didn’t hurt you,” Mel chimed in. The woman’s silence was answer enough and Mel crinkled her brows in pity. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s over and now she won’t be able to ever hurt another person again.” The white-haired Professor responded.
Athini nodded her head in understanding. “May the Dusknoir torture her to the end of eternity. I left home at ten for my Trainer journey. I had planned on doing it in Johto, but it got so bad at home that I decided to start from as far away as possible, which happened to be Kaneko,” She continued, moving the conversation away from the topic. Though the girls were bonding over a mutual hate for Lilith, the rest of the room seemed uncomfortable.
Particularly Kabir, who looked like his heart was breaking in two. Tinsel had laid down on the couch between him and Mel, her head resting in his lap and her ribbons wrapping around his arms. He rubbed her ears absently. I could see Mel had placed her hand on his shoulder at some point as well, but he didn’t appear to be taken in by any of the comforts.
“You alright Kabir?” I tried to whisper quietly, but with everyone being in the same room, they all heard it anyway, the conversation ceasing immediately.
“I was only three when Lilith left,” he said with a shaking voice. “So I don’t remember anything about her. Both of you had to deal with her for so long though,” He narrowed his unseeing eyes as he continued. “I’m your brother. I’m supposed to be able to protect my sisters. I know you saved me countless times as a child, Athini. Dad made sure to tell me that so I wouldn’t hold any grudges against you for leaving. If Burnet hadn’t been born, she would have probably stayed in the family.”
“Then she would have had a chance to hurt you too,” Burnet interrupted. “What she did is her own fault. Don’t you ever take blame for her actions.”
Kabir shook his head at their responses but didn’t say anything else.
“So,” Kukui pulled everyone’s sullen minds to himself while addressing Athini, “A Professor then. That means all three siblings took the same path for work.”
“Seems it runs in the family,” Myron added. “You said you’re one as well, didn't you, Kukui?”
“I am. My lab is just down the road actually. These guys are my neighbors. Now, I’ve been dying to ask, who is that cute green Pokemon in your arms?”
“This little guy?” The blonde asked, pointing at the creature in her lap clearly just as eager to leave behind the topic. “This is Quoey, a Pokemon found only in Kaneko. And it’s one of my partners.” She patted its fluffy round head as she spoke. “They’re classed as “The Happy Ball Pokemon '' and they are known to do everything in their power to try and keep their Trainer and friends smiling. Go say hi.” She placed it on the floor.
It took one look at the excited face of Kukui and leaped into his lap, eager to soak up more affection. “It smells like sweet grass.” He observed.
“They are a Grass type. The happier they are, the better they smell.”
“The fur is so soft too.” He ran his hands over the ball-shaped body while it squealed in delight at the attention. Kabir reached over and gave it a few pats too, but he knew this Pokemon already, so it was short-lived to allow the other man a chance to give it a thorough exam.
Once done, it bounded over to me and tried to snuggle in my lap as well, but I pushed it off to Burnet instead, not wanting to have so much interaction with it. I heard Athini laugh teasingly at my reaction and glared at her, but I couldn’t keep a small smile from spreading across my lips.
“Do you have other Pokémon?” Professor Kukui asked animatedly.
“Of course I do. A whole lab full of them. I was a Trainer in Kaneko until I turned nineteen and took over as Professor of the Region.”
“So you must be who new Trainers visit to get their first Pokèmon then!” Burnet added. The Quoey had settled down in her lap and now watched the room in contended silence.
Athini nodded her head and Kukui asked. “Don’t they have to wait until they’re sixteen years old to start?”
It was Myron who responded. “They do. And they must travel in groups of three at all times. It's done for their safety,” He threw in when the others looked on in confusion.
“Here’s a fact you may not know,” Kabir jumped at the opportunity to share his knowledge, “Though many Pokemon can be found in Kaneko, none of them can be found in other parts of the world.” Kukui raised an interested eyebrow. “Because the region was bordered off for seventeen years, the ecosystem hasn’t had new Pokemon added, nor have they been spread throughout the world in that time. As well, the lands are so closed off and dangerous that visitors are very rare outside of the main city. While there are Pokemon that were introduced decades ago, they have all evolved into region-specific forms.”
“Take my Pidgeot, for example. It's a Flying and Grass Type.” Athini said. “They were brought into the region to help reduce the population of a volatile and swarming Pokèmon known as Arachnom and its evolution, Lethocagus which are a Poison and Rock Type. Pidgey are able to travel at speeds that would smash through the shells of this Pokemon, making them perfect predators to them.”
Kukui halted her with a hand. “But Flying is weak to Rock and Grass is weak to Poison. Doesn’t that put them at a disadvantage?”
“If you think a normal Pidgey is fast, you should see one from Kaneko. They have no trouble dodging attacks from a Pokemon as slow-moving as Arachnom. Plus, because they eat them, the Pidgey line has been able to gain a distinctly unique intolerance to the Pokémon’s venom. They don’t hold that same strength over other Poison Types though.”
“How fascinating.” Kukui beamed. “You said you have a Kanekan Pidgeot. Is it with you right now?”
Athini laughed at the man’s eagerness to learn. “I do, but they are a fair amount bigger than a regular one. She wouldn’t be very comfortable in here.”
“Let’s go outside then. I want to meet your other Pokémon.” He requested, already rising to his feet.
“Kukui,” Burnet halted him with her voice. “You can meet them later. Athini and Myron have only just arrived here, so I imagine they are tired. Too tired to keep up with you in particular when you meet new Pokemon.”
He looked somewhat put off, but he took a seat once more. Athini mouthed a silent “thank you” at Burnet who nodded in understanding while rolling her eyes in mock annoyance.
“We are here for more important business, I’m afraid,” Myron added, looking at the black-haired man with sympathy.
“That is correct.” Athini agreed, lowering her smile. The Quoey seemed to sense a shift in the mood of the room. It had been sleeping in Burnet’s lap, but when the conversation began to change, it had opened its eyes drowsily. The small creature rolled out of her lap and jumped into its Trainer’s. “Let’s get this started,” She said.
Sign up to rate and review this story