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11jj11 · 6 years

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Far From Yesterday - Ch 19 - Marissonshipping

Here’s chapter 19.

Alex was still getting use to waking up with someone next to him.

His silver eyes cracked open every morning, always blinking at the green mass curled up next to him. The Electrike was a canine, so he shouldn’t be surprised that he liked to stick close to others, but he never knew what to make of seeing Lucas. It wasn’t like the Pokemon was the best to cuddle, his fur was stiff and rough, occasionally sparking with electricity. But yet Alex didn’t mind that one bit.

‘Wake up,’ He grunted at the Electrike– shoving him away with a clawed arm. Lucas let out a yelp, fur standing on end in alarm as he was suddenly jerked out of his sleep. Alex stood up, slowly stretching.

‘What was that for?!’ Lucas demanded, sparks running across his body.

‘You’re not going to learn a new move sleeping,’ Alex said, scratching at a loose scale. ‘Besides, half of what we do here is sleep.’

‘Well, we can’t do anything exciting thanks to those darn humans!’ Lucas snarled. ‘They just dump food in here– where is the thrill of hunt?! The reward from guarding your territory? And most importantly I can’t battle Father for alpha-ship while I’m in here!’

‘Fire Fang will do more damage to a Manectric than your electric moves would,’ Alex said. ‘If you want to fight him for alpha that would be your best bet.’

‘Of course, lightning can’t hurt us,’ Lucas said proudly.

Alex was about to comment on how electric types resist electric moves, but aren’t immune to them, but then he realized that Lucas was probably referring to his ability. Alex wasn’t sure if it was Volt Absorb, Lightning Rod or what not– many electric types had the ability to absorb electricity and convert it. He had no electric moves to test Lucas’ ability for himself, so he simply nodded.

‘Okay,’ Alex said, heading toward the other side of their enclosure. ‘Fire Fang works just like Thunder Fang. You bite in the same way, and channel the elemental energy into your target. If you bite just right you might even be able to make them flinch and land a second attack before they can.’

‘Awesome!’ Lucas said, lowering himself into a charging position. He opened his mouth, electricity dancing across his teeth.

‘But you need to summon fire– not electricity,’ Alex said, letting fire fill his mouth. Lucas paused, thinking, before summoning another mouth full of sparks and voltage, and the Charmeleon closed his eyes. ‘No, no– fire! You’re too used to electric type moves, but you can’t focus on that!’

‘But that’s how I battle!’

‘Focus on heat,’ Alex said, swinging his tail around so Lucas could see the flames. ‘A spark is like a bite– swift and painful– but fire is like pressure. Starts out gentle and warm, but becomes harsher the more energy to feed into it. It flickers, grows hotter and hotter, imagine it filling your mouth.’

He wasn’t quite sure if this would even help– he had summoned fire his whole life so he didn’t know how to explain it to someone else. He didn’t expect his words to do much, so he was very surprised when Lucas suddenly started coughing, stumbling back as smoke filled his mouth. Alex perked up, while the Electrike hacked up puffs of smoke.

‘Yeah!’ Alex said excitedly. ‘Like that– but more flames!’

‘It tastes horrible!’ Lucas howled.

‘It won’t if you can get flames next time,’ Alex said, bouncing towards his friend. ‘That was much quicker than I thought– come on– try again!’

They spent about an hour trying to get a Fire Fang to form, mostly smoke and a few cinders coming from Lucas’ mouth. The closest he got was a small jet of flame that came from his mouth. It was much too small and short lasting to be considered an Ember, and no where near acting as fire would need to for a Fire Fang, but it was progress.

Eventually Lucas got bored, and fell back onto the much more familiar Thunder Fang, and began attacking Alex.

He humored the electric type with the spar, holding back on his attacks so he didn’t knock Lucas out right away. What the Electrike lacked in power he made up for in speed, darting through their cage in a blink of an eye, pelting Alex with several attacks before he could even land one. The Charmeleon was sure that with a bit more power behind his moves and a good trainer, that Lucas would be an amazing battler.

‘Roar in pain!’ Lucas demanded as he slammed into Alex with a Spark attack. ‘It’ll make me look more epic!’

‘More epic?’ Alex asked, swiping with a Shadow Claw. ‘But that would be suggesting that you already are epic on some level– and you’re not.’

‘Hey!’ Lucas cried.

Alex jumped out of the way of a Charge Beam, laughing at the look on the canine’s face as he processed the insult. He zipped at Alex with a Quick Attack, nicking him in the leg. The energy for a Dragon Pulse began to form in his mouth, waiting for when the Electrike would be in firing range. He was still racing about with a Quick Attack, coming in to attack again.

Suddenly Lucas stopped in his tracks, staring at the bars behind Alex, eyes wide.

“Char!” Alex declared triumphantly, releasing the Dragon Pulse and knocking Lucas back into the shadows. ‘Hah! Take that!’

Lucas grunted, rolling to his feet, eyes still staring behind Alex. He let out a sharp bark, his entire body tensing up defensively. ‘Humans!’

Alex paused, and then turned around to look at the bars– it was much too early for their meal. He stared in surprise when he saw two humans watching him and Lucas, their nicer clothes showing that they weren’t the workers they usually saw roaming these halls. His insides twisted, and he hoped that they realized that the battle they had seen was only a friendly spar.

Lucas bolted forward, fur standing on end as he stood in front of Alex, letting out harsh barks at the humans. ‘Go! Away! Leave! Go! Away!’

“That one was captured by a young trainer in Hoenn,” The man said, gesturing to Lucas. “But it was simply too much for them to handle, which was why he was sent here. Not the strongest Pokemon, but definitely has the attitude you want if you think you can get it to listen.”

The other man, who had piercing dark eyes, chuckled. “Obedience is not a problem– there are many ways to get a Pokemon to listen,” His eyes flickered over Lucas, before falling onto Alex. “However, what really captured my focus was that Charmeleon. What a handsome beast, definitely not from your standard Charmander line.”

Alex wasn’t sure what they wanted, but he let out a low snarl as Lucas began growling.

“I’m afraid that one isn’t one we can sell quietly,” The first man said. “Its trainer still has expressed interest in it despite the history behind it– it’s attacked humans, you see– and questions would definitely be raised if it was taken.”

Alex hated the way those dark eyes watched him. “The exotic moves, and of course that intimidating appearance,” He muttered. “Even if it couldn’t perform well in the ring, it would most certainly rake in some high bets.”

What?! Alex thought, confusion rushing through him. Betting? ‘The ring’? Those weren’t terms for an average battle.

“But from what I’ve just seen it can fight,” He continued, eyeing Alex as if he were merchandise in a store. “It’d need an everstone, of course– they don’t like flyers participating in the fights– takes away the suspense that you get with pitting them in the ring.”

The first man shrugged. “I never saw the appeal of such bloody fights, but the underground matches pay well,” He sighed. “But like I said, the Charmeleon has a trainer, and drawing attention to yourself wouldn’t be good for you or the underground.”

Alex’s heart was hammering as he listened to the humans. Illegal battles, everyone had caught whiff of them sometime or another, matches that pit Pokemon against each other in the cruelest of fights. It wasn’t a trainer guided sport, but rather bloody matches with money betted on the outcome. Of course such things had to be kept quiet though, with such battles breaking dozens of human laws– so why was someone that was a part of it at a league facility!?

But the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. This whole building was made to hold Pokemon deemed too aggressive for trainers or just the general public. Pokemon like him, that were seen as a risk. Wild Pokemon that became too bold. And Pokemon like Lucas, who simply didn’t adjust to the idea of listening to a trainer.

To hold them here for the rest of their life would cost so much money, something humans hoarded. So why pay for food and water to keep aggressive Pokemon in cages when they could sell them to the underground looking for such Pokemon? The Pokemon in here were ones that were feared, ones that no one cared about– ones that no one would notice if gone.

“You deem whether they go back to trainers or not, don't you?” The man with those horrible eyes laughed. “Tell the trainer it’s too aggressive to be returned, wait a few weeks until they forget about it, then it’s free to do what you wish with it.”

The first man sighed. “Very true. Besides, seeing that it attacked a pregnant woman I’m not sure if the league will want it back on the streets anyways,” He turned to face the other man. “So you want the Charmeleon then? You’ll have to wait a while for it though.”

“Yes, I’ll take both the Charmeleon and the Electrike,” He said, black eyes drilling into Alex. “That wild Ursaring and Fraxure also caught my eye. I’ll take all four, pick them up in, let’s say... a month’s time? More if needed?”

“Well, um–”

“I know that’s quite the time to hold them, but I’ll pay you extra,” The man said. “Cover their expenses for food and such as well. Do we have a deal?”

The first man thought this over, then held out his hand. “As long as that ‘extra’ is something decent, then I’d be more than happy to,” He said, and the two men shook hands. “I’ll let you know if anything else worth your while comes in.”

Alex was as stiff as a statue as the two men walked away, heart thundering in his chest.

‘The humans think they can take me!?’ Lucas snarled, clearly not understanding what they had witnessed. ‘They’ll be sorry!’

‘It doesn’t matter what I do... they’re... they’re going to take me from Alain...’ Alex whispered. ‘Pit us in fights... oh Yveltal they’re going to put us in fights!’

‘Should have Dragon Pulsed the both of them!’ Lucas snarled.

Alex closed his eyes. ‘...No more training– let’s start digging.’

‘I thought you thought the hole was a waste of time,’ Lucas said, blinking.

‘It probably is,’ Alex agreed, heading towards the shadowy half of their enclosure. ‘But it’s probably our only chance. This place is twisted– we can’t stay here. They’re... they’re going to...’

‘Humans,’ Lucas snorted. ‘They just can’t be trusted.’

‘It’s worse than that,’ Alex said, jumping into the hole, clawing desperately at the soil. ‘Much, much worse.’

Lucas still didn’t seem to understand just what could happen to them, but he read the tone. For once his gaze softened with worry, and he jumped into the hole to join Alex, his small paws working alongside Alex’s claws as they attempted to dig deeper.

-------------------------------

There was a tremble in Alain’s hand as he set the plate on the counter.

He couldn’t look Professor Sycamore in the eye as he set the uneaten breakfast in front of him, his blue eyes distant. His heart was thumping with a fear he hadn’t felt in a long time, and one that he hoped he’d never have to face again. His fingers curled into fists, turning away– why was this happening?

“She didn’t even touch it,” Alain whispered. “She just said she wasn’t hungry.”

“You know her appetite has been anything but constant these last few weeks,” He said gently. “We’ll try offering her something else later.”

“...She won’t come downstairs either,” He muttered. “She’s just sitting there... Professor, I can’t let her go through this again, I can’t–”

A hand grabbed his shoulder. “This is different,” Sycamore said. “Not that this will be any less sorrowful, any less difficult– but it is still different. Mairin will need time to mourn, she’ll need time to come to terms with what’s happening, and she’ll need her space,” His voice softened. “And I think you’ll need the same thing– please don’t lock up your emotions, Alain. Let yourself mourn.”

“Who said I was locking anything up?” Alain snapped.

“Because I know you always try to be the strong one,” He said softly. “I’ve seen you hide behind a mask so many times– and no one should have to do that to themselves. Things may seem beyond repair, but–”

“Our child is dying,” Alain whispered. “Nothing will ever fix that.”

Sycamore tried to say something more, but Alain pulled himself away from the professor before a word could escape his mouth, eyes glued to the ground as he briskly made his way out of the kitchen. His emotions were humming, and he wasn’t sure if his sorrow, angry, or fear was stronger. They were all rushing through him, burning through his veins with an intensity he didn’t know. He kept his gaze locked on the ground, refusing to look at anyone as he passed them in the hall.

The stairs seemed to get longer each time, as if more steps were added with each trip he made up them. He allowed his gaze to flick up as he crested the stairs to the second floor, before pressing down the hallway. His fingers traced the wall as he headed towards their bedroom, coming to a stop right outside it. He touched the doorknob, but made no effort to open it, only pausing to listen.

His heart twisted as he heard the quiet sobs coming from the bedroom, and he could only imagine Mairin curled up on their bed, crying as she had last night. It took everything he had to not burst in and wrap her in his arms, to kiss her and comfort her, to simply be there for her in the way he had always known. His mouth was dry as his pulled his hand away from door, and continued down the hall.

What had happened last night, this morning– meant nothing. She was hurt, and had needed the comfort. She hadn’t clung to him out of love, but out of desperation. If she needed to be held again, then he’d be there, but it’d be wrong for him to be the one to make that first step. To force her into a situation that she might regret later. Walking away from her hurt, knowing that she was in tears, but yet his steps didn’t slow.

Alain eventually came to the room she called her own, and he pushed open the door, eyes sweeping her room. His gaze soon settled onto her Pokeballs that rested on the dresser, and he knew that she’d want them to be close, probably more than she wanted to be around him. If she didn’t want to leave their room then he could at least bring her Pokemon to her. He looked down at the belt of Pokeballs as he picked it up, before carefully removing Bébé’s empty Pokeball– she didn’t need anymore sorrow right now. She didn’t deserve to feel anymore of this bitter sting.

...She was crying– that was the one thing he had to remember. She was letting herself cry, she was letting herself show and feel these emotions.

An image rose in his mind, shivers running through him as he pictured a pair of empty amber eyes staring at him, the dull gaze emotionless. Her skin was pale from hiding away in her dark room, refusing to come out, refusing to let anyone linger near her. Her once rich tone had become monotone, uncaring...

Alain closed his eyes, shoving the thought from his mind. He wouldn’t let that happen to her again, he refused to watch her shut down again.

...Professor Sycamore was right. This was different. This sorrow they were feeling, this horrible weight that was pressing down on them... it was different. Painful. Sorrowing– heavy. But it was sorrow, not guilt. As much as it ached, as much as Alain wished he could tear it from their hearts... there was no one to blame.

Fate was cruel, he could simply imagine it laughing at him right now. Mockingly watch as the one perfect person, the one that deserved no harm, drowned in this pain. Refused to give mercy to the one who had done no wrong.

Alain’s eyes scanned the room once more for anything else Mairin could possibly need, and his eyes flickered to her bedside table, frowning at a stack of books resting there. He slipped the Pokebelt over his arm, making his way to the bedside and picking up the book on the top of the pile. The sticker on the front showed it was from the Lumiose Library, and the title read ‘Pokemon of Hoenn’. A frown crossed his face, and he began looking over the rest of the books: ‘Hoenn Sealife’, ‘Absol– Omen or Guardian?’, ‘Pokemon of Eastern Hoenn’, ‘Pokemon of Western Hoenn’, and ‘Competitive Dark Types’.

He knew that Mairin would have had no time to get these recently, meaning that someone else must of checked these out for her, and his stomach twisted. He glanced at the Absol book, hoping that was what she had been researching, but judging by all of the other Hoenn books he had a feeling that hadn’t been her goal with this reading. He closed his eyes, before gathering all of the books into his arms. He flipped the lights off as he went out of her room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

He hadn’t wanted to go anywhere today, he had simply wanted to curl up and wish time away. But now he had several books to return to the library– he doubted that there was anything in them that could lead her to remembering those horrible moments... but he couldn’t take risks. Not now. She didn’t need to remember the guilt she had put herself through, not when she was going through all of this.

It pained him to think that way– he wanted nothing more than the Mairin he could call his own back... but eighteen year-old Mairin was emotionally stronger than the woman of the memories she had lost. What they had learned yesterday was breaking her... but he couldn’t risk her shattering again. As horrible as the shambles of this life was, this was probably the most stable she could be right now.

Getting her through this would come first, restoring her memories would have to come later.

“...I love you, Mairin,” Alain whispered as he walked by his door, gaze softening, knowing she was in there. “I promise you I’ll protect you... I’ll... I’ll...”

Protect her? How could he protect her when he couldn’t even protect their child? Their innocent baby who had yet to even experience this world, who was being taken from them, torn right from their arms.

Tears blurred Alain’s eyes, resisting his fight to keep them back. The pain in his chest burned, and a sob burst from him. His shoulders hunched, clutching the books to his chest as his tears spilled over. He wanted to be stronger than this, he wanted to carry them through this horrible pain.

But he realized he, too, was breaking.

-----------------------------

“Naught...”

“I’m not hungry, Chespie,” Mairin said softly, her starter’s face falling as she said this. The towering grass type nudged her, again attempting to offer her the bag of chips Ruby had brought up from the kitchen. She sighed, picking up the bag and setting it off to the side. “...Maybe later, but not now...”

“Ches,” He rumbled, the Chesnaught laying a monsterous hand on her knee. She stared down at his claws for a moment, the Pokemon having refused to leave her side all day. She placed her hand on top of his, hoping that this would help calm her starter. Even if there was nothing she could do with the painful emotions running through her, Chespie didn’t need to go through this as well.

She turned away, eyes staring out the window as her Pokemon let out more concerned noises. Despite it being late out, lights still shone in through the window. Alain’s room faced the front of the lab, meaning that the street lights illuminated his room even at night. Mairin shakily inched her way to the edge of the bed, Chespie watching her as she slowly pushed herself to her feet.

She stumbled to the window, reaching for the blinds. The room darkened as she slid them shut, before pulling the curtains closed as well for good measure. Mairin stood there for a moment, her body feeling weak. She hadn’t eaten a single thing all day, and despite her feeling its effects, she still didn’t feel hungry. She stared at the green curtains, feeling slightly dizzy, and she looked back at Chespie.

She stared at his missing spike for a few moments, but it vanished from sight as he turned to look at her as well, his shell now facing away from her. Mairin let her gaze slide to the ground, stumbling back towards the bed. A part of her wondered if she should simply go to her own room, but the mere thought of heading out into the rest of the lab made her sick. She didn’t want anyone to see her right now, not like this.

She laid back down on Alain’s bed, head being buried into one of the pillows. Chespie drew a blanket up over her shoulders. Her fingers dug into the pillow, tears stinging her eyes, but no sobs came from her. She had spend the entire morning up here crying, and there was simply nothing left. It felt like everything was being taken from her, and was she starting to wonder if it was even worth the effort to fight it. If the world wanted her to lay here, to suffer as everything slipped through her fingers like grains of sand, then that’s what she’d do.

Mairin’s eyes flicked open as she heard the door sliding open, and she heard soft footsteps entering the room, a hushed voice speaking. “Is... is she asleep?”

“...No,” Mairin muttered at the same time Chespie shook his head.

Alain let out a soft sigh, and she could feel the mattress shifting as he sat down. “Have you been up here the entire time I’ve been gone?”

“Where were you?” Mairin whispered.

“...That doesn’t matter,” Alain said gently, laying a hand on her shoulder. “All that matters to me right now is you. Will you please come downstairs for a few minutes? Everyone else is in bed, so you wouldn’t have to worry about that.”

More tears stung her eyes as Alain said this, shoulders shaking. “N-not again, p-please.”

He shifted, moving closer to her. Her heart thumped, split between embracing him and shoving him away. Bitterness welled up between her sorrow, barely even listening to the soft words he was saying. How could he do this now? After everything that had happened? After everything they were going through!

“Y-you’re keeping things from me,” Mairin whispered. “Again. My b-baby is dying and you’re just hiding behind lies again.”

“No, Mairin, no– I didn’t mean for it to sound that way, I just–”

She rolled over to face him, cringing in pain as she jerked her injured form. Amber eyes glowered up at him, tears of sorrow and frustration staining her cheeks. She struggled to find the words she wanted to say, a part of her only seeing Alain as safety, while another side of her pulsed with anger.

“If you’re not keeping things from me,” Mairin whispered. “Th-then tell me the truth. Tell me what happened to Bébé and Ch-charizard that night, what h-happened to everyone that night– what happened to me.”

“...Mairin...” Alain looked pained, and his gaze slipped away from hers. That was all she needed to see, a spur of bitterness rushing through her.

“You don’t trust me,” Mairin muttered, tears running down her face. She scooted towards the edge of the bed, throwing the blanket off of her, Chespie reaching for her as she rolled to her feet. “Everyone says you love me, b-but yet you don’t even trust me.”

Her injuries flared in pain as Chespie helped her stand, but she didn’t care. Alain didn’t say anything to her, and out of the corner of her eye she could see him struggling for words, hurt and confusion on his face. She turned away, stumbling towards the door, pushing Chespie’s hand away as he tried to help her.

“Mairin–”

“I... I think I will go downstairs,” Mairin whispered. “A-alone.”

She didn’t stop to hear any reply, throwing the door open and stumbling out into the hallway. She faintly remembered one of her first nights without her memories, when Alex had nearly attacked her mere steps outside of Alain’s room. How Alain had found her, carrying her inside...

She shook the memories from her mind, focusing on merely stumbling forward. She half expected Alain to come running after her, but she heard nothing as she made her way down the stairs. She winced with each step, her stitches feeling more fragile than ever. That wasn’t the only thing hurting either– the twisting white marks on her arms ached, and the center of her back pulsed in pain.

And of course, her heart was hurting the most.

“Why...?” Mairin asked in a weak voice. “Why is this happening to m-me...? What did I d-do...?”

More tears were pouring down her face, leaking from her eyes despite her efforts to keep them in. She just couldn’t understand why everything in her life– everything remotely good– was being torn from her. Pokemon and friends... her family... her bond with Alain– both the one she remembered and the one she didn’t. Then of course, perhaps worst of all, her baby. Her innocent child who had yet to even see this world...

The only form of a reply she got was a rumbling stomach– her body begging for some form of food to be given to her. She struggled to hold back a bitter laugh– oh the irony... before she had even known of the life within her she could barely keep down a meal... but now that she had grown to love this child, now that she knew she was loosing her... now her body begged to eat. As if that could save her from the emptiness in her heart.

But yet Mairin found herself shakily stumbling towards the kitchen, not really caring what happened next. The future looked so dark, so clouded, that she didn’t even pause to think what could be thrown at her next. Nothing could be worse than this.

“Mairin?” A soft voice asked, sounding slightly surprised. Mairin was startled, and found that she wasn’t the only one in the kitchen.

Max stood next to the fridge, a container of berries in his hands. She stared at him for a moment, a powerful looking Sceptile standing in front of him. The lizard shot one glance at Mairin, before nudging Max, begging for some more berries. Max handed the Leppa berries over to the lizard, who happily began chomping the fruit right from the packaging. A gleaming green gem was set around the Pokemon’s wrist– a mega stone.

“...Hi Max...” Mairin whispered, feeling she had to say something to fill the silence.

“I... I hope we’re not disturbing you,” Max said, his voice still soft, gentle. “Um, me and Sceptile can go into the other room if you want to be alone or–”

“No, you can stay if you want,” Mairin said, not making eye contact. “You won’t patronize me, I think.”

“Are you hungry?” Max asked. “I could get you something to eat, if you’d like.”

She glanced at the container of Leppa berries Max’s Sceptile had nearly finished off. “Are there any Tamato berries in there? I think I could eat a few of those... and maybe some milk...”

Max smiled softly, before nodding at the table. She slowly made her way over, sitting down, trying her best not to flinch. Max opened the fridge, combing through the drawers and shelves. He was silent, not attempting to make any further conversation as he pulled out the spiky red berries and a gallon of milk. His Sceptile slunk up next to him on all fours, sniffing at the Tamato berries, but his trainer gave him a sharp look.

A minute later a bowl of berries and a glass of milk was set in front of her, while Max took a seat across from her. Had circumstances been different she might of smiled, but all she could manage was a small nod. She began nibbling on the berries, despite her body wanting her to wolf it down, not even blinking at its spicy flavor. Silence filled the room except for Sceptile, who placed his chin on Mairin’s shoulder, whimpering.

“You don’t need to worry about him,” Max said quietly as she held out a Tamato berry to the grass type. “He’s had plenty to eat.”

“I don’t mind,” Mairin whispered, and the Sceptile snapped the berry out of her hands. He smiled happily as he swallowed– and then his eyes widened.

“Tile!” He cried at the spiciness, eyes widening. He bolted away from Mairin’s side, scrambling to the sink and turning the water on, stuffing his head under the stream of water, guzzling down the cool liquid.

“He’ll be okay,” Max said when he saw the look of concern in Mairin’s eyes. “He kind of deserves it actually– he would have tried to steal your food if you hadn’t offered him any.”

“He’s sweet...” Mairin replied, trailing off as the Sceptile finally pulled away from the water, gasping for air. She continued eating the berries without much thought, only pausing to get a drink of milk. As she reached for the last berry Max sat up slightly, taking in a deep breath.

“If there’s anything else I can do for you, Mairin, then please let me know,” Max said. “I don’t want to push you or anything, I know you need your space right now... but I’m here if you need anything.”

Mairin paused, eyeing Max. “A-anything?”

“Anything,” He promised.

She bit into the last berry, swallowing, thoughts bouncing around her mind. She watched Max, who shifted uncertainly. There was actually something Max could do for her, something that no one else would. But despite this, she was slightly afraid to bring it up, he had said it was painful for him to talk about... he had lost his Mightyena that night, but still...

But still she needed to know.

Mairin took in a deep breath. “Tell me about what happened in the desert– please.”

His gaze went from gentle to suprised– before finally melting away into worry. He inched back slightly in his chair, eyes sweeping the room. “Mairin...”

“Don’t tell me it’s Alain’s story to tell,” Mairin whispered. “He won’t tell me– he refuses, Max. I... I have a right to know, I shouldn’t be kept in the dark like this.”

“I know that, Mairin... and I understand that you want to know,” He swallowed. “But I don’t think it should be now, not when... when all this is happening.”

“I’m losing everything, Max!” Mairin cried– louder than she intended, and fresh tears stung her eyes. “My memories, my Pokemon, every familiar thing in my life– my child! I– I don’t care how bad it was! Nothing can be worse than what I feel right now!”

“I...”

“Please! Max, please!” Mairin begged, vision blurring. “I can’t live like this, I can’t live in this darkness. These are my memories, my past– don’t keep that from me!”

Her tears fell freely, silent sobs coming from her. It hurt, everything truly hurt. Her body, her heart, her mind– it had been pushed to its limits. Pulled and tugged in every direction, ripped nearly in two. She didn’t know what else she could do, she didn’t know where she could go. She had reached her limits, and she was afraid one more step would push her beyond them.

“...I’ll let you know what happened...” Max said softly, causing Mairin to freeze up, whipping her gaze towards him. “But only on two conditions.”

“Anything,” Mairin whispered.

“...I don’t feel like this is something you need to hear right now,” He muttered quietly. “But... but you’re right. We shouldn’t be keeping this from you. So you have to promise me that you are ready to hear this.”

“I am–”

“This isn’t just some little event or story,” Max said, closing his eyes. “It’s... it’s painful memories, Mairin. That night still gives me nightmares. You have to be sure you’re ready for this, not just desperate for it.”

She was quiet for a moment, taking this in. She knew this already, she already knew that Pokemon had died that night– Pokemon she had cared deeply for. But still, Max’s words made her hesitate with her answer. She bit her cheek... she already knew the painful results of this event, she just didn’t know what took place...

“I’m ready,” Mairin whispered.

“My second condition is that you have to promise me you won’t blame yourself.”

This made Mairin pull back, blinking at these words. Sharp brown eyes were watching her, Max’s gaze cool compared to how he had been earlier. He didn’t look angry, simply serious, watching her carefully. Her mouth was slightly dry, not quite sure what to make of this as she tried to piece together a reply.

“You have to promise me,” Max repeated as she looked away, and Mairin swallowed.

“I... I promise,” She whispered.

He sighed, but nodded. Mairin sat up a bit, an unknown emotion rushing through her as she waited for Max to say something. He reached into his pocket, apparently searching for something as she watched him. He made no effort to start a story however, not saying a word on what could have taken place as he set something on the table.

He slid a thin keycard towards her. “This will get you into my office,” He said quietly. “All the information you’d want on what happened can be found in there,” She gave him a questioning glance. “...It’s too hard for me to talk about,” Max muttered, looking away. “This is the best I can offer you.”

Mairin reached for the keycard, a slight tremble in her hands. “...Thank you, Max.”

He watched her with distant eyes, simply looking away and nodding.

#marissonshipping #alain #mairin #pokemon #far from yesterday #my fics

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crystalelemental · 6 years

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I've been thinking: Eevee evolutions have really dropped off in usefulness, huh? Espeon is really the only one with a strong defined niche...which is currently banned by Smogon rules. Good night, sweet Baton Pass... But the rest are really falling off because of power and speed creep. What were once strong niches have become less valued over time as new tools took their roles, and what was always bad has gotten substantially worse. Today, I'd like to talk about how to go about improving things. There are going to be a lot of suggestions here, not all of which need to happen, but most of which should.

1. Stat increases. I propose increasing one of the two base 65 stats to 85. It's a substantial increase, and is virtually all certain Pokemon really need to thrive. Consider:

Flareon: +20 speed, lets it hit a more comfortable base 85, which, after a Flame Charge, puts it over base 130 speed.

Vaporeon: +20 speed. It was this or attack, and it doesn't need attack. Being slightly faster as a wall is surprisingly valuable, but ultimately it's not that significant.

Jolteon: +20 HP. Again, this or attack. An argument could be made for attack, but an increase in bulk for a fast but frail creature would be really helpful.

Espeon: +20 HP. Why do so many Eeveelutions have 65 attack and 60 defense? Really, it's the same as Jolteon, but with no justification for attack.

Umbreon: +20 speed. It typically doesn't use attack, so I think a slightly faster wall would be more beneficial. Especially since it tends to run Foul Play.

Leafon: +20 Special Defense. Leafeon has some great tools already, its biggest problems are just the standard movepool problem and limited special defense. Patch up one of the obvious problems.

Glaceon: +20 speed, because just like Flareon, Glaceon desperately needs it. It does hurt functioning under TR, but 65 base speed is a no-man's land of speed tiers, being just too fast to really thrive in TR, but way too slow out of it. 85 base speed at least can outpace bulkier offensive threats.

Sylveon: +20 defense. Just like Leafeon, all it really wants is added bulk in terms of stats. Defense is more valuable than HP, I think, so we go with this.

2. Secondary Abilities. Eevee has two abilities, and a Hidden Ability. Despite this, Eeveelutions have one ability based on their typing, and a hidden ability that is either very hit or very miss. I propose we create a secondary ability for all Eeveelutions. Primary abilities like Flash Fire, Water Absorb, etc. will come from Run Away Eevee. Adaptability Eevee will become the -ate abilities. Carbonize for fire, Liquify for water, Galvinize for electric, Mentalize for psychic, Eclipse for dark, Pollinate for grass, Refrigerate for ice, and Pixellate for Sylveon. Each of them would have access to Return or Hyper Voice as a stronger version of their attacks, which benefits Flareon and Glaceon most. Flareon now doesn't lose a bunch of HP from its only offensive STAB, and Glaceon can now function outside of Hail to a degree. Of course, all of them get a power buff with these moves, but those two are the clear winners, while Umbreon...kinda doesn't care. Umbreon needs #3 to succeed, and nothing else.

3. Change hidden abilities. If the last one wasn't a dead give-away, I think hidden abilities need to be re-assessed. Some are working beautifully, most are not. If we accomplish #2, then Sylveon needs a change anyway. Of course, you could keep the above as hidden abilities, but then this would just become "give them secondary abilities" and now Espeon needs to retain Magic Bounce, so however you want to shake that out.

Flareon: Guts is awful. It can only use Toxic, which combined with Flare Blitz, kills it in about two turns. If the opponent packs Protect, you're already dead. It has some options. Tough Claws is one, flat-out raising its attack by a respectable amount. One is Technician, offering a stronger Quick Attack and Flame Charge. The other interesting option is Simple. Flame Charge giving +2 speed would be incredible, and there's a move I'll recommend adding that would also make Simple a divine choice. Lastly, Fluffy. Just...think about it. Patching up that poor defensive stat, base 85 Speed that increases with Flame Charge, and what do you lose? Your resistance to fire? Until people know what ability you’re running, you could be outright immune to Fire and gain a power boost from it. Probably not as good, since Flareon just wants to hit stuff, but it’s an idea.

Vaporeon: Is actually okay, I think. If you want to give it anything else, Storm Drain might still be good. Increasing special attack of Vaporeon when it switches in to Water moves creates a stronger sweeper, though its low speed means that Water Absorb would be more preferred regardless. The real winner, to me, would be Immunity. Hydration was great in the era of perpetual rain, but now that it's gone, Hydration is sorely lacking. Immunity doesn't let you Rest and recover the sleep status instantly, but it does prevent Toxic from obliterating the utility of Vaporeon's bulk.

Jolteon: Quick Feet is the worst thing it could've gotten. Jolteon doesn't appreciate status at all, barring maybe Burns, but even then it's not ideal. Really, it comes down to a flat improvement to all moves under certain conditions, or certain moves being the best options guaranteed. Lightningrod gives a big special boost, but only if you switch in on electric attacks. By comparison, Sheer Force gives a nice boost to Thunder, Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball, and an option I'll mention later. Sheer Force is probably more consistent, so I kind of favor that.

Espeon: Is perfectly fine with Magic Bounce, thank you.

Umbreon: Just give it Magic Bounce. Make Espeon and Umbreon mirror images again. I know at the time, a super bulky Dark type with the ability to reflect status and hazards seemed too much, but Mega Sableye exists and would still outperform Umbreon anyway with Will-o-Wisp and Calm Mind and a better recovery move, so just...let it be a really effective version of Mega Sableye in UU and give it Magic Bounce. Please.

Leafeon: Okay, so its hidden ability is Chlorophyll. First thing's first, that needs to be the primary. Leaf Guard is absolute trash and shouldn't exist. Ideally, I'd swap out both, but it needs one ability that's decidedly grass-aligned. We got that? Good. Leafeon has several options as well. Super Luck could be hilarious with Leaf Blade, and a recommended move addition below, but is too chance-based. I also really like the idea of Poison Heal, allowing it to take status and recover, which pairs well with its buffed special defense. If they’d give it Leech Seed, the healing potential would be great, especially in tandem with a buffed 85 special defense. By comparison, Defiant or Moxie would be a great offensive abilitiy. Leafeon seems resilient, so I like the idea of Moxie better, and it seems particularly fair given how hard it is for it to net KOs with its current movepool. Plus it’s not like a Grass-type couldn’t use the help, and 95 speed isn’t that impressive anyway...

Glaceon: The more I think about it, the more there's only one option I want to see: Technician. Glaceon would be the sole best user of this ability among Eeveelutions, packing Icy Wind and Water Pulse as strong move options, as well as a greatly enhanced Ice Shard if needed. There's also another move I'll recommend that it get later that would benefit it greatly. I would also like to recommend Slush Rush as its primary ability, but I understand why they might not do that.

Sylveon: Natural Cure is another good option, and Serene Grace could be hysterical with Moonblast, but both of those are unlikely and very limited comparatively to Pixellate. One option is Triage. That gives it the same tech as Comfey, with access to Calm Mind and Draining Kiss. Personally, I like the idea of Oblivious. Immunity to taunt on a Cleric is fantastic. Losing power in Pixellate Hyper Voice hurts, but it's a trade-off in security where an attempt to stop you with Taunt is only going to ensure you get that Wish off.

So, to close:

Flareon: Tough Claws/Simple/Fluffy?

Vaporeon: Immunity

Jolteon: Sheer Force

Espeon: Magic Bounce

Umbreon: Magic Bounce

Leafeon: Poison Heal/Moxie

Glaceon: Technician

Sylveon: Oblivious

4. New moves for Eevee. One of the biggest problems for Eeveelutions is that their movepools are Not Good. They're very limited in their roles to only performing along what their type is known for, and as a result, they don't really excel at anything beyond that. Worse, at least for Glaceon, Vaporeon has Ice coverage and a better typing, so there's no reason to ever run Glaceon. This is exactly why Eevee needs some new tools; to expand on what the full range of Eeveelutions have access to. Consider the following:

Shock Wave - a simple, low-power electric attack that cannot miss. Generally, it would go unused, but if combined with Glaceon's Technician, it gives it a lot of power. Ultimately limited use, but electric coverage is a nice addition, generally. Also it totally makes sense. I think anything with fur should be able to create some kind of minor electric attack, personally, but that’s just me.

Drill Run - Just like Lycanroc, I think these kinds of Pokemon should have Drill Run almost as a default. Ground coverage is supremely valuable, and gives Leafeon a way to actually use Ground without Z-Dig. Flareon also greatly appreciates the added coverage.

Aura Sphere - Look, Eevee's a Pokemon so in-tune with nature that its evolutions are based on the presence of a particularly cold rock in a 10-mile radius. Clearly it has some ability for intuition. Plus, Fighting is optimal coverage for just about anything, given how many super-effective matchups it gets. This gives Espeon excellent coverage, gives Glaceon much-needed ability to muscle past Steel types, while Jolteon and Specs Sylveon can really benefit from it as well.

Earth Power - The alternative to Aura Sphere. The only reason I'm slightly against it is that it means any hypothetical Ground-type Eeveelution in the future now must be a physical attacker, because the special move is available to all forms. But for similar reasons as above, I do think Eevee getting this move makes some sense, and again, every special attacker it evolves into, which is most of them, would benefit.

Knock Off - Some Eeveelutions already get this. But not all of them do, and they should. Flareon and Leafeon benefit the most, but Leafeon already had this so it's really just a desperate cry for Flareon to get something useful.

Crunch - Just an alternative to Knock Off. Not entirely necessary, but it's an option that deals better damage to thinks with Mega Stones or Z-Crystals, and would be breedable instead of requiring battle points to acquire.

Shadow Claw - Eevee has earned a physical Ghost move. Far from necessary, but again, it's nice to have some options here.

Bulk Up - An alternative boosting move that not only benefits Eevee, but its horrifically outclassed physically offensive evolutions! Flareon makes the best use, getting much-needed power and patching up its weak defense.

Calm Mind - A few Eeveelutions already get this. Somehow, Glaceon is not one of them. Unacceptable, please fix this.

Extremespeed - The big one. On its own, it's a solid priority move for Flareon and Leafeon, and would make Eevee nightmarish in LC. But the real benefit is if it's paired with the -ate abilities. Changing to a STAB move, with a +20% boost, makes Extremespeed an incredible addition to their arsenal. This is also why I mentioned +20 attack being a possibility for Jolteon. 85 attack may not be great, but Extremespeed with that kind of boosted power can still dent a lot.

Also, while these aren't for Eevee, give Flareon Blaze Kick so it doesn't kamikaze itself in two turns, and give Leafeon Leech Seed so it can be an asshole.

All moves aren't 100% necessary, but I like giving options. Nothing hurts worse than a shallow movepool. But just to clarify, here's what benefits most from what options:

Flareon - If it gets Simple, really wants Bulk Up to double its offensive standing and terrible defense. It can then also use Flame Charge to double speed, but then is left with two offensive moves. Flare Blitz is one, which will definitely hurt, and I'd almost say Drill Run is the next best option, given Ground-type's utility. Knock Off would also be great. Basically, you're making a choice: low coverage, high speed but limited defense and offense, or high offense and bulk but limited speed. It's not going to toss it to OU, as every option has severe limitations, but still.

Vaporeon - Could maybe benefit from Calm Mind and Shock Wave to be offensive? But is frankly better off doing cleric stuff and phasing.

Jolteon - Aura Sphere and/or Earth Power is all it could want in life. Calm Mind is also invaluable, but low physical bulk means it's probably not staying in to boost much.

Espeon - Aura Sphere is all it could ever want.

Umbreon - Literally benefits from nothing here, unless you really want to be that guy who tries to run a boosting offensive Umbreon with the new tools. Which is not going to work out, sorry to say.

Leafeon - Drill Run alleviates it having to use Z-Dig for coverage, Bulk Up increases its best two stats but is slower than Swords Dance for damage, and it already had Knock Off. So I guess Extremespeed and Leech Seed are the only new tools it appreciates.

Glaceon - The first winner of improved movepool. Glaceon wants those coverage options so badly. Fighting, Ground, and Electric are divine choices for a pure-Ice type. Technician is required to make it shine, but just having a few of those choices is all it could ever want. Also Calm Mind. If it gets 85 base speed, it could actually boost before slower threats act, and a boosted 130 special attack is formidable.

Sylveon - The odd Specs or Calm Mind set would appreciate Earth Power most of all, to hit Steel and Poison-types that try to come in on it. Aura Sphere would also be nice. Beyond that, it's not as impressed.

Conclusions These changes, I think, would do well enough to get most Eeveelutions to UU or above. Each Eeveelution needs a different piece of this, so ultimately, I think all adjustments are necessary, but in case you're wondering which are most needed based on who's doing the worst, here are your answers:

Flareon - Needs all three. Movepool alone won't fix bad stats and abilities. Ability alone won't fix bad movepool and low speed, and no amount of +2 speed in one attack is going to help. I would know. I've tried to run Agility Ampharos. Even with +2, you still need a lot of speed to survive in this horrific speed-creep-infested meta. And of course, stats alone won't fix that the movepool is shallow and abilities suck. Even with two of three, you have issues. Enhance moves and abilities means it has Simple with a lot of good boosts, but it falls short due to low base speed and defense, requiring it to get really lucky with that setup. Stats and abilities means it's faster, but lacks coverage to threaten things that resist Fire. Stats and moves...yeah, no. It's probably the best combination of two, but without ability, it's just too limited to shine. Breaking UU would require all three, no question, and even then, it's limited. Maybe Tough Claws would be better than Simple...

Vaporeon - The speed is nice but not necessary, and the added moves won't really change how Vaporeon plays, offering alternatives to Ice Beam that most aren't going to use. Immunity is also nice, but it's still lacking compared to Hydration Rest, so...Vaporeon doesn't gain as much here.

Jolteon - The added HP is borderline irrelevant to it, and the change in abilities is ultimately a minor improvement. But those move options? That's where it's at. That's what could get Jolteon back in the game, for sure. Earth Power also gets a Sheer Force boost, so with Life Orb and Sheer Force, suddenly Jolteon's power is back to relevance. Of course, you can also give up that power for Sash or Scarf or something, but Life Orb would definitely be Jolteon's most appreciated option.

Espeon - Another with little to gain, but would appreciate offensive options, at least in Smogon play. Let's be honest, outside of Smogon, singles play means Baton Pass is running just fine, and Espeon will always have the niche on lock. But with that banned, it's just be nice to have better coverage attacks to let it stay relevant in separate forms of play.

Umbreon - Just give it Magic Bounce. I'm so serious, that's literally all it needs is a better ability. Its bulk isn't what it used to be, but it's still tremendous, and it even gets a hold item. I'm pretty sure it's overall tankier than Mega Sableye. Sableye just has a better typing and a few better tools, so Umbreon would likely be UU if it didn't get banished to BL, but all it needs is that one change. Everything else is meaningless to it. No amount of boosting will salvage its low offenses, and even with the coverage options, it's still limited since you need the boosting option and Moonlight, leaving you with two moves.

Leafeon - Much like Flareon, desperately wants all three. Leafeon does not have a good ability right now, and while Chlorophyll is situationally helpful, it needs something better. Added special bulk is necessary for being able to take hits, since any fast special sweeper is going to steamroll it currently. Moxie means it gets a nice increase in power, which pairs well with Scarf, Band, or even Assault Vest as item options for just about any role, while Poison Heal would mean excellent recovery potential with Leech Seed support. And of course, the moves means it's no longer reliant on Z-Dig for much-needed Ground coverage.

Glaceon - Movepool, movepool, movepool. Glaceon currently gets shit-all for moves, and it would love new options, especially Ground, Electric, and Fighting options. Technician would also be a great addition for it, but it really only benefits from that in tandem with Shock Wave being made available. And of course, even with those tools, it needs +20 to speed if it's going to outpace bulkier threats and wallbreak efficiently. With all three, it could earn a place in UU, potentially, just based on power and coverage. But with two of the three, it's probably not moving past NU, frankly. It's just like Flareon, but with a substantially easier problem to fix.

Sylveon - Stats are the only thing it cares about. Movepool could help the Specs sets, giving it better coverage options than it currently has, but the added +20 in defense really lets it do its cleric job much more effectively. Oblivious, while possibly its best answer, is just...not going to be used over Pixellate as often as I would think it should be.

#pokemon #eeveelutions #flareon #vaporeon #jolteon #espeon #umbreon #leafeon #glaceon #sylveon #here are my many opinions

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