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10:44 a.m. July 18th, Saturday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event)

Events:  The Joint Kanto and Johto Indigo Summer League have concluded.  Saria Surge has become the new Vermilion Gym Leader, converting it to a Fairy Gym.  Our girl started her journey on the 9th of June—she’s been a Trainer for 39 Days (38 officially; 39 since getting Maya and Nova).  Our girls got a shocking surprise with their new Pokemon!  Cuties!  Yay!

 

Lori giggled as Terri followed the various forms of the Hitmonchan in the dojo Training Hall, watching Miky try to emulate the forms; her little legendary fighter had to be Adamant Natured by the seriousness she took in wanting to join in the practice.

She knew Rhea’s Pokemon would get along with Terri to a T, especially Mya and Alice, who she could see really bonding with the Kubfu, but it also made her a little nervous about how she was supposed to connect to the battle-centric Pokemon.

Sure, she liked to battle, and so did her Pokemon, yet they were largely more of a goofy group of fools.  Well, except Roxie, who was right beside their newest member; bless her soul, she was attempting to do the kicks while balancing on two legs, which made her coo.

Amira sat off to the side with Ash and Mariah; Amber and Holly were out, trying to help the terribly skittish Meloetta overcome her crippling shyness—it would be a work in progress.

A short hum came from her adorably creepy big sister as her mysterious violet eyes studied her very soul.  “A book not read is a ghost without a voice.  You seem nervous, Mal; what’s on your mind?”

“Huu-haaa.”  She tried to let go of the pent-up air in her lungs while turning to her sister, holding her elbow behind her back.  “I guess…  I feel like Terri would do better with Rhea or Amira more than me,” she whispered, seeing Amber’s red and Roxie’s pink eyes move to her.  “Fighting is cool and all, but I’m just… haaa.”

“Not sure you can give her what she needs?”  Shauntal finished, a cryptic smile playing on her pink lips.  “Have I told you the story of ‘The Hero and the Froakie?’  It’s a classic.”

Lori’s expression dulled.  “Another one of your story metaphors?”

“Aren’t they the best?”  her sister snickered, and Dollia, her Chandelure materialized behind them, mirroring her Trainer.

“More like obscure…  You have to explain the whole thing anyway at the end since I’ve never read any of the stuff you’re into.”

“I do, don’t I?”  she mused.  “Very well, I’ll cut to the chase.  It’s not about how well you get along at the start, Mal… it’s how you find something you can both bond over.  Naturally, she’s in a dojo, so she’ll want to do what comes instinctually to her, but it isn’t like martial arts defines Terri; it is a piece of many parts of her soul.”

A little surprised her sister cut past all the story plots she was probably hoping to spin together to fit that message, Lori smiled.  “Thanks, Shanny.  I should probably also learn a bit about her interests, too, though.  Right?”

“I’m sure she would appreciate it…  How would you like to walk?  We can visit the Saffron graveyard.”

“Ugh…  Fine.”

Knowing she probably wanted to talk about something else away from prying ears, she waved Ash, Amira, and her Pokemon off, internally telling them to watch out for Terri.

The bright sunlight overhead hit them as they exited the dojo, moving to the streets of Saffron.  “What’s this about?”

Shauntal’s gaze drifted back to Lori’s shadow, where Dollia had hidden.  “The Tepig and the Absol,” she whispered.

Lori stiffened at the child’s story and the message it had.  “Really?  Okay, I’ve been a little down lately, but I’m fine…”

“Mhm…”  Her sister was silent until they were outside the dojo grounds, taking her to the right and away from the main flow of traffic.  “I’ve spoken to Mother and Father, who believe you doubt your place inside your team.  Have you had any pain?”

Jaw tightening as Shauntal’s focus settled on her back, Lori shifted her shoulders uncomfortably.  “Sometimes it tingles…  It’s not why I doubt myself, though.  I’m usually the one fixing Cass’ problems… not causing them myself.”

Gables rubbed her spirit as her sister breathed out a short sigh.  “You are not over your embarrassment of losing to Misty, nor the hesitation connected to that in facing arguably the strongest Kanto Gym Leader—and at Silver-tier—in two days with Miky.”

“It’s not his fault we lost like that,” she hissed, arms tightening against her abdomen.  “I should have realized he wasn’t ready…  I didn’t even do much training with him.  It was my fault, and I don’t know how… how he’ll feel if we lose again…  I’m scared.”

Shame made her draw in again as her sister didn’t respond.  “I know it’s not fair to pretend everything’s fine…  Gah.  Gables tells me I should talk to the others about it, and I promise to—every day… but it just never comes up, and I can’t do it in front of Miky…  He’d be crushed, feeling like I don’t believe in him.”

“But you don’t,” her sister softly returned, yet the spiking words drove into her chest.  “Neither do you believe in yourself to coach him, which is why you’ve allowed Rhea’s Pokemon and Pikachu to do a lot of the work?”

A bitter taste entered Lori’s mouth as she realized Ash had told her sister how they’d been training; she couldn’t be sure he’d made all those connections, but Shauntal knew her enough to make them herself.

“I’m pathetic, I know,” she grumbled, shivering a little for no reason.  “Rhea lost to Forrest, but she’s still plowing on.  I haven’t really even done a lot of work with Roxie…  Ggghgh.  Why can’t I shake this slump?!”  she snarled, asking herself more than Shauntal.

Her sister reached over to pull her into a chilling hug—the atmosphere around her was always spine-tingling—yet there was an unusual warmth in it that calmed her thumping heart.

“It is pathetic to not rely on your Pokemon, but you are not pathetic, Mal… you’re the strongest girl I know, which makes it hard to allow others to support you.  I know it was so hard for you to live with the chronic pain of those flames all your life, but you overcame that, and you’ll overcome this, as well.”

Trying not to let the burning in her nose rise to her eyes, Lori breathed while hugging her big sister back.  “I just don’t want to shrink, Shanny… to drag everyone down.  Amira and Rhea are inspirations…  I’m not strong… I’m here turtling… like with the pain.  I just push it all down and put on a happy face, and I’m so stupid!”

“Haaa.  You’re worried Rhea will begin to notice now that her Aura is strengthening?”

Shauntal moved to the side of a park path they’d entered, bringing her into a hug as Dollia exited her shadow to sandwich her in the shade.

“I keep m-meeting all these amazing people… strong people, but I’m not growing—I don’t feel like I am.  What should I do, Shauntal?”

“Hmm.”  Her big sister stroked her hair and held her close, speaking in the calm and mysterious tone that used to infuriate her; Shauntal always seemed just out of reach, like the Ghost Pokemon she surrounded herself with, yet here she was, holding her when it felt like her world was falling apart.

“You’ve learned to be quite the actress, Mal, and I meant what I said—you are the strongest woman I know, little sister.  You believe you haven’t grown, but I’ve seen the changes that few could face so boldly… such as your fear of water.”

“Ack-hah, really?”  Lori forced a laugh, chest quaking against her sister’s.  “That’s so minor…  I froze while Amira and Rhea almost took a bullet for me!  I blanked…  I felt heat touch my back, and I froze…”

Her sister’s careful hands remained away from the scar on her back, applying pressure.  “So… when all that stress was piling up, you felt a spark ignite, and you instinctively locked up to prepare for the burn?  Lori, that’s not your fault…  The anxiety you’re feeling isn’t about freezing up… it’s that you haven’t told them the real reason why.”

Tears slid down her flaming cheeks as her throat caught.  She didn’t want to show weakness—to be a burden like she’d been on her family most of her life; Lori didn’t want to make people worry about her, so she put on a cheery face and goofed off, breaking into dances and deflecting things to social media.

She coughed, fighting back the lump in her throat and quivering lips.  “There’s… n-nothing anyone can do…  Why make them… make anyone worry?  Mom and Dad spent almost a decade looking for a cure…  I don’t want to waste anyone else’s time…  Not on me…”

“Oh, my baby sister… I wish I were here to take away all your pain once and for all,” Shauntal whispered, holding her head against hers.  “I’ll find a way to cure this suffering from you… but, for now, quit being so stubborn and allow yourself to be vulnerable with others… even if just a little.”

“B-But Cass needs…”

“Cass has her own team now, and she’s doing great.”

“B-But…”

“Mal… you don’t always need to be the strong, happy one…  You’re really harming everyone else by not letting them in to support you…  Allow yourself the mercy of support from others when I’m not around to see past this mask.  Sharing what makes you vulnerable strengthens the bonds with those that reciprocate that trust…  Do you trust Rhea and Amira?”

“Mhm…”  Lori sniffed, letting Gables, Dallia, and Shauntal comfort her.

“Have they shared some of their weaknesses?”

“…Mhm…”

“Then reciprocate that trust, or else you will lose against Sabrina, and, this time, I fear I will not be able to rescue you from that abyss.”  Gently pushing her away, her sister’s penetrating purple eyes looked straight through her broken defenses and masks.  “Will you promise me you’ll tell them?”

Chest fluttering, Mallory bit her lower lip but nodded.  “I’ll… try.  Will you help me?”

Drawing her back in, she felt Shauntal’s silent laughter.  “Of course.”

 

* * *

 

Amira noted the Unova sisters’ exit, yet her focus was on the shy Mythical Pokemon in front of her, who hardly seemed to want to speak, communicating more in actions, which puzzled her.

“Mom… she won’t even look at anyone,” she mumbled, allowing Mariah to hide her face in Amira’s skirt as Amber and Holly tentatively tried to make friends with Meloetta.  “Can we talk to Rhea’s mom about it?  Even for a Bashful Nature, this is… concerning.”

Lyra played with one of her pigtails, studying the stunningly beautiful Melody Pokemon as Amira stroked her ruby locks.  “We’ll have to be Mariah’s support for now…  Christie is resting with her daughter.  Do you have any ideas, Ash?”

The Legend sat against a wall beside them, watching Terri with a small smile; Pikachu went to join Lori’s Pokemon in the exercise.  “Mmh.  To me, it seems like she’s terrified you’ll leave if she doesn’t hold onto you, and someone will take you away.”

“Right!”  her mother chimed, and Zelri left her Poke Ball, teleporting away and returning with a giant blanket to drape over them.

“Mom?”  Amira mumbled as it blocked out the light; Mariah’s soft, red locks and Amber’s flames were the only illumination.  

Her mother remained outside, leaving just her Pokemon under their tent.  “Perhaps we’re exposing her to the world a bit too much right off the start.  Why don’t we follow Rhea’s example and rest a little bit; what do you say?”

Chuckling at the prospect of sleeping on the side of the room where dozens of Pokemon were making sounds and training, Amira took the pillow the Porygon-Z produced from somewhere and slid under the blanket.  “Your ideas are insane sometimes, Mom.”

“Hehe.  It’s not because I want to have a little mother-daughter nap, either!  Let me just snuggle here next to you, and you keep that darling child close so she can protect you from the cruel world she sees.”

“Yeah,” Amira whispered, amusement dampening at her mother’s words; obviously, Ash and her could sense things about the Pokemon she couldn’t.

Amber and Holly closed in, chirping softly while cuddling up to them, and she was a little surprised to find her mind drifting a little; it came on suddenly, making her conclude it was her stressed Fortitude.

“I’m here, Mariah,” she said, shifting to her side and pulling her tight in the dark place; it wasn’t long before she felt Zelri transport them to the room beside Rhea’s, and if she hadn’t been waiting for it, she doubted she’d be able to tell, other than the voices dying out—her mother was just that good.

Figuring Ash would stay back to watch Terri, Amira let her mind wander as her mom settled in next to her with a satisfied groan.

“Night, girls…  I think I’ll get a little shut-eye, too.”

Mariah slowly eased up, and Amira smiled, able to hear her gentle, whistling breath as her Mythical Pokemon drifted off to sleep with Amber and Holly protectively enclosing her on the opposite side.

Mind fluttering a little, her brow furrowed as she released a heavy sigh upon feeling something soft nudging her head a little; opening her eyes, she saw concerned rosy moons staring back at her—Mariah, making a worried note in her throat.

“Hmm-hmm.  I’m still here, Mariah,” Amira soothed; her mother’s arms were holding her outside of her bundled prison as if she’d try to escape, as well.  “Mmgm…  Feeling a bit better?”  she patiently asked.

Expression tightening, she reached out to hug her again, and Amira closed her eyes to stroke her glowing hair.  “I’m here…  I’m not going anywhere.  Do you like your name, Mariah?”

Hesitantly pulling away, she nodded, pointing at her.

“Me?  I’m Amira Rocket.  You can call me Amira, and, heh, these are your big sisters, Amber and Holly,” she presented as they wiggled closer under the blankets, the Fennekin keeping her flames suppressed.  “They protect me, and they’ll protect you, too.  I’ll introduce you to Serenity later.”

The little mute songstress’ expression lifted a little as the two nuzzled her, and she waved when they chirped at her, melting Amira’s heart.

She’s so adorable and pure…  Saffron is going to be really hard for her, but I guess I need to rest tomorrow, so we can take things slow and get her some little earmuffs…  Shopping trip?  We are in Saffron.

Guiding Mariah to nest against her belly with her other two Pokemon, she felt the Meloetta relax, returning to sleep; they all needed to recover, it seemed.  Her mother was as clingy as ever, gentle yet unrelenting in her embrace.

Drifting in and out of sleep for who knew how long, Amira lost herself in the random thoughts that crossed her mind, letting the bodies of those resting nearby tell her a story.

From Amber’s bond and position, she saw her first Pokemon attempting to be the protective big sister, taking Mariah’s vulnerable back and letting her know she was safe with her warm flames, keeping them comfortable.

Holly wrapped herself around Mariah and Amira like a reassuring rope to let her know she wouldn’t be separated; her Comfey small head rested on the Meloetta to let her know she wasn’t alone anymore.

Eventually, Amira found herself staring at the light ruby glow of her Pokemon, reflecting on this very position as she recalled the first time someone stuck gum in her hair, and she’d curled up to her mother the entire night after, crying; she’d found great pride in her hair from an early age due to the encouragement of her family and looking up to her grandma.

Her mother spent the evening painfully removing the sticky wads before comforting her, and she wondered if her mother had felt a little of this helplessness that was rolling within her gut; Amira wanted to take away whatever trauma had hurt this little Pokemon, but this was all she could do.

Hours into the evening, she finally convinced Mariah to peek outside of their blanket fortress to meet her cheery mother; she had a certain charm with Pokemon—probably her Aura—because the Meloetta warmed up swiftly to the pigtailed woman.

By 8 p.m., Amira was growing quite hungry and convinced her Buddy Pokemon to meet the others of their team to eat if she could hold her the whole time.  When she entered the room, she saw a full spread of ramen from Kyle’s shop, having loved to watch the Wushu Pokemon practice.

She could see the man being touched that Lori would name the Legendary Pokemon after his best friend, who had dedicated herself to martial arts.  From what the Unova girl said, her Kubfu wanted to meet the woman she was named after.  They’d seen a few videos earlier in the day of Terri training some of the disciples of the dojo before her coma, which had sparked the baby Pokemon’s interest.

Amira was glad to see everything working out for all of them, and Rhea’s Nimbus Legend was now bouncing between groups, studying them from every angle as she familiarized herself with their team.

Christie went over the Moves and Abilities of their new Pokemon with Rhea guiding the conversation, seemingly obtaining the information from her mother earlier that day.  Amira held her Meloetta closer upon learning the legendary breeder’s reservations regarding the troubled past of Mariah’s mother, involving Rainbow Rocket.

Her little girl refused to use her voice, and nothing Christie had done had coaxed her into revealing it; the first time she’d heard the lovely notes was when she’d first met Amira.  She decided humming and singing in the mornings—when everyone was asleep—would probably be the best time to ease her into speaking again.

However, the conversation turned in another direction as they finished their late dinner, and Lori said she had something important and personal to share; Amira grew concerned when the dancer took her big sister’s hand, looking for support—she hoped Lori wasn’t announcing she’d be leaving back to Unova—recently, she’d sensed there’d been something wrong but didn’t want to pry.

Ash, Christie, and her mother looked as curious as Rhea; Shauntal gave her little sister an encouraging smile, and their purple-haired teammate breathed out her anxiety before telling her tragic story.

 

* * *

 

Rhea settled in after explaining what her mother told her regarding the Abilities and Moves of their new Pokemon; she sat between her mom’s legs with Alice, Lulu, and Nova in hers.  The solemn atmosphere drew her in as Lori began, squeezing her big sister’s hand.

Turning around, she had Shauntal unzip the back of her dress to show them the faded scar that covered most of her back.

“I know most of you must have wanted to ask about this, and… and honestly, I don’t want to talk about it,” she whispered, fingers shifting from her bikini strap to her skin, “but I have to…”

Rhea promptly shook her head as their Pokemon tried to figure out why the mood had changed.  “You don’t need to if it’s uncomfortable; we don’t need to know to love you.”

“Hehe.  You’re too sweet, Rhea,” Lori chuckled, semi-long fingernails leaving a light mark while stroking the area.  “I do have something I have to get off my chest, and, heh… I’m scared…  Ash has probably noted, even if he hasn’t said anything.”

“Pika-pi…”

Ash adjusted his hat beside the door exit.  “Haaa.  It generally comes at night, right?”

“What comes at night?”  Amira asked; Mariah scooted closer to her Trainer while reading the atmosphere.  “Is it something we can help with?”

Mallory turned to allow her sister to zip her up, shivering a little.  “That’s not… really what I need, I guess…  I know I said I was over the whole freezing up thing in that ice cave, but… I’m not… not really, and it’s eating me up.”

Rhea’s brow furrowed.  “Lori…”

“Ahem,” Amira interrupted, drawing her gaze.  “It’s not something to do with us, Rhea.  I think we should just listen—it’s probably not something we can fix—she just needs to talk.”

“Oh, yeah, okay,” she whispered, and her mom’s arms tightened against her belly, offering her support.  “Sorry…”

“Hmm-hmm.  No, you’re golden,” Lori giggled, “and not just because of your hair.  Huu-haaa.  Amira’s right…  When I was little—during the Ultra War—I was burned by something…

“Heh.  I don’t even remember it—probably repressed it,” she added with a dismissive shrug.  “Anyway…  The truth is that… our parents were murdered in that battle, and I was left with this scar as a reminder.”

“That’s horrible…”  Rhea mumbled, trying not to let her Aura sense go out of control, but the painful influxes in Lori’s voice pulled at her already bruised heart; another drop of sodium dripped into the cup that was her hatred for Rainbow Rocket.

Shauntal’s chilling atmosphere deepened with her tight, violet eyes that looked haunted by ghosts from her past.  “Since then, Lori has dealt with a chronic, mystical flame that nothing has been able to relieve until a few years ago…  Thank you, Christie.”

“Mom?”

Her mother’s chin rested on her shoulder, sending rumbles through Rhea’s collarbone.  “It was more my sister than anything I did.  Cynthia was able to convince a Jirachi she knew to use his Wish to stop the pain.”

Amira’s soft, concerned voice drew Rhea’s focus.  “The Wish is failing…  Did it happen in the cave?”

It clicked in Rhea’s head—Lori’s comments about her body, the way she was acting after the incident, and the girl’s boundary-pushing behavior—she was constantly living with a sword hanging over her head, never knowing when the torment would return.

If she’d only found relief in the last few years, then she was dealing with this burn for over half her life, living in unimaginable pain, and it also meant that Ho-Oh’s healing light in Viridian couldn’t cure it.

Her fears were answered by Lori’s uncomfortable shifts and downcast eyes.  “Just little sparks, like… like a phantom caressing my back.  It happened in the ice cave… the worst time possible when we were supposed to handle it as friends… a team, and… I wasn’t strong enough to pull through the terror that it was back…”

Heat rising in Rhea’s face, she got up, handing Lulu to her mom and moving over to hug Lori as she sniffed back her emotions.  “Lori…  We can figure it out.”

“Hmm-hehe,” the Unova girl whimpered as Rhea embraced her, being careful to put more pressure on her lower back, avoiding the scar.  “You’re, heh… such an emotional magnet…”

Amira’s solemn gaze went to Christie.  “Could it have been something to do with the Legendary energy in the cave that stimulated it or disrupted Jirachi’s blessing?”

“It’s possible,” the researcher whispered. “The more likely answer… is that Articuno is suffering from a similar curse; that energy may have caused a reflux or similar.”

“What about Suicune, Mom?”  the redhead pressed.  “He can purify curses.”

“Not this level of curse, or else my friend wouldn’t need to trap herself in a permanent Snowscape to sustain and protect her children,” Lyra mumbled.  “My guess is… only Arceus, Mew, or the male Mewtwo could do it… maybe Ho-Oh in a concentrated burst, but none of them act so frivolously, or for no reason.”

“Can’t you convince Ho-Oh?”  Amira pressed.  “Ash and you could.”

Ash forced a smile.  “Uh-heh… Ho-Oh does his own thing.”

“Pi-pikachu…”  the electric rat sighed, shaking his head, and Lyra fidgeted with her daughter’s braid.

“The problem is… there’s probably a reflux curse effect on the burn; Jirachi more than likely put it into a dormant state… a bandaid.  It could hurt Ho-Oh, and he isn’t going to risk that for one human he has no attachment to.”

Lori cleared her throat, getting control of her emotions and patting Rhea’s back to tell her she was alright.  “Thanks, Rhea, Amira…”

“No,” Rhea interjected, turning to Ash.  “There’s no way we’ll give up after hearing it can come back!  Is there an Aura solution if I get strong enough?  I have a Victini in me!”

“Rhea…”  her mother sighed, rubbing between her eyes as Shauntal’s focus shot to her.  “You shouldn’t talk about that so openly.  A single Victini can literally be used to destroy the planet… put that into perspective.”

“Oh…”  she mumbled, gaze drifting to their Legendary and Mythical Pokemon, who each had a Victini Core inside of them.

Lyra winked.  “I’m sure Shauntal won’t spill the beans; she’s no stranger to secrets.”

“Hmm-hmm.  That, I am not,” the woman cryptically whispered.  “We have not explored an Aura solution…  So, that is why you have a spiritual warp in the Ghost Field that makes you impossible to possess…  Fascinating.  Hehe.”

Lori rolled her eyes with a short, forced chuckle.  “Geez.  I don’t need all of you to rescue me…  I’ll get strong enough to figure it out myself, which is why I’m telling you all this.”

The swap threw Rhea off a little.  “We’re a team…”

“I know, beautiful,” the Unova girl grinned and winked.  “We can work on it as we go, and thanks for that thought, Amira; if it is just a resonance from the same energy, then it will fade as we go.”

Rhea wasn’t so sure; they’d been away from the cave for a while now and were quite a distance at this point, but Shauntal made her mind blank as she flicked her sister’s ear from behind.

“It was just… eating me up inside.  Ack!  Shanny!  Shanny?”

The Unova Elite-4 member’s cold violet stare made Lori shiver with the rest of them, seemingly saying something with it that only the sisters understood.

“Okay!  Okay!  Haaa.  Geez, you can be so pushy…  I suppose… we could work on it together…  It’s just… it’s not a big deal.”

Shauntal’s ominous aura lifted with a bright smile as she hugged her uncomfortable sister from behind.  “I knew you could do it.  Be vulnerable!”

“I’m trying…”

Rhea couldn’t help but smile, picturing her brother doing the same to her.  “Yeah.  If I can help, or if we need to run down Ho-Oh and convince him to help, then we’ll be with you.  Right, Amira?”

“What else is my mother good for than exploiting her Legendary friends?”

“You’re so bad!”  Lyra hissed.

“Mom!  No!”  Amira cried, face going red as she began to tickle her in the woman’s unbreakable grip, and the rest of them laughed.

Mood lightening, Lori gradually opened up about her internal doubts, leveling with Miky that she had a lot of growing too, but they’d be ready by Monday with everyone’s support.

Rhea’s heart felt like it had gone through a marathon by bedtime; she’d gained a gorgeous Legendary Buddy Pokemon, spent some personal time with her mom with some mixed baggage, and a roller coaster with Lori as she finally opened up to them.  Ash didn’t answer her about an Aura solution, which made her think there might be one, but he didn’t want her rushing it.

Tomorrow would bring recovery, and Rhea snuggled next to her mom, Alice, Mya, and Lulu, who stole Nova’s place around her leg; it would certainly become crowded with each girl wrapped around her legs when the fluff ball joined the flaming nimbus.

She drifted off to sleep with dreams of soaring to the moon on Lulu’s elegant evolved form, exploring the stars with her Lunala.

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