8Hello people~ It's a new month, and it happens to be one of my favorite months (I don't even know why), so let's celebrate with a random story~! ^.^
I just chose two random characters I liked and wrote this to (again) practice writing in present tense since I still fail at that. So if you see anything weird, like magic switch-backs into past tense that make no sense or awkward phrasing, please tell me. ^.^
...Can be interpreted as Morty/Sabrina, I guess? Eh...
N,o I still do not put the accent thing in "Pokemon" because I'm lazy like that. Hopefully you'll understand should you see "Poke Mart" or "Pokeball". xD
Disclaimer: Pokemon I own not-
Kindred
There is a light shining at the rim of the ocean. She follows it with her eyes until it vanishes over the glistening arc of water, into the infinite darkened hue of the sky beyond the horizen. The light is most likely a simple fishing boat, although any ship reminds Sabrina of the ship she takes regularly here, the vessel that comes from Vermillion.
The breeze of the sea is endlessly refreshing. Sabrina tilts her head back, feeling the wind cascade through her violet-blue hair, eyes fluttering closed briefly.
Olivine is a wonderful city to spend Fridays in—lively, animated, busy during the day, but not a sort of bothersome busyness that Sabrina avoids. Still, it is the night that she prefers, the soothing moon-kissed dusk. Late into the evening, Olivine City is still not completely silent. The constant murmur of the sea crashes against nearby crags; the ocean's roar melds with the cries of wheeling Wingulls and the sigh of voices, people returning to their homes as night falls. Streetlamps stand guard along the neatly paved roads, vigilant and faithful in lighting the way to the shore.
She usually stands by the dock, but this time she is at the beach, close enough to the lapping waves for the water to sputter less than an inch from her shoes. The ocean is even closer here, the breeze making her feel like she is part of it.
It's a good place to think, to reflect. Sabrina reflects on the color of the sea, the state of her Gym, and her recent defeat at the hands of a child named Ethan. She's not angry over the loss, but shocked and slightly dazed. The boy's power is still beyond her, his bond with his Pokemon unfathomable no matter how open his heart is to being read. He is most likely challenging the Elite Four now, and Sabrina quietly wishes the boy luck though she still throbs with dejectedness at her loss. It's a weight sitting in the back of her head, a dull ache that won't go away.
Sabrina doesn't like sulking though, and so she attempts to drown her thoughts once more into the hue of the ocean.
In the background, the people's voices continue, carried by the ocean wind. Those are just the words spoken aloud, though.
Sabrina also hears the ones that don't pass through lips; the faint, half-formed, slightly indiscernible phrases whispering like static in her head, people's mental words made sleepy by the lengthy day and descending bedtime. She takes a moment to listen, though there isn't much to glean from it. The people's minds are full of thoughts for yesterday or tomorrow, worrying about regrets or anxious for the future. Their Pokemons' thoughts echo in a similar manner, albeit with simpler intents and wants: Food, sleep, play.
The psychic is accustomed to the mental background noise and pays no real mind to it, until she feels someone else's arrival and experiences a flash of purple across her vision.
She sees him a few moments before he sees her. Walking leisurely along the path to the seaside city, a Gengar hovering at his shoulders, curious, wondering, wondering—his mind is quick and clear like a sharp blade in crystal water. His thoughts form a mirrored pool, calm, undisturbed by any ripples or the irritating buzz of petty concerns that people seem always to be thinking about. It's unlike anything that Sabrina has seen and she is intrigued by the calm mentality which likens to her own. With most people in a constant panic or hurry, it's a rare occurance indeed.
She sees the flutter of a purple scarf, the wind touched upon messy blonde hair, a glimpse of calm half-closed violet eyes. He is running an errand and going to pass by Olivine City, but then he senses her presence—the errand is forgotten; it isn't very urgent anyways—and is curious. He approaches.
A moment later, Sabrina's vision comes true. He has entered the city, is heading towards her. His thoughts are harder to read now, like slightly distorted glass has been dropped in front of the crystal water and she must now look through that. His intents are unknown and she doesn't like the look of that Gengar, but Sabrina does not bring out her own Pokemon in anticipation. She stays, standing like a wary shadow at the shore.
She waits.
It's not long before he arrives, appearing from the depths of the darkness like a ghost. His footsteps are soft, muffled on the sand of the beach.
"Hello."
"Morty. I foresaw your coming," Sabrina deadpans, testing his reaction to what many people see as frighteningly uncanny powers. She keeps her eyes glued on the midnight blue of the ocean.
"Yeah you probably did." His voice is warm, stoked by the sea breeze. "What brings you here, Sabrina?"
"It's quiet here. At night at least," The Psychic user finally turns to look at him. Morty's scarf, flapping in the wind and narrowly missing her face, is the first thing which greets her. The rest of his outfit matches it, in hues of purple, black. His Gengar leers at her and Sabrina stares back flatly, refusing to let it know that she is uneasy.
Morty follows her gaze and puts a hand affectionately on his Pokemon's head, drawing its attention away from her. He smiles in an amiable manner, an easygoing, sleepy expression on his face. "Do you visit Johto often then?"
"Every Friday I come here. It's a beautiful city, lit by lights. I come when I get the urge to see the ocean."
Sometime, between the fourth and seventh word of her sentence, Gengar vanishes, fades from the air completely. Looking unconcerned, Morty makes a mmh sound and she briefly picks up on the words Bellchime Path from his thoughts, sees a flash of falling leaves, and realizes he thinks, in his humble opinion, that Olivine is great and all, but Ecruteak City is better.
Sabrina's mouth quirks into a smile. "Perhaps I'll visit there then."
He looks puzzled for a moment, cautiously remembers that she is a psychic, backtracks a little over his recent thoughts and then figures out what she is responding to. "That's a great idea," He says cheerfully, voice earnest, "You should drop by when you have time. I take Mondays and Tuesdays off."
Now Sabrina sees from him, the tree-lined path clearly, the ground a carpet of leaves in brilliant hues of scarlet, orange, gold like a melted sunset. The proud form of the Bellchime Tower climbs into the sky, all with a small breeze stirring up falling and fallen leaves, raining them back down. His thoughts are concise, focused and with an edge of crispness, but not cold like winter. Nor is it, though, the blazing heat of summer or the madly active, rainy bustle of spring.
He is autumn, when the weather is polite and sleepy and temperatures mild, laced with hidden vestiges of warmth.
Sabrina doesn't take off either Mondays or Tuesdays, but she tells him that she might come by anyways.
His eyes brighten like a pair of violet lanterns, and Sabrina is genuinely curious as to why he is so happy to have her visit his town. But even though she strains to hear, Morty's thoughts are friendly but cryptically shrouded by memories of his city. The answer she seeks is not found. Instead, she catches the sounds of children's laughter, a man with a ridiculous cape and outfit in general, and then a poignant memory of sudden, crushing defeat.
Sabrina is surprised, honing in quickly on that last image before it vanishes, reading it from the inside out. She sees a large abyssal room, flickering with eerie lights and half-seen platforms; she would think it an alien world, except for the familiar layout that marks it as the interior of a Gym.
It's Morty's Gym and he has just lost.
She tastes his bitter disappointment, as though it is her own, like his words come from her own lips, and the Pokemon lying in a faint before him is hers.
"How is this possible…"
It's easy for Sabrina to recognize the challenger's face, the victor's face, even though it is distorted by distractions and other thoughts that Morty mixes in within his alert mind. Ethan, the same child who defeated her, has shot down Ecruteak Gym long before. It only makes sense; the boy is from Johto after all.
Another wave of dejectedness washes over Sabrina, this time her own, as she once again recalls her own defeat.
"That boy…did he beat you, too?"
This time, Morty gives her an entirely blank look, and she has to explain.
"Ethan was his name I believe. He's young, wears a hat, and he had a Typhlosion."
Recognition dawns in the Mystic Seer's eyes and he chuckles ruefully. "Oh yeah. He's strong—Typhlosion was a Quilava back then, but I was no match for him. I hear he's left Johto though."
Sabrina nods, brushing back the dark blue strands of hair that the wind decides to whip around. "He has come to Kanto. And driven through it like a storm." Morty's intent eyes fix on hers and she adds softly. "I was also defeated. That was…two weeks ago."
The violet eyes soften in sympathy. "Ah."
He doesn't offer condolences to her, but just looks distantly out to sea. Sabrina attempts to divulge what he is thinking—for his thoughts are curious if not enigmatic—but is once again presented with nothing but mystery and an indiscernible emotion which he radiates. She can't describe what exactly it is, except that it's…warm.
For a person who utilizes Ghosts, a person who would otherwise be her enemy in that sense, Sabrina finds his presence comforting in the wake of her recent defeat.
"Do you want to exchange numbers?" She puts it out abruptly, a spear thrust into the silence. A crashing wave echoes her question.
Morty doesn't miss a beat as he fishes into his pocket for his Pokegear.
"Perhaps we can arrange a battle in our free time," He suggests, as their devices beep.
"Sure. The Fighting Dojo is just next door to our Gym."
He nods, smiles, eyes fixing on something behind her. Sabrina half-turns to see what it is, but there is nothing except for the sand dunes of the beach. Morty continues staring for a moment, his half-closed violet orbs seemed to radiate something, and Sabrina realizes there are things he sees that even she can't. After a moment, Morty focuses his calm gaze back on her, having snapped out of Mystic Seer mode. He looks distracted.
After a pause, Sabrina says, "Don't you have an errand to run? I don't want to keep you and get you into trouble."
The Ecruteak Gym Leader only looks mildly surprised, shrugs and answers cheerily. "I'm just supposed to deliver a message to a friend. It's not really that important though."
Once again, Sabrina sees the oddly dressed man with the bowtie and the cape, following by swift images of a sonorous cry and a flash of blue, a half-imagined glimpse of golden red wings, the Bellchime Tower, and voices hissing about legends.
Morty seems perfectly aware that she has read his thoughts again and elaborates, "I have a friend named Eusine who has a rather unhealthy obsession with the Legendary Beast, Suicune. He asked me to deliver reports of any recent sightings…but really, I shouldn't. It only encourages him." He chuckles to himself, and Sabrina hears this Eusine's sharp voice this time, loud and a bit irritating to listen to.
"I'll catch it next time!"
"I think I'd rather stay here," Morty was saying, his soothing tone considerably less taxing to hear. "Listening to Eusine go off about his quest can produce really bad migraines."
Sabrina laughs with him, as the memory of the Suicune-chaser babbling about his hobby washes over them both.
True to his word, Morty doesn't leave and stays standing quietly about a foot and a half away from her, as they watch the sea together. His absent Gengar crosses his mind occasionally, but it's fine—the Ghost likes to wander off by itself and explore.
The night deepens, the moon crowned silver in the sky. The ocean is a mass of endless black, glinting with occasional white from the heaven's light, but where they stand, not even the city's lights can reach. The streetlights fall short, just at the edge of the beach.
Morty is not bothered by the dark, or the lateness of the night. His thoughts are relaxed but do not contain the heavy sluggishness of someone tired. They drift sometimes, and Sabrina finds herself fascinated by the snatches of conversations she overhears, some bits humorous, some bits sorrowful. Sometimes, when Morty's gaze is fixed on the moon and he is filled with nostalgia, Sabrina is plunged into entire memories, amazingly pristine in detail.
He is a small child, walking through deep, darkened, shadowed woods, all alone. The wind is ominous, whispering in his ears of the dark, of things unseen and things that should never be seen. There is no moon in the pitiless voided sky. Just pitch, pitch blackness and a completely silent forest that a full grown man would not dare venture into without someone at his side. But he's unbothered, unafraid, thinking startlingly bright, hopeful, everyday thoughts even in the dark...of Pokemon and dreams, of Ho-oh and how he wishes to see it someday. Even as shadows gather into real forms around him, he greets them with a smile, waving at the Ghosts who are his friends. The night isn't cold anymore—besides he has his scarf.
It's warm.
"Sabrina?" Morty's voice is a low whisper in the night. He is shaking her gently.
She starts a bit, almost tripping over him. "Hm?"
He laughs quietly and removes his hand from her shoulder, leaving an imprint of warmth.
"I think you dozed off, standing up."
"I did?"
"I think so. I didn't even notice until I thought you were about to fall over. When I called out, you didn't answer." There is a pause as Sabrina attempts to rub the sleep out of her eyes. He speaks again, voice mild, "It's late. You should stay the night here. Not everyone is nocturnal like I am." The last sentence is a joke, but he is still amazingly wide awake, and the clarity in his head startles her.
Sabrina blinks a few times and he says her name again, a bit questioning this time.
"R-right," The tired psychic sighs. "Sleep."
She begins walking towards the golden glow of lights that marks the buildings. She can hear him following behind.
They stop at the door of the Pokemon Center (open 24/7). Morty bids her farewell and a good night's sleep. As he speaks, his Gengar reappears at his shoulder. Sabrina is too tired to be alarmed at the mischievous grin the Ghost flashes her.
There are people awake within the Center and Sabrina can hear the babbling of their mental voices, speckled with worries and concerns and noise. In sharp contrast, Morty's thoughts remain as quiet and placid as ever and having gotten used to hearing them for the past few hours, Sabrina finds herself a bit reluctant to go back to the slightly irksome, grainy, buzzing thoughts of ordinary people. She looks into his eyes and focuses on him and hears…absolutely nothing.
Gone is the murmur of his thoughts and in their place is complete blankness, a void filled by the breath of the wind, like nothing is there and no one is standing before her, although Morty is obviously right there. Although she strains herself, Sabrina cannot feel anyone but herself and the Gengar.
Morty notices her stare, blinks twice, and then the presence of his mind is back. She can look within it, listen to it again. It's then that Sabrina realizes that Morty has always been perfectly capable of vanishing like that—like a ghost—and all this time, he's been letting her hear what he's been thinking.
The notion is…strangely flattering.
Morty looks a little uncertain now—he's good at reading people but cannot go into their heads like she does—and Sabrina flashes him an assuring smile.
"Good night," She says, as she turns towards the automatic door.
"Good night," He replies cheerily. Sabrina pauses as she goes through the entrance, hearing the door slide shut behind her. Again, she focuses intently, reaches out beyond herself. For a moment she can still feel Morty's presence through the door, the clear pool within the depths of a pine forest. And then it fades completely again, like it did the first time. He has gone, vanished like a wraith, the only proof of his existence a number in her Pokegear.
There is a moment, and then Gengar fades away too, returning to whatever shadow-lit world he and his Trainer travel in.
Sabrina merely smiles to herself as she makes her way forward. The noise of the Center embraces her with thorny arms, but she does not let herself be bothered. Perhaps she can make time on Tuesdays afterall, if only to visit a place where there is no sound but that of falling leaves in clear water.
Owari
Whew. I'm still not used to writing present tense at all. I'll have to practice some more. And I'm droning on with run-on sentences. And reusing worn-out descriptions. And being boring. Meh. Did I put you to sleep? xD
By the way, if you've noticed the "Owari" I put at the end of my one-shots, it means "the end" in Japanese, which is a habit I picked up from reading/writing anime fics and stuffs, where Japanese fangirlism goes crazy. I don't know if it matters, but I'm wondering if I should continue doing that or just putting "the end" in English, since that is, well, the version of Pokemon I'm writing in anyways...xD
Anyways, if you have suggestions/criticism/blazing flames, please tell me what you think~ ^.^
I have also never written Sabrina so I probably failed at that. Come to think of it, I have never written Morty either. It just gets better and better, huh?
But thanks for reading this rather pointless little one-shot, and have a nice day~ ^.^