Zachary's friends were… interesting, to say the least. There were three of them; the first must've been around Reiko's age. They introduced themselves as Simone with a wink and a wave of the hand holding their cigarette. They dressed in all black, and a heavy looking iron cross hung from their neck. Next to them sat a younger girl with dark skin and a round face of puffy cheeks. She muttered her name shyly, and Inyssa couldn't quite make it out. What she did notice was how much she liked her pixie cut of brightly dyed hair.
The third one was a bit weirder, since it wasn't a person. Between the two sat a human-sized blue Pokemon with an oval shaped body, two stubby arms and the biggest aloof grin she'd ever seen. His eyes were tiny black dots, so far apart from each other that they gave him a constant look of cheery confusion.
Without asking for permission she took the Pokédex from the folds of her outfit, and pointed it at the creature:
Quagsire: The Sluggish Pokemon – Water/Ground Type. It hunts for food by leaving its mouth wide open in water and waiting for its prey to blunder in unaware. Since it rarely moves, it does not get very hungry. One can usually find one by the sound it makes after it absentmindedly bumps its head against a rock or the hull of a ship.
She looked at the Quagsire, then at Zachary and then at the Quagsire again. She should've figured someone like him would hang out with the Pokemon equivalent of a stoner.
"Would you look at that," whispered Simone, spitting a small cloud of smoke. "Is that a real Pokédex? I've never seen one before."
"Oh! I'm… sorry," Inyssa hurriedly put it back in her pocket. "I should've asked before I did that."
Zachary sat next to Simone, waving his hand as if he found her words dumb, either that or he was swatting the smoke out of his face.
"It's okay, you don't gotta worry 'bout it." He smiled, almost spilling his drink on himself. "I'm sure Johnny doesn't mind."
Inyssa raised an eyebrow. "J-Johnny... the Quagsire is named Johnny."
"Jigglejam Johnny, to be precise," Simone corrected. "He is the coolest dude around. Been hanging out with us for years."
"And he gives the best advice!" added Zachary. "Also he can like… make the ground shake and stuff! I don't know how he does it but it's awesome."
She blinked a few times, trying to summarize the situation inside her head. She was hanging out with a group of drunk, punk stoners who idolized a Pokemon who was so dim he probably had no idea what was happening around him at any moment.
If only dad could see me now, she thought, smiling to herself.
Without much enthusiasm she sat at Zachary's side, and both him and Simone cheered and laughed while clashing their plastic cups together, spilling some alcohol on their clothes. At her right the youngest girl took her drink to her lips, clearly trying to avoid Inyssa's eyes.
"So hey, we heard a lot about you," said Simone after they finished giggling. "They say you're pretty good with Pokemon?"
She shrugged. "Well I wouldn't have three badges if I weren't, would I?"
"Yeah! Own it!" Exclaimed Zachary, not quite able of controlling the volume of his voice. "You gotta be proud that you're a badass! You're also the one who beat those Galactic assholes in Veilstone, right? That was amazing!"
Her hand froze before she could take another sip, and she felt the anger sprouting back from the pit of her stomach. At any other moment she would've probably gotten up and left, or maybe yelled at him for making her remember what had happened in Veilstone.
But having already gotten through almost two full cups of that drink… she realized the anger was somewhat muffled, as if it couldn't get through the cloud of haze slowly covering her body.
"That… that was me, yes."
The rational part of her mind asked her what the hell she was doing. Why was she bothering hanging out with these people? Why was she talking about the things that bothered her so much? What the hell was the point of the party and…?
In one motion she drank the rest of the cup, drowning the voice as best she could.
It couldn't hurt to go with the flow for once, she thought. Just this time, to not care about anything, who she was or where she was.
She barely heard Zachary speak over the distant crackle of the bonfire.
"We were just talking about that and Gym leaders before I went looking for drinks," he said. "You met a few, right? Have any cool stories?"
Both him and Simone seemed interested in the idea. The remaining girl and the Quagsire weren't looking at her, but she could make out a small glimpse of curiosity in their eyes.
Slowly, she leaned forward and grabbed one of the multitude of bottles in the middle of the circle.
"Yeah…" she said as she poured herself another drink. "I think I have a couple."
----------------------------------------
A few moments of silence followed Niss' retreat, until Sanbica spoke again:
"Well… I was going to add that Tauros are also bad at taking criticism, though I doubt that point needs to be made anymore," she said, apparently not bothered by being insulted. "Oh well, who's next?"
Barry exchanged looks with Reiko and Percy, who seemed genuinely worried about what had just happened.
"Should we…?" asked the former.
"I… don't think she wants us around right now," replied Barry.
"Um…" Lucas began to raise his hand to speak, until he realized what he was doing and stopped himself. "Shouldn't… shouldn't these fortunes have positive things to say, too? Inyssa is not a bad person, even if she's... uh…"
The rest nodded in unison, giving Sanbica a sour look.
"Oh, they do have a positive side," she replied. "Unfortunately your friend stormed off before I could tell her."
Barry had the suspicion that she'd purposefully delayed saying those positive things because she didn't like Niss, and hoped she would get angry. He didn't say this out loud, though.
"We might as well keep going," Barry shrugged. "We'll give Niss some time to cool off and then we'll go looking for her."
None of them complained. Sanbica readied herself again and, just like she'd done with Niss, stared at Barry for almost an entire minute. He held the weight of her gaze as best he could, even though the fact they barely reflected light at all freaked him out a little bit.
"Your guardian star…" she said, imbuing her voice with that strange force, "…is Ampharos, the light Pokemon. They are said to be some of the most oblivious creatures in existence, constantly distracted by whatever catches their interest and unable to see the plight of others in front of them." Barry winced, a knot forming on his throat. "However, that does not mean they don't care. Once they realize someone needs them they will do everything in their power to help. They are the embodiment of beacons, and the light of their tails can cut through even the deepest of darkness."
Without waiting for a reaction she turned towards Lucas, who let out a little yelp.
"As for you…" she narrowed her eyes, "…Ralts, the empathy Pokemon. Not only are they intelligent, but they're also able to quickly discern when someone close to them is in emotional pain, and their mere presence can help soothe them," she paused, and for a moment Lucas thought there would be no negative part of his fortune. "However, their extreme shyness and inability to properly communicate leads them to stand by and watch as those closest to them suffer."
Next, her eyes set on Percy. He sat as straight up as he could and challenged her with his glare, though Barry could see that his hands were slightly shaking.
"As for you," she said, eyebrows joining together. "You bear the likeness of Scizor, the pincer Pokemon. It is said that only the bravest of Scyther accept to evolve, for they know that the moment they do so their friends and family might turn on them. This can lead them to a path of bitterness and self hatred, or…" Her lips formed the hook of a mischievous smile, and her eyes went to Reiko before returning to him. "…They might decide to strive forward, and fully accept who they are. A difficult path, but one that will gift them power and wisdom beyond imagining, should they learn to traverse it."
Finally, she looked at Reiko. This pause was the shortest, but it also felt like the heaviest. The smile that formed on Sanbica's face was unlike anything she'd shown so far.
"How... very interesting," she chuckled to herself. "Very few are fortunate enough to be born under the star of a legendary Pokemon."
Reiko fell stiff and silent, eyes shooting wide open. Surprise... no, not only that... Barry felt a strong mix of conflicting emotions coming from her, ranging from surprise to apprehension and a strange sort of relief.
"I don't think I need to tell you who your star is, nor what it represents," said Sanica. "I simply look forward to seeing what the next coming of the Flame of Cinnabar will achieve."
Barry and Lucas exchanged a confused look, completely lost. Percy simply looked away. Reiko held Sanbica's gaze against her own for a few seconds, then nodded.
"...Yeah."
Silence swallowed their circle for a few moments, until Sanbica finally closed her eyes and lowered her shoulders, letting out a big sigh. Until that moment Barry hadn't noticed just how difficult it'd been for him to breathe.
He exchanged looks with the rest, and he didn't need to summon the golden eyes to know they were all somewhat shaken by what they'd heard. Sanbica seemed to notice this, because she smiled warmly and put one hand over the fire of the candle, turning it back to the orange and yellow it was before.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
"I'm guessing that wasn't what you expected to hear."
Gee, you think?
"It was… interesting," said Reiko, through a pained smile.
Sanbica nodded. "I know these things might be difficult to hear, but remember that no Pokemon or human is perfect, and as flawed as your star might be, they will always act as your protectors." Her tone had changed into one of levity, as if she'd taken a huge weight off her chest. "There have even been rumors of heroes who've been able to summon their own guardian star in battle, though even I have trouble believing something like that."
None of them replied, too busy thinking over what they'd just heard. Sanbica kept gathering her supplies and putting them inside a dingy looking bag next to her. After a while she extended her palm forward, and each of them paid for her services.
"Now, go along," she made a gesture with her palm, as if shooing birds. "I have many other clients to attend to, and I'm sure you've got your own plans for tonight, haven't you?"
Barry gulped, his gaze going towards the direction in which Niss had disappeared to only a few minutes before.
"Yeah… we do."
----------------------------------------
Both Inyssa's tongue and her grasp on the world around her started to loosen the more she drank.
It was a slow and gradual thing, her restraint and inhibitions vanishing with every little sip without her realizing. A light, bubbly feeling replaced the fire in her stomach, making her raise her voice when she didn't intend to and giggle uncontrollably for no reason a few times. And if she were standing up, she would've noticed her sense of balance had deteriorated, and maybe she would've connected the dots there. But sitting down with that strange group of people and for the first time sharing her actual self like she did with the members of her team… deep down she knew she didn't want to.
"…and then, and then he says… we gotta combine our attacks!" she exclaimed, trying to imitate Barry's tone. "And you can imagine my face because… what the fuck did that mean, am I right!? But then all our Pokemon throw their fire and water and leaves and shit, and then…" She shook her head, grinning from ear to ear. "Then he just tells his Kadabra to put all that stuff together, and he does!"
A small, collective gasp was heard, though when she turned her head to see who that was her vision blurred. Apparently Zachary and Simone were staring intently at her, with funny looks of concentration on their faces.
"How did he do that?" asked the former, slurring his words.
"Turns out you just gotta have a psychic Pokemon and it's easy peasy," she said, laughing at her own phrasing. "You just… mash it all together, like a salad. When all the stuff combined it was like… a tornado! But with the mouth pointing forward and made of pretty lights. It sounded like…"
She formed an O with her mouth and exhaled strongly, trying to imitate the sound she remembered from the trial in Hearthome. Unfortunately she barely got through the second swoosh before she burst into laughter, leaning forward and putting one hand over her stomach. She heard the rest laugh as well, even the young girl next to her.
"That guy must be a riot to hang out with," said Zachary.
Niss struggled to smile. "Y-yeah. He's the best friend you could…"
For a moment her mind resurfaced through the thick mist of soporifics, and her smile dropped dead. What was she doing? It was Barry's birthday, her best friend's birthday… why wasn't she with him? Why wasn't she laughing with him and hugging him and…
She would've come back to her senses that moment, were it not for Simone, who distracted her as they started speaking.
"Man…" they sighed dreamily. "Wish I got a Pokemon when I was eighteen. I would've loved to be a trainer and do crazy shit like that."
Inyssa blinked a few times, tilting her head to the side.
"What do you mean? Why couldn't you get one?"
"Didn't have the money or the time," they said. "'Cause that's the way it is on this bitch of an earth."
Zachary nodded and raised his cup to their statement. "Amen."
She stuttered a bit, her voice starting to get slurry. "And y'… uh… you had a job or something?"
"One? Nah, I wasn't so lucky." They laughed, the ash on the tip of their cigarette falling to their leg. "I did some freelance tattooing on the side and I worked at this shitty department store. At least until one of the managers started getting handsy and HR chose to believe him instead of me. I packed my bags and got the fuck out of there."
"Wish I could've been there with you," Zachary scoffed. "If anyone deserved a crowbar to the face it was that guy."
"Saaair," the Quagsire nodded, probably unaware of what anyone was saying.
Simone shot their friends a warm smile before looking down at the ground. "I agree, but that would've only caused more trouble for me. Don't want my old boss poisoning my future work opportunities." Sighing, they raised their head and spat a small circle of smoke. "Gotta take care of my little sis, and I can't do that if I'm unemployed."
The air around them became heavy, or so Inyssa thought, could've just been the alcohol. She looked down at her own drink, thinking of what to say. She hadn't even considered that some people didn't have their parents to pay for their journey and trainer commodities.
A memory came to mind. She was young, no more than fourteen. Shadi had come back halfway through her own journey and was doing her best to take care not only of her but their mother as well, after she had a breakdown on the anniversary of her husband's death. Inyssa remembered the way her sister looked at them; beneath all the smiles and kind words bubbled a bitterness only she could see.
She couldn't blame her. Shadi was one of the most talented trainers in the region and there she was, stuck in her own house, having to take care of someone as worthless as her. Inyssa looked down, fingers grasping the cup just a little too tight, and tried her best not to let her eyes start to water.
"I'm… sorry to hear that," she whispered.
Simone must've noticed her expression. They wiped off the frown off their face and smiled.
"Ah, sorry for being a downer," they said, rubbing the back of their neck. "You don't have to worry 'bout me. I'm working on getting my own tattoo parlor next to the docks. Lots of sailors come in and out, so I won't have to worry about money so much anymore."
"Simone's really good," added Zachary. "Here, look."
Simultaneously, both of them pulled up the sleeves of their shirt, showing her their left and right arm respectively. Under their shoulder there were similar tattoos; Simone's was of a grimly looking Umbreon, his eyes a shining red and wisps of darkness surrounding him. Zachary's was a beautiful Espeon, her fur glowing with strands of light. They both looked up at the moon, which was full on Simone's side and new on Zachary's.
"It's… beautiful," Inyssa whispered.
"To remind us that there's always some kind of beacon or light to guide us." Simone smiled knowingly. "Even when shit's rough, and if you can get through it things will start looking up, like with my shop. Hell, I might even be able to pay for my little sis to go on her own journey!"
"That way she and Rory could start together," nodded Zachary. "Since they're the same age and all that."
Their eyes went for a moment to the young girl next to Inyssa, and she realized that must've been her name. Taking a closer look she noticed that she was, like Barry, drinking only soda, which would've explained why she wasn't quite as inebriated as any of them.
In any other circumstance she would've left the matter alone and gone back to talk to Simone and Zachary, but she was curious as to why Rory wasn't speaking to her, and why she occasionally shot her a strange, grim look.
"So… you wanna be a trainer?" she asked, trying to sound cheery. "That's cool. You think you have what it takes?"
She intended her comment to be a friendly jab, something for both of them to laugh over. However, judging by the way Rory's eyebrows formed a line over the bridge of her nose, she figured her question wasn't appreciated.
"Well…" she said, pursing her lips, "...not according to you."
Inyssa stared blankly, tilting her head to the side. The circle had grown strangely silent for some reason.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
Rory formed a crooked smile that didn't extend to her eyes. "I guess I didn't leave enough of an impression for you to remember me, with how much of a star trainer you are."
She was taken aback by the way she'd spat those words out, as if they were something stuck in her teeth. Again she simply stared, not knowing what to do or say, not even aware of what the conversation was about anymore. Rory must've realized this; she elaborated a moment after.
"A couple days ago, in that café. You're the one who told me to fuck off."
Inyssa leaned back. She opened her mouth to speak, but there were no words left in her, not with the confusion and sudden realization replacing them. Vague images of a memory resurfaced, blurry and not quite there, but still she was able to remember.
Her face turning red, she noticed that everyone was staring at her. Frowning, raising eyebrows… even Johnny seemed somewhat displeased.
"That… was you?" asked Simone, their tone carrying a clear, underlying anger behind them. "You're the one who said that to Rory?"
Panic and shame rose to her throat like bile, which would've explained why she couldn't muster a single word as she stammered. She felt the scalding eyes of the three of them on her, and shook under their weight. A part of her mind, the one that until then had been silenced by the alcohol, asked her why she cared.
You don't even know these people, the voice whispered to her. Who cares if they get mad at you? You're going to be the Champion, you don't have to feel bad for idiots like th-
"No…"
She drowned the stupid voice as best she could, kicking and scratching and pushing it as deep into her own mind as she was able to, where it wouldn't bother her again. She was sick of being angry and resentful, sick of carrying that horrible poison inside her veins that turned them to flames the moment something bothered her. She wasn't going to let it ruin this like it'd ruined so many other things before.
Swallowing, she gathered her courage and looked up to meet their eyes. Rory was frowning, angry as she should be, while Simone and Zachary waited for her to speak.
So she did.
"I'm… I'm sorry," she said, letting her shoulders drop. "I was really, really angry that day, and people kept making rumors about me and wanting to talk with me and… I shouldn't have said that, and I'm sorry."
She pushed the words out as best she could, even if they were slurred and sometimes unfinished. Next to her Rory perked up her nose to reply, but she spoke again. She wasn't done.
"I don't wanna make it look like I'm making excuses. I know I've been acting like a jerk and you didn't deserve that," she said, blinking rapidly. The voice tried to break itself free, complaining loudly at what she was saying, but she managed to keep it down. "I'm just… sometimes I get really angry, and I stay that way for a long time. It's not like…" She struggled, trying to find the right words. "It's not… normal. The anger shouldn't stay for hours or days, but it does. And I get tired of feeling like that all the time and I say bad things to people…"
She was forced to take a breath, realizing she'd been speaking so fast she'd run out of air. They were still looking at her, but in a different way. Even Rory seemed more surprised than crossed about what she was saying.
"And… I know that doesn't jest…jurf… justify how I act," Inyssa added once she breathed in. "I shouldn't have treated you like that, and I'm sorry."
She pretty much deflated after she finished speaking, as if she were a balloon filled with helium. Her face and cheeks felt hot for some reason, and she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears.
Staring was all she could do while swallowing her fear. Had she said too much? Not enough? She couldn't make head or tails of the expressions in everyone's faces. The panic was almost too much to handle by the time one of them spoke; Zachary leaned forward and patted her on the shoulder, a tiny smile stretched across his lips.
"Hey man, it happens," he said gloomily. "Shit's rough sometimes."
"At least you know what you did wrong," nodded Simone.
Rory kept her lips pursed for a few moments, before cracking up slightly, pressing one hand over her mouth. The gleam of hostility in her eyes had all but banished.
"To be honest I wasn't that mad about it," she said. "But I thought you were a jerk and I wanted to put you on the spot. I was wrong, so sorry for that."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Inyssa leaned back to her original position, placing her back against one of the trees. She had no idea why she was so happy all of a sudden, but decided not to question it.
"It's okay, I deserved it," she admitted. "Thanks for understanding. I'm… trying to get better, even if it doesn't seem like it."
"We're all trying, pal," said Simone. "And a few bumps in the road ain't gonna do shit to stop us."
They shared a round of smiles for a moment, before Zachary grabbed the bottle once more and poured in a drink for those whose cups were empty. He then carefully pushed himself to his feet -legs wobbling- and raised his own to the middle of the circle.
"Another toast!" he cried out, and next to him Simone rolled their eyes with a smile.
Blushing, Inyssa tried to follow his example, although it seemed her legs were even less responsive than his at the moment. If it weren't for the help of Rory she would've gone face first into the dirt.
"I… I've never made friends this fast before," she whispered, almost to herself.
"It gets easier the more you practice," said Simone. "Alright then, let's include Johnny on this too…"
They were all standing now, even the Quagsire with his vacant, goofy expression. Everyone raised their cups, some with more difficulty than others, and waited as Zachary thought of what to say.
"How about…" he whispered. "A toast to new friends!"
"And alcohol," Simone added.
Rory smiled excitedly. "And the future!"
"Saaair!" Johnny contributed.
Inyssa thought about it for a few seconds, and with a wistful smile she took a step forward to clash her cup with the rest.
"And for chang—!"
As soon as she took a step forward to extend her arm, she felt the ground beneath her shift and wave, as if she were standing on quicksand. She panicked, letting the cup fall to the ground, and threw her arms to the side as balance left her body completely. She took a heavy step back, and the sole of her shoe slipped on a patch of slightly wet grass.
Her shoulder clashing with the ground was the last thing Inyssa remembered of that night.