Chapter 24 - Smooched

As the Lapras sang, its voice filled the air, resonating through Celeste’s body. Water droplets floated around the Pokémon, vibrating and shimmering before merging into an otherworldly green substance. It smelled like salt at first, but soon the goo began to pulsate with an energy that reminded Celeste of some sort of radioactive hand sanitiser.

“Are you sure this is safe?” she asked, still watching the Lapras, who she found out was named Fractal, weave her magic. “Safe for humans, I mean.”

Lorelei smiled, her amusement never fading. “Don’t worry, Life Dew is perfectly safe for both humans and Pokémon. The cut is actually quite shallow, but you might still want to see a doctor…”

Celeste winced as the freezing gooey substance touched the wounds on her back. “Shouldn’t I just go to the centre now?” she suggested, hopeful this day would be over soon.

Lorelei hummed, ignoring Celeste’s complaints, and turned to the little Vulpix instead. “You are quite the little Pokémon, aren’t you?”

Powder wagged her tails and nudged her face into Lorelei’s hands, looking adorable as ever. Celeste tried to ignore the strange substance on her back, but it stung. Despite the discomfort, she couldn’t help but smile at yet another person being charmed by her baby.

To distract herself from the pain, she glanced at the still-fainted Sneasel in the corner. Celeste had never figured out why it had been so insistent on Powder sticking around. “I wonder what it wanted,” she muttered, catching Lorelei’s attention.

“Did you get your Vulpix from a breeder?” Lorelei asked, adjusting her glasses while also glancing at the Sneasel. “I thought most Alolan Vulpix were protected.”

The Lapras let out a sing-like cry as she splashed more liquid onto Celeste’s back, making her wince again. “No—ouch!” she exclaimed, glaring at the blue creature. “I mean, yes. They are protected, but I got special permission to keep Powder because she… uh… imprinted on me? I was the first person she saw when she hatched.”

“I see…” Lorelei said thoughtfully. “You know, some bred Pokémon have special skills because their parents are hand-picked. It’s an industry…”

Celeste grimaced, shaking her head. “An industry that exploits Pokémon. Yeah, Powder’s not like that.”

“Well, she is quite exceptional,” Lorelei said, still petting the Vulpix. “That Fairy-Type move… It’s not often Vulpix can learn any before they evolve. She must have inherited it from one of her parents. Maybe she even has more special moves. If they came naturally… I think the Sneasel recognised Powder’s potential and wanted her in its pack.”

As Celeste studied the fallen Pokémon, Aria, lazily lying beside her, nodded as if she was all knowing. The saddest part of this story was that the Sneasel wasn’t the first to try to claim Powder. If Powder, and likely her mother, were exceptional even for Alolan Vulpix, it might explain why those R-poachers had targeted them back in Mount Lanakila.

“Don’t overthink it,” Lorelei said. “I heard your heartfelt apology to her. You’re a kind trainer. If you work hard, you can help her grow strong.”

The Lapras sang in agreement, and Aria snorted. Powder, however, looked at Celeste with newfound determination and pride, making her trainer smile more.

“Now come on,” Lorelei said, motioning to the Lapras. “I just have one errand to run, then I can take you back to town.” Before Celeste could complain, she added, “I’m not leaving you to get even more lost in this cave.”

—*——*—

“She is sooo big, Dad.” Celeste remembered standing on the banks of Lake Outrage when she was only six, watching her dad release his recently captured Wailmer, Salacia. “Is she like the other giant Pokémon?”

Otto’s laugh echoed in her memory. The world felt enormous to children, a sensation adults often forgot. “No, but if she ever evolves, she’ll become a Wailord, a Pokémon that’s even bigger than some Dynamaxed Pokémon.”

“That’s silly…” Celeste planted her feet, determined. Otto just arched his eyebrow. “She’s a girl, so she’ll be a Wailady.”

Celeste used to question everything back then, her ideas as grandiose as they are now.

“Hey Dad, what if she evolves and you Dynamax her? We’d have the biggest Pokémon in the whole world!”

Her dad would ruffle her hair at moments like this. “We can try that one day, but for now, how about a ride around the lake?”

She remembered Salacia flapping her fins joyfully as they spent hours exploring the lake together. It was her first time riding a water Pokémon, and she loved every bit of it, just as she was now enjoying riding Lorelei’s Lapras.

“So, where are we going?” Celeste asked, snapping back to the present. They were heading deeper into the cave, navigating a maze of water tunnels.

Lorelei petted her Lapras’ neck and stared into the darkness ahead. They were both quiet and relaxed, moving through the tunnels as if this was routine. “I met Fractal in this cave. Fell in the water, and she saved me. We’ve been together ever since.”

Celeste saw faint light stubbornly piercing through the cracks in the stone. “Right…” she said, trying to figure out if that answered her question.

“They’re almost extinct…” Lorelei’s voice was ominous in the darkness. “Some groups migrate to Sinnoh during summer, but you hardly see Lapras in the wild anymore.”

Celeste glanced at Fractal, feeling a tinge of guilt. She had always wanted a Lapras, but never considered they might be endangered…

It was enough to have Powder with her, she decided, holding on to the Lapras’ shell as they made a sharp turn.

“…I want to win the conference this year and challenge the League to raise awareness about the Lapras situation.” The light from a crack revealed Lorelei’s determined expression before darkness swallowed them again. “Champion Alder in Unova is doing wonders for Volcarona and Larvesta, and I hope to do the same when I become champion.”

Celeste blinked at her companion. It must be nice to have such a clear goal.

“Anyway, the reason I’m telling you this is that I’m taking you to a Lapras nest deeper in the cave.” Lorelei’s voice was calm but had that same edge from when they first met. “They always come this time of year, and I make a point of coming home to check on them.”

Celeste shrank into the darkness. Moments ago, she had decided to no longer want a Lapras, and now Lorelei was leading her to a nest. The irony…

“Don’t worry,” Celeste said quietly. “I won’t do anything…”

As they continued, the surroundings became more visible. The wind blew through Lorelei’s hair, and though she didn’t turn, her tone was firm. “I’d appreciate it if you also kept this place a secret.”

As Lorelei’s words echoed through the tunnel and Fractal swam towards the light, Celeste had to close her eyes against the sudden brightness. When she opened them back, they were in a large chamber with a big hole in the ceiling, where large, dark bluish-green leaves fell gently from above. The water below mirrored the scene, with its surface rippled only by the movements of five other Lapras, distorting what would otherwise be a perfect reflection.

As Celeste gazed at her own image, a harmonic cry echoed through the chamber. Reflected in the water beside them was a light blue Lapras, looking annoyed at another Pokémon. A pinkish, roundish little creature was planting kisses on its head.

“That’s odd,” Lorelei said, watching the Lapras approach her own and hum in complaint. The pink Pokémon flapped her little arms, tossing her tuft of blonde hair back. Then she planted another kiss on the Lapras, who cried out, sounding utterly defeated. Lorelei furrowed her brow. “I’ve never seen a Smoochum on the Sevii Islands before.”

The Lapras howled, but Celeste laughed. A majestic Lapras being pestered by a tiny Smoochum was indeed an odd (if not funny) sight. “She’s actually a cutie,” Celeste said, extending her arms to the Smoochum. With a glint in her eye, the pink Pokémon jumped over and planted a kiss on her cheeks, much to the Lapras’ relief.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Lorelei, however, wasn’t amused. As Celeste picked up the Smoochum, her eyes widened in alarm. “Wait, don’t—”

The warning came too late. The Smoochum grinned and licked the side of Celeste’s face, then burst into laughter. Celeste tried to complain but instead felt a jolt of electricity course through her body, paralysing her in place. “Wh… t he… ck?” she managed through gritted teeth.

Lorelei sighed, taking the Smoochum from Celeste’s arms and fixing a stern gaze on the Ice-Type. She said nothing, but the Pokémon’s big green eyes welled up with tears all the same.

Soft-hearted as she was, Celeste fought her paralysis to mutter a weak, “Don’t worry.” But Lorelei paid her no mind.

“These are Fake Tears,” Lorelei said. The Smoochum halted her crying with a snort, then flailed and pouted. “Please, stop that. I’m trying to understand what happened here.” Lorelei turned to the other Pokémon in the cave. “Last year, this herd had a few more members. I distinctly remember a very young dark blue Lapras with three spots on his neck.”

For a moment, the cavern fell silent. The Lapras seemed lost in their own thoughts, and the air grew colder and denser. Suddenly, from the back of the group, an older Lapras swam towards Lorelei and Celeste. This elder Lapras was a duller, almost grey-blue shade, and its eyes looked heavy and tired. It gently touched Fractal’s head, and as if on cue, all the other Lapras began singing together.

Celeste didn’t expect such a sorrowful song… yet it was so beautiful. As the Lapras sang, she felt their heartache and longing, and she herself mourned for what they had lost. Immersed in the melody, her vision blurred, and her body relaxed. Soon, they were no longer in the cave but on the shores of a sunlit islet, not unlike the one where she first met Patrick…

—*——*—

Out of nowhere, a Tentacool lunged from the water beside Fractal. Celeste’s heart raced, and even though her body was still paralysed, adrenaline allowed her to grip Fractal’s shell tightly. Seeing her reaction, Lorelei acted quickly, steadying her on their mount.

“This is just an illusion,” Lorelei said, eyeing the Tentacool with mild curiosity. “The Lapras are low-level psychics. They’re using their powers to show us what happened to them.” With that, she turned her attention back to the Lapras gathered on the shore.

The herd of eight Pokémon seemed perfectly happy, enjoying a peaceful day under the sun. However, their tranquillity was short-lived as the rumbling of a motor echoed like a Sharpedo’s growl. The Lapras cried out in alarm, trying to move away, but it was too late. A small boat came into view, and the Pokémon had no place to hide.

The vessel was a small, unremarkable black boat, packed tightly with crates covered by dark blankets. Three passengers huddled near the motor, leaving little space for anything else. As Celeste watched, one passenger stood up, revealing a black shirt with a large, ominous red “R”. A chill ran down her spine as she recognised it immediately.

“The poachers,” she whispered, startling Lorelei. She couldn’t remember their faces, but that “R”… This wasn’t good.

The group in the boat exchanged a few hushed words, but Celeste was too far away to hear anything. Suddenly, one of them, a woman with jet-black hair, spoke up. “They are too big! We need to put them in pokéballs.”

The one who had stood up before, a young boy with an oversized beret hiding his face, fiddled with some device. Without turning to his partners, he spoke in a flat, monotonous voice. “Madame told us allowing for the first catch gets a better price. She’ll be pissed if we put them in a ball.”

The third person in the boat was a big man with dark hair, broad shoulders, and a square jaw. Celeste had paid little attention to him until she heard his voice. “I agree with the kid. After the Alola debacle, we can’t afford to mess this up.”

With a piercing laugh, the woman turned to the broad-shouldered man. “We? I didn’t go to Alola and fail the boss’ personal mission, Gozu. That was all you.” She then turned to the boy in the beret. “Tell me, Ryder, were you in Alola?”

The boy, Ryder, scoffed. “If I was, we would’ve come back with the Ninetales.”

Celeste felt sick. They were the same group… Gozu… She tried to commit the name and face to memory. Gozu was one of them, she repeated to herself, anger simmering. But anger soon turned into dread as a Lapras, with three dark blue spots on its neck, approached the vessel.

The trio of poachers fell silent, watching it get closer. Without a word, Ryder lifted the device he had been working on, some sort of harpoon. The Lapras halted in its tracks as the boy aimed the weapon.

He smirked as he pressed the button. “You’re lucky Madame doesn’t like her product damaged.”

The harpoon flew upward before descending onto the Lapras, releasing a net that ensnared it. The Pokémon wasn’t fast enough to escape but fought bravely for thirty agonising seconds. It launched Ice Beams and Aurora Beams, which were absorbed by the net. Realising there were no other options, the Lapras flailed like a Magikarp, making the boat rock violently.

“Stop playing around, Ryder,” the jet-black-haired woman shouted, gesturing to the mob of angry Pokémon swimming towards them. “Shit, this is gonna get messy.”

Ryder simply laughed and released a Scyther. The woman called over her Golbat, while Gozu let out a Fearow.

Although Celeste knew this wasn’t real, she felt a desperate urge to join the battle and protect the Pokémon. More than that, she wanted to fight Gozu herself, with her own hands, if possible.

“Hurry up, kid,” the bigger man growled as the Lapras thrashed, causing a crate to tumble into the water, taking the covering blanket with it. “Fuck!”

Fuck indeed, Celeste thought as she saw the boat wasn’t loaded with actual crates, but with at least a dozen cages containing various types of Pokémon, some she didn’t even recognise. The only thing keeping her from jumping out to help was Lorelei’s hand pinning her down. That and the paralysis.

“This isn’t real,” Lorelei whispered. Her voice twitched just a little, but enough. It was clear Celeste wasn’t the only one struggling with the scene unfolding before them.

“Fine,” Ryder said, pressing a button on his harpoon.

A jolt of electricity shot down the wires and into the net, causing the captured Lapras to cry out in agony. The others increased their assault on the three flying Pokémon, but it was no use.

Celeste already knew how the story would play out. Watching the Lapras scream and lose the battle was too much… Even without the paralysis, there was nothing she could do.

Too much pointless pain… Again…

Another net was thrown, capturing two more Lapras. The poachers wasted no time in administering the electric shock. Their cries were piercing, their song heartbreaking.

“Three is enough,” Gozu declared to his companions, casting a quick glance at his Fearow, whose claw was frozen solid. “Let’s get out of here.”

The R-wearing poachers didn’t utter another word. The woman commanded her Golbat to use Confuse Ray, taking advantage of the chaos as a diversion to make their escape. Soon enough, the Lapras were once again alone in their little piece of paradise. Only now, three of their family were missing.

Slowly, the same light blue Lapras from before swam towards the rest of the group, carrying something wrapped on the black blanket that had fallen into the water earlier.

Even in their sorrow, these Pokémon showed kindness and support towards one another. The elder Lapras gently assisted the other in taking the black blanket to the shore, where they revealed what lay hidden underneath it: a crying, wet Smoochum trapped inside a cage.

Using an Ice Beam, the Lapras shattered the bars. The little Smoochum stopped crying instantly and began fussing with her hair. The light blue Lapras lowered its head to get a closer look at the strange creature, but the Smoochum surprised it by jumping onto its back and placing a gentle kiss on its ear. Despite their sadness, the Lapras softened its gaze as the Smoochum continued to shower all of them with kisses.

As Celeste observed the scene, she heard a distant, bittersweet melody, and the world around her shifted back to normal.

—*——*—

Celeste bit into the Cheri Berry one of the Lapras had brought her. It was impressive how smart and kind these Pokémon could be, which only made her angrier. As the soft skin of the berry dissolved in her mouth, its spiciness spread through her face, bringing tears to her eyes.

Lorelei’s hands gently brushed through the Smoochum’s hair as she muttered to herself, “They’re not protected… yet.” The small kissing Pokémon cuddled comfortably in Lorelei’s arms.

Celeste couldn’t bring herself to face the other trainer. Once upon a time, a few hours ago, if anyone had told her how to get a Lapras, she would have jumped at the opportunity to capture one. Like proper trainers did. How was that any better than what the poachers were doing? Were trainers as bad as those criminals?

She closed her eyes and tried to recall the regulation booklet she received when registering as a trainer. According to the guidelines, only recognised trainers were permitted to purchase pokéballs, which were linked to their trainer’s licence. This allowed trained Pokémon to be tracked. Non-trainers couldn’t simply go into the tall grass and capture something. They could either purchase one from a certified breeder, obtain it from another trainer (which involved an extensive amount of paperwork), or register the Pokémon before capturing it in a pokéball. Even if you weren’t a trainer, you still needed an owner’s licence to legally own a Pokémon.

Own…

The word turned her thoughts to disgust. How could everyone keep saying that people and Pokémon were partners, equals in this world, when the reality was that Pokémon were owned? But… that was legal jargon, right? Even if captured, a Pokémon couldn’t be forced to do anything. Trainers… good trainers were partners with their Pokémon. They battled together so they could grow stronger together. Good trainers didn’t force Pokémon to join them against their will.

… Right?

Celeste could spend the whole day spiralling, or she could focus on the facts instead. Her Pokémon were her best friends, and they always worked together as partners. As for the rest of the world, was it her place to judge them? As long as people treated Pokémon with kindness and didn’t use harpoons to capture them, maybe that was enough? Or at least that would be the best answer she could come up with now.

Not truly satisfied, Celeste raised her head and said, “They were criminals, no matter how you look at it.” The Cheri Berry was doing its thing, and although her muscles finally felt relaxed, her back felt worse. It didn’t matter. “Should we talk to the police once we get back to town?”

Lorelei sighed, looking over the herd of Lapras once again. She gently lifted the little Smoochum in her arms and tried to hand her back to the light blue Lapras, but the small Pokémon held on tightly to Lorelei, clearly not wanting to leave. After a small nod from both the light blue and elder Lapras, Lorelei cradled the Smoochum and nodded back.

With real tears in her eyes this time, the Smoochum placed a last kiss on the forehead of the Lapras she had grown so attached to. As it let out a sorrowful yet hopeful cry, the Smoochum clung tightly to Lorelei’s shirt.

Celeste gave the Pokémon and her new friends a small smile.

There were good trainers around.

At last, Lorelei, hugging her new partner, said, “Come on, Fractal, let’s go home.”