Chapter 67 - Through the Mist II

“We should look around to check if Celeste’s Slowpoke is nearby.”

Delia strode back onto the deck, her steps firm with a different kind of resolve. Not to lie or hurt, but to distract Luan just long enough. Twenty minutes—Celeste couldn’t possibly take longer than that to pack. Delia needed to make sure Luan didn’t confess his feelings during this time. After that, gone.

She’d go off to Cinnabar and it would all be gone.

Gone the chaos. Gone the doubt. One less rope in her never-ending tug of war. Yes, she’d be gone, Luan would move on, and they’d both be happier for it.

Just a few more minutes…

Delia glanced uneasily at the fog. Eerie, dark, and unmoving. It was just fog… was it not?

“I was actually hoping we could… you know…” Luan started. She could feel his eyes on her back.

She turned, smiling, Shelly’s Pokéball already in her hand. “Yes, yes, you want to talk. Let’s just make sure Pat’s not around. Shelly isn’t comfortable in cities. Hard for a shellfish to move around with all these crowds. I just want her to enjoy these last few minutes on the boat without risk.”

Luan rubbed the back of his head. “Sure… She-Shelly deserves it,” he muttered. Then, instead of looking down, he glanced up. “Rev, Lulu, any of you around?”

Delia froze.

“Uh… don’t worry,” Luan mumbled as his Munna drifted down from wherever he’d been. “They’re better at finding stuff than me. Rev, can you check if Celeste’s Slowpoke is around while I… I… talk to Delia?”

Rev’s eyes trailed from his trainer to Delia. Much like the Hoothoot before, his face twisted into a horribly smug, somewhat encouraging expression. He blew his trunk before drifting away, leaving Luan and Delia alone, surrounded by the quiet ocean and the thickening mist.

It was Delia who shifted under the weight of the silence this time. Everything felt incredibly uncomfortable all of a sudden. “Lu…” I don’t want to break your heart. “I don’t feel comfortable with just him looking. Celeste is sloppy, and I’d rather be thorough.”

Luan looked in the direction his psychic had gone, then pressed on, as much as he dared. “I r-really wanted—”

Delia made a big gesture, grabbing his hands, cutting him off. Some of the fog rolled onto the deck. He shivered. Was it her touch or the cold? She blinked almost flirtatiously at him. “The other day, I found her sleeping with him out of his ball. It was Shelly’s turn out. She then ranted about deepening her bond with him. Can you believe it?”

He didn’t answer right away. Delia was close, and she was touching him. Before he could recover and speak again, she walked away. If Celeste didn’t show up soon, Mia might leave. Should she try to rush her? Which was worse?

“She’s doing that because she knows she won’t ever lose her Pat. Probably better for her if she gets an evolved Pokémon on her team,” Delia insisted. “But if something happens and they evolve… I don’t even want to think about it!”

“…I… I don’t think Cee would be happy if you lost Shelly,” Luan spoke quieter now, shaken. His eyes were on the mist, too. “You s-sure you want to go out there, Delia?”

She paid no mind to the fog. “Just think of it this way,” Delia turned, letting her anger bubble up—rightfully so, as it had been simmering since Celeste caught that blasted Pokémon. “Do they evolve into Slowbro or Shellbro?” She paused. “Slowking or Shellking? Who do you think stays with the Pokémon afterwards?”

Luan nodded weakly. “L-let’s be thorough… we… I’m sure we can talk after.”

As soon as he walked away, Delia breathed a sigh of relief, squatting behind a crate. Not much of a hiding place, but it might delay him a little. Once he finished searching, did she have any other excuses? Was it time to consider the unthinkable? If he managed to confess his feelings for her, what would Delia say?

“It’s me, not you.”

“I don’t see you that way.”

No. None of that would do.

“I want to see other people.”

Did she even? She had always imagined meeting a guy who would sweep her off her feet. Handsome, strong, confident, sophisticated. She peeked from behind the crate, watching as Luan lifted some tarp and checked underneath. His oversized band T-shirt didn’t do him any favours, and the overly tight jeans he insisted on wearing were ragged, almost on purpose. From the sides of his beanie, a mess of curls jutted out, getting more tangled as the wind blew. He stood back up and let his awkwardly long legs carry him further away.

She tensed her jaw and released Shelly for moral support. As usual, her starter clicked with happiness at seeing Delia. Shellder weren’t vocal, and Shelly was no exception, but from the dimming in her eyes and the way her shell closed slightly, Delia knew she was worried.

“Luan wants to talk,” Delia said quietly. Shelly opened a little more in response, her gaze hurriedly looking around for the boy. Delia smiled, placing a calming hand on top of her shell. “Just a little while longer, and we’ll leave… Celeste is packing. We’re travelling by Lapras to the island.”

Shelly clicked again. Twice fast, followed by a long click. Her eyes still scouting for Luan. Celeste was the one who first mentioned Morse code, back when they were lost at sea. A whole alphabet of clicking sounds made perfect sense for Shelly and her. Of course, teaching letters to a Pokémon who couldn’t spell was impractical, so they made a code of their own. Very rudimentary, but they spoke much faster these days. Shelly was asking what was on Delia’s mind.

“That it would be easier to like him back,” she smiled, and her shellfish closed up a little more. “That maybe I can pretend to?”

Shelly quickly opened up at that, eyes wide, followed by forceful clicks that Delia couldn’t fully decipher but sounded urgent—probably worry, or maybe reproach.

Would Delia be happy in a relationship with Luan? That was undoubtedly the question in both their minds. The answer, of course, was no. Luan was simply not her type. The next question was whether any part of her wanted it? Also, no. Yet… if it came to it, this was another way to—

Torture him, and drag this on for even longer.

Arceus, couldn’t they just leave already?

“He’s sweet…” Delia muttered, trying to rationalise a bad decision. She was also answering the increasingly worried clicks of her Pokémon. “And he’s dependable. He would actually do anything for me. That… is comfortable… I suppose. I wouldn’t need to—”

Shelly clicked. A snappy one this time. Watch out. Luan was walking back towards her. His grey eyes were dull yet hopeful, and his thin lips curled into a shaky smile.

Was love meant to be… easy and comfortable?

Luan grounded her. She knew what to expect of him. He was predictable.

And for once, she wanted to fly.

“No Slowpoke anywhere.” He bent over by Shelly. “You can be at ease.”

Delia said nothing, just watched as he sat down. Part of her wanted the fog to roll in faster, maybe allowing her to hide. He stared into her eyes and reached for her hand. His palm was cool and sweaty as his long fingers wrapped around hers.

How would she escape now?

“Delia, I…” He took a deep breath, trying to steel himself.

She grabbed his hand back and squeezed it. Her heart was pounding, but not in a good way. “I… know…” she whispered.

He blinked. “Y-You d-do?”

Cruel. You are being cruel, Delia. To him and to yourself.

Why was it Celeste’s voice she heard and not her own?

She turned her gaze to Luan, his eyes wide and longing. Delia smiled, sweetly. “Of course I do. We became close… close friends, since we met that day at One Island.”

Above them, his Munna and Hoothoot hovered almost too casually, while the Lunatone stared at them intently. Delia took a deep breath, still unsure how to respond, and then moved her hands away from his. She wanted to run and not deal with this, but she also didn’t want to break him. Somehow, her best idea was to brush her fingers against his cheeks before finally cupping his face between her palms.

He froze, going beyond red all the way to purple. If not for his incoherent babble, she’d have thought he was unable to breathe.

Cruel. Cruel. Cruel.

“I… feel the same Lu…” her voice cracked. “It’s weird to think we won’t see each other every day anymore. I’ll miss spending time with one of the best… friends I’ve ever had.”

His eyelids lowered, and his shoulders dropped. Obviously, that was not what he expected to hear.

She smiled, pretending not to notice. “This isn’t goodbye. We’ll see each other in a few months. If I don’t go to Viridian for Olga’s opening, you can visit me in Pallet. We’ll have all the time in the world to catch up and talk about all kinds of stuff.” She took another deep breath, unable to look into his eyes any longer. “Oh, you’d love to see Professor Oak’s lab… and… and…”

He said nothing.

Simply because there was nothing left to say.

It was better this way. She was doing him a kindness… the distance… moving on…

She kept on smiling at him. “… Pallet… it’s so different from here. There are hills and creeks and woods that stretch as far as the eye can see. We can watch the sunset there, it’s… romantic—”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“I’m ready.” Celeste stood behind her, Eevee on her shoulder and a cold expression on her face. Had she been listening? Waiting? Judging?

Celeste put on a grin much wider than Delia’s and poked Luan playfully. “Hey, rival,” she called, and he looked outright exasperated. That didn’t stop Celeste. “Gotta say goodbye. Also, train like hell, because our next battle won’t be as easy…”

Delia stood up as soon as Celeste began speaking. It was over.

Thank the heavens.

“I’ll tell Lori you’re ready.”

—*——*—

Delia’s goodbyes were brief.

Lorelei insisted they move quickly, so she could still register for the Gym today. Mia agreed and urged them to leave even faster before they all got stuck in the mist.

Celeste, of course, delayed them all. She had a long goodbye with Luan’s Lunatone and Hoothoot, then rambled to Luan about creating a group chat with Rey and him so they’d all be best rivals together. Lorelei basically grabbed her by the collar and threw her onto her Lapras. Not aggressively, but in that commanding way only Lori could.

Despite all their time together, Lori still didn’t fully get that Celeste talked when she was scared.

Scared… of the mist?

Delia glanced ahead at the Lapras, who didn’t have a saddle, and at the nothingness beyond. Sunlight still peeked in where they stood, but inside… who knew what was in there? Maybe Celeste had a reason to be nervous. Or… maybe it was simply mist, and she really ought to get Celeste out of her thoughts.

More careful than the others, Delia mounted on Fractal, not even bothering to look back at Luan. They were low in the water, and all she had to hold on to were the bumps in the Lapras’ back. She grabbed on tightly, nestling Shelly in between her arms. Lori mounted last, hopping in easily, barely needing support.

Before she knew it, Fractal was paddling away. Mia had already gone back inside, and Luan’s small goodbye quickly vanished as they ventured deeper into the mist.

When he was finally out of sight, Delia felt a wave of relief wash over her, cool as the shiver on her spine.

It had been a cold morning on the boat, but within the thick fog, the temperature was downright frosty. Moisture clung to her skin, and her eyes, though fully adjusted to the lack of light, could barely make out the Lapras’ and Lori’s silhouettes just ahead.

Relief soon turned to worry as questions bubbled in her head. How could Lori know the way? What if there really was something in there? What if they got lost again?

Delia clung harder to Fractal’s shell and to Shelly.

When she first left Pallet for this “adventure”, she wanted nothing more than the thrill of the journey. To be in a new city, discovering new things. And in that first week in Cinnabar, that’s exactly what she had. Joining a large group of tourists, hiking to the base of the volcano with an experienced guide, taking a bus to the mansion district where she could celebrity spot. Later on, adventure had been trying different ice cream combinations and serving them to everyone at the Ice-Fall festival. It was attempting a new job, coming up with a new labelling system.

Everything else she experienced was just terror.

And somehow, this terror almost always led her to the ocean. Threatened by Wailord, Tentacool, Gyarados, and whatnot. Thank Arceus it was only that. If she hadn’t had the good sense to avoid venturing into those horrible Icefall Caves with the others, Celeste might not be the only one plagued by nightmares.

Speaking of which…

Her eyes looked up, and even through the mist, she could see Celeste staring at her. Delia couldn’t make out her features, but she imagined them angry and judgmental.

Delia straightened up, deciding to meet her look.

Back when Doctor Diaz reached out to her, it all made so much sense. “My daughter needs people in her life to rein in that reckless side of her. Orderly people. Delia, you seem like such a good influence… I do hope you can keep travelling together until the time comes for her to come back to us.”

How could she say no to that? Who were the other people in Celeste’s life? Her Pokémon? They were just as bad as she was. Luan? Too meek to argue with anyone. Rey? Would probably double down on whatever Celeste said just to prove he was better. Lori? Too larger than life. Delia was the only one who’d actually call her out, and for that, what had she got?

“Sorry, Doctor Diaz, I tried, but your daughter is too stubborn.” She’d have to call Celeste’s mother back, eventually.

Right now, though…

“If there’s something bothering you, say it,” Delia finally spoke. “We both know you’re not good at shutting up.”

Delia saw Celeste’s silhouette shifting, and the Eevee perched on top of her head patted her.

“Did you need to do that?” Celeste asked. No rambling, no trying to be friends again. Just six quiet words that echoed ominously in the fog.

Delia averted her eyes. Not that there was much to see. It had grown darker as they moved. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

With a little more energy, Celeste scoffed. “Oh, Lu, you can visit me in Pallet. We can have a romantic stroll through the lab.” Her mocking tone was downright disrespectful.

“I didn’t say that!”

“Oh Lu, I’m not into you, but—”

“Stop it.”

It was Lori who cut her off. The fog had grown downright oppressive around them, and Delia could barely see her hand. Still, visuals weren’t needed. The seriousness in Lori’s voice stung.

Delia simply held on tighter to the Lapras. She’d leave it at that, but Celeste needed to grumble. “I’m not the one doing anything wrong…”

There was a very heavy sigh from Lorelei’s side. She leaned in, making parts of her face visible. “That’s beside the point,” she said, not disagreeing with Celeste. “I need you both alert right now. There shouldn’t be anything here… but I suppose you all feel it… don’t you?”

Those last words came out as a whisper, almost cracking. Lori retreated back into the shadows, and even Celeste quieted down. At least for now.

Delia fixed her eyes ahead.

Patches of water lapping under Fractal’s fins rippled gently. The ocean was calm, almost as if even the waves had become too scared to show themselves. In the silence, every tick was like thunder. Heartbeats, deep breaths, joints clicking, and that paddle.

Unease was one word to describe what she was feeling.

Another would be terrified.

If a Gyarados showed, they wouldn’t be able to see even its shadow.

Delia pressed Shelly closer to her chest.

If a Gyarados showed, Lorelei had a team of capable Pokémon who could deal with it easily.

The fear was all just in her mind. Overthinking. Like a child afraid of the dark.

“We’ll be in Cinnabar in minutes,” Delia whispered to herself. “There’s nothing around.”

It was just silence and water and—

Something cried in the distance.

Delia immediately tightened her grip on Fractal. By her side, Celeste called for a panicked Swift attack.

Aria shot her stars, and they glowed brightly into the nothingness, casting their light dimly around them. That revealed…

A group of Wingull passing overhead, squawking.

Delia sighed. The glow of the move faded, and just like that, the Pokémon were gone. Like them, they must have decided venturing inside the mist was necessary.

“Did you see that?” Celeste’s voice came out shaky.

Delia’s heart quickened, and her head jolted to where Celeste seemed to be looking…

Nothing.

There was absolutely nothing there.

“It’s just some Wingull…” Lori muttered.

Celeste didn’t seem convinced. “It… it flashed.” Her voice grew smaller, uncertain. “Wingull don’t flash.”

“Then some of Aria’s stars.”

Delia closed her eyes. Celeste must be seeing things. A trick of the light, Swift reflected on the humid air. An overactive imagination creating monsters where there were none. Or perhaps some Lanturn passing by.

Yes. Celeste was one to let things get away from her, Delia almost convinced herself. And almost like she wanted to prove Delia right, Celeste began talking.

“You know, back when me and my parents sailed around Hoenn, we heard quite a few old sailor’s stories… about strange things that happen at sea…”

Delia almost snorted. Celeste was like clockwork, and upon them came the hour of talking. And people say predictability isn’t comforting? “Here we go again,” she whispered.

Celeste cleared her throat, but her voice remained fittingly low. “Like I was saying, sailor’s stories. Most of the time, we’d get into an old bar near some port or fishing village to interview people. Gyarados, the terror of the open seas, was the number one hit. Wherever we went, we expected to hear quite a few tales of how some crew, or brave sailor, bested them. Or even of the horror and destruction some Hyper Beam caused. That was true for all places we went, except for one. Way off route, north of Fallarbor Town, was a fishing village where no one cared about Gyarados. What all the townsfolk feared were the mists that rolled in, and the ghosts that lay inside.”

Lori’s voice was eerily calm. Almost forcibly so. “Jellicent?” she asked.

Celeste didn’t say anything, but Delia could see her silhouette checking their surroundings.

“Y-you had to have seen that!” Her voice came out urgent without the air of mystery this time. Somehow, Delia preferred the overdramatic reenactment from before. A horror story to pass the time was just a story, after all. Anything else was too real.

“Celeste, there’s nothing out there,” Lori said. “Perhaps you could tell something other than—“

A wail cut Lorelei off. Not the squawk of a Wingull, but a deep, painful cry.

A ghostly one.

Delia felt Shelly press against her and saw Lori’s shadow quickly moving towards her Pokémon’s head. Fractal had stopped, and, from the little Delia could see, she was craning her neck up and down. Confused? Scared? Lapras were supposed to be sensitive creatures, after all.

“We… can deal with a Jellicent…” Lorelei’s voice quivered, betraying her emotions. “Don’t worry,” she insisted. “Though Jellicent aren’t common here, we’ve met a few in Unova. We know how—”

Another wail echoed, louder and closer.

“That village in Hoenn wasn’t attacked by Jellicent…” Celeste clung tightly to the Lapras, and Aria moved down to her trainer’s shoulders. Tail up. Head low. Ready to battle.

“W-what was it?” Delia stammered, her mind racing. She should’ve stayed on the boat and dealt with Luan. This wasn’t how her day was supposed to go… This wasn’t how her life was supposed to be.

She closed her eyes as another wail came closer, distorted and otherworldly. A cold crept up her spine, and when she dared look again, she could swear the mist had become even thicker.

“The townsfolk weren’t sure what it was…” Celeste had dropped her storyteller persona, and her every word now rippled through the air with pure dread. “They said those waters were dangerous—rocks, whirlpools, Hoenn’s unpredictable weather. So many ships had sunk in the area that a ship graveyard of sorts formed. Of the monster of the fog, all we got was a drawing of an anchor and the wheel of a boat. But that made Mum freak out. We… actually never investigated it. She made us leave as soon as she saw the drawing…”

“You don’t know, then?” Delia pressed.

“I… Mum did. She told us more later… I’ve never seen her that scared,” Celeste said quietly. “She grew up with stories about it back in Alola.” Celeste paused, glancing around nervously. “Some antique book she had, Shadows of Alola, I think…? I don’t know, that was probably the name. She never really let me—”

“Celeste!” Delia rushed.

“Right, sorry… the book had an actual picture. I… think it was a Pokémon? Some say it’s the spirits of the deceased crews that linger around shipwrecks that bring it into existence. Their rage, their longing… it festers on what remains, like rot, infecting everything around.”

Delia looked away, to the surrounding shadows, almost taking form.

Maybe they should’ve skipped the horror story because, as absurd as it was, it almost seemed like the shadows were coalescing into the shape of an anchor.

Celeste herself seemed transfixed.

“Some say it’s the rot manifest, others that the ghosts of sailors possess the debris. An old captain in that village swore to us it was the seaweed that came to life,” she continued. “They didn’t have a name for it there, and they didn’t have a name in the book… but Mum did…”

Another pause, then, “What was the name?” Lori asked.

Celeste hesitated. “S-she called it Dhelmise, for that is the fate of all who meet it.”

Dhelmise.

Delia blinked.

It was like the name itself was an invitation.

Or maybe it was all a trick of their minds.

Either way, shadows and fog twisted around them, almost like kelp drifting in the currents. Celeste, probably unable to deal with her fear, kept on talking. She spoke of her mother’s terror, the fear in the villagers’ eyes, and most of all, of that picture she saw.

Her words painted it in vivid detail before Delia’s eyes.

Thick, shadowy seaweed writhed and twisted around the iron of the anchor, covering it in patches, making it appear as if the metal itself was decaying. The ghostly plant extended to the wheel—because, though accounts varied, there was always a wheel, an anchor and the seaweed—reaching above like tendrils. The wooden parts of it were almost petrified, its spokes shrouded in rot.

The more Celeste talked, the more vivid the shadow of the creature became. Was this reality manifest, or a trick of their fearful minds?

Delia closed her eyes, trying to banish the images. When she opened them again, she saw Lori, as still as she could be, with her eyes locked on the ghost Delia had imagined.

Her breath caught in her throat.

What are the chances of two people imagining an eldritch horror in the exact same place?

Her arms felt limp. On her lap, Shelly had completely withdrawn into her shell.

They all saw it, didn’t they?

All but Celeste, who, despite her fears, kept going in blissful ignorance. She probably thought that speaking would get the monster out of her mind.

Out from her mind and into reality…

With every word, the anchor hovered closer, its form becoming more defined. The seaweed draped over it moved with a sinister grace, as if each strand was an arm reaching out, eager to drag down any who dared to approach into the same depths whence it came. The more she described it, the more tangible it became, yet none dared say a word.

Finally, Celeste stopped, perhaps relieved to have it out of her system.

That’s when her Eevee noticed it, too.

Aria’s cry was stifled, but the sudden jerk she made was not.

Celeste was almost laughing now. “Didn’t know I could scare you,” she said, but Aria kept poking her.

When she turned, her face lost all colour.

Great.

They could all see it.