PW! - A Modest Proposal
William Rendfeld
“<Careful now – we don’t keep torches in here, so it’ll get really
dark really quick. Just stick close behind me and…>”
“I’ll be fine, thanks.”
Obsidian the Tyranitar shrugged, then continued into the den of his
clan. Big Time following behind and a basket full of berries in her
arms, Nori stepped into the den’s entrance. It reminded her strongly
of all the old mine shafts she saw on television from the outside,
though angled high and with stone markers in place to help prevent
rainwater from going into the underground structure. As she continued
inside, she hoped that the inside was more like the breeding grounds
at Mt. Silver than the outside – no matter who lived there, the
entrance looked far too obvious to her.
Her eyes adjusting to the growing darkness, she finds comfort in
familiarity as she goes along, the smooth rock leading outside
transitioning into a number of resting Pupitar, many nestled against
the cave walls and contentedly resting. A few were awake, however,
their wide eyes following her even as her guide motioned for them to
relax.
“<Yeah, don’t mind them. We don’t get many visitors down here, and
you’re an unfamiliar scent.>”
“I’m not worried. If anything, that makes me feel a little more
comfortable.”
They continued down the path in silence as the dim light grew
slightly brighter. The young woman quickly recognized the glow as they
reached a small cavern as that generated by lichen, the substance
growing along the walls and providing some light to the chamber.
Before them was a shallow pit, some twenty feet wide, with a fair
clutch of leathery green eggs resting in the center and numerous young
Larvitar scampering about around them, keeping their distance from
their future siblings and cousins. On watch is another Tyranitar,
slightly smaller than Obsidian and with a rough scar over its left
eye. The Dark-type faced them, slightly wary due to the newcomer but
still welcoming. “<Welcome home, brother. No difficulties, I hope?>”
“<No problems whatsoever, bro.>” Obsidian set down the baskets, the
many Larvitar rushing to greet him. “<A good harvest continues. Also,
I bring a visitor – she wishes to speak with the elders.>”
Nori put on her most respectful, most humble face, with just a
touch of puppy dog eyes. “Please, Mister Obsidian’s brother? I promise
I won’t hurt anything.”
The smaller Tyranitar regarded her for a moment uneasily, finally
giving a small nod. “<Look after the little ones, brother. I will
return shortly.>”
As his sibling moved off, Obsidian noticed as the many Larvitar
peered around the baskets, their eyes wide with curiosity and aimed at
the newcomers. He turned towards Big Time, who until now had remained
timidly perched behind Nori’s legs. “<Go on, they won’t hurt you. In
fact, I think they’ll like you.>” He looked to the little one’s
caretaker and noted, “<Both of you.>”
Not one to turn down a chance to greet so many cute little
Larvitars, Nori knelt down and reached out a hand into the pit. Many
of the young Pokémon came forth, eager to greet the newcomer, while
the rest eagerly kept their eyes upon Big Time as he made his way into
the pit, sliding down the shallow drop.
A beaming smile on her face, Nori affectionately stroked a number
of the young Pokémon on their heads, others reaching out and rubbing
her hands in greeting. She was amazed to see so many young ones, and
so healthy, outside of the breeding grounds. Obviously this wasn’t a
bad thing, but it was still a surprise. “Hello little ones. That’s
right, I’m a friend, nothing to fear from little old me.”
As some of the young ones began trying to climb out of the pit to
more properly greet her, a few more hung back, looking up at Big Time
in awe. He was so much bigger than them – he had to have battled!
Having been told stories of some of their elders’ adventures in the
big wide world, the younglings couldn’t help but be curious, and began
excitedly asking questions of their guest.
For his part, Big Time was all but in fright as he was interrogated
about what he’d seen and where he’d come from. Still, he’d been in
worse places, so he tried to relax and answer their questions.
After a few minutes among the young, Obsidian’s sibling returned.
“<Brother, the elders have granted our guest an audience. They ask
that you accompany her.>”
“<No problem.>” He gestured for Nori to follow him, the young
trainer getting to her feet after giving a few young Larvitar a final
affectionate rub. “<The elders’ chambers are just down that way. Be
warned, they’re a little soft-spoken.>”
“I don’t mind that.” More than used to speaking with elder
Tyranitars, Nori knew what to expect. She just hoped that they didn’t
have quite the flair for the dramatic that Typhon did.
-
Like any good Trainer, Cass knew her Pokémon and their habits.
Finding the ones she needed for her coming excursion was easy enough,
seeing as she knew where to look. Nosedive, as usual, had his beak
buried in a trade paperback, scarfing down on sushi and wasabi sauce
as he read. Jolt and Enigma always kept close to the house, and Hot
Shot, when not zipping over the property and showing off to the local
birds, was normally in his nest.
That only left two.
Sitting at the edge of a stream and splashing water onto her petals
was Rose. Even as she gave herself a small sprinkling of water, the
Vileplume would occasionally sneak a glance down at her reflection,
allowing herself a small, vain smile. How the water helped her petals
to shine! How the sun made her feel invigorated! How the grass parted
as she strode through it, as if guiding her on her way! This was the
way things needed to be.
“Enjoying your beauty treatment?”
She looked up from the stream, jumping to her feet as she
recognized her trainer. “Vile-vie!” Of course she’d enjoyed it, though
clearly other things were important. After all, what was the good of
making oneself look nice if all that beauty was hidden away? “Vie ploo
vile plume vi vile?”
Having trained the vain Vileplume for so long, Cass knew her
mannerisms well, even if she couldn’t understand her as well as she
did Obsidian, or as Alex could most of her Pokémon. She was eager to
go. “Yeah, we’re heading out soon. Hopefully.” She raised a waiting
Poké Ball. “C’mon.”
With an eager expression, Rose was beamed back into her ball,
leaving her trainer to only retrieve one Pokémon. And there was only
one place to look for Obsidian.
-
Having been accustomed to her meetings with Typhon, Nori felt she
knew what to expect. A Sand Stream as they appeared, red eyes of rage,
a show of force to intimidate, and so on.
She was surprised to find a much different reception.
In a slightly larger chamber, a small distance from the nursery and
similarly lit by clumps of lichen, awaited a number of Tyranitar. Many
carried themselves with distinguished grace, their scars and old
wounds speaking of countless battles. Prominent among them were two
large ones, one a shiny with gold and violet rather than the
traditional lime and blue, the other slightly larger with a scar
around one eye.
Obsidian bowed his head in deference as he greeted the two elders.
“<Father, mother, I bring a visitor who wishes to speak with you. She
is Nori, the young trainer traveling with the daughters of Lyle.>”
The scarred one looked upon the young woman, who nervously greeted
him with a small wave. “<Do not fear to speak in my presence, young
human. We will not harm you unless attacked. I am Titanus – you have
met my spawn, Obsidian.>” He gestured to the shiny Tyranitar. “<She is
Ekidna, my prime mate. Speak to her with respect, for she has sired
many strong young.>”
Genuinely surprised by how softly the elder spoke, Nori took a
moment to recover, then answered quietly and clearly. “Thank you for
meeting with me…Titanus. I come from Johto, and extend a message from
Typhon.”
“<Typhon, the elder of the ancestral ground?>” One of the other
Tyranitar spoke up in bemusement. “<I wondered if he still walked the
earth.>”
Many others murmured among themselves, some old enough to remember
tales of the ancient Tyranitar. They were silenced with glances from
the two elders, and settled down to eagerly listen to the young woman.
“<Typhon is known to all of us, child. You may pass his message as
you like.>”
Straightening up and steeling herself, Nori continued. “Many of you
remember Typhon, and no doubt remember the breeding grounds. He seeks
for those taken to return, and rejoin the many there. Surely you want
to go back, return to your ancestral homes.”
The gathered elders looked among themselves, Ekidna finally
speaking. “<Child, your offer is generous. However, do not be
surprised if you discover that many here are happy to remain here.>”
Nori stood surprised. “But…don’t any of you want to go home? See
your family again?”
“<This is home, child. It has been my home for many years, and has
become home to many others, as well as my offspring. We are safe here,
we have space for our numbers, and our spawn can roam freely without
fear of attack…so long as they remain on these grounds. As for family,
I have made one of my own – over the many years that I have been here,
I have spawned twelve sons and seven daughters, many growing into fine
Tyranitars, as Obsidian has shown time and again.>”
The comparatively young Tyranitar allowed himself a small grin.
While his father made no secret of his pride, it never hurt to hear
it.
“But, you were taken! Kidnapped from your rightful homes! Doesn’t
that mean something?!”
A laugh from one of the Tyranitar. “<Only fools venture into the
caves of the home ground to cause trouble, and only a few lucky ones
emerge unscathed. None of us were kidnapped from the breeding
grounds.>”
“<Indeed. Larvitar are caught by passing trainers, but they are not
kidnapped from their home. What few are caught often willingly expose
themselves, just as a few of our youth have done over the years…and
just as I myself did long ago.>”
Nori looked at the elder mind-boggled. “You…you willingly joined
into…enslavement?”
“<You are a trainer, yes? You carry Pokémon, yes? Do you consider
it enslavement?>” Nori gave her Poké Balls a small glance. “<Have you
met any trainer who considers themselves to be enslaving their
Pokémon? I have not. Many of our young willingly seek to travel,
either to test ourselves or to spread throughout the world, and with
few exceptions, the results are positive. Obsidian himself has seen
many things, having traveled with young Cassandra.>”
The young Tyranitar’s eyes widened in shock just before Nori’s did.
The young woman, meanwhile, looked at him in shock. “She’s your
trainer? That psychotic psychic’s sister is your trainer?!”
Obsidian sweatdropped. “<Well…yes, but…>”
“I can’t believe this! All this time, I’ve been making nice with
her, and that redheaded stick has been putting one of the righteous
Tyranitar into bondage, using him for Goddish knows…!”
A slight screech interrupted Nori, and she turned startled back
towards Titanus. “<Young one, do you honestly think I would be so
foolish as to allow one of my brood to leave against their will or
without my consent? Obsidian and Cassandra bonded at an early age, and
he chose to join her on her journey.>” Nori opened her mouth to
protest, but was interrupted. “<And do not presume that my spawn was
brainwashed, young one. He was all of six years when he departed with
Cassandra on her journey those years ago, and had been in our care for
some time. He needed to travel, and learn, and grow as his own
individual. His travels did exactly that for him. Also, even though we
do not develop as Dark-types until we reach maturity as Tyranitar, our
youth are more than resistant to psychic tampering or conditioning.>”
Nori almost protested, but decided to remain silent. Unlike Typhon,
whose screams were loud and enraged, Titanus spoke in measured,
careful tones. The old Tyranitar hadn’t even raised his voice, save
for the brief screech, and had remained polite. She was used to the
former, and wasn’t quite sure how to react to the latter.
“<We do know of you, young one. We have been told of you, by
Cassandra, by Alexandria, by those who have joined them and interacted
with you. Your convictions are strong…and there is no shame in
that.>”
“You just have trouble looking past them sometimes.” Nori turned to
find Cass at the entrance of the cavern, just visible in the lichen’s
glow. “I had a feeling this would happen eventually.”
The spiny-haired girl turned to the redhead. “You never mentioned
that you had a Tyranitar on your team.”
“Given the reaction you had to those two guys we teamed against
after the Silver Conference, I thought discretion was the wiser
decision.”
A glance at Obsidian, and Nori sighed. “You have a Tyranitar, and
your sister is a psychic. Two things I hate most.”
A quirked eyebrow. “But?”
An aggravated sigh. “But nothing! You two just…confuse me is all! I
mean, I…it’s not…” Another sigh, and she looked to the young Tyranitar
once more. “You went of your own free will, right?”
A nod.
Nori turned back to Cass. “And you never put him in serious
danger?”
“Never willfully, no.” She stepped forward and proudly said,
“Obsidian is family to me, Nori. He matters to me just as much as Alex
does – no more or less.” A small smile grew on the redhead’s face. “I
love him.”
“<And that’s anything but one-sided,>” Obsidian assured.
Nori remained silent for a few short seconds, trying her hardest to
do as she’d promised some time ago about keeping an open mind, and
also trying to keep in mind Typhon’s words to her. “You can’t believe
how uncomfortable I am right now.” She looked again to Obsidian –
Titanus was correct, he looked to be a very strong Tyranitar. Not very
aggressive, but maybe that was an asset. She looked at Cass – she
obviously hadn’t mistreated him, at least, not visibly. She sighed.
“Well, better to be here by choice than not…I guess.”
“<You demonstrate wisdom, Nori.>” Heads turned to Titanus. “<We
will deliberate upon your invitation. This will take time, and most
will opt to remain here, but I suspect a few of my brood will choose
to return to the ancestral grounds. For now, go. You have other
matters to attend to.>” He then looked to his son. “<Obsidian, my son,
I believe your trainer has need of your aid. You know your
obligations, young one – honor them.>”
The younger Tyranitar answered with a bowed head. “<Yes father.>”
-
“So…I assume you battled with him in Gyms.”
“I’ve got Obsidian to thank for a third of my badges. He kicked
butt in Saffron City.”
“<Aw, it wasn’t that impressive. Nothing the little one couldn’t do
someday.>”
As they emerged from the tunnel, Nori concealed a small smile.
Maybe there were some advantages to sticking around these two, she
thought, as she looked at Big Time. “Guess we’ll have to get you back
to Smasher and find out, huh?”
Already having been praised by many of the young Larvitar for
having battled, Big Time looked up at her more than a little eagerly.
He wasn’t sure when or if he’d see Smasher again…but he wasn’t quite
willing to give up. “Lar!”
TBC?
[NS - Still trying to keep in the habit.]