When Mairin walked into Max's office, an office was what she expected to see. Something plain, simple, cramped and tiny. However, as she slid the keycard into the lock, she was pleasantly surprised to find that it was quite the opposite from what she had been expecting. There was the usual for what one would think would be in an office, a desk with a computer, a wall filled with filing cabinets, but beyond that the office was a cheery little room.
Next to the desk was a large branch, a heating mat resting under it. Fake leaves and moss decorated the thick wooden bough, and Mairin could easily imagine a certain gluttonous Sceptile napping on it while Max worked. The background image on the computer was a picture of Max and Bonnie, the blonde having one arm wrapped around her boyfriend, tongue stuck out towards the camera playfully. Max had an uncertain smile on his face, glasses slightly tilted, two melting ice cream cones in his hands as he too looked at the camera. Mairin stared at the picture, a moment of happiness captured in time.
That wasn't the only picture with Bonnie– another framed image, this one featuring a younger Bonnie with her brother and their father– sat near the computer mouse. A dried flower crown was laced over the top of this picture, and a picture taped to the wall behind the computer showed a glowering Max wearing the same crown shortly after it had been made. Other pictures and cards were hung up on the computer wall as well, but Mairin didn't let her gaze linger long on them. Seeing the smiles in the images made her lips twitch, but yet her heart only ached more.
A decorative map of Hoenn took up the wall near the door, pins and labels sticking out from it. At first Mairin thought that perhaps it had something to do with research, but after seeing phrases such as "Home" and "Captured first Pokemon" she quickly realized it was personal. Mairin's eyes swept the map, it not taking her long to locate the tan that would mark Hoenn's desert. Max had no labels on that section of the map.
There were knickknacks up on shelves, an old PokeNav sitting near a cracked Pokeball. A case of gym badges accompanying a single contest ribbon, among many other things. Mairin was sure each item was their own story to tell, a rich history behind each one, but that wasn't why she had come in her.
Her eyes finally drifted to the filing cabinets, a slight shiver racing through her. According to Max, the very information that had been kept from her was in here. She swallowed after a moment, last night she would have happily done anything to be here, but now that night had passed her desperation from before was gone.
But she still wanted to know.
This morning she had expected Max to attempt to talk her out of doing this, but when he had approached her he had simply told her what filing cabinet she'd want to look in. It took her several moments to locate the one he had been speaking of, tugging the drawer open once she did. She peered in, and was startled to find that were was only three files in the drawer. Near the front was a small tag labeled as 'Human Bonded', and the folders were each labeled with a name. Mairin's eyes danced over them: Tory Lund, Max Maple, Mairin Vide.
Even though she had been looking for information about herself, it was still a bit strange just to see her name labeling a seemingly random file– especially since she didn't really consider 'Vide' as her last name, but rather Alain's. She uncertainly picked up her file, before glancing at the other two. She hesitated for only a moment, not quite sure if this was something she should be doing, but she grabbed the other two folders as well.
The more information the better. Besides, assuming that 'Max Maple' was the Max she knew, she wanted to know why his name was in here as well.
She sat down at his desk, setting the three folders in front of her. She stared down at them, as if expecting something to happen, before she picked up the first folder. She had no idea who 'Tory Lund' was, and she really hoped she wasn't looking into anything too personal as she opened the folder. There was a picture of the boy she assumed to be Tory, with pale blue hair and eyes. Her eyes slipped past this and to the second picture, looking at an image that showed two figures hovering over a city.
Her whole body stiffened up as she looked down at the two Pokemon, a wave of panic washing over her. She had never seen creatures such as these, but yet the mere sight of them made her heart pound. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to get control over the foreign feelings, before forcing herself to look at them once more.
They were vaguely humanoid in shape– but yet there was nothing human about them. Their blank, emotionless eyes stared off into nothing, no sign of a mouth on their faces. The creatures hovered in the air, suggesting it to be a psychic type. Red and blue skin gleamed in the sun, looking unnatural against the sky. Their arms were long and thin, the appendages twisted together.
They were identical in nearly every way, save for the the gleaming gem-like object that was embedded into their chests, one green, the other purple. Mairin could feel goosebumps rising on her arms as she stared at the picture, and her gaze drifted down to the small caption right below the image.
[Human-bonded Deoxys (green crystal, left), and its singular companion (purple crystal, right) flying above LaRousse City, Hoenn.]
First Appearance– North Pole
Human bond– Tory Lund
She carefully used the other folders to cover up the photo of the strange creatures as she read, finding it impossible to focus with their empty gazes locked on her. Their unnatural appearance was swifty explained in only a few paragraphs of her reading– the two 'Deoxys' being identified as an alien species. These two were just a few of many that had been known to enter earth's atmosphere, and the one with the green gem being among a handful that was known to have developed some form of connection to a human.
That was what most of the paper was about– the green-gemmed Deoxys and its bond with the human boy, Tory. Mairin merely scanned the paper, heart thumping heavily with unease the more she read. The psychic type had spent a majority of its time with the boy in an energy-based state, apparently able to survive without a body as long as its crystal was intact.
The creature's powers seemed beyond any earthly Pokemon she knew about– able to regenerate its body, shift between multiple forms with ease, create nearly impenetrable barriers across an entire city, and release psychic-based auroras that could be seen for miles.
This Deoxys displayed playful behavior towards its human-bond, seemingly enjoying Tory's companionship rather than simply the energy it gained from being near its human. This emotional investment to both Tory and its fellow Deoxys disproved the hypothesis that this species is solitary, and the false assumption that they only linger near their human to seek energy.
In an interview with Tory several years ago he spoke of multiple occasions in which Deoxys returned to visit him, both with and without its purple crystal companion. This shows that the bond between them still lingers years after its formed, and allows for the Deoxys to locate the human they're connected to.
Suddenly she stuffed the pages back into the folder, this sudden reaction even surprising her as she shoved the folder away– as if the mere image of the aliens being near her was too much to handle. But yet those hollow eyes seemed to be burned into her mind, staring down at her with that chilling gaze. She swiftly reached for the next folder as she tried to shake the image from her mind– this time grabbing the folder with Max's name.
No picture of any strange creatures greeted her this time, much to her relief, but a mere glance over the page once again showed it was about a Deoxys. She shifted uncertainly in the chair, eyes glancing towards the folder with her name on it. Her gaze lingered there, before she forced herself to look down at Max's folder.
Picture– None
First Appearance– Kanto
Human bond– Max Maple
My interaction with this Deoxys was my the third encounter with this species, but easily the one I savor the most. Though my interaction with Deoxys was short, and while I have never crossed paths with him again, it was the time I spent with him that made me question more about just how these Pokemon form connections with people.
Unlike with Tory, who was able to spend time and strengthen his connection with his Deoxys-bond, I was able to sense my bond with Deoxys the moment I first saw him. Every human-bond seems to report a different means of how they sense their connection; whether it be through telepathy, sensing emotions, or reading the auroras. For me personally it was through images and visions Deoxys would send me. He seemed to be powerful, able to slip into the psyche realm itself for short periods of time.
I believe the reason why so many skills and abilities vary from Deoxys to Deoxys is from how this species comes into existence. While data is still lacking, from what Professor Birch and I were able to gather this species has no form of reproduction, but rather are mere mutations from a form of virus or DNA that mutated due to the radiation found in space. I theorize that this genetic code originated from earth, perhaps explaining both their draw to the planet and their humanoid forms.
This seems to result in a surprising flexibility in their genome; able to shift forms, regenerate their entire bodies, and even temporarily link minds with other creatures. This is not limited to their bond, as my Deoxys-bond temporarily took control of a Meowth to communicate with us, but I do not know the extent of this power either. There are simply too few direct encounters with Deoxi to gather more data, and those that do encounter humans often become confused and even violent.
And on and on the papers went, the sheer bulk of information much more than what the first folder had held, probably influenced by the fact that this was Max's own personal encounter. There was a slight tremble in her hands as she slipped the pages back into their folder, uncertainly eyeing her remaining folder. It wasn't too difficult to guess just what the data in here would be about, seeing as what the other two folders had covered, but this only made her more on edge. She knew lives had been lost, she knew that hers had almost been taken...
She pulled her folder towards her, slowly opening it.
Picture– None
First Appearance– Hoenn
Human bond– Mairin Vide
While all Deoxi have the capacity to be a dangerous species, this particular Deoxys is the only one to have displayed such a hostile nature. It seems to be cautious, staying far from all humans, including its own bond. It is believed it spent several weeks lingering and drawing on the energy of its human-bond, while never directly revealing itself.
Deoxi that have formed a connection with a human are able to draw on some form of energy from their human. This has been seen throughout many Pokemon– with both common and mega evolution, Z-moves, and often times individual species drawing strength. However these bonds form from a developed relationship and trust, but with Deoxys-human bonds this connection seems to be almost random in nature, no previous interactions required for some kind of link to form between the two of them. This lack of an emotional connection easily leads to the energy between them becoming misused, as it was able to be seen with this particular Deoxys.
During the weeks leading up to its direct encounter, the human-bond experienced multiple symptoms that all seem to correspond to the Deoxys, including; headaches, deep sleeping and dreamless nights, and irregular sleepwalking. The farther from towns and cities the bond was, the more intense these symptoms became.
She knew that this paper was speaking about her, but yet the way it was written made it hard to realize that, her mind easily able to distance the words on the paper with herself. She had an unsettling feeling that Max had written it this way on purpose however, especially when compared to the way his folder had been written.
Her eyes scanned over the paragraphs, trying to draw some sort of parallel between them and the strange vivid dreams she had been experiencing. There had been the one with Ruby from one of her very first nights without her memories, where her dream-self had blamed the Absol for her sleepwalking.
The Deoxys appeared to have isolated itself in route 111 in Hoenn, vast amounts electromagnetic activity having been sensed within the desert during the time it was sighted, alongside vast auroras filling the sky at night. It was here that it drew its human-bond into the desert it had been inhabiting in what's believed to be an attempt to fully draw out the energy that came from their bond.
While taking control of another being has been witnessed within other Deoxys specimens, such as with the Kantonian Deoxys temporality controlling a Meowth for the sake of communication, this Deoxys is the first time an attempted fusion has been witnessed.
The Deoxys temporarily engulfed its human-bond with itself, drastically increasing its powers far beyond any other recorded Deoxys encounter. The Deoxys had complete control over this new state, acting as a host for its possessed victim. It immediately began attacking all nearby entities– both wild Pokemon and those attempting to separate human and Deoxys.
Mairin stared down at the papers, eyes swiftly scanning the paragraph once again– unable to process what she had just read. She could hear her heart hammering, drowning out any other sound in the lab, gaze locked on the words in front of her. Her stomach twisted, trying to grasp the mere idea in front of her.
Shivers raced through her, the picture she had seen of the two eerie beings rising in her mind, the image of them hovering in the air... Her mouth became dry, remembering the dreams of her flying through the night sky.
The sheer power the Deoxys possessed was unmatched compared to anything that attempted to fight against it. Nine wild Pokemon perished throughout the fight, alongside four trained Pokemon. Mightyena was the first to fall to a Focus Blast; followed by a Metagross defending the humans, taking a Focus Blast and several Psycho Boosts in their place. The combined efforts of mega evolution with Sceptile and a Charizard were temporarily able to divert the Deoxys' focus with the dual attacks, until a Psycho Boost fatally struck the Charizard, instantly killing her.
Hot tears were running down Mairin's face, but she barely noticed them.
Whether it be the attacks, or the mere presence of the Deoxys itself, the attention of Rayquaza was drawn to the desert. Similarly to what occurred in LaRousse City, Rayquaza began attacking the Deoxys, directing the danger away from the humans and remaining Pokemon, but this also placed the human-bond in direct danger herself. In an attempt to protect her a Floette placed herself between the dragon typed attacks and the Deoxys, before falling to a Psycho Boost.
It was frightening– not just the words she was reading, but how simply they were written. Bébé's death scrawled down in a manner as if it could be dismissed– or perhaps the writer simply hadn't wanted to dwell on the words that they had writtened.
But what horrified Mairin the most was that she could picture this moment in her mind.
It had been when Alex attacked her– right when his Dragon Pulse had struck her in the chest. Her skin burned at the memory, remembering how she had been torn from reality and into what had felt like a dream. These words weren't what had told her that Bébé had been defending her, because she remembered that moment for herself. The Floette standing between her and Rayquaza's Dragon Pulse, the sheer power from the attack even overwhelming the fairy type.
And she remembered the burst of psychic energy that had struck Bébé after that– the one that had come from where she had stood.
Those had been Bébé's final moments.
A bitter taste crawled up Mairin's throat, the vivid dreams suddenly feeling much heavier. The visions she experienced when she blacked out suddenly feeling that much more real. She had to close her eyes, fingers tightening around the papers she held– mind both trying to accept and refuse the words she was reading. It was too much to take in, but yet she knew that each word was true.
'This Deoxys is the first time an attempted fusion has been witnessed.' The document had said. Fusion. The dreams with her flying, with the painful Hyper Beams striking her, what had felt like it was beyond reality– but it was reality. She– the Deoxys– it had been flying. What she was seeing had been memories. Her memories of when this alien had... had possessed her.
The memory of Bébé filled her mind again, and Mairin recoiled, pushing herself away from the desk. The mere knowledge that she was witnessing the death of her friend simply too much. More tears fell from her face, a sob building up in her chest. A bitterness ran through her as she shook, mind still trying to accept what it had been told. She had known that there would only be pain in these words, but still...
She had thought that she had been the one in danger– but in reality she had been the danger. That this Deoxys had taken over her, had been using her to gain the power it had used to attack. They hadn't just been attacked out of the blue, but they had been attacked because of her. It had been her that drew it to Hoenn. It was because it had taken over her that the others had leapt to her defense that had placed them in danger.
It was then the realization hit her:
She hadn't just witnessed Bébé's death– she had been the one to kill Bébé.
'Nine wild Pokemon perished throughout the fight, alongside four trained Pokemon.' The words stared mockingly up at her, a horror pumping through her. They had been fighting against her, they had been attacking her. She was the one that had attacked them. Bébé, Charizard, Metagross... they were gone because of her.
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Mairin wasn't sure how or when she got the energy to stand up, and she surprised herself as she shakily pushed the door to the office open, stumbling out into the hall. It felt like some outside force was controlling her, a strange numbness settled in her chest. The papers from her folder were still grasped in her hand, crinkled from the way she held them.
The twisting white marks on her arms tingled, the faint memory of when they had burned when she blacked out making the sensation stronger. How she had felt something wrapping around her, grasping her... and now she could only picture the coiled arms of the Deoxi in the photo. Every moment from the dreams and blackouts now were becoming pieced together, the paper having filled the blanks.
She didn't know where she was heading, nor what she hoped to find as she stumbled down the hallway. All she knew was that she didn't want to stay in the office, and that she didn't want to bear this knowledge alone. But she wasn't alone– because the others knew. They had known all along, and hadn't said a word. What they had said to her only seemed mocking to her now, and the fact that they still lingered near her. She had killed their Pokemon... she had killed her own Pokemon...
Fresh tears poured down her face, though no sobs came from her. She remembered all the times Alain had reassured her that it wasn't her fault, she not even knowing what he had been speaking of. Max making her promise not to blame herself... but how couldn't she? How could they act as if their words changed what had happened? Any fear she had felt towards Alex seemed to drain away, realizing that the Charmeleon had done her no wrong. Perhaps he had attacked her... but she had taken his mother.
"Mairin?" A concerned voice asked, jerking her out of her heavy thoughts.
Mairin blinked, looking up to find that she had nearly walked straight into Alain. She gazed up at him for a moment, her emotions racing through her. But despite this she showed none of them, simply letting the tears run down her face. Her grip on the papers tightened, and she turned her head away.
She had made her way into the kitchen, where the rest of the lab was preparing breakfast. Several concerned glances were thrown her way as she entered, but yet the only one that lingered was Max. His eyes flickered from the papers in her hand to her, gaze lit with uncertainty. She didn't know what her expression looked like right now, she could only picture the hollow gaze of her dream self... of her past self...
"Y-you should hate me... I'm a m-monster..."
She shivered as the words she had said in her dreams ran through her. Why hadn't she pieced together that something more had happened sooner?
Mairin looked up into Alain's concerned gaze, her voice breaking as she spoke. "It w-wasn't about what happened to me..." She whispered. "It's about wh-what I did..."
Confusion filled Alain's eyes as she said this, and his eyes flickered down to the papers in her hands. His gaze narrowed, and he slowly reached for them. She offered no resistance as he pulled them from her grasp, looking over the crinkled papers uncertainly. His eyes widened– surprise filling his gaze, turning to fear in moments. He held the papers for a moment longer, before looking back up at her.
"...Where did you get these...?" Alain asked slowly, and she wasn't quite sure what his expression was. Fear? Anger? She wasn't sure, and she didn't have any reply. She just stared up at him, and Alain's tone became more desperate. "Mairin– where did you get these?!"
"M-my office," Max said when she made no effort to respond, and Alain whipped around to face him. "I... I gave her my keycard."
"You... what?" Alain hissed, hands closing into a fist around the papers, crumpling them.
"She wanted to know, Alain," Max said, holding his hands up defensively. "And it wasn't my place to keep that from her, and–"
"I... I told you not to bring it up with her..." Alain whispered, but despite his quiet tone his face was twisted with anger. Max couldn't help but take a step back, and Professor Sycamore swiftly looked up from the pot of oatmeal he was cooking. "I told you–!"
"Alain," Professor Sycamore said softly, and his voice seemed to draw some focus to Alain's angered gaze.
It was as if Mairin had even forgotten she was there, simply staring at them, taking in their words, but yet giving no reaction. She didn't know what to do, how to react to the rage in Alain's eyes, or to come to Max's defense. This horrible feeling in her heart burned, her stomach twisting.
Alain shakily glanced down as the wrinkled papers, a tremble in his hands, before flinching away. His blue eyes were like ice– sharp, cold, and looking like as if they could shatter at any moment. He rounded on Mairin, papers falling as his rough hands grabbed her shoulders. He looked mad, but yet there was no anger in his gaze– the only emotion she could see as she stared up at him was desperation.
"Mairin, what did you read?" He asked in an urgent tone. "How much did you read?"
"Why didn't you t-tell me?" Mairin asked, voice a whisper. "Why didn't you tell me that it was m-me that–"
"It wasn't your fault!" Alain cried– cutting her off. Silence fell through the lab, and he pulled her forward, engulfing her small form in his arms. The embrace was nothing like the comforting hugs he had offered her before, his tense form still filled with that desperation. She trembled in his grasp, his words doing nothing to shield her from the truth she had learned. "It wasn't your fault, it wasn't your fault, it w-wasn't your f-fault–"
She could feel his chest starting to shake, hands tightening around her as he attempted to bring her in closer, arms cradling her. She could see the tears in his eyes as he looked down at her, fingers shaking. She could almost see the thoughts racing through his mind, the panic that lit his gaze, and a part of her told her to do something. To hold him, to say something– to somehow take away the pain in his eyes.
"H-how could you?" Alain hissed, eyes narrowing, head whipping around to face Max.
"It w-wasn't fair to keep things from her–" He began.
"Did you think I was going to keep this from her forever?!" Alain snarled, releasing Mairin as he spun around to face Max. "That I was just going to keep hiding this from her?!"
"I–"
"I was going to tell her when she was ready!" Alain cried, his voice causing Mairin's ears to ring. "When I was ready! When– when we–"
Alain couldn't finish the sentence, fresh tears pouring down his face. Mairin nearly jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and found Sophie by her side. There was concern in the woman's green eyes, trying to guide her away from the fight. Mairin didn't try to shrug her off, but kept her feet firmly rooted to where she stood. Professor Sycamore had stepped between Max and Alain, trying to keep tensions from rising further.
"Alex was never wrong," Mairin whispered, and she felt their gazes returning to her. "I... I k-killed his mother, he h-had every right–"
"No," Alain whispered, and the desperation was back in his voice, drowning out the anger and the sorrow. "Mairin, don't say that– oh Arceus p-please don't say that–"
"Mairin– you promised," Max said, hesitantly stepping forward. "Y-you promised me that–"
"That I wouldn't blame myself?" Mairin whispered, tears blurring his vision. "Y-you make me promise that then show me... sh-show me that I– th-that I–?"
"You weren't in control," Alain whispered. "M-mairin that wasn't you, Mairin please–"
"I s-saw what happened to Bébé," She said, stumbling back when Alain took a step towards her. "When Alex attacked m-me... I s-saw her die, I s-saw the attack c-come from me. It w-was me, it was me..."
Why were they trying to comfort her from what she had learned, why were they shoving it aside like it wasn't the truth. It was her fault their Pokemon were gone. She could have hurt them that night, she nearly had hurt them! She stumbled back several more steps, pulling away from Sophie as she reached for her, shaking her head as Alain tried to step closer.
"Mairin, please," Alain whispered.
"St-stay away from me," Mairin whispered, stumbling back in the hallway. "P-please, I just... I..."
Everything was blurred together, tears still flowing down her face. She couldn't stay here, not with everyone around her, not like this. She spun around on a heel, letting her body guide her as she sprinted down the hallway. She knew her way around the lab, even better than what her memories showed her. Even with her sight masked by tears she had no trouble finding the stairs, rushing up them in a desperation of her own.
Her injuries hurt, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. Her footsteps thudding alongside her heart as she pressed herself through the hallway, wishing she had some way to escape this pain, this heavy guilt. She felt herself drawing to a stop as she approached Alain's bedroom, but she forced herself to press on to her own room. This path felt less familiar, less reassuring to her panicked mind, but she didn't care. She fumbled for the door handle, stumbling inside.
"Sol?" A worried voice called, and she could make out the white blur on her bed, Ruby sitting just where she had left her when she had woken up. Mairin wiped the tears from her face, and could make out the concerned scarlet eyes watching her as the Absol jumped off of the bed. "Absol sol?"
"I... I'm sorry," Mairin whispered, and the dark type tilted her head. "In my d-dreams I was blaming you... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
The Absol pressed up against her, but Mairin made no effort to return the gesture. She simply staggered across the room, in search of the Pokeballs she had brought in here last night. Ruby watched her with concerned eyes, probably expecting her to seek comfort from a Pokemon she was more familiar with. However as Mairin at last found the red spheres the Pokeball she picked up was Ruby's– and she turned to face the Absol.
"Sol–?" Ruby took a step back, but the Pokeball was much quicker, returning the Absol in a burst of red light. Mairin shakily clipped the Pokeball back to the belt, before making her way towards the door. She could hear footsteps coming up the stairs, and she knew that they would be wanting to talk to her.
Mairin tugged her door open, dropping all of her Pokemon's Pokeballs outside into the hall, before slamming the door shut. Sweaty hands clicked the lock into place, sealing her off from the rest of the lab. She pressed her back up against the door, sinking to the floor as she heard a frantic knocking.
"Mairin," Came Alain's muffled voice, and she could hear him attempting to open the door. "Mairin, let me in, please."
"N-no..." Mairin whispered, drawing her knees up to her chest. "L-leave me alone..."
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"Alain?"
Alain said nothing as he heard the voice behind him, merely tensing as the footsteps approached him. Despite the sounds of traffic and people rushing through the city, there was a strange silence running through Alain as he sat outside the front of the lab, heart hammering. Dull blue eyes stared at the ground, not even flickering up as the voice spoke again.
"Alain, I'm sorry..." Max said, and he swallowed. "I... I couldn't just leave her in the dark like that and I... I thought that this would be the best way. J-just written out and–"
Alain's fist slammed into the ground, cutting Max off, voice a snarl. "It wasn't your decision to make."
"...It wasn't yours either," Max said after a moment, making Alain stiffen up.
"I was going to tell her," He hissed. "When she was ready. One piece at a time, s-so she could understand."
"Alain–" Max began again.
"...Go away," Alain growled. "Before I do something I regret."
A cool wind rushed by, and he could faintly hear the sounds of retreating footsteps. He let out a bitter snort, but was grateful that not another word had been uttered to him. He raised his gaze, looking up at the passing cars as they rushed by without a care. Completely oblivious to what was happening only feet from where they were rushing by. Unaware of the pain that his Mairin was going through.
A raw fear gnawed at his stomach, and Alain bowed his head once more, eyes stinging as he blinked. He didn't want to be here, alone out here with this weight that had been thrown onto his back. A part of him quietly begged to go to the cemetery, to be near his mother and sister. To sit near the grave of the woman who had cared for him and the grave of his precious starter.
But he refused to leave the lab– not while Mairin was still up in her room like this.
"I..." Alain whispered, gaze turning skyward, and he wasn't quite sure who he was speaking to. "I... I don't know what to do..."
Thin gray clouds stared down at him, silently shifting in the wind.
"P-please," Alain whispered. "I'm losing her... I've lost everyone... I can't lose her. Not again, please..."
He heard no reply of any kind, only a faint distant honk echoing through the streets of Lumiose. Alain lowered his head, trying to drown out the rumbling of cars and the screeching of tires. The heaviness in his heart pressed down on him, with each passing moment becoming only harder to bear. So much weight bore down on him, but yet he didn't know what to do. How to even carry this pressure on his heart.
Alain didn't notice the concerned professor watching him from the window, the silent hesitance in his gaze as he watched the young male. He didn't notice how he turned away after a few minutes, pulling the curtains shut to give his assistant the privacy he clearly desired.
And Alain didn't notice the faint green light that flickered in from between the shifting clouds.
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Mairin had fallen asleep right next to the door.
She shivered on the cool ground of her room, having not shifted since that morning. Her stomach rumbled hungrily as she slept, causing her to stir, but not awaken. Her eyes were puffed up from crying, but there was no trance of tears as she laid there. She was cold, hungry, and absolutely exhausted.
Multiple attempts had been made throughout the day to speak to her, but she had responded to none of them, and that day had now turned into night. Her curtains were drawn away from the window, revealing the cityscape and the sky outside. The streets were abnormally silent, especially for a city such as this, but still the young woman didn't stir.
For the first time in weeks, the sky was clear– the dark navy hue of the night for once visible and free from the clouds that had sheltered it. Only a few scattered stars were visible against the city lights, however, but that was nothing compared to the beautiful show that lit up the heavens.
The bright green auroras danced across the night sky, lighting up the darkness in a green hue. Despite the beauty to the lights, there seemed to be no eyes watching them as they flared across the sky, silence settled into the city. Their glow lit up Mairin's room, flickering across the floor, and the redhead shifted as they flickered across her face.
She cringed as if in pain, one hand shakily grasping her head– but yet still she did not awaken. Mairin twitched on the ground, body silently convulsing, either from weakness or pain. A whimper escaped her throat, quivering as she twisted on the ground, locked in a struggle with herself. The green lights flared up in the sky, filling the entire room with their glow, and Mairin went still.
A shiver ran through her, before her eyes fluttered open– glowing a bright green.
Her movements were unnatural as she slowly stood, body swaying to a silent tune as she scanned the room. Her face was expressionless, that eerie light still filling her eyes as she turned towards the door, struggling with the handle. Her steps echoed through the hallway as she made her way forward, paying no heed to the plate of food that had been left outside her door as she stumbled through it.
Her Pokeballs sat forgotten by her door, the girl's movements steady as she made her way towards the stairs. She paused at this new obstacle, studying them with her green gaze, before hesitantly stepping forward once more. Bare feet shivered against the cool steps, but still she pressed forward undaunted, stumbling towards the front of the lab once she reached the bottom.
She opened the door with no struggle this time, the cool summer air rushing by her as she stepped outside. She made no effort to close the door as she headed down the front steps, pressing forward towards the streets. The glow in her eyes flickered for a moment, Mairin wincing in pain– before the auroras above flared up once more.
Again Mairin went still, silently making her way down the street.