Senki's adventures in Hisui

Chapter 16: Aftermath

"Someday, I'll solve every riddle in the legends of Hisui's Pokémon. And on that day, I'll stand before Arceus at last-No, I will CONQUER it! No matter how many years, how many decades, how many centuries it takes me!" Senki watched Volo's silhouette vanish into the fog, the azure flute in hand.

Her eyes were burning with tears, Woe rushed over her like a tsunami, the debris of the disaster lingering in her heart. She felt as if she was drowning, a force pressuring onto her chest as she suffocated in silence. She gripped the azure flute tightly in hand. She absolutely doesn't care about the plates, or this stupid flute, or Arceus. She would gladly give him anything in exchange for him to stay. Atlas, he refuses. The cold air atop the coronet highlands swept past her heart, sending icy chills that pierced through her soul.

Grief flooded through her, as she felt a thin arm wrapped around her shoulders. All of a sudden, warmth engulfed her. She opened her eyes to see her feet touching the wooden floor of her quarters, her plush futon laying in front of her. She allowed her numb body to collapse onto the futon, her swollen eyes drooping to close. She watched as Alakazam hovered over her, and Gardevoir's blue head popped around the corner of her eyes. There was the same indifference in Alakazam's eyes, and Gardevoir expressed her concern, laying its hand on top of hers. She wanted to talk, yet her mouth was numb and her throat was hoarse from the shouting. She wanted to assure her worried Gardevoir, to assure it that she was okay.

She wasn't.

She stared at the ceiling, recalling back to the first time she met Volo. She remembered her heart jumping as she saw the charming man chatting with Rei at the entrance of the village. The dreamy way he smiled as he challenged her to a battle, and called her his "sky-fallen friend". The way their hands touched when he gave her free potions to use, and how he took the initiative to teach her the back-strike technique. Was that all his plan?

Her vision started to blur, Alakazam and Gardevoir's faces were getting twisted as her eyes started to drift off to rest.

~

Senki's eyes opened, as an overwhelming ache surged through her body. It was like being hit by Froslass' shadow ball again, but with a side dish of emotional betrayal. Her body felt numb, as she lay there staring up at the ceiling. She felt the sunlight casting over her, her body warming up as she slightly nudged the blanket away from her body.

She recalled having to wake up early every morning just to look forward to meeting Volo outside the Galaxy Hall, buying all sorts of items just to have an excuse to look at him and talk to him.

Senki chuckled. Of course, he would be willing to talk to her. After all. She was a part of his plan.

She welled herself up in her thoughts before Alazakam hovered into view. His eyes were glowing a light blue.

"Alakazam?" She called out to her partner pokemon before a floating wrapped box came into view.

"What is that?" She took a deep breath. It smelled sweet, emitting a distinctive savoury aroma of soy sauce. She couldn't help but have the corner of her lips lifted. It was Beni's potato mochi.

Alakazam gently lowered the box on top of her limp body, nudging her slightly.

"Sorry, Alakazam...I don't really feel like eating right now." Senki gave a weak smile, her hand reaching for the box to remove it. Before she knew it, she felt her body being lifted up to a sitting position, her tangled and fuzzy hair getting into her face. The box then kept pushing into her abdomen. She looked at Alakazam, who was staring at her intensely, its eyes piercing through her. She could feel her heart melting, tears welling inside her.

"Alright..." Senki choked back a sob as she started to unwrap the parcel. A cup of water levitated to her as well with a bluish hue. She turned her attention back to the mochis as the delicious aroma grew intense as the parcel revealed Wallflower's signature dish. She soaked in the orange-brown mochis that were wrapped by seaweed. Her mouth was numb and dry, and her hand trembled as she picked up the cup to ease her throat. She then picked up the chopsticks, clapping the soft ad lumpy mochi in between the wooden sticks as she forced her hand to bring it to her mouth. It was still hot, obvious that it had just been made, and was sticky. She took a bite into it, and she watched as the mochi stretched.

"MY GIRL!" Senki jolted as she dropped her chopsticks, her hand fumbling to catch the mochi before it fell onto her futon.

Her head snapped towards the door, and there standing was Laventon on the verge of tears.

"My girl! Jolly good my girl you are safe! I was so worried that you didn't return! You didn't inform Ress of your return! I only just found out from Beni that your Alakazam wanted some food from him? You went to the temple of Sinnoh with Volo, what exactly happened?" Laventon held out his arms and rushed in front, leaving the door open.

"Volo." The name was like a spear, stabbing her chest repeatedly and tearing her wounds open. She stared wide-eyed at the professor. Her lips parted, wishing to speak as she tried to repress her tears.

"A broken promise is as good as a lie." The word rang in her ears again.

He promised.

She felt a stream of tears trickling down her cheeks, watching as panic arose on Laventon's face. Laventon crouched down to her side, his arms reaching out, yet seemingly too scared to wrap around her shoulder. She stared at his round face, trying to repress her tears. She failed miserably, and she laid her head on his shoulder. It was soft and cushiony and smelled a mix of smoky charcoal, salt water and fresh grass. She took in the comforting smell, her mind whirling. She recalled that very night, spotting Volo poking his head into the ice cave, the time they'd spent gossiping away, and how she'd wrapped her pinky fingers around his. Her heart started to ache as she tried to choke back a sob. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath.

"It was all a lie."