Gentle Snow

Cemetery Dance

The moment they stepped outside, they heard two people shouting at each other. Well, more like one person shouting and the other person trying very hard not to. Petal gave the newcomer a quick look up and down. He looked old, wrinkles and dark circles decorating his face, and his cyan blue hair stood up. He wore a uniform that had the letter G engraved upon it. Galactic.

"The world is full of strife and hopelessness, and the cause of that is spirit. My only wish is to get rid of it. We've had this conversation before, Champion Cynthia."

Cynthia looked like she could argue with him all night if she needed to. "You failed once before. Give up."

"I failed because of a fault in our calculations and a shadow intruder. This time, it will be perfect." The old man raised a pokeball, and seconds later, he was flying away on the back of a Honchkrow.

"A shadow," repeated Cynthia, her eyes on his retreating figure.

"Do you know the shadow that destroyed Cyrus' plans?" asked Dawn.

Cynthia looked at her, but her eyes were far away. "Dialga and Palkia. There was said to be a third Pokémon. A Pokémon who also kept the world in balance," she said, talking as though she'd swallowed a textbook. "But no, I have yet to find its name. And it's too late for any of you children to be out. Go to bed, all of you."

Dawn looked outraged, but Petal just raised her hands in surrender.

Riley looked close to laughing. "Come on, let's go home."

                                 *

"This is Canalave City," said Petal, as Riley lifted her off Metagross' back. They'd landed in front of a house near the library.

"This is also my house," said Riley with a smile.

"Go figure," muttered Petal as she entered. Riley waved her to a bedroom, and Petal was asleep seconds after she'd tucked herself and Riolu into the soft covers.

In her dreams, she was staring down a Pokémon made of shadow. He looked like a floating monster, a crown over its head and many, many legs. Petal felt like she should be terrified, but she could sense no hostility from the Pokémon. I await at the cemetery before Solaceon Town.

Petal woke up with a start, Riolu waking with her. Solaceon Town. She knew that town. It had existed when she'd lived in Twinleaf—a sort of rest stop for travelers.

Petal left the house quietly, letting the door fall shut behind her gently. She wondered how she was going to get to the city, when the door opened, and quick as a flash, an arm was wrapped around her waist, pulling her back.

"Waah!"

"Where are you going this time of night?" asked Riley, whispering in her ear. Riolu let out something that sounded almost like a laugh.

"Were you awake?" asked Petal, as Riley's hold on her loosened.

"Yep. And I felt you leaving." He turned her around so she faced him. "That said, where were you going?"

Petal tilted her head, and described her dream.

"Solaceon Town's Pokémon cemetery, huh?" he asked. "Might as well." He looked at her eyes, before rubbing a thumb across her lower eyelid. "Are you sure you don't need any more sleep?"

Petal's heart skipped a beat as she stared at him, and Riley's lips twitched—half in amusement, half in apology. She looked away. "I slept enough."

And then he smiled. "Alright then."

                                *

"Are cemeteries always so dreary?"

"Dear, you have no idea," whispered Riley as he took her hand and ushered her in. The cemetery just before Solaceon town was unmissable. It spiraled into the sky, floor above floor. As they walked up the stairs, Petal caught sight of grave over grave. The sound of Riley's footsteps was almost non-existent, her footsteps were the only ones she could hear. Petal stopped when her eyes landed on an old grave—an unattended one. Her legs dug into the floor against Riley's protests, and Riley let her go as she knelt before the grave.

"Houndoom..." she whispered as she traced a hand over the words etched on the grave.

Here lies Houndoom, beloved friend of the one who was chained to time.

"Chained to time, prisoner of time," said Riley. Petal didn't register his words as tears left a track down her cheeks. She wasn't there when her partner breathed her last. It felt almost akin to having abandoned him. Lucario looked uncomfortable, as if he didn't know what to do, but Riolu put her arms around her. Riley had started stroking her hair.

Mist fell over the floor, and the graves disappeared into it. Riley held onto her shoulder as Petal stood up. Lucario lifted Riolu up onto his shoulders, and held onto Riley's shirt. A laugh echoed from the mist, and it parted into two. Riley and Petal watched astounded, as two people—two transparent people—danced together, laughing as they twirled. Naked joy etched every part of their features, from the way they held onto each other to the way their smiles stretched across their faces.

"Sir Aaron," said Riley. Petal noted the eerie resemblance between the two of them. Sir Aaron could've been Riley, if not for the clothes.

The two of them vanished, and the mist retreated as darkness blacker than night fell over the place. A shadow darker than that was etched across the wall. A shadow remnant of Petal's dream. "It's you," she said.

"Thank you for releasing me so long ago, child," it said. "I will repay you." The shadow vanished, and the cemetery returned to its old, creepy self.

"Okay, what just happened?" asked Riley as the graves came back to view.

"I'm going to assume you saw and heard the same things I did."

"You do that," said Riley. "Let's get out of here."

Petal had no protests against that suggestion. They practically ran out of the cemetery. Petal took a deep breath as they stepped outside, where the sun had just begun to climb into the sky.

"The shadowy Pokémon thanked you," said Riley, almost in disbelief.

"20 Pokécoins says it knows exactly how I ended up where I was," muttered Petal, pulling her hair back.

"I can think of someone else who might have made it their business to know," said Riley. Riley and Lucario shared a look, and for a second, Petal was annoyed that she didn't share a mental connection to Riley. It would've made sharing thoughts and information much easier.

"Who's that? Cynthia?"

"Her too, but maybe the church pastor from Hearthome."

"Why would a church pastor—"

"Because they treat legends as gods. I'm only surprised none of us thought of consulting them sooner," said Riley, looking up at the sky. "It's morning, so why don't we go to church before heading home?"

"Sure," said Petal, not really sure what was going on. She decided to roll with it anyway.

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