la lumière de la lune

An odd sensation ran through Vi, one that sparked just the smallest bit of panic. She shrugged it off, looking out at the wilderness of Poni island in front of her. She was safe, and she heard her companions clearly. Deca’s breathing was steady as her pace, and Rotodex hummed softly as xe followed along. There was no need to be anxious.

But another wave of panic washed over her. There was something odd about it; it felt more like an outside source than the static that crept its way from inside. Another wave sprung forth as a rustling emerged from the grass behind them. Deca began to turn, but the newcomer was already upon them. Right as something soft crashed into her leg, Vi could faintly hear a small voice crying out.

“Mama!”

Rotodex beeped in confusion as all three turned to face the new figure. There, with its arms wrapped around her leg, was a Riolu. Its fur was ruffled, and it leaned hard into her leg as it lightly tapped its left paw on the ground, shakily bringing it back up each time it hit the ground. In fact, its entire, tiny body was shaking and sniveling. The trio just stood motionless for a moment as the only sound around them became the Riolu’s whimpers.

Vi bent down carefully, trying not to move the Riolu too much. Deca reached out her muzzle to sniff the new pokémon as Vi placed her hand gently on its head. It stopped whining as it stretched its head up to meet Vi’s hand. She scratched its head, ruffling the soft blue fur. She noticed her heartbeat had sprung back up and took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. It seemed as if the Riolu did the same thing, and its breathing slowed. As one last tear was absorbed by its darkly colored mask of fur, it looked up with round, weary eyes. Before Vi could say anything, its eyes closed again and it collapsed on the ground, exhausted.

…

“Zzt-zzt! Hurry, hurry!” Rotodex continued to shout as the ride Charizard began its descent towards Seafolk Village. Vi held the Riolu tight, keeping her gaze on the approaching Pokécenter. Despite the rush, the Charizard’s landing was smooth, and Vi shouted her thanks as she and Rotodex rushed through the doors.

“Alol— oh!” Nurse Joy exclaimed as Vi ran up to the counter. Deca brought herself out and barked urgently. “Where did you find this little one?” She stepped around the counter and looked closely at the Riolu. Its breathing was steady relative to Vi, who was beginning to feel frozen in panic. Wordlessly Nurse Joy nodded and gently took the Riolu from Vi’s arms. She turned around with Blissey and Comfey in tow, and Deca leaned against Vi to comfort her.

The same odd sensation from before came back, and the Riolu began to whimper as the staff went to the back of the Center. Another wave hit and Vi found herself running after them, followed by a concerned Deca and confused Rotodex.

“Nur… Nurse Joy! Wait!” Vi exclaimed. The nurse turned her head but continued to walk. Riolu’s cries grew louder.

“We can talk on the way. This little one needs help,” she replied.

“Please let me carry him there!” The words blurted out of Vi’s mouth, leaving her stunned. Nurse Joy paused, and the Riolu grew quieter as Vi approached. She took the small pokémon back and its cries diminished.

“Where did you find it? Have you caught it?” Nurse Joy asked softly as they entered an examination room. She went over to a cabinet as Comfey began to spin around, spreading a calming scent.

“I— I was in Poni Grove. It— he just ran up to me and collapsed.” Vi ruffled the fur on his head and he leaned into her hand, twitching his leg. She had somehow only just noticed that the skin was raw. Had it been bleeding the whole time?

“I’m going to need to take him for a moment. Can you set him down for me?” Vi nodded and gently placed him on the table. He began to whimper once more, arms flailing like a confused Stufful. She grabbed one of his paws and he returned the gesture with a nearly iron grip. He was still too tired to open his eyes. “This’ll sting,” Nurse Joy warned. She sprayed a mix of potion and antidote on the wound, and calmly wrapped his leg in a bandage while he attempted to writhe around in frustration. “There. That should help. Now…” She turned to Blissey, who had been waiting with a combination of sitrus and chesto berries. Blissey cheered and handed the berries to Vi. “I figure if he wants you to hold him, you better be the one trying to feed him, too,” Nurse Joy laughed.

Vi nodded and sat the Riolu up, holding up a piece of the sitrus berry. He sniffed, then slowly took the bite, followed by one of the chesto berry. His eyes fluttered open and he yawned, shaking his head. He peered up at Vi, looking a bit surprised.

“Mama?” A small voice echoed in her head. They stared blankly at each other for a moment. Deca began growling softly, and the Riolu watched her carefully. Halfway through her speech he tilted his head, then began to chatter back with a few soft yips.

Nurse Joy laughed. “I think Deca’s filling him in. I’ll leave you with Comfey, but I should head back out front. If he fusses anymore, let me know. And make sure he gets some rest soon,” she added, waving as she exited the doorway. Blissey followed with a cheery hum. Deca finished her spiel, and the Riolu turned back to Vi. Their eyes locked for a moment and he wrapped a paw around her hand, pulling it up to the top of his head. He yipped happily as she ruffled his fur.

“Zzt! I think he likezz you, Roto-S!” Rotodex cried, circling around the room. “You zzhould catch him!” Deca barked in agreement. Vi looked back and forth between them and the Riolu. He had melted into her arm, perfectly content. Clumsily she rummaged through her bag, finally bringing out a Quick ball.

“Guess it’ll have to wait,” she sighed, beginning to place the pokéball back in her bag. “These only work at the start—“

Something thudded into her hand, and a red light filled the space where the Riolu had been sitting. The ball shook once in her hand and went still with a click.

Rotodex beeped cheerfully, then brought up a picture of a Riolu on xyr screen. “Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon. It communicatezz through waves called auras. These auras increase in zztrength when afraid or sad. It doesn’t like to approach dangerous opponentzz.” The pokéball shook and Vi let him out, and he reappeared with a great yawn. He yipped happily before leaning against her again, fidgeting as he tried to ignore the dull pain still in his leg.

Vi laughed. “We should get some rest. The grove can wait,” she declared, standing up with the Riolu in her arms. He was already snoring. Comfey hummed as it lead them out of the room.

——————————— post-incident, not long after

A discordant string of notes rang through the house. Cerin was out helping Lillie with research, so Vi was left to play in silence. Well, for her it was silence — but she knew the rest of the house had to hear her constant mistakes. She was working on her “home” theme again, with no sheet to read off of in sight. Rotodex recorded her carefully, making sure to get every note in frame. Xe could play it for her later to tweak the chords into something more… agreeable. Dawn and Torr listened closely, picking out their parts for the theme. Whenever Vi paused, Dawn would sing the melody back, fixing a few of the hiccups. She knew that Vi couldn’t hear her, but Rotodex would have it in the recording. Cerin was always proud of them for working together. This was one of the first times that he was out of the house since everything had happened. A few other pokémon had joined the household in the rotation, most notably including Bee.

Bee nimbly hopped over the porch railing, sliding the screen door open and shut behind him. The very end of his tail caught in the doorway and he stumbled, landing hard on his left foot. Torr snickered but Dawn leaned forward, creating a tiny bubble that popped against his leg. He flinched at the sudden sensation, but gave a thankful nod when his gaze met with the Primarina. The two were an excellent battle pair, and Dawn was no stranger to treating his old scar every now and then. She went back to calmly listening to Vi, not even noticing the Lucario slowly approach their trainer.

Vi ran through the chords again, trying to remember which shape was right for this key. She jumped a bit when a noise crept its way into her mind.

“Mama,” a voice said faintly. Vi stopped and whipped around, eyes wide. Bee stood in front of her, paws together in focus. He opened one eye and his tail wagged.

“Bee,” she said shakily. “I— Is something wrong?” His other eye opened and both widened as he shook his head. He went back into a focused stance, breathing deep.

“I wanted to see if I could talk to you,” he replied, voice slightly stronger. “I’ve been practicing a lot.”

Vi smiled and instinctively reached a hand up to the top of his head. He stiffened for a second before relaxing, lifting a paw up to place over her hand. “I’m very proud of you, Bee.” She spoke slowly, overcompensating for each syllable. He opened his eyes again and their gazes locked.

“I’m sorry.”

Vi tilted her head slightly. “What for?”

“For not trying sooner,” Bee replied simply, though his voice was faint and shaky.

She shook her head and gave his head fluff a strong ruffle. “We’re all still adjusting. It’s my fault I don’t make more time for you. For any of you,” she added softly, glancing over to Dawn and Torr. She could see Torr sneer something, and Bee tensed. “Torr, I know we can’t hear each other, but please be considerate.” The Torracat blinked wide-eyed and gave an embarrassed nod. Vi turned back to the Lucario, whose nerves were quite apparent. She took her own deep breath and focused, staring intently at Bee.

“You can sense what I’m thinking, can’t you?” She tried to keep her thoughts clear enough for him to decipher what she wanted him to hear. He stared for a moment then nodded.

“Can you… teach me?” He replied before she could even ask what he wanted. And before she could so much as show her confusion, he added: “To play piano.” His expression shifted from nervousness to relief as Vi thought it through. She moved over on the bench and he carefully sat down next to her. She could almost imagine the creak of the wood and the probable confused beeping from Rotodex. Moving a sheet of music to the center of the rack, she focused intently on what notes went where. Bee nodded and they looked to the piano’s keys in unison. Vi grouped some of her fingers together, trying to mimic the shape of his paw, and spread them as far as she could. He did the same, stretching his paw out. Every motion Vi did, he mimicked in a split second. 

She played a simple C major chord, and watched closely as Bee tried to do the same. His digits were too clumsy to hit the keys precisely, and she could see that a few extra notes were pressed down in the process. Torr must be reeling, she thought. Bee flinched but gave a curt nod as he sensed her regret in saying it. She tried the same chord, this time removing the middle E. Bee copied, though it was still too big a stretch. She played a fourth instead, and he was able to angle his paw just enough that the chord played cleanly. She picked up his paw carefully and poked her finger on a claw. They were dull enough that they wouldn’t scratch the keys. She angled her hand, having just the very tips of her fingers touch the keys. Bee followed suit, and just the edge of his digits were on the piano. He played the same fourth with more confidence and she let her hand relax back to a more comfortable position. The angle didn’t seem to bother him, at least.

Vi glanced up to the sheet music and played the first three notes of the melody. Bee copied her carefully, and she continued with the next three. She had chosen a simple one that wouldn’t be too greatly affected by his restrictions. She could see a few times where he would correct whatever chord she gave him. After a while he waved her hand away, showing he would do it on his own. Both she and Rotodex watched carefully as he went through the song. His gaze flickered back and forth between the music and the keys. His mistakes were quickly corrected, most likely by Vi sensing them and unknowingly telling him what the right note was.

When he reached the end he grinned, tail swishing along the floor. She thought back to his old proud growl and wondered if it was still the same sound. She gave him a pat on the head and could feel the low rumble emanating throughout his body. Eagerly he grabbed her hand and placed it gently over the keyboard. Laughing, she switched hands and began to play the intro. Together the two played their piece, one in silence, and one in a rich soundscape of notes and feelings.

—————————— either before or after dealing with pine idk but she do have a job and is relatively Olt

Bee paced the room feverishly, a growl emanating from his chest. Everyone stayed clear of the frustrated Lucario, save for Mint, who continued to sweep away the fur that shed from his lashing tail. Nepale sat beside Nya in the doorway, watching Bee intently. Felis and Ring were sprawled out on the bed behind them, having given in to the fact that the Lucario’s pacing was blocking them from the rest of the house. Raegan’s tail thumped the couch methodically as she chewed on a rubber ball, and Fiske swam laps to the rhythm. Bee paused for a moment, and it felt like the entire house was holding its breath. His ears twitched and he ran to the door, blazing past Raegan with a low bark.

A dappled tan wing snuck through the doorway as it creaked open. The tall figure of Oré entered, her other wing wrapped around an exhausted Vi. Bee stumbled back, tail flicking. The Decidueye looked towards him, orange eyes dark, before shuffling their trainer towards the couch. Raegan chirped worriedly, moving out of the way to rub her face against the rubber ball, sparks flying from her cheek.

“Good morning,” Oré hooted in her usual joking manner, as the sun was setting. “Long day, I must go. Watch her,” she added, glancing again at Bee. She could tell the Lucario knew something was wrong but didn’t have the heart to ask if he could tell exactly what it was. Someone’s snooty Persian had hit Vi with quite the headbutt during an investigation before running off, and both Cerin and Deca gave chase. Oré was lucky enough to be standing behind her as she fell.

Raegan eyed Oré as she turned back to the door. As it clicked shut, the alolan Raichu crept forward, gently placing a paw on Vi’s hand. She looked down at the mouse pokémon and smiled. She placed her hand on the Raichu’s head and tapped her fingers. First two, then one, then three. I’m okay. Raegan glanced up, and saw that Vi and Bee both wore a similar pained expression. She focused and sparked more electricity from her cheeks, gently enough to not hurt her trainer. One, two, two: no. Vi’s eyes saddened. She tapped two, one, three again, then lifted a pillow and pulled it to her chest quickly, trying to explain what happened.

The impact heightened the sharp pain in her chest and she started coughing uncontrollably, the pain growing each second. Raegan squeaked and looked up at Vi, but she waved the Raichu away, standing up shakily. She began to make her way towards the counter, still coughing. With a whine, Bee gently grabbed her arm.

“Mama…” The voice cut through the pain screaming inside her. She tried to open her eyes to look at the Lucario but her vision was blurred by tears. Mint hopped up onto the counter, holding a glass of water. Bee nodded his thanks at the Cinccino and carefully took the glass from her paws, turning back to Vi. Gently he tried to hold it up to her mouth until she was able to quell the soreness in her throat. He placed his paw on her shoulder and felt a sharp pain grow in his own chest, making it hard to breathe. He then tried to tell her what was wrong, but it seemed the pain was overpowering his aura. With a sigh he pointed at his chest and tapped: three, two, one. Vi blinked, confused by the signal. Why would Bee need help? He shook his head and guided her back to the couch and the realization clicked. He was using it backwards.

Bee turned toward Raegan and Vi watched as his mouth opened, presumably in a bark. “Go get Kukui. We need to drive her to the hospital,” he said, tail beginning to flick back and forth once more. “I don’t think flying with Zade will be as comfortable.” Raegan nodded and hopped onto her tail, surfing in the air with ease. She flashed the same signal: three, two, one. We will help you.

…

The door creaked open once more and another towering figure entered, followed by a series of clicks and huffs. “Alright, we got— Where is everyone?” Cerin growled, looking around wildly. Deca sprung forward and began sniffing everything frantically, accidentally whacking Mint with her tail. Nepale sprung up from the couch when he heard the Cinccino’s squeak.

“Hi uncle Cerin!” He chirped. Cerin glared at the Umbreon, teal eyes dark with frustration. “Mama Vi was injured so we helped.” The Zoroark sighed. Did Nepale always have to be so vague and cheerful?

“Bee sensed something was wrong so he and Raegan grabbed the Professor and went to the hospital,” Fiske piped up, leaning over the top of her tank. She stifled a laugh as Deca dramatically flopped on the floor in front of her, clearly torn between finally getting rest or helping their trainer. Cerin muttered to himself and leaned over the edge of the couch, burying his muzzle in a pillow. It was already past midnight. They had been chasing after the assailant for hours, and it had exhausted them completely. By the time he had run through the day in his head again, he was already asleep.

A few minutes later Oré walked in, scanning the odd scene. Nepale was chewing on a toy like always, but Cerin and Deca were sprawled over the couch, snoring. She shook her head and flicked the lights off before walking back out into the night, keeping watch for headlights.