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Amore Eterno	By : EvelonFox Category: Pokemon > General Views: 9001 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Pokemon and all licensed Pokemon merchandise, including characters, do not belong to me. In short; I make no profit. Any names or likeness of real people is strictly coincidental (not allegories). All rights reserved.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Summary:Our pair find themselves going back to Slateport with new gifts and knew enthusiasm. They meet an old friend who guides them to Sly Scyther, who in turn guides them to a hidden island of legends...

Chapter 8
The Marble Tower

The morning came and breakfast was made. Draco had to take a moment to reflect on the fact that they hadn�t had a breakfast this peaceful in years. He sat on the table and ate off his own plate, Evelyn sitting in a chair next to him. Mark and Lisa were there but only after feeding lots of baby Pokemon. Hell, even Evelyn was helping with that. At the moment she was spoon feeding an energetic little Happiny in a highchair. This was pretty good practice, she said, for when the egg finally hatches. Until then, Draco would just have to get used to seeing Evelyn in her egg pouch, something that really didn�t bother him in the least but obviously bothered Evelyn.
The breakfast was filled with pointless chatting-
�Evelyn, what happened to the bike Maria gave you?�

�It�s�gone.�

�Gone? Gone how?!�

�I don�t want to talk about it��

�Yeah, but-�

�Look, long story short, I ran into some kid with a stupid hat and a Pikachu and now it�s destroyed. No more bike questions!�
�Good breakfast, Lisa!� complimented Mark, sitting back in his chair, quite satisfied. Draco belched loudly to state a similar opinion on the food and Lisa giggled. The Happiny laughed and wiggled around in its chair, enjoying the mushy berry-paste that was its breakfast.
�I agree with them,� said Evelyn as the last spoonful of food founds its way into the Happiny�s mouth. �The food was delicious! You seem really gifted with Pokemon food too, what�s your secret?�
�Well now,� replied Lisa, �It wouldn�t be much of a secret if I told you. I do have a berry garden in the back, so my supplies are good and fresh. Every once and a while Blake drops by with a berry I don�t have, usually something really rare.�
Lisa was lost in thought as she said that, and Evelyn and Draco exchanged glances. Mark had an eyebrow raised in curiosity.
�Blake drops by often then?� he asked. Lisa jumped out of her thoughts and a deep shade of pink spread across her cheeks.
�Yeah�sometimes�� she answered cryptically.
�Sometimes? What does that mean?� asked Mark.
�It means he drops by to see me sometimes!� huffed Lisa.
�Isn�t Blake a detective now? Maybe he�s on an undercover mission!�
�Oh�I certainly hope not�That would make everything seem like a lie.�
�A lie? It would explain how he travels around and gets so many berries.�
�Wh- Oh! You meant the berries, right��
Lisa was now in the running to beat a tomato in a red-pigment competition, she was blushing so much. Evelyn wasn�t about to push it as far as Mark might, but she was a little curious about how often Blake dropped by the Daycare. Still, she had the good grace to stop the nonsense.
�Anyway!� interrupted Evelyn as Mark opened his mouth again, no doubt to interrogate Lisa further. �I do need to head out soon, Lisa. I�d love to stay, but I have things to do, you know?�
�Oh, that�s quite alright!� said Lisa, relieved that the questions were over. Evelyn got up and started to collect her plate and silverware, but Draco snatched them up and started to collect it instead. His, hers, Lisa�s, and then Marks, so that by the time he came around the circular table, he was holding a good stack of plates with silverware on top above his head. He lifted it toward Evelyn, grunting at the weight of the plates, his knees shaking a little. Evelyn couldn�t help but smile at her friend. She was beginning to think he had a Napoleon complex; he would do things just to show that, despite his size, he was still strong.
(Oh, thank Legends,) thought Draco when Evelyn finally took the plates he was holding. (I thought I�d die in a fine china related accident for a sec. Ugh�)
Still, he thought, it was nice to show his strength sometimes. He loved the smile it put on Evelyn�s face when he did. Draco hopped down to Evelyn�s seat, then to the floor.
�Draco, can you go check on the others, see if they�re done?� asked Evelyn. Draco grunted his reply and headed for the little Pokemon door of the kitchen door that led to the grounds outside. The door wasn�t like a doggy door, though it was technically a smaller door built into a bigger one. He turned the handle and opened it, being sure to close it again as he stepped onto the warm patio.
(After the desert, I never thought I�d missed the sunlight.) he thought with an inward sigh, enjoying the morning rays. A throat cleared near him and he looked to the right. Sitting under the gazebo that branched off the concrete patio were his other friends, Issac, Richard, and Alvaro.
�Are we leaving yet?� asked Alvaro. Draco liked the Gastly, he really did, be his voice always sent shivers up his spine. Humans couldn�t hear it, but Pokemon obviously could. He had the kind of voice that sounded like three Alvaro�s of varying volumes were talking at the same time. On top of it, his voice sounded carried away, like an echo in a gigantic, airy cavern. Draco just nodded his reply. Richard snorted. The Breloom was sitting with his back against a post, arms folded and his head down, hidden under his cap.
�Finally,� he mumbled as he stood up slowly, �Most of the Pokemon out here are very young, and rather annoying. Nice, but annoying. I wish there was room inside so we could sit with Evelyn too. Why were you the one chosen to sit with the humans?�

(Because I�m cooler than you, mushroom-boy�) thought Draco bitterly, but outwardly he only shrugged. He didn�t much like Richard, though they got along in battle. Richard was the kind of Pokemon that was prideful in a way that stunted his fighting. If he spent a great deal less time boasting and more time actually landing hits, that Wigglytuff a week back wouldn�t have landed a bitch-slap across his face in the middle of one of his monologues. Draco smiled at the memory.
Richard and Alvaro went right past him, leaving Issac with the dishes. He didn�t really mind, he just scooped them up in his arms and followed the others in.
�I liked it here�the Magikarp are nice�� he mused out loud. Draco couldn�t resist rolling his eyes.
(The Magikarp are morons, of course they�re nice�) he thought. They came to the door where Alvaro phased through and got a human to open the entire door, since some of the Pokemon were too big for the Pokemon door. Draco noted bitterly that only he and Alvaro were small enough to use it, but Alvaro didn�t need a door at all�
�Everybody ready?� Evelyn asked.
�Bree!� �Quaaaag�� Gaaha.�
Evelyn took it as a �Yes� and returned the three Pokemon. She�d gotten her things ready and now had her messenger bag over her shoulder. She looked a little unorthodox with the bag on and the egg pouch. Draco had to admit it; if the pouch didn�t show the top of the egg, one could easily mistake her as being anywhere from five to six months pregnant.
�Well, Lisa,� sighed Evelyn, smiling at her friend, �I guess this is goodbye, for now. I�ll drop by when I can, okay?�
�Please do,� replied Lisa, giving her friend an awkward egg-in-the-way hug before letting her go to follow Mark out the front door and onto the path leading to the front gate. Evelyn and Mark were just settling onto the bike, Evleyn in the back and Draco with Montero (carrying Mark�s new egg) in the passenger car, when Lisa came out the front door, jogging toward them at the gate.
�WAIT!� she shouted. Mark, who was just about to start the bike up, sighed.
�What is it, Lisa?� he asked. Lisa had to stop and catch her breath before straightening up. She held out a closed fist from which something dangled, held on by some white, shiny string. It looked like a small chicken egg�
(Didn�t we just have breakfast�?) thought Draco as he cocked his head to the side. Evelyn took of her helmet and frowned.
�What is it?� she asked. The white string was woven around in a fish-net like pattern to hold the egg-like whatever-it-was on the string like a necklace.
�It�s called a Lucky Egg. It�s suppose to bring good luck. I have no idea if it works, but I think you should have it,� said Lisa. Evelyn was about to put her hand out to take it, but stopped when she noticed Lisa wasn�t talking to her�or Mark.
(Er�) bumbled Draco inwardly, not sure what to say (nothing always worked) as Lisa lowered the egg toward him. He took it and turned it in his hands. The string wasn�t string, it was more like nylon strands, like fishing lines, and it was woven in braids at the straps that were supposed to go around his neck. It had metal clasps tied tightly on the ends, and from the looks of it, the nylon there was melted to ensure the clasps stayed there.
The egg itself was�very odd feeling. Like its shell was thicker than you�d expect. Like Easter Chocolate eggs� shells are, but this shell felt like�well, a sea shell, really. Smooth but solid, and he could tell there was some hallow space inside, just by its weight. He sniffed it; nothing weird. He felt it; seemed okay. Then he brought it toward an ear and listened. It�sounded like a heartbeat! Odd, since he couldn�t feel the beat, but he could hear it just fine�
�I wove it myself,� said Lisa. �It was just a Lucky Egg before, but I figured someone should carry it on them, like a lucky Buneary foot or something.�
(Not lucky for the Buneary�) Draco thought off-hand. It was braided nylon at the straps, fish-netted in the center to hold the egg; if he didn�t value his masculinity, Draco just might have to cry. Instead, he brought a hand up to his mouth then moved it forward toward Lisa slowly.
�What did he say?� Lisa asked Evelyn.
�He said �Thank you�.� translated Evelyn.
�You�re very welcome, Draco. Look at it this way; even if it�s not all that lucky, at least it evens your odds,� said Lisa. When Draco frowned at her, she smiled, �Evelyn�s carrying an egg around, and so are you!�
(Yeah, but mine�s better,) thought Draco as he gave a few scratchy chuckles. Lisa said her final goodbye and backed away. Evelyn put her helmet back on, Draco put the Lucky Egg around his neck, and Mark kick-started the bike and they were off.
It took way less time to get to Slateport on Mark�s bike and soon enough they were on the paved road of the busy city before lunchtime. She directed him toward the Devon Corp building where he slowed to a stop and let her off. She returned his helmet and gathered up Draco and her bag.
�You�ll be okay by yourself now?� he asked, �Do I have to rescue you from the ocean, or will you stick to deserts?�
(You�re not funny,) thought Draco.
�I think I�ll be fine,� answered Evelyn. With a nod and a goodbye he drove off. Evelyn turned around to the large corporate building and headed in the revolving doors. It was still as quiet as ever, a few business men walking down the stairs or out of the elevator. The woman at the front desk was idly cleaning her nails when Evelyn approached the counter.
�Um�excuse me,� she said. The woman stopped and looked up at her. �I�m Evelyn Yew, is the Boss in today?�
�Oh, you�re Evelyn then?� said the secretary, �Sure thing, just a moment.�
She pushed a button on an intercom on her desk and spoke into it.
�Mr. Barker, Evelyn Yew has just arrived,� she said and took her finger off the button.
�Bad timing, I�m afraid. We�re in a meeting so I�ll have to send Ricin down.�
The secretary answered with a �Yes, sir� and that was all. Evelyn frowned.
�Who�s Ricin?� she asked. The secretary shrugged. Just then the elevator gave a �ping� and its doors opened. There stood a man dressed in a button-up, green collared shirt, black dress pants and black leather shoes. He wore a dark grey, fitted trench coat over it all, and if that didn�t give him away, his green eyes and black, spiked back hair did.
�Wh- Blake?� Evelyn gasped. He chuckled and walked toward her, putting a hand on her upper back and turning her away from the front desk, starting to lead her to the front door.
�No, no, dear girl!� he said, rather loudly, �I�m Ricin, I�m here to assist you!�
They walked until they were outside the building, standing near a large fountain in front of it. Then he relaxed and stopped.
�Geeze, try and blow my cover why don�t you?� he hissed, but he was smiling at her.
�So it is you, Blake! I must say, you look just as slimy as ever,� she muttered, still smiling like he was. It wasn�t true, though. He was cleaner looking now and smooth in his style.
�I take that as a compliment, considering my job requires me to slither my way out of tight situations!� he said proudly.
�And your job is�? Better yet, who�s Ricin?� asked Evelyn.
�I�m a�detective of sorts,� answered Blake. He reached behind the chest of his trench coat and pulled out a shiny silver police badge.
�Very nice; surprising, but nice,� admitted Evelyn. Blake nodded and then cleared his throat.
�Speaking of surprises�� he muttered, pointing to the egg pouch on Evelyn�s midsection. Evelyn felt herself blush.
�It�s an egg!� she shouted. �I got it from Lisa.�
�Oh, she gave you that weird egg that didn�t react to fire?� he asked. Evelyn narrowed her eyes at him.
�Yes�how did you know about it? Been to see Lisa lately? Hm?� she taunted. Blake cleared his throat again, turning away from her a little.
�Anyway,� said Blake, evading the subject entirely, �And Ricin is my alias. It�s a poison, one of the deadliest. Taken from the castor bean. It causes respiratory and organ failure, followed by death in a few hours. Just chewing on the beans is fatal.�
(That�s awesome!) thought Draco.
�That�s�a little disturbing,� said Evelyn, �But I see how it fits for you. So�are you here to help me? Where�s Sly Scyther?�
�He�s at the market near the harbor, being a fake-ass merchant. C�mon, I�ll take you there,� said Blake, ushering her down a sidewalk. The smell of the ocean was getting stronger and stronger, a smell both Evelyn and Draco missed. They came upon a large clearing filled with vendors and stalls, all crammed together in a way that made it almost impossible to navigate ones way through the crowd.
�I�ll have to get Zizzi, my Crobat, to help. Sly likes to be a dick and change the location of his stall every day. Easier to just follow Zizzi,� said Blake, releasing a Crobat from a Pokeball. She was interesting, to say the least. Evelyn recalled those years back when Blake, on a drunken rambling session, told her about his Pokemon and that Zizzi was a Shiny like Draco. Her body was almost neon pink, but the webbings of her wings were black.
�Find Sly for me, love,� said Blake. The Crobat took off over the market, disappearing beyond the stands and the crowds. Until she came back, they were just standing there, a sort of awkward silence passing between them. Draco nudged Evelyn.
�I thought Golbat evolves with friendship,� he signed. Evelyn snorted.
�They DO. Be nice, Drake,� she chastised. Draco just shrugged.
�What, what did he say?� asked Blake. Evelyn cleared her throat.
�Nothing! Just talking about the weather; hey, look! Zizzi�s back��
Indeed she was, and being followed by a Beautifly. Blake ushered Evelyn and Draco along and together they wove their way through the crowds, following the flying Pokemon until they came to a stall covered in hanging vines filled with various, foreign-looking berries Evelyn had never seen before. Standing behind a counter, moving various boxes of berries, was the stall vendor.
�It�s always a hassle to find you, Sly,� said Blake. The man turned around and smiled. He had to be somewhere in his thirties and about as tall as Blake. He was far more muscular, though, and tanner too. He had five o�clock shadow on his face; funny, since it was barely even noon. His hair was a sort of corn-flower blond and his eyes were on the greener side of hazel. He reached forward and shook hands with Blake.
�Ah, Ricin. I was wondering when you were going to come back and pester the shit out of me again. I swear, you�re worse than the flu,� grumbled Sly Scyther.
�Ricin usually is,� muttered Blake. Sly lost his smile from the tone, and then looked to Evelyn.
�Holy- Is this her?� he asked.
�Yeah, because I�m not standing right here�� muttered Evelyn. She wasn�t enjoying the friendly chat. Having waited years to meet Sly, she felt the impatience ebbing in. Introductions should be over and they should be on their way to�where ever he was taking her.
�I- Sorry,� said Sly humbly, reaching forward and shaking hands with her, �It�s good to finally meet you! I suspect you want to get a move on soon, right?�
�Please, if you don�t mind,� said Evelyn.
�Sure, sure; just let me finish throwing some berries around. Blake, you still have someone to watch my stall? These berries are rare,� said Sly.
�Yep,� said Blake. Sly nodded to him and began rummaging around, moving boxes and counting things. A buzzing caught Evelyn�s ears and she looked up at the chain-linked walls that surrounded his stall on three sides, all covered with vines, whether real or fake. Another chain-linked platform was placed overtopped, giving the stall a �in the trees� feeling, and providing ample shade. The buzzing was coming from somewhere in the leaves. Some rustled, and little eyes looked out.
�Niiin�.Ja-nin,� hissed the pair of beady red eyes. Evelyn felt her skin crawl, as did Draco. Honestly, the Ninjask has just said �Crap�people.� Still, it was creepy how well hidden he was.
�Um�� started Evelyn, nudging Blake, who wasn�t paying attention. He looked at her and she pointed to the vines.
�Oh, right. Sly is a bug-maniac. He has a lot of bug types and most of them will stay here and guard his stall like they always do. Which ones are staying this time, Sly?� asked Blake. Sly popped up from behind the counter and seemed to think on it for a moment.
�Well�Ninjask, Beedrill, Beautifly, and Heracross,� he said, and with each name the corresponding Pokemon popped out of the thickets of leaves, the Heracross leaning over the canopy, obviously resting up top.
�Lovely�� said Evelyn. She really didn�t mind bug Pokemon, but she really hated it when they surprised her. Sly got up and dusted his hands off on his shirt. His clothes looked like he worked a lot. Khaki shorts, tan flip-flops, and a blue, worn out shirt with a few stains here and there. Altogether, Evelyn could see how this man went undercover for things; who the hell would suspect him of anything but poor laundry detail?
�Alright, that�s it. We should go to the boat now, before the ships finish unloading and get in our way as they leave,� said Sly, waving his hand for Evelyn to follow.
�I�ll see you later, Eve,� said Blake as she started to walk away.
She waved at him and said back, �Tell Lisa I said �Hi�.�
She missed the bit of color on Blake�s face as she turned around and followed Sly through the crowds. He was a quick guy, and she was doing her best to keep up. Finally they made their way onto a sidewalk by the beach, away from the market. He led her down it and toward the busy harbor. Luckily, they didn�t have to swim through the crowd, something Evelyn never wanted to do again. Instead, he walked onto the pier, then onto a dock with only one boat on it. It looked like a boat one would go fishing for Krabby or Kingler in. It was decent size, a little worn-looking, just like its owner, but seaworthy.
Atop the cabin, fast asleep, was a big green Scyther. Evelyn didn�t have time to marvel at the rare Pokemon before a buzzing Masquerain whizzed by her to greet it�s master. Sly patted its head and muttered some orders to it before it went over to where the rope of the ship was tied to the dock. Sly stepped onto the boat.
�Alright, climb on up,� said Sly, holding his hand out and helping Evelyn in. He then led her into the little cabin on the deck of the ship, where all the navigational tools were.
�Alright, I�m afraid you�re going to have to sit down on the floor here,� he said as he closed the cabin�s door and pointed to the floor.
�Why?� asked Evelyn. There were benches on either side of the cabin.
�A secret location is just that, Miss Yew; secret. I�m not allowed to let you see out the windows. Boss wanted me to cover them, but I figure that�s a bit drastic.
�You really think I can memorize the way to a secret place in the ocean?� asked Evelyn skeptically.
(Seriously,) thought Draco (She can hardly remember where she puts her toothbrush�)
�Sorry, them�s the rules�� said Sly. Evelyn sighed and sat down. �Alrighty then, we�re off. Take the rope off, Masquerain!�
The bug Pokemon must have done so because the boat began to drift before Sly turned on the engine. It was on low as they putted their way out of the harbor, Sly talking to them.
�This trip doesn�t take but an hour or so, no worries,� he said, then pushed the engine up higher. They must have reached a far deeper water zone as they gained speed, no longer held back by the laws of shallow beachfront waters. Evelyn sighed and lent back against the bench, arms folded with Draco in them. She felt the rumble of the engine and the rock of the boat and tried to focus her vision on one of the rust-stains streaking downward from a bolt on the wall near the ceiling.
Time flew by and Evelyn didn�t want to look at anything. Her head ached at her temples and behind her eyes, sharp and throbbing. It was nothing compared to her stomach, twisting itself in knots. Her skin was clammy and she felt overly-warm. Draco groaned in her arms and she looked down to him. He looked like he was going to be ill. Sly must have heard him too, because he turned to look at them.
�Oh, Miss Yew. You don�t look so good, and neither does he,� he said, looking at the black Charmander. �Why didn�t you tell me you got sea-sick?�
�I didn�t know,� reasoned Evelyn, not really feeling up to talking. Keeping her mouth shut seemed so much safer.
�Is this your first time on a boat?� asked a shocked Sly. Evelyn and Draco nodded. �Should have told me that sooner. Lie down on your backs then and close your eyes. We�re almost there��
Evelyn followed his orders, moving to lie on her back on the floor. Draco climbed off her and did the same. Eyes closed and lying flat seemed to help, but only a little. She was actually glad breakfast had already digested. Though, despite how empty their stomachs were, Draco and Evelyn were resisting the urge to throw up what would basically be their insides.
Finally Evelyn heard the engine cut off and the boat drifted freely. She felt and heard the bow of the boat make contact with a sand bar or the beachfront or something, she didn�t feel like guessing.
�Are we there?� she asked, still trying to adjust to not moving anymore. Her stomach was calming down as the world around her stopped swaying.
�Yep, just a second, we have to pull the boat in further,� said Sly. Evelyn opened her eyes in time to see him go out the cabin�s door, leaving it open to spill sunlight in. Draco groaned and rose up with her. They both sat there when the boat gave a sudden jerk forward and was dragged further inland.
�Alright, you can come out now!� shouted Sly. Evelyn clumsily got up now that the boat was at an odd angle. She grabbed her bag and let Draco scurry up her legs and back and onto her shoulder before she stepped out of the boat. Initially she let herself adjust to the light and all she saw was the back of the boat stretched out in front of her, a vast blue ocean beyond that with no land or ship in sight. It felt empty; there wasn�t even a cloud in the sky.
So she walked around the little captain�s cabin and to the front of the boat. She took a sharp gasp at what she saw. Normally, on a tropical island, most people would notice the paper-white sand and the vast amounts of greenery and vegetation or foreign origin spanned before them. Though this was part of the scene, it was all overshadowed, figuratively and literally, by a massive, white-marble tower.
It had to be at least a football field- no, two football fields wide! It was set back far into the jungle of the island, maybe a mile or two, but even from here on the beach, it was staggeringly huge. Every so often a level of the tower resembled Roman architecture with balconies or walkways with columns are statues of Pokemon (or she thought they were Pokemon) Evelyn had never seen. The tower stretched so far up that Evelyn and Draco, even from this far away, were staining their necks looking up. Up top, or she hoped it was the top, was a platform a little wider than the tower, so she could see no further than that.
One would have thought this island deserted with how quiet things were. It was the first time Evelyn could say she heard the slow swishing of small ocean waves creeping back and forth on the shore; it was so different from the hustle and bustle of Slateport, where one couldn�t hear themselves think. Here, she could have sworn she heard each grain of sand move with the waves or the wind. The trees rustled any time wind blew, and a few cries of wild Pokemon rose up now and again.
This island, however, was anything but deserted. Looking at the tower one could see people walking up some outside stairs or balconies, or through various windows. All of them looked similar, dressed similarly, but even at the closest windows and balconies, Evelyn couldn�t be sure why. Draco wasn�t sure how long they stood there, standing on the bow of the ship and staring at the tower. Suddenly a loud �GONG� rang through, piercing the serenity. Its sound spread out over the island and disappeared beyond the vast blue ocean around it, yet it continued. GONG�.GONG�GONG�Its noise was startling some flying Pokemon amongst the forest and along the windowsills and balcony railings of the tower. They rushed up and flew off, away from the tower and deeper into the jungle.
�Don�t worry!� shouted Sly over the ringing. He was standing near the bow of the boat and offered and arm to help. Evelyn sat and swung her legs over the side of the boat and was grateful to him for helping her down onto the soft sand.
�What is that?!� shouted Evelyn, the gongs continued their chaotic melody.
�It�s alright it�s just-� shouted Sly as the gongs subsided. He sighed and talked at a normal tone. �It�s just the monks alerting the congregation that a boat�s arrived.�
�Congregation?� asked Evelyn. Sly had started to walk up the beach and toward the jungle, and Evelyn had to jog to keep up with his gait.
�Yes, congregation,� said Sly as their feet met grass and they were enveloped by the shade of the jungle. For only a moment or two they stumbled over ferns and roots until they came to ruined road, clear of large obstacles but made of only sandstones tiled together, grass growing between them. The path, thankfully, was wide enough that it created a small break in the trees so one could see the sky and the tower.
�The Credenti Leggenda,� elaborated Sly. �Legend Worshipers. They�re a large group of pacifistic monks that date back to the days when the Towers were first created. They are in charge of Marble Tower, the tower of Pokemon myths and Legends. The other Towers thought they were mad because they believed in Pokemon that they thought didn�t exist��
�So they do?� asked Evelyn. Sly only smiled.
�Here is where your mother first spread her radical ideals,� Sly said evasively, �This was also the first place to believe in her and what she was.�
�What she was? What was she, then?�
�They called her The Lien.�
�What does that mean?�
�No idea.�
�Ugh�� groan Evelyn and Draco. They came toward the base of the Marble Tower, where trees were absent for a few yards, but lush grass and strange flowers took over. Sly finally stopped in front of a set of large double doors. Evelyn was walking so quickly to keep up with him that she almost ran into him. On the doors, with just as much marble as the rest of the tower, were two sets of knockers the size of a car tire, they were both silver. Sly reached forward and knocked a few times.
The door opened slowly and a young girl in her twenties stood there, dressed in gold and white robes with her long, brown hair braided back.
�Sly, it�s good to see you again. I trust your journey was safe,� she said, opening the door further to invite them in. Sly and Evelyn stepped in. Automatically Evelyn was met with a surprise. This bottom story was beautiful! It was well polished and shiny and a few worshipers were walking around, talking. Some were at the base of the various statues that sat along the circular wall; some knelt in prayer and some lighting incense or placing flowers and food.
The room wasn�t big enough to span the entire diameter of the Tower itself, so Evelyn could only imagine there were plenty of sections and rooms throughout just this one level. The girl that let them in shut the door and began to dote on them like a good hostess.
�You must be new here,� she said as she put a gentle hand on the forearm of Evelyn, who had been distracted by the giant statues of strange Pokemon, some she knew and some she didn�t.
�Hm? Oh, yes, I am. I�m Evelyn Yew,� she said answered. For once, this stranger didn�t know who she was and Evelyn was glad for it. It was downright creepy when older men knew who you were�
�Well come in, come in! Can I get you anything? Water? Juice? We only have organic here, and very little technology-� the girl began to ramble. Sly brought his fingers to his forehead and rubbed.
�Saria,� he hissed, and the girl stopped talking and looked to him. �I need Father Sabio, please. It�s important.�
�Oh?� inquired the girl, Saria. Sly gave an exacerbated sigh and leaned in with a hand to cover his mouth from Evelyn�s view as he whispered something into Saria�s ear. The girl�s eyes went wide.
�The Lien?� she shouted. Sly looked ready to strangle her. The majority of those in the room, a good dozen or so, turned to look at the shouter, some even in mid-prayer. It was amazingly quiet.
�He�s in the practice room...� said Saria and she led them through an archway and down a hallway filled with tapestries and long rugs on the floor. They came to a room that reminded Evelyn vaguely of a Roman theatre. Half-moon shaped with descending stands to an open stage at the bottom. They came in at the top of the stand and headed down the stairs toward the stage, the few men and women in the stands watching them curiously. On the stage, two worshipers were battling their Pokemon, much to Evelyn�s surprise.
They stopped at the last row of stands and Saria approached a Grumpig that was watching the battle with great enthusiasm, like she wanted to be in it.
�Hey, Shamma,� said Saria. The Grumpig glared her way, not appreciative of the interruption. �Where�s Father Sabio?�
The Grumpig, Shamma, just shrugged and went back to watching the battle. Saria groaned and looked around at the stands, but obviously didn�t find what she was looking for.
�Tell you what, stay here and I�ll go get him,� she reason. Sly nodded and sat down on the stands a little way away from the Grumpig. Evelyn followed his lead and sat down.
�How long is this going to take?� sighed Evelyn, watching as the battle before them ended, a Ninetales having victory against a Flaaffy.
�With my luck, Father Sabio will be at the top consulting with some Legend of some kind.�
Evelyn and Draco both looked at him with shock.
�Wait, Legends are real?� she asked. Sly raised an eyebrow.
�Yeah, what do you think these guys worship; incense and statues?�
�No, but�what kind of Legend could he be consulting?�
�Usually just Articuno, Mesprit, Raikou, or Celebi. They�re fond of the humans here, and from what I�ve heard, the most talkative.�
�How can he talk to them?�
�Through a psychic medium, of which, by the way, Shamma over there is suppose to be training to be. She�s damn bad at it, though��
Grumpig glared over to him and stuck her tongue out. Evelyn frowned.
�Bad how?�
�Well, for one thing, a medium has to be calm and unbiased. Shamma is neither one. Her name means �pride�. Secondly, she can�t seem to communicate to human minds. She�s being trained to take over for the current and rather old medium upstairs.�
Sly frowned and looked at Shamma who just glared back.
�Why aren�t you practicing anyway?� he asked. The Grumpig crossed her arms and gave a sort of �humph� sound and refused to look at him. Draco snickered on Evelyn�s shoulder, who was biting her lower lip to keep from laughing too. The mirth of the moment, however, was about to come to an abrupt halt.
�Evelyn?� came an inquisitive voice, though sharp and snippy. Evelyn turned to find the speaker. It was a woman, dressed as all the other worshipers were, with long, fiery-orange hair all held in a ponytail, a few strands lingering around her face. She was ginger-colored; pale white with fleck of freckles across the bridge of her nose. The Ninetales from the battle sat behind her.
�I�m sorry, do I know you?� she asked. The woman frowned at her, eyes brazen and harsh.
�Know you? You don�t remember me? I�m Claire�� she said. Evelyn nearly fell out of her seat and Draco�s jaw dropped.
�Claire!?� exclaimed Evelyn. Claire smirked, hands on her hips, and looking quite proud.
�I thought this place was for pacifist,� Evelyn said without thinking. Claire dropped her smirk.

�
What is that suppose to mean?� she growled. Evelyn raised her hands in defense.
�Woah, I�m just saying�a practice battling room in a peaceful congregation? Seems a little contradicting, that�s all.�
�Show how much you�ve learned,� grumbled Claire ,�I�ve only been a member for a few months, and even I know that to overcome violence one must first understand it. That�s why we battle.�
�Oh�� said Evelyn.
(Bossy cow�) thought Draco, glaring at Claire. She caught sight of him and glared right back. Neither Draco nor Evelyn forgot the bossy, sassy sound of Claire�s voice, nor the harsh way she battled.
�Sorry, I just didn�t know about the battling,� said Evelyn. Claire crossed her arms and shrugged her shoulders.
�No, I guess you wouldn�t know about battling�� she sighed and was about to turn around.
�Hey, wait! Now what is that suppose to mean?� growled Evelyn as she stood up. Just by the sound of Claire�s voice it was obviously meant to be condescending.
�I�m just saying you obviously don�t know much about battling period.� said Claire, looking pointedly at Draco, making a motion with her fingers to indicate small size. He snarled at her.
(Come say that to my face so I can roast that smug look off of you!) thought Draco. Evelyn was stiffening under him.
�Leave Draco out of this; he�s a great fighter no matter what his size!� shouted Evelyn, surprising even herself at how angry she was. She knew Claire was just trying to egg her on, but that didn�t stop it from working. That was how Claire did things, even back in school. Anger your opponent enough and they�ll start making sloppy mistakes, and Claire had a knack for pissing people off.
�Oh, really now? Prove it, then�� said Claire. Evelyn seemed to deflate a little.
�Prove it?� she asked. �You want a battle?�
�Yes. Six on six, last one with a Pokemon standing wins.� said Claire. Evelyn really deflated now.
�I only have four Pokemon�� she muttered. Claire snorted with laughter.
�You�ve got to be kidding! What have you been doing all this time; wading in the shallow end of a public pool?� she taunted. Evelyn gave no reply. �Fine, four on four then. Deal?�
(Deal!) Draco shouted mentally. Evelyn only nodded and the two young women shook hands. Shamma the Grumpig was snickering as Claire turned around to take her position on the opposite end of the stage. Draco glared at the pig and Evelyn did her best to ignore her, particularly when Grumpig started following them, jeering at them in Pokemon, which Evelyn couldn�t understand anyway. Draco, however, could.
�You can�t win,� said the Grumpig, Shamma, �I�ve been rooting for Claire since she first showed up here. She�s already beaten everyone in the tower but the High Counsel!�
(Fuck, check for polyps while you�re up there�) thought Draco, annoyed at the Grumpig�s brown-nosing and gloating of Claire�s battling abilities. He wouldn�t lie, though. He was a little worried now.
�Draco, I�m not sending you in first,� said Evelyn, looking down at Draco standing next to her. She had the tone that left no room for argument, so he simply nodded. Evelyn reached in her belt�s pouch and pulled out a Pokeball.
�Ready?� shouted Claire.
�Yeah�� Evelyn yelled back, though her voice broke a little. She hadn�t forgotten the last and only time she battled Claire; it was a nightmare back then, what will it be like now?
�Alright,� shouted Claire as she threw a Pokeball out into the stage�

Chapter End Notes:

Alright, that�s all the chapters I have so far, moved here. I�m still making some tweaks here and there that are missing, as well as some italicizations for emphasis in areas. Bear with me...right now, however, I need a shower because I have to go to work in the morning...
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Next Chapter: Empathy
What does it take to be human? What guidelines could there possibly be? Does it really matter that the a friend who changes themselves for someone they love isn't...human?
- 7
- 8
- 9
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