playthough From Everland to Reborn ~ A fairytale themed run [Last defeated: Adrienn]

[Candy 1688]

From Everland to Reborn ~ Episode 39

Warning: Aladdin and Jasmin might get portrayed negatively here but ofc it's all fictional and I do love both so pls dun hate~

Also, lore-heavy plot-stagnant episode ahead lul

 

This time around, Gardevoir proved her skills and teleported us to the desired location without miscalculations. We appeared right outside of the narrow corridor that led to the hidden cultist base.

“That was thrilling, wasn't it?” Candy laughed. Leave it to her to enjoy even the most serious of events.

“Thanks for your help, everyone. I can now return to Iolia Valley,” Luna said. “Vanilla, I am sure we will have an enjoyable match. Use this key and check the only tree in Vanhanen Labyrinth.”

The girl dropped what looked like a crystal piece onto my palms.

“Shall we return together? The boy here wanted to challenge me too, right? I have business that calls, but I can make time to battle you before that,” Radomus offered, and Cain accepted it right away.

“I have to go pick up my clothes, so I'll come walking,” I replied.

I’ll gladly get a dose of Heal Pulse, too, if Nurse Joy allows it. I must be out of shape if I get dizzy from just a little beating.

“I- um, I'll come with y-you,” Shelly said, apparently flustered at the unexpected influx of people.

Radomus nodded, and the four that expressed interest in teleporting held hands. In a moment’s time, they had disappeared. Right when they did, however, I remembered that Gardevoir had expressed a wish to ask me some questions right before my match with Radomus.

“I guess it wasn’t important,” I said in a low voice, but shook my head when Candy tilted her head with wonder.

“I'll escort you to the Pokemon Center. You must need a Heal Pulse session too,” Candy suggested.

“Was it obvious?”

“No, but you know I can see through you as clearly as still water~”

With that, Candy held my hand steadily, and the three of us and Nilla left 7th Street behind.

 

It was still rather dark out, but I could hear birds, probably starly, chirping. Getting into 7th Street had taken more time and effort than the whole ordeal of rescuing the girls had. That slightly pissed me off, but my head hurt a little too much to be concerned with trivial matters like that.

At the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy showed me to another room, where audino was ready to heal me. I sat down quietly, and my escorts were told to wait in the lobby.

When I returned with my scented bubblegum dress back on, I found the two girls sitting next to each other. Nilla flew over to me and buzzed while circling me a couple of times. Candy heard the noise and raised her head to smile at me.

She then placed a hand around Shelly’s shoulders, which winced at the sudden touch.

“Feeling better? I was talking to your friend here, and my goodness! I didn't believe anyone could hold a high opinion of you except me. What did you do to brainwash her?”

Shelly was startled at Candy’s comments, and shrunk down. Her face seemed to gradually turn red but I couldn't tell very well from underneath her thick purple hair.

“I'm not a witch. I’ve been indirectly helping people in this region, so no wonder she holds me in esteem,” I shrugged. “Now, let's head out. I've got to battle Luna before she goes off wandering to random places again.”

Candy chuckled and stood up together with Shelly.

“My husband must be worried. I ran out of the shop without telling him anything,” Candy laughed but quickly hushed and curved her lips in mischief when she saw me sending a murderous look her way.

 

When we got to the bridge that connected Opal and Obsidia Wards, Candy said we didn't need to come to the breeding shop.

“You just have to go north from here,” she said. “I hear the Grand Gates have recently opened miraculously. When I came here over a year ago, they told me they'd never open again. I guess they were wrong.”

Candy mentioning the gates unwittingly reminded me of the bizarre experience I had down under them.

“Is something wrong?” Candy asked.

“It's nothing. Will I see you around?”

“I'm planning on joining Ame’s city restoration project, so I'll soon make myself scarce in the shop. Maybe you can catch me at the Grand Hall some time?”

“Oh, the restoration project started?” Shelly asked, to which Candy replied with a nod.

“I think I know a person, a weirdo in sky blue tank top called Adrienn, who was also helping out on that,” I commented.

“Ah, another friend? Do you want me to say hi to them for you?”

“No,” I said without a moment of hesitation. “This city really needs some makeover because it's ugly as hell, but don't overwork yourself ok?”

“Don't worry, when have I ever overworked myself~”

“Always. If you get even a scratch, I'm going to blow everyone on that project so be careful.”

“Yes mom,” Candy teased, but seeing my serious face, she pressed her index finger onto my nose playfully. “I'll head home then. Good luck on your gym challenge!”

We waved goodbye, and saw Candy skipping until she made a turn and disappeared from our sight. Indeed, what a carefree, troublesome person.

 

Shelly and I decided to ride our (stolen) bikes back to Vanhanen castle because the place was rather far. Shelly offered to return Nilla to her pokeball, but the pokémon refused. The firefly hadn't seen enough thrill for the day, and chose to fly and match our biking speed. I must say she seemed to manage just fine.

“Um,” Shelly said to catch my attention as we pedaled. “Candy told me you're cousins.”

“Yes,” I replied.

A silence ensued until Shelly spoke again.

“She made news h-here too, um, when she beat the Hoenn League in record time.”

“She was always a good strategist, though maybe I felt like that because she's 3 years older than me,” I said. “I remember always falling for her pranks when we were younger.”

“You must be… um, really close,” Shelly commented.

“Indeed,” I replied, and thought I had ended the conversation.

Shelly was silent for a while after that, but then she remembered something she told me was perhaps important I knew.

“A girl came to Tanzan Cove, um, a little while back l-looking for you,” she recalled. “Saphira turned her, um, away, s-saying that she might b-be a spy from Team Meteor, but I don't know… she didn't even look, um, to be from Reborn.”

“Did she look to be from Everland? Not that we have a set look.”

“W-Well, she had jet-black hair and light blue clothes, but, um, Saphira told us t-to stay indoors, so that's all we could s-see from the window.”

The description caught me off guard. I stopped pedaling, and my bike came to a stop. Shelly also pressed the brakes, and looked at me with a mixture of concern and fear. Or perhaps, I had to admit that those were my own current emotions.

There was only one person of such characteristics who would also ask for my whereabouts.

Jasmin, relative of the Everland Police chief officer.

 

For the rest of the trip, Shelly and I rode our bikes in silence. I could tell she was uncomfortable for telling me something that put me in ill humor, but I didn't have time to consider anything but my imminent encounter with my nemesis. I couldn't help but remember that fateful day, a couple of days before my departure to Reborn, when everything ended for our Defiance group- the one which King had formed from ground up and defended for years.

 

The night before was quiet, and I was alone making preparations for the next day when Wolfie returned from a patrol around our base.

“Ready for peace talks tomorrow?” she asked, for she saw me packing some papers into an envelope.

“Yes, I have good hopes that the peace talks will go well,” I replied. “Both sides benefit from a merger, though I might need you to come with me to the Overworld to get more food for the new members.”

“That's not a problem at all,” she replied. “However, I must admit I’m rather surprised that Hemlock suggested a merger. I didn’t think he was capable of reasonable negotiations, for all he’s ever done was to bring his group to the top while stepping on the rest of the Defiance.”

“Yes, I remember your look when I told you the news. Maybe he’s coming to realize that joining forces is the more efficient way to help the Defiance’s goal.”

Wolfie laughed for she was incredulous, but she chose not to question my judgement.

“I hope,” was all she said on the matter.

We fell silent, and only the rustling of papers were heard, until Wolfie walked over to serve herself some tea. I heard her take a couple of sips before speaking once more.

“Are you meeting up with Aladdin tonight?” Wolfie asked without looking at me, and I felt my stomach jolt a little.

“Yes,” was my succinct reply.

Wolfie sighed and took another sip from her tea.

“I won't say anything, for you already know what I think of your date,” she said, shaking her head. “Be careful and enjoy your night, Vanilla.”

Wolfie slid open the curtains which led to our room, and shut them immediately.

Though I felt guilty about seeing Aladdin despite Wolfie’s mistrust of him, I did enjoy that night with him. We were surrounded by the starry sky above and quiet Everland Overworld below, as we flew across the region, not knowing then that it would be our last date.

 

In the morning, I briefly greeted everyone like I always did, and they wished me luck on the peace talks. I sat down with Wolfie to have breakfast together as we discussed her duties during the time I would make myself scarce. Still, I could hear the voices of my men, most of whom were hyped to have new teammates. Others, especially the older folks who had been part of King’s Defiance group even before I joined, were skeptical that Hemlock’s group could be trusted after a history of fighting over food in the times of King’s leadership. Once I finished breakfast, I approached the older folks and assured them that part of Hemlock’s motive was to get a consistent source of food, and thus we would have them under our control as long as we controlled their food supply.

“They're rowdy folk, Eterna, but I'm sure you'll give them a good beating if time comes. King trained ya well,” said Roquil, the redhead who had guided Wolfie and I on our first trip to the Underworld, but who had proved to be an indispensable member even after I replaced King in leadership.

The air was full of hope and peace, until the entrance tiles slid and my escort arrived.

Unhappy glances flashed to the way of the sounds, but when Aladdin entered our common room, everyone fell silent and focused on their plates.

“Ah, I'm ready,” I said to him quietly, conscious of the silence. “Let's go.”

I placed my dirty plates on the sink, took my bag and wore a disguise- the outfit which “Defiance leader Eterna” was known for. I saw Wolfie glance at me, so I placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I entrust you our team,” I said to her, and she nodded.

Before leaving the base, I called for everyone’s attention.

“Don't cause trouble for Wolfie in my absence, and don't slack on your training routine.”

I was met with brief laughter, but when I sent them a sharp look, they all fell silent in a flash.

 

Aladdin and I headed to the territory of Hemlock’s Defiance group, which in the recent past had shown nothing but hostility toward us. We were welcomed surprisingly warmly, and I didn't have to argue much to negotiate and reach a mutually acceptable agreement. They only wished to relocate their group to our quarters, and they agreed to yield total leadership to me.

“That went far more smoothly than I expected,” I commented to Aladdin on the way back. “If that's how it was going to be, I think I could have sent someone on my behalf.”

Aladdin for some reason seemed dispirited, but expressed relief at it being over. At a midway point on our way, I asked him whether something troubled his mind, but he only attributed his dispirited outlook to exhaustion, and decidedly took a leave for the Overworld by himself. I thought it odd, for he refused my offer to go together with him, but thought no more of it until I realized the true meaning of it all.

I walked no more than 5 more minutes, when I saw someone running my way at full speed. I immediately entered into position to engage on a one-on-one fight, but loosened my guard once I saw it was a familiar face.

“Wolfie, what's up?” I said, instantly knowing something was amiss. Wolfie would never abandon her post unless it was for something grave.

“Eterna, you have to leave now,” she whispered but it sounded more like a shout. “The others have been captured or killed already.”

I was confused, to say the least.

“What is happening? Did enemies infiltrate our base?”

I thought it might have been the act of a third Defiance group, which coordinated with Hemlock’s group. It would have made sense why Hemlock had been so welcoming all of a sudden.

“No, it’s the Everland Police,” she said hastily, and pulled me to an alleyway. “Great numbers of them, led by none other than our classmate Jasmin. They’re everywhere looking for you and me. There’s no time for specifics. Take this and give me your disguise.”

She handed me a different robe, and helped me take off the one I had. She also yanked my mask off my face, and forced another one onto me. With lightning speed, she changed into the Eterna outfit, and pulled my arm as we ran for our lives.

“Eterna, you must live,” Wolfie said in between harsh breaths. “The hope of the Defiance lies in you. Whatever happens, you must survive.”

“How could this happen? Jasmin? Why must I live if my team was lost?” I was still confused, and the adrenaline wasn't helping.

“It doesn't matter how it happened. As long as you live, hope will follow you,” Wolfie said, but our hasty conversation was cut short when two policemen blocked our way.

Wolfie and I took our gunballs, and managed to hit both of them. The policemen fell to the ground and we were but a minute away from the ladder that connected the Over and Underworld. We could make it, together.

However, right then a third officer appeared unannounced, and Wolfie jumped in to cover me. The gunshot pierced through the side of her stomach, and a couple of consecutive shots right after apparently hit lethal spots. I managed to revenge kill the officer, but Wolfie…

“Long live Queen Eterna,” were her last words, uttered with much wheezing but direct eye contact. She reclined on top of me, and I watched her slip away from my arms as she choked to death on her own blood.

My body turned to stone, with every hair shivering at the recollection of the last few minutes. I could feel my heartbeat up to my temples, and I thought I was having a stroke. With much reason. My friend of ten years, my right hand woman, my confidante and advisor, now lay still inches from my toes.

However, I snapped back to reality when I heard more voices approaching. I had to run.

 

I managed to return to the Leiderhosen castle in the Overworld. Everything was left the same way as I had left them earlier last night. It almost felt as though I had just lived a bad dream. Tonight I would go back to our base, and I'd find my men and Wolfie like every other night. Wasn't that right?

 

No. It wasn't a bad dream.

And the person who made it all real for me stood right in front of the rabbit hole that night.

“Vanilla. You must have questions,” Aladdin said. “Only despair awaits you down there, but here I can answer every question you might seek the answer to.”

 

VANILLA RATES: REBORN CHARACTERS

Spoiler

• Shelly (±1): 7/10 her high opinion of me was nice, but then she unwittingly reminded me of sour business

My goodness, this was single most image editing heavy episode me thinks  Promise next episode will push the plot forward~

 

QUICK LINK TO NEXT EPISODE

[J-Awesome_One 1328]

A flashback episode! Yay! This 1 was a bit sad though. But you keep getting better and better which is good. Can't wait for the next update!

[Candy 1688]

9 minutes ago, J-Awesome_One said:

A flashback episode! Yay! This 1 was a bit sad though. But you keep getting better and better which is good. Can't wait for the next update!

Lol I actually omitted an important detail (which I kinda fixed rn) thanks to my brain tying Aladdin and Jasmin wae too much xD The Everland Police on this instance was led by Jasmin, which is why Vanilla remembered this incident when Shelly talked of her.

Thx for reading, though the direct continuation to this flashback is likely going to happen in Season Three lul

[GenEric 315]

wonderland was at war? warderland

geez

that city pic is so pixelated 

[Candy 1688]

8 hours ago, Archeric said:

wonderland was at war? warderland

geez

that city pic is so pixelated 

It's actually a cutout of a map in Desolation lul but I had to magnify it 3x which is why it looks weird 

Guess I have to reach that city in-game and replace the pic once I do xD

[SilverAngelus 926]

Cool, it's Decibel in the Pokécenter screen!

 

I wonder who Candy's husband is.

 

If those bikes were stolen then wouldn't Shelly have protested against stealing them in the first place?

[Candy 1688]

1 hour ago, SilverHelio said:

Cool, it's Decibel in the Pokécenter screen!

 

I wonder who Candy's husband is.

 

If those bikes were stolen then wouldn't Shelly have protested against stealing them in the first place?

I'm using the follower pokemon mod, and it uses Decibel as the NPC to turn it off lel

It was mentioned in an episode wae bacc that Candy's husband is Cookie, but Vanilla doesn't approve xD

The bikes were stolen in that episode where everyone was running away from the Orphanage, and since they were in a hurry to run before the police could arrive, Vanilla suggested stealing bikes from Aqua and Magma gangs (actually while the two gangs were fighting over at Craudberry's apartment)

[Candy 1688]

From Everland to Reborn ~ Episode 40

Remember that time I said the cheesy lore stuff was over and this episode was going to push the plot forward?

Spoiler

https://media.giphy.com/media/dC9DTdqPmRnlS/giphy.gif

Jokes on all of us, cheers

 

The rest of our trip to Vanhanen Labyrinth was silent and uneventful. Wherever Jasmin was at this point in time, it wasn’t the place I was in. I hoped that such happy coincidence would continue on, since Reborn is a large region. Moreover, unless she brought Everland Police officers with her, she would probably have a hard time mobilizing the local police forces against me. Who would have thought that being on the Reborn cops’ good side would pay off like this?

 

It wasn’t difficult to find the tree Luna had referred to. It was located near the entrance, and when we checked around it, we soon found a hexagonal opening which matched the shape of the crystal she had given me. I inserted the crystal, and the tree started making rather mechanical sounds and vibrating as it moved in a circular motion away from us. When it stopped, we beheld a narrow staircase that had been hidden under the fake tree.

“Will you be coming? I can’t tell what lies below,” I asked Shelly, for she really had no business following me. The fact that she had left the Cove to join me was already dangerous, and I didn’t see the point in placing her in even more trouble.

Shelly was startled that I spoke to her after a long time of silence, but quickly responded that she wished to come.

“I-I’ve been trying to help my friends,” she said in a louder and clearer voice than she usually spoke in. “You told m-me to protect what was dear to me by myself. I-I hope I at least, um, look like I’ve been trying.”

I didn’t remember right away when I had told her a thing like that, but then I recalled I might have said something of the sort back when we were storming the Orphanage, because I was displeased at her attitude. Truly, now I could tell why she had been acting unlike the shy and dependent girl I’d met a while ago.

“I don’t need protecting, if that is what you’re trying to do,” I replied. “But it will do you good to make your own decisions. I won’t stop you.”

 

I led the way, Shelly and Nilla closely following me. The stairs looked as though they had been hastily made, but weren’t particularly unstable. Once we were underground, though, I looked back at the entrance, which I didn’t know how to close behind me. I didn’t see anyone following us, but it still made me uneasy to leave the entrance open like that.

In any case, the stairs led to a wide tunnel which walls, floor and ceiling were all covered in rocks and gemstones. The colors were distracting, and the walls so rough that had I not known what to look for, I might have been stuck there for hours. Alas, I found the hexagonal shaped opening on the furthermost wall, to which I inserted the crystal again.

Part of the wall ended up collapsing to make way to a darkness so thick that it was almost creeping over to us. I only wondered whether Luna had taken a different path to us, or whether she somehow repaired the wall as to show no signs of the passageway. We just passed it silently, entering the blinding void, but did not bother to fix the collapsed rocks.

 

I did not fear the dark, for I had spent years in the Underworld which had nothing but artificial dull lighting. On top of that, I had spent much of the time under the ground of the Underworld, which was lit by a number of light bulbs I could count with one hand. Darkness was unharmful, and in our case even protective. The only problem was the uncalled ghastly guests who sometimes inhabited it… but when you fear the light more than the dark, you learn to push down your trepidation and get rid of the ghosts.

However, Shelly wasn’t on the same page as me. While my eyes quickly got used to my surroundings, I heard her struggling at each step she took. Granted, the path was rockier than the previous one.

“Nilla, light the path for Shelly,” I asked the firefly, who had herself forgotten that she could glow. “I can manage by myself.”

“Um, thank you,” Shelly said.

“Sure you still want to follow me?” I looked over my shoulder and asked her the question again, to test her willingness.

I thought I saw Shelly nodding, but I couldn’t tell well from the dark. She quickly realized that, and confirmed her willingness with a surprisingly loud “yes”.

I shrugged and allowed her to tag along, but made sure not to offer her much help, for if anything, this was a little training for her, and to her dismay, I only knew the Defiance training style. If she insisted to come, she would have to go through it with her own strength.

 

The dark path wasn’t too long, and we eventually made it out.

The three of us stopped and marveled at the colors of Iolia Valley, which made our eyes hurt after spending considerable time in the darkness. The vivid greens of the grass, and the deep aqua blue of the river to where a cascade of water poured thunderous life nonstop, together with the various pokemon that were playing around in peace, were all almost too bright to take in. Unfortunately, I could tell this scenery was not the reason Luna had chosen Iolia Valley for our battle location.

I started walking again, and Shelly and Nilla noticed my move and followed me. Though we had made it to Iolia Valley, we still had some more walking to do before we could reach Luna. To add to the hassle, someone had cleverly placed more crystal keys where they could not be reached unless one went back and forth and solved a seemingly unending puzzle. Even Radomus’ maze had not been as tedious as this.

We passed a few more dark tunnels too, some which faintly glowed in an amethyst color. On each occasion, I could tell Shelly’s walking speed was increasing, and she let out less struggling whimpers. I thought I had been right in letting her learn by trial and error, and was pleased at her demonstration of strong will, though I said nothing about it.

 

However, destiny was a strict teacher, even more so than either King or I had once been.

On one of the occasions as we passed through a pitch black cave, I noticed that the ground was brittle and steeply inclined. I made a comment about the slope, so Shelly and Nilla knew to be careful as they descended. We walked down as carefully as possible, but on one step I took, the rock on which I’d placed my weight dislodged. Much as a bridge which keystone had been removed, the floor caved in, and I barely managed to run and roll down to the edge of the sinkhole, when the rocks stopped falling. As I ran, I had heard Shelly’s sharp scream, but only after the tremorous noise of the ground falling had subsided, could I see the aftermath of the result thanks to Nilla’s glow.

From afar, Shelly seemed to be hanging on, though in the dull light I could not distinguish between a rock or wall or just plain thin air. I heard my heartbeat taking over my mind and my senses, until I felt my whole head throbbing rhythmically to the beat.

I had felt this way before: when I ran together with Wolfie to save our lives.

“Hang on tight, I’m coming,” I shouted, and tried to circle the sinkhole. Only that the hole had practically covered the entire tunnel’s width, and hence made my footing too unstable to pass to the other side. I was readying myself to jump to the other side, my mind not clear enough to even considering that I might not make it at all, when I saw Shelly slowly swinging and floating to this side.

“W-what’s happening?” I heard her saying as her feet reached ground.

I slowly walked towards her, and asked her if she was hurt.

“No… um-”

She was probably going to say more, but I fell to my knees in front of her. I didn’t realize how much pressure I had been placing on my legs until they gave up on me. I closed my eyes, ignored all of Shelly’s questions, and allowed myself to be calm before standing up again.

“I thought another person would get hurt because of my incompetence,” I admitted. “Because I lack damned foresight.”

Shelly looked at me with wide eyes and a wrinkled forehead, which creases were accentuated by Nilla’s scarce lighting.

“This is stupid. I am stupid,” I said more to myself than Shelly, and paced around.

The feelings that I had been bottling up until then exploded. I could no longer remain silent.

“Why do I keep doing this? King is dead. Wolfie is dead. My men are mostly, if not all, dead. Pikachu is dead too. What am I trying to do?”

“Um, Vanilla?” Shelly asked, for she was surely confused as to what I was even going on about.

“I shouldn’t have been the one to survive. Wolfie was wrong. King was wrong! He must have been delirious from disease to think clearly when he named me his successor. I have brought nothing but disgrace,” I said, still pacing. “Disgrace to the Defiance. Disgrace to my parents. Disgrace to myself.”

I stopped walking and glanced at Shelly.

“I have no purpose. I can’t even put a single foot on Everland without having the cops on my throat. The Queen won, I lost. It’s as simple as that,” I shook my head. “All that remains is for me to turn myself into the hands of Jasmin, to be either beheaded or left in prison for the rest of my lifetime.”

Shelly grabbed my left hand with both of her hands and squeezed it tightly.

“Please don’t. Please don’t,” she pleaded.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean for you to hear my foolish monologue,” I said, attempting to withdraw my hand but failing. “Now you know I am a delinquent, though. Aren’t you scared?”

Shelly shook her head brusquely. For some unknown reason, that act helped me relax but at the same time, I felt a hint of shame in having snapped earlier.

“You are an odd child. When we met, you were scared of me. Now you have reason to fear me, and yet you say you do not.”

“I know you aren’t a d-delinquent. You helped me, um, you helped us. Whatever the reason the p-police is after you, it’s not because of that.”

“I am an enemy to the Everland state. Probably the most-wanted criminal there, and my parents, even though they are nobles and ignorant of my activities, are likely in jail because of me. If some survived, members of my team are also behind bars because of me.”

“I don’t care,” she replied loudly enough to categorize it as shouting. “You are a good person.”

I shut my mouth and sighed through my nose. We looked at each other’s eyes in the dim light. Shelly’s eyes were so fierce, it was almost scary she could make a face like that.

In the end, I also lost to her. I turned my back on Shelly, and faced towards the tunnel's exit, through which bright light shone.

“Alright, let’s get going,” I nodded. “Only time will tell whether I am good or evil.”

 

VANILLA RATES: REBORN CHARACTERS

Spoiler

• Shelly (+1): 8/10 she has proven to have strong will power, and besides, I have to admit, she cheered me up.

Wondering when this Season will end? I'm wondering the same... xD

 

QUICK LINK TO NEXT EPISODE

[J-Awesome_One 1328]

Short but yay! Another episode! And Shelly not being afraid of Vanilla anymore. Weird but good character development. Can't wait for more! As always, you're doing great at this!

[Candy 1688]

14 minutes ago, J-Awesome_One said:

Short but yay! Another episode! And Shelly not being afraid of Vanilla anymore. Weird but good character development. Can't wait for more! As always, you're doing great at this!

Thx~ hopefully next episode won't be as difficult to write as this one (these lore ones are original work so it's more laborious than it is when I just follow Ame's story xD)

[Corso 165]

OHH I DIDN'T HAVE TO OPEN THE LINK TO KNOW WHAT THAT GIF WAS!!!!!!!!!!

And my favorite character returns! I love it!

[Candy 1688]

9 hours ago, Corso said:

OHH I DIDN'T HAVE TO OPEN THE LINK TO KNOW WHAT THAT GIF WAS!!!!!!!!!!

And my favorite character returns! I love it!

Of course you'd know~ too bad I couldn't embed it becuz stoopid post didn't wanna do its job lul

Yer waiting is almost over fam, we're near (me thinks?) the end of Season 2  and I've went over the closing episode so many times in my head, I'm 99% sure not to disappoint hehe

[Candy 1688]

From Everland to Reborn ~ Episode 41

Shelly and I carried on solving the puzzle to get to Luna.

We didn’t talk anymore about my sudden anger fit, which I appreciated, but we did converse a little about how Shelly had been saved from what seemed like imminent death.

“I thought I’d fall for sure,” she told me, as we walked through the grass to find another hidden keyhole. “But something s-soft tied onto my wrist and pulled me upwards.”

I was too distressed back then to pay attention to a detail like the color of her wrist, so I wasn’t sure what could have caused such sensation. The only explanation sent a faint chill down my spine.

“Maybe a ghost,” I commented, but immediately shook my head. “A ghost saving a living being would be ironic.”

I found the keyhole, and the wall collapsed again. Just as we were about to go through the passageway, though, a familiar face showed up a floor above us.

“Oh, there you went,” Bennett said.

“What are you doing here?” I said without hiding my displeasure.

I knew we were wrong to have left the entrance to Iolia Valley wide open.

“Don’t worry, I’ve come on my own accord, not because Elias asked me to,” he explained. “I want the best for Luna, so I’ve come alone to discuss stuff with her, most of which is none of your business.”

“It would do both of you good if you’d just leave her alone,” I replied. “But I know you are a headstrong and foolish kid. Be rejected and learn to live independent from your unrequited love.”

I stepped into another dark void, and only heard Bennett shouting.

“Don’t interfere in our business, or I won’t forgive you!”

Shelly was bewildered, but soon followed me together with Nilla, who seemed to be pushing her back so she would walk forward faster.

“Is it alright to let him see Luna?” Shelly asked. “Um, I don’t get good vibes from him, after that incident with the, um, religious people.”

“I can’t do much until he is in proximity to me,” I shrugged. “If he tries to pull a trick on Luna, I’ll pull a painful trick on him then.”

“Ah, I didn’t expect that. Um, I was under the impression t-that you didn’t, um, get along with Luna that well.”

“You’re not wrong,” I nodded, though the darkness probably didn’t allow her to see that. “But over anyone and anything, I just don’t condone abusive relationships.”

We exited the dark tunnel, and walked around the hilltop, where we again found a keyhole to open. The wall collapsed, but this time I could see a faint light flickering from within.

“Hopefully this is the last one,” I said and allowed Shelly to enter first. Something gave me the impression that Bennett wouldn’t take long to reach here.

 

“Welcome, Vanilla,” Luna greeted me. “I see you brought a guest with you. Shelly, was it?”

“Y-yes,” Shelly replied.

“I understand you wanting to use the darkness of these caves for your Dark-type pokemon, but sincerely it’s caused us some trouble to get here,” I said, alluding to our near fall into the abyss.

“Well, all that matters is you are here now,” Luna said. “Pray do not worry if you had to collapse some walls, I will send a team to repair them and they shall be solid by tomorrow.”

“That’s not what I-”

I was saying, when the unwelcomed guest finally appeared.

“Luna?” Bennett shouted, likely because his eyes needed time to get used to the darkness. Upon fixing his eyes on what he was looking for, he passed both Shelly and I, as though we weren’t even there.

“How can this be? Only Vanilla and her friends were supposed to reach me here,” Luna said.

Whether from the flickering white light of the Gym telecom panel, or from real distress, Luna’s face was looking almost as pale as mine.

“I tagged along,” Bennett replied.

“No you didn’t,” I interrupted. “You followed us though we discouraged you from doing so.”

“Shut it, that’s not important. All that matters is that I’m here now,” Bennett sent a sharp look my way, and looked back to Luna with a sweet face. “I want to apologize, Luna.”

He made two steps forward to approach the girl, but she also took two steps backward.

“You don't have to apologize for anything. I don't hold you accountable for your involvement with Elias,” she said. “Now if you would please leave us be, I have a Gym match to attend to.”

“No Luna, you don't understand. I just want the best for you and-”

“If that's your intention, you should work on defining what the best for her means,” I interjected again. “Now shut up and don't make me lose time.”

“I warned you not to interfere in our business,” Bennett snapped at me.

How he could change his tone of voice so quickly was something to marvel at.

“And you mean to scare me with an empty threat?” I shook my head. “Besides, I'm just taking care of my own business here. You are in my way.”

Luna and Shelly looked at me, Bennett and back at me.

“Please don't start a f-fist fight here,” Shelly pleaded me. “Um, the boy is about to leave, r-right Luna?”

“Yes. Bennett, it's quite alright and there's nothing more to be said. Please do take a leave?”

Bennett broke eye contact with me and immediately turned to Luna. He took another step forward and likewise Luna backed one step.

“No, I-” he started saying but then he shook his head. “Luna, I love you.”

To be honest I would have preferred not to be present for this confession, but alas, I was.

“I beg your pardon?” Luna asked, and she took two steps backward though Bennett didn't move.

The boy then went at length and unnecessary detail about his great love that started when she came to live at Serra’s place. He carried on talking even with several signs of discomfort on the recipient’s part (for I caught Luna eyeing Shelly and me a couple of times). All in all, it would really have been a platonic love story, one not unlike the ones I dreamed with during my innocent childhood, had it not been for the obvious dislike Luna expressed for Bennett.

The desperate boy ended with a proposition, which wording hit a nerve with me.

“Luna, would you be mine?”

It was a proposition which was met with obvious, but not clear enough, rejection. For, instead of cutting him off, Luna merely said that she would retreat to a room further down, and that she wished Shelly and I to come in using the crystal key once we were unaccompanied.

She pretty much left us to deal with her annoying fanboy.

After a few moments of silence following Luna’s withdrawal, Bennett started mumbling to himself, though the cave’s echo allowed us unfortunate bystanders to hear everything clearly.

“Maybe she's just shy,” I heard him say. “Maybe she feels the same way as me, but is too embarrassed to admit it…”

While he spoke, I noticed he was walking this way, and I skeptically hoped he was leaving the cave at last. Of course, that was too optimistic.

“... or maybe I'm just pathetic,” he concluded his mumbling, and looked me in the eye. “That's what you're thinking, right?”

“Indeed. At least you got something right,” I shrugged. “Now leave so I can have my Gym match in peace.”

“No, I won't. Luna is just confused, and only by us talking can we clear up all the misunderstandings,” he replied. “Give me the crystal key, Vanilla. I'll be the one to go in there.”

I placed my palm over my eyes and forehead. This boy had zero clue about Luna. I felt I was echoing Wolfie's feelings of irritation from when she saw me going out with Aladdin.

“The only misunderstanding to be cleared is your foolish fantasy that she might ever correspond you,” I sighed.

Saying that out loud hurt, because part of me felt the words were directed to myself.

“You also don't understand. I doubt you have any experience in love,” he looked at me head to toes. “I'm ashamed I even once thought you pretty. My love for Luna must have clouded my eyes.”

“Are you done insulting me to feed your ego?”

“Whatever. I won't waste another second talking with you. Just give me the key,” he said, and tried to reach for my hand which held the key. Instead, his arm was met with a slap.

“Try taking it, if you dare,” I replied.

Spoiler

I sent out Anna first, and somehow her ability to bring light in, in the shape of Drought, dispersed the darkness around us. I finally could see my friends and foes, though it did take me a little time to adjust to the new brightness again. Bennett’s pokemon were visibly trained up, but he still had the disadvantage of insisting to work with Bug types, to which I had two strong counters: Anna for fire power, and Wolfie for rock power. He only got lucky in that Wolfie’s stealth rocks gained random typing, and most of the time weren't as helpful as they had been in our first battle. Even then, Anna, Wolfie, and, to a lesser extent, Golden Key were able to take out our foes with little difficulty.

 

“... Stupid,” was what Bennett said as he returned his dustox to the pokeball.

“Don't blame your Pokemon for your incompetence,” I said.

Bennett scowled at me, and then let a long sigh.

“Stupid to think she’d love me. Stupid to tell her. Stupid to think I could beat you,” his voice cracked, and for a brief suspenseful second I thought he might cry.

Thankfully, he didn't.

“Stupid, really stupid,” he sighed again. “But that can change. Elias promised he would take me to the top, and I'll hold him to that. When that happens, she'll regret refusing me now.”

“She won't regret anything, unless you transform into an entirely new person,” I laughed through my nose.

Bennett walked past me to the exit, and only stopped next to me to leave two words with me.

“Watch me.”

 

When the boy was out, Shelly approached me.

“I'm sorry… I couldn't say anything,” she apologized.

“There wasn't much for you to say anyway,” I shrugged, puzzled by what she said. “All was left to Luna. Only she could snap Bennett out of his fantasy.”

“No, um, he insulted you, and I didn't say anything in your, um, defense,” she knit her eyebrows. “I'm sorry.”

I let out a short laugh.

“That's the least you should be concerned with,” I said. “I care nothing for others’ opinion on my superficial features. Being pretty or not is irrelevant, for all that matters is strength.”

“But-”

“Let's just go get what we came here for,” I cut her. “I'll have to fight Luna with the team I carry now, since I don't see a PC. Let's see what Ame has to say about this Gym.”

Shelly wasn't convinced, but she agreed with me.

I tapped the flickering display, and it connected me to the Grand Hall. 

Ame commented about how hard it had been to make the telecom work from Iolia Valley, and told me, as I suspected, that the darkness of the caves would power up Luna’s pokemon attacks. All the while she made remarks to advise me, I skimmed through the Field Effect Read-Out which I had downloaded.

“There is a way to counter her field-boosts, though,” Ame noted in the end. “All you need is a source of unlimited light. That should be enough of a clue, right?”

And indeed, it was. Rather, it would have been a clue, had I not accidentally already used that tactic with Bennett. My Anna had ability Drought, which immediately lit up the cave, exposing the glistening gems and killing the darkness that veiled us.

So now I had somewhat an advantage, even if I couldn’t change my team to counter Luna’s pokemon types or fighting style.

“I am ready to win,” I told Ame, who replied with a generic “Good luck”.

 

I gestured for Shelly and Nilla to stay close to me, as I used the crystal key on a large fake gem, which instantly morphed the geography of the cave. I wondered if there were mages hidden among the Reborn people, who had the power to make such bizarre things occur, but I didn’t waste time inquiring Luna about those minor details.

“Ah, he’s gone, right?” Luna asked as we pretty much warped to where she was.

“Fortunately,” I replied.

I chose not to go into detail on what he said after she left, because I gave it little importance, and frankly, Luna also seemed not interested at all.

“Good,” she closed the topic. “Let’s try this once again. Welcome, Vanilla and Shelly. Hopefully you are not uncomfortable standing like this in the darkness. Children, and even some adults, are scared of the darkness. Why is that, I wonder?”

“Because darkness is a haven for ghosts, and many bandits choose to act during the night,” I replied, though I later thought that it might have been a rhetorical question.

Luna hesitated for a moment, before coughing once and continuing with her speech.

“Maybe that’s right,” she said. “But there are equally awful and sinister things in the light too.”

Indeed, from my perspective, I started to value the darkness once I got involved with the Defiance. Now, I only see it as a protective environment.

“Perhaps what people fear is really not the darkness, but their own imaginations.”

“Can we start our battle?” I asked, losing interest in the lengthy pre-battle speech.

Luna fell silent, and I couldn’t tell what that meant because Nilla’s light was far too dull to light up my battling opponent’s face. Only when she sent out her Bisharp, did I understand that it was time to battle.

 

Spoiler

I chose not to brighten up the field as I had done against Bennett. That's because when I had taken a brief look at the Read-Out earlier, I realized that both of us could play the same game in the dark (not to mimic what Cain would say). Elsa learned Dazzling Gleam by level up, and given that it was a light-based attack, the power of it was boosted. Every time I asked Elsa to use the move, though, I had the sensation of going blind. The battle went quite smoothly for me, with Queen of Hearts pulling half the weight with her majestic kicks. Even my opponent, Luna, complimented her style. I did note, however, that she seemed well-versed with names of some early inhabitants of Wonderland, which I only knew from history books. Probably that's why my Queen of Hearts had caught her curiosity. In fact, her last Pokemon, a very defensive umbreon, was nicknamed Cheshire, which was also one of my old school’s classmates, and the name after which my sentret was nicknamed.

Cheshire, the younger sister to popular girl Queen of Hearts, was actually a pretty simple cat, considering they were both from a family of interesting individuals who had moved to Everland from Wonderland when I was but 10 years old. I befriended her by lending her pencils whenever she needed them, and never complaining about her making them disappear into thin air. Our friendship, if it could be called that, was enough that she refrained from pulling pranks on me. Why Candy chose to give me a Pokémon named Queen of Hearts was a mystery, since I had almost no contact with Cheshire’s sister, but I did understand why she had given me a sentret with Cheshire’s name. The pattern on the Pokémon’s tail was a replica of Cheshire’s.

In any case, I struggled to deal the final blow on Luna’s Cheshire, because the Pokémon was highly defensive and it was holding an item that recovered its health every minute. In the end, though, it wasn't strong enough to withstand a boosted Dazzling Gleam from Elsa, and my victory was decided.

 

“You fought exceptionally well,” Luna remarked. “I expected no less.”

“Congratulations, Vanilla,” Shelly added with much enthusiasm. “You really are, um, a talented trainer.”

“Fighting comes naturally to me, though I must admit that both my Pokémon and I rely too much on strategies based on speed. Your umbreon’s high defenses gave us trouble.”

“It will do you good to experiment with defensive strategies, then,” Luna advised. “It's not always that you or your Pokémon will be the fastest attackers in a match.”

Then, she handed me her Eclipse badge, and gave me the TM for Dark Pulse as a souvenir. Given that I'd already fought the Ghost and Psychic Gym leaders, though, I wondered whether I'd ever make use of such TM.

“I will remain here for a while, for, much like the monsters children fear, I feel safest in the dark,” Luna said. “Farewell, and good luck with the rest of your Gym challenge.”

I briefly thanked Luna, and my party and I swiftly left her cave. That is, while she talked to me, I thought as if I'd seen a couple of bright eyes looking at me from a corner of the cave, and I surely didn't want to find out what that was about.

“I g-guess you will be traveling to Agate now,” Shelly commented as we made our way back to Vanhanen Labyrinth. “I hear there's a Gym leader in the city, and, um, three Gym leaders in Agate Circus.”

“A circus? Why does that give me a bad premonition,” I sighed.

I could tell my involvement with colorful characters wasn't quite over with Radomus and Luna.

 

There was one last thing to do before going to Agate which I hadn't foreseen, however.

I would only find out a little later, but it started with one Pokémon waiting next to the fake tree in Vanhanen Labyrinth.

 

VANILLA RATES: REBORN CHARACTERS

Spoiler

• Bennett (±1): 2/10 his obsessive behavior is disgusting, but his words before leaving give me vibes of determination
• Luna (-1): 3/10 if you don't like something, say it clearly!

Guess what, y'all? Next episode will be Season 2 Finale~ Look forward to it... or not

 

QUICK LINK TO NEXT EPISODE

[J-Awesome_One 1328]

You added points to Bennett?! HOW DARE YOU! Haha. Jk. LOVED this episode. The interaction between Bennett and Vanilla was quite tense. Can't wait for the next 1.

[Candy 1688]

1 minute ago, J-Awesome_One said:

You added points to Bennett?! HOW DARE YOU! Haha. Jk. LOVED this episode. The interaction between Bennett and Vanilla was quite tense. Can't wait for the next 1.

I substracted and added points lul can't have Bennett-kun getting points xD 

I think Bennett just doesn't know how to deal with peepos much (him being a nerdy loner and all), and Luna being vague about her discomfort makes the situation worse (reminds me of this old stuff about a guy with a crush on "Denko" who was high key a stalker). From Vanilla's experience, she's tilting towards being a misandrist, so of course she doesn't like Bennett and his annoying behavior, but at the same time her past situation with Aladdin was a bit similar to Bennett's, which makes her a little confused (and me too lul).

Anyway thx for reading~ I look forward to writing a noice Season Finale

[J-Awesome_One 1328]

4 minutes ago, Candy said:

I substracted and added points lul can't have Bennett-kun getting points xD 

I think Bennett just doesn't know how to deal with peepos much (him being a nerdy loner and all), and Luna being vague about her discomfort makes the situation worse (reminds me of this old stuff about a guy with a crush on "Denko" who was high key a stalker). From Vanilla's experience, she's tilting towards being a misandrist, so of course she doesn't like Bennett and his annoying behavior, but at the same time her past situation with Aladdin was a bit similar to Bennett's, which makes her a little confused (and me too lul).

Anyway thx for reading~ I look forward to writing a noice Season Finale

So long is there gonna be a long hiatus after this next episode?

[Candy 1688]

1 minute ago, J-Awesome_One said:

So long is there gonna be a long hiatus after this next episode?

Not too long, probably, but it'll take long enough for me to plan out the Agate-arc (for some reason, I already have some stuff planned for Ametrine but not much for Agate lul).

[J-Awesome_One 1328]

12 minutes ago, Candy said:

Not too long, probably, but it'll take long enough for me to plan out the Agate-arc (for some reason, I already have some stuff planned for Ametrine but not much for Agate lul).

You know... You're actually not in Agate for that long. Hell. You're at Titania and Amaria's house longer than there. At least that's how I see it.

[Candy 1688]

7 minutes ago, J-Awesome_One said:

You know... You're actually not in Agate for that long. Hell. You're at Titania and Amaria's house longer than there. At least that's how I see it.

Tru that, I just have this impression of the MC being in Agate for long because on my first ever playthru, I stopped playing in Agate Circus because 1. the Route 2 puzzle was hecc'n time-consuming and too hard for my simple brain (now I don't feel that way), and 2. I was a breeder back then and needed to be around a PC most of the time, which if I left Agate Circus wouldn't be until much later when I'd solved the Route 2 puzzle xD

[GenEric 315]

ugh damn shelly just let vanilla beat up bug boi

also when will vanilla catch that mimicute?  

[Candy 1688]

1 hour ago, Archeric said:

ugh damn shelly just let vanilla beat up bug boi

also when will vanilla catch that mimicute?  

Shelly x Bennett when

Jk Ame pls no

Maybe in the Season Finale, who knows? :venus_shrug:

[SilverAngelus 926]

10 minutes ago, Candy said:

Shelly x Bennett when

Jk Ame pls no

Maybe in the Season Finale, who knows? :venus_shrug:

No no no. That can never happen. Shelly has more common sense than that. Such a sweet girl deserves better than that. If they ever get together, then the fabric of space and time will tear apart and the universe will become immersed in a state of chaos and dystopia. It's safer to just pair Ame with Budew.

[Candy 1688]

21 minutes ago, SilverHelio said:

No no no. That can never happen. Shelly has more common sense than that. Such a sweet girl deserves better than that. If they ever get together, then the fabric of space and time will tear apart and the universe will become immersed in a state of chaos and dystopia. It's safer to just pair Ame with Budew.

Don't let Ame hear you xD

Better pair Shelly with Vanilla Ah if only she weren't twelve... unfortunate 

[Corso 165]

As the only fan of Bennett in the world, I found this episode so painful, but I really liked his final words (and the point you gave him). Thank you

[uberle 203]

Ok

Sped read this and dear Arceus this is good.

 

Favorite part is Vanilla's rating of the characters, interesting to see what she thinks of them.

Also your/Candy's commentary  

 

It's cool to see things like this with custom sprites and mostly original stories

Gives me some ideas for my own when that comes around.

 

23 updates late, but PIKACHU NOOOOOOOOOO!