Chương 153: Chapter 150 - Meloetta 2

Around 6 months ago Something in the world had changed. It wasn't because of her learning that music flowed through everyone regardless of sound or sight. This much, Meloetta knew by now. It wasn't a sweeping change either, like the tempo of battle. It was a gradual, slow; a pervasive change like the shifting of the seasons. At first, she'd attributed this change to natural discovery and innovation through the world of music. Afterall, each new song that gave life through sound and motion, she instinctively knew.

The first song to appear, while starkly different from others in its surroundings, was interesting and carried a hint of… pride. While fairly novel, she had ignored this broadside ballad's arrival in the world. The second apparition of a song was from the same location and was also brought forth without experimenting or building. This was what caught her interest. Somewhere on the other side of the world, music was being woven as a whole without missing pieces.

The music of the world was just as important as the song of people. Let it not be said that she picked favorites, but the birth of fully formed songs made by humans without trial and error shouldn't be possible. And the first two were only the beginning. Song after song—Each a new genre in and of itself, birthed into the world like it'd always existed. Each came from the same location… Stories, emotions, and energy. They also spread, slowly but surely, far to the east and to the north. It was exciting!

Metalcore, Alternative Metal, Hard Rock, Pop Punk, Power Ballads, Pop-Punk. Pop-Rock, Thrash Metal, Emo(?), NU Metal, Screamo(?!), Synth-Pop, Electric Dance Music, Country, Dubstep, Indie-Pop, Trap, Boom Bap, West Coast G-Funk(?!?!), Underground Phonk… Many of these genres and songs didn't even use proper instruments! Intuitively, Meloetta knew that each also had associated dances and a rich history, but… how did they have a past when they came from thin air? Each also originated from a single location?

What is a headbang? Impossible… yet it happened and continues to happen. This is why she has found a new adventure to go on. Today was the day where she'd leave what the humans deemed the Unova region. This wasn't the first time she'd roamed about the world, but this would be the first time she'd ever cross an ocean! As she sat on top of the red-roofed healer house, her eyes scanned over the roving waves and man-made docks in the harbor town of Undella Bay.

People and pokemon traveled about the bay, fishing and swimming to their hearts content. This too, was a song. Groups of swimmers swatted the roving water with their arms, creating a rhythmic staccato of percussion which contrasted with the crashing of white water waves against the docks and beach. The breezy sea air sang with a triumphant and unstoppable melody, shifting and pushing between gaps of wood and overtop the waves, rising up and down.

This was a song of the world, with people, pokemon, and nature all doing their parts. Soon, she would go out into the open blue to explore foreign lands and to find the source of all this new music. And soon? it was now! With eyes closed, Meloetta let herself fall from the red-roofed building and shifted into a glide, riding the salty air from the bay—joining the music. She sang aloud, unhidden and unbidden to those beneath as she soared out into the deep blue water in a dance of her own.

Her voice and dance could influence those around her, both people and pokemon, letting them catch a glimpse of the song of the world and the feelings associated with it. This song was about a grand adventure, tempering expectations, revealing a mystery, and exploring the unknown, and she knew that those around could hear and feel it. She had to swat away one of two of those annoying pokeballs as she flew out of the bay, but that was to be expected when she revealed herself around humans.

For some reason, they thought her a treasure. The word 'Shiny' was often used to refer to her person. With shiny things, came along greed. Her sisters, on the very rare occasion when they saw each other, often complained about people trying to catch them without their permission as well. So, at least it wasn't only her problem. If her sources were to be believed (Dwebble and Isabelle's phone), If she hugged the coast while flying north-east she'd arrive in the region called Johto.

To the east of Johto, she'd reach Kanto. North of Kanto she'd reach Kitakami, then Almia, and then finally Sinnoh, with no other known region further afar. Ideally, her destination and the source of these songs were one of the former locations. If it was one of the latter… It'd be a long journey ahead. —--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Around Five Months Ago Apparently, her sources were either wrong or outdated!

Before reaching Johto, she came across a burgeoning island nation by the name of Pasio. Many of the pokemon who called this large island home were completely different than the ones she knew. Most were even friendly! This was nice, as the Zoroark who called Lostlorn Forest their home was a pain to deal with. In a large clearing within one of the forests of the island, she even came across a group of pokemon who danced on the wind! Hoppip, Skiploom, and one of their final forms, a Jumpluff!

They were not conversationalists, but they knew their dances well. They flowed along with the world's winds as passengers, letting it lead them in a dance. The Jumpluff at least attempted to make conversation through his voice.

"Sinnoh. Very cold. Move when cold." This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it In the small meadow, Meloetta was taking a break from her flying.

"Does it snow?"

"Hmm." Jumpluff murmured, bobbing up and down.

"God's peak cold. Forest warm sometimes. Good meadow. Human Meadow. Berries for all. Safe. Secure. Kind human." Jumpluff shook his head, as if remembering a thought. It's eyes losing some of his luster.

"Very sad human."

"Sad?" She asked, slipping a berry into her mouth as she listened from her spot in the grass.

"Very sad. Lost and afraid. Make meadow home. Good home. Kind." Jumpluff kicked his dangling legs to turn himself around to face her once again.

"Know feelings. Always. Safe meadow. Safe human." Meloetta opened her mouth to speak, but the Jumpluff surprisingly continued on. In his voice, she could feel his conviction and regret.

"Leave kind human. Too sad. Leave meadow. Human alone. We know. We sorry. We miss human."

"You knew his feelings?" She asked, intrigued.

"Hmm." Jumpluff let the wind twirl him around once, then when he faced her again, carried on.

"Yes. Always know. Like song and dance." He waved one of his fluffy appendages her way. Like my song and dance? Meloetta thought. While not impossible for a human to portray their emotions though song and dance the way she does, it would be the first she'd ever seen or heard of. All beings could show their feelings through the medium of music.

"Did this human sing or dance?" Jumpluff shook his head.

"No dance. Sing sometimes by himself. Just know feeling. Very sad. Hmm. Goodbye." Then without another word, Jumpluff abruptly looked to the sky at the exact same time as the rest of his group. The wind picked up, bending the tall grass of the clearing to create green windswept waves. One by one, Jumpluff, Skiploom, and Hoppip rose up into the air. The wind carried them away on their journey, leaving her alone and with more questions than when she arrived.

Maybe she'd visit this human just to see if this Jumpluff speaks true… —--------------------------------- Around a month ago The source of the new music was near, and Meloetta was growing ever closer. In these past few months, she'd roamed the regions while listening. The sudden songs were being spread at a blistering pace, shooting across the entire world in leaps and bounds. This was no doubt caused by the internet—the things phones and computers connected to.

The fact that humans could share music across the world nearly instantly was an amazing feat of innovation. She whole heartedly approved. As she coasted over the treetops of the gloomy forest she found herself in, she could feel herself draw near ground-zero. She noticed the gap in the trees from her vantage point before she even arrived at the mysterious location, but even without sight… She knew in her heart that she had found what and who she was looking for.

It started out nearly unnoticeable, a gentle pull and candle-like signal of emotion. As she grew closer and closer to what must have been a clearing in the forest, the gentle pull became a tug and the small flicker grew to a beacon of vulnerability. To wear one's emotions on their sleeves like this was both refreshing and concerning.

It was obvious to her that this beacon wasn't intended, which caused it to be concerning, but she couldn't help but relish in the fact that there would be no deceit when interacting with its source. In stealth, she dropped down into the clearing and took in her surroundings. This was a home. There were no doubts about it. The clearing was well lived in with everything needed for both pokemon and humans to live and thrive.

Fields of berry trees took up the vast majority of the available space, creating a colorful and picturesque visage of the earth. A small gray stone path wormed through the open air, weaving through every available attraction on said homestead, only ending at a vast and sprawling field with a crystal clear pond, den of some sort, and large human building. Done with her quick inspection, she floated down and flew to the source of emotion.

Out in a field of battle, a human man stood in front of a wild assortment of pokemon. A few of their species she was familiar with, but for the majority she was not. As she landed and walked forward and nearer, she could hear the man's words.

"Remember, you will not leave the ranch unless you learn this move. No trips into town, no battles, nothing. Protect is for both you and me. You're protecting my sanity by knowing it and you're protecting yourself with it." The man said, his watchful gaze lingering on a select few pokemon who seemed to be having a harder time learning this Protect move. She walked in front of the man, still stealthed and took him in. He was on the taller side for human males, with long brown hair with matching eyes.

He was dressed for the cold—as he should have been considering it was nearly freezing—and had a vest-armor-thingymajig on his chest. It had many pockets, and she could spot and smell some berries hidden within some of them. His emotions… He was a wild mix of everything, but some stood out more than others. First and foremost, he was serious about what he had just said. This move was something that was of utmost importance to him at this given moment. Beneath the seriousness, was fear.

The man reeked of fear—not of the pokemon, but of what could have happened to them? It was a fear of concern and love for the pokemon before him. The man was also tired, proud, hungry, guilty, and more. Narrowing down anything other than those was much harder, as they were mixed together and much smaller in scale.

"Ethan! This stupid shield doesn't work!" The other voice jolted Meloetta out of her inspection of the man—who was apparently named Ethan. Turning around, she spotted a very colorful bird pokemon fluttering forward. She was a beautiful pokemon, much like herself. On the top of her head, she even had a musical eighth note! A bird after her own heart!

"Let me see." Ethan said, kneeling down to watch this colorful bird closely. The bird encased herself in a dull shimmering sphere of energy, but it spluttered out into nothingness within but a moment.

"See! It doesn't work!" This… this bird speaks human!!!

"Well, Chatot. If you had listened to my explanation…" Ethan pointed off to the other pokemon, who instead of summoning dull spheres, created hexagonal plates of energy instead. They still dissipated quickly, but were vastly more solid than what this Chatot had done." Haha- HA! Can't even listen properly! I'll be taking my spot back soon'nough! Jus' you wait!" One of the fellow pokemon, a rodent of some kind, spoke out." Oh yeah?! Give me another excuse to beat you to a pulp! I dare you!"

Chatot yelled back, then instantly turned towards Ethan, voice shifting from argumentative to that of a sweet and innocent being.

"Ethan… Pachirisu is being mean…" The man didn't buy a single word she was selling. He stood and scooted her with his boot back towards the others.

"Remember, hexagons." Chatot sulked and threw the Pachirisu a harsh glare as she fluttered back to her spot.

"Pachirisu, if you talk shit one more time I'm gonna let her Boomburst you and see if you can learn Protect by your survival instincts. Watch yourself." He obviously wasn't serious, judging by his emotions, but the Pachirisu grumbled and listened anyway. Meloetta decided that she would watch and observe before she revealed herself. She had much to learn and many questions needed answers… She joined the line of pokemon and listened to Ethan's instructions. Maybe she could learn this move too?