TL;DR Warning: Find some time to read. This is a major chapter!
Recap: In 2003, Randi and Sabrina's teenage relationship ended when a mob jealous of their Pokémon fame interfered with their personal lives. In April this year, they met again as 33-year-old adults in Castelia City as Randi sought her out to help his primary Pokémon companion, Phoebe (then a Kirlia.)
Phoebe quickly developed a strong emotional connection with Sabrina and started seeing her as a mother figure. Since then, she has had a very strong but secret desire for Randi and Sabrina to restore their relationship from 2003 and live together as a family.
In May, back in Anchorage, Sabrina and Randi hugged and reconciled as best friends, though both still clutched unresolved feelings for each other. The couple's hug caused Phoebe to evolve into Gardevoir.
Phoebe developed a close friendship with Sabrina's primary Pokémon Gothitelle and used her stronger vision of the future to conspire to put Randi and Sabrina on the path to a relationship and possibly marriage.
In July, upon thwarting Randi's date with Sabrina's best friend Paige, Phoebe reveals that Randi requires a strong emotional connection with a partner to have a physical relationship with someone. Randi and Sabrina are back on the timeline to being together.
In August, Phoebe and Gothitelle encounter a horde of Ralts living in the forest. They learn that Phoebe possibly possesses the spirit of an important ancient Gardevoir, Sabrina is a descendant of the ancient civilization that kept the Gardevoir, and Randi possesses a strong heart capable of bonding with the ancient Gardevoir. Phoebe and Gothitelle arrange to have Randi and Sabrina meet at the springs to participate in the Ralts' ceremony three days after the new moon. They present the occasion to their Trainers as a blind date.
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August 3, 2019
Nadyenka Springs
In what was otherwise quite an uneventful day, 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗲𝗯𝗲 has insisted I take her to Nadyenka Springs, deep in the park wilderness, dressed nice! It is very unusual to trek into the woods wearing a sport blazer, dress pants, and shined leather shoes. Yet, Phoebe is relentless about following this plan to set me up for a blind date. Though it might be good for me to relax and enjoy my time out, I sense no reason for this occasion in my psychic bond with her. This worries me. I wonder about taking my Gardevoir to the Pokémon Center to see if something's wrong.
***
I stagger slightly after tripping on a branch. I have to use telekinesis to steady myself in these high-heeled shoes. With a highly unusual sense of urgency, 𝗚𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 has demanded I get dressed for a blind date in the forest. We will have to talk about this later tonight, this behaviour is upsetting. I am wearing my best deep purple dress with the carmine flower pattern, with my purple heels, very impractical here in the forest. I wonder if it's okay to be dating. I'm a bit upset about being pushed into this without totally reconciling my feelings for 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶. I suppose the first step to truly moving on is to get out there though. Gothitelle has helped me through many difficult times and I should trust her judgment.
***
Master and I arrive at the springs. It is a calm, serene place with the sound of the water pouring into the pond. I feel the presence of 𝗥𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘀 everywhere.
"Phoebe, this is a really nice place!" Master looked a little pleasantly surprised. His body weight shifted as he seemed a bit nervous about the date. He is handsomely dressed in the fine formal attire I selected for him.
It is quite dark as there is no moon in the sky, save for the glow of urban light in the sky. The juxtaposition of city and wilderness in the Anchorage area can be really disorienting. I hear the sound of branches cracking as a couple of dark figures approach the clearing around the springs.
"Bri, what are you doing here," Master speaks.
Lady Sabrina looks gorgeous in her purple and rose coloured dress. She gives a surpised but intrigued look at Master in the dim light of the forest.
"I could ask you the same, Randi. You look... nice."
They seem to be slowly approaching the conclusion that they are each other's date.
"That dress. It's very pretty on you."
Master seems a bit nervous. I try to help him out:
《Tell her it matches...》
"The colour really matches your eyes."
Sabrina blushes slightly. "Are we..."
"Phoebe..." Master groans.
"Gothitelle, explain this..." Sabrina mumbles to the side.
Our Trainers have little time to react as several small figures gather from the deep grass. The horns are unmistakable. They are Ralts! They begin to gather around Master and Sabrina.
"Aww, they're so cute!" Sabrina glances at the childlike creatures.
"Ralts, Ralts-Ralts, Ral-Rally Ralts."
"What's it saying?" Master asks me. I connect with his mind:
《The Ralts welcome you to their horde at the springs. The ceremony is about to begin.》
"There's so many of them," Sabrina quietly comments, "Hey, look. That's a shiny one like Paige's."
She's right. One of the Ralts has a ghostly aura about it, with blue helmet-shaped hair crowning orange-coloured horns. The other Ralts seem to follow it as if it were a chieftain.
The Ralts spread out and gather around the spring as the shiny walks through the shallow water to a small outcrop of rock in the middle of the pond. It raises its arms as its eyes begin to glow.
"Look," Sabrina whispers to Master.
"Wow..." Master gazes in awe at the shiny Ralts. He seems to involuntarily take Sabrina's hand. Her eyes widen a bit at the gesture, but she then cracks a tiny smile and blushes. I think she likes it.
Suddenly, a brilliant blue light floods the area, radiating from the shiny Ralts. A vertical beam rises from the Pokémon, piercing the sky. I begin to feel as if a dormant energy starts fluttering within me. It feels familiar and warm.
"Ral, Ral. Ralts, Ral-Ralts!" the shiny Ralts speaks.
Randi receives my mind.
"Phoebe says it is saying we are in the presence of the spirit of the Ancient Gardevoir of Legend."
"Could they mean Phoebe?" Sabrina asks. "And... something feels different but very warm and familiar. It almost feels like... no. It couldn't be."
"What's happening?"
"Ralts! Ralt Ral Ral Ralts!"
I feel an intense but wonderful familiarity.
"Phoebe says it's saying that she bears the ancient spirit... and you are the child of a bygone civilization that harbored this Gardevoir."
"This is too much," Sabrina says emotionally. "I really feel her, and she's in Phoebe! It's Celeste!"
I my strong emotional connection to Sabrina suddenly intensifies. I walk over to her and give her a strong Gardevoir hug.
"Celeste!" Sabrina sobs into my chest, "Celeste, I missed you!! You're really here!"
Words come into my mind as if they were here all along. I connect with Sabrina:
《It's okay, dear Sabrina. I have never really been gone. Fate has ordained for us to meet again in this way.》
I feel a tremendous warmth of love and kindness.
《Since leaving you, I have learned so much about us. Why you have such amazing psychic power, why I am able to use this powerful ancient psychic technique... The Ralts speaks the truth. You are a child, a descendant of a legendary civilization that thrived on the power of symbiosis with Psychic Pokémon, renowned in the history of Western civilization. Our kingdom had a thriving, large city of enlightened people living with their Pokémon 3,000 years ago. This accumulation of spiritual energy goes back to the founding of the civilization 12,000 years ago!》
"Phoebe! I knew there was something amazing about you! Celeste... now Phoebe! Tell me what you know..."
《Our people and Pokémon first started living together around 10,000 B.C., after aeons of nomadic ways of life. There was a schism of sorts though. The Moon gave us life and power, represented by the goddess called Phoebe. However, there was an opposing power that faded. A power our society viewed as evil.
《The Moon was born from another celestial body not long after the birth of the Earth itself. Another body within our nascent star system, carrying an unknown dark power collided with the cooling Earth in a cataclysm billions of years ago. In the aftermath, our Moon formed from pieces of the Earth and the mysterious body. But the dark power remained in everything. It was weakened by the collision, but it struggled to maintain its existence under the formation of a new power, a fundamental force that drives all Psychic abilities to this day. This energy is tapped by Pokémon and Espers alike. Our society revered the goddess Phoebe as the keeper of this amazing power.》
"So, what happened to the dark power?"
《It festered. It grew jealous of the Earth and its Moon. Its anger unleashed itself in a catastrophe 251 million years ago. Nearly all life on this planet was extinguished. We still don't know exactly what happened, but the power caused global destruction and collapse of ecosystems across the world. In legend, our culture viewed the benevolence of Phoebe saving the remaining Pokémon with her power as the dark energy, depleted from the cataclysm, waned.》
"So Phoebe saved what was left. But so much was lost... That's terrible! Is this darkness still around?"
《It has been biding its time over untold millennia. After humans evolved, the dark energy seemed to develop the ability to influence the hearts of some humans. The ancient civilization thrived until about 1000 B.C., when the kingdom fell to a clan of barbarians driven by the dark force. The kindgom's Psychic forces, led by the legendary Gardevoir blessed by Phoebe fought bravely, but failed to stop the onslaught of evil.
I felt that same presence when Team Rocket tried to capture me in 2012, when I had to sacrifice myself to save you.》
"I don't know how to feel about this..."
《I also sense the presence of this dark energy in the crowd behaviour that threatened you and Randi during your stardom in 2003. There is something special about Randi I haven't been able to identify. You and him are supposed to be together, but something is trying to prevent that.》
"I knew it. I felt that all along."
Sabrina turned and looked at Master. All the Ralts turned to look at the two.
"Randi, we were never supposed to leave each other! Listen to Phoebe, we were meant to be together but that evil power broke us apart."
"I am so confused. My empirical upbringing could never have prepared me for these revelations... However... Bri, we can be stronger," Master said.
"Right. I was right, Randi. Remember when 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗲 calculated Phoebe's hatch date and we had that argument? Phoebe did hatch in a place far away, right after Celeste sacrificed herself for me. She hatched in the wild near where you lived. She followed you home when the time was right. She troubled you with her mental health problems, forcing you to find me for help. Her spirit was working to bring us back together all this time."
They hold each other's hands and gaze into their eyes.
"So, we're..." Randi tries to speak but Sabrina is already embracing him.
I have a brief flashback from Randi's mind where Sabrina leapt forward and kissed Randi for the first time in Saffron City. I see the same thing happening before my eyes right now. They are together, in the sweetest way. I couldn't be happier. Gothitelle shoots me a look of contentment. The Ralts jump up and down in joy.
The shiny Ralts begins to glow even more brightly, and starts to transform. It is evolving into a Kirlia!
The night couldn't possibly have gone any better.
I feel a presence in the woods, however, as if we are being watched. I feel an instinct to guard as my Trainers embrace. Something regards the embrace as problematic. Something wants it to end. Something is envious. I thought I saw crimson eyes in the darkness but they disappeared. Master and Sabrina are still holding each other. Master caresses Sabrina's face.
I turn to the woods, standing fast, ready for battle.
I must protect Master and his partner. It is my duty as a Gardevoir.
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AN: The Randi + Sabrina ship is official! Phoebe is overjoyed, but it looks like she now has even more to protect as a Gardevoir.
This was my most ambitious drawing and chapter yet. This about ends the first story arc, save for Phoebe's Mega Evolution!
Phoebe has a more complicated history than we thought, one that transcends even life and death. That just makes her even more of a badass Gardevoir!
My next drawing will depict Sabrina and Randi's kiss. I'm doing a lot of artistic research for this because it has to be good.
After that, I'm going to make the Mega Evolution scene.
Keep following for more!
J