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Topic: Crewe's Scrapheap

(I wasn't sure where to put this, so I decided to put it here.) Mod edit: Yay new subforum :Þ

This is a thread for various homeless writings of mine. Some will be related to WAAPT, stuff that never made it to the thread, some might be related to Pokemon but not WAAPT, some will likely have no relation to WAAPT at all.

So... this'll probably hold little to no interest to most/all of you. Feel free to completely ignore it.

2 (edited by Crewe 2013-01-08 23:22:13)

Re: Crewe's Scrapheap

Welcome to Crewe's Deleted Scenes, part 1:

It was night time, of course. Crewe never traveled during the day any more; at first, it had been because she hadn't wanted to run into any J-Team members after leaving without so much as a good bye, but then it had become a habit, and so ingrained in her traveling mindset that she would have balked at going out in the sun to continue her journey.

It hadn't taken long for her to realize how unlikely it was for this quest to pay off. Crewe hadn't met her family--her real family--since she was an infant, and she couldn't even remember their faces. She could only guess where they might be, and they might just as likely be in some other region. But she'd made up her mind; lines had been crossed, and this was the only path left open to her, or at least the only one she cared to see.

So she traveled on. For days, she headed north, avoiding cities and towns and Trainers. Every so often, she'd run into a wild Pokemon. Mostly, they'd avoid her, though sometimes she'd have to run from a predator. Few Sneasel or Weavile appeared, and those who did had nothing to say to help her.

One night, however, she was just starting out when she nearly ran head first into a tall Sneasel.

"Gah!" She stumbles back, the other Sneasel grabbing her arm to steady her. "Sorry!"

"You should be more careful, I might've been something not nearly so friendly. Ever met an angry Mamoswine?" He gives her a friendly smile, which she nervously returns.

"Not yet, but I've certainly faced off against some not-so-nice things." Crewe looks over his shoulder to see two other Sneasels, a male and a female.

"Say, where are you headed? Four is better than three out here. If you're going our way, you could come with us for a while."

"I say it depends on how sharp her claws are--or at least how fast she can get out of our way." The female Sneasel steps up beside the first. "We wouldn't want any dead weight along the way."

"I can fight! And my friend taught me how to hunt really well, too!" The thought of Jab makes her feel a pang in her stomach, but she brushes it off. "I'm going north to find my family."

"Would you look at that!" the female exclaims, laughing. "You aren't the only nutter, Biton!" She ignores the angry look the first male shoots her, and places a gentle paw on Crewe's shoulder. "Sweetie, if your family got separated down south, they're all probably dead or caught."

"Don't say that, Morana," the first male--Biton--snaps. "They're probably fine." He smiles at her again. "So, what d'you say? Wanna come with us?"

Crewe shrugs. "Sure. It'd be nice to have some friends up here."

"Very true. So, what's your name? I'm Biton, this is Morana, and the guy back there panting his tongue out would be Martin."

"Nice to meet you. My name's Cr--Glint."

The look that froze Biton's face was rather hilarious to think about, later. At that moment, though, it frightened her.

"... Are you okay?" she asks, considerably worried.

"Gl--Glint? Your name is Glint?" he chokes out, eyes wide as twin moons.

So says a Sneasel girl that talks to me in my sleep. "Yes...?"

Biton lurches forward and grabs her shoulders, startling her.

"Hey! What are you--"

"When did you lose your family?!" he asks, low and urgently.

Crewe looks to Morana for help, but the other Sneasel looks like she's about to faint.

"I--I was a baby, I barely remember it. It must've been about fifteen years ago."

Biton paws tighten around her shoulders. "Where we're you? North, or south?"

"There--there was snow, but I think it was April. It must have been up north."

Biton's paws go slack and he lets her go, staring down at her like she's some dream come true.

"Arceus all mighty," he whispers. "I've finally found you."

"What...?"

"Glint... I'm your brother."

She wasn't prepared for that. To have traveled all this way, having all but accepted the fact that she would probably never find her family, and then find them on some lonely game trail in the woods... She would've liked several minutes to come to terms with this, but Biton gave her none. Instead, he threw his arms around her and drew her close.

"After all these years, you've come home," he murmurs. "I'll never let you go again. I promise."

Crewe--Glint--slowly wraps her arms around him and squeezes, closing her eyes and burying her face in his shoulder.

"I'm home," she whispers, more to herself than her brother.

"And home you'll stay," he replies anyway. "Forever."

It might have been around then that he started crying, or perhaps earlier. But it didn't matter; she was crying too.

3 (edited by Crewe 2013-01-08 23:22:28)

Re: Crewe's Scrapheap

And Now For Something Completely Different, part 1

The soft crying was a common sound in the courtyards of the Loch Laggan covert. Few people and fewer dragons bothered to check on the young Longwing and her captain anymore; the reason was always the same: some courier had brought news of more casualties, and little Emma Hall and her Circilatus were mourning them.

Today, however, the Parnassian housed beside them was peering over the division between their courtyards, his tail tip twitching.

"Captain Hawkes?" he asks, bending his neck towards the man seated at a table beside him. "Perhaps we should check on them?"

The man turns from his letter to the large head. "Borealis, Captain Hall and her dragon are not doing anything unusual. We will leave them to it."

The large dragon rumbles uneasily in his throat, the oversized claws particular to his breed tapping the ground. "Yes, sir. But, Captain Hawkes, aren't we to join their formation?"

"Yes, what of it?" Hawkes returns to his letter, hardly listening to the dragon.

"Well, perhaps we should get to know them better. Circlatus hasn't spoken to anyone besides Hall since battles began again."

Hawkes finishes his sentence, then lays his pen down. He stands up and brushes off his pants, then turns to leave the courtyard. "Very well, Borealis. I will meet you there."

Borealis perks up his head, then leaps into the air and glides over into the adjoining courtyard.

The slim girl seated on the forearm of the young Longwing looks up as the other dragon lands in the courtyard.

"Hello, Borealis," she sniffs, rubbing her nose on her sleeve. "What brings you here?"

"Good day, Captain Hall," the pale dragon says, bobbing his head. "Circlatus."

The little Longwing nods miserably to him. "Hello, Borealis... Were we disturbing you? I'm sorry."

"Well, I live besides you..." Borealis shuffles his feet. "I just came to see what was wrong."

"Jejunus brought back reports that Validus and Successus have died with their captains, as well as Captain Walker and several of his crew," Hall says, gently patting Circlatus's forearm.

Borealis looks confused. "How did you know Validus? He left with his formation at least a month before you arrived, and even I don't know who Captain Walker is. Who did he serve with?"

Hall shrugs. "I don't know them. But they're dead, isn't that reason to mourn them?"

"Perhaps, but not to go on all day about. Captain Hall, I do think you need to pull yourself together. These men and their dragons gave their lives for their country, and should be honored, but you should not be spending your time weeping over strangers." Hawkes strides into the courtyard. His dragon rumbles a greeting and shuffles over to his side.

"I apologize for my behavior, Captain Hawkes," Hall says, stiffly formal.

Hawkes waves a hand. "Don't apologize, correct the behavior. Now tell me, why the tears for these people?"

Circlatus croons and nudges her captain gently. Hall pats her muzzle, eyes down.

Hawkes taps his foot. "Captain Hall?"

"I... I'm afraid to become one of them," Hall murmurs.

Borealis blinks and makes a sympathetic rumbling noise deep in his chest. Hawkes nods.

"I see," he says. "Well, Captain Hall, you are aware that Borealis and I are to be added to your formation, yes?"

Hall nods, eyes still on the ground.

"It is our duty to ensure that you and Circlatus do not become one of them. Do you not trust us?"

"Oh, Emma, Borealis is so big and strong, I'm sure he'll protect you," Circlatus murmurs to Hall, nudging her back again. Hall sighs and rubs her forearm.

"I do trust you, Captain Hawkes. It's only--"

"Only what? Either you trust us to protect you, or you do not. Do you trust us?" He looks at her expectantly, one foot tapping the ground.

Hall takes a deep breath and straightens her back, then nods.

"Yes, Captain Hawkes, I trust you. And Borealis." The pale dragon nods to her.

Hawkes nods sharply. "Good. Then enough with this weeping, please, Captain Hall. You and your dragon would be better served by preparing for the day when we are sent into battle, and working with your formation so that we are better able to protect you. Borealis, I believe we are done here." He turns and leaves the courtyard.

Borealis bobs his head to the pair. "Good day, Captain Hall, Circlatus."

"Good bye," Hall says, rubbing Circlatus's cheek.

"Thank you, Borealis!" Circlatus calls, nuzzling her captain.

The pale dragon shakes out his wings and flies back to his own courtyard, feeling rather satisfied. The nod he receives from Captain Hawkes when the captain returns to the courtyard to continue his letter leaves a warm feeling, and he smiles as he curls up to sleep through the heat of the day.

And for that day, the soft sounds of the crying girl were not heard throughout the covert.

4 (edited by Crewe 2013-01-08 23:22:44)

Re: Crewe's Scrapheap

And Now For Something Completely Different, part 2

Karmina had said there was nothing wrong. She'd said it so many times she had Prince Roy convinced that nothing was wrong, which was helped by the fact that Roy rarely left the palace anymore. He had no news ever since Ansel and Munin had disappeared, and hadn't sent out anyone else to gather some (for which they were all grateful; Karmina hadn't thought it necessary to convince them nothing was wrong). But the more Karmina insisted everything was fine, the more Renata was certain there was something dire going on outside the palace.

The dark blue dragon spent most of her time alone, nowadays. Ansel and Munin had been friends, but they were gone now. Brenna had been company for a while, but the young dragon had eventually gotten so annoying that Renata had introduced her to a few of the champions kept around the court for fun; one, named Haban after the great architect of the palace, had quickly found a small black dragon following him everywhere. At first Renata had felt guilty, but that had passed. Haban seemed to enjoy her company enough.

Prince Roy had once been a friend, but Renata could no longer find it in her to be around him as he spent his time pacing his rooms, muttering to himself about finding new messengers and going on a tour of the kingdom. She knew Karmina had forbidden anyone from leaving the palace, and Roy always listened to Karmina. The prince's disquiet had rubbed off on his close companions, the brightly colored pets Renata held such disdain for. They muttered and murmured, and she avoided the lot of them, which had also led her from the prince.

Even Karmina was distant. The elderly she-dragon normally rarely let Renata from her sight, insisting that the kingdom needed a new Singer, and as quickly as possible. But now she secluded herself in her room, leaving only rarely to speak with Prince Roy, and more commonly sending out a young yellow messenger in her place. Renata also took to avoiding him; when he did catch up to her, she refused to hear his message and insisted that Karmina come talk to her herself. Without fail, upon failing to deliver his message, the young messenger would leave without a word. Sometimes Renata considered inflicting Brenna on him, but decided the poor lad didn't need that kind of stress for doing what the Singer asked. And Karmina loved Brenna too dearly to be bothered by her.

Eventually, she decided enough was enough, and made her way to Karmina's room. More than once she'd come here only to be rebuffed by two guards that stood day and night in front of the entrance. As usual, they refused to let her in; this time, Renata began Singing.

Not the type that would kill the poor beasts; she was not so desperate yet. Instead, Renata Sang the very same Song that Karmina had Sung that first night, to put them into a deep sleep. By the time the guards realized quite what was happening, they were too tired to resist, and sank to the floor. Renata stepped over them and pushed her way through the heavy soundproof doors of the Singer's quarters...

... Only to stagger at the Songs hitting her inside. Karmina huddled in the center of the room, her wings hunched over her head. The Songs converged on her, swirling through the room. Renata had begun learning to see them, and was nearly blinded when she tried by the intense brightness and colors swirling through the room. She quickly stopped and hurried to Karmina's side.

"Singer Karmina," she murmurs, resting her muzzle against the black dragon's. "You hear so many Songs."

"My dear Songling child," she breathes back, opening her eyes. "So many die. Will you sing for me?"

Renata's eyes open wide in shock. "Singer, I can not Sing for those that do not deserve to die! I will not do so for you."

Karmina sighs. "A cruel child to say that I do not deserve death. But that is not what I meant, my dear Songling. This room is filled with the Songs of those that are dying; many have gone unheard. Give me one more, one that you might have sung when you were a man--I apologize, I use the wrong terms, don't I? A woman. Give me a human song, my dear Songling child, and give me something besides death to listen to."

Renata hesitates, then begins to sing an old flying song, one that many a rider sang while on an excursion with one of her stable's dragons. A cheerful song about clouds and sky and freedom and life; Karmina sighs happily.

"Ah, child... be glad I do not Sing my own Song; it would fall to you to Sing the songs of the dead and dying with no one, and hear them Sung by those with Singers. That of a Singer is not a good life."

"We should fix what makes them die," Renata says, lifting her head. "I will."

Karmina shakes her head. "It is not for the Singers to heal, but to hear and Sing and kill and know. They will die. We will Sing."

"Then I'll Sing a Song of life," Renata growls, lashing her tail. "And I'll save them all."

"You are a good child, Renata," Karmina murmurs. "But this is beyond you."

"I don't care. The Songs have to stop leaving their lives."

"Very well, then. If you can make it so, I wish you luck."

"Do you a Song of luck?" Renata asks, turning to leave.

"No. You'll have to write your own Songs now, my dear Singer child, if that's what you would be. I only know the Songs of life and soul."

"Then I will. Good luck, Singer Karmina. Bear your burden well."

"Good luck, Singer Renata. Lift it from me."

5 (edited by Crewe 2013-01-08 23:23:12)

Re: Crewe's Scrapheap

Crewe's Halfbaked Dream Diary, part 1

"The thing y'all don't seem to understand..." The man pauses to take a drink, then slams his bottle back down on the table before wiping his mouth. The black haired boy looks on in distaste. "The thing is, I got no reason to help. No reason not to just turn y'all in right this second."

The blond boy clears his throat. "Perhaps we could find a way to persuade you..." he says, giving her a pointed look.

Taking the hint, she extends her arms in a stretch. The right sleeve of her T-shirt rides up, revealing a green mark on her upper arm. She gives the man a lazy smile before relaxing again.

The man snorts. "Keep yer purring to yerself, I ain't getting into this no more than I already am." He yanks up his own sleeve, showing a brown mark, then shoves himself up from the table and storms out of the building, leaving the three companions to stare at each other.

The blonde boy sighs and pays for their drinks, then gets up and leads the way out of the building. The girl follows with a resigned expression, while the black haired boy bristles and shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Once outside, the three turn down the street in the opposite direction the man took.

The black haired boy kicks the ground, sending up a puff of dust. "Why'd you show him the Cat?" he demands. "No one's afraid of the Cat!"

The girl looks offended and rubs her arm. "I can fight perfectly well with the Cat!" she says.

"Yeah, yeah, but why not show him the Lion, or the Wolf? You may like your little kitty, but you didn't fight off a horde in a half-form with it! No one with the Hawk will be scared of the Cat, especially since no one's ever heard of you," the boy insists. The blond boy shrugs, and the girls crosses her arms.

"You know very well we didn't know he had the Hawk when we went in. Besides, if I showed him the Lion or the Wolf, if it came to a fight I would've had to use the Cat anyway, and then we could never trust him, 'cause he'd be suspicious all the time!" she snaps. "Besides," she adds. "I probably could fight off a horde with the Cat if I wanted to. There just wasn't one around when I found it."

The blond boy puts a hand on the black haired boy's shoulder to quiet him. "Yes, your peculiarities cause all sorts of complications. Even if you can't call on the Lion or the Wolf--"

"I bet you could go into a half-form if you really tried--" the black haired boy interjects. The blond boy's hand closes around his shoulder and he breaks off with a mulish expression.

"Even so," the blond continues, "I'm sure you'll have no trouble with the Cat. I can call on my Dog if you really need help."

The black haired boy grumbles. "If I could just find them like she can--"

The girl balls her fists. "Jealous? I bet a beating would cure you of that."

"Oh yeah, gonna beat me up with your precious forms? Well, guess what, I'm special too. If a horde ever attacked you again, I bet your little Lion and Wolf wouldn't work, and you'd have to fight them off with the Cat, while I just stood there. Laughing."

It was this final word, a reference to the only reason the black haired boy had joined their company--his resistance to the powers of the horde--that makes the girl snap. She lashes out with her fist, her fingers glowing ever so slightly and seeming to enlarge and sharpen until they seem to be almost claws. The boy sidesteps, and the blond barks an angry word and grabs her wrist.

"Enough!" he snaps, throwing her arm aside and grabbing the other boy by the shirt. "Put your claws away. You stop laughing!" He smacks the black haired boy upside the head, which shuts him up. "We need to focus on the task at hand, here. Which means that you two need to stop bickering and do what you're told. Since you're feeling so energetic today, you can follow him and find out where he goes." He gives the other boy a shake by the collar of his shirt, then shoves him off. Grumbling, the black haired boy stalks off.

6 (edited by Crewe 2013-01-08 23:23:29)

Re: Crewe's Scrapheap

Crewe's Halfbaked Dream Diary, part 2

We were all playing cards, that part I remember. All of us but Grady; me, Thorn, Silver, and Leo. Grady was in bed. We'd rotated the bunks so he was on top, and he was pretending to sleep. We were all fooled, or maybe it wouldn't have happened. Maybe we would've lost Silver or Thorn, instead.

But we didn't. When the man burst in, wild-eyed and dressed in black, and said he'd kill one of us, whichever one stopped him from leaving, we still thought Grady was asleep. Until he stuck his head over the edge of his bunk and started talking. He was destined to rule the empire; we all knew that, though it didn't come up much. He tried to use that politician's charm he'd developed already in his teens, that charm that had inspired such love in all of us.

That love wasn't enough to save him, and neither was his charm. The man had jammed the button that rotated the beds so Grady was on the bottom, and that was that. We lost Grady. The man escaped, too. None of us could call for help, or go after him. We'd lost our center, and we fell apart.

Two days later.

The sights and sounds and smells of the party on the balcony were an assault on my senses, and they cut like an insult. I wandered around the outskirts, avoiding contact with any of the partygoers. They were celebrating his life, the commercials had said. More like celebrating his death; there were plenty of other people in line for the position, and Grady had spent most of his life living in Leo and Thorn's town, or at camp here with the rest of us. The people didn't know him.

I wasn't angry at most of the people at the party for that reason. They hadn't known Grady. They didn't know what a hole was left without him. There were a few people I was angry at, though. I saw Grady's parents there, making their mandated appearance. They didn't see me; they didn't know me. They didn't know any of us. I wondered if they even knew Grady that well. He was their son, but they had other sons. And like I said, Grady belonged to us more than he belonged to them. I saw my parents, too. I avoided them. They were here to take me home, because of the man. I didn't want to go just yet, though. I still had things to do.

What made me the angriest was seeing Silver and Thorn. I did approach them, with the intent of finding out what they thought they were doing at this abomination rather than mourning properly, somewhere away from the nauseatingly festive air of the balcony. They responded by acting dodgy and ended up all but demanding I leave them be. Disgusted, I did so, and found myself over by the drinks. Automatically, I pulled a soda from a barrel of ice and wandered off towards the door, where I knew I'd find at least one person with the appropriate attitude. I popped the top on the can, but couldn't bring myself to drink. Leaving it on the balcony, I knocked on the door to our room. His dark head poked out from the top bunk, and I let myself in.

I looked up at him from the floor, hands shoved into my pockets. I noticed the cards were still laying on the floor where we'd dropped them. I had someone's hand halfway under my shoe. I couldn't remember whose.

"Hey," I said, giving him a sad smile.

"Hey," he said back. He looks down at the bunk. "The button's jammed. I couldn't get my bed down. But I couldn't sit on his."

"Yeah," I said, looking at the lowest bunk. The sheets had been changed, but none of us were about to sleep in it, regardless. "I'll come up."

I clambered up the supports to the top bunk and sat down beside him. He didn't look at me, but dangled his legs out over the edge and watched his hands in his lap.

"The party's outside," I said eventually. "Silver and Thorn are out there. They want to forget it ever happened. They don't want to mourn."

"They didn't love him like I did," he replies, making an angry sound in the back of his throat. "Where have you been? I would've thought you, at least, would be here."

I shrugged and turned to look out the window, past the party on the balcony outside, out over the city. I remembered Grady standing beside me by the railing, talking about the history of the city, and the people that worked there. He knew his stuff already. I'd stood there in awe of him, trying to imagine this teenaged, dark haired boy as a ruler. It wasn't that hard.

"I was getting ready," I said finally. "I couldn't come in here right away. I would've... I dunno. Gone crazy, I guess."

"That'll end up happening eventually," he said. "Just you wait. Grady kept us all together."

"He would've been great," I replied. As always, Leo's intense love for our friend both awed me and creeped me out.

"He was great," he shot back. "He would've been the best of the best, because he already was. And he loved us, too. Just as much as we loved him."

"I know." I sat quietly, sticking my own legs out over the edge.

"I got a letter from my mom," he says after a time. "She says that she got a letter from Grady's parents."

"No doubt thanking us for being his friends and then asking why we didn't die in his place."

"Not quite." Leo makes a face. "Apparently, all of Grady's letters home were full of him singing our praises. His mom and dad want us to be friends with the next in line like we were with him."

I made a sound like I was choking. "They want us to... what? Pretends Grady's brother is him? That sounds like an idea doomed to crash and burn." I paused. "Not that Grady's brother is terrible. He's probably cool. Never met him."

"You're right, though. Even if Grady's brother is like he was, you can't just... make us be friends."

Having soundly decided that this would be a bad idea, we sat in silence for a while longer. I remembered a different talk with Grady. He'd been explaining how his uncle, a general in the army, was going to take him out to meet the men when the summer ended. I told him that as soon as they knew him, they'd all be glad to die for him. I told him any of us would die for him if he wanted. He'd given me that sad, knowing smile that didn't work half so well since we'd schemed together on how best to use it to get what we wanted from the adults that were supposed to be in charge. Then he'd told me that if we died for him, he'd be doing it wrong, since he was supposed to die for us.

I was surprised that I hadn't remembered that sooner. I wondered if Grady had ever told Leo something like that. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, and saw that he had a brooding expression on his face.

"Have you thought at all..." he began, then stopped, frowning. I waited for him to continue, and eventually he did. "Have you thought at all, that Silver and Thorn were next to the door?"

I didn't answer, because I had. The two boys had been the closest to the exit when the man had come in. If Grady hadn't started talking, the man might well have decided that one of them were delaying him the most.

"Maybe that's why they aren't here," I said. "Maybe they're guilty."

Leo balled his fists. "If they were guilty, they should be in here, mourning him. And saying that it should've been them."

"They didn't want to die, Leo," I said softly. "I bet they're glad they didn't die, even if Grady had to die instead of them. And they just want to forget all about it, because they're guilty that he died for them, and then they're guilty that they're glad he did."

"I would've died for him," Leo announced angrily.

"You didn't," I said quietly.

He hunched his shoulders over and glares at the floor... no, at the lowest bunk. "I wish I had."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't say that, Leo. Don't insult him like that. Once he told me that if anyone ever died for him, he was doing his job wrong. I bet wherever he is now, Grady's glad that he did what he did."

"Why don't you just go back to the party, then?" he demands, shooting a glare at me. I didn't reply, leaving my hand on his shoulder. After a while, he sighs.

"He didn't think he was strong enough to rule, did you know that?" he asked. Surprised, I shook my head. Grady had always had a certain...

[TO BE COMPLETED]

7

Re: Crewe's Scrapheap

Rex and Regina Part 1: Going Anywhere

A boy with untidy dark hair and ruffled clothes straggles into Saffron, an exhausted Nidoqueen following him. He stops just inside the city limits and grins at her, reaching over to rub around the base of her horn. She makes a satisfied sound, then starts trudging in the direction of the Pokemon Center as if she knows exactly where it is. The boy runs after her.

"Wait up, Lila! I'm technically in charge of you!" he calls, falling into step beside her. The Nidoqueen rumbles and snorts in his hair.

<Of course you're in charge. If I was, there'd be a Flying type on this team.>

"So anyway, Lila, I think we should spend a few days here before we go off again. We haven't been in Saffron in ages, and I wanna see if everything's still the same," he says, obliviously talking over her.

<Sure. That gives me a break. Don't you think moving boulders and lugging you around is tiring?>

"HEY! KID!"

The boy jumps at the sudden voice, but assumes it's for some other trainer and keeps walking.

"YOU! WITH THE NIDOQUEEN!"

Blinking, he turns around to see a girl about his age with red hair and a Nidoking hulking at her shoulder. She puts her hands on her hips and glares at him.

"Yeah, you! I haven't seen you around before," she says, making it sound like an accusation.

"Uh, sorry?" the boy says, bewildered.

"You have a Nidoqueen. I have a Nidoking," she says bluntly.

"So you do," he says, taking a step back.

"That means we can both go anywhere! So obviously, we need to do it together!"

"Uh, I don't really think--" the boy begins, but the girl ignores him and runs over, elbowing him.

"What's your name, huh? And your 'queen?" she asks. "I'm Carrie, and this is Bristle!"

<Bristle?> Lila asks the Nidoking quizzically.

He grimaces. <She was young. I was spiny.>

"Um, I'm Ryan," the boy says. "My Pokemon is Lila."

<It's better than 'Bristle',> Bristle says, nodding to her. <Pleasure, Lila.>

<You as well. Tell me, does your Trainer have a Flying type?> Lila asks.

Bristle grimaces again. <No. She claims she can go anywhere with just me. She doesn't have any other Pokemon.>

<Ryan, too! Isn't it just ridiculous?>

"So where have you explored with Lila?" Carrie asks, hooking her arm through Ryan's and dragging him towards the center. Lila and Bristle fall in behind them, and the four move through the streets together, talking about going anywhere.

8 (edited by Crewe 2013-11-07 20:08:07)

Re: Crewe's Scrapheap

Crewe's Deleted Scenes, part 2

Northern Sinnoh, 599 years ago, some unspecified universe

A woman in furs is hauling firewood back to a small cabin, a Glalie hovering just behind her and using a Protect screen to push more wood along behind her. An Aurorus tramps along behind them, a harness over her back loaded with more wood, as well an axe. The three reach the cabin and start piling wood in a lean-to attached to the side of the cabin. When they're done, the woman pats both her Pokemon and takes the harness off the Aurorus. Immediately, a thirteen year old boy runs over, an Eevee at his heels. He tries to climb up onto the Aurorus's back.

Boy: C'mon, Hala! Let's go to the lake!

Hala the Aurorus: -makes a low rumbling sound- <Halim, I'm helping your mother. Play with your brother and Mor.>

Mor the Eevee: <But Hala, we wanna go to the lake and fish!>

Hala <I can take you when I am done helping.> -she gently shakes the boy off, who lands in the snow-

Halim: Awww, Hala!

Mor: -nuzzles the boy- <Don't worry Halim, we can fish later!>

Halim: -picks up his Eevee and scratches her ears- We'll go to the lake later, Mor, when Hala stops being mean!

Hala: <Hush, child. Play with your brother.>

Woman: -walks over, patting Hala's shoulder- Halim, don't bother Hala when we're working.

Halim: But Momma, Mor and I wanna go fishing!

Woman: -puts her hands on her hips- If you can't wait to go fishing, Faolan will take you. Faolan!

Halim: Aw, I don't wanna go with Faolan...

-an older boy, probably around sixteen years old, is using a wooden sword to spar with a Weavile and Snover out in the yard. He stops and looks up as his name is called, then sighs and tromps over towards them, his Pokemon trailing behind-

Faolan: Yes, mum?

Woman: Faolan, take your brother fishing.

Faolan: But Rioghan and I--

Woman: You can continue your practice later. Just... think of this as a way to provide for our family. Bring back dinner.

Faolan: -sighs- Oh, all right. Blaithin, Rioghan, come on.

Rioghan the Weavile: <Don't be upset, Faolan. Fishing is fun!>

Blaithin the Snover: <Hi, Mor!>

Mor: <Hi, Blaithin! Ready to go fishing?>

Blaithin: <Yep!>

Woman: -affectionately ruffles Faolan's hair- Good boy. Get along, then. Hala, Athol, come along.

-she and her Pokemon go back off to the woods. The two boys collect fishing rods from the cabin and go off in a different direction, their Pokemon following behind-

Faolan: Halim, when are you gonna evolve Mor? She could be so much stronger!

Mor: -jumps up into Halim's arms- <I like the way I am!>

Halim: -scratches her ears- Mor is just fine the way she is! She'll evolve when she feels like it.

Faolan: Yeah, yeah... it took ages to find Rioghan a Razor Claw.

Rioghan: <No it didn't. It took two days once we started looking for it. It took ages to train until I could beat up an Ursaring.>

Faolan: So, what are you gonna evolve her into? A Flareon?

Mor: <Eep! Then I'd burn all of you if you tried to pet me!>

Blaithin: <I'd still pet you, Mor.>

Mor: <Oh no! Then I'd burn you!>

Halim: No way! I'm gonna make her a Glaceon, so I can have Ice types like all of you. You wanna be a Glaceon, right, Mor?

Mor: <Sure! Or, or I could be an Espeon, or an Umbreon, 'cause then I could hug all of you and not hurt you all!>

-Rioghan grins wickedly at her-

Rioghan: <If you were an Espeon, I could beat you three ways into next week.>

Mor: <Meep!>

-she darts onto Halim's shoulder and peeks out around his head, glaring at the Weavile-

Mor: <That was mean!>

Halim: Ah! Mor!

-he reaches up and takes her back into his arms, then glares at Faolan-

Halim: Tell your Weavile to stop being mean to Mor!

Faolan: -rolls his eyes- Rioghan, don't be mean to the mite.

Rioghan: -chuckles- <Sorry, bugger. Maybe you should evolve into Umbreon, instead.>

Blaithin: <Then you'd still be furry, but you could hit Rioghan if you wanted!>

Rioghan: <I could still pound on you, but it would be less severe.>

Mor: <You can be such a meanie, Rioghan.>

Rioghan: <Am not. You just can't take teasing.>

-she reaches over and tickles under her chin until she giggles-

Rioghan: <There, see? Take it easy, little bugger.>

Mor: <Okay, but I'm watching you...>

Halim: -petting Mor- Are we almost there yet?

Faolan: How long is it gonna take you to learn how to get here yourself? It's just around those rocks.

-they round the corner around a large outcropping and come upon the lake. The two brothers immediately find a spot and cast out their lines. They sit in silence for a while, before Halim points to a figure across the lake-

Halim: Hey, what's that?

-Faolan squints at it, then shrugs-

Faolan: Probably some Ursaring or something.

Halim: It doesn't look like an Ursaring... it looks like a person! And look, there are Pokemon with it!

Faolan: Hm... maybe you're right.

Halim: Should we say hello?

Faolan: Are you crazy? It could be a crazy hermit that would kill us!

-he looks thoughtful-

Faolan: Or... it could be a traveler, and Momma always says to be kind to travelers. Rioghan, let's go see them.

Rioghan: <Sure thing, Fae.>

Halim: You're gonna just leave me here? I wanna come too!

Faolan: -getting up and putting his fishing rod to the side- Relax, Halim. Blaithin and Mor are with you. Rioghan and I are just gonna make sure it's not dangerous. If whoever it is is friendly, we'll bring them back over here. All right?

Halim: Yeah, all right...

Faolan: Good. Let's go, Rioghan.

-the boy and his Weavile start walking around the lake towards the figures on the other side. As they get closer, it becomes clear that they are a man wearing a heavy hooded cloak, a Weavile, and a Froslass. Faolan frowns-

Faolan: Does this seem... familiar to you at all, Rioghan?

Rioghan: <A little... let's just see who it is.>

-they approach to about a few hundred feet-

Faolan: Hey! Stranger!

-the man looks up, and freezes-

Faolan: Hey! What's your name!

-the man slowly gets to his feet and starts approaching-

Rioghan: <Wait, Faolan...>

Faolan: H-hey! Stop! Tell me your name!

Man: F-faolan...? Is that you...?

Rioghan: <Faolan!>

Faolan: How--how do you know my name?

-the man tosses back his hood, revealing a familiar, is somewhat older and rather haggard face-

Amhlaidh: Faolan! It is you!

Faolan: -his eyes go wide- F-father?

Rioghan: <Mom!>

Kori: <Rioghan!>

Isolde: <Oh, I'm so glad we found you all at last...>

Amhlaidh: Faolan, it's me! I've finally found my way home!

Faolan: -tearing up, he runs forward and throws his arms around Amhlaidh- F-father, I thought I'd never see you again... We thought you died at sea...

Rioghan: <Mom, I evolved! And Faolan met a Snover, and Halim has an Eevee now, and-->

Kori: <I can see that, my dear. I can't wait to meet everyone...>

Isolde: <How's Athol...?>

Rioghan: <He's as good as ever! Oh Mom, I can't believe you're finally home!>

Kori: -hugs her- <Neither can I, love.>

Amhlaidh: -holding him tightly- My boy, I nearly did. But I'm home, now. That's all that matters.

Faolan: Where--where were you?

Amhlaidh: That... that is a very long story, and one for another day.

-he puts his hands on Faolan's shoulders and holds him at arm's length-

Amhlaidh: You've grown into a strong young man, Faolan. Have you taken care of our family? How is your mother? Halim?

Faolan: They're--everyone's fine! Halim's right over there, across the lake with Blaithin and Mor! Momma's getting wood with Hala and Athol, but she'll be home soon!

Amhlaidh: Blaithin? Mor? Hala? I've missed so very much... but I assure you, I won't leave you all again.

Faolan: Blaithin is my friend, and Mor is Halim's. You know that weird egg the trader gave you, that you gave to Momma before you left? Hala came out of it. I've never seen a Pokemon like her before!

Amhlaidh: I can't wait to meet her. Shall we go see your brother?

Faolan: Yes--of course! Come on! Rioghan, let's go!

-he runs off back towards the other side of the lake, his Weavile breaking away from Kori to follow him. Amhlaidh and his Pokemon hurry to keep up. They quickly make it back to Halim, who has abandoned his fishing rod and is standing, waiting to meet him. Faolan runs over and grabs his arm, dragging him towards Amhlaidh-

Halim: Ow! Faolan! What are you doing?!

Faolan: Halim, this is Amhlaidh. Amhlaidh, this is Halim. Halim, Amhlaidh is our father.

-Halim stops short, staring at Amhlaidh with wide eyes. Amhlaidh smiles at him warmly, dropping to one knee and placing his hands on his shoulders. Faolan lets go of his arm and takes a step back, grinning and wiping tears from his eyes-

Halim: F-father?

Amhlaidh: Hello, Halim. You've grown so big...

Halim: -sniffling as tears start to well up in his eyes- W-where did you go? I don't even remember you...

Amhlaidh: I... I got lost, and I ended up somewhere very far away, and I had to stay there for a very long time... But I got away, and now I'm home, and I promise I won't leave you again.

-Halim starts crying openly as he throws his arms around his father. Amhlaidh hugs him back tightly, closing his eyes. After a moment, Faolan clears his throat-

Faolan: Father? Should we go home?

-Amhlaidh is quiet for a second, then releases Halim and gets to his feet-

Amhlaidh: Yes, please, Faolan. I'd like to see your mother.

-Faolan takes him by the hand and starts leading him back towards the cabin, only Blaithin thinking to grab the fishing rods so they aren't left behind. When they get there, Athol and Hala are outside the cabin, with the woman nowhere to be seen-

Athol: <A-Amhlaidh... Isolde...>

Isolde: <Athol!>

-she hurries forward and the two swirl around each other, chattering excitedly. Hala looks over at the incoming party and blinks-

Hala: <Who is this, now?>

Athol: <Hala... this is Amhlaidh. He is the boys' father.>

Hala: <I... I see.>

Athol: <He's the one that brought you here when you were still an egg.>

-Hala blinks again, then nods to Amhlaidh-

Hala: <I suppose I should thank you, then.>

-Amhlaidh nods to her, then looks at the cabin-

Amhlaidh: -his voice thick- Is she...?

-Hala nods and Isolde floats over to the door, knocking on it. After a moment, the woman opens it-

Woman: Yes? What--Isolde?

Isolde: <Hello!>

Woman: But then--

-she looks past Isolde and her hands fly to her face-

Woman: A-Amhlaidh...

Amhlaidh: Aislin.

-he strides forward and picks her up by the waist, twirling her around and setting her down before taking her face in his hands and kissing her as tears roll down both their faces. After a long moment, he breaks it off and rests his forehead against hers-

Aislin: You're alive...

Amhlaidh: I'm so sorry for taking so long to come back to you. I swear, I'll stay by your side for as long as I live, from this moment on.

-he kisses her again-

Aislin: I've missed you so much... where have you been?

Amhlaidh: In a land called Ransei, working for a king who saved my life. The king has died, and I was finally free to come home. Oh, Aislin, not a day went by that I didn't think of you or our sons, growing up without a father...

Aislin: Shh... you're home now, that's all that matters. The boys have their father again, and I have my husband back.

Amhlaidh: Yes... of course. That's all that matters.

-he kisses her one last time, then lets go and turns back to the boys-

Amhlaidh: Halim... I know nothing can make up for all the years you lived without a father, but I have something for you, anyway.

-he takes his pack off of his back and unrolls it, pulling out the wooden sword and offering it to him-

Amhlaidh: I... I'm afraid I didn't know quite how big you would be. I hope it fits you all right.

-Halim, wide-eyed, reverently takes the wooden sword, running his hand over his name. He then breaks into a grin and starts slashing it around wildly-

Halim: Look at me, Mor! I have a sword, just like Faolan!

-Mor jumps around at his feet-

Mor: <This is so exciting!>

-Faolan looks at Amhlaidh almost expectantly-

Amhlaidh: I'm afraid I didn't carve one for you, Faolan.

Faolan: ... Oh...

Amhlaidh: -shakes his head- I assumed you already had one. Besides...

-he pulls out his scabbard from the pack. Faolan's eyes widen until they're roughly the size of large plates-

Amhlaidh: I believe you're old enough for something a bit heavier, don't you think?

Faolan: -he takes the scabbard, then pulls the sword from it, staggering a step under its unexpected weight. Amhlaidh places a hand on his shoulder to steady him-

Amhlaidh: Steady, there. It's a bit big for you, but you'll grow into it.

Faolan: Rioghan! Blaithin! I have a real sword!

Rioghan: <... I'm not letting you hit me with that, you know.>

-Amhlaidh smiles and retreats back to Aislin's side, putting an arm around her waist-

Aislin: You don't think he's too young...?

Amhlaidh: He won't use it for anything real until he's older. Besides, he's grown into a fine young man. You've done a wonderful job with the both of them.

-she rests her head on his shoulder-

Aislin: I'm so glad they have their father back...

Amhlaidh: I'm glad to have my sons back. And Kori's daughter, and Isolde's brother...

Aislin: ... Kori?

-Amhlaidh blinks-

Amhlaidh: Oh... yes, that's right. I... gave her a new name in Ransei in an attempt to fit in a bit better. After nine years, I've gotten used to calling her Kori.

Aislin: It's a lovely name, but does she want to use her old one, now that she's home?

Amhlaidh: I'd have to ask her. Kori!

-Kori looks up from watching Rioghan and Faolan admire Amhlaidh's sword-

Kori: <Yes, Amhlaidh?>

Amhlaidh: Now that we've returned to our beginnings, would you like to return to using your old name?

Kori: <... Yes. Yes, I think I would.>

-Amhlaidh smiles-

Amhlaidh: Then I'll get back in the habit of referring to you as your proper name. You haven't forgotten it in all these years, have you?

Kori: -snorts- <Would you forget Halim's name? No. I'm happy to be Ciara again.>

Amhlaidh: I'm glad.

Ciara: -nods- <So am I.>

-Aislin smiles at him-

Aislin: There. Everything is the way it should be again.

-Amhlaidh nods, giving her a squeeze-

Amhlaidh: Indeed... it's not as if I never left, and it will take some time before I truly fit in here again, but... I have faith.

Aislin: So do I. We'll set our world right again.

Amhlaidh: That's all I've ever wanted.

-they kiss again-

Mor: <Hey! Blaithin! You think I should evolve into a Steel type?>

Blaithin: <You can't evolve into a Steel type, Mor! Why would you want to?>

Mor: <So I can be like a sword for Halim! Okay, okay, what if I evolve into an Ice type and a Dark type?>

Blaithin: <You're not a Sneasel, Mor!>

Mor: <Okay, fine, but what if-->

Blaithin: <Mor, everyone knows you're gonna end up evolving into a Glaceon, anyway!>

Mor: <Oh, you're no fun. Halim! Should I discover a Steel type evolution!>

-she paws at his ankles. He scoops her up and pets her ears-

Halim: We'll go fishing later, Mor, I wanna play with my sword right now!

Faolan: Oh no, I am not taking you all the way back to the lake again. Besides, I have a real sword to practice with, not some wooden play sword.

Halim: It is not a play sword! I don't want to go fishing with you, anyway. I'll get Hala to take me.

Hala: -settles down into the snow, shaking her sails- <Why don't you get your newfound father to take you fishing and give me a break, Halim?>

-Aislin chuckles, then takes Amhlaidh by the hand and leads him into the cabin, leaving the boys to bicker under Hala's watchful eye-