PBZ: Vol. III Ch. 72

    A young girl with long flaxen hair and blue eyes sat at the table with her parents and an elderly man. She wore a deep blue dress, identical to the woman to her right. The woman to her right also wore a bow with a pretty blue and black stone in the center. All around her were people sitting at different dining tables, eating and talking to each other while others danced on the dance floor of the large ball room. There were people playing the violin for calming music as the people ate, drank, danced, and chatted. The room in its entirety seemed to sway back and forth as she tried to eat her meal. The young Riviére looked over her shoulder and saw Alexander walking around with a tray of champagne, offering refreshments to the various guests on board. Alexander caught her gaze and smiled pleasantly before returning to his duty.

    “Mommy, when can I go outside and look at the ocean?” asked Riviére as she turned to look at a tall woman with identical blue eyes and long, flaxen hair.

    “Soon, love,” her mother said as she looked down at her daughter and smiled. “You should finish your dinner first. You won’t eat later.”

    Riviére made a sour face. “My tummy gets upset with all of this rocking!”

    “You really should eat, Riviére,” said her father. Like Riviére and her mother, he had blue eyes and blonde hair, though his was not nearly as long and was tied back into a pony tail.

    “But I’m not hungry!” said Riviére with a pouty expression. “I wanna go see the ocean!”

    “Riviére…,” began Rayne before Alexander interjected.

    “Excuse me, sir,” said Alexander as he approached, having overheard Riviére’s pleas. “I could escort Miss Bleu outside and watch over her, if you wish.”

    Rayne and Alexander exchanged a quick glance before he shook his head. “No, it’s fine. Riviére will finish her dinner as she’s told. Then she can go outside. You will accompany her after she has finished.”

    “As you wish,” said Alexander with a short bow of his head and returned to his duties.

    The captain of the S.S. Mauville eyed Alexander as he walked away before he turned his attention back to Mr. Bleu. “I assume that servant is one of yours?”

    “He is,” replied Rayne after he took a drink of his red wine. “He often cares for Riviére when Marine and I are busy with work. Riviére has gotten quite attached to him, haven’t you hun?” he said kindly as he pet Riviére on the head.

    “Yes, daddy,” she said as she poked her food and ate it rebelliously.

    Rayne and Marine resumed their conversation with the captain. The details of the discussion, Riviére did not care much for. After she finished her food, she left the table and escaped to their suite in first class. Riviére shut the door behind her and walked over to the bedroom in search for her father’s camera after getting the idea to take a picture of the ocean and night sky. She failed to find the camera in the drawers, so she pulled out her father’s suitcase and set it on the bed. She unzipped it and opened the suitcase. To her surprise, she found a white mask that resembled a skull with jagged teeth, slime, slanted eyes, and a blue “X” etched into the mask.

    “What the…?”

    Riviére picked up the mask and looked at it. A cold gush of energy ran through her skin that made contact with the mask that ran through her arms and throughout her body. She felt as though she was staring back at an evil face, yet it didn’t faze her. She didn’t feel afraid of the mask as she felt it glare at her with an evil glare. The empty eyes that had nothing in them but the contents of her father’s suitcase, but she felt as though the eyes of a demon were looking at her. The jagged teeth looked vicious and as though they yearned to sink themselves into the flesh of their prey.

    “Why is this here?” Riviére asked herself as she stared at the mask with great intrigue and examined it more closely.

    “Riviére?” Her father froze as he walked into to the bedroom and saw Riviére holding the mask. He rushed over and snatched the mask out of her hands put it back into his suitcase. “What on earth are you doing?”

    “I…I was looking for the camera…I wanted to take pictures of the ocean,” she said nervously.

    Rayne sighed heavily as he rubbed his forehead. “It’s too dark to take pictures. You’ll have to wait until the morning until you see anything.”

    Riviére frowned and looked back at the suitcase. “Daddy…Why do you have that mask?”

    Rayne looked down at her with a sad smile. He kneeled to one knee and placed his arms on her tiny shoulders. “Does that mask scare you?”

    Riviére shook her head. “No. It looks creepy, but it doesn’t scare me,” she said bravely. “Why do you have it though?”

    He didn’t answer right away. He looked as though he was painfully mulling over a conflict of feelings. After a short pause, he sighed and pet her head as he stood up. “One day, when you’re older, I’ll tell you everything.”

    “Promise?”

    “Of course, little one.”

    “Okay…,” Riviére looked away from her father for a second before looking back at him. “Can I go outside and look at the water?”

    “Yes, you may. I’ll be sending Alexander to watch over you.”

    “Okay daddy,” she said as she walked around him and toward the door. As she reached the door and opened it, she looked behind her. She saw her father standing at an angle, his face away from her. Riviére saw him holding the mask and looking down at it with shame. Riviére frowned and closed the door as she walked out. As she did, she saw her mother and another woman with short brunette hair kissing before she closed the door to the other cabin.

    Riviére didn’t react as she saw her mother go into another woman’s room. She acted as though she had seen this before. Riviére continued down the hallway and out to the balcony. A light breeze brush against her as she stepped outside and stood by the railing. She leaned against it with a pleasant smile on her face. Riviére had always felt calm whenever she was around the sea. Seeing the ocean made her remember the Kalos Sea near Courmarine City, her favorite place to visit. 

    “I see you’ve finally escaped from the shackles of the responsibility of being formal,” said Alexander as he walked up from behind her and stood beside her.

    “Tch. I hate being all fancy-like for everyone,” she said with a pouty-face. “Why do I have to be so formal around everyone?”

    “Because it is your duty as the heir of the Bleu family,” replied Alexander. “If you acted otherwise, you’d damage the reputation that your family has built up for generations. Centuries of hard work would be evaporated in an instant if you acted like a hooligan.”

    “But I don’t like it,” she whined.

    “We do many things that we don’t like,” said Alexander softly as he and Riviére looked out into the sea.

    “Like mom and dad?” said Riviére after a few moments.

    Alexander smiled sadly. “Yes, like your mother and father.”

    Riviére paused for several moments before she spoke again. “I saw mom with a woman just now. They were kissing. I think I saw her and mom talking this morning,” Riviére looked up at Alexander with a rather blank stare. “Does she have a new girlfriend?”

    Alexander looked down at her before returning his gaze back out to the sea. “Have you? It is entirely possible. Your mother isn't seeing anyone, to my knowledge.”

    “Do you think dad cares?” asked Riviére.

    Alexander looked around for other people before he answered in a whisper. “Your parents are very good friends. Their marriage was arranged since they were about your age, though their tastes in romantic partners were never in alignment.”

    Riviére frowned. “Is that why you and dad…?”

    Alexander couldn’t help but smile, though he did his best to hide it. “Your father and I have been lifelong friends,” he paused before he looked down at her. “Does it bother you?”

    Riviére shook her head. “No. It never bothered me. I’ve always liked having you around, especially when mom and dad are busy. Dad always seems so happy when you’re around. He’s happy with mom too, but he always seems to smile bigger when he sees you. The only thing I find weird is when mom brings home women I’ve never seen before…”

    “Your mother has had a harder time finding love than your father. Your father and I were lucky to have found each other when we were young. Your mother is still looking for her soulmate.”

    Riviére rested her arms against the railing and leaned into them. She frowned and looked down sadly. “Do you think they wished they never had me?”

    Alexander recoiled at the question. “Riviére!” he said, appalled. “Why would you ever ask such a thing?”

    “It’s been bothering me ever since I found out that mom and dad are…well…you know…I always felt that they only had me because they had to, not because they wanted to.”

    Alexander turned to her and kneeled down to her level to give her a hug that she returned tightly. “No, sweet girl. Your parents love you with all their heart. I remember the day that you were born; both your mother and father were so happy to bring such a beautiful child into this world. Their marriage may have been arranged by their parents, but their strong friendship was forged well before their arrangement. Their bonds are strong, and so is their trust in one another. If their preferences were aligned for the opposite gender rather than their own, then their love for each other would have resulted in their marriage regardless of their parent’s demands.”

    Riviére smiled as she hugged him tighter. “Thanks Alexander…You always cheer me up.”

    “I am glad I am able to help. It is an honor, as always,” he replied as the embrace ended.

    “Alexander?”

    “Yes, Riviére?”

    “Do you think…mom and dad would ever give me a baby brother or sister?”

    The question caught Alexander off guard. “Oh. I’m not sure,” said Alexander as he stood up and rubbed the back of his head. “It is a question that you could surely as your parents. I’m not sure what the answer would be, however.”

    Riviére made a pouty face. “I don’t see why they wouldn’t. It doesn’t look that hard to make a baby.”

    Alexander blinked in surprise to her statement. “How on earth would you know where babies come from?”

    “I found one of mommy’s magazines when I was bored and started looking around in the library. I found her secret stash of magazines,” she said simply. “I took them to daddy and he told me that they do what the girls did in the magazine, but only with a boy and a girl.”

    Alexander’s eye twitched slightly. “I see you’ve inherited your father’s blunt method of explanation,” he said as he rubbed his brow to stop the twitch. “Why do you want a baby brother or sister all of a sudden? I thought you preferred having all the attention to yourself?”

    “I do…but then I wouldn’t have to be the heir to my family’s business,” she replied as she leaned against the railing once more and looked up into the sky. “Daddy always told me that I should never be ashamed of who I am and work hard for my dreams. That’s what I want to do.”

    “And what dreams does young Riviére inspire?”

    She paused for a moment and smiled brightly as she looked back at him. “I want to become a Pokémon Master. I want to become the Champion of Kalos, just like you were. I want to train all the best Water-Type Pokémon in the world!” she said joyfully.

    “A Pokémon Master, huh?” Alexander smiled reminiscently as he pet Riviére on the head. “A fine Pokémon Master you’d become. However, what of your younger sibling? What would their destiny foretell?”

    “Whatever they want it to be,” she said simply. “If they want to be Pokémon Masters too, then their older sister will teach them to be the best!”

    Alexander chuckled. “Your father would be amused by your enthusiasm. Perhaps you should bring it up to him after we’ve returned home?”

    “Do you think he’d mind?”

    “Not at all. Your father always loves to talk to his daughter.”

    Riviére smiled as she and Alexander turned to walk back to the suite. However, a sudden loud BOOM stopped them in their tracks. They looked around for the source of the sudden noise. Riviére looked up and saw an incredible sight.

    “Alexander, look!” she said excitedly as she pointed up to the sky.

    Directly above them, a strange phenomenon occurred. From a focal point, strange dust-like waves pulsed out over the sky, like waves from a stone cast into the very sky itself. These waves shifted colors like a rainbow, pulsating from a particular point in the sky. After the fifth pulse, over a dozen bright lights appeared above them.

    “Alexander? What’s happening?” asked Riviére as she and several other people that stepped outside looked up at the strange occurrence in the sky.

    “I don’t know, but you should get inside,” he said urgently.

    However, she did not have the time to get inside the ship as instructed. As she began her walk back to the suite, an intense energy blast fell from the sky and hit the water near the cruise ship. The force of the blast sent the ship swaying heavily to the other side. The force of the sudden shift sent Riviére tumbling backward and over the railing. Alexander made a reach for her as he was able to hold onto the railing to prevent himself from being flung into the sea.

    “Alexander!” she called out as she was sent falling into the ocean.

    “Riviére!” he shouted back at her as he attempted to grab her hand.

    Riviére plunged into the sea. The force of the fall into the water knocked all the breath out of her lungs. She chocked on the water as she watched the hull of the cruise ship drift above her. She tried to swim to the surface with all her might, but the current only dragged her farther away from the ship. She tried to hold her breath for as long as she could until she was able to kick herself away from the current and swim for the surface. As she broke the surface, she inhaled deeply. Riviére looked around frantically for the ship as she tried to catch her breath. She found it, nearly a mile away. She could see the lights flickering on and off as she heard the many screams of the passengers on board.

    “Mom! Dad! Alexander!” she shouted as she tried to swim towards the ship.

    As she tried to swim towards a ship, several large blasts of energy shot down from the sky and collided with the ship. The hull of the ship exploded and the screams intensified for a moment, only to be silenced as the cruise ship was engulfed by the fireball. Riviére’s eyes went wide as she watched the ship explode. “NOOO!” she cried out in agony as she watched what remained of the ship go down beneath the waves that now grew larger as the momentum pushed them away. Riviére attempted to swim away from crashing waves but was swept up by the force of the tidal wave and dragged back into the depths of the sea.

    Riviére tried with the best of her might to swim back to the surface, but her tiny legs grew tired and heavy as lead as she desperately tried to return to the surface. She only sank deeper into the abyss. As she began to lose consciousness, she saw a pair of bright blue eyes open near her and swim toward her. Panic overtook her exhaustion as she saw a large dark mass dive below her then push its back into her feet. She spun and grabbed hold of the creatures back, finding a sort of fin and held onto it tightly as the creature swam to the surface with extreme speed. Just before she could no longer hold her breathe, the creature broke the surface and flew above the water. The cold air made her wet body feel icy cold as she began to freeze. Her lungs burned as she coughed up water and held tightly to the creature as she watched the ocean become smaller. She observed the creature that had saved her life. It was a large Pokémon that resembles a dragon and a bird. It had a pale silver-white body, a ridged mouth similar to a beak, although it has pointed teeth on its lower jaw. Its head had a point to the back. The Pokémon had a long, slender neck and a smooth, streamlined body, with the exception of dark blue or black plate-like protrusions that run down the length of its back, and two smaller ones on the ends of their tails. It had large wings that resemble hands. As she observed the Pokémon, she quickly realized it to be a Legendary Pokémon, Lugia.

    The Lugia looked back at her as it resumed flight. “Hold on tight, young one,” said the Lugia, the voice echoing in her mind. The voice sounded deep and regal. “I have rescued you from that disaster. I am taking you to safety.”

    Riviére’s heart sank as she looked back down at the sea. She could no longer make out where the ship had sunk. “You have to take me back! You have to save everyone!”

    “I am afraid I cannot,” said the Lugia sadly. “Everyone on board that ship did not survive.”

    Riviére felt her chest clench in pain as she felt immediate grief for her loss. She wailed as she held onto Lugia’s back as he took her above the clouds and flew just above them. They were bathed in the moonlight as he flew to the closest land he could find.

    “What…What attacked my family,” she said as she balled her fists. “I want to swear revenge on whatever killed them.”

    The Lugia did not respond right away. It was some time before Lugia answered her. “I do not know what attacked you and your family tonight,” Lugia admitted. “Whatever it was, it held immense power. No Pokémon I know of could have amassed a powerful attack like that.”

    Riviére shivered, whether by the cold or grief, she did not know, she gripped onto the Lugia tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks and onto the silver-white feathers. She cried for some time before Lugia spoke to her again.

    “Young child, do you have any family that you can stay with?”

    “No…,” said Riviére as she wiped her tears away. “My grandpa and grandma died a few years ago…My mom, dad, and Alexander were the only family I had left…”

    “Where is your home?”

    “It’s in Kalos…It’s far away from here…”

    “Would anyone be able to care for you?”

    “I…I think so…My parents have…had…friends that I think would look after me…”

    “I will take you to Kalos then. It will be a while before I can get you home. Rest, young one. You are safe with me.”

    “Lugia…”

    “Yes, child?”

    “Will I ever see you again?”

    “One day, I imagine. Yes. I believe we will meet again, young one.”

    Riviére smiled sadly as she held onto the Lugia’s fin and rest her head among his silver feathers. “Good…I cannot bear the thought of being alone…”