I stood before the pool of water and let out a small sigh as I prepared myself for what I was about to do. “Giratina, please, I must speak with you.”
The pool remained the way it was for a long moment before the water shimmered and the gold mask of the Legendary appeared.
“Ah Cres, what is it you want to speak to-”
Before he could finish talking, I leapt forwards and splashed through the water, appearing on the floating island.
“To go home,” I told him flatly.
The dragon blinked a bit as he stared down at me with his red eyes. “Oh? Did you find your absolution, then?”
“No. Because I no longer care... what happened with Henry was horrible and it was my fault one way or another, but what is a worse crime is leaving my Belle all alone and miserable,” I replied tersely. “I do not care of the deal we made, take me home at once!”
Giratina looked at me for a long moment before his head lowered right next to the island edge. “Then hop on board.”
“... just like that?” I asked, blinking in surprise.
“What? If you no longer care what about finding something that really can’t be obtained, and realized there’s something more important than that, who am I to argue against such a request?” he inquired blandly.
I frowned for a moment before shrugging and hopping onto his head... or rather that’s what I meant to do, instead I let out a small yelp of surprise as I found myself floating away from the great dragon.
Giratina easily caught me with his head and began to fly away from the island. “Oops, sorry, forgot you’re not used to the little gravity here.”
My heart was beating rapidly in my chest, but I lowered myself down to his skull and tried to relax. The journey ‘home’ took somewhere between five minutes and an hour, I was mostly too... excited to notice exactly how long it really took. Though... a thought did strike me as we pulled up to the island and I took a tentative step onto it.
“You knew I wouldn’t find any absolution didn’t you?” I asked him.
“Maybe...” he said as he pulled his head upright. “Or maybe I was simply wrong, who knows?”
“Right...” I said, thoroughly unconvinced. Then I turned back to the pool... my home lay beyond it. “So... do I just step through?”
“...do I really have to answer that?” Giratina asked me flatly. Before I could even answer, I felt the light push of something against my back. “Just go, Belle has been just as stubborn as you were waiting on the mountain top all day.”
I gave him a nod. “Thank you...” I told him before I stepped through the pool and suddenly appeared on the mountain top on a flat sheet of ice. Not far away, Belle was sitting there, staring off into the distance and a little farther off, I could see a woman I didn’t know and a familiar man as well, though neither were looking in my direction.
With an overwhelming feeling of happiness I all but skipped off of the edge of the ice and over to Belle. “Belle!” I exclaimed. “I’m back and I’m so incredibly sorry that I was such a f-”
She let out a startled noise and turned to see me, her eyes wide with surprise. Then they narrowed and before I realized it her right paw lashed out and smacked me across the face. I stumbled backwards in surprise.
“That's for having a skull thicker than a Bastiodon's hide!” she shouted at me as I recovered, my eyes widening in fear. What if she hated me?! What if my wrongs were too great to be overcome? What if-? The feeling of her soft lips on mine silenced all thoughts of that nature and I found myself staring into her liquid blue eyes and sinking in as a sense of completeness spread through me. It felt like we held that kiss for years before she finally pulled away. “That's for being okay.”
I blinked several times as tears began to stream down my face and I moved forward to nuzzle her as she nuzzled me in return, tears on her face as well.
“Oh Cres... I was so worried for you... I’m so glad you’re back,” she said, small sniffles escaping as she nuzzled me like there was no tomorrow.
I nuzzled her right back. “Oh Belle, what a fool I have been... for so long I have been mourning Henry that... I... I forgot that there was still someone there who loved me right beside me all along,” I told her quietly. “I don’t know why you love me, or why I deserve your love, or why you think I’m deserving of your loving me... but I don’t care, I love you, Belle.”
“And I love you too Cres... with all of my heart....” she said as she stopped nuzzling and just settled her head rest against mine. “I love you because I want you to be happy, Cres... to move on in life and not setting on one bad moment that was slowly eating you away.... I just couldn’t leave you alone like that.”
“Thank you,” I replied quietly as I leaned against her comforting warmth. “I’m never leaving you again. Ever. I promise.”
“Good... I’m glad to hear that,” she said, holding her head next to mine for a few moments longer before pulling away, tears of joy streaming down her face as she smiled happily at me. “We can finally start a family Cres... after all the time we ‘teased’ about it when we were young,” she said, a small chuckle as emotion poured out of her.
“Yes, I suppose we can,” I said, a small smile crossing my face at the thought.
To my surprise, Belle then began to chuckle softly. “Oh Cres, you make me talk like I’m in a bad romance movie sometimes, you know that?” she asked me with a raised eyebrow.
“I do?” I asked, blinking blankly.
“Yes, yes you do,” she said with another chuckle as she gave me a nuzzle. “Oh well, I’m just happy to have you back and living with me again.”
I smiled and then blinked twice. “Speaking of which, that means that your ‘Roxanne’ will be my trainer now hmm?”
“Well... yes... though, there is another option.” Belle turned her head at the two humans. Matt was slowly talking to Roxanne, filling her in on what was being said while his and her hands were intertwined with each other. “I don’t think Roxanne is going to leave Sinnoh anytime soon.”
I blinked and then looked up at the man who had kept me company a few times and even saved my life once. Then I glanced at the dark haired woman who was still holding his hand, small tears on her face.
“Hmm... I think I should speak with Matt,” I said, before giving my love a soft kiss on the lips. Then I walked up to the man. “Hello, Matt.”
The man nodded his head at me. “Cres, long time no see,” he said with a small smile. “So... finally found what you’re looking for?”
“Yes, and it was right in front of me for years,” I said, letting out a small sigh as I sat down in front of him. “I... was wondering... perhaps if you and Roxanne are not going to be going your separate ways for some time... if you would perhaps allow me to join your team? I... would ask Roxanne... but I do not know her. And you... you’ve saved my life, Matt... and kept me company and...” I trailed off, unable to get anything else out without feeling like an even greater fool.
“I gladly accept you to become part of my team,” Matt said with a small chuckle. “I am starting a new gym, featuring dark types. I was thinking of getting an Absol for one of my team, I would be honored if you take that spot.”
A smile grew on my face and I walked forwards to rub against his side, a soft purr flowing through me. I had a Trainer again... The very thought filled my eyes with tears. Finally... Finally I could begin to be whole again.
“I think I see why my little Belle likes him so much,” Roxanne said, her voice strangely reminding me of a certain purple pony. “He looks so... sweet.” She knelt down and began to gently pet me, her fingers stroking all of the right places and for the first time in forever I felt... complete. That feeling was doubled as Belle walked up beside me and gently pressed against me with her familiar warm body. Finally, Matt knelt down as best he could and held out a Pokéball at me.
“So... ready to start your new life?” he asked me.
I grinned and reached up with my paw, laying it lightly against the front of the Pokéball.
Good end, but that cliffhanger is soo not fair! Don't leave us hangin' like that, that's sick and wrong!
Of the mane six get stuck in the world of Pokemon and get turned into humans I will do a happy happy happy dance.
Made me think of this song:
dam good shit, in the name of the emperor i demand moar god damit!
Let me guess
Applejack is not gonna let this go and try to follow cress
Wait, your not going to show AJ getting proven wrong?
4860328
Well we could have, but we didn't A) want to drag it out, or B) ruin that really nice ending place we got too
4860344 … do a 'deleted scene' thing
4860419
Basically
I'm glad there's going to be a sequel, because the Applejack thing is unresolved. Applejack needs to learn her lesson before the story is really over.
I know somepony who won't be happy...
Applejack: Where in tarnation is that good-fer-nuthin' varmint?
Fluttershy: I...um...let him...go home.
AJ: Ya did WHAT?!
sudden end is sudden
i shall await the sequel
WHAT?! THAT's IT?!
But that's so unfair; what about Applejack getting a smack to reality?!
...this story stinks; I'm outta here!
A great story. The ending happened really quickly though!
4860620 my good sir, you mustn't get so hasty. If you read the authors notes you would know that there is a sequel planned involing the orange mares revenge.
4860620 He said there will be a sequel. He had best hope it makes up for this ending.
4860711: Well, we'll see about that.
It's not just the end; the nature of this story isn't very appealing; the heavy sense of prejudice and stubborness just doesn't cut it for me.
I'll check out the sequel later, if only to see Applejack get what's coming to her.
4860699 Hey man, people can feel a little miffed. It's how we feel after all, I was like what...it's over, with no resolution on the equestrian side?
ok... I hate this ending. There is literally no answers to any questions on his quest. It was sudden and I, personally, am disappointed.
What is worse is we see no resolution between Applejack and him, which leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth and the mindset that Applejack is an racist idiot in this story.
I normally wait for the story to end to give my like/dislike.
This story, because of this ending, got a dislike.
4861381
Course, he is making a sequel. While that doesn't make up for the abrupt ending, at the very least we can see what will happen between him and AJ. Most likely AJ is going to end up in Shinnoh, so lets wait and see.
4861516
I will most likely not read that.
AJ, at least in this story, is an idiot and racist bastard. I wouldn't be able to stand reading an entire story about her, so I am gonna skip.
4861534
How did AJ act when the Vampire Fruit Bats showed up? If she had shotguns, she would have gone on a massacre. That would have been to combat something that would have hurt her livelihood. True, the farm would have eventually recovered, but her basic response was 'get rid of them all'.
Cres? She sees him as a threat to the town, to the lives of her friends and family. She's not being racist as such, just overly protective.
This isn't me defending AJ, just rationalising her actions.
4042282
There's an older comment, which words what I said in this one more eloquently.
4861602
That is a slightly different scenario. Fruit Bats is not intelligent, at least not to a level where they can speak and such.
Absol proved both intelligent and willing to obey the laws of Equestria. Applejack shouldn't really blame him for doing wrong, when nopony told him what is wrong and right in Equestria.
4861718
Applejack seems to consider Cres an animal, yet one intelligent enough to obey the laws of the land. Basically, she's trying to apply both the methods for dealing with a dangerous animal and a dangerous individual at the same time. Clearly, it didn't work.
Please tell me that applejack gets slapped! I really want to see her put down a few notches.
Aww, now I'm dissapointed at it being "Complete". Probably Why I'm so fond of The Chase. Storys like that go on for seemingly forever.
Actually if the sequel has AJ in the human world, getting insight on how Cres lives as a Pokémon, that would be cool.
4860969 Oh well... to each their own I suppose.
4861381 I felt as the whole key of the story, finding "absolution", isn't what we expect.
This ending makes me feel as though the idea of "absolution" is one that is in the mind. The only one who believed this "absolution" even existed was Cres himself. When he realized he should look to the future rather than dwell in the past, I believed that's when the conclusion to his absolution was reached.
Some of life's answers just can't be obtained, and when we focus too hard on them, we become clouded and cannot see our surroundings. When we realize that the answers won't actually solve anything, then we take a look at what's already surrounding us and move on in life. Maybe those answers will come around when the time is right, but attempting to force them out will only result in wasted time.
I'm not sure if that's what the authors were going for, or if I just read too much into that. I might've just read too much into it.
Personally, I think this isn't the best ending possible, but this is at least a good ending.
Don't worry Cres, all guys are idiots when it comes to girls.
Thanks for the great story, can't wait to see part two!
.sadjkbflnS CKMSD A;FKMNGKjdnf kdgm sgg TOO MANY FEELS
Wonderful Story!
4862241
th09.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2013/036/b/3/fluttershy_s_objection__by_the_chaos_controller-d5tznz4.jpg
4862429 Exactly.
I swear to god if Applejack goes after Cres I'm going to be really annoyed :/
4863246
Why annoyed? You'll be able to laugh heartily as she realizes how far out of her depth she is; as Trainers try to capture her and as she flees from little yellow varmints half her size.
4863260 True enough, but she's been such a bitch for 99% of this story so if she chases him to his world just to get him arrested in theirs, I'm gonna be really annoyed.
4862429 and AJ? We never got any progress with her. Not a single moment of character growth or a moment where she might regret her actions towards Cred,
4863317
And yet, she'll be able to sympathise with Cres during the second fic, because she'll realize how hard it really is to not know anything about...
4863345 Yeah I see your point. She'll complain and try to enforce her rules upon them. Being the stubborn bitch that she is :/
Yay! Sequel!
4864386
Spike is like a registered gun user he has permission to breath fire, Cres is not registered gun user.
FAPTASTIC.
Well...that was abrupt...
4864201 The masses demand a sequel
I really did enjoy the story. What I did not enjoy, however, was the last two chapters...
You see, you have wrapped it up way too quickly, leaving a lot of things behind. For example, there was no mention about how Belle felt after losing her fight. And also, the amazing way to conclude the story would be if Cres could help Applejack get past her fears, teaching her something new and at the same time learning something new about himself.
The way the story has ended seems so surreal and childish... So I think it is beyond incomplete.
4863326 Of course. The story is following Cres, not AJ.
Cres will never know what happens to AJ, as he will move on in his life.
We'll only get to see AJ again in the sequel, which might change focus to the repercussions of Giratina sending Cres to Equestria (or something else along those lines).
4863176 Thanks.
That gives me assurance that I'm not totally off my rocker yet.
4869260 Just because the story focuses on one character, doesn't mean it is ok to just ignore all other characters and how they might grow in said story...
If all stories was like that, then there wouldn't be a good existing story to this very day. Imagine Lord of the Rings with only frodo having character growth or Harry Potter with only Harry Potter growing as a character.
4869659 Other characters can grow, but I think the story is just focused on Cres and his experiences within this time frame.
Cres will never know what exactly would come of Applejack's anger at that last moment, and I think the author is just cementing that fact.
And all stories don't have to show the ending to everything. Lots of stories focus on a character and give information and growth on others, but it's not a requirement for stories. Heck, it technically isn't a requirement for a good story. If I remember correctly, the story "Quantum Castaways" on Fimfic is quite the well written and intriguing story, yet it focuses on only two main characters and their unknown surroundings.
Plus, you can think about it another way. The conclusion involving Applejack is not important to this story as it's not the message being told, and our authors are saving that for the sequel for those who want to know everything that happened. Applejack is unimportant to this story, and that's shown by Cres moving on to his new life in the end, free of his past troubles.
4869845
Except the fact that the portrayel of Applejack in this story might push many readers, including myself, away from reading the sequal, purely because, like me, some fear that she will remain in the same near-racist behavior and if main focus is on that, then the story would get pretty annoyed very quickly.
I also see character-growth as a must in any fanfic/story ever written. And you can't really say that focus wasn't partly on Applejack, when she was the third most appearing character, only outshined by Cres and Fluttershy.
I am not saying Applejack should instantly fall in love with him or accept him, but give us a proper reason for her anger, other than 'some beast that are in no way related to Absol in mind or body killed her parents some time ago' because that kind of reasoning is bullshit to put it mildly.