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"Volo~! Long time no see!"
In a corner of Lumiose city, Volo froze at the sound of that voice—it couldn't be the,… The air around Volo suddenly felt heavy. Cold sweat began to form on his forehead, and his eyes and feet felt like they were shackled by super-heavy handcuffs. But with great difficulty, Volo faced what was before him. Gathering his courage, Volo slowly opened his eyes and looked up and down… Thier clothes were clearly more modern, and oh my, was it a new brand that Volo forgot how to spell? Thier smile was still the same as before, but it seemed to be mocking him. Thier hair was slightly longer, styled in the same bun as if in a small mocking to Volo in some way and thier gaze was stoic, as if they were still the same after that…
The Hero. They still alive. 150 years after the events of Hisui, and now they are was right before him once again. It felt like Arceus had struck Volo with a sword of judgment and forcibly revived him yet again.
"What are you doing here, Hero?" Volo asked unfiltered and somewhat sharply.
"Rude Volo… We haven't seen each other in a while, you know, but I'm not surprised you're like that…" the Hero replied with a sigh and chuckle, poking thier fingers at Volo cheeks as if making a clear statement that they wasn't an illusion but real and simply smiled cruelly at him… Volo never wanted to feel like he was dead again right now…
Volo looked at him somewhat pessimistically. Them, the Hero of Hisui, should most likely be dead, since it's been over 150 years since Hisui. How could that be possible? "You're lost in thought again, and yes, I'm immortal. Just like you, don't think too much" the Hero said curtly, pinching Volo's cheek, breaking Volo's mind, which was filled with so many things now and making him dizzy.
"How?"
"Just like you, cursed by Arceus."
"Got in, tricked…"
"… Want something to eat?"
"Seriously?"
The sun was already midway in the sky, meaning it was time for lunch. After a few minutes of searching, the two of them stopped at inside a small cafe and sat down in a secluded area away from the crowd. Hero and Volo each ordered their food. After the waiter left, leaving them with small drinks.
Volo observed Hero body language carefully; it was calm but underneath it was a sense of control.
After a few moments, Volo got straight to the point. "So, please explain why you're here. In Lumiose city" Volo asked, somewhat bitterly, adjusting his hat to quell the tension he felt. He stared at Hero's face, wary and somewhat bitter.
Hero's eyes widened slightly, but they managed to control them before Volo noticed. Hero put on a poker face, making sure Volo couldn't read their face like before. they narrowed thier eyes, then smiled cockily, as if to say, "Ah, classic Volo," and rolled thier eyes lazily.
"I'm interested in mega evolution, so I thought I might as well buy and find mega stones for my Pokémon in this city. ZA Royal sounds fun, doesn't it?" The hero replied casually, playing with the water glass in thier hand on the table, placing one palm next to thier cheek. It wasn't a lie, but meeting Volo here was like hitting the biggest jackpot, a prize they hadn't expected.
the Lady Victini was by thier side.
"Well, I can't deny that the prize is attractive… But I wonder how they'll grant a wish," said Volo crossed his arms, watching the people passing by them across the cafe. The hero simply replied while chuckling "Well, it's true. I guess they definitely have other goals, don't they? Unless they have a Pokémon that can grant wishes?" They raised an eyebrow, only to be met with an annoyed sigh from Volo. "but i don't need any wish since i have what i want but battle with strong trainers here very fun" said Hero "Yeah, I can see that, you always like that hah" Volo replied curtly, looking back at the hero, noting that they had changed so much since Volo last saw them… The pang in Volo's stomach returned.
"You've changed so much, Hero…" Volo said quietly, his eyes filled with nostalgia and guilty "And you still look the same, but you're different too," the hero replied with a light smile, as if feeling the same way. The hero looked at the glass in his hand and spun it slightly, causing the ice inside to move with the water.
"Everything changes and evolves, Volo. You and I." them said quietly but firmly.
Honestly, it was ironic for the hero to see how things had reversed for the two of them. Previously, Hero had always been under Volo's intimidation and manipulation, but since everything and finally their final battle at the e Mount Coronet… this reunion… their dynamics had been reversed.
"Never bite the hand that feeds you." Unless you want to be hunted for life.
The Hero remembers…
During the worst period of thier life, everyone turned their backs on they, including at the end Volo and Arceus themself… They was so tired.
They had done so much for everyone, sacrificing thier bonds with their loved ones in the future, thier happiness, and thier own freedom.
Those people had cast them aside like a plague, even though they hadn't done anything wrong, and when they 'fixed it,' there was no apology. nothing just 'sorry' nothing more.
A blessing from Arceus? No. It was a curse.
And they was sick of taking all the curses to make all people happy only to be ordered to do so then treated like 'outsider trash' by those ungrateful peoples.
After Volo showed his true colors, something finally snap inside them.
They was sick of making sacrifices for that ungrateful peoples.
They stared at the village burned by his Pokémon, the screams, the blood, the ashes, and the cries… They still clearly remembered thier hands, feet, body, and clothes covered in blood and sin…
They do it. defected as Arceus's destiny Hero and was punished by the Divine for it. But they laughed cruelly because they didn't regret thier defection, for they was finally free.
Back in the present, the Hero could only smile to thierself. Eternity had taught them many things, but thier grudge against Arceus like boil water that slowing killing pokemon inside it then spill the boil water nearby when ready.
But Arceus had to keep the play going, even if it didn't go according to plan.
The sounds of the bustling city echoed behind them, the awkward creaking of chairs on both sides, and the small chatter of people. In the midst of their silence, the two people remembered something they hadn't discussed in almost two and a half centuries, because Volo never expected this to actually happen.
"Why did you let me live?" The hero's eyebrows rose as he stared at Volo's whisper. "What?" The Hero's response was confused. Volo's breathing was heavy as he continued, "When the fight was over, why didn't you kill me like the people in the village? I didn't deserve your mercy—"
"Because I could." the hero interrupted with a sigh.
Volo's eyes widened, and before he could answer, their conversation was interrupted by the waiter bringing their food. After a few minutes of setting and placing their food on the table, along with the hero's tip, the waiter finally left, leaving them alone again.
"But why? Why did you let me? why you pity me?" Volo's mouth felt dry as he asked, drinking his coffee, which was as bitter as his mouth at that moment. The hero picked up them drink and brought it close to thier face. "You were the only one standing when I was at my worst… You still haven't forgotten what I did in Hisui, huh?"
The memory came to Volo's mind in an instant.
He remembered that.
When he was defeated, he barely touched back to Hisui until one day, he felt something terrible happen after a months after the battle with the Hero.
When he was told by Cogita that the hero had done the unthinkable—
Volo, unable to believe it, immediately saw it with his own eyes.
When he arrived at Jubilife Village, the scene was horrific, the smell of blood, fire, and many other things.
Ignoring the yell from Akari, Rei, and Laventon, Volo went inside.
He clearly saw the Hero at the edge of Jubilife Village, which had been engulfed in flames.
Blood stained all over they clothes, their eyes looked so empty even though the light of the flames reflected in them…
What happened… Hero should not spill bloods- Hero should like this-
the world felt like it stopped spinning as he saw the Hero.
"Volo?" The Hero tapped Volo's head with a spoon, causing Volo to flinch. Volo gulped as he placed his hands on the table and ducked. "Yes…" His answer was soft but rough and the Hero placed the spoon on thier plate "I see…" Hero said with a sigh.
Volo's eyes focused on the glass, which for a moment showed a distorted reflection of the world and Giratina at a glance. He widened in shock. "Oh shit, I'm really in a pyroar cage-" Volo thought, trying to think clearly while the Hero took photos and eating thier food.
"Urk—you're threatening me." Volo smiled bitterly, and the Hero just laughed again, seeing that now beside them, the cafe window where they were sitting had a distorted reflection of the city, showing Giratina, who was watching their 'ex date' intently.
"Let them, they're just curious," the Hero replied. "But maybe I did mess you up a bit…" the hero continued to eat and the cafe window glass returning to its original state leave Volo sigh in relieved.
"Chk- what's your plan for meeting me? Forcing me to join you?"
"Hmm, this is a coincidence meeting and don't give me any ideas, but…"
"Ah, damn it."
"I assure you, our next meeting will definitely not be a coincidence."
the words hung in the air and the Heroes had finished with their food while Volo still hadn't touched anything other than his coffee, the sky was too blue and the atmosphere too 'friendly' for this meeting for Volo it felt like a damn death test from Arceus. The hero called the waiter and paid for thier and Volo's food which made Volo's self-esteem drop further and they was laughed at again, they likes to see being pathetic cuz he is.
"We will meet again," said the Hero smiling at Volo before leaving and The Hero disappeared in the crowd and Volo could only let it escape that easily once again leaving Volo with shattered self-esteem, half-drinking black coffee and cold food that he hadn't even touched. Volo looked at the ceiling of the cafe and glanced to the side and there was a 'smoking allowed' sign. He immediately reached into his pocket and lit his match and inhaled the smoke in his lungs then exhaled.
"definitely" hum Volo in the broad daylight sky.