The Reason Why

Confusion consumed my whole sanity. She warned us? Shielah? The one who tried to kill me? I ponder all about this as I hurried towards the backyard battlefield. I arrived there but walk straight towards the exit. Sandrine called out to me but I ignore it as I focus all of my attention to the person who was now retreating away. Retreating?

This confuses me more. She had the best chance she could get to snatch Shaymin but instead she is running away. No, not running away. She paused and turned towards my direction as if to check I was following before continuing to walk away. Whatever she was up to, the only way to find out is to follow.

There were only few people outside. The sun is almost out of the skyline and streetlights are starting to flicker on one by one. Sheilah headed towards the bridge across Echo River that was connecting Memorial City and the route to Treebranch Town. I continued to follow and was surprised when I saw her standing by the fence halfway across the bridge. She look at me and sat down on the ledge. I knew this is a stupid thing to do. That I shouldn't be around her alone but curiosity won out of me and I started walking towards her. I stop a few steps away from her, a comfortable distance.

"Hey." Shielah breathed.

I stared with my mouth hanging open? I expected something like, "Give me that Shaymin!" or "You'll be hurt if you don't surrender that Shaymin!" or probably "I'll kill you!". But "Hey"? "Hey"? What the F was that?

"That's the least I expected to hear from the person who just recently attempted to kill me." I manage to muster.

"You're still alive aren't you?" She answered almost nonchalantly.

Wow, she's not even sorry about it. This snap me out of my trance and sparked some anger.

"You know what, if you're here to get Shaymin, well good luck with that. Because you'll have to go over the whole Omega PH clan before you coould even lay a hand on it." I said.

"Relax. If I'm up for it I would've done it earlier. And I'm not that stupid to face an entire clan by myself." she said tuning down a bit. I waited for her to say more but she didn't. She knows I'm not much of a talker, is she pissing me off on purpose? Whatever it is, it's working.

"What do you want?" I shouted. I noticed she flinched a bit and felt a tiny bit of guilt wondering if I hurt her feelings. Am I crazy? I fought the urge to apologize and thankfully succeeded. Why is she being like this? One day she'd been intent on killing me, the next she wants to watch sunset over Echo River with me. Is this some kind of joke? If it is, it's not funny at all.

I waited for a response but still nothing. This is really getting me boiling. I took a deep breath to calm myself.

"Is it true?" I asked.

"Hmmm?" she replied.

"You warned Leyn about Havoc's attack?" I continued keeping eye contact this time. She kept her beautiful hazel eyes locked with mine. Under different circumstances I would've been blushing by now.

"Yes." she breathed. I'm caught surprised again.

"Why?" I whispered.

"Because I think dragging the innocent entire clan in this chaos is wrong."

"Wrong?" I said too loudly. "But killing me doesn't felt wrong to you?"

"I. Never. Intended. To. Kill. You." she answered emphasizing each word.

"But you still did." I hiccuped.

"What does that creature have that you'll put your own life at risk just to save it?"

"What does that creature have that you're willing to kill your bestfriend just get it?"

"I would never, ever hurt you."

"I once believed that. But you don't give me that much impression anymore."

"You wouldn't be here if I really intended to hurt you."

"I won't be too sure about that." I countered.

Just like before. This banter is just like how we used to minus the killing and hurting each other part. I just say what I wanted to say. What happened to you? I silently asked myself.

"That Shaymin." Shielah started after a few heartbeat. This got my attention.

"We need that Shaymin." she added. I waited again for her to continue but it seems like she needs motivation.

"Why?" I asked. She seemed to be thinking for a moment.

"In exactly a week from now, the seasonal Flower Bearing Journey will begin. All Shaymin will be gathering at a place, the place where they'd be starting their journey of spreading and creating Gracedia Gardens. You know all about this stuff." she said with a hint of a smile.

I do. Is she side-tracking me? I need to get her straight.

"What do you care about it? Catch all the Shaymin? Make an army out of it?" I asked.

"No. Havoc's founder, my father, would have never thought about that."

"Father?" I wondered out loud. She didn't have to explain and I totally get it. She didn't and continued.

"Those Shaymins. They are the reason why my father's leg was amputated." she said bitterly.

What? Did I hear it right? These gentle creatures can do that? That's impossible.

"Absurd." I commented but she continued as if she didn't hear me.

"Some time two years ago, my father came across a herd of Shaymin about to take off to their Flower Bearing Journey. They must've seen him, or heard him, or felt him because out of nowhere they flocked at him. My father tried to fight back but there's too many of them, launching Seed Flare altogether." She trailed off.

I process what I heard and shook my head.

"It can't be." I breathed.

"Of course you won't believe." she muttered. "I expected as much."

"Out of nowhere? No reason at all? They are Gratitude Pokemon for Arceus' sake!"

She didn't answer.

"There are holes to that story. You honestly can't base facts from just that." I said.

"That's enough for me to believe. At the bottom end, my father has every right to avenge!" she argued.

I stared at her. No matter how I said, what I said, she won't listen. I can see it clearly. If I try to put myself in her shoe, I guess I would be as blindsided. But seriously, those pokemon won't be caleed gratitude for nothing. Something is not clicking with her story. Then a thought came to me.

"Then how would you explain Groudon?" I eagerly asked.

"My father has his reasons." she adamantly answered.

"Right." I resigned. I didn't realize I was already sitting next to her.

"I didn't really expect you to believe me, with everything that happened and all. I just thought you might wanna know."

"Do I?" I asked, more to myself.

"Tomorrow, Havoc will launch another attack. This time, our seniors will be in the frontline, and that includes me. If you will still be stubborn, I might not be able to keep you from getting hurt." she said.

Now this surprised me on a different level. Keep me from getting hurt? Wait a minute. Now that I think about it, she really had the chance before. She could've just followed us that time when Noel saved me. She didn't. I'm sure she could just hit me when I was running. It's not hard to give me a bull's eye especially for a pokemon like Heatran. Still she didn't. Aaaaahhhh!!! This is going to blow my mind.

"Maybe I don't need to be saved." I simply uttered.

"Of course you don't." she said, jumping off the ledge. She walk until she was standing right in front of me.

"Tomorrow, I must do what it takes to take that Shaymin from you." she said. I was about to make a retort but she put a finger on my lips. "Please don't do something stupid." she added and press her lips onto mine.

My mind got blurry and all I can think about is how her lips felt on mine. It made me dizzy, in a good way. It was gone in a flash. I saw her cheeks flush pink.

"I've been wanting to do that for a long time now." she said turning around and walking away. I was left there speechless.

"Me too." I muttered to myself as I watch her disappear from my sight.