Hideo definitely noticed the stormy part of this night. Maybe he should have chosen a better night to do this, but this was the day that he swore he’d talk to Melody about this, so he was gonna do it, whether or not it was raining.

His Beheeyem had been against him doing it, but the urge was too great. He had to talk to someone about this. Someone that might give him an idea where to look, and he’d already agreed with Eris Halla that Melody was someone he could talk to.

So the boy made his way to Melody’s house, his Dragalge doing his best to serve as a living umbrella, both for Hideo and the Musharna on top of his head. It was only once he got to Melody’s house that he’d remembered there was a gate there. “Ah crap,” Hideo muttered, “Forgot she had one of these. Anything look like a doorbell to you two?”

A Telepathic message of uncertainty from his Musharna, and a confused grunt from his Dragalge.

Maybe he should have brought his Beheeyem.

Well, he’d just have to feel around for some kind of doorbell. Hopefully Melody wasn’t an early sleeper.

Melody Miro

Hideo jumped slightly at the sudden arrival of a Gardevoir. There was the faintest glimmer of hope that it was his own Gardevoir, returning to him at last.

But this one said nothing, no Telepathic message or anything. His hope left him with a sigh as the Gardevoir guided him and his Pokemon inside, fortunately out of the rain.

His Dragalge had done a good job keeping the rain away, but not a perfect job. Thankfully, Melody was there to greet him, and he readily accepted the towel. "Didn't think the rain was gonna be that bad," he joked, drying himself and his Musharna off as best he could. The addition of a heated Pokemon helped too.

"Nah, I'm not hungry or thirsty. I just wanted to talk." And there was a lot to talk about. "I don't think we've talked in a while. Is there somewhere we can sit?"

Obviously yes, but Melody could probably bring him to a spot they could sit down in for a while.

Melody Miro

Hideo nodded, letting Melody guide him over to a chair. He was quick to make himself comfortable, though he made sure to recall his Dragalge back into his Pokeball; he didn't want his impromptu-umbrella dripping water everywhere. Or drying out next to that warm Pokemon Melody brought out.

"Yeah. I'm doing…alright." There was a slight hesitation as he spoke. "Been really busy with everything going on. It's good to hear you're doing alright too."

Had he brought his Beheeyem, he would've been aware of Melody's altered appearance. This was his Musharna's first time meeting Melody, so Hideo was left unaware.

He wasn't going to beat around the bush much. "I was even there when that…monster appeared by the Tree of Life. Even tried to help stop it. Were you there when it appeared?" He was barely able to keep track of the people around him when everything was going on.

He could barely even keep track of his own Pokemon.

Melody Miro

"Oh." Well, she couldn't be everywhere at once. It was pure coincidence that he was there when it all happened.

Though considering his role on that day, had it truly been coincidence?

"It was…bad. Really bad." Even that was understating it. "I don't know if any people died, but a lot of Pokemon died trying to stop that monster that appeared."

And so came one of the first thing he wanted to tell Melody.

"You remember those two Wishiwashis we got from the breeding center? The ones that can glow?" He hadn't actually learned of that until well after they were born, but he'd be shocked if Melody hadn't found out by now.

"Mine…she…" His voice cracked slightly; it had been a while, and the ache in his heart had lessened, yet it was never truly gone. And this was just picking at the scar. "I'm sorry, Melody."

He did his best to try and hold on to his composure, even as the moisture built up in his eyes.

Melody Miro

Hideo took a moment to try and keep himself composed. He didn't want to start crying then and there, but thinking back to what he'd lost that day still felt like picking at a scar.

Yet what actually stopped him was that sudden slap. Not on him, or his Pokemon, but from where Melody was sitting. He didn't need his Musharna to tell him Melody slapped herself, and it got a small jump from the boy.

She started a few times, before finally getting the words out. He quietly listened, taking a moment before speaking again

"She…wasn't the first Pokemon I've lost." He still had nightmares of the night he lost Squeeze, his Ariados disappearing before he even knew it. "And Wishiwashi wasn't the only one I lost that day either. I lost a few others too."

His Zebstrika. His Dustox

His Gardevoir.

"They all needed me to guide them. And I could barely tell what was going on." His voice audibly cracked as he struggled to keep himself together. "They needed me, and I failed them. Just like I failed my Ariados."

Even after promising he wouldn't.

Melody Miro

Melody's small comfort did help him somewhat, though only a little. Her putting her hand on top of his gave the most comfort.

But that little comfort was dashed by the mention of his parents

"...you wouldn't need to ask them," he said, pulling his hand back slightly, "And…I've already had time to…do that." He'd talked to several people to help him cope with the loss of his Ariados, and had spent his time at the memorial for his losses on the Darkest Day.

And dwelling on them any longer wouldn't change how he felt now.

And talking about them wasn't the main thing he came here for.

"There's something else that happened on that day. The Lake Trio appeared; Uxie, Azelf, Mesprit. They helped us try and restrain the giant monster that appeared. And that was the third time they'd appeared to me."

The first was during the group meeting with the other amulet-bearers. "The first time, they gave us a warning of what was gonna come. And they were right."

Then the incident at the museum. "Second time, Uxie appeared and helped us try and stop some guys with Unown. That was where I lost Squeeze…" And where he first heard the prophecy that was found near Ruby Walker 's body.

Melody Miro

Hideo cringed slightly at the mention of the badge. "...the Gardevoir I brought to your challenge - the blue one - she was one of the Pokemon I lost." Better to let her know now than have her learn just how badly he screwed up later. "I don't know if she died, but that monster did something to her that made her start attacking others. I haven't seen her since."

Though he'd left any hope that she'd be back behind him, during the memorial. It would just hurt him the longer he hoped for her return.

It wasn't too much of a shock that Melody didn't know anything about the Lake Trio. He himself barely knew anything about them before he got his charm. Well, he could just explain what little he knew, his mouth open as he prepared an explanation.

And it stayed open as Melody revealed her deception, that she'd already talked to someone about them. Eris Halla …

"O-oh," Hideo muttered, quickly regaining his composure. "Didn't know she talked to you already."

"Yeah, I got a mark too. Though mine was from Uxie, not Mesprit." He pulled his sleeve back, raising his wrist and showing the mark to Melody.

"Uxie is supposed to be knowledgeable, or something like that. It's also yellow and has its eyes closed all the time." That last part, he could relate to pretty well, though it'd be pretty silly if that was the main reason Uxie chose him.

"Dunno if this makes me an avatar or something. Uxie hasn't appeared to me since that day, and I don't have any special powers or anything." He didn't even know where to look for Uxie, or any of the Lake Trio for that matter. "Me and Eris already talked about our marks to each other. We dunno who Azelf marked though, if it marked anyone at all."

Melody Miro