Hideo
he/him
15
October 18th
slateport
undecided
Gym Leader
Ace Trainer
i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.
TAG WITH @hideo
Hideo Kino
The Only Winning Move (FW2)
POSTED ON Jan 23, 2024 1:04:44 GMT
The stench of antiseptic and the beeping of monitors made it easy for Hideo to guess where he'd been brought to this time; he was in a hospital, though he had no idea which one he was in.
Which did raise the obvious question of how he was going to find his younger self in here; asking staff was out of the question, since he didn't exactly enter the place through the front door. Navigating these places always felt like a maze.
Fortunately, a familiar set of squeaky footsteps caught his attention, gradually approaching him.
Oh thank goodness, Elga was alright. Though before he could speak, he felt Elga urge him to follow…in a way that left his mind a little uncomfortable? It felt strange.
But he followed along, noticing an oddity in his Beheeyem's steps, like it was slightly staggered, one side bearing more weight than the other. And his Beheeyem had always led him by the left, on his non-dominant side - but Elga was on the right this time.
He almost began to question if this really was his Beheeyem, but Uxie assured him it was - and that his questions would be answered soon.
So he followed, until he was led into a room. Elga informed him he was here - his younger self.
Hideo stood there for a moment, trying to think what to say first - he considered scolding his younger self for going out against his warnings, but he knew he wouldn't want that if he was in the same place.
He had been in the same place - or at least a similar one.
"You awake?" were the first words that came out. He didn't know what to do if he didn't get a response, but it was worth asking.
"Yeah…" The reply was quiet, exhausted, but it was an answer.
Hideo took a seat in the nearest chair he could find. "Don't think I ever got hospitalized like this before. How're you…" He trailed off, unsure what to end that with.
"I'll be fine." He could hear his younger self shift in the bed, though only partially. "Doc says my leg's gonna take a while to heal. Can't even start therapy for a couple months. But it'll heal eventually."
"That's…good." He'd managed to get out of that with only some bruised ribs. "Guess you won't need a brace like Andy did?"
His attempt at levity failed. He realized it wouldn't have gotten any reaction after he'd spoken.
There was an uncomfortable silence.
"...what happened?" He could still remember how it'd gone for himself in his own timeline - and as far as he could tell, this went even worse.
"I…I tried to stop Necrozma when it appeared. There were a lotta people that did the same, and I tried to stay away from all the stuff you got caught in…but…"
His younger self took in a deep breath - Hideo knew it wasn't an easy thing to think about.
"It did…something to Rocky. I don't know what, but Elga said he got coated in something…and then he started attacking everyone."
Hideo felt his heart sink; what'd happened to his Gardevoir, happened to his Lycanroc. Hideo didn't know what'd happened
"He went after Pinky first…and when he was done, he tried attacking me."
He could fill in the blanks himself; his Ribombee died.
"Squeeze fought him off, but she got hurt bad. And when Necrozma started attacking everyone, she pushed me out of the way."
His Ariados died protecting him…history repeated, even if it were in a different context.
"When those weird symbols appeared, Elga and Pom rushed me over while Aaron kept me covered. I just kept running…even when I couldn't hear Aaron's steps anymore."
His Aggron died covering for him.
"We got to the circle, and the Lake Trio appeared. They tried to bind Necrozma, and they did it…'til the second one came…Rocky came back with a lot of corrupted Pokemon and attacked Uxie. Pom was able to draw some of them away, but Rocky was persistent, and he got her…"
Pom also died trying to stop Rocky.
"He came back for us. Elga did his best to fend him off, but a Rock Tomb hit me in the leg…which is kinda why I'm here now. Elga got badly hurt too."
Explained why Elga was moving so strangely. "...how badly was Elga hurt?"
He could hear the footsteps approach him. In spite of his trepidation, he reached out to Elga, feeling the Beheeyem lead his hand over to its right side, towards its right arm.
Towards the empty space its right arm should be. Onto the bandage that covered its shoulder.
"Oh…"
Elga was maimed in the fight.
Silence lingered in the air, a weight crushing them both. Each waited for the other to say something first, but neither knew what to say next.
Until the younger Hideo broke that silence.
"You were right. I shouldn't have gone. You gave me every warning you could, but I couldn't even listen to myself. And it got my Pokemon killed." His younger self let out a sigh. "Rocky, Pom…the only one I still got now is Elga, and he lost his arm for it. I failed them all."
"You still have everyone back at camp. They're worried you didn't come back. I was worried too. We can take you back there, maybe even get Vines to heal your leg up. Maybe even-"
"I'm not going back."
That declaration had the most energy the younger boy showed yet. It was enough to catch Hideo off guard. "What do you mean you're not going back?"
"I mean what I said. I'm not going back to my camp. I failed the Pokemon closest to me…I can't show myself to them anymore."
"So what're you gonna do? Just stay in the hospital the rest of your life?"
The younger Hideo remained silent for a short time, before giving his answer:
"I'm going home."
"...what?"
"I'm going back home. To Mom and Dad. They were right; I shouldn't have left home. If I didn't leave, Rocky'd still be here. So would Pom and Squeeze and Pinky and Aaron. And Elga wouldn't be crippled like this."
"You…you know what'll happen if you go back, right? Mom and Dad'll never let you leave again. I know it hurts losing them, but you can't-"
"I called them ten minutes ago."
Hideo's protests ended there. "I told them I'm here…I told them what happened. And I told them I want to go back home. They're gonna be here in ten minutes to pick me up...transfer me to a hospital in Slateport."
Any energy Hideo had to protest with fizzled out then and there. He'd considered doing that himself several times before, but never went through with it. If he had, he never could've become a Gym Leader, he never could've met so many new Pokemon, and he never would get a chance to help protect Hoenn like he did now.
"...you're really done?"
"Yeah. I think the adventure's over. It was nice…but I think you had the right idea; I never really had what it took to be Champion. And…I don't think I can bounce back from what just happened. I just really want to go home right now."
"...what do you want me to do with the Pokemon back at our camp."
"Let them know that I wasn't the kind of trainer they needed me to be. That I'm going home. They can do whatever they want."
Hideo sat, quiet. He didn't know how long he sat there, trying to think of some way to salvage this - and coming up with nothing.
His dream had died once again - perhaps forever in this timeline.
All because of his own stubbornness.
"...alright." He sat up. "If that's what you really want, what I want, then I'll go tell them."
"Thank you."
Hideo made his way out of the room, holding himself together as best he could, even as the tears began to build in his eyes. He'd had a chance to change his past - and all he did was make it worse. Had he never tried to interfere, he still would've been hurt - but not nearly to this extent.
It didn't seem like there was any winning move here.
He'd been in this timeline long enough.
He heard his Beheeyem trail behind him. As he turned, he felt the Beheeyem walk into him, wrapping its one remaining arm around him. He knelt down, hugging it back.
"Thanks for staying with me, Elga," he said, trying his best to hold himself together. "You've always been reliable…you think there's any chance he'll get better?" The message he received was that of uncertainty - but not denial. "Just…try not to push yourself too hard. You gotta recover too. And I got a feeling it's gonna take time."
He could feel a small dampness on his shirt…he didn't know his Beheeyem could cry.
He knew his own tears weren't going down that far.
"Whatever happens…I'll always adore you, Elga."
Summary of this timeline:
- Hideo was warned of the events of League Barracks E1. He doesn't go to Lilycove, averting the loss of his Ariados.
- As a result, he's able to complete the Gym Circuit, obtaining all 8 badges he'd need to challenge the Elite 4. However, he never challenges them.
- Despite being warned otherwise, he chooses to fight Necrozma during the Darkest Day.
- His efforts result in the corruption of his Lycanroc, the deaths of his Ariados, Ambipom, Ribombee, and Aggron, and the maiming of his Beheeyem. Hideo himself is injured and is hospitalized after the battle.
- As a result of his losses, Hideo gives up on the Gym Circuit and chooses to return home.
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