victory_road | Sixth Sacrament

[ The video comes on, showing a beautiful, vast meadow as night falls. The Sun's already set, the sky starting to darken and the stars slowly emerging from behind the daytime veil of blue. And in the field, there's a bright, white fire, seemingly growing bigger in an oddly self contained way. Walter stood off to the side, watching the fire with clear awe written on his face.

The fire grew and began to fade, revealing that in it's centre was a Marowak. The Marowak stood tall, thin with dark scales. It's eyes were pure silver, glowing in the half-dark. And on it's foreheard...the Halo of the Sun was inscribed, more complete than the simple pattern Walter had painted on his Cubone. Assumption looked over himself, before turning his gaze up to Walter.]

Assumption...

[ The name held a lot of barely contained emotion, awe, pride and joy painted on Walter's face. Assumption recognised it and grinned, running forward to embrace his trainer. Walter crouched down and picked him up, spinning him around in a circle (revealing the patterns of bones on Assumption's back) and holding him to his chest.

And he began to laugh. A rich, deep laugh that he hadn't used since coming to the Pokeworld. The video cuts out with Darkness leaving the Gear on the floor, flying over to land on Walter's shoulder and caw joyously. ]

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_{[Hey now! It's been a while since he's heard that voice...and it certainly hadn't been laughing the last time he did.]}

Now how d'ya like that! I've never seen a Pokemon evolve like that before!

[ Oh, it's Ralph. He hasn't heard from him in a while. ]

Neither have I. They all emitted light but Assumption's was like fire.

I wonder if that means he's special...y'know, kinda like how some Pokemon are an unusual color. Either way, congratulations to your lil' fire guy there!

He is. [ Walter speaks with resolve. Darkness cawed in agreement, the Honchkrow obviously pleased with Assumption's evolution as well. Assumption grinned, getting a little bashful under the praise. He waved to Ralph anyway, firmly seated with Walter ]

Even if other Pokemon evolve like that, Assumption is special. [ Still a little giddy from happiness, he cuddled Assumption openly. The Marowak snuggled into the hug. That much hadn't changed from his Cubone days. ]

_{[Well is't that a nice picture? Ralph can't keep away a smile at that. He's not quite as close to his Pokemon as some of his friends but he can still appreciate it.]

That's quite a name. Does he like guessing games?

_{[Ralph no.]}}

[ You dun goofed bro ]

No. Assumption means to accept, both power and responsibility for that power. I researched Cubones back when he was first given to me; he would only evolve into a stronger form when he accepted his mother's death. I named him Assumption because I knew he would do it someday. And he has. He's exceeded my all my expectations for that. [ Walter had never felt proud before. But it's clear that's exactly what he was, and Assumption was overjoyed to have made his trainer proud of him. ]

...He reminded me of myself, when I was younger. [ Before he began to learn about the 21 Sacraments for the Descent of the Holy Mother. Back when he was an orphan who just wanted to be loved by a mother he'd never known. ]

_{[Having recently accepted BEING A REAL HUMAN FLESH MAN himself, Ralph's brows slowly drifted upward as Walter told his tale. Honestly, this was the most talkative he'd ever seen the guy. From what he remembered, Walter was kind of a clam.]

[His brows soon dipped and pinched together in sympathy though. Walter was real just like him and if a Pokemon widely known for crying and mourning reminded him of himself, well...]}

So, d'you think that means you have an assumption in store for you too?

I did. [ His thumb rubs over the Halo of the Sun on Assumption's head, now neater and more detailed than the crude one he had painted on it months ago. ]

I was raised to prepare for it. When the time came, I performed the ritual. And I became a ghost, just like Assumption. Then I came here. And I'm alive again... [ He drifts off, tightening his hold on Assumption. Why was he alive? He still didn't know. The Honchkrow on his shoulder shuffled closer to his head, cawing softly. ]

Not quite the assumption I had in mind...

_{[He's still convinced Walter can change.]}

[ Walter looked between his pokemon thoughtfully. Ralph was one of the one's who had taken about a second chance. A new beginning. ]

...I don't know what else I'm meant to do. [ He spoke it very quietly. There was no new beginning here. Henry was here. The Order, judging by the Seal of Mettatron, was here. He couldn't just up and leave his past. It was here. And yet everything that enabled him before, including Valtiel...wasn't. ]

Well...

_{[Ralph shifts a little, bringing a hand up to his chin. He remembers talking to Peridot about something similar.]}

What do you wanna do?

[ That's a big question Ralph.

No-one had ever...asked him what he wanted to do. He had wanted to be with his mom. Then he had wanted to be dead. Then he had to kill, had to keep killing. He had wanted it to be over.

And now he was here. He slowly sat down, placing Assumption in his lap and thinking deeply. ]

...I don't know. I never...it was never my choice.

_{[The ex-wrecker gives a hum and a nod. Being 'born' to do one task and suddenly being given an entire world of opportunity is enough to make your head spin.]}

Well...start small, yeah? You get to choose what you eat for breakfast, right? Why not mix it up and try a cake for once?

_{[CAKE IS REALLY IMPORTANT OKAY.]}

...cake? [ That's so weird! He actually had to pause and think. ]

I don't think I've had cake before. [ He'd had whoopie pie, snickerdoodles, donuts and sometimes a muffin back when he was alive. And in this world he had tried cinnamon rolls and mochi ice cream. Cake was big and meant to be shared at parties, and Walter was only one man who couldn't justify buying a cake just for himself. ]

_{[Ralph's whole face blanches in horror.]}

Pal, you have got to fix that right away! If it weren't for cake, I wouldn't even be here!

_{[It's...true more or less. If Gene hadn't been such a broken joystick about the cake...wait. Ooooh no, he was NOT going to thank Gene for all the wonderful new friends he made! CHANGING TRAINS OF THOUGHT.]}

Then again...only if you want to. I mean, I'd definitely recommend it, strawberry especially, but the cake's up to you.

You need lot of people for cake. [ He doesn't think Pokemon are allowed cake. But given what's happened, he's intending to give them some poffins as a treat. ]

I did travel recently...I saw so many things. [ He drifts off a bit but there's a vague smile. He had seen some nice things on his travels, had ended up with several new Pokemon. He had seen some not so nice things either, like all the bugs in the forests and some places took him back to being a young boy, trying to find Ashfield Heights. But for the most part...it had been nice. ] I'd never really done that before. Not like this.

Psssffft! Nah you don't!

_{[RALPH, HE's JUST ONE MAN.]}

But hey, that's great! Have you checked out a cave yet? They're pretty neat.

I have. I didn't like it.

[ So. Many. Bats. Granted he had Chaos electrocute every unfortunate one to so much as draw attention to itself in his presence but he hated their mere existence. He hadn't slept well, hearing their squeaking and the dreadful fluttering of their wings. ]

The forest was better. Ilex. There were lots of little wooden structures in it, like houses. [ The shrines he means. ]

Sixth Sacrament - Assumption

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