Title: Limbo
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: None
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #87, Alone
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics.
This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under
international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you.
*Phantomness bows* Star Wars belongs to George Lucas.
Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics
if a pokemon talks. This is based on the Star Wars/Pokemon RPG that I wrote
with Jolty, Kiohl, Backdraft, Mason, and Incarnation…
Warnings: AU, lots of OCs
Maddie shivered as she looked around the ruins of Lifepod 96. Years ago, it had been a bustling area, full of street vendors, with several Jedi making it their permanent residence. However, several consecutive natural disasters had shaken the core and destroyed the foundation, and soon, it had become little more than a ghost town.
She hugged her baby Azurill as she looked around carefully. There didn’t seem to be anyone scary here, but…
If she hadn’t lost that bet with Daniel, she wouldn’t be here! She patted the camera in her belt pouch, and then snuck forwards. Dust and sand rose in puffs as she walked along the deserted roads towards the shell of what had once been a Healing Center. Most of the heavy metals had been stripped away, recycled for use in newer buildings elsewhere, and as she ducked underneath the awning, she took a deep breath.
It was so quiet here. It scared her. But unless there were ghosts, she was perfectly safe!
She snapped a picture of the building, and prepared to leave. Suddenly, there was an ominous creaking noise and a chunk of … something fell. She hastily ducked, but after the dust had settled, she saw that she was trapped.
Maddie took a deep breath, trying not to panic, but it was hard to do. No one except Daniel knew she was here, and… and…
What if she and Azurill died?
She began to sob, loud, heart-wrenching sobs. She would have continued until daybreak, but moments later, she had run out of tears and was now clutching Azurill so tightly that the baby mouse squeaked in protest.
What was she going to do?
“You know,” A cold voice cut in, “You’re being an idiot.”
Maddie jumped, startled. A shape approached in the darkness. Azurill tried to hide behind her.
A sudden light turned on. Maddie blinked stars from her eyes, seeing a woman wearing a blue-variant Nurse Joy uniform, staring at her coldly. On her shoulder was perched some type of black pokemon she had never seen before.
Maddie screamed.
“Oh shush.” The woman snapped. “You’d think I was a moldering corpse or something. I’m Phantomness.”
Azurill cocked her head to the side quizzically. “Ruri?”
“Yes.”
“Ruri! Rurururu!”
“The others? They’ve already moved on, made their peace. I haven’t, but I don’t really mind – someone has to keep an eye on this place after all.”
“Rururu…”
Feeling a little bit better since Phantomness didn’t seem to be dangerous, Maddie gave her another look-over. She did look pretty normal.
“So, um… why are you here?”
“Ghosts tend to haunt the places where they die.”
“You don’t look like a ghost.” Maddie scrunched up her forehead. “Usually they’re, well…”
“Ugly and scary?” Phantomness asked sarcastically.
“Er, yes?”
“Well, I’m no Shuppet or Duskull, so that doesn’t quite apply.”
“I guess so.” Maddie admitted; feeling disoriented. Here she was having a conversation with a dead woman!
Wait till she told Daniel!
“So how did you die?”
Phantomness chuckled. “Lightsaber fight.”
“Really? You’re a Jedi? That’s so cool!”
“Sith, actually.” Phantomness coughed. “Though labels are so stifling.” She ran her fingers across the pokemon’s fur.
It looked vaguely like an Eevee, Maddie thought.
She wanted an Eevee. They were supposed to be rare and powerful!
But how could someone who looked nice and pretty be a Sith Lady? She said as much, and Phantomness just laughed.
“There are – no, were many handsome men and women in the Sith Organization. Do not assume that beauty is Light and ugliness is Dark.” Phantomness told her. “Several of my dearest friends were none too pleasing to the eye, yet they were true allies.”
“What kind of pokemon is that?” Maddie pointed.
The ghost Eevee purred, before shimmering. Maddie gasped and jumped back, as it turned into a man wearing all black with golden eyes.
“Not a pokemon at all, little lady.” The ghost drawled. “I’m Phantom.”
“Phantom?”
“Her older brother.” He jerked a thumb at Phantomness, who shrugged.
“Oh.” Maddie looked between the two of them, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. But that was impossible.
She’d never read about anything like this before!
“See,” Phantom purred, “Until Phantomness decides whether to pick Light or Dark, we’ve nothing to do but wait.”
“I don’t understand.” The six-year old said with all the gravity one of her age could muster.
“It’s simple. Once a Jedi or a Sith dies, they become one with the Force. Problem is, Jedi go one way and Sith go the other. Now me, I’m permanently dark, so I’m definitely heading that way, but Phantomness? She’s a true shade of gray if there was one. She uses both Light and Dark force, heals and kills, and all that jazz. If she chooses Dark, she’d leave all her good friends on the Light side behind, and she doesn’t want to do that, but choosing Light means she’ll never see me again.”
Maddie winced. “So that’s why you’re here?”
“That’s why we’re stuck in limbo, yes. I’m just hanging around her for now, because I can.” Phantom flashed a smile, showing brilliant white teeth. “Pity you aren’t ten years older, otherwise things might be interesting.”
Phantomness whacked him, lightly.
Maddie just blinked.
“It’s not something I can decide easily.” The woman huffed. “But not making a choice is just as bad.”
Phantom cocked his head to the side, peering at her. “You’re choosing Light then? This is good-bye for good?”
“No.” Phantomness shook her head. “I’m choosing Dark.”
“But… all your friends? What about that little apprentice of yours? And S’oo, you sure gave him the eye enough.”
“Yes, but they’re not you.” Phantomness snapped. “And don’t think I forgot what you gave up to stay with me. You made more of a sacrifice than any of them ever did, and that’s what I appreciate the most.”
Phantom just goggled at her, before he smiled. They joined hands, and before Madeline’s startled eyes, began to shimmer, and fade, until both dissolved in a spray of delicate sparkles.
After they were gone, she found an exit, and left, determined not to think any more of the strange encounter, but twenty years later, when she was pregnant with twins, she named them Erik and Charlotte.
End Fic
Started 6/11/07
Completed 6/17/07
I finally managed to write this fic…and Phantom’s personality underwent drastic changes. Oops!
Maddie is the reincarnation of Madeline, the parent of my two Sith creations…. ^^ And Phantomness and Phantom’s real names are Charlotte and Erik, they just use their titles as names.
S’oo belongs to Kiohl, and Flanoir to Jolty.