Patches of rusty red and mossy green patterned the base of the butterfly’s wing like shrubs reclaiming a mountainside; a line of white, like clouds along the horizon, preceded the gradient of honey yellow and tangerine scales that lined the edge. Poppy cocked her head at the two tailed pasha as it landed on a nearby cinnamon fern.
“Surprised to see you all the way out here, little one. Have you strayed from home as well?” She reached into her pouch with her vines, pulled out an apricot, and squished it. Juice dripped to the ground as she gently placed the mess near the butterfly. “Here’s something you might appreciate. I have no need of it, myself, so don’t feel bad.”
She watched the butterfly feed for a while before turning her gaze toward the marsh beside her. Red winged blackbirds perched with grace on spindly reeds, and the water reflected the sky so clearly that Poppy could see individual clouds. Spring peepers chirped invisibly, like a chorus of newborn chicks, and the shelducks honked and purred as though with laughter caught in their throats. Poppy admired the birds’ autumnal plumage and the graceful curve of their necks. She didn’t mind that her fur was damp.
Would now be a good time to catch up? asked Ann.
Yeah. I guess so.
Ann—its avatar, rather—materialized beside Poppy and lay down. “So, how are you?”
“Genuinely, I’m happy for all the destruction we’ve averted, but… this whole thing has got me thinking about carnivores. The civilized ones, anyway. They were hit hardest by my… policies. Ethically sourcing food for such pokemon is a real challenge, and I’m not sure how to approach it. But it makes me wonder…” She sighed. “Um…”
“What is it? I promise I won’t make fun of you if I think it’s silly.”
She sighed yet again. “Let me put it this way. If I were to recreate the world from scratch, I’m not sure I would have any reason include carnivores at all. I just…” She shook her head. “I don’t know. What would you do in my place, Ann?”
Ann nearly buried its face in the fur of its chest as it laughed—or perhaps ‘chittered’ would be more accurate.
“Hm? What are we so coy about?”
“Sorry. Listen—I find joy in simple things, like watching the tide, or feeling the breeze on my face. I think we’re quite similar in that way. But the phenomenon that we call ‘life,’ I think you’ll agree, is far from simple. I would find the world so much more agreeable if it were removed, and in my true form, I could easily achieve that. But that would hardly be fair to you, now would it?”
“Either way, it’s not possible, right?”
“Presently, no. But there’s something worth bringing up. As I mentioned, the realm in which I reside now is not natural; it was created to contain me. But the ones who did so are long gone now, and the bars of the prison are rusting away, so to speak. The deaths of pokemon accelerate the process, since they return energy to the planet for me to draw from—I’m good at that, you know. At this rate, I’ll soon be able to break free and manifest my true form.” Ann winked, and for an instant its eyes seemed to change to a bright, vivid blue—but then it blinked again, and the effect was gone.
“Oh. I see.” Poppy took a deep breath. “Should I be scared?”
“You? No. Remember, I think of you as my partner. So, while my preference would be to purge the world fully, I recognize that’s not what you want. However, we can both agree that some pokemon should not remain. So I think we can easily reach a compromise. Maybe we get rid of everyone who pollutes, or who lives in a city. Maybe we add carnivores, too. Maybe we get rid of all the other species and let shaymin rule the earth.” It smirked. “It won’t necessarily be fair, but if we do something like that, the world should come out more peaceful in the end. And that would be enough for me.”
“As long as we can look back and feel proud of the result…” A distant part of Poppy’s mind felt that she should regret having helped, but relief overwhelmed it. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to have made a mess if Ann was there to clean it up. And this way, she could secure a future for the pokemon she loved. Maybe this was the best outcome.
“That’s what I’ve been thinking. But that’s still a few years off, so don’t worry too much. In fact, I’ll tell you what—why don’t we do something fun tomorrow to unwind? Anything you want.”
“I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”
Ann smiled. “Alright. Take your time.”
Neither spoke for a while. The call of a bittern floated through the air, low notes like distant splashes.
“Ann…” Poppy said. “Thanks for being my partner.”
Ann smiled again. “It’s been an honor.”
With nothing left to say, the two lay beside one another as the sun kissed the horizon.