Velvet Revelations

The hum of the bus engine roared in Diane Hutchison’s ears as they passed through a desert canyon. All was quiet in the back of the bus as Ash Ketchum, Brock Stone, and May and Max Richardson slept on; only Diane was awake. She paused in her driving to take a sip of her coffee, leaned back in the seat, and sighed. It was hard racing away from the one you loved in the dead of night, but it was for the best and Jirachi’s safety that she undertake this task. She prayed that Butler wasn’t following their trail, but she knew she was just avoiding the obvious. He was too cunning, too sharp-minded not to track them down. Diane yawned, gazing out at the stars in silent awe.

‘The stars are just as brilliant as they were that fateful night,’ she thought before letting her mind wander to better times, when Butler O’Sullivan was the gentle boy she once knew.

~

Diane and Butler had grown up together at the base of Mount Pyre in Hoenn, a pilgrimage for those who wanted to pay respect to their dead Pokemon friends. Despite the depressing atmosphere, Butler always had a way of making Hickory Village’s residents smile, including Diane, who had lost her favorite Kirlia when she was young. The two couldn’t have been more different, but it was this factor that drew them together. He was always the center of attention because he was a master of illusions, but she preferred to fade into the background. Only when they played together did Diane’s true nature shine through; it was she who suggested “The Great Butler” as a stage name for her friend. He liked it so much that he dubbed her his assistant and on the weekends they would go door-to-door and perform the tricks they had mastered for a willing audience.

In their late teens, Butler and Diane took their performing to a professional level, traveling through Hoenn and abroad to entertain audiences of all sizes. Every spectator that left their tent were thrilled by their acts and hungered for more, so life went well for the pair for a time. Butler was even beginning to show affection for his assistant, but Diane was too nervous to return it because she had never experienced a romantic relationship before. The young man was persistent and finally Diane agreed to the traditional “dinner and a movie” set-up. Butler himself, of course, couldn’t have been more elated to hear her accept.

“You have interesting taste in films,” Diane remarked as they crossed the street to the restaurant. “I never knew you enjoyed drama so much.”

“Well, isn’t that what a magician’s career is all about, suspense and thrills?” Butler retorted with a forced laugh. He had enjoyed himself beyond measure, but the revelation he had to deliver to Diane over dinner wasn’t going to be pleasant. He had been corresponding with Maxie, Team Magma’s leader, via email in secret and Maxie was willing to take him on as a scientist. Yes, it would mean leaving Diane behind, but the job paid well and he would be able to support her when he returned home for good. Perhaps he would be able to buy the engagement ring he had seen in his mind’s eye several times over the past few months…

The couple didn’t converse until half an hour later when hot bowls of rice and mixed vegetables had been brought to their table. It wasn’t the most extravagant of meals, but just being able to glance at Diane across the table was enough for Butler. Sooner or later, however, he would have to tell her the truth.

“Diane…” he ventured carefully, twirling his fork through his vegetables. “There’s something I need to say.”

“What might that be?” she asked, looking up from her dinner and studying him curiously. If it involved the question of marriage, Diane would most likely refuse since she wanted to be independent but still be Butler’s close friend and assistant. What he said next was far from any of her previous expectations at all. He lowered his voice and she leaned in closer to hear him.

“I’ve been corresponding with Team Magma’s leader for some time and he’s willing to offer me a job as a scientist. I’ll get a good salary and I’ll be able to support us when we start our show tour again. Go home to Hickory Village, your family needs you more than I do,” Butler finished, resisting the urge to touch her cheek. Diane dropped her gaze to her boots and got up from her seat, the sadness trapped in her blue eyes.

“I can only hope you’re doing what you feel is right. Thank you for dinner and everything else,” she said with a subtle nod. “I’ll go back to the bus and pack up my things; I’ve been missing my family as it is.”

“Diane…” Butler started to say, but she had already left before he could finish. “Goodbye, my friend,” was the last thing he said before he too paid the dinner bill and left.

~

True to her word, Diane booked a seat on the next train leaving for Hickory Village the same night she and Butler attended dinner. Team Magma did not have as bad a reputation as Team Rocket, but all the same, Diane felt uneasy about letting him go. She shook off the feeling in a flash, telling herself that it was Butler’s choice and not hers to make. Coming home would be refreshing after spending half the year in a tour bus, but Diane still wondered if Butler would be a changed man when he returned.

Life went on in its usual way; Diane took care of her ailing mother and tended their small cottage throughout the passing months. Butler hadn’t talked to her since they went out for dinner that night, but Diane kept herself busy by visiting the neighbors and taking long walks with her father, Edward Hutchison, around Hickory Village. The residents took note of how tight-lipped the young woman was, but they did not pry because it wasn’t in their nature to do so.

One day in autumn just as dusk was beginning to fall, a black car with tinted windows pulled into town; Diane and her father watched it pull in on their daily walk. The engine stopped, the car door opened, and Butler O’Sullivan himself stepped out. Dark circles were visible under his eyes, as if he had not slept since Diane had last seen him. His long, purple hair was mussed and his labcoat hung loosely about his shoulders. His expression was changed as much as the state of his clothes; now his gaze held hidden anger.

“Isn’t that Butler, the little boy you played with as a child?” Edward inquired as he and his daughter started for home. “He sure looks quite different now.”
“Yes, Father…he’s a changed person,” Diane answered simply.

After Diane helped serve and eat dinner, she got up the nerve to go speak to her old friend. The door to his house was unlocked, so Diane let herself in; it was a custom they continued even after the death of Butler’s parents. “Butler? It’s Diane,” she called into the house. “I just came to see if you were okay.”

“Diane?” Butler answered, his voice carrying faint hope, but desolation overcame him again. “I’m in the kitchen and I’m perfectly fine. You can come in and join me if you wish.”

“That tone tells me otherwise,” Diane responded in a sharper tone than she meant it to be. “Did something happen with Team Magma?”

A long pause was the only response she got for several seconds. Finally, Butler said, “If come into the kitchen, I’ll explain everything. I’ve failed you, Diane, and I failed myself as well.”

“What are you talking about?” Diane asked, now at a loss.

“Just come into the kitchen,” Butler answered, his patience thin.

Diane finally left the foyer and joined Butler in the kitchen, where he was pouring cup after cup of steaming tea. She laid a hand on his arm and gazed into his tired face. “You’re not yourself, something happened to you after I said goodbye six months ago. Tell me what happened.”

So, over the course of many hours, Butler told her of his experience at Team Magma. He was very good with technology and spent many nights alone at work in his office, trying to put together a machine that would regenerate a live Groudon from a simple rock. One night he succeeded, so Maxie asked for a live demonstration the next day in the Audience Hall. Butler’s voice rang with confidence as he addressed his superiors. They would be proud, so very proud… The machine seemed to be running smoothly and without interruption until it exploded in his face, leaving only the rock intact. The snickers that filled the hall afterwards still rang in Butler’s ears as he told Diane the story.

“I vowed revenge, but instead I returned home like the coward I am,” he finished bitterly, his gaze now intent on studying the kitchen table. Diane reached forward and lightly grabbed hold of Butler’s arm.

“Don’t talk like that, Butler, you didn’t deserve to be treated the way you were,” Diane said softly, but he pulled his arm free of her light grasp.

“No!” he exclaimed harshly, bringing his fist to the table with a bang that startled Diane. “I’m not giving up yet. Rumors are circulating that there’s a Pokemon in Forina Forest that can grant wishes, and if I can get my hands on it, I can regenerate Groudon and make you happy.”

Diane fell silent at Butler’s solemn declaration; it took several seconds for her to regain her voice again. “When are you leaving?” she asked finally.

“Now, if time permits,” Butler answered, draining the last of his tea. “It’ll be a long trip and I’ll need some company on the road. Once we find this Pokemon, I’ll resume our magic tour circuit. Will you join me, Diane?”

“Yes, I’m not about to let my childhood friend go out on an exploration while I sit here like an old woman waiting for you to return.” Butler smiled genuinely, a smile she had not seen since April.

“I’m glad you feel so strongly about accompanying me. Very well then; all you’ll need is a packed suitcase, some money for the road, and I’ll pick you up in half an hour,” Butler said, taking her gently by the arm and leading her to the door.

Diane was left alone to walk home underneath the stars, subconsciously unsure of the path her friend was leading her on.

~

It was nearly sunrise by the time Diane was able to pull herself out of the past and focus on driving. She never dreamed that one day she would be fleeing from her best friend, the young magician who always brought a smile to her lips, but it had to be done to protect Jirachi, to protect the children. You had to take charge and be strong, and that’s exactly what Diane wanted to be. The memories kept deep within her heart were waiting in the wings of her soul, like she and Butler did so often as they waited to go onstage behind heavy velvet curtains. When the time was right, the curtains of her heart would pull apart and the memories, the velvet revelations, would be exposed for all to see.

Diane stopped the bus and prepared to go wake the trainers in the back of the bus. It was time to face reality…and cook breakfast.