The Seviper

Another Pokemon he had met had been a very old Seviper, a few years back. At first glance, he looked like a textbook example of the species, with a perfectly shaped tail, long fangs, and absolutely nothing else interesting about him. But he made his way toward the altar and spent some time looking at the stained glass, hissing and humming.

Rokas didn’t pay him much mind at first. He didn’t answer his question of how he could help and he spent some time speaking with a young and very distressed lady who pulled on the ends of her hair and shook in her boots. It was about ten minutes after she had left and the cathedral cleared out that the snake came around and tapped him on the shoulder.

He nodded. “Good evening, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?”

The Seviper rubbed his chin with the end of his tail. Rokas noticed the brittleness of his scales and the faded tips of his fangs. “Well, there isss, I suppose. I hope it isn’t too much to ask, child.”

“I can do my best,” Rokas said, amused by the thought of being a child. He was millenia older than him, at the very least. He’d forgotten just how long he’d been around. “What is it?”

“You see…” The Seviper coiled up, laying his head against his side. “I’m afraid I haven’t much time left. My children have since moved on with their own families and my wife passed away many years ago.”

Rokas had heard this many times. Lots of lonely old folks came to the cathedral at the end of their days just to have someone to chat with. They didn’t want to be so lonely. He was always happy to help, and gestured for the snake to follow him down to the seats. “We can talk, if you’d like. I have plenty of time.”

“Oh, that is very kind of you, priessst.” He followed, but didn’t take a seat beside Rokas. He simply coiled up again in the isle. “Seeing this place was something I always wanted to do. My kids came here once, but I never went because my wife didn’t like to leave the neighborhood very much, and liked having me there. The cathedral issss lovely.”

“It sure is.” Rokas placed his hands in his lap. The whole interior, when the light wasn’t shining on the rainbow glass, shimmered beautiful white, golds, and grays, held up by large marble columns. “I saw it when it was first built. The stained glass wasn’t there, and it was just glazed windows, and none of the gold had yet been added. My father designed the windows, actually.”

Lifting his head, the snake opened his eyes. “Tell me about him. And tell me about you. I’ve never met a Pokemon who’d lived so long.”

Rokas laughed. “No, no, I would much rather hear about you! What was your family like? Do you have a favorite hobby?”

“Oh, you are much much too kind.” He hissed, tipping his head to the side, before lowering it back against his body. “I have two daughters, and seven grandchildren. They live down in the badlands, way on another continent. Sometimes they send me letters, with pretty charcoal drawings.”

He got talking for some time. The morning passed and with the evening approaching the cathedral became just a bit busier, with nocturnal Pokemon about to start their nights. The Seviper joined their evening prayer, though his movements were just a bit slower than earlier.

Finally Rokas allowed the snake to ask about him. He talked about his siblings, even Grace, and his father who traveled the world. He admitted that, well, he really wished he could help his dad, who seemed adamant to be lonely his whole life. He wouldn’t let Rokas help him, always telling him to just help the people who actually needed it.

The snake hmmed in what Rokas believed to be acknowledgement, but after a few more moments of talking, Rokas stopped. He addressed the snake, putting a hand on his head. His shoulders went limp when he did not respond and he could feel the cold rapidly spreading across his body.

“Ah.” Rokas stood up, kneeling beside him, and lifting his head in his hand. Some Pokemon looked over at him. “Melinda, please come help me with something!” He laid his head down. “May Yveltal guide your soul.”