Kumiko was slumped on the picnic table and sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time to Nina. Everytime, the older woman would throw a wistful glance at Nina while she did so.
Nina slammed her book shut, no longer able to concentrate with the constant distraction. “Alright Kumiko, what’s up? Your hair’s gonna turn all gray if you keep sighing like that.”
Kumiko sighed once more before answering the girl. “No, it’s my daughter that’s going to turn my hair all gray…” she said, then proceeded to let out another sigh. “What did I do wrong, Nina? I mean, Charlie turned out okay. Kid’s a bit too impressionable, but he has a good heart. Tiffany though…” The woman sighed once more.
Nina was aware that there was some sort of argument between the parent and child duo during the night, but she opted not to get involved in the drama and simply pretended to be ignorant.
“Fine… I’ll bite. What did Tiffany do this time? Or was it something that she said?” Asked Nina.
After finally getting the attention that she craved, Kumiko sat up straight and leaned towards Nina with a disbelieving look on her face. “That girl, do you know what she said she wanted as her starter? An Eevee! Do you have any idea how expensive those are? Not to mention all those uppity interviews you have to go through to get one. I might as well go and apply to become CEO of Silph Co!”
Now it was Nina’s turn to let out a sigh as she turned her gaze to Espy who was concentrating extremely hard on a silver spoon that Nina had taped to a block of wood for her.
While Nina was in Saffron City, she had visited a Psychic specialty store that Sabrina recommended in her list.
The store itself looked like one of those hoax-y mystic stores from Nina’s past life that Miles would have taken one look at and dismissed entirely. But in the Pokemon world, Psychics were a legitimate thing. So she went in to buy some tools and books for Espy and herself.
The silver spoon was one such item among her purchase. Because apparently, Psychics had some sort of weird affinity with the tableware. The shady looking old lady who tended to Nina explained that Alakazams who have evolved in the wild will go to great lengths just to find a perfect piece of silver to shape into the perfect spoon. Some will even turn to street performance just to save up enough human currency to purchase one, given how smart they were.
But this phenomenon was not just limited to Alakazams. Other Psychic Types could rely on a silver spoon as a catalyst to focus their abilities as well. Much like wizards and wands. Silver spoons were also generally considered as the best tool for beginner Psychic training like what Espy was doing now in attempting to bend her new toy.
Not all Psychics prefer spoons of course. The Hypno line, for example, preferred metronomes and pendants. Espy was the same way, because she thought that spoons were lame and ugly, or at least that was how Nina chose to interpret the face that her Eevee made at the time.
However, the moment that the old lady lined up a whole selection of catalyst on the counter for Espy to choose from, the little Eevee immediately gravitated towards the spoon she was using right now, eliciting a haughty smirk from the store's owner.
According to her, it is usually the catalyst that chose the Psychic and not the other way around. A saying that strongly reminded Nina of a certain popular series of books from her past life about magic and wizarding.
Of course, the spoon was not cheap due to the silver and whatever else Psychic voodoo nonsense they imbued into it. And in addition, Nina also purchased a few simple puzzle boxes that Espy needed to solve with just her mind, as well as some books for herself on how to train a Psychic Type Pokemon and on how to build up one’s mental defenses. All recommended by Sabrina.
Nina sighed once more to knock herself out of her recollection and turned her attention back to Kumiko. “Is it because of Espy and what I said about Sabrina?” Nina had naturally shared a modified version of her encounter with Sabrina with the adults. But it seems that it also caused Tiffany to develop some misguided notions.
Kumiko’s head drooped slightly in tacit acknowledgement. “If not an Eevee then she wanted a ‘cute’ Psychic Type like Ralts or Abra.” The woman slammed her palms down at the table, causing Nina to jolt in surprise. “Do you know how irresponsible that girl is?! She can’t even clean her own room properly. In no way is she qualified to own a Psychic, let alone train one!”
Nina nodded in acknowledgement. Psychic Types were smart, most of them even smarter than humans. If not for the fact that each of them have their own little quirks, Psychic Pokemon would have become the dominant species on this planet already.
For example, Metagross possessed enough processing power to put even the most advanced super computers of Nina’s old world to shame. But they possess little to no desires whatsoever. No one even knew what the Pokemon used all of its formidable brain power on.
Are they trying to uncover the secrets of the universe? Or perhaps the meaning of life? But the last time that a Psychic delved into a Metagross’s mind in an attempt to find out, they turned into a vegetable from the sheer influx of information they received.
Then there were the likes of Natu. What was the point of being able to see into the future if they became too paralyzed by fear to do anything about it?
Alakazam were too lethargic to be productive thanks to their sensory overload necessitating constant meditation. And Hypnos were just incorrigible perverts of the highest order.
As a result it took a special kind of person to train Psychic Pokemon. And even then, they have to endure constant scrutiny from the Pokemon League to ensure that their Psychic Types weren’t being misused for any heinous purposes.
But of course, not all Psychic Types were equal. Some are fairly common like Starmie, Exeggcute and Wobbuffet by virtue of their lesser Psychic capabilities. And those are fine to own without too much worry. Problem was, Tiffany was asking for the more dangerous ones that were sure to invite scrutiny.
“And you know what the worst part is?” Continued Kumiko. “She took your story about meeting Sabrina, spun it to make it seem like it was about her and told all her classmates about it on Pokenet. Then, she even had the gall to come up to me and ask that I convince you to loan her Espy for a couple of days. Just so that she could brag to her friends about it!”
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Okay, now Nina was upset. “Pokemon. Are. Not. Toys!” She spat.
“Exactly!” Echoed Kumiko.
The older woman sighed once more. “I know I’m not supposed to compare children. But seeing you and Tiffany, I really just can’t help it, Nina. It’s one thing if she was at least a good natured girl, but her behavior is just… I have a half a mind to forbid her from taking the Trainer License Exam. I really worry about what she will become in the future if she keeps going like this.”
Nina shook her head with a sigh. “That’s going too far Kumiko, and you know it. Tiffany just needs time to develop is all. If even her own mother gives up on her then who’s left to pick up the slack? If anything, not letting her own Pokemon is just going to condemn her to a twisted path in life.”
“You’re right, Nina… You’re right,” Kumiko sighed. “Why can’t my daughter have at least some of your maturity, Nina… I’m trying my best. I really am.”
Nina did her best to assuage Kumiko, but at some point, Espy jumped onto her lap to vie for her attention. The Eevee pawed her human and turned to look at a corner of the mansion. Despite not seeing what Espy saw, Nina had a good idea of what the Pokemon was trying to convey to her, eliciting another helpless sigh from the girl.
“So much drama…”
***
Nina knocked on the door to Tiffany’s room, Espy draped atop her head like a hat. “Feels like I’ve been doing this a lot lately…”
The door opened to reveal the scowling face of Tiffany. “Are you here to give your Eevee to me?” She asked curtly.
Nina frowned. “What? No.”
Tiffany clicked her tongue. “Then BUZZ OFF!” She yelled, before attempting to forcefully slam the door in Nina’s face.
However, something about the girl’s attitude must have irked Espy a great deal. Because in a surge of fury, the door was held back by a fleeting Psychic aura, and the recoil from Tiffany’s forceful action ended up hurting her hand instead.
“Ow!” Yelped the girl, as Tiffany fell on her butt and cradled her right arm in pain.
Nina suppressed a smile and silently reached up to scratch Espy by the scruff of her neck to congratulate the Eevee on her triumph. This was the first time that Espy had successfully harnessed Psychic Type Energy. Hopefully this will open the door for further development in the future.
And almost at the same time, Nina also entered the room and bent down with a concerned face at Tiffany. “Hey, you okay?” She asked, gently. “The hinges on these old doors can get a little stuck sometimes. Let me see your arm.”
Tiffany looked up at Nina with teary eyes filled with defiance, but the older girl was undeterred. “Come on, we need to make sure you didn’t get a fracture from that. I got some first aid training in school and at the Gym so I know what I’m doing.”
Eventually, the pain and fear of a debilitating injury must have overridden her pride because Tiffany gingerly let go of her arm and allowed Nina to come close. The older girl gently caressed the injured arm, lightly bending it this way and that to assess Tiffany’s reactions.
Nina hummed. “It’s likely to be just a muscle sprain. But just in case, you shouldn’t move it around too much. Lemme go get a first aid kit from my room,” She said, before grabbing Espy from her head and placing her next to Tiffany. “Here, you can pet Espy while you wait.”
Espy whined at her human with a look of betrayal on her face. But Nina just scratched her nape in assurance. Her Eevee did harm someone after all, so some mild punishment is called for.
Tiffany lit up at the prospect and reached out with her good hand to feel Espy’s furry mane. Meanwhile the Eevee just sat as stiff as a statue, trying hard to endure her impulse of wanting to swipe at the girl’s hand.
When Nina brought her first aid kit over, the first thing she did was make Tiffany chew on a pill of Oran Berry extract that had been synthesized for human use. The pill will help with boosting her body’s natural regenerative ability and heal whatever internal damage she may have.
Next she applied a numbing agent on Tiffany’s swollen hand to help with the pain alongside a diluted Potion that has been modified for human use as well. Humans have an overall weaker constitution than Pokemon, so they can’t endure the use of a full strength Potion the way that Pokemon can.
After the treatment was completed, Nina’s introverted Eevee jumped back to Nina’s side and hid behind her human’s back, much to Tiffany’s disappointment. An awkward silence descended as Nina was packing everything away. Although Nina could tell that Tiffany was conflicted about whether to thank her or not.
“So anyways,” began Nina, dispelling the silence between the two girls. “I came over today because I want to lend you a book,” she said as she handed said book to Tiffany.
“It’s a book about what makes a Psychic Type trainer — the sort of attitude and mentality that they need to possess in order to effectively handle Psychic Pokemon,” explained Nina. “It was recommended by Sabrina. I’ve already read through it so don’t worry about returning it anytime soon. You might find it useful.”
Tiffany scoffed, but swiped the book from Nina regardless. “What’s the point, mom won’t let me have a Psychic cause I’m not good enough for her.” There was a fair bit of resentment in her tone, some of which was directed towards Nina.
The older girl sighed and sat next to Tiffany on the floor. “It’s not that your mom doesn’t think you’re good enough, it’s that she thinks Psychic Type Pokemon are not a good fit for you — there’s a difference. Read the book and maybe you’ll be able to understand why she feels that way.
“Whatever it is that you overheard, Kumiko said all of that out of frustration. She was just venting. I’m sure you’re used to her venting to you about her colleagues and whatnot, and yet she gets along with them just fine right?”
Tiffany hugged her legs and buried her face in her lap, not replying to Nina.
“For what it’s worth, I think your mom is wrong about you,” said Nina, much to the younger girl’s surprise. “I saw you the other day trying to help the nurses with handling the captured Pokemon while Kumiko was giving her statement. They turned you away out of concern, but you tried, and that’s what counts. I also saw how well you’ve been getting along with one of the Meowths in the mansion.” Nina placed a hand on Tiffany’s shoulder and the girl turned her head away out of embarrassment.
“If you’re serious about wanting a Psychic Type then you need to learn to control your emotions and prove your mom wrong. The way you’ve been rebelling against Kumiko isn’t doing you any good. If anything you’re just playing into this stereotype that she’s built of you in her head.”
Tiffany snorted. "Easy for you to say, little Miss Perfect.”
Nina chuckled. “Your mom is wrong about me as well. I’m not perfect, no one is. Did your mom ever tell you about my mom?”
Tiffany shook her head.
“My mom is crazy, like literally. She was diagnosed with all sorts of mental conditions and was admitted into the psychiatric ward of Cerulean General for two whole years.” Nina grabbed Espy and pulled her into an embrace. “And you know who put her there? It was me.”
Tiffany turned around and gave her a bewildered look.
Nina sighed. “Dad didn’t want to confront mom’s issues because he was worried about losing her. But I saw how she was hurting him, so I went and tattled to my teachers at school about it. And when the school got involved, mom got locked up the next day.
“The first few months were rough, you know? Dad didn’t want to go back home so we stayed in a hotel. Everyday after school I would spend time in the library. After that, I’d get some take out and go back to that cold hotel room all by myself.” Those days, Patrick would bury himself in his work and come back late almost every day. Either that, or he was fucking Roxy but Nina had no proof of that.
“When dad got himself together enough to go back home, everything felt different. The house just didn’t feel the same without mom around. And this was before I got Tini, so mostly I’d buy groceries, cook dinner and just wait for dad to come home while I watched TV or study or something.
“But even after I got Tini, there was the issue of money — rearing a Dragon is expensive. That was the main reason why I took the offer from the Gym, because they promised to pay me for Tini’s performance and feed him on the days we were there. And working in a Gym isn’t exactly as glamorous as most kids think it is. I’m basically a glorified janitor most of the time.
“So no, Tiff, I’m not perfect. I’ve just had to work harder and mature faster than other kids my age.” That was a lie, but the other girl didn’t need to know that.
Nina gave Tiffany’s shoulder a squeeze before concluding her speech. “So yeah, that’s all there is to it. It’s all just hard work. If you want something then you gotta work hard to get it yourself. You feel frustrated at Kumiko because you feel helpless. Because you’re relying on her generosity to get you what you want.”
Nina stood up and looked Tiffany in the eye. “But why is it that you need to rely on her? Why can’t you just work to get what you want on your own,” she then pointed towards the book in Tiffany’s embrace. “That’s your first step, proving to Kumiko that you can become a trainer worthy of a Psychic Type. Show her that she was wrong about you.”
As Nina began walking towards the door, she turned around once more to address Tiffany. “And no, I’m going to lend you Espy just so that you can brag to your friends about that story you made up. You’ll just have to deal with the consequences of that yourself.
“Pokemon are our friends, they’re our family. They’re not ‘stuff’ that we can just lend out at a whim. But despite what your mom thinks, I’m sure you already know that. So stop letting her get into your head.”
And with those last words, Nina closed the door and went about her day. “Alright Kumiko, I’ve done all I can to repay you. Now it’s up to you and Tiffany to work things out by yourselves.”