Six months later, last day of Fall

Shinx and I square off, at our agreed upon distance of ten paces, and wait for the signal to start our final bout. Fall has repainted the forest in warm tones, and we step on a landscape of leaves that have long stopped crunching, having instead formed a sodden carpet held together with mud.

“Scared, little Cleo?” he purrs, checking the ground between us. We both know how treacherous it can be.

“Of slipping? A little, yes.”

Shinx smirks slightly. “Of your mother. Today you may prove yourself. May.”

He starts circling. I spot where he’s trying to lead me, but give no hint. The last few months have mostly wizened us to the other’s tricks, but there’s always something else to try.

Our standoff lasts until the last clinging leaf falls free from the tree overhead, heralding the beginning of Winter.

I dash forward.

The bands on Shinx’s wrists flare, but I know better than to dodge. His Charge lets him fake that state indefinitely, and I resign myself to eating a Thundershock.

Stopping in front of his face, I ready my right leg for a Double Kick. His teeth darken in preparation for a Bite, to trap the leg when it comes. The kick is a feint. So is the Bite.

I instead Quick Attack to his flank, having hoped he would commit to the Bite. He smacks me in the face with a Tail Whip, distracting me long enough for him to reposition his body.

Surprisingly, he turns to face away from me, then raises his hind paws in a Double Kick of his own, both legs kicking at once in contrast to my own double-tap. Rather, it would be surprising, had I not taught him the move. It’s the first time he’s using it in a bout, but it was a safe bet he’d pull it out.

Now is the time for me to jump to the left, since he’s aimed the kicks slightly to my right. I would then land on the slick patch of mud Shinx has ‘subtly’ led me towards. I slide under him instead.

Sweeping out my leg in a Low Kick, I take his front paws out from under him, removing his footing entirely. At the same time I Pound my right ear into his exposed belly, pushing him into the mud patch instead. See how he likes it.

Unable to avoid his fate, Shinx’s eyes lock onto mine briefly, his displeasure abundantly clear. I smirk.

He releases his Charge, and instead of the Thundershock I’d been expecting, a wave of sparks jump out from him in every direction, many of them channelling into my body. I convulse on the ground briefly.

We both lay there for a while, panting.

“Tie?”

“…Tie.”

We sit up, me scraping a couple of leaves stuck in my white fluff, Shinx looking like the new Girafarig variant, blue on one side, brown on the other. From his dignified bearing, you’d guess that was his plan all along.

“So.”

He flicks his tail. “So?”

“What are you gonna do after I leave?”

He regards me coolly.

“I will evolve soon. Father would not permit me to remain in the pride for long.”

He's probably right. Already I spot a few black hairs on the top of his head.

I tilt my head, confused. “There were three Luxio in the clearing.”

“My brother. He would have left soon.”

“Ah. Where will you go, then?”

“The Valley. It is where the most famous Luxray prides live.” Where the Windworks are, maybe?

“Straight there? As a freshly evolved Luxio?”

He shrugs. ”Where are you headed?”

“Veilstone. There’s a Fighting Gym there, and I think I can get them to take me on, as a kind of Gym Trainer.”

“You are a Normal type.”

“Well there’s no Normal Gym in Sinnoh, so I’ll take what I can get.”

“How would you know?”

Suddenly it strikes both of us.

“Have I… have I still not told you?”

“… We have been preoccupied.”

Sure. Let’s go with that.

“I have memories of life as a human. Someone who knew a lot about Pokémon.”

I carefully gauge Shinx’s reaction. He looks thoughtful for few seconds.

“…that makes sense.”

“What? That’s it?”

He flicks an ear at me. “What more do you want? From the moment you laid that scheme with the Finneon I knew you were not normal.”

…I don’t even know what I expected.

Shinx's eyes turn calculating. “You say you know much of Pokémon. What do you know of Luxray?”

Ah. Now this I can work with.

“I know plenty, like which moves they tend to learn naturally, and which can be taught by trainers. I know that they’re incredibly strong offensively, mainly physically but also with Special moves, and that they’re not considered very fast, though I mostly think that’s an issue of agility rather than speed. Part of the reason why I recommended you change up your stance.” It had worked, too. I almost never toppled him anymore.

“Our strength is well known… what moves can we learn?”

“Things like Crunch, Thunder Fang, Discharge, Roar… Wild Charge at the top end usually.”

“You know of the Wild Charge!?” Shinx looks excited, almost giddy if not for the scraps of poise he manages to hold on to.

“Sure.”

“The ultimate technique only the greatest Luxray can perform…” He eyes me shrewdly. “And what trainers teach their Pokémon, too?”

“Yep.”

We stare at each other for a bit, as is our custom.

“You are right. It is too soon to head to the Valley. I will go north, to Veilstone.”

“East.”

“East, yes. That is what I said.”

“You’ll follow me to the Gym?”

“I will not follow,” he snaps instantly. “I will travel in the same direction as you. I have no interest in this Fighting Gym.”

“Well, you better hope my mom finds my growth satisfactory, or you’ll be traveling north alone. Sorry, east.”

Shinx waves his tail dismissively. “Go, you will be fine.”

“Now you’re encouraging?”

“Go or you will taste my lightning again.”

“What was that by the way? Discharge?”

He shakes his head. “Shockwave. It is incomplete. Now stop stalling.”

I smile briefly.

“Tomorrow then. Same time.”

“Tomorrow.”

I hop home, psyching myself up for what’s to come.

-0-

Again I square off, this time against mom, in the shadow of the overhang where we made our home. Where I was born. Where my siblings now sit, excited to watch the culmination of my efforts since Spring.

Across from me, mom wears an expression I’m sure is on my face as well. A contradictory mix of happy and sad with a side order of pride.

“Are you ready, child?”

I nod. I don’t trust myself to speak without embarrassing myself.

She sighs. “Alright. We begin.”

Her posture shifts from determined to demure in an instant, and she grabs a long ear in her hands, fidgeting.

“You would not hurt your poor mom, would you? Who would do that?” she asks in a sickeningly Charming way.

…

“Seriously? You’re pulling this?”

“Use all you have. I will do the same.”

I sigh. “Alright then.” I hop towards her.

And am immediately blindsided when she dashes toward me in turn, spearing out with her left foot in a Low Kick. I can’t tell which way she’s going to sweep in time, so I jump.

Mom gains a smug look. Her extended foot lands below me and she shifts her weight instantly, leaning toward me and smacking a left uppercut straight into my gut.

Fuck. I’m not losing this.

I concentrate on the outrage I feel at being outmanoeuvred, the affront, the desire to hurt necessary to channel Dark energy, and smash my ear into her face as Payback.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

She staggers back, and we both take a second to refocus.

“A Dark move? Did the Shinx teach you this?”

I nod. He showed me the mental state necessary to produce Dark energy, but I couldn’t really muster cruelty except in retaliation, which resulted in my development of Payback.

“Good. Show me more.”

She blurs in with a Quick Attack. Expecting it, I dodge with my own, still barely succeeding, and start preparing my trump card.

She kicks at me in her variant of Double Hit, and when I successfully dodge, she moves on to her specialty. Double Kick.

This time I can’t fully get away, and get grazed in the shoulder by the lightning fast attack.

It still hurts plenty.

Mom looks upset. “Is that it? I taught you better than this.”

She moves in for another Double Kick, and I’m finally ready to unleash the other move I worked my ass off to learn from Shinx. Thundershock.

The anaemic zap is pathetically weak and barely does any damage, but the surprise combined with the momentary jolt of electricity keep mom’s leg extended for a moment too long.

I strike out with my own Low Kick, and watch mom topple to her hands.

Her hands which are already set at shoulder width, and on which she balances without letting her torso touch the ground for even an instant.

She kicks toward me again, bringing her leg up beside her head and extending out at me from her prone position in an unfair display of flexibility.

Incredulous, I almost forget to hop up again, evading the third Low Kick of the fight.

Now I’m in the air again, vulnerable, but mom has no more options. Both hands are on the ground, one leg extended forward, and she can’t kick up with the other without falling on her ass.

We look in each other’s eyes for a frozen moment.

I Double Kick her in the face.

The sounds of my siblings’ groans remind me that we’re not alone, and my laser focus fades as I step back.

Mom sits on the ground, rubbing at her nose.

“Stop hitting me in the face.”

“Guard your face then.”

We stare at each other for a bit, before she breaks out in giggles. I smile.

“Come here.”

“Is the fight over?”

“Shush, come here you impossible child!”

She drags me into a tight hug.

“You will be incredible. Are incredible. I cannot wait to tell your father.”

“…Thanks, mom.”

“Come, before your siblings pass out from excitement.”

She carries me into the bunny pile, where we settle to enjoy our family’s warmth for one final night.

“Sister, that was amazing-“ ”-mom went fwoosh, then you went hyiiah, then mom went pow-“ “-you stole the Shinx’s power! Is that a human thing?” My siblings’ interrogation/narration jumble lasts until mom clears her throat.

“Everyone. Do we not have something for our departing sister?”

They startle, then my one-eyed sister runs off behind a tree with a “Wait here!”

She soon returns holding a satchel woven from dried stalks, filled to bursting with dried berries and roots.

My eyes moisten.

“I…I can’t even… when did you do this?”

I notice I slipped back into my native tongue at some point.

“We collected them while you were out training with the stupid Shinx, and mom showed us how to weave the bag!” she reports.

“It was my idea…” my smallest brother says shyly, his fur still a little patchy even after our Winter coat came in.

“I love it. I love it so much. Thank you all.”

A little whine almost escapes my throat, but I hold it together.

“I won’t go with you to the Burrow, but I’ll come see you all the Spring after that. I promise. To make sure all your beautiful mates know who they answer to.”

“Now child, that is my and your father’s job,” mom admonishes. She ponders for a moment. “But you can help too. Ensure they understand.”

Hugs ensue.

The night is chilly, but peaceful. I think prospective interlopers can tell they wouldn’t walk away from daring to interrupt us.

-0-

“What is that?”

Shinx inspects my satchel, now proudly worn like a backpack with the strap across my chest. We stand on Route 205, breathing in the chilly Winter air.

This morning my family decided to forgo training for a day of playing and foraging for the tastiest food, a goodbye to those idyllic Spring days.

I huff to myself. Not even a year old and already nostalgic.

I turn to Shinx. “My family made it for me. It’ll be tougher to find food until we reach the city. I’ll still forage where I can, to make sure it lasts.”

I eye him, curious. “Actually, how are you going to feed yourself?”

His eyes dart to mine, then to my family, who wait by the treeline to see me off.

“I ate this morning. It will last me a few days.” He flicks his tail. “Then I will hunt.”

Figures. “I’m not going to stop you, but I don’t really feel comfortable helping either.”

“I did not expect it.”

I look around.

“Your family aren’t here?”

He scowls briefly.

“This is an expected step. I saw them in the morning. They wished me well.”

“Oh, good.”

He eyes my family again, then flicks his star-tipped tail and turns forward.

“What are we waiting for?”

I shake my head. “Nothing I guess, just… this is it.”

I take a deep breath. Then I turn and give my family the biggest, most energetic double-arm waves I can, walking backwards. They wave back just as hard, and call out a mess of well-wishes I can’t decipher. And then... we’re off.

We’re off.

Here we go.

I turn forward again so I don’t trip and ruin my family’s gift immediately, to find Shinx walking ahead sedately. I hustle to catch up.

After about five minutes, I speak up.

“Shinx?”

“What?”

“Well, I was thinking. I’m heading out for myself, and to maybe change some minds about how people think of Pokémon. I’m not getting caught by a trainer again, and I have the impression that you don’t want that either.”

“You are correct. I am no one’s servant.”

“But we’ll be dealing with humans a fair bit, so I’m wondering if you shouldn’t pick a name for yourself?”

Shinx startles, then turns to me.

“A name? Like ‘Cleo’?”

I nod. “Sure, one that you identify with. Something that says ‘This is me’ and not just ‘I’m talking about that Shinx I’m pointing at’.”

He ponders this for a bit.

“…ThunderPrince.”

I burst out laughing.

“What!? Stop laughing! You said to pick a name!”

I wave him off. “Sorry, sorry, just… that’s the name of someone trying way too hard to be cool. You’ll be laughed at.”

He huffs in annoyance. “It fits me. I do not see the problem.”

“Plus it’s too long. What if I have to call out in an emergency and only have time to say ‘Thund’? Would you like to be known as ‘Thund’?”

“Alright Cleo, mistress of names, what is a good name?”

“Something short and abstract. Not a word like Thunder, or you’ll be referred to as ‘That thunder guy’, but still something that represents you. Who you are, or who you want to be.”

Shinx goes quiet, and I let him think.

The trees are naked all along the Route, but although we can see further into the forest than in Summer, I spot no Pokémon. Either they’re bunkering down for Winter, or avoiding the Route has become routine, unquestioned.

I take the opportunity to practice generating Electric energy. The buzzing, stinging feeling is not unlike the pain of working a limb that fell asleep. I’m hoping to eventually develop Thunderpunch, and am optimistic that I can get it to work. On the Thundershock front, I’m not sure if I’m not grasping the proper way to use Special Electric moves, what Shinx described as ‘weakening resistance’ and I hypothesize is actually ionizing the target area at range somehow, or if I just suck at Special moves in general. I’m afraid it might be the second one.

“Rayn.”

Shinx’s soft voice drags me from my musings, and I look at him, but he seems lost in thought.

“Rayn…” for Luxray maybe? “I like it.”

His eyes flick toward me.

“I am glad to have your approval.”

“Yeah, yeah. So, are you sure? Rayn?”

“Yes.” Rayn nods. And that's that.

The rest of the day is uneventful, and we find an old campground presumably used by trainers as dusk turns into night. I eat a couple dried berries and some sweet Ginseng-like roots I found by sheer luck before we lay down by the abandoned campfire to sleep. If my estimates from the trip from Floaroma are accurate, we’ll leave the forest tomorrow. From there, it will only be a short walk to Eterna city.

We’re off to a great start.

-0-

“Aaaaaaaahh!! Stop pissing them off Rayn, just run!”

The angry buzzing of Combee grows ever louder behind me, but I dare not look back.

“I can get them all with Shockwave, I have just never done it while running!” Rayn calls out from somewhere behind me, though he might as well be in Kalos for all the difference it would make. I’m not slowing down for anything.

After a morning spent happily trekking through the naked forest, we came across a Heracross apparently trying to scratch some terrible itch with the help of the gnarled trunk of a gigantic tree. Rayn and I decided to leave the poor bastard alone. As mom would have said had she known the phrase, ‘don’t start none, won’t be none’.

My thinking proved unfortunately fallacious when the Heracross’ vigorous attempts garnered the attention of the resident Vespiquen and her hive of Combee minions. Today I learned that if someone ‘starts some’ in my general vicinity, there may in fact ‘be some’.

Proving that hexagons really are an efficient shape, a ludicrous number of bees proceeded to pour out of the tall trunk, and naturally a group of them decided we were guilty of the crime of having done not a single goddamn thing. The punishment is death.

So now we run.

Hopping fervently forward in hopes that the bees will leave us alone, we cover at least a mile at a dead sprint. The bastards either hate blue and brown or are getting off on their success, because the buzzing I hear from behind me is unrelenting.

Tiring, heaving for breath, I begin to think we might just have to stand and fight when a storm of tiny white lights shoots out from the road ahead and over my head.

The buzzing quiets immediately.

Chancing a look back, I see Rayn laying on his side, panting even worse than me, and an army of dazed Combee weakly writhing on the ground.

Turning again to the source of the light, a purple and black pig with marbles on his head and belly trots up to us. A Grumpig.

“I…*pant**pant*…had it. Thank you…*pant*…*swallow*anyway,” wheezes Rayn, unintentionally conveying exactly my thoughts.

“It was no trouble,” replies Grumpig, with a faint smile.

“Yeah, thank you. Seriously.”

“No problem girl. Manuel here sensed you guys, and we decided to help out,” speaks a voice from behind the Grumpig.

Only then do I notice the caramel-skinned man, as he steps from behind Manuel. His straight shoulder-length hair and fishing hat give him a very casual appearance, even when swaddled in a thick Winter jacket. Still wearing cargo shorts, though.

“Wait, where’s your trainer? Who am I talking to?” He looks around, confused.

“That would be me. Hi, I’m Cleo, this is Rayn.” By now Rayn has collected himself, and he joins me in greeting the pair with a nod.

“Woah, chica. Are you a talking Buneary? That’s seriously loco.”

“Uhh… thanks.”

Manuel looks at me with a hint of jealousy. “How are you doing that?”

Rayn huffs in commiseration. “Do not bother. Without her flat face and dangling lips, it does not work.”

Unsure of what to say, I turn to look at the fallen Combee. Most are slowly getting up from their daze and fleeing back to their tree, but on some I see cracked exoskeletons and broken wings. I guess it’s hard to have enough control to not kill something like a Combee.

Rayn notices too, and paddles over to start eating a few of them.

“A free meal as well. Again I thank you.”

Though I agree with not wasting on principle, it’s still too much to watch. I turn back to the trainer.

“So, uh… sorry, did you say your name?”

“Oh, I’m Eduardo. Cleo, right?” At my nod, he continues. ”I gotta say, a talking Pokémon is not what I expected to find out here. This region is just full of surprises, eh?”

That sounds like a prompt to ask about where he’s from, but I’m not that interested. Probably Paldea, from the accent.

“Anyway, where are you guys headed?” he asks.

“Eterna.”

“Cool, just left yesterday, goin’ down through Floaroma on my way to Canalave. Only got three months left to finish the circuit, but we can do it, right Manuel?”

Manuel grunts in agreement, but doesn’t speak again. I think he’s a little upset with me.

“Listen, Manuel. Is there anything I can help you with? Anything you want to say to Eduardo? I owe you.”

The Grumpig side-eyes me. ”No need. I manage just fine, thank you.”

Well. I tried.

Rayn re-joins us, licking his chops. I take the opportunity.

“Well, it’s been great meeting you guys, but we should really get going.”

“Yes, I want to reach this Eterna city by nightfall,” Rayn adds.

“Yeah, I get you. We’ll keep on keeping on too. Come on Manuel.”

Suddenly, a pokéball is in his hand. My heart stops.

A red light shoots forward.

“NO!”

I Quick Attack to the right, and dash for the trees. Cover. Get behind cover.

“Cleo! CLEO! What are you doing?”

Rayn’s voice jars me from my fugue. I’m hiding behind a tree.

“You all right there, chica? Sorry if I scared you.”

Fuck.

Deep breaths, got to get a hold of myself.

After ten seconds of just breathing, I peek my head around the trunk.

Rayn and Eduardo are both staring at me. Eduardo’s hand is empty.

The tension loosens. For a second, Rayn looks faintly guilty.

I trudge back to the road.

“Sorry about that, guys.”

“No problem, miss Cleo. I ain’t seen nothing.” Eduardo eyes me for a second. “You want to take something? I got some Sleep Powder left to take the edge off.”

I shake my head, “No, I’m fine. I’ll be fine, thanks.”

“…Ok, you guys take care of yourselves, alright?”

“Yeah, we will.”

He’s still just looking at me, probably thinking of what to say.

I start walking.

Rayn soon joins me.

“…I am sorry.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“…It’s fi… actually no it isn’t, but it’s not your fault either.”

“I could have killed the boy.”

“No. Even now, I wouldn’t want that.”

“Even if you were caught again?”

I stop.

“…I intend to never find out.”

Rayn’s golden orbs consider me.

“We should hurry. Reach the city before nightfall.”

“Yeah. You’re right.”

We set off at a jog, pacing ourselves to last the day. My thoughts are a whirl.

Is this what it’s like now? I can’t even see an Arceus damned pokéball? There's no way I’ll be able to work at the Gym like this. Anywhere, really.

And that Grumpig. I don’t begrudge him his feelings; I’d be upset too in his place. But what can I do for Pokémon like him? What can I give him?

What do I want?

Freedom.

What does that even mean? No, something concrete. Something real, actionable.

Choice.

Yes.

I want the choice to live life at whatever pace I want, not skip days and weeks in an instant, adrift in the world. The choice to eat what I want, go where I want, fight when I want. The last few months have forced me to admit that I like fighting, love it maybe.

Yes. If I could give a choice to Manuel, to Rayn, to any Pokémon who wants it, even if they just want to get out of the fucking ball for a minute… that would be good. Would be right.

Plans crystallizing in my mind, I resolve to get past this pokéball problem, or at least learn to cope.

I catch up to Rayn, who looks at me, then releases a tiny breath. His visage turns placid once more.

We run forward, into the realm of humans.