Coro, the Pikipek

Her body won’t rest. The blanket has long since slipped off her shoulders and a few pens she was trying to note Arceus-knows-what with are scattered across the floor. It’s incomprehensible to me how she can sleep sitting at the table. But it is even more unbelievable to me how she sleeps even though her body is under tension and she lets out a pained sigh every two minutes. Sometimes she breathes out disjointed words and I don’t know if this is normal for humans or if she is ill.

Is that what she is? Ill? My trainer?

Snorting, I scrape my claws across the top of the cupboard where I’ve been sitting for two hours. This other girl, Lillie, is lying in bed, hugging this strange cloud of fog from no-man's-land tightly. We haven’t exchanged a single word yet and if I’m honest, it can stay that way. This creature isn’t normal. The aura that surrounds it differs from that of my unwanted companions.

I fix my eyes on Domino again. I wonder what happens in the dreams she can’t remember lately.

“Ca... Can’t you s-sleep?” A hesitant breath reaches up to me and a glance down – at Domino’s feet – brings Zorua into view. Ying, as she is called.

“I watch over our trainer,” I return, puffing out my chest. In this way, she will surely realise the importance of what I do, so much so she can admire me in silence.

But Ying doesn’t seem to think much of admiration, or of silence, when she has something on her mind. “I-it’s caught your eye too?”

My wings press tighter against my body. “Of course it has. Only dolts wouldn’t realise she’s not well.”

“Raya didn’t ... notice,” Ying replies.

“That’s because Raya is a dolt.”

“A what?”

I can’t suppress a snort as Growlithe’s shaggy existence raises its head. She was lying in front of the bed sleeping so nicely before and now she’s looking at me with her stupid expression, as if I’ve choked on a Poké Bean. I can’t understand how Domino decided to take this hairy, barking thing with her.

“A dolt,” I repeat. “Not like you bean-brain would understand.”

“But what am I supposed to understand?” Growlithe tilts her head.

“That you’re a dolt.”

“And what am I supposed to understand about that?”

“Oh Arceus, help me...” I systematically flap a wing in front of my face so I don’t have to keep looking at Raya. This camouflaged Magikarp isn’t worth my worries, my sanity, my nerves.

“Y-you seem unhappy to me...” It’s Ying who makes me lower my wing and scrutinise her more closely. The red fluff on her head keeps distracting me.

“What makes you think that?”

“You’re very ... u-unfriendly,” she returns before taking a few steps closer. “Is it because Domino rarely summons you?”

“No!” The answer escapes me faster than I intended, while the tightness in my chest seems to pull my feathers inwards. Presumably none of this escapes this Zorua. Faking it will only raise more questions. “Perhaps.”

“I-I’m sure she likes you, anyway.” Her eyes gleam warmly in the incoming moonlight. “You helped us a lot once, and apart from that, you’re very strong.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Not stronger than me!” Raya interjects. “He doesn’t appreciate fighting enough for that!”

“Whatever,” the grumble escapes my throat.

“What is it ... that ... depresses you?” Ears slightly tilted back, Zorua gestures to the Growlithe with her paw to be quiet, and although Raya, with her head cocked, probably understands as much about that as a Slowpoke understands about life, she is silent.

I can’t say I like either of them, but I can’t claim that I like to keep things bottled up either. Sure, I can keep a secret, but talking to someone has always helped. That’s how it was back in the Pikipek swarm I lived in – awkward and unhappy. Some of them listened to me anyway, if only with a vague shake of the head. But Ying is different. We are in the same boat and have both decided to go on a journey. With Domino.

“She doesn’t believe in me,” I explain. “And she has every right to do so.”

There are thousands of things I could say. My plumage makes me look powerful, but I realised a long time ago that I’m smaller than other Pokémon. Worse still, I’m smaller than other Pikipeks. In my swarm, they were constantly pecking me on the head. Now, on this adventure, it’s even worse.

“I was defeated in the fight against Slowking. Of course, I could have carried on, but ... she didn’t want me to.” My gaze clings to Domino again. “And against that thing from another world ... she didn’t even consider that I could destroy it all by myself! Instead, I acted as a distraction. She relied entirely on that Pokémon in armour...”

I’m great, a real catch. My feathers are magnificent and I’m strong. Certainly not invincible, but I can do more than just distract.

So why doesn’t my trainer rely on me?

Am I not good enough? I can learn.

Not big enough? I’ll eat more to grow!

“I-I think ... Domino doesn’t know how to act...”, Ying starts slowly and although I don’t want to look at her, my gaze creeps to her red eyebrows. “Domino... We’ve been together for a long time. S-she’s chaotic and rarely knows what to do. Because of an incident back then ... she lost all c-contact with Pokémon. She still has to ... learn how much we can be trusted with and what ... she mustn’t forget.”

“I think so too!” She held out for a long time, but putting Raya on mute forever is probably impossible. “She panicked when I set fire to our opponent in a fight.” She wags her tail. “I tried to help her, but she was totally ... how do you say?”

“Shocked?” I hang on listlessly, and while Raya nods eagerly, I realise it might be true. After all, I’ve been watching her.

How she saved Nebby. How she and Ying were prepared to go to extremes. How careless she can be. She expects too much of Ying. Raya’s abilities frighten her.

And she doesn’t trust me enough.

When she was willing to put herself in danger to save that suspicious cloud, when she defeated her opponents one by one, even when she faced the Raticate, she won me over. She’s the one I want to go on a journey with to see another world. And even though I’m a great catch, I know I have flaws.

Still, she has accepted me. We are a team. And while she expands our universe, I want to protect her freedom.

The tightness in my chest pulls to the tips of my feathers as a whimpering sound slips from my trainer’s lips. If I can’t protect her in her sleep, at least I can protect her here.

I hastily flutter down to the floor to grab the blanket. The weight tugs at my body, my wings seem heavy, and yet I flap so hard I slowly reach shoulder height, the fabric in tow. Her hair blows around a little as I drop the blanket on her shoulders to make her comfortable. Then I land on the backrest.

Carefully, I rummage through my feathers with my beak until I find a pretty feather and pluck it out. The pain jolts briefly through my body, but fortunately disappears quickly. And then I use the feather to put it under the blanket.

I can’t give her any more to make this piece of fabric softer, but I hope that this part of me will keep her a little warmer. Even on days when the sun doesn’t shine and on nights when even I’m freezing.

“I-I understand you...” It’s Ying who snaps me out of my thoughts. “Protecting Domino ... I want that too. And I’m sure she’ll learn on this journey ... how to be a good t-trainer and how to trust us.”

She’s probably right.

“I’ve never thought about it,” Raya interjects, “but I love fighting and I love how proud she is of me when we win! I don’t want that to stop... I’ll do anything she wants for that!”

She may be completely messed up, but Growlithe isn’t the worst help in this very simple plan to protect Domino. Her strength isn’t to be underestimated, and deep down, she’s probably a loyal soul.

I can hardly believe it as my eyes narrow to slits, but for my trainer, I can even handle working with these two. If we all do our best, we can protect Domino’s freedom until our adventure ends one day.

Maybe, just maybe, then she will manage a smile reaching her eyes. One of those shiny ones that somehow make people special.

Yeah … maybe.