The sun was daunting and painful every morning.

I don’t mean to sound pessimistic, I know that a morning being greeted by the bright gold orb made the forest that much more beautiful. That the pokemon woke, splashing in ponds in their troops, soaring through the skies in their flocks, traveling in their herds. Rather, the sun represented a reminder towards something I found myself constantly uninterested in thinking about.

The fact that I was alone.

Of course, it didn’t help that the glass on the window was broken and caused the sunlight to be reflected at all sorts of strange angles, namely, into my face.

I jumped at the feeling of the blanket moving on my lap, having totally forgotten that the lump beside me was in fact my best friend. Gardevoir. I’m not exactly the most sensible person in the morning and forgetting that her and I were literally in the same bed together was the smallest cause for concern. I’d sleep through a forest fire if it meant getting those five extra minutes.

“Gardevoir.” My green helmet headed friend drawled in my direction.

A sigh elapsed from my lips and I threw my legs over the side of the bed. “Yea, yea you’ve made your point, Gardy. Breakfast isn’t going to eat itself and I told you I wouldn’t have a repeat of yesterday already.”

The first thing that might come to someone’s mind after that little interaction might be how I knew what Gardevoir was saying. The truth is, I just do. Now that might seem a little lackluster on the explanation side but hear me out, I’ve never fully understood these things either. But after growing up among them for the past 13 years, and talking to no one else except for pokemon that converse strictly by saying their own names, is it really so hard to understand that I picked up a thing or two in that time?

If you asked me, it’s all in the eyes and tone. In my heart, it’s like I can feel all that they’re trying to convey to me and those feelings get translated into a sentence.

That or I’ve just been talking nonsense to myself all these years, who am I to judge?

Now the second thing that may have come to mind from our conversation would be, what happened yesterday? Nothing really, technically it was less than nothing. I skipped breakfast and slept until noon. That’s one of the perks of being alone I suppose, my rules are pretty flexible around the house… er, cabin-ish. Nonetheless, Gardevoir didn’t approve of me skipping breakfast. While she doesn’t fasten herself to be anything like a mother to me, and neither of us would say so considering all things. More like a sister that also doubles as a best friend.

I grabbed my jacket off the table, it was black and made of leather with a couple holes on both sides. There were several Silcoon around who actually offered to use their webs to fix it up for me but I refused.

Why might you ask? Because fashion.

I thought it made me look cooler, personally, but perhaps that’s just me. Gardevoir doesn’t approve but it’s cool because Riolu, or Lucario does I mean. My other best friend who doesn’t appear to be around the cabin this morning I determined after checking the other rooms. He evolved recently due to all his early morning activity. By that I mean, going out and finding other pokemon to fight for pretty much no reason at all. Unless getting better at fighting counts as a reason, then go crazy.

A gentle breeze shot through my long blue hair and black hair, sending small chills down my spine. While it wasn’t exactly cold outside and it rarely was in this region, my tank top wouldn’t have cut it either way. Regardless of my feelings on the weather, I got straight to work, plucking several berries from one of the plants in my makeshift garden. Going down the line was enough to make me the makings of a salad minus the ranch part, as it wasn’t like I was getting any meat out here. The closest civilization was around 60 miles or so away judging from what I could tell, my only clue was a really tall tower off in the distance that looked as if it were touching the clouds. It was like a massive prism that swallowed the sky with its structure. Really beautiful to look at when it was dark if I do say so myself. The way the lights stretched from the mid-section I could see all the way up were like night stars brought down from the sky.

‘You should make the trip, it might be worth it Silvie.’

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Walk all that way just to come back? What a waste of time.’

“Lucario.” My inner musings were interrupted by the arrival of my other third. Where there was Gardevoir and I, there was also Lucario, our steel headed and fighting oriented friend. Who was quite literally living up to his type right now if those bruises and scratches were anything to judge by.

I scoff in his direction after giving him the once over. “I hope you didn’t come expecting me to patch you up again, I know you’re perfectly capable of picking yourself an oran berry.”

As I turned my back on him to go inside and put together my plate, before I knew it, Lucario was standing in front of me. Blocking my way. “Lucari - Lucario - Lucario.” He responded to me with aggressive growls.

See, this was my problem with him lately. As I’ve come to learn from the many books and hell, even a Rotom that he stole from a pokemon center one time to teach me useless information, Lucario is capable of reading aura’s. What that means is he’s basically capable of understanding the speech and emotions of his target really well, like sensing my innermost feelings almost.

Honestly, it’s creepy. Ever since his evolution we haven’t gone a day without arguing. Or at least, any day where we actually see each other.

I smile heartlessly at his bold words, having told me once again to get out of the cabin and travel into town. “Big talk from someone who’s come back limping again. Why don’t we all get in fights? That way we can come back injured together too?”

I knew full well what I was doing, the angrier I got the angrier Lucario got. That’s one of the let downs of being an empath, it meant dealing with others emotions.

Just as I knew he would, Lucario got right back up in my face and I quickly grasped the tuft on his chest with both my hands to keep him close and looked down on him. I was pretty tall and he was injured, so despite his moves I knew I had a very slight advantage. My heart rate jumped in mock excitement, combining both anticipation and fear. I clenched my hand into a fist, moments before I could start the fight an interruption came off to the side.

“Gardevoir, Garde-Gardevoir.” Seeing her prepare a psybeam between her limbs was all the encouragement I needed to let go of Lucario. I’ve been blasted by her before and let me tell you…NOT a pretty sight. Lucario must’ve been thinking the same thing because his arms were also back at his side, however, he also had the gall to look at me like he was ashamed. Whatever, he was the one who started the fight, just neither of us ended it.

“We were just having a talk Gardevoir, no need to worry.”

She raised her brow with a look that said she didn’t believe me. “Gardevoir.”

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and pushed by her to go inside, trying everything I could to focus on making my breakfast.

Lettuce, tomato.

“We’ve had this talk before Gardy, I’m NOT going to Lumios city, I don’t care how close it is.”

Onions.

“Gardevoir.”

“You sound like Lucario, now you want me to look for people who I don’t believe actually exist?”

Spinach

“Lucar-Lucario.”

“Back to this again? I don’t want to interact with a world that abandoned me. I’ve grown up in this cabin with all of you, I’d rather stay here than risk going out there.” I hated how the seething crept its way into my voice. How my breath became ragged without me wanting it to.

Dice all the sprouts, make it look nice.

“Lucari-”

“THEN. LEAVE.” I screamed at my best friend, unable to hold in that rage that welled up in the pit of my stomach. “All you talk about is leaving this forest and I’m so sick of it. If that’s what you want so badly then I won’t stop you. No force on this planet could make me leave this place, if that bothers you so much then just leave.”

The ensuing silence was sharper than 1,000 knives. I rarely ever raised my voice and I could tell by the way his ears dropped that Lucario was shocked as well. Our eyes only met for a moment before he faltered and walked out the back entrance of the cabin without another word.

I forgot, but I don’t think I gave him his medicine this time.

My other best friend was also silent but instead she approached me first, her hand reaching up to my cheek which I quickly brushed aside. I didn’t want to be comforted right now. I wanted to be left alone. “The same goes for you Gardevoir.”

“...Voir?”

“If you want to leave you should also leave.”

I turned away without looking at her face to finish my salad. The floorboards were silent for a whole 30 seconds until I finally heard them creak on the way to the backdoor. It was for the best, I’m the only one who wants to stay here it seems. Either they left and I’ll be alone, or they’ll come back and it’ll be the same.

I blinked rapidly, feeling the wetness drenching my cheeks and making a mess of the countertop. I hadn’t even realized, that’s probably why Gardevoir reached for me. A breath released from me I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding as I took my first bite.

Must’ve been the onions.