I open my eyes to the living room I had grown up in. The green snakeskin-like fabric couches still seem gaudy, the fake chandelier above them cheap, and even the cuckoo clock on the wall seemed like the owner of the house wanted their guests to question their taste. I stumble to my feet, realizing where I was nearly instantly. I run to the front door, yet it doesn’t budge, a thick, soupy darkness covering the entirety of the area beyond the window.
I cautiously trace the edge of the room, a shallow pool of unease forming at the base of my chest. I run my hand along the pale blue popcorn walls, the fact that I can’t feel the bumps are almost worse than paranoia. I reach the small connecting hallway to the master bedroom and laundry room, then shuffle till I am between their doors.
I shakily reach out, turning the knob to the door, taking a breath before slamming the door open. The room is just how I remember, a gigantic king bed with a nightstand and lamp being the only things inside. I don’t bother shutting the door, opening the laundry room- only to find nothing as well, just a washer and dryer sitting quietly.
Where was the… jump-scare?
The terror begins to bubble as I walk into the kitchen, it was empty too, yet something seemed… off. I open the pantry and stumble back a few feet at the sight of a gigantic spider web inside. No movement, but I don’t really take the chance. I slam the wooden door shut, rushing into the living room as well.
A board creaks from the upstairs, and I pale. It was impossible to tell if that was just the wind or something of substance. The house was getting old, so it always made those noises whether I liked it or not. Not wanting to go upstairs to check, I decide to take a chance and swiftly enter the laundry room, where a door into the garage is. As I step inside, I find it empty, an unusual sight. This had been where the old man had kept his ranger gear, so where was it?
As I reach the middle of the room, I hear a beep and my head shoots to behind me, where the garage door’s mechanism has lit up. A creaking comes from behind me, and my heart drops as the flood of darkness begins to slowly enter the room through the incrementally increasing gap. I am at first afraid that I will drown, but it doesn’t seem to get above the ankles. As the large door slowly opens, the implications of it doing so come running back. I can’t help it, I crouch down to the ground, hugging my head while trying not to cry.
I fall out of the dream, a phantom impact knocking the air from my lungs. I shakily reach over, dragging Eve into a hug. She groggily stirs, sending me her confusion, which shifts to concern as she notices my state. I was bogged down by the terror, a thick, sticky syrup that refuses to fade.
Eve presses her head to my chest, extending our connection further then before. Stubbornly, the emotional substance refuses to move at first, but it soon slowly begins to trickle into my partner. The flow slowly forms between us, the small stream flowing from my heart to the dark gem upon her forehead. It dimly shines as the fear slowly condenses, fading into the latent power within the crystal.
Finally able to breathe, I quietly thank my friend, then grimace at the sweat that once again covered my body. I pull my hoodie off, sighing in relief as cold air washes over me. I stuff it into my bag, then step outside of the tent I had bought before I left Santalune. Arceus be damned, maybe the best decision I had made while there. After the Viola fight, when I finally got my reward money and league stipend, I was able to get a bunch of necessities I had been missing out on. Without even stealing them! What a step up.
I shiver beneath the morning twilight, then glance at Sofie’s tent. She hadn’t stirred yet, something I was grateful for. I sneak away from our camp with Eve, moving to the river, where after noting some Lotad, I quickly strip before leaping inside. I immediately regret my decision, gasping at the freezing chill falling over me, but I don’t particularly have a choice here. Taking out a bar of soap, I scrub my skin till it feels raw, then shiver as I quickly yet clumsily begin the climb out of the river.
Eve, of course, doesn’t let the opportunity go to waste, a wide smirk appearing on her face right when I step onto the river’s edge, as reaches out with a paw and pushes me beneath the waves. I flail as I rush to the surface, coughing out water when I do. I glare at the beast, who snickers as she leaps backwards and crouches low, signaling it was playtime. I roll my eyes, but find myself grinning anyway as the Absol leaps at me.
We roll around wrestling for a bit, before I eventually get too cold and stumble out of the river reaching for my towel. Eve shakes, sending water everywhere, and I giggle as I block with my very fluffy fabric square. After drying myself off, I change into a set of quite basic clothes, just underwear, shorts, and a graphic tee with a sleeping Eevee on it. Sue me for my unoriginality, but they’re cute and I wanted it.
I take out a small plastic bucket, then proceed to begin hand washing my very sweaty normal outfit. I had gotten the extra set of clothes as pajamas, but after the rather exhausting evening, I didn’t have the energy to change once I got the tent up. If this nightmare nonsense was going to keep happening every time I go to sleep, I’d probably end up needing to sleep commando…
I grimace at the idea as I look around the area a bit. A few stray Litleo drink from the river, only to be chased away as a Bibarel comes rushing at them when one gets too close to its dam. I giggle, then pale when I see a school of Carvanha and a Sharpedo swim downstream. I uh, got a bit lucky didn’t I? It’d have been really awkward if they had shown up while I was bathing…
I shake my head, swapping to wash my skirt. I glance at Eve, who to my surprise is chatting with two Riolu of all things, the small jackal pokemon pointing towards the east. Eve nods, then grins and rushes over when that Honchkrow I had seen before lands on a nearby tree. Their conversation lasts a while, and I swear I catch sight of a Dunsparce passing through the brush before they finish. The Honchkrow loudly caws, and nearly immediately around a hundred Murkrow rush towards him. He gives orders, and the murder sets off right as he finishes, spreading out in all directions. The big boss bird tips his hat at Eve before taking off.
Proudly trotting over to me I pat Eve on the haunch, then stretch my back as I start the tiny trek back to camp. The scent of a meal appears when we get closer, leading to Eve and I sharing a look. We immediately sprint towards the destination, but I end up stumbling over a root right when we nearly get there. Eve apparently decides to flex her skills as she flashes a bit of dark energy and rushes over to catch me. From a chair next to the pot, Sofie snickers, and I feel my face heat up. Ignoring the girl’s amused stare, I approach Cappuccino, kneeling down next to her and holding out the wet clothes.
“Hey, Capp, I was wondering if you could please dry these for me?” I ask, as politely as I can.
The chinchilla yanks the fabrics out of my hands to inspect my work, scrunching her eyes as she examines them. Thankfully, I must have done a good enough job, as Cappuccino gives me a grin and a nod before beginning her work. The pokemon’s tail lights up, and she very carefully Tidy Ups, cleansing the water from the clothes. I pat her on the head, then step into my tent and change real quick.
Turns out the used clothes are way more comfortable after a good wash, and I happily plop into the seat beside Sofie once I am decent. The girl shifts a bowl of oatmeal over to me, and I reluctantly take a bite only to look at my friend in surprise. She made oatmeal taste good somehow, a couple of Cherri berries apparently being enough to take it a decent bit more edible. The texture still left things to be desired, however.
“So, Clumsy,” Sofie says between bites, “How was the water?”
I groan, letting my spoon clink against the small bowl, “Cold, and dangerous apparently.”
Sofie raises her eyebrow, but doesn’t inquire further. We each finish two bowls, then clean up the campsite before heading out. Chamomile hadn’t moved from her favorite position the entire time we had been eating, the sun from atop my friend’s chocolate hair apparently the best she could get. Sofie picks Cappuccino up, giggling as she sticks her face into the chinchilla’s stomach and blows a raspberry. The Minccino squeals and tries to escape, but it's trainer’s grip is absolute, and she simply keeps the annoyed Cappuccino in her arms.
I giggle, but turn in curiosity when I spot a little reddish orange Pokemon peeking at us from behind a far off tree. I give Eve a look, and she just shrugs as the Pokemon notices my attention. It runs off, leaving me unfortunately unable to identify it. I decide to keep my eyes open wide while we travel through the edges of Route Twenty Two.
There was a main road, which leads to victory road and the Pokemon League, but it’s well, probably more dangerous for us than taking the long way around. Eve fortunately is rather good at ingratiating us to the locals, primarily to get directions, but it also helps in other ways. I spot multiple Murkrow fluttering about as we walk, keeping track of us as we move.
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Eventually, we reach a portion where we can’t continue without fording a river. Eve is thankfully swift enough to jump far enough that we don’t have to, a tiny island serving as a stepping stone for her. When we land on the opposite bank, I snicker at the sight of an old fallen sign with just a Duskull on it. I had seen quite a few markers like that while traveling between regions, and from my experience they just were a warning that you were heading into more heavily wild areas. It was almost a symbol we were going the right way.
As we get farther though, Eve nudges me and gestures towards a distant peak across the open plains. I groan, hitting my head against her side. Sofie steps up, leaning down to look at my face.
“What’s wrong?” She smiles brightly, and I find my face heating up. “Anything to be worried about?”
I shake my head, hiding my face in Eve’s fur, which gets her teasing me with amusement.
“I’m afraid of heights,” I mutter, trying my best to keep my voice quiet.
Sofie blinks, then giggles as my words sink in.
“I- You’re afraid of heights?” Shaking her head, Sofie reaches over and pats me on my head. “For a girl that managed to get to Kalos like you did, that’s actually kind of amazing.”
I nod, feeling my heart skip a beat at the compliment. To be honest, after that moment in the alleyway where she comforted me… It was slightly hard to look at her directly, despite her stealing my gaze quite often. I was doing my best to stay calm, but I always ended up looking away in embarrassment.
Speaking of her stealing my gaze, when I look at her next, I see her silently looking at a nearby pack of Zigzagoon dashing through the tall grass. Her eyes shine in the daylight, their deep crimson hue tinged with fascination. She reaches up, brushing one of her thin braids behind her ear, a small smile growing on her pink lips. My breath hitches, and I sink my face into Eve’s fur once again, mentally screaming.
This was bad, really really really bad. I was hopeless. This girl had done so, so much for me, and we were set to travel together for um… a period I desperately hope will be a long time. It was definitely a minor crush before, but this?! Why am I like this?!
I feel Sofie shift beside me, and when I turn my head I find her face directly in front of mine. I trip over my own foot, but to my surprise, I catch myself this time, instinctively doing a handspring before shakily landing on my feet. All four of my companions go “Oooh” in awe and clap, but each has a knowing smile on their faces. I hide my face in my hands, running a bit ahead so no one can look at me.
“That was impressive, Clumsy!” Sofie runs up, bumping me with her hip. “Just don’t trip next time, you dork.”
“I-I don’t…” My voice is soft as I whisper, but my attention is then stolen by a rather magnificent sight. Floating across the plains is an entire meadow, a minimum of thousands of Flabebe and Floette, cheerfully spinning around without a care. This group was way, way larger than the one I had encountered near Vaniville, and nearly every flower was a shade of blue.
I nervously grab Sofie’s arm, looking at Eve who anxiously fidgets in place. Cappuccino and Chamomile are basically frozen themselves, but while the Minccino seems to be scared, the Petilil is absolutely elated. The five of us tightly gather as the meadow flies over us, the light of the sun being blocked out nearly entirely. A cacophony of unsettling giggles begins to grow in the court of fairies, and if I didn’t know better I’d probably be covering my ears.
Enduring the mind numbing pain from the fairies, I look around, then spot the sight I had been looking for. A blue Florges slowly floats towards us, trailing flowers behind it as it moves forward. I pull Sofie into a bow, and the fairy moves to just in front of us, and I shiver when I feel it’s judging gaze. We stand there, bowing, for what feels like an eternity, until the fairy queen’s hand pulls my head up to look into my eyes. My mind blank, I stare into their depths, not uttering a word as I sink into them.
Then, a weight lifts from my shoulders, a small black light emerging from my chest to float in the Florges’ palm. I stand awed as pink engulfs it, the darkness gone without a fuss. Elation fills me and I bow deeper this time, doing my best to give thanks. The fairy queen giggles, a sound that rattles my soul, then shifts to Sofie. It’s hard to see what happens, but when I hear the gasp of pure relief come from my friend, I don’t feel much.
I was just numb, since I sort of knew what was going on.
Was that… is it my fault?
My legs go a bit weak right before the Florges literally knocks me on my back with a flick of its wrist. I look up in shocked confusion, only to have the smiling fairy shake its finger at me. I contemplate for a moment, only one conclusion rising up to the top.
It wasn’t because of me?
Apparently hearing my thoughts, the Fairy giggles again as she nods. Lifting me to my feet with a wave of her hand, flowers literally growing at her will, the Florges floats over to me. Then pulls me into a quick hug, pausing for a moment in the embrace, then floats away as it waves. The meadow follows behind it, the court of Fairies whispering among themselves until they are out of sight.
I blink.
“Well, that was interesting,” I mutter, looking behind me at the now normal flowers, “Are you okay, Sofie?”
My friend nods, looking at her hands in awed confusion.
“This… what exactly just happened?” Sofie looks at me, a mix of pure joy and a bit of fear behind her eyes.
“She purified us, I think.” I step up to Eve, who grumpily nuzzles me. “I don’t get why she was so nice.”
Sofie snorts, shaking her head as she walks over to me.
“It’s cause you’re you, obviously Clumsy.” Sofie pokes my cheek, and I blink.
“What does that mean?” I ask, to no reply.
Sofie just grins, poking me hard in my stomach before she runs towards our destination. I once again curse my short legs as I find myself jogging behind her, unable to keep up to the amazoness as she strides across the grass. We do eventually slow down, taking a break beneath the midday sun, letting its warmth soak through us before we set off again.
The rest of the day is a mix of play, quiet walking, and patient waiting to avoid pissing off wild Pokemon. A gang of Pancham nearly find us once, but quick thinking from Chamomile sends them packing when the vines suddenly begin to wrap around them. In the aftermath, I find several berry bushes they had been raiding, taking a few choice specimens secretly for myself. As the evening arrives, we finally reach the foot of the mountain we were soon to climb. When we find a decent clearing, Sofie plops down on the ground, letting her bag fall behind her.
“Arceus, I don’t think I’ve walked so long before.” Sofie yawns and wipes her eyes, then starts getting her camping supplies out, but pauses when she checks her bag. “We don’t really have much food left, do you know how long it’s going to take to get to the next area?”
I hesitate before I respond, glancing at Eve. She shrugs, leading to me rolling my eyes.
“No clue.” Flop my back onto the ground, looking up at the pink sky. “Welcome to travel with Eve.”
Sofie walks over, her lips puckered, and kicks me softly on my stomach.
“Get up, you dork, we need to set up before it’s dark.” My friend giggles, walking away as I dramatically feign dying for a few seconds.
“And no dying little miss. I need you,” She quietly mutters, her voice soft and caring.
I ignore my heart skipping a beat, jumping to my feet and obediently following my instructions. I stiffly set up my tent before heading to a small section of greenery, doing my best to find some tinder. As I peek behind a bush though, I come eye to eye with a small, orangish red fox, a single large white tail frozen between its legs. We both squeal and recall, not having expected to be found by the other.
A baby Vulpix.
We stare at each other for a moment, before I feel a deep calm fall over me. I slowly kneel down, reaching into my pocket to retrieve several of the berries I had stashed. The little fox cautiously approaches, sniffing me first, then the food I had offered. It pauses, looking up to me for confirmation, and after I nod, the kit bites a bit of the Pecha berry off. After just a moment of processing, the Pokemon looks up to me with shining eyes, and I chuckle.
“Well, I guess you like sweets.” I reach out, and though it flinches at first, the Fox allows me to stroke its back, a faint yet deep warmth spread through its fur.
For a few minutes, we keep the exchange going, pets for berries, until I run out. A bit disheartened, I turn to get up, but the fox squeals and leaps at me, pulling at my shirt. I pause, take a deep breath, then slowly pick the kit up. I lift it to be level with my face, our eyes locked together. The poor thing is desperate, wanting someone to rely upon.
“Little one, I’ll make you an offer.” I declare, with a smile I am unable to stop spreading across my face “I work to save people, Pokemon. If you’re willing to devote yourself to that cause, I’ll take you in as my own, no questions asked.”
The kit pauses only for a moment before it nods. I huff a laugh, then press my forehead against its own. I take a deep breath, opening myself, my soul, to the Vulpix. I worry it isn’t going to work for a second, that my theory was flawed, but then I feel it.
When faint confusion comes from the little fox, I joyously hug her to my chest with tears in my eyes. She yelps in surprise, but allows my sudden action with a bit of reluctance. I send the kit a new found affection, and it looks at me with shock before she begins to cry, a muddied mix of sorrow and relief flooding into me. I too start crying, my elation at finding a new partner mixing with the deep grief of the fox to form an utter mess.
We sit there as the sun sets, crying with each other, before I feel Eve approach from behind, sharing a bit of concern. When I return love and surprise, she walks up with a raised eyebrow only to freeze when she sees the fox sniffling in my arms. She looks at me, then at the fox, then back to me, before she squeals and nuzzles both of us at the same time.
I pull Eve in on top of us, and we end up forming a little fur pile. The kit timidly sniffs Eve, who patiently waits until the Vulpix realizes she is one of us. The Vulpix squeaks and runs up to the Absol when she does, a few more tears forming as she paws at the big beast. Eve sniffles, then picks the kit up, placing her on her back.
I sit up to the now exhausted liquid fox, looking her in the eyes before I pull out a white and red Premier ball, then tap it on her head. She vanishes into it, and it immediately dings in confirmation. I press the button, and the Vulpix reappears with a bit of confusion. I pick her up, and we walk back to our camp, new companion in tow. When we come into view, Sofie’s eyes go wide and she rushes over.
“Wha-What happened while you were gone!?” Flabbergasted, my friend’s eyes dart between us all.
I share a look with Eve, then look back at her with a dopey grin.
“I’d like to introduce my new partner, Sofie,” I state, then proudly hold the fox up to show it off.
“Tinder, the Vulpix!”