Faba awoke to the mental pressure of his Hypno, Vacuos, pulling at him, as was his routine. Part of it was convenience, but it also preconditioned him to wake if he was being psychically attacked. He rose out of the master bed where his boss once slept and set to work. Anytime he could pull Lillie away from the Aether Paradise, he slept here. Where she slept wasn't a concern, his Alakazam was a master of Teleportation.
The sun hadn't even hinted at rising yet, and he was already dressing himself in the face-obscuring uniform of the laboratory employees. He may technically be an intern working only as the Assistant to the Junior Branch Chief, a position he'd managed through arguing his existing relationship with the girl and leveraging his connections still embedded in the Foundation, but the ongoing research projects couldn't be overseen by anyone but him!
He Teleported again to the usual landing spot, taking the place of another employee who had been elated to keep receiving his income and benefits without having to work. As always, his Psychic-Types confounded both electronic and pokémon-based security systems that might flag such behavior, even from inside their balls. And of course, it had been Faba's idea in the first place to allow employees to commute to the Aether Paradise via Teleport.
It was April first, and the Alolan air was already comfortably warm through the nights. The enormous cuboid building that housed the base of the Foundation's operations filled his view. His work in designing, engineering, and fabricating the masterpiece VLFS called the Aether Paradise had been one of the major factors in earning his Branch Chief position. Ex-President Lusamine had both elevated him to that rank and lost him it by getting the League involved. Ignoring the vexing thoughts of his former superior, he walked directly into the building, to the elevator, and rode down to the high security laboratory.
Three of his subordinates greeted him as he arrived, having received the signal that the elevator was accessing this floor. "Chief Faba.", they chorused. He proceeded past them without a second glance, silently relishing the status he still held here. He had made a point of not hiring anyone into the secure lab positions with psychic abilities like him, as a matter of posterity. Human psychics and Psychic-Types were two different beasts, and he was self-aware enough to know his limitations warding against the prior.
Needing no nonsense, Faba first entered the stations for their most important ongoing project, the beast balls, which had taken over Lab B entirely. Ultra beasts were, by all accounts his teams had investigated, essentially pokémon, but any attempts to catch them in a poké ball were useless. Additionally, ultra beasts were known to be attracted to dimensional anomalies and disturbances, primarily being ultra wormholes and those who've traveled through them. The beast ball project aimed to create a poké ball that generated a strong, comforting dimensional disturbance so ultra beasts could be caught, contained, and trained.
The core premise was exciting, no doubt, but Faba's main reasoning behind continuing the project, even after the arrest of its inceptor, was Necrozma. Scholars and theologians of the Alolan tradition were split on whether Necrozma, the Pillager of Light, was just the first of the beasts from between the stars to appear or was entirely separate from them. If it was truly an ultra beast, the beast balls would be invaluable. As they were now, they wouldn't even be useful for catching a confirmed ultra beast.
"Chief Faba.", the head of prototype production greeted him as he looked over the remains of the latest attempt at creating a functioning beast ball. They had been unable to fit the usual components of a poké ball and those used to create the dimensional disturbance into the same shell space, and any miniaturization of those devices resulted in implosive forces that ripped apart the balls upon being powered.
"I keep telling you Charles, we will have to try alternative solutions to combining the two devices. Disregard the standard poké ball shell's dimensions. As long as the container space is maintained, it will function.", Faba instructed the man. Charles, Charlie to his peers, sighed and nodded. "You're right Branch Chief, I'll do that immediately.", the employee conceded, but he was frustrated and slightly spiteful internally. "Good.", Faba replied, already leaving for his other duties. If every emotional issue was addressed, nothing would get done.
In Lab A was where they handled the rest of the projects needed for the Necrozma effort. They had relegated the Beast Killer Project that had been Lab A's focus to a few file cabinets in a corner while historical accounts and data analysis of Cosmog, Cosmoem, and the UB's continued to cover every available surface. The employees researched ultra space and how it functioned, the power inside of Z crystals, and the underpinnings of legendary pokémon biology.
The biological study of that "Nebby" thing had elucidated that this "light" all the old stories referred to was somehow connected to type energy, the fundamental force that made pokémon so powerful. That same light was what fueled Z-Crystals and Z-Moves, and because of that coincidence, a small cohort inside the labs were certain that Necrozma was connected to the Z-Crystal phenomenon. It was a promising theory, but had no real backing, only speculation.
A project leader waved Faba down when she spotted him, the head for the group gathering and analyzing recent first hand accounts of ultra beasts, which had been increasing since Team Skull captured Tapu Bulu. "Chief Faba, sir! This needs your immediate attention!", she said, the excitement he could feel from her doing strange things to her face. "Well you have it.", he replied primly. Some of these researchers got so entrenched in their work that they believed the most inconsequential of things to be important.
The woman spoke rapidly, no doubt fogging up her mask, "One of our employees on Akala Island has been in contact with blue-skinned people claiming to be from ultra space and having first hand experience with Necrozma! I used my own network to gather what I could, and it seems Kahuna Hapu has already met with other members of this 'Ultra Recon Squad' and believes in their validity!" "This is important.", Faba confirmed, already getting to work. "Horatio!", he called to the head of the team focused on records of Necrozma, "Send over three members of your team to Angeline's, we have a development. If it's serious, they'll be forming a new team later, so choose wisely."
Faba oversaw the temporary team for validating and scrutinizing the accounts of the Ultra Recon Squad. "Montego," he said, speaking to the leader of his investigation team, "get one of ours in direct contact with the Ultra Recon Squad, posthaste." Before Monty could question him, Faba was back in the thick of things. This was the biggest development they'd seen in years, and Faba wasn't going to miss it.
Faba's Hypno nudged his brain again, and he withheld the agitated groan he felt. "I must be going now. Keep this group together until the investigations team can confirm whether these people are legitimate, and quarantine further conclusions from their testimony to this group as well, faulty data makes faulty science.", he loudly commanded. Then he was Teleported back to the Aether House to change into his usual attire.
His coffee in hand, a quick breakfast ingested, and uniform donned, Faba Teleported back outside of Lillie's dorm room. He always awoke before the child, but on occasion she was alert by the time he returned from Aether Paradise, so he played out the theatrics. Right as he appeared however, the Poison-Type brat collided with him. His coffee clattered to the floor and he pushed the hooligan to the side to keep his balance. He straightened his back as he felt the anklebiter's anger pour out of her. Curiously, there was also a tint of panic in her.
"What the fuck are you doing Teleporting into the middle of the hallway!?", Kau'i Screeched just like her Crobat, and Faba felt her panic peak at the word "Teleporting". He responded immediately, putting aside the intriguing source of trauma for another time, "Well it wouldn't be polite to Teleport into Lillie's room when she might be indecent." "That's it?!", she fumed, then winced. "Shit! I cut my hand, you dickhole!", she said, staring at a bleeding laceration on her palm where her skin had met a piece of the ceramic mug in the process of cushioning her fall.
Faba ignored the girl and her steadily returning exhaustion, a sign of minor insomnia leaving its scars on her emotional state, and reentered Lillie's dormitory. His charge was already awake. "I hope you weren't subject to that. Awful interaction, truly.", he said, immediately taking charge of the conversation. Of course, he knew she hadn't heard specifics, or she would be frightened rather than confused. "No... What happened?", she asked obediently. "Myself and that Kau'i girl collided in the hall. She didn't handle it gracefully.", he answered smoothly.
Then the conversation was over, and he seated himself at the desk in the corner while she got ready for the day. The sense of him always being present was important for his control of the girl, and his plans bent around that singular factor. He needed control. That was more important than the research or any of the other projects. This was his job, seven days of the week, fifty-two weeks of the year. Without the girl, he wouldn't have the Beast that Calls the Moon. Without the Beast that Calls the Moon, controlling Necrozma was a moonshot amongst moonshots. Not that the legendary creature didn't suit him as a consolation prize.
Lillie was ready, resignation and obedience never fading from her mind. When they left, the little gangster was already gone, along with the bloodstains and ceramic that previously littered the brickwork thoroughfare. Doubtlessly the work of the wretched thing's Grimer. Faba and Lillie kept a steady pace entering the sorry excuse for a cafeteria. Maybe it was his experience designing the various facilities of Aether Paradise, but the lack of care behind the room offended his sensibilities. At least Kau'i was absent.
While Lillie waited in line for food, something he left to her purely for the choice paralysis it gave her, Faba watched over the camp children's table. Only Selene had sat down to eat, and Faba luxuriated in the child's mounting despair. The mix of self-hatred, panic, dread, guilt, and dysphoria was something he rarely got a close-up look at as it ripened. The lost thing had so much talent and was now all too aware that it was being squandered, which only compounded the existing loathing for the position the child was in. Quite the array of complex emotions for one so quiet. If Faba wanted it, he could've broken down Selene's walls in minutes with his emotive sense, but he didn't.
The kahuna's grandson was the first to exit the line, food not piled as high as usual. He only stopped dissociating when he sat down at the table across from his friend. Faba was slightly curious why the fool was so secretive about his condition, but, again, he wasn't at this contemptible school to solve these halflings' problems. The trial captain prospect sat far from the other two, her anticipation at talking with the missing gremlin warring with the anger that she was looking forward to it whatsoever. They focused on eating and their pokémon rather than starting up a conversation.
When Lillie finally arrived, taking significantly longer than any other student to pick out her meal as usual, Faba used a nonverbal signal to pressure her to speak, just so he wouldn't be bored. It was like the pathetic whelp was clicker trained. "Selene, um... You did a good job yesterday in our fight. Don't feel bad you can't beat me... okay? You'll be way better than me in no time anyways.", Lillie said, hurrying to find words after his command. The child responded with a simple, "Sure.", before returning to her food. Lillie's words hadn't changed anything. Faba's approving smile towards his charge was genuine.
"Plus!", the boy interrupted smoothly through his chewing, "You also beat Mikala, Selene! That's pretty much two trial captains you've fought under your belt." "As much as I'd love to be a trial captain, I haven't come close to earning that title yet.", the perfectionist commented with a sneer. Even if Faba hated being in this school run by that devil Asuka, at least this batch of infantile annoyances was endlessly fascinating to observe. Mikala was the least twisted up of them, but still entertaining. She was constantly attempting to reconcile her personhood with her idyllic view of greatness. He imagined this was what many of his employees were like in their childhoods.
It was then that Professor Samson Oak approached the table. Faba kept himself from scowling at the deluded old codger. Always chipper, on task, doing his best. He'd never be as lauded as his cousin, everyone knew it, so Faba wondered why he put up the carefree act. Samson was so deep in the lie, he thought, that it was second nature. A benefit of old age, most certainly, one he'd seen repeated in various elderly individuals who seemed to have given up on any regard for status, at least in their emotions if not their thoughts.
"Hello, alola students!", the old coot greeted, "You better eat fast, we're running on a tight schedule today. We'll be going on a supervised field trip as a final test of your training abilities!" Hau raised his hand to ask a question, confused. At Samson's prompting, the boy asked, "Where's Kau'i?" "She was injured earlier this morning, I'll be driving her out myself once she's been treated. In the meantime, Dr. Faba will be your guide.", Samson informed the children. There had been quite the drought in people calling him "Dr. Faba", and if not for the sense of closeness it instilled in Lillie to call him "Mr. Faba" he would order her to use the title immediately.
He gave Samson a nod and picked up the explanation of their childish field trip, "We leave at a quarter to eight. I will drive you all to our destination and chaperone for the duration of the outing." The bookworm immediately checked her watch to see how much time they had before they were due, and immediately after that began furiously throwing back her disgusting meal. The rest followed suit. "I'll see you all soon!", The old man announced between the cacophony of flapping mouths.
In short order the professor had gone and the table of jibbering infants was silent save for squelching chews and gulps. This was why he'd withheld the information of their excursion, the cessation of the children's delightfully inane and sightless flatulations. Before anymore foolhardy declarations of prowess or determination could be made, seven forty-five had come and Lillie had run to her room to feed Cosmoem. Faba sighed and escorted the children to a small school bus, leaving behind his Alolan Raichu, Auster, to guide Lillie when she was finished.
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The halflings all crowded in the back where it was difficult for him to hear them, and Faba strapped himself into the front seat. It had been a long time since he'd driven a motor vehicle, what with his Teleporting pokémon and the Foundation's chauffeurs. Lillie finally arrived, sitting behind him rather than with her peers. He shifted into drive and began moving along the route to Melemele Meadow.
His focus was on his own thoughts and the road, the vocal and emotional ebbs and flows just a background hum that went unprocessed. Even the things he focused on were mostly automatic. Did he turn at the upcoming intersection? No, the turn was another five hundred feet. Would he separate Lillie from himself at the meadow? Yes, she'd still feel his presence with his pokémon around and needed the experience. Straightforward. Down the coast on Route 1, taking a right before Iki Town onto Route 3, across the bridge, and up the harsh incline of the mountain road.
A mix of confusion and excitement filled the back of the bus as he pulled into the dirt parking lot outside of Melemele Meadow. Faba faced the back and declared, "We've arrived. Lillie and Hau, Mikala and Selene, you will be in pairs. When Kau'i catches up, Mikala will be joined to me and Kau'i will accompany Selene instead. Don't lose track of your partners. All groups will be attended by one of my Psychic-Types as well. You're free to go anywhere inside the bounds of the meadows, but please refrain from entering Seaward Cave." With his piece said, he opened the doors.
They gathered outside the bus on the tarmac, and Faba herded the kids through the brief tunnel that connected the seaward side of the mountains to the lush valley within. No psychic powers were needed to notice the awe that each of the impish troglodytes was feeling when they stepped through. The valley flattened out into smooth fields of knee-high yellow wildflowers and the occasional tree or rocky patch. To the west and south, the meadow was hemmed in by jungle, to the north and east by the sheer slopes of the mountains.
Personally, Faba didn't see the appeal of it whatsoever. People always assumed empaths were people who actually understood where others' emotions came from, some sort of perfect therapist or great friend who always had the tools to help, but that wasn't Faba. He wasn't a therapist, he didn't go out of his way to help people, and he certainly wasn't anybody's friend. His empathic sense would be used for his benefit and no one else's.
Auster followed Lillie and Hau south while Faba's Claydol, Cuniculus, trekked north with Selene and Mikala. Vacuos stayed at his side, the relay at the center of his psychic network. Psychic-Types were incredibly adept at using abilities you wouldn't suspect based solely on their battle techniques. It came part and parcel with their essence, beings that bent the rules of nature to their whim. Dark-Types were so effective against Psychic-Types, in part, because they entirely broke the same rules Psychic-Types tried to bend.
Vacuos maintained a powerful barrier that kept out the curious wild Cutieflies and Cottonees. He just waited, off to the side of the entrance to the meadow. Time passed and reports came through, but nothing required his attention. Lillie and Hau were having training matches with other young trainers. Selene and Mikala had scared off an evolved Floette. All the while, Faba stood sentinel, commiserating the ridiculousness of how vital a role this juvenile operation played to his plans.
Before he worked himself into self-deprecating laughter, Samson and Kau'i arrived at last, the latter of which had had bandage and gauze wrapped around her right hand. "Professor.", he greeted. The aposematic ingrate rolled her eyes, contempt for him fizzling on the surface of her awe at the surrounding vista. Samson Oak reciprocated, "Yes, yes, hello again. I trust nothing's gone sideways quite yet." "No, but I should take Kau'i to Selene. They were supposed to be paired. Can I trust you to handle overseeing my psychic network?", he answered smoothly. "Of course.", the professor replied.
'Patch Samson Oak into the network, but do not relay my orders or replies to them. Reports to him are to be made as if I have left the network.', he mentally commanded Vacuos. In a moment, the elderly man fell to the ground clutching his head. As a specialist in Psychic-Types, one of the few in Alola, and a psychic himself, Faba was quite used to the abundance of information conveyed through mental links. Samson had not acclimated like he had. The gangster gave him another scowl.
Slowly, the professor stood upright, unsteady on his feet. "Sometimes," Samson gasped, "I forget that you're a specialist at all." Faba just shrugged coyly and spoke directly to Kau'i, "We best get going." He left his Alakazam, Lunatum, behind with the older man and began hiking northbound. "They should be in this general direction.", he told Kau'i, neglecting to mention that he knew Selene and Mikala's exact position through his network.
In short order, they had made it in sight of the other group. From there, Cuniculus guided the two girls over to him. He didn't let the interaction linger, instead beginning to walk away from the repressor and the criminal immediately and relying on Mikala to follow in his footsteps as she was wont to do. They headed east, and Faba slowly let Mikala take the lead so he could focus again on his network.
Kau'i and Selene didn't take long exchanging pleasantries, from Cuniculus' report, instead almost immediately deciding to head near the entrance to Seaward Cave. Faba smirked and ordered the Claydol to allow the two to stumble into trouble without interference. Mikala, rather than fighting with the wild pokémon, was showing a flock of Oricorio how to use Work Up with the help of her Buneary. She fancied herself a teacher, like her mentor did.
Precisely half an hour later, another report from Cuniculus caught his interest. The girls had gotten into a fight with a formidable Jynx that had ventured out of Seaward Cave. Faba checked that Mikala was still occupied, and closed his eyes to see entirely through the eyes of Cuniculus. The short-statured vagabond pulled no punches, her entire entourage being put to task beating back the Jynx. The prodigy's Rowlet assisted, drawing the Ice-Type's attention away at key moments while putting itself at great risk.
The Jynx wouldn't be bested, however. Faba had his Claydol put up Reflect and Light Screen, but the Jynx's Psychic attacks still picked off Kau'i's Poison-Types one by one. First, the Ariados was crumpled before it could Swords Dance its way to a swift knock out, then the Salandit when its Dragon Rage rendered it less mobile. The rest were all feeling the pain of Icy Wind. The Rowlet collapsed out of the sky, and its trainer dived to catch it, putting herself right in the face of danger.
Faba watched in fascination as Kau'i ran to Selene's aid, putting herself in the way of any attacks the wild Jynx might make. And attack the wild thing did. He wished Cuniculus had his same emotive sense, just to feel what went through that detestable brigand when her hands were twisted and crushed by space itself. Skin ripped along the backs of her knuckles, her palm wound began overflowing again, and blood began to drip from her hands which were sealed in place by the powerful Psychic grip of the Jynx. Kau'i's eyebrows knit tightly together, but she held back any screams in her clenched jaw.
Selene was beside herself, eyes and tear ducts equally dilated. The sorry thing clung to her partner pokémon like a life-preserver. All present parties quivered, Kau'i and Selene for evident reasons, the Jynx because of the insidious poison that Crobat had delivered before freezing to the ground, and Faba because he rarely had prime mezzanine seating to such unadulterated art!
It was then that Samson Oak's voice was beamed through the network into his head. 'Kau'i and Selene are in danger!', the galoot managed to shout through his mind, 'I'm ordering your Claydol to step in. When the situation is over I need you to bring them to the bus for first aid! They're outside Seaward Cave!' Faba sighed and sent back a simple, 'Understood.', then waved to the mentee. "There's an emergency. I've been asked to respond, and thus you'll need to join me.", he told her. She conveyed her departure to the pokémon that had gathered, and they began moving north again.
One Ancient Power from Cuniculus had divested the Jynx of its consciousness. When Faba and Mikala arrived at the scene, it was a mess. Selene's emotional dam had finally burst, the doubt and despair drowning her while she wept on the ground, obscured by flowers. She'd stop training, at least for now, Faba was sure. Maybe she'd even interrogate the queer feelings he'd felt boiling inside of her since they'd met after the current system shock. As grand a spectacle that would be, it would also be a drawn out affair that Faba didn't have the time for.
Kau'i, on the other hand, was angry. Anguish at her pain and suspicion towards himself blended into a swirl of hate. It was delicious, but this was no time to indulge. His reputation was, if only slightly, at stake. Mikala, having not spied Selene in the carpet of yellow ilimas, rushed to Kau'i and her crippled hands. While the miscreant guided her friend to the first aid kit in her overstuffed backpack, Faba set himself down in the silvery-leafed foliage next to the broken child. He could tell that it was only the care she was receiving that stopped Kau'i from coughing her lungs out screaming at him in the meantime.
He felt no affection for Selene, but she took the invitation of his presence regardless. The twintails she hated coiled on his shoulder as she leaned on him, crying into her bunched up shirt. The sobs mounted to a fever pitch alongside her emotional turmoil. Her fears, that even if everyone told her she was the perfect trainer she would never have the gumption to go on, had been vindicated. Faba had a solid understanding of her emotional ranges, which let him intuit this understanding of what she felt.
For his part, Faba just closed his eyes and focused on the network. Professor Samson was pacing, his face drawn, skin tight against his muscles despite his age. He couldn't quite make out what the expression meant without the man being in range of his emotive sense, but it belied urgency most clearly. He ordered Cuniculus to carry the keening wreck and pronounced to the others, "This is not the place for this, let's get moving. The professor will meet us at the tunnel."
His feet ached, wanting for rest, but this too was necessary. Mikala took his scowl to mean he was upset with the situation, but the venomous girl gave him no such benefit of the doubt. He kept his eyes fixed towards their destination. Samson rushed to meet them as soon as they were distinct against the fields of hibiscus. "Good. You're here.", the professor said, clipped. He rushed to the side of Faba and carried Selene out of Cuniculus' hold.
"I saw some of what happened," Samson said, breathing heavily, "but I didn't get a good view of Kau'i's injuries. How is she?" Mikala replied, "Aside from the crushing, which is bad on its own, the insides of her hands seem to be twisted out of place. The muscles all look wrong and bones are misaligned. It's very serious." Serious was an accurate assessment, such an attack required well refined application of the twisted space of Psychic. Faba made a mental note, something much more actionable as a Psychic-Type specialist, to capture that Jynx.
Finally, they laid the two down in the elongated bench seats of the bus. "Faba.", the professor said, his worry gyrating and gelatinous, "Drive these girls to the pokémon center in Iki Town and check them in for emergency care. My car has room for the other three students. You are needed elsewhere." Faba suppressed the urge to show what he really felt about that order, that he was overjoyed, as easily as he breathed, then responded, "Absolutely.", in a serious tone.
Appearing to hurry them out, he ridded the other two humans of heathy mind and body from the bus, returned Cuniculus to its ball, and drove off. Vacuos maintained his connection to Lunatum and Auster, which entertained him along his drive down Route 3.
Selene continued wallowing in self-pity while Kau'i nursed her wounds and swore under her breath. He could feel the emotional release of obscenities in the bubbling cauldron that she was, but for some reason she refrained from screaming them at him. An allowance for the crying child? He didn't take the ne'er-do-well for that type, but the trepidation in her proved it true.
Auster reported exactly what he had been waiting for while he drove, Lillie and Hau were in over their heads against a collective of wild Cutiefly who were offended by her Ribombee's bragging. 'Shield the children and theirs, then Discharge.', he ordered through the network. With that little action it was all worth it. Lillie's belief that she needed Faba's help would be cemented. The plan was coming together fabulously.
He dumped the two urchins at the reception desk, Kau'i ambling in without his support out of an abundance of spite, before absconding to the bus. He drove it back to the school, consciously checking on the network whenever he stopped and relishing being apart from any ungrown brats in the middle of the day. He was still accomplishing his goals, after all. Once the bus was parked, he left his pokémon on Melemele with a set of instructions to keep things orderly, then recalled Vacuos and allowed Cuniculus to Teleport him back to the Aether House for some ever-appreciated relaxation.
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Selene woke up Sunday morning, but it didn't seem to matter. Any optimism she had for becoming a professional trainer had vanished. What was talent, without power? Without drive? Without effort? Selene supposed that it was just like her: Useless.
Because Kau'i had the energy to push through her pain to attend the ceremony at the end of boot camp, Selene felt the need to go as well. After all, Selene had gotten away with only scrapes and bruises while Kau'i experienced real pain.
It wasn't much of anything. A speech from Professor Oak, a show match between Kau'i and Lillie, another between Hau and Mikala, another speech. Selene could recall it all perfectly, but she didn't care. She didn't think she could.
She walked home, thanking her quiet persona that she didn't have to keep talking or hanging around the others. The memories of boot camp, all the embarrassing, stupid things she did and every way she failed the whole week replayed as she did.
Her mom had said she was welcome back anytime along her journey. Selene was going to test that. She opened the door as quietly as possible, which was very quiet in the newly built house, and snuck into her room to curl into a ball and cry.
Her Rowlet, Sora, offered herself as a pillow while she sniveled. She drained enough of her sorrow from now and the constant crying yesterday that she managed to crawl around out of bed, literally. She checked her belongings, still packed.
To her shock, her secret collection was safe. She would've bet that it would be thrown out at some point along the way from Kanto to Alola, but here it was. The laundry she always did in the middle of the night. Her button-ups, suits, vests, and ties.
Immediately, some of the despair dropped away. Unconsciously, she pulled the hair ties from her head, then lifted out a wrinkled white top, pinstripe pants, a pale yellow checkered sweater vest, and her favorite green bowtie from the box. Her tear-stained clothes were torn from her body with fervor.
She stealthily slipped into the bathroom and posed in the mirror, for once not loathing looking for herself in it. She grabbed the brush and straightened out her hair into the walls of black that naturally framed her face. It made her jaw look so strong. The small bowtie made her neck seem larger than it was. The vest changed her figure, her chest. Sora posed proudly on her shoulder.
Again, she crept to her room, admiring how the suit pants made her seem less curvy along the way. She swapped the yellow sweater vest for a grey one and the bowtie for a short kind popular with schoolboys back in Indigo. Finally, she added a suit jacket and fixed the collar. Sora approved, and she hugged the bird until she felt her press against her chest. It was then that mom walked in.
"Oh Arceus, Selene you're home!", her mom said without hesitation. She expected a rebuke. Shock. An acknowledgement that she was doing something wrong, even if it felt good. What she got was a hug. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore.
"I'm sorry!", she said through shaky breaths, "I can't be a trainer. I can't. I just can't." "Selene.", he mother said firmly, causing her to flinch, "You absolutely can be a trainer. Do not give up on yourself, cause I certainly won't give up on you!"
She hesitated, frozen in her mother's arms. "R-really? You won't?", she asked. "Never.", her mom answered resolutely. "Even if you keep wearing spiffy suits instead of what I buy you.", she added jokingly. "Did one of the other campers get it for you? You look great, honey.", she continued, and Selene melted.
The tears were flowing again, babbling brooks of relief. "Woah, woah, what's wrong?", his mom asked. "I don't know," he answered honestly, "but this is good." "This.", she replied absentmindedly, then reaffirmed, "Okay, I'll complement your suit however many times you need until you feel better. You make the wrinkles look good! Your vest matches your eyes! I love what you did with your hair!" She trailed off as they both laughed and hugged again. For a second, he thought he saw Kau'i looking at them funny through his window.