Though we were similar enough, there were still times when the difference between humans and pokemon was painfully obvious. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, though. It's perfectly natural for us to have our differences, and necessary for us to function well. However, that did make it a challenge when we tried to teach each other about our customs.
'Explain this to me again, I'm afraid I still don't understand.' Lola asked, tilting her head. I took a deep breath as I stretched my legs on the bed.
"Well Lola, tomorrow is a special holiday that humans came up with to honor their mothers. The idea is to make your mother feel like the most wonderful person in the world, if only for just that one day." I told her.
'But, why shouldn't they feel that way all the time?' Lola asked, tilting her head the other way.
"I'm not saying they shouldn't, but the idea of Mother's Day is to make sure that they do. A year is a long time, even to humans, and sometimes life can really grate on you and make you tired. Think of Mother's Day as a day of relief for moms." I told her. Lola blinked at me, and I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to think of another way to explain it to her.
'At this point, I doubt I will understand it. That said, I want to help you with it. Why are you agonizing so much over it though? Shauntal loves you, even I can understand that.' Lola replied. I smiled as I laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"I know that. This is my first Mother's Day with her and not…well, not with my other mom. She picked up on that even faster than I did and has been working her tail off to make sure that I wouldn't be sad when I realized how close we were to Mother's Day. I want to do something for her to thank her for it, and for everything else she's done. I want to let her know that she fits the role perfectly." I told her. Lola appeared over me, flapping her wings slowly.
'Hmm, perhaps you should get her a new book?' Lola suggested.
"No." I said simply.
'Alright, then maybe….oh! Catch a Spiritomb or a Sableye?' Lola tried instead.
"What? Why?" I asked.
'They are both Dark and Ghost-Type pokemon. It would be a nice tribute to her and acknowledge that you need both her AND Grimsley.' She explained. I smiled and reached up to stroke her belly.
"No, but that was a good try." I said. Lola frowned and went back to thinking, her frown getting bigger and her eyes narrowing.
'Well, then, ask Yuyu if he can make a statue out of his everlasting ice for her.' She suggested almost bitterly.
"Easy girl, I'm not going to do that either. The idea behind Mother's Day is to show your mom that you love and appreciate her. I don't want to depend on someone or something else to tell her that, I want to do something myself." I said. Lola blinked and tilted her body in the air, looking behind her.
'Oh, well then, maybe write something for her? You have been working on that story of yours.' Lola said. I sat up and looked at my desk, various papers and pens scattered on it.
"OUR story, and I won't be finished with the autobiography for a long time. I think you're onto something though." I said, standing up from my bed. I walked over to the desk and began to try and organize everything. I opened up my drawer where I kept my notebooks, frowning when I found it was empty.
'You could use your laptop and type it?' Lola suggested. I shook my head and closed the drawer, walking over to the door. I opened it and waited for Lola to follow, closing the door behind me and walking briskly through the tower.
"No, it would mean more if I wrote it out myself. Besides, there are few things more satisfying than listening to the sound of a pen on paper. There's a reason she always carries pens and notebooks with her even with her laptop." I said, grabbing the door that lead to the battlefield. Lola and I were greeted with the sight of my father in the thick of battle.
"Now, use Poison Jab!" He called. Scrafty narrowed her eyes at the Clefable in front of her as she raised an arm coated in purple light.
"Dodge it, Clefable!" Cried the young boy who challenged him. Clefable tried to run out of the way, but Scrafty moved faster, slugging her opponent hard in the stomach. Clefable cried out as it slid across the battlefield, coming to a rest at its trainer's feet.
"Hello, darling. Did you need something?" Grimsley asked as the challenger recalled his pokemon.
"I was just going to let you know that I'm headed out, I need more notebooks. I'll go out through the back way." I told him.
"Alright, be careful dear. I'll see you later." He said as a Swanna appeared on the field.
"I will, see ya, Master! Good luck Scrafty and Swanna." I called, going back into the living quarters of the tower. Lola and I climbed back up the stairs to return to my room.
'So, where would you like to go?' Lola asked as I stepped onto the balcony. Lola hovered beside me while I looked out over Route 10.
"Take me to Black City?" I asked. Lola nodded as I stepped onto the railing, leaping off. Lola flew under and caught me, stretching her necks out as we ascended. I looked down to see Keldeo running under us. I smiled and stroked Lola's middle neck, feeling her rumble beneath me. She threw out a Dragon Pulse from her middle neck, and as I looked down I saw Keldeo flying up to us using Hydro Pump from all four hooves.
'Hiya Vixen! Where are we going?' He asked. I smiled at him and pointed to my head. He nodded in understanding and I leaned down on Lola, closing my eyes.
'We're going to Black City to get some stuff. Want me to buy you a treat while I'm there?' I asked. I felt Keldeo's delight well up in my mind in response, hearing a giggle from the little horse.
'Yes! That ice cream cone you got for me last time was delicious. Can I get another?' He asked. I just smiled and nodded as I hugged Lola's neck, and with a cheer, I felt Keldeo's presence fade. I opened my right eye and zoomed in to see him running beneath us again.
When we got to Black City, Lola landed and let me down next to Keldeo. I waited to allow Lola and Keldeo catch their breath, and we set off down the street together. Tall buildings loomed over us, lighting our way with the neon lights on the corners of each building. Upon reaching the center of the city that had a huge, dome-shaped building with a sign reading "The Market", we stopped at an Ice Cream vendor to pick up a cone for Keldeo, and a sundae for Lola. I made my way inside, leaving the pokemon to enjoy their treats. There were many shops within it, but there was only one that interested me. I made a beeline directly to the Writer's Workshop and browsed their stock.
Now, I know what you're thinking, I could have just gone into the Pokemon Center and gotten my supplies there, right? Well, I used to do that, but when I told my mother about wanting to write my novel, she had Lola and Sarah bring us here instead, because the Workshops were specialized in their crafts, and the Writer's Workshop had the best supplies for writing. The notebooks they sold had very strong, reinforced paper that would not only not tear if you scratched too hard with a pen, but it also absorbed the ink better than commercial paper did, preventing it from bleeding through to the other side.
They didn't just have notebooks though, they had everything you could want for writing. Pens that would not blot or get clogged, binder-cases to protect your valuable pages even if you submerged it in water, it even had a small book-making station for if you wanted to self-publish, though that alone cost quite a bit. They also had a small tech team to help writers retrieve works accidentally deleted on their computers. Everything was a little more expensive, sure, but you pay for quality, and for what I had in mind, I wanted nothing but the best for my new mother.
After picking up some new notebooks, and a few more pens just in case, I browsed through some stalls that lined the floor on the way back out. Though there was nothing particularly outstanding, I did buy a bag of homemade pokemon treats from a nice woman. I left the Market to meet back up with Keldeo and Lola.
"I'm all done guys, thanks for coming with us Keldeo. Look at what I got for you on my way out." I said, offering the treats to him. He sniffed it and smiled, taking the bag handle and swishing his tail.
'Thanks, Vixen! These smell delicious.' He said happily. I beamed at him and patted his nose, leaping up on Lola with my other purchases.
"No problem, we're gonna go home now, Keldeo. See you later!" I said, patting Lola's neck. Keldeo trilled after us as we flew away.
Upon arriving home, I immediately went to my desk while Lola went downstairs to let Grimsley know we were home. I began to write furiously, going into a frenzy similar to one of Shauntal's writing fits. I had no idea how long it was taking me to map this out, it wasn't until Grimsley came to let me know that dinner was ready that I realized I had been at this for around three hours. Upon seeing my project though, he immediately understood and left me to my work, returning moments later with a plate of food.
"Don't stay up too late, none of us are expecting you to do anything special for her. Not moping around will be enough of a present for her, Vixen." Grimsley said gently. I stopped briefly to take a bite of food, going back to work almost immediately, swallowing my food.
"It won't be enough for me though. I promise I will get to bed at a reasonable hour." I told him. Grimsley snorted and patted my back, turning around to leave.
"I mean actually reasonable, not my definition." He said. I chuckled and said nothing, opting to continue my work in between bites of food.
By the time I finished, Grimsley had already left for the casinos, but not without another warning to me about going to bed. My pokemon were all sleeping soundly, scattered throughout the room, except for Yuyu, who preferred sleeping in the Master Ball so that he didn't freeze anything over. With my work done, I folded up the paper and pocketed it, inching around my pokemon carefully and sneaking out of the room.
I was careful not to wake my father's pokemon as I made my way to the battlefield. I reached into the couch pocket and pulled out the remote, looking for the button that would turn on the warp pad. I set it on a ten second timer and rushed over to it, and I was suddenly in the lobby of the pokemon league. I quietly made my way to Shauntal's tower, briskly walking up the staircase. To my surprise, Shauntal was still at her desk, though she was fast asleep. I smiled and crept up to her carefully. I slowly pulled out my folded-up page, putting it into her hand and curling her fingers over it.
Out of curiosity, I snuck a glance at what she was working on, and found that it was a short story about a Purrloin and a Chandelure. I tilted my head at it and started to pull the page when a soft voice behind me froze me in my tracks.
"Chaaaa?" Moaned my mother's Chandelure. I turned to see her watching me with unreadable eyes.
"Hi Chandelure." I said sheepishly as her trainer stirred. I gasped and prepared to explain myself when Chandelure floated over, holding one of her arms out to lick Shauntal with her spiritual fire. Shauntal immediately relaxed and went back into a deeper sleep, and I sighed in relief, giving Chandelure a grateful glance.
"Lure?" She asked. I pointed to the paper in my mother's hand.
"I wanted to leave that where she'd find it, I didn't think she'd still be out here though. Can you make sure she gets to her actual bed? Let her keep the note though." I asked. Chandelure said nothing, as usual, and I nodded in satisfaction and started for Shauntal's living quarters, leaving her pokemon to take care of her.
I loved my mother's tower even more than Grimsley's. Shauntal's tower was much more homely, with the carpet that stretched even up the stairs that led to other rooms, which were likely extended libraries if I knew her like I thought I did. In the main room, there were overstuffed chairs and a long couch, any of which would be nice and comfy for reading a good book. I strode through the room until I found Golurk with Summer in its lap. It's head turned to me and I smiled, bowing at the behemoth.
"Can I get a lift to my balcony? All of my pokemon are sleeping and I don't want to wake Grimsley's by triggering his stairs." I asked. Golurk immediately picked Summer up and held her out to me, and when I took her, it set its hand down in front of me, palm up. I nodded gratefully and climbed aboard, sitting back while Golurk stood up and walked away with us. If I didn't already know it was a Ghost-Type, I wouldn't have believed how quiet Golurk's steps were. Then again, it likely didn't want to stir its trainer any more than I did.
It stepped out on Shauntal's balcony, and I basked in the cool night air. Golurks legs retracted and it shot into the sky with me in its hand, flying over to the tower I called home. It pulled up in front of my balcony and stretched the hand it held me with out, and I carefully leapt onto the balcony with Summer still in my arms. Turning around, I bowed again as Golurk started to leave.
"Thanks for the ride, and for taking care of Summer. See you tomorrow. Goodnight, Golurk." I told it.
"Luuuurk." It groaned at me, retreating back to its home. I smiled and hugged my Eevee close, turning to my own home. I crept back inside my room and set Summer down on the bed. After changing into my pajamas, I crawled in beside her and snuggled her close, sighing in contentment as sleep took me swiftly.
The next morning, I woke to something softly stroking my hair. I groaned and cracked an eye open to look around, and I saw Shauntal herself sitting on the side of my bed, tightly clutching a piece of paper in one hand while the other petted me. Her eyes were obscured by the light that reflected off her glasses, but I zoomed in with my right eye and saw dried streaks of tears down the side of her otherwise unexpressive face. Upon realizing I was awake, the tears gradually flowed down again, and her grip on the paper got even tighter.
"What is a mother? The pokemon say that it is the one who lays the eggs. Our law says that it is a female who is responsible in caring for a child. These are all correct to a certain extent, but I feel that a mother is much more than that.
I am one of the blessed few to have had more than one mother. No, it's not because my mothers are in a homosexual relationship, not to discredit them as parents, of course. No, I enjoyed fifteen wonderful years with the woman who gave birth to me, taught me right from wrong, and stood by me when no one else would. Now, I hope to enjoy the rest of my life with the woman who chose to raise me up when I felt I was at my lowest.
My mother Elise was a very loving mother, and one of my best friends, right until the very end. She gave up her life to ensure I would keep mine, and some would say that that is the ultimate sign of motherhood. Not a day goes by that I don't miss her, and not a minute goes by that I don't continue to love her as though she were still alive.
My other mother, Shauntal, is quite a bit different. She did not give birth to me, nor was she there for my early years. She was not waiting at home for me when school was over, nor did she patch me up and comfort me when I was being bullied by the other kids in my class. She did not teach me how to cook great food, in fact, she and I both know she is terrible at it. Her obsession with writing is so hardwired into her that most of the time, she is difficult to understand because she speaks in literary snippets, and most everyone has written her off as a lunatic for it.
That does not make her any less of a mother though. Not in my eyes. She was always there for me even when I didn't think I needed her, or wanted her. She comforts me when I have bad dreams, and sometimes she will lull me back to sleep with one of her fantastic stories. Those bullies I had in school? One was foolish enough to challenge her last during the Elite Four challenge. Her Gengar, not normally in her party during normal challenges, made him quickly regret that.
Shauntal has no desire to replace Elise in my heart, and though she refuses to believe me, she hasn't. No one can really take my birth mother's place, but that doesn't mean that the hole in my heart she left can't be filled again. By being there for me during the hardest part of my life, and even before then, Shauntal herself earned the right to be called my mother, and I will take action against anyone who says otherwise.
While the pokemon say that Elise is my mother, and the human laws say Shauntal is legally my mother, I accept them both for the role they chose to play in the story that is my life. As far as I am concerned, they are both my mothers, and that is all that matters."
As she finished, my eyes widened in astonishment. I looked at the paper in her hand, recognizing my essay, but even with my mechanical eye, I could not make out any of the words.
"Yo-you memorized it?! How?" I asked in disbelief. She turned to me, her eyes focusing on me in a way that was both warm and creepy at the same time. Given that I was fairly used to her by now though, the warmth was the feeling I got more. Her smile was even warmer, and lacked any trace of her usual creepiness completely.
"I can quickly memorize that which is mesmerizing. I could read you some of my favorite books without even glancing at the cover. When I found and read your essay, I was determined that it would be among the stories that I have locked away in my memories. Even if I should misplace the hard copy, though I will take great pains to ensure that I don't, I will not misplace the words you so lovingly scribed for me." She told me, and for once, she came across clearly and understandably, without my needing to think about it. I smiled at her and sat up in my bed, moving Summer to one of my pillows.
"Happy Mother's day, Mom." I told her. She continued to smile as she pulled me into a loving embrace, and I snuggled into her and hugged her back.
"I would like to read something else to you. Just as you worked hard on your essay, I have been working on a special story just for you, and it is ready to be enjoyed." She said as Chandelure floated in, carrying a binder case with Psychic. Shauntal grabbed the case and opened it up, placing my essay in the inside pocket while a stack of papers waited in the rings. I picked Summer back up and set her in my lap, moving over in the bed as Shauntal crawled in beside me, wrapping arm arm around me as she cleared her throat and began reading.
"This is the story of a Purrloin who embarks on a dangerous journey, the Liepard who guides her through it, and the Chandelure who watches over them from afar."
Happy Mothers Day
Okay so I'm a day late on this, but I didn't want to make the same mistake I made last time I tried to write something for a holiday *shudders at the thought of "A Lycanthrope Christmas"*.
I did know that I wanted to do a oneshot about Vixen and her batshit-crazy adoptive mom, Shauntal. Even though I identify more with Carina, there is one thing Vixen and I have in common: we have more than one mom. Unlike Vixen, I had three, and I have only ever called one of them "Mom" and meant it, and that would be my "Stepmother" Patrice. She may not have given birth to me, but she took care of me long before I even knew she existed, and it would be three years after I learned about her to actually meet her.
While my worthless birthmother sat on the computer all day playing an MMO, interacting with me only to get her coffee or bring her something to eat, Mom was making 4 meals every day. She made breakfast, lunch, and dinner for her, Dad, and my stupid older brother, and then she made another dinner that Dad would drive over to us, which was a 2 hour round trip for him. She kept our water running, and the electricity going, and she kept my birthmother online so she wouldn't throw a hissy fit.
I was around 5 or 6 when Dad left me and my birthmom, and he would try to keep food in the house so I wouldn't starve. When he met Mom and told her about me, she helped him get ready to go to family court and began toiling over making these absolutely fantastic meals that would last me and my birthmother an entire day.
I was 8 when CPS took me away from my birthmom, and while Dad took her to court and fought against her and the State of California (a state where the father is lucky if he doesn't go to jail while custody is being disputed) for me, Mom was continuing to look after me, though she was not allowed to see me, or talk to me I don't think, but my memory is a bit hazy there. Even on my 9th birthday, she still wasn't allowed by the courts to interact with me directly, but she still made my birthday cake, and she got me a present too. I don't remember what it was exactly, but I know I really enjoyed it.
About halfway through my stay at Casa Pacifica *a facility where children, whose guardians are waging a custody battle for, stay*, the courts finally allowed me to meet the woman who loved me long before she knew me. She introduced me to one of my favorite fruits, and she had what I thought was one of the coolest jobs in the world *she worked for the KCAL News TV Station as an editor*. Best of all, she loved football and the Denver Broncos as much as my dad did, and at that point in my life, the Denver Broncos was pretty much our entire household. She was the perfect woman for my dad.
After I went into Foster Care, she went with my brother and my dad to see me at the beach sometimes. I turned 10 twice that year, first at my foster mother's house and I had a big party with all the kids in the neighborhood, and then again at the beach with Mom, Dad, and my brother. That was the first time I accidentally called her Mom.
Before my 11th birthday, Dad did the impossible. He was not only granted FULL custody of me, but the court terminated all traces of my birthmothers parental rights. She had to ask Dad before she could visit, whether I could leave with her to go somewhere, where we would go, who would be there, and it was his call to set her curfew. That day, the judge ruled that I was to go home with him by the end of the week. He called my foster mother, and when she asked me when I wanted to go home, I said I wanted to go home NOW. He was there within 2 hours, we packed up all my stuff, and I went home with him and was greeted with Mom and my brother making a welcome home poster for me *that they didn't finish because they underestimated what a stupid and impulsive child I was*. It took only a week for me to decide to start calling her Mom on purpose, and the change was pretty easy.
Now here I am, almost 13 years later. Mom isn't quite what she used to be, but I still love her for all she did for me and all she continues to do for me. In fact, I'm sitting in her living room right now, because I chose to stay with her this weekend for as long as she likes.
She is every bit as much my mother as Shauntal is to Vixen. She did not give birth to me, or know who I was directly for the longest time, but she chose to love me and to be the mother I wanted and needed. It took me a little bit longer than Vixen to see it, but my Mom is everything I think a mother should be.
I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day, my dear fans/friends. I will see you later when I post the next chapter of LDR.