I sat and waited as the back door of the truck opened up in front of me. The bright hoenn light screwing over my eyes and forcing a bit of a wine out of my mouth. Who gave the sun the right to beam like that? Damn sun…
I sighed, when mom said we were finally getting a house I was ecstatic. But now I'm sorta regretting her idea of moving to a new place, but settling down is a lot better than what we were doing before. My legs have gotten really tired over the years.
I raised my hand and tried to protect my eyes while my mom started talking to the Pokemon movers, and completely ignored me in the process while the vigoroth, I think that's what he called them, started picking up boxes while I was trying to get my balance back. Her lopunny, Puffs stepped out of the passenger side of the truck and snickered as it passed by me.
"That damn pokemon has it out for me," I thought to myself while stepping out of the trunk of the truck. "If it weren't for her I might have sat in the front seat for once,"
Looking around I spoke aloud to my mom, "What!? Mom you said we would stop for lunch three hours ago, where the hell are we-" she threw me an angry glare. I know she doesn't like it when I curse but I slip sometimes. It looked like she was about to yell, but stopped when the movers came back outside.
"That's it ma'm, you didn't have much stuff to move so it was a pretty easy job, yah have anything also for me and mah vigoroth,"
"No," she said then basically throwing their pay at them.
She didn't say anything else and called over her lopunny and the three of us went inside the newly built home.
Boxes were spread here and there and a few were open. Puffs was bouncing around and checking out our new home. Mom had laid down on the couch and huffed.
"I should hurry and make berry install that air conditioner, right Puffs?" She questioned. Lopunny nodded and continued with whatever it was doing.
"But I don't know how to set up a stupid air conditioner," I said to myself.
"Was I talking to you," mom said back. I guess I'm not good at whispering much...
The entire place wasn't that big. With our only furniture. That long ugly brown couch mom had collected some stuff from Dad's old storage unit here. How mom got the key, I'll never know. It seemed like there were two bathrooms with what looked like only two bedrooms and one… oh no. Not this crap again.
"hey Mom," I somberly asked. "What room am I staying in…" I asked. She's trying to screw me over isn't she...
"Your room is the attic, right up those steps," of course it is, I sighed to myself and spoke up.
"But why can't I have the normal room," I questioned.
I felt the crack in her voice while she pointed at lopunny "Puffs' is getting the upstairs room and I get the master bedroom, you get the attic,"
I was a bit angry "why the hell does that jerk get the room,"
"Don't you curse at me!" she nearly screeched. " She gets the room because she nearly payed for the house all on her own!"
"Bullshit, I'm the one that did all those jobs to-"
"DON'T CURSE AT ME," she screamed. Her voice cracked "G-go to the attic Beryl," she calmed herself.
"No," I yelled, Everytime we argue she gets like this. Ever since dad, well… she always treats me funny, and I don't like taking crap!
"I'm not going up there," I said. "You can't just shove me in there like some old hunk of junk,"
She looked pissed at this point. She was probably tired from the car ride.
I guess I was too.
"Go to your room, Beryl"
"Oh the bedroom? Unless it's a bedroom I'm not movin," I said.
"BERYL EMERALD VIXEN I SWEAR," she growled my full name, something you should always fear.
"Alright, you can swear all you want," I said taking a few steps back. "And when you stop swearing I want that bedroom,"
I yelled, running back outside, and slamming the door behind me.
"Hell yeah, I got the last words," I said to myself.
The second I spoke I coughed a bit. Yelling is this weather wasn't easy. The moist air is making me feel all wired on the inside. But I guess since I live here now I should get used to it.
Looking around i split off from my new home and checked out my neighborhood. Other than what I guessed was the path out from this place there wasn't much around. It was kinda small and quiet. Grass nearly everywhere and nobody in sight.
I walked behind my house and found a large, but empty backyard. The house next mine looked much better. I saw a large garden filled to the brim with plants.
Well except for this really big guy hanging around. He looked fat-ish and wore a normal shirt rolled up pants. Plus sandals kind of like mine.
"I'm, hey," I mumbled.
"The blob stopped shuffling in the bushes and turned to me,"
"Hello, uhm.. let me guess, your our new neighbor correct? My name's Birch,"
"Do you have a first name?"
"I don't know, I forget to check the wiki today, maybe my wife did though" he grumbled.
"your wife," I paused, "well I'm beryl, Beryl emerald vixen. But everyone I know just calls me berry,"
"Oh alright, well are you looking for something Mr berry," he questioned
"Well no, I'm just bored. What are you doing ,"
"Actually it's Professor Birch! And if you don't mind, you and your name might be able to aid me currently,"
"Well sure Professor," I chimed happy to get my mind off of my mom, wiping the pouring sweat off my face from standing still alone.
"Well thank you! And I'm trying to differentiate between the very simple berries like your average pechas and oran berries and these new ones that have recently started popping up around this region,"
I perked up "oh you need help with that? That's my specialty! I've been able to tell what berries do since I first started eating them!"
The Professor looked at me with a smirk " I assumed with that name you'd be eager to aid me," he cheered.
Knowing must do, I then grabbed a new berry from his hand and shoved a bite down my throat.
The Professor froze and stared at me.
A few seconds later I opened my mouth, "this berry… kinda clears my head a bit… and makes me feel a bit weaker,"
"So it seems the berry may cure confusion and affect a Pokemon's level…"
"Wot,"
Over the course of a few minutes we did this again and again. And he got what he needed.
"Need anymore help, I my stomach for room for a few more bites, I haven't eaten since yesterday,"
"What about your pokemon, how are they for a few tests?"
"I'm not a trainer, but I have spent the past few… years, 'following' my mom around sinnoh. Didn't like it much thought,"
"Oh, well I thought you were a trainer…" he paused, well I actually only needed help with that one berry… so how about you come with me and get some lunch.
At that moment I immediately thought, "STRANGER DANGER STRANGER DANGER STRANGER DANGER" but I dismissed it and went it through his back door.
Surprisingly his house didn't look too different from my new place.
Except… there were pictures and papers all over the walls. The house was a bit cool and the main room was a bit messy. Not too bad.
"Oh sorry about the mess," I heard from behind me. Norman, you promised to help me cleaned this today. Where have you been? Not hanging around that joy again I hope!"
"N-no Caroline i'd never! I've just been with young berry outside. He's helped me a lot with my recent research, Berry, this is my wife, Caroline,"
"It's nice to meat you,"
She looked at me and smiled, " well thank you for keeping an an eye on my husband, you must be tired from all that work!" She chuckled.
"Well we did come in for a snack honey, just a gift for the young man.
she shot him a glare "you can make your own food,"
He paused and sadly made his way over to the fridge.
"so hun, while you were gone one of those poochyena came back, and I had to chase them away from your garden. And mrs Austin had her granddaughter visit today. Oh! and honey," she questioned while handing me a pastry that looked leftover from sometime earlier. "Did you hear the new neighbors. All I could tell was they were arguing."
I slowed down my chewing and tried to change the focus of the conversation. But nobody heard me.
"Oh really," Birch perked up confused, "mhm! I swear I might not even deliver the 'hello neighbor" cake I baked for them. They were arguing about something really odd too."
I paused in fear. I didn't think anyone would hear me an my mom…
"Something about the son being made to sleep in that dust filled old attic! And the mouth on that kid! It was absurd, and I'm sure that the child just left because I heard their front door slam shut,"
Birch slowly looked at me. Staring at me for a bit, and opening his mouth fo a second. And nodded.
"So hun, how was may doing,"
Oh well she is still down on route 102-"
I let the rest of the conversation drown out while I stood up.
"I should go, it's getting dark," I mumbled.
Mrs Birch stopped talking and looked over at me. Birch also seemed to have told her something.
"Hey berry, you said your weren't a trainer right?"
"Well yeah, but," he doesn't let me finish after he hands me the cake that Mrs Birch made.
Well I'm going to need your help with something tomorrow, something important.
"Uh, sure, I'll pop in,"
Birch looks as me with a grin, "hey, if you help me i'll make it worth your while!"
Now that caught my attention, I said I would show up tomorrow morning and he said goodnight to me as well as Mrs Birch.
After all that, I made my way home eating a bit of the cake that had been handed over. I didn't have to knock on the door since it was still unlocked.
I quietly stepped in and looked around. Boxes were open and shut, everything was everywhere and it looked like mom and puffs gave up on unpacking. It was nearly dark out but the house was still hot. The walls were bare and made the room seem even bigger and scarier than they probably were in reality.
I looked over and mom had plugged up the mini TV and was still on the couch.
I thought about apologizing for earlier for a second but didn't after she turned back. Puffs was already near me and sniffed around, yanking the cake out of my hands and leaving me with only what I had already eaten.
"Where did you get this," mom angrily asked.
" The neighbors made it, to say hello," I mumbled.
Mom had taken one taste of the cake "it tastes a bit old for me, kind of stale" and she threw it away.
"That, that's was a really good…" I quieted down and walked up to the attic. Stopping to find my one bag, which I did. It had my extra headband that I got as a gift a few years ago, a pack of Band-Aids, a small blanket and my other pair of underwear in it. Other than that I had to wear what I already had on to sleep upstairs.
I took off my headband and rung out the sweat. Then when i finally decided to sleep. I hung up my clothes and slept in my underwear to let the rest my clothes dry out. I finished my last crumb of cake. And shut the door, hearing a click and laying down.
I plopped down on the oddly moist wooden floor of the attic and stared at the ceiling wrapped in my small brown blanket.. I spent the next bit of time wondering what Birch needed help with tomorrow.
And not really getting much sleep that night, probably thanks to the sugar.