A Joyful Visit
There really is no place like home and its seems every day I have an yarning to go there and in my mind, it's a big sacrifice of the Pokémon League Champion that I can only go there a few times. When I'm not battling trainers in that grand room, I'm training and when I'm not training, I'm travelling around solving crises trainers have, but sometimes I do pay a visit my home town, but its always has to be a quick one.
But a small holiday for me was around the corner, it was short but it was all I wanted, just a few short hours I said happily to myself on my last day!
'Few short hours' seemed a lot longer when when you're talking to the self-claimed Wave Dancer, Hoenn Champion.
It was a visit from Hoenn, and as the champion I was obliged by duty to spend time with him, it made me hate the position when I saw him walking towards the League, or how much I hated in jealously off the other Elite Four Members quickly walking out with a forced politeness to Wallace.
I was lucky in some sense that he didn't talk about his love life like he did in his last visit, I could practically hear his voice when he was walking up huddled in his cape - 'Oh I don't know who to choose, Winnoa is busty, Phoebe is absolutely sexy.. This time seemed to be the conversation on how he felt inferior to Steven Stone as a Champion, there were tears, rants, and screams of hated and I soundlessly worded several threats to my luck as I held him and patted his back.
Yeah, I know, we're supposed to talk officially, never happens though.
Then he leaves. Finally! Not spending a second more with him as soon as he said he'd make his leave I quickly picked up my ready suitcase, wished the League workers a good holiday and they wished me the same but it was useless to say because I knew I was going to be excellent.
Outside, my hair is brushing against my covered eye, I pulled it back just to get an appreciation for freedom, resident to squeal like a little girl like I did on those long school days.
Hey, don't get me wrong, the League is my heart, but its gruelling and demanding as much as it's fun and filling. But tonight, it was the place I wanted to be least as I called my Fearow, I gave her a stroke on the head like you always should do, she held tightly onto my hands with her strong talons, the trust is what made me calm as she gracefully flew into the night air and I feel my hair stroked by the wind.
She's a good flyer so it doesn't take that long to get to Celestic Town, there's not much light coming from the town but the bright sky is enough to make it glow in a magical way, I landed next to the grand legendary Shrine, smiling I used to play by this all the time as a child.
Every time I stand here, its a nostalgia trip, I walked up the stairs and grinned at every memory that hit me, I would have cried – but it wasn't the time for that, it was time for me to go and see my friends and family and enjoy the next few days.
But first it was time to see Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Centre, my partners are here on a break too so I'm going to give them a rest. But darker memories are coming from that Pokémon Centre, it was a balance for every good one that was here, there was a bad one coming from just that building, a few events happened, but there was one I'll never forget.
It wasn't the people in the Pokémon Centre that were the cause of the memories, its easy to see this as I walk in greeted very enthusiastic neighbours, most I have seen grown up and old in my lifetime.
Then there's Nurse Joy, they say everyone looks the same and to be honest its hard if you didn't know them before, but this one I've known since we were little girls, she with her Blissey talking to someone with their Pokeballs, I stand not to intrude and when she's finished talking I walk up and there's a happy gasp from her.
"Cynthia!" She said hugging me over the counter, "It's so good to see you again."
I return the hug and we let go, her smile is huge on her face and her Blissey is cheering happily, "I heard you were on holiday."
"Yes, maybe we could do a few things together?"
She shock her head sadly, "I hate to say but I'm too busy here, one of our staff is sick and I have to cover for them." Disappointment was hidden by my smile but she could see trough that.
"I'm so sorry."
"Don't be, I know how hard it is to get to work, I'm just happy to see you again."
She nodded, "my mother and I were talking about you a few days ago actually-"
Her mother. As much respect I had for her, in this nostalgia feast there was one memory I was hoping not to tread on too, Joy didn't see it, it was years ago after all and why should I remember it? It was because every visit, because so rarely, I can't help but remember everything that happened in this town. Her mother was the nurse before her, she was loved by everyone, even myself and I used to spend time with her and Joy – she was almost like an aunt to me.
..And she did everything a loving aunt would do.
It wasn't time for that – not today – forget it Cynthia, enjoy today, enjoy tomorrow and enjoy the rest.
"Oh, what was said? I think I feel my ears burning!"
Joy giggled, "Well with good reason, it was all praise! To think, a home grown champion who still gets misty eyed when coming home – yes we've all seen you!"
I brushed the hair covering my eye, a nervous habit, and laugh with her, the conversation goes on more, its a fun time and I have to move out the way and apologize to the cue of people behind me as she attends to them. They didn't seem to mind, Joy who looks overworked already is polite and caring as every as she takes the Pokémon off them, thinking she might be here a while I'll give her wave.
"Coming back soon, Cynthia. I want to see how your Pokémon are doing."
A promise is a promise and I leave to go to my house, giant steps as I get close, down the stairs and up. The first to come at the door was my sister, one nose on the door handle and another in the book as usual, her interest in mythology could be greater than my own (enough not to train Pokémon but study them), she puts down the book for a rare moment and greets me as happily as Nurse Joy did in the Pokémon Centre. I come in, the gentle cold soon replaced by a gentler warmth, I see my grandmother on the the phone.
"Talking to that Mr Stone again," says my sister with a huff, "The amount of time she's on the phone you think they're a teenage couple."
Still on the phone, she greets me with a wave, kissing me on the cheek as usual calling for my grandfather who comes out with a cup of tea. "Cynthia- You're here at last! What the Blaziken kept you?" He sat down drinking, "Is she still on the phone?!"
Her sister shock her head but with a slightly mischievous grin, "Its nice I now have someone to help me keep these two happy.."
I gave my sister a scuffle of her hair and hang my coat up.
We simply watched television for a little while, a story about Palkia while not to much to my surprise I came up in an interview, my grandfather comments "You're everywhere! Can't open a TV guide without seeing you there." My sister is less impressed, "I know more about it, why doesn't anyone ever interview me?!"
We had dinner, as a League champion I can have everything when I want it but there's nothing like my grandmother's cooking and sure my grandfather complains again and again, ("Your dinner is worse than last nights.. and last nights was worse than the night before..") but I almost scoffed it down and my sister was out of all of people telling me to slow down!
And when that's over, I tell them I'm going to give my Pokémon to the Pokémon Centre for the night, they agreed with my grandfather ranting about the quality and expenses paid into them, my sister responded with a tut and wishes he stopped reading the Daily Tailow.
Its darker now, its getting late and I don't want to keep her too long so I rush there almost in a rush, the Pokémon Centre's lights as bright and welcoming as they were picked out specifically for the warmth glow.
Nurse Joy is sitting at her counter and happily greets me again.
"I won't keep you too long.." I said to her, "Its getting a little late, almost nine."
Joy shock her head, "Don't worry, my shift doesn't finish until eleven. Let's see your Pokémon then!"
Taking of my Pokeballs is like getting naked; once their off my belt I can feel something missing but they're going to good hands, Joy is an expert, not just like her cousins but on top of her field.
"I think they're going to enjoy is as much as I am here," I said, "They always do when I'm here."
There was a noticeable scowl on Joy's face at those words, one that would scare me later, now it just made me feel a little nervous, we both knew as well as each other those things she said to me on those last visits.
"Don't push your Pokémon too hard!" She said with her hands on her hip and a wagging finger, if there was anything to make a Joy seem scary, it was Pokémon in trouble.
I like to think of myself as a very caring person to Pokémon, and sometimes I train them a little too hard without realising – ambition and as much as I hate to use it as an excuse, it sometimes grips me and let me and doesn't let go. I hate myself for it because I feel no better than those awful gang leaders, but Joy doesn't seem to think of me in that way, even at the previous rants in the last few visits.
"Well, I hope you took notice.." Joy said with a new tone, it was almost like a teacher's, "because I know you're a good trainer Cynthia."
I nodded, and shuffled my feet, she was the only one who can ever make me feel nervous.
Her smile was back to normal and her a singing in her voice as took the Pokeballs, "I'll be about half an hour."
"That's okay. I'll come and help you, I just want to take a walk."
"Sure, sure! Take a walk, enjoy being home."
"I want to be back to help you with my Pokémon."
"Like I know you would be."
It was only meant to be a little walk, but the tempting view of the town from the low cliffs was too tempting as I climbed up. The cold air was a blanket for her, if it had been anywhere else the chill would have been nasty, but from my home town there was a pleasure within it and the view she saw a cosy village that would not look out of place on a holiday postcard, but those lacked the warmth feeling in my chest I get by just being out in the open and doing something many take for granted and just observing my town.
Many a time I gave a thought about throwing the League away and just living here, it was an illogical discussion, I had her career going and that wasn't easy to shake away, practical or personally but the desire was always underneath that all.
"I'll go in a second.." I told myself, but the cliff side was too much to simply get away and walk.. .. its only been a few minuets I said. It wasn't until a had a ringing on my PokeNavi did I realise the time.
I had been there for nearly an hour the time on the PokeNavi told me, I wanted to give myself a slap as I answered the phone to my dear friend Nurse Joy quickly waiting to apologize.
"Hey, hey.. Sorry. Didn't realise I was out here for so long. Talk about being home sick huh?"
I laughed, she didn't. Guilt. Was she angry?
"Cynthia.." she said with a firm tone so unlike hers, "I think you should come back. Now."
"..Yeah.. I was going too, I'm sorry."
"You have a lot of things to be sorry for Cynthia. Back here. Now."
Her sentence stiff and her phone was switched off. It wasn't a request, it was an order and I had never heard her so angry before,it quickly reminded me of someone else..
I shivered, and quickly got off my seat rushing back to the Pokémon centre, the warm lights not so inviting this time and they felt like search lights as I walked down the path.
She was talking to someone, her face as cheerful as ever, I was a very relieved, she was in a good mood – perhaps I just mistaken her over the phone, but that quickly gone as the man left the counter her face was on me now with that same scowl.
"I'm sorry.." I said before she said a word to me, or even came up to me, her hands with on her hips, I knew I was in trouble. It was probably an unwise idea not come earlier, perhaps she would have been less time to muse over her anger.
"I'm on a shift.." She said slowly coming eye to eye with me, I had fought gang leaders and cruel trainers but this is the one of the rare times I've been scared, and it was from one of my closet friends and supposedly one of the most gentle people in the world, "So I'm going to have to wait... and so are you." She pointed to the pink sofa, "You're going to sit there until its over.." Her eyes narrowed, my widen, I was too nervous to say no, so obediently like I child I sat down on the sofa, she glared at me then went back to her counter.
..It seemed like hours.
I wished someone else entered the PokeCentre, but they didn't. Instead, the guilt was climbing up from my stomach and into the rest of my body, I took a few glances to Joy who was still scowling, it must have been a real talent to go from kind and warming to stern and fighting in mere seconds like she did earlier. I wondered what she was thinking and the sofa wasn't comfortable less to do with the state of it but my own feelings that kept making me shift in my seat.
.. It was ten o'clock at last. I wanted this to come and I didn't. I wanted to know why she was angry, and I didn't want to know what she would do.
"Stay." She commanded as she got from her counter and then locked the Poke centre door, I felt like she was trapping me inside, when the windows were also locked. Then, with all that, she came and stood in front of the sofa, arms at the hips and silently furious.
"Well Cynthia.." She spoke first, I was glad someone would, "I examined your Pokémon and.."
..No.. No.. I was so careful, wasn't I?..
"..Your Garchomp has a sprained ankle, your Milotic is stressed as evidence from its harden scales, and sadly its not just her, but your Laucrio, your Spritomb is a unhealthy shade, and this before I get to the worse of the worse."
..My heart went cold.
"How many times have I told you?"
The question was clear.
"..I..I.." I gasped, there was no justification, I had completely gotten lost again, she didn't wait for me to come up with a half-baked reason.
"This is the sort of thing that could cause a League Champion her title? Did you not know that Cynthia, Nurses have a big say in these things."
I wanted to cry, my Pokémon were ill from my fault, my close friend was fuming at me under aggrasive calmness and I was going to lose my title?
She shock her head, not sadly, but pitting.
"You couldlose your title Cynthia, I've said before in the past, haven't I? I'm in half a mind to report you now."
I nodded like a small child, I felt like I was 12 and being spoken to her mother again.
"..But I don't want that to happen. Not only is it bad for this town, our home-grown champion losing her badge from neglect, but I KNOW you're better than this." The last statement wasn't bathed in any kindness, but presented in a cold fact. "So perhaps against my better judgement I'm going to give you another chance to pull it together."
I gave a small sigh, there was another chance – I could show her, I could be better.. I could get a hold of myself.
"..But not before I give you a reminder.."
"..A reminder?" was she going to write something for me to keep? She closed her eyes, the next words were hard for her, "I'm not going to let you get of so easy, this reminder will keep the night in your mind for a very long time."
"..A reminder? What would that be."
It seemed she was more nervous than she was letting on, her fingers were playing with her outfit with her eyes closed.
"..Do you remember when you was 12-"
No.
"..And you stole something for my mother? "
Oh, Palkia, no.
"..and she promised she wouldn't tell your grandparents if.."
No.. No... You can't be serious.. My mouth worded those words.
"..She.."
"No!" I said with a huge gasp, putting my hand to my hand. She nodded, I was right and I was feeling sick.
"..Your mother.. is.. she?"
"No.. She's not." She opened her eyes, they were on mine, and like before they were as sharp as her words, "I'm going to do it."
My face was pale, I had already started to sweat. I spoke, but not coherently, she was tall and steely, but underneath she would tell me later , she was just as shocked she was saying that.
"But... you can't! I'm too old.. and you can'-"
"I've decided what I want to do, and I'm going to do it. It helped you the first time.."
I knew what would be said next and my mouth hung open.
"..but you have a choice. Let me do this and you have another chance or I'll have to report you."
"..But why..but why this?!"
"Because you need to feel the consequences of your actions, and to be honest I don't want to report you, but I don't want you to get off scot-free."
One night, in a space of a few hours I could risk losing my title, or taking this and trying again, not matter what it would be like.. The better option was obviously the last. It was the hardest nod of my life.
"Get up." She said, she was treating me like a naughty child already "hang your coat up."
I did, feeling more venerable than before now the heavy coat was off me, I was in tightish trousers and my usual black top.
"Follow me."
She led the way, behind the counter and into a back room, it was a medium size sitting room, she waited for me to come in and locked the door behind.
My last chance to go was gone.
Instead of sitting on one of the sofas, she bought a chair from the corner of the room and placed it down in front of me,and from a shelf a weapon I had seen only once before. She didn't say anything as I duck my head to avoid a gaze with it and she put it on the floor underneath the chair for later use while she sat down, knees forward.
"You know what do do."
I was frozen, now that she was asking it all seemed too bizarre.
"Cynthia."
She didn't have to ask again.
Slowly, I trembled, pushing any thoughts wondering if this was real, I bent over her knees, my hands were pressed down on the floor and my bottom in a position of vulnerability.
I sighed, she felt it.
I kept thinking I could take this. Surely I would? Its not like I was 12 but my beating heart was disagreeing quite heavily as I shock my head to myself.
One hand pinned my back down and the other one flat and slowly rising in the air.
It crashed down
Her first brow hit with me a dulled smack. The pain registered it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be but enough to make my teeth to bare and my eyes to narrow. The first a test and the second was much more skilfully applied. "I cried out in a girlish and weak voice, she had already smacked me a third time and I felt a little a small glow on my backside.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth, but even with the noticing pain in my bottom in seemed easy to take, she knew this too as she stopped her hand and instead grabbed onto the rim of my trousers.
"...You're not going.." I gasped, the spanking was enough but was she really going to..? My face burnt like it has been that she was striking and her answer was to pull my trousers down very quickly, down to underneath my knees, my eyes gazed in horror at the wall asking for a response as I felt the cool breeze of the unheated room tickling down my exposed skin.
..And if having my underwear exposed to my friend in such a fashion wasn't enough enough, her womanly grip already touched the rim of my knickers, my legs were kicking as best as they could from my trousers keeping them together but it just made her pull them down quicker and I could feel every movement, revealing my backside to her.
The humiliation, my bottom was in full view and I couldn't do anything to hide it; I wanted to cry but I forced myself to be strong, I still had a reputation to keep.
My backside was hot, pink marks on the skin and it felt more real when the air touched it, she rose her hand, was there a hesitation from her? Because it took a bit longer for that pushing blow to hit my venerable skin. I yelled out on the next smack the pain greater with no protection, her burning hand in contact with my skin, it landed on my cheek and my body jerked on contact, risen again and another blow on untouched skin.
How can someone who spends their time looking after Pokémon with such gentleness be equally as ruthless? Her hand was a Beedrill's stinger and she whacked me again and again with it using force that caused her hand bounce back as a reaction.
She wasted no time in making my Backside covered in pink and hot handmarks, my legs dancing in a slow march of pain, the next blow, the next, her usual soft hand as hard and furious as a the angriest Charizard. My eyes closing at every impact and when my mouth did not yell out it pain my teeth were biting on my lip.
Every blow I wished was the last one, the pain becoming more focused and stringing harshly, what seemed forever she counted down the last blows.
"..4.."
My legs were marching in her grip.
"3, 2, .."
I closed my eyes, this would be the worse.
"1."
She must of put extra power into it because as soon as it hit increasingly-sore bottom I cried out in the most embarrassing way, my head was shaking and my legs, now in a rapid movement trying to throw of the sting of my cheeks. She didn't say anything, but I could tell she was thinking this over and it wasn't over yet as I knew, my heart at pounded at the worse to come while a little hope I knew was futile was telling me she wouldn't.
Those fears were realised when I felt her reach down to underneath the chair, my mouth gapped in horror and another girlish sound came out of my mouth, pleading and worry in my eyes. I had barely any time to enjoy the new cold air getting at those sore hand prints when I felt something else hovering over it. She placed the weapon on my backside, the cold wood had holes that allowed some air, and to escape, it would have been a relief if I it wasn't going to be used in the way I knew it'd be.
I pleaded and I felt stupid.
"..Please.." A whimper inappropriate for a champion, my legs were moving again and my bottom was shaking against the wood.
She spoke and reminded me there was a human and not a machine designed to hurt me, "Cynthia, it will be over soon."
My voice was breathless, my body arching trying to move away from the paddle, I tried to come up with a reason – any that would make her stop.
"..Not like this.. Not like this.. please." I did my best to look up to her, she simply shock her head in a seldom fashion.
"It worked the first time."
It was smaller than it was last time, but big enough to cover the delicate parts of my bottom, she didn't speak again. The higher it rose the lower my stomach sank.
I heard the sound of the paddle beating down the air then the burning wood my skin followed by a loud moan from me. It hurt more than I remembered, the holes in in the paddle increasing the stringing that was now warming on my backside, she was using full force not like her mother who took it easy on a child.
SMACK.
Two blows and I howled, my knickers and trousers were making their way down to my ankles as like a Wurmple stuck in a hole I was wiggling furiously. The third strike and they were down to my ankles, the paddle mark attacking my skin and a high cry from me.
Fourth, fifth, her aim was dead on, impressive when my bottom was doing all it can to move out the way, signs of frustration from her shown as the push on my back was greater and the last two paddles trips came more rapidly.
Another and another, I begged softly.
"..Please.. Please.. I'm sorry.. I'm sorry- ouch, ouch, ouch, OUCH!"
Parts of my bottom that weren't pink were a burning red. S sixth, seventh eighth, I gripped the on the floor and then the ninth. Then tenth paddle swat was the one that broke me, she strike my bottom in the sorest of parts and I failed to keep my dignity any more, my face screwed up and I cried. Burning tears jumped down my red face and I shock my head asking for no more, I was no longer the dignified champion of Shinnoh but a little girl over the knee of someone receiving a punishment.
"I'm so sorry.. so sorry.. no-more- no more.."
I stopped kicking my legs in hope there would be mercy from my attacker, but it seemed she was the cruel, I gasped a teary breath when I felt my bottom hit with the paddle again.
I did not struggle, my eyes closed and the tears swilling around it, the only thing that was registering was the weapon on my bruising bottom. The woman above me was not my close friend but a horrible person, ingoing my pleads for mercy as she hit me again and again.
How long it went on I didn't know, I had resigned myself to expecting blow after blow, when the final one hit and now I found myself wailing like a little girl, it was a relief and a surprise to find that another one had not followed it.
My eyes were still closed, was it a trick? Daring, I opened my eyes and above me I saw the woman putting the paddle on the table besides her.
Was it all over? I tried to speak but I was in fear there would be more and watched as her hands went down my legs to the rims of my knickers and pulling them up. It was a strange feeling as I felt them covering my swollen bottom, I was used to it being exposed and she pulled my trousers up and a small tickle of dignity came back to me.
She spoke before I had a chance to.
"You can get up now."
Rather slowly, I pushed myself of her knees and stood, a position I was grateful for as soon as I reached it. She still sat down and embarrassment flicked on my face when I imaged myself over her knees again. My hands shot to my backside where I tried my best to easy the pain with rubbing.
"..I hope you know how it feels like to be pushed too hard." Her tone much gentle but not without the feel of telling of a naughty child.
My heart was in my mouth, my breath loss, she again spoke.
"I'm not the one you should be saying sorry to.."
It hit me worse than any of her smacks had been, a terrible guilt and I realised at once, I bit my lip and nodded.
Then there was a smile from her – something I had completely forgotten what looked like during that time, a warm, inviting, and friendly smile from your local Nurse Joy.
"We'll go see them, won't we?" She said bouncy.
A weak smile from me and I followed her upstairs.
They didn't seem to mind.
They looked a bit tired, but my Pokémon were happy.
I promised them to take better care in my training for their sakes.
And promised them a good holiday.
Nurse Joy beamed at a collective roar of joy from them.
I walked back, thanking her for taking care of them for the night, it wasn't a problem to her, we talked a little while about these days.
It was a getting quite late when we stopped.
"I better get home.." Joy yawned, "Have a few things to do for work tomorrow."
I nodded, sitting down on the sofa with several cushions laid aside supplied by her.
"Nice to see you again Cynthia."
"Likewise."
"And.." I said, "Thank you for.. opening my eyes like that."
For the first time she looked a little ashamed of her action, "I know it wasn't nice, but I thought when my mother did it.. it helped you a lot."
It happened so many years ago.
I was always in trouble, always doing things wrong. But when I was with Joy and her mother, I always felt a little warmer.
I paid them back in the worse way. A shining glass Milotic sat on her mother's mantelpiece, it was brand new and she had saved up for years. I wanted it, the roughish side got the best of me and I hid it underneath my coat.
She found me. She was furious but calm.
She told me the options, she'd either tell my grandparents, or a little spanking.
I thought I was big, so I took the spanking.
I cried like I did now, but there was no shame after when I shared a hot chocolate with the two, like now when I finished last bit of Moo-Moo milk Joy had gotten me.
"..Just don't tell anyone." I said with a attempt for a laugh, "I don't need the media finding out that's for sure!"
Her smile was more understanding than her laugh.
I walked out with her as she closed the Pokémon centre, there was a few goodbyes and before she left, Joy gave me a tight and warm hug. As I saw her walk off, it was hard to believe for a few moments I had hated and feared her, but I owed more to her now because of it.
I walked home, trying hard to rub my bottom that was screaming in pain, it was a shame me and her wouldn't spend much time together, but after tonight I would be thinking about her all the time..