Cheren was at the Aspertia Gym again today.
Hilda woke up to a note resting on the empty pillow beside her and the faint cooing of her six-month-old baby in the other room. She glanced at the digital clock flashing 6:00 AM before she sat up, picking up the lone piece of paper off the pillow.
Hilda,
I'm so sorry about leaving early again today. My gym guide called me at 4 AM because of some late-night challengers that showed up again. (Why they don't show up at a more reasonable time, I'll never know.)
I'll take over baby duty as soon as I come home though, which shouldn't be too long from the time you wake up. Thanks for understanding, and as always, I love you so much.
Cheren had just recently re-opened his gym, but had not started his classes for the Pokemon students just yet. Even with his typical work halved, a trend had started of Trainers wanting rematches at the most inopportune times, so this was not the first time Hilda woke up to the other side of her bed being empty.
She rubbed her eyes, sat up, and stumbled down the hallway. Turning into the pastel-blue room, she was greeted by the reserved face of her young son, who had expected his father to save him from his crib.
"Sorry, Rudy," Hilda began as she lifted the baby into her arms, "it's me again."
Rudy, for reasons Hilda just couldn't understand, liked his father more than his mother. To Hilda, it felt as if, whenever Cheren came home, Rudy kicked and blubbered until he was saved from his mother's grasp. Daddy was his hero, while Mommy watched over him and fed him whenever Daddy wasn't home. It was an empty feeling, and she prayed that it wouldn't last forever.
"Why don't we go outside?" asked Hilda, not expecting an answer. Rudy was still a little tired, but Hilda knew he didn't need a nap right after the one he just had. She continued to ponder as she carried Rudy outside, his head resting on her shoulder.
Hilda strolled down the street, occasionally stopped by residents who would greet her. She would nod at the comments they gave her son.
He looks just like his dad! Hilda nodded.
How precious. When he grows up, he'll probably be a Gym Leader like him, huh? "Mmhm."
She would wave goodbye and continue her stroll, finally stopping at the Aspertia City lookout. After a moment of thought, she started up the stairs. Rudy lifted his head and looked at her with each step she took. Once they reached the top, his eyes fixated on the scenery in front of them. Hilda almost never ventured far when she left the house, but today, she was especially happy that she had. Rudy was looking at the same, beautiful scene that she had seen when she first returned to the Unova region.
She then remembered that was when her title of Champion was taken by Iris. Everyone knew that Cheren was the gym leader of the city, having been so for almost a decade, but after Hilda lost her champion position of 2 years, she was barely recognized by anyone. Her son even resembled his father more so than his mother, so she felt it was to be expected that everyone would compare Rudy to Cheren.
"Whatever you end up choosing to do..." Hilda started, but paused. Rudy turned his head to face his mother, not expecting her to have spoken. "Whatever you end up choosing to do, I know you'll be strong. Gym Leader, Champion, some other third thing... you'll get real strong, and you'll blow your father away." Rudy's expression did not change. Hilda didn't forget that he didn't exactly understand what she was saying... he was a baby, after all.
Even so, she continued. "But, you won't surpass me, of course. Mommy's really strong!"
Rudy giggled. Hilda flinched, not expecting any kind of response from him at all, let alone a giggle. This was the first time the baby had giggled at anything Hilda ever did.
"Oh, stop, Rudy, I was being serious..." Hilda smiled. She knew that if she got emotional, Rudy's laughing would stop. So she kept herself from shedding a tear. "Okay, kiddo... let's go back home. You're probably hungry, aren't you?"
She was responded to with more giggles. "Alright, I get it!"