Made another short story for a friend. My first Twinleaf, wow... I love this ship, how is this my first?
Feeble hands shakily anxiously tore at the material of a newspaper. The newspaper was highlighted with "CHAMPION HIKARI STILL SUFFERING WITH HEAD TRAUMA".
Why did he let this happen to her, why?! They had been exploring Stark Mountain when an enraged Rhydon used a rock attack. Hikari pushed Jun out of the way, taking the hit. She was hit in the head and knocked out in a heartbeat. Her Roserade managed to chase the Rhydon off, leaving Jun to attend to Hikari. She wouldn't wake up. He was afraid, from the moment he carried her to the nearest Pokemon Center to when he first saw her gray eyes open.
The sight of her gleaming eyes made happiness rush through him. He hadn't seen her beautiful eyes open for a little over two months.
Jun couldn't move. He was so shocked as he saw her movement. She appeared confounded as she looked down at her baby blue hospital gown and the white blanket that covered her. Her eyes wandered to the IV in her arm, up to the tube that lead to the bags with a label that read "BLOOD TYPE AB+". Then her platinum eyes stared at Jun with peculiarity. Jun gulped before promptly standing, throwing the torn newspaper down to the seat he once sat on.
Her eyes glistened in the natural lighting of the hospital room. Her brows slowly scrunched together, suggesting she was anxious about something.
"Where...?" Hikari murmured under her breath.
"Hikari!" Jun couldn't hold his excitement back.
Before he could rush over to her, she stated something that made his whole world cease.
"Who... who are you?"
He could feel his heart stop and sink down his body. Hikari couldn't remember him. His childhood friend couldn't remember him. This was the girl whom he played hide-and-seek with as a child, the girl who taught him patience is the key to being a good Pokemon trainer, the girl who was his life. She couldn't just forget him, not like this.
He felt a laugh escape his lips. "You never fail to amuse me, Hikari! You owe me a million yen because of this!"
His tense laughter faded as she kept staring at him with the same confused eyes. Jun wouldn't allow her to forget him – he could never forget her.
"Sir, I don't know who you are! I don't even know where I am!" her heart monitor began beeping like no tomorrow, grabbing the attention of nurses outside the room.
Jun could feel himself falling apart. Hikari had forgotten who he was.
"... Hikari... You have to remember who I am! Please! You can't forget me!" Jun begged, his eyes nearly swelling with tears.
She merely observed him with anxious eyes, scared at the boy's reaction. She had no idea what to say. She could reminisce as hard as possible yet not one image would come with a memory or even a name. As a nurse came in, Jun could feel a part of himself break off.
She was lost.
Little by little, her memory regained. She remembered her full name, her mother's name, and she began remembering her Pokemon. She could barely manage to remember Jun for whatever reason. Two weeks later, she couldn't even recall if they were ever friends. He was more of a distant stranger to her. The hospital was all the way in Battle Zone, so her mother could only afford to stay every once in a while to see her daughter. Jun's father helped with the stay and Hikari's bills.
The doctor had set her free, allowing her to go on with her journeys as Champion of Sinnoh but being careful at the same time. Hikari had placed her regular clothing on, confined in the warmth of her red trench coat that had an odd memory to it. Jun protectively walked behind her as they exited the hospital, holding on to her bag that contained everything to her Pokemon to her daily needs.
It was raining Houndoors and Skitties, much to Jun's displeasure. He wanted to make sure she'd be able to fly home safely and dry. They stood under the flat-roof canopy that allowed for patients and visitors not to be attacked by the stinging rain. Jun could feel the cold breeze as it settled upon them, picking up specks of rain in the process.
Jun watched as Hikari turned to him, rubbing her cold arms as she peered at his orange eyes.
She timidly pointed to her bag, "May I have my—"
"Oh yeah! Sorry about that, Hikari." his hand grabbed the beige bag, handing it over to his once best friend.
As he handed over the material, she noticed his sleeve was rolled up. Her platinum eyes took note on how his arm was covered with scars from what appeared to be a needle. Jun noticed how she was inspecting at his arm, so he stretched his sleeves back to their original position. Hikari threw her bag strap over her shoulder, turning her back to Jun as her smooth hand entered the interior of her bag. She searched for her Pokeball that contained her flyer, so she could go home and see the face of the mother she barely remembered.
She didn't even remember where she lived. She wanted to ask Jun but, she wasn't sure if she could speak above her aflutter heart.
She walked out into the rain, pulling out a Pokeball. Before she could release the Pokemon, something compelled her to stay. Realization hit her as soon as she heard the slightly familiar voice of the boy who had to explain that they were once best friends before this all happened.
"Kari—", as if he had realized something wrong in his calling, he was prompt to trip on his words, "I-I-I mean—Hikari!"
She bit the inside of her gum as she heard footsteps chase after her. She stopped in her trek, allowing herself to be soaked to the bone by the pouring rain. She slowly turned around, finding Jun to be directly behind her. She could feel her hair damp against her moist skin, growing goosebumps to the autumn breeze.
"Hikari, you can't go alone... I won't let you." his warm hands reached out, grasping her shoulders.
His warmth was inviting, almost too inviting. She couldn't help herself but blush as she realized how close they were. She looked down at the asphalt path below so she wouldn't allow herself to get lost in his orange eyes.
Her platinum eyes flashed up, the silvery orbs beaming directly into his, "Mmm... I-I guess I'll be fine with a-accompany."
He felt himself smirk as his arms embraced her, picking her up and twirling her around. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Kari!"
She chortled as the boy she barely knew hugged her with such joy. He politely placed her down after he finished up with the embrace. Once on her feet, she smirked as she flashed her eyes at Jun. As if he had suddenly realized something, he nervously fidgeted around. His hand went to his scalp, scratching the at the damp dirty blonde hair of his.
"I'm sorry about that. I guess I missed talking to you and hanging out with you whenever you were out. You were my best—"
"—your best friend, I know. You've told me at least ten times already." she laughed a little after the statement, making the back of his neck warm up.
"Oh. I have? Wow, goes to show whenever you care about someone so much, you can ramble on for hours about them!" Jun acknowledged with little knowledge of the subtext of his sentence.
Hikari felt her heart rate kick up. He kept smiling at her as if he had no recoil or realization over what he had basically admitted. Hikari wondered how she never noticed this in her past life – noticed how big of a crush he had on her. He was lucky since she was falling in love with him as well. They lingered there, allowing themselves to gazed at each other as they ignored the dying rain.
"Hikari, I'm not sure if you remember but, the cause of how you were knocked out was an attack from a Pokemon. He aimed at me but you... you shielded me. You saved me back there. And... that's why I've been so... so..."
"—overprotective?" she guessed.
"Yes, overprotective! I'm sorry if that bothers you, it's just... I couldn't stand the thought of losing you." Jun appeared anxious as his lips slanted.
Hikari subtlety smiled at him. "That's why you donated your blood. Right?"
Jun's head shot up, his expression suggesting he was embarrassed. "How did you—?!"
"You have loads of the scars IV's give you. I'm surprised you didn't turn pale while you were at it." Hikari responded.
"... Our blood type is rare. The doctors said you were in luck that your travel companion had the blood type AB-positive." Jun marveled, happy to see his friend slowly regaining her memory.
A moment of silence rang between the two.
"Kari." Hikari spoke.
"... Huh?" Jun questioned her odd speaking.
"Kari. That's what you nicknamed me as a child. You still call me that to this day." she was able to recall.
Jun smiled as he pushed a loose strand of damp hair away from her face. "Yeah. You're getting good at this remembering stuff."
Hikari once more smiled as she gazed with her platinum eyes into his. Timidly, she stood on her tiptoes so she could reach up and place a thankful kiss on his cheek. Jun blushed as she backed away, looking down as she stood away from his radiating warmth.
"Thank you. For everything you've done for me. Even though I barely remember you, I—"
Hikari couldn't speak as his tepid hand reached behind her, entwining in her coal hair and pushing her closer so he could place a kiss on her lips.
Suddenly, she could remember who he was.