Chapter three up and running~
Y-ko: I had written these first few chapters around two or three years ago, and all I can remember is that, for some reason, 'Baka!' just seemed to flow better than 'Idiot!'. XD Nowadays, I think it can be a toss up between the two.
Disclaimer: Pokémon does not belong to me. I own the OCs and plot~
III ~ First Step
Ayumi panted as she leaned back against a tree by the main road of Goldenrod. She briefly wondered if leaving the house was really necessary. After all, she could have just locked herself in the closet or somehow kick her mom out and stay in her room for the rest of the day… Ayumi shook her head. No. She needed to get out. Away from her mother. Away from the isolation. Away from the things that reminded her that she was stuck somewhere on a blurry path…
She slid down the bark until she could fold her arms on top of her knees and rest her chin on them. She didn't care about the glances passing people gave her; she just wanted to go into her own world. Some place where no one nagged her to do 'this' or do 'that', go 'here' or go 'there', be something she didn't wanted to be…
"Ayumi?" a voice broke through her thoughts. Ayumi opened her eyes and glanced upward without tilting her head. Jun's grandmother stood over her, a grocery bag in one arm. The off-white of her short curly hair seemed to shimmer a pure white when the late afternoon sunlight casted its rays just right. "What are you doing down there, dear?"
Ayumi sat up straight, but stared at the small patch of grass next to her. "I…needed some air…"
Ms. Arishima frowned, deepening the wrinkles at the tips of her lips. "Trouble at home?" Ayumi nodded slightly. "Come here." The woman held out her hand until Ayumi took it and pulled herself up. "Why don't we talk over some milk and cookies?" The grandmother's eyes twinkled and Ayumi couldn't help but crack a smile.
Thirty minutes later, Ayumi found herself seated at the golden wood table that stood in the Arishima kitchen, a tall glass of milk and an opal-colored platter of freshly baked sugar cookies in front of her. It had been a long while since she had been there under these circumstances. Ayumi could remember the very first time she had 'ran away' from home after a fight with her mother. It was only a week after her first day at the Training School when it had happened. Her mother scolded her about not even trying to do well in school until Ayumi hit her limit and ran to the city park. Coincidentally, Jun happened to be passing by the park to get home when he spotted her, where he insisted she come to his grandmother's house. By the time she got back home, Ayumi had forgotten about ever being upset. That was the start of many more visits after an argument at home. Ayumi sighed silently. The only difference between those other times and now was that Jun wasn't there to help cheer her up…
Ms. Arishima sat down at the table. "Don't tell me you lost your appetite already?" she teased. "I never thought I'd see a day when you didn't dig into those cookies."
Ayumi chuckled, and took one of the star-shaped pastries. "Sorry. Just going down Memory Lane." She bit into the cookie and hummed in delight.
Ms. Arishima smiled. "I'm glad you like them, Ayumi. Now, what happened?"
Ayumi shrugged. "The usual, though Mom thought she could trick me into agreeing this time." Before the old woman could ask, Ayumi continued. "Mom said that if I had to travel, it would probably be best to do it with my best friend, then I could see the world and have fun while being 'protected.'" She rolled her eyes while adding the quotation marks with her fingers. "That's why she was disappointed when I told her Jun left today."
The boy's grandmother shook her head. "Hmm," was all that she replied with. A mostly gray eyebrow arched slightly as the elder woman studied the young girl's face "…I get the feeling that's not the only reason you left." Ayumi paused in mid-bite of her third cookie. Her eyes glanced at the sketchbook laying on the table beside her. "You've gotten a new idea for your game?" Ms. Arishima beamed. "That's great!"
Ayumi shrugged, opening the sketchbook. "I guess. I was just drawing a creature I thought of." She turned to the page of the unfinished drawing and handed it to Ms. Arishima.
A look of surprise came over the senior's face before she could regain her composure. "My…" she started. "It's…"
Ayumi's mouth twitched in a non-amused gesture before it set in a line. She looked away. "You think it's bad, too, don't you?"
"No, no! Not at all!" Ms. Arishima waved her hands quickly. "It's just…it's a lot different than the other ones you've drawn, even though it's not done yet." She gave the sketchbook back. A thought occurred to her. "Did your mother not like it?"
Ayumi nodded. "Yeah. She thought it was too scary, and practically said I was crazy when I told her I saw something today that gave me the inspiration for it." The grandmother frowned deeply. "Mom insisted that there was nothing in the world that could make me think of this, and thinks I was imagining things, but I know I wasn't. It was some kind of Pokémon…that much I know." Ayumi sighed suddenly, glancing at the picture. She stared down at her balled up fists in her lap. "Ya know, Ms. Arishima…I never once doubted that I would become a video game designer, but…I don't know. It's not that I'm doubting now, it's just that…" Her head dropped as another sigh escaped her lips. "I don't know." She relaxed her shoulders and leaned back against the chair. What was she saying? Was this really Ayumi Maiyana talking? It sounded so foreign coming from her mouth, but it didn't compare to what she felt inside.
All was silent in the earth-toned kitchen aside from the ticking of the Hoothoot clock hanging on a chestnut-colored wall. Ayumi wondered if she should not have said anything, and quickly began to think of a way to change the subject. Ms. Arishima interrupted her plans, however, when she let out a thoughtful sound. "Did you know that my grandson lost his fire to be a Trainer not long ago?"
Ayumi's head snapped up and her eyes widened. "What!? Jun!?" Ms. Arishima nodded. Ayumi shook her head slowly, her eyes becoming distant as she stared. "Junichi Arishima? No way…"
"Junichi knew becoming the Champion of every region wouldn't be easy," the old woman explained, "but after so many losses for four years, he began to doubt himself." Before Ayumi could ask, Ms. Arishima answered. "Yes, Ayumi. This happened as recently as last year." Ayumi's jaw dropped slightly.
"Seriously? I don't remember him acting any different…"
"That's because he didn't want you to know." Ayumi recoiled slightly. When she asked why, Ms. Arishima smiled. "He thought you'd be disappointed in him."
"What!? That idio–" Ayumi stopped short when the older woman gave her a look. "Uh, I mean…how could he think that?"
"Well, it's not hard to understand, dear. When it comes to goals, you are quite harsh."
Ayumi gasped. "No, I'm not!"
The grandmother shook her head. "You don't say anything bad, but any time someone tells you their goal in life, you automatically decide whether they have a genuine passion for it or not. And if you think they don't, you're not interested in hearing them talk about it at all, and instead change the subject." Ayumi opened her mouth, but nothing came out. "Though it goes unnoticed, Junichi and I can tell. Junichi was afraid you'd be disappointed in him if he told you."
Ayumi rolled her eyes and muttered, "Of course, I wouldn't. Everyone gets doubts every once in a while… It's almost natural..." under her breath.
Restraining to point out a time that contradicted Ayumi's statement, Emma Arishima continued. "In any case, Junichi wondered if he should continue following his dream, or to change it into a more realistic one. It wasn't until Junichi watched those children at the Training School did his fire come back." Seeing Ayumi's puzzled face, she elaborated. "He was wondering what he should do when he realized he stopped at the school. Two little boys were doing battle training at the time. It reminded Junichi of his very first battle at the school."
Ayumi remembered that day well. Jun had always been rather upbeat – sometimes more than what she would have liked – yet on the day of his first battle, it was like something in him had really came out and shined. Ayumi chuckled. Who would have ever thought the Pokémon he would be paired up with was Aipom? I guess it was fate.
Ayumi smiled. "So watching those kids reminded Jun why he loved battling so much?"
Ms. Arishima shook her head. "Not battling. It reminded him of why he loved Pokémon."
Ayumi tilted her head to one side slightly. What do battles and the love for Pokémon have in common?
The elderly woman didn't seem to notice the girl's perplexed expression, for she continued, "And that made him want to journey again. Those children were his inspiration."
Ms. Arishima turned her gaze to Ayumi. "My point, dear, is that all you need is a little inspiration, and then all your doubts will vanish."
Ayumi frowned. "Inspiration? Where am I supposed to find that?"
"Well…" Ms. Arishima glanced about for several seconds until her eyes landed on Ayumi's closed sketchbook. "Ah. I think a good place to start is that Pokémon you saw earlier. It did give you inspiration for this latest drawing, didn't it?"
"Yeah, but–"
"No, excuses, Ayumi," the old woman said firmly. "You haven't drawn anything in months. Don't let something that finally helped you change that get away."
Ayumi looked down at her folded hands resting on her lap, and sighed heavily in defeat. "Okay," she said. She would go in search of that Pokémon from the alley. She would find it and get ideas for new creatures, characters, and maybe even places in the future games she'll create. It sounded wonderful in theory, but Ayumi couldn't help the sorrow that began to fill her chest at the thought.
Chapter three complete.
Until next time, ciao ya'll~
