Chapter Four - There, In the Lights
By the time night fell, Noelani's energy had depleted. Her arms drooped with her head and she struggled not to cough. Percy and Kaylee were not much better, trodding beside her and panting somewhat.
Laika flicked her tail in bemusement. She made a mew that Nikolai roughly translated as kits. Nikolai slowed his walk and knelt to look at Noel. "I can carry you to Jubilife." He kept his tone soft with concern. Her exhaustion was heightened with the sweat on her brow, the slight purple tinge under her eyes almost making his voice hitch.
She made herself shake her head, the force of the movement making her wince. Her brows knitted together. "We're almost there. Gonna make it. I gotta."
Nikolai almost scooped her up anyway, watching the way her eyes seemed to be starting to glaze over. Then he merely pressed his hand to her back and let her stumble on. She smiled a little, coughing again.
Nikolai mentally made a note. The route wasn't very long. If she hadn't been so jumpy, she would have probably made it all the way without trouble. That, however, coupled with nerves and the urge to battle any pokemon she could, would have worn any trainer out. He was honestly impressed. Still, they would have to take their time now. Celestic was a distance to travel after all, not even counting on traffic.
Jubilife, when they reached it, was a shock of light and sound. Father and daughter winced in unison and Noel wobbled and would have fallen entirely if it weren't for Nikolai's hand on her back. So she hit her knees instead.
Nikolai scooped her up with care for her head and snatched the two pokeballs at her waist to return her now slumped over pokemon.
A rookie set of mistakes. He should have taken her back, then they could have rested and trained before continuing. He swallowed.
She's a trainer now, said the logical voice of Rune in his head. She needs to make her own mistakes.
His lower back itched. He ignored it, ignored the passerby whispering as he went towards the pokemon center at a low jog. He kept his head down as he walked. They looked like father and daughter he knew but it was all too easy to ignore that and just see 'man carrying unusually still little girl'. Laika hissed at them as he jogged, tail raised and prepared to fire.
"Don't, Laika," he murmured. "We're almost there." Her tail twitched and lowered reluctantly. "You'd hit me too in this crowd anyway."
She winked her one eye at him through the wide lens and stepped forward after him, lashing her tail at everyone who got too close.
The cool air of the Pokemon Center made Noelani open her eyes. "We're here?"
"Yeah." He smiled down at her. "Wanna walk?"
"Mm." her eyes twinkled a little and obediently she curled up to be put down.
Nikolai did so, smiling despite himself at the pallor of her skin, at the way her eyes gleamed. Her mother's pride was blazing on her face and she would be so happy to see her at the League. She moved towards the counter. She peered just over it to see the nurse's smiling face
She glanced back to where her father was watching. Laika trotted over to rub her cheek against a pant leg, earning a delightful sound. Emboldened, Noel leaned on her toes and said in her clearest voice, "Hello ma'am, my name is Noelani and I am a trainer under the International Law 102 section three and my Pokemon need to be healed. They are very tired." She leaned back down on her feet and in the light she looked paler than ever. Still, she held her head up and was leaning just enough that he could catch her if needed.
The woman processed the provision slowly, which was good. That meant trainers of her condition were uncommon, that the possible attention was worth it so there weren't a lot of children trying this foolhardy idea, nor parents quite willing enough to let their still active children live out the commercialized dream.
Nikolai rubbed his neck, looking as away from the stares as humanly feasible.
The nurse however only smiled after a moment of realization and took her pokemon, the same as anyone else.
He let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.
Later, much later, after medicine and food and baths, Nikolai let his daughter chat eagerly at her mother, babbling her day in rapid detail.
He, however, took his place on the nice sized bed and buried himself joyfully beneath the duvet. The warmth of the bed was wonderful after his late night reading. His pokemon had already eaten, of course, and most of them had hated pokemon centers since he had caught them. It was probably the smell. Or the fact that he himself tended to skid on out of them as soon as possible. Conditioning was a lot more prevalent than he had imagined it could be. Whatever. It didn't matter. Laika laid above his head, comfortable as she would be. She had been raised in a lab, after all.
He heard the bed squeak a little as Kaylee the Shinx landed on it and dug her claws in. "Careful you, I pay for damages," he grumbled. She mewed at him with affront. "Hey, I'm a top dog here, I call shots like that." He didn't really mind ultimately. Still. The little thing couldn't just think no one noticed, could she? Well, she was a young kitten, full of herself.
Suddenly, the lights went out. Nikolai felt his heart slam into the left side of his ribs, then his right, before he heard a rustle of the comforter. Soon, his daughter's slightly chill hand wrapped around his wrist.
NNikolaimade himself relax, shoulders falling from their jagged hunch. "All done?"
She nodded. "Took my shot."
"Atta girl." He wanted to ruffle her hair, but that really wasn't good enough. He looped his arms around her instead, drawing her close. Kaylee the shinx gave up from where ever she was, and settled by the foot of the bed.
"Where's tomorrow?"
"Heading for Oreburgh," he replied, yawning into her hair.
He felt her nod. "Can I fight?"
Nikoiai hesitated. Then, he nodded. "If you wanna rely on Percy."
"Mm."
All these firsts. All so fast.
"Well, we've gotta sleep first," he said, mostly to calm himself down.
Noelani didn't answer. She was already snoring.
Nikolai laughed and took another photo, without the flash.