Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. On with the show!
"Imagined it?" Yumemi repeated. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I…maybe, but- it seemed so…" She shook her head, listlessly allowing Liro to guide her away.
It was…just an illusion?
Chapter 9 – Approach
Three days after the incident in town, Yumemi was raring to go. Despite Charia's concerns after hearing about her somewhat disturbing symptoms, she insisted she was healthy as a horse. And it was no lie; she could safely say all of the symptoms she experienced that day had vanished. In fact, she was writing it off as a fluke. Filled with certainty that it wouldn't happen twice, she convinced the guild's resident nurse that she was fit for duty.
Unfortunately, her partner was harder to sway. Being present first-hand during her odd headache, he was doubtful of her recovery and resisted her request to return to training. The first day, Yumemi had been sent to bed and missed the day's workout, but she was determined not to make a habit of it. It had taken an hour of repetition ("Are you sure?" "Yes, I'm fine,") before Liro allowed her back to training. Though she had made an impressive showing during sparring sessions, he remained cautious.
In order to ease his doubts, Yumemi had thrown herself into training with fresh vigor, eager to prove her healthiness. Late at night, it had occurred to her that Liro might be regretting his decision to ask her to be his partner. They hardly knew each other, and half of their time consisted of Liro being concerned and her being hysterical. Disappointed in herself, both for her behaviour and the lack of faith she was inspiring in someone she considered important, she had pushed herself in a bid to erase his concerns. For the most part, it had been working.
Until the third day.
The third day was another beautiful day, seemingly typical for Treasure Town. Somewhere far in the distance, clouds loomed but the town's inhabitants showed little concern. Gazing out into the open sea, she pried her eyes away and focused on keeping Liro in sight. After having more exposure to the town and its bustling ways, she was slowly gaining a new mastery over her senses. While it would be more tempting to let the sensations assault her, she could now put a lid over her fascination to focus on the matter at hand – a skill she could tell Liro appreciated.
Currently, she was trying to keep pace with Liro as they headed to see Miss Kyra Kangaskhan, a tall and energetic young woman with a feisty attitude. She ran a bank of sorts, only it stored items as opposed to money. The job kept her on her feet all day long, so she was able to maintain a slim and lean figure that most women her age appeared to envy. In addition, she had adopted a child – a Shinx boy orphaned by the Lightning Wars – who took up much of her time. Though she was worked off her feet every single day, she appeared content, always shooting Yumemi a big grin and asking about her day.
As they approached the shop, the pair spotted the Azumarill brothers leaning dejectedly against the shop window. Akira looked miserable, scuffing the ground with his shoe with hands folded behind his back. Kneeing in front of him, a blonde-haired man was talking in soothing tones. Akio was sucking his thumb, appearing disconnected from the event. However, when he saw Yumemi, his face lit up and he bounded over.
"Yume-chan!" Clinging to material of her skirt, he smiled as Yumemi ruffled his hair. "Ohayo!"
"Ohayo, Akio-chan."
Lifting his arms up expectantly, Yumemi obliged him and scooped him up, settling him on her hip.
"Hi kid." Liro said, popping up at her shoulder. Though he was smiling good-naturedly, Akio froze and snuggled closer to Yumemi.
She was about to encourage Akio to reply when Akira's voice became the central point of her attention, "I'm sick of waiting! It never helps or makes things better!" He cried, distraught. The man continued to speak in quiet tones, talking him down from his outburst.
Yumemi looked down at Akio. "Nani ga atta ka?"
The young boy was looking at his brother, placid despite the commotion. "Kaa-san wa byouki desu."
It was a simple statement, but it could be interpreted a hundred different ways. When a child as young as Akio stated his mother was 'sick', it was difficult to determine exactly how sick he meant, and if it was temporary or…otherwise. Based on Akira's outburst, she sadly concluded it must be something difficult to combat. Regardless, it was never easy for a child to watch their parents suffer through illness; she felt great sympathy for Akira, who had obviously borne the strain and worry for quite a while.
Liro nudged her with a bony elbow. She lifted an eyebrow and he gestured to Akio with a questioning nod. She whispered, "Their mother is ill," as she rubbed Akio's back, unconsciously swaying him back and forth.
Liro's expression became understanding, then sad. He gestured to the man with Akira, speaking softly. "That's her doctor. Called in from some specialist place, but doesn't seem to be doing much good."
She tutted and kissed Akio's forehead. It wasn't something any child had to hear, let alone a four-year-old.
Akira looked defeated as he pushed away from the wall, nodding listlessly to whatever the man was saying. Realising Akio wasn't there, he suddenly bolted upright, but calmed down when he saw his brother safely in Yumemi's arms. He trotted over and Akio fidgeted. Yumemi placed him down, giving a wave to Akira. Akira mumbled a greeting, quickly gripping his brother's hand in a firm grasp. Yumemi supposed it was natural to grasp your family tight to yourself, especially during uncertain times.
The man stood behind Akira, a steady authoritative figure. He wore rimmed glasses which he adjusted sheepishly, curly blonde hair tumbling over his shoulder in a single pony-tail. Smiling a little weakly, he thanked her, "I hope Akio wasn't a bother."
He acts like a parent, she thought warmly. Shaking her head, she said, "He's no bother."
"Well, we should be going." He patted the boys on the back, but stopped. "Ah," he said, "I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Dr. Harald, I'm treating Mayu."
He held out his hand in a friendly fashion. Yumemi firmly shook it.
"I'm Yumemi. It's nice meeting you."
"Same to you." He nodded, then quickly ushered the boys away.
That was when it all went wrong.
I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter. Lately I've been trying to make a conscious effort to improve my writing, and I think it's working, even if it's only a little bit. Anyway, that's Harald, the friendly doctor...to clear things up, Mayu is Akira and Akio's mother.
Translations: (Again, please keep in mind these are very rough, don't take my word for it)
"Ohayo" - Good morning.
"Nani ga atta ka?" - What happened?
"Kaa-san wa byouki desu." - Mum is sick.
P.S. Have you guys figured out the pattern for the names yet? There is a rhythm to it...Nyehehe!
