(Poke)Ball is Life
Chapter 37 – Valuable Companions
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Tsukishima hadn't been particularly interested in going to Eterna City for the Festival of the Dead but Yamaguchi had convinced him. They had spent four days in Hearthome City, alternating between training and doing touristy things. They were confident that one of them would be victorious at the Fabulous Fantina Birthday Bash Contest.
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It was a surprisingly short trip between Hearthome and Eterna City. They hired some clothes from Nurse Joy and dressed up in blue-grey yutaka robes with black sashes around their waists. They wandered the streets. They bought candied apples and played a few games. Tsukishima even won a small, stuffed Duskull for Yamaguchi and Yamaguchi named it Moony. Tsukishima blushed because he was certain that he was in the inspiration for its name.
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They wandered to an area where trees were webbed with rope and little blocks hang off them with 'luck charm' written on them. Yamaguchi chose two and handed one to Tsukishima with a smile. 'Well, let's find out what our luck's going to be like.' Yamaguchi said and Tsukishima scowled.
'You know I don't believe in this sort of stuff.' Tsukishima pointed out. Yamaguchi nudged him.
'Come on, Tsuki, it could be funny.' Yamaguchi said and Tsukishima finally took the block off him.
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Yamaguchi opened his up first. He found a piece of white ribbon in his block with glassy charms that were dyed black. 'This could be either really good or really bad.' Yamaguchi said and he took out the slip of paper that accompanied the charm. Tsukishima helped him unfold it. 'Okay, so: "Life: a wedding is only a party, a certificate is only a piece of paper, truth and ideal are intertwined as intangible forces". Wow, that's deep.' Yamaguchi said. His eyes bobbed up from the piece of paper and Tsukishima had looked away.
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Yamaguchi smiled and Tsukishima's face reddened. 'I don't think we have to worry.' Yamaguchi said; his voice was calming. Tsukishima's intent stare dropped to the ground and he began to fumble with his block. 'I'm only doing this because you find it amusing.' Tsukishima said.
'I know, Tsuki, I know.' Yamaguchi sighed.
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Tsukishima opened up his block and found a dark green piece of string with bells attached. He took out the slip of paper and opened it quickly. 'Love: until death do us part.' he announced. Yamaguchi came closer and went on tippy-toes so he could read what he the slip really said but he gave Tsukishima the benefit of the doubt. Yamaguchi pecked Tsukishima's jawline chastely and Tsukishima went bright red. 'Let's see what it really says, huh?' Yamaguchi said. Yamaguchi reached over Tsukishima's body with grabby hands and took the slip of piece of paper. 'Let's see: "Family: Life is all about connections, develop the bonds that will propel you further". Oh, uh, isn't that weirdly accurate, huh?
'Please don't say that.' Tsukishima said and Yamaguchi let go of him.
'Hey, I saw some carnival games that way or should we go and pay our respects?' Yamaguchi asked.
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Tsukishima took Yamaguchi's hand. 'What kind of carnival games are we talking about?' he asked.
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Yachi and Kiyoko had plans to go to the festival as well. Yachi had been going since she was a young girl as she was local to the area, but not quite. She came from Celestic Town which was right on the other side of Mt Coronet's Eterna entrance. She and Kiyoko had gotten ready in her small, rustic house. Kiyoko had also met Yachi's mother and grandparents. They were nice people although Yachi's mother could be abrasive at times.
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Yachi got into her pastel blue yutaka and Kiyoko borrowed a grey and white yutaka that Yachi's mother used to own as a teenager. The two girls made their way back to Eterna City after a quiet meal.
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'What would you like to do first?' Kiyoko asked when they arrived at Eterna City. They had walked directly into the stalls and it appears that the parade procession had already gone through.
'This is my first time with a friend and not with family.' Yachi tittered. 'But I always visit the shrine first and pay my respects to my father.'
'Oh, I'm so sorry; may I ask how he died?' Kiyoko asked, she was a bit flustered. She felt thick as she hadn't noticed anything odd about the lack of Yachi's father at her house. she had just blindly assumed he was doing some farm work somewhere.
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Yachi smiled consolingly. 'Oh, it's okay Kiyoko. He died when I was little. I barely remember him; nothing more than a warm smile and he had a funny laugh that kind of went "Gwa-hah-hah". I'm told he helped mellow my Mum out.' Yachi said.
'What an amusing laugh.' Kiyoko replied. 'I'm glad you only have happy memories of your father though.'
'Yeah, only happy memories.' Yachi said.
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They arrived at the shrine. Yachi and Kiyoko stepped up onto the shrine's steps. Yachi clapped her hands and smiled. She began to pray. Kiyoko copied and prayed. The girls didn't spend too much time there as others wanted to pray formally as well.
'Who did you pray to, if I may ask?' Yachi asked.
'Oh, I prayed to my ancestors. I don't think about them enough. I don't thank them for allowing me to be here. I apologised for not acknowledging them as much as I should. All my immediate relatives are still alive.' Kiyoko replied.
'That's fine. Can we go and get our fortunes told now? Something a bit less depressing?' Yachi asked and Kiyoko nodded.
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The girls made their way to the side of the temple that was handling the fortune telling. Kiyoko picked out a fortune for herself and Yachi chose a nearby one also. 'I mustn't seem like the type to fortune telling but it's a guilty pleasure. Sometimes, it is comforting to think there is a force much larger than you that has good and bad things in store for you that will help you in one way or another.' Kiyoko said and she opened hers.
'I agree.' Yachi chirped.
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Kiyoko took out her luck charm. It was baby pink with white glass charms. 'Here, allow me.' she said and she tied it around Yachi's wrist.
'Kiyoko, that's yours.' Yachi pointed out.
'I think pink would look much better on you.' Kiyoko said.
'Oh, alright then.' Yachi said and her eyes lit up when she got a dark blue charm. 'Here, you can wear this one.'
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Kiyoko held out her wrist and held onto Yachi's things so that Yachi could tie the charm onto her like it was a bracelet. 'We match.' Kiyoko said and Yachi blushed. Kiyoko didn't notice as she had moved onto reading the fortune that had come with the pink charm. 'Life: Beauty fades eventually so it is important to value what lies beneath the deceiving surface. I couldn't agree more.'
'Yeah.' Yachi said. 'Okay, here's mine. Health: Do not set yourself on fire to keep others warm.'
'Sound advice.' Kiyoko stated.
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Yachi nodded. 'Indeed. I'd call it morbid but look at where we are.'
'What would you like to do next?' Kiyoko asked.
'Food's always good but we just ate. So let's go and find some games to play but I'm not very good at many.' Yachi admitted.
'I'm good at fast paced games or ones that require strategy.' Kiyoko said. The two began to walk to the sideshow alley within the festival.