Electric 2.6: Eventually
Genesis

[-14:13:33]

You wake up to the sound of Cuicatl hissing below you. No, not hissing. Words. Cursing? Not in English. Weird. You glance down right before the lights flash on and force you to close your eyes.

"You okay?" Kekoa asks. "Oh shit," they answer.

You wait for the neon blue afterglow to fade from the back of your eyelids before opening them up. Blood. There's, um, a bunch of blood. With a shiver you go back to staring at the ceiling.

"Yes, I felt them," Cuicatl mutters. Clearly in a bit of pain. "They're very good teeth." Coco makes a happy chirping noise. Weirdly similar to the pew pew of a cartoon laser. "No!" You start from the shout right beneath you. "You don't have to show anyone else. Promise. Please don't." A red glow shines on the ceiling before quickly fading.

"Come on. Let's get you down to the nurse," Kekoa says.

Cuicatl huffs. "Someday I'll stay in a Center and not have to see the nurse."

"Are, uh, you really hurt?" You keep your eyes bolted on the ceiling and study the little ripples in the plaster.

"I've been worse." She sighs. "Coco bit Pix on the tails. She's going to be mad."

People move below and Cuicatl lets out another sharp, pained hiss.

"Sure you can walk?" Kekoa asks.

"Yeah. Barely broke the skin."

You'd think a tyrunt bite would do a lot worse. She's pretty lucky. Not sure what to say next. "Have fun" is entirely wrong. "Good luck" is maybe too morbid? The door shuts before you can decide on something. And Kekoa left the lights on because of course she did.

[-14:8:41]

Light's streaming in through the window when you next wake up. Crap. You slept through Cuicatl coming back. Unless she's still with the nurse… A quick glance shows that she's asleep (or at least has her eyes closed) in the bottom bunk across from you. Neither of her pokémon are out but she's bunched the sheets up in front of her and hugged them like a person. Also drooling a little. Gross.

No blood to be seen. Safe to move. You slink down the ladder slowly enough that there's no sound between the tiny creaking noises and then your feet thud to the floor because you thought there was one rung left.

Oops.

Cuicatl stirs a little. Her eyes flutter open for a second before closing just as quickly. She grips her makeshift cuddle partner a little tighter and stops moving. Kekoa sticks their face up to the railing and glares at you before rolling over to either play with their phone or go back to sleep.

You grab your shower bag at the door and walk towards the nearest bathrooms. This is the second-biggest Pokémon Center you've been in so far so there are two sets. Closest one is only a few doors down. You think that's great. Short walk. Important for Cuicatl and nice for you. Kekoa disagrees. Apparently he keeps getting woke up at night by people going to and from the bathrooms but you've never actually noticed so maybe they're just blowing it all out of proportion.

Two of the six showers are filled when you walk in. Spaced out in just the right way that the other four are all next to one of the occupied ones. Rude. There have to be rules around that. Ugh. Whatever. You can deal.

On the days where you don't have to wash your hair you can clean yourself with enough time to meditate under the running water left over. One of the few luxuries you have left and you make sure to enjoy it.

Hard to do when two twelve-year-olds walk in and insist on very loudly talking/shrieking/giggling to each other just a few feet away.

Maybe Kekoa does have a point.

They're still talking to each other in the showers once you're out, dressed, and trying to comb your hair into something presentable. Eh. At least they sound happy. Hard to stay angry at that. You finish preparing for the day and walk downstairs for food. You hadn't heard anyone make plans so it's probably fine to go by yourself.

You'll go for eggs this morning. Sounds nice.

[-14:6:34]

"I'm buying denim."

You step through the doorway into a tense argument in the making. Kekoa's leaning back on the ladder to your bunk while Cuicatl glares (?) at him from her new bed. She's gripping the scruff of Coco's neck hard enough that her knuckles are white. For her part the dinosaur's tail is held straight back and she's bent down like a persian ready to pounce.

"Cotton kills. You know that, right?"

Even you remember that from orientation. It uh, gets wet, and then it… poisons you? Can't remmeber why it kills.

"By hypothermia. We're in the tropics."

You're still hovering by the door. When all three of you are awake you remember how small these rooms really are. "Hi…"

Cuicatl turns to you, relaxes, and half-smiles. Relaxes. Coco yanks herself free and bolts across the aisle to Kekoa. They shoot the dino a nasty glare and easily bats her aside with a quick kick well before they get bit. You glance back and find that Cuicatl's smile's been twisted beyond recognition, her face scrunched together and the edge of her lip curled up in a vicious sneer.

"What just happened?" Her voice somehow sounds like a sword unsheathing in a movie. Her power? Just a thing she does? A trick of your imagination?

"Kekoa managed to kick Coco before they got bit."

The air immediately feels colder and Pix isn't even out. "Kekoa," she says. Her voice is perfectly flat but there are somehow layers and layers of rage behind it. "You don't kick my pokémon. You don't hit my pokémon. You. Don't. Hurt them. Not ever."

Coco, suddenly very uneasy, looks back and forth between her fighting parents. You know the feeling. Poor girl.

"I'm not letting her bite me," you think that some of Kekoa's fight is gone. In its place there's… nervousness? Uncertainty? Fear? Ugh. Negative, doubtful-ish feeling.

Cuicatl slowly shakes her head. "You should buy denim, too." She gently taps the bed beside her twice and Coco bends back down, wiggles her butt a little, and jumps up onto the bed while her arms flap uselessly in the air.

Well. You sort of started this mess. It falls to you to finish it. "So… um, if you want to go to the thrift store I'm entirely down to take you. Could be fun!"

[-14:5:49]

For once it's not raining. That's something to celebrate. And after a shower and hot meal Cuicatl does look happier as she walks next to you. Well, walks attached to you. She's grabbing your arm. Not your hand. Good. Would've had to say no if she asked to hold hands. Too much risk of repeating the whole Lyra thing. Her hair's almost jade when it's wet. Ordinarily it's sort of a light green. Looks better wet, really, although clumps do occasionally stick onto her face.

It takes a long time to walk there (Cuciatl says you don't have clothing and bus money and she might be right) but eventually you get to the store. You're not really sure what you were expecting from it but it's very big. Almost cavernous. Smells a little too much like disinfectant for your taste and the lights are almost uncomfortably bright. Not that the latter would bother Cuicatl. Lucky.

First you try the women's section because Cuicatl isn't a kid. She told you that it wouldn't work but you'd at least wanted to try to get something that fit right and looked adult. As it turns out Cuicatl doesn't actually own much stuff that was made with normal sizes in mind. But she does know her measurements so a few quick internet searches help you find the sort of stuff you're looking for. She was right after all. Well, onto the kid's section. Cuicatl looks pretty bummed out about that. Maybe you should've just gone there at the start so the reminder was less obvious. Things to remember.

But! You do find something really great!

"Hey, Cuicatl?!"

She turns towards you. Clearly not as excited as you are.

"I found a shirt for you."

It's a basic t-shirt with an orange base and a hydreigon drawn on the front with the word "DANGEROUS" in all caps beneath it. Definitely fits her vibe. She seems to agree; a faint smile forms as you describe it.

"How much is it?"

"Six dollars."

She shrugs. You'll take that as a yes.

Eventually you find some jeans that should fit her and take her back to the dressing rooms. She goes into one before you can ask if she'll need help but thankfully you're still kind of in earshot. Just standing very still and straining your ears to hear if she falls or something.

Your worries were unnecessary. She comes out unhurt in the jeans, shirt, and her sandals. The clothes are about the right length but are still a little off. Cuicatl isn't built like a tweenage boy so they hug her a little tight in some parts and hang loose in others. Maybe a little uncomfortable but it looks nice. Attractive without being slutty. More than anything you're just struck by how normal she looks. You can almost imagine having gone to classes and hanging out with her in the past. Sure, she was always your age, but with the blindness and the way she dressed there was always something marking her as from a different world than you. That's not entirely gone since she still has a lot of ear piercings and green hair and cataracts but it's shifted somehow. She could have been your weird friend.

"You look good."

She smiles. For real. "Thank you."

Before you can say anything else your phone begins to vibrate in your pocket. Local area code. "One sec. Gonna take this." You answer. "Hello, Genesis speaking." Not like anyone else would be speaking on your phone. Should you have left that part out?

"Gen?" Your heart jumps into your throat and stops you from breathing. Metaphorically. (Hopefully.) "…you still there?"

"I. Yes." You start walking away from Cuicatl for a little bit more privacy.

"Good. You still in Malie?"

How'd he know you were in Malie in the first place? Does it matter? "Yes."

"Cool. So am I. You want to meet up?"

"One second." After muting the phone you go back to Cuicatl. "You have Pix and her harness, right?"

"Is everything okay?"

Not an answer to the question.

"Yes. Do you have the harness?"

"Yeah…"

"Good. I have to run now. I'll see you later. Maybe tonight." Not sure how long this lasts. Best case scenario you'll just go back tonight to get the last of your stuff and then you'll be off the trail for good.

So, so close.

It isn't far to the meetup spot. Just a couple blocks, seven minutes, and three percentage points on your phone's battery. Then you're standing in a strip mall parking lot looking at a fairly well trafficked breakfast place. Maybe you should have waited for your eggs. You take a deep breath, roll your shoulders, and walk through the doors. You spot Levi in his adorable little suit and slacks before anyone stops to talk to you and you make a beeline for him. He gets up to intercept you and you share an absolutely glorious hug at the end of the table. You don't cry, of course. You're very strong. Has he grown? It's been a few months—a few months!—so probably. He seems taller. You can't comfortably rest your head on his.

He breaks contact and slowly sits back down on his end of the booth. You slip into your side and figure out what to say. What to say, what to say. For all that you'd dreamed of this nothing actually comes. "It's good to see you," Levi finally says.

"You too," you say like a genius poet. "How'd you find me?"

"Luck, mostly. Found a note in Dad's office. Bugged him about it. He gave me your number, loaned me Red, and told me not to go find you." Red. Dad's pyroar. Descendant of your great-grandfather's starter. You've always been a little scared of her but… you're starting to realize how much you've missed her. Missed everything.

The waitress comes and you have to quickly glance at the menu. Pancakes seems good. The Center's pancakes are always pretty bad and you can add good pancakes to the long list of things that you've missed. When she leaves you've finally thought of what to say. "How have you been the last few months?"

He shrugs and takes a sip of his water. "Fine. Classes are good. Mom's been a little distant and Dad's… out of the country more often than not. Think he would've come himself but he's meeting with some military people. Talking silk prices, I think." Wait, spider silk. It's bulletproof. Could probably block tyrunt teeth. Maybe even tyrantrum bites. But normal-sized clothes don't fit Cuicatl and tailored silk isn't really something you can afford. When you get a card again that would be a good gift. Levi smiles. "No adventures or anything. Seriously. Tell me everything."

Everything is a bit much to ask. You're not sure how much you want to tell him about Kekoa and a lot of stuff was surprisingly boring. But! There's a lot that you can share. By the time your food has come you've told him about the oranguru trial, bear attacks, castform hunting and why Count Cloudy is the best and will be even bestester when he learns to control the weather, leafeon and why they're surprisingly good-smelling and cuddly, the brave Sir Bubbles, Pixie's antics, Kekoa and Cuicatl raising a dinosaur together… when the food comes you keep talking between bites and by the time you're both finished you still haven't quite told him everything. Levi just smiles and occasionally asks questions but he really does look interested and you like being around him so you just keep going.

Eventually the plates get taken away. Eventually the waiter asks if you want desert and you say no. Eventually your glass stops getting refilled. Eventually you take the hint. Eventually it gets a little bit too awkward to stay in place.

Levi pays and you head off for ice cream. On the way you let out Count Cloudy and Levi tries to shake his hand… blob… things. They're made of water vapor so it doesn't work but His Grace at least seems amused by it.

Your brother does come around to talk more about himself. He did call Exodus but she didn't tell him much of anything. Honestly he seemed surprised that you called her yourself. You try to reassure him that, no, you didn't really want to do it but it was a holiday and you were alone but then he looks super guilty so you immediately drop that line of thinking and apologize for ever bringing it up.

He awkwardly shifts. Weird. That's more of your thing. He looks down and away from your gaze. "I need to go back soon."

Even you can realize that the "I" instead of "we" is a big deal. Should have realized it a long time ago. Dad not wanting to come himself. The not-approval Levi received to even meet with you. So obvious. But you'd hoped that… that this was it. Made yourself believe in spite of everything.

It feels like it should be raining. Yet it's the only day this week that it isn't. Funny how that works, right? At least Count Cloudy would shoot some water guns at your head if you asked.

Levi awkwardly pulls a few neatly folded bills out of his breast pocket and hands them to you. Hundreds. Several. Four? Five? "Sorry that I don't have more, but…"

"It's plenty. Really."

More than plenty, Kekoa might say. Wait. How do you even use this? You'd have to say where it came from and then there would be follow-up questions and eventually Kekoa would find out things he shouldn't and everything would fall apart. Then Cuicatl… she would change, too. Girl needs money and you'd just be a means to an end.

You'll have to break it up into smaller chunks. Claim that you're getting periodic donations from the family.

Since when did you get so good at hiding things?

"We can still call or you can visit again, right?"

He keeps his eyes averted. "Maybe? Mom checks my phone. Worried that we're talking. Next time you're in a city you could try to message Dad. I could find an excuse to visit that wouldn't tip Mom off."

You don't really get told that far in advance where you're going next but you will be between missions in a little bit. Right after the solstice, actually. Timing isn't great but you can pretend that it's just delayed celebration. "Yeah. I should be in the main Center in Hau'oli on the 25th. Head out again around the New Year. Don't know the exact day, yet."

Levi smiles and runs a hand through his hair. "Good. I'll swing by then. See if I can get Dad to come since it'll be the solstice and everything."

"That would be nice."

He flicks his head to the side. "You want to come with me to the harbor?"

You really do.

It's mostly quiet on the way back. There's just too much to say to say any of it. And you don't want to distract from Levi's presence by focusing on words. You've missed him. So, so much. For some reason it's hitting you harder now than it has at any point before.

Once his ship leaves and you wave him off you find a quiet picnic shelter in the park where you can cry undisturbed.

[-12:22:07]

Cuicatl reenters the clearing. Coco's beside her on the shortest leash she could find in Malie and Pixe's keeping a wide berth from the dinosaur. It's still weird to see the girl in normal clothing. Good weird. Wait. Pixie and Coco. Just Pixie and Coco.

"Where's your crabrawler?"

She shakes her head. "Pix met a crabominable before. Didn't like them one bit. Thought it was bet to let Kekoa look after him for now." Right. The big crabs are ice-types. Makes sense they would live on the ice mountain with the ice foxes. "Besides, Coco thought he was a toy."

Ouch.

Her foot gently taps a log and she maneuvers to sit down on it. Coco's leash is kept taut despite the dinosaur's attempt to yank herself free. "Hey, Gen? Mind sparring?"

"Um. Yeah. Sure? What did you have in mind?"

"Target practice. Have Coco try and hit Count Cloudy in midair." But she can't fly? That's it. A shrike hunt. Something to wear Coco down and buy her trainer a moment of peace. Brilliant.

You send Count Cloudy out and Coco's eyes immediately lock onto the castform. "Count Cloudy, dodge Coco's attacks!" Sure, you didn't need to shout that like you were on one of those Asian cartoons, but you'd best get into the habit. It's way more fun when you do that in actual battles.

Cuicatl bends over and unclips the harness. "Bite the cloud. Go."

Coco rockets off, leaps into the air while flapping her arms… and misses before crashing back to earth. She shakes herself off surprisingly quickly and goes for a second attack. Cuicatl leans back on the log and takes a deep breath. "Why'd you have to run off yesterday?"

Ugh. Thought that you wouldn't have to talk about that since she didn't ask when you came back. Figures she was waiting to ask without Kekoa around. Wherever he is. Somewhere down the trail. Another campsite, maybe? Sometimes it seems like he's totally made up with you and sometimes he has to go sulk in peace. Focus. Might as well tell her most of the truth. That way you don't have to remember what lie you settled on. Plus she's psychic. Maybe lies don't work on her at all.

"My brother dropped into town. Wanted to see him while he was still here."

She hums in response. Just holding a single note for an almost impressive amount of time? Using her powers? Behind her Coco makes another fruitless jump. "Thought you got kicked out."

"What? Why?" How? How did she work that one out?

"You didn't plan. At all. And, uh, no offense but you don't seem to like the outdoors much. Plus even if it was spur of the moment you probably could've got a more traditional starter if your parents were signing off. That left running away or getting kicked out. Never took you for a runaway, so…"

"Why can't I be a runaway?" You can't tell if you should be offended or not.

"You follow orders. Would've needed to get pressed really far. You like touch way too much to have been hit. And you aren't sad enough for being worn down with words. Maybe you're parents are atheists and you disagreed on that but you're named Genesis…" she shrugs. "No idea why you would've been kicked out, though. Not much of a rulebreaker."

How much of that was her power? And… "How do you know so much about all of that?"

She grimaces. "Parents are strict in Anahuac. You learn pretty quick how to tell whose Dad does what without having to ask."

You're afraid to ask what all her dad did to her. She'd probably get awkward like she did back on Blush Mountain when you pressed. No. Can't ask. Not directly. There are still other ways to get to it. "So? You a runaway? Get kicked out?"

"Both, actually."

"How?" That doesn't even make sense.

She shrugs. "He wanted me to move to the capitol. I picked another option."

"And you can just leave the country without his permission?"

"Don't really remember. Whole time period was kind of a blur." Another shrug. "I'm here now so I guess I could?" A crackle of static sounds off behind her shoulder. She 'glances' back before turning to you. "Please tell me that was Count Cloudy."

"I, um, think it was Coco?" There seemed to be sparks around her mouth at least.

Cuicatl has the decency to keep her cursing in Nahuatl.

[-12:21:56]

The good news: Denim is pretty resistant to cold and electricity.

The bad news: Denim can be set on fire.

The good news: Her little dragon knows all of the magic fangs!

The bad news: One of her jean legs is a little bit scorched.

The good news: At least she gets jean shorts out of this?

The bad news: Pix is growling softly at the edge of the clearing while all fluffed up by static.

The good news: That's pretty cute.

The bad news: Cuicatl can't even see it.