KokoroEcho's Pokémon Chronicles
Entry 9
Imamura Michika
A Fallen Star
Maybe it was just beginner's luck.
Imamura Michika twisted the faucet and let the clean water pour. She repeatedly ran a small golden pot under it, filling it up, and then pouring it out. When she determined that it was clean enough, she put it over a towel where she'd allow it to air dry momentarily.
She walked to the middle of the room that she had rented at the Pokémon Center and knelt over a small pit which was usually used for trainers to grill their food. She removed the top and looked at the black pit. She carefully and slowly placed in small rectangular pieces of charcoal with long chopsticks. She made sure to stack them in a pattern that was considered beautiful. Their positioning had a purpose. And then, she lit a small fire.
This had become a part of Michika's nightly routine. It was a way for her to relax and wind down after a day of hard training and practice. She had been homesick for quite a while, and besides her partner, Piplup, this kind of ceremony was the only thing that helped to calm her nerves and keep her cool-headed. It reminded her of home.
She filled the pot once more, now opting to keep the water inside, and she placed it over the fire, allowing it to heat up slowly. A watched pot never boils, so she took this time to change her clothes. Most girls her age didn't know how to change into a kimono by themselves, but Michika was trained at a young age.
Her robe was white as the snow from Sinnoh, and she chose a yellow belt, as it was her favorite color. By the time that she had finished changing, the water had already started to boil.
Her Piplup sat near the pot and politely ate some candy that Michika had offered her. It was condensed sugar, but in small douses, it was safe for Pokémon to eat.
Michika sat down on her shins in front of the boiling pot and prepared the small glass bowl that she would drink from. It was different shades of maroon with a clay-colored bottom. She set it down and opened up a small cylandrical caddy called a natsume. She opened the natsume and carefully cleaned it with a red cloth. Using a small bamboo spoon, she placed a dash of green powder from the nastume to her bowl. She closed the natsume and then put it to the side before cleaning the bamboo spoon with the same red cloth.
It was a process that required a lot of precision and care. To the uneducated eye, it may have looked odd and as though Michika were taking too much time to do the individual tasks. But for Michika, she was upholding the traditions that she had been taught by her mother. Every step had reason. Every movement had the purpose of eventually bringing the ceremony to its relaxing cresciendo.
She put the bamboo spoon ontop of the natsume and then turned her attention to the pot. Steam was escaping from the top, and she knew that in a matter of minutes, she'd be enjoying her drink. She carefully waved a wooden ladle above the pot and then slowly dipped it inside. She stirred it a few times, lifting the water from the pot and then allowing it to pour back in. When she felt that the time was ready, she scooped out some of the water, enough fill the ladle to the brim. And she brought it to the bowl.
Upon mixing with the powder, the water turned a murky green. Michika needed a consistent color though. She placed the bamboo ladle back on the pot and then focused her attention on the bowl. She brought a bamboo whisk from the side and slowly dipped it into the bowl. Then, while keeping her body still, her hands went into a frenzy, letting the whisk tear a part and mix the rest of the powder. When she was younger, her wrist would grow tired within seconds, but now she was able to do it with ease. Within moments, the water became dark green, and it foamed at the top with bubbles. Michika returned the whisk to her side and then smiled.
"Tea?" she asked her Piplup.
Pokémon had even less of an understanding of the tea ceremony than humans. But Piplup had been with Michika for almost two years now, and she was used to drinking tea. She nodded her head and allowed Michika to slide the bowl across the floor towards her. She then waited for her trainer to make her own bowl of tea.
And when both of them were served, they drank.
For Piplup, the sweet candy was just a way to offset how bitter the green tea was. It gave it a neutral taste. The tea was hot, but it was no hotter than Piplup's Brine attack. The Water-type could handle it, even if it was a difficult to get used to at first.
For Michika, she never needed the sweets. She enjoyed the tea how it was. The warming sensation reminded her of Sinnoh winters. It brought back memories of relaxing under a blanket and listening to her mother read her storybooks. The taste reminded her of her mother's cooking. They'd finish every dinner with tea, and they'd share the stories of their day. Her mother would work at the tea shop and teach people about the ceremony that Michika just performed. And Michika herself would go to school to learn how to raise Pokémon.
In a region where Michika did nothing but struggle and fail, the tea brought her back to a place of bliss and joy. In a region filled with strong and determined trainers that continuously managed to beat her left and right at every corner, the tea allowed her to find balance. In a region where it seemed like she'd never earn her fifth ribbon, the tea reminded her that there was still a light at the end of the tunnel.
She had been a star in her first year of competition. Contests, appeals, and battling felt like second nature. It came to her with ease, and she felt as comfortable with it as she did with tea.
But she had fallen and was in an endless loop of losing. Her friends and rivals were moving on and winning enough ribbons to go to the Grand Festival. She read the news. But Michika couldn't help but feel like she'd be left out. At the end of her journey in Kanto, she'd be nothing but a loser.
It was okay though because she knew that her future was still bright. After all, she had tea.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Wanted to write something kind of easy with minimal dialogue, so here ya go!
I've mentioned this before, but Michika is loosely based on one of the girls that I was in tea club with (all of Yurie's rivals are). I wanted to sort of honor the tea club in this chapter. The girl that Michika is based on was extremely talented at making the tea, and I used to have a small crush on her. I admired how calmly she managed to make the tea. If you ever get the chance, try to go to a Japanese tea ceremony. It's magical.