I'd like to say that everything has gone back to normal after I returned home, except…everyone has been rather clingy—Bayonetta especially, who refuses to let me out of her sight for more than five minutes at a time.
The instant she suspects something is off, there I am—just hanging around in the air through psychic shenanigans. Sometimes, Dante shows up to pull me out of the air and sit me onto his shoulder. Usually, Martha is hiding in his hair and would peer out, letting out an earsplitting shriek that lets me know that she wants attention. And so she sits on my lap, urging me to pat her on the head.
What a spoiled brat.
I love her though.
"Mooorrgg!" And I love you too, Vlad.
As I said before, my family has become clingy—the only difference is that we're no longer limited to the Glimwood Tangle. Because hey, Grandma Opal says we can move around Ballonlea without any issues.
…
It's still awkward calling her, Grandma. I mean, I never had a chance to know my own grandmother before. She died long before I was even born.
The most I had was my grandfather, who I'd always refer to as, "Abuelito."
He wasn't the best grandfather around, but…I still have some fond memories of him.
Now that I'm here, and no longer there…I have Opal.
And I guess Opal has me, and the rest of my family. She's had a rather warm reception to them, despite the close calls we've had with Bayonetta, whenever she worked up the energy to leave the Glimwood Tangle (usually to just drag me back into the forest, or just have me within her sight).
It's not that Bayonetta has done anything harmful to the inhabitants of Ballonlea. It's more that shit gets pretty quiet whenever she shows up, due to the reputation she's built for herself over the years. Basically, everyone is afraid of her, and it's kind of, sort of the reason why I haven't made any new friends…
So that's a thing, yes.
"I'm sure things will change over time," Annette tells me as she helps me stretch out my body for today's ballet lesson. "And if not…well, at least you have Raihan."
"You're right." I do have Raihan…and I also have Pokémon, so I'm doing miles better than I've ever done in my past life, where I bumbled the fuck around until high school. Middle school was fine, though I still had some hiccups, here and there. We…don't talk about elementary school.
The less said, the better, and I'm just hoping to be left alone once school starts, and I head off to Hammerlocke's Trainer School. I'm really banking on the being in the same class as Raihan…
Chairman Rose, don't fail me now!
My communication skills depend on it if I want to leave with some semblance of a social life!
The irony of being a communication major…
In my defense, the focus was on digital media design, and I would've just yeeted myself away in a laboratory, had I gone anywhere with chemistry. Speaking of which—I ain't going back there. I got my whole life ahead of myself, and if I'm ever making a career out of something, it has to involve Pokémon.
I don't feel like ever separating myself from these wonderful creatures. Sure, there are dangers—and this little Sinistea is definitely trying its best to absorb my life energy by getting me to drink it…
But it's not so bad. "You know you taste terrible, Kashmiri—just have this instead."
"Ssssssiiinnnnn~!" The amorphous fluid inside Kashmiri's cup morphed into a hand that immediately snatched up the treat I was offering it out of my hand. Kashmiri then dragged it back into its cup, its "eyes" closing shut in a content expression.
"See? Better than life energy!" And it certainly works a lot better than trying to trick me with that nasty-ass taste. Honestly, I think Kashmiri is doing it on purpose to get a reaction out of me, because hey—if that's the case, it's working.
Kashmiri, alongside Oolong and Chamomile, are the three baby Sinistea that Ceylon the Polteageist had spawned a while back, before I was taken to see Chairman Rose. They're quite the eccentric addition to what is supposed to be a fairy-type Gym.
Of course, the same could be said about Mami and whatever is going to hatch out of this egg…
It sure doesn't look like it's gonna be a fairy…
Maybe poison? Could also be ghost—who knows? Hard to say, considering the shortcomings in my Pokémon knowledge. After some point, I just had difficulty remembering everyone once the Ultra Beasts were added in. Though, that's mostly on me for not playing the post-game in both Sun and Ultra Sun.
Why did I not do that?!
…
…
Oh right—I burned myself out, SOS-chaining for shiny Pokémon. As if the four fucking days I spent looking for a shiny Wishiwashi wasn't enough in Sun, I just had to go the extra mile for a shiny Steenee in Ultra Sun.
Kind of worth it, though…but at what cost?
My drive to do post-game shenanigans and forgetting about everything else. Oh well, there's no use crying over spilled milk.
Let's just focus on this little guy! "Hiii!"
I heard that talking to a Pokémon egg can help forge a better bond. At least, that's what Vlad told me, since that's what he did with his siblings.
Crash!
Though, clearly, Vlad's bond with Martha was being tested by the sudden mess she had made after breaking a glass with her psychic energy. The way she laughed at Vlad as he went to go get a broom sure said a lot. So much for a better bond…
I guess it's more complicated than that.
"I have hope for you!" Still, that doesn't stop me from testing it out anyways! "I hope you hatch soon!"
Everyone's waiting for you—me, especially. I can't wait to see the sorts of experiences we'll have together. The memories we'll make…
The memories we'll replace…
I don't know what happened to your parents, but…it's gonna be okay!
"I'll be here." I held the egg case close to my chest. "You won't be alone. I promise."
As if to show that it was listening to me, the egg moved. It swayed from left to right, to left again—just moving however it could, until it finally stopped. There were faint movements that were there—as though it wanted it to keep moving, but it couldn't. Probably because it tired itself out…
"Th-There's no need to rush!" Take your time! "I'm not going anywhere—and neither is anyone else."
No one is going to leave you alone again.
I'll make sure of it…
…
…
Introducing Raihan to my family is a lot harder than I was expecting, mostly for the fact that I had to deal with a bunch of Impidimp trying to rip apart the photos I had of him. Not helping are the goofy poses he made in most of them, like—c'mon, dude! I'm trying to get my mom to like you!
"Tereeeeennnn." Bayonetta squinted her eyes as she held up a photo to her face. It was of Raihan sticking his tongue out, with Storm tugging on his clothes.
"I swear, he's cooler than this!" God dammit, we save the goof for later, when she's let her guard down!
"Griiimmmm!" At least Dante was more open to the goofy poses, even mimicking a few of them while he talked to me. Seems he likes Raihan.
Oh, this is gonna haunt him for the rest of his days.
Because the rest of the Impidimp are mirroring Dante. And Vibe Check is too busy collecting the photos of Raihan that have been scattered about, due to Martha's sudden bouts of mischief.
"Rereeem!" Vibe Check held the photos close to her chest. "Reee~m!"
Ahh. "I'll tell Raihan."
"Hahaaa!" Vibe Check closed her eyes and laughed.
Welp…it looks like Raihan is charming the hell out of everyone, except Bayonetta. She's still letting out noises that sounds suspiciously like a hiss, whenever I show her a new photo.
Didn't know Hatterene could hiss.
Apparently, the line is a lot more feral than they appear, though that's on me for underestimating just how scary Bayonetta can be.
"To be fair, she is far more hostile than your typical Hatterene." And then Opal dropped this bit of information on me. "Yes, it's quite a sight to see someone so…ominous."
Yeah, that's a good way to describe her.
"She likes you, though." Opal smiled at me as she patted me on the head. "And I guess she also likes me. Hard to say, when she's putting up such a front."
"It's the exact opposite with Dante." You always know if he likes you, and I would say he's harmless, but… I know just how dangerous he can be. Honestly, I'm trying to forget about it, lest I cause some other unpleasant memories to resurface. The last thing I need is an anxiety attack to ruin my day.
"Dee." Oh look—Mami showed up anyways, as a preventative measure. Honestly, it's for the best. "Dee dee."
She gave my head a firm pat before letting out a few chirps. A pleasant scent wafted off her fur, as it usually did whenever she used Aromatherapy. It's soothing and helps ease some of my nerves. It takes my mind off the unpleasant memories that linger in the back of my head…
"Thanks, Mami!" I'm going to check on the egg now. "Let me know when Raihan calls, Grandma!"
There's still some time left before school starts, so we want to meet up again before then. I've been doing my best to get everyone familiarized with Raihan, though it'd go a lot easier if Bayonetta can ease up a bit. I could also say the same thing about Boop's mother, but I got Boop to help me out with her.
"I should give her a name." It's been long enough. She deserves one, to go along with the name I gave her child.
What name should I give her?
"What about you?" I stared at the egg in my hands. It feels very warm, very…lively. "Do you want a name?"
Obviously, it can't say anything…but that doesn't stop it from making any movements in response to my voice. It's a lot stronger today.
"Is it almost time?" I placed my ear against its shell. My hearing isn't as good as Mami's, but it's just enough that I can make out a faint heartbeat. "Hmm…not yet."
Not today, at least.
"I hope you're just as lively around Raihan." It'd certainly make his day. "C'mon—let's go see Boop and Laverne."
Laverne is the name I decided to give Boop's mother. I had a few others to offer, should she reject it…but she didn't. She accepted the name almost instantly—it just took her a few seconds to register it.
"Treeee!" Her expression is friendly, as is her tone. She appreciates the name I had given her. It feels right…
Feels like home.
"Home." I never thought that a name can hold so much meaning. Never realized just how often people can take them for granted…
But not Laverne…
Not Boop…
Not anyone in this forest.
"Hey…do you think you can let my friend in?" I pulled out a photo I had of Raihan. It was the only one I had left on me, after Vibe Check took the others. "I want to introduce you to him."
Boop snatched up the photo. They floated over to Laverne, allowing them to look over their shoulder as they stared at the photo.
"Tre…" There's an ominous tone to Laverne's voice. It's a warning sound—she doesn't trust this stranger.
"Phaaaaan!" Boop patted their mother, ceasing her ominous cries. "Phan-phaaan!"
Boop would like to see Raihan. Any friend of mine is a friend of theirs—that is what Boop told their mother.
It's a simple enough explanation, though it still took Laverne some time to accept it. She already knew of the risks and dangers… Knew of the consequences that a stranger had brought upon their home.
She knew all of this…but because she knows me—knows that I'm part of what makes this place their home…
"Venaaaa…" Laverne decides that, just this once, she will look the other way, and allow a stranger to enter the Glimwood Tangle.
"You won't regret it." I'll make sure of that.
I'm sure Raihan will, too, once I explain everything to him. He might have some issues getting along with Bayonetta, but it's nothing I can't help him through!
…
…
I hope…
I might have to depend on Honey and Clover for this one. Honey, for her soft fluff to keep Raihan feeling safe, and Clover, for his soothing scents to keep Bayonetta placated. They're quite the duo…
"Where are they anyways?" I've been seeing less and less of them these days—are they up to something?
"Arrrooooomaaa." Oh, hi Acacia—excuse me? "Maatiii!"
What do you mean I can't see them right now?! "Are they okay?"
Acacia blinked and just laughed. "Roroo!"
We'll see, huh?
If that ain't fucking ominous.
"So long as they're not dying." I don't think I can handle that happening so soon.
"Veenaa!" I honestly don't know what's so amusing about this, but it's enough that Laverne is actually patting me on the head.
Boop was just as confused as me, tilting their head to the side in question as their mother made another comment.
"What you mean when I'm older?!" What the hell is going on that would require me to know about stuff like that?!
And so, like a pile of bricks, the realization hits me hard a few days later, when Honey shows her face to me.
"Where have you been?" It's good to see you again!
"Whimsii..!" Honey tried to say something, but then she hid her face in her hands.
"Shy, huh?" Well, take your time…
"Spriii!" Clover landed on my head and used his beak to place a flower in my hair.
"Together, huh?" You've been awfully close…
…
Oh.
"Just like Bayonetta and Dante, huh?" Everything makes sense now. No wonder no one wants to tell me anything—these two paired off! "How long?"
Honey had a hard time saying anything, so Clover spoke for her. It was simple enough—it seems that while I was gone, they started noticing some things. And it only became glaringly obvious after I came back that there was more to it than they initially thought.
Basically, I may have had a hand in setting these two up without ever realizing it. It's nothing terrible, and they care an awful lot about each other, too, so…
"I'm happy for you!" Life certainly is full of surprises.
And the surprises just keep coming, when Raihan arrives on a Corviknight Taxi. Unlike me, he took it well, with how he kept going on and on about the things he managed to see.
"Did you take any photos?" I asked.
"Nah—didn't have enough time." Raihan sighed. "Maybe next time!"
"Trap traaa!" I know, I know—I didn't forget about you, Storm! "Piiii!"
Storm certainly enjoyed himself, far more than Raihan did. Although, that's to be expected, when Storm likes heights.
Unlike me, with my fear of falling holding me back. It's going to be rough when school starts, and I have to take the Corviknight Taxi to Hammerlocke for classes. But if it means being able to hang out with Raihan, then so be it!
Until then, I gotta introduce Raihan to the others! "Just follow me!"
"What about the Gym?" Raihan looked towards the building, obviously wanting to go in…but now is not the time! He let out a yelp when I suddenly grabbed his hand and started dragging him towards the Glimwood Tangle.
"We can worry about that later!" I have to introduce you to the others first!
"Traaaap!" Storm called out, letting out a content noise as soon as Mami used her psychic energy to lift him off the ground.
"Deedee." She shook her head as she followed after me, going at her own pace to let Storm enjoy his time in the air.
Definitely, the weirdest discovery I made today is just how much more adept I am at traversing through the Glimwood Tangle, despite the poor lighting. I found this out the hard way when I let go of Raihan to go greet Sylveon and her litter of Eevee.
I had to fish him out of the tall grass, because at that point, he couldn't see anything. Like damn—I let go of his hand for a few seconds, and he somehow ended up back in the grass.
"How do you do it?" Raihan asked before stopping to correct himself. "Right—this is your home."
"Yep!" It's home for me and everyone else. "It can be your home too, if you want."
I'm sure Bayonetta won't mind…much—I should introduce you to Laverne first, though.
"I'll pass." Raihan stopped in his tracks, having noticed the array of glowing mushroom caps in the ground. "Umm…"
"Aww, they're just sleeping!" The Morelull tend to be more active at night. "You only have to worry about them when they're awake."
I don't think my words gave Raihan any reassurance, though that didn't stop him from snapping a photo.
Flash!
"Augh!" I forgot how bright that thing was!
"Oops!" Raihan immediately apologized. "Sorry—I just remembered you weren't wearing your glasses."
"It's fine." I sometimes forget about them, because of the lighting in the Glimwood Tangle and Ballonlea. Which…is not a habit I should pick up, if I want to make it through school okay. "Just warn me next time when you're taking a photo."
"Okay, cool—I'm just gonna go wild!" Raihan was absolutely in awe with the scenery, despite the hesitance he had about the place. "I'll let you know when I'm done."
He didn't take too long, though it was mostly because he wanted me to lead the way as he took more photos, lest he get lost again in the tall grass. It is incredibly easy to get lost in here. It's sure going to get busy once this place opens up again.
…
Whenever that is. Honestly, that's the least of my worries when I'm always allowed inside the Glimwood Tangle. Raihan, however, is different, which is why I'm trying my best to keep an eye on him. Or at least keep my hand around his—that's a lot easier, honestly.
Means I don't have to look at him, and therefore, my eyes avoid his camera's harsh flash whenever he snaps a photo. That still doesn't stop me from making any mistakes, as I ended up tripping over a tree root and taking Raihan down with me.
"Waaugh!"
"Aaugh!"
Thud!
Thankfully, the ground is soft and mossy, so the impact didn't hurt as much as it could have. Even better, Raihan's camera came out unscathed, so no need to worry about any broken parts!
Of course, that still did nothing for my pride, because that was pretty embarrassing. Even worse—Vlad and his Impidimp brothers saw, and now they're all pointing and laughing at me.
"They always like that?" Yes…very much so, if they're in the right mood for it.
Because today, Vlad chose mischief. And in turn, I am very close to choosing violence, now that I'm no longer afraid to pull on anyone's hair. It's a viable tactic, and Vlad highly encourages it amongst his siblings.
Obviously, I'm included, which is why Vlad isn't at all annoyed when I tackled him to the ground, my hands tugging harshly on his black hair.
"Are ya sure ya should be doing this?" Poor Raihan. He's probably so confused about what I'm doing.
"I'm good!" I yelled out before chomping down on Vlad's arm. It earned me a pained yelp from him, which was soon followed by a sharp pain on my ear. "Hey, no fair!"
You got sharper teeth!
That still doesn't stop Vlad from biting down on my ear. We're now in a stalemate—either he eventually gives in from how hard I'm pulling on his hair…or I give in, due to his sharp teeth on my ear.
Obviously, my pain tolerance is nowhere near high as a Pokémon's, so I gave up easily…or so it seemed, until I managed to hit Vlad right on the throat. He immediately released my ear, letting out a few pained gasps as he tried to recover from the attack.
By then, I had him pinned underneath me, his hair still in my hand.
"Imp imp!" The Impidimp surrounded us, laughing in glee over how easily I managed to turn the tables on Vlad.
Flash!
And Raihan caught it right on camera! "Nice!"
"Tough luck, Vlad!" I win this round!
"Moorr…" Vlad heaved out a sigh. He was a bit disappointed with his loss. At the same time, he was pretty proud. "Greeem!"
Apparently, all those Throat Chops have finally paid off.
"Yeah, yeah." Don't remind me—just thinking about it makes my vocal cords seize up.
That shit fucking hurts!
Sometimes, it even leaves you mute for a while.
"Iiiin." And Mami absolutely hated that fact, from the way she often discouraged Vlad from getting into any fights with me. Said that it set a bad example for me.
Obviously, Dante disagrees, with how often he encourages me. Which is why it still happens.
Meanwhile with Bayonetta, she was pretty neutral about it, so long as the volume doesn't go over a certain threshold and our little fights don't get too out of hand. Otherwise, playtime was over, and everyone had to sit down in silence for the next hour or two. It's…boring.
Thankfully, we know better.
I hope.
I mean, Bayonetta hasn't shown up to put us in time-out.
It's fiiiine.
And yet, the anxiety still lingers. Probably because Raihan is here— "We should get going."
Round two will have to continue some other time, Vlad. I have to take Raihan to see Laverne first.
"Morg!" Vlad only smiled at me, before going on his way…but not without giving my sides a few sharp jabs.
"You!" I called out to him, scowling at the laughter I heard coming from him as he ran deeper into the forest. The others followed after him, their laughter soon mixing in with his. "Why am I surprised?"
This is typical behavior from them—I should know better.
"Does this happen often?" Raihan asked.
"Kinda." Often, there's another side to Vlad that comes out whenever he's in the Glimwood Tangle with his brothers. "I think it's his way of training us."
Since I'm part of his family, I'm also included in that training, even though I'm human.
Mostly.
The Pokémon world is weird enough, so I wouldn't be surprised if humans are related to them in some way.
Isn't that part of a Sinnoh Myth?
Ehhh, hard for me to say, when I'm in Galar and not Sinnoh. I'll try to look into it later, when I have the resources and time to do so.
Until then… "C'mon, Raihan!"
Time to see Laverne!
And as expected, Laverne has gone back to making those ominous, growling noises upon seeing Raihan. Though, in her defense, Boop did approach Raihan first before anything, catching her completely by surprise and otherwise flipping this situation on its head. At the moment, Boop was messing around with Raihan's camera.
"Phaaaan!" Not a care in the world, even when the flash went off in their face. That certainly caused Laverne to let out an even louder warning sound, but Boop quickly assuaged her fears. "Tum tuuump!"
"Uhh…should I go?" No, Raihan—just stand your ground. Boop likes you, so that should be enough to win Laverne over…
Eventually.
"Just be patient." Hopefully, she warms up to you quicker than me.
"How long did it take you?" Uhhh…I'll get back to you on that! "Brie!"
Fortunately for us, Clover showed up and use his scent to calm Laverne down. She was still making those noises, though not as loudly. In fact, she was slowly moving closer to Raihan, until…
"Uhhh…" Raihan swallowed hard when Laverne lifted him off the ground. "Brie?"
"It's okay!" Just smile! "Show her how cool you are!"
"But I don't have my camera!" You're already cool without it! "If you say so…umm hi? 'M Raihan."
"Treeeev…" Laverne let out a low growl, her eye narrowing. She brought him even closer to her face. After a minute, her growling finally ceased, and her expression softened immensely. She set Raihan down on the ground, giving his head a few pats before moving on—though not without telling Boop to be careful.
"Phaaaaann!" Boop rushed over to Raihan's side to give him back his camera.
"I think I saw my life flash before my eyes." Yeah, you get used to it… "Still…tha's pretty cool."
"Tuump!" Boop lightly patted Raihan's face, earning a tap to their head.
"You're cool, too." Raihan grinned. "Wanna meet my friend, Storm?"
Boop nodded their head. "Tuump!"
"Hey, Mami!" Raihan called out to Mami, who was currently helping Storm spin in the air. "Think you can put him down for a bit?"
Mami let out a chirp and carefully set Storm on the ground, where he was immediately greeted by Boop. Boop ran their little hands over Storm, letting out a laugh when he tried nipping them.
"Tuuuu!" They gave Storm's head a firm pat before sitting down on his back. "Phaaaa!"
"Guess ya got a new friend!" Raihan rubbed his nose.
"Trap traaap!" Storm was pleased with himself.
"Spri?" Don't worry—we didn't forget about you, Clover.
"This is Clover!" I gave the Spritzee a small nudge, sending him over towards Storm and Boop. "He's one of my closest friends. He's got an Aromatisse for a sister!"
And a Whimsicott for a mate—but you didn't hear that from me. They're still pretty shy about the topic. It's honestly cute.
"Say…where's Honey?" You'd think she'd be nearby, buuuut… "She okay?"
"Spriii!" Clover piped up.
"Oh…that makes sense." She has been feeling rather sleeping as of lately… Guess we'll have to wait later to introduce her to Raihan. It's a good thing he's staying over for the night!
He'd stay longer if it wasn't for school.
Time just flies sometimes, and I really wish I had more time to prepare for the fact that school starts in a few days. Then again, I don't think I'll ever get used to school.A lot of time can pass, and it still won't be enough to prepare myself.
At least it's not college.
And again, Pokémon do exist, so it should be an entirely different experience. Hopefully, a good one.
Fingers crossed.
"Alright! Time to see Bayonetta and Dante!" Dante is gonna looooove you! Hopefully, Bayonetta follows through with him around.
"Indeee!" Yeah, you should stick close to Mami—just in case.
"If I die, I'm haunting you" Yeah, yeah…wait—
"If you die, do you turn into a Yamask?" I'm curious now.
"Yamask?" Raihan blinked. "Oh—right…you're from Unova."
"What's that mean?" Is there something I don't know?
"It's just that our Yamask are a little different—that's all." Are you telling me there is a Galarian Yamask?!
Yoooooo!
I want one—I don't know how it looks, but I want it! "Ahhh, I'm gonna catch one!"
Raihan started laughing. "You're really eager to become a Trainer, huh?"
"Uh-huh!" If it means making so many more friends, and adding to my family—then I'll become the best Trainer around!
Eat my shorts, Ash Ketchum!
"Then let's do our best when school starts!" Raihan patted me on my shoulder. "For now…"
"Just stick by me!" I'll do my best to keep you safe! Otherwise, Mami is there, and she has quite the moveset to take on Bayonetta any day—though, I doubt she'll need it. "Also, make sure to keep a distance around the Impidimp and Hatenna."
You do not want to get involved with any of them—not while you have your camera.
"Are they gonna hurt me?" Raihan frowned.
"No—worry more about your camera." The Hatenna will be more afraid of you then you are of them, and the Impidimp will show no fear, but they will also be quite mischievous. Vlad already likes you, so he'll do his best to keep Vibe Check from living up to her namesake.
"Anything else I should know?" Raihan asked as he put away his camera in its protective case. "Beyond just staying quiet, I mean."
"Uhhh…" Let me think about it for a moment.
"Dee." Mami just patted Raihan on the shoulder and went up ahead of us.
"Is that good?" Raihan turned to me.
"Maybe." I'm not sure how I was supposed to interpret that.
"Right—well, I guess this'll be good practice for Storm." Raihan crossed his arms over his chest. "He needs to get used to fairy Pokémon if he ever wants to overcome the weaknesses he'll have when he evolves."
"Trap?" Honey, you've got a big storm coming.
Sometimes, I forget that the Flygon line starts off as a pure ground-type. I say this, as someone who has raised quite a few Trapinch…and some Swablu.
Ehehe, floofy cloud bird.
Raihan had to shake me that time to snap me out of my thoughts. Apparently, I am easily distracted by the mere thought of the Swablu line—probably because I can catch one for myself.
Eventually.
Until then, I have to get Raihan through this and…
"Reeeeeennn." Welp…there's Bayonetta.
"Grim?" And there's Dante—okay, we're cool. "Snaaarl!"
Maybe more than cool, because Dante just sped over to Raihan and lifted him into the air.
"Brie?" Raihan turned to me, his eyes wide with worry.
"He likes you." It's his way of welcoming you. You'll know if he hates you—trust me on that.
Raihan stayed especially still when Dante started nuzzling his cheek. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he was held up again—this time, while Bayonetta was near.
"Tereeeeee." Bayonetta squinted her eyes at Raihan as Dante placed him on his shoulder.
"It's okay—he's my friend!" He won't hurt anyone!
"Griii!" Dante gave Raihan a few pats on the head, as if to reassure Bayonetta.
And yet, that still doesn't stop Bayonetta from being her usually threatening self. I'm starting to wonder what Dante saw in her that made him stick around as long as he did. Not that they're a bad couple or anything, just…how?!
Do I even want to know?
Maybe when I'm older.
"Hahaaa!" Oh, hey Martha—how's it going? "Do you want to go back into your ball?"
Martha let out a sharp cry. "Teee!"
"Okay, we'll save that for later." Come here, my little hellish fae! I've missed you! "You need tell me when you go off to see Mama, okay?"
You friggen' scared me when I woke up in bed, without you around! Geez…
"Naha!" Martha only laughed as she pressed herself against my chest, now that I was carrying her in my arms. She really likes the fabric of my turtleneck…
"I'll try to ask Grandma to find one in your size." I'm not sure how that'll work, but it's worth a shot. Hell, Teresa might just make one herself—actually, I wonder if I can get her to make a blanket out of the same material. That'd be better than a turtleneck. "So where's your sister?"
I get an immediate answer in the form of Raihan yelling out in shock at the Hattrem that had latched onto his leg. Didn't take too long for me to figure out that it was Vibe Check. The other Hattrem were too busy keeping their distance—they're a lot shier, compared to Vibe Check.
"Figures." Never thought I'd see this side of Vibe Check before, but that's on me for not realizing just how enamored she had become with the concept of photos. She just likes photographs—that's all it really is.
It's why she keeps calling for me to tell Raihan to take out his camera.
"Later!" Now's not the time—the flash might scare Bayonetta. And the last thing we need then is for her to break the camera. Raihan does not deserve to have that happen to him!
"Rrmm!" Vibe Check puffed up her cheeks in frustration. She released her hold on Raihan's leg afterwards and allowed herself to land on the ground. She hopped off afterwards in a huff, not wanting to irritate Bayonetta nor Mami with her foul mood.
"Is she okay?" Raihan asked, somewhat concerned about Vibe Check.
"She's just being bratty." She'll live. "You havin' fun up there?"
"Kinda—the weather could be better." Raihan laughed over the face I made in response to his terrible joke. "Could get used to it."
And then the other Impidimp started crawling over him.
"H-Hey!" Get used to it, buddy—that's what happens when you're close to Dante.
Thankfully, the little guys were more behaved than usual. Vlad probably struck a deal with them, as he tends to do every once in a while. Don't know what it is this time, but it might just involve food.
"Greeem!" Speaking of Vlad, here he is—and he's ready for round two!
"Alright, let's do this!" The other Impidimp are getting riled up, already circling the two of us. I handed off Martha to Bayonetta as she floated by, to otherwise remind all of us of her usual terms.
It can't get too loud.
And we can't be too rough.
"Tereeeee." Or else it's time-out for everyone, and no one wants that.
It's why the Impidimp start covering their mouths. Though, that didn't stop them from making any noises.
Chaotic brats.
I love them, though.
They're my family.
And I'm happy that I was able to introduce them to Raihan. Maybe one day, I'll introduce them to his parents.
Maybe…
I didn't win that fight—Bayonetta had stepped in as soon as she saw me spit out a baby tooth. It was nothing serious, though it helped that Mami was around to calm her down. It's why Vlad continued to wrestle with his brothers, while I sat down and started pulling out the sticks and blades of grass that had gotten stuck in my hair from the scuffle.
Partway through the task, Raihan started helping me out, though it was Vibe Check who brushed out my hair.
"Rereeem!" Vibe Check was in a pretty good mood now, since Raihan took the time to show off his camera to her. He was even able to take a few photos.
And not once, did Bayonetta act up—though, it helped that Dante had her attention for the time being.
"Your family is weird." That they are, Raihan. I won't even try to argue. "It's not bad or anything—it's why I like them."
"I'm glad to hear that!" Thank you for telling me. "I was worried that you'd hate me after this…"
I was pretty forceful today…
"Why would I ever hate you?" Raihan frowned. "We're friends—I don't think I can ever hate you."
"Is that so?" I found myself laughing at that. It's just so surreal, hearing that come out of a child's mouth. And yet…
And yet…
It means so much to me.
"Brie?"
I can't help but get emotional, despite the risks that come from being around Pokémon that are especially sensitive to emotions. And yet, despite this, no one yelled at me.
No one was telling me to shut up.
And above all else, no one was around to tell me how annoying I was.
What are these feelings?
This relief—where does it all come from?
I don't know…
Yet again, I am reminded of how little I know about myself.
Yet again, I am reminded that I'm not alone.
"Are you okay?" Raihan asked.
"I'm okay." The tears that slide down my face might say otherwise, but I really mean it. It's why I can't stop smiling.
Because I'm just so happy.
So very, very happy.
"Thank you for being my friend."
"Thank you for being mine!"
…
…
…
A/N Holy fucking shit y'all, I disappear from this fic for an entire year and…WELP.
Anyways, it's good to be back after doing fuck all for Pokémon for an entire year. I'm hoping to get another arc done before going back to another idea and getting lost in that.
Let me tell ya, I've been from here to over there, all year, because I kept. Getting dragged into fandoms I haven't touched in a while.
Most recently, Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] fucking dragged me into the depths of the Kingdom Hearts fandom, because the ending fucking killed me. My poor Player Character…
There are so many feelings I still fucking have, that I haven't finished playing NieR Replicant because of it. I still get emotional over read/hearing, "Goodnight."
Speaking of which, feel free to read Beneath the Night Sky if you've also been hurt by the ending of Union χ [Cross]. I went nuts for an entire week, ya know. :V
Anyways, that's been my life these past few months. Got a public discord server open for everyone, if anyone's interested (you can find it on my tumblr). Started off mainly for fanfiction, but it's also evolved to include my streaming experience because I'm now a Twitch affiliate with emotes ready to use, thanks to friend kadekuro.
Now that that's out of the way, how has everyone been doing? :D
I'm really happy to see how many people have been reading this fic while I wasn't working on it! Like, dang—I really appreciate the feedback!
I'm glad to be back, though just as a reminder—Brie is a child, so she will act like a child, despite being a self-insert. Her brain isn't fully developed enough to process emotions the way she's used to, so it'll be a while before she can have a better grip on the way she acts.
Hope that explains everything, since I've had a few readers bring that up!
Let's get some shout-outs out of the way, because I am just in awe over the reviews I have received over the past year! Like seriously, thank you so much!
Reviewer #77: GamerPineRed
Reviewer #80: Blaze2121
Reviewer #88: RougeKing
Reviewer #90: AvionVadion
Reviewer #99: FangSilverFox
Reviewer #100: Caliberious
Reviewer #110: Anonymous Reviewer Pen
Reviewer #111: CatGirlGaming
Reviewer #120: UserIDHere
Reviewer #130: Shogun lord poke burst
Honorable mentions: guisniperman, Heitor (as always, thank you for your long reviews!), RoseRavenWillow RandomFangirl (hope you enjoy the update—it's been a while!), Dusken Willow, ASleepySloth, eprince200, PopperPaper, TheklaPavlouAnime
Thank you all so much for taking the time to review! I really appreciate the time you took to write all of them. I might have not been answering any reviews, but just know that I DO read every one of them.
Reviews keep me motivated, so if you guys can keep it up, then please do so! It really means a lot to me, to see what you guys have to say!
This is all I have for now, so until time! Stay safe!