Chapter 23
May floated beside her bedroom window, staring out at the ocean. Small fish Pokemon swam by every now and then, most of which she had seen before. She didn't mind much, since the glint of the moon, slowly returning after the new moon, shone off of them. They sparkled in the water, which she always found beautiful.
She turned towards her room with a slightly wistful smile and sighed. It was cleaner than it had been in months, as she had spent the last week since she returned cleaning up. The chests containing her collection of scales were neatly arranged, while she had put Popplio's bed away. She had also shut down the contraption she used to feed her, hoping she could find another use for it one night.
"It looks really nice in here," she said to herself. "Misty would probably be proud of me for finally keeping my room clean." She giggled slightly as she imagined what her older sister would say if she saw this. "And yet...it also feels really empty." She sighed again. "I guess that's not surprising. Popplio made this room her home for so long, I guess it makes sense that it would feel empty without her." She smiled and floated over to her shellbed, sitting down on the edge. "Still...as long as she's happy where she is, it's for the best. And hey, who knows? Maybe we'll swim into each other again in the future!" She looked up at the ceiling and sighed happily. "I sure hope so."
"I think you will."
May jumped, startled. "Mother!" she exclaimed, seeing her mother floating in the doorway. "How long were you floating there?"
"I just arrived," Cynthia replied. "I just wanted to check on you, see how you were doing."
"Ah," May smiled at her concern. "I'm all right, Mother. I mean, I still miss her, but it's gonna be all right."
"You haven't left the palace in a week," Cynthia said. "You sure you're not depressed?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," May replied. "I just wanted to take care of some things I've left drifting for too long." She looked out her window again. "Tonight, though, I think I'll go swim through the village. It'd be good for me to get out of the palace."
"I agree," Cynthia nodded. "Well, enjoy yourself out there!"
"Thanks, Mother!" May smiled as her mother swam away. She smiled to herself and looked out the window one more time. "Good for me? Ha! What an understatement. I've been itching to flex my fins all week!" With that, she turned and swam out the door.
It didn't take long for her to reach the palace gate. As she swam out, she once again relished the feeling of the water flowing over her, twirling around as she swam. "Oh yeah," she smiled as she quickly made her way to the edge of the village. "I've missed this."
As she swam through, other merfolk noticed her and began to talk quietly as they watched her swim. She could hear some of the things they said, and was surprised that some of them commented on seeing the princess for the first time. She didn't recognize them, but she quickly figured that they were some of the Alolan refugees who arrived while she was gone. Most of the comments, however, were derogatory, as they wondered why she still hadn't gone to the surface and become human.
She just smiled and shook her head. Let them think what they want she thought. I know where I belong. She blinked in surprise at her thoughts; she wasn't bothered by this? As she thought it over, she just smiled again and sighed in relief. I guess I got it figured out she thought. Mother was right; all I needed to do was swim out of my sisters' shadows. Now I know who I wanna be. Or at least, I have an idea of where I want to swim now. And it's like Mother always says: every journey begins with the first flip of your fins.
"Look out!"
As if on cue, May collided with someone, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Ow!" she groaned, bringing her hand to her head and rubbing the spot where she bumped the other mermaid. "Ooh, that smarts!"
"No, my seaweed!" the mermaid cried. May looked up and watched as several strands of seaweed slowly floated down towards them. "Ugh! All my hard work is going up in sea foam!"
"Sorry!" May exclaimed. "Here, let me help you!" She floated up and reached for one of the strands of seaweed.
"No!" the mermaid shouted, yanking her back down. "You've caused enough problems! Didn't your mother ever teach you to watch where you're swimming?!"
"I'm sorry!" May said again. "Let me just –" she started to reach forward for what she thought was seaweed.
"Ow!" the mermaid shrieked.
"A-Ah!" May exclaimed. "That was your hair?!"
"What is wrong with you?!" the mermaid shouted at her, pulling one of her long green ponytails back. "What kind of stupid mermaid would mix up seaweed with hair?!"
"I'm sorry!" May cried for the third time. "Please, it was just an accident!"
"I spent 30 whole minutes organizing these, and you just ruined everything! Now I have to organize everything all over again! Ugh! Why I oughta –"
"What's going on?" another mermaid said, swimming up to them.
"Not now, Lana," the green-haired mermaid said. "I need to deal with this mer-moron who just ruined all my hard work from the past half-hour!"
"I said I was sorry!" May cried yet again. "I can help you fix this if you'll let me!"
"Oh dear," Lana moaned, turning to her. "I'm so sorry. She didn't sleep well yesterday, so she's a little –"
"I can speak for myself, Lana!" the other mermaid shouted back.
"Mallow, please," Lana said. "Do you even know who this is?"
"Lana, go back to the grotto!" Mallow snapped. "I can handle this!"
"But I really don't think –"
"I said go! I'll take care of –"
"Mallow, she's the princess!"
"Whatever! Just let me –!" Mallow started to say, but then she realized just what her friend said. "Wait...what did you say?"
"You heard me!" Lana said. "This is Princess May, the Mertriarch's second-born daughter!"
"P-Princess?!" Mallow squeaked, turning to May with a terrified expression. "A-Ah, I'm so sorry, your Highness! I didn't realize who you were! Please, don't hold it against me!" She grabbed May's arm and bowed down, breathing heavily. May just floated there with wide eyes, while Lana had a sheepish smile on her face.
"Okay, this is freaking me out; why is she doing that?" May asked.
"Well, you are the princess, aren't you?" Lana asked.
"Yeah," May nodded, "but –"
"Please, I beg you!" Mallow whimpered. "I don't wanna spend the rest of my life imprisoned!"
"Oh, just float back up here," May said, rolling her eyes with a smirk. "You're making a scene."
"Huh?" Mallow looked up, confused.
"Come on, float up, now!" May giggled. "There's no need to put on a show."
"You mean...you're not angry with me?" the green-haired mermaid blinked in surprise as she floated up to look the princess in the eye.
"Why should I be?" May blinked, confused. "That was my fault just now; I wasn't watching where I was swimming." She looked around at the seaweed, still floating around them. "This doesn't look like a big mess. If we all work together to clean it up –"
"A-Ah, no!" Mallow said. "I can handle it!"
"But –"
"Just let her," Lana said. "I know it sounds strange, but each of these strands of seaweed have unique properties. Mallow spent a half-hour sorting them out, and she's very particular about sorting them."
"Oh!" May blinked, looking them over. "They all look the same to me." She smiled and turned to Mallow. "Do you study seaweed?"
"Hm?" Mallow blinked. "A-Ah, kind of. I like studying plant life."
"In the ocean?"
"Yeah. It's a...hobby of mine, so…"
"Wow!" May exclaimed. "That sounds neat! So each strand of seaweed here has unique properties that sets it apart from the others? That sounds incredible!"
"Really?" Mallow blinked, confused. "You really think it's neat?"
"Yeah!" May grinned. "I never knew seaweed could be so unique!"
Mallow blinked again and put her hands on her hips. "Are you really the princess?"
"Uh," May blinked, now sharing her confusion. "Yeah. What's that got to do with anything?"
"Well, you're not exactly acting like a princess," Mallow explained. "You don't even look like royalty!" She immediately covered her mouth when she realized what she said. "Ah, t-that came out wrong!"
"Oh, it's fine," May smiled. "I'm not one to flaunt my position, after all."
"Oh," Mallow said, sighing in relief. "Okay."
May turned to Lana with a smile. "What did you say your name was? Lana?"
"Yes," Lana nodded, bowing politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess May."
"Please, just call me May," May smiled back. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too." She turned to Mallow. "And your name...Mallow, was it?"
"Ah, yes," Mallow stammered sheepishly. "It's nice to meet you, Princ – er, May."
"Nice to meet you, too," May replied. "And...sorry again about all your seaweed."
"Eh, it's fine," Mallow shrugged. "I'll just reorganize it later tonight." She began floating about and gathering the seaweed floating about.
"I don't think I've seen you two around before," May mused. "Are you visiting from other waters?"
"No," Lana shook her head sadly. "We came from Alola."
"Oh!" May exclaimed. "Oh, dear. You lost your homes?"
"Yes," Lana nodded. "Your mother was quite kind in letting us find a home here." She raised a curious eyebrow. "Though I must wonder, why are you down here?"
"Me?" May blinked.
"Yeah. I heard that the Mertriarch's daughters all went up to the surface to live as humans. I thought you went with them. Did you stay behind to help us refugees?"
"Oh!" May chuckled. "Well, yes, it's true that my sisters all went up and became human, but I decided to stay down here."
"Really?" Mallow blinked in surprise, all her seaweed messily thrown together in a small basket. "You mean you're not going up there to live as a human?"
"No," May shook her head. "The ocean is my home, and I have no intention of leaving it behind."
"Wow," Lana breathed. "A mermaid princess who actually likes living in the ocean?"
"And here I thought it'd be easier to find a Basculegion," Mallow mused.
"Yeah, I know it sounds weird," May chuckled, "but that's just the way it is."
"I don't think it sounds weird," Lana smiled. "I think it's wonderful!"
"Really?" May blinked in surprise.
"Yeah! I always hear merfolk talk about how amazing the human world is, but I've always been more interested in the world around us. It's so amazing and beautiful, and we're all missing out on it!"
"Yeah," Mallow nodded. "We both like studying things down here in the ocean. That's kinda how we became friends. It might sound weird, but –"
"Are you kidding?" May smiled. "I think that sounds wonderful!"
The three of them talked for a little while longer before swimming their separate ways. When May came home, she spent a little more time with her mother before calling it a night. She swam to her room and curled up in her shellbed, smiling to herself.
Finally she thought, I found someone who loves the sea as much as I do!