Chapter 3 - Hero
I rushed into my bedroom and took the comic book from under my pillow. I realized that these… ninjas, embodied everything I wanted to be. They were brave, cunning, and characterized by the lack of attention they draw toward themselves, unlike their samurai counterparts. Their strong wills and confidence in their capabilities are what I have always strived to feel about myself. They demonstrate their skills without others noticing, which is also a huge plus for me, since I have always crumpled under pressure too. Getting called on to read a simple textbook passage in front of my class back in highschool was more than enough to turn me red. I just want to feel better about myself, and I don't necessarily need others to feel the same way. As good as praise can be, I'd get all flattered and timid at the same time, which is what I don't want. I yearn for the day where I can look back on what I did in a scary situation and feel proud, instead of feeling like a wimp for running away, and to do so without drawing too much attention would be all the better.
Why didn't I think of this sooner?
There are lots of requirements to becoming such masters of espionage. Running and climbing and hopping from branch to branch on treetops at breakneck speeds are just a few examples. I don't intend to replicate those arts completely, but it'd be nice to get a passing grade, so to speak.
The first step is to come up with a disguise, so I can remain incognito at all times. I'm well aware of how odd this plan would appear to any Pokémon that has even the tiniest grasp on society and their current views. If anybody found out about this foolish endeavor, it'd mean the end of my dignity and social life in more ways than one. The embarrassment would be unbearable, and I'd be labelled a geek for trying to imitate a silly comic book character for the rest of my life. All this had to be a secret, no one can know.
Buying and wearing a whole black suit and balaclava would obviously raise suspicions. A scarf should be a suitable replacement for covering my face, so I picked up my pouch of Poké off my nightstand and set off to the local tailor.
"Hold it right there, buddy." A Flareon said with authority, holding a paw out that I almost ran into when I opened my front door. He was still panting from running after my sudden flight.
"Whoa, Flynn, you really gotta stop waiting outside my door like that."
"Can you blame me? You just up and left without telling me what you had in mind." He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe.
"Why does it matter to you?"
"What do you mean 'why's it matter'? I'm your bro, and I'm trying to help you feel better about yourself. Least I can do is judge how good this plan of yours is." He nodded at the coin pouch I was holding. "What's that for? That part of your idea?"
"Well I uhh…" I stuttered, my mind was spinning to come up with a valid excuse.
Think Milo! Think!
"I-It turns out my plan was a pretty bad idea, so I thought I'd go out for lunch to clear my thoughts."
Flynn squinted at me, but then loosened up. "Huh, shame. What was so bad about it anyway?"
"Oh uhh… i-it umm… I was thinking that I should make gift baskets for whoever I try to make friends with, just like how I introduced myself to you and our neighbors." I might've said that too quickly. "But that obviously would've been too expensive in the long run, so I dropped it."
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." The fire-type eeveelution shrugged. "Whelp, off you go then. Have fun." He replied coolly, then went off on his merry way.
"Okay, see you around." I let out a sigh of relief when he was out of earshot. I made a reminder to pat myself on the back later for that excuse.
I padded out of the tailor store in town feeling satisfied. I bought a scarf made out of cotton since it would be easier to breath through. The color of it was dark gray - practically gunmetal - and I was certain that it would do the job in keeping me unrecognizable. I was hoping that I'd find a black one, but they didn't have any, so I opted to get the next best thing. Only thing left to do now was to make a casual stroll back to my house and relax until evening.
I stopped at the fountain in the plaza to rest, which is frequently advertised as the very center of the town. I sat on a lonely bench and watched waves of shoppers fly by. I noticed a duo of familiar-looking Pokémon during my survey, one of which ended up noticing me too, causing their expression to turn into delight.
"Milo, is that you?"
"Oh, hi Mabel." I waved. When I noticed that her travelling companion also happened to be Flynn's secret crush, I gulped.
"Who would've thought I'd see you here! Since when did you start going out by yourself?" The fellow Leafeon inquired cheerily.
"I've always been doing this, and this time I was just running a few errands." I tried to say casually, but it was a lot harder to do when her Espeon companion was glaring daggers at me.
Mabel saw how uncomfortable I was and tried to break the ice. "Oh! You two haven't officially met yet. Milo, this is Joy. Joy, this is Milo."
Fitting name.
"Umm… hey?" I greeted.
"Hey." She said blankly. Even though her voice was clearly feminine, the way she said such a simple greeting made me shrink into my seat.
"You have to act so scared Milo." Mabel giggled. "She's just a little grumpy that I dragged her out of our dorm. Can't you be a little bit nicer to him, Joy?"
"Sure."
"Right…" Mabel sweatdropped. "So Milo, wanna hang out with us? I've been meaning to return the favor from last week."
"You mean… right now?"
"Of course, silly! C'mon, have you had lunch yet?"
"Yeah." I lied. "This isn't really a good time."
"How come?"
"Because I'm… I'm sorta busy. Look, just consider that favor taken care off. It's what friends do."
"No way! If we're friends, then another thing we do is hang out!"
"But-"
"Don't you have any room for a Special Sunkern Milkshake Deluxe?" Almost instantaneously, her words invoked a growl from my stomach. I blushed from my body's reaction and looked up to see a victorious grin on Mabel's face. "Gotcha~." She hummed.
And so I sat at my favorite diner, sitting on a cushioned chair with a good friend and someone who looks like the only thing keeping her from stabbing me with the fork in front of her is common decency.
I quietly drank from my cold, milky beverage while listening to Mabel talk about random things. I did so why trying my best not to meet eyes with the pink eeveelution right in front of me. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was staring directly at me. The thought didn't really help how calm I was trying to be. It was moments like these that made me desperately wish to have the stoic personality of a ninja.
You smell funny. Why is that?
Oh geez, have I really gotten so crazy with nervousness that I'm hearing voices in my head? And a sassy one, no less? I grumbled under my breath as I continued slurping my savory treat. I never should've went along with this.
Hello? You there?
I realized that the voice sounded like it was right next to me. I twirled my head around to see who else was talking to me but saw no one. Maybe I'm confusing Mabel's words into sentences of my own?
Are you stupid or something? I'm right in front of you.
I looked in said direction and saw no one but Joy. Her expression had remained completely unchanged from when we first got here. She was also sipping a milkshake out of a straw too. We all ordered the same thing.
"What?" I let out, confused. There was no way Joy was talking to me, her mouth was not moving at all.
Idiot! I'm not talking to you physically. I'm talking to you through our minds.
"What's 'what?'" Mabel asked. I told her it was nothing and she continued rambling. This time I was only pretending to listen to her.
How are you doing that?
Telepathy, duh.
Whoa, really? Can you read my mind too?
No.
Oh. Suddenly I wished I became an Espeon. Okay, so, why are you talking to me like this?
'Cause it's easier this way.
...
...
You know, I've heard a lot about you. From a friend, let's just say.
Same here, but from Mabel. How long have you two known eachother, by the way?
Since a few weeks after I first got here. Why?
Just asking. What do you know about me?
That you're… you're…
Cold and heartless? I get that a lot since I don't like to talk very much.
How come you're talking to me now?
Because I'm bored, and you piqued my interest since you're Mabel's friend. Let's just say that.
Then why didn't you speak to me when I first came to your dorm?
I have my reasons.
Okay…
You still haven't answered my first question. Why do you smell like berries and flowers? It's starting to put me off.
Umm… I'm sorry?
No, I meant, like… nevermind. She shifted her gaze away from me.
Oh… well, it's because I work with them pretty much everyday.
Where? There's no botanist around here.
I have a garden back at my place.
Hmm, neat. She looked at me with an odd twinkle in her eyes. So, do you like Mabel?
Yeah, she's really nice to me. We're always there for eachother.
No dummy, I meant do you "like like" her?
No..?
Oh, so are you gay then?
What!? No! Of course I'm not! Why would you even ask that?
Just curious. You're the only guy friend she has.
... Really?
"Milo? Milo, you there?" Mabel waved a paw in front of my face.
I blinked myself back into reality. "Wha…?"
"Are you listening to me?"
"What? I mean… yeah, yeah I am."
"What did I just say then?"
"Umm… something about guys?"
The Leafeon groaned. "No, silly, I was asking how that milkshake was."
"Oh… right. It's good. Thanks." I murmured in defeat, my cheeks already starting to warm up.
For just a split-second, I could've sworn I saw a smirk on that Espeon's face.
I was home with my scarf at last, which Mabel had surprisingly failed to ask about. I guess she was too caught up with her own affairs to bother. Despite the distraction, I have gained valuable insight about Joy that I would make sure to pass on to Flynn the next time he comes to visit me in the morning. I carried out my daily chores of weeding and watering my plants before fast-forwarding the time to midnight by napping and finishing the rest of the the short stories on my graphic novel.
I can't believe I'm making my new persona off a comic book.
I could still go back and try to think of a less risky way to better myself, but I was too eager to stop now.
When I deemed it dark enough for me to go outside, I went out and found a spot in my backyard to start doing workouts. I can't remember the last time I've done pushups, squats, or really any kind of exercise routine, since working the fields was all the physical activity I needed, but that isn't enough to get the agility I needed to become a what I wanted to be. From then on, my new routine led to me waking up at midnight almost everyday to train. It was a hard habit to make, and really easy to deviate from, but I just had to keep telling myself that I had to keep going. This is all in my quest to feel better about myself. I have never acted on improving myself before, so I had to make my first attempt count. I didn't want to be afraid anymore.
The first semester of my second year in Cradily has ended, and there is definitely some progress going on. I don't believe that I look any different, but I feel different. One thing that's for sure was that I had the stamina of… something, the only thing I could measure was that it takes me a lot longer to break a sweat whenever I tilled soil, or do any kind of prolonged labor. Unsurprisingly, both of my best friends have begun to question why I was so sore and tired all the time, but I managed to ward off their concerns simply by saying that it was harvesting season for most of the plants in my garden. They don't know much about crops as I do, so they had no choice but to accept my reasoning. My lethargy due to the first few weeks of my nightly exercises also served as a good excuse to get out of Flynn's invitations to take me to more college outings afterschool, which is a nice bonus. If another intoxicated sophomore feels me up again, it'll be too soon.
Among other news, Flynn was in awe when I got around to telling him about my experiences with Joy and Mabel at the Sunkern Café. The Espeon was gorgeous, I'll give her that, but aside from physical appearances, I didn't find anything exceedingly attractive about her. Despite how my overall negative impression of her, Flynn was ecstatic when I just told him her name.
"You don't even know her name?"
"Of course I don't! No one knows anything about her! Oh man, you don't know how big this is."
"Why don't you just ask Mabel about this stuff?"
"Pffft. Do you really think she's gonna tell me anything?"
From then on, he has appointed me to be his official "inside-man" on gathering information about Joy. As his personal spy, I was to be learn all her likes and dislikes and relay them to him for his "ultimate seduction plan". The promotion has anything but voluntary, but in a lot of ways I felt like I owed him for something I couldn't really think of at the time, so I went along with it.
The task ended up being easier than I thought since Joy has started to accompany Mabel on her visits to my house on occasion, for reasons that she has remained silent about. It was difficult to multitask communicating with both Mabel and Joy at the same time. It didn't take long for Mabel to catch on to our telepathic conversations when I got too careless, since she is no stranger to the phenomenon either. She doesn't like to feel excluded, so things can get a little hectic. I've also found that Joy likes to recline on my hammock out back, take in the pleasant aromas of my garden, and eavesdrop on the drama going on inside between me and Mabel. Some of which she ends up causing in the first place with her destructive one-liners, and then she just sits back and enjoys the mayhem.
"Hey, you know Milo has a thing for normal-type Pokémon?"
"What? Milo, you've never told me this! And why'd you tell Joy instead of me? I can set you up with a ton of friends I know!"
"Wait what!? When did I say anything about that?"
"Here, look at this picture! Isn't she cute? What about her? How about this girl?"
"H-Hey! Hold on a minute!"
I don't know what Joy's motives even are. Is this fun to her? Is she a sadist? Or is she doing it just because? The world may never know, and all I have to go on are the ways she looks at me sometimes before she tries something. One time she gave me a wink after saying a clever remark - the damn troublemaker.
I told Flynn all about what I've learned, both the good and the bad, mostly bad. No matter what I say, even if I call her the devil in disguise, he seems to fall more head over heels over her. When I said that she liked to hang around my garden, he came up with a plan to "coincidentally" show up at the same time Mabel and Joy come to hang out. That didn't really work out though, as Flynn ended up having Beautiflies in his stomach the next time they came over, and could only admire her from afar and behind a tree. It was the first time I had ever seen him like that.
Those were what my days were filled with for a while: go to my lectures, deal with any and all of the antics that show up to interrupt my siestas, and train hard under the cover of darkness. I was already feeling more confident in my abilities than I was back before my second year started. If I can exercise for hours in the night until my limbs were as stiff as wet noodles, how much harder can it be to talk to strangers? Technically, with that philosophy in mind, my core goal was complete, but I had a inexplicable desire to keep going. There was something I wanted to try, and as much as I'd like to say it's to see how far I can go, it wouldn't be entirely true. Seeing those stealthy daredevils leap from tree to tree on branches honestly looked kind of fun, and I wanted to see if it was actually possible. It's a lot more selfish than my initial purpose, but I didn't see anything wrong with trying to get some entertainment out of what I was doing. I just had to muster up the courage to climb a tree.
Since I'm more likely to be seen for these types of practices, I thought it best to finally don my scarf in case anyone witnesses me climbing a tree like some village buffoon. I pulled it out of one of my bedroom drawers, hidden underneath some papers, and wrapped it around my neck until it covered my mouth and nose. The top of my head is still visible, but my features there shouldn't distinguish me too much. There are plenty of other Leafeons living here. The accessory ended up being longer than I thought, and I had to stand on my hind legs just so the leftover scarf area would reach down to my waist instead of the floor. I was planning to stand on two anyway, as I've yet to see any quadruped ninjas. I don't really know why, but the feeling that I was now anonymous simply by hiding behind some cloth made me feel like I was unstoppable.
Is this why superheroes wear signature costumes?
I spent the whole two-week break in between semesters in a secluded spot in the forest, climbing trees and injuring myself after each fall I took trying to keep my balance on various tree limbs. Dexterity is a key aspect in tree hopping, but that was pretty difficult to master since my reflexes were pretty poor to start. I had a lot of trouble deciding which branches were sturdy enough to support my weight. I had a headstart on my body workouts since I already possessed some level of fitness, but this was like starting from the bottom.
The trees can obviously get pretty high in Cradle Town as well, and the views from atop them are breathtaking. The sights alone made all the bruises I've accumulated worth it. It's not the scariest thing to be so high up too. I've been through more mentally scarring scenarios thanks to Flynn, and my feline anatomy protects me from heights that'd be otherwise fatal to other kinds of Pokémon. And it's common knowledge that rolling can help break a fall. I still walk away with minor scrapes, however.
Along with my fatigue, the damages I've made to myself were clearly visible, so it came as no surprise that both Flynn and Mabel were alarmed by my condition. This time, it was a lot harder to convince them that it was because of my regular gardening chores. Plants aren't really known to lay a beat down on somebody afterall. Thankfully, I was still able to come up with a good argument on the fly, though I feel like it may lead to some problems in the future.
"What the hell happened to you? You look like you just wrestled a thorn bush!"
"Relax Flynn, it's just a few cuts and bruises."
"From what?"
"Nothing. I've been uhh... working out... lately."
"Whoa, really? Are you finally trying to impress some girls?"
"Erm... yeah?"
"Hot damn! Glad to see you're finally coming around!"
"Thanks... I guess?"
"So, tell me, who's the lucky lady?"
"The who?"
"Don't play dumb with me man! Who do you have the hots for?"
"Umm..."
By the end of the vacation, combined with muscle memory and sheer determination, I eventually got the hang of keeping my balance on branches. Add one more week into the equation and I was able to jump from tree to another and stop only until I got tired instead of losing my footing. I could also conclude that it was fun. The wind in my face while mid-air felt amazing! I had basically reinvented a new way to travel, since getting from point A to B is much faster than walking. The traffic up here is shared only by a few bird Pokémon who stop to roost, and hiding from them is easy thanks to all the foliage. I could only imagine how great a game of hide and seek would be up here. Tree hopping might just be my new favorite pastime.
After about a month into the second semester, I was ready to consider myself a true ancestor to the ninjas from way back. It's not a complete transformation though, since I didn't teach myself how to wield a katana and stuff like that. It's not like I'm trying to assassinate anybody, nor could I think of a way to get my paws on a weapon without turning some heads.
Nevertheless, I felt awesome! It was hard taking notes in my classes when all I could think about was the next time I was going to be up in the canopies. Have I grown back into the primitive mindset where all they did for fun in the prehistoric times was swinging on vines? Possibly. I can't deny the thrills of being so high up in the trees.
On afternoons where I felt rested and I was sure that the usual gang wouldn't or have already showed up, I would spend my days relaxing in the sun, or, of course, enjoying the sights several meters above everybody else. Sometimes I wonder why some Pokémon don't already do this. Is it really that weird? I can see much farther than I could if I was on the ground, and the breeze up here is much more refreshing. The benefits outweigh the bad, in my opinion. Maybe I could coin this new mode of transportation to someone with enough spunk, like Flynn, for example.
That, however, would have to wait for another day. Just as the sun was about to set, I encountered something rather troubling. During my usual route among the trees, I heard a shout in the distance. I had to travel quite a ways just to investigate. When I arrived, I looked down to discover that the noise was from a Sylveon. She looked about my age, and everything would've seemed normal about her if she wasn't hanging on for dear life on an apple tree that grew right near the edge of a cliff, complete with a waterfall. Unfortunately for her, she was dangling on a branch that was right above said cliff. A drop from that elevation would kill just about anyone, cat-like body structures are no exceptions, even if they landed in the river below.
Did she just risk her life for an apple?
Even if she had the strength to hold on forever, the thin branch she was hanging on looked like it was about to break in two, and any attempts to pull herself up would only accelerate the process. All she could do was plead for help, but given that we were on the far outskirts of town, she was lucky that even I happened to hear it. Seeing her in such a dangerous state left me rooted in place. If I tried to help her, we'd most certainly be sharing the same grave.
I heard the branch begin to crackle, and tears began to stream from the girl's face as she cried out even louder, but no one else came. I gritted my teeth. Every part of me was screaming to go help her, but I couldn't move from my spot. Helping her would be a fool's errand. The only thing I could do was comfort her in knowing that I would share the same fate if I tried anything.
Another unpleasant sound emitted from the branch. The Sylveon screamed.
C'mon! Do something! I can't run away! Never again!
The branch finally snapped, and the fairy-type plummeted.
The horrific sight made my instincts take over, and my legs sprung into action. At that point, I was in an adrenaline rush. The next series of events were a blur. I leaped down from my tree and dove down the cliff, catching her as she fell. Her scrawny build made her lighter than I anticipated, which made carrying her all the more easier. I landed on a protruding rock face that I spotted during my dive and quickly made my way back up by jumping up to similar platforms. I gently laid her on the grass next to the apple tree and retreated back into the cover of darkness. All of that was done before she could register what had happened, and me too, for that matter.
"W-Wait! Come back!" Was the last thing I heard from her before I scrambled back up into the tree lines.
When I was back to being hidden, I felt dizzy and weak. My body was working autonomously as I hurried back home. After shutting the door behind me, I pulled my scarf down to my neck so I could breathe easier, and I collapsed onto the floor with my back against the door.
"Oh my god," I said to myself, surprised that I was still capable of speech. Then I began to giggle uncontrollably. I covered my eyes when tears started coming out for no reason. "Oh my god, did that just happen?"
My emotions were out of my control. I was laughing and crying and feeling like I was about to crap myself, all at the same time. I was in complete and utter hysteria, and I knew I wouldn't be stopping anytime soon.
Thanks for reading!
Please remember that your feedback is always appreciated! I understand that Milo's methods are just a little bit out there... perhaps even along the lines of Naruto or something... but you're still going to keep reading, right chief?
