Chapter 9 - Settlement

The rest of the trip to Floridity was more of the same - walking during the day, and camping under some shabby shelter when it gets dark. I was homesick the moment I left, so most nights I would go to sleep with a terrible feeling churning in my stomach, and that's just putting it lightly. In the mornings I would wake up with the expectation that I was still in my comfy bed, but then I would always rise to the crushing reality that I had left for good. Hopefully I'll get over it soon, afterall, there's no going back now, and I have a new life ahead of me, whether I like it or not.

I got useful information about the surrounding area from fellow wayfarers on some trails and resupplied at outposts that would appear occasionally on certain routes. They were mainly used by mystery dungeon delvers preparing for their expeditions. The gruff and intimidating looks the explorers had made me tend to avoid them whenever possible. Though when I had no other reliable candidates to ask for directions, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were quite hospitable.

I arrived at Floridity almost three days earlier than the anticipated week long journey, thanks to all the obscure shortcuts I took, such as my daring parkour down the cliff that should've killed me. I cut loose for the rest of the day by lounging around an inn and getting myself acquainted with the newly established settlement. Judging by the town's overall setup, it appeared to have the standard layout of having all its commercial buildings and services located at the center, or a plaza, basically.

Are all towns like this?

Because Floridity is new and still developing, it lacked many of the more complex recreational centers, like gyms, theaters, or other things that might attract tourists. They'll likely be implemented later, but so far the only thing drawing Pokémon here is the fact that this place was founded just recently. The residences surrounding it were also more uniform than the ones at Cradle. Instead of having homes randomly dotting around the landscape, the neighborhoods were more traditional and linear, in which each building was evenly spaced apart in neat rows with the front of the houses facing eachother. The variety of the dwellings were also sacrificed for the sake of rapid expansion and simplicity for the Timburr construction crews. The only types of homes one will ever hope to see are the oversized stump style houses, which I personally don't see as much of a problem.

The majority of my funds I had accumulated for two years went into the payment for a house at the very end of one such neighborhood. Unsurprisingly, it was virtually the same as my old one, aside from one or two extra rooms and a few other modern additions. Despite the extra area, it was actually cheaper than expected. Apparently this place isn't getting as many immigrants as it advertised in its pamphlets, and is actually kind of desperate for ways to increase its population, not that I'm complaining of course. I was instead more concerned with getting the boring legal documents out of the way.

Once I was finally able to declare myself a citizen of Floridity, I could finally begin my first steps into adulthood, which was something I didn't plan on doing in my early twenties. I originally planned to graduate for even considering doing something as independent as this. I'm just a lowly dropout now, which isn't very impressive, but I like to think that I used my time at school effectively. I had at least learned the essentials. I knew how to make the proper connections, good investments, et cetera, et cetera.

After waiting a few months for my new garden to grow by living off the remainder of my savings, I went around town to hand out samples of my harvests in hopes that I might get a buyer, similar to how I first greeted my neighbors in Cradle Town. The hard work I put into raising my crops made up for my lack of social skills as I went door-to-door, and I found success when I started receiving orders from the local restaurants and grocers in need of fresh ingredients and produce. I has essentially became a town supplier of delicious berries, which didn't exactly align with my dreams of opening up a store or a diner myself, but technically I was still showing the world how great berries can be, so I was satisfied. Soon, the once bland dishes served at the plaza were now much more palatable, causing more Pokémon to start going out to eat, myself included. Needless to say, my business has become both respected and profitable.

I'm honestly just thankful that the town's opinion of me isn't as dramatic as my old one. I won't deny that jumping around trees was a pretty flashy way to build up my ego, but it still didn't prepare for how much attention it attracted. In Cradle Town, everyone would practically topple over themselves to try to talk to me, and would exaggerate my past actions so much that I couldn't possibly hope to reach those expectations, not to mention how someone there had a murderous vendetta against me, for reasons that I don't think I want to find out. Nobody could even begin to fathom how much pressure and anxiety that would induce. In Floridity, however, I think I've hit the sweet spot on where I want my reputation to be. The appreciation of my efforts were barely ever verbalized, and I could take pleasure in knowing that I was accepted by the community without having to be reminded of it constantly. I was able to keep social interaction to a minimum in fact, and whenever I did have to speak to strangers, I can expect short and sweet exchanges, rather than the excessive flattery from just about everyone in Cradle.

I'm just not cut out to be a superhero.

Growing and selling berries is probably going to be my life from now on. I'll be doing the same thing over and over again, all the way until I retire. Just thinking about it already makes it sound repetitive. I've been doing the same thing anyway, since my current methods in keeping myself afloat actually aren't too different from how I made enough money to support myself in Cradle Town. All things considered, I'm okay with the idea of living the rest of my days like this. Trivial as it might be, I have everything I needed, and I'm earning more than enough to keep me content. There is, however, an odd feeling that there's something missing in my life, but as long as I have some time each day to nap or relax, I think I'll be fine.


I've been living in Floridity for about six or seven months now, and I can still say that my supplying firm hasn't collapsed. As much as I want to believe that it was all in thanks to my prodigal entrepreneur skills, as not many can boast that they've become a successful businessman fresh out of college, but it was probably because I had the extraordinary luck of being in the right place at the right time. I don't plan on expanding my market anytime soon though, I intend to keep it regional at best, lest I attract customers outside of town that also happen to remember my past. Profit is not the main objective of my enterprise anyway. Being the owner of a large and materialistic corporation isn't my intention. One might think that being able to start up such a thriving business so quickly would mean that I could sit back and enjoy the rest of life without a care in the world, but things are never that simple.

If only it were...

Obtaining and maintaining any level of wealth requires lots of effort for the average citizen. About a third of my "nine to five" job hours are spent in the fields in my backyard. I always love tending to my garden, so there's no problem for me there. What I do have an issue with are the other two main parts of my daily to-do lists: filling out orders by hauling shipments to the plaza, and then having to do paperwork right after so I can keep track of my transactions. They're pretty much the boring, complicated, and official stuff that Pokémon don't tell you about when trying to recruit you into business, especially the paperwork part. Lugging around crates and baskets of fruit to where they need to be isn't as bad as doing mind-numbing accounting, since at least it's a good workout and doesn't leave my brain fried by the end of it. No matter how hard one can try, there's no escape from the dreaded office work. I could hire someone to do it for me, but I don't think I have the right personality to be bossing others around.

I preferred to work alone and at home. It's an introvert's dream working environment, so it may seem awesome at first, but it actually causes a terrible negative feedback loop. Being left to my own accord, I end up procrastinating and filing my sales late into the night, causing me to wake up tired and depressed the next morning, which is not a good mood to have when knowing that I have to do the same three-step routine all over again. Basically, my predictions going into this job on how I'd view it in the future went exactly as I expected.

Hooray for being a grown-up!

The weekends, where I'd have more free time to sunbathe or whatever, just weren't enough to get me fired up for the upcoming weekdays. Naturally, I began to search for ways to cope. Drinking my sorrows and boredom away with booze was of course out of the question. My awful experiences with liquor has led to me avoid it more than anything. I chose to resolve my stress with a more plausible solution - coffee, though I'm not sure if it's that much better than alcohol in the long run. It certainly helped in making me feel more energized and awake, but caffeine probably isn't the healthiest option out there. Also, I now pretty much match the stereotype of a restless, overburdened, middle-class worker.


By now, in the season of winter, Floridity has become more and more like a fully-fledged settlement. The majority of the town's construction projects finally stopped about a week ago. It not only meant that I could sleep without having to hear the Earth shake every now and then, but a town-wide festival was going to be held soon to celebrate its completion. I spent the last few days filling out a large order of berries that were going to be prepared into a bunch of flavorful dishes. There's this novelty feeling in getting to see a colony grow into a blossoming community before your very eyes, which might explain why I was so excited for the occasion. Normally I'd be hesitant to go to such a big social gathering, especially by my own choice, but I'm not one to pass up the opportunity to try out some exotic cuisines.

The festival was held at the plaza on a chilly Friday evening, and I made my appearance early to get first dibs on some of the meals. I had some friendly banter with some of the fellow residents too, since that's something that can't really be avoided, but I tried to keep them as short as possible. I was mainly out here for the food, and a rare public event like this is bound to attract tourists, near and far, so I didn't want to stay for very long. I made a few rounds checking out the cool booths and activities made to entertain children and adults alike - things like the standard dart-balloon and ring toss games that are probably rigged in some way.

Once I had my stomach stuffed with homemade pastries, I went back home to finish up my work for the day. I haven't started recording today's sales, so I had a long night ahead of me. The thought made me give out an exasperated sigh, but I nonetheless readied myself for the laborious task.

I only was able to make a few pen strokes before I heard knocking at my door. My first thought was to dismiss my late visitor quickly so I wouldn't lose my focus, but that idea was thrown completely out the window when my guest turned out to be someone that I did not think I would see ever again. I should've known that my luck was going to run out inevitably.

In front of me stood a Leafeon that I accidentally ghosted for over half a year. She gasped the moment we locked eyes.

"... M-Mabel?"

"Milo?" She said in a tone full of hope. "It's you… it's really you..."

"Uhh… hi?" I waved sheepishly.

"You… you…" Her voice quivered, eyes beginning to look watery. "You asshole!" She suddenly shouted, raising a paw at me, causing me to flinch. The blow never came, and instead I was tackled into a hug, making me stagger backwards in order to keep my balance. She began hammering at my chest. "You awful, awful, Pokémon!"

"Wha-?" I let out, too shocked to say anything else.

She dug her face deeper into my torso, drenching it with her sorrowful tears. "How could you? How could you leave the way you did?" She sobbed. "You're horrible!"

"Ermm..."

It took me a minute to process what was happening, then my instincts started kicking in, and I reasoned that the best thing to do now was to just hold her close and let her continue to wail so hard that she even started to have get the hiccups. I had a pretty good guess on why Mabel was like this, so the least I could do was give her solace. She wept while I pulled her inside and closed the door to warm ourselves up, which she probably didn't notice. We stood there for almost half an hour until she began to calm down a bit. "I thought you were dead! Everyone said you killed yourself!" She yelled, striking a paw at my left shoulder.

"I know."

"You left without saying anything!"

"I know."

"You're… you're a coward!"

"... I know." I murmured, carefully rubbing her back. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

An idea came up that prompted me to start humming a gentle "Shhh~" sound into her ear. Within minutes, her loud sobbing turned into soft whimpering, then she fell asleep in my arms shortly after.

This would be adorable, but now I'm covered in snot.

I laid her down gently on my living room sofa and pulled a blanket over her sleeping figure, then went to wash off the mucus she had slobbered over me. This isn't the first time she has used me as tissue paper. I knelt down beside her when I went back to check on her, gently wiping away any remaining tears. She was out like a log. I guess crying for such an extended period will do that to you. She is undoubtedly having a worse time than I am, given that her emotions are out of whack, so it was probably for the best for her to get some rest. Unfortunately, seeing her in such a peaceful state of slumber made me drowsy, and before I knew it, I was dozing off as well.


Thankfully I was able to wake up before Mabel did the next morning. It probably wouldn't end well for me if she found that I was sleeping next to her. I stirred her awake with the smell of roasted Chesto berries. She yawned cutely as she sat up from the couch and stretched.

"Morning Mabel, sleep well?" I tried to say cheerfully, but my voice came out as shaky. I tried to hide my nervousness by offering her some breakfast.

She turned to me, eyes and ears alert, then blinked at me a few times before loosening up and accepting the plate. "Is this a dream?"

"Nope. You're not the only one who was thinking that."

She tested my claim by flicking me on the forehead, giggling once she saw me wince. "Okay, let's say I believe you, for now."

"So, are we gonna talk about last night? Or…"

The tan eeveelution had a brief, thoughtful expression as she tried to recall what had happened. The realization of the ugly episode she had last night made her cover her face. "N-No! Y-You weren't supposed to see me like that!"

"I didn't mean that." I attempted a smile to get her to calm down. "I mean, are you well enough to answer some questions?"

She nibbled on the berry I gave her to hide her fluster. "Maybe. You still haven't told me why you left. Everyone in Cradle thinks you committed suicide." She prodded at my upper body. "And yet here you are, in the flesh. I'm still having a hard time believing it's you."

"Same here actually. What are you doing here?"

"Answer my question first. Why did you drop out of school so suddenly and then just disappear?"

I poured myself a hot mug of coffee and sat on the other side of the recliner. Mabel shook her head when I offered her some. "Well, why do you think? It was only a matter of time until I cracked from how everyone's been treating me there, and I couldn't just announce where I was going."

She gave me an unconvinced look. "So you decided to fake your own death?"

I averted my gaze at her displeasured reaction. "I had to. It was the only way I could get everybody to stop breathing down my neck all the time."

"And you never stopped to think about how much it might have affected me, or Flynn, or anybody else you knew?" She pressed with a rising tone, crossing her arms.

"Of course I have! I'm really sorry that I made you worry, but it was the only option I could think of at the time, and I thought that telling you might make things worse."

"Are you saying you don't trust me?"

"N-No! That's not it at all! Look… I-I'm not asking you to forgive me. I know what I did was stupid. But you have to believe that I didn't want to leave either."

"But you still left in the end. Without telling me." She glared.

I slumped into the sofa in defeat without saying anything, biting my lip to help me withstand the sting of her words. It didn't seem right to argue with someone who was angry for all the right reasons.

"I spent the last seven months thinking you were dead! Do you how that would make someone like me feel?" She huffed. "I was in love with you!"

I stared at her cautiously. "... You mean you're not anymore?"

"I-" Suddenly she fell silent, "I don't know, this is still a lot to take in." She said quietly.

"Have you started seeing other guys again?"

"... No." Her voice trailed off.

She looked a bit flushed, so in the awkward moment of silence that followed soon after, I surmised that the best thing to do is change the subject while she was still pacified, "Umm... if you don't mind, can you at least tell me how you knew I was here?"

"I didn't." She stated blankly.

"You didn't? How could have you have found me then?"

"I just decided on a whim that I wanted to come check out the festival yesterday, but then I ended up getting little lost finding my way around town, and then I saw someone who looked like you. I thought I was seeing things, so I... err... followed them. When it was you who answered the door... I kinda got emotional and… well, here we are." She extended both arms at me before crossing them again.

You stalked some random guy on the street, and it turned out to be me?

"...Okay… did anybody else from Cradle come here?"

"No. I did want to go with some friends though, but they were all busy, so it's just me."

"You came all the way out here? Alone?"

"You're one to talk." Her eyes narrowed at me. "But yeah, it's not everyday a new town pops up, and I heard that Floridity's a great place to do some holiday shopping, so I thought I'd come check it out."

"And are you staying here long?"

She gave me a scrutinizing look whilst covering herself with the blanket she was sitting on, "I was planning on leaving tomorrow, but I think I might stay a little longer now that I've learned that you've been hiding out here all this time. I think you owe me some more explanations."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well..." She had a thoughtful expression before grinning at me. "Are you free today?"


As it turns out, much to my surprise, Mabel has still been counting the days of when we'd finally go do something together - just with the two of us. I obliged because given the circumstances, like how it probably took her days just to get here, it'd be rude on so many levels to refuse. Fortunately it was the weekend, meaning I had the entire day to show her the sights around town, so long as I remember to eventually finish up the sales statements that I was in the middle of doing last night. I tried my best to keep her entertained. She didn't deserve the torture I put her through with my disappearance, and I think deep down she still feels a bit jarred from yesterday, so I made it my personal mission to make sure she stays happy and content. There's always going to be difficulties with having such an ambition, as it can be hard to tell exactly what a girl wants at any given point. Mabel has even said herself once that I'm pretty bad at picking up signals, but nobody's perfect. When it got dark, she insisted that she should just crash at my house instead of an inn, for "convenience" reasons. I objected at first, since it is pretty weird for opposites sexes to be sharing a living space together, but I caved soon enough. I mostly just didn't want to take the time to clear out one of my guest rooms for her.

We caught up on what's been going on with our lives as we strolled through the surrounding forests on the following days. During some activities where we were alone - watching the clouds go by, having a picnic, or other ideas that Mabel dragged me to do with her - she would frequently take advantage of the moment by saying she needs to "borrow" my shoulder and lean on me. I learned quickly that these new and bold kinds of behaviors indicated that she was about to get sentimental. One time it happened when she took me out to watch the sunset, atop a hill on the outskirts of town.

"It's been hard, you know?"

"Huh?"

"Do you know what it's like to think you've lost someone?"

"Umm... is this about-"

"Imagine having someone close to you, someone that you care about. One moment, you start to believe that they're always going to be by your side. And then the next day... they're just… gone. Forever."

"Mabel I… I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You don't have to keep apologizing. I'm just trying to say that it really means a lot to me, knowing that you're alive after so long."

"But... I thought you were still mad at me."

"Well, yeah. Of course I'd be a little mad. But... maybe I won't be if you make a deal with me."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Just... promise me that you won't try to fix things yourself anymore. If you're in trouble, talk to me."

"Okay. I will. I promise."

I'm totally convinced she planned the whole thing - the cliché timing, the picturesque scenery, everything. Other than that, it was nice to know that she was being to be upfront about what she was thinking. If I were to look past her current attitude towards me, it's clear that Mabel's the same as she's always been. This also means that she still finds enjoyment in teasing me at every opportunity. I don't know if I should feel honored or concerned that she still remembers a lot about me. She knows that I'm still very much a sleepyhead, and has correctly guessed on all of my sunbathing spots around the outskirts of town during our strolls in the nearby forest together. It's not only embarrassing, but I have little ways to respond to her wisecracking whims.

On the brighter side of things, I was ecstatic at the prospect of finally having some company. It's been too long since I've felt a real sense of companionship, and frankly, I missed it. I'll probably never work up the courage to actually say it to her though. As much as I would like for her to know how much I appreciated her decision to spend her vacation with me, I don't have a clue on how to go about it without getting all timid in the process.

Time flies when life gets the least bit enjoyable, and before I knew it, a week of her staying here had already passed, and she had to prepare for the long trip back to Cradle and return to her university lectures, which is something I couldn't keep myself from poking fun at whenever she complains about it. It was one of the few ways I was able to get back at her teasing. Before she left, I made absolutely sure to relay one last message to her.

"Wait! Before you go, please promise me one thing. Don't-"

"I know, I know. Don't tell anyone about you, right? That goes without saying, doesn't it? I'll keep your dirty little secret, but is it okay if I tell Flynn? I think he has the right to know where you are. He still feels guilty about what happened to you."

"... Yeah, you can tell Flynn, but no one else. Okay?"

"What about Joy?"

"No! For the love of god, do not tell her. Just having you two know is already too much!"

All I could do was hope that she keeps her end of the promise. Nonetheless, I was back to my mundane lifestyle where my own home was a glorified office cubicle. I likely won't be seeing Mabel again until her semester is over, maybe longer. She has since resorted to keep in contact through letters. Reading her heartfelt memos were a million times better than the fan mail I used to get when I was some kind of celebrity at Cradle. There was something about Mabel's writing that never failed to brighten my day up. By most Pokemon's perspectives, she and I have a long-distance relationship going on, but I think we were more like pen pals. Mostly because I sign my letters to her under the alias of "Larry" - a name that I came up with on the fly when I was writing my first response to her letters. I used a false name since I felt like my identity should still be kept confidential. Fortunately, Mabel was able to figure out who "Larry" was, so no problems came out of it.

I'm not entirely sure what to think about what we had going on, but as long as Mabel's happy, I'm happy. The way I see it, I have a commitment to uphold. I've caused her so much grief that it's a wonder she doesn't see me as the devil. She's seen enough sadness to last several lifetimes, so it's only right that I try to make amends as best I can.

Needless to say, I was looking forward to what summer had to bring.


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