The next morning, I woke up late. It took me forever to get ready, and when I left home, I felt nervous. I was afraid that things might not go well today.
And, unfortunately, there was a good chance they won't, but I wanted to give it a try anyway. I couldn't keep living like this.
When I got to the university, I went straight to the cafeteria, where I started to make time thinking how to talk to Typhlosion. The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became.
I couldn't just forget my past, but now I had to express it to someone who, despite his apparent friendliness, could perfectly fail me and hurt me deeply. I did nothing wrong, but I felt like I deserved the pain I received.
Shrugging it off, I started to write on a piece of paper the way I would start the conversation.
'Typhlosion, I want to thank you once again for listening to me yesterday...' I wrote. 'It means a lot.' (I knew it sounded stupid) 'Even if I did think which wasn't meant to happen, I want to apologize for that... I shouldn't blame you for anything.' (I hadn't planned to say that!)
'That said, I really want you to know about... my past ... I need your help.' I thought I was sounding so weak, but I hoped he would read between the lines.
After writing a couple of paragraphs, I shredded the paper in several pieces and threw it. If I learnt something about Typhlosion, it definitely was that there was nothing negative about being myself. At least, not right now.
I then spent some time reading the newspaper, hoping that maybe there was news of an upcoming battle tournament or something. There weren't. Then, suddenly, I heard voices coming from behind me
However, it was only a group of people who sat behind me. They were talking loudly among themselves, and I tried to ignore them.
Then... I saw him walk into the cafeteria! Suddenly, my brain stopped working. I looked around, panicked, wondering why he came here. Did he come here to see me? Was this a coincidence? Or was he following me around?
No matter what, the last living being I expected to find here was Typhlosion! Even if we had talked before, it was impossible that he would just show up here out of nowhere!
There was a last possibility, and that was that Typhlosion actually belonged to someone here, and wasn't the one I met after all. It would be, in fact, the best option, as I was far from prepared to have this conversation right now.
"Oliver!" he called.
I turned around slowly. It was him! I tried to hide my nerves as best as I could.
"Hey." He said.
"Hi..." I answered shyly.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Uh... Yeah, why?" I responded.
"You don't seem very happy to see me here." He added.
I blushed slightly. That was indeed true.
"Oh... Of course not!" I exclaimed. "I'm glad to see you, but... I can't believe we're meeting each other here."
"Well, it happened," he replied.
"But... How did you even find me here?" I wondered.
"I followed you." He explained.
"What?! Why?" I asked.
"Because I wanted to see you." He answered.
"Why?" I asked.
"Well... You are my friend, aren't you?" He asked.
"Yeah... But I don't get why you care so much about me." I countered.
"Is that a bad thing?" He asked.
"No... Not at all..." I admitted.
"Sooo... What brings you here?" He asked.
"I... Well, I... I came to watch people have lunch!" I answered. That excuse sounded really strange and I knew it.
"Do you mean... you came to watch people have lunch?" He asked.
"Yes..." I said.
Typhlosion looked at me with confusion.
"So... You came to watch people eat?" He asked.
"Well, yeah..." I admitted.
He seemed surprised by my answer, but also a bit saddened.
"Sorry for asking, but... Do you need help... You know." He said.
"Hm...?" I said.
"Take this burger," he offered. "I bought it for you."
"Thanks!" I exclaimed.
"Don't mention it." He smiled.
"Um... So, what's going on?" I asked.
"Nothing special... I'm just worried about you." He answered.
"Worried about me?" I repeated.
"Yes... I know you're having a hard time right now, so I thought that maybe I could help you." He replied.
"Help me how?" I asked.
"Well... You told me you spent your monthly assignment on your rent, so I thought that maybe I could help you with that." He said.
"You mean... You'll pay my rent?" I asked.
"Not exactly. I was thinking... How about stop paying your rent and... Move to my house?" He proposed.
"Your house?" I repeated in shock.
"Yeah... I live alone, so I have plenty of space, so you won't have to worry about paying your rent anymore." He insisted.
"Wow... That's amazing! I never imagined anyone would offer to help me like that!" I exclaimed.
"It's no problem. I want you to stay here with me." He said.
I started to feel a rush of emotions rushing through my body. This was something I never expected to happen.
"Thank... Thank you!" I said.
"You're welcome." He smiled. The feeling of being cared for made me feel like I really deserved another chance. It was something I hadn't experienced since my parents died. If Typhlosion wanted to take care of me, then I couldn't say no.
"Okay... Okay, I'll move in with you. Want me to pack up this evening?"
"Great!" He cheered.
—
And that's how, with Typhlosion's help, by the time the night fell, everything was ready. He was so kind that he let me settle down in a room as big as his.
I unpacked my bags and put my clothes away. I felt so lucky, because I had someone to rely on again.
"I think we should go to bed soon." Typhlosion suggested.
"Okay." I agreed.
We went upstairs and got into our beds.
"Goodnight bro!" Typhlosion called.
"Goodnight!" I replied as I went to the new room. I felt uncomfortable calling it 'my room'! Logically, I couldn't fall asleep, as I was too excited. I was lying there in bed, looking at the ceiling.
A ceiling that was Typhlosion's! I can't believe that a Pokémon was actually caring for me and not the other way round!
I now had the moral obligation to tell him everything about my past. That was it. I was finally ready to confess everything to him.
I was starting to drift off when I heard Typhlosion calling again. I turned around and saw him standing in front of my door. He was holding a plate with some food on it.
"What's this?" I asked.
"Man, I know you think I'm a bit insistent in this matter, but you forgot to have dinner!" Typhlosion explained.
"Oh... Yeah... Sorry! My head is a fucking disaster!" I apologized.
"No worries! Here!" He handed me the plate.
"Thank you!" I smiled.
I took the plate from his hands and sat down on my bed. I took a bite of the food, which tasted delicious! The noodles with berries were a sure hit!
Then, I looked at Typhlosion eye-to-eye. He inspired me with courage and willpower. I knew that, with him, I didn't need to feel afraid. It was the time to reveal to him my past.
"Typhlosion, I've been meaning to talk to you for a while..." I began.
"Go ahead." He encouraged.
"Well, I-" I hesitated. "I've been meaning to tell you something important... About my life..."
"Go ahead." He said again.
"I-I wanted to be a trainer when I was younger... B- But my parents were killed by Team Rocket..." I confessed.
"What?!" Typhlosion gasped.
"Yeah... They were trying to steal a Vaporeon from a guy. When my father tried to stop them, he was shot dead. As an act of revenge for interfering, my mother followed my father's fate shortly after."
"That's horrible!" Typhlosion cried.
"Yeah... So, I decided to become a trainer myself! I traveled all the way to Kanto and entered the school, in order to get a trainer license." I continued.
"Wow... You must have worked hard for that..." Typhlosion said.
"I did... There, I discovered the wonders of knowledge and wisdom. I started to study about every type of Pokémon, and became interested in the legendary ones. Between books, I was able to forget my painful past, and was finally able to start living again."
"You're right. Knowledge is power." Typhlosion agreed.
"But... Then, everything changed..." I whispered sadly.
"What happened?" Typhlosion asked.
"The day of the final test came. I was so nervous. I had studied so much, so, I was confident about passing the test." I told him.
"And what happened?" Typhlosion questioned.
"The theoretical test was easy, but... When the physical test came, I was totally unprepared for it. I did my best, but failed." I was devastated. I would never become a trainer."
"Wow... That's sad..." Typhlosion sympathized.
"Yeah... And then, the worst thing happened. After failing the test, I realized that I was completely alone. No one would ever help me. I was just another failure." I admitted.
"So, you fell into depression?" Typhlosion suggested.
"It was a long process. I thought about committing suicide. I even tried once. But, I couldn't do it." I said.
"I see... How did you overcome your sadness?" Typhlosion asked.
"I became a fan about Pokémon battling. I watched battles on TV, read books about it, and played video games about it." I explained.
"That sounds like fun!" Typhlosion said, in an attempt to make me feel better.
"Yeah... Well, I guess it helped. I still felt lonely. But, at least, I managed to make friends online to play with, so I didn't feel alone anymore.
I also kept studying technology, which led me to pass through different courses and onto university. My monthly assignment sucks but that's life. And that's all." I concluded.
"Thanks, Typhlosion... For listening to me." I said.
"Oliver... Your story touched me. Really." Typhlosion spoke.
"Really?" I asked.
"Of course! We are both orphans, aren't we?" Typhlosion asked.
"Yeah..." I replied. "We are both all alone, without our families."
"Actually, we're not really alone. Not while we have each other." Typhlosion assured me.
"Oh..." I looked away. "Thank you..."
"No problem." Typhlosion smiled.
"Anyways, I'm going to sleep now." I yawned. "I don't want to molest you talking at late hours."
"You're welcome." Typhlosion nodded.
"Thank you." I repeated as I caressed his surprisingly soft furry hand.
"Good night, Oliver." Typhlosion said.
"Good night, Typhlosion..." I replied.
"Night." Typhlosion answered.
And with that, I drifted off into a deep slumber.