Location: Home, Bedroom
Date: July 5th
Eeee, I'm so excited! Tonight's the sleepover, and I stayed up a little late getting the pretzels ready. We were lucky to have so many allies willing to share their baking ingredients with me, otherwise there'd be no way I could pull this off on my own.
I also wanted to practice what I'm gonna say tonight about my journal. There's so much I wanna say, but I know I should keep it kinda brief. I don't know how long we're allowed to talk, but I think the others might get weirded out if I go on a crazy monologue. Maybe that's something Lyra and I can talk about without disclosing what we're gonna bring? It's something worth bringing up, at least.
I won't lie, the idea of talking in front of everyone makes me nervous. All those eyes staring expectantly at me, having to talk in front of all of them at once...my poor nerves. Maybe I can convince Lyra to talk before me so I can feel confident when it's my turn.
Speaking of her, Lyra had an errand to run in town today and asked if I could wait here for her. I told her I had some prep work to finalize for today's expedition, so it worked out anyway. Truthfully, I know she's gonna frantically shop around for junk food to bring to tonight's sleepover. We've had so much going on lately that it's no surprise she forgot.
While I am excited for the sleepover, part of me also feels...regretful. I mean, this is a golden opportunity to get to know the other members of the Society and it was my idea to do this, but...well, as in introvert I can't help being worried about how I'll be spending the night with a group. Closest thing to it was when Lyra and I spent most of a night with our classmates, but I was familiar with them.
However, I can't back out of this now simply for being anxious in a group setting. Not after I'm the one who wanted to do this in the first place, and this'll be a good chance for the others to learn about me without having to approach me directly or talk about me behind my back. I need to learn to come out of my shell, and what better way than a nice casual night with our team members?
I'm just hoping it all goes well...
Location: Lively Town Plaza
After Lyra came and got me, we were on our way into town when Krokorok stopped us. He tried acting all friendly and was about to say that a little money might make him feel better from the sour looks we were giving him before Buizel stepped in.
Krokorok tried brushing his schemes off as just saying hi to his friends, but Lyra and I gave him disapproving looks when he looked to us for backup. Buizel had our backs and was about to chase him off before a larger Pokémon, Krookodile, stepped in. Krookodile's the final evolution for Krokorok, and it looked as if this one was Krokorok's superior. Krokorok accused us of bullying him and Krookodile sneered at us. He called Buizel a joke and threatened to wipe the floor with us, but he was feeling generous today, so he decided to leave us be. But we'd better not test the limits of his patience.
What a tool. I'm carrying Reviver Seeds, Oran Berries, and Buizel and I have type advantages against them both. Still, starting a fight here in town wouldn't be wise of Krookodile anyway. With so many residents and visitors, the sheriffs would be brought in faster than he could land his first attack.
Hm. Seems like I have living proof of my question to Nuzleaf the other night – this world does have its fair share of degenerates.
Location: Jirachi's Observatory
Today's expedition wasn't much to speak of. We went to Poliwrath River to gather items while our highly motivated team went to Stone Field to take care of a rowdy Rotom.
On our way up to Jirachi's room, we ran into Archen and walked with him for a bit. Lyra mentioned we haven't seen him around town, and Archen said it's because he's always overseas. Since he can't fly, he has to use the Lapras Travel Liner. We admitted that neither of us have ever been off the Water Continent, so he offered to let us travel with him tomorrow. We eagerly accepted his offer and thanked him for the invitation.
Talk about exciting! Another continent to explore! I wonder if there's a lotta cities on one of them, or if there's a little village like Serene Village. I'd like to meet some new folks and inspire some wannabe explorers to pursue their dreams. Wouldn't that make for a lovely trip? Plus, we could be for them what Ampharos was for us – a recruiter!
Heh...I doubt that would fall to us, of all folks, but the idea's pleasant and exciting.
Anyway, we settled into a spot close to Archen so he and Lyra could continue their conversation. Now we're just waiting on Ampharos, Mawile and Dedenne to arrive.
I was expecting some kinda catering table set up for us to unload our snack food onto, but to my surprise everyone kept theirs in their bags well hidden from everyone else. Are we...oh Arceus, they're gonna present the food they chose to bring as well as their mystery item. Doesn't that seem a little...excessive? I mean, we're all here to have a good time, so it doesn't really matter. But it is a little strange they'd rather have their food be part of the presentation instead of just setting up.
Well whatever. Maybe it's a Pokémon thing, I dunno.
While I waited, Bunnelby came over and asked if I'd discovered my special power yet. Special power? He specified that every Pokémon has a unique species-specific power that'll benefit the Society in some way. For example, my evolved form, Bayleef, would have spice rations to provide for cooking and Meganium would have an endless supply of plant-based life force just by breathing. Stuff like that.
Hm...even though I'm not perfect at using them, I said I had minor practice using my vines. To demonstrate, I unleashed two of them on opposite buds on my neck and they kinda...flopped uselessly onto the floor.
Bunnelby seemed pleased I told him that, and said I just wasn't used to using them yet. He stood some distance away and rose his ears. He told me to smack the tips of his ears with one of my vines. Uh...it took some doing, but I was able to shakily lift one of my vines off the floor and fling it towards him. It touched the middle part of his ear before it drooped sadly onto the ground.
He told me to try again, and we were still working on accomplishing that by the time everyone else arrived. I wasn't much better off, but at least I could keep my vines afloat and aimed in a general direction instead of waving around like a hypothetical wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube...thing.
Bah. I thanked Bunnelby for his assistance and apologized if I wasted his time, but he reassured me that I was making progress and that's never a waste of time. He told me to keep practicing, and someday I'll have full functionality over my vines. However, I shouldn't expect mastery to come overnight. It takes time and commitment. If he says so.
Anyway, everyone's here now so we're gonna get started on presentations. I'll have them be in a separate entry.
Location: Jirachi's Room (night)
Mawile went first since she arrived last and was apologetic for holding us up. For food, she brought "wheat crisps" or just extra bland nachos along with a Lum Berry dipping sauce. I didn't tune into what nonsensical name she called it because I was checking a book Nuzleaf had given me about the berries in this world. Lum Berries are a mixture of every flavor except sour, so I shouldn't taste too much of the bitterness.
As we were sampling her crisps and sauce (it's not bad, actually), she presented her special item – a book titled "Tyrogue's Tunnel". It's a fictional story about a Tyrogue who gets attacked by a group of Bouffalant while traveling, and has to escape into a cave. After a massive cave-in blocks the entrance and darkens the cave, the young Pokémon has to feel around to navigate. He accidentally saves a group of Roggenrola by tripping over their adversary, a Dugtrio, and they show him a hole in a rock wall partially revealing the ruins of an ancient civilization. The story ends with the young Pokémon faced with a critical choice. Evolution is upon him and he has berries that can change his stats into those necessary for whatever he wants to become. All he has to do is choose what to evolve into.
If he chooses to evolve into a Hitmonchan and punch his way through the rock wall, then the wall will crumble and the ruins will remain intact, but the falling rocks will put himself in danger and possibly kill him. If he chooses Hitmonlee and kicks his way through the rock wall, the wall will crumble and his extendable legs will keep him safe from danger, but his legs might overextend and send the rocks flying into the ruins, obliterating them. If he chooses Hitmontop, his attacks won't be enough to break through the rock wall but they will be enough to break through the cave-in and his spinning will give him ample speed to escape the Bouffalant herd outside.
The ending is left in the air for the reader to decide, but Mawile likes to think he chose to be a Hitmonchan to break through the rock wall for the Roggenrola even if it meant sacrificing himself. The story holds a special place in her heart because it was her grandmother, another archeologist, who read it to her as a youngling and its story stuck with her so much that she wanted to follow in her "Gram Ma Ma"'s footsteps to uncover ancient civilizations on her own.
Huh. Wasn't expecting that kinda story to be what inspired someone like Mawile to follow her dreams, but who am I to judge? Good for her. We all applauded and as we talked about her presentation, I told Lyra I was surprised that wasn't one of the stories Farfetch'd read to us. She said it seemed a little too grim to be classroom material.
Well, Buizel decided to go next. He brought a rare treat – "Earth Fruit Fizzy Drink" or watermelon flavored soda. And oh...my...Arceus. A strong recollection hit me the moment I smelled it in the air. Watermelon flavored ANYTHING is my favorite, and the moment I tried that soda I was in such a state of bliss. Nostalgic, delicious bliss.
Still didn't remember anything else though.
Ah, I guess traditional watermelon is a thing that Ampharos doesn't approve of because he said he'll need to talk to Buizel about how he got a hold of such a rare product later. We've had watermelon on our dinner table before, but it's usually the yellow-rined variety. I don't know if there's a difference, but I guess Buizel did something he shouldn't have. It was still delicious though.
For his special item, Buizel presented a silver pendant encrusted with a strange-colored rock. Kinda reminded me of...no, that kinda rock wouldn't appear in Gabite's treasure room. It's not a crystal and it's not as brilliant or eye-catching as a jewel. Buizel said it's, funny enough, a sodalite gemstone.
Years before he joined the Expedition Society, he used to travel with his younger brother and they both received a sodalite gemstone from their first successful exploration together. He told us how they didn't always see eye-to-eye, and eventually his brother decided to quit exploring to pursue a different passion. This greatly upset Buizel because they didn't have many things in common, and exploring was the one thing they could do together. Even though he resented his brother for quitting, he always carried the sodalite stone on him as a reminder of how far he's come from those days and as a reminder that somewhere out there he has a hardheaded brother who he could run into someday. Wouldn't wanna be caught without his sodalite stone, would he? That would be embarrassing!
Heh. Well, that's one type of sibling relationship to have. Least they still view each other in a positive light...mostly.
Swirlix chimed in. We already knew what she was gonna bring for the "food" part, but even so she made a big dramatic show of presenting the dishes and silverware. We all brought our own cups so we wouldn't pile up dishes.
As for her special item, she showed off an overused metal spatula with a fancy cursive S imprinted on the silver handle. She said it belonged to her father's great-great-great grandfather and has been instrumental in helping aspiring cooks in their lineage rise from quivering berry boilers to top-quality chefs for generations.
It certainly looked old, but I could also tell a lot of care went into keeping it clean and rust free. Not often you find a family heirloom that still has full utility in a kitchen setting. It's pretty impressive. I decided to ask if she uses that spatula to cook our meals, and she said no – it's only used for special occasions. It's nice to see she's passionate about something other than consuming all the Society's food.
Well, next was Bunnelby. He uncovered a tray of...honestly, at first I wasn't sure what they were. The name he gave them left me no hints. "Mud balls." Like, c'mon man, even the long ridiculous names give me something to work with.
The closest thing I could think to compare them to was a...cream puff? If they were covered entirely with...chocolate? No, that can't be chocolate. Chocolate's bad for Pokémon to eat, I think. Besides that, chocolate's brown. That...they were jet black. I shot Lyra a concerned glance, and she was busy munching away on hers. I could see the black...whatever was just a coating for the cream puff flakiness underneath, but even so...ugh, whatever. I took a bite and was met with...a weird flavor clashing of sweet, sour, and dry. When asked what this was supposed to be, Bunnelby said he pureed Bluk berries in a bowl and coated these "flaky baked yeast balls" with it.
Ah, that made sense. Bluk berries were notorious for turning the insides of one's mouth black when eaten. The flavor combination wasn't bad, but it left a bad aftertaste in my mouth and I needed to sip more of Buizel's soda since they were a little dry. Probably woulda been nice to have some MooMoo milk with that.
Well, Bunnelby revealed an old small Pidgey rag doll. He didn't say anything about it at first, but he had this...this torn and upset expression on his face. When he eventually started talking, he was unusually quiet.
The rag doll belonged to his sister. She ran away from home when he was fairly young, and he joined the Society to investigate her disappearance. However, she was found.
Ampharos interrupted, saying he didn't need to share this with us if he didn't feel ready. Bunnelby reassured him that he was ready to share it. He'd been wanting to share this with us for a while but wasn't sure when would be the right time to bring it up.
After taking a deep breath, Bunnelby revealed that...his sister was found at the bottom of a spike pit trap set in the Midnight Sun Gorge in the Mist Continent. Her body was recovered only two weeks ago.
I...jeez...what a thing to find out. This same 'Mon who was helping me use my vines earlier...he was carrying that this whole time...
We all stared at him for a while, but eventually Archen, Buizel and Ampharos wordlessly hugged him and he started weeping. I wanted to hug him too, but I didn't want to ruin the moment or make him feel uncomfortable. Still...I wanted to do something, so I very carefully maneuvered one of my vines around them and rested it on...heh...the tip of his left ear. As he looked my way, all I could offer was a sympathetic smile and a nod. He gave me a teary smile before returning my nod and I retracted my vine.
By the time Bunnelby was unhugged, a heavy silence filled the room. The mood had visibly shifted, and at this point it seemed more beneficial for everyone to wordlessly go to bed. However, we haven't gotten through everyone yet. Who'd wanna go after Bunnelby after hearing that horrible news though? Who'd be able to light the room back up?
Ahaha...I know a certain someone. And she sure as hell didn't hesitate to rise to the occasion. Lyra marched her happy little self to the middle of the room and unveiled her junk food item for the night. Heh, speaking of "rise to the occasion." Lyra brought in poffins glazed with honey, and it was a fantastic choice to ease the veil of sadness that'd fallen over everyone. I could see Bunnelby's face shift into relaxation as he slowly ate his, and I shot her an approving grin.
Leave it to Lyra!
As everyone else at silently, Lyra removed her scarf and proceeded to tell them the story about how her pops found her wrapped up in it as well as mine when she was just a baby. I watched their faces while she talked, and...it really was like magic. Something about the warm food or the honey or Lyra's upbeat personality (all 3?) just put them at ease. They listened to her entire story and afterwards Mawile and Dedenne offered their theories on the scarves' origins.
I stopped paying attention while they talked because I remembered something I could present as a personal item besides my journal, and it'd certainly be a unique choice. So far, everyone has talked about a loved one from whom they've been separated. I have a deeply emotional song that would certainly resonate with them. There are still four other Pokémon besides me who need to present, but maybe the song I have in mind will pertain to all of them as well. Just to be clear, it's NOT the same song that I taught Nuzleaf. It's a different song.
Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I'd planned on going after Lyra went so I'd go in with full confidence, but I decided to let everyone else go so I could get a better understanding of their backgrounds.
It was Dedenne's turn. She brought in a...unique type of candy. Aspear Berry licorice. Of course, it was called something else, but I didn't hear the name. Yellow licorice in the shape of Dedenne's whiskers. Strange, but I gave it a go and it's surprisingly very good. The sweetness of the candy mixed with the sour of the berry made quite the tangy treat. I told Dedenne I'd have to get the recipe off her sometime, and she found that amusing.
Dedenne brought in a photo album and showed a few photos of the other Society members when they were younger. She said she doesn't have any family members to rely on anymore, so she considers the Society her family now. And they've given her precious memories to hold onto. When she flipped to one of the blank pages, she smiled at Lyra and me and said that there's always room for additional happy memories, of course.
Aw, what a sweetheart. I feel bad that Dedenne doesn't live here, but from what the others have said she chooses not to live here. Something about the constant message signals from the Society members would keep her from sleeping, so she lives in a separate place. If only she weren't burdened with constant signals...but I guess it's both her blessing and curse. I'm glad we can be her family. I wonder what happened to her old one...?
Maybe it's not my place to pry. I mean she's here with us instead of them for a reason, yeah? Let's leave it at that.
Ampharos jumped in, eager to share his own yellow berry sweets – Nomel Berry Cookies. Again, different name that I didn't hear, but this time for a different reason. The second I took an eager bite of that cookie I could barely choke it down. Nomel Berries are apparently extremely sour. I mean, I can handle most sour things but holy Arceus, I thought I was about to die. I felt bad, but I told Ampharos it was too much for me. Lyra was happy to eat it in exchange for me eating her Aspear Berry Licorice for her – there was something about the Aspear Berry taste that she didn't like. I looked it up later, and it turns out Aspear Berries heal Pokémon who are frozen. Maybe it's not appealing for fire-types?
As I enjoyed the licorice and Lyra enjoyed the cookie, Ampharos presented a busted compass that he carries around everywhere. Buizel asked if that's why he's so bad with directions, and Ampharos reassured him that he'd been bad with directions long before he found it.
When he first formed the Expedition Society, there were a lot of other Pokémon making names for themselves and gaining popularity faster than he could keep up with. Determined not to get left behind, he...made a lot of mistakes that he still regrets. At some point, he re-evaluated himself and the Society and realized he wasn't happy with either. He restructured everything and shifted his views to focus on why he formed the Society in the first place – to help Pokémon in need. Not to be popular or to outdo the others, but to help others find their way. He found a busted compass on the ground and decided to clean it off and keep it as a reminder to never lead others astray and never let himself be led astray.
Heh. Dedenne asked him if he made it a habit of picking up others' trash off the ground, and Ampharos told her that one Pokémon's trash is another's treasure. But no, he was not of that habit. He just happened to see the compass and thought it was symbolically perfect.
I said it's ironic when you think about it – two directionless symbols in the world, lost as lost could be, somehow ended up in one another's company. I'd say that's a beautiful twist of fate. Dedenne teased me a little, saying she didn't know I could be so poetic. I told her maybe her licorice is laced with something that's drawing out my inner poet and she laughed.
Archen wanted to go next. He brought in...oh jeez, I can't remember what those are. They're like...little cakes in paper wrappers with frosting on top. Uh...I'll just call them minicakes. He brought in minicakes of various berry flavors and they were appropriately color-coordinated to match their flavors. Sour ones were yellow, spicy were red, bitter were green, dry were blue, and sweet were pink. Despite how vibrant and appealing the bitter ones looked, I knew better and steered clear. I went with a sweet one and it was...okay. I prefer Bunnelby's cream puffs, but it's clear Archen tried.
The others, including Lyra, were quick to shower him with praise and compliments. Maybe their instincts told them to heave praise on him so he couldn't tell they were unimpressed, so on that front I was grateful I'm normally quiet and withdrawn so he couldn't tell the difference. Hopefully.
For his precious item, he showed us a...Looplet? It was a regular ol' Special Attack Looplet, but it was kinda old and worn out. He said it belonged to his first girlfriend, a Starly. She wanted to explore the world, and he was happy to travel alongside her...until she evolved into a Staravia and decided his inability to fly was slowing her down. One morning he woke up and she was just...gone.
Before we could say anything, he said there was no need to apologize for what happened. He came to terms with his handicap a long time ago, and mainly kept the Looplet as a reminder that his worth didn't have to be determined by what someone else thought. There were always workarounds for shortcomings. If not for her, he wouldn't have ventured to this continent and discovered the Expedition Society, so in a way she did him a favor.
Ooooh...I'm suddenly reminded of what I wrote about Archen that night we arrived here. I was really overcritical and insensitive about his situation. Despite not being able to fly, he still finds ways to help the Society out with their air-related expeditions and does his best no matter what anyone else says. There's something admirable about that, and something deeply shameful about my knee-jerk reaction.
Y'know what? A++ to you, Archen. Summer school's cancelled, go play with your friends you delightful little thing.
Plus, it's not like I'm in any position to judge. I can't sense the same things they can, and I don't pick up on things that are obvious to them. Who the hell am I to mock him for his inability to fly? Or make minicakes, for that matter?
Well, Ampharos announced that only Jirachi and I remained. Jirachi asked if I wanted to go first, but I told him that he can go first since the thing I wanted to share could wait until last. With that in mind, Jirachi unveiled his snack food – candied whole apples on a stick.
Hoo boy, that...that looked like it'd hurt my teeth trying to eat. As the others attempted to eat theirs, they made a sticky mess of the candy on their hands and faces and Jirachi found it amusing to watch as he munched away on his. I tried using my vines to hold it above my head so I didn't get the stickiness everywhere, but when I went to bite in I accidentally dropped it on my face.
Needless to say, nobody was having a good time trying to eat their apples. I just gave up and asked Lyra to use Ember on my apple so the candy would melt off. I made sure there was a tray underneath when she did it so the candy didn't drip all over the floor, and after the move wore off there was enough of a thin candy glaze to give that additional sweet flavor when I bit in. And it didn't hurt my teeth!
The others complimented me on my cleverness and asked Lyra to do the same for them. Jirachi was a little bummed we weren't gnawing away at the candy like he was, but he was pleased to see us enjoying the apples all the same. Afterwards, we asked Buizel to use a little water to help clean the candy's stickiness.
For his special item, Jirachi showed us an odd green berry he called a Starf Berry. Its revelation shocked and amazed everyone else. While they were staring and asking where he got it from, I was busy flipping through my berry book. It's considered a mirage and is so strong that it was thought to have been left at the world's edge. The world has an edge? That...doesn't sound correct.
Jirachi said he once belonged to a trainer who was so determined to earn himself a Starf Berry that he went on a battling spree on a human-made transportation machine. That trainer never came back. He wondered if the trainer forgot about his power to grant wishes. It wasn't hard for him to obtain a Starf Berry or two of his own, and he didn't understand what the big deal was since they didn't taste very good. Still, it was an important item for his trainer. He asked some Pokémon who lived in the area to keep an eye out in case he ever came back so he could give him the Starf Berry. That was really the only wish Jirachi had for himself.
Lyra was confused about what a trainer was, and I explained to her that it's a human who trains Pokémon to become stronger through battling. Since humans don't exist in this world, that means Jirachi came from another world, right? He said that's partially correct. He didn't come to this world willingly, he was...just kinda born here. He retained his memories from his previous life though.
Uh...I didn't want to address the Donphan in the room, but isn't it possible that his trainer is...dead? So, he can't get the Starf Berry? Well, no need to crush the poor thing's dreams. If he attacked us in his sleep, I can't imagine what kind of power he'd have when upset. Plus, it just wouldn't be a cool thing to do.
Okay, so...my turn. Right. Where to begin...food. Yes, food! Everyone else started there!
I unveiled the pretzels I made. Despite the lengthy names they usually give food, the others were pretty cool about referring to them as pretzels. Since I hadn't thought to bring dipping sauce, most of them decided to use Mawile's chip sauce. They started asking questions about where I got the inspiration to make these or where the name came from, but ehh...I told them it's something my father taught me a long time ago. His naming conventions were a little on the strange side, but there was nobody better at cooking or baking.
Lyra kinda shot me a look while everyone else was occupied, but I shook my head no. They didn't need to know about my human origins. Not yet.
However, she was surprised to hear that my special item was not gonna be a physical object, but an auditory one. I said that everyone's shared stories tonight about Pokémon they used to be close to or currently are. I then gestured around the room and listed the examples.
Buizel used to be close to his younger brother. Dedenne's close with everyone here since she's without family. Swirlix used to be close to her father. Jirachi used to be close to his trainer. Mawile used to be close to her Gram Ma Ma. Ampharos is close to everyone here and continues to fulfill his promise of never letting us be led astray. Bunnelby used to be close to his sister. Archen used to be close to his girlfriend. Finally, Lyra and I have plenty of Pokémon we are close to and left behind to come here, but most prominently we left Carracosta, Lyra's father, and Nuzleaf, my father, behind. And we're still close ourselves.
Some of the others were a little shy about me pointing them out in front of everyone, but others just watched me in amusement as I made my point. When I finished with the mention of the fathers Lyra and I left behind, I felt more confident about my choice.
I said I wanted to sing a special song in memory of those we've lost or left behind along our journey here, and for those who we treasure and help us become the best Pokémon we can be.
Hoo boy...if presenting in front of everyone made me nervous, the idea of singing did me no favors. Even so, I didn't wanna lose my nerve. I was on a roll! I just had to get it over with before I changed my mind, so I just started singing instead of segueing into it.
"Short steps, deep breath
Everything is alright
Chin up
I can't step into the spotlight
She said, "I'm sad,"
Somehow without any words
I just stood there
Searching for an answer
When this world is no more
The moon is all we'll see
I'll ask you to fly away with me
Until the stars all fall down
They empty from the sky
But I don't mind
If you're with me and everything's alright
Why do my words
Always lose their meaning?
What I feel, what I say
There's such a rift between them
He said, "I can't
Really seem to read you."
I just stood there
Never know what I should do
When this world is no more
The moon is all we'll see
I'll ask you to fly away with me
Until the stars all fall down
They empty from the sky
But I don't mind
If you're with me, then everything's alright.
If you're with me, then everything's alright."
...
I may have underestimated how impactful that song would be. I had my eyes closed so I could focus on singing instead of getting worked up, but when I opened them...everyone else was...well, I couldn't really see because Lyra tackle-hugged me and I could barely get my vines out in time to hug her to me instead of flying halfway across the room from the impact.
She was gross crying and...I won't lie, seeing that made me giggle. I told her she's way too emotional, and she told me to stop being a butthead. It's a beautiful song and it made her miss Pops and her classmates and...aww, why can't we go visit home?
I hugged her and told her it'll be okay. As she let her emotions out, I looked around the room and was surprised to find that she wasn't the only one worked up. Bunnelby was understandably emotional and hugging Mawile, who was wiping tears away from the corners of her eyes while trying to maintain a serious expression. Buizel was staring down at his open paw at the sodalite stone, and Dedenne, Jirachi and Swirlix were hugging and Ampharos and Archen were hugging and...it was a really cute time, okay?
I knew the song would tug at everyone's heartstrings, but I grossly underestimated how much. I guess it really was perfect timing for me to go last.
I'm not really sure what happened next. One second, I'm hugging and comforting Lyra, the next I'm swarmed by almost everyone. They're asking me so many questions and saying so many things that the only thing I can do is stare at them in bewilderment.
Where did I hear that song? Who made the song? Was it me? I'm a really good singer! What other songs do I know? Am I familiar with Chatot or Loudred from the Wigglytuff Guild? Are all Chikoritas musical Pokémon? Can I sing another song? Can I sing that song again?
Luckily, Ampharos stepped in and dispersed them for me. He told them to compose themselves and give me some space to breathe. I still needed to finish my presentation.
With everyone out of my personal bubble, I took a second to collect my thoughts and steady my nerves. I said that I heard that song a really long time ago, but I don't sing it very often because it dredges up some emotions, though I can't remember why. And I don't...I'd rather not...er...I'm not comfortable with being emotionally vulnerable. However, I am working on that. I'm trying to work through and overcome some...problems that I have.
Of course, folks started speaking up about how if there's anything I need to talk about that they're always there and that I can rely on them and blah blah blah. Look, I know that they mean well and all, but if being open and honest about my feelings is difficult with Lyra and Nuzleaf, I seriously doubt it'll be any easier with these guys. I feel like I've heard that, "Well I'm always here if you wanna talk," so many times, but there's so few people I actually feel comfortable talking to about this stuff.
Plus, I've been in that position before. I've offered to be an open ear for someone to spill their troubles to not actually thinking they'd want comfort from me, and then they proceeded to tell me their entire life's story. Don't get me wrong, I kept my cool and listened and offered advice the entire time they were talking to me, but...they...just kept talking. And talking. And talking. And talking. And...and oh my Arceus, I did not know what I was signing up for.
Even if the other members of the Society were being genuine with their offer, I wouldn't want to put them through that. Besides, I don't think they'd understand my situation as well as they liked to think they would. How many of them besides Jirachi have met a human? Ah, but on the flip side it's because they have Jirachi that they know a being from another world is completely possible. Still, should I mention the fact that I used to be human to them? Has Ampharos already told them? He knows, yet there's no negative repercussions from that yet.
Well...the presentations concluded, and everyone was chatting and nibbling on their snacks and...it was chill. Nice and chill.
Lyra was excitedly telling the story of the haunted classroom incident to Bunnelby and Mawile. I couldn't help but giggle as I heard her overexaggerated retelling of the Giratina shadow despite her having been passed out at the time it appeared. I decided to get another licorice stick from Dedenne and a cup of watermelon soda from Buizel.
Now, I figure it's about time I wrap this up. The others conked out about an hour ago, and the sugar's wearing off in me so I can't imagine I'll be awake for much longer. I'd say tonight was a huge success and loads of fun. I really learned a lot about the others, and I feel like I have a better understanding of who I'm living with.
Maybe we can do something like this again sometime.
A/N: Credit to Laura Shigihara for her beautiful song, "Everything's Alright". If you haven't played To the Moon and have the means to, I'd highly recommend it. Or, better yet, watch Markiplier's reaction to 8 million subscribers on Youtube. Surely you're in for good feels and gross crying. I know I am whenever I watch it x3
This one was soooo long, omg. There's gonna be a few other ones in this arc that are also long. My poor fingers...