Hey, everyone! Didn't think I'd be writing another Advanceshipping fic so soon, but here we are! Here's my entry for the 2020 Advanceshipping Fic Contest on the Advancers forum, the theme being "quarantine."
I apologize in advance for the unrealism in the backstory, but whatever, I'm doing whatever the heck I want. This is certainly no magnum opus from me (deadlines and balancing multiple projects will do that), but I hope you enjoy nevertheless!
Like clockwork, at 10:00 on the dot, I started awake with a sharp pain to my chest and stomach. I sharply inhaled to catch my breath again before looking up in the dark room to see myself face to face with a grouchy-looking blue Pokémon whose nose was mere inches from mine. In her impatience, she jumped on top of me, the little rascal!
I didn't dare to move, partially because I was still too sleepy and just a bit too chilled to want to pull the covers off, but also because forcing a Pokémon that cute off of you is almost a mortal sin in itself. Fortunately, she yapped at me and dashed off the bed and down the stairs to the kitchen before I had to make the unthinkable decision to make her get off. No doubt she was waiting in front of her food bowl and grew too impatient to show proper etiquette.
Glaceon always took it upon herself to wake me up if my alarm, normally set for 9:00, didn't succeed earlier. Well, in last night's case, anyway, I simply just forgot to set it. Was just one of those nights, I suppose. Since it all started, it was difficult even knowing the time of day, given the shuttered-window mandate. My sleep schedule, needless to say, was also way out of sorts.
My circadian rhythm couldn't be depended upon, so I guess all I could do was rely on my Pokémon's own stomach.
I took a moment for the wind to return to my lungs before tripping onto the floor and limping down the stairs to follow, taking care to not miss a step and have another unfortunate spill. I let loose my tight grip on the handrail when I was sure I reached the bottom, flipped the light switch, and sure enough, after turning the corner, I saw both her and Pikachu looking in my direction expectantly—both of their dishes empty.
"All right, all right," I said, resigned. "Sustenance is on the way!" I could feel their gazes downgrade to just a simmer after opening the cabinet to pull out what was once a heavy bag of Pokémon food—now, sadly, a pathetic shell of its former self. They both looked at it hungrily just the same.
I brought it over and poured what I could, but after a couple seconds of the sound of small pebbles hitting porcelain filling the room, the bag was finally emptied of its contents. I tossed the useless bag into the overflowing trash bin, and it was only then I realized how little food it actually was. It was only enough to barely fill a single bowl.
I scowled at the meager helping and sighed. "I guess this is all that we have for now." Glaceon and Pikachu also sighed. They would just have to share the food until more came in.
Curious, I myself went to the refrigerator to look over the inventory. A cursory glance didn't reveal any better news: Only a half-eaten bag of baby carrots remained among the near-emptied bottles of ketchup and mayo.
I forlornly snatched the bag and started munching while the two Pokémon took their turns taking a couple bites of their own food. The carrots were getting pale and dried out, and despite how decent enough they still were to eat, I remembered why this bag stood alone among all the rest of the items that were once in the refrigerator to remain half-eaten over the past couple weeks. They reminded me too much of just how good food used to be before...it happened.
After only a small handful went down the hatch, I quickly put the bag back in the refrigerator and weakly headed to the couch to lie down. I wish I hadn't eaten anything that morning, since all I could think of then was blue skies, in-house ramen, gentle breezes, ice cream, and actual human interaction. I didn't even want to imagine what it would be like if I didn't have Glaceon and Pikachu with me, either.
I remember growing angry then and there as I bitterly remembered the day it all started. It was on stage, in a Contest battle. The air was filled with sparks, confetti, and cheers—positive energy. My opponent and I locked eyes with matching confident smirks as we each belted out one attack after another. Mixed in the sound of the crowd were what sounded like cheers for my own Pokémon, and others for his, all of them contributing to the overall chaos provided by the free pyrotechnic and hydrotechnic lightshow.
But amidst the embers and droplets alike were what I could only imagine to be a hidden spectre haunting the contest hall. It floated around, waiting to find the one person to possess and herald the coming of the apocalypse. Of course, it wasn't a real ghost or even a Pokémon looking to cause trouble—at least, not any that I knew of, anyway. It didn't even hide in the shadow.
It wasn't so much the shadow it took refuge in, but the light.
"Arcanine!" commanded my opponent with an outstretched hand gloved in satin. "Sunny Day!"
The fiery Pokémon acquiesced to the order and let out a howl that somehow drowned out even the noisiest of spectators. The glass dome above then shined with a piercing intensity like light through a prism, complete with bands of colors strewn across the aisles. The air grew hot, and the Pokémon himself glowed as though alight from an inferno erupting behind him.
Normally, I would have handled this just like any other moment and used some sort of other attack to use the intense sunlight to my advantage. However, the panicked cries I heard from the audience broke my concentration. The embers died down, giving me the opportunity to see more clearly, and I heard it.
Howls of agony. It was the sort of sound I would have expected from a Golbat having its wing amputated, but the only Pokémon in the hall at the moment were my opponent's and my own. The sound, whatever it was, was human. Among that sound was the sight of bodies falling like dominoes—the majority of which being in the far-left corner in the back, but there were a few others spread throughout. Among that sight was the smell of cooked meat...or was it burning plastic? To this day, I still can't quite pin it down.
The spectators that fell and screamed, by the way? They were burning. All of them. They weren't on fire or anything, like my first thought would have been, but the burns on their skin made it all too apparent that something was happening.
Was there an acid spill? I mean, that's unlikely. Why would they have allowed people in carrying acid? I guess a Pokémon could have done that, but again, there were no other Pokémon out but mine and my opponent's. Unless they were hidden somewhere, but I wrote off that option, too.
Within seconds, the rest of the spectators who could still move scrambled out of the building in a stampede that I swear was only the stuff of disaster movies. All I could do was stand and watch as people got trampled just to flee. I wanted to get out of there myself, but my feet were cemented to the stage, and I wasn't sure whether the extreme burns or the trampling was a worse fate to suffer. What happened after that was mostly a blur to me—probably a side effect of the adrenaline—but I do recall a gentleman leading me and a couple others out with minimal injuries after I was literally shaken out of my stupor.
After that was when the worldwide panic started as this strange phenomenon spread. It was first reported here in Kanto, and then spread to Johto and my home region of Hoenn in only a day. It wasn't long before the distant Unova and Alola regions had cases. Part of the problem, of course, was that no one had any idea what was causing it. Was it a virus? A fungus? Maybe it was just a genetic defect that made people far too sensitive to the sun?
It would take months before any of these questions were answered in greater detail. They've said it would take even longer for some sort of treatment to be developed. And so, that's when they introduced public safety measures while they figured out what was happening: stay indoors; avoid other people; and, most importantly, avoid any contact with sunlight.
The events of the months since had also been a blur, but for completely different reasons, the bulk of which primarily being due to them looking pretty much the exact same day after day. Sure, the first few weeks were the most memorable by far, by virtue of life itself seemingly coming to a halt, made worse by the fact that the mandate of boarding the windows shut sharply curtailed any sense of time I didn't even realize that I had before I lost it.
But now, I just got used to it all. It's almost amazing how adaptable humans can be, were it not for how scary the overlying circumstances were and how necessary it was to adapt to them, or else.
But man...I really missed everyone.
Due to the lockdown, it was rare to see anyone who wasn't on a screen of some kind, be it a television or a phone call. The former just made life borderline unbearable for me, as I had to deal with constantly seeing laid bare the sheer stupidity of people completely foregoing basic cautionary measures. So, I made it a point to rely only on the latter for any social contact.
I turned to my side as I peered at the digital clock and waited excitedly for the numbers to change. I still felt somewhat ill from hunger, but I craved for some sort of stimulation nevertheless, even if it was something as banal as watching paint dry.
Just then, though, I fell off the couch, startled, when a loud ring came from the door. I heard the pitter-patter of small paws scraping across the hardwood floor towards the source of the sound as I painfully pulled myself up and rubbed my shoulder. I didn't spend long tending to myself, lest I make our guest impatient, so shuffled through the kitchen to the front door and turned on the door camera.
The monitor flashed on, and I shielded my eyes as they adjusted to seeing the first vision of Pallet Town sunlight in days, however artificial it was. From the safety of the house, I glanced at the sky and saw a shade of blue that I had missed dearly, and the ground was still damp from what sounded like rain earlier in the morning.
But instead of a clear view of the area like I normally saw when I just wanted to get a glance at how the outside world was still holding up, a bright figure took up most of the screen real estate. He was cloaked in white and was wearing a dark UV mask. As such, his identity was completely unrecognizable—or it would be, were it not for what he said into the microphone at that moment.
"Heya, May," said a familiar voice. "It's been a while."
"Oh, Ash!" I yelped back, trying my best to not make my enthusiasm too obvious, while simultaneously horrified that he would see me in such an unkempt state. "I thought you were supposed to be in Viridian City this week!" I said while trying in vain to make my bedhead more presentable.
Ash took a white-gloved hand and rubbed the back of his head, as sheepishly as one could while clad in armor. "I got kinda worried about you guys. I knew you guys are low on food." He held up a couple plastic bags containing what looked like produce and actually-filled boxed goods. He seemed especially proud when he pulled a pack of ramen out of the bag and waggled it in front of the camera as if I were some kind of excited puppy expecting a treat.
Which, to be fair, I kind of was. I knew it wasn't the real thing, but instant noodles were vastly better than nothing at all, and so I couldn't help but clap in excitement. "You could say that. I was beginning to find the empty boxes in here appetizing…"
We shared a laugh for a moment, but everything then grew awkwardly silent when it was clear that we were both out of topics for smalltalk. It was very weird: We hadn't seen each other much since I was allowed to room at his mother's house while she was in the hospital for that same burning illness, for lack of a better descriptor, and yet we didn't have much to say?
Ash himself couldn't stay with me, since he was one of the emergency workers who had been delivering groceries and other necessities. The lack of his presence was particularly distressing, and so I begged for him to stay, but he wouldn't have any of it. It was just like him—stubborn to a fault, even at the risk of his own safety. It frustrated me, but at the same time, it was one of the things I loved about him, you know?
After a couple minutes of us just standing by the door waiting for the other to say something, Ash finally broke the silence. "So how are you and the gang holding up?"
"Well, Glaceon's been a little rambunctious lately," I said as I glanced in her direction. She didn't seem to care much, preferring to instead aloofly stare at her tail. "Pikachu, on the other hand, has been quite well behaved." The yellow mouse cooed with delight on my shoulder as I scratched behind his ear.
I could only imagine that Ash was watching us with envy underneath that mask, judging by his sad laughter. "Heya, buddy! Are you treating May well?"
Pikachu answered in the affirmative with a salute, and I vouched for his character. "He saved us from a couple pinches when the power went out the other day. His electricity kept our food from spoiling for two hours straight."
For a moment, I was afraid Pikachu was going to fall off my shoulder in a display of exhaustion, so I instinctively held my arm up to keep his balance. The poor guy had to sleep for the rest of the day after that, and it was clear that the memory of the exertion was still fresh.
"Wow, I'm impressed!" Ash said in praise, crossing his arms. "I'm glad to hear you guys have the fort held down just fine."
Just then, though, his arms loosened and fell to his sides, and his posture hunched over a bit as though he was staring at the ground. The sadness that was present in his voice earlier was now on full display, and I was almost glad his mask hid his face. Seeing tears hit the ground would surely be too much for me to bear.
He sighed. "I'm sorry. Times are hard, you know?"
I understood that all too well. It was hard enough being cooped up in the dark for months on end having to pop vitamin D tablets to make up for the lack of sun, but having to deliver constantly without anyone to keep him company had to have been worse. At least, it's something that would cause me to break.
I assured him that it was all right and tried to change the subject, falling silent when it was obvious that I couldn't do so beyond meaningless chewing of the fat. I was afraid that my own sadness was becoming evident, even.
To my dismay, I think he noticed, considering what he said next: "Listen, May, I think we need to address the Mamoswine in the room."
My heart sank, and I fidgeted with my ring nervously. "S-Sure. What's up?" Yep, I couldn't hide my fear at all. Great.
"You know there are talks that the lockdowns will be extended a few more months, right?"
I nodded. "They still haven't discovered a treatment, have they?"
"Nope," he replied, shaking his head. "So that means January will come and go without us being able to guarantee our guests' safety. It's getting to the point where we need to talk about postponing it."
I knew there had to be a catch to him showing up unannounced. Leave it to the universe to dangle something good in front of my face, only to have something happen to corrupt any sort of happiness it brought me. And no, I'm not just referring to the ramen, thank you very much.
My vision blurred as I stared into space and tried to process the reality of what was being discussed before bringing my hands to my face seconds later. I was frustrated—distraught. And yet, all I could vocalize was a pathetic whimper that amounted to nothing more than a, "Yes, I agree." I'm still not exactly sure if that's what it came out as from Ash's perspective, but the conversation continued as if that's what it was, nevertheless.
"I don't want this, either," he said, probably in an attempt to ease my incoming breakdown. "I've been looking forward to this day ever since we met, and it makes me feel powerless to see it not getting any closer no matter how long we wait. But know that the day will come when our life continues where it left off."
I stuttered as I tried to get the words from my lips, which started trembling with the same sort of despair and sorrow that just took hold of Ash. I know he was just putting on a brave face—well, figuratively speaking, of course—to make me feel better, but his optimism rang hollow in the face of my cynicism.
"What if the day never comes, Ash?" I asked pointedly, not even bothering to hold up the façade anymore. "What if we'll be forced to stay locked up forever? What if we can no longer go out into the sun and enjoy others' company again?"
The question pierced the armor that his relatively sunny outlook provided. I knew he had to have been wondering the same thing deep down. Everyone on this planet was. If he wasn't, I would have simply assumed he was just being naïve or, worse, delusional. I had to admit, though, that I found some solace in the fact that he wasn't divorced from reality outright.
Ash sighed again, unsure how to answer that. "All right, ya got me." His tone seemed to imply he was tacking on, 'You happy?' at the end of it. I certainly didn't feel happy being agreed with, in all honesty. I was hoping at least for some plausible deniability—some treatment or some vaccine or something—but now I was convinced that it was mostly wishful thinking.
"So…" I whispered, twirling the ring around my finger again absentmindedly with a blush on my face. "Stay with me. Let's have it early, without guests."
He stood there for a moment, although it was difficult to tell whether it was due to pensiveness or simply due to the impact of the suggestion. Perhaps he, too, was blushing furiously under his mask—a curiosity that, to this day, I still regret not confirming for myself.
Ash coughed nervously and instinctively put his hand behind his head again. "Well, then! Uh…" I giggled hearing the cute vulnerability in his voice. "As much as I like the idea...I don't know."
My laughter died down and was replaced once more with discouragement. "Why not?"
"I miss you dearly, so yes, I want to be with you again. But I would never forgive myself if I exposed you and the others, especially Glaceon. I know you're only inside due to the lockdown and not because you're actually infected, but I'm a different story."
He pulled back his sleeve to reveal a severe burn mark on his forearm, careful to ensure that it was wholly umbrellaed by his shade, before putting the sleeve back on again shortly afterward. "I don't want to expose you, and I also must ensure that you and the others are fed as much as I can."
He then turned away from the screen in embarrassment. "Besides...I want to see you in a dress."
That, I think, was what I would consider the most memorable moment of the whole lockdown. The comment came out so out of left field for me that I doubled over laughing, almost completely forgetting my pain. I startled Glaceon and forced her to zip away indignantly, but I didn't pay it any heed (I would apologize to her later); instead, I kept laughing. Of course someone so innocent like he was would want something so traditional, even in the face of a deadly pandemic. Far be it for me to deny those sorts of simple pleasures in the face of adversity.
And, to be honest, I wanted the same thing. It's also surprisingly hard to get a dress when everything non-essential was closed for business, so I guess that would, indeed, have to wait.
"Thank you, Ash," I finally said after taking a moment from the nonstop laughter in order to breathe. "You really know how to keep things in perspective."
Again, the mask made it impossible to be sure, but I like to imagine that he gave me one of those Ash grins I loved so much. "I mean, that's why you said yes to me, right?"
I gave him a wry smile. "Well, it definitely wasn't for your experience in romance."
We both shared a genuine laugh once more, and like that, the cloud of doubt shrouding us both had been dispelled, and there was no longer an awkward moment for the rest of the conversation. We then spent a long time talking about this and that—minor stuff, really—but it was still nice being distracted from everything.
In all, I was glad we had the talk. It reminded me that, sometimes, the world really was cold and heartless, and there was only so much that blind idealism would fix. The rest of it had to be handled through hard work, and we both had to keep doing our parts until it ended.
He was right. It was hard to always keep my mind from regressing back to despair, but it would end. Maybe not in a few months, but there would come a time when it would be safe to go outside again. I already had the mental plan on what I would do when the time came, and it would probably involve going to every restaurant enjoying all the different types of food I could...two meters apart from other people, of course.
After nearly an hour had passed, Ash peered at his Pokédex to check the time and jumped when he realized just how much of it crept up on us. "Oh, shoot, I'm going to be late for the next delivery! I'm sorry to cut this short."
I myself realized just how much time had passed when I felt the soreness in my feet in legs from standing so much. I swear, it was ages since I had a conversation that good, and the amount I missed it was stark. Still, I knew that all good things had to end eventually, especially since I had to make sure to put the food in the refrigerator before it spoiled.
After Ash placed the groceries into the dropbox and I subsequently stowed it away safely, he turned to leave.
"Hey, Ash?" I called out before he could get out of earshot from the admittedly-soft speakers. He stopped and slightly turned, expecting me to say something. I wanted to deliver something on the scale of an epic, perhaps to make sure he could stay until nightfall so I could actually see him in person, but all I could really come up with at the top of my head was, "I love you."
He chuckled contently. "I love you, too, May. Don't worry. We'll be together again soon." And then he set off onto the road until his white clothing was no longer visible, and so I then turned off the monitor.
Alone, once more.
I turned away from the door and plopped myself onto the couch again. I was feeling a bit better with some of my appetite now gone somehow, and so I was able to reflect on everything we discussed with a newfound vigor.
The digits on the clock I was staring at earlier now read 11:28. At this time each day, I would lie on the couch and dream what it would be like to go outside and see people again. Today, though, I dreamed what our ceremony would be like, how my dress would look, and how good Ash would look in his tuxedo.
But most of all, for the first time in a while, I felt hope again.
This story is partially inspired by my own situation. The pandemic forced me and my fiance to postpone our own wedding from January 2021 to later in the year, and who knows if we may have to do it again? So, I feel a particular connection with May here, especially by the fact that my fiance and I live on opposite ends of the globe and so must be separated for the time being, like our favorite couple must be. But like the end of the story, we're managing!
Stay safe, everyone. We'll get through this.