Life is just one long ride that has many interesting stops, some are bad and some good. Usually, for most people, that's true. For me, however, it's been a steep hill with lots of pitfalls.
This time it's going to be different, it will be a happy climb up that hill. Today is the day I get to challenge the Cerulean Gym to a battle, my next step in this wild journey of mine. We're standing outside the horribly designed gym as the front glass door opens wide, I've been too lost in thought over what I'd do in the battle that I didn't notice the people on the other side approach us.
A few people walkout, a lady in a lovely maroon business suit followed by a camera crew who look like they're always ready to film, or still are. They're being led by a late teen girl in a white one-piece swimsuit with a jacket haphazardly thrown on over her. That person I do recognise from T.V. and other outlets, that's Misty the gym leader, she must have come out to greet us though I have no idea how she knew we were here.
Tom rushes up to her very excited to meet yet another gym leader, his dream of battling all the gyms and winning the league is finally happening yet he still finds time to fangirl over these people. In a swift motion, he grabs her hand and shakes it roughly, "Hi Misty! I'm a huge fan, uh.." He goes silent staring at Misty while holding her hand, almost his fangirl manoeuvre broke his brain.
Misty smiles kindly staring down at my 15-year-old brother, "Well that's very kind of you. You must be Sora's brother" She says warmly shaking her already held hand back in kind. She knows about it already, must be from the report Brock made on live T.V. Just like everyone else in this city Misty seems kind and sweet about the whole situation.
Suddenly after a good few seconds pass Tom lights up with life again as he shakes Misty's hand hard and let's go, "T-That's right, I'm Tom!" He says trying to exude confidence but just more falling on his face in embarrassment.
Walking past Tom with the camera and reporter lady in tow Misty walks up to my and Tabatha all while keeping her smile, "You must be the other friend, Tabatha, correct?"
Glancing over to Tabatha I can see a little smug smile that she's been recognised as well, "That's correct, a pleasure to meet you" She says bowing with a curtsy to Misty. This only gave Misty time to change her attention to me as she stares down at me with that warm inviting smile.
I'm staring up at her kind of losing the joy I was feeling before, though her smile is filled with warmth I can't help by being intimidated by the person in front of me, "..H-Hi, I'm-" I'm quickly cut off by Misty's hand rapidly leaving my field of view as I feel rubbing sensations along my ears, this, while being an invasion of my personal space, just helped to relax me.
"I know who you are silly" She says calmly rubbing my ears, "Wow they are real, and so soft" Her gaze moves from my ears to down to my eyes, her smile never retreating, "Really nice to meet you Sora, you're super cute with these"
A sudden blush rushes across my pale skin, not only am I standing here accepting my fur being rubbed by a stranger but now being called cute on top of that is too overwhelming my rings start to glow yellow with a burning light. In an embarrassed state and just as silent as Tom was before my body just instinctively pulls away from her my ear bouncing back to attention as it rips from her grasp, making my way to Tom as I just kind of huddle up to him.
Tom watches me confused, but thankful ignores it as it pats my head, "Yeah that's Sora. I'm happy we get to challenge a friendly Gym leader. He gives me a slight nudge to say something, a small foxy squeak leaves me as my ears go flat keeping their glow.
"Y-Yeah I'm glad about that" I manage to squeeze out of myself. I'm having real trouble trying to keep control of my emotions today, from the angry pout from this morning to the cry before and now this, I don't know what's up. My rings glow when I don't want them to still but I can barely control myself I never act like this. My hand and paw reach up and rub my face trying to knock myself out of this weird mood.
Misty all the while smiling with her hands to her hips, her hips flicks out to the side, "Well, of course, I'm one of the nicest you'll ever meet. Sorry if it's weird we ambush you outside the Gym"
Tabatha chimes in cutting off the lovely Gym leader, "Ah yes, why are they here?" Her hands raise out gesturing off to the small T.V. crew with the leader standing in front of them currently fixing up her makeup in front of us.
The news lady glances over to us while she puts her kit away. As her body turns she speaks up to greet us, "Yes sorry I didn't know when a good time would be to bring myself up. Hi, I'm Jennifer Rider, Poke-TV, and I will be broadcasting your battle live" Our entire group job shocked, even the Eevee Luna who has been walking comfortably next to Tom this entire time.
Tom is the first to speak up as I'm just currently peeking out from my hand and paw trying to resolve my emotions that just seem to keep on growing, "Wait, what? These battles aren't normally broadcasted, right?" He asks just as confused as the rest of us, all eyes lock onto the Gym leader who still just smiles away.
"No they're not but they came to me as soon as word got around you were in town" He throws a hand from her hip out to the side in a show off flair, "Hope you don't mind but you don't always get to be on T.V. and you gotta take every opportunity you can get, right?" So that's what all this is about, she just wants to show off on T.V. again, like she didn't get to do that enough before.
I finally break from my little spell, taking some deep breaths I lower my hand and paw, keeping them close to my chest all clenched up, "Y..Yeah, but shouldn't we get a say in this?" I weakly let out in protest, Jennifer clops on over with her high heels stands in front of me and bends on down to be eye level with me.
With a not so sincere smile she adds, "Well of course but when do you ever get to be on T.V.? Besides you can show off to the world just how amazing you can be, everyone wants to watch you, Sora" She lifts her hand over and boops my already infatuated nose.
Letting out yet another squeak, my hand and paw slightly raise up to my neck while I look away, "..I-I suppose we can then" Almost immediately she straightens up and walks back to her crew.
"Great!" I hear her exclaim, gesturing her crew to head on back inside, "We'll be setting up" and before anyone else could say anything the crew and herself disappear back inside the building. Gone in an instant ready to get her boost in the ratings.
Misty takes a step over in her flip flops, "Sorry about that she was very insistent on filming seeing as you're a hot topic Sora".
My ears flick about as my gaze turns back to Misty confused, "..A hot topic, m-me?" I softly ask, receiving a nod in return.
"Yeah, ever since Brock talked about you, channels and newspapers have just been chatting a storm about you all over the place, theorising and speculating about what is going on and your life" Finally able to push past my emotions I let out a loud 'What' in shock, only for Misty to let out a chuckle, "Oh not to mention you got fangirls of your own" From her jacket pocket she walks over to me pulling out her phone turning to me, and as her home screen on her personal device I can't help but notice a familiar face on the screen. It was me and some really detailed fanart of me sitting adorably on a log… I'm sorry, what?
I take a few steps back, my face practically beyond red at his point, the only thing I can do to hide is reach up and grab my glowing ears and pull them over my face, quickly rushing inside of the building as thankfully the glass doors swing both ways. Allowing me to escape this situation and calm myself down.
Tom leans over and takes a peek at the phone, an eyebrow raises surprised, "Wow that's really good.. Can you give me that picture?" He asks Misty looking up to her, completely forgetting she's a Gym leader at this point as she lets them into the printer.
I quickly wander to a side hall in the building leading to some storage rooms, stumbling hit the wall and slide down it leaning against it taking some heavy breaths, today while it's been great is out of control of my emotions and I can barely contain myself.
"W..What… is.. W-wrong..?" He asks between hyperventilating, and on cue Aeon perks up in my mind to answer my question unamused.
"What do you think is wrong? You went through another change recently remember? Clearly it was your ability to control your emotions" He tells me like I should know this stuff by now. Holding my ears in front of my face I nuzzle into them.
"..A-Ah.. I could barely.. Control them before!" I yell at him in the hall not even bothering to talk to him mentally and keep myself from seeming crazy, I'm far too gone to care, "This is r-ridiculous, even if that's true I-I never really.. Felt these emotions this much before".
"Yeah well that's because you're feeling my emotions mostly, that's why" he mentions like that's a thing I need to deal with right now.
Letting go of my ears I let them bounce up a little glaring at the ground, "W-What!? Why aren't you all blushing and huffy then!" I yell annoyed being his personal receiver.
"Well, that's because you're feeling them for me, thanks for that by the way. I'd feel really uncomfortable if I was experiencing all this" I just hear him chuckle amused at my suffering that, mind you was apparently his this entire time. Now knowing this information I take some deep breaths as I close my eyes, trying to calm myself down to respectable levels.
I feel like I sat there for a good few minutes in silence trying to work through it all. It took enough time that Tom, Tabatha and Misty had come to greet me at the end of the hallway. They were waiting for me, Tom stood there watching me before saying, "You okay there?" I just raise my hand holding up a finger as I signal to them to wait.
Gives me enough time to calm down as even my ears and tail stop glowing and their burning heat disappears. I let out a sigh slowly pulling myself up against the wall, "Great on top of everything else I feel like more of a child, thanks Aeon" I mutter to myself in full view of the others, in my mind all I get back is a soft 'bre' clearly not caring about this. I make my way back to the others and walk past them keeping my gaze to the floor.
Misty perks up as the group follow me, "Who were you talking to?" She asks confused, with a prying tone like she's questioning my sanity.
I don't hold back trying to play coy, "To the Umbreon in my head, who's being very.. Lovely right now"
Misty looks confused and looks to Tom and Tabatha as they just give her a smile in return. Tom, however, hurries to be by my side and shows me a piece of paper he's holding, showing the picture of me that Misty had on her phone, "Look what I got! You look so cuuute don't you?~" He happily chirps.
Just as I finally got my emotions in check everything comes swarming back like bees clouding my head once again. I swat away the strange picture annoyed at Tom for even joking about this. I'm still reeling from the fact the whole world probably saw me on T.V.
Trying my best to ignore all that, we walked into a huge room in the gym that contains a giant swimming pool with pristine water contained within it. To one side the camera crew and Jennifer were standing at the edge seeming all ready to get the show on the road, Waving us over.
We eventually make it over as they quickly intercept us, suddenly cameras are all up in my face. I blink a few times as the lights were starting to get to me. I could feel a deep growl trying to escape me. Just before things got too much for me to handle, I felt Tom put his hand on my shoulder. I sigh and concentrate on my breathing with his help. I read his lips as he mouthed 'You got this' I really hoped I did.
The camera people seemed to settle down a bit letting Jennifer move in. She pushed the mike up to me as I stare at it, for some reason I had the strange urge to nip at it. I resisted the sudden urge, shuffling a little in place. This was really uncomfortable, and I could tell they were starting to pick up on it.
"So, you kids excited to get this ball rolling? I'm sure pumped! I bet you'll make headlines, greatest rookies to hit the gyms in a long time" She seemed so convinced that she was discovering new talent all on her own.
"I...well I'm going to try my best, Tom is way better than me though..You should watch him more closely" trying to get the spotlight off myself.
"Nonsense! Modest young lad aren't you, that's adorable! Make me proud, ya' hear?" she seemed to be having a good time.
"Sora, you'll do great. You have to have more confidence in yourself, you've come a long way" Tom wanted to cheer me up, I could tell he's uncertain about my condition at this moment. The fiasco in the hallway must have put him on edge. I have to try harder to show him I'm fine.
"Haha" I find myself laughing out of sheer nervousness, "I guess that's true"
"Well, no reason to stall any longer! Go out there and put on a good show" She urged us on, ready for those sweet sweet views to pour in. I couldn't help but feel sorry I wasn't more lively, or heck even entertaining. She seemed to struggle to try to get anything out of me. I don't make talking easy after all. I'm far to worried about being surrounded by so many people, It's hard to think let alone talk.