"Hey!" Kai waves as I walk in.
"Hey, how did it go with Rocket?" I ask, sitting down on the bed.
"Good! I start after the Race!" He laughs, and I smile.
"That is amazing, Kai. I'm so proud of you!" I ruffle his hair, laughing.
"Where were you last night, by the way? You never came back?" He asks, and I try hard not to blush.
I spent the night in N's room.
"I, uh, crashed with Matthew. We were dead tired after the training." One of his eyebrow's goes up in an amused expression, so I release my new friend.
"I caught a pokemon! Meet Apophis!" Axew lands gracefully, bowing to Kai as he emerges, before giggling and hugging his leg.
"Hey buddy!" Kai laughs, picking him up, and I notice Delia behind him, still sound asleep in her bag.
"Xew!" Apo giggles, kissing Kai's cheek.
"Mom and Dad called this morning." He says quietly, and I sit again.
"Oh? And how is everything going there?" I ask, but he shakes his head.
"Grandma Tottie passed away earlier this morning." He whispers, and I burst into tears.
"Hey. Hey. It's okay, as cheesy as it sounds, she's in a better place now, with Grandpa." Kai holds me as I sob, but he soon starts crying as well.
He lifts a small box up from behind him, and I point to it.
"What..." I cry quietly, and he shakes his head.
"Grandma had it shipped yesterday for us, it got here right after I got the phone call." He gently tugs the strings off of it, opening it slowly. Inside are two pokeball's, both with letters attached, with our names.
I take mine, and head out to the balcony to read it.
It reads;
My Pumpkin,
First of all, I love you with ALL of my heart, never forget that. It seems the cancer has creeped up on me again, but this time it's making its last call. In the pokeball is a gift, something to remember me by. I know you'll treat her with the respect and care she deserves. You are such a strong boy, pumpkin, and I want you to know that no matter how far you travel or how long your away from family, me and grandpa will always be watching and cheering. And remember, this is by no means goodbye. I will always be with you to provide strength and guidance. Good luck in Unova, honey! Love you!
Grandma Tottie.
It's signed with a heart at the end.
I stare in silence for a moment, before grabbing the pokeball.
I recognize it the moment I touch it, and I start to sob again.
Gently, I release Harriot, Grandma's Rapidash.
She lands gently, but the tears are already unstoppable at that point, and as I grab and hold her, we sob into each other.
I don't know how long we sat out there, on the balcony, but the sun is well above us by the time Matthew comes out.
"Hey." He says quietly, and I hug him close.
"I'm sorry, Matt... I... Won't be coming today..." I sob, but he just chuckles and hugs me back.
"We postponed it ." He says quietly, and I notice Rayna and Nareen, both with Kai.
"Isn't she a beauty..." Matthew whistles at Harriot, who whinnies her thanks.
"She was... was... Grandmas..." I sniffle, wiping my tears.
"She's gorgeous, and look at her flanks! She was raised by an amazing trainer." Rayna says from the door, hugging me tightly.
"I'm so sorry babe." She whispers, and I nod, kissing her hair.
"I need... I need to shower." I whisper, and Rayna nods, leading me into the bathroom.
She gives me a sad smile, before closing the door.
I break down.
N comes in, after what feels like hours but I'm sure were only a few minutes.
I'm sitting in the shower stall, not even bothering to take my clothes off, and I let the water run over me.
"Oh, babe..." He sighs, stripping to his underwear, and helping me stand.
Slowly, and very gently, he takes my clothes off, tossing them to the far corner of the bathroom, then he sits against the shower wall, holding me between his legs as I sob.
"It's okay... It's okay..." He whispers soothingly into my ear, but nothing can stop this feeling of the entire world collapsing around me.
I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I wake up in my bed, N holding me close as he sleeps.
I notice Harriot, her flames extinguished for the night, sleeping with Cleo, Effie, Apo, and Belle, in the far corner of the room.
Before I can do anything, I fall asleep again.
"How's he been?" A voice whispers, and I recognize it, but can't picture who it is.
"He's in rough shape. He hasn't said a word since the shower, and he's been sleeping since noon yesterday." Another voice replies, and this one I know.
N.
Slowly, I open my eyes, and see Mom.
"Hey baby." She whispers, sitting down beside me, and kissing my forehead.
N is still beside me, under the covers, as I can feel his warmth on my back.
"Hey." I croak, my voice hoarse from all the crying.
"How are you feeling?" She asks, gently pushing my hair out of my face.
"Fine. How's Dad?" I ask carefully, but she shakes her head.
"Not good. He's in Kanto still, dealing with the estate and whatnot. It was all left to him. Except Harriot and Farore, I see." She smiles, gesturing to the Rapidash and Nidoqueen behind her.
"So, Kai got Farore?" I ask, and she nods.
"Good, he always liked her." I whisper, slowly sitting up.
"Hey, babe, there is no need to rush. We can stay here if you want?" N asks, gently pulling me back down, and Mom nods.
"No rush at all, honey. Grieving needs to be done at your own pace." She puts in, and N nods.
"I'm not rushing, but I'm sure Grandma wouldn't have wanted me to cry and stay home for a week." I sigh, slowly standing up.
"Are you sure?" N asks, and Mom helps me to the bathroom. I notice my pile of sopping wet clothes in the corner and cringe.
"I'm sure. I have some advanced training ahead of me for today, and I have to see how Apophis and Harriot fit into my team." I smile, closing the door.
"He's a trainer at heart, that boy..." Mom chuckles, and N nods.
"That he is. He's... amazing." N shakes his head, his face a stupid grin.
"That is also true. Now, I understand this is your castle, but would you mind putting some clothes on?" I hear N gasp, before taking off into the closet, and I laugh.
I shower quickly, then get changed and head to Matthew's room.