Save State

By: Aviantei

File Three: Gender Alignment

"Come on Jijri, time to get your lazy ass up and do something with your life." Ah, that sort of morning greeting could only come from the likes of Fri. Sure enough as I opened my eyes I saw the girl in question glaring down on me, a determined glint in her eyes. I tried to roll over to face the back end of the couch, a reminder that I was still sleeping on the couch in my own goddamn house without being forced to by anyone. Where was the justice in the world? Was I really actually so much of a masochist that I had to enact such weird punishments on myself like this?

More importantly, why had I been such a dumbass to try and roll away from Fri when I knew what was going to come next? Seconds later Fri's hand was on my exposed shoulder. Still just waking up, I was unable to resist as she rolled me over with such force that I toppled off the couch and landed face first into my own carpet. The sensation reminded me that I should probably vacuum soon since I had been neglecting the duty for a few weeks.

I tried to sit up, the words rolling off my tongue with ease. "I'm sorry Fri but I really need to clean the house toda—"

I was ungracefully cut off as Fri planted her foot in my face. I further ungracefully fell back onto the floor, Fri's foot still on top of me. I had a sudden bout of thankfulness as I realized that she had at least remembered to take her shoes off at the front door.

That feeling of gratefulness disappeared with the breath from my lungs as the girl in question sat down firmly on my stomach. "Just shut up and go die already would you?!" Fri shouted, crossing her arms. "I can't take any more of your crap so don't even bother! I've decided that if you're just gonna sit around all day and run off to play with your Pokémon when the rest of us are hard at work, I've just gotta force you into it!"

It was at this point that I knew for certain if I didn't say anything then I was in a world of trouble. I couldn't just sit back (or lie back, as it was) and take this, but I couldn't exactly sit up either. This just meant that my only chance for survival was a vocal attack.

"Hold on a minute, just who in the world said that I would agree to something like—"

"No objections!"

As expected, Fri cut me off with completely no traces of mercy. She wasn't giving up any ground to me, and probably was intending to make it so that I didn't have a single item left in my possession at the end of the day, at least in the metaphorical sense. I realized that it would be way better on my life expectancy if I just gave it up and went along with the reality Fri was forcing on me against me will. For the first time in my life, I actually listened to that piece of logic in my brain and tried to prepare myself for what I was about to experience.

"Yeah, yeah, I got ya, now let me get dressed before you start dragging me everywhere," I said, entirely resigned. Fri looked at me like she was surprised I had submitted so easily—or submitted at all even?—and even a little bit suspicious that maybe I was going to try and bolt the second she got up. All things considered, that was actually a good strategy, but I so couldn't run the marathon it would require to escape Fri at this hour.

Really, I just wanted some clothes. Fri and I may have been childhood friends, but I didn't know how comfortable I was with another person on top of me while I was just in a t-shirt and my underwear. Wasn't this some sort of utterly embarrassing situation for someone who had become the Champion? It only took a few moves and I was completely helpless.

I didn't even have any of my Pokémon to call on if things got really bad. Man, I was pathetic. No wonder I had just given up so easily.

Fri frowned as she stared down at me. Just like always, she gave the impression that she was staring right through me, which I guess wasn't too hard with me just sitting there with barely any clothes on. With that in mind, she probably even knew exactly what was wrong with me but didn't want to say it to my face.

Damn, what a scary woman.

Her weight shifted, and I was prepared to take another blow to the face. Fri only stood up, no bodily harm included, and even offered a hand for me to get up with. I hesitated.

"Don't just stare at it, get up!" she said, unsatisfied with my response in every way possible. I grabbed onto her hand and was astounded by how soft it was. For how hard she worked, I had almost expected for there to be callouses everywhere. "Come on and get some clothes on will you before I drag you out into the middle of town like this, you dork."

I took the time necessary to balance myself before heading upstairs. I even threw in a "Yes, ma'am" for brownie points, though it probably wasn't worth a single thing at all in my favor. I was all ready to go, but I stopped at the door.

"Oh, stop being such a wimp," I muttered.

I walked into my room, and remembered exactly why I had been avoiding coming up here. There wasn't much decoration aside from some posters, and the only furniture was a bed and a table with a PC on it. It was so empty, like it was a slate waiting to be written on. The fact that this boring room was mine was depressing enough, but with all the time I had been gone it just reminded me of how completely different of a person I had been.

I shut the door behind me and locked it, giving myself at least some minimal privacy for a short amount of time. The thought of holing up in here for the rest of the day crossed my mind, but in the end I dismissed it. Trying something like that was a guaranteed way to have Fri break my door down, and the same applied if I tried for an escape out the window. Everything was stacked against me, so why even bother? Next time I wouldn't get something as simple as a few feet to the face if I kept avoiding her like this.

I got dressed without much hassle, just picking out clothes that would keep me cool and be suited for hard work, which was almost everything in my wardrobe. It was surprising that the things I had once picked out so carefully for my Pokémon journey were now going to be worn as Fri put me through the ringer. That at least was certain.

Leaving the room the poster on the back of my door caught my eye. It was an old one, back from my childhood, and was terribly sun-bleached from years of use. It featured the old Elite Four and its champion, and even though the members had been switched out long before my own anointment as Champion, I had still kept it around. I opened and closed the door without giving it a second glance.

I really wished that I could go and tell the younger me to grow up already. The only problem with that was they would be stuck in my shoes, and that was something I didn't want to wish on any other person.

"Geeze, could you be any slower?" Fri criticized before I even had the chance to make it back down the stairs. She walked over to where I was with a purpose, grabbing onto my arm and nearly causing me to trip down the remaining steps. "I'm already taking time out of my schedule for you, so you better be considerate. I'm going to work you to the bone for all the time you've made me lose, you got it?"

I was pulled out of my house without even giving me a chance to lock my door. Not that anyone else ever came out to my house anyway, but it was still a habit I had picked up a few years ago. "Yeah, yeah, I got it," I said. Considering what Errat had told me, Fri really needed and deserved this from me, so I might as well go along. "So what exactly is it that I'm going to be doing for you, Miss Committee Member?"

"Don't you use that sarcastic tone on me," Fri snapped. I caught a glimpse of her face, though, and could tell that she was smiling. Whether it was because of the fact that she now had the title, I had used it, or I had even known that it existed, I don't know. It didn't matter, either, because it was one step closer to the smile I wanted from her. "I'm going to need you to run messages and errands for people who are on the Ceremony committee so we can get everything put together with the final touches. We only have a few days and everything needs to be ready before the festival starts so we can avoid any mishaps!"

I chuckled a little. Errat had been right when he said that Fri was trying her best to make the ceremony amazing. I hadn't expected any less anyway, since that was what she did. I had just had to hope that she wasn't working herself too hard to the point that she couldn't even relax a little. If anyone deserved to have fun with the festival, it was her just because of all the effort she had put into it. The only problem was that she would still be panicking after the ceremony was over, even if her job was done. I made a mental note to check in with Fuji to see that her older sister was still sleeping at night.

"Then I shall be a humble servant for the cause," I said, making enough effort to make sure I sounded as serious as possible as a person could while saying a sentence like that. "Your wish is my command, and I will do everything in my power to fulfill them."

I expected some sort of irritated retort to my exaggerated offer, but Fri only smirked. My blood instantly went cold, causing me to shiver as I walked. "Oh, you bet you will, Jijri," she said. "Everything I say, you are going to do. I even have your word for it, so you're stuck with me."

I grimaced, trying to find something else to focus on. If I didn't think about it, working for Fri didn't sound bad at all. If I stopped considering the fact that I would be worked to the point of exhaustion, everything would be fine. The key to surviving today would just be ignoring absolutely everything and pushing on without complaints. If I was lucky I could survive and make it at least to Errat's celebratory dinner. I could die happy then.

"Hey, we're going the wrong way," I said, almost without thinking about it. At the pace we had been going, we should have made it into festival territory by now. Instead we were still making our way through those woods, past familiar trees and roads. As much as I hated to admit it, the newly erected sign posts made it easier to tell where we were headed, and I almost ran away if Fri hadn't been still holding onto my arm. "Hold it! What are we even going to your house for?!"

Fri shook her head, clicking her tongue. "Don't raise your voice at me like that. We need to pick up some important supplies before we start working." She smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes that I hadn't seen in years. "You did say you'd follow every order of mine. This is the first one."

"Okay, so what you're telling me is that you need more space because from the time you sent us the information request forms, you had an increase of members that went beyond your expectations," I said, doing my best to be professional and not irritated. Fri had been pissed off when she sent me off to figure out the situation, but had still been able to turn around and smile at one of the workers that was supervising the banner and costume division of the shrine ceremony seconds later. I was trying to imitate her now, and seriously failing. "You do realize that any changes to your needs should have been sent to us beforehand, right? The festival starts in a few days and any construction changes are unreasonable at this point."

The head of one of the musical acts stood in front of me, looking extremely apologetic and desperate at the same time. "I'm terribly sorry," he said, wringing his hands together. "We get called out to performances across the region, so remembering exactly who we should inform about changes is a difficult process. I shall speak to the manager about it." Damn right he should speak to his manager. "All we really need is some extra space between the lots we're placed between, some chairs, and we'll deal with the awning that we've been given, no rebuilding necessary. Is that possible?"

I sighed, already feeling a headache coming on. If Fri got wind of this, she would either destroy me for indulging the man, or destroy me for not trying hard enough to give him what he needed, I wasn't sure which. The fact that this wasn't even properly related to the Shrine Ceremony kind of irked me since she was taking on too much again, but I had let it slide since it was better than getting involved in any manual labor. I could handle it from a physical standpoint, but being put on rush delivery to finish up any stands that still needed to be properly constructed wasn't really my idea of a good time. I would take this in favor any day.

"It should be, but we make no guarantees." I gave in, figuring that this was the safest thing I could say without promising anything. Their situation could get worse or get better, but in the end they couldn't complain. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, setting up the PDA system to take notes. "Alright, sir, can you tell me as close to exact estimates as you can manage for the space, chairs, and anything else you'll need? That includes extra refreshments or anything like that."

The man rattled off some numbers to me, which I took down. Fri had only told me to go and ask what the problem was, mostly because she had been engaged in practicing her role for the ceremony at the same time. If getting all the details I could think of would keep me from running back to the same people over and over again like some damn Patrat; that was perfect. The added benefit of giving Fri one less thing to think about was also present, although it could probably end up in me having to do something else just because she had the extra brain space to think about it.

I couldn't tell if I was just overly pessimistic or if what I had just come up with was a likely scenario.

"Alright, thank you for your time. Someone should be back later today or tomorrow to let you know how things are going," I said, hoping that the person in question wouldn't be me. "Have a nice day and please enjoy your time here. Thank you for participating in the festival." The last few lines came out almost monotone, but I had said them plenty of times today that I felt like a Nurse Joy or a Pokémart employee who had to deliver the same lines over and over again. The man didn't seem to mind, though, giving me a friendly farewell as I headed back to report to Fri, slipping my phone back into my pocket.

Have a nice day, thank you very much.

As I walked past the booths that were already set up, I couldn't help but be amazed at the progress that had been made on them since yesterday. Even more impressive were the changes that had been made since this morning. What had once been piles of wood were now fully erected stands, new splashes of paint were everywhere, and some people were already loading in game and other supplies for their booths. New structures appeared every time I walked on a road, and it was getting a little disconcerting that no place I had been before was the same as it had been an hour ago.

Fri seemed to know everything, though, from what went were, who was working on what, and just how many nails had been used to put each individual structure together. I was getting more than a bit unnerved by this as well, wondering just how many people she had to constantly update her on what was going on, or if she had somehow developed psychic abilities in the time I was gone.

I set off towards the shrine, which rested near the entrance of town. It was where I had last seen Fri, but there was no guarantee that she would still be there. At least someone there could tell me where she had gone if she wasn't, and I could play festival stand and booth tag until I found her. Calling her would have been the logical solution, but her phone was already so busy with people asking her about big projects and decisions that I didn't want to be the one that would interrupt something important and further receive her wrath.

"Hey, there, Jijri, try and look alive," a voice behind me commented. Turning, I saw Errat, grinning to the point that he should have just laughed and gotten it over with. His paint cans and splatters were missing, so I assumed that part of his job was over. In their place were a number of grease and oil stains on his clothes, probably from making test runs of all his dishes or moving the cooking appliances in. "So, do I get to know just what the hell those are on that head of yours?"

In order to confirm my place as part of the festival committee, Fri had dragged me to her house to give me one of the vests that marked me as one of her grunts. While it ensured that people would believe me when I said that I was there to deliver a message or help out or whatever, it also ended in a number of people bothering me with concerns while I was taking care of other duties, which had been a real pain in the ass so far. I endured it, since it was part of what I owed Fri, but that didn't mean I was supposed to like it.

I also didn't like the Buneary ears she had strapped onto my head, saying she would destroy me if I took them off. She said they were a symbol of the fact that I was working for her, even though no one else was wearing anything of the sort. In reality they were revenge for the attitude I had been giving her, a symbol that I was officially her servant for the day. My own promise to her and the desire for my wellbeing had me honor bound to keep them on, and most people didn't comment on them.

They were hyper realistic, with triggers that could be used to adjust if the ears were pulled in or not. Hopefully Errat wasn't in the mood to try and play with them, figuring the trick out. I wasn't going to be living this down for the rest of my life anyway, no need to make it worse. I had wondered if Fri had these from some costume Fuji had worn once, even though I had no such memory, or if she had specifically ordered these for the sake of embarrassing me. I really didn't want to know the answer.

That was the long explanation for the question I had been asked, but I kept that to myself. Instead I gave Errat the blow-off response of "no way," hopefully keeping what small grain of my pride I had left intact. "Now if you'll excuse me," I continued, "I need to go and meet up with Fri so we can deal with this spacing problem."

"Oh, you're headed that way?" Errat said, his face breaking into a grin. Any hopes I had of being alone and not being teased for a while were utterly destroyed, and his next words turned the remaining pieces into dust. "I was going there myself to meet up with the guys delivering supplies to make sure they got in okay. We can walk together." We fell into step beside each other, my pace matching his out of habit. I almost looked over my shoulder to make sure Fri was following us before I remembered that we weren't little kids anymore. "So, Fri got to you did, she?"

"Yup," I responded. Errat's grin only grew wider.

"How'd she manage to do that?"

"She broke into my house, attacked me in my sleep, then physically abused me as she informed me that I didn't have a choice in the matter and was coming with her immediately. The rest is kind of obvious." I gestured to the ears, giving him a vague answer that he could interpret on his own. I wasn't in the mood to explain it anyway.

As expected, Errat only laughed at my misfortune, and laughed some more. He was lucky enough to be so busy and still be able to enjoy himself like that, which I guessed stemmed from our differing levels of willingly going into the situation, alongside reluctance.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Errat confirmed, as if I needed that to make my story be true. "For the most part anyway. Don't even pretend that you bother to lock your door at night or move the key from where Fri already knows where it is. I'd bet anything it's still in that ceramic Politoad that's in the middle of the garden."

I nodded in confirmation, not even bothering to deny his accusation about locking the door. It was all true anyway, since I lacked the motivation to prevent thieves from entering my home at night. Not that we had many robberies in a town our size, but the possibility was still there. Increasing my security was the fact that my home was technically outside the town borders, buried within trees and not even marked on any map. I slept in the living room anyway.

"So, you get all the construction done over that your place?" I asked. It was a triple-pronged strategy of curiosity, controlling the conversation, and having something to tell Fri whenever I saw her. It was almost a flawless strategy, the margin of error easily erased by Errat's enthusiasm.

As expected, his eyes lit up, a tired but accomplished smile on his face. "You bet ya. The stand's built, painted, and furnished. All we need are the supplies to cook with, and any extra stock at the end can go to the restaurant. I basically gave everyone the go ahead to help others out so that everyone else can finish their preparations."

The Noda family was big in number, including the relatives that flocked in from other families to help get the stand prepared in time for the festival. It was no wonder that the stand had gone up the quickest out of all of them, given that you were raised to be given a role once summer rolled around. With the entire family set loose, everyone else would be ready to go before the three days were up, and the festival would be a booming success as always, especially with Fri at the helm.

I was given the sudden reminder of my own goal, alongside the something important, linked by my lack of accomplishment in either. I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind where they would surely simmer, and made myself smile.

"Fri will be glad to hear that. More hands to go around," I said.

My heart was nowhere in it, but I hoped Errat wouldn't notice.

We made it to the Shrine with no troubles, Errat doing most of the talking along the way. I ended up relaxing in the end, my smile becoming less faked with every lame joke and stories about younger siblings of Errat's. It was things like that that made me wish I wasn't an only child, then realized Errat had enough siblings for all three of us, disregarding Fuji, and then some. If I ever wanted the experience, all I would have to do was go to the Noda household, and my wish would be granted, simple as that.

While Errat had wanted to talk to Fri, he was called off by someone else, saying that his shipment was already here and waiting for him. I sent him off on his duties, wondering if he had actually shown up late or not as he ran off with an enthusiastic farewell. I considered helping him in double-checking that his supplies had made it in alright, but quickly remembered that there were already people assigned to said job. And that I had my own job to do before I could think about any promotions anyway.

Fri was in the middle of talking to somebody else when I arrived, carrying on a conversation on her cell phone at the same time. I wondered if she ever slipped up, but her brain seemed to carry the two separate conversations just fine, so I stopped worrying about her. I redirected the emotion to myself, going over the notes I had taken earlier so as to give an efficient enough report whenever it was my turn.

Eventually, Fri waved my vested companion off on some job or another, and hung up the phone soon after. I took the opportunity before anyone else could strike, not wanting to be accused of being late. Fri just pulled up her clipboard at my presence, trying to find some paper or another. I knew for a fact that it was organized properly, but the fact that she could fit the sheer volume of papers onto the clipboard that she could was still amazing to me. "So, what did he say?" she asked.

"Ah, they're willing to compromise if necessary, but the best situation for them is to be given more space," I said. Reading off my notes, I listed the items in the request, Fri nodding as I did so. She ran a finger over some chart or another, muttering to herself. "I told them there were no guarantees, but we should at least be able to supply them with enough chairs, right? I can't imagine we don't have extras stocked up somewhere."

"This will work out fine," Fri said, not providing an answer to my question. A few pens were produced from her pockets, all but stuck in her mouth by their cap ends. She scribbled out on her paper for a bit, and when she was done, I could see adjustments to a stall diagram made in a variety of colors as she returned her pens to their homes. "The stands to the right are just a few promotional stands, so they haven't been started to be built until today. If we let everyone know what's going on, the construction groups can make adjustments to move their booths over, providing enough space. Even the awning can be expanded, so everything works out." She smiled, obviously proud of her efforts. I filled in the blanks.

"So you need me to run over there and let these guys know the plan?"

"Not just that," Fri said, still writing on her board. I could have puked. When she was done, she turned around, gesturing to someone I couldn't see in the crowd of committee members still doing preparation work. "Hey, we finally got someone to help you carry that load over, Fuji, so you can head out soon!"

Almost like she had been summoned, the younger of the two siblings appeared before us, minus the yukata she had been in yesterday. I hoped she was just saving it for the festival and the piece of clothing wasn't sitting around, beyond repair somewhere. Knowing this wasn't a good conversation path to follow in Fri's presence, I kept it to myself. Making a note to ask later, I was left showing off the action level of a Slugma that was still trying to process the order its trainer had given it.

"Yooo, Jiiirjrii, thanks for the heeelp," Fuji greeted, smiling up at me. Even without the yukata and hair styling, she was still a miniature version of her sister. I was reminded of the time period when Errat and I had out growth spurts, finally gaining height on Fri and her needing to look up to us. The only thing ruining the memory was the present day woman that was about my height and standing next to me.

"Wait, what exactly am I supposed to be carrying again?" I asked, realizing I hadn't been given this particular part of highly relevant information. While I understood that Fuji was young and couldn't be reasonably expected to carry things over a certain weight limit, I wasn't exactly enthused to be hauling around anything she couldn't handle.

"Oh, it's just some costuming for one of the performance groups that accidentally got delivered to us instead," Fri said. She pointed over to where Fuji had been sitting, leaving me to size up my prey. "It's pretty light; it's just too big for Fuji to carry all by herself. We've been trying to find someone to send with her for a while, but no one has any free time over her to head that way. And so we bestow this duty to you!"

I headed over to the box, able to pick it up with unnerving ease. It was almost too easy of a job, but I guessed that I would have to live with the consequences if it turned out to be a trap. I sighed, once again resigning myself. "I got ya, I got ya. Oh, that's right." I blinked, feeling stupid for not bringing up something so important already. "Errat said his family finished up early, so they should be able to help out with this new construction project you've got going on. He's picking up supplies now, so you should be able to intercept him without going too far."

Fri smiled, giving me the look she gives Fuji when the younger sister has done a good job. Before I could even bask in that for a little bit, she was already scribbling out notes and muttering plans to herself. "An excellent discovery, Jijri! There may be hope for you, yet!" While it was technically an insult, I decided to take the compliment end and run with it. "Ah, but this doesn't get you off for all your slacking! Now get going! Fuji, you better keep — in shape, you understand me?"

Fuji saluted at her sister's order, tucking her own paper cargo underneath her other arm. "Yes, ma'am!" she called before running back towards town. "Come on, Jijri, let's gooo! You don't wanna be late and mess up Nee-chan's plans, do yaaa?"

"Absolutely not," I muttered, setting off after Fuji without hesitation. It was bad enough that the younger of the sisters was getting on my case about work, didn't need to give the older one an excuse to join in on the event as well. It was hard keeping up with the box in my hands, not to mention Fuji was much more agile than I was, letting her weave between people I just barely avoided bumping into.

She didn't slow down until we made it a ways away from the shrine, stopping in the middle of the road for me to catch up. Once I got to her side I stopped, leaning over and trying to catch my breath. It would have been sick prank or something for her to go running off before I even had time to recover, but that thankfully wasn't the case. She only laughed, which was a significantly less forceful blow to my pride than the other option.

"Hehe, you're reeeaaally slooow, Jijriii." She even tried to cover up her laughter with her hand, which made me feel better. I couldn't tell if it was because Fuji was trying to be polite or because it was so damn cute, but I guess it really didn't matter. Either way, I wasn't about to let her get away with going and saying something like that.

"Oi, you try and keep up with a kid like you," I countered. "Not to mention I'm carrying this giant box, too. It's so wide that it's giving me wind resistance when I run, even though it's not that windy. That's how much of a burden it is, you know. If I were free of it, I could show you the speed that let me travel around the nation at breakneck velocity!" I was flubbing my way through science, but Fuji probably wouldn't notice anyway. She had a few more years before she started learning things like that and could start to pick her way through my logic.

"Hmmm… Nee-chan says it's just because you're lazy, though. If you hadn't been just sitting around the house this whole time, you would have been able to keep up with me, right?" Well, she had me there. As I had learned from dealing with Fri, these moments were the best to keep your mouth shut. "Although, you know, Jijri, Nee-chan's actually really happy you decided to help her out today…"

Was that the case? Even if I felt a little guilty of getting this information without it coming from the source, it was what I had to do, though. There was no way that Fri would ever tell me herself, so I would have to get creative about it. After all, I needed to keep my ego up somehow, if I ever wanted to make a proper recovery from the situation my own stupidity had gotten me in.

"Nah, that can't be right," I said, standing up straight. "Fri's completely fed up with me right about now. I wouldn't be surprised if having to deal with me all day hasn't just ended up annoying her more. I'm not any good at doing this sort of thing anyway." Hey, just because I was fishing for compliments didn't mean I had to be obvious about it.

Sure enough, Fuji took the bait, looking up at me with wide eyes and a worried expression. I really hoped my negativity wasn't going to make her cry or anything. "No, no, that's not true at all!" she said, tugging on my shirt front. "Nee-chan's just mad because she misses you! The entire time you were out traveling she kept talking about how she just wished you'd come home for a bit, just to visit! She worked really hard to get on the festival committee so she could do something really important for when you came home!"

I hadn't been expecting this heartfelt of a response, so it caught me off guard. Hadn't Errat said something along the lines of that Fri had insisted on not even calling me to let me know about the restaurant situation? I almost suspected the validity of Fuji's statement until I remembered that she couldn't lie for the life of her. Which meant that Fri had been waiting, trying herself to not call me when she really wanted to.

Was Fri making Errat and Fuji tell me these things just to make me feel bad? Was that really what was going on here? I guessed I deserved it, but still! Couldn't she have just told me how she felt on her own? Was that really so hard for her?

With a flash of insight, I realized the answer to that question was yes. If we were all trying hard to support each other, then Fri would have been the most stubborn and kept these things to herself, just so I wouldn't feel bad and get distracted. As such, Fuji and Errat were telling me these things out of their own free will, more than likely without Fri ever having knowledge that her feelings were being communicated to me by others.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Fuji wasn't done yet, either.

"And now that you're home she's just worried that you're just going to sit around and never do anything else! She says you're supposed to be the Champion but you're not taking the job so you could hunt for legendary Pokémon and fulfill your dream! She knows you already caught one, but it's not the one you wanted! That's why she wants you to do work, so you'll remember what it is you really want to do! Nee-chan says that even though it's something impossible, if anyone can do it, it's you Jijri! So please don't hold it against Nee-chan whenever she starts to push you around because she really does care about you!"

I was left to wonder just how much Fri talked about me if Fuji could understand her sister's feelings that well at such a young age. It was also a surprising fact that she even talked about things like that around Fuji, although maybe it was because Fri didn't have anyone else to talk to. Other than Fuji, Errat was too busy and I was being lazy, not to mention the source of her problems. The fact that at some point she had let my dream slip into Fuji's hands also gave me a terrible sense of foreboding.

At this rate, Errat may just get my humiliation funneled down to the younger generation without even having to do anything himself. He'd be so proud.

"So that's how it is," I finally said out loud. Fuji was still staring up at me, eyes begging for me to believe her. "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And you don't have to worry about me disliking Fri or anything. I was more worried that she disliked me because of all the trouble I've given her."

"But that's not true!" Fuji protested again.

"I know, I know. You've made me understand that." Fuji seemed elated by the news, her smile becoming its usual beam of sunshine and rainbows at me. I decided that was enough highly emotional displays in public and that we needed to get back to the matter at hand. "Thank you for telling me that, Fuji-chan. Now let's get our work done for Fri, alright?"

"Right!"

I was left to pick up the box and scramble after Fuji as she rushed down the street at full speed ahead, just like her sister used to do so many years ago that I had forgotten the number.

Being led by Fuji into the festival, I gave my message to the band director about Fri's compromise, Fuji handing out the papers that had instructions on it from the mastermind herself. Already a few of Errat's siblings were gathering, ready to help construct whatever other structures were left. As soon as we were done there, Fuji instantly dragged me off to where our second stop was, not even pausing for a break. She seemed to have been riled up by her own speech, which I guessed was good for her self-motivation skills, but what did confirming that Fri and I didn't hate each other have to do with her work ethic? I decided to leave that question unanswered as to prevent a second incident, particularly since we were in actual earshot of people this time.

To my surprise, Wato ended up being the recipient of the box of costumes, the lab assistant smiling at me as I handed to him. Fuji pulled out Fri's memo soon after, completing her delivery work for now. Wato handed off both items to a girl that seemed more interested in them than he was, and told Fuji that they had some popsicles in a cooler and she was free to have one. This naturally caught the young girl's interest, and she disappeared soon after. I figured she'd return whenever it was time to head back and allowed myself to relax.

"So what are you doing out here?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. I was looking around the area more so than him, just taking it all in. None of the stands looked like it had anything to do with the lab, and the professors usually just put up a few fliers and announcements to let people know it was open. My curiosity was warranted.

"Well, we got this new intern in a while back, so she's working the desk today," Wato said, taking a drink from a bottle of water. I felt envious for still not thinking to grab my pack, and stupid because I knew I was going to be run around like crazy today. In this heat, I would have done anything to at least have my Pokémon there to cool me off. "Since I'm going to be helping the professors out most of the festival, I decided to look around for a bit while I still could. Figures that my cousin would recruit me to help out with her booth…"

Sure enough, Wato had the tell-tale signs of being part of festival prep: a forming sunburn/tan and paint splatters everywhere on his clothes and body. While I guessed he wasn't the neatest painter, the banner he had been working on seemed clean enough, and some of the detail was really impressive. I still couldn't tell what it was for, because Wato was still working on the background, but I assumed it would be distinctive enough during the festival and made a mental note to check it out if I ever wondered outside during that time period.

Of course, that was the norm at this point. All the stands were getting some form of work done on them, whether they were being newly constructed or decorated to the owner's specifications. Orders were being shouted out, blueprints were being checked, and, unless they were resting, everyone was working in some way or another.

Everyone except for me, that is. That spoke plain enough.

"So what's that stand supposed to be for?" I asked, pointing across the alley. Wato's gaze followed my instruction, ending in our focuses meeting on the one stall that wasn't being worked on. It had been constructed with care, but other than that, it was blank, just a frame standing between two other bursts of color. Wato let out a sound of recognition and adjusted his glasses in a way that let me know he was proud of what knowledge he had.

"That's for a friend of the professors'," he said, immediately piquing my interest. "They're not supposed to arrive until later, so they sent a request that their stall be built ahead of time and they'd put the decorations in. I really don't know what they're specifically doing, but if they're a friend of the professors' then it has to be something good!" Wato leaned next to me, his mouth next to my ear and voice in a conspiring whisper. "There's a rumor going around that they're supposed to be someone who can talk to Pokémon! I haven't had a chance to ask about it, but wouldn't that just be amazing!"

"Ah." Amazing indeed. I had heard stories that people like that existed, but never had the chance to see one with my own eyes. Then again, even if people like that existed, there was always the chance they were making things up since there was no one else to contradict them. Of course, I didn't say that out loud, since Wato may just shove his water bottle down my throat if I did. Besides, I had my own bit of childish belief that I still wanted to maintain. No sense in ruining it myself.

Wato seemed to prevent me from saying such a thing on his own, although it was probably unknowingly. I gave him a curious glance as he began to form a panicking expression, hands up in defense. "Oh, but don't tell anyone I said that, Jijri! I'm not supposed to gossip and if the professors find out…"

It seemed he was genuinely worried, although I doubted either of the professors would care if he was just telling someone else something he heard, especially since he even said that he didn't know if it was true, and extra especially since the person he was talking to was me. It wasn't even like he was lying or anything. But he had such a pathetic expression on his face that I just had to throw him a bone.

"Your secret's safe with me," I said in possibly the most unconvincing tone I could muster. Wato seemed to take it and run anyways, looking genuinely relieved that I had given him such assurance. I had to think for a few seconds, remembering that he was actually a few years older than me. Either he was overly naïve, or I was just bitter.

Probably both or some other happy medium.

As if to prove my train of thought, the lab assistant clapped his hands together in front of him, like he was making the prayer to the Shrine several days too early, and to the wrong damn shrine at that. "Thank you so much, Jijri," Wato said, sincerity dripping off of every word. Even though I had won the title of Champion, I was in no way used to being praised so vehemently. Fortunately, I was saved from having to respond in that awkward situation by the ringing of my phone.

"Ah, I gotta take this," I said, my intentions sounding suspicious even to myself. A quick look at the caller ID assured me that I really did need to take the call, seeing as Fri was the one doing the calling. I stepped a bit away from the hubbub of the festival preparations and covered the ear that wasn't using the phone before answering. "Jijri speaking."

"And this is Fri speaking, when did you become so professional?" the woman in question asked. I couldn't tell if she was annoyed or impressed with me and decided it was best not to ask questions I probably didn't want to hear the answer to. "That being put aside, how are you and Fuji faring over there? Everything get taken care of okay?"

"Yeah, Fuji got offered popsicles, so we're making a quick pit stop before heading back," I reported. I chose to leave out the part where I hadn't been offered a popsicle, because that was way too immature, even by my standards. I was eighteen and the Champion for crying out loud, I shouldn't be making a big deal when I could stop by the local Pokémart and grab some for my own enjoyment. It would put something in the refrigerator anyway. "Do you need us to start heading back for something?"

Fri muttered a few things to herself that I couldn't hear through the phone. I didn't interrupt her train of thought, finding a bench to sit down on. "No, it's fine, Fuji can come back whenever she wants." I raised an eyebrow even though the gesture couldn't be seen. If that was the case for Fuji-chan, then what about me? "Okay, you've worked hard today so I expect you to follow this order all the way through to the end, is that clear?"

I waited in suspense before I realized she was waiting for an answer. Somehow, I managed to breathe, "Crystal."

Fri took a deep breath, and I closed my eyes in preparation for the gargantuan order I surely was going to receive. "You don't have to come and help out for the next few days if you don't want to. It's your decision, Jijri, and I won't blame you if you don't. But if you don't show up every goddamn day of the festival I'll give you a worse punishment then wearing those ears around everywhere, you got me?!"

Funny how I had forgotten about the things. It was a wonder Wato didn't say anything. Then again, I wasn't saying much at the moment either, rendered speechless by the order I had just been given. It was surely too good to be true, right? This was just another cruel joke to get back at me, and I would be woken up in the same violent fashion as this morning, right? Pointing such a thing out would only end in a worse fate, though, so I opened my mouth to say something nonsensical before I realized the line had already gone dead.

"Man, I don't get a choice in what to do with my own life anymore, do I?" I muttered to myself, running a hand through my hair.

I stood up and gave Fuji the good news. It was only natural that she insisted on following me into the Pokémart to bequeath the girl with a pair of popsicles for her and her sister before we parted ways, the Buneary ears gifted as an added bonus. I wondered around with a melting box of dessert before ending up at the lab again. The box was empty and discarded by the time I returned home.

So, for whatever reason, my subconscious gave me another dream involving a lecture from the professors, except this time it was Professor Spruce instead of Professor Maple. It was like even my brain wanted to punish me for sitting around. Everything was something I had heard before, months ago, so I kind of just blocked it out until it kept repeating the same thing over and over again, insisting that I pay attention to it. Whenever I finally decided to listen, I realized the words the professor's voice was trying so hard to get me to listen to made up a question.

Are you a boy or a girl?

It was the unusual part, the one part of my dream that wasn't just repeated words. The only problem was that they rang some sort of bell, like I had been asked the question before, which was really ridiculous. It wasn't like I was ambiguous or anything, which made the whole scenario even more ridiculous. As if the professors that had been around all the kids in town since their childhood would need to ask that at all.

It just wouldn't stop, though. I had the same question thrown at me over and over. The really disturbing part was that Professor Spruce's voice never got angry, tired, or bored with asking the same question over and over again. It was like listening to a call-in recording on a phone service that needed you to answer before it could advance, and I couldn't hang up either. I was just kind of floating in an off-white space, without a body, and wasn't able to do anything but listen to the question.

And maybe answer it. I tried speaking, asking what kind of dream this was, but nothing came out. I could let out a heavy sigh though, the sound echoing around the space I somehow occupied without being there at all.

"Honestly, shouldn't you know I'm a boy by now, come on," I said.

I said.

I could speak, though the one sentence was all I got to say. I know the human brain doesn't exactly remember everything we dream, but I would have liked to see where that one had gone. As much as I racked my subconscious for the next two days, I couldn't remember a damn thing.

I... really don't have an excuse for how long this chapter was. Whenever I went to write this, I was worried it wouldn't even meet my chapter length quota I had set for myself on this story... Instead it turned into this. It flowed well together, though, so I'll keep it as it is, though.

Ah, I just realized I'm almost out of my queue of things to post for a while... Better keep writing then.

Next time, Jijri visits the festival, talks to a professor, and attends Errat's party. Please look forward to it!

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