Arven couldn't help but feel alarmed as he flipped his calendar to February on the morning of the 1st.
He had brought Nemona and Penny into a group call earlier that week, confirming their availability for the Friday that Chase would be back in Paldea.
"I'm good on weekends, so that works for me," Penny had said.
"If all goes according to plan, I should be free! As long as we stay on schedule out here in the West, I should be able to step away at least for that evening." Nemona's answer hadn't been as certain so Arven desperately hoped she would be able to make it work.
After Chase has accused him of forgetting their birthday (even if it had been a joke), Arven wanted to make a big deal out of celebrating his best friend this year. He knew it would only be perfect if Nemona and Penny were there, too. Nemona had an apartment in the city that had more space than his dorm, and it would be a great place for them to share a meal, catch up, and just hang out like old times.
Arven's other predicament was the gift.
He was already planning to make Chase's favorite dish, fried empanadas, followed by a dessert of churros and ice cream, a combination that had perplexed Arven at first when Chase had first described it. "As long as you have chocolate with it!" he had told them.
Arven's friend had picked up some interesting tastes before first coming to Paldea, but he'd certainly learned a lot from them. But Arven cooked for everybody, all the time. Chase… Chase was special. They weren't materialistic, but Arven wanted to give them something more than just food this year.
What would Chase even want? Something useful, like Poké balls? No, that's so milquetoast… It needs to be more personal than that.
Arven realized he was pacing his dorm again, Mabostiff's eyes following him as he walked back and forth between the kitchenette and his bed. But when the idea popped into his head, Arven stopped in place.
Oh gosh, the project… Could I even finish it in time?
Arven hurried over to his desk, having to kneel down to open the drawer closest to the floor. Sure enough, the portrait he had begun in his last semester in Mr. Hassel's class was there in all of its abandoned, unfinished glory.
He sat down on the floor and sighed, gazing at the rough pencil sketch. He had planned on finishing it up for that class's final project, but grew more and more frustrated every time he decided one detail or another was all wrong before completely starting over. The blurry pencil lines, erased and redrawn countless times, formed two humanoid shapes. The faceless figures were throwing peace signs at Arven as he stared at them, wondering how he could possibly render himself and Chase by his own hand.
Arven glanced at the clock. He still had a little over an hour until class, so he decided to sharpen up some drawing pencils and attempt to work on the portrait. He quickly sat down at his desk, always clean and ready to be worked at, bringing his pencil to the silhouette of Chase just to stare at it. Blankly.
I… I can't do this!
As good as he was with his hands when it came to chopping up ingredients, Arven felt completely useless with the tools of an artist. He flipped the piece of paper over and slapped it down onto the desk, raking a hand through his hair in frustration. His other hand hung limply at his side until he felt something soft brush up against it.
Arven looked down to see Mabostiff, nudging his hand with its snout, eyes droopy with concern.
"Oh! Sorry, boy. Just a little aggravated, don't worry about me." Arven gave the Pokémon a couple of scritches before getting up from the desk to get his backpack. Once near the door, he looked back over at Mabostiff, who didn't seem to be itching for a walk that particular morning.
"Me neither," he muttered, hesitating before deciding to sling his bag over one shoulder. Arven saw Mabostiff look towards the paper he'd left on the desk, then back at him, as if the Pokémon knew he never kept anything there while he wasn't working on it.
Arven blinked, then walked back to the desk. He grabbed the paper without looking at the drawing, then set his backpack down onto the desk chair, zipped open a pocket, and slipped the sheet into a nearly empty red folder.
Before leaving, Arven gave Mabostiff a final pat and withdrew it into its Poké ball.
If the first art class of the day starts at 10, I'd better get going…
Arven held the straps of his backpack against his chest, sighing as he reached Mr. Hassel's classroom. He knew he probably didn't have to knock, but reached out and did so anyway.
"Come on in!"
"Um… Good morning, Mr. Hassel," Arven opened the wooden door slowly, finding himself eyeing the floor as he walked into the classroom. Arven had been in Hassel's classes for years now, he'd been one of his favorite teachers, but Arven secretly hated asking anyone for advice, especially his elders.
"Arven! It's so great to see you, I've missed having you in class." Hassel stood up from what he had been doing at his desk to greet Arven. He seemed cheerful as always and Arven felt some tension release from his shoulders.
"Yeah, I miss art a lot now that I'm done. But I've really been able to focus on my career path this semester, it's been good." Arven finally met Hassel's eyes and instantly felt comfort in his presence.
"That is certainly good to hear. But something tells me that isn't what you came here to talk to me about?"
Arven blinked at how easily the professor had read him, wondering what superpowers one could gain through years upon years of working with students and mentoring them through all kinds of challenges.
"Um, er, yeah. I actually… I've been working on an art piece, and I need some advice."
"Of course, my boy! Did you bring this work with you?"
"Uhhh…" Of course he did, but Arven had hoped that somehow, against all logic, he wouldn't have to show it to anyone, ever, aside from Chase. "Yeah, let me get it out." He pulled up one of the stools from a nearby table to Hassel's desk and they both sat down as Arven retrieved the simple sketch from his backpack and set it down between them.
"So…" Arven began, trying not to look at Hassel as he looked over the drawing, "I'm drawing this portrait of me and a friend. But it's for them. It's going to be a gift, so it has to be really good."
"I see,"
Arven wished Hassel wouldn't see it, but here they were.
"I just… I keep messing up! It's so hard to get our faces right, especially Chase's…" he stopped short after realizing he'd just name-dropped the mystery gift recipient.
"Let's slow down a bit," Hassel said, and to Arven's relief, didn't seem to react to the mention of one of his former students. "You said you want this to be 'really good', correct?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Arven, you've taken many of my classes. What, in your eyes, makes art 'good'?"
Arven held back a groan, knowing Hassel was about to get philosophical. But there was always truth in the professor's lectures, whether or not Arven was in the mood to take his messages to heart.
"Well, I want us to look like people, for starters."
"You're off to a good start here. The proportions look right as rain."
"Yeah, I guess so. But the faces are the really important part." Arven grabbed a stray pencil that had been sitting out amongst the clutter on Hassel's desk, pointing at the empty face of the smaller figure. "I want to capture the uniqueness of my friend, their expression, the color of their eyes, all of that. And every time I even start on the faces…" Arven began to draw what he intended to be an eyeball on the figure's face, "Ugh! It just… it's not right!"
Hassel gave the paper another thoughtful look, then turned to face Arven.
"Arven, I think you can accomplish this. Are you using references?"
"Well, sure. I've tried it."
"Do it. Look at some photos, pick out what makes you and Ch- your friend, yourselves."
Arven silently thanked Hassel for trying to keep Chase out of it, even when he was aware of their relevance to the project.
"Okay. I can do that. But…" Arven fought the urge to bury his face in his hands, tightening his fingers around the pencil, "...what if it isn't, like nice enough? My style isn't super clean, you know that. Even after I add color, I don't want it to be, like, a refrigerator drawing… I was gonna frame it, but that might be too silly."
"Arven. Do you remember when I had Brassius join our class as a guest lecturer last year?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Do you think that the first artwork he presented to me was of masterful technique?"
"Well, that was when he first started out as an artist, so, probably not?"
"That's right. But if you can recall, that first piece brought me to tears."
"Um, yeah."
"Why do you think that was?"
Ugh, I'm the one who came to you with the questions! Why are all teachers like this?
"Because, um… because you helped him? And it was, like, made for you?"
"Exactly. Arven, I can tell this person means a great deal to you. If you put your adoration for them into this piece, if you add something that makes it a truly personal, heartfelt gift, I'm sure they will treasure it along with all of your efforts."
Arven stared down at the sketch, lost in a whirlwind of thought. Suddenly, out of the chaotic cloud, an idea surfaced, clear as day.
"Wait! Mr. Hassel, after I finish this, could I possibly borrow a hot glue gun?"
"That could be arranged. You've proven yourself to be trustworthy enough with such tools. But may I ask what you would need it for?"
"Well, okay, so, when me and Chase were on our treasure hunt…"
In Nemona's apartment, the air was rich with the warm scents of fried dough and chorizo. Arven chatted with Nemona as he moved the serving dishes to the counter, not feeling too hungry just yet despite the presence of so much delicious food.
"It's been so long since I've had your empanadas!" Nemona gushed, impulsively reaching for one right away.
"Hey!" said Arven, sliding the large plate out of her reach. "Be careful, they're scorching hot. Besides, it's rude to eat before the others get here."
Nemona rolled her eyes but grinned, resting her chin on her hands as she propped her elbows up on the counter.
"Aw, come on, Arv, they won't know. Just let me sneak one…"
"NO!" he batted her hand away again, deciding to move the plate of empanadas back to where he'd had them next to the deep fryer. "You'll burn your tongue like you always do."
"Not always, Nemona hopped off the kitchen stool and walked behind the counter, poking Arven in the shoulder. He took a step back a bit, remembering that he hadn't missed Nemona's lack of regard for personal space. But it was still a welcome change to have a friend around while he cooked, though, even if he didn't want to admit it.
"This is gonna be the best gift ever for Chase," she told him, still gazing hungrily at the meat pastries. "These are, like, their favorite."
"That's why I made them!" Arven said cheerfully as he took off his oven mitts and set them down out of the way of the food. "But I got something else for Chase, too. I made it, actually."
"What, the desserts?"
"Well, yeah, there's that," Arven glanced over at the plate of churros that he had brought over after making them at home, a bit upset that they'd have to be reheated but not minding too much as they'd be paired with the helado and chocolate that were currently chilling in the freezer and fridge. "But I made them something else that they'll be able to keep."
"Ooh! What is it?"
Before Arven could reply, the two of them heard a soft knock on the apartment door.
"You can come in!" Nemona called, traipsing over to the door as it opened to reveal Penny and Chase, still bundled up from being outside.
"Hey there!" Arven greeted them from behind the counter, waving at them. Penny lifted a hand in response and Chase bolted past her, tackling Nemona in a hug.
"Chase! Happy birthday, bestie!" Nemona returned the hug, giving Chase's short hair a little ruffle before they pulled apart.
"Aw, thanks!" Chase grinned at her before looking over at Arven, still standing a bit sheepishly in the kitchen.
"Hi, little buddy," Arven greeted, to which Chase immediately ran over to him and wrapped him in a similarly warm hug.
"Oh, I've missed you so muchhh!" Chase looked up at Arven, their yellow-green eyes gleaming in the warm light of the apartment. Arven blinked at them, a bit astonished at how they appeared to have gotten even older and wiser since they'd last been together just a month ago.
"It hasn't been that long," said Penny as she carefully closed the door after stepping inside. "But yes, it's always good to see you guys."
"It feels like forever when I'm used to seeing you all every day!" Nemona was nearly bouncing up and down on her feet, happily looking around at her three friends.
"Tell me about it," Arven sighed as he and Chase stepped out from behind the counter. "It's so strange without you guys around. I forgot what it was like to have an annoying little Combee buzzing in my ear while I'm cooking!" he cast a glance over at Nemona, eyebrows furrowed in a mock-angry expression.
"Oh, Nemona, I hope you didn't swap out the salt for sugar again…" Penny said, the friends cringing a bit at the memory of one of the worst instances of cooking distraction known to man.
"I didn't touch anything this time, I swear!" Nemona held up her hands, looking to Arven for reassurance.
"She's right. No need to worry, there's absolutely no way we'll be eating sugar-seasoned chorizo for Chase's birthday."
"Ooh, Chorizo?" Chase glanced over Arven's shoulder as they took off their coat, finally noticing the plate piled high with fresh empanadas. "Aw, Arven, those are my favorite! I was wondering what smelled so good in here!"
Arven felt something flutter in his chest as Chase looked back up at him, so close that he could see the little freckles that speckled their cheeks.
"We made it with you in mind, Chase!" Nemona said, clasping her hands together.
"Who's we? " Arven shook his head, glaring over at Nemona. "You just said you didn't touch anything… you didn't, did you?"
"No, no, of course not. But you can't say I didn't provide moral support!"
After dinner, the four friends sat together in the living area of the apartment. Empty plates and ice cream bowls were scattered around the kitchen and on the coffee table, only Penny still helping herself to more dessert. They each had a Pokémon hanging out in the room as well; Mabostiff was curled up beside Arven who was sitting on the floor next to Chase, whose Dachsbun was lazily splayed out on the couch across from them. Nemona sat beside the doughy Pokémon, watching her Pawmot play with a squeaky tennis ball in front of the TV. Penny was on Dachsbun's other side, eating ice cream and watching the anime movie she'd put on while the others talked, her Umbreon laying atop the couch cushion behind her.
"Wait, so when will this be?" Chase was holding up a birthday card that Nemona had scribbled something in, squinting hard to read their friend's hasty penmanship.
"We think the Frontier will be open sometime in August!" said Nemona. "The exact date hasn't been set yet, but our contacts in Sinnoh and Hoenn have been really helpful in getting us set up with everything we need. And get this," she threw herself off the couch, kneeling down to get in Chase's face, "next month I'm meeting with Champion Leon! He's going to help me get our Battle Tower all ready to go, so it might be able to open even before the rest of the Frontier!"
"Sick!" Chase fist-bumped Nemona, grinning. "I might not be around for that, but if this card is telling me you're making me a special guest at the grand opening in August, I'll stop at nothing to make sure I'm there."
"It would be an honor! The only thing that would make it better would be if you could be one of our Frontier Brains… But I know you don't have enough free time for that, Chase." Nemona tipped her head slightly, looking back and forth between Chase and their deceptively strong Dachsbun.
"I know, I know. Hey, who are you bringing on for those jobs, anyway?"
"Well, we don't have all five lined up yet, but…" Nemona gave her widest grin of the evening before she continued, "...I'm going to be the Arcade Star, of the Battle Arcade!"
"Woah, no way!"
"That suits you perfectly," Arven chimed in.
"Definitely," said Penny, still staring at the TV.
"I know, right!" Nemona stood up and gave a little hop before sitting back down between Chase and Arven. "We've sent out offers to a couple former gym leaders and even some trainers outside of Paldea. Depending on interest we might have to do interviews and stuff. But since so much of this project was my idea, I got hired on as a Brain really early on!"
"I'm so glad you've got things figured out," said Arven, feeling a pang of jealousy that it seemed his friends already had their paths laid out for them. He could really go anywhere with his talents, but the idea still daunted him every time he thought about it.
"Thanks, Arv," Nemona turned to him, eyes warm with gratitude. "Hey, didn't you get something for Chase, too?"
"Oh!" Arven had somehow forgotten, between all the conversations that had happened over dinner and the alarming uncertainty he'd felt about being around all his friends again. They always settled back into their friendships naturally after being apart, but Arven felt like he had a harder time adjusting to any change than most people. "Yeah, um, give me a sec."
He got up and walked over to where he'd left his backpack next to the door. Penny had given Chase all kinds of gift cards and credits for the online games they played together, which Arven knew was something Chase would put to good use right away. Nemona's invite to the grand opening of the Battle Frontier would also be hard to beat, he had thought, his hands suddenly going a bit clammy as he retrieved the gift-wrapped frame that he had carefully packed away with alongside the oven mitts he had brought from home.
"It's nothing special, Chase, but here you go," Arven walked back over to the living room and handed the package to them, averting his eyes. "I… I made it."
"Oh wow, you made all that food and this? That's amazing." Chase took the present from him, examining the delicate wrapping paper embossed in golden Pikachu faces. "Such cute paper, too!"
Arven sat down on the floor again, watching as Chase meticulously picked open the corners, trying to pull off the paper in one sheet as if to keep it intact to save for later. They carefully unfolded it and Arven looked down at his hands, picking at one of his fingernails instead of looking at the gift.
"Oh my… WHAT! Arven, this… this is SO AMAZING!"
He finally looked up as Chase spoke, his heart racing as they looked down at the frame in their hands. Nemona scooted over to peek at it, then looked up at Arven, eyes wide.
"Did you draw this?!" Nemona asked, reaching for the frame. Chase pulled it away from her, still gazing down at it.
"Yeah, I did."
"And… oh, my gosh, Arven!" Chase finally looked up at him, covering their mouth with one hand before speaking again, "The… the badges! You made the Titan Badges!"
When Arven and Chase had battled the Titan Pokémon that had guarded the caves of Herba Mystica, he had also crafted "Titan Badges" for each of them that were a play on the gym badges that trainers could receive after defeating the gym leaders of Paldea. After finishing his drawing of Chase and himself, in their old school uniforms, he had re-created those badges and hot glued them all along the picture frame as a reminder of how they'd become such close friends.
"Yeah, I thought it was a cool idea, I guess." Arven shrugged, not knowing what else to say as Chase delicately handed the frame over to Nemona so she could see. Even Penny had gotten up to come over and look, making sure to pause the TV before doing so.
"This is a really nice drawing," Penny said while looking at it. Chase's Dachsbun had even followed Penny to see what the three of them were looking at.
"Oh, it's perfect. It's so perfect." Chase said, swiping at one of their eyes before moving over to where Arven was sitting. Nemona and Penny looked at each of the titan badges Arven had made, their unique designs etched in gilded, shiny paint.
"I'm glad you like it, it was just a little idea I had. I kind of had to rush on the colors, though. Sorry about the wonky shading."
"What? I just said it was perfect!" Chase softly put a hand on Arven's knee, looking up into his face. This time he couldn't look away even though he knew his face was becoming as red as a tomato berry.
"T-thanks, Chase," Arven let his left hand rest upon Chase's, relishing in their warm touch that had escaped his grasp for so long.
"Here you go, Chase," Penny appeared before them, handing over the drawing. Chase thanked her and took it, seemingly mesmerized by Arven's artwork once more. Penny walked back to the couch, catching Arven's eye knowingly before sitting down and pressing play on the movie again.
"You're a really good artist," Chase muttered, softly touching their likeness through the glass of the frame. Arven watched them, admiring the soft golden-green of their eyes and remembering the pains he had taken to use just the right blend of colored pencils in the drawing. He'd looked at references as Hassel had recommended, poring over old photos and selfies he and Chase had taken together over their friendship. Although Chase's hair was a bit shorter now than when they had first met, Arven had drawn it in the style they'd worn during their treasure hunt. It'd taken a while to scroll back far enough in his phone to find the perfect reference.
Before Arven could respond, Nemona called over to them.
"Hey, I've got a ton of board games we could play. Should I go get some?"
"I thought we were gonna watch this movie!" Penny groaned, her Umbreon blinking its ruby eyes wearily from behind her.
"We can keep it on, but I really feel like a game right now,"
"Are you just trying to get us to play Master Trainer with you again?" Chase pulled away from Arven, turning to face Nemona with a playful expression.
"Maaaaybe…"
"You know I'm terrible at that game!" said Arven, crossing his arms.
"Why don't we play Melee instead? I see you have a GameCube plugged in over there. Didn't take you for a retro gamer, 'Mona," Penny suggested, eyes still glued to the movie.
"I know, but it's been ages since I've played anything with anyone! And we always play video games," Nemona got up and walked over to a bookshelf jam-packed with all sorts of games, video and physical, not a book in sight. "We have all night, guys! This is what sleepovers are made for."
The next morning, Chase had insisted upon sparing Arven from having to make yet another meal for the four of them and suggested they all go out for breakfast instead. They'd all agreed upon a cafe near the Uva Academy, the Paldean Pup Patisserie, known for having some of the best pastries in the world, outside of the Kalos region.
"I can't believe we didn't even end up staying up all night!" said Nemona, a twinge of disappointment in her voice.
"I just don't have that energy like I used to," Chase sighed, shaking their head. "Especially when I usually have to wake up super early for field work. I'm used to going to bed at a reasonable hour."
"You sound like an old head," said Penny, "but yeah, I've fallen into a routine as well. I think I still fell asleep after all of you guys, though."
Arven trailed a few paces behind as they came across the cafe but nearly ran straight into Nemona as she came to an abrupt stop.
"Oh! Hey, I'll catch up with you guys in a bit, I'm going to grab some stuff for the road in here!" Next door to the Patisserie was the largest candy store in Mesagoza, boasting sweet treats from every region imaginable. The Impadimp Sweets Emporium was decorated with pink valences and other colorful window dressings and was open nearly every hour of every day to serve the sugar cravings of Uva Academy students.
"Suit yourself," Arven gave her a wave but Nemona was already gone, bursting through the shop's doors.
Chase, Penny, and Arven headed into the cafe and ordered their breakfast, Arven taking it upon himself to get a chocolate croissant for Nemona. He thought about getting her a coffee as well but quickly decided that the last thing she needed, especially if she was buying candy, was anything caffeinated.
It was only after they'd been served that Nemona finally met up with them. She carried a huge paper bag with her as she sat down beside Penny, across the table from Arven and Chase.
"Ooh, what'ja get?" Chase asked, taking a sip of their mug of hot espresso. Arven found himself noticing Chase's fingerless gloves as they were wrapped around the mug, wondering how difficult it must be exploring the north at such a cold time of year.
"Lots of things!" Nemona set the bag down in the booth between her and Penny, rustling through it. "My favorite kind of turrón, some salt water taffy all the way from Unova… oh!" She found a small box, holding it up so her friends could see. "Of course I had to get some of these!"
"Oh my GOSH, are those them?!" said Chase, setting down their mug and leaning across the table to get a closer look. Arven read the label, which read-
"Variety gumdrops!" Nemona said out loud, giggling. "Guys, it's us!"
"Awh, I forgot about that joke," Penny tilted her head fondly, hugging the fluffy straps of her Eevee backpack to her chest.
"Nemona, I got you something to eat, so if you could try to save the candy for later…" Arven pushed the plate with the croissant on it towards Nemona, whose eyes widened as she noticed it for the first time.
"YUM! Thanks, Arven, this is like my favorite thing here!"
"That's why I got it," he shrugged as Nemona immediately started tearing off pieces of the pastry and popping them into her mouth.
The friends began to eat their breakfast as they'd been waiting on Nemona up until that point. Chase and Nemona chatted between bites, as they usually did, while Penny listened without adding much. Although this was one of Arven's favorite places to eat when he wasn't in the mood to cook, he had only taken one or two bites of his croque monsieur before he was staring out the window blankly.
"You good?" Chase nudged Arven softly, looking up at him.
"Oh! Yeah, sorry, just spacing out a little," Arven blinked a few times, hating that his head felt so foggy when he'd be parting ways with his friends so soon.
"Okay, just making sure," Chase's plate was already empty, their coffee nearly gone as well. "So, any idea what you'll be doing after you finish up your coursework?"
"Well…" Nemona and Penny also turned towards Arven, to which he found his eyes wandering over to the pastry chefs behind the counter at the front of the restaurant. "You guys know that I want to keep cooking, that I want to be a chef, but there are so many places I could go! I mean, I could stay in Paldea of course, but… like, I would love to learn how to make all these Kalosian foods." Arven propped his elbows up on the table, resting his chin upon his clasped hands. "Penny, Chase, you're so lucky that you get to travel and eat all kinds of foods from new places."
"It's really cool when I get to try new things," Chase concurred, nodding. "I've already met a few apprentice chefs and bakers while in Kalos, and I know there are a lot of places where you can go to practice that kind of stuff."
"It's rare that I'm not just getting fast food, but yeah, there are new restaurants opening up all the time up there," said Penny. "I could totally see you doing something like that. Even if you wanted to come back to Paldea eventually, you could open up a place using stuff you learn while traveling."
"Yeah!" Nemona slammed a hand down onto the table for emphasis, to which Arven nearly jumped. "Even this place we're at right now is totally Kalosian, you could totally start a place like this someday!"
"Especially with how creative you are," Chase added. Arven cast a look over at them, shocked and a bit pleased to have been called "creative" for what might have been the first time in his life. But of course, Chase would know this firsthand.
"I have a meeting with Mr. Saguaro later this week," Arven told his friends, trying to keep the smile from creeping onto his face. "Maybe I can bring this up… and get a head start on what I'm gonna do when I finally graduate."
The four of them stayed at the cafe for another hour, talking about their futures and reminiscing on the past, and yes, Arven eventually did end up finishing his sandwich and enjoyed it quite a bit.
After parting ways with Nemona, who was heading to the League Headquarters to meet with Geeta, and Penny, who had gone off to catch up with Ortega and Eri who were still in school, Arven found himself walking with Chase to their flying taxi stop.
"You're all quiet again," Chase said, breaking a silence that Arven hadn't even realized was hanging in the air around them.
"Sorry, bud. I just… you know when you have a lot on your mind, when there's like a whole cluster-you-know-what of thoughts in your head? And you're trying to have a bunch of little conversations with yourself at the same time? That's kind of what's going on," Arven had never put the phenomenon into words and hoped Chase wouldn't think he was all kinds of crazy from what he'd just described.
"No, yeah, I get that. And then you don't realize that other conversations are happening around you, or you forget you're supposed to be doing something," Chase said thoughtfully, no hint of what the hell are you even talking about present in their voice.
"Oh, I'm glad it's not just me, then," Arven sighed, then grew quiet again as he realized they were almost at Chase's stop on the southern end of the city.
"It's hard to put it into words sometimes," Chase continued the topic for him, slowing their walking pace a bit. "But, yeah, I know the feeling."
"Yeah, it's rough. And I hate that it feels like you guys just got here and are leaving already."
"That's because we are. I… I got pretty lonely when I graduated before you guys," Chase's voice grew soft as they recalled their memories. "It took a while to get used to the new situation, to make a few new friends, but I knew I could always look forward to seeing you again. And with phones and stuff, it wasn't like you were all that far away."
Arven relaxed a bit, grateful that he wasn't alone in his struggles to adjust to life's changes. Even Chase, who had always been such a strong and reassuring figure in his life, had their moments of doubt. Arven looked over at Chase, noticing that their fists were balled up, fingers curled into their palms as if to conserve heat against the frigid February air.
"Are you cold?" he asked them, not understanding why he suddenly felt like this was his responsibility.
"Heh, a little. I wore the wrong gloves thinking it'd be a bit warmer than up in Kalos this time of year. Funny what being away will do to you."
Sure is funny, Arven thought, reaching for Chase's hand absentmindedly.
They took it, and Arven could feel their fingertips cold as ice even through his own mittens.
"Yikes! You are cold!" Arven squeezed Chase's hand and they gave a soft laugh, blinking up at him.
"Arven…" Chase stopped and turned to face him, reaching for his other hand as well.
"...yeah?"
"Thanks for being the best. Always." Chase leaned in to Arven, letting go of his hands to envelop him in a hug. Arven felt a burst of warmth in his chest as he returned the hug, resting his chin atop Chase's head. They weren't even wearing a hat, and Arven brought a hand up to one of Chase's ears, rubbing it with his thumb.
"Nah. You'll always be the best little buddy, sweet gumdrop."
Chase squeezed him harder before pulling back, looking up into Arven's eyes.
"Well, this is my stop."
"Yeah, it is."
"Promise me you'll think about coming to Kalos this summer? It would be really nice to have you around, or at least closer." Arven saw Chase bite their lip, one of the only times he'd ever seen them look so self-conscious.
"Of course! I'm going to do a ton of research before my meeting this week," Arven put a hand on Chase's shoulder, willing himself to keep eye contact and smile reassuringly. "Promise me you'll call when you make it back to Cabo Poco."
"Will do," Chase grinned. "And Arven… this gift," they patted their backpack, "is probably the sweetest thing I've gotten from anyone, ever. Thank you."
Arven had to blink a few times to keep his eyes from stinging.
"You're welcome, Chase. I just wanted… wanted you to know how much you mean to me."
"And I'm supposed to be the sweet one!" Chase giggled, giving him one last quick hug before turning to leave. Arven tried to hold on longer to this one but knew he had to let Chase leave to make their taxi on time.
"You are," Arven said quieter, wondering what it was he saw shining in Chase's eyes just then. "But you gotta get going! Remember, c-call me! When you get home, I mean!"
"I will!" Chase waved at him, walking away backwards. "I'll see you on-" before they could finish, Chase stumbled a bit on their feet, almost falling over before quickly straightening back up. "AH! I'll uh, see you when I see you!"
Arven had to cover his mouth so as not to laugh but was glad Chase hadn't completely fallen over. Being as clumsy as he was, he knew how awkward it felt to make a fool of oneself even in front of just one person… Which, he wondered, why wasn't he feeling that way right now, with how much he'd just stumbled and tripped over his words?
"See you when I see you," he called after Chase, but they were already gone.
Arven quickly turned for home, not wanting to linger outside much longer as a chilly breeze had picked up. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets, although they were already warm from his mittens and, somehow, Chase's touch.
The whirlwind of thought settled down, coming to rest on the soft and contented feeling that had come over him while being with Chase. Arven knew that it would last until Spring came, the comforting reminder that although they were physically apart, his friends would always be there for him.