"Alright, I'm heading out," I called out back into my house. It was almost time for me to head out to my job.
"Ok, Isaac," my mom called back. "Don't forget what day it is today!"
"Of course! Cut me a break, Mom!" I replied. Heh, how could I forget anyways? I'd never forget my little brother's birthday. Speaking of which…
"Brother! Are you gonna come by the daycare today?" Tyler said as he ran to the door trying to catch me before I left. "Auntie Kangaskhan said she had something special planned for me today! I can't wait!" He was bouncing up and down in excitement.
"I'll see if I can't drop by for a bit during lunch," I replied. "I don't think we're doing anything huge today anyways, so I may be able to leave early altogether. We'll just have to see."
"Do you know what the surprise is? Do you think you could tell me?" he asked, still bouncing. He's clearly excited about the surprise.
"If I knew and told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" I replied, laughing a little. "You'll just have to wait and see, Tyler, but I'm sure you'll love it." Hehe… I vaguely remember the 'something special' Mrs. Rugara did for me on my first birthday while staying at her daycare. The only thing I can remember is that there were some Aspear Berries…
Aside from that, I can hardly remember! My surprise was ten years ago, and it is closer to seven years since I last saw someone get it. She only does it on the kids' first birthday with her; otherwise, she'd have to do something almost every couple of weeks. Today was Tyler's first birthday while attending her daycare. He'll be turning four years old total.
"Isaac, since you're going to try to be at Tyler's party there, do you think you could pick him up anyways?" my mom asked. "It'd really help."
"Yea, sure. Even if I don't get off early, I'll still be off before you'd normally pick him up, so it's no problem at all."
"Yay! Brother's picking me up today!" Tyler seemed particularly enjoyed that I was. I know why, too. Hehe… He's really been growing up nicely. He's still finding his voice, but I can't complain if his voice squeaks a few times. Mine did too. Both of us have gotten a bit taller too. He's now just short of a third my size, not less than a quarter like he was when he first came home.
Nothing else has really happened over the years. Seasons passed; everything just went on as normal. The only major difference is that everyone isn't afraid of the Dragon types anymore. It took a while, but everyone finally accepted them as part of the village. It also allowed us to expand and make more suited homes for Rock and Ground types. Aether doesn't mind one bit about sharing the vast mountain he lives on. That definitely kept my dad busy…
But that aside… nothing else has really happened.
"Well, you'd better hurry up, Isaac," my dad said, walking past me. He was ready to head out himself. "You don't want to be late; they may not let you leave if you are."
"Yea, I'm going now." I picked up my lunch and started outside but stopped and ruffled my brother's head fur. "See you later, Tyler."
"Bye, Brother!"
The sun was about halfway visible in the horizon. I had to be at my job's grouping area before the sun was fully visible, so I had some time left. You could say that I've followed in my father's footsteps as far as occupation goes. I'm also working construction jobs, but not houses like my dad. I'm not a foreman either. I'm in a temporary division that handled a bit more special job. The fact that I'm a Buizel is why I was chosen to help with this job.
That job was the creation of wells at various points throughout the village. They had barely started when I signed up for the position a bit over a year ago, and we just got the job done a few weeks ago. We had to take it slow so we could make sure the tunnels were gonna hold and not collapse. A plaster the Ground types created helped support the tunnels, but it was messy work applying it…
Now that the whole thing was done, nothing else was really planned. We do, however, have to check the tunnels every day to make sure they still hold. We've had one scare already with a section nearly breaking, but we got it fixed before any major damage was done.
After that, these inspections became required. If one of them were to fail, the cave-in it causes could cause a sinkhole that could destroy a few homes… That really wouldn't be a good thing. But at least the other Pokémon that aren't Water types can get water much more easily now. That's the whole reason we made those wells. If we have to do a little bit of extra work every day to keep those wells, that's fine by me.
The grouping area was a building off the village's marketplace. The sun was still a quarter hidden, so I was right on time.
Not many others were there, but it was still a few more minutes until our meeting time. They'll show up eventually. There were five others there. I only knew two of them personally, and the other three were just co-workers. One of the two who I knew was also the supervisor of the project. Everyone had to check in with him before the day started so he knew which of us were there when they were supposed to be.
He's a Poliwrath, and when I first started I was told that he was a bit strict, but… "Ah, Isaac, hello. You're right on time again." …he's never been that way with me. I've have seen him be a little hard on some others, but I just guess they did something to tick him off. I've only been working for a year, much shorter than most of the others here, so it makes sense that I haven't had enough time to get on his bad side.
I plan to keep it that way, however. The fact I'm on his good side might make it easier for me to get off early for my bro's party at the Daycare. "Yup. Hey, Barry." I may as well mention that now, before we get the day started. "You mind if I ask something?"
He marked my name off his list for today. "Sure, what's up?"
"Well, it's my little brother's birthday today, and his first one while at Mrs. Rugara's Daycare. She always does something special for those kids, and I was wondering if I could get off early, around lunchtime, to go attend that party." I heard a few of the others start snickering at my request. I think they're expecting that the 'rookie' would never get any time off. It never hurts to ask though.
"Your little brother, eh? Tyler, correct? How old's he turning?" he asked.
"Yes, and four," I replied. The others stopped snickering and I stole a glance back towards them to see they had a look of confusion on their faces. Pretty sure that's because I haven't been instantly declined my request.
"Heh, he's still a little tyke. Very well. If nothing happens that requires you needing to be here, you can go attend his party."
"What?" one of the Pokémon behind me, a Golduck, shouted. "How come the rookie gets time off and I don't when I ask for it?"
"Shut your trap!" Barry snapped back. Here's where the side of Barry comes out that I'm glad I've never awoken. "It's because Isaac's reason for the time off is legitimate. All of your excuses are just you wanting to be lazy!"
"How do you know he's not just making the story up to laze off?" he retorted. The argument didn't hold much ground, though. Barry knows my dad, and I'm sure they've talked some about it in the past. I think the Golduck knows that, because he's starting to shake a little bit. I couldn't help but laugh a little, but I tried not to show it. Failed at that, though.
Barry put his face in one of his hands and chuckled a little. "Did you really just play that card?" The Golduck didn't respond. "Very well then. Isaac, how would you like the entire day off?"
"Wait, what?" I stopped my laughing and did a quick double-take when I heard that but quickly recovered and shook my head. "Sorry, but I'd have nothing to do then. The party isn't until lunch, so I'd be stuck doing nothing for a few hours."
Everyone looked at me with a strange look when I said that. A few others came in while the Golduck was getting yelled at, and while I'm sure they didn't know the whole story, even they wondered why I declined a day off. I guess everyone would be ecstatic at time off, but it was the truth. I'd be stuck doing basically nothing until lunch came around.
Barry just chuckled again. "Like father, like son. He rarely takes any time off either. Alright, who else came in?" Barry didn't push his offer any further. He just went back to marking off those who came in.
I decided to go talk to the other Pokémon I knew, a Chinchou named Jason. He's only a couple years older than me, and was also the last 'rookie' before I took the title from him. He didn't really deserve it, though. He's been working for about three years, plenty of time to not be called a rookie, but I guess it's just tradition to call the newest guy 'rookie' or something.
I happened to pass by the Golduck that started the little event. "Little suck-up rookie…" I heard him mutter.
"Just doing my job," I replied quietly enough for only him to hear. He glared at me for a nanosecond before casting his gaze elsewhere, very clearly irritated. Not my problem, though. If he wants to be mad, then let him be mad. Just as long as he doesn't bug me about it, I don't really care either way.
Jason started hopping over towards me before I got all the way to him. "Are you serious when you said you didn't want the whole day off?" he asked.
"I don't see what the big deal is, but, yes, I was serious. Hey, as long as I can get off for my little bro's party, I'm fine with that. I don't need any more time off just because someone else can't get any." I took another glance at the Golduck when I finished talking. He was still irritated, but he also looked like he wanted to beat something – or someone – up.
"I'll never understand you…" Jason sighed out. "A normal Pokémon would instantly take any time off, but then there are those like you…"
"Is it so wrong for someone to enjoy working? Sure, a break here and there is great, but c'mon! There's gotta be some limit…" I really have no idea why he's pressing the matter so hard. I just feel very content with myself when I'm doing something like this. I just don't get why everyone can't understand that…
"Well, whatever the case, it looks like we're about to get ready to start the day."
"Alright, time for the morning briefing," Barry announced. Jason was right. Sun is fully visible now, and those who are late will be paying for it later on. "Today's no different than the last: go and check the wells for any cracks or the like. If everything comes back clean today, that'll probably be the last we'll have to do; however, if there's any reports of cracking or anything, we'll be adding an extra layer of plaster to reinforce the tunnels. I do not want any false reports to avoid this. I'm keeping track of everyone's reports. If any don't match up, I'll collect those who worked on that tunnel and see who's right.
"Now, divide up amongst yourselves and check every tunnel," he finished. Just another inspection day but with a slight twist. Hopefully we won't need to apply that extra layer, but if we have to, then we have to.
"Jason, you ready to go?" I asked. We always worked together, so I didn't bother asking if he wanted to work together. We had a pretty efficient system going. All he had to do was light up the area and hold onto me. I was the speedy swimmer, and he was the headlamp.
"Yea, but you better not call me a headlamp again," he replied, a slight look of irritation on his face.
I couldn't help but start laughing slightly. It was a little too late for that comment. I already did call him a headlamp, but he doesn't need to know that. "Oh, I know. Last time was warning enough… It's still funny to no end though!" I laughed again, not even trying to hold it back. I really should stop joking about that though, or else he may use his Electric type half again, and last time was hairy enough.
"Keep it up, buddy. Keep. It. Up." A small spark of electricity arced across his two antennae, and I stopped laughing, but I still kept a smile on my face. It was just too funny to let it drop like that.
He went silent after that. I know he's just playing around, though. He may seem angry, but he's taking it as a joke just like I am. The world would be a much worse place if we didn't know how to take a joke. I remained silent, but I kept the large grin on my face just to show that I was still laughing about it.
"Alright, you gonna wipe that grin off your face now?" he asked.
"Heh, yea. I'm sorry. I'll stop." We were at the lake that was the source of all the water for the wells anyways, so I had to stop. Time to do our job.
"You'd better. I'll meet you underwater," he said as we waded into the lake. He quickly darted off to mark which well we'd be the ones to check. I had to wade a little further before I ducked myself underwater and took off after him. The lake goes at a slight decline for about fifty feet, then just drops off into an abyss that goes about a hundred feet down to the lakebed.
The wells were made about thirty feet down from the drop-off, and there were seven in total. All the others were getting into the water as well, and found wells for them to search. Jason decided the third from the left would be the well we'd take.
I met up with him, and he wasted no time in latching onto me. We both knew we had to work quickly. He may be able to breathe the water, but I can't. I've been able to hold my breath and store enough oxygen to last about thirty, forty minutes tops. The length of the well makes it take a good fifteen minutes to travel through the whole thing, but that's without having to inspect every part of it to look for cracks.
I knew when I was at my limit, though, and I've never ran out of breath during these inspections. Going at the pace we were, we'd hit the end in about thirty minutes. I'd be able to catch my breath at the opening, and then it's just a straight shot back to the lake.
Jason kept his antennae moving to illuminate the sides of the well. If he wasn't with me, I wouldn't be able to see a single thing. All the joking aside, I really enjoy working with Jason. Having two sets of eyes working at the same time really helps to make sure we didn't miss a thing.
Eventually, we reached the end of the tunnel, and I still had plenty of air left. I still surfaced to take a quick breather, though. After I was done, I went back under. "Well, I didn't see much. Did you see anything wrong?" I asked Jason, my voice a little gargled in the water.
"Not a thing. This one's holding up pretty well… no pun intended," he replied, laughing at his added comment.
"Really?" I couldn't keep myself from laughing at his unintended joke, even though it was kinda lame. "Nice fail joke. Made me waste all my air laughing." That wasn't true, but I did use up some of it. "Let me grab another breath and then we'll head back." I resurfaced in the well, took another breath in, and went back down. Jason latched back onto me and illuminated the path, and I spun my tails much faster than they were when we were scanning the walls. No sense in dawdling since we were done with the inspection.
Fifteen minutes later, and we saw the entrance to the well. The light from the sun did reach down to them, but didn't really go far into them. I was still going full speed coming out of the well and almost missed slamming into someone else passing in front of it. I twisted my body a little to avoid them and inflated my collar to slow myself down. I deflated it instantly after to keep from floating to the surface.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, rookie!" the Pokémon, who turned out to be the Golduck from before, shouted.
"Sorry, Balth. Didn't really see you coming," I replied.
However, I faltered a little in my reply. He had a slight pet peeve when it comes to his name… "I told you not to call me that! My name is Balthazar! Get it right!" he snapped back at me. I knew what his full name was, but it was just so much easier to call him 'Balth' instead of his full name, even though it kinda ticked him off. "Arceus, I never thought I'd meet someone with as much disrespect as you!"
"I don't really see what the big deal is. I mean, I can't be the only one who shortens your name, am I?"
"No, you're not, but they get the memo when I say 'Don't call me Balth.' You still don't get that! You also think you're so great. You always look so smug and like you're the boss's right-hand, and that you can do anything. Well you're wrong! You're nothing! You're just a stupid rookie!"
I was a little surprised at his remarks. He's never gotten like this before. "Ok, you don't like me. That much is clear. But I'm not smug and I don't think I can do anything I want. I just do what I can and ask what I can and hope things work out."
Apparently my response only angered him further, because I felt the water around me displace a little. His psychic energy is starting to shift the water around. "Not liking you is an understatement… I am so SICK of you and your attitude."
"Hey, calm down now. You're acting like a Psyduck who can't control its psychic powers right now," I replied. The water around me started shifting and swirling even more now. Considering who I was talking to… calling him a Psyduck probably wasn't a good idea.
"I'm a Psyduck now? Ok, then. Let's see this 'Psyduck' start beating the life out of you!" As soon as he finished, he darted straight towards me and rammed me with his head. I felt a little extra energy, so it must've been his Zen Headbutt. Either way, it sorta hurt…
He didn't stop with just that, though. As soon as he reoriented himself, he charged up and fired a Water Pulse straight for me. Although his Zen Headbutt hurt, it didn't really do much else. I was able to easily orient myself and dodge his attack.
Irritated further, Balthazar let out a couple more Water Pulses, each one easily dodge-able. I decided to slightly retaliate just once. Just before he launched off another Water Pulse, I swung my tails around for a Sonicboom attack. The wave of energy hit and dispelled his Water Pulse right in front of him. He was barely affected by it, though. Physically, at least. He was definitely a lot more ticked than before.
"You know you're dead for that, right?" he asked, in a semi-calm tone yet with a hint of rage as well.
"Just knock this off and calm down, Balthazar. We still have to report to Barry." I knew it was a long-shot, but maybe he would calm down if he remembered he needed to do his job still.
"I can always report after I damage you up a bit, rookie." Of course. Should've figured he'd just delay his job to try and beat me up. "Of course, it's a good thing that you were with a partner for your inspection. At least that well will still get a report on it."
"That was a threat, wasn't it?" I asked sarcastically. I tensed up a little bit. With how he's talking, I don't think he's gonna stick with long range attacks.
"You make the guess," he replied. He darted directly for me the second he finished speaking. He had his claws ready to Slash, but I easily dodged his attack. He stopped himself, turned around, and tried for another Slash, and I just repeated my dodge.
We kept the routine of him trying to Slash me and me dodging for a few minutes, but this is pointless. I don't have time for this; I've gotta surface soon for air… "Hey, Isaac, want me to just paralyze him to end this?" Jason called out. I think the reason he hasn't intervened already is because he knows me. He knows I can handle myself in a battle. We've sparred before; that's how he knows. Still, guess he remembered we still have a job to do, too.
"If you think you can catch just him in a Thunder Wave, go for it. This is getting ridiculous anyways," I responded, dodging another Slash. There have been so many opportunities for me to counter, but I'm not gonna get into a fight today.
I dodged another Slash and turned around again, expecting to have to dodge another one. However, he kept going straight, straight towards Jason. Balthazar heard what we said and must've decided to deal some damage to the one who had a type advantage against him. Jason wasn't expecting it so early, either, and was still charging up electricity.
I couldn't stay attack idle now. I focused my internal water around me, which melded with the water of the lake, to shoot at Balthazar with my Aqua Jet. The fact that I was already surrounded by water made it possible to jet at a much faster speed than on land.
Jason saw me coming and stopped trying to attack himself. He ducked out of the way, while I continued at Balthazar.
"Such a rookie," I heard him say. Right before I was about to hit him, he spun around and swung his clenched fist to meet the tip of my Aqua Jet. I tried to change course, but I just wasn't expecting this. I closed my eyes as his fist broke right into my jet and slammed right dead-center on my head.
I'm half-surprised I didn't black out instantly from the hit. I really couldn't move myself, though. I just felt myself drift in the water. I couldn't even focus enough to redirect air into my floatation collar to get myself to the surface. I could feel the water pressure increase around me as I sank to the lakebed. I just hope I can move again before I run out of air…
I'm just getting extremely lightheaded now. I probably only have about five, maybe ten, minutes of air left. If I don't resurface soon… I'll drown. But I still can't move. I can barely tell what direction is up, either. I wonder if anyone else sees me, if someone is gonna help me…
I felt myself stop drifting and hit against the silt-covered lakebed. I landed with my back along the ground, so at least I know what's up now… At least I'm regaining my movement. I reopen my eyes to at least try and figure out if anyone's around me. Because I'm so far down, the area is very dimly lit. I can make out some things, though; the first being a little cloud of red right in front of my face.
Past the cloud, I saw two figures swimming straight at me, and past them were a bunch of other Pokémon surrounding one more. As soon as they got close enough, I recognized the two swimming towards me. It was Jason and Barry. Jason must've gone and gotten Barry for assistance. Then the one surrounded must be Balthazar.
"Hey, Isaac, can you hear me?" Jason asked.
I was dangerously low on air now, so I didn't want to waste any by speaking. I had regained most of my movement now and simply pointed to the surface.
"Hold on, Isaac. Let's get you to the surface," Barry said as he lifted me to my feet. I slung my arm around him, getting a grip on his shoulder, and as soon as he had a grip on me, he shot up to the surface. The need to breathe was starting to manifest, but I knew I couldn't give in yet. My throat and chest burned as I was holding no viable air in. I didn't know how much farther we had, but I hope it's not a lot…
Just as I felt like blacking out, my head broke the surface of the water. I instinctively inhaled as much as I could, coughing a little as well. I kept coughing as we made our way to shore. I felt my feet drag along the ground in the shallow water and let go of Barry to try and walk on my own.
He released me, but I didn't make it far before I fell back down, coughing again. I was in shallow enough water that I could lay on my back and not have to worry about water getting in my mouth. I just laid there, trying to get my breathing and the coughing in control. It took a few minutes, but I finally calmed my breathing down to a normal pace. I could feel and move my body again, but I really don't feel like moving right now. I don't want to do anything else right now… I just kept my eyes closed.
I have no clue what happened after I laid down in the water. I must've fallen asleep or something. I still felt the water around me, so I haven't been moved anywhere, but I wonder what happened.
I opened up my eyes and looked around a little. Jason was right next to me, seeming to watch over me as I slept. "Hey, how long was I out?"
Jason seemed to jump when I spoke. He instantly noticed that I was feeling better, though. "About an hour or two. Heh, I'm kinda surprised though. A single punch did this to you? Was all of our sparring for nothing?" he said in a very jovial manner.
"The punch didn't do this to me. Running out of air did," I replied.
"Yea, true. I guess the only damage the punch did was that cut above your eye. Hang on; I'll go get a bandage for that." He got up and walked further to dry land. That cloud of red that I saw in the water must've been my blood. Guess I was too disoriented to figure that out earlier. I just hope I don't ruin the day for my brother when I go see him. I really should've thought better than to do something so stupid on my brother's birthday…
Barry walked out of the water right after Jason left and stood over me. "Looks like you're feeling better. I assume Jason went to get something for that little cut of yours?" I simply nodded in reply. "Heh, doesn't look too bad. A simple adhesive bandage should suffice. Balthazar's been dealt with. He'll have to do some extra work for recklessly endangering the life of two co-workers."
"Huh?" Recklessly endangering the life of two co-workers? Anything that happened did so because I didn't just swim away… "No, that isn't right… I pushed him that far. I could've just swum away from him, but I-"
"Let me stop you there," Barry interrupted. "Balthazar, as well as some others who witnessed you, told me the story. He didn't spare any details in his intense dislike for you. He even stated he'd do it all again if given the chance. That's why my decision still stands. He must make up for it or be labeled a Rogue Pokémon."
It still doesn't sit right with me… "But-"
"I'm not going to punish someone for fighting back in self defense," he stated. "Stop trying to find some way to blame yourself, alright? Jason's back with a med-kit."
I wanted to contest it, but I knew I wouldn't change his mind. I just sat myself up, which caused the blood from my cut to now flow over my eye, making me have to shut it to keep the blood out of my eye. I wiped a bit away, but it still kept bleeding. Jason got out a simple adhesive bandage big enough to fit over the whole cut, and after putting some anti-bacterial salve on it, he handed it over to me.
I placed it over the cut, wincing a bit at the pain from the salve on my cut, but it was bearable. With the bandage on, no more blood ran over my eye. "Thanks, Jason."
"Don't mention it," he replied. "By the way, I should also be saying 'thanks.' You did distract Balthazar from attacking me while I was charging up my electricity, so thanks."
I had forgotten that little bit. I started laughing a little sheepishly afterwards. "I couldn't let anyone else get hurt because I'm an idiot."
"You didn't do anything wrong, Isaac," Barry added in. "Quit blaming yourself."
"What? It was idiotic to call a Golduck a 'Psyduck that can't control its psychic powers.'"
Barry started laughing a little at that. "I still find that part funny, but I can see how that could get a Golduck's blood boiling. Either way, you're still not at fault." He laughed out a little again. "Now that that's all cleared, what's your report on your inspection?"
Yet another thing I had forgotten about. "We inspected the third from the left. No problems found," I reported.
"Matches up with Jason's report. Alright then, we'll only inspect a few more times in the future. If no problems arise, we'll call the project complete and put all the workers on standby for further instructions," Barry told us. Looks like we're finally done with the wells… "As for today, you're done, Isaac. It's almost lunch. Your little nap passed quite a bit of time. Didn't you have somewhere to be?"
Is it really almost lunch? It doesn't even feel like that much time has passed… I guess I can't tell time when asleep. "Yea, thanks again for this," I said. "Whoa…" As I stood up, I almost fell back over when I started getting a little head-rush. A nice little headache accompanied by a slight loss of vision and dizziness? Yea, that's hard to stay standing on.
"You alright there?"
"Ungh…" I shook my head to try and clear it. The head-rush didn't last long. The headache stopped, as did the dizziness, and I got all my vision back. "Yea, I'm fine now. Just got a little lightheaded."
"Just don't pass out. I'll see you your next shift." And with that, Barry walked back into the water.
I stretched out my muscles a little before walking towards the dry land. I felt like I did before I got into the water that day, minus the little burn from the cut on my head. That's the only thing that I'm taking away from the little scrap I got into. I know I could've done more against Balthazar, but I just didn't want to get into a fight on my brother's birthday. I did a great job succeeding at that…
Oh well. Some things just can't be avoided. It just happened to be today that Balthazar finally got fed up with me, though I still can't understand why he hates me so much. Maybe it's just jealousy that I got time off. Maybe he just can't stand me. There are so many possibilities, but I don't think I should let it bother me too much. It's my brother's birthday! The rest of the day is gonna be all about him now.
I just hope he won't mind this little bandage on my head. The last thing I want is for him to stop having fun on his day because he's worried about me. For a little brother, he's very caring for me, just as I am to him. However, I know that the reasons we care for each other are different… I've not forgotten the promise I made, and I never will.
I dropped by the meeting building for us from earlier in the day to pick up my lunch and then headed off again. It didn't take me long after that to walk to Mrs. Rugara's Daycare. I could hear a lot of laughter and the like from a few yards away. I don't think we've ever made as much noise as these kids have, though we did have our… other moments. Hehe…
I knocked on the door, not wanting to just barge in there. I'm sure that Tyler has told Mrs. Rugara I'd be over, but I didn't want to interrupt anything. The door swung open moments later, Mrs. Rugara right behind it. I gave a little saluting wave as I saw her. "Hey."
"Oh! Hello, Isaac. Tyler told me you'd maybe stop by. Guess you did manage to get off work after all." Yup, Tyler did tell her I'd be stopping by. I hope I didn't miss anything. "I'm sure Tyler will be happy you're here. It's almost time for the little surprise for him, if you can remember."
I gave out a little sigh of relief, glad I didn't miss anything, but that didn't last long as I started laughing sheepishly a little. "Truth is… I can barely remember," I said, scratching the back of my head a bit. "The main things I remember are Aspear Berries, but not much aside from that."
Mrs. Rugara let out a slight chuckle. "That's right, you're very fond of sour berries, and if I remember correctly, you don't like spicy all that much, right?"
"Yea, that's right. Do you use that info for these days?" I asked. I was a little surprised she remembered my flavor preferences from so long ago.
"Yes, I'm very observant. You of all Pokémon should know that. Do you have an idea of what flavor your little brother likes?"
Tyler's favorite flavor? "Erm…" I never noticed before… I guess I was always too preoccupied in my own thoughts or something to observe what berries Tyler likes the best. "I can't say that I do…" as much as I don't want to admit I don't know much about my own brother. Hehe…
Mrs. Rugara let out another laugh. "It's what you dislike, surprisingly. His dislike is dry foods."
"Spicy berries?" I cringed a little. I just plain don't like the sharp burning feel on my tongue from those kinds of berries. "How can he stand them?"
"The same way that you can stand the bite of sour berries, while some of the other kids here can't," she replied. I guess that makes sense… Everyone does have their own flavor preferences. "So, let's stop talking while in the doorway. Come on in!" She stepped out of the way to allow me in, and I quickly entered.
I set my lunch down on a table before looking around a bit. Most of the kids in this room were staring over at me, probably wondering things like who was I, what was I doing here, why Mrs. Rugara was talking with me. Can't blame them. I think that when random Pokémon came into the Daycare when I was here, I stopped and wondered the same things.
"Well, Tyler was last in the other room. Go ahead and see if he's in there."
I nodded, and passed through the doorway that led to the other room. I've been here many times before when picking Tyler up, but I still feel out of place. I've felt out of place here ever since I stopped coming here regularly. I'm much older than every single one of these kids, and I don't even know most of them either. They might know me if Tyler talks about me, but I doubt it. I won't try to interfere too much, but I should still let Tyler know I'm here.
I scanned the room a little, looking for my little brother, but I couldn't see him from where I was standing. Mrs. Rugara said that he'd be in here… or, rather, was last in here before she answered the door. But no one was outside when I came up, so why would he go outside?
Something didn't seem right here… I've got a slight feeling something is about to happen.
"Get him!"
Yup, I knew it. My brother always liked to plan these ambushes with his friends. They were only focused against me, never against my parents. Ah well, guess he just wants to do this with someone who he knows won't get angry with him.
This ambush was a bit different than the last, but still similar, too. He had his two friends on each of my sides, Brett, a Zigzagoon, was on my right, and Aaron, a Cubone, on my left. My brother most likely snuck behind me, which is true because I can hear him behind me now. If he's planning to continue these ambushes, he really needs to learn to tread lighter.
I can normally easily escape these ambushes… but I'm gonna be nice today. Up to this point, Tyler and his friends haven't caught me successfully in an ambush. Think of it as another little birthday gift from me.
With me not attempting to escape, Brett and Aaron were able to latch themselves onto my arms, I think in an attempt to weigh me down. I still heard Tyler running up behind me. He then let out a grunt of effort, probably jumping to tackle me. I braced myself, knowing what was coming. I glanced behind me to see my brother mid-air. He seemed to notice me looking at him, and I just shot him a smile in return.
He gained a look of confusion on his face, at my smile, I'm sure. His body slammed into mine, and with the other two kids on my arms, I wasn't able to keep myself standing and fell forward.
We all ended up on the ground, and Brett and Aaron were laughing excitedly. "We finally caught you, Isaac!" Aaron shouted out.
Tyler crawled up my back and put his head right next to mine. "You let us catch you, didn't you, Brother?" he asked. He nuzzled the side of my head with his after he asked that. Aaron and Brett stopped their laughing and gained a look of confusion themselves.
I didn't pay much more attention to them and nuzzled my brother back a little. "Heh, Happy Birthday, Tyler."
Tyler got up off me and allowed me to stand up. As soon as I did, he nearly tackled me down again, but this time was because of a hug. "Aww, you're the best! Thanks, Brother!"
"You're welcome, Tyler."
His friends were still confused, I could tell. Brett finally took a few steps forward. "So, wait, you allowed us to catch you?"
"As a gift," I simply replied.
"Aww, but that doesn't count then!" he spurted out. He must've wanted to truly catch me, not allow myself to be caught.
"I don't care. It was still nice of you, Brother," Tyler said in my defense. He kept hugging me all the while.
"Well, it seems you've found Tyler and his friends, or, rather, they found you," Mrs. Rugara said from behind us.
"Auntie Kangaskhan!" Tyler let go of me and ran to stand in front of Mrs. Rugara. "Thanks so much for letting my brother come here today!"
"Oh, Tyler, it's no problem at all. For such a special day such as this, how could I not have let him come?" Mrs. Rugara placed her paw on Tyler's head. "Besides, ever since Isaac came here all those years ago, he's always been welcome here."
I got a little embarrassed when she said that. I really wasn't expecting that comment. "You probably say that to everyone who used to attend your daycare…" I mumbled.
But she shook her head. "There are so many who I've not seen for so long, nor do I remember much about them, but you've always been in my mind, never able to leave. Ever since I saw you as that timid little Buizel who hid in the back of the room his entire first day, I knew I'd never forget you."
I got even more embarrassed now. Not only from her comments, but from the looks I got from Tyler and his friends. "You hid in the back of the room your first day here?" Tyler asked me. I never did tell him that, or anyone else for that matter. I always kept that as my little secret. But now the secret's out.
"Yea…" I chuckled sheepishly. "All I wanted to do was go home. I even hid behind Mom when we met Mrs. Rugara because I was scared of her. I just didn't want to be here," I explained. Skitty's out of the bag, so why keep hiding the secret?
My secret just elicited laughter from my brother and his friends. I can't blame them, though. Looking back on it… It is pretty funny.
"Alright, let's stop embarrassing your brother, Tyler. Well, it's almost lunchtime, so I'm going to go and get Tyler's surprise," Mrs. Rugara said. "Just hold on a little longer."
"Yay!" He's definitely happy about this. Mrs. Rugara left to the kitchen. Tyler bounded back to latch onto me again. I laughed in surprise as he nuzzled me again. He seemed to calm down from his excitement pretty quickly. "Hey, Brother? How'd you get that bandage on your head?"
Oh… That's why. He couldn't hold any excitement when he knew I had an injury of any kind. "It's nothing, Tyler, just a little scratch." This is what I didn't want to have happen. He shouldn't need to worry about anything today…
"But what happened? I can see some blood around it." I could tell he was now really worried about it. He always does this whenever anyone gets hurt.
"Tyler, it's nothing. I just hit my head off a rock during work today. It's nothing to worry about. It'll be healed in a day or two." Yea, I lied. I just couldn't tell him I got into a fight today. He wouldn't be able to enjoy today if he knew…
"Are you sure?" He nuzzled closer to me, not seeming to care his friends are a few feet away. I guess I don't care either.
I knelt down so that we were at eye level. He just kept close to me as I moved. "Tyler, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me. That's the older brother's job, anyways."
"Yea… but I still don't like it when I see others hurt," he said. I've known that fact about him for a long time…
"No one does, Tyler, but you don't need to worry about it, especially not on today. Now c'mon, let's wait for your surprise." I wanted to change the subject to something more positive. We don't need to stay on that subject any longer.
As if on cue, Mrs. Rugara came out with a tray filled to capacity and then some with bowls of berries, the average lunch for everyone here. "Time for lunch, everyone!" she shouted out, gathering the attention of every little Pokémon in the building. "And a little bit into lunch, I'll bring out the special surprise for our birthday Buizel. It's his first birthday while attending the daycare, so he gets the special treat! Don't spoil it!"
Tyler's eyes seemed to light up at that. It wasn't going to be much longer until he got his surprise. "I'm gonna go and find somewhere to eat with Brett and Aaron, Brother. Come join us when you get your food," my brother said to me. Just like he said, he and his two friends went over to where Mrs. Rugara set down the tray of bowls and grabbed one each. They then filed into the other room along with a bunch of other Pokémon.
I went over to a different table and grabbed my own lunch. "Isaac, I know you have your own lunch, but if you still aren't full, you're more than welcome to a bowl for yourself," she told me. She then walked over and stood beside me, holding something behind her. "I also have this for you, just as a little random treat from me." She presented what she had behind her to me, an Iapapa Berry. She threw it towards me and I swiftly caught it.
"A nice, little sour treat given for no reason? Thanks, Mrs. Rugara."
"Oh, Isaac, stop with the 'Mrs. Rugara' name, won't you? Won't I always be Auntie Kangaskhan to you?"
I gave out a slight chuckle and shook my head. "No, you were, but not anymore. You're Auntie Kangaskhan to these little kids now, but not to me. But you know I'll never forget the time when you were Auntie Kangaskhan to me."
"I still think I'm always Auntie Kangaskhan." A large smile adorned her face. "By the way… are you going to tell your parents that a rock hit your head for that cut, too?"
Huh? How'd she know that I was lying about the cut on my head… and how did she even hear me from the other room? "So… you know the true story? How? And how'd you hear me?"
"Nothing escapes me when within these walls, another fact that you should know about me, Isaac. And the news of the Golduck worker attacking two of his co-workers spread fast," she explained to me. "Now, why didn't you tell your brother the truth?"
"I… didn't want him to know I got into a fight on his birthday. He doesn't like when others get hurt, so I had to play it off as an accident."
Mrs. Rugara chuckled a little. "Yes, he is very caring for one his age, even more so for his older brother. But I know you're keeping a lot from him, about when he was much younger, and he knows something's not right and worries about it."
"How… how do you know that?" I've only ever told my parents I don't want Tyler to know about the past, and they only understood after a little persuasion. I'm sure they wouldn't talk about it, so how did she know?
Mrs. Rugara shook her head. "Never mind. Forget I said anything. Go, sit with your brother. I'll go get the surprise," she told me. She turned around and went back into the kitchen, leaving me a little guilty and confused. I don't like lying to my brother basically every day… but I just don't want to tell him about what happened to him and the events that resulted… With how much he doesn't like others being hurt, he'd be devastated.
I gotta calm myself down… Tyler will instantly know if something's bothering me. I held the Iapapa Berry up in front of my face. Maybe the sourness of it will help get my mind back to normal…
I took a bite of the berry, my mouth instantly assailed by the sour flavor. My mouth barely puckered at the flavor, but it was still strong and tasty. After so many sour berries, I've grown to be able to resist puckering. The softness of the Iapapa Berry is a very welcome contrast to the hard peel of an Aspear Berry, but I love them each just the same. I didn't wait long after the first bite to take another, and even less time after that. Iapapa Berries were sourer than Aspear Berries, and I just loved that.
After about a minute, the berry was gone. The taste still lingered in my mouth, though. Made me kinda sad that I had to overtake its flavor with other berries, but I'll save an Aspear for last, just to keep some sourness on my tongue.
The berry had its intended effect, though, of helping me get back to my normal self. I was still thinking about it all, but I wasn't showing it. I'm sure my brother is wondering what's taking me so long, so I'd better not keep him waiting.
As I picked my lunch up to move it, Mrs. Rugara came out of the kitchen holding another tray, this one much smaller, able to hold something for only one. It was capped, so I still wasn't able to remember what the surprise was. I still only had the hint it used our favorite flavor in it. "Still thinking?" she asked me.
"Yea, but about something else now. That Tyler's treat?"
"Yes. I hope he'll like it. Most kids do, though. You definitely did." She let out another slight laugh.
I laughed a little too. "I still can't remember…"
"Well, c'mon. Let's go give this to your brother. Then both of your curiosities will be satisfied." She didn't waste any time after speaking to start walking into the other room. I picked up my lunch and followed after her. I hope that Tyler won't be able to tell what I have on my mind.
Mrs. Rugara walked into the other room and announced Tyler's surprise. He was over with his friends in another group, eating their lunches and just randomly conversing. Most of that stopped when Mrs. Rugara came in. She walked over to Tyler and placed the tray in front of him, not removing the cap.
I could see that Tyler could tell it was some sort of food treat because his tongue fell out of his mouth to lick around in anticipation. "Can I see what it is?" he asked impatiently.
"Of course. It's your treat," Mrs. Rugara replied.
Tyler wasted almost no time in revealing his treat, making sure not to damage it in any way. Underneath the cap was a small blue cake garnished with Cheri Berries and a Figy Berry on the top. Just seeing it jogged my memory of what it was – an Oran Berry cake. Oran Berries go perfectly with any other flavor, so the kid's flavor preference determined the garnish. Those two elements combine into one very special, tailor made treat.
"That's where the Iapapa Berry came from, right?" I asked Mrs. Rugara, seeing the Figy Berry on top of the cake that was now almost half eaten. Figy Berries were the same amount spicier than Cheri Berries as an Iapapa is sourer than an Aspear. She must've grabbed it for me when she added the Figy to Tyler's cake.
"You forget so many things, Isaac," she replied, laughing at my comment. I joined in laughing as well. I looked back over at Tyler to see how much more of his cake he's devoured… Wow, he must've really liked that cake, because it's just completely gone! It was fairly small, but even still… He downed that thing in just a minute.
"Jeez, Tyler, did you even taste it?" I asked sarcastically. "You devoured that thing like a Munchlax."
"It was delicious! Thank you so much, Auntie Kangaskhan!" he replied over-excitedly.
"You're welcome, Tyler. Happy Birthday."
A few other kids came over and said 'Happy Birthday' as well. Some asked how it tasted; others asked how he could stand the spicy berries on it. I just stood on the sidelines as my brother talked with the other kids. He didn't need me to play with him right now.
However, he seemed to notice me hanging back and came over to me. "Hey, Brother, are you alright?"
I sat down against the wall before answering. "Yea, just thought I'd hang back and let you have fun with other kids your age. Don't worry about me, Tyler."
"Are you sure, Brother? You can play with us if you want to."
I shook my head. "I'm sure, Tyler. I'll be fine. I just wanna relax a little. I may join in later on, but for now I'll just stay here."
He seemed to brighten up a bit. "Alright, Brother!" He ran back to the group he came from. I laid my head back against the wall and closed my eyes. A sudden thought crossed my mind that made me chuckle a bit. With how I was right now, it's not dissimilar to how I acted my first day at the daycare. I'm just isolating myself from everyone else.
But it's a different circumstance. All these kids are eight, nine, ten, eleven years younger than I am. They don't need a fourteen-year-old Buizel who's also much taller than them playing around with them. I don't mind, anyways. As long as my brother is able to have fun, that's all I care about today.
The rest of the day passed with not much else happening. A majority of the kids, including my brother and his friends, went outside after a bit to play. I went outside after a bit too, but it was only to get some fresh air. I still didn't interact with any others, aside from my brother. He kept coming over to me to ask if I wanted to join in, but I just felt a little too out of place with him and his friends.
Thankfully, he didn't let my inactivity get to him too much. He just kept on playing throughout the evening. Eventually the time came for everyone to return home with their parents, or in Tyler's case, with me.
Tyler had worked himself to the point of exhaustion, and the day still had a few hours left to it. He looked like he just wanted to fall asleep right then and there. "You ready to go home, Tyler?"
He let out a large yawn and rubbed his eyes a little. "Yea… I just hope I can stay awake long enough for dinner. Mom and Dad might also have something too." Another yawn escaped his mouth. "I'm usually not this tired…"
"You've had a lot of fun today, more than usual, I'd guess. Mom and Dad won't mind if you wind up falling asleep. They'll understand." I smiled as I finished. He managed to smile back, but it was cut out by another yawn. "You wanna ride on my back the way home?"
He gave out another light smile when I said that. "Thanks, Brother. You're the best brother in the world."
"I'm not so sure about that, Tyler," I replied. I knelt down and placed my paws behind my back to make a little seat for Tyler to stand on. He crawled onto them and hung his paws over my shoulders. As soon as I felt him have a good grip on me, I stood back up and started to walk back to our home.
"But you are. You've always been so nice to me." He rested his head on my float collar, seeming to be able to fall asleep on my back if he was tired enough.
I just smiled back at him. He did look like he fell asleep, so I just stayed quiet so I didn't disturb him.
The next few minutes were pretty silent, but after the first I knew Tyler wasn't asleep. I could feel him squirming around a little on my back and his paws slightly grip my shoulders every so often. I was kinda confused as to why he was fidgeting so much. He wasn't falling off my back, so why was he moving so much?
"Hey… Brother? Can I ask you one more question?" he asked. His tone was very soft and hesitant.
The hesitance had me a little curious. He normally wasn't so hesitant. "What question?"
"Would you please tell me about the scar on your arm?"
I stopped and looked down at the ground. "Tyler… I told you that it was nothing to worry about and not to ask about it again." The scar on my right arm… A permanent reminder of my stupidity and recklessness. A reminder of that whole ordeal… with Katie…
"But… that can't be it. There's something you're not telling me, Brother. No one else will tell me either. Mom, Dad, even Auntie Kangaskhan didn't say anything about it, but there is something… I can tell. Even now you're thinking about what gave you that scar, aren't you?"
"Tyler… I…" I didn't know what to tell him. I want to tell him the truth… but I don't know how he'll handle it. I don't know how he'll react when I tell him I got this because he grabbed onto Katie's tail which shocked him and drove Katie to run away from depression… And that Staraptor who gave us that news was the one who broke my arm, giving me this jagged discoloration in my fur when it healed.
I want to tell him all this… but I just can't.
"Brother?" He nuzzled the side of my face with his head. "Is it that bad a memory?"
"Tyler… I'm so sorry…"
"Huh? Brother… Why are you crying?"
"Huh?" I could feel it now, the tears… "Tyler, I'm sorry."
He wiped away the tears from my eyes before nuzzling me again. "You don't need to apologize… I think I see why you don't want to talk about it now… It's just a really bad memory for you. I won't ask about it again."
"Tyler, it's… it's not just that. It…" I can't… I just can't. I can't tell him… "I… Let's just get home… I need some time to think…"
"Brother… I'm sorry…"
"No, don't be. You have nothing to be sorry for." But I do. I've been keeping it secret from you for so long now… Maybe I should just tell him…
"Brother, if not tonight, can you… can you at least promise me you'll tell me about it one day?"
"Tyler…" I felt a pang of guilt pass over me. It just seemed so wrong to keep his past secret from him, but I know I can't do so forever. "Yes. I promise…" That's now two promises I have to my brother. "Just give me some time to think about it, alright?"
"Alright, Brother. Thanks. You really are the greatest brother in the world."
I gave a weak smile at his comment. "No. I'm still not." He didn't respond after that. He just rested his head onto my float collar again, like he did before. I started walking again. My mind raced as I did. When would I tell Tyler about his past? Do I even have enough courage to tell him? I just scared he'd blame himself… Maybe I should let someone else tell him…
No… I can't. I have to be the one to tell him. I'll… I'll tell him… tomorrow… Sometime tomorrow… I just can't keep it secret any longer. He deserves to know. I just hope he can forgive me for keeping it hidden from him for so long…
Tyler stayed silent the rest of the trip back home. I don't know if it was because of his exhaustion or if he just did not want to upset me or something…
Mom and Dad were already waiting with dinner ready and a few special treats of their own making for Tyler. He seemed to perk up a little bit, but he was still tired and still probably had our talk in his mind.
I'm still wondering myself if telling him is the right thing… I'm just scared of how he'll react… I don't want to hurt him any… Why is this so hard?
Before the evening was fully over, I told my parents I was going to sleep. I just need to be alone with my thoughts right now… They seemed to have caught on that something wasn't right, but they knew better than to ask about it. They always seem to know.
As soon as I got into my room, I shut the door and closed the curtains on my window. I crawled into my hammock and covered myself up, curling into a ball as well. So much is running through my head right now… Not only the whole deal about me being scared to tell Tyler because of how he'll react, but also the fact that I'll have to retell the worst time in my life to explain it…
I just don't know… Will I be able to tell him, or will I just break down myself before finishing...? I just don't know.
Katie… I'll have to tell him you electrocuted him. I'll have to tell him that you ran away because of that… I'll have to tell him… you died because of that…
I couldn't help but tear up and let out a few quiet sobs. It's odd…. One thinks they've finally gotten over their loss… but they never really do. Eventually, something'll happen to bring those memories back… whether they want them or not.
Katie... Tyler… Both of you… I'm sorry. I've screwed up too many times in the past… I wasn't able to do right by you, Katie, but I can do right by my brother.
I will tell him… Tomorrow…
A/N: Broke the 10k word mark on this chapter. I don't know if I'm just trying to cram too much into one chapter, or if I'm just getting more detail or something. Still don't know if the length is a good thing or a bad thing... As long as you get to this part and are not about to fall asleep, I think it might be able to be a good thing, but I don't know. I've been a little shotgun with the lengths of my chapters. Again, just hope that's not a bad thing.
