Chapter Eighteen: How's Your Day?
*Author Note – Tadaah, a new Chapter! Thank you CallinConnor, now this chapter has a bit more meaning to it!
Disclaimer: We – in no way – own Pokémon. We don't own it.*
In short, here is Chapter Eighteen: How's Your Day? (a.k.a. The No-Inspiration-Filler-Chapter-With-Slightly-Important-Twists)
Pichu's Point of View
Buneary found me in the Captain's room – she saw me walking away – and took me to lunch. I already knew Pikachirate was not there, it was a feeling.
I thought back to the moment he tried to open the door. It took all of myself not to make a sound; I was in tears, broken in soul for a short time. I was not able to look another Pokémon in the eye, as I would break down completely. No one was allowed to know my weakness.
"Pichu, hey, Pichu, do you want an apple?" Buneary asked to cheer me up. My thoughts went to the back of my head, and I smiled – I realized I smiled here more often than I did in the castle.
"Yes, I always want an apple," I answered back. She handed me an apple – yellow and red – and I listened to the conversation Chansey had with Blastoise.
Chansey frowned. "Why isn't the Captain here?" Blastoise shook his head. Intuitionally I stared down at my apple. I was certain he gave me a quick look.
"Well," he started. He was whispering, but I managed to get his whole sentence. "He is freaking out. He don't know when and where he should give it to her." Her? What were they talking about? What did he want to give me?
Chansey sighed – skipping lunch was not the best idea – and answered in a soft voice. "I will talk to him, maybe Buneary and I can help him with the message to make it perfect!" She could not resist to clap in her hands at the end.
Blastoise looked around again – I saw it in the corner of my eye. He seemed to feel like he was ready to get caught.
Maybe Pikachirate would want to wait with this 'gift'. Now I wonder what this gift is – and I have to find a gift for him, too. I really should.
My apple was finished - my cover was gone - so I made some small talk with Buneary and Abra. We were talking about the party, since there was more than enough to talk about it.
Blastoise and Chansey left the table rather soon, I suspected them of planning something. Alright, I knew they were planning something. I did not want to be tempted to spy on them. I knew I would fail.
That is why I asked Buneary if I could see what her job is like. She agreed of course, and was probably happy I wanted to see a day out of her life.
"What do you actually do all day? I see you multiple times, since you walk around. Why is that?" I had to know. Only know I realized I wanted to know, but her life and job here would make our friendship stronger. I told her all about my life as a Princess, yet she had not told me about hers.
We were walking to the 'hospital'. "I walk around the ship. If something is wrong, or if anyone needs information about something, I will be there to answer it. It's also more fun, because I can chit-chat with others. It would be a tough job if I felt isolated from the rest, you know?" It made sense, and I could see how that worked.
We entered Chansey's workroom. I answered after some thinking. "So... It is motivating and easier to be walking, instead of sitting in your room. Do you walk in a routine, or is it spontaneous?" I kept asking, and I knew Buneary would happily give an answer.
Buneary laughed. "I told myself to keep it spontaneous, but the secretary in me always led me through a certain path, so it's more a routine. I walk around automatically," she explained. She waved to Chansey, who waved back energetically. I waved, too. "Hey Chansey, how are you? Is it going as usual?" Buneary asked. I saw Happiny trying to act like her mother. She must have much respect for her.
When Chansey smiled, Happiny smiled. "No injuries up till now, so it's good news." I looked around; the room was larger than the Captain's room, which surprised me for a bit. It was clean and had an aroma. It was calming, something I had not felt in any other room where medics was practiced. It always got a strange, unpleasant feeling when the doctor entered for me, but not here.
We talked for a bit more, and Chansey told me how she and Happiny ended up here, at the ship. I felt strange, it was not a happy story. She also told about Mew, Ditto and Esmeralda. Chansey obviously thought I had the right to know it.
Buneary turned around. "Well, we'll be back again, so we will see you later!" We continued to walk on the routine. "Now we are going to check on Mew - she will like it." We continued our trip, and I could see some pink smoke from beneath the door. "Wait for a moment, Pichu," Buneary said with a smile.
She knocked on the door, but with an irregular and long knock. The door 'magically' opened. "Mew!" Mew was, as usual, turning somersaults. I could see Ditto behind her, and Esmeralda, too. They were playing with pink smoke.
I was stunned. There was too much to look at here. Describing it was almost impossible.
The room looked like it belonged to a child. There were toys everywhere, and the room was filled with colours. I could not make out the colour the wall was painted in, as it was painted in too many colours.
There were also lots of shiny things, they were blinding me with their shininess. There were also a few balloons floating through the air - slowly. Soap bells were ever present in.
I do not know what to think about the room. It was really strange. It was just not real.
I laid my eyes on one of the many objects in the room. It was Pikachirate's pillow. He was complaining about how he could not sleep because his pillow was gone. He even suspected Mew from stealing it, and it was another thing to see it as the truth.
I saw Buneary discussing with herself if she should try to get trough the thick layer of toys, but she knew better and just stood in the door opening. "Mew, give the Captain his pillow back. Otherwise, he might consider leaving you on the next island," she said looking very seriously. I knew she meant it. "You don't want to anger the Captain." Mew nodded and left with the pillow, only to return seconds later without it.
We left after a few more minutes - small talk time was over - and went to the deck. There always was someone on the deck. This time, it was Abra. "Hey Abra!" Buneary said. Abra turned around, and stared. "Are you looking at the sea again?" Buneary was pretty sure about that, so she must know all about everyone.
Abra nodded. "I don't need to tell you; you know all about it. It just has a beautiful indigo colour..." Abra did not finish his sentence. I got frustrated, it made me think about my father, and I did not want that.
After half a minute, Buneary urged Abra to talk. Abra told me his background story - a bit unwilling - but he still told me. Sadness came over me again. The silence was in the air.
"Well," Buneary said to break the silence," we will be going now! Enjoy the sea!" We left in a friendly way. Abra was still staring at the sea.
"Buneary?" I asked. "Do you know all about me? I mean, you got messages about me from... Charmander." It was difficult to say it. He was still the one who left me on this ship.
She stopped walking, and I did so too. "I have read a lot about you, I can't deny that. But Charmander's information doesn't seem to be as accurate as we thought. You knew how to manipulate him, and that means our predictions about you as a Queen is wrong." I was shocked. I was not aware this would be predicted.
"You... you predict certain events that might happen? How did you describe me as a Queen?" I wanted to know - how did Charmander see me? As a vulnerable Pichu, like everybody else did?
Buneary began walking again. "Let's go to my room, it will be in my room." So we went to her room. She took hold of a notebook without hesitation, and opened it.
"Well...? Is it bad?" I asked in a broken voice. It is rough on you if you get to know how others saw you.
"Okay. Calm down, it's not as bad as you think. It says here you will be a Queen who follows the will of the King... Can you picture yourself doing that?" No. I can't see that, as we should be equal. "As a Princess, you were 'unsure' of yourself, and 'shy'. Next to those, you were a silent type, who loves reading. Are you the silent type?" she asked curiously.
"I am the silent type, but only because I am observing. Know them, before they know you, that is what I have been told," I answered. It was true, yet you could not know everything with only observing.
"I'm glad you're not the Pokémon described in this note book, you would have locked yourself up in a room." She smiled at me, happy I was indeed not that Pokémon they thought I was. She sighed and took a moment to lose some thoughts.
"I think I'm obliged to tell you my background story. You told me yours, so I will tell mine." And she told me about her life. It was descriptive, as if she knew every single detail from it. It was terrible to hear – I never knew the Crew had such terrible lives.
Buneary sighed once again, and put on a smile. "Let's see if there is a new message," she said.
We went to another room - I never had been there. It was silent when we entered, and no Pokémon was in sight. "Where are the Pelipper, Buneary?" I asked. She answered with simplicity.
"You don't want to be locked in a room all day, so why should they? Most of them are delivering messages, while others are somewhere on sea." She walked to a pile of letters, and I could not help but notice a letter.
I recognized the post stamp - It was from the Land of Dragons. I corresponded with the Princess there, Dratini, 'The Silver Feather'. The safety name was always a colour or something special, like gold, and an item. I was the one who went to The Land of Yellow, but in the letters it was 'The Golden Apple'.
Unfortunately for us, we could not correspond like friends. Dratini could not use a quill to write, so she had to dictate. There was only a formal tone in the letters that were sent to Princesses. Other Princesses were the closest to friends, yet they could not be my friend. The formality was in the way for that.
Buneary was scribbling notes down, and in a flash I could see the safety name. I remained silent, as she did not ask me if I knew anything about it. I did not feel the need to tell her about it at the moment.
"Pichu, shall we go to Sneasel, now?" I was not sure what his task was. I only saw him at the party, we never talked. "I can give him directions to where he has to go to," she finished, without knowing I did not understand it.
We continued our walking - it was a bit tiring, and that surprised me - and I saw Sneasel on the deck. He said: "Hey, Buneary, change of directions?" He stood next to the steering wheel, so I can say with certainty he is the one to steer it.
Buneary smiled. "Yes, we are not going to Plaza del Catans, so could you move us to the Mountain of Ice?" Sneasel smiled - it was a reaction to what Buneary said - and took his job. I wondered what was going on between them, but before I could come to the wrong conclusions, Buneary spoke again. "I'm sure you are happy - you can see Roselia again after some time." Buneary knew... so much. It is a bit intimidating, yet gives a confident feeling to have her as a friend.
"Roselia?" I asked. Just like the other Crew Members, Sneasel told me his past, how he met a Roselia that made the sun shine for the first time in his life - literally. This story had both sadness and romance in it. I felt a bit better after hearing it.
Thinking about the Mountain of Ice, I was actually not happy, and happy we went to the Mountain of Ice. It was a place I wanted to visit sometimes, but I wanted to avoid it, too. It was the birthplace of my mother, and I am sure I was known there - even if it was by few.
"Why are we going to the Mountain of Ice?" It was said perfectly, even though I hesitated. I did not want to ask the question, yet I had to. It was emotional to think – think about what I opened up for on this very day. It was haunting me.
Buneary did not care that much. "Just a place where we can be safe, it's a distant island and one of our 'spies' is there. Sometimes letters aren't enough and you have to talk with someone face to face, don't you think so?" I nodded, at loss for words. It was overwhelming, and I had to stop thinking about it. Had to.
"I have not seen Pikachirate yet," I said to change the subject. "Do you think he is hiding for someone?" I knew there was some truth in it, but I did not want to see it. I should have said something else.
"Well, I think it's best to avoid him for the rest of the day. He needs a day of rest as a Captain." She, too, had hesitated. She wanted to say something else, but had changed her sentence in the middle.
"So, where are you headed to now?" I asked to lighten the mood - again.
Buneary fell back in her routine. "We're going to Chatot; he has a good intuition, knows when something dark is coming up. For example, he didn't want to steal the... 'The Golden Apple', even though he never backed out of those things before. I mean stealing important objects." I started to learn more about the Crew by the day. And today by the minute.
When we entered - yet another room - Chatot already began speaking. "I don't know for sure, but the direction we are going..." He did not finish his sentence.
"Yes?" Buneary urged him. I felt like a Pokémon who never spoke. Buneary did most of the talking.
"It's a bit mixed. Good things happen, but so do dangerous events," Chatot finished. Chatot shared a look with Buneary, and I saw Buneary nodding. I did not know what to make out of it. Buneary scribbled something down in one of her notebooks.
"Anything else? How are you today?" Buneary asked in a more relaxed tone. I stood in a corner of the room, silent and observing.
Chatot flew around for a bit. "I'm glad we're not at Eon Island anymore. It was a bit too filled with joy, in my opinion," Chatot chattered. "Not that I was on the island for that long, but it was too much. They were too happy, as if they stole all the happiness," he continued. I did not want to believe that. Happiness was not equally in this world, but it was definitely not only on Eon Island.
He told me a bit about his past, but it was lacking. He told me in one sentence he met Charmander, and that they went to Pikachirate together. End of story.
I thought I would not be able to stand the rest of the conversation, so I cleared my head and tried to think about nothing. I failed miserably - I thought about the almost-kiss, the legends Buneary told... And of course about the necklace. I should not have taken a look at it nor given it a thought.
The sun went down - it was going faster as we went to the North-East, we moved away from it.
Buneary told me about Blastoise past, and I froze when I heard he saved Pikachirate. I had not expected that.
Buneary did not tell me about Pikachirate's past. I did not ask her to tell me about it, as I knew it was too personal.
Buneary startled me. "How's your day? Had fun?" Buneary asked. She had asked all the other Crew Members, but now she wanted to know what I thought about the day.
"Unusual, and I felt a bit down. Still, the day got better when we walked," I answered. It took the time away. Time is immeasurable, it is just a difference between the first and the second moment.
"Why were you feeling down?" Buneary sounded concerned. "Did something happen?"
"No, nothing happened." I tried to sound like nothing happened. "Just some thoughts about things in the past–" I stopped talking. Buneary has a good memory – I stayed silent.
"Are you sure you are alright?" she asked. She asked it as a friend, and worry was audible in her voice. I felt slightly better.
"Yes, I am fine," I said in an assuring voice. "Only tired, that is all." I needed some sleep.
"You should get some sleep, then." She was right, of course she was.
"That is a good idea. Goodnight, Buneary." I walked to the Captain's room. The bed sounded very comfortable at the moment.
I heard Buneary say: "Goodnight Pichu." Today was a productive day. I am sure she thought so, too.
She is the most beautiful Princess of all
In both looks and thoughts
A strong weapon she is
Even though she thinks otherwise
Her manners are always present
And her knowledge of the country is massive
She won the contest where she did not know she participated
Her prize was the title 'The Golden Apple'
To The Fairest
*Author Note - We explained the name 'The Golden Apple'. What did you think of it? Review if you like, whether you're a user or simply here for reading! :D*