Amelia, Aria, and I stood quietly in the hallway outside of the conference room. Amelia had fallen silent and her expression grew unreadable. I had the distinct sense that she wasn't sure about how to feel. On the other hand, She did not look happy to be ordered back.
Arias hand danced across my palm. Our mental dialogue had been silent since the end of the video conference. I felt my hand instinctively reply, though the emotions I felt myself communicate still bordered on desolation.
"Well..." Amelias voice said, causing Aria and I to flinch.
"It looks like this is where I take my leave. I had back to the University tomorrow morning. I should go pack. Even though they didn't say anything about it, I'm pretty sure that this is it for me."
I gave her a confused look then proceeded to touch her shoulder reassuringly.
However, her hand suddenly flew up to mine, then knocked it roughly off.
"Don't!" She screamed at me.
Aria and I could only stare at her as she seemed to radiate her feelings. Which was weird considering the fact that she wasn't the one who just got suspended and stripped of their position. Her feelings seemed to intensify with each passing second. However, with each passing second, I felt a certain measure of disgust as I began to see what they meant.
Finally, just as she looked ready to say something, I turned around. Then, led by Aria, began to walk away.
"W-Wait!" She suddenly called out as she turned to me.
I stopped but kept my back to her. Aria turned around, then looked me dead in the eyes before looking to Amelia instead.
"My chances at a good college career migh-"
It wasn't me that shut her up. Instead, it was Aria. The sudden rage that billowed up in her seemed to radiate to me too quickly. Instead of amplifying it, I instead simply passed it back. I couldn't help it either. The rush of emotions were simply too strong.
However, she didn't scream. She didn't yell. As she said her following words, she had a calm face. I found it astonishing in retrospect considering the torrent of emotions that were flooding me. In a telepathic link that she all but drilled into Amelia with her eyes. All she said was the following.
It must be terrible. It's not like you lost your job, got put onto some "academic review", lost all your possessions, and your father figure. But it must be terrible.
With that, I could feel Aria snap the telepathic link shut. Further, the faint bond of friendship that she had tried to forge with Amelia could be perceived as a snapping to me. The sudden secession of emotions in any meaningful sense towards the woman.
Amelia stood there in shock as I placed my hands in Arias hands, then began attempting to calm her down.
"Rowan I-"
"Good luck Amelia. We are going back to our family. I trust you'll be ok for the night." I simply said.
With that, the two of us left her standing in the hall. The sum of her self-absorbed delusions on full display for only one person to truly see.
Her harshest critic.
Aria and I walked silently out of the pokemon center. The nurse began to speak but her words were cut off by the sliding door snapping shut as we simply blew past her. As we got outside, I came to a stop. My eyes were closed as barely contained emotions threatened to boil over. Aria, upon realizing just how close my emotions were to initiating a feedback, suddenly grabbed, then pulled me into a hug.
I felt her sense of serenity as she embraced me. It took a few seconds before I began to melt into her embrace. Her tiny arms were able to wrap completely around my waist, applying soft pressure in an attempt to fully convey her feelings to me.
I felt them all, reassurance, understanding, sympathy, hope, support. Love. In all the emotions we shared with each other, it kept circling back to that. No matter what ended up happening, even when I was disgraced and stripped of my standing. Her love kept circling back to me. It kept me grounded. Further, I began to remember that even if the culture I came from rejected me as it did now, I still had the culture I truly belonged to. It was her culture.
No, it was my culture.
I felt somewhat enlivened as the realization dawned on me. Dr. Kraffts disappointment was the only thing that really affected me in that room. However, out here, in the sunny pleasant day near my new home, I realized, in a small way, that I was not to face this alone. I still had that which mattered most.
Aria, and our soon to be born child.
That thought was enough to pull me back to speaking to her again. We had not lost the ability in that time. Rather, we both knew that at the time I was a hairs breadth away from being overwhelmed. Neither of us wanted to see that happen to me. So, we both remained silent until we finally released the embrace. However, our hands remained joined as our fingers fell back into their dance of emotions.
That could have gone better. I simply stated.
I hate Amelia. Was all Aria said.
I gave her a strange look when she said that. Amelia was... kind of pathetic in her own right. She was self-absorbed and egotistical. She only sought personal gain and was cold towards other people's feelings. If anything had sealed my displeasure at her, today was it.
We are well rid of her. I imagine that by tomorrow she will be back at the University telling her little friends about the strange Researcher who liked Gardevoir too much, they'll laugh about it, call me whatever, and then go get drunk and mate with the first males they see. I responded, perhaps a little too bitterly than was appropriate.
With a gentle tug, I decided that it was high time that I held up my end of the bargain. She came into town with me. So it was time to show her around. She seemed overly eager anyways. And I wanted to get rid of the remaining money I had. I had a feeling that in the coming months, I wouldn't be needing it anyways.
The first place we stopped was the pokemon academy. Most trainers started here if they lived in town. A few commuted from the villages to the south, but the majority were from this area.
So, kids come here for a combined education in pokemon and the basics that they need. They attend school from 6 years old until they reach trainer age. Then they can either continue with education for a while, until they are 17 like me, or they can go out and be a pokemon trainer. If they are a trainer, they go see professors like that Professor Sycamore and get a pokemon. Then they go out and well, you know the rest.
My explanation served as a preface as we stood outside of the school. I didn't really feel comfortable taking her inside. However, she looked at the building expectantly, then turned to look at me with those eyes which caused my intentions to shatter.
Can we go on? Will we get in trouble? She asked expectantly.
Actually... we can. I was reluctant to since I didn't want you to be swamped by the children or anything. Though at this time of day, it should be mostly empty. I replied with a hopeful tone.
More importantly, why do you want to visit a school? I asked. The question seemed almost pointless as I could sense her intentions. However, the communication was a welcome relief in a way.
A slight shift indicated her curiosity and excitement. She turned to me, then her tiny lips curved into a smile as we opened the door to the schoolhouse.
I wish to understand how humans learn. If I can see where say you went to school, I feel like I'll understand you better. She replied happily.
I didn't feel like correcting her about the fact that I went to school elsewhere. Geosenge town was where I grew up. Surrounded by peculiar formations, it never ceased to bring in the curious. Interestingly enough, it also happened to be where I met Maurice Krafft for the first time.
At the time, he and his wife Katia were examining the stone formations. I was young so I didn't understand at the time the difference between vesicular basalt and rhyolite. However, they both fascinated me by telling how strange it was that the natural formations had been supplanted with artifice. The rocks, called columnar joints due to the Basaltic rock shattering profile of 120 degree hexagonal formations, were long a curiosity. Further, he described, there was a possible cavern underneath the town. Apparently it used to be the emptied chamber of a volcano. Now, it sat unexposed as a mystery that still attracts people.
At the time, that was it for me, I went to college and sought a degree in geology. While I got one, I ended up minoring in biology as a result of the desire to also pursue paleontology. In one of those strange twists with which life is repleat, I ended up stumbling into a masters of environmental geology with an emphasis on behavior patterns as a result of formation and deposition of land-forms. My paper on the evolution of the Aerodactyl and divergence of therapod dinoasaurs earned me a doctorate in a time where the realization of the origin of flying type pokemon were being restructured drastically. Even to this day, the ever-changing facet of early pokemon dinosaurs still manages to make headlines whenever a radical new species is discovered preserved with features not previously described.
My musings ended as Aria tugged on my hand. She could sense my fond memories. Her curious face was turned to me while the light behind her framed her between a musing that developed about how heavenly she looked, a thought had occurred to me. I didn't mention much of my past to her. I felt regret at not doing so. However, I knew that since I had plenty of time until the board likely informed me that I was ejected from academia for good, I would do well to fill her in.
In response to this slight turn of less than enthusiastic thought. She simply smiled, her happiness radiating enough to chase such musings from my mind.
I want to say that you should stop worrying. She said as she looked around with curiosity. However, I know that you being able to research and to pass along what you discover is important to you. I see the enthusiasm you have when teaching young Asa our ways. I see your eagerness to learn. And I see your eagerness to understand me. But Beh Sze, With this, she placed her hand on my face, then gently tilted my head so that I was facing her. Do not get caught up in contemplating such troubles. The most important things in your life are never far from your heart. Don't let yourself forget what matters. As long as you don't, then no matter what trouble befalls you, you will never be alone. That's what our child and I are after all. We are your Te Ze.
Her hand was still on my cheek as she said that. However, as she finished. I found myself stepping closer to her. It was just a pep talk. However... it meant more to me than that. As my hand fell to her waist, then pulled her close, I was filled with comfort. Her intent and the meaning of her words were more than just placation. To me, they were reminders. I did not want to lose that which is the most important to me. She stood before me even when I was castigated. She did not lose faith in me, nor did her opinion diminish. Instead, I felt her instead become more enamored with me as I vigorously defended what was an entirely valid point. I stood by my beliefs even when it would have been better to give a platitude during the meeting just so that the report could be submitted and I could be left to get back to my work. That integrity was what mattered to her. I could tell that in her eyes, which were slowly drawing closer to mine as I moved forward to kiss her in the empty hallway of the school.
After the moment passed, the pair of us found ourselves in one of the classrooms. It had the 26 letters of the alphabet and a little chart of the numbers 1-10 on them. Further, there was also a colorful chart which showed all the different types of pokemon and well-known examples of them. Her eyes danced across that particular board whilst trying to understand the words, which were to her, illegible. Her finger traced across the board, then stopped when she saw a picture of herself. Her excitement was enough that I leaned in to see what the commotion was about.
Type: Fairy.
Well known species: Gardevoir, the embrace pokemon.
Beh sze, there is a picture of me, what do those squiggles mean? She asked.
Ses Frau those squiggles are the letters of the human language. They spell out different words based upon how you arrange them. That one there says "Fairy type" which is what you are known as. Further, those letters also spell out your name "Gardevoir or, as you are known in other locations, Sirknight. Here you are called the embrace pokemon due to the ready communication of emotions which you all but live in. It is said that if a trainer raises a Ralts all the way to adulthood, the Gardevoir forms an unbreakable bond. In a few cases, in order to save the trainers life, Gardevoir can create a singularity by collapsing a single rock or even a little bit of the air into a tiny point so dense that light itself is absorbed. This is used devastatingly. In fact, Dr Freeman wants me to look into it a little and see if you and I can't replicate it ourselves.
My somewhat long winded explanation was kind of rambling. However, I wanted to voice this right now while the oddity stuck out to me.
Beh sze, you find it strange too that he wants you to do this. She said as she felt my contemplation.
Of course. I am confused as to why he and professor Sycamore would dump these onto me despite it being made very clear that as of now, no real research could be done by me in any meaningful sense. I cannot be sure, but I feel like something bigger is going on and it bugs me. But the real question is this: Do you feel up to it? Do you feel like trying the singularity thing sometime, well well well away from everyone else? I have no problems refusing his intentions in the end. In fact, refusing him would be comforting in a way, I wouldn't have to put you in harms way. I said. I didn't touch on sycamore yet as I was still trying to understand just what it was he was asking for.
Beh sze, why don't we? I've got a feeling that even though he gave you this task, he trusts you very much. It was like he didn't want to side with you during the meeting because that man who insulted and demeaned you was someone to be intimidated by. She gave a look of concern as she said that too. The confusion as to how a single doctor who felt threatened by new research could so quickly influence the opinions of 10 others was something that both of us felt troubled by.
Finally, I gave a slight sigh as she directly asked to give it a try. I was reluctant to, but I have to admit that my ses frau made a point.
Alright but we will not push ourselves too hard... I said.
Speaking in the dualistic sense had become very common for us since the birthing process. The emphatic bond meant that our pains were shared with one another, our exertions were in sync. I couldn't be certain at the time, but this more directed merging seemed to be a turning point in our matehood. We seemed to be moving towards a singular end result. However, the sensation of being more codependent on her did little to make me nervous. Instead, I felt a sense of anticipation, as if some greater thing awaited us.
The two of us soon departed the classroom with her insisting that I teach her to write and understand our written language. I couldn't help but to smile. Just as her traits began to meld into mine, so did a number of my own. She gained a sort of greater appreciation for the concept of learning unemotional aspects. Her wanting to learn how to write was a perfect example of this.
As we walked along the path back towards the center of town, I noticed a cafe which was small yet looked to be quite popular. A chairs and tables were sat up outside in the sun. I felt a sense of joviality overcome me, which caused Aria to suddenly stop then look at me. I noticed her curiosity then nodded to the restaurant.
Cafes like that are very popular. They serve popular drinks and very sweet foods. I explained to her.
Cafe? She suddenly asked.
You know... if it wasn't for how adorable she looked as she repeated the word, I would have likely felt annoyed at myself for forgetting that she doesn't know every human expression under the sun.
A place where we can get food. It's considered special because it has a pleasant and serene atmosphere. Further, we can relax and take our minds off what happened earlier. I elaborated for her.
Her head tilted again as she gave consideration to my idea. After a few moments of contemplation, she finally agreed with a grin that outwardly expressed the anticipation I felt radiating off of her.
Within a few moments, the two of us were seated out on the patio. I did not know it at the time, but this was actually a popular spot because trainers could come with their pokemon and enjoy meals together. A number of restaurants seemed to have a no pokemon policy. Though when I thought back to such ones, they never seemed so popular. Given the countries collective love of pokemon, it was no big surprise that such places never seemed to progress beyond hole in the wall status.
After being seated, we were left on our own to consider our meals. For Aria, they gave her a menu in which all the items were given as pictures rather than worded selections. Given that few pokemon could read, this made sense. A thought occurred to me as I entertained that notion. If Aria were raised by humans, she probably would be able to speak like a human woman and read. However, the cultural identity which helped to define her so much would have been missing entirely. I watched as she browsed the menu items. She seemed curious about the tastes of the various foods. However, since communicating taste was rather beyond my abilities, I never really could taste to begin with, I could only describe the foods in terms of texture.
Well, Ok, so the fruit salad is a collection of different sweet fruits, it includes berry types which are common, but also a few melon type fruits. However, a deli sandwich is a collection of sliced meat with a savory sauce and some lettuce with buns of bread on either side. Now a salad is just different vegetables like the onions we dug up yesterday only not as sharp tasting...
I don't know...I've never had "meats" before.
Um... Aria I have been meaning to ask. Do we ever eat anything other than fruits and the occasional vegetable?
Not really... I mean what else is there?
Oh... ok then.
With a slight sigh, I decided to just explain it to her. I knew that as I explained to her the complexities of meat, where it comes from, and how it is important to humans diets, that her reaction would be... less than cordial. In fact, as I carefully explained how humans occasionally needed meats if they couldn't get the right fruits, and how meat was the carefully cooked and prepared flesh of a dead pokemon, I could feel the disgust rising in her.
Come to think of it, while she had small incisors, she lacked the flat front teeth that humans had which served to slice meat so that it can be chewed easier.
I...how? She simply asked.
This question was one in which no answer was needed. It was the natural order of things, but her hand slipped to me then placed itself into my palm as she looked around. In a very real sense, she regarded other humans for a moment as pure carnivores.
I felt this growing fear, then quickly made to broadcast serenity towards her.
While humans do eat some kinds of meat, they are very very very specific about what is eaten. Humans have a very specific selection and do not like seeing Gardevoirs or fletchlings killed and eaten. In fact, to do so is considered a crime because they all agreed that while it is necessary to kill some things, humans cannot just go around killing anything it sees to survive.
But still... She said weakly.
I danced her hand in my palm, to try soothing her further.
In human culture, there is a very fine balance that is always sought. Doing what is needed without being cruel. Realizing that certain natures exist and that it is often best to make sure that everyone sits down and agrees on what's right and what's not. The necessity is recognized, but a sense of guilt makes them desire a better solution always. Just as fruits are picked and there is no future tree as we have eaten it, so too does that happen.
Aria did not look entirely convinced, but decided that my explanation sufficed for now.
She looked at the menu for a few moments longer, then decided to go with a house special salad which contained mushrooms, tiny slices of orange, cheese of varied types, hearty vegetables and saute'd onions. As a side, I encouraged her to get a slice of the chocolate and cream cake.
As for myself, in respect for her views, I elected for a fruit salad, Gougères as a side of sweet puffs... with enough for the two of us, and a ceasar-esque salad. Given that Aria was adverse to meats being consumed, I had to settle with 3/4ths of all menu items not being available to me. It was a small pity, but her disgust was something I could feel was more personal. More importantly... If it meant so much to her, then I would endeavor to change. I was beginning to understand why too. When Dark types were discovered rather recently, Gardevoir stopped being almost unstoppable. They were now prey items for most dark types. Poochyenas tended to make short work of entire tribes, at least that's what one report I read stated...
To see it from her eyes then, would be realizing that the piece of meat on someones plate could easily have been a fellow gardevoir, even her mother.
After a few moments, drinks arrived for us. It was understood that pokemon showed preference towards sweet, so this cafe served sweet drinks by default. Thus, Aria got a fruity sweet juice made from sitrus berries. On the other hand, coffee was poured into a mug for me. With our orders then taken, we were left alone. Aria had stopped thinking primarily about humans taste for meat and had instead turned her attention to the surroundings. It seemed every few moments her head would turn to look at yet another object. I contemplated her, sitting in the sunlight with a cup full of juice, the sunlight reflecting off her aquamarine hair, looking as though not a care in the world existed.
I realized again that it was this, her positive attitude, her inquisitive nature, her eagerness, that made me come to love her. From these aspects sprung forth the other feelings that led to that wonderful night. Still, more importantly than all of that, was the sense that as long as I had her and our te ze, it didn't matter if the University suspended me. Dr. Kraffts words were the only thing that truly stung me earlier. However, I understood. I mean, I made a mistake. I got too involved. Strictly speaking, I should have left after that day. Everything that is rational indicates that I should have seized on that unease and made some distance between myself and the rest as I healed.
But the thing is, I would have regretted doing so. I do not regret the peculiar series of events which led me to this point. That empathic insight that day on the hill might have actually saved me in a way that I cannot yet articulate.
Aria could sense the subtle shift in my mood as the pain faded away to a sense of peace.
Beh sze, are you feeling better now? It seemed... too much for you earlier. I thought you were going to start feeding back your sadness onto yourself earlier. Aria looked me dead in the eyes as she said that.
I could feel the intent behind them. Our shared emotional link made it hard to miss. She was afraid that I would fall and that she would be powerless to stop it.
My smile seemed to brighten as I came to the understanding just how it really was. We were becoming more than just the either of us. If I fell, she would have fallen. The two of us would have gone into a feedback loop which could cause her severe pain. But more importantly, we would have allowed ourselves to become too concerned with this obstacle that was placed in front of us, that we would have forgotten the most important thing besides ourselves.
We would have forgotten the new life that quietly grew, waiting for us, its parents, to love and raise it well.
In that moment, I felt something slip away. So what if I was never allowed to work in an academic environment? I had a home, I had a family. I have experiences in my life which were more precious to me now than anything I had done since entering into university. Besides, even if I lost that, the bonds of friendship I shared with Maurice and Dr. Holtz told me that no matter what happened, I would at the very least still be able to confide in them.
So, in the end, I realized that while it did hurt to have such a quick dismissal of what I worked to collect, it didn't matter. I had something greater now than I ever did.
With those thoughts on my mind, and well within Arias perception, I reached towards her, then took her palm in my hand. As we waited, the dance of sensation we practiced so often just to have that tactile moment of shared emotion played out between our hands. In that little moment, I could feel myself finally returning fully to the present for the first time since the meeting ended.
Something must be said for how Gardevoir experience taste. Rather, the pleasure of taste. In comparison, this food put all the fruits we had to date back in our te ze to shame. It was especially her reaction to such new tastes that sealed it for me. I could feel her wonder fill me as she tried the different tastes of the various fruits. To a degree, I actually felt myself ceasing the act of eating just so I could drink my coffee and enjoy the atmosphere of her drinking. It was simply marvelous for me.
In due time, we found ourselves sitting at a table bereft of any remaining food. I still had some more coffee left due to my languid drinking pace, but she was without any food remaining. Instead, she had taken an uncharacteristic pose of sitting back in pure contentment. I had the feeling that if she knew about such things, she would pat her stomach in contentment.
Her bliss was evident as she began to speak.
Beh Sze, that was one of the most marvelous foods I have ever had. I did not know that humans had such a creative hand with food! Her beaming smile was more than enough for me to understand her happiness. However, I felt the joy reciprocating into myself. I felt a grin also come to my face as I found myself soaking in her happiness.
Well, humans get bored with their food rather quickly, so it becomes a race to discover new combinations and flavors that appeases people. For some reason, there has been a recent kick for spicy items like peppers that all but burn the tongue. I do not care much for such things myself ses frau, and I don't know how you would handle it. However, they say that it is very much an experience worth having. I happily replied.
Like the well placed observer the waiter was. The waiter came over, then surveyed the scene before him. Apparently, he had been expecting more of a mess rather than the neatly placed plates of food and the utter lack of any food particles. He proceeded to place the check on the table.
"Thank you so very much for coming sir. I hope that you will come again" He said simply.
I was cued off to how Aria began to feel as I was the only presence acknowledged at the table. Her dismay and confusion seemed to be palatable, the imagined taste feeling coppery in my mouth.
Taking the check though, I simply looked at it before placing money down. Rather than allow myself to rise to this blatant refusal to acknowledge my lover, I instead placed the money on the table, then turned to look back at Aria.
She seemed confused but I cut her thought words off by speaking aloud.
"Wasn't that great Aria? We should try making that ourselves sometime." I gave a light grin but then repeated it mentally to her. We had a shared language that somehow we could understand, in fact, it would be worth elaborating on in my notes later, but she still did not understand spoken english.
"Sir, I hope tha-"
"Anyways girl, let's get out of here. We don't want to get back too late" I said simply as I stood up, then walked over to her, holding my hand out. She gave a bright smile, then, finally catching on, took my hand before vocalizing happily.
As she began to walk off, I regarded the waiter then said simply to him:
"This is a pokemon friendly cafe. Try to pretend that you care about that policy in the future. If you want good tips"
My advice given, I proceeded after my ses frau.
Outside, the two of us gave one another a simple look of amusement as we left the front of the cafe, then burst into quiet laughter.
He was so confused! Oh, Oh I'm a bad person... I said in between laughs.
I know! Oh his face when you cut him off! He was so angry! Aria replied.
Serves him right really. I mean does he even REALIZE that he works in a place where people with deep bonds with their pokemon come to enjoy a meal together? Jeeze, Want to bet he doesn't last long?
Bet? Aria suddenly asked.
Um, it's when gardevoir make a prediction of what's going to happen but decide to see who's more right. This involves wagering, or opting to pay out, in any form of currency, like, you and I could wager that tonight, when you show me the waning gibbous dance of rest, I could say that I'd get it right after 2 tries, but you say I'll take 3 tries. Then we wager breakfast foraging duties tomorrow for it or something. I elaborated for her benefit.
She gave me an endearingly curious expression then asked. And do you think you can? Her small smile was sly, as if she wanted to test my confidence.
Who are we kidding? You and I both know that when it comes to that harmonic motion where we break sync to enhance one another's moves, I am still not timing it right. So it'll take 4 before I figure out the pattern. I remarked with a guilty smile.
Since she had recovered, she had been showing me a few of the more complex dances. One required one to initiate a dance, then the other would copy the move, but would then add an additional amount of emotion to the move, this would then bounce to the partner, then back and forth until the chaos of their motions suddenly seamlessly melds into one smooth motion. In this dance, the frustration of understanding and the sense of pleasure as one comes to understand another comes heavily into play. The feelings resonate until they fall into harmony.
Honestly, until I met Aria, things such as figure skating and ballet were merely things to watch and judge based upon how they looked. It occurred to me though: How would Aria interpret Ballet? Would she enjoy watching a figure skater dance across the ice?
I gave a sidelong look at her as she pressed her face against some glass, looking at a hat. Oddly enough, she seemed to like the light pink felt hat. The thought crossed my mind about how it would look on her.
She would look amazing. She didn't need to wear human clothes though to be honest.
Ses frau... I found myself saying.
She turned around from the window then looked at me with those eyes that I had been captivated by since the day I met her.
In the event that you ever wonder, I've always seen you for who you are. A woman Gardevoir. A Gardevoir who has a deep empathy for others, a large heart, the genuine enthusiasm towards others even if they don't deserve it, a love for teaching, an intimate awareness of the heart. I don't look at you and compare you to others, I don't wish anything on you other than that you continue to be who you are. You are perfect the way you look. No human clothing will ever change that.
I'm not sure why I felt the need to say that, but the desire to let her know this seemed to have filled me until it was all I could think to say.
Her face seemed to radiate happiness as she then leapt towards my arm, then hugged into it. I found myself curling into her hug, letting our cheeks come into contact in the process. Acceptance, I wanted her to realize entirely that it had always been about her and us...
Within a few hours, we found ourselves walking slowly along route 4. The sun was lower in the sky now, casting a more vanilla light onto the surrounding fields.
Suddenly, I stopped then glanced around. I knew this spot... Without really even thinking about it, I clenched her hand, then gently led her away from the path, then walked over to a stand of grass and flowers. A flabebe leapt off as we approached, thus allowing us to have the spot all to ourselves.
This is it... I found myself saying.
Where you found Asa? Aria asked.
It's funny I know, but I am overcome with a nostalgic feeling. It was recent, but it feels like such a long time ago that I was sitting right here, trying to make her realize I didn't want to hurt her. I was so scared and excited too. I had never really been a pokemon person you see. I never gave much thought to it. I had my own affairs. I gave a light laugh, then fell into the flowers. A small cloud of yellow petals kicked up that were quickly caught by the light breeze kicked up by the setting sun.
You never owned a pokemon? Aria asked suddenly.
Never had an inclination. Oddly enough, I never really saw pokemon as pets. They were... kind of like people in how I saw them. Just more things nearby who I didn't really care about. Geeze, hard to believe I could be so apathetic... I responded.
Why were you? She suddenly asked.
I gave her a look for a moment, then let my eyes trace the outline of a cloud before I dropped my eyes to the ground.
I'm not a psychologist. First and foremost I want to make it clear that I'm doing little more than speculating. I think that I was so afraid of others that I stopped seeing individuals after a while. I had people I associated with to be certain, but I never really felt close to others. I have trust issues. My parents weren't... very knowledgable about how to handle children. We often were taken to places children had no business in because they were still trying to have their adult lives. We always got blamed, my sister and I that is. It was always our fault somehow. The car breaks down, we get blamed, the tv breaks, somehow me sitting in my room was the cause. So on and so forth. After that, when I had the first chance, I left. I went to university, and I buried myself in work. Always it was about getting perfect grades, acing every exam, getting into the masters program, submitting my doctoral thesis. Now here I am, 28 years old and for the first time in my life I ask myself why the hell was I working so hard? Why did I drift from the applied geology and paleontology to paleontological field behavior of extinct species to comparative studies of living species? '
'Finally, I think I know why. I was hiding all this time. Trying to get the hell away from my past, cutting off all contact, never returning phone calls, never checking to see how everyone is doing, not going to weddings. Doing all I can to ignore just what the problem was: I really had a family. Sure, I had parents, I had a sister, I think I have a few nieces and nephews. But, until I met you, I never had someone I could call my wife, in the words of humans, or a desire to raise a child, or the desire to think more of myself. To think about my life in the context of being in it, and walking down the path towards the future hand in hand with you. Living a life with even an ounce of genuine happiness in it.
I took her tiny hand in mine, then looked into her eyes.
Until you came into my life, I was incomplete. So thank you Aria. Thank you for finding me.
Alone, with naught but a few Flabebes, a few skitties, and The sun as our witness, the two of us extended our hands to one another's face, then leaned in for a kiss. Drenched in Vanilla Twilight, I felt that no matter the troubles that plagued our day, nor the uncertainty of the future, I decided that no matter what, with her was where I belonged. With her, I felt the greatest sense of accomplishment.
The University could die in a fire for all we cared in that moment.
A/N:
Well, I put this off longer than I should have. I had the large body of this done up by Sunday evening. However, with the recovery of my jeep and an inventory underway to see what all was lost (It is currently in the shop getting a few parts replaced that were removed from it), I had been putting this on the backburner for a few days.
I've begun laying out the sequel I have mentioned in the past. The idea occurred to me that each character of importance is an aspect of myself in a way. Aria is actually the closest to me personality wise. Her diametric opposition to everything that Rowan was actually serves as something of a metaphor in and of itself. But more importantly, Rowan growing as a person also represents myself. The part that has come to feel, to think creatively, to act expressively, to feel freely the emotions that have always been there but always stored away.
Which leads me to the notion of a sequel.
It will be told primarily from the perspective of their child. I'll go ahead and say that they have a child who, since the mother is a Gardevoir, is primarily ralts (A friend has been getting me spun up on the breeding system in Pokemon X and demonstrated that if the mother is a gardevoir, the child will be ralts) But will have a few human characteristics: A more human looking nose, emerald ears, an ability to properly speak, but who lives in that in between world of two cultures. She was raised in the Gardevoir culture, but upon becoming a Kirlia, she sets out to understand the world of the humans. Along the way she meets a man. I'll go ahead and reveal it now since the details of him will also be pretty much in chapter 1 and not meant to be a secret. He used to work for the government of Kalos. He dealt with intercepting intelligence of many forms; human, radio, internet, even holovideo. He was the one who sent out a notice to the news media that the holovideo architecture had been compromised and that it was being used by team flare as a method of spying. He resigned his position in the intelligence community and now lives a life where morality tends to be in shades of grey. The extent of this will be revealed later. He ends up accidentally saving her from being captured by a trainer, and together they set out to understand one another and just what it means to live in the present progressive. One is growing into who they will be, and the other is setting out to discover for himself his own life and purpose.
This sequel will have a fair bit more action in it. But the action will be...
Experience based. I'll leave it at that.
The final same world story that has occurred to me is still without an end point. However, it involves an evolved human ending up in the pokemon world and her attempts to be acknowledged for who she is rather than being seen as a pokemon. (This is still abstract. It comes from idle speculation about why a pokeball captures pokemon only. Would it distinguish between an evolved human or not? ) I am not sure where this will go. It relies on me being able to adequately address the Einstein Rosenburg bridge effect without tap dancing too much on quantum mechanics.
Thanks for reading again. Happy Halloween and Good luck between now and the Holidays. I'm looking at a tentative weekly (If not twice a week) release schedule.
Dani~