Daichi awoke to the sound of silverware and plates clattering on the table downstairs. Dusty, grey light filtered in through the window. Sachi had been on the air mattress next to her when she fell asleep, but her spot was cold and abandoned. Daichi's seifuku was folded on the floor a short distance away. The normal-type crawled reluctantly out from under the blanket, still smelling strongly of Sachi, and carried the uniform with her to the bathroom.
When Daichi finally made her way downstairs, Sachi and her father were seated around the newly-unpacked kitchen table with three strangers: a girl no older than six or seven, a a boy who could have been twelve, and a Starly who was, to Daichi's dismay, sitting at her spot next to Sachi and working on what Daichi was certain wasn't her first or second pancake.
Daichi puffed out her chest and cleared her throat.
The quiet, casual chatter paused, and Sachi looked up from the map she'd been studying.
"Hey, Daichi," she greeted. "Morning."
"Morning." Daichi nodded curtly at the guests.
Sachi's father stood from his seat at the far end of the table and gestured for Daichi to sit down.
"We saved you some," he told her, piling three pancakes — chocolate chip, Daichi noted begrudgingly, exactly how she liked them — onto a plate with a butter, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream.
"No sprinkles?" she asked sadly.
"We didn't have any," the boy with the Starly said, and Daichi realized that the food had been their doing.
"Chi, these are Shiki and Ren," Sachi told her, taking a sip from her coffee. "They live next door. Guys, this is Daichi. The one I've been telling you about."
Daichi's face warmed. Sachi had been talking about her? She sat down quickly and took to dipping her finger in the whipped cream and licking it off.
"So, Daichi," the boy — Ren — began. "Sachi says you're pretty good. You think you could take on my Sora after breakfast?"
The Starly looked up at the sound of what Daichi concluded was her name. She was small — smaller than Daichi — with orange socks up to her thighs and a grey-and-white-striped skirt. She met Daichi's gaze shyly and then looked down at her feet. Dark feathers hung from her forearms like sleeves.
"We'll give it a shot," Sachi answered for her. "Right, Chi?"
Daichi shuffled her feet under the table. She had wanted to head out first thing, but if Sachi had said it, then Daichi couldn't argue; they were going to battle.
"Right," she sighed.
After the plates from breakfast had been washed and set aside to dry, the five — both children, Sachi, and their pokemon — settled on an empty corner by the edge of the town. Sora hadn't spoken a word to anyone; Daichi wondered if she even knew how.
"Oi, Ren," Sachi called to the boy as Daichi braced herself to fight. "How 'bout this: winner gets that map of yours. If I lose, Daichi belongs to you for a day."
Daichi froze.
"O-Onee-chan?" she gasped.
"It's on," Ren agreed. "Sora, Quick Attack!"
Without a word or so much as a grunt, Sora lunged quickly at Daichi, and before she could react, the Eevee was sprawled on the ground, and Sora had already fallen back to wait for her next instructions. Daichi glanced at Sachi quietly, dazed and in pain, her face hot with anger.
"It's alright," Sachi told her, not looking away from Sora. "Get back up and use Tackle."
She's out of her mind, Daichi thought, but she kept her mouth shut. She pushed herself up and dashed towards a startled Sora as fast as she could bring herself to move.
"Sora!" Ren called as Daichi ran at her. "Dodge and use Quick Attack."
Sora vanished from in front of Daichi, and a weight slammed against the normal-type's back. Daichi gave a shocked cry as she landed on her face.
"Tackle again, Chi!" Sachi ordered. Daichi staggered back to her feet. Sora was poised to move already.
This time Daichi grazed Sora's shoulder with her own, and Sora staggered backwards.
"Quick Attack!"
That's not fair! Daichi wanted to scream. That was a cheap, weak tactic. Daichi knew she was the stronger than her opponent, but she'd always been slow on her feet, and that stupid attack was going to make her lose. Sora struck her again, square in the stomach; she was too dizzy to stand this time.
"Give up yet?" Ren asked. "That was a quick battle."
"Nah," Sachi replied. Daichi opened her mouth to object, but before she could, something round and blue flew at her from Sachi's direction, hit her in the chest, and landed by her shoe.
"You don't have any items, do you, Ren?" Sachi asked. She pulled another Oran berry from her coat pocket and tossed it into the air.
"...huh?"
Daichi felt her trainer's eyes on her, and she quickly popped the berry into her mouth. The dizziness subsided.
"That's what I thought," Sachi said, grinning. "Daichi, finish her."