Waking up, with my eyes on the ceiling fan, I lay on the bed like a lazy pillow. Only occasionally taking a lot of effort to shift my position from the front to the side or to the other side. This went on and on until I decided to get up and start my day. Sitting up on the bed, I can feel the soreness on my skin under the pajamas sticking to my entire front torso while my hair bang cover my eyes which I slide back to the left. Getting off the bed, I check the floor and, unfortunately, being the kind of person who moves around a lot in their sleep, I have to pick up some of the pillows and bolsters that had fallen last night before going to the bathroom for my daily routine.
Walking out of the bathroom with a towel covering myself, I open the cabinet to try to find my facial creams, only to remember that I have run out. Huffing, I try to make this better by opening the closet, where all of my past projects are. Like always there are quite a lot of long-sleeved options presented in front of me. There is a checkered shirt with each check being a different color and fabric that never repeats, mostly from used clothes that no one wants anymore, a simple shirt formed from horizontal stripes instead of the vertical from yesterday, a patchwork dress that isn't a haphazardly made mess, and many more. In the end, I settled for a buttoned shirt formed from many densely woven buttons that can be opened from any position. This shirt ends up feeling more like flexible armor and I love it! For the pants, I wear culottes with very large trouser legs that make it look like I am wearing a dress.
Walking into the kitchen, I open the fridge and see what I can make for today's lunch. Looking over the vegetables, which are mostly tomatoes and packaged meat, a container manages to catch my eye, it is my special bolognese sauce from two weeks ago. ' I better finish this before it gets stale.' Deciding to have my favorite food for lunch, I took out the sauce, lasagna sheets, nutmeg powder, milk powder, packs of mozzarella, parmesan, and cheddar.
Before I close the fridge, I treat myself to a small piece of chocolate. Now in the mood, I place some of the lasagna sheets under warm water. Second, I reheat the sauce and, once hot enough, I mix in nutmeg powder, milk powder, and grounded parmesan. Third, I place the sheets, sauce, and cheddar cheese in the lasagna pan, repeating this sequence until the last layer, which is when the mozzarella is added. Lastly, I cover the pan with aluminum foil sheets and place it inside the oven, setting it to bake at 190C for 55 minutes. While I wait for that to cook, I go back to bed and take a nap until the oven beeps.
It didn't take long for the beeping to start, so I woke up from my nap and set the oven to broil before preparing my bag with the dress and filling my water bottle. Opening the oven door, the smell of bolognese and cheese instantly filled the kitchen and made my mouth water. I take the pan out and cut the lasagna into four foil trays and cover them up with aluminum sheets.
' One for today, one for tomorrow, and the rest for my neighbor,' I planned. I left one tray in the fridge, though I wish I could have given it to Desmond. He'd love it like he always did. Stepping out of the apartment and heading to my neighbor's, I ring the doorbell, and, soon enough, Sebastian is at the front door. He was wearing a worn-out t-shirt and shorts that had old brown stains on them, plus some fresh ones. Looking at his eyes, he has very recognizable black circles under them, even though he drinks so much coffee. But as soon as he saw what was in my hand, those circles seemingly disappeared. Seems it's doing a better job than what that bitter drink could ever do.
"Wow, thanks for the lasagna once again, Ansel."
"You're welcome, I can't finish them all alone. How's Percilla and Minerva?"
"Oh, they are both sleeping: Minerva somehow can sleep as long as our baby daughter."
"And you? Pulling an all-nighter again?" I worriedly ask.
"Yeah…" he admits shamefully.
"Well go back to sleep, your family is waiting for you."
"Okay, bye-bye."
"Bye-bye~." and with that I went on my merry way.
Walking to my shop, I got some unusual looks from everyone, though it's not odd for a weirdo like me. Looking up, I saw that the weather is pretty cloudy today, with the blue of the sky being replaced by a gray fog or an incomprehensibly large cloud, but I prefer the former. It also seems to be obscuring the skyscrapers as well. ' Today is probably going to be rainy, but thankfully I will be in my shop when that happens.' From the glass door to the work table, I sit and wait for customers once again.
Humming my favorite song from yesterday, the first customer of the day finally arrives.
"Welcome to my shop, is there anything you need?" I ask cheerfully and genuinely.
"Yeah, hi… That's a lot of buttons. Are you crazy or something?"
"Yes, I am and I will continue to do so. Now go on, and find something you need. Just pretend I didn't wear this. And no, don't pretend I'm naked of course." He gives a cheerful huff before saying, "Oh, It is a little hot in here. Can you turn up the A/C?"
"Oh… alright then," I cheerfully say. 'This is going to be awful. And how does that guy even feel hot when he is wearing a tank top and very short shorts?' Despite that, I got up and did as I was asked.
There is something I always notice about living in a large city; everyone you meet will always be a stranger no matter how long you have lived there. There are simply too many people and their lives can get so busy. No one can ever get used to you and you will be left out because of it, not like it affects me. But unlike Rippegio's childhood settlement, everyone recognizes and tolerates each other, including me, even though I am human. This was also back when I used to go over there to play with Rippegio and meet some of them there, though I have forgotten many of their names like usual. That's how I have been able to know they are so much more like us.
As new customers are coming in, one in particular among them has arrived. "Hello! It's me from yesterday— Woah, that's so many buttons!"
"Hi, here's your dress." I handed over the dress before saying, "This shirt can actually be opened from any side." The cold was starting to set in as I spoke.
"Wow, that's very cool." She gave me two thumbs up and left with a goodbye like last time. With her gone, I get up and check for that guy, and he is still looking around. I pleaded in my mind for this end as I looked at him, while the cold had already chilled my face and the chilled sweat in the sock only made it worse. Sitting there and shivering, a young couple standing around the dress section catches my attention. The female half of the couple wears a white t-shirt under an overall skirt and is very excited to be inside the shop, whereas the bored male half was wearing a blue and white checkered shirt and was checking his phone waiting for this to end. The scene is very reminiscent of the classic girls' love shopping and boys' hate it scene that I have seen so many times in romance media.
The gal suddenly approaches me and says, "Hey, I'm having a hard time picking out something. Do you have any recommendations?"
"Well, what are you looking for?"
"Isn't it obvious?" she said in a disappointed tone, that I have heard a bit too many times by now.
"No…"
She let out a groan, and says, "Fine, since there is something wrong with you. It is somewhere over there." She then points toward the direction. But I could not tell where she was pointing.
"Where? Can you please say it?"
"Tsk, it's where the skirts are."
"You could have just said it directly, you know."
"I know, I just don't feel like it."
I walk over, "Alright…, let's- AH-CHOO- go." I take out my handkerchief and wipe my nose before walking with them there.
"You're the owner of this shop, right?' she said hanging from one of the empty stands
"Yes," I said while paying attention to the skirts with my hand on my chin.
"Then, why don't you turn down the A/C yourself?"
"Because someone wants me to turn it up."
"Then why do you listen to that bozo, hmm?"
"Because I don't want him to feel uncomfortable here."
Shocked, she berated me: "You're the boss here, you own and control everything. Why did you just let him run all over you like that?"
"WHY DO I HAVE TO LISTEN TO GIRLS LIKE YOU WHO NEVER TRY TO UNDERSTAND OTHERS? YOU SELFISH, UNCARING, INSENSITIVE JERK!"
"WELL WILL A SELFISH, UNCARING, INSENSITIVE JERK, GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR WELL-BEING?! THAT GUY MADE YOU SUFFER!"
"YES, IT IS UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ME, BUT WHAT I AM DOING IS GIVING THE THING THAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU NOWADAYS COULDN'T SEEM TO GIVE!"
"WHAT IS EVEN THE POINT OF THAT? YOU GET NOTHING IN RETURN!"
"YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO EXPECT ANYTHING IN RETURN!"
"Ladies ladies, can y'all please quiet down and settle this like actual mature adults!" her boyfriend interrupts.
"SHUT UP!" She shouts at him
"TAKE THOSE WORDS BACK, YOUNG LADY!" I shout back.
"Oh, so you're my mom now huh? What, now you like to stay at home and be a pathetic housewife?"
"YES I DO, AND I LOVE IT!"
She gasps before shouting," HOW CAN YOU BE SO PATHETIC TO LET A MAN DO YOU LIKE THAT?!"
"NO, MY LOVER IS THE BEST PERSON THAT HAS BEEN PUT ON THIS PLANET JUST FOR ME! HOW DARE YOU ASSUME HE'LL TREAT ME LOWER THAN HIMSELF!"
"Oh yeah? Then how does the walking ATM treat you, hmm?"
Baffled, I shout back, "HOW DARE YOU THINK THAT I LOVE HIM JUST FOR HIS MONEY!" I turn my head to her boyfriend "You better break up with her! She is only with you to leech off of you!"
"THAT WASN'T WHAT I MEANT, ARE YOU RETARDED!?"
"I'M NOT, I'M PERFECTLY NORMAL!" I feel tears running down my eyes.
"SEEMS TO ME SOMEONE HAVE FALLEN OFF A CRIB WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE."
"NO, I DIDN'T."
"Oh yeah, then why couldn't you seem to understand that I want the skirt?!"
"I CAN'T JUST KNOW WHAT YOU WANT LIKE A PSYCHIC!"
"I AM WEARING A SKIRT! ISN'T THAT ENOUGH OF A HINT?!"
"OF COURSE NOT, YOU COULD HAVE WANTED TO BUY SOMETHING ELSE!"
"Then, you are definitely retarded." She looks at me unimpressed.
I take out my sewing kit before threatening her with, "SHUT UP BEFORE I STITCH YOUR MOUTH SHUT! NO ONE AND I MEAN NO ONE CAN EVER SAY ILL OF ANYONE CLOSE TO ME!"
"Oh, is this little retard trying to fight? Need me to teach you how to punch like a normal person?" I immediately jump at her to try to stitch her mouth shut while she holds my arms back. Seeing no success in this, we start to beat each other, but it didn't last since her boyfriend very quickly breaks the fight and pulls her behind him before politely saying, "Okay…, This is getting out of hand. I apologize for the inconvenience." He then immediately rushes out of the shop with that jerk. With them leaving, I lift the neck opening to see I didn't get any bruises thanks to the buttons, but unfortunately, my arms aren't so lucky, as my pearly white skin is full of red markings.
I huff heavily as the heaty adrenaline wains and numbing pain start to appear where I was hit. Walking back to the table, I am thankfully greeted with a nice surprise. He has already picked his garment of choice and is waiting for me, feet tapping with several people waiting behind him.
"What took you so long?"He asks, a bit concerned.
"It was a scuffle with 'that' kind of girl." I put my hand over my forehead as I huff. I can already feel the dryness on my skin from not using my facial creams as I touch them.
"Oh, are you alright? Injured anywhere."
"Yes, I only have bruises on my arms."
"Okay…" He hands over his shirt and I help him make his purchase with my hand noticeably shaking from the returning cold, made worse by the sweat from the fight.
"Are you cold?"
"Yes."
"Then, why didn't you just tell me that you couldn't handle it? I am fine being hot like that."
"Because I don't want you to be uncomfortable."
He raises his finger to try to make a point before putting it down, "Nevermind, people like you probably wouldn't listen anyway."
"And you're right."
Before he left I tell him to help me turn down the A/C, while I tends to the remaining customer until I notice a regular of mine. His clothing is casual but pretty banged up and full of patches that I helped him stitch before. All of this is for what he does for his passion along with living.
"How's it going, Ansel?"
"It's fine, Gerald. Who is the lucky little critter this time?
"It's a litleo!"
"Well, be careful, from what I remember they will fight you if they feel their pride is threatened."
"Oh come on, you know I have dealt with worse than that at the shelter. Like. I have dealt with punchy pangoro, the terrible fumes of gloom, and even the deafening shout from a loudred."
"Oh, don't forget that one time I got smashed into a wall by an angry tauros," said Gerald again. " It didn't even break any of my bones, but… I broke the wall instead."
"Alright I get, you like your job even if it hurts you, tough nut. Now, please pay up, the others are waiting." I politely remind him.
"Okay, ma'am." he jokingly says.
Once the last customer has left, I check the time. It's a little early to have a break, but I can't wait to eat the lasagna, it is the highlight of today. Giving in, I get up and place the sign anyway. Opening the foil tray, I could hardly contain my excitement, as the smell leaks out. Looking at the golden brown surface of the lasagna, I dig in, making sure to enjoy every single bite.
While my mouth is in a blissful state, I can hear the pitter-patter sounds of raindrops outside, so I get up and turn off the A/C. Suddenly, I hear someone rush in. Turning around, I see a drenched figure who is an older gentleman around grandmother's time. He wears an old worn-out suit and a fedora covering his eyes.
Seeing that I don't have a towel, I walk to his side with my cheapest sweater in hand. "Here, you need this dry up."
"You sure, lady?" he said, walking to a bench and sitting down.
"Yes…, I don't have anything else."
"If you insist," he picks up the sweater and dries himself. "I remember there is another lady like you who did this as well."
"Oh, Who is she?"
"Her name is Penelope. She helped dry me up the same way the last time this happened."
"Hey, that's the same name as my grandma. Are you…" I gasp as I figure out who he is.
As I stand there in surprise, he happily takes off the fedora to reveal that he is indeed grandpa! "Hello, again Ansel."
Forgetting being an adult, I hug him like the little girl I was and shout in excitement, "Grandpa, I missed you so much. Where have you been all this time?" I then sit down on his lap like how it was back then.
"I've only been away in Hoenn for three months and it seems that I have been gone for three years to you."
"Of course, it felt like that. So, What happened over there?"
"I've been looking around over there, enjoying the tropical climate in general. I even took some pictures of the landmarks over there." He then takes out his phone to show me the pictures. On his hand, I see the blue Hoenn oceans that nearly blend in with the sky, unlike the grayish ocean seen in Kalos. Amazing tree houses in the jungle city of Fortree. The imposing volcano that is Mountain Chimney. Long stretches of golden sands at the dessert and so on. It is such a shame that Kalos never had such exotic landmarks for all we mostly have are boring mountains and uninteresting plains.
We make small talk about the fascinating cities and landmarks he has visited and turns out he even got me a nougat, to which I thank him greatly. While the two of us are enjoying each other's company in relative calmness, all of it was flipped over, once I notice a reddish blur dashed into the shop. I immediately get up to see something covering itself with one of the display dresses! I quickly pick it up and shake it off to the best of my ability, desperate for the dress I worked so hard on. I start to cry as grandpa helps me try to get it off the dress.
Within the frantic struggle, I can hear someone getting inside. And thankfully, he goes ahead and helps grandpa. With one final pull, I manage to get my dress back, but all I see is what was once a beautiful violet dress torn into an unrecognizable drenched rag. I cry harder at how all my hard work and passion got destroyed like it was another cheap piece of clothing.
I get up with the ruined dress in hand and cry into grandpa for his comfort. I also felt my back being patted by two hands while I hug him. ' That man must have been whatever that pokémon's partner.'
After I stopped, I got off to look at the pretty normally dressed man. He starts to apologize profusely as he holds a vulpix that is now covered in one of my sweaters. I easily forgive him, because how can anyone predict the rain?
Seeing that I am in a better mood, he takes out his wallet and nervously asks, "How much is the dress?"
"1500, …sorry."
The man looks down in panic as he definitely doesn't have enough to pay me. But being the selfless man that grandpa is, he helps him pay me 1500.
"Thank you so much, sir. How can I ever repay you?"
"It's alright, she is my granddaughter after all."
"Oh, what a surprise. Thanks again."
He got up to leave but it was still raining. So everyone stays together to have a small talk at the bench, but before that, I get up and bring my half-finished lasagna over.
"So, how did all of that happen?" Grandpa asks the man.
"Well, I was just walking with Mimi to the mall when it suddenly started raining, and you guys know the rest."
"What are you trying to buy at the mall?" I ask before taking a scoop of my lasagna.
"I was trying to buy some groceries and ice-creams."
"I recommend the vanilla-flavored ones," I say while taking a bite. "They are simple and amazing."
"I'll decline, I prefer the ones that are more complex and weird in flavor."
"So, you're probably going to try the recently released spring onion flavor?" I stop eating for a moment.
"Oh, they have released that?! Thanks for telling me."
"Alright…" I respond awkwardly and continue finishing my remaining lunch.
"Hey, I have been left out for a while," said Grandpa.
"Oh, What would you like to say?" says the man.
Grandpa paused a bit, "How did you get Mimi?"
"I found her coming out of the forest hungry and I then fed her and we became best of friends."
"Damn, I thought this was going to be different than how other people get theirs."
"Well, what were you expecting?" The man then looks at me, more specifically he looks at what I am wearing. "Why do you wear like that?"
"I just like how it looks and feels like wearing it."
"Don't you ever get uncomfortable?"
"Some of them can," I say before remembering those ones. "I have a dress that I made of rope, the brown, thick, and hairy ropes. You can Imagine what it feels like. "
He looks weirded out before saying, "Uhh… that's nice." He awkwardly holds a thumbs up.
"I know it's weird. Also, I have also made several dresses that look just like a gardevoir's."
"Why?"
"Yeah, why? You seem to be kind of obsessed with them," Grandpa joined in.
"Well, I like how flowy their dresses are. And I also like that they are amazingly empathetic people. When I was just a lonely little girl, a ralts was the first thing ever to come over and comfort me, instead of judging me like everyone else… He actually tolerated and understood me, albeit still with some difficulty back then."
"Woah, that's very personal you got there, I can see how you'll like them a lot. Also, how did you know that's a male? And people?" he says in surprise, while Grandpa groans, probably from how many times he heard the same story.
"She won't tell you how she is able to identify them, the family has asked her that before, and she has always mentioned them in pronouns we use for us "
"Well, they deserved to be called that way, Grandpa."
"I know they kind of look like us, but they aren't… us, y'know..." I look away from him and to the man. This has always been the one thing that neither I nor my family has backed off, so we just accepted it as it is.
"Do you want to see one of my dresses that was inspired by them?"
The man hesitates for a moment. "Sure, why not, might as well use this as an opportunity to make it up to you."
"Thanks."I excitedly respond and run into the dress section and collect the best-looking one. It is a miracle whenever one of these dresses got sold since it fully covers the entire arm and hand making it a bit inconvenient. Later, I pick a navy-colored one with a simple shape of a golden heart woven in place of the heart shard. And for the six flowing folds, each of them has its own unique patterns sewn using gold-colored thread taught to me by Grandma and added with more of my geometrical style. Too bad, Sonetta couldn't wear them as their life in the woods would ruin it, unfortunately.
Switching into the dress inside the changing room, I can feel the folds tickling my sensitive leg, but I shouldn't feel it after some time. Looking down, The dress also exposes a bit of my cleavage, instead of modestly blending in with the dress, like Sona's. ' Well, that's what I get for being a human.' Anyways, I walk back to the two men on the bench.
Reaching there, I bow down like how I remember Rippegio and Sonetta gracefully did it and impressed the man," WOW, you look so much better and beautiful than I expected. Even you bow exactly like them."
Grandpa looks at me with a warm smile and says, "Although you made it cover your entire arm, I am happy that you still remember what Grandma has taught you.
"Thanks, Grandpa." I take a peak behind them "Oh, look, the rain has stopped."
Both of them look behind them and then back to me. "Well, it was nice talking to you guys, farewell," he said and left with a wave.
"I'll see you the next time you visit," said Grandpa. We share a hug before he leaves.
Walking back to the changing room, I decided to keep wearing this dress and pack up the clothing from earlier into the bag while the crunched-up aluminum foil was in the purse. Walking back to the work table while eating the nougat in hand, I take off the sign, a kid and a small pokémon entered. He is wearing a simple t-shirt and shorts or what I would call stay-at-home shirts, while holding a very distinct look of determination in his eyes. This kid is going to be a trainer! Groaning, it looks like this is another generation of these pricks from their irresponsible parent, who don't bother raising them all the way.
He very quickly picks his shirt and shorts of choice after checking the size. Then, he runs to my table, jumping up and down with money in hand, while his pokémon circled around him in excitement. "Hey guess what!" he says with the same energy as the pokémon.
"Hmm?" I respond holding a forced smile and holding back all the mean things I want to say to him.
"I AM GOING TO BE A TRAINER!"
"That's… nice," Inside, I kick myself - over that one word.
Calming down a bit "Woah, you look very beautiful, but why dress like a Gardevoir?"
"It's none of your business."
"Okay…"
"Now, get out of here, go for your adventure or… something," I respond apathetically, and they both quickly leave with a bye, that I don't care. ' I hope he gives up as soon as possible.'
After serving some more customers, It's time for me to close the shop, so I get up, clean, and roll the shutter down outside of my shop. 'I should buy the facial creams before visiting them otherwise, I will forget!'
Arriving at the mall in the heart of the city by taxi, It is a very modern building complex filled to the brim with everything you can think of, including an indoor theme park and a hotel built into it, which is also the first ever mall hotel. This is Orsay City's ace in the hole that makes our city notable, and citizens like me are proud of it.
Walking through the reflective glass tiles of the brightly lit mall, there are countless department stores all stack up in unison, with each having its own eye-catching sign and unforgettable themes. Both men and women shopping around here have many shopping bags hanging from both of their arms, all of them so unfortunate to give in to the mall, I pity they have suffered the consequences of such excessive spending. But fortunately, with the mall being one of the largest sources of… anything really. Most locals like me have refined our impulse control when it comes to spending, so if anyone leaves the mall with one shopping bag, you'll know it is probably one of us.
Passing by many people, I reached the skincare store. The aesthetic of this place is generally girly yet professionally clinical, as it is about the health of your skin for beauty. Walking over to the counter and sitting down, the cashier says apathetically, "Oh, hello again, wearing something more normal now, hmm."
"Yes, thanks for saying that."
"I was being sarcastic, but thinking what you have worn coming here before. It is normal… for you."
"Oh… may I have my usual, please." She silently gets up and walks away to collect them.
Bored, I turn around on the stool to face the Western restaurant located in between the department stores. A man sitting alone managed to catch my attention, as he looks over at me. Seeing this, I give out a soft giggle and blow a kiss in his direction. This manages to bring a big smile to his face.
"Hey, I got your stuff." she hands me several containers of facial creams, which I pack inside my bag.
"Thank you," I get up and leave the store. Suddenly, the man approaches me. He is decently well-dressed with a casual red coat over a black undershirt and a pair of short jeans.
"Hello there beautiful, are you free on this wonderful evening?"
"Garde~."
"What?! You're actually pretending to be them? "
"No, I was just kidding. Also, I am not free this evening."
"Aww, but what's up for you, though."
"I am visiting a friend."
"Oh, need a ride from ya man, here?"
"Hmm, no. Also, I'm already taken " I show him the ring.
"Aww man. Well, There is still plenty of fish in the sea. So, bye-bye."
"Bye-bye and good luck!."
After a while, I manage to get back to my shop and to Toby's. Opening the glass door, An old-fashioned candy dispenser immediately captures all of my attention and leaves nothing else for my surrounding. Forgetting that I'm an adult, I rush over, insert a quarter in, excitedly crank it, and get my reward that I immediately put in my mouth.
"Thank you so much, Toby!"
"I know you'll loaf it, you still have the heart of a child." He then pinches me on the cheek, which I allow.
"How did you get it?"
"I got it from a pawn shop because the price is just… right. So the usual?"
"Yes, please."
Once I got the muffins, I check the time to see it is 7.22 p.m. now. Sadly, I can't visit them for long now. Knowing this, I quickly left the bakery and to the park to see a good amount of people and pokémons are leaving for home now, leaving only a few weird stragglers like me. The sudden lack of people didn't bother me as I walk into the wild area.
In the woods, the dewy grass is pretty slippery from the rain not too long ago, and they made my way to them noticeably slower. What also caught my attention is that there isn't any sound of life whatsoever, no sounds of buzzing bug pokémons, no occasional trampling, and not even a rustle of leaves from the wind, this only left the wet sound coming from my shoes on the moist ground.
Once I reach the entrance, what I see stops my movement.
In my frozen state, I see craters, fresh craters caused by moon blasts. Surrounding trees either burnt into ashes or uprooted and scattered around. Ground full of cracks from devastating ground attacks and tiny smears of blood from how intense it must be. What was once a lush green field has turned into a wasteland!
But worse of all…
They're gone, the lone tree they always rested by has no one beside it anymore. No more greetings by the couple, no more cute laughter of their sweet daughter and…
I have lost the closest friend that I hold so dearly in my life.
I continue to stand there in a torrent of paralyzing emotions that he won't be here to help me now. I don't know what to even think or if should I even think at all whatsoever.
When the night finally comes, I came back to my sense once my leg gives out and the back of my head hits the ground. I let out a groan as I lay there for a few moments before getting up with a single hope left. "THE EGG!"
Rushing over to the still-standing tree and uncovering the leaves, I thanked and apologize to Arceus for not believing in him. The egg is there! No cracks, fortunately, albeit dirty from the battle. I cry with all of my might as I hold on to the egg. I have no idea what I am even feeling at the moment, all I wanted is to empty out my eyes.
As I look up to the sky to be reminded of what time it is, I get up with the egg in both arms and run back to the apartment.
At the door, my leg gives out once more, but I landed on my back, protecting the life in my arm. I then carefully place the egg so that it won't roll away and crawl up to the knob, unlocking the door and getting the egg inside first before at least half of my body. I almost forgot to take off my shoes, but the weird feeling of stepping on elevated ground with them on definitely got me to take them off.
Confirming the egg is still in sight, I crawl over to the counter and use the handles from the drawers to get back up with my legs staggering. Looking down, I felt a bump from my still-hanging handbag and left it on the counter before picking up the egg and into the shower. In there, I strip myself and inspect the dress to still be in good condition although dirty on the back from laying on wet dirt. In the stall, I bathe myself as well as clean the egg.
Getting out of the bathroom with egg now dried in hand, I realize I don't have my pajamas, and the hair conditioners. But the former was relatively quickly fixed, while the latter needed until tomorrow.
Softly laying the egg in the middle of my bed as if it is mine, I take out all the softest pillows and bolsters I have and stack all of them together into a makeshift nest. Making sure it is perfect, I then place the egg in it.
Once everything has settled, I lay on the bed in thought. Rippegio and his family are gone forever now… ALL BECAUSE OF THEM! I don't even want to mention what they are, these vile things are no longer a person in my eye anymore. And why… WHY DOES THIS HAS TO HAPPEN? ISN'T LOSING DESMOND ENOUGH!? NOW MY CLOSEST FRIEND IS GONE! THIS ISN'T FAIR! Slowly, my tears start to flow again as I silently grieve, letting everything out. I cried and cried for a very long time, even when my eyes are numb. Face full of mucus. My mouth is sorer than ever. Voice hoarse from how long it has been.
When I have finally run out of tears, my eyes are on the egg, the son of Rippegio Battuta. The very person who has helped me ever since I met him as a lonely little girl. The person that has helped me to be together with Desmond and the same person who has helped me move on when he was gone. Rippegio… I will be the parent of your child now, your sacrifice with your love will not be forgotten and I promise like with Desmond. I will continue living my life and not ending it, even if you're not here for me anymore. Even if you can't see your son grow up. With that in mind, I fell asleep with the egg snuggling safely in the nest being the last thing I see.
The Next Day
Opening my eyes, the first thing I see is the egg in its nest. The egg isn't moving, but I think it is going to hatch any day now and soon he'll need tending to. I'm thinking, " Looks like today I need to buy some supplies for the new life coming any time now." Getting off the bed to see no pillows or bolsters on the ground, it's obvious why.
As I brush my teeth, I slowly remember all the chores I have forgotten to do yesterday.; which are disposing of the empty tray, washing the water bottle, collecting the dried clothes, and doing laundry. Then there are the new ones like cleaning the floor, because of the mud and buying supplies. But luckily, today is Saturday, and I don't go to work today by choice.
Eventually, I end up wearing the same checkered shirt from yesterday and a pair of tough yet fluffy trousers made of silk woven in many layers. Remembering the facial creams, I collect them from the handbag, along with the buttoned shirt, and the trouser into the basin. With my face done, I empty the basin into the washing machine, and well… make the machine do the washing. After completing one of the first chores, I collect the clothes from the balcony and into the closet.
Entering the kitchen, I take out some crunched-up aluminum foil I used to contain the lasagna from my purse and throw it into the trash bin. Then I noticed I still have to clean up my water bottle. This is a tedious task as I hate the annoying squeaking noise, but at least I don't need to wash the container, especially since it wasn't filled with lasagna.
Once I have cleaned the floor of dirt from yesterday, I go back to the bedroom and sit next to the nest. With my eyes on it, I gently pat it with my small hand and utter "I promise I will bring you the best life I can offer and protect you even at the cost of my… life. But I will make sure that'll never happen since you need someone to guide you through life. And when push comes to shove I will not hesitate to do anything for you."
Leaving the bedroom, I make sure to lock the bedroom door and chain the key to my room together with the housedoor key before going to the kitchen. Taking a note from the handbag, I write down the supplies I need: berries, formula milk, bottle, toys, story books, infant body wash, infant shampoo, children's toothpaste, and toothbrush. " Oh, and hair conditioner."
With my handbag on my shoulder and a recyclable bag prepared, I leave for the parking lot of the apartment. Arriving at the car that Desmond and I had worked so hard for. The car was bought for our future children, yet that future never came to be. After opening the door, I get in the driver's seat and turn the keys to be on my way.
As the entrance to the indoor parking of the mall slowly gets closer, I dread going there as I look at it, because to get to the parking I need to drive up the spiral driveway to the tenth floor and I get dizzy easily. Even worse, I don't have the luxury of choice to park outside or in the basement, since these parking spaces are always occupied or bought, surprisingly enough. But the newborn needs supplies and I'm not stopping just because I get dizzy.
After I don't even know how long that torture was, I manage to slowly and carefully drive to a free space and park there.
After opening the door, I sit there for a while to allow the dizziness to subside before I get out into the very hot air, which strangely always smells like fast food.
Walking through the car park, I can see it is a dirty place, with the walls in dire need of a repaint. In addition to that there is the smooth yet very cracked concrete floor, and the dusty ventilation shaft, making it one of the most jarring places compared to the rest of the mall.
Arriving at the elevator and pressing down, I need to wait until the elevator reaches the tenth floor which is where I am, starting from the basement, since someone used it to get to a lower floor before me. I groan, before sitting down on a nearby bench prepared just for this and staring at the number.
Since I got a bit of time for myself, I start to worry. What happens after he hatches? Due to him not being human, others may try to bar him from many things he should have. It's not like I wouldn't fight for him to have these though. I just don't know how insistent authorities might be. Would I end up in prison in the worst-case scenario? Would he be taken from me?! Not that I wouldn't hesitate to kill the people who dared to do so. And how about his future? I definitely want him to have any possible choice for his life.
Since, he deserves it and can make use of it like the rest of the different species, including other human-likes. Ever since Rippegio had shown me the very disciplined Bisharps all the way over the mountains, where they are still present, or the Lucario packs, which are actually just one large family and not the 'alpha' 'beta' stuff our research makes them seem to be.
Then there is the phrase Human-likes, does this mean we have always been closer to them? Since there are many other suitable words to replace that, this word was chosen anyway and science is very precise. Could it be possible that we even had the same ancestors in the past? Since interspecies relationships between them are so common and have always given birth to healthy children, I don't know. It is illegal for humans to mate with them though, as if we are above them when we are actually just cowards hiding behind our technologies.
The elevator dings and I get in and press the 'G' button, which is the floor where the grocery store is. Inside the dimly lit but clean metal box, there is only the whirring sound of string releasing to bring me to my destination and nothing else.
Eventually, the door opens, and I walk into the brighter mall light. On the way, there are more people with shopping bags hanging off them, who I still pity. But, I still saw some people who aren't the usual binge buyers as they only had one shopping bag, which brought a smile to my face.
Arriving at my destination, It is crowded, which was not something I'd ever experienced before. I take out my note and walk to the produce section that's split into three subsections, vegetables, fruits, and berries. But I only go for berries today. Over there, I focus on oran, leppa, aspear, pecha, maybe a custap and watmel, since I like that they are very sweet, and so will a ralts.
Walking around, I collect the essential berries first. I also make sure to check how ripe each berry is, making sure it is not under or over-ripe. Then, I check how plump and smooth each individual berry is and toss aside those that I don't deem good enough. After a long while of picking the berries and mostly putting aside the imperfect ones, I walk up to where the custap and watmel are. These berries are comparatively more expensive, but also much more well-kept than the others. Even though there wouldn't be any need to inspect them usually, I decide to do it anyway, because I want only the best for this important day.
Crossing away 'berries' on the note, I walk over to the shelves for the formula milk. What I see baffles me, there are a lot of brands of formula milk at varying prices from miltank. This is plain stupid if you think about it, milk doesn't get more nutrition just by a bit of processing and to stay healthy it may not even be flavored. So in reality there is only one milk formula for many different prices.
' People confuse me.' I didn't think too hard about it in the end and just choose the cheapest one. As this is the baby formula section the bottles for babies aren't far off, just a quick look at the shelves on the opposing side of the walkway gets me what I need.
Crossing out 'formula milk' and 'bottle', I continue to the hygiene section, specifically at the toothpaste, where I am trying to pick either an orange-flavored or an apple-flavored toothpaste. So, I take out a coin, flip it and apple it is. After buying a small toothbrush, I leave for the body wash and shampoo section. Seeing many brands again, the same logic with the formula milk applies here, and accordingly, I buy the cheapest along with my hair conditioner.
Leaving the checkout with a full bag, I start to feel a bit hungry, but I still have toys and storybooks to buy. So once the purchases are done, I take the elevator to the children's store. In front of the department, there are many parents with their precious children either in their arms or walking right beside them. All of them happily chatted about whatever brought them joy. Despite all the happiness around me, I don't want to be here, especially not without Desmond, as most adults I see here still have their lover with them; while mine's long gone.
As I look around, I slowly remember coming to this very store several times with Desmond. Just thinking about what to hypothetically buy for our children and how he tends to choose toys a little more on the complicated side, while I chose something simpler. But he is not here with me to talk about it anymore.
"Mommy, look!" a child shouts, snapping me back to reality.
I turn around to look to see an embarrassed mother holding her son. Ashamed of what her child did, she apologized, "I am terribly sorry about that."
"That's alright. It tends to happen," I say while noticing a lot of curious eyes from the surrounding children. Which is also when I feel someone poking my back. I turn around to see a little girl behind me. Her eyes are full of wonder about what I wear and she pokes me on one of the checks and says out the color accordingly which I happily allow. I also politely tell her to not poke me while doing so, and she does just as I ask.
Just as sudden as her appearance, her parents then arrive and harshly pull her back, while profusely apologizing to me. But the parents did not exist in my mind as I can hear the little girl crying behind her parents. Ignoring them, I crouch down to the crying child and softly pat her head. "Do you want to continue naming the colors of the squares?"
She looks back at me in surprise before naming them once again. "Red… yellow… green…" Turning my head around, her parents look horrified and I understand; how can you ever hope to meet a stranger who'd happily allow a child to do this?
Eventually, she is satisfied and I leave her with a goodbye before going away. At the toy shelf, I choose a toy car, a rubber ball, and building blocks, because admittedly I like shapes. Moving on to the storybook shelf, there is a plethora of books and board books with interesting titles like The Very Hungry Caterpie, Fashionable Rocks with a rock wearing a hat as the cover , and The Giving Tree. This story is especially touching, I have always loved it when mom told me about it. In the end, I bought all three books and get in line at the counter.
After a while, it is my turn to make my purchase. The gal helping me then asks. "Why did you allow that kid to do that to you?" she points to my shirt.
"She just wants to name the color on my shirt, there is no harm in that for me. I mean what kind of parent would I be if don't have the patience and understanding for them."
"But, you just let her win."
"It is never about winning or losing. It's always about understanding them and setting boundaries, as you should remember how I told her to not poke me while saying colors. Besides it's inevitable that there would be some things a parent simply can't allow. And it is during those times they can grow."
"I see…, you must be a good parent then."
"Oh, I actually don't have one myself…" I think about the egg in the nest, "...yet. I just read a lot about children."
"'Kay," she casually responds before helping me with my purchase.
As I make my way to the ground floor, I decided to go to my favorite restaurant. The one I usually go to after a draining shopping spree at the mall. Leaving through the front door, there are a lot of cars moving across the street, but I don't need to cross them since the restaurant is up ahead on my right. Passing through the many shops, One managed to catch my attention. It is an ice cream shop! How long has it been here? Honestly, there's no point in asking now, since I will come back here later.
Arriving at the front door of the restaurant Harvest In, which is a simple and neatly decorated place, made to be relaxing for the eyes to see. Entering inside, I like that there aren't many people around, and it is relatively calm, This restaurant is a human-only area, which is understandable because some wilder pokémon can make quite a mess. Even more so considering the number of people bringing their pokémon with them.
Looking around, I am greeted by Ashley the waitress who has always served me when I came here. She wears a simple and boring-looking black and white uniform, usually seen in much more expensive restaurants. I would have suggested some of my clothes, but I don't think her boss will allow it.
"Hello Ansel, the same thing again?"
"Yes."
She breathes in and breathes out emphasizing the process with her hands. "Will you sit at the corner you love again?"
"Yes, thank you for keeping it clear for me."
"Mhm."
Sitting down, She gives me the menu and idly stands there. I usually don't read the menu since I will always order their signature spaghetti. But she has to since it's her job to do so even if we both know it is unnecessary for me. After a few seconds of the two of us staring at each other, she takes the menu back to the kitchen.
Several minutes later, she came back with the spaghetti.
'You're very repetitive, Ansel."
"Is there anything wrong with that?" I politely ask.
"No…, you're actually very easy to handle. I just don't understand how you don't get bored of eating the same meal in the same seat for four years straight." she holds out four of her fingers to emphasize.
"That's just how I am. I don't know why." I lied, the same lie I once told Desmond...
She huffs and leaves me alone. Looking down, It is a simple-looking spaghetti dish with the sauce already mixed in the pasta without any meatballs. Perfect for someone who could not handle anything too complex. As I slowly enjoy my meal, I think back to how Desmond and I tried to find the longest strand of pasta to reenact the spaghetti kiss. It was pretty funny, yet still very romantic. ' I miss you, Desmond...'
After a long while, I help tidy up the table and leave a generous tip before leaving for the ice cream shop and ordering vanilla, my favorite. Licking the ice cream, I walk back to the mall and elevator to the car park. Sitting down in the driver's seat I start the car and quickly finish the ice cream before making myself ready for the torture of the spiral driveway.
Back in the apartment, I empty the entire bag onto the counter to check that the berries, formula milk, bottles, toys, story books, body washes, and dental washes are undamaged. Confirming everything is there, I take all of the berries inside the fridge, the bottle with the cups, and the formula milk into the shelf. Leaving the toys and the books on the counter, I walk in front of the bedroom with the Shampoo, shower gel, and toothpaste before unlocking the door. A quick peek in the bedroom put away my worries as the egg is safe and sound within its nest.
With everything in the bathroom, I sit down next to the egg and put my ear on it. I can hear a little bit of movement within it. I think he will hatch within the next few hours and I have to make his first birthday the best.
Quickly, I get up and grab my duster to start the cleanup, but before I start doing it I wear a reusable mask. Back on track, I dust the entire apartment leaving no pieces of furniture unturned, no hard-to-reach corners ignored, and not even the smallest of decorations forgotten. I am dead set on making this perfect.
Getting off the ladder from dusting the ceiling, I grab a vacuum cleaner with a dry mop and finally rid this place of dust. Back to my bedroom, I change the simply detailed bed sheet to a colorfully detailed one, very reminiscent of a rainbow blending in with a cloud, thus giving it a very light and happy tone. I then place the nest in the middle of the bed.
Now the last task, this is the most grueling one that I have been holding off the entire time, the one that needs brute strength instead of my patience and endurance and that is… wet mopping. I might not be able to hold the newborn properly if he hatches right after this.
Anyways, I have taken out the mop and the pail. Looking at the stick, I huff "Time to finish this." and plop the mop head on the floor.
As I mop, I distract myself with some thoughts like: How would mom think of this? Can I possibly get a secondary caretaker that will treat him the way I want? Can I find him a proper friend? How can I bring him to school? How do I even break this news to Rippegio's parents? Will I even be a good parent... I dread the last question the most as I slowly mop.
After several squeezes of the mop and subsequent water wash, I put away everything and enter the bathroom. There I lean against the wall exhausted with both of my arms numb. I wish Desmond was still here to help with this. Tiredly, I stand up and wash.
Leaving with towels on, I turn to check the time. It is 4.18 p.m. As it is way too early to switch into my pajamas, I have to wear stay-at-home shirts, which are my only clothes that look somewhat normal. They are special in the way they are designed to be worn though. Sliding open the drawer underneath the hanging clothes, I take out and place the T-shirt on the floor, I enter my legs from the neck hole and lift the entire shirt up. Once it has reached my torso, I snap the press stud of the previously detached sleeves that were hanging from the shirt and then button the regular buttons. Afterward, I wear a drawstring short, with the drawstring kept within a dedicated inward pouch.
Looking down at this particular t-shirt, I feel a rising heat within my cheek as I remember how this set was meant to be used. Oh, and how I absolutely loved it when it was only Desmond who used it. But now, it is just a normal T-shirt, perfectly presentable to anyone visiting.
Walking back to the bathroom, I dump all my clothes from the basin into the washing machine and let it do its job.
Returning to the bedroom without any other tasks at hand, I walk to the bed and sit right next to the nest with the egg in it. My eyes focus on the egg, waiting for any sort of movement indicating the hatchling might be freeing itself from its prison. I was sure I wouldn't miss the slightest vibration. The slightest sign of life.
After sheer endless waiting, the egg finally begins to shake. An electric current seems to project into my body with each tremble of the egg making me shiver and tremble as well. The egg starts to toss and turn so much that I had to make sure it does not fall out of the nest.
Finally, the moment had come! What I've been waiting for the whole time! Cracks on the surface of the egg reveal the cherry red horn of the new life. By now, my trembling had stopped entirely and was replaced with the excitement of a life coming into our world.
Once the egg had fully cracked, the small child is revealed to the world. I push some remains of the eggshell off the child and pick him up with the name that I've had to hold onto for far too long.
"Welcome to the world…"
"Fideline."
With him in my arms, wet from the amniotic fluids and audibly breathing. I lay down, while I also lay him on me where I can see his head there. Eventually, his body is now dried, I push away the natural bowl-cut covering his eyes to see two little cherry-red eyes spark up in happiness upon seeing me and he moves closer to my face.
"Ralts!"
I tear up at the first word he said and how happy he is seeing me. Then I sit up with him on my lap as I prepare for the most important part of being his parent, I gently push his head closer to me until his horn makes contact with my sternum.
I feel pure joy, the purest form of happiness that knows no fear, no sadness, no anger, absolutely nothing else. It is just perfect innocence and wonder from just merely existing. And he feels all of this happiness because of me... ' I don't think this is a feeling that can ever be replicated again.'
Even better, this bond isn't a one-way thing for the both of us, as I also feel immense love pouring out of me from the infinite reserve that is my very heart. The love I cultivated from years of being loved myself. It is amazing as I feel the love coming back to me by Fidel, forming a continuous feedback loop of absolute closeness. Is this what being a mother entails? If so…, I have no regrets about being his mom!!!
Suddenly, I feel my body convulse. With all of my strength, I had to sever the link, only to regret it as I feel something terribly reminiscent of when I was robbed of something, similar to the time I heard Desmond had passed on.
As I shattered the link, my perceptions dulled severely. I could barely even see, my other senses rioted as well, barely giving me any feedback. This is more extreme than anything I have ever experienced with Rippegio.
In a slow process, my senses reboot. The most prominent feeling stays the remaining hot warmth where we had connected. Yet I start to perceive the fabric of the mattress touching against my legs. Then I became painfully aware of the weight of my own shirt. My ears begin to discern the omnipotent whirring of the ceiling fan again. A few moments later I became aware of my own breathing. Then finally my vision returns from the darkish gray that had enshrouded it.
With my returning vision, the first thing I look at is Fidel. He's just looking at me with the same smile from before and he looks so… beautiful that I pity all the other mothers because their children will never be as beautiful as mine. Seeing him, being with me fills a hole within me and it somehow is as had Desmond returned for a second.
Turning my head around, the clock shows 8.47 p.m. Not too surprising. Some things just take longer.
Satisfied with completing our bond, I lift him higher up to my face, and we rub our cheeks against each other while enjoying the happy silence. Today is his birthday, March 18, 2028.
Time moves by very slowly as I sit on the bed with Fidel on my lap, He is curiously holding my hand with his mitten-like one, inspecting them with great curiosity, as expected of any healthy child. This in turn made me curious about my own previously unfascinating hand. And really, it is quite fascinating that we have five fingers tying with the only other having that many, which are the jynxes and mimes, I won't use Mr. since they can both be male and female. Additionally, since they are psychics they aren't dexterous due to relying on their powers a lot. Unlike us who build up our civilization relying on them. Looks like we aren't as mundane as we think we are.
Suddenly, Fidel slowly gets up, but not before falling on me once. I huff along with him before gently holding both of his arms up once again to support his attempt at using his leg. Following him toddle in front of me, he takes a lot of effort and attention to moving one leg to another spot before repeating it on the next leg. His movement overall is very clumsy, which is expected of normal ralts. As he got more used to it and is moving faster. We got very excited at him moving around. Until he nudges my hand off and walks a short distance, before sitting down on my lap again. I then cuddle him and rub our cheeks again.
Seeing he is now more attuned to living, I carry him to the bathroom and find it just as interesting suddenly. I notice The reflective shine from the sink and toilet. The wonder on the colorful clothes within the basin. The urge to touch the towels and so on. Refocusing my attention, I take out a hair-cutting sheet and then remember that I forgot to bring the scissors.
When I was to place Fidel down, I remembered a newborn has no object permanence yet. So, I carry Fidel out with me to take the scissors from the sewing kit in the bedroom. Seeing the scissors, the tips of the blade look enticing. Fidel then reaches his arms out to grab the scissors while emitting some noise.
I look down at him, "Sorry, Fidel you can't have it. I don't want you to get hurt." Fidel fortunately stops and looks up at me, but is very confused. He is definitely confused by my feelings entering him.
"Ralts." He says, touching his head.
"That's… worry. It comes from me because I love you." I say and softly pat his head.
Although he doesn't understand words yet, He at least doesn't want the scissors anymore. Then we head back to the bathroom. Setting him down, I wrap the sheet around his neck and start cutting away. I start to wonder why I am cutting his hair while already having the reason to just have him see things easier. Which is confusingly contradictory, but our feelings are already linked now. So what's the point of worrying about that?
Once I have shortened his hair, I take off the sheet and turn him to face me. His cute little pair of eyes are now visible at all times. But his attention ends up being on his hair on the ground that he picks up several strands in his hand. I let him look at it for as long as he wants, which isn't long as he stops looking at them and tries to get them off. Knowing this, I help brush the hair off his hand. Afterward, I carry him outside to the closet and set him down beside me. Opening the closet, I excitedly take out little blue pajamas and put them on him.
Fully clothed, He looks all over himself with joy evident in his now visible eyes. While He is laughing from wearing his clothing, I found myself genuinely laughing along with him as well.
Seeing that it is night now, I remember that newborns need a lot of sleep and preferably earlier. So, I pull him over on the bed in a comfortable sleeping position beside me. He cuddles cutely once he feels comfortable. And it brings me to tears again.
Breathing in and breathing out, I sing a lullaby. A simple song that I have learned in preparation for motherhood, Wanderer's Lullaby.
"Wandering… child of the earth
Do you know just how much you're worth?
You have walked… this path since your birth
You were destined… for more,
There are those who'll tell you you're wrong
They will try to silence your story
But right here… is where you belong
So don't search… anymore
You are… the dawn of the new day that's waking.
A masterpiece still in the making
The blue in an ocean of gray…
You are… right where you need to be
Poised to inspire and to succeed
You'll look back and you'll realize one day
In your… eyes there is doubt
As you try to figure it out
But that's not what life is about
So have faith… there is a way
Though the world may try to define you
It can't take the light that's inside you
So don't you… dare try to hide
Let your fears… fade away
You are… the dawn of the new day that's waking.
A masterpiece still in the making
The blue in an ocean of gray…
You are… right where you need to be
Poised to inspire and to succeed
You'll look back and you'll realize one day
You are… the dawn of the new day that's waking.
A masterpiece still in the making
The blue in an ocean of gray…
You are… right where you need to be
Poised to inspire and to succeed
Soon you'll… finally find your own way… "
Just like that, we both fell asleep at the same time together, content with our life at that very moment.
