Accumula Town never was the busiest of places, only really serving as a gateway for those venturing to nearby Striaton. The famed Professor Cypress may have lived just a few kilometres away, but this sleepy little hamlet survived on a gentle trickle of tourism.
Besides, some liked it that way.
Around the corner, across the field and alongside a row of trees sat a quaint little house. Tumbledown and half overtaken by vines, the tiny abode was home to a family of four.
Roused by a thin beam of light creeping its way through the badly closed curtains was Sparky the Emolga. With a stretch prickling its way down her back, she yawned animatedly, rubbed her eyes, and peeled away from the enormous beanbag she'd practically submerged into. The beanbag crumpled and Socks the Furret flopped from around the shoulders of Sir Higglesworth the Kadabra and folded up around herself like an accordion. Sparky thanked her lucky stars that both of them remained asleep.
Sparky liked her name. It was a nice name, and easy to remember because she could make sparks and stuff. It wasn't as funny as Sir Higgleworth's, or as cute as Socks', but her lovely trainer gave her this name, and because of that it was lovely.
And with that thought, her memory was spurred. Sparky jumped and scrabbled in her efforts to climb onto the big bed next to the beanbag, but confusion blossomed at the sight of a lot of nothing.
"…huh? Where's Miss Holly?" Sparky mumbled. The sheets were all crumpled and stuff, which meant Miss Holly had slept there last night, and she definitely remembered her trainer tucking them in, plus Miss Holly was at that age where humans were lazy, so there was no way she was gonna get out of bed before the rest of them, especially her. Because Sparky always had lots of energy, and was always always the first one to get up in the mornings.
But her trainer wasn't in bed. And that was weird, because there was this one time where Miss Holly stayed in bed until lunchtime, and Sparky's stomach had been groaning at her for hours at that point.
Sparky tapped fingers against her chin. Was it a special day or something?
Her eyes lit up. Maybe Miss Holly was making a special breakfast for the special day?!
A soft tingle started rumbling from somewhere deep within her at the thought of Miss Holly's homemade poffins – always perfect, and always a different combination of berries!
With a gasp, Sparky leapt from the bed and landed softly on the carpet. Sir Higglesworth and Socks stayed where they were as she scampered down the hallway. Practically gliding down the stairs, the thought of poffins was almost too much to resist!
But after scrabbling to a halt on the kitchen lino with a notable lack of poffins to smell, confusion struck again.
"Hmm... Miss Holly isn't preparing a super special breakfast?"
Maybe getting excited over nothing wasn't the best of approaches. Whatever Miss Holly was doing this early, she probably had her reasons. A cursory scoot into the sitting room let her confirm that her trainer wasn't in there, either.
The Saturday sun was getting ever higher in the sky, casting a golden glow onto the squishy pink carpet and beaten up old couch. Miss Holly wasn't even knitting in her chair like she always liked to do, either.
"Where is she…?" Sparky said. A shadow flashed past the room for a brief moment and Sparky's excitement rose again. Had Miss Holly gone to the shops? It was a bit early to do that but maybe?
But it withered and died quickly when no one tried to open the front door. A wavy bluish silhouette wobbled up close to the lumpy windows, but it was only the mail lady because one, two three letters flopped through the mailbox instead of Miss Holly.
Sparky picked them up and rearranged them by colour; red first because that was an important colour, then the two yellowish ones.
"I wish I could read human…" she squinted at the squiggles. "Ahh well. Once I find Miss Holly, she can read them to me!"
Another slow venture had Sparky toddling up the stairs once again, passing by the photos on the wall. They were always fun to look at, because Miss Holly liked taking photos of them all and they were like a diary but with pictures instead of words because they showed what Miss Holly was like years ago.
There was the picture of her and Sir Higglesworth, back when he was an Abra and she was younger. Then there was the one where Socks joined her as a shy little Sentret, huddling close to her. Because Miss Holly was a careful and patient trainer, Sir Higglesworth quickly turned into a Kadabra and Socks became a Furret in no time.
Sparky didn't meet up with Miss Holly until after she'd gotten on the big boat and moved to Unova, but she remembered it like it was yesterday. She had gotten up early – a lot like today! – and gathered herself a big pile of Chesto Berries for breakfast because they were her favourite. But a silly Natu flew past and shocked her, and she fell out of her tree.
The next thing she knew she was inside a pokeball, and then a part of Miss Holly's family. Sir Higglesworth was the first one to reach out to her, teaching her the rules and nice things about being Miss Holly's Pokémon, and why it was better than being a wild Pokémon.
The last photo on the stairs was taken outside the house they lived in now. The ivy wasn't as bad back then, but it was a really windy day that day and the autumn leaves were blowing everywhere and so was Miss Holly's hair.
"She looks so tired in this picture…" Sparky mumbled. Her trainer was still smiling, but there were dark rings under her eyes. She was also wearing a long hoodie instead of one of her usual t-shirts, though that could've been because it was windy.
"So many fun memories…" She said, looking away from the nostalgia and hopping up the last stair. The bathroom was just ahead, and it was about time she washed her face.
"I'll give these to Miss Holly later." She dropped the letters down on the little table outside and pushed the door open. She stumbled up the steps to reach the kitchen sink and made sure to pay extra attention to the sleepy dust in her eyes. But then an unusual sight in the mirror caught her attention.
"Huh…?" She span around, squinting. "Hey, wow!
Jumping down from the little steps, Sparky finally found her trainer. "Miss Holly, I didn't know you could fly!"
But weirdly enough, Holly did not respond.
"Does it take a lot of concentration to fly like that?" Sparky prompted again.
Still no response.
"Oh yeah, I don't speak human do I?" She chuckled. "I know! I'll go get everyone! Stay there Miss Holly I'll be right back!"
Sparky zipped back down the hallway and into the bedroom, where both Socks and Sir Higglesworth were still fast asleep.
"Guys, come quick!" Sparky shook the pair of them awake. "It's amazing!"
"…what is it, Sparky?" Sir Higglesworth's deep voice grumbled. With a heavy sigh, the Kadabra rose slowly and smoothly from his sleeping position. Socks remained asleep.
"It's Miss Holly!" Sparky cried. "She's flying!"
"Flying…?" Sir Higglesworth faltered. His mind still foggy, he summoned the energy to raise an eyebrow at Sparky. Was this another one of her pranks?
"Come quick, I'll show you!" She tried to grab Sir Higglesworth's arm and drag him out of the beanbag.
"Alright, all right, Sparky…" He grumbled again, rising to his feet. Meanwhile the still sleeping Socks just uncoiled on top of the beanbag.
"Flying. Peh." Sir Higglesworth yawned, slowly padding after Sparky along the soft carpet. "I shall believe that when I see it. Whatever has her so excitable today is beyond me."
"C'monnn, Higgle!" Sparky flailed at the bathroom door. "Miss Holly can't fly forever!"
"I assure you, Sparky," Sir Higglesworth rose a knowing finger. "Believe what you will, but humans cannot-"
And then he saw. Panic curdled within him like a viscous slime, and his spoon fell to the ground with a clatter. For a few moments, all he could do was stare.
"See? See! I told ya she could fly!" Sparky just jumped about in her excitement.
"Y-y-yes, it is… indeed, a rather brilliant example of flying!" Sir Higglesworth's voice cracked. "Did you want some breakfast, Sparky? I'm awfully hungry all of a sudden!"
"No way, not yet!" Sparky cried. "I've gotta show Socks! She'll wanna see this!"
"No no no, don't do that!" Sir Higglesworth said sharply, but it fell on deaf ears as Sparky charged out of the bathroom again.
Sir Higglesworth groaned. That was not going to end well, he could already tell.
But there was a more pressing issue at hand.
"Lady Holly, respond!" He snapped his fingers. Holly did nothing.
"Lady Holly I implore you, please respond!" He cried, floating up and shaking her by the shoulders. His efforts were in vain…
Meanwhile Socks was continuing to prod Socks in an attempt to rouse her.
"C'mon Socks! C'monnnnnnn!" She poked the young Furret repeatedly.
"Noo, I don't wanna go to Day Care…" Socks mumbled in her half-asleep state, rolling over and burying herself farther into the beanbag. "…you can't make me."
"Gah!" Sparky grumbled. But with a glint in her eye, she charged up a little spark of electricity in her palm and jabbed Socks with the static.
"Yagh!" Socks yelped, bursting out of the beanbag and several feet into the air. "W-what the?!"
"Oh yay, you're awake!" Sparky giggled, curling her hand into a fist behind her back.
"…yup, I'm up." Socks said, smacking her lips. "But not for long. Come at me, beanbag."
She spread her little arms out and collapsed forward toward the beanbag.
"Nooo, no no no, no more sleep!" Sparky dove underneath Socks to hold her up. "I've gotta show you something! It's awesome!"
"Wha? Awesome?" Socks murmured, a shudder rippling along her skinny body as she stretched. "What's awesome?"
"Miss Holly's flying!" Sparky said. "Come see!"
"Flying?" Sparky frowned, her voice just as sceptical as Sir Higglesworth's. She rubbed her eyes, "Whaddya mean flying? She's a human. Humans can't fly… can they?"
"Yeah, I thought that myself!" Sparky said. "B-but then I saw it and Sir Higglesworth agrees with me, and he knows everything so it's gotta be true!"
"Higgle says so?" Socks' eyes widened. "S-so you're not making it all up?"
"Nope! It really really is true! Quick, come see!"
"Alrighty then…" Socks yawned. "You're gonna have to drag me though. My legs are still asleep."
Sparky just chuckled, grabbing onto a leg and attempting to drag Socks' lazy body towards the bathroom, where a panicky Sir Higglesworth was still fretting.
"Oh bother, what shall I do?!" He pleaded with the very air. The odds of an ingenious answer spawning from the ether before more innocent eyes could be scarred were slim at best. But the grunting of Sparky dragging Socks' unwilling body ever closer was going to have to force some drastic measures.
"That will have to do!" He exited the room and closed the door sharply. Just in time for Socks and Sparky to appear from around the corner.
"Heyyy, Higgle!" Sparky grunted, still dragging Socks for all she was worth. "Is Miss Holly still flying?!"
"Umm…" Sir Higglesworth merely plastered on a smile.
"Aww, don't tell me she made it up?" Socks' face fell. "And I fell for it again?! Stupid Socks, stupid!"
"No no, Lady Holly is indeed flying!" Sir Higglesworth stammered. "She just wishes for more time to practice and improve her technique, so that she may impress you further next time!"
"But I haven't seen this time yet…" Socks mumbled. "C-can I see Trainer now please?"
"I am afraid she has locked the door, Socks!" Sir Higglesworth flailed an excuse. "She must really want to practice!"
"Locked?" Socks gave a suspicious frown. "…that door has a lock?"
"Yes it does, Socks!" Sir Higglesworth insisted, slapping her hand as she reached for the handle.
"Oww! Hey, what was that for, Higgle?!" Socks recoiled.
"That was for disbelieving in my integrity." Sir Higglesworth snapped. "Now, please refrain from repeating that in the future. I abhor being doubted."
"…okay, you just said a lotta really long words…" Socks yawned. "But whatever it means, I don't agree with it. I wanna see trainer flying!"
"And I am under strict instruction to prevent that from happening!" Sir Higglesworth followed his arms. "I do apologise Socks, but Lady Holly has left me in charge. Now shall we put this awful moment behind us and get some breakfast?"
"Breakfast?!" Both girls shouted at once.
"It's about time!" Sparky practically swooped downstairs. "I've been waiting all morning!"
Socks ambled after Sparky, wobbling down the stairs with her long, unwieldy body, and Sir Higglesworth watched the both of them disappear from eyeshot.
Before immediately breaking down.
"Oh, heavens above…" he sniffled. Hot, stinging guilt threatened to break loose from his depths. "Why did you do it, Lady Holly? Was there anything I could have done?"
"C'monnn, Higgle!" Socks' voice echoed from downstairs. "Breakfast means you gotta make it dude! Don't trust me with fire!"
Sir Higglesworth stared blankly at the row of photos on the wall. "…how will I tell them?"
Author's Note:
Hey there folks. Been a while since I've posted something 'new' on here. Well it's not really new at all, rather something old, but it's about the only real fic I've ever finished, so I figured I'd upload the polished version. Cut out a lot of exposition and unnecessary filler stuff, so it should read a lot better than the original. I'll keep the first up for now so people can compare if they want, meanwhile I should be able to update pretty often.
Oh, and you guys might wanna take a look at the lovely OceanSpiral's newest fic, Checkmate, a fakemon fic set in a fictional pokemon region based on Scotland.
Thanks for reading as always :)