Disclaimer: While I don't own To the Moon (or Pokémon, for that matter), the Rosawatts fankid Grace was created by me.
The Family That Plays Together
On the TV screen, a Pidgey was facing off against a Magneton on a grassy battlefield. In the upper right-hand corner, in between Magneton's name and its low-yellow health bar, was the word POISON in purple letters, while Pidgey's battle info—its name, dangerously low-red health bar, and the yellow PARALYZE—was in the opposite corner. An unseen announcer commentated as Magneton used Screech, only for the Defense-lowering move to miss Pidgey.
Before Pidgey could attempt to launch an attack, Magneton's health decreased to zero. The defeated Magnet Pokémon shook as though having a seizure before its metal components broke apart and it returned to its Poké Ball.
"And there goes the battle!" the announcer exclaimed as the victory music started playing, accompanied by the bright orange End Battle! text below the image of Pidgey.
"Yes! I won!" Grace cheered from where she sat on the couch, pumping a fist into the air.
"Aw, man," Neil groaned, setting his controller aside. "This stinks. I was so sure I could win!"
"Congratulations, Grace," Eva said, stepping from the living room's threshold and to her husband's side of the couch. "And congratulations for getting beaten by a six-year-old," she told Neil, who had his lower lip stuck out in an exaggerated pout.
"Must you rub it in when I'm already feeling lousy?"
"Sorry, Daddy," Grace said, patting Neil on the arm with the hand that wasn't holding her controller, her green eyes earnest. "But you did really good! You'll win next time, I promise!"
Neil looked down and gave Grace a smile. "Thanks, princess." He pretended to sniffle. "At least someone here believes in me."
Eva had to disguise her chuckle as a cough. She knew perfectly well Neil's little sore-loser attitude was just for show, even if Grace thought he was being serious.
"But hey," Neil continued, "remember that prize we agreed on?"
"That's right!" Grace's olive face lit up as she turned her attention to Eva. "I get to battle you next, Mama!"
"Really?" Eva smiled teasingly. "You sure you want to do that? I'm not as much of a soft touch as Daddy."
Grace nodded vigorously as Neil gasped in feigned offense. "Eva, I am not a soft touch!"
"Whatever you say, Neil." She saw with her own two eyes how he had his second to last Pokémon, Snorlax, keep using Rest while Grace maxed out Pidgey's evasiveness with Double Team. If that wasn't her husband being a soft touch when it came to their little girl, then nothing was.
Neil handed his controller to Eva and pulled Grace into his lap to give Eva room to settle on the couch. Grace pressed a button to return to the Free Battle screen and reselected her registered team: Butterfree, Pidgey, a female Nidoran, Clefairy, Eevee, and Flareon. On Eva's turn to pick a team, she selected Vileplume, Parasect, Poliwag, Tentacruel, Gastly, and Porygon from the list of rental Pokémon. After both mother and daughter had chosen the order their Pokémon would be listed in, the screen returned to the grassy battlefield.
"The Free Battle is on!" the announcer began as Grace's Butterfree and Eva's Poliwag emerged from their Poké Balls. "The champions of tomorrow have begun their super-hot battle!"
The first attack made by Poliwag was Surf, which took out less than fifty points of Butterfree's health. Butterfree countered by paralyzing Poliwag with Stun Spore, then draining about half its health with Mega Drain. Poliwag managed to resist its paralysis in order to use Amnesia to increase its Special, but one Psychic and then a second Mega Drain from Butterfree were enough for Poliwag to go down.
"What was that you were saying about a soft touch?" Neil asked with a grin as Poliwag was withdrawn into its Poké Ball.
Eva's only response was to select her next Pokémon. The minutes passed as the battle went on, and the room was filled with the sound effects of the Pokémon's moves, the commentary of the announcer, and—best of all—Grace's happy giggles whenever Neil tickled her ribs.
Whether Eva won or lost, if Grace was having the time of her life, then that was all that mattered.
