Concentrate.
That's all I need to do right now.
I just need to find her.
I've done this countless times before, and I'll be able to do it again, I thought. Before I could get anywhere though, I felt a small paw on my shoulder. Feeling what little concentration I had slip, I couldn't help but sigh.
"We need to talk," her voice echoed in my mind.
I opened my eyes to see Victini floating in front of me, frowning and looking at me angrily.
"I know," I said, having a good idea of what she was about to say.
"You couldn't even remotely feel me! And I was just a few feet away!"
"I know. I've been having a few problems concentrating, that's all," I said, trying my best to weasel out of this conversation before it has the chance to grow too unpleasant.
"That's the thing! You never had this kind of problem before!" She circled me slowly, scrutinizing me in an attempt to find anything that could be wrong with me.
"I just need to train a little more. It's been a while since I've last tried to do this. That must be it."
I could tell she didn't believe me, but thankfully, she did not insist on it.
"Can you at least feel any other pokémon nearby?"
I closed my eyes and did my best to focus on my surroundings, only to come up short once again. No matter what I did, I just couldn't focus enough.
"Sorry, I can't," I said, gluing my eyes to the ground.
I could practically feel Victini's worried eyes staring right through me without even looking at her.
"If you really think nothing is troubling you, then I'll believe you. But... I don't feel like I should have to say it, but you can talk to me about anything." Briefly meeting her eyes, I couldn't stop the guilt from piling up before quickly averting my gaze again.
"W-Well, how about you go back to the camp? Serena's probably already done making dinner. I'll stay here and try to focus for a little more," I said. And even though her worried expression didn't fade, she eventually ended up nodding dejectedly.
"Okay, just... don't get in trouble," she said. After looking at me one final time, her small shoulders sagged as she flew back towards the others.
Wanting to make sure that she was far enough away to not be able to hear me, I waited for a bit, unmoving.
When all traces of her had vanished, I stood up, calmly approaching the nearest tree...
Just to punch it with all my strength to try and vent my complete and utter frustration.
Arceus dammit! Regardless of whatever I tried to suppress what happened two days ago, it'd always find its way into my thoughts again, and stronger each time to boot. At this rate, it felt like my head would explode.
That kiss! A simple kiss on the cheek is enough to make me unable to think straight for a single second!
I sat down, trying to get my chaotic thoughts in order. Shutting my eyes, I took a deep breath. As some Rookidee above chirped happily and what sounded like a Skwovet rushed past me in the bushes nearby, my mind effortlessly took in the presence of every pokémon around me.
It's just as I feared... I just can't focus when I'm near her, I thought and sunk back against the tree.
I just sat there for a few minutes, before deciding to take a walk. Sitting here won't take me anywhere.
I stood up, heading in the opposite direction of where Victini went, knowing that I wouldn't get lost. As the trees slowly grew closer, the once ambient noises made by the forest's pokémon became increasingly louder as well.
Why? Just why? I can understand hugs, petting and maybe even cuddling, but a kiss? Out of nowhere like that?
Fighting through some low hanging branches, I was suddenly startled by the noise of something falling behind me. It seemed to have come from a bunch of ordinary looking bushes.
Turning around, the forest still appeared as peaceful as it did a few seconds ago, though the sudden sound startled me enough to make me forget about all the forest's natural sounds. Despite my apprehension, I couldn't help but feel curious and approached the thicket.
Hidden in between the leaves lay a little pokémon, maybe around Victini's size. Even after I had shifted away all the branches and it was fully uncovered, it didn't move a single inch.
Almost out of reflex by now, I took my Rotomphone out of my pocket and pointed its camera at the unknown pokémon.
"Petilil, the bulb pokémon.
"Petilil appears around sources of clean water. Boiling leaves from this pokémon's head results in a liquid that's sometimes used as a bug repellent.
"The deeper the color of a Petilil's leaves, the healthier the Pokémon is. Petilil sometimes make its home in a well-tended field or flowerbed."
Wait a minute, are these little guys even native to Galar? I thought. It definitely felt like I had seen this pokémon somewhere already.
Shaking my head, I decided to push that train of thought back for later. Throwing sideway glances, it seemed like no other pokémon was here. But... who knows what would happen if I were to leave it behind in such a vulnerable state? Pushed forward by worry, I ended up gently poking the dazed-looking pokémon.
While it didn't flinch away, it was obvious to see that the Petilil didn't feel particularly comfortable either.
"Uh, are you ok?" I asked the Petilil, getting a reassuring 'Petil' in response as the look of surprise in its eyes settled.
It didn't take long for it to shake off the last bits of exhaustion and to jump up with newfound energy, the previous situation apparently already forgotten. Its eyes quickly fixed on a nearby tree ripe with dozens of pecha berries.
"Do you want one of those berries?" I asked. It jumped a little.
Thanks to muscle memory kicking in, I climbed up the tree without much trouble and plucked a handful of berries from it. With my prize securely in my hands, I made my way back down again.
"Here," I said and put the fruit down in front of the pokémon. Wasting no time, it immediately started to munch on them happily without a second thought.
Looking at it, I can't help but remember the times when Victini and me were younger and more innocent. Maybe, a kiss like that wouldn't have have bugged me so much back then... And things would be different than they are now.
But before I could completely lose myself to my thoughts, the Petilil's constant attempts to jump on my feet suddenly snapped me out of it. One look at its annoyed expression made it easy to tell that the plant-type had been trying to get my attention quite fiercely. Or what amounts to 'fiercely' for such a small pokémon, anyway.
I rustled the leaves on its head gently, trying to shake away the last of my distracting thoughts.
Well, for a little longer then... I gently picked it up and placed it on my shoulder. Once seated, it seemed to practically melt into my neck, letting out a content sound.
As I walked, I kept getting lost in my thoughts, both about the present and the past.
Now that I'm thinking about it, when was the last time I acted like this?
We did act a little awkward around each other at first... I mean, we were younger and couldn't really talk at the time, so yeah, it was a bit complicated to get by. Even more so with all the attention I got thanks to her.
Still, I can clearly remember the content look she had on her face the first time we ended up sleeping together.
It was a complete accident. We were just watching movies and ended up falling asleep together.
God, when we woke up I couldn't even look at her without blushing like a haban berry.
I was embarassed mostly because I had never slept with anyone before, and my mom teased me a bit because of it. That, and those romance movies we watched - I'll never understand why Victini liked and still likes those movies. I can't seem to get behind them even today.
In the end, we decided that we liked to share a bed, especially during the chilly winter nights. She always ends up shuffling as close as she can to stay warm.
I don't feel embarassed about it anymore. In fact, I don't even know why I was embarassed about it in the first place. It is a natural thing, after all.
Oh well. Where were we?
Distracted by my own thoughts like I was just now, I didn't even notice I had made it to the edge of the forest. The trees had given way to a small mound overlooking the lush and golden fields ahead.
I sat down and looked at the dusky, orange sky, sights set on nothing in particular.
When we were kids, any problems between us were solved in a matter of hours... So why can't I get over this now?
We both got closer and more mature. Shouldn't I have gotten able to better cope with such things?
Then again, she's a pokémon! And my partner! It's not like some random girl just kissed me out of nowhere!
...I'm probably overreacting. I mean, it's not like she's in love with me.
Ha! No way, she would never be in love with me... right?
No, there's no way that would happen. She's a pokémon, I'm a human - not happening.
Why am I even thinking about this?
And as if I had just woken up from a deep slumber, I only now noticed the sky having turned a dark blue shade. To be honest, I was surprised at how easily I slipped away into my own world without noticing it again. While I was daydreaming, my unusual companion had made itself comfortable on my shoulder.
Getting up, I suddenly felt my rotomphone buzzing in my pocket. Tapping the screen, I was instantly met by an avalanche of messages by Serena.
Serena: Where are you!?
Serena: Just so you know, Victini is pacing around like there's no tomorrow!
Serena: It's getting dark. You better come back before she ends up burning down the whole forest looking for you!
Slowly realizing that I'm probably neck-deep in trouble, I turned around and ran as fast as possible in the direction I came from, all previous thoughts almost forgotten.
_
It took me a dozen or so minutes, but after running a lot, I finally got back to the camp.
"I'm back!" I half-panted, half-shouted. That was way more exhausting than I thought. I could just barely stop my legs from giving out under me.
Expecting to be given a good scolding by Serena, I was taken by surprise when Victini suddenly jumped on me, hugging me to the best of her ability.
"Don't scare me like that! It's the second tim-" But before she even finished, she suddenly craned her neck to the side, fixing her gaze on my shoulder. Without another comment, she whirled around, crossing her arms and tightly shutting her eyes.
"Uh, I know I made you worried, but why did your mood change from worried to angry so quickly?" I asked.
Not given an answer besides an irritated huff, the conversation came to a sudden stop. Not knowing what to do, I looked at Serena, hoping she'd be able to smooth things out. Instead, she only pointed at my shoulder, reminding me of my new companion, whom I had completely forgotten about. I didn't even notice its weight running back! The poor thing must have held on for dear life.
"Oh, I found it in the forest. It had trouble getting to a berry, so I helped out. After that, it just decided to stick with me and tag along, I suppose," I said. However, for some reason, Victini threw a disdainful glance in my general direction before retreating towards our shared tent, her indignant mumblings mostly droned out by nature.
"What did I do this time!?" I asked, feeling quite nervous about her reaction. Until now, she never lost her temper like that.
Serena approached me and pulled me close.
"Look, girls can be really territorial, especially when it comes to other girls. And apparently, this applies to pokémon too," she whispered.
"Territorial? And what other girl?" I asked, getting even more confused.
"Didn't you know? All Petilil are female," Serena said.
"How and why do you know that?"
"I've been in Hisui before. I've learned a lot about the Pokemon from there and Petilil happened to be one of them. They are rather popular."
I facepalmed for not noticing this myself. I probably missed that information somewhere on the pokédex entry earlier as well.
She was jealous when Quarsh joined the team, why wouldn't she be when a girl joins? I thought while also quietly asking for Arceus' protection. If she's already getting jealous of a female pokémon, who knows how she would have acted if the Petilil had been a human girl instead.
I sighed. "I'll try to fix this. Can you look after her for a little while?" I asked. Nodding, she quickly took the Petilil from my shoulder. Since her body was not exactly able to resist Serena's grip, all the Petilil had left was to struggle weakly, its expression growing quite nervous.
Girls and cute pokémon... I thought before entering the tent.
The tent was as tight as always, barely providing enough room for me and Victini to sleep in comfortably. As such, it wasn't hard to spot her, even despite the lack of light. She had curled up behind some of our camping equipment in the farthest corner of the tent, not even having moved a single inch when she must've heard me enter.
Pushing some supplies aside, I laid down next to her, facing away. Despite feeling so sure of myself a few moments ago, I was suddenly left fumbling for words.
As we lay there, an awkward silence settled around us, only occasionally broken up by Serena's hummings and musings outside. Unable to take any more, I decided to speak up.
"So..." I tried. But before I even got anywhere, she shuffled herself even further away towards the tent's edge, practically pressing herself into the fabric.
Deciding that acting shy won't get me anywhere, I decided to go a step further and turned around, pulling her closer to my chest in an attempt to get a reaction. For her part, Victini didn't resist, but she also didn't budge, pointedly refusing to look in my direction.
"Can you at least tell me why you're so angry? I can tell it's not only because of the Petilil," I asked.
"Why...you...me?" I heard her murmur something.
"What?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why didn't I tell you what?"
She tore herself away from my arms, coming face to face with me.
"I was the reason you couldn't focus, wasn't I!?" She raised her telepathic voice, giving me a small headache.
"Wha-? How did you find out?"
She looked away from me, blushing.
"I-I followed you... for a little bit," she said. My eyes widened in surprise. How didn't I notice her despite making sure?
"Well, so what is it?"
"It's just that... After what happened before we left, I just... couldn't focus. Every time I try to think about my aura or anything related to you, I can't get my mind away from that moment.
"And while I know that it was just a way to cheer me up... You're my best friend, I don't know why that hit me so hard," I said.
She made a confused, if not amused face. "We have cuddled to sleep since we were eight and still, a simple kiss on the cheek manages to get you so worked up?"
"I know, it probably sounds stupid," I said, looking past her.
As silence filled the tent once more, the atmosphere grew strange as well. This time, though, it was neither particularly nice or uncomfortable, but... hard to interpret. The incomprehensible expression that had settled on her face didn't make it any better, either.
After what felt like eternity, she said, "You should just forget it."
My eyes widened.
"What?" I asked.
"Harden, if something is hurting you to the point of you punching a tree and losing all your ability to focus, you should just forget about it.
"You hurt yourself because of me, Harden. I shouldn't hav-" Her eyes were already getting teary when I finally gathered the courage to interrupt her.
"Of course not!" I said, loud enough for probably even Serena to hear.
"I mean, I can't forget this. And even if it makes things a bit awkward, we'll just get over it. And to be honest, now that I've come clean, I already feel a bit better," I said, my face flushed but my eyes locked on hers.
She closed her eyes in what looked like deep consideration. Just before the previous awkward silence could return, she spoke up again.
"I suppose you're right," she said. I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that I managed to patch things up.
"But still, I don't want you to get all lovey-dovey with other pokémon besides me, especially females," she quickly added.
It looked as though she'll always be the jealous type... Not that I'm complaining.
_
The next morning, we were packing our things when I noticed the Petilil from yesterday standing in the grass, her small eyes firmly fixed on me as if she was expecting something.
"Oh, you're still here, little one," I said and picked her up.
"Ugh, don't tell me," Victini said to which Petilil answered with a confident 'Petilil!'. While I didn't understand what she said, the fact that Victini's expression changed to a really pissed one already spoke volumes on its own.
"Oh you little-!" Victini growled before cutting herself off. ...Even so, I couldn't help but feel a bit frightened.
"Right. So, I guess you want to come with me?" I cut in, not wanting the situation to escalate. The small bulb-like pokémon just answered me with a 'Pitil' as a yes
"Well, I hope you know that I'm a trainer, and that coming with me means getting stronger while facing great challenges," I said, crouching down to her level. She nodded to the best of her ability, her resolve clear.
"Alright, then. I guess I have to think of a name for you," I said and stopped to think for a few seconds.
"What about Lily?" I finally said and just by the way her expression changed and her eyes closed in obvious happiness, I could tell she liked it.
I took an empty pokéball from my belt and brought it to her. But before I could even touch her with it, she surged forward, headbutting the pokéball's button on her own. Barely a second later, she was already successfully captured.
"Well, looks like I have a new friend," I said towards Serena. Slightly amused, she shrugged and pointed towards Victini, who once again had an expression dripping with jealousy.
I sighed, put Lily's pokéball on my belt and grabbed Victini, pulling her close and hugging her.
"W-What?" she asked. Ignoring her embarrassed cries, I started to affectionately pet her.
"If you can be all jealous and clingy, I can be too," I said. She blushed, making a nice feeling of satisfaction bubble in my stomach.