"Just give up."
I fall to my knees. My pokemon were brought to the ground, exhausted, within moments of the battle starting. I… tried so hard, but I failed them. I failed them.
"Haven't you already figured it out?" Blue sighs, withdrawing his Blastoise back into its pokeball. "There's no way you'll ever become a trainer, Red."
There's no way you'll ever become a trainer. Those words break the illusion I spent so many years building.
"I mean… C'mon, Green?" Blue looks over his shoulder at the girl watching from afar. "He can't even give his pokemon any commands. Let's be realistic."
She doesn't say anything. When I look at her, she refuses to meet my gaze, only hanging her head and staring at the ground between her feet.
A loud horn startles me back to reality. Looking around, I find the deck of a ship, the S.S. Anne. There are people all around, with many gathered at the front of the deck.
At some point, I had decided to sit down on one of the chairs facing the starboard side of the ship. I guess I dozed off.
"Pika!"
I feel something tug at my jeans. Looking down, I find Pikachu.
"Pika! Pika!" He points at the gathering on the front deck.
"Sorry, looks like I fell asleep," I sign with my hands, yawning. "What's going on? Are we about to land?"
Pikachu nods with another "Pika."
"Let's go check it out."
Pikachu jumps onto my lap, and then my right shoulder, where he sits. I stand and make my way towards the crowd, ignoring the occasional dirty glance from the other passengers. It's not considered polite to travel with your pokemon outside of their ball, especially on a luxury cruise ship like this, but Pikachu's never been one to accept going inside a pokeball. Besides, his company means much more to me than a few nasty looks.
After making my way to the front deck, I gaze out across the sea dividing us from the quickly approaching mainland. The first thing I notice is the lighthouse, and then the bustling port jutting out from the beach. It's a lot bigger, and a lot busier, than I thought it would be. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, seeing as there is an official pokemon gym here. That's the next thing I see — a big, round, purple structure that sits right in the middle of an otherwise normal dock. Who knows how many people are in this city because of that one structure alone.
"We'll be docking in Hulbury within the minute!" An announcement comes over the ship's intercom. "Welcome to the Galar Region, everyone!" Cheers and claps reverberate across the ship.
"What do you think, Pikachu?" I sign.
"Pika!" He shouts enthusiastically.
As the port nears, its details become more clear. Tall, brick buildings run along the upward slope of the hills and cliffs behind the dock, outlining the concrete roads dividing them. At the slope's top, the triangular rooftops of buildings make an almost perfectly symmetrical horizontal line, contrasting against the blue sky behind them. As we get even closer, the busyness of the port can be heard, a cacophony of distant car horns, pokemon, and voices.
It's certainly much larger than Pallet Town. Maybe this is what I need. A change of scenery.
Pikachu waves his arms in the air as the ship pulls into the dock. "Pika!"
"You feeling hungry?" I ask, and he nods his head. "Let's see if we can find something to eat."
I follow the large crowd off the ship and onto the dock. It's very crowded, so I'm careful to make sure I don't bump into anyone as I make my way around. In terms of food, there are various fishermen and fresh fish stalls, but nothing that immediately screams "easy-snack-food." Plus, the scent of sea salt is so strong that it would be hard to eat anything here, anyway.
"Let me know if you see anything that looks good, Pikachu."
"Pika!"
Further into the dock, a larger variety of stalls start to appear. The smell of fresh fish is replaced by a variety of pleasant aromas that come from the food stands littering this part of the dock. Ahead, where the dock meets land, there are several brightly decorated restaurants.
"What do you think, Pikachu? A hotdog sounds really nice right about now."
…
"...Pikachu?" When there's no response, I glance over at my shoulder he's sitting on —
…Was. Where he was sitting. He's gone.
I twist my head left and right, scanning for any sign of yellow fur and finding none. The crowd makes it hard to see far.
Oh, crap. Where'd he go? He couldn't have gone far.
Quickening my pace, I stride deeper into the various food stalls. I'll check around here first, and then double back to see if he ran back for some reason.
Salad stand, popsicle stand, slushie stand, soda stand, ramen stand, icecream stand — that's when I see the familiar yellow fur peek out between the crowd.
There he is!
I break into a jog as I approach, not wanting him to move somewhere else before I can get a chance to get him. I have to dodge between various people, but thankfully it doesn't slow me down too much.
"Hey, Pikachu, why'd you —" When I make it close enough to see him fully, I realize he's not alone.
A girl is kneeled down in front of him, clad in a white, short-sleeved collared shirt that's tucked into her black skirt. Her silver hair, cropped short, contrasts against her tan skin. Her eyes, only a shade or two lighter than her hair, are fixated on Pikachu. She smiles as she holds out a vanilla ice cream cone towards him, which he happily nibbles on.
Her eyes shift to meet my gaze. "Are you looking for him?" she asks, tilting her head towards Pikachu.
I nod, running to him and snatching him away from the girl's ice cream.
"Pika~!" He whines, stretching his arms towards the ice cream, but I place him back on my shoulder.
"You know that's not nice, Pikachu!" I sign.
"Pika, pika — "
"No buts!"
Pikachu huffs, furrowing his brows.
"Say you're sorry for eating her ice cream."
"Pika," he huffs, crossing his arms.
"Come on, Pikachu. Please?"
He keeps up the tough guy act for only a few seconds before uncrossing his arms and bowing his head towards the girl. "...Pika…"
"There we go."
Turning my attention back towards the girl, I find her staring wide-eyed at us, no longer kneeling. She's surprised. That's the usual reaction people have whenever they first see me communicating to Pikachu via sign language.
Reaching into the inner pocket of my vest, I grab my notebook and pen. Flipping to a blank page, I write, [I'm so sorry. I will repay you for the ice cream. How much did it cost?] Turning the notebook around, I present to her what I wrote.
"...No, it's fine." She shakes her head. "I bought two. That was my second one. He can have it." She holds out the ice cream cone again, to which Pikachu happily snatches away from her.
[Are you sure?] I write.
She nods again. "Any friend of sweets is a friend of mine." She says it seriously, as if it were some kind of long-held vow.
[Thank you. Just let me know if there's any way I can repay you.]
"It's — " She starts, but another voice cuts her off.
"Hey, Bea!" A gruff, deep voice.
Her attention turns towards its source, and I follow. It's a bearded man, clad in overalls and leg gaiters. He waves in our direction.
"Sorry about the wait! Your old man's shipment is ready!" He stands next to a stall. "Jimmy's Fresh Fish" is what the banner above the stall reads. "You sure you don't want a few of my guys to help you move these to the shop? It'll be free of charge."
A pile of crates sits just next to the stall. Another man sets down what looks to be the last one with a heavy grunt. The heavy thud the crate makes as it's sat down indicates it's anything but light.
There must be at least twenty. I guess some of those are for her.
"Thank you for the offer, but I'll be fine!" She calls out back to the fisherman, and then turns back to me. "It was nice meeting you. And you, of course," she adds with a grin, giving a small wave to Pikachu.
"Pika!" Pikachu's yell is muffled by ice cream.
[Let me help you.]
The girl — Bea, if the fisherman was any indication — narrows her eyes in thought as she reads what I've written in my notebook. "You… want to help?"
[It's the least I can do to repay you.]
"The ice cream was truly no bother, but…" she trails off, humming. "I sense this is a matter of honor — of principle — for you." She raises a clenched fist, like a cartoon action hero would. "I will gladly accept your strength. Thank you."
…Well, that's not exactly the response I expected, but I'm just thankful she's letting me help her nonetheless. I won't feel as guilty about her lost ice cream.
As we approach the crates, Pikachu jumps off my shoulder and runs to one of them, trying to lift it up. He doesn't budge it.
[Which ones are for you?]
"Which… ones?" She repeats back to me. "I apologize. I think there was a misunderstanding. They're all for me."
They're… all… for her?
My eyes widen as I gaze across the vast expanse that is the pile of crates before us.
There's… so many. Are we going to load them up on a wagon, or…
To my surprise, Bea picks up one of the crates fairly easily. She doesn't even grunt. "My family's house isn't too far from here. Just follow me, okay?"
If she was able to pick one up so easily, maybe they're not as heavy as they look. With a newfound burst of energy, I reach down for one of the crates and then —
Every muscle in my body screams as I lift it up. The weight digs into my palms.
This thing feels like two hundred pounds! How did she make it look so easy?!
Before I can mull over that question for too long, Bea starts sauntering towards the other end of the dock as if the thing between her hands didn't feel like a pile of bricks.
I take a deep breath.
I can do this. Just follow her. One step at a time. One step at a time…
"We're here!" Bea gently sets her crate down. We're in front of what looks like an old karate dojo, found at the corner of a bustling street.
I basically drop mine. Doubling over, with my hands on my knees, I gasp for air — over and over and over again.
I would be lying if I said I was able to pay attention to anything outside of my own body's pain and following Bea for the previous few minutes. I vaguely recall some city streets, some buildings, but I honestly probably couldn't trace my steps back to the dock if I wanted to.
"Are you all right?" Bea's voice causes my consciousness to refocus just enough to realize how much pride I've lost during this small trip. Wanting to keep at least some semblance of not being totally wiped out, I force the muscles in my legs and back to stand upright. My arm shakes uncontrollably as I give her my best attempt at a thumbs up.
She raises an eyebrow.
She's… totally not buying it.
"Pika." Pikachu shakes his head.
Seems like he's not convinced, either.
With a little of my composure returned, I'm able to take in my surroundings. There's a sign sitting above the entrance of the dojo we're at that reads "Choku Zuki Sushi and Dojo." It hits me just how out of place it is, being flanked and surrounded on all sides by an otherwise modern urbanity.
"Bea, honey? Is that you?" A voice calls from within the dojo. A moment later, a woman's head sticks out. She looks like Bea, if Bea were about twenty years older and grew her hair out so that it flowed down to her shoulder blades. "Oh!" Her eyes widen slightly as she spots me. She steps outside, revealing the fact she's garbed in a full judo gi and a pair of slippers. "Who is this?"
"This is… um…" Bea stops herself, pouting. "I'm… sorry, I don't think I've gotten your name."
"You're always so forgetful of your manners, Bea," the older woman sighs. "Sometimes I worry your father's rubbed off too much on you."
Bea gasps. "You're right!" Turning on her heels to face me, she bows down so that her torso is parallel to the ground. "Please forgive me for my rudeness! I meant no disrespect! Please tell me your name so I can correct my error!"
The older woman chuckles. I find myself at a bit of a loss. This is the second time this girl has acted so… uniquely to an otherwise normal situation.
[It's okay! My name is Red.] I write in jagged lines, my overexerted muscles not quite ready for finer motor movements.
"Red," Bea repeats aloud after I present my notebook, standing upright from her bow.
The older woman nods and hums. "It's nice to meet you, Red. My name's Mari. I'm Bea's mother."
I give a little wave as a response.
"He graciously decided to assist me with my task of gathering dad's shipment." Bea motions to the crate at my feet, and then strikes another pose, clenching her fist close to her chest while closing her eyes. "I am forever grateful for his aid."
"Ohhhh…" Mari nods her head. "So that's why you look so exhausted, Red. That's impressive. It took Bea years of training to build up to that."
I can certainly see why something like that would require years of training.
[Thank you,] I reply. [I was wanting to help Bea, but if anything, I just slowed her down.]
"Absolutely not." Bea shakes her head. "Your willingness to embark on such a thing without any preparation shows more strength than I've ever seen. Your will is stronger than iron." Her eyes begin to sparkle as she raises an arm in the air, her voice rising in pitch with excitement. "Are you ready for round two? There's still a lot to bring back!"
I can feel the blood drain out of my face. I completely forgot. To protect my sanity, my fatigued mind must've blocked out the fact that what I had just gone through was just one trip out of who knows how many.
"Actually, dear," Mari interjects. "I think Red may have had enough for one day. Would you be able to get the rest by yourself?"
Bea physically deflates. "...Oh, okay." She looks really sad, in the same way a hurt puppy might. Hurt puppies are a weakness of mine, so the sight is almost enough to make me volunteer to go a second time. Almost.
[Sorry!]
"It's okay," she softly mumbles in a tone of voice that makes it seem like it is anything but okay. Her shoulders droop forward as she turns and starts the trek back to the dock.
"Pika…" Pikachu hangs his head, mirroring her energy.
"...Don't worry about her," Mari says after waiting a few moments for Bea to be out of earshot. "Exercise makes her happy. She'll be fine after another trip or two."
[She's really strong.]
"You have no idea," Mari chuckles. "You should see her when she lifts weights."
Surprisingly, Mari doesn't seem to have any reaction to me needing to write out whatever I need to say, or at least she doesn't show it. I usually get some odd stares when people see it for the first time.
"Would you like to come in for some tea?" She adds. "I have a special post-workout recipe that should help you feel better. It's the least I can offer for your help."
As much as I don't want to intrude, I'd take just about anything right now if it meant that my aching muscles would feel even a little better.
[Yes. Thank you.] I present my notebook with a bow.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu agrees.
"Okay! Just follow me inside." Mari smiles, and I'm again reminded of just how similar she looks to Bea. It goes beyond the normal familial resemblance.
Following Mari inside the store, I'm instantly met with a wonderful aroma. I can't place exactly what it is — freshly cooked fish? Probably some sort of fish, considering this is a sushi place. The floor is made of a sleek wood, which rises up in one specific corner of the room to form a bar, where a few people sit. Behind the bar, various cooking appliances and ingredients can be seen, which is likely where the aroma's coming from. A few small dining booths run across the room's perimeter. On the opposite end of the room from the bar, there's an entryway that's covered by a thin white sheet. "Dojo" is written above it. I can hear children on the other end, laughing and playing.
"Have a seat." Mari motions to one of the empty dining booths. "You actually came at a good time. I was just preparing the same tea for the children. It shouldn't take me more than a minute to have it ready for you, okay?"
I give a nod of thanks before slipping into one of the booth seats, Pikachu jumping onto the seat beside me. Mari nods back before clasping her hands together and moving towards the side of the room with the cooking appliances.
I take the moment to myself to relax, letting myself slide down in the chair and sink into the booth seat.
This isn't exactly how I had planned for today to go, but I can't say I mind too much. Bea and Mari seem nice, and this is a cozy little place. I don't have any camping equipment, so I'll need to find some sort of lodging for tonight. In a city this big, something like that shouldn't be too hard to find.
A deep exhale escapes me.
It feels strange, being this far away from Kanto. In the span of a single two day ship ride on the S.S. Anne, I went from never having been outside of a three hour radius of my home to being in a completely different region.
I would be lying if I said I didn't feel some sort of anxiety about being out on my own now. But I can do it. I have to. Considering how things were going in Kanto…
"Pika…" Pikachu pushes my leg with a worried expression on his face, snapping me out of my train of thought.
"I'm okay. Just a little tired."
"Pika?"
"Promise," I sign and emphasize with a grin. I never like worrying Pikachu, so I decide to change the subject. "What about you? Got a whole ice cream cone! Was it good?"
"Pi, pi!" His demeanor changes instantly with the mention of ice cream, his head nodding rapidly up and down.
"When Bea gets back, remember to thank her, okay?"
"Pi!"
…Hey, wait a minute. That reminds me! He totally just ran off earlier!
"Speaking of ice cream, you know I would've bought you some, right? You didn't have to go sprinting after Bea's earlier."
"Pi… Pika…" Pikachu furtively scratches behind his neck.
"You scared me. Just ask next time?"
"Pika," he agrees.
"Woah," a young boy's voice interjects before I can sign anything else.
Looking up from Pikachu, I see a boy and a girl standing just next to our booth, both no older than seven or eight. They're both clad in the same type of gi Mari was wearing earlier.
"Mister," the boy continues, pointing at me. "Were you just talking to that pokemon with your hands?"
That's… one way of putting it.
"Maybe he's dancing," the girl wonders aloud.
Well… er… sorry, can't give you that one.
Before I can grab my notebook to respond, Mari appears from the corner of my eye, a platter of filled cups balanced in one hand.
"Mm?" She looks down at the two children. "Jacob? Aubrey? What are you two doing out here?"
"We got hungry," the boy says. "But Mari! Look! This person was talking to their pokemon with their hands!"
"Jacob!" Mari snips. "Don't say things like that."
[It's okay!]
The children openly stare as I write in my notebook.
[It's called sign language! I use it to communicate with other people who understand it. For anyone who doesn't, I write in this notebook.]
The boy squints. "But… why don't you just talk normally?"
"Jacob…" Mari's voice carries the same weight of a mother counting down from three.
"S-Sorry," Jacob mumbles.
I wave my hands to let Mari know it's okay.
[I actually can't talk like you guys! It's just how I was born. It's why I need to write and use sign language.]
"Oohhhh!" Jacob crosses his arms in thought.
"I've heard about that before!" The girl's eye's shine with excitement. "I've seen it on TV before! It was on that one show… aw, I can't remember what it's called…"
"Hey, mister…" Jacob interjects, balling his fists in excitement. "Could you teach me? I want to talk with my hands — " A quick look from Mari causes the boy to backtrack " — er, with sign language, too! It's really cool! Like special forces!"
"Like special forces!" Aubrey throws her hands in the air as she mimics Jacob.
"Now, now…" Mari shakes her head. "Our friend, Red, here, is likely very busy. We shouldn't pressure him to do anything he doesn't have time for."
"Red?" Aubrey raises a finger to her chin. "Like the color?"
[Yep! Like the color! I come from Kanto, where it's very common to be named after different colors!] I write, and then turn to Mari. [And it's okay! I could definitely teach them some later.]
"You're certain?" A hint of worry seeps into Mari's voice. "It's not a bother?"
[Yep, it's fine!]
"Aw, yeah!" Jacob punches the air. "We're gonna' learn a new language, Aubrey!"
"Yeah!" Aubrey exclaims, and then stiffens into an extremely straight and rigid posture. "Thank you, Red-sensei!" She bows deeply, her torso parallel to the floor.
"Thank you, Red-sensei!" Jacob follows suit, bowing.
This is the first time I've ever been called a sensei. It's a title I'm not quite sure I've earned, just yet. I raise my hands with a small smile to let the children know it's no problem.
"I know you two are hungry," Mari interjects. "How about you two go back into the dojo and I'll bring everyone their tea in a minute, hm?"
"Awesome!" Jacob punches the air again. "Come on, Aubrey!" He says, taking off into a full sprint towards the doorway with the "Dojo" sign.
"W-Wait!" Aubrey chases after him.
"Don't run! Careful — " Both children disappear behind the curtain separating the two rooms before Mari can even finish calling out to them. Sighing, she pivots to face me. "I apologize for them."
[Don't worry about it,] I write, shaking my head. [They were just curious.]
"I'm glad you took no offense." Relief washes over Mari's previously strained expression. "Here, your tea." She places one cup of tea down on the table in front of me, and then nudges her head in Pikachu's direction as she reaches for another. "And one for you too, of course."
"Pika, pika!" Pikachu claps his hands.
I reach for my wallet —
"It's free." Mari stops me in my tracks. "It's a 'thank you' for helping Bea earlier, remember?"
[Are you sure? I can pay.]
"I insist," she declares, smiling again.
[Thank you very much.]
"Pika!" Pikachu echoes my sentiment, bowing his head.
"Enjoy," she says with a little wave, before making her way across the room and through the same curtain Aubrey and Jacob disappeared behind moments earlier.
As I wrap my hands around the hot cup of tea, I find its radiating warmth comforting against my fingertips. Pikachu hoists his up with both hands.
This feels like a good moment to toast to… something. To a new start? To adventure?
To Hulbury?
I like it. Practical. Simple. Maybe a bit boring, but not a lot of baggage.
Without bothering to sign it, I clink my cup against Pikachu's and make a toast to Hulbury. He nods his head, as if having made his own internal toast, before lifting the cup to his mouth.
If he did toast to something, what would it be? More ice cream?
I grin at the silly mental image of a stuffed Pikachu surrounded by ice cream on all sides, laying down with one hand on his stomach in Snorlax form.
Lifting my teacup up, I take a sip.
…Woah!
As an exploding, sweet flavor takes over my taste buds, the ache in my muscles and joints instantly dissipates, as if they'd never existed to begin with; in fact, I find that it gets rid of pains I didn't even know I had in the first place. My body feels good as new — better than new.
Without hesitating, I angle the teacup further and then drink its entirety with one big gulp. A surge of energy washes over me as I place the teacup down. Pikachu, too, has completely finished his tea, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"That was great!"
"Pika! Pika!" He agrees, starting to jump up and down.
I feel so… amazing! I feel like I could do anything!
Maybe this is part of why Bea was able to lift that box with such ease! She had access to this elixir of energy and strength beforehand!
Dare I say… I could go get another crate?!
My eyes lock with Pikachu's.
"You know what I'm thinking?"
"Pika!"
I stand out of my seat with determination. Pikachu jumps onto my shoulder.
It's time to show those little boxes what I'm made of!
Puffing my chest out, I march towards the front door of the store, swing it open, and —
— come face to face with a mountain of crates, arranged in a similar pile as the ones I saw on the dock earlier. Bea sits one down on another, humming in satisfaction. The sound of the door closing behind me causes her to look up, spotting me.
"Red!" Her eyes switch to Pikachu. "Fellow lover of sweets!" She gives a little bow. "I apologize for the mess. I just finished bringing all the crates over from the dock. I'll have everything cleared up in one moment!"
I rub my eyes to make sure I'm not hallucinating.
There's… no way. She already brought all of the crates back!?
It couldn't have been more than a few minutes!
I watch, mouth agape, as she grabs two crates at the same time, hugging them against her sides as if they weighed little more than a pair of stuffed animals.
My newfound confidence shatters. Wordlessly, I open the door for Bea as she turns sideways to fit through the opening. She nods at me as she shimmies by.
Well… at least I can help out this way.
It doesn't take Bea long to bring all the crates inside, doing two at a time. It looks so effortless for her. I suppose during our first trip here, she only brought one crate so I didn't feel too self-conscious.
"There we go." She claps her hands once as she looks over the empty space where a mountain of crates existed just moments earlier. "I thank you, again, for your assistance." She turns to me, raising her fist like an action hero, the same way she did before. "This tremendous result would not have been possible without your actions, Red. Preparations for Mizu Matsuri can now officially begin."
I severely doubt she'd have any trouble at all bringing about the exact same result without me, with her strength. What was that she mentioned near the end, though? Mizu Matsuri?
Before I can inquire about it, Mari emerges from the store's entrance to join us. "Hello, you two." She smiles. "Is that everything?"
"Yes!" Bea nods.
"Excellent." Mari faces me. "Thank you again for your help. We both appreciate it very much."
I shake my head, feeling a little guilty for being thanked so much for so little work. [It's okay. Really. Bea did most of the work. I barely did anything.]
"Barely did anything?" Bea crosses her arms, brows furrowing. "That's not true. Your indomitable warrior spirit has aided us in our greatest time of need. Do not betray that spirit by saying otherwise."
A-Am I being scolded? I'm so taken aback, I'm not sure how to respond. Mari raises her hand over her mouth, chuckling.
"Is that understood?" Bea asks, her voice suddenly carrying the power of a thousand dragons. Her eyes pierce deep into my very being, like two swords.
This is no longer simply a girl. This is a warrior, with a warrior's training, knowledge, and strength.
This is a warrior who has just asked me a question — a question that, depending on my answer, will have either great or disastrous consequences.
[Yes!] I've never written something so fast in my life.
"Good." She huffs, uncrossing her arms. With one small smile, she reverts back to the teenage girl from before, no longer a dangerous warrior. "Thank you."
[You're welcome!]
"Now that we have that settled…" Mari clasps her hands together. "And only if you have time for it, of course, but would you still be interested in teaching the children some sign language, Red? Aubrey and Jacob have spread the news to the other children and now the entire class is positively buzzing with excitement. Again, only if you're certain it's not any trouble."
The entire class? I suppose I did hear the voices of more children behind the "Dojo" curtain earlier. I wonder how many in total there are? I can't help but feel a sense of excitement at the prospect of teaching others sign language. People usually aren't interested in learning.
[I would love to!]
"Thank you," Mari says. "I know the children will be grateful."
"As will I," Bea adds. "If you will allow me to join this lesson, of course."
[Of course you can join!] I jot down. I still feel like I owe her for the icecream from earlier, so maybe helping her learn a little sign will help ease some of my guilt.
"Excellent." Mari opens the door to the store, ushering us in.
I follow Bea, who leads the way through the restaurant to the curtain with "Dojo" above it. A cacophony of children's voices can be heard on the other side of it.
Now that I'm closer to the curtain, I'm able to more easily distinguish between the voices; it sounds like there's at least twenty.
That's… a lot more than I predicted. Can I handle that? It's not the first time I would be teaching others sign language, but at most I've done small groups…
"This is dumbbbbbb," Blue groans, awkwardly bending his fingers into unrecognizable shapes. Green sharply shoves her elbow into his side. "Ow!"
"Hush," Green hisses, returning her attention to her own hands. "Am I doing it right, Red?"
[Almost. Turn your left hand the other way.] Gently, I grab her hands, helping her form them into the right shape.
The memory snaps into the forefront of my consciousness. A moment later, it's gone. I blink, momentarily stunned.
"Don't worry. They're all very nice," Bea mentions, softly. "They just get excited when they get curious."
She must've picked up on my anxiety. I give her a nod with a smile, doing my best to turn my thoughts to the situation at hand.
I got this.
Lifting the curtain, I pass through it.
As I enter the new space, the first thing I notice is the soft matting that makes up most of the floor, only interrupted by the small amount of hardwood flooring that follows the perimeter of the room. Sunlight flows into the room through large, rectangular windows that are positioned along the walls, acting as the room's only source of light. A punching bag hangs in one corner of the room, its faded leather and patches signs of its heavy use.
In the middle of the room, I find a large gathering of children — between twenty or thirty, if I had to guess — talking amongst themselves. They're all clad in the same gi that Jacob and Aubrey were wearing earlier. The age range seems to go from as young as five up to about ten or eleven. When they notice me, a brief wave of silence passes over them, though that silence is quickly broken by a familiar voice.
"That's him!" Jacob says, and points. I spot him near the middle of the crowd. "Red-sensei!"
"Red-sensei!" The entirety of the gathering shouts in unison. They all run towards me, forming a massive semi-circle shaped crowd in front of me.
"Are you really going to teach us a new language?"
"Why did your parents name you Red? Was that their favorite color?"
"Do you really come from Kanto? I have an uncle who lives there!"
"Can I pet your Pikachu?"
"Jacob said you could talk with your hands!"
The voices blend together into a mass of unintelligible excitement. Suddenly, I feel like I no longer "got this."
"Pika! Pika pika!" Pikachu jumps up and down on my shoulder, joining in on the cacophony.
Not you, too…
"Hi, everyone!" Bea's voice cuts through it all as she enters the room. Behind her, Mari.
"Bea-sensei! Mari-sensei! Welcome to the dojo." The children suddenly stand straight as arrows, bowing deeply twice. Their actions are synchronized, like you would see in a military marching parade. It's impressive.
"I hope everyone hasn't forgotten their manners just because we have a new guest joining us," Mari shakes her head, sighing.
The children stiffly turn on their heels to face me, and then bow. "We apologize! Welcome to the dojo, Red-Sensei!" They bow again, and then rush back to the middle of the room, where they break into two straight columns. After getting into position, they all go into parade rest.
"As you've all likely heard, Red will be teaching us some sign language today," Mari says. "Let's give him a big "thank you" for letting us borrow some of his time!"
"Thank you, Red-sensei!" The children say.
This time, Bea joins in, bowing. "Thank you, Red-sensei."
Heat flashes in my cheeks. I don't think I've ever encountered this level of formal respect from so many people before.
I'm not sure if it's technically proper or not, but I bow in response. I start to reach for my notebook, but I realize there's a slight problem.
[It may be hard for some of the children to read my writing if they're in a spread out formation,] I write. [Maybe they could all gather around, close?]
"Of course." Mari nods her head. "Everyone, let's all come close to Red — but not too close. Remember to give him room."
"Yes, Mari-sensei!" The children march closer.
Once everyone is close enough to read my handwriting, I begin.
[Hi, everyone! As you might know, my name's Red! I know some of you may be curious as to why I'm writing in my notebook to communicate, but I do so because I'm not able to talk like you guys can! If I'm not writing in my notebook, you'll see me using something called sign language! It's a way of talking to people by making different shapes and motions with our hands!]
I demonstrate a quick "How are you?" as an example, my hand turning outwards from my torso and pointing. About twenty curious gazes, Bea's included, follow my movements.
[Let's start with the basics!]
[Remember, you tap your two fingers together, like this.] I extend my pointer and middle finger on both hands, tapping them together. [That's how you say "name."]
"Ohhhhh…" Aubrey nods up and down, mimicking my movements.
Each of the children move their hands, doing their best to sign out "my name is." Pikachu runs back and forth, helping those who are struggling by gently pushing their hands into the right places.
"My… name is…" Aubrey signs. There's a slight hesitation in her movement, but it otherwise looks great.
[Good job! You got it!]
She beams at me, and then makes the motion again, this time more confidently. When I turn my attention back to the crowd, I happen to spot Bea, who motions perfectly.
[You're a natural at this.]
Bea's mouth turns up into a tiny smile. "Thank you. I take no credit. You're a very good teacher."
[I try my best.]
The light coming in through the windows has grown orange now, basking the entirety of the room in the glow of sunset. It didn't take long for me to get into my teaching groove. It doesn't feel like it's been that long, but now that I think about it, we have gotten through a lot — asking how someone is doing, how the weather is, what someone's name is, and now telling someone else our name.
Throughout all that, some of the children have struggled, especially the younger ones, but most have taken to it quickly. Bea needed a little extra help at the beginning, but after that she's been signing like a pro.
"Okay, everyone!" Mari claps her hands together to get everyone's attention. "It's that time of day again!"
Groans and various forms of "awwwww" come from the group of children.
"Already, Mari-sensei?" Jacob pouts. "But we just got started!"
"I know, I know," Mari says. "But we've kept you all for long enough. We don't want to keep your parents waiting."
The children's complaints dissolve into low grumbles as they all start forming into the same two military-like columns from before. Once they go into parade rest, they all fall silent before saying…
"Thank you!" Their voices are nearly perfectly in unison. After that, they bow, and then start filing through the curtain back into the restaurant.
"Thank you again for lending us your time." Mari nods towards me. "I know the children enjoyed it." She pauses, her eyes landing on Bea, who signs to herself with that same small smile. "I know Bea did, too," she adds with a whisper.
[It's not a problem at all! Thank you for letting me teach, and also for the wonderful tea from earlier.]
"I'm glad you liked it. Bea?"
Bea lifts her head up from her hands.
"Since Juurou isn't here today, could you be a dear and walk Aaron and Troy home? Their parents weren't able to drop by today."
"Yes," Bea agrees.
"Thank you. I need to go greet the parents but…" she turns to me one last time. "Feel free to drop by any time, Red."
I nod in response. Mari leaves, her form disappearing behind the curtain.
Turning to me, Bea bows again. "I am once again in your debt. Not only do you carry the strength of a warrior's spirit, but you also carry the knowledge of a philosopher's."
[You give me too much credit. Really.]
Her eyes narrow. In a blink, she returns to her warrior form. "Hm?"
It's insane how fast she's able to totally switch moods! [Nevermind! Warrior and philosopher spirit! You're welcome!]
"Hm." With an exhale, her dangerous aura fades away, its only remnant a small, barely visible smirk. "You should never doubt yourself, nor your contributions to the world, Red. You carry a deep, unbreaking strength. I can tell."
"Pi." Pikachu crosses his arms, nodding in agreement.
"Speaking of strength…" Bea starts, her head tilting to the side. "With that Pikachu of yours, are you a pokemon trainer?"
A pokemon trainer.
Am I — a pokemon trainer?
There's no way you'll ever become a trainer.
I bring my pen to the page of my notebook to answer her, but my hand is shaking too much to write anything.
"Pika…" Pikachu's worried voice brings me back to my senses. I suddenly become very aware of how the muscles in my face are stretched into an uncomfortable expression. I do my best to put on a poker face, though it seems the damage is already done.
Bea looks down at the ground between her feet. She noticed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean any offense…"
I take a deep breath, steeling myself against the tide of memories. [No. My apologies. I am a trainer. Trying to be, at least.]
"...I see." She doesn't answer right away. Her gaze flickers over me. I make sure to not show any signs of discomfort. Thankfully, it seems to work well enough. The worry in her expression fades. "I'm... trying to be a trainer too, actually. If you're interested, we should face each other sometime. I could always use a new sparring partner, especially one with your level of strength."
I… suppose I could do that. [That sounds great!] I write after a moment of hesitation. [I'll definitely take you up on your offer, when a chance comes up.]
"Thank you." She places one hand on her hip, the other extending towards me as a handshake offering. I take it — her grip is firm and steady. "Until that time comes, Red."
The orange of twilight eventually gives way to night's darkness. No stars are visible — likely a symptom of being in such a large city and the light pollution it entails.
After leaving the Choku Zuki Sushi and Dojo, I started my search for a place to stay. It's much harder to find a room than I thought it would be. Sure, there are lots of apartments and hotels, but they're all crazy expensive! With the amount of money I have now, I wouldn't be able to afford any of them for more than a few days, at most.
Eventually, I come across a slightly worn down building sitting right at the edge of the city limits. A little further down the road, a brick wall rises about twelve feet into the air, a tunnel allowing passage through it. On the other side of the tunnel, the neatly painted, asphalt city road abruptly turns into a dirt trail, and with the moonlight I can vaguely make out the shapes of trees. A sign that says "Route 5" is plastered to the brick just to the tunnel's side.
The worn down building has a neon sign in its window. "Cheap rent! Low prices! Utilities included!" It reads.
It doesn't look the prettiest, but if it has a bed, running water, and I can afford it… what's the harm?
As I open the door to enter, a bell rings. I find myself in a tiny room, fitted only with a few very uncomfortable looking plastic chairs, a counter, and a burly man behind said counter. The man stares at me, the emotion behind his eyes hard to discern. Not friendly enough to be welcoming, not unfriendly enough to be unwelcoming — definitely tired.
"Hello," he sighs. "Need a room?"
[Yes! How much would it be?]
He stares at my notebook for a moment, looks at me, and then back to my notebook. He shuts his eyes in an emotion that couldn't be anything else other than frustration, rubbing his temples. After a few seconds, he opens his eyes again.
"Can you not talk?"
Embarrassment and shame crawl up my throat. It's obvious he finds having to read out of my notebook a chore.
"Pika…" Pikachu whispers, placing his hand on the back of my neck from his spot on my shoulder.
I shake my head.
The man snorts. "Okay. Can you make your writing bigger? It's hard for me to see."
I write out [How much would a room be?] in large letters — probably larger than I need to, but I don't want to take a chance of it still being too small for him.
"It's $400 a week. Everything included."
$400 a week, huh? That's still a little high, but…
I briefly check my wallet. I have enough for two weeks. It's not the best, but still better than the other deals I found around the city.
Grabbing four $100 bills from my wallet, I hand it over to the man, who hands me a pair of keys in return.
"Room 3F," is all he says.
A few stairs and a bit of walking later, I find myself standing in front of room 3F. The key doesn't slide into the keyhole easily, and for a split second I think that maybe I either have the wrong door or the wrong key, but with a shove it goes in all the way, and then, with a turn, the door makes a 'click' sound. Opening it, I step within.
A small room greets me, taken up mostly by a bed. An old TV sits in one corner of the room, a small stove in the other. There's only one other door in the room, which I assume leads to the bathroom. A singular window gives a view of the street below.
Pikachu jumps from my shoulder onto the bed. He pushes into it with his hands, shaking his head. "Pi…"
Uncomfortable.
"I know, Pikachu." I sit on the bed next to him, signing. "This will just be for a little while. Tomorrow, I'll find a job so that we can eventually find a different place."
"Pika…" He's not completely satisfied, but the prospect of eventually going someplace else does cheer him up a little.
Maybe changing the subject will get his mind off of it. "Today was fun, wasn't it? Weren't Bea and Mari and all the kids really nice?"
"Pi!" He nods his head up and down. "Pika!"
"If we have some extra time tomorrow, I'll see if we can pay them a visit. Maybe get some more of Mari's tea."
"Pika, pika!" He nods again. I pet his head.
We'll make it through, buddy. You and I.
We spend a little while going over everything that happened today, but it doesn't take long for exhaustion to catch up for both of us. I turn off the lights, sliding into bed, resting my head on a pillow that feels nothing like what a pillow should feel like. Pikachu curls up into a ball just to my side.
Sleep doesn't come easy.
