I*A*C
Trainer's Log, uh... Actually, what number is this? Whatever, I have a Pokémon, so we're just gonna start with 'one'. Trainer's Log One. Lucy and I have gotten back from our trip up Lanakila and we're taking the day to rest. Sunray's been absent today, but I think that's for the best. Grandpap says that sometimes he goes outside to wander around, but he usually comes back within a day or so.
Tomo's been acting a little weird as well. She was fine, yesterday, but now whenever Lynn gets near, she freezes up. They're both telling me it's fine, though, so I'll just have to trust them. Even though I can understand them, I can only do that if they're willing to actually talk to me about it.
I'm planning on starting some light training for Tomoko today. Just to get a feel for her skills and abilities. From what I've seen, she's a capable battler, just a bit weak from lack of use of her moves and abilities. Once I have an idea of what she's capable of, I'll start making a regimen for her. I'll also need to hit by a bookstore or something to try and create something optimal. I'm not going to get her started on any particular diet or vitamins, though that may be something I'll ask her about in the future. I don't like the idea of supplements.
Lynn might not be a battler, but from what I've seen so far, she's strong. I'm sure she'd fight if I asked her to, she just seems like the kind of girl to do that, but I'd rather not force her into doing something she doesn't want to. Something about her rubs me in a weird way, and it's not just the way she rubs me weirdly. She's obviously holding back in some way, but I've got no idea as to how or why. I can only hope she decides to open up to me, eventually.
Lastly, I've managed to uncover a bit more of what my sudden awakening has allowed me to... well, focus on. I don't know if it was because of my older self's interference or my own lack of Awareness, but there are actual, honest-to-God animals. Ants, roaches, rats, the whole lot of them living alongside Pokémon and people. When I brought it up to my grandparents, they'd looked at me like I'd grown a second head and suggested I get some more rest.
Just how much have I been missing, and why? First it was lack of knowledge on how dangerous the world actually is, now it's normal animals walking around like nobody's business. I saw a cat outside earlier today! Grandpap says that cat belongs to the neighbor and he's always been around! How the hell do I miss something like that!?
Something is wrong. Or it was wrong, and now it's fixed. It makes me wonder how much else I've been missing, one way or another. Was it my older self's fault? Or was it mine? Does it even really matter anymore? I'm going to keep an eye out for other things I've dismissed in my ignorance; this can't have been all.
On a side note: Fuck. Mosquitoes. AAAAARGH!
I*A*C
Trainer's Log Two. I've got a few ideas for Tomo's training, and most of it revolves around expanding her move pool and mastering her general abilities. I was right when I figured she was the runt of her pack, and she's severely behind average as a result. While there aren't many trainers who have used an Alolan vulpix, there was one who recorded his findings some time ago. All of this was found online, so I can't be sure of the validity of these claims, but it's all I've got to work with so far. At Tomoko's age, which is about six years old, she should be able to use moves like Icy Wind with enough force and control to freeze ponds of water. Tomo is only able to cool the water. I think I'll have her train mastery over her own powers first, then focus on new moves as we go along, expanding the list as she begins to master her current abilities.
Lucy's been off doing her own thing today, and while I'd love to spend more time with her, I assume she's just destressing from the last few days. While I might have the fortitude to endure the entire thing, she's still a seven-year-old girl. She's been putting on a tough face, but I'm sure that being up there took its toll on her in some ways. I'll make sure she's alright tonight, though.
Lynn has been keeping me company in the meantime, which has been... interesting, to say the least. She's flirty, that much is certain, and it seems she has a thing for humans. Well, no, that's not quite right. She has a thing for me, which is weird. She's able to toe the line between what I'm comfortable with and what I'm not, which is definitely a first for me in this world. If she were a human... well, I'd probably be putty in her hands, I'll be honest. I love Lucy, but it's really hard to deny Lynn. Thankfully, I'm not willing to cross the line between humans and Pokémon. Though, with what I am now, technically neither human nor Pokémon, would it really even matter...? Probably best not to think of that. I've got a training plan to work out.
As a continuation of yesterday's... well, rant, I've taken second looks at stuff on my phone on the internet to see if I'd missed anything, and sure enough, there's a lot of filled gaps that just weren't there before. Things like pictures of animals, references to them, and even a bit of info on trainers and the Leagues that I'd missed before. Looking back on my own memories, I remember distinctly skimming over a lot of information that didn't seem important at the time. Is that a result of my own hyperfocus before, or my own brain creating memories to fill in a gap? I've decided to let it rest, for now, until I can come up with something concrete. Better to just move on from it until then. Me not knowing the 'why' doesn't change the fact that it 'is'.
I*A*C
I woke to the smell of bacon, and the sound of conversation in the other room. A groan left my lips as I turned over in bed, snuggling into the fluffy pillow. "Awww, you're gonna make a girl blush, darling," a soft voice whispered into my ear. "Though, if you insist~"
"Don't ruin this for me," I grumbled, trying my hardest not to wake up completely. I was failing. "God fucking dammit, Lynn." The tittering laughter of the eevee as she gently pawed my face wasn't helping the weird feeling I was getting. Even if my body wasn't old enough to react, the mind was not nearly so forgiving. I removed my head from her belly, sitting up slowly in bed while I yawned and stretched. Outside, the sunlight filtered in through the curtains of the window. Tomo was absent from the room, as was Lucy.
"They both went to make you a surprise, cutie," Lynn answered my question before it could be asked. "I think you've been neglecting your Mate for too long. Don't worry about Tomo and I, you two enjoy some time together, today."
"Are you sure? I was hoping to train-"
"Training can come later, darling! You spend some time with that girlfriend of yours," Lynn insisted. I frowned, not sure about the matter. I'd only just caught Tomoko, after all. I really wanted to get her used to a training schedule. Hell, we'd been lax with Lily's schedule, as well. "If you're really worried about it, then I'll train with Tomo and Lily. How's that sound, cutie?"
"I don't know... I have a regimen that-"
"It's just the basics, Tai!" Lynn countered before I could complete my thought. "I'm sure I can handle that just fine. You were going to have Tomo master the moves she knows, and make sure sweet Lily keeps up her physical conditioning, weren't you?" I was... "I can see it on your face, cutie. Go have fun. Let Lynn handle the cuties while you have fun with the other woman." The eevee winked at me, making me blink and gently shake my head in disbelief. She really had no shame.
"I mean... I guess I could," I replied, still uncertain, but feeling a bit better about the matter. I slowly got up out of bed, and Lynn plopped onto the ground next to me. "Things will be fine here, right? Right, grandma can make sure things don't get out of hand."
"Now you're figuring it out!" Lynn's enthusiasm did not fill me with much confidence as we walked out of the bedroom together. Outside in the hall, the sound of sizzling bacon was much easier to make out; along with the TV, and my grandparents talking with Lucy. I caught the tail end of what sounded like a story my grandpap was telling as I walked into the kitchen, which was joined to the diningroom off to the side. Surprisingly, it wasn't grandma at the stove; it was Lucy. Grandma was standing off to the side, watching as my best friend cooked breakfast while grandpap sat at the little breakfast bar that separated the kitchen and the diningroom.
"-so Markus and I made it back with only seconds to spare! I tell you what, I've never seen the fat man run so fast before or after!" There was a smile on Lucy's face as grandpap finished his story with an uproar of laughter. "After that, I turned to him and I says, 'You up for round two?'" I saw as Lucy giggled, using a pair of tongs to flip the bacon.
"Damn, it smells good in here, cutie pie," Lynn greeted them as she walked in, giving Lucy a sidelong glance. "You're doing great with that food!"
"You're certainly right about that," Tomoko spoke up from the counter, her fur bristling but not resisting as grandpap gently pet her along her back. She even closed her eyes in bliss as he reached under to scratch her chin. "Oooh, right there, old-timer. That's a new one...!"
"Good morning, sleepy head," grandpap greeted me, catching my arrival before the girls did. Grandma and Lucy followed suit, but the two of them were focused on the food and quickly returned to it. "Lusamine, here, has been cooking all morning! She's got quite the talent for it, I'll say that much." The older man was dressed casually today, wearing a white polo shirt and a pair of slacks.
"She was quite the dear and asked me for help to make you breakfast," grandma added, gently pointing something out in the pan. "That one is ready, dear. Add it to the pile. Are you making sure to keep an eye on your pancakes?"
"Yes, grandma," Lucy replied, her expression one of a steely focus and commitment. I felt my heart pound, seeing her dressed in a white blouse and a knee-length, dark blue skirt, with an apron covering her from the grease of the bacon. "These ones seem ready?"
"Check them." Lucy did as instructed, using a spatula to check the underside of the pancake she was currently cooking. After doing so, she nodded to herself, stacking it onto a plate before grandma reached over to turn the stovetop off for her. "Very good, Lusamine. You're certain that you've never done this before?"
"Uh, well, not like this," the girl replied, shaking her head as she added the last of the bacon to the plate. I wandered over slowly to the bar beside grandpap, watching the two women wrap up their cooking.
"You're a lucky little kid, Taiyo," grandpap whispered to me, eyes not leaving his wife's form. "Not a lot of girls her age willing to cook, from what I hear."
"I keep hearing that," Lucy spoke up as she undid her apron, hanging it on the knob of one of the cabinets. She shot me a smile before turning back to grandpap. "What does that even mean?"
"It means human girls are spoiled brats who don't know how to keep a man," Lynn offered, but aside from Tomo and I, nobody else understood her. That was probably for the best.
"Ah, it's just that I've heard the boys on the golf course complaining about their girlfriends," grandpap answered, none the wiser to Lynn's musings. "I guess the young'uns these days aren't like the way they were when we were younger. Some ladies over in Kalos and Unova got it in their heads that their boyfriends ought to provide everything, including for themselves." Oh, boy, I knew where that was gonna lead. Grandma shot grandpap a look that I recognized as a, 'Not in front of the kids,' kind of expression, and he shut right up. Lucy, however, had no such external filter.
"Then what do the girls do?" She asked, utterly perplexed. She looked my way, and I just shook my head, urging her to drop it. This wasn't a conversation worth having right now. "Well, breakfast is ready, Tai! I hope you like it."
"I'm sure I will," I told her as grandma took the plate and set it in front of me. The bacon was nice and crispy, and still bubbled with a bit of grease. The pancakes didn't look burned; instead, they were a nice golden-brown color with little blue splotches. Blueberries. It all looked delicious. I dug in with gusto as Lucy took some spare strips of bacon and fed them to Lynn and Tomo, who both enjoyed the treat if their tails were anything to go by. Lynn's was wagging back and forth, while Tomo's tails seemed to ripple and wave like a fog.
Breakfast was short, and was filled with light conversation about what Lucy and I had been up to for the last couple of days. Lucy, apparently, had been going shopping and out and about for errands. In fact, I hadn't really seen her the last couple of days, so this little breakfast was a surprise. I told them about my plans to train Tomoko, which said vulpix seemed interested in hearing about. It was all basic stuff, and grandpap seemed to think it was wise to start off slow and ramp it up as we went along. I'd have to remember to ask him for some tips when I got some spare time.
"Oh, I wanted to spend the day with you, by the way," Lucy mentioned after I'd finished the food, which she happily took and rinsed off in the sink. "I have a few places I think you'd love and wanna show them to you!"
"Well, I had planned on getting straight into Tomo's training, but Lynn convinced me otherwise," I glanced at the little eevee, who shared a knowing look with Lucy. Wait, had they planned this all out? Lynn stepped up next to Tomo who, while she looked a bit uncomfortable with her bristled fur, didn't move away. "She'll be handling your training today, Tomo. Will that be alright?"
"Y-Yeah, it's whatever," she replied, voice stammering for a moment as her eyes met mine. I kept a steady gaze on her, looking for any signs that she wasn't into it, before deciding that if she really wasn't alright spending time with Lynn, she'd have told me. I'd just have to trust her. While her expression told me there was something she wasn't telling me, I left it alone. I glanced over everyone else, trying to gauge if I was missing something, since they all seemed to be so focused on me. I would have at least grandma and grandpap would be talking with each other, but they just had knowing smiles on their lips. What was I missing?
"Well, I guess I'm all yours, Lucy," I told the girl, giving up on trying to figure out what everyone else was so amused or, in Tomo's case, ruffled about. "Let me get ready and we can get going." I didn't take long to get dressed for the day and brush my teeth. I debated grabbing a shower, but I'd done that before bed last night, so it would have been pretty redundant. When I walked out of the bathroom, grandma and grandpap were gone.
"Where'd everyone go?" I asked Lucy, who was waiting by the front door of the house. "I could've sworn they were here, like, five minutes ago."
"Well, grandma Shiina and grandpa Lakuni went out to run some errands," Lucy replied, fitting a straw sun hat upon her head. It had a dark blue ribbon wrapped around the... bowl? The top, whatever it's called, and the ribbon was tied into a bow on the side. "Tomoko and Lynn are out doing their training with Lily. They'll be out in the back yard for it." I nodded, opening the door for us as we headed out for the day.
The streets were packed as we walked onto the main road; summer vacation was in full effect. Tourists of all shapes, shades, and sizes walked through the old streets of Malie, zipping from one place to another in a swirl of excitement and money spending. Of course, Lucy and I were right in there with them, our heads on swivels while we clasped hands to avoid getting separated. I shot a nasty look at some guy wearing what I assumed to be anime cosplay giving her a once-to-thrice-over. Guess there were some weird people in this world, too.
"Here! It's right over here!" Lucy shouted over the crowd's buzz, dragging me between people as we followed her lead. I let myself get strung along, not minding the warm feeling this all was giving me. "See? I know you're maybe not super interested in manga... but I wanted to show you something I like." I looked up, noting the very colorful cast of characters of the windows on the building she'd led me to. They were dressed in all sorts of costumes; from ninja clothes, to what I assumed were school uniforms, and there was even a demon guy. The sign up top read 'Uzumaku Chikara', which I assumed was some kind of reference.
"I mean, I won't know if I'll like it if I don't try it," I told her, shrugging my shoulders. She took that as an invitation, and the two of us headed into the store. It was... definitely about what I expected from a manga-based store. Walls lined with books of different kinds, figurines, cosplay outfits, and banners depicting various characters, some in different states of undress. Lucy didn't seem to care at all about those, instead pulling me around the shelves as if looking for something in particular.
"Here it is!" She thrust her hand out to one of the shelves, grabbing one book in particular. I did a quick scan of what kind of section we were in, skimming through titles. Luckily, the sections of the bookshelves had the Galarian names so I wasn't stuck trying to guess what they meant in Johtonian. 'All My Wives Came From Another World', 'Monster Girl Haven', My Life With The Princesses Of-' Wait, I was starting to notice a pattern, here... Lucy thrust one manga into my face, and it took a second for my eyes to focus on it.
The cover depicted a woman dressed in an elegant, navy blue cocktail dress, her hips visible via hip windows that had been cut from the outfit. She had fiery red hair that trailed down her back, and dark blue eyes that stared at the viewer with a piercing, confident gaze. The title read 'Harem Life: My Journey in Lairondo'. Was this seriously the kind of stuff she was interested in?
"This is one of my favorites! I found it on your grandma's bookshelf, and I've already got to chapter ten and it's getting really interesting!" Lucy's eyes sparkled with an innocence I didn't realize was possible when dealing with this kind of topic, and I did my best not to show my unease through my smile. Her pout let me know that she'd seen right through me, however. "Do you... not like it?"
"Oh, no, it's not that," I replied, waving my hands in front of myself as if that would placate her. "No, it's just that... this kind of stuff usually isn't written kids like us." Lucy tilted her head, her stare blank as she either just didn't understand, or she was trying to figure out if I was trying to say something more.
"But your grandma said it was okay?" She replied. On one hand, I was glad she didn't understand why reading stuff like that was seriously gonna screw up how she envisioned relationships would work. On the other, that just meant that if I didn't interfere, this could seriously screw things up.
"Well... just... If you like it so much, maybe I can read it too, and we can talk about it," I suggested, hoping that it didn't sound too suspicious. Her eyes lit up, and I had a feeling that her excitement to have me join in on something she liked overshadowed any reasons I might have for doing so. At least this way I could try and temper her expectations and not let her delve into this trash believing it would actually work.
"Would you really!?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Thank you!" Lucy giggled, hugging me right then and there. "I know it'll be kinda weird at first, but I think you'll really like this one!" A sly expression crossed her face. "You were looking at all those other girls, after all." I grimaced, looking away for a second while Lucy laughed at me. "It's okay! Some of them were really pretty." Okay then, corruption detected. Must purge.
"Maybe that's not something you should be encouraging your boyfriend to do," I suggested, not at all comforted by the twinkle in her eye and the smile on her lips. "Are there any others that you like?" I tried instead to change the topic, hoping that any ideas she might have stirring in her head might take a back seat if I kept her focused on something else. Luckily, she took the bait, leading me over to another set of shelves as we looked through some more of her favorite books, which were thankfully far more normal. 'Highschool Dream Fest', That Time I Was Reborn As A Level 1 Magikarp', and 'How Bad Could It Be, Being A Rich Girl's Man Servant?' Before I could blink, Lucy had quickly stuffed that last one back onto the shelf she'd gotten it from, her face beet red. I decided to pointedly ignore it and indulge the others she brought to my attention.
All-in-all, it was pretty standard stuff for the most part. I guess the whole interest in harems was a recent development, which was... well, it just was. Lucy went out of her way to buy a whole bunch of the books she thought I'd like, which I noticed also just so happened to be series and books she admitted flippantly she lacked in her own collection. Looking at the register, the entire bundle was a whopping one-hundred credits worth of books, which she paid for without even a second thought. I often forgot that Lucy was a rich girl, but today would not be one of those days.
"Just, uh, out of curiosity," I asked the girl as we left the store, holding onto the fucking heavy bag of manga, "how much can you actually spend, today?" Lucy took a moment to give it some thought, even going so far as to tilt her head; a sign that she was really working those gears in her noggin.
"Well, we spent about four-hundred on the camping stuff, another hundred here... I get about a hundred every week..." The number made me want to cry. I'd saved up for three years to get nearly one-hundred credits, and she got that as an allowance every week. "I have enough that we don't have to worry about it," she finally concluded. Okay, so basically our budget was 'a lot'. Though, giving it some thought, that simply wouldn't be good enough.
"You want to take care of everything, right? Money, plans, all that stuff?" I asked her, earning a nod in return as we began to walk again. I followed behind her, a pretty good reflection of how today was probably going to go. "You should set up budgets. Like, keep track of how much money we spend on different things, and a maximum allowance per week, month, whatever."
"Budgets?" She asked, confused. Ah, well, this would be fun to teach. I actually enjoyed budgeting, to an extent. Sure, it sucks when you're poor because it's a necessity, but it's also a good way to build planning and prediction skills as well as monetary restraint.
"When we have lunch, remind me to tell you about them," I told her, getting a smile and a nod in return. Afterwards, I followed her through the streets once more, taking her hand with the one of mine that was free. "So, where are we going now?"
"You'll see~" She told me, her voice sing-songy. "I think you'll like it!" I sure hoped so, because my arm was getting tired. We once more weaved through the roads through Malie, and I had to take care not to accidentally swing the bag full of manga into anyone that we passed by. As an adult that wouldn't have been a problem, but no matter how strong I was now, I was still six years old.
"S-Sorry!" I apologized to the man whose shins I'd accidentally slammed the bag into. "Sorry, sir!" I shouted as Lucy yanked me away, obviously eager to get to wherever we were going. We were practically running at this point. Thankfully it wasn't much longer until we arrived at our destination, giving me a chance to rest my aching arms. "Holy crap, how long has it been since we left the store?"
"Ten minutes?" Lusy replied, seeming confused as to why I was so wiped out. "Are you okay? We're here." I took a moment to breathe before looking up at where we'd arrived. It was a building with blacked out windows, and a large sign with blocky letters that read 'Ma-Lee-Arcade'. That was... one hell of a stretch for a name, but I guess it works. "Well?"
"Le-Let me catch my breath, then I'll be good to head in," I told her, gently nudging her to the side so we could both get out of the way of people heading in and out of the place. After about a minute of feeling my heartbeat slow to a manageable level, I gave Lucy a nod so we could head in. "Okay, I'm good." I mentally prepared myself before walking into the arcade with Lucy.
First, I was struck by the rush of cool air. It felt nice and refreshing. Then, I was hit by the lights and the noise. It was loud, and noisy and chaotic. Beeps and boops and alarms and chimes and blasts and other such noises rang out through the building as kids yelled and screamed and cheered along with them. It was utter madness; the kind of place I would have hated in my previous life. Yet this time... I felt excited. From the grin on Lucy's face, she was the same way.
The two of us quickly ran to the closest token machine near the front doors, purchasing ten, twenty, thirty, God, who knows how many tokens and stuffing them all into three 'complimentary' plastic souvenir cups with the name of the arcade on it above the image of various native Alolan Pokémon. God knows this place made more than enough to hand them out. After making sure our tokens didn't overflow by stuffing the extra into the bag with the manga, we took off through the arcade.
I lost track of the time; which is probably what was intended. We played different games like Mantine Riders, Whack-A-Mole, and even a pixilated version of Pokken Tournament. However, the majority of our time at the arcade was spent playing Rhythm Mountain and various claw games that ate up our tokens. It was well worth it, though. I was by no means a guru, but claw machines all had the same tricks to them, which I'd become proficient with in my previous life.
All in all, we probably wasted a good two hours at the arcade and walked out with a stuffed pikachu, a very large stuffed gyarados, a new phone which likely would become a spare or sold, and a foam sword that reminded me of those old Nerf swords that I'm pretty sure got discontinued. They might be gone in my old world, but here, the reign of God and Anime continues. I gave the soft blade a few test swings, the weight easily throwing my body around.
"I am the Knight of the Sun, Ser Taiyo! Fear me, if you dare!" I announced, striking a pose for Lucy who seemed all too happy to humor me with laughter and clapping. I gave the foam blade a twirl before resting it on my shoulder. "So, where to next, Lucy?"
"To the park, Ser Taiyo!"
"To the park!" I chorused, following the girl with just my sword. She had been able to convince the clerks inside the arcade to keep the items we got, including the manga, in a back room for her butlers to pick up. I imagine it was probably in exchange for money, but I wanted to believe that the staff were just that nice. Either way, my hands were mostly free, and I didn't have to lug those books and plushies around. The two of us took off running towards the Malie Heiwana Gardens.
I*A*C
"Again!" Lynn barked at Tomoko, the curl of her lips forming a sadistic smile as the slave driver of a 'mon demanded she get up and try once more. Lynn was in her glaceon form, perfect for teaching Tomo how to control her Ice-Type energy.
"B-But I did it perfectly this time!" Tomo whined, pulling herself up onto her four paws once more when Lynn shot her a stern look. "I even made it swirl a little, just like you asked! What else could I do?"
"Your Powder Snow isn't good enough until you can do it on command, like so!" Lynn let out a howl, immediately forming snow and ice around her that, unlike Tomo's, launched itself at their target, an empty flower pot, as soon as the flakes formed. It had been so effortless... "See? You took half a second to form your attack, and then another second to launch it. Your enemies won't give you those seconds."
"B-But getting it to that point will take weeks!" The little vulpix protested again. How was she supposed to do that!?
"Then now is an excellent place to start," Lynn shot back, her form morphing into that of a flareon. "Now use it again, or I'll make you!"
"T-Take this!" Tomo shouted, forming the frozen particles as best she chould before launching them at the pot. She winced, realizing she'd taken too long to form her attack this time as it swirled around her target. She readied herself to be shouted at again.
"It's okay, big sis!" She was shouted at, but not by the 'mon she was expecting. Over to the side, Lily the petilil worked on manipulating herself between the hanging flower pots with her vines. "It took me a week to use my leaf attacks like that!"
"That's because you're a little prodigy, aren't you?" Lynn cooed, making the little 'mon giggle before she slipped and fell. The petilil was fine, though, since she caught herself with her vines which acted like springs, cushioning her landing. "Look at that! See, you don't need to just launch yourself with your vines, sweetie."
"Man, being a battling Pokémon sure seems like a hassle," a low, droning voice spoke up from the stable beside the house; its back end overlooking the small space that the Pokémon were all training in. Tomo looked over to see Mudbray watching them, mouth full of wheat and barley and oats. "How do you even keep track of all that stuff, anyway?"
"It's all instinct, sweet boy," Lynn replied, shaking her head side-to-side with pride laced in her tone. "I may not be a great battler, but even I know that being able to act before your enemy gives you a key advantage. Though I guess something can be said about just taking hits like a champ like most of your kind does..."
"Have you fighted a mudbray before, auntie Lynn?" Lily asked, eyes wide with curiosity. Now that she asked, how was Lynn such a good trainer if she wasn't a good fighter?
"Oh, plenty," the flareon recalled, her voice wistful. "My Mate and I used to fight them all the time for a while. We got in each other's way at first, but after a while we just... figured something out."
"What was your Mate even like?" Tomoko asked, thinking back to her own. No, that life was behind her, now. He'd never find her down here. "Was he nice?"
"He is," Lynn corrected her student, gently bopping the vulpix on the nose. Tomo scrunched her face at that. "He's the kindest, most compassionate person I've ever met. I didn't appreciate that at first, but he did everything to make sure I could..." Lynn trailed off, staring up at the sky, where the sun was. "Well, he's the best Mate a 'mon could ask for. We were Partners all the way to the end." Tomoko blinked, feeling the sheer adoration that Lynn had for this Pokémon was something she'd never heard before.
"Is that what Mates are supposed to be like...?" The vulpix wondered aloud.
"Well, maybe someday you'll find out," Lynn replied, breaking Tomo's concentration. "For now, though, you should just be worried about getting stronger for your own Partner."
"M-Me!? And the human!? As if! I could never Trust a human of all things like that!"
"You should," Lynn replied, her demeanor calm. Something about it pissed Tomoko off. Lynn reverted back to her form as an eevee, her silvery fur glistening under the sunlight. "He's a wonderful human. You should be happy to have a Partner so willing to care for you and take your wants into consideration. There's not a lot of human trainers out there like him."
"There's not? But mama is the same way!" Lily asked, letting her roots dig through the soil as she ingrained herself. "She's super nice and talks to me and tells me all her secrets like how papa is super smart and super cool!"
"I'm... not sure that's really a secret," Tomo muttered. Was she like this as a child, too? Actually, how old was Lily?
"No, there's a lot of trainers out there that see their Pokémon partners as... well, not exactly tools, but like soldiers under their command," Lynn explained as she hopped up onto the small, wooden picnic table beside the house. She laid down on it, resting for a moment. "That's how most of the Leagues see their Pokémon, which those 'mons accept so long as they get stronger. Taiyo sees us as his friends."
"You- wait, do you seriously Trust a human that much?" Tomoko asked, not believing what she was hearing. She could understand trusting a human to an extent, but Trusting them? To the point where you wouldn't even question them or their intentions for you? That was downright stupid!
"I do Trust him," Lynn replied with a casual flick of her tail. "That I swear on the name of the Vast White, Reshiram. In that Trust I know we're both far more capable than we could ever be alone." Tomo shook her head, not able to comprehend what she was hearing. A Pokémon Trusting a human? That was impossible! "Someday, I'm sure I'll be able to show you what it's like. Then maybe you'll come to believe me."
Lynn's eyes drifted to the small sundial resting in the center of the small yard. "For now, though, training is over. It's about time we headed to the party." She hopped off of the picnic table, shifting her form to that of a leafeon before gently grasping Lily in her vines. "Will you be alright to keep up with me, Tomo?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," the vulpix replied, leaping up after Lynn as she hopped onto the stone fence surrounding the house. "Just don't get us lost."
I*A*C
As soon as we arrived at the torii gate for the gardens, Lucy's hands flew over my eyes, covering them. "Whoa, what's up Lucy? What's going on?" Lucy giggled, gently pushing me forward to keep walking.
"Just trust me! I've got this super awesome spot that I know you're gonna love," she replied, not answering my question at all, but that was fine. I slowly walked ahead of her, all the while she kept me blinded with her hands. We moved for a good ten minutes or so, each of my questions responded with 'Just wait until we get there' or 'It's a surprise, silly'. I could tell we were moving over grass most of the time, though, and Lucy was doing a very poor job of hiding her giggles. "We're here!" She finally squealed with excitement, uncovering my eyes and giving me a push forward.
"Finally. Seriously, what- is... so...?" My voice trailed off as I stared at the view in front of me. We stood at the side of a lake, a large, white gazebo resting about ten feet away from the water. Flowers and trees lined the dirt path we were standing on giving the place a scenic vista. However, more importantly, there were folding tables out with plastic folding chairs, a long table covered in a beautiful assortment of food; from sandwiches, to burgers and hot dogs, and even a gorgeous two-tiered cake covered in white and red icing.
At the far end of the dirt path, right in front of the gazebo, stood a colorful assortment of people with wide smiles on their faces. "Happy birthday, Taiyo!" They all shouted at the same time, popping confetti streamers and blowing party horns. I looked over their faces, standing stock still as I tried to wrap my head around this. Was it... really my birthday today?
Mom. Aster. Victor. Grandma. Grandpap. Lynn, Tomoko, and Lily... Some of the butlers and maids from the Balsam manor, including Sabastian and his friends. There were even some students from school; including Mohn and Paige. I even saw Cassie and that guy she liked, Mukanu, setting up the last of the decorations. I felt something slide down my cheeks as I stared ahead at them, and it took me a second to realize that they were tears. I was crying.
"Aww, sweetie!" Mom rushed forward, wrapping me up in a hug. "It's okay, sweetie, it's just us! Oh, you've gotten so big!" The last time I'd seen my mom was in a hospital bed. Now she was here... hugging me. Was this real?
"Is he okay?" One of my classmates asked, breaking me from my stupor. I had to... something. I had to do something. I was fine. I was fine, right?
"I-I'm alright," I finally spoke, feeling a smile form itself on my lips as I finally reached up and hugged my mom for the first time in... fuck, how long had it been...? Had I... when had I honestly hugged my own mom before? I couldn't remember if I had... "Thank you...! Thanks to all of you...!"
"Do you... like it?" I heard Lucy ask from beside me. I turned my eyes, meeting her jade ones.
"Little Lusamine spent the last couple of days sending invitations and getting all of this ready for you," mom told me, pulling away from the hug, much to my dismay. I held myself back, though. I would have plenty of time to hug her again, later. She was just as I remembered her; black hair tied back into a ponytail, though the hair that framed her face still had curls that she simply could never get rid of. Her eyes were a soft brown, like spots of dark and earthy soil with a love and affection that threatened to overwhelm me. Her skin was tan, like mine, and had a healthy glow to it that made it seem like nothing had ever happened.
"Thank you, Lucy," I finally remembered to speak, looking back over at my best friend. My girlfriend, even. "I... don't know what else to say..."
"I'm happy you like it," she replied, shaking her head in response to what else I could tell her. "It's nice to see you smile like this. Happy birthday, Tai." She lurched forward, giving me a quick hug before pulling away and shoving me towards our classmates. "Now go have fun! I have you all summer, so you can at least be polite!"
Everyone had since separated into their own groups to talk and grab some food. I was very tempted to grab something to eat since I was hungry as all hell, but I figured mingling would at least be the polite thing to do since everyone had showed up for this party. Looking around at the place, there were even balloons tied up with string and little poké ball decorations. Lily was off playing with Chappen, Paige's rookidee, as well as Gladen the zorua and some other Pokémon that my classmates had. Lynn and Tomo were off to the side, watching alongside Victor's Stoutland, Reval.
"H-Hey," I greeted a few of my classmates; Kelly, Michael, and Avon. It was Avon whose rockruff I'd accidentally bonded too closely with, and I noticed that the little rock dog was absent. I couldn't really blame Avon for leaving him behind. "Thanks for being here, guys. I, uh, kinda thought you hated me, honestly."
"Hate you?" Kelly asked, blinking in surprise as she looked at the other two. Both Avon and Michael shrugged, while the latter shook his head as well. "I mean, you're kind of a jerk when it comes to using our Pokémon, but we don't hate you. I mean, Hoppy's gotten a lot stronger after you used her to battle!"
"Yeah, and Ruffer's a lot stronger too," Avon added, taking a bite of his hot dog after talking. "Ahn heef goh a wot mow energhey, too!" He finally swallowed his food, though it was too late to make out anything he'd just said, clearly. "I just don't, uh, want him to see you more than me."
"Yeah, I get it," I told him, falling into easy conversation with the kids after that. I honestly don't remember what we talked about. I think we talked about sports, and how much summer was awesome, and what our plans were. Though I did hear something interesting when Mohn and Paige joined us.
"Are you gonna sign up for the Hano Summer Tournament, too, Paige?" Mohn asked the girl, who was chowing down on an icecream bar. Both of them were dressed in shorts and t-shirts today, and Paige had her blonde hair tied back into a loose ponytail. Even after only a week, though, Mohn was starting to pack a bit of muscle. "It'll be starting in a few days."
"Uh, I dun' think Chappen's gonna do all that good," Paige told us, shaking her head a little bit. "I saw videos of las' years tourney, an' I dun' think we'll do all that good."
"Yeah, doesn't it get people all over the world battling in it? Last year the winner got ten-thousand credits!" Michael added.
"Oh, well this year there's a junior contest for kids," Mohn told us, explaining the entire deal. It seemed like because of how popular the tournament was, the Hano Grand Resort was including a junior division for any kids who wanted to battle as well. As it turns out, a lot of our classmates were already signing up to try their hand at the five-hundred credit pot.
"Well, if that's the case, I might join in too," I suggested, putting in my two cents.
"Wait, you have a Pokémon?" Kelly asked, completely shocked. "When did that happen?"
"Those two are mine, with the stoutland," I pointed over at Lynn and Tomo; the eevee spotting me and giving me a little wave.
"Wait, that's the shiny eevee from school! You seriously caught it!?" Kelly shouted, making the four other kids do double takes as Lynn saunter over to us, leaving Reval and Tomo behind. "Oh Arceus, it's so cute!"
"Her name is Lynn," I introduced as she got closer, the little 'vee hopping onto my shoulders as she rested her front paws on my head. "Say 'hi', Lynn."
"Hello, little cuties!" Lynn chirped, preening under the attention she was receiving. "Yes, yes, that's right! Bask in the amazingness that is moi~"
"She's a bit of an attention pig," I told the others, who laughed a little and all reached forward to pet her. Much to her credit, Lynn handled it all with grace. "The vulpix over there is Tomoko, and she's a bit more shy, so don't take it personally if she doesn't come over to say 'hi'."
"She's so cute, too!" Kelly squealed, just barely holding herself back from running over to hug and squeeze the little white fox. "How much did you pay to get her!?"
"I didn't. I went up Lanakila and caught her, myself." As soon as the words left my mouth, all of my friends nearby went quiet, staring at me as if I was insane. Well, Mohn seemed more like he was just coming to terms that, yes, I was that reckless.
"Holy crap, you're crazy..."
"Did you really...?"
"Y-Y'know how mad that sounds, right?" Paige asked me, eyes wide as if she were seeing me for the first time. "Ya seriously went up an' did that?"
"Swear it on me mum," I told her, smiling when I saw her squint her eyes at my statement. "Hey, you know what would be fun? Kelly, let's have a battle!" I grinned, glancing over at the little brunette as I issued my challenge.
"With a freshly caught...? Are you sure? You'll probably lose," she pointed out to me, gently swaying in place as if the idea disturbed her. "I don't wanna beat you on your birthday..."
"What's it matter if I win or lose?" I asked, still not deterred. "All that matters is we have fun, right?" This time, even Mohn looked at me like I'd said something crazy. What the hell? "What?"
"Wait, is that how you see our battles?" Michael asked, sounding bewildered. His eyes were narrowed and his mouth hung open, obviously shocked for some reason. "Taiyo, we all fight to win. All that matters is if you win or lose. We just thought you were pretending not to care about losing."
"What? You mean you're not having fun when you're battling?" That couldn't be right... right? "I thought we were all just having fun little competitions. It doesn't mean anything, does it?"
"Taiyo, did you even pay attention to the school rankings?" Mohn asked. School rankings? He seemed to see my confusion from my silence, letting out a long sigh as he realized it. "All those battles on the playground were being watched by the teachers. The higher rank you are; the more you win, then the more likely you'll get a sponsorship from someone when we graduate. Didn't ya know that?"
"Uh..."
"Oh, Arceus, I lost to an idiot!" Avon moaned, realizing what was going on. "You seriously thought we were just doing all that for fun!?"
"I guess... that explains things..." Kelly mumbled, sounding unsure of matters. "You're... really weird, you know that?"
"Heh, I guess so," I agreed without a second thought. It really was weird though... Why were kids taking battles so seriously? "So... is that a 'no' to battling?"
"W-Why me?" Kelly asked, pointing at Paige. "She has a Flying-Type! Why not fight her!?"
"Because I want a fair fight," I told them, crossing my arms. "I don't want an easy win. I want Tomoko to have to work for her victory."
"Hehe, that's my cutie," Lynn purred from on top of my head. My friends all looked between one another, as if asking each other if this was real or not. Finally, after a couple of seconds, Kelly let out a sigh and nodded, accepting my battle challenge.
"Fine. I don't get it, but if it's what you wanna do..."
"Hey, Tomo! We're gonna have a battle!" I shouted over at my foxy companion, though obviously my shout attracted the attention of everyone else in the area. Tomoko rolled her eyes, but joined me as we set up an impromptu battlefield; away from the food and other decorations, of course.
Kelly took up the other side of the field as we faced one another. Her mareep, whose name was Fluffbit, paced with anticipation in front of her. Tomoko's tails swayed with a tense excitement, and I could feel the intensity rolling off of her as the air became chiller. I'd battled with Fluffbit a few times, both alongside and against. Kelly was a smart battler, who liked setting up status conditions and slowing her opponents down with Cotton Spore before going in for the kill.
"Are both battlers ready?" Victor asked, his voice powerful and commanding over the field as he stood off to the side. He would be acting as our referee. Both Kelly and I nodded towards the man, and I felt my stomach clench with excitement. My first real battle with my Pokémon. "This will be a one-on-one battle, which will end when one Pokémon is no longer able to battle, or when I call for the battle to end. Will both trainers send out their Pokémon?"
"Okay Fluffy, let's get him!" Kelly called out, sending forth the mareep who ran forward.
"I didn't realize you were Taiyo's Pokémon," Fluffbit spoke to Tomo. "If you're as good a battler as he is a trainer, then I'll have to go all out!"
"Tch, he's not that great," Tomoko replied, glancing back at me. "Well? Keep up, human!" I chuckled, pointing my finger forward towards the field.
"Onwards, Tomo! Forward unto victory! Kelly, let us make the ground tremble with the intensity of our battle!" Kelly shook her head quickly, as if she couldn't believe what I'd just said. I saw as mom gently rested her hand over her face, slouching, while Lucy clapped, a great big smile on her face. I grinned, encouraged by all three of their reactions and the various states of disbelief from the others.
"You really aren't taking this seriously, are you...?" Kelly asked, sounding... well, not really upset, but definitely unsure of how she should feel. "Fine! I'll make you take this seriously!"
"Hah! Tremble beneath the great might that is Taiyo and Tomoko! Roar, Tomo!" Playing into my act, her aura roiling with amusement, Tomoko screamed into the air, activating her Snow Warning Ability. Her body glowed a pale blue color, the winds picking up and the temperature dropping as flakes of crystal blue snow and ice swirled around the immediate area. Despite my chattering teeth, I crossed my arms and stood tall.
"H-Holy crap!" Fluffbit swore from across the field ad Tomoko took a single step forward.
"Let the battle... begin!" Victor called, slicing his hand down to mark the moment.
"Fluffy-"
"Tomo-"
"-use Thunder Wave!"
"-use Disable!"
It happened in an instant, with the mareep letting out a lout bleat as he unleashed a shockwave of electricity while Tomoko briefly glowed pink. The wave of lightning sputtered and dissipated just short of the vulpix. "W-What!?" Kelly shouted, confused. "Fluffbit-"
"Tomo, Baby-Doll Eyes!"
"-Take Down!" As soon as the command left her lips, Fluffbit charged forward towards Tomoko, enveloped in a white sheen of aura. While I couldn't see her face, I could instantly tell that Tomo had given the sheep her biggest, widest eyes possible, because the fluffy Pokémon stumbled, rolling over himself on the ground as he was taken off guard by Tomo's unnatural cuteness.
"Now use Spite!" I ordered. A haunting feeling filled the battlefield, as Tomo's body was enveloped in shadows. She stepped up before the mareep, glaring down at him as he struggled to stand under her wilting grudge.
"You trash," she spat, snarling at the Pokémon before her. "Trying to touch a single hair of my beautiful coat!? You worthless lamb!"
"W-What are you...?" Fluffbit asked, obviously shaken.
"Fluffy, use Thundershock!" Kelly shouted. The confidence returned to her Pokémon at the sound of her voice, but Tomoko persisted.
"Don't you fucking get up!" She snarled, the dark feeling growing stronger. In spite of her Spite, however, the mareep stood up, wool coursing with static before he unleashed the attack onto Tomoko with a small, but intense, arc of electricity. "G-Gaaaah! You maggot!"
"Tomoko, can you use Icy Wind?"
"I can try!"
"Do it!" At my command, Tomo let loose a cry as she manipulated the snowstorm around her, focusing it all on Fluffbit as he shouted in pain and discomfort.
"C-C-Cold!" The mareep screamed as he was beaten back by freezing, icy winds.
"Follow it up with Powder Snow!" I shouted before Kelly could get a word in. "Then go wild!"
"Fluffy, use-" Kelly's order was cut off as the mareep screamed with a loud bleat, and I could see through the snow as Tomoko lunged at her enemy, sinking her teeth into his neck through the wool. He screamed, his body glowing yellow as he began coursing electricity through his body.
"Tomo, let go!" She looked over at me, but it was too late. On instinct, Fluffbit let out another jolt of electricity, sending it coursing through Tomoko's body as she was hit by the mareep's Static Ability.
"Yeah, nice job, Fluffbit!" Kelly shouted, a grin on her face. "Follow it up with another Thundershock!" Tomoko had since let go of her bite, body tensing up as she struggled against the electric jolts running haywire in her body.
"Tomo, use Ice Shard!" Tomoko opened her jaws, letting out a piercing shard of crystallized ice at Fluffbit right as he unleashed another arc of electricity. The two attacks collided, electricity spreading outward from the shard of ice as if it was a prism, redirecting it from hitting Tomoko before the Ice Shard attack shattered. I could use that. "Tomo, use Powder Snow as much as you can!" Despite my order, Tomo struggled to move as her body seized up from the static running through her.
"H-Hurts!" She cried her teeth grit together.
"Hit her one more time with Thundershock!" Kelly shouted through the snow and wind.
"Tomo, you gotta move!" I told her, but it seemed like it was all for naught as her body refused to respond to her. I wracked my brain for any kind of solution to this as the mareep charged up another Electric-Type attack. Can't move. Mouth still capable. Aura type attack? I couldn't just do nothing could I? Wait, that could work. "Tomo, go limp and... relax your body! Like you're playing dead!"
"What!?"
"Just do it!" Just as Fluffbit unleashed an arc of lightning at her, Tomo went limp, falling onto her side. She grunted, but stayed still as she let her muscles relax. The static filling her body slipped into the ground underneath her, and her breathing relaxed. Holy fuck, it actually worked.
"What are you doing?" Kelly asked, obviously confused. "Fluffy, Take Town!"
"Get up and Disable!" I told Tomoko, throwing my hand forward. "Bring that sheep crashing to the ground!"
"You're not going to touch me!" Tomo shouted, her body once more enveloped in a light pink aura as the mareep's legs got tangled together, like someone dancing with two left feet. The sheep tumbled to the ground again, just like it had before. This time, however, his legs shook as he tried to stand up again, unable to properly control his body.
"Let out a full-power blast right into his face, Tomo!" I ordered her. The winds changed, shifting and swirling as the snowstorm followed Tomo's will. She screamed into the air, her body and the snow glowing a dazzling blue before it all died down with a loud boom and a flash of light. I blinked, and it took me a moment to figure out what had just happened.
Tomoko fell to the side, utterly spent as static coursed through her body. The ground around her was charred from the lightning strike she'd just taken head-on. Kelly taught her mareep Thunder. Huh.
"Tomoko is unable to battle!" Vic called out, directing his hand towards Kelly as he announced the winner. "Kelly and Fluffbit have won!"
"Yeah, great job, Fluffy!" Kelly cheered, giving her Pokémon a thumbs up. I smiled, walking over towards Tomoko as she slowly stirred on the ground, her eyes meeting mine with a mix of shame, apprehension, and fear. Kelly calmed down for a second, meeting me as we both stood over the little vulpix. "Oh, um, sorry for beating you on your birthday?"
"Nah, it was a fun battle," I told her, reaching down to pick up Tomo and rest her on my shoulder before offering Kelly my hand. She stared at it for a second, before grasping it with her own. "Tomo and I have got a lot to learn. We only just started working together, and have a few growing pains to work though. Still, I wasn't expecting Thunder of all things." Seeing that I wasn't upset at all about losing, Kelly allowed herself to smile as well. "That was definitely a close one."
"Yeah, I only taught it to him a week ago," the girl admitted, shrugging as we shook our hands. She let go while our friends came closer to us. "I was gonna use it as a surprise for Kanu, so don't tell him about it?"
"Yeah, he's turning out to be one hell of a battler," I agreed, chuckling a bit. "Hey, did you have fun? I had a blast! Our battle truly shook the heavens and earth with that last attack, ya know!"
"Y-Yeah... I guess it was kind of fun to be pushed in a corner like that," Kelly told me. "That Disable really screwed up a lot of what I wanted to do from the start, but it was exciting to try and figure out a way to beat you and get you where I wanted." She reached over to gently pet the wool of Fluffbit. "I'm just glad that Fluffy knew to use Thunder as soon as he got the chance."
"Yeah, I noticed you never ordered him to do that. I can tell you trained really hard to get him to be capable on his own when the chips are down. I can't wait to face you again in that summer tournament that Mohn was talking about!"
"Actually, I think we're gonna sit it out," Kelly admitted with a nervous laugh. The other kids were marveling over Tomoko and Fluffbit as we talked, while mom stood beside me, her hand on my shoulder as she half listened in. "You're already scary strong, and as fun as this was... I don't really wanna lose against you when you crush the competition."
"Heh, like I said, it's not about winning or losing. It's about having fun with your friends!"
"Not all of your battles are gonna be against our classmates, ya know," Mohn spoke up from beside us, his arms crossed and flecks of snow still resting in his hair and clothes. "There's gonna be kids from all over, too!"
"Oh, I'm sure. But I was talking about Tomoko! Battling alongside her is gonna be great! We're gonna wreck everyone else, right Tomo?" I glanced over at the little snow fox resting on my shoulder. Her eyes met mine for only a brief moment before she turned away, giving me a hesitant nod.
"Y-Yeah..." Tomo's voice was like a whisper, low and uncertain of herself. That would be something I'd have to work on. I guess she didn't take losses well, either.
"Don't worry, we'll get you up to snuff in no time."
"Speaking of snuff, why don't we light these candles on your cake and start serving it," Aster spoke up as he approached us, the cake along with its tray held carefully in his hands. The kids cheered, and the rest of the party went without incident.
Afterwards, the kids all played together after we had our cake to burn off excess energy, and the adults mostly just talked with one another about this and that. Before long, we all gathered so I could open my birthday presents before everyone went home for the evening. There were a few things of interest, but I was grateful for every gift I received.
Among these was a box set of recordings from this year's Galarian League battles from Kelly, and a book about the weird mysteries and goings ons around Alola from Mohn. However, the last gift I got was easily the most surprising. After most of my friends had gone home, and the last of the adults were saying their goodbyes, Paige had pulled me aside and offered me a small box, just bigger than the size of my hand. I'd already gotten a small statuette of a Galarian rapidash from her, though.
"What's this?" I asked her, absolutely confused. She was silent for a few moments before she shoved the box into my hands.
"It's from Kanu," she told me. We were both quiet for a few moments as it sunk in. "He wanted to be here, but... I don't think he got an invitation. Or maybe he did, but his dad...?" I understood, accepting the small present. "He told me to tell you that he still doesn't think you should be a trainer, but... That if you were gonna put yourself in danger, you should at least have these."
I gently tore open the wrapping for the present, and opened up the little box underneath. Inside were a pair of fingerless black gloves with red trimmings at the wrists, as well as a red scarf. I reached in, taking a few moments to pull off the tags and put the gloves and scarf on.
"How do I look?" I asked Paige, arms spread in an 'A-pose' while I looked over the gloves on my hands. "Pretty cool, right?" The girl rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.
"You look okay, I guess," she replied, a smile on her lips. "Emmi doesn't like you at all, but I think Kanu... I dunno what he's thinkin'. He's gonna be signing up for the tournament, though, so you're gonna see him there."
"Then I can't wait to show him what Tomo and I are made of." I looked over at the sulking snow fox over by the gazebo. "I've gotta put her through my training first, but we'll sweep the competition!"
"Well... I guess good luck, then," Paige's eyes followed mine to where Tomoko was laying; Lynn just beside her. "If anyone can pull off something like that, I guess it would be you. You have a weird way of being madly lucky, or absolute pants." I chuckled, but nodded in agreement. We both looked over as her mom called her to leave. "I'll be cheerin' for you and Kanu. Good luck!" With a wave, she was gone.
Things wrapped up quickly, and it was like a whirlwind of cleaning up and getting all the stuff together to finally leave. I helped where I could, packing things into boxes so they could be tossed out or used again at another time. When it was all done, it was as if we were never here. There was something melancholy about that thought.
"Are you ready?" Lucy asked me as she walked up, finished from helping her dad pack the boxes into their helicopter. We both watched as mom walked up to join us.
"Ready to go home?" The woman asked as she got close to us. Behind her, Aster and Vic stood by the car that would drive us to the port and back to Melemele Island. Grandma and grandpap had left earlier, promising that we'd see them again sometime soon. This was it.
"Yeah," I told them both, a smile on my lips as Tomoko stood by my legs and Lynn rested on my shoulders. "Let's go home."
I*A*C
And that's a wrap! An early chapter since I'm working a 12-day shift this week, so no new chapter tomorrow. Taiyo's birthday is the 4th of July, and while I do lament not being able to post it on that date, I kinda needed to get to this point, first. So, when I'm writing, I like having little theme songs for my characters, certain chapters, and certain arcs for the story. The theme I consistently come back to for Lusamine is "No Matter What", which to my knowledge is from the Secrets of the Jungle movie. I just find it fitting for her. As a side note, I'm using "This is a Beautiful World" from Giratina and the Sky Warrior as Taiyo's theme from this point on, and before that his theme was "If We Only Learn" from Arceus and the Jewel of Life. None of that is really all that important, but I thought it would be nice as little extra trivia.
Anywhosers, the next arc begins with the chapter after this; The Summer Tournament Arc. I hope you guys are as excited as I am, because there's gonna be a lot of pieces that begin to move not only in Alola, but the rest of the world as well! I've been told that what I have planned is too large a scale and that I really should focus only on what's going on in Alola, but I'm the kind of guy who likes things happening in the background. I like feeling that the place I'm writing about is part of a large, living world, and that while Taiyo may be the main character and hero, he's not the only one in the world. Anyways, please favorite, follow, and/or review at your leisure, and I hope to see you guys in the next chapter!