Chapter 4: Evolution and Newfound Feelings
[Present Day]
A few months had gone by and surprisingly we hadn't heard much from Elm on the whole getting Maya back home matter, though we all remained pretty patient and vigilant.
Over our fairly short time together, and rather quickly at that, Maya and I had actually gotten extremely close with one another. I would take her with me to work sometimes, out to eat, nights on the town when we had extra time, we'd also show each other new magic tricks from time to time as well. Hell, I even bought her a cell phone like Frank had done with Angie and taught her how to message me or call me if she ever needed anything when I was out without her. I taught her how to wash dishes, make coffee, use the shower, the tv...I even taught her how to cook even though she was pretty terrible at it at first. But, to my surprise she was an extremely fast learner with every bit of it all else.
There were some times here and there though that I couldn't help but find...strange. Maya got along great with everyone no problem. Frank, Elm, Brett, Angie were all no issues whatsoever, but for some reason...she had always acted a bit strange around Whitney any time she would come hang out with any of us and pull her usual playful antics with me.
For the most part, it was honestly nothing to cause a fuss about, as Whitney and Maya DID talk to one another most of the time and actually got along pretty well. It was just significantly different at times with the way she would act towards Whitney than she did with any of the others, though I never really had pressed too much on that matter and had always kind of just let it be since there was never any real problem with it.
That is until about a week before my birthday...that was when everything had changed in a flash.
We were all having a movie night at my house, nothing out of the usual for us as we did it almost every weekend...though this time, for all of us...
Things took a bit of a different turn.
"Frank just texted me and said that he and Angie should be here in about 15 minutes or so. Dunno what's takin em so long, but I'm gonna take me a quick shower alright?" I called out to Maya who was sitting on the couch watching a movie.
"I know, Angie just sent me a message too and told me the same thing. She said she and Frank were busy with something but wouldn't say what."
"That's cool, just tell her to let Frank know they can come right in when they get here if I don't happen to be out in time, which I probably should." I said, walking into the bathroom to start the shower to let the water heat up.
"Oh one more thing." I said as I walk back to my room to grab a towel, tossing my shirt onto the floor and leaving my upper half exposed, not thinking much of it at the time. "The chicken should be done in like five minutes, could you move it off the burner whenever the timer goes off and stir it a little bit?"
"Yeah, I can do that." She said, placing her phone back onto the coffee table before looking over the couch towards me. "Want me to turn the burner off after and-"
As soon as she had made eye contact with me, she froze in her tracks.
She just so had happened to have picked the exact time I was fully facing her with my shirt off, right before I opened the bathroom door to actually go take my shower. At this point I wouldn't have really thought was a big deal, though in her case it had been a bit different since I guess it WAS the first time she had ever seen me in that state.
"Uh...nevermind!" She said as she quickly turned around to face the tv again.
I just raise an eye at her sudden behavior, chuckling a bit to myself as I had just chalked it up to her normal bubbly attitude.
She remains silent on the couch, her heart beating a little faster than normal, though she couldn't quite pinpoint why herself.
"Haah...what is wrong with me? My hearts going nuts." She said, clutching her chest a little.
She takes a deep breath to calm herself down a bit, losing herself to thought.
"Why does this keep happening to me lately? I swear, sometimes when I look at him it's...it's like my chest starts pounding...I don't get it..."
DING*
Suddenly the timer on the stove goes off, effectively snapping her back to her normal self.
"Oh, the food!" She said, quickly jumping up from the couch and running to the kitchen to grab the small step ladder that I had bought for her to reach the countertops.
She puts on the oven mitts, moves the pot from the burner, and pulls out a wooden spoon from the drawer to stir the chicken.
"Ahh...there we go. All set!" She said after placing the lid back on the pot, throwing the oven mitts back into the drawer that they went in. "Now to just wait for the others."
As if right on cue as soon as she finished, there was a short few knocks at the door before Frank and Angie had both walked in right after.
"Yoohoo, honey I'm home!...oh, hey Maya." Frank jokingly brushed off what he had just said.
Angie sticks her head out from behind his shoulder, smiling and greeting Maya with a little wave.
"Hey you guys! Hayden's in the shower, he should be out soon I think."
Shortly after, I walked out from the bathroom, still drying my wet hair with the towel.
Frank smirks and makes another comment. "There's my man. How you doin?"
I lower both my eyes to half mast before shaking my head, even though I expected no less out of my best friend.
"Frank...shut up." I said, tossing the towel into the clothes bin before walking up and slapping hands with him.
"Where's Brett?" He asked, looking around my living room and finding nobody but the four of us.
"Couldn't come tonight, he's staying late at the radio station. Said they're having some technical issues or something." I stated matter of factly before noticing the large bunny pokemon standing behind him. "Hey by the way Angie."
She smiles and gives me a little wave as well before her and Maya both go sit on the couches.
Frank and I both walk into the kitchen and I begin checking the food to make sure the taste was to my liking.
"What'd you make this time? Whatever it is, it smells good as hell."
"Smothered chicken and gravy." I said, opening up the rice cooker next to the pan of food. "And rice of course."
"Oh yeah, that's what I'm talkin about. Is it ready or..?"
I walk up to my cabinet and pull out some plates for all of us before setting them on the counter.
"Yup, just in time." I said as I began to make Maya a plate, grabbing a few poffins for her as well and putting them on the side.
"What's with the bread?" Frank asked.
"Oh they're for her. She loves dipping that stuff in any type of gravy I make." I said, gesturing over towards Maya before walking over and handing her the plate.
"Hehe...thanks Hayden." She said with a smile, her cheeks slightly blushed, though she hadn't really noticed herself.
Although, a certain bunny pokemon definitely had.
As soon as I had walked back into the kitchen, right as Maya was about to take her first bite, she caught wind of Angie, who was staring at her with folded arms and her brow raised, smirking a bit devilishly.
Maya looks around frantically for a bit before cocking her head to the side out of confusion. "W-what?"
Angie just covers her mouth and snickers a bit before shaking her head as if saying 'oh nothing at all'.
Right as Maya was about to say something, there was a knock at the door, effectively stopping her.
"It's open!" I yelled out from the kitchen as I began making another plate for myself this time.
Whitney then walks through the door shortly after, holding a bag in her left hand.
"Hey guys! Got some beer." She said, lifting the bag up to show us all before walking into the kitchen and giving Frank and I a quick hug, putting the drinks in the fridge right after.
"Sweet." I said, walking over to the armchair, which was my usual spot.
Once Frank had made his plate, he had taken the spot on the loveseat where Angie was sitting, handing her a plate as well.
Whitney makes her plate, grabs a few beers and sits down on the couch that Maya was on, which was the closest one to the armchair that I was on, though she had taken the spot at the end which was closest to I.
The only thing sitting in between Whitney and I was the small end table, to which she set down a beer for both of us, tossing Frank the third one over the coffee table as she sat down.
"Nice catch." She said to Frank as she cracked open her and I's bottles.
"But of course." Frank said, using his pocket knife to swiftly knock the bottlecap off and open the beer.
"Ooh, badass over here." I said jokingly before stuffing my face full of food, grabbing the remote afterwards. "Anyway, you guys all wanna watch a scary movie or something?"
"I'm in!" Whitney quickly shouted, raising her hand for added effect.
"Sure, I'm down." Frank said with a nod.
Maya and Angie both look to one another before agreeing as well.
"Alright, horror movie it is then." I said, flipping through the available channels to get our night started.
After a few minutes, we all make a group decision on a movie, finish our food and then lock in for the show.
Frank and I down our first beer and I walk to the kitchen to throw the dirty dishes in the sink and grab the three of us all another one before making us all a huge bowl of popcorn to get this thing really started.
Once everything was all set, I started the movie and dimmed the lights. Everything was perfectly normal for about the first 40 minutes or so. I was on my 3rd beer, as was Frank, whereas Whitney was on her 6th. Needless to say, she was definitely feeling the effects and at some point when a huge jump scare happened, she somehow managed to jump out of her seat and bury her face into my shirt.
Unbeknownst to me, Maya had taken notice of this and had begun to get a bit irritated, though still unsure why herself.
For the most part nothing was said, until about ten minutes later that is.
"Jesus!" Whitney exclaimed as another loud jumpscare happened in the movie, hiding her face within my shirt once again.
Maya lets out a little grunt at Whitney's actions, though none of us had actually heard it at the time.
"You know that doesn't actually protect you from anything right?" I said, laughing at her giddy behavior.
"Your shirt may not but I know you'll protect me O' great Hayden." She said playfully, fixing my shirt back after ruffling it up.
"Whatever you say, ya lightweight."
"Hey! I'm not even that drunk, I'm just feeling good!"
I just roll my eyes at her playfully and she punches me in the shoulder, laughing at the matter.
Suddenly she sniffs the air a bit before putting her nose up against my shirt and sniffing a bit again.
"The hell you doing ya drunkard?" I asked, playfully pushing her away.
"That WAS you I was smelling. Jeez, whatever body wash you got on smells good." She said, jokingly sniffing my shirt again.
The way she was pulling on it was almost somewhat tickling me a bit, effectively gaining a few chuckles from me in the midst.
"Hey, stop you idiot! Ha...hahah!"
"Lend me your stench O' great protector of mine!"
"Jesus Whitney quit it hahah, that tickles you dumbass, stop! C'mon, chill out you're hahah you're gonna-"
Suddenly, the anger that had secretly been building up within Maya, had come to full fruition.
She grits her teeth to the point of almost breaking them as she slams her paws down onto the coffee table.
"WOULD YOU GUYS KNOCK THAT OFF ALREADY?!"
Whitney and I both stop and the entire room effectively goes dead quiet as there was now a sudden thin veil in the air. It took me almost a solid 30 seconds to even process something to say.
I raise an eye and sit up straight in my chair.
"Maya? What's your problem dude?" I asked, now a bit ticked off at her sudden outburst.
She remains silent, staring at the floor for a few seconds before turning away.
"S-sorry. I'm...gonna go take my bath now." She said, walking into the bathroom without uttering another word.
I pause the movie and the rest of us all sit there in silence for a few minutes, dumbfounded about the whole thing.
Angie suddenly stands up and looks to Frank, gesturing towards the bathroom before pointing to herself, then back at the bathroom.
"Oh, you wanna go after her?" He asked her.
She nods quickly before looking to me for confirmation afterwards.
"I mean, you two have bathed together like once or twice here before anyways, so go ahead." I said, gesturing with my head towards the bathroom.
She smiles and nods before heading over and disappearing into the bathroom herself.
"So uh...what do you think that was all about?" Frank asked, breaking the ice a bit as he scooted towards the edge of his seat.
"Man, I have no idea...I mean...she's NEVER acted like that before."
Whitney was the only one who remained silent, staring off into space with a bit of a distraught look.
"Whit? You alright?" I asked her out of concern.
"Huh...OH! I'm...I'm sorry, I was just...I dunno. I was thinking something but...it was a dumb thought, so nevermind."
I tried my best to get something out of her, but she kept brushing me off.
It had almost looked like she knew something that I didn't, and she wasn't willing to say it. At least not to me.
(In the bathroom)
"Arceus...why did I get so aggravated like that?!" Maya said, mentally beating herself up as she stirred around the warm water in the now filled tub.
She lets out an exasperated sigh as she finally lowers herself into the tub, stuck within her own thoughts.
"Why...why does my chest keep hurting every time I see her act like that with Hayden? I know they're friends but..."
She trails off and hugs her knees closer to her body, sitting in silence for a bit before coming to a bit of a realization.
"Am I...jealous of her?...No. No of course not, that would be stupid! I mean why would I be jealous of her? They're just friends anyway!...they're...they...ARE...just friends...right?" She asked herself in light of some sort of confirmation.
Suddenly a light knock was heard at the door before opening shortly after, startling her a bit.
She covers herself up quickly, almost slipping in the tub as she did.
She puts both of her paws up as if trying to stop whatever would be coming in.
"Wait Hayden I'm in the!-"
She stops as soon as she had seen who had entered.
Angie smiles before shutting the door and walking over towards the tub, sitting down beside it on the floor and simply waiting.
"Oh, Angie it's you...what are you...um, were you worried?"
She nods and holds one of her paws out and lays it on the side of the tub, to which Maya finally accepts, sitting back down and holding Angie's paw for comfort.
"Um...thank you for being so considerate...really, I mean it."
She smiles once again and simply waits for her to talk again.
Maya sits there for a few more moments in silence before taking a deep breath and preparing herself to come to terms with her feelings.
"Angie, I have a crazy question...promise you won't think I'm an idiot or laugh?"
Angie nods, letting her know that she was in safe hands.
"Um...do you think...I mean am I...attracted...to Hayden?...as a partner?...is that what this is?"
Angie simply shrugs her shoulders as she nods, almost as if saying 'that's how it seems'.
"But...isn't that stupid of me though? I mean...heh, get real right? Hayden's a human and...I mean...look at me." She says as she examines her own self a bit.
"I'm...small...he's much larger. I mean, I'm a pokemon for Arceus' sake! There's just no way that would EVER work in any universe, right Angie? Aren't I stupid to even remotely think...?"
Suddenly Angie frantically shakes her head as she grips Maya's paw to reassure her.
She pauses for a moment before finally smiling a bit.
"Thanks for trying Angie...I needed to at least talk about this to someone, and I'm just glad that someone was you. I mean...it's not like I can talk to Hayden about this."
Suddenly Angie grips her paw a bit tighter to get her attention before she begins nodding.
"Wait...you aren't actually telling me to consider...talking to HIM about it...are you?"
Angie just smiles and nods once again.
"No...I'm sorry but I can't do that. It's just not possible...not even if I wanted it to be, you know that."
Finally, Angie stands up, seemingly a bit agitated now.
"What? What's wrong?" Maya asked, looking up at her from the tub.
She makes a gesture to let her know she has something to say and to bring her ear closer to her.
Maya looks at her confused momentarily before finally standing up and complying.
Although Angie could only speak in her native pokemon dialect, Maya, being a pokemon, could still fully understand it all.
She begins whispering something into her ear and all of a sudden, Maya's entire demeanor had changed.
Angie finishes what she had to say before taking a step back and giving her a reassuring smile.
"Frank? Wait...you mean...you guys actually..."
She once again nods and smiles, patting her on her arm to comfort her a bit more before she finally sat back down on the floor next to her.
Maya leans back in the tub and heaves a heavy sigh before looking out of the high window in the bathroom and peering out into the night sky.
"Arceus...I don't know what to do at this point...I just wish I had some kind of clear sign..."
She then closes her eyes for a moment before Angie suddenly starts to tap on her arm frantically, causing her to open up her eyes.
"Huh...what's...eh?"
Her body began to glow and shine a brilliant light across the bathroom tile as she herself began to change.
(Back in the living room)
"I'm just saying man, it's all weird. She really had no reason to act like she did." I said, standing at the sink now washing all of our dirty dishes.
Whitney sighs to herself before getting up and walking into the kitchen as well.
"I...think I may have a theory...though it's probably gonna sound insane...hence why I didn't want to say anything a little while ago. I wanted to leave it be." Whitney said, now standing next to me helping with some of the dishes.
"Well too late now, you might as well start spilling the beans. It's not like you to be so secretive."
She nods, and right as she opened her mouth, she was cut off by a loud scream.
"WHATTHEHELL?!"
All of a sudden, Maya had screamed from within the bathroom, causing me to almost drop the dish that I was washing.
"Maya?!" I exclaimed as I ran and jumped clean over the couch and over to the bathroom, busting through the door without even thinking. "Maya! Are you-"
What I had seen, made my jaw instantly hit the floor. There stood Maya, soaked from head to toe from the bath water...but this Maya...was different now. Now, she was about three feet taller, maybe even a little taller than Angie was. She had what looked to be a mask on her face and a long split cape around her neck...but that wasn't the worst part for me.
I found myself glancing at her long slender legs, my eyes trailing upwards towards her thighs before landing up to her bosom, which had now been a bit more prominent than before.
As hard as I tried not to shift my thoughts in a direction that they should have never been shifted, that was indeed exactly where they had gone. Maya, the pokemon who I had saved and took in under my wing for the past few months...the pokemon who I saw almost like a little sister...was now an extremely attractive humanoid cat girl pokemon.
A simple 'uhh' was the only barely audible thing I could get out of my mouth before suddenly getting one of my shampoo bottles hummed past my face.
"H-h-hayden, stop staring!" She exclaimed in a now much more maturer sounding, sultrier voice; her face covered in a deep shade of crimson.
"Oh shit..s-sorry! I didn't mean!-"
"Out!" She said, pointing towards the doorway I had been standing in.
"Right sorry!" I said, quickly slamming the door behind me.
I turn back towards the living room, now with a bit of stiffness in my step as I go back to reclaim my spot on the couch.
Whitney and Frank both look to one another from across the room before turning their attention back towards me.
"Uhh...what the fuck just happened?" He asked me with an extremely confused look.
"So uh...Maya, she...uh...I think she just...evolved."
"WHAT?!" He and Whitney both exclaimed simultaneously.
She rushes over from the kitchen and sits next to me once more with an extremely serious look on her face. "What like...just now in the bathroom?"
"Well...I'm gussing it was when she screamed...most likely...probably."
The three of us hadn't said much more and just remained seated in silence for the next five minutes before we finally heard the click of the bathroom door as it opened slowly.
Angie had walked out first, gesturing with her paw into the bathroom for Maya to follow, and after a few seconds she had.
She steps into the light, looking away from everyone at first, standing and fiddling with her thumbs a bit before nervously looking over towards us, me in particular. "H...hey guys...uh...so I may have...changed a little...heheh...heh."
I couldn't help myself but to stare, examining her once more from the ground up. A few seconds go by and her and I make eye contact from across the room, causing the both of us to turn away from one another in embarassment.
"Maya...you look so cool!" Whitney said, quickly running over to her side. "You're like almost my height now!"
"Oh...hehe...yeah, I guess I am huh?" She said, the embarassment slowly wavering away now.
"Don't you guys think so too?" Whitney asked, turning towards me and Frank.
"Yeah, for sure. Got like a mysterious type of vibe to her now with that mask and cape that...seemingly came out of nowhere. Pretty cool huh Hayden?" Frank asks, turning his attention towards me.
I couldn't figure out what it was, but it was as if the cat herself quite literally had my tongue. I was still so awestruck that I couldn't even talk.
I stand up from the couch and walk over towards her hesitantly, still trying to process everything I had been feeling in the moment, but I couldn't come to terms with anything.
"M...Maya...you uh..." I said, trailing off, rubbing the back of my neck as my palms began to get a bit clammy.
"Yes...Hayden?" She asked, looking directly into my eyes as her cheeks became a bit flushed.
As soon as I had locked on to her eyes, I could feel the anxiety building up within me, causing me to turn away so that I could at least try and focus somewhat.
"You look...uh...cool." I had to force down the baseball sized lump down my throat before getting my last word out under my breath.
Whitney lowers her eyes to half mast, giving me a piercing glare. "Seriously dude, that was weak."
"What do you mean? What else am I supposed to say?"
All of a sudden, Angie gives Maya a little nudge with her elbow before gesturing towards me.
She cocks her head to the side for a second before turning completely red once she recalled the conversation she had with Angie in the bathroom.
"Seriously? You want me to say that now?" Maya whispered to her off to the side.
Angie just smiles and nods, patting her on her shoulder before walking back over to Frank.
She starts to get a bit nervous, trying her best to steel her nerves before letting out a heavy sigh.
I raise an eye at her sudden gesture, confused a bit at what was going on.
"You...okay Maya?" I asked her.
"Hayden...um...there's something...I want to say." She says, squeezing her left arm a bit with her paw before looking me in the eyes once again. "Um...I-"
Suddenly, my phone began buzzing loudly in my pocket.
"Ahh...uh, hold that thought for a sec." I said, pulling out my phone and looking at the screen.
Professor Elm Calling... It read.
"Oh! It's the professor!" I said excitedly, though for some reason that feeling was quickly replaced with dread, but I wasn't about to say that out loud.
"Hey, what's going on professor?" I said as I brought the phone up to my ear.
"Hayden, you answered, good! Listen, I have good news on the situation about your pokemon friend...actually, great news at that!"
I remain silent for a moment before saying anything else, as a sinking feeling began coming over me.
"Oh...alright well...hit me with the deets."
"Okay, get this...not only was Professor Magnolia successful in getting in touch with Maya's caretaker...but after explaining everything in great detail to her about what had actually happened to her and about you taking her in, she was SO excited to see her again and to have her back home that she informed us that she would immediately be going to purchase a cruise ticket to come to Johto herself! She'll be here tomorrow around 7 am to take Maya back home with her! Isn't that wonderful news?!"
As soon as the professor finished his statement, I just stood there...suddenly feeling empty about the whole situiation.
No that's wrong. Shouldn't I be feeling ecstatic right now? I mean this was the whole plan from the get go...the promise that I had made her a few months back was coming true and I should feel proud of mysellf being able to fulfill it...but I didn't. Not even a little bit.
I knew this was coming at some point and I was pretty sure I had mentally prepared myself, though that thought was proven quite the opposite given my reaction to the news.
"Yeah...professor that's uh...that's great!" I said, trying my hardest to sound excited, but really I was only putting out a front in order to not choke myself up. "Hey listen uh...tommorow it is then...but uh, for now I gotta go."
"Oh, right sorry! You go ahead and get back to what you were doing, I simply just wanted to make you aware that our efforts came to fruition is all! Ah...I will call you as SOON as she gets to my lab tomorrow morning and you can come stop by then, yes?"
"Yeah...sounds great professor, we'll be there for sure." I said, almost robotically.
"Great!, See you then Hayden!"
click*
I stood there momentarily with the phone still up to my ear, trying my hardest to process everything, before finally finding the strength to place it back into my pocket.
"So what was that all about?" Whitney asked like a little kid excited to hear what santa got them for christmas. "Any leads?"
"Uh...more than that actually...Elm said that Professor Magnolia managed to get in touch directly with Miss Gertrude herself..." I said trailing off a bit before letting out a small sigh. "She's catching a boat tonight as we speak and she'll be at Elm's lab tomorrow first thing in the morning to take Maya back with her."
"...Say what now?" She said, her mouth wide open.
Maya's ears had twitched a bit when she heard the news, almost unable to believe what she listened to.
"Mama's...coming?" She asked, almost disbelievingly before perking up a bit. "She's really coming here?!"
I did my absolute best for her sake to force a smile in order not to upset her any. This wasn't about me anyway, it was about her and that's all that mattered to me.
"Heh, sure is. Hey, didn't I tell you I'd come through for you? I don't go back on my promises."
"Yeah...heh...I never doubted you Hayden..." She said, suddenly taking my hand into her paw caringly. "Not even once..."
As soon as I felt her touch, I could no longer keep the act up. I swallow the lump in my throat and force myself to hold everything back as I had to make up a little white lie.
"Yeah...uh...actually you guys...I think I'ma call it a night on that note. Got a little bit of a headache from drinking earlier I guess...plus, now I actually have something to be up for tomorrow, and I'm not exactly a morning person." I said, pulling my hand from hers before quickly turning away.
Maya noticed the odd behavior and felt that odd feeling in her chest again for an unknown reason. "O-Oh right...okay."
Frank must have noticed a change in the air himself as he had gotten up from the sofa with Angie following behind him by doing the same.
"Yeah, guess he's got a point, so we're gonna go ahead and head back to the house." He said, opening the door shortly after before calling out over his shoulder. "Holler if you need anything bro."
"But it's only 9:30! Ya party poopers." Whitney said playfully as Frank headed out the door.
I simply nod as I walk towards my bedroom, stopping for a brief moment. "Feel free to crash here tonight if you don't feel like driving, since you drank a little more than us."
Whitney lets out a small yawn before walking over to my couch and grabbing the blanket off of the back of it. "Ahh...now that you mention it, maybe I do kinda feel a little-"
Before she finished her sentence, I had already headed into my room, shutting the door lightly behind me.
"...Tired. Huh...wonder what's up with him so suddenly."
Maya just remains standing in the same spot as before, staring at her paw still after I had basically almost ripped my hand from hers, before glancing back at my now closed bedroom door.
Her ears droop downwards as a feeling of defeat rushes over her. "But...I didn't even get to..."