Chapter Fifty-One:
Words Left Unspoken
Disclaimer: I do not own the series Pokémon. Like, at all. It and all its respectable characters are © to Game Freak and Satoshi Tajiri. However, all writing contents and semi-plots here are © to me; unless it is stated otherwise. All shows/ books/ video games/ songs that are mentioned in this chapter are all © to their respective owners, I do not own them.
Notes: Good lord, I managed to finish another chapter in a decent and timely manner!
On one last note, from here on out, if I am solicited by "artists" slinging a sales pitch for commissions, I will block and report you. I am not, in any way, shape, or form, interested in falling for the scam. Okay, thanks! Have a beautiful day!
Current Team: Keno the Swampert, Sela the Mightyena, Ambrose the Kirlia, Faye the Swellow, Nux the Gyarados, Gunner the Lairon
Badges Won: Stone Badge, Knuckle Badge, Dynamo Badge, Heat Badge
"The worst moments in life are heralded by small observations."
- "The Martian" by Andy Weir
"You have GOT to tell me that strategy! It was so wild, so weird—were you SINGING at one point?!"
Flannery wouldn't let go of Shay's hand. Once the platforms had lowered to allow them off, Flannery had made a beeline straight for Shay. She plucked a Heat Badge from her jeans pocket and held out her hand, both in offering and to shake. The very moment Shay's hand met with Flannery's, her grip turned into an iron vice as she pumped up and down. Flannery just kept shaking and shaking and shaking—
Shay's face was stiff and straining to keep a polite smile on her face. Flannery's grip was warm and firm. Unwilling to decouple, it seemed.
Before Shay could begin pleading in silence for the return of her appendage, Flannery seemed to finally sense the tension. She released her hold, pulling away with a bashful smile. Shay's fingers closed around the Heat Badge. Every dip and curve of its shape seemed to sear into the flesh of her palm, but she refused to drop it.
"Oh, sorry! Sorry! I know, I got little carried away there for a moment!"
Flannery cleared her throat and, like slipping on a mask, a more professional expression purveyed across her countenance.
"You did incredibly well in our battle, as well as the other two that I was watching prior to our match. You've got a pretty damn good technique down to pat! How long did it take to get your pokémon to react to those active attack commands?"
"Oh, uh…not too long. Maybe a few weeks through training? I got ideas from music and movies and other media I liked. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I'm just glad that it paid off."
That seemed to surprise the other woman. Her eyes grew round and wide, mouth popping open as she stared down at Shay.
"You're kidding me. You've got to be joking! Just a few weeks?"
Shay shrugged. "I mean…yeah. It's just consistent repetition. Doing drills day in and day out helps in locking in that muscle memory and cuts down reaction time when you know what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. It's not that big a deal. "
Another shrug.
The mediator, who had slipped away momentarily, came trotting back with a small envelope clutched in hand. The folks and their pokémon who had been piled onto the bleachers were all shuffling off. A loose gaggle of them had come to stand around Flannery, while others were pressing onwards to leave for the day. Flannery's eyes slanted to the side, seeing the mediator.
Wordlessly, she plucked the envelope up and thanked them before turning back to Shay.
"So, singing a song during a battle is what you call a 'strategy'?" Flannery pressed with a lazy Cheshire grin, eyes flashing with mirth.
That brought a thin but wide smile forward to Shay's face. "What can I say? Music is pretty inspirational. Especially ones about kicking someone else's ass."
Flannery laughed, and some of her entourage did as well. One of them even reached forward and clapped her on the shoulder, offering a good-natured comment in his wake.
"She's got a point, Flannery! Maybe you should blast some Rattata Mouse from the speakers during gym matches! Could help set up for a wicked fun fight!"
A few others assented their own agreement on the matter, a few more jokes and laughter exchanged between themselves. Flannery waved the others off with a laugh of her own, then turned back to Shay. She presented the envelope to Shay.
"I gotta say, I know I haven't been a gym leader too long, but this was definitely one of the more memorable ones. You definitely burned brighter today than I did! I commend you on making it this far in the League Challenge."
The unexpected, continued praise eased the painful tension hiding behind Shay's sternum and loosened the stiffness that had settled in her limbs and spine, deep down to her bones and deeper still. She could finally breathe. She was less concerned with the pat on the head a "good job" lobbed her way. She was far more concerned with the knowledge that she was still in the game. Clutching at the Heat Badge tightly in her fist made it all the more real. Halfway there. Halfway fucking there.
"Thank you. I appreciate it, really." Despite the butterflies still twisting about in her stomach, she somehow, strangely, thankfully, felt grounded. What else could she say? She was flagging in energy, and wanted nothing more than to just return to the Pokémon Center, get her team healed up properly, and perhaps order in some food…
Just as she began to tuck the badge away into her pocket for safe-keeping, Flannery's face seemed to light up. If her enthusiasm was any brighter, Shay would feel tempted to liken her to a jack-o-lantern.
"Ya know, since this match was so close to dinner, what do you say about grabbing some grub together? I'd love to pick your brain a bit more on that strategy you cooked up. If you're okay with that, I mean!"
Her heart skipped a couple of beats as Shay processed what Flannery had just said to her. There was such an earnestness in her voice, her face—it threw Shay for a loop.
Going out? Out, as in, with friends? A group? A whole group?
Sharing meals around a fire in the middle of woods with students from the survival school was one thing. That had been informal more than anything, and she hardly counted it. If it came to more sociable settings, like in the Pokémon Center, then her go-to was typically Brendan, whenever their paths crossed.
This offer from Flannery was something else entirely. It was mingling with a whole new level of status.
Unexpected and complicated…dangerous, even. The thought of slipping up,
"Wouldn't that be considered…fraternization? I'm a challenger, not an official member of this gym." Shay said. If she didn't voice this here and now, she'd only internalize the conflict, overthink it, drive herself crazy. She needed to let go of it instead of stifling her concerns, like usual…
Flannery had a breezy smile still pasted on her face as she clapped Shay on her shoulder.
"Not if you won, it's not! C'mon, you and your team deserve a rewarding night after a battle like that!" Flannery turned to her infectious smile onto her pupils. "We all deserve a reward for doing our best. What do you say, guys?"
A cheer arose from the remaining gathered trainers and pokémon alike that had bothered to stay behind. Flannery gave Shay's shoulder one last squeeze and a conspiratorial wink before pulling away. She motioned for Shay to follow along, but the smaller woman hesitated, feet firmly planted on the ground.
A nudge at her elbow startled her and Shay glanced up at Keno. His teeth were no longer visible, showing off that gummy smile of his instead, eyes crinkling with amusement and pride.
"We can stop by the Pokémon Center, and catch up with them, if that's what you're worried about," he said, his voice calm and reassuring. Shay's eyes skittered across Keno's front, seeing all the bruises that decorated him. Something in her stomach twisted at the sight, mixed with guilt. Nux slid his head besides Shay on her other side, allowing for her to view both him and Faye.
"A few hours of reprieve isn't going to hurt anyone. You want good morale among us, don't you?" Faye stated matter-of-factly.
"I am beginning to have regrets with finally letting you guys in on military lingo," Shay replied with a snort. The tension between her shoulder blades eased and she allowed herself to slump forward, just a bit. "Fine. It's not like we're hurting for money, anyways. Might as well burn some of it off, enjoy the rest of the day."
"I still don't understand this whole…money business you humans use. Why not trade things, like seeds and seashells?"
Shay started after Flannery and her entourage, motioning for the three to follow her.
"We used to, where I'm from and that was a really, really long time ago, but now humans think it's more civilized to have a monetary system. And honestly, I don't know anymore, I think it's just as stupid half the time. Can't do much to change that system or the whole thing will collapse under its own bloated weight. either. I'm not an economist by any means, I can only imagine just how bad a shit show it'd turn into if we tried rehauling it all from scratch."
They caught up just as the last person was about to slip through the doorway. The young woman at the door, upon seeing Shay, smiled and waited patiently, keeping the door propped open. Shay shot her a grateful look as she returned Keno and Nux back to their pokéballs. Faye hopped onto Shay's shoulder and leaned in as much as she could allow.
Faye was getting too big for this, Shay realized, as the Swellow's talons gripped at her shoulder, and even part of her upper arm to stay upright. It was like trying to shoulder a full-grown eagle at this point. She was tempted to just hold Faye like an oversized lap dog, clutched in her arms if she wanted to carry her at all. Instead, she just shifted her arm to give Faye more room to perch.
"How's your wing, Faye?"
"Better with every minute that passes. I'm sure I'll need that machine to fix it up more properly, so let's try not to waste anymore time. Keno's covered in bruises, and the end of Nux's tail looked singed."
"I noticed."
Even after almost two weeks of prep time and training, Shay had guessed (and correctly so) that there would still have been some manner of injuries that would linger after the fight. The group weaved through a short hallway that led back out to the main lobby, voices overlapping as they chatted it up with one another. Shay remained at the back of the pack, still unsure of whether she truly wanted to go gallivanting through Lavaridge with—
"Hey, I just wanted to tell you, that was a really great battle. What were all those weird moves you were calling out, if you don't mind my asking? I didn't really hear much what you and Flannery were saying earlier."
It was the young woman who had held the door open for Shay earlier. She wore her hair in a short bob that was stylish and framed her heart-shaped face well. It was the colour of a vivacious teal, bright and cheery. She offered Shay a smile as she tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.
"Oh. Um…they were just a new strategy I was working on with my team, and it seems to have paid off."
"Really? Would you be willing to share a little bit of it?"
"It's nothing too deep. Like I was telling Flannery, I just codenamed some of my team's moves with something else and kept drilling it into them. Song lyrics, quotes from movies, stuff like that. It's all about repetition. Keep doing it over and over again until you're so proficient at it, you could do it in your sleep."
The young woman's smile widened, mirth glittering in her amber-brown eyes.
"That does sound like a gamble, but seeing you in action today? Something tells me it worked out just finer," she said, pausing at the lobby exit and held it open.
Shay returned the smile, albeit hesitantly as she stepped outside. "Yeah. I guess it did."
Faye pressed her beak into Shay's cheek, rubbing it lightly. Shay chuckled and reached up, digging her fingers gently into the Swellow's feathery scruff. A pleased trill arose from her,
"Is your Swellow doing okay? It looked like she broke her wing during her fight."
The afternoon activity on the streets of Lavaridge seemed to have increased in the time Shay had been inside the gym. The sun had lowered considerably, and when Shay checked the time on her x-transceiver, she was mildly shocked to see nearly three hours had passed. Had those fights really taken that long…?
"The Max Potion I gave her seems to have worked well enough, but I was hoping to stop by the Pokémon Center, get my team properly healed up. I could meet you guys at…wherever you're going to."
"Oh, actually, our usual place is right around the corner from the Pokémon Center. I could wait and walk with you when you're done, if you'd like," the teal-haired woman offered.
"That sounds good to me. If it isn't too much trouble, I wouldn't mind. Thanks."
"My name's Tina, by the way," the woman said, offing her hand at an angle. Shay grasped it and gave it a shake. Faye huffed in Shay's ear when she pressed her beak in close.
"Shay."
"I know, I was there watching you during your fight."
Shay snorted, cheeks heating up. "Oh, right. Of course. Duh."
The Lavaridge Gym wasn't far from the Pokémon Center, thankfully enough. It was a brisk, pleasant walk. Shay chatted with Tina, and when they caught up with the back of the pack, a few others pulled them into the group, including them both. It helped with bringing down the spare adrenaline that was still singing in Shay's veins, burning all that extra energy that was still pent up inside.
It had been…nice. Being a part of a group, in a more social setting. She was
After the survival course, most everyone had finished the final days while Shay had recovered in Shardust's medical clinic. There had been no grand fanfare or farewell meal she got to attend. And apparently, there actually had been a final meal that all the others attended whilst Shay was recuperating.
Tohru, Abby, and Luke hadn't visited her at the clinic when they finished out their remaining time with the course. Shay hadn't expected any of them to come visit her. They had their own lives to get back to, after all. She was an inconvenient extra stop that frankly didn't need to be taken in account.
It still hurt like a twisting knife to the gut, despite her acknowledging the cold, hard facts.
The reminder lashed out at her as Shay slowed when she saw the Pokémon Center coming up. Her arm was beginning to burn from exertion in holding Faye up. Only a few months prior, Shay wouldn't have been able to hold Faye for as long as she could now. Being professionally homeless on a semi-regular basis certainly had its advantages as far as strength training went.
The Swellow seemed to sense Shay's dwindling resolve, and rubbed her beak along Shay's cheek in reassurance.
"Put me away now. I'll be fine," she said gently. Shay nodded, trying to ignore the lump that swelled at the base of her throat. Relief overwhelmed her shoulder and arm once she returned Faye to her pokéball and secured it to her bandolier. Tina slanted a look towards Shay before excusing herself, trotting after Flannery to catch up just as Shay came to a stop at the Center's front doors. They exchanged a brief conversation and then Tina was hurrying back to Shay.
"We'll see you there soon, 'kay!" Flannery called over her shoulder with a jaunty wave before ushering the others to carry on with her. Tina rejoined Shay, stepping into the Center, chatting further with her. According to Tina, she has lived in Lavaridge her whole life, rarely ever traveling out of town to other places. Working at the gym, as both a pupil and mentor to the community, has been a dream come true for her.
"Why would I want to travel anywhere else when I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world? And I'm working at the best place in the world!" she said as they approached the front desk. Shay offered a thin smile.
"I'll admit, the mountains around here remind me of home. I've always loved them. They…I dunno, they make me feel safe, I guess," Shay replied as she picked up a tray and began to place her team's pokéballs into it. Wide, expansive open space with little to no ground cover always made Shay feel exposed, in more ways than one. The same could be argued in reverse for deep and dark forests. They held too many secrets and not all of them were kind discoveries waiting to be made. Too many dark and haunting nooks and crannies where something in plain sight could hide and wait to strike. She said none of this to Tina, however. She didn't want to drag the light mood between them down.
A nurse took Shay's tray when she finished depositing her pokéballs inside, and stepped back toward the machine that would heal her pokémon. Tina beamed with inherent pride, the warmth of her smile reaching her eyes tenfold with earnest sincerity.
"See? The most beautiful place in the world!" Tina chirped, a pleased and approving note in her voice. They chatted for a few minutes more, until the nurse returned with the tray bearing all of Shay's team. She thanked the nurse and replaced each pokéball back onto her bandolier.
"You ready?"
"Yep, lead the way! Oh, one sec. Sela, come on out!"
Shay paused just long enough to remove Sela's pokéball and released the Mightyena. Sela blinked slowly before turning her one-eyed gaze upon Shay. Shay grinned, retrieving the Heat Badge from her pocket and showing it off. Sela snorted in approval.
"Good to see you didn't get your ass handed to you."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ye of little faith. Let's go grab some food."
Tina stared openly at Sela, brows shooting up into her bangs. "Whoa. Never seen a Mightyena look so…gnarly before." When Tina caught Shay's gaze, she blanched apologetically, face growing pink. "I'm so sorry, t-that just came out. I didn't mean to be rude, it's just…"
"It's fine. This is Sela. She may look a little rough around the edges, but she's one of my best friends."
Sela turned her baleful gaze upon the teal-haired woman, single maraschino-red eye narrowing, snout curling. Tina stiffened in response at Shay's side.
"Who's this?"
"This is Tina, she's from Flannery's gym, so be nice. And Flannery invited us out to dinner, so be nice to everyone there too."
The Mightyena snorted again, glancing up and giving Shay a level stare. Slowly, her fur settled back down. Tina relaxed in kind. "If you say so."
OoOoOoOoOoO
The restaurant's staff had recognized Tina on sight. After a brief, pleasant exchange, the hostess gathered up a pair of menus and led them through the restaurant. She exchanged a few words with Tina as they wove their way across the main floor. Shay was too busy staring at the dishes on tables that people and pokémon patrons alike were eating. Her stomach rumbled hungrily, and Sela snorted.
"You didn't eat much today, did you?"
"Mm-mm," Shay replied noncommittally. Her attention was torn when Tina gave her shoulder a few pats.
"—and this one wiped the floor with Flannery! She had some crazy-wild strategy I haven't seen before—just off the walls bonkers! She just earned her Heat Badge because of it!"
Shay's attention immediately snapped into place as she straightened, startled. She looked between Tina and the hostess, who was all polite smiles and nods. Customer service mask, at the ready.
"Congratulations on your win, miss. Good to see challengers are still a thing these days."
The way the woman had phrased that—it gave Shay pause. "What do you mean by that?"
The hostess cleared her throat—perhaps a way to buy herself a moment or two, to gather her words with care. "It's…rarer than usual these days for challengers to even make it to Flannery. Even her lower-leveled team tend to be pretty overwhelming for most trainers, especially for beginners setting out for the League Challenge. She's been training under her grandfather since she was a child, so it's no wonder her any one of her teams you face are so powerful." She shrugged helplessly, still wearing a polite smile. "Most trainers just can't take the heat, no pun intended."
A waning smile ghosted across the woman's face as she paused before a door. In neat, stenciled letters, "Back Patio" was boldly painted on its surface. "It's only going to get harder from here on out, so enjoy every little moment of relief you can."
Flannery and her entourage of pupils were already well into their banter by the time Shay and Tina arrived. Tables were pressed in close together so everyone could readily rotate their conversations. An assortment of appetizers were already scattered on the tabletops, and it seemed to be a free-for-all.
Their pokémon were milling about, their own round of conversations drifting in and out of focus as they lounged around the back patio set-up.
The hostess handed Shay and Tina each a menu and retreated back into the restaurant proper once the pair found empty seats to settle into. A sudden wave of laughter arose around them just as they sat down. Sela pressed in close, head leaning into Shay's lap. Shay tuned out the clustering conversations and directed her attention to the Mightyena.
"You good, Sela?"
Sela chuffed in response. Shay chuckled softly, scratching her along the crown of her head.
"I'll be better off once I get some food in me," Sela admitted. Her good eye slid closed as Shay kneaded her fingers into the scruff of her fur, rubbing along the base of her ears and around her stubby horns.
Shay had tuned out most of the banter going on between Flannery and her pupils…
Friends? She seemed awfully close and familiar with them all, the way she carried on.
Shay grabbed a bread roll from a basket set out on the table. It was lightly buttered and frugally sprinkled with garlic salt. It was warm and soft and so fresh. Taking that first bite was yet another reminder that, besides from the coffee she had that morning, she hadn't eaten a thing all day. She tore a chunk off and offered the piece to Sela. The Mightyena sniffed it several times before gingerly taking it from Shay's hand.
"Not bad," she said. "Anything a bit meatier we can get?"
Shay chuckled and opened the menu. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Let's see…"
Steaks and sandwiches, burgers and BBQ, with a smattering of salads, chicken dishes, and soups made up most of the menu, with a small selection of vegetarian options and desserts and drinks crammed in at the end. All the lingering smells from the restaurant when she and Tina had passed through had been so enticing…
The reminder set her stomach to rumbling in protest at being unsatiated still. Shay tore off another chunk of bread and stuffed it in her mouth, then offered the rest to Sela.
"Fuck it, I'm getting a big, fat steak. I think we all deserve to treat ourselves," Shay declared. Sela chuffed in approval.
"You should probably let everyone else out so they can eat, too."
"Right, thanks for reminding me."
Shay nodded in thanks and proceeded to release everyone from their pokéballs. She didn't notice the conversations had come to an abrupt halt all around her. Her team had Shay's undivided attention. A pleased ripple of relief swelled in Shay's chest, easing her worry when she laid eyes on Keno, Faye, and Nux. Her eyes rapidly scanned over them for any signs of lingering injuries. Upon seeing not even a blemish, the figurative breath she had been holding was finally released.
"There they are! The prodigal trio who whooped my hide!"
Flannery's voice sliced through the sudden, noticeable yet eerily unnatural silence. Shay startled right up to her feet the moment the first word had been spoken. Sela did the same thing very nearly in sync with her trainer, hackles bristling. Flannery didn't seem to notice. She had eyes on Nux, Keno, and Faye, looking quite proud and humbled. Shay glanced back at the rest of her team. Seeing them relaxed eased the tension that had set knotted steel to her spine and she sat down. Thankfully, nobody else seemed to notice Shay's upstart, either.
A few of Flannery's pupils got out of their seats and their pokemon trailed along to view Nux, Faye, and Keno up close. Even Gunner was given a few affectionate comments, which had him swaying in approval on his thick legs. She caught wind of a few praises before tuning them out again in favour of grabbing another bread roll to make herself look busy. Between getting up and inserting herself in the social interaction or sitting it out…she was leaning towards the latter. Her earlier adrenaline boost was at last beginning to wane.
A familiar sensation of Ambrose's itch-shiver-scratch tickled the back of her skull, and a shiver seeped down her backside as she took a bite of her bread. It wasn't as warm and soft and fresh this time, despite it being all those things. Now it was dull, plain, borderline tasteless.
'She's quite impressed. Not an easy feat, apparently,' Ambrose mused. A more violent shudder wracked Shay as his words skittered across her mind.
Don't do that.
'Don't do…what, exactly?'
Just…not that. You know I don't like the whole…praising thing. I did a job; it's not a big deal. Nothing I do deserves any kind of fanfare or accolades or recognition. I just did a thing, same as anyone. I don't care what anyone else tries to tell me, nothing I do means anything major. Nothing I do is impressive by any means.
'And what does that say about us?' Ambrose countered. Shay didn't need to look at the Kirlia to know his snout was curling into a distasteful grimace. She kept her focus on her menu instead, hiding behind the laminated paper, so no one could see her scowl.
You guys do all the work. I just…yell directions at you and hope it works out. That's all I ever do. It's all I can do. I'm not the one doing anything spectacular. I'm just…unremarkable in comparison.
She was a glorified chauffer, when it came down to it. Nux and Faye could fly. Keno could hurl boulders more than twice his size with ease. Ambrose could pierce the veil of any minds he wanted, sans any dark-types lingering around. Sela was bold and brave, could tear or burn anything and anyone if she put her mind to it. Gunner was a literal tank made of steel and stone.
And Shay…she was still the same skinny, useless human being she's always been. She was small compared to most people, and as much as she hated admitting it…she was fragile.
A grizzly bear had been several meager inches short of tearing her arm off completely. A mountain lion had been a scant few centimeters from ripping out her carotid artery and letting her bleed out to death. She had no powers, no skills other than useless factoids rattling about in her skull that served nothing and no one. How the fuck did she make it into the Marines? Was it a fluke? Had she really been one of those people that slipped through the cracks…?
Who's to say that inevitable third time wouldn't be the lucky break in snatching her off of this mortal coil, whatever it may end up turning out to be? She was living on borrowed time. Shay was convinced of that.
But if she bulldozed her way through the gym circuit and the league, made her way to Sinnoh and took down those pesky pokémon gods…
Maybe she could escape that. Maybe she could live long enough to make it back home. Maybe—
'Stop that.'
Stop what, exactly?
'Trivializing all your hard work in favour of praising us entirely for our shared success. You came up with the strategy, you study our main opponents and their strategies to create countermeasures. That alone is worth some credit.'
What 'hard work' are you talking about? All I've done is come up with a few tricks for you guys—
'Do we have to keep going through this cycle of minimization yet again? It's exhausting having to constantly haul you out of your well of self-pity.'
Shay tore her gaze from the menu and leveled a glare at the Kirlia, but as always, his expression remained neutral. Even if the skitter of his consciousness across hers was anything but. Her expression softened as she calmed herself before responded. She took a measured breath and lightly bumped him good-naturedly with her elbow.
Sorry, Ambrose. You're right. My last job, before all this…the Marines have a high expectation of what they qualify as bare minimum effort, higher than what's considered normal standards. Showing up and doing that bare minimum doesn't get a pat on the back and a 'good job' comment. I mean, across the board, it typically isn't, but…like I said, higher standards moves the goal posts past what's considered typical.
Shay took in another slow and measured breath, her brow furrowing.
It's only when you go above and way beyond your job scope that you even get a passing nod of acknowledgement for doing so. I'm…used to being glossed over on the daily. I don't take praise all that well because it doesn't feel genuine half the time. I guess since we've gotten this far, I must be doing something right. Especially since no one's died.
For a time, Ambrose was quiet. Shay peered over her menu to see Nux had lowered his head, allowing both him and Faye to be examined up close. Even with his huge teeth flashing, there was a strange kind of gentleness he exhibited that Shay always found endearing. Flannery gently swept a hand over Faye's wing, the one that had been broken in the gym battle. Flannery had a look of relief sweep across her features, seeing that the damage had been repaired.
'You're not one to brag about your milestones. That could serve us well, I'll admit that much. We don't need the unwanted attention and your propensity to keeping things as quiet as possible…it just might be what we need in the long run. Right up until we make it to the Elite Four, and Steven.'
Before Shay could respond, Sela jutted her snout between Shay and Ambrose.
"Knock it off, the both of you!"
Her teeth clacked together so loudly; it made Shay flinch in surprise at the noise right in her ear. Ambrose canted his head in Sela's direction, one ear twitching. Shay dropped her gaze to the half-eaten bread roll still clutched in her hand, alongside the menu. Ambrose chose that moment to pluck the bread from her hand, his eyes sliding closed.
"She needed a pep-talk. No worries, Sela. We're back on track," he said before popping the remainder of the roll into his mouth. The Mightyena backed away slowly with a soft snort and lowered herself down at the base of Shay's chair, grumbling under her breath.
Any further sense of self-pity and uncertainty could come later, in private. For now…Shay had to stuff it away, lock it up tight, and rejoin the party. Almost as if on cue, Tina leaned toward her, bright eyes swimming with worry. "You okay? You were looking pretty tense for a minute there with your pokémon."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just peachy. Just a…a private conversation that I'll continue later on with Ambrose, is all."
Tina ticked her head over just enough to peer at the Kirlia, lips puckering in concern. Ambrose seemed to sense he was being stared at so baldly. Wordlessly, he pushed his seat away from the table and stepped away, fur bristling.
"Is…is it all right? Its eyes look a little…funny."
The way she said 'funny' gave Shay the impression that she knew what was wrong, but she wanted confirmation.
"He's blind," Shay confirmed. Tina's eyebrows retreated up into the curtain of her teal bangs. Shay was briefly distracted by Gunner nudging the back of her chair, staring up at her with hunger written upon his face. She snatched up the last bread roll from the closest basket and gave it to the Lairon. He chuffed in thanks, blue eyes lighting up in delight as he scurried away to scarf down his prize.
"Blind? It—he—he's not really…?"
Tension strung tightly through her limbs, locking her into place.
"Uh-huh. Yep."
"That's…really unusual to see. For his kind, I mean."
Shay furrowed her brow. The very particular way Tina had worded her comment…it gave her pause. Worry prickled along the back of her scalp in an icy wave.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Shay's words came out sharper than she had meant them to be. Tina hesitated, lips pressing together into a thin line, her pale complexion growing pink in the cheeks. Shay slumped in her seat. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sound so…nasty and angry. Could you please tell me what you meant?"
"It's…unusual because Kirlia and Gardevoir here in Hoenn don't take kindly to any disabilities or deformities among their own. It's…kind of a really messed-up brand of ableism. You'd never think it'd happen with pokémon, but well…" Tina sucked in a breath between clenched teeth before continuing. "Blindness, missing limbs, a weak constitution of any sort, especially with their psychic powers…they typically abandon those who have any weaknesses of any sort to fend for themselves, if they don't…you know."
Tina squirmed in her seat, ducking her gaze. Shay hesitated for only a moment, brow furrowing. Collecting herself, the other woman pressed on.
"They see it as taking away any weak links that may stain the standing of their covens. Most Ralts don't make it for long after birth, not in the wild. For your Kirlia to actually have made it this far is kind of a miracle, but…you're not planning on letting him evolve into a Gardevoir, are you?"
The line of questioning and the scant information Tina had just given her froze Shay in place. She wanted to look at Ambrose, to ask him if this was true—but she couldn't even feel him skittering across the back of her thoughts any longer. He was silent and stiff, leaning against a garden wall like he was a mere stone statue.
"Why wouldn't I let him evolve into a Gardevoir?"
Worry lines creased Tina's face as she stared back at Shay, and it took Shay a moment to recognize what she was seeing: fear. Unfettered, unadulterated. Somehow, Shay managed to fight past the scathing dryness that had assaulted her mouth and throat so suddenly. She spouted the words out as they came to her, pasting on an apologetic smile that she hoped ease Tina's guardedness.
"I'm from Kanto, so I'm still getting the hang of Hoenn. I didn't mean to sound so ignorant. Not a lot of people will talk about his kind here candidly, so it's been a bit hard getting any information out of anyone about these things."
Tina relaxed, the wary and hesitant light in her eyes dimming. She spared a glance at the Kirlia still in his place at the remote corner of the back patio. His eyes were closed, arms crossed loosely over his chest. The perfect picture of relaxation—but Shay knew better. She could see the tension riddling his frame, and when she tried to reach out to him with her mind, all she was met with was a solid wall. That familiar brush of his mind and hers was barely there, a fraying thread that no longer held a pulse she could detect.
Tentatively, she retreated back, reasserting her focus back on Tina.
"Male Gardevoir are few and far in between because, well…all that power, it comes from their antlers, right? And that's tempting at first, to have a powerful psychic-fairy dual type like that in their arsenal. But at the end of the day, with all the cons…most trainers prefer the females because their antlers are smaller, and they're a lot more manageable and less prone to…"
The other woman's voice fell short and there it was again, that look of terror ghosting across her countenance. Shay's brow beetled together, a hollowness carving out more space inside of her chest cavity. The words were caught in her throat like shards of bone. Shay pushed onward, managing to find her voice.
"What? They're less prone to what, exactly?"
"T…they go crazy, sometimes. The males, I mean. They'll hurl things—pokémon and people too—into these, like, black holes. I don't think that's what they really are, but…with all that power, it's hard not to equate whatever those things they make to black holes. Once you go through, you don't come back out, ever. Nobody knows what happens to anything or anyone that gets tossed into those things, but I can't imagine anything good is on the other side. It's why most trainers here in Hoenn evolve their male Kirlia into Gallade instead. They're not as volatile in nature."
A shudder wracked Shay's whole body, but she tried to disguise it as she turned to face the Kirlia at the end of the patio.
Ambrose was nowhere to be seen and whatever thread of connection they had was no longer there.
Additional Notes: Oooh, I been waiting like a giddy kid to expand more lore I've crafted up for the Ralts line! How much more is Ambrose hiding? That will come up soon.
There are also some future events I have been building towards that are coming up fairly soon and I'm practically vibrating with excitement, let me tell you. I feel like all my molecules will completely shake apart and I will disappear into the ether if I get any more excited about it!