Author's notes: Okay, well, remember what I said before about spending a TON of time re-writing the last chapter? Yeah, this one completely blew it out of the water. Most of it came from having to revise Kokiri's scenes, which were uh... let's just say they weren't minor revisions, more like redoing the scenes from the ground up three or four times? Tack on school and life projects and you have a recipe for never finishing anything! But anyhow, at least this chapter's all done. Can't promise the next one will be any faster, but hopefully it'll at least be enjoyable.
I'm fairly certain no one actually cares, but if anyone wants to read all the deleted scenes I had for Kokiri just tell me and I'll include a little extra section for him next time, if I remember
Chapter 5 - Bumps in the road
RING RING RING!
OH GOD, WHY IS THE ALARM SO DAMN LOUD?!
Startled by what felt like tornado sirens blaring into my skull, my eyes opened to see a clock floating above my head. There's an odd aura around it, polluting its surface with an electrical outline.
Before I had the opportunity to ask any questions, a literal face popped out from the electronic device and cackled, its jittery laughter caused the nearby lamp to flicker.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty!" A pair of blue eyes, encompassed by white outlines, blinked at me. The creature's voice echoed from a devilish, misshapen mouth under those unblinking eyes.
I leap out of my bed, yelping with sudden fear. "Gah, d-don't hurt me!"
Oh no, it's a poltergeist! Mum told me they were a myth, but I always knew they were real!
I ran to Carole for help against the phantom clock, however, she simply turned away, as if there was nothing there at all.
"Told you the ghosts living in here were real…" Carole blinked, bumping into a wall, letting out a dismayed 'ouch' in response to her blunder as cotton sprayed from her head.
Damn her, she's completely useless.
"Good morning, ladies!" Cheryl exclaimed excitedly, as she threw the covers off and rolled to her feet. The eager twinkle on her features was soon replaced by an exasperated deadpan. "And good morning to you too, Rotom. Trying to spook another new recruit?"
The sentient timepiece's grin turned upside-down the moment the Blissey blocked out its view, "Nothing like that, I just wanted to give her a taste of what's to come should she kill a patient! It's just a harmless little prank, Cheryl!"
Rotom's words sounded like nothing but a bunch of excuses to me, and Cheryl seemed to agree, too. Wordlessly, she gripped the timekeeping device before it had a chance to float to safety, and in a show of brute strength, she ripped the Ghost type inhabiting it straight out, tossing it like a used rag against the wall.
"Ouch, ma'am, you don't have to be so rough! Not to worry, though, newbie, I'll getcha next time!" The orange plasma spirit laid against the floor for a few seconds, stupefied, before perking up and phasing right through a solid wall.
Cheryl exhaled through her mouth, allowing me to hear the hiss between her gritted teeth. "That… wasn't exactly the start I'd hoped for. You weren't too scared, were you?"
That's when I realise that I'm still sitting with my behind against the floor and my sepals pressed against my head defensively, looking like a lost Fidough.
I forced myself to my feet before she could say anything more, "Um… no, I'm fine. Why is that alarm so loud?"
"They've got to wake everyone up somehow…" Carole piped up from the bathroom, her face covered in a mint-coloured cream.
"What the-? What are you rubbing on yourself?" I muttered in confusion. Vines appeared from under her collar, continuing to apply more of that same ointment across her features.
"It's my makeup routine, I'll be happy to do some for you, if you'd like." She approached me and wiped a chunk of it across my face, causing me to recoil.
"Ew, gross! No thank you, besides, you're working in a hospital! How does makeup help?"
"Well, I figure the patients might wanna see something pretty before they die, right? And who knows, maybe I'll catch the love of my life if I'm lucky! Just imagine, Bounsweet. His systems are failing him, but then, out of the blue, an elegant, pretty lady swoops in and brings him back from the precipice of death! It's almost like a romantic fairy tale~"
"So… not only are you a tease, you're also delusional." I shake my head in disappointment, before giving a side glance to Cheryl, "Have you ever considered giving her a check up instead? I feel like she needs i- Ack!" My smartmouthing was cut off by another smear of that moisturiser stuff Carole seemed to enjoy using. This time a glob of it was glued right to my forehead. The Eldegoss advanced, scooping another handful of the substance right before my eyes.
"Oh, come on. Don't diss it until you've tried it! I'm sure with some proper technique, you'll get loads of boys lining up to see you!"
"Guys, let's cut it out," Cheryl intervened, her soothing voice taking on a hint of annoyance. That shut both of us right up. "Go back into the bathroom and finish up your routine, Carole. Anyhow, it'll be your first day here Bounsweet! How are you feeling, ready for work?" She leaned in and wiped the makeup off my face, much to my relief.
"As ready as I'll ever be." I talked under my breath, letting her slide the hat onto my head.
A knock came on the door, then another few repeated raps. After a few seconds, Nurse Joy poked her head through the door. There was a bit of dirt around her white uniform… or was that a coffee stain? She was holding a cup of it in her hand, after all.
"Sorry, Cheryl, but you're gonna need to get ready earlier - that Umbreon already left."
"R-Right away, Head Nurse!" The Blissey saluted, a gesture the human didn't take much notice in, wandering off before the Normal type finished her sentence. "Suppose I better get going, then. Are you sure you can handle yourself?"
"Can't be that hard," I assured her, "I'll have some breakfast and go see Nurse Joy, then. Is that gooey stuff on my face all gone, by the way?"
"Yes, it's all gone." Cheryl repeated, covering her mouth with a hand and sprinting out at lightspeed. Say what you want, although she was a big Pokémon, that Blissey could move. Ignoring the slight tingling on my forehead, I bounced out of the dormitories.
Maybe it's just Stockholm syndrome, but the kibble actually tasted like something this time… sort of. Perhaps my tastebuds were so sensually starved that they were delusionally making the dry crumbs taste like something… anything to not die a flavourless death of boredom.
Well, I barely had any, anyway. The box was nearly empty, and I couldn't even reach any nearby; I'd be damned to call someone else over for help. So I ate basically nothing but air and whatever leftover crumbs I could scrape out.
After the rather crappy brekkie, I was halted in front of the stairs. The morning rush was pure chaos, a frenzy, even. I had to duck into a nearby room just to prevent the stampede from turning me into a pancake as everyone sped down the stairs. Some 'mons grabbed hats, medicine or clipboards. There was basically zero organisation. Kashu accidentally entered the room Cheryl was already in, while Rotom bolted past Lei, knocking over a stack of parcels taller than my eyes could see. But the funniest thing I saw was when Carole drifted down the stairs, only to be headbutted and flung away by a sleepy Umbreon emerging from behind the wall. Due to her very light weight, she got hooked on one of the emergency room signs around the building and couldn't get down for a while.
If every Pokémon Centre was as dysfunctional as this one… I wouldn't even know what to say - All hell would've broken loose a long time ago.
"Hmmmm…" Nurse Joy let out a thoughtful hum, "Bounsweet, you're just starting out, I'd say you can just wander around for the day and pitch in whenever you like." Now that I had a better look at her, I could see the darkened bags under her eyes and the more pronounced imprint of coffee around her dress. Wow, the lack of human employees must have really been stressing her out… That definitely can't be good for her psyche.
Eh, not my problem, though. So long as I'm fed and I get a roof over my head, I'll do my job and keep my head down; I could care less about her.
"It's because of my lack of arms, isn't it?" I groaned. Nurse Joy frowned, but instead of answering me, she turned away immediately to work on her computer, leaving me utterly alone.
Some welcome this is.
I mean, yeah, I guess she can't speak my language, but still! At least some acknowledgement would've been nice!
So, what now?
Maybe I could've gotten away with lazing around for the day and dozing off whenever I felt like it… but my conscience definitely wouldn't allow for that - what would mum think if she saw me doing nothing to help?
My prayers for work would quickly be answered when a Fomantis, no, THE Fomantis, skidded from the right hallway, before tripping on the ground. I held back a snicker that quickly morphed into unadulterated fear when his eyes locked with mine.
"Ah, there you are, now do try and be careful next time, we don't want any of our own staff to get hurt." Nurse Joy chided.
The Fomantis pulled himself up, "Of course, Head Nurse, that was but a minor setback." Behind him, he pulled, with obvious difficulty, a cart filled with boxes. Despite this, Nurse Joy made no effort to offer any form of help.
His eyes widened when they saw me, freezing in place, "Ah, hello. It's you."
"The pleasure's all yours, I can assure you." I grumbled, aiming to turn the corner and get out of his sight before he could confuse me further with his elated nature. However, just as I thought I was gonna make it, I heard a familiar voice ring out from the front reception, right above me.
"Ah, Bounsweet, you're available, aren't you? Why don't you help Kokiri with his work delivering parcels today?"
Every step I tried to take getting away felt like I was bouncing with slabs of concrete glued to my feet. Why don't you help him, huh? I almost wanted to question my own conscience, but the hypocritical voice rebelled and told me to shut my mouth. Exhaling through gritted teeth, I joined the Fomantis next to the cart.
"Welcome back, milady!"
I quashed the urge to kick him, and instead flashed what is very likely the most forced smile of my whole life. "Hi."
"I'm certainly looking forward to working with you today!" He flashed a scythe in front of my face, causing the tiniest tremor to course through my body. He didn't seem to notice as he brought said weapons closer to my face, prodding at my hat. "My, what a pretty accessory, befitting of someone as lovely as y-"
The flashback was quick, like a sting to my head. The bird's beak closed in on me just before I shook the illusion away. Aside from Cheryl, who exuded an aura of exuberance, I didn't want anyone close to me.
"N-No more personal contact!" Without thinking, I spun my sepals out of instinct, accidentally giving him a light smack across the head. The Fomantis stumbled back, a glimpse of a hurt expression on his face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
The sound of chiming rang out. It was the small, silver bell Nurse Joy kept at her reception, "Now, now, you two. No need to argue." She pointed from behind the desk, "These boxes need to be delivered to their owners, I've listed the address on each one. After the two of you are done with them, you can return back here, and that will be your first job for today."
I suppress the growing disquietude in my guts. We nodded. I shot a sideways glance towards the Fomantis when the two of us walked up to the cart, and we pushed it away.
Being outside was… weird. Aside from occasionally staring at a window, or watching commercials advertise Hau'oli City's wonderful beaches, I haven't really had much of a glimpse of the outside world ever since… the incident.
No, stop. Don't think about it.
Well, I'm happy to report that it still sucks. Outside of the Pokémon Centre is probably the tiniest and saddest beach the world has ever seen… If you could even call it one. It barely has any sand at all.
The Centre itself was built on top of an angled slope, and while it wasn't steep, it probably wasn't a good location considering you'd have to push a wounded patient up a hill in order to treat them.
At least it provided a good vantage point, not that there was a whole lot to see. To the right hand side was the Lush Jungle, a place I didn't want any business with. To the left were a few sparsely lined houses, coloured in vibrant yellow, blue and pink. They had that vacation home sort of look that rich families would rent or buy out for a week during the summer holidays to rest, but no one else would pay attention to for the rest of the year. And considering we're only halfway through the school year, I doubted anyone was living in them.
At least the fresh air was nice, and despite wanting to live like a hermit, I can't lie that feeling the sun's warm rays hit my skin was also great. In fact, I felt better than great - I felt as if I could be bouncing off the walls with excitement. Must be a perk of being a plant, then. From what I heard they seemed to enjoy sunlight.
A passing silhouette in the sky wrenched a squeak out of me; luckily, the Flying type was too high up to notice, but it did remind me to keep at least one eye out for danger, unless I wanted to be…
I looked at the Fomantis for some form of relief, but he was busy with… something. Fiddling his scythes about, he angled them over his eyes as he stared down the hill. Oh, boy, this'll be an awkward conversation.
"So uh… How are we going to push this thing around?" The cart was clearly taller than both of our heights combined, and its contents were definitely more heavy than what we could possibly push. The Head Nurse definitely put in no consideration as to how the laws of physics would affect us, huh?
There's gotta be a way to do this somehow…
"If you'll be so generous as to hear me out, my princess, I think this humble servant might have an idea."
"Why do you talk like you're always in a play or something? Can't you just say 'I've got an idea' and be done with it?" I retort, hoping to draw some other reaction other than flamboyance out of him.
"Not to worry, my dear, I've a lucky charm to protect us from harm." He plucks out a golden coin from his back, imprinted with the image of a smiling Chansey.
"As if. How's luck gonna help us push this thing down? Maybe we should go back in and find someone who can actually do this job for us."
The Fomantis isn't listening to me, instead, he's staring at the way the sun makes his gold glint. Great… looks like I'm the one who has to find a solution to this mess, how typical. I want to call him a useless idiot, but I hold my tongue. Being mouthy certainly hasn't gotten me anywhere, and it's not going to help now.
"Goodness, the polished surface of this coin really highlights my marvellous beauty, wouldn't you say so, madam?"
When I tell you that it took every ounce of my willpower to resist lashing out at him, I want it to be known that I absolutely meant it.
"Look, is it gonna kill you to just take any of this seriously?!" I spat, a wild, furious feeling overtaking the forefront of my thoughts. Before I could yell at him anymore, I found myself eyeing a silhouette in the sky. Jet black wings, sharp yellow talons, yikes, I'd hate to get on that Pokémon's bad side…
And then, with a sinking feeling, like a pit just settled into my body, I realise it's coming straight for us.
A sudden squawk splits the air, my beady eyes dilate and my heart starts beating so quickly I think I might just throw up. Oh god, oh Arceus, a Flying type!
The monster tips its cap with one of its wings. It's a Murkrow, I think. Its dangerous, predatory eyes fixated on us as its wings closed in, allowing it to dive bomb towards where we stood.
Cover, I need cover! My eyes darted around frantically, landing on the cart. I flung myself into the pile of boxes, seeking protection from the incoming bird.
The flying bastard folds its wings. Oh shit, it's going in for us! I actually cower before it, leaves wrapped around my head in unfathomable fright. The creature caws and I scramble away as if I've been bitten. "No! Please-" I mutter, I'm begging and I hate myself for it, but far worse is the prospect of being swallowed whole again.
Embarrassingly, the Murkrow soars over me and goes for the other Grass type. Arceus, I hope he didn't hear me pleading, I swear that I will never beg again if I survive this.
"Back off!" He makes a brief swipe, but against an opponent who could claim the skies as its own turf, he was far too cumbersome.
I want to help, but I can't move. Every time I see that shadow in the sky grow bigger I want to curl in on myself and sob - I'm losing my god damn mind over this.
"Very well, you've left me no choice, you fiend." The wind began to stir around me, from within the leaves adorning his body, he conjured a fierce windstorm of pink petals.
The Murkrow pays no heed, too attracted to his lucky coin to give a crap. It flies in a predictably simple line straight at him, only to be blasted by his flower particles, now concentrated into a forceful blizzard.
Yeah, fly away, you coward. I grin to myself, ignoring the discomforting feeling that came with being a hypocrite well up inside of me.
The feeling doesn't last very long though, because suddenly the scenery is shifting, and it's getting faster and faster by the minute. And it's with a startling realisation that I discover that the trolley is moving downhill of its own volition.
Must've been from his Petal Blizzard. The force of the move probably propelled the nearby cart. I guess Pokémon moves have more application to them than just being different attacks in battle, I wonder if Splash could ever be useful, though…
At least that solves the problem of being unable to push the cart, but now a new problem has presented itself upon the horizon, literally.
I had reached the bottom of the hill by now, but the cart had built up so much momentum I was still zooming ahead even on flat ground. My eyes widened as I saw the houses were coming up… and I was headed straight for them.
Shit. This is not how it was supposed to go.
"Um… you got any… Oh, nevermind." I look to the Fomantis, who is about… thirty metres behind me, and with those stubby little nubs for legs, he's not catching up anytime soon.
Oh… shit. I assessed the situation around me. No controls, no brakes, and a collision course just a few seconds away. My driver's license which I spent the better half of my summer grinding away to earn would not help me now, that's for sure.
Out of options, I looked down. Right, the wheels. Maybe if I could just use a move or two on them… maybe I could slow the cart down? My judgement probably wasn't correct, but given the heat of the moment, the fact I could even come up with a small percentage of a plan should've been admirable enough.
Without thinking, I imagined a bundle of leaves and spun my sepals. To my surprise, it worked. I sent out a spiralling pattern of razor sharp leaves, all directed towards the lower part of the cart. Most of them missed, but a few slashed onto the wheels, causing one to break off. It rolled away, soon laying flat on the ground. The cart swerved due to the uneven distribution of weight, leaning down on one side and flinging off the road.
Shaken by the sudden jolt, I counted my lucky stars; at least we were safe from the vacation houses. I doubt the last thing Nurse Joy would've needed was a lawsuit from these rich assholes because we smashed one of their forty-something vacation homes. As the cart bumped over a pebble, I looked up, and then started to scream, as the trolley veered off-course towards a tree instead.
To my credit, going off-road allowed for the dirt to slow down the cart significantly, to the point where I wasn't flung directly into the sun upon hitting an obstacle. Like I said, small victories, I reminded myself, while peeling my body off the tree's trunk.
Opening my eyes by a tiny crack, I witnessed a singular box tumbling from the pile as the cart slowly screeched to a stop on the flat ground nearby. The box dropped from the group, moments from hitting the ground…
"I got it!" The Fomantis yelled beside me, in a second, he lunged towards the box, gliding across the floor smoothly, catching the box in his scythes.
As the two of us stood there, attempting to catch our breath, I looked at the carnage around us. "Well, that definitely could've gone… at least thirty percent better." I quipped, glaring daggers at the other Grass type.
"Oh, stunning rose... You wound me with your thorns!"
"Rose? I'm not a rose, I'm a mango… steen- What are we gonna do about this mess? We can't just report it to the Nurse, can w-" The annoyed face I tried to pull suddenly turns into a flinching grimace. My face felt like it was burning slightly… It's not bad, but it's enough to cut me off mid-sentence. Oh, I wish I had a mirror right now.
"Ah, milady, there's a cut above your cheek!" The Fomantis suddenly exclaimed, that explains the tingling feelings. "This shall not do. Allow me to patch you up at once and return you to your previous splendour!"
"H-Hey, quit dodging my question!" I growled, but I didn't totally turn away when his petals flapped open and let a soothing scent drift through the air. It was… tangy, like I could almost taste the smell on my tongue, and it was comforting, too. BKinda like that healing light beam device they had back at the Centre, by the time I opened my eyes again, the sting on my cheek was gone.
"There, your visage shall now be beautifully preserved!" He gives me a dreamy look that I want to chide, but… maybe I've been treating him a bit too harshly? He just saved my butt from a Murkrow, an injury, and possibly getting fired because of that fallen crate. I ponder to myself while watching him work. Still clutching the box, he tried to leap up and stuff the crate back into the cart, only to fail due to his height.
The next time the Fomantis hopped into the air, he landed with an unsteady 'woah' as he propped the box back up with the rest of its brethren in the cart.
Straining a little, I steadied my legs as he climbed back down from my head, spinning my sepals as the coalescence of our teamwork sat against a tree, the missing wheel still resting on the ground.
The Fomantis - I believe his name was 'Kokiri' - gawks at me like he's just been struck by a bolt out of the blue, I guess he wasn't expecting the uptight, selfish little princess to suddenly cave and help him with his work. There's no lost dignity in apologising, is there?
I didn't really wanna acknowledge him, since I was always afraid maybe that'd summon him to my exact location or something, but if we were working together, calling him solely by 'weirdo' would probably get stale really quickly.
After what felt like an eternity of silence between us, I finally muttered it out. "... Maybe we got off to the wrong start."
"Hm?" He turns his head. Oh no. I didn't think he would hear me. Now he's probably expecting me to say something cool, or philosophical. I can't just… leave 'em hanging.
"Uh… N-Nice weather we're having today, right?"
Way to blow it, idiot.
"Oh, yes, quite! Now how about we get this thing back on the road so we can finish up our rounds?"
"Y-Yeah, let's."
Pushing a three-wheeled cart around was difficult. Getting it back up was already a challenge, but making turns with only three wheels was even worse. In the end, we decided that we would alternate between looking ahead to determine the direction we should be headed, then returning to help the other push the cart along.
We walked all around Route 8, delivering goods to the few houses dotted all around. Luckily for us, most of the houses were all relatively close in proximity to one another, so our job was quick and easy. Nearing the end of Route 8, we eventually reached a rectangular, pristine… no, it can't really be described as a house, not with that blocky design. It seemed newly-built, too. Either that or the owner had been careful to maintain its brilliantly pure coat of white paint long past the warranty.
"Wow, look at the purity, you could see your reflection here!" Kokiri mutters, "Anyhow, I believe this ought to be our last delivery." The Fomantis called, pulling the last box from the cart.
I ran up to the boxy 'house' and slammed into the doorbell. The door opened, and a man in a clean uniform greeted us. He had what appeared to be a golden trident crest embedded on his shirt.
"Oh, you must be the Pokémon here to deliver all that medicine we ordered from the Pokémon Centre."
I nodded, pushing the box towards him. He picked up the box and dropped a handful of cash in front of us. Kokiri stuffed it into the money pouch he had around his waist.
I thought long-distance deliveries were normally paid online, but I guess some old-fashioned folks insisted on doing it the traditional manner, can't believe they actually trust us with the money, there's no way something like this hasn't gone horribly in the past.
"Thank you for your services."
There's something behind him, a rectangular block of ice, emanating mist under the glow of a yellow lamp. From my obscured view, I could see what appeared to be a shadow… was there something inside?
"Excuse me, but what's that thing inside of that ice?" The Fomantis beside me leaned over my sepals and peered into the sickeningly yellow lamp, directing the scientist's attention towards the block of ice behind. His mouth formed a thin frown.
"I do not know what further business you want, but I can assure you that there is nothing of your concerns anymore. Now, please leave the premises, we're conducting important research here, and we wouldn't want you to get caught up in it."
He slammed the door on us, to which the Fomantis huffed. "How rude - slamming the door like that." He turned to me, "Who do you think they were?"
"They're the Aether Foundation, I think, from the limited information I know about them. Apparently they're a group that has been dedicated to researching and protecting Pokémon," I hadn't spent much time in Alola before being turned into this abomination, but the Aether Foundation were so famous even someone like me had heard of them, "Kind of like the Pokémon Centre, but on a much larger scale. At least that's what I think they're supposed to do." Though a lingering thought about what that Aether Foundation employee said to me implied otherwise. "No point dwelling on it, let's get back to work. What direction's the Pokémon Centre in, anyway?"
"Allow me!" He stated, climbing up a nearby tree. "Oh, I bet my glutes look wonderful climbing this tree, take a look, won't you, my friend?" Glutes, what the hell are those? Burdened by curiosity, I tilted my head up, only to get eyeful of Kokiri's… ass. Arceus, I hate my life. "North-East, it's not too far, just a long stretch of road and we shall be there before nightfall!"
"Of course we'll be there before nightfall, it's only noon!" I argue back, watching him clamber back down from above.
The Fomantis opened his mouth to speak, before a loud rumble stopped him. It was my opportunity to turn this conversation's topic around.
"S-Sounds like your stomach doesn't agree." I snickered, thanking whatever lord and God in the heavens above that were watching me suffer through today. Thanks for letting me have this one, at least. My stomach answered as well; and I let out a sigh of defeat. "I guess skipping out on breakfast does have a few consequences."
The Fomantis pulled the small money bag he had been carrying all day from his side, "Very well, let us sit down and rest our weary legs for a bite."
"I suppose… But we're not so far from the Pokémon Centre, let's just push through and be done with it already."
Kokiri stutters for a brief moment, before steeling his expression and shaking his head firmly. "My greatest and sincerest apologies, milady, but I don't think so. With how much we've been working today and how harsh the Alolan sun's shining on us today I believe it's incredibly important for us to relax for a bit and eat something. We deserve it, after the absolute quest we've been through today."
"We're plants, aren't we? Can't we perform photosynthesis or something?" I spun the sepals on my head for good measure.
He gives me a confounded expression, "We've already been doing it all day. It's precisely why we haven't felt hunger creep up until now. Photosynthesis creates so little energy only actual plants can survive fully off of it. Even we need food, otherwise we would have collapsed long ago." Arceus, he was a great deal of annoying. What with his constant blabbering and recklessness. He was both simultaneously the most unbelievable and grounded idiot I've met so far. I was surprised this guy didn't get himself killed already for saying the wrong things at the wrong time to the wrong person.
… Well, la dee da! Didn't that just sound so familiar?
The Fomantis walked over to a shady spot beneath a large berry tree.
"Okay, then, mister know-it-all. Riddle me this: Do we even have any food?" I asked, finally giving up and pulling the cart over beneath the tree to sit with him. The Fomantis pulled out a… tote bag? Unzipping it, he produced two large rice balls from inside. Lord knows how he was carrying them but I knew better than to ask such silly questions at this point.
"Try one, they're quite delicious."
"Oh… you're giving me- Thanks…" He placed the rice ball in front of me, I took a small bite, smooshing my face into the food in the process. The taste was… well, I'm embarrassed to say it, but it was divine. Heavenly even for something so simple, I had never eaten a rice ball with this much flavour! The medium-sized delicacy was grilled to perfection, the edges of the tasty treat somehow still crunchy despite the fact that it had probably sat in that Fomantis' bag for the entire morning… and, is that hint of refreshing lemon?
But I'll be damned first before I start openly expressing my emotions. Let's see… how can I twist this into the impassive persona I'd worked so hard to maintain thus far?
"Wow, this is fantastic!" I blurted out.
… That certainly was not the way I'd envisioned it.
"It is, isn't it? I'd like to believe it's a meal fit for royalty! To be frank, milady, I was originally planning to eat them both, but since you were running around all day under this terribly sweltering heat, I thought I'd share one with you too."
"T-that's so very… thoughtful of you." I whispered, forcing the gratitude out of my voice, attempting to squash it down instead of letting it leak out like it currently was.
"It is my great pleasure."
I smiled, a relaxed, comforted smile. One of my first in quite a while. I guess being nice does have its rewards. I laid back against the shade and relaxed. Under the shadow where the burning sun wasn't cooking me alive, there was a pleasant breeze to be found… I could totally get used to this.
"What's this rice ball made out of?" I asked.
"Fuka said she made it out of sticky rice that's been steamed with a special blend of berry sauce that she made herself. Add some kelp, and voila!"
"Wow, she put a lot of effort into these rice balls."
"Yep, though I think they're actually called onigiri. Though, I've heard some people call them jelly donuts in Kanto."
I arched an eyebrow. "Really, 'jelly donuts'?"
"It's weird, right?"
I chuckled, the hearty laugh made the Fomantis also let out a small snicker of his own.
Yeah, I know making fun of another culture in another part of the planet ain't the nicest thing to do, but one: no one cares, and two: I'm a Pokémon; those humans can't even understand a word I say, they'll never be able to hold me accountable!
"Also, I've got a question."
"Yes? Ask away."
"You're a Fomantis, shouldn't you be asleep right now? I'm pretty sure you're a nocturnal species."
"Oh, I used to sleep during the day, but after getting a job at the Centre, the Head Nurse wanted me up during the morning shifts to help deliver stuff. Not that it's really mandatory for me to do so, but no one else wanted to. And I figured why not. Maybe I'll see something interesting happening along the way, it would be better than just getting yelled at by some amnestic patient at the crack of dawn, anyway."
"Why can't you just work during the night shift? I'm sure those short-staffed night workers wouldn't mind the extra help."
"Apparently a lot of packages get stolen at night, so it's a no-go, no matter how good my night vision is."
"Yikes." I murmur, continuing to nibble the onigiri.
"Of course, I will ensure nothing as foul as this will ever happen again, especially not with you by my side, milady!" He puffs out his chest, swelling up with pride.
"Okay, you can drop that." I sigh, exasperated.
"Oh…!" He stammers, "Well, what shall I address you by, then?"
Crap, he's asking me for my name, isn't he? Not again… I had been racking my brain over and over for the better part of the last three days for my name. Nothing came to mind, no names at all. "My name?" I shook my head, focusing more on the food now than the Grass type, "I can't remember."
"Perhaps we ought to give you a new one, then! How does 'Amelia' sound?"
I- What- That's such a girly name! Actually, no wait, yeah I forgot I was a girl. "Uh… I'll dwell on that, thanks, though."
"Of course, a name is a tough choice to make. 'Tis what defines you, after all, mila-" He coughed, cutting himself off from accidentally calling me something I didn't want to be called.
"Why do you talk like that, Kokiri?" I raised an eyebrow, causing the Fomantis' eyes to dart from me.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Like that! It's as if you're always in a show or something. It's a bit weird, honestly."
"I just… thought you needed someone to laugh at…?"
"Um… Elaborate?"
"Well, you ran into the Centre bloodied and bruised while being chased by a Toucannon, whatever life you lived out there sounded rough. I just… felt like you could use some company, or maybe someone to make you smile, because you deserve it… Was I being too forward?"
O-Oh. That's… actually really sweet. Damn, I… Fuck, why's my heart beating so quickly?
My calyx fluttered, trying to shake off the heat concentrating around my face, "For future reference, I don't think acting like a total whackjob will do too much of a favour for you, mate…"
He looks… downcast by what I've said, and that stings a little. I'm not sure if I could accurately describe it, but the sting wasn't quite like what I felt earlier when I was hurt, but rather an ache deep down. Were my insides ruptured? Or was it heartbreak? Desperate to amend the situation, I hurriedly tack on, "Thank you, though. For caring about me."
"I get it, I'll try to be less…" As he was about to finish his sentence, Kokiri turned to give me what was probably a thin smile, before his features contorted with laughter, a high-pitched, bursting noise erupted through the air as he pointed an arm at me.
"What's so funny? Have I got something on my face?" I arched an eyebrow, the other Grass type covered his mouth, only barely muffling his chortles.
"Sorry, there's just so many grains of rice stuck to your face. It's- hehehe!" Another round of laughter did nothing to conceal my blushing face and urgent need to look for a pool of water to dunk myself in, or perhaps a hole. I wanted nothing more than to bury myself away right now.
"Oh come on! Do you know how hard it is to eat without using your hands? C-Can we please just get moving? This half-broken cart's not going to return itself!"
"During the day, it sleeps and soaks up light. When night falls, it walks around looking for a safer place to sleep." (Fomantis's Sun entry)
Big thanks to Pokelego999 and VGS2_the_Sexy_Sausage for beta reading my chapter, this chapter wouldn't be complete without all your help!
Partially inspired by Fabhar's Shaded Silk (A human-turned-Ariados stuck as the only 'normal' person in a world of unhinged lunatics, all while trying to balance her sanity between chaotic events that seem specifically targeted towards ensuring her demise)
