Pokémon Obsidian | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 87: Deserved

Blue's Pidgeot dropped him at the foot of a tall hotel in Nascott City. The copy-pasted lobby looked like every other hotel in the Budew Drop Inn chain. So did the rooms. Blue would have known, because he spent his life travelling all over the world in search of what he said was strength, but was actually himself and what he really wanted from life.

He admittedly booked that hotel because it was far enough from Phenac City, where Magenta lived and worked as a chemist, for Mallow and the two sons who accompanied them never to bump into Blue and Magenta. There was hardly any point. He was so depressed about Lavender, he couldn't drag himself back to his wife and kids most nights, or text an excuse about where he was. Mallow probably suspected exactly what was going on, except it wasn't, really. All he did was fall asleep beside Magenta. They barely even spoke.

An out-of-tune voice floated from room 403. Mallow was screaming to a song that was popular when they were younger.

'Mr. "Never told me why!" Mr. "Never had to see me cry!" Mr. "Insincere apology so he doesn't look like the bad guy!" He goes about his day, forgets he ever even heard my name!'

'You know exactly who she's singing about.'

'R-River?'

Blue nervously turned to face his youngest son. They were in separate rooms, but River must have been waiting for him.

'Fuck you, Dad.'

Did he know? He didn't even need to know. Blue was demonstrating exactly why he was a terrible dad and husband regardless. The door flew open when he knocked.

'Oh, he's so smug, Mr. "Always wins!" So far above me in every sense, so far above feeling fucking anything! ...Blue?'

Mallow's rage fizzled. She wasn't used to seeing her husband hunched, looking his age, instead of carrying himself with his usual youthful arrogance. Even River, still standing aimlessly in the corridor, lost his scowl.

'What's wrong?'

The door clicked shut. Mallow winced inside when Blue didn't even greet her.

'I'm gonna tell you everything.'

'...About what?'

'All your hunches are probably true.'

'If you're gonna dive right in there without the slightest bit of concern for my feelings, you might as well say it outright.'

'Lavender Hexagon was my daughter.'

Mallow blinked. That wasn't what she expected. She imagined several girlfriends a third of his age.

'...Your... only child?'

'Other than our kids? Yeah.'

She was hopeful, for a moment, that Lavender was born before they got married. Then she realised that was ridiculous. Lavender was 25. Mallow and Blue celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary 26 years ago. She had no idea how to feel. Lavender was dead. Being angry with either of her parents seemed wrong.

'Sorry.'

'You don't have to be nice to me.'

Was Blue always distant because he was cheating on her, the whole time? Was it just Lavender's mom? Was it her because Lavender was the daughter Mallow never gave him, or did he really love them? Did he love anyone? She couldn't help blurting out her thoughts.

'Would you... even know if she was your only other kid?'

'Of course I would! I'm not that bad. Look... I did get married because my family wouldn't shut up... and... Red was already married. But I thought I loved you enough then. I never...'