Harmonia | Pokémon Fanfiction

27 | Fly Away

Music in media: Fly Away by Eminem

15 January, Saturday, 7 a.m. | Winter

Cheren's embrace was welcoming. Rae sniffled and pulled him closer. Her Pokémon watched them both without a word as catharsis swathed the room like a silk blanket.

"Pokémon are our friends," murmured Cheren. "Does it matter what type they are?"

Rather, should their types affect or reflect the type of human you are, Rae, and vice versa? Crude as it might be, thought Cheren, it's all but a matter of preference. How does a person wish to be perceived? What kind of identity will you carve out of your flesh and skin?

Ah, why did he resign himself to be a Normal-type specialist in the end, and a teacher at that? No, it wasn't because those who can, do, and those who can't, teach. Not that. He simply liked reminding himself of the basics, the fundamentals, the foundation of all things.

Too stereotypical that a villain would use only Dark-types and a hero, pseudolegendaries. What do you cling to so badly? Your image? Or your true self?

All these he transmitted to her through radio silence simmering in the room while beads of sweat formed on their foreheads, against the cool onslaught of the air-conditioning.

Certainly, there were some people who would be more intentional about their desires. If the five people you hung out with the most were what made you you, then it wouldn't be so different when it came to Pokémon. Strong Pokémon, weak Pokémon, statistically proven or not, wouldn't matter unless you wanted it to matter. The same could be said of their types and natures and abilities.

Rae whimpered as she tore away from Cheren's grasp. "I suppose not... But it feels wrong now. It feels too exclusive."

"Well," said Cheren with a glint in his eyes, "it's hard to be inclusive. There's always an Other no matter how much we try. A criterion we missed that makes someone feel lonely, left out. You can't be friends with everyone, or friendship isn't as special anymore."

"Special..."

Everyone she knew or came across wanted to be special, to be different, to be Other, as if it meant happiness. No, not everyone. Her brother did whatever he could to live a simple life. Aomine Kyo was the perfect homebody, the boy with little to no ambition. To him, then, being an Other would spell misery.

"It's... arbitrary," she added.

"It is," said Cheren.

"Then... how do I know if I'm right?"

"We don't know that. We can only rely on conviction." He patted her head. "But not too much. You don't want to be a convict of conviction."

Rae nodded, her eyes blurry as a slow understanding rose within her, followed by a low growl.

"We should get something to eat."

She nodded again, glanced at her Pokémon, muttered an apology and, taking his hand, let herself be led out of the room, out of the Pokémon Centre, towards a trailer on the route adjacent to Nimbasa, where the rest of the group was waiting for them, save for Linus and Calliope who had gone home and Professor Juniper who had returned to the lab to research about the red shoe and its connection to Thundurus. So, they were back to being a quartet once more.

Breakfast proved to be an interesting affair when the hungry maid of the trailer, an up-and-coming Gourmet Maniac interested in the wondrous world of umami, whipped up a couple of dishes such as Spicy Blitzle Stew, Burmy Salad in Soft-shell Glalie with a dash of cinnamon, Smoliv Butter Toast with a side of Lechonk Bacon and Chansey Eggs, and Politoed Porridge. They were such bold dishes bursting with spice and iciness, providing a pinch of rejuvenation alongside the surprise of Politoed meat tasting no different from Torchic meat.