Heart of Hisui: Rei x Reader

6 - Second Star

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-Your POV-

Another day of research awaited me.

"Once you're done with your work, meet up with Professor Laventon back at the base camp. We'll be waiting for you!" Rei yells as he runs off into the fields, eager as always to discover breakthroughs and explore the world beyond the sheltering walls that everyone in Hisui always lived safely behind.

I quickly flip open my Pokédex and walk around the Fieldlands, searching for new Pokémon to document, taking careful notes on each one I encounter.

After about half an hour, I finally finished my research for now. I report back to Professor Laventon and he completes my research with some notes of his own, and soon I'm whisked away and back to Cyllene's office, where I meet a hyper Rei, who had also completed enough work in his Pokedex to receive a new star.

I bounce on my heels and toes, nervous to be receiving a higher rank, already about to have my second star. "Can you even believe it?" I grin excitedly.

"I know right!" Rei replies with the same raw and untamed enthusiasm, "Hardly anyone gets even this far in Survey Corps!"

"You may enter," Cyllene calls from inside the room. We both, at the same time, step into Cyllene's office on the main floor with proud smiles on our faces. We were achieving something.

Cyllene, with her usual straight face, says, "I set a high hurdle to judge whether a stranger like yourself could be worthy, but you cleared it. You're hardly a stranger to us anymore, (Y/N)-san." She takes both of our Pokedexes and stamps a black star on its cover. "At your new rank, you should be able to handle the Crimson Mirelands on your own."

"Yes!" Rei shouts.

I pump my arms and grin, "Let's go to the Crimson Mirelands right away then, no problem!"

Cyllene clears her throat to gain your attention. "I'd like to be perfectly clear on this point. This mission will put you in extreme danger. The Crimson Mirelands is mostly unexplored, other than a clan near the north. I strongly recommend caution."

"Yeah, yeah. We get it, Cyllene-san!" Rei rolls his eyes playfully.

"I'll try not to die!" I laugh.

Cyllene frowns, "Our investigation for the commander will grind to a halt if you become incapacitated, (Y/N)-san. I would like to avoid that outcome."

"Oh... okay?" I exchanged glances with Rei.

Cyllene continues, "You will find the Pokémon living there to be more fearsome than those living in the Obsidian Fieldlands. Even the landscape itself is harsher, with steep ravines and seaside cliffs. It is not welcoming."

"Got it," Rei nods, then grabs my wrist. "We'll be going now, thanks!"

He drags me out of the room and into the street.

I exhale, "She'd never stop lecturing us. Captain Cyllene's like Hisui, in a way — they're both plenty harsh."

Rei's face reddened when he realized he was still holding onto my wrist, but I didn't notice at all when he quickly removed his hand. Rei doesn't meet my eyes, muttering, "Uh, let's go tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure," I agree and look up at the evening sky and fading sun. "Sleep tight!"

We both head our separate ways, anticipating with much passion for the upcoming day. The dangers of a new, partially unexplored area only enticed me, since the adventures yet to come were something I strived for, and I knew in my heart that Rei felt the exact same.

*Time Skip*

At the crack of dawn the next morning, the tap, tap, tap of someone knocking on my door immediately snaps me out of my well-deserved slumber. I can hear the sound of Rei calling, "Hey in there! Are you awake yet? If you're up, come on out!"

I yawn and stretch wide, then slowly pull on my dark navy Survey Corps uniform, wiping sleep from my eyes. Stumbling to the door while in the process of tugging on my knit shoes and fluffy socks, I open it to see Rei, who instantly shouts, "Did you sleep all right? Are you ready for an adventure into the unknown?"

Yawning again, I mumble, "You know I hate waking up, Rei. Why torture me further?"

"Alright, alright. How about a battle to get warmed up for the day?" He proposes.

I shrug, gaining a small, reluctant smile. "Sure, why not?"

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To be continued...

Word count: 741 words