Desolate [Pokémon Arven x Protagonist]

Confronting My Mother

"Like super overprotective, you mean?"

"It's just my dad! He's loud and clingy and makes up weird nicknames for me like 'Pen-Pen'. He's the most annoying guy in the world! Period! He's the worst!"

"Man, that's a real downer... for your dad," Arven commented, sarcastically. "Having his own daughter describe him like that."

"Don't you dare take his side!" Penny was messing around, of course, but we all collectively had an understanding that we were each suffering with our own problems and none of them should be taken less seriously than the other. It was a lovely balance of apathy.

"You know what I think?" Arven asked, plating our meals. We weren't sure who he was talking to. "Maybe the donphan we saw when we were searching out the Herba Mystica came from down here. The one in the book." Oh, he's talking to me.

Somehow Nemona knew that, too. "You two got to meet one of these Pokémon before our crater get-together? Jealous!" She winked at me. Was she onto us? She had plenty enough hints to figure it out. I froze remembering one of the hints. Sandwiches. He's really good at making them. I ran every curse word I knew through my head as Arven handed everyone their dinner. "Mmmm! Sloppy hamburgers! One of my favorites!" She didn't act like it, but I was convinced that she knew. Nemona didn't forget things.

"Uh," Penny interjected, "if we've got things from literal ancient times roaming around Paldea, that's a major problem." She turned to Arven who had sat down with us. "Isn't Professor Sada doing anything to keep them under control? How could she let this happen?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Right. 'Cause it's not like oh-so-brilliant Professor Sada ever messes up."

"I guess." We all began to eat beside the fire as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon. "Lugosi, we never asked you," Penny started. "We all told our backstories. How about you? What are your parents like?" Arven winced. Nemona choked and had a coughing fit.

I cleared my throat. "They, uh...." What do I say? What do I say? I couldn't tell her the truth. I couldn't tell anyone the truth. Not even Nemona knew the whole story. "I don't remember. They both died when I was very young." That part was true. I didn't have to explain any more than I had to. It was only a lie to deliberately withhold crucial information, which I wasn't doing... I don't think.

"Oh, wow.... Sorry about that," Penny apologized. That was easy. Just one measly question, and I didn't have to think about my parents again, but she didn't stop there. "If you could remember that far back, what do you think they were like?" The other two were flashing her looks to tell her to stop, but she wasn't picking up on them.

I tried to think about what to say. Should I lie? I didn't like to lie. Why would I need to? Okay, I'll just tell them that my mom was....

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"They were the sweetest people you would ever meet," I lied. I didn't know why I did, but I felt that I had to say something, and the truth didn't want to come out. Maybe I knew it would be easier not to explain anything or feel pitied by the others. "I wish I could tell you stories about them, but I was too young to remember." I looked over at Nemona. She wasn't eating. Instead, she wore a worried face, and watched me lying through the skin of my teeth somberly.