Show Me Your Smile | Pokémon Fanfiction

18 | like heart, like mind

Music in media: BOCA by Dreamcatcher

Long-distance relationships are difficult to maintain. Ask any human who tried it and they will likely complain about how emotionally draining and unfocused they become after a while, how much their heart aches to see their beloved face to face, without the virtual veil. It's miraculous enough that two Pokémon can still get in each other's good graces and remain cordial whenever they meet online. Then again, Pokémon and humans are two entirely different species, so maybe this isn't something we should be awestruck about.

Perhaps it's this distinction that makes humans the better prey of emotions and reasons, how humans are ever the only ones to enter the Distortion World, never Pokémon, save for the resident renegade Giratina. Why do you fill your precious time with hate anyway? Why let your soul dip figuratively into the Distortion World and suffer from all that unnecessary hurt? Ah, because you refuse laughter, because you refuse humour as the best medicine.

Speaking of humour, nothing is funnier than Okaasan's Krookodile tears trying to make me stay two days after Kaspar's declaration because children always come home to their mother's embrace, the closest they can be to the womb they emerged from, a symbolic seal and oath put together in a neat gesture of love and warmth, should it really exude such virtues in my case. Later it's revealed she's just worried that the videographer who now takes on the additional role of scriptwriting is unable to travel, but when they agree, she's back to her peppy self.

Otousan hands me the herbal concoction he's made for me, wrapping it in silk cloth and hoping I can share it with my friends. Rae says she'll continue to behave. In the days leading to our departure, she's defeated Hayato. Today, she will face the girl who corrupted Rae's understanding of normalcy. My sister will win, for sure. Still, I wish her good luck because that Miltank will feed off her own breast milk when injured, posing a challenge to any and every Pokémon. The only surefire way to defeat the Miltank is to make her repeat "Moo" for twenty times and ask her what do Miltank drink? If her answer's "water", you win because she'll be confused as heck and attack herself in confusion. Given her high attack stats, albeit not as incredulous as her defence stats, the confusion will do her a power of good. If she replies "milk", she will recall her days at the dairy farm and produce ten full bottles of Moomoo Milk for the opposing trainer, granting them the elixir of victory. Rae says she will put that strategy to test on the Miltank should the situation for it arises.

"When you come back, be ready for me," she tells Matsuba. Noko-Noko fumes beside her, the desire to kick some ghostly asses manifesting as sinister glints in the eyes. Matsuba does a pinky promise with her and laughs, crossing his fingers that her Normal-type Pokémon won't show as much fear as Meta did.

"I'm not scared! I'm just playing along!" Meta hisses. Kaspar breathes down the Ditto's back and distorts his voice into the wicked giggle of a Misdreavus, and Meta Transforms into a stone.

"Coward," Kaspar says as he picks Meta up and tosses him to the other end of our living room, though he does not imagine, as do we, that Meta would use a U-turn on him and stone him. Hey, at least someone's alive.

Hayato goes over to Rae and asks for a rematch when we return. She smiles approvingly, an act of intimidation so unintentional yet adorable. This is the Aomine charm to attach the cloak of versatility like kings and queens who slay for the world.

"Shall we go?" Kaspar whines as Meta slows down on the beating. "We have to get to Yoshino City for the plane."

"Let's go," I say and we bid farewell. An amber feather the shade of a Sun Stone lands on my backpack, only made known a few steps after. Meta takes it and slots it inside one of the compartments.