Arven sent me a text of the map of Paldea with a small red X to the right of Mesagoza (which would be my left). I followed the map as Koraidon led on and adjusted our path when needed. When we arrived at the canyon of mines, I started to look out for the silver-blonde boy amongst the rocks.
Koraidon made a noise, and I turned to where he was looking. There he was, outlined against the early morning sun. Arven saw me too and waved shyly. Koraidon paused beside him and allowed me to hop off. Arven gave Koraidon a sickly glare before his gaze softened, turning his attention to me.
"I'm glad you made it, Lugosi," he welcomed, his warm voice exciting something inside of my chest.
"I wouldn't miss it," I replied. "Have you found the titan?"
Arven opened his scarlet book and showed the written pages, standing beside me, sleeves brushing my shoulder. "Orthworm the Lurking Steel Titan. He should be hiding somewhere underground. We can't let it see us yet." I locked eyes with him, understanding the seriousness. "I found a spot. Follow me." He pointed angrily at Koraidon, "And hide that thing."
I returned Koraidon to his ball and followed Arven behind a crumbled heap of rectangular stones overlooking a clearing shattered with loose rocks. Arven gestured around as we crouched down to hide. "I saw it come out around here," he whispered. "It seems like it emerges here often."
I watched the empty clearing in silence for a moment before feeling cloth brush against me again. Arven was deadlocked on watching for the titan, eyelids helping him squint against the daylight. I didn't think he realized I was observing him. He was so determined to collect the rest of the herbs. Every muscle in his body were tensed, and his eyes were trembling in anger and focus. I couldn't help admiring how beautiful his eyes were in the light. They were so much brighter, and his hair... was shimmering. He was gorgeous. I wondered if he had always looked this way before he found hope for Mabosstiff.
My stomach began squirming again. I couldn't understand why I was feeling that way. Was I nervous for the fight? I didn't think so. I was well prepared with my type advantage and great team. I could hear my heart pounding again. What was I afraid of?
"There it is!" Arven hissed. "Come on! While its back is turned!" Arven grabbed my wrist and hurried me out of the hiding spot and rushed over to a closer position. The feelings intensified. We stood behind the massive orthworm for a while, his hand on my wrist, forgetting to let go. His hand was warm but his grip was so gentle. I could feel his excitement in his fingers. It was an odd connection: physical touch. Without words, I could tell he trusted me.
! trust€d ¥0u.
But it was probably just the heat of the moment. Maybe he did forget to let go. I did the work for him and pulled my arm out of his hold. He glanced over, feeling me put space between us. I refused to look at him. I didn't want to look attached. Maybe I was, but I didn't want anything of it.
"Are you ready?" I asked, my gaze still focused on the unaware titan.
"Ready."
I threw out my numel while Arven took out his toedscool, a duel grass-ground type. "Numel, Bulldoze!" I started. The titan spun around in its hole, but it was too late to react. Numel hit him with a super effective attack and the orthworm flinched, giving Arven time for his move.
"Toedscool, Mud Shot!" The lanky pokémon spat balls of mud at the titan. It didn't seem very strong, but it was a ground-type attack.
"Let's try out your Lava Plume!" Numel sparked and fire exploded all around him.
Arven jolted backwards. "Be careful with that!"
I cringed. "Sorry, new move she learned."
Arven's toedscool was always looking dizzy. "Let's get your health back up. Try Mega Drain!" The Pokémon inhaled energy from the titan and visibly rose back up to health. The orthworm began to panic and broke through the wall behind it, quaking the ground beneath us. "It's going to eat the Herba Mystica!"
Quickly, I ordered Numel to attack with another Bulldoze before the orthworm was able to devour all of the spice. The titan reared up in defeat and sank below the surface, covering up its hole as it fled, leaving the new cave open and ours for the taking. Arven and I retrieved our Pokémon and made our way to the entrance which was still radiating dust from the broken rock.
"Is it safe?" I asked, choking on the dust. "The cave, I mean. After the grit goes down."
Arven knocked on the wall with a clenched fist in several places, listening for anything crumbling inside. "The cave's sound. It looks like it only destroyed the door to the inside."
He pulled out his book to double check his research while I started my way in, tracing the ceiling to the back of the small cavern where a batch of silver leaves grew in the cracks. "Is this it?"
Arven audibly slammed the book shut and ran over. "Salty Herba Mystica... that's it! We found it!" He showed me a page in his book, but I could barely read what it said with how much he was shaking. "Apparently this will help with aching hands and feet. Neuropathy and numbness." He turned it so he could read the rest to me. "When you've got muscle weakness, it supposedly builds up strength again."
A fawned over his eager demeanor and gentle smile as he skimmed the page over and over. "Did you bring the sandwich ingredients?" I asked.
He beamed at me with a childish excitement. "Salt goes well with sharp cheese between two thinly buttered pieces of bread! Or perhaps mayonnaise would suffice.... What type of protein should I use? I've brought a lot to try out, don't worry!"
I started another small campfire in the cave beside flat enough stones to serve as seats. There wasn't much tinder outside except for withering old fencing around the cliffs that popped out of its molded socket. Arven had his station set up on the side and sliced and prepared away. Koraidon smelled the food and forced himself out of his ball to investigate. Arven handed me an unwrapped sub. "I—uh—made an extra one for him."
I took it with a thank you and handed it over to Koraidon who began to munch at it, savoring every bite. I was surprised Arven was starting to warm up to him, his mysterious hatred slowly fading away. He handed me another sandwich, wrapped at the bottom, this time for myself, and sat beside me on a livably smooth rock. "I could never thank you enough for these."
He shrugged. "It's the least I could do. You're doing a lot helping me out."
I blushed. "Yeah, well, I had a soft spot for Mabosstiff." The injured Pokémon laid beside Arven, head leaning on his leg.
As I took a bite, flavors exploding through my taste buds, Arven carefully broke off a piece of his share and helped his partner chew his meal. The whole moment was spectacular: a dimly lit but warm cavern alongside a reserved boy who had started to open up to me, watching his partner grow stronger with our journey, all while experiencing another one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. I enjoyed the quiet atmosphere with the heat from the small flames licking at my exposed legs. Koraidon touched my arm and nodded towards my friend. I turned my head and saw Mabosstiff struggling to get up while Arven watched him, hands trembling. I could tell the Pokémon was even stronger with his effort. He made a muffled noise in his throat and relaxed. He was able to tilt his head now and looked up at his friend.
Arven gasped. "Could you... see me?" His dark, ghosty eyes were wide, and I could see the tiny amber irises under his bushy, white eyebrows we were never able to see before. "Mabosstiff, could you see me?" He repeated. The Pokémon raised his head a little more and sniffed Arven's outstretched hand. He fell to his knees and placed his palm on the top of his partner's head, and Mabosstiff tilted to get a better view of it. "O-oh man! I'm so glad! I'm so glad! I did it!" He celebrated. His eyes were again tearing up, but he wiped them away. I put a hand on his shoulder in attempt to comfort him. "It's... it's been so long since he was able to open his eyes! I was so worried..."
Arven shielded his face, hiding his emotions. My heart sank. He still didn't trust me enough to be vulnerable with me. I didn't know why it hurt that much. He was just a friend, only finally being nice to me a day ago. He shouldn't mean that much to me. "Heh... Ehehehehe... Aw, look at him," Arven laughed, face now dry. "Those fiery orange little eyes.... Hard to even tell if they're open or not." He turned to me, pride in his beautiful, relieved eyes. "But I know the difference!" My previous thoughts were forgotten, my stomach electrifying with confusing feelings seeing his eyes light up again.
I followed my pounding heart's yearning and brought my hands down from his shoulder to the back of his upper arm, molding my fingers around his muscle I was unaware he had. His skin was so soft but his tight muscles were so strong. I felt my face grow hot again and I pulled away, keeping my hands in my lap. "I'm— I'm glad..." I stammered. "I'm happy he's improving so much. Mabosstiff," I felt I needed to clarify.
Arven didn't seem to notice my awkwardness and opened his book to a new page. "The next titan is a donphan in the Asado Desert."
"I was there yesterday," I pointed out. "I'm surprised I didn't see it."
Arven circled the illustration with a finger. "I'm not sure if it's a regular donphan. This drawing looks off."
I leaned over and studied it. Surely enough, the donphan oddly had spines along its trunk and back. "Maybe your mom remembered what it looked like wrong."
Arven shook his head. "My mom doesn't make mistakes." His eyes went cloudy and he lost the looseness in his arms, his entire body seeming to collapse under a weight. I reached out to graze his arm, but I stopped myself. I knew it was an issue I wouldn't be able to solve. I'd likely... make it... worse....
!t's all ¥0ur fault.
"Hey." Arven was hugging himself, staring at the ground. I woke up from my thoughts. "We have two more titans to fight. I could tell my buddy, here, will soon be as strong as he was before we—" He froze, pain in his eyes. I knew how he felt. Somehow. It was hard talking about things, especially something you so desperately wanted to stay in the past that you shoved it so far down inside, you began to forget what bothered you until... sometimes... when it leaks out...
L00k what ¥0u'v€ d0n€.
|— | d!dn't d0 an¥th!ng!
And that's what ¥0u d!d wr0ng. B€caus€ 0f ¥0ur n€gl!g€nc€, ¥ou k!lled h!m.
| d!dn't m€an t0....
W€ d0n't m€an t0 d0 anyth!ng, but !t d0€sn't chang€ wh0 ¥0u ar€. And what ¥0u ar€ !s a murd€r€r.
|'m... s0rr¥....
W€ll, w€ can't d0 much €ls€ an¥m0r€. | just h0p€ ¥0u'll b€ th€r€ f0r m€ 0n m¥ d€athb€d, s0 | kn0w th€r€ was s0m€th!ng | d!d r!ght wh€n | mad€ y0u.
I felt Arven's hand tighten around mine. In my thoughts, I didn't feel Arven hold onto me. I traced my view from our clasped hands, up his arm, from his shoulder, across his face, and to his worried eyes. "You were shaking," he told me, trying to stay calm. "You were staring off and making me nervous." I shifted my gaze back to our hands and felt my heart start to pick up again. I slowly rubbed my thumb across his index finger before realizing what I was doing.
"I guess I was just stressed," I lied.
Arven let go and rubbed the back of his head, "Maybe I'll tell you what happened one day."
I felt myself shrink inside my skin. "Take your time. I understand how scary it is to talk about things sometimes."
Arven passed a shy smile and stood up. "Do you think you'll be ready for the next titan next week?"
"Next week?" I exclaimed.
Arven chuckled at the outburst. "We still have class, you know."
"Right... yeah."
Arven tapped me on the back with assurance. "Call me next Saturday. I can't wait to see you again." The feelings overwhelmed me again.
"I can't wait to see you."