Work Text:
The room felt dull, and lifeless, with nothing but slow beeps sounding less than once for every second that passed by. An elderly woman, pale with illness, lied in a hospital bed. Her snow white hair, once filled with life even for her age, was now as dull as she felt.
The door creaked as it opened, revealing a young man with fluffy, curly platinum blonde hair. He wore a gym uniform, with the pastel blue and pink colors to represent the fairy type gym in Ballonlea, with a knot tied near the back. He quietly approached the bed, and looked down at the elderly woman before him, with a blank, unreadable expression plastered on his face.
The sickly woman looked up at Bede, and smiled softly. “Well hello, Bede. I thought you’d be tending to the gym today…” The older woman greeted quietly.
Bede folded his arms, and shook his head before looking away. “Yeah, well, I decided to take today off. Do you have an issue with that Miss Opal?” The young male’s tone sounded rather condescending.
Opal shook her head, and looked at Bede. “Not at all, Bede. The truth is, I’m so happy to see you here.” She said, and glanced up at the ceiling. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up, though.”
Bede glanced at Opal, and put one hand on his hip. “What are you talking about? I’m not getting my hopes up about anything, Miss Opal. You’re being delusional.”
Opal weakly took ahold of Bede’s hand, and looked at him with dull, tired eyes. “Bede, you might be able to fool your friends, but you can’t fool me...I know you’re upset to see me like this.”
Bede looked a little taken aback by what his mentor said to him. He shook his head, and balled his free hand up. “Y-You’re wrong. W-What is there for me to be so upset about, huh? Nothing! There’s nothing for me to be upset about!” He yelled a little.
Opal moved her hand shakily up to Bede, placing it on the young gym leader’s cheek. “Bede...It will only hurt you more to keep denying it.” She spoke softly to him.
Bede gasped quietly, as if he’d just had a pin stuck in his chest. After a few painfully long seconds, tears escaped the eyes of the young male, and he started to cry softly. “M-Miss Opal...h-how dare you...how dare you do this to me?” He wailed the words out.
Opal reached over to a table beside her bed, and picked up three ultra balls that sat on the table, slowly presenting them to her successor. “Here, Bede. I need you to take care of Weezing, Togekiss, and Alcremie…” She said quietly.
Bede looked shocked, and stared at Opal in disbelief. “What? I can’t! I’ve already accepted your Mawile from you, I can’t possibly accept your other Pokemon! Can you even hear yourself, Miss Opal!?”
Opal looked at Bede, and sighed. She smiled faintly. “Bede, you have to. It’s the last thing I’ll ever ask of you…” She said.
Bede trembled a little, and reluctantly accepted the ultra balls from the elderly woman. Tears rolled down his cheeks. “I don’t want this to be the last thing you ever ask of me, Miss Opal...This just can’t be it.” He said, noticing the beeps that indicated Opal’s heartbeat slowing.
Opal took Bede’s arms, and pulled him down to where she lied. She weakly wrapped her arms around Bede. “Bede, in the few years I’ve known you, I’ve seen you as the grandson that I’ve never had. You’re the perfect shade of pink...in my eyes.” She rubbed the young man’s back softly.
Bede awkwardly placed his arms over Opal’s shoulder in an attempt to return her hug, though it proved difficult seeing as she was lying down. He sobbed, feeling weak in the old woman’s embrace. “M-Miss Opal...I...I love you…” He choked the words out.
Opal smiled a little, rubbing Bede’s back some more. “Oh Bede...I...love you...too…” She said weakly, letting go of the blonde male.
Bede stood up properly, and held one of Opal’s hands within both of his own. The beeps from the monitor grew slower, and slower. “Miss Opal…” He said, glancing worriedly at the monitor showing Opal’s heartbeat.
The chilling sound of a flatline sounded off after a few minutes, and despite several doctors and nurses running inside in an attempt to revive their patient, Bede didn’t hear anything, blankly staring at the lifeless woman before him. He knew their efforts were wasted, and knew that Opal was no more.
“...Farewell, Miss Opal…”