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“So, are you hungry?”
Mafuyu extended her hand, giving her pokémon a few pokéblocks. Banette turned around and looked at the candys, eating some of them a few seconds later.
The Nurse from the pokémon center gave them a room to protect themselves from the rain. It started raining suddenly when the pokémon contests ended. Mafuyu had always wanted to be a pokémon coordinator, but as an old member of the elite four, Mafuyu’s mom pushed her to be a pokémon trainer.
“It was a nice show, don’t you think?”
Banette, who was busy with the last pokéblock, turned to her partner and nodded. The girl sighted. She was sitting on the bed, her back laying down on the wall so she just needed to turn her head to see outside.
“That day it was raining too.”
The pokémon knew exactly what she was talking about. Walked to the bed and went up, sitting next to her. Banette remembered, too.
** * * * **
“What a waste of time.”
Mafuyu’s mom was watching the Pokémon Contest on TV. They were talking about a woman who broke the records and won more contests than any other coordinator.
“They are.” Replied the man, in a low tone. Her wife kept talking without even listening to him.
“Pókemons are to battle, these contests just reduce them to a mere spectacle. Look, they even wear clothes. How disgusting.”
Mafuyu said nothing. Once, she had found pokémon contests so elegant and the trust shown between trainers and their pokémons was immense but her mom had explained to her why she was wrong. Mafuyu had left, without even knowing it was her dream, her wish to be a pokémon coordinator.
The girl looked again to the TV and the woman and her Ninetales were performing. They seemed so united, like they trust each other the most. She felt jealous, she never felt something similar to her pokémons. Maybe to anyone.
Her pokémon team consisted of: Mawile, Aron, Riolu, Piplup, and Meowth (galar form), all of them Steel Type or pokémons who gained that type when evolved. Of course, that was her mom’s type as an Elite Four member and the strongest type known.
“How’s your training going, my dear?”
Mafuyu raised her head suddenly and felt her body tense. She had been trying to Mega-Evolve Mawile the last month but got no results. Mega-evolve was only possible when a pokémon and it’s trainer were in harmony and, no matter how much she tried, she failed.
“Don’t worry, Mafuyu.” Said her dad. “It 's not easy. But you’re the best, keep training and you’ll get it soon.”
“The pokémons we gave to you are the best, make sure to train them properly.”
“Yes.” Mafuyu forced a smile. “I’m doing my best and Mawile and I are making great progress, I’m sure we will get it immediately.”
But all the trust she could fake in that sentence disappeared in the instant she closed the door from her room.
Each step to the bed was heavier than the previous and, when arrived, she let herself fell on it as if gravity had made her fall. She was desperate, her heart was beating too fast and tears started falling and it seemed they didn’t want to stop. Minute by minute, her pain was growing instead of feeling relieved, as happened in the past.
Mafuyu was tired.
Mafuyu was jealous of the woman on the TV.
Mafuyu was angry with Mawile for not mega-evolve.
And Mafuyu was even angrier with herself for not being able to trust her pokémons.
Only her pain had evolved in this time. It started being somewhat of frustration, but nothing else. Day by day, it had become something bigger, more painful, more unavoidable. And she wanted to make it stop.
It happens then, when that thought crossed her mind, that all the pain ended. But it was not because of the thought itself. Suddenly, a Shuppet appeared in front of her. He was staring at her and, when Mafuyu was looking back, he took his tongue out.
Mafuyu did not get afraid, laugh or even move.
Shuppet was confused. He approached the girl, flew around and ended up in front of her again. Then he went away, crossing the wall.
“Wait.” But had gone.
Mafuyu left her room and home in no time, without even realizing it was raining. She ran across the grass and trees that stood imposing behind her house. She had no time to go far away when a wild pokémon appeared in front of her. She tried to call one of her pokémons when..
“. . . I left the pokeballs in my room…” She tried to turn around and ran all the way home but a powerful light grew behind her.
The wild Elekid used Thunder Shock.
Mafuyu stumbled and closed her eyes.
Shuppet used Protect.
By the time the girl realized what happened and why she wasn’t injured, Shuppet used Shadow Sneak and defeated the Elekid, who ran away behind the trees.
The pokemon stayed to watch over the place a few seconds after the wild pokemon had gone to make sure it was safe and then turned to the girl. He started laughing.
Mafuyu was a mess, all wet and full of mud. She didn’t laugh, just because he lost her emotions a while ago, but couldn’t contain a small smile.
“Thank you.”
** * * * **
A year passed from that day but nothing changed. Mafuyu keep being unable to open her heart to anyone or anything, on the contrary, her feelings of loneliness and desperation grow, feeling empty and controlled. Like a doll.
At first, Shuppet only appeared when her feelings were so bad that her beatings could be heard from anyone around her but, after some weeks, Shuppet decided to stay by Mafuyu’s side.
He wasn’t catched. Because of that, he was able to go by Mafuyu’s side even when she had her 6 pokémon. And since Mafuyu started her journey to be the champion of Sinnoh, she hadn’t used other pokémon than Shuppet.
Banette fell asleep. Mafuyu was petting his head. The rain kept falling outside, it brought Mafuyu a bit of peace.
She was still unable to mega-evolve any of her pokemon no matter how many times she tried but there, looking at him sleeping, she knew it: Banette would mega-evolve if she asked him to.