Chapter Text
Lethargy.
A fancier word for boredom, other synonyms are monotony, languor, stagnation, inertia, etc.
Why am I listing all these words for no reason? It's what the protagonist of this story is feeling right now.
"...".
Loret laid silently in bed, simple thoughts running through their head. What kind of thoughts? This:
"What do I have to do today? What day is it? Oh, it's XX/XX. I don't have anything today, do I? No, I don't. It's the third day of staying in. Yay. I need to take a piss right now. But I don't want to get up.I really don't want get up. But holding it in feels uncomfortable. I don't want to pee my underwear. But I don't want to be cold the moment I get up. Should I go? Should I stay? I like blankets."
It really is those kind of thoughts, more apparent in their brain than before. I'm sure everyone has these kinds of things in their head, in that exact order before. It seems to be a bad case of burnout, despite being given next to unlimited movement for the "Treasure Hunt". You'd expect an adolescent kid would relish at this freedom, right? People would kill for the opportunity they got.
They stared at the ceiling, the only thing they see as they're unwilling to bother moving their head to the side. Right next to their side is an equally bored Meowscarada watching his Trainer, laying his chin on the mattress while anticipating for them to get up. All the while the chopping of veggies by a Lokix and the grilling of Lechonk pork loin by a Skeledirge are in the kitchen.
At the nearby desk, a Quaquaval is reading a notebook full of various notes on Pokemon biology, listing out behaviors, habitats, preferences on food, etc. An spacious spot on said desk sleeps a Kilowattrel, with the nearby sunlight giving it warmth.
The Lokix buzzes and the Skeledirge bellows in response. The differences between the noises are as the sky and ground, yet they understand each other perfectly.
Their Trainer also understands them, the small problem that they don't like what they're hearing.
"I'm ready. It's time to force-feed Loret vegetables!", the Lokix fist-pumped in the air knife in hand. "This time...this time for sure!", Skeledirge said in agreement, "Today's the day we win!".
Just by these few words does Loret bolt up from laying, settling in a crawling position while stretching out their left arm, palm wide.
"Rider! Cleaner! You two! What did you do!?" "What we always do, help you cook.", Rider the Lokix answered. "It's just that you didn't know about the vegetable part until now."
"You gotta have a healthy body, Loret! You're my master, after all!", Cleaner the Skeledirge exclaimed with vigor. "If I can do it, so can you! And Oxi!...And Quats!".
"Why are you including my name in there?", Quats the Quaquaval called out to them, slamming the notebook he was reading shut. "I eat my veggies perfectly fine!". "You think I don't see you take out the watercress in sandwiches?", Rider rebuked. "Even Loret can handle the watercress despite how weird it tastes! I've seen you take other things out then shove it in Oxi's sandwiches!".
"You've been doing what?", Oxi, the Meowscarada who was watching his master's movements quickly reacted to the revelation, turning towards Quats in shock. "No wonder sandwiches was tasting disgustingly bitter lately. Why don't you shove it in Rider's or Cleaner's sandwich? Rider like bitter foods in general and Cleaner basically can eat anything you give him."
"We sit right next to each other. Of course I'd put it in there.", Quats fought, albeit poorly. "Loret would never notice me sneaking a piece of green or two in your's or their sandwiches." "You did that to me too!?", Loret cried out, but was resigned to the background as their two Pokemon escalates the bickering.
"I can eat all the vegetables in the world, you know! I can eat everything Master can't eat!", Quats bragged, not caring about the growing animosity from the cat. "Blame the watercress for having a dumb flavor!".
"Dumb? It's supposed to taste like that, it's a goddamn herb!", Oxi counters, flabbergasted by the word choice of the duck. "Who the fuck calls a flavor dumb?" "Language." "I'msorryMaster- Who the heck calls a flavor dumb? What are you, a toddler learning curse words for the first time?".
"I'm the youngest here right now! I have a pass!" "That isn't the point here! Don't use that as a excuse!"
The squabble turns into a full on slap fest, which nearly becomes a actual Pokemon battle if it weren't for the presence of their Trainer.
"Alright, dry foods for you guys for a week.", Loret declared without warning, just as the two Pokemon was about to launch their attacks at each other. "You brought this to yourselves." "W-wait, master-hold on, okay in hindsight, this all started by Quats.", Oxi points towards Quats, who screeches wildly at the accusation.
"Why me!?" "What do mean, 'WHy mE!?', this is all on you!" "You're the one who brought it up in the first place!" "Oh, so now it's-"
They pretty much continued with the fighting, forgetting about the punishment, though it was probably another way to accept the fact they can't eat Loret's sandwiches for a week. I guess Pokemon like to get anything from their trainers.
"...I'm not even good at making sandwiches...", Loret grumbled as they moved back in their original position, covering up with the soft blanket still warm from body heat. "Screw it, I'm going to sleep in again. Tracker, do whatever you want with those guys if they go too far.". The Kilowattrel, who dozed off and on from sleep, responded and nodded as he inflated his throat sac to prepare for a attack.
Just as Loret tucked themself in, the shadows of a very angry motherly Pokemon and an flat vibrating Pokemon looms over them, holding a crackling plate of stir fry veggies and vegetable rolls wrapped in Lechonk pork loins respectively. Despite the appetizing smell of fatty meat and rice wetting the stomach, the ungrateful Trainer thought of nothing but escaping from the dishes.
"I'M NOT GOING TO EAT THAT!", Loret desperately shelters under multiple layers of softness, withdrawing to look like a oddly shaped ball of fur. Rider ignores the pleas of her Trainer starts tugging- well more like ripping off the blankets without mercy.
"We made this for you! The tastes from the veggies are barely there!", Rider proclaimed with confidence. "You're wasting them lying about the room! They're from your mother!"
"I can get my own food through that food delivery app! Besides, Arvin can make better food with it." "That doesn't count at all. We've been to his room before. You really think he needs the access vegetables?" "Ugh! I-I mean, I give some to Mr.Saguaro. It contributes to the class! (I don't know if it can increase my grade in there though...)" "The academy can take care of that! They have a ton of sponsors with them!"
With Rider ending her sentence, she finally pulled out the blanket Loret was clutching, twirling them in a wall, colliding and land face in front of dishes with the hues predominantly green, orange and red.
"Oh my Arceus, no. No, no, no. Are those...red bell pepper!? Oh god... carrots? No... even peas!?" the dramatic tone of their voice would make you think they were talking about a world ending crisis instead of being picky.
"No wonder you never put any of those in our meals when you make them... now, are you prepared to eat? I hope your stomach's empty!", Rider unhesitatingly shoved her claws from the right to keep Loret's mouth open. In the left hand, a pair of chopsticks holding on to a veggie roll dripping with hoisin sauce, Cleaner holding the plate underneath, smiling obliviously at the pain as Loret wrestles out trying to not get their tongue cut.
"We're starting with the lesser of the evils, okay? This one has meat, your favorite. Chew and swallow it whole!", As the roll approaches Loret's mouth, their eyes wanders frantically in every possible corner in the room that offers a means of escape.
"Quats!?" Oxi- no, they're still arguing! Tracker!?" "Krrrrrrrrrr...oui..." "Who the hell says 'oui' when sleeping!? Shit. Shitttttttt. I'm dead. The moment this thing fits in my mouth, I'm dead. Where's-"
"WAT UP, BITCHES!?"
The door slams opens with a Gholdengo holding a plain dual compartment lunch box in tow. The sudden noise breaks the Rider, pulling out the perfectly good veggie roll, hurting Loret's teeth in the process and launching it in Quats' silky flowing hair, which he took care of as a Quaxly.
"OH NO, THE FOOD!" "MY TEETH!" "AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH! What's this!? WHAT'S IN MY HAIR!? MY BEAUTIFUL HAIR!" "SERVES YOU RIGHT, ASSHOLE!", Oxi laughs sadistically at the sad sight of the duck putting his feathers in his now deliciously scented hoisin flavored hair.
"Anyway, look what I got~", the Gholdengo ignored the chaos that was accidentally created by their golden hands, smile on their face. "I went and got as many favorites I can find, Loret!"
"Wait-hold on-", Loret was curled up in a fetal position, still suffering from their teeth nearly getting ripped. "I'm here-let me just, get up...thanks, Fixer.".
They got back on their feet, albeit wobbly from the pain. Fixer the Gholdengo raised the boxes filled of carefully prepared food to them. "Alllllll your favorites! I went to multiple restaurants for all of these."
With the click of opening the lunch box, the smell of multiple meals clashed with one another.
"Seafood pasta, fruit punch, annin tofu, pickled toedscruel and cucumber...a vegetable I can actually eat." "Cucumber is a fruit!" "Next box,that steak with fried food, lemon gelato, spicy potatoes, quesadillas and...alfajores. Holy hell, this really is all my favorites. I'm surprised you went through the effort to get all of these in one day."
"I thought you should be spoiled like you do for us. You usually make us or treat us.", Fixer gives a embarrassed blush. "Huzzah to money! I forgot how much all of these though. I already threw away the receipts. Not like we need it."
"You're getting a bit irresponsible with my money... but, only this time I'll forgive you. But please don't throw away the receipts before I read them, alright?", Loret explains. "Mom always tell me to read them after for some reason, but I guess it's important."
"Then eat your veggies! Your mom tells you that too!", Rider interjects. "Are they really so hard to eat? Not even cabbage?". "Yes.", Loret immediately answers with monotone. It was probably a habit they picked up by from their mother, unfortunately. Old habits die hard. "Now stop talking about that. I feel like I heard vegetables or veggies a hundred times today."
"You really are spoiling them a lot lately, Fixer...are you trying to get brownie points?", Rider asked with suspicion. "No, no, I'm actually grateful to Loret, you know. I mean, they're the ony one who took the time to collect coins for me. I did brainwashed them at the start, though.", Fixer responded nostalgically. "Nearly halfway, they broke through, but they still went to find them."
"I guess they just wanted to see what would happen? They're always stubborn at times.", Rider noted, "But that kind of trait can be good or bad in different situations."
A warm atmosphere exudes throughout the room. Loret eagerly took out each dish as if they were priceless jewels that could shatter with a single mistake. Cleaner shuffles with napkins in hands towards the two loudest Pokemon in the room, hoping to help however he can. While still laughing, Oxi rudely plucked the napkins out of the crocodile's and tiptoed to take out the food from Quats' hair. Said Pokemon was actually crying, having to lower himself to the cat Pokemon's height for him to reach. Tracker, disturbed by the all the noise, quietly flew next to Loret, gazing curiously at the food.
Rider and Fixer watched them all, a hand on their hips with content. Whether it was a special time or place, a good start or a bad end to a day, it felt...how should I say this, expected? It's a feeling they don't know the word to it, to describe their feelings in the best way possible. However, all Pokemon that has spent time with this odd Trainer, even just a little bit, has this passing thought that ran through their minds.
"If it's with this person, I'm sure everyday like this will be normal."
...To be honest, I don't know if this is positive or negative, but I'm assuming it's positive? I'm hoping? I don't them to hate on the kid...
"By the way, what do guys want to do outside after eating?", Loret mumbled out the words as they shoved a forkful of pasta in their mouth. "I'm going to have so much energy after this."
"All it took was eating all of this? Goodness...", Rider slapped her forehead in irritation, unbelieving of the human in front of her. The starter trio walked to the table to grab as many bites as they can eat. Oxi managed to snatched a piece of fried shrimp. Quats took the bowl of cucumber and pickled toedscruel to savor the salt and acidity to focus on something other than his hair. After thinking hard, Cleaner settled on the alfajores, doing his best to remember to save some for his favorite person.
Following suit, the other three gathered around to pick whatever is left. Tracker stared at the seafood pasta, the scent of cooked clams, mussels and scallops. Loret felt it, getting an empty plate to fill it with as much meat from the mollusks as possible. Rider seeing the annin tofu untouched, took a couple spoonffuls full of it. As Fixer wasn't hungry, they just grabbed a quesadilla and munched.
The scene unfolds, a family eating together with happiness and contentment. The feeling of lethargy melted away as glimmers of sunlight shine forth to illuminate the already colorful table. Loret gazed at their Pokemon, engaging in small talk and indulging themselves with flavors of everything they can think of. Not wanting to bother, they asked the question to themself mentally and already gave their answer.
"I'll decide what to do outside after I see the sky."