Work Text:
“Oh, look how big you’ve grown”
Two years since Arven had last seen his mother. Not even in person, only over video call; he couldn’t remember how long it’d been since they were actually in the same room together.
Two years of growing up, two years of cooking and learning and becoming a well-rounded person. Two years of growing resentment, morning the family that he never had...
Two years not knowing that his own mother had died.
He’d suspected, of course – heck, even knew – that the woman they spoke to during their descent into Area Zero wasn’t his real mother. It started as a feeling in the back of his head, but grew as they descended from research station to research station.
But why?
He had wondered what reason she could have, what could possibly be more important, that she’d send her AI assistant to guide them instead of doing it herself. But part of him suspected a fraction of the truth... His real mother had died, leaving behind an AI image of herself and an ecological time-bomb waiting to go off.
Professor Sada had been a neglectful mother at the best of times, of course, never interested in him, always so stuck in the past that she could never see the present. But still, that she’d actually be gone for those two years... Not just ignoring him. He struggled to measure it up in his mind.
He thought he’d accepted a lack of a parental figure in his life, thought he’d gotten over the loss of a barely-there mother... But when he entered the lab, saw his mom for the first time in years...
“So proud of you... my...”
Her words had cut through his walls like a hot knife in butter. But whose words even were they? The woman they had seen in that lab was not his mother, not really. She had all of his Mom’s memories, sure, but she clearly was capable of her own free thought; opposing the will of her creator to save the Paldea region from ecological destruction.
So who was speaking to him, really?
The regrets of his late mother? Or someone who had seen what her creator had neglected, had seen the resentful family that she had left behind and had been tormented by it? Who longed to right the wrongs of her predecessor?
“...sorry... you were alone s-so... long... Arven”
Was that the echoes of his mother, or the thoughts of someone who’d only known him through someone else’s eyes?
He smiled grimly to himself. Perhaps that was something that the AI wondered herself?
“Your mother truly loved you”
Dwelling on that would only lead to more heart break, he resolved. Whether fuelled by her dying regrets or the foresight of someone who had inherited her memories, it didn’t matter, really.
His mother – be it his real mother, her AI clone, or both – had loved him.
But he’d lost them both. His real mother lost long before she’d actually died, dedicated to a project that would threaten the region. Then her AI counterpart forced to dedicate herself to fixing the mistakes of her creator.
And now they were both gone. And he had no one.
The band of five had left the crater in relative silence. Once their heroic high had worn off, Arven had withdrawn, the rest had mourned for their friend’s loss, but also for the robot that gave herself to save the region.
But as they made their way back to Mesagoza, the weight of it all finally got to Arven.
They all turned in shock when he fell to his knees.
Penny was the first to arrive at his side – with her gaze alternating between worriedly looking and Arven and desperately looking to the others for help – she sheepishly placed her hand on his shoulder.
Koraidon approached from the front, resting his head in the boy’s lap with a sorrowful whine while Juliana and Nemona rushed to his other side.
He could barely stifle his sniffles, only just holding back tears.
“Hey, we’ve got you, Arven.” Nemona said softy. With a nod, she and Penny silently removed the boy’s hulking hiking bag, gently placing it on the grass behind them.
“Yeah,” Juliana weighed in, “you’re not alone; we’re your friends, you can depend on us.”
Penny smiled at him in agreement with the others.
And he realised they were right. Juliana had been by his side as they fought the titan pokemon, helping to save Mabosstiff as they bonded after the fights, united in their love of sandwiches. Even if he had to put up with the big lizard, they had become good friends.
He and Nemona may have had a somewhat abrasive relationship – which he begrudgingly accepted was mostly his fault – there was care and familiarity there. And after Area Zero and all that had happened there, he certainly thought that the moniker of friend fit.
Penny was new. Like Nemona, there had been friction between them – though with Penny’s sarcasm and wit, it was much more mutual. They’d only met recently, but they’d resolved their differences and he knew that he’d like to be able to say that the two could be good friends.
And Koraidon... Koraidon was there, too.
He’d lost most of his family, but he still had Mabosstiff and he had his new friends. They had been on a journey like no other, travelled through a place from legends and saved Paldea together.
That’s when he let himself break down.
His friends said nothing. They simply offered him comfort while he cried, Koraidon nuzzling his lap.
The only sound between them was Arven’s sobbing, until it slowed to the occasional sniffle.
“Thanks, guys... I-I needed that.”
Juliana squeezed his shoulder with a look that conveyed her relief he was even marginally better. “I know you’re the expert cook here, but this seems like a good time to setup up a picnic? I’m not too bad myself!”
Arven choked back another sob. When was the last time that someone that cared about him made him a meal? Well, someone who wasn’t the academy kitchen staff?
“Yeah, that’d be nice, Little Buddy.”
Juliana gave him a killer grin and almost on cue, Koraidon perked up and licked his face.
“Ewww, you big lizard!” He pushed the large pokemon back. “Stop licking me!”
Everyone laughed at their antics, but Nemona butted in. “Hey, be nice to them; you can’t be mean to Koraidon all the time!”
He sighed. “Ugh, I suppose you’re right.” He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, “Sorry, I guess.”
Koraidon jumped excitedly, then nuzzled his chest.
Juliana nudged Nemona and quietly caught Penny’s attention, requesting their help to setup the picnic table.
While the three of them worked – letting out their pokemon as they did so – Arven collected himself and gave himself a few minutes, petting Koraidon absently.
“Sorry I’ve been mean to you, it wasn’t fair what I blamed you for.”
Koraidon stared back with warm eyes, before licking his face once again.
Arven hoped that was forgiveness.
“Ugh, okay, don’t get carried away, Buddy. Why don’t we see how they’re doing?”
Koraidon rushed off in the direction of the picnic table where Juliana was currently assembling some sandwiches. Arven followed at a slower pace, taking the time to let out all of his pokemon as well.
Mabosstiff brushed up against his side, comforting his owner, as he spied Juliana trying to stop Nemona stealing all the ingredients. To which Nemona seemingly responded by ruffling the shorter girl’s hair and booping her on the nose.
The girl then used the confusion to steal a slice of cheese.
Penny’s cackling was simultaneous with Juliana’s flustered shout of “Nemo!”
Arven looked at his friends with a smile, one that – once Juliana had managed to stop herself from hitting Nemona with some bread – everyone returned.
They ate their sandwiches – which earned compliments from everyone, much to Juliana’s delight – and Arven, deep in his heart, knew that – even though he had lost so much – he would always have his friends.