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Liko drags her feet back to the campsite, using her Rotom phone as a navigator, Floragato by her side. It pats her injured leg, seemingly telling her I’m sorry about your leg, I hope it gets better. “It’s okay, Floragato. You’ve seen me get through this before. I’ll be fine soon!” she soothes, rubbing the back of her Pokemon’s ears. “Pagu!” chirps Terapagos, seemingly in agreement. Soon, Floragato’s fur relaxes back into its usual soft fluffy form.
Liko smiles. She’s happy that she’s getting better at understanding her Pokemon.
“Liko!” Dot’s familiar voice is uncharacteristically loud. “Hi, Dot!” Liko greets, sitting down on the ground next to her, leaning against a hardwood log. She stretches her feet, and Dot notices the bruises all around her legs. “I’m alright.” Liko says before her companion could speak. “I fell off a small ledge out in the wilderness, and, well…”
Dot examines her bruises nonetheless, checking a few wikis on her Rotom Phone which Liko assumes are pages detailing how to care for bad bruises or something. After a little bit of frantic searching, Dot takes a deep breath and sits back down. “You can never be too careful.” she says, concern evident in her voice. “Thank you. I just… don’t like seeing you worry.” Dot visibly relaxes at that, much to Liko’s relief.
Dot is extremely kind and considerate, and goes great lengths to make sure that everyone stays safe. Even when she’s having a hard time, she’s able to put her fears and doubts aside in order to help those around her all the more. Liko feels stronger with Dot by her side.
Not knowing what else to talk about, Liko decides to tell Dot about her day. “You know, Floragato and I were able to see the Flower Pillar for ourselves!” Dot’s eyes light up. “Did you take any pictures for your report?”
That completely slipped her mind, and she tells Dot so. Dot makes an exasperated noise. “You’d think after all those years watching Guru- I mean, me, you would’ve at least learned how to use a phone. But noooooooooo.” Dot wails. “I think Roy’s rubbed off on you.”
Liko manages an awkward chuckle. “By the way, where is Roy? He’s not still running after that Kilowattrel we saw earlier, is he?”
“Probably. He should be fine though- he sent us a picture of a leaf thirty minutes ago, didn’t he?” Liko’s about to consider heading out to look for him anyway when she hears a familiar lively voice coming from the forest behind her.
“LIKOOOO!! DOTT!!! I JUST HAD THE BEST. DAY. EVERR!!” Roy’s voice is still loud and strong even if he’s about fifteen meters away from them. “Hi Roy!! Welcome back.” Liko says with a smile, gesturing for him to sit down next to her.
“So me and Wattrel and Fuecoco chased after the Kilowattrell across, like, half the valley, and then eventually it noticed us watching and let us hop on for a ride!” Oh, so the sound of Roy screaming in delight Liko heard earlier today wasn’t just her imagination. “It was SO COOL!! That’s why I love climbing trees and getting to high places. You get to see everything, and even if all the trees and plants and Pokemon get really tiny, the view is so, so AMAZING!! It’s one of the reasons I love being out in nature so much. Maybe I can show you two the view tomorrow!”
The spark in his eyes is undeniable. One of the things Liko likes best about Roy is just how full of love and joy and energy he is, and how ready he is to share that with everyone else. It reminds her of the kind of person she wants to be - in a way, he really inspires her.
“Sure, I’d like that.” Liko says, genuinely excited. “I’ll go too.” Dot adds. “Nature is honestly kinda cool. And I can always use more inspiration for Gurumin.”
Roy is surprised at the response, but definitely not unhappy. “Really?!” he asks, his tone even more excited.
“Really.” Both girls reply.
Roy responds with a joyful grin way more powerful than words. Liko returns the smile, before suggesting they start the campfire, to which her friends agree.
Sitting around the campfire, which blazed brightly well into the night, attempting to roast the fluffy little marshmallows Murdock insisted they bring from the ship over its radiant flames, and failing miserably every time, surrounded by some of her best friends in the whole world, leaning on little wood logs with their Pokemon curled up next to them- it was truly an experience- a feeling that Liko would never forget. She felt so at home - and so happy she took her first steps that day and decided to join the Rising Volt Tacklers.
That fear- the fear of doing or being anything out of the ordinary - the fear of adventure, the fear of the future. The fear that held her back all her life couldn’t seem to reach her here, and she feels so free. Of course, having all these wonderful people and Pokemon by her side helps a ton, but she feels like she’s changed as well. Now she’s able to see past her little bubble she was too afraid to break, and everything is so much more vivid and colorful and beautiful. Every time she takes a step, excitement fills her veins, and in place of seeing various ways to die, she sees opportunity and intrigue and adventure, that while sometimes dangerous, can be fulfilling and magical in their own way.
When she closes her eyes that night, she just feels… happy to be there. Content where she is, and psyched to go forward. She feels ready for what tomorrow brings, excited to scribble all the new things she sees in her now-bursting diary.
Maybe she has grown up just a little bit.