Chapter Text
A dark gray cloud formed over Jihyo's head, angry and full of potential. As the cloud grew she crossed her arms across her chest, watching the field before her with a small, yet satisfied smile. If she was anyone else, she would be cowering somewhere in the corner of the room, frozen with fear of the outcome, but she wasn't just anyone. She was the reigning champion of the Paldea region and had been for the past 10 years. She was respected and revered, feared by those taking on the gym challenge.
Her partner was the one that commanded the storm above them, the cloud growing larger above them, thick and dark occasionally illuminated with a strike of lightning. Her Garchomp held the same status that she did, a Pokemon that she had raised from the beginning of her conquest, found in a cave after her second gym battle. Garchomp was just as loved as she was, occasionally letting kids climb her arms whenever Jihyo visited her hometown, but it was as if a switch flipped the moment that she emerged from her ball and registered the familiar ground beneath it as the champion's arena, letting out a roar as if she wanted to state her dominance.
Much to her delight, and the fear of the poor soon-to-be academy graduate challenging her, the cloud above her erupted. Thunder cracked overhead and pieces of earth began to fall around the field. The meteors were gilded with blue and yellow flame as they fell, something that had begun to be her trademark, and pummeled the ground. As the attack finished, dust and smoke clouded the room leaving the competitor coughing. The dust quickly cleared, revealing the smirk on her face and the triumphant stance of her partner still standing in the arena. Across from her Garchomp, a Meowscarada was wearily on its knees. A red light pierced the room, returning the grass type to the comfort of its Pokeball.
A smile spread itself onto Jihyo's face as she took out her own Pokeball, tossing it between her hands as she spoke. "You know, after seeing it so many times you'd think you would have learned how to handle Draco Meteor." Her arm extended out, pressing the center of her Pokeball and recalling Garchomp. "Well... all I can say is study up. You know where to find me when you want a rematch.“
-
Jihyo threw her head back as she flopped onto the couch, a loud and dramatic sigh leaving her lips. She let her eyes close, her body relaxing as she sank into the couch. As much as she loved her title of champion, the flying taxi ride to the league was starting to tear up her back. She laid back, letting her body rest for a moment until her peace was interrupted by a stubby paw nudging her foot. As her eyes slowly opened she was greeted by a pair of dark eyes looking up at her, a dopey grin on the creature's face. She groaned as Clodsire's familiar face greeted her, it was a sight that was familiar, but always held the ability to shock her. If he was out that meant that her wife was still awake... just nowhere to be found.
She heard a thud from upstairs followed by the sound of several things falling to the floor making her get up with a sigh. Jihyo reached down, petting the Pokemon on his head, and smiled at it, "Alright buddy, let's see what your mom's up to." The creature didn't reply, if he had Jihyo would have a lot more problems than her wife dropping a couple of their things, the same unwavering grin on his face.
She padded up the stairs, the sound of Clodsire... hopping (?) to follow close behind her filling the air. The sound stopped as soon as her foot hit the third step making her look behind her. Clodsire was stopped at the foot of the steps trying his best to get his stubby legs to reach up to the first step. A small chuckle left her lips as she looked at her wife's precious partner get bested by something as simple as stairs. Jihyo retraced her steps and kneeled down at the foot of the stairs making her eye level with the grayish-brown beast, "Alright big guy come here." The creature hopped closer to her until Jihyo was able to slide her arms underneath him. With a groan she rose again, lugging herself and the creature back up the stairs.
Jihyo pushed open the door to the bedroom with her foot and slowly sank down to let Clodsire down again. She stood upright with a wince and a hand on the small of her back as Clodsire made a noise of what she was guessing was delight and began to hop towards the closet. There her wife stood, her dark hair in a messy bun and a flannel tied around her waist. She was seemingly dressed for bed, the outfit complete with a black tank top and gray sweatpants that she was certain came from her dresser, not her wife's. Clodsire reached her wife before she did, dodging the pile of what seemed like picnic supplies littered on the ground. The creature nudged at her wife's shin and her focus was torn from the mess and instantly absorbed by the sight of her partner in the room.
"Buddy! How'd you get up here?" Momo scratched the top of the Pokemon's head affectionately before turning around to see Jihyo still in the doorway, leaning on the frame with a smile on her face. Her expression lit up and she reached over to the cabinet next to her, grabbing a Pokeball to recall Clodsire much to his disappointment. She tiptoed around the clutter on the ground until she reached her wife, pressing a kiss to her cheek before taking the shorter woman into her arms.
Jihyo giggled at the affection, wrapping her arms around her wife as she nearly pinned her to the doorframe. She spoke almost into the crook of her neck, "You know Clodsire's venomous, right babe?" Her wife looked up at her with shining brown doe eyes. In their years of being together that look always made everything else melt away, including the giant venomous Pokemon that roamed her house while she was at work as if he was an oversized house cat.
-
Jihyo met Momo during her senior year of school. The two had both been enrolled into Naranja Academy, Momo a transfer student after her family moved from the Johto region. The two didn't speak much in classes, mostly seeing each other rush down vast halls to make it to their next lecture in time. Jihyo was more focused on her battle classes than anything else, and Momo was far more interested in the more traditional classes that the academy offered. But the capstone of the school forced them together in a way that neither expected.
The annual treasure hunt was mostly reserved for soon-to-be graduating seniors, but all grade levels were welcome to participate. In retrospect, it was rather dangerous for the academy to let a bunch of 17/18 year olds wander around Paldea with almost no supervision, but without it, she wouldn't be where she was now.
The first time that she ran into the girl was after she had completed her third gym challenge. She found herself braving the seemingly eternal sandstorm that plagued the east province's area three, sand embedding itself into everything that she owned, when she stumbled upon a girl trying to lay out a picnic blanket in the middle of the storm.
The girl was trying (and failing) to spread a baby pink picnic blanket out onto the sand, a Wooper taking one end in its mouth to try to help her. Between the two of them, the sheet wasn't and probably would have never, gone down. With a sigh, Jihyo pulled her Rotom phone out of her pocket, paused her navigation set to the next gym, and decided to help the girl.
Without a word Jihyo took the end that the Wooper had tried to help with and forced it to the ground, tossing her backpack on it to weigh it down to prevent the winds from taking it. She looked up at the girl beside her and chuckled softly, "Can't say that this is the best place for a picnic." She busied herself by taking her water bottle out of her bag along with a Pokeball before sitting down on the picnic blanket. She tossed the ball out onto the sand in front of her and with a ding her partner emerged.
At this point, Gible was still an awkward little thing, far from being the Garchomp that people feared, and she watched with a content smile as the Pokemon waddled around on the sand, her shark-like fin standing up proudly. The girl beside her sat down next to her, eyes wide in amazement, "Where did you find that?"
Jihyo smiled warmly as she recalled the memory, "A cave outside of Cortando, took hours for the little guy to come out." She looked over at the other girl, her glasses slipping down her nose slightly as Gible started to sniff at what she assumed to be the girl's partner. The Wooper tilted its head as it took in the other Pokemon's presence, seemingly surprised at how welcoming it seemed. Jihyo seemingly mirrored the Pokemon's expression, "Aren't you the girl from Johto?"
The girl beside her pushed up her glasses and flashed a smile, "I am, I'm Momo nice to meet you."
"I'm Jihyo, nice to meet you too." She looked up at the sky above them, through the dust she could make out the orange and purple hues of the sun setting. "Hey, if you're not headed anywhere I can take you to Zapapico. The desert's not the best place to stay the night, the town's small, but it's a place to sleep."
–
Every year around the time of the treasure hunt the towns were more than bustling. Jihyo never paid much mind to it, taking the years leading up to her participation and planning out a team of Pokemon and their best moves. It wasn't something she really considered, mostly planning to travel through the night or camp out under the stars, but she had someone else with her now even if it was temporary. She really should have just gone back to Levincia, but here she was sighing as she took her room key at the Zapapico Inn.
If Jihyo were to look on the bright side they at least had a room, but the room had one bed in the middle. It wasn't that she wasn't used to sharing a space, as a first-year she had a roommate, and growing up she always shared a room with one of her childhood friend's that her mom would babysit long term. It was a matter of sharing it with someone she didn't know much about. She had heard about Momo on several occasions, they had some mutual friends, and her old roommate Jeongyeon was the one to show her around campus making the girl occasional lunch break conversation.
It was unspoken between them and the bed situation ended up being something pushed off. Jihyo sat at the desk in the room looking through the Pokedex on her Rotom phone while Momo busied herself with washing the day off in the shower. As she read through entries and made notes into the small pad she kept with her she heard the water stop. She was looking over the entry for Beldum, specifically where to find them, when she heard the bathroom door open again. The warm steam was welcome as the cold of the desert had crept into the room and Momo stepped out with her glasses fogged up wearing a pajama set and a towel around her neck. The girl sat down on the edge of the bed and busied herself with drying her hair.
Jihyo was rather fond of being alone, at school she had made a reputation for herself built off her studying habits and the rarity of her conversation. She actually loved to talk, but only with a select few and she didn't know Momo well enough to consider her that close. She looked up from the entry she was reading to look over at the other girl. Her pajamas had various types of Pokeballs decorating them, either a gift from her parents or a last-minute buy from one of the touristy shops right outside of the academy.
Momo seemed quiet too, more of the reserved type. The sparse conversation that they had was mostly concerning Pokemon and traveling through Paldea, something that seemed more like business than the kindling of a friendship. Her body language didn't show much either, her smiles close-lipped and slight, but the biggest reaction she had seen was when Jihyo had brought out her Gible. The most emotion she got out of the girl was the way her eyes twinkled behind the tortoiseshell frame of her glasses. The pure fascination in the girl's eyes was nothing short of beautiful. She didn't know Momo well or felt that they would be traveling together long enough for her to get close, but maybe the fascination was something that they could bond over.
The more that she looked at the other girl as she dried her hair the more she noticed about her. The way that her damp jet-black hair fell just right above her shoulders, the slight definition in her arms, and the indents on her arm were almost geometrical in nature. She wanted to ask, wanted to pry, but it felt as if something was keeping them apart. Something like the Light Screen that's been used on her own Pokeman in battle before. She felt confused the way she had been when she first met Gible in that cave. There were countless times when she had tried to bond with her, ending up with a swipe of teeth on her fingers or her skin rough brushing against her own leaving it raw. It was like a dance at first, a game of touch and go before she had earned her trust. It was her dream, always had been, to become a champion and she knew it started with building bonds with her Pokemon. If she could do it with Gible, people should be no different.
Or at least she thought. Momo let the towel fall on her lap and threw her head back with a sigh. Suddenly Jihyo was all too aware of her eyes still on the other girl and hid her face in her Pokedex entry to try to hide the blush she knew was creeping onto her cheeks. She peeked out over the red shell of her phone, finding Momo with her eyes closed and face to the ceiling. The more that she looked at her the more she realized how beautiful the other girl was, the expanse of her neck, the slope of her nose, jaw sharp, and pink lips...
"Is there something you want to ask me?" Jihyo jumped at the sound of a voice breaking the silence, struggling to open her Pokedex back up as the screen threatened to time out. She heard the sheets shift and looked back up to see Momo facing her now, using her shirt to clean her glasses before putting them back on. There was a slight smirk on the other girl's face, "It's okay, I can tell you're not really reading that.”
There was no use in hiding the blush that Jihyo was sure was painting her cheeks, at this point she could feel it creeping down her neck. "Oh, I just..." There was no way that she was going to ask what she was actually thinking, there was no casual way of saying that she wanted to ask Momo about the neat series of scars adorning her bicep she only noticed while focusing on the flex of her arm. She set down her Rotom phone, with a little more force than necessary creating a thud and earning a small laugh from the other girl. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ears and swallowed hard before she spoke, "How was it moving from Johto?"
A wistful expression passed over Momo's face before turning into a soft smile. The expression made it hard for Jihyo to focus for some reason, but she hung onto every single word as if it were her favorite song. "It's a lot different here, but I think I like it?" Momo tilted her head at her own words as if she confused herself, "Johto's a lot older, if that makes sense? I miss that part about it a lot, I grew up there so it's kind of like I left a part of me." She outstretched her arm as if she was stretching and looked at the scars on her bicep, "The shot's were probably the worst part about coming here." Momo laughed at the thought, the sound almost twinkling. There was at least one thing answered, not that Jihyo could focus on it much anyways she found herself more focused on the light sound of her laughter.
She sighed, shifting to sit more towards the center of the bed before drawing her knees to her chest and propping her elbows up, face between her hands. The position muffled her words a little bit, but Jihyo thought it was cute, especially the way her cheeks were squished against her palms. "I think I miss seeing the Bell Tower the most. You guys have watchtowers I've seen around, but nothing compares. It's so beautiful to see when the sun sets behind it, when I was little I always wished that one day the bells would sound. My parents told me that they rang the day I was born. It apparently means my life will be full, but honestly, since I got to Paldea I’m not sure of what that means. I just wish that it felt more like home."
Jihyo’s brow furrowed at the end of her words, the dip in conversation making her shift in her chair turning completely around and resting her chin on the back. “I've heard legends about the Bell Tower before, with something as big as that I’m sure you’re meant to find something just as big here. I mean maybe that’s why we ran into each other in the middle of the desert. I know the treasure hunt is just a Paldea thing, but it’s supposed to help you find your bigger thing, you know? Your own definition of treasure. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as you have something. Even something as small as this is a start, maybe you’ll figure it out while you’re traveling.”
The same wonder from before found its way into Momo’s eyes, tinged with an air of pensiveness. “What’s your reason then, Jihyo? For the treasure hunt, I mean."
At the question, Jihyo practically felt herself light up. Her goal with the treasure hunt was one she had since she was a little kid. Some of her earliest memories were of sitting on her mom's lap watching the select championship matches that were televised. From the earliest that she could remember, she wished that it could be her on the screen. She wanted more than anything to prove herself and make it to the top. She planned it out since she was a kid, drawing pictures of teams she dreamt of and making her plushies fake battle. When she was finally old enough to enroll at Naranja Academy it felt like it all fell into place.
She looked to Momo, the girl's face still slightly obstructed as she sat in a way that made her seem somehow smaller. Her dream was something that blazed within her with the same heat of a Pokemon bringing drought with it when it was called forth in a match, something like a flame that burnt deep inside her with enough force to warm herself. Her eyes met Momo's the fire behind them meeting the wistfulness of the other girl's. "Mine is becoming the champion. Just wait, you're going to see me do it."
"Then what? I don't doubt that you'll become the champion of Paldea, but what comes after that?"
The question made Jihyo's thoughts freeze. No one had asked her about that, not even the professors who would listen to her dream out loud watching with smiles on their faces. Not even her mother, simply checking her bag one last time before Jihyo left home for the academy. The words felt caught in her throat, seemingly unable to make their way out. "I- after I guess I-"
Momo could see how the question had left the other girl scrambling and stopped it, "Maybe that's your thing to find. The treasure hunt's like a search, can't do that unless you're looking for something."
Jihyo's brow furrowed at her response, taking a moment to think about it. "Yeah... I guess you're right." She stood up abruptly, the chair screeching against the floor as she got up making Momo's brows shoot up in surprise. "I'm just- I'll go shower it's getting late." With that, she shut herself into the bathroom, rested her forearms against the sink, and stared at her reflection. There was something that she was chasing, she knew that there was something that lit a fire in her, but she wasn’t sure if she could pinpoint it. Or if she was even brave enough to do so.
–
When Jihyo entered the room again, Momo sat on the floor with her Wooper in her lap. The other girl was playing with it as if it was the average housecat, rolling around a small ball on the floor and watching with a smile as the Pokemon ran to chase it. She sat on the edge of the bed watching the Wooper use its small legs to kick the ball back to Momo, the girl laughing at the creature’s excitement.
"You know that Woopers are venomous, right?"
Momo barely looked up, more focused on rolling the ball across the room again. "Yeah, but he wouldn't do that to me."
"I don't think it's something like that, most of them have the poison point ability, it just happens."
The girl shook her head in disagreement. She sat up slightly, pulling her legs toward her lap and crossing them. "Not him, he wouldn't do that to me."
Jihyo leaned forward, propping her elbows up on her thighs and holding her face in her hands, "I mean... it-"
"He."
" He doesn't really have the capabilities to communicate that."
At that, Momo sighed and pushed her glasses back up before leaning back slightly. "I can just kind of tell, we're close like that." Her gaze shifted to the Wooper across from her, struggling to push the ball closer to Momo. She picked up the ball instead of rolling it, put the toy away, and beckoned the Pokemon closer. "I've always been able to just tell. It doesn't make that much sense, but it's kind of like intuition." The Pokemon waddled closer to her and plopped down on her lap, looking up at his trainer with an expression that Jihyo was sure was admiration.
She watched with a kind of fascination as the Pokemon made itself basically at home on Momo's lap. She and Gible were friends if she really thought about it, but she didn't think much of it outside of simply Pokemon and trainer. She wanted the best for the Pokemon, aiming to raise her to the best of her capabilities, but she didn't really think of having the Pokemon as something more of a friendship. Jihyo watched curiously as the Pokemon swayed softly, seemingly content with how he was spending his night. “If I were to bring out Gible, would you be able to do the same thing you do to… understand your Wooper?”
Momo pursed her lips as she thought to herself, “I think so? I know I could at least tell you about how Wooper feels about her.” With that Jihyo stood up from the bed and began to rummage through her bag. After sifting through various potions and random items she had found on the routes she’s traveled, she found Gible’s Pokeball. She pulled it out of the bag, a choice scarf hanging from it, and lightly pressed on the center button to make the ball expand to it’s full size in her hand. The weight was familiar in her grasp and her hand tightened around it’s reassuring weight. Instead of throwing it like she usually would, she pressed the center all the down and gently rolled it across the floor closer to Momo and her Wooper.
With a soft pop, the capsule opened and Gible emerged from the red light emanating from the Pokeball. Her partner looked over to her, seemingly uninterested in the other person and Pokemon in the room, and let out a soft roar as it lifted it’s arms in the air. Jihyo tentatively waved back, a small smile on her face. Momo looked between them curiously, “You don’t talk to her?”
Jihyo paused for a moment, “No, not really? I never really thought about it much I just assumed that she can’t understand what I say aside from simple commands.”
Momo hummed in reply, “Honestly, I tell Wooper everything, but I guess I can see how that’s a little strange.” Jihyo simply nodded in reply, fixated on the way that Momo watched over Wooper as Gible seemed to finally notice the pair. Wooper didn’t cower or try to move away as Gible approached him, only sitting on Momo’s lap with the same smile he always had as Gible looked the pair over. Jihyo’s partner made a noise that seemed curious as she regarded them, simply looking up at the girl, her reflection shining in Momo’s glasses. “I think they like each other.” She looked between the two pokemon, her eyes fixed as she spoke, “I don’t know much about Gible, but they seem to prefer being alone. She likes something about my Wooper though, I think they want to be friends.” The two Pokemon stared at each other for a moment and for a second Jihyo was afraid Gible was sizing the poor Wooper up. Much to her surprise, the Wooper hopped up from Momo’s lap before leading Gible to a pillow that she assumed Momo laid out on the floor. The two climbed onto the pillow and laid down together leaving Jihyo shocked and bug-eyed.
Momo simply smiled at the pair before looking at Jihyo again. “I guess they’re tired. Wooper isn’t used to being up this late.”
Not long after the two Pokemon went to bed, she and Momo decided to turn in for the night too. They both tried to sleep on the floor, both arguing that it wasn’t a big deal, but here she was lying in bed next to a girl that she had just met hours before.
Jihyo was trying to play it cool, trying not to notice how good Momo smelled and how close they were. In her head, she was doing a good job, but she laid on her side curled up to make herself as small as possible with the sheets pulled up to her nose trying to hide the blush she knew was on her cheeks. The room was dark except for a nightlight that Momo apparently traveled with, but her cheeks were so warm that she was almost certain they were visible in the dark just like the red cheeks of a Pikachu. Much like the Pokemon, it felt as if electricity was coursing through her body making her hyper-aware of the woman next to her.
There was a polite amount of space between them, both practically on the edge of the bed, but just the thought of it made Jihyo feel shy. She knew that the other girl was still awake, she could see the light of her phone slightly illuminating the ceiling. When she was little she had a short phase of wanting to be a Pokemon instead of a trainer, running around her house with her mom chasing her while wearing onesies. In the moment she understood her younger self more. If she was a Voltorb she could simply self-destruct and get herself out of the situation.
She screwed her eyes shut, convincing herself that if she couldn’t see a trace of Momo the other girl simply wasn’t there. It seemed to work for a moment as she started to feel herself drift off, but she felt the bed shift. She heard what she assumed to be Momo’s phone get placed on the nightstand, followed by the soft click of what was probably her glasses get placed down. She didn’t realize she was holding her breath until it all came out when Momo settled back in.
The bed shifted again, creaking slightly, breaking the silence between them. Momo’s voice came out as a whisper as if part of her didn’t want Jihyo to hear, “I don’t know if you’re still awake, but thank you. I probably would have gotten lost out there without you.” A sigh left the other girl’s lips and in the dark, she could feel Momo’s eyes on her back. “Thank you, goodnight Jihyo.”
–
The sun woke Jihyo up, illuminating the room and scorching the sand outside. She turned over with a groan, trying to escape the sun for just a few more hours of sleep. What she didn’t remember was that there was someone else in the bed with her and when she tried to pull the sheets over her head, she was met with the warmth of another body. Her eyes shot open, the sleep leaving her body at record speed and she was face to face with Momo. During the night she must have moved closer and Jihyo’s attempt to escape the sunlight landed her so close to the other girl that she could feel her soft exhales. Her hand was frozen mid-air the sheets gripped in her fist inches away from the other girl’s arm. The soft touch made Momo’s eyebrows knit, a soft groan leaving her lips.
In reality, she could have turned over and gone back to sleep, but Jihyo was frozen as if any sudden move would spell her end. Her eyes moved along the details of Momo’s face, the slope of her nose, and the curve of her lips. She looked so peaceful, almost like a painting she would queue all day at a museum for. As delicately as possible she extracted herself from the bed, moving as slowly as she could to try not to make any noise. She tiptoed to the bathroom and closed the door softly behind her. She looked at herself in the mirror, being met with her bedhead and blush on her cheeks. In desperation, she turned the sink on and splashed her face with cold water, anything to get the thought of Momo’s face out of her head.
There was something wrong with her, she was sure of it, there was no way she was stuck on a girl she had met just yesterday in the middle of the desert. But there was something so endearing about Momo that made her want to get closer to her. After drying her face, she stepped back into the room and started packing her things into her bag to leave. For some reason she was sad about it, something in her didn’t want to part ways with the other girl. As she took stock of her things, planning to hit the store before leaving the city, she mulled over the idea of offering Momo to stick with her. She could make up some reason, citing that the Pokemon in the desert were dangerous (it had been a piece of cake for her) or that she wasn’t familiar with Paldea yet (Momo had been here for the entire school year).
As she was counting the potions left in her bag she heard Momo finally start to wake up. She tried to be subtle, looking between the items in her bag and the other girl, watching as she fumbled for her glasses before taking them and her phone onto the bed. Momo put her glasses back on and groaned as she checked her phone for the time. She set the device down and covered her face with her hands for a brief moment before sitting up. The second she saw her start to get up, Jihyo darted her eyes back to her bag, suddenly absolutely absorbed with some Oran berry at the bottom.
She peeked over the top of her bag, looking over to Momo as the other girl got up. Jihyo had returned Gible to her ball, but Wooper had been waiting for his trainer to get up. The Pokemon cooed happily and rubbed itself against one of Momo’s legs, the girl murmured something still half asleep and incredibly unintelligible before bending down to pat the Pokemon on his head. It was cute how close they were, Wooper happily waddling after her as Momo padded to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
–
Once Momo was more awake, she took almost an hour and a half in the bathroom. Not that Jihyo was counting down the minutes to see her again or anything, the two met back up in the room. Momo sat down on the floor, crossing her legs and letting Wooper have a seat on her lap, and looked over to Jihyo who had just finished packing her bag. She had honestly been done before Momo got out of bed, but she wanted to seem productive when Momo came back. The other girl’s voice was still tinged with sleep, speaking soft and low, “Where are you headed next?”
Jihyo took out her Rotom phone and pulled up the map to show Momo Cascarrafa, “I’m going to cross the desert today and start moving towards here.” She pointed a finger at Cascarrafa, “I need to beat the gym there and after that, I think I’ll take a break and train for a bit.” As she explained, she could see the start of something in Momo’s eyes. Her eyes were captivating, seemingly brimming with thoughts left unsaid. She watched Momo take in the map, her eyes tracing the route that Jihyo would be taking and she swore she could see a tinge of sadness in her gaze. She hesitated for a moment, shifting in her seat at the desk, mulling over the idea of taking Momo with her. “If you’d like to,” Jihyo paused for a moment as Momo looked up at her as she spoke. There was something about her eyes behind the frame of her glasses, something that made Jihyo feel as if the girl was always peering into her. She swallowed hard, the way that Momo’s eyes were on her making her cheeks heat up, “You could come with me? I mean, you don’t have to, but I think it’s nicer to travel with someone.”
Momo’s eyes lit up the second the suggestion left her lips, perking up so suddenly that Wooper hopped off of her lap. Her eyes were practically twinkling, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Momo took her hand in her own, much to Jihyo’s surprise, and looked up at her with an expression of pure happiness and relief, “Really?! I wanted to ask you, honestly I’ve been hating being by myself. I just didn’t want to seem weird and ask.”
Her head was swimming, and Momo’s hands were so warm wrapped around her own. Her skin was so soft and the expression on her face was one that she wanted to commit to memory. Her face felt as if she was in the scorching desert, not the air conditioned comfort of their hotel room. She stammered for a moment, blushing under Momo’s gaze as the girl seemed to hang onto her every word. “Yeah, of course, I can show you around and help you out with whatever you need.”
Momo’s smile only grew wider, her hands tightening around Jihyo’s squeezing them reassuringly. “Thank you so much.” Much to Jihyo’s relief, and disappointment, she let go of her hand and stood up to start packing her things. As Jihyo started to mourn the loss of the warmth of her hands around her own Momo looked over her shoulder, her eyes shining as she picked her bag off of the floor. “You know, you’re so kind. I know you’ll make a great champion.” Momo balled her fist and raised it in the air as if she was cheering her on, “I’ll be your biggest fan.”
She didn’t respond, but the comment made Jihyo’s heart swell. She’d win for herself and for Momo. She’d do anything to see her smile like that again.
–
“So, where to?” The pair stood at the outskirts of Zapapico, the eternal sandstorm buffeting their skin and threatening to take the hat off of Momo’s head. Jihyo squinted as she looked at her map, looking up and back down again in an attempt to orient herself.
Jihyo put the phone back into her pocket and pointed at the cliffside before them, “We’ll head North. I think if we pass through the forest we’ll avoid the mountains.”
Momo simply nodded in response, adjusting the bag on her back as she followed Jihyo. The girl led the way for them, dodging clusters of wild Pokemon and drops in the terrain. She looked back at Momo, the girl lifting the collar of her shirt up to shield her face from the whipping sand. It was hard for them to talk in these conditions, making Jihyo feel awkward with her again. After meeting her, all she wanted to do was talk with her. She wanted to learn more about her growing up in Johto and her theory on understanding the Pokemon around her. Momo didn’t seem afraid of the wild Pokemon traversing the sands with them, instead looking at the Silicobra near their feet with a look of admiration. Bronzor occasionally drifted towards them, partly from the wind and partly out of curiosity and when Jihyo stepped away from them Momo only seemed to drift closer.
There were a few times where Jihyo called out to her, getting her to stay by her side when she started to wander off a bit more focused on the wildlife than the path they were meant to take. It was endearing to watch, but the thought of Momo running into something she shouldn't have kept itself ever present in the back of her mind. The desert wasn’t the most dangerous place, but Momo wasn’t as well versed in battling as she was, having only her Wooper to her name.
They walked in silence for a while, Jihyo trudging through the sand as Momo tailed behind her. The pair came to an opening in the desert, they had walked past haggard mountains and jutting hills just moments before and the sight was strange. Pillars rose from the sand forming a near perfect circle almost like an area. Jihyo stopped for a moment, the place seeming oddly familiar to her for some reason. She racked her brain, thinking back to the classes she had attended and the stories of Paldea she heard from her professors. Momo wandered away slightly, finding a small herd of Phanphy playing in the sand. She didn’t think much of it, they were docile Pokemon, but there was a sinking feeling starting to form in her chest that she couldn’t place.
Lost in thought she didn’t realize how far Momo had wandered, the girl following the Phanphy with a smile on her face. She didn’t realize that Momo had stepped into the center of the circle until the sand below her feet began to shake. Her eyes darted to the other girl, the crowd of Pokemon at her feet quickly running away. Momo seemed frozen, staring forward. Jihyo was confused, her heart starting to speed up in her chest as the sand started to shake. Whatever Momo was seeing was something big and the thought terrified her.
Rocks crashed down, landing on the sand with a thud so loud it made Jihyo want to cover her ears. Through the dust she was able to make out a massive silhouette. It was nothing like she had seen before making fear start to course through her veins. None of the research she had done had prepared her and neither had the hours she spent with her nose in her Pokedex. The Pokemon looked like a giant Donphan, except for the massive tusks and red pointed plates of armor.
She wanted to yell out for Momo to come back, she wanted to run to Momo and get her out of there, but she was frozen in place. Her body felt cold, distant from her own senses and only able to register the blood pounding in her ears. It felt like too much, it felt too much like a memory that she thought that she buried. It was like she was 10 again, begging her friend to go to the wild area with her, the both of them naive and unafraid. It was something she thought she buried, but it all came rushing back. Everything replayed in her mind, the grass brushing against her legs, laughter as they both met wild Pokemon for the first time, the admiration and joy, and then the way it all came crashing down with one wrong step. She was a kid when it happened, too afraid to do anything, but she was older now. Jihyo squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, balling her fists until her nails dug into her palms. A second was all she could spare, only a breath to try to chase away the memories in her mind and the fear in her bones, before she sprinted through the sand to Momo.
–
Before Jihyo met her friends at the academy, there was Mina. She was a year younger, a homeschool kid that depended on Jihyo as her only form of companionship. Her parents were more often away than at home, leading to sleepovers that would feel like forever. Neither of them ever grew tired of it, Mina was a lot more shy than Jihyo was, but always more than happy to watch and laugh at Jihyo’s antics.
Mina always listened to her big dreams, smiling and nodding at her words and giving tidbits of encouragement. She was the first person to hear about Jihyo’s dream, swearing to the younger girl that one day she would be champion and then the two of them could do whatever they wanted to. To Mina that was peaceful days with Jihyo and to Jihyo it was traveling far and wide challenging all that would speak to her.
They differed a lot, Mina preferring to stay indoors with her Pokemon dolls and books while Jihyo would stare out the window lusting for the real thing. There was one day that her mom had left them alone in the house, promising that she just had to run to the store for a moment and that they would get ice cream once she got back. Mina was content with it, sitting on the couch of their living room watching cartoons and swinging her feet as she thought about what ice cream flavor she wanted. She looked up from her show as she heard something getting dragged down the stairs,
She watched curiously as Jihyo dragged a bag bigger than her towards the front door before sitting down to put on her shoes, as she tied her shoes. She looked up, flashing Mina a smile, “I’m going to go catch a Pokemon, I’ll be back before Mom.”
Mina jumped off the couch and rushed to stop her, “Jihyo… isn’t that dangerous? Everyone says that you shouldn’t go outside without anything to protect you.”
The older girl only gave her a big smile in return, her eyes twinkling with excitement, “Don’t worry I’m like the professors on TV. I know what to do!”
Mina chewed on her lower lip nervously. She didn’t like the idea of Jihyo going out alone, the thought scared her and she knew she wouldn’t be comfortable at home without her. She thought for a moment before taking her own shoes off the rack and putting them on. “I’ll… I’ll come with you.”
Jihyo jumped up in excitement, wrapping her arms around her. “Really?! You mean it Minari?!”
She gave a muffled yes in response, Jihyo’s shirt soft against her cheek as she hugged her tight. The other girl was warm, she was safe. There were nights where she crawled into bed with her, too nervous about things she didn’t understand to sleep alone. There were days when Jihyo’s mom was too busy and Jihyo would always make them lunch, sandwiches cut with a Pikachu cutter she got for her birthday. She trusted her, if Jihyo was with her she knew she was going to be safe.
The wild area was fascinating. Mina had only seen it on TV and it couldn’t compare at all. Her parents weren’t the most interested in Pokemon and didn’t teach her much about them and watching the wild Pokemon play in the grass made her feel alive. Jihyo trudged ahead on a mission to catch a pokemon that she had heard about on a professor’s show a couple days before. Mina didn’t remember the name, more focused on looking at the wildly growing flowers and the Butterfree that visited them.
“Mina look!” She looked up from the flowers and saw Jihyo standing under a tree just a few feet away. There was a Pokemon in front of her, orange and white resembling a puppy, tilting it’s head as it regarded her curiously. The smile on Jihyo’s face was the brightest she had ever seen, wide and toothy as she inched towards the Pokemon. Mina was nervous, smiling at the sight of Jihyo happy, but the lingering fear still housed itself in her body. She could remember the Pokemon from the show Jihyo always had on, some kind of fire type dog she couldn’t remember the name of.
The Pokemon met Jihyo halfway, running up to her and for a second Mina was afraid it was going to attack, but the dog only looked up at the other girl. Jihyo kneeled down, petting the top of it’s head, giggling loudly as it licked at her hand. “Mina look, come pet him, he's so cute.”
She stepped closer hesitantly, eyeing the Pokemon and the grass around them warily, trying to get herself to focus on Jihyo. The older girl’s eyes were scrunched up like crescents, smiling so hard her cheeks were bound to hurt, and Mina tried to focus on the happiness radiating off of her. She kept repeating to herself that as long as Jihyo was there nothing would happen. She sank down closer to the grass once she inched her way over to her best friend. The Pokemon froze for a second, eyeing Mina and her heart started to pound in her chest. Fire type Pokemon were dangerous, conjuring up flame in seconds, hot enough to rival the sun. Her eyes squeezed shut, flinching back until she felt something wet nudging her hand. To her surprise the Pokemon was nosing at her hand, panting happily and yipping in an attempt to get her attention. Hesitantly, she outstretched her arm, raising her hand to graze the top of the Pokémon’s head. The dog pushed her hand with its snout, trying to get her to pet it.
The Pokémon’s fur was soft under her hand, warm from the heat all fire types held within and the beating sun above them. Beside her Jihyo giggled, “He likes you! It’s a Growlithe, the show I watch said they’re common here… I wish I had a berry to give him.” Jihyo started to rummage through her bag and Mina’s focus returned to the Pokemon. It wasn’t that scary anymore, there was something nice about it and she felt oddly connected to the creature. The dog licked her hand happily and nuzzled into her touch, almost smiling as she began to scratch behind his ear.
The grass rustled softly and Mina would have passed it off as the breeze if the dog didn’t freeze. The Growlithe’s fur stood up as it turned to face the expanse of wilderness. There was another Pokemon coming up to them. Most of it's small body was covered by the grass that towered over it, but she could make out what looked like a yellow feather that stuck above the grass. Mina's brow furrowed at the sight, trying to figure out what the creature could be. It wasn't one that she was familar with and it seemed like Jihyo wasn't either, instead scrambling to try to get the Growlithe that was just playing with them to calm down again. The air seemed tenser, a lot less playful with the happy sounds the dog Pokemon had been making earlier getting replaced with growls.
Mina shrunk back, starting to edge back to her friend and the Pokemon that was trying to wedge himself between them and the newcomer. The yellow feather had gotten closer to her and against her better judgement she froze. It seemed harmless and for a moment she was confused on why the Growlithe had gotten so aggressive. The more she looked at the Pokemon the more she started to find it cute. It was a small green thing, a pout on it's face and some kind of black marking on it's back. It seemed harmless enough, simply hopping to manuver itself through the tall grass. If Jihyo could befriend a Pokemon she should be able to do the same.
It didn't seem so scary after the Growlithe had warmed up to them. The Pokemon in the wild area weren't as scary as all the grown ups had told them. She crouched down, extending her hand out to the small Pokemon. It looked at her warily, but inched closer. It stopped just in front of her and stared up at her. Mina smiled down at the Pokemon, trying to make her seem as friendly as possible. She was happy, she would be just like Jihyo. Brave enough to adventure out on her own, brave enough to find her own partner without the help of the adults that always warned them.
It all came crashing down as quickly as the dream formed in her head. Suddenly she couldn't see the Pokemon in front of her, she couldn't see anything anymore. The only thing she could register was an unbearable, burning pain in her eyes and something wet on her face. Everything had gone dark and it didn't make sense to her. It was still morning when they left Jihyo's house, there's no way it could have gotten dark. The pain broke her thoughts, pushing them out of her head and leaving her desperately trying to wipe her eyes with her hands. Her breath was picking up, her heart pounding in her chest as a ringing sound set in her ears. Everything was making her feel cold and hot at the same time, her head spinning from the pain. The last thing she remembered was a flash of heat and the sound of JIhyo's voice yelling to her before she hit the ground.
–
It felt the same, the same as when she watched Mina fall to the ground when they were kids. It felt the same as when she carried her on her back into town, crying and begging any adult she saw to help them.
She felt as weak as she did when she was a kid, the same helpless feeling settling into her bones. Jihyo’s hands shook and she clenched them into fists to try to steady herself. She looked out into the desert, seeing Momo’s panicked expression as the ground beneath them rumbled. She was running to her, slipping in the sand, but running to her nonetheless. The girl she had just met a day before was running to her for safety.
No, it was different now. She was older, stronger than she was on that day. Her eyes squeezed shut, filling her lungs with air before she opened them again. She ran to her, through the sand to the girl looking to her with frightened eyes.
This would be different, it had to be. Another person she cared for couldn’t get hurt. She ran, calves burning as she carried herself through the sand. She passed Momo, cementing herself between her and the charging Pokemon. She held her Pokeball in her hands and threw it towards the expanse of sand before her.
With a pop Gible emerged, she looked down at the Pokemon in front of her. She was stronger now and she had a partner she could trust. It wouldn’t happen again, it couldn’t. The ground rumbled the sound almost deafening. She could hear Momo begging her to run, grabbing at her shoulder trying to tug her away. It would be different this time, she had something she needed to protect.
Her voice was steely, laced with determination, “Go, I’ll be behind you.” Momo looked at her bewildered, but nodded before taking off. Jihyo’s hands tightened into fists as she looked up at the Pokemon approaching her and her partner.
She extended her arm out, commanding her partner to ready herself. She was stronger now, she would be able to protect her.