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Liko leaned against the railing on the Brave Olivine, staring out at the night before her. The bright, silvery light of a full moon shone against the dark sky, which was dotted with twinkling stars. The ocean waves rippled gently far below the airship as a Pokémon or two would occasionally surface. The feeling of a calm, cool breeze mixed nicely with the quiet churning of the ship’s engines.
She exhaled. Liko was alone outside the ship’s observation room, which was unlike her. Usually, she would have Meowscarada trailing behind her or Pagogo cradled in her arms. But no, she felt like she wanted some time to unwind. Especially with that party Murdock threw for everyone. It was nice to celebrate Friede’s safety, but it was a bit too much once the karaoke started.
It was great to be reunited with everyone after an entire year. Being on the ship, spending time with the other Rising Volt Tacklers… it was so nostalgic. Like the other adventurers were her second family in a way, and she hadn’t seen them in forever. And at last, she was welcomed back with open arms. It was everything Liko longed for after being disbanded.
…Almost everything.
Ever since the meeting at the Patisserie Soapberry, Liko had been pretty avoidant of Dot. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Liko had feelings for her. She wasn’t quite sure how to handle it, and didn’t want to risk Dot finding out. So, avoiding Dot was the best solution she could think of.
Liko closed her eyes, and rested her head in her hands. Why did she have to feel this way about Dot? Now was not a good time for any of that. There were much more important things to worry about. Exceed, Spinel, the Rakurium… all of it. The fact that Liko gave these feelings any regard at all filled her with guilt. She was selfish.
And talking about these feelings to anyone was basically out of the question. That would only make her more guilty. So, she shoved down her feelings for Dot. Pushed deep into her soul, hoping that it would just go away and never see the light of day again. Just like the rest of her bothersome emotions. Then they wouldn’t be able to affect her.
But that never seemed to work. Instead of withering away, all of these emotions just seemed to build up more and more. Swelling bigger and bigger as the days went by. Keeping them at bay was getting harder. And Liko wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold back.
~~~~~
“Where’d Liko go?”
Ult looked up at Dot from the pile of sweets on his plate. He nudged Sableye’s sneaky claw away as he finished chewing.
“I think she went outside,” he said between bites. “Our karaoke was probably too much for her.”
Dot lifted an eyebrow. “You mean your karaoke?”
“Hey, Roy’s singing was bad, too!” Ult protested.
“Not really.”
“Whatever,” Ult shoveled another forkful of cake in his mouth.
“Do you think she’s okay?” Dot asked, concerned.
Ult shrugged. “Why don’t you go ask her?”
Dot paused. They didn’t exactly want to talk to Liko one-on-one at the moment. Not that they were mad at her, just that… there was a lot going on inside their head. It was some time before the Rising Volt Tacklers disbanded that Dot realized they had feelings for Liko. At first, they thought it was just a simple crush; an infatuation. After all, Liko had always been kind to them, even when they were as standoffish as they were. Dot figured that it would eventually go away, like any other passing crush.
But it never did.
Dot’s feelings for Liko were frustrating. It always seemed to get in the way of more dire things. Dot spent most of their energy keeping tabs on the Rakurium spreading across the world, and these confusing feelings were just hindering that by plaguing her mind. She liked it when everything was exact, concrete, and simple. It made her feel most at ease. But these vague, fuzzy feelings were anything but that.
Not ready to confront the new, uncomfortable feelings in her head, Dot subconsciously started avoiding Liko after they reunited. She’d rather not face it head-on, so avoidance was seemingly the only solution. But, she didn’t really want to do that. In all honesty, Dot cared about Liko so, so much, and was very concerned for her. She wasn’t acting like they used to before they disbanded. Always seemed to be bothered by something, like a dark raincloud was constantly hanging over her head. And Dot knew that she couldn’t just toss her feelings aside if she wanted to make sure Liko was okay.
Dot felt something prod her ankle. She glanced down to see Pagogo nudging her foot with its foreleg, a worried expression on its face. Dot guessed that it was equally as concerned for Liko. After all, it was strange for it to not be carried around by Liko as usual.
Dot knelt down and scooped up Pagogo in her arms. She couldn’t just let it worry about its trainer, so she decided to take it to her. And deep down, she wanted to check up on Liko, too.
The halls of the Brave Olivine were calm and quiet as Dot walked through them, Pagogo cradled in their grasp. The familiar sights and smells of the airship made Dot more comfortable than they could ever be cooped up in their room. The way the engines rumbled beneath their feet and how the ship would occasionally tilt in turbulence, it was a nostalgic feeling that Dot craved for the longest time. It was ironic, how Dot felt strangely homesick while staying at their own house after the Rising Volt Tacklers disbanded. Like the Brave Olivine was their true home. And now, they were finally back.
Dot rounded a corner and nearly collided with Murdock.
“Oh, there you are!” he exclaimed. “Why aren’t you at the party? We just started playing Ekans and Ladders.”
Dot narrowed her eyes. That sounded really lame.
“I’m checking on Liko,” she replied.
Murdock smiled. “That’s nice that you’re doing that for her, again.”
“What do you mean?”
“It seems like you two have been straying away from each other recently. You weren’t like this before we disbanded. Did something happen?”
Dot didn’t say anything. A guilty feeling tugged on her heart, and she clutched Pagogo tighter.
“No…” she mumbled. “Nothing happened.”
Murdock knelt down to Dot’s level and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure? You can always talk to me.”
Dot sighed, frustrated, and pushed Murdock’s hand away.
“It’s fine, Murdock,” she insisted.
A hurt expression appeared on Murdock’s face. Dot noticed it, and immediately felt more guilt tugging on her.
“I’m sorry. I’m just… thinking about a lot right now.”
“No, it’s alright. I’ll leave you alone. But if you need anything, just tell me, okay?”
Dot nodded, avoiding eye contact. Once Murdock had left, Dot grumbled, clenching their hair with one hand. Pagogo looked up at them, worried.
Why were they like that? Why did they have to snap at the people they loved at the slightest frustration? It made them look like a real jerk. Granted, they were much nicer than they used to be. But sometimes their old self would peak through, and that would only make them more mad.
Dot took a deep breath. They decided to think about this later. Right now, they wanted to focus on Liko.
~~~~~
Liko heard the automatic door slide open behind her. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Dot– of all people– standing there while holding Pagogo. Locking eyes with her for a split second, she felt her stomach twist into a knot with nervousness. She frantically turned back around, staring into the night. Liko felt her heart pound inside her chest as Dot walked up next to her, staying quiet at first.
Pagogo babbled happily and reached for Liko. Dot held it out to her, and she took it into her arms. Pagogo bumped its head against Liko’s chin affectionately, as if relieved to see that she was okay.
“Pagogo was worried about you,” said Dot.
“Oh…” Liko barely managed past a whisper. Naturally, she was timid to be talking to Dot– especially alone like this. She thought about saying something again, but couldn’t conjure anything up.
Awkward silence ensued as the pair gazed out at the rippling waves and twinkling night sky surrounding the airship. Dot folded their arms and rested them on the railing. The cool, soft breeze blew against their overgrown bangs covering half their face, briefly revealing their second eye. They seemed tense, clenching the fabric of their sleeves and pressing their lips together like they wanted to say something.
Dot glanced at Liko, and she realized she’d been staring. She quickly looked away, holding Pagogo closer. It looked up at its trainer curiously, and she started stroking its head. Liko wasn’t sure why she was being so quiet and averting to Dot. Of course, she did have feelings for her, but for that same reason she wanted to spend lots of time with them.
The two had been apart for a whole year, and that was the longest year of Liko’s life. She hadn’t been keeping up with Nidothing’s videos for that year, but she had a feeling that those videos would remind her of Dot and make her sad anyway. And even after the pair had reunited at the Patisserie Soapberry, they didn’t really get the chance to just hang out and catch up. Just saying a few words here and there. Roy, Ult, Liko, Dot… all of them had been extremely busy. And their brains were more than occupied. But now, finally, the two could relax. They had the chance to just spend time with each other. Talk about anything they wanted.
And yet… neither of them were.
At last, Liko decided to open her mouth and break the silence, but was beaten to it.
“Liko,” Dot started, their gentle voice cutting through the aching, heavy quietness. For a few seconds, Liko anxiously waited for what they were going to say next. “I’m worried about you, too.”
Liko paused, wondering why Dot said “too.” But then she remembered how Dot said Pagogo was worried about her. Both of them were concerned. For some reason. She looked down at Pagogo in her arms, whose sparkling teal eyes blinked curiously.
Liko finally mustered up a reply.
“I’m sorry.”
Dot drew their eyebrows together, confused. “What are you sorry for?”
Liko avoided their gaze. “I’m sorry for making you– and Pagogo– worry about me.”
“Liko- I-” Dot dug their fingers into their bangs, fidgeting restlessly. “That’s hardly your fault. You don’t need to apologize for that.”
Liko tried to brush it off. “Okay, but, why are you worried about me?”
Dot’s gaze dropped to the floor, and sadness seemed to wash over them.
“It’s… Um…” Their eyes darted around frantically, as if they were searching for the right words to say. Were they trying not to offend her? Did Liko seem that easily hurt by words? Or were they just trying to be polite?
Liko shook her head. Now wasn’t the time for overthinking.
“You seem… different,” Dot continued. “Ever since we saw each other again, you’ve been acting distant, like something’s bothering you. You know you can always talk to me, or Roy, or anyone, right?”
Liko felt her stomach sink with guilt. In her efforts to keep her messy, unpleasant feelings away from those she cared about, she ended up making them worry more.
“I’m sorry,” Liko started. “I didn’t mean to-”
“Hold on,” Dot interrupted. “Stop apologizing.”
Liko bit back the rest of her words. Dot’s voice was assertive, but not angry. Although, she could tell that Dot was just a little bit frustrated now, by the stern look in their eyes. Liko decided not to say anything more that could make things worse.
Dot exhaled. “Something’s on your mind, Liko. And I want to help you, but… I can’t if you don’t talk about it.”
Liko’s heart fluttered at the kind statement, only to be drowned out by a lump forming in her throat. Guilt, grief, shame, love, relief of knowing how much Dot wanted to help her… it was bubbling up again. And she could barely find the energy to shove it away.
Pagogo had seemingly gotten bored of the endlessly dragging on conversation, and it jumped out of Liko’s arms. It began wandering around the deck aimlessly outside the observation room. Liko and Dot ended up watching it as it sniffed the wooden floor and looked up at the stars.
“Liko,” Dot continued after she didn’t respond for a while. “Do you remember when you and Roy first joined the Rising Volt Tacklers?”
Liko nodded, too scared to talk with the lump in her throat.
“Remember how I was, well… an asshole, to say the least?”
Liko was a bit taken aback by Dot’s sudden language, but chuckled and nodded again.
Dot went on. “I always stayed in my room, refused to talk to anyone, and was overall pretty rude. I hated interacting with any other crew members, and just hoped they’d leave me alone. But you…”
Dot’s gaze dropped to the floor, and she smiled shyly. “You still treated me just like anyone else. You were kind to me, even when I didn’t exactly deserve it. Eventually, you helped me come out of my shell, and I’m so grateful for that. But… it kinda seems like you’ve gone into your own shell. And if you truly don’t want to talk about it, I won’t force you. But I’d like to return the favor.”
Liko felt like all her emotions were going to explode out of her chest like fireworks at that moment. All the warm fuzzy emotions along with all the painful stabbing emotions were desperately trying to break free.
“Eheh… that was pretty sappy of me to say. But really, I’d like to- Wh- Liko, are you crying?!”
Liko realized too late that tears had flooded her eyes, and she quickly tried to wipe them. Her face began scrunching up, and her nose sniffled. She subconsciously tried to hide her face with her hands, but she knew it was no use.
Liko stammered between sniffles. “That was- I- I’m sor- I mean-”
Dot panicked for a moment, seemingly unsure of what to do or say in this situation. Eventually, they just held out their arms invitingly, awkwardly trying to avoid eye contact. Liko fell into their embrace, burying her face into their shoulder. She had to bend down slightly to properly hug them, considering they were much shorter than her. But it was alright. Being able to cry freely with Dot was the most comforting, yet nervewracking thing ever. Pagogo babbled worriedly, noticing Liko’s sudden burst of emotion. It rubbed its head against her leg, as if trying to console her.
After a while of sobbing quietly in their arms, Liko finally lifted her head to look at Dot. She smiled weakly, even though she still sniffled, tears stained her cheeks, and her face and eyes were red. Her face grew redder when she realized she and Dot were still holding each other. But, she wasn’t in the state to let go quite yet.
“Do you feel any better?” Dot asked warmly.
“Kinda,” Liko’s breath occasionally hitched while talking. “I think that… I’ve been bottling up my feelings for a bit too long.”
Dot stifled a laugh. “You think?”
Liko chuckled, wiping more tears from her face. “Yeah. It’s just that… lots of things happened before the Rising Volt Tacklers disbanded. And I never really talked to anyone about how it made me feel because I didn’t want to burden everyone, and there are much more, y’know, dire things to worry about.”
Dot frowned. “Not even Ann? You didn’t talk to her?”
“Only barely,” Liko replied. “I didn’t like talking about the Rising Volt Tacklers. It only reminded me of… what happened.”
Dot nodded. “I see. It hit us all pretty hard. It was… frustrating.”
Liko tilted her head curiously, and Dot let go of her. They turned back to the sea and night sky before them, and rested their arms on the deck railing once again.
“...Frustrating?” Liko repeated.
Dot sighed. “Yeah, that’s kind of an understatement. What happened at Rakua kinda messed me up, too. But… in a different way.”
“What do you mean?”
Dot was still facing away from Liko, but continued talking. “I don’t like to be beaten, Liko. Cheated, defeated, crushed, whatever you wanna call it. It really pisses me off.”
Liko got a tinge of worry as she felt an angry aura start emanating off Dot. They were clenching the sleeves of their shirt again as their arms were folded on the railing.
“We worked so hard. We went all around the world, battled the Explorers so many times, and spent so much time just to get to Rakua. We helped Mr. Lucius seal away the Rakurium, making a promise to him in the process. He thought we had helped him rid the world of Rakurium, protecting Pokemon from the horrible effects of it. He put his trust in us.”
Dot’s voice suddenly got lower and colder.
“But that lying, cheating, conniving, vile piece of-”
“Dot! Dot…” Liko put a hand on Dot’s trembling shoulder in an attempt to calm them down. Their once scowling face softened, and the angry aura emanating from them thinned. They picked their arms off the railing and turned to face Liko again.
“Sorry, Liko,” Dot said. “Feelings are a weird thing, aren’t they?”
Liko swallowed nervously, and blushed. “Yeah, they are.” She scolded herself in her head for a moment. Obviously, that’s not what Dot meant.
Dot went on. “They’re irritating, confusing, vague, fuzzy, and sometimes they hit you like a truck.”
Liko’s brain seemed to shut off. It was struggling to comprehend what Dot was even going on about right now. They were being strangely poetic, which was unlike them.
Dot seemed to notice Liko’s indecipherable expression and looked away frantically. Their face reddened underneath their bangs.
“I- sorry, I don’t even know what I’m talking about,” Dot said, which only confused Liko even more. “I guess, what I’m trying to say is…”
Dot continued staring at nothing, fidgeting with their bangs tensely as they blushed furiously. The atmosphere thickened, and Liko wasn’t sure if she was supposed to say anything or not. Instead, she just froze as Dot collected their words.
“I- Uh… I care about you. Like, a lot.”
Liko blinked. “I care about you, too, Dot. Isn’t that what friends are for?”
“Wh- That’s not-” Dot grumbled, and then laughed while fidgeting with their bangs more. “How could anyone be so clueless?”
Dot pointed at themself with their thumb, looking Liko straight in the eyes. “I… I have feelings for you, Liko!”
Liko’s brain short-circuited, struggling to process what on Earth she just heard. That was the absolute least thing she expected Dot to say, and when she finally comprehended it, her heart just about exploded.
“EEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!?!”
“Uh- Liko! Quiet down! Everyone’s probably trying to get to bed soon!”
Liko clasped her hands over her mouth with a muffled, “Sorry.”
Pagogo looked very confused why Liko just yelled so suddenly. She finally let go of her mouth, attempting to string together a coherent sentence. Her face was beet red, and so was Dot’s.
“I- Are you sure??”
Dot paused. “Yes??? Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I mean- this is so sudden- and- well- I like you, too, but- WAIT A MINUTE-”
Liko clasped her hands over her mouth again, feeling like she was going to die from embarrassment at that admission.
Dot smiled widely, and started giggling. “What did you say?”
“Nothing!” Liko panicked.
“C’mon, I didn’t hear you,” Dot teased. “Can you speak up?”
Liko started laughing, a whole lot. “I said I like you, too, Dot! I like you, too!”
Once the pair’s laughing nearly stopped, they both stared at each other for a moment, grinning.
“So, uh…” Liko started awkwardly. “Now what?”
“We could start dating,” Dot said bluntly.
Liko stammered profoundly for a moment. “One step at a time! But… yeah, that would be nice.”
Dot beamed. “That makes me really happy, Liko.”
“But, one more thing–” Liko began. “Keep this just between us, alright? I don’t think I’m quite ready to be open about it, yet.”
Dot nodded. “Take as much time as you need.” They instinctively checked their Rotom Phone for the time. “Oh, shit, it’s getting late. We should probably go to bed so Mollie doesn’t scold us for staying up.”
“Yup,” Liko agreed.
Silence for a moment. “Uh… I guess… Goodnight, Liko.”
They gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before hastily walking away, closing the glass door behind them. Liko’s brain short-circuited again. She stood there completely still on the observation room deck before smiling and giggling, squeezing her eyes shut with excitement.
Liko scooped up Pagogo before spinning around cheerfully.
“Pagogo, did you see that?!” she exclaimed as she stopped.
A dizzy Pagogo’s head wobbled around, not quite processing anything that Liko was saying.
“Oops, sorry. Guess we should get to bed now, huh?”
Liko walked over to the glass door and reached for the handle, only for it to be violently swung open before she touched it. There stood Meowscarada, who looked less than pleased.
“Oh… hi, Meowscarada,” Liko said awkwardly. “You’ve probably been worrying about me, haven’t you. Sorry about that. I was… busy.”
Meowscarada meowed disgruntledly. And just as Liko expected, she grabbed her by the hood and dragged her off to bed.