Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

So close. Shiho was so close.

“Toxtricity, use overdrive!” She commanded, her voice powerful enough to echo through the stadium.

Her partner Toxtricity began charging power, and was about to let it all out when-

“Lucario, pound it into the ground. Use brick-break.” The opponent ordered.

The opposing Lucario was too fast, delivering a punch to Toxtricity in the stomach that sent it flying backwards. Shiho swiftly caught it with a grunt, glancing at its face. It was knocked right out.

“Toxtricity is unable to battle!” The announcer shouted out. “The winner is Lucario, on only ten HP!”

So close… yet so far.

“You were great, Toxtricity.” Shiho murmured softly, unclipping her partner’s pokéball from her belt. “Rest up.”

She pressed the button on the ball with her thumb, watching as her pokémon dissolved into red light and transferred into it.

This was the fourth time Shiho had lost at Galar’s Pokémon League tournament. Always on the second or third round, as well…

She realized she had been zoning out when someone tapped her shoulder. She quickly stood up.

Her opponent shook her hand. “Good match.”

“...y…yeah. Good match.”

After analyzing the match’s recording on her phone over and over, Shiho had built up a rather large stack of notes. Ah, right there, if I could’ve gotten Absol to stand a meter further back, it could've dodged…

She stretched, before noticing the window of her hotel room. “It’s morning already…?”

Her phone’s ringtone went off at full volume, and she leapt out of her chair onto the floor in surprise. After a moment to get herself together, she answered the call and pressed the phone to her ear. “...hello?”

[Shiho! I saw your match on TV- you were super cool!] Exclaimed a familiar voice.

“Ah, Saki.” Shiho murmured, standing up and sitting on her bed. “Thanks.”

It had been a long time since they had talked. It was a little awkward. Last time was when they were around twelve, when Shiho visited to say she was starting her journey seemingly out of nowhere.

…she couldn’t help but feel guilty that she hadn’t told Saki the full truth that day.

[Guess what? I’m getting discharged from the hospital tomorrow! I can finally go on a journey too, like I always wanted!]

…what?

“Saki, that’s great.” Shiho smiled slightly. “Good luck.”

[Actually, I have a favor to ask…] Saki spoke. [You see, me and Icchan want to go together, but neither of us really have any experience or survival instincts, s-so… if it’s not too much trouble for you, could we fly out to Galar to come get mentored- or supervised by you?!]

The bassist tensed.

[And maybe we can get Hona too… but! You don’t have to, I’m just wondering-]

“I’ll do it.” Shiho answered before she could think it through. “I’ll… I’ll do it.”

[Really?! Yay, you’re the best, Shiho!!] Saki cheered over the phone. [This is amazing- hold on, someone’s here to visit me! I’ll talk to you later, bye!]

“Bye…” Shiho murmured as the call ended.

Even after that, she still held the phone to her ear, processing.

Saki… and Ichika and Honami.

The more she thought, the more regrets she had.

“What did I just do…?”

Chapter Text

So, there Shiho was. At Wyndon’s airport. Watching as a plane from Kanto landed.

She didn’t know exactly what to feel. On one hand, Saki. On the other, the two people she had specifically told to get lost.

When she crawled out of her thoughts, she found herself digging her nails into her forearm so hard that she had managed to break a layer of skin, and she quickly moved her hand away to grip the bench she was sitting on instead.

Breathe.

For a second, she wondered what would happen if she took a plane to an uninhabited island and just lived there forever, playing her bass and eating seaweed everyday.

Before she could do anything though, she heard cheering behind her.

“Shiho-chaaaaaaaaan!!”

Shiho quickly put on a practiced smile and turned around. “Saki. Good to see you.”

She caught a glimpse of Ichika and Honami behind her. They… both looked extremely awkward, not making eye contact with each other or Shiho. Which was… fair.

Shiho didn’t deserve to be looked at.

“It’s been so long!! Tell us all about your journey!” Saki jumped up and down, latching onto the bassist’s arm. “Wait, wait wait- first, we should meet your team, right?!”

“Simmer down a little first.” Shiho chuckled softly. She glanced up at Ichika and Honami. “...hi.”

“Hi…” Honami murmured slowly, while Ichika just opened her mouth, before closing it again.

They hate me. I abandoned them, now they hate me.

Shiho unlatched the four pokéballs from her belt, before throwing them in the air. “Come meet my friends, guys.”

She could see Saki’s eyes sparkling as each of her pokemon appeared. Even Ichika and Honami looked somewhat amazed. “Woah…”

“This is Toxtricity, Absol, Nidoking, and-” Shiho grunted as her small bunny pokemon bounced up to sit on her shoulder. “Bunneary.”

“They’re even cooler in person!!” Saki squealed, dashing around so fast she was just a blur. “So cool-!! Hwaahhh, Absol’s so fluffy!! Hey, Hona, you have Pokémon too, right? How about you show them off too!”

Honami has a team?

All eyes turned to Honami.

“Oh, u-um…” The brunette averted her gaze. Shiho averted her own gaze too, to help her feel less in the spotlight. “Yeah… I do. They’re a little shy, though.”

“We all met Bao when it was an egg, though!”

Before the conversation could continue further, an announcement went through the large room. [The train to Postwick will be leaving in five minutes.]

“Better safe than sorry. Everyone, return.” Shiho said, returning her team to their pokéballs. “Let’s go.”

“Right!” Saki did a mock salute, following her to the train.

Shiho briefly made eye contact with a strange Meowth. A Kantonian Meowth, to be specific. Before she could question it, it disappeared.

Huh. Must’ve been my imagination.

And with that, off they went.