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Braixen didn’t know how Chespin would react to her evolution. Given his apprehensions when she brought it up before, it wasn’t all that surprising that he would have reacted negatively. But when she proposed the idea of the two still hanging out and not caring if he was only in his first evolution, she was only met by a quiet “we’ll see” from him. All she could do was watch as he walked away. Heavy sadness weighed in her stomach.
Hugging her chest as the cool night breeze clung to her fur, the larger tail she now carried from her evolved form dragged on the sidewalk, collecting dust and stray leaves. Why was this such a big issue for Chespin? They can see the film they wanted now! They could do so many things together! She didn’t understand why he had to make things so… so weird!
“Fuck!” Braixen yelped, quickly pulling her paws away from her body. In her high emotions, she’d begun to emit embers. Great. Even after evolving, she still had to deal with her fire bullshit. Tears welled up in the fire fox’s eyes. She didn’t want to go home. She didn’t want to be alone. She wanted to see Chikorita.
The thought made Braixen stop in her tracks. See Chikorita? What the hell would they do? Offer her a joint and tell her to smoke her problems away? Arceus, she really needed to make better friends. She thought she had done that with Chespin, but it seems like she’s managed to sabotage yet another good friendship. Friendship. That’s all it was, and that’s all it should have been. Sure, he was cute, but that was that. The more time went on, the more she begun to realize that maybe she wasn’t cut out for this. She didn’t know what was wrong with her, and maybe that’s never something she’d find out.
Before Braixen knew it, she was in front of Chikorita’s door. She didn’t know what she needed, she just needed… someone, right now. It was a little late, so she hesitated. Chikorita’s parents probably wouldn’t be too keen on some disheveled looking Braixen they’ve never seen before arriving at their door in the dark on a school night. Maybe she could throw a pebble at Chikorita’s window? A little cliche, but at least she wouldn’t be interrupting anyone…
“Fennekin? Is that you?” A scratchy voice called from above her. Looking up, she made eye contact with Chikorita. They could only stare back, awestruck by the sight in front of them. “Holy shit, Fennekin, how many of those did ya’ fuckin’ take?” The grass type called out. Braixen could only roll her eyes at their indifference towards the situation. “Just- ugh… can I come in? Please?”
Not responding, Chikorita disappeared from the window. Within moments, the door opened in front of her. “Shit man, you look rough.” They coughed, their eyes narrowed and slightly reddened. Braixen scoffed at the sight. Of course they were high. “You know, actually, I think I’ll head out. It’s fine-”
“Nonono. Dude, I’m fine. I’m sorry, just.. damn. I, uh… are… you good?” Chikorita offered awkwardly, leaning against the doorframe. That’s all it took for Braixen to break, bursting into tears and crumbling in front of them into a sobbing mess, slurring a mess of incoherent words between her cries and hiccups.
“Whoa- uhh.. you’re a mess.”
“Fuck you! That doesn’t help!” Braixen spat, raising her voice.
“Shit, okay, I’m sorry! Just please, be quiet, man.. my parents are asleep. I wanna help you out but you gotta work with me here.” Stumbling over themselves a bit, Chikorita leaned down to help the fire elemental up off the ground. Defeated, Braixen took their hand and followed them up to their room.
“Chikorita? What was that hollerin’ about?” Their father sleepily called from his room. The two paused in their tracks, panicked. Braixen could practically see the gears turning in Chikorita’s head as they wrestled for an answer.
“Uhh crackwhore. She’s gone now. Goin’ back to bed. Uhh. Goodnight.” Braixen narrowed her eyes and flattened her ears, unamused at Chikorita’s stupidity and also not appreciated being compared to the likes of a junkie. However, it seemed to have worked, with the only response being tired grumbles about how this town was going to shit.
Carefully shutting the door behind them, Chikorita sighed a breath of relief as Braixen plopped down on the ground. “So… you, um… why’d you.. do that? Never took you for a druggie.” Their wording was a tad awkward, as if they were walking on eggshells as to not upset her. Braixen couldn’t blame them. Her emotional intensity landed them in the hospital before, after all. Not to mention how their brain was probably stunted from constant drug use. What a moron, she couldn’t help but think to herself through her exhaustion. Their room reeked of pot, only being aired out by the window being open. But even through their emotional constipation, they were showing her kindness. In their own weird way.
“I’m not. I don’t do drugs. They’d make me more stupid than I already am.” She muffled, unmoving from the carpeted floor. Either Chikorita ignored the backhanded remark, or they didn’t catch it. “Your chest feel funny? Y’should probably go to the doctor if your chest feels funny.”
“I’m fine,” she groaned, “I didn’t even eat it. I put it in my mouth and spit it right back out. Your friend can have them back.”
“Damn,” Chikorita responded, stretching and leaning back against where their mattress met the wall, “guess you were pretty close to evolving then. That’s lucky, man. I’m a grade above you and I’m still a stupid Chikorita.”
Braixen sighed, rubbing her sore eyes and finally sitting up. “I don’t even feel any different. Taller, I guess. But I still feel like a dumbass.”
“Yeeeup. That was pretty dumb. Like I said, even I don’t touch that shit.”
“You’re really not that emotionally intelligent. Has anyone ever told you that?” As upset as she was, she couldn’t help but feel a little comforted by their casualty. They weren’t treating her like some monster for making the wrong choice, and maybe that’s all she needed. Even if they themselves were as comforting as a rock. Chikorita shrugged. “Well, I never said I was. You came to me.”
There was silence for a moment before Braixen abruptly spoke again. “I just wanted to fit in better. The faster I grow up, the more shit I’ll have figured out, right?” She scoffed as the words came out of her mouth, realizing just how naive she sounded. “Nothing works. Therapy, switching schools… getting a type change to take my fire out. I’m just stuck like this.” When she looked up, she saw Chikorita was reaching over to the rolling tray on their nightstand, picking up an unfinished joint. If they were going to ask her to light it again, they were out of luck. They didn’t look up as they spoke. “Hell, man, you got some real problems.”
As much as Braixen wanted to go off on them, she bit her tongue and settled for sarcasm. “Gee, thanks.”
“It’s kinda cool though, I mean.. you kinda just keep goin’. You’re pretty badass, y’know?” Their tone was the normal kind of disinterested that it always was when they spoke. It somehow made a compliment feel more like a casual observation. Still, Braixen felt flustered. Her face flushed the comment. “Me? Ah- no, you shouldn’t think I’m cool for being the way I am. I mean, I- uh… my fire… it-”
“Burned me?” They interjected. “Yeah. Kinda deserved it. I was bein’ an ass.”
Well, yeah, they were. But Braixen didn’t know that they knew that. And if they did, she sure as shit wasn’t expecting them to care. “You’re… not still mad at me for that? Like even a little bit?”
“Pssh,” Chikorita waved their hand dismissively, “nope. You’re a chill dude when you’re not freaking the hell out. Hangin’ out with that little Chespin dude has kinda mellowed you out a bit.”
Braixen’s heart ached at the mention of Chespin, causing her to hug her knees. “Chespin… he’s pretty pissed at me for doing that. I’m so stupid and impulsive.”
“So what? He lets people walk all over him. He’ll get over it.”
Braixen fell into a frantic rant, unleashing every thought she’s been holding in within the last hour. “I don’t want to walk all over him, Chikorita! I just want to be friends but he puts me on this pedestal as some perfect friend that I’m not, a-and he’s been so weird ever since I broke up with him, and it’s like- Arceus! I don’t even know if I like boys! I just feel like I should! I hate the idea of doing romantic stuff with him and I always have, I just wanted to be friends!” Her grip tightened around her knees. “Sheesh…” Chikorita huffed. “Do you think you should, like… I dunno, talk to him?”
Braixen took a breath. She picked up her tail and begun to pick leaves and debris that it collected. She’d have to learn to start lifting it up so that it wouldn’t drag like that. “I know he doesn’t want to… but I probably should. I’ll give him some space, he seemed…” she clicked her tongue, thinking of an accurate adjective to use for her friend’s behavior, “off, when we last talked.”
“Yeah, that guy’s a weird dude.” Chikorita snickered. As much as Braixen wanted to defend her friend, they were right. Chespin was a pretty weird guy. But, he was nice to her through everything. He deserves that kindness back, after everything she’s put him through. Though that kindness wasn’t something that she was sure she could provide. It’s not like setting others on fire and trying to choke them out when they make you angry is something that a kind Pokémon does. I need to think about this, Braixen mentally decided. “I think I’m gonna go. Thanks, Chikorita.”
“Yeah. Before you go, give me a light, would ya’?” They pointed their joint in her direction. Braixen let out a long, drawn out sigh. “Fine. Do you seriously not have a lighter?” The grass type smirked, watching the fox’s embers spark with a glint of admiration in their eye. “Nah, I do.”