Archive of Our Own

Days at the Flaque Day Care have been slow going lately.

Remy knew not to argue about it. The hectic days were days where he would find himself blacking out at his bed at midnight, and that’s if he managed to get there. All the new arrivals and baby Pokémon and raising them right and well and healthy was a lot to take care of for anyone. Even if he enjoyed the act of doing something, and even if he didn’t have the moral backbone to ask for a break.

As it was, he was checking up on the locked rooms to make sure none of the Pokémon had broken into it in the night. It’s happened before, despite most of them being four-legged and short, which probably bodes well for their intelligence. Not so much for their Trainer’s sanity, though. Luckily, this was a day free of any intelligent worries. This meant that he could use the time to take out supplies for their breakfast and—

Then he heard a knock.

Remy checked around to see if anyone was round, which was a foolish thing considering it was his shift. While of course the Day Care owner was around, looking after the eggs that required special care and constant attention, he never really minded his presence as much. To him, the owner was like the sturdy tree he could see from the window to the outside field— old and unmoving. Not much to get him to do something that didn’t fit his idea of a schedule, which meant that Remy usually worked around it.

But, ah, the door.

He made sure to adjust his overalls and the satchel on his right side before walking forward, ready to see who it was. Another Pokémon that needs supervision? Lost Trainers? Someone wanting advice?

Remy put a hand on the handle, hyping himself up for human company, and gently twisted it open.

Whatever comes, will come.

Bonnie’s been waiting for this day since forever.

Well, not forever. But ever since she’s heard what new place had caught Serena’s eye, she couldn’t help the excited energy pushing her forward. A Day Care! Full of baby Pokémon! Full of Pokémon eggs! She’s never even seen a Pokémon egg before!

It was her who ran forward, more awake than anyone as she spied the building in front of them. She knew that the Day Care was close, closer than close, even, and so she could barely sleep last night. She knew Clemont was going to berate her for it later— She even knew that her body was inevitably going to betray her the way that it did. But babies always sleep early, right? She could take her nap then.

Even then, she did make sure to stop and call for them once in a while. “Hurry up!” Bonnie hollered on top of the hill, cupping her hands around her mouth. The others groaned as they trudged forward, looking almost zombie-like in their paces. She huffed, crossing her arms and impatiently tapping her foot against the ground. Why couldn’t they just wake up already?

Ash, surprisingly, was the one lagging behind— almost being led on by Pikachu who was sitting on his cap and rocking his head back and forth. His jacket was half zipped, which got Serena standing far away from him the whole morning. It was a little bit funny, seeing all of that go down. “We’re coming… just… wait…”

“Does the Day Care even open this early?” Clemont yawned as rubbed his eyes from underneath his glasses, almost knocking them off. He quickly steadied them afterwards, but the action wasn’t missed by an eagle-eyed Serena, who held a self-satisfied grin. Probably at the fact that she was the only one properly dressed, down to tying her hair up in a low bun for ‘ease of access’ or something. To be fair, without Fennekin’s impromptu help, she would’ve been in the same state, but Bonnie refrained from exposing that secret— after all, there were bigger Magikarp to catch, anyways.

She nodded emphatically at the question being asked. “It does, it does! I checked in the Pokémon Centre!” The looks she gained from that were… not optimal, but Bonnie shook it off. After all, what was she meant to do? Just dream about when it would open? As if!

By the time they arrived to where she was, Bonnie was quickly speeding away once more. Just a little bit further! She could almost feel the snuggles and softness! The door was all too swiftly in front of her, and it took some effort to dig her feet in and stop before she missed it. Chest heaving, eyes bright, she jumped in place and shook herself about. It was happening! The day had finally arrived!

It took a lot more effort than expected to hold on the squee she had, but Bonnie made it work. She turned her head over and found Serena being the closest to where she was, which made the younger girl bite her lip as she remembered who this trip was for. Because while Serena wouldn’t admit it, she’s been getting desperate lately with finding something that worked for her.

No matter what, though, nobody could claim that baby Pokémon couldn’t cheer someone up. Bonnie was a staunch believer of that. And so, without further ado, she ran up to Serena and started to push her forward. “You’re soooo close!” she called out as she heaved someone taller, heavier and older than her, “Just a few more steps…”

Serena let out a small brittle laugh. “Ah, really? I hadn’t noticed.” Her feet weren’t moving, but they weren’t holding her back, and so Bonnie persisted. The baby Pokémon. Their warm beds. Their tiny cries. It was going to be amazing, and they were both going to experience it.

“Well, you should!” Another shove, and the distance between them became even shorter. Just a meter shy from the actual door had Serena suddenly stand up, which got Bonnie to stumble and quickly self-correct her course lest she hit the ground. Even still, she confidently brushed off the quick movements with a chuckle and then bounced towards the entrance. “Look, look, look, we’re actually here! The Pokémon Day Care!” She cocked her head at her friend, pointing to the handle. “Aren’t you going to open it?”

“Well…” Serena had her eyes on the boys, who were close. Super close. Not that close though, but not so far as to get that worried look on her face. Bonnie didn’t understand it. Serena then shook her head and let go of a held-in breath before knocking on the door.

Now that the door was taken care of, Bonnie gripped the sides of her bag, channeling all that energy to her balled up hands. The door will open. Someone will open it. That person would talk, probably, and she would have to listen to the words exchanged and make sure to observe good manners all throughout (although if it were a kindly lady, she might have to consider an important message to share), and then, and only then, she could run out to find the baby Pokémon. 

Or, as Dedenne's curiously-cute-while-sleeping little face could’ve whispered, she could just run in there and do it anyway. It wasn’t like she was ignorant, or knew little of how to care for Pokémon. She’s already doing that now! So, surely, a head start wouldn’t hurt, right?

Right?

Remy had just opened the door when a blur of motion whizzed past him. Completely taken aback by this sudden movement, he locked eyes with the person standing in front of him.

And that was a female Trainer. She had tightly yelped after the speeding blue but quickly composed herself as his gaze met hers, and dimly, he noticed two boys coming up behind her. So, this was a group outing? “Hello there, and welcome to the Day Care. How may I help you?”

One of the boys, with a massive pack on his back and large round-rimmed glasses, turned his head all around in a panic. “Wait— Don’t tell me Bonnie just ran in there?!”

“Then I won’t tell you?” the girl replied, raising her eyebrow at him. 

The other boy, with a Pikachu resting on his shoulder, bursted out in a cackle at that, and the blond sent her a displeased look before turning to Remy. “Ah, sorry for the whole situation… Remy.” He squinted at the name card, before giving him an apologetic expression. “My sister, she likes Pokémon. A lot. I think she may have just invited herself in to play with them.”

Ah, so that’s what it was. Remy waved his hands out at them placatingly. “That’s fine. Most of the Pokémon are already awake and just eating their food. As long as she doesn’t bother them…” He caught the pensive looks on their faces. “She’s going to bother them, isn’t she?”

The girl at the forefront quickly ran in, calling out towards the quicker-than-light Bonnie. Remy had just caught a passing glance before the boys barreled in after her, and then his head reminded him that, hey, this was where he worked at, and he quickly closed the door before following them. Luckily his knowledge of the building helped him in leading the group to the feeding grounds, where— yep, a young girl was crouched and intently watching an Espurr as he ate. Remy stood to the side as the girl's brother chewed her out, before a robotic arm came out of his bag and pulled the girl away from the area. 

Well, that was something new today. Remy couldn’t wait to tell the owner of the establishment later, if he had the time. After a very firm conversation, Bonnie was released from her punishment and she automatically ran over to stand in front of Remy with big round and shiny eyes. “I’m so sorry, mister, for what I’ve done!” she cried, bowing in front of him almost immediately. “Please forgive me! I just really really wanted to play with the Pokémon and they really are so cute and I’ve been waiting forever for this.”

“It’s… It’s fine.” It really was. Well, mostly. The little Espurr may have been a little spooked, but he’s always like that. Bending down on one knee, Remy rubbed Bonnie’s head and graced her with a big grin. “You know, it’s people like you who really make this work worth it. These Pokémon get bored easily seeing the same things, so I’m sure they appreciate your enthusiasm as well.”

Bonnie looked positively charmed by his words. “Really? You mean it, sir?” Before he could reply, she jumped to her feet and pointed at the other girl in the room. “Serena, that means it's perfect for you!”

“You didn’t even listen to what he had to say,” Serena grumbled, but there were notes of fondness for it. 

It reminded him of his relationship with someone else, and Remy flushed before he cleared his chest. Having caught all four of their attention (and the Pikachu, he supposed), he decided to finally talk. “Now that the problem is all taken care of, I must ask, do you have any business here? I don’t want to be holding you if there is,” he quickly added, since he realised the way his previous speech may be misinterpreted, “But I do want to make sure that if I can do something for you all, it’s done before I get started on the other work.”

Serena opened her mouth before she shut it, turning away, and the boy with the cap exclaimed, “C’mon, aren’t you going to say where you’re here?”

“I will!” she protested, “Just give me a second! You’re all… I don't know.”

“We get it,” Bonnie’s brother said, wisely stepping in before turning to Remy once more. His eyes narrowed before he gasped and tugged at the other boy’s sleeve. “Wait! We forgot to introduce ourselves!”

The capped boy shrugged blasé-like while being shook around. “Really?”

Remy… better step in. “Yeah, really. Maybe I should’ve stated. As you all can tell from my tag here—” And he gave a helpful tug at what was attached to his frock— “My name is Remy. I’m a worker in this Day Care, and as you can see I really like Pokémon.” He gave a wink to Bonnie, whose eyes visibly brightened at the recognition. 

Her brother nodded before pointing to himself. “I’m Clemont, and it’s nice to meet you.” He then pointed to the person beside him. “And that’s Ash.”

“And this is my buddy Pikachu!” The other boy waved at him with a grin, jerking a thumb to the electric mouse on his shoulder. “It’s pretty cool to know that you run this whole place, you know.”

“Oh, I’m just an employee here.” One of the Pokémon— a frisky Poochyena— jumped into a fight with her brother, and Remy sighed as he walked over to then split them up. Holding the Poochyena upwards, he dodged one of its kicks before holding it away at arms length. “Okay, Deema, you’re going outside right now. You’ve got to get that energy out in more productive ways than fighting everything you see.” Walking over to the double window-length doors, he used his elbow to twist it open and let the Dark Type scrabble free from his grip, watching it run out towards the morning-lit grass.

As usual, seeing Deema running out had all the other Pokémon make their own way outside. Remy stepped out of the way as he mentally tallied them in his head, watching their gait and making sure that they’re all okay as he pulled out his pen and a piece of scrap paper to check off. After watching the last Politoad hop out, he turned his attention to the humans standing in doors and mentally cursed. Getting wrapped up in work was an instinct he could hardly combat. “I’m sorry if—”

Bonnie suddenly made a high-pitched humming sound, holding herself closer as she made tiny jumps from foot to foot. The others looked pensive as they looked at him, eyes pleading for mercy, and as always, Remy relented. “…Feel free to play with the Pokémon. I’m sure they won’t mind now.”

“Yes!” Bonnie screamed before running out of the building and down the stairs (after respectfully placing her pouchette on a coat hanger), arms outstretched towards the nearest Pokémon with a skip to her step. Remy couldn’t help but smile as he watched the sight; after all, he really did mean what he said when he talked about loving Pokémon.

Watching someone else share their love in such a way… it was almost nostalgic. 

Serena sat on the patio as she watched feeding time go down.

The Day Care worker, Remy, was going to cart out the bowls for the new day’s breakfast time for the bigger Pokémon (or the Pokémon that couldn’t feasibly stay indoors). This had brought on Ash who swore that he could help carry the bags of pellets, which then caused the Kantonian to create a conspicuous path of Pokémon feed which predictably got him mobbed. Clemont was in the process of extracting his body with his Aipom Arm and five metres of distance between them.

Fennekin primly stood beside her, not moving an inch. It was sweet, seeing how dedicated her Starter was, but Serena could tell how much she wanted to right the mess before them. “Before you know it, it’ll be like it never happened.”

The fox furrowed her brows as if contemplating the words, before pointedly staring at the situation once more. Remy had placed the last bowl and was now worriedly moving to where the boys were, his auburn hair peaking out from beneath the backwards cap he had on. “Fen…”

“You trust too little. Either that, or you need to let loose once in a while.” Serena rubbed the top of Fennekin’s head, and the Pokémon tried to shrug off the effects before a small yip slipped out of her mouth.

Serena grinned, feeling victorious for a moment.

Fennekin huffed and made herself flat on the floor, all four legs splayed out.

The girl shook her head before turning herself back to the fields. There were so many Pokémon there— all different Types, different origins, different temperaments. It could’ve been overwhelming if not for the sheer space of the area, all complete with mini biomes to accommodate for species that required specific habitats to thrive. Serena felt that small itch in her that wanted to explore, to find out for herself, to understand about these Pokémon and how the Day Care worked, but something was stopping her.

She didn’t know if it would work.

She didn’t want to try again and fail.

She didn’t want to try again and reject someone else’s calling, or fake a smile and talk about later, knowing that it would never come to fruition.

That fear briefly showed itself in their latest trip to Lumiose. Seeing Jessica again was a boon… but also a curse (in that awful selfish way), reminding her of how she almost had something but couldn’t make it stick. Serena knew about grooming Pokémon, had dreamed of it happening, and she had been given the opportunity so easily, too!

…This whole journey has been giving her opportunities.

But when had she ever made it work?

“Pokédollar for your thoughts?”

Serena stiffened up, finding a shadow looming above her. In front was Remy, who flashed her a small smile before he straightened up. “Sorry about that. Just didn’t want you to lose your sight with a staring contest against the sun. Trust me, you’ll always lose. The sun’s a dirty cheater like that.”

She cracked a smile and his grin grew larger, resulting in a small nod from the Breeder. “Sorry about that,” Serena said, shuffling a bit to give him some room. “Just lost in thought.”

“You can say that again.” Remy didn’t sit down, but he didn’t leave either. The sunlight from above caught onto his eyes and they shone an amber hue. It made him look warmer, somehow.

Serena shifted her legs a little, feeling restless for some reason. She didn’t know what to say after that. What were the right words to say? Were there some right words that would make this whole trip worth it? She shook her head after a moment, bowing it down, and Fennekin nudged her emphatically.

Because Fennekin wanted to make it work.

Because everyone wanted to make it work.

But was it even worth the effort of trying when she knew the results?

“You know, there’s a group of Pokémon that need checking.” Serena pushed her head upwards to watch Remy tilt his body towards the far-east of the grasslands, his mouth slightly twisting into a grimace. “They usually become a handful right around now, and since they’ve all had different arrival times, it’ll be a while until they all acclimatise with the place and each other.”

Serena pursed her lips in thought, and Fennekin stood up and trotted over to where Remy was, giving her Trainer a sharp bark. The girl rolled her eyes at that but stood up, understanding what was going on. “If you really need my help…”

Remy gave her a stout nod, as committed to his plan as she’s ever seen someone be. And to be honest?

She pushed herself upright, following beside him as Fennekin stayed on her open side. After all and to be honest, this was probably her best chance yet to see if this place really clicked for her.

Straight from the source himself.

“C’mon, he’s not gonna bite, right, right?”

Ash was standing beside a frankly terrified Clemont, who was holding the bag of pellets between pinched fingers. In front of him was a barrel of Mankey, which was curiously led by a very anxious Aipom, which they were trying to tempt out.

Said Aipom was holding all of Clemont’s bag with just the tip of his tail, wisely staying out of reach as he sniffed downwards.

(Ash fondly remembered his own— which he traded with a dear friend— who had a penchance of doing the same thing. Usually with hats. Hopefully ping-pong has been fun for Ambipom.)

The palm tree was far too tall for either of them to climb, and even if Ash was willing to try, the Mankey were a fingersbreadth away from letting everything break loose in a very physical manner. None of them wanted to bother Remy, who looked pretty busy as of the moment, so this was the best plan.

After all, who could resist food?

“Aipom’s gonna love it, I could just tell!” Ash kept a confident smile on his face as Clemont hesitantly held out the packet of food like a peace offering. The Kantonian could tell how his friends body was locking up due to the stress, and he really wanted to help, but—

(“Leave it to me. It’s my bag.”

“It’s always your bag.”

“What does that mean?”

“Just… Whatever. I’ll still be by your side, you know.”

“That’s fine by me.”)

Clemont was still holding him at arms length, and Ash didn’t know if he was doing the same. 

All these feelings, they were all so cumbersome! He wished he knew how to react to the reveal back then, he wished that there was some piece of experience that could’ve helped him have the right response to everything, just so his friend wouldn’t keep being like this!

It’s not like being independent would help matters much.

Another very awkward minute passed and Ash sighed through his nose. He could practically hear the grass growing at this rate! His mind started to formulate a plan, a crazy one, and his eyes scanned around for the right angle to approach it at. He stepped backwards, slowly, calmly, as he pulled out a Pokéball from his belt and opened it behind his back. A tiny pop revealed a small Pokémon— but by no means a defenceless one.

And with a horde of Fighting-Types ahead, Fletchling knew what to do.

Clemont yelped as he swiveled away from the rampaging Pokémon, the bag swinging from his grasp and dropping several pellets on the ground. Aipom curiously scampered down to try some of the free food lying around, the bag lazily swinging from its grip, and Ash jumped on it to wrestle control once more. This gave rise to a brief struggle, both human and Long Tail Pokémon rolling around on the ground trying to free themselves from the other as well as take something not belonging to each other. But eventually Ash’s sheer determination won out, the Normal-Type scampering away with a displeased expression and a full stomach. 

Ash exhaled as he tapped around for his cap, bringing himself up from the ground with a small laugh. “That guy really was full of energy, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah…”

The Kantonian narrowed his gaze at the boy in front of him, sitting cross-legged as he pulled the prize between them. “You could at least sound a little happier, you know.”

Clemont’s gaze snapped onto him, looking almost indignant. “I am happy! …But thanks. I appreciate your help.” He took back his bag, dragging his fingers over every angle and checking within before putting it on his back. 

“Anytime,” Ash murmured, still feeling weird. There was something odd about this encounter. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Recalling the Pokémon crowding him and the help of an Aipom who had swung out of the blue to take the bag off the vulnerable Clemont supporting his friend, Ash remembered one of the key features of the bag in question. “Hey, your Aipom Arm… I think that might’ve been the reason why Aipom took it.”

“You think?” There was no bite to the words, just clear defeat. Ash tilted his head even more, opening up a shoulder for Fletchling to land on. The claws steadied his mindset, anchoring him in the present. The present was Clemont, his eyes on the ground, a point beyond the two of them.

The Kantonian shrugged. “I mean, faced with such a marvel of technology, of science—”

“Don’t.”

Ash stopped. He wanted to push, but after all this time, he knew better. Pushing hadn’t helped in taking back the Gym, or even knowing about it. “Wanna talk about it?” he said instead, drawing on from the first leg of the journey they’ve shared together, back when the first seeds of friendship had been sown.

And by the surprised look on Clemont’s face, he could tell that there was some merit to it. The boy in front of him turned his check away, the sun covering up any sign of his eyes. “It’s nothing, really. I’m just… focusing on what matters.”

“Okay?” Ash truly had no idea where this was going. But he wanted to try. “And that is?”

“The Gym.” Clemont’s voice was cool, precise, like the sharp side of a blade. Cutting. “Even if I’m not directly supervising it, it’s still my main occupation. I have to keep myself sharp. I have to keep getting stronger.”

“Isn’t this supposed to be a rest, though?”

The Gym Leader faltered, shoulders curling in on himself. “I… can’t. I don’t know how to.” His gaze was intense as he pinned down Ash with it. “A-And any time, any moment, something bad can happen at the Gym. I just, I just left it. I shouldn’t have left it.”

Ash stood up suddenly, causing Fletchling to let out an affronted chirp as he steadied himself on the shifting shoulder, claws digging in deeper. Standing a little behind him, he said, “Are you…” The words were so bitter on his tongue, but he had to say it. Face twisting with the taste, he continued with the next word. “Regretting…”

“No!” Clemont’s eyes were wide when he turned to him, movement almost frantic with the effort. “No, no, no!” His voice emphasised every word, and every repetition served to settle deeper into Ash’s heart. The boy in front shook his head, as if dislodging the thought from his head. “By the Great Order, I don’t think I could ever regret going on this journey, or meeting you and Serena.”

“Then what is it you regret?” Ash asked, nudging him with his free shoulder. Fletchling still disapproved of the gesture, judging by his instinctively clenching.

Clemont held the straps of his bag, fingers absentmindedly tracing over the buttons installed. Looking off to the side, he muttered, “…I don’t know. Everything else. Myself. The time that I have. The time I wish I had before.”

Ash remembered the pieces of story that he got, before, when everything was falling down. Going up. Going somewhere, leading them to this unknown stretch that was now before them. “It was that bad?”

“It was terrible,” Clemont said, completely straight-faced. “But it was all I had. People… are relying on me. They need me to be on top of my game, at all times. And even if they didn’t, if I didn’t, I don’t… know how to relax. I’m just wasting my time trying like this.”

“You’re not wasting time. You’re learning. Isn’t that a part of, I don’t know, life or whatever?” At Clemont’s pursed silence, Ash walked in front of him and continued, using his hands to illustrate his point. “It’s like… to relax, you’ve gotta do something fun for yourself. Something you enjoy.” Ash stood still at this moment, tapping his chest with a proud grin. “For example: I like playing games with my friends in my spare time.”

“I would’ve thought that your kind of training were games,” Clemont murmured underneath his breath, and Ash made a loud affronted sound at that, drawing a small smile from the former's face. Bingo.

Jabbing a finger at him, Ash called out, “Well, excuse me for finding fun where I can!” Harrumphing, he crossed his hands and pouted off to the corner of his vision, before letting out a sigh. Trying, in his own way, to show that he wasn’t upset (and maybe he never was, not really, not when it came to them). “But, uh, you like inventing, right? Why not start with that?”

Clemont stiffened up, his hands going slack. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because inventing’s what got me in this mess in the first place!” The inventor, the Gym Leader, his friend, faced him with wide eyes. Eyes that reflected so much pain and loss and fear. “What happens if it all goes wrong again? If it blows up? If it hurts someone? If it doesn’t even work in the first place and all I’ve done is waste time and space and materials and—”

“Clemont, hey, listen to me.” Ash put steady hands on Clemont’s shoulders, forcing the blond to click his jaw shut and exhale harshly through his nose instead. 

“Hey,” Ash said softer, rubbing the spot where his hands had found purchase and jostling Clemont instead. “Look at me.”

Clemont looked.

Ash gave him the brightest smile he could muster. “If anyone could make it work, I know you can. And I mean it. As long as you use this—” He rapped at the side of Clemont’s head with a knuckles, earning an aborted yelp— “And this—” as he pointed at his heart next— “Anything’s possible.”

“You…” The inventor tried to say something, but it dried up in the presence of Ash’s stare. Clemont then shook his head, stepping away and adjusting his bag straps once more. “It’s not that easy. I don’t really invent…” He grimaced. “For fun. There’s always a purpose to it.”

“Then find a purpose that’s fun,” Ash said smoothly, throwing his hands up and startling Fletchling awake. He then gave an apologetic look to the bird. “Sorry about that. You’re probably bored right about now, aren’t you?”

Fletchling twisted his head at his Trainer. “Chling-chling!” He then shook his head before fluttering off, and Ash found himself laughing at that as well. “Oh well, it was bound to happen eventually.”

Clemont cracked a small smile at that. “Too much talking?”

“And not enough action. Just not my style.” Ash let out a laugh. “I’m not usually this deep-thinking, you know. Probably confused you and all that.”

The inventor shook his head. “No, it’s fine.” He hefted his bag self-consciously, biting the side of his lip as he thought to himself. “I think… I’ll try. To make something.”

Ash gave him a nod. He didn’t want to overwhelm him. But maybe… “You know, someone once told me ‘If you do what you love, you won’t work a day’.”

“Isn’t that from a book?”

He shrugged as he started to walk forward. “To be fair, the person who said it did read a lot. And watch. Whatever it was, he probably was a connoisseur of it.”

Clemont went to follow him, his footsteps sure and steady. “What?”

“You’ll know when you meet him. There’s no hobby that would escape him, I’ll tell you that.” Ash’s voice faltered as it hit him. “And… he was a Gym Leader too. So it’s possible. For you, I mean.”

The Gym Leader beside him hummed. “You seem to be overly familiar with Gyms and their setup. Travelled much?”

“Don’t you know it!” Ash was grinning outwardly, but that small splinter of doubt in his chest started to dig just a little deeper at the admission.

That for all his experience, he could still make a mistake. The same mistake. A variation of the same mistake.

He could lose, all over again.

And seeing the story start to repeat itself— Well, it just made his resolve even more iron-clad. To prove, to everyone around him, that he’s capable of doing it. That his knowledge wasn’t all for show.

That when push comes to shove, his actions match his words, down to the very last battle.

There was a bunch of Litleo playing around in the grass up ahead— a sight so cute, Bonnie had to get in on it, even if an inkling of worry (something about Fire-Types and flammable objects) laid in her mind

Because she loved Pokémon. Pokémon were nice and kind and awesome, especially when you get to befriend them. And she wanted to look after them, and care for them, and make sure that they’re happy as they can be.

So, obviously, she shuffled around in the grass to meet them at their height. The grass wasn’t as tall as to hide her, but it was enough to make her look a little less threatening, maybe. If she approached from the side. And didn’t jump out at them. And if they weren’t scared that she was crawling towards them like a Scatterbug. But then again, isn’t this how people approach Pokémon in the wild?

Bonnie crawled a little more forward, pausing for a moment to hold back a sneeze. A fluttering of wings tickled the edges of her ears and she held her breath, seeing long antennae extending past her head.

A Vivillon. Pink dust settled on her hair and upper back, and she fought back a giggle at encountering the Pokémon. If she could get Serena’s attention, maybe she could get a cool picture out of this! But that would require stealth and patience.

The girl started to twist herself slightly, in small increments, trying to raise herself to a kneeling position. Halfway through the action, though, the Vivillon squeaked and took off, glitter bursting from the action, and Bonnie was just about to laugh about it when her eyes connected with another Pokémon in front of her.

There was a sudden stomping sound and Bonnie quickly turned her head to face it, already mentally berating whoever was making that sound. A blur of white started to make itself clear and she blanched, quickly rushing to her feet and trying to run away, but the Litleo, who had just touched down on the ground after pawing the Bug-Type, jumped in front of her and started to hiss. The group of Mankey quickly brushed past them, paying the part Fire-Type no mind, but the scraggly Litleo didn’t move from their spot until the barrel of Mankey had finally left the area.

And then it was just Bonnie and the Litleo.

She cleared her throat, getting the Pokémon to face her with a low growl. Bonnie put her hands up, feeling the grime on it, and stared at Litleo’s coat. Definitely dirty, almost as dark as wet soil, matted and unruly. Her face softened. “Hey there, Litleo!”

“Li…” The Lion Cub Pokémon didn’t let up, but also didn’t attack. Bonnie cocked her head to the side, and they followed the movement. A smile bloomed on her face. 

She slowly put her hands on the ground and held her head high, heart beating with excitement. The Litleo wandered around her, his eyes narrowed as he examined her form, before stopping in front of her and resting on their haunches.

And then, one long lick.

Bonnie couldn’t hold in the surprised giggle that erupted from her throat, nor her body as she instinctively curled in on herself. “That tickles!” She shook her head to and fro before facing the Litleo again, that grin still blazing so the excitement. She bounded forward on her knees and palms, which was slow going and maybe a little ineffective, but the Litleo followed, tail wagging and gait just as motivated, and she just couldn’t take it anymore!

“You’re suuuuuch a cutie!” Just like that she tackled the Pokémon on a hug, rolling around in the dirt and laughing all the while. Litleo stiffened up before pawing at her shoulders, trying to twist the two in their direction, and Bonnie could feel her braid starting to loosen across her brow as she nuzzled the Litleo back. Another warm body pouched upon them and it was all she could do to disentangle herself from the impromptu wrestling match as she peered upon the newcomer.

…Which was another Litleo.

It wasn’t possible for her eyes to sparkle any more than it already was! There were three— no, four Litleo watching her curiously, and as Bonnie tilted her head to the side they also followed the motion. She looked down at her right hand before raising both, balancing on her knees, and the Litleo, who were too busy staring at her, raised their paws and ended up rolling on their back making surprised sounds.

That’s it! Bonnie’s going to keep them too!

She bounded between them, almost prancing about as the Pokémon followed her lead, some of them head butting her and playing with her hair, which was hanging loosely past her ears. Bonnie also headbutted some, finding herself ducking accidental gouts of flames as some of them got a bit too excited. But it’s okay. She understood how that felt.

A small bark pierced through the huddle the group had inadvertently made, and all but one Litleo stepped back as a vexed Fennekin started growling loudly. The one Litleo, who Bonnie was sneakily scratching behind their ears, stiffened up before quickly scrabbling away, the fox chasing them away before she faced Bonnie with what probably was a horrified expression.

Bonnie let out an embarrassed giggle, blowing a bit of her hair away from her face as she sent the Starter an imploring look. “Hey, Fennekin. Don’t tell anyone about it.”

“Tell anyone about what?” Black sneakers entered her view, and the younger girl wilted. After all, wherever Fennekin went…

Another pair of footsteps quickly walked around, the Pokémon Breeder crouching down to give a cursory glance at the Litleo surrounding them before turning to Bonnie. “I knew they were going to be handful today, but I didn’t expect this. Are you okay?”

Bonnie sat up on her knees as she shook her head. “They didn’t do anything to me!”

“There are paw prints on you. And spit. And is that claw marks—”

She shook her head as she jumped to her feet and tried to shake her head even more vigorously, using one hand to push her hair away from blanketing her face. “Serena, please, it’s not as bad as you think!” Bonnie then pointed to them, her new friends, and felt that love bubbling in her chest, as potent as a point-blank Thunderbolt. “These Litleo are just playing with me, and they’re really nice and kind! I want to… I wanna keep them!”

Serena shot her a flabbergasted look as she held the Pokédex down, but Bonnie didn’t want to let her make a decision without knowing the full facts. “It’s not like I don’t know about them! I’ve seen Litleo before, and I know they’re Fire Types but they’re also Normal, so a little like Heliolisk, and Clemont has one! So that means we can look after a Litleo too! And they’re really fluffy if you brush them, which I can totally do, and they can pull back their claws so that they won’t actually hurt me or any of us!”

“Bonnie.” 

Oh no, that tone. That intonation. That face, with that sorry tilt of the eyes and the sorry tilt of the moth and the this-is-best-for-you attitude. Bonnie couldn’t keep shaking her head so she tried to reach out to Serena, but then she saw the state of her hands and remembered how dirty she was before.

And how Serena took a step back.

Bonnie gulped. If she couldn’t even convince her, then how could she do it with…

“That’s Lenny.” Bonnie stood up straighter, before realising there was purring at her feet. She looked down to see the Litleo that first approached her, their eyes alight with worry. 

Her eyes then met Remy, who shrugged before patting the Pokémon. “He doesn’t like to show affection much. His Trainer was super worried about leaving him behind, but it’s good to know that he was in good hands while I was away.”

Bonnie tried to wipe at her eyes, before dusting off her hands and trying again. She probably got her face all dirty though. Well, more dirtier than before. “His… Trainer?” 

“Believe it or not, but I don’t own all of these Pokémon. Most of them belong to other Trainers, who trust me to look after them.” Remy picked up the cub and the Fire-Type yowled, struggling in his grip. He didn’t react beyond extending the Pokémon closer to her, and despite Serena’s gasp, Bonnie stretched a hand out and tickled a spit right behind his ear. Just the way they licked it. Lenny instantly relaxed and went back to purring, and the other Litleo started to crowd around her with wanting grunts. Remy’s smile was enough to put a small one on her face. “See? You’ve got a future in looking after Litleo, if you ever want to. Or taking over my job, but maybe wait until I retire to do that.”

She picked up Lenny from Remy’s grip, feeling the Pokémon’s warm body against her own. She looked down at his pleased face, and felt a rolling wave of sadness curl around herself. “I didn’t know you had someone else, I promise,” she murmured, blinking away tears. The Litleo pushed himself up with his back legs and licked her face, getting her to sputter and shake her head.

Remy chuckled. “That’s what I mean by handful. But don’t worry yourself about it. Whether you keep a Pokémon or not, the time you’ve spent with them is priceless. It’s precious. And none of you will ever forget it, not for a moment.”

She swallowed at the words, feeling the truth of it sink down to her belly and still those waves of sadness. Now when she felt inside herself, deep depths were all there was. “If you say so…”

Remy folded his arms behind his back all of a sudden, adapting a very serious expression on his face as he peered down at her. “Now, I’ve got an important job for you.”

Bonnie stood to attention, body ramrod straight. Remy looked at her up and down, before turning to Serena, hands now flat by his sides. “Although it depends on whether my deputy would agree with it…”

“Deputy?” Serena turned to him with confusion in her eyes, shocked out of her thoughtful state, until the Breeder gave her a pointed look. She then stood a little straighter too, nodding her head as she locked eyes with Bonnie. “Yeah, I’m sure she can handle whatever you’ll give her.”

“That’s good to hear.” He pointed to the pride of Litleo crowding around her, his mouth curling into a smirk. “Because this is going to be a tough one. A really hard, super duper difficult one for sure. But I’m sure that with the trust you’ve earnt, they’ll follow you through the ends of the earth.”

She unconsciously started to rock on her feet, impatience running enough her body. She opened her mouth to just ask about it, getting to the point, but she noted the gleam in his eyes.

Remy thought that she could handle all the Pokémon. And if she was impatient, then that means…

Bonnie’s eyes widened before she gave Remy a firm nod. “You can count on me!” She quickly turned to the Litleo meandering around, putting the one in her hands down before calling out, “Hey, let’s run to that hill over there!” She started to jog but found herself breathless at the way the Pokémon moved, quick and sure even if they were fighting a little, and she could feel her spirits rising.

So maybe she couldn’t keep them. But for now, this is the closest thing, and she wasn’t going to let it slip away from her fingers that easily.

“Hey, wait up!”

Remy set a quick pace as he made his way back to the building. Serena, lost and aimless, followed after him, feeling an amalgam of shame and disgust broiling in her stomach. Directed at herself.

Why couldn’t she do anything? Why couldn’t she say anything? Why was she wasting this chance as well?

She could feel the Pokéball warm by her side— Fennekin wasn’t keen on making the whole way back on foot, and through some innate sense she also knew that the Trainer couldn’t support her with her arms this time either. Now she was left with her body and her mind, bare of anything but failure.

She couldn’t do this. She can’t even begin to try, this time.

Stepping over the stairs and passing through the doors, Serena had caught sight of the Pokémon Breeder tapping on an ornate door before he made his way through another opening. She followed, not because she wanted to learn, but she wanted to excuse herself—

For what, exactly? It’s not like he knew why they were here, right?

“Do you… know?” Serena was surprised at the hollow echo in her voice. Her hands gripped at her elbows, her arms crossed over her chest as she reined it in.

And still, there was that glimmer of knowing in Remy’s eyes as he made his way into the kitchen. “Know about why you’re here? I’ve got an inkling. It’s not every day a group of people stumble into this humble place, especially not for the sole purpose of depositing their own Pokémon, can you help get a bowlful of the grains in that sack over there?” And he left it at that.

It was so simple, the way he said it. Cause, effect, probability. Most likely, conclusions to be made. All calculated and determined.

Serena couldn’t even fathom being anywhere as neat or tidy, even as she folded herself to reach the bag and pull out the bowl beside it. “It was Mercy!” she blurted out.

Remy’s posture became rigid, before he let out a long sigh. “That, I should’ve known.”

Serena tilted her head at that. Now that she thought about it, they did share the same eyes… “You know her?”

“She’s my cousin. Father’s side. Can’t help but help others, even when it’s none of her business.” The Breeder shot her an awkward grin after he said the last part. “Ah, don’t tell her I said that. She’s older than me for a reason, after all.”

“Oh…” 

He gave a shrug as he ground the Berries. “So let me guess. She told you that you’ve got talent, that this is the perfect place for you, yadda yadda and all that. Am I close?”

Serena’s cheeks blazed as she swiftly turned on the tip of her feet, nearly spilling the bowl of grains as she stood up. “Well…”

Remy looked up and winced at her reaction, pulling his hands up to wave it in submission. “Zut, I really shouldn’t have—” He quickly deflated, shaking his head. “Me and my big mouth.”

There was awkward silence for a moment or two.

Serena couldn’t take it. “So, you’re saying that I don’t have what it takes?”

“No, not at all!” Colour quickly rushed into Remy’s face as he turned to face her, hands stilling from the breakneck pace he had set for himself. Pulling the cutting board down to cut the larger pieces of fruit in front of him, he thought for a bit before replying once more. “It’s just… Mercy cares about me. A lot. And if she thinks she found someone that could match my pace…”

“Oh.”

He let out a laugh there. “Yeah, oh.”

Serena couldn’t help but laugh along with him. “That reminds me of my friends. She means well, but I can understand how awkward it can get.”

Remy shook his head as he scrunched up his nose. “One can hope that she’s not pairing you up with someone, then.” He let out a long breath then, returning his focus to the methodological slicing and dicing he was performing. “But really, I think she just wants me to connect with actual human beings that aren't the old man running this place. I can get carried away looking after the Pokémon, and don’t get me wrong, I like people too, but… I don’t know.”

“I honestly couldn’t tell you struggled with that, to be honest. You were so good handling the lot of us stumbling around and making a big mess of things.” Serena walked over to the pellet mixture machine, finding her face reflected on its surface. She flicked a small speck of muck off the surface, feeling weird. “You were… good to us. Better at the Litleo situation than I was, anyways.”

Remy didn’t say anything to that. Not to her words anyways. His face looking a little preoccupied with something else, he asked, “Serena, why did you come here?”

She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the machine even if she tried. Watching her distorted reflection was so much more bearable than… well… “I thought, for once, this was something I could do. That this was my dream. But it failed, just like everything else.” Her voice was too soft. She felt like if she talked any louder, she would shatter.

She kept thinking there was a chance.

But nothing worked out.

There were shifting sounds behind her, before that rhythmic stirring reached her ears. Not too overwhelming, but still holding a presence in the room. “I don’t think you failed.”

Serena let out a short snort. “You’re just saying that to make me feel good.”

“I’m not, honest.”

“Then tell me, what didn’t I fail at?” She spun on her heels, feeling her heart pounding through her chest. She didn’t want to be like this, but she couldn’t hold any delusions about it anymore. It wasn’t the problem of whether there was a dream for her out there or not.

Now, it was whether she could even keep it with the way she was. Picky, stubborn, unwilling to change.

Her reflection looked back at her— the same view she’s seen for years, whether at home or on the road. That hasn’t changed either. Serena blinked, and another face joined her, his words shortly cracking the questioning silence between them. “You see, I don’t know a lot about dreams. Being in a Day Care has its own routine, which I enjoy, and its idiocracies, like the Trainers and Pokémon I meet from day to day. It’s a peaceful life, but part of my job is interacting with people. I’m not the best at that, as you can see. Younger kids are usually fine, but there’s always that misstep, that misunderstanding, or just me coming off as rude.”

Remy passed the bowl of Berry pieces to her, each slice glistening with water that was recently drained, and she tipped it into her own bowl. “It’s not perfect. I’ll always have problems, even if I spend the next ten years here. But it’s the best fit for me, and that’s all I need.”

But what if nothing fits? What if there was no piece to fill the puzzle that was her? What if there was one but all that time and pressure twisted it into something unrecognisable, a neglected piece of clothing with too many holes to repair? Remy caught her expression and his own crumbled, and Serena felt so undeniably selfish and terrible for causing it.

She said, “I’m sorry. I guess it’s just not meant to be.”

He said, “I’m sorry. I wish I could’ve been of more help to you.”

They both stopped, and Serena couldn’t stop her hands from feeling weak. “No,” she murmured (to herself; to his words; to this whole situation?). She shook her head and plastered a smile at him. “No, you’ve done wonderfully. I think… I’m going to need a moment to myself.”

“Be my guest,” Remy said quietly, stepping to the side to let her slide away, his hands and focus on the machine he manned. The pellets were already starting to form, perfectly-shaped under his expertise, and Serena couldn’t imagine herself ever being in tune in such a way in her whole life.

Maybe it was too late. Maybe this was all a wild chase.

Maybe she didn’t want to give up on the feeling of getting near, but not close enough.

Maybe she was the problem here.

Jon was walking out from the back, ready to take over the shift from his employee, when he saw the boy and his Pokémon.

Pokémon not of this Day Care, that was for sure. He was talking to a Froakie and a Pikachu, crouched near the ground as he drew pictures with a twig. Behind him was the massive tree that marked the halfway point of the property, and as the boy continued talking, the man could see that a small Pokémon was sleeping on the lowest branch, a little above reach. “You see, Rock Tomb is designed to slow your speed down, but it needs to land for that to happen. If you get out of its way, then not only you’re not affected, but it should give us an opening.”

“That’s a good plan you’ve got there.” The boy stiffened up before turning his head around, his Pikachu following suit as Froakie stood unbothered beside him. Jon smiled as he stood above them, reading the scribbles carved into the soil. Pokémon placements, most likely. “You’re heading towards Cyllage City, aren’t you?”

“Uh, yeah. Sir.” The boy jumped to his feet and held a hand out awkwardly. “My name is Ash.”

The man chuckled, extending his own and giving one firm shake. “Name’s Jon. I run this Day Care, and let me tell you we get quite a few Gym Challengers passing around here. The only kind to travel to out of reach sites like here. At least, that’s what I did when I was about your age.”

Ash’s eyes widened. “Wow…”

Jon tucked his hand back into his weathered pockets as he nodded. “Rock-Types have a lot of facets to them. They carry the age of the world, solid and unmoving. But with the right touch, they can crumble as well. It’s all about your approach.”

“I know that…” Froakie croaked as Ash slumped towards the ground, folding his head over his knees. His voice, muffled, said, “Just don’t want to mess up this Gym as well. I need a good plan. The right one.” Shaking his head, he then groaned out loud, throwing his head towards the sky. “I need to practice against someone!”

“Practice, you say?” Jon mused to himself for a few moments, a hand rubbing over his salt-and-pepper beard. He started to walk forward, looking around until he found a purple root nearby the tree. Tapping the ground nearby the root, he then turned to Ash with a small smile. “Would you care to do a little job for me? Nothing too strenuous, of course.”

Ash pulled himself upwards, shaking out his legs before nodding at the man. “I guess it would be a good break…” There was that shine of impatience in him, but Jon will manage. He used to be like that too.

The elder walked forward, his eyes tracing the ground. Ash walked beside him, his movements quick and fidgety. “So… what’s the job? Is it going to take long?”

Jon shrugged. “It’ll take as long as it takes.”

Ash groaned loudly once more, his two Pokémon partners resting on either side of his shoulders. Pikachu didn’t seem to react much to that, but Froakie was watching the ground intently. Seemed like someone was paying attention, or was just a bit more paranoid than the others. Even Pikachu ended up perking his ears up a few seconds later, making a worried squeak as he pulled at the Trainer’s left ear to grab his attention.

A loud cry then suddenly echoed in front of them, the two humans looking on as a shape burst out of the ground. A large purple body with pink tentacles waved in the breeze, as if it had always been there. Ash stood to attention, Froakie already hopping down to the ground with Frubbles raised. “A Lileep!”

Jon held a small smile. “You know your Pokémon.” He gave a small nod to the glowing eyes in the darkness of its opening, and the Sea Lily Pokémon trumpeted loudly before shooting out a small rock.

Just as quickly Froakie jumped up in the air and threw out a Water Pulse, not only powering through the rock but also slamming into the Lileep. The part Rock-Type shook out its head before narrowing its eyes, and Ash blinked away his shock as he turned to the Water Starter. “Froakie! You didn’t need to attack on your own!”

“Fro!” It seemed that Froakie had his own answer to that, hopping away before a yellow blur blocked him. Pikachu’s ears were standing tall and stiff as he chirped something quick-fire at him, and Froakie dismissed it too, trying to dodge around so he could take down the Lileep. Said Lileep was charging up another Rock Blast, and Froakie, more than fed up as his dodging attempts were being constantly foiled, tried to jump over him while aiming another Water Pulse.

Lileep wouldn’t fall for the same trick and used a tentacle to whack Froakie away, causing the attack to hurdle towards Ash.

“Use Iron Tail!”

Just as quickly an Iron Tail batted the attack right back.

Lileep cried out as Pikachu flipped down to the ground, Froakie tiredly picking himself up from the dirt. The frog gazed back at the yellow mouse, some sort of thought crossing through his similarly coloured eyes, before shaking his head and hopping back to Ash. 

Ash himself was standing firm, looking every bit as formidable as a League Challenger could be. “Nice work, Pikachu and Froakie.” His eyes narrowed as Lileep went to charge the same attack again, and he tilted his head down towards his two Pokémon. “I get that you want to get the job done yourself, but we’re a team, Froakie. All of us. We get stronger together, or we’ll never get anywhere.”

Froakie turned his head away, seemingly chastised, but a paw was extended towards him. He went to face Pikachu, who squeaked out something, and the frog curled his right hand and fist-bumped it.

Now that the team had made up, a grin graced Ash’s face as his stance became more active. “Okay, so here’s the plan. Rock Blast fires a few times in a row, so you both have to guard each other's back while moving forward.” The next barrage had finally reached them, and the human rolled out of the way as he called out, “Go!”

There was an explosion of movement, both Pikachu and Froakie dodging around the boulders heading towards them. Ash watched them manoeuvre around it, his brow furrowed, and Jon could pinpoint the moment a tentative plan hit his mind. “Froakie, you can use Double Team to get Lileep to aim elsewhere. Pikachu, use that time to boost yourself with Quick Attack!”

A rock had been hurdling towards Froakie, and he quickly made copies of himself to dodge it. Just then Pikachu used the rock to propel himself in the air, a swift blur that weaved through the Froakie copies to get close—

So close—

But not enough just yet. Lileep quickened its movements, creating a barricade, and Pikachu had to skid to a stop or else flatten himself against the wall. The swarm of Froakies around him decided used Bubble right about then, which Ash was about to protest, but… it weakened the wall enough that Pikachu, now cruising forward due to the slippery bubbles, was able to pivot and use Electro Ball to blast through and hit Lileep.

The Sea Lily Pokémon writhed as stray sparks sprayed against its body from the sheer force of the attack, giving the two Pokémon some reprieve. They both turned towards Ash, whose eyes were aglow with ideas. “Speed… and using the opponent’s attack power against them.”

“A good strategy with the Pokémon you’ve got,” Jon agreed. The team of three faced him as he walked forward, pulling out a Potion and spraying Lileep with it. Glancing at Ash, he watched his Pokémon crowd around him protectively and nodded. “So, how’s that for practice?”

Ash’s jaw dropped to the ground at the words. “P-practice?!”

Jon brushed his hands over the upper four tentacles and Lileep made a cheerful sound. “Lileep here likes to play a lot, but its attacks can get a little heavy-handed. I thought you guys might enjoy the challenge.”

“I— Well—” Ash regained a bit more of his senses as he thought to himself, the adrenaline’s presence manifesting as a quick tapping foot. Looking down at his Pokémon, who were panting with the effort, his face started to host a small smile. “I think I’ve got a good plan.”

The older man chuckled at that. “And Lileep made some new friends. A good day's work, don’t you think?”

Ash started to laugh as well, the smile turning into a full-blown grin. “Yeah! Thanks a lot, Jon! We couldn’t have done it without you.”

“You’re welcome, lad.” Jon put a hand on the back of his brown jacket and cracked it, waving a hand out to dispel the worry on the boy’s face. “Don’t worry about me. Just… haven’t gotten into a good battle in a long time. It’s good to get up and see what the world has been up to once in a while, and getting right in the thick of it is always the best way to do it, in my opinion. Supports you and others. Makes us all have a nice time.”

“Yeah…” There was a thoughtful expression Ash held as his foot started to plant itself more firmly into the ground, the fog clearing on his face soon after. “We should be getting back. Wanna come with?”

Jon folded his hands behind his back after giving one more pat to Lileep, who then promptly buried itself once more, turning to face the vast distance of the property. The other Pokémon must be getting restless without Remy’s attentive eye. “If you’ll indulge me in taking the long way around. Or a run, if you want to build up speed and stamina.”

And the way Ash took that up was just like how he used to be as well, down to his persistence in running despite the Pokémon outspending him within an instant.

Serena was sitting outside again, on the same patio, having the same worries as before.

She could see Remy sharing the new pellets with Bonnie, the two of them going out of their way to feed the Pokémon crowding them. She sighed, head on her hands, elbows resting over her knees, and just let it flow past her.

Today. This opportunity. The dream of a dream.

“So it’s not just me.”

Serena didn’t move from her spot as someone else sat next to her, the loose yet tough fabric rubbing against her bare arms. Clemont cleared his throat, opting to say something, but then let the moment go. Maybe that’s what got to her in the end. “I… can’t do it. I can’t do this.”

“I’m sorry,” he automatically replied. She held in a sniffle at that, wiping her eyes as she stewed in those words. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Sorry I’m a failure. Sorry I couldn’t find anything. Sorry I keep running away instead of staying in place. “If it’s okay for me to speak about it, can I ask what happened to PokéVision?”

“No results yet,” she sighed, her gaze falling down to the ground beneath her feet. “But don’t hold your breath.”

Clemont adjusted his sitting position. “So you just… stopped making videos until then? Was it not enjoyable to you?”

“It was—” Interesting. Fun. An eye-opener. Open enough to try new things without giving up on it. She hadn’t checked after submitting the first one, but the idea of having a footprint somewhere, a visible effect…

The inventor caught the look on her face and let out an exhale, turning to face the others once more. “I don’t really remember a time where I wasn’t interested in Electric Types and building machines, but I do get the feeling of being overwhelmed. We all have our struggles. But I can say that it does get better after a while. Not instantly, and sometimes it takes a long time. Too long. But… it gets better.” He faced her and smiled a little, mirroring her head-holding, glasses briefly flashing under the sun. “I’m here to listen, anytime. And help wherever I can.”

Serena thought to herself, but the thoughts weren’t as scathing or scattered anymore. “Weren’t you with Ash before?”

“He’s practicing for the next Gym.” He fiddled with his hands, awkwardness permeating his posture. “It’s… not really my business to watch him. You know how it is.” A short laugh. “Mr Four-Badges-Required Gym Leader, at your service.”

“I think Mr Four-Badges-Required Gym Leader would work well with Ms Can’t-Stick-With-Anything.” A laugh, shared by both of them. Serena felt her heart start to calm down, just a little.

She put her hands back, leaning back and letting the wind brush past her. There was a strong breeze the day she left her home as well. “It’s just… so tiring,” she confessed, baring her heart out. “I keep trying. Sometimes I don’t feel like I’m trying enough. I don’t know. It’s all a confusing mess.” I can’t keep wasting my life like this. “Every failure just makes it hurt more.”

“But you didn’t fail with PokéVision,” Clemont pointed out. 

“It’s not that simple!” Serena found herself quickly saying, pulling her hands to her lap as she shot him an annoyed look. The inventor nodded at that, surprisingly, which got her relaxing slightly at the concession, but the words stuck in her head.

She didn’t hate PokeVision, it was true. It was too broad for her tastes, which didn’t help narrow down many of her options, but as it was it helped with giving her something to do. She thought about her bag, where she still had a camera nestled inside, and thought about the stunning view ahead of her, where Bonnie was leading all of the Litleo with mud streaked around her face and a fierce grin to finish it off. Enjoying life to the fullest in her own way.

Suddenly, something struck Serena. She jumped to her feet, throwing out, “I’m going to be right back!”, the camera making its way to the forefront of her mind.

“Pictures or videos?” Clemont had asked as soon as he found her running back out again, reaching a hand to hold it for her. She quickly snatched it away, a laugh bouncing at his confused expression, and something started to click inside of her.

“Last time you were behind the cameras,” Serena explained, turning the device on and noting with pang the emptiness of it. So new and yet so unused. Just like… “I think that for once, you should be joining in on the fun.” 

“But—” Whatever he wanted to say to her had been stopped by Pikachu and Froakie pushing their way up the stairs, climbing on top of the railing before making a racket towards the Trainer pulling himself by. Despite all odds, Ash looked to be very much accomplished with himself, even as he pulled himself forward with the strength of a dying man.

Just as soon as he reached the top of the short flight of stairs, he flopped down on the ground in a dramatic heap. “Tired,” he decided to supply in lieu of any appropriate response.

Serena glanced at Clemont, who was shaking his head, to the Ash on the ground. Ash, who was staying in one place. Who had already satisfied his need for Gym practice. Who was taking a break. “Hey, Ash, can I ask a favour from you?”

The Kantonian opened one eye to glance at her sparingly before closing it. “As long as it doesn’t require me to move anywhere or think about anything.”

“Don’t worry,” she found herself responding, a grin stretching from one side of her face to the next, “All you need to do is stand still.”

“I’m never going to supply you with ideas ever again,” Clemont had snapped as soon as the recording had finished, the inadvertent sharp edge of the words dulled by him struggling with the hair clip. Pulling it out free, he then shook his head, letting it frizz back to its usual shape.

Serena grinned sweetly as she pulled him in with one arm, an action that Ash had performed many times, and that quickly got him flustered enough to hold back the rest of his tirade as she used the other hand to check through the video. And speaking of Ash— yep, he was back to lying on his back again. He must really be tuckered out. 

Bonnie was bouncing around, holding too much energy even with the tasks and the video-recording. While it was too bad about the Vivillon, she managed to get some great footage of the Litleo playing around, and that warmed her heart enough despite the prospect of leaving them still fresh in her mind. In fact, the whole while she was nursing the idea of Clemont in front of a camera, looking respectable, strong and performing homely duties that hundreds of people could watch. People who could see how awesome he was and take care of him, so to speak…

While playing with the Pokémon was fun, her brother was always a topic nestled within her, and watching him stiffly perform tasks with Serena in overalls the Day Care owner just happened to have was kind of funny. He had just pushed himself out of Serena’s grip as he went to unbutton the spare clothing, grumbling about how terrible it must be and fending off any compliments the latter was sending towards him. Even so, there was that flush of excitement within him— Bonnie could see how much the straightforward tasks have given him some purpose, a purpose that didn’t hold any fame or (current) watching eyes, and that was a good sign if anything. That things were changing for the better. That the Gym didn’t define him.

Walking over to Serena, Bonnie gave her a big smile. “So? Was it good?”

“It was great!” Serena giddily said, both hands clasped around the camera and grin standing strong. “I never knew— This place really is beautiful, you know? I’ve seen a lot of ranches and fields in my life, but there’s something so freeing and open about this place! It’s like everyone’s able to just go at their own pace, all peaceful and…”

“And…?” Bonnie prompted, trying to look at the camera, before realising that there was someone near. She quickly spun on her heel to see aren’t standing nearby, expression looking clouded.

There was an aura of unease floating between them.

The Day Care worker spoke first, his voice soft. “You… like this place?”

“You think…” Serena’s eyes widened before she closed them, vigorously giving one firm shake of her head. “This is the most wonderful Day Care I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s the only Day Care you’ve ever seen,” Clemont muttered.

“I’ve seen like five Day Cares,” Ash mumbled from the ground.

Remy was fiddling with his hands in a way that signalled discomfort, and yet his posture started to relax. “It’s an honour to hear that. I wish I could’ve been a better guide though, or said the right words, or—”

“Remy,” Serena interrupted, staring him down, “There was nothing more you could’ve done for me. The problem I have is with myself, not you, and for the record, you were helpful just as you were.” She gave a quick glance at the camera before squaring her shoulders. “If there’s one thing I’d wish for, is that you never change yourself for anyone.”

Bonnie found herself agreeing with that sentiment. Remy was so cool as he was! And he must’ve been brave too, to look after others’ Pokémon and let them go the way he did. “Serena’s right! You’re the best Day Care guy ever!”

“Seconded,” Ash helpfully supplied.

Clemont conceded a nod. “We haven’t talked much, but being able to handle us all is an incredible feat in and of itself, so I must ‘third’ the notion as well.”

Remy awkwardly laughed, but it was a true one. “Thanks, everyone. It means a lot coming from you all.” His gaze landed on the camera, his bemusement clear. “A short film?”

“A video for PokéVision.” Serena self-consciously ran her fingers around the camera, looking shy. “Thought I might take a step back from figuring out my ultimate destiny and stick with the small things for now. Also, free advertisement for you, so it should be a win-win for most of us.”

“That sounds good.” They both looked at each other for a bit, a silent conversation. It got Bonnie just a little bit curious about what had transpired, but before she could say anything, a small weight bumped into her leg.

She looked down.

It was Lenny.

It took all her willpower to not run over and hug the Litleo for all he’s worth. Instead, she bent down to one knee and held a shaky hand up, finding a smile reluctantly making its way on her face as the Pokémon headbutted the palm. “We’re going soon, Lenny. Sorry I can’t stay longer.”

“Lit?” And now the other Litleo were making their way here. Bonnie shook her head, feeling her hair waving with the impact, her hairband tucked into her pocket after having the part Fire-Types bat at it in the middle of the day. Clemont went to step forward but Bonnie shot back to her feet, stepping back and giving some space.

Saying goodbye… was so hard sometimes.

She loves Pokémon, that’s a known fact. She holds on to everything tightly, that’s another fact.

Bonnie found herself sniffing as she wiped her face with the side of her arm, a barely effective move. Standing up straighter, she then stilled her wobbling lip and said, “You all better get stronger, okay? Because when I’m a Trainer, I’m going to find you and make sure for myself.” She faced the Litleo and nodded at them. “Jazz, Willow, Eri, Linus, and you, Lenny. You’ve gotta keep growing big and strong and don’t regret anything, except when you do something bad of course, but make up for it afterwards if you do! And don’t forget that you’re always loved! Even when I’m not here anymore. Because you’re all great just as you are.”

“With that kind of encouragement, I’m sure they’ll grow up just fine.” 

Ash brightened up from the sound of that voice, quickly sitting up and exclaiming, “Jon!”

The old man, who Bonnie presumed was Jon, let out a warm chuckle. “You’ve certainly given that practice all you’ve got, Ash. Hopefully your next Gym match goes well.” He then turned his focus to Bonnie, who found herself looking away at that keen gaze. “And as for you...”

Bonnie gulped, stepping back a little. Jon looked over to the building beside them, and said in a low tone, “I’ve heard you really love Pokémon. The Pokémon around here seemed to feel the same way. But…” And he left a dramatic pause for effect, grey eyes twinkling with glee— “You haven’t seen the eggs yet.”

Did he say… “Pokémon eggs?”

Jon nodded sternly. “Pokémon eggs,” he repeated gruffly.

Bonnie mentally faced the building, her eyes narrowing at the idea of her next prize. There was a plan budding in her mind, one that may work if she deployed the help of some new friends, but also this visit was for Serena first and if anything, she deserved to see the cutest things ever. She took a few steps back, leaning close enough to snatch Serena’s hand and tug it forward unconsciously, and before Clemont could say anything, she yelled out, “Timber!” and sprinted away as fast as she could.

The sounds of one person being tackled by five Litleo drifted on the breeze and Bonnie made her escape, and a small part of her wondered if her brother could really survive the pile-up. But then again, they’ve survived explosions. And fall damage. And Pokémon attacks. So he should be fine.

Hopefully.

And besides, having Serena yell at her as she followed was all the confirmation that she needed— that things were going to be just fine.

And yes, the Pokémon eggs were worth it.

That was the most she could needle out of Clemont, who was slightly upset about the betrayal until Serena pointed out that the overalls protected his suit. He still wasn’t pacified, but Bonnie knew that it was just a front to cover the wonder he had observing the incubators and the delicacy in its robustness. Even Ash, who was too tired to do anything of note, was busy guessing the species of each by the end of it, chatting up a storm about everything to anyone, Pikachu traversing the area with soft and careful steps.

And Serena?

Well.

(Serena had taken her time walking around the whole room, eyes drinking in every detail, asking questions and observing the procedures, Fennekin by her side watching diligently. At one point, both her and Bonnie held an egg together as they moved it from the incubator to the lined beds on the shelf, the two of them feeling its pulsing warmth in unison, both of them sharing the same love. The same care.

So Bonnie knew, logically, that there was a hint of rightness to this for Serena. And she held that morsel close, letting that shared connection brighten her for the rest of the day and the night, too.)

And when they left the Day Care, she didn’t feel as sad as she previously expected.

There’s going to be another chance in their future, she just knew it. And just like today, she was going to take it with both hands, and let it go when it’s time to go, but not without wringing it for everything it’s got!

A great game plan (and an even quicker nap that turned into a full-blown sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow).

As stillness fell upon the nighttime campsite, a small screen was lit up. It was playing a video— one familiar enough to the viewer that she didn’t need volume to hear the words. On the screen, a young woman with fuchsia-coloured hair and bright blue eyes took up the stage, a Braixen stepping around her with a stick burning up with fire on both sides. Their dance was smooth, elegant, timed precisely to a tee.

Serena’s eyes were glued to the screen as the pillow rested underneath her chin, her hair back to its usual style. Just like always. Watching Aria was like watching the stars come up at night— inevitable, lighting up everything around them, a sight so lovely it was a wonder nobody had seen them coming around until dark. Although, now that she thought about it, wasn’t she more like the sun? The biggest star of them all?

There was a small whine, and Serena turned her head to see Fennekin sleeping nearby, the small fox having kicked out a leg and seemed to be chasing something in her dreams. It was all Serena could do to get the Starter to sleep in the same tent as Bonnie, who was still a little scruffy despite best efforts. The next time the group found themselves at civilization, it was a one-way trip to the Pokémon Centre, and then the shops nearby.

But still. It was good to be surrounded by people who love you, just the way you are.

The Will-O-Wisp followed the hypnotic movements as Braixen flashed a sharp smile at the camera, throwing the stick and letting it be surrounded by flames as the Pokémon and Trainer traded places with a twirl. Serena turned her attention back, letting herself be lulled by the routine she had watched a few years prior. It was quick-paced, it was relentless, but seeing that smile back then—

Even they took their time to reach the highest peak. So maybe it wasn’t so bad if Serena did the same.

[Keep watching?]

( > Yes  / No )