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It had been months since N and Janaia started their relationship together. Throughout their travels to various regions, their relationship blossomed into new territories. The two were practically inseparable; nothing could keep them apart. Their love for one another was unmatched in their eyes, nothing could ever get between them.
“My parents in Johto want to meet you.”
Janaia’s voice was hesitant as she spoke, and awkward silence filled the air as N stared at them, her Adam's apple bobbing as she gulped nervously. “Your…parents.” N mumbled to herself as she fidgeted with her bracelets, glancing at her feet and then back up to meet Janaia’s face.
“You don’t have to agree to it,” Janaia quickly stated, waving her hands at the idea, “It’s—Well, it’s a lot. I know. My parents aren’t bad or anything, but they can be…pretty draining after a while. So if you’re not comfortable with it, you don’t have to do it.” A soft, comforting smile grew on Janaia’s face. N loved her smile. She knew she wasn’t the best with social interactions, especially with people she didn’t know. However, a part of N felt a pang of guilt if she didn’t meet with Janaia’s parents sooner.
It wasn’t like they were the same as Ghetsis, but she wasn’t sure how her parents would react to her or her history. Fidgeting with the necklace wrapped around her neck, N spoke up, “I can meet them. I want to meet them.” She gave a comforting smile to Janaia, “These are your parents, your family…you’ve seen how my life was. I think it’s only fair that I peer into your life as well.”
“N…” Janaia placed her hand on her cheek, guiding her head lower to kiss her, “I’ll let them know! They’ll appreciate it...I know they will. Thank you.”
With that, Janaia let go of N as she skipped off to make the phone call. N watched her speak on the phone in the distance. Her chest felt tight, both from anxiety and excitement, and her mind went through all the possibilities of how her parents might act. Janaia spoke about her family, but not many times, and she didn’t like to intrude despite her curiosity, but now she finally had a chance to learn even more about Janaia, and that brought her immense joy. She just hoped this visit would go well.
Days of planning passed, and the couple was finally on their way to Johto, using Reshiram as their main transportation. Thanks to N’s suggestion, it was cheaper than using a boat or a plane after all.
Janaia held onto N’s waist from behind as she cautiously looked down at the region below. It had been so long since she left home that it was nostalgic to see the region again. Janaia pointed down, “Ah, we can land down there! That’s close to the house.” N gave a small nod as she guided Reshiram to fly downward. “I’m really happy you agreed to this, N. I promise you, my parents are super nice people! Just loud sometimes…and they may say things that sound off—but they don’t mean any harm!” As Reshiram landed, N carefully helped Janaia off the dragon, holding her by the waist, “Have you told them about me at all?” She asked.
Janaia shrugged, tilting her head back and forth as the two walked together, “Well, this and that. I figured you’d wanna tell them important details…like about Ghetsis and everything..”
Hearing his name made N hold her breath at first before she let out a small sigh, “It’s okay. I’ll answer any questions they may have.” She gave Janaia a small kiss, squeezing her hand, “Don’t worry.”
The two stopped at the front of the door. Janaia hesitated before lifting her hand.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The two waited anxiously as footsteps from inside could be heard, and with a click of the lock, the door slowly opened.
The tall woman standing at the door was Janaia’s mother. The two looked nearly identical except for the older appearance, moles decorated on her face, and longer hair, with the ends dyed a nice blue. She even wore a necklace decorated with the same crystals as Janaia’s earrings.
The woman’s eyes widened as she brought a hand to her mouth, which muffled a squeal, “My baby’s finally home!!” She wrapped her arms around Janaia, bringing her into a tight hug that lifted her from the ground. “It feels like I haven’t seen you in years!”
Janaia winced and gasped from the tight squeeze, gently panting her mother on the back, “It’s only been a few months, Ma! Y-You’re squeezing the air outta me!!” Her mother gently set her back down and peppered her face with kisses, haphazardly fixing her daughter’s hair as she did, “Oh…you’ve grown so much.” Her guys darted towards N. The moment she looked at her, N stiffened, not sure if eye contact was appropriate for this or not.
“You must be N!! Janaia’s mystery partner!” Before N could react, she had already gripped her hands, shaking them rapidly. “Oh my—where are my manners?? My name is Jada Kaia, you already know I’m Janaia’s mother! She may get embarrassed by me now and then, but that’s what I’m here for! Excuse me, please come inside! Both of you! It’s getting cold, and dinner is almost ready!” She quickly pushed the two inside the house before N could let a single word out.
“Go ahead and make yourself at home! Janaia’s father, Mandla, is out back! I’ll be in the kitchen if you two need anything—oh oh, this is gonna be so much fun!!” Jada spoke loudly to herself as she rushed down the hall, leaving N and Janaia at the doorway.
“Your mother is very…”
“Loud?”
“Yes.” N smiled, “But I do like her, she’s very nice.” Janaia smiled and shrugged, “Yeah, she’s excited to meet you! My dad's a lot calmer, I swear. Quieter too.” They placed their hand on her shoulder, “C’mon, I’ll show you around the house for a bit, you can see my old bedroom.” N giggled and squeezed her hand, “I’d love that.”
N couldn’t help but turn her head at every detail she noticed in the house, comparing it to her old home life in the Plasma Castle. This home felt cozy. If she had the choice, she would live here in a heartbeat.
“Here we are!” Janaia opened a door down the hall, revealing a room obviously for a child with a few boxes here and there, “My old childhood room! Looks like they haven’t touched it much, which is fine. I’d probably be upset if they sold anything.” She analyzed her room as she walked towards the bed, “Beds still bigger than me though!” She laughed as she flopped down, letting out a relieved sigh. N was too busy looking at all her toys, crouching down slightly as she examined them. Janaia watched her with a smile on their face, “You wanna keep one? They’re all old plushies, but it’s not like I’m doin’ anything with 'em.”
“Ah—I wouldn’t want to take such memorable items from you, though.” N turned her head, “They’re such a core part of your history…When I look at them, it’s like I can see the type of child you were.” She turned her head back as she carefully picked a Riolu plush up, “You cared for these as if they were real. They’re in such good condition, it really shows just how kind you are.”
Janaia could feel her cheeks heat up as she listened to N’s words, “Y-You and your poetic way of speech…shut up and come over here!” She reached her arms out, waiting for N to enter her embrace. As she set the plush down carefully where it was before, N hurried over into Janaia’s arms, giving her a soft kiss. The two giggled to themselves as their lips interlocked, eyes staring into each other's souls.
“I love you.”
Janaia smiled at N’s words, “I love you too. I hope you don’t mind us staying here for a while, it shouldn’t be super long, though.”
“I like this house.” N stated bluntly.
“Really? I always thought this place was a little small aside from the backyard.”
“What’s in the backyard?”
“Oh shit, I didn’t tell you?” Janaia sat up and looked down at N’s head resting in her lap, “We have a whole daycare here, lots of my Pokémon and others come to hang out on the farm in the backyard.” N nearly shot up, “Can you show me?”
“I knew that’d get you excited! C’mon,” Janaia lifted N off the bed and led her back out to the hallway, “Ma said the old man was back here, so he’s probably working.”
The backyard was like a paradise to N. So many Pokémon, so many voices to listen to, and they were so joyful too! It was clear the Pokémon here were always taken care of, and N couldn’t help but stare in awe. Janaia stifled a laugh, “Go on and talk to them! I know you wanna, this isn’t a zoo, so you don’t have to just stare.” N turned her head quickly, “Y-You and your family have found a way to create a Pokémon utopia in your backyard!”
Janaia couldn’t help but laugh, patting her back, “Sure, if you wanna call it that! I just sent my Pokémon here if I can’t travel with ‘em all. Ma and Pa take real good care of them all the time.” The two walked through the yard, a Mareep rushing over and brushing against Janaia’s leg. She looked down and happily picked up the sheep, “This here is Mari! She’s been a long-time family member now.” N looked at the Mareep with a glimmer in her eyes, lightly petting the sheep’s head, “She’s so happy you’re here, Janaia. They all seem so happy to see you.”
Janaia scratched the back of her head, “Yeah, I don’t always come home, so it’s been a while! I’m glad to see they’re all okay, though.” She looked off in the distance to see a man walking up to the two, giving a wave. A group of Shinx followed him. Her smile grew as she waved back, “Dad!”
Her father was surprisingly short, a big man carrying a bucket full of food in his strong arms; his locs were tied to the back with a few loose in his face. He had a warm presence to him; the Pokémon obviously enjoyed being around him, “Janaia! It’s so good to see you again.” He gave her a quick hug and held his hand out to N, “You’re Natural, right? Quite the name. It’s nice to meet you, I’m Mandla.” N gave a quick nod and shook his hand, “It’s nice to meet you, sir. I see you take care of the Pokémon here. You’ve been doing a good job, I can tell.”
Mandla chuckled, scratching his neck shyly, “Well, it’s just part of my job. Janaia’s Pokémon aren’t the only ones who come to stay with us; it’s only right that I treat them well.” He bent down to pet one of the shinx. “Janaia told me you love Pokémon. Are you a trainer too?”
N nodded, “More or less, my friends come and go as they please. I prefer it that way. Traveling with Janaia allows me to learn about so many other Pokémon and regions, it’s a never-ending journey for us.” Janaia could feel her cheeks heat up again from embarrassment. She tried to ignore the feeling by playing with Mari by her side. Mandla chuckled again, “I like the sound of that, just don’t take her to any dangerous place, alright? Then we’ll have a problem!” He laughed loudly. N nervously smiled as she nodded, just thinking about the events in Unova that led to their relationship in the first place. She wasn’t sure she could tell him what happened then.
“Come, come! You should meet some of the other Pokémon here.” Mandla waved his hand for them to follow as he walked towards a barn.
Janaia and N nodded as they held each other's hands and followed close behind. As Mandla opened the barn doors, a large Arcanine lay in the hay, only lifting its head once it heard the noise of the doors creak. His eyes widened in joy as he rushed to Janaia, jumping and bringing her down to the ground as he licked her face.
Worry quickly hit N’s face.
“Jan! Are you—“
“Don’t worry! I’m okay!” Janaia let out as she laughed, pushing the Arcanine’s face away, “This is Arby, he’s been here since I was a kid!”
Mandla laughed, “He just can’t control himself! Arby, c’mere boy!” He whistled. Arby’s head shot up as he moved away from Janaia to sit right next to Mandla. He reached into his pocket to give the Arcanine a small treat, patting its head. “Arby has been part of the family since he was a Growlithe. He’s a loyal member of the family and watches over the Pokémon when we can’t.”
“A watchdog.” N mumbled to herself, and Mandla nodded in agreement, “Exactly!”
Janaia dusts herself off as she sighs, “He can look so intimidating to others, but he’s a total goofball as you can see.” She chuckled. The Arcanine let out a bark to get N’s attention. She quickly set her eyes on the large animal and held her hand out. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Arby. I hope to see more of you.” Arby sniffed N’s hand before giving her a long lick, leaving a trail of saliva on her hand. Janaia grimaced, “We should probably wash that. Especially before we have dinner.” N simply nodded.
Back inside the house, N busied herself wiping her hands clean with soap and water as Janaia fixed her hair in the mirror. “I like your parents so far, I’m glad I came.” Janaia smiled, “Yeah? I’m glad.” She leaned over and gave her a quick kiss, “I’m gonna see if ma needs any help in the kitchen.” N nodded as Janaia walked away. After she dried her hands, she walked down the hall only to stop and gaze at a small picture frame of a woman she couldn’t recall.
“Liking the family photos?” N turned to the voice and saw Mandla taking off his dirtied gloves from outside. She scratched her head sheepishly, “Apologies…I don’t mean to snoop. I just couldn’t recall Janaia bringing up another family member.” Mandla hummed in response as he glanced at the picture N had examined, “Our family is pretty spread out, got family all over the place. Alola, Sinnoh, here, you name it.” He chuckled, “The lady in the picture is an ancestor of ours, Jada’s side of the family. From way, way back in Hisui. Her name was Nori Egawa.” He held the picture in his hands, “Folks at the time called her the ‘Sea Lady’, she practically lived in the ocean. At least that’s what I was told.”
N tilted her head curiously, “Sea Lady…?”
Mandla nodded as he set the picture back down, “Jada is more into this stuff than I am. But, apparently, one night she disappeared into the sea and never returned. Some think she must’ve drowned, but for years, Jada’s family held the belief she returned herself to sea as a final act of love. Returning home and becoming a legendary pokemon. That pokemon being Lugia.” N remained silent, “Before she and I got married, she told me that there would always be a girl from the bloodline to follow in Nori’s footsteps and join Lugia. Apparently, Janaia was supposed to be the next heir.”
Mandla smiled, “What a shame that would be, right?” He laughed and nudged her shoulder.
N only remained silent, awkwardly stiff with her brows furrowed at the revelation. The whiff of rosemary filled the air as Mandla turned away, “Smells like dinner's ready. See you at the dinner table!” He waved absentmindedly as he left N in the hallway, still staring at the image. Suddenly, her chest felt heavy in this house. Janaia wasn’t going to end up at sea with Lugia during their stay…right?
The dinner table was perfectly set. Janaia stood in front with her arms crossed as she admired her work. Jada patted her daughter’s back harshly, “Someone finally learned what side the forks and spoons go on, I see!” Janaia rolled her eyes, “Yeah, cuz you practically rammed it into my head as a kid, ma!” She laughed, “The Slowpoke tail looks really good. The salad, too, N will appreciate the thought.” Jada smiled, “When you told me she was vegan, I was worried! I don’t want her to cry when we start eating!” Janaia simply groaned and rolled her eyes, “She isn't going to cry! I’ve had the discussion countless times with her; she knows what we eat.” Jada let out a sigh of relief. It didn’t take long for Mandla to make his way to the table, already reaching for a plate before his hand swatted away.
Jada squinted, “Wash your hands.” Mandla gave a sheepish grin as he quickly turned to the kitchen sink instead. N silently made her way to the table and took a seat, her head was low as thoughts warped her mind. Janaia carefully placed her hand on her shoulder, slightly jolting her back to reality.
“N? Baby? You all good?” She gave a warm smile to her.
N looked back up, her face felt warm just looking at her. She gave a small smile back. “Just thinking. I’ll be okay.” She squeezed Janaia’s hand slightly. Janaia nodded and sat next to her, “Let me know if you need anything; we can leave whenever you want.” N nodded.
As Janaia’s parents finally got situated at the table, Jada clasped her hands together, “I don’t know if Janaia has told you, but before we eat our meals, we give thanks and bless the food given to us.” She bowed her head, Mandla following suit. N turned to Janaia with a slightly confused expression, clearly asking for guidance. Janaia just smiled and held her hand as she closed her eyes and bowed. N repeated her actions.
Jada took a deep breath, “Guardian of the sea. You have blessed us with another day of peace, another day of health and love. As night falls upon us, we pray that you continue to protect our Pokemon brothers and sisters who roam your waters, and that you may wait for our return home. Thank you.” The family opened their eyes as they all repeated ‘Thank you’. Janaia turned to N, her smile faltering as she saw N’s sullen expression. “N?” Janaia squeezed her hand again as her breath hitched. N quickly turned to Janaia with watery eyes, “S-Sorry, I’m—” She turned to Jada and Mandla, seeing their worried expressions, which caused something to turn in her stomach. Suddenly, with a loud creak of her chair, she stood up, “I-I’m going to get some air.” N hurriedly left the room, rushing to the backyard. The table was awkwardly silent.
Jada looked at Janaia, “I thought you said she wouldn’t cry about the Slowpoke tail?”
N found herself outside, huddled up against Reshiram as she sniffled into her hands. Reshiram nudged its nose against her green hair as it let out a small gruff hum.
“N?”
She slowly removed her hands from her wet face, blinking the tears away from her eyes as she looked at Janaia standing in front with Arby by her side. “What’s wrong? Did you get nervous?”
“N-No, it…I…” N held onto her necklace as she stuttered. Janaia knelt by her side, “Breathe. Just take a minute. I’m right here.” N shut her eyes tightly as she tried to get her breathing under control. Arby rested his large, fluffy head on the side of her hip, letting her rest her hand on her fur. N let out a deep breath as she looked at Janaia, “I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make a scene…especially in front of your parents.”
Janaia gave her a soft smile, resting her hand atop hers, “Nah, they’re just worried you didn’t like the food. Ma thought you were crying for Slowpoke.”
“Slowpoke…?”
“It’s not important.”
Janaia caressed her cheek, wiping a tear with her thumb, “N, did something happen? You know you can tell me anything…if my old folks said anything bad to you, then I’ll deal with em and—”
N quickly shook her head, “No, please don’t. None of this is their fault.” She looked down with a guilty look, “I just…your father told me about your ancestry. You’ve talked so little about it, so I didn’t mind, but…he spoke about a ritual they used to do. How someone would go out to sea for Lugia and never return.” She gulped as she tried not to cry again, “When he brought you up, my heart stopped. Such a task seems terrifying…and to know that if your parents had agreed to such a task, we would’ve never met. I imagined how my world would become so bleak without you and—” It was Janaia’s turn to interrupt as she suddenly covered N’s mouth.
“Slow down, you know you start to talk fast again when you’re nervous.” She smiled, “Yeah, there was a reason I didn’t tell you a whole lot about the…ritual stuff.” She sighed, taking a more comfortable seat on the ground as she rested her head against Reshiram. “When I was just a kid, my mom disbanded from the bigger family and married my dad. She never wanted to put us in harm's way, but she didn’t immediately stop worshipping Lugia either, so those practices always continued in the house.” Her fingers dragged against the white fur of the dragon; it seemed to purr in response.
“I never really wanted to be part of that whole worship thing anyway, so I just never brought it up. Ma respects that. I’m sorry if that information scared you, N. I guess I should’ve prepared you for that part in my life.” N quickly shook her head, “You shouldn’t have to apologize, I’m glad to learn new information about you anytime. I should apologize for being overly emotional…I hadn’t prepared myself for such information. I should be more stable with where I am now, I know you wouldn’t leave my side…right?” Janaia stifled a laugh, “Of course not, silly.” She pinched her cheek, “You’re stuck with me foreverrr!” N couldn’t help but laugh; she felt Arby adjust his head to lick the side of her face happily. He let out a small bark, and N just nodded and patted his head.
Janaia tilted her head, “What’d he say?” She rubbed her eyes as she stood up before responding, “He asked if he could eat the Slowpoke tail if we don’t.” Janaia quickly stood, giving a stern look to Arby with her hands on her hips, “No way! Arcanines don’t get the table food, you know that, Arby. Plus, I’m totally eating most of it.” Arby barked back in response. The argument between a human and a Pokemon caused N to laugh.
Janaia let out a sigh, “Goofy dog, we should head back inside, N, I don’t want my parents to think you hate them.” N suddenly had a worried expression, “But I don’t?? Your parents are very kind! I wish they were my parents.”
“Don’t let them hear you say that, then we’ll never leave this house.”