Chapter Text
WYNDON STADIUM EXHIBITION MATCH BROADCAST
The Chairman smiled at the faces of people beaming back in the stands of Wyndon Stadium.
“Welcome to the wonderful world of Pokemon!”
The fans in the stands roared.
“Our beloved Galar region is a wonderful place with thriving nature,” the jumbotron screen changes to a view of Galar, Wydon Stadium being in the middle of it all, “beautiful cities, and many Pokemon with which we share our lives!”
The audience cheers at that, and The Chairman takes out a Pokeball.
“As you know, our society is able to thrive…”
He throws the pokeball on the ground.
“Thanks to help from these mysterious creatures,” he turns to face the creature appearing from the Pokeball. It is a Cufant: A small docile elephant, weighing over 220 pounds.
It sways to the music, and The Chairman chuckles.
“that we call Pokemon!”
Three wild Pidove suddenly fly over The Chairman, who gleefully raises his hands around them.
“Yes, Pokemon are all around us─ in the sea, in the sky,”
The Pidove coo.
“and even with us in our towns!”
The Chairman pulls out another Pokeball, the audience suddenly quieting.
“And those of us who choose to raise and train Pokemon to do battle and compete…”
The camera pans out to behind the Chairman. The audience can be better seen this way.
He raises his hands above his head.
“We call Pokemon Trainers!”
The audience cheers and whistles. We see a little boy gleefully holding his mothers hand.
The Chairman waits until the audience settles. He clears his throat.
“Oh! But I’m getting carried away. Please allow me to introduce myself.”
The camera now stands in front of him. There is a glow in his blue hair.
“My name is KAITO, and it is a pleasure to be here.”
The camera pans out again. This time it circles the Chairman.
“Now turn your gaze to the Galar region’s greatest Pokemon Trainer, your undefeated Champion….”
The Chairman pumps his fist in the air.
“It’s time for Champion Yuuki’s exhibition match!”
Cheers erupt the stadium.
In a flash of smoke and sparks, Champion Yuuki Akiyama appears, her signature pink hair and cape.
And her signature Charizard. She does her signature peace sign, prompting the fans in the stands to do so as well.
Standing about ten feet in front of her was the cocky Dragon Gym Leader, Hinata Otori, with her Duraluden behind.
“Exhibition or not, Yuuki, your pristine record is about to end—when I beat you here today!”
Yuuki smirks, winking at Hinata too.
“You know, Hinata, that I don’t lose battles!”
Hinata puts her hand on her hips. Duraluden stands behind her.
Yuuki giggles.
“Charizard! Dynamax!”
Orange energy surged around Yuuki’s Charizard as it began the Dynamaxing process.
The camera pans to the audience; some are in shock or are in awe.
Various parts of Charizard are now glowing orange or just on fire. He grows bigger.
His wings are made of fire. He towers over the stadium. Shadow swallowing the battlefield.
Hinata is shown on the screen for a second, her eyes not quite on Charizard’s. But on Yuuki’s.
Yuuki’s eyes meet Hinata's and they smirk at eachother.
“Hai haiiii!”
Ena's focus suddenly pulls away from the video as she turns her head in recognition of the voice that had suddenly entered her house. She must have missed the sound of knocking, but she didn't dare get up, or put down her phone. Some portions of the match were still play, and Ena had wanted to finish the video. She opted instead to lower the volume, waiting and leaning her head back on the wall, and watching as her childhood best friend, Mizuki Akiyama, suddenly strolls into her living room, her Wooloo trailing fast behind her.
She’s dressed in one of her new dresses, the design inspired by some of her sisters. It looked professional, but Ena knew it was made with the girl in mind. Design completely Mizuki's, but the composition being that of Yuuki Akiyama. Ena knew because Mizuki had shown her before, late at night during one of their sleepovers. It was one night, when the pink haired girl's mother called Ena's mother, asking to speak with the girl. She needed help with Mizuki, who was distraught and wasn't opening up. She figured Ena would be the one to make her speak.
While figured her tears were due to her not having seen her sister, who she deeply missed, who was somewhere abroad. Yuuki, who typically took a while to check in, due to her tasks and trips as Galar's champion, had suddenly had stopped checking in, something that worried Mizuki. Despite thinking about it all the time, which Ena knew Mizuki was doing, Mizuki had spent weeks avoiding the topic of her sister at all, and dragging Ena into everything she could think of. For weeks, despite being on the verge of breaking down, she put on. ahppy face and tried to act normal. Though Ena knew what was wrong; she wouldn’t watch her sisters’ abroad matches─despite making sure to record them. And, If you asked her how she felt, she’d stay quiet. She was weird in that way. Secretive even around Ena, who hated it.
Ena hated secrets in general. The structure of her life was built around it, and although she tried to be as open as she could with Mizuki, the younger girl could be closed off at points.
So when Mizuki’s mom asked for help with her daughter, Ena's mother had volunteered her daughter for the task, who would've accepted anyway. Anyone knew she'd be able to do it.
For when her dad left and took her brother, Akito, with him, Ena had been there when her mother cried all the time. Ena had held her mother in bed, whose tears were for her son and husband only. Ena had become the therapist in their now two-person household, and the only way she got her mother to stop crying was to ask her to talk about Akito. She’d talk about him so fondly that sometimes it was hard to pretend Ena didn't wish her father took her instead. But nobody knew that. Not even Mizuki.
Ena figured her methods of calming her mother down would work on Mizuki, and so she asked the girl to talk about Yuuki. Talk about their relationship, the routines they had that Mizuki missed, or even the comfort of a reunion hug. In return, Mizuki had offered to show Ena some of her designs, both inspired and made by Yuuki.
“Yuuki always wanted to be a fashion designer! She wanted her own boutique…”
“Oh yeah?”
“Mhm! Then she became Champion and was too busy…”
In speaking about Yuuki, Mizuki hadn't noticed the time flying by, or that she stopped crying, the moisture on her face dry and the smile that Ena loved, completely visble. Yuuki was like Ena's own older sister as well, because for all her life, or for what felt like all her life, the Akiyamas’ had lived next to her family. In some ways, they were her family.
“Ena...Is that your flashy new phone?” Her voice is teasing, since Mizuki had a phone way before Ena, custom signed by Hinata, who would've signed Ena's phone too had she had one at that moment.
“What do you think?” Ena playfully sticks her tongue out at Mizuki, who in return makes a heart with her hands, and makes a kissy sign. Ena grumbles, causing Mizuki to laughs at her. This was their routine. Mizuki, who playfully irritated her bestfriend, and Ena, the bestfriend. Mizuki, who was always laughing at Ena, and Ena, who did things to make Mizuki laugh.
Ena thought Mizuki's voice iwas just too sweet, so she knew she wasn't actually mad at her. She could never be.
“Were you watching Yuuki’s exhibition match on it?” she asks, even though Ena thinks it's blatantly obvious, however, Ena feels her face heat up in the moment.
“Duh.”
Mizuki pouts, and puts her hands on her hips in pure Hinata style. “You can’t cheer her on with your hands full!”
Well obviously Mizuki, but some people aren’t related to their heroes like you are, Ena thought. SHe bit her tongue to keep herself from making a condescending statement, but she figured there was more to Mizuki's words.
“So?”
“You know the only way to properly cheer my sister on would be with her famous Charizard pose!”
This time, Ena scoffed. Yuuki's famous Charizard pose, known all around Galar for it's originality, was Mizuki’s favorite thing to mimic. Her sister’s pose. The one where Yuuki would spin and raise her hand to mimic Charizard’s head roaring, spinning and putting up a peace sign at the end. It was very flashy, and Ena would be lying if she said she didn't love it.
“Mizuki!”
Hearing the sound of her mothers’ voice inclined Ena to shut the Rotom phone off. The woman hated when usage of it around her, despite her being the one who gave it to Ena. She walks into the living room, a pan in her hand. Bandaids align her index finger, and there are stains on her overalls, her hair is in a messy braid. You could tell she tried to look put together.
Maybe for the day. Maybe for Mizuki. Never for Ena.
“Any day now, Ena! It’ll happen, it surely will…”
Rotom hid itself in the sweater pocket of Ena, it must've sensed Ena's discomfort, and she crosses her arms and tucks her legs onto the couch, inching closer to its corner as Mizuki lingers by.
“Hi, Mrs. Shinonome!” she uses an extra sweet voice with Mrs. Shinonome.
“I didn't expect to see you here today, dear,” The voice of Ena's mother voice was devoid of emotion but Mizuki wouldn’t be able to tell, too focused on the excitement of the day to even notice how much of a struggle it was to pretend to be normal.
“Isn’t today the big day?”
Ena's stomach drops. Right. Today was the big day. They would both get their partner Pokemon today. Well, Ena would get hers. Mizuki had a Wooloo given to her by Hinata and Yuuki, although she claims that it doesn’t count as her partner Pokemon, but Ena knows better.
Plus, Ena isn't all that jealous. Mizuki can ignore it all she wants, but her Wooloo is stupid. Not even in a mean way, it is genuinely stupid. Mizuki tried to teach it tricks once, but instead it barreled after the artist.
“Eeek! Mizuki!” She had shrieked, her legs running faster than her mouth. It was so embarrassing, and all Mizuki could do was laugh. Mizuki loved it.
In all Ena's anxiety, she hoped she would love her Pokemon too, even if it was as stupid as Mizuki’s. But she didn’t want to think about it. How would she know which was the right one?
Ena, too busy trying to keep still in the presence of her mother, was oblivious to the stillness of Mizuki, who probably didn’t want to think about it either the way her confidence started to falter. She put her palm on her neck and itched it, a nervous tic for her. Whenever Ena comments on it she getsreally flustered.
Hands still on her neck, the designer looked back at Ena, expecting her to say something. She shrugs in return. “Y-Yeah! That’s why I came running to get Ena.” she smiles at the girl, and Ena gives a half hearted grin.
“Oh? But what about your sister’s match?”
“I’ve got it recording at home,” Mizuki waves Ena's mother off, “I record all of Yuuki’s matches anyway.”
She then turns around, red on her cheeks in an expression Ena couldn't really read. “Come on, I’m so excited!” She bounced on the balls of her feet.
Her sister was coming home today after nearly a year abroad. Ena had been there as Mizuki had spent all this time worrying, and the past two weeks talking her ear off with her happiness.
So, without objection, Ena ties her laces to avoid tripping, she knew she'd run today. “Hurry! Yuuki always brings presents when she visits, so you should probably bring a bag.”
Ena's mother clasps her hands together, putting the pan in the crease of her armpit.
“Ohh Ena! Are you going to wear that bag I got you?” Her voice is a little pleading and Ena could feel the guilt pool in her stomach. Her mother didn’t really get her the bag, she meant to give it to Akito.
“Yes, mom.” Ena tries her best to sound happy about it, even if she thought the bag looked horrendous. It was something Ena figured only Akito would like, since he, apparently, was weird in that way.
Mizuki hums, signaling that she wants to say something. She squints her eyes in focus and looks straight at Ena. Her Rotom Phone buzzes and jumps out of her pocket. It’s Hinata’s signature coral color. Her entire face lights up.
“Oh! I’ve got to run,” Mizuki dashes out of the house, her Wooloo struggling to catch up with her. “See you at mine!” she drags out her words for a little while, and it’s enough to laugh at.
In around three seconds, the house is silent yet again. Ena's mother’s energy she’d put on for Mizuki had vanished and she walked back into her kitchen. The sound of cabinets closing and jars opening filled the house.
Munchlax slept on his bed that Ena had made for him, chewing through the fabric in his sleep, which Ena was pretty sure was now decomposing. She tugs at my skirt, ignoring the buzzing in my sweater pocket.
“Do you want to continue viewing this match?”
“No, Rotom.”
This was going to be a very long day.
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Her eyes met her moms in the kitchen, but she didn't say anything. She didn’t even smile. Unlike Ena, could stare at her mother all day because she really was beautiful.
Whatever Mizuki saw in Ena, she always though it must have been from her mother's. Her dad was an artist. He had his own gallery and everything. The main inspiration for his paintings was his wife. He was rich and famous, wasn’t from Galar at all. When he left, he took his fame with him.
And his son.
Ena's room, which she used to share with Akito, is now a shadow of what used to be. Her mother asked me not to touch anything of his and leave it there. She always said he’d come back. He never really did, and whenever her mom wasn’t home, Ena's stuff, sometimes her trash and litter, would go straight on his bed.
Fuck that boy, She always thought. He chose to leave after all.
Ena's bag and hat stood discarded around her bed. It was a disgusting hat, but knowing her mother, she’d make her wear it.
“The weather, Ena…”
As if she ever cared about the weather. It was her father's hat. Ena hated the man, but her mother would want her to wear it.
The bag was new and untouched and Ena almost felt bad putting it on. She wasn’t going to handle it with as much care as Akito would have. He’d probably clean it everyday or something.
Ena wasn’t like that at all. As soon as she was out of town, and saw a boutique, she'd buy a new bag. The bag is loose; clearly made for a much taller man. Ena tucks her hair behind her ears and notices her hands are a little shaky. Her nailbeds bit to the brim. She was not prepared. She was not going to be prepared any time soon.
A noise from the kitchen lets her know she should go check on her mother, but she lingers in her room a little longer. bSoon, she'd be leaving all this behind to become a Pokemon trainer.
It’s a struggle to walk out of the room. The bag was heavily wearing her down.
Her mother finally looked up from the pot of food.
“Ena!”
Ena, in return, smiles. It's unnatural to her because they didn't speak a lot. Ena knew it reminded her of her father; she could tell by the way she shifts.
“Don’t you look a treat! I knew that Bag would suit you.”
No, mom, you didn’t. You knew it’d suit Akito. Ena didn't know why she pretended anymore.
“Thanks.” she mutters. A cold wind blew through the window. Probably the least awkward part of this moment.
“Now hurry along. Mizuki is waiting, isn’t she?”
The mention of Mizuki brings butterflies to Ena's stomach. She was so much more experienced.
She could do this. Ena couldn’t.
“I know.”
Ena didn’t know anything. Mizuki would move on without her. It was like she didn’t exist until like five minutes ago anyway. Her mother pats her head.
“But remember—no going into the forest for the two of you!”
How could Ena forget? The Slumbering Weald. It was her muse, alongside Mizuki.
Yuuki, Hinata, Mizuki’s mom, and even their respective fathers had told them they couldn't go in. They said it was dangerous and filled with high level Pokemon. Mizuki was very interested in it. Ena said she'd only explore it if Mizuki took her in it.
She never did.
Ena nods her head and her mom immediately goes back to her post near the stove. Ena knew she loved it there because there was a phone. She stood by it all day, waiting for her two loves to come back, her son and her husband. Being at that post all day has made her forget she has a daughter.
She’d probably include Ena too. Once she's gone. She’d spend all day waiting for her whole family.
Ena walks outside, breathing in all the flowers. It was corny, she thought, but she was leaving home anyway.
One of the lingering grass types hung around the bushes, and Ena smiles at it. It coos at her and continues to bounce around. It had been outside her house for ages now, but she had never asked Rotom what kind of Pokemon it was. The mystery was part of the charm.
Ena wouldn’t have wanted it to be her starter. It looked more domestic, green and gardeny. It was sweet. It hung around her garden and pollinated her flowers.
Ena's mother doesn’t know about it because she never told her. In fact, she thought the garden belonged to Ena.
“Akito would’ve loved this garden. Your father would have…”
In all her grief, she thought it was a tribute Ena made to her brother or father. She thought it was sweet.
It wasn’t towards her brother. It wasn’t even her fucking garden. It was Mizuki’s because she couldn’t plant her own garden.
That was sweet. Not whatever her mom thinks Ena did. Mizuki tells Ena all the time. About how sweet she is. She’ll go on and on about how cute and adorable she amis
It’s funny. They all see Ena as a sweet being. If she was sweeter, she wouldn’t be leaving. If she was as adorable as she said, her mother would be way better.
If she was sweeter as they said, she wouldn’t steal my best friend's dream. Mizuki was as sweet as ever. And, Ena never told anyone this, but she wanted to be champion.
Galar Champion is the highest order. They had respect from anybody. They were the strongest. Everybody knew them. Or at least knew of them.
The reason Ena hadn't told anybody about her dream? Mizuki wanted to be champion too, following in her sister's legacy.
Ena couldn't break Mizuki’s heart, not after all she’s been through. At the hands of others, at the hands of even Ena's own. The words that pile up even in some of Yuuki’s fanmail. Mizuki saw them all. Mizuki sees everything.And Ena had been there. Ena had been told.
there, There are a lot of things Mizuki had never said at all. She had a secret, and if Ena broke her heart then, she might never find out.
The spotlight cannot love her like Mizuki can.