Narrator-POV:
Our hero and his more or less trusted entourage were indeed done. Thus, everyone had their own thoughts to deal with while Ursula shimmied back into her seat.
Dawn thinks about her place in the world. The unfairness of it all - just because she was born into a certain family, she gets to enjoy life more than others. She gets to rule over them when she grows stronger as a trainer. But really, she would really rather show off her pokemon in contests.
It is fun, she gets paid for it, the competition is fierce, and the victories are oh-so sweeter because of it. But the downs hurt all the more too. Her last win had been quite some time ago...
Zoey ponders the fate of her family. They were driven out of their ancestral home by trainers who had just been a little more ambitious than they had been. They are at fault. Without them, her family would have never been caught up in a Space-Time Convergence.
Solaceon Town has some of the most fertile soils in the world - and they can be hers once more. She just needs to become stronger...
Mars watches the faces of children - young girls and a boy on the precipice of adulthood. Parts of her regret revealing a piece of the puzzle, ruining their innocence and tarnishing their journey.
Another part wants to do it all over again. This part shows itself with a wide, wicked grin across her face as she watches the melancholy spread...
Jupiter watches the passing scenery outside the window. None of it concerns her, so she simply remains motionless until the dreary, snowy weather outside suddenly shifts, and she perks up.
The drifts of snow - fed by an ever-raging snowstorm - sometimes with more, sometimes with less rage - disappear. This far south, it only snows in winter; thus, the grass grows green and lush. Jupiter gazes upon the horizon, smiling and looking forward to a relaxing vacation.
Ursula really does not like the persistent silence. What she liked even less were the words she heard when curiosity had overwhelmed her, and she listened in on the conversation.
She did not hear everything, but she heard enough to keep her mind busy filling in the blanks. How long has this been going on? How many people are involved?
Usually, Swole would be asking himself the same questions, but today, a cool head prevails. He realizes nothing has changed for him.
The world is still the same. The gods are still as uncaring as they had always been. And finally, his goal remains the same.
Although, a cool head might be the wrong word. Full head is more like it. His most recent misadventure still bounces fresh in his mind without a moment of rest to collect his thoughts. He opens his mouth as if to speak up but then decides against it.
Instead, he just enjoys the warmth along his arm. Lopunny presses herself against him, demanding nothing in return, but in exchange, she soon finds his head resting on her shoulder. She would wrap her ears around him as a blanket if it were not for the dastardly Salazzle occupying that space.
He is about to close his eyes for a nap despite the light of a bright sun spilling inside, but then a lurch of the train startles him up to full wakefulness once more.
"We're stopping here for the rest of the day and night." Jupiter casually explains while getting up and shooing Mars to the bathroom to get changed into her uniform. "Feel free to explore the town. There's a pokemon contest being held today, if you're there fast enough to register in time. Be back before the sun goes down, or else the crew might not let you back inside."
"You heard Mama Jupi; off you go, kiddos." Mars earns a slap on the back of her head for that.
None share Mars' happy mood as the gang trudges off, nearing the exit--
"Halt!"
---
"Ahhhh!" I startle.
A shape stands before me - blue, wavy bangs with a spiky ponytail, a black skintight spandex bodysuit with blue and yellow accents, hazelnut-colored eyes, and an expression that promises pain if her orders aren't followed. Lastly, she holds out an official badge identifying her as Deputy Officer Jenny.
She looks like a miniature Officer Jenny in a cute superhero costume. Her hands are outstretched, blocking me from leaving the train. "Halt! We have an ongoing investigation! We need to body search everyone going or coming into our kingdom."
"Kingdom? Which one?"
She looks at me as if I were stupid. "The Kingdom of Lucario, duh. Who doesn't know where their train is going... a criminal perhaps? Are you the criminal we're looking for?!" She points at me and then at a nearby cabin with a curtain as doorway. "Step right up; we're doing cavity searches now."
Mars is laughing somewhere in the back of the train.
I cross my arms. "I'm not letting you search my cavities."
"Look, I don't want to search your cavities, but you've been acting too strangely. You're a suspicious person coming from a suspicious train to impede my investigations. Your cavities need to be searched."
"No."
"How about just a body search instead?"
"Urgh. Fine."
"Yes!" She pumps her arms. "Step right up. I'll be quick. Everyone else, please remain in the wagon until I call the next person out."
I move over to the side and spread my arms.
She shuffles around, closes the curtain before taking a couple of breaths. Her voice hitches. "H-hi. I'm Mable Jenny. Nice to meet you." Slowly, her hands move along my left arm. She pats down the top and bottom sides through my pullover.
"Hello, Mable. I'm Dawn--"
Her hands travel up my arm and down the sides of my torso. They linger over the straps of my bra before tracing it towards my breasts.
"What's that? There's something metallic right here."
"Shhh." I hiss and whisper. "That's my bra."
"Oh." She continues down my stomach, wraps her arms around me to pat down my back, then the sides before continuing to my jeans. First the pockets, then my butt, then even between my legs...
"Aren't you being a little too touchy?"
"I'm being thorough. I need to ensure you're not smuggling anything into our glorious kingdom."
Pah. 'Glorious', my ass. Sinnoh has a few kingdoms, but they are sovereign in name only.
"What brings you here?" She asks as she finishes up with my legs, looking up at me... I could get used to the sight of someone by my feet.
"We're just stopping for the night because the railway ahead has been damaged. And today is supposed to be another pokemon contest, right?"
"That's correct." She calls the next person through the curtain and resumes the body search with Swole, starting at the arms again. "We're hoping to find the evil perpetrator before the event begins. People have been worried about it, but with the special investigator we've been promised, I'm sure we will get it solved in no time!-- Uhhh, is that a weapon in your pocket?"
"It's a weapon - of sorts." Swole says. "If I swing it around carelessly, it might cause some serious damage."
Sweet Arceus, please smite him.
"You have to disclose any weapons beforehand the search. Please remove it and show me what you're carrying."
Mars is having the time of her life inside the wagon, listening to every word and then chortling at every pause.
"Mable?"
"Yes, Dawn? Could that wait until after I've dealt with this suspicious individual?"
"No, Mable. He's talking about his penis. He thinks he's funny."
"I am funny."
Mars' chortle develops into a hearty guffaw.
"Oh..." Mable blushes. "In that case, please refrain from exposing yourself."
"I'll try not to." The scumbag shoots her a wink. At least he has the decency to look abashed when he spots my most potent glare.
His pokemon follow after him as he steps aside and gives space for Zoey to have her body searched.
Mable pats down one arm, then tries the next - she only grabs air. "Oh. Uhm... Apologies." She proceeds to gently pat down her stump, continues down her torso, and finally finishes up her legs.
"Good job, Mable." Jupiter steps out of the train, dragging Mars by her uniform. The woman can barely stand because she's laughing too much.
Mable gasps. "Special investigators Jupiter and Mars?! Wait, are these people with you?! Why didn't you say so from the beginning?! We could have skipped the whole body searching!"
"Pahaha! And miss out on the show?! No way!" Mars stumbles, only Jupiter's support saving her from a tumble. "Hilarious. Also, your form has improved. Deputy Officer Jenny, please give a report on your search."
Mable salutes. "The male carries a belt of five pokemon on his person and a sixth in his pants pocket. Another shape in his pocket was likely a potion. And-- uhm-- his you-know-what was suspiciously hardened. All three carry a mobile phone. The females are carrying four and three pokemon respectively."
"Why did you not verify if that really was a potion in his pockets? It could have been evidence. And you never checked the contents of their bags."
"Oh... I got distracted. Apologies, it will not happen again!"
"It really was a potion." Swole pulls it out, but Mable and Mars ignore him.
"Where is Officer Jenny?" Jupiter asks. "At the crime scene? Lead us to her. Let's get this over with quickly."
"Yes, madam!" Mable salutes again and marches off with the older ladies following closely behind.
I take the chance to look around. The curtained-off area for body searches is a shabby, temporary construction. The train station itself is clean, deserted, antique, but pleasant. Carvings and murals cover every wall, and the ceiling inside the roofed main building depicts battles between armies of pokemon and trainers, as well as a single Lucario standing at the front and center of the more glamorous army.
It's obvious which side shows the Kingdom of Lucario. Their army is dressed in colorful uniforms, while the opposition is clad in drab, gray, and brown colors. I ought to feel insulted - the drab soldiers are ours: Sinnoh's. These people never even won a battle - it was just too costly to conquer them, so they became an enclave and later a sub-state. Turns out, controlling all of your opposition's trade is a powerful weapon.
Now, they listen to Jubilife TV, their trainers go to our cities to participate in our gym challenge, they follow our laws, pay our taxes, and we are their only trading partner.
Despite it, the people living here have carved out a nice place for themselves. Outside the main building stands a grand statue of a Lucario within a fountain. Water seeps out of many holes and streams down like sweat, pooling in a pond surrounding the statue. Many water-type pokemon are using this place to stay hydrated.
Panpour - the water monkey pokemon - plays around with a few Surskit and Lotad while a Linoone from the nearby routes rests underneath a tinkling stream of water originating from... Lucario's tongue.
It looks grander than I thought it would if someone ever told me of a sweaty, panting statue. It looks as if she's still in the middle of her battle. Wow, I didn't notice before, but it's so lifelike I could even tell her gender. Even her fur looks as if she's really alive.
The others stop and stare as well. Swole, Zoey and-- huh? "Did we lose Ursula?"
They turn around. Swole spots her and points her out. "Looks like she's getting a coffee."
Understandable. She got caught up in the explosive wind when the Convergence happened. I doubt she got any more shut-eye than Zoey or Swole. "I'll go and get you both some too. Any special wishes?"
"I'll have mine with milk, no sugar." Zoey is watching her figure as always.
"Can I have an egg sandwich instead? What about you girls?" His pokemon all reply with some wishes. "... I'll have 4 egg sandwiches, a black coffee for Salazzle, and Lopunny wants a Tamato Berry smoothie." He hands me 50 pokedollar.
"That's way too much."
"The rest is for you being pretty." He winks.
I pocket the money. "I'm not going to forget about all your cheating just because of a few compliments."
"Of course not. You're too smart for me to trick you."
"Veiled insults won't work either, smart-ass." I walk off, and he resumes looking at the statue.
... He must be thinking of Lucario. The other one. I miss her too. She would have made a great addition to the team... We never even got to send her off. No body to bury. Just like Lucas. But she got to be with the trainer she loved. And Lucas got to be with the family he ended up loving too.
In a way, their fates weren't all that bad.
"What can I get for you?" The shop clerk rips me from my musings. A completely normal woman. No pokemon by her side, no pokeball on her belt - a second-class citizen.
"Good evening." I send her a smile, hoping the strain isn't visible on my lips. "I'll have ... " I relay everything Swole and Zoey ordered and get myself a little treat.
A cupcake. It'll be my only food between today's cleanup in Snowpoint City and the pokemon contest.
A full stomach isn't a good idea before a performance anyway. I can't afford to look bloated on stage. It's not exactly a career killer, but the competition will eat me alive if I show up fat and round like a Lechonk.
... It's nice to have such inconsequential worries.
Ursula decided to help me carry all of the stuff back to the fountain... Good grief. I mustn't forget that she's one of the girls who would eat me alive.
"How did you manage to become friends with Team Galactic officers?" She asks out of the blue, her steps slowing to get a conversation started.
She also got herself a cupcake. I guess that means I can trust her a little bit.
"We met Mars at pokemon school. Then Swole got... entangled with them in Canalave City and Eterna City."
"And he... youuu... heee?" She fumbles over her words, obviously trying to address the Cufant in the room without actually spitting the words out.
"Can we skip that part? Yes, I'm a doormat. Yes, he trampled all over that teeny tiny bit of self-respect I still had... No, I won't break up with him because of it."
"Ouch. Yeah. Sorry for bringing it up. What pokemon are you going to use at the contest? Do you already have a partner in mind?"
"I'll partner up with Zoey again, and I'm thinking of letting Mawile handle the performance stage and Wormadam and Beldum for the battle phase. Beldum really needs some battle experience."
"Beldum? Is it new in your team?" She finally stops walking completely. We're now chatting a few dozen meters away from Swole and Zoey while they silently stare at Lucario's statue. "When did you decide to become a steel monotype trainer?"
I giggle. "I'm not really a steel monotype trainer - I was just joking earlier. The cute pokemon I catch just happen to be steel types. And before you ask, no, I don't chew on my spoons!"
I do, but she doesn't need to know.
"Do you listen to metal music?" She laughs. She doesn't need to know that I've started growing a taste for that music. "I'll use Eevee and Eevee. Gabite and I are on a losing streak, and I ended up releasing my Burmy but haven't caught anyone else yet. I keep looking, but I just never find any that are right for me, you know what I mean?"
I feel like I know exactly what she means. "You're always traveling on routes, aren't you?"
"Of course, it's dangerous to go off-road."
"How many ribbons do you have yet?"
"Still none. But I'll grab my first win today!"
It's what Mars and Jupiter said. Only good trainers have the drive to go into the wilderness to get the best pokemon for their team. "Are we even rivals?"
"What?"
"Oh. Did I say that out loud? Sorry. It's just, remember when we first met in Chocovine Town, and you called yourself my rival? What are your goals?"
"I-- I remember..."
"Sorry! I didn't mean to attack you. The rival part just slipped out."
She lets out a deep sigh. "It's alright. I haven't really gotten anywhere close to where I wanted to be. Winning a pokemon contest is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be."
"Are you giving it your all to win?"
"Of course I am! I just... I dunno. Maybe I'm just not cut out for it."
I feel that way sometimes too. It's difficult to fight, to lose, and to keep fighting despite it. And when I'm not fighting, I should be training. That's what it means to be a pokemon trainer... That's what it takes to belong to the top.
"I don't think you're giving it your best yet. You're aiming for the top, aren't you? How many trainers at the top got there with as little as you've been practicing?" I'm a hypocrite.
Ursula looks contemplatively at the cupcake in her hands. She picked the one that was styled like a huge cherry... Mine looks like a blueberry. "There's also the traveling." She mutters. "It's fun. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want to. Even if I'll never become a top coordinator, at the very least, I will treasure the memories I've made on my journey."
Traveling is awesome. It's all the little things that make it worthwhile: the games we play, the food we cook - devoured by the cutest bunch of pokemon the world has ever seen - the new combination attacks we practice... the fooling around...
It has been the best time of my life, but also the worst.
I miss Lucas so much. I miss the old times when it was just Swole, Lucas, Barry, and me.
But we didn't have our pokemon back then... They are the best part of this journey. I... I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.
"As long as you're having fun, I think that's a worthwhile goal on its own." Do I really mean those words? "It's just sad that I won't be seeing you in the Grand Festival."
"Who said I won't be making it to the Grand Festival?" She glares at me, bites into her cupcake, and draws blood: cherry jam.
I can't help but let out a little chuckle. "With your ambitions? You don't stand a chance."
I'll have to train so much more. I'll join Swole on his next training trip into the wilderness!
For a moment Ursula looks actually hurt, but her face hardens, her glare intensifies, and a smirk crosses her face. "Just for you, I'll train a whole lot - no matter what. You're not going to win the Grand Festival without any competition, understand? I'll be your rival like no other."
"Wouldn't want it any other way." I take a bite from my cupcake, finding tasty jam inside. "Come on, let's get ourselves registered. If you want to have Swole as a partner, you're going to have to do a whole lot of convincing! He hates contests - haha--"
---
Swole is such a fucking piece of Rattata shit! What do you mean he literally just said - 'Yes. Sure, why not? I won't promise much, but I'll be your battle partner.'
He won't promise much, my ass. First of all, it took me forever to convince him to join me just once! And then he's actually cheating. The prick. The presentation stage was actually, literally gifted to him for free.
The judges didn't even care about the moves; they just praised Lucario, and the whole thing was done! 'Such luxurious fur. Such a powerful aura. And the metal is polished to a sheen. Marvelous.'
They never even mention Ursula or Eevee.
"We can all see your jealousy." Zoey digs her elbow into my ribs, and I aim my glare at her. "It suits you. You look adorable when pouting."
In the meantime, the supposed live feed from the arena still plays his last battle on repeat. "Unbelievable!" Miriam shouts, and the whole stadium goes berserk. "Are you all seeing the grace with which she breathes?!" The audience cheers and screams-- one person faints.
"Their battle hasn't even started yet, and Swole is already in the lead. I didn't even know you could lose points before the battle starts!"
Zoey laughs. She laughs!
"This is unfair!"
"Well, look at the bright side. At least our unbeatable rival is Swole this time. Remember in Eterna City when we didn't stand a chance because Nando had a bunch of grass pokemon and Kevin got to ride his coattails?"
"Yes. Obviously I remember that; it was like three weeks ago. You plot device."
She giggles. "Well, we still won the contest two weeks later. So it's all good."
"We've already lost this one though. And we'll leave tomorrow. Why aren't you mad that we just lost without even a fighting chance?"
"Who says I'm not mad?" Zoey grins. She really doesn't look mad at all. "I'm going to get my revenge on Swole in a different way."
"You are? How?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Oh, I get it."
"Wait... really?" Zoey asks.
"Yes, you heard how curious everyone got when Mars played that information game, and now you want to do it too. You want to act mysterious."
"... No?" She scratches her arm. "Maybe? I didn't think about it, but you're the expert on jealousy, so I guess you're right."
"I am never jealous."
"Haha!"
"But for real, tell me how you're getting revenge. I want in." The crowd inside the stadium explodes with cheers and applause. Lucario used Aura Sphere... And it missed. Their opponents lose points anyway. My eyelid twitches. "I really, really want my revenge."
"It's simple. You do realize that we're five girls and one guy in the train wagon, right? We're going to host a sleepover. We're going to tell him all about the various naughty things that girls do on sleepovers. And then we'll get Mars or Jupiter to make him sleep somewhere else."
"Girls don't do naughty things on sleepovers. That's a television myth."
"Dawn... sometimes you really are the dummy of the group."
"And you're the slut of the group."
She tightens her lips to a line. "... I guess I'll never live that reputation down."
"Sorry. It was just banter. You're not a slut."
"Thanks... In that case, I guess I'm just the cripple of the group."
"No, come on. Don't say that. I'm really sorry I said that earlier, and you're not just a cripple. Come on, Zoey..."
"I started it. I'm sorry for calling you stupid." She stretches her arms - arm and stump - for a hug, and we embrace each other.
She hugs me as tightly as her hold allows while my arms dig into her back in return. Her wild, red hair tickles my nose.
I say something to lighten her mood. "Swole is cripple adjacent."
She snorts a laugh. "Cripple adjacent? Because of his finger and his tooth?"
"His tooth?" I ask, and she nods. "I meant because of his finger. What's that about a tooth?"
"Well, I don't know when it happened, but he has a cracked molar. There's barely anything left of it."
"Oh... And how do you know?"
She tilts her head. "You're not kissing him with tongue yet?"
"I am... I guess I can't reach as far."
Zoey sticks out her tongue and blows me a raspberry before exiting our hug. I return the gesture.
"Haha!" She laughs. "I'm sure your tongue is long enough. It's all about the technique, you know?"
I shrug my shoulders. "I don't. Apparently I never had an older sibling to teach me how."
"In that case, I'll be your smooching guide!"
The other trainers in the waiting room turn to look at us. There's curiosity, lust, greed, and perversion in their eyes.
"Shhh! Not so loud, Zoey!"
"Don't worry, we won't do anything in public, duh." The onlookers let out disappointed sighs. Some scuff their boots on the ground in frustration. "Instead, it will be part of our activities during the ultra-perverted, giga-naughty, all-girls sleepover. Oh, hi Swole. Didn't see you there."
"Ahh!" I turn around, and there he is. Smug as always, with Lucario and Ursula following closely behind.
"What's this about an ultra-perverted, giga-naughty sleepover?"
"You forgot 'all-girls'. You're not invited, manly man." Zoey grins. "We're going to do makeup, our hair, style our pubes, practice kissing, teach each other about our bodies... and you're not allowed in the wagon. Jupiter said she won't allow you there."
He squints his eyes. "You're making that up."
"Am I? What if I'm not? I mean, you know me - don't you? Why would I lie about that?"
"You... you are lying. I just don't know why."
He's using Aura! He's cheating again! "Come on, Zoey. Let's go and prepare some last-minute shopping for our sleepover. I'm sure Swole and Ursula can finish winning this without our help."
"We've already won." Ursula comments as she holds out a blue and golden ribbon between her fingers. "The other finalists surrendered when they spotted our tremendous prowess and elegance!"
Arceus, damn it! Damn cheaters! "That's. Great."
"Oh, don't look like that, Dawn, you sourpuss. I'm sure you can win again someday. Ahahahaha!" She combs her fingers through her peach-colored twin-tail hair and smoothly secures the ribbon within it.
... It looks really great on her. Arceus, damn it! "It. Looks. So. Pretty."
"Why, thank you! Now, what's this about a shopping trip for our girls-only sleepover?"
"Sorry, Ursula. Only losers are allowed today." Zoey grabs me by the fabric of my dress and pulls me along. "How about you two have a nice little coffee date while we go shopping? Ta ta, bye-bye."
Eyes keep staring at us as we exit the waiting room. They brim with curiosity - only the most flamboyantly clad looks at me with pity. He's the only one not preoccupied with lust. He realizes something about my pitiable life that tickles at the back of my mind.
... Wait a second... A coffee date between Swole and Ursula? ... "Zoey!"