Chapter 40 – Day 15: Meat

Chapter 40: Day 15 – Meat

Good morning, Cosmo!

Wake up, wake up! Another day, another adventure to be had!

Bubbly bubbles bobbed like bouncy balls from a tiny mouth and fizzy froth faded to a sea of purple. Watery, wobbly waves warped the world—and then he blinked.

He was comfy—oh so comfy. The fabric felt good on his bubble. So good! The tiny vibrations rhythmically rocking his shell, too! Good!

And the warmth! Oooh, Cosmo did not want to move! But he had to! His current was churning, revving up. The world was turning around and around…

What would he start with today, he wondered?

‘Bazang! Cosmo has awoken!’

…No, he was certain he had done that before.

How about ‘Never fear, Cosmo is here!’

…No, that was not unique.

‘Huzzah…?’ No…

Well, this was a predicament. How was he supposed to greet the day without a catchphrase?

Oh? The tiny vibrations returned. Those funny little tickles. Those lovely rumbles.

Rolllllllling around inside his bubble, Cosmo sought out the source of the rumbles.

Oh! It was Fenn, snoring softly with Cosmo’s bubble in his arms. Now he remembered.

Hopefully Fenn was not sad anymore. Cosmo did not like it when Fenn was sad. That was why he snuggled up real close. Fenn liked snuggles. If only he had big strong arms to hug back with…

But Fenn was sleeping! And Cosmo did not want to wake Fenn up when he was sleeping. That meant…Cosmo was trapped! Warm and stuffy in a belt of fluffy arms.

He had to escape! Cheeks puffed with power, Cosmo squeezed through the cracks, bursting through with an inaudible pop.

Roll and roll did the world go. Jelly sloshed Cosmo to and fro, but his power was too great! He had to shut his eyes to contain it!

Eventually, the world stood still. Cosmo, however, was upside down. Blink blink—his eyes were open.

Hurray! Fenn was still asleep! Success! Also he was on the ceiling, but that happened sometimes.

More importantly, though, Cosmo was free! He unleashed the power in his cheeks as his body floated upright.

Now he could greet the day. But Fenn was still asleep, was he not? Announcing it would be a bit too loud. Hmm, Cosmo did not think this one through.

No matter! If he could not greet the day with his words, he would do so with his eyes. The window was right there, after all. Just across the room.

Now if only Cosmo could get to it without doing much. He was feeling lazy today, and even using the slightest bit of psychic power was too much effort.

He pouted. Harumph! Predicament after predicament today, hm?

Being a superhero was so tiring. All he wanted to do was stay inside and be lazy…but villains do not take vacations! What was he supposed to do?

Cosmo looked around for ideas. The other two pokemon in the room, Ozzy and uncle Finch, were also fast asleep. That left Cosmo all alone. Except…

Juanfinsimo!

Promptly forgetting about his own laziness for a moment, Cosmo gripped the plush Finizen telekinetically from the other side of the bed. With a whoosh and a bam, Juanfinsimo made his entrance.

And what an entrance it was! The sheer immensity of his power was enough to send Cosmo rolling back! Whoa!

Once he stopped, Cosmo’s eyes sparkled from the magnificence on display; no other partner of justice could compare. Not even uncle Finch or Fenn!

“Juanfinsimo!” Cosmo whispered excitedly, bouncing closer. “You look so cool today!”

Juanfinsimo, stoically and with heroic humbleness, said nothing.

“So cool…” Cosmo secretly hoped that one day he would shine in the morning sun the same way Juanfinsimo did. But on the outside they were still partners. Equals. Although he never said it, Cosmo knew deep down that Juanfinsimo felt the same, and envied Cosmo in his own ways.

Since Juanfinsimo could not float the same way Cosmo could, the Solosis tapped into his power and granted some of it to the plushie fellow. “Come, Juanfinsimo!” Cosmo declared strongly but also quietly so no one would be woken up. “Cosmo and Juanfinsimo must be on the lookout for trouble!”

Juanfinsimo did not argue. In fact, it could be said that he was so focused on the task at hand that he did not express his agreement either. Cosmo, however, knew that Juanfinsimo was always up to the challenge.

And so they went, soaring across the room while doing the occasional spin and singing their theme song for the extra awesome factor, until they reached the windowsill. But uh oh! Juanfinsimo was coming in too fast! He was going to crash!

“Juanfinsimo! Noooo!”

WeeeeaaaarrrrBWOOOSH!

Crash! Juanfinsimo landed on his side next to the flowerpot with such intensity that he was stunned silent. Dust was kicked up in his wake, and the world was never the same.

Frantically, Cosmo rushed to his side. He very quietly wailed in sorrow. “Nooooo! How could Cosmo allow this to happen!”

What a tragedy. What a horrible miscalculation Cosmo had made. Oh, how could he ever live this down?

Cosmo was close to mourning when- he gasped! Juanfinsimo was pulling himself upright! He was alive!

It was a miracle!

“You survived, Juanfinsimo!?” Cosmo exclaimed in a tiny voice.

As if there was any doubt. Juanfinsimo sat proudly on the windowsill with his signature blank look and let his stature do the talking.

Shame on Cosmo for believing that a simple fall could stop the second greatest superhero in Kebia. “Cosmo is sorry for doubting you, Juanfinsimo,” he said solemnly.

Forgiveness was hard to come by. But Juanfinsimo, good friend that he was, did not judge Cosmo for his mistake. Instead, he simply waited so the two of them could face the world together.

And finally, Cosmo was able to greet the day properly. Down below, trouble was brewing. Fog snuck in around every corner; Cosmo would have to go on a hunt. Get ready, Kebia! Here comes-

“Mm, what are you doing up so early, C-Cosmo?”

Oop- nevermind.

The friendly yet groggy voice of Fenn shattered the scene Cosmo had been envisioning, and the foggy, winding streets below faded to pleasant sunshine. Within an awkward instant, Cosmo had spun on his bubble and was sporting a guilty midair sag.

“Um…” the Solosis muttered, “Cosmo was just about to make sure there are no villains causing trouble.”

Juanfinsimo would have confirmed this, had that very same sunshine not been blinding him at that moment.

Fenn was in the middle of rubbing his eyes with the back of his paw when he smiled. “D-did…did you see any?” he asked.

Cosmo needed to double check. Sometimes the sneaky ones escaped right under his bubble. Thankfully, after taking one quick glance out the window, Cosmo beamed. “Nope! All clear!”

Fenn giggled! The sound was like music to Cosmo’s ears. Cosmo was happy that Fenn was happy.

“That’s good,” Fenn said softly. “W-what are you up to now?”

What else? Cosmo was-

Oh, wait. What was Cosmo going to do now? Without any trouble in sight, all he could do was wait. But that was no fun. He pursed his lips in thought, the little Klinks in his brain turning ever so slowly.

“Um…” he said, “Cosmo was going to, um…uh…oh!” He looked to his friend on the windowsill for ideas. “Juanfinsimo always knows what to do when it gets boring! Well, Cosmo’s second-in-command?”

Silence prevailed as both Cosmo and Fenn watched the plush Finzien expectedly. Clearly, the blue hero was spending lots of time thinking, as well. Perhaps the pressure got to him, though, as several seconds passed and he could not produce an answer.

Cosmo whined before turning back to Fenn. “Even Juanfinsimo has no idea what to do!” he cried. “We are doomed!”

Fenn did not even blink. Like with most grown ups Cosmo talked to, the Quilava’s voice took on this harmonious quality that caused the horn on Cosmo’s head to vibrate with joy.

“O-oh, Cosmo,” said Fenn, “it’s okay. We can figure something out.” Padding closer to the window, Fenn took a quick sniff of the lavender in the flowerpot. “D-do you have a favorite flower, Cosmo?”

“Cactus!” the Solosis replied cheerfully.

Fenn raised an eyebrow. He opened his mouth like he was about to chew on a snack, but closed it before biting down on nothing.

A closed mouth meant that there was no talking to be had, so Cosmo took that as a sign to continue.

“They are green!” Cosmo said. “Like Cosmo!”

…Usually like Cosmo. Nowadays he was a bright purple, like the scarves on his friends. Did that mean he had to find a new favorite?

No, evidently. He added, “Cactus’s’s also hold water inside them. Like Cosmo!”

One of the most important lessons he had ever learned was that you can like things for more than one reason. Cosmo liked Ozzy for being so nice to Cosmo and for how funny he was. Cosmo liked Fenn because he was warm and really strong!

Yet again, Fenn opened his mouth like he was about to chew, but this time some words actually came out. He mumbled, “B-but…those are not…h-how did you…?”

Fenn shook his head, his smile growing in size. “You know what? Th-that’s a good choice, Cosmo.”

Yippee! Cosmo spun in midair and struck the best of poses. Such as Lean to The Left and Prideful Wiggle.

“Of course it is a good choice,” Cosmo stated. “Cosmo only makes the most heroic of choices!”

As Cosmo spoke, Fenn giggled to himself and leaned his arms on the windowsill between the flowerpot and Juanfinsimo—who did not seem to mind. It did not take long for Cosmo to notice that Fenn had gone quiet.

Fenn was often quiet, and this was something Cosmo had come to accept, or even enjoy. Ozzy and uncle Finch were fun all around, but Fenn was like a comfy blanket Cosmo could wear in any way he wanted. A blanket to sleep in, a blanket to tell stories under, a blanket to feel protected in. Though if Cosmo was asked to explain any of this he would simply say that Fenn never made Cosmo feel dumb for wanting to talk.

And really, that was all Cosmo wanted.

If it could be believed, Juanfinsimo was even quieter. Though Cosmo sometimes wished that was not the case.

That said, what Cosmo noticed about Fenn caused him to also go quiet.

Fenn was sad.

But why? Why was that?

The Solosis floated down timidly, situating himself right above Fenn’s right ear. It flicked at his presence, but that was it. Fenn was about as still as the plush near his arm.

Cosmo found that fact rather worrying.

“Fenn? Why are you so sad?” Cosmo wondered in such a tiny voice that he was not even sure if it had come out, until Fenn responded.

A sigh creeped out from the Quilava’s lips. “I-I’m not…” he started, then paused. His ears dropped lower and lower with every passing moment of silence. “I’m…s-sorry, Cosmo.” Another sigh. “I just have…a lot on my mind, th-that’s all.”

Despite his reluctance, Cosmo frowned. Why did grown ups talk like this? Cosmo asked a simple question, after which he was unsure if he received an answer or not. That sort of thing just kept happening.

Fenn…still looked sad. Was he not sad and Cosmo was just interpreting it wrong? Or was he sad because of what was on his mind?

Even worse still, Cosmo was afraid to ask for clarification. What if that made Fenn mad? That would be even worse.

It was in times like this where Cosmo was glad that he had Juanfinsimo to rely on. He floated down until he was right next to the plush, then whispered, “We have to do something, Juanfinsimo! Quick, let’s go find some pancakes for Fenn!”

Why did his mind go right to pancakes?

Why not?

“I-I’m not-” Fenn started to say. But he stopped himself, shook his head, and laughed. “You’re so silly, Cosmo.”

“Cosmo is not silly,” the Solosis retorted with a pout. “Pancakes are serious hero food.”

Ah! Then there was a mysterious fourth voice from behind them. “I prefer waffles.”

Cosmo spun around and gasped. Oswald was awake! With fur that made him look like he was licked by thirty Meowths! But he was awake!

Quickly, and without a second to waste, Cosmo propelled himself towards the Dewott. He bounced and bounced and bounced in an orbit around Oswald, finally allowing himself to be as loud and cheerful as he wanted.

“Yay yay yay! Ozzy Ozzy Ozzy!”

Something akin to a scoff sounded out from Oswald. “Please let me wake up some more before you start making my ears ring, Cosmo,” he groaned, waving his paw limply.

Although it pained him to do so, Cosmo complied. He crumpled like a candy wrapper and uttered a faint “sorry.”

Thankfully, Oswald was not that upset. Undoubtedly he was the scariest when things were not going well for him, even if he was the weakest of the four of them. Everytime Oswald yelled Cosmo could feel his stomach retreating to another plane of existence.

Oswald’s groggy remark was followed up by a long, drawn out yawn and stretching his arms above his head. “Ahh- what are you up to today, buddy?” Oswald asked. “Hero things…?” He yawned again.

Cosmo beamed, “Protecting the innocent!” Although it seemed things had gone quiet this morning. “But the villains are all in hiding!”

For reasons Cosmo did not understand, Oswald chuckled at that. The Solosis could hardly contain his disgust. This was serious business—not a laughing matter!

“Ha, well, try to be on the lookout for a new villain I just picked up.” Oswald pointed down at the floorboards. “He likes to hide under my feet; he’s pretty shy.”

“What!?” Cosmo gaped. A shy villain? Cosmo’s horn twinged with thought. How could that be? Was it possible that all of those evildoers—the bane of Cosmo’s existence—were simply…shy? He could hardly believe it.

He had to test this theory. As Oswald padded past him, Cosmo dipped down to the floor and peered into the itsy bitsy little cracks in between.

First he closed one eye, then switched to the other. Then back again. Disappointment led to frustration when all he could see was darkness, no matter how much he strained himself. Not even a hint of a single eye glaring back at him.

That was no fun.

Eventually, he gave up. He returned to his spot in the air with the intent to admonish Oswald for tricking him. But Cosmo did not float very far before he screeched to a halt so quickly that he face-planted against his own bubble. “Ouch!”

As he shook the daze away, Cosmo was shocked to find that Fenn was not only still in the room, he had not moved. He had not made any noise, either, let alone turn around to greet his best friend. Which was how Cosmo had managed to forget he was even there.

Oswald had since walked past Cosmo and stopped just a few steps away from the Quilava with his paw outstretched. Unlike right before, the Dewott was not cracking jokes to get Fenn’s attention.

As if that was not confusing enough, Fenn did turn around a few moments later, but it was so slow and uncertain. And Oswald- he kept his distance.

And then when they said ‘hi’ they did not sound very excited at all!

“…Hey.”

“H…h-hey.”

None of it made any sense. Grown ups were so…stupid! Oswald and Fenn clearly liked each other! They should hug! Why were they not hugging?

Cosmo wanted them to hug…

The two of them continued to talk quietly, to the extent that Cosmo had no choice but to float closer if he wanted to listen. Juanfinsimo was still resting on the windowsill, so Cosmo took the opportunity to share a spot with him.

“How are you-…did you…sleep well?” Oswald asked. His arm was still extended out in front of him.

“Um…” Fenn looked down at his toes. “N- I…y-yeah, it was fine.”

Oswald pressed his lips together and nodded his head. “That’s good,” he said, though Cosmo thought that he did not sound convinced.

Cosmo lowered his voice to a whisper so only the plush next to him could hear him. “I do not understand, Juanfinsimo. Grown ups are so weird!”

There was no question that Juanfinsimo had an answer to this quandary. Out of all of the mons in that room, he was the smartest by a long shot. But that was the thing about smart mons: rarely did they ever share their wisdom. If Juanfinsimo did, all of their problems would be solved.

If anything, hearing Juanfinsimo speak meant that there was a problem even he could not fix. He spared Cosmo this time, thankfully.

Slowly, Oswald’s arm returned to his side. The fur on his shoulders pricked up like an Elekid had just grazed past him. “So, um…” the Dewott started, rubbing the back of his head, “how about those waffles?”

If it were Cosmo in Fenn’s paws, he would have been zooming around the room at the prospect of breakfast. Heck, he was thinking about doing it anyways (even if waffles STINKED).

Fenn chuckled just a little bit, which to Cosmo was a suitable reaction. “I…I haven’t had waffles in a while…” he muttered.

Cosmo could not help himself. This slander had gone on for too long! He peeked out from behind Juanfinsimo’s fins and whispered, “Pancakes are better!”

Whatever Oswald had planned on saying melted away like an ice cream cone on a hot, summer day. In fact, the fur on his shoulders must have melted, too; he looked a lot less mangy all of a sudden. “You’re the deciding factor here, Fenn,” he said with a smile. “Pancakes or waffles?”

Was…Oswald trying to turn them against each other? How…devious! Cosmo whispered even louder, “Pancakes! Pancakes pancakes!”

Fenn looked between Oswald and Cosmo, obviously torn on doing the right thing. It was good, then, that every time he glanced at Cosmo there was a moment where the Solosis could lead him down the right path.

“Syrup tastes better on pancakes!” Cosmo reminded him. “Belieeeeeve in Cosmo!”

At the same time, Oswald retorted with his own logic, which was not sound in the slightest. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Oswald retorted. “You gonna listen to that pipsqueak, Fenn?”

“Belieeeeeeeeeeeeeeve!”

It took a moment, but to Cosmo’s relief, Fenn’s gaze landed on Oswald, a slight smile on his face. “I-I’m sorry, Oswald. Pancakes are better.”

Oswald gasped dramatically, grabbing Fenn by the shoulders and shaking him lightly. “How dare you! My best and most wonderful friend—betrayal! How could you side with him?” He pointed an accusatory finger at the one and only Cosmo.

“Your reign is over!” Cosmo declared confidently. “Pancakes rule, waffles drool!”

“Nooooo!” Oswald gripped the sides of his head in despair.

The small giggle Fenn previously produced became a full-on laugh. The sadness from earlier had not just disappeared—it had run off! Never to be seen again!

“Ah…y-you two…” Fenn said wistfully.

Fat with the spoils of victory (or perhaps that was just his bubble being extra fizzy today), Cosmo took a jaunt over to Fenn with Juanfinsimo in tow.

“Heroes always win,” Cosmo said smugly. “The best heroes eat pancakes, too. Right, Juanfinsimo?”

No response. The plush might have been keeping it in right then, but when they would get to breakfast later there was going to be syrup all over his face, Cosmo knew it.

Oswald had since recovered from his loss and was currently whispering to Fenn. Something about the festival? Cosmo heard something like…doll-fin? Then Fenn whispered something back, after which Oswald appeared shocked.

Really shocked, even. World-endingly so. Fenn found it pretty funny, though.

Now Cosmo wanted to know. Were they talking about him? Juanfinsimo? They better not be. With a grumpy frown, he said, “Hey! What’s so funny?”

But they never told him. Before either Fenn or Oswald could open their mouths another mon made themselves known.

“They’re gonna eat waffles behind your back, Cosmo. Better look out.”

Cosmo gasped yet again. “Uncle Finch!” Cosmo’s bubble radiated with psychic power as he bolted across the room, halting right before the croc’s snout. “Woo!” Excitedly, he bounced a circle around Finch’s head. “We will be unstoppable now!”

The croc in question put his claws on his hips and angled his snout upward out of pride. “That’s right,” he affirmed, “your favorite funkle is awake.” The next part he grumbled under his breath. “Not like I had much of a choice.”

Uncle Finch was so cool. He once told Cosmo that he escaped a rooftop chase with an injured leg and solved a burglary mystery on only three hours of sleep. Not to mention that he sounded the part of a skilled vigilante. All that was missing was the superhero alias, and maybe then Cosmo could invite the Krokorok to fight crime with him.

Meanwhile, Oswald and Fenn made their ways over. Unlike Cosmo, they were often upset with how Uncle Finch liked to live so dangerously. Another thing Finch told Cosmo once was that Oswald in particular had ‘a stick up his butt.’

Cosmo checked and there was no stick, so he was not sure what that meant. It must have been removed.

Oswald did not seem upset today, at least. He crossed his arms like usual, but he was still smiling. “Morning, sleeping beauty,” he said. “Hope we didn’t wake you.”

A grunt erupted from the croc’s rumbly throat. “Eh, I needed to get up early today anyways.” He scratched his chin. “Hope you don’t mind; no breakfast for me. I’ll eat on the road.”

“You’re leaving already?”

Wait, leaving?

Cosmo screeched to a halt, the liquids inside his bubble sloshing around vehemently. Uncle Finch was actually leaving? Cosmo thought that he was talking about something else yesterday or…

Well, if Cosmo was being honest, he was hardly paying attention at the time. Juanfinsimo had demanded his attention too much. But still! The Solosis stared at Finch, mouth agape.

And he was not the only one. Fenn flinched. “F-Finch, you’re leaving?”

“Yeah,” Finch confirmed. “Assumed Ozzy woulda told ya. It’s gonna be a few days, at least. Already lost a lot of time waiting for you, hot stuff.”

In response to that, Fenn looked down at the floor. “Oh…”

Oswald looked between Finch and Fenn all while frowning. “I didn’t get around to it,” he said, then shrugged. “Well, try not to get robbed while you’re out in the world.”

Uncle Finch…narrowed his eyes? What was so suspicious about what Oswald just said? Even weirder, he chuckled a moment later. “Me, robbed? That’s the funniest joke you’ve ever told, Ozzy.”

“Even funnier that I’ve already seen it happen. They never paid us for that hat, did they?”

“That-” Finch pointed a finger, though a smirk had curled onto his snout, “-didn’t count. You get robbed here every day and you don’t even notice it.”

Oswald blew a nonchalant raspberry.

Cosmo giggled. None of what they were saying made much sense, but Cosmo still found it funny.

The giggling did not stop once Finch leaned over and whispered something to Cosmo. “Ozzy’s just sour that he’s been sent to time out.”

Imagining Oswald all grumpy and sitting in the corner was so funny that Cosmo had to puff out his cheeks to contain his laughter.

“Alright, alright,” Oswald said, rolling his eyes. “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

Uncle Finch slung a bag full of his stuff over his shoulder. “Why, you gonna be the one to close it?” Finch replied. But as he turned, he suddenly snapped his fingers. “Actually, I gotta talk to you about something privately, Ozzy. Meet me in the hallway.”

“Oh? Uh, sure, I guess.”

After shooting a wave towards Fenn that the fire type quietly returned, Finch faced Cosmo and smirked. “Gonna be able to hold down the fort while I’m gone, Cosmo?”

Admittedly, Cosmo was not certain. With Juanfinsimo at his side, anything was possible. But the villains and their criminal ways were the least of his concerns. Who would he play Bolt Break with while Finch was gone? What about Fenn and Oswald? Were they still sad?

It was so much…Cosmo fought away the tears. No! He had to be strong!

Cosmo gave Finch the best nod he could manage. “Cosmo will not fail you,” he said, determined. “He will protect! He will fight!”

Uncle Finch snapped his fingers at him. “That’s what I like to hear! I’ll catch you later!” Once more he shot Oswald a glance, then walked out of the room.

And then it was just the three of them and Juanfinsimo. The latter of which was probably just as sad to see Finch go as Cosmo. But just the same, he fought the tears bravely.

It was Oswald who broke the silence first. He let out a long sigh. “Looks like I better go talk to him.”

Cosmo turned just in time to see Oswald resting a paw on Fenn’s shoulder. “I’ll be right back,” he muttered.

Fenn, who was now rubbing his arm, looked up at Oswald tentatively. “U-um…sure.”

After what felt like a century to Cosmo, Oswald and Fenn broke eye contact. Still, he had to wonder, why would they not hug?

Oswald walked towards the door, but not before stopping beside Cosmo. He lowered his voice. “Hey, Cosmo. Do me a favor and keep Fenn company. Cheer him up.”

New Objective Acquired: Cheer Up Fenn

The Solosis locked up. The horn atop his head vibrated to the point of making his head hurt. All of the liquids in his bubble froze to a slush, and melted again in the span of a microsecond.

His eyes jolted to Fenn—the source of his new objective. Cheer him up? The liquids within his mind churned at the possibilities. Yes, he could do that. It was possible. But first he needed to examine Fenn’s mental state and formulate a plan based on that information.

But for now, a smile would be sufficient. That, alongside a cheery “Okay!” would be enough to provide the objective giver with enough awareness.

The objective giver—Oswald—smiled in return, a sign that the objective had been accepted. “Great,” he said. “I’ll be back.”

And with that, Oswald left the room.

Now, where was Fenn?

Fenn was seemingly in a trance, still near the window. The Quilava had his bright, red eyes—now seemingly dull—glued to the floor while he dragged himself back to the bed. His shoulders were slumped, his ears drooped.

A poor start.

The Solosis floated over, slow and gentle. “Fenn?” he whispered.

No response. Fenn had since curled up on the bed. Was he even listening?

The question was repeated. “Fenn?”

There was a light grumbling this time. He was listening, however minimally.

Floating closer, another tactic was attempted. “Are you okay, Fenn?” was asked.

“I’m just…t-tired,” muttered Fenn.

Perhaps he was, but the objective was to cheer him up, not help him sleep.

Another tactic: provide warmth. Warmth was guaranteed to generate comfort. Comfort led to happiness. Therefore, Fenn would benefit from warmth.

The Solosis floated even closer, until he was next to Fenn’s arms. He squeezed in between them, to which Fenn reflexively wrapped his arms around the bubble. Nothing was said; the gesture should have been enough.

Fenn held on tight, treating the bubble like a soft pillow. While he did not smile, the closing of his eyes indicated that he felt immense comfort. “Th-thank you, Cosmo…” he whispered dreamily.

Objective Complete: Cheer Up Fenn

Cosmo squished up against Fenn’s chest, once again allowing those lovely rumbles to rock him back to sleep. Out of one half-lidded eye, he saw Juanfinsimo overlooking the room from the window. Cosmo smiled.

The day was saved, Juanfinsimo was keeping watch, Cosmo was content.

Sometimes even the strongest of heroes needed rest.

---

Oo-oO

I need a solution to this.

Something was still wrong with Fenn, I could tell. Was he upset with me? Yeah, I knew he said that he was “fine,” but so was I! Fine and hating everything! Two things could be true at the same time.

He’ll tell me eventually, right? I thought. A couple of nights ago we had that talk about trust and all that. Give it another day and he’ll tell me all about it.

But what if he just…didn’t?

My whiskers twitched like mad as I stepped into the hallway, taking extra care to quietly close the door behind me. Finch was standing near the wall a few doors down with his arms crossed. Almost as though he made an effort to leave but stopped himself halfway.

I had a hope that this would be quick and I could search through my options today. Might’ve made my impatience a bit too obvious, though; my paws kept gravitating to the scalchops on my hip like I was going to start slashing. But Finch never acknowledged it.

“What’s up?” I said.

Finch gave me a brief grin and opened his mouth to speak. “First of all-” then he nodded, “-good morning.”

A frown reflexively flopped onto my face, but I promptly nodded it off in return to Finch.. I wanted to make an effort not to constantly give him the stink eye after last night. As much as we still had our hang-ups about each other, the Krokorok was trying. I should do the same.

“Uh yeah. Good morning,” I replied.

“Sleep well?” Finch asked.

“Sure.”

“Have any dreams?”

“No…?”

“Well, I did. Lotta Budew. Some clouds. A few faces I remember seeing-“

“Finch, you pulled me outside to tell me about your dreams?”

He scoffed before lightly pushing my shoulder. “Oh, lighten up, Ozzy.”

Okay, nevermind, he was definitely messing with me.

“What, is that not all you wanted to tell me?” I questioned, rubbing my shoulder.

“Could be.” I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not.

“Well? Is it?”

The look he gave me was some sort of mixture of incredulity and impatience. “Yes,” he said in a manner so matter-of-factly that it caught me off-guard. “I wanted to talk to you in private because I had something to talk about.”

By this point I was actively frowning. “And? Are you going to tell me what that is…?”

“Do you have someplace to be, Ozzy?”

…What?

I raised an eyebrow at Finch. “Don’t you? You’re the one leaving, not me.”

Finch was frowning now, too. “And I wanted to say goodbye to a friend I made during my time here,” he grumbled. “I just wanted to have a bit of small talk beforehand without being interrupted, that’s all. Is that so wrong?”

How did we even get here? I made the motion of a shrug, but it may as well have been me throwing my arms up in frustration. “It is when you make a big deal out of it,” I retorted.

“I’m not making a big deal out of it,” Finch said. “You are.”

“What are you even trying to say, Finch?”

“All I wanted-” Finch pointed a finger directly at me, “-was to talk in private. You assumed that it was going to be some big secret, am I wrong?”

“You’re making assumptions.”

“Am I wrong, though?”

This time I actually did throw up my arms. “No, I guess not!” I exclaimed. “Excuse me for assuming that a guy like you would talk about anything but secrets and rumors! Sor-ry!”

Was he trying to make a point or something? From my perspective Finch decided to start an argument before he left for no reason.

Finch finally let out a sigh and leaned up against the wall, his tail swaying idly behind him.

My arms returned to my side and the two of us stood there in silence for a moment. That was, until Finch broke that silence.

“You know, I really did want to just talk,” he said, exasperated. “I figured, ‘hey, we’re close enough,’ so I didn’t come right out with it. But it didn’t work like how I wanted it to. Sorry, I screwed up. I didn’t mean to come off on the wrong foot.”

I opened my mouth to retort, but the words died in my throat before any escaped. For a second there, I genuinely believed that what Finch just said was a joke or some kind of gotcha.

What the hell is wrong with me?

I sighed, pushing my palm into my forehead, cursing my stupidity.

I could hardly blame myself, though. I had been manipulated and trapped in a castle of my own mistakes by a queen that hated my guts, lied to by a ghost, stalked by another ghost, beaten up by a turtle with daddy issues, and somewhere out there some evil bastard wanted my head for a reason I wasn’t aware of. But the scheming, sketchy croc that I invited to join me on a whim would be the one to break this maddening trend?

Yeah, I had a hard time getting the words out. A nagging worm at the back of my brain was telling me to spit in this guy’s face. Who could blame me?

It was only when I could bring myself to speak that I realized just how harshly my assumptions had painted my view of Finch. What did he even do to me in comparison to the other problems in my life? Make an effort to help me?

Through gritted teeth, I muttered, “No, I’m sorry. It’s just…”

And here comes the shame.

“I’m having…a hard time. In between trying to be there for Fenn and- everything else going on…I guess…I didn’t think I had the luxury of trusting someone. Sorry…”

My gaze fell to the floor. The honest truth that I couldn’t deny was that I still thought that letting my guard down here would bite me in the ass later. Hell, just look at what happened when I tried to lie for Fenn’s sake. Some asshole came around and revealed it for the lie it was!

Was I supposed to relax when Finch told me “No worries. I get it” with a warm smile? I honestly didn’t know…

And I felt like a piece of shit because of it.

When he laid a claw on my tense shoulder, I froze. He lowered his head so he could better look me in the eye, and he softened his voice, too. “It’s alright, Oswald,” he said. “It takes a while to build that trust, I know.”

I couldn’t meet his gaze. “Yeah…” The word uttered was little more than a squeak released on reaction. In reality, I had nothing else to add.

Finch tilted his head swiftly, and judging by what he said next I presumed he was gesturing towards the room we had both just left. The Krokorok said, “Fenn’s bothering you, isn’t he?”

I nodded.

A short lived chuckle left his lips. “Yeah, I saw you two last night. Always tough when a couple like you two go through a rough pa-“

“Hold on, what?” My eyes shot up faster than I thought possible. “A couple? What?”

Finch looked at me as though I had just told him a joke that didn’t land. “…Yeah,” he replied. My cheeks started to burn at the hints of confusion in his tone. “Aren’t you two…?”

The implications of what he was referring to only made my cheeks burn hotter—my whiskers twitch more frequently. All I could think to do was blink and stare. “Uh…”

Realization began to dawn on Finch’s crocodilian face. “Don’t tell me…” he whispered slowly. “You two aren’t actually a thing, are you?”

My heart was pounding like a drum. I barely managed to stutter out, “N-no! What? What gave you that impression?”

Finch lifted his claw from my shoulder and took a step back. “You’re not serious.”

“I am!” I put my paw to my chest as proof, but all that did was remind me of how fast my heart was beating.

Sputtered out in a way I had never heard from Finch before, he said, “But…the way you two look at each other! The way you two talk to each other. The way you talk about him! You even sleep in the same bed, for Darkrai’s sake!”

What did that have to do with anything?

“…So?” I asked, practically challenging him to prove his statements.

Finch, once more, had crossed his arms. “So you’re telling me that all of this effort you’re putting into accommodating him is purely platonic?”

“I’m not accommodating anything!” And I was fairly certain that came out wrong, but I couldn’t bother to make sure. Either way, my body’s biology was working on its own. My tail slapped the ground behind me, I scratched at my scalchops even though I told myself not to, and I could feel a Water Gun begging to be released.

Another sigh from Finch. He pinched the bridge of his long snout. “I regret calling you manipulative, Oswald,” Finch growled in a low voice. “That was wrong of me, I want you to know that. Love is a hard feeling for me to pick up on and it’s always been that way. I just wasn’t sure if you actually loved him or-“

“Of course I love him!”

Silence.

Dead silence.

A pin drop could be heard in that hallway.

As it turned out, it wasn’t a Water Gun begging to be released—it was that string of words.

And I wasn’t done, either.

I hugged myself, gripping my upper arms for dear life. “God, I just want to hug him and hold him and tell him that everything is gonna be okay! If I could tell him that I love him, I would! I want it more than anything!”

Finch held up his claw and pressed his fingers together, as though he was about to snap them. From there, he maintained that pose, visibly unsure of what he was even doing. “…Then why don’t you?” he wondered cautiously.

I squeezed my eyes shut. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t keep my voice from breaking. “Because I…can’t,” I whispered.

“What do you mean you ‘can’t?'”

My eyes shot open, wide and fervid. “I just can’t!”

Everything would be so much easier if I could. Fenn deserved the world, and I wanted him to know that.

I wanted him to know that someone loved him dearly. Someone who would do anything for him—travel to the ends of the earth and conquer kingdoms for him. Someone who would give up everything just so he could be happy.

Those lovely red eyes…that wonderful, beautiful voice that he rarely used. Like a treat, enough to sweeten anyone’s day.

But it wasn’t meant to be.

I’m not even a pokemon…

Finch shook his head. “Oswald…” He sounded frustrated, but concerned at the same time.

I repeated what I had already said. It was all I could think to do without spiraling up into the ceiling. “I can’t…”

My throat was hurting. It was like I had attempted to swallow a pinecone. Uttering another word would just make things worse.

After enough time for Finch to likely believe that I had nothing to add, he shot a quick glance over his shoulder before saying, “Listen, Oswald, I gotta go. Talk to him. Don’t sit there and craft up plans to win him over. Talk. To. Him.”

Easier said than done. My mind was swirling with the consequences of doing just that. Push it too far and I’d make him hate me. Don’t try at all and he’d suffer. Screw up and someone could read my mind and punish me.

Talking would only lead to trouble. I had to show him how much he meant to me.

So…what was I supposed to do to make that work?

“Oswald,” Finch repeated firmly, inciting me to look up at him. “Stop thinking about it. Talk to him.”

But…but…

I let out a deep breath.

…Dammit.

I hadn’t realized how stiff I had gotten. Letting that breath go didn’t just relax my shoulders, it felt good. I wanted more.

So, so much more.

“I’ll…try…” I let out weakly.

“Good.” Finch readjusted the bag strapped around his shoulder impatiently. “Alright, I’ll…” He then clicked his tongue a few times. “…I’ll be back. Hang in there.”

I nodded.

The final pat he gave my shoulder didn’t feel real. Hell, by the time my eyes rose from the floor, the Krokorok wasn’t there anymore. Who’s to say if he was ever real?

I stood there in the middle of that silent, desolate hallway, staring down the yawning abyss that was the inner reaches of the castle. Unblinking, sluggish, and lost in thought. Lucky me that no one interrupted Finch and I’s conversation, or else they’d have witnessed the malfunctioning of a marionette with broken parts.

Well, actually, there was one person that saw it all.

Shortly after Finch disappeared down the stairs around the corner, that all too familiar sensation slithered down my spine. And sure enough, casting a glance over my shoulder revealed that someone was in fact watching me.

The bulky Dusknoir rose from the floor at an even rate—without any hint of imperfection. It was as though he had meticulously planned his ascent with a ruler, just so he could loom over me and say one line as menacing as possible.

“How troubling,” Oleander hummed in that slimy drawl of his.

His form cast a long shadow across the ground. Gradually I was blanketed by an all encompassing blackness that threatened to swallow me whole. The red eye, peering ever so narrowly through his half-closed socket, drilled into me—judging me.

And I wasn’t having it.

I groaned. “Leave me alone, cyclops.”

He didn’t react. “I would hope that you have no plans on following that vagrant.”

Presuming he was talking about Finch, I had to ask, “Is that all you care about?” I held out my arms on either side of me out of exasperation. “I’m not going anywhere.”

With his arms behind his back, Oleander persisted in his judgment. If his gaze didn’t give it away, the tone of his voice certainly did. “You appear to require certain…counseling services.”

Was that a joke? I genuinely couldn’t tell. Fat chance I was going to take advice from my stalker, though. Hell no.

My arms curled from my sides before crossing across my chest. “Let me guess. It costs money, doesn’t it?” I questioned.

Oleander gave no response.

That’s what I thought.

Without another word, I spun on my heels and walked off in the other direction.

The ghost called out to me, “Where are you going?”

“Anywhere but here!” I shouted back.

The nerve of that asshole…

I stormed down the hallway without daring to look back. Several other pokemon poked their heads out of their rooms as I passed, but I paid them no mind. Let them think what they want. Who cares.

By the time I reached the stairs, the steps felt dull under my feet. Rocks may as well have been tied to my legs; each step became slower than the last. My arms swung limply at my sides. My tail dragged behind me and slapped each step of my descent.

Before long, it took me several seconds to go down each individual step. Out of earshot of anyone I knew, I quickly realized that acting angry was just as exhausting as being angry itself.

The thing was, though, I wasn’t even sure who I should’ve been angry at. There were plenty of people I could have been furious about: Anemone, Calluna, Oleander, Finch, and even Fenn.

There was a tightening in my chest.

Yes, I could have put it all on Fenn. Why not at this point?

Sure, go ahead and put all of that effort into making him like you. Encourage him, get him gifts—but don’t get too close! That’s dangerous!

Hell, may as well scratch him behind the ear and treat him like a pet. That’ll make things LESS weird.

If you start to feel something, ignore it. None of it will matter in the end. You’re not sticking around, so don’t waste your time.

But that wasn’t how things went, huh? Ignoring it didn’t work.

I reached the final step. The tightness in my chest became unavoidable.

Is it really wrong to have these feelings? I’m a human, but…not.

…

…I don’t know anymore…

I couldn’t be mad. Especially not at Fenn.

Numbness. That’s all it was. Every sensation was distant, and yet my heart beated louder than ever.

I love Fenn.

I love Fenn.

I love Fenn.

I repeated it, over and over again. How could something sound so wrong and feel so right at the same time?

I’m a human.

I’m a…human.

I’m a-

No no NO! Why didn’t that sound right? Why couldn’t I say it with more confidence?

This was exactly what I was afraid of. This world hadn’t just changed me, I wasn’t the same person I was before I got here!

Or…was I?

That was the worst part. I didn’t even know.

My feelings for Fenn are real. I am a human. I know both of those things are true. But they can’t be.

I can’t accept both.

Something passed in front of me. A…cart, skirting by with squeaky wheels and an appetizing aroma. That smell gripped my nostrils like a pair of alluring fingers, guiding my gaze not just to the silver vehicle sliding by, but to the Simisear pushing it past.

That was Skua, the cook from the cafeteria; somehow I recognized him.

That smell was familiar; it filled me with dread.

Meat.

It was automatic. The rocks previously tied to my legs disappeared the second I started moving. My mind was simply moving too slowly to stop the body it was piloting.

“Hey, wait!” I called, holding my paw out.

Skirting to a stop, Skua swung his head back around and balked. “Wha- that you, Oswald?” he said.

“Y-yeah.” I rushed to the front of the cart, and was promptly met with a face full of snacks, berries, assorted drinks, and the aforementioned meat on plates. Since when did I start panting? “What are you doing here?” I asked.

Skua shrugged his shoulders with his hands still around the cart’s handle. “I’m on delivery duty today.”

“Delivery…?” But I promptly forgot I even asked the question. My eyes were locked on the plates in front of me.

“Delivery!” Skua parroted. “Hungry?”

Yes. Debilitatingly so. And I hadn’t even noticed.

I nodded quickly. “Do you mind if I can get-“

And that was when my mind finally caught up. What was I doing?

Crispy, tangy tenders sat glazed in drizzly sauce still steaming at just the right temperature. Not only was it appetizing, it was enticing.

Although I had started drooling at the wondrous sight…I reeled back and pinched myself in the process. No. No, this wasn’t right.

“Something wrong, Oswald?” Skua wondered. His normally laid-back demeanor had suddenly taken on a lick of concern.

“Everything’s fine,” I mumbled, trying to remain calm. But man, I had to have looked downright crazy. Who gets this feral over meat?

Me. And ferals were the problem.

These were pokemon. Dead, cooked, and coated in oil laid out like scrumptious dishes for me to gulp down like a starving beast. I had once told myself that succumbing to so much as taking a bite of these dead ferals would make me no different than the pokemon around me. That, in a sense, eating meat would no longer make me human.

Now I had to wonder, how much of a difference would that make?

Was I a human? Was I a pokemon? What was I?

Would taking a bite really change all that much?

“You want one of those Torchic legs?” Skua asked.

Torchic legs. Just like the one I buried that one time. Here was another one.

I don’t know what came over me.

“Yeah, sure,” I said.

Wouldn’t this undo everything I set out to protect?

“I’ll take one.”

All of that stress? All of that heartache?

“Here you go. Enjoy!”

Was there any coming back from this?

“Thanks.”

I took the piece of meat, and stood there with the sauce sliding down my fingers while Skua continued his trip down the second floor of the castle.

One bite and I wouldn’t be a human anymore…

Just one…

…

…I lifted it to my lips and did just that.

I bit off a chunk, chewed, and swallowed it down.

…

My mouth hung open.

It was good. Really good.

The meat tasted like meat.

…Was that it? No big revelation?

Meat was meat.

But why?

Why did the meat taste like meat?

I felt no different. Not even a little.

I didn’t…get it.

I don’t understand.

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