Bittersweet

Miles woke up at the break of dawn. Getting up early was a part of his routine. It felt strange waking up in a bed he wouldn’t sleep in for weeks, months even. He looked over to his brother, still dozing away. Arthur had gone to Spinda’s again yesterday. As long as he wasn’t drinking, he didn’t mind. Manaphy had told him where he’d gone, and he wasn’t drinking anything alcoholic. “Where’d he get that gummi, anyway?” He smiled and gave a quiet yawn as he walked into the kitchen.

Early morning light shone over the small kitchen. Against the wall stood a small counter with a sink and various cabinets for storage, and a hearth where a cast iron pot hung above charred embers from days ago. A large wooden table stood in the center of the room alongside 4 chairs of varying quality. Maps, bags, a journal, and various exploration items were strewn across the table from last night. An unopened bag of fresh goods from Kecleon’s leaned against a cracked flower pot holding a Gracidea.

Miles removed the pot from the fireplace and started a fire using a match. He took a water jug from a cabinet and filled a kettle. He set it above the fire for tea. Another yawn was followed by a sack of oats and several dried Mago berries hitting the kitchen counter. The kettle hissed as Miles filled the pot with ingredients and added water from the jug. He swapped the containers over the fire and put the kettle on the counter. With the kettle, he filled two mugs and placed two Chesto tea bags inside. 

Arthur walked into the kitchen a few minutes later to the smell of oatmeal. His stomach rumbled as he bounced into a chair and started reading the maps from last night. A mug of tea and a bowl of oatmeal with a spoon were placed in front of him.

     “Did you decide on where we’re going?” Arthur drowsily picked up his spoon.

     Miles sipped his tea and pointed to a red circle on the map. “We’re heading out to Shaymin Village. Apparently, some few years ago, the passage to the village found by Project P closed off when the Legendaries disappeared. Noone’s been there since, but it’s a confirmed location where Legendary Pokemon are located. We need to find information on the Phione Dew, so we’re heading there.” He then pointed at a yellow line on the map. “We need to clear the central mountain range, so we’re heading down the coast and climbing through Mt. Horn in order to reach the eastern part of the continent.”

     Arthur swallowed a big spoonful of oatmeal. “That’s it? It can’t be easy, right?”

     “We’re not experienced exploration teams. For us, this will be a hard journey even with our combat training. Living off the land isn’t something that we’ve experienced before. And it’ll just be the two of us.”

     “You know, this’d be a lot more fun if we didn’t have a timer breathing down our necks.” Arthur took another bite.

     Miles looked over to the Gracidea on the table, then down at his bowl. “It’s going to be hard. But you’ve got me. We can make it.”

     “Hey, I’ve got your back too! This isn’t just your mission.” He looked into his brother’s eyes. “I’m not going to be dead weight. I swear by that.”

     “I… I never said you were. I really… I’m sorry.” Miles took another sip. “I just don’t want to turn this from bad to worse.” He looked down at his bowl again. “Hey, you think it was good for Mom to teach me how to cook?”

     “Is that even a question? Your stuff’s better than some of Spinda’s!” Arthur’s eyes brightened up. “How do you make oatmeal taste good?”

     “It’s the Magos. A simple sweet berry, it keeps the dish basic and not overwhelming.” He looked out the window at their mother’s garden. “I hope the garden can survive when we’re away. That’s where Mom gets her Magos.”

<|>

Smoke rose from the chimney of the small house beside the river. A tiny garden with a few flowers and small berry trees stood beside the quaint dwelling. Out the kitchen window wafted the smell of something cooking, something good.

A fresh vase of flowers stood on the kitchen table. Upon the hearth bubbled a hearty stew, the fire being tended by an Azumarill. His wife stood at the kitchen counter, peeling Persim berries, their children watching them with interest. One Azurill sat on the counter next to their mother, the other in a highchair at the kitchen table. The older one on the counter bounced on his tail as he watched the berries being peeled.

     “Dear, how much longer on the Persims?” Sweat dripped down the father’s brow, fan in one paw and ladle in the other.

     “It’ll be in a few minutes.” The mother looked endearingly at her son next to her.

     “Per… Per… sim?” The Azurill hopped off his tail and poked a berry with its foot. He tilted his head.

     “Oh, you want to help?” The mother’s smile grew. She passed a berry to the Azurill to play with.

He gave it another poke with his foot and looked at it confusingly. With another single step, the berry was crushed and juice splattered over him and his mother. He blinked, and then licked some juice off of his tail. “More!” he called.

     “Oh, you silly boy.” The mother took a towel and began to wipe down the juice. “I think he’s gonna be a great cook!”

     The father chuckled. “Well, he’ll be trained by the best.” He took the peeled berries and placed them in the pot. The stew bubbled heartily over the hearth.

     Azurill was picked up by his mother. “Go on, why don’t you play with your brother for a bit?” He was placed in a highchair next to his younger brother.

For the next few minutes, the two children blew raspberries and giggled at each other as their father stirred the stew. He scooped some up in his ladle and gave it a taste.

Four bowls were placed upon the table, each steaming with savory stew. The parents sat down and began to feed their children, since they had no hands to hold a spoon.

Hearty laughter could now be heard outside the window, alongside the same tasty smell of homemade cooking.

<|>

It was cloudier than yesterday when Miles and Arthur reached the crossroads next to Treasure Town. Miles carried with him an old but sturdy explorer’s bag, once belonging to his mother. On his arm rested his float. It was hard carrying the bag for the first time, he was not used to carrying so many items at one time. Arthur held out an old map in front of him, the same map covered in various scribbles and circles for their journey ahead.

     Arthur looked in the direction of Treasure Town, and back at the guild. “Miles… you sure we shouldn’t tell anyone? Everyone in town knows us, they’re gonna find out sooner or later!”

     Miles sighed. “People are going to worry. People will worry about us. If we leave before anyone notices, we’ll have enough time to make it out far enough so no one pursues us. I don’t want to give anyone that burden.”

     “What about mom? Not even her?” Arthur wasn’t convinced.

     Miles went cold. “I… she’d worry the most. She’d tell us to be happy for each other. To live without her.” He grasped his float. “I’m not gonna just let her go. We’re going to at least try.”

The two took a moment to look back at Treasure Town.

     “Arthur… if anything bad happens… I’ll always love you.”

     Arthur wiped away a tear. “Thanks… Love you too, bro.”

The two embraced in a hug for a solid minute before walking away from town. They didn’t look back.

     “Like father, like son.”

<|>

The Roselia blew her nose. Amelia had gone outside for some fresh air and sunshine, but the cloudy sky made it hard to catch the rays. There was no mistaking it, the brothers were leaving. Miles had an explorer’s bag. She had no idea where he got it from, but it was the genuine article. Arthur had an explorer’s map as well. Someone they knew must’ve been an explorer. It was probably their mother. “How fitting; them following in their parents’ footsteps. Off to find that dew, I guess.” Her time yesterday with Arthur was a fresh experience. She’d finally found someone who could stand her! And now, he was leaving so soon. His purpose was virtuous, but Amelia could only feel shame at herself at seeing the brothers leave.

She couldn’t go out and explore the world like she wanted. She needed an income, she needed a place to settle down. She had fought long and hard to remain in the guild for 2 years. Did she really want to throw it all away?

A colder breeze made her shiver slightly.

She’d met Seb at the guild. Someone with more drive, more passion, someone to lean on. If it wasn’t for him, she’d probably go insane. It’d make sense why Arthur sent that jab at her yesterday. They were very, very close. But Seb had no interest in romance at all. She didn’t mind. Team Trailblazers was perfect the way it was. Although not as powerful as other teams, the two of them had beaten fierce outlaws in the past through Seb’s tactical prowess. So why did the two Marill call out to her?

She hadn’t gotten the amount of sunlight she wanted. That was fine. She needed to talk to Seb. 

She went down the ladder, said hi to Chatot, walked down the hallway, and entered the room. Seb was still asleep in his shell. He was like that when she got back yesterday.

     “Hey, Seb.” She poked his shell. 

     “Seb.” Nothing. 

     “SEB!” Still counting Wooloo. 

Amelia’s flower flared up in a deep, thorny purple. “Alright, we’re doing it this way!” With a smirk, she sent the Poison Jab at the sleeping Shelmet. Right before contact, a Protect shield erupted from Sebastian, sending Amelia flying.

     His shell opened up and he looked all around him, fear in his eyes. “ENEMY!” He froze when he saw Amelia on the ground across the room. “Oi! I told you not to wake me up like that!”
 
     “Aww, little bug needs his beauty sleep? Sorry ‘bout that, I need to talk about something.” She hopped up and sat down across from Sebastian.

     “You know the Marill brothers?”

     “Including the one that beat me up?” Sebastian looked confused.

     “I saw them head out of town. They had full explorer equipment. I don’t know where they’re going.”

     “Hmm… Well, they’re definitely strong enough to be explorers.”

     “That’s the thing. They aren’t. They’re trying to search for Legendary Pokémon to find the location of Phione.”

     “Why Phione?”

     “Seb, their mother’s on the verge of death. They need a miracle cure. A real miracle.”

     Sebastian looked down. “Well, I wish them the best of luck. This isn’t all you wanted to talk to me about, right?”

     “Seb. I want us to go on a journey as well. See the world. We’ve been in this small region of the continent for 2 years already. I want to see the world. I’m tired of being cooped up in the guild.” She was pleading at this rate.

     Sebastian gave a small sigh. “Amelia. I know you want to see the world. I do, too. But we are guild members, first and foremost. We have a duty to do. We have jobs to complete. Pokémon to rescue. Pokémon to apprehend. We can’t just abandon our duties like that.”

     “If we go with the brothers, we can help save a life!”

     “At the cost of how many jobs we can get done at home? At the cost of lives lost from ignored rescue missions? I’m not making the guild triage jobs.”

     “Seb, PLEASE. I saw Miles after I beat him in battle.”
     The memory echoed in her mind. “I don’t want to die!” A lost child wailing in the night. The shadow of death looming over them. The voice of one who had thought they had lost it all.
     “They need help. They need someone they can trust-”

     “Amelia, settle down.” Sebastian’s voice was stern, almost like scolding a child. “For one, I don’t know if they want you to come or not. It’s their journey and their decision to head out alone. Second, this isn’t about what you want, I’m sorry. We need to compromise as a team. We have work to do. I hope you understand that. Graduation is needed for us to become independent, and we still have a long road to go.”

     “Long road?! We’ve been at Bronze for a year, for crying out loud! We’re as slow as a Shuckle, it’s going to take even more years to reach graduation!” Amelia’s anger started to flare.

     “Well, we can always just work harder-”

     “Have we NOT?! 2 years without any progress, Seb, 2 YEARS! We agreed on the name Trailblazers, and yet we’re stuck with the same old dungeons all the time!”

     “We still struggle in dungeons! We’re still green! Only 2 weeks ago, we almost got wiped out by those Starly in Mt. Bristle! We don’t have the capabilities to travel farther, we’re just not strong enough! We almost lost to that Marill, he would’ve WON if he wasn’t enraged!”

     “We did have the potential to win! Going on that journey will make us stronger! We’ll be a full group of 4 anyway, we can take on the world!” Amelia stood up.

     “They’re looking for Legendary Pokémon, we cannot beat a Legendary!”

     Amelia huffed. “Who says we’re going to fight one?”

     “You know they’re territorial!”

     “And how long will it take for you to train up to Gold Rank before stepping a day’s length out of this hamlet?” She tapped her foot.

     Sebastian’s patience began to waver. “I’ve told you before, it’s just… it takes time. Time to grow, time to bloom.”

     “Oh, YOU can wait 10 years just to climb up to Gold, but I’m frankly SICK of it! I ain’t like you, I don’t sleep 10 hours a day and spend all my free time training Protect, I need time to see the world! I’m not an old geezer, and I’m NOT willing to become one faster!” Her face turned a full red. “I don’t need YOU slowing me down!”

     Sebastian’s confidence broke. Tears welled up in his eyes. “I… I see. I thought you cared about us. I thought you wanted to make a difference in the world. If you don’t need me, then I don’t need you.” He curled back up into his bed and shut his shell.

     “Why, YOU!” Amelia kicked him, sending him tumbling across the room. His shell stayed shut. Her flower’s shade of purple turned deeper. Poison dripped on the floor, hissing as it stained the grass brown. “GAHHHHH!!!” She charged at the Shelmet before she heard a voice.

     “AMELIA, STOP THIS AT ONCE!” Chatot rushed into the room and pulled her back by the neck. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! CALM DOWN, HAVE YOU TURNED INTO MILES?”

     “Let.. me.. GO, birdbrain!” Amelia yelled.

     “CALM DOWN! CALM DOWN! AGH, CALM DOWN!” Chatot’s wing glowed, and knocked Amelia down with a Wing Attack.

     “Ugh…” She sat back up. “Aw, you ruined my leaves!”

     “LISTEN to me, Amelia. You too, Sebastian, I know you can hear me.” Chatot clicked his tongue. “Alright, you two are fighting. For the sake of both of you and the guild’s ears, you need to calm down and compromise. Make a plan, go take some time off together, just make a decision. We don’t want anyone to die here, but your guild work is important.” He looked at Amelia. “You can always talk to me or the guildmaster. We can try to sort something out. Remember: you two are a team. In a dungeon, only you will have each other’s backs. Please don’t break down what you’ve made after 2 years.” He turned to leave. “Maybe I’ll give you two some harder jobs. You’ve proven yourselves to be formidable already.” He flew out of the room.

Amelia stood in silence for a minute. Sebastian remained in the corner, closed off to the world. She felt numb. In the time she knew him, she had never lashed out at Seb like that. “Maybe he’s right. Maybe he doesn’t need me.” She walked over to where their bag and Wonder Map was stored. “I’ll find my own way.” She tossed her guild badge onto her bed.

A sob echoed from within the Shelmet. No sound pierced outside.

<|>

Clouds continued to blanket the skies over Treasure Town. Amelia sprinted down the steps of the guild and into the shopping center. With each stop, her heart raced faster and faster.

     “Hey, Dusclops, I’m gonna need to withdraw 6,000 Poké, yes, I need that much, I’m in a hurry, it’s an important job!”

Each shop she went to would leave a trail. She needed to be faster.

     “Sorry, Kecleon, I need all the essentials, need Orans, a Reviver, a Heal, and uhh… I’ll take that Petrify Orb as well!!! How much… ok, gotta run!”

She was known for being the new town gossip. She knew the consequences of running off at the same time as the brothers.

     “Heykangaskhanyeahi’mgonnaneedthatsparepechascarfandyeahi’minahurryandilltakethoseseedsaswellyepitsanimportantjobokBYE!”

She knew she was abandoning her one and only friend in town. She knew she had always relied on him in their travels.

She knew many things could go wrong. One wrong move on her own with no Seb to fall back on. Not catching up to the brothers in time. Run-ins with outlaws. Dungeons that countered her type.

She knew that Miles might not want her to help. 

She charged back toward the crossroads with a full bag and a heavy heart. She had no time to say goodbye to anyone, she needed to catch up. No time to gossip, either. A decision had been made. She didn’t care if it was impulsive and selfish, dang it. She needed to get out there. She needed to make a difference.

     “I’ll travel the world, to save a life that cannot be lost!”

Her sash fluttered in the breeze as she ran. She didn’t look back.

     “When I return… I’ll be a better teammate! No… I’ll be a better friend.”