Take Flight

Chloe left her room, and took the stairs all the way to the ground floor. From there, she worked her way through a slightly narrow hallway that she almost missed, and found the back door. She reached for the handle, then hesitated. She realised she was extremely nervous. Just a second ago, she had psyched herself up with the idea of learning to fly, but now she was had to explain to a bunch of pokémon that she couldn’t do that yet. Even though she knew she had a valid reason, she still felt embarrassed about the whole thing.

Who cares! she screamed to herself. Imagine flying! Just go do it, girl!

She reached for the handle and threw open the door.

It was a gorgeous day, as beautiful as it had seemed from the window. The temperature was perfect, and there was a soothing breeze rustling through the grass and golden leaves. Small, wispy white clouds drifted lazily across the sky, and the sound of chatter from the bandstand across the courtyard made Chloe smile.

She went to meet her friends.

“…or team AWESOME, or maybe team Dinosaur? But only one of us is a dinosaur, so maybe just team ELECTRIC?”

“B- But only one of us is an electric type, Shucu…”

“Yeah but as the leader I get priority so it makes more sense, but I get what you’re saying, hrrng…”

Chloe’s smile grew wider listening to Shucu talk with Meteor. It seemed they were discussing their team name. The bandstand was just spacious enough for the tyrantrum, who stood out like a sore thumb, and as she got closer she spotted Deeps the frillish, with Celes hovering nearby. Looking closer, she spotted Shucu sitting on Meteor’s head. It seemed like that would be a permanent arrangement, whether the tyrantrum wanted it or not.

“Alright, check this – what about team Royalty?” Deeps suggested.

“What because Meteor’s like the KING of the dinosaurs?” Shucu spoke at a thousand miles an hour. “That’s pretty cool what do you think Meteor?”

“I… I think it’s quite good!” the king of the dinosaurs agreed, gently tapping his claws together.

Shucu still wasn’t convinced. “But it only works if we’re BOTH royalty right? So I’d have to be your QUEEN Meteor what do you think?”

“I- I- I- I- I-” Meteor turned a shade redder, caught off guard.

Celes didn’t seem impressed. “Shucu, you shouldn’t tease him like this!”

“Huuh?” Shucu was shocked. “Sorry sorry I’m not trying to tease honest! But true I guess we would need to get to know each other and stuff first so maybe a different name would work better?”

“What about team Sun?” Chloe asked, inserting herself into the conversation.

Everyone turned to look at her, and the group broke out into big smiles.

“Chloeeee!” Celes sang, floating to her and around her head.

“What’s up, girl,” Deeps nodded.

“YESSS! Chloe’s here!!” Shucu bounced up and down on Meteor’s head.

“It’s… It’s nice to meet you properly!” Meteor smiled politely, waving one claw.

Chloe was beaming. She didn’t expect such a warm reception! She joined them on the bandstand, as Celes chattered in her ear.

“We have just, just been discussing our team names, if you could not tell,” she explained. “For some reason, Deeps is, is dead set on team Jelly!” Celes cast Deeps a glare, but Deeps only laughed.

“Since you said it, I just can’t get it out of my head,” he shrugged. “It’s our destiny: Jelly team!”

“Why Team SUN, Chloe?” Shucu burst out, hardly able to contain herself.

“Oh, uh,” Chloe took a step back so she could see Shucu better. “You both have connections to the sun, right? You generate electricity by absorbing sunlight, and Meteor evolves during the day.”

Deeps seemed impressed. “You know your stuff, Chloe!”

“Ah, I- I guess so!” Chloe shrugged, not actually sure of where her knowledge was even coming from.

“Team Sun, huh?” Shucu scratched her chin. “What do you think, Meteor?”

“I like it, Shucu!” the tyrantrum answered gently.

“Okay we’ll keep it in mind but we have to keep BRAINSTORMING just in case we missed an even BETTER name okay?”

“O- Okay, Shucu!”

Celes floated closer to Chloe. “So, so are you feeling a bit, a bit better now, Chloe?”

Chloe smiled awkwardly. “Ah, yeah I am!” she answered. “Thanks to Deeps to be honest. He really helped me, uh, sort through a lot of my feelings about it all?”

Deeps just smiled, and nodded.

“Oh, Celes,” Chloe remembered something. “Did you leave the note for me with the pie?”

Celes nodded. “Yes, yes! Why?”

“Did you forget I can’t read?” Chloe said snidely.

Celes’s mouth flew open. “I- I suppose I forgot, forgot-”

Shucu interrupted. “You can’t READ? OH, oh, is it because you’re a-”

Suddenly, she slapped her little hands over her mouth, eyes wide open with a guilty look. Chloe was confused. “Uh, are you okay, Shucu?”

“Sorry Chloe!” Shucu said from behind her hands. “Deeps and Celes told us not to make a big deal out of the human thing but I already failed you I’m so sorry!”

Chloe rolled her eyes. Guess this conversation had to come sooner or later, though she appreciated her other friends making a head start for her. “Shucu it’s like… You don’t have to pretend I’m not a human, I just don’t want it to become the only thing anyone cares about if that makes sense?”

“Ohhhh,” Shucu moved her hands from her mouth. “Yeah I think so! Anyway I’ve decided to show you something!!”

The helioptile abruptly jumped down from her throne and inspected the wooden floor of the bandstand. “Hmm,” she contemplated. “We need something SHARP like your claws Meteor! Could you help scratch our names into this wood?”

Meteor looked nervous. “But Shucu, that would be vandalism! I- I don’t think I want to do that…”

“Oh come on, dude!” she pleaded. “We all live here so this wood belongs to us so it’s not vandalism okay?”

“No, it’s for sure vandalism,” Deeps laughed. “You’re looking to show Chloe how to write all our names?”

“Yeah!” Shucu said excitedly. “It could be her first lesson!”

“Maybe, maybe her first lesson shouldn’t involve vandalism?” Celes suggested meekly.

“No, I think my first lesson has to involve vandalism,” Chloe disagreed eagerly.

“YESSS!” Shucu jumped up and down with glee. She took off into the grass outside the bandstand, and returned shortly with a sharp stone. She quickly got to work on the wood, scratching out a message. When she was done, she beckoned to Chloe, who was ignoring the disapproving looks from the others.

Chloe looked over the four symbols that Shucu had scratched into the wood. “Huh. This looks different to the letters I’ve been reading,” she remarked. “Or not reading, I should say.”

“That is because, because it is cubeless,” Celes explained from over her shoulder.

“See, you do want to vandalise!” Chloe teased.

“I do not,” Celes huffed. “I, I only wish that you get a proper explanation.”

“Alright then,” Chloe nodded, “please explain because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Celes floated to be beside Chloe. “The letter I left you was written at, at a writing station I found in the library, with writing cubes. That is the proper way, way to write, but we also have a way of writing without, without the cubes. That is, is what we call cubeless!”

“I wrote my name!” Shucu beamed.

“Hold on, writing cubes?” Chloe asked, bemused.

“Who cares you should write YOUR name Chloe!!” Shucu thrust the sharp stone towards Chloe eagerly.

Chloe took the stone. “Okay, I can figure out what the cubes are later then. How do I write my name?”

Shucu eagerly guided Chloe’s hand, showing her how to carve out the symbols that would spell her name. Interestingly, the writing went from top to bottom, not left to right like she was used to.

“My name’s spelled C – H – L – O – E,” Chloe explained.

“What the heck are you saying girl?” Shucu laughed. “It’d be KUH – LUH – OH – EE, like this, see?”

“Huh,” Chloe was a little confused.

“And MY name is SH – UH – KUH – UH!” Shucu seemed to be saying the sounds out loud, the way a younger child might write, but Chloe decided not to ask any further for now. After scratching in the fourth character together, they stood back, admiring their handiwork.

“Who’s next?” Shucu asked, but the rest of the group shook their heads.

“Nope,” Deeps said simply.

“You shouldn’t have done this, you two,” Celes said disapprovingly.

“I- I don’t want to, Shucu, sorry…” Meteor agreed.

“But!” Shucu frowned. “If only two of us do it it looks like one of those things where a couple scratch their names in a tree or something to show their devotion to one another!”

Deeps laughed. “Well so long as you don’t scratch a big heart surrounding the names, I think you’re good, you two.”

“Hmmmmm… If you’re sure!”

Chloe looked from Shucu, to Celes, to Deeps, to Meteor. She was a part of this – a part of their friend group. She felt… really good.

“I want to try flying,” she said suddenly. The rest of the group turned to her.

“You don’t know how to FLY?” Shucu gasped, grabbing her arm. “How can you- OH duh because you’re a human sorry- You HAVE to learn to fly Chloe this is gonna be AWESOME!”

Celes looked a bit more worried. “Are, are you sure, Chloe? Perhaps we should find an instructor, maybe, maybe Feathers would help?”

Deeps wrapped a tentacle around Celes, who yelped as she was pulled closer to the frillish. “Aw, it’s cool, Celes!” Deeps smiled. “The grass is soft and we’re all here, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“If you are sure,” Celes pouted, trying to free herself from his grip.

Chloe moved to the grassy clearing at the rear of the headquarters building. The rest of the group stayed huddled just outside of the bandstand, while Chloe took position in the centre of the clearing.

She looked back to the group. “So back in my room I figured out how to do… this!” she shouted, unsheathing her wings.

“Next you have to flap them!!” Shucu shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth to project her voice.

“Gee thanks, I didn’t think of that!” Chloe shouted back sarcastically. She turned away from the group to focus.

As confident as she had been acting, the actual takeoff was starting to make her nervous. She didn’t want to fly too high or fast to start with, so she wanted to be very careful to keep things under control.

She closed and opened and closed and opened her wings a few times. She could control that just fine, so the muscle or joint or whatever it was that bugs had to get her wings flapping had to be something similar, right?

She searched and searched, trying to figure out how to get things going, but she just couldn’t figure it out. She shuffled awkwardly, going back to opening and closing them. She could do this, she just-

“It is, is okay if you have changed your mind, Chloe!” Celes called from the bandstand.

Chloe was embarrassed. “I haven’t!” she shouted hotly, “I’m just having a hard time working it out!”

“Flap themmm!” Shucu called out through her hands.

Chloe turned around and glared. “I don’t know how! Humans don’t have wings you know!”

“Oooooh!” Shucu shouted. “Sorryyy!”

Chloe huffed, and looked away from them again. She would show them. She could do this. She opened her wings wide, and…

BZZZZZZ

Chloe was suddenly hurtling forwards, her six feet hands grazing the grass below her. There was a buzzing noise – that was her wings! She was doing it! She quickly stopped before things got too out of control, and took a tumble through the grass for it. She ended up on her shell, rocking back and forth and laughing to herself.

Her friends rushed to her side, concerned at first. They quickly relaxed when they realised she was laughing, and they laughed along with her.

“Chloe that was EPIC!” Shucu shouted from Meteor’s head – she’d decided to return to her rightful place.

“Y- yeah!” the tyrantrum agreed. “You went really fast, Chloe! Was it scary?”

Deeps looked impressed. “Niiice! For a second I was worried you wouldn’t work it out.”

Celes was fussing over the ledyba, checking her for any signs of injury. “Are you sure, sure you are okay?”

“I’m fine,” Chloe laughed, rocking herself back onto her feet. “It’s like Deeps said, the grass is really soft. The perfect place to practice. Stand back everyone!”

Her friends obliged, and she opened her wings once more. She knew exactly how to flap them now. It didn’t really feel like a continuous action, more like an on and off switch. So she switched them on, more gently this time, and she started flying.

She started flying! Chloe was gliding over the grass effortlessly. It was as easy – no it was easier than walking, she could do this for hours! This is how ledyba were supposed to get around. She carefully stopped her wings, and this time she controlled her landing, coming to rest on her six legs. She heard Shucu cheering for her, and the grin she hadn’t realised she was wearing grew wider.

Okay Chloe, we can take this further.

Chloe revved up her wings once more, and then pushed off of the ground with all six legs. She went hurtling into the sky, in a diagonal line upwards and away, and Chloe couldn’t help but cheer. This was terrifying, this was exhilarating! She heard Shucu, and the rest of them now, cheering and screaming for her as she climbed higher and higher, the wind rushing past her face.

It was the same feeling as riding a rollercoaster – it was scary, sure, but she knew she was perfectly safe, there was no way she was going to crash. She slowed her wings, and she began to descend gently. She sped them up and she started climbing higher. She was in control!

Okay, steering next. She needed to work out how to turn around, or she was going to end up miles away from HQ. She tried leaning to one side, but quickly realised that was putting her majorly off balance, and quickly stopped.

You’re thinking too much, Chloe, she thought. You already know how to turn.

And it was true. She let instinct guide her, and she changed the angle of her wings to take her on a lazy u-turn back towards the group. She felt ecstatic. Her body was working for her, now. She knew how to fly – she just did. At the end of her turn, she realised how far and high she’d flown. Her friends looked so far away! She grinned again, and sped towards them.

“Gooooo Chloe!!!” They were still cheering for her when she returned. She expertly slowed her fall, and landed gently in front of them. She sheathed her wings as they crowded her. She wanted to play it cool, but no matter what she tried, she couldn’t get rid of the giant grin that was stuck to her face. Ah, well.

“Chloeeeee that was, that was amazing!” Celes said breathlessly, spinning in place. “I thought that, that you were going to DIE!”

Deeps laughed. “None of us expected you to take things THAT far on your second try!”

Chloe laughed too. “I didn’t either,” she explained excitedly, “but it all just clicked! It’s like I knew how to fly all along!”

“That’s so AWESOME!” Shucu was vibrating.

“That is ah- awesome, yeah!” Meteor agreed. He seemed to be trembling slightly.

Chloe grinned at him. “Were you worried about me?”

“Y- yes!” the dinosaur admitted. “You just went so, so high!”

“Of course she did!” Shucu boasted. “This is CHLOE we’re talking about here, Meteor!”

“Y-You’re right, Shucu!” Meteor smiled.

Chloe laughed. “You’re so funny, Shucu!”

“Whu-” Shucu was taken aback. “This isn’t jokes time, Chloe. I’m SERIOUS!”

The whole group burst into laughter. Shucu’s eyes darted back and forth between all of them, trying to figure out if they were laughing with her or at her.

Once everyone had regained their composure, they headed back to the bandstand. Chloe flew beside her friends now, rather than walked. She could control her speed perfectly, drifting through the air at a leisurely pace. She thought she’d probably never walk again.

“So, Chloe, ummmm…” Shucu called to her.

Chloe flew up to Shucu, who was still riding on Meteor’s head. “What’s up?” She asked.

Shucu was biting her lip, and looked unsure. “Wellll… Okay I’ll just say it but please don’t hate me, I’m just really really really curious about the human thing and wondered if I could ask you more about it pleeeeease?”

“Now, Shucu,” Meteor sounded nervous.

Celes floated up to their level, too. “Shucu, what, what did we all talk about?” she chastised.

“No, it’s okay, you two,” Chloe stopped them. “Look…”

The group were back in the bandstand now, and they all gathered to listen to Chloe. “I- Okay, I’m gonna pour my heart out here so listen up.”

She was nervous, but the adrenaline from flying was galvanising her. “I was originally gonna keep me being a human a secret because I- I wanted everyone to make friends with me for-”

She faltered. It sounded so stupid and mushy and cliché, but she swallowed and continued. “I want you to be friends with me for who I am. I was worried everyone would only care about me because I was a human.”

At first, no one said anything, and Chloe started to cringe. That was way too mushy and cliché, wasn’t it? But it was only a few seconds before Meteor responded.

“Th- that’s understandable, Chloe,” he said nervously. “But- But I just want to say that I- I think you’re really brave and cool, and I would- would be really happy to be your friend, whether or not you were a human, okay?”

Chloe was touched. She hadn’t expected him to be the first one to speak.

Shucu was determined not to be one upped. “And we were friends the MOMENT we met, Chloe, WAY before I ever knew you were a human! I could tell we were destined to be besties from the way you EXPERTLY provoked Spiral with me. The human thing is just an extra awesome BONUS to me!!!”

Chloe laughed at that. It was true – the two of them had really hit it off from the moment they met, maybe more so than anyone else, she thought. She smiled fondly at the helioptile, who was beaming right back at her.

Celes was smiling, too. “I think you are a really lovely pokémon, Chloe,” she said simply.

Pokémon, not human. Celes may be a little ditzy and naïve at times, but she was an extremely sweet and well-meaning pokémon. Chloe was glad to have her as a friend.

Deeps just shrugged. “You know I get it,” he winked at her.

And Deeps – he was cool, and his advice was the reason she’d got this far in the first place.

This place was already starting to feel like home.

“Hey, check it out,” Deeps interrupted, pointing a tentacle towards the horizon. The sun was setting, flooding the sky with stunning shades of red and orange. It was a breathtaking sight, and the group watched the sun set together in warm silence. Chloe felt an overwhelming feeling of contentment. She realised in that moment that she truly didn’t care about her past at all, however selfish that might be. She was exactly where she wanted to be. Nothing could ruin this new life of hers. She had good friends and she could fly, for goodness sake!

So why did she feel like she’d forgotten something?

As the sun set further and the sky grew darker, the group decided to turn in for the night. They all headed back to their rooms together, making comfortable small talk. Once they reached the right floor, they wished each other goodnight, and split to find their own rooms. It was just her and Celes, now, as they entered room two.

“Oh!” Celes spoke softly as Chloe opened the door. “There are two, two letters, see?”

It was as she said – two letters had been slipped under the door while they were out.

“There’s one for, for each of us. This one has your name on it, Chloe!” Celes said excitedly, handing her the sheet of paper. “Would, would you like me to read it for you?”

“Sure,” Chloe agreed, crash landing in her haystack of a bed. She’d been flying since she learned how, and her wings hardly even felt tired. This was so great.

“Ahem,” Celes cleared her throat, and began speaking with a funny, deeper voice. “’Dear Chloe. Tomorrow, I want you and Piper to meet me outside of the new dungeon in Crooked Grove. Our first task will be to simply re-explore the dungeon together, while we all get to know one another. I am looking forward to it!’ And then, then it seems he did his signature in cubeless, but I cannot, cannot read it!”

Ah. That’s what she’d forgotten. Or rather, who.

Piper.

Though she’d made so many great new friends, she was stuck on a team with that jerk.

“Ughhh,” Chloe groaned, burying her face in hay. “I totally forgot I have to be on a team with her.”

“Oh, Chloe,” Celes said sadly. “I am sure, sure it will work out. Feathers will realise that your team will not work, and, and get you swapped, I am sure!”

Chloe wasn’t sure. “But people are already used to their teams by now! Everyone’s coming up with team names and everything!”

“True,” Celes admitted. “Oh, Chloe… What is ‘people’?”

“Uh?” Chloe blinked at the change of topic.

“You said, ‘people’ are used to their teams,” Celes repeated. “Most pokémon would say, well, pokémon. I don’t, don’t know what a ‘people’ is.”

“A- Ah,” Chloe realised her mistake. “Good catch, Celes. I need to get used to that.”

“Tee hee!” Celes seemed pleased. “Well, like I said: I am, am sure things will work out. And, and all your friends are here for, for you, whatever does happen, okay?”

Chloe smiled, closing her eyes. “Yeah. Thanks, Celes.”

She heard the sound of curtains being drawn. “You are welcome, my ledyba friend. Good, good night.”

And Chloe quickly drifted off into a restful, dreamless sleep.