Chapter 12 – Getting Even

“Mornin’, Earshot and Thorn!” Our Maractus friend greets us extra enthusiastically today. “Some mail came in for you today, Hopper.” She holds up an envelope with one of her spines.

“And they delivered it here? Like, instead of my house?” I’m wondering the same thing.

Lisa giggles as Hopper takes the letter. “Not just any mail, this is mission mail! C-Ranks and above can receive missions directly from potential clients.”

“About time our hard work turned into recognition!” I step forward to get a closer look at the envelope. “Been a whole week since the expedition, so the Guild must’ve provided a serious signal boost.”

“Hurry up, then! I wanna know what your mission is~!” Rosemary and Samuel close in, completing a little huddle around Hopper.

“Okay, okay! Let’s take a look.” He carefully rips open the envelope and pulls out a folded sheet of paper. “Alright, it says… ‘Wassup, Bug? This is Bryon. Still remember me? Vincent and Ellie bailed on me, so it’s time we got even. Meet me at the usual spot. Bring as many guests as you want, but I wanna throw down man to man. I’ve got a reward waiting for you if you win, too. Hopefully that motivates your better half. Don’t keep me waiting, alright?’ …since when did Bryon talk like this?”

“Arceus Almighty, more of this shit?” What a fool I was to think we’d seen the last of them. And who is Hopper’s ‘better half’? Is that supposed to be me? What, does he think I’m only influenced by money?

“I’ve never seen such an obvious trap in my entire life.” Samuel raises a claw to his side as he walks past, proceeding to the public mission boards. “Let’s pick something out, guys.”

Rosemary and I begin to follow, but… “Hopper? You ready?” He stares blankly at the letter.

“I’m… gonna check it out.”

You’re kidding.

“No, you’re not.” I return to him and wrap my tail around his arm. “Come on, he’s obviously planning something. Besides, we don’t owe him our time.”

Despite my best efforts, he stands still with a pout. “No, it’s legit. I wanna take the mission.”

“And you know it’s ‘legit’ how, exactly?” Samuel stands at a distance, claws crossed and boot tapping.

Hopper’s pout shifts to a nervous smile. “G-Gut feeling? Please, just indulge me with this. People will know where we went, and all four of us will be together. What’s the worst that could happen?”

After a moment of stunned silence, Samuel is the first to speak up. “Alright, whatever, let’s do it.”

“S-Samuel!” I can’t believe my eyes or ears as he steps beside Hopper.

Rosemary too throws her leaves in the air and joins them. “The more the merrier, I suppose. We beat them once before.”

“You two cannot be serious.”

A claw falls on Hopper’s head. “I get the feeling he’d just run off and do it anyway, so might as well do it right.”

“And a job’s a job~!”

I live with a bunch of idiots.

I march in front of my partner and glare up at him. “You realize how big of an ask this is, right?”

“Y-Yeah…” His eyes shoot to my side, staring at the floor.

“And you’re sure this seems like a good idea?”

“More or less…”

As much as I hate this idea – and I really, really hate it – at least we’ll all be together. Rosemary is right; if all three of them show up, we already know we’re strong enough to beat them. And if it is ‘legit’, maybe it’ll be good for Hopper… “Okay, fine, I’ll come with. You’re not leaving my side the entire walk there, though.”

---

Our memory of the West Radiant Forest route hasn’t faded a bit in the past week. It feels weird not taking it every day, but it’s also nice not having to walk to town. The unending snow made it even worse before we moved in with Rosemary and Samuel.

There’s been an anxious air the entire way, but I refuse to let my nerves get to me. No matter what, I can’t afford to be weak today. For the first time in my life, I’m on equal footing. I’m gonna put Bryon in his place. He can do what he wants with me, but I’m gonna show him what happens when someone tries to hurt my partner.

The moment we reach the clearing, our eyes meet. He’s seated with his feet together in front of him, like he’s meditating or something. His disinterested face immediately turns fierce when we arrive.

“Wassup, Bug?” He looks around and nods behind me. “Brought the whole crew, huh?”

Eri, who has been holding my arm the whole walk, steps in front of me, like she’s shielding me from view. “Going back on your word? You said it was fine in your letter.”

The Rhydon scoffs. “Relax, lil lady. The audience is welcome. No funny business here.”

“Yeah right.” Eri remains unconvinced.

“Vincent would’a made a move by now if he wanted. This one’s personal.”

That’s my cue. I guide Eri to the side and step forward. “What’re you after, Bryon?”

“Can’t read? I wanna throw down.”

“I picked up on that, jackass. Why do you want to fight? We already won the other day.”

His intimidating expression seems to waver for a moment before releasing entirely. He wistfully stares to the side and, with a sigh, begins. “After we left, Vincent beat the shit out of me. Guy’s been getting a lot more violent since the runt showed up.”

“I have a name, you know.”

Rather than snap back, he shakes his head in frustration. “Right, Eri. Old habits die hard.” What? Is that an apology? “Anyway, he beat me up and dipped with Ellie. Told me they’d kill me if we crossed again.”

“Why would he do that? Aren’t you his muscle?” Letting go of a trump card is unlike him.

“Somethin’ like that.” He chuckles under his breath. “Point is, Vincent and I are done. Just him and the ice queen now. Said somethin’ about me being too much of a ‘fuckup’ to be worth keeping around. You four really got him goin’.”

My partner leans beside me. “I don’t see the connection here.”

The determination returns to his eyes as he points a claw my way. I flinch on reflex. “I want one last fight. We’re Vincent’s two greatest victims, after all. I know you wanna beat the shit outta me, Bug.”

What’s with the ‘Bug’ crap if Vincent’s gone? Another habit? “I’ve got a name too, asshole.”

“Win and you’ll earn it. You game?”

I look over my shoulder to my friends. Rosemary shrugs her shoulders and steps back, while Samuel gives me an affirmative nod.

Finally, my gaze rests on Eri. She looks kinda upset, but shakes it off. Turning back to Bryon, she speaks. “Promise me you won’t kill each other.”

Bryon rolls his shoulder and cracks his neck. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Our eyes meet again. “I’ve got this, don’t worry.”

She continues to pout, but walks away to Rosemary and Samuel. “If this goes south, I’m stepping in. Don’t hurt yourself.”

I just nod in return.

After I take my position across from him, he shouts over to my companions. “Yo, peanut gallery! Count down for us.”

Samuel begrudgingly accepts. With his claw raised, he begins the countdown. “Three!”

My opponent raises his arms, assuming a wide stance.

“Two!”

I lower myself, prepared to sprint at a moment’s notice.

“One!”

Focus. You’re gonna beat the stuffing out of him.

“FIGHT!”

---

As soon as Samuel’s claw falls, Hopper launches at Bryon. He shifts his positioning back and forth as he runs, forcing the Rhydon to pay extra close attention. His eyes dart side to side as the orange blur leaps around, but he’ll have to stop sooner or later. In the seconds since the fight began, Bryon hasn’t moved an inch. His wide stance covers about as far as Hopper is leaping between, so he has every reason to be so confident.

Time seems to stop as Hopper screeches to a halt. The larger boy’s eyes immediately lock on to him, preparing to strike. The world returns to motion as Hopper leaps into a somersault kick!

Arceus Almighty, does he not realize what he’s jumping into?

He gets a solid hit on Bryon’s belly, but the brute doesn’t flinch one bit. Instead, his arms close in on the vulnerable attacker, holding him upside down by the foot.

“L-Let me go, damn it!”

“You’re a lot harder to grab at this height…” His grip seems to tighten. “…but far from impossible!” One claw releases as the other closes fully around the captive foot. In a swift arm motion, the diminutive Pawmot is whipped across the clearing and towards a tree.

“Hopper!” I cry out on reflex and step forward, but Rosemary stops me.

“Don’t patronize him. He’ll make it.”

‘Patronize him’ my ass. This guy’s throwing him around like a toy…

---

THUNK!

A sharp pain runs from my back, rippling across my entire body. It’s the same old Bryon. Been a while since he flung me around like this.

Alright, get up. You dealt with way worse as a kid. This is nothing.

I struggle to my feet and put my dukes up, stepping out of the foliage and into the ring once more. Bryon still hasn’t moved from his starting position, instead staring me down with narrowed eyes.

“You gonna move?”

My comment seems to catch him off guard, but he returns to normal within a second. “Only took you a couple months to go soft on me.”

“What?”

“Your spark’s gone, I can see it in your eyes. Did the girl take it from you?”

His gaze remains on me, but mine turns to Eri. “W-What? I didn’t do anything to him!”

What a jerk. I release a little electricity from my paw pads as I crack my back. “I’ll show you a spark, jackass.”

“Better bring 100%.”

Theatrics aside, I gotta figure out a way to get in. He seems content just grappling, so I gotta play real cautiously. Nothing I can do at range would hurt him, so I need a little creativity.

“Quit stalling. Lemme add a little urgency.” His left foot rises and falls, creating cracks through the dirt that track to my location.

“No fair!” I jump to the side and begin circling the arena. “Size and range advantage? So so so unfair!”

“Giving up already, Bug?”

“Hell no!”

Electricity streaks from my feet as I circle him. A frontal assault is out of the question, so the next best option is behind!

I change my trajectory from a full circle into a spiral, slowly closing the distance between us. If I let the spiral complete itself, he’ll know exactly when and where I’ll attack, so I need to interrupt before then. Not to mention, I need to keep myself from getting too close in front of him. He’ll turn me to pudding if he grabs me again.

In front, behind. In front, behind. He makes no attempt to keep track of my position when I pass behind him, which means…

---

…he’s obviously expecting it.

---

…he’s wide open!

I pivot on my right foot immediately after leaving his line of sight, using a jolt from my paws to correct my angle. Electricity’s no good against him, so I need to rely on brute force. If I concentrate all my strength to one spot, I can crack the stone! Going for a kick leaves me vulnerable, so I’ll maintain my footing and aim for a flurry of punches on his back.

Sliding to a stop behind him, I immediately notice his tail curling up next to me. The old Bryon didn’t have the extra appendage to work with, but recent affairs have ingrained in me how dangerous a strong tail is, especially on a Pokémon this large. Evading the tail takes precedence over attacking.

I drop one weak punch on his back to bait the tail, which he takes. I dodge below as his tail closes in on my prior position, instead causing him to slap his own back. Serves him right.

“H-Huh?”

Taking advantage of his confusion, I grab his left arm and swing around the front, delivering a momentum-aided kick to his chin with both of my feet!

“URK!”

---

It’s unlikely that Hopper would have noticed, but Bryon had been preparing for a Ground attack as a follow-up. His foot was raised during that attempted counter with the tail, likely trying to cause a miniature Earthquake. Because of his uneven stance, Hopper’s attack sends Bryon tumbling backwards, falling square on his back. Hopper leaps from the titan’s arm as he goes down.

THUD!

Standing above his side – though he isn’t even a head taller than Bryon’s fallen form – Hopper calls out to him. “You done?”

Sprawling his arms at his sides, Bryon releases a deep breath and replies. “How’d you do that? You’re too dense to have seen that coming.”

“I ain’t the same kid anymore.” He lightly kicks Bryon’s side, eliciting no reaction. “I’ve got a life to get back to. Are we done here?”

That… doesn’t sound like Hopper.

The brute laughs. “There it is.”

“What?”

“That spark. You’ve still got it. You can take the Bug outta the riffraff, but you can’t take the riffraff outta the Bug.” He turns to me and winks as he says it. “Anywho, you’re bold to assume I’m through.”

Before Hopper can react, Bryon’s fist slams into the dirt, creating a web of cracks. A little light creeps out from each of these cracks, and when one makes contact with Hopper’s foot…

“GH…” His normally fluffy fur falls, as if he’d just been drenched in water. His body goes stiff before falling to the side.

“Thanks for the rematch, Bug.” He climbs to his feet, cracking his neck and back. With weighty steps, he approaches Hopper’s lifeless form. “Looks like I’m the reigning champ, though. Too bad.” A foot rises above Hopper’s belly.

He almost seemed like he’d changed, but he hasn’t. He’s trying to kill Hopper, just like before.

Why are things like this? Arceus forbid I just live a normal, happy life with him. ‘Oh, Hopper, come and rematch me! I promise I won’t kill you!’ And he listens! They know he will! I can’t stand it. I can’t stand these crazy Pokémon!

Even if Bryon was being honest about not killing him, I don’t care. I can’t let Hopper live knowing that everyone who wrongs him gets away with only a slap on the wrist.

My arms and legs move on their own, pushing me towards them as fast as they can.

Whether he wants me to intervene or not, I don’t care! I have to!

I…

I want to protect him!

CLUNG!

It’s so heavy… so, so heavy… A weight of this caliber should turn me into a blob of gray jelly.

How can I…? Wait, ‘CLUNG’?

“Hm?” He looks past his foot, locking eyes with me. “W-What? How’re you…?”

“LEAVE… US… ALONE…!” I throw my little arms forward with all my strength, miraculously repelling my enemy and making him stumble back. “You damn psycho! Do you ever know when to stop?! You’re just like Vincent!”

“Just… like Vincent…?” My comment leaves him with a stunned look.

Go ahead and wallow in it. I shift towards Hopper and prop his back up with my hands. “Are you alright? Come on. Please talk to me, Hopper.” He feels so thin without his fur fluffed out, and his jacket is so loose. It’s making me even more uneasy.

“I’m okay… He grounded my electricity, that’s all.” He shivers in my embrace as he picks himself up. “Your arms are colder than usual.” What? They feel normal. “I’m good to fight again, so-”

---

“No, you are not!” Eri shakes me as she cries out. “Do you want to give me a heart attack? This fight is over!”

Her eyes are furious. I don’t dare to argue with her.

She gently sets me down before standing up, facing Bryon without hesitation. “You. You’re going to explain why you called us out here. ‘I wanted a rematch’ isn’t a good enough answer. And your reason better be good, or I’m going to beat a better one out of you.”

He doesn’t show any further aggression, instead looking shamefully at Eri. “I… I’m sorry. I took this too far.”

“You did. Explain yourself. Now.”

His claw rises to scratch the back of his head as he paces around Eri, getting a better look at me. “Bug… no, sorry. It’s Hopper, right? That’s what you started calling yourself?” I nod in response. He sits down and sighs. “Would you believe me if I said I hated Vincent? Even before this past week. All these years.”

The expected answer is probably ‘no’, but honestly… “I can see it.”

“Guy really is just that hateable, isn’t he?” He scoffs. “I got a kid sister, y’know. Cute little Nidoran; my mom says she looked the same at her age. Maybe she’s a Nidorina now though, it’s been a while. You’re eighteen or nineteen, yeah? I’m pretty sure she’s two years younger than you.”

Eri cuts in. “Quit the pity party and get on with it.”

“Guess I deserve that.” His gaze lowers to his legs, which he taps rhythmically with his claws. “My parents work real busy jobs, so I’d have to take care of her all the time. One time at the park when I was real young, Vincent showed up and wanted me to hang out with him. Dude was a real troublemaker, even back then. I couldn’t abandon my sis, so of course I said no. You wanna know what he did?”

Eri and I look at each other, her interrogative demeanor having shattered at the realization of what’s to come.

When we return our attention to Bryon, he solemnly continues. “He wailed on her, man. Got a few good hits in with those claws before I jumped in. Of course, he beat the crap out of me, too. When he got ready for a second round with my sis, I did all I could: I begged. I knelt down and pleaded that he’d let her go.” I feel like I get where this is going… “To make a long story short, he asked me to roll with him. Be his extra muscle. Said that if I backed out or said no, he’d lay the hurt on my sis every day. My parents were pissed, but I had to. I didn’t care what they thought of me as long as I knew my sis was safe. Vincent found a little Pawmi shortly after that, and I think you know the rest.”

Yeah, I know it all too well.

“Hey, I’m sorry that you’ve got all that history with Vincent, and I’m sorry for pressing so hard, but how does it connect to today?” Even if her choice of words is somewhat sloppy, Eri’s voice is as sincere as can be.

“Right, derailed a little.” His eyes lock on to me, but they aren’t as fierce as usual. Instead, they’re more relaxed and empathetic. “I’d been kickin’ your sorry ass for years on his orders, but that psycho managed to rub his hatred for you off on me. Now that he and I are done, I wanted to have one last bout with you with no bullshit. A chance for us to put all our shit behind us. That’s why I kept up the tough guy act, but…” His gaze shifts to Eri, though he struggles to keep eye contact. “…clearly it went too far. I’m seriously sorry, and that extends to both of you. For everything I’ve done before too, especially that kidnapping.”

---

That’s… a lot to take in. Honestly, it’s not my place to forgive him or not. Hopper’s got a lot more stake in this…

After a moment, he pulls himself to his feet. “I dunno if I’ll ever like you. Words can’t heal scars. Guess most of them are from Vincent, though.” Brushing some dirt and dust off his coat, he approaches Bryon. With one arm extended, he continues. “But… I forgive you. You better not pull something like this ever again.”

The Rhydon stares in dumbfounded silence at the boy before him. He’s really something else, I dunno if I could’ve done that… “Pff.” Bryon pushes Hopper’s arm aside, instead standing up on his own. “If I took your paw, I’d yank you down by accident. You’re still bug-sized, Hopper.”

“Don’t make me take that back, wiseass.”

“I’m messin’ with you.” He extends a claw, this time to shake. “So we even, man?”

Hopper sighs and completes the handshake. “As even as I care to get. We’ll call this one a draw.”

I’m glad that they figured it out, but now I’ve gotta know… “Hey, Bryon, do you mind if I ask a question?”

“Shoot, lil lady.”

Rude, but whatever. “How does Vincent get away with all this stuff? Couldn’t you have ratted on him to someone after what he did to your sister?”

The question seems to rile him up. “I wish. He’s about as emotionally open as you’d expect, so I only know so much about him, but I know his dad’s filthy rich. Guy’s a banker or somethin’. Always seemed like a dick when I met him, too. Wouldn’t be surprised if he had some folks in his pocket, enough to keep his crazy kid out of any trouble.”

The worst. As if Vincent didn’t already seem insurmountable enough. “I see. Thanks for answering.”

“Wait, one more question.” Rosemary raises a leaf from behind us.

Bryon looks surprised. I suppose he’s not as familiar with Rosemary as he is with us. “Hm? What’s up?”

“When you three used that orb last week, did anything happen?” Oh snap, I didn’t even think of that.

“How did you…?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Samuel interjects, clearly not wanting to show a former adversary too much of our hand.

Bryon begins his explanation with a shrug. “We went to some weirdo place for a minute with no gravity, and then we reappeared in the forest outside. It was hard to see much of anything, so it’s a little blurry in my memory. After that, Vincent beat my shit in and dipped with Ellie.”

I don’t care for Bryon, but I can’t help feeling bad for him.

Rosemary nods in satisfaction. “Gotcha, thanks.”

“No prob.” He cracks his knuckles and lightly stamps the ground. “You see Vincent, give him a knuckle sandwich with my name on it. You deterred him for now, but I doubt he’s done with you.”

---

“Don’t have to ask me twice.” I step away from him and rejoin Eri. “So, Bryon, what’s next for you? Sounds like you’re home free now.”

“Hmm…” He looks to the sky, as if he hasn’t thought about it until now. “I dunno, man. Guess I’ll head home, see if I can patch things up with my folks. Probably try to score an escort back in case Vincent shows. Not gonna trouble you four with that, though.”

“I see.” I struggle to find any other words. It’s unlikely that I’ll ever see Bryon again, at least for a long time, so I feel pretty weird. I’m not, like, sad to see one of my childhood bullies leave my life, but it feels so uncanny.

“I’m, uh, gonna hang around here one last time. My place ain’t got a lakeside view like this, so I wanna take it in.” He nervously twiddles his claws. “You take care, yeah? I’m sorry again. Good luck with the adventurer stuff.”

“Um, it’s cool.” I begin to turn away, proceeding back towards Rosemary and Samuel at the entrance to the clearing. “You too. Good luck with the family stuff, man. Clean your life up. Keep whatever reward money you had planned and give it to your sister.”

“I will. Thanks.”

“…”

“…”

With a wave, we walk off.

So this is it, huh?

---

We reported back to Lisa that we finished the mission and made our way home. It was more or less silent the entire way home, save for a few words exchanged between Rosemary and Samuel. Hopper seemed downtrodden the whole time, and none of us really knew what to say to him.

“I’ll be at the library if you need me. Usual spot.” His quiet, melancholy words reach everyone in the living room. “I’ll try to be back by five for dinner.”

Samuel looks up from his book and does a ‘shoo’ motion with his claw. “Don’t sweat it. We’ll order something tonight. We’ll keep some leftovers for you if Eri doesn’t eat them all.” Rude.

“Right.” Hopper doesn’t turn back to us, instead plodding out the door. “See ya.”

…

The door shut, cutting off the cold air from outside. The change in temperature was everyone’s signal to speak up.

“Samuel, go after him.” Rosemary speaks from beside him on the couch.

“What? I’m the last one here who should be consoling him. You do it.”

She sits up. “You understand his child delinquent-adjacent struggles, though! Nobody else does!”

“I’ve got some problems at home, but Hopper’s situation with Vincent and his crew is… more like full on abuse than anything. It’s really not the same thing. I have no idea what I’d say to him.”

“I guess…”

They both turn to me expectantly, but snap back to normal when they realize my apprehension.

The distance between Hopper and I is frustrating. He usually rebounds quick, so I don’t have to think about it, but it’s been eating at me forever. We’re so different, I don’t know how I could begin to fully understand him. Does he feel the same way? What am I like to him?

If only I could get in his head. Dig around in there and figure out exactly what’s wrong with him. That’s what it feels like he does with me. Maybe his Tera form is Psychic after all.

I’m not a perfect therapist, but I can try. That horrible poker face of his gives me a good place to start. “Listen, I’ll go talk to him, but I’m gonna give him a little time first. He could probably use the reflection.”

---

‘D-Dad! How do you plan to fight them off? They outnumber us five to two!’

Hiraga’s eyes scan his targets, a little sweat dripping from his furrowed brow. ‘It’ll be alright. Just trust in me.’ There’s a thought bubble next to his head which reads, ‘I’ve studied each of these Pokémon thoroughly… If I can just take advantage of their pressure points and vital positions, I can buy Shoko some time to escape…’

His Sentret daughter continues to tremble, but Hiraga keeps his composure for her sake. With a blazing passion in his eyes, he leaps at his first opponent: a Rhyperior.

Hiraga can fight off a Rhyperior and five others just fine by himself, but I can’t beat one Rhydon. What a joke. Maybe if I had his brain I could do better.

This sucks, I can’t even read in peace.

When Vincent would beat me up or when I’d mess up on a mission, I’d feel sad or mad. That sucked too, but I understood it. Even if I had to work it out in my head a little, the path to feeling better was clear.

Now, though, I have no idea what I’m feeling. Just this overwhelming misery.

I was fine this morning, so it has to do with Bryon. I buried the hatchet with one of the people I hated the most, and learned some more about Vincent, so why do I feel so bad?

And that makes me feel even worse. I feel bad when I should feel good. I must be a real pain in the ass; totally impossible to please.

I feel a weight off my shoulders, but I also feel twenty times heavier.

I got closure, but I also feel like things are still wide open.

I want someone to help me, to comfort me, to solve my problems, to tell me what the hell is wrong with me… but someone like me doesn’t deserve that. Nobody should burden themselves with me.

The words on the page turn to a blur. Am I crying? I don’t know. I don’t even care.

“Oh, there you are.”

---

The slumped figure in the chair doesn’t move. Any possibility that I have the wrong Pokémon is dashed when I see those ears: one chipped and another with some fur spiked out. That’s my Hopper.

Stepping closer, I reach up to the desk and shake his arm. “You asleep? It’s not good to doze off in public, you know.”

A heavy sigh is muffled by his sleeves, which shield his entire face. “I’ll be home soon. Then I’ll start making dinner.” His voice is weary, creating waves in his otherwise flat tone. “Don’t wait here for me. I’ll meet you at the house.”

Worse than I thought.

The area by the window – Hopper’s frequent spot of choice – is empty save for us. Everyone else is probably out working at this time of day. With nobody else to stop me, I steal a chair from another table and push it next to Hopper’s desk. “Sorry, but I am waiting here for you.”

“You don’t need to.”

“I want to.”

“I might be a while…” He pauses. “Hiraga has me captivated.”

“Well, I’m not busy tonight, so I’ll wait with you.”

“…”

“Hopper, you know I’m here for you. You don’t have to lie.”

“I’m not lying…” It comes out especially quiet, nearly impossible to hear.

“Yes, you are. Your book is closed next to you.”

He shifts a little.

“I’ll be here when you’re ready, so take your time.”

Minutes passed. I thought about touching his arm, or wrapping my tail around his back, or running a paw through his hair, but none of it seemed right. He’ll have to open up sooner or later, I’ll let him do it at his own pace.

“Are you still there?” His voice is slightly stronger than before.

“Of course.”

It takes him a second, but he lifts his head from his arms and looks straight ahead to the window. His eyes are a little red, but he’s certainly not Terastalized. “D-Do you want to walk home together? I’m done reading.”

“If I say yes, will you use it as an excuse to not talk?”

His mouth opens to speak, but only a weak syllable comes out. With his gaze still fixed on the forest, tears begin to well up in his eyes. “I… I don’t…” His mouth twists into a pained frown.

I put a paw to his shoulder. “Let it out, it’s just us. Deep breaths.”

“I don’t want to bother you…” His voice is even wavier than before as he fights through his tears.

“You’re not bothering me. I came here on my own. The others were worried, too.”

“I don’t deserve anyone worrying about me.”

He… what…? “Why?”

“H-Huh?” For the first time since I arrived, he turns to me.

“Tell me why. Why shouldn’t anyone worry about you?”

Returning his gaze outward, he wipes the rest of his tears and explains. “It’s like Bryon said, I’ll always be riffraff. I have no right to burden others.”

“And you suddenly care about what Bryon thinks?”

He crosses his arms on the desk and rests his chin atop them. “Doesn’t matter. He’s right. Those three and I are all the same trash.” His head turns slightly towards me. “I’d been lying to myself, thinking I could be normal. That’s what Bryon meant when he said I still had my spark; he knows I haven’t changed a bit.”

He’s so far in his own head that I barely know where to start. “Who said you need to change? Why do you need to be ‘normal’, whatever that means?”

His mouth lays slightly agape. “Because-”

“What, do you think I didn’t start liking you until after we dealt with Vincent’s crew?” I just need to slowly unravel him.

“B-But, I need to change! I need to be good enough! I can’t be trash forever!”

Arceus, I hate those three idiots. They implanted all this garbage in his head; got him talking nonsense. “Who cares! I like you! Rosemary and Samuel like you! Every single Pokémon we’ve met in the past two months has either loved you or had it out for both of us! If you’re trash – which you aren’t – then whatever. It doesn’t change those feelings.” I keep my shouting as low as I can. It is a library, after all.

He mumbles into his sleeve, but his eyes remain visible. “How am I supposed to argue with you when you’re right all the time…”

Got him. I reach over and pinch his cheek, pulling his face out from cover. “You’re not supposed to, dummy. That’s the point. But don’t say I’m right all the time.”

“But you are! That’s why I feel bad asking for your help!”

Keep unraveling… “Okay, so I was right during the expedition? When I called myself a failure? And when I didn’t want to report that Zangoose and Druddigon?”

“T-That’s-”

“I’m wrong sometimes, but this time I’m right. I don’t think you’re trash or riffraff or whatever. And if you are, then you’re still my trash and my riffraff.” I pull him into a hug with my paws and tail. “And I would never want you to change who you are. You’re more than good enough. It’s like you told me the other day: guys like Vincent just wanna get in your head. That’s what he’s done to you, but that doesn’t have to define who you are. Understood?”

His body shakes for a second before he drapes his huge arm over my shoulder and replies. “U-Understood… Sorry…”

Phew. Getting that out of his head makes the rest a lot easier. “Now, was that everything on your mind? I feel like it wasn’t.”

As I release him, his mouth curves into a little pout. “N-”

I loosely grip some of the hair behind his head. “And don’t lie to me.”

His eyes drift off to the side as he lets out a nervous groan. “I dunno how to say it… It’s gonna sound stupid…”

“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”

And so he does, probably having realized that he’ll never be able to shake me off. I’ve dug my teeth into you, dummy. You’re stuck with me now.

---

I don’t know where to even begin formulating this. Whatever, I’ll just start firing. “I dunno how I feel about everything today.”

“How so?”

The dreaded request for elaboration. “I just feel crazy, I guess. Bryon’s out of my life, and we sorta made amends, but I don’t feel any better. I don’t feel… I dunno…”

“…closure?”

“Yeah, that.”

Her feet kick back and forth as she thinks. “He did kinda leave things open, what with the way he was acting. I think your confusion is valid.”

Valid, huh? I’ve never heard someone describe these types of feelings that way. “It doesn’t feel ‘valid’. How can I feel so messy when someone like Bryon is out of my life? I should feel good, right?”

“For what it’s worth, he was barely in my life and even I feel pretty mixed about the whole thing.” She gently locks eyes with me. “I can only imagine how it’s making you feel.”

I don’t understand my own feelings, but maybe with Eri’s help… “What makes you say that?”

“Well, there was all that stuff he said about his sister. It really complicates things.” She looks down, hiding her mouth in her scarf. “This guy who I… well, I hate… actually had a reason for being so horrible. It’s not an excuse, but it’s difficult adding nuance to your enemies. You must feel that times a billion, since you’ve known him for so long.”

“I guess so. Do you think he felt the same about me?”

She turns to me with a questioning pout. “Probably not. It’s not like you instigated. He probably only hated you through cultural osmosis, or because Vincent constantly put you against him.”

“Cultural oswhatnow?”

Her expression flattens. “Maybe I should force you to read a dictionary cover to cover next.”

“Please don’t.”

“Kidding.” A sly smile appears on her face, but shifts to her previous empathetic look. “Anyways, I don’t have all the answers for you, but you’re not wrong to feel this way. Everything with those three is all sorts of complicated.”

“Yeah, guess you’re right.”

“As always.” She leans over and fixes my jacket, which was resting somewhat strangely due to my prior posture. “Feel better now? We can keep talking if you need.”

“I thought you said you’re not always right. And no, I feel a lot better now. Sorry to drag you through all this, and sorry for fighting Bryon against your wishes.”

That pout comes back. “Even though it was a bad idea, you don’t need to apologize for everything. Remember what I told you on your birthday? Your problems are my problems. You’re not dragging me through anything, it’s my decision.”

“You have a no tolerance policy when it comes to moping.”

She stands and fixes her own coat. “No moping whatsoever. Mope too much and I’ll make Princess Eri get involved.” Walking around our chairs, she takes my paw and pulls me along, not even bothering to put her chair back where it came from. “But right now Princess Eri demands food! We haven’t gone out to dinner in a few weeks, so what say you?”

“You better be buying with all that royalty money.”

She holds back a laugh and picks up her pace, forcing me into a jog. “You wish. We’re buying. That’s how it works when you share your wallet with the princess.”

“For any other princess, I’d have second thoughts. But this one makes it worth it.”