“[Name], wake up,” Steven called gently, breaking through your morning haze. Weak daylight streamed through the round windows. The sun still hadn’t ascended the crest of Mossdeep’s highest peak, and the sky was a rosy palette of pastel colors, streaked with stray white strata. The smell of breakfast wafted around the living room. Becoming aware of your surroundings, you lay tranquil on the couch; a soft quilt was draped over your body, and the copper-plated clock ticked noisily on the wall.
You found him dicing berries in the kitchen with skill and ease, placing two toasted sandwiches and other vegetables as a side onto porcelain plates. Naturally, he was often well off with the fortune he made with his former career as Champion and the wealth from Devon. It was almost unnerving sometimes, even though he had asked you a number of times to try and not to consider money as one of his defining characteristics.
“I decided to go with a simpler dish today.” He courteously placed the plates onto the table, pulling out a chair for you.
“I’m so sore,” you yawned, stretching. “But it looks enticing, thanks. You’re quite the chef.”
He laughed lightly, blue eyes flashing sagaciously. “You must’ve been absolutely exhausted yesterday. Once we went back to work and I came back to check on you, you were sound asleep against the wall with the stone in your hand. I must thank you for assisting me.”
Avoiding his eyes, you sat down. “It wasn’t bad. I enjoyed it.” He sat across the table and lifted his silverware, cutting into the cinnamon roll. Hesitating, he reached into his pocket and pulled a ticket out.
“You dropped this yesterday.” He offered it, and you gingerly accepted, reminding yourself to be more cautious with your belongings. He knows Brendan offered to take me to the Litleonid Star Show in three days, then.
“Thanks.”
The only sounds came from the faint clink of silverware on porcelain and the mournful cries of shorebird Pokémon looping lazy circles in the sky as the sun rose. The lack of conversation was overwhelming.
***
“I’m planning on traveling to Sinnoh once this month is over.”
You snapped around, alarmed. “What do you mean? You know I’ve got my Champion duties over here, right? I can’t just leave.”
Silence.
“[Name], Sinnoh researchers recently published a number of fascinating papers on the Orbs found within Mt. Coronet in relation to the strange time-space discontinuities that have reappeared in the cave systems as of late. Cynthia called in and requested my assistance as well. I simply can’t give it up.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“[Name], I can guarantee you that it will not be more than a few months at most.”
“Steven…” A lump rose in your throat, and you resumed stacking the paperwork in neat piles across the desk. You knew he was contemplating the situation like a game of chess – strategic, as always.
Regaining your composure, you finished organizing and stood up without facing him.
“Fine. Go do your own thing. I don’t care!”
***
Night fell.
Bright, cold pinpricks dotted the sky haphazardly. A gentle summer breeze carried the scent of sea salt and bonfires down at shore up to the cottage, a somewhat soothing combination as you carried a tarp out back and lay down, staring at the stars and mentally mapping out all the constellations you could see. You’d gone diving for an entire day, getting up from the table with a short “thanks” to escape the seaside cottage as quickly as you could. It felt suffocating, with all the pent-up pressure between you and Steven – and yet, you could feel his dejection when you stepped out the door, only catching a swift glance of his despondent expression as both of you avoided making eye contact. The chilly waters acted as your diversion.
“Do you remember the nights we would sit here until midnight and the both of us were half-asleep, waiting for the annual meteor shower?”
You sat without looking back, pretending that he hadn’t spoken.
“May I sit with you?” Steven’s footsteps got closer, swishing through the grass until he was directly juxtaposed behind your figure.
“Go ahead. I’m not stopping you.”
He complied, legs outstretched and leaning back on his arms as he settled close to you. A few rowdy kids on their bird Pokémon shrieked and laughed as they danced across the dark sky, roughing around. You could make out the crude feathers of a Fearow and a Skarmory outlined against the starlight, disappearing into the distance. They bore a resemblance to you and the Devon heir on a good day, where the both of you took a day off of work and chased each other in flight, high over the island city. Cumulus clouds strewn like patchwork covered the stars in tufts.
“I used to be immensely preoccupied with the stars when I was little,” he began, a note of remembrance nestled within his undertone. “My dad would always take us on trips to faraway islands around Hoenn that they called ‘mirage spots’ that would change on a day to day basis.” A small pause. “We would stay until dusk and the first glimmers would rise across the dimming sunset, and pull out a telescope to explore the skies.” You looked straight at him, and he was staring up with the melancholy reflected in his eyes. You could see Ursa Major, the Big Dipper, everything… everything shone brightly in the mirror of his pupils, a small, sad smile.
“The stars always seemed to have something in store for me,” he murmured, tearing his gaze away. “Who knows? It all seems like nonsense, doesn’t it?”
“Of course not,” you replied quietly, engrossed in his story. He blinked once, and the eventide faded from his eyes, the mirror gone. Instead, you could see yourself reflected within his deep, intelligent irises. An expression of concern, admiration, amity…
He laughed. “We’re all bound here. Although the stars are seemingly simple entities I’ll never get to know, I’ve really found myself here in Hoenn. What I’ve discovered here in minerals and people alike astounds me to no end.” There was a momentary stillness. “I’m incredibly lucky to have found someone like you, [Name]. And I sincerely apologize if I haven’t properly expressed my gratitude to you…” He gave you the same, sad smile from earlier when he was still admiring the constellations. “You deserve someone better.”
You were about to interrupt when he got up and dusted his dress pants off, turning away and staring at the coastline. “I’ll be going to bed early, but the front will be unlocked whenever you want to come in.” His muffled footsteps padded away and you heard the door shut.
Blankly staring at the assemblage of faraway glimmers until you were sure it was past midnight, the rest of Mossdeep was sound asleep in a contented hush. You wiped your eyes quickly and gathered up the tarp, carefully entering the house as to not disturb him.
“[Name], wake up,” Steven called gently, breaking through your morning haze. Weak daylight streamed through the round windows. The sun still hadn’t ascended the crest of Mossdeep’s highest peak, and the sky was a rosy palette of pastel colors, streaked with stray white strata. The smell of breakfast wafted around the living room. Becoming aware of your surroundings, you lay tranquil on the couch; a soft quilt was draped over your body, and the copper-plated clock ticked noisily on the wall. You found him dicing berries in the kitchen with skill and ease, placing two toasted sandwiches and other vegetables as a side onto porcelain plates. Naturally, he was often well off with the fortune he made with his former career as Champion and the wealth from Devon. It was almost unnerving sometimes, even though he had asked you a number of times to try and not to consider money as one of his defining characteristics. “I decided to go with a simpler dish today.” He courteously placed the plates onto the table, pulling out a chair for you. “I’m so sore,” you yawned, stretching. “But it looks enticing, thanks. You’re quite the chef.” He laughed lightly, blue eyes flashing sagaciously. “You must’ve been absolutely exhausted yesterday. Once we went back to work and I came back to check on you, you were sound asleep against the wall with the stone in your hand. I must thank you for assisting me.” Avoiding his eyes, you sat down. “It wasn’t bad. I enjoyed it.” He sat across the table and lifted his silverware, cutting into the cinnamon roll. Hesitating, he reached into his pocket and pulled a ticket out. “You dropped this yesterday.” He offered it, and you gingerly accepted, reminding yourself to be more cautious with your belongings. He knows Brendan offered to take me to the Litleonid Star Show in three days, then. “Thanks.” The only sounds came from the faint clink of silverware on porcelain and the mournful cries of shorebird Pokémon looping lazy circles in the sky as the sun rose. The lack of conversation was overwhelming. *** “I’m planning on traveling to Sinnoh once this month is over.” You snapped around, alarmed. “What do you mean? You know I’ve got my Champion duties over here, right? I can’t just leave.” Silence. “[Name], Sinnoh researchers recently published a number of fascinating papers on the Orbs found within Mt. Coronet in relation to the strange time-space discontinuities that have reappeared in the cave systems as of late. Cynthia called in and requested my assistance as well. I simply can’t give it up.” “How long will you be gone?” “[Name], I can guarantee you that it will not be more than a few months at most.” “Steven…” A lump rose in your throat, and you resumed stacking the paperwork in neat piles across the desk. You knew he was contemplating the situation like a game of chess – strategic, as always. Regaining your composure, you finished organizing and stood up without facing him. “Fine. Go do your own thing. I don’t care!” *** Night fell. Bright, cold pinpricks dotted the sky haphazardly. A gentle summer breeze carried the scent of sea salt and bonfires down at shore up to the cottage, a somewhat soothing combination as you carried a tarp out back and lay down, staring at the stars and mentally mapping out all the constellations you could see. You’d gone diving for an entire day, getting up from the table with a short “thanks” to escape the seaside cottage as quickly as you could. It felt suffocating, with all the pent-up pressure between you and Steven – and yet, you could feel his dejection when you stepped out the door, only catching a swift glance of his despondent expression as both of you avoided making eye contact. The chilly waters acted as your diversion. “Do you remember the nights we would sit here until midnight and the both of us were half-asleep, waiting for the annual meteor shower?” You sat without looking back, pretending that he hadn’t spoken. “May I sit with you?” Steven’s footsteps got closer, swishing through the grass until he was directly juxtaposed behind your figure. “Go ahead. I’m not stopping you.” He complied, legs outstretched and leaning back on his arms as he settled close to you. A few rowdy kids on their bird Pokémon shrieked and laughed as they danced across the dark sky, roughing around. You could make out the crude feathers of a Fearow and a Skarmory outlined against the starlight, disappearing into the distance. They bore a resemblance to you and the Devon heir on a good day, where the both of you took a day off of work and chased each other in flight, high over the island city. Cumulus clouds strewn like patchwork covered the stars in tufts. “I used to be immensely preoccupied with the stars when I was little,” he began, a note of remembrance nestled within his undertone. “My dad would always take us on trips to faraway islands around Hoenn that they called ‘mirage spots’ that would change on a day to day basis.” A small pause. “We would stay until dusk and the first glimmers would rise across the dimming sunset, and pull out a telescope to explore the skies.” You looked straight at him, and he was staring up with the melancholy reflected in his eyes. You could see Ursa Major, the Big Dipper, everything… everything shone brightly in the mirror of his pupils, a small, sad smile. “The stars always seemed to have something in store for me,” he murmured, tearing his gaze away. “Who knows? It all seems like nonsense, doesn’t it?” “Of course not,” you replied quietly, engrossed in his story. He blinked once, and the eventide faded from his eyes, the mirror gone. Instead, you could see yourself reflected within his deep, intelligent irises. An expression of concern, admiration, amity… He laughed. “We’re all bound here. Although the stars are seemingly simple entities I’ll never get to know, I’ve really found myself here in Hoenn. What I’ve discovered here in minerals and people alike astounds me to no end.” There was a momentary stillness. “I’m incredibly lucky to have found someone like you, [Name]. And I sincerely apologize if I haven’t properly expressed my gratitude to you…” He gave you the same, sad smile from earlier when he was still admiring the constellations. “You deserve someone better.” You were about to interrupt when he got up and dusted his dress pants off, turning away and staring at the coastline. “I’ll be going to bed early, but the front will be unlocked whenever you want to come in.” His muffled footsteps padded away and you heard the door shut. Blankly staring at the assemblage of faraway glimmers until you were sure it was past midnight, the rest of Mossdeep was sound asleep in a contented hush. You wiped your eyes quickly and gathered up the tarp, carefully entering the house as to not disturb him.
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