Learning to Fly
Chapter 12: Blue Skies
A Clover Guild Story
By Ribombee-anon
Previous part: https://rentry.org/RibombeeFly11
Under an orange-colored sky, I trekked through the remainder of Twilight Overstory. I couldn’t resist calling up little gusts of wind around me on occasion so I could marvel at the sight of my Aura made manifest. However, I knew I’d exhaust myself if I did this too much, and besides, it was dangerous to get distracted. I eventually and reluctantly stopped, conserving my energy for the upcoming foes I’d inevitably need to face before escaping this dungeon.
I still had a ways to go, and I didn’t fully understand how to use Fairy Wind, so I proceeded cautiously while using my sixth sense to detect enemies. I avoided them if they were too strong or numerous, but if I ran into a weaker foe, I chose to stand my ground and fight. These battles were far from impressive, and I often missed my own attacks and failed to dodge the enemy. Even so, I eventually defeated every foe I challenged. Before today, I never would have dreamed of willingly confronting feral Pokemon like this, and I never imagined I could win any fair fight. But now, for the first time, I had the strength and bravery to defeat enemies and explore a dungeon—all on my own.
Of course, I knew I wasn’t truly alone. Though I couldn’t see KFC, I knew he was watching me. He was ready to be my safety net if I ever stared death in the face again, but true to his word, he didn’t intervene beyond that. Ever since I left him following the Bulbasaur incident, all this progress was thanks to my own strength. I wasn’t helpless and pathetic anymore. I was right to believe in myself.
Before I knew it, I’d climbed up the big staircase to the fifth and final floor. I explored it for a while, and jumped for joy when I finally found the last set of stairs. I rushed toward it, but I slid to a stop when I sensed a presence behind me. I summoned up my energy and let my arms glow as I prepared myself for another battle.
When I turned, I was met with the welcome sight of my trainer approaching me. I ran to him without hesitation.
KFC crouched down, giving me a small smile. “Congratulations, Booker,” he said. “You passed the test.”
I was too overwhelmed and relieved to reply. But on my face was a smile bigger than any I’d worn since becoming a Ribombee.
* * *
Before leaving Twilight Overstory, KFC offered me some more sips of his healing potion, helping me recover from the injuries I’d sustained since we last met. I’d found an Oran Berry earlier and ate it to recover from some of my wounds, but this potion was much more effective. Once I felt better, my trainer picked me up and brought me to the stairs.
With that, I completed my first-ever dungeon run.
Back in the much safer and more familiar outside world, the Overstory’s unending twilight was replaced by the bright blue skies of midday. We found ourselves back at the rest stop by the base of the ladder we’d used to enter the dungeon earlier. From my seat in my trainer’s cupped hands, I took one last look at the black hole of Twilight Overstory’s entrance high above us. I was glad to leave that harrowing place behind, but I had to admit I was grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow.
As we took the road back to the guildhall, KFC asked me about my experiences in the dungeon. Although he’d been watching me, he was curious about my overall thoughts and how it felt to use a move for the first time. I surprised myself by responding with vigor and enthusiasm. In fact, I ended up talking the entire way back. I normally wasn’t much of a talker, but right now, I couldn’t resist going on and on. I was just so thrilled at my success and what it meant for the future.
After a short walk, we crested a small hill, and the familiar sight of the guildhall came into view. My energetic rambling ceased all at once, and I silently stared at the building. Just an hour ago, I thought I’d never see this place again, but now we were back... back home.
My eyes were particularly drawn to the garden on the right side of the building. I’d helped Team Cozy build it recently. It was small, with only a pond and some flowers, bushes, and fences, but that hardly reduced its comfy vibes. It was a great place to relax, and it would be wonderful to take a break among the flowers after what I’d been through today. But first, I’d meet up with Sneasel and tell her all about my adventure.
Even before that, though, I needed to visit the guild’s doctor and ensure I didn’t need any immediate medical attention. KFC picked up the pace, and we entered the building and went straight to the clinic. He handed me to Kina the Audino, who gingerly undid my bandages and looked me over with her eyes and her feelers. She was rather perturbed by the injuries I’d taken, worriedly commenting on my torn-up scarf and ruffled setae; blunt impact injuries on my head and side; cuts on my exoskeleton; splatters of blue-green blood all over; and most notably, the tears and holes in my wings. Fortunately, she determined none of the damage was permanent. Best of all, even my wings would return to normal with the right treatment.
As she examined me, Kina chewed out KFC for putting me at risk, to which he replied with shrugs. However, she also complimented his precise application of bandages on my tiny body, as well as his foresight to pack a potion. Although these had stymied the worst of the damage and pain, Kina gave me another kind of potion and used Heal Pulse on me for some extra help. Though it stung a little, I felt a powerful sense of relief as the move’s energy washed over me and soothed my wounded body. It wasn’t enough to heal me perfectly, so Kina told me to revisit her each morning for the next week so she could check up on me. She also put some smaller bandages on my remaining cuts and gingerly cleaned the hemolymph off my chitin and setae.
I thanked her, and KFC brought me to the lobby again. I immediately asked him to take me to Sneasel. I couldn’t wait to see her again, and I was confident that she felt the same way regarding me. However, as we went down the hall to the dojo (since that was where we saw her last), one worrisome thought began looming in my mind: would my victory be tainted by the damage I’d suffered? I still remembered the rage and grief Sneasel had felt the previous two times I’d been in danger while I was away from her—first when I was with Taillow, and again when I started meditating with KFC. Today’s incident had been even worse, since I’d actually been attacked and harmed by feral Pokemon. I was certain the sight of my beaten, bandaged body would cause an even stronger reaction... one that I didn’t want to see. Maybe it would be best to let KFC go in first and break the news to her.
Before I could ask him to wait or drop me off outside, however, we’d already entered the dojo. Sneasel was indeed still in the room, though she was no longer training. She was sitting in a chair and perusing a martial arts treatise. Fighting was one of the few topics she tolerated reading about, and even then, she preferred learning by example. She must have been particularly bored to pick up a book. Or perhaps not—I realized her leg was bouncing up and down in a show of anxiety, and she was idly flipping back and forth through the book as if her mind were elsewhere. The dark tint in her Aura only confirmed my suspicions: she must have been worried about me, and she was trying to distract herself.
I gulped. I wasn’t looking forward to this, but I knew I couldn’t put this off. We were partners, after all, and she deserved to know what I’d been through. Besides, just like I’d learned in the dungeon, I couldn’t shy away from things that were intimidating. It was time to reunite with my partner and tell her what happened. No matter how she reacted, I’d handle it.
“Hello, Sneasel!” I said.
She gave a start, dropping her book with a gasp, then looked over at me. I could sense a wave of positive emotion flood out of her as soon as her eyes fell on me.
“Booker! Sweet, you’re back! How did it—” Her face abruptly fell, and her eyes went wide. “Wait a sec, y-you’re hurt! What happened?”
I winced. She’d spotted the bandages right away. “I’m alright,” I said. “The test was... p-pretty hard, but—”
She looked closer and gasped. “Your wings!” she screamed, making me flinch again. She leaped up from her chair, knocking it over with a loud clatter as she rushed toward us. “Th-they’re all torn up! Why—how—what’d you...” Her voice shook. “...Are you never gonna be able to fly now?”
She was looming over me with a look of sheer shock, her eyes wide and frantic and glistening. I was sure she was silently praying that my dreams hadn’t been crushed. I wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but I was too startled to reply, and the overwhelming anxiety radiating off her was latching onto me and making it hard to talk. Unfortunately, she interpreted my silence as affirmation of her fears. Her watery eyes snapped up to KFC, and they glowed dimly as her face twisted into a horrible snarl.
“You...” she growled. “You let this happen! I thought I could trust you with him!”
“Remain calm,” said KFC.
“How can I be calm when my partner’s all beaten up?” Sneasel yelled. “And look at his wings! He’s never gonna fly with them all wrecked like that! This is all your fault!”
“Kina already told us—”
“Shut up!” Sneasel roared. She hopped back and rapidly formed a shard of ice in her claws. “Just shut up! I don’t wanna hear it! You let Booker get hurt, you bastard!”
She raised her throwing arm and bared her fangs. KFC crouched and prepared to dodge, though I didn’t actually expect Sneasel to attack him while I was in his hand. There was too much danger that she’d miss and hit me by accident, and I knew she’d never take such a risk... right? As I stared at the blazing, dilated eyes of my enraged partner, I started to doubt myself.
I shuddered in fear. This was all wrong—this was supposed to be a joyous reunion, where I’d celebrate my victory and Sneasel would be happy. I had to do something. The weight of my partner’s rage was almost crushing me, but I managed to force words through my tight throat.
“P-please stop!” I yelled, my voice cracking.
Sneasel’s ear flicked, and she froze. She could launch her attack at any instant, but for now, her eyes were aimed at me instead of my trainer. She was giving me a chance to speak.
I gulped and stammered, “It’s not as b-bad as you think. Please, Sneasel, just... l-let me explain. It’s okay... Trust me.”
The next couple seconds felt like they lasted forever.
Finally, my partner grunted and lowered her arm, still clutching her shard between her claws. “I do trust you,” she grumbled. “Alright, Booker... I’ll let you talk. What the hell happened?”
After taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, I said, “W-we went to an easy dungeon—T-Twilight Overstory—and I trained ag-against the ferals.”
“What?” Sneasel gasped. She jabbed a claw at KFC. “You threw him into a dungeon?”
“I did,” KFC replied calmly. “And he traversed it by himself.”
Sneasel’s eye twitched as her notched ear tilted back. “Are you nuts? Do you know how dangerous that is—especially if he ain’t got any moves yet?”
I tried to interrupt and correct her, but she cut me off.
“Making him tackle an entire dungeon is stupid! Dumb birdbrain—are you trying to get my best friend killed?”
I squeaked, “Sneasel, please—”
“This was the best way for him to learn,” KFC said, his voice showing no sign of frustration at Sneasel’s anger. “Besides, I thought you didn’t mind taking risks.”
“I don’t, if it’s me doing the risky stuff!” Sneasel replied. “But with Booker, it’s... d-different. I really, really want him to get stronger, but he’s got his limits, and he’s my partner, so I wanna make sure he’s careful. Why didn’t you tell me what you were doing with him? You should’ve—”
“Sneasel, it’s okay!” I said. “KFC was watching me the entire time, and w-when things got rough, he helped me. I’ll admit... it was scary, but I wasn’t in any real danger. Not with him keeping an eye on me. P-please don’t be mad at him.”
I could literally feel the conflict burning within Sneasel as she grit her teeth, her eyes darting between me and the Combusken. Eventually, she quietly asked, “How bad are you hurt, Booker?”
“N-not too bad,” I said. “Nothing permanent or major.”
“Not even the wings?”
“Surprisingly. They’ll heal. KFC already gave me some medicine, and w-we just met with Kina. She told me everything will be fine. I’ll s-still be able to use my wings. I’m okay, really.”
Sneasel let out a sigh and murmured something that I assumed was gratitude to her gods. “Alright,” she muttered. “That’s a huge relief. As long as you’re really gonna get better, I’ll lay off.”
She peeked at the Ice Shard she still held in her claws, then tossed it at a nearby dummy as if throwing away all her anger alongside it. “Sorry for blowing up like that,” she said. “Gotta admit, I do agree with KFC when he said danger’s a good teacher. They told us that back in the tribe too. And if he was keeping an eye on you, then... I guess it ain’t as bad as it coulda been. But next time you guys do something like that, warn me about it, alright?”
“Okay,” I said. “Thank you f-for understanding. I know this is something you worry about, so...”
“That’s putting it lightly,” she grumbled. She glanced around the room and toward the doorway to see if we were alone. “Hey, um... can I tell you guys a secret?”
We both nodded, so she said, “Don’t tell anyone else, but this is basically my biggest fear—Booker getting hurt, I mean. Especially when I ain’t there to protect him. Cuz we’re partners, and I... y’know, I care about him. A lot.”
I felt my heart melt a little. Hearing her speak her mind about our bond always brought me joy—even if she sometimes got embarrassed by such sentimentality. I thought back to the day she comforted me when we were caught in the rain, a tender incident I’d replayed in my head several times over the last couple weeks. I was so grateful we became partners.
Sneasel briefly gazed at me before awkwardly clearing her throat and focusing on my trainer. “KFC, I know you ain’t got a partner, but do you get what I’m saying?”
The Combusken nodded at Sneasel. Considering the story he told me in the dungeon about his late mentor, I knew exactly what was on his mind.
“Your concerns are perfectly valid, Sneasel,” he said. “It’s only natural to worry about the safety of those you care about. Especially if you’re the stronger one, which makes you responsible for protecting them.”
“Exactly. But at the same time, I don’t wanna hold Booker back, y’know? He’s gotta take some risks to improve himself. I just get antsy if I’m not there to help him through it. So that’s basically why I’m bothered by all this. Hope that makes sense.”
“It does,” said KFC.
“Good.” Sneasel looked down at me and continued, “Y’know, Booker, I remember what you said last time we chatted about this. You told me you were gonna get stronger, so you’d be able to take care of yourself better and I wouldn’t have to worry so much. And that sounds great! As long as it’s actually working out, that is. So, uh... on that note, guess we oughta stop beating around the bush, huh?”
I realized she was trying to segue back to the main topic of the day: the entire reason I left her and trained in such a dangerous scenario. With her confession out of the way, and her anxiety assuaged to some extent, it was time to deliver the good news.
“I get what you mean,” I said. “The test went well. D-do you want to hear about it, or should I just show you what—”
Sneasel perked up immediately. She knew what my question implied. “Show me!” she cried as she leaned in close, her face nearly filling my view. Her lips shuddered as she tried to hold back her eager smile.
I nodded and did my best to clear my mind (though it was exceedingly difficult due to all the excitement emanating from myself and my partner alike). Then I concentrated on the power within, just as I’d done in the dungeon. And once again, my Aura morphed and surged by my command. A breeze whooshed around me, and the air glimmered with bright pink energy.
Sneasel’s jaw dropped. Her wide eyes caught the light and sparkled beautifully. I dispelled my Fairy Wind and gave a meek smile. My partner’s Aura flashed with joy, and her open mouth was replaced with a huge, fang-filled grin. Then, in an instant, her claws darted out and came together around me, plucking me off KFC’s palm. I squeaked in surprise as she held me up high and cheered.
“You did it!” she yelled. She spun around and jumped up and down, laughing heartily all the while. I felt like I was on a carnival ride. I wanted to ask her to stop, but her joy was too infectious. It warmed me to my core, and I laughed along with her.
Before long, she stopped prancing and lowered me to her beaming face. “I knew you could do it, Booker!” she said. “I’m so proud of you!”
“Th-thanks...” I murmured, feeling a bit queasy, and still bearing my sheepish smile. “But it could’ve gone better, and I’m still a long way from fly—”
“Aw, who cares?” Sneasel said with a snort. “Don’t act all humble like that. You’re closer to your dream, right? That’s great news, and I ain’t gonna let you brush it off.”
“Y-you’re right,” I said after wavering for a bit. “I just don’t want to be full of myself. But it’s true I made progress, and I’m r-really happy about it. And all your encouragement was really important for h-helping me get here, so... thank you.”
“Anything for my partner,” Sneasel said.
She suddenly hugged me tight against her furry chest, right beside her shiny gold gem. I was a bit surprised; she wasn’t much of a hugger, especially not when other people were watching, like KFC was doing now. But I wasn’t about to complain. I shut my eyes and let out a sigh as I enjoyed her embrace. It was good to be with Sneasel again.
* * *
Now that I’d finished my test and reunited with my partner, the exhaustion fully set in. Sneasel, KFC, and I decided to take a break at the warm, sunny, and calm garden outside. Just as I’d thought, this was the perfect spot to rest after what I’d been through this morning.
Sneasel flopped onto the grass, while I lay atop the big leaves of a dense bush nearby. We both had our arms crossed behind our heads and were gazing at the few wispy clouds floating far above. KFC was sitting cross-legged nearby, half-meditating and half-listening as I again recounted my experiences at Twilight Overstory, this time for the benefit of Sneasel. She was eager to hear all about my adventure, and she hung on my every word. She congratulated me when I told her how I beat the Wurmple and the trio of ferals with only my wits, but her mood darkened when I reached my ill-fated encounter with the Bulbasaur. I was quick to remind her that I was okay now, thanks to my trainer, and I’d recover from my wounds before long.
“Yeah, I know,” she said. “Glad you’re safe. But from now on, be careful not to bite off more than you can chew, alright? Leave the recklessness to me.”
“I think I’d rather t-talk you out of your recklessness,” I replied. “But trust me, I’ll c-continue being careful, especially while I’m still... inexperienced like this. Still, I can barely believe it... for the first time, I can actually d-defend myself. And just like we talked about a month ago—or however long ago it was—that should make you feel better, right? I mean, I trust you, and I know you’ll always do your best to k-keep me safe. But if I’m ever alone, and I have to take care of myself, th-then I won’t be helpless anymore.”
“That’s totally right,” said Sneasel, with an oddly wistful tone on her voice. She was gazing at me with a warm smile. “You’ve grown, partner. Well, kinda. You’re still just as puny as ever.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, making her laugh.
“Jokes aside, you’re way stronger now. I’m glad you’re able to stand up for yourself, even if it’s just a tiny bit. And you know how much that means to me. I love when people make an effort to get better at stuff. You really put your mind to this, and it’s paid off so much. Um... mind if I get sappy for a sec?”
“Not at all. W-what’s on your mind?”
She got up and crawled over to me. She sat down in front of the bush, looked me in the eye, and spoke so softly that KFC likely couldn’t hear. “I’m blessed to be your partner and watch how far you’ve come. I’m so glad I met you.”
My heart jumped. I sheepishly looked away, mumbling a much quieter and more sincere “th-thank you” in reply.
Sneasel chuckled and reached out to pat my head. I rubbed her claw with my little hand in response. We stayed like that for a while, in contact with each other and gazing at each other’s smiling faces. Then my partner pulled her hand back, lay down again, and asked me to continue my story. I told her about KFC’s rescue and pivotal pep talk, followed by my duel with the Pidgey and the climactic moment where I finally gained control of my Aura. I punctuated this by lifting my hand and letting a blast of wind shoot up at the clouds.
My partner cheered me on, and my trainer nodded in approval. We all watched as the sparkles of pink energy blew upward like a faint fountain of glitter. And through the shimmering light, something else caught my eye: far above us, below the clouds but much higher than my wind, a bird was soaring. It was much too distant for me to recognize the species, but I could have sworn it had a split tail. Something in my heart told me it was Taillow. I watched her fly overhead and swoop toward Capim Town. One day, I knew I would join her.
My journey was far from over. Balancing my Aura and learning Fairy Wind was only the beginning. Next, I would begin a new mission to master this ability. If I could do that, I could control myself in the air and truly achieve my dream. I knew it would be a challenge, and I couldn’t say how long it would take. But with my new wind beneath my wings, there was no doubt in my mind: I would learn to fly, and I would soar to skies unknown.
To be continued in Learning to Fly, Part 2: To Skies Unknown
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