Learning to Fly
Chapter 6: Meditation
A Clover Guild Story
By Ribombee-anon
Previous part: https://rentry.org/RibombeeFly5
Following my workout, KFC had me stretch one final time and rest before beginning our meditation. I lay down on the soft tatami beside my trainer, Sneasel went to lift some weights, and Casey came over to talk.
“Feeling any better?” the Raboot asked as she crouched next to me.
“Kind of,” I replied. “Th-these Pokemon instincts are still... troubling.”
“I get it. I was already an athlete as a human, so all these competitive instincts didn’t feel too different or weird for me. But I can get why they’d be a shock for you. Still, being an athlete isn’t just about improving your body. You have to improve your mind too. That way, you can control your emotions and desires.”
“Right... hopefully the m-meditation will help.”
“I hope so too. I never meditated myself, but I’ve heard it can be good for you.”
“It is,” said KFC. “At least, in my experience. We’ll start in a minute.”
Casey got up to go, but paused. “One more thing: I did have an idea for the bodyweight exercises. I heard you guys talking about how you’re too lightweight for those exercises to do anything, Booker. How about using weighted clothing? I used that back when I was a human. I’m not sure they have it in this world, and I’m not sure they have it in your size, but it’s an idea.”
“I’ve seen that before, Casey,” said KFC. “That could be useful. We’d have to make it ourselves or custom-order it, but it would allow Booker to perform bodyweight exercises more effectively. I’ll look into that. But until we get some, I think you should still go through the motions, Booker, just to get more comfortable with your body and your musculature.”
“Okay,” I said. “Thanks again, Casey.”
As the Raboot went to join my partner at the weight rack, KFC said, “You did a good job today, Booker. You should be proud.”
“Th-thanks,” I said. “I feel like it was nothing special, and I could’ve done better, but—”
“But nothing. You made progress, and that’s something to be happy about. Right, Sneasel?” he added, calling over to my partner.
“Yep!” she called back. “I mean, you’ve got a long way to go before you get on my level, partner. But you’re just starting out, so I’ll cut you some slack.”
“Gee, thanks,” I said, making Sneasel chuckle.
“For now,” KFC continued, “you’ve finished all the physical exercise I wanted you to do today. After this, you’ll rest for two days, then we’ll repeat these workouts on the third day. Then two more days of rest, and one day of working out. After that, you’ll do it every other day, gradually working your way up to daily workouts. As I said before, I’d prefer to move faster, but Lliam insisted we had to go slow. It’ll be okay, though. You’ll still see results eventually.”
“I can wait,” I said. “I’m just glad to be making any progress. So... are we going to do the m-meditation now?”
“Exactly. Ready?”
Sneasel snorted, drawing our attention. “You sure you guys gotta do this?” she asked. “Sounds lame.”
“Have you ever tried it?” KFC asked, narrowing his orange eyes at her.
“Nope. It ain’t for me. Back on the Island, it was just the seers who did it, so they could get in touch with nature and the gods. It ain’t the kinda thing a hunter or warrior—like me—oughta do. Fighters ain’t gotta be at peace, or become one with the world, or whatever.”
“That’s not true. But I’m sure you’ll figure that out soon enough.”
“Hey, what’s that supposed t—”
“Regardless of Sneasel’s opinions,” KFC interrupted, “this will be good for you, Booker. It will help you rest after the workout and strengthen your mind. It can even help you connect with your Aura.”
“That sounds... nice,” I said. “So, uh... will we meditate here, or...?”
“There’s a pleasant waterfall outside of town. I’ve meditated there plenty of times, and I find it’s conducive to clearing my mind and honing my Aura. We’ll go there now. Sneasel, do you want to come with us?”
“Nah,” she said with a shrug. “Too lame and boring. You two have fun—if that’s even possible. I’ll stay here and train on my own. Casey, you down to spar?”
The Raboot’s big ears perked up as she heard her name. “Huh?” she asked. “Oh—sparring? Sure. Could be fun.”
“Suit yourself, Sneasel,” said KFC. “Ready, Booker?”
He held out a hand to me, and I got up and sat on his feathery palm. He didn’t put me on his head, probably out of concern that he may tilt or move his head too abruptly and throw me off. That was understandable, since he had less experience at letting Pokemon perch on his head than Sneasel. For now, it was probably safer to just stay on his hand.
Once I was situated, KFC stood up and made for the door. Before he left the dojo, though, we heard Sneasel call out.
“Wait!” she shouted. “One more thing.”
KFC turned. “Yes?”
Sneasel stammered for a moment, her eyes fixed on me. Then she averted her gaze and quietly said, “K-keep Booker safe.”
KFC and I stared at her for a moment. Then the Combusken smiled and nodded. “I understand. Don’t worry. He’s safe with me.”
I waved at Sneasel, and she glanced over and half-heartedly waved back before KFC turned to the exit, blocking my view of her. I felt a little pit in my stomach. I understood her fear. The last time I left her, disaster struck. But I trusted KFC, and we weren’t planning to do anything as dangerous as my experience with Taillow, so I knew I would return to my partner soon.
It couldn’t be soon enough, though.
* * *
Walking quickly and purposefully, the Combusken carried me out of the guildhall. It was still morning, with a partly cloudy sky above. The sun was currently hidden, and a slightly cool breeze blew around us. We briefly took a wide road that ran along the very outskirts of Capim Town, and soon veered off onto an unassuming dirt path that led into the grass and the woods beyond. The trail was narrow, and its messiness proved how little-traveled it was. KFC had to crouch under encroaching plants at times, or use his free hand to push annoying branches out of the way. I sat silently on his palm and watched our surroundings as we went along, taking the chance to reflect on the training I did today.
After a few minutes of walking, KFC glanced down at me. “Sneasel seemed worried about you,” he said. “Is this the first time you’ve been apart?”
“No,” I replied. “Well, w-we do spend almost all our time together. But we’ve been apart a few times. We don’t normally have a problem with it, but... last time we split up, s-something bad happened.”
“When was this? And what happened?”
“Just a few days before you came back from your mission. I asked Taillow—one of the t-townsfolk—if she could help me with flying. Sneasel went off on her own, and Taillow t-taught me some things. Then she let me... ride on her back for a while as she flew around, so I could see what it feels like t-to fly.”
“Sounds like a good experience.”
“It was. But then... she had me s-skydive off her back so I could experience gliding.”
“Oh. That part sounds exciting. But also dangerous.”
“It... It was. She promised she’d catch me before we hit the ground, b-but... she got distracted, and I almost, um... d-died. Sneasel... She got so mad at Taillow. I’d never seen her so... angry before.”
My voice gradually faded away as I talked, and a long pause followed. At last, the Combusken said, “I can tell Sneasel cares about you a lot. You’re lucky to have a partner like her.”
I stammered awkwardly for a bit, before finally muttering, “Y-yeah. True. I don’t know w-what I’d do without her.”
A pang of embarrassment struck me as I said that. It almost felt too heartfelt and silly to say—even if it was what I truly believed. As much as I didn’t want to remain helpless and chained to my partner, I did enjoy being with her and working together. I stayed silent, not wanting to say anything else that would make me feel even more self-conscious. Fortunately, KFC and I soon heard the sound of water faintly in the distance, which turned our attention back to the waterfall that was our destination. It was close.
KFC walked faster, and we arrived in under a minute. The trees thinned out, the path faded away, and we saw a decently-sized circular pond with many rocks rising from the surface. Some were tall and rounded, while others were low and flat. Several of these broad, level ones made a series of stepping stones leading to the biggest stone, a misshapen flat rock in the very center of the pond. A river flowed away to the south, while the north end of the pond had a long and rough cliff standing over it. It was about 10 feet tall, and a relatively quiet waterfall tumbled over the edge in multiple streams, feeding the pond below. Countless colorful flowers and reeds grew by the water’s edge. I gazed at the plantlife, feeling an odd sense of comfort wash over me. My antennae waved about as they sensed the flowers’ pleasant aroma.
“Nice... Nice place,” I said quietly.
“It’s very peaceful,” said KFC. “A good place to relax and get a break from the chaos of the guild.”
KFC approached the line of stepping stones in the water. I clutched the feathers of his palm to steady myself as he hopped along the path. When we reached the center stone, KFC crouched down and lowered his hand, letting me slide off and onto the rock.
“Here we are,” he said as he sat and faced the waterfall. He pointed at the spot beside him, and I sat there as he explained things. “Simply put, meditation is about clearing your mind and finding inner peace. It’s the opposite of the exercises you just did, which revolved around physical energy and outward strength. Now you need to look inward, and focus on calmness and introspection. Like I mentioned to Sneasel earlier, it’s important to balance those two sides.”
KFC shifted so he sat upright, keeping his soles together and his hands on his thighs. He shut his eyes, then inhaled deeply, held it, and let it out. I copied my trainer closely, keeping one eye open to watch him.
“The ultimate goal is to empty your mind and embrace nothing,” KFC explained. “But the first step is to focus on your breathing. Breathe deep and slow. And as you do, let your stress and anxiety fade away. Forget about your problems. They’re irrelevant. We’re here at the waterfall, and the only thing we do here is meditate. For now, it’s just you, me, and the water.”
“W-well, I’m always anxious about something or other,” I said. “But I can try to forget about it.”
“You need to do it—not just try to do it. It can be helpful to visualize your troubles in your mind and imagine yourself literally setting them aside. Do that, combined with the breathing, and see how it goes.”
I closed both eyes and did my best to follow his advice. I was an anxious sort, never the best at exercising self-control to clear my mind. Even now, various worried thoughts kept intruding on me: how this training would go, how long it might take, whether it would really help me learn moves and fly, how Sneasel was doing back at the guildhall without me, how I was beginning to change and become less like myself...
But as each of these thoughts rose up, I imagined myself pushing them away like heavy boxes—literal mental baggage. Eventually, I felt like I had cleared out a small empty space in my mind, and although I knew all my anxiety was still sitting there on the edges, I told myself it wouldn’t bother me for now.
“I think... I think I’m doing it,” I said.
“Good,” I heard my trainer say. “Now, concentrate on that empty space in your mind. Continue to breathe slowly and deeply. Count each inhale and exhale. Consider how the air feels as it flows through your body. And think about how this breath is your life—and your Aura. That’s a very important fact to remember. Breath, life, Aura, it’s all the same. Aura is the life energy inside all Pokemon. If you concentrate on how it feels to be alive, you can feel your Aura too, flowing through your body just like your breath.”
I breathed deeply.
In. One. Out. One.
In. Two. Out. Two.
In. Three. Out. Three.
And so it went on. I did my best to maintain a steady pace and avoid rushing. I didn’t keep track of time, and occasionally lost count of my breaths when my mind began to wander. Whenever this happened, I simply refocused on my meditation and restarted at number one. I didn’t know how long I had gone or how much time was left. Time and numbers didn’t mean anything anymore. I forgot about my trainer’s presence, and I didn’t hear the waterfall anymore. All that mattered was what I was focusing on right now: my breath, my self, my life. And with time, even those things began to fade, melting into a calm and soothing void.
And then there was a flicker. For the briefest of moments, I could have sworn I caught a minuscule mint-green ember flashing in the infinite darkness. It happened so fast I thought it was a hallucination, but something told me it was real. I gasped, and the world and my body came back to me. I opened my eyes and glanced up at KFC. He was watching me.
“W-was that... just me?” I asked breathlessly. “I saw s-something...”
“You felt it too?” KFC asked. “I noticed your Aura glow brighter for a moment.”
I stared blankly. “Th-that was really my Aura?”
“It was. It only flared up for an instant, but it looks like it was enough for even a novice to see. Good work, Booker. Only the first day, and you’re already glimpsing your Aura. It took me months to see mine for the first time. But it makes sense that you would have an easier time. Unlike my species, yours is naturally highly attuned to Aura.”
I bowed my head and stared blankly down at the rock beneath us. That was such a quick glimpse of my Aura, but it was fascinating. I wanted to see it again. I wanted to see more of it. But as KFC and I resumed meditating, there was only darkness. I couldn’t find the mint ember again, because I was too excited and couldn’t clear my head. This was frustrating, but it didn’t bother me too much. Instead, I smiled. It was nice to at least get that one quick look, and to know I was progressing.
* * *
After trying to meditate for a bit longer, I heard KFC let out a sigh longer and deeper than all the rest. I peeked up at him. His eyes were open and staring at the waterfall.
“That’s long enough,” he said. “How do you feel now?”
“I guess I feel more... relaxed, in a way,” I said. “I still have all the same worries I had before, but it was nice to be able to forget about them for a little bit. I didn’t see my Aura again, though.”
“I didn’t sense it light up again either. But don’t worry about it. You’re off to a good start. With time, meditation will become even more effective at helping you manage your mind and Aura. Speaking of which, hold still.”
Just as he had done a few days ago, the Combusken held out a hand to me, and it glowed faintly as he scanned my Aura. “It feels the same as last time,” he concluded. “Of course, I didn’t expect to see a change so soon. But I’ll keep checking up on it and seeing how it develops, since it’ll show us how close we are to repairing the disconnect between your human and Pokemon sides.”
“That makes sense. I, uh... really do appreciate all the help you’re giving me. It’s nice to have someone who can... h-help me and teach me like this.”
“Don’t mention it. I want you to succeed—not just because you’re my guildmate and my student, but also...” KFC stared into the waterfall and continued quietly, “To be honest, you remind me of myself, in a way. That’s why I sympathize with you, and appreciate your desire to improve. I know exactly what it’s like to feel weak, and be unable to do something that should come naturally to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I hate talking about this, but... I feel like I can tell you. I’ve never been able to use fire properly. Ever since I was a young Torchic, all my attempts either failed or backfired, and sometimes nearly killed me. In fact, this is the main reason why I’m estranged from my tribe. There was no place for failures and weaklings in that group, so when I failed the Acceptance Trial, they cast me out and sent me to my death. I managed to survive, just barely, but... I hated feeling so weak.”
I didn’t need to sense Aura to read the sorrow darkening KFC’s heart as he recounted his past. I struggled to find the right words. “I’m so... so sorry to h-hear that,” I murmured at last. “I never guessed something so t-terrible happened to you. But... I hope you won’t let it get you down. I know you’re a great fighter, a-and you know so much about Aura. So... at least you’re finding ways around your limitations, right?”
“Exactly. Even if something is holding you back, you shouldn’t simply hate it—you should be motivated to overcome it or get around it. Significant change doesn’t occur in a day, but with dedicated and consistent effort, you can succeed. That’s what I did. And I believe you can do the same. This training will—”
My trainer suddenly fell silent. For a moment, he was completely motionless. Then he hopped up to his feet, making me yelp in surprise.
“W-what’s wrong?” I asked, scrambling to my feet as well.
“We’re not alone,” he said. “Don’t move.”
The Combusken’s gaze darted around. He held his hands close together, and a humming ball of blue light grew between his palms. I shied away, looking around frantically to figure out what had caught his attention.
I couldn’t find it, but KFC did. His gaze snapped towards one part of the forest on the other side of the pond, then he planted his feet and yelled, “Booker, get down!”
I barely had time to dive onto the stone before something burst out of the bushes. It was large, cloaked in water, and flying at us as rapidly as a speeding car. KFC immediately threw his hands forward and launched his Aura Sphere. The ball crashed into the enemy, but the water acted like a barrier and made the attack explode in a flash of steam. In fact, the foe didn’t slow down at all, and slammed right into KFC like a rocket. I squeaked and curled into a ball as the pair of Pokemon flew past my diminutive form and into the waterfall pond behind me. As they splashed down, a big wave came crashing over me and drenched my fur-like setae.
I instantly froze up. My breath caught in my throat. I hadn’t expected the sensation of water on my body to feel so... disgusting. I shivered and gasped for air as my mind was overrun with a powerful sense of nausea. I frantically shook myself like a dog and even vibrated my wings as much as I could, desperate to dry off somehow.
The sounds of battle reached me somehow, cutting through the overwhelming sense of revulsion clouding my mind. I remembered my trainer was in more peril than me. I couldn’t be distracted like this when he was in trouble. Still shuddering, I forced myself to look over at the pond, concerned for KFC’s safety. He was currently grappling with our mystery attacker in the waist-high water about ten feet from where I sat on the stone. The enemy had dropped its water veil, revealing its identity: a Floatzel. Its dark eyes were wide and unfocused, and its fangs were bared as it snarled with hatred. It growled and barked wordlessly as it ferociously bit at KFC’s face, and occasionally fired off a narrow beam of high-pressure water from its mouth. My guildmate desperately held back its head with one hand to fend off its attacks, while rapidly clawing at its body with the other. Each cut leaked black smoke, and I realized with a gasp that this was a feral Pokemon. They spawned in dungeons, and while they could escape sometimes, they rarely did so this close to Capim Town.
After taking many small slashes, the wild Floatzel squirmed away from KFC and spun, swinging its two tails through the water to trip him up. The Combusken fell into the pond with a splash, and the Floatzel lunged to attack him with a bite. Just then, another Aura Sphere flew up from underwater with a splash, striking the enemy in the open mouth. The feral reeled back as KFC rose from the pond, his feathers soaked and his hands aglow with misty blue Aura.
It was impressive to see these Pokemon battle from up close. It was an ordinary duel for them, but it looked like a clash of mighty titans from my tiny perspective. I shook my head and began to shuffle away from them, moving towards the middle of the stone. Exciting though it was, I knew it could be dangerous to stay too close—not just because a stray attack could snuff me out, but also because I could get wet again. For some odd reason, in that moment, both options sounded equally terrible to me.
The two Pokemon stared each other down briefly, then the Floatzel opened its mouth again and shot an intense beam of water. KFC threw an Aura Sphere at it, triggering another explosion of steam as the attacks hit each other. I lost sight of him for a moment, but then I spotted him springing up and over the cloud. His talons glowed, and at the apex of his jump, he kicked his legs and sent a flurry of little energy balls down at the foe. They curved in different ways, and the Floatzel failed to evade them all. As it staggered from the attacks, KFC splashed down and waded towards it. To cover his approach, he began swinging his arms, launching crescent blades of pale energy from his claws each time.
One attack clipped the feral’s side and spun it around, but it went with the momentum, turning its back to its opponent and spinning both tails viciously. They churned the water like a powerful propellor and kicked up huge waves of water, blocking the Combusken’s attacks and knocking him back. At the same time, some water splashed over to me again. In spite of myself, I let out a loud high-pitched yelp and scrambled back, barely avoiding being soaked a second time.
I realized my mistake too late. The feral heard my little cry of fear. I gasped and covered my mouth as its soulless glare aimed at me. It seemed to put on an evil grin, and its fangs glowed with icy energy. It turned its body towards me, then used its still-spinning tails to launch itself through the shallow water directly at me.
I closed my eyes and screamed. I expected to feel those massive fang-filled jaws snatch me up and crush me to death. Instead, I felt a rush of wind, and heard a splash and a loud grunt of pain. Shivering in fear, I opened my eyes. My trainer was now standing between me and the feral. One arm was outstretched, and the feral’s snarling jaws were clamped around his forearm. He had intercepted the enemy, holding out his own arm to take the hit and protect me. My heart was pounding, and I couldn’t look away.
Ice was already spreading on the Combusken’s bloodstained feathers. The feral growled and shook its head, as if trying to rip its foe’s arm off. My trainer stood firm and raised his other hand, curling his claws into a fist that glowed with orange flame—no, Fighting-type energy. With a grunt of exertion, he reeled back his arm and launched it forward in a huge punch. I winced as the blow struck the feral right in the side of its face. Its entire head exploded into a cloud of dark smoke. The mutilated body stayed upright for a moment, then collapsed into the water and floated briefly before dissipating as well, staining the water black.
Near-silence fell over the battlefield, the only sound being the soothing waterfall to one side. KFC let out a long exhale and lowered his good arm, sweeping a hand through the darkened pond. The shadowy mist, the only remains of the wild Pokemon, were already fading away.
Even though these ferals were basically artificial constructs spawned by dungeons, and not actual living creatures, I still felt a little queasy to watch one be destroyed so brutally. It illustrated how strong Pokemon could be, and the kinds of powerful attacks they could unleash. And in turn, it also reminded me of how helpless I really was—if this Combusken could annihilate a Floatzel’s head in one punch, imagine what such an attack would do to me, where my whole body was smaller than that head alone.
That fear was only emphasized by the fact that I nearly died already, and was only saved by my trainer’s quick recovery and reactions. I couldn’t do anything when the feral targeted me. I was defenseless, weak, pathetic...
A sickening thought invaded my mind. What if it had been Sneasel in KFC’s place? What would happen if my partner and I were on a mission, and she had to get hurt to rescue me? What if she had to... die...?
I shuddered and held my head. I tried my best to relax again, taking deep meditative breaths like I did just a few minutes before. I thought back to what KFC and I talked about before the ambush: it was important to turn one’s hatred of weakness into a strength. I didn’t want to be helpless and get my friends hurt, but to do that, I had to learn how to fly and fight. And the only way to improve was to stick with this training, no matter what. Maybe one day, after adapting to my new body and unlocking moves like Fairy Wind, I could harness Aura like KFC did. This unexpected duel certainly was an exciting display of what that power could do. I’d never seen it in use like this before, and although I doubted I would ever reach my trainer’s level, it gave me something to shoot for. And with a teacher like KFC and a partner like Sneasel to encourage me, I felt like it was possible.
By now, the wounded Combusken had emerged from the waterfall pond, shaken himself to throw water off his feathers, and sat on the stone again in front of me. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Y-your arm, though...”
“I’ll live. It was Ice Fang, and the Ice-type energy is numbing the pain. Mostly. Kind of. I’ll get healed at the clinic when we get back to the hall, so don’t worry about me. I should apologize to you, actually. I tend to forget about other people when I’m in the flow of a fight. I should’ve done a better job of keeping the feral’s attention on me.”
“Um... I s-still think you fought r-really well. Thanks for p-protecting me... except... I’m all wet...”
Now that the danger had passed, the fact that I was still drenched arrested my attention again, and I resumed shivering uncontrollably. I remembered getting similarly soaked once before, while taking a trip to Waterfall Cave just a few days after arriving in the Pokemon world. I didn’t feel so bad about being wet back then, but now it felt awful. Why was that?
“Wet?” KFC repeated. “Is that a problem? It’s just water.”
“I know, but... I know I shouldn’t be s-so upset by this—especially because it’s nothing c-compared to your arm—b-but...”
“Could it be because you’re a Ribombee?” KFC asked.
I gave a start and ceased shuddering for a brief moment. “Oh, th-that may be r-right... I think it’s a R-Ribombee thing. I k-kind of remember reading they h-hate getting wet...”
“Well, you’ll have to deal with it for now, till we get back to the guildhall. Consider it like... extra training for suppression of your instincts. Let’s get going.”
I nodded and climbed onto KFC’s lowered palm again, eager to get back home. His feathered hand was pleasantly warm because he was a Fire-type, but regrettably, it was also damp and dripping with water now. As KFC picked me up and began making his way back to the guildhall, I continued to shiver. I brought my knees to my chest and hugged them, feeling my antennae and wings droop. It seemed like this budding aquaphobia was another issue I’d have to learn to handle properly.
“At least getting soaked was the only thing that happened to you,” KFC said. “Sneasel would have lost her mind if you ended up as collateral damage back there.”
“Probably,” I said. “The last two times we split up, s-something bad happened... I hope this doesn’t become a normal thing...”
“All the more reason to learn moves and flight.”
“Yeah. I was just thinking about that, actually. I d-don’t want to be helpless when I’m alone. And I don’t want to just... sit on the sidelines when I’m with Sneasel. And I don’t want her to get hurt trying to save me, l-like you just did...”
“I’m happy to hear you say that. As long as you stay motivated, I’m sure you’ll achieve your goal. But you can rest now—that’s enough for today. We’ll do this same routine in a couple days.”
“Minus th-the feral ambush... I hope?”
The Combusken chuckled, but I thought I saw him wince and glance over at his damaged, limp arm. “Exactly. Assuming all goes well.”
* * *
The morning air was still a bit cool as we walked along the forest path. Though KFC’s hand warmed me, my soaked setae only amplified the chill of the air and made me shudder more, and his equally wet feathers didn’t help matters. For the sake of distraction, I asked my trainer if he could tell me about his recent trip to the Water Continent. He talked about his experiences for the rest of the walk back, including the three dungeons he explored and the many enemies he fought. He was somewhat curt in his recaps, and I got the impression he was hiding some details, but it was still interesting to hear about his strategies and mindset when it came to fighting and exploring.
Before I knew it, we were back at the guildhall. We’d both mostly air-dried during the trip, but I still looked forward to drying myself off the rest of the way. I suppressed the urge to do that right away, though. Before anything else, I wanted to get back to Sneasel and let her know that I was okay, since she was probably worried about me.
We went to the dojo and found Sneasel and Casey chatting at the shooting gallery. Sneasel was twirling a shard of ice in her claws, but she fumbled and dropped it when she saw me and KFC enter the room.
“Y-you’re back!” she said, perhaps too loudly. She cleared her throat and said, “Good. H-how’d it go?”
“It went well,” said KFC. “Booker was able to clear his mind and relax. He even caught a glimpse of his Aura. I think that’s a good start.”
“His Aura? Awesome! You’re gonna...”
Sneasel’s voice trailed off, and I saw her slit pupils narrow as she concentrated on KFC’s injured arm.
“What happened?” she asked flatly.
Casey stepped forward, peering at KFC’s arm. “Oh wow, that doesn’t look good. You okay?”
“I’m fine,” said KFC. “We both are.”
“You both look wet too,” Casey noted. “I thought you two were just going to meditate...?”
I wasn’t sure if I should tell them what happened. I remembered how Sneasel reacted when she heard about the near-death experience I had with Taillow. I didn’t want her to lash out like that again. Nervous, I looked back and up at my trainer. He glanced down and nodded, encouraging me to speak up. I sighed. He was right. It wouldn’t be right to hide the truth from my partner, so I decided to tell her what happened and hope for the best.
“Um... we had a little t-trouble,” I said, looking over at Sneasel. “I’ll tell you what happened, but... please don’t get mad.”
“What... happened?” Sneasel asked again, more sternly this time.
I took a deep breath before responding. “The meditation went well, like KFC said... but as we were finishing up, w-we got... attacked. By a feral.”
Sneasel’s ear lowered and her face fell immediately, so I quickly added, “It’s okay, though! KFC fought it, a-and he did a great job!”
“I kept Booker safe,” KFC said. “And he kept his distance.”
“D-did it attack you?” my partner asked me quietly.
“Um... Y-yes,” I reluctantly replied. “But KFC saved me. I didn’t get hurt at all.”
Sneasel’s face began twitching, like she was trying to restrain herself from an outburst. She curled her claws into tight fists, and her eyes flicked back and forth between me and KFC. I looked at her pleadingly, and that seemed to convince her to calm down. At long last, she exhaled and unclenched her fists.
“Thank you...” she muttered to my trainer. “F-for keeping him safe. Can I have him back now?”
The Combusken reached out and placed me on her head. Without a word, Sneasel left the dojo and swiftly went up to our dorm. Once inside, she shut the door and sat down heavily at the desk. She stared at the wall. I fidgeted atop her head. For a few awkward moments, nothing happened.
“Um... I’m still wet,” I said quietly.
Sneasel silently took off her bandanna, set it on the desk, and tapped on it. At her cue, I hopped off her head and grabbed the blue fabric, using it to wipe myself off like a towel. It wasn’t the best, but I was able to dry myself off the rest of the way. As I finished up, my partner groaned, crossed her arms at the edge of the desk, and slouched. She gazed down at me sadly, and I looked up at her worriedly.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.
“I just... hate it when you get in trouble and I can’t help you,” she whispered. “I’m super glad you wanna get stronger, but you’re never gonna get to that point if you get yourself killed. And cuz I’m your partner, I gotta keep you safe. Now, don’t get me wrong—I don’t wanna coddle you, or stop you from taking any risks at all, but I’m just... worried about you. And also worried about me messing up and being a bad partner.”
“Y-you’re not a bad partner at all!” I said. “Believe me. You do a great job.”
“Really? Cuz this is the second time that you almost died and I couldn’t do anything to save you. First Taillow, now—”
“But it w-wasn’t your fault either of those times. The first time was Taillow’s fault, and this time, it was j-just a random monster. And I know if you were with me instead of KFC, you would’ve beaten that feral just like he did.”
“But I wasn’t there! That’s the problem. I wasn’t there for you when you needed help.”
“Well... you’re there for me 99% of the time, and you do a w-wonderful job of helping me. And for the remaining 1%... that’s what all this training is for, right? It’s so I can help myself when you c-can’t help me. I’m trying to get stronger, learn moves... and most importantly, l-learn to fly. When I can do all that, I can protect myself, and t-take care of myself better. And that will be less of a burden, and less stress, on you, right?”
“Right...”
“It’s just a matter of time until I get there. That’s what I believe. So... j-just hang on until then. Can you do that?”
Sneasel began to say something else, but gave up and gently sighed instead. We held each other’s gaze for a while, until she finally glanced away.
“That 1% still makes me pretty nervous,” she said. “But you’re right. I believe in you. I know you’re gonna get stronger, and then things are gonna get better for both of us. Till then... I guess the best thing to do is just keep rooting for you, and help you whenever I can.”
“Exactly. And also... um... please don’t beat yourself up over this. I don’t like seeing you so... sad.”
“Honestly, I ain’t a fan of being sad either,” Sneasel said. “I’ll try to keep my chin up.”
“That’s good. And on the bright side, KFC said I can take a break from training now, so I won’t have to go off on my own again for two days. So... I can stay with you until my next training session.”
“That’ll definitely make me feel better,” Sneasel said. Her voice seemed somewhat listless, like she was still distracted and anxious, but not as much as she was a minute ago. I was confident that she wouldn’t worry as much about me following this talk.
“So, what should we do now?” I asked, trying to change the topic.
My partner picked up her slightly damp bandanna and put it on again, saying, “I think we gotta head out now. It’s cool that you finished today’s training, but we still gotta do some work to earn our keep today. We can head on down to the job board whenever you’re ready.”
“Sounds good. Let’s go do that... together.”
To be continued