It was a mission of the utmost importance, failure was not an option.
The target was… elusive. He had already evaded her on several occasions. But this time would be different. This time she was not alone. Her assistant was a master of stealth, and he would make sure that things went according to plan.
Time lost its meaning as she laid in waiting, motionless. Hours, days, maybe even minutes passed as they waited for the target. They had gotten information that he would be coming by soon… at least that was what her assistant had told her.
Her ears perked up as the sound of footsteps could be heard just down from where they were laying in wait. Her whole body tensed up in anticipation and she had to force herself to remain calm, lest she would spook the target.
He was cunning and elusive, he would notice even the smallest sign. A worthy opponent indeed.
She looked over to her side to see her assistant laying next to her, his body at the ready and his ears perked forward, picking up any and all sounds. Just like her.
The footsteps were getting closer, and she readied herself. They would only get one chance, and the element of surprise would be the key to their victory.
Her body was like a spring, all of her muscles completely coiled up, ready to unleash their power at a moment's notice.
She almost flinched at the soft touch of a paw on her back, and she looked over to her assistant once more, who gave her a silent nod. The time was upon them.
And as the sound of a twig breaking reached them, they both sprang out from their hiding spot with the ferocity of a raging Gyarados.
They burst out from their leafy camouflage, and their target, a tall and lean Mienshao who was carrying two large paper bags started to turn to them in surprise. But he barely had time to move his head and blink before they were upon him.
“Supris-”
“Hyper voice!” She cried out, effectively cutting Vernus off as a shockwave of sound rippled through the air and slammed into Brawly, picking him up and throwing him through the air. He flew through the air, his body twisting and turning unintentionally.
“Yay!” Chii cheered happily as Brawly crashed into a nearby bush. The paper bags that was filled with food came down just after him and crashed in the same spot. Her opponent had been beaten for now.
She looked over to Vernus who stared at Brawly in disbelief, his mouth hanging slightly open. He looked over to her and back to Brawly a few times before he let out a loud sigh.
“I thought you said we were going to surprise him.” Vernus sighed and shook his head.
“We did.” Chii cheered once more. “Did you not see how surprised he looked when he flew through the air?” Beaten by her irrefutable logic, Vernus turned and walked over to where Brawly laid.
His legs were sticking out from the top of the bush, though they were not moving. He had a confused look on his face, still a little dizzy from the surprise attack, as well as some white and yellow stains in his fur. Apparently most of the eggs had cracked in the landing.
Chii watched in silence as Vernus extended a paw to help Brawly back up. Perhaps she should have told her assistant more about the plan beforehand. But it was too late for that now, so it did not matter.
“Sorry about that.” She heard Vernus speak as he dragged Brawly… her arch nemesis, back up. “I should have realized that she would try something.” Then again, if even her own allies did not know of her plan, then how could the enemy?
“No worries, she got me good this time.” Brawly just laughed and wiped a good portion of the splatter off himself. “Shame about the eggs though…”
Chii sat there, smiling and feeling the afterglow of her victory. It had become something of a routine at that point. Her attacks, or rather pranks on Brawly that was. And even though she still called him her arch nemesis, things had changed.
She had noticed how much happier Ethan had gotten after the two of them had become a couple. And so, she found it really, really hard to continue hating and despising him like she had. But she would not let him know that, she would not let him have the satisfaction of knowing that he had won.
Not yet…
It was bad enough that she had to share her Ethan with him. She could agree to share him with Zoey… and Vernus… and Mary… And maybe even Scylla. She quite liked Scylla actually. But not with Brawly.
Chii dismissed those thoughts for the moment and tuned back into the conversation, that was still going on.
“-any more?” Vernus asked, and Chii could not help but wonder what she had missed.
“Fraid not, it was the last. Got to make due with that we have for now.” And for some reason, Vernus seemed… saddened by that answer. He glanced over at her with the same look on his face, and Vernus really looked tired now that Chii thought about it.
Granted, he was still sick. They had to avoid and trick Zoey just to get him out of bed, something that he had asked her for help about, and in turn had agreed to help ambush Brawly for her assistance.
It must have been a really something really bad for him to have gotten that sick though, Chii thought as she stared at Vernus. He still had bags under his eyes, he got tired quickly, much quicker than normal. And he still had some very bad coughing fits from time to time… she hoped that he would get better soon. She did not want anyone in her family to feel bad.
Family.
That word still sent ripples of joy through her whenever she thought about it. She was part of a real family this time.
“Vernus!” A shiver vent up her back as a very familiar and angry voice cried out.
“Uh oh…”
Zoey had become somewhat protective over Vernus over those last few days. And it was not the first time that Chii had seen her carry him back home.
She was perched on her usual little elevated corner. High enough so that she had view of the entire warehouse.
Vernus was back in his bed, his face a little paler than before, and Chii could not help but feel a little bad about asking him to help her. She knew that he was not well enough yet. Zoey was still taking care of him.
Now that she thought about it, Zoey and Vernus seemed to have become a lot closer lately.
She could see that Zoey was yelling at him, as she usually did when he snuck out, or tried to. But just like those other times, her anger quickly passed, and a concerned and… somewhat happy look crossed her face instead.
Which she could not help but think was a little weird. Why would she be happy since Uncle Vernus was sick. Well, maybe happy was not the correct word for it, Chii thought as she continued to look down on them. In fact, she looked a lot like she used to back when she looked at Ethan and…
“Oh….oh….ooooh.” Realization dawned on her and Chii quickly slapped her two small paws in front of her mouth to keep her from screaming out in joy and celebration.
Zoey was in love with Vernus?
…
Then why did she also look so uncertain at the same time? If Zoey was not completely sure about her feelings then that could be a problem… she would have to think of some way that she could help them along later. Her mind was positively teeming with potential plans and ideas for making sure that the two of them ended up together.
But another thing alco crossed her mind in that moment. Did that mean that she could forgive Brawly for taking Ethan away and hurting her in the first place?
She could understand that Brawly made Ethan happy, and in a… weird sort of way, she could see him as a part of their family. It was not like she could make him leave anyway. She had tried. Oh, how she had tried.
But forgive him for making Zoey sad? For making her heartbroken, for all those nights where she had heard her quietly sobbing?
Never
But if Zoey and Vernus became a couple… where would that leave her? She had not thought about that before. Would they make families of their own? She wanted Zoey to be happy and have small babies if she wanted too… but she did not want to be left out either. Not when she had finally found a place where she belonged.
As for Ethan and Brawly…
She was still not completely sure how that thing would work out. If they wanted babies, who would be the mother? Could they choose?
She had a hard time picturing either of them being pregnant.
Yeah, she was going to have to get back to that line of thought later.
But that still left her wondering what would happen to her. Would Zoey and Vernus leave if they wanted to create their own family? She did not want them to leave. And she did not want to have to choose between Ethan and them either if they did leave.
Chii suppressed a sniff as she was just making herself sadder with each passing second. She did not want to think anymore about that, but it was hard to just make those thoughts go away.
So instead, she bundled herself into her little blanket that she always kept with her on her perch. Making sure that none of the others could hear her as she let a few quiet sounds of distress escape.
It was not until some time later during that day that Chii emerged from within her blankets once again, she had fallen asleep it seemed like, but when she looked down, she saw that Zoey was still taking care of Vernus, who was having a little nap of his own.
“She did what?” And it also seemed that Ethan had returned during her sleepy time as she heard his voice from below. Looking down over her ledge, she stared down to what was the kitchen where Ethan and Brawly currently stood.
“She did not mean anything with it man, just let it go.” She tipped her head slightly sideways as she listened in on their conversation, though she had no idea exactly what they were talking about.
Ethan looked a little frustrated for a moment, before he completely deflated and leaned against Brawly.
“I know, I know.” Ethan sighed as Chii frowned, she could jump down there right then and there to separate them. But in the long run, that would accomplish nothing. She would allow the hugging… for now. “Sorry.”
“No worries, it's allowed to get a little worked up at times.” Brawly laughed, and while Chii agreed with him, it was not usually like Ethan to get worked up like that, even if it was only for a moment. She wondered what it had been about. “So, how much do we have left?”
“...” Ethan paused and Chii could see that he closed his eyes and drew a breath before he answered. “Practically nothing… we are going to have to make due with what we have for a while.” Nothing of what? Chii knew that she was just listening in, but it was really tempting for her to jump down and get some answers. Though that means that she would have to admit to eavesdropping in the first place… which she had been told was a rude thing to do.
“Jenny really was the one who took care of these things.” Brawly sighed. “So, we have to make due for a few days… we can do that.” Did this have something to do with what she did earlier? Chii really hoped not.
“Of course we can.” Ethan lightened up a bit. “Stormy's parents wanted… insisted to pay for what we did to help their filly. But I can't accept money for something like that. No one should have to pay for getting their daughter help. Besides, the Natu was the one who did most of the work, not me.” Chii was a little unsure who this, “Stormy” was, but she remembered the Natu. He came around every now and again, though he was not as much fun as the Swablu… she missed her.
“True, but you were the one who started this whole thing.” Chii had to suppress a groan as Brawly pulled Ethan closer and kissed him…. and kept kissing him… if it kept going any longer, she seriously considered putting a stop to it. A tiny spark traveled across her fur. A Thunder Wave would take care of it. She would hit Ethan too, but they already knew from experience that he was not affected by paralysis… in her defence, it was an accident at the time. He surprised her and she acted poorly.
She was just about to unleash her vicious Thunder Wave, when there was a knock on the door. Everyone's heard turned to the noise, and Chii let the electricity that she had built up slowly ground itself. He got lucky this time…
“Just a second!” Ethan cried out towards the door, though he was still being held by Brawly. “Mind letting me go?” Chii heard them say something else and even laugh in the background, but she was already on her way to answer the door.
She jumped up and grabbed the handle, letting her weight and gravity do most of the work as the handle was pushed down and the door slowly slid open.
“Mary!” Chii cheered as the familiar Unicorn stood outside. She quickly let go of the door handle and jumped down in front of their guest and friend.
“Well, hello there.” Mary smiled at Chii, still a little amused by her technique for opening the door.
“Who is it?” Chii could hear Ethan call out from inside, but she chose to promptly ignore him.
“Are you visiting?” She asked with a hopeful smile. Mary was always fun and nice when she came over, and she usually had some exciting stories to share… that and cookies. The cookies definitely helped too.
“Not this time.” Chii felt her ears sag slightly at that answer, no one came just to visit her. “Is Ethan here, there is something important I need to speak to him about.” Why was no one just there to see her…
“Yeah, he is inside getting his face sucked off.” It took a second, but once Mary understood what Chii meant she lifted her hoof to her mouth, trying and failing to contain her laughter.
“Chii!” She heard Ethan yell at her from the inside and her ears went flat against her head from the tone of his voice. Maybe there was a chance… a small chance that he may have heard her comment about him.
“Protect me!” Chii flung herself at Mary just as she heard some footsteps behind her. She collided with Mary's chest, and clung to it, quickly climbing around so she got onto her back and could hide in her mane. “Hide me…” She whispered to Mary once she got close to her ears, and even though that only made her laugh harder, she could feel her nod slightly.
It was just a few moments later when Ethan came through the open door, his face red and flustered, or at least Chii thought so, she could barely see that much through Mary's mane.
“I’m… I’m sorry for Chii.” Ethan rubbed the back of his head as he looked around Mary, most likely looking for her. But she was a master of stealth and... stealthiness.
“Don't be, she means well.” No, she really didn't. But as she was not exactly in a position to argue so, she would let Mary do it for her.
She could see that Ethan looked around a little more before his eyes settled upon Mary, just a few inches below her hiding space. “I just think she is a little jealous.” She was NOT jealous. She just wished that Ethan would spend a little more time with her, rather than Brawly… she was not jealous... “But you said that you wanted to see me?” Chii could feel Mary shift ever so slightly underneath her.
“Yes. Yes I did. You remember Olivia right?”
“The Ranger? Yes, of course. How is she?” Chii remembered them talking about her before. She had never actually met Olivia herself, but she seemed nice. Especially since she was helping them find Jenny. Or she used to help them. She only knew that she was at the hospital now.
“That's why I am here.” There was something else hidden behind Mary's voice, Chii was sure of it. Uncertainty? It was hard for her to tell without getting a good look at her face. “They want you to come down there.”
“I don't know how much help I would be.” Chii could hear Ethan sigh. “She is unconscious, and my medical knowledge is very limited.”
“That's just it, she woke up a little earlier today.” Chii was a little unsure, but she thought she heard a gasp from inside their home. “They want your take on her… mental condition.” Mental, that meant the mind, right? At least that was what Chii thought. Was her mind sick?
“She has woken up? That's great news!” Chii felt the need to cheer herself too, but she had to remain vigilant. She was hiding. “Though…” She could see Ethan falter slightly. “I don't know how much help I would be. I am a Pokémon psychologist. A human's mind is very different, even a former one.”
“But you have to help!” Chii's head popped up out of Mary's mane. And immediately regretted the decision when Ethan's eyes settled upon her.
“So, that's where you were hiding.” Chii could only let out a small surprised sound as Ethan picked her up and lifted her over to him. She quickly climbed out of his hands and climbed up on his shoulder when he released her. “Sorry, she has way too much energy for her own good.” Chii looked back as she finished her climb from the shoulder and up to his head and her usual perch between his ears, to see that Mary was shaking her head and stifling another laugh.
“Don't be, she is no trouble at all.” Mary's eyes settled on Ethan once more, just below where Chii was sitting. “So… will you help?” She asked once more. And Chii could not understand why Ethan was even having second thoughts about this. He helped Pokémon, that was what he did, what he was good at. What did it matter that she used to be a human? She needed help, that would have been all that mattered.
She felt a little poke in her side and looked to see Ethan's paw at her side. “So you really think that I should help?”
“Of course you should!” Chii slammed her paw down… very gently since she was still sitting on his head. So, it was more of a pat than anything else. But it still had the same meaning. “She helped with Jenny's investigation, so we have to help her!” She thought that they should help her nonetheless, but it was the only real argument that she could think of at that moment.
She could hear Ethan sigh and his head move slightly as he looked back to Mary Care who were watching intently.
“Do you think there is anything I can do?” He asked.
“Well, from what you have told me, it seems like you have more experience than any of the others Psychologists or therapists that's nearby. That and I have seen personally how much of a difference you can make… I believe that if there is something that you could do to help, then you would beat yourself up over it if you never tried.”
Chii moved a little forward and looked down at Ethan's face as he and Mary apparently had started a staring competition. She did not understand why Ethan did not immediately jump to help Olivia, like he had with so many other Pokémon… like he had with her.
“Well…” Ethan was the first one to look away and Chii had to keep back a tiny cheer as she noticed the smile on Mary's face. “I do have some experience when it comes to patients with a drug problem. I make no promises, but I will do what I can.” Mary's smile broke out into a full grin at that point.
“Thank you, we should go immediately though. She is not in the best condition so she needs all the rest that she can get.”
“Yeah, we should go right now!” Chii agreed with a cheer of her own. Of course they had to help her, it was the right thing to do.
“Oh um… I don't know if you should… I mean it really is not a place for children.” Chii looked down to Mary who seemed to struggle to find the right words.
“But I want to come! Please!” She leaned out over the front of Ethan's head so she could look him in the eyes. “Please…” She begged.
“Ethan, this really is not-” Chii felt a familiar paw on her back and she kept looked up at Ethan as he put her down on the ground and knelt down infront of her.
“Why do you want to come?” It was a really simple question, and the answer was just as simple. Because she wanted to see him help her. But as she looked at Ethan, she noticed just how serious he looked in that moment, how hard his eyes were and the slight difference that there had been in his voice. Why was he acting like that? Was there something about this that she did not know? Was she that badly hurt? There had to be something since Mary had not wanted her to come along and since Ethan looked so serious.
“Because I want to see you help her.” It had been the first answer that came to her mind, so it was the one that she went with. “You help Pokémon all the time. You helped Zoey and Vernus… you helped me.” Chii halted for a moment as memories of the first days after she had met Ethan flooded into her mind. “I want to see you do that for her.”
Chii sniffed slightly, but kept her eyes on Ethan, who was looking down on her with a somber expression. “You know, I might not be able to help her. There is possible that there is nothing that I can do.” That… really had not been what she had wanted to hear, and she could feel her eyes becoming slightly misty.
“B-but you still have to try!” But she remained vigilant and forced any tears back. She had always seen Ethan as her hero, as someone who could do and accomplish anything. Of course, she knew that this was not true. But it was different when she was confronted with a situation like that. “You have to try…”
The tough girl facade became harder and harder to keep up as Ethan looked down on her. And she was just about to let it drop, when she felt two paws at her side, and she looked up to see a big smile on Ethan's face as he lifted her back up.
“Of course you are right, I'm sorry for being so silly.” She wanted to punch and hug him at the same time in that moment, she settled on the latter though. “And you can come, but you may have to wait outside her room when I am in there.”
“What? Why?” She wanted to see Ethan help her, how was she going to do that if he made her stay outside?
“Because I don't know how bad it is… how bad is it?” Chii turned around to Mary as Ethan looked to her for answers.
“It's not pretty, that's why I wanted you to come as soon as possible.” Mary said with a hint of sadness in her voice. “They have had to keep her sedated ever since she woke up… I hoped that you may be able to talk… to get through to her.” She had to be really, really sick for both Ethan and Mary to get that worried. But she would be there to help and cheer them up.
“Then we have no time to lose.” Chii exclaimed as she jumped up onto Mary and struck a pose, pointing her paw out towards the town. “Let's go!”
“Chii…” She heard Ethan's voice behind her. “Did you ask Mary if you could ride on her?” Oh… right… that.
“Um, no?” She looked back to see that Ethan was giving her a look and kept slightly nodding down to Mary Care. “Do you mind if I sit here?” Chii asked carefully as she sat back down on Mary's back.
“It’s perfectly okay.” Mary laughed at them. Ethan had told her that it was impolite to climb on people without asking their permission first. Even though it never seemed to mind him when she climbed on him.
“Okay, now we can go.”
Chii was bored.
Ethan had gone into the room where Olivia, the Pokémon Ranger was being held almost immediately after they had arrived. He had talked with some doctors first, though Mary had taken her away from them so they could speak in peace. She had no idea why though, was there some secret about Olivia that she was not supposed to know? Whatever the case, Ethan had gone into the room afterwards, leaving her and Mary alone outside. Waiting.
By Arceus, the waiting was killing her.
“Why is he taking so long?” Chii asked Mary who was currently reading a magazine. This was not what she had in mind when she asked to come along. She wanted to see Ethan help her, she wanted to see how he helped her. And maybe she could even help a little too. She knew that Ethan always did what was best, so since he told her to stay outside, she just wished that he had explained why. She may just be a little Skitty, but she had been through a lot. She understood things
“I am sure that he has his reasons.” Mary said as she looked up from her magazine. Chii did not mind Mary, but she was not exactly fun either. She just sat there, reading, and occasionally glancing at the clock. She was nice, but that was it.
“...” Chii looked over at Mary who went back to her reading. “Why did you come?” That made her blink in surprise as she looked up again.
“What?”
“Why did you come?” Chii repeated again. “You are not in there with them. So, why not just leave?” Ethan was there because he wanted to help Olivia. She was there because she was interested in how Ethan would help her… though that had not gone as planned. But that left Mary Care.
“Well, I…” Mary paused and it looked like she was searching for the right words, for an answer. She did not have a particular reason for suddenly asking her a question like that, she was just bored and curious. A dangerous combination at times, or so she had been told on several occasions. “Well, I thought that somepony should stay so you would not have to wait here alone.” That made Chii stop, she had not thought about that. “Though I can't say that is the only reason. Ethan, he… he intrigues me. His way of doing things, his sense of right and wrong. And his efficiency.” Chii did not completely understand all of that, but she got the gist of it.
“So, you are interested in him?” She asked, it pretty much seemed like Mary had the same reasons that she had.
“W-what? N-no, I mean… I am interested in him, but not romantically, not in that way.” That little outburst surprised Chii. She had not meant it like that, thought it was a little fun to see Mary so flustered. And she found herself laughing slightly.
“You mean like how it is between you and Protocol?” It was a really strange thing to see someone pale through their fur, but Mary somehow managed it.
“W-w-what?” She stammered out.
“Yeah, how you are always looking at him when he is not looking, that dreamy stare. That long, slow sigh.” With every word, Mary's face grew redder and redder. “So, is he your boyfriend?”
“No!” Mary cried out, and Chii stumbled slightly back from the surprise scream. “I mean… it is coltfriend, and no, we are not a thing.” Chii shook her head as she got back up on her feet, and jumped up onto the table in front of Mary.
“Why not? It is really, really, REALLY obvious that you like him.” And once again, Mary was doing her best impression of a tomato. “Do you like someone else too?”
“No, no nothing like that.” Mary sighed in defeat, and Chii made no efforts to hide her grin. “It… it's just complicated.” Chii was getting really sick of hearing that excuse.
“What is so complicated? You like him do you not? Then what more is there to it? Just tell him!” It was like the whole scene with Zoey all over again.
“I can't… it… I just can't!” Why did adults always have to make things so hard? “You don't understand. It is more complicated than it seems.” Chii never understood what they meant when they used the word “complicated” in those situations. It just seemed like a poor excuse to her. “You are a cute and insightful little thing.” Mary reached out and gently patted her on the head. “But there are a few things that you still don't understand.”
Annoyed and irritated by her answer Chii just huffed and jumped back down, out of Mary's reach. Perhaps she was right, perhaps not. Why did love had to be so hard. She threw her paws up in the air and let out a little cry out of annoyance.
Would she understand it better once she evolved? Once she was older? Maybe once she found someone to fall in love with. It was not something that she could imagine in that moment, she liked a lot of people, and she loved Ethan and her whole family. But it was not that kind of love, it was the one that made you stupid.
She wanted to give it more thought, but she was snapped out of her line of thought when the sound of a door opening reached her ears. Her head spun around towards the patient room to see that the door was slowly opening, and Ethan's familiar figure could be seen emerging from behind it.
“Ethan!” She called out in joy as she hopped up. And she was going to run over to him to hear how it had gone but… why did he look so, sad. Sad and angry. “Ethan?”
“Fuck!” She flinched and hid behind her own tail as Ethan practically slammed the door shut behind him. She was slightly shaking as she looked out from behind her tail. Ethan was… he was truly angry, Ethan was never angry, not like that. It scared her.
“Ethan!” Chii heard Mary call out, her voice was firm and the hard stomp of a hoof shortly followed. But if Ethan reacted to her voice at all, then Chii could not see any signs of it.
Instead he ignored the both of them and walked over to one of the nearby walls with heavy steps. She could see the intensity and hurt in his eyes, though that was what made her move her tail out of the way. He was angry, but he looked hurt as well, she had to help him.
He leaned against the wall, his eyes closed, and Chii was sure that she could hear him muttering something under his breath. She looked back to Mary who were standing completely still, apparently not knowing what to do either.
“Arceus damn it.” He turned around and slowly slid down the wall, his knees held up against his chest, and his heavy ears, hanging down, covering his face. “Damn it all…”
That was the last straw, and she forgot her earlier fear. Chii ran up to Ethan, who had gone completely silent. She snuck past his ears, and through to where she could look up at him. “Ethan?” She balanced on her back legs while her front ones was leaning against his side.
“...” Slowly he turned to look down at her, his eyes were red, though not to the brink of tears. And he looked… tired. “Sorry, Chii.” His voice was low, but she knew that he meant it. He reached down with his paw to rub the fur on her head like he usually did, and she happily pressed herself against his touch. “I'm sorry that I let you see this.”
“What's wrong?” He slowly and gently stroked her fur before a sigh escaped his lips. She looked up longingly when he removed his paw and instead looked up to the door he had just come out of a few minutes earlier. “Is Olivia okay?” She asked, and she could see some of the hurt from earlier return to his eyes.
“No, she is really not… and I'm not sure if she will be.”