< The Path We Create >
Felicia has a particular ability; she can vividly remember something that she has never seen before, and that she has a very good memory. From the moment she was born, she has already remembered.
First, Felicia remembers most things that 'Normal' people wouldn't remember. Such as her time as a baby, the most core memory for her is when one of her many cousins took Felicia in her arms and sat on a swinging chair, only to drop her and make Felicia face plant into the ground.
Second, Felicia didn't cry; she never did cry much, from the moment of her birth, remembering that the doctor was panicking since she never cried out and thought she was dead.
Third, Felicia understands a lot. From the moment she was born, she understood her mother's words, understood why the doctor was panicking, and understood what it meant to be born.
Felicia Nevados is like that, a Strange and peculiar child.
The moment she turned five years old, is when she realized that she wasn't 'normal'. No one remembers what could be called past life, no one remembers their toddler year, no one understands everything the moment they are born, but for Felicia, it was the norm for her, so is it her who was strange? Or the people around her who were strange?
That is when she realized…she was the Strange one.
On her 6th birthday, her mother, Anisa McCalis, took her to a place called Pokémon Park.
Her mother, Anisa, has been very worried about Felicia. How did she know? Well, the lady herself talks with her parents, [being Felicia's grandparent], a lot during the night when they think that Felicia is asleep; in fact, it's been going on for more than 3 years.
It is because Felicia didn't talk much; unlike a normal child, she didn't express what others would call childlike emotions, which, in turn, made them worry.
Emotion, of course, Felicia knows what those are; she feels them too…she just didn't know how to express them.
She feels joy when she is being picked up by her mother, she feels sad when she talks behind her back during the night, to the point she often stays longer in the bathroom just to try and smile.
But no matter what, no matter how much she forced a smile, it didn't seem genuine; it was fake, so fake that if she were to wear it, it would get found out instantly.
As for the reason 'Why' they come to the Pokémon park, it is because Anisa thought that having Felicia interact with either children her age or Pokémon would have helped her, even though she never really talked to anyone at kindergarten.
Pokémon…a mystical creature that wasn't present in her vivid memory, but still, the term somehow resonated well with her. Felicia's first encounter with such a creature was when she was 1, when a little bird landed on the window of her room. The bird was weird-looking with a very sharp beak.
The bird looked at her for a few moments as it rested on her window before flying away. At first, she thought it was just a weird bird, since she never watched Television at that time, so she thought nothing of it.
But as time passes, there are more and more weird creatures to be seen on the windows. A walking rat, big 'gorilla?' with four arms carrying luggage for transport, a fox with 9 tails that breathes fire, a literal fire slug…
More and more creatures to be seen from the windows, with so many weird things, the only logical choice in her child's mind, who wasn't really a child, is to ask her mother.
And that was the first time she actually talked to her mother, which elated the lady so much that she guided Felicia through all the Pokémon-related things.
"Felicia, dear? Are you spacing out again?" Her mother's warm voice reached out to the young girl, making her look up and nod her head a little.
"Hehe, you are too honest sometimes. Here, these are Nanab Berries, the taste is very sweet, see?" At her word, Anisa peels the berry with her hand before tossing the peel into the trash, and feeds the banana-looking berry into Felicia's mouth, which she accepts with a tiny nibble.
The berry was very fleshy with little juice, very sweet, and a bit mushy.
"It's…good," Felicia mutters as she bites the rest from her mother's hand like a starving Torchick, making the quiet chewing noise.
"Hehe, it's good, right? You see, Pokémon love these too; these are often used in Pokeblock or other Pokémon food, you know?" Felicia nods along with her mother's words as Anisa hands over a few berries that Felicia's small hand could carry. They walk hand in hand deeper into the center of the park.
There, Felicia saw multiple Pokémon, trainers, and normal people alike, all walking, singing, and playing together. Even the wild Pokémon seemed comfortable to her; there was no hint of fear on them.
That was when she saw it, a Fletchling suddenly flew past her at an incredible speed and used its claws to push the Rookidee out of the tree, making it fall, but it managed to fly up in time.
Without waiting for the Rookidee to recover, the Fletchling swooped in and used its claw to try and pin the Rookidee to the ground with a sharp cry. The Rookidee was surprisingly nimble as it dodged to the left and quickly flew away, leaving the tree.
Seeing the Rookidee leave, the Fletchling quickly assumes the position on the tree that the Rookidee just left, and that is when Felicia knows why.
It was food. The Rookidee was hoarding the food, which was mostly berries, and the Fletchling seized the opportunity and won, taking the food away from the fleeing Rookidee.
Seeing this…make Felicia feel a bit bad, she know it bad to horde food, but that just one of the pokemon habits, beside there are various berry tree plant in here from what she can see, and there are plenty ripe for picking, even the trainer she just saw took the ripe berry from the tree and feed it to his Rattata.
Why do the Fletchling need to do those things? Ah…she can see the look from the Fletchling, the proud look of victory…is it… feels good to be victorious over someone?
"Felicia?" Her mother called out to her, be Felicia couldn't hear it. Instead of looking at her mother, she ran straight toward where the Rookidee had gone with the berry still in her hand.
After running past several trainers and elderly people coming to walk with their Pokémon, she saw it, the Rookidee pecking at its own feather to comb it after the fight.
Though it doesn't seem to hurt much.
Probing down on the ground, Felicia slowly extends her finger out and pokes at the side of the little fatty Pokémon.
It jumps up in surprise at the sudden touch, but upon seeing Felicia's little body, it immediately calms down.
Rookidee may be weak, but it is still capable of hurting Felicia greatly if it wants to, although it won't get away due to the Pokémon Ranger always having their flying type watching from above.
Just before the little flying type could fly away, Felicia opened her palm, revealing the Nanab Berries in her hand and extending them out to the fatty Rookidee.
The Pokémon watches with caution before slowly jumping up onto her hand. The claw digs into her hand a little, making Felicia hurt a bit, but she perseveres in order not to startle the little guy.
The Pokémon seem to notice her pain as the claws that were digging into her skin ease up.
"Rooki!" it cooed, before starting to dig into the Nanab Berries, the skin and all.
"Felicia! Ah, there you are! Don't run off like that, dear, I almost lost you." Her mother appears from behind and starts scolding her.
Felicia slowly turns around, scared of making the little guy fly away. "I'm sorry…" she mumbled softly as her focus was still on the Rookide, who was eating it.
"Oh…ha…it's OK, Mom isn't mad anymore, but next time you should not run away from me, ok?" Her mother said as she slowly caressed the top of Felicia's head.
Felicia nods and returns her attention to the Rookidee, who still continues eating. The two fall into the usual silence as they observe the little Rookidee.
Once the Berries in her hand were nothing but little seeds and bits of flesh left, the Rookidee finally looked up and cooed a little before flying away.
"Welp, that little guy sure eats a lot." Anisa Muse got up. "Want to plant those seedlings? Most wouldn't survive, but a few will grow up in the span of a year, and give us a new Nanab berry."
Felicia nods, more enthusiastically than before. Seeing this makes her mother beam a smile, before taking her hand and walking to the edge of the park.
Over there, patches of dirt and a shovel with little saplings sprout up. Many children are playing in the dirt with Pokémon as they dig up the dirt and throw it toward the giant Arcanine.
The Arcanine just lies flat on its belly as the children continue to rub the dirt on its body, extending its tongue out as it licks its trainer's hand.
The Arcanine was easily towering over its trainer, but somehow it was acting cutely before her.
"Felicia?" Mother tugged at her shoulder, but Felicia didn't respond as she could only stare at the paw of the Arcanine. Without thinking, Felicia moved forward and touched the paw of the Arcanine, pushing her finger onto the toe bean. It was soft, and the Arcanine, even with the sudden touch, didn't jump up in surprise or flinch in the least. Instead, it pushes its paw deeper into Felicia's hand as she softly scratches the paw.
"Ohhh! What's this?, Little Arty likes his paw rub?" The trainer suddenly spoke up when she looked over the giant Arcanine, with a bright smile. "Wow, Girly, you got quite the hand, you know, Little Arty over here is really sensitive on his paw! He won't let anyone besides his groomer and me." The trainer said as she rubbed the dirty belly of the Arcanine and slapped its belly lightly, "Right? Arty!"
The Arcanine barks out in response, then, without warning, shot up and jumped over Felicia's little body, startling the children playing with its belly. He proceeded to suddenly lick her cheek, the sticky, rough tongue rubbed against her cheek and her hair, which she had let down to her neck, stood up from all the saliva.
"Urgh…" The sticky feeling was very unpleasant, but seeing the excited dog in front of her, Felicia didn't have the heart to complain out loud.
"Haha, sorry about that, here use this." The Arcanine trainer apologized with a sheepish smile as she used her towel and wiped away the saliva before letting Felicia's mother do the rest.
"Bad Arty, look! She is all wet now." The woman proceeded to rub her knuckle on the Arcanine's head playfully. The Arcanine, meanwhile, was just playfully extending his tongue, trying to lick his trainer's hand.
"Gosh, look at how dirty you got just from one lick. Wait here, ok? Mama will get this towel soaked." Felicia's mother laughed before thanking the lady for the towel and asking her to look after Felicia for a little while as she went to the water dispenser.
"Welp, we stuck together, kid. Do you have something you want little Arty here to do to apologize for ruining your hair?" The woman said with a grin.
Felicia looked over between Arty the Arcanine and the woman. "Can I….know your name?"
The woman seemed surprised before laughing. "Right! I never said my name isn't it? My name is Kelly, just from my accent, and you could probably guess that I'm not Paldean Native, isn't it?"
Kelly laughed loudly, which prompted the Arcanine to roar alongside her.
"I'm actually from Galar, you see, I'm visiting Paldea to catch up with my friend here, who was partaking in the Paldean League," Kelly said.
"Paldean…league?" Somehow, the word League was ringing a little bell in her mind, as if she should know about it, but nothing came to her mind at all.
"Hoho, you at least what? 5? And you don't know about Pokémon League? Hehe, listen well, and this big sister will tell you an Amazing tale! I'm one of the top 8 in the Galar league, you know!" Kelly then proceeded to show off her ID, one that all of them will get once they turn 10. On there was her full name, alongside some kind of badge that was being displayed.
"Hehe, see this? Here is the proof of my 8th victory against the Galarians Gym! Welp, though it wasn't really their full team…hehe…" Kelly said sheepishly. "Well, after I'm done visiting, I was thinking of going to either the Sinnoh or the Kalos league, but after having a talk with my friend, I think I am going to go for the Indigo league instead."
"Why?" Felicia asks, earning a look from Kelly.
"Why? Well, I guess there are a few Pokémon I want to meet, one audition for my team, probably a ground type since my team lacks a bit of diversity, also probably going to meet some Idols, oh, and there's also sightseeing also, did you know…"
As Kelly began to ramble on, Felicia looked toward Arty the Arcanine, now that she got a good look, he was full of scars… Even if most of them are obscured by his fur, there is still one that could be seen openly.
"Why are you using the Pokémon to fight?" Felicia asks, making the woman stop in her rambling.
"Eh? Why are we having Pokémon fight?" Kelly repeated her question, and Felicia nodded.
"Hmmm…That is…quite an easy answer, you know?" Kelly's smile deepened; this time, instead of the usual shy, sheepish smile, she smiled full of confidence.
"But instead of Answers, why don't I show you instead?" With a wink, the woman stood up, and the Pokémon, which was clipped to her leg, shone lightly under the sun. "Alright, it's time to play, Levy, Roppe!"
With the shine of the Poké Balls, light came out, one massive frame and one smaller frame.
"Grimssna!/ Accell!" The two roar out as they turn toward their trainer.
"Aw! Come here, Levy, Roppe!" The two Pokémon rush toward their trainer, with the smaller one jumping onto her arm while the bigger one just picks her up over her shoulder. "Let me introduce you to them. This big Grimsnarl over here is Levy, he's a bit of a prankster as expected of his kind, so be careful, while this little cutie over here is Roppe the Accelgor!" Kelly said as she pushed the Accelgor toward Felicia, with the Accelgor even giving a light nod to her.
"I have Sunday, my Orbeetle as well, but she is a bit tired from teleporting me around, you see."
Felicia patted the Accelgor on the head; the skin felt smooth, even a bit slimy.
"Accel!" the Pokémon cries out, which startles Felicia, making her fall down, but instead of the ground, she feels soft hair cushioning her fall. When she looks around, there is dark hair that stops her from falling down.
"Thanks, Levy." Kelly pats her Grimsnarl on the head before picking up Felicia to stand on her feet.
"Alright! Since Accel is still falling short behind on his training, I will be instructing Accel, alright, big guy?" Kelly said as she patted Levy on the head, before she whistled sharply, causing Accel to jump back with a roar in front of the giant Grimmsnarl.
"Alright! Clear up a bit, people! The Pokémon are about to fight now!" Kelly said with a smile, making all the passersby and kids step back, with a look of anticipation on their faces. Felicia also tried to step back, but was stopped by Kelly herself. "You can just watch here with me."
With a kind smile, Kelly turned toward her Pokémon. "Alright, Roppe, show me how much you have grown! Acid Armor and Agility!" With the command, the Accelgor's body oozes out purple liquid that sticks to its body and starts moving at incredible speed.
The Grimmsnarl, seeing his opponent start to move, also got ready, as it slowly raised its arm and hair started to move around creepily covering the entire field. The hair on both arms is gone, exposing the flesh underneath. Accelgor, without being commanded, creates a field of stars behind him and shoots it forward while riding one of the stars.
The star was stopped by having a have that was bundle together sharply torn through the star itself, while Accelgor continued dodging the hair that aimed for his star with precision.
"Good job, Roppe. Now then, use poison shuriken, follow up with a quick attack." Kelly calmly let out a command before she fell back on silence again as she watched her Accelgor with focused eyes.
"Accel!" Letting out a roar, the Accelgor leaks purple liquid from its hand that quickly shapes into a shuriken. Although the shape seems unstable, it jumps out of its star and quickly throws three shuriken toward Grimmsnarl.
Levy the Grimmsnarl quickly pulls his hair and forms a wall instead of tearing through it like before; his hair blocks the poison that slowly dissolves his hair.
"Double team. Bug Buzz." Kelly let out a command before clasping her hand on Felicia's ear. She didn't have time to ask why, because the next moment, a loud, low buzz similar to that of a mosquito's wing beating, except a hundred, no thousand times louder.
Felicia's eyes close themselves, her hand moves instinctively, covering the hand that is already on her ear harder, and when it finally over, she could see the Grimmsnarl was not even affect by one bit, as he raise up his right arm that was already full of hair which form into hammer and bought it down toward one of the Accelgor, causing a large carter on the ground which shook the earth.
Roppe immediately jumps onto Grimsnarl's back as Purple liquid oozes from its hand, ready to strike at the Grimmsnarl.
"Enough! That's it for today. Good work, everyone. Now, Roppe, you are on the cleaning duty since you lost."
"A-Accel!" Roppe quickly let out a roar of protest, but the Grimmsnarl just laughed at his back.
"Welp, everyone! What do you think of our performance?!" Without even answering Roppe, she turned toward the audience, who started clapping. Felicia forgot that it was a public park; there were others in here other than Felicia, Kelly, and her Pokémon.
The battle was so captivating that Felicia lost her breath. Felicia turned to look at Kelly, who was now receiving the praise with a full smile. The people who smiled at her were full of thrill from the battle performance.
There is something that...Felicia couldn't quite put it into a word…the feeling…was different from what she knew, thrilling? No, not that. Excitement? No…not quite…then…admiration…?
Is that…what she's feeling right now? The feeling of wanting…is this…craving? Felicia…for the first time in her life… feels that she wants something.
"Now there's finally a nice smile on your face!" Kelly said as she returned from her after-show talk.
"It was the hair, right? The hair was warp around Accelgor's body. While it was thin, I could see it because it reflected the sunlight."
Kelly seemed shocked at her question before breaking into a smile. "You've got good eyes! Also, good sense too. Levy's hair control was especially good, even for his kind. Grimmsnarl are able to manipulate hair on their body like a second nature; they could shrink or make it bigger using fairy-type energy, but sacrificing their defense. For Levy, however, he could make them as thin as he wants and still make them as strong as steel." Kelly pats her head roughly without caring for Felicia's hair.
"Well, did you get the answer you want?" This time, her eyes turned serious, but there was still a smile on her face.
Felicia looks around, the Grimmsnarl flexing his hair around, Accelgor, who is grumbling as he slowly patches the dirt that was destroyed by Grimmsnarl. Arty, who was giving the kid a ride, and the people talking about the battle they had just watched.
"...Did…the Pokémon have fun fighting?"
"Not all of them, but most of them do."
"They…want to get stronger?"
"Yup, it's in their gene, well, most of them, they fought to get stronger and evolve further. And become stronger."
Felicia nodded, then, with her eye glinting with curiosity and hope, she asked her final question.
"Did you and your Pokémon have fun?"
With a big smile, Kelly replied. "Of course we are! Training together, fighting together, feeling frustrated together, sad together, happy together, and excited together! That's the joy of the adventure! The path that I create for myself and my Pokémon, it doesn't matter if we lose, it doesn't matter if we never become champions! What matters is that we have fun! The memories from our day as weaklings, the fun time we had adventuring through the mountain, and the fear we got when we got chased around by Sevipers at night, everything makes me and my pokemon who we are today. Without any of those frustrating losses or fulfilling wins, we wouldn't be here. That's why we are proud of it, no matter what the others say."
Kelly looked over her Pokémon with eyes full of adoration. "That was it for me at least, the path I and my Pokémon painstakingly carve for ourselves."
"..." Felicia didn't know what to say; she could only stare at Kelly silently.
"Opps! Look at the time! Your mother sure takes a long time to come back, huh? Did the fountain really go that far away?" Now that she said it, Anisa sure takes a long time…or not, behind the crowd, Felicia could see her mother holding the towel and staring at her. When she noticed Felicia's gaze, she even gave a small wave.
"Well, I gotta dip now, I keep my friend waiting for too long already, you see." Kelly then whistles, and all her Pokémon come back and touch their respective Poké Balls to get inside them with a flash of light.
The pokeballs shrank down to the point she could fit three of them in her palm as she clipped them to her thigh strap, then, in the same motion, she took out a capsule from her jacket, pressed the middle button, and with a flash of light, a motorcycle came out. She quickly rode on it and put her helmet on.
"Welp, kid, guess this is goodbye then!" With her thumb pressed on the screen, the motorcycle roared to life.
"...Will we…meet again?" Felicia asks, her hand moves instinctively to catch the jacket of the woman.
"Hmmm…Probably not, because after this, I'm heading straight back to Galar for a quiet break, then head for Kanto."
"Oh…" Felicia let go of the hem of the jacket as she stepped back.
Suddenly, there was something in her face, a small charm that was glistening in the sunlight. Slowly dangling in front of her,
"Back in my hometown, we used a charm made out of silver to scare away Impidimp and Morgrem to not playing a prank at our house; it mostly worked, you know? Welp, if someday you go on your own adventure and become strong enough, maybe by then I will come looking to have a go at your team." Kelly placed the charm on Felicia's hand. The silver charm was nothing fancy, just a Good luck carve on it.
"Ah, now that I think about it, I never did get your name, right kid? If I don't know your name, then I can't find you, ya know?"
Cleaching the charm to her chest tightly, Felicia looked up. "My name…is Felicia, Felicia Nevados…Someday…I will reach…No, I will definitely surpass you."
"...Now that a nice smile," Kelly said with a grin, before closing her windshield. "I will hold you on that!" and without even a goodbye, she drove off with the parting of people.
With the charm in her hand still held on tightly, she feels a wet towel on her head, slowly rubbing and cleaning away the dried saliva.
"Let's go and take a bath, dear." Her mother said with a gentle word.
"Yes…I want to shower…" She said as the now wet saliva slowly dripped on her face while glaring dagger at her mother, who just smiled.