I close my door quietly and sit on the edge of my bed with the Poké Ball still in my hand. The house is asleep, the kind of deep, settled quiet where even the floorboards seem careful, and the only thing that keeps tugging at my attention is the warmth against my palm. It isn't hot or dramatic, just warm enough that I keep turning the ball slowly between my fingers as if the motion helps it feel real.
Axew chose this, and that matters more than the fact that I'm the one holding the ball.
I breathe out and lean forward, elbows on my knees, the ball cradled loosely but carefully. For the first time all day, nothing is asking anything of me. That's when the pressure arrives. It settles behind my eyes without warning, firm and unfamiliar, like something sliding into a place it has been missing. My shoulders straighten, my grip tightens by instinct, and the room seems to sharpen around the edges without actually changing.
Text forms within my vision, precise and unavoidable.
SYSTEM INTERFACE — INITIAL REACTIVATION
Status: PARTIALLY FUNCTIONAL
Integrity: DAMAGED
User: Arin
Condition: Stable
Mental State: Alert
Physical State: Minor strain detected
System note:
User transferred from external world.
System damage occurred during transport.
Full diagnostic unavailable.
VIRIDIAN-ANALOG ABILITIES
(Stabilized by System — Incomplete)
Empathic perception: limited
Non-verbal understanding: partial
Natural recovery support: minimal
Spirit Synchronization:
STATUS: LOCKED
Risk: severe physical and mental exhaustion
System Notice:
Abilities are unstable due to damaged integrity.
Functionality may improve through
experience
REGISTERED POKÉMON
Species: Axew
Origin: Unova
Condition: Recovering (post-critical poisoning)
Physical State:
Muscular strength: underdeveloped
Endurance: low
Mobility: stable (restricted)
Mental State:
Alert
Curious
Cautious
Known Moves:
Scratch
Dragon Breath
Guidance:
Primary focus: physical recovery and baseline strength
Minimize exertion and move frequency
Emphasize stability, control, and rest
Gradual progression advised as condition improves
The pressure lingers for a moment after the final line, then eases until the room feels like itself again. I stay where I am, breathing evenly, the Poké Ball warm and steady in my hand.
"Alright," I say quietly. I rest the ball against my knee, fingers spread over the curve. "You're damaged, but you're also not useless, and that's a start. If you can warn me about risks and keep track of what matters, then I'll do the rest the way it's supposed to be done."
I set the ball down on the bed for a moment, palm resting over it. "He almost died, and I'm not pretending he didn't. We keep things simple, we let his body catch up, and we don't prove anything to anyone. If that's all you can tell me right now, then fine. I can work with that."
I pick it up again and press the button.
Red light spills softly across the bed, and Axew appears with a small, uneven thump, wobbling for a second before planting his feet and lifting his head with an indignant huff. His eyes flick to me immediately, sharp and bright, as if daring me to comment.
"There you are," I say, smiling despite myself.
Axew snorts and steps closer, claws catching lightly in the blanket as he climbs up against my side. He's warm and solid, bandage still snug along his side, and when he settles he does it with the confidence of someone who has already decided where he belongs.
"Easy," I tell him, steadying him with one hand. "No climbing tonight, and no pretending you're already fine."
He flicks his tail and curls closer anyway, as if my rules are suggestions he's politely ignoring.
I shift back against the pillows and pull the blanket up around us, giving him space to adjust. Axew resists for half a second out of principle, then relaxes with a low sound that vibrates against my chest. I rest my hand between his shoulders and feel his breathing slow.
"That glow earlier," I say quietly, "was you trying to show off again, wasn't it."
Axew lifts his head and chirps once, unapologetic.
"Thought so," I reply. "You'll get your chance, but right now your job is boring, and my job is making sure you don't turn 'tough' into 'stupid'."
He nudges my wrist with his head, dissatisfied.
"I know," I say, rubbing gently where the scales give way to softer skin. "You want to move and you want to test things, but you're still healing, and healing comes first even if you hate it."
Axew watches me for a moment, eyes narrowed in thought, then settles again, tail tapping lightly against the blanket before going still.
"Tomorrow we start simple," I continue, voice even. "Walking without wobbling, stretching without strain, eating properly, sleeping properly, and nothing that makes your side hurt. That's how you get strong again."
His breathing slows, the tension easing out of him in small steps. I lie there with him tucked against my chest, one hand resting where I can feel him breathe, and I don't make myself smaller in my own room. With my own Pokémon, I can use what I know without turning it into a performance and without forcing anything to be more than it is. Recovery first. Strength next. Control always.
Axew shifts closer, warm against my shirt, and I adjust the blanket without thinking.
"We'll do it right," I say quietly, and the plan feels clear and steady when I close my eyes.
Axew notices something is different long before I finish getting ready. He follows me from one side of the room to the other, stopping whenever I stop, watching closely while I pull on my jacket and check whether I've forgotten anything. When I reach for my bag, he lets out a short, sharp chirp and bumps his head against my leg hard enough to make his point.
"Hey," I say, crouching. "Careful, you're not fully steady yet."
He presses closer instead, nose nudging at my shirt, tail flicking in quick, irritated movements. It isn't anger. It's that tight, restless feeling of something changing without warning.
"I'm not leaving like before," I say, keeping my voice calm. "I'm just going out for a bit, and I'm coming back the same day."
Axew studies my face, clearly unconvinced, so I keep it simple and concrete.
"You stay here," I continue, resting my hand between his horns. "You rest, you eat, you don't climb anything taller than you, and you wait for me in the same place you waited yesterday. When I walk back through that door, we'll do your boring recovery walk."
That last part earns me a low, dissatisfied sound, but he leans into my hand at last, still stiff, no longer trying to block me. When I stand, he follows me halfway down the stairs and watches until I disappear from view.
School feels louder than I remember, but it's the good kind of loud, the kind that makes it impossible to overthink anything for too long. Lockers slam, people laugh, someone argues about something completely unimportant, and I'm still taking it in when a shoulder bumps into mine hard enough to shift my bag.
"There you are!" Kai grins like he's been saving that grin for two weeks. "You vanished. Two weeks. No messages. No showing up. Nothing."
"I didn't vanish," I say, and I let myself smile because it's pointless pretending I didn't miss this. "I took a break, then I got dragged into family stuff, and then I got busy with something that wasn't exactly a 'tell everyone at school' kind of thing."
Noel leans against the lockers, eyebrows raised. "That's what people say when they've done something illegal."
"I'm six," I say flatly. "If I did something illegal, I'd be impressing someone."
Mira stops in front of me, head tilted, eyes quick. "You look… different," she says. "Not sick. Not tired. Just… calm."
"Two weeks without you lot yelling in my ear," I reply. "It does wonders for the soul."
Kai makes an offended sound. "We don't yell."
Noel points at him. "He's yelling right now."
"I'm not," Kai insists, then immediately leans closer. "You're hiding something."
"I'm not hiding," I say, turning to my locker, because saying it while doing something normal helps. "I'm postponing the conversation until we're not standing in a hallway where half the school can hear us."
Mira's mouth quirks slightly. "So there is a conversation."
"There is a 'don't be loud' conversation," I correct, but my voice stays light. "That's the only one I'm promising."
Kai grins. "Perfect. We're coming over after school."
I look at him. "You can't just decide that like it's a snack."
"I absolutely can," he says cheerfully. "You're acting like you've got a secret pet."
Noel nods gravely. "He does have secret pet energy."
"I do not have secret pet energy," I say, and then I regret the speed of my denial because Kai's grin widens like he's just been handed a prize.
"Oh, you definitely do," he says. "We're coming."
I think of Axew waiting at home, and I keep my tone steady without turning it serious. "Fine. But you're being normal, and you're not doing that thing where you shout the first thought that enters your head."
Noel laughs. "That's most of my thoughts."
"Then save them," I tell him. "For later. Quietly."
By the time school ends, the day has done what it always does: it has swallowed the weirdness and replaced it with routine. Walking home with them feels like stepping back into something familiar, Kai filling every gap with commentary, Noel adding ridiculous details, Mira quietly aiming questions like darts and letting me dodge when I want to. I answer enough to stay present, tease Kai once when he trips over his own words, and even laugh when Noel nearly walks into a sign because he's talking with his hands.
At the front door, I slow down, not because I'm nervous, but because I already know what's coming.
Axew hears us anyway.
He's at the bottom of the stairs when I step inside, head snapping up, eyes locking onto me first with immediate relief and then sliding to the three strangers behind me. He chirps sharply, trots over, and bumps into my leg hard enough that Kai flinches.
"That," Kai whispers, eyes wide, "is a Dragon-type."
"No touching," I say immediately, and my tone is matter-of-fact, not stern. "Not because I don't trust you, but because I do trust him, and he's not in the mood to meet hands."
Axew snorts and presses closer to my leg as if proving my point.
Noel leans forward a fraction, then thinks better of it. "He picked you," he says slowly, like he's still processing it.
"Yes," I reply, and I keep it warm, not defensive. "He chose to stay, which means we're all going to be calm and sensible, and none of you are going to decide you're his best friend in the next thirty seconds."
Axew chirps once, sharp and approving.
Mira crouches a little, careful. "He's young."
"And opinionated," I add, watching his tail flick. "If you have questions, ask them inside, and ask them like normal people."
Kai exhales, grin softer now. "Okay," he says. "I can do normal. Probably."
"Try," I tell him, and I guide them toward the living room before Noel can test what 'probably' means.
Once we're settled, Axew stays close to my side on the floor, angled so he can watch everyone without looking like he's trying to. He keeps glancing at Kai's hands whenever they move, then back to Noel's feet when Noel shifts in his seat, and he only relaxes a little when nothing surprising happens. I rest my hand on his back and feel the tension in him ease in small steps, like he's learning this is just a room with people in it, not a problem.
Kai finally speaks again, quieter now. "So… what is he, exactly?"
"That's an Axew," I say, and I don't try to make it sound bigger than it is because it already feels big. "Dragon-type. He's from Unova."
Noel blinks. "Unova is real? I thought that was just something in those old books."
"It's real," I reply. "Far away. Different region."
Mira's gaze stays on Axew. "He's young."
"He is," I say. "Still small, still healing. He's only been out of the Pokémon Center for a little while."
Axew lifts his head at his name, then snorts softly and shifts closer to my leg again as if he's decided this is the safest distance.
Kai leans forward a bit, then stops himself. "Does he… bite?"
I glance down at Axew. "He can," I say honestly. "He's not trying to, though. He's just not used to people yet."
Axew chirps once, like he's annoyed we're discussing him.
Noel lets out a quiet laugh. "He has an attitude."
"Yeah," I say, and I can't help smiling. "He does."
Mira speaks again, calm and direct. "How did you even get him?"
"He was hurt," I answer, and I keep it simple. "Poisoned. We brought him to a Pokémon Center, and he ended up staying with us while he recovered. After that… he chose to stay."
That makes Kai's eyes widen, and Noel goes quiet for a second.
"He picked you," Kai says.
"Yes," I reply, and the word comes out warmer than I expect. "He did."
Axew presses his side against my leg, then settles, like he's done explaining.
Mira nods slowly. "That's why he sticks close."
"That's part of it," I say. "He hasn't had time to get used to me going out and coming back yet. Today was the first time I left for a while since he's been here."
Kai glances toward the stairs. "Was he mad?"
"He wasn't happy," I admit, and I keep my voice light. "He waited, though."
Noel shifts on the couch. "So what can he do? Like, moves and stuff."
"Not much right now," I say. "He knows Scratch, and he can do Dragon Breath, but I'm keeping it minimal until he's fully recovered. Mostly it's walking, eating properly, resting, and getting his strength back."
Mira watches me for a moment. "So you're not training him yet."
"Not the fun kind," I say. "Just the boring kind that actually matters."
Axew lifts his head as if he's offended by the word boring, then huffs and lowers it again.
Kai grins. "He heard you."
"He hears everything," I say, and I rub his back once, gentle. "He just pretends he doesn't."
Noel laughs again, easier now that the tension has faded. "This is still weird."
"It is," I agree, and I don't try to pretend otherwise. "But it's good weird."
Mira's expression softens a little. "He looks calmer now."
I glance down at Axew. His eyes are still alert, but his body is resting against my leg instead of coiled tight. "Yeah," I say quietly. "He is."
Kai sits back, grinning like he's decided something. "Okay. I like him."
Axew flicks his tail once, then settles again, as if that verdict is acceptable.
"And I'm still not touching him," Noel adds quickly.
"That's fine," I say, amused. "He'll come to you when he's ready."
Axew snorts softly, like he's not making any promises, and the conversation drifts after that into smaller questions and normal chatter, the kind that fills a room without anyone forcing it.