(Hey everyone! So lovely to see you all! I'm still working on the Final Fantasy Fic, but in the meantime, I came across this thought in chat today. I think I'll write some simple stories on the people of pokecharms, with everyday situations and problems. Maybe it'll be fun! This first one hits close to home on my end, but I mean no ill will to anybody!(P.S. ilu Dway but I felt I like I had to post this as the opening story.))
Rejected
“Hm. How…well, I figured it might happen.”
“I really am sorry!”
“No, no, it’s quite alright. Thank you for your time!” Ethan briskly turned on the spot and walked away with as much dignity as he could muster. In his mind he already knew the answer, but it hit him hard. Something about being denied always made him take it personally. He knew it wasn’t, there was just no room! But all the same, it hurt a lot.
“I…yeah, what was I even thinking? How depressing.” He said to himself, passing by and pushing through the crowded streets of Pokecharms. He could have sworn he heard someone calling his name, too. Was it Shiny? It might have been, but Ethan didn’t feel well enough to hold a conversation.
“How embarrassing. I’m so embarrassing.” He said twice, holding his arms with his hands. It was a simple, old, ratty jacket, but it kept him warm and he liked it. He neared the gates of the grand city, and without hesitation, strolled on through, stopping only long enough to be verified by security. The path spread out in many directions from there – the land of Pokecharms itself was vast and varied. Ethan had made a small part of it his own, and was heading that way to cool down. Denial weighed so heavily on him, and he couldn’t help but feel silly about all of it.
It didn’t take long to reach the Garden. It never seemed to when Ethan needed to get there the most. It was quaint, yet beautiful, and served as a crossroads to various locales. Most of the time, however, it was empty, save for two other residents.
“Ethan! You’re home!”
“Welcome back, Ethan!”
The two tentacle monsters gave a rousing shout of glee, but Ethan simply brushed past Tangrow and Tangrelle, having no time for their silly games today. The pair frowned, realizing it was one of those days, and retreated further into the gardens. Ethan’s house was located nearby the Garden Plaza, although it was rather small. It contained a bed, a small table for two, some flowers, and a couple books. The reading material was dusty as he picked it up, and Ethan found he couldn’t focus long enough, and so let the book fall from his fingers. It made a resounding thud on the floor, and Ethan smiled before falling back on the bed.
“Why do I always feel like this, anyway? Nobody else ever does, and I figure normally get over it, but…” He paused, brows furrowing. “Why do I still feel this way?” Silence replied as his answer. “…Yeah, I thought so.” He closed his eyes, hoping for sleep to overcome him, but was immediately jolted awake by a heavy knock on the door.
“I’m coming in.” A gruff voice resounded from the other side before roughly opening the door. Ethan’s eyes widened, and immediately flipped up off the bed so as to look more presentable. He was in no state for visitors, especially not this one. Ethan could have sworn he locked the door, as well, and in that case, and then there could only be one person. The man came in, looking straight at him. “Hey.” Zacky said.
“O-Oh! Hey Zacky! Uhh, take a seat! What did you come here for?” Ethan stammered through quickly. He motioned to the small table, but Zacky didn’t move.
“Y’know,” He began. “Those tentacle monsters of yours can really talk a guy’s ear off.”
“Oh.” Ethan seemed to droop visibly as he looked away. He tried to say something, but his voice seemed to falter every time he began. The boy ended with staring at the floor. Zacky sighed and walked over, leading Ethan to sit at the table the boy had invited Zacky to sit at. Once Ethan was seated, Zacky took the other chair, setting his sword against the wall of the small house.
“What happened?”
“Ah, it’s,” Ethan looked away. “No, it’s not really anything important. Just stupid, is all.”
“Hey. No, hey. Over here.” Ethan snapped to attention. “Tell me what happened.” Zacky said, more firmly this time.
“I just…I wanted to join an RP, is all.” Zacky looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to finish. Silence ensued, but Ethan found the voice to speak again. “And there was no room for me.”
Zacky blinked once, taking in the information. Then he laughed, a short, sharp, series of barks. Ethan sighed in frustration, turning to get up, but Zacky prevented him, grabbing him by the arm. It was a small table, and he could easily reach past it. “Hey, no, I didn’t mean to laugh.” He sighed. “You know if you want to RP, you can always ask me, right?”
Ethan paused, and Zacky’s grip slackened. He tenderly reached over and removed the older man’s hand from its grasp, before returning to sit. “Yeah, I know. I just…I don’t know. I just thought I could do it. It was sort of…already full up with members, but-“
“Then why did you do it?”
“Well, I…I don’t know.” Ethan faltered, his hands falling into his lap. “I just…everything’s too hard lately. Too many things are happening, and I just,” He got up and walked over to the bed, taking a moment to control himself. “It’s too h-hard.”
“Hey,” Zacky replied. “If you don’t wanna tell me about it, then-“
“No, no,” Ethan cut him off this time, hearing his voice tremble dangerously. “Ever since Dad had his heart attack, and there’s just college and my brother and my other brother and I can’t catch up on my grades and,” The boy sat on the bed, feeling tears spring to his eyes. “I, I’m-” He broke into a sob, feeling the first tears spring to his eyes. Zacky was there in an instant, sitting by his side, one arm around him. “I-I’m-” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence, and he finally burst into tears, sobs, whimpers and cries, targeting Zacky’s shoulder with his woe as his hands desperately clutched the man’s clothing.
They continued as such for some time, until Ethan found he had nothing left. He tried to keep crying, but the tears had dried up, and sobs became hiccups before the pair turned completely still. Outside, the daylight shone brightly, but all Ethan could see was the horrible future.
“I’m scared.”
The words came barely a whisper, and Zacky started at the noise. His arm came around Ethan to reassure him, but Zacky was sure it was in vain. “Come on. I know you can do it. You’re a tough kid.” He paused. He wanted to help, but the words were simply…not there. So he tried a different approach. “Y’want me to go beat up the fucker who did this?” Ethan looked up at him, eyes wide.
“No! N-no! I don’t want that! Tailon’s a good person, he just didn’t have room!”
“Maybe I’ll just kick the crap outta him instead?”
”Hey! He didn’t do it to be mean! He had said he already declared there weren’t-“ Ethan paused, realizing his words. “Any. Spots. Open.” The boy’s palm met his face and Zacky grinned, his point made. “Oh.”
“And that’s all there is to it.”
“Hah, yeah, wow. I guess I really was being, uh, stupid there.” Ethan said, cautiously making a laugh.
“Well then, if that’s all it was, then what do you say you and I pay a visit to Toru today?”
“Again?”
“Well, if you don’t want to come…” Zacky said, getting up and making to leave, but a small force stopped him, and he found Ethan tugging on his arm, smiling.
“I’d love to.” The both of them got up and headed out the door, before taking one of the many paths out of the Plaza. The sun shone up above them, as if nothing of importance had passed.
“Hey, Zacky?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
Rejected
“Hm. How…well, I figured it might happen.”
“I really am sorry!”
“No, no, it’s quite alright. Thank you for your time!” Ethan briskly turned on the spot and walked away with as much dignity as he could muster. In his mind he already knew the answer, but it hit him hard. Something about being denied always made him take it personally. He knew it wasn’t, there was just no room! But all the same, it hurt a lot.
“I…yeah, what was I even thinking? How depressing.” He said to himself, passing by and pushing through the crowded streets of Pokecharms. He could have sworn he heard someone calling his name, too. Was it Shiny? It might have been, but Ethan didn’t feel well enough to hold a conversation.
“How embarrassing. I’m so embarrassing.” He said twice, holding his arms with his hands. It was a simple, old, ratty jacket, but it kept him warm and he liked it. He neared the gates of the grand city, and without hesitation, strolled on through, stopping only long enough to be verified by security. The path spread out in many directions from there – the land of Pokecharms itself was vast and varied. Ethan had made a small part of it his own, and was heading that way to cool down. Denial weighed so heavily on him, and he couldn’t help but feel silly about all of it.
It didn’t take long to reach the Garden. It never seemed to when Ethan needed to get there the most. It was quaint, yet beautiful, and served as a crossroads to various locales. Most of the time, however, it was empty, save for two other residents.
“Ethan! You’re home!”
“Welcome back, Ethan!”
The two tentacle monsters gave a rousing shout of glee, but Ethan simply brushed past Tangrow and Tangrelle, having no time for their silly games today. The pair frowned, realizing it was one of those days, and retreated further into the gardens. Ethan’s house was located nearby the Garden Plaza, although it was rather small. It contained a bed, a small table for two, some flowers, and a couple books. The reading material was dusty as he picked it up, and Ethan found he couldn’t focus long enough, and so let the book fall from his fingers. It made a resounding thud on the floor, and Ethan smiled before falling back on the bed.
“Why do I always feel like this, anyway? Nobody else ever does, and I figure normally get over it, but…” He paused, brows furrowing. “Why do I still feel this way?” Silence replied as his answer. “…Yeah, I thought so.” He closed his eyes, hoping for sleep to overcome him, but was immediately jolted awake by a heavy knock on the door.
“I’m coming in.” A gruff voice resounded from the other side before roughly opening the door. Ethan’s eyes widened, and immediately flipped up off the bed so as to look more presentable. He was in no state for visitors, especially not this one. Ethan could have sworn he locked the door, as well, and in that case, and then there could only be one person. The man came in, looking straight at him. “Hey.” Zacky said.
“O-Oh! Hey Zacky! Uhh, take a seat! What did you come here for?” Ethan stammered through quickly. He motioned to the small table, but Zacky didn’t move.
“Y’know,” He began. “Those tentacle monsters of yours can really talk a guy’s ear off.”
“Oh.” Ethan seemed to droop visibly as he looked away. He tried to say something, but his voice seemed to falter every time he began. The boy ended with staring at the floor. Zacky sighed and walked over, leading Ethan to sit at the table the boy had invited Zacky to sit at. Once Ethan was seated, Zacky took the other chair, setting his sword against the wall of the small house.
“What happened?”
“Ah, it’s,” Ethan looked away. “No, it’s not really anything important. Just stupid, is all.”
“Hey. No, hey. Over here.” Ethan snapped to attention. “Tell me what happened.” Zacky said, more firmly this time.
“I just…I wanted to join an RP, is all.” Zacky looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to finish. Silence ensued, but Ethan found the voice to speak again. “And there was no room for me.”
Zacky blinked once, taking in the information. Then he laughed, a short, sharp, series of barks. Ethan sighed in frustration, turning to get up, but Zacky prevented him, grabbing him by the arm. It was a small table, and he could easily reach past it. “Hey, no, I didn’t mean to laugh.” He sighed. “You know if you want to RP, you can always ask me, right?”
Ethan paused, and Zacky’s grip slackened. He tenderly reached over and removed the older man’s hand from its grasp, before returning to sit. “Yeah, I know. I just…I don’t know. I just thought I could do it. It was sort of…already full up with members, but-“
“Then why did you do it?”
“Well, I…I don’t know.” Ethan faltered, his hands falling into his lap. “I just…everything’s too hard lately. Too many things are happening, and I just,” He got up and walked over to the bed, taking a moment to control himself. “It’s too h-hard.”
“Hey,” Zacky replied. “If you don’t wanna tell me about it, then-“
“No, no,” Ethan cut him off this time, hearing his voice tremble dangerously. “Ever since Dad had his heart attack, and there’s just college and my brother and my other brother and I can’t catch up on my grades and,” The boy sat on the bed, feeling tears spring to his eyes. “I, I’m-” He broke into a sob, feeling the first tears spring to his eyes. Zacky was there in an instant, sitting by his side, one arm around him. “I-I’m-” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence, and he finally burst into tears, sobs, whimpers and cries, targeting Zacky’s shoulder with his woe as his hands desperately clutched the man’s clothing.
They continued as such for some time, until Ethan found he had nothing left. He tried to keep crying, but the tears had dried up, and sobs became hiccups before the pair turned completely still. Outside, the daylight shone brightly, but all Ethan could see was the horrible future.
“I’m scared.”
The words came barely a whisper, and Zacky started at the noise. His arm came around Ethan to reassure him, but Zacky was sure it was in vain. “Come on. I know you can do it. You’re a tough kid.” He paused. He wanted to help, but the words were simply…not there. So he tried a different approach. “Y’want me to go beat up the fucker who did this?” Ethan looked up at him, eyes wide.
“No! N-no! I don’t want that! Tailon’s a good person, he just didn’t have room!”
“Maybe I’ll just kick the crap outta him instead?”
”Hey! He didn’t do it to be mean! He had said he already declared there weren’t-“ Ethan paused, realizing his words. “Any. Spots. Open.” The boy’s palm met his face and Zacky grinned, his point made. “Oh.”
“And that’s all there is to it.”
“Hah, yeah, wow. I guess I really was being, uh, stupid there.” Ethan said, cautiously making a laugh.
“Well then, if that’s all it was, then what do you say you and I pay a visit to Toru today?”
“Again?”
“Well, if you don’t want to come…” Zacky said, getting up and making to leave, but a small force stopped him, and he found Ethan tugging on his arm, smiling.
“I’d love to.” The both of them got up and headed out the door, before taking one of the many paths out of the Plaza. The sun shone up above them, as if nothing of importance had passed.
“Hey, Zacky?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
(joking aside)
