The Veynors arrived at Aether House in the late afternoon, the sky dimming with the onset of evening. A soft, golden hue filtered through the trees surrounding the orphanage, casting long shadows across the playground. A gentle breeze carried the sounds of laughter, children playing with their Pokémon companions under the watchful eye of the orphanage director.
Arnold parked the sleek black Weedan in the gravel lot, cutting the engine. His fingers remained on the steering wheel for a moment, gripping it tighter than necessary. He exhaled deeply, turning to his wife.
"Ready?" he asked, his voice steady but underlined with a note of anxiety. His sharp blue eyes met Lilia's, searching for reassurance.
Lilia smiled softly, though her own nerves fluttered like wings in her chest. She brushed a lock of auburn hair behind her ear and reached out to squeeze her husband's hand.
"Umm," she replied, though the truth was, nothing could fully prepare her for this moment. The decision they were about to make would change their lives forever.
- Eevey!
In the backseat, their Eevee stood on her hind legs, front paws pressed against the window as she curiously watched the children in the distance. The sight of her tail flicking back and forth with excitement brought a brief sense of calm to Lilia.
With a quiet nod, Arnold opened the door and stepped out, offering his hand to Lilia as she followed. Together, they approached the orphanage, the large white doors looming ahead like a threshold to a new chapter of their lives. As they neared,
- Screeeeech!
The doors opened and out stepped Rory, the director of Aether House.
Rory was a composed woman in her late thirties, her sharp eyes framed by thin, wire-rimmed glasses that gave her a professional but kind air. She wore a gray suit, perfectly pressed, with a crisp white shirt beneath it. Her dark hair was pulled back into a neat bun, a subtle reminder of her no-nonsense approach to running the orphanage. Yet, her demeanor softened as she stepped out to greet the couple.
"Mr. and Mrs. Veynor," Rory said with a warm smile, extending her hand. "Welcome to Aether House. I'm Rory, the director. It's a pleasure to meet you both."
Arnold shook her hand firmly, offering a polite smile. "Thank you, Ms. Rory. We've heard wonderful things about your work here."
Lilia, however, couldn't help but glance past Rory, her eyes sweeping over the children playing. The sound of laughter filled the air, Pokémon running alongside the young ones as they raced across the field. For a moment, a bittersweet pang hit her heart—a reminder of the child she had lost, the future that had slipped from her grasp.
"We're very grateful for this opportunity," Lilia added, her voice a touch softer, almost distant.
Rory's perceptive eyes caught the momentary flicker of sadness in Lilia's expression, but she said nothing, only nodding in understanding. "I imagine you're eager to meet the children," Rory continued. "Shall we take a walk through the grounds?"
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- hahahahaha!...
- Rattata! Use [Dragon Claw]!!...
- ...Rat?...
- hahahaha!...
As they followed Rory around the property, the couple took in the vibrant life surrounding them. Children laughed and played, their Pokémon companions by their sides. Some were playfully battling with small creatures like Rattata and Pikipek, while others rested under trees, sharing snacks with their Pokémon. It was a happy sight, and yet, Lilia couldn't help but feel that her eyes were searching for something... or someone.
But,
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- Eev?...
It was then that Eevee, trotting beside them, suddenly stopped. Her ears perked up, her nose twitching as she turned her head toward a distant tree at the far end of the yard. She stared, unmoving, her attention fixated on a lone figure sitting beneath the sprawling oak.
Lilia followed Eevee's gaze and spotted him—a small boy, no older than five or six, sitting alone, his back resting against the rough bark. He had dark blue and white hair, and his head was bowed as if he were lost in thought. Unlike the other children, he had no Pokémon by his side, and no laughter to fill the space around him. The air felt heavier there, an almost tangible distance between him and the rest of the world.
"Who's that?" Lilia asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. Something about the boy tugged at her heart, though she couldn't explain why.
Rory paused and turned her head, following Lilia's gaze. Her expression shifted slightly, the warmth in her eyes dimming as she regarded the boy.
"... Oh, um-, that's Kiyoshi," Rory said quietly. "He's... a special case."
Arnold raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Special?"
Rory hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "Kiyoshi was found near the seaside, unconscious. There's no record of his family, no information about where he came from. He was found by Officer Jenny, barely holding on to a piece of driftwood."
Lilia's hand instinctively reached for her chest, a wave of emotion sweeping through her. The image of a small child, alone and adrift, struck a chord deep within her.
"He's been with us ever since," Rory continued. "Physically, he's healthy, but emotionally..." She trailed off, glancing back at the boy. "He's closed off. Detached. He excels in his studies, particularly in math and Pokémon studies, but there's something... troubling about him."
Arnold frowned. "Troubling?"
Rory hesitated for a second, but continued, her voice low. "He has an unstable emotional state, according to the headmaster, though he doesn't show it often. It's as if he's always holding something back. He rarely interacts with the other children, and no matter how much we try to reach him... he remains distant."
Lilia's eyes remained on Kiyoshi, her heart aching for the boy. She noticed something else—just below his right eye, a large, jagged scar ran across his cheek. A mark of something painful, something that couldn't heal.
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- Eev!
At that moment, Eevee broke away from their side, her small paws pattering across the grass as she made her way toward Kiyoshi. Lilia blinked in surprise.
"Wait—Eevee!" she called, but the Pokémon continued, drawn by some unseen force.
As Eevee padded across the grass toward the lone boy under the tree, the world seemed to narrow for a moment. The rustle of the wind through the leaves, the laughter of children playing—all of it softened, fading into the background.
The boy sat utterly still, as if unaware of the approaching Pokémon, his head slightly bowed, dark blue and white hair shifting gently in the breeze. Yet something in his posture suggested an intense awareness, a subtle readiness, as if he were waiting.
Eevee stopped a short distance from him, her tiny paws pressing lightly into the soft earth. She hesitated, her large, expressive eyes fixed on him, almost as if asking for permission.
- Eev?...
For a fleeting moment, she stood frozen, uncertain, her head tilting to one side.
Rory watched with wide eyes as Eevee approached the boy. "That's... odd." she said, her expression palpable, "He never allows anyone near him..."
Then without warning, as though drawn by an invisible pull, Eevee bounded forward, leaping happily into the boy's lap.
Arnold and Lilia exchanged a surprised glance. Rory's sharp intake of breath was almost inaudible, but in the stillness, it felt like a jarring disruption. She stood just behind the couple, her hands clasped tightly together.
The boy's reaction was subtle, so subtle it might have gone unnoticed if they hadn't been watching so intently. For a long, drawn-out moment, the two simply stared at each other—Kiyoshi's cold, unreadable gaze meeting Eevee's soft, innocent one.
He didn't tense or jerk in surprise, nor did he push the small Pokémon away. Instead, his hand moved with a deliberate slowness, a quiet grace, as if he had been expecting this all along.
Then, his slender fingers lightly rested atop Eevee's head, and for a moment, his palm hovered there, as though savoring the warmth of her fur before making contact. His hand began to move in a slow, rhythmic stroke, his gaze still focused downward.
From the side, Rory's lips parted, but no words came. Her astonishment was palpable in the silence, her usual composed demeanor cracked by this unforeseen moment.
The boy's face remained calm, still devoid of the vibrant emotions children usually wore so openly. Yet, there was a shift—something almost imperceptible. The hardness in his features softened, and though no smile appeared, a faint ease seemed to settle into his posture, like the release of a breath held for too long.
Arnold stood still, hands tucked in his pockets, observing the scene with quiet intensity. Lilia, however, felt her heart tug at the sight. There was a gentleness in how the boy's fingers moved through Eevee's fur, and for a moment, she thought she caught the barest hint of vulnerability in his gaze as it lifted ever so slightly toward the small creature curled in his lap.
"We've never seen him like this," Rory murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Her brows furrowed, her eyes wide with something close to disbelief. "He's... never shown any expression like this before, never allowed himself to connect with anyone."
Lilia nodded absently, her mind spinning. Something was shifting inside her as well. The boy, this silent figure so withdrawn from the world around him, stirred something deep within her—a feeling she couldn't quite place, but it felt oddly familiar.
She glanced at Arnold, her husband's face etched with thought. Feeling her eyes on him, he met her gaze and gave her a resolute nod. They didn't need to speak; the decision was already taking root in both their hearts.
"We'd like to talk to him," Arnold said softly, his voice carrying the weight of their decision.
Rory nodded, though her focus remained fixed on the boy and Eevee, as if unable to believe what she was seeing. "Yes, of course. Though... be gentle. He's never really responded to anyone before."
The couple moved forward together, careful to approach with slow, deliberate steps so as not to disturb Kiyoshi or Eevee. Arnold hung back slightly, giving Lilia the space to step closer. As they neared the tree, Kiyoshi still didn't look up.
His attention remained fixed on Eevee, who now rested comfortably in his lap, content and happy, his hand moving rhythmically through her fur. It was as though they were entering a world separate from their own, a private moment between the boy and the Pokémon.
Lilia's steps faltered as she drew closer, something stirring inside her—a feeling she couldn't name. It was as if she had seen this boy before, as if some distant memory was trying to surface, but remained just out of reach.
Lilia knelt beside him, her breath catching in her throat. Up close, the boy seemed even smaller, almost fragile, though there was something quietly resilient in the way he held himself. She hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to break the silence. The soft rustle of leaves filled the space between them, and in that stillness, she finally spoke, her voice gentle and careful, as though not wanting to shatter the delicate moment.
"What's your name, sweetheart?"
At the sound of her voice, Kiyoshi's head lifted slightly, and his eyes, dark and haunted, flickered upward. The movement was slow, deliberate, as though weighing the significance of the moment.
But,
"...huh?"
When his gaze finally met hers, Lilia felt a strange, unspoken recognition pass between them. His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at her.
His face, once cold and emotionless, now showed something else-shock, confusion... recognition? Though not by her presence—it was something deeper, something unspoken that neither of them could grasp.
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A single tear welled in the corner of his eye, slipping free and trailing down his cheek. He blinked, but more followed, his eyes still wide in astonishment. The boy seemed caught between the past and present, as if her question had pulled at a thread long buried within him.
"... Mo-" he whispered, his voice so faint, it barely reached her ears.
Lilia's heart skipped a beat, the word striking something deep within her. She didn't understand it, didn't know why, but the sound of that one unfinished syllable sent a wave of emotion through her, one she couldn't name.
Arnold stood just behind her, his brow furrowed with confusion. Rory remained silent, her hands clasped, watching the exchange unfold with growing uncertainty and shock.
The boy quickly wiped his tears away with the back of his hand, as if embarrassed by his sudden vulnerability. Eevee nuzzled against him, her small nose pressing comfortingly into his belly, as though offering solace in the only way she knew how. His gaze returned to the Pokémon in his lap, but the weight of the moment still lingered in the air.
Lilia swallowed, her throat tight. After a moment, her voice trembling, asked again, "W-What's your name?"
The director had already mentioned it, but something within her needed to hear it from him—to make the connection real, to give him the chance to speak for himself.
Kiyoshi's hand stilled on Eevee's fur. His eyes, still wet with tears, glanced up at Lilia. Then, with a voice barely above a whisper, he said,
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"... K21.. (Kay twenty-one)"...
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"""Huh?"""
The words were simple and mechanical, but at that moment, they held more weight than Lilia could understand. She blinked, unsure of how to respond, the weird name settling heavily between them.
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***