"Pleasure to do business with you, Mr Vera."
"Likewise, Miss Rees, and you can call me Vance."
"Then please call me Amelia," the girl who is only about a year older than me gave a sweet smile as she shook hands with my brother. This is Amelia Rees, a member of the secretive Dandolos family. There was a reason as to why she's not officially known to the public as a Dandolos and I'm not privy to it, but Leticia had assured me that the blood of the Dandolos flows through her veins. All that I knew was that such arrangements are needed to protect the members of the Dandolos family from the numerous enemies that they had made over their long history.
Looking at how Amelia exchanged words with my brother so confidently and expertly made me realise the differences between an ordinary person and a genius. I had the advantage of an adult's mind in a child's body, allowing me to grasp opportunities simply by using the time an ordinary child would use to play to study instead. People like Amelia are truly geniuses, people who could simply handle any kind of burdens on their shoulders with just a few years of study.
She's not even a full year older than me, and she's already spitting out business and legal jargon and fully understanding the complexity of those terms. Looking at her, I'm not even sure if seasoned businessmen would have conducted this business deal as well as she did. She is the representative that the Dandolos had chosen to represent them in our joint business venture and she clearly lived up to the praise that Leticia had given her in our last meeting.
The signed contracts were then handed over to our assistants for safekeeping. On our side, Sebastian was the one who kept the copy for our family. Amelia had her own assistant too, a female secretary who took the dossier in a very business-like fashion the moment the deal was concluded.
And to our surprise, whatever professional image that Amelia had presented herself as was immediately shattered the moment the deal was officially concluded.
"Finally, it's done!" Amelia stretched her arms up high before releasing a tired sigh. "Man, I lost too much sleep for this. Hey hey, Velda, I heard you are in the interpol? What is it like there? I heard you guys fought the Legendary Birds? What's its name called again… Zapmolcuno?"
Vance and I simply froze from the surprise thanks to Amelia's sudden change in demeanour. One moment she's a mature miniature adult who could even make adults squirm uneasily with her uncanny business acumen, and the next moment she's suddenly acting like a child her age. Leticia did mention that Amelia was interested in meeting me, but I wasn't expecting Amelia to be so… straightforward.
The female secretary that was with Amelia the entire time simply facepalmed and sighed. From the looks of it, this is probably a common occurrence for her.
"Lady Amelia…"
"Don't be so uptight, official business is already over!"
"Yes, that may be true, but-"
"Ah, who cares?" Amelia took my hands in hers, and I could swear that her eyes were sparkling as she did that. Even Amelia's gothitelle that was accompanying her the entire time had rolled its eyes in exasperation after witnessing Amelia's actions.
"So, did you really fight Zapmolcuno?"
"Personally, no, but I was at the scene," I replied and tried not to shudder from the frightening memory. I could never forget that suffocating presence that Zapmolcuno exuded simply for it being there, and I could never forget how everyone was almost wiped out in a single attack if it wasn't for Jasmine's effort to protect the entire city.
Kanto's Legendary Birds are its protectors and they are referred to as Legends simply because their power has withstood the test of time. The fight at Olivine simply cemented that fact and reminded the world why they deserved their title.
"Did the city's Gym Leader really take on the full attack of the Legendary Birds?"
"Yes, she did."
"Did-"
"Lady Amelia," Amelia's secretary audibly cleared her throat, the hem-hem loud and clear. "You are making Mr and Miss Vera uneasy."
"It's fine," I quickly assured Amelia's secretary because like Amelia, I am also interested in making a new friend and just by looking at her, I just knew that we would have a lot to talk about. Amelia is a lot like me in many aspects, be it in terms of our age, the kind of family that we belonged to, and the responsibilities that we will inevitably have to bear one day.
Besides, if even Rena did not react to Amelia suddenly grabbing onto my hands, then it would mean that Amelia harbours no ill-will. She's just genuinely curious about me.
"How about we have a nice chat over some tea?"
Amelia looked like she could have passed away from an overdose of happiness when I suggested that.
Ultimately, Amelia and I ended up spending the rest of the afternoon at a high-end cafe, doing nothing but to simply chat and gossip. Amelia had sent her secretary away and I did the same for Vance, since I don't think he would be interested in girls' talk anyway. For once, I suddenly felt like I can act my physical age. The last time I did so was when I was spending time with Liza and that was so long ago.
The only serious talk we had was about my recent experience at the underground auction where I had spectacularly lost to Team Plasma's agent, because it was information that I felt the Dandolos would want to hear with their own ears even if I'm sure Looker had already told them about it. After which, the direction of our conversation took a lighter turn where the both of us were able to truly act our age.
Amelia did share a few things about her family's history that she's able to divulge, like how her family's traditional role in the region placed them in an awkward spot where they are feared but at the same time, well-accepted as a necessary presence. She is not a trainer, at least not officially, but she does have a musharna and a gothitelle and I can tell that from a single glance that these pokemon are at the very least, strong enough to be at the high end of the Advanced level spectrum.
This might not seem much when compared to a trainer like me, but it is a very impressive achievement since Amelia is not a trainer at all. Even more so when you consider the fact that only less than ten percent of each batch of trainers would ultimately be qualified to participate in an annual Pokemon League Tournament. Given enough time, maybe just about five more years by my estimate, Amelia's pokemon will soon be able to match Elite level pokemon comparable to those trained by trainers who had competed in a League tournament before.
I was of the impression that the Dandolos are historically a family of Dark Specialists, so it seemed out of place that Amelia had a team of psychic pokemon instead even if she only had a team of two pokemon. Amelia explained that it's true that her family are a family of Dark Specialists, but it's also true that their family had a very long history with pokemon. As such, they were also many Dandolos who turned out specialising in different pokemon typings throughout the centuries and they had documented their individual training secrets and methods into their family's archives in hopes that one day, their hard work might be of use to one of their descendants who decided to not take the traditional path of becoming a Dark Specialist.
Coincidentally, the current generation of Dandolos members have individuals who each specialise in different typings, making their generation a diverse one in terms of pokemon type specialisation. Despite that, Amelia proved that she hails from a family of Dark Specialists by easily befriending Kel, to the extent that Kel actually allowed Amelia to comb her fingers through her sleek fur and Kel is notoriously picky as to who gets to touch her at all. To date, only Mum and I were allowed to help comb and groom her fur.
The fact that Amelia knew the ways to easily befriend an absol spoke volumes on the kinds of training and exposure to dark types she had experienced ever since she was a child, and only a family like the Dandolos could provide such experiences for anyone to be able to handle dark types with ease at Amelia's age. Now, I can truly understand why the Dark Specialists in Team Liepard had chosen to work for the Dandolos if this was what Amelia is capable of despite not being a trainer.
Amelia was very interested in whatever I had seen and experienced in my travels. Be it the good experiences or the bad kinds, she listened to it all in great curiosity. She is a genius who thrives in a world of numbers, someone who will become an asset to her family for her talent in the field of business and negotiation and that also happens to be where her interest lies. That said, it doesn't mean that she had never dreamed of doing the things many of our peers had at least attempted before giving up, which is becoming a pokemon trainer and going on our individual journeys.
Amelia did not have such a luxury. She mentioned that if she was adamant enough in her choice she could have become a full-fledged trainer like I did, but she does not possess the same kind of talent in pokemon training as she did for business. Despite how childish and flippant she may act outside of professional settings, she does have her mature side and is very well aware of her responsibilities she bears as a Dandolos. In that end, I felt that I paled in comparison to her because I only started taking up such responsibilities recently while she had been doing it ever since she was a child.
It was then I realised how well my family had protected and shielded me from the responsibilities of being a member of the Vera family and how much work Vance must have been undertaking in secret as the heir apparent. For as long as I could remember, Dad would always find time to pull Vance away to give him "lessons" whenever he was home. That did not change after Vance became a pokemon trainer and he would sometimes return home when Dad asked him to for whatever reasons Vance had to be there as the heir. That persisted even after Vance was actively involved in his duties as an ACE operative, and I can only imagine just how little free time he must have had throughout his entire childhood.
I never needed to be involved in whatever Dad had Vance take part in, because I wasn't the heir and also due to my fragile health back then, but now that my worldview had expanded and now I had a newfound understanding of the duties that family like mine and the Dandolos had to undertake, I am starting to realise just how narrow and simplified my view was. Be it in terms of my family's influence in our homeland or the kind of responsibilities we have to bear in times of crisis; we were given and trusted with power so that when our region needs it the most, we can become their sword and shield.
I was fortunate enough to live a comfortable life as a Vera, too spoiled by my family's love and protection to the point that I was ignorant of just how much burden we had to bear, that Dad and Vance had to bear so I wouldn't need to. One reason was indeed because I was never truly taught about it until very recently, but also because I had never met another person who comes from a similar background to mine as the only other family left in Hoenn with a similar standing to mine is the Stone family and unfortunately, Steven had a tendency to coddle me like Vance would.
With Amelia, there were no such considerations because in terms of both capabilities and backgrounds, we are equals. Thus, we can truly be friends of equal standing to each other. She is the rising star in the field of business and finance and I am a trainer who is starting to gain influence in the PWL ever since the founding of the interpol. We will be people that would one day have a significant presence in the sphere of influence that we had chosen to be involved in thanks to the responsibilities that we have to bear as members of our respective families.
As such, we can truly understand and empathise with each other, and was why we were able to hit it off almost immediately after we warmed up to each other.
"You… read this?"
I looked at Amelia, then back at the book in my hand which Amelia had taken out of her handbag. We were telling each other of our hobbies, and it was then I realised my hobbies amounted to nothing much other than pokemon training, grooming my pokemon, and the occasional reading if I wasn't busy travelling from place to place. Amelia loves to read, but I will have to admit that her taste in books is a little… questionable.
In response, Amelia simply leaned forward in my direction from across the table, replying in a low whisper as if revealing to me the greatest secret in the world. Honestly, that wasn't needed since we were in a private room, but it does add to the secretive vibe that Amelia wanted to portray. Apparently, indulging in such books is one of her greatest guilty pleasures and she is not afraid to share it with those she trusts.
"Trust me, this book is really good."
I stared right back at the book in my hand, titled I am the childhood friend of the Yellow Flash and I suspect he is trying to seduce me. The title is a needlessly long title that seems to be the new trend for light novels published in recent years. If I squint at the fine prints really hard, this seems to be the first volume out of many, and who knows how many volumes this series might have.
The kicker?
One, after quickly reading through the prologue I'm very certain that this book clearly belongs to the yaoi genre. Now, I don't judge somebody else based on their sexual orientation or their choice of literary works, but I had never been much of a fan of such works myself. Still, I will admit that the author has some really impressive writing skills because even if I'm not a fan of such a genre, the author still managed to catch my attention and a desire to continue reading after reading through the prologue.
Now, here's the true kicker. Remember the name of the long-ass title? I am the childhood friend of the Yellow Flash and I suspect he is trying to seduce me. I had definitely heard of that moniker back in Indigo and there's only one person I knew of with that lame moniker. That is the same person who I changed the contact name in my xtransceiver's contact list from "Fourth Hokage" to "Hokage wannabe".
Someone had written a freaking light novel about Volkner, in the yaoi genre, and it is taking all I had to not burst out in uncontrollable spurts of laughter and pass out from laughing too hard. This is only the first volume from what I was told. Childhood friend of the Yellow Flash, there's only one other person who could fit that bill and that would be Flint of Sinnoh's Elite Four.
Oh boy, this is gold.
"See? It's good, right?"
"I'm very sure that this book technically qualifies as fanfiction, because I personally know the original model of which the main character is based on," I replied dryly. I mean, come on, the name of the main characters in the book were Finn and Volker. Anyone who paid any mind to the famous trainers in Sinnoh would make the connection.
Amelia simply waved my concerns away with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"What's he gonna do? Make the journey to Unova to electrocute Shauntal?"
So Amelia does know that Volkner is the original model of the main character. Still…
"Shauntal? As in Elite Four Shauntal?"
Good grief, an Elite Four writing a yaoi fanfiction about a Gym Leader from another region? Similar to Indigo and Hoenn, Sinnoh's current stance on LGBT issues, while getting increasingly more open-minded and inclusive in recent years, are still a lot more conservative and traditional when compared to other regions like Unova or Kalos. Wouldn't the mere presence of this novel spark some sort of conflict if Sinnoh accused Unova of tarnishing the image of their Pillars whatsoever? What has the world come to? What gave Shauntal the guts to write something so controversial, yet so brave?
Shauntal really has some nerves of steel, I will have to give her that.
"Anise is her pen name," Amelia pointed at the cover of the book where the author's name was printed on, "and her novels are really really good. She's not well-known internationally, but in Unova? Any book she wrote would immediately become a bestseller. It's not the first time Shauntel used a real person in which her main characters were based anyway, and these people also benefited from the fame that her books bring about. It's a win-win situation for everyone, so nobody really said anything."
"Successful novel or not, it's hard to imagine Volkner actually giving Shauntel permission to use him as a model for the main character of a yaoi novel. He would flip if he knew about this."
"Then maybe he should first take a read before deciding to do so, because trust me, this novel is a masterpiece."
I looked back at the book in my hand. Say what you want about the somewhat questionable genre of this light novel, but anyone who had given this book a try and had at least read the prologue would admit that Shauntal's skills as a writer are top notch.
"Is there an ebook version of this?"
"Oooh, you are the type to prefer ebooks as opposed to paperback?"
"No, not really, this isn't about that," I grinned. Already, I cannot wait to see Volkner's response the moment he learned about the existence of this book.
"I just really, really want to recommend and give this book to a friend in Johto, that's all."
74
"Rise and shine, sister dear!"
I was greeted with a rude awakening, the blanket which I was using to hide myself from the world ruthlessly torn away from my side and exposing me to the comparatively chilly air within my room. My response was to simply turn in the other direction, hugging my bolster closer to me and trying in vain to fall back asleep.
"Wakey wakey," I felt a familiar annoying pair of hands lightly pushing against my back and I knew that trying to laze around would be a lost cause. I settled for turning around to glare at my older brother, who looked not the least bit apologetic about this.
"Vance," I growled as my mind idly wondered why Rena actually allowed him to walk through the door of my bedroom. "You have three seconds to scram before I sic my ghosts on you. Three, two…"
"Happy birthday!"
My words were promptly cut off before I could verbalise my threat. I simply stared at the nicely wrapped present Vance shoved right in front of my face, trying and failing to come up with an answer.
Ah, today is 31st August, my birthday.
I'm not the type of person to really celebrate events or milestones unless they are really significant. I'm not the type who thinks that birthdays are a super important event because to me, birthdays are just a slightly more special day out of the 365 days in a year. That doesn't mean that I don't celebrate my birthday at all nor does that mean that I don't view the birthdays of my family and friends as an important event, because I do. Even in the event that I would not be able to be there to celebrate their birthdays, I would put my heart and soul into picking out my presents for them.
But when it comes to my birthday, I just don't feel anything special about it nor would I plan anything special to celebrate it. I'm definitely not the type to host birthday parties for my own birthdays. In fact, there were years that I simply didn't realise that my birthday would be coming soon until one or two days before it arrived.
My family, however, views my birthday as a very significant event. Maybe it's because I'm the youngest and that is why they love to spoil me, maybe it's because the doctors kept telling them that I never had long to live and so they cherished every single year that they could spend with me because nobody would know when I would suddenly just keel over and die. To them, every single birthday of mine would mean that I am one step closer to overcoming the sickness that had been plaguing me and that is something worth celebrating. When I was younger they would always go over the top whenever it's my birthday, and I had to spend years convincing them to not waste so much time and effort on it.
The doctors never believed that I could live past fifteen, but I am already fourteen this year and still going strong. Just one more year and I would have broken this "curse" that had been weighing me for so long.
"Hello, are you awake?" Vance waved his hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Yes, yes," I replied, unable to keep the smile off my face. "Thanks, Vance."
"Aww, my baby little sister is now fourteen!"
"Brother dear, you are turning twenty one this year. Can you please… stop acting like you are nine?"
"You are fourteen but you always act like you are forty, someone among the two of us have to balance things out," Vance unashamedly replied with a megawatt smile. "Come on, go wash up and head down for breakfast. I talked to Looker and he agreed to let you take three days of leave starting from today, and it would be a waste if you spend it all sleeping away."
"You planned something," I stated with certainty, knowing that Vance must have planned a surprise for me and it was probably why he came to wake me up so that we wouldn't be late.
"Nothing too extravagant, promise, I know you don't like that," Vance assured me with his fingers crossed. He pointed to my dressing table, where two other nicely wrapped boxes that I had never seen before were placed. "Those are Dad's and Mum's gifts to you."
I slid out of my bed and walked over to my dressing table, curious as to what my doting parents would give me this year. There's a card on it and I could tell from the handwriting that the birthday wishes on it were written by Mum. The size of Dad's present was smaller at first glance, but until I opened them for real I wouldn't know just what he had decided to give me this year.
"You can open Mum's present first," Vance suggested and I decided to listen to him, carefully unwrapping Mum's present. What greeted me was a very elegantly crafted wooden rectangular box and whatever the contents of the box might be, it has to be something expensive. I just couldn't tell what was inside the box because the brand name carved on it simply read "Eric Davin" and it was a name that I don't even recognise myself. However, it's the present Mum chose for my birthday, so I'm certain that the quality of her present wouldn't be in any way inferior to the widely known branded goods outside.
I opened the box, and was briefly caught by surprise at the contents that lay within.
"We know that you really never cared much about these, but Mum said that you are at the age where you should start having your own personal set of jewellery, especially so if you are now helping out with the family business and have to dress up from time to time," Vance gently broke the silence, standing closely behind me and was probably observing each and every of my reactions. "Well, admittedly, Dad and I don't know much about this kind of thing, so we left it up to her to pick out what she thinks is best for you. Just to let you know, the maker of this jewellery is well-known for being picky about his customers. Even for us, we had to be kept on the waiting list for two whole months before our order was accepted."
"This must have cost a bomb," I cannot help but mumble when I saw the jewellery set Mum had gifted me. They were all so very beautifully crafted, each of them a pure platinum in colour because they knew that I don't have a preference for the gaudy colour of gold and that I would prefer something simpler and low profile. Within the jewellery box were earrings, brooches, necklaces, rings, bracelets, each designed with a similar theme but also different enough to make their uniqueness stand out as a standalone item. They were elegant and simple in design but they were also far from being plain, and it was obvious that these were crafted with me in mind because they accentuated my natural beauty so well. A lot of thought had been put into the craftsmanship of these accessories.
This is really my own personal jewellery set, just like Mum had intended it to be.
"It's… really beautiful," I cannot help but whisper as I picked up a bracelet that had caught my eye and wore it around my right wrist. They fit just nicely and even for someone like me who never cared about jewellery, I cannot help but marvel at it.
"Mum will be happy that you loved it. She was worried that you might not like it cos you never showed an interest in anything that is not relating to your travels or pokemon," Vance ruffled my hair as he said that and for once, I didn't push his hand away like I usually would do. "We made it very clear to the craftsman that these jewellery must be able to withstand wear and tear since you love to travel so much, so don't worry about damaging it or what not. I guarantee you that they will remain as pristine as they are even if you decide to wear them to go camping in the forest for ten whole days."
"That good?"
"Don't believe me? I heard Unova has a desert as well, you can try wearing it there if you ever visit that place. This thing is built and tested to be scratch proof and can also withstand a lot of pressure. Heck, when you get older and get married you can even make this your family heirloom to be passed down for the next few centuries and these will still look the same as they were today. Unlike the cheap ones you see on the market, these jewellery are built to last."
"I really love it," I cannot help but continue to marvel at the new bracelet worn around my right wrist. Still, I have to unwrap Dad's present too.
Dad's present, in comparison, was more of the pragmatic side. They were simply a set of documents that I have to sign to transfer ownership of several properties under my name. There were also a few sets of documents that would make me one of the few shareholders of several of my family's numerous businesses which even I had never heard of until today.
"I received a similar present too when I was about your age. Dad called it the Vera's coming of age ceremony or something like that. I remembered asking him if he did this because he was too lazy to think of what to choose for a present," Vance joked as we looked through the documents and I saw for myself how lavish they were in terms of monetary value. I now have a mansion located at Lilycove to my name, a private apartment at Oldale, a villa at Fortree, a bungalow at Petalburg, just to name a few. Basically, Dad had given me at least one property in every major city or town in Hoenn. I would never need to stay in a hotel or pokemon centre ever again if I were to travel around in my own region. This is probably his own way of trying to convey his support for me in pursuing my dreams to travel, and it's really sweet of him to do so.
"What are these companies?" I asked my brother when we were done examining the title deeds of the properties and moved on to the business side of the family.
"Let's see… Oh, I'm a shareholder of this particular one too, the main business of this one is researching the optimal mix of high-end pokemon feed for its holding company… This one, on the other hand, mainly provides support services to our group of companies under our name, so I'm not surprised that you are not aware of it… This one…"
Vance patiently answered each and every of my queries although a thought had been bugging me when it finally settled into my mind that everything listed in Dad's present would be mine soon.
"Am I… legally allowed to own these? I'm only fourteen."
"Under usual circumstances, no, but you are a pokemon trainer," Vance explained. "Remember? Pokemon trainers are also viewed as adults and enjoy the legal benefits of being one the moment they receive their pokedex. I'm not sure if you remember, but in Hoenn, that is only valid until the expiry date of your trainer's licence, and to be exempted from the three year limit of your trainer licence you have to obtain at least four badges. Once you obtain more than four badges, it would mean that your trainer licence would no longer have an expiry date and you would be recognised as an adult in many areas of the law. As an adult, you can do many things in Hoenn, including owning properties and businesses."
"So if I wasn't a four badge trainer, I would have to wait until I'm eighteen to receive any of these?"
"Yup. Perks of being a pokemon trainer, aye?"
After we were done going through the presents our parents had gotten for me, I decided to unwrap Vance's present. If we were to go by monetary value alone his present was not the least bit comparable to my parents, but it is worth its weight in gold when it comes to the sentimental value and the thoughts behind it.
"A scrapbook?"
"Open it up," Vance egged on and I played along. I was in for another pleasant surprise.
These were photos of me from when I was born till now. There were timestamps and a brief description of what these photos were about, like how and when I took my first steps, when I first got Flamel, when I became a trainer, when I got my badges, when I caught new pokemon, the time I finished as the runner-up in my Pokemon League Tournament… In essence, this scrapbook documented every single important milestone in my life from the moment I was born. There were some pictures that he took of me that I never even knew how or when he had taken it.
"You did all this… on your own?" I cannot help but to flip the pages back and forth, taking great care not to accidentally damage the scrapbook because so much thought had been put into it. It's so beautifully made. I never thought Vance was the type to be good at handicraft given how trouble prone and clumsy he is. I can only imagine the number of failed attempts he must have experienced before coming up with the final product.
"Surprised? If there's one thing I would complain about, it's that I don't have as many photos of you after you started out on your journey cos both of us were rarely home, but I supposed that couldn't be helped. Ah, I would have lesser photos of you now since you will be constantly travelling all across the world- Vel? Vel, why are you… Come on, don't cry, today is supposed to be your birthday."
"A-And whose f-fault is it?" I tried, and spectacularly failed to hold back the tears that spilled from my eyes. I had always known that I was loved by my family, but it wasn't until today that I truly understood the extent and depth in which they love me. Maybe I'm feeling especially sentimental today because I am spending my first birthday overseas this year, the first time where I wouldn't be celebrating my birthday with everyone in my family.
I could tell that my family had put so much thought into the presents they picked for me, and I could tell just how much they love and care for me. I feel the same way for them too, but sometimes it just feels as if I'm just the one being on the receiving end of all their love and there's so little I could do for them in return.
From being a small helpless baby that could die at any moment, to being a very sickly child that required their constant attention or I might very possibly pass away in my sleep, to becoming a trainer to try and fulfil my dreams of seeing and travelling the world… We had our occasional disagreements like all families do, but ultimately they will always be there to support every decision I would make. What I'm feeling now is simply a very complex emotion that I really have no idea how to explain when all the memories, experiences, and feelings that I have been accumulating for fourteen years washed over me in a sudden surge.
"My fault, my fault," Vance took a seat beside me, using his large arm to gently pull me into a hug to console me. It had the very opposite effect because this time I truly cried like a baby, like the little girl that I am supposed to physically be with this body. I don't usually show this side to anybody at all, even if it's my family.
"Better? Sorry, it wasn't my intention to make you cry. I wouldn't have done this if I knew you would react like that," Vance gently wiped my tears away with his thumb once I finally calmed down enough. "There, there, look at you now. You look so much prettier if you are smiling. Smile, Vel, it's your birthday today."
"It's your fault," I mumbled in childish defiance, gently caressing the scrapbook Vance had painstakingly done for me and I inwardly blamed myself for letting my tears from earlier drop onto the pages of the scrapbook. At this point, I'm just hoping that my tears wouldn't damage it in any way or I would blame myself for it.
"Yup, all mine. So, is our birthday girl ready to go out and have her breakfast? I personally prepared breakfast for you today, with all of your favourite food and everything. I also do have other surprises planned out for today, you know."
"What kind of surprises?"
"Erm, somewhere you can relax and not think about work, go out and touch some grass, enjoy the sun and the sea, things like that?"
"Touch some grass?"
"You will see, sister dear, you will see."
As it turned out, the surprise Vance had for me was located at Humilau City.
Humilau City is located at the very northeastern end of the Unova region. It is somewhat isolated from the rest of the region for the simple fact that under normal circumstances, the only way to reach the city would be through the sea route, taking a ferry that sails through Route 21. Vance had teleported us here with his gallade, so it's obvious that he had purposely made a trip here before, probably to not waste our time travelling today.
Humilau City is a resort city, and appears much bigger than it usually is because a large part of their "landmass" is made up of buildings floating in the waves much like how Pacifidlog does it, making them look like a miniature island in itself. That doesn't mean that the main island of Humilau City is small. On the contrary, it's large enough to comfortably build a city on it but somehow or another, the people's way of life in this part of the region eventually evolved to them getting accustomed to living on the sea itself.
Thankfully, Vance did remember of my tendency to get seasick easily, so he did not have us spend our vacation on one of those floating houses.
Our vacation will be spent in a resort that reminded me very much of a luxurious farmhouse. It's a place where tourists can stay and visit to experience the simple life of living on a farm, unwinding from the stress of the busy corporate world. Friendly pokemon lived on the farm as well, allowing children to interact and play with them and is one of their iconic attractions in Humilau.
Then there is also the weather and the beach. At this time of the year Unova's climate was steadily getting chiller and chiller with each passing day but in this part of the region it is almost sunny all year round. The climate here is very much tropical, much like the climate that I'm used to experiencing in Hoenn. The famous Humilau beach is also just within walking distance of where we will be staying.
"Reminds you of home, eh?" Vance remarked with a grin when we met up after depositing our belongings in our respective rooms. Maybe he chose this place for our vacation because he could tell that I've been feeling a little homesick lately. This farmhouse resort does remind me a lot of home, especially with how you can see so many tamed pokemon frolicking around the area just by looking out of your room's window.
"It does," I agreed. "So, brother dear, what other surprises have you planned out for your dear sister's birthday?"
I will admit, Vance really does know how to plan surprises and he can be very thoughtful and meticulous when he wants to be. He told me that I don't even need to pack anything for this trip and the only thing I would need to bring is myself, because everything will be taken care of. I still ended up bringing a few spare sets of clothes and some personal items anyway, only to realise that Vance was right. When I arrived at my room, I realised that everything that I might need for the duration of my stay was already prepared. Sebastian had to be behind this somehow.
Today is really a worry-free day for me thanks to how much detail Vance had taken into planning this birthday celebration, because he planned it so well that there wasn't even a need to use my brain to think.
In the end, we started off by touring the farmhouse. One of the most popular attractions here is riding the zebstrikas or the arcanines. Some of the stoutlands can be ridden as well if they were big enough, but it's rare for a stoutland to grow into that size. For the average stoutland, usually only children would be allowed to ride them due to their smaller size.
"Remember when you were younger and you haven't gotten Flamel yet? When you really wanted to ride the ponytas on our farm? You were so short that I had to help you climb up their backs. Come to think about it, that's like one of the only times that you would beg me for help. Ah, good times, good times."
"Vance Vera, I will have you know that you are about to tread into dangerous territory if you so much as mention about the topic of my height," I warned and Vance responded with an unapologetic shrug and a huge grin from the back of the zebstrika that he's currently riding. I chose to ride on an arcanine, because I don't think riding a zebstrika would be very much different from my usual experience of riding on Flamel's back. Besides, an arcanine's fur is so much more fluffy and soft.
The only complaint I might have was that the management made it compulsory for all riders to wear helmets when riding on their pokemon. I am a very experienced rider myself and I don't see myself falling off arcanine's back as long as the pokemon wasn't provoked, but well, rules are rules.
We had a very nice and leisurely ride, exploring the vast patch of land that the farmhouse resort was built on. The arcanine which I had chosen to ride on was really friendly too, but I still prefer riding on Flamel's back because he's the very first pokemon I ever received and owned. Riding on Flamel is so comfortable because his rides are so stable that you would barely feel the bumps and jolts that are commonly experienced when riding on a pokemon.
"... What are you trying to do?"
We had finished our little ride and decided to see if there are other attractions in this resort that might catch our fancy. Vance had reached the endpoint earlier than I did and climbed down the back of the zebstrika, and then he proceeded to walk up to me and the arcanine, arms raised up in the air in a V shape as if trying to catch me if I were to fall.
"Vance, I am fourteen, not five. I am not going to fall from arcanine's back."
The arcanine that I am riding on gave a bark of agreement, its tail wagging playfully. Good boy.
"But Veeeeel~"
Vance gave me a childish whine that had me close my eyes and tilt my head upwards in a silent prayer to pray for whatever deities up there to grant me the patience to deal with my childish older brother. One moment he had me so touched that I was on the point of tears, and in another moment he successfully managed to annoy the hell out of me just by calling my name.
Ladies and gentlemen, meet Vance Vera, my older brother.
"Come on, let me help you down. You know, just like old times? I wouldn't have a chance to do so any longer when you are older!"
His words tugged on my heartstrings for a brief moment because in a way, he's right. We have grown up, we are no longer children. Certain things that I once did and could be excused for doing because I was a child would soon no longer be excusable. Likewise, my interactions with Vance will change, because we are no longer children, no longer little boys and girls. Already, we are all starting to get busy with our individual lives and the amount of time we could spend with each other has been gradually decreasing with each passing year. After today, I really might not have another chance to have my brother help me off the back of a pokemon ever again. We are just that busy with our lives.
"Alright, alright," I tried to look as if my thoughts weren't a swirling mess as I made my reply, deciding to agree to my brother's request if this really is going to make him happy. It's a simple request anyway.
"Man, you are still so light. I could easily carry three more of you," Vance commented as he helped me down. I removed my helmet, thanking the arcanine for the wonderful ride as I did so and watched as it ran off into the pasture in an orange blur.
"Don't exaggerate, three more of me should be quite a load to carry."
"Hey, see those muscles?" Vance flexed his biceps and I habitually rolled my eyes. Whatever.
Then, to my surprise, Vance bent down in front of me with his back facing me, his arms straightened backwards in a universal gesture for a piggyback.
"Vance, no."
"Why not? I always carried you on my back when we were younger!" The look Vance sent me made me look as though I'm the villainess who just kicked a puppy.
"People are watching! This is embarrassing!" I hissed in a loud whisper because Vance's actions were starting to catch the attention of the people around us. I knew what he was referring to earlier. Back when we were children when I could barely take ten steps without triggering a coughing fit, Vance was the one to piggyback me to wherever I wanted to explore our family's farm. Obviously, the frequency of that happening decreased and eventually disappeared when I suddenly got better when I was nine and after I received Flamel. Still, that period of time where I had to rely on Vance to go wherever I wished to go was a very precious memory to me and I'm sure it's the same for him too.
After all, we are each other's only sibling.
"I just knew it, my little baby sister had grown up and doesn't need her big brother anymore," Vance started to "weep" with a look of mock hurt plastered all across his face and at this point I just knew that he's doing this to annoy me. It's such a waste that someone with such talent in acting did not become an actor.
"Ah, I could still remember, how you would always say "Pwease carry me~" when you could no longer walk- oof!"
"There, happy?" I asked from where I am now resting on his back, granting him his wish. I knew that this was the right decision to make when I saw the big smile breaking out on his face.
"Yup, very happy!" Vance replied as he stood up and began to walk, carrying me in a piggyback, his large strong arms supporting my weight by allowing my thighs to rest there while I wrapped my arms around his neck. His back was just like how I remembered it to be. So big, so warm, so dependable.
A silly smile adorned my face as well because this really does take me back too, back to times that were more carefree and when the only thing I had to worry about was taking my medicine punctually.
"I will still say this though, you are really too light. You should eat more."
"But I will grow fat."
"You are still too skinny."
"If I eat anymore I don't think you would be able to carry me so easily."
"What are you talking about? I will always be able to carry you, I'm your big brother!" Vance let out a hearty laugh after hearing what I had to say. "It's a big brother's job to carry their little sister!"
"Hmph, big words. Like you will be able to carry me when we are both old and wrinkly," I softly huffed, not sure if I should ignore or embrace that fuzzy and warm feeling that's starting to spread through my body. When was the last time Vance had piggybacked me like this? It's been too long.
"Heh, even if I'm stuck in a wheelchair by then I will still find a way to carry you if you simply ask."
"Liar, that's not possible," I playfully stuck out my tongue in reply.
"My little sis has so little faith in me. I'm hurt," Vance lamented before asking. "Okay, seriously, where are we going next?"
"Umm… I want to visit the beach," I decided after mulling over my options. It's been a really long time since I really visited any beaches for some rest and relaxation. My birthday is on 31st August, which will coincide with the final match of the Ever Grande Conference every single year. Vance and I had planned to watch the final match together which will be aired live on TV tonight. Until then, we are free to spend our time however we wish.
Visiting the beach would sound nice.
"Just like how we did back at Slateport when you just started out on your journey? I heard that the sands at Humilau's beach are really white."
"Uh huh. I could let Chill out to have her swim too. It's been a while since I let her do so."
"And let's just pray that Chill wouldn't bring the winter over," Vance joked and I let out a brief laugh at that. That's true, I should keep an eye out for Chill just in case she gets a little too excited for no apparent reason and accidentally covers the entire beach with ice.
"Wait, do we have swimwear? I never checked if Sebastian packed any of those for me back in my room."
"I'm sure he did. If not, we can always pick one out later."
"And he knows my size?"
"He's our family's personal butler."
"... That's an odd realisation to have, somebody else knowing my sizes…"
"Eh, this is the life of the rich where if you want to, people will prepare whatever you ask for as long as you open your mouth. I knew our family had always lived our lives a little too humbly so you are still not used to this pampered way of living, but you will after a while. My advice? Get used to it, preferably sooner rather than later, especially now that you have decided to make your official appearance to the public as a daughter of the Vera family."
"Okay, but damn, I still should have brought my own swimwear. It's been a long time since I wore those, I think the last time I did so was right before the Lilycove Invasion and that was more than a year ago."
"Something's telling me that the swimwear you are talking about is not the same one you wore when we were at Slateport."
"Come on, brother dear, I had my growth spurt in between that period of time. Obviously whatever I wore at Slateport, I wouldn't be able to fit into those now."
"Well, knowing you, you probably picked out something that would give Mum a stroke if she ever saw you wearing it."
"That's… actually true."
"Alright, confession time. On a scale from one to ten with ten being outright unacceptable, how revealing is it?"
"Revealing? It's just a two-piece-"
"Two-piece?!"
"Can you lower your volume? Now everybody's really looking at us!"
"B-B-But t-t-that would mean t-that you w-wore a b-b-bikini-"
"What's wrong with that?"
"I-It's a bikini! You would be showing cleavage-"
"It's fine, it's just a bikini-"
"It's not fine! What if other boys saw you and- No no no bikinis are not allowed, you hear me?!"
"So what are you going to make me wear? A one-piece? I might as well visit a swimming pool then."
"It's better than seeing my little sister getting sexually harrassed. Maybe you felt safe enough to wear a bikini in Hoenn because the public security back home is so much better but Vel, Unova is not Hoenn. We are foreigners in a foreign land here, and Unova isn't the most accepting place to be."
I paused, because Vance did have a point. The last time I wore a bikini at Lilycove beach some assholes tried to sexually assault me and I would have been in big trouble if it wasn't for Rena. I'm plenty capable when it comes to protecting myself, but I don't want some asshole to spoil my day either just because they couldn't keep their hands to themselves. I am very well aware that I am a beautiful girl that is growing into a very beautiful woman, and from my past experiences sometimes being too beautiful does bring its fair share of trouble too.
Maybe a compromise then, because for some reason the thought of wearing a one-piece to a beach as beautiful as Humilau just doesn't seem right and it would kill the mood. It's the beach.
"Okay, how about this? I get to wear a two-piece to the beautiful beach out there. I promise that it will be nothing too revealing, no cleavage or any of that nonsense. I wouldn't wear anything that you will disapprove of and I will stick close to you at all times so that you can chase away any boys who might be ogling at me later. Deal?"
"Vel-"
"It's my birthday, and I'm already trying to make a compromise here. Besides, if some asshole really decides to try any funny business with us I would just release Kratos out of his pokeball to glare at them. I like to see them try and continue to ogle at me with a disagreeable tyranitar by my side."
"Uh, I'm not sure if you realised, sister dear, but releasing a tyranitar within a city…"
"It's a metaphor. So, deal or no deal?"
"Fine, fine," Vance let out a loud sigh but immediately adopted a sterner tone thereafter. "But you gotta promise me that you will first let me see what you are planning to wear to the beach, and that you would only wear what I approved! You said so earlier!"
"Of course, of course."
"For some reason your words don't really assure me."
"Are you doubting your little sister?"
"I know better than anyone that you love to exploit loopholes-"
"Oh I'm so hurt. What happened to me being the birthday girl?"
"Right, right, today's your day. You are the VIP today."
"Speaking about which, your birthday…" I asked, knowing that Vance's birthday is in mid December in about three and a half months time but I have no idea if he would be staying long enough in Unova for me to celebrate it with him.
"Honestly, I don't think I will be staying in Unova for much longer. I talked to Dad last night and I was actually planning on returning home about a week later. Now that our business venture in Unova is finally on track, there's no longer a real need for me to continue staying here. I still have things to do back in Hoenn and you seem to have settled down here properly. Even if there's something which you really cannot handle on your own, I will be leaving Sebastian here to guide you, so there's really nothing much I need to worry about."
"Oh."
"But if you want to pick out an early birthday gift for me, I certainly wouldn't mind!"
"I will see what I can do about that," I gave a vague reply because I already had a few ideas in mind regarding the possible presents I could give my brother. His present to me was something he made himself, and so I was wondering if I could do something similar for him too. However, learning a handicraft from scratch would definitely take time and I'm unsure if I would be able to give him a decent gift before he embarked on his journey back to Hoenn.
"Uh, Vance?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you sure we came this way earlier? Because I don't remember us doing so."
"What are you talking about- Hmm… wait, I think you may be right."
"You mean I am right. Where are we? And how did we get ourselves lost?"
"You are asking me?"
"Who else would I ask? You are the one piggybacking me, so whose fault would this be?"
"Right, you are the birthday girl today. By default, everything that goes wrong today is automatically my fault."
I snickered, knowing that this is the way my brother dotes on me and that he really really really loves me. I really couldn't ask for a better older brother.
"Thanks, you are the best."
"Huh? You said something?"
"Did I?" I feigned innocence almost immediately.
"Pretty sure I heard-"
"You must be hearing things, brother dear. Maybe it's about time you go for a health checkup and check on your ears."
"No, I'm very sure-"
Our usual bickering continued as Vance continued to piggyback me amidst the curious stares of the people that we passed by and for a split second, I had a wish that this moment would last forever.
I had won second place in my Pokemon League Tournament on my birthday last year, but even that had nothing on the birthday I had this year. This is really the best birthday ever, because I have the best big brother in the whole world.
I'm not going to outwardly tell him that though, because doing so would only serve to make his inflated ego bigger than it already is and he would be insufferable then. Everything that I wish to say and let him know, I will convey it with my own actions instead. This way, his antics would be a little more tolerable.
My true opinion of him would be my little secret, because this idiot who is my big brother dotes too much on his stubborn and prideful little sister for her to ever be forthcoming with her words.
This is my little, little secret.