She dreams a champagne dream

[arceusstansme]

Who: Akari and whoever meanders past her
What: In which a girl plays pretend.
Where: Just outside the village
When: Mid-June (nighttime)
Warnings: Akari.

.

Akari has been doing this recently, and so far no one has discovered her. Ever since Emmet had told her about Pokémon Coordinators, it has been living in her head. She imagines herself back as a human, but instead of in her Galaxy Corps uniform, she images herself in a dress, a Pokémon next to her in a similar outfit.

Right now, in her mind's eye, she is in a white dress with a silver hair adornment. A buneary next to her in a white outfit with matching accessories. She was imagining being on a stage and ready to show off the Pokémon. Emmet said they would use moves and improvise how they could show it off.

"Buneary! Use Ice Beam!" She said to the Pokémon that only existed in her mind as she played pretend, often wondering why this felt so fulfilling to do, but also at the same time hollow because it was just her, as a Cyndaquil, calling commands to nothing.

"Create pillars! You can do it! Show everyone has graceful you are!"

In her mind, people cheered in awe of the little Pokémon, more than impressed by it and how the outfit in her mind didn't pull attention away from the creature.

She knew she was too old to be doing this- but also- it was nice. Every time she did something like this, she felt like she was scratching something deep inside her mind. But she didn't know what.

She eventually plopped herself down on the ground, and looked up at the sky.

Hopefully no one saw her making a fool out of herself.

Comments

[offtracks]

[Ingo, of course, sees everything all the time!

Well, not really. But the communal Oran housing means that he did notice Akari was out late. Eventually, he goes looking. He's pretty easy to see coming from a distance, though, given that he's got his ghostly flames burning to light his own way. Dodge him?]

[arceusstansme]

[What do your elf glow-in-the-dark eyes see, Ingolas?]

[You see, if it were anyone else, once she saw those flames in the distance she might have made this her chance to go find a hole to crawl into, curl into a ball, and hide. But, the other part of her brain that is very Cyndaquil-ish saw the flames and went 'Something of my evolution line! Safe!' and the part of her brain that was very Akari-ish went 'Something of a Pearl Clan Warden who isn't a moron and is nice! Safe!']

[So, in short, dodging wasn't going to happen as she will just stand up and pretend she was walking around. Late at night. No big deal!]

[offtracks]

Ah! Miss Akari!

[He's quick to hurry over when he sees her!]

You are out late!

[arceusstansme]

Yeah, I wanted to see if a bunch of ghosts came out at night. Or zubats.

[She lied through her teeth as she looks up at the Typhlosion.]

You know, normal investigation things. How about you?

[offtracks]

Ah, I do not always sleep so easily.

[He's a natural night owl, but living outside hasn't really allowed him to sleep in the way he wants...]

Have you seen anything interesting?

[arceusstansme]

Really? Can't get comfortable?

[She asked, tempted to ask Ingo if he ever did the same thing she was doing as he found out things about him. Even though she didn't know what she did before Hisui, if anything, something about performing with Pokemon struck her. Did Ingo feel struck when he heard about things from Unova?]

[She couldn't imagine Ingo daydreaming, to be honest.]

And not really, it's been boring.

[She knew boring was good. If things got exciting in Hisui, it usually meant something bad was happening. But, also - except for a few hiccups- here has been peaceful.]

[Perhaps she could also ask Ingo a 'hypothetical', except this time she couldn't say 'my friend' because, well, she was talking to said friend.][Maybe she could find a way to dance to the topic at (her mental) hand.]

[offtracks]

Ah, well. It could certainly be worse!

[It has, in fact, been worse very recently. Ingo knows he doesn't have to harp on it; Akari knows perfectly well.]

I'm just not terribly tired. I enjoy the night, I suppose!

[arceusstansme]

Nighttime can be fun. I found a lot of wisps at night, it would always be a little spooky.

[arceusstansme]

A total night hoothoot.

[She shifts uncomfortably before starting trying to direct the conversation-]

So, how's it like having your brother about, now that a ton of time has passed?

[Of course a ton of time would only be a few months to her, but also- teenager.]

[offtracks]

Oh...it's interesting.

[It is? It hasn't been bad in the least! But Ingo's willing to be a tad more honest with Akari; he trusts this won't make its way back to Emmet.]

I think...well, the amnesia is strange. Of course it would be, wouldn't it?

[arceusstansme]

It's very strange.

[She agrees.]

I...sometimes wonder what if someone who knew me came here. How would we even know? I mean, I like, don't look like me. Obviously.

[and how so much knowledge about herself wasn't with her when she arrived, quickly spitting out the name Akari even though she wasn't sure if it were her actual name.]

[She hates that she has had time to think on that, to ponder it. To finally sit down and explore what all she was missing about herself instead of constantly being on the move.]

[offtracks]

[Hm! Akari's always talked less about this sort of thing than Ingo has. He wasn't totally sure how much she thought about it.]

Emmet says that he recognized me even so. There's certainly other ways to know people.

[arceusstansme]

[She shrugs a little, a frown on her features.]

I have changed a lot, though. How much me is still...the before becoming the cool skyfaller me?

[seacub]

[Emporio, unfortunately, may have seen everything.

...It's not like he's not familiar with the idea of pretend, of course. His experiences are just a lot more limited on that. There were other things to focus on. Important things.

Surviving things.

But, anyway, he totally saw that on his way from a late night of visiting Firepaw, and so, here at the outskirts of the village, he finally says-]

Is that you Akari?

[Ok yes he knows its Akari but it's the principle of the thing.]

[arceusstansme]

[Oh no.]

[ooooh no.]

[Time to pretend this is a normal thing.]

Um, like, yeah, what up?

[seacub]

[Great News Akari, you have all the power to tell him it's normal-]

Oh, I was just going home after visiting someone in the Canopy...

...I didn't expect to see anyone. Could you not sleep tonight?

[arceusstansme]

Not at all, so I am out here. Hunting ghosts.

[Akari did not think of telling him her roleplaying in the woods is normal.]

[seacub]

There's wild Ghosts this far out?

[oh no he believed her

oh no akari oh nooooo]

[arceusstansme]

Quite possibly!

[She said placing her nubs on her waist]

They do like to come out at night.

[seacub]

I did notice that...

[Is there perhaps a reason he has trouble sleeping? Don't worry about it!

Emporio walks farther into the clearing though, looking around.] I guess they're all gone for now though...they must not have been fans of the fire then.

[A beat, as he realizes-] ...come to think, there's a lot of fire types that are ghosts huh...

[arceusstansme]

Maybe because of like Hitodama or something?

[She has heard ghost stories not involving ghost pokemon after all!]

[seacub]

Huh?

[Emporio is having a dreaded 'American' moment.]

...What's a hitodama?

[arceusstansme]

[FUCKING UNOVANS AMERICANS]

A little ghost fireball thing.

I don't know why they are scary.

[seacub]

Oh. ...That's all?

It sounds like a will-o-wisp... [The cubone crosses his arms.]

They look like little fires, floating in the air. In my world at least, they're actually caused by swamp gasses, or marsh gasses though! The legends were always that lights like that would lead wanderers to their doom. ...Which, given how easy it is to get lost in a swamp and marsh...

...Probably not inaccurate at least? Maybe that's why they're scary.

[arceusstansme]

Oh weird. Maybe that is why.

[She circles around a little.]

I wonder if I can make a fake one.

[Ember. Smallest and weakest one, it disappears in a moment.]