Outside the window, purple lanterns rose one after another, drifting up until they hung across the sky like a sea of stars.
"That's gorgeous."
This was why you had to leave home. Nothing at the farm was missing, exactly. It just meant there was nothing new to see, either.
Akiyama walked to the glass and looked out at the man-made constellation.
He'd assumed Blossom Rest was just people handing each other flowers and wishing each other well. Clearly he'd underestimated what the holiday meant to Greenlight City. It felt less like a flower festival and more like a small New Year's Eve.
At midnight the lanterns reached their highest point.
Gardevoir came to stand beside him and held out a woven bracelet.
Kadabra was right behind her. Gengar floated overhead.
All three of them were holding one.
"Okay, okay, I'm putting them on."
Under those expectant stares he took each one and slid it over his wrist.
Every bracelet had its own personality. Gardevoir's carried the most wisteria. Kadabra's was the most comfortable to wear. Gengar's was a lopsided tangle, the kind of thing a kid brings home from art class.
"Gen-gar." Gengar covered his mouth and snickered.
Then Akiyama pulled three nearly identical bracelets out of his pocket and fastened them onto each of them himself.
"Here's to a lucky year for all of us."
The three of them agreed, loudly and in their own ways.
Something occurred to him. He went back to the couch, picked up a leftover length of wisteria, and worked it into one more small bracelet.
"Give me a minute. I'll be right back."
He stepped into the hall and knocked on the door next to his.
It took a while before Nanami opened up.
"What?" She looked wrung out. Same plain, single-color shirt as always.
"For you." He opened his hand. The bracelet sat in his palm.
"You—" Whatever she'd been about to snap died in her throat.
"You really don't have to do this." She shook her head and didn't reach for it.
She hadn't even bothered to make one for anybody. She'd cut the vines and thrown them away.
"You want me to put it on you? Because I will."
"…Freak." She said it under her breath, took the bracelet, pulled it over her hand. "There. Happy?"
"Good luck this year." He turned and went back to his room.
Nanami watched him disappear through his door, then shut hers.
She curled up on the narrow bed and watched the points of light past the glass.
She didn't sleep at all that night.
At one point she got irritated enough with the wisteria on her wrist to start working it off, then sighed and left it alone.
Her chest ached, and she couldn't work out why.
It was such a small thing.
.....
"She insulted you. Why give it to her anyway?" Kadabra asked.
"Because people aren't built the same. She said something rude, but what's going on underneath is complicated. She probably just doesn't know how to say any of it."
Akiyama said it like it was obvious.
Some people said thank you. Some people got teary. And some people had never learned how.
"Besides," he added, "tomorrow's training was her idea in the first place."
Kadabra took that in, not quite convinced.
The city might not sleep tonight, but Akiyama and his Pokémon were wrecked. He flopped onto the bed and pulled a startled Gardevoir in with him.
"Bedtime."
He hadn't had a mattress this soft in days.
Sometime after midnight Gengar slipped under the covers and wedged himself against Akiyama's back. In his sleep Akiyama registered something soft back there and settled in even deeper.
...
Morning came, and Akiyama stretched his way out from under the blankets.
Gardevoir already had breakfast made and waiting.
Gengar was drooling beside the table, forbidden to touch anything.
"You're up early." Akiyama swung his legs out of bed.
"Garde."
Her eyes curved, just a little pleased with herself.
"Hey, this is good." He picked up his chopsticks, tried a bite, and meant it.
"Hmm-hmm." Two smug little notes.
Only then was Gengar cleared to sit down.
"Little glutton," Akiyama said, chewing slowly and watching him go.
That was when Kadabra floated over a few Energy Cubes with Confusion—dark ones, with something like black silk mist moving through them.
Gengar froze mid-bite, crumbs still on his mouth.
He turned.
"Gengar!"
He shot across the table and swallowed one whole.
"That's impressive work, Kadabra." Akiyama could tell those weren't low-grade cubes.
Better raw materials. And some pre-processed Berries.
"Don't sell yourself short. I learned this stuff one step at a time, and it took me two and a half years to get where you are."
He couldn't help marveling at how fast Kadabra learned. In this world, it really was Pokémon who set the ceiling.
A machine might do better. There are flaws I can't correct by hand yet. That was clearly bugging him.
Akiyama swallowed. "Machines only handle the simple recipes. I wouldn't bother. They can only process a couple of Berry types at once."
Kadabra nodded. That made sense.
Watching him, Akiyama thought Kadabra was a lot like he'd been at that stage—convinced a machine had to be the answer.
Although flattering himself with the comparison was generous. He'd never had the brains.
Once breakfast was done, the day belonged to them. Nothing to do but soak in Blossom Rest.
Nanami's door stayed shut. Knocking got him nowhere.
There was tea—wisteria tea. There were cakes—wisteria cakes. Festival specialties, all of it.
They took a table under a tree with vines hanging down around them and ate lunch in the shade while the vendor came by, all smiles, refilling their cups and refilling the plate.
Out-of-towner or not, the man treated Akiyama like a regular.
Gengar had clearly never eaten anything like this and physically could not stop.
Akiyama started to worry about ending up with a Gengar shaped like a beach ball. Then again, ghost bodies apparently burned through it fast.
"We really lucked into this." He let out a satisfied belch. "Right festival, right week."
Days of hiking through the wild, and worth every one of them.
That afternoon they dragged their exhausted, sun-warm selves back to the Pokémon Center.
Nurse Joy flagged them down the second they came through the door.
"Mr. Akiyama! You've got mail waiting."
He stopped, thanked her, and went over to the PC.
He logged in, and there was a red dot waiting.
From Reika.
Mr. Akiyama, I hope this finds you well…
A very polite opening.
I still don't understand why you told me not to trust Uncle Giovanni. He's genuinely kind, and he taught me a great deal. Maybe there's been some kind of misunderstanding between you two?
I've left Viridian City. I'm on my way to Twin City—I need to go home for a while, for reasons I won't get into.
Right now I'm stopped at a coastal transfer point. I doubt you've reached Frostvale City yet.
Your gift is ready. I'm hoping to get it to the Pokémon Center there before you arrive.
—Reika
Attached to the message was one photo: Reika in a swimsuit.
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