unbroken_chain

Kotoha. I was wondering if I might have a word.

As the feed spools up, the unblinking main eye of Tesla can be seen staring over Kotoha's shoulder.

"Sure thing! Something you need help with?"

[Laplace the Porygon is sitting next to Fumi on her desk. It chirps a bit when it catches sight of Tesla.]

I wanted to speak with you about Laplace.

Kotoha takes a second to look over both Fumi and Laplace - it doesn't look like an emergency or anything, so this should be fine.

"Ah, okay."

While I'm not acquainted with her personally, I saw the earlier network transmission from Sasha Fyer. It hadn't occurred to me previously that Laplace would not necessarily return with me to my own world should I ever disappear from this place without warning, although it makes perfect sense why he wouldn't. So in the event that such should occur, I would like to ensure that his care will be provided for.

[Yes, this is a long-winded way of saying 'I trust you, so please take care of my pet if I can't.']

Kotoha's response is immediate.

"Of course I'll do it."

Translating Fumi-speak is automatic for her now.

Good. I'll bring the papers over later.

[Everything needs to be formalized.]

Good afternoon, Kotoha.

As the feed snaps on, it shows Kotoha is in the middle of a handstand.

"Hey! How's things?"

Keeping busy, I see.

[Fumi's tone is a bit terse, a sure sign that something is up.]

That tone of voice...hm.

"Exercise routine. Need something?"

Probably best to keep it brief, it seems.

I'll preface this by saying that I have a hard time separating the concepts of 'friendship' and 'codependency' in my head.

[Fumi winces.]

But what I need at the moment is advice.

...okay if Fumi is actually admitting to her flaws than this is no time to be giving her anything less than 100%, so Kotoha will just drop out of the handstand and sit cross-legged on the floor.

"Hit me."

Agatha Heterodyne. I assume the two of you have met.

A nod.

"Once or twice, yes."

She is no longer in the city.

[Fumi will pause for a moment, possibly to let it sink in just why she bothered to call to tell Kotoha this.]

Kotoha, you're used to this. Having friends, and having a lot of them. Surely you've been forced to suddenly part with some of them along the way without warning. How exactly do you cope with this?

There's a pause as Kotoha looks pensive.

"...the first thing I do is buy some croissants. You always get one of them."

She twists one of her ponytails around her fingers as she continues talking.

"Meetings and partings...they're part of what it means to be a Pokemon Trainer. If you stay in one place, they'll move on, and if you're moving on, they'll stay in one place. So...I'll tell you the secret every Trainer learns at the start of their journey, okay?"

Kotoha's smile is quiet and serene, a far cry from her normal energetic grin.

"You take in everything you learned from them, all the changes they inspired, and you pass them on to everyone you meet. And then, when you remember them, you look at the people around you and see that reflection shining back at you. No one ever really disappears from your life, not really."

[Fumi seems to be taking all of that in, but her expression turns stormy at that last part.]

That, unfortunately, is the most frustrating part of all. I wasn't done learning from her. I hadn't even scratched the surface of understanding the sorts of things Agatha could do. I never even came close to the slightest glimpse of the sort of intuition she possesses. Probably because it's easily the most counterintuitive thing I've ever witnessed. And now she's gone, and I don't know that I ever will.

[Fumi grits her teeth, closing her eyes for a moment to try to calm herself down.]

Agatha understood. Her methods were vastly different from my own, but she understood, respected, and encouraged the way I'd chosen to live my life, and my approach to research. I'd never seen the merit in seeking validation from others, and I certainly never asked for hers either, but when I received it from her... it meant something.

"You'll meet again."

Kotoha leans forward a little, intensity creeping into her voice.

"The hardest part about contacting a different world is knowing that they exist in the first place, right? We've got that down, we've got that crystal thing that can breach the barriers, and if it comes down to it I have a Celebi, so I can just travel back in time to before Entree Island was cut off from the alternate worlds. If you really want to keep learning how she does things, I will make that happen."

[Fumi is honestly a little speechless at that for a moment. Half because she's trying to piece together whether that would work or not, and half due to Kotoha's determination on her behalf. Finally, she settles on a very small smile.]

...I knew there was a reason I liked you, Kotoha. You and I have a similar attitude toward perceived obstacles.

Kotoha grins.

"Got that right."

In the near term, however, what would you recommend?

[Kotoha, this may be your only chance to drag Fumi around and make her do girly things.]

"How about a girl's day out? I know a shop that sells Visitor-themed merchandise; we can probably find something to serve as a memento of Agatha!"

If it's another of those places that sell perverted mousepads or hugging pillows, I reserve the right to set the entire shop on fire.

"Oh, no worries, the last place that sold stuff like that had some issues with structural damage and flooding so they had to close down."

Butter would not melt in Kotoha's mouth.

My, what a shame for them.

"Yes."

Kotoha is perfectly composed.

Really.

"So, we good for tomorrow, then?"

Tomorrow.

[Fumi nods.]

...And thank you, Kotoha.

[Before she wakes up, Kotoha will remember this dream vividly. If she wants to keep it to herself or share it with the others is entirely up to her, but she'll have to describe it in her own words;]

Distorted figures stand in front as the light fades.

The sound of rattling chains in faraway distance, echoing. Before she can speak or call out, something grabs her by the wrists and violently pulls her into a watery abyss where she cannot breathe or see.

She falls from the sky, as bright light and smells awaken her senses, able to see again. Landing on top of a thriving earth, the place seems peaceful. But for each step she takes, the ground which was full of life and greenery fades until it is nothing but dust and bones.

A flock of golden butterflies fly around her for a few seconds, giving the feeling of warmth and joy. That soon fades as something invisible scares them away, and they attempt to leave, only to freeze in the sky by a giant spider's web that had not been there a few seconds ago. The ground shakes as a giant centipede-like creature emerges from sand. It's hard to see what it is exactly, as the heat from the sun distorts the air in front...but it's huge. Powerful. Deadly. Very possibly hungry--

--Something grabs her again, dragging her away from the vision right back into the darkness, whispering angrily a few curses and that that "it's too dangerous for you to be here alone! Come back never!"

She awakes with a terrible feeling of dread and fear that will pass after a few seconds.

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DREAM (June 1st)