Categories > Games > Pokemon > The Spirit of Alola - Book 2
Doctor Ōpūnui is the first to speak, making quick introductions for his colleague, Doctor Gomez, and his daughter-in-law, Professor Burnet.
“Would you mind if we had our conversation away from young ears?” The female Doctor asked the white-haired woman, inclining her head to the still-open door, a soft, night-cooled air blowing gently across the room.
“That would be preferable to me.” The Professor answered.
“Delphox, could you take the children outside and keep them entertained, please?” Melanie said, releasing her orange and red, bipedal fox Pokèmon. With a silent nod of its head, the Fire and Psychic-type gently takes the baby from Professor Burnet’s arms, and ushers young Himiko and Faline, Ōpūnui’s daughter, outside.
“Claydol and Xatu, would you two keep watch on the home and report to me if you see anything odd?” Mel tosses two more balls into the air, letting out a floating black Pokèmon and a green and red bird. The first replies with a confirming Dol sound as they zip out the door after the children and their new charge.
“What are you doing here?” Anya asked with suspicion.
This young Doctor is another person whom the Psychic had no issues knowing the mind of, as she often wore her swift-to-change emotions out on her sleeve. Which usually seemed to be anger. The older woman is surprised though, to see the peculiar scene within this house, the Pidgeot outside of its ball, and fresh tears just beginning to dry on the girl’s face, even though Mel could count on one hand the number of times she’d seen her cry since she was a child.
“Pidgeot, return.” The small woman muttered, pulling out a Friend Ball from her pocket and stowing the Pokèmon inside. She made no effort to wipe the tears away and instead, affixed her dark brown gaze on the older woman, as if daring her to question the sight.
“My son is in the hospital,” Mel responded carefully to the original question, mindful of Anya’s swift temper and not wanting to set her off, though it seemed her attempt was in vain.
“Yeah, I know that, but why are you here?”
“Kukui is also in the hospital.” She answered, pointing to Ōpūnui and Burnet, while holding back a harsher retort, and instead asking, “Why are you leaving your husband’s Pidgeot behind?”
The short, dark-haired woman’s eyes flash with anger at the question. “I’m not. Shouldn’t you already know that, Psychic?” The last word is spat out like a foul bite of food.
“We’ve only just arrived.” Mel’s heart flashed with slight sadness to see the woman’s fury at her abilities had not ceased over the years.
Again, the angry girl hisses her words out, “So you’re telling me you don’t make it a habit of peering into people’s minds without consent?”
“We’ve known each other long enough for you to know that’s not how I work.” Mel could feel her own frustration rising in her, but she worked hard to push it down, keeping her tone even and voice soft. The two had met when Anya was just a young girl of five years old, so she would very well know where Mel stood on that subject.
“Don’t try to tell me-“
“Doctor Māhoe,” Ōpūnui interrupted. “I think you’ve had enough quarreling to satisfy your needs. There are more important matters to be discussed and your fear of Psychics will not help in this situation.”
“I’m not afraid of them. They’re all just an untrustworthy lot.” She deflected. Anya’s dark brown eyes shifted to the man, the doctor who had taken her under his tutelage several years ago, and it’s clear his words have a stronger effect on her, so she doesn’t continue.
Burnet is the next one to speak, and she turns to the still fizzling-out woman. “Do you hate Kabir as well?”
“What? No! Of course not! Why would you think that?” Anya questions with genuine obfuscation.
“He’s…well, you know…also psychic.” The Professor says with uncertainty.
“Kabir isn’t like the others. He’s only half psychic.”
“That’s not how it works,” Mel tried to interject carefully.
“Well of course, it’s not.” Anya rounded once more on Doctor Gomez, who backed up slightly, in hopes of removing herself from the pulsating fury.
As good at controlling her own emotions as Mel was, Doctor Māhoe’s temper had always been difficult to diffuse, even when she had been a child. Even so, she could feel annoyance beginning to well up inside of her, and found herself grateful to have stowed her overly protective Gallade in its PokeBall before arriving at the house. It wasn’t as good at holding temper.
“Anya,” Burnet spoke up again, interrupting Doctor Gomez’s reply, looking more confused than ever, “What about Himi-”
“Anyways.” The man interjects once more, giving the white-haired Professor a cautiously silencing look. He began rubbing a hand on his temple as if to massage out a headache. “There are still matters of greater importance to be discussed at this time.” He repeated.
~~~
Burnet sat in silence, her face an unreadable mask as Doctor Gomez explained her visit with Kukui.
“Once I’ve had a chance to rest though, I will try again.” The Psychic reassured, attempting to sound more hopeful than she felt.
By now, her mind was buzzing with exhaustion, and it was taking nearly all her effort to keep a psychic watch on the house, her mind open for any alerts from her Pokemon, holding back the swelling emotions of those around her from her own mind, and continuing to hold a conversation with everyone inside, all at the same time. As well, her body ached in furious protest from the traveling she had been through, reminding her that she was, despite her futile attempts to prevent it, getting old.
“I trust that you will.” Burnet answered simply, looking concerned, not for her own situation, but for Mel’s, seeming to have an idea of all that the Doctor was trying to do.
She can’t be Psychic as well, can she? Gomez wondered with great curiosity, but she had, so far, felt no hints from the woman, especially no prodding that would be the result of Burnet searching her mind. There’s no way. That would be statistically improbable. But still, something about her is oddly familiar. The older woman wanted to check, but she knew there would be no way for her to hold concentration on her other tasks, so instead, she merely continued listening to the conversations before her.
Ori sat beside his daughter-in-law, his eyes downcast as he turned to her, “I’m sorry there isn’t more I can do. He is stable, and there’s been no other changes in his condition otherwise. I won’t stop looking for answers-”
“I don’t expect you’re cutting any corners here.” Burnet interrupted, placing a comforting hand on his knee. “Besides, something very strange is happening in Alola. The crazy weather for one thing.” The woman shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, then her yellow eyes flicked over to Melanie. “Doctor Gomez-“
“Please, call me Mel,”
“Mel,” the white-haired woman started again, with a consenting nod, “Have you had a chance to check out the Ashoka’s - Your son’s” she corrected. “Home yet?”
“I have not. I went right to the hospital from the airport.” She responded apologetically.
“We should go there right now,” Anya spoke up for the first time since the fight.
“It’s too late,” Burnet stated.
“My sister is missing.” The angry woman retorted back with a hiss.
“Doctor Māhoe, she’s right.” Ōpūnui’s voice is carefully controlled, but it’s clear his patience with her outbursts is wearing thin.
“We’ve been sitting on our behinds for two days now! How much longer are we going to let this go on?” She rounded on the male Doctor defiantly, glaring daggers and daring him to go against her worries again, but there was something else behind her eyes that the Psychic could see without feeling.
“Anya,” Mel began apologetically, “I know you’re worried about Sashi, but they are correct. It’s late, and I’m just too exhausted now to keep expending my powers. I want to help Kabir and find Sashi as well, but I will be of no use if I put myself in the same state as-“
“I know.” Anya interrupted, her voice uncharacteristically gentle. Her eyes squint as she says the next words, looking like they require a great deal of effort, but it still takes the Psychic by surprise. “I’m sorry. You do need to rest, and I’m not helping by trying to force you to work more than is safe. Besides,” she tried to break the illusion of her softness by adding, “You’d probably miss something anyways.” But even those words don’t hold her usual sting.
“Would you mind if we had our conversation away from young ears?” The female Doctor asked the white-haired woman, inclining her head to the still-open door, a soft, night-cooled air blowing gently across the room.
“That would be preferable to me.” The Professor answered.
“Delphox, could you take the children outside and keep them entertained, please?” Melanie said, releasing her orange and red, bipedal fox Pokèmon. With a silent nod of its head, the Fire and Psychic-type gently takes the baby from Professor Burnet’s arms, and ushers young Himiko and Faline, Ōpūnui’s daughter, outside.
“Claydol and Xatu, would you two keep watch on the home and report to me if you see anything odd?” Mel tosses two more balls into the air, letting out a floating black Pokèmon and a green and red bird. The first replies with a confirming Dol sound as they zip out the door after the children and their new charge.
“What are you doing here?” Anya asked with suspicion.
This young Doctor is another person whom the Psychic had no issues knowing the mind of, as she often wore her swift-to-change emotions out on her sleeve. Which usually seemed to be anger. The older woman is surprised though, to see the peculiar scene within this house, the Pidgeot outside of its ball, and fresh tears just beginning to dry on the girl’s face, even though Mel could count on one hand the number of times she’d seen her cry since she was a child.
“Pidgeot, return.” The small woman muttered, pulling out a Friend Ball from her pocket and stowing the Pokèmon inside. She made no effort to wipe the tears away and instead, affixed her dark brown gaze on the older woman, as if daring her to question the sight.
“My son is in the hospital,” Mel responded carefully to the original question, mindful of Anya’s swift temper and not wanting to set her off, though it seemed her attempt was in vain.
“Yeah, I know that, but why are you here?”
“Kukui is also in the hospital.” She answered, pointing to Ōpūnui and Burnet, while holding back a harsher retort, and instead asking, “Why are you leaving your husband’s Pidgeot behind?”
The short, dark-haired woman’s eyes flash with anger at the question. “I’m not. Shouldn’t you already know that, Psychic?” The last word is spat out like a foul bite of food.
“We’ve only just arrived.” Mel’s heart flashed with slight sadness to see the woman’s fury at her abilities had not ceased over the years.
Again, the angry girl hisses her words out, “So you’re telling me you don’t make it a habit of peering into people’s minds without consent?”
“We’ve known each other long enough for you to know that’s not how I work.” Mel could feel her own frustration rising in her, but she worked hard to push it down, keeping her tone even and voice soft. The two had met when Anya was just a young girl of five years old, so she would very well know where Mel stood on that subject.
“Don’t try to tell me-“
“Doctor Māhoe,” Ōpūnui interrupted. “I think you’ve had enough quarreling to satisfy your needs. There are more important matters to be discussed and your fear of Psychics will not help in this situation.”
“I’m not afraid of them. They’re all just an untrustworthy lot.” She deflected. Anya’s dark brown eyes shifted to the man, the doctor who had taken her under his tutelage several years ago, and it’s clear his words have a stronger effect on her, so she doesn’t continue.
Burnet is the next one to speak, and she turns to the still fizzling-out woman. “Do you hate Kabir as well?”
“What? No! Of course not! Why would you think that?” Anya questions with genuine obfuscation.
“He’s…well, you know…also psychic.” The Professor says with uncertainty.
“Kabir isn’t like the others. He’s only half psychic.”
“That’s not how it works,” Mel tried to interject carefully.
“Well of course, it’s not.” Anya rounded once more on Doctor Gomez, who backed up slightly, in hopes of removing herself from the pulsating fury.
As good at controlling her own emotions as Mel was, Doctor Māhoe’s temper had always been difficult to diffuse, even when she had been a child. Even so, she could feel annoyance beginning to well up inside of her, and found herself grateful to have stowed her overly protective Gallade in its PokeBall before arriving at the house. It wasn’t as good at holding temper.
“Anya,” Burnet spoke up again, interrupting Doctor Gomez’s reply, looking more confused than ever, “What about Himi-”
“Anyways.” The man interjects once more, giving the white-haired Professor a cautiously silencing look. He began rubbing a hand on his temple as if to massage out a headache. “There are still matters of greater importance to be discussed at this time.” He repeated.
~~~
Burnet sat in silence, her face an unreadable mask as Doctor Gomez explained her visit with Kukui.
“Once I’ve had a chance to rest though, I will try again.” The Psychic reassured, attempting to sound more hopeful than she felt.
By now, her mind was buzzing with exhaustion, and it was taking nearly all her effort to keep a psychic watch on the house, her mind open for any alerts from her Pokemon, holding back the swelling emotions of those around her from her own mind, and continuing to hold a conversation with everyone inside, all at the same time. As well, her body ached in furious protest from the traveling she had been through, reminding her that she was, despite her futile attempts to prevent it, getting old.
“I trust that you will.” Burnet answered simply, looking concerned, not for her own situation, but for Mel’s, seeming to have an idea of all that the Doctor was trying to do.
She can’t be Psychic as well, can she? Gomez wondered with great curiosity, but she had, so far, felt no hints from the woman, especially no prodding that would be the result of Burnet searching her mind. There’s no way. That would be statistically improbable. But still, something about her is oddly familiar. The older woman wanted to check, but she knew there would be no way for her to hold concentration on her other tasks, so instead, she merely continued listening to the conversations before her.
Ori sat beside his daughter-in-law, his eyes downcast as he turned to her, “I’m sorry there isn’t more I can do. He is stable, and there’s been no other changes in his condition otherwise. I won’t stop looking for answers-”
“I don’t expect you’re cutting any corners here.” Burnet interrupted, placing a comforting hand on his knee. “Besides, something very strange is happening in Alola. The crazy weather for one thing.” The woman shook her head as if to clear her thoughts, then her yellow eyes flicked over to Melanie. “Doctor Gomez-“
“Please, call me Mel,”
“Mel,” the white-haired woman started again, with a consenting nod, “Have you had a chance to check out the Ashoka’s - Your son’s” she corrected. “Home yet?”
“I have not. I went right to the hospital from the airport.” She responded apologetically.
“We should go there right now,” Anya spoke up for the first time since the fight.
“It’s too late,” Burnet stated.
“My sister is missing.” The angry woman retorted back with a hiss.
“Doctor Māhoe, she’s right.” Ōpūnui’s voice is carefully controlled, but it’s clear his patience with her outbursts is wearing thin.
“We’ve been sitting on our behinds for two days now! How much longer are we going to let this go on?” She rounded on the male Doctor defiantly, glaring daggers and daring him to go against her worries again, but there was something else behind her eyes that the Psychic could see without feeling.
“Anya,” Mel began apologetically, “I know you’re worried about Sashi, but they are correct. It’s late, and I’m just too exhausted now to keep expending my powers. I want to help Kabir and find Sashi as well, but I will be of no use if I put myself in the same state as-“
“I know.” Anya interrupted, her voice uncharacteristically gentle. Her eyes squint as she says the next words, looking like they require a great deal of effort, but it still takes the Psychic by surprise. “I’m sorry. You do need to rest, and I’m not helping by trying to force you to work more than is safe. Besides,” she tried to break the illusion of her softness by adding, “You’d probably miss something anyways.” But even those words don’t hold her usual sting.
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