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In summer, the sky of Kitakami brimmed with stars.
Away from the festival illumination blotting them out, they shined as beautifully as Lanturn’s lights upon the dark sea at night. Kieran found himself drawn towards their luminescence more than the sun. They created the impression of breaking through the darkness, and the sight filled Kieran with longing.
When he was a child making his way down the mountain, he would outstretch his hand towards them while dreaming of picking them as if they were konpeito in a candy jar. He still did, now in the gloom of his room. A little growing up had him seeking to seize them for their brilliance instead.
His reflection on the window lit embers of frustration across his skin. He pulled back his arm and stared at his empty palm. The ogre wouldn’t be like this. It wouldn’t yearn for the light because it was radiant enough to be its own light. Should there be darkness, that ogre was the beacon.
Kieran pulled his legs closer to his chest. Sentret stirred beside him, still deep in slumber. Once again, he spent the night in melancholy.
Returning to Mossui Town from Blueberry Academy resembled jumping from a frying pan into the fire.
In Blueberry Academy, he suffered from having no eyes on him. As a school specialized in Pokémon battle, a weak student was nothing to note and speak with. You won against Kieran? Well, no wonder. Meanwhile, there were too many eyes on him in Mossui Town. Every little move he did was watched and dissected for gossips over a cup of green tea. That kid went off to the mountain again. He’s still idolizing the ogre? When will he grow out of it?
Kieran clenched his damp hands on the fabric of his shorts. Breathing was a little heavier, somehow.
“You think that ogre is still in Oni Mountain?”
Kieran’s head snapped up at his sister’s question. He furrowed his eyebrows. “‘Course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?”
Carmine shrugged. “Maybe it got bored and moved to some other mountain to rampage on some other village.”
“The ogre isn’t like that!” Kieran rebuked. “It won’t abandon his home and it’s strong enough to defend it. There’s no reason for it to move away.”
There was a smirk plastered over Carmine’s face. “Really?”
Kieran caught onto what his sister was trying to do. He sighed, a tad fond. “Sis, you dummy.”
“Who’re you calling dummy, huh?!” hissed Carmine. She reached over her seat to trap him in a headlock. Squirm and protest all he might, but Kieran finally found it easier to breathe.
He had heard rumors of Uva Academy. Generic ones, namely its one hundred and fifty flights of stairs and its use of something called “Terastallization” in Pokémon battle. Then, the inside scoops, such as an internal upheaval involving both students and teachers, and its current surge of young prodigies and geniuses.
The latter had him standing behind Carmine when a boy his age walked up to Mossui Town.
“Good afternoon. I’m Florian, a student from Uva Academy,” the boy wearing a hat and purple tie introduced himself. “Are you maybe… students from Blueberry Academy? It’s nice to meet you.”
Kieran knew how his sister was. So to muster up a smile and stand without wincing in face of her glower was an impressive feat. But he knew how one acted when repressing their feelings, too. It made the tightness of Florian’s smile and the tautness of his shoulders discernible to Kieran’s eyes. It didn’t take away Florian’s accomplishment. Instead, being able to overpower fear like that was…
“Whoa… way cool…”
“Hush, Kiki,” Carmine reprimanded before turning back towards Florian. Her tone dripped with cynical smile. “I’m Carmine. Sorry, but I can’t just let an outsider like you wander into Mossui Town.”
“Is that… a rule here?” Florian asked, dumbfounded. He quickly cleared his throat and continued, voice even, “One of my friend’s feeling unwell. May I ask you to pass on the message to the caretaker, then?”
Kieran gasped. “Sis!”
She ignored him, sizing Florian up instead. “Fine. If you insist on coming in, you’ll have to battle me first.”
“C— c’mon, Sis… you just wanna battle. Makin’ this big fuss over nothing…”
“I told you to hush, Kiki!”
“That’s fine by me.”
Florian’s answer made both siblings’ head turn. The air surrounding Florian had changed. Tension had bled away from his muscles, leaving his upright posture genuine. There was an excited edge to his smile, a small touch turning his face befitting of a boy his age compared to earlier. His brown eyes glinted the way bronze metals did when sunlight hit them just right. Florian was in his element, Kieran realized.
By the looks of it, Carmine had realized it too. Her gaze was sharp when she said, “All right, let’s do this.”
“Three-on-three?”
“Three-on-three. Now get into your position.”
Carmine and Florian put some distance between them, and Kieran chest pounded. His sister was strong. There had been a reason no kids in Mossui Town had dared to mess with him despite their obvious desire to. Kieran knew this. Yet, as Florian sent out Forretress against Carmine’s Poochyena, he had a vague sense that his sister was outmatched.
“Florian’s crazy strong.”
“Hush, Kiki.”
“I think the timing of his decisive strike against Poltchageist was intentional. It seemed he was aimin’ for its crack from the start. How amazing is that?”
“No battle talk during dinner, Kiki!”
“That green Pokémon of his that looked like a standin’ Delcatty was so cool. He knocked out Vulpix even with type disadvantage... must’ve trained lots.”
“Listen to what I said!”
“Hey, you two! No fighting on the dining table!”
Kieran was convinced that it was Carmine’s revenge when she said to Florian, all casual, “My little brother here has been all googly-eyed over you since yesterday. He wouldn’t stop talking about you, even at home. I seriously couldn’t get him to shut up.”
Florian’s smile was more relaxed at the cost of Kieran becoming flustered. “Really?”
“S— Sis! What’re you tellin’ him that for, dummy!”
“Hey!” Carmine snapped. “Watch who you call “dummy”, if you know what’s good for you!”
“Aw, man…” Kieran muttered, turning away to hide his heated cheeks and defeated sigh.
He tried to tune out the mortifying nonsenses Carmine spouted about him, so it caught him off-guard when Carmine said, “Chin up, Kiki! Florian said he’ll battle you!”
Kieran’s head whipped up. “What?!” he gasped, a slight quiver in his voice. “W— wowzers, really?! You don’t mind?!”
Florian looked as composed as he always did, but he sounded just a bit eager when he said, “Not at all. Is a three-on-three okay?”
Kieran stammered. “I— I only brought two Pokémon, so… uh…”
“Two-on-two’s fine too. I look forward to battling with you.”
He’s so kind. Kieran remained awestruck when they stood across each other. Battles on Blueberry Academy filled him with a sense of resignation nowadays, an outcome from having his slim hope for victory dashed one too many times. He forgot that fighting strong opponents could be exhilarating as well; that his hand holding the Pokéball could tremble not only in anxiety, but also thrill.
“It was a fun battle, Kieran!”
Hand shaking his. Flush across one’s cheeks mirroring his own. Someone who was happy to had battled him, even though he lost.
Kieran wondered if this was how it felt to hold light within the palms of his hands.
He got way too worked up, Kieran thought as he ran towards Loyalty Plaza.
Still in high spirits after his previous battle, Kieran ended up catching a Poliwhirl and training his Pokémon along the way. He evolved Sentret, but lost track of time and was snapped out of it when a pack of passing Staravia screeched above him.
It wasn’t like he did it on purpose! It was just… when faced with someone as dazzling as Florian, he couldn’t help but want to keep up.
He found Florian in front of the signboard and rushed over. Florian flinched and turned towards him, making Kieran notice what he had done.
“S— sorry, did I startle ya?”
Florian smiled sheepishly. “A little bit, but it’s alright.”
“Aw, man…” Kieran muttered. He was not building an exactly good track record. “Did you wait long?”
“Don’t worry, I just got here.” Florian pointed towards the signboard. “Do you know this story, Kieran?”
Kieran’s breath hitched. “Yeah, I already know the whole story, so… g— go ahead. You should check it out.”
Florian nodded. Kieran’s stomach stirred in uneasiness. He bowed his head, words the townspeople both old and young had thrown at him circling his mind. You’re weird, Kieran, looking up to the bad guy. You’re disrespecting the Loyal Three. Keep that nonsense about the ogre away from us.
Florian wouldn’t say such things, right? He was brave and good and strong. He wouldn’t get scared like the others. Kieran hoped he wouldn’t.
“Isn’t it lonely?”
Kieran paused. “The ogre?”
Clearly surprised that Kieran had heard his murmur, Florian flushed in embarrassment as if someone had caught his hand in a cookie jar. “Sorry. It just… slipped out.”
“N— no, tell me more!” Kieran said. “I… like the ogre. The townspeople maybe not so much, but I do. So… I wanna hear what you think about it.”
“Oh,” Florian said, relieved. He went deep in thought. “I was thinking… isn’t the ogre lonely? It fought three Pokémon by itself and now it’s all alone in the mountain.” He hesitated. It seemed like he was looking at someone else through the drawings on the signboard. “I have a friend back in Paldea. She’s really strong but was… kind of lonely because of it. I was reminded of her when I read this story.”
Kieran eyes widened. “Stronger than you are?”
Florian nodded. “It takes everything I got to keep up with her.”
Those words were a warm blanket upon his heart. Turned out Florian was chasing after someone else too. “Wowzers… you Paldean folks are something else…” Still, he wondered why Florian had even wanted to battle him in the first place. Kieran quickly shook off the thought. “She might be almost as strong as the ogre.”
“Battling three opponents at once is something right up her alley,” Florian said, smiling. “Still, the ogre was impressive to hold its own like that.”
“I know, right?! That’s way cool!” Kieran exclaimed. “Most people think an ogre like that is scary, but I don’t think there’s any reason to be afraid.” He looked at the tall peaks surrounding them. “When I was little, I went up into the mountain so many times at night all on my own an’ I never once met that ogre. Only scary thing that happened was the grown-ups givin’ me a real earful about it…”
Kieran floundered, noticing he had chattered on. “Um… so yeah, we’re s’posed to take a photo in front of the signboard, right?” He peered nervously at Florian. “I don’t have a smartphone… could you…?”
“Sure,” Florian said. He took out his Rotom Phone, tinkered with it, and let it flew out of his grasp. Kieran’s eyes were glued on the red device, mesmerized. “Shall we?”
“Y— yeah…!” Kieran stuttered out. It was only when he was in front of the signboard that he realized he had no idea what pose to strike. He swiftly glanced over to Florian, finding that the other boy had held up his index and middle fingers, and mimicked it.
Regardless the disastrous outcome of his pose, the photo came out good. They were perfectly in the center and it was clear enough he could read the writing on the signboard. Kieran resolved to at least face the camera properly for the next one. “That turned out great. You’re even good at taking photos.”
Florian’s smile turned sheepish. “Thank you. You wanna try?”
“Oh, no! I didn’t mean—” Kieran backtracked. “M— maybe next time…”
Florian’s eyes gleamed. “Sure thing.”
Kieran opened his mouth but stalled, pondering for a moment. He decided to push through with it. “Y’know… I didn’t wanna have to come to this whole school trip thing, but… well… it might actually be kinda fun. I get to be out in nature around my hometown and talk to you, Florian…”
Kieran worried he had said the wrong thing when Florian ducked, his face hidden in the shadows casted by his hat. Apology was on the tip of his tongue when he saw Florian’s ears were dyed pink. “Actually… I was nervous too about this school trip. I worried I wouldn’t be able to get along well with you guys.” He looked bashful when he straightened up. “So I’m… I’m glad I met you, Kieran.”
Kieran didn’t know how red his face had become. He refused to know. His head spun, trying to string on sentences that would let him step into the common ground Florian had laid out. Something, anything. He willed the gears in his brain to stop drowning in elation and get them to work. C’mon, c’mon, c’mon—
Their stomach growled in unison.
Kieran and Florian looked at each other and broke into giggles. The action dispersed the tightness wounding Kieran’s entire body.
“Shall we have lunch?”
Kieran nodded in agreement. “M— maybe we could set up a picnic, if you want. Would you like a sandwich—”
White flashed before Kieran’s sight, and before he knew it an unfamiliar Pokémon appeared beside him. Its color and the shape of its head was reminiscence of Ekans, yet it stood on all fours and appeared to be a robot. It blinked and Kieran noticed its blue pupils were pixels.
“Wh— what is that thing?! Some kinda… kaiju or somethin’?!”
Florian chuckled, stroking the Pokémon’s chin. “This is my ride. It’s called Miraidon. You can pet it if you want.”
Kieran reached out—pausing for a second—and settled his palm on Miraidon’s head. It was cool to the touch. “I’ve never seen another Pokémon like this…” Kieran said, unaware of Florian’s body going stiff. Miraidon growled before gently pushing back against Kieran’s hand. Kieran moved his palm back and forth in a caressing motion. “No wonder you’re so strong, Florian. You’re… you’re special.”
“…Only because I have Miraidon and my friends,” Florian said. “So… picnic?”
Kieran had only ridden moped before, so he assumed riding Miraidon was how one would ride a motorbike. A motorbike who could fly.
He gazed longingly at Miraidon as Florian returned it to its Pokéball, wondering if the other boy would allow him to ride on its back again.
The second signboard told the story of the ogre’s mask. Kieran loved reading it as much as he loved going to Kitakami Hall to admire the objects in the tale. Their vibrant colors and the power they held enraptured him.
“It’s the first time I’ve heard of a Pokémon with this Ability,” Florian said.
“Isn’t that cool?” Kieran gushed. “The ogre was strong… and cool… and it didn’t even care when everyone shunned it…” He skimmed the text on the board. “I’ve always wanted be like that, ever since I was a kid. I want to be as cool as the ogre.”
Strange. It was so easy to admit all of this to Florian now. Perhaps it was due to the thread of hope dangling above him, formed by Florian’s earlier confession. He grabbed it in hope that Florian would understand.
“My sis sorta ends up doin’ everything for me, even when we’re at school.” Kieran adopted the determination he felt into his tone. “I… wanna try to get stronger. So I can do things for myself, you know? I’m gonna become someone people can rely on. Then, just maybe… I could be that ogre’s friend.”
Silence. Kieran anxiously glanced at Florian, bracing for the worst. He didn’t expect to be greeted with... awe.
Before Kieran could ask or interject, Florian hurriedly cleared his throat. He took a deep breath and held Kieran’s gaze.
“I was… like that too. Still am, sometimes. I wasn’t good at making friends and thought too much. I was bad at battles because of it.” He fidgeted. “Miraidon and my friends back at Paldea… they’re nothing like me. They’re strong and kind and smart. And Miraidon is… the bravest Pokémon I know.”
Kieran’s foothold shook. Florian had been like him. The person standing on the mountain’s peak, so out of his reach, had the same starting point as him. Kieran could hardly believe it, yet he desperately wanted to. Else, he would be far too afraid to take the first step forward.
“I want to become someone who can stand by their side, so I tried to be better and stronger,” Florian continued. “I’m still not sure if I made it, but… they’ve relied on me.” He carved a tiny smile. “So… maybe all my hard work wasn’t for nothing.”
Could… this be it? Could this be the hand that would pull him forward, should he reach out through the shroud of fear around him?
“C— can I be like you…?” Kieran asked. “Can I be strong and reliable... like you?”
“I’m sure you can,” Florian answered without hesitation. The hand had grabbed his and it was all Kieran needed to move onwards, trudging through the harsh terrain while holding on to hope that it wouldn’t be all in vain.
He had always been a good mountain climber, after all.
Kieran didn’t mind that he had lost to Florian again. He didn’t mind that they hadn’t found the ogre inside his cave. His journey had just begun, and the ogre had always been an elusive Pokémon.
It was more important that Florian wanted to visit his home. It was more important that he called Kieran his friend. It was more important that Florian wanted to go to the festival with him.
Kieran gawked at Florian after the other boy had his bangs tied up. It was the first time he had such a clear view of Florian’s face.
Beneath his gaze, Florian grew progressively redder and redder until he covered his face with his palm. “Sorry. I’m… I’m not used to this hairdo yet.”
“You look good, Florian!” Kieran assured.
“Kieran’s right. It suits you mighty fine, just as I thought it would!” his grandma echoed his sentiments, followed by his grandpa.
“Goodness, it’s like I’ve gained another grandson!”
“Th— thank you…” Florian mumbled with ears redder than a Crawdunt. Everyone chuckled good-naturedly. The air was warm and all was right in the world.
Kieran always liked starlight better than festival lamps. But today, he didn’t mind drowning in their orange glow since he was bathed in them together with a friend.
“Uh, here, Florian… you can have one,” Kieran said, handing over the red treat in his hand.
“You sure?” Florian asked, eyeing the candy apple curiously.
“Grandma gave me some pocket money, so it’s no big deal.”
Florian returned Kieran’s smile with his own. “Thank you.”
They continued walking around. Kieran bit into his candy apple and caught Florian watching him from the corner of his eye. As Kieran chewed, Florian carefully took a small bite out of his own.
Florian’s eyebrows rose. “It’s delicious,” he said, following it with mumblings. “It’s sweet… and sour… and soft on the inside. The texture’s like a hard candy. No wonder it’s called one.”
“I’m glad you liked it.” Kieran beamed. “I love candy apples. You don’t get to eat them every day, y’know? Grandma always just makes us mochi as a snack. There’s even a Pokémon in Kitakami that looks like a little ol’ candy apple, didja know that?”
Florian paused. “Is it Dipplin?”
This time, it was Kieran’s eyebrows that shot up. “You’ve seen ‘em?”
“No, I… I got them, from where I’m from.”
“Paldea?”
“Galar.”
“Whoa, so you moved from Galar to Paldea, and now you went on a trip to Kitakami,” Kieran marveled. “I hope I can get used to new places like you soon.”
“No need to rush. It wasn’t easy for me either,” Florian admitted. “I couldn’t fit with the others well… back in Galar. Pokémon battles are very competitive there. I wasn’t very good at battling then, so…”
“You’re great at ‘em now, though. I’ve never seen anyone as strong as you. I’m sure you’d take ‘em up by storm if you returned.”
Florian smiled shyly. “Thank you, Kieran.”
Suddenly nervous, Kieran’s eyes darted around until it landed at a random stall. “H— hey, let’s check that out over there!” He said though he couldn’t quite make out the letters on the signboard.
It was the Ogre Oustin’ stall. Worse, his sister came over and challenged Florian again. Had this transpired this morning, Kieran would try and fail to stop her. But as it was now, they exchanged glances with twinkles in their eyes and he did what any friend should do.
“Go get her, Florian!”
Kieran laid on his bed, dangling the blue charm above him. It was pretty. Its calm color reminded him of Florian.
He shifted to lie on his side. He titled his head and the sight of the night sky through his window entered his peripheral. Most of the stars had shied away from the hustle and bustle of the festival, leaving only the bravest ones to shine. Kieran held up the charm between them, envisioning it as a part of their cluster.
Florian had given it to him. It was a prize from his record-breaking result in Ogre Oustin’, but he had chosen to give it to Kieran with a grin.
This was the first time he had ever held a star.
Kieran wrapped his fingers around the charm. He was happy. Florian was his friend. He might be standing far above from where Kieran was, but he’d run down and pull Kieran up should Kieran stumble and fall. That was what friends were for. It didn’t matter if his sister badmouthed him to Florian behind his back, because he was sure Florian would take his side.
Clutching the charm beside him, Kieran closed his eyes. This school trip was enough of a happy dream for tonight.
But like every dream, one would eventually wake up.
Kieran stared at the asphalt below him. He’d heard enough. The rest of Florian, Carmine, and his grandpa’s chattering was no more than white noises.
Something cracked. Kieran made his way towards the nearest shop he could find. His stomach churned. His entire body felt cold, and it wasn’t because of the shade.
It got to be his sister’s idea. She must be bullying Florian into doing her bidding. Though, could she, when Florian had stood tall against her when they first met?
Nonetheless, Florian would explain everything once Kieran asked. He should. That was what friends do. They didn’t lie to each other, especially when it came to something precious.
Kieran raised his head. The blue summer sky looked like haze to him.
“What were you and my sis just, uh… talkin’ about?”
Florian’ fidgeted. His gaze slipped away from Kieran’s face. “Nothing much…”
The fissures expanded. Suddenly, the boy in front of him wasn’t the Florian he met a day ago. Pieces of sugar candy coating covering Florian fell, revealing a person plastering on a smile to appear nice to him while mocking him behind his back. Just like those students at Blueberry Academy.
Kieran droned on about the last signboard. He told Florian to go on ahead.
Florian was silent for a long moment. “…We can ride Miraidon, if you want.”
Kieran snapped the branch offered to him. Was it even a branch in the first place? He couldn’t tell anymore. “No, it’s okay. I’ll catch up.”
Florian slowly nodded. He went ahead, leaving Kieran with poison swirling inside his head.
Something cracked and shattered. Kieran realized it was his delusion of their friendship.
The truth was, Kieran had other Pokémon. Dipplin. Gligar. Carmorant. Nosepass. Nuzleaf. He simply hadn’t brought them to battle because he was afraid his losing streak had brought their morale down.
He hadn’t even intended for Dipplin to battle today. Kieran brought him with the purpose of showing him to Florian, the way Florian had shown him Miraidon.
That plan felt far away now, like days of early childhood. In front of him, Dipplin fainted, leaving a bitter taste on his tongue. His nails dug into his palms. This was because he was too weak. That was why he…
“Left all alone like that… treated like some kind of outcast…”
Creases formed between Florian’s eyebrows. When he spoke, he sounded remorseful. “Kieran, I’m sorry—”
“…For what?” Kieran muttered. Florian didn’t answer, head turned down.
Kieran couldn’t fathom why someone so strong could be so prone to conscience. It was pointless.
They took the last picture. Kieran walked forward, never looking back.
Kieran was alone all over again at the starting point. A storm surrounded him, colored deep gray.
Far above, something glittered, brilliant enough to break through the clouds and roaring winds. It was Florian. Kieran glared at it.
Breaking through this storm by himself would be difficult. He’d come out in tatters, with barely any energy to make the climb to the peak. It would be much easier to ask Florian to help him.
The idea repulsed him, for it was one of a weakling’s. Kieran marched onwards, uncaring of the gale tearing into him.
Ogerpon’s mask was beautiful. It was teal and bright green in color, with an imposing expression befitting of a powerful Pokémon. This was the thing his sister and Florian desperately tried to hide from him. Rage simmered under his skin. He grabbed the mask and ran all the way to Loyalty Plaza.
A Pokémon’s footsteps echoed behind him. Kieran had heard it enough to tell it was Miraidon. Two pairs of human feet landed on the ground, followed by the sound of Pokéball popping open.
So his sister had ridden on Miraidon too. “Florian…”
“Kieran, I…”
“Kiki! What in the world do you think you’re doing?!”
Kieran turned towards them. “You two knew, didn’t you? You knew that the ogre wasn’t the real bad guy in the stories.” Reaching his boiling point, his temper spilled over. “The Loyal Three were the real bad guys, but the ogre’s the one that gets treated like an outcast!”
“You… you knew?” Carmine murmured.
“And you two did the same thing to me!” Kieran yelled. “You treated me like an outcast when you went an’ met with the ogre!”
“Th— that wasn’t our—”
“I— I’m sorry! I didn’t mean—”
“You’re no different than those villagers back then,” Kieran snapped. “You know how much I love the ogre! You acted like you didn’t know anything, but you were laughing at me behind my back all along!”
“That’s not what happened at—”
“That’s not it, Kieran!” Florian shouted, surprising them both. “We’re sorry we lied to you and made you feel that way, but we didn’t do it to make fun of you!”
“Liar! You’re a LIAR!!!”
“What’s gotten into you, Kiki?! You’re acting real off today!”
Kieran glowered, pinning his eyes at the boy in front of him. “Florian, battle me. If you win I’ll give you back the mask,” he said, voice almost a growl. “So c’mon… battle me already!”
Guilt and dismay had crumpled Florian’s expression, but one deep breath was all it took for him to return Kieran’s gaze with his own level one. “Are you sure?”
“I… I need this battle. I’m not gonna hold anything back, you hear me!”
Florian closed his eyes for a moment. When he snapped them back open, Kieran was faced with a pair of intense brown—the very same one directed towards his sister at their first meeting in Mossui Town. “Okay.”
Kieran ran. He ran and ran and ran; stumbling over gravels, shooting through the commotion in town, and into the gate of his home. Despite making it that far, he failed to take another step further because he was yanked by the collar of his shirt.
“Kiki.”
It was his sister.
“I don’t wanna hear it.”
Carmine sighed, letting him go. She went in front of him and gripped locks of her hair. A habit she did whenever she was in distress.
“I’ll… I’ll say it anyway. I’m sorry for hiding Ogerpon from you. Don’t be too mad at Florian too. I and Grandpa were the ones who made him promise not to tell you because…” she paused. “We’ll tell you later. It’s only right if I and Florian were there.”
Kieran stubbornly kept his head down without saying anything.
“Kiki…” It was the first time he heard his sister sounding helpless. She shoved something into his line of sight. It was the mask.
“You want me to say sorry to him, right?” Kieran grumbled.
“That, yes. But more importantly, we need you to help out Ogerpon. It’s in trouble!”
That earned his attention. Kieran’s heartbeat hammered in his ears. Summer sun didn’t seem so dull anymore.
Carmine grinned. “Let’s get this mask fixed up first.”
Kieran couldn’t tell what snapped him out of it: the sight of Florian struggling against the Loyal Three or Ogerpon.
Memories of the things Florian confided in him flooded his mind. He was so stupid, Kieran reprimanded himself, feeling nauseous. How foolish for him to immediately dismiss ruptures in Kieran’s image of Florian as a sign of rotten core instead of imperfections. Florian was a good person, but he was human as well.
“Florian… I… uh…”
Carmine gave him the push. “Go on, say it properly!”
“A— about the mask. I just got so angry, and what I did was real dumb.” He walked towards Florian, gathering the courage to look at him in the eyes. “So… I’m sorry.”
Florian’s lips trembled. “I’m sorry too, Kieran. I— I was convinced that by not telling you about Ogerpon, I wouldn’t hurt you.” His fist clenched the fabric over his chest. “Now… I know how wrong I was.”
He wouldn’t think so if you weren’t so weak, Kieran’s mind supplied. Kieran tried to shut it out, for now wasn’t the right time. “Thank you, Florian.”
Pon pon.
The moment broke as all pairs of eyes zoomed onto Ogerpon. Kieran dashed towards it. He could barely believe his sight. “It’s really you… the real-life ogre...”
Its head was like an orange Oran Berry. It stood on two legs and was as green as its mask. There were white flowers peppered all over its torso and black spikes framing its face. Yet, what caught Kieran’s attention the most was its eyes. They were bright yellow and had pupils in the shape of the stars Kieran had yearned for.
Kieran chuckled in amazement. He had never been more glad that he had continued to believe in the Pokémon in front of him. “Wowzers… you’re really something!”
“You wanted to be the one to give the mask back to Ogerpon, right, Kiki?” Carmine said.
"Mm-hm." With hope blossoming between his ribs, Kieran held out the mask. His dream was finally coming true. The tumbles and bruises he endured to arrive at this point hadn't been for nothing. Kieran tried as hard as he could to hide his tremor. “This is… for you, dear ogre.”
Ogerpon shrunk back. Kieran’s stomach dropped. The bloom within his chest wilted.
Carmine’s voice sounded far away. “It seems scared… maybe it’s not good with new people, Kiki.”
Right. Right. This was for Ogerpon, he reminded himself. He faced Florian.
“I don’t think it’ll take the mask if I’m the one giving it back. You should be the one to do it, Florian.”
His tone was robotic, even for himself.
Florian hesitated before going to Kieran’s side. Kieran froze in shock as instead of taking the mask, Florian settled his hand upon Kieran’s knuckles.
“Let’s give it to Ogerpon together,” Florian said.
This is kindness, a tiny rational part of Kieran reminded, but it was drowned out by the no, this is pity belief that came in droves. The contradiction left his body stiff, free to be led around by Florian. Florian offered the mask with a, here you go, Ogerpon, and it sounded like damnation.
Ogerpon took the mask from their hands and wore it, prancing around happily. Kieran couldn’t find it in himself to smile at the spectacle.
Carmine did. “It looks so happy! It seems pretty comfortable around you, Florian.”
Florian, not him. Always Florian. Someone who could hold his own against the Loyal Three, not someone kept losing over and over again at the battlefield of another region.
Something noxious gurgled inside his chest.
On the town's bridge, Kieran’s belly stirred uneasily.
He needed to weed out his weakness at its root. To do that, he had to face the fear that had tormented him for so long.
He gripped the railings. His breath was coming up short. Memories flashed in his head: angry and pitying adults, children mocking him and kicking him out of their groups, gazes that hurt and whisperings which cut deep. All combined into one concoction that made living here a lifelong suffocation.
Kieran inhaled deeply to ease himself. He changed up his recollection—conjuring the picture of Florian on his first day at Kitakami. Fearful when faced with an unknown threat, yet met it head-on all the same.
If he couldn’t even do that, the gap between him and Florian would never close up. He wouldn’t be worthy of Ogerpon and Ogerpon wouldn’t look at him. But if he overcame this and gave Ogerpon a new place to call home, then maybe…
Kieran looked ahead and ran once more.
“Hey, you know what? I think Ogerpon might want to go with you, Florian.”
Everything was falling apart. Kieran slipped his fingers between his locks and repeatedly yanked it, disguising the movement as scratching.
“If it’s not gonna stay here, then I... I wanna…” He hunched forward. “I want Ogerpon to come with me!”
Florian went completely still. Carmine murmured, “Kiki…”
Desperation was interwoven into each of Kieran’s word. “I know I’m bein’ real selfish. But Florian, please let me battle you! I want to see which one of us should get to keep Ogerpon with them!”
Florian came into his senses. He sounded equally desperate when he begged, “Kieran… let’s talk this out. We’ll get Ogerpon to understand.”
“He’s right, Kiki,” Carmine said. “I know you really love Ogerpon. I really, honestly understand. But… you have to think about Ogerpon’s feelings too.”
Kieran gritted his teeth. “…I want to battle anyway.”
Florian stepped towards him. “It doesn’t have to come to that. We can—”
“I want to!” Kieran shouted, drawing Florian to a halt. “So get into your position and don’t you dare go easy on me.”
Florian’s expression was akin to a fractured mirror. The breath he drew in trembled. “…I won't,” he said, taking out his Pokéball and gripping it tightly, as if he sought to get through Kieran with it. He might look pained, but his brown eyes were steel. “Let’s battle.”
It ached, somewhere inside his chest. An admission of his guilt. However, the frustration and hunger gnawing at the pit of his stomach climbed up to devour it, leaving nothing but thirst for victory by the time he sent out Shiftry.
Terastallization was like having a star within the palm of your hand, Kieran discovered.
The orb in Florian’s hand shone in seven colors, their hue bright enough to dye the ground in their shades. The light spun, leaving shimmers in its wake, and went into the orb with one last glint. It was condensed into a ball of pure white light—an absolute power to be held.
Florian threw the orb into the air. It sparkled blindingly and shattered, its dust forming a cocoon of crystal engulfing Meowscarada in an instant. Illuminated by sun and reflecting the colors of its surrounding, its transparent surface created kaleidoscopic patterns.
In a flash, the crystal burst, revealing Meowscarada wrapped in gems, dazzling and powerful.
Kieran had dreamed of seizing the stars ever since he was little. It was one of his few solace in his lonely days. He had wished upon them, wished to be like them, dreamed of holding them close to his chest as he fell asleep.
Witnessing Florian owning them from the very start and wielding them with the ease of a second nature, despair opened its maw beneath Kieran’s feet.
Ogerpon stayed with Florian. There were no proper goodbyes between them. The school trip ended uneventfully, just like that.
It was an ending fitting for a weakling.
It was the day he returned to Blueberry Academy. Kieran looked around his room one last time, making sure no necessities were left behind. His gaze lingered at the blue charm inside the trash can, but he eventually tore his eyes away and walked out.
He couldn’t afford to doubt himself now. He'd learned half-hearted efforts bore no fruit, so he had thrown away anything holding him back. His dream and pride were in pieces, and it was up to him alone to assemble them back together though his hand might bleed.
The light shining at the peak was still far away; further than it always been. Perhaps, it was unreachable by ordinary means. Perhaps, instead of a summit, it was high up in the sky. Perhaps, he was never meant to get there.
None of them mattered to Kieran. If he was too ragged to advance through the terrain, he’d crawl his way up to the top. If it was so far up in the sky, he’d shoot it down. If destiny dictated him to not make his way there, he’d carve up a path of his own.
Kieran the weakling was no more. He had been buried away the day he lost Ogerpon and his last battle at Oni Mountain, with no flowers scattered over his grave.
The next time Florian met him… he would meet someone who had grasped a star within his hands.