Promise

She busts through his front door.

"Cheren, did you get—"

He holds up a piece of paper.

"Yeah."

"Would it kill you to act sad for once?"

(Cheren, promise you won't be sad. I don't know how long I'll be gone but I will be back so please—

Don't worry about me—

I don't know where I'm going—

Look after Bianca, please—)

Maybe it would.

"Wow, an official research assistant to Professor Juniper? Congratulations!"

"Thank you! It's so exciting!"

(Bianca, your love for Pokemon is truly one of the purest things I've witnessed—

I know you'll put it to good—)

"So when are you gonna become a gym leader, huh?" she nudges.

He frowns.

"Lenora officially retired yesterday."

Her head perks up.

"So does that mean...!"

"You're looking at Unova's newest gym leader," he grins.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you!"

"But I'm taking over the new Trainer's School in Aspertia. I won't be close by anymore."

"Oh, who cares! You're acting like I can't just fly to Aspertia! Besides, I'm out doing field work so often it's not like I see you much in Nuvema anyway."

"Just saying." He puts his hands up defensively.

"Either way that's so cool! You'll make an excellent gym leader. Especially that now your face doesn't look as grumpy. You would've scared off the challengers."

"What do you mean my 'face doesn't look as grumpy'?" He's slightly offended.

"Well, I think your prescription wasn't strong enough. So I think your squinting plus your scrunched brows plus stick the up your butt didn't make a good combo before."

Now he's really offended.

"It's already been five years. Can you believe it?"

He knows. He knows and he's tired. He's tired of the little emptiness in his heart and he's sad. He's sad that he can't just pick up the Xtransceiver and tell him anything.

"Bianca."

She doesn't turn around just yet.

"Do you... do you really think he'll come back?"

"Yes." She sounds shaky. "He's never broken a promise. The letters—he said he would come back—"

Oh, right. The letters.

(I will be back. I don't know how long I'll take but I will be back.

Cross my heart—)

It's quiet in Nuvema. It always is now.

The two find themselves laying down outside, eyes closed to savor the rare time their breaks overlap.

It's comfortable, the silence.

"You two look peaceful."

(That voice—

So familiar—)

They open their eyes.

A/N: I don't even know how long it's been since I last posted lmaoooo. I recently found this draft that I never posted, so I thought why not post it now? I haven't been on this site in years, and my god the nostalgia!

In all honesty, this is probably the last thing I'll publish here. So, thank you so much for reading. If you're one of the rare people following my work, thank you for sticking around. It's nice (and uh maybe cringy) to look back at my old fics and it reminds me of that time where I was really into writing because it was fun. I don't regret it! Even though I don't really write anymore, I still read fics occasionally and it makes my heart happy thinking that people are out here having their own fun writing stories, whether it's a hobby or a starting point to their career. If you're still reading this suuuper long a/n, I hope you're living your best life! I hope your present and future is good to you—we all deserve that!