Pieces of Us (SatoGou)

Chapter 8

Double upload woooo <3

Dawn forces me to stop in Viridian City for ice cream on the way back to Pallet Town. The flight is tomorrow, so I told them they could come with me to pick Pikachu up, and stay the night. I know Mom won't mind, especially when she sees Dawn. Sometimes I think she might even like Dawn more than me, but that hardly bothers me. I'm just glad she loves my best friend.

She can tell something's up with me, and tries to probe, but when I don't give her anything she seems to give up. I know her too well, though, and I know she's just waiting to pick it back up later on, when she thinks she might have another chance. I don't feel like talking about Goh, or the stupid feelings I may have started to develop. Besides, it's not like they really had time to take hold, so after a couple of weeks I'll likely have forgotten about them completely. If I voice them to her or Chloe, it makes them so much more real. It doesn't have to be deep. It's nothing.

It's another unnaturally warm day, the sun beaming in the sky. Chloe fusses over Dawn, repeatedly topping up her sun cream. We're sitting on a patch of grass in the park, ice cream melting over the side of the cone and onto my hand. Chloe's Eevee has her own ice cream, which she's sharing with Piplup beside us.

Remembering the story Goh told me last night about Arceus and Jirachi, I look between Dawn and Chloe, and I know instantly that they're soulmates. I suppose once you know, you can just tell. Dawn raises an eyebrow at me.

"What?"

I shake my head and look at Chloe. "Did you know that soulmates are real?" I ask. Surely Goh would have told her about something like that. Dawn chokes on air, repeating herself, louder this time.

Chloe bites her lip. "Yeah, Goh told me."

"Sorry, backup a moment," Dawn says, holding up her hand. "What?"

"He told me last night that he asked Arceus about it, and that soulmates are real, and everyone has one."

Dawn shakes her head in disbelief. "There's so much to unpack in that sentence. I'm not even going to ask how he spoke to Arceus. Why were you talking about that?"

I feel myself blush. "He asked me what the psychic said to me, and I told him."

Dawn and Chloe share a private look, and my stomach twists. "What?"

"Nothing," they both say at the same time. Dawn clears her throat. "Well, then. You know that you've met yours for sure, then."

"And you," I counter, trying to get the attention away from me. Chloe and Dawn share a look again, but neither of them seems surprised. They just seem super happy. My heart swells for them, despite everything. They're perfect for one another. It makes me wonder if Arceus ever gets it wrong, if sometimes soulmates aren't perfect for each other.

We finish our ice creams and play with Eevee and Piplup for a little while before getting back in the car for the final half-hour drive to Pallet. Dawn connects her phone to my car and plays annoying upbeat pop songs, singing along loudly in the passenger seat. Chloe watches her from the back, completely smitten.

When we pull up outside my house, Mom must have saw us coming, because she's waiting in the doorway, Pikachu on her shoulder and Mr. Mime by her side. He jumps down as I step out of the car and leaps onto my shoulder, rubbing his face against my cheek and squealing. I laugh, feeling a little better, and scratch his head, whispering a greeting to him.

"I brought surprise visitors," I say to Mom as Dawn hops out of the passenger seat and Chloe steps out the back.

"Hey Mrs. Ketchum," Dawn chirps.