Desolate [Pokémon Arven x Protagonist]

Into the Crater

We were really about to spend the night in the Great Crater of Paldea. I had to let it sink in. I should be terrified, but the adventure sounded so exciting! No one was permitted around the gates, and heading there went against everyone's constant advice. It felt like a classroom dare we would push each other to do as kids, but this real. The last time I went against my own morality and deviated from what I was told—

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I frowned. My thoughts hadn't been violated by that pest of a mother since I had let go of my guilt. I hadn't let her bother me, but now she was, and now that I was thinking about it, did that count as letting her get to me? Was I relapsing? Would I fall back into the torment I've been trying to escape since my mom left me alone?

The elevator opened and made me jump. I started walking to my dorm. I was thinking too much again. I always thought too much. It's what got me so paranoid. All the time. About everything. Was that what it was? The voices? Were they going to haunt me forever as long as I was conscious? Was my mental state faulty for the rest of my life? Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Stop thinking! Stop thinking! I was breathing quickly, and I could hear my  heartbeat pounding in my chest. I had to stop thinking about the past before it consumed me and I froze up again.

"Woah! Are you okay?" I blinked and saw Penny at my door. I had forgotten she said she would meet me there.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied and scrambled through my bag for my ID.

"You know I'm always here to talk about anything."

I unlocked my door and opened it, holding it open for her to come in. "I know, but I'm fine." I opened my backpack to take out all my school materials to make room for what I wanted to take.

"If it makes you feel any better, Director Clavell said I could go with you and that Nemona girl," Penny stated.

"That's good," I said, blankly. "Did you pack everything? Sweaters? Blankets?"

"Yep." She turned around and shook her backpack to make its eevee tail wag. I shoved in my smallest pillow, blanket, a change of clothes, a toothbrush and toothpaste. I stood in the kitchen for a moment.

"Arven'll probably bring the plates," I excused.

"Who's Arven?" Penny asked. I pondered whether it would be wise to tell her. All of us would be stuck in one place for a while, so if I told her now, Nemona would likely hear about it. I was going to let Arven decide when he wanted the school to know about us.

"One of the students coming with us," I answered.

"Dang. How many people did you invite?"

I chuckled, noticing my previous panic had faded away, "Just three."

"Well," Penny shrugged. "I guess we're going on that silly stone adventure you've been wanting to do." I remembered the idealized fantasy I made up around the time I found Umbreon. We had both grown so much since then.

"Yeah, I guess so." I zipped up my backpack and hauled it onto my back. "Ready to go?" Penny nodded, and I did one final count of my Pokémon on my belt before we both left for the elevators.

After a warm goodbye from the staff at the academy entryway, Koraidon let himself out, knowing we were about to travel. "What's it doing?"