Firsts

Summer.

“Mom! N and I are here!”

N really had to appreciate the close bond that Touko and her mother shared. Although N had never had many close friends (any, in fact), he knew that most children didn’t barge into their parent’s home, yelling. Touko haphazardly stripped off her boots and tossed them on the small bamboo mat near the front door. N gulped, and shuffled awkwardly near the door, adjusting the weight of the basket from arm to arm.

“Oh,” Touko giggled, noticing N standing uncomfortably by the door, “You live in a big palace, not a dinky little country home.” Touko grinned. N loved that about her, how she wasn’t ashamed of the small home she grew up in, nor the fact that she wasn’t raised like royalty, like himself. She counted herself lucky everyday she woke up with her mother and Pokémon happy and well. N grinned sheepishly and nodded.

“Here,” Touko said, relieving N of the basket, “Just take your shoes off and put them on the mat.”

N did as instructed, and neatly placed his bright green tennis shoes next to Touko’s thrown ones.

“Hey, mom.” Touko smiled coming into the kitchen, N following slightly behind. The kitchen was much smaller than N’s. But it also looked much homier than N’s large kitchen used for catering large parties that Ghetsis would throw. There was a small island in the center of the kitchen, with four tall stools, on top of the island sat glass bowl, filled with fruit. The window behind the deep sink was thrown open to capture some of the late afternoon breeze.

Akiko was busy at the sink when they came in. She gave a wave over her shoulder; her fingertips were covered with small grains of sticky rice.

“Hi there, kids!” She said cheerfully, never turning her back.

“Where did you find my runaway daughter, N?” Akiko said with her back turned, the grin clear in her voice. Touko rolled her eyes before going to the sleek silver refrigerator and extracting two bottles of water.

“She was just training, ma’am.” N said, shyly. Akiko gave a huge laugh that sounded deep from her slim belly. N smiled; she laughed like her daughter.

“There’s no need to call me ma’am, N.” Akiko smiled, finally turning around, “Akiko will be fine.” She smiled, giving N a wink. N smiled sheepishly and nodded. Touko handed a water bottle to N.

“So, where’s this lunch I heard about?” Touko asked her mother. Akiko grinned in a wild excited way. N was reminded forcefully of someone else’s’ wild excitement at the prospect of a battle.

“Well, I was just going to make curry for you and I but, seeing as we have a guest, I thought I’d make something a little special…” Akiko made a big show of turning around and then back again.

“Ta-da!” Akiko grinned. N stared, not believing what Akiko sat on the island. A heartbeat of silence pasted. In which N started, Akiko beamed, and finally, Touko let out an aggravated groan.

“Mom! Bento?” Touko hissed, her face turning bright red. Akiko clucked in a mother hen sort of way.

“Oh, Touko! All your favorites are in there. And I thought—“

“Mom, I am eighteen years old. I am far too old for bento boxes!” Touko growled, looking at her mother with eyes so sharp, that she hardly noticed N’s reaction.

N stared down at the two boxes, one shaped like a Litwick, the other shaped like a Vanillite. Growing up in a harsh and strictly controlled household, there was nobody to make him a homemade bento box. In fact, when he was a child, he only ate at fancy and very formal dinners focused on Ghetsis’ guests and the wild berries that grew on Plasma Palace’s massive grounds. But he heard about box lunches, and had always wanted one. And he got his chance when he went on his journey.

N had his first bento box when he started his journey, three years ago. He bought a small lunch at the train station in Anville Town. He loved it, all the little side dishes and everything. But now he had a homemade bento box, and he could hardly wait to taste it. He looked back at Touko, who was arguing, red faced with her mother. He always thought Touko had a fierce stubbornness about her. But Akiko, he noted with a smile, seemed totally unfazed by her daughter’s ranting. She had her own cool, collected stubbornness.

“Erm… Touko?” N ventured softly, placing a large hand on her shoulder. Touko turned bright and sharp eyes on him; the battle light blazing there seemed to soften a little at his gentle touch. Akiko watched from the sink, mildly interested.

“I’ve never had a homemade lunch box before—“ He began awkwardly.

“Never?” both women said in unison. N smiled sheepishly, and nodded.

“No. But I’d be honored to eat yours, ma’a—Akiko.” He smiled at Akiko, who smiled warmly in return. He stumbled over calling Akiko by her name, but she couldn’t help but smile. This kid was cute.

“Touko,” He said, looking at the sad look on her beautiful face, “Let’s go eat.”

He gathered up both the Pokémon shaped boxes in his arms, he shifted the two boxes to one arm and tried to grab the basket of berries, too.

“No, let me get that.” Touko said softly, and grabbed the basket. She headed quickly out of the kitchen, very pink in the face.

“Thank you, again.” N said to Akiko. Akiko waved a small hand dismissively.

“Any time, dear. I hope you enjoy. They’re just leftovers from this week, but none the less…” She trailed off, but N gave her a smile.

“I’m sure it’ll be great.” He reassured her. Akiko gave him a very warm and motherly smile.

“And tell that daughter of mine, that at least somebody appreciates my cooking!” She called loudly across the house, giving N a final wink. N followed the sounds of the slamming door outside.

~ ~

“This is the best!”

N was beside himself with childish happiness. He loved everything about this leftover lunch. Akiko had taken the time to shape the foods into Pokémon. There were rice balls in the form of Cottonee and Solsis, bell peppers cut into little Frillish shapes and even little kabobs that looked like Klink. Although, Touko had to explain what most of the little dishes were, N enjoyed every single one of them. He especially enjoyed the croquettes with little bits of ham folded into the fluffy center.

“You’ve really never had a bento box?” Touko asked, looking at a kabob, as if it the grilled teriyaki chicken was very interesting. N swallowed a mouth full of sticky rice flavored with salt.

“No,” he said with a small, rueful smile, “Ghetsis was never the type for these kinds of things.”

A heartbeat of uncomfortable silence passed.

“Do you hear from him? Ghetsis, I mean?” Touko ventured softly, nibbling on a Pecha berry. N looked out into the bright white sun. Touko had insisted that they enjoy lunch on Nuvema’s tiny beach front. There, all their Pokémon played, with the exception of Touko’s Lampent. His Pokémon seemed happy for the company of other Pokémon. Even Zekrom (who Touko insisted wouldn’t be seen), wasn’t looking as sullen as it usually was. Touko’s tiny Foongus kept poking at Zekrom’s sleek black body, truly fascinated at a Pokémon larger than Samurott.

“No.” N said dryly, “He doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore. Now that I know people and Pokémon can coexist peacefully. I foiled his plan to rule Unova… I mean, you foiled his plan.” N added with a tiny smile in Touko’s direction.

“You battled exceptionally against Ghetsis.” N said quietly, casting a glance at Touko. Touko’s face was bright pink at his compliment. She recovered by shoving a rice ball into her mouth. N chuckled softly at her.

“You have rice on your cheek.” He said with laughter still in his voice. Touko blushed a deeper pink, and quickly swiped at her cheeks, completely missing the few errant grains of rice. N laughed fully now.

“No, here.” He said and brushed the few grains away with a stroke of his long fingers. He loved the softness of her cheek. Touko looked at him a heartbeat before turning away and swallowing the mouthful of rice. N felt his heart rate speed up; her blush was very cute. These feelings were so foreign and strange to him, but he couldn’t help liking the feeling of tiny Woobat fluttering in his stomach.

“What made you change your mind about people and Pokémon?” Touko asked, trying to slow her own rapid heartbeat. N smiled and looked her square in the eye. His light gray gaze held her blue one, and he said slowly and truthfully.

“You did, Touko.”