Chapter Text
The orphanage of Mauville was a small, square-shaped building in the outskirts of the city. From its classic detached outlay, so different from the modern, multi-storey complexes that had been built a couple years ago in the centre of the city, it wasn't difficult to tell the approximate age of the institution. In all of the years it had been running, the children's house had never been the greatest or the fanciest building around. But now it wasn't even the shadow of what it had been about fifty years ago; one could immediately tell just by passing by the rickety front fence and looking up to the chipped walls, covered in faded layers of once colourful paintings, and the broken swing set in the lawn, fixed with a dangerously shaggy old rope.
Still, despite its lamentable outside state, the inside of the building seemed to make up to an extent for the look of the whole complex. Although lacking in size - the house had never sheltered more than thirty children altogether - the colourful walls were lined up with hundreds of the children's drawings and advice signs for the kids about minding personal hygiene and courtesy. The old-fashioned infantile furniture wasn't precisely the embodiment of elegance, what with all the glittery stickers and the round corners, but it definitely was the best suited for a house full of toddlers. Even the administrative office and the waiting room for couples next to it had a childish atmosphere to their décor.
But not even the cozy waiting room could have done anything to relax and calm down the growing anxiety of the two men that there expected. The taller of the two, a dark-skinned brunette with an abundant beard and a distinctive cross-shaped scar over the bridge of his nose, paced back and forth the tiny aisle.
"Ten minutes. Ten minutes we've been waitin' here. I'm gonna knock the damn door down," he muttered between his teeth.
His partner, who sat by the white wooden target of the other's impatience-induced rage, took off a strand of his bright red hair off his freckle-covered face. He then stood up from the bright green coach he was sitting in. He was skinnier and a bit shorter than the brunette, but a single disapproval glare from him made the other shiver in awe. "I advise you refrain from doing that, because if you don't," he said dryly, facing his husband, "we can forget of coming back here for a long, long time."
The larger man pouted, but the redhead promptly broke his severe expression, pecked his lips and cupped his face in his shaky hands. A rasp tickling ran through his fingertips as he touched that thick beard which always left red marks over his pale, sensitive skin, but at the moment he didn't mind. He gazed into the other's attractive blue eyes.
"Maxie we... we've waited so long for this, I just can't take it anymore."
"I know, Archie," replied the redhead, "I am nervous too." A skeptical look and a questioning ‘How is that?’ made Maxie correct himself. "Well, nervous doesn't quite fit. I would rather say I'm terrified," he blurted out, an anxious little laugh escaping his lips.
"C'mon, now yer just shittin’ on me." Archie laughed, but his smile faded away when he saw how Maxie bit his lip, afflicted eyes looking away from him. "Hey. Max. You’re not serious, right?" he asked, concern showing up in his voice.
"Oh, no, don't get me wrong. We want this. I want this. But... it feels... odd." He confessed, slumping down on a weathered sofa that protested with a slight creak. "I had not realised what it would mean to actually face the end of all this. I feel out of place."
Bent over with his elbows on his knees, he buried his face in his hands, his glasses resting over his messy fringe. Archie observed the scene with worry. The last months had been a constant fight against mountains of paperwork full of thousands of blank spaces requiring signatures, IDs and other official data in the dull maremagnum of black and white; a true expedition through hundreds of files, permissions, and a myriad of other legal preparations, an excruciating challenge every time one of the dreaded inspectors or a social worker visited their household. But, although they had kept repeating over and over how much the sacrifice would be worth in the end, and they had dedicated some time to themselves as well, that didn't stop weariness from making its visible appearance.
And, despite the effort both had put into their looks for the first impression, Archie could still notice the reddened eyes of his partner after the final sleepless night of going through all the paperwork; he could still remember how that morning trying to comb his hair into its usual slick, neat look had been rendered impossible and how he had opted for a lazy ponytail instead. And he felt his heart miss a beat when his mind returned to reality.
Archie sat down next to him, the couch's cushions sinking even lower due to the added weight. He put an arm around the other's shoulders, and with his free hand, he carefully took off his glasses, untied the ponytail and ran his fingers through the red mess that was his hair, in a vague attempt to smoothen it - no, to soothe him. He knew how much he liked it.
"It's alright, Max. It's alright. Listen," he spoke as his husband sat straight in order to face him, "you remember what the attorney said, do you?" Maxie nodded. Of course, he remembered her words very clear when she spoke to him that very morning.
"It hasn't been easy for any of us," he quoted the lawyer's voice, "but there are plenty of children in Mauville's orphanage waiting for something like this. You'll mean a better new life for one of them."
"Exactly. Listen, we may be scared newbies to the whole parentin' thing; we're not perfect, but we're going to be perfect for one of those kids. So now, breathe deeply, count to ten, and remember everything we've learned in these darned months, Arceus damnit."
Maxie didn't say anything for a while. He limited to smile and nuzzle his cheek against Archie's hand.
"You were threatening to smash through the door not even five minutes ago and now it's you the one who has had to calm me down," Maxie remarked at last as his husband grinned, not ashamed of his behaviour in the slightest.
"Well, gotta keep ye sane enough or else you'd be the one doing the smashin'." Maxie pursed his lips in an unimpressed smirk, softly bumping his arm, when, suddenly, the door opened. A chubby, small woman came out of the office, adjusting her glasses to read the names on the paper she held in her poorly manicured hand.
"Mr Matsubusa and Mr Aogiri...? Ah! Yes, I remember being informed you were the only couple here today," she said, smiling awkwardly as she shoved the paper carelessly in one of the pockets of her checkered, paint-stained smock. Maxie rushed to tie his hair back again after concluding it didn't look any better without the ponytail.
"Archie, if ye don't mind. And yer...?" asked a confused Archie, nevertheless handing over a cordial hand to the woman. Maxie stared at her reluctantly, silent as he analyzed her looks. Her wild, curly black locks were tamed into a lush, loose bun; her obnoxious yellow rimmed glasses almost fell off the tip of her snub nose. Dozens of shiny bracelets of all kinds decorated her wrists, and there wasn't a single pocket in her clothing that wasn't stuffed with all kinds of pencils, crayons, paint brushes, scissors, glue sticks... "Colourful," thought Maxie to himself.
"Maika Acacia atcha service," she said, smiling as she shook Maxie's hand with force. "But please, call me Maika. Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long, I was just finishing afternoon classes with the smaller kids and-"
"Are ye their teacher?" asked Archie, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, sir, and I take care of the kids as well."
"Oh, then sorry to bother you, but I think there has been a misunderstanding. We ought to speak with the principal of this institution," the redhead clarified, and then requested, "Would you please inform him we're here as appointed?"
"You're talking right now to her." She smirked, putting one hand on her waist and pointing to herself with her thumb.
"Wait, so yer the teacher, the caretaker and the director?" Archie wondered, visibly impressed as he let out a whistle.
"You forgot cook, and nurse, and plumber, also cleaner, and-"
"Madam," Maxie interrupted her enumeration, getting a bit impatient, "are you trying to say you run this orphanage on your own?"
"Oh, no! Of course I don't, that'd be impossible." Grinning, she took a pokéball out of one of her many pockets. "Kangaskhan here sometimes help me watch out for the kids."
Maxie directed a concerned look at his husband, who just shrugged his shoulders.
"Anyway, let's go into the office! I'll finish checking everything is in order and then you can go meet the kids," Maika said as she pushed the door open with her hip. The office behind was a small cubiculum, filled with the pleasant afternoon light that filtered through the half-lidded blinds of another door leading to an interior patio, and mesmerizing towering piles of papers and overflowing drawers everywhere one would lay his eyes on. A tiny desk stood in the centre of the room, equally buried under pages and more pages. Maxie felt dizzy just by looking at that mayhem.
"Sorry for the, uh, mess. Haven't gotten round to clean this up for ages," the woman excused herself as she made it to her chair, kicking some boxes in the floor off her way.
"It's okay," said Maxie, gripping the back of one of the plastic chairs in front of the desk; after all, it seemed that not even Maika could be everywhere at all times. After she gestured them to do so, both men sat down in the uncomfortable chairs.
Maxie opened the tweed shoulder bag he was carrying, and took out a heavy file. He pressed it against his chest, firmly clutching it as if it was a precious treasure. He relaxed somewhat when he felt a hand on his shoulder - Archie's. He smiled ever so slightly.
"Now, Mr Matsubusa." Maika held over her hand, and the redhead promptly let go of the valuable bundle of papers. The woman pushed up her glasses and scanned through the first pages, then closed the file with a loud snap of the rubber bands that held the papers together.
"Seems like everything's okay." Both Archie and Maxie let out a sigh of relief, even though both knew everything was, indeed, in order, as they had made sure it would; however, hearing it from somebody else's lips was everything they needed to feel less stressed out about the delicate matter of adoption.
Maika continued speaking with a much calmer voice, "Well, Mr Aogi- Archie, and Mr Matsubusa-"
"Please, do call me Maxie," the redhead corrected her. As much as he usually liked to feel important, it certainly felt uncomfortable when he was the only one in the room addressed by his last name.
"Alright then. Archie, Maxie, I gotta ask you a few more questions before we can get to it." The resignation look on their faces prompted her to assure them it wouldn't take too much. "I just need to know a bit more about yourselves. Y'know, the kids'll sure ask me about you once you're gone."
And so, the three of them were soon involved in a distended conversation; Maxie leaded the conversation at first, explaining to a suddenly very intrigued Maika how he himself had been adopted as a baby, and how all the help they had gotten from his parents on the matter had been of great help. After that, Archie was the one to do most of the speaking, telling in a masterly way almost everything they'd been through since they met in college until the day they tied the knot and moved together to Slateport, and how some years later they decided they wanted a children of their own. Maxie allowed himself to add more details or correct his husband every once in a while, what most times lead to both of them arguing over the silliest matters.
Maika smiled to herself during the whole time. They were one of the most peculiar couples she had seen in a long time. The way both complemented each other, how they didn't seem to mind their differences despite their bickering... as they spoke, she was more and more certain they were the perfect candidates to become loving parents.
"... And, well, I suppose I can spare ye of having to hear 'bout the legal hell we've been through from then on." Archie grinned as he finished his story. Maika nodded, her mind slowly coming back to reality.
"Absolutely." She then stood quickly, almost jumping off her chair, and leaned in on the desk before her, supporting her weight with her arms. "So, tell me one last thing," she requested in a serious tone as both men leant forward, their interest piqued. "Who wants to go meet the kids?" she exclaimed in exaggerated excitement, as only someone who usually worked with children could.
The interior patio was a place with an unique charm to it. Maika liked to think of it as a peaceful interior realm where children, adults and pokémon alike could enjoy and rest themselves. The space was two stories tall; the floor level alberged a small courtyard where about a dozen children - none older than six years old- ran, talked and played amidst their own laughter and the distant cries of wild Ninjask in the nearby woods outside of the building.
Surrounding the court were the other dependences of the orphanage: two contiguous classrooms, visible behind big, glass windows; a kitchen, judging by the delicious smell of bakery that came from it; then the very office they had entered through, and finally, a hardly white wall covered in thousands of childish-looking paintings one could easily tell that belonged to the waiting room.
The second story opened its balcony to the patio; some of the rooms for the kids and a door with a big colourful sign that read 'Library' were visible from the floor level. But, without hesitation, what really gave its magic to the place were the afternoon sun rays and the summer breeze that filtered through the big, crystal skylight that occupied the place where one would expect a dull ceiling.
When Maika had opened the office's door, both men had stared agape at the scene. After the initial surprise of finding such a beautiful place inside a rather decrepit-looking building, they had complimented her on it.
“I’ve tried my best to conserve the interior. It’s been much more difficult with the exterior, as you can see.” She rubbed the back of her head, shifting uncomfortably. “Money’s been running short lately.” Neither of them dared to delve deeper into the topic after watching her face turn a dark shade of red.
She suddenly regained composure when a burning smell started coming out from the door in the opposite end of the patio. “Oh shoot! I almost forgot about the dinner! If you could excuse me for a while…” She hurried towards the kitchen, about two or three crayons falling from her pockets in the race. “Hey kids! Don’t be mean to Maxie and Archie while I’m gone!”
No sooner she’d said that and disappeared inside the kitchen, all of the children turned their heads toward the strange-looking couple of newcomers who awkwardly stood still amidst them. Most of them stopped playing, distracted by the sight.
“Max,” Archie whispered, feeling overwhelmed all of the sudden by the awkward silence and the dead stares everywhere they would lay their eyes in, “what are we supposed to do now?”
Maxie didn’t answer. He, too, was befuddled. Who would have thought that dealing with a bunch of kids who barely reached four feet would be so intimidating for two grown up adults? He was about to answer a quiet ‘I don’t know’ when their salvation came out of the kitchen, her cheeks smudged in what seemed black soot.
“Managed to save it!” Maika exclaimed triumphant while she approached the pair. Her expression became concerned as she saw their faces. “Why the long face? What’s the matter?”
“We… we don’t know what to do,” Archie admitted. “We don’t know who’s more scared, if them or us.” At this, Maika nodded in understatement.
“Well, they don’t precisely see a couple of strangers every day. It’s been ages since someone’s visited the orphanage. But I guess that we could watch them as we walk and I can tell you a bit about them.”
Maika’s proposal seemed to work; in less than ten minutes, everyone had forgotten about the newcomers, and were busy deciding whose turn was to tag or if that last goal had been valid or not. As the clock ticked by, Maxie and Archie learnt that babies were also sheltered there and were currently sleeping in their rooms, and also heard the story of almost everyone in the patio. Every kid had had a sad past: most had been abandoned at early ages; others had been given in adoption because their parents’ couldn’t maintain them. And some of them had lost their parents to tragic accidents.
“They’re okay with it, though. Most of them don’t recall anything about their biological parents, but it’s truly heartbreaking having to explain to them that they're not here and won’t probably be anytime soon. Right yesterday, one girl called-"
Suddenly, things happened so fast she didn't have time to finish her sentence. One of the children playing soccer gave the football such a strong kick that, despite the short age of the girl, sent the ball flying through the air and towards the group of adults, hitting Archie on the back of his head.
"Ow!" he screamed, more out of surprise than in pain. The playground became silent as the hazel, short haired girl approached the man to retrieve the football.
"May!" The girl flinched when the voice of her teacher called her name.
"I'm s-sorry, sir!" the child apologised, looking genuinely regretful for what she'd just done. Maxie covered his mouth with a hand, torn between expressing surprise or burst into laughter. He opted for the former, trying his hardest to remain serious before the comic, or at least curious, scene that took place in the playground; the big man stared agape at a small girl who stood right before him, practically shouting with determination her apology.
"You'd better be, kid." said Archie in a grave tone as he kneeled and took the ball in his hands. "'cause ye have to improve that aim of yours if ye want to win this match."
The girl blinked rapidly, opening her mouth in a big O-shape as the man returned her the soccer ball and stroked her hair, grinning widely at her. She beamed sheepishly back at the man, and clumsily returned to the courtyard.
"May," Maika called her name again, "aren't you forgetting to say something to Archie?"
"Uh... You wanna play with us, sir?" Her innocence was so sincere and Archie was caught so off guard at her nerve that Maxie couldn't help but to let out a stifled chuckle at that one. He was soon followed by Maika's giggles and Archie's thunderous laughter, who asked for permission to the teacher before joining their small soccer game for a while.
Once the laughter wore off, the other two other adults decided to sit in one of the wooden benches that were placed in the corners of the patio. Maxie didn't keep an eye off his husband; he laughed and ran as if he was one of them. The redhead didn't believe a word Archie said about not knowing what to do in those kind of situations; he knew he was truly a natural when dealing with other people, and, judging by how quickly he had fraternized with the lot, children didn't seem to be an exception. After a while of observing his loved one have fun, the redhead became startled by a voice next to him.
"May."
“Sorry, what?”
“May. That’s the name of that adorable troublemaker who’s playing with your husband.”
Maxie turned his head back to the courtyard. After scoring a goal, Archie held out a fist for May to bump, but the moment the reluctant girl decided to bump it back, the man moved his hand away from her reach. When a confused May understood what had just happened, she pouted and crossed her arms before her chest when Archie laughed at her. He immediately stroked her hair and apologised, but she refused to talk to him again.
“She’s barely three years old, but she’s one of the brightest, most cheerful kids I’ve seen in a long time,” Maika continued, watching tenderly the same scene Maxie contemplated. “But right now… seems to me like she’s conflicted.”
Conflicted? What could a three-year-old feel conflicted about? “What do you mean by that?” Maxie inquired.
“Well, Mr Mats- Maxie, you’ll see May is a wonderful child. She’s fun and quirky, and her smile is irresistibly contagious. That’s it, only when there are not strangers around. Whenever a new couple shows up, she becomes strangely shy and quiet. And the reason is,” she stopped for a moment to swallow before keeping on explaining, “that in her short life this girl’s experienced more rejection than any kid should be forced to.”
Maxie stared silently at the woman, whose own gaze was fixed on the unusual duo in the middle of the playground. The redhead's throat became dry as he saw the gleaming look of sheer joy on both's eyes.
"What do you mean by... rejection?" Maxie asked cautiously. He had a slight idea of what she meant, but he needed a delicate way to know more about that girl that had caught his attention.
"Let's say it's not easy for a small child to grow up watching how all of her partners find a happy family while she feels like… like she isn't wanted anywhere. She...closes up to the world. She's learning how to hide inside her shell when dealing with strangers." Maika's voice had no trace of whatever cheerfulness she had last expressed minutes ago. Maxie found himself breathing with difficulty by the end of the explanation. "Sorry you had to hear this. But, what’s really intriguing me this time,” she paused thoughtfully, smiling a bit, “is how she seems so at ease with your husband. It's a blessing for me to see how she hasn't retreated to her corner by now."
“I think I know where you’re trying to get at… but…”
“It’s really up to both of you, Maxie. I wouldn't like to watch my poor child suffer anymore. I'm not saying you have to adopt her," remarked the woman, "but, whatever your decision is, decide soon and wisely."
Maxie stood silent as he tilted his head backwards, looking up to the crystal skylight. He hadn't noticed how late it had become until he saw the purple-ish evening sky, and suddenly became aware of the slight drop of the temperature. A single star shone somewhere in the middle between the agonizing orange and the deepening violet.
"Do you think we're ready, Maika? Sincerely."
It hadn't been a yes, but he hadn't refused either. She smiled ever so slightly, and then glanced over at Maxie. He didn't return the look and instead closed his eyes, still facing upwards, but, nevertheless, she answered.
"That's something only you can know. Sincerely."
Maxie readjusted his glasses and turned to the next page of the book he was reading. He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and continued with his reading as Archie changed into his pajamas next to him. And, by pajamas, that meant taking off his tee shirt and sleep in his underwear. Once he was comfortable, he laid on his side and watched as Maxie read silently. Oh, did he look beautiful when he was immersed in a book: his calm breath, how his half-lidded eyes opened every once in a while due to an unexpected turn... But, that time, there was certainly something a bit off about him.
"Whatcha thinking 'bout?" asked Archie in a soft, low tone, the one he usually reserved for their intimate moments together.
"Nothing." answered Maxie, lifting his look off the book to stare at the dark-skinned man besides him.
"Don't think I haven't noticed. Yer been bitin' on yer lip since we left the orphanage. And" he added when he saw Maxie rolling his eyes, "right now, yer answered me straightaway. Since when ya don't try to shush me when I interrupt yer reading?"
Maxie bit his lower lip and closed the book loudly. He then let out a sigh and removed his glasses, carefully folding them and placing them along with the book on the bedside table.
"C'mon, Max. What's troubling your mind?" he inquired again, his voice slightly firmer than before. Damn. He couldn't escape that gaze of him, not when he'd been spotted on with that much ease.
"Archie..." Maxie murmured, fixing his scarlet eyes on his lover's blue ones. "You seem to have befriended May very easily back then in the orphanage."
"May? Oh, that little scamp who almost broke my neck?" he laughed, rubbing the back of his head. It hadn't really hurt, but that was him; overacting almost everything for comic effect's sake. "What about it? Just played together for a while, that's all."
Maxie pursed his lips while looking down gravely. He traced his finger along the silky, light grey embroidery of the bed sheets. Of course, he had no idea of how he'd felt when talking to Maika barely hours ago. He had no idea of the knot in his stomach when he'd been warned of the consequences of keeping such a fragile one's hopes up.
"May has suffered so much, Archie. Ms Acacia told me it has been a long time since she has last seen her act so comfortably around a stranger." Maxie then proceeded to explain the entirety of his conversation with the orphanage director. As all the pieces regarding the delicate issue the redhead had been avoiding for hours began to fall into place, Archie's face progressively changed from genuine disconcert to a blank commotion.
"But what left me most deranged was when she told me that only we could tell if we were ready or not," he stated bluntly, rubbing his temple with one hand. There it was. All of his insecurity summed up in a single sentence that had been echoing in his mind since he had met May, but also, what had unconsciously taunting him for months since they had decided they wanted to have a child. The latter was an issue that had already been dealt with; the decision concerned May and only May in that moment.
Archie didn't answer. Who would have guessed something so seemingly irrelevant such as playing for a while with a kid could be so decisive in a situation like that? What could they do? Both knew the answer already, why was it so difficult then to state the obvious?
"It's incredible how some child we didn't even know hours ago has become the centre of our preoccupations so quick," Maxie remarked in response to the prolonged silence of his husband. "It's almost as if it was some kind of-"
"Blimey, Maxie!" snapped the brunette in a sudden roar, causing the redhead to flinch. "Stop making things so damn cryptic for a while and decide for yerself already!"
If he hadn't been so bewildered by the rude interruption, he would have become infuriated at his daring outburst. But instead, a confused ‘Excuse me?’ was everything he could manage to say.
"I said," Archie declared once again, his face practically glowing red from sheer excitement despite the dark colour of his skin, "I already know what I'm gonna say to Maika tomorrow, so hurry up thinking of yer answer, Arceus damnit!"
When the redhead finally understood what his husband really meant, he couldn't help but to smile. Yes, that was just him, always so fast to decide, always so sure of his feelings. He didn't expect otherwise, and he truly wasn't disappointed this time. And, after all, if he could really trust Archie's judgement after so many years of knowing him, he knew his decision wasn't a spur-of-the-moment whim.
"I was sure you would say that," he replied, nodding his head before suddenly he let out a yelp as Archie's strong arms wrapped around him and crushed his lanky frame against his buff chest. After catching his breath again and dedicating a few insults to his shameless husband, both shared an actual hug and a long, sweet kiss before engaging into a conversation that would last for hours before they gave in to the first (and last) peaceful sleep in a long, long time.
Miles away from Slateport, a small child found herself unable to catch any sleep. She shifted uncomfortably in her small bunk bed, making the wooden structure creak in the middle of the night.
"May!" whispered an irritated voice from above her, "stop moving the bed so much!"
"But Soo, I can't sleep!"
"Well, I can't sleep if you keep moving like that," complained the older girl from the upper bunk. “And stop calling me that, I told you a hundred times it's ‘Kyung-Soon’," she remarked, putting special emphasis on the correct pronunciation, but too tired to actually get mad. After a couple of silent minutes of more bed shaking, she sighed and asked, "What's the matter?"
"I... don't know," admitted May, playing shyly with the bed sheets. "But it's not a bad thing."
Kyung-Soon then proceeded to climb down the step ladder to reach May's level. "What about we go seek Maika? That way you can tell her about your problem."
It wasn't strictly prohibited to wander around the orphanage at small hours of the night, but still, May looked at her partner's face in disbelief. A few years older than her, Kyung-Soon was a tall, lanky girl with small almond eyes that looked even smaller as she squinted in the dark. The girl had been the most similar thing to an older sister she had had in her life; although slightly serious than most children her age and with a strict sense of responsibility, she had always been there for May when the small girl had needed her.
Which, to the older girl's dismay, usually happened late into the night.
Carefully sneaking through the half-opened door of the girl's dorm, the two children ventured into the night. The dark hallway was enlightened only by the full moon, completely visible through the skylight. And, even though the great window had been closed for night, the hot and humid air, so typical of tropical summer nights, felt rare even inside the building. May, hand in Kyung-Soon's, walked in small leaps in an attempt to catch up with her senior's lengthy steps. Their teacher's bedroom wasn't too far away - just two hallways away from the dorms. Still, the silence and darkness they walked in made the journey twice as long and frightening than ever. May held tighter onto Kyung-Soon's hand when a distant Mightyena howl echoed in the dark.
"Don't you worry. It's nowhere near here." the older girl said when she noticed how she was trembling.
"I'm n-not scared!" May protested a bit louder than what was acceptable at half past one in the morning. Kyung-Soon shushed her, bringing a finger close to her mouth. May mimicked her gesture sheepishly.
"Look. We're already here." The tallest girl rapped prudently in the door in front of them. "Ms Acacia?" she asked. To her surprise, the door opened itself with a slight creak. Looking at the small girl, both crept into the room. Everything was darkness in there.
"Ms Acacia," called Kyung-Soo one more time.
"No, I didn't ate the pancakes," uttered stupidly the sleepy teacher.
"Ms Acacia!" The older girl nudged her arm. "May is here!"
"But it ain't me, mister agent!" Maika kept on sleeptalking.
"Maika!" screamed May suddenly. The teacher let out a terrified yelp, quickly sitting up and flailing her arms in the air. Not missing a beat, she rushed to reach for her bed lamp's switch in order to light the room and see the face of her attackers. But what she saw made her let another yelp: two frightened familiar visages had their eyes turned upon her in shock.
Maika blinked several times before realising she had just been abruptly by two restless students. "Girls!" she shouted after a while. Her face was that of someone who had just experienced a heart attack, but significantly redder.
“I’m sorry Ms Acacia!” Kyung-Soon excused herself before her teacher could say anything more, "but May couldn't sleep and I thought you could help her better than I could."
Maika blushed again, not embarrassed this time, but flattered. She released the tension on her shoulders, much more calmer once she knew what was going on.
"Thank you, Kyung-Soon," she sighed, reaching for her glasses in her bedside table. "Go back to sleep, I'll take care of her." The girl promptly let go of her junior's hand and left the room, muffling a yawn as she closed the door carefully.
"Now, May..." The woman lifted the girl with her round, strong arms. She sat the child next to her on the bed, and crossed her arms before her chest, sticking out her thumbs. "What's keeping you awake at-" she directed a quick peek at her alarm clock, "half past one in the morning?"
May's eyes were glinting with an unusual light. "I don't know," she replied, and Maika was about to open her mouth again when May spoke again in a cheerful tone, "but I feel good! I can't close my eyes and I don't mind!"
"Do you?" Maika queried, impressed at how cheerful the kid looked for someone who was unable to sleep. And, smiling faintly, she thought she knew the reason. "Has something happened today that has made you feel very happy or unusually excited?"
At this question, May took a big mouthful of air and then proceeded to explain in full detail how much fun she had had with that odd-looking man in the afternoon. Maika's smile grew bigger and bigger as the girl spoke so animatedly about how that dark-skinned man had been so kind to her when she had expected him to get angry; how the redhead that accompanied him had never stopped to look at them, how he looked almost concerned some times. It took the girl no less than fifteen minutes to finish putting her feelings into words, and, as her rambling came to an end, she had become so tired that even maintaining her big eyes open had been rendered a difficult task.
Yawning, she slumped into the puffy bed afterwards. Maika gazed at her sweetly, watching as the girl observed the dancing, colourful spots that projected from a crystal mobile at the touch of the lamp light and into the ceiling.
"I want so bad to see them again," she uttered ever so softly as she finally closed her eyes.
Maika took with care the drowsy girl in her arms, watching her little chest go up and down with a steady, much more relaxed rhythm. "I'm sure you'll get more than that very soon."
"There they are again..."
"Who? Where?"
"Look, right there! In Maika's office!"
"Who d'ya think they'll pick?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
About a dozen kids were huddled in front of the office's window, spying on the three adults inside. The patio had been unusually quiet all day long, ever since the teacher had called quits on the morning classes and the children had been allowed to stay in the court all day. But, as appealing as a whole day for themselves to play could be, something else had had their minds occupied, and the reason was visible behind the white blinds in the window before them.
"Where is May?" asked a certain girl, raising her firm voice above the others.
"Uh?"
"I don't know..."
"Now that you mention, I haven't seen her in a while..."
Kyung-Soon distanced herself from the group and wandered around the playground, looking up to the sky. Let's see... What place would a three-year-old choose to disappear? A flock of Taillow flew across the blue, cloudless sky.
Of course.
Rushing to the staircase in the interior hallway, the girl climbed onto the second floor of the building; a small landing with two rusty, rickety doors was everything at the end of the stairs. But, living all your life in a small orphanage with nothing much to see surely develops a taste for adventure and for discovering all the secrets the building could hide, so Kyung-Soon knew one of those seemingly innocent doors hid a very special place behind. Additionally, anyone that knew Maika enough would know that the door to the right would be unlocked and easy to access to anyone who ventured up there. Again, she was so certain of this that she didn't hesitate to yank the doorknob and open the door.
The open air greeted her with a gust of wind that swept through the door, playing with her neat, silvery hair. A quick glance across the cement and glass surface served enough to spot the little girl sitting by the border of the skylight, facing outwards to the horizon.
"Guess I will have to remind Maika to close this for good before the monthly inspection." May was startled when she heard that familiar, rigid voice behind her. She quickly turned around.
"How'd you find me?"
"I've practically been watching over you since you learnt how to walk," she explained, then pointed at the glass window behind them, "plus I saw your head through the skylight just minutes ago from the patio."
"Soo, I don't know what to do."
"What do you mean you don't know? Get back there and leave this place with your new family!"
"Don't wanna! If I go I won't see you, or Maika, or anyone anymore!" she shouted, choking back anguished tears.
Kyung-Soon balled her fists. "What is that nonsense!? Are you going to refuse to the dream of everyone in here!?" She knelt down to see May eye to eye and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Don't make this any more difficult, kid. Now it's time for you to keep moving forward." She tucked a strand of the child's long hazel fringe behind her ear, and wiped a tear off her round, rosy cheek. "They say it takes a lot of courage to accept change in your life. I know you, you're a brave little girl who is going to live a wonderful new life out there. Know when to say goodbye to some things so you can say hello to better ones."
Hiccuping, the girl nodded and took Kyung-Soon's hand, following her downstairs. Maika, Archie and Maxie were in front of the group of children. The woman seemed to be asking nervously where May was to the kids, with Maxie and Archie looking awkwardly around.
"Ms Acacia!" cried Kyung-Soon as she approached the group, May holding onto her. "Here she is. By the way, you should really consider closing the door to the rooftop."
"Oh, May, we were concerned!" she exclaimed, hugging tightly the small girl against her voluptuous chest. She then looked at her and caressed her cheek. "Everything is ready for your leave. Are you ready?"
"Yes," she said confidently, leaving Maika's embrace and running towards Maxie and Archie.
"Hello, May" Maxie greeted her nervously. He hadn't had properly introduced himself to May like his husband had. "uh... the car is parked right outside. Your luggage is already there."
May nodded and held Maxie's hand. The two men guided her outside the building towards the dark grey car. Once she was sitting in her new chair, safety belt correctly fastened, the couple spoke their last gratitude words to Maika, said goodbye to everyone, and set off for Slateport.
Reflected in the mirror, May watched how the last sight of her previous home disappeared in the horizon as they drove away from the orphanage.
May had never seen before such a colourful and crowded place as Slateport's market. The place was bustling with activity even in the last hours of the afternoon. Dozens of little stands exposed their goods to the public. The tenders cried out loud how fresh their fish was, or how their flowers were the nicest, in an attempt to attract local buyers or tourists to their shops. May wished she would have ten more eyes so she could better see everything the plaza had to offer.
"Archie," had said Maxie barely minutes ago, while they were still travelling in their car. They had reached Slateport in roughly twenty minutes. "Archie, don't turn to the right there. You can't get home from the market!"
The man had completely ignored his co-pilot's indications and proceeded to scan the streets for a free spot to park their car.
"We're not going home," he chanted playfully, what earned him an exasperated glare from the redhead. "C'mon, May's never been to Slateport before and ye wanna lock her away from this beautiful city? Ye wanna see Slateport, right, kid?"
"Ye!" May exclaimed from the back seat. Maxie sighed. Incredible. Half an hour he'd legally become a father and he was already the serious parent. The redhead pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and muttered between teeth, "Fine. But just a quick stroll round the market and we're getting back home."
And so, the three of them arrived at the crowded plaza.
May couldn’t literally stay still for a moment. Everything was so beautiful, everything so appealing… a young boy selling balloons and all kinds of joke items, a man next to him trying to convince a tourist with a thick kalosian accent to buy some sea-shell necklaces, an old woman with a wide arrange of pokédolls on her stall…
“My, my, what a cute little girl you are!” said the elderly woman with a wide smile on her wrinkly, sea-worn face. May fidgeted shyly as Archie encouraged her to go talk to the woman.
“Th-thanks…” she murmured, more interested in the cute Cleffa toy right before her than in the saleswoman.
"Oh, you like this buddy here?" the woman smiled, taking the pink plush in her hands. "He is a baby alien who comes from space, you know?"
May stood silent, glancing over at her parents, who watched the scene with tenderness. She then scanned through the rest of the pokédolls: a green striped chameleon-like one ("this here can turn invisible at will!") a scary black ghost with one single red eye inside its skull face ("don't fear her glowing eye, she just wants to return her ghost friends to her world!"), a blue and white bird with fluffy, cotton-like wings ("if you press his tummy he sings a cute song!")...
"Well, May," said Maxie a few moments later, "you can choose one of them if you want, but only one."
May opened her mouth very wide. She could choose one? For herself alone? She'd never had a toy of her own before, as all of the toys in the orphanage were to be shared. This was an extremely difficult decision. She had to choose carefully.
"What does this one do?" she asked, curious, pointing at a round, chubby blue cub with an equally rotund tail almost its same size.
"Azurill?" the old woman asked, hesitant for a minute before taking the plush. "This is probably the oldest plush here, dear, and I’m afraid it doesn’t do much. This Azurill lost its owner long time ago. I found her all alone under the rain, and it made me so sad I had to take her with me." She spoke with a nostalgic tone to her voice as she petted the doll's blue velvet fur. "But," she continued, looking sweetly at the girl, "it can be yours. You can become her new friend if you want. What do you say?"
"So ye want Azurill, huh?" asked Archie, May nodded her head frantically, holding out her arms as she was handed the toy. She pressed her face into the soft fabric. It smelt oddly familiar, as if she'd know that scent for a long time. As she hugged her new friend, Maxie walked up to the counter, taking out his wallet.
"Oh, no, please do take it for free. I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to sell a plush I found by pure chance!" she said before the redhead could even ask the price.
“Ye heard that, May? Free stuff! We should’a decided to adopt ye before!” Archie laughed, messing up the child’s hair. The comment made Maxie smack his arm, what earned the laughter of May. The clerk smiled as she observed the cute scene, bidding farewell to the family.
The sun set on the horizon as they drove home. The trip wasn’t too long; their neighbourhood was barely ten minutes away from the city centre. That’s why neither of them knew what could have possibly made May fall asleep so fast. She sucked on her thumb and gripped loosely the Azurill pokédoll under her chubby arm.
“Look at her. She’s so tired she isn’t even going to see her new house,” commented the redhead as he unfastened her seatbelt and took the child in his arms. She breathed peacefully through her mouth, stretching out a bit when she felt her position change. Maxie carefully placed her head on his shoulder and walked towards the front door where Archie awaited.
“Doesn’t matter. She’ll have plenty of time to explore tomorrow. Today’s been a long day,” Archie replied, pecking his husband on the lips. He then caressed May’s brown hair, and whispered softly, “Welcome home, May.”