About Her Journey
#10 of Cassidy's Journey
"What to do..." Cassidy mumbled to herself while approaching home. She didn't have it in her to train any of her pokémon right now, but she wouldn't advance to the next gym without readying them for it. Maybe she'd lie in bed all day, although she usually tried not to be slothful.
Cassidy ended up doing so for a while. She kept her casual outfit on and rested on top of her blanket.
For an entire hour, Cassidy hadn't left her bedroom. Fenny wanted to check on her, but of course, he was nervous about doing so. He glanced over at Garna napping. She would probably encourage him to go and check on Cassidy. Fenny stood and silently approached the door to Cassidy's bedroom. His tail flicked behind him a few times, and he took a deep breath before pushing it open and peeking inside. He saw her curled up on the right end of her bed and took a few soft steps to her.
That was when she sat up a bit and glanced at him as he stood a few feet away. "What is it?" Cassidy asked.
'I just wanted to check on you.' He looked down for a moment. 'You've been in here for a while...' Fenny partly regretted coming into her room. It seemed like she didn't want to be bothered. 'But if you're fine, I can go...' He took a step back.
"Fenny, I am fine. I just don't feel like doing much today. I may have exhausted myself." She sat up fully. Cassidy didn't want to push him away. "There's just a few things on my mind."
'You can tell me if you want.' Fenny offered his company and ears. She didn't have to be alone.
Cassidy pondered for a moment. It'd likely make her feel a bit better to talk to someone about what was on her mind. "All right... You can sit," she told him, and he did, moving to the center of her bed, ready to listen. "...I think I'm spending too much time fighting through gyms. I'm doing it all too quickly. It's not very enjoyable and feels so straightforward. I don't want to push you guys too hard, either..." It looked as if she felt guilty.
'We battle to please you. We're made for it... most of us anyway, and you treat us just fine. Are you stressed?'
"Often. I seclude myself from everyone and have no release or guidance. After my parents passed early, I was depressed more than I'd ever been. I was sixteen... such a naive age. The issue was me not being able to dig myself out of my sorrow. I pushed any friends I had away and mentally isolated myself for two years. I was in a dark place, and my mental health continued to decline. Out of desperation I looked into hex maniacs and their lifestyle to cope. It seemed promising, so I adopted the dress style and colors, found a few hex maniacs around Kalos as well... but I didn't fit in. I was just a depressed girl too weak to pull myself up, not a freak. The colors grew on me, so I kept that aspect and moved out of the house haunting me with memories and across the region. I then started studying psychic-type pokémon and found interest in battling competitively to escape. It's all I have now... I pretend my past doesn't exist, and it created who I am presently." Cassidy's face wore a vacuous expression.
Through it, Fenny saw how heavily it affected her. 'It created an amazing trainer, and you can understand me.' Fenny saw two positive outcomes from her arduous work and ensured she did as well.
"That's true, Fenny." Cassidy grinned weakly and slightly extended her arms to him.
He willingly went to her, and she embraced his body with her arms, resting his cheek against her chest while slowly tracing her fingers across the surface of his bushy tail.
"It wouldn't hurt to keep you close..." Cassidy spoke softly.
Garna was right again. Fenny was convinced she could foresee the future. He closed his eyes while Cassidy held him, and the sound of her steady heartbeat calmed him significantly. Fenny felt most content and complete when with her. It wasn't surprising, however, as he'd been by her side for his entire existence.