Mialentia
Girls' love printer personified
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2025
- Messages
- 506
- Reaction score
- 796
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Content Warnings: None
Summary:
Dot never got the chance to have a normal life. From very young, she lost the ability to see, and her autonomy with it. Left with very few options, she decides to join the Rising Volt Tacklers, in hopes of being of use to them thanks to her coding skills.Her life, for a long time, began and ended with her bedroom. That was where she was safest, after all. But she didn't feel happy. That is, until a certain girl boarded the Brave Olivine, and burst into her life, finally bring light to the darkness...
Tags:
Alternate Universe, Blind Character, Writing Challenge, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Budding Love“Sprigatito, please wait…!”
Liko was, as had become habit by now, running after her partner Pokémon, trying to understand why it was in such a mood.
“Did I say something wrong…? Why are you mad at me?”
“Mrrrowr!” Frustrated, the Grass Cat Pokémon threw a Leafage towards her Trainer, obscuring her view and the entire corridor, before running away.
“Sprigatito! Wait!” But before Liko could do anything, the Pokémon was gone, off to some remote corner of the Brave Olivine. “Geez… I wish I knew what got her in such a fuss…”
Defeated, Liko turned around and knocked on the door of the bedroom across from hers. “Dot…? Are you in there?”
“...” As usual, the girl was met with silence. Despite her and Roy’s recent attempts to connect, all she could get from the only other child on board was a printed note or two.
“I was hoping to talk to you… I wanted to thank you about the info you gave us about Rayquaza. It might not be of use to me now, but still… it’s a nice gesture. Please, could I see your face? Just once.”
To Liko’s surprise, after a few seconds of silence, she heard footsteps, and the door unlocked, being opened just enough to let her inside.
“Oh…! Thank you so much!”
The Trainer was surprised to see the inside of Dot’s room. For a shut-in, it was cleaner than she expected. Everything was neatly put away and organized. Maybe Dot was the type to need things to be in the right place at all times. Speaking of the girl, however, what surprised her most was to see her face.
“U-Um, hi.”
“Oh, right! I didn’t say hello yet. Um, hello!”
“So… what did you wanna talk about?”
“Not much, I guess… I was just hoping to see you. Uh, I hope this isn’t too forward, but… isn’t it hard, having your hair in front of your eyes like that?”
Dot seemed taken aback by that remark. “What do you mean?”
“Like, isn’t it hard to see…?”
“Oh.” Dot, feeling around for her desk to locate herself, sat down on her chair. “So Friede didn’t tell you? Lemme guess, “oh, did I not mention?”” She sarcastically imitated the second-in-command of the Rising Volt Tacklers.
“Um, I guess not, haha!”
“I’m blind. So… doesn’t really get in the way at all.” Dot said, matter-of-factly.
“Y-You’re… oh, I see…” Liko didn’t know where to put herself. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You couldn’t have known. It’s more Friede’s fault than anything. Not that it really matters.”
“Doesn’t it, though…? It must not be easy…”
“...” Dot’s silence spoke volumes.
“Oh, sorry…” Scrambling to change the subject, Liko switched topics to the first thing that came to mind. “Oh, by the way, I’m sorry I didn’t bring Sprigatito. I tried to, but she was really upset today for some reason…”
“Shouldn’t you go get her or something?”
“Oh, no, she gets in those moods a lot… I’ll find her later, don’t worry.”
“Oh, okay.” Dot replied, returning to her previous task.
“Um…” Liko, again without a subject of conversation, noticed Dot’s screen. “S-So, what are you doing?”
“Just coding something.”
“Oh, right, Murdock mentioned you make the app for the crew! He seemed really proud.”
“...It’s nothing, really. An online friend makes all the UI and stuff too, so it’s not like I do it alone.”
“How do you manage, anyway? Since you can’t see the screen. Or the keyboard, actually…”
“I have everything organized on my PC so everything’s in the same place,” the programmer began to explain. “Like, if I press Tab a certain amount of times, I can locate myself decently well. Plus, I have a voice assistant if I get lost.” Pressing a key as a demonstration, Dot made the program read the line of code she was on at the moment. “As for the keyboard, there’s Braille on the keys.”
“Ooh, I see… that’s really cool!” Liko exclaimed, impressed.
“...Really, it’s nothing. Don’t make it sound so awesome.” Dot retorted, embarrassed. This time, she was the one to change the subject. “Anyway, what’s up with you and Sprigatito?”
“I think she’s unhappy about having to leave the ship…”
“Oh, you’re leaving?”
“Yeah… the Rising Volt Tacklers’ mission was to get me back home, and we’ll be landing in Paldea soon.” Liko’s voice betrayed a hint of disappointment as she explained her situation. “But that’s just how it is.”
“...and you’re okay with that?”
“It’s just how it has to be, so–”
“What the hell are you talking about!?”
Liko jumped in surprise. Dot had already lashed out before, but that was muffled by the door between them, and wasn’t squarely directed at her in the way it was now. Had she done something wrong to upset her?
“Wha–”
“You have all of these things you can do– you want to do– and you’re just gonna throw them away !?”
“W-Well, I– I’m sorry, I just…”
“All I can do with my pathetic life is make that app, and random stuff that doesn’t matter on the side! It’s the whole reason I’m even here! This tiny room is my entire world! But you’ve got a partner who’d love to go on adventures with you, you’ve got friends, you’ve got eyes that fucking work – and you’re just gonna–” Dot took a shaky breath, trying as best she can to center herself. “...do you know how much I’d give to be in your position?”
“I… never really thought of it that way…”
“I have a partner, sure. Murdock got me Quaxly when I came on board to help me with stuff like keeping my room clean, or bringing me food. But it’s just… not the same. I’d love to go on adventures like you can. Hell, I’d take just being able to stream .”
“Stream…? Like, online streaming?”
“Yeah… there’s a few streamers I like, and I’ve always wanted to be just like them. But with those eyes… forget it. I can’t play games, I can’t vlog, I can’t do anything.”
“...” Liko was left speechless.
“So when you’ve got all these opportunities, and you just give up on them like that… I’m sorry. That was selfish of me.” Dot turned away from the direction she heard Liko from. “You should just… go.”
“...Thank you, Dot.”
“...huh?” The shut-in didn’t expect that response.
“Sure, what you said was blunt, and it shocked me a little… but maybe that’s what I needed.” Liko realized. “Before, I was just giving in, doing what the adults around me thought was best for me. But… you could tell I really, really don’t want to stop now, couldn’t you? And that helped wake me up too.”
“Oh…”
Feeling bold, Liko took Dot’s hand in hers, startling the programmer. “But I think I’m gonna talk to my parents and Friede about it now. There’s so much I want to do, and want to learn, and… maybe I owe it to you too. Until I figure out a way to make your dreams come true, I’m gonna fight to make mine happen!”
“W-Wait… make my dreams come true…?”
“Yeah!” Dot could not detect a shred of doubt in Liko’s voice. “I don’t know yet how I can help you with everything, but… maybe we can start with streaming first!”
“H-Huh…?”
“You could, like, share the things you learned online with your viewers! And if it’s too scary, maybe we could, like, make you a costume or something!”
“Wh-What…?”
“Oh! Um, I should find Sprigatito, though! We’ll be landing soon, and I need to apologize to her for not realizing things sooner.” Just as fast as she came in, Liko was about to leave, but she stopped herself before opening the door, and turned back around to Dot. “I’ll be back for sure! We can work on our plan together then, okay?”
“U-Uh… yeah, sure…” Dot replied, still reeling from the sudden turn the conversation took.
“I’ll see you later! Thank you!” And with that, she was gone.
At first, Dot thought that Liko was crazy to make all these suggestions. What could someone like her do? All she had ever been was a burden in her own eyes. To her mom, who just put her on the ship without a second thought. To the crew, who had to keep making accommodations for her. And now to Liko, who seemed to want to bend over backwards to help her with her silly dreams.
But eventually… she started wondering if she, too, wasn’t running from what she really wanted to do. She had just torn into Liko for doing the same thing, but couldn’t she also do her best like she is? Even if her best is comparatively smaller to the outside eye, it’s just as worthwhile, isn’t it?
“Right… okay. Liko, I’ll do my best too.” Filled with a rush of determination that outmatched anything she felt before, Dot slowly made her way through her favorite streaming website, struggling to navigate the unfamiliar webpage, until she had successfully made an account.
“Username.” Her text-to-speech program piped up at her command.
“A username…? Hm… I need something catchy. Something meaningful…? Yeah. Let’s see… a Pokémon… that relies on its connections with others…?” Dot mused, trying to find the best fit for her budding career. “Oh! Nidorina, maybe. But that’s just a name. So… I need something… anything… oh, heh. That could work.”
Eventually, by the time she heard Liko’s voice filling the halls of the Brave Olivine again, signaling her safe (and permanent) return, Dot had successfully set up her account, and felt more alive than ever.
Though, she also wondered if it was normal for all IRL friends to feel their heart beating this quickly and their face get this warm when they heard their voice after a long day away…
Liko was, as had become habit by now, running after her partner Pokémon, trying to understand why it was in such a mood.
“Did I say something wrong…? Why are you mad at me?”
“Mrrrowr!” Frustrated, the Grass Cat Pokémon threw a Leafage towards her Trainer, obscuring her view and the entire corridor, before running away.
“Sprigatito! Wait!” But before Liko could do anything, the Pokémon was gone, off to some remote corner of the Brave Olivine. “Geez… I wish I knew what got her in such a fuss…”
Defeated, Liko turned around and knocked on the door of the bedroom across from hers. “Dot…? Are you in there?”
“...” As usual, the girl was met with silence. Despite her and Roy’s recent attempts to connect, all she could get from the only other child on board was a printed note or two.
“I was hoping to talk to you… I wanted to thank you about the info you gave us about Rayquaza. It might not be of use to me now, but still… it’s a nice gesture. Please, could I see your face? Just once.”
To Liko’s surprise, after a few seconds of silence, she heard footsteps, and the door unlocked, being opened just enough to let her inside.
“Oh…! Thank you so much!”
The Trainer was surprised to see the inside of Dot’s room. For a shut-in, it was cleaner than she expected. Everything was neatly put away and organized. Maybe Dot was the type to need things to be in the right place at all times. Speaking of the girl, however, what surprised her most was to see her face.
“U-Um, hi.”
“Oh, right! I didn’t say hello yet. Um, hello!”
“So… what did you wanna talk about?”
“Not much, I guess… I was just hoping to see you. Uh, I hope this isn’t too forward, but… isn’t it hard, having your hair in front of your eyes like that?”
Dot seemed taken aback by that remark. “What do you mean?”
“Like, isn’t it hard to see…?”
“Oh.” Dot, feeling around for her desk to locate herself, sat down on her chair. “So Friede didn’t tell you? Lemme guess, “oh, did I not mention?”” She sarcastically imitated the second-in-command of the Rising Volt Tacklers.
“Um, I guess not, haha!”
“I’m blind. So… doesn’t really get in the way at all.” Dot said, matter-of-factly.
“Y-You’re… oh, I see…” Liko didn’t know where to put herself. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You couldn’t have known. It’s more Friede’s fault than anything. Not that it really matters.”
“Doesn’t it, though…? It must not be easy…”
“...” Dot’s silence spoke volumes.
“Oh, sorry…” Scrambling to change the subject, Liko switched topics to the first thing that came to mind. “Oh, by the way, I’m sorry I didn’t bring Sprigatito. I tried to, but she was really upset today for some reason…”
“Shouldn’t you go get her or something?”
“Oh, no, she gets in those moods a lot… I’ll find her later, don’t worry.”
“Oh, okay.” Dot replied, returning to her previous task.
“Um…” Liko, again without a subject of conversation, noticed Dot’s screen. “S-So, what are you doing?”
“Just coding something.”
“Oh, right, Murdock mentioned you make the app for the crew! He seemed really proud.”
“...It’s nothing, really. An online friend makes all the UI and stuff too, so it’s not like I do it alone.”
“How do you manage, anyway? Since you can’t see the screen. Or the keyboard, actually…”
“I have everything organized on my PC so everything’s in the same place,” the programmer began to explain. “Like, if I press Tab a certain amount of times, I can locate myself decently well. Plus, I have a voice assistant if I get lost.” Pressing a key as a demonstration, Dot made the program read the line of code she was on at the moment. “As for the keyboard, there’s Braille on the keys.”
“Ooh, I see… that’s really cool!” Liko exclaimed, impressed.
“...Really, it’s nothing. Don’t make it sound so awesome.” Dot retorted, embarrassed. This time, she was the one to change the subject. “Anyway, what’s up with you and Sprigatito?”
“I think she’s unhappy about having to leave the ship…”
“Oh, you’re leaving?”
“Yeah… the Rising Volt Tacklers’ mission was to get me back home, and we’ll be landing in Paldea soon.” Liko’s voice betrayed a hint of disappointment as she explained her situation. “But that’s just how it is.”
“...and you’re okay with that?”
“It’s just how it has to be, so–”
“What the hell are you talking about!?”
Liko jumped in surprise. Dot had already lashed out before, but that was muffled by the door between them, and wasn’t squarely directed at her in the way it was now. Had she done something wrong to upset her?
“Wha–”
“You have all of these things you can do– you want to do– and you’re just gonna throw them away !?”
“W-Well, I– I’m sorry, I just…”
“All I can do with my pathetic life is make that app, and random stuff that doesn’t matter on the side! It’s the whole reason I’m even here! This tiny room is my entire world! But you’ve got a partner who’d love to go on adventures with you, you’ve got friends, you’ve got eyes that fucking work – and you’re just gonna–” Dot took a shaky breath, trying as best she can to center herself. “...do you know how much I’d give to be in your position?”
“I… never really thought of it that way…”
“I have a partner, sure. Murdock got me Quaxly when I came on board to help me with stuff like keeping my room clean, or bringing me food. But it’s just… not the same. I’d love to go on adventures like you can. Hell, I’d take just being able to stream .”
“Stream…? Like, online streaming?”
“Yeah… there’s a few streamers I like, and I’ve always wanted to be just like them. But with those eyes… forget it. I can’t play games, I can’t vlog, I can’t do anything.”
“...” Liko was left speechless.
“So when you’ve got all these opportunities, and you just give up on them like that… I’m sorry. That was selfish of me.” Dot turned away from the direction she heard Liko from. “You should just… go.”
“...Thank you, Dot.”
“...huh?” The shut-in didn’t expect that response.
“Sure, what you said was blunt, and it shocked me a little… but maybe that’s what I needed.” Liko realized. “Before, I was just giving in, doing what the adults around me thought was best for me. But… you could tell I really, really don’t want to stop now, couldn’t you? And that helped wake me up too.”
“Oh…”
Feeling bold, Liko took Dot’s hand in hers, startling the programmer. “But I think I’m gonna talk to my parents and Friede about it now. There’s so much I want to do, and want to learn, and… maybe I owe it to you too. Until I figure out a way to make your dreams come true, I’m gonna fight to make mine happen!”
“W-Wait… make my dreams come true…?”
“Yeah!” Dot could not detect a shred of doubt in Liko’s voice. “I don’t know yet how I can help you with everything, but… maybe we can start with streaming first!”
“H-Huh…?”
“You could, like, share the things you learned online with your viewers! And if it’s too scary, maybe we could, like, make you a costume or something!”
“Wh-What…?”
“Oh! Um, I should find Sprigatito, though! We’ll be landing soon, and I need to apologize to her for not realizing things sooner.” Just as fast as she came in, Liko was about to leave, but she stopped herself before opening the door, and turned back around to Dot. “I’ll be back for sure! We can work on our plan together then, okay?”
“U-Uh… yeah, sure…” Dot replied, still reeling from the sudden turn the conversation took.
“I’ll see you later! Thank you!” And with that, she was gone.
At first, Dot thought that Liko was crazy to make all these suggestions. What could someone like her do? All she had ever been was a burden in her own eyes. To her mom, who just put her on the ship without a second thought. To the crew, who had to keep making accommodations for her. And now to Liko, who seemed to want to bend over backwards to help her with her silly dreams.
But eventually… she started wondering if she, too, wasn’t running from what she really wanted to do. She had just torn into Liko for doing the same thing, but couldn’t she also do her best like she is? Even if her best is comparatively smaller to the outside eye, it’s just as worthwhile, isn’t it?
“Right… okay. Liko, I’ll do my best too.” Filled with a rush of determination that outmatched anything she felt before, Dot slowly made her way through her favorite streaming website, struggling to navigate the unfamiliar webpage, until she had successfully made an account.
“Username.” Her text-to-speech program piped up at her command.
“A username…? Hm… I need something catchy. Something meaningful…? Yeah. Let’s see… a Pokémon… that relies on its connections with others…?” Dot mused, trying to find the best fit for her budding career. “Oh! Nidorina, maybe. But that’s just a name. So… I need something… anything… oh, heh. That could work.”
Eventually, by the time she heard Liko’s voice filling the halls of the Brave Olivine again, signaling her safe (and permanent) return, Dot had successfully set up her account, and felt more alive than ever.
Though, she also wondered if it was normal for all IRL friends to feel their heart beating this quickly and their face get this warm when they heard their voice after a long day away…
“Liko’s what!?”
Roy flinched as the mysterious Dot’s voice yelled out from Friede’s Rotom Phone. When the crew’s second-in-command called her to bring her the news of Liko’s mysterious disappearance, Roy didn’t expect her to react quite this strongly… he knew that one day, while he was elsewhere on the ship, the girl with the pendant had managed to get through to the shut-in, even making plans together, but to see her care this much for something, some one , when she seemed so uninterested in everything else was a surprise.
“Y-Yeah… I saw her last, she mentioned something about going shopping…” The boy explained, feeling horrible. The rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers told him not to feel responsible for something he had nothing to do with, but it was still hard for him to give himself a break. That was his best friend, and now she was…
“Shopping… so, either Artazon or Levincia.”
“Yeah,” Friede replied. “Do you think you could look for reports of a girl with a Sprigatito online, so the rest of us know where to look for her?”
“Already on it.” Dot did her best to quickly navigate the various social media websites she was used to, letting her voice assistant read out the results of her search. “I’m hearing about a sighting in Artazon… this one mentions a girl in a blue coat with a cute feline Pokémon… this one is… that one too… okay, yeah. I’m getting an overwhelming amount of evidence that she might be in Artazon.”
“Then that’s where we’ll go. Thanks, Dot. We’ve got this from here–”
“Wait!”
“Huh?” Everyone froze, not knowing what to expect from such an assertive Dot.
“There’s got to be something else I can do! This is something really important, and…!”
“No, no,” Murdock piped in. “You stay here and wait for us. It’s too dangerous out there for you.”
“But…!”
“Sorry, but I’m inclined to agree here.”
“Friede, shouldn’t we at least try to…?” Orla tried to take Dot’s side.
“This might just be me overreacting, but I think this has more to it than just a random disappearance. Someone might be after Liko’s pendant, and if that someone goes after us next…”
“Right. So it’s not gonna happen.”
“Murdock, please–”
“No means no, Dot! You’re staying here. We. Got. This.”
“...”
---------------------------------
Somewhere in a big city, a girl looked around, unsure of where she was or why she was there.
All she knew was that she was with her beloved partner Sprigatito, and that she seemed to not have a clue where they were either.
“Where…? Maybe if I walk around, I’ll get a better idea…?”
Following her instincts, the girl started walking around, before crossing paths with a large group of people, who were all headed for what seemed to be the heart of the city.
As the girl followed them, confused, an upbeat voice pierced through the fog clouding her mind.
“Your eyeballs are mine, caught in my Electroweb! Whosawhatsit? Iono! ‘Ello, ‘ello, ciao, bonjour!”
The voice felt familiar. The girl, whose name was Liko, she remembered, felt like she knew someone who really liked that person. That certain someone… she felt like she liked her, just as she liked this “Iono”-- no, she liked her in a different way…?
“Today, I’m bringin’ the hype to Levincia with some impromptu battles!”
The cheers of the crowd almost made Liko’s head spin. That person must be really popular… “Sprigatito, do you know who she is?”
“Meow…” The Grass Cat Pokémon denied.
“Well… I’m not sure either, but if she’s popular, then maybe someone who knows me is also watching her… especially since she seems to be streaming online. If I can’t figure anything out, this might be our best bet!”
Somewhere deep inside her mind, a memory surfaced. Streaming… she was helping someone on something related to streaming, wasn’t she…? Yes, there definitely was some kind of link between Iono and someone she knew. Someone she cared about enough to be remembered by her before almost anything else.
Wherever she was, she hoped that person was looking for her, too.
----------------------------------------------
Dot buried her face in her pillow, as if trying to hide herself from the universe. Somewhere deep inside, she wondered why she felt so incredibly determined to find someone she barely knew. This was just a random girl, right? Yeah, she’s pretty much the only friend she’s made in years. Yeah, she’s the only one to have managed to push past her walls, and her kindness in doing so really touched her, but… why was she sticking her neck out for her? She was just another member of the crew… right…?
It didn’t matter how much she wanted to find her, though. The leads she had found turned out to be a misdirection, as none of the Rising Volt Tacklers could find Liko or Sprigatito anywhere in Artazon. There were no words Dot could think of that could accurately describe how horrible she felt about herself.
The only thing keeping her together was her favorite streamer, Iono, who luckily started another live stream right as the rest of the Brave Olivine’s crew left, which made for an excellent distraction to her. While she couldn’t see the battles the influencer was participating in, her mind did a great job at filling in the blanks and making a mental map of the battlefield, as well as the state of the Pokémon facing off on it. This activity of mapping out the events of the battle did wonders at keeping the more pessimistic part of her mind occupied.
“Okay! Thanks for the battle, friendo! Your Lechonk really made sparks fly there. I’m sure even the viewers at home could feel it! Okay, now, who next…?”
Somewhere deep in her heart of hearts, Dot wished she could be out there, fighting her idol. She wished she could be there, commanding Quaxly, and holding her own. Most kids her age dream of stuff like this. But most have everything they need to make it a reality. While she…
“You!”
“H-Huh? Me!?”
Dot’s negative spiral was interrupted abruptly by the voice she’d been secretly dying to hear this entire time.
“Yeah! You, with the Sprigatito! Come on! I can tell your partner’s rarin’ to go!”
The shut-in almost tripped over herself, reaching for her phone on her desk and asking it to call her emergency contact.
“Friede! I know where Liko is!”
“Huh!?”
“She’s in Levincia! Iono’s about to battle her!”
“B-Battle her? Slow down! What’s going on?”
“It doesn’t matter! Get going there!”
“...Got it. We’re on our way.”
“Oh, and… Friede…?” Dot knew she shouldn’t be doing this.
“What is it, Dot?” She was just going to be denied again. Why bother?
“Can you please…” Just give up. Give up. Give up, was all she could tell herself.
“Can you please take me there, too?”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Alright, Bellibolt, use Discharge!”
Liko couldn’t understand what was going on. She’d just come to her senses, and now she was battling? Someone much stronger than her, too. She could only just barely order Sprigatito to dodge the Electric-type move. But she had to retaliate, right? That’s how Pokémon battles go. But… Sprigatito’s moves… what are they…?
“Sprigatito, use Leafage!”
Liko surprised herself. She didn’t rationally issue the order. Her heart somehow knew better than her head did, and instinctively, she knew what to do.
The attack just barely connected, though Bellibolt didn’t seem particularly affected.
“Hey, girl– um, what’s your name, again?”
“It’s Li–” Liko stopped herself. Was it really wise to just give away her name in front of what could be thousands of people? She had to think of something else. “Um– it’s Sprigatito Love, ma’am– uh– Iono!”
“Hehe. Okay, then, Sprigatito Love. Stop overthinking this! Every second you hesitate is one less subscriber for me. Plus, it’s more fun if you give it your all, no questions asked, right?”
“If I give it my all… um, got it!”
“Ooookay then, enough with the intermission! Bellibolt, use Spark!”
Without missing a beat, the Electric-type started rushing towards Liko’s side of the field, crackling with energy.
“Okay– um– Sprigatito, use Quick Attack! Get behind it!”
As Sprigatito followed her lead, Liko felt a familiar feeling rush through her body. Battling by her partner Pokémon’s side… learning new strategies, having fun… with her friends, or against enemies… it all felt familiar.
Slowly, she was putting the pieces together, as she enjoyed herself on the battlefield.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Quax-ly.”
Dot, following her partner’s orders, showed extra caution as she descended the stairs leading to the deck of the Brave Olivine. Soon after her arrival, she felt a wind blow past her. A telltale sign that Friede’s Charizard landed in front of her.
“Dot! How did you get up here alone!?” …Oh. So Murdock came along, as well.
“Quaxly showed me the way. How else? That’s why you got him for me.”
“I didn’t give him to you to be reckless! And what’s gotten into you? Wanting to be out today of all days!”
“...” Friede stayed silent, not wanting to intrude on family matters, and giving Dot the opportunity to stand up for herself.
“Roy’s out there helping, isn’t he? So are Mollie and Orla and everyone else. Why should I be sitting on my butt waiting for things to work themselves out?”
“Because it’s not the same! You–” Murdock took some time to figure out how to best express his thoughts. “It’s… more difficult for you.”
“So what!?”
“Don’t be so reckless! You’re safer here! We’ve got this, I promise!”
“ Bullshit !”
“...!” Murdock, stunned, could not find the words to speak.
“My entire life since I lost my vision’s been just sitting in my room, watching others living the lives I want to live!” Dot continued, her voice quivering with anxiety and emotion. “Watching everyone on the ship lead better, more interesting lives! Watching my own life pass me by! I’m tired of watching!” Dot’s eyes filled with tears, as they pushed past her hair with a spark of determination. “I want to live ! Like Liko wants me to! Like she showed me I could!”
“Dot…” Friede said, impressed.
“She– she showed me I could be more. Even despite my blindness. I-I…” Dot wiped her tears with her sleeve, and tried as best she could to meet Friede’s gaze, following the source of his voice. “Look! Look at me now! Have you ever seen me out in the open like this? It’s thanks to her! I have projects I want to work on now! I want to be a streamer! And I want her to be there for all of it! I w-want her to see… I… she’s… she needs us now. I can’t j-just…”
“But even still–”
“Murdock.” Friede, satisfied, felt comfortable stepping in. “I understand you’re concerned. It’s scary, letting her leave the nest. Especially right now. But this is her time.”
“Friede…!” Dot couldn’t believe it. Her voice was being heard? She spoke up, against her better judgment, and she was…!
“B-But…” Still, her caretaker was not convinced.
“Dot? This isn’t for me to say, is it?”
“...You’re right. Thank you, Friede. So much.” Dot turned towards her uncle’s voice. “Murdock– no. Uncle Murdock. I get it. I’m not crazy. I know I’ve got limits. But I also have others to rely on. Quaxly, and Liko, and even Roy, though we haven’t really met yet. They’ve got my back. I’m sure of it.”
“Dot…” Murdock, stunned, turned away from his niece. “You’ve… grown up so fast, haven’t you…?” Taking a deep breath, and wiping away a tear, he turned back towards her. “...okay. Just… be careful out there. And stay with Quaxly at all times.”
“Murdock…!” Dot could scarcely believe it.
“Alright, then! Guess it’s time for a little high-speed flying! We gotta catch up to Roy. Dot, Charizard, let’s–”
“Friede?” Murdock grabbed the man’s arm, stopping him in his tracks, and whispering in his ear. “If you get her hurt in any way, I’m putting Rockruff’s Rock Tomb in your curry.”
“A-Ah– um, well, slow and steady wins the race, r-right?”
“What’s going on with you two? Come on, we gotta find Liko.” Dot said, feeling for Charizard and getting on his back on her own. “Let’s go.”
As she took off, feeling the fresh Paldean air hit her face and brush away her curtain of hair, Dot felt more alive than she ever had before.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Sprigatito, no!”
“Aaand the battle’s over! Iono, one, Sprigatito Love, zero! It was a great battle, though! Thanks, girl. I’m sure to go viral with this one~!”
“Ehehe…” Liko couldn’t help but laugh at the streamer’s energy, before focusing her attention on her partner. “I’m sorry, Sprigatito. We lost…”
“Meow…”
“But… it was a lot of fun, wasn’t it? Battling together, I mean. We should tell our friends about–”
Her friends…! Suddenly, the pieces started coming together in her mind. She was traveling on an airship with them! Friede, Orla, Mollie, Murdock, Ludlow! And the other kids her age–
“Likoooooo!”
“Ah– she’s here!?”
“Yeah! Can’t you see– oh, right… sorry, hehe.”
“Heh. No biggie. Liko! Over here!”
Finally feeling a sense of direction, Liko turned towards the voices, and ran to those she loved dearest, her beloved partner in her arms, and a smile on her face.
Roy flinched as the mysterious Dot’s voice yelled out from Friede’s Rotom Phone. When the crew’s second-in-command called her to bring her the news of Liko’s mysterious disappearance, Roy didn’t expect her to react quite this strongly… he knew that one day, while he was elsewhere on the ship, the girl with the pendant had managed to get through to the shut-in, even making plans together, but to see her care this much for something, some one , when she seemed so uninterested in everything else was a surprise.
“Y-Yeah… I saw her last, she mentioned something about going shopping…” The boy explained, feeling horrible. The rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers told him not to feel responsible for something he had nothing to do with, but it was still hard for him to give himself a break. That was his best friend, and now she was…
“Shopping… so, either Artazon or Levincia.”
“Yeah,” Friede replied. “Do you think you could look for reports of a girl with a Sprigatito online, so the rest of us know where to look for her?”
“Already on it.” Dot did her best to quickly navigate the various social media websites she was used to, letting her voice assistant read out the results of her search. “I’m hearing about a sighting in Artazon… this one mentions a girl in a blue coat with a cute feline Pokémon… this one is… that one too… okay, yeah. I’m getting an overwhelming amount of evidence that she might be in Artazon.”
“Then that’s where we’ll go. Thanks, Dot. We’ve got this from here–”
“Wait!”
“Huh?” Everyone froze, not knowing what to expect from such an assertive Dot.
“There’s got to be something else I can do! This is something really important, and…!”
“No, no,” Murdock piped in. “You stay here and wait for us. It’s too dangerous out there for you.”
“But…!”
“Sorry, but I’m inclined to agree here.”
“Friede, shouldn’t we at least try to…?” Orla tried to take Dot’s side.
“This might just be me overreacting, but I think this has more to it than just a random disappearance. Someone might be after Liko’s pendant, and if that someone goes after us next…”
“Right. So it’s not gonna happen.”
“Murdock, please–”
“No means no, Dot! You’re staying here. We. Got. This.”
“...”
---------------------------------
Somewhere in a big city, a girl looked around, unsure of where she was or why she was there.
All she knew was that she was with her beloved partner Sprigatito, and that she seemed to not have a clue where they were either.
“Where…? Maybe if I walk around, I’ll get a better idea…?”
Following her instincts, the girl started walking around, before crossing paths with a large group of people, who were all headed for what seemed to be the heart of the city.
As the girl followed them, confused, an upbeat voice pierced through the fog clouding her mind.
“Your eyeballs are mine, caught in my Electroweb! Whosawhatsit? Iono! ‘Ello, ‘ello, ciao, bonjour!”
The voice felt familiar. The girl, whose name was Liko, she remembered, felt like she knew someone who really liked that person. That certain someone… she felt like she liked her, just as she liked this “Iono”-- no, she liked her in a different way…?
“Today, I’m bringin’ the hype to Levincia with some impromptu battles!”
The cheers of the crowd almost made Liko’s head spin. That person must be really popular… “Sprigatito, do you know who she is?”
“Meow…” The Grass Cat Pokémon denied.
“Well… I’m not sure either, but if she’s popular, then maybe someone who knows me is also watching her… especially since she seems to be streaming online. If I can’t figure anything out, this might be our best bet!”
Somewhere deep inside her mind, a memory surfaced. Streaming… she was helping someone on something related to streaming, wasn’t she…? Yes, there definitely was some kind of link between Iono and someone she knew. Someone she cared about enough to be remembered by her before almost anything else.
Wherever she was, she hoped that person was looking for her, too.
----------------------------------------------
Dot buried her face in her pillow, as if trying to hide herself from the universe. Somewhere deep inside, she wondered why she felt so incredibly determined to find someone she barely knew. This was just a random girl, right? Yeah, she’s pretty much the only friend she’s made in years. Yeah, she’s the only one to have managed to push past her walls, and her kindness in doing so really touched her, but… why was she sticking her neck out for her? She was just another member of the crew… right…?
It didn’t matter how much she wanted to find her, though. The leads she had found turned out to be a misdirection, as none of the Rising Volt Tacklers could find Liko or Sprigatito anywhere in Artazon. There were no words Dot could think of that could accurately describe how horrible she felt about herself.
The only thing keeping her together was her favorite streamer, Iono, who luckily started another live stream right as the rest of the Brave Olivine’s crew left, which made for an excellent distraction to her. While she couldn’t see the battles the influencer was participating in, her mind did a great job at filling in the blanks and making a mental map of the battlefield, as well as the state of the Pokémon facing off on it. This activity of mapping out the events of the battle did wonders at keeping the more pessimistic part of her mind occupied.
“Okay! Thanks for the battle, friendo! Your Lechonk really made sparks fly there. I’m sure even the viewers at home could feel it! Okay, now, who next…?”
Somewhere deep in her heart of hearts, Dot wished she could be out there, fighting her idol. She wished she could be there, commanding Quaxly, and holding her own. Most kids her age dream of stuff like this. But most have everything they need to make it a reality. While she…
“You!”
“H-Huh? Me!?”
Dot’s negative spiral was interrupted abruptly by the voice she’d been secretly dying to hear this entire time.
“Yeah! You, with the Sprigatito! Come on! I can tell your partner’s rarin’ to go!”
The shut-in almost tripped over herself, reaching for her phone on her desk and asking it to call her emergency contact.
“Friede! I know where Liko is!”
“Huh!?”
“She’s in Levincia! Iono’s about to battle her!”
“B-Battle her? Slow down! What’s going on?”
“It doesn’t matter! Get going there!”
“...Got it. We’re on our way.”
“Oh, and… Friede…?” Dot knew she shouldn’t be doing this.
“What is it, Dot?” She was just going to be denied again. Why bother?
“Can you please…” Just give up. Give up. Give up, was all she could tell herself.
“Can you please take me there, too?”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Alright, Bellibolt, use Discharge!”
Liko couldn’t understand what was going on. She’d just come to her senses, and now she was battling? Someone much stronger than her, too. She could only just barely order Sprigatito to dodge the Electric-type move. But she had to retaliate, right? That’s how Pokémon battles go. But… Sprigatito’s moves… what are they…?
“Sprigatito, use Leafage!”
Liko surprised herself. She didn’t rationally issue the order. Her heart somehow knew better than her head did, and instinctively, she knew what to do.
The attack just barely connected, though Bellibolt didn’t seem particularly affected.
“Hey, girl– um, what’s your name, again?”
“It’s Li–” Liko stopped herself. Was it really wise to just give away her name in front of what could be thousands of people? She had to think of something else. “Um– it’s Sprigatito Love, ma’am– uh– Iono!”
“Hehe. Okay, then, Sprigatito Love. Stop overthinking this! Every second you hesitate is one less subscriber for me. Plus, it’s more fun if you give it your all, no questions asked, right?”
“If I give it my all… um, got it!”
“Ooookay then, enough with the intermission! Bellibolt, use Spark!”
Without missing a beat, the Electric-type started rushing towards Liko’s side of the field, crackling with energy.
“Okay– um– Sprigatito, use Quick Attack! Get behind it!”
As Sprigatito followed her lead, Liko felt a familiar feeling rush through her body. Battling by her partner Pokémon’s side… learning new strategies, having fun… with her friends, or against enemies… it all felt familiar.
Slowly, she was putting the pieces together, as she enjoyed herself on the battlefield.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Quax-ly.”
Dot, following her partner’s orders, showed extra caution as she descended the stairs leading to the deck of the Brave Olivine. Soon after her arrival, she felt a wind blow past her. A telltale sign that Friede’s Charizard landed in front of her.
“Dot! How did you get up here alone!?” …Oh. So Murdock came along, as well.
“Quaxly showed me the way. How else? That’s why you got him for me.”
“I didn’t give him to you to be reckless! And what’s gotten into you? Wanting to be out today of all days!”
“...” Friede stayed silent, not wanting to intrude on family matters, and giving Dot the opportunity to stand up for herself.
“Roy’s out there helping, isn’t he? So are Mollie and Orla and everyone else. Why should I be sitting on my butt waiting for things to work themselves out?”
“Because it’s not the same! You–” Murdock took some time to figure out how to best express his thoughts. “It’s… more difficult for you.”
“So what!?”
“Don’t be so reckless! You’re safer here! We’ve got this, I promise!”
“ Bullshit !”
“...!” Murdock, stunned, could not find the words to speak.
“My entire life since I lost my vision’s been just sitting in my room, watching others living the lives I want to live!” Dot continued, her voice quivering with anxiety and emotion. “Watching everyone on the ship lead better, more interesting lives! Watching my own life pass me by! I’m tired of watching!” Dot’s eyes filled with tears, as they pushed past her hair with a spark of determination. “I want to live ! Like Liko wants me to! Like she showed me I could!”
“Dot…” Friede said, impressed.
“She– she showed me I could be more. Even despite my blindness. I-I…” Dot wiped her tears with her sleeve, and tried as best she could to meet Friede’s gaze, following the source of his voice. “Look! Look at me now! Have you ever seen me out in the open like this? It’s thanks to her! I have projects I want to work on now! I want to be a streamer! And I want her to be there for all of it! I w-want her to see… I… she’s… she needs us now. I can’t j-just…”
“But even still–”
“Murdock.” Friede, satisfied, felt comfortable stepping in. “I understand you’re concerned. It’s scary, letting her leave the nest. Especially right now. But this is her time.”
“Friede…!” Dot couldn’t believe it. Her voice was being heard? She spoke up, against her better judgment, and she was…!
“B-But…” Still, her caretaker was not convinced.
“Dot? This isn’t for me to say, is it?”
“...You’re right. Thank you, Friede. So much.” Dot turned towards her uncle’s voice. “Murdock– no. Uncle Murdock. I get it. I’m not crazy. I know I’ve got limits. But I also have others to rely on. Quaxly, and Liko, and even Roy, though we haven’t really met yet. They’ve got my back. I’m sure of it.”
“Dot…” Murdock, stunned, turned away from his niece. “You’ve… grown up so fast, haven’t you…?” Taking a deep breath, and wiping away a tear, he turned back towards her. “...okay. Just… be careful out there. And stay with Quaxly at all times.”
“Murdock…!” Dot could scarcely believe it.
“Alright, then! Guess it’s time for a little high-speed flying! We gotta catch up to Roy. Dot, Charizard, let’s–”
“Friede?” Murdock grabbed the man’s arm, stopping him in his tracks, and whispering in his ear. “If you get her hurt in any way, I’m putting Rockruff’s Rock Tomb in your curry.”
“A-Ah– um, well, slow and steady wins the race, r-right?”
“What’s going on with you two? Come on, we gotta find Liko.” Dot said, feeling for Charizard and getting on his back on her own. “Let’s go.”
As she took off, feeling the fresh Paldean air hit her face and brush away her curtain of hair, Dot felt more alive than she ever had before.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Sprigatito, no!”
“Aaand the battle’s over! Iono, one, Sprigatito Love, zero! It was a great battle, though! Thanks, girl. I’m sure to go viral with this one~!”
“Ehehe…” Liko couldn’t help but laugh at the streamer’s energy, before focusing her attention on her partner. “I’m sorry, Sprigatito. We lost…”
“Meow…”
“But… it was a lot of fun, wasn’t it? Battling together, I mean. We should tell our friends about–”
Her friends…! Suddenly, the pieces started coming together in her mind. She was traveling on an airship with them! Friede, Orla, Mollie, Murdock, Ludlow! And the other kids her age–
“Likoooooo!”
“Ah– she’s here!?”
“Yeah! Can’t you see– oh, right… sorry, hehe.”
“Heh. No biggie. Liko! Over here!”
Finally feeling a sense of direction, Liko turned towards the voices, and ran to those she loved dearest, her beloved partner in her arms, and a smile on her face.
