Realization
#12 of Cassidy's Journey
"...What do I do now?" Cassidy won a lengthy, tiresome battle against the Elite Four over and stood outside of the league's immense dome structure.
'What do you mean? You have what you've always wanted, right?' Fenny stood behind her.
Everything sounded like an echo.
"That's the issue, Fenny. I've based my life on one thing, and now that it's over, I feel lost already." She kneeled to the ground. Cassidy felt Fenny's hand place itself on her shoulder.
Fenny was standing beside her. 'Cass... but you have to feel happy, even if it's just a little. You're the one that trained us to battle this well, and you were motivated enough to make it this far. This is a big deal. I'm happy for you.'
Cassidy's eyes suddenly opened. She sat up on her bed. Her breathing was quite panicky, dense. It seemed to wake Fenny up as well as he stared at her from where he was lying.
'Cass?...'
"It was just a dream. Don't worry about it," she replied. Cassidy didn't want to discuss it, not immediately after it happened.
'You're crying...' He could see her face from the small amount of light seeping through the window as the sun rose. He sat up.
"I... No, I'm not." Cassidy wiped her eyes to find that they were damp. The dream had an impact on her. It visualized what Cassidy feared the most, what had been on her mind regularly. "I'll be back." She got up and walked to her bathroom, closing the door behind her. Cassidy took a few deep breaths and was able to calm herself while leaned up against the counter. Cassidy never really thought about what she'd do after the league. Would she move on to the next region and work toward another Elite Four? She didn't even know if she wanted to. "Fuck..." Cassidy muttered. She needed another walk, but she'd head farther this time, a lot farther. Cassidy opened the restroom door and was met by Fenny standing in front of the doorway.
'I was... worried.'
"I need to go for a bit." Cassidy slipped past him and went back to her room to slip on her thin black jacket and boots.
'Can I go with you?' Fenny watched from the doorway, nervously flicking his bushy tail.
She zipped up her jacket. "You have to keep up."
He grinned to himself and followed her outside into the weakly lit environment under a gray sky. Fenny wouldn't ask Cassidy a single question, but wondering where they were going kept him in suspense.
Cassidy's hands were stuffed into her jacket's frontal pocket as the air was a bit chilly. She was going to Anistar City, which meant they had to pass through Route 18. Cassidy led north.
Fenny felt he was infringing on time she needed alone, but he wouldn't say it. He briefly considered turning around silently, though Fenny would feel worse for not being by her side through dark times.
--
Soon, they entered Anistar City. At such early hours, the expansive contemporary city slowly began to wake. Cassidy glanced at shop owners opening small businesses for the day as she strolled north along the road, at relatively tall buildings and residential areas with rowed homes and shrubbery lining the pavement. Many structures had roofs styled uniquely with glass window panes. However, Cassidy could enjoy none of it right now. She kept her head down, avoiding interaction with the occasional few trainers passing by.
Fenny trailed behind while giving her space. His eyes were on her more than anything else. He was sincerely concerned about her well-being. Cassidy always pulled through, but Fenny never saw her this distraught before. He knew she was putting more focus on her issues now, which could play a factor.
Cassidy saw her destination roughly two miles ahead, the Anistar Gym. It wasn't hard to spot as it was an exotic pink structure. In front of the gym was a spacious area to watch the ocean. It was known to be a popular tourist attraction. That's why she chose to come at such early hours. Cassidy felt it would calm her.
--
In ten minutes, they approached the gym from the long stretch of pavement leading to it. Cassidy walked to and stopped at the edge of the path. The sun shined along the water's surface while slowly rising over the horizon beyond grassy hills; the sky slowly gaining its color.
Fenny stood idle at her right and gazed at the view while a gentle wind breezed past his fur. He wanted to talk to her but figured it would be best for him to keep quiet. That is how it would be if he'd stayed behind, anyway. A few seconds later, Fenny noticed Cassidy pull her right hand from her pocket and hold it out beside her while keeping her eyes ahead. He glanced at her hand and back up to her face. Fenny placed his left hand in hers and felt her grip it firmly.
"We have three more."
Fenny looked at her the moment she spoke.
"Three more gyms." Cassidy turned to look at Anistar City Gym and released Fenny's hand. The motivation to continue gathering gym badges hadn't faded. Cassidy just had vital thinking to do about her distant future. The dream was her wake-up call to what she was already moving toward. It was something she never really thought about because she didn't want to. All she ever wanted was to drown the pain. "Come on, Fen." Cassidy began to walk in the direction they came.
'Are we going back home?' he asked while keeping by her.
"Not for long."