Chapter Text
Paldea.
The region that Fidelity’s mother had disappeared to, back when Fidelity was so young. Just a child, barely that. Only 3 when her mother was torn from her arms. They remembered her patting them on the head, smiling before saying,
”I’ll be back in just a few months. Don’t worry, Fidelity. I love you.”
She had never come back.
Fidelity had waited, waited, and waited, but nothing. No news. Her aunt, her mother’s sister, Lucia, seemed to have given up hope after a few more months of nothing. Fidelity’s belongings were moved into Lucia’s house, and that was that. They lived with their aunt now. And their mother was gone.
Fidelity often wondered what had happened. Had she decided she didn’t want to be a mother, and just fled? Had she met someone she decided to run away with? Had she been kidnapped? Was she dead? Fidelity wasn’t sure. But one thing was for certain, she wanted to know what happened to her mother.
For all those years, Fidelity tried to scavenge what few clues they could from Lucia and whatever they could get their hands on, which wasn’t much. All they really knew was their mother had gone to Paldea before disappearing. She was determined to make her way to Paldea eventually, to find the clues and find her mother.
And the perfect opportunity came when she was 15.
An invite letter to Naranja Academy. An esteemed academy for gifted and promising individuals to study about Pokemon, make their own teams, battle other students, and become better versions of themselves.
And it was located in Paldea.
It was the perfect chance. Fidelity could finally convince Lucia to move to Paldea under the guise of going to school, and there, Fidelity would investigate their mother. Fidelity was ecstatic when Lucia agreed.
“It’ll be good for you,” Lucia had said. “A new school, a new beginning. You’ll be able to meet friends! I’m excited for you, Fidelity.”
And so there they were, packing up their house and preparing for the move. Fidelity was in their room, packing up some of the final boxes. She almost couldn’t contain her excitement. After 12 years of wondering what had happened, they’d finally get a chance to figure out what had happened to their mother. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and she was going to make the most out of it.
“Fidelity?” There was a small knock at the door.
“Come in.”
Fidelity looked over towards the door as Lucia walked in. She was holding some more boxes, offering them out to Fidelity. Fidelity looked around their room, then accepted the boxes, motioning for Lucia to set them on the ground near them.
As Lucia walked over to set the boxes down, she spoke. “Are you excited to go to Naranja?”
“Stoked.” Fidelity nodded. Her tone was rather flat, so she quickly added, “I promise. I’m really excited. Just a bit tired from all the moving stuff.”
“I get that.” Lucia put a hand on Fidelity’s head, ruffling their hair. “Moving is never that pleasant an experience. But this move will be good for you.”
Fidelity wasn’t sure if Lucia was just saying that, or actually meant it. Lucia had never fully supported Fidelity’s intense hunt for her mother - insisting that it would wear them down eventually, that it would drain them, and they should calm down a little. She still accepted the fact they were desperate, but kept trying to encourage her to slow down a bit, and probably to give up the hunt entirely. She also knew that Paldea was where her sister had gone missing - there was no way she didn’t know what Fidelity was up to. But she didn’t say a word about it, which Fidelity was grateful for.
“I’m sure it will be.” Fidelity gave Lucia a smile. “New school, new friends, and a Pokemon adventure - what more could a teen ask for?”
Lucia smiled back. She walked back towards the door, lingering in the doorway, a hand on the door frame as she looked back towards Fidelity. “If you need any help packing, let me know, okay?”
“Will do, auntie. Thank you. Though I think I’ve got it from here. There’s not much left to pack up.” Fidelity gave Lucia a small wave.
Lucia nodded and left the room, leaving Fidelity to her devices. Fidelity’s gaze lingered on the doorway for a moment before they stood up, closing the door. They turned around, leaning against it and facing their room, lightly sinking down as they gazed around. The room was almost barren, save for the last few items she had to pack up, as well as the bag of stuff Fidelity wanted to keep on the ride to Paldea. She took a deep breath and fully stood up, moving to go back to packing.
We’ll be in Paldea in just a few days. And then in a few more, I’ll be at the academy. And I’ll finally be free to investigate.
Fidelity picked up a picture frame she had in her room. An older photo of a woman holding a child, both of them smiling as they looked at the camera. Fidelity frowned, lightly tracing a finger over the photo. She didn’t even know what their mother looked like from their own memory. This photo was all they had. They paused for a moment before putting it in the box, looking at it for a moment longer.
Mom... I promise, I’ll find you. I’ll bring you home.
Please, wait for me.