"Retirement...?"
The elegant Gardevoir addressed the crowd of reporters telepathically. She sat gracefully on a plush red chair, a glass of wine resting in her hand. Behind her, heavy crimson curtains draped the stage like a theater set.
She smiled.
"Retirement, huh?" The Gardevoir chuckled lightly. "Oh, that would absolutely be lovely."
"Now that my trainer has become World Champion, alongside him. I no longer need to battle or train as fiercely as I once did." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Perhaps I could finally rest. Settle down somewhere peaceful with my trainer."
"We'd watch the sunset together while sipping tea, reminiscing about our past battles." Her smile turned playful. "Though, knowing her, she'd probably be too busy binge-watching the latest anime this fall to even do all of that."
"But either way…" she said gently.
"Retirement would surely be an absolute blast-"
---
RRIIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!!!
At exactly 5:00 a.m., an alarm clock rang atop a bedside table, only to be silenced instantly by a psychic hand.
In the master bedroom, Voira slowly opened her eyes and sat up. Dark circles framed around her eyes, her green hair was an unholy mess and Beside her, the #$@%& Machamp was snoring so loudly that sleep had been utterly impossible last night.
She floated out of bed, rubbing her temples as she began her morning routine.
With a tired yawn, Voira let her psychic energy flow through every inch of the house as she drifted toward the kitchen.
Curtains slid open one by one. Brooms lifted themselves and swept dust from the floors with mops gliding smoothly behind them. Even outside, a wooden broom began clearing dead leaves from the yard.
Dirty dishes from last night's dinner floated into the sink. A floating sponge scrubbed plates and glasses as the faucet turned itself on and off in perfect synchronization.
All of this happened while Voira calmly prepared a cup of instant coffee, tearing open a sachet, stirring it absentmindedly, and taking a long sip as she sat at the dining table.
The refrigerator then opened as seasoned Farfetch'd cuts floated out and settled onto a pan as oil poured itself neatly across the surface. The stove ignited with a soft click. Voira waited patiently, sipping her coffee until the oil was hot enough, then guided the meat into the pan.
To her, it was nothing special.
Just routine.
For ten years straight, every single day.
The psychic power she once honed through grueling trainings and legendary battles was now dedicated to sweeping floors and frying breakfast.
Voira stared into her coffee and her eye twitched.
[I really missed the old days...]
Her gaze lingered on the dark surface of the drink, exhaustion quietly weighing on her chest until a large hand suddenly rested on her shoulder.
"Mmm! What a wonderful smell of fried Farfetch'd!" Champ said cheerfully as he smelled the air. "Maru's definitely going to love this when he wakes up—"
Then Champ immediately stop talking.
As Voira gave him a piercing side-eye that could cut through the soul.
Champ had learned this look well.
Too well. As when she looks at you like that, it meant only one thing: DO NOT ENGAGE. RUN.
"…Uhh," he said nervously. "I think I'll go… wash up. Right now. Immediately."
He retreated toward the bathroom at record speed.
Seeing this, Voira sighed deeply.
---
By the time Champ left for work, the house fell quiet.
Voira reclined on the couch, a novel floating open in front of her as she read leisurely. After a while, her eyes flicked toward the wall clock. It was already 7:00 AM.
Voira eye twitched.
With a soft sigh, Voira floats up from the couch, she glided toward the staircase and ascended towards a familiar door.
Opening it revealed a bedroom with blue walls, a blue desk chair, even dark blue curtains drawn halfway open. A large wardrobe stood against one wall, while toys of every kind lay scattered across the floor in chaotic disarray. And in the center of it all, upon a car-shaped bed, lay Maru.
Fast asleep.
Voira floated closer, looking down at him.
"Maru," Voira said as she gently nudged his cheek.
No response.
"Oi." She tried again, tugging lightly at his arm, then giving his shoulder a shake.
Still nothing.
"You leave me no other choice," she muttered quietly. "Dream Eater."
A subtle wave of psychic energy passed through Maru's mind.
"WAAAAAH!!!"
Maru shot upright with a sharp gasp, cold sweat clinging to his skin as his heart raced.
"OhmygodIjustsawagiantmominmydreamtellingmetowakeupthenIgotflattenedbyherpsychic-"
Maru stops his rambling before he slowly turned to his side and saw Voira stood beside the bed, arms crossed, and looking down at him with a distinctly unimpressed expression.
"…Uh. Hi, Mom," Maru said, shrinking slightly under her gaze.
Voira sighed.
"If you want to become a good trainer someday, you should start by waking up early." Then she glanced at the many toys on the floor.
"And cleaning up your mess."
"Okaaayyy!" Maru replied, stretching his arms.
Voira turned to leave the room, then paused at the door.
"Also... One more thing," she said over her shoulder.
Maru looked up to her. "Hm?"
"…Do you want to go out?"
---
"COME ON, COME ON! STEP RIGHT UP, FOLKS! DISCOUNTED BERRIES AND FRESH FRUIT!"
A fruit vendor's shout echoed across Striaton City's marketplace, rising above the noise of people talking, walking, and buying stuffs.
Striaton City maybe isn't as big or as flashy as Castelia City, but it was still lively and big city. People lived here, worked here, and made a living. The city had plenty of shops, a busy market, and a Pokémon Center that never seemed empty. It was a good place to live.
Vendors lined the streets, each stall packed with goods—berries, tools, clothes, trinkets, and fresh produce of every kind.
That day, among the crowds of shoppers and vendors, a Gardevoir and a young boy walked side by side.
Voira looked around carefully, checking stalls as she planned what to buy for the week. She wore a wide white hat, and a bag hung from her side, already holding a few supplies.
Maru, on the other hand, couldn't stop looking around.
"Mom! Can we go there!?" he shouted, pointing at a toy shop filled with colorful figures.
"No."
"Then how about that one!?" He pointed at a sports shop instead.
"No."
Maru slumped forward. "Why am I even here…"
"To help me carry the groceries, of course," Voira said mildly.
"Ehh!? Why should I carry them!?" Maru protested. "Can't Mom just use telekinesis and carry everything easily?"
Voira finally glanced down at him. "It's for training you, of course. A good trainer needs a strong body and you want to be a great trainer, don't you?"
Maru eyes sparkled. "Really!? Then okay! I'll carry them!"
A small smile tugged at Voira's lips as she watched his enthusiasm.
Around them, passersby couldn't help but stare. A Gardevoir walking casually through the marketplace of Unova was unusual enough but hearing a human child casually call her Mom was something else entirely. More than one person nearly spit out their drink upon overhearing it.
Although Voira can sense they're shocked emotion using her psychic sense, she ignored it.
---
A few minutes later, they stopped at a meat vendor's stall run by a chubby, cheerful woman. The counter displayed a wide assortment: neatly cut portions of Miltank, Mareep, Psyduck, and Farfetch'd.
"Oh my!" the woman exclaimed, eyes widening. "A Gardevoir! That's pretty rare here in Unova. Did your trainer send you to buy groceries?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am," Voira replied politely. "I'm an independent Pokémon without a trainer. I have a Pokémon ID."
"WHAT!?" The woman leaned forward, staring as if she'd just encountered a Shiny Pokémon. "An independent Pokémon!? That's pretty rare! This is my first time seeing one in the city! Well… I suppose with Psychic-types, it makes sense."
The two quickly fell into friendly small talk.
Maru, meanwhile, stared up at Voira with a flat, deeply bored expression. After a moment, he tugged impatiently at the hem of her skirt.
Voira immediately picked up on his mood and gave a small laugh. "Well, it was lovely talking with you, but it seems my son is very eager for his kilo of Farfetch'd cuts."
"Hoho, is that so? Then one kilo comin' right u—" The woman froze mid-sentence as she realize. "WAIT. YOUR SON!?"
Before she could ask another word.
WOOOOOOOO-OOOOOO-WOOOOOOOOO-OOOOOO
The sound of alarm spread throughout the entire city, and this wasn't a normal routine warning. This was the kind of alarm that meant something very dangerous was coming.
Panic erupted instantly. Shouts filled the marketplace. Some people screamed. Others grabbed their belongings and ran from the marketplace instantly.
"Mom! What's happening!?" Maru cried, clutching Voira's hand.
Voira remained calm as the marketplace speakers crackled.
"ATTENTION! TEAM ROCKET HAS DEPLOYED A MEWTWO HEADED TOWARD UNOVA. IT WILL BE ARRIVING FROM THE EAST OF STRIATON CITY. PLEASE EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!"
The marketplace who was in panic immediately descended into chaos as everyone now ran from the market.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!" the chubby vendor screamed, abandoning her stall as she fled with the crowd.
While panic spread like wildfire, Voira felt something in her that has been dormant for 10 whole years.
The excitement of battle.
"Maru."
She turned and knelt down in front of him, meeting his eyes.
"Can you stay here for a minute? Maybe sit on that bench."
"Ehh!? Why!?" Maru asked anxiously. "Are you gonna leave me!?"
"Yes," Voira said, smiling gently. "But don't worry, sweetie. I'll be back in a jiffy. After that, we can check out the sports shop and the toy store. We can even buy a few toys—and maybe a new soccer ball."
"Woah! Really!?" Maru's face lit up instantly. "Alright! I'll wait for Mom right here!"
"Good."
And in the next instant, Voira vanished as she used teleport.
---
Fun Fact: Voira's Telepathy
Most Psychic-type Pokémon use telepathy by forming a direct mental link with a specific target to make something more akin to a phone call than speaking.
Voira's telepathy however works differently.
Due to her extreme psychic refinement and control, Voira does not rely on targeted links for everyday communication. Instead, her telepathy functions almost exactly like normal speech, except no sound comes from her mouth.
Her words are projected psychically into the surrounding space via a psychic wave like a broadcast.
The range, clarity, and direction of her telepathy behave just like a human voice:
-Speaking normally reaches only those nearby
-Raising her voice increases the range
-Screaming can carry her words much farther
Her telepathy also has directionality. Those in front of her hear her more clearly than those to the side or behind her, forming a cone-shaped spread similar to how sound travels when someone speaks.
For almost all Psychic Pokémon, this method of communication is considered impossible. Broadcast-style telepathy without a target normally needs thousands of micro-adjustment that even Elite-four or regional champion Pokémon will just collapse from mental overload.
Voira can do it not just because her control is extremely refined, she has been using this form of telepathy for over twenty years, to the point where the thousand micro-adjustment is fully automatic.
To her, forming a telepathic link is actually more focus, than this.