A Saga of Tanya the Chansey: 18

Tanya staggers as the initial wave of excitement from the proclamation finally abates.

When her sisters had been woken to the declaration of a surprise celebration, for them, the initial minutes had been some of the most chaotic she’d experienced in any life.

The former soldier leans against a wall, careful not to jostle the paper plate and its slice of cake too much.

Before her head slowly tilts downward, looking at the plate in her hands, and notes the plastic fork stuck into the top of the chocolate confection.

…When did she get cake?

That thought too is lost to the energy of the room as two siblings –Happiny and Happiny– run over, wielding empty plates and chocolate frosting around their mouths.

““Happy Birthday!!”” They both shout in stereo, before turning toward each other and saying it again.

Tanya forces her face into neutral placidity to cover for a mixture of amusement and discomfort.

“Happy birthday.”

Her lackluster response seems to be more than enough for her sisters, as they each cheer and go in for a hug, realizing just in time that the cake Tanya’s holding makes it impossible, and leaving with another call of ‘Happy Birthday!!’ as they go.

But just as quickly as they leave, someone else takes their spot, then another, an entire nursery full of happiny running in every direction screaming the same two words to everyone they lock eyes.

Finally, after several more minutes of this, everyone’s managed to tire themselves out enough that the utter bedlam slows down, groups slowly forming as the caretakers start trying to regain some amount of control over the situation.

It’s only then that Tanya gets a moment to take a bite of her cake. But as the taste of chocolate firsting coats her tongue and evokes a chirping warble, she notes how the chansey did not try to enter the frey when the energy was at its peak, and they didn't even seem surprised by it. 

Tanya’s eyes flicker over to Matron, receiving a pulse of healing energy from another caretaker as she too leans against a wall, next to a metal cart that used to contain a cake.

The thought that this is normal is a deeply troubling idea.

She almost shudders as she stuffs more cake into her mouth.

Just as soon as the last crumbs of some genuinely delicious sheet cake are consumed she feels a hesitant tap on her side.

“Um. Big Sis?”

Tanya allows the confusing mix of emotions that name evokes to wash over her as she turns to her most managerial of sisters.

“Yes?”

Her sister rocks side to side a little, clearly anxious about something, before clearing her throat.

“Well… Oh! Happy birthday.” She says with a nod. “I know it was supposed to be a surprise, but I saw it was coming a little early and I thought… I could get you a gift…” She trails off.

Tanya nods slowly at the hesitant story, suddenly making note of tired circles under her siblings eyes.

Hopefully the two are unrelated.

“Happy birthday to you too. Do you want to… show me the gift?”

Her sister nods, then looks unsure, then nods again.

“Yes! I wanted to show you later, but… I didn't expect it to get so noisy in here. I’m worried he’ll be scared when he wakes up.”

Tanya almost starts nodding, then catches herself as the words process.

“...He?”

Her sister nods and opens her mouth to respond, but before she can say anything Tanya can hear the door opening again as Matron calls out, voice steeled with grim determination.

“We’ve also got ice cream for anyone who wa–”

The room.

Explodes.

Tanya tries to press herself and her sister against the wall to protect them both from the mob but, before she even realizes what happened, she finds herself swept up among her swarming siblings, already energetic from the sugar rush of cake.

Then a blanket catches on fire!

—--

–_–

—--

Torchic snuggles deeper into the strangely soft stones of his nest, half asleep and trying to stay that way as the rest of the brood enjoy the morning with their usual vigor.

A single half formed thought bubbles to the surface as the room quiets down that notes the lack of any battles yet. Leading to a slightly quieter morning. 

But that drifts away as he falls back into a deeper slumb–

ICE CREAM!

Torchic’s eyes snap open!

Where’s the ice cream!?

Stoking his fire back to life, Torchic flares the flame within to get to the ice cream as fast as possible!

But he’s trapped in something!

Slowing him down from ice cream!

Claws come out as tongues of flame flicker off his feathers and the obstacle trapping him is nothing!

Standing to his full height, Torchic flares his wings in victory eyes scanning for the promised ice cream!

But instead of the nest, he finds himself underneath some kind of… blanket? Held up by some kind of interlocking series of wooden pegs.

Both of which are quickly catching on fire.

Torchic watches the fire spread alarmingly quickly across the surface of the structure.

From there he only has enough time to feel a twinge of worry before he feels an aura flaring that smells like humidity, fresh rain, and his instincts say means danger before–

WATER!

—--

A very soggy Torchic pecks at his scoop of vanilla as miserably as one can while eating ice cream.

Because while he’s not sure exactly how to describe what the weird happiny did was unfair, he’s sure it is!

If it was fair they’d fight him properly, and if they won he’d go with them. But they wouldn't win, so he’d be able to tell them to go away.

Instead they were sneaky!

He pecks a mouthful of the frozen treat and lifts his beak to easier let it slide down his throat.

So no, it’s not fair!

He’s about to continue angrily ranting to himself, but finds himself distracted as one of the happiny walks up, carrying her own paper bowl of chocolate ice cream.

Torchic growls and tries to puff up, but finds drenched feathers uniquely bad at the task.

“What do you want?”

The pink ‘mon pauses and gives a nervous chirp before taking a step closer and holding out her ice cream.

“W-Well, I was wondering if you wanted to share my ice cream?” She asks, coming closer and tilting her head before explaining. “Because you have vanilla, and bilateral trade allows for greater prosperity.”

Torchic blinks a few times at the complete nonsense that just came out of the weirdo’s mouth.

The entire line is strange!

He growls, louder.

“Or I could just take yours.”

The happiny’s eye grow wider, pulling her treat back with a frown.

“You want… all of mine?” She asks quietly.

Already Torchic is getting into a ready position from where he’s sitting. 

“You deaf? Yes! Wanna fight about it?” 

Because there’s no way a fight isnt about to happen! No one would just give up their ice cre-

“O-ok.” She says softly, walking forward to give the ice cream.

Torchic gives off a pained screech.

“No! You’re not– Ugh! No! Go away! I don't want it!”

The happiny flinches back and scuttles off, leaving Torchic alone on the periphery of the room once again.

He watches the happiny he’d just talked to get intercepted by one of the chansey, leaning down a little to talk her charge.

He wants to fight someone right now, and he’s been taken –using unfair tricks– to the only place in ever with ‘mon who refuse to fight!

None of this line do! He’s not even allowed to start fights with them, he wouldn't do that anyways, because whenever he tries to get them to fight him they just get really sad and make Torchic feel awful!

The only one who’s different is his Rival! 

He looks over at his Rival, easily picking her out of the crowd as she’s almost double the size of anyone else in her brood, finding her leaning down to talk to another happiny.

She’s not like all the rest. She’s a battler! He can feel it in every part of him with every single exchange! He can see how she enjoys every exchange just as much as he does!

Torchic pecks his ice cream again.

But she picked one of the nurse trainers, which means she’s going to the special school, and not going on a journey!

He tries to ruffle his feathers agitatedly, but is once again reminded that he’s soaked.

Torchic refuses to believe his RIval would end up like all the other chansey at the hospital, she can't, but if she’s learning to be a nurse she’s not getting stronger to fight him!

And the thought of his Rival falling behind makes him feel…

The train of thought trails off as Torchic blinks, eyes flicking between two scenes across the room from each other.

The chansey, giving a gentle smile and pressing a second cup of chocolate ice cream into her charge’s arms.

His Rival, her normally rigid expression softening slightly as she listens to her sister explain something too far out of earshot to make out.

The chansey reaches down and gently takes her charge’s arm in hers as she gently leads the happiny back toward Torchic, slowing down for the ‘mon to steady her nerve.

His RIval, gently gripping her siblings arm and guiding her toward Torchic.

Torchic stares at the scene as a thousand half remembered scenes all piece their way together in his mind, every interaction his Rival had with the other happiny, each touch and word given a new context and meaning that–

No–

She cant–

But–

His Rival arrives first, sibling in tow. She pulls the ‘mon in front of her and clears her throat.

“Happiny here would like to say something with regards to your current… situation.” She says before tapping her sister on the arm and stepping back as she steps forward.

The smaller happiny begins lowering her eyes and trying to hunch in on herself before seeming to remember something and straightening to attention.

“My most sincere apologies Torchic. Kidnapping is a serious crime and I am very fortunate my actions did not move you outside of the property. I do not expect forgiveness, and merely…”

He tunes out the pointless noise as he places total attention on his Rival, watching how she looks at her sibling.

Until finally the conclusion that had been forming in his mind for the past few minutes comes bubbling up unbidden.

“You… You really are a happiny, aren't you?” He says, eyes beginning to mist over.

His Rival blinks, stares, then half looks down at herself as if confirming; yes, she is a happiny.

Looking back up, she gives a cautious nod.

“That would be correct.” She taps her sibling on the arm. “Happiny, would you mind getting Chansey? I think something might be–”

Torchic stands up, fire flaring in his core unbidden as he takes a step closer.

“But that doesn't mean you’re off the hook!” He cries out, fire in his heart burning even brighter than before as certainty in what the future will be takes hold. 

“That just means you have to train even harder to keep up with me!” 

The fire in his heart is too much to contain, spilling over as his feathers start to ignite, yet even those are cold in comparison to the fire inside as it starts to burn blue.

“And I’m going to make sure of it! I’ll make my trainer come and challenge you and your trainer had better be able to keep up!”

He’s boiling! Passion and certainty burning white! Hot enough to change the world with nothing more than conviction and determination.

His Rival takes a half step back but he can feel the fire within her flaring as well! Kindled by his own and pushing each other to be the very best they can be!

She opens her mouth and the instant seems to stretch out to eternity.

“...Sure. If you convince your trainer to go to some random nursing school, I’ll fight you as many times as you like–” 

At those words, confirming their rivalry and accepting a lifetime's challenges  his fire becomes too much to be held within and his vision goes white!

---

A/N: SORRY I'M LATE WHOOPS DONT WORRY THIS WONT BE A REGULAR THING!!!!