EPISODE 21: Exuberance*

It is like experiencing catalepsy, my body feels stiff and frigid. My mind enters a loop, a loop of temporary darkness. Everything seems quiet and still, as if my body is placed under a gravestone.

I found myself resting upon the lower part of a red steel bunk bed located on the corner of a room with nothing but cream walls. My body feels chilly due to the frost coming from the air-conditioner. The only thing my mind could come up with is, "Where... am, I?"

"Hello!" A head peeks out from the upper part of the bunk bed. It scared me to the point all my exuberance departed from my physique. It turns out I'm not the only one resting inside this sheer-cold room.

"Oops... sorry to frighten you a bit." A somewhat high-spirited girl like Jenny jumps off from the upper portion of the bed. To my amazement, she is able to stick the landing perfectly.

"Hi there! My name is Charlotte Emerald, and you are?" A girl of the same age as me introduces with a fiery flare of exuberance and vitality. Her hair has a pigment of mahogany, while her eyes are as those of nature. Aside from that, her skin has a gentle and fair tone.

"Luna, Luna Evergreen," I respond with a pleasing complexion. I start to wonder, where did my stuttering go? How could it disappear all of a sudden?

My face becomes expressionless for a moment as my left-hand fiddles my nape. The microchip, it is the reason behind my surprise. My loyalty towards Giovanni rises by an inch, he's a man who could be trusted... or could he?

"Oh, you have one of those microchips as well? Great, I guess that makes us similar." Charlotte shows me the same microchip on her nape.

"You have Dysphemia too?"

"Nah, I have Mutism, but one of Giovanni's technologies was able to make me talk again. About you? What's your case?" Charlotte queries with a seemingly eager tone.

"I have Dysphemia," I respond. I'm quite not used to uttering long sentences thanks to the disorder I once had.

"You're a timid girl, it's really nice to meet you. People call me the high-flying girl!"

"The... high flying girl?" I question with a timid voice while staying on the corner of my bed.

"Yup, you heard me! The High-Flying girl is me, Charlotte Emerald! I don't know why, but I always adore flying type Pokemons.

Here, come take a look at my team current team! Alright Pidgeotto and Golbat, come out now!" Charlotte's voice echoes throughout the marble floorings of this room as her two Pokemons fly gracefully out of their spherical homes.

[Pidgeotto! The Bird Pokemon, a normal and flying type. This POKéMON flies around, patrolling its large territory. If its living space is violated, it shows no mercy in thoroughly punishing the foe with its sharp claws.

Golbat! The Bat Pokemon, a poison and flying type. GOLBAT bites down on prey with its four fangs and drinks the victim's blood. It becomes active on inky dark moonless nights, flying around to attack people and POKéMON.] The Kanto dex informs while displaying essential information about Charlotte's Flying-type Pokemons.

"About you Luna? Do you have any Pokemons, if you do, please show them to me!" Charlotte's eyes gleam while leaning her head closer to my face. Her enthusiasm and eagerness captures her spirit.

"Petilil and Ralts, come out please." I plead gently while pressing the buttons of their spherical homes instead of throwing them high up into the sky.

"You're Pokemons look adorable especially your shiny Ralts. I wish I had a shiny." Charlotte's body couldn't resist the urge anymore. She extends her hand then rubs their soft head.

"Petilil, Ralts, starting from now on, we are members of Team Rocket ok?" As she rubs her head gently, my eyes turn cloudy. I avoid the clouds to make not even a single droplet of tear while remembering my mother and my friend.

"You have a family don't you?" For some reason, the high-flying girl didn't seem so high anymore. She sits beside me, with her eyes filled with clouds like mine.

"I had a father once, but... he died when I was seven. Every day, I wished to have the ability to speak just like other children. I want to bond with my father, communicate with him more often, maybe even sing some happy birthday songs for him. I wanted to express my feelings through speech, but Mutism pulled me back.

My father died due to cancer, and I wasn't able to greet him "goodbye" When I met Team Rocket four months ago, they offered me a cure for my Mutism for a small price to pay. So here I am now, a grunt of Team Rocket." Charlotte utters with a solemn tone.

"The world is cruel, believe me, I have a lot of proofs, which I would rather not tell." I utter with a gentle tone while comforting Charlotte's memory which suddenly flashed on her eyes.

"I guess you're right, the world is filled with burdens, luckily Giovanni is about to end it all." With a damp cloth, Charlotte wipes off her tears as her resurrected memory finally disperses out of her sight, making her sight flow freely once more.

"So, I guess Giovanni told you his plans as well. Where are we anyway?"

"Oh right! I haven't properly welcomed you yet haven't I?. Luna Evergreen, I, Charlotte Emerald, welcomes you to the Rocket Academy!" Charlotte's peppiness sparks again while addressing me as a member of the Rocket Academy.