#Team-Pokéfriends - CW: Anxiety

[team-pokefriends]

[Sophie, Vanilla, and Star arrive at the base of a snowy mountain. Even before they arrived, the area leading up to the mountain was covered in snow.

Star is holding her arms and shivering from the cold.]

[Star] "It's so cold!"

[Vanilla] "Yeah. It's Shivering Mountain. What did you expect?"

[Star] "I don't know. A few snowflakes?"

[Vanilla] "Why would-"

[Vanilla scoffs and crosses her arms.]

[Sophie] "We got a job to do, remember?"

[Star] "Yeah, I'm ready to do this!"

[Vanilla] "Same here."

[Star] "Can we do it quickly? I'm freezing."

[Sophie] "You'll be fine. Now come on."

[Sophie beckons everyone to follow her, and they all enter the mystery dungeon.]

[Shivering Mountain 1F]

---

[CW: Anxiety under the Read More]

[Catherine walks up to a house with a purple and blue flag above the door, a door with a small glass hole to look through.]

[Catherine, thoughts] "(It's the same house they've always lived in.)"

[She stops at the door.]

[Catherine, thoughts] "(Jolene, please answer.)"

[She closes her eyes and knocks on the door. After that, there's a few seconds of silence. The Dragonite feels anxious as she thinks about who would answer the door.

She hears something stepping up to the door and then stopping. A second later, she hears a voice.]

[Masculine voice] "You're not welcome here."

[Catherine flinches a bit from hearing that familiar voice.]

[Catherine, scared] "Alex…"

[Masculine voice] "Get out! Scram!"

[Catherine shakes a bit.]

[Catherine, scared] "Alex, I just want to see Jolene."

[Masculine voice] "I said scram! Don't make me call Magnezone!"

[Catherine steps back a bit before turning around, opening her eyes, and speedily walking away, trying her best to hold back tears. As she walks away, she begins hearing voices inside of her head. Angry voices.]

[Masculine voice, Catherine's mind] "(If I see you with my sister, you're dead!)"

[Masculine voice, Catherine's mind] "(Why did you even bother coming here?)"

[Masculine voice, Catherine's mind] "(Don't come back!)

[Catherine looks down at the ground, her right hand on her heart, and her left hand grabbing her right arm. Her expression is full of regret.]

[Catherine, thoughts] "(Why did I think this was a good idea?)"

[team-pokefriends]

[CW for Anxiety below the Keep reading]

[Catherine is sitting at a bench and trying to calm herself down. Her hands are on her head, and her eyes are closed.

Some of the Pokémon that walk by her take notice of her and worry that she might try to do something. Some even recognize her, but they don't attempt to approach her out of that same worry.

This left Catherine to combat the mean voices in her head all alone.]

[Catherine, thoughts] "(Go away, stupid voices!)"

[She takes some deep breaths, hoping that the voices would go away. It was like imaginary figures looming behind her, red, angry eyes looking down on her, and their sharp tooth mouths hurling statements that would make her retreat to her house, and they would stand there, never leaving.]

[Catherine, thoughts] "(Stop!)"

[Catherine's scrunches her face, though it doesn't do anything. Footsteps approach her, but she doesn't pay attention to them. It wasn't until whoever made those footsteps spoke up.]

[Young masculine voice] "Cathy?"

[Catherine is startled by the voice calling her name to the point that she opens her eyes and jolts back a bit with a gasp. Quickly, she looks around, only to stop once she sees an Empoleon looking back at her. She quickly recognizes who they are and calms down a little bit.]

[Catherine, scared] "Oh- Seth. Um… Sorry."

[Seth] "Did something happen?"

[Catherine tries to speak while taking deep breaths.]

[Catherine, nervous] "It's… nothing. Just… calming down."

[Seth] "Are you sure?"

[Even though Catherine knew this Pokémon, she didn't feel like telling him how she truly felt.]

[Catherine, nervous] "Yes. Um… How are you doing?"

[Seth] "Mostly fine. I haven't seen you in City Falls in a while. What brings you here?"

[Catherine, nervous] "I'm supposed to be taking a break."

[Seth] "Supposed to be?"

[Catherine puts her right hand behind her head.]

[Catherine, nervous] "Something happened at work, but it's nothing to worry about. I thought I would see how everyone's doing. Speaking of, do you know where everyone is?"

[Seth] "No? Well, except Ben and Fred. Fred's working at the library, and Ben's at home right now. I don't know about the others, but I think Alex and Jolene are still waking up."

[Catherine, nervous] "I… tried seeing Jolene. It didn't work out."

[Seth] "Oh, they're awake. Yeah, Alex still doesn't like you… and neither does Juan."

[Catherine sighs through her nose.]

[Catherine] "I don't want to think about them if it's going to be bad. I'm supposed to be relaxing."

[Seth] "We can go see if Ben and Fred want to do something."

[Catherine] "Wait, if Fred's working… I don't want him to stop because of me."

[Seth] "We should at least see him. I'm sure he'd be happy to see you again."

[Catherine] "Okay. That sounds okay."

[Catherine stands up.]

[Seth] "Great. Come on, let's go see Ben, first."

[Seth and Catherine begin walking down the streets some more. The figures behind the Dragonite are still there, but are fading quickly as her mind tries to not focus on them. Seth was there to help take her mind off them with some friendly conversations, but as the worry lingers in the back of Catherine's mind, so do the figures continue to follow her.]