#dentons gengar

[nimbasa-librarian]

Brother, Dearest, Pay Attention

“NGGHHHAAAAAHHHHHH” 

“Stop yellin’. Ah lowered mah hearin’ aid and I can hear you despite i’!” 

“Shut up!” 

Anya heard that soft, almost sarcastic click of Denton turning off his hearing aid, and grumbled from her place on the couch as she stewed in her negative feelings. 

They were moving. Again. 

Anya really was starting to get sick of it. 

She heard a small click again after a few minutes of stewing, dreading whatever nonsense was coming next.

“I don’know why y’re so upset. It's not like this is the first time. Mom and Dad move. It's just what Dad’s job has t’do.” He reasoned

“Oh, you don’ get a say - you’re in college! In a dorm! Same place!” Anya huffed, not moving from the couch

“Yah!” Drew agreed

“Yeah but I also moved around with Mom an’ Dad too. Y’r the one who didn’ wanna go on a journey or do the league” 

“Ugh, you don’ get it. You have friends now, so maybe shut up and let me mope!” 

Denton paused at that, thinking a little - while also blatantly avoiding the intense stare-down he was getting from his sister's pokemon. 

Drew was rather protective of his trainer’s feelings - which was probably a good thing? Denton supposed it depended on who you asked. 

But as he thought about it more, he remembered how angry he used to get when they moved - before he went off on his own time to take on the gyms. 

He huffed - he was visiting for summer holiday and here he was, annoyed at her anger like she was still a whiny 5 year old. She was 16, not a baby by any stretch - 

And… unlike him at that age, she knew exactly what she wanted to do - who she wanted to be - by the time she was 7, and only solidified her desire in her teens. Acquiring her own team in spite of never going on a journey, she had something she wanted to do, and partners to do it with. 

That desired career needed an education in a way that his didn’t - he was able to take a high school equivalency test, and then go right into college for the teaching degree that he wanted. She needed an actual school diploma, with an actual GPA and real final test scores - apparently working in restoration was prestigious enough to warrant that level of education. 

And that was being made a lot harder with all the moving - she often had to keep track of her grades and make sure her records were in order by herself - mom and dad had a bad case of “Didn’t get it” about how serious she was taking this career goal.

The more Denton thought about it, the worse he felt. Ugh…. Being a big brother is so frustrating sometimes. So did having empathy, but that wasn’t a factor here. 

After a moment, he called out “... Hey Anya” 

“Turn off your aids. I don wanna hear you, an’ you don’ wanna hear me” she grumbled out, not even getting up to look back at him

“.... Is tha’ you tellin’ me t’shut up but different?” 

She just grumbled at him again - no verbal words that he could hear. He adjusted his hearing aid on more time

“Jus- Jus’listen…” He attempted to start. He wished she was looking at him so he could sign, but it was clear she wasn’t up for it “... I’m sorry f’r bein’ dismissive, I know it’s hard” 

Anya’s head popped up from the couch almost instantly, an expression of disbelief marring her scowl. Denton had to suppress a laugh at the reation “Wha’, feel bad f’r makin’ me upset?” 

“Yes” 

“Huh… Thanks then” 

Drew gave Denton an approving nod at the apology, before seeming to motion for him to keep talking…? The young man wondered what the pokemon was attempting to suggest, but Drew seemed to be pointing to Anya’s pokeballs, which were set up on a little pillow on a dresser by the door to the apartment. The idea clicked. 

“Uhm…. you wanna…. go battle? At the park?” “What?” 

“Do you wanna battle?” he repeated “Haven’t been out all day an’ Gengar could use a battle. He likes battling with Frankie, y’know” 

“.. He does?” 

“Aye” 

Anya looked skeptical at that reassurance, but sighed, getting into a proper sitting position on the couch before getting up, stretching as she did so “You know what, sure? I need to get outta this damn place anyway” 

“I thought you liked this apartment?” 

Her scowl became a bit more sincere for a moment. “Don’t test my patience. Ah don’ have any” 

Denton sighed, then sighed when she looked at him. “Noted. Let’s go”