aiko's otter den

somewhere beyond the clouds - His brother visits. Wangnan is always happy to see him. It’s just not enough sometimes.

---

“Hyung!” Wangnan scrambles into the doorway, poised and pokeball outstretched. “I challenge you to a battle!”

Karaka looks up at him, his Blueberry Academy hat tilting over his face, straw blond hair spilling free. “No,” he says easily, laying back down. He looks better in Naranja orange or maybe even blacks and reds, but dad said that him going to Blueberry was prestigious and Dad was never ever wrong about this stuff. “I just got home. Tomorrow.”

Wangnan chews his lip, eight-year-old brain debating the urgency of fighting about it. “Fine. Can I see your pokemon?”

That’s what he really wants, anyway. Fighting is fun, but he knows he’s gonna lose this one. He loses all of them!

Karaka sighs. “They’re not any different from when I was here last time.”

“That was six months ago.” It might as well be forever. “Even I’m bigger and stuff!”

“You’re still the size of a tatsugiri.”

The thought is so offensive Wangnan wants to kick up his feet and the grass. “Nuh-uh.”

“Uh-huh.” Karaka still sounds like it’s funny, which makes him feel better. He unclips one great ball and tosses it towards Wangnan. It misses his head by a few centimeters but out pops his weavile. His only speedy pokemon. “Go nuts, Ripple. Eat him.”

Ripple obeys, pouncing on Wangnan to tickle him. Wangnan shrieks laughter, rolling desperately to escape those deft claws. They don’t hurt him. They never have. Despite everything, Karaka is always good to those weaker than him.

Sometimes, Wangnan wonders what will happen when he gets stronger than his brother.

It’ll happen. It has to.

---

Wangnan isn’t the youngest, not anymore. That’s Rachel, who Wangnan thinks their dad kidnapped. Karaka doesn’t deny this, and Cap admits he did the kidnapping.

Rachel just is quiet, all smart the way Dad likes it, but she can be nice sometimes. When she admits his pokemon are cute. They’re the cutest. Blipbug are awesome.

She sometimes agrees. It’s nice.

Dad — Father, call him father, everyone does — doesn’t care much. He cares about victory. He cares about showing his best. He cares about —

— People —

Useful pokemon and people. Failure isn’t an option.

It sure happens a lot.

Wangnan had run to him once, his PokeBall dented and scratched and proclaiming he’d done it. He’d caught the monster.

Father had looked up for a moment, then nodded.

Karaka had congratulated him.

It was everything he’s expected and none of what he wanted.

---

“Okay Ripple,” Karaka finally says. “Let him go. It’s time for dinner.”

The weavile makes a face but gets off of him. Wangnan takes a moment to breathe. His sides hurt.

“Hyung, that was mean!”

“I’m a very mean person.” Karaka shrugs and rises to his feet. “If you don’t like it, get stronger.”

Wangnan groans. “You say that every time!”

“And it’s still true.” Karaka pulls him up with an arm. “Come on, I’m sure they’ll make your favorite because you lost.”

“I want sweet and sour pork when I win!” Wangnan protests, but follows him anyway.

“Then hurry up and stop losing.”

He’s so mean! “I’m trying! It’s not my fault you’re bigger than me.”

Karaka pauses and picks him up by the armpits. Wangnan tries and fails to flail about until Karaka sets him up on his feet. Then those stern gold eyes glare into his and he pokes him right on the brow. He whines.

“Don’t complain.” Karaka straightens. “I’m always going to be bigger than you. That doesn’t mean I always have to be better than you. You have to figure this out. Understand?”

“…Yes.”

Wangnan sulks all the way home.

(Still, when it’s dark, and he’s alone, and his cheeks are stinging, his brother is there with a monster who is kind in the dark, and he’s not alone. It’s not enough, but it’s all he has.)