Eduard and his Metagross went back a long way.

From the time of when he was just a little boy in primary school, it seemed like everyone around had a Pokemon of their own. His classmates were often showing off their trusted partners and sometimes battles would take place after hours in the school yard (only for the teachers to get involved and shoo the students away from the property). In the large crowds that formed, Eduard was the only unhappy child there, wishing it could be him instead. Even amongst his cousins, all of which were older than he was, had a Pokemon of their own and was always finding himself sitting on the sidelines watching everyone else have fun. He begged his parents countless times only to end up empty-handed.

Oh sweetie, you’re not old enough yet.

Maybe another time honey.

Hearing those words always left him both upset and heartbroken. One would never have known it but Eduard was a stubborn child and often tried to bend the rules by bringing home wild Pokemon he would find in the park. A Taillow, a Caterpie, a Sentret, and even as far as a Venipede and a Trubbish, no Pokemon was off-limits. But alas they never lasted long in Eduard’s possession as his parents would never buy the excuse that they followed him home or that he rescued them from harm’s way. They were always let go the day of their “capture.”

But Eduard’s so-called patience was soon rewarded when on his eighth birthday, he was given one final gift. A tiny compact box that barely made a sound when he shook it, his eyes grew wide when the top came off and a classic red and white Pokeball was tightly inside. “Can I open it?!” Eduard exclaimed excitedly, nearly bouncing in his seat. With a simple nod from both parents, he releases the Pokemon and out appeared a fairly large steel-floating creature. It spoke in a robotic tone but Eduard couldn’t be more excited at the sight of his very first Pokemon, a Beldum! Eduard’s father later that day told him the story of where his new friend came from; a breeder from Narva who specialized in the Beldum line and was recommended by a friend. But Eduard didn’t care where Beldum came from. He was just ecstatic to finally have a Pokemon of his own.

The connection between the two was instant. Though almost larger than Eduard, Beldum was a friendly and curious Pokemon, much like its new trainer. He had learned rather quickly that Beldum was quite emotional as well when he had taken it to school one day to it off to his peers, only for the reactions to quickly turn negative. Beldum was, and still is, a rarity in Estonia but no one was impressed with Eduard, calling it ‘creepy’, 'a monster’, and 'a one-eyed freak’. The impact left it deeply hurt but Eduard was not fazed by their words.

Don’t listen to them Beldum! I still think you’re the best in the world!

The support it had from its trainer was enough to reduce it to tears. Their friendship was sealed from that moment on.

His Beldum quickly became his star player. Eduard caught all of his Pokemon with its help. Every battle he took part in featured his partner in someway or another. It never felt right to Eduard for Beldum to be left on the sidelines. It was always said they were a difficult species to raise, with evolutions taking place very late into a trainer’s life. But Eduard appeared to be a natural, surprising his parents who wondered if Beldum would even be a good fit for him. By the time he was seventeen Beldum was a fully evolved Metagross. Though he was massive and intimidating Metagross was still the same Pokemon as it was as a little Beldum: inquisitive, social, and sentimental.

Today was Eduard’s twenty-sixth birthday. The event was a big celebration, much to his surprise, with members from both sides of his family stopping by the house to bring gifts and food. The alcohol was quick to fly out of the fridge to where there was almost nothing left by the end of the night. Everyone gathered in the living room where some of Eduard’s achievements were proudly displayed around the room. While they were happy to have conversations amongst themselves, they were more entertained by Eduard’s adventures abroad and the stories behind his numerous medals and trophies.

“Oh that one? I won that at a tournament in Malmö. I beat my friend Björn to win gold!”

“Yes, that’s one of my medals from Sydney! I think that was from last year? It’s been a while since I last did a tournament there.”

By mid-evening, most of the adults had left and all that remained were his parents and cousins. But it didn’t take long for more familiar faces to come by when Timo and Erzsébet showed up and belted out a loud “Surprise!” and pulled him in for a tight hug. The cousins were excited to see their faces, who they had come to know very well over the years, and many hugs and handshakes were exchanged.

“I wasn’t expecting you two to show up. I thought you were staying in Riga to train before the big tournament?”

“And miss your birthday? Not a chance!” Erzsébet giggled.

“We took a quick flight here this morning. We were busy preparing for something special for you so get your coat! Everyone is waiting!!” Timo said excitedly. The two of them each grabbed a hand of Eduard’s to pull him closer to the entryway but he appeared hesitant, his voice almost panicky.

“W-wait! I can’t just get up and leave. My cousins are here. And what do you mean by “everyone?”

“Bring them along!” Timo replied, ignoring his second question. “There’s enough room for them if they want to join in on the fun.”

The cousins didn’t miss a beat and were eager to be part of the celebration. Eduard sighed. He was hoping for a more quiet celebration here at home but everyone seemed to be excited to head out for a night of fun. He wasn’t sure what to expect but he couldn’t imagine they’d be out doing something extravagant since most places were closed for the day, being a holiday and all.

“Alright, we’ll go. But do you mind waiting a few minutes? There’s something I’d like to do before we go.”

Timo and Erzsébet removed their shoes but kept their coats on and followed the cousins back into the living room where they caught up with each other’s lives. Eduard grabbed his coat and put on his boots, his gloves already sitting inside his pocket. He passed his parents who were sitting in the dining room enjoying some tea and went into the kitchen. He took a small plate from the cupboard and next it down next to a medium-sized box on the counter. Inside were a set of eight various flavoured Poke Puffs from an expensive bakery from Tallinn’s old city. Eduard picked out a chocolate one from the middle and laid it on the plate. A box of candles and a lighter were still sitting near-by from earlier in the day when his own birthday cake was being prepared and presented. He grabbed a blue candle, placed it in the middle, and lit it up. His parents were watching from the other room and were curious to know what their son was up to. But when Eduard was making his way to the backyard door, they caught a glimpse of the Poke Puff with a candle on top and they couldn’t help but smile.

Outside a light snow had been falling for some time and would crunch underneath his feet each time Eduard would take a step. The backyard was not particularly large but it boasted a nice patio and barbeque that were covered up for the winter. Further back near the fence lied a garden where his mother tended to in the spring and summer and an old oak tree proudly stood nearby. It was there where Metagross was playing as it happily made footprints in the fresh snow. The cold didn’t seem to bother it much. It was delighted each time it saw its own print and watching his Metagross play about brought Eduard a feeling of happiness that he found hard to describe at times.

“Metagross!” The Pokemon was alerted to its trainer’s calls and joyfully came towards him. It noticed the plate in his hand and made a sound in curiosity.

“Do you know what today is? It’s my birthday. But that’s not all,” Eduard paused as he squatted down and placed the plate down in between themselves. “Today’s the anniversary of when we met.”

Metagross was moved by the sentiment and its eyes began to water as it looked back at its trainer.

“Quickly, make a wish!”

Metagross paused briefly as it stared at the candle. It was about to blow it out but a gust of wind made a surprise entrance and knocked the tiny flame out. The two of them looked on in surprise but their shock quickly turned to laughter. Eduard removed the candle from the Poke Puff and held the tiny dessert in his hand. Metagross happily munched on it in one bite and his hands were free to pet him as he pleased. Its steel body was freezing cold to his touch and Eduard quickly reverted to his black fleece gloves. All of his Pokemon enjoyed the feel of them, Metagross especially whenever Eduard would pet him on the top of its head, just as he was doing now.

“We’ve been through a lot together, haven’t we? We’ve been together for eighteen years and yet it still feels like yesterday I opened the box your Pokeball was inside of.”

The petting had stopped and Metagross opened its eyes to look at its trainer. Eduard’s eyes gave off a warm vibe and it could tell he was emotional just as it was too.

“You’ve helped me get through a lot of tough battles, both on the field and off. You mean so much to me. I’m so glad we got to be friends.”

Metagross couldn’t hold back its emotions and moved in closer as it happily cried. Eduard tried to hug it as best as he could. It’s awkward and large shape made it a challenge so he instead of wrapping his arms around it, he put them over Metagross’s head. Normally he’d rest his head on top but his cold body didn’t allow that to be possible. Instead Eduard was careful in resting it against his own arm.

As much as Eduard was just as emotional as his Metagross was, he was good at concealing his feelings and kept his composure. It’d be an awkward situation to explain to everyone inside the story as to why his eyes were red and puffy. But their time together meant everything to the both of them. As a Beldum, it was just a baby when he received it. To Metagross, Eduard was more than just a friend, he was its family as well. When he and his parents visited the breeder that Metagross came from, many years after the fact, it was very cautious and had very little to no memory of living there. Eduard was all that it knew and it made their friendship that much more important.

Metagross appeared to be calming down and nuzzled itself into his jacket. “You’re so affectionate,” Eduard tittered as he returned to petting the large Pokemon. “Timo and Erzsébet have something special planned for me tonight so we shouldn’t keep them waiting. Let’s walk home together like we always do okay?”

It was delighted with the idea and Eduard quickly returned it inside its Pokeball. He grabbed the plate and once inside, he tossed the candle in the trash and the plate into the sink. The group sighed in relief when Eduard entered into the living room.

“Finally!” one of the cousins said as she jumped to her feet. “What took you so long?”

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Eduard smiled nervously. “Let’s head out shall we?”