Music in media: Living In The Dream by THE RAMPAGE

"Who are you? What have you done to Matsuba? What have you done to the broadcasting company?"

Meta drags me aside as Matsuba sighs and pats dust off his collars.

"I... I'm equally confused." Matsuba twiddles his thumbs, then raises his voice. "I had no idea about it."

Meta slaps my back. "There, there, Aomine-kun. Not his fault."

"It must be deepfake," Matsuba says as he strokes his Misdreavus's head. "This person looks like me, but this isn't me."

"Could it be..." I squeeze my eyes and blink thrice. It's just not right. The whole premise sounds like a prank, but I wouldn't think it's beyond the Ivory Tower's schemes. "A second Ditto?"

"No way!" Meta glances across the darkness of the Enju Gym. "Umm... Normal-types are really immune to Ghost-types, right?"

Matsuba and I nod. Judging from the way we found Meta, a second Ditto does seem unlikely. The only solution would be deepfake. Though, why do things have to turn out this way? The population in Enju City is the most conservative in Johto. No one will casually accept a shounen ai involving their venerated Gym Leader, least of all a possibly incompatible boy who has nothing much to do except to laze around like a Slakoth. For a city marked by history, there's no precedent case for our devastating situation. One can only imagine and not predict the aftermath of such an outrageous circumstance.

"Can we go now?" Meta jabs my back. "You need to fetch your sister from school."

Matsuba laughs. "Is someone afraid of me?"

"N-No!" Meta puffs up his cheeks and looks away, coming face to face with three elliptical red spheres. Gradually, he lifts his head. A blood red "W" and a witch's hat inches closer. He screams.

"Mismagius, courtesy. You don't want to make him faint."

"I won't faint!" Meta stomps his foot and glares at Mismagius. "Murmur, no murmuring!"

Mismagius frowns while Matsuba elaborates on Mismagius's incantations of joy, which, of course, has no effect on Meta. Nonetheless, the Ditto scurries out of the gym and I'm forced to chase after him, leaving my sweet love behind. What can I say? Thanks to the new drama series, if that's really how I should put it, Morty and I will be pretend lovers.

"Why are you so scared of Ghost-types? You're a Normal-type!" I holler after him as we run towards the southern part of Enju City, zipping past a girl licking her ice-cream (which even that causes him to scream because whoever decided Lick to be a Ghost-type move is a genius) and an elderly couple giving us a mean look, forcing us to brake. I almost crash into Meta.

We wince and walk side by side. Beside me, Meta takes in deep breaths and counts down from ten to one.

He speaks at last when he exit the city. "Is it wrong for me to show fear?"

His question launches us both out of autumnal shroud and into vernal covers. Evergreen trees line the sides of the route, occasionally catapulting leaves and petals at us. From afar, the trainers who frequent this route just stroll into their usual territories, their Poké Balls clipped to their belts or the strap of their bags. None of them live in Enju City, but seeing them more often than not has resulted into a degree of familiarity and accustom that when any of their presence is hardly felt, I'd know at once who might be sick or staying back for supplementary lessons or sulking in detention, etc.

Diverting my attention back to Meta, I manage a small smile. "Not at all. There's nothing right or wrong about emotions."

"They are staring at us," Meta says instead.

"Want to introduce yourself to them?" I pull Meta towards them, only to create an uproar of confusion among the trainers. "Everyone, don't be alarmed! This is my new friend, Meta!"

"Friend..." Meta mumbles before looking across a bunch of curious faces. A gold chain pops around his neck and he snaps his fingers as they squeal. He reaches to his eyes and a pair of shades materialises, earning him some impassioned applause. "Yo yo yo, 'tis Meta in da forest! Imma Ditto and I'll be honest! This is my first time outside."

"That's it?" Everyone cries. "C'mon, complete the rhyme!"

Meta nudges me and gives me that pleading look commonly seen in adorable Pokémon. Guess he learnt it from years of Transform. Apparently the transition from Swagger to Baby-Doll Eyes is nothing much to him. Pretty jarring, if you ask me.

"And I'm his tour guide." I swipe at my hair.

"Naisu!"

My smile widens. It almost falls when I glance at my phone.

"Gotta go! Rae's probably waiting."

"Don't worry," one of the boys tells me. "She's staying back a little to refine her battling style."

"That's my sis for you."

We bid them farewell and continue down the route, sheltered by the chirping canopy. We make a left turn. Brown streaks and a mixed assortment of fragrances enhance the scenery. Meta leaps over a log and almost falls flat on his face. He screams when a Pidgey glides past. He dashes ahead without warning the moment he sees a Bellsprout crossing the path, sputtering incantations and declaring it to be a possessed plant.

Thanks to my long legs, I catch up to him in no time. It's his first day out of the Ivory Tower, but he's mastered the art of tree-hugging for comfort. Unfortunately, his tree of choice has other things to tend to and wails for him to let go. He does, though with the prerequisite of shame.

"See no evil," he says, deflated, as he trudges in my direction.

I shrug. "Did you apologise to the Sudowoodo?"

"Apollo guise?"

"I don't see a 'free hug' sign hung around its neck. You bothered it, Meta."

Meta pouts and tiptoes over to whisper a reluctant apology. He doesn't stop there. After bowing thrice and repeating "Gomen'nasai" each time his serious gaze meets the Sudowoodo's softening one, he kowtows to the Pokémon. Next, he asks for a suitable punishment, much to its astonishment, and, in an attempt to make it flinch, he slaps himself evenly on both cheeks. Thereafter, deciding the apology to be too superficial, he pens a letter to the Sudowoodo using a brilliant font that rivals the best typewriters.

"Th-that's enough." I pat his back and help him up. "You're overcompensating."

"Is it wrong to show sincerity?" Meta seems to get a fleeting idea and catches it by dilating his pupils. To the Sudowoodo, he nods and puts his shades over its eyes. "You rock!"

It bursts into tears.

"What... Why... Why?" Meta hammers my chest. "I complimented it! Is it wrong to praise?"

"Sudowoodo is a Rock-type that mimics a tree in an attempt to find inner peace."

Meta's gaze flits between me and the Pokémon. "Very Zen."

The Sudowoodo and I exchange glances. I retrieve a tissue packet and wipe its tears lest it faints as a result. One can never be too cautious.

"You're shitting on me," Meta says.

I take his hand and scoot out of the route once I've secured the Sudowoodo's safety from the terrorist. We enter the gates and greet the guard before shuffling our way into Kikyō City.

Nostalgia swathes my being. The majestic Sprout Tower juts out of a maze of trees like the shy boy I once was, the one who'd rather play peek-a-boo with the sun than pay attention in class. Still, I managed to top my cohort. Weird flex, but anything goes, yeah?

Speaking of skipping classes, I think it started when I was in the final year of Pokémon School too. That was when everything felt like a chore and I just wanted to be done with lessons. Earl Dervish was a bore, and it's thanks to him I developed the hobby of hanging out with Gym Leaders. Well, just Matsuba and Hayato, actually. Not that I bothered to travel far from home, and I've established camaraderie with them both over time. Am I glad there are more competent teachers and alumni to help out in the recent years. Otherwise, my parents have to face another Slakoth.

Hayato seems busy today so I'll hit him up some other time. I wave at the residents as we pass them by.

"You famous?" Meta asks.

I shake my head. "I was the most memorable student back in my days. Everyone knows me."

"Isn't that the same thing."

"Same same, but different."

The statement could also be applied to Enju City and Kikyō City. Unlike Enju City, Kikyō City could be labelled as a forest ville. The two cities are polar opposites in that the influence of their different towers led to contrasts between them. For one, the Bell Tower in Enju City is said to be Ho-Oh's roost, which has led to a vivid palette of warm colours in the trees. As for Kikyō City, it's blessed by the great Bellsprout which was sacrificed to build a stable Sprout Tower and its earthly aura has made the trees evergreen all year round.

This is where the conspiracy theory comes in. These two cities are the only ones where towers are erected, coincidentally in their Northern sectors. The names of their towers, when lumped together, spells Bellsprout. So it goes without saying that the two cities are perhaps the oldest in Johto, connected by the 100-feet Bellsprout's roots. It explains the especially harmonious relationship between the people of both cities too, and their histories intertwine like their Gym Leaders do. According to one of the manga in the Ivory Tower, ahem, Matsuba and Hayato are often shipped together and it's called HonourShipping, which is better than SacredShipping, so they say, out of spite for Eusine. Something along the lines of how Eusine found Suicine and ghosted Matsuba afterwards, leading to their very sacred relationship now.

What do you know, violet and ecru go well together too! But I digress. I'm the one who's shipped with Matsuba now. I wonder how Hayato took the news, though. Never mind, there's always a next time. For the time being, let's focus on fetching Rae.

The Pokémon School unveils itself before me with its violet roof and white walls. Commands jump over the stone fence surrounding the academy, indicating an ongoing battle.

"Very lively place." Meta scales the fence. "Aomine-kun, wanna climb?"

Cracking my neck, stretching my arms, I enter through the half-ajar gate.

"You're no fun."

I glance at the boy squatting atop the narrow fence. "Don't complicate things."

"Crawling is less complicated than walking."

"You're not coming down?" I lean against the fence and stare at the battle between my sister and her tutor. Kaspar's Sentret slams its bushy tail onto Rae's Dunsparce. Noko-Noko doesn't just let it do as it wishes, of course. Noko-Noko screeches and flaps its tiny wings while curling into a ball. In one swift motion, it wrecks the Sentret hard, causing it to faint.

"Good work, Rae-chan!" The silver-haired teen recalls his Pokémon. "You have improved a lot. I can tell, your bond with Noko-Noko is very strong."

"Arigato, Sensei!" Rae sweeps her long, black hair to the back of her ear with a tiny smile and returns her Dunsparce into its Cherish Ball. "What can I do better?"

"You could pay more attention to abilities in battle. Noko-Noko's Serene Grace can enhance Body Slam, which you seem reluctant to let it use. The STAB can turn the tide of the battle in your favour." Kaspar taps his chin and kneels on one knee to cup sand from the battlefield. "I love the way you mix and match moves in succession, like what you did with Screech, Defense Curl and Rollout earlier. Just bear in mind the sand here can slow your Pokémon down even more due to the added friction from Defense Curl."

While they continue their discussion about Rae's battling techniques, I eye Meta who, at this juncture, looks more like a Greninja wannabe than a human. "Please tell me you understand what they're saying."

"I know this teacher has ill intents." Meta bites off a fingernail. I wince. "You must protect your sister, Aomine-kun. When she leaves later, he will stab her in a twisted manner of curry-favouring. If that doesn't work, he will mix something into her drink. If that doesn't work too, he will strike a match and set her hair on fire. He is one nefarious fellow."

I nod and watch as Rae digests Kaspar's advice on understanding the setting of a battle and how to disrupt it or use it to one's advantage. Concise and precise as always.

"You still have two weeks left till your final exam," Kaspar tells her. "By then, it'll be winter season. Think about how that might change things, alright?"

"Alright!" Rae's eyes twinkle. "Do you have anything else for me, Sensei?"

Kaspar digs into his pocket. Meta comments that he's going to unsheath his dagger. I shrug. Kaspar takes out a black ballpoint pen with a Sneasel's red feather sticking out of its cap.

"This," he says as he places it on her hand, "is a gift for a brilliant student."

"This," Meta says as he reaches out to me so I can punch his palm, "is a poisoned pen. See this feather? It's actually a blade. If you dip the ink into water and sip it, you will be immortal."

Rae beams. "Arigato, Sensei!"

"Arigato, Sensei!" Meta mimics her. "I won't forget you! Kill me tonight!"

Kaspar pats her head. "You are a good girl. Better than your good-for-nothing brother."

"And you are a psychopath. Worse than her nothing-good brother."

Heads swivel to the boy on the fence, then they turn to me. I have never felt so attacked.

"Kyo!" Kaspar pulls me into a tight embrace. He grits his teeth in the most obnoxious fashion and whispers, "You don't have to be so harsh. You know I didn't mean it."

"I didn't say anything." I wrap my arms around him. "Kaspar Wolfram, that was my doppelgänger."

"Is this a curse?" Kaspar sniffs my hair. "You changed your shampoo. It smells shittier today."

"My mood's just shitty today." I tap his back. "But this isn't me. Argh. It's all because of that Ditto."

Kaspar releases me and studies my copy. "So... That reflection incident in the lift is because of a Ditto?"

I nod and present the Ditto to him as if he were a product placement. "This is Meta."

Rae pinches my cheek. "You look just like Oniisan!" She jumps and squishes them. Kaspar snickers in the background but she doesn't care. "Can you cook too?"

"Rae, it's me. Oniisan."

"Kyaaa! You sound just like him!" She goes on to listen to my heartbeat and comments that it's exactly the way things should be. Then, she takes a step back, notices Meta and waves at him. "Oniisan, come down! And why are you in your kimono?"

Kaspar grabs her shoulders and shakes her twice. "Rae-chan, you should apologise to your brother. He's turning red."

Rae blinks. "Kyaaa! Oniichan, gomen'nasai!"

I suppress a yelp as her foot crushes mine.

"Daijoubu..."

"You look constipated." Kaspar ruffles my hair. "Want to take a break? The sun's setting."

Everyone stops what they're doing and gazes at the horizon. Sure enough, the sun retracts its rays and hides behind the Sprout Tower. The warm surroundings cool down at a Shuckle's pace while the stars come out of their humble abodes one by one to paint the sky in shades of pink till the cirrus cloud police hunt them down. The shadows of the trees and buildings shift across the cityscape for a moment before clumping together to form a dark tapestry. A flock of Pidgey fly past in V-shape formation. One of them takes a dip on one of the sages looking out from the higher levels of the Sprout Tower. His laments echo throughout Kikyō City.

"That's our cue to leave, then." I give Kaspar a brofist. "See you tomorrow, Sensei. Get home safely."

"Yeah, yeah, we were classmates. And Yoshino City is very safe. Ghosts don't lurk there."

"Yūrei?" Meta freezes. "Chotto chotto! Don't leave me!"

Rae and I look back at him and tilt our heads to the side. Meta yells that he can't get down from there. After a quick facepalm, Kaspar and I lend him a hand.

"Word of advice." Kaspar slips his hand over Meta's ear. "Just be a Ditto. No one wants to see two Kyos and it'll only create more misunderstandings."

Meta gulps. "It'll confuse you because you have to kill twice to be sure."

Kaspar scowls and tsks. Meta escapes his clutches before it's too late and clings onto my sleeve before reducing himself into the blob that he always is.

"Didn't you want to protect Oniisan?" Rae puts a finger on her lips and glances at me. I look at the pootling Ditto.

"I hate trouble," says the troublemaker with gusto.

"Make it double," I mumble as we head onto the way home, lit by the moon and the stars.

Under the natural light, the trees are a coven in the making, with what little movement within entangled branches and leaves highlighting their muted frenzy as they rip petals off buds in their "I love me. I love me not" drivel of a spell. The trainers on these two routes usually stay till 2222 hours, supposedly a positive omen that means "hitori janai". Ask anyone from the Enju Gym and they will tell you it's when the Gastly in the area come out to play. Meta, however dense he is, has made a smart choice. Gastly loves human victims, and twins are a bonus.

Things are just starting to change in Enju City. Night is when the city stirs awake among the lanterns and the gourmet stalls. Children gather at the Ninetales Shrine a stone's throw away from the Pokémon Centre to draw fortune lots for the next day. Adults eat, drink and be merry. Pokémon play catching and whatnot in the streets. Every night is different; every day is alike. A little uncertainty does make it fun, I suppose.

With both our parents hardly at home, even for dinner, it's all up to me and uncertainty too. Anything goes in the Aomine household. Tonight, we'll have tensoba.

Making the soba from buckwheat flour is time-consuming, but no one's ever in a rush. Just the other day, we had yakitori. The day before was omurice. Simple meals are perhaps a staple.

While leaving the buckwheat noodles to cook in a pot, I head over to another side of the kitchen counter to chop some onions, carrots, green beans and maitake mushrooms, which are currently in season. Meta strides to the sink and stares at the patties.

"Are you very hungry?" I ask as I wash the chopping board and grab a pair of chopsticks and a bowl from the rack. From the refrigerator, I remove two large eggs and a bottle of iced water. Opening the cabinet above the counter, I scoop out the all-purpose flour.

"What's this for?" He puts his slimy limb on the marble surface.

I crack the eggs and pour the water and flour into the bowl, ensuring the flour to water/egg ratio is 1:1. Mixing the bowl ends up as a curious action so I explain that I'm making tempura batter. A cold batter is necessary here so it can attach itself to the ingredients. About 20 seconds is enough so I stop and check for that heavy cream consistency. Dipping my chopsticks in and out of the batter, I realise how Meta's eyes bounce along in silence.

Next is uchiko, the sprinkling of the flour on top of my vegetables. Then I dip them into the batter. Right after is deep-frying my tempura in untoasted sesame oil to give it the crispy and light taste. Once done, my soba also start to get out of the onsen and shake the water off their skin.

"Since you're here, you could prepare the dining table."

Meta fumbles as he tugs the handles of the drawer to find the cutlery. It's like music at first, though after a minute it grows into a dissonant misfortune so I stop him and hand him the cutlery after a sigh.

It isn't long before I place the bowls of tensoba onto the table, the kakiage ten perched on the hot soba. Rae switches on the television and surfs the channels till she stops on one, then joins us at the table.

"Itadakimasu!" We clap and say in unison.

I poke my chopsticks into the light broth and they trot towards the noodles like a castaway on stilts seeking for a better island. We taste the broth and add neji (spring onions) into the mix.

Slurps soon interweave the voices streaming from the television. Strand by strand of earthly, nutty soba slither into my mouth.

"Right." I put my bowl down. "The Paper Magician should be airing soon. Can we watch that, Rae?"

"Didn't it air this afternoon?" Rae holds onto the remote. "Anyway, this show's getting predictable. Let's see how good your show is."

Meta slurps his noodles. It's kind of funny watching a slime blob emulating human behaviour, actually. For one, it's like his body is elongated just so he could eat properly—if that's what eating properly looks like.

From the television, a baritone voice speaks, "You betrayed me!"

My eyes snap to the screen. Wow. This episode sure has an intense beginning.

The boy with the blue hair snorts. "I never loved you."

Hold on. Wrong channel. This doesn't look like my drama series. Pretty sure there was no romance involved.

"It's on the next channel," I remind Rae. We are so not watching a soap opera.

"But I have always loved you from afar."

Ain't that cheesy, Kaspar.

I sweatdrop. Kaspar?

I rub my eyes and squint. At the top left of the screen, the title is written in beauteous calligraphy.

Show Me Your Smile
Ep 2

I slurp my soba and gulp down the broth. Leaving the bowl in the sink, I jump for the remote and switch channels.

No matter what, my face is there on the screen. The in media res situation transitions into a rewind motion and we're at the Sudowoodo scene. It appears that accurate voiceover has been there on certain scenes to push a love triangle.

As the 'me' in the screen passes by the Kikyō Gym, a voiced-over thought dominates my world, eerily spelling out that I am aware of breaking the HonourShipping pact. So it's a love square now? No, chotto matte, a harem?

I scream.

The telephone buzzes. My phone vibrates and rings. Rae answers the telephone. It's Kaspar. And the name on my phone screen reads Hayato.

"What's happening? You got an acting gig?" Rae giggles.

I inhale sharply and Meta, Ditto.

Raps on the door interrupt our breathing routine. A heated argument grows audible. Another series of knocks.

"Worse," I finally say. "This is reality."

With my eyes shut tight, I open the door.