I burst into the gigantic Department Store with my face partially covered by a thick, light blue scarf. Hands buried in the pockets of my tan trench coat, I tried to look as inconspicuous as possible. I suppose I was rather unsuccessful at this, however, seeing as most of my regular clothing was suspiciously covered by the long coat. A beige cap and the scarf hid my head and lower half of my face respectively. I looked down at my feet to see that the only shoes I had were covered in mud. The brown stains hid the true color of the boots for the most part.
I took a deep breath, feeling myself shudder. I had made myself weak with anxiety and confusion for most of my life, but it was especially apparent at this moment.
Would anyone recognize me? I thought to myself, trying hard not to panic. Praying no one would know my face, I stepped away from the entrance of the huge building. I looked around while trying not to move my head much. My eyes were exposed, and maybe even that alone would be enough for someone to spoil my cover. I decided that making any eye contact would be unwise.
It was difficult not to look up at the vast shelves of Veilstone City's Department Store, though. They were filled with everything anyone could need. There were trainer supplies such as Pokeballs, potions, elixirs, technical machines, and contest supplies. The store also carried what people needed for themselves, like food, clothing, and hygiene products. The city was always known for its booming business, and most of its riches could be attributed to this Department Store, which seemed to have everything under the sun.
I had only been inside a few times despite living in Veilstone City all of my life, and allowed myself a moment to marvel at it. It really was fantastic. The ivory lights on the white ceiling tiles glowed above me, reflecting off of the polished white floor. The grey shelves in front of me lined up equidistantly, overflowing with customers. The aisle I stood in front of contained Pokemon food and breeding equipment, and I watched as people grabbed products made especially for their types of Pokemon.
No, this isn't where I need to be, I thought as I remembered the task at hand. I quickly looked up at the white signs between the aisles, which were labeled with a plain, black text. I walked by each, nearly bumping into a few people on the way, until I came to a sign that had the list I was looking for.
"Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Color," I read aloud quietly. I marched down the aisle in desperation. I had to fix it so that no one would know who I was anymore. I had to start over.
As I walked, I felt something tickling my neck slightly. I stopped dead in my tracks as I realized I had forgotten to regularly check whether or not my hair was concealed properly. I reached up and was able to feel a couple of strands poking out of my hat. Although it was tightly in a ponytail, a few of the shorter hairs managed to escape.
"Damn," I muttered to myself as I tried frantically stuffing the stray hairs back inside of my hat. Looking down at my gloves, I saw that a few had come loose from my head. A couple of bright blue strands stuck to my hands. I looked around to see if anyone had noticed my escaping locks of hair, and shook them off of my glove when I was sure no one had been paying attention.
I stepped further down the aisle until I had come to the boxes of hair color. I glanced over all of the different types, confused over the strange amount of colors that were there. Without thinking about it too much, I pulled what looked like a plain brown dye from the shelf. I didn't care whether it was Mahogany or Chestnut Brown. I wasn't doing this for fun or simply to look good. This was so that I could stay alive.
The remainder of my time in the Department Store was spent carelessly picking out regular clothes that I could wear. I grabbed two pairs of jeans that appeared to be a good fit, as well as a few plain, cheap T-shirts that I could use. I ran through one of the Pokemon sections too, making sure to grab a few Pokeballs and Potions just in case.
"Okay, okay, Alexandria," I told myself as I headed towards the checkout, "Everything's going smoothly. Don't fret. It'll just make it that much more obvious to all these people."
However, the other customers and the salespeople were not the ones I was truly worried about. Sure, keeping my identity hidden from them would certainly be helpful towards my escape from Veilstone, but they were not the ones out to get me…
After waiting in line for a few minutes, I set my items on the counter, it being my turn to pay for them. I stared down as the seemingly bored employee scanned everything for me and rang up a total.
I pulled the money from the pockets of my trench coat, placing it on the table. I heard a displeased sigh come from the salesgirl as she realized that I had a lot of coins and ripped dollar bills in my possession. I felt bad, of course, but it was all I had. I apologized and pushed it closer to her so that she could count it. I wasn't surprised when I got change back. After all, I never got a chance to spend any of my own money, so I had been saving for quite some time.
As she printed the receipt, I looked out the windows that were in the front of the Department Store. It was slowly clearing up from before, when I had been caught in a mild rainstorm while hiding out the previous night. I watched as the cool breeze pushed against the tall trees beyond the parking lot. The nice scene did not last long for me, however.
I suddenly noticed a group of men in uniforms walking together through the lot. This was a nightmare. It was them. They were coming to find me.
How could they have known…? I asked myself silently. I wondered if they knew whether or not what had happened was my fault... My father and sister must've told them that I had been the only one home. They were probably sure of the fact that I was guilty because of that...
They seemed to always know everything, though. They could find anyone if they wanted to badly enough. I wasn't exactly that valuable to them, but they had revenge to pay, and they were going to make sure they carried it out.
There were three of them. They all wore the same thing: black and silver shirts with tight, black pants. The shirts were black towards the bottom, and silver on the arms and chest. Half of their legs were covered with tall, silver boots that came to the knee. In the center of their torso, they bore a yellow symbol. It was the letter G. Still, what distinguished them even more so was their hair. They all had the same straight, bright blue sprouting from their heads.
"Oh God," I nearly screamed as they approached the store. I turned around, looking this way and that. I needed something – anything – to help me get out of there alive.
The young sales clerk had apparently been reaching out to give me my bag of items for a while now, and, obviously fed up with me, hit me with the bag to get my attention.
"Oh!" I stammered nervously. "Right!" I grabbed the bag filled with my clothes, hair dye, and Pokemon supplies and started to run for the back of the store. Before leaving the checkout area, however, I noticed a turning rack of sunglasses. Looking around, I grabbed a pair that was way too big for my face, ripped the tags off, and turned around calmly to exit the store. I didn't really care if an employee tried to apprehend me for stealing at this point. I had to get out no matter what.
One of the men from the group of criminals opened the door labeled "ENTRANCE," and they all started to walk in.
Figuring that they wouldn't even notice me leave through the opposite door, I tried to remain calm. It was far enough from the entrance, right? I held my breath as I strolled towards the exit, unable to remain completely at ease. I was trying to act natural; although, it's a lot harder to act natural when you're actually attempting to do so. I skittishly pushed open the two doors leading out onto the roads of Veilstone.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as the group of men entered the store. I saw two men march through the doorway as if they owned the place, barely noticing me leave. The third, on the other hand, stopped before he was about to follow the rest.
My heart started beating hard as I felt his gaze upon me. I stopped looking in his direction completely, and set my eyes straight ahead.
Maybe he's not even looking at me, I thought to myself, filled with dread and apprehension.
Still, there was a big chance that he was actually staring my way. I quickened my pace, hoping that I'd made it away from them safely. Once outside, I felt the wind blowing against my face. It was a bit stronger now than it had appeared when I was looking at it from inside of the Department Store. I felt the straps of my trench coat lightly hitting my side from the force of the air, but I was too concerned with the men in the Department Store to think of all the trouble that the wind alone could cause me. I really should have taken all of the precautions, though.
Suddenly, only a moment after I had left the store, the wind pushed the baseball cap I was wearing off of my head. I felt the movement and reached up to grab it. I caught it in midair, but I was too late. My hair had been exposed.
Unfortunately for me, it didn't take the men in uniforms long to come running out of the Department Store, chasing after me. I heard them open the doors of the store behind me much faster than they were supposed to move. It sounded as if they had broken them by forcing them open too quickly. Their feet sounding together as they ran created the illusion of what could've been a small crowd.
Reacting quickly, I began to sprint. My feet pounded hard against the pavement of the streets there as I passed a few buildings on the same road. I put the hat back on my head as I went, making sure every hair was out of sight. It was difficult while running, but a human is capable of doing anything when in this much danger.
Where can I go? I asked myself silently. Scared to death, I thought about what was happening to me. I had only escaped from the hideout a couple of hours ago, and already they had seen what had happened. I should have probably done something to cover it up better, but I had just run away instead. I wondered how many people were looking for me. After all, it was a bad thing I had done. They couldn't possibly pardon my mistake, and they wouldn't be willing to consider the fact that it was an accident.
No, this is the right thing! Don't make yourself feel guilty, I thought angrily. Tears began to cloud my vision, but I reached up and rubbed them away. Yes, this was the right thing to do, and now, I had to find a way out of here. Although the absolute worst thing had happened, it was not intentional on my part. I still deserved to have a life, and I still deserved to start over. First and foremost, though, I needed to get rid of these men who were tailing me so that I could hide and begin my new life.
I knew where I needed to go. To the east of Veilstone, there was not really enough of a forest for me to hide in. I would be forced to go south, in the direction of Lake Valor.
How could I stop the men, though? I was only a young girl, and I was running from three grown men, one of which was very likely to catch up to me at some point. I needed something that could give me the advantage. I needed someone else's help.
Reaching for my waist and ripping the middle buttons of my trench coat open, I grabbed the only Pokeball that was inside of my pocket. As I ran for my life, I lifted the Pokeball up and threw it into the air. Its white and red exterior cracked open, slicing the two colored halves. Instantly, a beam of red energy poured out and into the air above me, slowly solidifying into a definite shape.
A small, brown Pokemon wearing a skull mask and holding another bone in his hand hovered in the air for only a moment before he began to fall back towards the earth.
"Cubone!" My Pokemon shouted as he flailed his arms in fear.
"No, it's okay!" I shouted as I caught him in my arms. "Cubone, I need your help!"
The cute little ground Pokemon looked at me through the holes of his skull mask as I continued to run. He bounced up and down in my arms with each step, but at this point, who cared about a smooth ride?
On either side of me, familiar buildings went flying by. I could see the Veilstone bank, the gym, and the homes of some of the citizens. I thought for a moment that I might actually miss this, but I shook it off. That notion was outlandish.
"Remember that move we've been practicing?" I asked my Pokemon as I breathed hard from running.
Cubone lifted the bone in his hand and nodded at me.
"Okay, Cubone!" I said excitedly as I sprinted. "See those guys behind us? Use Bonemerang on them!"
I held Cubone against my left shoulder so that he would face the men chasing us. (To passersby, it might have looked like I was giving him a hug while running.) I lifted him up so that he would have a bigger area in which to swing his arm. Otherwise, he might accidentally hit me while using the attack.
He threw the arm that held the bone back and pushed it forward with a decisive "Cu-BONE!"
Although I couldn't see what was happening, I could imagine the attack very clearly. Cubone and I had done this at least one thousand times, after all. He would release the bone from his grip with full force, twisting his wrist at the very end so it could rotate properly. The bone would chase after its target, spinning rapidly in the air. If it missed the first time, it would surely hit from behind when returning to my Cubone.
"Watch out!" Warned one of the men coming from behind me.
I chose to steal a quick glance over my shoulder, and was able to see the men in uniform ducking down as the spiraling bone flew past them with amazing speed. They threw their hands over their heads, thinking that they were now safe from the attack. Then, as they started to rise from their ducking positions, I felt a smile involuntarily beginning to form on my face. It may have been the first time in a while, but I knew something that they didn't know: Bonemerang would hit twice.
Already having turned back around, I heard a loud "CRACK!" shortly after.
"Cubone!" My Pokemon yelled triumphantly.
Behind me, I heard two of the men scream loudly, and then groan in pain. I wasn't quite sure of how one attack had brought down two of them. They must've been running close to one another.
"Did it knock them down?" I quickly asked my only friend.
"Bone!" Cubone nodded and smiled with his eyes, assuring me the attack had done the job.
The bone came flying back to Cubone, and he caught it with ease. He raised it again in a threatening manner, but I knew it probably wouldn't work very well the second time. The remaining man could possibly sick his Pokemon on us, and just the two of us alone wouldn't stand a chance against an experienced trainer and all of his Pokemon. It wouldn't have been very fair.
I felt a hint of relief when I saw that the buildings of Veilstone were thinning out and I was at last close to Route 214. I ran straight for the grassy road that would be my way to freedom. Well, that is to say, only if I could lose my trail.
As I left Veilstone, I felt the height of the grass begin to gradually become higher and higher, until eventually, it was brushing against the sides of my muddy boots. On either side of me, the woods were rich with beautiful wildflowers and tall trees. Moving fast, I could only see a blur of yellows, pinks, purples, and whites out of the corner of my eyes. Occasionally, I ran by a small cottage made of wood, but I didn't have time to concern myself with who might live there. I really wished that there was a way that I could've just been relaxing in the fields and enjoying the lovely scenery rather than running from people that were recently made my enemies.
Wondering if anyone was still following me, I took another look behind. I could see all the trees and grass and wild insect Pokemon, but I didn't see any other humans. Of course, I should've also been watching in front of me for other people.
"Whoa!" A man's voice came from the direction I was running to.
I looked forward and saw the figure of another person, but it was just too late. I barely even had the time to try to stop. Cubone and I slammed into him hard and I fell backwards, still carrying my Pokemon. My sunglasses fell off of my face and flew into the grass somewhere.
I closed my eyes for a moment and rubbed them. Sitting up, I looked at who I had just bumped into. He was a very tall man, most likely in his mid-thirties, with light blonde hair and a very kind face. He was very chubby, which only added to his overall large appearance. He wore denim overalls with a white T-shirt and a red baseball cap.
He reached his arm out to help me up and I accepted his help. I brushed the grass off of my trench coat and reached up to make sure my hat was still covering my hair. Making sure my Pokemon was okay, I decided it was best to recall him, and soon, he was absorbed into his Pokeball with a flash of red light.
"Quick! Come inside!" The man whispered to me. He apparently did not have any time to waste, since he grabbed my arm and dragged me inside without even so much as an exchange of names. He thrust open the door of what I could only assume was his own home and stood there, waiting for me to come inside. I caught a quick glimpse of the outside before he pulled me in, noticing the beautiful cedar wood exterior. The windows were bordered by extra pieces of wood, making them stand out. The cottage was topped with a roof of straw above that of wood, which I guessed was what supported it and provided the real shelter. The straw was likely a decoration.
Once inside, the man slammed the door and, walking around me, sat down at his kitchen table. Everything about this house was very different. The first level was just one large room that wrapped around a cedar wood staircase in the center of it. I was struck by the amount of antiques this man possessed. I saw old vases that were probably from different cultures around the world. I saw an old-fashioned rocking horse in the back corner, which stood next to a shelf that was completely filled with small white figurines of things like knights, horses, and other kinds of warriors. There were lots of interesting musical instruments that hung from stands nailed to the wall, like different varieties of wooden flutes, some string instruments that resembled a guitar, and some percussive instruments like bongos.
This guy must have seen me eyeing his possessions, and I nearly jumped when I heard him begin to speak again.
"I sell these things to people. Those over there," he said while pointing to the flutes, "are Pokeflutes. Trainers also like to decorate their Secret Bases with some of this old stuff."
We both looked around the room momentarily, taking in all of the things he owned. Then, he spoke again.
"I have to do this kind of work, because having my own small business is much easier for the other kind of work I do," he told me. "You see, that's why I brought you here."
I made a face in between a frown and a sneer and stared at him for a moment. What in the world was going on? I didn't have time to sit and have tea. I was a fugitive that was trying to escape. I was running from people that thought I was a murderer!
"Um, what do you mean?" I asked shyly.
"Well, to make a long story short, I received a phone call from one of my men in Veilstone," he began.
His men? I thought, terrified. Oh no, he's not another one of… them…
I had dealt with people who called those that work for them "their men" for far too long, and this sounded way too much like that. In fact, I had lived with them and been practically imprisoned by them. It had been a deplorable existence, and I couldn't take that again. I felt a cold rush of panic sweep over me, and I began to shake. I had to do something to get away.
Before he could begin his next sentence, I started backing away from him. Slowly, I moved towards the door behind me. The floorboards below me creaked as I stepped lightly away from the man who suddenly seemed so unsafe. The only reason I had trusted him and gone into his home was because there were people after me. I never had a reason to rely on any other human being.
When he saw that I was frightened and trying to leave, he rose from his chair. He put his hands out in front of him and started shaking his head.
"No, no," he said calmly. "I won't hurt you. I'm here to help you get away from those evil men."
I wasn't sure if I could trust him or not, but I stopped moving away. He did seem to be bent on helping me, after all. Even if he wasn't, I really had no choice. I guess I was starting to think I was just being silly for assuming he led some sort of gang just from him saying "his men." I thought that I'd ask, though, just to make sure.
"So, who are these… these men of yours?" I asked quietly.
When he realized that I was no longer desperate to leave immediately, he backed away and sat back down in his chair. He put his hand on his chin and rubbed it before speaking again.
"That's what I wanted to explain to you. One of my men saw you running from Team Galactic. They also witnessed your Cubone using a powerful attack on them. He rang me up and told me about it, so I'm hiding you away from them until they're completely gone. My name is Robert, and I am part of The Resistance," he explained.
"I'm Alexandria… or Alex," I replied softly. I waited for him to elaborate on what he had just said, but got nothing else. I had never heard of The Resistance before, but he was acting as if they were a famous group of pop entertainers that everyone knew.
"What do you mean?" I decided to ask.
"Well, I mean what I said," he replied, then sighed from exhaustion before going on. "I am part of The Resistance, a group that fights Team Galactic."
My eyes grew wide as he said this, and I felt my heart begin to race. I felt sweat suddenly forming on my brow. Would he be able to tell who I was?
"They have gained considerable power in the past couple of years," he continued, not noticing my strange reaction. "They even have control over the police departments of a couple of other cities, so there's really no way to stop them. Even so, if you try and make them mad, they'll simply kill you. They're growing into a sort of totalitarian regime. They're gaining control over everything, and they let nothing stand in their way. I mean nothing."
Of course, this I knew very well. I had been there. I had witnessed prisoners beg for their lives as they were tortured by Team Galactic. They were merciless, especially when someone held valuable information that they needed, or, in this case, when they wanted to carry out revenge.
"We do some things to foil their plans, but it's never enough. We figure that any little bit will help them lose power, though. I hope that The Resistance can put a stop to them completely someday," Robert said sadly. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of us before. You seemed like maybe you were even a part of The Resistance. I mean, after all, you were fighting them and running from them. Most people don't even dare to resist anymore," he inquired with a suspicious look.
I shifted in my stance nervously, not really sure of what to say. I searched for a logical answer and, eventually, found the closest thing I could.
"I escaped from them," I told him, nearly stammering.
This was not a lie, really. In fact, that's what had happened, minus a few... details. Still, I felt guilty leaving a huge part of it out. I was omitting the truth, which could still be considered a lie. I couldn't have possibly told him the whole story, though, since I don't believe he - or anyone - would really understand my situation. He would've probably kicked me out of his house the moment he found out.
"Ah," he replied, scratching his head. "I know some others that were imprisoned by them. They eventually got out unharmed, but it was grueling to escape."
I nodded quickly, thinking I should leave soon. I still didn't know if those men were following me, and they could easily find me here. Also, what if Robert found out who I was? Then, I'd have all sorts of people chasing after me, and I didn't need any more.
What happens next still boggles my mind to this day. Just as I was worrying about Team Galactic's men coming after me, there was a loud knock at Robert's door. Whoever it was kept pounding and pounding, apparently trying to be as aggravating as possible.
Robert and I exchanged looks of shock and fear, and he motioned for me to go in the back and hide. Not knowing where I could safely hide on the first level, I instead decided to run up the stairs to the second level. This floor was much smaller than the first, and all I could see as I climbed through a square hole to get there were a small bathroom and a bedroom. It was quite dark up there, so I couldn't catch many details. From what I could observe, it almost had an attic-type feel to it, as if these were the kind of stairs that folded down, leaving only a small hole to climb through. I made sure to move to the opposite side from the staircase so that I was now looking at the stairs from across the opening.
Sitting and holding my knees, I listened as Robert opened his door. He gave a friendly "hello" and then shut the door again, going outside to speak to whoever was there. Listening carefully, I could hear the murmur of voices. I could make out some of what they were saying when I held my breath.
"Hm, wearing a trench coat and a baseball cap, you say?" Robert said in a loud, clear voice, probably so that I would know it wasn't safe to stop hiding. "No, I haven't seen anyone like that pass by here."
A trench coat and a baseball cap? That's all that they used to describe me? What would stop them from telling Robert something that he'd kick me out for? Maybe they weren't telling him who I really was to avoid the humiliation of my leaving. They had a reputation to uphold and pride to support, and my escape would likely damage that to some degree.
"Damn it, Joe! If you hadn't have stopped to help us, you could've gone after her and could've at least seen where she went!" I heard an angry man yelling.
"Hey, sorry for trying to help," I heard another deep voice respond.
"Yeah, well that's not going to get us anywhere, you fool," the first man spat back loudly. "You better tell us if she comes by here, old man. You call Veilstone Headquarters the moment you see her, understand?"
"Oh, of course, sir," Robert replied enthusiastically.
It seemed that that was exactly what they wanted to hear, since Robert was now opening his front door and coming back inside. I heard only one pair of footsteps creak against the wooden floorboards of his home, so I knew it was him.
"Hey, you can come out now," he said quietly at the base of the stairs.
I peaked out so that I could look below and saw Robert standing there with one foot on the stairs and an arm on the railing. I stood up and walked around so that I could get down. Slowly, I stepped on each of the wooden stairs. I was still so scared. It was a very close call, and thanks to Robert and the fact that the one Galactic Grunt was stupid enough not to chase me, I was safe for now.
"Don't worry, they won't get you," Robert kindly assured me. "Listen, you should stay here tonight. You should also consider helping us with our missions, since you're clearly an enemy of Team Galactic. Being a part of The Resistance also means being protected by us. We all work together to make sure everyone on the team is safe."
I gave him a fake smile and raised my eyebrows. This was insane. I couldn't do any of this! Also, I couldn't take off my disguise until I had fixed my appearance. I needed to get away so I could put on normal clothes, change my hair, and dispose of the old uniform.
"Um, do you mind if I use your bathroom? I feel very sick to my stomach," I asked awkwardly, hoping this plan would work.
"Oh, of course, young lady," Robert frowned as he said this. "It's upstairs, as I'm guessing you already noticed."
With a polite "thanks," I ran up to the second level, carrying the bag filled with the things that would change my identity. Once there, I opened the door of the bathroom further so I could get in. It was very old, with chips of wood peeling off, and it made a loud, creaking sound as I shut it. The lock seemed man-made. Constructed from rusting metal, it had two small bars on both sides of the door. When turning an equally rusty handle from the inside, the bars turned, creating a little barricade from both the outside and inside of the bathroom.
I turned around, knowing I had to hurry even despite the lie I told Robert. I grabbed the plastic bag I had received from the Department Store and opened it up. I ripped the hair dye out and rolled my eyes at the annoying phony smile of the hair model on the front, then quickly read the instructions.
"It takes… thirty minutes," I whispered to myself as I read the back of the package. I walked over to the sink. It resembled a large bowl and was mostly white, with a few rust stains where the drain began and spots of blue and white that I could only assume was tooth paste residue. The mirror above it seemed as if it hadn't been washed in ages, as there were foggy spots all over it, reflecting my blurry face back at me.
I sighed as I looked at myself. I looked so ridiculous wearing a trench coat and a hat with all of my hair stuffed in it. The scarf added to the fact that I was obviously disguised, and I wanted to hit myself for trying way too hard. At this point, I wouldn't have been surprised if Robert initially had assumed I was a boy before hearing me speak. Still, I couldn't let him see my hair or what I was wearing.
Finally having some privacy, I removed the cap from my head. Straight, bright blue hair that grew a little past my shoulders collapsed around my face. It looked just like my mother's. She had the exact same texture to her hair as I did. Soon, though, I would wash myself clean of this mess I had made. Maybe someday, I would have a normal life. Maybe someday, I would no longer think about her...
I quickly applied the brown hair dye, making sure it covered every inch of my head. I removed the trench coat since, after all, I thought I might be able to get some more use out of that someday and the dye might ruin it if it dripped. What was underneath, though, I would never wear again.
I looked down at myself and saw the wretched clothes I had been forced to wear for so long. The black and silver top with the tight black pants, the muddy boots that were originally shiny silver, and, of course, the symbol on my chest glared up at me, almost as if it was throwing my true, unwanted identity in my face. Although I had originally been lying to Robert about being ill, I felt as if I might really throw up when I looked at the G that stood for Team Galactic…