Chapter Two
Colby stayed perched by the bow of the boat the rest of the evening and only went back to her cabin when the sun was dipping low into the horizon. Before the accident, she would have loved to make friends. She liked the company of people and someone to talk to. But since the depression of not having her parents and her whole future falling apart had set in, people were the last things she wanted to be around.
She crept forward with her knapsack on her back and unlocked the door to her cabin. It was a simple little living space, nice and cozy. It was painted a sea blue and had little Magikarp's on the bordering. In the corner was a twin bed and to the right of that a nightstand with a lamp. The bathroom was attached to the room and was by the back left corner. Other than that, the room was fairly empty. Normal travelers brought furniture with them, but not Colby. The only things she had to her name was her knapsack, along with the various items in there and some clothing. She dropped the knapsack on the floor with a thud and hung up the cloak on a rack. Colby fell into a heap onto the twin bed and willed sleep to take her away…
Lightning flashed through the dark sky and thunder crashed like an angry wave washing onto a dock. His yellow eyes glinted dangerously and matched the threatening flashes, as if they were one. He was hidden in a mask of shadows…a darkness so deep that even the brightest light wouldn't be able to pierce the shroud. His challenger faced the malice with blazing green eyes and the strength of a thousand souls. Something snapped and an illumination of brilliant gold light raced toward the darkness. The two forces met and a blast echoed through the valley, shaking the earth. All fell silent as death as smoke cleared. They continued to stare each other down, daring one another to fall. A scream echoed off the walls of the valley, rocks tumbled, and white light burst everywhere...
Colby woke up screaming and shot up off of the small bed in one fluid motion. Her eyes flew open and she saw the guy from the boat deck standing in the doorway with his mouth open and his eyes wide. She for a moment stood there and processed what had just happened…what could that dream have meant?
"Um…uh…" The guy stuttered.
That yanked her back into reality. What was this kid doing in her cabin? Just as she was about to tell him off, he raised his hands in a stop motion.
"Woah…before you explode on me…I was just walking down the corridor out to the deck when I heard screaming. I came to check it out to make sure that everyone was ok. I'm not going to bother you…" He responded politely, with a look of mild fear in his eyes.
Colby put up her human barrier, as she liked to call it and processed it all. Maybe…maybe this one person wouldn't be so bad to have as just one friend…That didn't mean she had to be super nice to him…but she had been getting a bit lonely.
"Name?" She asked simply with a bit of a snap behind it.
The guy looked a bit confused, "Oh, I'm Ellis…"
Colby nodded and crossed her arms, "I'm not a friendly person and I don't like people. I'm giving you a chance here Ellis because you seem desperate."
Ellis looked a bit happy for a friend and scared at the same time. It was a quite interesting combination.
"Ok…I will leave you to yourself now," He said, clearly ready to escape her death look.
She gave him a succinct nod and he scrammed, shutting the door firmly behind him.
Colby pulled on her cloak and checked the time on her watch. It was a little before ten, which was early for her. Grabbing her knapsack, she headed for the boat deck where she would spend her day as always. It was the last day of her sea journey and in the late afternoon they would be arriving in the Aurora Region. She simply couldn't wait.
Surprisingly, this was the first real excitement or joy she had felt since her parents had died, though it was small. The ocean was a brilliant blue today and the seas were calm, perfect. Colby found her spot by the front of the bow and sat down. She pulled out her PokePages Journal and started to write about that mysterious dream that she had. It was quite an interesting one...almost bringing a sense of déjàvo with it. Her pen scribbled over the page as she filled up one and started on another. A shadow of a person fell across the paper and she jerked around to see Ellis standing there again.
"Do you always have to do that?" She snapped, quite irritated at him interrupting her personal time.
"Sorry…why are you always in such a bad mood? I try to stay positive," Ellis said, sitting on the crate opposite her.
"That is of my personal affairs, and is none of your concern," she snapped. Ellis looked out over the water.
"Your going to the Aurora Region to I'm guessing?" He asked, changing the subject.
She looked up from her Journal, "Yeah, anything to get away from Hecate," she grumbled.
"Why do you hate Hecate so much?" Ellis asked, his green eyes flickering with question.
Colby looked back to her Journal and started to doodle another Zorua on the edge of the paper.
"Just because I do," She retorted stiffly.
"There has to be a reason," Ellis prompted with the usual peppy tone in his voice.
"How can you be like that all the time?" She hissed.
Ellis looked startled, "Be like what…?"
"All happy and peppy all the time. The day I'm happy is the day that I like Hecate, never."
Ellis just smiled, "I think you need to quit being so down in the dumps. You could at least just try and be sort of happy."
"Would you be happy and peppy if you were on your own with both of your parents dead? And the only thing you had left to go 'home' to in Hecate was your half mad Aunt? Don't tell me about being happy and peppy," She hissed.
Ellis looked like someone had slapped him and sorrow clouded his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry…I didn't know…" He said sorrowfully.
Colby looked back at her Journal and tried to concentrate on her little drawing again. "What's done is done. There is nothing left for me in Hecate."
"Well…I'm sorry…I…"
"Don't worry about it."
Ellis stood up quickly, "I'll be right back...just wait here!"
Colby muttered her okays and went back to drawing another Zorua. After about five minutes, she heard the sound of boots on the deck and Ellis came running back carrying a bag. He dug around in it and produced a Poke Ball from one of the front pockets. The Poke Ball made a satisfying whistle sound through the air as it popped open and a Phanpy appeared.
"C'mon Eddie, cheer up…uh…you never mentioned your name…" Ellis said.
Colby shut her PokePages Journal and stuffed it in her knapsack.
"I'm Colby," She grumbled as the Phanpy trotted toward her. It made a cute little noise as Ellis petted it.
"You can pet Eddie if you want…he likes to cheer up people," Ellis smiled.
Colby petted the Phanpy tentatively at first so that it would get comfortable with her. She was always particularly a good Pokémon person. It was almost a connection between her and them. All Pokémon were her friends, and they were a being that you knew that you could trust, even in the darkest of times.
The Phanpy seemed to soothe her aching heart and for a moment…she almost felt a peace. Pokémon always seemed to make everything better. They were a way to escape the cruelness of the world.
"See! He likes you!" Ellis said enthusiastically.
"Is he yours?" Colby asked.
That was probably the kindest thing she had said to Ellis since they had met. He surely seemed surprised that her words didn't have a snap to them this time.
"No…I wish, because he is the best little companion a lone traveler could ask for. His master is actually my sister Rosie."
Colby pondered the thought for a moment. What would it be like to have a sibling? She had grown up as an only child…
"What is Rosie like?"
"She is the sweetest sister a guy could ask for. Her hair is flaming red and her cheeks are always rosy with happiness. That is where she got her name, according to mom and dad. Eddie here was very sick a few days ago…He was on the brink of death and no medicine was available in Aurora at the moment. So…I set out on this journey to Hecate and back so that I could save little Eddie," Ellis explained, looking towards the horizon while petting Eddie.
"Wow…Eddie must be really special to her…I wish that I still had my parents…and a sibling would be nice to," Colby sighed, a melancholy feeling beginning to set in as she thought about it.
"'I'm sure Rosie would love to meet you…you seem to share that same connection with Pokémon as she does," Ellis said slowly.
He was probably wondering what kind of reaction this would get from her. Colby wasn't sure how to react…because no one had been this kind to her in a while. But then again, nor had she been to them. She was almost as surprised as Ellis at her reaction.
"I would love to meet Rosie…It's not like I have anywhere to go after I get off this boat."
Ellis looked both shocked, and delighted. His geeky smile once again returned and plastered itself to his face.
"Sounds like a plan! Colby…look!" Ellis exclaimed, pointing at the horizon.
Colby looked up from her Journal and saw the most beautiful sight that had pass through her gaze since she could remember. In the distance, the fingers of land exploded into view. Vast expanses of green seemed to go on forever in every direction that she looked. This was what she had been waiting for. A new start, a new beginning, a new life.
A/N: Review and let me know what you think :)