When Violet seeped back into consciousness, it was still night time. She stared at the stars with an uncanny interest. Her mind was still under the spell of that foreign, familiar face... She knew this creature, whatever it was. It was a part of her, and yet she could not explain why.
Maybe she was crazy. Maybe she had gone insane, and this creature was a figment of her imagination. It wasn't a possibility to be ruled out lightly.
Val.
The scene she had left earlier came rushing back to her mind. She sprung up, almost fainting from the sudden rush of blood and motion. Her father! She had to save her father! But where was the house?! She spun in a circle, finding herself slightly disoriented from a lack of direction. The forest seemed dark and endless. What if she was miles from her home!
There! She could see the light her back porch. There was no mistaken it. The light created the silhouette of an apple tree. Her apple tree! She ran towards it, desperate to see her father's face, safe and sound. As she approached the house, a pit in her stomach told her that she would not find her father there. Or, even if he was, those Pokémon were there as well. She refused to believe it, however true she knew it to be.
The glass door was completely shattered, and it gave made the whole place appear strange and dangerous to Violet. Nonetheless, it was through here that she entered her own house, just as the intruders had. She might as well have been an intruder, for this did not look like her home.
It was pitch dark, and it felt empty, but Violet couldn't help but whisper, "Father?" in hopes of hearing him answer. Only silence greeted her. After some hesitation, she turned on the kitchen light.
Chairs and papers and household items had been thrown everywhere. It was evident there been quite a scuffle. Violet surveyed the wreckage, trying to imagine what had happened. She knew Val had shot that Scyther. Was it...?
Her answer lied in a heap in the hallway. The bloodied carcass of the Scyther was stiff and unnatural looking. One of its blade-like arms was leaned against the wall, and it almost stuck straight up. A dark hole dug into the middle of its chest; no doubt this was where Val had shot it. But what horrified Violet the most was its eyes. They were staring off into the abyss, still angry and spiteful as if it was prepared to return from the grave and strike at her.
The sight of it all made her weak. Her home was in disarray, her father was gone, and all that was left to show for it was a dead Scyther and little splatters of blood. All her anxiety and panic rose from her stomach to her throat, and back down to her lungs. She clutched her chest and fell to her knees. It was becoming so hard to breathe... This had happened before, but not for three years. She was having an attack! Of all the times for it to happen, why now?
Her inhaler. It would open up her windpipe just long enough for her to call 911. She had to get her inhaler! Violet made a sorry attempt to stumble down the hall, but her chest hardened and she wheezed. She could barely get any air in.
"Teddi! Teddi! Ursa! Ursa!" Teddi was in absolute panic, scratching on Violet's bedroom door. She could sense the danger her owner was in. If only she could reach the door handle, then Violet could tell her to fetch her inhaler.
Violet was five feet from the door. All she had to do was open it. She reached out to the doorknob. "Teddi... h-help. Ted-HUUGH!" With another giant wheeze, Violet fell to the floor. She shook, struggling to get a breath of air in, but her wind pipe was almost completely closed up. It wouldn't be long now.
Violet wasn't sure of when he got there, but suddenly she saw Zack's face looking down on her, a mask of fear and concern donned his expression. He flipped her over on her side, and attempted to perform CPR on her. It didn't calm down the attack completely, but it bought Violet enough time so that Zack could rummage through the medicine cabinet for Violet's inhaler. He brought it to her, and after a few inhales, she was able to breathe more freely.
Zack brought a pillow over from the couch and laid Violet's head on it. "Don't worry, Violet, I called an ambulance. You're going to be alright."
Violet continued to shake. "My... my father."
"Don't worry about that, just rest. You have to."
"He's gone."
"Violet, you have to rest, please. Just close your eyes."
She thought back to when Val used to hire a babysitter for her. She had always cried when Val left, but the sitter always told her that if she went to bed, Val would be there in the morning when she woke up.
Would that be true now?
Even though she had left, Maria always sent letters back to Violet. It was never a phone call, and never for Val. There were only letters, and only for Violet.
My dear Violet. How are you?
You wouldn't believe how interesting the Hoenn region is! There are so many Pokémon here that I've never seen before. I sent a picture of one that I've caught. It's called a Spinda. Turns out no two Spinda look exactly alike, isn't that cool?
Tomorrow I'm travelling to Fortree City. There's a laboratory not far from there where a study is being held on Pokémon that chances its appearance based on the weather. Doesn't that sound bizarre? The road to Fortree City is supposedly rough and filled with unpredictable weather, but luckily I've got some trustworthy Pokemon with me to help me get there safely.
I won't be able to send another letter until I get there, so it may be a few weeks until you hear from me again. In the meantime, take care of your father. And good luck with kindergarten! I'm sure you'll be the top of your class. My only regret is that I won't see you on your first day of school. Could you send me a picture of you with your backpack? It would make my day!
I love you so much, Violet. I'll be back for a visit at the end of the year. Promise!
With lots of love,
Mommy
On day, a letter came that was only for Val to read. However, it wasn't from Maria. The letter made it very clear that she wouldn't be writing anymore.
Val Lestrade sat on the couch, reading the words over and over again, willing with all his might for them to be lies. His hands shook as the reality sank in, and soon tears rolled down his face and land on the letter, causing the ink to run a little. His vision blurred, and he couldn't focus on anything but those horrid words on that damned piece of paper.
"Daddy?'
He quickly wiped the tears away. Violet was standing at the other end of the couch, wearing a light blue nightgown. Her hair was in pigtails from when Val had braided her hair earlier. Just as Maria used to do...
"Daddy, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, sweetheart. Daddy just needs some time alone."
"Is that a letter from Mommy?"
Val paused for a moment before answering. "...Yes. Yes, it's from Mommy."
Violet brightened up. "What did she say? Is she coming to visit early?"
"She's not coming back, Violet."
"Yes she is, she said so! She told me."
"She... she can't, sweetheart. She can't some back to visit us anymore."
He could hardly bare it, but Violet needed to know.
"Why not?" Part of Val wanted to answer, but he could only sit in silence. Violet walked over to him. "Is this letter from her?" Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed it out of Val's hands and began to read it. Val tried to snatch it away from her, but she moved away. Had he more constitution at the time, Val would have pursued her, but he knew Violet would discover the truth in any case.
At first, Violet tore over the note greedily, expecting to read more about Maria's adventures in Hoenn. But then she stopped reading and only stared at the middle of the paper.
It was a sad yet curious thing, watching Violet read about her mother's death. Some say that children do not fully understand the concept of dying, and are often patronized by lie, "They're just sleeping." But Violet Lestrade understood perfectly. All at once, she became on the outside what Val felt on the inside: numb and vacant and heart-broken. She looked to Val for an answer to the pain. He wished he had one.
"It's just you and me now, baby. I'm so sorry."
Violet looked back down at the letter. She left for her room, taking it with her, but not before uttering two words. They were seared into Val's memory forever as the beginning of a new Violet Lestrade. A Violet that had given him a title unlike what most five-year-olds announce their parent. A Violet that would lock herself away in her room and in books for years, keep to the familiar, and never explore the world. A Violet that would forever blame him for Maria's death.
"Yes, Father."