Jen stuck her tongue out at the trainer, believing that her other dragon type would be more than up for the challenge. After watching Mach's bit of excitement for food, Jen giggled and returned Dragonite. "Okay, let's get going, I think the center is at that part of the city," Jen stated, pointing towards the general southern part of Cianwood before heading off to the boardwalk.
"Lead the way." Ecco said, following behind Jen as she started towards the Pokemon Center. The trio walked along the boardwalk for a while, passing many shops set up along the way. During the right hours of the day, the boardwalk would be buzzing with locals and tourists alike, all congregating in one area to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather and concessions. However, seeing that it was now the late afternoon, the area was fairly empty besides few shopkeepers catching a breath of fresh air. Ecco let out a small hum as they walked, partially out of boredom and partially out of inspiration. "What would you say to a swim after we take care of everything, hm?" He proposed, clasping his hands behind his head and slowing his pace a bit.
Jen thought about the idea for a moment, looking between the shop keepers and their passerby's as they walked. "Mm, if you're talking about the beach, then you're nuts; it's winter time, ya silly!" Jen replied, moving ahead and flicking Ecco on the forehead. "But, we can swim at one of these new parks that Cianwood opened up recently, it's a natural hot water spring in the cave to the North. Might be best to try that out than to swim in the ocean at the current time," Jen teased Ecco, having a little more pep in her step. "I also need to get a bathing suit then, I didn't think I'd need any while traveling around."
"H-hey!" Ecco stuttered, letting out a chuckle as Jen's finger impacted his forehead. He took a moment to rub the area with a pair of fingers, eyeing Jen playfully as she skipped ahead. Picking up his pace a little to catch up, he listened to her talk about the mountain springs. "Hot springs, huh?" He thought aloud, crossing his arms and tilting his gaze upward as he walked beside Jen. Bringing his attention back to her as she spoke, he patted his bag. "That was one of the first things I grabbed back at the Department Store, seeing as you said we were coming here." He stated, eyeing the stores around them while they walked. Upon spotting a small clothing outlet, he stopped and pointed towards it, "I'm sure they'll have something." He suggested, taking a few steps toward the entrance.
As Ecco pointed out the small clothing store, Jen eyed the shop before catching up to Ecco. "Ya sure? Clothes stores are boring, and I thought guys hated 'em anyway," Jen replied, as the sliding doors of the store opened for the trainers and Zapcannon. Looking at the interior of the store, it was clear to Jen that there weren't as many people around as normal, despite clearances and sales happening in some parts of the store. "At least if they do have a bathing suit that it'll be on clearance, it's out of season," Jen sighed as she walked in, feeling frustrated already about where to even look in the store.
Ecco shrugged, taking a look around as well. "It'd be easier if I didn't just finish buying myself new clothes." He admitted, idly fingering through shirts on a rack. "But you're only looking for a bathing suit, how hard can it be?" He asked, taking a plain grey T-shirt off of the rack and pressing it against himself. "Go on, I'll be around." He assured her, letting out a small hum of interest as he placed the shirt back on the rack.
Jen watched Ecco thumb through the clothes before moving off to look around the store. "This place looked a lot smaller outside," Jen mumbled as she looked around the store. The trainer eyed a few clothes every now and then, only to find that the design was unsuited for her or they were two sizes too small. After a while of wondering around aimlessly in the store, Jen found a store clerk to point her in the right direction of the bathing suits. The leftovers of last season were all thrown together in a basket-like table. The table was mixed with an array of two- and one-piece swimming suits of varying designs, albeit the display was disheveled. After what seemed like forever to the trainer, Jen pulled out a black piece and headed over to the fitting room to try the swimwear on.
Meanwhile, Ecco roamed around the store taking a look at all of the designs that were considered to be 'in' this year. After a short time, he found himself growing tired of browsing through countless rows of clothes, and started for the dressing rooms to meet up with Jen. Upon reaching the various stall-like doors, he leaned against the wall and relaxed. All the while Zapcannon browsed on his own, more interested in the scents of each article of clothing than the styles they expressed. Eventually locking on to a piece that contained Jen's scent, he followed it to one of the dressing room doors before peeking his head underneath it. Opening one eye to catch a glimpse of his pokemon misbehaving, Ecco pushed off the wall and pulled him away. "Come on now, Zap…" He scolded, his Raichu now red in the face.
After a few more moments of changing, Jen got back into her normal clothes and decided to keep the black, stylized bathing suit (as well as another article of clothing) before leaving the stall. "Hmkay, I'm ready now," Jen said with relief, and somewhat oblivious to what Zapcannon was moments ago. "Did you find anything ya liked, Ecco?"
Standing back up from dealing with Zapcannon, Ecco shook his head. "I saw a few interesting things, but I don't think I should buy them right now. I mean, I was just at the Department Store earlier today." He stated, eyeing the items that Jen held. "I take it you found something though?" He asked, cocking his head.
Jen nodded her head at him with a smile, before leading the three out of the dressing room. "Sometimes, looking in the dressing rooms pay off," Jen said to herself as she looked at the grey sweater in her arms. "After this we'll head over to the Pokemon Center, get our rooms, and get our Pokemon fed? I bet Zap's hungry," Jen continued, looking down at Zapcannon as she mentioned his name.
Zapcannon jumped as Jen made her remark about looking in dressing rooms. He wagged his tail slowly, avoiding eye contact. Meanwhile his demeanor quickly changed as the topic changed to food. Placing his hands on his now growling stomach, he looked up at the trainers. "That's a pretty safe bet." Ecco replied, bending down and messing with his Raichu's already messy hair. After Jen had payed the clerk, the trio walked out the sliding doors once more, being greeted by a now setting sun and a brisk winter breeze.
(FFVII Stolen Materia
watch?v=WZ5nsden_A0&list=PLF0835B27DEF5B5DA&index=54 )
After a few minutes of walking in the city, Jen looked over at Ecco again. "Hey, Ecco, why were you waiting in the dressing room anyway?" Jen asked suspiciously with a brow raised at the trainer before looking ahead. The Pokemon Center was now in view down the road, and a little past that was the city gym.
Ecco turned his head towards Jen, continuing onward. "You caught me." He admitted sarcastically. "I wanted a peek, so there I was." He continued, placing his hands behind his head and picking up the pace a bit to hide his stifled laughter.
Jen's eyes narrowed in on Ecco after he finished speaking, her face growing red with the thought. "Hey! That's not funny!" Jen replied, dashing to the trainer and hit his shoulder. "Are you lying to me, again?"
Ecco snickered to himself, rubbing his shoulder. Though he was tempted to continue the ruse, he decided against it considering the previous day's events. Instead, his eyes lowered sympathetically and he moved closer to her. "Of course I am Jen, I'm not like that." He assured her, placing a hand on her head and mussing her hair a bit before continuing into the pokemon center.
(Resume FFVII Parochial Town watch?v=A1IRqS46dP0)
Jen fixed her hair soon after Ecco messed around with it, soon feeling bad about her reaction as she followed after him into the Pokemon Center. The two trainers waited in line at the counter from trainers needing their Pokemon back from the local gym or a place to stay. "Sorry, Ecco, but it'd really be strange if ya did," Jen admitted, smiling a little awkwardly for a moment before looking around the rather large sitting area of the Pokemon Center. A center fireplace was going in the middle of an encircled sitting area. Meanwhile, two long couches lined the walls of the Pokemon Center, the one to the left of the line they were on were full of anxiously waiting trainers. However, a select few trainers were making their way to the right of the room towards a hall labeled with two red signs; "Trainer's quarters" and "Cafeteria." "Looks like the trainers are having a rough time at the gym," Jen observed quietly, trying her best not to be targeted.
"It would be." Ecco agreed absentmindedly, his thoughts elsewhere as he watched the flurry of panicked trainers rush in from their Gym battles. Shaking his head, he let out a heavy sigh as he continued to examine the large Pokemon Center. Seconds turned to minutes and the long line of trainers had barely moved and inch. Spotting the signs down the hall, Ecco turned to Jen, "There's no use in us both standing here, hm?" He started, making a motion towards the cafeteria. "Why don't you take Zapcannon and head to the cafeteria? I'll catch up after I get us a couple of rooms, okay?" He proposed, the line just now starting to move for the first time since the trainers had arrived.
Jen looked up at the trainer curiously, shifting her weight to one leg from standing in line for so long. "Are you sure? Want me to grab you anything while I'm there, too?" Jen asked, moving her hand free hand in a gesture towards the cafeteria.
Ecco found himself smiling as his eyes met Jen's, "I'm sure." He said, waving his hands as a signal for her to go. "Don't worry about me; I'll grab something when I get there." He added, following the line as it moved up a bit more.
Jen hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Okay, come on, Zapcannon," Jen said, before walking out of the line. The electric Pokemon hesitated a moment by his trainer before following after Jen. After a few turns in the many halls, Jen and Zapcannon were greeted with the hustle and bustle of the trainer-filled cafeteria. There were a great number of tables throughout the room, some for two seater, others had larger tables, but everyone had their Pokemon out and were chowing down. To the right of the two was a window-lined wall that overlooked the Pokemon Center's garden outside. As a result of the nice view, many trainers had filled up the only tables available in that area. Meanwhile, there were two buffet tables to the left of the room; one for the trainers and one for the Pokemon. On the ends of both buffet tables were two swinging doors with employees coming in and out to fill up either table. The chatter was loud, but after a few moments of being in the room, the two readjusted to the noise level and moved their way toward the buffet line. "Come on, Zapcannon, let's get you a plate, if we're fast enough, I'll let you get a treat from the other line," Jen smiled, as Zapcannon nodded eagerly and ran ahead to get on line for the Pokemon's table.
Meanwhile back in the main lobby, the line had moved significantly. With about 20 minutes having passed since Jen's departure, Ecco had finally reached the counter. "Hello, and welcome to the Pokemon Center!" One of the few Nurses stated, trying to catch her breath from helping the previous trainers. "Would you like me to take your pokemon?" She asked, another nurse approaching behind her holding a tray for pokeballs. Ecco waved his hands, calming their nerves. "Just two room keys, please." He requested, letting out a sigh and scratching his head. This whole scenario seems familiar… He thought, as the Nurse gave a nod before grabbing two room keys from a drawer. "Here you are, two room keys." She said, placing them on the counter between the two. "Make yourselves at home!" She said with a small bow. Thanking them, Ecco moved aside to allow the trainer behind him to receive help. He pocketed the keys and made his way down the hall and towards the room with the 'Cafeteria' sign. A faint hum of indistinguishable chatter could be heard coming from behind the door, instantly amplifying itself as they opened. Holding a hand to his ear, Ecco searched the room for any signs of Jen and Zapcannon. Realizing the most logical place to find them would be the line for food, he spotted them shortly. Seeing that Zapcannon was waiting on line, he walked to where Jen waited. Making himself known with a tap to her shoulder, he uncovered his ear. "I've got the keys, everything is settled." He said, both drawing close to her and raising his voice a bit in an effort to be heard over the low drone of combined conversations occurring around them.
Jen turned to face Ecco, holding onto two plates of food, one of them being for Zapcannon with two glazed munchkins from the desert end of the trainer table. "Hey! That's good, we'll go check them out in a bit. Also, you should grab a few plates for your Pokemon, too, Pokemon aren't allowed at the buffet tables without their trainers, so we might as well get their food first before our own," Jen instructed Ecco, then looking over at the rest of the cafeteria for any free tables or area for their Pokemon to sit at. "I just need to get some more food for Growlithe, I'll find us a table after that," Jen continued with a small smile as Zapcannon eagerly awaited the food in Jen's hands.
Ecco nodded, figuring any form of verbal response would just be a hassle with all of the commotion. Grabbing a couple of trays, he began placing items from both sections on each respectively. Looking down at the tray of pokemon food in his hands, he let out a sigh. Wing could probably clean this buffet out by himself… He thought, realizing he may have to make more trips for everyone. As he finished filling up both trays, he started towards the table that Jen had chosen for the group. Taking two pokeballs off of his belt, he released Shadow and Flare to join Zapcannon for the first session. "Thanks for watching Zapcannon for me." Ecco smiled, taking a seat himself shortly after Jen had.
"Oh, no problem," Jen smiled, watching Ecco's Pokemon and her Growlithe eat before getting up from her chair. "I'm gonna go back and get some more food for the others. Oh, and you should keep in mind that if you think your Pokemon might eat several plates full, then you might want to consider giving them a pokeblock that fills them up more. They offer those to trainers with Snorlaxes and Hippowdons," Jen informed the trainer as she headed toward the Pokemon buffet table again. After being on the line and getting food for a few minutes, she came back with two plates and placed one on the table and the other on the floor with Ecco's Pokemon. Then the trainer released Nidoking and Vaporeon so that they can eat as well. "Which two are you feeding next?" Jen asked as she sat back down and watched Growlithe play with the remainder of his food.
"That sounds perfect." Ecco answered, sighing with relief as Jen spoke of the pokeblocks. It wasn't long before he and his pokemon had finished their portions as well. He waited until Jen had come back from refilling her trays before standing up himself. "Last up are Mach and Wing." He stated, allowing Flare and Shadow to finish their meals before returning them once more. Making his way toward the buffet, Ecco filled a tray with a type of seed meant for a variety of bird pokemon, making sure to ask an attendant for a couple of the pokeblocks Jen had mentioned before heading back. Upon reaching the table, he released Mach and positioned the tray of seed in front of him. Taking the two blocks off of the tray, he nodded. "Eat up!" He told his pokemon with a smile. Wing waited patiently, letting out a small grumble as he eyed the pokeblocks in Ecco's hand. Noticing this, Ecco tossed one of the blocks towards the large dragon type. With a swift motion, his pokemon had caught the small block and was now chewing it with contentment. "That takes care of everyone on my end." Ecco stated, rolling the last pokeblock around in his palm. "I grabbed this for Dragonite." He added, tossing it to Jen softly. "Even if you've already taken care of him, it doesn't hurt to have one on hand, hm?" He shrugged.
"Actually, yeah, you saved me a trick, thank you," Jen responded, smiling as she did before getting up again for more Pokemon food. "Make sure that Growlithe doesn't run off for me? He likes to run around after eating, he burns it off so quick," She asked, glancing over at the pup that was now chasing his tail. "Vaporeon, help him out, too. I don't want Growlithe to get into any trouble, he might start chasing a Persian if he finds one," Jen sighed as she left the group to get a plate of Pokemon food for Dragonite and hid the Pokeblock amongst meal before rejoining the group. Upon coming back, Growlithe was on his back, swatting at Vaporeon's tail every so often. "I'm glad that he behaved, at the very least," Jen sighed withe relief and returned Nidoking once his meal was finished to release Dragonite for his meal. "Eat up, Dragonite, you deserve it," Jen smiled as the dragon type cried happily upon seeing the food and dug in. "I was thinking that once Dragonite was finished that we could each grab a box and head back to the rooms? I'm kinda tired of this noise, to be honest," Jen mentioned, rubbing her temples as she did.
Ecco nodded, agreeing to keep the eager pup at bay while she made a final run to the buffet. "Go ahead, I'll make sure he doesn't get into trouble." He smirked, signaling Growlithe with a snap and a wave. With Vaporeon's help, Growlithe was kept distracted long enough for Jen to return. "No trouble at all." He replied, lowering a hand once more to silently call the pup over. Scratching behind the fire type's ear, a low groan of happiness could be heard coming from the pokemon. Meanwhile, Jen released Dragonite and presented him with his meal. Ecco watched with a smile as Jen bonded with her longtime companion; his expression quickly changing upon hearing of her discomfort."I know how you feel." Ecco sympathized, clutching his head with one hand and returning Wing with the other. Not long after this, Mach finished the large pile of seed on his tray and had begun preening his feathers. Taking this as a sign that it was time to head out, Ecco returned his pokemon and reached in his pocket "Ready when you guys are." He confirmed, playing idly with her room key.
"Yeah, it'd just be more comfortable there and easier to talk..." Jen replied, watching Dragonite continue to scarf down his plate. Moments later, Dragonite had finished with a happy "Arooo" and flapped his wings a little bit. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Dragonite, we're going to the spa later, so I'll let you out when we get there," Jen told the dragon, before returning him to his Pokeball. "Okay, let's get going," Jen said, motioning Growlithe over to pet him and play around with his fur for a moment before getting up. "Behave and don't run off, okay?" Jen instructed, only for the pup to bark happily and wag his fluffy tail.
"Not too many places to run off to between here and the rooms." Ecco teased, smirking playfully at the fire type as they made for the exit on the other side of the room. Upon leaving through the double doors, the loud chatter could be heard fading as the doors closed behind them. Letting out a sigh of relief, Ecco lead the way to the trainer's quarters. Many doors lined the walls in the area, each boasting a sign with a different number on it. Taking a moment to check Jen's key and match it to a door, Ecco stopped in front of the corresponding room. He turned around and held her key out to her, "Here we are." He said, stepping aside.
(Tifa's Theme - Advent Children watch?v=x20TtbnUJ3E&list=PLp9Kyj4FCYqJhNRi2fV7Am52_RAt73jdH&index=8)
Jen shifted the box from her right hand to her left, opening the room soon after. "Hey, Growlithe's ran away from me several times before! Not to mention, that since he's a different kind of Growlithe, I get worried about someone taking him," Jen replied as she held the door open for Ecco and was happy to see Growlithe trot into the bed room with her. The bed room looked near identical to the room in Goldenrod, except the bed was folded to be a couch. Once Ecco and Zapcannon walked into the room, Jen closed the door and took a seat at the head of the bed. "So, I've been thinking that next week I'll challenge the gym here in Cianwood, would that be fine? If we are traveling again, of course, which I'm totally fine with," Jen said after taking a few bites of her meal. "Relaxing here for a few days and then training would be for the best, and it'd be great if I could battle you for practice?" Jen continued on, becoming more timid and quiet as she spoke.
"He sounds like a handful." Ecco replied as he entered the room. "And I'm not sure he'd be taken without a fight. After all, he's got that fire-type spirit." He continued as he took a seat not too far from Jen, placing his boxed up meal on the night table next to the futon. Upon hearing that the two would be traveling together again, Ecco couldn't help but smile. "It's been a while… I would love to travel with you again, Jen." He said softly, turning himself to face her. "As for the battle, I'd be happy to help." Meanwhile, Zapcannon made himself comfortable on the floor, his ears twitching upon hearing the plans of the trainers.
Jen nodded at Ecco's comment, too busy chewing to answer right away. "He was a handful when I first got him, Growlithe's really friendly. That's why I worry that someone might take him and he might not even fight back on it," Jen pointed out, sighing at the thought. Meanwhile, Growlithe was looking over at the resting Zapcannon. The fire type had his tail wagging to and fro quickly until he diverted his attention to his trainer and jumped onto the bed between the trainers. Once he jumped up, Jen smiled more and pet the fire type's head before looking at Ecco. "As for traveling, thank you! It really means a lot to me and my Pokemon, playing with other Pokemon really helps with the training. Plus, it's nice to be traveling with an old friend again," Jen beamed before continuing her meal.
Ecco leaned back, relaxing while he heard Jen speak about Growlithe's friendly nature. "I can't argue with you there…" He admitted, watching as the playful pup jumped up between them for attention. With Jen beginning to stroke Growlithe's head, the pokemon's tail continued to wag happily. For a moment, Ecco had begun to bat at the fluffy tail with one finger, stopping and lifting his head when Jen continued to speak. With their gazes meeting simultaneously, he listened as Jen expressed her gratitude. "You don't need to thank me, Jen." He replied, shaking his head. "Have you been traveling alone all this time?" He asked, a touch of anxiety apparent in his voice.
To Ecco's question, Jen nodded while she played around with her food for a little bit. "Yeah, we've been traveling alone for some time. I mean, I did travel with Ceres back when we all met up for the second, time but that didn't work out well," Jen sighed as she peeled a piece of meat from her dinner. Then the trainer gave a small gesture and the fire type, waiting anxiously for the small piece of food, sat down as still as he could be. With that, Jen gave the small piece to Growlithe and the pup's tail went back into action. "Good boy," Jen smiled, nuzzling the pup for a moment so that he could lick her face. "What about you, Ecco? Have you been traveling alone, too?" She asked, lifting her head from the happy fire type.
Ecco turned away shortly after being asked the question. "I've had the company of the Rockets, if that counts." He scoffed sarcastically, his eyes lowering. "I haven't really been doing much 'traveling' either, other than coming to Johto." As Ecco spoke, Zapcannon eyed his trainer carefully and begun moving closer to the trio. Ecco looked down at his pokemon, his expression remaining slightly somber. Taking a deep breath, Ecco collected himself and returned to his relaxed position. "That reminds me… I wanted to apologize for leaving so suddenly back in Sinnoh." He continued, looking at Jen once more.
Jen continued to look at Ecco, feeling terrible for bringing the subject up. "Sorry, Ecco... but, yeah, that's definitely fine," Jen mumbled, feeling more timid as she spoke and slowly losing her appetite in the process. "Why did you leave, if you don't mind me asking?" Jen asked, feeling a haunting suspicion of why the trainer left, but her curiosity on the subject had piqued. After all, she could have really used his help back when he turned on her for the second time and was forced to save Sinnoh once more. Meanwhile, Growlithe's playfulness had become contained as he noticed the change in the air. As a result, the fire type sat back down and anxiously looked between the trainers, pawing at Jen every once in a while to cheer her up and give her a happier air, only to fail each time.
Ecco tore his gaze away once more, staring across the room blankly. "I did say I'd answer anything you had to ask, didn't I?" He replied distantly, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. An awkward silence filled the room, adding to the sense of sorrow that was already present. Zapcannon's ears lowered as he too began to eye each trainer. "Do you remember that day in the Center…?" Ecco began, finally breaking the silence. "It was the day we all met up again… And a day I wish I could forget ever happened." He continued, smiling to himself with a delirious chuckle.
Before Ecco replied in his small moment of silence, the trainer closed her box and placed it on the floor. Then, she looked away as he mentioned that day, closing her eyes and leaning back on the mattress. After a while of the events replaying in her mind, she nodded solemnly in response, not noticing that Ecco wasn't even looking at her. "Was it because of him?" Jen asked after a while, feeling her eyes tear up as she asked.
A small hum came from Ecco as if to answer Jen's question, "It really was that painfully obvious wasn't it?" He replied, trying to maintain the fake smile as long as he could. "For a while, I had myself convinced that it was all just a nightmare. I told myself I would wake up and everything would go back to normal." He continued, shaking his head and standing up. Pacing around the room for a short time, he eventually stopped and leaned against one of the room's walls.
Jen watched him pace the room a few times, before looking away as he leaned against the wall. The room was silent, even the Pokemon were, despite the fire type's hyperactivity just moments before. "Then why did we all stick together as a group for so long? What made you want to leave specifically?" Jen asked quietly, staring down at the floor absently. More importantly; why did you leave me alone with him?
"I originally planned to leave the morning after." Ecco answered, finally looking back at Jen. "Then you asked to come with me to Snowpoint. Dream or not, I just wanted you to be happy." He added, his eyes never leaving her. Standing between the two trainers, Zapcannon wagged his tail slowly and listened to each one talk respectively. A short time passed after his last sentence, and Ecco pushed off the wall and began pacing once more. "I tried to forget about what happened, tried to push the memory into some dark corner of my mind… But each day I saw him it found its way back, bringing the pain back with it." He sighed, crossing his arms and looking towards the ceiling.
Jen looked on at the trainer perplexed, wondering if she should bother with her questions anymore. "Ecco... what did Ceres do to you?" Jen inquired, her stomach knotting up as she asked the question.
Remaining silent for a moment, Ecco continued to gaze upward. "He succeeded in doing exactly what he said. He stole away someone who was very dear to me." He replied, masking his emotions with rigidness. "…And there was nothing I could do to stop him."
Jen remained silent as well, finally getting the dropped hint and a chill ran up her spine. "So, you expected to keep someone by leaving, twice? Even then, why didn't you say something? Can you expect me to read your mind?" Jen replied, her voice keeping a calm air as she eyed the trainer. Meanwhile, Growlithe moved over to lay down on his trainer's lap, still trying the best that he could to be of some sort of comfort to Jen.
Ecco turned to her with a glare, her words cutting deep. "I never planned on things going the way they did." He answered sternly. Taking a moment to calm down, he walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down. "As for never telling you… I really wanted to." He continued, pausing to take a deep breath. "The closer I came to saying it, the more I would realize that it would have just been selfish of me to make you choose." He added, staring at the floor.
Jen remained silent for some time again, trying her very best to fight back the tears that threatened her composure. "Telling me would have given me a choice, at least," Jen finally replied, sighing shakily at the end before continuing on. "Maybe it would be best to talk tomorrow, I shouldn't have touched upon the subject..."
Ecco fixed his attention on Jen, noticing that she was struggling to remain collected. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and positioned himself him front of her. "I'm sorry about all of this Jen." He apologized, gazing down at her as she sat. "As I said, I only want you to be happy." He added, running his thumb lightly below her eyes in an effort to wipe away any sign of tears. After giving her a small smile, he turned to leave.
Before Ecco could take a step toward the door, Jen grabbed his forearm to prevent the trainer from leaving. The trainer was looking down at the futon, her hair overshadowing her face. Due to the swift movement, Growlithe hopped off to lay down next to Zapcannon, not wanting to be in the way of what was going on. After a moment of sitting silently, tears were seen rolling down the trainer's face and her body would tremble whenever she tried to speak. "If you want me to be happy," Jen began, choking from both crying and talking. She pulled her hand away, trying to wipe away the tears on her face, refusing to look up at Ecco. "Then you need to stop leaving me..."
Turning around as Jen pulled her arm back, Ecco watched as Jen continued to cry. His eyes slowly opened wider, finding himself to be shaking too. Without thinking, he found himself pulling her to her feet before wrapping his arms around her. "I'm so sorry…" He said softly, pulling her head to his chest. "I'm not going anywhere this time…" He promised as he rested his head on hers, his shirt beginning to dampen from her tears.
Once in his arms, she completely broke down, unable to hold back her noisy sobs. "It was terrible, I hated it, but I had to save them, I had to endure it all for them," Jen cried, wrapping her arms around Ecco's chest. Her body still shaking thinking back on events, about the guy that betrayed her twice. She felt so stupid, and more so for crying about it when it's been said and done for more than a year now. "I'm sorry," Jen whispered, taking one of her hands away to wipe the tears off of her face.
Piecing together what it was Jen was talking about, Ecco placed a hand on the top of her head, close to his cheek. "You did the right thing, Jen…" He assured her, his thoughts turning once more to that same guy. His brow lowered, a deep rage filling his very being as he held the sobbing Jen. How could he do this to her…? But it's not like I'm much better… He thought to himself, dropping one of his arms to his side as she wiped her eyes. "Don't be sorry." He ordered softly, lifting her chin with his thumb and forefinger. Brushing her bangs aside, he gazed down at her for a moment before smiling a bit.
"But, I am sorry," Jen replied without skipping a beat. "Especially right now," Jen continued, laughing a little when she looked at how wet his t-shirt was now from her tears. Then she became quiet while she looked up at Ecco, looking into his eyes for a moment before shying away from them. Direct eye contact was never her strong suit, despite what she was capable of. "I'm still sorry, I didn't mean for you to leave..." Jen trailed off, thinking back on the journeys now, but at least her tears were beginning to slow down.
Ecco looked down at his shirt, laughing with Jen for a moment before their eyes met. "I know you didn't, Jen. I don't blame you for anything." He told her, relieved that she was calming down. Patting her shoulder, he pushed away gently before searching his bag for a grey T shirt not too different from the one he looked at back at the outlet. "I should probably change out of this." He chuckled, tugging at the damp spot on his shirt as he slung the new shirt over his shoulder.
When Ecco moved to grab a new t-shirt, Jen sat back down. "Yeah, go get changed," Jen sniffled, wiping away more of her tears from her sobbing. Before she could finish talking, Growlithe jumped up onto the bed and tackled his trainer. Then Growlithe began to stand on his hind legs and licked Jen's face, wagging his tail rapidly as he did. Jen giggled from the licks tickling her
Smiling as Jen was consoled by her pokemon, Ecco turned to leave the room. "Keep an eye on her, okay Growlithe?" He asked, walking out the door. Seeing that there was a spot on the futon, Zapcannon couldn't resist hopping up to join Jen and Growlithe. Moments later, Ecco returned wearing the new T-shirt. Closing the door behind him, he shook his head playfully upon seeing that the spot he had sat in previously was now occupied. He walked over, placing the old shirt in his bag before having a seat on the floor in front of the group.
Once Zapcannon came over, Jen would also pet the electric type, too. More so when Growlithe began to calm down from seeing his trainer happy once more. "Did you still want to go to the spa or would it be better to just go tomorrow?" Jen asked Ecco upon his return, scratching Zapcannon behind the ear as she did.
As Jen scratched behind his ear, Zapcannon's cheeks began to let out small sparks. Finding it impossible to contain himself any longer, he rolled onto his side as his foot began kicking rhythmically. Watching as Jen switched between the two pokemon, Ecco smiled softly. "It's up to you really. It can wait if you're not feeling up to it." He replied, switching his positioning in an effort to get comfortable.
Jen continued to pet both of the Pokemon for a bit, thinking about whether they should or not due to how late it was. "Tomorrow may be best," Jen nodded to herself. "I mean, we have to pay to get in and it'd just be nicer to spend the whole day relaxing instead of just a little bit, you know?" Jen continued, feeling bad that the group was no longer going anymore.
Ecco nodded, "Then tomorrow it is." He answered, realizing that she had a point. "It really would be a waste to go this late." He agreed, suddenly clutching his stomach. Giving Jen a questioning look, he cocked his head and pointed to the box of food he had set on the table earlier.