Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Chapter 11

The morning after we saw the horrid video, a deep sense of melancholy shrouded the underground. The never-ending sounds of happiness and laughter that usually filled the halls were silent and tense, everyone speaking in whispers. Cheren had called a meeting early in the morning, explaining the current situation. Much crying and horrified expressions drowned out any light inside of us.

Cheren walked around with an almost aimless curiosity, suddenly finding interest in the most trivial things. But I guess everyone is entitled to their own grief. So I left him to his own devices.

Themis, bless her soul, was the perfect image of stability. Even I was in awe of her stoic face and rigid posture. Power exuded from her very soul, and her Growlithe was the spitting image of her, with the same serious expression and robot-like movements. Shinx tended to stay away from him, in fear that the Growlithe would train him like its owner trained me. Yet I could see the telltale sign of heartbreak harbored behind her stony eyes. There was no escape fro such pain.

Faith and Amy relied on each other to cope. Whenever I passed them in the hallways, one would have tears in her eyes while the other spoke words of comfort. Even Ace and Glacia stuck together, wisely choosing to stay in silence. In the midst of our suffering, I felt a slight pang of jealousy, knowing that they had each other. Best friends until the very end. I had a sinking feeling that because my destiny was so great, I was doomed to live a life forever separated from the ones I cared about. Just Shinx and me, together and alone until the very end. But I vowed that I would never desert those who supported me and those still living in ignorance. So I wiped jealousy from my mind and pressed on with determination.

Elin walked silently through the halls, his usually standoffish Litwick in a passive state of existence. Occasionally I would hear the beginnings of him humming a tune, but as quickly as it came, it faded in the darkness. How funny, that his humming could be a metaphor for the rebellion's status.

Roxie, on the other end, was inconsolable, any little thing that reminded her of Cilan caused her to break into hysterical sobs and incessant hyperventilation. From my frequent panic attacks, I knew what she was going through and I tried my best to help her along. I understood that the other rebels needed attention and a leader as well, but Roxie was my main priority. Shinx, my intelligent partner, sensed the emotions and helped me along as well. Throughout the day, I took Roxie to secluded areas, making sure the only people around were Shinx, her, and me. The number of times I said, "I'm right here for you. It's okay, we can do this together," was practically innumerable, but it seemed to help her. We focused on her breathing, and I constantly made sure she was doing something with her hands, which meant petting Shinx. We went through this every hour.

It was exhausting, but it was a learning experience. The best way to console someone is just by being there, sharing your company with others who are in pain. Companionship works wonders for the pain-rattled mind. My heart felt good knowing that I helped ease someone's suffering.

But my happiness would fade away almost immediately when it came.

No one knew that my brother was there. I didn't tell anyone that he was the murderer. And the pain was overwhelming. Shinx was the only one that could see my shattered state, but even I couldn't expose this to him. How can you be a pillar for others when you yourself are in an almost irreparable state? So I took the wayward pieces of my heart and glued them back together, keeping an unbreakable mask on my face. Building a fortress around my existence, I repelled anything that threatened me.

Two days later, I found myself in Cheren's office, facing yet another important decision.

"You want me to what?" I asked incredulously.

He sighed in displeasure, peeved at me for daring to ask him to repeat his command. "I have decided that you have done enough for this safe house. It's time for you to move on, get to know other rebels, and establish your position. You won't have many followers if you stay here the whole time," he said. "Besides, you need to begin your search for the legendary dragons."

These commands were slowly beginning to wear down my sanity. If I was supposed to be leader, then why was I still taking orders from Cheren? He might have grown on me the past couple of weeks, but I still held a grudge against him. That jerk still never openly apologized for insulting Shinx and me. He was probably too prideful to do so anyway.

I could not help but roll my eyes. "And whose fault is it that I haven't been able to leave this place? I don't even know how to get out of here, much less find the location of the other safe house."

"Safe houses," he corrected me. "There are three other safe houses, but you will be journeying to the one located on Route 4," he clarified. If the Floccesy safe house was underground, then where was the Route 4 one located? In the sky? Or maybe perhaps the Distortion World. Now that would be a trip I would immediately leave for. Giratina and the other Sinnoh dragons held a special place in my heart. Perhaps once this whole thing was over, Shinx and I could visit. That sounded spectacular to me right now. With the open land, majestic mountains, bright sunshine—

"Oi, Fallow! Pay attention!" Cheren snapped at me. Curse him. He interrupted me from an awesome daydream. He sighed once again. I hated his sighs. "Look, you need to leave as soon as possible. We've already coordinated your whole trip for you. The only problem is making it out of Virbank City. Once you get past that, though, it should be smooth sailing."

All I could do was shake my head. I looked at Shinx and saw that he, too, was a tad perturbed at the current situation. He was becoming more like me every day. Scary.

But there was nothing that I could refuse. I agreed to be the leader and it was my responsibility to see it through. So gathering my emotions together and taping them in a restrictive bundle, I began asking questions.

"When do we leave? And where will I be staying?"

The relief practically shone from Cheren's eyes when I didn't argue. It's not like I was some sort of troublesome person. "It'd be best if you left tomorrow in the afternoon, a couple hours after the park has been open. NatPol cannot keep track of every person who visits, so you can slip out undetected," he said in a slightly comforting tone, but it didn't help at all. Truthfully, NatPol terrified me. "You should reach Virbank City before curfew. Once there, you will seek out Dylan. He works at the old Gym as a NatPol officer."

Wait. "So you mean to tell me that you are sending me to stay with some random, untrustworthy guy that works as a NatPol officer?" I asked, completely stunned. "What a great idea. While I'm at it, I might as well head to Victory Mountain and offer Shinx and myself to the President on a silver platter." Was Cheren completely and totally stark-raving mad?

He threw a sour look in my direction. "It's only for one night, and besides, he doesn't know who you are and what power you possess. Just act like you normally do. Keep to the shadows and don't say anything remotely offensive," he commanded harshly. Moving on from the subject, he continued throwing information at me. "We have restocked your backpack with food and clothes just in case you aren't able to make it to Virbank before curfew, but that shouldn't be a problem." Taking a sleek folder off of the table, he handed it to me. "Inside is some money and a map in case you get lost."

"How gracious of you." The look I received was anything but lovely.

Note-to-self: When discussing important topics, tone down the sarcasm.

"Before you leave, make sure you talk to everyone. Lift their spirits. Arceus knows that we need it now," Cheren muttered. The general mood and vitality of the rebels was still at a record low. I had been trying everything in my power, but it seems that my work here was done. It was time to move on.

Before I could subject myself to further sorrow and disappointment, I nodded to Cheren and Shinx and I strutted down the passage with as much confidence as we could muster.

Leaving is quite possibly one of the worst feelings one could ever endure. Other than Tavon and Arabella's apartment, I never had a true home. And I had to leave my home. The thought that I had to physically remove my best friend from the only place he ever knew sickened me. I was taking him from security and safety to a world where we were not guaranteed another day; always on the run, always double-checking everything we did. It was not a life, rather, it was a captive existence. But it had to be done.

The worst part, by far, was telling everyone goodbye. From the way the Regulation Force officer acted, I might not be able to see some of these people alive again if they were ever captured. I rarely, if ever, cried, but tonight was excruciatingly painful. And I hadn't even said goodbye to Amy, Faith, Themis, and Elin yet. I decided to talk to Elin first. He was probably the most likely to give me strength.

I found him hanging around a group of rebels he was particularly close with, a rare smile on his face. He uncharacteristically flipped his black hair out of his eyes and even winked with one of his blue eyes. He turned around when he heard my awfully-suppressed laugh. With a slight trace of annoyance, he said bye to his friends and walked over to me, Litwick in tow. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he raised a quizzical eyebrow at me.

Clearing my rough throat, I began to speak. "Hey, I just wanted to let you know that Shinx and I are heading out tomorrow." Surprise flashed in his eyes. "I also wanted to say, you know, thanks. For everything, like the training and stuff," I finished awkwardly. I dropped my gaze from his, suddenly feeling the urge to cry. Suddenly, I was enveloped in warmth.

Elin was encompassing me in a hug. A really good hug, I might add.

"Don't worry about a thing. You and Shinx can take on anything that comes your way," the younger boy said in an oddly comforting way. Who knew he could be so reassuring? "If you ever need anything, be it a friend, comrade, or even a light," he said jokingly, gesturing to Litwick, "just let me know. We've got your back."

"Thanks, Elin," I said, my eyes a tad watery. He leaned down to give Shinx a comforting pat on the head. I felt something nudge my shoulder and I met the eyes of a sorrowful Litwick. I gently hugged the once-disapproving Pokemon, minding the little flame on his head. "I'll see you around, Litwick. And when I come back, I'll have the solution to this stupid serum. You can finally be a Lampent," I said cheerily. He spiraled in the air in happiness.

Smiling, I walked away, my heart lighter than it had been in the past two days.

One down, three to go.

I sought Themis next, knowing that she could knock some sense into my befuddled mind. I could tell Shinx was hesitant about seeking her out though. Wherever Themis went, so went Growlithe. The two Pokemon had a rivalry, of sorts. Immediately knowing where she was, I we headed to the Training Ring.

Sounds of combat and painful grunts filled the air and steadily grew louder and intensity as I came nearer to the ring. I laughed silently as I saw Themis "training" about five rebels. She was beating the poor humans to a pulp. I watched for a bit then decided it would probably be best if I stopped the fighting if the rebels were going to survive. So I mustered up the loudest, most authoritative voice I could and yelled at Themis. I guess my call was a bit forceful as she whipped her head around to me, not focusing on the rapidly advancing, red-faced, sweat-covered rebel. A split second later, he tackled straight into her, laying in an exhausted heap on top of her. Shinx and I busted into fits of laughter as she began yelling at me.

"Fallow, you senseless dolt! I'm gonna kill you!" she exclaimed, endeavoring to push the rebel off of her. I would have helped, but I was laughing to hard. I held my stomach in pain as I could not stop. She stalked over to me in what was supposed to be a menacing manner, but I could not see because of the tears in my eyes.

"Oh, gosh, Themis! That was hilarious! Your face was priceless, oh Arceus, I wish I had gotten that on camera!" I said in between fits of laughter. She tried to keep a straight face, but eventually she, too, began to laugh. Wiping my eyes, I finally began speaking.

"Um, I just wanted to say that Shinx and I are heading out tomorrow. We're going to the safe house on Route 4," I said, trying to keep it as lighthearted as possible. She sobered up quickly after my words registered. Then her face grew into a slightly horrified expression.

"What?! You can't leave, you just got here! You are in no way ready to face the dangers of the world on your own."

I frowned at her. "It's not like I've never been outside before." She threw an incredulous look at me. "Okay, I haven't been out much, but I can handle myself. I'm a big girl, and besides, I have Shinx."

"But he definitely is not as strong as you think he is. He's only what? Level fifteen at most? He can't protect you from NatPol," she said harshly. Shinx's paws began to crackle with electricity at her disapproving tone. A meager flare of resentment flashed through me as she insulted him, but she had a point.

"Shinx and I will just get stronger, then. It's no big deal. Anyway, we are not very intimidating, I mean, look at us!" I said, gesturing to Shinx and myself. At best, we could maybe scare a newborn Mareep, but other than that, we were as unassuming as a Miltank in a field. "The point is, we'll be fine as long as we just move in the shadows. I'm good at that."

She finally sighed in defeat. "Whatever, Red. I'm just worried about you," she said uncharacteristically. A sense of companionship flashed through me and I suddenly hugged her. With her stiff, militaristic persona, she didn't hug me back, so I stepped away. A light blush duster her already-flushed cheeks. Flicking some of her loose blonde hair out of her face, she spoke again. "G-get out of h-here, Red. Go change the world."

So Shinx and I set off down the hallway, in high spirits once more. But the toughest part was next. As we walked, I quickly set up a barricade in my heart, keeping all of my pride and confidence on one side, blocking out all sentimental emotions on the other.

Walking mechanically into the Hospital Room, I immediately felt my emotions straining against my internal barricade. Amy and Faith sat in front of the Berry trees, talking animatedly about random subjects. An Eevee I had never seen before sat in Amy's lap. Glancing around the room, I saw Glacia and Ace playing happily together around the beds. Shinx looked up at me with hopeful eyes. I smiled and motioned for him to go on. My smile grew wider as he bounded in happiness toward the duo, occasionally tripping over his large feet.

Walking with as much ease as I could assemble, I sat beside them. They instantly smiled, bringing me into their conversation, something about who they found attractive in the group of rebels. Rattling off some names that I could not put faces with, I focused on the Eevee currently occupying Amy's lap. I was adamant in the fact that I had never seen it.

"Where did you get that Eevee?" I asked, bluntly cutting into their conversation. Obviously surprised at my sudden interruption, the room was enveloped in silence. It was uncharacteristic of me to interrupt conversations. I enjoyed sitting in silence, listening to the rise and fall of voices, adding my point of view in my own mind. But my emotions were too rattled, too unstable to stick to my common personality. Luckily, Amy and Faith picked up on my uneasiness.

"Cheren actually gave it to me," said Amy, petting the creature in her lap. It was enjoying the constant attention.

"Are you talking about the same person that has, on multiple occasions, insulted me to my face and practically cursed Shinx's and my existence? Or is this a different, nicer Cheren I haven't met yet?" I asked disbelievingly. Amy and Faith laughed at my reaction.

"No. The very same Cheren that hates your guts," said Amy. "He's actually my cousin."

Excuse me?

"I don't think I heard that correctly…"

Amy chuckled and said, "It's true. Our mothers are sisters. I thought you knew."

No, actually, I did not. You probably told Faith instead of me, I thought bitterly. "I guess I can see the resemblance. You both like to make fun of me," I said begrudgingly. Wiping my annoyed expression off my face, I stated, "It's a very well-tempered Eevee."

Faith looked at me in surprise. "Oh, you came at a good time. She ran around this room for a straight hour, jumping on things and tackling Glacia and Ace. She is finally calmed down enough. It's a miracle." So that's why it was so calm. Eevees were naturally hyperactive creatures. While I mused about the strange gift from Cheren, Faith studied me for a few minutes.

"Something's wrong with you," she said suddenly.

"I agree," admitted Amy as well. Out of everyone in this place, they knew me best. I should have guessed they would see something wrong with me immediately.

I sighed and felt the threatening push of tears. My barricade was failing me. "I'm leaving for the safe house on Route 4 with Shinx tomorrow," I said simply, keeping it as lighthearted as possible. The shock in the room was tangible. "Look, it's not a big deal. We just need to train more and I need to learn as much as I can from the other rebels. Plus I need as much support as possible."

Amy spoke first. "You're leaving just like that? What about us?"

I shrugged. "Cheren just told me a couple hours ago."

"Well, of course we're going with you."

"No. Cheren wouldn't let you go, I won't even let you come. Shinx and I have to do this ourselves," I instantly rejected. If Shinx and I were to be captured, I could not live with myself if Amy or Faith got hurt. No, it was something I must do by myself. "Don't worry about me."

"I've been with you since the beginning of this stupid journey, and I want to stay with you until the end," said Amy determinedly.

"Same here," tacked on Faith. "You can't expect to suddenly set off on a journey you know nothing about to stay with some people you know nothing about. They might be rebels, but for all we know, they could be radical rebels. You need some friends."

Amy, sensing that I was nearing my breaking point, hesitantly tried joking around. "Actually, we just want to go because of our own selfish reasons. Maybe we could finally get boyfriends if we say we are friends with the leader of the rebellion." Faith hit her in the side because of the awful joke.

My eyes filled with unwilling tears as I began to laugh. How did someone like me have such great friends?

"We understand why you don't want us to come with you, but just know that we are here if you ever need someone, alright?" said Faith softly. These two girls were younger than me by a couple years, but they were already far wiser and better than I could ever be. They were utterly empowering. Wiping the tears from my face, I stood up with renewed confidence. They stood up next to me and we all exchanged hugs.

"You have greatness inside of you, Fallow," said Faith.

"And we'll be right there when you transform the world, completely spellbound by your fierce determination and breathtaking courage," said Amy. Whistling for Shinx, I turned back to my friends.

No words could possibly sum up my feelings. So I winked at them, and walked with Shinx into a new chapter of my story.

HEY GUYS! Enjoy this long, super-feely chapter. I know it was a tad boring in the beginning, but I really wanted to show you how the events at the end of the last chapter affected everyone. And then Fallow is told she has to leave for another safe house. So obviously, she is very uncomfortable and unprepared for this.

With a heavy heart, I am sorry to say that I won't be able to update at all this weekend. I know. The pain hurts me. But I'm going on a youth retreat this weekend and I'm super excited for it.

OH AND GUESS WHAT? I FOUND A HOMECOMING DRESS. I'M SO EXCITED. YES. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WISHED ME LUCK. IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU GUYS THAT I WAS ABLE TO FIND IT.

Shoutout to these spectacular people for reviewing: Swag Giraffe, AngelxofxChaos, ChrystalDragoness, PepperMentShock, ShinyMudkip25, emosewa-13, ZorialWater, Cottonmouth25, gamergirl101, Tabos, W. R. Winters, and Starshine65. I love you guys.

Oh and I found a song that perfectly fits this whole story: Daniel in the Den by Bastille. It sums up everything. Plus it's just a spectacular song.

Please tell me your thoughts on this chapter! It took me forever. But it was exciting.

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