Chapter 11 - Reunion

Milo,

Geez, now I know it's really you. It's been almost a year and you're still beating yourself
up about the whole hero thing? You saved tons of lives, so why the fuck are you being so
mopey about it? I won't lie to you man. You definitely could have done some things better
back then. Faking your own death wasn't the only option, but that's all in the past now.
There's nothing you can do to change it - no use getting upset about it. If you can't do it
for yourself, then do it for me or Mabel or someone who can't stand you getting all
depressed. Just accept it and move on. I mean c'mon, life seems great for you right now,
so why look back? I heard from Mabel that you're running a successful business. Not bad
for a dropout.

About your supposed difficulties with making friends, I'm surprised you haven't tried what
you did in Cradle. Remember how you gave your neighbors gift baskets when you
introduced yourself? Nothing wrong with giving it another go. It sure as hell got me to
wanna be pals with you. The pubs aren't the only place to search you know. If your diehard
obsession for plants hasn't burned out, try meeting other Pokémon who have the same
passions. That should be common sense to everyone. If all else fails or you suddenly become
public enemy number one, well, I don't know about you, but I've got this feeling in my gut
that Mabel's going to be your answer for your loneliness. Don't you dare tell me you don't
understand what I mean by that.

Funny you mentioned Joy, because we haven't actually talked at all, ever since she went off
to study abroad when we were sophomores. Believe me, I've tried, but even a big ol' man
like me gets a little scared. Every time I try to approach her, it's like the conversation is
already over before I even say anything. I decided to stay put when she and Mabel went off
to Floridity, and it's not because I wasn't able to transfer. Can't tell you why exactly in a letter,
so let's just say that I didn't want to leave, not just yet.

I'll try to make the trek to Floridity one day, but don't get your hopes up. It really is a long
way from Cradle. I've got a pretty sweet gig going on for me once I graduate, so visiting will
only work for me when it's convenient, but if things go south, it wouldn't hurt to know if you
got any job openings too.

P.S. - Also, seriously? Tim? I knew you had some kind of fake name you used, but god damn
is that still hilarious. You could teach me a few things about paranoia.

- Flynn

It took quite a bit of time adjusting to having someone working alongside me, particularly when that employee happens to be a close friend. I didn't realize until her first few days working here that I had basically given Mabel a perfectly good excuse to see me everyday. I failed to mention when she should come in for work, so she took the liberty of coming in the morning, every morning. It's was a pretty fatal oversight for someone who likes to wake up when it's almost noon. Needless to say, I wasn't all that enthusiastic about having to revise my sleep schedule.

I never should've given her the spare keys to my house...

To add further insult to injury, Mabel has also been showing a lot more initiative than I ever could. She completes the work I assign to her in record time, before going to find other ways to make herself useful. I found her snooping around my office a few days ago, and by the time I realized what she was doing, she had already finished the papers that I had set aside for myself. I still refuse to let her do all the accounting since I'm still a bit guilty about having her do them all. I guess she was trying to prove me wrong. Just that work ethic alone would run me out of business if she decided to start up a duplicate enterprise.

I was groggy when she let herself into my oversized-stump residence today, unable to comprehend how she can be so animated during the early hours. She declared that she was self-promoting herself to being my superintendent, and with such an advancement came along even more reforms. She showed up her black-rimmed nerd glasses on. I assumed she must've been in a rush to get here this morning, but she said that it was now a part of her "professional uniform". She struck a dramatic pose while I was wiping the sleep out of my eyes and asked for my opinion on how she looked. A dangerous question, and we both seemed to know it. I've lost track of how many times I've fallen for that trap. I squinted at her, trying to think of a clever way to dodge the inquiry. Unfortunately, I took too long.

"Ooooo~, why the stare, Milo? I didn't think you were that much into girls with glasses!" She snickered.

"What? I thought I never said I was into them!"

"Sure you did." She clicked her tongue several times while waltzing into my kitchen area, "Whatever, anyway, the next thing we're changing is for you to stop acting like a zombie!" She said before promptly swiping my coffee pot, kicking open the back door that leads into my garden, and then pouring out its caffeinated contents onto the grass. "You won't be needing this anymore."

"H-Hey wait! I didn't even get to drink any of that yet!"

"You haven't? Great!" The fellow Leafeon anticipated my panicked approach, and once I was right behind her, she quickly turned around and produced a glass bottle from the satchel she was wearing. There was a cloudy yellow liquid inside it with a greenish tint. She held the container tightly and extended an arm towards me, forcing me to slant backwards a little. The pungent smell of Chesto berries filled my nostrils when she uncapped it. There was also a distinctive herbal scent that suggested that it was tea. "Ta-dah! My very own special brew! You won't be needing anymore of that dull brown stuff with this!" Mabel motioned for me to take a sip. "Go on, try it!"

The warmth of the bottle made my paws feel cozy, and an unexpected sweetness flooded my taste buds made my eyes widen a little when I drank it, instead of the typical dry flavor of Chesto. "Oh, it's not that bad actually."

Mabel beamed at my answer, and then playfully stuck her tongue out. "You think so? Is it good enough to replace that nasty coffee addiction of yours?"

Is it really that bad?

I nodded, "Is that what this is for? That's… really thoughtful of you. Thanks."

She assumed a sheepish, modest posture. "Yep! I'm glad you like it! I'll be sure to bring some in everyday."

I raised a brow. "Wouldn't it be easier if you just told me how to make it myself?"

"Sorry, but it's a secret!" She suddenly leaned towards me in an endearing way, "It's a family recipe, so if you really want to know~…" She trailed off, though it didn't sound like her voice was failing her.

My eyes continued its quizzical stare at her. "Oh, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I won't pry."

She frowned for a brief moment, then readjusted her optics and smiled, "Okay then. Did you want anything else from me before I get to work?"

You make it sound like it's going to take you hours…

"Actually, yeah I do." I started scratching my cheeks, "You see, I umm… wanted to know if… are you going to be free this weekend?"

Mabel faked a gasp, "Milo, are you asking me what I think you're asking?"

"Well uhh... you've always been the one who decides what to do when we go out, so I thought it'd be nice if I thought of something for a change."

She took a step closer to me. "Which is?"

"Would you like to go camping with me?"

Mabel likes to spend the first half of her day loafing around at my house before going on to do her own thing, unless we have plans together. I don't bother trying to know the outgoing things she probably does because it'll only make me jealous and I'll feel worse about myself. I wouldn't be surprised if she has already befriended the entire town. I get only marginally at ease when she's with me in public, but even then, it's only because she dominates the conversations.

Seeing groups of Pokémon doing things together when I walk around town has made me yearn for that kind of stuff. Even when they're just sitting around and doing absolutely nothing, it still manages to look fun. I had so many ideas concocting in my head about what I could do with a buddy. The thing I've wanted to do the most is go on a camping trip with them. Doing anything outside has always appealed to me since it's a great mode of relaxation, but it's slowly starting to lose its charm. Sharing the experience with someone else would be a nice change of pace. I'd know since Mabel has gone on hikes with me a few times, and it was infinitely better than going alone. If a short stroll with somebody was enjoyable, I can only imagine how awesome it'll be to go on a weekend excursion with them. Fortunately, I don't have to.

Mabel readily agreed to my offer. She seemed to be as excited as I was to go, given that she completed the paperwork I assigned to her in a flash, which is just barely an exaggeration. The tea she makes certainly does have its energizing properties, but I doubt it can make someone that hyper. One would think that a reckless burst of energy like that would hamper her writing accuracy, but it didn't.

Does she even think when she does math?

Apparently Mabel's classes were scheduled to start after the weekend, so my timing couldn't have been any better. She also asked if I wanted to come with her to her dorm, which I declined just as quickly as she brought it up. She hasn't denied that other Pokémon from Cradle have also transferred here, so I don't feel safe walking around the campus. It's still way too soon to be recognized, or better yet, never.

"Oh, that's a shame. Joy told me she wanted to see you."

"Wait, Joy? Why would she want to talk to me?"

"Probably because she wanted to tell you something, duh."

The weekend came at last. I had one of those rare mornings where I wasn't drowsy after waking up. Mabel came once I was done packing for our trip, where she again donned her glasses. I guess she's not shy about wearing them anymore. I packed gear for both of us into two small rucksacks, enough to last the whole day and a part of tomorrow, so I told her not to bring anything. All my other preparations were already taken care of, so we set off almost the moment she stepped through my door.

We walked for hours in the direction away from my usual grounds. I thought that a new wilderness setting would pair well with the fact I had a partner with me, just to make it even more memorable. The spot in the woods I chose for us purposely had relatively scarce resources for us to forage. Mabel and I are Leafeons - the ultimate survivalists duo - so we should be well suited for handling such a hardy area. Even if worse comes to worse, I made sure we had enough emergency rations to sustain us. We began setting up a basic encampment, and started to prepare our bedding after we made a crude stone encirclement for our campfire. Mabel was digging through the pack I gave her in a panic.

"You didn't bring any sleeping bags!?"

"Umm… no? Just use dry grass to make yourself a place to sleep instead."

"Eww." She groaned, "Don't you think that's a little gross?"

"Errr… I guess? Is it really that bad? I thought you were used to the outdoors."

She gave me a look of disapproval, crossing her arms. "Why? Is it because I'm a grass-type like you?"

The remark made me flare up in embarrassment. I cursed my poor word choice. "W-What? N-No! I didn't mean it like that!"

"It's fine." She sighed, "Sorry, but this is actually my first time camping. I thought there'd be tents, bedrolls, stuff like that."

"Well, you're not completely wrong about them." I gave her a look of disbelief. "So you really haven't done anything like this? Not even once?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Never."

A sheltered Leafeon? That's like the equivalent of an Umbreon that's afraid of the dark. Maybe choosing a spot as barren as this wasn't such a good idea. "Okay, well, don't worry about it. It shouldn't be too hard to teach you the basics."

"Aww, how sweet of you." Mabel giggled, "Should I start calling you master too?"

"Please… don't."

Turns out having only one expert in the field instead of two wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, since there weren't a whole lot of other chores we had to take care of. Admittedly, I actually was under the impression that we were going to test eachother's camping skills, but now I was more determined to show Mabel how enjoyable camping is. I made sure to go through the trivial things quickly so we could get on to the much more engaging parts faster. We gathered a bunch of sticks and branches and a small amount of berries from our surroundings before spending most of the time exploring. We came across a freshwater lake that we swam in for a while, as well as an edge of the forest that opened into a beautiful flower meadow. Mabel seemed especially awe-inspired by the second discovery. She practically demanded that we have our lunch there.

For me personally, I found passing down knowledge to someone else to be a pretty novel thing, and I can't say I don't like it. I showed her some nifty outdoorsman tricks that she probably won't ever need to know, like how to make the most efficient use of our firewood or how to avoid clutter at our campsite. My explanations tend to be a bit long-winded, perhaps because I was getting excited or the tranquility of the forest was putting me at ease, though either way, Mabel surprisingly didn't seem to mind. She'd stare at me like she was in a trance, making me suspect that she was never paying attention.

"And that's how you can tell which one of these are poisonous. Did you get that Mabel?... Mabel? Are you listening?"

"...Wha-? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I am."

"But you haven't even looked at these berries the entire time."

"Okay fine, I wasn't. It's just... you always seem so passionate talking about these things."

"I mean, it's kind of my job to know."

When the sun began to set, we huddled next to our campfire and roasted some berries on sticks over it for supper. Mabel was in total glee, meaning this whole camping trip must be a success. It's a shame we'll have to go back home the next day.

"Today has been amazing. Who would've thought the outdoors could be so awesome?"

I couldn't help but mimic her content. "See? Now you can see why I'm always napping around the forest."

"I wouldn't go that far." She laughed, "But really, I don't think I could've had this much fun if I were to do this myself, so, thanks for inviting me."

Blood rose to my cheeks, "Oh, it's n-nothing. My reasons were selfish. Sorry if this was a waste of your time."

She landed a swift karate-chop onto my forehead for that response. "Since when did I say I hated this?" She huffed, "Stop apologizing for things that aren't even true."

"Sor- I mean, yeah, okay."

She gazed at me and chuckled, "Now that we've got that out of the way. Don't you think I should repay you for this extravagant outing?"

I waved both my forepaws in front of me in a dismissive manner. "It's fine, you don't owe me anything."

"I don't think you understand, Milo. I do have to repay you." Her grin turned into a not-so-subtle one.

"Really, you don't have to-" I bit my tongue when I saw her make her approach. "H-Hey, wait-" Then she wrapped her arms around my paralyzed form, and her head came to rest on one of my shoulders. A hug? I can't believe I mistook it for something else. Our last encounter like this must have really shaken me, though the embrace still came with its own dose of fuzziness. "Oh…"

"How's that?" Mabel said when she broke away, "There's plenty more where that came from."

"N-No need, that was good enough, t-thanks." I shook my head feverishly, "Let's just call it in for the night."

"Sounds like you were expecting more than a hug~." She hummed with her eyes becoming slits, "We are all alone out here…"

"I wasn't." I yawned, "C'mon, we should get some sleep." I went over to the nest I made for myself and got myself comfortable.

The female Leafeon shot me an odd glance before mirroring my actions on the other side of the campfire, "Fiiiine." She moaned with displeasure, "Good night, Milo."

Mabel seemed to have retained a bit of her grumpiness by the next morning. She was looking at the ground constantly, which created an unnerving atmosphere between us as we packed up our stuff and got ready to make the trek back to Floridity. I tried to replay what happened last night while we walked, hoping to find a peaceful solution that I had missed. It'd be awful for us to have such an exciting getaway, only to leave us with a foul taste in our mouths.

"Mabel, did I do something wrong?" I said tentatively.

The question seemed to have knocked her back into reality. She turned to me with a hastily constructed smile. "Of course not. We just had an awesome time together!"

"But you looked a little down just now. And last night too. Were you still hungry or something?"

"Hungry?" She repeated loudly, her despondency now a thing of the past. Her face quivered before she burst into a laughing fit, even though I wasn't intending to be humorous. She rolled around on the grass and clutched her stomach while she continued to roar. Just watching her made me flustered. "Is that what you thought I was feeling? Hungry?" She stood back up and wiped away stray tears that formed, still giggling throughout. "Oh Milo, you're so precious."

"Umm… does that mean you're not angry?"

She jokingly punched my shoulder. "Do I look like I'm mad? I haven't had a laugh like that in months, maybe years!" I couldn't deny how her smile looked especially radiant. My eyes followed her as she started to resume the walk towards Floridity. She turned to face me the moment I started to trail after her. "Oh, and to answer your question. If we're speaking in very, very, broad terms, then yes. I guess you could say I was hungry. "

We parted ways once we got back, and I made my way home with a satisfied grin. I haven't had a day trip as fun as that in a long time. I can't wait until the next time Mabel and I go on another one. Until then, it's back to the mundane lifestyle for me. I opened my mailbox outside my front door to check the letters I had received while I was gone. I had a decent amount of berry orders from my usual customers, despite it being the weekend.

I sifted through the mail whilst entering my house to get a rough idea of how much work I had ahead of me. I took pleasure in knowing that some of the labor was going to be alleviated by my trusted employee. Admittedly, she does it so fast that it can hardly be considered labor, but I'm still grateful either way. Maybe I really should let her do all of the number crunching.

There was one request that stuck out before I even read it, mostly because it was not encased in an envelope, unlike all the other letters. It was simply a folded piece of lined paper. Seems a little unofficial to send such a naked message, but I decided to give the sender the benefit of the doubt. Unfolding the note revealed a single line of messily written text: "Hello, Mr. Hero. We still haven't had our talk yet. Meet here tonight." There was also a crudely drawn map of Floridity, with an 'x' drawn in at a secluded outskirt.

I didn't have to read the signature at the bottom of the page to know who it was from. An instantaneous feeling of dread began to course through me. It siphoned every bit of strength until I no longer had the muscle to even hold the paper. It cruelly left just enough energy for me to shake uncontrollably.

No. No no no no no no. This can't be happening! Why? Why does this have to happen now!?

This has got to be a sick joke on the world. Just when life starts to get peachy again, where only one thing could possibly ruin it, the "thing" comes to ruin it! How could this one Pokémon have it out for me so much that they've managed to track me down to this extent? Or even worse, what if there's more than one? What have I done to make them hate me so much?

My mind was being flooded with so many emotions and memories that it hurt. I squeezed my head like I was trying to keep it from imploding. I growled at the throbbing pain, and smashed my temple against the walls of my bedroom in an attempt to numb it, which of course escalated it into excruciating levels. That accursed note had only three sentences, and it was more than enough to make the world crumble around me. I've been stricken with terror in one fell swoop.

I cursed myself for immediately thinking about running away. I won't succumb to my cowardice again. Not like there's a point in doing so anyway, as this Pokémon has already demonstrated the lengths they're willing to go to make me feel their wrath. Prolonging our encounter would only make them angrier. I just can't win. "Checkmate," is what they're probably thinking right now.

I didn't step outside and get anything done that day. I can't go out into my own garden now that this stalker has announced their presence and declared their undying hatred towards me. No one maintains a grudge for this long and drags themselves across a distance as far as from Cradle to Floridity just to "talk" with someone. They've found me, and they're going to make sure I know how much of a vendetta they have against me. At least if I stay home, I can force them to come to me.

One sleepless night had passed, with hundreds of more to go, and I already was a wreck. I made the mistake of believing that my attacker was going to strike as soon as possible, and I wasn't going to let them ambush me during my slumber, but now I'm exhausted. I'm making the situation worse, and now my health is starting to suffer, and my job too if I keep this up. I'm painfully aware of how detrimental it is for me to stand idle, but I just couldn't do anything about. It's like I'm being turned against myself, because all I've been doing is loathing how weak and pathetic I am.

Another day of no response meant another ominous sheet of lined paper. The lettering was largely the same as the last one. The author seemed to be getting impatient already though, as evidenced by their insistence that they just want to have a word with me. Yeah right. I still haven't forgotten that they tried to throw sharpened sticks at my throat in Cradle. The only discussion we'll have is how they're going to put me six feet under.

Mabel came in during the late afternoon like she said she would yesterday, since her university classes now occupy a portion of her schedule. It reminded me to add her to my ever-growing list of worries. I can't have her tangled up in a problem as dangerous as this. I stopped her before she could enter my abode and told her that she doesn't need to work today.

"Work?" She scoffed, "You think I come here to work?" She shoved me aside and took a casual stride into my living room.

I tried to nudge her back outside, but she wouldn't budge. "Mabel, y-you don't understand. You have to leave."

She pushed me away, "Understand what? Don't you think you're acting a little strange?"

"Ermm… no?"

Unfortunately that answer didn't satisfy her. She looked at the messy pile of letters on the coffee table in the middle of the room and readjusted her glasses as if it were helping her eyes adapt to the indoor light levels faster. "Holy Miltank! Did you not get anything done yesterday?" She placed her tea mug on the table and skimmed through a handful of orders. "Is this what you were trying to hide from me?"

"I can take care of it myself, you don't have to-"

"Yes I do! I thought you'd know by now that I can get this done in no time flat! What's gotten into you?"

I summoned a voice that was as commanding as a terrified Pokémon can get, "I'm fine, alright? I need some time alone, so just go!"

"No!" She shouted with a startling intonation, "I've never seen you so happy for the last two days, and now I've never seen you so frustrated. Something's up, and you're not telling me what it is!" She grabbed my paw and held onto it tightly.

"Let me go!" I shook the bounded arm, but her grip was so strong that I was already feeling a loss of blood circulation. "I'm just trying to help you! It's not safe for you to be here!"

"Safe from what?"

I grunted. I said too much. "Nevermind." I averted her gaze and bit my lip to stay silent.

Mabel rattled my arm like a bell, "C'mon! You have to tell me! We can solve this together!" The way she pleaded made it hard to keep control of myself. She saw me grit my teeth and shook my arm violently. "Milo please! You told me you'd say something if you were in trouble! You promised!"

That did it. An overwhelming pang of guilt washed over me, and my limbs gained a gelatine-like stiffness. My legs wobbled before I suddenly collapsed onto her and the tears that I was saving for tonight came out early. "I'm sorry, Mabel." I croaked in between sobs, burying my face into her chest. "I can't take it anymore. I'm so scared."

She welcomed the unsolicited hug after recovering from the initial shock and gently stroked my back. The only thing I could hear was her murmuring into my splayed ears. "It's okay." She shushed me whenever I tried to say anything.

I lost track of time, but when I finally gathered the will to break away from her tender embrace, the sky was dusk and quickly becoming black. I sat on my haunches in front of Mabel and took a deep breath.

"Someone wants to kill me."

"What?!" Her expression turned from sympathetic to astonished. "Why would anyone want to do that?" I showed her the two notes that had pushed me into isolation, and her surprise seemed to have lessened. "Are you sure about that? It says that they just want to talk to you."

"You're not getting it." I sighed, "They're trying to lure me out, and they won't stop until I'm dead." I told her as much as I could remember about all the scare tactics that they've committed back at Cradle. "It's… it's why I ran away and moved to Floridity."

The Leafeon with a slightly drenched torso gave me a look of disbelief, "It's been going on for that long? Oh you poor thing, I never knew..." She said gingerly, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to." My eyes repeatedly shifted between the floor and Mabel, "And now they're back, so please, don't tell anyone. They'll come after you too if they know you're involved."

"Do you even know what you're saying?" She stomped her paw, "I can't just sit idly by and let you get hurt!"

"Please, I'm the one they want. This is my responsibility."

"And now it's mine too!" She said with a stomp, "Besides, why have you been cooped up in here, instead of doing literally anything to make the situation better?" I was taken aback by her sudden sternness. Her face immediately turned apologetic, "Sorry! I didn't mean to say it like that!

"N-No, you're right." I shook my head. Those words were like a slap to the face. It made me want to cry again, which only supports why she was totally, absolutely, one-hundred percent right. "It's because I'm a coward, Mabel. I'm a no-good, pathetic, weakling who can't even leave his own house anymore." I started trembling. Dammit, am I really about to break down again?

"You're wrong." She said firmly, then she grabbed my shoulders to force eye-contact. I gaped at her sudden boldness. "You're the exact opposite. You're stronger than anyone I know. You took care of me whenever I was sad, and you risked your life to save me when I was surrounded by those thugs at Cradle, and not just me, but many others!" I tried to retort, but she wouldn't let me. "Don't you dare say you don't have a clue what I'm talking about!"

"Mabel, I-"

"Shut up! Just shut up! You're not weak!" Tears were beginning to stream down her cheeks, which had a deep shade of red. "I love you! I love you so much it hurts! I love you because you're so brave and kind and amazing!" Her voice quivered as she began to settle down. "So stop saying you're not strong. I hate it when you keep bringing yourself down. I know what you're capable of."

The fluster I had reached a new high. I stared at her wide-eyed for a brief moment before drooping my head down, ears hanging low. "You shouldn't love me." I muttered, "I'm not like that anymore."

"That's correct, because now you're even better than before." She said tenderly, placing a paw under my chin and lifting it back up. Her eyes still seemed to sparkle even though they were a bit puffy. "And it is far too late for me to stop loving you~." She placed a paw on my mouth when I tried to speak, "Don't even start, Milo, there's no use trying to tell me otherwise. "

"I wasn't going to say anything like that." I curled my lips, "I know that now. I'll… try to be more confident from now on, so… thank you."

She returned the warm smile I gave her. "That's all I could ever ask from you."

The long ensuing silence told me it was time to move onto another subject. There was only one thing left to do. I derived an incredibly warm feeling from Mabel's confession. It was the same sensation that I felt from her previous proclamations. I've never felt any better about myself. I had to do something before it went away. I picked up one of the scrawled paper notes and started for the door. "I think I'll start by finding whoever this mysterious Pokémon is."

"Whoa, wait, already?" Mabel suddenly pulled me back, "But you just said they'll kill you! Shouldn't we make up a plan about this?"

"This is the plan. I… honestly don't know what'll happen, but this is the only way to stop them from harassing me."

I released myself from her grasp and returned to my original pathway, only to be grabbed again. "Milo stop! You're confusing yourself with wishful thinking!"

I countered with an unamused look. "C'mon Mabel, think about it. They'll just play the waiting game until I agree to their terms. Staying here or anything that's not what they want me to do will just make things worse. I have to end this now."

She shook her head feverishly. "Milo please! They're going to hurt you! We can get through this somehow if we make them wait long enough!"

"Mabel, I can't keep living like this. You know that." I gave her a determined glare. "I have to do this."

We shared an intense stare before she finally let go of her grip on me. "F-Fine, but you better come back here! If I see even a single scratch on you, I swear I'll make you regret it!"

"Duly noted." I chuckled, "I'll be right back. I promise."

Everything seemed so clear to me as I walked towards my destination in the nightly air. The wind was chillier and I swear I could make things out in the darkness that I couldn't before. Even though I haven't slept in the last twenty-four hours either, I felt alive. I walked through the town plaza and observed the night life. Few Pokémon were out minding their own business, and those that were still outside were on their way home or to the nearest tavern. They seemed like they didn't have a care in the world.

Reaching the northern edge of town and into the woodlands beyond was when my newfound courage began to wane and I started to be plagued by the uncertainties of my decision. I was alone, and I was heading to meet the very same scoundrel that has robbed me of a happy life at Cradle Town. Soon, I'll finally find out why they're so dedicated towards hunting me down. They probably still think I'm some kind of highly dexterous ninja and want me to prove my mettle. I'll be doomed if they want to fight. I'm just a civilian like everybody else, not some rugged mystery dungeon explorer. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins as I walked. It's like I'm on a death march.

The meeting place was a tiny, peaceful-looking grotto, a small circular opening in the canopy allowed the moonlight to illuminate the area slightly. This is relatively far from civilization, and walking into the clearing would mean I'm exposed in all directions - a perfect ambush location. I frantically scanned for any sign of activity, hoping that my experiences as an outdoorsman would give me some sort of advantage, but found none. They're either not here yet, or really good at concealing themselves.

Maybe I did piss off actual ninjas.

Hiding in the underbrush was getting me nowhere. My anxiety was rising the longer I was here. I just wanted to get this over with and tell Mabel I'm safe, and that it was just a harmless prank the entire time. Nah, that's obviously not going to happen. By now I was already feeling so tense that I could hear my own heartbeat. I had to make the first move. This is not the time to be second guessing myself. I exhaled deeply and, against all better judgement, stepped out onto the expanse like a willing prey. I listened for any change in the environment around me as I did so. Nothing. I took another step and listened. Nothing. I took two more steps and listened. Nothing. Three more. A distant rustle in the bushes. My head spun around to meet the source of the noise. An Espeon was walking into the clearing with movements that looked anything but cautious. False alarm.

"Joy? What are you doing here?" I asked with a raised brow, though I felt deeply relieved to see a friendly face.

The pink eeveelution was humming an inaudible tune to herself with her eyes closed, and judging by her almost solemn tone, it sounded like a creepy nursery rhyme. She stopped her stroll and opened her eyes once she heard me and gave me a curious look, even slightly canting her head to one side. Oh hey Milo, what's up?

"'What's up'?" I said dumbfoundedly, "It's nighttime in the middle of nowhere! What do you mean 'what's up'?" Honestly, I was more confused by why she wasn't subjecting me to her famous scowl.

Her inquisitive stare remained unchanged as she found a comfortable spot to sit on the grass. Her forked tail swung around nonchalantly. Then what are you doing here?.. And talk to me through your mind, dummy. I thought you knew this already.

I rolled my eyes, I'm here to meet someone, for… professional business dealings. What about you?

Joy smirked, Oh really? I'm also here to meet someone. This must be a pretty popular meeting place then.

I nodded, still giving her a look of skepticism, Oh cool. But hey uhh, listen, I think you should probably clear out of here for a while. The Pokémon I'm meeting is a bit obnoxious, and I don't want you getting hurt on my behalf.

Oh, isn't that thoughtful of you. I would've done as you asked because you said it so nicely, but now you've made me curious. What makes you say that this Pokémon is so belligerent? She laid prone on her stomach and propped her head up with her forepaws, still offering her slightly unsettling grin as she patiently waited for my answer.

I looked around in case my stalker was eavesdropping on us. Guess it was pretty smart on Joy's part for us to talk telepathically. They've been a bit of a thorn on my side, let's just say. He or she has been sending me threatening letters, demanding that we discuss our transaction, so I get fed up and finally agreed.

Joy's grin grew wider, I've been sending letters to the Pokémon I'm supposed to meet too! Isn't that a coincidence?

By now I was totally engrossed in the conversation due to our common ground. I couldn't resist confiding in someone I can relate to. Tell me about it. I thought I finally shook them off my case for a long while, until I got two letters from them today and yesterday.

The Espeon's tail was swinging around even faster now. Oh, wow, that's so weird! I just so happened to have sent two letters to them today and yesterday as well!

I froze. No, it can't be. Yeah… that is really weird. Suddenly the casual air I was feeling was replaced with a gut-wrenching tension, it made me start sweating beads. Umm, if you don't mind me asking. What did you say in those letters that you sent?

Joy smiled her friendly smile. I asked to meet them here, of course. I thought that was obvious.

The clump of saliva I just gulped seemed to slide down my throat even slower than usual. And… and… what did you write when… when you signed your letters?

She stood up so suddenly that it made me jump a little bit, her smug grin was not helping. "Beta Leaf."

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Stay safe out there!