Chapter 12: A Brief Respite

The walk back from the lab was a moment of peace that the small team hadn't realized they needed. Their pounding hearts and twitchy limbs finally began to calm down once again, and they were able to clear their heads. Dustin, however, could still feel a sense of confused frustration that had hung over him since his first visit to the odd lab. After stewing on it for most of the march home, he finally tapped Shari's shoulder.

"Shari? Were there ever any Pokemon like me at the lab?"

"Huh?" Shari responded, slightly confused. "Not that I remember. I don't think I have all my memories back just yet, but from what I do remember there weren't any Cubones. Besides, I think I would remember you."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, you just feel memorable is all," Shari shrugged. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, and you've got a good eye. If you were an experiment, you'd be one of the important ones!"

Dustin furrowed his brow. Shari gave a nervous laugh, realizing what she said.

"I mean, uh!" she stammered, "You'd be...ugh sorry, Dustin, I don't know what I'm trying to say here. I mean that you are the kind of person I feel like I would remember. There's a lot that I'm starting to remember about my time in the lab, good stuff and bad stuff. I don't remember you, though. I'm really sorry."

"Well, thanks for trying anyway," Dustin sighed. "We had a lot in common honestly, I thought that maybe you'd help me remember who I was too." He took his crystal from around his neck and held it up to the sun. It sparkled in the light, like any other gem. For a moment, though, Dustin swore he almost saw numbers in it. He blinked before letting the crystal fall back to his chest. "I guess there really is something different about me after all."

"Everyone's different!" Poochyena laughed, sidling alongside Dustin. "Everyone's just different in different ways. If everyone was the same then the world would be a boring place!"

The group laughed as they returned back to the village. A crowd was gathered, ready to receive them. The gathered Pokemon let out a grand cheer as the small team was enveloped in a celebration of grateful voices. The town, which had been holding its breath and staring at the volcano, finally exhaled.

"I'm sorry," a gruff voice finally said, breaking through the crowd. Arcanine walked up to the team, a remorseful look on his face. "I treated you all too harshly. Like children. It wasn't fair of me to assume so little of you." Arcanine bowed his head. "So I apologize. You've saved my town and everyone here, and I am eternally grateful for it. I'm afraid I don't have much to offer you all, but here."

Arcanine nodded towards a small Mimikyu who wobbled forward carrying 4 scarves. Each had a small golden badge on it, resembling the sun. Mimikyu draped each scarf over the team members. Shari's was bright pink, Cutiefly's was orange, Poochyena's was blue, and Dustin's was a deep purple. Mimikyu gave a gentle smile and thanked each Pokemon as she dressed them, before bowing and skittering back off.

"I know these aren't much," Arcanine continued, "But these are the best I can give you. They're special scarves we give to those who have served the town in some way. Those badges show that you've risen above the others here and shined down on us. They are the town symbol, and I hope that it can help guide you along your paths."

Arcanine bowed once again before barking back to the crowd.

"Everyone, tonight we celebrate! Not only these heroes, but the survival of our town!"

The crowd erupted into cheers once more. Cutiefly, however, was looking back and forth across the crowd as if searching for someone.

"Where are the miners?" she finally asked. "Are they ok?"

"We took them to the hospital," a Blissey said, stepping forward. "We're ensuring that they get the care they need. Everyone except Blaziken is in fairly good condition."

"Wait, what's wrong with Blaziken?" Cutiefly said, panicking.

"He hasn't woken up yet since you got him back to town. I think it would be better explained if I took you to him. Follow me if you would," she replied, leading the group off towards the hospital. Inside were several rooms, each housing one of the miners that had been caught in the cave-in. Everyone they saw appeared to be in fairly good condition. Aside from some scrapes, burns, and cuts, everyone was awake and moving.

Everyone, that was, except Blaziken. Blaziken was being held separate from the others in a larger room towards the back of the hospital. Most of the doctors there were gathered around his bed, checking his vitals and attempting to force fluids down his throat. They dispersed as Blissey walked in, clearing the way for Dustin and friends to approach Blaziken's bedside.

"Here he is."

"Why's he tied down?" Dustin asked, looking over the straps that secured Blaziken to the bed.

"He's been thrashing in his sleep," Blissey replied. "This is to keep him from hurting himself."

As if on cue, Blaziken began to thrash in place. Cutiefly recoiled back as he began biting at the air, occasionally letting loose a blast of fire.

"This is horrible! What happened to him? He doesn't look particularly injured," Shari asked, hopping back as Blaziken shot fire her way.

"Isn't that the question," Blissey replied, crossing her arms. "We've run all the tests that we have on him and we've got nothing. There's no concussion that we can detect, and out of everyone who came in he's honestly the least injured here. It's a medical mystery honestly."

"Do you mind if I take a look?" Cutiefly asked. Blissey gave a simple shrug in response, and Cutiefly flitted over to the patient. She rubbed her forelegs together and let loose a pulse of warm, pink energy that washed over Blaziken. Blaziken's thrashing ceased for a moment, but before anyone could relax it began once again. Carefully avoiding the haphazard strikes at the air, Cutiefly flew to his chest and placed all her legs atop it.

"There's a lot of built up muscular stress," she said, attempting to keep her balance on the thrashing Pokemon. "Let's see...it's specifically located in his right pectoral…"

Cutiefly hopped for a moment on Blaziken's chest before tracing the tension. She skittered down his arm as Shari braced it. Once she reached the wrist, Cutiefly attempted to pry his hand open to no avail. Shrugging, she took flight once more.

"Something's wrong with his right hand. All the tension appears to be coming from right there, like he's grabbing something that he doesn't want to let go of."

"Good work, but not much we can do about it," Blissey said. "You saw for yourself, whatever he's got gripped in there is gripped too tight to take out. We've got someone on a mission to get some muscle relaxers from Nebulane's hospital, but that's going to take some time still. Best we can do is try to get him to rest."

The group muttered in affirmation, all except Dustin. Dustin couldn't turn his gaze from Blaziken's hand. It felt like it was calling to him, a familiar calling that he had felt before. It was unsettling when paired with Blaziken's thrashing. He knew what was in there, but he was scared to say what it was. As the group left the hospital, he hoped deep down that his guess was wrong.

Everyone settled down at Cutiefly's house for the night, enjoying a fresh meal and soft bed before the next day's travel.

"You all really are amazing," Cutiefly said, tucking herself into her bed. "Just jumping right into all that danger after danger, saving people. Honestly I'm jealous."

"Jealous of what?" Poochyena asked.

"Jealous of your work. I worked in the hospital for a while but I was never really able to help people like I did today. It was a rush! Everyone appreciating what I did, making a difference...it felt good."

"You know," Poochyena perked up, "You could come with us. We're going to Zygarde's camp to train. Well, I am anyway, Dustin is just tagging along. You could make a team and do what you did today as your new job."

"I actually wanted to ask about that," Shari added. "Cutiefly, I was thinking. Would you like to form a team with me? Dustin and Poochyena are partners already, and I don't want to split that up. But you and me, I think we could make a good team together. And honestly, I think we could go train at this camp together!"

"Of course, Shari!" Cutiefly responded, blushing. "I think that would be great!"

"Well that settles it then! You two can come with us to Tyro Town tomorrow and sign up as a team! We can even be coworkers!"

Everyone laughed as they drifted off to sleep. After an hour or so, Poochyena whispered over to Dustin.

"Hey? Dust? You've been quiet."

"I've just been thinking is all," he responded flatly.

"Yeah but you've been quiet quiet. Even when you're thinking you still have something to say. What's wrong?"

"I've got something on my mind, but I don't want to worry everyone."

"Come on, you can tell me!" Poochyena nudged at Dustin's arm with her cold nose. He shivered.

"No I'm serious, I don't want to worry everyone. We're about to leave to Tyro and I want us to be able to focus on the hike."

"Ok, fine!" Poochyena whined, rolling onto her back. She scratched aimlessly at her ear with her back leg, rolling about on her bed before speaking again. "How are you feeling about all that, anyway?"

Dustin laid in silence, starting at the ceiling above. "I don't know."

"You don't know? Like you aren't nervous or excited or anything? I know I'm feeling a lot of feelings right now. Excited, anxious, nervous...you name it!"

"I just don't know honestly. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to feel. Part of me almost thinks that if I do feel something in particular it's the wrong feeling. Like I'm being dishonest to myself."

"Hmm," Poochyena rolled back onto her stomach and looked to Dustin. "I think you're thinking too much. It's your thing and all, but you're spending too much time thinking and not enough time feeling. Like, I dunno, but I get the idea that you're thinking too much about whoever you were before."

Dustin sat up and looked over to Poochyena. Her eyes were sincere, and her tail wagged slowly.

"Seriously. It doesn't matter who you were, Dust! And it doesn't matter what that person would be feeling right now. What does the Dustin in front of me feel about all of this? It's ok if you don't know yet, but I think you should remember that."

Dustin laid back down in silence, Poochyena doing the same. With a deep sigh she drifted off to sleep, but Dustin was left looking at the ceiling again. His mind kept racing with a thousand thoughts, but Poochyena's words floated to the top. She was right after all, but at the same time he couldn't shake the idea of accidentally abandoning someone he once was. He shook his head and fell asleep.

What did the Dustin here think and feel?