AN: This chapter was updated/revised on November 29, 2019.
Another Step Forward
"I've seen that ray of light
And it's shining on my destiny
Shining all the time, and I won't be afraid
To follow everywhere it's taking me."
John Shanks and Kara Dioguardi
The moment Michio and Annastasia returned to the bungalow, Aliyah screamed to let the others know of their return.
"Plusss!"
"Mi Minun!"
The two small electric types jumped onto Michio, each taking one of his shoulders. Annastasia's parents came out of the kitchen, each with a sleepy baby on their hip.
"Where is everyone?" Annastasia asked them.
"Catching Pokémon," said Jessie and James together.
"By themselves?"
"Rita's with them."
"I was hoping she'd come around."
"Yous tink dat yous are just so smart," they heard Meowth grumble from the other room. "De new neighbors are gonna hate us if yous keep goin ova dere and tellin dem how ta live deir lives."
Sandshrew, followed by a pissed Meowth, entered the room.
"Dis maniac is givin us a bad rep," Meowth complained, pointing to Sandshrew. "And not de good kinda bad rep."
"Your next-door neighbors insisted on trapping their Pokémon in their balls and not letting them out. It is not right," Sandshrew huffed.
"It was trespassing. Those people tried to catch me and Meowth, and we were attacked by their Bewear and Salandit," Lucy added as she trotted through the door.
"The people of Alola don't usually keep their Pokémon out like they do in Kanto," said Michio. "That's why I thought it was so weird that you had all your out when I first met you."
"That is wrong," Sandshrew growled. "No Pokémon should be kept in its ball if it doesn't want to."
"We'll talk to them," Annastasia whispered. "Shh; the babies are sleeping."
"I will be silent when there is justice!"
The twins woke, yawned, and watched everyone contently.
"If it means that much to you, I will talk to them now," Annastasia told Sandshrew.
"I dunno if yous wanna do dat; dey're upset and armed with guard-Pokémon," Meowth warned.
"I should at least try to explain what happened."
"I'll come," said Michio.
"Take the twins," James suggested. "Happy babies put everyone in a good mood."
"Bring Acorn and Aliyah too," said Jessie. "Make them like us."
"Sure," said Annastasia as she took Silver from her father.
Michio took Rose, then he, Annastasia, the twins, and a small parade of Pokémon treaded to the next-door neighbors' house. The owner was a short elderly woman with a grumpy expression. She sneered at the group as they approached the house.
"What do you want?" she sneered.
"We want to apologize on behalf of our family members that were causing you distress earlier," Annastasia replied. "We heard our Sandshrew was bothering you."
The Pokémon shared their own apologies.
"It's impressive that it somehow learned telepathy, but that thing is rude," said the neighbor. "It said I was a bad trainer for locking my Pokéballs."
"It said that because…well, we are trying to encourage people to keep the locks off of their Pokéballs," Annastasia responded. "Pokémon generally don't like them. I'm sorry it disturbed you. It doesn't have manners."
"I suppose I can forgive it, as long as it doesn't disturb me. The thing is, the locks are a default. All Alolan Pokéballs have them. They are removable, and you don't have to lock them, but it is just always easier to leave the locks on."
"I have talked to the Pokémon supplies manufacturing companies in this area. Starting next week all the new Pokeballs being manufactured here are going to be made without locks, and if trainers want locks, they will need to buy them separately. The locks are going to be expensive, too, to discourage people from purchasing them."
The neighbor wondered how a young foreigner could wield so much influence.
"Who are you?" the woman asked.
"I am Annastasia Morgan," she replied. "These are my twin siblings Rose and Silver Morgan, their Plusle and Minun, my parents' Eevee Acorn and Aliyah, my Altaria Bleu, my Lillipup Lil-G, my SO Michio, his Liepard Peruva, and this Mienshao is Peruva's mate."
The Pokémon greeted the woman. She cheered up considerably.
"My name is Benita," she told them. "Miss Annastasia, you are famous here around us common folk. I just didn't recognize your face. So, you are doing advocacy work now? How old are you?"
"I'm eighteen, and this…'advocacy' thing…is sorta new for me, but it's an earnest pursuit. That is why I would be grateful if you would remove those locks. I know your Pokémon would be too."
"I suppose it's not a big deal. I'll remove the locks. I know I have the tool that you use to get them off somewhere in my house. But you must keep out of my yard. I take my gardening seriously. Tell your Pokémon friends that this is their first and final official warning."
"I will. Thank you for understanding."
Annastasia led her party back to the house. By now Jezz, Amber, and Jay had returned with their Pokémon teams.
"A, you're back!" Jay said enthusiastically.
"Sure am," she replied.
"What were you doing next door?"
"I just had to give a talk to our neighbor."
"How'd it go?" Jessie asked. "Did you have to kick any asses?"
"No. Only one woman was out when I got over there. She was annoyed at first but then she…opened herself to change. She'll remove the locks as long as we don't disturb her or go in her yard. It seems that her pet peeve is when people mess up her lawn."
"Sandshrew pulled up some daisies," Meowth tattled. "Den de moron ate dem. I bet dat's what set her off."
"When I find that little beast, I'll have him plant her new daisies."
"Are you a gardener?" Jezz asked.
"Nope, but I can try and maybe the shrew's got a green thumb."
"A green thumb?" Jay asked. "Uh, is that like, okay?"
Jezz explained the idiom, then began hacking, to his clear embarrassment. Aliyah fetched his water bottle.
"Are you getting sick again?" Amber asked when the coughing ceased "You get sick all the time, Jezz. What's wrong with you?"
"I'm not sick," Jezz asserted, his voice strained but fervid. "I just coughed. Everyone coughs."
Jezz departed with Komala in his arms and the rest of his Pokémon behind him.
"He gets so defensive," Amber commented after she heard their bedroom door shut.
"And you get so rude," Annastasia retorted, mimicking Amber's peeved tone. "I get sick a lot too and it was worse when I was younger. It's annoying to have people asking you about it. He probably gets asked about it often. It can be demoralizing for people to think that you are weak."
"I don't think he's weak and if I did, I wouldn't say it anyway."
"Go apologize," Jay told her crossly.
Amber raised an eyebrow at him. "Seriously?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, you didn't do anything wrong on purpose, but we are friends now and we help each other out. Jezz is like me. He likes to talk. So, go talk to him. Don't forget to say you're sorry."
"I would appreciate it if you heed Jay's suggestion," said Annastasia.
"Fine," Amber replied, clearly irked by Jay's direct orders.
Amber noticed that Jay had been taking charge more often recently. But then again, they never had a person like Jezz in their lives before. Now they were a trio, not just a pair. There was a whole new dynamic.
She knocked twice on Jezz's door.
"It's just me and Pip. Can we come in?" she asked.
"Pikachupi?" Pip asked sweetly.
"Yes," Jezz replied.
Amber heard Jezz shuffle across the room and shut a few drawers before he opened the door and invited her inside. Amber came in and shut the door behind her while Pip jumped onto his dresser. She stood in the middle of the room while Jezz sat cross-legged on their bed.
"So, I sorta do this with Jay a lot. I say something insensitive and then someone tells me how dumb I was and I have to go and apologize," Amber confided. "I'm sorry for making you feel bad."
Jezz was impressed. "Amber, I didn't mean to get frustrated. It's nothing personal…not really."
"What do you mean, 'not really'?"
"It hurt, especially coming from you."
"Why?"
"Because I really like you and I don't want you to think that I am weak."
"You have it all wrong. I don't think you are weak."
"Subconsciously, you do."
"I can't control subconscious things, at least I think that is how it works. Besides, how can it hurt if it is subconscious?"
"I get picked on for being sick a lot because of a disease I have. Many people have given up on me because of it."
"Given up on you?"
"Pika?" Pip queried, reminding the pair that he and the other Pokémon were still present.
"People generally don't want to host a kid with medical problems, especially when there are other kids in the house. So, after a few months I would normally leave a house because they didn't want me around anymore. I try to do everything right but then they just…stop caring about me because it takes so much effort."
Amber almost laughed; Jezz could be as dramatic as Jay at times and this was one of those times. She didn't laugh, because like Jay, she suspected a giggle at this time could bruise.
"That sucks," she said cordially. "But didn't you know our family is filled with sick people, weird people, and people who are both? You'll fit in great no matter what."
"You think of me as your family?" Jezz asked.
"I kind of think of Jay as the brother I always wanted and Annastasia is my dream big sister. Jocelyn treats me like I am another big sister, and June, Soledad, Tamaki, Benny, and Takeshi are like my cousins. We don't all live together, but we are still connected."
"You sound a lot like Annie because that is something I think she would say."
"Yeah well, she's my role model. I don't have a big sister; I only have my mom. I haven't seen my aunts or grandmother much at all since I became an official Pokémon trainer."
"I don't know who I am, where I came from, or where I am going, so this is a nice change. You are all my role models."
"Oh, well, that's nice…Sorry I hurt your feelings."
"I didn't mean to cause drama."
"Then why did you?"
"It is truly because I like you and want you to like me."
She playfully punched him in the side. "You're not so bad yourself."
"I am going to be really sad when you and the others leave me."
"Why do you think we are going to leave you?" Amber asked. "You're part of our family too."
"No one in my life ever stays for long, even when they promise. Even when they say they won't leave and that they care about me and they won't let anything ever happen to me, they still leave. Even with Hauana and Perry, I really won't them to adopt me because then it's official. Then they can't get rid of me like the others did."
"What were the other houses like? Do you remember your birth family?"
"I do not know anything about my birth family. They must have never wanted me to find out my origins because all I have is my name. As for my other families, some were nice, some were okay, a few were mean. I did not enjoy the frequent moving and having to share beds with people who were mean to me…and I didn't like getting close to people only to never see them again."
"Wow."
"Wow?"
"It's like, I never knew that cuz you seem so happy most of the time." Amber wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "I know I said it already, but that sucks."
"It will be better soon. Hauana and Perry will adopt me and I will no longer have to move. I will just have one perfect home. And they bought me a cell phone, so I have all your numbers."
"I am usually not chock-full of good advice—you'd have to go to A for that—but I'll always be here for you. Jay too. Jay is better at this than I am. It was his idea for me to come in here."
"I will keep all that in mind."
Amber noticed his voice had gone hoarse and his eye weary. Jezz coughed, unintentionally reminding her of why this conversation began.
"I have a personal question for you," said Amber.
"Yes?" said Jezz reluctantly.
"So, if you move all the time, where'd you get your accent?"
"Oh…it is… an eccentric—weird—story…and a mite embarrassing."
"Weird? Embarrassing? Tell me. I won't judge. Honest."
Jezz hesitated, wondering why he kept talking when all it did was open more tunnels. Amber's pupils widened, and he remembered why.
"Every home I went to insisted that I attend etiquette school," he confided.
"What the heck is that?" she asked.
"It is a type of school in which young people learn to become refined individuals."
"Oh, I heard of that before. It's like 'finishing school'."
"Indeed."
"My mom used to say that if I didn't behave, she was gonna send me there as punishment, but she was never serious. I thought it was just for girls."
"Oh, well, not always…"
"Okay, so, you went there and…whatcha learn?"
"We studied mathematics, history, English, Japanese, science, and art in a manner like more commonplace institutions in addition to lessons in proper speech, dress, and movement. For example, we were required to learn how to play musical instruments, read and write in various languages, conduct business affairs, cook, clean, and host proper rendezvous. The accent was standard."
"That sounds super boring."
"It was."
"And snobby."
"Indeed; many of the students were of the wealthiest class. Even though there was always a uniform, they had expensive class materials, laptops, cellphones, nicer shoes, accessories, and they would have mansion parties. I was often bullied for having a secondhand uniform, none of the latest gadgets, accessories, or toys, and because I was frequently ill. I would miss class at least twice a month."
"I'm sorry I reminded you of those times."
"You didn't do it on purpose and that matters to me."
"Good…so…I should probably leave you alone so that you can rest. Is there anything you want?"
"No, thank you. I have my Pokémon; they will take care of me."
"Okay. See ya later."
"Goodnight."
"'Night."
"Things cool with Jezz?" Jay asked as Amber and Pip returned to the living room.
"We're good," Amber replied.
"Flaafy and I found a new Pokémon!" Jocelyn said proudly as she held up a black, rat-like Pokémon with what appeared to be a mustache under its nose. "I want to name it 'Moose'."
"Awesome name!"
"Thank you. Oniisan doesn't like it."
"I like the name, but that Pokémon is mean—it bit me!" Jay whined. "Did you even scan it to see what it is?"
"It's one of those Koratta things. You should put it back, it's a useless Pokémon and it's gross," said Michio.
"No, she's not!" Maya spoke up. She walked up to the Koratta. "Nyasuuu?"
"Rrrrra!" the Koratta growled.
"She doesn't want to stay anyway," Lily explained.
Maya was about to ask it why, but the new Pokémon ran before she could get to it.
"Come back!" Jocelyn yelled.
"Flaaaaafy!" Flaafy added.
Jocelyn bolted after the Koratta. Everyone else—including Flaafy—just stood there and watched her run.
"We noticed that Jocelyn is a bit of an—um—overreaching young Pokémon trainer," Maya attempted to explain.
"Fla," Flaafy conceded.
"She's downright aggressive. She wants Pokémon so badly yet she scares them away," said Lily.
"I'll talk to her again. This is the third time in less than 36 hours that she tried to catch a Pokémon but scared it away," James sighed.
"Jocelyn isn't that scary," Benny said in her defense. "The Pokémon should realize that she would take very good care of them if they gave her a chance."
"Fla, Flaafy, fee," said Flaafy.
"Flaafy's right; wild Pokémon don't understand human speech well and mistake her enthusiasm for danger," said Maya.
"Totally; it's hard to tell when some human over five times your size runs towards you with a Pokeball and an electric sheep," said Logan.
"I haven't spent any time with Jocelyn since I got here," said Annastasia. "I did say I would help her out. I ought to be with her, at the very least making sure she stays safe."
James put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't stress about Jocelyn, Anna-chan; she's not your responsibility while we're around."
"And besides, that's what Lucario is for," Jessie added.
"Lucario is too busy minding the Sandshrew," Benny revealed. "Sandshrew ran into town and was scaring the chickens that some farmer was trying to travel with, so now Lucario is keeping it under 24/7 surveillance."
"Chickens?" Annastasia, Jay, and her parents asked in unison.
"Where the heck did they get chickens?" Annastasia queried. "Are you sure they weren't Torchic or Farfetched?"
"I am positive they weren't Pokémon; my Pokédex said so and the guy who yelled at Sandshrew shouted 'Don't touch my chickens!' really loud," Benny explained.
Everyone responded with 'ohh's and 'wow's.
"Are you saying that there aren't any chickens in Kanto?" Michio queried.
"Are you serious? Chickens are like wayyy too expensive," said Amber.
"And they're an endangered species," said Jay. "Do people in Alola really eat chickens?"
"Well, at least the rich people do," Michio responded.
"Whoa," Amber gasped. "What does it taste like?"
Michio scratched the top of his head. "Like chicken. It doesn't taste like anything else."
"In Kanto people only eat the eggs," James explained. "And even those are expensive and rare."
"I figured that out when I went the first year of my life without eating a single chicken."
"So, Sandshrew wanted to eat a chicken…" Annastasia hummed.
"My Pokédex said that Sandshrew are supposed to be vegetarians," said Benny.
"Eeee, vee," Jackson agreed.
"Our Sandshrew isn't a real Sandshrew, it's a monster fusion," Annastasia pointed out. "Sandshrew must not care that it is a living creature because it's not a Pokémon, and it seems to truly only care about Pokémon."
Jocelyn returned with her pigtails disarrayed and scratches having marred her arms, knees, and face.
"Moose scratched me then ran away!" she sobbed.
Annastasia and her parents and crouched beside her. She hugged and dug her face into Annastasia. Annastasia rubbed her back while Michio and the cats looked around for a First Aid kit.
"Not all Pokémon like being captured," Annastasia reminded her sister.
Jay took Jocelyn's hand. "Come on; I can show you the right way to catch Pokémon."
"I'll help," Amber added.
"O-okay," Jocelyn sniffed.
"Let's clean you up first," Annastasia said as she opened the First Aid kit. "Some potion, a disinfectant, a compress, and a swathing of bandages will make it all better."
"And a brush," said Jay, pulling one from his pocket.
"Tarrrr," Bleu sang, adding his Heal Pulse to the mix.
"It feels better already," Jocelyn contently sighed.
Jay, Amber, Jocelyn, Benny, Jackson, and Flaafy headed to the door once the cuts were clean and pigtails properly arrayed.
"We'll try to be back before dark," said Jay. "We're getting Jocelyn a Pokémon even if it means we have to stay out all night."
"Uh, all night?" Benny asked.
"Vee?" asked Jackson.
"Your curfew is ten," Jessie told him flatly.
"Well, uh, then we will stay out to ten!" Jay declared.
"Onward!" Amber cheered.
"Yeah!" Benny and Jocelyn hurrahed.
"Tell Jezz to come find us if he feels better!" they heard Jay call out faintly as the children departed.
Jessie pointed to Annastasia, Lily, Maya, Logan, and Michio.
"Go watch them," she ordered.
"I don't mind, but you just told me that 'Jocelyn was not my responsibility'," Annastasia retorted.
"She is now that Lucario apparently isn't watching her, plus they are going to be out after dark."
"Let me revise that," said James. "Please be mindful of them, check in; Jessie and I will do the same."
"You are never overprotective. What's up?"
"This is a new place and the locals have been less than friendly."
James darted his eyes away from Michio. Annastasia could sense that they were deeply disturbed by something.
"What happened?" she inquired.
"Nothing," Jessie and James answered.
"That was too quick a response. Tell me."
"A bunch of Alolan girls threw eggs at the house earlier," Logan said when it became clear that everyone else was going to remain silent. "They drove up in a fancy car and used up at least two dozen eggs trashing our windows, mailbox, and porch."
"Fuck," Michio groaned.
"When did this happen?" Annastasia inquired.
"About an hour ago. We woke up and it was like that; Lily and Maya were the only ones awake to witness it," Logan explained. "Squirt Gun, Acorn, and Aliyah used their Water Pulse to clean it all up."
"When I find out who did this, I'm going to kill them," Jessie said bitterly. "We didn't even do anything horrible yet."
"Dey must be gettin a head start," Meowth mused.
"Hmm," Michio grunted. "I'll go watch Jocelyn and Jay."
Michio headed towards the door.
"I'm going too," Annastasia decided. "See ya later."
XO
Michio and Annastasia found the children and their Pokémon stumbling into the woods with several Volbeat and Illumise guiding their way.
"Dark already," Michio murmured, noting the dark clouds above. "It's the harbinger."
"The more often you bring that up, the more difficult time I have taking you seriously," Annastasia retorted.
"Then what's your explanation?"
"Clouds are a natural part of life."
They heard the kids joking around and laughing.
"They're fine out there on their own," Annastasia whispered. "And adorable. Sometimes I wish I was closer in age to them."
"You practically are ten."
"Occasionally. So, what was with the little grunt earlier? Do you know who egged our bungalow?"
"It had to have been Haku's people."
"She has 'people'? What is she, a junior gang leader?"
"Basically. I mean, she is sorta in line to take over the Klan once her parents and my parents die. All she's gotta do is marry Koan."
"What the hell?"
"You're surprised?"
"Sorta…some pieces are coming together…"
Michio knew where she was going.
"I'm a defector so whatever she does is no longer my business—unless she insists on stalking me, which is possible and likely."
"You can take it as a form of flattery."
"Or a form of evil."
"I didn't realize that your parents and her parents were in charge of the gang; what about your grandparents?"
"They used to be the leaders, then Koan and I were born, so they had to pass on their titles. I got it because I'm younger and that's how it works and Haku got it because she's an only child."
"Oh, so Haku thinks that you and she are going to be the new apprentices after you get married."
"Yeah, but we won't."
"Did you ever think that maybe you're legally engaged?"
"No…I knew since I was a kid that I wasn't going to play their game."
"You had a desire to escape long before you met me."
"The desire was more about getting the inheritance without marrying anyone."
"You can do it!" they heard Jay shout.
"Use Flaafy!" Amber suggested. "A good Thunderbolt and you'll have 'em!"
"Pikaaachu!" Pip added.
"Okay, Flaafy, use Thunderbolt on that…ummm… what Pokémon is it, Oniisan?" Jocelyn asked.
"Koratta," Amber and Jay answered together.
"They are still going after Koratta," said Michio. "I told her—"
"—It's probably a different one," Annastasia interrupted. "And if she wants a Koratta, don't discourage her."
A moment later they heard crashes and crying. A swarm of Volbeat and Illumise flew over to the children. Annastasia and Michio were swiftly behind. When they found them, Jocelyn was on the ground, her hair singed, the bandages sliced, and an eye bruised. Amber and Jay were also beat up, but Jocelyn had it the worst. She clutched her ankle and looked up at them pitifully.
"Koratta attacked me!" Jocelyn cried. "I just wanted to do it…catch it so I can prove that I am good like you, Onēsan."
Annastasia knelt to scrutinize her injuries as Bleu initiated an effectual Heal Pulse. Lil-G handed her fresh bandages and antiseptic from her backpack.
"You don't need to prove anything," Annastasia told Jocelyn.
"I did my best but I still failed," Jocelyn lamented. "I'm a loser trainer!"
"The only loser trainers are the trainers who are mean to their Pokémon," said Amber.
"Totally," Jay agreed as the others nodded along.
"There will be other chances to catch Pokémon," said Michio. "That was a shit Pokémon anyway. I thought I taught you better."
Jocelyn bowed her head at Michio. "Sorry, Oniisan."
"Don't apologize to me, just feel better about yourself, okay?"
"Okay!"
"We'll help you get a really awesome Pokémon that's not mean," said Jay.
"Before we move on, can you tell me what happened?" Annastasia requested.
"Jocelyn asked for a battle. Koratta nodded. Before Jocelyn had a chance to even give Flaafy any instructions, the rat attacked us with Brutal Swing. Jocelyn, Jay, and I were thrown against that big tree and that is how Jocelyn got the black eye. Then it scratched her and did some weird hypnosis thing on Flaafy. Flaafy got all dizzy and confused and shocked Jocelyn instead of Koratta and she flew into the air and landed on that log," Amber explained.
"Jocelyn, can you stand?"
Jocelyn held on to Jay and Annastasia's hands while Amber put her hands on her waist to help her balance. Jocelyn nearly fell to the ground, but they caught her before she did.
"We'll take you to the hospital," Annastasia decided.
"I don't want to go," Jocelyn protested. "I-I'm fine."
Logan, having heard the pandemonium, joined the group. Jay, Amber, Jocelyn, and Annastasia retold the story.
"This is why you should train me," Logan told Michio and he patted Jocelyn's head. "I coulda been able to protect my baby cousin."
"I'm fine," Jocelyn snapped. "I can take care of myself!"
"We've heard that one before," Amber remarked, sharing a glance with Jay.
"Oh, yeah," said Jay, picking up on Amber's cue. "No one can take care of themselves. Not even adults."
"You might have a serious injury. Come on, I'll help you," said Annastasia.
Annastasia attempted to pick Jocelyn up and was surprised when she realized she couldn't do it anymore. Michio noticed this and took her instead.
"I still haven't gotten all my strength back," Annastasia murmured.
"It's okay; I have her," Michio quietly responded.
They plodded into the house. They were greeted by June, Shaymin, and Uxie.
"What happened?" June asked, observing her bedraggled companions.
"Jocelyn was attacked," Annastasia responded.
June gasped. "By what?"
"By a nasty Koratta," said Amber.
Jessie and James descended the stairs when they heard them talking and immediately ran to Jocelyn. After Annastasia explained what happened, Jocelyn continued to insist that nothing was wrong. Her parents were ignored her objections. Within a few moments they had brought Jocelyn to the car and were on their way to the island's only clinic.
XO
Day 43
Jezz lied awake again, afraid to close his eyes and experience another nightmare. At 1:00 am he decided to get up for a glass of water. He slowly lifted the covers and tried not to wake Amber as he carefully crawled over her feet. He gracefully shut the door behind him and tiptoed to the kitchen. He stopped in the hall when he heard someone talking, and a few seconds later realized it was Annastasia and Michio. He peeked into the kitchen and was surprised by what he saw.
Annastasia was sitting on the counter, leaning against Bleu, Lil-G, and Star. She held and white and red cloth to her head, and it soon became apparent that the red was from blood. Michio wet a different towel and replaced the bloody cloth with the new one.
"It's not that big of a deal," Annastasia was telling him.
"I know you don't think so, but I think it is a big deal. You probably have at least a concussion, if not worse," he responded.
"This isn't the first time a seizure made me fall out of bed."
"But this time you landed headfirst onto a nail."
Jezz cringed. He also noticed a few stray nails popping out of the floorboards, and he didn't like the picture of someone falling and landing on one, headfirst or otherwise.
Michio snapped his fingers in front of her face and then held his hand out in front of her, fingers stretched.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" he questioned.
"Five. Michio, you don't have to do this every time I fall," Annastasia responded. "Since when did you become my dad?"
"That's always your question of choice. Speaking of your dad, I told him that I would be there to prevent this kind of thing from happening."
"You were asleep. If it weren't for your god-damned hearing, you would still be snoozing."
Neither of them noticed Jezz, too focused on the conversation and task at hand.
"I don't mean to argue," Michio apologized. "Did you seize because of another vision?"
"No, no more visions. I haven't had one of those since—well this was just a regular seizure, I think. It was the stress created by the visions that triggered the seizures. This one was triggered by a different source of stress."
"Meeting my family? The house getting egged? Jocelyn breaking her ankle? June's Shaymin almost getting eaten by a Heatran? Diablo making a run for it?"
"I think that combined with the anxiety of leaving for this trip, re-training my old Pokémon, and of course a big thing is Jezz."
Jezz was struck with heartache; the idea of being a burden, especially to someone as cordial and generous as Annastasia was devastating. That, plus this was his first time hearing of the recent and unfortunate events.
"What are you talking about?" said Michio. "You love Jezz."
"I know I love him," she responded. "That's why I'm so worry about him. He's had a lot of negative emotions lately. I just wanna make it all better for him."
Michio kissed her forehead. "How many times are you going to have to be told that you are not his mom?"
"He doesn't have parents. We need to step up."
"It's a big responsibility and you'll soon be in charge of all the other kids. If things keep going the way they started—"
"I know, but I'm not in it alone."
Annastasia and Michio locked eyes. Jezz looked away as she laid a kiss upon his forehead.
"I want to take care of him," Annastasia continued. "He is a good kid and I admire his bravery and class. I never met such a young kid act so nice after being through such a dark situation. I think he needs is more confidence and positive self-esteem. He should be with us. For him to want to stay, he must feel supported."
"I support him," said Michio. "But that Xatu obviously doesn't. We should do something about that demonic bird."
"Xatu is bothering Jezz for a reason. I refuse to believe that it doesn't have a purpose. Once we learn that purpose, we can begin to disentangle the mystery."
"Maybe all this is part of the aka lele."
"Don't bring that up; we aren't under a curse."
"It sure seems like it. Consider this: the aka lele always comes after a harbinger, and the spirit attacks every person who is positively connected to the person who saw the harbinger. That explains your seizure, my parents reacting to you like that, Haku showing up, your father's Bulbasaur-Charmander-Squirtle fusion thing escaping, Jocelyn getting hurt, Plusle and Minun getting hurt, Jezz's wave of depression…shall I continue?"
"I get it. Bad things have happened since we've arrived. A lot of good things happened too."
"Such as…?"
"Jocelyn is no longer afraid to ride bikes. Lucario and I worked with her. Now she rides like a pro. She will be taking my bike on the journey while I ride my Lelen, with whom I was able to reunite with."
"As much as I despise raining on your parade, Jocelyn is still afraid of riding bikes."
"What? Since when? Just last week we saw her. She told me she was over her fear."
"Logan said that while we were at my estate, Jocelyn, Benny, June, and Takeshi wanted to ride their bikes to the market located near the town plaza. Some wild Grubbin ran out into the path and caused her to fall. Now she refuses to get back on, and the bike has a flat tire. Doesn't that sound an awful lot like a curse? I think it does."
"Don't tell the kids about the dumb aka lele. It's just going to get them paranoid. I want this to be a positive, enriching, and inclusive experience for them, regardless of how many new Pokémon they catch or if they do well in their competitions. I don't want them to think something has them cursed, even though I am sure it isn't real."
"I already told Takeshi and June. They don't believe me. I also told Amber, but she also brushed me off. She asked me if I was high after I told her about it."
"Classic Amb."
Annastasia blinked several times. It was palpable to both that she was exhausted.
"How is your head feeling now?" Michio inquired.
"Fine," she sighed. "Michio… forget about the harbinger and the evil spirit thing. It isn't real, okay? It's all in your head."
"You say that now but you'll see."
Annastasia wasn't in the spirit to argue. She slid off the counter with help from Michio and her Pokémon. As they started towards the hall, Jezz decided to act casual, pretending to have just arrived at the kitchen entrance.
"I didn't know you were awake," said Annastasia. "Is everything okay?"
"I just came to get some water," he answered. "You have injured your head. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah…fell out of bed…I'm not sure if anyone told you, but I still get those biggish seizures occasionally. I had one about twenty minutes ago. I think it looks worse than it feels."
"Oh, my."
"I feel fine now."
Jezz was momentarily satisfied that Annastasia told him the truth upfront instead of sheltering him. This wasn't the first time he had eavesdropped, so he knew for a fact that adults often lied to him about what they were feeling, experiencing, or talking about in private; the Morgans and their associates weren't like that.
"We're going to go to bed now. Goodnight," said Annastasia.
"Sure you don't need anything?" Michio asked before they returned to bed. "Now's as good a time as ever to ask."
"I can get it myself, thank you," Jezz responded.
Jezz chugged tap water and the chilled chamomile tea Jay had made and labeled 'for Jezz'. He sighed with relief when he returned to his bedroom to find Xatu asleep
But there was another dilemma.
Amber was fully stretched out, leaving him no room on the double bed. He didn't want to touch her in her sleep, not only because it was impolite, but also because he feared waking her. He looked over to Jay, who was curled in a neat fetal position with his Pokémon half-awake and resting beside him.
'Should I sleep with Jay or risk waking Amber?' Jezz debated. "I should return to Amber. Jay might be uncomfortable waking up to find me there.'
Jezz cautiously lifted Amber's arms. He rolled her to one side and claimed the other side as his own. She mumbled 'Stoppit, Jay' in her sleep but didn't wake. He sighed with relief, and before he knew it, he was falling asleep next to her, this time without a single nightmare.
XO
In the Next Chapter:
- Lexi, Nolan, Soledad, and Anika meet up with their other friends.
- Jezz has an unofficial Pokémon trade.
- The boat leaves the harbor.
XO
Trivia:
- Though parts of this chapter are verbatim retold in The Journal, there are some discrepancies among the dialogue. I accredit this to the reality that different characters bring different perspectives and memories are never an exact replica of a past present.