AN: This chapter was updated/revised on March 23, 2020.
For and With People
"Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?"
Switchfoot
Amber, Jezz, and Jay were on their way to the White House of Unova, known colloquially as 'the capitol building'. Jay and Amber's heads were spinning from all the political digressions that Jezz was going on, though Jezz seemed to understand everything he was talking about extremely well.
Despite the overwhelming sounds, sights, and smells of the city streets, Jezz kept a calm and cool expression as he led the group via bicycle.
"Do you really think that we are going to be here for a few more days?" Jay worriedly questioned while they were stopped at a red light.
"I feel it is likely that we will be," Jezz replied.
"Amb, please try to convince Mimikyu to help us."
"Come on Mimikyu, we got lots of friendly vibrations going on out here. Please?" Amber spoke to the Pokeball hanging from her belt. It didn't move or react in any way.
Jay wiped away a few tears. "We're gonna be stuck here forever."
Amber couldn't help but get a bit emotional over the situation as well. She allowed a few tears to fall, and noticing this, Pip hugged her tightly around the neck. Spattedted him on the head in an attempt to make herself feel better. Jezz watched them guiltily.
"I am so sorry, my friends. I never meant to cause you pain," Jezz murmured.
When the light turned, Jezz rode his bike notably faster than he had been previously, though he was careful to keep his friends in sight.
"Please, slow down," Jay begged when they were finally stopped at another light. "Let us in."
"I…" Jezz was lost, having no idea what to say. "I usually run away when things like this happen."
"Things like what?" said Amber.
Jezz stared at the traffic light and watched a few droplets of water slowly fall around it. He felt selfish because he knew what he wanted to do for himself; he wanted to live in Washington and help hundreds of people the way that Mary has and will continue to do. His dream seemed impossible to accomplish now because he had two people with him, and they needed to get back, and at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to leave them. For the first time, he felt as though he needed to return to the present for his own sake as well.
There were people in this world who missed him, people who would be in pain he never returned, and that he himself would never be satisfied living without friends, family or a home. He decided that he was going to do his best to find a way back, but right now he couldn't find the words to explain all of this to his companions.
The light turned, and the trio resumed their travel.
"Jezz, you are a genius. I know will figure this out for us all of us," Jay tried to assure him.
"Thank you," Jezz replied. "I decided that I will never be satisfied if I do not have you or any of your family or friends in my life. I am going to get the answers we need. I will do my best to get them."
"That is all we want."
Amber was silent. She acknowledged a long time ago that Jay was better at all this sentimental stuff that she was.
The trio arrived on Liberty Avenue and dismounted their bikes. They were still not at the capitol building, but the bike lane had closed, and so they huddled together and walked next to their bikes. Amber and Jay soon discovered that Washington really was 'The City That Never Sleeps', as Jezz had put it. Liberty Avenue seemed to be the busiest place in the world. There were thousands of people walking the block, skyscrapers on every avenue, and everything was lit up. Billionaires and homeless people and everyone in between occupied the streets.
"And you were going to come here alone," Jay berated. "Jezz, in places like these, only the strongest survive."
"What makes you think I am not the strongest person in this city?" he inquired.
"You are smaller than me."
"I am still quite large, for a preemie."
"How are you feeling? Still sick?" Amber asked.
"I feel better. The food and rest helped me."
"One of these days you are going to burn out, and then you are going to need more sleep then all of us combined."
"What makes you so sure?" Jezz retorted.
"Annastasia," said Jay. "You are like her, a lot."
"I agree," said Amber.
"Pikachu Pika," Pip added.
"And when my sister has too much on her plate, she starts to burn out. It comes fast. Don't collapse on us," said Jay.
"I won't," said Jezz.
A middle-aged man sitting on the curb reached up and grabbed Amber by the arm.
"How would you like to come with me and make some money?" he asked her.
"Let go of me, you creep!" she shrieked.
Pip, Vileplume, and Togekiss attacked the man. Pip with Thunderbolt, Togekiss with Confusion, and Vileplume used Stun Spore. Then the kids ran, and they didn't stop until they were a block away.
"Jezz, this is one sleazy area," Amber complained breathlessly.
"Amb, are you okay?" Jay asked worriedly as he held her arm.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks to the Pokémon."
"In Washington, there are all kinds of people. Not all of them have good intentions," said Jezz. "I am sorry that happened to you."
Amber nodded at Jezz's guilty face and they kept moving. They walked past street performers, food trucks, angry cab drivers, overly -friendly cab drivers, and protestors. There were men in suits and men in rags, and Pokémon that some of them had never seen before.
"This city has everything," Amber remarked.
"They say that you can find anything and everyone here, that here you can become whatever you want as long as you are willing to fight for it," said Jezz.
"And you are willing to fight for what you want," said Jay.
"Most certainly."
"But what exactly do you want?" asked Amber. "Other than to speak with Mary."
"I was hoping to blossom here. I want to be a designer, a creator, and I want to lead, or maybe not lead, but become important enough to make big changes. I want to use what I have learned to do things that people have never thought to do in the past. Most importantly, I want to help my people."
"Your people?"
"Yes, my people: the ones who are overlooked: children, those with chronic illnesses, people who are poor, people with no family or friends, book lovers, poets, engineers, trainers, artists, sad people, confused people, scared people, trans people, foreigners, and of course, the bastards and orphans of the world. I am going to help them all, and I know just how to do it, or at least I think I am. I have many potent ideas."
"That's a whole lotta people," said Jay.
"Whatcha gonna do to help them?" said Amber.
"I have crafted policies and outlined concepts and ideas," he said, his eyes flicking towards his journal. "There are many people like me out in the world, but we are all scattered. Whenever I found one of my people, I make it my goal to learn about them. I asked what they want from their government and society. I found ways to meet most of their needs. It involves re-budgeting and tax shifts and different appointments and slowly working to construct more inclusive societal norms. That is what I have in my notebook and folders. I have plans. I am going to get this done, even if that means I have to talk to every person in this entire city."
"You trained yourself to become a lawyer, writer, and a politician," said Jay in disbelief.
"You are only a kid," said Amber. "Who's gonna listen to you?"
"Mary Sapphira will listen to me," Jezz countered. "She happens to be friends with the President of Unova, who lives a few blocks away from here. She is factionless, and very popular with the people of Unova. She can make a lot of good things happen if she has the right brains working for her. My plan was to come to Washington and build myself. I am starting in the basement, but I will rise to the rooftops in time."
"But you ran away from us. I thought you were scared and confused. Now it seems like you are as confident as can be," said Jay.
"There is a difference between doing things for people and doing things with people."
"I don't get it."
"I felt I couldn't stay with you because…I believed that leaving would guard me from heartbreak. I then believed that I would come here and start all over. I believed that this was my only option. I never imagined that I could do both, or that you would be here with me. And since we are stuck here, I decided to keep pushing forward—sometimes the only way out is through."
"Tell us what you are going to do after we get 'through'," said Amber.
"I haven't gotten that far. That is why I believe that we will be here a while. I am upset now that this is the case, because I know you both are unhappy, but I believe it is the truth for now."
"Don't get too bent out of shape about it," said Jay. "You've done a bunch of that already."
"You already apologized about a billion times," Amber added. "We get it."
"Thank you," Jezz bowed.
When they finally arrived at the capitol building, they were ushered through security. Amber now understood why Jezz made her leave her bow and arrows behind. They were very strict, and they didn't let anyone take any metal objects with them, especially not weapons. They were also forced to leave their Pokémon behind with security. After Jezz succinctly explained his plan, a security guard accompanied them to the elevator.
"We do not let minors walk through her alone. I must stay with you. You should have come with your parents," a tall man with sunglasses explained to them.
It was clear from his attitude and expression that he did not want to give Jezz the amount of respect that twelve-year old demanded. In fact, everyone in the capitol looked at them oddly as they passed by. No one could seem to imagine why children would be coming to the capitol alone. Amber wanted to ask him why he was wearing sunglasses indoors, but Jezz took the lead in their subsequent conversation.
"Sir, we do not have parents," he announced. "We have no trouble being ushered. We have nothing but good intentions."
"Mmmhmm," the guard mumbled.
The took the elevator to the tenth floor of the twenty-story building. They were led down a narrow hall and into a small and elegantly decorated office cavern. There were six doors, and one of them read 'Ms. Mary Sapphira, Chair Executive of Childcare Services and Adolescent Consultant'. Their escort knocked on the door. Mary came to the door almost immediately.
"Jezz, you've finally came," she said amiably.
"These children…Amber Ketchum, Jay Paul Morgan, and Jezz Tonaka claimed that you were expecting them," said the guard.
"Yes. Thank you, Charles. You may leave them with me."
The trio entered the office. Mary shut the door behind them and invited them to sit on the cushions she had lying on the floor. They complied, and she joined them.
"Jezz, you are looking very good. You've become quite the looker. And it appears you have cloned yourself," she said as she looked back and forth between Jay and Jezz.
"He's related to me, but I don't think I am literally his clone," Jezz awkwardly replied.
Mary laughed. "I figured that."
"I have documentation for you," Jezz announced as he handed her his notebook and folder.
Mary opened the folder and skimmed over a few of the articles and reports that he had printed. She then opened his notebook, and her eyes widened when she read the text.
"My, this is quite extensive," she admired. "And your handwriting is meticulous. I am highly impressed."
"Thank you, Ma'am," Jezz bowed.
Mary looked up at Amber, who was watching Jezz carefully. She was worn out, but still clearly proud of her friend.
"I think it is tremendously kinds, and brave, of you to support Jezz," she told them.
"We care about him a lot," said Jay. "And it seems you do too."
"That is true. Jezz met me when I was much younger. I have been waiting for you to return to me. You have been very busy. I know you had your Porygon and Xatu help you with all of this, but it is certainly true that you did much of the work. You are a nonstop person. You have such a strong heart and mind. And I certainly have the means to help you."
"That is why I came to you," Jezz replied. "May you read over my plans, and if they are good enough, can you send them to the President's secretary?"
"Certainly. That is why I am here. And I have a feeling I will be sending these to the president herself, not just her secretary. You are staying with Patrissa, correct?"
"Yes."
"I am going to leave here in an hour. Would you like a ride back?"
"That would too kind of you. Only if it is not out of your way."
"It is not out of my way. I don't want you walking or riding your bicycles around here alone at night. It is dangerous for young people."
"That is totally true," Amber mumbled as she rubbed her arm where the stranger had grabbed her.
"How about you three look around this place? If someone stops you, tell them you are with Mary Saphira. I think you will find this to be an interesting building."
All four of them rose from the cushions. Mary shook each of their hands.
"I will be leaving at precisely 7:00 pm," she informed them. "Then we can drive home together."
"Thank you oh so very much," said Jezz, bowing again.
"It is no problem at all. I will see you later."
The all bid her goodbye then walked back down the hall they had come through previously.
"There is artwork of passed leaders all over this place," Jezz informed his friends as they looked at the walls. "These are some of the most important people in the history of the world. The have had a great influence over Unova, and seeing as Unova is a major world power, that influence has made quite a difference in the world."
"I only recognize like, four of these people," Amber noted.
"I know one…two…five…seven, yeah, seven of them," Jay counted. "But there are like a hundred here."
"I bet you know all of them, huh Jezz?"
"Yes. I recognize all of these people," he answered. "I have studied them, and all of their policies."
"They all look the same."
"That is because unique people weren't taken seriously back then, therefore not much diversity made it into politics, at least not during the time period in which most of these people lived. And it is still occasionally difficult for diverse people to make it very far."
"Well that's dumb. I am no expert on this crap, but I would think that the cool and weird people of the world would have more to contribute."
"Yeah, but Amb, it doesn't work like that. You should know that already, we did go to school, remember?" Jay replied.
"Yeah, but I am not a genius like him." She pointed to Jezz. "It's good to have a prodigy on our side. You can share some of your smarts with me."
"Amber, you are smart too."
"There are many skills that you have honed, and you have unique talents as well," Jezz insisted. "You've taught me how to properly use a bow, how to climb trees without falling, how to talk like a kid. I admit the latter I am still working on, but as you've noted, I have disregarded proper grammar for the most part."
"Thanks," Amber replied smally, hiding a blush.
They walked past countless art displays and a library. Jezz picked up a book and sat down at one of the nearby desks.
"You just couldn't resist, could you?" Amber taunted.
"This is interesting. It is a reference guide: How to Talk to Important People. I feel it could be useful," he replied.
"What's the point? You can't take that book with you, and it is not like you will be able to read all that stuff in less than an hour, let alone remember it all."
"I will get to read a decent portion of it, and I will be able to recall everything I get to."
"How?" Amber and Jay asked together.
"I have a good memory."
"Oh yeah. I forgot, you have a photographic memory, right?" said Jay. "I noticed that you are good at remembering things."
"It is true."
Amber and Jay wandered around while Jezz read. Then five minutes before seven, they returned to Mary's office. Jezz knocked on the door and she answered.
"I am ready," she announced. "Are you?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Jezz answered. Amber and Jay nodded for emphasis.
They walked down the hall together. Jezz noticed his notebook and folders sticking out of her brief case.
Mary followed his gaze. "I did read your stuff."
"You did? Already? What did you think?" Jezz excitedly questioned.
"I haven't gotten to everything, but I was very impressed by what I got to see. Jezz, you are incredible. This is what is the level of work I would expect to see from second year graduate students. In fact, I feel it is even more impressive than that. You are going to have a very bright future. Even if none of your proposals do not vibe with the men or women at the top, they will take you into consideration, and I can see compromises being made in your name. I am having trouble believing that what is in this notebook was written such a young boy," she told him.
"I discovered a home in politics…"
"You sure have. Be proud of that. With this information about the Kapule Klan and these ideas for policy changes, you and I are going to be able to help a lot of people."
"I hope you are right. I think you are."
"I agree with that."
"I don't want to sound pushy, but when do you think you are going to have a chance to read everything?"
"I will look over it tonight after I eat dinner. Then a will get as much done as possible tomorrow morning before my 10am meeting. I should be able to get through it all until then, but I will probably want to ruminate on this for a few days. Is that alright?"
"I would like that so very much."
"Yeah, thanks a lot," said Jay. "I have been overwhelmingly impressed by Jezz from the day I met him. But…I am not sure how to say this without sounding harsh…but…ok, well…hey Amb, do you want to say what I am thinking?"
Amber nodded. She and Jay had talked about this before, while they were waiting for Mary to finish work and while Jezz was reading.
"Even though Jezz gives you all this stuff and helps all these people, he still ends up getting screwed. He still ends up in your orphanage, still gets made fun of, still gets abused, still moves around a lot…I don't get it. Why doesn't he get any of these benefits? Do his plans fail? Do people ignore them? Jay and I don't get it."
Mary lowered her head pitifully. "Let us stop here and talk about that."
Mary led the trio to a small and private room. After she confirmed that they were alone, she started to speak.
"Jezz falls through the cracks," she confessed.
Amber and Jay turn to Jezz. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Jezz looked down nervously. "I tried my hardest to get noticed, to stand up for myself, my whole life I did, but you see, my younger self didn't know that when I was twelve, I would be here doing this. I was only a little kid. Mary told me I would come to visit here, but all of this, all these details…they weren't in my memory. If it was true then I would have recognized you when we first met at the Indigo Plateau, our plans would have gone smoother, and I would know what is waiting for us when we get back. But we are twenty years in the past right now. I wasn't even a thought yet. Mary, it is not her fault, but…"
Jezz gave up on the sentence and looked away.
"I forget about him," said Mary. "My memory fails me. All I recall from my three brief meetings with Jezz is the fact that he will return to me one day and help me. I forget about the journal: I forget that he owned it and that he gave it to me. I pass it onto Team Rocket investigators who are looking for you. After that, I fade into the background of your story."
Amber and Jay took a moment of silence. It was confirmed: all of Team Rocket was out looking for them. Their families must be frantic.
"How do you know this now if this doesn't happen for another twenty years?" Jay asked.
"I have a Xatu as well. I study them, and I have one with whom I am very close. My Xatu shows me the future, shows me the past, and that is why I have some memories and not others. Xatu cannot replay my entire past life and my entire future life for me, but she does allow me to patch up some of the gaping holes. One night she introduced me to you, by playing out our first meeting in a dream, that is why I was able to get you arrangements with Patrissa, it is how I was expecting you to be here." Mary looked to Jezz. "That is what I meant when I said I would see you in my past but your future. I know we struggled to reconnect, and Xatu cannot seem to find the time that we disconnected."
"I understand," said Amber. "Jezz, why doesn't your Xatu ever show us the future?"
"Xatu has showed me the future before," he replied. "I learned that one day I will graduate from PIKA, and that I will win many awards for what I did for politics. Xatu has showed me living with Annie, though I am assuming that it's a temporary arrangement. Like Mary, I cannot view my entire future, but I have seen patches. Xatu has showed me many bad things too, but I hold onto the positive. I know I succeed in this world, at least in some ways, and that is why I am always reading and writing. As I mentioned before, I have a lot to accomplish. Naturally, my unruly Xatu has shown me fake visions that never actually come true as well, but I want to believe that much of what he shows me is true, and I have a gut feeling that some of these good visions will eventually happen."
"We do get out of here eventually, right?" Jay questioned. "I am sure you have seen visions of us reuniting with our families and friends. Or have you seen visions that at least imply that? You mentioned A…"
"Yes, though I cannot guarantee it one hundred percent that my Xatu will help us, I am certain that we get out of here."
"If you aren't sure if Xatu will help then how can you be certain about us getting out of here?" Amber inquired.
"Because I have my Xatu," said Mary.
Jezz nodded in agreement. "Yes, and Mary's Xatu is a sweetheart."
"Hey, you could have told us earlier you know!" Amber scolded as she delivered a semi-painful punch to Jezz's left arm. "I was so upset, believing that we'd be stuck here forever!"
Jezz rubbed the spot where Amber hit him. Jay looked shocked and disappointed, and Amber was enraged.
"In my defense, I have been keeping a positive attitude this entire time," Jezz pointed out.
"Then what was with the 'Oh dear, I had no idea that you and Jay would come with me, I am oh so very sorry' and the 'I don't know how to get back, I am oh so very sorry again'?" Amber fumed.
"Xatu showed me flourishing. He did not show me you two being involved in any of this. And at first, well, I didn't think I would ever return. Now, though, I realize that in order to flourish in the way that Xatu depicted, I would need you and everyone I have met through you to be in my life. I cannot be happy, I cannot become accomplished, without you. Now I am certain we will get back to the others because I refuse to believe that every good vision Xatu has showed me is false. Amber and Jay, I cannot do everything I do without you and your families behind me, so I know that we will go back one day. Does that answer satisfy you?" Jezz questioned.
His friends nodded.
"Speaking of which, my Xatu is waiting for me in the lobby," said Mary. "As you already know, we are not allowed to take Pokémon upstairs unless their balls are locked, and my Xatu is a free bird. She hates her ball, so I let her loose in the city while I am working and at the end of the day she returns to this building and waits in the lobby with Charles until I am finished work. She will be more than willing to bring you back, though I am sure you do not want to go right away."
"We get to go home!" Jay exclaimed as he tightly hugged Amber and Jezz.
Amber was also laughing with relief. "Jezz, you…you owe me a lot."
"Hey, if it weren't for him running away, you wouldn't have captured that super-special Mimikyu."
"Yeah, the Mimikyu that hates me and refused to come out of its ball."
"Ah yes. That special Mimikyu…I also studied that Pokémon. Mimikyu will come out, don't worry," Mary assured her.
"What do I have to do for that to happen?"
"Mimikyu will come out on its own terms. Right now, I am sure it is terrified. It is always being hunted. Team Rocket, Team Plasma, Team Firestar, Team Skull, The Kapule Klan, and of course, researchers and professors and even common folks who have heard the legends are always trying to capture this little guy. Mimikyu trusts Amber because Amber has proven to it that she had no intention of using it as a lab experiment or to abuse its power. And Mimikyu is attracted to her aura, I am sure. If there is one thing I completely understand about this Mimikyu, it is that it will not reveal itself to everyone. Amber, you are a special girl."
"Thanks, but that didn't really answer my question."
"Once Mimikyu sees that you and everyone you love is true, then it will come out. Now it fears becoming too attached to someone that it might later have to leave. It believes that it is too strange for someone to love, even though it is a very intelligent and talented Pokémon. Mimikyu has lived in many different places; it has been chasing and hunting its entire life. Mimikyu had been abused in the past, and so it would rather do things for other people and Pokémon rather than with them. If that makes sense."
"So, Mimikyu is the Pokémon version of Jezz."
Mary smiled. "Yes. But be warned, like Jezz, Mimikyu's fear can become so intense, that it ends up hurting people in the end. The difference is that Mimikyu's power is far more extreme."
"Mary, can you please clarify that? I am not understanding," said Jezz.
"Only very high level Mimikyu's have this power to do good and evil. Amber, I am sure you noticed that your Mimikyu has a level of four or five hundred. Is that correct?"
"Yeah," she confirmed.
Jay's eyes widened at the revelation. "Whoa Amb, you are totally gonna win the Pokémon league with that lil' guy!"
"Let Mary finish."
"Mimikyu's insecurity can be projected onto others through a curse that it imposes on those who are close to the subject of its attraction," said Mary. "In this case, that would mean your family and friends, Amber, and anyone who is close to you or the people you love, even if you are not directly attached to them. What exactly the curse will do is unknown. It can do anything: destroy their property, ruin their day, hurt people emotionally, mess with them psychologically, or even do something more extreme, like harm or kill people. It is a terrifying curse, the aka lele."
"Oh my god. Michio told us about that! Amb, don't you remember?!" said Jay.
Amber watched Jay's face. "No…what do you mean?"
"Michio was talking about this weird harbinger shadowy thing that appeared in Silverville, when they went to my nanny and pop-pop's old house. He says that it means that the aka lele is coming to get us. Amb, you were all 'that's not real, Michio, are you high?' Remember? Amb, how could you forget?"
"Oh yeah, now I remember. I did think that it sounded familiar when I read about it in the Pokédex."
"Does this mean that people are in danger?" Jezz asked Mary.
"It could mean that," she answered.
"What do we do? Shouldn't we go back right away?" said Jay.
"Whether you go back sooner or later will most likely not make a difference, though it will give your relatives peace of mind because they will have you back in their arms. I suggested that Jezz wait so that he sees his policy through, but…"
"I can wait," said Jezz. "When I return to my own time, Porygon and I, and maybe Xatu, if he is willing to help, can do some research and see if what I found or if what I wrote ever becomes known or makes an impact. Additionally, I am not concerned because I feel that one day, I will learn about what I have done through others. Legacies, especially not my legacy, are not meant to be known to their creator anyway. Legacies are writing words in a journal and passing it on, without ever knowing if someone will read it or if it will make a difference in the world. Legacies are sharing the wisdom and wishing that someone will see what you mean clearly and use it to improve the world. Mary, even though you will not prevent all the pain in my life, I know you will do that for others. And that is good enough. I believe that my friends and I should return to our own time as soon as possible. I know that you will take my notes and the files that I have collected and use them wisely."
"I will. I have scanned them into my computer. Those files will be safe with me. You keep the notebook and folders. After all, you are going to need them," said Mary. "Now, let us go downstairs and get my Xatu. Then we can return to Patrissa's home and get your personal items and other Pokémon, and she will deliver you to the place you belong."
Amber exhaled deeply. "Finally, this nightmare is over. My mom is gonna kill me though."
"Same," said Jay "Well, not literally kill me, since I didn't run away willingly"—he shot a knowing glance at Jezz—"but they are totally going to smother me and I might suffocate from that."
"I am sure Hauana and Perry Hale will forgive me. They are nice people. I cannot wait to return to them. I feel they must be very worried about me, and I am very much looking forward to us living together as an official family," said Jezz.
Mary smiled sadly. "Amber, Jay, and especially you, Jezz…remember that when you return to your own time, you may be met with some heartbreak. The aka lele has been with your loved ones for several days. They could have been hurt. You will probably have to adapt to a world that is a bit sadder now than it was when you left."
"I…what are you saying? Do you know something that we do not?"
"I have some experience with the aka lele. How do you think I lost my memories?"
The trio nodded.
"We get it," said Jay. "Well, we don't completely get it…"
"But we get it enough," Amber finished.
"Yeah."
Mary and the children walked to the lobby. Mary picked up her Xatu, Jezz got Vileplume, Amber got Pip, and Jay got Togekiss. They also retrieved their rented bikes and returned them to one of the many stops located throughout the city. Mary then drove the trio back to the boarding house.
The children headed straight to their bedroom in order to pick up their personal items. When they came back down the stairs, Patrissa, Maria, her brother, and several other people they had only seen in passing were downstairs. They were in the kitchen talking to Mary.
"I see," Patrissa was saying. "I suppose now it is time to say goodbye."
"Amber, Jezz, and Jay, I was just explaining your plans to Patrissa," Mary informed them.
"I think it is pretty cool that you all can time travel," said Maria. "I wish I could do that."
"Maybe you will someday," Jezz responded.
"Yes, if I am super lucky."
The three of them said 'goodbye' to everyone in the boarding house. Jay took a good look at all their faces, and wondered if he would ever see any of them in the future, twenty years older than they are right now.
"Before you go, I must give you another warning," said Mary. "My Xatu is loving and loyal and very hard working…but…she tends to make mistakes. It might take a few tries for you to get back to where you came from. I am sorry that this is true. I wish you luck though."
The trio was a bit disappointed by the news, though they tried not to show it. The exception was Amber, who hardly every hid her emotions.
"It's better than nothing," Jezz whispered to his friends. "And remember, I have faith. I know we will get back, even if it is not tonight."
"I suppose we don't have a choice but to go along with it," Jay sighed. "I am ready."
"Me too," said Amber.
"Xatu, please return these children to the year 2033," Mary instructed. "When they are settled, return to me."
"Xatuuu," the psychic-type agreed.
Amber and Jay each grabbed one of Jezz arms. They kept their Pokémon near, and then they were gone.
XO
Mewtwo had changed a lot over the years, but if anything remained the same, it was his ability to pick up on distressed auras, whether he wanted to or not. Around the time that the Morgan family had sat down to eat their evening meal, Mewtwo felt a painful twinge in his head. Something was telling him that there was an aura in danger, and he recognized it the same way he had recognized Ash's aura nearly nineteen years ago, when he had been captured by Team Firestar and was being manipulated.
He left the beachside house in order to seek out Lucario, who was in the backyard. Despite the terrible whether, he stood there, staring at the road, with an aura shield covering his motionless form.
"I sensed that Annastasia was in distress. It was a fleeting feeling though. Maybe the pain was quick and then stopped but it was very intense. Now, I can tell she is content, as usual, but I am suspicious. Are you?" he asked Lucario.
"I am a guardian of hers. I have been following her since she was a small child. If something is wrong, I must find and help her, and I sense that something is wrong." Lucario answered.
"Shall we alert her family?"
"That would probably not be a good idea, and I sense you already agree. If we can help her on our own, we should. They do not need the panic right now."
"Let's go."
Lucario closed his eyes. His world turned to a dim read atmosphere, and every object in space had turned into entities of pure energy and matter. He let the vision guide them.
"Oniisan?" a small voice called.
It was faint, and both Pokémon could tell that she was calling them from a distance. They were right, because Jocelyn was sitting on the windowsill seat with Pinky, Sheldon, Minun, and Flaafy. She watches Mewtwo and Lucario converse amid the stormy weather, then leave the property.
"No Oniisans, come back!" Jocelyn cried, though she knew they probably couldn't hear her. "Where are they going?"
"Flaaaa," Flaafy shrugged.
Jessie came into the room with Rose in her arms and Acorn by her side.
"Why are you yelling?" she asked.
"Lucario and Mewtwo are outside in the storm!" Jocelyn replied.
"They can handle it."
She didn't care much about Lucario and Mewtwo, what worried her was the fact that Michio and Annastasia had been gone for almost four hours, when she had assumed, they would be two hours, at most. They didn't give a time as to when they'd be back, but she couldn't help but worry. She often treated Annastasia like an adult, but that was because she acted like one, most of the time anyway. When she wasn't standing right in front of her though, Annastasia was still the tiny pink infant resting behind the security of a glass incubator, with the sight of her stunning turquoise eyes still a mystery to the world. Jessie left Rose to play with Jocelyn while she and Acorn went to find James.
She discovered him passed out on their bed alongside Mime Jr., Inky, Aliyah, and Chimecho. She tickled his sides to wake him up while Acorn jumped on her sister.
"Jess…Jess stop!" James painfully giggled. "I'm awake! What did I miss?"
"Beauty and the beast have yet to return home," she told him.
"Beauty and…oh…You mean Anna-chan and Michio never came back?" James inquired.
"Eevee," Acorn concurred.
"I called her cell and it went to voicemail," said Jessie. "She always picks up the phone."
"Maybe her phone is out of battery," said James.
"She always keeps it charged, and it did ring a few times. She must be ignoring the call."
"Maybe she doesn't have cell service. They went to that restaurant near the cliff, out near the ocean. It wouldn't be that unusual for the cell service to be limited."
"That restaurant is hanging over the ocean…oh god, what if they fell into the ocean. If Annastasia let Michio drive…"
"Veeee," Acorn said worriedly.
"Ah! Don't' tell me that!" James squeaked as he leapt off the bed.
James ran to the closet and grabbed his boots and raincoat. Then he headed out the door. His Pokémon and Jessie followed him.
"James, get back here!" she demanded.
"But Jessie, Anna-chan could be…" James tried.
Jessie cut him off. "If we are going to look for her, we are going to go together, and we are going to have Acorn and Aliyah help us, got it? You can't just run out into a hurricane like this. It is raining and haling, and there is thunder and lightning and powerful winds…"
"Horrible driving conditions. We should hurry up!"
Jessie exhaled a lot of pent-up breath. She should have known that this would-be James' reaction. Though they were both somewhat selfish by nature, that didn't apply to family…unless it was Meowth. But even that had its limits.
The couple put on boots and coats. James grabbed a pair of flashlights while Jessie found a rather large first aid kit. James got nervous when he saw her tucking it into a small backpack that was just large enough to fit it.
"Don't give me that look. There is a chance that she is hurt," Jessie rationalized. "It is better to be safe than sorry."
James nodded. "O-okay. I…I am ready."
The couple briefly forgot about Jocelyn and the twins, which happened occasionally. Then they ran into Lily and Maya as they walked down the hall.
"We're going out for a walk…tell Jocelyn we will be back soon," Jessie told Lily.
Lily snickered. "You two don't exercise for fun, and that storm is crazy. What are you really doing?"
"None of your business."
"Annastasia is my cousin. My cousin, my business. You're going to look for her, aren't you?"
Jessie left out a frustrated moan. "We going to the restaurant that Annastasia took Michio to and we are going to make sure they are okay. Don't tell the little ones, they will get freaked out."
Maya looked upset and worried, but Lily was better at hiding her emotions. She too was upset, but she wasn't about to show it.
"Good luck," she finally murmured. "I'll pick up the phone if you call."
"Thank you," said James. He turned to Jessie. "Speaking of which, let's call Anna-chan one more time."
Jessie took out her phone and dialed Annastasia's cell number. Once again, the phone rang but no one picked up.
XO
Lucario and Mewtwo had followed Annastasia's aura. An hour later, they stopped at a dead end located twelve miles from the bungalow. Her trail ended to the edge of the road, which happened to overlook a storming sea.
"She must be down there," said Lucario as he glanced down the side of the cliff. "Can you see down there?"
"Unquestionably," Mewtwo answered.
The powerful psychic-type used one of his special abilities to view the car at the bottom of the cliff. Since he had the ability to magnify objects and could see well in the dark, he was able to look in the window. The two of them were talking. He was surprised to note that they did not look frightened or pained at all, even though Michio's hand was wrapped in bandages and Annastasia had a noticeable scar running across her face.
"They do not appear to be seriously injured," Mewtwo told Lucario. "We should move them."
Mewtwo was about to use his psychic abilities to lift the car, but Lucario stopped him.
"You will frighten them," he stated.
Mewtwo looked down at them again. This time he noted how tired they were, and saw Annastasia roll onto her side in order to use Michio's chest a pillow. They both closed their eyes, and within seconds Mewtwo's ears picked up on some soft snoring.
"I believe that the humans have fallen asleep," he informed Lucario.
"We should let them sleep, but keep a close eye on them to make sure that car doesn't break apart or roll into the ocean," Lucario responded.
"I do not require sleep, but you do. I shall keep watch. Return to the bungalow, and if her parents ask about her, tell them that I am out here watching them. I do not want to move them now. In the daylight, we can help, but now, the humans cannot see well and it may take several hours for us to get them back home."
"Annastasia needs her sleep. I understand. If you can brave the storm, then I will return."
"This weather is nothing that I cannot handle." Mewtwo looked up at his projected his shield. "Now go, they may be wondering where she is, and we do not want them coming out here to search for her. That will only make matters worse."
Lucario walked away, using his own shield to protect him from the monstrous weather. He encountered Jessie, James, and their two Mew before he arrived at the house. Before he got their consent, he extended his shield so that it covered them as well.
"Humans should be out taking a stroll in this weather," he told them blankly.
"Lucario, you dumb shit, we are out her for a reason!" Jessie snapped.
"We aren't out here for fun!" James scolded.
"You are on a search?" he inquired.
"Yes," they answered in unison.
"You have trouble keeping track of your children. You lose Annastasia in the mountains, lose Jay in time, lose Annastasia again, and then there are all those times you left little Jocelyn or Jay behind at the amusement parks and carnivals."
Lucario was normally not the one to attempt humor or to instigate the humans, however, he pitied them. He was not proficient at consoling or cheering up others, and dark and tongue-and-cheek humor seemed to be the closest he could get to easing a tense situation.
"We aren't in the mood for this! If you are going to help us, do it already," said Jessie. "Don't you have that aura ability to track? Or did you forget it already?"
Lucario heaved. "Mewtwo and I have already discovered her."
James and Jessie were not comforted by his attitude, or the fact that he did not have her with him. If Lucario knew where she was, why was he out on a walk instead of helping her get home? The duo was about to explode on him but Lucario cut them off with his words.
"She was not fatally injured," he emphasized.
"But she was injured, is that what you are implying? Why isn't she with you?" James asked.
"Tell us where she is!" Jessie demanded.
"Their car is in a trench at the bottom of the cliff," he responded flatly. Before Jessie and James flipped out, he added: "But she is safe and content."
"Content? How could that be? She was obviously in a terrible crash," Jessie responded worriedly.
The pit of dread in her and James' stomach was painful and draining. But at least she was okay, according to Lucario, who was always very protective of her. And it wasn't very odd for Annastasia to be content, as they had been in accidents before and Annastasia was always the one to keep a positive and relaxed attitude, even if the people and Pokémon around her were panicking.
"If she is safe, take us to her," James requested.
"They are a far walk from here. You should return home. Mewtwo will watch over her and keep everyone in that car safe. I was walking to the bungalow in order to warn you against coming out here," he told them.
"Mewtwo is protecting her? Are you saying she is still out here?"
He assumed that 'safe' meant that she was inside of a sturdy shelter. The look on Jessie's face revealed that she was thinking the same thing.
"Yes, but you must trust us," said Lucario. "It is dark and deathly stormy. Mewtwo can use his psychic abilities to lift the car out of the trench and put it back on the road, but now it is too dangerous to do that. The humans and their Pokémon cannot see in this light, and the car is almost destroyed. They are warm, safe, and content, and your daughter needs to rest."
"He has a point," James agreed after a few moments of quietness.
"I cannot go back to bed," said Jessie. "Not when—"
"Recall that you have three children in your house now and they are without their parents or friends," Lucario interrupted.
Though they were worried about the younger kids, especially Jocelyn, returning to the bungalow seemed wrong. Jocelyn always had an impact on their hearts and morals, even if she wasn't with them in the moment, so it was always painful to let her down. They had told Jocelyn that this journey was going to be centered around her, yet she was constantly being pushed to the side. The happy-go-lucky eight-year old didn't always show it, but she was very lonely, even with her Pokémon, relatives, and friends normally being close. And now, she didn't even have Benny to distract her.
Suddenly they could only think of Annastasia, and how she was alone except for her Pokémon…and her dear 'SO'…
Jessie was planning to blame him for whatever happened, not matter what story she decided to tell them.
"I need some kind of proof that she is okay before I walk away," Jessie asserted.
"Do you trust your Mew friends?" he inquired.
"Of course I do!"
"Then ask them to go out and look for the car. They will see her and the others inside, safe, warm, and content, just as I informed you. Then they can show you what they saw."
"Acorn, Aliyah, will you be okay in this weather?" James asked the Pokémon, who had transformed back into their true forms
"Yes," they communicated telepathically.
Jessie and James had a few more words with them, then the Mew teleported them back to the bungalow. After Jessie and James were inside, the two Mew teleported back to Lucario, and the three of them found Mewtwo. As promised, he was still keeping a close eye on the vehicle.
"You've returned," Mewtwo remarked. "And the Mew are with you."
"I took care of her parents. They wanted the Mew to see their daughter," he responded.
The Mew flew down the side of the cliff and looked in the car window. After confirming that they were inside, the pair teleported back to the bungalow. They entered the family room, where Jessie and James were sitting on the couch feeding the twins. James and Jessie welcomed the Mew, and then Acorn and Aliyah projected their memories onto both humans. After showing Jessie that the she was safe inside the vehicle, they became immediately relieved. They were already all worn out from worrying about Jay, and they didn't need this now.
"Let's go to bed," James suggested.
Jessie silently nodded and followed him into the nursery. They tucked the infants and their temporary Pokémon companions into their bassinets. They then exchanged 'goodnights', though they knew that neither of them would sleep. And they were right, because when they woke up in the morning, the dread returned.
XO
In The Next Chapter:
- Travel Tangent
- Weird Dreams
- Haku and her deer