AN: This chapter was updated/revised on March 24, 2020.
Problem and Solution
""I know now that we never get over great losses;
we absorb them, and they carve us into different,
often kinder, creatures."
Gail Caldwell
After leaving Patrissa's boarding house, the trio found themselves in a familiar train station.
"This is definitely Unova," Jay remarked. "But what time is it?"
The kids looked around, but the realized there was no way for any of them to tell what year it was.
"How can we figure out if we are in the right time period?" Amber questioned. "It's weird go up to someone and just randomly ask."
"Amb, Amb, Amb," Jay sighed. "Look at what these people are wearing. What do you see?"
Amber squinted her eyes at a few of the people waiting in line at a Starbucks.
"They are wearing clothes," she observed.
"Not just any clothes. These peoples' fashion sense is on point! This is definitely 2033," Jay proudly declared.
"That is a clever thing to notice," said Jezz. "Xatu, thank you for helping us. This has been a stressful week and we are very grateful to you for making this better for us."
"Xaaaa tu," Mary's Xatu responded.
"Why didn't Xatu bring us home?" Amber whined.
"She probably doesn't know where to take us. Home means a lot of things for different people," said Jay.
"Additionally, Xatu do not typically have a strong Teleport," said Jezz. "It must have been stressful for her to bring us all the way to this train station and to the present all in one trip."
"Xaaaa," Xatu agreed.
"I believe that you should return to Ms. Sapphira. You did enough and deserve a rest. Once again, thank you so very much for helping us. We can handle everything from here."
With a loud, happy whistle, the Xatu was gone.
"I can't believe we're almost home," said Jay. "I…I wonder how we will talk about what happened to our families."
"I am an only child, so maybe that will work in my favor. They will be grateful to have their only baby back," Amber smiled.
"I feel that Hauana and Perry understand that I already have enough problems and that they don't need to give me a scolding," Jezz added.
Jay laughed and patted Jezz on the back. "I like it when you are relieved. Try acting this way more often."
"And I noticed that you're finally starting to get sarcasm," Amber responded. "And by the way, what I just said was not sarcasm."
"I figured," Jezz said bashfully.
Jay yawned. "Okay peeps, let's get some tickets."
"I will buy them."
"Normally I wouldn't let you do such a thing, but since you are the only one with cash on you…"
"It is no trouble anyway. Hauana and Perry plan to give me an allowance. An allowance, can you believe it? They are so kind. I can't wait to see them. I will return shortly with our tickets."
Jezz walked off. When he was out of earshot, Jay tapped Amber.
"Look Amb, Jezz is happy. He is really happy. We don't get to see that often," Jay whispered.
"I know. I'm done with all this negative crap. We are going to take that boy home, and we are goingto show him what it really means to be our squish," Amber replied.
"We'll have a party."
"With a huge cake and that funfetti frosting he likes…Well, we might be grounded…"
"We shouldn't be, because we didn't do anything wrong. We were helping a friend." He looked over to Jezz, who was having a friendly conversation with a stranger as they waited in line to buy their tickets. "Or I think we should say that Jezz helped us."
"Jay, I love Jezz as much as the next gay cousin"—she paused, and Jay blushed—"but I don't get how he 'helped' us."
"We learned a lot the last few days. We saw a newin side of him: the confident, scrappy, leader side. No more tears from now on. And if we get grounded…we will just sneak out and have our own party."
"Jay, you little badass. You're learning from me."
"Yeah, I guess it happens. I am still smarter though."
"No!"
"Yes!"
"Amb, you…you…ah, whatever."
"I what?"
"You are smarter than me, and I accept that."
"Great, cuz I need that acceptance to live. What's your point?"
"You are more of a grown-up now. I can tell by the way you act, and the way you look..."
"If this is a reference to my body, I'm gonna punch you."
"No, no. It's not like that at all!" He put up his hands defensively. "I'm saying that I care about you. I have been saying that to Jezz a lot lately, but I want you to know that this is true for you too. I want you and I to be as tight as always. And since you like-like Jezz…and you have a shot with him, I um…well I wanted to make sure that you knew that I like that idea. I won't be jealous."
"I didn't think I'd be hearing that from you."
Jay was the jealous type, on par with herself. He always had been. She supposed that it was because for a long time she was the only friend he was super close to. Now that has changed.
Before she could conjure up an appropriate response, Jezz returned with three tickets and passes that would allow their Pokémon to stay out of their balls on the train.
"Ready to go home?" he asked brightly.
Amber and Jay yawned together.
"I am ready for another nap," said Amber.
"I think we're gonna fall asleep on you," said Jay.
"That won't be a problem at all," Jezz replied. "I will just—"
"Read," said Amber and Jay.
"Yes, that."
True to their suppositions, Amber and Jay did fall asleep. What they didn't realize was that Jezz also fell asleep, crashing entirely, just as Jay predicted he would eventually do. While the children dreamt, Jezz's Xatu grew bored. He decided to play a fun trick on the sleeping children...
XO
Jay
"Xuuu," Mary's Xatu cheered as the kids arrived in a train station.
"Wait, this isn't Alola. Xatu, you brought us all the way to Kanto!" Amber complained as she looked around the station.
"Xuu xu xu!" the bird cried.
"We're in Cerulean City. A train to Pallet won't take that long, and the tickets are bound to be cheap since the ride will only take about half an hour," I reasoned.
"I say we get Mary's Xatu to help us out," said Amb.
We turned to the female Xatu.
"Bring us to our parents please," Jezz asked.
We took each other's hands, and in a matter of seconds we were in a different place.
"Hey, this…this is Delia's Pokémon hospital," I noted. "My dad's old house!"
A small lavender-haired boy in a neat little suit was running towards me. I looked to Amber and Jezz, but they were gone, along with all our Pokémon. Looking around, I noticed that the building looked different—way different.
"Help me!" the child yelled. "She's coming!"
"Who's coming?" I asked.
"She is!"
Then I saw it: a ruby-haired girl with angry dark green eyes with an Oddish and whip. She was sprinting after the kid. She sped past me.
"Stun Spore on James!" she demanded as she tossed her Oddish ahead of her.
Oddish gave a battle cry as its spores hit James right in the face, as he had briefly turned around to see how far she had progressed towards him. James sneeze a few times, then fell to the ground.
"Are you okay?" I asked the kid, stopping in front of him.
He was little—like four, maybe. He was clearly not okay.
The girl who attacked him hissed "Go away!" at me.
I tried to help James to his feet, but his legs were completely paralyzed.
"No! You go away," I countered.
"You have no business here. This is young Master James' estate and you ought to respect that!" she continued. "You are a trespasser. I will call the police on you!"
I would've been scared if it weren't for the fact that this girl couldn't be older than five.
Yet she sounded older. Like an adult. An evil adult.
"Come, Oddish, we should call Sebastian immediately," said the girl.
She stormed away, but I had a feeling she'd be coming back.
"Please help me," James begged.
"Uh, ah, sure," I replied. "What can I do?"
"Get Growly, my parents tied him up, but he can save me. He always saves me. Get him before she gets back."
I wanted to help, but before I could—
Jay woke in a cold sweat. Amber and Jezz were curled and snoring.
'That dream was weird. I wonder where it came from,' Jay thought.
He shut his eyes and nodded off.
XO
Jezz
"Xuuu!" Mary's Xatu cheered as the kids arrived in a train station.
"Wait, this isn't home. Xatu, you brought us to the wrong place!" Amber complained.
"Xuu xu xu!
"It is okay. We are in Alola. It won't take that long for us to find a boat that can bring us to the correct island," I told the others.
"Yeah, sure," Amber grumbled.
"I will get the tickets."
"Thanks!" said Amber and Jay.
As I approached the ticket desk, the atmosphere darkened. I looked back and saw that Amber, Jay, and the Pokémon were gone. Dread filled my being as three people I recognized well entered the now-empty station.
"Well if it isn't Jessie, Jess, Jessica," Haku hissed.
"Why are you here?" I demanded. "And don't call me those names; none of those are my name!"
"Your mother would disagree," said Lona.
"I don't have a mother!"
"Oh, that's right," said Alina, her voice high-pitched and mocking. "Your mother is dead…or she rejected you."
"The latter is more likely," said Haku.
'Where are my friends?' I wondered. 'They wouldn't just leave me…would they?'
Alina and Lona grabbed my arms.
"We thought you were a money kid," said Lona.
"But you are useless to us—there is no money," said Alina.
"You tricked us, and we want our revenge."
"You've been digging around a lot, and we don't like that at all," said Haku. "We are going to take some measures that will help you forget."
"Measures?" I said.
"Mienshao, come here! You have some hypnotizing to do!"
"Vileplume, help!"
Vileplume didn't listen to me. That never happened before.
"Delcatty! Porygon! Furfrou! Chimecho!" I shouted.
I was then I realized that none of their Pokéballs were hanging from my belt.
The girls tightened their grip on me. Mienshao came into view.
"Mienshao, do us all a favor and wipe little Jessica's memory," Haku instructed.
I heard a loud 'Mieeeeeen!'.
A chill spiked through me.
Jezz's eyes sprung open, and half-dazed, he reached for his belt. He was relieved to discover that the Pokeballs of Delcatty, Porygon, Vileplume, Furfrou, and Chimecho were present. Xatu was also present, and he was sitting in the seat next to them. Jay and Amber were fast asleep on either side of him. Jezz groaned, assuming that this was a twisted reality that Xatu had created. Jezz didn't want to fall back asleep, but his insomnia had finally gone away, and he unwillingly retreated.
Amber peeked an eye open. She was exhausted. She wanted to talk to Jezz, but he was asleep within seconds. Soon she drifted too.
XO
Amber
"Xuuu," Mary's Xatu cheered as we arrived in a train station.
"This isn't the right place! You brought us all the way to Kanto!" I ranted.
"Xuu xu xu."
"It is okay. We are in Cerulean City. We can get to wherever we want to go from here," said Jay.
"Xatu, thank you for helping us. You may return to Mary Sapphira," Jezz told the bird.
Xatu sang a goodbye, then vanished.
"Jezz! We needed her to bring us home," I said.
"She couldn't," Jezz answered simply.
For some reason, I was trusting Jezz. Even though everything about the situation seemed off, I complied and didn't argue or whine about it. Suddenly we had our tickets, and the next thing I knew, we were sitting in a railway station, waiting for a train to bring us to Pallet Town.
Jezz and Jay talked. I tuned them out. Then I saw two people I really didn't want to see.
I grabbed Jay and Jezz by the shirts and pushed them into the women's restroom.
Jay looked around, confused. "Amb, you gotta top forcing us into the girls' room."
"I would appreciate that as well," said Jezz.
"You morons, we aren't even back in our own time period yet!" I replied. "Mary's Xatu didn't help us."
"How do you know?" said Jay.
"Because I just saw my mom and Aunt May!"
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"They look like teenagers."
"Then they won't recognize us."
I heaved; I was clearly the leader here.
I was about to lead us out of the bathroom, but suddenly my mom and May came through the door. We retreated into separate stalls before they could catch a glimpse of us.
"It is nice that you occasionally get together with Delia, Professor Oak, and Tracey for lunch," May was saying.
"It is nice. I only get to see Ash once a year, but Delia's kitchen is always open, and I suppose that part of me believes that one day Ash will show up out of the blue and join us. He has only done that twice before, but if I have the day off, I might as well go," my mom responded.
She took out a comb and brushed her hair while May applied red lipstick.
"Are you still dating Tracey?" May asked.
"Yes," my mom replied.
I gulped; this wasn't the kind of conversation I wanted—or wanted my friends—to overhear.
"No offense, but I never thought he seemed like your type," said May.
"Tracey's one of the sweetest people I know and I love spending time with him," she replied. "But we don't have much in common. Even though he is a huge help around the gym, I feel like things are a bit stale between us. Help is nice, but I don't want him to help me with everything, you know? And he acts chivalrous, but I don't like that as much as I did when I was younger."
"Sounds like you need to kick the bucket."
"May, do you even know what 'kick the bucket' means?"
"Break up?"
"No, it means to die. And I don't want to break up with him."
"Why, cuz he's 'chivalrous'?"
"Well…"
"I love the chivalrous type, but I would never admit that to any boy."
"I like it too, sometimes, a little."
They put their makeup and brush back into their purses.
"We should move on," said my mom. "Our train's boarding soon."
I watched them leave through the crevice between the stall door and wall. I wanted to go up and give them both a hug and join them wherever they were going, but I knew I couldn't do that.
Now I'm more determined than ever to get back home.
Amber blinked wearily at her two companions. They were both in fitful sleeps, tossing and turning in their seats with their eyes pressed shut. She contemplated waking them up, as that is what she normally would do, but she decided against it. The train ride would be over soon, and then they'd have to wake up anyway.
Even the Monz were asleep, or they at least looked like they were. She rested her hands on the Pikachu in her lap and dreamed again.
XO
The trio was shaken awake by a woman in a brown and yellow coat and blue hat.
"What's happenin?" Jay asked groggily.
"Huh?" Amber yawned.
"I woke you up because you must leave the train now. You are not permitted to sleep here," the worker explained.
"Our apologies, Miss…" Jezz looked at her nametag. "…Arisa. We weren't intending to sleep here. May you tell us where we are?"
"The last stop on this mega train: Cerulean City."
"No way," Jay moaned.
"This sucks," Amber grumbled.
"We must have missed our stop," said Jezz. "Miss Arisa, is there another train that goes to the Unova pier, the one that has ships traveling to Alola?"
The woman laughed. "Kid, are you serious? That is thirteen hours away from here. Of course there isn't! You will have to wait for the next mega train, which leaves tomorrow at noon. Now please leave. I am supposed to be off duty now."
Amber scowled and Jay started to tear up while Jezz led them off the train.
"Mimikyu, now would be a great time for you to help us," Amber spoke into the Pokéball. Mimikyu still didn't acknowledge her. "I wonder if you are still even in there."
Jay scanned his Pokedex over the ball. Mimikyu's entry came up.
"Mimikyu is definitely in there," he said. "It must still be too shy to come out."
"At least we are in the right time period," said Jezz.
"Actually…" Jay looked around the train station. "I think…I think we went back in time."
XO
Day 66
Jessie and James woke at 4:00 am. After going through the twins' morning routine then passing them along to an eager Delia, they, the Mew, Lucy, and Meowth drove to the restaurant that Michio and Annastasia had gone to the day before.
When they arrived, Mewtwo found them and helped them park.
"Where are they?" Jessie demanded the moment they exited the car.
"They appear to be waking up," said Lucario..
"Weeze just in time den," said Meowth. "I told yous all dat yous shouldn't worry so much."
"You would be even more of a mess if you were in our shoes," James told Meowth.
"I don't wear shoes."
Jessie walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down the side. Lucy pulled her away.
"You are going to topple over the side," Lucy lectured.
"I know what I am doing," Jessie scolded.
Lucy rolled her eyes and pushed Jessie back towards the car. She and James moped and then talked to Lucario. Meowth looked at Jessie and James pitifully. He really hated it when they were like this.
"Eeeveee," Acorn told Jessie.
"Veee vee," Aliyah told James.
"Dey're sayin' dat A is comin up now," Meowth explained.
"What?" they asked together.
"You are here," a sweet and surprised voice called from behind them.
"Ann-chan!"
XO
Inside the car, Michio had awakened around three in the morning. The pain in his hand became increasingly more intense, and so he decided to take advantage of Bleu's Heal Bell. He also decided that Annastasia did make a point worth following when she suggested getting him a Chimecho.
He watched Annastasia sleep. He experienced a guilty feeling, as it was always strange to see Annastasia sleeping. It felt like spying, but then again, she did the same to him.
She finally woke up almost two hours later.
"Did we get rescued yet?" Annastasia asked, stretching and yawning.
"Not yet," he replied.
Michio gently lifted Annastasia off him. She apologized for squishing him and then continued to stretch.
"I can feel Lucario around here," she remarked. "I figured he'd come looking for me. He's been following me around my entire life."
"Plussss Plus?" Plusle queried.
"Don't worry, we'll be home soon."
Annastasia removed the towels that were covering the car's windows. It was sunny out already, as mornings always started very early in Alola.
The sunlight poured over them, illuminating the disaster that was the interior wreckage.
"How'd you sleep?' Annastasia asked.
"Okay," Michio replied.
Annastasia could tell by his tone that he didn't sleep well at all. Her Pokémon also looked uncharacteristically groggy. Michio observed the scar. The sunlight showed him that blood and healing ointment were dried, yet it still blazed an indent. He looked away.
Annastasia looked through the car's front mirror. She traced the scar with her fingertip.
"Does it hurt?" Michio asked.
"Yeah, but once I get some ice on it, it'll feel better," she replied.
"A mark like that…it might…"
"Send me to hell?"
"What? No, I was gonna say that it might never go away."
"I don't think that matters."
"Oh."
He certainly didn't care about her new look; it made her looked more rugged, and to him that was attractive.
And it would remind him of the time they slept in a car at the bottom of the cliff.
He was surprised to catch himself looking on the bright side for once.
"You don't think it matters, right?" Annastasia asked.
"No, it's fine," he answered. "Actually, it's…cool. You look cool with that."
She laughed. "Thanks. Does your hand feel better or worse than yesterday? Answer me honestly."
"It feels about the same."
"I think it's time we try to get out of here. I have to pee."
"Same."
Annastasia opened the left side passenger door.
"Be careful," she warned as she stepped onto one of the surrounding boulders.
"Plus," Plusle added as she leaped ahead of them.
"Bleu, can you give me a lift?" she asked.
"Alta," he said with a nod.
Bleu perched next to her and let her climb on his back. She took a hold of his fluffy white wool and mounted.
"I'll be back for you. I am only going to fly to the top of this cliff, then call emergency services as soon as I get cell service," she told Michio.
"Be careful," he called after her as she flew away.
When Annastasia got to the top, she was met with some familiar faces, none of whom she expected: Lucario, Mewtwo, Lucy, Meowth, Acorn, Aliyah, and her parents were.
"You are here," she spoke softly.
Her parents turned around so that they could see her.
"Anna-chan!" her father exclaimed as he ran towards her. "Are you okay? Your face, it must hurt."
"It is not hurting me, but I am sure it is killing you," she giggled.
"De girl's lame humor button is workin," Meowth remarked.
Jessie squeezed her then pulled away so that she could take a close look at her. "Your face is still perfect! Don't worry about it!"
Annastasia smiled. She wasn't surprised that her scar was the first thing her mother noticed.
Her parents, Meowth, and Lucy sucked her into a group hug.
"We were worried. You could have been killed! It was Michio, you should have never let him drive!" said Jessie.
"I was driving. This was my fault," said Annastasia. "And speaking of which, Michio is still—"
"—let's take care of you first, Princess."
Annastasia removed herself from the group hug. "Mom, he is still down there with Peruva, Mienshao, Plusle, and Lil-G! And I have to pee, so stop squishing me!"
"Yes, your Pokémon. We should get them," Jessie responded.
"That car is ready to fall apart. We will get everyone out, then get what is left of the vehicle," Mewtwo explained.
"Okay," said Annastasia. "You do that, I'll pee."
As they waited, Mewtwo and the Mew came up with a plan of action.
"Michio is going to be depressed about the car getting destroyed," Annastasia said as she returned to her family. "I know I am. We loved it. This whole thing was horrible."
James patted her back. "I think we can work something out, get you two a new car."
Jessie overheard them talking. "It would be Annastasia's car, not his to share."
"Mama, he is responsible. You don't have to act like this," said Annastasia.
"Jess, if he makes her happy, isn't that good enough?" said James.
"Annastasia shouldn't settle for 'good enough'. She deserves the best this world has to offer. Michio's got to step up his game. After all, you shouldn't have taken him to dinner, he should have taken you," said Jessie.
"Since when do you care about gender roles?" said Annastasia.
"I don't…But you are my princess. I want you to have everything I didn't."
"Geeze, thanks," James responded sarcastically.
"You know what I mean."
"No, explain, Mom," Annastasia requested.
"Yous diggin yerself inta a hole…" Meowth taunted.
Jessie stubbornly crossed her arms. "Oh, shut up Meowth."
The arguing ceased minutes later, after Michio and all his and Annastasia's Pokémon were lifted from the trench. The Pokémon chatted and ran about gratefully while Annastasia went up and hugged Michio and Plusle, the latter of whom had immediately climbed onto her shoulder.
Jessie was still upset over the whole ordeal. She pointed an accusing finger at Michio.
"You almost killed my daughter!" she angrily exclaimed.
"Did not!" Michio shouted back.
Michio and Jessie bickered, and James and Annastasia looked on. It was a familiar scene. Plusle broke them up with a Thundershock.
"Mom, I was the one driving. This was my fault," Annastasia repeated.
"He must have distracted you," she retorted.
"No, it was a couple of Stantler. They hypnotized me. They ran into the road, and after I looked at them, they put me in a trance. I almost killed Michio, not the other way around."
"I am still blaming him."
"I don't care what you think," Michio retorted.
Mewtwo and their two Mew lifted the car over the cliff. Annastasia and Michio nearly cried when they saw it. It was no longer a question; the car was totaled.
"Well, Michio, you didn't total it," Annastasia told him semi-brightly. "I did."
"It was the Stantler, stop saying it was your fault," Michio told her.
Annastasia kissed the top of his hand and Jessie scowled. She casually interrupted their moment by pushing Michio away and taking Annastasia's hand in her own, sticking her tongue out at Michio in the process.
"How about the two of you go home? We can call someone to clean up what is left of this car. It can't be fixed, but it can at least be recycled," said James.
"Thanks," Annastasia responded. She kissed his cheek. "We really appreciate that."
Annastasia drove her parents' car back to the bungalow, with Lucario and Mewtwo following close behind. When they got back in, they got cleaned up, ate, and then fell into the bed. They left the door open, and Logan noticed them lying there half-asleep.
"Where were you two?" he asked as he jumped up onto their nightstand.
"Car accident," Annastasia answered.
"Geeze. This morning?"
"No, last night."
She lifted her head and Logan saw her scar. He gasped in pity, and then she briefly explained their accident. Logan nodded sympathetically and then rubbed her shoulder.
"You poor thing. Michio, looks like you got hurt too," Logan noticed.
Annastasia held his hand. "We should probably get someone professional to look at this. Who is your general doctor?"
"I don't have one," Michio responded.
"You don't have a doctor?"
She figured someone with wealth like Michio would have a whole set of doctors. After all, she did.
Michio shook his head. "Nah, my mom was the one who took care of me."
"How convenient. Your mother is staying in her own bungalow not far from here," Annastasia replied.
"She bought a bungalow?"
"She did say that she wasn't going back to the estate. She was serious. She took a bunch of money and fled."
Michio was stunned. "I can't imagine her doing something bold like that."
"I think she's been keeping a part of herself locked away."
"My family is going to kill her, unless…Does this mean she's divorced?"
Annastasia shook her head. "Divorces usually take a while, especially ones in which a large sum of cash is involved. She did officially leave though. She will probably file for divorce later; this way she can get the money she needs legally. It would also close things up. She shared with me her worries that they would come after her."
"I am worried about her too. I told you before about how my other relatives hate her…You've talked to her…?"
"In preparation of our meeting."
"Is that today?"
"This afternoon. Keaka, Professor Rosedale, Rumika, Lucy, and Rita, and I will be there. We can see if your mother can come here earlier so that she can look at your hand."
"That would be fine."
Michio got up from the bed and picked up the house phone. He shut the door and called his mother.
"Hey," he said the moment she picked up.
"Michio! I was worried!" Keaka exclaimed. "I have been calling you almost every hour since late last night! Why on Earth didn't you pick up?!"
Annastasia smiled. She could hear Keaka's voice because she was practically screaming. It was nice to see that his mom was genuinely concerned about well-his being, the same way her parents cared about her.
"Annastasia and I were involved in an accident. Last night a couple of fucking Stantler ran in front of our car. Annie stopped, but they hypnotized her. They made us run off the road. We were nearly killed," said Michio.
Annastasia used hand motions to tell him to stop, but he didn't get it, so he covered the receiver with his hands.
"What?" he asked Annastasia.
"Mothers don't want to hear that," she whispered. "Tell her that we are okay!"
Michio nodded and the returned the phone to his ear. "We are okay though. It's not like we were killed."
Though Michio couldn't see it, Keaka was holding her chest. Michio was probably the only family she had left now, and the idea of him even having a scratch was nerve-racking.
"Were there any injuries?" she questioned. "I did have medical training; I can help you if you need it."
"That's actually why I called," he hesitantly replied. "I think I broke my hand."
"I can't believe this happened, it was her, I knew it would be her!"
Michio was taken aback. "Mom, this is not Annie's fault!"
"No, son, you misunderstand. I'm talking about Haku. She has two Stantler. I heard her talking about their ability, and she was joking, talking about how she could use them to kill off her enemies. I don't think anyone thought she was serious."
"What is she saying?" Annastasia inquired.
Michio was constantly forgetting that Annastasia did not have the great hearing the way he did. He put the phone on speaker while Annastasia moved closer to him.
"I truly believe that Haku sent those deer after you. She must have known you were out," said Keaka.
"You're saying that those Stantler were hers," Annastasia inferred.
"Yes."
"I had a feeling that might be it, but I didn't want to outright accuse her without any proof. I knew Haku had Stantler, and the other day she felt me a rather unpleasant message, warning me to back off. She claimed that if I didn't leave Alola, then she was going to hurt me."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Michio asked Annastasia.
"I didn't want to worry you—and I assumed it was an empty threat."
"You aren't safe here," said Keaka. "I will be over soon. We can talk while I look over Michio's hand. I need about twenty minutes. We can decide what we are going to do from there."
"Take your time. We are going to be resting. Someone will open the door for you when you come."
"Excellent. Alola."
"Alola."
Michio hung up the phone then looked at Annastasia for guidance.
"Why so glum?" she asked as he sat beside her.
"You're in danger because of me," he murmured.
"Not any more than I usually am."
"There are people who want to hurt you and they know how. They can and they will."
"Let's try to not worry about that right now. We are safe here; no one can get us. I want to rest."
Annastasia pulled him onto the bed. She had noticed him becoming much more sensitive lately. Michio had those soft moments during which he felt like he could do nothing, and she could do everything. She didn't mind this at all, as it was her nature to guide others. Michio was the kind of person who either handed all his baggage onto someone else or he kept it all inside. When he kept it all inside, he became irritable and depressed. She like it a lot more when he let it all out. A bottled-up Michio made her irritable too.
Annastasia and Michio enjoyed the moment of peace, but alas, it was ruined.
"How adorable!" Sandshrew snarkily commented as it entered the room. "Annastasia and Michio. Affectionate little humans."
"There is nothing wrong with spending time with the people you care about," she retorted. "You could learn that lesson."
"I do not need to learn anything; I already have all practical knowledge of this world."
Michio groaned at Sandshrew's intrusion. He was in the mood to lie there and have his SO melt away his problems and that certainly didn't involve Sandshrew.
"Why are you here?" Annastasia asked it, trying to sound nice and not as pissed off as she truly was.
"I am here to do you a favor. The Rita girl is coming with your Aunt Rumika and some professor. A woman named Keaka suggested it," Sandshrew replied. "They will be here within an hour."
"Thanks for the message."
She was surprised to find that she was grateful. It was clever of Keaka to contact them, as Lucy could return at any moment and they could have their meeting a few hours ahead of schedule.
"I will leave you to your…whatever that was," Sandshrew responded in a disturbed voice as it walked away.
"It isn't so bad anymore," Annastasia told Michio. "Don't you agree?"
"It isn't Sandshrew's attitude that is the most annoying part though. It is the fact that it's almost everywhere we go. I don't want it following us around for the rest of our lives," Michio replied.
"Technically it is only following me around for the rest of my life."
"But we already decided that we were going to move in together…aren't we like… a sealed deal?"
Michio absolutely hated the concept of being abandoned.
"We are as sealed as you want us to be," Annastasia responded, confusing him further. Michio's bewildered expression made her feel as though she needed to provide more clarity, so she added: "I am here for you, and I always will be."
He sighed, content in being reassured. "Back at ya."
"So, there's no point in trying to sleep now, since they are all going to be here soon."
The walked out of the bedroom. They could see through the windows that Rita was about to knock. Annastasia opened the door and welcomed her friend inside.
"You got here quick," she noted.
"I was in the area, doing a little investigating," Rita explained. She noticed their messy hair and tired eyes. "Did I interrupt snuggly-naptime?"
Michio walked away with no comment. Rita smirked.
"The last twelve hours have not been dandy," said Annastasia.
"I heard. I am sorry that your car got totaled. It is all that bitch's fault," said Rita. "And your face! I hope that scar heals."
"It might fade, might not. I'm not concerned about that. Which bitch are you talking about?"
"Haku. I was out on assignment this morning, and I saw that sneaky whore and her two Stantler walking around. You know what they say: the criminal always returns to the scene of the crime. The bitch laughed in my face, threw a few insults my way, and before I lost my shit and ran my mouth, she started talking about you. She said 'I caused a bit of an accident here last night. You might want to check on your past lesbian-lover'. I knew she was talking about you and I was pissed so I had Zorua attack her two Stantler. They used that Hypnosis on my little angel, and then she laughed again, talking about how it worked again. I cursed at her a bunch while I used a potion to heal Zorua, but then she just left! A few minutes later Keaka called and requested that we have our scheduled meeting early, and she briefly mentioned the car accident. Then it all fell into place for me. And well, you know how pissed I am about this."
"She admitted to trying to kill me…Keaka and I suspected she was behind this, but I wasn't certain."
"She admitted it proudly, though it wasn't a formal confession. I have no proof that we talked."
"But I know, and that is what counts."
"I am sorry I didn't get her…" Rita's eyes drifted to Michio, who was trying to get water unnoticed. "Wtf, Michio, your hand."
"What about it?" Michio replied.
"He instinctively threw it in front of him to protect his face, and the windshield's broken glass got him," Annastasia explained.
"To protect yourself, not to protect Annastasia," Rita noted. "Hmm...interesting..."
"She doesn't need me to protect her," said Michio.
"Keep telling yourself that and one day you might believe your own words."
"I get that you're angry at life right now but please don't take it out on Michio," said Annastasia.
Rita was genuinely sorry. Annastasia understood many things about Rita, but Michio didn't, because understanding Rita or herself took years in the making. She vowed to make him feel better later.
"The crash was scary but it wasn't as bad as your accident," Annastasia told Rita. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better," Rita said proudly. "The pain is completely gone now. Gio is going to give me a more regular assignment later this week."
"I am so glad to hear that. I have been worried about you. May I ask about Ralph? Last time we talked you mentioned a plan to get him back."
Michio slid away, not wanting to listen to the rest of the girls' conversation.
"I have been keeping an eye on Ralph," said Rita. "Not stalking him, but paying closer attention. He doesn't seem to like that girl he hangs out with; I think she is just a rebound sex pal. Someone to make him feel like he has moved on, but I can tell that he looks miserable."
"I am sad for him," Annastasia said quietly.
"A, you don't get it, do you?"
"Clearly I don't."
"This is great. If he is unhappy, then it means that he…he will come back for me…"
"If Ralph is looking for a girl who is committed, he isn't going to come back for you until you show him that you are also committed."
Rita knew she was right, but she hated hearing it.
"I am trying," Rita moaned. "Four months is harsh. I'd like to see him be celibate for four months. And A, don't tell me that it is easy, just because you can do it, doesn't mean that I can."
"Celibacy is a choice. It's different for me, and you should know that."
"I do know that…I'm just saying, it's harder than you probably think."
"And I trust your judgment, but it's only been a few days. Relax."
"It's going to be a long sixteen weeks."
A moment later Lucy entered the house, followed by Rumika. She put a pot of water on the stove for tea and then they sat down at the table while the waited for the water to boil.
"Where's Jocelyn?" Rumika inquired.
"The kids have the Allamanda Contest tomorrow; this is their last day to practice. It's just me, Michio, Logan, Sandshrew, and some of our Pokémon here now," Annastasia responded.
"The babies?"
"Delia's watching them."
The group talked for a bit while they waited for Keaka. She arrived after about ten minutes.
"I hope I didn't inconvenience any of you by having this meeting earlier than what we previously agreed to," she said as she entered the house.
"This actually works better for me," said Annastasia. "And I feel that Michio's hand should be looked at sooner rather than later, plus, the sooner we collaborate, the sooner we get Amber, Jay, and Jezz back."
The group chatted and moved to the family room. Annastasia poured them all some peppermint tea and carried it out on a tray. They all took a mug, including Sandshrew.
As small yellow creature pushed passed all of them to get to it, and Keaka couldn't help but be amused.
"We don't have those types of shrews here in Alola," she commented after Sandshrew had left them.
The group silently decided against telling her the long story behind the creature's presence, and since Sandshrew didn't feel like engaging in conversation anyway, they decided it would be unnecessary for now.
"Where's my son?" Keaka questioned. "Hiding?"
Michio came out of the kitchen with a bagel and coffee. Keaka hugged him tightly and explained how happy she was that he was okay. After that she placed her advanced medical kit on the coffee table and took Michio's ruined hand in her own.
"Anna did an excellent job of fixing up this wound," Keaka observed.
"Thank you," Annastasia nodded. "This is random, but people don't normally call me Anna…"
"I'm sorry. It sorta just popped into my head. I won't call you that anymore."
"No, you misunderstand. I like it."
Annastasia grinned. Keaka returned her smile. "I am glad then."
"Awe, bonding time," Rita said teasingly. "Michio, your mama is a sweetheart."
"Sure," Michio responded.
Michio couldn't forget how lost he felt for years because he did not have her guidance. After being scolded by relatives for 'feminizing' him, Keaka distanced herself from her son, and he spent most of his childhood with the servants and the trio of girls who hated him. She wasn't there for Michio when he got into drinking or drugs, and when she discovered his problem, her first reaction was to punish him. It took him a while to get proper treatment, and it was partially her fault that he got in so deep. She should have stuck up for him instead of agreeing to everything his father, aunt, and grandparents demanded.
Michio knew that in the end she cared for him, but he had a hard time forgiving her since he couldn't forget.
Michio winced in pain. "What are you doing?!"
"I am putting alcohol in here," Keaka answered. "It is to help clean the cut."
"That is some nasty shit," Rita sniggered as she watched Keaka work on the open wound.
Michio was looking away and involuntarily releasing quiet whimpers. This kind of thing freaked him out. He had experience with blood in the past, as he had been there for Annie when she needed him, but it was different when it was on his own body.
She gently twisted his hand and wrist, causing Michio to loudly swear.
"You must have broken your capitate bone," Keaka murmured. She touched another part of his hand. Michio swore again. "And the hamate...definitely the trapezoid and trapezium too…I have a cast to put on you. It is a removable one, so I do not need to plaster you...first I must adjust it to fit the injury. It will be annoying to wear, but don't want you talking it off."
"I won't," Michio moaned, still in pain.
"You can see how swollen the location of the breaks in your hand and fingers are. Also, you look very drained. Please consume more fluids. The fluids will help you heal faster too."
Michio shivered at the word. Rita raised her eyebrows, and Annastasia whispered a reminder to Rita about how 'fluids' was his least favorite word.
"You gotta grow up, Michio. How are you going to make your mommy proud without a few grandbabies? And you know, making babies required lots of different fluids," Rita teased.
Though he didn't show it, Michio felt like gagging. He scrunched his face up instead, giving the impression that he had just tasted a sour lemon. His mother laughed and stroked his hair.
"As long as you have the happiness that I didn't get, I don't care what you do," she told Michio.
Michio was relieved, since babies were not on his or Annastasia's agenda. Though he didn't know why he felt relieved, since impressing his mother was not something he ever felt impelled to do in the past.
Sometimes fixing a hand is about more than healing bones.
When Keaka was through, Michio's hand was wrapped up tightly in gauze and had a removable cream-colored cast on it.
He decided to take a walk while the girls had their meeting.
"I hope you don't mind," said Keaka. "But Professor Rosedale told me she was—"
She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Annastasia answered it.
"Professor Rosedale. We are glad you made it. We weren't sure if you were still coming," she said as the professor entered the house.
"Well now, I am here, aren't I?" the woman responded with a smile. She turned to Michio's mother. "I have some of my Morelull potion for your son's hand. I saw him leaving the house and gave some to him. I told him I would leave the rest of it out it on the counter. It will help his bones to regrow and help that wound heal."
She looked to Rita, who nodded. "Yeah, if it could help me mend all my ribs in a matter of days, it could certainly help his hand quicker."
"How far have you gotten into the discussion?" the professor questioned.
"Not far."
"I suppose now is a good time to start. I have with me Michio's Lunala, my Espeon, my Lelen, my Xerneas, and my parents' Mew, Lucario, and Mewtwo," said Annastasia. "Keaka, Professor, what is your first suggestion?"
"I suggest we do a hypnosis experiment using the Mew," Professor Rosedale responded.
"Why hypnosis?"
"I have reason to believe that a hypnotized Mew can subconsciously achieve more because it is in a relaxed and completely objective state. I do not have firsthand data, as I have only ever encountered a Mew from a distance, by my great-great grandmother wrote this in her notes. I have used this method on a Ditto, using a Drowzee to hypnotize it, and when the Ditto was entirely relaxed, it was able to follow my instruction and gain more abilities, such as the ability to mimic the power of the legendary Dialga. As you know that is something an ordinary Ditto cannot achieve. When taken out of the hypnosis stage, Ditto retreated back into its weaker form and was no longer able to mimic Dialga."
"Are you claiming to have once had a Dialga in your possession?"
"Legendaries are never possessed by humans. We were friends. Annastasia was friends with the same Dialga."
"It is true," said Annastasia. "Dialga and I met several years ago."
"As you must know, Dialga can also travel through time. Ditto are simply mutations of Mew, and so it is not outlandish to think that if a Ditto could do this than so could a Mew, and get more powerful results as well," Keaka interjected. "And although I do not have a Drowzee with me, we can have the other Mew mimic Drowzee's power."
"That sounds like a good idea. But where is that Dialga now?" Rita asked. "If would be great to have it help us out."
"Most likely it is traveling through time, helping humans and Pokémon in ways we cannot even imagine. It is a generous Pokémon, and like most other legendaries, Dialga is most likely very busy keeping peace and order in the universe," Professor Rosedale responded.
"Acorn, Aliyah, are you ready for this?" Annastasia asked.
The two Mew changed from Eevee into their original forms.
"We are," Acorn told the group.
"I will sync our mindsets," Aliyah told Professor Rosedale. "Then my sister will hypnotize me, and you can tell me what to do."
The professor nodded. Everyone stood back and watched them work. Acorn assumed the role of the Drowzee while Aliyah sat back and relaxed. Then her eyes sunk into a mellow daze, and Professor Rosedale explained how they had to use Super-Vision, a move that Lunala knows, that will allow them to see almost anything they want. Lunala was limited in the ability, and it strained her to use it, which also made it difficult for Acorn and Aliyah to mimic it. Ultimately the experiment failed.
"I am sorry I failed you," the Mew apologized.
"It is not your fault. You simply aren't practiced enough. Lunala is such an amazing Pokémon, but it does have limits," Keaka responded. "We should try it again, then request the help of Mewtwo."
Everyone agreed. The experiment failed a second time, and Lucy went to go find Mewtwo. The powerful psychic-type agreed to give his assistance, though he also failed, even after he mega-evolved.
"There is one creature left who we can turn to," Annastasia said cautiously.
"You have another Legendary?" Keaka questioned.
"No, but we have Sandshrew."
Annastasia, Lucy, Rumika, and Rita told the story of last winter. Keaka had heard most of this story from Michio and Annastasia previously, but what she didn't know about was Annastasia's aura and the monster fusion. Annastasia got up to go find it, and she discovered it in the kitchen, consuming the mochi that her parents had made.
"I can read minds. I already know what is going on here," it told her.
"Will you help us then?" Annastasia asked hopefully.
"I understand that this will not benefit me."
"It will benefit everyone else. And the happier we are, the happier you will be."
"Will this require effort?"
"A bit. But you are a very strong Pokémon. It will be easy for you."
Sandshrew thought about this. "It is true that I am the most powerful creature in the world. Honestly, I could have gotten those children back ages ago."
Annastasia tried to keep her voice calm. "Are you serious? Why didn't you help us?"
"It required effort. Besides, I do not recall ever being asked to help. Perhaps if I received more respect around here, I would have considered initiating that discussion."
Annastasia gasped. It was true; no one ever thought to directly ask Sandshrew to help. They had talked about how much they wanted the Sandshrew to help, and how they begged it to try, but no one ever went up to it and said 'Sandshrew, your excellence, we need you to do specifically x, y, and z'. She felt like a total idiot. She knew Sandshrew was capable of almost anything. Why did she assume it wouldn't take direct orders? She knew it was a pain in the ass, but she realized that she should have tried harder. Instead, they had mostly just lamented the loss, and scolded the creature whenever it acted insensitive.
Annastasia got down on her knees.
"Please, we need you. We need you to locate the kids and return them to us safely. You are the only person who can help us. If you do this, I will do whatever you ask me to do. You are literally our only hope," she said.
Sandshrew looked down at her. "My, this is a familiar concept. The other one, your mate, did this to me before, made promises and such."
"Michio honored those promises, didn't he?"
"He did, but he could have been nicer about it."
'You could have been a lot nicer about everything,' Annastasia thought to herself. Then she remembered that her thoughts weren't safe from Sandshrew. 'Crap.'
"Like your mate, I am not a naturally kind creature," Sandshrew reminded her, though she hardly needed reminding.
Annastasia got off her knees and reached out to hold its paw. Sandshrew flinched and moved its paw so that it was out of her range.
"I hope you know that I have respect for you. You will be welcome in my home forever," she vowed.
"Only if I help you," it remarked.
"It is not conditional; it is a vow."
Being able to not only read her mind but also to feel the essence they shared; the creature found that it couldn't genuinely disagree. If it didn't accept this, it would be creating a paradox. This human had its life in her hands too; the moment she left the planet, it did as well. They were tied together, and perhaps breaking that forced bond was the only thing it could do.
Sandshrew had no empathy or sympathy for humans, and that would probably never change, but it did have logic. Annastasia seemed to have the ability to manipulate logic so that everything came down to morals.
But then again, it always did the same in regards to other Pokémon. She was a trickster, and there was no denying it. She had it caught in her trap, as she was caught in its own.
"Then give me instructions," it finally agreed.
Annastasia smiled. "Follow me."
XO
In The Next Chapter:
- The trio shops and steals
- Jay does Amber's makeup
- Lily and Maya help the pre-contestants