Author Note: Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay in updating. I moved, went to an event, came back, and it's been a nightmare getting everything set up - we needed internet, had to order and install our fridge, had to set up all of our electronics... It's been a little over two weeks since everything started and now it's finally settling down. I've had this chapter done but I did some editing and it should be good to post. Hopefully I will have another installment out this week! (I'm getting a puppy on Christmas day from a friend and may be a bit busy with that but I'll write a lot tomorrow morning)
Thanks for reading, adding to your favorites, and following myself and the story! Have a great holiday! 3
Leon woke the next morning fast asleep against Charizard's muscular form. He tilted his hat upright off of his face to reveal the dimly lit morning sun beginning to rise over the trees beyond the lake at the Professor's house. He gave a well-deserved stretch and checked his phone for the time. It was a quarter after six in the morning. He noticed he had one new text. Upon opening, it was a message from Chris.
'Hey man. Looks like Trevor left town last night shortly after he left the party. Idk what happened after he ditched your place but word has it he's back at the League Commission in Wyndon. Let me know if you want me to file a report with League Conduct.' Leon closed the message without responding. He looked around the area to see Isabella had not showed up. He wondered if she was okay. If Trevor left, then she probably just went home. Charizard made a small huff noise at Leon. When they met eyes, he could see the question behind Charizard's blue hues.
"Sorry, partner. No news."
Charizard gave a solemn nod, then turned to see how Rami was doing. He was fast asleep on his back, curled up in Charizard's tail. Charizard gave a slow, content blink before coiling his head back to the ground. Leon gave Charizard an affectionate pat on the head before standing up. He knew he would need to get started on the recommendation reports to the invitationals and get the letters drawn for Isabella and Hop before he met them for lunch. He pulled out his Rotom and told it to send Hop a text to grab Isabella before coming over to make sure she was alright.
Isabella spent the whole morning packing a bag for traveling. Several pairs of clothes, washing supplies, cooking supplies, and more. As she finished packing her bag, she approached her full length mirror. Her left arm was bruised from her fingertips all the way up to the middle of her forearm. It was a nasty sight of discoloration from deep purples and blues. It hurt to grip things even with a soft touch and it was going to raise a lot of questions. Her jaw had light bruising from where Trevor had gripped her. Thankfully, it didn't hurt as much. She needed to hide the bruises. Isabella opened up her vanity to pull out some of her rainbow athletic tape. She wrapped her wrist all the way up her arm to try and hide the bruises. It certainly did the job, but it was a little unusual. She decided to wrap both of her arms to seem less conspicuous and went with a monochromatic outfit with a black tank top with a Poliwag design and light wash jean shorts. Afterwards, she applied as much makeup as she could to hide the bruising on her jawline. After running her fingers through her hair, she let out a sigh.
How it came to this, she'll never know.
Throwing her bag over her shoulder, she walked into the kitchen and met her mother having breakfast. She sat down and dropped her bag to her side with a quiet thump. Lisbeth looked over her coffee cup's lip to see the traveling bag, and showed a subtle hint at a smile.
"I take it you made a decision, sweetheart?"
Isabella gave a solemn nod. "Yeah. Mama, I think it's time I head out. I'll visit, I promise. And I'll make sure Eleanora comes over to check on you."
Lisbeth put a defiant hand up. "Don't worry about me, honey. We're both grown women," she soothed. Isabella couldn't bring herself to meet her mother's eyes, and Lisbeth noticed. "I will be just fine." She watched her daughter with cautious intent.
"How did your night go with Trevor?" she asked. Isabella glanced at her mother's eyes and Lisbeth could see the hesitation.
"I don't want to talk about it too much, to be honest," she relented. "It wasn't very nice, and I don't know if I want to see him very much anymore." Lisbeth set her coffee mug down a bit harsher than she intended.
"He didn't try to pressure you, did he?"
"No, mom. He didn't." Isabella placed a hand on her wrist without thinking about it. "He said some mean things about Hop and his family, and I just.. I realized I didn't want to be with someone who thought like that.. About my friends and my family."
Isabella wasn't lying. But she didn't want to worry her mother. She met her mother's concerned eyes and forced a smile. "The Dandels have done so much for us. I need to be with someone who can appreciate that, right?"
Lisbeth began searching her daughter's eyes, trying to discern if it was true or not. She nodded in response. "You're right. You need to be with someone that can respect you and the people you choose to have in your life. Someone who respects you." Lisbeth was very insistent. Isabella nodded, then stood reaching for her bag.
"I'm going to go get Rami some of those apples he likes from the Weald," she stated. Lisbeth followed her daughter with her eyes. "If Hop swings by, can you just tell him I'm there? He's supposed to come grab me to meet Leon for lunch."
Her mother smiled. "Of course. And sweetheart?" Isabella turned as she grabbed the door handle, looking over her shoulder. "I love you. You know that." Isabella gave a genuine smile.
"I know. I love you too." Lisbeth smiled, and then ushered for her to leave. She gave a small chuckle before walking out and closing the door behind her.
Isabella strolled into the Slumbering Weald like she normally did. However, it seemed a little more foggy today than normal. She didn't give it much of a thought as she kept walking further into the forest. Her usual spots for the apples Rami liked were empty. Skwovet's really liked the apples, too, so she wasn't surprised the usual haunts were empty. She began to walk further into the forest, thinking about how she would be able to hide the injury from Hop on their adventure. She wasn't sure how long it would take to heal. It hurt to pick anything up with that hand. Rami loved to be held, and she loved to hold him. It would be beyond difficult to hide that from him. It would be out of the ordinary for her. Rami also had a strange sense with her. He could always pick up when something was wrong with her. He knew days before she would get sick that something was off.
She looked into the log that Rami and her would frequent to find it empty of apples, just like the ones before. Isabella sighed. Where could they have gone? She glanced around the area. She began to notice that she wasn't seeing much of any Pokemon wandering around, either. No Rookidees, no Skwovets… The fog seemed to be getting thicker, too. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to be prepared in case of danger.
From her waistband, she pulled out her Pokeball and cast it into the air. Ruby landed on the ground from the ball's bright white light with a triumphant bark.
"Come on, Rubes. The forest is different today," she stated. Meeting Ruby's intense earthy eyes, she gave a confident smile. "We're looking for those apples your brother likes. Can you help me find them?"
Ruby gave another bark in agreement and began to sniff the ground. Within seconds, Ruby gave a nod and began to trot further into the woods. Isabella glanced around, eyeing the fog with suspicion, before following Ruby into the woods. It was eerie. She had never seen the fog this dense or the forest this quiet before. Ruby was skipping through the forest, sniffing around for the apples Isabella asked her to look for. They crossed over the cobblestone bridge and into the thick of it. The fog became more dense and it was beginning to feel different on her skin. Isabella rubbed her upper arms. Ruby began to trot a little faster, seeming to have found some apples.
"Ruby, wait, stay close," she called out. Ruby stopped on a dime and turned around, skipping back to Isabella with a hushed bark. At her call, there was a disembodied howl in the woods, echoing for what seemed like kilometers. Isabella looked around, attempting to find the source. Ruby crawled onto Isabella's shoes, growling into the fog.
"Izzy?" A familiar orotund voice echoed behind her.
"Hop?" She called back.
"Izzy! I can't see you!"
She tried to walk towards his voice but the fog made it hard to see her hands. "Hop! Can you hear me? Walk to my voice!"
Another howl into the woods. It sounded close now. Isabella turned around and met the sunset colored eyes of a wolf like Pokemon. She froze, caught in its gaze. She felt mesmerized. Its head tilted to the side ever so slightly. It had deep slash marks embedded into its forehead and its ear was cut in half. There were links of pink fur cascading from its jawbones around its sides, and a stoic look across its face. The fog cleared between them and it backed away a few meters. Ruby began growling at it and charged forward, challenging it to a fight. The Pokemon looked down towards Ruby. Ruby continued to bark, but didn't move any further closer.
"Ruby, don't!" Isabella called. Ruby stopped barking, ear tilted towards Isabella, and she looked over her shoulder.
Isabella didn't break eye contact with the Pokemon as it met her eyes once more. She had never seen anything so elegant and graceful before. Its beautiful pastel blue fur formed elegant sharp points down into ribbons around it's arms, and it was unlike anything she had ever seen. She approached it a few steps at a time. The Pokemon let out another deafening howl, echoing into the woods.
"Izzy! What are you doing?" Hop cried out. She glanced over her shoulder to see Hop had finally found her. His Wooloo was at his side, crying out at her and Ruby. She didn't respond to Hop, but turned her head back towards the Pokemon. It held the gaze with her. She could see very little behind its eyes. There was something there behind the solemn stare. Curiosity, perhaps? Isabella took a few more steps, reaching her hand out in an offering. Her palm faced up towards the sky as she extended her greeting.
"Izzy!" Hop cried once more. She ignored his calls.
The Pokemon did not look towards Hop. It did not look at her hand. It simply held the gaze they maintained. She wasn't sure why it had shown up. Had she trespassed too far into the forest? It was nonviolent, however. It seemed to be almost inquisitive. As if learning why she was here. But there was something in its eyes. As if it had been waiting for someone to show. Isabella could feel the pull of emotion.
"Are you in danger?" she asked it. It held the gaze, unwavering and unblinking. She took a few more steps towards the creature. At this point, she was within arms reach. She lowered her hand to her side. "Were you waiting for us?"
It was at that point Wooloo charged forward, barreling into the side of the Pokemon. Instead of colliding with it, there was a magical wave that overtook the perimeter of the wolf-like forest Pokemon. Wooloo took no damage and dealt nothing, and was thrown back towards Hop. Hop charged forward and grabbed Isabella's arms to pull her back. The pain in her bruised wrist took over and she let out a loud yelp in pain. Ruby began barking loudly again at the Pokemon. With all of the excitement and energy, the Pokemon let out another loud howl. The fog whipped up and blanketed the area, creating a whirlwind of energy. Hop and Isabella were thrown off of their feet. With a loud slam, they were thrown into the ground and the world fell into darkness.
"Where are they?" Leon huffed. He stamped his foot on the ground, checking the clock on his Rotom phone. It was already three in the afternoon, and they should've arrived over two hours ago. Sonia gave a gentle chuckle.
"They're still young, Leon," she giggled. "Perhaps they got caught up doing something silly. You know how they get." Leon gave her an agreeable nod.
"Yeah, but.. This isn't like Hop. He'll let me know if they're running late." He checked his text messages from Hop again. The last one received was: Hey, her mom said she went to get Rami some apples from the Weald. I'll grab her and be over.
"If they went in there, they should've only been a few minutes. It shouldn't take hours. He sent me this text four hours ago," Leon urged. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, readjusting his hat. Sonia shifted on her foot and leaned to the side.
"If they've been in the Weald this long, that can't be good, Leon," she declared. "You know the rumors. That place is dangerous." Leon nodded.
"I'm going after them."
In a matter of minutes, Charizard flew Leon over the Slumbering Weald. He could see how thick the fog was from above and knew he wouldn't be able to find them this way. His heart began to beat faster and his nerves were high. He knew he had to stay alert. He shared a knowing glance with Charizard to maintain awareness. Charizard flew them down into the entrance. Leon took a deep breath as they began trekking into the woods. He was feeling uneasy as they walked through the woods. He had no idea how Isabella came into the Weald so frequently, especially considering she didn't have any Pokemon that could protect her like he had. He gave a quick glance to Charizard. He was walking tall, eyes wide and alert. He was giving a subtle sniff every so often. Leon assumed to find Isabella and Hop. He didn't know where he would be without his partner. He gave Charizard a warm pat on the arm. Charizard glanced at his partner and made an audible acknowledgement with a warm smile. Leon returned the look before continuing forward. As they approached the cobblestone bridge, the fog began to clear. It wasn't much longer before Charizard began to grumble. Leon glanced at him and Charizard ushered his neck towards the left path ahead of them. As Leon jogged forward, he could see them collapsed on the ground away from each other. Leon charged forward.
"Hop! Izzy!" He skid on his knees over to Hop as Charizard flew over to Isabella. He shook his brother at the shoulders, tapping his face with an open palm. Wooloo and Ruby were on the ground not too far away, stirring in an attempt to stand. Both were incredibly weak and wounded. Leon glanced up at them and grimaced at the scuff marks on their legs and faces. Leon reached into his back belt to pull out his Pokeball and he summoned forth his Dragapult. He let out a soft cry, adjusting to his surroundings. Leon threw open his bag and handed Dragapult a full restore.
"Go fix them up, buddy," he ordered. Dragapult nodded and floated over to the young Pokemon, spraying the medicine over their wounds with cautious accuracy. Hop began to stir at Leon's voice.
"Lee…? Lee, what..?" Leon's eyes widened at Hop's voice.
"Hey! Hey, hey, hey champ. What the hell happened? Are you okay?" Hop reached up with a shaky hand and rubbed his eyes erratically.
"Yeah, I think so," came his weak answer. He attempted to lean forward to sit up and Leon assisted him. Hop put his elbow on his raised knee and leaned his head into his hand. "I don't know what happened.. That Pokemon just came out of nowhere. It was so strong. I couldn't find her in the fog- wait, Izzy!" His head shot up and he looked around. Charizard was trying to lift her off the ground but she was out cold. Hop scrambled to his feet and tripped over to her. Leon chased after his younger brother, kneeling down beside their unconscious neighbor. Her athletic tape must've been blown off in the blast as her arms were very much visible. Charizard placed her gently on the ground in front of Leon and Hop. Hop immediately grabbed her arm, inspecting it. The discoloration was deep and intense, and scattered all over from her fingers to her elbow.
"God, that thing did a number on you guys," Leon murmured. "She must've landed on her wrist at a weird angle or something." Hop glanced at his brother but said nothing. He remembered how she cried out when he grabbed it before the whirlwind. Hop inspected it further to see the handprint very vague on her wrist and he immediately placed his hand over it to hide it from Leon.
"It-It's still warm. Do you have an ice pack or something?" Hop stuttered. Leon gave a nod and jogged over to his bag. Hop glanced back to make sure his brother wasn't watching, and he checked it further. He found the cuts on the underside and could see the bruising go all the way down her forearm to her fingers.
"Damn it, Izzy," he whispered. He stood and got on the other side of her so he could do his best to wrap her wound. Wooloo and Ruby stumbled over to Isabella and Hop. They appeared out of it but at least they were standing. Ruby curled up next to Isabella's neck, whimpering softly. Leon walked back over with the ice pack and a bandage. He massaged the ice pack to activate the ingredients and placed it over her wrist, allowing Hop to wrap it. Isabella began to stir, mumbling under her breath.
"Stop…"
Leon and Hop met eyes, sharing the confusion in their gaze. Leon looked back down at her. She still seemed out cold. "Izzy?" He grabbed her hand as gentle as he could and gave it a squeeze. "Hey, you there?"
Hop looked toward his brother. He could see the focus in Leon's eyes as he attempted to wake up his best friend. He had never seen his brother's eyes so gentle before. Hop's eyes narrowed as he watched his brother. Leon placed his other hand on Isabella's shoulder and rocked it back and forth, calling to her as quietly as he could. Isabella stirred a bit more. Hop peered with intent, watching every microexpression. Something was off. Something was different. Why was Leon being so attentive? He was never gentle with Isabella. He's seen Leon slam Isabella into a wall when they were wrestling for a game controller before. He laughs at her when she falls down, which was often with how clumsy she could be.
Suddenly, she jolted upright, gasping for breath. Leon immediately placed a hand on her back.
"Hey, hey, calm down. We're here," he soothed. Isabella's eyes were beady and erratic, shooting from one thing to the next. Leon let go of her hand and cupped her face, turning her face to his with a gentle grace. Her skin felt like the silk touch of petals on a flower, yet somehow familiar. Isabella's eyes bounced from his left and right eye, struggling to settle from her panic.
"Breathe," he cooed. "You're fine. We've got you." Like magic, Leon's collected calm seem to wash over her and her heart rate seemed to fall in sync with his own, settling her breathing. Her pupils dilated, and she let out a ragged breath. His thumb caressed her temple with a ginger touch.
"Are you alright?" came his controlled, deep voice. All of the thoughts plaguing her mind came to a slow halt and she relaxed in his grasp. She did her best to give him a warm smile, but she could barely curl her lips in her state. Hop maintained a stillness as he observed his older brother.
"How long have I been out?" came her light tones. Leon shot a curious look at his younger brother and that's when Isabella looked over, eyes widening at Hop as if she was unaware he was right there. She could feel the heat on her cheeks, both from embarrassment and the warmth radiating from Leon's silken hands. Both of her hands shot up to remove Leon's hands from her face but the ice pack shifted and fell off before she could reach his hands. It caused burning and stinging sensations to shoot up her arm. She let out an unintentional yelp and grasped the wrist firmly. Leon's hand shot to her shoulder, gripping it with a firm concern, as the other hand hovered over her wounded arm. Hop placed his hand on her lap in a meek effort to comfort her.
"Come on, we need to get out of here if that thing comes back," Hop muttered, eyes shifting around the forest with suspicion. "Being this far in isn't safe."
Leon nodded at his younger brother. "Hop, go gather everyone and get my bag." Hop held the gaze with his brother firmly before he took the gaze to Isabella. His eyes clouded over for a moment before he nodded in agreement and walked away. Leon chose to ignore the reaction for the time being and focus on Isabella. "Can you stand?"
Isabella blinked slow at Leon with a timid nod before attempting to stand up. He grabbed her unwounded hand with a cautious grip, interlocking their thumbs for support. Her cheeks flushed at the warmth between them as she pulled herself to her feet with his help. Leon placed a hand on her back to help steady her and she unknowingly leaned into his embrace. Leon's eyes widened at the proximity of her head to his shoulder, yet he didn't let go of her hand. Her eyes traveled up his torso to his face and anchored onto a gaze with his bronze eyes. She could've let go of his hand. She could've moved away. But he could've, too. Her breath quickened when she came to that realization. Their cupped hands began to lower and Leon turned his eyes to them. He released her hand with a gentle touch. Leon took in a soft breath, heart racing, before sliding his fingers between hers with cautious uncertainty. Isabella felt her heart beating into her lungs and she glanced at their hands before catching his amber eyes once more. Her lips parted as she was met with that warm face of his that she loved to see. A smile involuntarily made its way to her delicate face, and his lips curled upon sight of her expression. He began to wonder if she felt different about him, too.
Charizard let out a loud grumble, breaking their gaze, and Leon immediately dropped their hands. A light blush fell on his cheeks as he snapped back into focus. Hop approached Leon and handed him his bag with a haphazard throw.
"Izzy, are you good to walk?" Leon stammered, clearing his voice with a soft cough. She glanced away from him, nodding in agreement and reapplying the ice pack to her wrist. Hop's eyes bounced between the two but he stayed quiet as they exited the forest.
After an hour of being doted on by her mother, Isabella, Hop, and Leon left to make their way to the Professor's house. Shortly after arriving, Leon told them to wait by the lake so he could get the gift he had prepared for the both of them. Isabella took a seat on the bench nearby, folding her hands in her lap. Hop shoved his hands deep in his pockets and tracked her movements. She interrupted his gaze by tilting her head. Hop side-eyed the lab before jogging over and sitting heavy next to her.
"How's your arm?" he said in a flat tone. She caught his tone, but said nothing.
"It's alright. Just stings," she replied as short as possible. She didn't want to say too much. Hop nodded for an unusually long time before speaking again.
"That didn't happen in the Weald," he declared. Isabella's eyes shot towards him at the accusation. He met her gaze hard with a stern, unblinking amber look. Her eyes wavered at his force, and she drifted her gaze to the ground. She didn't know what he knew and she didn't want to lie to her best friend. "Izzy, what happened?"
Isabella let out a deep breath and began to pick at her thumbs. "I guess Trevor got really upset by whatever happened between him and Lee at the party after I left. He saw the bracelet Leon got me and he.. I don't know. He flipped out, Hop. I don't know if he knew how hard he grabbed my hand but he left right afterwards."
"He… He didn't make you do anything, did he?"
Isabella's head shot up. "No! No, of course not," she exclaimed. "No, he was just really upset and left right after." Her thumb began to bleed and she pressed it against her jean shorts. "I'm not going to talk to him for awhile. I just want to be away from him for now."
Hop grabbed her hand and gave it a soft squeeze. "Izzy, that guy is nuts. Don't go back to him," he said. She nodded in response, refusing to look up at Hop.
"Please don't tell anyone," she pleaded, glancing at the Professor's lab. Hop understood what she meant. "You know he'll do something stupid. And I don't want anyone knowing yet. Not until I officially break it off with Trevor, okay?" Hop nodded in response.
"Alright."
