Chapter 7 time, you already know.
Hey! This is the chapter I've been telling you about. This is my longest one to date, with over 6,000 words! I also think its my best one so far, but I'm sure that'll get blown out of the water soon.
I've been working on this ever since my business has died down a bit. I can actually have a clear mind now and focus on this.
Enjoy the chapter, let me know what you think.
Thanks!
- Splak R.
Andrew woke up to a place he didn't recognize.
He couldn't see anything except himself. Andrew called for someone, but he didn't know who. Just then, three black, shadowy figures revealed themselves. Andrew couldn't make out a silhouette.
"Who are you?" He finally managed to get out.
All three of them spoke in a combined amalgamation of their voices, "We're your best friends."
"What do you mean? Why are you here?"
"Show us the way. You have the rock, do you not?"
"What rock? I don't even know what's going on!"
"You'll find out... soon enough, mutt."
"Come with us."
"What?
"COME WITH US!"
"Wait... I'm not ready!"
He screamed as the shadowy figures floated closer.
Andrew jumped awake with a cold sweat. He looked at his paws, and patted himself to make sure he was still alive. He breathed a huge sigh of relief when he found out he wasn't dead.
What a weird dream that was.
He laid in bed for a few minutes, trying to remember the contents of that dream. Now that he was awake, he couldn't remember half of it. Thankfully the bed was comfy to snuggle into, or else it would've added more stress to himself, which is something he really didn't need right now.
"Y'know, I probably just need a shower. And a long one at that. It's been a while since I've taken a long one."
Andrew trudged himself to the bathroom. Thankfully, he packed his own body wash materials so he wouldn't have to use the ones the hotel provided. He was rudely awakened from the dream, so he kind of needed to wake up a bit. The hard-ish hotel water pattered on his face, and the high window gave some natural light. How badly he needed both of those elements right now couldn't be described.
Andrew thought long and hard about the dream he had. Why did those figures say they were his best friends? Were they Pokemon he already knew? If it was, he would put Tammy and Seb on that list, but what about the third one? He guessed he could put Sydney on there too. She had been generally more talkative towards Seb, though. They're about the same age, so he could rule that out as a possibility for why.
The only other thing he remembered from that dream was them saying rock... if Seb was on the list, then maybe he could have said that. Seb's unyielding passion for rocks has actually gotten him pretty far, he's been working at the Geology Team for Jett Kingdom for a few years now. Really their only purpose is to find ascension stones and do forensic work.
"WAIT."
"Rock in that context probably meant Ascension Stone, which I talked to Seb about. So, going by that logic, I can conclude that I must have something to do with that. Maybe I ca-"
Andrew accidentally opened his mouth to get it full of the hard water. He immediately spit it out; it tasted very coarse, and it honestly left a bad aftertaste in his mouth. He couldn't wait to brush his teeth now.
"I've already washed everything... I've been in here long enough."
After getting ready for the day, Andrew was now exploring Quilar.
He had only gotten one good look at the town, and he never really had a chance to take everything in since he was so tired yesterday.
The town itself was a grid of golden-colored brick streets, with businesses and buildings sprouting from them. There was at least one Pokemon in sight at all times, whether they be in one of the buildings, walking down the path, or residing in a shop for their line of work. The sound of their footsteps combined into the amalgamation of white noise you would typically hear in a busy area. From outside, the smell of alluring restaurants caught everyone's eye, even one cub was begging their parents to go to a famous restaurant. Andrew could smell everything that the nearby restaurant was cooking, due to his heightened sense of smell as a Lucario.
The brick road that he was on felt nice, it definitely felt nicer in comparison to the dirt path he would usually run on in the mornings. It was definitely a nice change of pace for him. He would have to go to that restaurant he smelled a few seconds ago, but he saved the thought for dinner, since it looked fancy. Andrew got a look at some of the merchant shops that were set up.
There was the mirror shop he saw yesterday. There were mirrors literally all over the small, wooden shop. There were small ones hanging, large ones leaning against it, even tiny ones that Pokemon could fit in their pocket.
"They probably need to upgrade their storage pretty soon."
Andrew saw another shop which looked like a miniature restaurant. It had a cover sheet compressed on both sides, leaving the restaurant open for all to see. He had heard of certain shops opening those sheets in the morning and closing them at night. He also heard that they serve the customers regardless of what time it is. He read the sign on top of the restaurant. "Waffle Bar". He was actually really hungry right now, and of course, waffles sounded like the perfect cure for his appetite.
He went up to one of the stools on the right and sat down. He saw one of those fancy waffle irons that makes the really fluffy ones. The stools were facing the kitchen directly, so he got to watch the cooks make the food.
"Hey there, what'll ya have?" The Kangaskhan employee said.
"Can I have a second, please? This is my first time."
"Oh, sure! There's a menu under your arm." The employee pointed to a laminated sheet that had the menu printed on it.
"Thanks." Andrew picked up the menu and started reading. He gawked at their selection.
"Geez, they have all kinds of waffles here! Oran Berry Waffles, Pecha Berry Pancakes, Moomoo Milk Waffles... This is like... waffle heaven! I know the waffles at Jett Kingdom were good, but these look even better than the ones there!"
He saw some regular waffles, and figured he should just have that, since he had no idea what they tasted like.
"Ma'am, I'm ready."
"Ah! What'll it be for you today?"
"Can I just have a regular waffle?"
"Alright. You sure you don't want one of our berry waffles? They're exclusive, y'know!"
"I'm good for now, maybe I'll get one next time."
"Ok, coming right up. This'll be quick, hun."
The Kangaskhan wasn't lying when she said it would be quick. She poured the batter in the waffle iron, and it cooked within a few minutes, leaving a very delicious looking waffle on Andrew's plate.
"Here ya go. There's syrup to the left of you."
"Thank you!" Andrew quickly snatched the syrup and glazed it all over his waffle. He was always a huge fan of big amounts of syrup, even though it wasn't the healthiest thing to do. He cut the waffle and took a huge bite, hoping for an exquisite experience.
And that's exactly what he got.
"What sorcery do they use to make this so good?! Is it something they use in the iron? What is their waffle mixture made out of?! This is probably the best thing I have ever tasted. Can I ask for thei-"
"Hun? You've been staring into space for a sec."
"Oh, have I? Sorry about that, this waffle's probably the best I've ever had."
"Oh really? Haha! Well that means a lot, I'm glad you like it so much. By the way, your check is ready."
The Kangaskhan handed him the receipt. 10 Poke.
"IT'S CHEAP TOO?!" Andrew took a deep breath before getting his wallet out.
Andrew put the prepaid card on the receipt and handed it back to the employee, who hummed as she processed the card. He went back to his delicious waffle. He took a few more bites, and they were just as delicious as the first. Only this time, he was consciously enjoying it rather than going to cloud nine every time he bit into it.
He finished his waffle and took his leave, thanking the Kangaskhan for his lunch. He didn't wake up in time for breakfast, so that waffle was his first meal.
He took another stroll around the town square, the huge fountain visible from his vantage point. He went south when he found the Waffle Bar, but this time, he decided to go east.
The roads were a similar tan brick, like the rest of the town. There were a couple fashion stores on one side. However, along the other side...
"Machamp's Fist?"
The recreational facility took up the entire right side of the street. The enormous structure had neon lighting on display out front, with a cartoony Machamp holding up, coincidentally, a fist. It's a shame that the artists didn't picture them holding up all four of their fists.
"Missed opportunity."
The place looked very interesting, but it was probably meant for Pokémon in their base state. After a few seconds of looking through the window, he actually saw some adults using the facility as well.
"Interesting. I can probably talk to an employee and ask what this place is."
With that, Andrew marched into Machamp's Fist.
As he opened the thin, glass doors, he was greeted with a stainless and sleek front desk. There was a dark grey wall behind it, and on the two sides were both sections of the facility he could go. They were labeled by signs, "Gym" and "Park". The receptionist was on a phone call right now, so Andrew waited a bit to talk to them.
"Alright. Thank you. Bye." The Machoke receptionist ended the call and turned his attention to Andrew.
"Hello, sir. How can I help you today?"
"Hey, it's my first time here. Can you tell me a little bit about this place?"
"Wow, it's your first time in this place? Have you been living under a rock? Anyway... Machamp's Fist is basically a gym and a recreational space combined into one. If you want a serious workout, you go to the gym. If you wanna have fun, you go to the park, as indicated by the signs. There is an hourly rate here, 15 Poke an hour, no matter what you do. That basically sums it up. So, were you planning on getting a rate today?"
He at least gave Andrew a little bit of information.
Andrew started, "Ok. I'll get the rate for... three hours."
"Perfect. Lemme just take your 45 Poke of Payment."
Andrew handed him the prepaid card.
A swipe later, and the card was handed back. He got a little green wristband on his right paw.
"Alright. Have fun, I guess." The Machoke went back to doing whatever he does on that monitor.
"The customer service here is impeccable..." Andrew grumbled a little as he went to the gym.
Andrew needed to stay in shape throughout this vacation. He'll definitely be coming here a lot. Just because he's in a different place doesn't mean he can slack off. He'll come back stronger than ever!
He went through some tinted glass doors to reveal a colorful gym. It was huge and full of exercise equipment, from treadmills to pull up bars, you name it, it's there. Andrew's eyes were practically glowing with delight. He could train in here no problem! There were even sparring fields and punching bags on the back wall.
Artwork surrounded the gym, some of the Machamp mascot, some nature paintings, and a few abstract ones. He wonder who made those pieces. He can probably check later, for now, he wanted to get on a treadmill.
He mainly wanted to mimic the three mile run that he does every morning with his squad.
Wait... wasn't the point of a vacation to not think about work?
He waved the thought out of his head and started the treadmill. He went at a fair jogging pace, and his eyes were directly facing a piece of abstract artwork.
It was a white canvas, etched with all of the primary colors, reds, yellows, and blues of different shades. They clashed and complimented with each other in the best way possible, kind of like a great movie. It followed a curvy 'S' pattern, all three colors and their shades taking slightly varying paths from the bottom left corner.
He found great joy in knowing there were still creative minds out there that could bring beautiful pieces such as that. After some time, his sweat cooled him down, although it started to soak his fur a bit. His breathing started to get hard to control as well, so he thought that it was a good time to take a breather.
That was the nice thing about being on vacation. Andrew didn't need to do a set amount to pass by. Captain Grayson had been really stringent about that... even when it didn't matter.
He saw a Nuzleaf on another treadmill next to the one he was previously on. The Nuzleaf was actually going at a near blinding speed on the treadmill, Andrew could barely keep up. As he was half expecting, the Nuzleaf slipped on the treadmill and got launched backwards. The treadmills were at the back of the gym, so the wall was behind the Pokémon on them. He heard a crash as the Nuzleaf slammed into said wall. He honestly probably broke something, either in himself or the property.
"Ouch. I get he was trying to push himself, but that's too far... Should I help? Oh wait... they got staff coming to help him, never mind."
Andrew eyed the pull up bars in his peripheral vision as the staff made their way to the Nuzleaf. Maybe he could get a few reps in before he stretched. He jogged to the pull up bars, passing a few Pokemon along the way.
He gripped the metal bar with his paws. The bar felt new, it even had little grooves at the handles for extra grip. This place must've been built recently for the bars to feel this nice.
He started to pull up his torso. His back and arms fell tense as he got his jaw over the bar. Back down... a moment of relaxation, a deep breath thrown in. Andrew was now facing a lime green wall.
"Even on the walls the creative juices flow wildly."
It was time for another. His back and arms tensed again, rising to the challenge of another rep. His sweat was more frequent since he drank some water on his break.
A few more reps came, and Andrew jumped down to the ground. He figured that would be satisfactory for now, considering the run he had. He grabbed a towel from the rack and went over to an empty bench.
The bench was metal, he thought it came from a football stadium or something of the sort. This specific bench didn't have any occupants, and for now, he liked it that way.
Only reason being is that he didn't know anybody in here, let alone the entire town. He had to admit, coming to this place was a good idea, but he soon realized he would have to meet new Pokémon.
"Hey, Lucario dude!"
Similar to instances such as now.
A Midday Lycanroc came up to where he was sitting. From what Andrew could tell, they were female.
"Can you be our fourth in our game of Volley?" She seemed pretty excited about this game.
"Volley?" Andrew stammered.
"Elle! You can't just ask him right away!" Now a Houndoom was added to the mix, a male assuming from their medium tenor voice.
"I admit, it was a little forward." A Dragonite too?! He had to assume they were female, but he was getting real tired of first impressions.
He understood the question, but he didn't get why they collectively chose him. All three Pokémon seemed to be around his age, but they all had varying personalities just based on what he witnessed. He couldn't exactly pinpoint what was going on with them. All he knew was that the Lycanroc and Dragonite were female, and that the Houndoom was male. He tried to ask a question but his mind was ceasing function for a split second.
"You don't know what Volley is?" Elle, the Lycanroc, asked.
"I've... never played before." Andrew admitted.
"Oh it's easy! You just hit the ball over the net and let it bounce on the other side!" Elle explained.
The Dragonite chimed in, "It'll make a lot more sense once you start playing."
"...Okay, but do they even have Volley courts here?" Andrew asked.
The Houndoom answered, "Yeah, we were just playing on one. Hopefully someone didn't steal it..."
The Dragonite beckoned Andrew, "Yeah. We gotta go back! C'mon, the courts are on the other side!"
"Okay. And my name's Andrew, by the way."
The Dragonite gave a smile, "I'm Naomi! Nice to get your name."
The Houndoom chimed in, "Shawn."
The four ran to the other side of the facility, which was even more colorful than the gym. It also had a lot more space. Now that Andrew saw it, he actually thought the gym was a little dull in comparison.
There was a colorful trampoline park that stood at the back, bouncing all sorts of Pokémon. Mainly Pokémon who have yet to evolve, but it looked fun to any Pokémon nonetheless. A pool with shimmering lights splashed in the corner, with a couple slides to boot. A playground that could rival even the mightiest one at a school stood towards the front of the facility, where the windows were. Maybe that's why Andrew saw a bunch of unevolved Pokémon back outside.
"Good to see those kids are having fun, huh?" Naomi noticed Andrew taking in the park.
"Oh! Yeah. Sorry, you caught me a little off guard."
"Oops! Didn't mean to ruin your moment. The courts are this way." Naomi gestured him to the left.
The court was exactly like another sport he got into a while back, which was Tennis. Volley just seemed like Tennis without those rackets the players use, based on the way Elle explained it. The court even had the net on the ground, not hanging from two poles like he envisioned.
Elle started, "Shawn and I have basically been undefeated. We're like a power couple! Hope you two are ready!" Both canines went to the other side of the court.
Naomi whispered to Andrew, "I actually beat them solo a few days ago."
Andrew gave a snicker.
He was near the net with Shawn on the other side. Elle was serving, and Naomi was on the back, receiving the ball.
The match started with Elle throwing the ball in the air and smacking it with her tail. Naomi did a spin and received it the same way. It went back to Elle, who gave it a nudge with her nose. Shawn took the opportunity to spike it. He smacked the ball with his slim tail, but Andrew was there to block it with his paw.
Shawn had launched the ball at a high velocity. Even though Andrew scored them the point, his paw stung a little.
Naomi cheered, "That's how it's done! Starting to make more sense now?"
Andrew answered, "Yeah, although I wish the ball wasn't so unforgiving..." He shook his hand.
"I hit that ball directly towards you, man! I would've cowered away if I were you." Shawn said.
Elle gathered the ball again. "That was just a lucky point! Lemme show you how it's really done!"
The Lycanroc served it with her nose, making the ball only go just over the net. Andrew didn't register it at first, but then he scrambled to where the ball was going to land, on the other side.
Andrew just managed to get to it, but not in an elegant way. He tripped onto the court and gave the ball a little nudge. Naomi made haste this time and used her wings to get the ball over to the other side.
Unfortunately for them, Shawn had a counter plan. He was waiting right where Naomi hit the ball, and spiked it with a headbutt, leaving the ball to smack against the clay floor. A point for the other side.
Naomi offered her claw to Andrew. He took it, and she helped him up.
Their eyes locked for a second.
He had never been entranced this way before. Andrew thought to himself, why is he being treated like this? Most likely because they don't know what he really is yet.
They went back to their positions, but Andrew was still in deep thought. He shouldn't reveal himself as an officer. But if they ever did find out, he'll have to explain himself, just like he did with Venusaur. If the Pokémon here are just as understanding as him, then he should be fine.
One thing's for sure; as soon as he warmed up to them a little bit, he wanted this blooming friendship to stay.
Andrew spiked the ball towards the other side. Another point for Naomi and himself.
To him, the trio had treated him like they had known him for a long time, even though they just met. He had never expected this kind of altruism to come from Pokémon of this caliber, but here he was, living his daydream.
Naomi tried to block a spike, but it was too powerful. Elle and Shawn got their third point.
Andrew had never expected to think on it for this long, but he thought it was important to take a step back, especially now since he has a first impression of them under his belt.
Andrew ran up to the net and made another spike, which scored them another point.
It was now tied at five points each. One more to get the win. Elle served the ball at a blinding speed, but Naomi was ready to receive, and so she did her signature tail spin. The ball flew up into the air, and it looked like it was going to land on the net. Thus, Shawn and Andrew had to duke it out for the last spike.
Shawn jumped to the ball's height so Andrew couldn't get to it. Andrew realized what he was doing and stepped back a little.
The Houndoom spiked it.
Andrew was there, but he didn't react in time.
The ball smacked him directly in the face, and on the ground...
...of the other side of the court.
Elle's jaw dropped to the floor, Shawn was asking if he was okay, and Naomi was doing the same as Shawn, but also congratulating him on the win.
"I know you got us the win, but first, are you okay?" Naomi checked.
Andrew stammered, "Yeah... I'm fine!"
"Does it hurt?"
Andrew sniffled a little. "Yeah..."
If the situation had been more dire, Shawn would've been crying. "I'm sorry, man! I didn't know you would do that! It was a total accident, I'll do anything to get your respect back! Please let me..."
His voice faded out in Andrew's ears.
The Lucario simply replied, "You're fine, Shawn. You didn't mean to hurt me and that's what counts, right?"
Shawn stopped his ramble and held a surprised look.
Afterwards, he put on a smile. "Yeah! I still feel kinda bad about it though. Can I treat you to dinner or something?"
Elle held in a snicker, "Dinner? After an accidental hit? Pff... You really are something else, Shawn."
"Dinner actually sounds kinda good right now, I'm getting kind of hungry to be honest." Naomi said.
"Yeah, me too. I only had a waffle for lunch." Andrew added.
"Oh wait, did you go to the Waffle Bar?" Naomi got excited.
"Yeah! They're so good!" Andrew got excited too.
"They have the best waffles there, I swear!"
Elle and Shawn watched the scene unfold.
"A match made in heaven..." Elle commented.
"You know who else is a match made in heaven...?" Shawn shyly flirted.
"Yeah, yeah, us. C'mere." Elle licked Shawn's head, who blushed at the gesture. Even though she was rolling her eyes while she did it, he could tell it was genuine because of her smirk.
Elle skipped over to the two still somehow conversing about waffles.
"Dinner sounds great to me! Where do y'all wanna go?" She asked as he wagged her tail.
Shawn joined them as well, "I was thinking about Retreaux..."
Naomi countered, "Isn't that super expensive, though? It's fifty Poke for a meal there. I don't have that kind of money on me."
Andrew suggested, "Why don't we go to the Waffle Bar? I don't mind having waffles again."
The trio looked at each other, as if communicating telepathically. Then, collectively, they all nodded their heads.
With the evening coming in a couple of hours, the quartet of Pokémon headed to the Waffle Bar.
Andrew personally couldn't wait for the evening to come, it was his favorite time of day, only because of the golden sun. He wondered what it would look like in a town such as this.
Thankfully, the Waffle Bar was open at this time of day. He didn't know why they wouldn't be, it was getting close to dinner time. The sheets were still open, though Andrew didn't know when they would close, to be fair. He tried to look for the Kangaskhan employee again, but her shift must've ended by now.
All four Pokémon sat down on the stools, Elle and Shawn expanding their seats so they could be comfortable.
Andrew never imagined he would actually be spending time with others here. The fact he managed to make friends here at all was a huge surprise to him, considering his status and his presence on the bounty board. He had to assume that they've been planted all over town, but he hasn't found one yet.
Maybe he just hasn't looked hard enough.
He was sure that there was at least one board in the public eye. If there wasn't, he assumed that would explain why he hasn't been caught as an officer yet. Thankfully, he wouldn't be here too long. The connections he's made already can affirm him of one thing, the outside world isn't as hostile as he thought it was, at least for the time being.
But he had duties to uphold back at Jett Kingdom. He was needed there, what were the soldiers going to do? At least some of them were capable, but what about those that weren't? They needed someone to look up to, someone they can trust in that platoon. Grayson wasn't really someone those guys could connect with.
Yet... as he got his waffles handed to him, he couldn't help but feel he had an obligation here too.
It was because of these three Pokemon that were laughing and enjoying his company. They were a little strong at first, mainly because of Elle, but once he spent a little time with them, he didn't want to trade this happiness for the world. Not having any worries, and hanging out with friends was one of the best feelings he could ask for.
He assumed they probably felt the same way by now, feeling this growing happiness with him too. Exactly the reason he started to feel a bit torn between Jett Kingdom and Quilar.
Jett Kingdom was his home, though. He would have to go back eventually.
"Hey Andrew! You gonna finish that second waffle or what?" Elle asked.
"Um... Nah. Go ahead, Elle." Andrew slid his plate over to Elle, who started scarfing it down.
"I genuinely don't know how her stomach works..." Shawn whispered.
"If this is her first meal, I'm having a talk with her." Naomi grumbled.
"I can hear you!" Elle exclaimed with waffle still in her maw.
Naomi and Shawn burst into laughter. Andrew didn't entirely know the dynamic between these three were, but it was definitely fun to say the least. Andrew joined them in their laughter.
Nobody could stop, and soon all four of them were laughing like idiots. One of the employees looked over in concern, but didn't say anything. It took them a little bit before they could calm themselves down.
Elle finally got a word in, "Sigh... hehe... that wasn't funny."
Naomi chimed in, "Your giggle tells me otherwise... hehe..."
"Hey, check this out!" Andrew exclaimed.
The rest looked at him. He was stretching his mouth to make a funny face. It usually wouldn't work, but considering the mood they're in, he thought it would be a good time.
All four of them started cackling again.
"Hahaha! How can it stretch that far?!" Shawn was laughing so hard he had tears coming out of his eyes.
"Pff. Absolutely bewildering." Naomi added.
The employee on shift handed them their receipts with a smirk. "Y'all need to get a room or something. Your laughter is starting to get contagious."
"Sigh... sorry about that. I guess we're just in a giggly mood tonight." Elle explained.
The employee lost his smirk. "Uh huh... Y'all be safe."
Naomi replied, "You too!"
They got up from the stools and headed towards the town square. Andrew was gazing at the evening sun, its orange hue bringing about a new atmosphere to the town. Everyone was getting off of work, and headed to dinner, so it was bustling, more than usual, for the time being. How these tan bricks stood the test of time was beyond him.
Just then, his serenity was interrupted by Elle.
"ICE CREAM?!"
She bolted towards the small stand, her snout pinpointed straight towards the worker once she stopped.
The Kecleon merchant greeted, "Hello, welcome to Ice Cream! What flavor you like?"
The other three were completely floored on how the merchant wasn't fazed at all.
"Cookie dough in a waffle cone please!" Elle said rapidly.
"Coming right up! Four Poke with waffle cone." The Kecleon merchant went to work.
As soon as he said that, he was done.
"Here Ice Cream! I take Poke now." Elle handed them the Poke.
She was amazed by how delicious it looked, even though it took no time at all.
The other three were floored as well. This stand was full of mysteries.
Shawn came up next. "Can I have Mint Chocolate Chip please?"
"Ok! Two Poke." The merchant came up with the minty green treat.
Then Naomi, "Just Vanilla for me."
"You sure? I have big variety!" The merchant presented its colorful menu with a drop down sheet.
"Yup! Vanilla's good!"
"I agree! Two Poke from you still." He whipped it up as fast as Elle's and Shawn's.
Lastly, Andrew came up. "Cookies and Cream with Caramel please."
"Ah-ha! Favorite flavor Cookies. Very powerful!"
Ice Cream had a power scale?
The Kecleon Merchant continued, "It three Poke because of Caramel. I make fast, though."
"Heh, understood!" Andrew handed him the Poke after the merchant was done making it.
"Ok, you come back soon! About to close shop!"
Andrew had already tasted his treat. "Ok! We will! You're the best ice cream seller!"
"Aw, that mean a lot! I remember you from now on!"
All four Pokemon went strolling down the alleyway with their ice cream in tow. Elle and Shawn were prepared for this kind of situation, as it happens all of the time. They have a miniature harness they use whenever they need to carry something without using their maws.
"You're right, Andrew! This is probably the best ice cream I've had in a while." Naomi started.
"How can that merchant make good ice cream in so little time? It's absurd!" Elle chimed in.
"I don't know, but I'm not complaining." Shawn bit into his minty creation.
Elle soon had to stop for a second, she was closing her eyes tightly, she looked uncomfortable.
Shawn came over to her. "Brain freeze?"
She nodded swiftly.
"Just rub your tongue on the roof of your mouth, it'll go away quicker." Shawn consoled.
She paused for a second and tried it. She soon felt way better. She gave Shawn a quick lick on his snout.
"Thanks!"
"Aw, think nothing of it." Shawn gave a lick back to Elle.
Andrew and Naomi both teased, "Boo."
Elle and Shawn took their turn at synchronization, "Shut up...!"
The golden sun was finally beginning to set on the crew. Reds and Pinks began to shine in the sky. Andrew had never seen these colors in the sky before, yet it was absolutely mesmerizing to him. To see this kind of natural beauty reflecting off of his red eyes... it almost brought tears.
The street also brought many sights. Although many of the shops were closing down, it was still a perfect time to gaze by the fountain, which they were headed towards at this very moment. The street lamps had started to turn on, adding a whole new glow to the area.
As they were walking by, a board was posted.
A particular board with a bunch of Pokemon's faces on it.
Elle happened to notice such a board as they were strolling. She gazed upon the most prominent one.
Jett.
A bounty of one hundred million. Of course, that amount went to anyone that could possibly defeat him.
The others were now gathered around the bounty board.
Andrew was scanning the bottom row, frantically hoping his face wouldn't be there. Though, as he was scanning, he got a look at some familiar faces again.
"Flamingo, Tracey, Sydney... and..."
His heart sank when he saw his face. Venusaur was right... he had a bounty of thirty thousand to his name.
Just when he was feeling that genuine connection between his new friends.
Elle and Shawn's eyes soon met where Andrew's was.
"Andrew... is that... you?" Shawn asked.
He stayed silent. He knew what was coming, although he would do anything to make it stop.
Tears started to form in his eyes.
"You're... a Jett Kingdom Officer?" Shawn continued.
He winced at the remark.
"Are you planning on killing us? Or worse... are you planning on killing everyone here?" Elle interrogated.
"No... I don't-"
"You're lying. Why did you form a bond with us? So we can be mortified as you end our lives?!" She was getting heated.
"That's not-"
"We have to protect ourselves, first. I'm not going down without a fight." Elle started charging a Rock Throw.
"I'm sorry, Andrew. But this... sniff... has to be done... for our own good..." Shawn's words were very reluctant, but he was deliberate in his actions. He started charging a Flamethrower.
Andrew had to start running. He couldn't bear to watch it anymore.
All of his connections he made, gone without a trace.
He had tears coming out as he was running. He slipped past an alleyway to lose them. He knew their sense of smell would haunt him soon enough, but he had to gather at least a little thought.
Why?
Why did everything go wrong in a split second? He felt like it was the story of his life, with the attack on Rinj still haunting him to this day. He now had no friends, just like he started out coming here.
He was fine before he met them, so why was he crying now, being put back in the same situation?
He yelped as fire singed his tail a little. He had to start running again. He started to book it to his hotel. Andrew was pelted with rocks as he became more desperate for an escape.
He wanted to say something to convince him that he was friendly, but both canines were past the point of negotiation.
He jumped high into the air, landing on a rooftop. Thankfully, the night camouflaged him a bit better up there.
Both Elle and Shawn lost sight of him. They gave up, heading back to Naomi.
It turns out he had landed on the rooftop of his hotel. He stayed on the third floor, which was the top one. All he had to do was slide down and enter his room.
So he paced down the ceramic that was on the roof, and jumped down to his balcony. He had marked it with a bandana last night.
He turned the key to the balcony door and let himself into his drab room.
Once he closed the door, he slid down into a sitting position, paws over his face.
"Why did that have to happen...? I don't know if I can ever cope with being here another day... I have to go back tomorrow. My headache is better anyway..."
"Andrew, are you okay?" A familiar voice asked.
"Yeah, did something happen?" Another familiar voice said.
Andrew took his paws off of his face; he couldn't believe his eyes.
Tammy and Seb were sitting on his hotel bed.