Hey, uh, it's been a while, hasn't it?
I know I haven't been active on here as much as I'd like to, but school is finally calming down a bit. I wanted to get this chapter finished before December made its way through. I can't promise a fast return on chapter ten, but I hope it doesn't take as long as this did.
This is also my new longest chapter! Over 7,500 words!
Constructive feedback is always welcome and all that jazz.
I'm going to shut up and let you read now.
- Splak R.
The windows on everyone's homes in Quilar shone a familiar glare, the sunlight reaching them in the coming hour.
The city was bustling with Pokemon, mainly ones that were heading to their jobsites. The street lamps lost their sparkle in the night as the sun took the stage. Nonetheless, Quilar never failed to look bright, even in the early morning hours.
On the outskirts of such a busy town, the forest leaves got a gleam of sunlight on them as well. They shone a magnificent green, making their reflection sparkle ever slightly. There was one tree that stood out from the rest; a pecha berry tree which had grown taller than most. Then again, it was given many more years to live thanks to three citizens.
Once the tree made its way into old age, these three Pokemon decided to reside on the tree, so they could tend to it when needed. They soon built a treehouse and decorated it with all of their personal belongings.
They built the treehouse so big that all three of them had rooms of their own. Paper lamps of all colors were strewn about the ceilings, giving the recently-sanded wood some much needed lighting.
In one of the separate bedrooms lay a Houndoom.
It was still very early in the morning, so Shawn didn't feel like waking up yet. He had opened his eyes once, if only to check the time. Although he was very much asleep, he was still conscious. Shawn didn't intend on waking up until it was almost noon.
Because he was still conscious, he had trouble shutting down his brain. The events of yesterday left him drained, physically and emotionally.
Andrew was someone he had just met, he seemed really open to all three of them. Most of all, he acted like a genuine friend to them, even if they did just meet.
Then he remembered finding out the worst part. Andrew was a Jett Kingdom Officer. He had never expected such a genuine Pokemon to be affiliated with that organization.
Andrew had to be holding some sort of dark side. It was the only explanation.
At the same time, it hurt, having to chase him down with Elle. Seeing such a genuine face be broken down. There was absolutely no evidence of a dark side within Andrew when that happened, but he had to be really good at hiding it, because Shawn had heard some of the horrors Jett Kingdom has done.
To be specific, he had heard of the slavery that the other towns went through. Rinj, Cholet and Gron all had the same situation going on. The captains of Jett Kingdom had an iron fist rule over the three towns, making the citizens do construction work, such as building monuments for Jett and destroying homes in place of Jett Kingdom facilities.
He didn't know how the mayors were faring, though. He had only heard about the citizens' point of view; all from his brother down in Cholet.
"I hope I get to see you again someday, Weiler."
He soon started to drift into the land of the subconscious... and into the world of drea-
"WAKE UP, YA LOG!"
Shawn let out a shriek as Elle's paws landed on his stomach.
"ELLE! I WAS JUST GETTING INTO A DEEP SLEEP! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!"
"Because... I want you to get up...?"
Shawn countered in a groggy voice, "So no reason?"
"No...! Uh..."
"Sorry, but if it's not urgent, I'm gonna go back to sleep."
"No wait wait wait! I actually wanted to talk to Naomi. She's been acting weird ever since yesterday."
"What? She has?"
"I know! I wanna know what's going on!"
"Me too, but we should let her have some space."
"C'mon, let's go already!"
"Wait, you want to confront this now?"
"Of course now! Strike while the Aggron is hot!"
"Hold on... she might still be recovering from yesterday! Can't it wait a little bit?"
"We already had time to wait, let's go!"
"Sigh... I guess there's no convincing you now. You do most of the talking, though."
Elle held her paw in a salute. "Aye, aye, captain!"
Shawn gained a smirk. "Pff. Let's just get this over with."
Both canines went out of Shawn's room and into the living area. It was an open-concept lobby, with the kitchen right next to the living room. It looked a little pale with all of the pecha berry tree wood, which provided an off-white color to it. Thankfully, the paper lamps provided some extra glow with the sunrise.
There were various posters along the walls as well, most of them being from Machamp's Fist. There was one with a Snivy on it that was holding a wand, looking over a cliff. Elle and Shawn came closer to it.
Elle started, "The Light Hand was always Naomi's favorite story."
"Yeah. She'd read it non-stop when it first came out."
Elle lightly swatted Shawn, "Heh, we could barely get her attention! Do you remember?"
"Yup. I remember it like it was yesterday."
As if on cue, the Dragonite in question came from her room, closing the door behind her.
Elle greeted her, "Hi, Naomi. How are you feeling?" She knew she couldn't use her usual greeting.
Naomi turned around, and the two canines almost recoiled at the state she was in.
"She's got bags, her eyes look sore... she must've had a rough night."
Naomi waved with a smile, "Hey you two. Sorry I couldn't get up earlier."
Elle started, "Oh, that's fine, Naomi. Shawn did the same thing."
"Yup... I got a rude awakening..."
Elle turned to Naomi again, "Anyway, how did you sleep?"
"Ugh... I had the worst night of sleep in my life. I couldn't go to bed because... I was..." Naomi trailed off.
Elle got a little closer to Naomi, "C'mon, I'm sure you can tell us!"
"I'd actually rather not..."
Shawn chimed in with a soft tone, "Can you at least give us something? We're here to help you..."
Naomi stayed silent.
Elle stated, "Naomi... you can do better than the silent treatment! We won't get mad!"
"That's why I'm giving you the silent treatment, because you two will get mad."
Shawn came up to Naomi, "Listen, Naomi, I don't know how Elle's going to feel about it, but at least get it off of your chest."
"...No."
He continued, "It'll be less of a burden to you if you just say it. Plus, we don't entirely know what's going on anyway. We don't really have context right now."
Naomi finally gave in. "...Okay. You aren't going to like this, but I'll say it."
"Spill the berries! I'm ready!"
"...I wanted Andrew to stay with us. Even after he was caught."
Silence.
Elle started, "So... you wanted him to stick around? You wanted him to hurt us?"
"No. That's not what I'm saying. Did you see the look on his face after he was caught?"
Shawn chimed in, "I only caught a glimpse, but I could tell he was sad."
Elle answered as well, "I didn't care. I wanted him out."
"He was crying, Elle. I could tell he didn't want for us to reject him."
"Yeah? Like a criminal has feelings."
"But he does. Did you see the joy in his face when we were hanging out with him? All the jokes he cracked? I could tell he wanted to fit in. You probably could too."
"...He did seem like he was enjoying himself... But Naomi, this is a Jett Kingdom Officer we're talking about!"
"Sure... but did he act like one?"
"How am I supposed to know?!"
Shawn chimed in on the two's argument, "Naomi, I know he's been nice to us, but we can't take risks like this."
"...But I want to be his friend, because he wanted to be our friend."
Elle interrupted, "Great... now she's riding with Mr. Smooth Criminal."
"You two obviously don't get it!"
Elle and Shawn were frozen in place.
"Before he was caught, he seemed so genuinely friendly! You can't deny that! Just because he has a title doesn't mean he's proud of it! I'm willing to look the other way for him, unlike you two, especially you, Elle! This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you!"
Shawn had never known Naomi to be so one-sided about this. Now that she mentions it, Andrew did look regretful that evening. Like he said to Naomi, he didn't know how Elle felt. Both of his friends just seemed like polar opposites on this situation, which was something he wasn't particularly a fan of.
Elle started, "If you like him so much, fine. Just know what you're getting into Naomi."
Naomi replied with a shaken voice, "I know exactly what I'm getting into, Elle, and to prove it, I'm going to find him right now."
Elle turned to face Naomi. "Wait, what?! You can't just do that! He could be anywhere!"
Naomi stomped towards the steps leading to the ground.
"So be it. I'm going to find him sometime. He'll be at least more willing to listen than you."
Elle jerked back a little bit. She thought Naomi was the last Pokemon to become bitter like that, yet here she was, living the impossible. She realized she obviously tipped her to that point, now that the dust has settled. She drooped her head down towards the floor.
Earlier, when the sun was rising...
Andrew opened his bloodshot eyes with a little bit of struggle. A bit of dust settled onto his snout, making him sneeze kind of roughly.
Well, he was definitely awake now.
He decided he might as well get up out of the bed. Tammy said he had a long day ahead of him, so he might as well get the most out of it.
Speaking of Tammy, she and Seb were laying in sleeping bags on the floor, the kind that would completely envelop you, save for your face.
But someone was missing.
Sydney had been with Seb the night before, right? If he's here, then where is she?
He was sure he would get an answer later. For now, he trudged himself to the bathroom again, readying himself for the hard water of the shower.
But as soon as he pulled the shower curtain to the side...
He got an answer to Sydney's whereabouts.
There she was, in the tub-shower, snoring; Andrew guessed she didn't have anywhere else to sleep.
Not wanting her to suffer from anymore back pain than she could, he knocked on the tile in the bathroom.
She jumped a little with a snort. "Huh...? Whuzzat...? Oh... Hi Andrew... I'll get out of your way..."
She slowly got up from the tub, "Oh... I shouldn't have slept there... my back... thanks for waking me up when you did... I don't know how much more I could've handled..."
"You're free to sleep in the bed if you want."
"Nah. I'll just wake Seb up. Enjoy your shower, Andrew."
"Heh... alright. Have fun."
Sydney went out of the bathroom and logged over to where Seb was sleeping. She laid down with him, and tried to stretch her back. She managed to get one stretch in before a pop was heard by everyone. Sydney widened her eyes at the feeling, but afterwards, she felt much better.
"Sigh... okay, that helps. Now, onto my first order of business..."
She then started shaking Seb to get up.
"Wake up Sleeping Beautifly! We got a long day ahead of us!"
Seb was awoken with a start.
"AY! WHO'S DOING THAT? SYDNEY! STOP SHAKING ME!"
Sydney burst into a fit of laughter and fell onto the floor.
"Sigh... that was a rude awakening and a half..."
Sydney was holding her abdomen, trying to contain herself from being too loud. But alas, she couldn't hold it in for much longer.
"Heh... you really liked doing that, huh?"
"Yeah, it's been a while since I've had a good laugh."
"Weren't you laughing last night?"
"Those weren't teasing laughs, nerd!"
Seb plastered a smirk on his face, "Oh, I'm suddenly a nerd for retaining a simple memory?"
"Shut up!" Sydney giggled a bit and started shaking Seb again.
"AH! SYDNEY I TOLD YOU TO STOP!"
Another fit of cackles followed her shake. Seb just stared at her with an annoyed expression, wondering how in Arceus's name could she be this high energy in the morning.
"Did you drink some coffee this morning?"
"Heh, nope! Just got a real good stretch in."
Just as she was starting to calm down, Andrew paced out of the bathroom, seemingly done with his shower.
He whispered, "You know Tammy's trying to sleep, right?"
All three of them panned their eyes over to where the Flygon was sleeping.
To their surprise, she was still snoring!
"After all of that noise we made... how can she still be asleep?!" Seb exclaimed with a whisper.
Sydney commented, "I bet she took melatonin before going to sleep."
"She's always been a heavy sleeper."
Andrew chimed in, "Yeah, but I've never seen her sleep this deeply."
After a few moments, Tammy started to stir.
"Mmm... Can you keep the whispering to a minimum? I'm trying to sleep."
All three of them were dumbfounded. How did she manage to wake up from whispers and murmurs?
"Well, I'm already up, so might as well start the day. How've you three been?"
Sydney started, "How?"
"What do you mean, how?"
"We were being super loud before, but once we started whispering, you woke up!"
"Oh really? I guess I was having a good dream then... I remember dreaming about a good meal..."
Seb and Andrew just looked at each other and shook their heads.
They both said, "Typical."
Tammy yawned, "Anyway... did you want to talk about the plan?"
Andrew replied, "Oh yeah, I completely forgot. You told me there was something I needed to do, right?"
"Yes. Although I wouldn't phrase it as something you need to do anymore, rather, something you need to undertake."
Seb and Sydney sat on the bed, listening into the conversation. Andrew didn't like where this was going. Something he needed to undertake would be a huge change for him.
"...Okay... go on."
Tammy put it honestly, "We need you to take down Jett Kingdom."
"By myself?!"
"No. All three of us will be here to help you, but you need to deliver the final blows."
"What do you mean, 'final blows'?"
"...Theoretically, and we thought long and hard about this, you're the only one who can take down Jett."
"...Am I going to have to kill him?"
"If it comes down to it, maybe. But that's our last resort."
"I... I don't know what to say."
Andrew had known Jett for the longest time, being trained under him. He knew Jett had an ugly influence, and that he was a tyrant, but... he still had reservations.
"Can I really be strong enough to do this?"
"I think you can, but I can't speak for you. That's something to find out for yourself."
"I know you guys will be there for me... but this is such a huge task to commit to. I don't think it would be possible for me to defeat Jett right now..."
Seb chimed in, "That's why we'll go to the towns first, and liberate them. You can get experience, and you can also make the towns normal again. The latter is the more important part, I should've mentioned that first."
Andrew quivered, "All of the other Pokemon I know from Jett Kingdom, will they be able to join us as well?"
Tammy replied, "I don't think so, because they don't know what we know about Jett. They think he's an all-powerful, charismatic leader. Jett has manipulated them so hard that they will stand by that way of thinking until the very end."
"Sigh... I really don't want to hurt them. I don't want to hurt anyone."
"I know. I don't want to hurt anyone either, but once we make ourselves known, Jett Kingdom will hurt us, whether we like it or not."
Andrew replied, "I... I get your reasoning, and I want to do this... I want to liberate all of the towns, even if it's just for you... but I don't think I'm ready. Plus, what will change if we liberate the towns anyway? If I'm not able to defeat Jett, he's going to rule with a direct iron fist. Nobody's been able to defeat him! Not even with an ascension stone!"
"Andrew... I know this task is hard-"
"I can't do it. Not now at least. I'm not ready."
He got up and started running towards the door.
"Andrew, wait!"
As soon as Tammy was finished, he was down the hallway, about to take the stairs.
Back in the treehouse, in the present...
Naomi had just stomped out of the treehouse.
Elle had never perceived Naomi as one to get mad, but she had a reason to be this time. Naomi had always been very firm about the things she believed in, and she always had a good reason to do so. Elle didn't know why she argued with Naomi in the first place. Was she that stubborn?
It didn't matter now, the damage has already been done.
Shawn crawled up to Elle. "We can always try convincing her another time."
"Shawn, there's no convincing her now... She's made her point, and I refused to listen."
"I'm sorry this all happened. I could've stepped in or something..."
"No... don't be. This is something I need to apologize to Naomi for. I still think Andrew is a criminal, but I shouldn't've shot down her point like that."
"Maybe we can try to see things from her point of view?"
"What do you mean?"
"We can probably try to understand why Naomi likes Andrew so much."
Elle gasped, "You just gave me a great idea!"
"Oh boy. What did you come up with this time?"
"How about we just spy on Naomi and Andrew?"
Shawn fell to the floor. "You want to WHAT now?"
"I wanna spy on them."
"Please, tell me why."
"So we can see what they're doing and observe their interactions in real time!"
Shawn's eyebrows flattened. "...We?"
"Absolutely, we! What, did you think you were getting out of this?"
"Sigh... I don't even know why I tried. If I'm coming with you, though, promise me one thing."
"Ok."
"Keep quiet, and don't get us caught."
"Same goes for you, lover dog."
Shawn got a smirk, "Oh don't start with the nicknames."
Elle gave a quick lick to Shawn's cheek. "Last one to find Naomi is making dinner tonight!"
She bolted to the ladder, with Shawn trying to keep up behind her.
Andrew had to leave his hotel room.
As he wandered onto the square of Quilar, the streets were almost empty, save for the shops that were set up.
It was still early in the morning, so he had to assume the other Pokemon were working. He did have another reason in his mind concerning the bounty, but he didn't need that negativity in his life right now.
Andrew felt a rumble in his abdomen. He realized he hadn't eaten today, and neither had the other three. Maybe he could grab something for them later.
He strutted along the walkway, glancing at the various restaurants before him. He got a raunchy whiff of a garbage can along the way, and had to put a paw over his nose to dullen the smell, which somehow made it worse.
The repulsive smell caused him to stumble away from where he was currently at.
After his senses went back to normal, he found himself in front of the Waffle Bar again.
If he ate here, it would be his third consecutive waffle meal. Though, this smell was certainly better than the one previous.
He sat down at the familiar stool again, greeted by a familiar face.
"Hey there, hun! Glad to see you back."
Andrew looked up to see the Kangaskhan employee behind the counter.
Andrew chuckled in what felt like the first time in forever. "How could I not come back after my experience last time?"
"I guess I've proven myself as a great waffle cook, then."
"You sure have."
"Alright, onto our usual business. What'll it be, hun?"
"Can I try the Pecha berry waffles this time?"
"Absol-utely! Coming right up."
As she was finishing up his waffle, Andrew couldn't help but think to his previous experience here.
He had been surrounded by friends and acquaintances alike, a haven almost comparable to heaven. Naomi, Elle and Shawn all had shown him what it's really like to fit into society. Whenever he was found out, though, his paws were shaking from the intense heartbreak.
Andrew's heart sank with all of the weight plastered on.
Suddenly, his mind started to hurl itself towards his current situation of liberating the towns. He cursed his brain for doing such a thing.
How can he be expected to liberate literally ALL of Subon island?! He didn't have enough fighting experience, he couldn't even defeat a captain in a fight, and apparently pacifism wouldn't work either!
These were Jett Kingdom soldiers he was talking about. He didn't want to harm them in any way, but he also knew they weren't going to back down from a threat.
He didn't want to come to terms with the fact that he would be the threat to them. He had known the soldiers for what feels like forever, to suddenly turn on them felt like complete and utter betrayal.
Andrew then heard a very familiar voice.
"Thank Arceus, I finally found you."
Andrew whipped his head around to his left, to see none other than the Dragonite he came to know just yesterday. His eyes became dots as his demeanor shrank.
"Why is Naomi here? She has a smile on her face... is she planning something? ...Am I going to get hurt...?"
"I've been looking for you all morning."
"Here it comes... prepare for your fate, Andrew..." "Um... you have?"
"Yeah. Hey, concerning last night, don't worry about that with me."
"What? What do you mean?"
"I'm not going to hurt you just because of... well, you know."
"Wait... she's... not concerned I'm an Officer?" "So... What are you planning on doing?"
Naomi put her claws on Andrew's shoulders. Her arms plumed a warm sensation in his cheeks.
"I want you to spend the day with me."
"You... really want that?"
"Of course! Why would I be asking, you dummy?"
"Um..."
"Never had someone ask you to spend time with them?"
"Not really, outside of my family."
"Oh, I see. Well, I'll take you all over this town! We can even go to the arcade that's in the east leg!"
"What's an arcade?"
"You don't know?! It's only the most fun place you can go! It's got all sorts of games! It'll be exciting!"
"...I don't know. It seems tempting, but I..." Andrew couldn't find the right words.
Her face drooped a little. "You don't trust me?"
"No! I... I guess I just don't know you that much."
"Well, let's go anyway! It'll probably give you an answer to your questions. If I just sit here babbling about how I'm trustworthy, then you're not gonna believe me at all. I'd rather show you."
"...Um..."
As Naomi waited for an answer, she had thought back to Elle. She could be adamant about her points a lot, but she took it too far. At least Shawn showed some sort of sympathy towards Andrew. Though, Naomi was giving Andrew the benefit of the doubt a lot, so if Andrew agrees to spend some time with her, she can see who Andrew really is.
"Ok. I'll go with you."
"You will!? I mean... Yeah, th-thank you, Andrew."
Over on the other side of the street, her voice could barely be heard by two occupants hiding in a bush.
Shawn was holding binoculars for Elle to see in.
"Ea? I hon' hink his ih a hoo' ihea."
"Get the binoculars out of your mouth first before speaking."
Shawn spat the combination of glass and metal from his muzzle. "I was just saying that I don't think this is a good idea."
Elle turned her head away from him. "Hey. You were the one that suggested this in the first place."
Shawn held a whisper scream. "I WAS THE ONE WHO OFFERED A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO SUGGESTED SPYING!"
"But hey, at least we got some sauce!"
"Yeah, tomato berry sauce, if anything. We barely know where they're going next!"
"But, we can find out more that way."
"A lead is all we have. Can't we listen in some more now to find out what Andrew's situation is?"
"Eh, sure. Gimme the binoculars, you look in them this time."
As Shawn glanced into the binoculars, the scene started to become more clear.
Naomi turned to Andrew. "Feel like you've eaten enough?"
"Mhmm. Let's go to the arcade you've been raving about, seems like fun."
"Alright! Follow me."
She leaped off of her stool in pursuit of the arcade. She hadn't been there in about a year, so she imagined what updates the center had been given. Andrew, on the other hand, was feeling optimistic about what Naomi had in store for him today.
They went closer to the fountain in the square and took a left. The sun had reached its peak in the sky, coating all of the structures in a copious amount of light. Down the east leg of Quilar, there were some more merchant stands posted, one was selling flowers and another selling fruit.
When looking directly down the leg, Andrew and Naomi would find the arcade guarding the end of the walkway.
Puki's Electric Atmosphere was the name of this establishment, plastered with a Pikachu on the front. If it were nighttime, it would have neon streaks in the board. The building itself was comparable to Machamp's Fist, but as soon as they entered they were greeted with something completely different.
The light was low in this establishment, allowing for glow in the dark machines to be operating all sorts of games. Not only was the arcade filled with games, there was a flight simulator as well. Naomi and Andrew took a closer look, and turns out it was made by avian Pokemon so that grounded Pokemon can get a taste of flying. On top of that, it was also a nice ride for the avian Pokemon.
Naomi pointed her glowing eyes to a virtual reality theater. "Ooh! We can start over there once we get done with paying and such."
"'A Look into Another Dimension'? Interesting name. What does it do?"
"I'll explain while we're going to the reception. So, you put on some goggles that cover your eyes, and it shows you a world different from this one!"
"Interesting. I'll have to see how it works."
As soon as Andrew finished that sentence, the Pangoro receptionist greeted them.
"Hay! How are y'all? OOOH you look so cute together!"
"Oh, we're just friends. Can we get an hourly pass?"
"Sure thang! Don't mind me, just gonna grab those for y'all real quick~"
Andrew whispered to Naomi, "She sure is a character."
"In more ways than one."
"Here I am! I got y'all the date discount. That'll be 20 Poke for the both of y'all."
Nervous laughter came from Andrew, "Oh... that's great...!"
The receptionist cackled, "Don't get too busy on each other now!"
Andrew and Naomi both cringed to themselves as Naomi covered the price. They both power walked away afterwards.
"Ok... now that that's out of the way, let's go see what the VR stuff is!"
"Right behind you."
Two suspecting canines at the pool table waited for Naomi and Andrew to be far enough.
Shawn waved his paw, "Ok. I think we're in the clear."
Elle groaned, "Still, nothing yet. When's Andrew gonna reveal his life story or something?!"
"I don't know, but I would think Naomi wouldn't pressure him to do something like that."
"I'm getting so hungry!"
"Why don't we eat here?"
"We'll be caught."
"Anyway, I think our only clues are their interactions."
Elle lit up, "Oh really? That's easy! I can sorta guess that Andrew's becoming more comfortable, so that means he's starting to open up."
"So... he's opening up. How does that get us closer to our answer?"
"We can see how he really is around others, so that we can tie it to our experience with him. If it's the same, then he's most likely not putting up a facade."
"Wow. Didn't know you had that amount of analytical skills."
"I didn't know I had that amount of ana-lutibul skills!"
"Analytical."
"Shush."
As Shawn started chuckling, a shadow loomed over them.
The Pangoro receptionist was growling and seething. "Are you two here to sightsee, or what?!"
Shawn spoke up, "N-no we aren't, please don't hurt us..."
After a painful 30 Poke spent on the arcade, Elle and Shawn went to go investigate some more.
They both scanned the arcade for Naomi and Andrew. They checked the flight simulator, which they rode once, and the main arcade area.
Both Pokemon were nowhere to be found.
Shawn asked, "Hmm... did you check Smeargle Jump?"
"Yeah, I got the high score. Cubs were cheering me on."
"No, I meant for Naomi and Andrew."
"Oh, yeah, didn't see them there."
"Ok... we're not allowed to go into the Look into Another Dimension or whatever... so that's out of the question."
"What do you mean? We can go in there if we pull some strings."
Shawn glanced over to where the VR theater was. "Uh... Actually, I don't think we need to do that anymore."
Elle looked over in the same direction, and saw Naomi and Andrew.
"Shit! Hide! Anywhere! Doesn't matter!"
So they hid behind Smeargle Jump. Unfortunately for them, that's exactly where Naomi and Andrew were headed.
Andrew held a smile on his face. "That was actually really fun! Hope we can do that again sometime."
Naomi caught up to his side. "I know right?! That was probably the most fun I've had on there!"
Andrew chuckled, "Probably because you had the high score."
They then both faced the fabled game. Andrew got a face of elation.
"Oh! I used to play this game all of the time! Why is it in here?"
"It was popular a few years ago, so it got turned into a game here!"
"Oh that's awesome! Mind if I give it a go?"
"Pfft, I'm not gonna get in your way. Have at it."
Andrew swiped his card, and the game started. The knob to control the Smeargle was glossy on his paws, a foreign touch to him. He tilted the knob to the left, it felt smooth yet heavy. Now that he was used to the mechanics of the machine, he pressed start.
Meanwhile, just behind the machine, the two canines were having the worst time of their lives.
Elle shook a little, pattering the machine a bit.
Shawn shushed her. "We have to be absolutely silent!"
"I know! It's really hard to hear when you whisper like that!"
"Do you want to get caught?"
"No, but I can't hear over how loud this place is!"
Suddenly, Elle grabbed Shawn's tail by her maw.
"OW...! Are you trying to get us in trouble?"
"No! Your tail was sticking out! They could see it!"
"Oh... sorry."
"Anyway, so far, he's acting pretty much to what we're used to."
"Yeah. He hasn't deviated much at all. Plus, I assume he trusts Naomi a little more, so we're kind of seeing his more comfortable side."
"Hmm... I'm starting to wonder about Andrew. He's too docile to be a criminal!"
"I think we'll find out for sure once we get outta here."
Andrew's eyes felt a little sore from the bright screen. Sadly, he had gotten the dreaded "game over".
"Man, I was a little more rusty than I thought, heh..."
"It's alright! We can try out some other games."
With that, Naomi and Andrew went to another game. Elle and Shawn made sure to follow far behind, as to not be seen. They observed every single point, every single interaction, and every single movement of Andrew and Naomi.
"Naomi! This one can hold two players!"
"It can hold them?"
"You know what I mean, we can both play it."
Naomi giggled a bit. "Okay, lead the way."
Not much could be said except for the lack of information that Elle and Shawn got.
"Shawn, I know you said we weren't going to get info until they leave, but holy Team Rocket this is taking so long!"
"Shh. There are cubs here."
"Why do you have to be so irritating?"
"You also don't want to alert Naomi."
"Sigh... fair point. This is harder than I expected..."
They went to more games, the same result awaited the two canines.
But soon, Naomi had a change of plans.
"Hey Andrew, you wanna go to dinner together?"
"Sure! Where were you thinking of going?"
"Probably that new fancy restaurant, Retreaux."
"Sounds good to me, I can pay for the food since you paid for the arcade."
"Then a deal's a deal. Let's split!"
"By the way, this was probably the most fun I've had in a while. Thanks for bringing me here!"
"Aw, don't sweat it! That... means a lot, actually..."
With Andrew and Naomi out of the arcade, Elle and Shawn were following them out.
Elle shot herself forward, "Once they leave, we follow them to Retreaux, and finally get the truth!"
Shawn trotted behind, "I'm honestly getting a little tired of following them, but you're right, the truth is the most important part here."
"Then what are we waiting around here for? Let's go already!"
Shawn hesitated, "Hang on. We should be in a bush first, like we did when we started."
"Why's that? Can't we just go in?"
"That's how they'll spot us."
"Good point."
"But also, posthaste!" Shawn bolted out of the arcade like there was no tomorrow.
"Hey, wait up, you gremlin!"
The host brought Andrew Naomi to their booth, complete with brown leather seats and a quartz table.
The inside of Retreaux was decorated with white paint and elegant light fixtures, and with the windows being tall and thin, it brought a very fancy atmosphere, consistent with the diner's name. The smells from the kitchen, though, also made it feel very cozy.
The host gave both Andrew and Naomi their menus and went on to serve the next guest.
Naomi was beaming with excitement, "Can you believe they have a restaurant this nice here?"
"No, I didn't know this place even existed."
"It didn't until a few months ago. It's built quite the reputation!"
"I can see why."
"Or at least my mom says, she's a chef here."
"Really?"
"Yeah, she was hired a few weeks ago. She never goes out of the kitchen though, so we won't see her."
"Oh ok."
Meanwhile, Elle and Shawn had just arrived in the restaurant.
Shawn whispered, "Ok. Keep low, and we'll be fine. We just have to listen."
"Got it."
The host turned to Elle and Shawn, "Table for two?"
"Yes, sir."
"Right this way."
As the host was getting closer to their booth, Elle was wondering how the host determines those types of things. Is it because a certain waiter has a certain area they work in? As they sat down, she took a glance a little bit past the host. She saw Andrew and immediately put her head to the other side.
Andrew made a quick glance, and did half a double take, but that was all the suspicion they got for now.
Elle whispered as she practically jumped in her seat, "CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! THAT WAS THE LUCKIEST THING EVER!"
"We might get our cover blown if we're too loud. They're RIGHT next to us."
"I know, but still, SO LUCKY!"
"Alright, let's listen in."
Andrew and Naomi were scanning their respective menus.
Andrew looked up at Naomi, "What do you usually get here?"
"Chef's Soup. One hundred percent."
"Nice, I think I'll just go along with that."
"I tried it here once and it probably had the best morsels of food I had ever tasted."
"Pfft, that's a nice way of describing it."
"I'm not kidding, it's that good."
"Alright, then I'll definitely hop on your boat."
"I like to think of it more as a ship."
"Ok, Captain Naomi. Let me swab the decks for you."
She started chortling after that one.
After that, the waiter came around and asked for their orders.
"We'll both have the Chef's Soup."
"Toast on the side okay?"
"Yup."
"Alright, I'll go ahead and get that started for you."
"Thanks!"
Elle and Shawn were dying to hear some news.
"Come on! Spill the berries already!"
"Patience, Elle. Patience."
"I've waited long enough! Andrew's nice! We get it!"
Naomi turned to Andrew after placing their order.
"So Andrew..."
"Yeah, Naomi?"
"I have a question to ask you about your life before coming here."
"...Okay..."
"This is going to sound rude... but how come you're so nice when you've been in... you know what... for years? Wouldn't you've grown up a little rash?"
"...I can't talk about it here. We'd have to find someplace private. There is an explanation, though, I can tell you that much."
Elle and Shawn fell to the floor.
Elle started, "WE CAME ALL THIS WAY."
"JUST FOR THAT?!"
"What a letdown. We'll have to wait even longer, I guess."
"Oh well. At least we get a good meal out of it."
"Yeah. Still gotta keep this under wraps, though. Who knows who's listening?"
Andrew and Naomi finally got their soup, but it smelt like it was worth the wait. The aroma of the concoction was unlike anything Andrew had smelt before. It was certainly better than the dumpster he smelt this morning.
"Mmm... always the best..."
Andrew dangled the spoon close to his muzzle and gave into the soup's inviting aroma, letting the spoon go into his maw.
It was a combination of Slowpoke Tail and Curry, all spiced and seasoned to perfection. The roasted vegetables in the soup added a crisp twinge to the already perfect meat stock.
He was in a dream. It was almost as good as the waffles at the Waffle Bar.
"This has to be one of the best things I've ever tasted."
"Right?! It's so great."
They continued in blissful silence, consuming the Chef's Soup without a care in the world.
Suddenly, the waiter came by with their check. Andrew put his prepaid card by the receipt and sent it along its merry way.
After Andrew got his card back, both Andrew and Naomi trudged out of the diner.
How they didn't notice Elle and Shawn sitting in the booth was beyond both canines' minds.
Elle reached her snout towards Shawn. "Ok. Admit it. That's kind of hilarious."
"That was pretty funny. How did they not notice? Our cover was completely blown!"
"I don't know!"
Elle, at this point, had started cackling.
Shawn got up from the table. "We should follow them out, though. Are you done?"
"Yeah. I feel like I got enough, with my six plates of food."
"...And my suffering wallet..."
"What was that, Shawn?"
"N-Nothing. Let's go."
After all of the day's events, the golden orb in the sky was starting to draw their final rays of sunshine onto Subon Island.
Andrew and Naomi were sitting on a bench, staring at the sunset.
Naomi started, "I never thought a flaming ball of gas could be so beautiful, yet here we are."
"It's hard not to look at, I get ya. It literally gives us life."
"You got that right. The moon is pretty cool too, I guess."
"Wow, throwing shade on the moon?"
"It throws much more shade, lemme clear that one up."
Andrew starting lightly cackling.
"Ok, jokes aside, both of them are pretty to look at."
"For sure."
They sat in silence for a few minutes before snuggling into the bench a little more. They had been sitting there for a little while.
"Hey, Andrew. You think it's about time I ask that question about your past again?"
"Yeah... Let me start by saying that Jett Kingdom is generally regarded as the most fearsome organization on this island. That's only a stereotype, though. There are great Pokemon that come out of it."
Naomi leaned in to listen more.
"For example, my adoptive mom, Tammy, she taught me how to act. My closest friend and basically older brother, Seb, gave me an outlet to play and interact with. Also, Sydney, who helped me at my lowest points. I was basically stuck at Jett Kingdom, but with those three Pokemon, it was a mostly pleasant experience.
"The reason why I was stuck was actually kind of my own fault. I had just turned six when this happened, but my hometown, Rinj, caught on fire. My dad... he tried to be as heroic and caring as he could. Instead, I went with Jett to a quote 'safe place' because we got separated.
"He took me in, and then I met Tammy and Seb. The rest is kind of history. To answer your question, though, the reason I'm not that rash is because I was taught not to be. It would be letting down the Pokemon I care about the most."
Naomi had a downcast look on her face. "So... you're not trying to hurt us after all?"
"That's not my intention, no. I'm here because I initially wanted to take a vacation since I was burning out. Tammy and Seb apparently followed me here, and now they want me to take down the entirety of Jett Kingdom."
"Oh, so you're actually doing the opposite?!"
"That's what Tammy and Seb want me to do, but I've got other friends over there as well. It's gonna be a hard transition, but I am leaning towards doing it."
"Well let me ask you this..."
"Fire away."
"What do YOU want to do?"
Andrew was stunned.
He was so focused on pleasing others that he forgot about himself. What DID he want out of this?
He thought for a moment, then came up with an answer.
"Ever since I've met you, Elle and Shawn, I've been thinking about my place in society. I initially thought I would just be a servant to Jett all my life. Sure, it brings me some security, but I have to earn it over there. Now, I realize, with you being this kind to me, that as long as I have Pokemon that care about me, I can care about them, too. That mutual trust is where the security comes in, I think. It doesn't matter where you are in society, as long as you feel safe. I think that's the most important part. I think I want that comfort of knowing you have trusting companions, whether they be family for friends. So, I think I'll give in to Tammy and Seb's plan, not because of the task, but because of what I will get out of it."
Naomi was at a loss for words.
She was so speechless, in fact, that she embraced Andrew with all of her might.
Andrew was initially startled, but he soon gave in; the hug felt super warm. The tenderness she brought was felt all around his body in tingles.
It was even felt by a particular canine in a bush nearby.
So much so, she was hollering and poking her head out.
"SO WHOLESOME!"
"DAMMIT ELLE! I TOLD YOU TO KEEP QUIET!"
Naomi did a double take, "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?!"
Shawn drooped his head, "Sigh... We're sorry, Naomi. We've been spying on you two."
Her eyebrows dropped, "You've been what now?"
"...It was Elle's idea."
"Elle! Why would you do that?!"
Elle started, "We thought we could discern Andrew's reasoning for being here. If it wasn't to kill us, then what was it?"
Shawn added on, "It was kind of vague why he was here. Also, seeing him on the board made us more suspicious."
"But, now we know. And now we know he actually won't hurt us!"
Elle gave a little rub to Andrew's cheek.
Naomi nodded, "Ok, that actually makes sense. I'm surprised you went through with all of that, though."
Andrew started, "Um... I'm also glad you two were willing to look the other way. Most Pokemon would take one look at me and run. I'm also sorry for any trouble I caused you."
Shawn came up to him, "It's alright! We know you were being genuinely friendly with us, so let's continue being friends!"
He continued, "Also... we have to apologize, too."
Elle started, "Yeah, we're terribly sorry for, y'know, chasing you down. Our suspicions clouded our minds."
Andrew waved them off, "It's alright. You were acting on reason, it only makes sense."
"But, we were trying to be your friends a little bit before that... it must've hurt!"
"A little, but what's important now is that we're made up, and everything is clear. So we're cool!"
Elle and Shawn smiled.
As the sun waned to the other horizon, Andrew invited them to the hotel he was staying in.
It was a long day for sure, and one with a good omen for future times ahead.