On the Road Again Ò Koga's journal

On the Road Again — Koga's journal

17 June 2001

Travel, especially over rough roads, is tiring enough but today has been emotionally draining as well. Sabrina has been taking my pensive silence for coldness and uncaring self-absorption. And I thought this expedition had begun so well. The narrow unimproved road grew rockier and grassier as we went along, making the driving slow and difficult. I had to get out and scout fords and rutted rock filled stretches several times. At about mid-morning I caught a glimpse of the bright flash of a reflection on the rim-rock and got my own binoculars up in time to see a blue-haired trainer with a Meowth keeping an eye on us. With this unsettling discovery I chose to have lunch in a thick grove of large cottonwood in a narrow spot along the mountain gorge. The trees provided us with cover from prying eyes.

As soon as I had the sputtering camp stove going and was boiling the water for our rice Sabrina said, "You know ninja I don't appreciate being taken for granted. You spared more words on that stove as you coaxed it to life than you have on me for two whole days."

"What would you have me say?"

She flared and a small rock flew off the ground and sang past my ear, "I don't need to read your mind to know you just called me 'ingrate'!"

I closed my eyes and did a slow count to five, reopened them and said, "Sabrina, I apologize for my silence. I have been preparing myself for what lies ahead, and I thought you were similarly occupied. I am guilty of assuming you were reading my mind and keeping to yourself because you prefer your own counsel."

A branch cracked on a nearby tree and it spun free through the air, I snatched it out of the air, "I would never be as rude and presuming as you!" she spat.

"Why not speak to me yourself?" I offered defensively.

She coloured and the emotional storm on her face cleared leaving a look of confusion and sadness, "Oh, I'm sorry I..I.."

"Thought it was my duty as host to entertain my guest. This is not a pleasure trip Sabrina. However, I am sorry you felt left out. I did not ask you on this mission because of your youth, your expendability, nor because I admire your face and eyes, although I am not blind. I wanted a dependable, strong, intelligent companion, preferably a specialist in psychic Pokémon to help me accomplish my goal of investigating, perhaps capturing, Mewtwo."

She continued to look wistfully at me, "Well, my reasons for accepting your invitation are more complex. I had a prophetic dream about you, and...and I needed to...to break my isolation."

"I won't ask about your dream," I replied, "Rest assured you are appreciated and valued as a companion, not merely as a tool. I easily could have chosen someone else, but none had your special talents. Other trainers may have a deep mental bond with Pokémon, but none have your psychic powers and skill with psy Pokémon. Will does not compare well with you in spite of his seniority, Agatha is now too infirm to make such a rigourous journey, and I could not ask Lorellei..."

"Even though you love her," Sabrina said quietly, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it."

I coloured, "It doesn't matter, she lost interest in me years ago. All we share now is..."

"A daughter," she said slowly, "I've had a vision of this girl before."

"Now that you have stolen some of my most carefully hidden secrets, what else would you have from me?"

"Sorry, your thoughts were too strong and clear in this mountain silence. I could not ignore them. I'm done 'stealing' from you, I want to give you something instead," she said.

"What is that?"

"My loyalty and all the help I can offer to make this mission a success," with this she smiled wanly and her eyes were deep and warm.

We discussed matters more openly for the rest of the afternoon. She is a serious woman, but she has a wry and charmingly skeptical view of the world from her privileged perspective. She even laughed a few times, it sounds like water running in a mountain brook. I suppose I am glad she confronted me, I had been taking her for granted after all.