Cael and I decided to stay in the pokémon centre and watch Hope - I had
told Cael of my name for her, and he said it was a very appropriate name -
recover. It was amazing to think that the energy-filled Mareep we were
seeing was the same one we had thought was not going to make it just a week
before. I was silently hoping that its trainer wouldn't come back for it,
however bad it was to think that. I always petted it, and I was the only
one who didn't get shocked by its static electricity. Even Cael got a small
shock whenever he touched it, and the nurses all wore rubber gloves.
Speaking of Cael, he was acting strangely. He was very, very agreeable. It
was freaky; no matter what I said, he'd agree with me. Even when I told him
he was spoiled rotten and didn't know how good it was to be witnessing the
recovery of Hope. It scared me. Then, suddenly, he stopped acting like
that, and started acting differently again. He wasn't acting macho any
more, but he wasn't being over-agreeable either. Who knows what had
happened. I guess that's what happens when you're 13, like he almost was.
Hormones and stuff. Whatever it was, it was pretty scary.
Soon, Hope had fully recovered. Cael and I left the pokémon centre, together, and I had a new pokémon on my team! We set off for Fuchsia City, where a new gym, and the Safari Zone were! As we were walking, a thought suddenly struck me.
"Hey, isn't it your birthday soon?"
"Yeah, it's in three days,"
"Really? Darn, I didn't get you anything,"
"Don't worry," He replied, shrugging, "I've already got plenty of stuff."
"Haha, I guess, you bought that Porygon2 and Haaj, didn't you?"
"Yeah, that's my birthday money. My parents gave it to me in advance..." He said the word 'parents' almost hesitantly.
"Really? Lucky. I wish I had that much money to spend on pokémon,"
"Yeah, I guess I'm lucky," He said, a little sadly, to tell you the truth. "Hmm," I said, absently, when, suddenly, my next great idea hit me. "Hey, why don't we Fly to Fuchsia? It'll be quicker,"
"Good idea, Vera," He said in agreement, and I promptly released Faith. Cael looked somewhat scared of his flame, so I clambered onto Faith's back, before offering Cael my hand. He took it, gratefully, and I pulled him up.
"Thanks," He said, smiling.
"You're scared of the flame, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess so. It's dangerous, I think,"
"Don't worry, you won't fall off, or into the flame. You're safe."
"Uh-huh. Thanks. Now, let's go!"
"Hehe, yeah. Faith, fly us to Fuchsia!" I said, proudly, as if I was a general ordering my troops to attack the enemy or something. Faith flapped his colossal wings a few times, and glided toward the city. He flew surprisingly fast, and, in less than an hour, we landed in front of the pokémon centre. Cael looked a bit dizzy, though, but I didn't really think anything of it. By that time it had begun to get dark, so he went into the room early. I decided to phone Mum, mostly to ask her to help me find Cael a birthday gift. I punched in our number, after inserting about 40 yen. I felt relieved to see her face again, even if it was identical to the nurses who worked in other pokémon centres. Eventually, Mum brought up the subject of Cael.
"I've heard you've got yourself a travelling buddy, Vera."
"Uh-huh,"
"I hear he's very cute. What do you think?"
I could feel my cheeks going red at that remark. Sure, Cael was cute, but I didn't really like him in that way. "Uh, yeah, I guess so."
"Oooo," She said, teasingly. I felt like punching the screen
"Mu-um. He's just my friend!"
"Sure he is, sweetie. Or is that what he calls you?"
"Uh, no. Anyway, it's his birthday in three days. What do you think I should get him?"
"I don't know. Perhaps you should get him an elemental stone?"
"I'm pretty sure none of his pokémon evolve with stones."
"Really? What types has he got?"
"A Rapidash, Porygon2, Slowpoke, and a-"
Mum interrupted me before I could get any further. "I'm pretty sure that Slowpokes evolve into Slowbros when they're exposed to a water stone. And I just so happen to have one in the centre! I'll get it transported over!"
"Wait, where'd you get it?"
"A fisherman hooked it up, he said I could have it, but I haven't found a use for it. I'm sure your friend would like it," She said, stressing the word friend. I glared at her, but didn't say anything about it.
"Okay, so you can get it transported now?"
"Yes, you're in Fuchsia?"
"Yeah, we flew Faith,"
"I thought he was a Charmeleon? They don't have wings!"
"He evolved!"
"Did he now? You really should tell me that sort of thing."
"I know, I know, but could you get that water stone over here?"
"Sure, you'll have it no time!" She said, and, with that, my money ran out. I didn't bother ringing Mum back, mostly because I'd run out of yen. Suddenly, the transporter beside the phone flashed, and a shining water stone appeared in it. I thanked Mum silently, put it in my backpack, and quietly went into the room. Cael was asleep, mumbling something. I couldn't help but listen - I heard the word 'Rocket' repeated dozens of times, and what sounded like whimpering. I decided it was just a nightmare - he had a special hatred for team rocket, which I never really had a chance to inquire about. He always changed the subject whenever I tried to bring it up. I climbed into the bottom bunk, having changed into my pyjamas. I couldn't get to sleep, though, because he was moving around on the bed above mine. It was incredibly noisy, but I didn't want to wake him. I wouldn't like it if someone had woken me, even if I was having a nightmare. Suddenly, he started screaming. Not the type of scream you use when you're fooling around with your friends, not even the scream I tried to scream years before, when I was kidnapped. This was a scream of pure terror. It was bloodcurdling, really. I sat up with a start, bumping my head on Cael's bunk. I was about to yell in pain, when I suddenly thought that perhaps someone was in this room with us, which was why Cael was so freaked out. His scream had subsided, and all I could hear was whimpering, so I realised it was the nightmare - if someone was in the room, he'd still be screaming. I got out of bed, and shook him vigorously. Just in time, too, he'd started another scream. He woke up in the middle of it, and looked at me, an expression of fear in his eyes. About a second after, he seemed to calm down, and started breathing heavily.
"What happened?"
"A nightmare,"
"I gathered that. You were screaming like a foghorn!"
"Don't joke, it was scary,"
"Really? What happened?"
"Uh, nothing,"
"Nothing's really that scary?"
"No, uh, you, uh, you wouldn't understand."
"What wouldn't I understand?"
"You just wouldn't, okay? Thanks for waking me up. I want to go back to sleep."
"Okay," I said, feeling a bit ticked off. I wanted to know what was happening in the dream. Suddenly, I remembered his mention of the word 'Rocket'. "It didn't have anything to do with Team Rocket, did it?"
His eyes suddenly became fearful again, but only for a second. "No, no, nothing like that at all. Now get to sleep,"
"Yes, Mum," I said, annoyed at his refusal to talk. I climbed back into my bed, and, after much tossing and turning while I was wondering, managed to get to sleep.
Soon, Hope had fully recovered. Cael and I left the pokémon centre, together, and I had a new pokémon on my team! We set off for Fuchsia City, where a new gym, and the Safari Zone were! As we were walking, a thought suddenly struck me.
"Hey, isn't it your birthday soon?"
"Yeah, it's in three days,"
"Really? Darn, I didn't get you anything,"
"Don't worry," He replied, shrugging, "I've already got plenty of stuff."
"Haha, I guess, you bought that Porygon2 and Haaj, didn't you?"
"Yeah, that's my birthday money. My parents gave it to me in advance..." He said the word 'parents' almost hesitantly.
"Really? Lucky. I wish I had that much money to spend on pokémon,"
"Yeah, I guess I'm lucky," He said, a little sadly, to tell you the truth. "Hmm," I said, absently, when, suddenly, my next great idea hit me. "Hey, why don't we Fly to Fuchsia? It'll be quicker,"
"Good idea, Vera," He said in agreement, and I promptly released Faith. Cael looked somewhat scared of his flame, so I clambered onto Faith's back, before offering Cael my hand. He took it, gratefully, and I pulled him up.
"Thanks," He said, smiling.
"You're scared of the flame, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess so. It's dangerous, I think,"
"Don't worry, you won't fall off, or into the flame. You're safe."
"Uh-huh. Thanks. Now, let's go!"
"Hehe, yeah. Faith, fly us to Fuchsia!" I said, proudly, as if I was a general ordering my troops to attack the enemy or something. Faith flapped his colossal wings a few times, and glided toward the city. He flew surprisingly fast, and, in less than an hour, we landed in front of the pokémon centre. Cael looked a bit dizzy, though, but I didn't really think anything of it. By that time it had begun to get dark, so he went into the room early. I decided to phone Mum, mostly to ask her to help me find Cael a birthday gift. I punched in our number, after inserting about 40 yen. I felt relieved to see her face again, even if it was identical to the nurses who worked in other pokémon centres. Eventually, Mum brought up the subject of Cael.
"I've heard you've got yourself a travelling buddy, Vera."
"Uh-huh,"
"I hear he's very cute. What do you think?"
I could feel my cheeks going red at that remark. Sure, Cael was cute, but I didn't really like him in that way. "Uh, yeah, I guess so."
"Oooo," She said, teasingly. I felt like punching the screen
"Mu-um. He's just my friend!"
"Sure he is, sweetie. Or is that what he calls you?"
"Uh, no. Anyway, it's his birthday in three days. What do you think I should get him?"
"I don't know. Perhaps you should get him an elemental stone?"
"I'm pretty sure none of his pokémon evolve with stones."
"Really? What types has he got?"
"A Rapidash, Porygon2, Slowpoke, and a-"
Mum interrupted me before I could get any further. "I'm pretty sure that Slowpokes evolve into Slowbros when they're exposed to a water stone. And I just so happen to have one in the centre! I'll get it transported over!"
"Wait, where'd you get it?"
"A fisherman hooked it up, he said I could have it, but I haven't found a use for it. I'm sure your friend would like it," She said, stressing the word friend. I glared at her, but didn't say anything about it.
"Okay, so you can get it transported now?"
"Yes, you're in Fuchsia?"
"Yeah, we flew Faith,"
"I thought he was a Charmeleon? They don't have wings!"
"He evolved!"
"Did he now? You really should tell me that sort of thing."
"I know, I know, but could you get that water stone over here?"
"Sure, you'll have it no time!" She said, and, with that, my money ran out. I didn't bother ringing Mum back, mostly because I'd run out of yen. Suddenly, the transporter beside the phone flashed, and a shining water stone appeared in it. I thanked Mum silently, put it in my backpack, and quietly went into the room. Cael was asleep, mumbling something. I couldn't help but listen - I heard the word 'Rocket' repeated dozens of times, and what sounded like whimpering. I decided it was just a nightmare - he had a special hatred for team rocket, which I never really had a chance to inquire about. He always changed the subject whenever I tried to bring it up. I climbed into the bottom bunk, having changed into my pyjamas. I couldn't get to sleep, though, because he was moving around on the bed above mine. It was incredibly noisy, but I didn't want to wake him. I wouldn't like it if someone had woken me, even if I was having a nightmare. Suddenly, he started screaming. Not the type of scream you use when you're fooling around with your friends, not even the scream I tried to scream years before, when I was kidnapped. This was a scream of pure terror. It was bloodcurdling, really. I sat up with a start, bumping my head on Cael's bunk. I was about to yell in pain, when I suddenly thought that perhaps someone was in this room with us, which was why Cael was so freaked out. His scream had subsided, and all I could hear was whimpering, so I realised it was the nightmare - if someone was in the room, he'd still be screaming. I got out of bed, and shook him vigorously. Just in time, too, he'd started another scream. He woke up in the middle of it, and looked at me, an expression of fear in his eyes. About a second after, he seemed to calm down, and started breathing heavily.
"What happened?"
"A nightmare,"
"I gathered that. You were screaming like a foghorn!"
"Don't joke, it was scary,"
"Really? What happened?"
"Uh, nothing,"
"Nothing's really that scary?"
"No, uh, you, uh, you wouldn't understand."
"What wouldn't I understand?"
"You just wouldn't, okay? Thanks for waking me up. I want to go back to sleep."
"Okay," I said, feeling a bit ticked off. I wanted to know what was happening in the dream. Suddenly, I remembered his mention of the word 'Rocket'. "It didn't have anything to do with Team Rocket, did it?"
His eyes suddenly became fearful again, but only for a second. "No, no, nothing like that at all. Now get to sleep,"
"Yes, Mum," I said, annoyed at his refusal to talk. I climbed back into my bed, and, after much tossing and turning while I was wondering, managed to get to sleep.