An Old Acquaintance Appears; Friend or Foe?
By Dessa
Disclaimer: I do not own Pocket Monsters, aka Pokémon, or any related characters or ideas. However, I do own Dessa, Maggie, Monimé, the Pokémon Academics Academy, the idea of a Master Gym, and the Art Badge.
Author's Note: I follow the story-line of the anime for the purposes of this story. However, many aspects of the manga are used in this story. If you don't understand a reference, such as Gym Trainers being Pokémon masters, and Trainer's Leave from school, read the manga by Toshihiro Ono. Also, when possible, I've used the Japanese names (they just sound better).
***
Takeshi stopped all of a sudden, and looked around, as if he were looking for something in particular. Then Takeshi held his hand back to Kasumi.
"What?" Kasumi asked.
"Map," Takeshi replied, matter-of-factly. "I gave it to you to hold."
"Oh," Kasumi said, shifting her feet in the dirt. "I, uh, sorta forgot it at our campsite a few days ago."
Takeshi stood there, silently fuming, until he finally boiled over. "How dare you leave my map!" he yelled, shaking her. "Do you know how hard it was for me to find that map? A map that detailed?"
"But Takeshi, you could hardly read it. It was all scribbled on," Kasumi told him, trying to stand up.
"Ahhhhh!" Takeshi screamed, dropping her on her tail bone and grabbing his hair. "Those were my notes on all the Officer Junsa and Nurse Joi we've met!"
"Calm down, Takeshi, we'll get you another map," Satoshi cut in, trying to help Kasumi to her feet, while she ignored him. "There's another city right down the hill. Let's go! They might have a gym!"
And Satoshi ran down the hill, Pikachu sleeping on top of his backpack, followed by Kasumi. Before he followed after them, Takeshi stopped and looked at the city before them.
What am I getting myself into? He thought.
***
When the trio and Pikachu reached the city, they found that it was called Monimé City, and had two claims to fame: It's Pokémon Gym, and the Pokémon Academics Academy. {AN- Manimé is pronounced as follows: "Mon" sounds like "man" from "manga" and "imé" is as in "anime"}
Satoshi made a bee-line for the gym, but was stopped by Takeshi.
"You can't battle there," Takeshi told him.
"Why not?" Satoshi challenged.
"Because that's a Master's Gym. You have to be a Pokémon Master to train there," Takeshi replied.
"Fine them. Let's stop at the Pokémon Center and then head on to the next town," Satoshi suggested.
"Not so fast, Satoshi. There is a reason why we came to Manimé,"Takeshi told him.
"Where are we going, Takeshi?" Kasumi asked.
"There," was the reply. Kasumi, Satoshi, and Pikachu followed Takeshi's pointer, to look past the gym, to the huge building up the hill, the Pokémon Academics Academy.
When they reached the lobby of the school, Satoshi, Kasumi, and Pikachu waited while Takeshi talked to the secretary, surprisingly, without flirting. A few minutes later, a girl in the basic school uniform walked down the steps. She had long blonde hair, held back with a black headband, and purple eyes. The school uniform consisted of a dark blue pleated skirt, a white, long-sleeved shirt, with a frilled collar, and a tight-fitting blue vest over it, and dark blue flats.
"Takeshi," the girl said, staring straight at him, totally unemotional.
"Dessa," Takeshi replied, his eyes just as fixed on her.
"Well, I never expected to see you again. Are they with you?" she asked, indicating Satoshi and Kasumi.
"Yeah, I guess," mumbled Takeshi.
"Fine. Follow me." She said it so abruptly that Takeshi didn't know what to think. She was half way up the stairs before he waved to Satoshi and Kasumi to follow them. Dessa led them up the grand staircase of the school, and down the hall. Almost to the end, she stopped, and opened the door. She indicated for them to enter, and then followed them in, closing the door behind her. She sat at the chair at the desk, facing the window, and Takeshi sat on the chair next to the door, silently twiddling his thumbs. Kasumi and Satoshi quietly sat on the bed, with Pikachuu between them. They just sat in silence, Takeshi staring at his feet, Dessa out the window, and Kasumi and Satoshi looking between them. Finally, Dessa spoke up.
"Well?"
"Well what?" Takeshi asked nervously.
"Well, what do you want to say. You must have something to say, or you wouldn't have come. You've got some nerve showing up here," Dessa told him angrily, not once turning to look at him.
"Dessa." Takeshi began. "Dessa, I never meant to hurt you. Things just happened so fast, and my father was back, and."
"I know. Flint told me. Flint told me everything."
"What did he tell you?" Takeshi was still staring at his feet.
"He told me that you'd left. You took your bag and left," Dessa told him, finally turning around to look at him. "He said that you'd left with some useless trainer. The useless trainer you said you were giving the badge to, and then coming right back! But you never did!" Dessa was yelling at him now, tears leaking from her eyes.
"Do you know what it was like for me? I spent most of my summer to earn the fare to visit you. Manimé isn't exactly close to Nibi, if you hadn't noticed. When I finally get there, you leave, without even so much as a goodbye! I had to come back, only to be laughed at by all of the other students. Because I don't have a real family, so I went to the only real family I've known in my entire life. You! And you left."
"Dessa, if you'd only let me explain." Takeshi tried.
"I'm sorry, but I'm busy. I have finals to study for, and work to do. Go back to the lobby, I'm sure you can get a room, until you leave. But I have to go." With that, Dessa picked up the book-bag at her feet, and turned and walked out the door. Takeshi slumped down in the chair, and Kasumi and Satoshi looked at each other.
"Man, she's harsh," Satoshi declared.
"Satoshi, you don't get it do you?" Kasumi asked quietly.
"Get what?" Satoshi asked.
"Don't you remember? The shadowed figure watching your match against Takeshi?" Kasumi reminded him.
"You mean." Satoshi pieced together, "that that was her? But that would mean that the worthless trainer was."
"Yes, that was Dessa," Takeshi told them quietly. "She had just gotten there. And then I left with you." They were walking out of Dessa's room. They checked into one of the guest rooms, with a small, adjacent room with one bed for Kasumi, and a larger room with two beds for the boys.
"How do you know Dessa, Takeshi?" Kasumi asked.
"We grew up together," He replied. "She doesn't have a family, but she's a ward of the gym leader here. Maggie wanted her to have a real family, though, and since mine was so big, one more didn't really seem like much. It was almost she was really part of the family. When we started going to school, it was obvious that she was really talented in art and music, and in Pokémon training. Nibi didn't really have a lot for her to work with, but we heard about this school. It is like Pokémon Tech, a rich kid's school, but they also have scholarships. Dessa and I worked hard, and, with Maggie's help, we were able to raise enough money and scholarships for her to come. She works for Maggie at the gym, but she doesn't stay there, because even though Maggie's like her mother, she doesn't want to be known as the gym leader's kid. It only took her her Trainer's Leave to get enough badges to participate in the Indigo Plateau tournament, but she didn't because I didn't. It was both our dreams to get there someday, but together. And we vowed when we were old enough to get our licenses that if one didn't go, neither would. So she stayed here, and came to visit me. And then I left." Satoshi and Kasumi could tell that there was something that Takeshi wasn't saying, but they didn't press him. He was having a hard enough time as it is.
***
They headed on down to the Pokémon Center, to find out a little more about the gym. While they were there, they were surprised to see Dessa come in, to talk to Nurse Joi.
"Hello, Dessa," Takeshi said.
"Takeshi," she replied, nodding to acknowledge him. "I'm kinda busy, if you don't mind." Turning to Nurse Joi she said, "Joi-san, Maggie needs you. She's not doing well."
"Alright, I'll be right there," the pink-haired woman responded. "I'm sorry, but I have to shut down the Pokémon Center for a while."
"That's okay, I want to look through the town a little," Satoshi responded.
"You two go ahead," Takeshi told them. "I want to try to talk to Dessa again." They nodded, and the three walked out of the Pokémon Center. No one noticed Pikachuu following Takeshi up towards the Pokémon Gym, instead of following Satoshi and Kasumi into town.
***
Dessa and Takeshi stood quietly outside of a small room upstairs in the Pokémon Gym. Nurse Joy was inside with Maggie.
"She's not the gym leader anymore," Dessa spoke up. "Not really."
"What do you mean?" Takeshi asked her.
"She always said that she didn't want to be the Gym Leader. She had been doing it for too long. She wanted to retire. It was really getting to her heart. Nurse Joy does all she can, but it's not much. She isn't a people doctor."
"But no one's ever won the Art Badge. If no one's ever won it, she can't retire."
"She knows that. That's why she hasn't retired yet. But there is one person who has earned the Art Badge."
"Who? Why don't they come and take over?"
"Because she knows that that's not my dream. She knows that I don't want to stay here for the rest of my life, waiting for challenges." Takeshi was surprised when Dessa pulled out the Art Badge, an artist's pallet, with different element symbols as the paint spots.
"You? You're the gym leader now?"
"Yes, but she won't give it to me. That's why her heart's been so bad. She knows she needs to retire, to let me take over. But she doesn't want this to block my dreams."
"Dessa, how often are there challenges here?"
"Not often. It usually gets busy right after the League tourament finishes at the Indigo Plateau."
"So you don't need to be here all the time. You could come back for school, and for battles. You could still follow you're dream!"
"But Takeshi, she needs me. I can't leave her." Dessa was quiet for a little bit, and then spoke up again. "I'm so sorry for blowing up like that, Takeshi. I had no right."
"But you did."
"No. No one has the right to yell at someone else like that. I was mad, but I understand why now. I guess I didn't really want to admit it, but I knew why you had to, even though I didn't want to accept it. You were in the same situation I am now. You wanted to follow your dream, but couldn't forget your responsibilities. It's the same thing with me.
"I really don't want to leave, because I should be gym leader, but I want to follow my dreams, and go to the League. Maybe I can, I don't know. I want to find out where I'm from, too. This little guy might help, but I can't go just by that." She was holding a Pokéball, and Takeshi instantly knew what it was.
"That's."
"Yeah. I never use it. I haven't even called it out since we found it. You, me, and Sabrina."
Just then, Nurse Joi opened the door, and walked over to Dessa. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing more I can do for her. She wants to see you."
"Dessa." Takeshi quietly asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes, I think you should be there. You knew her also, and I need your support." With that, Takeshi wrapped his arm around her, and they walked into Maggie's room, Pikachuu sneaking in behind them.
***
When Dessa entered the room, she went straight to the old woman's side. She had known Maggie as long as she remembered, and she and Takeshi were the closest things to family she had. Dessa knew, just like everyone else, that Maggie was dying. But Dessa wouldn't, or couldn't, believe it. She needed Maggie, and was unwilling to let her die.
"Dessa-chan," the woman said softly. "It is good to see you. I don't have much time left." Noticing another person in her room, she asked, "Takeshi- kun, is that you?"
"Yes, Maggie," he replied. "I'm here."
"Good. Dessa, why don't you turn up the little lamp, and help Takeshi find the chair?" Dessa did as she was asked, and soon the trio were sitting together; Maggie in her bed, Dessa at her side, and Takeshi in the chair.
"Dessa," Maggie began. "There's no denying it. I'm dying. There's nothing Nurse Joi could do, even if she were a regular doctor. But I don't want to leave you like this. You have to take over the gym for me. I hate to do it, but there's no other way. You needn't stay here all the time, though. We rarely get challenges, so you could come back just for that. I just wish there were more I could do for you. More than this.
"Takeshi, go over to that desk, and open the top drawer." Takeshi stood and opened the desk drawer, took out the small velvet pouch that was inside, and gave it to Maggie. She loosened the ties, and took out an intricately decorated key, made of a mixture of precious metals and crystal.
"Here, Dessa," she said, handing the ornament, which was on a silver chain, to the girl. "This belongs to you. It is the key to your past, and all that you are and can become."
"But Maggie," Dessa queried. "I don't understand. Where does the key go to?"
"I don't have time to tell you what you need to know, and I apologize for it. I wish I could, but there is just no time. You'll have to find it on your own. Maybe it's better this way." With that, Maggie slumped down into her pillows. Dessa leaned over to the old woman, as Takeshi went to the door, for Nurse Joi. He stopped to glance at Dessa, and, as he did, she turned her head, tears in her eyes, and shook her head. Takeshi went to her side, and just sat with her, arm around her shoulders. Dessa leaned into his shirt, and cried. Pikachuu, still being silent, climbed up onto the bed, and snuggled against Dessa's body, trying to comfort her. An hour later, Nurse Joi came in, and encouraged Takeshi to take Dessa home, while she took care of Maggie.
***
When they reached the Academy, Dessa stopped Takeshi before going up the stairs. She walked over to the secretary, and told her the news. Then she and Takeshi went up to Dessa's room, where he helped her slip off her shoes, and lie down on her bed. When Satoshi and Kasumi heard the news, they went up to Dessa's room, and found her lying on her bed, with Takeshi rubbing her back, and Pikachuu rubbing her feet. He looked at them as they peered into the room, and then they slowly closed the door and went down to the guest rooms.
***
Later that night, when Dessa woke up, she found Takeshi lying beside her bed, on the ground. She smiled, knowing that he had stayed to keep her company, and went back to sleep.
***
The next morning, Takeshi awoke to find Dessa packing her bookbag, with things she would need for a journey.
"What are you doing?" he asked, grogily.
"Packing," she replied.
"For what?"
"I'm leaving. Today is the last day of finals, so I have vacation I can go on. I'm not needed at the gym, and I need to get away for a little while."
"Where will you go?"
"I don't know. I was thinking of maybe tagging along with you guys."
"With us? I don't know, Satoshi and Kasumi might not like it."
"Like what?" Satoshi asked, coming into Dessa's room.
"DON'T YOU EVEN HAVE THE COURTESY TO KNOCK?" Dessa screamed, slamming the door in his face.
Satoshi softly knocked on the door, and Kasumi let him in, a red spot visible on his face.
"What were you saying?" Kasumi asked. "What would we not like?"
"Me coming with you," Dessa explained.
"I don't see any problem with that. Satoshi?" Satoshi mumbled something undistinguishable, but positive. "Fine then, Takeshi?"
"Well, I don't know." Dessa bonked him on the back of the head. "Alright, alright, I want her to come, too."
"Well, then, it's settled. Let's get going."
The end, for now.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pocket Monsters, aka Pokémon, or any related characters or ideas. However, I do own Dessa, Maggie, Monimé, the Pokémon Academics Academy, the idea of a Master Gym, and the Art Badge.
Author's Note: I follow the story-line of the anime for the purposes of this story. However, many aspects of the manga are used in this story. If you don't understand a reference, such as Gym Trainers being Pokémon masters, and Trainer's Leave from school, read the manga by Toshihiro Ono. Also, when possible, I've used the Japanese names (they just sound better).
***
Takeshi stopped all of a sudden, and looked around, as if he were looking for something in particular. Then Takeshi held his hand back to Kasumi.
"What?" Kasumi asked.
"Map," Takeshi replied, matter-of-factly. "I gave it to you to hold."
"Oh," Kasumi said, shifting her feet in the dirt. "I, uh, sorta forgot it at our campsite a few days ago."
Takeshi stood there, silently fuming, until he finally boiled over. "How dare you leave my map!" he yelled, shaking her. "Do you know how hard it was for me to find that map? A map that detailed?"
"But Takeshi, you could hardly read it. It was all scribbled on," Kasumi told him, trying to stand up.
"Ahhhhh!" Takeshi screamed, dropping her on her tail bone and grabbing his hair. "Those were my notes on all the Officer Junsa and Nurse Joi we've met!"
"Calm down, Takeshi, we'll get you another map," Satoshi cut in, trying to help Kasumi to her feet, while she ignored him. "There's another city right down the hill. Let's go! They might have a gym!"
And Satoshi ran down the hill, Pikachu sleeping on top of his backpack, followed by Kasumi. Before he followed after them, Takeshi stopped and looked at the city before them.
What am I getting myself into? He thought.
***
When the trio and Pikachu reached the city, they found that it was called Monimé City, and had two claims to fame: It's Pokémon Gym, and the Pokémon Academics Academy. {AN- Manimé is pronounced as follows: "Mon" sounds like "man" from "manga" and "imé" is as in "anime"}
Satoshi made a bee-line for the gym, but was stopped by Takeshi.
"You can't battle there," Takeshi told him.
"Why not?" Satoshi challenged.
"Because that's a Master's Gym. You have to be a Pokémon Master to train there," Takeshi replied.
"Fine them. Let's stop at the Pokémon Center and then head on to the next town," Satoshi suggested.
"Not so fast, Satoshi. There is a reason why we came to Manimé,"Takeshi told him.
"Where are we going, Takeshi?" Kasumi asked.
"There," was the reply. Kasumi, Satoshi, and Pikachu followed Takeshi's pointer, to look past the gym, to the huge building up the hill, the Pokémon Academics Academy.
When they reached the lobby of the school, Satoshi, Kasumi, and Pikachu waited while Takeshi talked to the secretary, surprisingly, without flirting. A few minutes later, a girl in the basic school uniform walked down the steps. She had long blonde hair, held back with a black headband, and purple eyes. The school uniform consisted of a dark blue pleated skirt, a white, long-sleeved shirt, with a frilled collar, and a tight-fitting blue vest over it, and dark blue flats.
"Takeshi," the girl said, staring straight at him, totally unemotional.
"Dessa," Takeshi replied, his eyes just as fixed on her.
"Well, I never expected to see you again. Are they with you?" she asked, indicating Satoshi and Kasumi.
"Yeah, I guess," mumbled Takeshi.
"Fine. Follow me." She said it so abruptly that Takeshi didn't know what to think. She was half way up the stairs before he waved to Satoshi and Kasumi to follow them. Dessa led them up the grand staircase of the school, and down the hall. Almost to the end, she stopped, and opened the door. She indicated for them to enter, and then followed them in, closing the door behind her. She sat at the chair at the desk, facing the window, and Takeshi sat on the chair next to the door, silently twiddling his thumbs. Kasumi and Satoshi quietly sat on the bed, with Pikachuu between them. They just sat in silence, Takeshi staring at his feet, Dessa out the window, and Kasumi and Satoshi looking between them. Finally, Dessa spoke up.
"Well?"
"Well what?" Takeshi asked nervously.
"Well, what do you want to say. You must have something to say, or you wouldn't have come. You've got some nerve showing up here," Dessa told him angrily, not once turning to look at him.
"Dessa." Takeshi began. "Dessa, I never meant to hurt you. Things just happened so fast, and my father was back, and."
"I know. Flint told me. Flint told me everything."
"What did he tell you?" Takeshi was still staring at his feet.
"He told me that you'd left. You took your bag and left," Dessa told him, finally turning around to look at him. "He said that you'd left with some useless trainer. The useless trainer you said you were giving the badge to, and then coming right back! But you never did!" Dessa was yelling at him now, tears leaking from her eyes.
"Do you know what it was like for me? I spent most of my summer to earn the fare to visit you. Manimé isn't exactly close to Nibi, if you hadn't noticed. When I finally get there, you leave, without even so much as a goodbye! I had to come back, only to be laughed at by all of the other students. Because I don't have a real family, so I went to the only real family I've known in my entire life. You! And you left."
"Dessa, if you'd only let me explain." Takeshi tried.
"I'm sorry, but I'm busy. I have finals to study for, and work to do. Go back to the lobby, I'm sure you can get a room, until you leave. But I have to go." With that, Dessa picked up the book-bag at her feet, and turned and walked out the door. Takeshi slumped down in the chair, and Kasumi and Satoshi looked at each other.
"Man, she's harsh," Satoshi declared.
"Satoshi, you don't get it do you?" Kasumi asked quietly.
"Get what?" Satoshi asked.
"Don't you remember? The shadowed figure watching your match against Takeshi?" Kasumi reminded him.
"You mean." Satoshi pieced together, "that that was her? But that would mean that the worthless trainer was."
"Yes, that was Dessa," Takeshi told them quietly. "She had just gotten there. And then I left with you." They were walking out of Dessa's room. They checked into one of the guest rooms, with a small, adjacent room with one bed for Kasumi, and a larger room with two beds for the boys.
"How do you know Dessa, Takeshi?" Kasumi asked.
"We grew up together," He replied. "She doesn't have a family, but she's a ward of the gym leader here. Maggie wanted her to have a real family, though, and since mine was so big, one more didn't really seem like much. It was almost she was really part of the family. When we started going to school, it was obvious that she was really talented in art and music, and in Pokémon training. Nibi didn't really have a lot for her to work with, but we heard about this school. It is like Pokémon Tech, a rich kid's school, but they also have scholarships. Dessa and I worked hard, and, with Maggie's help, we were able to raise enough money and scholarships for her to come. She works for Maggie at the gym, but she doesn't stay there, because even though Maggie's like her mother, she doesn't want to be known as the gym leader's kid. It only took her her Trainer's Leave to get enough badges to participate in the Indigo Plateau tournament, but she didn't because I didn't. It was both our dreams to get there someday, but together. And we vowed when we were old enough to get our licenses that if one didn't go, neither would. So she stayed here, and came to visit me. And then I left." Satoshi and Kasumi could tell that there was something that Takeshi wasn't saying, but they didn't press him. He was having a hard enough time as it is.
***
They headed on down to the Pokémon Center, to find out a little more about the gym. While they were there, they were surprised to see Dessa come in, to talk to Nurse Joi.
"Hello, Dessa," Takeshi said.
"Takeshi," she replied, nodding to acknowledge him. "I'm kinda busy, if you don't mind." Turning to Nurse Joi she said, "Joi-san, Maggie needs you. She's not doing well."
"Alright, I'll be right there," the pink-haired woman responded. "I'm sorry, but I have to shut down the Pokémon Center for a while."
"That's okay, I want to look through the town a little," Satoshi responded.
"You two go ahead," Takeshi told them. "I want to try to talk to Dessa again." They nodded, and the three walked out of the Pokémon Center. No one noticed Pikachuu following Takeshi up towards the Pokémon Gym, instead of following Satoshi and Kasumi into town.
***
Dessa and Takeshi stood quietly outside of a small room upstairs in the Pokémon Gym. Nurse Joy was inside with Maggie.
"She's not the gym leader anymore," Dessa spoke up. "Not really."
"What do you mean?" Takeshi asked her.
"She always said that she didn't want to be the Gym Leader. She had been doing it for too long. She wanted to retire. It was really getting to her heart. Nurse Joy does all she can, but it's not much. She isn't a people doctor."
"But no one's ever won the Art Badge. If no one's ever won it, she can't retire."
"She knows that. That's why she hasn't retired yet. But there is one person who has earned the Art Badge."
"Who? Why don't they come and take over?"
"Because she knows that that's not my dream. She knows that I don't want to stay here for the rest of my life, waiting for challenges." Takeshi was surprised when Dessa pulled out the Art Badge, an artist's pallet, with different element symbols as the paint spots.
"You? You're the gym leader now?"
"Yes, but she won't give it to me. That's why her heart's been so bad. She knows she needs to retire, to let me take over. But she doesn't want this to block my dreams."
"Dessa, how often are there challenges here?"
"Not often. It usually gets busy right after the League tourament finishes at the Indigo Plateau."
"So you don't need to be here all the time. You could come back for school, and for battles. You could still follow you're dream!"
"But Takeshi, she needs me. I can't leave her." Dessa was quiet for a little bit, and then spoke up again. "I'm so sorry for blowing up like that, Takeshi. I had no right."
"But you did."
"No. No one has the right to yell at someone else like that. I was mad, but I understand why now. I guess I didn't really want to admit it, but I knew why you had to, even though I didn't want to accept it. You were in the same situation I am now. You wanted to follow your dream, but couldn't forget your responsibilities. It's the same thing with me.
"I really don't want to leave, because I should be gym leader, but I want to follow my dreams, and go to the League. Maybe I can, I don't know. I want to find out where I'm from, too. This little guy might help, but I can't go just by that." She was holding a Pokéball, and Takeshi instantly knew what it was.
"That's."
"Yeah. I never use it. I haven't even called it out since we found it. You, me, and Sabrina."
Just then, Nurse Joi opened the door, and walked over to Dessa. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing more I can do for her. She wants to see you."
"Dessa." Takeshi quietly asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes, I think you should be there. You knew her also, and I need your support." With that, Takeshi wrapped his arm around her, and they walked into Maggie's room, Pikachuu sneaking in behind them.
***
When Dessa entered the room, she went straight to the old woman's side. She had known Maggie as long as she remembered, and she and Takeshi were the closest things to family she had. Dessa knew, just like everyone else, that Maggie was dying. But Dessa wouldn't, or couldn't, believe it. She needed Maggie, and was unwilling to let her die.
"Dessa-chan," the woman said softly. "It is good to see you. I don't have much time left." Noticing another person in her room, she asked, "Takeshi- kun, is that you?"
"Yes, Maggie," he replied. "I'm here."
"Good. Dessa, why don't you turn up the little lamp, and help Takeshi find the chair?" Dessa did as she was asked, and soon the trio were sitting together; Maggie in her bed, Dessa at her side, and Takeshi in the chair.
"Dessa," Maggie began. "There's no denying it. I'm dying. There's nothing Nurse Joi could do, even if she were a regular doctor. But I don't want to leave you like this. You have to take over the gym for me. I hate to do it, but there's no other way. You needn't stay here all the time, though. We rarely get challenges, so you could come back just for that. I just wish there were more I could do for you. More than this.
"Takeshi, go over to that desk, and open the top drawer." Takeshi stood and opened the desk drawer, took out the small velvet pouch that was inside, and gave it to Maggie. She loosened the ties, and took out an intricately decorated key, made of a mixture of precious metals and crystal.
"Here, Dessa," she said, handing the ornament, which was on a silver chain, to the girl. "This belongs to you. It is the key to your past, and all that you are and can become."
"But Maggie," Dessa queried. "I don't understand. Where does the key go to?"
"I don't have time to tell you what you need to know, and I apologize for it. I wish I could, but there is just no time. You'll have to find it on your own. Maybe it's better this way." With that, Maggie slumped down into her pillows. Dessa leaned over to the old woman, as Takeshi went to the door, for Nurse Joi. He stopped to glance at Dessa, and, as he did, she turned her head, tears in her eyes, and shook her head. Takeshi went to her side, and just sat with her, arm around her shoulders. Dessa leaned into his shirt, and cried. Pikachuu, still being silent, climbed up onto the bed, and snuggled against Dessa's body, trying to comfort her. An hour later, Nurse Joi came in, and encouraged Takeshi to take Dessa home, while she took care of Maggie.
***
When they reached the Academy, Dessa stopped Takeshi before going up the stairs. She walked over to the secretary, and told her the news. Then she and Takeshi went up to Dessa's room, where he helped her slip off her shoes, and lie down on her bed. When Satoshi and Kasumi heard the news, they went up to Dessa's room, and found her lying on her bed, with Takeshi rubbing her back, and Pikachuu rubbing her feet. He looked at them as they peered into the room, and then they slowly closed the door and went down to the guest rooms.
***
Later that night, when Dessa woke up, she found Takeshi lying beside her bed, on the ground. She smiled, knowing that he had stayed to keep her company, and went back to sleep.
***
The next morning, Takeshi awoke to find Dessa packing her bookbag, with things she would need for a journey.
"What are you doing?" he asked, grogily.
"Packing," she replied.
"For what?"
"I'm leaving. Today is the last day of finals, so I have vacation I can go on. I'm not needed at the gym, and I need to get away for a little while."
"Where will you go?"
"I don't know. I was thinking of maybe tagging along with you guys."
"With us? I don't know, Satoshi and Kasumi might not like it."
"Like what?" Satoshi asked, coming into Dessa's room.
"DON'T YOU EVEN HAVE THE COURTESY TO KNOCK?" Dessa screamed, slamming the door in his face.
Satoshi softly knocked on the door, and Kasumi let him in, a red spot visible on his face.
"What were you saying?" Kasumi asked. "What would we not like?"
"Me coming with you," Dessa explained.
"I don't see any problem with that. Satoshi?" Satoshi mumbled something undistinguishable, but positive. "Fine then, Takeshi?"
"Well, I don't know." Dessa bonked him on the back of the head. "Alright, alright, I want her to come, too."
"Well, then, it's settled. Let's get going."
The end, for now.