Chapter 16: Escape

There were plenty of times where Violet had chosen not to speak for one reason or another, but to actually be speechless was a rarity for her. To her credit, she wasn't the only one giving off the aura atypical of her. Bryce sat across from her, cross-legged on his bed as she faced him, back turned to the computer after viewing some rather jarring historical images.

"Well…I'd kind of hoped to ease you into seeing the type of carnage that's happened here, but…yeah, it is around the anniversary of that attack." He shrugged, wishing he could offer more than a simple 'sorry'.

Worse yet, he almost had the feeling that she was blaming him…even if he was barely alive when it even happened. His eyes met her for a minute, and it wasn't hard to figure out the question she couldn't ask.

"Probably a few reasons that they did it that we can deduce…and some we can't. Obviously it was a big deal, being one of the biggest foreign attacks here. Started beefing up airport security, obviously. Then the fight between people who wanted the rubble cleared out as quickly as possible and others who wanted to take the time to make sure everyone was found."

"...How was that even a choice?" Violet finally managed to get out, somewhere between exasperated and stunned.

"I agree, myself. But I will say that we're not close to that area. I'd guess their intent was to make sure people didn't have to walk or drive by what was left for any longer than they had to." Another pause. "That said, there were people that went in to try and save others, and a lot of them didn't make it out. Ceremonies like funerals and burials are one of our ways of honoring people that go, and especially for someone willingly risking their life?"

Even without looking at her, Bryce could feel Violet curling the tips of her paws up into a ball.

"I was pretty young when all of that happened, so I only remember a little…" He mused. "A lot of people older than me could probably tell you that they remember where they were when it happened." Bryce sighed.

Maybe it would have made him a little less jaded about the world at his age.

"So that's not part of the reason you had to grow up so fast?" Violet looked down at her paws just as he looked up at her again. "Seems like everyone here has to…that was the whole reason you brought me here, right?"

"...not entirely." He admitted.

"...at least I can keep you company…" Violet muttered, "...you practically take care of the entire house while they're gone, and all you get in return is being allowed to live here."

"Hey, stop." It was gentle, yet firm enough for him to mean it. "You're sounding way too much like me, V."

Draping his feet off the bed, he gently took her paws, slowly uncurling them as the Pokemon looked up at him. Though he couldn't meet his gaze, Bryce could at least give her the truth. She'd know if he was lying anyway.

"...people here don't always do what's best for others out here. Not mankind as a whole, not their group of family and friends, and sometimes not even for themselves. Heck, marriage in earlier times was something that was done primarily for power and the ideal of making a generation stronger than the last. For whatever reason, be it acceptance, fear of exile, whatever, it lasted for a while. If you have a strong enough motivation, a marriage doesn't require love. That ideal doesn't exist as much anymore, but it's rather common to see couples divorce or stop taking care of their kids."

Truthful, but Bryce could feel her heart shattering.

"A lot of kids have rough lives for a lot of reasons. Parents can't make enough money or abuse some substances, maybe their child happened by accident and they never really wanted kids…but sometimes…" He shrugged. "...parents just get tired of parenting. It's not an okay thing to do, but like how your goals change as you get older and branch out more, for a lot of adults, the goal of raising a kid just reaches a point where they either feel they're done, or just don't want to complete it anymore. And a lot of those times, parents had no idea at the time that they simply wouldn't want to be parents ten years down the line when they were expecting a kid. Being a parent is something that's lifelong."

Violet sighed. Bryce could feel the gears turning in her head–probably realizing how impossible it would be to have Pokemon live on this world with them–but it didn't stop her from responding.

"I suppose it's different for each species of Pokemon. For us, having a partner and at least one or two Riolu is pretty common. They have their parents, but the whole group still looks after them, even if a Riolu's parent's have the majority of say about their lives. The idea is that it's best for the kids, but also for the group as a whole." She sighed again. "I guess."

It was a little hard not to be skeptical for the human, but maybe it was true. Then again, perhaps Pokemon were just trying to keep their lineage and legacy as intact as they possibly could. Still, he was biased enough to think exactly that counter argument. Glancing over at the clock on his nightstand, Bryce made a mental note that it was getting pretty late in the day. Only after looking towards the singular window in his room did he realize the sun had already set, and had done so…roughly an hour ago, if he had to guess.

Well, since she was taking a page from his book, maybe he could return the favor. "C'mon, there's somewhere I wanna take you."

For a moment, Violet looked as if she wanted to protest, but after a second, she conceded. Bryce led her through the kitchen, stopping to pet Shadow as she rested on a nearby windowsill, before the two passed through into the garage. After being here for a few months, Violet had explored every part of the house possible, and the garage was no exception. Now that the place had been cleaned out thanks to Bryce–and no thanks given to him by his parents when they did realize, which Violet was a bit annoyed with–they were able to park one of their cars inside of the garage. Since his mother had driven his father to the airport before taking off on a drive a few hours away herself, that left this car completely unattended.

And as someone who'd gotten a perfect score on his written test and a near perfect score on his driving test, Bryce was more than capable of using the car safely. That, and the fact he often had to drive to pick up one or both of his parents from the airport. Bryce opened the plastic box that contained several sets of keys, including the keys to his dad's car.

"Is he going to be okay with–?"

Bryce cut her off. "Don't care if he is or isn't." Besides, it wasn't as if he was going to intentionally trash the car. "C'mon, let's go."

Violet looked a bit apprehensive. Not because she was always one to always follow the norm and not because she didn't trust Bryce. Even her training had given her some experience in an automobile. But after earlier…

"You've got this." Bryce mused, unlocking the car and opening the door on his side, "you're more than strong enough to get past earlier."

Violet took a deep breath, and then opened the door as well, joining Bryce on the inside of the car in the passenger seat. A quick tutorial of the seatbelt later, and the human opened the garage door with the button on the rearview mirror.

"You really think no one's going to notice a Pokemon out in public?" Violet asked, half incredulous, half amused. "C'mon, Bryce…"

"It's the time where a ton of people are vacationing out of town, it's the middle of the night with minimal traffic, the windows are tinted, and most importantly, you need a break from that damned research."

He wasn't really one to swear all that much, despite being a teenager, but in this case, it felt apt. Although he was the first to admit he wasn't any sort of expert in figuring out what others were thinking, he could understand the idea of needing some freedom. Right now, this was a good way to give her some of that freedom.

"You've trusted me this long." He paused. "At least enough to stay here with me."

Unable to think of a reason not to go, Violet eventually nodded, and Bryce continued backing the car out of the driveway before closing the garage door, driving slowly down the driveway, and then onto their street. Making a mental note to try and do this again during the holidays, when lights would be even more prominent, Bryce drove towards the center of the city. Though it was hardly a populated town, there were plenty of traffic and streetlights, as well as several neon signs that were lit up with their various points of significance. Sure enough, there was next to nobody on the road. Deep down, that made him relax a little.

Between the feeling that it was rude to stare and keeping his eyes on the road, he couldn't exactly watch to see Violet's reaction, but he could definitely feel her softening up. The moment she was able to get out of her head and just marvel at what the world foreign to her had to offer, it was almost like Violet went back to that sweet, naive girl she was at the start of the day. But in this case…maybe it was best to just be naive, at least every now and again. Bryce needed to get better about being that way.

"Hmm, I know somewhere I can take you." He mused, making a left turn to head out of the city.

There weren't too many places nearby with any elevation in a short distance, but thankfully Bryce did know of one that would give the exact scenic view he was looking for. Until then, he was content to hear the occasional hum or soft gasp of shock and wonder. He did his best not to grin or chuckle; after all, he may have done the same thing if he were in Violet's position.

As they started to head out of town, Violet asked a few things they passed by. Most of the buildings that had some sort of signs that she could make out were similar to her own world. Others that likely existed were ones a Pokemon would have normally never seen. Gas stations in particular–likely because they were lit up with signs and the lights above the pumps–seemed to intrigue her. Rather than fill her in on every little detail, Bryce kept any answers to her questions simple.

It was a bit like outside distractions while watching a movie; the less noise, the more likely Violet could just be in the moment. Soon enough, the lights around them began to decrease, the elevation slowly increasing as the pair headed up to the highest point nearby, only a few miles outside of the city. Someone else must have agreed to the view at this point as scenic, with a good chunk of solid dirt carved out off the side of the road, easily enough for two or three cars to park together. There was enough of a series of boulders to serve as a makeshift guardrail as well, despite being only the height of a smaller car.

Bryce pulled up to the side, turning the car off. "Here we are."

He was the first to exit the vehicle, followed by the Pokemon after she made a quick sweep for any nearby signs of human life. Finding none, she joined him as he idly rested on the passenger side of the car, staring out at the view. The compact dirt and small rocks crunched underfoot as they both found a comfortable position to rest in against the car. After quietly shutting the door, Violet turned to look in the same direction, giving a soft, "Wow…"

Not the most beautiful sight the world had to offer, but maybe one of the better ones in this town. On their own, the lights weren't much to see, but out here? Each pool of soft, glowing brightness seemed to bring the whole town to life, even with only a small handful of moving car lights. From this angle, each area had different amounts of brightness, at different heights for the taller buildings, too. Even the colors helped create the experience for the alien Pokemon. Full of yellows, reds, greens, blues, whites, even a few purples…it made what looked like a depressed city void of life before now look like a beautiful picture painted and splashed with creativity and warmth. Unlike the fireworks, it almost felt as if the picture could last forever, every night…maybe even grow bigger and stronger than before.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it?" Bryce mused. "Kinda gives that ability to just stare at it forever."

"Mm…"

For a moment, he almost idly mentioned how amazing it would look from a plane, but given the earlier topic, Bryce let that idea drop. Instead, the two continued to look out at the lights below them, backs resting against the car. It was far more devoid of sound out here, save for the idle humming of bugs that were kind enough to leave the pair alone.

"Sorry I didn't bring you out here sooner." He apologized. "I know I keep letting you know what is or isn't safe, but…it's always your choice, y'know. As much as you feel confined to a small area, you're the one more free than anyone else I've met…at least, on the inside."

"...probably not as much as you think." Violet finally responded. "Free on the inside is only as good as being able to be free on the outside, right?"

The human mulled it over for a moment. "Maybe. Maybe it's just having the option to be free. But every time I've seen you feeling free, it's because you're just naturally hopeful." He turned to face her. "Whether that was the reason you came here or not…I think you could go anywhere and do anything." Bryce paused. "But…maybe stick around here a while longer?"

It may have been a bit of a sarcastic quip–not like she had a choice in staying on Earth–but he did mean it. Saying it outright wasn't exactly his thing. Still, Bryce wanted her around.

"So…keep that hope alive, okay?"

Violet blinked, turning towards him with a confused expression. "Hope for…?"

"...whatever you believe is worth fighting for." He finished.

The Lucario thought for a moment as Bryce watched her consider. Hope for a better tomorrow, hope that some Pokemon out there would find a place for them to live in peace and harmony, or even something as simple as more night time excursions, whatever it took to help her keep that internal light glowing. She smiled softly at him, seemingly fixated on an answer.

"And definitely keep that smile..." He concluded, giving a smirk of his own, "...you light up the room when you smile."

The room, and the lives of anyone in it.

Author's Notes: Yes, I am indeed still out and about. Normally I do a chapter of this in between 1-2 writing commissions, sort of a balance between paid work and what inspired me to write in the first place. This last batch had several commissions over 100 pages, so needless to say, that was quite a bit of work. Still, I'll take busy over sick anyway!

Obviously the big theme of this chapter is freedom: the freedom to do things, good or bad, how free we truly are, and the idea of being internally free in comparison (or in contrast) to how free we are externally. For myself, I may be tied down a fair bit by needing to take care of others (family, friends, etc.) because I'm the type of person that will do it if no one else will (it still has to be done regardless), but when writing, I get the opportunity to be far, far more free. Ironic, given I consider this story the most important thing that needs to be done over my life (heck, it's been worked on, on and off, since 2009). Getting to live vicariously through these characters is one of the reasons that people love creating the things that they do.

Speaking of freedom, the idea of swearing being incorporated into the story: that will be something that will happen from time to time, namely with some characters that will appear in the future. I've always been of the opinion that, when used sparingly and at the right time, they can make an impact. Used too much, and they have the potential to be as useless as words that we throw into our sentences while trying to think of the next word to say (um, y'know, but, sorta, like, well, etc.). As time goes on (and this will be in later arcs), if I feel like I need to switch the rating to M, I will do so–hopefully that won't dissuade you from continuing to read, but be aware that it may come up from time to time. If there's something I feel may be a trigger or something that's more mature, I will put a note at the start of the chapter.

Another psychological ideal in this chapter: the ability to be 'in the moment', which is something that I find incredibly tough, and admittedly there are times I'm a bit envious of those that can do so. Having moments where you can just turn off all the thoughts of what you're doing, what you need to do, why, and just enjoying something for what it is, that's something I've rarely been able to do (as in, I can count the number of times on a single hand). That said, while it can appear naive, those are some of the moments most clear in my mind years, in a few cases, decades, later.

This chapter also has a bit of a reference to both a videogame with a similar scene that I've been playing on-and-off with a friend, as well as a quote from a certain Antoine. If you know, you know. If you don't, you can probably find it by searching the internet for the right keywords.

The last little subnote for this chapter, we're just shy of hitting 50,000 words on this story (including the author's notes). So if you're reading this while still in school and you've read every word, you can brag to your teacher about it. It translates to about 125 pages on the document I'm using. A good milestone, though I do believe the original may have been more pages long, but I also haven't added in page breaks, nor have I split up paragraphs correctly due to the dialogue. That'll all be done at the end of the first arc.

Oh! And another small note that I didn't catch until I was about to update the story with this chapter: we've also surpassed the word count of the original! Considering how much further along the original story was, I can definitely say I've gotten better about elaborating my work. Well, certainly that'll be something that probably won't hit me until a few hours from now. Wow.

Comments are always appreciated, and remember that a part of you will always be free; some things can only be taken from you if you give them away. -Delta