"I said, I'm going home...I have no reason to be here, I never even wanted to go on a journey..." I admitted throwing my bag over my shoulder while carrying the top handle.
"Dusky...C'mon, we started this together, could we at least finish it?"
"This is your journey, I was only asked to come because of my mother's intervention..."
"Could you at least tell us this...Were you ever really our friend?" I stopped in thought, I hadn't quite considered anyone as a friend. I saw all others as someone who has yet to betray my trust. Thus, I never gave it out. But now, I wasn't sure how to respond.
"I...I haven't decided yet..." I could see a small smile appear. It didn't seem like she was excited as usual. But rather hopeful about something. Not that I could see what it was for.
"Are you really going home?" Espurr asked.
"Yes..." I responded. "I can't let anyone else be hurt because of me... I never should have even left home"
"Can you really say that you hadn't enjoyed yourself? Can you claim that you didn't like being with them!?"
"No...I guess not... But this is to prevent anything from happening...I-I shut everyone out because I was afraid I would hurt them" I admitted with a sigh. I knew it would be a couple of days before I returned to Vaniville town, so naturally, I set up camp for the night, though it wasn't anything more than a sleeping bag.
"Oh! Dusk! I didn't expect to see you here! What are you doing all alone?" I heard someone say. It looked to be Viola. I didn't respond. "Oh, quiet as ever I see...Well, where are your friends? Calem and Shauna, right?"
"They're not here..." I muttered
"Huh? How come? Did you have a fight?"
"It's not important...I'm going home"
"But why would you do that? This world is far too vast for anyone to just stay cooped up in their house all their life!" At that point, I just started ignoring her. Turning over to begin to sleep. Though not before taking out my contact lens. I hadn't before as I didn't want to risk revealing my eyes. As of now, I knew it didn't matter.
I must have fallen asleep as I swung awake at the sound of footsteps. Human. A group of ten. Viola had fallen asleep nearby, though far enough that there was a good gap between us.
"Dusk Lucas Aquamarine! You are to surrender and come with us!" One spoke through a megaphone. They were dressed differently. Rather overweight too.
"Sure. I don't care" I had cared, but with Viola nearby, I couldn't risk her being hurt
"We will give you to the count of... Wait, what?"
"I don't care, do what you want" I repeated as Viola ran in front of me in a defensive manner. Foolish.
"You will not be taking Dusk away! Not if I have anything to say about it!"
"Save your breath...Just leave me alone" I responded to her, walking towards the grunts.
"Man... You are the worst to predict! Lucario, give 'em some help!" I heard a familiar voice as a Lucario charged toward the grunts who were holding my arms, despite the fact I hadn't resisted. I flinched again, trying to duck out of the way but their grip held strong. For whatever reason, they were far more committed than anyone should be. I wanted to face my fears, but in the end, I must have fainted.
"Hey? Dusk you okay?" I felt someone's hand repeatedly tap against my face. It was Viola with Korrina and Lucario next to her. I responded but not before scooting away.
"I'm fine..."
"Could you explain why exactly you were just giving yourself up? Earlier you couldn't stand being near them... What changed?"
"Don't worry about it. I'm going home" I responded. "I didn't even want to leave home in the first place"
"Jeez, just like Grant said... Listen, kid. You've got a sharp mind, but you can't just push everyone away, even the solitary type need help, you're intelligent, so use those brains to help your friends, not abandon them!"
"What would you know...I've caused enough trouble as it is"
"How. Tell me how you've caused trouble and we'll let you pass" Viola said to me. I felt as if it was every moment I breathed, but now that I stopped to think, I couldn't recollect a specific time when I was the sole cause.
"I...I can't..."
"So then stop blaming yourself, you keep expecting others to forgive you, but how about you start forgiving yourself... I've seen you around your friends, and I read your journal in the forest. How much you're written and sketched, you love Pokémon, and you didn't feel negatively towards others! You only make yourself feel that way because you think it's protecting them! If you only imagine the world as you do now, you'll never see the beauty of its flaws. As Professor Sycamore says, "The world ends with you" Viola began to say, I knew she was right, but my world didn't need others, if I could live a life of solitude, I would. But...Then Korrina spoke something that froze me in my tracks;
"You'll never accomplish Mega Evolution"
"W-what!?"
"You've researched it more than most ever could! And yet, you have yet to understand the main trigger... When a Pokémon Mega Evolves, it and the trainer put their thoughts and emotions together, sharing strengths, weaknesses, and burdens alike. Without a mutual bond, that connection will fail every time." She dashed forwards, attempting to slap me across the face but not before Chespin appeared from its Pokéball and protected my body with its hard, outer shell. Lucario took it as a threat to Korrina's safety and targeted Chespin with an Aura Sphere. I hadn't been thinking, but in the spur of the moment, everything froze as I quickly snapped into action, I jumped forwards, pulling Chespin into my arms before the aura impacted my back and shot me towards the trees.
"Lucario! You didn't need to do that! I'm fine really!"
"Wait, Korrina... Look!"
"Ow...Where am I?"
"Oh! Dusky! I'm so glad you're alright!"
"Shauna?" I asked, it didn't make sense, the last thing I remembered was going to sleep in the forest, did she follow me? No. I'm not in a forest, a Pokémon Center? Seemed to be the case. Calem was there too but seemed to be asleep in a chair. It was late into the night, based on the time, I would assume it had been a day at least. Something was in my arms. It was odd, though not bad, once I looked down, I saw Chespin in my arms. I normally would have screamed, but now my body hadn't done so on its own. Did I feel...at peace?
"Dusky? Helloooo?"
"Huh? Oh...Sorry..."
"What happened to you? After you left, Grant called Korrina after we told him how you sort of looked up to her, and then she brought you here unconscious with Chespin sleeping in your arms! Which...I thought you were afraid to touch Pokémon, but you're holding Chespin just fine..."
"I...I don't know"
"I do." Calem started, beginning to stand up while dusting off his clothes. "You may be afraid to touch Pokémon, but it's natural for most people to have priorities. When you care greatly for someone, you'd go past your old fears and doubts for them. That's why" What he was talking about certainly made sense, adrenaline can drive a human to act against their mind. However, that was then. Why is now any different? Why can I touch Chespin but not any others? It didn't make sense.
"Besides that, we're glad you came back! Even if you were asleep the whole time"
"We were really worried, Shauna especially"
"Ah! Calem!" She glared at him as he gave a light laugh.
"Sorry..."
"Huh? Why are you apologizing?"
"I shouldn't have left...And I shouldn't have said what I did"
"It doesn't matter now... We're together now, so forget the past!"
"Why!?" I exclaimed, tears running down my face as I ground my teeth and pounded my fist onto the bed, alerting Chespin as they awoke and saw me. " I've done nothing but bring trouble, and you can't even look upset! Why don't you hate me!?"
"You still don't get it" She gave a light laugh before giving a secure squeeze of my hand " We're friends! Sure we might not see eye to eye, but what matters is that we look past the flaws, and back each other up" She pulled my arm, which in turn pulled my body towards her, and she hugged me. I didn't know how to feel, I hadn't felt like this before...Or rather, I never allowed myself to feel this. Before I could bring myself under control, my eyes burst with tears, even if I spoke, nothing would have been understandable. I guess I distanced myself to the point, I had forgotten what it meant to care for another. Was that why my mother enlisted me to travel? Did she hope I would open up?