~Evolution da Second
It was pure luck that Radic managed to get tickets for the St.Anne, considering his relative lack of money. He had won a contest for "Person with the most distinct Pokémon personalities" and thus had won the tickets. Also some TM's, but those weren't as important as the tickets.
Most of those who had seen his Pokémon gave him advice on what moves to give them, how to raise them, and, in some cases, how to get rid of the undesired personality trait. Radic accepted all of them politely, but knew he would never put any of them to use. He wouldn't try and alter his Pokémon's personalities and lifestyles. He was their friend and they were his. He wouldn't try to control him. Already, battle was becoming something increasingly difficult for him. He couldn't bear to see his Pokémon get hurt and he hated hearing them in pain. But he knew that he had to battle sometimes and he knew someday, somehow, he'd be stuck fighting Red. And he always had a sinking feeling that he would lose that battle.
The other Pokémon, however, were fairly sure of their own superiority over others, particularly Nova and Ruby, and didn't seem to share the same worry that Radic did.
Most of them, excluding Kitsune and Ta, were perfectly at ease with traveling on the ship. Radic was slightly uneasy, but wasn't particularly worried. What could happen?
As Radic showed his ticket to the captain as he entered, he was shoved aside roughly by someone with fairly long hair. He never got a good luck at the person, as they disappeared before he could stop them. Mildly annoyed, he credited it to a one time happenstance and continued onboard.
Most of the attractions on the ship were Pokémon battles of various kinds, generally between types that had even chances. Radic felt awkward in battling...he didn't feel at times as if his Pokémon were...well...normal enough to. No one else seemed to have Dodrios that argued constantly, or Raichus with sunglasses, or Persians with more of a liking towards grooming then fighting, or Parasects that apologized before battle, or Ninetails that could make the most stalwart Pokémon red with fury and shame with a few words, or a Wartortle that was...
That was...
Radic sighed.
Releasing his Pokémon, he sat down in the midst of them. Callima gravitated to his shoulder, as she always did, while Nova rubbed up against his chin. The others stayed close to him, observing the other Pokémon with wonder. Because of Radic's reluctance to battle, they had never had much of an experience with other Pokémon. Perhaps that was why they had such glaring personality flaws.
Kitsune was the only one to wander away. Radic knew that was trouble, but didn't think much of it. After all, Kitsune knew her limits.
Or so he hoped.
An angry screech soon chased that hope away.
Kitsune came prancing back, her tails waving merrily, as she lept behind Radic, snickering wildly. Radic looked up wearily as the angry trainer stood above him.
"I'm sorry for whatever she said..." Radic began, using the same lines he had learned to use whenever Kitsune caused this kind of problem.
"Apparently, your fox has a problem with my Golbat."
The Golbat in question was perched on the trainer's shoulder, wrapped in it's own large wings. Kitsune looked at it and promptly began laughing again.
"I know, she has a bad sarcasm problem. I'll talk to her about it, okay? It won't happen again."
Although it seemed that the argument would end with Radic's apology, someone interceded unexpectedly, causing both Radic and the other trainer to turn as the long-haired person that had pushed him to one side when he had first came aboard the ship spoke.
"Personally, I think this kind of argument is best solved with a Pokémon battle. Let the fox fight the bat." The boy didn't seem to be arrogant or overbearing, but he had a quiet confidence in his statement that caused Radic and the other trainer to exchange glances. Although the other trainer had been upset before, she didn't seem very keen in battling, and neither was Radic.
"I don't know, I don't think it's that big of a deal..." The girl shrugged, the bat moving along with her. "He said sorry, so it should be alright..."
Radic shook his head slowly. "I don't think it should come down to a battle, really...it seems a bit like overkill in a way..."
The boy looked back and forth between them for a moment, but didn't say anything. In the awkward silence that followed, the girl with the Golbat reached forward for Radic's hand in a friendly gesture.
"I'm Kara, by the way."
He took her hand and nodded. Callima and the Golbat stared at eachother from their perches on their respective masters shoulders. "Radic."
"I'm Bry." The boy held a hand to his own chest. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if Radic would be interested in battling me instead? Not for the Golbat or Kara, but just for the experience and the like."
Bry's voice was very calm, quiet, and soothing in an odd way. Radic still felt misgivings, especially when Accident, who was sleeping next to him, began to lean on him, snuffling quietly. "I don't know..."
Bry put his hands behind his back and leaned forward slightly, looking at Accident, then back at Radic. There was a slight smile on his tanned features. "Ah, you have a Wartortle. That should make things interesting. Don't worry, we won't battle until you're ready. When you're ready, come find me, alright? Even if it's to tell me you don't want to battle after all."
He waved at Radic and walked away slowly. In one of the pockets in his large jeans Radic could see six spheres through the fabric, no doubt where he kept his Pokémon. Radic looked down at his own belt, a standard issue item for new trainers, and felt a sigh escape him. He always felt so unoriginal.
Kara was still standing, watching Bry walk away, then she turned back to Radic. "Be careful, I think he's hiding something. He's got that kind of look. Anyway, good luck if you are going to battle him."
She turned away, and Kitsune, who had been hiding behind Radic during most of the conversation, began to snicker again, just out of audible range of the Golbat. Radic sighed and looked down at the fox, who had her tails curled up near her back in apparent pleasure at what she had done.
"Kitsune, can't you ever leave things alone? Now we have to battle." Radic leaned on his knees slightly, supporting his head with his hands, while Callima made a hissing noise of concern. "I wish we didn't have to..."
Kitsune made a few yapping sounds and walked away, her tails still waving back and forth happily. Radic sighed for a moment then looked back up. There was no sign of either Kara or Bry.
"But I guess you're right...it IS unavoidable, and I think I should have a good chance..."
It was later on that night, while Radic was enjoying the buffet, that Bry managed to find him again. He somehow managed to find his way next to Radic in line for food, which startled him somewhat.
"Are your Pokémon ready?"
Radic's Pokémon were in a "Pokémon-only" designated area where they were finding food for themselves. He assumed Bry's were as well. He shrugged somewhat nervously.
"Yeah, I guess..."
"Great." Bry smiled gently. "We can fight after dinner, alright?"
Bry disappeared with the same odd ability that had enabled him to appear next to Radic. Radic blinked several times and finally shrugged, turning his attention back to the food at hand.
His dinner was tainted by the thought of the battle that was to come, something he was dreading more then ever now. He thought this would be a wonderful chance to relax, to simply enjoy his time with his Pokémon without having to deal with other people challenging him constantly. Not to mention this would also give him a chance to take a break from the rivalry he had going with Red. Of course, Red had been on the last cruise on the St. Anne, so Radic assumed that he had got nothing done during that period. He had hoped to follow his example, but, knowing his luck, no such thing would happen.
He wondered how Red viewed his Pokémon battles. Was he happy to see his Pokémon injured? Radic shook his head. No, he couldn't be. But so many people threw their Pokémon into battle and let the most horrible things happen to them in the name of victory without any of the qualms that Radic was currently feeling. Maybe Radic just cared too much...
But his Pokémon cared for him back, so that was all that really mattered to him. He was sure they'd be there for him when they needed him, and he vowed to be with them when the time came.
After finishing his dinner, he went to the Pokémon-Exclusive area, to find Kitsune surrounded by a mob of angry Pokémon, Nova admiring himself in a mirror, Ruby sleeping near the wall with Callima and Takachan, and Accident curled into his shell nearby. Sighing, Radic called out softly to them, and they made their way to his side quietly. Kitsune managed to break through the throng through luck and lept into Radic's arms, where he sighed and carried her off. The fox's snickering enfuriated the Pokémon left behind.
He set her on the floor once they were a safe distance away and returned all of them. The puzzled look on Accident's face when he tried to explain what was going on was extremely painful, but Radic tried not to think about it.
"Go, Aktarax!"
"Accident..."
The battle had gone on without much problem for most of the time. Bry was down to his last Pokémon, and Radic had only Accident and Nova, who was somewhat injured, left. It appeared that the battle was indeed going to be his. Bry's calm demeanor didn't change during battle, although he did add a somewhat dramatic flair to what he said. In the crowds watching them, Radic caught a glimpse of Kara.
Nothing strange happened until he decided to send Accident against Aktarax, a Pokémon he had yet to see.
Bry's Pokéball opened with a flash of water, much in the same manner as Accidents, and something appeared that he hadn't seen before. Everyone around him gasped in surprise, mumbled words of surprise and concern barely audible.
"A Blastoise!"
"That means it must be around level thirty five or so!"
"It must be really powerful!"
Radic was confused, but not nearly as confused as Accident was.
The Wartortle sat down in the middle of the ring hard, staring at the creature in front of him. She was larger then he was, with a bigger shell, out of which came two cannons, pointed directly at him. Her eyes, however, almost seemed to hold regret.
"Wh...who...who are you...?" Accident's voice seemed small and frightened. He cringed away when she moved towards him, not sure what his rapidly beating heart or the rush of blood to his face meant.
"I'm Aktarax." She seemed confused by the question. Her voice rumbled through Accident's very body. "I assume you're Accident, right?"
Accident nodded and blushed badly, ashamed of his name, and covered his face with his paws.
"ACCIDENT!" Radic's shout came to late to Accident's ears, as streams of water pounded into the Wartortle's body while he wasn't watching. He was sent sailing, somersaulting back as the streams of water pushed him back further, gasping and trying to breath from shock and surprise and pressure. Radic dove for his Pokémon, pulling him free from the water streams and holding up his Pokéball.
"Accident, I think you should sit out for this one..."
"But I want to see her again..." Accident blurted out his words, but Radic could not spend time talking with him. With an understanding look, Radic sent Accident back into his Pokéball, putting it back on his belt with the others.
"Your Wartortle had a strange reaction to my Blastoise..." Bry was standing, one hand to his mouth and the other holding his elbow. He was looking at the designated battle area with thought. "I didn't think that would happen...how awkward...why didn't your Wartortle defend himself?"
Radic had never told anyone what was wrong with Accident ever since it happened, and he felt extremely uncomfortable discussing his Pokémon's flaws with strangers. He looked down at his belt to avoid eye contact. "He's fine, don't worry. Don't ask, it's a long story. Nova..."
The Raichu seemed eager to be on the offensive, taking an easy stand on the water-slicked floor and smiling with anticipation, his sunglasses glinting.
"Nova, be careful...the water..." Radic's calls were soft and uncommanding, but he knew that Nova would understand. The Raichu nodded to indicate he understood, while the Blastoise stared at him angrily.
"Aktarax, Earthquake!"
The Blastoise readied itself, but without a command called by his trainer, Nova ran towards the large turtle, speeding across the water slicked floors with surprisingly little trouble. The Blastoise paused in confusion for a moment, letting Nova spring upwards into the air, a smile on his face as he curled himself inwards, then exploded with bright electrical energy, which directly lanced into the Blastoise, the lights flickering momentarily. The massive beast groaned and hit the floor, smoking, as Nova landed lightly on the floor, flashing a peace sign at Radic.
"Rai rai rai!"
Radic rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know..."
Bry moved forward, looking at his Blastoise with concern. Expecting angry eyes to meet him afterwards, Radic instead found calm ones. "Victory is yours, Radic."
Radic now felt awkward as the boy recalled his Blastoise and moved forward. Nova bounded towards Radic energetically and reached him before Bry, climbing up his clothes to sit on his head, clinging to his hat tenaciously.
"Rrrrai..."
"Here. I think this is yours." Bry dug into his pocket and pulled a few crumpled bills. Radic stared at him incomprehendingly. Bry's face didn't change expression as he simply reached forward, pulling Radic's hands from his sides and putting the bills inside them, closing them for him. Radic continued to stare, not sure of what to say.
"Why...?" Finally words escaped him. Bry smiled slightly for a moment.
"When you win a battle, you get money. Don't you know that?"
Radic tried to recall the battles that he had engaged in beforehand, but none of them had ended with the loser giving him money. He continued to look confused, and Bry walked away, leaving the bills in Radic's hand.
"I'm kind of old fashioned that way. I wish you the best of luck." With that, he vanished into the rapidly disappearing crowd. Radic felt a hand touch his shoulder and he turned to see Kara once again.
"I hope you don't mind me butting in like this..." The girl didn't seem that bad now that the altercation between the Golbat and Kitsune was resolved. "But I really wouldn't trust him." She looked back where Bry had last been seen. "I feel like he gave you money so that you'd be...something like debted to him, even though you won." She shook her head for a moment. "I must sound really paranoid, but I really don't trust how he acts around you. I just wanted to let you know."
Radic was confused by the sudden interest people were showing in him and finally mechanically put the bills in his pocket, his voice soft. "Thank you...I'll keep that in mind..."
Kara looked again where Bry had disappeared, up at the Raichu sitting on his head, and finally into Radic's hazel eyes once again. She looked deadly serious. "I hope you do."
She walked away after that, and Radic felt more confused then ever.
"Rrrai rai?" Nova tapped his forehead, and Radic smiled softly.
"I think you're right, I think we all need a break after we get healed and the like. Let's head to the center."
"Rrraichu!"
Radic's Pokémon were healed quickly, and in an effort to forget the unpleasant experience of battle, particularly the pained gasps of Accident as he was hit, he went to one of the decks, sitting along the edge and watching the water beneath the bows. His Pokémon had been released, but most other people's Pokémon were inside the ship at night, so they had the run of the deck. Kitsune and Ruby had pushed a punch of deck chairs together to form a large trampoline-like structure, which they promptly abused by throwing Nova on it repeatedly against his will. Callima, as usual, stayed near Radic, although not on his shoulder at the moment, and watched the waves rise and fall behind the boat. Ta and Ka were screaming alternatly at Nova for making too much noise, at Ruby and Kitsune for being mean, at Callima and Radic for being remote, and at Chan for being Chan.
Radic let his legs dangle over the edge of the boat, prevented from falling off by the many bars that lined the edges. He watched the waves and wake, and the moon rippling along with the water. He tried to remember what Accident had told him so long ago, but it was too far back, and he had never thought that Accident wouldn't explain it some day, so he hadn't tried to memorize it.
Looking around, he noticed that Accident was not with his Pokémon. He sighed somewhat, knowing that Accident would be looking for Aktarax. He leaned his head on one of the bars crossing horizontally. He wished him luck.
It was indeed true. Accident had left the party, albeit reluctantly, to go search for Aktarax. The female Blastoise made him feel funny, and he didn't know why. He didn't know what it was. But he thought it was important. She had to know why he was feeling this way, so he decided to go ask her. That and he just wanted to see her again. Almost as if to prove to himself that she was real. But either way, all of his rationalizations led to him searching her out, which was what he went to do.
He wandered on the decks, which were fairly deserted at this point, until he saw the boy that owned the Blastoise leaning against the railings, not too far from where Radic was. Accident wasn't sure what to do. Sure, he owned Aktarax, but that didn't mean that she was here...maybe she was somewhere else. It wouldn't hurt to ask, would it?
"Are you looking for me?"
Accident whirled around, his own eyes meeting with hers. The Blastoise was leaning against a wall nearby, looking at him with a confused expression. Accident nodded, feeling his heart beat fast once again and his words hard to come.
"Yeah...I...I wanted to ask you some stuff..."
"Go ahead." He couldn't read anything in her voice.
"Um..." Accident felt even more awkward now. He looked down. "Um...whenever...whenever I see you...I feel funny...why?"
Aktarax laughed quietly for a moment, then looked at him again, this time with more fondness. "You're asking me why?"
Accident nodded, his ears twitching nervously. "My heart goes all fast, and I feel really hot...is that a power you have? A new move?"
She laughed again for some time before speaking again. "How old are you?"
Accident looked at his paws and realized that he didn't really know. He had never thought of the seasons as important. "I don't know..."
"You don't know?" She smiled again. "Well, in answer to your question, I think it may be because you have feelings for me."
"Feelings?" Accident blinked at her, even more confused. She continued smiling.
"Feelings. You know. Those kind of feelings..." She noted the still confused look in his eyes. "Well, it kind of means...kind of like you love me, I think."
Accident cocked his head to one side, his ears tilting at the same angle. "Love you?"
She nodded. "Right. That would explain why you feel all flustered and such when you're around me."
Accident looked confused. "I don't understand...I just met you a second ago...it took me ages to love Radic and the others..."
Aktarax pushed herself off the floor and stood, shaking herself for a moment. She almost seemed to sigh. "No, I'm talking about something different, um...what was it again?"
"What was what?"
"Your name."
Accident blushed in embarassment again and almost hid inside his shell. "Accident..."
"Where'd you get that name?"
Accident scratched his head. "Radic gave it to me. He got me by accident. So that's my name."
"How sad..." Aktarax's eyes now held pity, but Accident didn't understand. "To give you such a cruel name..."
"No no, Radic loves me a lot." Accident was quick to stand up for his trainer. "He takes care of me and everything."
Aktarax began to walk down the deck, her thudding weight causing the floor under Accident to rumble slightly. "Walk with me for a while. I need to talk with you a bit more, okay?"
"Sure." Accident smiled happily and moved after her. He didn't notice Bry and Aktarax exchanging glances.
Hours had passed, and his Pokémon had eventually tired themselves out, sleeping across the deck in whatever area they had designated as their own. Radic was sitting, still staring downwards at the moon and the stars reflected in the ever changing water, when a voice startled him.
"Pretty, isn't it?"
He turned to see Bry was standing next to him, his arms on the top bar of the railing, staring out into the horizon. Radic was confused as to why he didn't feel relieved.
"Jeez, you scared me..."
"Sorry. I do that to people sometimes." Bry's voice was soft and almost never seemed to change, quiet and in control at all times. "I was just curious about some of your Pokémon, that's all."
"My Pokémon?" Radic was used to the question. He kept his eyes on the moving waters. "Which ones?"
"In particular, your Wartortle..." Bry's eyes never moved either, still focused on the fading horizon. "What was his name?"
"Accident." Radic sighed. "I gave it to him so long ago. I didn't mean to pick him, but we ended up together...I called him Accident out of spite, but now I care way too much about him...and he's had that name for so long that changing it seems unnatural to me."
Bry nodded slowly before speaking again. "Didn't you mention something about a long story behind him?"
Radic still felt uncomfortable about speaking about Accident, and didn't want to tell anyone unless he knew them well. And he certainly didn't know Bry well. He ran a hand through his scruffy brown hair, trying to think of something to say.
"It...is a long story...but it's really his to tell...not mine."
"I see." Bry's statement was followed by an awkward silence between the two. Radic wasn't sure what to do or say. He had never really been good with talking to other people. He fidgeted with his hair for a while, trying to keep it out of his eyes without success.
Eventually Bry slid down, putting his legs off the side of the boat in the same manner as Radic and sitting next to him. Radic kept his eyes focused on the water, while Bry continued to look at the horizon, despite his change in position.
"I think your Wartortle likes my Blastoise."
Radic and Bry both knew this was true, but Radic wasn't sure how to respond. So he looked down further, if at all possible, and mumbled a response. "Think so..?"
Bry nodded. "Considering the rarity of the Squirtle species...I was wondering..."
"Wondering...?" Radic continued to stare at the water.
"I was wondering if you'd consider letting Accident breed."
Radic finally looked at Bry, who looked back at him, his eyes soft. "I don't mean forever, of course. Just for a while. Probably the length of the cruise itself. It'd be best for both of them, and other trainers...I was asking about him because I want to know if there's anything..." Bry paused for a moment, searching for words. "Anything that would..."
Radic thought to himself for a while, looking down again. "No...I don't think there's anything wrong with Accident that would affect his children...but I think he's still a little young for that...not to mention the two aren't even at the same stage..."
Bry turned his attention back to the water. "I suppose you're right. Still, I felt it best to ask."
Radic nodded awkwardly. "Sure, I guess..."
There was another long pause in which nothing was said. Radic was constantly fidgeting. He hated these kind of long pauses.
Bry's words were almost inaudible, and they had a sad quality that made Radic turn in his direction. "Forgive me for saying so...but you seem very lonely. Am I right?"
Radic didn't have a response to that. He had his Pokémon of course, but other then that he had no actual human friends. He had tried not to let that bother him, but to see other trainers have at least two friends cheer them on during battle made him feel jealous and sad inside. The closest he had ever had to friends or even support during battle would have been Kara...and Bry. Radic felt that he didn't really have to say anything, as he had nothing to say, and simply leaned his head forward on his arms with an almost inaudible sigh.
Bry didn't change his position, keeping his eyes fixed ahead. "Something...about you seems to radiate this...kind of sadness. I couldn't really see it...until that girl accosted you about your Ninetails...and that kind of sad despondency...the acceptance of your fate...you looked as if...as if nothing had...no one had ever stood up for you before..."
Radic didn't move, but he felt increasingly more anxious. He wasn't sure whether he should be arguing or even speaking at all. What would he say? Bry continued.
"So I thought that...that maybe I could...help you out a bit, you know? But I guess I came off as...a bit uninvited, you could say...I didn't mean to. I wanted to help you...or at least be your friend...so I asked you to battle...it meant we could see eachother again, and maybe we could talk...or maybe I could learn more from your Pokémon...a Pokémon often reflects parts of their trainer, you know...so I asked you...and I could feel through the entire thing just how much you didn't want to do it..."
"I hate fighting..." Radic finally spoke, his voice soft and almost frightened. He jumped slightly when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He turned to see Bry staring at him. The intensity was so much that Radic dropped his eyes back to the deck.
"I could feel that...I wanted to say I'm sorry...to me...it seems like you care too much...and that's how you get hurt so much, isn't it...?"
Radic felt even more awkward after the disturbingly correct analysis of his personality. He rubbed the top of one of his arms with one hand, not sure of how to respond. "I don't know..."
"Even now you're avoiding conflict..." A small smile lit up the other boy's face.
"How do you know so much...?" Radic genuinely wanted to know, and it showed in his voice. Bry paused for a few seconds, then shrugged slightly. The change in weight in his arm showed in a change of pressure on the hand that remained on his shoulder.
"I watch, observe, study and the like...I try and pay attention, most times...then I kind of make educated guesses...and other times I just kind of feel what I know is true...it's hard to explain..."
There was another pause, then Radic found himself saying something that he wasn't even really aware of. "The only real person I know now at all is Red, and we hate eachother."
With that, it only took a few soft, but almost guided questions from Bry for Radic to tell him everything, every feeling of inadequacy he had ever felt at his rival's hands, the ongoing rivalry, the constant self-hatred, everything that had ever bothered Radic began to spill forth, the result of a dam being unbarred. Things that Radic had tried to keep to himself, things that he intended to keep secret about himself came out, his hatred of the color white, his hatred of himself and his constant feelings of failure. Bry said nothing, only rubbing his shoulder occasionally. Radic began talking as if no one was there, continuing onwards until his voice cracked.
"And then...and then...they told me that I won...I won the tickets...because I had tramautized my Pokémon...because Accident...oh god, Accident...I didn't mean to...it's all my fault..."
With that the brown-haired boy began to cry. And Bry took this opportunity to pull him close and let him cry in his chest, whispering quietly and wondering to himself if Aktarax was having as much success as he was.
"So your name isn't something that was intended to be cruel?" Aktarax and Accident were sitting near the edge of the boat, watching the water on the almost the farthest point on the ship away from where Bry and Radic would be.
Accident shook his head, large white ears moving along with him as he smiled. "No, no, it's not mean at all! Radic really likes me, really."
Aktarax seemed confused to this, putting a large paw near her face as she thought. "What about your friends? Your teammates? What do they think?"
"Oh, Radic loves them too." Accident swung his stubby legs back and forth over the edge of the ship, misinterpreting her question. He was still smiling. "Even though they can be mean sometimes."
"Mean?"
"Well, like Ruby or Kitsune, they can be mean to eachother sometimes. And to everyone, really." Accident paused for a moment. He got a look on his face as if he was genuinely discovering or figuring out something new. "But not to me. Nobody's really mean to me."
Aktarax paused for a moment, as if processing this, and then spoke again. "Who else is on your team?"
Accident smiled and began counting on his pawtips. "Well, there's Ruby, she's kind of vain and mean sometimes. She doesn't really like Nova very much..." He ticked off one pawtip, then paused, thought, and then ticked off another one. "There's Nova, he's really vain too, and he likes sunglasses. There's Kitsune, and she's mean to everyone and doesn't like anybody...um..." Accident looked thoughtful as he ticked down one more, then rose two of them, looked confused, then just shrugged and put his paw down, giving up on the whole idea of counting. "There's...uh...there's Ruby, she's a Persian, and she's-"
"You already mentioned her." Aktarax interceded gently, and Accident smiled brightly.
"Really? Okay. There's, um...there's Kitsune, she's-"
"Her too."
"Oh." Accident paused again, the thoughtful look crossing his features once more. "Nova?"
Aktarax nodded. Accident scratched his head near his temple.
"Um...Callima, Callima's really nice to everyone. She can get really nasty sometimes though when she's been awake too long...wait, that's not right." Accident nibbled on one of his short claws for a moment. "No, when she's been around Kitsune too long, sorry. Um...who else..."
Aktarax watched Accident with a soft smile as the Wartortle tried to remember. "Uh...Takachan! Ta and Ka are really mean. Chan's nice, but he can't say much 'cause Ta and Ka are mean to him too much. There's Ruby..."
"You already mentioned her." Aktarax reminded him again, and Accident smiled.
"Right! Okay, how many did I mention?"
Aktarax paused. "Five."
Accident looked at his paws again for a moment. "Five...um...five...uh..." He scrunched his face up in what appeared to be deep thought for a moment, then apparently gave up and turned to her again. "How many more do I have...um..."
"Accident, there are only six Pokémon on a team, and you're the last one." Aktarax watched as Accident smiled again, apparently not realizing how many errors he was making.
"Wait...six Pokémon..." Accident scratched his head in confusion. "Umm...I'm not good with numbers...um..."
She looked at him sadly for a moment. "Accident, don't worry. You listed enough."
He smiled. "Okay! I think that answers your question then, right?"
Aktarax nodded, and there was a pause. Accident wasn't uncomfortable in the least, swinging his paws and smiling the entire time. He didn't seem to be affected by Aktarax's sudden silence at all.
"Accident, when are you going to evolve?" Her question may have seemed sudden to most, but Accident took it completely in stride.
"I don't know." He played with the bar that he was resting against, reaching his forepaws through, trying to touch his footpaws, the light carefree tone still in his voice. "Radic hasn't told me yet. I don't know if I should."
"If you should or not?" Aktarax almost laughed for a moment. "Accident, evolving isn't a choice, it's something all Pokémon have to go through. It's like growing up."
"Really?" Accident blinked at her, completely trusting. He looked confused. "But it hurts."
Aktarax scratched at her shell for a moment, sighing slightly. "Well, growing up hurts."
Accident again resumed trying to reach his footpaws. His tone didn't seem to denote any kind of sadness. It was more of a carefree feeling, or the attempt to convince Aktarax, albeit badly, that he was deeply upset by this news when he really didn't understand it at all. "I don't really understand."
Aktarax sighed again, shaking her head slowly. "You don't seem like the type that would."
Accident didn't even linger over the statement long enough to try and interprete what it could mean. He smiled again, pushing himself up and standing as best he could, wobbling for a moment before his ears helped him regain his balance. "Want to go see what Radic's doing?"
Aktarax blinked sharply and reached out, taking hold of Accident's paw, bringing him back down easily. Accident sat with a confused thump, staring at her with childlike innocence.
"No!" She tried to soften her voice. "No, let's leave them alone for a while, alright? Besides, I thought you said you wanted to spend more time with me."
Accident blushed brightly, remembering how strange he had felt before, and looked off to one side. The embarassing emotion took hold of him sharply, and he was confused by its strength, his thoughts wandering, resting on one of his constant concerns. "I know, but I'm worried that something might be happening, something important and I'll miss it, and everyone will be mad at me..."
Aktarax gestured to the sky, speckled with stars with only an occasional cloud drifting by, the moon shining above brightly. "Don't worry, the night is clear, the battle areas have been shut down, almost everything and everyone is asleep. Nothing could possibly happen."
Accident blinked for a few seconds and finally nodded, still a slight sense of misgiving on his features. "I guess..."
"C'mon, come sit with me again. Calm down." Aktarax pulled gently on Accident, and he came to her surprisingly easily. The difference in their physical ability was extremely telling, but this didn't seem to worry Accident. He again had a trusting look on his face, not suspecting her of hurting him in any way, not reading her obvious physical advantage over him as a threat.
She put her large paw across Accident's shoulders, noting how she dwarfed him in almost every way. Accident didn't move towards her or away from her, almost as if he wasn't even aware of the paw over his shoulders, just staring out at the water and smiling, bobbing slightly, as if there was a song playing just in his head.
Now that she was closer, she noted a slight pink mark that rose against Accident's forehead, where he had been scratching earlier. She waited for a few moments before she asked, feeling awkward despite herself.
"Accident...?"
He turned towards her, smiling. "Hmm?"
"What's that scar on your forehead from?"
"What...?" It took him a moment. "Oh, that?" Accident raised a paw and ran it across the line for a moment before shrugging as best he could with Aktarax's weight on him. "I got it a long time ago."
"What happened?"
"I hit my head..." Accident looked thoughtful, putting one of his pawtips to his mouth. "I think. I don't really remember. But everyone was real worried. But then I got better." Accident smiled at her again. "So it's no big deal or anything."
Aktarax stared at him for several minutes before her eyes softened. "You...you mean to say...?"
"Say what?" Accident looked at her in confusion, moonlight glinting for a moment off the pearl-like quality the scar had acquired over time. She raised both arms and pulled him close, hugging him tightly.
"Oh, how terrible...this is terrible..."
Accident wriggled in her grasp, unable to get free, confused and worried. He didn't read anything in the motion except that he was closer and he couldn't move freely. This wasn't like Radic's hugs, because with those Radic wasn't trying to keep him still. He didn't know what to think, so he was only confused. He was not, however, suspicious, although there were so many things telling him he should be. "What's terrible? What happened? Is something wrong?"
"All these horrible things happened to you..." Aktarax continued to hold him tightly. "Being named Accident, being with your teammates, and now this..."
"I don't understand." Accident tried to look up at her, confused. "My teammates aren't terrible. They're just kind of mean to eachother, it's not that bad."
Aktarax stood, taking Accident with her easily, lifting him off the ground. Accident continued to try and wriggle in order to be able to look her in the eyes, but she continued to hold him close to her chest. "All this suffering you must have endured..."
"Suffer...ing...?" Accident looked confused. "What's that?"
She shifted her position until she had her paws underneath his arms, holding him above the ground so that she could look in his eyes. Accident stopped moving, just looking at her with confusion. "You don't even know what that means?"
Accident cocked his head. "Is it bad?"
Aktarax sighed. "Yes, it's very bad. It means you're being hurt."
"But I'm fine." Accident smiled at her, and she sighed more deeply then she had before. She shook her head slowly after a moment.
"How could I think you'd understand...you can't..."
"Understand what?" Accident felt like he was missing an important part of the conversation, which made him feel bad. He always did this and he didn't mean to. He struggled to try and figure out what she was talking about, but nothing seemed to come to mind.
"Never mind..."
There was a pause after this in which the two water Pokémon stared at one another. These kind of pauses never bothered Accident because he never read anything in them, although he was beginning to find it odd that she was still holding him up. He wondered why she was doing that.
"Why are you holding me up like this?" Accident finally ventured to ask. She blinked and then smiled at him for a moment.
"Sorry, I forgot..."
She set him down, and Accident looked up at her, still confused. "I don't understand. You're really...really..." Accident struggled for a moment. "Really complicated."
She sat down and looked at him for a moment. "I don't know whether or not that's a compliment coming from you..."
He just stared at her, not sure what she meant, and she sighed again. Accident looked thoughtful. He knew by now that he would be able to understand what it was she was trying to get across, but he wanted to know. He had to find someone, a medium, that would be able to tell him what she was talking about. Who could do that?
"Maybe Radic would know!" Accident brightened and smiled at the Blastoise, who jerked at the sudden outburst. He turned to go, happy with himself at figuring out who could help him all by himself.
"No!" She reached out and grabbed his tail, pulling him back quickly. Accident slipped on the deck, his paws losing traction, and he would have fallen forward if it weren't for the grip she had on his tail. She pulled him back until he fell into her lap awkwardly with a confused noise.
"What? What's wrong?" He looked up at her and she looked around for a moment, as if making sure no one else was nearby.
"Sorry...it's just..." She struggled for a moment. "I just want to spend time with you."
This was more confusing then ever. "But why would Radic stop you?"
"No no, time with you...alone."
Accident cocked his head slightly. "Why?"
She shook her head at his innocence. She would never get her point across with words, so she decided she might as well try and convey it physically. She picked the Wartortle up off her lap, setting him back on the deck, where he stood, staring at her in confusion.
"Look, Accident..." The name still felt strange coming off her tongue. "I like you."
"I like you too!" Accident smiled brightly at her again, and she couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt.
"No, I really like you a lot."
Accident blinked for a moment. "I like you too." What did she want?
"Do you know what two Pokémon who like eachother do?" She already knew the answer before he even answered.
"They play together?" Accident scratched his forehead for a moment, and she smiled sadly at him.
"Yes, that's true...they do play together."
"Okay!" Accident clapped his paws in front of him. He reached out and tapped the breastplates quickly before skipping backwards. "You're it!"
She stared at him blankly while the Wartortle continued hopping back and forth a few feet away before laughing to herself for a moment. Accident stared at her, somewhat confused.
"Aren't you going to come after me? You're it!" He hopped a step closer then back again, trying to illustrate the point. Aktarax waved a paw at him.
"No, not those kind of games."
"Oh." Accident went back to where he had been standing before, sitting down and looking up at her. "Freeze tag then?"
She shook her head slowly.
"Statue?"
"No, Accident."
"How about Four Corners?" Accident looked around him for a moment, then scratched his head again. "Wait, we don't have enough corners..."
"No, not those kind of games, Accident." She touched her forehead for a moment, her heart filled with deep pity. "No, I mean something different."
"No games?" Accident almost looked sad. "That's too bad, usually only Callima will play with me, and she can't run real good..."
"Accident, I like you."
"I know." Accident smiled. "I li-"
"No, listen." She put her paws on his shoulders, stopping him mid-word. "When pokémon like eachother a lot, they do certain things."
"Things?" Accident cocked his head again, his ears twitching.
"Accident, you like me right?"
Accident nodded emphatically.
"Here, I'll show you."
She pulled Accident a little closer, then leaned down and gave him a quick kiss. It was quick and soft, and the feelings of confusion that Accident had been feeling before raged completely out of control. Underneath it all, he could feel a slight tinge of fear.
But he was still confused, even after she had leaned back and was staring at him, trying to gauge his reaction. She had said she liked him, he liked her. She obviously knew a lot about this kind of thing, she seemed very smart. So she had to know what she was doing. And if they liked eachother, she said this is what they had to do.
Accident felt misgivings, small ones, deep within him. He honestly didn't know how he felt about the kiss at all. His feelings were mixed up, fear and confusion all in one. But the deficiency in the relationship had to be his fault...
That must be it. He must be missing something out of this, too! He always did that. Well, he wasn't going to ruin what he was supposed to do because he didn't understand. He had to go through with it, cause that's what they were supposed to do.
"There, see?"
Accident was still sorting through his feelings and how he should react and feel to what had just happened, so did not respond to her. He was staring off into the distance with a glazed look in his eyes, thinking hard.
"That's what Pokémon that like eachother do." She kept her paws on his shoulders, brushing off one of them for a moment before returning her claws back to their original position. "Ask anyone, ask your teammates and your trainer. It's something that Pokémon that like eachother do."
Accident finally regained his focus, looking back up at her. He was still very confused. He didn't know if he liked this or not. He wasn't sure. He didn't know if he was even supposed to be doing this. Radic might be worried.
But she said that Pokémon that liked eachother did this, and she was very smart. She had to be right, because she knew more about this kind of thing. He had learned from experience to trust other, smarter people when they talked about things, particularly those who cared about him, and she apparently cared about him.
She picked him up again easily, hugging him again, noting the lack of resistance in his body. "Accident, are you alright?"
"I'm...confused." That was all he could think to say. He could tell her how he felt, right? She had to understand, because she said she cared.
"I know, I know..." Her voice took on a warm, caring tone. It reminded Accident of how a lot of people would begin to talk to him when they saw the scar on his forehead and they and Radic would talk quietly. Ruby had a word for it...what was it...
Condescending. That was it. To Accident it sounded more like his Mom or something...some older figure. It didn't bother him. "I know it's confusing, I thought it would be."
She kissed him again, although this time it wasn't as quick or light, and the confusion that was reigning over Accident's emotions did not lessen in the least. He only felt more conflicted and more confused.
"Are you sure this is okay?" Accident felt confused and was beginning to feel frightened. He wanted to curl up with Radic and know he was safe instead of feeling all confused as he did now. "Because I don't want to get in trouble..."
"Oh, of course it's alright..." She ran a claw over the scar on his forehead, a familiar feeling to him. A lot of people he saw liked to touch the scar and mumble to themselves, although Accident never knew what that meant. "You like me, right?"
Accident nodded again. He knew the answer to that question. He had to be sure of what he DID know.
"And I like you, too." She smiled at him again. "There's nothing wrong with that."
"I'm still confused." Accident looked down and shook his head. His emotions continued to conflict with one another.
"Don't worry." She stood and walked off, carrying the Wartortle with her easily. "I'll teach you everything you need to know."
"After that can we play Tag?" Accident brightened at the thought of something that he did understand, and she nodded to him for a moment.
"Of course we can...but first..."
"I don't know..."
"It'll be fine. You can trust me, you know."
"I'm not really thirsty...I still feel..."
"Now listen. You've been crying and you need more fluid. I demand you drink this right now."
"Alright, alright...but this is it, really."
"You know I'm only worried about you, right?"
"..."
"C'mon...I probably know more about you now then anyone else and you're still acting so shy and reclusive."
"...I just don't know..."
"We're friends now. You know that, right?"
"...Hmmm..."
"Don't worry about anything, it'll be fine. You won't be alone anymore, I promise."
"...well, I always have my Pokémon..."
"You know as well as I do that they can't match a human..."
"I don't know about that...they ARE human to me...they're so close to me, they're really all I've got...I don't know what I would do if something happened to them..."
"Look, look. They're still Pokémon, no matter how human they act. I know you're lonely, but you've got to learn to be friends with other people. You've got to open up more."
"...I don't know..."
"I mean, here I am, holding my hand out to you! Won't you please at least awknowledge me as more then a stranger?"
"I know you're not a stranger..."
"See? I'm your friend now, c'mon. Lighten up."
"I guess...I'm not really good with this kind of thing..."
"Heh, you made friends with your Pokémon quick enough."
"...that's different...it's different with them..."
"Hey hey, that wasn't an attack, don't get up in arms about it. I was just kidding. You've got to lighten up."
"I don't know..."
"You say that too much. Are you feeling a bit better now?"
"I guess..."
"Well that's good to hear. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."
"I guess..."
"C'mon, talk to me! I care. I want to help you."
"..."
"I care about you. At least look at me."
"...I know you do..."
"I do care about you. I care about you a lot. I don't know when was the last time I cared this much about someone."
"..."
"Don't worry, everything will be fine now, okay?"
"...I feel kind of dizzy...hnnn..."
"Woah, are you okay? You turned green there for a minute..."
"I don't know...I just...everything got...nnn...I feel kind of funny..."
"Here, lie down. Are you okay? Do you want me to get you something?"
"I feel dizzy..."
"Here, I'll get you some more water."
"...nnn...I feel really hot..."
"Hot?"
"Yeah...yeah, am I sweating? Unn, everything is still spinning around...maybe I really am dehydrated..."
"You probably are. Here, take this. Let me feel your forehead...yeah, you're warm alright...maybe you got sick or something?"
"I was fine just a little while ago..."
"Well, sometimes these things sneak up on you. Here, let me get that for you."
"Hey...hey, what are you doing...?"
"You said you were hot, right? I'm just taking off your shirt to help you cool down, that's all."
"I don't know...I guess...ugh...the world is still spinning around..."
"You really are dehydrated. Here, let me refill that."
"Hnnn...nnn...it's so hot in here...feel funny..."
"Still hot? Never happy are you. Here, let me help you..."
"What's that?"
"It's some candy. Do you want one?"
"I don't know, is it safe?"
"Would I give you something that wouldn't be?"
"Oh yeah, you're right. Sorry about that. He always told me to ask first, 'cause he said that people can give you bad things sometimes."
"He must be worried about you."
"Yeah, everyone is worried about me sometimes."
"You know I'm worried about you too, right?"
"Yup."
"Here you go. Don't eat it too quickly, alright?"
"...This is good! It's really sweet. Now my mouth is all dry though."
"Here, drink this."
"Thank you! You're such a nice lady."
"That's just because I care about you of course! Feeling better?"
"Yeah, much better! Thanks. Are you sure this is okay?"
"Of course. We like eachother, right?"
"I don't know, I'm still kind of confused."
"You're only confused because you're always been so alone. You won't be alone anymore, I promise."
"I'm not alone, I have my friends! Five...no...Six...? No...no...well, I have a lot of them."
"I know, I know, but it's not the same. We're both the same species, you and I. Hard to find, very rare, you know. We've got a special bond."
"Really?"
"Of course. We're special, you know. It's been good luck that we've met and even more so that we're here together."
"Can I have some more water?"
"Sure. Here you are."
"Thank you! It's good. It tastes different."
"Tastes different? It's just water."
"No no, it has something else in it. It tastes good though. It must be special water."
"...Yeah...special..."
"Do you have any more candy?"
"That was my last piece. I'm sorry."
"It was good candy. I don't think I've ever eaten it before. I hope I can find it again."
"I'm glad that you enjoyed it though."
"Mmhmm."
"What's that?"
"I don't know, I found it on the floor. It's a square that's all different colors and stuff. Ooo, it clicks!"
"That's a Puzzle Cube, I think."
"Hee hee!"
"Now, what were we talking about?"
"Uh huh..."
"Are you listening?"
"Uh huh."
"C'mon, look at me."
"I'm listening."
"At least look at me when I'm talking to you."
"Alright, alright..."
"Well, anyway...I just want you to know that I care about you a lot."
"Uh huh."
"So I'll be there, if you ever need me, alright?"
"Uh huh."
"Give me that cube!"
"Hey! I was playing with that!"
"I want you to pay attention, alright? This is important."
"Okay."
"I just want you to know that I'll be there for you, alright?"
"Aaann-!"
"Are you alright?!"
"Aaa, I felt kind of dizzy for a minute...wait...I feel funny..."
"You feel funny? Oh no...did you eat something bad?"
"No...hhhnnn...I feel bad...I feel bad...nn, make it better, make it better, please?"
"Don't worry, everything will be fine now, okay?"
"I don't like being sick, not a bit...oooh, I feel dizzy...everything's going in circles..."
"Here, lie down. Are you okay? Do you want me to get you something?"
"I feel really dizzy...I'm scared, I don't want to be sick...make it go away..."
"Here, I'll get you some more water."
"Make it go away...nnn, I'm dizzy, I'm dizzy, I don't like this, I don't like it..."
"Here, Let me feel your forehead...you're burning up! Oh dear..."
"Oh, oh no! I don't want to be sick, no no no no! Make it go away, make me better, I don't want to be sick, no no no no..."
"Just lie down and relax, okay? Stop curling up like that and just relax, please?"
"No no no no...nnn, everything's still spinning...I feel bad...feel funny..."
"Just stay still, alright? I'll take care of it..."
"Feel bad, feel dizzy...dizzy...bad...nnno no no no..."
"Shhh, just relax...relax and stay loose, alright...?"
"...will it make me feel better?"
"Of course. Now be good and relax, alright? Just relax..."
"So, anyone know where Wonder Boy went?" Kitsune was lying on one of the reclining chairs on the deck, staring up into the bright blue sky with unblinking scarlet eyes. Callima was lingering around the pool on deck, tapping her claws in it occasionally. She only ventured in as far as the first step, enough to get the bottom of her mushrom soaked. She looked up at Kitsune from the wonderful cool of the water.
"You mean Accident?"
"Who else? He's been gone for a while. Not like him, you know."
"Actually..." Ruby had been basking in the sunlight, but now turned from her back onto her side to face the two who were conversing. "The fox has a point...he's never gone for very long. He's almost always here."
Nova was cleaning his sunglasses in the poolwater. He flicked them back on with a quick movement of his tail, looking concerned. "Yeah, he doesn't like being by himself."
Callima put one of her claws to her mouth. "What if he's hurt? He's never been gone this long. He wouldn't be gone this long. I hope he's alright."
"Well, wherever Radic went, at least we can be sure he can take care of himself." Ruby rolled back onto her back, stretching out her limbs. "That boy can get out of almost anything. But Accident...not so sure."
Callima struggled and got out of the pool, shaking herself momentarily. "I'm going to go look for him. Anyone want to come?"
Kitsune closed her eyes and went back to lying on the recliner, while Nova flicked his sunglasses off to one side of the pool, leaping into the water with a huge splash. Callima sighed.
"Never mind, I'll go by myself..."
Ruby raised a paw. "Oh, wait..."
"You want to come?"
"If you're going to pass by the bar, get me some of those little sausage thingies."
Callima sighed deeply. "The cocktail weenies. Yeah, get me some of those. Thanks in advance." Ruby then went back to her sunbathing. Callima sighed deeply and began skittering off, lamenting the amazing laziness of her teammates.
"Accident? Accident, where are you? Accident?" The Parasect wandered about the decks, not sure of where Accident had gone. He couldn't have gone very far. They hadn't been off the mark when they had said Accident hated being alone, and he normally wouldn't venture this far away from them. She checked the various food locations thinking he might be there, but so far nothing.
"Accident? Accident? C'mon Accident, we're all worried about you, where are you?"
Finally, as she came near the end of the ship, she caught sight of him. The same familiar brown shell...but he was different...
"Accident?"
When he turned to face her, the large white ears that once graced his head were gone, replaced with more catlike ones, and the plumed white tail had vanished as well, replaced by a tinier one. He had grown in size and there were two small squares on his shell, compartments near his shoulders. The relief on his face was almost painful when he saw her, and he stumbled and slid towards her, his awkward new body falling clumsily against the deck.
"Accident...you...you evolved..." Her voice was unbelieving as the new Blastoise slid to a stop in front of her, panting heavily.
"Oh Callima, I'm so glad to see you. I'm so confused. I don't know what's going on anymore. You've got to tell me." The pain in Accident's voice was evident, and the Parasect touched his large forehead with her claws gently, noting the scar that still shone against his skin. "I don't know anymore."
"Accident, what happened? Calm down and tell me what happened, alright?"
Accident righted himself clumsily, his new limbs flopping around him and he stared at Callima with his agonized brown eyes.
"Callima, you know what's right, right? What you're supposed to do? I mean...when Pokémon like eachother, I mean, you know, right? You know what they're supposed to do?"
"Accident, calm down..." She took his large paws on her claws carefully, shaking them to try and make the Blastoise calm enough to become coherent. "Accident, what happened? Does it have something to do with Aktarax?"
Accident looked at her. Callima stared back at him, her eyes watering with the effort to maintain such a agonized stare. Accident was usually so cheerful, so happy. To see him in pain, to see him like this, it was almost too much to bear.
"Accident, what happened?"
"I don't know..." Accident's voice was small and frightened, and he held his paws near his face, almost as if trying to hide. "She...said...things..."
"Accident, what did she do to you?" Callima felt anger burning inside of her. If that Blastoise had so much as laid a paw on Accident, she'd make her pay! No one would get away with hurting him as long as she was here to stop them! It was just inexcusable to hurt someone like Accident like this. "Tell me."
"She said she liked me. A lot. And I liked her too. I asked her if she wanted to play with me, but she said she didn't want to play Tag like we do."
Callima could figure out the rest of the story from there, and she lowered her eyes, shivering with anger and sadness. "Oh Accident..."
"...I don't know...was I supposed to do that? ...I don't know...it...I don't like that game..."
"Where is she?" Callima narrowed her eyes.
"I don't know." The pain in the statement was the worst of all. "I think she forgot about me."
"Forgot?" Callima jerked. "Forgot about you?"
"Yeah..." Accident scratched at the scar on his forehead again, staring fixedly at the deck. "When I tried to talk to her this morning...she didn't remember me..."
"Didn't remember you? As in she didn't know your name?"
"Yeah...she said something...I don't remember now...but she didn't remember me...and she left. I thought she'd come back, but she didn't...so I'm looking for her..."
Callima had heard enough. She turned, pulling the Blastoise along with her, who gave no resistance. "That's enough. C'mon Accident, let's get the others."
"What are we going to do? Are we going to see her again?"
"Yes." Callima narrowed her eyes again. "And she's going to remember you."
More time had elapsed before anything disturbed the rest of Radic's Pokémon, who remained around the pool, enjoying themselves. What actually bothered their repose was their trainer, who stumbled over to them, looking tired and far-away.
"Radic?"
Radic did not respond at first, simply finding his way to the edge of the pool, letting his legs slide over the edge and his bare feet fall into the water. He stared into the depths, not noticing as gradually his Pokémon surrounded him.
Ruby moved next to him, nudging her way underneath his arm, concerned and surprised at Radic's complete lack of reaction. She rubbed against his chest, purring loudly, but Radic continued to remain blank, expressionless. Kitsune pressed her chest against his shoulder, igniting her inner furnace to produce heat, but this also seemed to escape his attention. Nova, having shaken himself dry from his swim, slowly climbed up Radic's back, resting on top of his hat and staring down at Radic, who seemed to have gone into a completely different world.
"Rai?"
"Nine?"
"Per?"
Behind him, Takachan lowered all three heads around him, for once all of them co-operating and sharing one common confused expression. "Dodrio?"
There was an awkward silence, where nothing was said, while Radic continued to stare out into nothing. Finally, he moved, raising his hand to his face for a moment and turning to see his Pokémon for what seemed like the first time. He had a strange, almost frightening hollow look in his eyes as he spoke to them in a soft whisper.
"You'll always be with me, right?"
His Pokémon were frightened by his strange behavior and nodded assent, not sure what had happened or what was wrong. Radic continued to talk, the disturbing tone in his voice only getting worse.
"You won't forget about me, right? You're my friends...you'll always be my friends, right?"
The more he spoke, the more frightened his Pokémon became. In all their time with the passive boy, he had never looked or acted like this. This was completely unknown and unfamiliar to them. Ruby rubbed up against him again, still purring, and the rest of his Pokémon made their own motions to show they, indeed, would not abandon them.
"That's good..." Radic returned his gaze to the pool water, still seeming to stare past it. "That's good...very..."
Finally, in the midst of such bizarre and emotionless behaviour, Radic let loose one wracking, broken sob and finally began to cry. The tension and fear in the air had been broken as Radic began to unashamedly begin crying, his Pokémon only pressing closer to him, their fear allayed as Radic finally began to act normally...
But why? Why was he acting like this at all?
While the others were busy, Kitsune recalled Accident and Callima, who had been gone for far too long...
She glanced up at Nova, who returned her gaze with a knowing nod, and slipped away from Radic, Nova taking her place. She turned and began to run where she had last seen the Parasect disappear.
"I knew it! I knew it, you did it again, didn't you?"
"Maybe."
"Don't give me that! I knew it! I knew it the moment you came up and did your innocent act for him! God, don't you have any shame at all?"
"Not when it comes to something this important, no."
"God, all this! Don't you know what you've done? You've ruined this, maybe even ruined HIM, just for money and a few eggs! I can't believe-"
Kara and Bry's furious argument was interrupted by the sound of two Pokémon near their feet. Turning in relative surprise, they found Radic's Parasect staring upwards at them with pure, undiluted fury, and the new Blastoise, looking confused and hurt.
The Parasect pointed at Bry angrily and hissed for only a few seconds. Accident looked embarrassed and hurt all at once and looked off to one side.
"I'm sorry, are you lost?" Bry's voice again gained the quiet and controlled tone it had before, lies slipping through his voice with practiced ease. "Who's your trainer?"
Before Kara could even make an angry response, Callima darted forward in a desperate attempt to attack the boy, but he darted out of her way easily. "Temper temper! I've never seen such an angry Parasect before. Your trainer must be very good."
Accident sat where he had been left, hiding his face in his paws, while Callima tried desperately to exact revenge on the quiet boy. Her slow movements, however, made this difficult, and each time he would manage to evade her by just enough inches.
"I can't believe you! God, you're the worst! I can't believe you did this..." Kara mumbled to herself, watching as Callima again, missed her target.
"I don't know what you're talking about, my dear Kara." Bry smirked at her. "These Pokémon must be confused..."
A bright flash of flame erupted from nearby, and the familiar cream and brown figure dashed into the room, cutting Callima off and startling Accident. Kitsune stood between Bry and Callima, causing the Parasect to glare angrily but do nothing. The Ninetails turned towards Bry, who continued to have a quiet, controlled expression on his face.
"And now there are three! Someone must not be watching his Pokémon carefully, don't you think?"
Kitsune narrowed her eyes, opening her mouth for a moment to unleash a massive blast of fire, before Bry's next words stopped her dead. "Maybe I should call security..."
Kara made a disgusted noise and walked away as Bry smiled down at the three Pokémon, two of them trembling with anger. "If they don't start behaving themselves of course..."
He turned with easy grace and began walking away, waving behind him carelessly. "I hope you find your trainers, whoever they may be."
Accident had begun crying at this point, although he wasn't sure why, and Callima moved to his side, rubbing his shoulder with one of her claws ineffectively. "It's okay, Accident..."
"I know what happened now..." Kitsune snarled deeply within her throat, fire flicking between her clenched teeth. "I understand. And I bet the same thing happened to Accident...kusooo...my trainer told me about this..."
"What?" Callima stared at Kitsune with mild confusion as Kitsune turned slowly.
"My trainer taught me that word, along with other things..."
"No, I mean, what happened to Radic?"
Kitsune just stared at Callima, anger still burning in her eyes. Callima shook her head, feeling deeply sick inside.
"No..."
"I want off this boat now." Kitsune turned to Accident, her only show of open concern being letting one of her tails linger against his skin for a moment. "We all do."
"Why did this happen?" Callima finally managed to get the crying Blastoise to follow her down the deck as Kitsune walked slowly, apparently still trying to control her emotions completely.
"There's no why, Callima." Kitsune's voice was level and controlled. "It just happens. Now we've got a Blastoise and..."
She paused and stared off at the sea for a moment, shuddering. "Let's go back to Radic."
Radic and his Pokémon left the boat at the next port. They didn't look back.
