Chapter 3 – The Departure
Zack woke at six the next morning; he just could not sleep. The anticipation of leaving, the excitement of leaving – and the worst – the sadness of leaving. Atleast he had one person to keep him company, guide him and befriend him throughout his journey. He was due to leave at 10 o' clock, but he just couldn't bring himself to go back to sleep.
He crept downstairs to make himself an early and small breakfast. When he made it to the kitchen, his heart gave a jolt to see his mother and Rachael standing there in the kitchen smiling widely at him.
"Morning, sunshine!" said Marissa happily.
"Rachael, Mum… hey," said Zack sleepily. "What are you doing here?" He was now rubbing sleep out of his eyes.
"We couldn't sleep, and I was out on a five o' clock walk, and I saw your light on, and I assumed you were up… but you weren't… so here I am! Surprise!" finished Rachael finally. Zack noticed a large pile of pancakes, toast, bacon and eggs on the table.
"Wow! You cooked all this?" said Zack in an undertone of awe.
"With my help!" said Rachael proudly, putting her hands on her hips and her head in the air.
"Oh, cool! THANKS!" said Zack ecstatically, who felt wide awake at the sight of this lovely meal.
"So have ya got ya stuff ready yet?" Rachael said enthusiastically. "I'll help!"
"Oh, sorry. I packed last night. I couldn't help myself."
Zack sat down, highly overwhelmed by Marissa a Rachael kindness.
"So, are you both ready for 10 o' clock?" said Marissa looking at both of them in turn.
"Well I managed to fit all of my stuff in the one bag!" said Rachael, a true tone of pride in her voice.
"Ohh!" gasped Zack sarcastically. "Applause!"
Rachael and Marissa both laughed, and then Rachael put on a fake cracking voice.
"Hi, my name is Difficult… and it has been 2 years since my last usage of forty–seven suitcases! Oh, thank you, thank you!" Zack and Marissa had started laughing and clapping sarcastically.
"So, Zack. Have you got enough clothes? Have you got your toiletries? Have-"
"Mum! I'm gonna be on the road, I doubt that there will be much use for toothepaste!" said Zack with agrin. "I can just buy some myself! I am fine."
"Well… Okay… ummm… Are you sure you don't want me to get you anything before you leave?" Marissa finished finally. Zack looked at his Mum, with a slight smile on her face.
"Mum, I-am-fine." He repeated, syllable after syllable.
"Does Mud need anything?" said Marissa. Rachael tried to stifle her laugh, but it didn't work.
"She is sound asleep, and Mum I have everything she needs."
"Oh, okay. I'm just making sure you're ready for your journey."
They ate quietly, until they had eaten up the whole contense of what was on the table. When it was 8 o'clock, Rachael said that she needed to go home to pack the last things that she had forgotten to pack the previous night.
"Goodbye all! Oh, Marissa you are a lovely cook, and so am I!" she said. "I'll see ya at 10, up at the town gates!"
"See ya!" chorused Marissa and Zack as Rachael walked off into the distance.
9:30 rolled around finally, after several long hours of anticipation. People outside were all walking towards the top of the town. Zack was checking his watch every half a minute, until he heard his mother shouting from downstairs:
"Zack, come on!"
He zipped down stairs and went outside to where his mother was standing, a grin on her face, and Zack's bag in her hands.
"Come on," repeated Marissa eagerly, still looking at Zack.
They walked outside into the small stream of people heading in the lab's direction.
They made their way up to the town gates where everybody was. There was atleast one hundred people there, young and old. Zack and Marissa joined the crowd. People were leaving all over the place. They were not going into town, they were going out of town. Zack noticed that the people leaving were his age or maybe just a bit older. There were teary mothers and smiling supporting father's waving to their children as they leave for the island of Hoenn, unlike his father, Zack thought. At that moment, Marissa began talking.
"Hmmm… I really wish your father had've been here…"
"Mum, don't please, I don't care about-"
"I wish he had of been here-"
"MUM! I don't like him, he was an ass-"
"If you see him, can you tell him… oh… never mind," trailed off Marissa in a sad tone.
"No, Mum, what is it?" enquired Zack in a would be calm voice.
"Never mind… are you ready to go…"
"Rachael!" said Zack, he had just spotted her over on the left side of the gates.
"Hey, dude. Wassup?" asked Rachael in an excited tone. "I'm about to leave. Dad's here, Where is your Mum…?" said Rachael.
"She's talking with your Dad, over there…" Zack pointed towards the two, with a interested look on his face.
"What is it with those two? They don't stop talking!" exclaimed Rachael.
"Yeah I was about to say the same thing too…" Zack said. He was distracted by someone else.
"I'm gonna go over an talk to Dad. Are you coming?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm coming…" Zack replied, not looking at her. Zack was looking at a girl who looked very familiar. That shimmering blonde hair… he had seen her once before… not long ago, too…
"Sarah…" said Zack under his breath, only loud enough for him to hear. Zack hadn'y realized that he had been staring at her, immobilized for over a minute.
"Hellooo… Zack… what are you looking at? Are you coming?" asked Rachael in a fake dreamy tone.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm coming," he replied once again, in a would be casual voice.
"What were you looking at?" enquired Rachael once again, with one eyebrow raised.
"Nothing, come on." Replied Zack, walking towards his mother and John. Rachael stayed behind, and spotted Sarah. He looked back at Zack who was now chatting with John, and then back to Sarah, who was talking to a girl with short jet black hair. Rachael narrowed her eyes and a small smile played across her face. She walked towards Zack, still looking at Sarah.
"Were you…" said Rachael not finishing her sentence. She turned to see Zack looking at her, a blank expression on his face.
"Was I what?" asked Zack.
"You like her, don't you." She said plainly, that small smile on her face.
"Huh? Like who?" asked Zack, just as blankly as his expression. "Like who?" he repeated.
"Sarah. I saw you looking at her. You like her, don't you," she said once again.
"What? Bullshit! I don't… where did that come from?"
"Sure, whatever." The smile was still on her face.
"Come on, how 'bout we go now," suggested Zack.
"Sure, whatever," she said again, still grinning. They grabbed their bags and headed up to the gates. John and Marissa followed.
"Mum, I'll miss you," said Zack sadly, hugging Marissa.
"I'll miss you too, Zack… Oh, after all these years, I never thought you would be leaving on your own, so soon… Remember, you can come home any time you like. So can Rachael," said Marissa quickly, still hugging Zack.
"I know Mum! I promise I'll call you if I catch a new pokemon," said Zack, breaking away from her, and looking around at John and Rachael.
"Oh, you have to, please," said Marissa sadly.
"I'm going to miss you, Rachael. It is going to be very lonely without you," said John, hugging Rachael, patting her on the back and his eyes closed.
"Don't worry, Dad. I can come home at any time!" said Rachael soothingly.
"Well go on now, to the big wide world," said Marissa. "I'll miss you."
"Okay, bye!" chorused Zack and Rachael together. They both headed toward route 101.
"Bye!" said John and Marissa together. Zack and Rachael both waved their goodbyes and walked up the road on the journey into pokemon.
