I made the tough decision that the three of us would stay in Arkport for the night to regain our strength before we continued onwards. It was just too dangerous to travel forward without my Pokémon, especially knowing how vulnerable I was to just a single Ultra Beast. The portal was just going to have to wait for now.
After a quick victory celebration, I profusely thanked my partners for their help; Riolu placed his paw over his chest before passing out and Dusty gave me a very weak, but nonetheless gross hug. Once they were both back in their Poké Balls, I was left in silence again, just the flashing stop light and I.
A breeze of wind whipped down the street and rustled my hair. Taking a deep breath of the calm, fresh air, I tried to calm down; adrenaline was still pulsing through my veins. I wanted to scream, to let all my emotions out all at once; I wanted the world to know how triumphant I felt, how stressed, hungry, and tired I was, as well as how scared I was… But I knew I had to keep my emotions bottled. If they got out, the effects would be brutal on myself and my partners.
Once I finally felt the pangs of calmness, the search for supplies and a place to rest for the night began. I started by heading into the small RV park to see if I could find somewhere to stay.
I knocked on the doors of all the trailers, seeing if anyone was still there. Most of the trailers seemed to be locked up and abandoned, but luckily, on my second to last RV, the door swung ajar as I knocked on it.
Inside, the small home was practically empty. The front door led into a small kitchen, which incorporated the living room and some bunk beds off by the bathroom in the back. Besides that, there was a small bathroom towards the back and a large, rounded table in the living room with seating all around it. To my right was an open doorway that led to the master bedroom, which was mostly taken up by just the bed. However, whoever was there last had gotten rid of all the furniture and appliances; the only thing that was left in the small trailer was a mattress in the master bedroom. There was no clothing, no appliances, no food or running water, no cleaning supplies; not even the couch cushions were there. It was going to have to do for the night, though.
I let Dusty and Riolu out of their Poké Balls after my short tour; I set Riolu on the un-cushioned couch around the table, and Dusty on the bench next to the table. He hardly fit in the trailer, being almost seven feet tall. Immediately, I gagged from his smell in the small, cramped space, so I struggled to crack open all the windows a little bit.
Once the stink had blown away, I heard my stomach growl loudly; I was stuck with a decision to make. As much as I wanted to pass out right next to my partners and sleep off some of my exhaustion, I knew we all needed to eat and drink something soon, especially if we were going to travel again tomorrow.
I unhappily grumbled under my breath, settling on the second option. It was getting close to dusk but knowing that the gas station was just on the other side of the road, I figured I could at least find something for us by the time it was pitch black. Plus, now was a good time to sneak away, as neither Dusty nor Riolu were awake. Still, I didn't not want to be there if they woke up, so I looked around for something to write a note on. There were no writing utensils, or even paper for that matter, so I left a note on the "Notes" App of my PokéNav.
Dusty and Riolu, I've gone out to get us some food and supplies. Please stay where you are, you need to rest. Don't worry about me, I've got everything covered. Stay safe, and only come looking for me if you absolutely need to.
-L
As I walked out, I took a deep breath before gently closing the shoddy RV door behind me.
It was starting to get dark fast, so I tried to walk as quickly and quietly as possible through the RV park and out into town. Scanning the area carefully like Dusty and Riolu would, I stopped occasionally behind cover to rest, as my own fatigue was eating away at me.
When I finally arrived at the parking lot of the convenience store, I picked up my speed and hastily headed towards the front door. Glancing around before entering, I pulled hard on the handle, but it didn't budge; it was obviously locked so no one could get in. As I stepped back trying to think of another way in, I noticed that the front window was shattered to pieces. I guess I was in such a rush, I didn't realize it before. The window looked deliberately broken, probably by someone trying to grab whatever they could get their hands on. There was plenty of space for me to enter through, so I carefully brought my exposed legs over the broken glass.
The entire convenience store was looted. Aisles were toppled over and anything of value seemed to be broken into or missing. I stepped around broken glass and other debris to inspect the broken cash register, which was on the floor behind the front counter. It was beaten to a pulp, with the money drawer missing.
Walking back out to the main area of the ransacked store, I was suddenly weighed down with a moral dilemma. Reminded that I didn't have any money to spend, I knew I would feel guilty if I stole anything… So, what was I to do?
Looking for an answer, I wandered back to the entrance, carefully thinking of a plan. But as I came near the front door, I stepped on a potato chip container which immediately caused the smell of processed food waft into my nose. I normally don't like chips, but when you haven't eaten all day, anything edible is appealing.
Part of me couldn't bear stealing, but in the end, I finally came to terms with it. After all, it was just scraps left, and I knew that there was no one around to yell at me. Not to mention Riolu and Dusty weren't here, so they wouldn't care either. Besides, it wasn't me who broke into the store in the first place.
Finally, after psyching myself up for the thousandth time, I began searching for scraps. To aid me in carrying as much as possible, I took off my sweatshirt and used it as a mock bag of sorts. I was cold and exposed to all the broken glass and debris, but it would be worth it to only take one trip.
After finding only bits and pieces, I made my way to the last aisle still standing in the back of the store, nearest to the back cooler doors. As I was about to look over what I'd scavenged, I heard a weird, almost staticky sound from outside. Instinctively, I crouched down behind the shelves and peered around the side, fearfully gazing out to where I'd heard the noise.
A tall and wiggly Xurkitree strided into the scene from the left side of the street with its head lit up with a teal-white color, which eerily illuminated the surroundings. Suddenly, it stopped in place and turned towards the store until it seemed to be looking directly at me. My heart skipped a beat, and I whipped my head back behind the aisle. Staying completely still and unsure what to do, I heard its stomping footsteps coming closer and closer. Quickly glancing around for somewhere to hide, I ultimately couldn't make a decision before I heard the footsteps stop just outside the window.
Watching as more of its light brightened up the store, it slowly cast across the ceiling and created shadows on the back wall. As a nervous sweat beaded on my forehead, the light began to flick around the room. I desperately prayed that it wouldn't find me, closing my eyes and letting fate decide the rest.
Luckily, after what seemed to be an eternity, the light eventually faded away as the sound of marching footsteps trailed off, the natural colors of the cloudy evening coming back. Once I couldn't hear anything other than the wind and my heavy breathing, I slowly poked my head back out around the corner once more. Confirming Xurkitree was no longer in sight, I gathered my small amount of supplies and immediately fled back through the window.
I didn't stop until I was back at the RV; I ran the whole way despite the pain of my injuries, knowing that Xurkitree could still be close by. As soon as the door latch was in my grabbing range, I furiously snagged the handle and pulled back, revealing everything inside had been untouched. A wave of relief flowed over me once I saw Riolu and Dusty resting quietly in their same places, the screen on my PokéNav still lighting up the ceiling around the table. Knowing they were alright, I briefly smiled and began to finally calm down.
Locking the door behind me, I carefully and quietly set my sweatshirt of supplies down beside my PokéNav down on the dining table. Using the dim screen of the device, I reviewed what I'd grabbed from the store. There were only a couple bags of trail mix, some containers of potato chips, and two bottles of unopened water. I also luckily snagged a USB charger device with batteries included that looked like it would charge my PokéNav. I quietly sighed under my breath at my meager find.
Right then, my stomach growled again, and the pangs of hunger came back; I'd all but forgotten about them during the run in with Xurkitree. I was so hungry and thirsty at that moment, I almost took the food for myself. It was really hard to resist, but I knew my Pokémon needed the food more than me. Unfortunately, I was going to have to wait until tomorrow before I could find some for myself.
Heading into the bathroom and closing the door behind me, I proceeded to struggle with getting the plastic packaging off the portable charger, attempting to do so while making as little noise as possible. Eventually having to use my pocket knife to get it open, I then slipped the batteries into the device and plugged the USB cord into the PokéNav's bottom slot. There was an electronic dinging noise, signaling the phone was charging, and the screen light brightened.
As I headed back towards the dining table, I edited the note for Dusty and Riolu when they woke up.
Riolu and Dusty, please eat all the food you see. In the morning, we're setting out as soon as possible, but we need to take it slow. Wake me up if you need anything. You guys are the best partners in the world.
-L
Setting the PokéNav down on the table next to the food, I remembered one more thing I wanted to add to the note. I grabbed the PokéNav and entered one last line.
PS: Feel free to play any music you like. Just click on the app with the music note and hit the play button. If you need my help, feel free to wake me.
Smiling one last time, I stumbled into the master bedroom. I again thought about going back out and taking a little of the food, but before I had a chance to act on it, I fell face first onto the bed out of exhaustion. The mattress was dingy and smelled weird, but I didn't care; there was no way I was getting back up. I didn't even bother to get into a comfortable position before I fell into a deep sleep.
I rolled over and woke up in a weird position. I'd slept on my neck in a bad way, and it was stiff. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes and yawned. Daylight was just streaming in through the slats of the window blinds, so I figured it was early. It was cold in the RV account of all the windows being open, but it was way better than choking on Dusty's terrible odor. Immediately, I noticed my dry throat and nearly empty stomach. I wanted to stay in bed and rest more, but at the same time I needed to get up and eat. The only way to do that, however, was to head out and get searching as soon as possible.
I sighed and slipped my legs off the bed. As soon as my feet touched the floor, the aches and cramps came back. To say I'd overdone it the last couple days was an understatement. I counted to three in my head before putting all my strength into standing up. My legs buckled and pain jutted through me, but I caught myself and was finally up again.
Walking out of the master bedroom, I saw that Riolu and Dusty had eaten the food and water, but not all of it. A bottle of water, some of the chips, and a half a bag of trail mix was left. My phone was now next to Dusty on the partition between the table sitting area and couch, playing a soft EDM track through the speakers.
Grabbing the PokéNav and turning on the display, I found that the time was 5:51 AM, which meant it was almost time to get going. Since I figured Dusty was sound asleep, I turned off the music. To my surprise, I heard him shuffle on the couch, and I caught him waking up. He blinked the sleepiness off once or twice and then looked at me. He sat up, showing a happy face.
"Good morning, Dusty…" I whispered to not wake Riolu, who was still fast asleep.
"Gar…" he whispered back.
"We should head out soon… We've got to get to the highway today if we want to get to Pennsylvania on time... We'll definitely need a little more time to take some breaks and to search for more supplies, but that's just how it has to be." Dusty nodded but looked a bit apprehensive.
Just then, his stomach rumbled. I chuckled and pointed at the food.
"Y'know you can still have some, right...? I got that all for you and Riolu…" Dusty shook his head no and grabbed the can of potato chips. He reached over with his tendril and handed them to me.
"You're… Giving this to me?" Dusty nodded yes and gave me a wholesome open mouth grin. I was flattered that he was so nice to me. "T-thank you, Dusty…" I opened the cap to the large tin and a strong barbeque smell erupted into the air. There was also another questionable smell coming from the can, so I turned on the front display of my PokéNav to look inside. Inside, an old, half eaten berry of some kind was at the bottom. I tipped the can over, and the gross, slimy fruit toppled out onto the table with a small thud. I looked at Dusty, who looked back at me, still smiling.
"Well… On second thought, I think I ought to pass on the chips… But thanks for the offer, Dusty…" I patted Dusty on the head, who gave me another open mouth grin.
I slurped up the unopened bottle of water and threw the bottle to Dusty, who happily chomped it up with the potato chip canister; Riolu woke up with a start when he heard Dusty crunching on the garbage. Realizing everything was okay, he rolled over and stretched out on the round seating.
"Good morning, Riolu," I told him, no longer whispering as everyone was awake. Riolu sat up and stretched once again.
"Rio…" he yawned.
"We've got to head out soon. Eat the rest of your food and we can go as soon as possible, okay?" Riolu shook his head no and grabbed for the trail mix. He handed it to me, just like Dusty had with the chips.
"Rio, Ri!" he said, smiling like Dusty.
"Aw, you too? Thanks, Riolu." I scratched him behind his ears and took the bag, quickly checking to see if there was anything other than trail mix inside.
After I'd finished the small amount of food, I felt I had at least enough energy to head forward. As I looked up to see both of my partners on their feet, the light from the window revealed all their cuts and bruises from the run in with Buzzwole the day before. Hopefully whenever we found Slowking, they would have some kind of medical supplies at the ready.
"Okay, we need to head out. Luckily, the Southern Tier highway is just down the road. Once we get to the highway, we should also look for somewhere to find food and more supplies. Empty cars, houses, stores… And make sure to be on the lookout for Ultra Beasts too, last night at the convenience store I–" I suddenly froze, Riolu and Dusty confused by my sudden pause. Knowing they would worry if I told them about my close run in with Xurkitree, I decided to quickly make something up.
"Uh, last night I thought I heard some Ultra Beasts around. Let's just be careful… Ready?" Still slightly confused, they reluctantly nodded yes, knowing today's travel wouldn't be good. Understanding their apprehension, I quietly groaned before unlocking the door and opening it.
Taking one step outside, I was immediately stopped by the weather. The clouds were dark and puffy, signaling that rain was to come. I turned around to Dusty and Riolu who glanced around me, looks of worry also spreading across their faces. No one wanted to travel in a storm, but there was nothing we could do about it.
"Well, I guess it's not the worst thing that could happen to us on our trip. The faster we travel, the less time we will actually be in the rain." Turning to each other with uncertain looks, we left the RV behind and started our journey once more.
Fortunately, as we headed out of town, the sky gradually lightened, and the darkest clouds blew away. However, the temperature didn't warm up at all, and my sweatshirt just wasn't cutting it. I wished that the summer weather would come back, but the New York climate wasn't that kind. It was fall, and that meant fall weather.
We set our walking pace a little slower than usual, so it took us quite a while to arrive at the Southern Tier Expressway overpass. Once we were there, we immediately headed up to the turnoff from the road that led to our destination above.
"Here we are, you guys. This road will take us to the Pennsylvania border. Let's get… Going." I couldn't help but stop as my gaze then turned to the road to Hornell. Staring out at the familiar path, my family popped into my head again. I hoped recalling Uxie's warning to not make any personal pit-stops would slap some sense into me, but my bottled emotions were beginning to take over my decision making.
Both Riolu and Dusty noticed my pause and immediately realized what was happening. They briefly looked at each other before locking eyes and nodding confidently. Riolu then came up to me and tapped me on my leg to get my attention.
"Rio," it said, pointing out towards Hornell.
"...Huh? What is it?" I asked, taken suddenly out of my daze.
"Rio, Ri. Riolu!" he exclaimed again, tugging on me and continuing to point out at Hornell.
"You… You want to go to Hornell?"
"Ri, Ri!" he replied, nodding his head.
"Gar…" Dusty moved over besides Riolu and nodded his head too, briefly looking off into the distance. Knowing what they were doing warmed my heart; it took a lot of trust to make the decision.
"Both of you… Thank you." I paused for a moment and sighed, knowing what I had to do. "It's settled then. We'll make a quick pit stop in Hornell– I'm sure just visiting won't kill us. While we're there, I can check up on my aunt and uncle, and we all can get some supplies for the road ahead. I know we all need a break, right guys?"
"Rio!"
"Gar, Gar!" They both smiled back at me. I did the same, and beckoned for them to follow, excited to take a well-deserved breather and relieved to solve one of the many questions floating around my brain.
"Let's go then! The sooner we're done there, the sooner we get on the road. Come on, there's no time to waste!"
To get in and out of Hornell, there's a single set of roads side by side. These two roads are surprisingly large considering how little traffic usually passes through the area, both surrounded on the outside by trees. In the middle was a little slope to divide them, along with a couple U-turn spots in the intersections that connect adjacent roads.
I could hardly contain my excitement as we walked down the twin roads. Knowing I was going back to my aunt's house, I was filled with nostalgia; it was so strong, I almost forgot the circumstances we were traveling under.
Not long after our detour, I noticed a sign that read "Welcome the Hornell," by the side of the road. Pointing it out, I said,
"Look, we're really close, guys! We have to be careful, though. Hornell is a bigger town than what we've seen so far. There could be more Ultra Beasts hiding just around the corner. We'll take the side streets to my aunt and uncles' house to attract less attention."
As soon as you get into Hornell, you reach a sort of business area, with some large businesses to the left, and a plaza to the right with assorted shops and stores. Usually this part of town was busy all day, but the place was dead when we arrived. It was creepy to see it so uninhabited and desolate, but definitely not surprising. Not wanting to stick around though, we rushed as fast as could past the plaza area and towards the turnoff onto the side streets. We then passed by the senior living home where my grandparents had stayed before they passed away a couple years before and weaved through the town's many small streets.
By then, I was getting a little anxious and more on edge. Seeing all the familiar but deserted landmarks made me start to worry about my family members and friends more. The more I saw, the more I needed to know the answer to my question. Beginning to walk faster, I ignored my pain again, eager to get to my aunt and uncles' house. I led the pack, Riolu and Dusty at my sides directly behind me, carefully keeping watch.
Every street in town was nearly the same; large, Victorian style two-story houses on both sides of the street with small sidewalks lining the road. All the homes looked to be empty, and many looked to be broken into by the Ultra Beasts. Rarely, we came across an undamaged house with everything boarded-up, almost like whoever lived there was preparing for a natural disaster to hit. Again, a creepy sight for a normally busy suburban town.
Eventually, we came to the street where my aunt and uncles' house was. My heart and mind were racing, and I was getting impatient. Getting a sudden urge to rush, I began to pick up my speed towards the house; Riolu and Dusty followed my pace and ran close behind me without a word.
It wasn't long before the house came into view. Like most of the other homes in the town, it was a Victorian era style home with two floors. The outside of the home had blue chipping paint and large windows. At the top of the house was a large steeple, with a panoramic window. Once I saw it, I suddenly remembered that I'd always wanted to go into that room when I visited as a kid, but never got the chance.
My aunt and uncle had bought the house cheap many years before while planning to start a family, but it also of course became the cornerstone of family meetings and holidays. There were plenty of large rooms inside, with tall ceilings and vintage wallpaper in each.
Racing around the old picket fence, I hopped off the sidewalk once I got to the front gate and ran up the front walk towards the porch. While I dashed up the steps to the front door, I noticed there was a large dresser barricading the front entrance from the inside. Looking beyond that, the other windows on the front of the house were boarded-up; a shot of relief ran through my body knowing that someone was at least here to defend the place. But whether that was my aunt or a stranger who'd taken over the house was still a mystery.
Although no lights were on in the house or let alone anywhere in the neighborhood, I speed-walked over to the doorbell anyways. Obviously, there was no response, but I was becoming so panicked and anxious I put aside all common sense and began to knock on the door. My emotions persisted, continuing to control my actions.
"Hello? Aunt Janice? Uncle Mike?" As the loud sound of knocking rapidly reverberated through the area, Riolu and Dusty rushed up to me and signaled for me to be quiet. But since there was still no response, I ignored them for the time being and grabbed the doorknob. But as much as I twisted and pulled, the doors didn't budge.
"Come on!" I yelled, barging into the door with my shoulder. This didn't help at all, except for making more noise. By now, Riolu and Dusty had seen enough and grabbed me by my arms, pulling me away from the door.
"There's got to be another way," I said angrily, giving up and pushing off from them. Heading back down the front steps, I went out the front gate once more, and then down the shared driveway on the side.
Looking for another way into the house, it seemed that all the windows and doors were boarded or barricaded shut. Luckily, I remembered about the storm doors to the basement on the other side of the house next to the back porch.
As I reached the back of the house I stopped in my tracks. The disconnected garage was completely knocked down, wood and debris strewn all across the driveway and backyard. After a closer inspection, the cars inside were crushed too. Looking to my left, the storm doors to the basement were wide open, a wood barricade on the outside smashed to pieces. Down below, the dark basement loomed. The light from outside only reached a little past the bottom of the stairs.
Riolu and Dusty finally caught up to me, both slightly out of breath.
"I'm going in. I need you two to watch my back in there and be prepared for the worst," I told them, pointing to the cellar. I feel like I should've been more worried about descending head first into a pitch-black basement, but I was too focused to give it a second thought.
Pulling out my PokéNav and turning on the flashlight, it revealed a little more of the staircase, showing a smooth, hard concrete floor at the bottom. Immediately heading down the stairs, each wooden step made a loud creak as I stepped on them. Riolu and Dusty followed right behind me, creating more commotion on the squeaky steps. If there was anyone down in the basement, they definitely knew we were there.
"Hello? Anyone there?" I called out into the abyss. If there was some kind of response, it was lost behind the creaking of the old stairs.
Eventually we reached the bottom of the staircase and looked around at the drab scenery; we were in a small hallway that led to the actual basement. The stone brick walls looked particularly rough and blunt, with a last bit of light streaming into the nooks and crannies from outside. I continued to walk forward, not really being cautious of my surroundings.
The basement then split off in a t-shaped direction, one way to each of my sides. I peeked my head out, shining the flashlight each way. The right went to the other staircase which headed up into the kitchen. But to the left, well, I was unsure what was there. The light hit the back wall, showing the furnace and some more space to the sides, but even in my daze, I wasn't brave enough to check what was back there.
"Aunt Janice? Uncle Mike?" I called out down the way. There was no reply, so I whipped around and whispered to my partners, "Let's close those storm doors and hurry; we need to head upstairs."
Promptly shutting the doors and barricading the hallway with some pieces of furniture that were laying around, we began our ascent to the kitchen. The twisting staircase quickly gave way to the closed kitchen door, the natural light streaming in from the floor gap. I clutched the doorknob and sighed before opening it.
"Anyone there?" I called out again as I peeked my head out, a little louder this time; still nothing. I then headed out into the small hallway between the stairs to the upper half of the house and the kitchen.
My aunt and uncle had started renovating their old house a couple years back, and the kitchen was the centerpiece of it all. It was very modern, with new stainless-steel appliances. There was a small flat-screen TV on the very left edge of the counter, and usually an assortment of food spread across the exterior of the back wall. I remember there being new chairs at the wooden kitchen table, and the marble floor tiles shined with a light brown tint. But the best part was that it was almost always filled with familiar, smiling faces. However, I became distraught when I saw how the room was now.
Immediately, I noticed how everything was boarded-up. Almost every part of the window was covered in wooden panels and the blinds were drawn. It was really messy too, almost like a tornado had blown through. Shattered plates and glasses were scattered all over the floor, gleaming in the meager amount of dreary light. I was shocked and felt the tears welling in my eyes.
"N-no… This can't…" I stammered in disbelief.
"Ri…" I heard Riolu mutter off to my side, unsure what to do. Seeing the state of the room was just enough stimulus to get me to turn my back on my emotions. And as soon as I wasn't paying attention, they took full command over me.
"No… No! They've got to be here!" Without hesitation, my legs kicked into gear and I took off running through the house, calling out the names of my relatives. "Aunt Janice! Uncle Mike! Hello?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I rushed through the dining room, the living room, and into the front foyer. Still, there was no response. The tears rolled down my cheeks and I could feel my heart racing at a mile a minute. I should have given up and just faced the ugly truth, but my emotions were too strong to stop. I flew up the other staircase by the front door, the old wood amplifying the sound of my footsteps. Riolu and Dusty hurried after me close behind.
I continued to call out my relative's names as soon as I got upstairs, my voice beginning to falter and crackle while a deep sadness crept in. I rushed from room to room down the two upper hallways connected by a small set of stairs, only to find all the same thing: messy rooms with boarded-up windows.
Finally, as I rushed through the conjoined bathroom which connected from the hallway, the den just above the kitchen came into sight. Out of all the rooms in the house, this was the one I had the most connection with.
In my head, I could always picture the faded old blue wallpaper, the dingy roughness of the hardwood floors, and the angled ceilings curved to the shape of the roof. There was one a beat-up dark leather couch to the left of the TV, and the other an ugly old white floral couch to the right. In the middle was that bunch of old magazines which sat atop a coffee table between the two sofas. And in the back, the straw roll-down blind covers were always drawn (they weren't very effective at keeping light out, though). Everything in the room was just the way it always was in my head and had been ever since I was a child. How I missed this old room when I wasn't there; it was imbued with the childhood memories I had coming to my aunt's house during family gatherings.
But when I finally entered the room to find it completely empty, all those nostalgic feelings disappeared. Nothing was left except for the lonely walls and floors, as well as the dust that covered them. Where everything had gone, I didn't have a clue. But along with the vanishing of the furniture, my childhood nostalgia disappeared too. I crumbled to the ground, the tears streaming off my face and onto the floor, kicking up dust as they landed. As I sobbed uncontrollably, I felt lonely, scared, and extremely sad above all else. Riolu and Dusty rushed to me, but I couldn't hear or feel their embrace through my giant wall of emotions. Finally, I came face to face with the grim reality of this new world that I'd feared the most.