"Never more to leave here, nevermore to leave here; you should never be here!
I know, I know, I know, I know; I know my love can be… the killing kind."
Before this chapter starts, you guys should probably go back and re-read Steven and Joseph's parts from "A Chance Meeting" and "The Source of Stress". I learned some things about Steven from the manga and incorporated them into it, and it's a pretty important change. Steven's original Metagross has a nickname, too, now, so- yeah. Highly suggest you reread those PoVs. Everything else is the same though.
There was nothing. Nothing to me and nothing to my memory. It was all blank. And as I laid there burning up and burrowed under a blanket, as if trapped once more in the explosion that had taken so many lives, in the that explosion I caused, I only became even more aware of it. Just who was I? What am I?
A child, a puppet, a trainer? A person, a human, a thing?
I can't remember. I don't even know the last time I had such a severe fever. There had been times when I got sick after some particularly rough training sessions or punishments, having to battle through infections caused by any injuries I had sustained. When that happened I forced myself to keep going, unable to take a rest. I worked and obeyed and schemed until there was nothing left of me.
But this… felt different.
This fever left me gasping for air, my head throbbing to the point it felt like my skull was about to split open. My throat so parched it was as if the sun itself had made the decision to burn me to ash. I could barely even breathe, nonetheless see. The only things I could make out were bits of color, my vision blurred with tears- dark spots dancing in the corners. I was aware of touch, however, and in the back of my mind I came to the horrible understanding that the longer I remained like this… the more time was being wasted.
I had to keep moving. I had to make sure Blue recovered, to take care of him until Brock returned. I have to get Aerodactyl back. I have to grow stronger and defeat the gym leaders, to battle Team Rocket and free the trapped Pokémon. To save Adrien and all the other tormented children. I have to…
I have to…
Survive.
But I'm scared. I can't breathe or move and it hurts and I'm scared. I can't hear anything either, aside from my own heartbeat. The organ was racing painfully inside my chest, struggling to keep me alive. So many thoughts were rushing through my brain- so many of them formed from panic, creating nothing except worst case scenarios.
What if Brock hasn't made it back yet? I can't remember anything after the conversation I had with Bill. How much time has passed?
As capable as Basil and Belladonna are, as well as Brock's own pōkemon, something terrible still could have happened. I-I have to be able to help if that's the case. I know the majority of my plans don't work out and I tended to improvise as a result, but the last one did! We rescued Blue and escaped with our lives, and we managed to save many pokémon as a result.
So I can't… just let myself… get sick like this…
Brock…
Please be okay. Please come back.
Don't leave me alone!
I'm scared.
I have to get better. I have to keep moving.
I was vaguely aware of my body shifting, hands reaching out in a weak attempt to grab onto something- the intent of sitting up guiding them- but I was forced to stop. Someone pushed me back down onto my back, and I choked as something pressed against my mouth. Bottled water. I tried to speak, to say anything, but I was so dazed and nauseous nothing sensible came out, and I had no choice but to swallowed the icy liquid.
A cold rag dabbed at my face, wiping away the beads of sweat and brushing my bangs to the side. "It's okay." I could finally hear, the softness of the tone and familiarity of the voice doing wonders to soothe my anxious self. "It's going to be okay. You'll get through this. Just relax."
I can't… I don't…
I don't know how. I don't have time.
I need to… I have to…
"Aerodactyl- Blue- Brock is…" The list of things and people I needed to handle and care for got jumbled up on my tongue, and I started to wheeze- coughing shortly after taking another drink of water. "The gym… Hoenn…"
"And we'll get there." My eyes squeezed shut and I let out a small whimper, the tears on my face burning just as hot as my fever. "Everything is okay, I promise. Blue is doing fine, and I'm here. I came back. You recognize me, right?"
What?
I blinked fiercely, attempting to clear my messy vision, and though there remained a few doubles I was finally able to make out a face. Unfortunately, seeing it caused a strong surge of several different emotions coursing through me, creating a fresh wave of tears as I sobbed. I wasn't even really aware of how I was grasping his shirt with my hand, all sensation of touch in that specific limb having numbed long ago.
"B… Brock…"
He really did come back. He didn't leave me.
"I-I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
I never wanted him to travel with me, but now I can't stand having him away from me. I'm afraid for his well being whether he's next to me or far away. Yet imagining him leaving, of walking out that door and never returning, of hating me and leaving me alone, was even worse. It was illogical, nonsensical… and it was the truth. He was a pillar of strength I never knew I needed, and I selfishly wanted to keep him beside me.
I should be better than this. Stronger. All these emotions rampaging about inside me are just trouble. I wanted to feel, only feeling makes it harder to plan. To think. To face dangerous situations rationally. Shutting them down was just easier for me at this point.
Only doing so… is preventing me from becoming more human, isn't it?
I'm finally free, so why can't I become someone? Why am I trying so hard to continue being what I hated? I don't understand. Am I overthinking things too much and that's why, or was I never supposed to be at all? Am I just meant to continue wasting time, ruining the lives of those around me, until I inevitably fail at completing my goal?
I've been too stubborn to ever let go of anything in this life. Not the dawn stone or the promise, or the rebellion burning fiercely within me at the abuse I've been made to endure. Maybe that's where I went wrong.
Or maybe… locking the emotions away was the reason for all my downfalls. I'm not good at reacting to them, nonetheless understanding them. I barely recognize what half of them mean. Shutting them down was a survival instinct, and now it had formed into a bad habit. If I knew more on how they worked or what they meant, maybe I wouldn't have such a bad reaction and falter when they did appear.
But having emotion… or showing any sign of rebellion… often led to punishment.
So why is it emotion that pōkemon react to?
Why is it such a scary thing to have?
An identity… an existence… all of it piled up to that in the end. I survived, but I was never living. And despite all my scheming, I always had to improvise in the end. Maybe I should just continue doing that. I could simply focus on the moment and charge forwards, taking things in as they happen. Fearing the worst, fearing that I'll be abandoned, fearing I'll be forced to return to Team Rocket, all stemmed from my lack of being.
From the abuse I suffered.
A name… that would give me an identity. Another step towards being a person.
Yet this guilt… is threatening to eat me alive.
As is this fear.
And I don't… know anything anymore. What the right course of action to take is. Do I even deserve to have an identity? To feel emotion? Do I even deserve to have this freedom, momentary and false as it is?
I'm so scared…
Just who was I, and what should I aim to become? What am I allowed?
Am I even capable of being anything more than "Grunt"?
I tightened my grip on Brock's shirt, eyes squeezed shut and tears streaming down my face. He rested a cool rage on my forehead, tugging the blanket up to my shoulders and tucking it in around me. Everything hurt. The exhaustion and stress and fatigue had caught up to me, and so much negativity was flowing through my body. Emotion and logic conflicted, and I no longer knew what was right or wrong for me to do. To behave as.
I really went against Team Rocket the other day…
We charged in and took down so many of their numbers, stealing back the pōkemon they had tortured and forced to do their bidding, freeing them and saving Blue. I actually… went against them. The people who raised me. It almost didn't feel real. Hell, what happened at Mount Moon still didn't feel real. Brock and I charged in there, battled, saved, and survived. We didn't lose a single pōkemon.
And I… don't feel good at all.
My breathing picked up and then started to slow, memories of my time in the Hoenn base rushing back to me. Before I knew it, I had fallen into a deep feverish sleep… and in that sleep I found myself dreaming- recalling a time of punishment that only served to worsen my aquaphobia. My earlier recollection of it was probably the cause for it, as I knew I would have to push past that fear if I wanted to defeat the Cerulean City gym leader.
But… even then… I might just have to shut everything down again. To push those emotions into an abyss just long enough to get the badge and leave. Because… I was scared.
And these memories… haunted me. They haunted me whenever I closed my eyes, awake or asleep.
And now I was dreaming of the day I had been soaked to the bone, left sore and utterly drained after being pelted with blast after blast after blast of water. My tired eyes raised up to meet crimson red, and I coughed up whatever water I had accidentally swallowed. Hydro Pump was quite the powerful attack, and a part of me had wondered how I even managed to withstand it- though with my current state I doubted "withstanding it" could even be used as a proper description.
"That's enough, Blastoise!" Mistress Augusta declared.
The pōkemon hesitated and looked back at her uncertainly, before nodding- closing its eyes and bracing itself for the pain that was sure to come as it was forced back into its pōkeball.
The woman stepped forward, a smirk painting her charcoal-colored lips, eying my collapsed form against the wall. "You can't even stand anymore, can you?"
I said nothing. Fear ran rampant in my heart, but my expression was blank. I wasn't even sure if I could feel the pain from her boot as the woman kicked me onto my side, rage contorting her features.
"Just give in already, won't you!?"
A sickening warmth spread along my back as she continued to kick me, my lifeless form just accepting the punishment. Her fingers curled into my hair, forcefully lifting my head up so she could get a closer look at my face. I didn't have the strength to look at her this time, so it was hard to tell what was going through her mind. All I knew was that a few seconds had passed before she released me and huffed, telling me to hurry to the nursery before Rich found out I was missing.
Her touch, the emptiness of not really being yet still existing, and what was left of me as I remained slumped on the ground- was all cold.
So very, very cold.
"I said to hurry it up, Grunt!" She snapped over her shoulder when she saw I had yet to move. Sluggish and slow, I started to sit up- dark hair falling around me and draping against the floor as my lifeless eyes gazed at nothing. "One of these days I'll be able to weed out that look in your eyes…"
As much as I tried to hide it, she could always tell. Deep in my core sat the hatred and resentment towards these people. She knew I was plotting against them, yet couldn't figure out the exact depths of what I was scheming. Was it because of what happened on the day I was brought here, of when I had accidentally led those pokemons to their deaths, that led to her to see through me? Why was everyone else fooled, but not her?
I stood, wobbling slightly, leaning against the wall for balance.
I'm going to get out of here. I repeated to myself, sliding along the metal as I moved down the hallway. My dawn stone sat heavy in my fanny pack. I'll find you. I'll keep… that promise.
No matter where you are, I plan to keep that promise we made. Even if your name escapes me, even if I can't remember your face; I will always remember the warmth of your hand and the gentle kindness of your smile. We'll travel together. We'll eat all kinds of food together, just like we did that day. I'll listen to you describe all the different stones you excavated, showing off each and individual one.
I'll… show you the stone… and make you remember me.
But who was me?
My legs buckled at the thought and I collapsed to my knees, coughing and gasping as vomit bubbled up my throat. I felt so dazed and nauseous; my entire body was growing numb. The world around me began to distort, reality itself seeming to fall apart as the memory faded, a large wave of heat blaring down at me from above.
It threatened to boil the icy water encasing me, panic flooding my senses. The waves crashed back-and-forth, leaving me to flail as I struggled to regain control of my body. A large green jacket billowed around me, only serving to restrain me further because of its weight. My lungs burned within my chest, and my arms reached out desperately towards the surface.
But the rain only fell harder. The sun grew hotter. This continual nightmare had come back to haunt me again, yet in a fashion far more vivid than ever before.
And I could feel myself starting to give in. The pounding in my skull was becoming too much to bear, and as my eyes began to slide shut someone wrapped themselves around me. Their legs kicked against the pressure, fighting the current, and brought us up to the surface. I held the stranger tight, coughing and gasping for oxygen.
So many bodies and debris floated around us, being carried away by the rampaging flood. The stranger and I held onto each other for dear life, and in this mess I was just barely able to make out a freckled face and auburn hair.
We were sent under, forced below the water before rising up once again to gasp for air. Monsters fought in the distance. "H-Hold on!" The stranger shouted, her voice sending spikes of pain through my skull as my brain automatically tried to register why it sounded so familiar.
That was when I realized something strange; my body… didn't feel like my own. I was in it, but it felt older and taller. My long hair was nowhere to be seen. Oddly enough, I actually felt more comfortable in it than in my own. Like this was where I was meant to be. Like this… was what "home" was meant to feel like.
In a passing flash of metal, I caught my reflection with wide eyes and froze.
It was a brief, but I had seen it. Unfortunately, I couldn't fathom who it was supposed to be. The next thing I knew we were screaming again- the woman shouting something that sent me into shock, electricity running through me. A single word that had the world spinning, my entire identity left to be questioned once more before the storm worsened, thunder clapping loudly in the sky as the water we were in formed a huge tidal wave.
"El!"
A deafening roar rang in my ears and the woman who had been holding onto me vanished mid-flight as were we sent sailing towards the monsters. As I tumbled into darkness I found myself reaching out for her- trying to grasp hold of the person I surely must have once known. Then we were swallowed by the black, right into the portal the monsters seemed to have come from, a flash of green accompanying my vision followed by a cry I knew could only belong to a… pōkemon?
It looked so small. It was just a glimpse, sure, but I had seen it.
Ugh, this light… where did it come from? The pōkemon? And… just who was that woman from before? I had so many questions, so many things I wanted to learn. And yet she was gone… and now I was alone, left shaken by a part of the recurring nightmare I've never experienced before. As I fell, trying to decipher what was happening, the darkness shattered.
And my fall into the black abyss came to an abrupt halt.
…
Brock tried his best not to be frustrated. To not get angry at himself or any others for letting this happen. He had been fully aware the girl had a fever earlier; that if she stressed herself out again that it would come back in full force. It was the whole reason why he decided to go after Aerodactyl by himself.
He wanted to make things easier for her. So why…?
Why was she burning up with such an intense fever!?
He scowled as he dabbed at the sweat dripping from her forehead, the girl having long-since been carried over to the couch to rest beside Blue. She was so small she fit perfectly on the three-person couch. Bangs brushed out of her face, they were able to see the bandage across her forehead, and just how sickly and pale she truly looked.
"C'mon…" Brock murmured, eyebrows furrowed together in his worry. She was breathing heavily, breaths shallow and weak. "You can get through this. Fight it."
Blue was completely silent, taking in all the many bandages and bruises and scars, and simply watching as the former gym leader worked to help battle her fever. The anger he felt at the treatment he knew she must have suffered, the treatment he had been forced to endure for a few days, was starting to bubble inside of him. He wanted to get out of this house and hunt down every single Team Rocket member, to beat them down with his pōkemon until they could feel the pain they caused.
But he couldn't.
After the way they had ganged up on him and stolen his pōkemon, beating him and chaining him in that underground hideout… he understood now that he wouldn't be able to take them on by his own. It was also now a huge part of the reason why he didn't think the girl could take them alone either.
Blue flinched, hand resting gingerly over his aching abdomen. His ribcage was seriously messed up. The bones had to be cracked, if not broken. It would take at least several weeks to heal, if not a month.
A few minutes of awkward silence had passed before Bill entered the room, an ice pack wrapped within a thin towel in his hand.
"Here ya go, kiddo." He said, catching the wounded boy's attention. Blue blinked, looking up at him surprise. "This might help help with the swellin'."
"...Thanks." He accepted it. Rolling up his shirt, the boy held the ice pack in place with a small cringe, struggling to relax against the back of the couch. He let out a shaky sigh. "Man, this sucks…"
Neither Brock or Bill responded to that.
"What even caused this?" Blue continued, annoyed with the situation and the tense atmosphere. His gaze drifted to the feverish girl beside him. "Bill should have told her you were out walking the pōkemon, so why did she get so sick? There shouldn't have been any reason for her to freak out so bad."
"I-I did say you were out walkin' them grass-types." Bill informed, stuttering slightly as he once again wondered how he got saddled with sheltering such strange teenagers. He was still trying to find a good time to give them the cruise tickets, but bad things keep happening one after another. "She seemed to calm down after that. But…"
Brock paused, turning to stare at the adult. "But what?"
"She… asked about the gym." Bill folded his arms over his chest, a hand to his chin as he recalled the last conversation he had with the girl. Nidorino let out a small noise and wandered over, brushing against the man's legs before sitting over beside Machamp and Umbreon. Ansem was curled against the female trainer's side, with Belladonna and Basil by her legs. "When… When I mentioned it was a water-type gym, she… got all quiet. You know- with that… scary look on 'er face."
Like she wasn't even alive. Her eyes had glossed over and she had lowered her head, barely even breathing. It was as if she had become nothing more than a lifeless puppet. An empty shell of a human being.
"I told 'er she should rest up a bit longer, what with them injuries ya'll got, but then… she started panickin' for some reason and fainted."
Brock listened intently to his tale. He thought back to her behavior when they were wandering around Cerulean City, if there were any clues he missed. He remembered the battles at the Nugget Bridge, him carrying her to the hospital, and their trike up to Bill's house. She never show a single sign of uncomfortability, except…
When he was knocking on the door, he saw her glance behind them. And behind them were a couple streams from the river. Was she truly scared of water? Did… Team Rocket exploit that fear as she was growing up, or were they the ones that caused it?
Oh, there was so much he wished he knew about her and her past, but at the same time he was a little frightened to know.
"Please, feel better soon…"
He carefully held the hand that had been clinging to his shirt earlier, sitting on the ground against the couch and praying that she'd recover. They still haven't given her a proper name yet. She can't die before she reunites with the person who gave her that stone- no way. Brock won't let her. So much has gone into that stone growing up; for it all to end now would just be… tragic. Heartbreaking.
Grunt… no, whoever she truly was… she was going to get through this.
He gave her hand another squeeze, hoping with all his might that she knew they were there for her. He could only imagine her growing up without someone by her side- left to suffer alone when ill or injured. Brock spent his whole life caring for his younger siblings, being the provider and acting as their guardian despite still technically being a kid himself. He would cuddle them, cook for them, bathe them, even let them sleep in his bed when they had a nightmare or got scared during a particularly stormy night.
When they got sick, he was there. When he got sick, they were there.
But this girl… she had no one, did she? Not even pōkemon. Only a single dawn stone, accompanied by a faded memory of a boy whose name she had long-since forgotten.
…
A little over a day had passed before Steven finally made it to Kanto. Even longer before he was able to meet up with the Elite Four and discuss his findings, asking for their cooperation in the matter. Some took a little extra persuading, but overall they all agreed to help.
Lorelei was especially willing, despising how children and pōkemon alike were being taken against their will and being abused- being groomed into villains. She remembered encountering Steven before, back when he was travelling the world. There were rumors that he had trained his pōkemon to terrifying extremes, though whether this was true or not she wasn't sure.
She just remembered battling him, and being stunned by how powerful he was. In fact, all of the Kanto Elite Four were stunned.
It made her wonder what had convinced him to do so, and why that specific Metagross he had with him was the only one with a name. It was the same one she had battled before. He seemed so passionate about finding these children- more so than anyone else on the team. More so than the police force themselves, who had only finally gotten a lead because of some freak accident causing the Team Rocket headquarters to explode.
There have been some strange rumors floating around about a young child having escaped, but…
After all these years of no leads and none of the missing children being found, it just sounded unreasonable. A rumor was a rumor, and without proof that was all it was. Still, Lorelei did wonder what lead Steven himself to take up such a case and why he went out of his way to track Team Rocket down. She knew he was compassionate, if not a bit awkward, as he was always willing to help anyone in need.
I guess I just never realized HOW compassionate he actually is.
She watched him as he debriefed the team on the goal, on how they needed to track down two specific Team Rocket members. They were still active, having been sighted recently, and he was convinced that if anyone knew where the kids and pōkemon were being held it would be those two. The uniforms they wore signified status, though she suspected he knew something else. Something he wasn't telling them.
Did he know these two criminals personally…?
She never got a chance to find out, because as soon as he was finished he went on his way- night close to falling. They would be splitting up into groups, and Lorelei found herself determined to travel with Steven to figure out what else he knew. Starting tomorrow, they would be working together investigating Team Rocket.
…
I was still dreaming.
Thankfully the storm and blazing sun were gone, and there was also no more rain or screaming, but the silence was startling. It was so quiet all I could hear was my own breathing. The room I was in was dark and I was smaller than normal, curled into a ball with a broken dawn stone held tight in my hand. I blinked, feeling my eyes start to water, and it took a moment for me to properly register my surroundings.
As I was starting to recognize the bunkbed I was laying on, I felt the mattress shift- a soft voice catching my attention as someone's hand shook me gently by the arm. "What's wrong?"
I didn't flinch. I didn't pull away. I simply stared at the stone in my hand, more confused than ever. There was something familiar about this situation, yet what it was I couldn't quite name.
"Did you not sleep well?" The voice continued to ask, sleepy words laced with concern. A tightness filled my chest upon hearing it, a lump forming painfully in my throat. As the person continued to speak, trying to figure out what was wrong with me, I came to a realization. "Nightmare? What was it about?"
I… thought I had forgotten it. His voice.
When I didn't speak up or answer, the boy paused. "...You don't want to talk about it?"
This memory happened so long ago. Why was I only able to recall it now? Was it not a memory at all? Had… Had I only been dreaming about the terrible things Team Rocket put me and everyone else through? Were they merely figments of my imagination? Was this reality?
Blinking away the stinging tears and sniffling, I slowly rose up from my spot on the bed. My long hair, unbraided, fell around me messily, the large green sweater dress I was wearing reaching down to my knees. The sleeves covered my hands, and I had a feeling if I bothered to look then all the scars and burn marks would be gone.
Hesitating, as though scared, I waited a moment before lifting my head and gazing at the older boy sitting across from me.
Ah, so that's… what he looked like. A painful warmth blossomed in my chest and I choked, seeing his dirt-covered face and steel blue eyes staring at me curiously, worry written all over his features. "Y-You're…"
I couldn't finish. It was like seeing a ghost, what with having only a faded memory to rely on for so long.
I watched as his eyebrows furrowed. The boy then leaned over, pressing his palm to the mattress, cocking his head to the side with a small and playful grin. "What, did you forget about me already?" He joked. "Here I thought we were better friends than that. Oooh!"
He suddenly jumped, sitting up straight as a huge smile spread across his lips, entire demeanor brightening.
"Maybe that's what I can call you from now on!" The boy suggested, excited. "I'll just call you "friend" until we think of a good name! How does that sound?"
He blinked when I reached over and grabbed hold of his shirt, tiny fingers clinging as tight as they could. I really wanted this to be reality. For so long I was afraid of never seeing him again, of never making good on that promise. I really shouldn't keep clinging to his memory like this, but I couldn't help it. He was my everything.
"H-Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, seeing the way I started to tremble. A sob trapped itself in my throat. "Do… you not like it? I know you said you didn't really need a name, but…"
I shook my head fervently, unable to describe what I was feeling. All I knew was that my heart ached. It ached so much it was unbearable. I leaned over, pressing my forehead to his shoulder, desperate for touch and some kind of sign that this was really happening. Eventually the pressure welled up and I was unable to hold back any longer, the tears falling against my will.
"I-I missed you." I choked out, lips curling back as my teeth ground together. I hiccupped, squeezing my eyes tightly shut. "I-I was… I was so scared…"
The boy didn't say anything for a minute. Then, after what felt like eternity, he moved- raising his hand up and resting it lightly atop my head. "Was your nightmare that scary?" He asked, not understanding the weight of my words.
I almost started to believe this was reality. His voice was so soft, so warm, so caring and gentle and kind and it hurt. It hurt in such a suffocating, wonderful way, and that only made it worse because I knew this couldn't be real. I had to have been dreaming. But I missed him so much. He was the driving force that led to my escape.
He was what gave me hope for so many years.
I only cried harder when he shifted, his arms wrapping around me and pulling me to him in a tighter embrace. "I'm not gonna go anywhere without you." He promised. "That dawn stone links us together, remember? We'll find each other one day, and when we do I'll introduce you to all my new pōkemon!"
"...Y-You mean it?" My voice cracked. I looked up at him, sniffling and blinking away some of the tears. He beamed at me.
"Of course! We're friends now."
I stared at his face a bit longer, trying to commit it to memory, before leaning back into his embrace. The scent of fresh earth flooded my senses, only making the wave of emotions inside me stronger. I really didn't want to let go. This person was the world to me. He was so unlike what I was used to, what I had grown up with. His touch was warm and affectionate, and completely without malice.
It… almost reminded me of someone.
Someone I had met very recently.
Right. I… can't stay here. I have to make sure they're okay. I tightened my grip on the person I was holding before releasing him, forcing myself to pull away. He looked very confused, and stared at me as I grabbed his hand- the dawn stone pressed between our palms. Determined brown eyes met befuddled steel blue, and I took in a shaky breath.
I should have forgotten him. I should have let him go.
I should have done so many things, but because I failed to do so I was still alive. I was existing, despite my lack of an identity. As much as I hated it, as much as I felt like I didn't deserve it or have a right to it, these painful feelings proved it. And… I wanted to keep that promise I made, no matter how futile or hopeless it was.
"I will find you." I told him, ignoring the waver in my voice. "I… don't care how long it takes. I will return the stone to you! Okay?"
The boy blinked, eyebrows furrowing together as he tried to figure out what I was thinking. "Okay…"
"And… And I'll introduce you to everyone! But until then…"
I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the way his other hand rose up to rest against mine.
"Until then… wait for me."
It was selfish. It was greedy.
But I just couldn't let go.
And as the world faded into nothing, a small groan escaping my lips as I woke, I found myself forgetting what I had dreamed at all. All I could focus on was how thirsty I was, my throat and mouth as dry as could be. Sweat beaded down the sides of my face and I wheezed, struggling to open my eyes.
My vision faded in and out of black, consciousness escaping me as my fever ate away at me. I only remember bits and pieces of my woken state. One minute I was on my back, the next I was sitting and being spoon fed some kind of porridge. I kind of recall one of my pōkemon sitting on my lap, and I think Ansem was licking my face to try and wake me up or make me feel better at some point.
Either way, it was all a blur and I found myself trying to kick the blankets off due to how hot it was, before instantly shivering and trying to burrow under them again. I know I got up to use the restroom a couple times, but even that wound up being forgotten later.
This process repeated for a while before I was finally able to actually stay awake. Arceus, how long has it been? Ah, wait… that person folding up a sleeping bag in the middle of the room…
My eyes went wide and I blinked repeatedly, long unbraided hair falling around me as I sat up, blanket sliding off my shoulders. "Brock…?" The older teen paused, almost dropping the object he was carrying in his surprise.
"Grunt! Ah- no, not that. Sorry." He shook his head, so shaken by my awakening that he let my old title slip. I was still a little dazed so I didn't really notice. Setting the folded sleeping bag into his strange defying-all-logic backpack, he made his way over and squatted down, draping his hands over his knees and looking at me with a soft smile. "How are you feeling? Hungry? Thirsty? Do you want another blanket?"
"..." I stared at him a moment, a familiar surge of warmth and relief bubbling up, leaving me to grow slightly teary-eyed as I sat up the rest of the way, fingers digging into the couch cushions as I tried to figure out what to say. "I…"
"Yes?"
I'm glad you came back. I'm sorry for ever doubting you. I'm sorry for not knowing how to trust better. I'm sorry for so many things. But I… I just want to say…
"W-Welcome back." I choked out, a shaky closed-eye smile forming as a couple tears fell.
He paused upon hearing that. Then he chuckled, his expression brightening. Brock raised a hand and rested it gently upon my head, patting my hair affectionately. I found myself leaning into the touch, craving the warmth I had been missing for so long. "Thanks. It's good to be back. Now," He stood, pulling away and placing his hands on his hips, grinning, "why don't we check on your fever and see how Blue is doing?"
"I-Is he okay?"
The boy himself walked into the room, peering out from the kitchen with an annoyed expression. "Of course I'm okay, squirt. You doubt me too much." He winced a little with his speech, a hand over his abdomen. Blue carefully sat down on the couch beside me, Umbreon letting out a bark and curling up next to his legs. "Honestly…"
I stared at him, observing his appearance and trying to make out any abnormalities. Some of his bruises had faded, and several of the cuts seemed to have scabbed over. His shirt was stitched up as well, most likely courtesy of Brock and his many talents, and his hair and clothes looked clean- as though he were finally able to get a shower and put his outfit through the wash.
"You're the one that was out for nearly two days."
...Huh? Oh, frick.
No, no, no, no, no! I quickly slid off the couch and staggered onto my feet, adrenaline rushing through me. Two days sick was far too long to have been doing nothing. Blue might have been doing better, but we still needed to get him to the hospital to ensure there was no internal bleeding or anything else severe. Then there was the matter of his rescuing his remaining pōkemon. There was so much we had to do and so little time to do it.
Brock sighed, running a hand down his face in exasperation as he looked down at Blue. "Now you've done it." He said. Blue looked confused.
"Hospital- Aerodactyl!" Momentarily dizzy from moving too fast, I stumbled. I would have fallen if not for Brock being right there to catch me, the teen easily pushing me back down onto the couch. "I-I need to-"
"You need to rest." He scolded. "Blue is fine and Aerodactyl is safe. Trust me."
"But-"
"No." He tossed the blanket back onto my lap and a held a hand out as if to tell me to stay put. "You just woke up after having a crazy fever. You aren't going anywhere unless it's to the bathroom. Blue's fever is gone now, but you're still warm. When you're feeling better we'll head out to the city and progress from there."
I stared up at him, almost pouting in frustration at his words. As relieved as I was that he returned, I was not at all pleased with being told to do nothing. Oddly enough, that was all it was; there was no fear or flinch at his tone of voice, at his touch when he forced me back onto the couch. It was just frustration, the anxiety within me having me convinced that we- that I- have to keep moving.
Brock folded his arms across his chest, seeing the look in my eyes.
"You heard me." He said. "Now, I'm gonna go make you some breakfast- Blue is in charge."
What!?
The auburn-haired teen beside me started to snicker, but had to try and muffle his laughter when it only caused him pain. He winced at his aching ribs, trying to steady his breathing as he relaxed into the seat. I sat up straighter, leaning over to stand, but a familiar face hopping into my lap stopped. "Eeva!"
Ansem. Oh, my beautiful boy-
I let out a small grunt when he stood on his hind legs, his front paws pressing against my collar bone as he reached up and started licking my face. "Vaa! Veeva!"
"Bulba!" Huh? Oh, Basil! He's back too. Though it was hard to watch him through Ansem's fluffy mane, I still tried to get a glance of the pōkemon as he used his vines to pull himself up onto the couch, Belladonna beside him. "Saur! Bulba!"
"Weepin!" Belladonna sobbed, crying into my hair as she climbed onto the back of the couch, her leaves wrapping gingerly around my head. "Weep!"
Petting three pōkemon at once was not easy, and comforting them was even harder. "H-Hey, it's okay." Oh, that tickles. My shoulders scrunched a little and I cringed, feeling the tears against my skin. Ansem was nuzzling my cheek now, nearly being knocked off my lap by a greedy Basil. "I-I missed you, too."
Were they that worried about me? I shifted in my seat, petting each one and hugging them all as best as I could.
"I'm okay." I murmured quietly. "Thank you."
Wait. A thought suddenly came to me. What did Brock say earlier- that Aerodactyl was fine? How? That doesn't make any sense. I turned my head and stared with narrowed eyes into the kitchen, brain already thinking of the different implications and meanings. He looks perfectly fine; his arm from the hideout seemed to be doing well, too.
His movement showed no signs of injury…
But if he didn't go get the pōkemon back during his walk, how is Aerodactlyl safe? He would have had to go through the Team Rocket lackeys to get him. Something doesn't make sense here. Realizing very quickly that Blue knew something because of his earlier comment, I turned and stared up at him, expression blank yet intense.
He glanced at me and looked away, before stiffening slightly when he noticed I was still staring. "You…" The boy began, clearly unnerved. He leaned away from me, careful not to aggravate his wounds too much. "You look really creepy when you do that, ya know?"
"...What did he do?"
"What did who do?"
"Brock."
Blue turned his head away again. He was starting to crack under my blank stare. "Obviously he got my pōkemon back. That was what his "walk" was."
"How."
"Your pōkemon- that Bulbasaur and Weepinbell can use some paralysis and sleep attacks. So he must have borrowed them to knock the guys out. Ambushed them. He's not totally stupid. Smarter than most trainers, anyway."
True. Brock was very intelligent. Still, that didn't mean he had to go out on his own into a very dangerous situation without guarantee of coming out safe! They could have hurt him, they could have killed him. He literally saw how dangerous they were-
He saw what they did to Blue.
So why…? Why would he do it? He's smart, so he should know better.
My pōkemon sensed the spike in my emotions, and Ansem let out a small mew as he pawed at my chest. A lick on my cheek snapped me out of my thoughts and I blinked, leaning down and carefully nuzzling him before lifting him up and standing. I was just about to approach Brock in the kitchen when an arm shot out in front of me- not belonging to Blue, but in fact belonging his pōkemon.
Machamp.
Alrighty then! What do you guys think? It's not her full name, but it is her name.
Just who was that pokemon she saw in her dream/memory? HmmmmmMMMMMM~~~
Also, Steven is going to travel with Lorelei for a bit? Interesting. Wonder how that's gonna go, lol.
