•
Chapter 7 - Two Sides of the Same Face
Now Playing: Dream - Mass Effect 3 OST
Terry found himself looking up at a scorched sky. Dark, billowing clouds hid whatever light was on the other side, plunging the world around him into a shroud of darkness. The ground underneath him felt cold and wet. He curled his fingers into its biting chill, feeling the snow encasing his fingers in ice as he pushed himself upright. There was nothing around him. Nothing but snow and fog no matter how hard he tried to see through it.
A shiver wracked his body, pushing him to stand on his feet. He knew this place. It was the only consistent element that made him realize he was dreaming, a staging area for the horrors his mind constantly threw at him. He hated this place. The cold, the darkness, the isolation...he hated all of it.
He shivered again. Picking a random direction, he wrapped his arms around his body and began to walk forward. Where he was going, he didn't know. All he knew was that there was no exit. At least, not one that was painless. His feet crunched into the snow at a steady pace, eyeing the fog around him with intense dread, as if the shadows that lie within them would come to life and pounce on him. The fog barely changed, only shifting to collect the breaths that Terry forced out of him.
"Terry…"
He gasped sharply and spun around. The voices...he hated the voices most of all.
Clenching his eyes shut, he continued marching forward, trying his hardest to ignore the whispers that called out to him. The shadows on the ground started to lengthen, stretching unnaturally along the snow. Terry's footsteps became faster, pushing through the fog as the cold started to dig deeper into him.
"She never ceases to amaze, huh?"
Terry clenched his teeth. No...no, he didn't want to go through this again. Hearing his Dad's voice...it was unbearable. A dull throbbing formed in his chest as he continued through the fog. More voices started to whisper from beyond the fog.
"It's...okay, son. I'm just...going on another...adventure."
"She meant a lot to me too…"
"Stop...please…" Terry murmured. He clamped his hands over his ears, but it had no effect as the voice continued to grow.
"So you think you're gonna make it to the end of the Challenge, huh?"
"I would recognize that bandana anywhere."
"Are you taking on the Gym Challenge in her name?"
His ears started to ring as the sound of cameras grew louder around him. His breathing quickened and his slow, lethargic trot through the forest now became a desperate chase to escape this cold prison. He knew it was pointless, but he wanted it to stop. He wanted to wake up so that this nightmare could end.
"Standing there on that pitch...in the stadium...in front of everyone!"
"Because I believe there is more to you than what you yourself believe and I wish to help you see it."
"What I saw today from you was nothing short of amazing, Terry."
"Please…" Terry whimpered, "Make it stop...I just want this to stop…"
"Hey, honey…"
Terry stumbled over his feet as one voice cut through the rest. The throbbing in his chest quickly turned unbearable, forcing him to clench his eyes shut as a sob escaped him. He snapped his eyes open to see the world around him change into a place he wished he would never see. A place all too familiar to him, yet terrified him to his core.
A hospital hallway with a lone door at the very end. Light poured in through its cracks, casting sharp shadows along the walls. The faint rhythm of beeps echoed from behind it, each one sending a shiver down Terry's spine.
"No...no, no, no...don't make me watch this again…"
As if on command, his body moved on its own, pulling him closer and closer to the doorway. The beeps were growing louder and slower. It was the only thing he could hear, aside from his own sobs.
"Shhh...it's going to be...okay."
Terry shook his head, desperate for something, anything, to stop his inevitable approach, but his legs wouldn't budge. Each step he took, the louder his own heartbeat became.
"Wake up…" he hissed at himself, "Dammit, wake up!"
The door stood in front of him now and his arm, still moving on its own, reached out and turned the handle. Not even a crack in its opening did an intense pressure quickly wash over him, twisting the pain in his chest over and over again and pushing him to the brink of vomiting. The beeping now rang violently in his ears.
And it was all he could hear as he gazed upon his mother's lifeless body on a hospital bed once the door opened fully, the ringing now devolved into a constant, deafening tone.
"I'll...always love you, Terry."
The pressure now crushed him completely. He couldn't look away, his body forcing him to sear the image into his mind. He didn't register the world fading into darkness until everything was already gone and, in its place, a pair of glowing yellow eyes stared into his soul.
And he finally was able to scream.
Stop Playing
Zorah's eyes shot open at the sound of Terry's cries. With adrenaline quickly replacing her drowsiness, she jumped to her feet to see her Trainer curled into a shivering ball within his sleeping bag. She picked up on the sound of his strained pants as they became faster and faster.
"Terry?"
She hopped over to his side to place a paw on him but felt the wind get knocked out of her as soon as she got close. Shaking her head to clear her daze, she froze at the sight of Terry's face. He looked like a mess. Tears streamed down his face and onto the floor, the hand held out in front of him was trembling violently, and his eyes were just like they were that morning in the Wild Area.
Wide, filled with terror, darting sporadically all around the tent.
Zorah got back to her feet and took a hesitant step closer to him. "T-Terry…?"
His eyes snapped towards her, making her freeze in place, but the way he looked at her...it was almost like he was looking through her…
"What's going on? I heard screaming…"
Lilo's head poked through the entrance of the tent. Zorah hastily pointed towards Terry, who hadn't even registered Lilo's presence. Lilo gasped at the sight of him.
"Oh dear…"
Zorah scooted closer to her. "I...I think he had a bad dream."
"Don't make me watch...I don't want to see that again…" Terry rasped over and over to himself.
Lilo closed her eyes and focused her telepathy toward him. Terry...listen to me. You just had a nightmare. Everything's-
"Get out of my head!"
His shout shook her out of her concentration. She tried again.
Terry-
"Leave me alone!" His whimpers intensified. "Please...just leave me alone…"
Lilo frowned. This wasn't working. He still seemed to think he was dreaming and was only getting worse. Even if he was still dreaming, she had never seen a reaction like...this. He looked like he was having a breakdown.
She turned to Zorah. "You need to talk to him."
"What? But he can't understand anything more than me saying 'Scorbunny'!" Zorah replied with a furrowed brow, "How is that gonna help at all?"
"It doesn't matter what you say. He just needs to hear your voice."
That made her pause. She didn't really think that was so important. If Terry couldn't understand what she was really saying, how was just her voice supposed to accomplish anything?
"Call it a hunch," Lilo said as if she was reading Zorah's thoughts.
Zorah looked back and forth between Lilo and the trembling boy who had now pushed himself into the corner of the tent. His haunted gaze stayed locked on the ground beneath him while his whimpers continued to echo weakly between the three of them. The emerald color in his eyes held a hopeless sheen over them, darkening them to the point where Zorah could barely see them behind his hair.
It was the opposite extreme compared to how he was at the Professor's house, like he was a completely different person.
Now Playing: The Lost Battalion - Spec Ops: The Line OST Extended
Zorah stood in silence before finally taking a deep breath and slowly began moving closer to Terry. With each step she took, she wondered what he could've possibly seen; what nightmare had broken him this badly. Even back during their first night together, he had been plagued by nightmares. It made her heart sink as she finally stood in front of him.
She sent one last glance back towards Lilo, who only nodded her head in encouragement, before quietly clearing her throat.
"T-Terry?"
His entire body quaked like her voice was a hot poker iron pressing into his skin.
"I...I know you can't understand what I'm saying, but it's okay now. You're not having a nightmare anymore." She began rubbing her paws together. "I don't know what you saw, but it wasn't real. You're back with us, me and Lilo."
Zorah waited for any change in Terry's behavior, but his body still stayed curled in a ball. She looked back at Lilo, worried that what she was doing wasn't helping, but again, Lilo only motioned for her to keep talking.
"Um...about what you said, about bad things always happening to you..." Zorah continued, "I...don't know what happened to make you feel that way, but I want to at least be there for you, even if you don't want me to. We're supposed to be partners after all. Even if you don't want to tell me why you never smile, or why you always seem angry when people ask about your name, or when…" Her ears drooped forward. "...or when you seem to get sad every time you look at me."
She raised her eyes up to him and stopped. Terry's trembling had calmed down and his eyes poked out from behind his hair, no longer looking through her. The terror in his eyes was still present, so she kept going.
"Even though you never seem to want to talk about it, I want you to know that I trust you'll talk about it when you're ready...and when you finally are able to smile…" Zorah smiled up at him, "I want to be there."
Silence filled in the gaps as Zorah and Lilo waited for any change, although the latter found herself fixed on what Zorah had said. Lilo felt the same way. Ever since meeting him on that night by the lake, she had to admit, she pitied the boy. Though they shared the same reason for pain, his was so much more oppressive and she wanted to try to help him in some way. She was a kind, gentle creature, after all. It was always in her nature to be so. Her own mother had made her aware of that.
Which made his attitude towards Zorah that much more confusing. It became clear to her at his mother's makeshift grave; how adamant he was about protecting her from his pain yet always seeming to push her away whenever she tried to show any sliver of affection. It made her pity not just the boy, but Zorah as well. She was naive, but Lilo could hardly blame her. Out of all of them, she was the only one not burdened by suffering, untainted by anguish. A part of her hoped it would stay that way, but she knew that innocence like that never lasted.
A deep breath tore her from her thoughts. Terry's trembling had relaxed considerably as he slowly uncurled himself out of his protective shell. He blinked sporadically, finally beginning to realize he was truly awake as he glanced between the two Pokémon.
"Z...Zorah? Lilo…?" he said, his voice weak, "Wh-what…"
You were having a nightmare, Lilo quickly explained, You thought you were still having it when you woke up and it took Zorah talking to you to get you to calm down.
Terry's eyes widened as the nightmare replayed itself in his mind. His mom...those eyes...and then...he HAD woken up, but his brain had kept himself trapped within that horrible sequence of events, unable to tell the difference between dream and reality. He could remember his heart pounding wildly in his ears and his arms itching. With a heavy sigh, he ran a hand over his face.
"Shit…" he whispered quietly. He couldn't remember the last time he had an actual anxiety attack, save for the one Marnie saved him from just yesterday.
Are you going to be alright?
Terry let his nerves calm and the nightmare be added to his mental archive before nodding. "...Yeah...yeah, I'll be fine." He pulled his hand away from his face. "Though, I don't think I'm in any mood to fall back asleep."
Lilo nodded. I believe we still have a few hours before the sun comes up. If you want, we can leave earlier than usual.
Terry merely grunted. With one last smile towards him, and a quick thankful glance to Zorah, Lilo pulled her head out of the tent. Zorah looked back over at him. His eyes were glazed over, staring off into nothing and drawing a hand over his bandana. She moved closer to him, the sounds of her footsteps breaking his trance. His gaze wandered over to her. She internally sighed in relief to see the color back in his eyes, even if they were back to their usual coldness.
...No, hang on. The sadness was still there, but the look in his eyes seemed just a little bit more...tender...
"I guess this makes it twice now that you've gotten me out of a nightmare," Terry said slowly. She smiled softly and nodded. His eyes switched between her and the ground, his mouth opening and closing before he finally spoke again.
"I...wasn't able to understand any of what you were saying, but…" His emerald eyes shimmered from behind his hair as he gazed back at her. "...Th-thank you...for c-calming me down…"
Zorah's chest swelled, a grin quickly gracing her face before she moved closer and wrapped her arms around him. Terry stiffened as his calming mind quickly reared his old worries. Push her away. Bury that need. It would just lead to him getting hurt again. He began reaching forward to disconnect Zorah from him, but he stopped when a memory came to the forefront of his mind.
And with it, a familiar voice.
"Pokémon are loyal creatures, to the point where they'll do anything to cheer you up. You wouldn't believe how many bad days I've had that instantly got better all 'cause my team wanted to be there for me. So just remember, even if you're stuck in a downward spiral, you can always rely on them to bring you back."
As the memory and his mother's voice faded away, he sighed quietly and simply sat there in silence, letting Zorah stay close to him.
Maybe...just this once, it would be okay.
Stop Playing
Later...
The first rays of light peeked past the horizon, bathing the once dark sky in gold and crimson. The landscape around the camp started to wake up as Pokémon rose from their rest to greet the new day. The fire in the camp crackled while Lilo and Zorah ate breakfast. Terry stared at the horizon and let out a yawn. He felt exhausted, no thanks to his nightmare. He was used to being lethargic back in Postwick, but this felt so much worse. Coupled with the attack that Zorah saved him from, sleep was the last thing he wanted to think about, no matter how many times his eyes drooped shut only for him to force them open again.
What a great start to the day.
In an attempt to take his mind off his exhaustion and the reason for it, he pulled out his Rotom and opened the map. Given the late start from Motostoke yesterday and dealing with wild Pokémon, Terry and his team had only gotten to less than halfway through Route 3. The rest of the route was more than likely going to be the same until they reached the Galar Mines. He knew very little about the place, only that it was owned by Macro Cosmos, the company that Chairman Rose headed, and that it was probably full of Rock and Ground-type Pokémon. Lilo could deal with them easily; Zorah not so much. Hopefully, he could get through without too much trouble. Plus, it would give Lilo more opportunities to train before he reached Turffield.
With that thought, Terry sighed. The prospect of his first Gym Battle was not something he looked forward to. He only barely held it together just walking across the pitch in Motostoke. What was going to happen during an actual battle? Even if he somehow made it onto the field in one piece, the only advantage he had against Grass-types was Zorah. He didn't like having her be the only one fighting—the battle against Hop back at the Professor's house taught him that much—but he still couldn't overcome that obstacle of finding another Pokémon and he didn't like thinking of the reason why.
He could really use some advice right now…
"Hey! Mornin' Terry!"
A familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts and he blinked in surprise to see Sonia waving at him from the road. Zorah and Lilo looked up from their plates and smiled at her—the former adding an excited wave—before going back to their food. Terry weakly waved back to her. "...I thought you were still at Motostoke."
Sonia twirled a finger around her hair as she moved closer to him. "Well, yeah, but there's only so much research I can do there before I end up going in circles. There's a geoglyph in Turffield that might be of some interest to me, so I decided to get an early start getting there." Her smile fell as she studied him closer, noting the dark circles under his eyes. "...Rough night?"
He looked away, briefly glancing over at his two Pokémon. "...You could say that."
"Couldn't sleep or…?"
Terry was silent with only the crackles of the fire filling in the quiet until he spoke again. "...Bad dream."
"Oh...are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Just still tired."
Sonia's eyes darted across his face before she looked up at the now rising sun. With a small smile, she turned back to him. "Well, if you're okay with it, how 'bout I tag along with you for the rest of the way to Turffield?"
Terry's head snapped towards her with a look of surprise and...was that gratitude she saw? She didn't have a chance to process that mystery before it vanished and apprehension took its place.
"You don't have to do that."
"I want to," Sonia replied. "C'mon, I'll help clean up, and then we can get going."
Terry sat by and watched Sonia begin to take down the tent. Before he knew it, everything was packed and the fire was put out. Sonia held his pack out to him, prompting him to slip it on, and the four of them continued their trek towards Turffield.
For the most part, the trip was relatively silent, save for the battles that Zorah and Lilo underwent against the Wild Pokémon along the path. It was only once the sun fully shined down on them from above that Sonia decided to break the silence.
"So...congrats on getting through the opening ceremony. You looked real ace out there!"
Terry quietly grunted.
"How're ya feeling about the first Gym?" she continued, "Nervous?"
"A bit of understatement," Terry mumbled, "but yeah."
Sonia smiled at him. "I feel that. I couldn't tell ya how nerve-wracking it was for me, but the Grass Gym is usually easy for most people to get through. Seeing how you battled back at Gran's, I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"Except for everything else."
Sonia furrowed her brow. "...Not a fan of crowds, huh?"
"Not really," Terry said with a frown.
"That's understandable. Galar's culture towards battles really is frenetic. I'd be surprised if you said you were a fan." She chuckled softly. "I actually almost forfeited the Gym Challenge at one point when I first started."
Terry looked over at her with a raised brow. "You don't seem like someone who'd shy away from the spotlight."
"Well, now I don't, but back then, it was a whole other story. I was a trembling mess when it came to my first Gym battle, but I eventually ended up learning how to drown out all the cheering and just focus on the battle from Leon." Sonia nudged Terry with her arm. "You kinda did something like that back when you battled Hop back at Gran's."
Terry turned his head back towards the path. He had done something like that, but it wasn't some conscious effort. At the time, he just wanted the battle to be over, regardless of whether he won or lost. It was all because he thought he heard his mother's voice that he felt the spark burst to life. Even with fighting Hop again yesterday, its afterglow still lingered. Battles no longer seemed so daunting now, but he still hadn't decided whether that was a good thing or not. Given the inevitable Gym battle he'd soon have to face, the best he could do was settle for a very tentative "yes".
"By the way, where is Hop?"
Terry's moment of introspection was shattered, a faint scowl appearing on his face. "...He went on ahead without me."
Sonia sighed and shook her head. "That boy can't sit still at all, can he? Guess he just really wants to catch up to his brother." She glanced over at Terry, noting the irritated look on his face, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He flinched and stared back at her, to which she smiled sympathetically. "Sorry that he left you alone."
His gaze hardened and he turned away with a huff but made no move to remove her hand. "Don't apologize for him. He's probably better off that way."
Sonia frowned as she pulled her hand away, that statement biting into her skin. She didn't like the way he said that. In fact, for a moment, it didn't even seem like he was talking Hop at all...
"I...actually wanted to ask you something...about the Gym battle?"
His question stopped Sonia from thinking any deeper about his comment and pulled her back to the present. "What about?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Just...do you have any...advice?"
Sonia tapped a finger against her cheek as she looked over Terry and the two Pokémon following behind them. "Well, in regards to your team composition, you already have a Fire-type, which gives you a huge advantage, though you'll probably want to start looking to add another member to your team sooner rather than later."
"...I figured," Terry sighed.
"As for being on the field," Sonia continued, "the best advice I can give is what I've already told you." She smiled at him. "Just breathe. Try and see it as just a simple battle instead of a huge event."
"Easier said than done."
"Hey…" Sonia placed a hand back on his shoulder, "I know it's cliche advice, but I know you can push through. You've made it this far, right?"
Terry shrugged. "I guess."
"Then I know you'll be able to get through the Gym."
Terry looked back over at her, a pensive expression across his face, before he looked back down the path they walked on and nodded slightly. "...I'll...try."
Satisfied, Sonia let go of his shoulder and they continued on in silence.
Now Playing: Down the Moon Grotto - Gareth Coker
It wasn't long before the mountain the route led to towered over them. Bits of chipped rock and dust tumbled down its craggy face thanks to the breeze that washed over it. A part of the mountainside had been dug away, outlined by a brick archway, and faintly illuminated by lights and shining colored crystals that flickered from deeper within the crevice.
The Galar Mine. The only quick way to Turffield without going around the entire mountain.
Thankfully, the interior of the cave was big enough for Lilo to fit comfortably in while Zorah hopped onto her shell at Terry's request. Giving Lilo room to maneuver while also protecting Zorah from any possible sneak attacks was the best plan Terry could think of that wouldn't put her in immediate danger of sneak attacks.
While Lilo handled any battles from the workers within the mine as well as wild Pokémon that attacked them—with Zorah throwing in a few Embers every now and then—Terry found himself entranced by the crystals that jutted out from cracks in the cave walls; their light reflected off each other, bathing the area around him in a collage of color. He stopped along a pair of tracks to look out among the sea of light that radiated from them.
"Quite a sight, huh?" Sonia said standing next to him.
Terry nodded absentmindedly. "It's...certainly colorful."
"That's one way of putting it," Sonia giggled. "Most of the crystals found here aren't just for aesthetics though. Most of them are mined up to be used for energy. A lot of the buildings that we passed on Route 3 process them so that they can provide energy to the rest of the region."
Terry glanced over at her. "I'm guessing that's because of the chairman?"
She nodded. "Yep. He practically owns everything involved in making sure the region has enough energy." Her brow furrowed. "Although, I have heard from Gran' that he's been getting himself more and more involved the past couple of months. Something about him being worried about what'll happen when we run out of energy, but that won't happen for thousands of years. I wonder why he's so worried about it now…"
"Hmm…"
Sonia turned towards him and noticed Terry's gaze staring out into space, looking yet not looking at the wide-open crevice that spiraled down into the darkness beneath them. A frown adorned his lips as his shoulders slumped slightly. Not wanting to be rude and tear him out of his trance, Sonia stood by and watched him quietly until he spoke again.
"This place…" Terry began softly, "kind of reminds me of another place that my…" He stopped, his eyes darkening for a moment before he swallowed and continued, "...that someone I knew told me about."
"Really?" Sonia quietly said.
He nodded. "It was a cave sort of like this somewhere in Southern Kalos. 'Glittering Cave', I think it was called. Crystals like these would line the walls and light the place up so much that workers there would hardly need to bring their own lights."
"Sounds like this person got around."
Terry's head tilted up towards the roof of the cave, staring up at the crystals that shined down on him. "Yeah...he did." He shook his head, snapping out of his memories. "Sorry. We should probably get going before it gets too late."
As Sonia smiled at him and nodded, he brushed aside the tuft of hair in front of his eye, only to have it fall back into place. He hadn't meant to become lost in his memories. In fact, that was the first time in forever that he had ever told anyone about his father's travels. What the hell was going on with him? Why had he been so willing to reveal that to someone he had only known for a week? Not even Hop or Leon knew anything about what his parents were like beyond his mother's status as champion before they died and Terry had known the two of them for a little over a year.
He rubbed his eyes. He didn't want pity—hell, he probably didn't deserve it in the first place—so he needed to be more careful about making sure his thoughts didn't wander back to the past with people around again.
He turned away from the rope railing, fully prepared to stay quiet for the rest of the trip, but stopped when he heard faint flapping coming from the dark pit below them. He glanced over at Zorah and saw her ears standing straight up. Clearly, she was hearing it too. Curiosity got the better of him as he turned back around and peeked over the side of the pit.
*FWAP*
Stop Playing
A blurry purple shape smacked into Terry's face, throwing him backward from the pit and onto his backside.
"Ow! Son of a-!" Terry's muffled voice exclaimed from underneath the shape's body. He reached up to pry the thing off his face, but the shape took the liberty of detaching itself from him and proceeded to fly around the group, spinning and weaving through the air as it dodged fireballs that Zorah spat at it.
Terry cracked an eye open to finally see the figure of whatever had attacked him. Now hovering above him was a pale purple bat. Its teardrop-shaped ears resembled large musical speakers and tufts of hair spiked up around its cheeks and upper lip. Golden-yellow eyes gazed down upon him before closing as the Pokémon began to giggle whimsically and dodge another hail of Embers.
Furrowing his brow, Terry reached into his pocket and opened the Pokédex on his Rotom, scanning the Pokémon in front of him.
"Noibat:
Sound Wave Pokémon
Type: Flying/Dragon
Variant: Female
Weight: 18 lbs.
Height: 1'8"
Capable of producing wavelengths of sound beyond any other Pokémon, it uses these ultrasonic waves to overcome much larger Pokémon and to hunt for ripened fruit. They tend to live in pitch black caves."
Just as he finished reading, a piercing shrill filled the tunnel, forcing Terry to grimace and quickly cover his ears. It didn't help as the noise rattled his brain, preventing him from rising to his feet. As quick as it came, the cry ceased. He cracked open his eye once again to see the Noibat no longer present and instead retreating down the tunnel in the direction they were supposed to go.
"Great…" Sonia moaned next to him. "My ears are gonna be ringing for hours."
That was very...unpleasant.
"S-Scor..."
Zorah's whimper drew Terry's attention to her. She sat on top of Lilo's shell, shivering and rubbing her ears. His eyes widened as he remembered Zorah's stronger sense of hearing and just how loud that sound was. Fighting back his own headache, he got to his feet and moved closer to her.
She looked up at him with a pained expression while still rubbing her ears. The ringing was unbearable. One of the downsides of having really good hearing was the prospect of unbearably loud sounds crippling her. She wasn't a stranger to it, but she would like to go through the rest of her life never having to deal with this pain again.
"You alright?" he whispered.
She groaned again, the ringing still dancing around in her head. Slowly, she reached out to him, grabbed part of his jacket, and pulled it around her ears, inadvertently pulling Terry closer as well. Terry froze as Zorah buried her face and ears into his jacket. Of all the things he was getting used to, this was not one of them. He thought of pushing her away, but he realized Zorah had suffered the worst out of all of them from that blast of sound. It wouldn't be fair to push her away when she was in physical pain.
So, for the second time today, Terry sighed and merely stood there with Zorah pressing against him, holding his jacket tightly against her ears.
"Oh, that's so adorable!" Sonia cooed, causing Terry's face to redden.
"Shut up…"
After a minute had passed, Zorah finally released her hold of his jacket. The ringing still bounced around in her head, but it wasn't as debilitating as it was a few moments ago.
"Feeling better?" Terry whispered to her again, his face still red from Sonia's comment.
Zorah rubbed her ears one last time before smiling up at him. His eyes softened for a brief moment before quietly sighing in relief. Readjusting his pack, he turned back towards Sonia and the path they were on.
"Keep that up and you'll be able to understand them in no time," Sonia lilted.
"I've only known them for a week."
"You never know. I've heard stories of people hearing their Pokémon in a matter of days. It could happen!"
"Sonia…"
"Alright, alright," she giggled before silence fell between them—save for the crunch of dirt under their feet and the echoes of mined rock surrounding them—before a thought quickly entered her mind. Her smile faded. "Hey, so...are you doing alright?"
Terry peered over at her. "Uh...yeah? There's still a faint ringing in my ears, but-"
"No, I mean…are you doing alright?"
"...What prompted this?"
The image of Terry from early in the morning to the wistful expression on his visage a few moments ago jumped out at her. "Just...wanted to make sure. I am your personal escort, after all," she added with a sheepish grin.
"I'm fine," Terry quickly replied. "I know I said that back at the station, but you don't need to take it seriously."
"Why shouldn't I?"
"You have more important things to worry about instead of me, like your research."
Sonia grabbed his shoulder, bringing them to a stop on top of the wooden bridge that scaled above the cave floor just below it. "That's not exactly a reassuring answer. My research can easily take a back seat if there's something wro-"
"Look, just drop it, okay?" Terry snapped as he brushed her hand off. "I don't need you to worry about me. If I say I'm fine, I'm fine!"
*BOOM*
Muted shockwaves reverberated around them, disturbing small pockets of dust that had accumulated on the cave wall. The bridge underneath them shook slightly, the wood creaking slightly against the force before slowly settling. Terry and Sonia froze in anticipation of another shockwave, but none came.
"What the hell was that?" Terry asked with a furrowed brow.
Lilo glided closer to him. An earthquake?
"No, it felt like something coming from deeper within the mine," Sonia chimed in, peering down in the direction the shockwave came from, "Maybe it's just some wild Pokémon that got into a scuffle."
Zorah hopped off Lilo's shell and stood at the edge of the bridge. Terry watched as her ears flickered back and forth, her sign that she was hearing something. He gazed back down the tunnel, straining his own senses to hear anything.
The tumble of railcars racing down tracks, the pings of pickaxes against the cave wall, the voices of miners and Pokémon...
And then he heard it. Amidst the congregation of sounds around him and the tumbling stones that fell from above, a voice found its way to him.
"Noi! N-Noibat...noi!"
His eyes widened. "There's a Noibat down there…"
"Another one?" Sonia tilted her head. "No, Noibats are usually found at the other mines. That means it must be the same one that attacked us."
"Scor, scorbun ny-bunny scor."
She said it sounds like it's in pain.
"In pain?" Sonia placed a finger on her cheek. "Guess it got itself into some trouble."
"Shouldn't...we do something?"
Sonia sighed. "As much as I would want to, I don't know what good we could do. We're still in the wild, after all."
Terry focused back on the Noibat's cries. In a way, Sonia was right. Things like this must happen all the time to wild Pokémon. Plus, the only solid defense against them was Lilo. A small part of him didn't want to risk putting them in unnecessary danger, especially with his first Gym Battle still in the back of his mind.
But all of his hesitation vanished when a distant memory washed over him.
Now Playing: Distant - OneShot OST
"Terry. Clear the table quickly."
"Huh? Wait, is that an Eevee?"
"Yeah. Found the poor girl on my way back home. It looked like something was wrong with her leg, so I decided to bring her here before it got too dark."
"Ee...eevee..."
"Oh, is...is she gonna be alright, Dad?"
"Don't worry. I know a thing or two about treating injuries. Always gotta be prepared for something like this when you go out exploring all the time. Terry, go grab some ice packs from the freezer."
"O-Okay!"
"...Don't you worry Eevee, I'll get you fixed up in no time."
"Vee…"
"I got some!"
"Thank you. Keep them pressed lightly against her leg. I'm gonna make a splint to help brace her leg."
…
...
"Annnd...there. All done."
"Vee ee, eevee."
"Ah, it was no problem. Thank you for being such a good patient!"
"Is she gonna be okay now?"
"After a bit of time and rest, she'll be just fine. The bone should heal itself after a couple of weeks. Looks like you'll be stuck with us for a bit, Eevee...maybe I should give you a name?"
"Eevee ee. Vee ee Eev."
"Hmm...how's Semira sound?"
"...Ee! Vee ee!"
"Heh heh, glad you like it!"
"...Hey, Dad?"
"Yes, Terry?"
"How come you're always so kind to the Pokémon you meet?"
"That's just who I've always been. Pokémon are amazing creatures, so I can't just stand by if one needs help. And I hope that you'll come to feel the same way and are there for Pokémon who might need your help someday."
"Eevee ee. Vee eevee."
"...I will, Dad."
Switch to Playing: A Drink First - Murray Gold
"Terry? You alright?"
He blinked as the memory ended and he found himself back on the bridge. Looking around at his companions, all three of them were watching him with worry.
You zoned out for a moment. Is everything okay?
Terry rubbed his face. He hadn't expected to fall into his memories like that so severely, yet it continued to play again and again. Pulling his hand away, he noticed his gloves glistening with what looked to be the remnants of tears.
"B-Bat! Noi noibat!"
His head snapped up at the sound of its cries. His heart began to pound loudly, but his nerves weren't running wild. Instead, he felt focused. Closing his eyes, his father's words played over and over again until he stopped to take a breath.
He hoped he didn't regret this.
"...Sonia, go ahead and get to Turffield."
"Huh? Wait, what are you doing?"
Terry recalled Lilo and Zorah to their balls and crouched down near one of the bridge posts.
"I'm doing something stupid and helping that Noibat. Don't wait for me."
With one hand on the post, Terry hopped off the bridge, swinging his leg around to straddle the post to safely slide down it. His shoes crunched against the dirt underneath him once he hit the ground. He let go of the post and looked back up at Sonia.
"Hold on! What if something happens to you?!"
"I'll be fine, Sonia. If you're worried about me, get someone from Turffield to come get me."
"I...that's...you…" Sonia huffed and reached into her bag, pulling out a small but long line of rope. Crouching down to the bridge, she tied the rope to the bridge and threw the rest over the edge. "At least let me do this so you don't get stuck down there!"
He nodded and turned towards the tunnel ahead of him while Sonia left him behind. Mounds of dirt and crystals lit the way with the tracks underneath him leading deeper into the mine. Again, he could hear Noibat's cries echo off the walls, growing more and more distressed as the seconds ticked by. Each one jarred him back to that moment with his father.
He shouldn't care. He should've just stayed with Sonia and continued on to Turffield, but his mind and body did otherwise. Whether it was that faint spark reigniting again for this single moment or if it was some otherworldly force that prompted him to do so, his body began to move. He grabbed Lilo and Zorah's balls from his belt and tossed them forward, spiraling through the air until they opened with a beam of light.
The two of them blinked in surprise before coming back to their senses as Terry moved past them.
"Both of you, follow me. Keep any wild Pokémon out of our way until we get to the Noibat."
Zorah's brow furrowed as she raced after him. "Scor? Scor-ny bunny bun scor ny-bun?
She said why are we helping a Pokémon that attacked us?
"We can discuss that later. Right now, she needs help."
Lilo and Zorah looked at each other, the latter still surprised. Lilo smiled and motioned her head in Terry's direction. This side of their Trainer was different than how he had been this morning and it made her heart soar. Zorah sighed and nodded, prompting the two of them to catch up with Terry as the three of them delved deeper into the mine.
Stop Playing