Chapter Fifty Nine: The Tale of Sandy Samson

After the day Sandy had had, night could not come quick enough.

The last few hours flew past faster than anything else that week, and Sandy savoured the time she spent simply laying on the cool grass, letting the sea breeze wash over her as the clouds soared above her. She watched the sky as it turned from baby blue to bright pink, fading into a rich purple before settling upon inky blackness, pale clouds replaced with dazzling stars that flickered as she watched. It was so simple and so peaceful, a proper break away from all the robots, the shootings, the explosions, the drama; Sandy felt like she was on cloud nine, sitting with Lachlan, eating cold pasta stolen from the catering, laughing about Chloe and Amanda. She almost forgot that Alaska was only a few metres away, talking to Damian whilst their Pokemon played amongst the grass. Occasionally, Sandy turned towards her friend, wondering what she and Damian were discussing in their hushed voices, but these looks only lasted a few seconds before Sandy decided she didn't want to know, not until Alaska was ready to finish their discussion…

As day slipped into night, the sun melting away into the ocean, it became clear Amanda had arranged some new activity as she began ordering the workers to arrange a series of ramps and obstacles around the field. Sandy watched as portable spotlights were turned on, illuminating them all with a harsh cream glow, and Chloe reappeared from her tent, Ivysaur and Vulpix already at her side as she prepared for the task ahead.

"I'd better head off," Sandy said, her peaceful day ending just like that. Even though she did not care what Amanda thought, Sandy was not keen on lingering around longer than necessary and facing the producer's wrath.

"That is a shame, they were only just starting to bond," Lachlan said dejectedly, and the trainers glanced at their Pokemon; Sandy had sent out Butterfree, Pichu and her newly evolved Weepinbell to play with Lachlan's Wartortle, Geodude and Growlithe. The … Pokemon was having the most fun, chasing the others around as they played some sort of Tag game. It was the sort of fun Sandy's Pokemon had not had for a few weeks now, as they only saw Alaska's Pokemon when it came time to battle.

Sandy got up and called her Pokemon over, giving them a chance to stay goodbye before they were withdrawn. Lachlan stood with her, and for a moment they stood awkwardly in silence, not sure what to say. After his tearful admission earlier the two had kept to tamer topics like battle strategies and favourite things, and Sandy had enjoyed chatting to someone new for the first time in months. She was dreading meeting up with Alaska once again, and she was tempted to stay with Lachlan and chat for the rest of the night, but there was no way that could happen with Amanda Anderson hovering about nearby.

"I'd better get ready," Lachlan said, breaking the tension but sounding uncomfortable in doing so.

"Yeah…," Sandy replied, equally as awkward. Butterfree appeared beside her, Pichu on her back and Weepinbell grasped between her blue hands. "Hey guys, make some new friends?" She asked, and there was a chorus of happy cries from the trio before her. "We will have to play with these guys again some time!" She added, smiling slyly at Lachlan before grabbing her PokeBalls.

"So there's going to be a next time, eh?" Lachlan asked in a teasing voice, and Sandy simply smirked as her three Pokemon dispersed into energy.

"Well, I'd like there to be a next time," she replied, grinning. "It has been nice talking to another person without there being a homicidal maniac in the background to deal with, and I think we'd all enjoy doing it again. "

"I'd like that too," Lachlan said, his joking smile softening. The two looked at each other for a moment, not sure what else to say, but their tension was broken for them; Growlithe rushed forwards and jumped into Lachlan's arms, nearly bowling him over, and at the same time the lanky cameraman called out for the brown haired boy to join them.

"You'd better go," Sandy said, her heart wrenching at losing this connection, knowing she may never get this opportunity again. "Bye," she finished, and turned away before her emotions got the better of her. She heard Lachlan call out his own farewell, his own voice soft and mournful, but Sandy forced herself to keep moving forwards.

It was not until she had left Lachlan behind that Sandy realised how much of the field the show had taken up, nor how many crew members there were. She could feel the grass rubbing against her knees as she walked through the stretch of green, yet the strangest feeling was that of all these eyes upon her. Sandy saw the crew pause in their actions to glimpse at her, over a dozen of them turning and following her. Chloe's Ivysaur snarled at her presence, attracting his trainer's attention, who gave Sandy an equally ugly look. Damian was the only sympathetic face in this crowd, offering Sandy a soft smile as he tended to Charmeleon, but he quickly looked away without properly greeting her. There was the swish of fabric amongst all this, and Sandy could not help but turn to face Amanda one final time. The producer stood beside her tent, her face so stony it rivalled Geodude's, phone clutched to her ear once more. Sandy mockingly smiled, but Amanda's mouth moved only to offer two words to the mobile, and Sandy almost shivered as she read those glossy, ruby red lips; it's done.

She quickly left the obstacle course behind, but as she walked down the empty route, Sandy still felt unsettled. Darkness enclosed her as she left the spotlights comforting glow, creeping up and engulfing her from all sides. She could hear the distant turning of turbines from a wind farm down the coastline, a sound that in this silent, unmoving night was almost threatening. Trees swayed as nocturnal Pokemon rose from between trunks and branches to begin their nightly journeys, and Sandy nervously eyed the forest rows, standing like sentinels looming above her, watching, judging.

She soon found that Alaska had already set up the tent; the triangle of black fabric was starting to bear the marks of a long journey, with several holes and cuts appearing, a slight dip on the right side from a broken support bar and plenty of mud caking the bottoms, but it was the closest thing Sandy had to a home right now, even if she did not want to step inside right now.

I left my old home to get away from someone I didn't want to be, and now I am in the exact same situation on the opposite side of Kanto. Only this time there's nowhere else to hide… Sandy stared at the flaps fluttering in the night wind blowing in from the sea, wondering what version of Alaska she would find in there; the happy, joking Alaska she had known at the start, the worried, silent Alaska that kept things to herself, or the angry, unpredictable Alaska that had to prove herself to the world? Sandy looked at the ocean, the waves crashing into the land like liquid coal, and she was tempted to leap back in and see how far she'd get this time, but she knew that would not solve her problems – for better or for worse, it was time to face Alaska.

Silence greeted Sandy as she stepped inside. The tent had just enough room for both of them and their bags but little head room, forcing Sandy to drop to her knees and crawl towards her half. Alaska was setting up her sleeping bag, her back turned and no sign of recognition that her friend had entered.

"Everything is still damp," she said suddenly, her voice half its normal volume and Sandy paused in the process of getting her own sleeping bag. "My laptop and that blasted gun managed to survive, but all my clothes are saturated."

"Mine too," Sandy replied softly, her voice cracking slightly. She began to arrange her own area, unfurling the soggy sleeping bag and realising too late that it would be too difficult to actually sleep in. It squelched as she moved it, and Alaska turned briefly.

"I could send Paige out, she could use Heat Wave to dry all our stuff," she suggested, and even reached for her PokeBall. Sandy went to respond but she paused, her hands resting on the damp, squishy surface of the sleeping bag. Alaska's words stirred up a year old memory in the back of her mind, and Sandy shut her eyes as it came back to her; she was standing in her back yard, feet planted firmly on the hard ground, eyes watching intently as a Metapod tried and failed to fire String Shot at a tree five metres away. It had been dusk, the sky the colour of a ripe peach, the evening call of gathering Pidgey echoing all around her.

"You've been out here for an hour and that thing still hasn't gotten a direct hit!"

"She's trying Dad; just give her have a chance."

"For god's sake Sandy – you whinge and moan about wanting to be a trainer, but you can't even teach a Metapod to use its only attack!"

"Sandy, are you alright?"

"You realise you will kill that Pokemon if you try to use it in battle, don't you?!"

"No Dad, I swear I can train her! Metapod, use Str –"

"Don't bloody bother, you pathetic green shit! This little idiot is never going to get you anywhere in life. It is a bloody miracle you made it this far without dying, but you can look forward to spending the rest of your life as some immobile, inactive invalid!"

"Daddy, you are making her cry!"

"Sandy?"

"It's crying, is it? Well let's see how much it cries when it can't even protect itself!" Sandy screamed at that point as her father stepped towards Metapod, his foot raised about her glossy green skin, ready to bring his foot down…

"POD POD!" Metapod yelled, and String Shot was fired directly into Jack Samson's face. He stumbled backwards and tripped over a rotting deck chair, and Sandy sprinted forwards and scooped up her Pokemon. Without another thought, she ran for the trees, sending a trio of Spearow soaring into the clouds as she fled into the safety of the forest.

"It's okay Metapod, he won't hurt you, he won't hurt you, he won't hurt you…," Sandy whispered repeatedly, believing her words for a second, but there was an angry shout from behind, and Sandy shed a silent tear slid, unable to avoid her fate for much longer…

"Sandy, what's going –"

"If I want to dry my sleeping bag, I will find a way myself," Sandy whispered in response, her hands angrily clutching the purple fabric of her sleeping bag, threatening to tear it in half. She could hear Alaska awkwardly shuffling on her sleeping bag, unable to react to this, and Sandy could almost laugh. "Wow… for once, you don't actually have a response!" She said, struggling not to collapse into hysterics. She turned to face her friend, and for the first time in hours Sandy found herself staring Alaska straight in the eyes; there was a mix of confusion and anger in her beady black pupils, an awkward expression that covered her whole face. Sandy savoured knocking her down a peg, but at the same time she regretted the fact they were in this situation, their friendship being backed into a corner with only two possible solutions to get out of it…

"Sandy, what's brought this anger on?" Alaska asked after a minute. "I'm really confused; everything seemed fine this morning! What's changed since then to make you get so angry with me?" Sandy glared at her, stunned by her friend's ignorance, and for a second she wanted to shout, unleash her built up rage and let Alaska have it. However, Sandy could see the confusion on her friend's face, and she knew getting angry was not going to solve this. She sighed and leaned back against the tent, feeling a cool breeze seeping in through a hole. Sandy had no idea where to begin or how to word any of this, but she had been letting her story build up for months now, hiding beneath the surface, waiting for her to get the courage to tell Alaska the details. She had wanted the right moment to say all this, and there was no better time than now.

"When I was a little girl, my mum left us – me and my dad, that is," Sandy began, choosing to look at the swishing tent flap, unable to face her friend yet. She sensed Alaska tensing up for a moment, but than felt the tug of the tent as the black haired girl leaned back, waiting and listening. "Isabella was her name; she named me after her grandmother. I only have memories of her being happy; she was tall, blonde, a smile permanently on her face. Nearly everything I remember about her is at our local park, where we always went for little adventures through the trees, by the boulders…

"According to my dad, she fell out of love of him and instead with some work colleague. I can't even remember what her job was meant to be, or if she even worked – I wouldn't be surprised if my father stretched the truth in order to back up his story. Either way, one day she was there and the next she wasn't. My last memory of her is going to the local park for what was the final time; we had ice cream by this little pond and watched as a gaggle of Swanna bobbed on the surface. I remember they were so beautiful, just like my mother…

"After she left, it was just me and my dad. He was a miner at Victory Road, keeping the path clear for all the trainers coming through. He had longer hours, so I was on my own a lot after school, and when he got home he would have to cook and clean and do all the jobs mum use to do. He insisted on doing these things on his own so his family and friends wouldn't interfere, but even at a young age I knew he couldn't cope with it all. It was not a pleasant environment to live in, so that's why I began my bubbly, beaming persona. I pretended everything in the world was perfect and happy so I did not have to think about the pain my dad was going through." Sandy paused for a moment, needing to catch her breath, her throat going dry. She felt Alaska shuffle, sensed she was about to say something, and Sandy forced herself to carry on, even though she felt like crying.

"After a while, my dad began to lose it a bit; his salary got cut, so he drank more to get over his pain. Sometimes he would stay out for the whole night, I have no idea where but we're both grown up enough to take a guess. He became abusive at times… whenever the subject came up of me going on a journey, he would scoff and say I wasn't ready and never would be. Last year, I found a Caterpie on my windowsill, I think trying to get to this flower I kept on my bedside table. My dad let me keep it, but it only made me want to go travelling more, and made him keep telling me I would never be ready…

"In the end… I ran away… I just took off, and I haven't been back sense. I haven't written or spoken to him for two months, he could have drunk himself to death after and I wouldn't know. When Metapod evolved into Butterfree, I knew I could not stay there any longer. I had to leave… I just had to…

"Half the time I don't know why I am travelling any more. I left so I could finally go on my own journey, so I could train my Pokemon and experience the world. I never signed up to take part in gym battles though my father never would have let me, so by the time I reached Viridian Forest I was beginning to realise there was not a lot of point in carrying on. I decided I would climb the tallest tree I could find and look across at the world before I trudged back home. I will tell you Alaska, before you are done with all this, you need to look across this glorious region of ours; I saw everything from Pewter in the north to Pallet in the south, I saw as far west as Cerulean and I gazed at the skyscrapers of Saffron in the distance. It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen, and I thought retreating back home and admitting defeat would have been worth it, just because I managed to see that view.

"Then, when I went to climb down, the branch snapped beneath my feet, and I fell from the tree and into this amazing journey. After I met you, after battling Chloe and Lachlan and that very first robot, I knew I wanted to keep travelling. I realised then that there was more to this world than I knew, and that if I stopped in that forest I would not know what was really out there. Even though I nearly died, I never would have experienced the thrill of battling that robot if I hadn't run away, and I could not let myself miss out on another opportunity like that. So I made carried on, knowing everything would be worth it if I could see some more amazing sights like that. Then I met you again, I caught my second Pokemon, and I was determined that this journey would be amazing.

"But… but now Alaska… I feel like I am your sidekick, being dragged along with you and simply witnessing your amazing journey. I have seen some amazing things – watching you battle is simply breath taking – but I have nearly been killed more times than I can count. I would have died in the middle of a road in Lavender Town if there hadn't been some bloody ghost there to save me. Alaska… when I lay there, the darkness closing in as my body shut down, I thought 'what is the point of this? Why was I standing there when the gun was fired?' Dying might have been worthwhile if I had done something to stop Gideon and the robots, but I haven't been allowed to help you Alaska, that's the problem! I left home so I could experience the world, but how am I supposed to enjoy any of this when it feels like I am still living with my father and being treated like I cannot do anything, sacrificing myself for a cause you won't let me help you with!"

Finally Sandy stopped talking, unable to carry on. She wanted something to soothe her throat, but first she had to look at Alaska, unable to put it off any longer. However, her friend did not meet her eyes; Alaska was staring down at the sodden floor of their tent, still and silent, letting the weight of these words wash over her. Sandy had nothing more to say for now, and she waited, waited for her friend to say something, to defend, to argue, to blame, to admit, Sandy had no idea how she would react. She simply waited and wondered, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, but part of lingered as she waited for Alaska's reaction.

"Do you think I enjoy not telling you things?" She said finally, and Sandy was stunned to find emotion in her voice she had never heard before. "I made a promise to you after Diglett Cave, and I want to keep that promise, but… but since then… you got shot the day after I made that promise Sandy," Alaska spat out, choking up as she spoke. "I want to tell you everything, you deserve to know, but I am scared Sandy… scared that the more and more we get involved in this, the higher the chance that something bad will happen to us… to you. I am the one that started this; I am the one that confronted Gideon at the museum! You never signed up for this, we were both just looking for a friend to travel with, but instead of giving you companionship I've endangered your life more times than I ever could have imagined. That is why I have tried to keep everything from you; to protect you…

"We are in a situation so completely insane I barely understand five percent of what is going on! Half the time I feel like I am trapped in a bizarre video game, with someone using me as some avatar for their own life. None of this feels real; meeting all these famous people, being targeted by robots and gun wielding mad men, encountering ghosts, running from explosions. I have no idea how I am ever suppose to come back from this… The other day, when Nitelite dropped us and that Snorlax began to wake up, I thought for certain it was going to kill us. I have never felt that way about Pokemon before. Sure, I have been frightened by some, but I always wanted to face them head on and show them what's what. But now… everything seems to want to kill us, and it is changing me more than I probably realise. For the past few days I have been trying not to think about all the crap in our lives, because I want this over Sandy, I want to end this more than anything."

"So that's why you've been battling so much?" Sandy asked, unable to keep quiet as she needed answers.

"Yes… You saw what happened with Alexis, I wouldn't have won that rematch if I hadn't burnt her bloody gym down in order to do so. You are right, I really need to stop relying on the fireworks to make myself heard," Alaska added, smirking for the first time since Sandy had entered the tent, and the blonde could not help but laugh a little. "I made a decision during the storm, I decided I want to focus on my gym battles and I want to get stronger, to defeat them and to defeat Gideon, but I cannot rely on tricks to do that anymore. I am so sorry if I have ignored you and your Pokemon, there is no excuse for using you all as training dummies. I got carried away but I swear to cut back now. Besides, now that I have Shelley, I can probably train on my –"

"Shelley?" Sandy interrupted.

"Oh yeah; the Shellder, I named her Shelley," Alaska explained. Sandy raised an eyebrow, a smirk creeping onto her face, and then she began to laugh. "What is wrong with Shelley?" Alaska asked, scoffing indignantly but smirking herself.

"Shellder… Shelley… not terribly imaginative on your part," Sandy replied, beginning to laugh.

"Rude Alexandra Samson, very rude!" Alaska tutted, but she was chuckling herself. "It's been a long week; I believe I'm allowed a lull day creativity wise!" Sandy continued to snigger, and Alaska descended into laughter herself. It lasted for over a minute, and by the time Sandy stopped she had fallen to her side, feeling the grass poking her beneath the tent's surface. She looked at Alaska and sighed as the last of the laughter died.

"We've had a long two months, you deserve as much time as you want," Sandy said dejectedly, and Alaska murmured in agreement. They paused for a moment, and while Sandy felt lighter, the air was not fully clear yet.

"I am so sorry for everything you've been through Sandy," Alaska said a minute later. "I have been a complete bitch, don't deny it, and I have made this whole journey about my fight with Gideon. I've wanted to protect you from everything, even bloody Barney this morning, but part of me has always known I was handling this wrong; if you want to help than you can and I will tell you everything, I shouldn't decide how you live your life." Sandy paused for a moment, letting this soak in, and then she looked at her and beamed.

"I may regret this the next time some killer Jigglypuff comes after us, but I want to help Alaska. You may have started this war with Gideon, but I am involved now and I am going to make sure we defeat that greasy bastard even if it kills us!" Sandy boomed with a smile so wide it made her muscles hurt.

"In this till the bitter end then, eh?" Alaska said, grinning herself. "That's what you get for wanting to be my friend."

"Well, it all seemed like a good idea at the time," Sandy replied, and Alaska snorted with laughter. A bang suddenly echoed throughout the night, and the two paused and gazed through the flaps; the latest challenge of Indigo Dreams was about to begin, and Amanda's shrill voice echoed as she organised her troops into order.

"Uptight bitch," Alaska hissed. "Good on you for sticking up to her before, I was quite proud of you!" Sandy beamed and blushed with pride, amazed to think the two had managed to reach this point in only a few hours.

"Lachy was talking about her before, seems to think the fact they cut us out of the show means Amanda is hiding something," she explained, and Alaska leaned back and pondered this.

"Potentially, I could be disrupting some larger plan of theirs… either that or she loses a botox appointment every time the ratings slide," she replied, smirking. "Before we get into her though, I owe you the truth on a few matters…"

And for the rest of the night, Alaska spoke and Sandy lay there and listened. She had to admit Alaska was right about it being difficult to comprehend all these things; fortune tellers with mysterious cards, the shadowed man appearing on the rooftop, Latios' prophecy, Sandy's head hurt trying to digest it all. They soon moved onto subjects they could discuss; who was behind the robots, why was Red following them, what did Gideon need the spell book for and why had he attacked Vermilion? For the first time Sandy felt she could properly share her thoughts, and the two friends debated and discussed long into the night, even while Alaska updated her blog. By the time they had exhausted themselves of all topics, Sandy found her bag was dry enough and they crawled under their covers.

Sandy lay awake for a little while longer, listening to the wind outside and the distant bangs from the obstacle course. She knew things were not going to be perfect straight away, and there was always a chance Alaska could hide something, but tonight had gone better than Sandy could have ever expected. She shut her eyes and thought back to that last day in the park, watching in awe as a Swanna took flight and soared above her head, Isabella Samson holding her up so her little arms could try and touch its glowing white wings. That had always been a happy memory for Sandy, one she liked to retreat to when her optimism failed to protect her. However, Sandy was pleased to know that after tonight she would have a new memory set right in this very tent to look back to when the world got too dark.

She and Alaska weren't just allies again; they were friends, and Sandy couldn't be happier.

This arc is finally over! I am relieved simply as I started it so long ago! Blog/interlude coming next, and then our story kicks back into gear. I hope you enjoyed this voyage into Sandy's mind and did not mind the heft of dialogue above; next time we return to Alaska's thoughts