I don't think I have ever rewritten a chapter as much as this one. Nearly every scene in this I reworked at least twice, the middle part I did about five times before I found the tone I wanted. Apologises for the delay, but hopefully it will be worthwhile

Chapter Seventy Two: The Short Walk

Well that looks reassuring. Alaska paused in her path, staring up towards the slate coloured clouds that loomed threateningly on the horizon. She had first noticed the grey mass about two miles back, and the further she walked the closer it seemed to come, like a parasite crawling across the sky to greet her. The threat of rain was being preceded by a bitter wind blowing in from the sea, a gust that got stronger the closer they neared the water and further back the trees went from the path.

"Do you think we should stop at the gatehouse for the rest of the day?" Alaska called out, pointing towards the clouds. "I really don't want to be caught up in that when it hits."

"And what happens if we wait there all day and it just turns out to be cloud?" Sandy responded quickly, barely looking up from her guide book. "It is only noon, Alaska, stopping this early would waste an entire day. The Cycling Road has shelter if it starts to piss down, but a bit of rain won't harm you."

It might, Alaska thought, but quickly felt like mentally kicking herself: that was exactly the type of attitude she was hoping to get rid of. It seemed as though negativity followed her everywhere these days, as attached to her as her own shadow, and everything grim came across as yet another bad omen threatening to tear apart her life….

A horn blared horribly through her thoughts, and Alaska jumped, finally turning from the sky and facing the truck that was roaring past her.

"For crying out loud!" She wheezed, stepping away from the metal barrier as more cars and trucks whirred by, clutching her chest as the surprise continued to send shivers through her body. So much for clearing my head, Alaska thought as another truck roared past, horn booming and tyres screeching. "Remind me again why we took the route that goes alongside a highway?"

"Because the only other option was to head east, through a city where the people trying to kill us work, and down Route 12 where we were nearly killed and kidnapped."

"When you put it that way, I think I can handle a little noise." Sandy nodded knowledgeably, and Alaska set off again in her path. She peered over the fence running parallel to the path and down to the highway, watching all manner of cars as they sped up and down the road. "You'd think I would be used to cars by now, but I have never seen so many in one place before."

"I know what you mean. I had only seen about a dozen or so before I left home, and I have seen about ten times that number go past in the last minute. It is pretty exciting, really, when you think about it – much nicer than being shot at."

"Most things are nicer than that," Alaska replied with a touch of weariness. Dark thoughts quickly became to blossom and she shook her, pushing away the thoughts before they settled in. "It is funny how quickly cars have caught on here, since everyone in Kanto pretty much hated Unova and all its inventions for ages."

"Well, the Kantonese always used to travel by boat because of most of our towns are on the ocean. Unova is landlocked and twice our size so they needed another way to get around and move products across the region, which led to them motorising their carts. Most people here have never seen the point, but when they rebuilt the Cycling Road they added the road and that seemed to be enough to turn people."

"And it does help that the road directly connects the four richest cities in Kanto where people can actually afford cars," Alaska added. "You know, travelling with you makes me feel much better about skipping school. Who needs teachers where I have a friendless know-it-all to impart wondrous knowledge on me!"

"Gee, thanks," Sandy sneered, but when she and Alaska looked at each other, the two began to laugh. Their giggling lasted several minutes of walking, bringing them closer towards the bridge in a state of ignorant bliss, the world simply whizzing past while they soaked up a brief moment of joy.

She laughed, that's a positive sign. As the humour left her system, Alaska studied her friend's face, looking for any signs of the hostility and rage that had been there yesterday. But Sandy was all smiles and laughter today, her guide book back out and their conversation seemingly forgotten. Alaska was pleased, not just because it meant there would be less yelling, but because Sandy had finally gotten her thoughts off her chest and was ready to move on. Everything she had been holding onto was out in the universe now, and it was up to Alaska to decide what to do with it.

And I need to decide quickly. With a stifled sigh, Alaska fell silent. She tried to ignore the clouds edging sinisterly towards her and focussed on the route itself. The path had only been completed last year and still had some signs of newness, the speckled grey cement not yet worn down. Bushes were in full bloom on either side but were yet to replace the trees cleared by the project, an empty space with all the gloom of a graveyard falling between the footpath and forest.

Alaska looked up at the tree tops, watching the mighty branches sway in the wind. A large shadow passed over one, and she watched as a large Pidgeot swooped down. It landed on the very top of a towering oak, red and yellow plumage been blown gallantly by the wind, and Alaska saw the magnificent beast was watching the clouds, clearly wondering whether to carry on or not.

I can't wait for Paige to evolve, to be as big and beautiful as that. When will she evolve though: we have been travelling all this time and she hasn't evolved since Pewter. Am I doing something wrong? Should I be training her more instead of blindly fighting everyone I come across? Do I even want her to evolve… when she does, I am going to have to ride her into a war, that's what the prophecy says… what if I gave her an Everstone, would that change everything, or anything, or nothing, or… or… or…

"Alaska, watch out!" She could hear the growling engine, a distant, dirty sound cutting through the serenity, but it was not until Sandy yanked her aside did Alaska realise it was on the path, not the road below. Startled and confused, Alaska turned and watched three motorbikes speed noisily past, plumes of oily black smog rising from their exhausts. The lead rider turned to watch them as the trio slid past, his leather jacket, jeans and helmet as dark as coal, making him look like some strange addition to his bike. Alaska could feel his eyes staring at her through the visor, and unexplained rage suddenly burst from her.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING NEXT TIME!" She yelled, but the bikers ignored her, driving off unperturbed. Fuming, Alaska flipped them off before turning steaming to face Sandy. "Are they even allowed to up here, there's a bleeding road right below us!"

"Bike gangs used to control the Cycling Road before the old one was destroyed, and that was half the reason they put a road in: make the cycleway and the footpaths too narrow for them and force them onto the roads. It works for the most part, but Alexis was telling me about how some stubborn youth gangs have taken to hanging around a picnic area outside the gatehouse and harassing tourists and trainers."

"I knew I had a reason to be worried," Alaska huffed. Sandy rolled her eyes and tutted, and Alaska raised an eyebrow, her lingering anger pushing her to do so.

"We don't have to engage them, they are fairly easy to ignore. Besides, our Pokémon combined would be more than enough to get rid of them. Not everyone is out to get you, Alaska."

"Trying telling that to Gideon and Buzz," Alaska snapped, and she set off again, walking so vigorously that her footsteps echoed as her feet pounded the pavement. After a few seconds, a hurried set of footsteps followed after her, and Sandy quickly fell into her stride.

"We have been dancing around everything that happened yesterday all day, which I am fine with, I am used to it by now," Sandy began, earning a glare from Alaska which the blonde quickly flicked aside. "Don't give me that look, you know it's true. Anyway, I was hoping we could wait until we stopped for the night to discuss things, but it looks like we have to start now."

"Really, right now? Are we going to discuss the end of the world and all my hopes and fears on this lovely coastal –"

"Cut it out Alaska, I don't have the time," Sandy snapped. "You were all set to leave yesterday and go find yourself, so why not start now?"

"Yeah, at my own pace, I didn't expect to have to find myself on command." Yet even as the words left her mouth, Alaska knew the real reason why she hadn't started discussing it yet: where the hell was she meant to begin? She had been so happy to have found the right path for her that she had not stopped and actually thought about what getting control meant. So much had happened and was still happening, from the prophecies to Gideon to Buzz and his robots to her meeting with Sabrina, that there was no obvious place to stop and start.

With an irritated grunt, Alaska eyed a rock lying across the path and gave it a good kick. She watched as it spiralled away, a tiny grey projectile hurtling down towards the road. Part of her expected it to smash a windscreen, yet another horrible calamity falling on her recklessness. Suddenly guilty, Alaska raced towards the fence, fearful of what the rock may do, but was startled to watch it fall past and road down towards blue.

In her speed, Alaska had not realised they were now standing outside the gatehouse, the one storey building their last hurdle before reaching the Cycling Road. From their vantage point, Alaska could see the bridge in all its glory, all curved glass and purple steel stretching down the Route 17 coastline, looking almost futuristic as cars disappeared into its tunnel. The only ocean visible was right beneath the bridge, but Alaska still sniffed, and managed to find a hint of saltiness over the stench of petrol. If she turned to her right, Alaska knew she would be back beside the forest, the green and brown pillars rising tall and proud above her.

Three worlds converging at one point – this is incredible. And I nearly missed it all… who knows what else I have missed on this journey…

Buoyed by her thoughts, Alaska turned to face Sandy, forcing a tired smile that her friend reciprocated. "I think the thing that has haunted me the most the past week has been my conversation with Sabrina," she began without hesitation. "When we first spoke – well, she spoke, I just… thought – I could see some point to what she was saying, and for a few days I tried to work out what it all meant. But after a week trapped inside that gym, being forced just to train and think and train and think and train and think, I could not help get annoyed with her and whatever point she was trying to make I just sidestepped."

"She did handle it the wrong way even if her intentions were good," Sandy said with an agreeable nod. "All through that gym battle I was expecting her to just bring it to a stop and tell you to try again once you had seen what she is trying to teach you. I mean, I am as clueless as you when it comes to trying to work her out, but I sat through that whole thing with my fingers crossed, hoping you would see things from her perspective and it would all work out."

"Fat lot of use you are then," Alaska joked, and the pair smiled as they turned towards the gatehouse. "I was actually really surprised she even let me leave: when the battle ended, I was hoping she would let me go, but I never expected her to."

"Maybe she realised you wouldn't work out the message locked up inside her gym?" Sandy suggested as the sliding door parted to let them enter. Alaska nodded silently, and she entered the gatehouse ready to take a break and talk things out.

After all the beauty of the natural world outside, the gatehouse was quite the change of scenery. Alaska knew from her brief stays in the ones around Viridian and Pewter that these one storey buildings existed as sanctuaries for trainers and travellers in Pokémon heavy areas, as well as trying to limit illegal Pokémon poaching on the main routes. They had been built back in the sixties and seventies but had been sparsely updated since then. And it took only a few seconds for Alaska to see this one was no different: the chequered carpet was worn and faded from years of use; the furniture looked like it had last been fashionable in the eighties; and the completely beige paint scheme left a lot to be desired.

"I don't know what it is, but whenever we reach a gatehouse, I always feel like I haven't peed for ages," Sandy said matter-of-factly, staring around the open space as though hoping the bathroom would jump out at her.

"I can't say that dirty sofas really stir up much in my bladder, though I really wish we had something to eat," Alaska murmured. She looked around, trying to find the best spot to sit, when the smell of diesel caught her attention. She was about to point this out to Sandy when a bang and several angry shouts got in before her, and the two looked at each other before turning in mutual dismay towards the commotion.

The three bikers who had passed them were now at the opposite end of the gatehouse, protesting as the two guards on duty examined their motorbikes. Alaska realised she should have seen this coming, since they had gone down the path before them, but it didn't make the actuality any less frustrating. She could feel her emotional high fading away the longer she looked at them, dread and foreboding replacing her joy.

Trust us to stumble across something like this, Alaska thought bitterly, and she felt her body go tense, not just at the threat before them, but at the fact her moment of realisation had slipped just out of reach once again.

"What are we going to do?" Sandy whispered, watching as the bikers stepped towards the guards, chests puffed and fists clenched.

"We have to stop them, isn't it obvious?"

"How exactly do you plan on doing that, because I don't really think blowing up the gatehouse is an appropriate option!" Alaska glowered down at Sandy, but knew she had a point: destroying the building was not going to do wonders for her already violent reputation, and such a reaction to three bikers was not called for. However, the three were taller and appeared stronger than the guards, and there was no way of telling what weapons or Pokémon they had on them.

"Why are you wankers always hassling us!" One of them shouted. "Just fuck off before we trash this fucking hole!"

"There is no need for that language!" The stouter of the guards squawked, sweat pouring down his face. "You know the rules, you know you aren't supposed to be here, and we… we just have to…"

"Oh, fuck this," the biker shouted, and with a single swift movement there was a knife in his hands. Fear and horror rushed through Alaska, and she stepped forwards without any hesitation.

"OI, leave him alone!" She shouted, and the biker froze with his knife inches from the guard's face. He turned and faced her, a sneer spread across his pale face. Alaska stopped, leaving a metre between them, and she took in her opponent: his clothing was black, battered and stereotyped, his hair shoulder length and greasy, his face covered alternatingly with pimples and scars. He was clearly more toddler than threat, but the knife was nothing to joke at, and Alaska responded by raising her PokeBalls.

"If you think you are going to harm this guy, you are going to have to get through me and my Pokémon first. And my guess is, if a knife is your weapon of choice, than I'd say Pokémon aren't exactly your strong suit." She raised an eyebrow in challenge, and tightly gripped the capsules, making sure all four were visible. He looked at her hand, and Alaska could see the thought processes going through his mind. Their eyes met, and for a moment, Alaska thought she saw something more sinister in his stare. Part of her wanted it to just be her irrationality, months of emotional, physical and psychological torture warping her view on reality, but a louder voice in her head told her it was something more real than that, something much more violent.

But after a few moments, the biker stepped away from the guard and raised his hands. "No need for a fight, love! We'll be on our way, if that's alright with you." Alaska was taken aback, and for a moment said nothing. The biker looked her up and down and smirked, and she snapped back into reality.

"Off you go," she said, signalling for the door, and the biker gave an over exaggerated bow before sliding back onto his bike. Alaska waited until all three of them were back on their bikes, and only once they had roared away did she let herself relax: no explosions, no violence, crisis averted. The guards looked as relieved as her, and she smiled as the two whipped out handkerchiefs and began to mop their soaked faces.

"Go you," Sandy whispered as she appeared by her shoulder. "No smouldering ruins, no fire tornadoes, no death and destruction, I am impressed."

"Thanks for the condescension," Alaska replied with a sarcastic grin. Sandy winked back as the two breathless guards stepped forwards, wearing much more sincere smiles. On close inspection, Alaska struggled to see how either of them had been hired for this job. One was like a tree branch, all skin and bone with a distinct lack of muscle, while the squat one resembled an Electrode with limbs, making it no wonder why he was so sweaty.

"I cannot thank you enough, that was an incredibly brave thing to do," the shorter guard said, smiling breathlessly as he grasped Alaska's hand. "Those bikers have been getting worse and worse since the bridge came in – that is not the first time I have had a knife pulled on me, but never have I thought they would actually use it…."

"It's alright; I've dealt with worse people than them." Alaska looked down at the sweaty palm wrapped around her own, the moist warmness thoroughly off putting, but the fat guard's smile somehow made it alright.

"Well, we are told we are supposed to be stopping smugglers, but the worst thing any of our colleagues go through is chasing away the odd Snorlax or running out of tea." The lanky guard looked barely older than Alaska, his tuft of chin hair more comical than manly, and he was shaking as he stared captivatedly at her. "For a minute there, I thought we were dead, and then you can along, and… and… wow…."

It was nearly half an hour before Alaska and Sandy left. The guards had insisted on sharing their lunch with them and doting more gratitude upon them that it was impossible to leave. While Sandy hovered back waving them goodbye, Alaska set off on a stroll through the picnic area that stood before the Cycling Road.

The world was completely different this side of the gatehouse. Lost in quiet contemplation, Alaska let her mind wander and found herself absorbed by the new environment. A ragged, brown cliff replaced the forest, coming off the path and diving down into the oceans below; there was not a single bit of green or brown in sight, the ground beneath her completely concrete; empty picnic tables, metallic in a completely foreign style to what sat inside the gatehouse, were dotted around alongside bins, bike racks and a small children's play area. The Cycling Road glittered even more up close, and Alaska could see just how long it was, stretching the entire coastline towards Fuchsia.

Despite all these sights, Alaska kept getting drawn towards the sky. The clouds loomed right above them now, still dark and threatening, rain seeming more likely than ever. The wind was roaring now, as though the ocean was trying to make them go back, warning them of danger ahead. The sea itself was dull and grey like the clouds above, the sound of waves crashing replacing the grumble of cars silenced by a cinderblock wall. It was bare and depressing, the only hint of nature a narrow path between the cliff and gatehouse, yet Alaska felt strangely calm standing amongst the grey.

"Those two were really sweet." Sandy appeared suddenly beside Alaska, looking at her friend with a twinkle in her eyes. "Trying to feed us like that, isn't it just adorable?"

"It's certainly something," Alaska muttered, and Sandy's smile faded.

"Is something wrong?" She asked suspiciously. "Don't tell me they annoyed you. God, what could they have possibly done to –"

"I'm not annoyed!" Alaska snapped in a tone that completely contradicted that. She paused and sighed, collapsing onto one of the sticky benches dotted around the gatehouse. "It is just… different… it feels weird for someone to actually be thankful for what we did…"

"Would you prefer they had shot at us instead?"

"Of course not! But haven't you realised that throughout all of this, we have had so many people tell us what to do and how we should be saving people, but never once has anyone thanked us for the things we have done? Obviously not everything has gone to plan, but think of the robots! They never would have been discovered if it wasn't for us. Gideon probably would have gone undetected for months. They may have all had their suspicions and rumours to go off, but while they have been trying to control us, we have been the two that have actually done stuff. But they have never thanked us."

Sandy opened her mouth to reply but remained silent, shutting it after a few moments and stoic silence falling between them. There was no tension this time though, just a mutual understanding of what Alaska had said. Alaska looked out at the ocean, at the grey clouds reflected in the water, but for the first time she saw blue on the horizon: the storm clouds were moving directly above them now, but far off in the distance, there were signs of clear skies following soon after.

That was the least I have ever done to help someone. Apparently doing nothing is more appreciated than acting out. Alaska sat there for several minutes, mulling it over, all thought trails leading back to Sabrina, Looker, Evelyn, Amanda, Alistair, Latios and the prophecies. Things were starting to fall into place: she had no idea what the puzzle would look like when it was completed, but for the first time in weeks, Alaska had an idea of where it was going and what it all meant.

"Oh good, your still here." The oily voice cut through Alaska's daydreaming like a wet knife. Her mind snapped back into the present, where the storm clouds were still present, blocking out the sun and casting dull grey light over everything.

"I was hoping we would catch up to you two. I wanted to talk about what happened inside over there, you know?" Alaska leapt to her feet and faced the speaker, and felt a mixture of annoyance and dread at what she saw. The three bikers had returned, bringing a handful more cronies with them: a dozen teenagers stood in a semi-circle, with several squirming heads behind indicating more. They were dressed all in either denim or leather, arms crossed and faces twisted in looks they considered threatening. Alaska knew they were barely older than her, with pimply faces and most too thin to break a twig, but the group of them gathered like that, standing so close together as though hiding something, she could not help but feel concerned.

"Oh look Sandy, no wonder we couldn't find any black leather jackets, they seem to have cleared out the entire eastern coast," Alaska snarked, trying to mask her fear of the unknown. Her hands slipped into her jean pockets, reaching for her PokeBalls, and she was relieved to see Sandy already had hers gripped tightly in her palms, but when she glanced back up the lead biker, the one she'd confronted earlier, didn't seem the slightest bit bothered.

"Ah yes, your Pokémon," he said smiling, "that's exactly why I've come back. The names Jack, and despite what youse think, I have some brilliant good Pokémon. So I want to battle ya." If Alaska had been taken aback by their arrival, she was completely blindsided by his reply, so much so that a laugh briefly burst through her lips. Sandy turned quickly and raised an 'are you serious?' eyebrow, but Alaska continued to giggle even as Jack cockily stared her down.

"You want a battle? That's seriously all you want, a battle?" She laughed harder, and even the bikers began to smirk, a few chuckles rippling through the scrawny group. "Why the hell do you want to battle?"

"Because you're that Alaska Avocado girl, aren't you?" Alaska fell silent instantly, a laugh dying in her throat. He knows my name, how the fuck does he know my name? She thought, looking to Sandy and finding her own fear and horror reflected back to her. Instantly, her mind thought of Gideon and Buzz; were these idiots affiliated with them, roaming the streets trying to hunt her down?

"I knew it, I told you boys it was her!" Jack cackled, gleefully lapping up their fear, and real laughter sounded amongst them now; deep, echoing laughs that sounded much older and much more threatening than their thin frames suggested.

"How do you know who I am?" Alaska finally asked, the situation becoming less funny for her with every second that passed. Jack reached into his pocket; Alaska tensed, remembering the knife, but saw it was simply a PokeGear.

"Those pricks may not let us drive through their precious gate house, but we can still access their Wi-Fi," the teenager sniggered, holding it up for them to see. Cautiously, Alaska peered at the screen. The banner at the top of the page told her it was Trainers. net, an infamously trashy forum littered with spam, Yet, right there in the middle of one page, there was a photo, and Alaska felt her stomach drop as she realised she was looking at a photo of herself and Sandy at the ABC Café, their faces clear for the entire world to see.

How is this happening? She thought, her mind racing with horror, disgust and fear. How do I have all these people and organisations watching over me, yet they can't even stop some trashy forum from stalking me?

"Everyone is looking for you," Jack explained, smiling at her horror. "That blog youse wrote is famous, everyone wants to find ya. When we drove past youse before, I thought I recognised ya. And then when you spoke up, I was like 'guys, this got to be her, no other bitch gonna threaten me like that'." Jack looked like he had won the lottery, with a smirk that had become increasingly more sinister since the conversation had begun.

"Well, you've got me, congratulations Columbo!" Alaska snapped, trying to gain control of the situation, but knew any attempt was pointless. "What do you want, an autograph? Because I'm sorry, but the only pen I have is black, so…"

"Piss off, I don't want no tarts signature – I told ya, I want a battle!"

"Why on earth would I battle you?" Alaska hissed. "If you know who I am, then you know I don't waste my time battling pathetic wannabes on the side of the road. Why don't you just piss off before I make you?" As she said it, her mind began running through ways to get rid of him, Pokémon combinations and Bill's weapon coming to mind. The more she thought of them, the clearer it became the bikers weren't going, and Alaska looked at Sandy, trying to silently communicate they would need to fight.

"I have something you want." Fists clenched, patience waning, Alaska turned and faced her latest enemy again. Jack was still smirking, still standing there, unfazed by anything she had said. She realised now that this was what it had been building towards, some secret surprise that had made him so keen to come after her. Part of her hoped it might still have to do with Gideon or Buzz, but her realistic side, the side that had picked up on the way Jack had looked at her in the gatehouse, knew something dark was going on here.

"And what exactly would that be?" Alaska asked tentatively. Jack grinned his widest grin yet before stepping aside, unveiling the people who had been standing behind him this whole time, a magician revealing his final trick.

Oh fuck no. Bile rose up her throat, nausea washed over her. Never, not in her wildest thoughts, would Alaska have ever imagined her day would end like this. She wanted to be sick, her shock transforming into something horrible and physical, but she couldn't look away. She couldn't take her eyes off him, not as he stared back at her, his eyes bloody and red, his arms clasped tightly in chains, blood stains all down his body. Instead, she grabbed onto Sandy for support, struggling to make herself grounded.

The bikers were laughing, jeering, sneering at her with triumphant, evil smiles. Alaska wanted to leave, she wanted to run away and never stop, leave all of this horrible chaos behind her. But she couldn't go, there was no way she could leave him now, not now she was realising just how much she had missed him, how much he had been on her thoughts without her noticing, not now that she actually had something real to fight for.

Darwin…


Anyone see that coming? Next chapter, this arc will finally draw to a conclusion.