Chapter 16:Where confessions are made.

At was already getting dark as Team Purple arrived with Lapras in Capim Town. With them they had the captured and unconscious André and four Koffing Aaron and Charlotte fought, also captured.

The ride from the snow island back to Capim Town was awfully quiet. Mo and André didn't told much about what happened to Charlotte, and they decided to not tell Lapras at all. She still knew something was wrong.

At Capim Town, the first thing the team did was do hand the bad guys over to the local police. They were surprised how beaten up the Gourgeist was, but didn't asked questions about it. They thought he just took long to defeat.

To everyone disappointment, the key wasn't at Mt. Avalanche. After the fight they search the whole area but no sign of anything interesting. No key, no other treasures, no Articuno. At least they now knew where not to search and hoped the other teams had more luck.

"DO YOU NEED A PLACE TO STAY FOR THE NIGHT?", Officer Magnezone asked them as Team Purple was about to leave.

"No thanks! We already know a place!", Aaron answered and turned around to the officer.

"ALRIGHT. GOOD NIGHT YOU THREE. WE AND THE EXPLORER GUILD WILL TAKE FROM HERE.", Magenzone said and went back to his police business.

Nothing had changed since Mo and Aaron were the last time in Capim town. The plant live was booming, the air was fresh and it felt unusual warm. Even thought it was night, it was still warm. Especially after were the team was hours before.

Mo sighted as they walked through the town. Many memories were connected with this town. His old hometown. There were many nice memories, but also memories Mo tried to forget. Tried to leave behind. It was ma mix between nostalgia and trauma for him. Even though it was his home he didn't felt welcome and just wanted the night to be over so he could go back to the guild.

Not long after, Team Purple walked by a hotel. "Hotel and Restaurant Delicatty". A small hotel for tourists and travellers with three stars. Mo stopped in front of the hotel door and wished his team mates a good night as he wanted to go inside. This took the other two completely by surprise.

"Where are you going?!", Aaron asked confused and almost tried to grab Mo with his ribbons to keep him close.

"I'm renting a room for me?", Mo asked him back.

"We wanted to go and stay at you parents house!", Aaron reminded Mo.

"I thought we talked about this? I am NOT going to my parents and stay here for the night.", Mo explained. "I don't care about how much the night costs or what my parents will say when you arrive there without."

"Why?", Aaron asked.

"I moved away for a reason. I tried to not contact them for a reason. I had enough trouble for today. Especially after today.", Mo explained while he tried to stay calm. "I told you what my parents are like. Meeting them would be ... cringy."

They looked at each other in silence.

"Look. I need some time for myself now. You can say 'hi' to them for me.", Mo said, took the adventurer bag from Aaron, wished them a good night and went in.

"Are you sure you don't want to come? Who knows when you're going to see them again?", Aaron tried to reason with Mo one last time.

"I already told you! No!", Mo said without turning back.

Not long after, Mo arrived at his room. A common room for travelers who won't stay more than two nights. Hay bed and bathroom, a complete and simple wooden room. Nothing more. Mo, again, took a deep breath and sighted. He took of his disguise and a long and hot bath, trying to relax after the day and to repress what happened. He felt guilty to not visiting his parents. Sometimes, Aaron was right. And this time he also had a point. At the same time he feared they actually would go to him now instead. Maybe he should then act like he wasn't there. But then again there still was the bellhop with a second key for the room. Mo tried not to thing about this more. But he couldn't.

Tried up and back in cloth, Mo came out of the bathroom and decided to go to sleep. He was tired and there was nothing more to do today.

Suddenly, there was a knocking on the door.

"Mr. Mo? Room service! Here is a woman who would like to ... talk with you!", a female voice said form the other side.

"Oh, please no!", Mo thought, expecting the worst.

He went to the door to his room and slowly opened it. To his surprise he only saw two Pokémon. Charlotte, holding a bunch of signs together with her log and even more empty signs behind her, and a confused looking Spinda, wearing a bellhop hat.

"What are you doing here?!", Mo asked Charlotte. "Where is Aaron."

Charlotte picked up the signs and showed them to Mo, one by one.

"Sorry I come unannounced."

"We went to you parents, like said."

"They were surprised. Not like a good surprise, just surprised."

"Told them what we're doing and we're on a secret mission."

"They just nodded."

"Told them also you couldn't come. You're not feeling well."

"You dad asked if I was your girlfriend."

"Aaron said yes."

The Spinda began to sing:

" Silent night, holy night!

Both, Mo and Charlotte, looked at her confused.

The Spinda stopped.

"Sorry. I thought this would fit.", she said.

Charlotted continued with her signs.

"Your dad can't stop talking. And you're mother is loud."

"He also asked why you didn't joined the guild in Treasure Town."

"Or Lively Town."

Mo nodded. He was right he would have said that.

"I sneaked out when I went to the bathroom."

"Lovely family, but not for a long time."

"They both seemed Aaron forced them to like him."

"It will be a matter of time until they throw him out."

"Can I stand with you for the night?"

Mo couldn't just say "no". He had all the teams money at the moment and she was alone in a new town. It was also very rude.

"Alright. Come in.", he said and with her empty signs and her log she rolled in.

"Sir, this will cost you extra.", the Spinda reminded him.

"Sure. Alright.", Mo casually said to her and slowly closed the door again in front of her."

"So ...? There wasn't another place for you to stay?", Mo asked Charlotte.

Meanwhile, Charlotte mad herself comfortable on the hay bed with her signs next to her and a small pen on top. She just shook her head as an answer.

Mo looked around the room in silence.

"Well", he said. "It's late. I'm going to sleep. Night!"

And he layed on the other side of the hay where Charlotte was and tried to sleep.

He was too tired right now. He didn't care. But it was hard. In comparison to the hay back at the guild, it was to hard for him and a little smelly as well. Mo wondered, if his parents still kept his old room. Most likely.

He felt a soft poking on his back. Barely noticeable. Until it got more intense and started to hurt a little.

Mo turned around, already knowing what to expect. Charlotte was holding another sign.

"It was still mean you didn't came."

Mo turned back around. Trying to ignore the Komala.

Shortly after, Charlotte grabbed him and turn him around again, holding another sign and pointing at it.

"It was a long and hard day, but you are really mean right now. Just mean!"

Mo stood up and looked at charlotte, as she put her sign away.

"You know. I never saw you 'speak' so much as you do right now."

He looked behind her and pointed at the other, empty signs.

"And where did you get these from?! We didn't arrived with SO many! Did we?"

Charlotte just looked at Mo and started to smile. She quickly took a sign and started writing on it, then showing it to Mo.

"I'm always here for you. You can talk to me."

Mo just looked back at her. Not knowing what to say. What to think about this.

Charlotte quickly wrote on another sign.

"I just realised something."

Mo's fake head tilted to the side

She turned the sign around.

"We're alone."

Without warning, Charlotte thre the sign away and jumped on Mo, clenching onto him, rubbing her head agains his fake head.

"Charlotte! No touching! Let go!", Mo shouted at her, trying to get her off. "I don't like that!"

She finally let go and layed in front of him on the hay.

"I already told you, I'm not comfortable with you doing this.", Mo said to her angrily.

Charlotte took a sign and wrote on it.

"Mo, I don't know how to say it."

Charlotte flipped the sign around and continued to write. Who didn't knew what to expect, what Charlotte wanted. But he expected the worst for him. She then showed it to him.

"I think I love you."

Suddenly, Mo felt really warm and cold at the same time. His heart was racing and didn't knew what and how to feel. Similar to that one time together in the bath on their first day.

"... what?", Mo asked her, almost speechless and trembling on the inside.

Another sign.

"I want to be by your side. Always."

Flipping the sign around.

"Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

Charlotte blushed a little, but kept smiling as she held the sign.

It was hard for Mo, but he hat to tell Charlotte how he felt. A young woman, she knew for just a few weeks and confessed to him. Mo took a deep breath, gathered his courage and said it.

"No."

It took some time for Charlotte to realise what Mo just said and quickly wrote.

"What?"

Mo was now more nervous than before. He didn't knew if he just broke her heart. If what he just did was a bad idea.

"I can't be and I don't think I want to be. Because I don't love you.", he confessed, trying to sound serious.

Charlotte put her sign back down as Mo proceeded to explain his reason for rejecting her.

"The thing is, I'm not sure if I'm even able to love."

Charlotte held the other sign back up.

"What?"

"You say now, that you love me. What about tomorrow or the day after? How can I be sure you won't stab me in the back?", Mo asked her.

Charlotte tilted her head to the side, took a sign and wrote on it.

"You don't trust me?!"

"I learned a long time ago not to trust anyone. Every Pokémon is for themselves in the world. Some just work together because they have to. I'm trying to not get attached to anyone so they can't hurt me when they leave.", Mo explained to her, sounding more serious than she probably ever heard.

Another sign by Charlotte, who now had in a shocked. Mo never saw her this way before.

"That's terrible! I won't do that!"

"I appreciate what you said, about love, but I can't share this. To be honest, I don't even see you OR Aaron as a friend.", Mo continued to explain.

Charlotte just looked at Mo fore some time. Looking even kind of angry herself. Then she wrote.

"But we ARE friends!"

Mo nodded.

"Yes. I am YOUR friend. There're only three types of Pokémon in the world for me. Those who I tolerate around me and like, those who I tolerate to be around and dislike, and those who I wished were ... gone. Unless it just happens, like with Aaron, I don't want anyone to get in my live in any way whatsoever. They can and will hurt me."

Charlotte put her sign down.

"Trust no one but respect everyone, never make relationships in the work place, in the end nothing matter except inner peace.", Mo added to his speech.

Charlotte took another sign, while writing on it she stopped form time to time and just looked at Mo with an emotionless expression.

"You once said your dream is to become famous and loved and remembered or something."

"Yes?", Mo confirmed.

She wrote on another sign, the same way as before.

"Why do you have this dream, when you hate the world? When you joined a guild that saves Pokémon just to be known?"

Mo sighted. He was about to say something he never said to anyone before.

"This is my only purpose. What else is there after that? What am I supposed to do, when there is nothing left for me? When there is no purpose to my existence? Tell me! By now every scenario in my mind ended ... not so well." I'm aware myself my actions and behavior are not logical. But for me there is no other way to keep going."

Mo took Charlottes hand. She felt way warmer than he.

"I appreciate you and your feelings. But right now, I'd like to have you just around me. Who knows? I'm still waiting for a miracle all those years."

Charlotte silently nodded and began to write on another sign.

"Can I still cuddle with you?"

Mo sighted softly.

"... okay, alright."

Just as he said that, she jumped on him again, as if nothing have happened before. Mo didn't knew if Charlotte understood what he just said, but right now their partnership was at least saved. For now.

With Charlotte clenched on his back, he layed in the still uncomfortable hay and tried to finally get the sleep he wanted and needed. Deep inside he still felt the cold and warm feeling, as he slowly started to drift away.

"Mr. Mo? It's me again!"

There was another knocking at the door. Again the female voice.

"Here is a man would now like to speak with you.", she said.

"Please now!", Mo thought to himself, already knowing what to expect.

Mo stood up, carrying Charlotte on his, and opened the door.

The Spinda from before, now with Aaron.

"You're parents wouldn't let me stay for the night."

On the inside, Mo was crying.