I'm glad people are still following this. You guys are awesome. I got a handful of new followers as well, which is always awesome. Chapter 41 needs reviewed, but it will be out next week. I doubt I'll be able to release content on a weekly basis once my classes start again, but for now, I'm going to ride the momentum.
Chapter 40: Certain Uncertainties
"You know, I'm gonna miss this place," Frank sighed. Firnborn City had been kind to him, and compared to his work in the southern parts of Skitrex, he felt far more relaxed in the mountains. However, Regice was not in the mountains, so Paulson and some of his squadron were being moved back to the headquarters until further notice, while the rest stayed in the mountain city to hold down the Haven House that remained. As for Frank, he'd go where he was needed. Like the Articuno, he had a place to be, even with his uncertainties.
[Oh yeah, I'm totally going to miss the negative wind-chill, the brain dead tourists, and the inflated cost of coffee.] The Mr. Mime seemed absolutely relieved to be leaving, but he felt the need to clarify that. [In case you didn't catch the sarcasm, this place sucks and we should never come back. As if the mainland isn't cold enough.]
"Your optimism is what kept me warm, you know," Frank chuckled. "And why do you care how much the coffee costs? I'm the one who's buying it." Frank made very little money in his current position, so practically every dollar in his "for fun" budget went into supporting Isaac's caffeine addiction. He seriously regretted introducing the mime to coffee, since he spent more money on it than potions these days.
[Because for the price of one coffee here, you can get almost two coffees anywhere else. Why would I want one when I could have two? That's basic math. So yes, I care.]
"Mmm, you're like a child you know? No understanding of the value of a dollar." Frank rubbed his head. He had shaved it clean recently, since fitting a mohawk under a winter hat had grown tiresome. In suit, Isaac had shaved his head as well. There was something about a Mr. Mime without hair that Frank found… unsettling. Still, he was still his best friend, hair or no hair.
After they found their seats, the bus started to roll. In a few hours, they'd get off near a train station where they would catch a line back to Lockton City. He just hoped he wouldn't get put behind a desk once he got back to headquarters. He liked working with people and he loved being outdoors. He did expect to be spending a bit of time with Father Ezekiel. Paulson had been correct in saying that Frank had been chosen to join the inner circle of the Brotherhood. The circle consisted of several lower ranking individuals, such as himself, several important members of the Ideal Imports board, and Ezekiel's three disciples, one of whom was Paulson. Having a position in the circle was an exclusive honor, though he wondered what that would entail. Secrets gave those who held them power… what power would he gain? And would it be a blessing or a curse?
"So, we will be getting some vacation time soon. A week of it, to be exact. And they'll pay for transport. How does the beach sound?" As he expected, Isaac's eyes lit up.
[You're serious?]
"Sure. Don't you want to get away from the cold?"
[Yeah, I've never been to the beach before… Yeah Frank, that sounds great.] And not a note of cynicism was in his pokémon's tone.
"I knew you'd like it." He smiled, glad that his pokémon finally approved of something. "But until then, keep your ladle wrist in shape. We have a bit more time before we can-"
[Of course. Just so you know, carpal tunnel is a very real medical disorder that affects pokémon too.]
"There's the Isaac I know." Frank stretched out his arm and pulled the Mr. Mime in close. "If you really don't want to serve out soup, I'm sure there's a place for you in the extraction missions. How about it, you want to go work with Casper?"
The mime sighed, using his vocal chords instead of telepathy to do so. [If I had to choose, I stay inside, I guess. That man's a freak.]
"Predictable as always." He pet the mime's back. The two said very little for the rest of the ride though, just enjoying each other's presence. Despite their banter, sometimes just sitting together was nice as well. After knowing each other for so long, it could be just as comforting as conversation. That, and although he loved the banter, sometimes he just needed Isaac to shut up. Luckily, he didn't have to say anything to make it happen. Both of them just knew.
"You should ask her out."
"I'm only going to be here for a week."
"So? Nobody said you have to marry her. At least ask for her number."
"Laurence, she's probably in her late twenties."
"So?"
"I'm fifteen! I'm pretty sure that's illegal."
"Then lie and say you look good for your age?"
"She's seen my I.D. multiple times whenever I give her my pokémon. I think she knows."
"See, now you're just looking for excuses. You're not even going to try."
"What, you've dated a woman in her late twenties?"
An awkward silence followed.
"… Not yet, but-"
"It's not happening."
"Whatever, pussy," he said laughing, patting him on the back.
Laurence was long gone, but the conversation between Cody and himself still rung in the younger boy's headas he waited for his last pokémon to come out from the back. The reason for him remembering that conversation? The nurse. The tall brunette who was currently marking off something on her clipboard was a perfect ten in his opinion. He had briefly mentioned it to Laurence, and his friend decided to have a field day with that information. But he pushed those thoughts aside. He had more to be concerned with than somebody who was unobtainable.
After the battle the day before, his pokémon went through the standard post-gym battle treatment… all except Colossal. The pupa pokémon's shell might have been sturdy, but he still suffered a bit of internal bleeding from a few of the shots he endured. His injuries were not majorly distressing, but he had to spend the night under observation.
"Heh heh heh heh heh." That raspy sounding smoker's voice rang in his ears. Cortez had floated to his side, laughing creepily again.
Something about that golden Lampent was unquestionably disconcerting. As a Litwick, he had been mischievous, playful, and unruly, but he was still friendly. Suddenly though, despite the lamp's heat, there was a certain coldness about him. He was no longer friendly with his teammates or anybody else. While he did seem to like his trainer, he had a strange way of showing it. The evening after the gym battle, he thought it would be funny to trap Cody in a spiral of wisps that didn't hurt him, but they lightly singed his clothes. While doing this, he cackled in a manner that sounded almost cruel. Cody was beginning to see why Jared hated ghosts, but he didn't plan on giving up on Cortez… he just had to be more wary around him.
"Heh heh heh!" the Lampent continued to laugh in his ear.
"Okay, enough." He gently pushed the cackling ghost away. Cortez just stared back, a slightly angry looking crease slanting his eyes. But he didn't retaliate. No, he was scheming. Hopefully it wouldn't lead to anything too detrimental.
"Mr. Storm?"
He looked back to see the attractive nurse holding Colossal's pokeball and a clipboard. "Here is your Pupitar. He's doing fine, but we recommend you let him rest for two more days. All we need is your signature."
"Y-yes, thank you." Great, stuttering like a moron. That looks cool. He took the pokeball and opened it on the floor next to him. Colossal emerged, looking somewhat sleepy, probably from the medication. Other than that, he looked perfectly fine. Cody knelt next to his pokémon and stroked the side of his shell. "You did amazing yesterday, you know?"
"Hooooome," he hummed in his base tone. He seemed happy, though he looked as if he was about to go back to sleep.
"Sir?" the nurse chimed in.
"Oh, right." He stood back up and scribbled his name at the bottom of the page. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize," she responded, smiling sweetly, her dimples showing. "It's good to see a trainer who loves his pokémon. Some don't even check to see if they're alright. They just take our word for it."
"Well…I uh… uh… thanks." He was blushing now, so he quickly stepped away from the counter. Why are you such a tool? It's not like you had a chance anyway. Why get so worried?
"Cody?" somebody said, breaking him from his trance.
"Oh hey," he greeted Izzy. "We missed you last night. We were hoping you'd come out with us after we won, you know?"
"Yeah, sorry, I had something to do…" His voice trailed off as he looked away.
It was one of those intuitive moments where Cody could sense something was wrong. "You alright?"
"Me? Yeah, just beat. I have to get some sleep though. I have a full schedule ahead of me today."
"Right." That wasn't it, but Cody decided not to press the issue any further.
"So, he's looking better." Izzy reached out and touched the top of Colossal's shell.
"Yeah, he had a long night, but he'll be okay. This one though…" he looked over at the Lampent.
"Heh," the lamp chuckled.
"Yeah, he's something else." He looked back to Izzy. "You have any plans? Going home for the summer or anything like that?"
The bug catcher shook his head, unhappily. "No, a lot of people don't like me back there right now… you know, after that shit with Justin happened and all." As he spoke, his Wurmple emerged on his shoulder. It must have been clinging to his back. "I have friends here. My parents are planning on visiting during their vacation. They miss me, but they're really proud."
Hearing Izzy talk about his parents made Cody think about his own. He called them the night before after winning the badge. His father was ecstatic. His mother seemed proud and she was happy that he would be coming home, but she also sounded kind of sad. It did seem that she was slowly accepting the fact that he was a trainer and that he was doing what he loved and what he was good at, but considering the tension that existed between all three of them, she was probably stressed.
In that brief moment, he actually started to feel a bit homesick. He especially missed his mom. While he was often at odds with her, he remembered a time when the two of them were closer. It was before Derrick disappeared. Sometime after that, the tension thickened. He was unaware of exactly when that happened, but he had a hard time remembering what she had been like before she lost her oldest son.
"Cody?"
"What?" He remembered where he was. "Sorry, I was just thinking."
"Well don't think too hard, or you might strain something," Izzy laughed, wagging his finger at him.
"You don't even know me that well, and you make jokes like that?" Cody laughed, although he felt that the joke lacked any sort of context. "Be glad that I like you enough not to hit you."
"Whatever," he chuckled in return, but his face grew serious again. "So what about you? What's next?"
"Well, we won, so we got some last minute tickets to fly home. My plane leaves tomorrow morning at three." He was lucky that his father was willing to pick him up on such short notice at the Stone Rise airport without giving him much grief about it. "I need to go home, you know? I'll still be training, but I promised my mother that I'd give her a month. I'm going to give her two." He smiled, knowing that she'd like that. "After that, we'll pick right up where we left off. We're gonna fly out, get in a bit more training and go for another badge. Probably the Inferno badge. Considering the change in management that just happened there, we figure it would be an easy gym to get back into the swing of things with."
"The Inferno badge, huh?" He cringed at the thought of fighting fire-type pokémon. "That's not going to be a fun one for me. I think I'm going to have to catch a non-bug for that one. Any suggestions?"
"I don't know, any water pokémon?" Cody asked, shrugging. "Come down to Stone Rise, and I'll show you where I caught Bastion when he was a Squirtle. Maybe there are some new hatchlings down there?"
"Yeah… maybe." By the sound of Izzy's voice, he wasn't considering it at all. "I'll probably catch something around here. It's easier. Or I'll contact a breeder."
"Or…" Cody began, "you can come with us. I mean, if you can get out of your gym contract-"
"No." The light mood was suddenly gone.
"Izzy, it would be different. My friends and I, we know what we're-"
"It's not just that, I'm needed here." The younger boy looked a bit irritated that Cody was trying to get him back on the road. "It's not- The answer is no, so… Just do something for me while you're out there."
The older trainer cocked his head. "Sure, what's up?" He took a stab at the dark at what he was going to say. "You want me to be careful, right?"
"I would hope I don't need to tell you that. Just stay out of try to stay out of trouble, you know? Don't bite off more than you can chew."
Cody smirked. "Sure… you sound like my mom right now." Minus the excessive nagging, of course.
"Ha, I guess." Izzy sighed, smiling a small smile that Cody failed to recognize as being somewhat sad.
This is so weird. He had to break the awkwardness as soon as he could. "You want to have a quick battle? One on one for old time's sake?"
Izzy smiled mischievously. "You just want to beat me one on one, don't you? Well, I accept. Bring out your Wartortle and he can rematch my Venomoth. The finish won't be any different." His smile had suddenly transformed into a cocky grin.
"Please, you're going down, son." He called Colossal and Cortez back, and took Bastion's pokeball in hand. "There's a plot right outside. Let's roll."
"Sure thing."
The two began to make their way outside. Cody was ready to get his win back against the first trainer that ever beat him, but he didn't look back to see his friend sending a text message to his other employer. In the end though, it wouldn't make a significant difference in his life.
The airport a few miles north of Greywood exuded of loneliness. There were only a few small buildings, and the several planes themselves were tiny, carrying only a dozen or so passengers at most. Why have a large plane for a short flight, after all.
It was just him, Heather, a few other trainers, and a businessman who were heading home. It wouldn't be long now though. Heather's plane had already arrived and it was refueling for the flight back. A few other trainers were going to Stone Rise, but none that Cody could recognize. He traded numbers with a few of them, hoping that they could be good practice partners in his home city that was considered mild, competition-wise. Jared was already long gone, his flight home having left in the early evening.
In that moment, most of the trainers were dispersed among the airport's outside grounds, waiting for their planes. Most of them had deposited their pokémon in the airport's PC, as pokémon typically weren't allowed on planes for numerous safety reasons. Cody still had some of his team out though, as his plane would take some time to arrive. Colossal stood stoically at his trainer's side, staring into space. Antonia was nestled up next to him, her heavy head resting on her trainer's shoulder. Bastion was inside of his shell, sleeping at the base of Cody's knee, and the Eevee was curled up in his lap. They, along with his other pokémon, were beyond tired. All those months on the road, they seemed to be burnt-out. He planned to give them the week off once he got home. After that, he'd keep their strength up through conditioning. Without much competition in his home town, he figured that his time off would be spent grinding out his pokémon's weaknesses. Maybe his break wouldn't provide much in terms of time off as he had hoped, but this was his life now. And honestly, he couldn't complain.
"It's too quiet here." Heather had sat down next to him, letting out a cute yawn as she did. She looked exhausted. The year they had spent on the road was as tiring to her as it was to Cody and their pokémon. "Have you ever been to a real airport?"
"What, this isn't real enough for you?" Cody snickered, but he knew what she meant. "Not in a long time." He couldn't help but feel a little bit envious that she would be leaving as soon as her plane refueled while he had to hang around for another few hours. However, he also felt a little bit sad. Heather had been around him for so long now that seeing her leave him, even if only for a month or two, hurt. He planned to keep in contact with her over the break, but even so, it would feel so strange to be without her. Of course, he didn't want to say that. Last thing he wanted was to sound like he was being gushy and weird. Considering all that he knew about the issues between her and Jared, he didn't want to do or say anything that could be misconstrued as something else. But keeping his mouth shut was straining.
"Yeah, me neither. I guess we're not missing much. No extended delays, no overpriced food… though I will miss the peanuts that they probably won't serving on the ride home."
"Yeah, those are nice… did you buy any gum at least?"
His friend's face paled. "Oh crap, I-"
"Here." He handed her a stick from the pack that he produced from his pocket. "Nobody likes ear popping."
"Thanks." She pocketed the piece, smiling at her friend. For a moment, it looked like she was about to say something else, but she remained quiet, slowly turning to face forward in silence. It remained this way for a minute or so, and Cody wondered what she was going to say to him. He didn't have to wonder long.
"Something on your mind?" he asked.
"Always," she answered abruptly, but still with a bit of humor. "You'll have to be more specific.
"Okay, what were you just about to say to me then? I could see it in your eyes."
She let out a light giggle, shaking her head. "Are you sure you're not one of those psychics?"
"No, you're just even more predictable than your battling style," he teased. That line could have really upset some people, but thankfully, her skin had grown thicker after putting up with him for so long.
She punched him in the arm, still laughing. "You're an ass, you know that? But yeah… you're right." Instantaneously, her smile fell. "Can you keep a secret?"
"No secrets," he mimicked her past requests, but seeing that she was being serious, Cody stiffened. "Of course. You know I wouldn't tell anybody anything. Who am I going to talk to?"
"I don't know, Laurence?" She threw up her hands, quickly realizing how silly that fear was. "Then again, he's never around and it's not like he would tell anybody I know." She sighed deeply. "I mean Jared."
"Yeah, like I want to talk to him about anything." Cody flashed back to the memories of Jared confiding in him about Heather's non-infidelity, reminding him about how awkward and not-his-fault that was. "You two finally talk about… whatever it was that was going on between you two?" He hadn't talked to Jared about the subject, so he wasn't sure where everybody stood.
"Yeah, he said he was just concerned," she answered softly. "You know, not getting badges as fast as he would like, his mother's addictions, his sister. Said it was causing him a lot of stress."
That makes sense, but those weren't the only things he told me. He knew Jared was holding back, but where did that leave them? "Not getting badges fast enough… why doesn't he just… I don't know, leave us?" Before Heather could take that question as an unintended implication, Cody continued. "I mean, he can travel with us, but go off to do his own thing, you know?"
Heather sighed. "I know, I know what you meant. It's all in his head. He's not feeling confident in his abilities. You know how certain trainers just sort of peak? He-"
"Peak? Are you kidding me?" Cody interrupted. "He's been winning battles. He's still better than us, and-"
"He says he's struggling more. I would have never guessed, because he looks like he's doing well to me. Again, it might be in his head. Maybe it's because of all the stress? I have no idea," Heather shook her head, some of her brunette hair falling in front of her face. "He says he's going to keep going… But I feel like he's holding something else back. But he also said that his training, his pokémon… and me… he says that that's what still gives him joy."
"That's… uh, sweet?" Cody tried to sound sincere, but hearing (or even imagining) about Jared talking like that always made him felt a bit queasy, regardless of the context. That was his bias talking though, he had to admit.
"Yeah, but that's what I wanted to talk about." She looked Cody in the eyes for a moment, and he could see the reservation. She wasn't feeling comfortable talking about this, but not enough that he didn't need to push her. He wouldn't have anyway. "Sometimes… I feel like he cares about me more than I do about him, you know?"
Cody wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. He knew what she meant, as from what he understood, that pretty much sounded like every relationship that Laurence had ever been in. But even though Heather liked Laurence well enough, Cody had enough sense not to compare the two of them in this case, since Laurence cared mostly about sex, while there was something else completely on Heather's mind.
He sighed internally. "Okay, and…"
"And sometimes, I- I like him, you know, but I find myself questioning why we're together. I mean, he's a good guy, but at times, he can get really hard to talk with and I feel like we're so different. Our beliefs, our dreams, our philosophies; on top of that, we haven't been moving forward physica-" She was opening up so much that she caught herself saying something that she didn't intend to. Her cheeks reddened and a light panic set in. "Uh, forget I said that last part."
"What last part?" Cody asked innocently, complying with her request. I kinda figured though. "So you two are different. So what? Opposites attract, right?"
"Only in the movies, Cody," Heather answered flatly in response to the tired, clichéd line. "Sometimes though, I don't see it working long term… but I keep going. Is that wrong? I mean, I know he really likes me, and-"
"You're fifteen. I don't think a lot of people meet their "one" at that age," Cody interrupted. He didn't see why Heather was letting that get to her. She had been in relationships before Jared, so he figured she'd know better. Maybe she did, but Jared was her first long term relationship. He'd have to ask these questions on another day, he figured.
"I know," she replied softly. "I just know if anything were to happen to us, it would really hurt him. I don't know what to do. I know that you don't like him all that much sometimes and that you'd think-"
"Fuck what I think," Cody interrupted again, shoving all of his dislike for Jared to the side. "What do you want?"
"I don't know!" she shouted, frustration evident in her tone. Upon receiving a few glances from the other trainers nearby, she immediately softened her voice again. "I don't know Cody."
"Well, that's something that you need to keep thinking about then, I guess," he answered softly. He knew that that wasn't the answer she wanted. She wanted him to know what to say, but he didn't have any good advice to offer, as he had never been in a situation such as what she had described. If it were him, he would have dumped Jared, but he knew he was biased. "You'll be alright. I know you will."
"Thanks…" She hugged him tightly, waking up the Eevee and disturbing Antonia, who let out an angered, but soft squawk. Cody hugged back, and with her head so close that he could smell her flower-scented conditioner. When she pulled back, the two locked eyes for a moment. He felt his hormones suddenly trigger from this burst of intimacy. If he were in a movie, he would have kissed her right there. God knows, he wanted to. But he had just enough restraint to know that that would be a bad idea. That, and now, Antonia leaned her head in, nearly between the two trainer's faces. She was not happy with Heather disturbing her, and it was a good cue for the two trainers to pull away.
"I'm really glad I met you, Cody Storm," she said sincerely.
"And I'm glad you irresponsibly ran away from home to hang out with me," he replied back, grinning widely.
She punched his arm again. "That's not even why- we're having a moment and you're ruining it," she laughed.
"Fine, fine, I'll be real." Oh crap, more awkwardness incoming. "After everything that has happened, I feel as if I wouldn't have been able to make it without you. You're one of my best friends, you know?"
"Yeah, I know it," she joked, this time being the one to ruin the moment.
"Shut up." He smiled, but he wasn't laughing. It was nearing midnight and he was ready to pass out, but he had to remain lucid enough to know when his plane was coming. "Maybe you can come visit sometime? Stone Rise isn't that far from you by bus."
"Yeah, maybe…" She wore a soft smile that matched his. "You're one of my best friends too." But in one moment, her smile fell. Did she have something else to say?
"What?" Cody asked gently, though he was curious.
"That day when you told me that we should just run away together… you meant that, didn't you? What is it that you wanted to tell me that nobody else could know?" Slowly, her hand inched into his, her fingers settling between his, as her gaze met his. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"
He knew he could. Heather wouldn't betray him like Jared would if he knew what was wrong with him; about the voices in his head that came from a dark pokémon that nobody believed existed. But she wouldn't believe him. She already thought that the whole thing was a manifestation of stress caused by his training, his family, and his paranoia and encounters with the Brotherhood of Life. In that moment, he almost did say something, but reality snapped him out of making a potentially bad decision.
"Alright, you kids going to Kindle, we're ready to take off!" a middle-aged pilot called out on the intercom.
"That's me." Heather seemed defeated by this call. She wanted answers, but now, there was an excuse not to give them and Cody guessed that she wouldn't want to talk about something so personal over the phone. "I better go."
"Right. Call me tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah, will do." She hugged him tightly once more before leaving him there, lining up with the rest of the passengers. All the while, Cody thought a little bit more about how he was feeling.
Sometime apart will do me some good. I can focus on training, even if it's not on the road. Maybe I should meet some new girls back home. Laurence could help with that. Just gotta remind him I'm not playing the field.
He looked over at Antonia, who was resting her head on his shoulder again, barely awake. "Of course, I already have a beautiful woman in my life, and I know you're not willing to share." Sometimes, the Skarmory would get insanely jealous whenever Cody paid attention to her fellow teammates. Between her, Elesa, and the Eevee, he didn't have time for another woman. Maybe it was best that way for the time being, but it didn't make him want Heather any less.
"You really saved me from making a big mistake though, I'll give you that." He tilted his head and gave his armored angel a kiss on the side of her beak. But after his lips moved away, she perked up, and that rare look of fear emerged in her yellow eyes. Bastion suddenly jolted awake as well, his fluffy ears twitching. The Eevee didn't wake up, but a shiver ran through her body.
Sudden agitation for no reason? I know what's coming. Strangely enough, Colossal didn't move at all. Once a scaredy-cat as a Larvitar, he no longer expressed much fear in his now stoic disposition.
Where are you, Stella? Even over the strong stench of airplane fuel, he could smell the pipe smoke. He could hear her walking, each step patient and slow. A few steps to his right, she sat down, cross-legged. Despite her sense of fear, Antonia moved into a defensive position, ready to protect her trainer from something that she perceived as foreign.
"Easy now," he chided, petting the bird's leg. Slowly, she sat back down, though this time, she sat between her trainer and the intruder, eyeing the woman warily. Cody finally got a clear look at her. The old, one-eyed, shawled, fortune teller looked even older than he remembered. But now, since he knew the truth about, thanks to Darkrai's memories, he looked at her differently. He felt a new sense of pity that had replaced the original feelings of disgust and fear that he had had for her in the past.
She remained silent, smoking her pipe. Was she waiting for him to speak first? He decided to go ahead and try.
"I'm surprised you're here," he commented. "You've never shown up when my friends could have seen you before." Heather had already boarded the little plane, but if she was on the left side, all it would take was for her to look out the window and see that Madame Stella did exist, despite her belief that Cody had imagined her. The next time he talked to him over the phone, however, she never made mention of the gypsy, leading him to assume that she had seen nothing.
"It matters little," she admitted, her voice cracking in rasp. "She knows that something troubles you, child. And while I have urged you to keep your friends out of your problems, nothing will change, whether she knows or not. Still… it is good that you have somebody like her. Somebody that you feel very deeply for. With you, I can see that it's more than just a friendship."
"Yeah, I know. And she knows. But I chose not to take that chance. Maybe I should have, but it's too late. Besides…" He patted his Wartortle's head, rubbing the tips of his fingers up the pokémon's fluffy ears. "I have more than just her." He wanted to change the subject, since there were more important things to discuss. "Is he coming tonight? Is that why you're here?"
"No." No explanation. Her answer was simple and concise; a rarity for her. "He is preoccupied with another."
"Oh… But you didn't show up the last time though… why?"
"I thought you would find that to be a relief, considering that I disgust you."
Her words stung. He would have considered her absence to be a blessing until he witnessed the torture she endured for over half a century. But he didn't know what to even say to her. Despite the terror that Darkrai inspired, he had yet to experience the amount of pain in him that she had been forced to bear.
"So why are you here tonight then?" he questioned, still digging for answers.
"We stand at a fork in the road. It may be some time before I see you again." There was a brief moment of silence, but before she could be asked what she meant, she continued. "As you know by now, you and I are not alone. There are others like us. Others who the Dark One plagues… unfortunately, I cannot be in many places at once." She stared at him, her stare colder than the winters that he used to endure when he spent the evenings outdoors with Antonia. "Things will get worse. That, I can guarantee. However, there is nothing more I can tell you for now. You will face him alone. It is through your strength that you may prevail."
"Wait… I have to face him alone?" He wasn't going to ask for her help, but he was confused. Creepy and strange as she was, Stella had always been there for him, sometimes providing insight through her vague messages about what was going on.
"There is one like you that both I and the Dark One have recently discovered who could be a suitable candidate," she continued to explain, her voice rasping between inhales of her pipe. "However, this individual's mind is wild and shattered. Could be very dangerous. That is where I need to be. Not here."
"I see…" Cody grimaced at the thought. He had forgotten that there were other potential vessels that Darkrai was searching for. That reminder raised a sense of hopelessness in his heart. Was resisting Darkrai futile if he could just find another vessel? Even if the pokémon had been doing this unsuccessfully for centuries, he had plenty of future opportunities to accomplish his goals. "What's even the point then?" He didn't have to explain what he meant, as Stella understood. She had probably been asked this question by others who she found in the past.
"Child, each day we resist, we buy humanity a little more time. Eventually, Darkrai will run out of pieces of his soul. It may be a millennia before that happens, but-"
"But can we really keep doing this? Eventually, he'll…" He was too tired to argue with her about a subject that she knew better. The optimism that he had held and that belief that he could overcome Darkrai... All of that hope was draining. The presence of the dark figure had been unbearable for the past year. How could he keep his sanity if Darkrai eventually drove all those he touched to madness?
"He showed me something the last time he came to me," Cody began, his tone filled with lament. "He showed me what he did to you. How he consumed you and took everything you loved away from you. Up until then, I had no idea. I thought you were some crazy hag and I thought of you as if you were a monster. I was wrong. I'm… It's hard for me to say, but I'm sorr-"
"I do not need your pity, Cody Storm," she interrupted, both coldly and bitterly. "I have lived with the pain for so long. Not a day goes by that he doesn't torment me, both through his ways and the reminders of what he has taken from me."
"It wasn't pity," Cody assured, though he did pity her somewhat. "It's that… nobody should have to go through that. But here you are, trying to save the world from a monster that nobody believes exists..." His expression reflected his hopelessness now. The more he thought about Darkrai and his promises, the more he felt that he was living on borrowed time. Sooner or later, no matter what he did, the Dark One would catch up with him. It only took Darkrai a few years to break Stella, after all. "He said that you were strong. If you were torn apart by him, what chance do I have?"
"You…" For a moment, she said nothing. Maybe she didn't know the answer to that either. But when she spoke again, it was with shaky conviction. "You have an advantage that I lacked. He never showed me what would happen if I disobeyed. You though, you have seen what may come. You can prepare yourself. You are also younger than I was. You still have that hope; that optimism that you can triumph… maybe you can."
"… and you believe that?" he asked. After all those times she had berated him, he did not expect that she would speak like this to him.
"Yes." She sounded sure of herself this time. "I do not wish to give you false hope. But despite what I've said to you in the past, you have those who care about you, both human..." She reached out a hand to touch Antonia. Much to Cody's surprise, the Skarmory didn't snap at her, but out of fear, she shuddered and accepted her touch. "And not." She stared at him again, her one eye intensifying in its gaze. "You are also strong. Perhaps you are brash and careless at times. Perhaps you can be taken by arrogance and selfishness. But you are strong. I can see it in your conviction as a trainer. In how you care for those close to you. In how you raise your pokémon. It's reflected in each of them."
"Reflected…" He looked down at the sleeping Eevee in his lap. Maybe Stella was right about this too. The Eevee had made quite the recovery since he started raising her. Her fur looked healthier, she had grown less docile, her strength had increased. The doctors said that in a month, she could even be ready to battle again, assuming that she wanted to. Was all that progress a reflection of him?
That's a good starting point for a nickname though. But something else was bothering him. "I don't feel strong… You have more faith in me than I do. I don't feel like I'll be able to disobey him forever. He scares me. He really does."
The old woman stood up, walked in front of him, and sat down again, her face still stern, though there was a certain softness about it now. Was that sympathy he saw in her expression? No, it was empathy.
"Everybody fears something. Your fear of Darkrai is not misplaced. He is dangerous. He has driven many to despair, madness, and death, all because he believes that the universe is perverse. But fear does not mean we can't be courageous." She held out her hand. "Your palm," she ordered.
This again… Fortune telling brought back sour memories. If he hadn't been wandering the streets of Kindle City that day, he would have never run into her and Darkrai would have never found him… unless he ran into somebody else who was marked at a later date… was it inevitable? Was he lucky that he ran into this woman who had so much experience with this demon? Or was it fate? Whatever the case, he was now grateful that their paths had crossed.
Reluctantly, he offered her his palm. She took it in one, icy hand and with the other, she traced the lines on his hand with her long, boney, index finger, her eyes half-closed as she concentrated. A minute later, she began to speak.
"You will grow so much. Experience will age you; give you wisdom, but also pain. There will be pain. You will experience anger, hatred, betrayal, loss. Some, you will lose from no fault of your own. Others will leave you from your decisions. It will hurt you, and you will be a source of pain to others. And the Dark One will plague your dreams. His aggression will increase in his attempts to break you…"
He sighed, defeated. He wasn't sure if what she said was true. Other than the Darkrai segment of her prediction, everything she said was vague. But she continued.
"But you will grow. Your talents will carry you through your pain. You'll still have happiness to match the pain, hope to match the despair, and will to match every moment that you wish to end it all. I also…" She breathed deeply. "It's in a haze, but in the near future, I see what looks to be three women. Three that you will love in different ways for different reasons… there is pain there too, here and there. But they will make you stronger. Much like how she has made you stronger in a physical sense," Stella clarified, nodding towards Antonia, "they will make you strong in other ways. Beyond that, all I see is fog…" She opened her eye fully, staring at him once more. "But when the time comes and the Dark One beckons for you, you will have the capacity to deny him."
The capacity? That's not a sure thing though. But everything she said: pain, happiness, three women… it left him with more questions that he knew she couldn't answer. He had one that she might have the answer to. "That last part about denying Darkrai; you saw that in my future?"
"No," she admitted, patting his palm lightly, "I saw that in you yourself." She stood up. "I may not see you again for some time. Remember what I have said and who you are." As she stood there, all of his pokémon began shaking again… all except Colossal. The Pupitar turned to face Stella, looking calmly into her eyes. Could he not sense the "offness" in her like the others? Or was he simply unafraid, as he had become after evolving? But what happened next threw Cody for a loop. Madame Stella reached out and touched the pupa's forehead. Her touch did not cause him to shudder, though he let out a low hum. The strangest part of it all: for the first time ever, he saw Stella smile. It was a small, quiet smile, but a smile nonetheless.
"I like this one," she said softly. "Keep an eye on him." Without looking back, she walked slowly into the distance, disappearing in the darkness.
"What was that all about?" Cody asked, though nobody would or could tell him. He looked over at Heather's plane which had yet to take off still. Still here… He'd have a lot of time to think tonight. The future was unclear, unwritten, and incredibly vague. Was Stella's fortune true, or was it just gibberish? Would he be able to endure the oncoming mental onslaught? Who were these three women? He ran through a mental list of women he knew: Heather, Angie, his mother… those were the only three that came to mind. He tried to remember the names and faces of the girls he met on his travels, but nobody stood out.
Something did bring him peace though; Stella said nothing that seemed to relate to the Brotherhood. Maybe they were in the past now? He could only hope. Hopefully, his dinner with Father Ezekiel would be the last he'd ever see of them.
Still, he had his goal. He knew he could take Skitrex by storm. Training had made him strong, like Stella had said. It made him focused, responsible, disciplined. And through it all, he had met seven new friends: the Eevee, a sweetheart who had been given a second chance. Cortez, the Lampent who was a trouble maker, but still had a good heart, despite his ghostly origins. Elesa, the Zebstrika who was a softy on the inside but dangerous on the battlefield. Antonia, a Skarmory with a hot temper, but a bond with him that had been forged by fire and ice. Colossal, the Pupitar who had matured from a scared little Larvitar, now a stoic ass-kicker. Mars, the fiery Diglett who thought he was largest pokémon on earth. And finally, Bastion, the Wartortle; his first pokémon who had a natural sense for battle and was fiercely loyal through thick and thin. When he first met the turtle as a Squirtle, he was small and mischievous. As he grew, he became calmer and quieter, but his loyalty and love remained the same.
"I love you guys…" None of them responded, save Bastion, who looked up at his trainer. Cody patted the back of his shell and smiled. Among all his friends and family, he found it strange that he trusted this Wartortle the most. Every person he knew, no matter how much he trusted and loved them, had an agenda. Bastion did too, but it was simple: grow stronger with Cody; his trainer, his friend, has platonic life partner. That partnership would probably encompass all of Cody's life as well, he believed. Some turtles could live for up to two centuries and the Squirtle line was no exception. The way he saw it, while many of his pokémon would inevitably die before him, Bastion would probably be by his side for the long-haul.
"Promise me that you'll be by my side no matter what," Cody implored softly.
Bastion did not understand this as his human did. Despite his understanding of Cody's intentions in battle, his mind was too simple to understand his trainer's more complex utterances. But what he did know was that Cody was everything to him. He was so young when he met his trainer that he could barely remember life without him. But that didn't matter. His trainer was his past, present, and future. And while he didn't know where he was going and what opponent he would face next, he had one goal: become the best. And without Cody, that dream didn't make any sense to him.
Cody saw his pokémon's eyes. He knew Bastion didn't understand what he meant, but in his mind, the pokémon got the gist of it. He hugged him with his left arm and they watched as Heather's plane turned into the runway, ready to take off. Suddenly, as he let his hand run up and down the back of the Wartortle's shell, the hours to come that he expected he'd be alone with his thoughts during didn't seem so solitary.
Hey readers, you want to do me a favor? See if there are any communities that would be willing to accept this story (the more popular the community, the better, but anything is appreciated). I've submitted this story for a few, but I've only made it into two thus far. Thanks for any help and thanks for the follows and reviews thus far.