I awoke in a foul mood. Sobble was curled to my side in a small ball, the other one, Scornbunny, down in a tangled mess by my legs. It was teething by using my foot, chewing softly in its sleep. "Gross," I mumbled, slobber soaking my toes. Maneuvering my foot free I lay back down to glare at my ceiling. This would be my life, I realize.
It didn't help that I was grouchy from lack of sleep. These two were snuggle bugs, pressing so close that I woke up in the middle of the night in a panic because I couldn't breathe! (The Sobble had laid across on my face then rolled onto my throat) I'm not kidding, I almost died.
After a few minutes, there is a knock on my door and my Mum appears from the shadows of the hallway. "You awake Byla?"
"Unfortunately."
"Today is the big day."
"Unfortunately," I repeat with a grimace
With a fold of her arms my Mum clicks her tongue, "You know dear, you could have said no to the Gym challenge yesterday." she reminded me, her way of telling me that I can't be gloomy over something that I agreed too.
"I was forced." I proclaim dramatically
"No one did that." she disagreed, "You are just a crowd-pleaser. Or- correction. A Hop Pleaser."
Curses.
I wag my finger as if to scold her, "A Mother shouldn't point out their only child's very obvious personality flaws. You'll give me a complex."
"You'll do that on your own. Honestly sweetie, Hop has you wrapped around his pinky." She chided, clearly amused. "He would understand if you told him no. He wouldn't be upset with you."
I would be upset with me.
"But did you see the way he looked at me?" I roll onto my side, distraught. "He was so excited for me to be his rival and do this with him. It's been his dream for years now."
"His dream doesn't have to be your dream." She moved closer, sitting on the side of my bed to pat my head. "As your Mother, I don't want you dragged into something you really don't want to do. But, I also think there is no harm in at least trying the gym challenge. You've seen it on Tv every year. Their challenges are so fun and exciting. Even if you don't like the pokemon battle part, you might enjoy the challenges."
Well, I suppose that was true. Those can be really cool. One year, the water gym leader changed her entire gym to look like a big swimming pool. The trainers had to water ski the terrain while tossing balls into rings. That was kind of cool. I wouldn't mind doing something like that I suppose.
"...I guess." I purse my lips, struggling to hold back a smile when my Mum gives me a long look.
"Could be funnnnn~" she cooed.
A tad more enticed I sigh, "Okay, Okay. I'll stop complaining and give it a try." At least, I'll stop outwardly complaining about this whole thing.
"Excellent!" she praised, leaping to her feet. "Now hurry into the kitchen and have some breakfast~"
Watching her leave I sat up to blink blearily out my window. I wondered how long it would be until I slept in this room again. Once the journey begins I'll be out in the wilderness or hotels, far away from home. I never slept well at other people's houses.
That feels like a universal thing- You can't sleep well unless it's in your own bed. I've never slept well when we went on vacation or at sleepovers.
The only exception being when I slept over at Hop's house, because I am there enough that it is practically a second home.
Lifting my feet over the edge of the bed the movement seemed to stir my two new pokemon.
I had failed in my attempts to hand Scornbunny over to Leon yesterday. He had retired early so it wasn't exactly for lack of trying honestly. By the time I realized he was gone he was already in the house and asleep, dead to the world.
I wasn't willing to disturb him. That man needed all the rest he could manage to get his mitts on with how overworked he was.
But don't worry, I tell this to myself with feigned confidence.
I still had today to try and give Carn to him. He was meeting us down by the poke-lab down the road to get our poke-dex's.
That would be my best opportunity.
"Up and at 'em, you two." I yawn, stretching my arms over my head. Changing out of my pajamas I slide into my clothes for the day. Adding a light jacket since it felt a little chilly outside so early in the morning I nod.
"There." I adjusted my hat, a gift from Leon last year for my birthday. He was very surprised I grew to love it so much, wearing it nearly every day.
I was surprised myself, considering…. Well, we don't need to talk about that. The bottom line was that Leon and I have a complicated relationship. I respected the man, adored him maybe as Hop did… but also felt spiteful towards him, even when I tried not to.
Like I said, complicated.
"Byla!" My Mum calls, "You don't want to keep Leon waiting~!"
Grabbing my bag, struggling to heave it onto my shoulders, I rush into the kitchen. Scornbunny and Sobble stumble after me, rubbing their sleepy eyes.
Popping a squat at the table I greedily munch down the pancakes on my plate. This would be the last time I get a home-cooked meal for a while too.
Yeah, this was just bringing my mood down with each new realization. No bed. No food made by Mum. No warm house and soft couch…
No more Mum…
"Cheer up, pumpkin." Speaking of her, she seemed to sense my distress and reached over to clean my chin. "This will be an adventure."
"The chances of me dying on this adventure are around 80%." I inform her.
She pursed her lips coyly, "Get your head out of the clouds and it might drop to 50%."
"A 50/50 chance of death," I nod, "That makes me feel so much better."
"Dropping the sass might help your chances too." raising an eyebrow at me she dropped a few pieces of bacon on my plate. I couldn't help but notice she seemed to go all out for this breakfast. Pancakes, toast, sausage, and eggs. Bacon even!
"Thank you~" I ate the first piece with a happy mewl. The pokemon ate below us, each having their own bowls of grub. Scarfing their bowl down at a lightning speed Scornbunny turned to me for seconds.
It gave a longing stare at my last piece of bacon.
"No." I say. It nudged me with it's paw, pointing to its mouth demandingly.
"No." I frown, holding my bacon away. Carn gave a huff, cheeks puffing out in anger that I denied it what it wanted. I shake my head and ignore the little menace.
Cute or not, it had no manners.
And then...
Feeling a sharp pain against my ankle, I wind back with a yell. "OW!" The accursed scornbunny bit me! AGAIN!
The rage within me overflowed. I thought it had boiled down but no, it was secretly festering within me, just needing a match to ignite it.
And boy did Carn try real hard to be that match.
"That's it!" I slam it's pokeball down on the table, pissed and tired. First the journey, then the gym challenges, and now this bunny. My life was turning into a flipping nightmare and I wasn't having it.
"You are staying here!"
Carn's ears twitched in surprise, stepping back when I pushed out of my chair. Snagging my bag I toss it on my back with plans to leave right out the front door. "Tell Leon he can have it! Or better yet, just release it back into the wild…!"
Because people did that, you know. It was okay to release them back. Scornbunny would be way better off in the wild anyway! There they could fight and bite things as much as it wanted. Join some gang of other biting scornbunny and terrorize the ankles of the region.
"Oh, honey.' My Mum called back, hoping to convince me otherwise.
"Nope!" I push through the door Umi scampering after me. It scaled the fence, hopping from post to post to keep up with my pace, happy when I finally stopped for it. Lowering my arm for Umi, it clambered up my hand to my forearm, slowly making its way to my shoulder.
Adjusting my heavy bag, a bag I never wanted to inherit, I walk down the path I didn't want to leave.
You know, just a thought here, I could totally just ditch out now. Nobody would be the wiser. I could just get on the latest ship and sail off to some other region. Chill out in a hotel there, treat it like a vacation. Eventually, wander back after a few months and say some elaborate epic tale that I never went on.
Get a job or something.
Elope with Hop.
...That idea sounds the most logical, clearly. We could change our names to Bently and Hon.
Feeling this plan was rock solid, I spied the top Hop's house coming into view. Ready to round the corner I took a small pause, hearing something odd behind me. I turn and couldn't believe what I saw.
It was Scornbunny. Small yet bursting with violent energy it was chasing after me. Must have followed me out.
"What..." I struggled to comprehend this for a moment, blinking rapidly.
Seriously, what exactly did this fuzzy little biter want from me?
"Go back." I pointed to my house. It ignored my order. "Carn." I say sternly, waving my finger, "I'm not taking you. Not when you keep doing this!"
Carn screeched and called angrily back at me, but this time, I ignored it's call. I took a few more steps, glancing back to see how it would react.
As expected, it didn't give up. In fact, it was carrying it's own pokeball in it's paws. It seemed insistent to try and keep up with me.
Did it like me or hate me, honestly. You don't work this hard to stay with someone you dislike.
"Nope! I'm not traveling with a pokemon that keeps biting me…!"
The Scornbunny smacks it's feet on the ground while Sobble watched it curiously from my shoulder. Almost amused at the show it was being graced with.
Then, oh then, because this wasn't bad enough, the bunny began to wail like some three year old unable to get what they wanted in the grocery store. You've seen them around I'm sure. Red faced, entitled, smacking their heads on the concrete just to get some cheap plastic toy of sorts.
Heavy, fat tears fell from it's cheeks, mouth wide and sobbing as it stumbled after me.
"Are you serious?" I demand. This whole set up was suddenly, and very alarmingly making me feel like some sort of bad guy! Which wasn't fair in the slightest!
I took a few more big steps and waited, expecting it to give up. But Carn was relentless. It trailed behind me through it's bleary gaze, holding it's pokeball towards me.
For the first time since I met them, Carn looked so small. Ears flopped to the side, little legs moving twice the speed of my own to keep up.
For such an aggressive little annoyance… it sure didn't want to be left behind.
The tears alone were hard to ignore, my own self issues smacking me hard in the face. As much as I hated to think about it, I could see myself in Carn and it's tears.
I didn't want the Scornbunny to think I was… abandoning it or something.
"Oh the poor dear." a neighbor of mine had stepped out to see what all the fuss was about, giving a soft a pitying look to Carn. Seeing a few of my other neighbors staring at me I whip around and scoop Carn up before they can get it in their heads that I was the cause of this tantrum.
Even if I kind of was...
"Alright come on, stop crying... please?," I mumbled, rocking it awkwardly to see if that would get it to stop. It's weeps dejectedly into my shoulder, trying it's best to hand me it's pokeball.
It was hard to bare with. I felt my own bitter heart crying out.
My finger's grazed the pokeball, it's eyes momentarily looking at me with hope.
Ahh geez. Now that wasn't fair….
If that didn't make it bad enough Sobble, apparently a sentimental crier, started quivering it's lower lip. The tears followed quickly after.
I felt like a single parent trying to raise two infants alone!
"I'm not ready for parenthood..." I grieve, my voice cracking the longer I peer into Scornbunny's teary soul. Oh great, now I'm crying too.
After a few more seconds, taking a break against the wall to just compose ourselves, I sigh. "Okay. Okay okay.' I say, adjusting Carn to take its pokeball. "Fine." I slipped it into my pocket to show it I was serious. It's tears stopped, taking wobbly breaths to stare at me. It hiccuped a few times, my hand finding it's back to pat it assuringly.
"It's okay." I continue. Using it's small paws it rubbed at its face to clear away the tears. "You'll come with. But I have rules. Number one, you can't bite me anymore. You can't bite anyone." I stress this part.
Carn gives a few small nods of understanding.
"Good" I huff, "Then… I guess we're a team now." I look between the two. "Byla, Umi and Carn. Off to face the world." I look out from the road, peering out to the distant mountains and terrain. The world was my oyster, or however that saying goes. My unwavering, unopened oyster.
Time to face it and hopefully not die!
Geez I really hope I don't die.
That would really suck. And if I did, it would probably take weeks before my Mum even get the slightest idea something was up! They might never find my body…
For all I know Carn might eat me. I feel like I shouldn't put that past them.
"Rule two," I say seriously, "You can't eat me."
Carn blinked once, considering the rule, before nodding in agreement. Note how it had to consider it.
"Alright." I pat my face, scrubbing my eyes like a mad man to rid any evidence that my cry feast had even occurred. "Game faces, you two. Don't let the world see you cry!" even if my entire neighborhood just witnessed me break down like a blubbering baby, we're going to pretend I didn't!
Smearing their faces into my shirt, which was disgusting but whatever, Carn and Umi gave little howls of determination.
"HERE WE GO!" I run around the corner, make it ten steps, and then stopping to catch my breath. I was already winded? Good gosh, I was out of shape. I was going to die out there.
Even Carn and Umi, with their quietly judging looks, knew I was going to die. No stamina, no muscle mass, little to no intelligence. I don't even know how to put up a tent! I. Was. Going. To. Die.
"Hey!" my shining beacon of hope, wonderful Hop, was the only plus to this whole thing. And honestly, probably my only means of survival. Since he excelled where I lacked, in every way, shape, and form.
"Byla!" he slid to a stop in front of me. "Morning!" he paused, his expression morphing to worry, "Oh hey, are you three alright?" He reached out, his finger gently caressing the side of my cheek. "Your eyes are all puffy." he notes, realizing we had been crying.
Ah, dang it.
I could tell a lie. Say I got allergies. Got something in my eye. Carn chucked dirt at my face! Anything better than the truth that I was susceptible to breaking down when my pokemon started crying.
"Oh." I glance away, sheepish. "I tried to leave Carn at home. Carn cried. Then Umi cried. Then I cried. Now we are all going together."
...Or I just blab out the truth because I physically cannot lie to Hop. It's practically a condition. I'll call it: Coronary Hop Disease.
"So you are keeping Carn?" Hop smiles like he already knew I was going to decide this in the end.
"Yeah. Against my better judgment, Carn is coming along." I poke Carn's nose, who wiggles it in response to the odd feeling. "I hope things go well."
"They'll go well." he sounds confident. "You're Byla, after all. You never let things like this get you down for too long." Hop pushes a stray hair out of my eyes, his thumb lingering upon my temple. Still emotional, threatening to fall against the urge to cry once more, I press my forehead to the side of his wrist. Like there was anything subtle about that.
"You sleep well?" I mumbled
"Hardly a wink." he admits, "I kept thinking about today."
"Same." I nod, though I get the feeling we were thinking different emotions about this journey as a whole. Mine is much less exciting than his…
Hop bounced with a smile, "You ready to-" whatever he was about to say was cut off with an abrupt crashing noise. Our heads snapped towards the direction of the noise, eyeing the path up to my house.
Of course, it was coming from my house.
"What was that?" Hop asked, bewildered.
"Sounded like a collapsing fence," I say.
Hop side glances at me, "That was an oddly specific answer."
"I know my way around a few fences. Collapsed a few in my day." I brush my knuckles on my shirt proudly.
"Well let's make sure." Tugging on my wrist the two of us shot back the way I came. Stopping at the front steps of my home we look down at the remains of tossed around wood.
"Called it, collapsed fence." I point to the evidence that had been torn and left behind. Hop stepped around it with a worried look.
"But why-" he trailed off, recalling the Wooloo from yesterday. "Don't tell me that Wooloo had been tackling the fence all night?"
"Enough force and patience could get the trick done." I nod knowingly, peaking through the fence and towards the slumbering weald. In my whole rush to get away from Carn I must have not noticed it in passing. Now it was gone, into the unknown.
"...We're going in there, aren't we?" Hop asked in a quiet voice.
"Of course we are." I adjust my bag.
"We probably aren't allowed to."
"It's my own backyard." I scoff, "I can go into it whenever I please and I do anyway."
After all, the wild area was filled with high level and wild pokemon, as the name implies, but you don't see anyone banning trainers from going in there, now do you? But like, seriously, why don't they ban trainers from going in there? I've gone onto discovery channel and I've seen how aggressive those Beware's are. Walk behind a tree and BAAM! They got you knocked out cold!
Or even worse.
It hugs you.
Fact of the day!: Beware's are known to kill AT LEAST 30 people a year from spine breaking hugs. HUGS! Not even affection is safe when it comes to them!
I hear the death count is even worse in the Alola region.
Really the Slumbering Weald wasn't that bad in comparison. Deeper you go, sure, there are higher-level pokemon, but nothing terrifying. Nothing like Beware's...
"Byla, are you okay? You look pale." Hop taps my shoulder.
"Do you think Beware's are terrifying?" I ask in a small voice.
Hop's eyes widen and he nods wildly, "Oh yeah, of course. I mean, their name is literally a warning." he glanced at the woods, "You don't think any of those are in here, do you?"
"No no," I shake my head, "If they were I would be turning right around and crying for my Mum." At least... I hope none were in here? I've never gone that deep to ever fully find out. It wasn't the most dangerous place, but it was one you could get lost in easily.
Oh, and there's foggy.
Of course, that could be a danger if you weren't paying attention.
But I am an agile cat. A master of multitasking. A guru of walking and monologuing. The Ultimate-!
Bested by a small pebble, I trip right into the closest tree. Hop barely managed to snag my arm and pull my upright, staring at me quizzically.
"...I'm fine." I pursed my lips.
"You sure?"
I frown, "Yes." I take another couple of steps, Hop taking a few seconds before following me. "Have you ever been here before?" I ask him
"Never," he replies a little too quickly. I glanced at him, watching his eyes roam the terrain rapidly.
"I've been in here a lot."
He looks concerned, "Why?"
I shrug, "I don't know. Like I said, it's basically my backyard. And you know my Mom's work schedule, She was gone some days until dinner time. And if you weren't around for me to hang out with, I came back here. I've never gone too far in though. Kept to the border of the forest so I wouldn't get lost."
"They say this place is out of bounds." he points out, basically saying what we were doing was illegal.
"Rebels." I make a peace sign with my fingers.
"Criminals." he does a sign back
"Delinquents." I make some obscure sign I was positive didn't have an actual meaning.
"Lawbreakers!"
"Dumb teens who definitely won't get lost!"
"DUMB TEENS WHO DEFINITELY WON'T GET LOST!" Hop echoed loudly. As if saying it a few times might ensure this statement to be a fact.
It was kind of strange how I wasn't against this little detour. Yet I was so against a pokemon journey in general.
Maybe it was because Hop was here, or because this forest was something I was more familiar with. Or it was something that most people didn't want me to do.
Hard to say.
I decided to leave Umi and Carn out just in case anything decided to jump us. Not that I was expecting anything too, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Umi was nice and docile, sticking to my shoulder. Well, more like holding on for dear life. The slightest noise had it's back arched like a cat on edge, big eyes scanning the area.
It was quick to panic, anxious and reserved. Yet very soft and loving when it felt it was in a safe space.
Carn, on the other hand, was an over-excited toddler at my feet, squealing and running in wild circles. It scanned the area similar to Umi, but not out of fear. Carn was hunting, tracking its next victim.
I was hoping to avoid some of the pokemon here in the woods but Carn made that downright impossible, charging at anything that so much as moved.
It was a fearless pokemon.
Well, no, that was a lie.
Sometimes a snapping stick or sudden noise seemed to remind Carn of it's young age and it would come running back to me, clinging to my legs.
Once it had calmed down it would run back ahead to fight off whatever was there.
A very high strung, if not cute, baby…
"Where do you think that Wooloo got off to?" Hop huffed, scanning the area, "This Fog is really coming in thick now." He frowned, "This could be bad if we don't find it soon."
"Yeah." I take a few steps, recognizing the area with the man-made path before us.
Taking a few cautious steps forward Hop looked back at me. "You said you know the area, right?"
I offer my arm, "We can stick close together." I suggest. It was partially a tease yet Hop took my arm without complaint. I tensed slightly, back straightening like I was suddenly on guard duty.
I scanned the area for even the slightest chance of danger.
"Carn." I say, "Stay sharp.' It was surprised I was so determined with this.
Of course I was. My Hop was relying on me to keep him safe and by the stars above, I would die before even a single hair on his precious head was even touched!
Walking together at a slow pace we inched through the forest. Hop pressed closer to me, never liking the dark. It was early in the morning but these thick trees blocked out a good amount of the sunlight.
"Still recognize this place?' Hop mumbled.
"Yup," I say. Hop didn't seem to realize just how often I wandered back here. Of course, I've never really felt the need to go back this far, but we were still on the path. I mean, come on, it was man-made. If we get a little nervous all we have to do is turn back.
Yet, as if the Forest was trying to make a fool of me for even trying to act confident in this situation, it decided to make my life a tad harder.
The fog was getting thicker, making it tricky to even see the path before us. I slowed our pace, feeling a sense of unease. The fog had never been this bad in all my visits back here.
"This is mad." Hop mumbled, "I can't even see my own hand in front of my own face…!" He leaned closer, "I can hardly see you!" our noses bumped when he leaned a little closer. "Oh!" he quickly leaned away, "Sorry.." he says sheepishly.
'...It's fine." I squeak. Thank goodness for this fog because I was looking very tomato like right now. Thank you fog~
"I think I can see why this place is off-limits. Byla, do you still know where we are?"
"Uh…" It was hard to tell, but honestly, I didn't even care. I had Hop in my arms~ Self-preservation gets tossed to the wind when he is here.
'Should we head back? But we can't without that Wooloo." Hop debates to himself, unsure.
Finding our eyes locking Hop gave a little frown, "Byla-" whatever he was about to say was cut off as a beast sauntered towards us. It was so sudden, almost even comedic at how it just appeared. Like it was just taking a stroll and spotted us, walking over to say a friendly hello. Or snag a quick snack.
It held no threatening presence to us but it sure was big. Leaping back Hop and I gawk at the beast. It was a pokemon, clearly, but none that I had ever seen before.
"What is that?" Hop whispered to my ear.
"I don't know." I shake my head. I lurch forward to snag Carn by the ears before it can blindly leap at the pokemon for a fight.
Stumbling back we pressed against a towering rock behind us. The Pokémon in front of us stared us down, tilting its head at Hop then locking eyes with me.
It felt odd…
I was positive this was the first time I had ever seen this pokemon before, yet it felt familiar all the same.
"We have to get around it." Hop whispered to me in warning, his eyes never breaking from the pokemon in front of us.
I gave a slow nod of agreement, "Then... we have to make a path."
Stepping closer, despite Hop giving a hissed warning not to do so, I lowered scornbunny down to the ground. Carn eagerly leaped into battle position as Umi nuzzled into my shoulder. It must have sensed it was no match.
Unlike Carn, who held no sense of fear or caution in its entire body.
"Okay uh-" It didn't seem threatening to us. Just stared. Like staring into my very soul. Maybe we could just leave in peace instead of battling? If we just headed back the way we came-
"Carn-!" I yelled when the scornbunny leaped into action, spitting out it's fire attack of embers. Yet, what happened next was just as confusing. The ember flew right through the mysterious pokemon, hitting a tree behind it.
"What?" Hop gawked, "It had no effect?"
More like it missed entirely.
Carn attempted another move, but it just fazed right through. Like the pokemon wasn't even really there to begin with. Like a ghost…
Oh geez, maybe this was a ghost type? Only certain types worked on ghost types, right? But this thing doesn't even remotely seem like a ghost type? Well, look at me now regretting my past self and how I completely spaced out during the Ghost Pokemon seminar in school. I mean honestly, out of all the things you learn in school, it's probably the crap you don't pay attention to that you'll need later in life. For example, how is finding the area of a parallelogram going to help me in this one? (but legit, bragging here, you need help with shapes, I'm the person to go to. I got you covered.)
"What is this thing?" Hop shook his head, the fog getting worse around us with each attack.
"I don't know." I say. I'll call it Fluffsy right now and maybe it'll stick. "We should get out of here."
"Right." Hop turned and gave a tug on my hand.
Our fingers slipped through each other's like air between rocks. He took two steps without me, turned back in surprise, and then his form seemed to just fad into the fog. Everything just seemed to go white. I couldn't see anyone.
Even Hop, who was just a few steps ahead of me, seemed to have vanished. Carn was gone, Umi absent from my shoulder. "Carn? Umi!" I cup my hands around my mouth to call them. No response.
Taking a few steps, barely even able to make out the tree lines, I wonder if I'm even moving at all.
I'm lost. Alone.
"Hop?" I called. "Hop where are you?!" There was a panic setting in.
I held my hands out to try and guide me from running into anything and the next thing I knew I felt like I was falling over.
The world went dark.
It was bizarre. I felt like I was floating in nothingness. Then, like a movie screen, a vision was in front of me. I couldn't make out any noise, but there was a person there. Standing in a space that felt similar to an altar, or even a grave...
A small lake was behind that, two tombstones standing watch over the silence. It felt familiar, in a somber sort of way.
The figure in this vision was slouched, shoulders tense as if in pain. They wore a crown and cape, standing before a large pokemon with a shield put between them. The human looked sad and- unbearably sad. It was strange... I could feel that sadness like it was my own.
Being left behind. Forced to say goodbye. I hated this feeling more than anything. It was something I felt I had to experience too often in my life.
Then, as quickly as it arrived, the pokemon was turning to leave.
I extend my hand out, "Don't go…" I pleaded. The darkness was cracking behind me, splintering the dark expanse until the vision was fading. And then a voice finally broke through.
Byla!
Hop?
He was calling to me.
All at once I was being jostled awake, Hop shaking my shoulders, "Byla!"
I was on the ground, back at the very entrance of the slumbering Weald. By some unexplainable force, we had been escorted away from the fog and back to safety. I was in the safety of Hop's arms, which held me tight.
"Are you okay, Byla?" He looked me over, fussing, "Are you hurt?"
"I-I'm fine…" I rub my sore head. Carn and Umi were on the ground beside me, sitting up just as confused as the rest of us. "What happened?" I ask.
"I don't know." Hop looks back onto the path, not too eager to head back further in. "I lost you for a moment." He swallowed, pulling me tighter against his chest. "I lost you and then when I came to, we were here."
My hands wandered up his back to return the hug, taking a moment just to breathe. We were okay. Whatever just happened it was just some crazed dream and illusion caused by that Pokemon. Perhaps even it was an illusion too.
Rushing footsteps echoed behind us, pulling us apart to prepare for whatever Pokemon was approaching us this time. Instead of a pokemon, however, we ran into the wild Champion.
"Hop! Byla!" Low and behold, Leon arrived. He barreled into Hop and me to embrace us in a bone-crunching hug. "You two had me worried sick! What in the world are you even doing here?"
"We- we were looking for a Wooloo. We came to save it." Hop stammered, flustered. "How did you know where we were, Lee? You're pants with directions!"
Which is hilarious if you think about it. Especially if you take into account that Leon's pants make... no... sense? Like, are they shorts or tights? Short tights?
"Oh, that's nice to hear." Leon frowned, "I waited for you two all morning and you never showed! Of course I would come looking for you. I saw the fence was broken down and thought there was a chance you were here." He clasped his hand on my shoulder. "You okay?"
Caught off guard I shrugged his hand away, frustrated with myself. That dream wasn't settling well with me and having Leon here just made me feel complicated. More complicated that usual, I mean.
Leon looked conflicted at my reaction and lowered his hand back to his side, "It's been hours, you two."
"It has?" Hop glanced at his watch, mouth falling open to realize it was long past the time we arrived. It had been 8 last we checked, and now it was 1 in the afternoon. "We-" he glanced at me, wondering just how long we had been lost. Or even knocked out.
I'm surprised we're relatively intact despite being unconscious and surrounded by wild pokemon for so long.
"I'm sorry, Lee." Hop's voice became small, worried his brother was mad at him. Leon couldn't seem to hold the frustration on his face for long, and it softened,
"I'm just glad you two are okay." He glanced behind him, "And you said you were looking for a Wooloo, right?" He gestured back to show his charizard keeping watch over the Wooloo in question. Perfectly fine.
It was back at the entrance, wasn't it? That little buggar didn't need any help at all! We came in here and traumatized ourselves for nothing!
"Oh good." Hop sighed in relief.
"This place is out of bounds." Leon said in a scolding tone, "But- it took courage to come in here. You did good, little brother." Leon ruffles Hop's head, getting a happy grin from his little brother. Leon paused to brush some leaves and dirt out of Hop's hair. "Were you two rolling in the dirt or something? You're a mess."
"We were attacked." Hop says, voice turning dramatic to retell the tale, "Right, Byla?"
"It was- I've never seen a pokemon like that before.' I agree. "Carn's moves seemed to just pass right through it.' I look down at my scornbunny, who's arms are folded and it's expression pouty. It seemed upset it wasn't able to battle such a strong looking opponent.
Umi gave it's side a nudge of comfort, giving a lazy smile.
"A strong pokemon?" Leon's eyes sparkled, peering into the fog curiously. Knowing it was best to get us out however he nods, "We'll discuss it more later. For now, let's get you two out of here."
"Good thinking." Hop nods.
In my exhaustion, I struggle to add any input. Instead, I focused on my pokemon
"Are you two alright?" I kneel in front of them. They both gave small nods.
Maybe they sensed my distress as they reached their little paws out and touched the sides of my face. Looking at the two I blink a few times. Carn wiggles it's nose while Umi presses a tad closer. They gauged my reaction as if quietly telling me that it was okay.
They were here.
Carn flexed its arm to show off it's muscles. A boisterous way to tell me that nothing could harm me when I had such a tough and mighty pokemon by my side.
Oddly comforting.
"C'mere you two, time to rest." Lifting Umi and Carn's pokeball I call them back. Setting them back into my pocket I follow the two brothers out of the forest.
Exiting the slumbering Weald, the roar I heard before seemed to echo in my ears. Leon and Hop seemed unaware of this, walking forward without looking back. But I did.
Something odd was in the forest. Even as I walked away I could feel its reach extending towards me. Something that was calling to me, but I didn't want to answer back.
That loneliness I felt before had been crushing, and I feared it that if I answered that call, I would have to experience that pain once more.
I shook my head, not wanting to think about it.
So I ran.
NEW STORY! SO EXCITED FOR THIS ONE~