May frowned, looking out the window at the beach just beyond the glass.
How she wanted to be out there, leaning back in the sand, taking in the suns' rays as she watched the scenery – and surfers – all things Dewford was famous for.
But, instead, she was sitting in the Pokemon Center waiting, impatiently, she might add.
Restlessly, she glanced over at the phones lined up against the wall, rolling her eyes. Cole sat the furthest one, his screen visible, but the privacy barrier blocked her view. She hoped he was talking to Ericka – but he was taking so long.
After he left her on the beachfront, she had gone and got some Ice Cream from the snack bar, walked over to the Granite Cave, but soon realized the Skitty caught in their return trip through Petalburg Woods didn't know Flash yet, making exploring the cave useless. Instead, she had wandered through the seaside town, stopping at the Gym momentarily to read the sign out front before heading over to the Pokemon Center.
That would have given Cole lots of time, right?
Apparently not – the black-haired teen was still on the phone.
Sighing, she had approached Nurse Joy, the nurse giving her a key to the room Max had gotten previously, and then figured she might as well restore her Pokemon to full health.
Half an hour past before Nurse Joy paged her back to get her team and Cole was still on the phone.
And he had the nerve to say that I talk a lot? she thought idly, stretching her arms out before her. He talks at least as much as I do . . . There was no way she was that bad.
She glanced up at the television overhead, tapping her foot against the flooring, rolling Skitty's pokeball subconsciously in her hands. Inwardly, she chided herself; she wasn't well-known for being patient, apparently.
Storing the pokeball into her side pouch again, May leaned back against the seating, staring up at the ceiling. Was Cole going to talk all day? Lifting her head, she glanced back to where Cole sat, bored.
May paused however, seeing the kiosk empty, Cole fishing through his pockets a few steps away from the side door, looking for his keycard.
"Finally," May mumbled to herself, stretching her arms overhead as she stood up. "That was the longest hour ever!"
Her green eyes glanced at Cole, having now found his keycard, sliding it through the side door leading to the rentable rooms. Grinning widely, May picked up her pace, her eyes locked on the kiosk in question as she slid onto the bench.
"Now, to see that number," May said, running her finger across the screen, brightening it up once again.
The kiosks were supposed to reset after a couple minutes of inactivity, wiping the memory of numbers previously dialed. As she touched the screen to bring up past calls, she held her breath, unsure if the number would still be there.
"Ugh, come on, you're kidding . . ."
Two numbers stared back at her.
Cole had called two separate people.
That was just her luck.
Frowning, May glanced at the two numbers, weighing her options. Eventually, she decided on the first number – Cole would call home before calling someone else, right? She nodded at her thought process as she pressed the first number. If it was her, she would call home first.
Leaning back on the bench, she waited, a Taillow flying slowly across the screen with an envelope, waiting for a connection. Then –
"You're calling me back again?" A voice said, laughing slightly. "You must seriously miss me, you should have –"
May tuned out what the girl on screen said; her short purple hair bobbing with each movement. This was Ericka? "Ericka, I want to talk to you about Cole –"
"Ericka?" The purple-haired girl paused, glancing at the screen for the first time. "Wait a second – who are you?" Her eyes narrowed as she leaned in, glaring at May. "Just who are you and what do you have to do with Cole?"
May's expression dropped. "Um . . ." Without thinking, she hit the disconnect button.
Cole had a . . . girlfriend? For some reason, she found that hard to believe.
May glanced around her surroundings, as if expecting Cole or Max to appear behind her, questioning her. Taking a deep breath, she hoped she wasn't around when Cole called that girl later. May recalled the numbers, pressing the second number.
Her head beat against her ribcage as the Taillow flew across the screen, waiting for a connection.
One . . . two . . . three . . . "Hello, Evan's Perfume Shop, Ericka speaking. How can I help you?"
Bingo, May thought, glancing at the woman on the screen. Her purple hair was held back by a hairband, framing her face, her dark eyes piercing May's. "Hi Ericka," May said, trying to smile. Ericka didn't look much older then she did, idly noting that she and Cole didn't have similar looks. "I'm actually calling about Cole –"
"Are you the girl he's traveling with?" Ericka asked, smiling mischievously. "He mentioned that he was traveling with someone after an unfortunate incident."
May laughed awkwardly at that; she had more-or-less crashed, bike and all, into him outside Littleroot Town. "You could say that," she mumbled, but shook her head. She hadn't called to talk pleasantries with Ericka. "Hey listen, I actually called to ask you something else, something Cole doesn't seem able to answer, but what's wrong with him?"
Ericka raised an eyebrow at the question, her expression unreadable.
May paused, her expression freezing as she realized what that would sound like to Ericka. "I mean . . . he seems lost? He mentioned you were his guardian, or his mentor, or something like that anyway," May shrugged. "I just feel that there's something hidden in there."
Ericka was silent for a moment, and then slowly, she nodded. Ericka sighed, closing her eyes momentarily, gathering her thoughts. May fidgeted in her seat watching the purple-haired girl think over her question.
"Cole is . . ." Subconsciously May leaned in closer, not wanting to miss a word. "He was found wandering around the Celadon Park late one night – I remember seeing him walk by my store hours prior. He just seemed lost, I couldn't leave him there."
The small bit of information whirled around through May's mind, no wonder Cole seemed so lost. "So, you're not related," May said, although the answer was already clear. "But where did he come from . . .?"
"I have no idea," Ericka replied after a long pause. "He doesn't talk about it much, but there's something hidden inside him, even though he doesn't realize it. Every once and a while he would just stare off into space, as if vaguely remembering something . . ." Ericka shook her head. "I hoped that getting out of Kanto for a while might help to clear his head."
May nodded slowly, her mind recalling a memory from when her and Cole reached the Pokemon Center in Oldale Town.
"Do you have any siblings then? I have a little brother named Max, he can be a pain though – he thinks he knows more than I do!"
"No, I don't think I have any siblings." Cole said after a pause.
"Wait, what?" May asked, the Pokemon Center's automatic doors opening up for them with a ding. "You don't think . . . I wish I could forget about Max sometimes!" Cole laughed awkwardly with her, unsure what else to say. "You're a strange one, Cole."
Shaking her head, May pulled away from Cole as she made her way to the Nurse's station, asking Joy to heal her Pokemon, and mentioning the state of her bike, now leaning up against the Center's windows. Nodding to the pink-haired nurse, May turned on her heel, noticing the far-away look on Cole's face, his mind miles away. Making her way toward him the television situated overhead came off of commercials, the news anchor commenting on something happening in Vermillion City, Kanto, that weekend.
'One-year anniversary of the sinking of the St. Anne taking place in Vermillion City today' the scrolling bar at the bottom of the screen read.
"It's sad, huh?" May commented, nodding to the screen overhead.
"Hmm?" Cole said; his thoughts a mile away.
"The Saint Anne, it's been a year since it sunk over in Kanto. It's just a news recap," she said, the television flipping back to the news anchor. "You ready to go though? It should only take us about fifteen minutes to get there. I really appreciate you coming with me," May added, smiling.
"Do you know anything about the Saint Anne?" Cole asked, the automatic doors opening for them.
"No, just that it sunk and no one knows why," May said with a shrug. "Wait, you're from Kanto, shouldn't you know all this?"
May's expression froze in place.
She saw Ericka's mouth moving on the screen, the woman saying something.
Cole was from Kanto.
Ericka said Cole was found wandering the city, lost.
What if he was lost in more ways than one?
"Ericka –" May cut in, shaking her head. "When did the St. Anne sink?"
###
Jessilina stared out at the endless sea around them.
Karol was located in the small room behind her; her hands on the wheel and a map of Nomekop pinned on the dash in front of her.
If Karol's calculations were correct; it was six hours to Vermillion City, Kanto.
She glanced down at her watch, 12:08 p.m. They had left Shamouti Islands around seven a.m. that morning, it wouldn't be much longer till Kanto would be visible to them . . .
Idly, she wondered how long it would have taken Melody to reach Kanto? Or, if Melody even had a destination in mind or had she just docked at the first port she found? She shook her head at the thought; Melody wasn't the type to plan that far ahead.
"-lina?"
Jessilina jumped out of her thoughts, hearing her name being called.
Shaking her head, she glanced up towards the cabin Karol was in, the window open. From behind her sunglasses, Jessilina rolled her eyes; she could see Karol was saying something, the words being dragged away by the wind.
"I can't hear you," Jessilina mumbled as she stood up, crossing the small distance to the cabin. "What's up Karol?" she shouted from the deck, glancing up. In her high heeled knee-high boots she wasn't even going to attempt climbing the ladder.
"We should be seeing Vermillion City soon," Karol said, glancing away to consult her map once again. "You brought your passport with you, right?"
Jessilina let out a laugh. "Of course I did – I seriously can't be without it in my profession." Last year she had to go to Nimbasa Town to report live from the fashion runway – especially with the likes of Elesa and Paris from Sinnoh being the headliners.
"I figured as much," Karol shook her head. "We'll have to get a docking permit from Officer Jenny; I'm assuming she'll need to see our passports as well."
Jessilina nodded, glancing back at the endless ocean. "Where are you going to look first?"
Karol sighed, leaning against the cabin's window, one hand still holding the wheel. "That's a good question. I think I might spend a bit of time in Vermillion, get a feel for the place. Melody's a bit of a wildcard, I'm going to have to really think like her, you know? I'm hoping that someone in town might have seen which direction she went in."
Jessilina nodded, leaning against the ladder. Hopefully no one had seen Melody head south towards Cinnabar Island. "That's a good idea; you're kind of looking for a needle in a haystack there. I think I'm going to head towards Fuchsia City, the Laramie Ranch is just outside the city."
"Maybe I'll come and watch the Pokeathlon," Karol said idly. "Who knows maybe Melody would be interested in that."
Jessilina laughed awkwardly; glad her face was hidden from view. She had no intention of going to the Laramie's, hell, she hadn't even contacted them. "Yeah, maybe I'll see you there . . ."
If what Melody told her coincided with what she had found on the computer . . .
Jessilina was sure she would disappear into the night as well.
###
Melody shook her head at the scene before her.
After their reunion in front of the Slate's property – a few tears being shed as well – the small rag-tag group had returned to the hotel room at the Pokemon Center Misty had gotten earlier.
Thankfully the lobby of the Pokemon Center had been empty when they arrived, only Nurse Joy and her Chansey behind the desk.
She saw the pink-haired nurse look up as the door dinged open, doing a double take as she noticed Brock was within the group.
And was it just her, or did she see a glimmer of recognition in her eyes?
If only the reporters could see this . . . Melody thought idly, sitting atop the small desk.
Misty sat on the bed, leaning back on her palms, biting down on her bottom lip.
Brock leaned against the wall, his thoughts miles away.
Delia sat on the desk chair, Pikachu in her lap.
Meowth was on the top bunk – Melody's – staring down at the silent group.
Misty had explained how she was found on a raft halfway to Sinnoh by a Pokemon Ranger and had spent the past year helping Pokemon in distress. The only reason she was in Kanto was because of a mission, leading her to the lighthouse belonging to Bill Adams who recognized her instantly.
Brock had said he woke up in Hutber Port, not far from Vermillion, with a veil over his memories, but he ended up working as a Chef on a cruise ship. He mentioned Lucy briefly, saying that she recognized him and helped him piece together his fragmented memories.
Melody mentioned how she had ended up in Kanto, and explaining how Jessie was in the Orange Islands – but would be in Cinnabar Island in a week's time. She briefly mentioned how she ran into Misty and how they found Pikachu and Meowth in Lavender Town.
One thing the three found ironic was that they were all in Vermillion City for the annual memorial.
Delia remained silent through most of Brock and Misty's reminiscing of where they had been the past year, throwing in an odd comment here and there. When asked about how she had been; she had kept it short, saying she had been to the Indigo Plateau to cheer for Gary and that she had mostly lived day-by-day.
But there was one question weighing on all their minds – if Brock, Misty, and Jessie had survived . . . where were Ash and James?
Delia wanted to believe that it was a sign – that Ash was still alive.
Her son was out there somewhere, his memories gone as well . . .
But did she dare to believe it?
She remembered the month after she heard the news; every time she heard the doorbell she thought (hoped) it would be Ash, Pikachu on his shoulder.
Could she get her hopes up once again?
As the silence stretched on, Melody let out a sigh, fidgeting. She rolled her eyes as she glanced at the others, each staring off into the distance. ". . . What are you all going to do now?" she ventured, stretching her arms in front of her.
"I'm goin' ta see Jessie," Meowth said from Melody's bunk, his tail hanging over the edge.
Melody nodded, having already mentioned that she was heading out to Cinnabar Island in the morning. "I figured as much, but what about you guys?"
"I'm not sure . . ." Brock said slowly, his thoughts on his family. "I haven't been home all that long, I don't know what they would say if I left again –"
"I'll go with you," Misty shook her head. "I never got along with Jessie, but . . . I want to know. I want to know if it really is her."
"I need to think it over," Delia said, her voice quiet, her eyes on Pikachu. "Brock . . . Misty . . . seeing you is more than I ever . . . I never imagined I'd be sitting in a room with you both."
Misty nodded slowly, an unreadable look appearing on Brock's features, as the orange-haired teen pushed herself up off the bed, walking over to Delia's side. "I know . . . we'll keep you informed, if that's not too much trouble –"
That'd be fine," Delia said, smiling briefly up at Misty. "I hope Ash is still . . ."
Melody watched silently as Delia's train of thought drifted off, Pikachu in her arms. She was pretty sure that Pikachu would be staying in Pallet Town with Ash's mom. "We're leaving first thing in the morning," Melody supplied, holding Misty's gaze. "Jessilina should be arriving in Kanto soon, if I know Karol, she'll be hell-bent on finding me."
"Hopefully Jessie doesn't bring Karol along," Misty trailed off, smirking.
Melody shot her a glare. "If she does bring Karol – I'm refusing to tell her anything. It's a form of payback," she added with a shrug. "But, I know she hates things left unattended to."
"That's harsh."
Melody shrugged, leaning back against the desk. "I'm planning to leave Pewter City in the early morning – sunrise – to get a head start. I'll wait at the outskirts of town for half an hour," she added, nodding in Brock's direction. "In case you change your mind."
Brock nodded, but remained silent, his features unreadable.
Melody watched silently as Brock mentioned that he should get back to his family; no doubt his parents would be worrying about him again. The brunette mumbled a goodbye to the group, quietly closing the door behind him. Melody and Delia left a couple minutes later; Ash's mom wanting to speak to Misty about something.
"Doesn't bother me," Melody shrugged, as Misty cast her a quick glance.
Melody knew she was on the outside here; they tried to include her in their conversations but it just seemed to create a bigger rift between them. She didn't know the people they were talking about and she didn't feel the same sort of emotional strife they did.
"Think der gonna come with us?" Meowth asked, now turned towards her, one eye open.
Melody sighed, flopping into the chair Delia had previously occupied. "We know Misty's going to come with us, she wants to find everyone. Obviously, Ash's mom is a no. As for Brock . . ." she trailed off, frowning. "He's hesitant, but I think he'll come, I could see it in his eyes. He'll meet us just outside town, mark my words . . ."
###
May ran a hand through her long hair, her mind miles away.
After disconnecting from Ericka, she suddenly needed air – she needed to get out of the Center. She shook her head at her actions, why was she the one running away?
But, Ericka had confirmed her suspicions, which made May's head spin more – she couldn't face Cole now; not while her thoughts were jumbled.
"Just a little over a year ago . . ." Ericka trailed off, staring at something May couldn't see. "You must have heard about it on the news –"
"Yeah, I did," May cut in, waving Ericka's words away. "But, you said Cole didn't know anything about the sinking . . . that he didn't really know much of anything?"
Ericka sighed, running a hand through her short hair. "You've asked me this three times now."
May paused, taking in Ericka's pursed lips; the look on her face bordering on annoyance. "Didn't you think it was odd that Cole didn't know much about Kanto? That he was just wandering through Celadon Park and no one ever seemed to be looking for him?" May shook her head. "Most parents go looking for their kids, even if they run away."
Ericka shook her head. "He said he didn't have any parents, that they were –"
"How convenient," May muttered under her breath. "But, did you ever think he was a Pokemon Trainer? Most kids our age can't wait to get out and start their adventure . . ."
Not to mention the fact that Cole seemed pretty skilled with his team. There was no way some Academy could teach you that much.
May watched Ericka's expression, May's words having some sort of effect on her. "I never gave it much thought," Ericka eventually said. "There have been a few kids here in Celadon who chose not to venture to Oak's lab for their starter Pokemon; the Academy is a viable option for those who don't want to travel the continent."
"But, he wasn't registered there as a student," May said.
"The Academy was between terms at the time," Ericka replied, staring straight at May. "Like I said previously, Cole had said he ran away from home. I assumed that his parents had sent him to Celadon to attend the Academy, or he was on his way to Pallet Town for his starter Pokemon – but he didn't seem interested in anything like that . . ."
"Until you mentioned the Academy?" May questioned, leaning in towards the screen.
"That was part of it," Ericka grinned mischievously. "He might have found something that peaked his interest there."
May rolled her eyes, thinking back to the purple-haired girl she had accidently redialed. Had Cole really gone to the Academy for a girl?
"Maybe he was trying to hide from something," May said offhandedly, earning a raised eyebrow from Ericka. "Think about it, he was wondering around the city park – no interest in Pokemon, and then suddenly . . ." May shook her head, her thoughts jumbled together, she wasn't even sure she was making sense.
"What are you getting at?"
"I . . ." May trailed off, shaking her head. Why did it seem so hard to put this into words? "I wonder if he was a passenger on the St. Anne –"
Ericka raised an eyebrow. "You think he was on that ship?" May could hear the disbelief in her tone. "It's not possible."
"It might not be, but it explains a lot," May supplied slowly, putting her thoughts together. "There were people who died on that –" May trailed off, Ericka expression changing. Raising an eyebrow, May waited for Ericka to say something. "What is it?"
"A few days ago, it was all over the news," Ericka shook her head, clearing her thoughts, before leaning closer to the screen. "One of the trainers that were presumed dead . . . he survived. His siblings found him in the outskirts of town . . ."
May shook her head, looking for a trace of amusement on Ericka's face. "Are you saying that . . ." no, that wasn't what she wanted to say. "Who was it?"
She vaguely remembered the names from the television – a rich kid who'd run away, two Gym Leaders, and two trainers.
"The report said his name was Brock Slate," Ericka said. "He was one of the Gym Leaders on board, he was in charge of Pewter City," she shook her head. "I never thought I'd see him again . . ."
May stole a quick glance around her surroundings; it would be just her luck to have Ash or Max appear behind her. "Listen, I have to get going Ericka, but can I call you again sometime?"
The woman glanced back at the screen, nodding. "Yes, that would be fine; although between the store and the Gym, my free time is very limited – I hope you don't mind an answering machine."
May nodded, mumbling that that was fine as she wrote down the number Ericka recited. "Thanks again," May said, storing the paper in her pocket. "I'll contact you again sometime."
"May, what are you doing out here?" A voice interrupted, making May jump.
"Just thinking," May said, pushing off Max's question.
"Right, thinking," Max rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I thought you said you were going to the beach . . . or did you totally get rejected by someone?"
May paused, eyes wide as Max's voice rose slightly, her brother doubled over, laughing. "MAX!" May shouted, her face had to have been bright-red.
Did he have to say that so loud?!
"I'll have you know," she grumbled, hitting him lightly on the head. "I had to call home to mom and dad, they wanted to know when we got to Dewford," she grinned down at him. "We all remember what happened that time we took you on the S.S. Tidal to Johto–"
"Okay, I get it," Max said, waving his hands out before him. "What did mom and dad say?"
May shrugged; nonchalant. "No one answered, so I just hung up."
"Cole's planning on battling Brawly tomorrow; he's going to head over to the Granite Cave to train his team. Want to come with us?"
May shook her head, stretching her arms over her head. "I'll pass; I'm not interested in walking around some dark cave catching Zubat's or whatever." Her plan was to use the worn computer in the corner of the room to find the next bit of information she needed.
"Alright, your loss then," Max shrugged. "There's a rumor going around that Steven of the Elite Four is here . . ."
May stopped mid-step, the Steven Stone was rumored to be here? Biting down on her lip, May weighed the two options in her mind, shuffling her weight from one foot to another. "Fine, I'm coming too . . ." she called, picturing the smirk on Max's face.
###
Jessilina stared at the sight before her – she remembered it.
Vermillion City's harbor stretched out before her, the picturesque beach to her right, the bustling city to the left, as the boardwalk stretched to the horizon.
She remembered the twerps – as they often referred to them – trying to find a way to defeat Lt. Surge and James and her had actually cheered them on.
Then, Team Rocket had descended on Vermillion, and with the help of Lt. Surge had managed to commandeer the S.S. Anne in an attempt to lure Pokemon Trainers on board. If memory served her right; both she had James had dressed up as school girls . . .
She shook her head, willing the memory to disappear.
Her green eyes glanced across the harbor and all the docked boats, to the large passenger boat docked along the boardwalk, people milling around on the deck.
Just the sight of that made a shiver run up her spine.
"It's a lot busier than back home, huh?" Karol said, glancing up at Jessilina as she finished knotting the boat to the dock. "Come on, the Marina office is just over there, we might as well get our passports looked after, and then we can come back and get our things."
My fake passport,Jessilina thought, her real passport somewhere at the bottom of Vermillion Bay.
"I actually need to get going as soon as we get our passports all sorted out," Jessilina nodded, taking a step back. "I really need to get to Fuchsia City and contact both the Laramie Ranch and the producers back home –"
"Do you even know where Fuchsia City is?" Karol asked, hands crossed over her chest, watching as Jessilina moved across the deck of the boat, her backpack in the compartment under the bench.
Jessilina paused; glad her face was hidden from Karol's view as she reached for her backpack. "Of course I do, I printed a map off before I left home." She laughed, awkward, unsure what to say. Shoving her arms through the straps on the backpack, she glanced down at Karol, who showed no sign of catching on to her lie. "Now, let's get this over with; I've got a show to do, and you have a sister to find."
Karol nodded, turning on her heel, heading towards the Marina's building located on the other side of the dock. "Yeah, leave it to Melody to get me into another mess," Karol muttered under her breath. "I was going to look around Vermillion and ask people about possibly seeing her . . . but it looks like a lot of tourists, doesn't it?"
Jessilina glanced over her sunglasses, the beach and boardwalk teeming with half-dressed bodies. "Yeah, I suppose so. But think about it Karol, if they're all tourists, it means they're not from Vermillion – maybe they met Melody on the road?"
Jessilina could feel her heart beating against her ribcage; she could feel what Karol was really hinting at.
"I suppose your right," Karol shrugged, glancing back at the beach. "You might have a point there, although having a map like yours would make everything much simpler, you sure you're going to need it?"
"Unfortunately yes, it's a rather winding path to Fuchsia from here, I really can't afford to take a wrong turn," – not to mention the fact that she circled Cinnabar Island multiple times – "There's bound to be a PokeMart around here though."
"True enough," Karol said, "But, what are you going to do out there in the forest? Last time I checked, you didn't have any Pokemon."
Jessilina frowned, she had thought of that once. "I'm a talk show host, I can improvise."
Karol shook her head, letting out a laugh. "Don't get yourself killed – I really don't want to hear that you've gone missing too."
Jessilina let out a laugh, an edge to her laugh. "Yes, that would be horrible . . ."
# # #
A/N: Another chapter down, and Jessilina is finally in Kanto – along with Karol. In regards to May's conversation with Ericka, when Ericka mentions that she never expected to see Brock again, don't read too much into that; they're only friends. I based the relationships of the Gym Leaders on the mangas, which portray Brock, Misty, and Ericka as some sort of friends.