Hello again everyone! I'm sorry about the wait but I decided that I'd spend my winter break doing things other than this. I'm back now though, and I'll probably fall back into a pattern of at least a chapter a week. The chapter is a bit short, but I wanted to get something out there because of how long it's been since the last one.
Rocker on: I'm still alive, don't worry. Jake had previously heard about him, and it's hard to mistake someone that tall. If you remember Jake was part of a hybrid pokemon experiment, so there's your answer. The watch part of the watch is mechanical. The grandfather will help out some, but there's quite a few ideas that I had at one point and have abandoned, but I'll do my best.
Bad Pun King: I'm glad that the story inspired you! You really should try and write if you have the time. Being able to commit my ideas to a page helps me flesh them out as well as seperate the good from the bad.
Shieldliger001: AZ is a character I really like from the games, although he got too little screen time if you ask me. I myself have never been a very suspicious person, although part of it might just me being bad at reading social cues.
On with the story!
The night brought restless sleep. It was nearly eight by the time the rain stopped, and we made our camp on the side of the road. The next morning brought warmth and sun, my body greedily eating up the sunlight, refilling my well of power. I got up before Alejandra did, careful not to wake her up as I did. Jake was still asleep.
There was a flutter of wings and a sudden weight as Swift landed on my shoulder. "I'm surprised he told you his story." She said, eyes trained on Jake. "He doesn't like to talk about himself until he knows someone very well."
"I guess what Alejandra said got to him. She's right, if you never tell people your story then you may as well not have one." I said, with a yawn.
She cocked her head. "Maybe, but I think he feels he can trust you, he- there's something coming."
I sensed it too. The soft sound of footsteps, the smell of smoke growing closer. I began to gather energy, slipping into a fighting stance.
An arcanine leapt from the trees with a roar, teeth bared, but fell short, stopping a few feet from me. It's head was pointed down, but that couldn't hide the long scar running down its face, through its eye.
"Wait, is that…" I heard Alejandra say from off to the side. No doubt the roar had woken both her and Jake.
"Why are you here?" I asked Joshua.
"I didn't realize who you were. You returned to normal." He said.
I rubbed my wrist where the leaf jutted out. "Mostly." I said.
"But are you happy with it?" He asked, quickly.
I didn't need to think that through. "Yes."
He seemed to relax, letting out a breath. "I'm glad. I've been trying to come to terms with myself, and knowing that will help."
"Why'd you attack just now then?" Alejandra asked. I glanced over at her, then around to Jake. She had gotten up. Jake was simply sitting, watching silently.
"You guys smell all a lot like pokemon. I can't see very well with one eye, but I've only got myself to blame for that. I just want to say sorry, for everything. I won't bother you again." He said, looking at me with his good eye.
I said nothing as he turned away. As he was about to vanish back into the woods I finally found my voice. "Give yourself another chance." I said.
He turned his head to look at me. "I don't think I'll ever understand you." He said. "But if I can I'll be a better person for it." He walked out into the forest, vanishing behind a tree.
We didn't talk at all while we walked, as there wasn't anything to say. Even so, there was this tension in the air that I couldn't quite place. Alejandra seemed on high alert, frequently checking behind her as she walked side by side with me. Maybe it was the sudden appearance of Joshua, or just the lingering memory of AZ, but something was making me feel on edge.
I pulled out the pocket watch to check the time, but stopped short of opening it, letting the compass spin. Once, twice, three times around, before stopping south east, pointing straight down the road. I nearly dropped it in surprise. It had always pointed due east before this, why had it suddenly changed?
"What's wrong?" Alejandra asked, looking over at me.
"The compass changed." I said, holding it up for her to see.
She looked at it for a few moments, then up at the road. "I guess we're going the right way then." She said, with a slight frown.
"It's pointing the way we're going?" Jake asked, keeping his eyes forward. "Makes sense that it could change, destiny isn't exactly a tangible thing."
"You're right, I just wasn't expecting it to after being the same for quite a while." I said, putting the watch away, before realizing I forgot to check the time and taking it back out.
It was late by the time we reached a familiar town, the tops a line of trees just barely visible over the hills. Jake had transformed back into his human form before we came into sight of it, but it didn't seem like many people were out. In fact, if it were not for the lights on in windows I might have thought the place deserted.
We reached the pokemon center, and I stopped short, looking at it. The lights were on, but the windows had been smashed, and the outer walls spray painted with seemingly random splotches of color.
I pushed open the door, stepping inside. The interior wasn't in much better shape. It looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to one of the walls, and shards of glass dusted the floor beneath a shattered light. The nurse came into the room, stopping abruptly when she saw us. I saw her eyes go straight to Alejandra's ears, and she seemed to relax some.
"Hey." I said. "It's been a while, but I think you wanted me to tell you my story."