Disclaimer: I regret to announce that I don't own Pokémon. A moment of silence.
A/N Guys I'm so sorryyyyyyyyy! Dx I can explain my absence, really I can. This chapter didn't want to be written and I have lots of school and I've watching too much anime totally by accident and I've been trying to get good at the piano and I'm reading The Lord of The Rings and I watched the last Hobbit movie and it wasn't even cool and I turned twenty two days ago and therefore have post-teenage depression and . . . *rambles on for a while*
Okay, maybe I should shut up. I hope you're still reading this story. I know I've been really slow with updating, and you guys have just been so wonderful and patient about it. There are lots of reviews for other stories where people complain about lack of updates, but you guys never did that. Not even once. I don't deserve such kindness. *cries forever*
Anyway, I'm not really sure what to think of this chapter. I don't know if it's good or bad or average. I cannot brain today, so you will have to read this and brain for me.
Enjoy!
OoOoOoOoO
Chapter 11: Paths Diverging
The sun seemed to rise particularly early the next day, which Lyra found somewhat annoying—mostly because she had been unexpectedly awoken by a bright beam of light shining directly in her face. Now, after having her eyes nearly burned out, she was sitting quietly in the room's single armchair, holding a sleeping Togepi in her lap.
She shifted a little in her seat, trying to get in a more comfortable position without jostling her new pokémon. Togepi made a little whining noise as Lyra carefully sat up straighter and crossed her legs, but he didn't awaken.
Lyra looked over to the bed where Chris lay. Her friend was still fast asleep, which was unusual for her; she was generally up by six-thirty, and it was nearly an hour past that. That might have had something to do with Lyra, who had been told multiple times that she often talk in her sleep. The fact that she seemed unable to shut up even when she wasn't awake made Lyra wonder what that said about herself.
"Good morning."
Lyra nearly jumped out of her seat when she heard Chris, who she didn't even realize was awake. Just how she had not noticed Chris sitting up in her bed despite having been looking right in her direction was a mystery to Lyra.
"G'morning," Lyra said in return. "So . . . how'd you sleep?"
"Pretty well—though I did wake up in the middle of the night to find you looming my bed."
Lyra smiled self-consciously. "Oh, uh, sorry. Did I say anything interesting this time?" she added as an afterthought.
Chris tilted her head, staring distantly off into space. "Apparently, you thought I was your mom, and you were suggesting that I go to bed." She smiled ruefully. "Ironic, huh?"
"Uh, yeah . . . ironic," Lyra replied, trying not to cringe. "Oh, by the way, I was kinda thinking of checking out the gym today. How about you?"
"I think I'll probably skip out on this gym for now," Chris said after a short silence. "What with my strongest pokémon being a grass-type and all. Good luck on your battle, though."
"Uh, yeah, thanks."
Chris slowly got out of bed and pulled some clothes out of her backpack. "I'm gonna get dressed and see what I can scrounge up at the cafeteria," she announced. With that, she walked into the bathroom and closed the door.
Lyra sat in silence for a while, thinking what she would do today other than battle. She looked down again at Togepi, wondering if he was going to wake up anytime soon. How much sleep did these things need, anyway? Lyra made a mental note to look up online how to take care of togepi. Though she supposed there would be much need to do very much research; Elm would probably be wanting him back right away.
That thought troubled Lyra. She'd spent too much time with Togepi while he was still in the egg for her to let him go that easily now that he'd hatched. But maybe she could convince the professor to let her keep him? Lyra smiled slightly as she bent forward until her nose was nearly touching the side of his head.
"Hey, Togepi," she whispered, "you want to stay with me, don't you? You'll be lonely at New Bark without anyone else to play with. Also, I went through all the trouble to buy you a pokéball yesterday, so there's that."
Maybe she'd been whispering just a tad too loudly, because Togepi's eyes suddenly sprang open. Lyra quickly drew back, and Togepi stared at her in confusion for several moments, blinking slowly.
"Pi?" he said sleepily, looking groggy.
Lyra raised her finger to her lips. "Shh," she said, casting a quick glance at Marill, who was snoozing at the foot of Lyra's bed. Not that there was any real need to be especially quiet; Marill, when he was worn down as much as he had been lately, slept like a rock.
Togepi eyes cleared as he became more aware of his surroundings. Lyra watched as he struggled to his feet and looked around. It looked like he was going to simply flop back down and go to sleep.
Until he suddenly took a flying leap off Lyra's lap.
Lyra gasped and jumped up to grab her now airborne pokémon. She managed to get of hold of him just in time to prevent him from crashing to the floor—and then landed hard on her stomach, letting out an undignified "Oof!" as she hit the floor.
Togepi, who was now being held upside-down a few inches off the carpet, looked at her curiously. Then he chirped in delight and waved his stubby arms around.
Lyra stared at him in disbelief. "You know what?" she said. "You're probably better off with someone other than me."
Just then, a fully-dressed Chris walked out the bathroom, but stopped in her tracks at the sight before her and raised her eyebrows questionably. She looked ready to speak when Lyra cut her off.
"No," she said tiredly. "You really shouldn't ask."
OoOoOoOoO
Illex Forest was not a fun place to be in after a downpour, Gold decided. Sure, it was nice to look at, but very unpleasant to walk in. The muddy path was nearly overtaken by various unrecognizable plants, which meant his legs were constantly brushing up against wet leaves, which soon left his jeans soaked from the knees down. And he'd been putting up with this since early in the morning, and it was late afternoon now.
Hey, Gold? Aipom asked as he clung to his trainer's shoulder. Is it dangerous here?
Gold cast a quick glance at Aipom, which caused him to nearly trip on an inconveniently-placed root on the trail. He quickly turned his gaze back to the ground. Not any more dangerous than anywhere else we've been before, he replied, carefully climbing over a fallen tree. Why do you ask?
Well, I was wondering if it was maybe like Slowpoke Well, Aipom said fretfully.That place was really dangerous.
Gold didn't reply until he was safely over the tree trunk. That was only dangerous because of Team Rocket. This place is Rocket-free, he said. Probably, he added, for the sake of complete honesty.
Aipom clung tighter to Gold's jacket. But what do we do if we run into any? he asked. They're gonna want to kill us.
Gold cringed inwardly. Look, Aipom, he said, there's like zero chance we'll run into anybody. And if we do, we can handle them.
You mean Quilavacan handle them, Aipom said morosely. Because I'm useless.
Gold resisted the urge to sigh dramatically. You're not useless, Aipom, he said patiently. We've been out here in this forest all day, with Quilava in her pokéball most of the time, and you haven't let any wild pokémon beat us up, have you?
Yeah, well, that because whenever we run into them, they're all like "Hey, let's battle!" then after I hit them like twice they're all like "Okay, bye!" They don't even try to hurt us!
The path, Gold noticed, was getting wider, which allowed him to walk more briskly.You act like that's a bad thing,he said. Maybe they don't think they can take you for very long.
Aipom buried his face in Gold's neck. Some of them were laughing when they ran away,he said miserably.And some of the others said they couldn't believe I was a trainer's pokémon, and that I was weak and stupid.
Well, then they're the stupid ones, Gold said sharply. And I don't care what they think.
Aipom hesitated. You don't? he said weakly.
Nope. And— Gold suddenly paused and squinted towards a figure about fifty feet from them. Who is that?
Aipom pricked his ears. I think it's a person, he said.
Had it been the emotionally stable Quilava talking, Gold would have made a sarcastic reply to that. But since it was Aipom, he only said, Yeah. He hesitated for a second before moving forward and walking precariously over the uneven ground.
The person, who upon closer inspection seemed to be a woman in a kimono, had her back to them, and didn't seem to notice their presence at all. Which was kind of weird, Gold thought, seeing as he was probably making a lot of noise traveling over all the tangled plants and fallen branches.
But when she finally turned around and looked at them, she didn't seem the least bit surprised to see them there. Instead she simply smiled softly and said something to them—probably a greeting, but her lips weren't moving enough for him to tell. Gold wondered what she was doing here. With her brightly colored kimono and geisha-looking makeup, she looked very out of place in the forest. And why was she off the path, anyway?
Uh, Gold? said Aipom. She just asked you if you could help her get out of this forest.
Did she? he asked, still looking at the stranger in front of him. Well, she's gonna have to talk more clearly.
Well, said Aipom timidly, she probably doesn't know you can't hear her.
The woman—or rather the girl, as she looked no older than sixteen or seventeen—tilted her head in confusion. It suddenly occurred to Gold that he was being pretty rude by not giving her any response. He mentally scolded himself before pointing to his ear and shaking his head.
The girl's head tilted even more, almost touching her shoulder at this point. She straightened up again and walked closer to him, wobbling slightly on her sandaled feet. She stopped a few feet in front of him and said slowly, "Can you understand me now?"
Gold nodded curtly before addressing Aipom. She's talking loudly, isn't she?
Yeah. How did you know?
I always know.
Kimono Girl spoke up again. "I'm lost. Do you know the way out?"
Gold shrugged, but turned around and gestured for her to follow him. He could show her the path, at least.
As he slowly walked away, he cast a glance over his shoulder to make sure she was following. She was—albeit very slowly and gingerly. Gold sighed as he walked back to her and awkwardly held out a hand for her. She smiled at him and wrapped her tiny arm around his and allowed him to help her reach the path. Gold had to wonder how she'd managed to get herself over there in the first place.
Once their feet were back on smoother ground, she relinquished his arm and turned to face him. "Thank you," she said. "I still don't know the way out of here, though."
Hey, Gold?said Aipom.Maybe I can scout out a way out of here or something?When Gold gave a small nod in consent, Aipom jumped off his shoulder and ran farther down the path. Not ten seconds later, he skidded to a stop.Oh, that was easy. It's right up there, he said, pointing ahead of him.
Gold and Kimono Girl walked up to him and saw the sunlight streaming from the edge of the forest. While the girl clapped her hands happily, Gold only sighed. That was stupidly easy, he said. She didn't even need us.
Kimono Girl turned to him and bowed. "Thank you for your help," she said. "If you ever come to Ecruteak City, stop by the dance hall and battle me. Well, see you." And with that, she turned and walked down the path.
Gold and Aipom stood there in silence as they watched her disappear from sight.
After a minute, Gold spoke up. Hey, Aipom, he said, you wanna repeat what she said?
Uh, something about a city and a dance hall and battling.
That's helpful, Gold said dryly.
As usual, the sarcasm went way over Aipom's head. Oh, good,he said happily, and hugged Gold's neck. You can count on me at any time.
Sure, Aipom, sure, he replied distantly and pulled Quilava's pokéball out from his pocket and pressed the button in the middle.
Quilava reappeared in front of them. She glanced around the forest and pawed at the muddy ground. So, what have I missed? she asked, sounding disinterested.
Not much, said Gold. We just ran into one person who wandering off the path for some reason. Now we're almost out of the forest.
Fascinating. So, what do you need me for?
Gold really wasn't up to dealing with a sulking pokémon at the moment. I just thought you might want some fresh air, geez,he said, and began to walk down the path again.Plus, you're the only one who can handle any tough opponents we run into.
Quilava looked at him blandly and she walked alongside him. You're trying to make me feel better, aren't you?
Well, duh. You don't have any good reason to be acting all miserable.
Except for the fact that I lost a battle.
The fact thatwelost isn't a good reason. Nobody wins every time.
Yeah,said Aipom. I mean, look at me. I lose to pretty much everyone. I've lost count of how many times I've been knocked out since I joined you guys!
Well, that's because you're— Quilava began, but switched gears when Gold looked at her sharply. That's because you haven't evolved yet.
That's right, said Gold. Anyway, less talking, more action. We're just about out now. Let's see if we can find some trainers to battle.
And together, the trio stepped out of the forest and looked all around. The area outside, in stark contrast to the forest, was very wide open, with flat ground and a wide dirt path. Most of the dark green grass would only reach Gold's ankles, though there were a few large patches where it was a good three feet tall, and he could see a few pokémon peeking out at him. One thing distinctly lacking in the place, though, was trainers.
Looks deserted to me, said Quilava. Now what?
Gold didn't say anything, but he began to walk down the path, and Quilava followed. Aipom, who was still perched on Gold's shoulder, gently tugged at his ear. Now what? he asked, echoing Quilava—and breathing right in Gold face.
We're just gonna walk for a while, said Gold, and placed Aipom on the ground.I know some people who live not too far from here. I'm gonna see if I can find their house.
Who are they? Aipom asked as he skipped between Gold and Quilava.
Questions, questions, questions,said Gold, letting out a long-suffering sigh.Have patience, young Padawan.And before Aipom could ask him any more questions, he sprinted down the road, forcing the other two to run after him.
Quilava, who easily kept up with Gold as he ran, cast him a suspicious glance. Should we be careful around these someones you know? she asked.
Gold didn't turn his head around to look at her, but he gave a brief reply. Not really, he said. They're kinda like the old versions of Lyra.
I don't even know what that's supposed to mean.
You'll understand later. And look, you can see their house from here!he said, and pointed in the direction they were going, where a large house with a red roof could just be seen.
It's so far away! said a despairing Aipom, who was doing his best to keep up with the other two.I'll never make it!
Geez, what a baby,said Quilava snobbishly. Great heroes are made by pushing themselves as hard as they can, even if it means going through excruciating pain. Right, Gold?
Don't jinx it, Quilava. I'd rather not go through agonizing—
—Excruciating—
—excruciating pain for any reason. Plus, we're battlers, not heroes.
Well, you'd better get to it, then. First order of business: bring down Team Rocket!
Wait, we're gonna battle Team Rocket?! Aipom said, clinging to Quilava's neck (since when did he get up there?), obviously horrified.
She's joking, Aipom. We're not that stupid.
Oh, okay. Good.
Gold slowed down as they reached a line of trees leading over to the house. You can find a lot of different kinds of pokémon around here, he said, gesturing towards the wooded area to their right. Apparently, you can find a load of spinarak around the trees. Maybe we should recruit one?
No,said Quilava flatly. They're lame.
They're cool, said Gold.
They're scary! Aipom interjected. They'll kill you to death with their poison!
'Kill you to death'? said Quilava, looking almost reluctantly amused. You're cute.Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and pricked her ears.Oh, look,she said.Old people. I knew I heard something. Heard it loud and clear. Jealous, Gold?
What, of your hearing?Gold looked down at her imperiously.No thanks. I like being deaf,he said, and waved at the couple ahead of him. Oh, these are Lyra's grandparents, by the way.
Aipom's eyes widened into saucer shapes, and looked thrilled.Oh, cool!he said excitedly.Isn't that cool, Quilava? I can't wait to meet them!
Uh, sure. Super cool. Not that I'm sure why you're so excited to see the grandparents of someone you've never met in person. . . .
The couple, who were sitting on a bench in front of their house as they shared a newspaper and talked between themselves, finally looked up and noticed the trio. The man—Jeremiah Lev, or Jerry as most people knew him—jumped up almost immediately upon seeing them, and scurried over surprisingly fast for an eighty-year-old with arthritis. Before he knew it, Gold found his hand being crushed as Jerry shook it enthusiastically.
"Great to see you again, Gold," he said, signing with his left hand only, as his right hand had apparently forgotten to release Gold from its clutches. "It's been too long! How's my future son-in-law been doing?"
Gold shot him a horrified look, and almost didn't noticed when his hand was freed. 'Wait, what?'
"Oh, I'm just kidding, of course," Jerry said, and waved a hand dismissively. "You'd be my grandson-in-law, obviously. Now come this way! Edna's waiting up ahead." And before Gold could say anything else, Jerry trotted off.
Nice guy, Quilava said, though she didn't sound entirely sure of herself. Or is he only like that because you're his son-in-law?
I'm not his son-in-law!
Aipom looked up at him with wide eyes. Gold, he said intently, are you really going to marry Lyra?
You know what? Let's just drop the subject, said Gold, and he walked towards the house.
Edna rose from her seat as Gold approached. "It's good to see you again, Gold" she said. Her signing was slow and sedate, but her face looked slightly worried. "How have you and Lyra been?"
'We've bee staying out of trouble, if that's what you're asking,' he replied.
Edna raised an eyebrow. "Something tells me that's not entirely true," she said. "I asked Lyra the same thing last time she called, and her answer was cryptic at best. And of course Jerry and I know what happened in Violet City."
'Yeah, well, I just got dragged into that. And Lyra wasn't even there yet, so if you wanna get technical about it . . .'
"No, I really don't," she said, looking at him sternly. "Lyra's nearly as careless as you are. Did you know that she traveled to Violet City by having a heracross fly her there?"
Gold stared at her.'Wow, really?' he said, feeling slightly put out that Lyra hadn't told him this herself, but also a bit impressed. 'Good for her.'
"That's what I said," Jerry piped up, looking proud. "She's got a lot of spunk, our Lyra."
"A bit too much, I would say," said Edna. "You can't be too careful during these times."
Gold shifted uncomfortably as Edna gave him a sharp look. 'We're being careful,' he insisted. 'We always keep at least one of our pokémon out with us, and of course Lyra always carries a knife—'
"She what?"
Oops. 'I . . . guess you didn't know that. But Lyra can handle herself. Right, Jerry?' Gold said, calling on him for support.
"Of course she can!" he replied confidently, but then cringed slightly at the look his wife gave him. "Now, let's be reasonable, Edna. Lyra's been doing most of the cooking at her house for years, so I'm sure she's familiar with sharp things. I can't say it would really surprise me if she'd taken up knife juggling in her spare time. . . ."
Edna shook her head. "I wash my hands of the both of you. And you two as well," she said looking accusingly at Gold's pokémon, who stared back with innocent faces. "Now, let's go inside," she said shortly. "We have a lot to talk about."
The others followed her meekly into the house, where she led them to their spacious living room (after ordering everyone to take off their shoes at the door). Jerry ushered Gold to the nearest couch as Edna handed out glasses of lemonade to everyone (including the pokémon, who had straws in theirs).
"Did you know," said Edna as as she and Jerry sat down on the couch opposite to Gold, "that Gym Leader Morty is being forced to take time off?"
Gold stared at her, mouth hanging open. 'What? Why?'
"He was taken the the hospital last week after he had a seizure," she said grimly. "A witness said he was having hallucinations minutes beforehand." Edna looked slightly doubtful. "Now, I'm not saying they're wrong, but I can't be sure their right, either. The man's a clairvoyant, after all."
Now, this was interesting.'So are you saying you think he was having some sort of vision? Not a hallucination?'
"Let's just say I'm not ruling it out. With Team Rocket being back . . . well, I don't know. I just have a bad feeling about all this."
Jerry nodded, looking unusually serious. "It really does seem all too coincidental," he agreed.
Gold sat back in his seat and thought for a minute.'So do you think he saw what Team Rocket was doing in the future? Or even the present?'
"He might have."
"Either way," Jerry said, "it's given everyone the heebie-jeebies. A lot of trainers have been staying close to their homes since then.
'I guess that explains why I haven't seen anyone since I left Ilex Forest,' Gold mused. 'So, is he okay? The gym leader?'
"He seems to be, from what the public's been told," said Edna. "But he apparently still needs to go through mental evaluations before he's allowed to return to work. In the meantime, the gym has to be closed."
'Oh.' There was a short lapse in conversation before Gold asked, 'How's the daycare doing with all this going on? Are people still dropping their pokémon off here?'
Jerry shook his head. "Nope. Nobody's been dropped off since last week. A lot of pokémon are long overdue to be picked up too, because nobody's come back for them either."
'Wait, people have been just leaving their pokémon here?' asked Gold, outraged.'What the hell? Do their pokémon suddenly not matter to them?
"Well," Jerry reasoned, "you have to look at it from their perspective. Daycares are known for keeping pokémon safe. I'm sure most people think their pokémon would just be better off here for now."
Edna nodded. "When people are afraid, they don't always know what to do."
'Yeah,' Gold conceded. 'Yeah, I guess not.'
Nobody spoke again for a long time.
OoOoOoOoO
Chris stared silently at the blank screen of the room's videophone,feeling more anxious than she ought to have been. A few minutes of stiff conversation wouldn't kill her, she thought. Chris arranged her face into a neutral expression as she held the phone to her ear and dialed the number.
A middle-aged man's face appeared on the screen after the fourth ring. His expression, like Chris', was cool and collected. When he realized who he was looking at, though he looked surprised for a brief moment. But it was only a second before his face was stony again. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about us," he said, looking unimpressed.
"It's nice to see you too, Dad," she replied blandly. "Just thought I'd check up on things."
His eyes—which were the exact shade of blue Chris' were—looked colder than usual. "How thoughtful of you," he said, his voice tinged with sarcasm.
Chris resisted the urge to say something she'd regret later. "Look," she said patiently, "I know you're still mad at me—"
"You're damn right I am—"
"—but we've discussed this before—"
"—and you know very well—"
"—Hey!" Chris nearly shouted, causing her father to pause in surprise. "Arguing isn't going to do us any good. Can't we both just be civil for two seconds?"
"I don't know. Can we?" he replied. "Because last time we spoke, you didn't seem too eager to act your age."
Chris gritted her teeth, but didn't rise to the bait. "So, where's Mom?" she asked.
"She just left for work," he said shortly. "Where are you?"
"Azalea Town. I'm traveling with a friend."
"Azalea?" her father said sharply. "That's where Team Rocket was most recently sighted, isn't it?" Chris thought she might have heard a hint of concern in his voice. But it was probably just wishful thinking.
"Was it?" she asked, trying to look nonchalant. "What happened here?"
Her father looked at her in disbelief. "You didn't hear about it? Some Team Rocket members captured all the slowpoke in town and hid them in the well. Two civilians almost got themselves killed by snooping around in there." He shook his head. "How did you not know that?"
Chris wondered how he would react if she rolled her eyes, but decided she wasn't that curious. "I just got here yesterday, Dad. Traveling trainer, remember?"
Her father looked at her in disdain. "You're certainly not going to get very far. You don't even have a trainer card, so you can't challenge any gyms or compete in leagues."
"That wouldn't have been an issue if you'd just signed the consent form like I asked you," Chris said stiffly.
"Like hell I was going to do that," he said. "I was already stupid enough to let you get that chikorita."
"Well, if you didn't want me to be a trainer, why'd you let me get a pokémon? Chris asked, talking far more loudly than was necessary.
"Because I thought you would stop nagging me and your mother about leaving!" her father said harshly, his voice rising in volume. "I thought you would've done the mature thing and stayed home!"
"The mature thing?" Chris demanded. "Are you telling me that I was the one being immature? Who was the one who said, and I quote, 'You can go out and be a trainer if you really want to, Chris,' and then went and changed their mind at the last second? At least I was being decisive!" she said, jabbing a thumb in her direction. "You and Mom were the ones who couldn't make up you minds!" Before her father could interrupt, she added suspiciously, "And how do you even know I got the chikorita? You threw away the permission slip I was supposed to give to Professor Elm. For all you know, I could have just run away without pokémon."
Her father narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to pretend that you're not being inexcusably disrespectful, and answer your question: I didn't know you got the pokémon—until just now. The fact that you even knew I threw away the form tells me you went digging for it in the waste basket."
"Yeah, well, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do," Chris said flippantly, not caring about how he would react anymore.
There was a long pause, and when her father finally spoke again, he sounded tired. "Chris," he said, "you picked the worst possible time to be a trainer. You're not safe out there. Can't you understand why we don't want you out there?"
Oh, no you don't. "Dad, I left home before Team Rocket was even on the radar. You've had problems with me for years. None of this ever had anything to do with safety, and you know it."
"Is it such a crime to want my daughter to be successful when she grows up?" he said accusingly. "I'm not your enemy, Crystal."
"And I'm not yours."
Her father glared at her. "Then come back home."
Chris mentally sighed. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because I want you to be happy. That's all."
"Then let me. Let me be happy." She reached for the end call button. "I'll talk to you later."
"Chris, wait—"
She hung up.
OoOoOoOoO
"Scyther is unable to battle!" the referee called out. "Lyra and Marill win!"
Lyra stood still as a statue, staring at Bugsy's fallen pokémon with her mouth slightly ajar. She only came to her senses after Scyther was returned to her pokéball. "We . . . won," she said blankly as the realization hit. Suddenly, she felt a huge smile form on her face. "We won!" she shouted. "We actually won a gym battle, Marill! Who woulda thunk?"
"Rill," he said, looking happy (though rather less bouncy than usual). He was covered in dirt, had several nasty cuts that would definitely need looking after, and was breathing heavily from the exertion. Still, he seemed pleased. Had his arms been long enough, he probably would have crossed them.
Lyra returned him up as she walked towards Bugsy to receive her badge. "Great battle, Bugsy," she said upon reaching him. "It was a lot of fun."
"Same here," Bugsy agreed. "Well, here's your badge. You guys earned it."
"Thanks. Aw, it looks like a ladybug!" she said, as Bugsy rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled something that sounded like, "Wasn't my idea."
"You're welcome. And here's your prize money to go with it." He handed her a stack of bills held together by a rubber band.
"Thank you, good sir," Lyra said, still smiling as she put everything in her bag to be reorganized later. "Well, I guess I'll be going," she announced, slinging her bag over her shoulder and standing up straight. "I wanna get back on the road as soon as possible. Things to do, sites to see, people to avoid. All that good stuff."
Bugsy looked unsure. "Uh, yeah, sounds great. Be careful, though. With all that's—"
Lyra held up a hand. "Trust me, I've heard it all from one gym leader already," she assured him. "I'll watch my back. See ya!" With that said, she turned around and headed towards the entrance.
It had been dusk when Lyra had entered the gym. By the time she walked out, night had fallen, and the stars were beginning to peek out from the darkening sky. The streetlamps were on now, lighting up the surroundings enough for Lyra to be able to look around and see that she was alone.
Back in New Bark Town, people would still be out during this time. Lyra remembered the times when she, Gold, and pretty much every other kid in New Bark would go outside on summer nights like this and catch fireflies. She and Gold would often go off on their own to see how many they could get in a jar. After the jar was filled to their satisfaction. Then they would walk on over to the town's old cemetery and release them there. The first time Lyra had suggested this, back when they were maybe ten or eleven, Gold had asked her why.
Because mom always liked fireflies, she'd told him. So I want to bring her some.
There's been a long pause before Gold had replied, and Lyra had wondered if he'd thought her silly. But finally, he'd simply said, I bet she'll like them.
Lyra had smiled at him then. Thanks, Gold.
He'd looked confused. For what?
For being my friend.
Lyra smiled as that fond memory and many other like it washed over her mind like a gentle wave. As she walked, she looked up at the slowly multiplying stars twinkling in the sky, and imagined her mom looking down upon her.
She came upon a wooden bench next to the sidewalk, and sat down almost without thinking. She stared up at the brightest star she could find. "Hey, Mom?" she said hoarsely. "Do you remember the last conversation we had?" She bit her lip. "Because I do. I . . . I don't really remember what I said that well. But I remember what you said. You told me that when you were gone, that you wanted me to be happy. You didn't want me to be sad for too long. Then I asked you not to go. Mom, I begged you."
Lyra felt her throat tighten, and she scrubbed furiously at her eyes. "I knew what you meant when you said you would be 'gone.' I never remember not knowing. You said you wished you didn't have to go. But deep down, I think that maybe you kinda did. And that's okay.
"I don't remember what I said after that, but then you said, 'Lyra, it's okay to be sad sometimes. It's okay to cry. But remember all the good times we had together, and then make more memories. Try to be happy, and try to make others happy too. That's important.'
"And that's what I've tried to do since then. I try to be nice to people—and fail sometimes." She gave a lopsided smile. "Sometimes people say I'm naïve, that I don't know what it's like to have a hard life. And maybe they're right. Either way, I'll just keeping smiling. And I guess that leads me here.
"How do you think I've been doing, Mom? Have I been being a good person?" Her voice, even to her, sounded pathetically pleading. "Have I been a good person? Are—are you proud of me?" She buried her face in her hands and sniffed. I'm so pathetic.
Eventually, she lifted her head again and gazed at the sky. "Well, uh, anyway, I've set out on a journey, as you know, and you know how it's been going so far? I've gotten wet and dirty more times than I can count, which you know, isn't always fun. I've gotten loads of scratches and bruises . . . somehow. I've also torn some of my favorite clothes, I've run into poison ivy, I've gotten really sunburned, and I had Marill throw up on me once after he ate some bad berries." She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yeah, that last one wasn't much fun." Then her smile dropped.
"I've also walked into a city to see a gym burned to the ground. I've started listening to the news every day to see if there've been any more tragedies lately. I constantly worry about people I love getting hurt, and sometimes I feel guilty for leaving Dad alone.
"But you know what else has happened, Mom? I've gotten to meet so many new people, and even make some friends. I flew like a bird over the treetops with the help of a heracross. I met a retired gym leader who gave me a badge because he's just that awesome. I walked through a cave full of zubat. I watched a pokémon hatch in my arms. I battled a gym leader for the first time and earned a badge." Suddenly, she found herself laughing. "And now I'm waxing poetical while talking out loud without a single living thing in sight! This isn't like me at all, is it? I blame it on the . . . I don't even know. Somebody's probably burning a big pile of weed right now. Yeah, that's it."
Lyra got up again and stretched. "I'm gonna stop jabbering, okay? I'm gonna go get my pokémon healed up and then go to bed like a sensible trainer." Then, since nobody was looking anyway, she waved at the sky. "Goodnight, Mom!"
The next morning, she would probably smack herself and wonder what on she had been thinking (or smoking), to talk to her dead mother like she was sitting right next to her on that bench. And being really sappy about it, too.
But right now, she really didn't care. For just this night, nothing would get her down.
OoOoOoOoO
A/N Something tells me I should really kill that last scene. With fire. I'll see how I feel about it in the morning, I guess.
So, how was it? What did you like? What didn't you like? Am I making Quilava too, er, bitchy? Are you liking any of these characters' backstories? Every reviewer gets a slice of leftover cake to celebrate my birthday. Or maybe John Hurt's birthday. They're the same day, so it really doesn't matter. So whether you like dorky internet authors or British actors with loads of swag, you should totally review! :D
Also, go check out my poll if you wanna tell me who your favorite characters are! :3
Oh, and if you think my chapter titles are as awful as I'm beginning to think they are, feel free to tell me, and I'll change them as soon as I can think of better ones.
kthxbai
~Geek
P.S. I don't know if these A/N's seem a bit all over the place, but if they are, blame it on me being tired. I swear to drunk I'm not Arceus.