Farewell to Hoenn, Chapter 74

A surprisingly warm sun greeted the island the next morning. The terrible storm that plagued it the previous night was nothing more than a memory now, and there was not a cloud in the sky above. I was far more relieved to learn that my crazy escapades in the cold air and rainstorm didn't leave me with another cold. Flannery, on the other hand...

"Achoo!" She sneezed for the fifth time since I woke up. Her face was flushed and her eyes drooping.

"I just ordered some ice and soup for you," I said, taking her another towel to dry off her forehead.

"Why did I have to get sick?" She mumbled to herself. She looked into my eyes pleadingly. "Why couldn't it have been you?"

"My mom always said that's a terrible thing to wish for. 'Never wish your misfortunes on others', or something like that."

"Not that I want you to get sick," she said between some coughing and another sneeze. "But at least you wouldn't have to go."

"Oh, I see..." I looked over to the window, seeing the clear blue skies above. All the fuss from yesterday was to have this happen, so that I could sail safely over to Sootopolis. Now, I felt somewhat guilty of leaving Flannery here alone and sick.

"Sorry, don't worry about me," she said as she adjusted herself on the couch. "I know you want to head back home. Can't blame you."

Our small chat was interrupted by the phone ringing, so I ran over to it to answer. When the call was established, I saw Steven on the monitor.

"Steven! Is there anything wrong?"

"Not at all, Star. I just wanted to thank you again for everything you did yesterday."

"I didn't do much, sir. Actually, out at sea, all I did was sit still while the captain steered the ship." He shook his head.

"Were it not for you, there's no telling what would've happened with the other ship that was destroyed. I've spoken with some experts, and they believe it was thanks to our ship appearing in Kyogre's sights that the Pokemon retaliated so viciously. Even if they're wrong, and our presence there had no impact whatsoever, I'd still like to congratulate you on solving this little mystery." I could feel my face start to warm up at all this praise.

"Oh, well, you know," I said, looking away from the monitor. Steven chuckled slightly.

"Anyway, I wish you safe travels from now on."

"Wait! Actually, I need a way across the ocean back to Sootopolis today! Is there anyway you can help me with this?" Who better to ask than the champion himself?

"Why not just take your Milotic?"

"What? I don't have a Milotic..." I said. It took me a second, but I suddenly remembered the scale dangling around my neck. "You mean this?"

"It's a prism scale belonging to a Milotic, isn't it? Even if it's not yours, you can give it a Feebas and cause it to evolve, you know. Otherwise, I could see about arranging some form of transport..."

"No, that's okay! I think I got it under control," I told him, clutching the scale in my hand.

"Very well. Farewell, Star. Until we meet again." The screen went dark, and this time there was a knock on the door. It was a waiter with Flannery's soup and ice, as well as my breakfast. Taking the tray from him, I placed it on the table.

"Sorry about that, but your soup's here," I said, preparing to help her up. When I stood over her, I noticed her eyes were closed, causing me to panic for a second. Could she have...?

"Flannery?" I said to her, my heart racing. Then I heard her cough, before taking a deep breath. I sighed, realizing she had just fallen asleep. I took a seat at the table, preparing to enjoy my own breakfast. What Steven said had certainly lifted my spirits that morning.

~o~

After breakfast, I went downstairs to the lobby to wrap up what needed to be taken care of. My first stop was the computer, so that I could swap out Pelipper for Feebas. If what Steven said was true, I could use that scale from Wallace's Milotic to evolve Feebas into one himself. Once that was complete, I got in line for the front desk. My last task was to cancel any battles I had so that I could leave immediately for Sootopolis. After waiting in line for a few minutes, I finally went up to speak with the receptionist.

"Hi, I'd like to cancel any battles I have and check out, please."

"Very well. Your ID card, please?" I handed the woman my Hoenn card, and then watched intently as she punched in a few hundred keystrokes on the computer. I couldn't help but feel there was going to be hitch in my plan.

"It says here that you have a match set for later today, at 12:30 on the 44th floor," she told me.

"Well, I'd like to cancel that," I said. "I really have to be leaving today, so I can't make that fight."

"Very well." She went to work again the computer, typing who knows what. I mean seriously, just what did she have to type in? Couldn't a simple keystroke indicate that the fight was canceled? This went on for the better part of a minute, so I finally had to inquire.

"Is there a problem?"

"Not at all, just determining what- if any- fees are applicable to your stay with us." Just what I figured would happen. I was running extremely low on money as it was, and anything I had would have to pay for my ticket back to Vermillion City. I went digging through my bag, hoping there was some way I could soften the blow.

"Will this help?" I told her, handing her my nurse's ID card.

"Oh, you're a trainee nurse with the League? This will make things a lot easier!" She smiled, and started punching a completely new set of keys. After a few moments of hearing that, she handed both cards to me, along with a printout.

"This is your receipt, detailing your stay with us. Because of your employment with the League, the charges for cancellation have been dropped. We hope you visit us again in the future!"

"Wow, thanks!" I said with a beaming smile on my face. To think it was that easy with my nurse ID! With this business resolved, the only thing left to do was say my farewells to Flannery and the other gym leaders. Provided I could find them somewhere in the hotel.

Back in my room, I walked in to see Flannery eating her soup alone at the table. She was still wrapped up in the blankets, making it extremely hard for her to enjoy her meal.

"Hey, if you want I can raise the heat up in here," I told her as I sat down at the table. She just shook her head and continued to eat.

"You look like you're ready to go," she said sorrowfully.

"I just came back from the lobby. I canceled my next battle, gave up the reservation-" I clasped my hands to my mouth. If I did that, where would Flannery be forced to go?

"Don't worry about it," she said, catching on. "I'll just phone in and tell them that I'll be taking the room right after you sign out officially. No big deal."

"You sure you'll be okay here alone?" Her response was another bout of coughing, complete with the required sneeze. Perhaps it was just me, but she wasn't looking any better after eating that soup.

"Actually, I'd like you to do me a favor before you go," she said, pushing away the empty plate.

"Anything! Name it!"

"Before you go, I want you to call room number 415 for me," she said as she dragged herself to the bed.

"415? What for?"

"That's the room Roxanne is staying in," she said, coughing between sentences. "Call her, and ask her something for me."

"Sure. What do I ask?"

"If she could keep me company today. I could really use-" Another loud sneeze cut her off, but she quickly recovered to finish her sentence. "A friend."

"Sure thing, Flannery," I said with a smile. "I'll call her for you."

~o~

I spent about an hour saying goodbye to Flannery, if only because the poor sick girl wouldn't let me go. The cold was really knocking her out, but she fought to stay awake longer to be with me. Eventually, though, fatigue won her over, and she passed out while we were discussing Winona's secret crush on Wallace, the Sootopolis gym leader. Once I noticed she was halfway asleep, I said my final farewell, which she protested like a fussy child. I called Roxanne's room like she asked, just before I left.

"Hello, Star! How nice to speak with you again. Anything I can help you with?"

"Actually, I have a favor to ask, from Flannery," I said softly. Her expression clearly showed she didn't like where this was going, but the better part of her spoke.

"What does she want?"

"She's come down with a cold," I explained, "and she'd like some company after I leave. I'm heading back to Kanto today, and she doesn't want to be alone here."

"I see," she said, looking to something else in the room for a moment. I almost thought she'd say no, to be honest. "You sure she asked this?"

"Sure sure," I said with a giggle. "Her words exact: 'I could really use a friend'."

"I'll be right over, then. Don't leave until I get there."

A little while later, Roxanne showed up at the door, carrying with her a pillow and a spare blanket. By the look of things, she was planning on spending the night on the couch to keep her company. The thought occurred to me to bring up their past, but I bit my tongue. It was a mistake to bring it up with Flannery, and I didn't want to repeat that with Roxanne. Though I will admit I did tease this knowledge by bidding her farewell. I called her 'Roxy', which left her a bit confused at first.

Once all the paperwork was sorted out downstairs, I left the Battle Tower. I took one last look at the place, burning it into memory before I set out for Sootopolis. Down by the pier, I released Feebas from his Pokeball, trying to keep a straight face looking at the hideous critter. I took the scale in my hand, and without thinking twice, placed it on his head. Instantly, the Pokemon flashed white, and began to grow exponentially in size. When the bright light faded, a beautiful and stunning Milotic had replaced Feebas.

"Wow," I said in wonder, petting my new Pokemon. "Can't believe you used to be so ugly."

Milotic pulled back, offended by my comment. I pulled him back in with my hand.

"It's true! Now, we need to get to Sootopolis as fast as possible. Can I count on you, Milotic?"

The Pokemon nodded, and turned around. I adjusted my bag, and grabbed onto his slender back. It wasn't as comfortable as surfing by Lapras or even Wailmer, but it would get me across on my own merits and completely dry. With Vulpix sitting on my bag while clutching onto me, we were off to Sootopolis. Now all I had to hope for was that nothing slowed us on our way.

Too much to hope for, of course.

~o~

Okay, so the slowdown wasn't anyone's fault but my own. As Milotic surfed along, I noticed a beach just a minute or two off to a side. It was the kind of place you'd like to spend a weekend on, splashing around in the summer. However, what caught my eye was a pile of stones in the shape of a small flame. Ever curious, I turned Milotic towards the beach, and had him drop us off there. I justified the stop as a chance for him to rest up, and got right to examining the stone pile.

"I know I've seen this symbol before, Vulpix," I said, getting a closer look at it. I thought at first it was just my imagination, or perhaps I was getting it confused with the official logo of fire types in the Pokemon League. That's when someone came out from the small jungle on the island.

"Who are you?" He called out in a gruff voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I was just curious about your statue, uh, thing here! I'm Star!" I said to him. However, upon closer inspection, I noticed he was wearing a blue bandana, and it had a logo eerily similar to one I was familiar with.

"Well, get off the island, kid. I don't take kindly to visitors." The man crossed his arms, expecting me to leave without a word. I turned to leave, before I stopped and turned around. I knew this man, I had this strangest feeling I knew who he was. And this was something I needed answered right then and there. I stood my ground, and crossed my arms in a similar fashion.

"I know who you are," I said slowly. The man's stern expression slowly warped into a sly smile.

"Do ya, now? Let's hear it, girl." It was a wild guess on my part, or perhaps not too wild.

"You're Archie, the leader of Team Aqua. Or should I say the FORMER Team Aqua! I heard the last of your grunts were arrested at the Battle Frontier, along with David." That last addition was something I shouldn't have done.

"David? I see now, you're that trainer he was after, the one who took the Master Ball from my troops outside Ever Grande!" Now that it was confirmed, I had no qualms with running back to Sootopolis on Milotic.

"Y-Yeah, I think I'll just leave now," I said, taking a few steps back. Archie released a Pokemon, a much larger version of Zubat and Golbat that I hadn't seen before.

"You ain't going anywhere. Crobat, Air Cutter!"

"Vulpix, Flamethrower!"

I ducked for cover immediately, dodging the incoming blow directed at me personally. Archie had no problems trying to off me, much like Maxie. Which hit me on the spot: if Maxie was also on this island, and he joined Archie in battle, I'd be in serious trouble. I looked over to Vulpix, who was doing her best to try and burn the large bat out of the sky. I had to knock out this Pokemon as quickly as possible and get off this beach.

"Crobat, Confuse Ray!"

"Vulpix, Confuse Ray as well!"

Both Pokemon locked eyes, each one trying to confuse the other. In the end, both ended up disoriented, with Crobat struggling to stay in the air, and Vulpix having to sit down to keep her balance. This was my chance to escape. I scooped her up and made a mad dash for Milotic, who was awaiting me on the shore. Once Archie realized I was making a run for it, he recalled his Crobat and chased after me with a different Pokeball.

"Milotic, use Water Gun on him!" I yelled as I practically jumped onto his back. My slender Pokemon aimed for only a second before firing, forcing Archie back onto the beach. His Pokeball fell out of his hand, causing the critter to be released on the sand and not the ocean. It was a sharklike Pokemon I had seen before, but it was now helpless out of the water.

"Milotic, let's go!"

We sailed off the island, leaving behind an enraged Archie who was trying to get his Pokemon into the water to give chase. I kept turning my head back, trying to see if he'd chase us out to sea. Fortunately, I saw him put that shark Pokemon away and just flail his arm at us in the distance. Letting out a hearty sigh of relief, I loosened my grip on Milotic's back.

"Remind me never to stop at the beach again, you two." Milotic let out a soft cry, while Vulpix was still trying to regain her focus. With a little help from me, she'd overcome that nasty status effect by the time we got to Sootopolis harbor.

~o~

I arrived at the harbor sooner than expected, even with my delayed arrival thanks to the scuffle on the beach. I spoke with the man who let me borrow his Wailmer, and confirmed that SS Aqua was due to dock there at 9:00 the next morning. Satisfied, I started my long hike over the mountain and into town. It would be hard, but if I worked at the Pokemon Center the better part of the night, I could earn a bit of extra money with which to buy my ticket to Vermillion. I only had to hope the local Nurse Joy could offer me some actual work.

Fortunately, when I arrived close to sunset, Nurse Joy was delighted to see me again. I explained my problem, and she was happy to offer me some late night cleaning duty, despite her hesitance at first. After all, I was pretty sure there was some kind of law against making an eleven-year-old work for so many hours late into the night. I assured her that I had no problem with it all, as I desperately needed the money. Last thing I wanted after all this was to miss the SS Aqua, or even be indebted to Professor Birch. Saddened me that I didn't even have any nuggets to sell and help ease up costs.

Regardless, I worked late into the night, cleaning the waiting area and the front counter. Once it got close to midnight, Nurse Joy officially relieved me, even going so far as to order me to bed before she got into some serious trouble. I was certain I hadn't earned my keep just yet, so I'd have to wake up early the next morning to finish the job.

Which I did, despite Nurse Joy's protests. Her Chansey wasn't going to tattle on me, so I was able to clean with Chansey's help that morning. By the time the nurse got up, the waiting area and desk were spotless.

"Just what am I going to do with you, Star?" She asked rhetorically.

"Pay me and allow me to be on my way already?" I said, yawning in the process. I was tired beyond measure, but there was still one last thing to accomplish that morning. Nurse Joy paid me for an entire day's work, telling me it was okay for her to tell a little white lie on my part. With that, I woke Vulpix up that morning and ran out of town. It was still a pretty long hike up and over the mountainside, and I most certainly didn't want to miss my boat.

The SS Aqua was docking just as I made it to the harbor, with a few new passengers awaiting the drawbridge down at the pier. I said my farewells to the Wailmer man, whose name I never did learn, and got in line with the rest of the folks. Once the bridge was out and several passengers got off, the rest of us started climbing aboard. Whereas they showed their tickets to get on, I had to show my Nurse ID card, and then pay a small fee to board the ship. Once on board, I met up with Professor Birch, who was delighted to see me again.

"For a moment there," he told me up on deck, "I didn't think you'd make it. I heard there was a terrible storm over these parts two days ago."

"Yeah, there was. But thanks to me, it was all taken care of." I gloated to the bearded man.

"Really? You'll have to tell me all about it!" I nodded, but let out another long and rude yawn in his face.

"I'm sorry, but first I'd like to take a nap. You don't know the trouble I had to go through yesterday to make it here."