"Okay, I know I've asked this a bunch of times now..."
"Don't say it."
"And it's really cliché..."
"I swear, Raiden!"
"Are we there yet?" Dean glares at me, and I shut up immediately. I might be a hybrid, but Dean is like, twice my size. I have a feeling he could take me in a one-on-one fight. But that doesn't change the fact that we've been walking for two days and haven't even come close to Blutere City! How much longer is this going to take?
Another few minutes pass in silence, the only sound being the occasional blast of wind through the trees. Oh right, it's almost Autumn. I'll need a jacket soon. "Can you at least tell me about Blutere City? I've never even been there and I'm bored."
Dean sighs, obviously tired of my questions. What can I say, I have a lot of practice with annoying people. "If I do, will you shut up for an hour?"
"Sure."
Don't lie, Rai. Arc says. Darn. I thought he was asleep. Or whatever he does in there. Hey, that rhymes! Hehe.
"Fine. Blutere City is right by the coast, so it's pretty nice there. There eastern side of the city is basically a huge beach, and I think that's where the gym is. The city itself is actually pretty small compared to others, and there aren't many huge buildings like skyscrapers. But there are a bunch of hotels, and some are specifically for traveling trainers." Wow, that place sounds great. I can't wait to see it. Oh yeah, that's right. I won't be able to. At best, I'll be stuck in a hotel room while Dean's out surfing at the beach. Being a hybrid sucks.
"Happy now?" Dean asks. I almost forgot he was talking.
"No, but I'll be quiet."
"Good. And we'll be there by tonight." Thank Arceus!
The next hour passes in almost painful silence. Every once in a while, a wild pokemon would come into our path and Dean would battle it, but it was so boring! My feet ache, I'm hungry, and there's a really itchy spot on my back that I can't reach. Stupid fur. It's so uncomfortable most of the time.
All of a sudden, a different sound drifts through the area. It's faint, but I can tell someone is coming. I hear a lot of crashing through the bushes, so there's mo way it's a pokemon or hybrid. Even the smell is too human to be a pokemon or hybrid, and trust me, I've learned to tell the difference.. And it's better safe than sorry. Unfortunately
"Someone's coming," I groan. Of course. It had to be a human coming. Why isn't it ever someone I know? And if you ask me, Dean looks a little too happy to take out the X-Ball. And since when is it in his pocket and not his bag? He was waiting for this, wasn't he? With a click, it's like my body is hit with a huge wind. Everything fades away, sight, sounds, even feeling. And then, it's just darkness.
For a few seconds anyway.
After a few moments, a strange green light appears in the distance. It soon grows larger and larger, and when it fades, I'm left standing in a far-stretching field. A light breeze blows, and the sun shines brightly in the sky.
"Oh great, now I have to hang out with you." A frown etches itself onto my face as o turn around. Standing there is a perfect reflection of me, or technically Arc. Guess he was feeling more human today.
"I don't want to be here either, you know," I retort. "But apparently, our consciousness doesn't know what else to do in this situation, so we have to share."
Understandably, Arc doesn't look convinced. His arms are crossed over his furred chest. "You know what the best part about living in our head is? I get to be alone in a place I choose. You being here messes it all up!"
"I was here first!"
"No, you weren't! We just split up!"
I've had enough of this. I can at least block him out in the real world, but this is awful. "Look, you go over there, and I'll go over here. We've only got a few minutes left in here anyway." Turning on my heels, I stomp off in one direction. Arc does the same in the opposite one.
Despite my earlier assumption, Dean doesn't let me/us out in a few minutes. It could just be that time works differently in here, but I'm pretty sure it's been half-an-hour. What is he doing out there?
By now, the area around me has morphed from the previous setting. Instead of a green meadow, I'm no surrounded by trees and underbrush. Forests aren't exactly the most comfortable places to live, but it's actually kind of safe. It gives me a sort of calmness to be in one. I guess I've spent too much time living in one. But it's not like there's anywhere else for me.
"You better not be getting all emo over there!" Arc suddenly shouts. He's not even close by, but his voice comes loud and clear. "I refuse to feel that!"
"Would you just leave me alone?" I shout back. I reach up to pick a berry from a tree. How long is this going to take?
I carve another notch into a tree with my knife. The sixth one. Yep, it's been six hours. It is definitely dark out now. But in my head, the sun is still shining brightly. But even so, we've got to be in Blutere City by now. And he still hasn't let me out of this thing! I bet he was just waiting for an excuse to keep me locked up in this thing! Was I really that annoying? Was Dean going back on his promise? Or did he lie to me from the start?
"What did I tell you about going emo?" Arc yells. But I don't reply. Who cares if this makes him annoyed. I can tell he's thinking the same thing. We share the same body for Arceus' sake!
All of a sudden, a weird, but familiar sensation overcomes me. The world around me melts away, and with it comes a sense of euphoria and dread. I guess now's when I figure out the truth. I can only hope for the best.
Once my vision clears up, I can see Dean standing in front of me. He's got a sheepish grin on his face, like he's getting ready to apologize for something (he better be sorry). But looking around, I can see we're inside. And by the looks of it, a hotel or something. The entire room is carpeted white, except for the kitchen area. There's a neatly made bed in front of a wide screen TV, and a chair next to it. Man, this place is nice. Are we in Blutere City? Which meant this really was one of those hotels. Dean wasn't kidding when he said these were nice.
Hello? Aren't you forgetting about being mad at him? Oh yeah! I'm just about to give Dean a piece of my mind, but he beats me to it.
"Look, sorry about keeping you locked up in that thing. I got stuck talking to someone on the way, and we ended up heading toward the city together. I couldn't exactly let you out in front of her, right?" However, I was only holding onto one word in his explaination.
A smirk sneaks onto my face. "You got distracted by a girl, didn't you?"
Dean recoils in surprise, face glowing red. "Wh-what? No! She just wanted to talk. And walk together. Look, just forget about it, okay?" Oh, there's no way I'm letting this one go. But there are more important things on my mind than making fun of Dean. I haven't eaten all day.
I make my way over to the mini-fridge, swinging it wide open. Unfortunately, there's not a thing inside. Just cold air. "What kind of hotel is this? There are supposed to be snacks in the fridge!"
"What kind of hotel are you talking about?" Dean asks, closing the door. "You don't just get free food in your room."
"Please tell me there's room service!"
"Yes, there is. And lucky for you, it's free. You can get as much as you want. Just make sure no one sees you." Yeah, yeah. The usual "make sure you're not seen" stuff. Who cares, free food delivered right to my room! This isn't as bad as I thought. But as I make my way over to the phone, Dean's putting his jacket back on.
"Where are you going? We just got here."
"I'm gonna go scout out the Gym for tomorrow. I heard the Leader is tough. Maybe I can watch someone battle him before tomorrow." Oh yeah. I almost forgot we're only here until he battles the Gym Leader and moves on to the next city. Which means we'll probably only stay a day or two. Sure, we'll be moving quickly, but I don't want to be back on the road so soon. I guess there's nothing I can do about it.
We could always cause a panic in the city and shut stuff down for a few days. Arc suggests.
"We'll call that Plan B." Well, it wasn't that bad of an idea. It was just 90% flaws.
"See you in an hour," Dean says as he closes the door. Now it's just me, Arc, a phone, and a wide-screen TV. This is going to be the best night ever!
I flop onto the bed and grab the remote off the bedside table. It's been years since I've last watched TV, and I intend to find out the best shows that are on right now. As soon as I find something that looks interesting, I put the remote down and pick up the phone and menu. The number for Room Service is dialed in an instant.
"Hey, is this room service? I'd like a papaya berry smoothie, a large cheeseburger, and your finest bowl of oran berry ice cream delivered to Room 307. Just leave it by the door." While I wait, I focus on the show. From what i can tell, it's about some detective guy and his best friend who solve a mystery for an hour and a half. To be honest, I'm not really following any of it. But it's better than nothing.
Eventually, there's a knock at the door to the room. As I run there, I almost open the door wide. But luckily, I manage to remember to look through the glass outside. After making sure no one's out there, I open the door just wide enough and snatch the food in. I'm practically drooling at the sight. The burger is perfectly put together, and looks like it was freshly made. Steam is still coming off the buns. The smoothie and ice-cream look practically home-made too. And the smell, oh the smell. I could die right now and be happy.
What are you waiting for, dumbass? Arc shouts. Eat it already! Looks like he's just as hungry as I am. After setting my tray down on a table, I dig in. And the food is just as good as it tastes. Yeah, I could definitely die right now and be happy. I haven't lived like this in years.
But all of a sudden, there's a loud knock that nearly surprises me enough to drop my bowl of ice cream. But it doesn't come from the door. It's coming from the window. Right outside is a girl on the balcony. She looks like she's trying to get me to let her in.
Did I mention this room is on the third floor of this hotel? Or that she's a hybrid?