(I don't own pokemon. I'm not even sure if I actually have to put this here. Is anyone worried about someone thinking 'boy oh boy, this FearofFears fella sure is creative! He created this whole world and these "pokemon" creatures.' Ya, no. That person would be a big dummy. And not the good kind, like you guys.)

Chapter 4

Dante

"So, Doctor. Um, what's wrong with him?" Chloe asked nervously rocking from heel to toe. She wiped a tear from her eye and cleared her throat, obviously torn up about Ink.

"Well, we can't tell yet, but I'm sure it's nothing serious. You two should get some rest, there's an Inn across the street. We'll have the diagnosis by tomorrow, so just stop by when you can. Just, take it easy." The doctor said reassuringly. I looked over at Chloe, and she didn't seem any less worried. Well, I can't say she didn't have reason.

Let me backpedal a bit. After Ink fainted in the forest, we rushed him to the hospital in Tarall Town, the next town over. The doctors ran a few tests, and that's really it. Chloe was nervous that whole time, her eyes were wide and red, and she was pale, like, deathly pale.

We could only afford a one-bedroom room at the Inn, so I slept on the couch. I couldn't stop thinking about Ink, but not about what you might think. I was angry at him. I know, I know, it's selfish, but I couldn't help it. I was really, genuinely mad. I hated that this might be the end of our journey. If he was sick, like, really sick, there was no doubt Chloe and him would go back home, and without them I would be completely lost.

My train of thought was interrupted by a muffled cry coming from the bedroom. It sounded like a sob, but I didn't want to take any chances. Maybe Ink's...situation was contagious, so I ran to the door and opened it.

"I'M FINE!" She screamed immediately, then she threw a pillow at the door, but I shut it just in time. In that moment, I was done. I'd find someone else, a new partner. I didn't need them bringing me down.

So I left.

~The next morning, in the forest between Tarall Town and the first Gym in Mysticia City~

It was cold, but I didn't care, all I had to do was keep going. The first Gym couldn't be that far away. Just. Keep. Going.

But it was so cold.

So, so cold. That was all I could think about. I started fantasizing about having a Fire-type pokemon. For a split second, I was even angry at my pokemon for not being Fire-types, but I snapped out of it. I couldn't start thinking like that. I just couldn't.

"Hey, kid! Have you been out all night? Its dawn and it looks like you haven't gotten a wink of sleep. Come inside." I heard a voice say in the fog. I walked towards it, revealing a house with warm lights radiating from it. I went inside, and that's the last thing I remember. Well, not exactly. I had a dream.

I was in the forest again, fog surrounding me. I heard voices, many more than one. All of them murmuring. I thought I heard them say my name, so I looked around. All of a sudden, there were shapes. All around me. They were shadowy figures. People, maybe, but something was definitely wrong. Then, I saw Chloe, she was crying. No, she was screaming. Her mouth was moving but she made no sound. Her eyes were red and wet, she had just finished crying. I didn't know why she was yelling, and then she pointed behind me. I turned and saw a gravestone. It said "Here Lies Ink. Why weren't you there, Carbon?" The letters were scratched in crudely, as if by a child. I screamed, but my voice made no sound. Something tapped my shoulder, and I jolted and spun around, and I saw Ink. It wasn't just Ink, there was something about him. He felt dead. He just…felt gone. He didn't look any different, but it wasn't him. He was still. Unnervingly still. Then, a coffin rose out of the ground behind him. He stepped back into it, and the door shut. I tried to pry it open, but I couldn't. I just couldn't. I looked behind me, I just felt something there. It was a child. A young girl. I had seen her before somewhere. Perhaps in another dream. A sense of dread filled me when I saw her empty eyes. So empty, so cold. Not even human. Her eyes held nothing, but her face showed cruel, unnatural emotion. She was smiling. Smiling and laughing. Mocking me. I don't know why, but it hurt. It hurt me so much. I wanted to run away. So I tried. But, where the coffin was, there was now a mirror. But it wasn't me. It was my mom. Staring back at me. Just, sitting there. Empty. Just like the girl. Like Ink. Like me.

I woke up screaming, drenched in sweat, my eyes swollen and wet with tears. There was a boy, around 15, two years older than me, next to me in a rocking chair. I wasn't sure if he was even real, because he remained so still and calm, as if oblivious to me kicking and screaming. He was just sitting there patiently, waiting for me to stop. It took a while, but I eventually did. He stood up, nodded at the door, then left.

"Um, hey. Are you the guy who brought me in here last night?" I asked, following him into what appeared to be the kitchen.

"Nah, that was Zoroark. He was sleeping outside, and he saw you coming. I guess he imitated my dad and brought you in, or at least that's what I understand." He said back. I saw from a picture frame on the counter that his name was Dante.

"So, uh, Dante," I waited to see if there was a reaction, but there was none, "Why was Zoroark sleeping outside?" Dante gestured at the wall behind me. It had a giant, menacing slash in it. Tearing right through the wallpaper. "Ohhhh." I said. "What other pokemon do you guys have? Zoroark is pretty powerful, how'd you get one of those?"

"Dad's a breeder, "Dante responded plainly, "He has plenty of pokemon, and sometime she gets shipments from my mom, down in Vilerus City. She's the Gym Leader there." I nearly choked.

"Your mom is Tabitha? Tabitha Alighieri? The Poison-type Gym Leader? Wow, she's really strong; she's the sixth, right?" I asked, amazed, and humbled by this information.

"Yes, sixth," I heard a voice come from behind me say. It was familiar, and I realized it was the man that had let me in last night. I knew it was him, because I could see a Zoroark sleeping in the room the man emerged from.

I stuttered for a bit then said, "Hello, Mr. Alighieri, um, I was-"

He cut me off. "Yes, I know Zoroark dragged you in here. I have a question for you though, how do you know my wife's name? She goes by her stage alias most of the time, 'Venom'. Not many people know her true name."

"Well, you see, my dad is…um, was Ace Dynasty. He worked with your wife in the league." I said, seeing his inquisitive face turn into one of sympathy.

"I'm sorry for your loss, boy." He said. I guess the news had even reached people here. I didn't know League families were so close. Mr. Alighieri stared at me a little longer, and then continued, looking at Dante, "Son, why don't you lead this boy over to Mysticia City, maybe both of you can get badges."

"But, Dad," Dante said, his voice showing reluctance, "I only just met the guy, and-"

Mr. Alighieri cut him off, too, saying, "That doesn't matter, I knew his father, and I trust this boy will make a fine companion for you. You know we don't like you venturing off alone, and with the rest of the family gone, I can't just abandon the Day Care. Now's your chance, and if you get the badge, I'll let you go try out for the rest of them, even if Carbon doesn't go with you."

"Ok, Dad, fine. I'll get my stuff." Dante said, not looking too thrilled, but definitely not appearing unhappy.

"Wait, one last thing, Mr. Alighieri, how'd you know my name?" I asked. He responded with a wink. And with that, we were off.

~One hour later, at a café~

"Ok, so, you go first, I'll go second. You have that Murkrow, so it shouldn't take you that long. I'll need a bit of time to prepare my Snubbull and Cubone." Dante said, getting excited about facing the gym leader. He had just explained his tactics to me, and they were pretty solid. I'm no Fox or Ink, but I thought of myself as a pretty solid strategist, and his plans had almost no weak points. It was my plan of attack that worried me. I still had pretty new pokemon, and I didn't really know how to use them with any sort of strategy yet. He kept trying to reassure me, but I was still pretty nervous.

"Carbon?" I heard someone behind me say. I was hoping, praying to all forms of Arceus that it wasn't her. But it was. Fox, in all her red haired, blue eyed, succubus-like glory. Well, that was a bit extreme, but she was still there, but her goons, if evil masterminds count as goons, were nowhere in sight.

"Hey, Fox. Um…how're you?" I asked awkwardly.

"Cut the crap, C, we're not that close." She said, pulling up a chair to our table, uninvited. "Where are beauty and the beast? Ink is the beauty, if you didn't get that."

"I, uh, I got it. They're not here, Ink has, like, a medical condition, so they went back home." I said trying not to stare. Ok, that sounded bad. I meant her eyes. They were piercing, but beautiful. It was hard not to look, but it was harder to lock eyes.

"Oh, well. Tell him I hope he feels better. Oh, yeah, and tell him to call me." She said, and then walked away.

"Well, I doubt that could've been more awkward. You wanna challenge the Gym today or tomorrow?" Dante asked, getting up from the table.

I thought about it for a bit, and then said, "Tomorrow, I'm not really feeling it today. Hey, shouldn't we pay? Um…I know this is rude of me, but, um…"

"It's fine," Dante said, whipping out a stuffed wallet, "I got it covered."

"Whoa, what'd you do, rob a bank?" I asked, astounded.

"Haha, no, Dad gets checks from Mom because of her Gym money. If a Gym leader is retired, or…um, yeah, the kids don't inherit it until they're eighteen." Dante said, trying his best not to say something offensive. It didn't really work, but it's the thought that counts.

~That night, in the famous Mysticia Inn~

It was a very nice room. A kitchen, two bedrooms, and an okay view of the forest, but nothing special. Dante said he didn't like wasting money. This Inn was a lot cheaper than the last one, and I might've even been able to get a two bedroom if I was still with Chloe and Ink. Then, just like that I heard them. It was definitely them, but I could only hear part of their conversation, since they were out in the hallway, and I was in the room, but I made this out:

"Ink, what are we gonna do if we don't find him. Actually, what are we gonna do if we do find him." Chloe asked, in a hushed voice, but just loud enough to hear.

"Just forgive and forget. I don't blame him for leaving. If we get mad at him, he'll just ask questions." Ink responded after a long pause.

I heard Chloe gasp, then say, "Wait, are you saying we're not gonna tell him? That's crazy! This is a big deal, you can't just-"

"I can and I will. He doesn't have to know. Just, let it go and be happy we could afford this room." Ink snapped.

"You cannot just brush this off!" Chloe said, obviously losing her temper, "Ink, you're not just sick. You could die."

(Another cliffhanger, oh snap. I'm glad I got this chapter out right after the last, and I'll really try to do that more often. If you liked or have some constructive criticism, leave a review, they're much appreciated. You big dummies won't have to wait long for the next chapter, it's on its way, and with it, the first Gym. See you guys next time.)

Tune in next time to witness the new dynamic duo face all the challenges of the first gym, run by Mystique, a Psychic type master! Will Carbon be able to face a gym so soon after his journey has begun? And what will happen with Ink and Chloe? Find out next chapter, in "Riddle Me This". Thanks for reading.