23
The news hits everyone hard. Everyone in our group knew him, even some of the pokémon. Sakura and Rachamim were friends with him, and while Serena hadn't talked with him much, seeing a dead pokémon was enough to make her break down. Veera and Abby were hit probably harder than I. Veera, still not fully grown, weeped with Abby, as if she were her mother. They both cried.
A full day after his death, I decided that I want to give Markus a proper burial, in the proper place. As sick as it was, I kept Markus in the pokéball as I went back to Lavender. All the way back with just Veera at my side. The others headed to Celadon to wait for our return. I asked Abby to come, but she refused. Each night we slept, Veera would look at the pokéball, wanting to see her Father. I shake my head. She doesn't cry, she simply understands.
We get to pokémon tower after about two weeks, and make the arrangements. We head up to the top tower, the pokémon not attacking because of the sense of sorrow we put out, and the dead pokémon. At the top floor, a floor tile is removed, revealing dirt, as most of the floors are large, and covered with dirt, trying to simulate a read burial.
I paid a lot. A whole fucking lot. Markus is going to get the best funeral he could possibly have, without all the family and friends.
Well, he had one of each of those at least.
He was lowered in the next day, the amount of money I played was extravagant and overwhelming. He got all honors and was put in quickly. I actually stayed for part of the funeral. There was no speech, there was hardly anyone obviously, anyway. A few people who mourned at the tower came, simply because it was a sad occasion. A few asked me what happened, and I painfully said he was murdered by a wild pokémon, and upon hearing the reply, more than one cried openly, feeling sorry for what happened. As if it mattered what they could do.
Afterwards, I spend the day, and night their with Veera, thinking, and feeling sad without crying. I lie awake near the tombstone, seeing ghost pokémon crowd around us in sorrow, and me, letting the fact that I have to take down an evil organization with one less friend sink in, when he probably wanted a shot at them more than I ever did. How will Alexis take this? It's almost my fault he died. Will I tell her right out? Do I try to let her figure it out… Do I forget her entirely?
No. No, no, no. Markus would never forgive me if I did that. Besides, I need to help all the pokémon in this program. If I rescue Alexis, she'll probably know where the rest are.
That night, Veera doesn't say a word. People leave, and I sleep on the ground after a few restless hours of thought. I simply wake up the next morning with Veera up, politely asking that we leave immediately.
"What's up?" I ask.
I want to leave this place. Now.
"Why Veera? You may never get to… see your father again."
Please, can we just go!?
I nod. I suppose she may be in enough pain. "All right. Let's go. I'm sure the others miss us."
She simply nods and we both head out, I not dare returning her to her pokéball, knowing she may need some friendly reassurance at any time. We wave to the receptionist, one of those who cried while we were there, and we continue walking toward the western exit of town.
Nothing happens.
We… got out of this place safely!? I think, completely confused. I finally have done something that takes an extended amount of time in one place, and not so much a zigzagoon or rattata crossing my path?
I shake my head at such an idiotic thought. No one wants to be interrupted in a time of sorrow, and thinking as such was the thought of one who may not feel they've suffered enough. I have no time for self pity.
No! Even that was a bad thought. I should feel bad, if at least for a little while. Knowing I can't possibly put a clock on how sorry I feel for myself, I just keep walking, letting my head travel from thought to thought freely.
Veera kept popping up. No matter how much I avoid thinking about it, Veera remains a subject on my mind. How she would absent mindedly ask about his pokéball, and how we left the tower hastily. I stop both of us at a clearing (more of 'em) and take a seat on a log. "Veera."
She simply tilts her head at me. She cried at camp, but not since then.
"What did you think of your father?"
Excuse me? She says, as if baffled.
"Do you truly appreciate what he did for me?"
Of course I do Raizu. Don't ask me such a question.
"Do you think it was my fault?" I ask bluntly and unexpectedly.
She stops and gives me a blank look, and it slowly turns into an angry look. There is none at fault except that cursed arcanine, and he got what he had coming.
"Are you sure?" I say, wanting her to think a bit. I know she doesn't fully understand or know her father, and I want her to. Even if it means she'll hate me for a while. "I, after all, dashed up and basically got in the way. He knows water pulse, he could easily have beaten that arcanine."
I… I can't find myself to blame you Raizu. You are my closest friend… I almost love you as a father. You helped me when we first met, remember? Oh no, this isn't the place-
"It's fine." I say. "I won't forget it either. I was busy in the forest looking for berries…"
… While I had escaped from Oak's pen. A bunch of spearow attacked me, and a fearow led the flock…
"… And when I saw what was happening, I dashed out in front and fiercely snapped the fearow's neck. It was so startled that it didn't notice me, and the rest of the spearow were scared off. If I hadn't showed up…"
… I wouldn't be alive, and every night, I remind myself of that moment. My feeling of pure fear and my life, which had not gone anywhere yet. As Markus… no, Dad told you, my first memories were Alexis and I being ripped from each other. She was crying loudly and struggling, the drugs also affecting her psychic powers. I hardly knew what was happening, but I knew I was leaving my mom. A tear drops from her eye. I never knew my father, and I doubted I ever would. I had almost forgotten his existence completely. Then when he was introduced to us, I didn't feel a connection. They say a person can always feel like they know their dad. I couldn't have disagreed more.
A tear almost comes to my eyes. I wipe them quickly and blink a few times. "Veera…"
When we talked after his running off, I accepted it calmly, while he exploded with emotion. I wasn't sure what it was like to have a father, so I didn't know how to react. But I was happy that he was, and maybe he confused that. But… after his death… I'm feeling all weird inside.
I sniffle a little, and let her continue. It's as if something inside my head has clicked on, and I know him more. Like, all of our experiences together, even simply traveling, and seeing him before I fell, seem to have a meaning now. I wasn't just seeing a person. I was seeing… my dad. When she stops, she starts crying heavily on my lap, jumping into me. I pet her head softly and mumble comfort to her, but am still not sure what to say. I hardly have a dad of my own.
We don't leave that spot. In fact, we go back to Lavender after a little while. When we arrive, the receptionist gives us a curious look, but I ignore her. We hurry up to the top floor, the pokémon ignoring us, but giving us equally odd looks. When we reach the top, I stand near the stairs as Veera bolts over to Markus's grave as she talks aloud to him. She says a lot of things, and most of them I don't understand. Have I forgotten how to understand pokémon now? Or do I need a deeper connection? Is it true that a trainer can simply understand a pokémon by being the most valued friends of them?…
The whole time she cries. I catch a few apologies, as if I am hearing a language I am learning, but the native speaker is talking too fast. Her sorrow is overwhelming. I can feel the negative energy as if it was a shockwave, assuming the curse has something to do with it. I see her cry and just sit over him, mumbling how sorry she is for not appreciating him. How sorry she is for not realizing how much she meant to him. How much she meant to anyone.
After she's done, I walk up to her, and she gives me a helpless look, her tears streaming down her white furred face, her wings tucked in and hunched over. What should I do?
I think for a few seconds, and just sit down next to her. "First, we will leave tomorrow. Markus would appreciate one more night with you. Second, we take some action. Rocket will have what's coming to them, for the wrongs they have done, and the curse that even plagues Draxik's family. We'll stop them, so no one has to suffer from evil hands." I smile, and she smiles back at me too.