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As I feel any presence fade away, I turn and start walking in the direction I was originally going when I hear leaves crunching behind me, and I turn to see Veera. I'm surprised, but my mood is so dulled from talking to Deren that it doesn't show. She doesn't seem to notice my lack of surprise.
"Raizu…" She says, distant and uncertain.
"Veera, I'm glad you're back." I say, smiling.
"Wha-?" She says, looking at me weird.
"I don't care why you left, I'm just glad you're back." I smirk. "Just don't hit on me again."
"Um, oh, yeah okay." She says, stumbling over her words. "I came flying back waiting to say some big speech about why I left and what's been going on-"
"I don't care." I interrupt. "You're back, and that's what matters. You aren't hurt or scarred or anything, are you?"
"Erm, no." She says. She gives me a befuddled look.
--
In a wonderful stroke of luck, I find all of my pokémon back at the rock where I left Abby and Jet. Tempest was easily strong enough to bring my stuff on his back as well.
"They were easy to find." Tempest tells me. "They were arguing loudly. Something about… actually, you just don't want to know."
I give him a curious look. I then turn to the other two, Abby and Jet, who are sitting on opposite sides of the clearing, no fear for being exposed due to the rain having stopped minutes ago.
Before I can ask, Abby bursts out again at Jet. "Damnit, why won't you even acknowledge the existence of my daughter?"
Oh. "She isn't mine, and I do not know her. What, will you tell her I'm her father or something?" He says, not even turning around.
"You act like no one has ever been adopted. It happens, we have parents that aren't our real parents sometimes." She says, on the borderline of bawling.
"What?" He asks, caught off guard by her tears. At this time, I've already requested everyone be returned and they obliged, since I didn't think that it would be best they heard this discussion.
"Jet… damnit, Raizu, I have to leave for a while!" She yells, running off into the forest. She leaves my sight before I can even reach for her pokéball.
Jet starts to run off after her, but turns to me. He bows his head, saying, "You need not worry, trainer of Abby. I will return her safely." He then runs off before I can respond.
I look around, waiting for something else to happen, and sigh. Great. Abso-fucking-lutely great. Abby left, now what am I going to do?
I hear a sound from above, and feel leaves fall on me. The rustling continues, and I feel a downward wind hit my back as something lands on the ground behind me. I spin around and am greeted by a heracross. "Yo." He says, his voice translated instantly.
"Do I know you?"
"Yeah, well know. I do know that white winged dog of yours, Veeya-or-something. She was all nice, and yeah." He scratches his invisible nose with his claw.
I nod, and release Veera. She meets the Heracross, and they chat for a minute, and Veera looks at me. "He says he's interested in following you. As in you be his trainer. He's powerful, I can tell."
"Sure, what the hell, until Abby gets back." I say. Still on shock, I toss a spare pokéball at him, and he enters in the known red flash, and remains in the ball.
"Well, now what?" Asks Veera.
"We travel to the nearest city and sleep. I need a damned bed."
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