Chapter 16

The next thing Felix knew he was staring at the red ceiling of his tent. When he fully came to, he sat bolt upright. He frantically slithered out of his sleeping bag and opened the tent door.

"WHERE AM I!" bellowed Felix.

To his surprise, Daisy was leaning her back against some boulders with Nidorina's head resting in her lap. Graveler sat across from her, sleeping between two other boulders.

Daisy looked up at Felix and her face brightened. She bounded up off the ground and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"I'm so glad you're awake! I thought I lost you!" cried Daisy.

"I- Who- What happened?" stammered Felix. He really wanted to ask why no one rescued Pikachu and why they were all sitting around, but thought better of it. He decided he needed to accept that everyone was trying their best. He remembered that he considered turning back under much less difficult circumstances and it was Daisy that convinced him to push forward. She just saved his life. This softened his heart.

Daisy relinquished her embrace and the two friends sat together against the rocks.

"After Pikachu was captured, you took off after them. But Ekans attacked you with her Poison Sting attack and the venom slowed you down until you passed out. I started to panic so I sprayed an Antidote on your wound, hoping it would work on a human. In the meantime, the Pokemon and I set up camp and Graveler carried you into your sleeping bag. It's only been about half an hour since we settled down," recounted Daisy.

Felix began to speak, but Daisy interrupted him. "I know what you're thinking. We tried. We really did. Graveler continued his pursuit after Ekans threw Nidorina in his way. The poison started wearing him down, too. I had to use an Antidote on him. Nidorina was still catching her breath after being suffocated. I had to make sure you were alright. We really, really tried our best. I've been thinking of Pikachu all this time!"

Felix turned his head and curled one side of his mouth into a polite smirk. "What I was going to say was 'thank you.'"

Daisy beamed and leaned her head on Felix's shoulder. Felix widened his eyes for a moment in shock, but the feeling was soon replaced with a temporary peace. He put his arm around her shoulder and the two of them cuddled as Nidorina returned her head to Daisy's lap.

Felix gazed at his surroundings and realized they were in a small, makeshift barricade. Daisy had found a small alcove in the cave and had Graveler and Nidorina move a few rocks to keep them hidden. Graveler wasn't just sleeping between two rocks, he was a rock completing the barrier, and was also keeping watch.

After a while of enjoying each other's company, the two trainers stood up and retired to their separate tents.

The next day, Felix and Daisy walked a short distance to the ladder that would lead them back up to the surface and out of the cold cave of Mt. Moon. Upon reaching the top, the pair found themselves holding their arms in close to warm themselves from the frigid, high-speed wind. Once again they followed a path through a canyon. The high elevation made the air thin and hard to breathe. The wind was constant, ranging from a strong breeze to severe windstorms. Felix and Daisy often walked with their arms linked, using Felix's jacket as a shield against the powerful gusts. They were tired, hungry, and covered in dust. Finally, after many days, the path came to a lake that marked the outskirts of Cerulean City.

The city was nestled at the mouth of a small valley. It sat in the shadows of Mt. Moon, which stood west of the city; Mt. Cerulean, home of the mysterious Cerulean Cave, standing to the northwest; and far to the east was Mt. Lavender, Dark Tunnel running through its depths and the hijacked Power Plant secluded on the other side. These mountains were known as The Three Peaks, the highest points of the Cascade Mountain Range that surrounded the cozy city.

Cerulean City was a sight for sore eyes for the fatigued children. They followed the lakeshore into the city and wandered looking for shelter. It was still windy, but now rain started to fall. The streets were mostly barren. The few pedestrians out on the streets looked weary with their heads on a swivel. A sight at the end of the street brought clarity as to why.

Officer Jenny stood at the front door of a harshly vandalized residence. The pair approached her.

"What happened here, Officer?" asked Daisy politely.

"These poor people here were robbed," Officer Jenny replied. "We're positive Team Rocket is behind this terrible deed."

Felix stared in dismay thinking about the possibility of another boy just like him that had his Pokemon stolen or a close family member taken from him.

"Can we talk to the family?" asked Felix.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Besides, they aren't home at the moment. They've taken refuge at the Pokemon Gym," said Officer Jenny.

Felix sighed in disappointment. "Have you come any closer to figuring out who killed my mother?"

"Your mother? Who are y– oh! Are you the kid from Pallet Town?"

Felix nodded.

"I'm sorry, dear. We're still not sure who or what the motive might've been. My small vigilante force and I are still working hard to figure it out. We're just slammed with cases like these," explained the officer.

Even more deeply disappointed, Felix and Daisy asked for directions to the Pokemon Center and went on their way.

The children walked through a residential neighborhood. At the end of the street, they could see the Pokemon Center. As they made their way toward it, a woman popped out of her door and called out to them.

"Hey, are you Felix? The kid who beat Brock recently?" she called out.

"Yes. Who's asking?" called Felix back in reply.

"My name is Melanie. I have food and a place to stay if you need it!"

Felix paused.

"Why should I trust you?"

"I knew your father!"

Felix and Daisy traded glances. That answer didn't settle their uneasy stomachs, but they knew their curiosity would get the better of them eventually, so they followed Melanie into her house.

The duo walked into what was unexpectedly a very welcoming environment. The living room was filled with lavish furniture and copious amounts of decorations containing meaningless platitudes written in fancy script. The carpet was spotless and the books on the countless shelves looked pristine. Behind the living room was an enormous kitchen that was so clean and organized, they wondered if she had ever cooked anything in it before. To their left, a staircase led to an upstairs that couldn't be seen from the ground floor.

"Please, take your shoes off and make yourselves comfortable," said Melanie.

The two trainers were afraid they were too dirty to make themselves comfortable. They reluctantly removed their shoes and sat on one of the freshly vacuumed sofas.

"What do you guys like to eat? I've got lots of food. I can get you some tea while I get dinner started," said Melanie in her high-pitched voice. She wore a pink T-shirt under her red overalls. She looked to be somewhere in her thirties.

"We'll eat anything, thank you," said Felix timidly.

"Wonderful! Why don't you two freshen up while I make dinner? There are fresh towels in the linen closet next to the bathroom. There will be hot tea ready for you when you've finished, but dinner will probably take some time," said Melanie. She walked into the kitchen and started pulling pots and pans out of the cupboards.

"Can we trust her?" whispered Daisy once Melanie was out of earshot.

"No, but we'll have to for now. I'll come with you upstairs and check for anything or anyone suspicious. You can shower first. I'll come back down and talk to Melanie while you're in there and then we can trade when you're done," whispered Felix back.

The two of them stood up from the sofa, a little embarrassed about the dirt imprint they left on it, and softly made their way upstairs. The second story was nothing elaborate, just a hallway with four rooms and a linen closet.

Felix slowly opened the first door on the left. A neatly made, king-sized, four-poster bed sat in the middle of a large master bedroom. He figured that this must be Melanie's room and decided to investigate. He glanced in the en suite bathroom, to make sure no one was hiding in it, but didn't see anything weird.

Next to the bathroom was a walk-in closet. Felix thought whatever he found in there would be the most telling, so he swung open the closet door and flipped the lightswitch. To his relief, there was no one hiding inside. She had a great deal of clothes, notably having a variety of medical scrubs, gloves, and masks in one corner. While checking for any Team Rocket symbols on her clothes, he came across a Kantonian formal military uniform covered in a transparent garment bag hanging in the back of the closet. He thought about ways he could casually ask about it as he backed away. Nothing to worry about yet.

Daisy went right when they split at the top of the stairs. The farthest room seemed to be a guest room. A twin-size bed rested up against the wall. Beside it sat a nightstand with a lamp and tabletop picture frame. She shuffled closer to see who was in the picture. She noticed right away Melanie in tactical military gear. A man wearing the same gear had his arm around her, grinning from ear to ear. Daisy noted that the man had a striking resemblance to Felix. Another man with spiky blond hair and blue eyes stood with his arms folded to their left. On the other side of the blond man were two old men, one in matching military gear with the others and another wearing a lab coat. She decided she'd have to show Felix this later if they didn't find anything incriminating. After looking in the small closet covered by a sliding door, she moved on to the next room which happened to be the bathroom.

Felix opened the last door, adjacent to Melanie's room, which looked to be her office. A PC sat on a desk decorated with pictures of Pokemon. The walls were aligned with photos of landscapes from around the world. A quick investigation of the small closet in the room led to finding nothing Felix found alarming, so he met up with Daisy in the hallway.

"Did you find anything?" he asked her quietly.

"Just a picture that I think proves she knew your dad. You'll have to see it to confirm," whispered Daisy. "You?"

"Looks like she served in the war. Her closet leads me to believe she's a medical professional of some kind," replied Felix. "I don't think she's with Team Rocket, but we still need to be on our guard. Go ahead and take your shower. I think we're the only three people in the house."

Daisy pulled a towel out from the linen closet and closed the bathroom door behind her. Felix descended back down the stairs, hoping to get answers and to find Melanie still cooking alone in her kitchen.