I was angry.
"BRIAR! WE'RE BATTLING!" The Piece Center had a small training arena in the back, and I made a beeline for it. Skyra floated above me with Eris; I could hear the other Pieces catching up. "Get your Pokémon out," I said to Brendan.
"Pieces," Brendan corrected while taking out his other PEN. Aspen leapt onto his shoulders. "I calculated wrongly. Why are you so angry?"
Because she hates bad memories.
I chose to stay silent. Brendan tossed his PEN and a Wingull materialized. She looked similar to Peeko, Mr. Briney's Wingull, but she had higher cheekbones and a small, pert mouth.
"Go ahead, Bagel." The Wingull effortlessly rose into the air, wheeling in wide, lazy circles.
"Lexa?" Torrent whispered, "You're shaking."
"No, I'm not," I spat, "Get in there, Torrent."
"Well, okay, but my levels-"
Did I ask?
"Did I ask?"
Torrent shook his head. He was about to step into the training ground when Briar stepped in first.
"Get. The. Fuck. Out. Briar." He said nothing, and merely adjusted his peach-colored cap.
GET OUT!
The voice in my head was overpowering.
"GET OUT!"
He continued to act as if I weren't there.
"Bagel, Wing Attack." She whirled in the air and I saw that the feathers on her wings were standing out sharply. Briar was thrown back when she swooped down and rammed into him with her wings, cutting him badly. Blood dripped into domed droplets on the dusty ground, sparkling in the sun.
BRIAR! GET BACK HERE!
"BRIAR!" I screamed, "GET BACK HERE!" Instead, he wearily got to his feet and pulled his slingshot back. Bagel faltered in the air for a second and dropped, blood dripping out of her nose. Her wings look on a golden hue because of the veins that had broken. But before she hit the ground, she fluttered her wings, staying airborne.
"Wing Attack, Bagel." She slammed into Briar again, and this time he stayed on the ground on his back. Spitting blood out of his mouth, he pulled back his slingshot with trembling arms. Before the gold blood came bursting out of her, the orb of blue light encased and protected the Wingull. It disappeared when Brendan clicked the button on the PEN. Briar and Skyra exchanged a look and she spiraled in as Aspen jumped towards her.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!" I grabbed Briar by the shirt from the ground, shaking him, his blood flecking on my face.
I AM THE TRAINER! LISTEN TO ME!
The voice filled my lungs.
"I AM THE TRAINER! LISTEN TO ME!"
Skyra stabbed Aspen with her daggers at the same time Briar slapped my face.
"Stop it," he said quietly. "Just shut the hell up until this battle is over." He hit me again when my mouth opened angrily. Behind him, Skyra Pecked Aspen again, but missed when Aspen jumped sideways. "Don't fight when you're angry. You tried to send Torrent out against Brendan's Wingull. Do you know what level Torrent is? When's the last time you've checked? We will die if you stay like this." He coughed and my face was coated with blood. "Snap out of it and get your shit together." He pushed me and I sat, stunned, while he crawled away and lay on the ground, his back to me. Eris and Torrent crowded around Briar, asking him if he was alright. He responded with a nod. Skyra finished up the battle and once again, Aspen was wrapped in the blue light, alive.
"Briar, I'm sor-"
Skyra put Briar's arm around her shoulders and flapped, helping him to his feet. They brushed past me, furious. Torrent kissed me lightly on the cheek and followed after them, taking Eris with him. Foxglove was already gone. The sudden silence was deafening.
"I'm sorry I provoked you. I didn't realize that something had effected you in your past," Brendan said and crouched in front of me. I could smell the sunny scent of a warm meadow. "I won't disappear on you." I still did not look up. "And I promise I won't cut anymore."
"Leave me alone. Please. I beg you," I asked softly. There was a pause. A small, black rectangle landed on my lap.
"That's the Cut USB. Attach it to your Icon and let your Piece listen to it. I think it'll help." I felt a soft kiss on the top of my head, then the back of my neck. His fingers lingered near my cheek. "Call me." By the time I had the courage to look up, there was a piece of paper with his number in his place.
"We're going to Route 104. The cottage where your wrist was healed was probably Mr. Briney's, but I'm not sure, since I never saw it. We need to get to Dewford, and maybe Mr. Briney has a boat or something. We're leaving in ten minutes. Are you packed up?"
"Look, Briar-"
"Are you packed up?"
I sighed.
"Yes."
"Don't worry!" Foxglove said cheerfully, when the Shroomish had stalked past me, "Briar just thinks you still need to get your game together. But he still loves you! And so do we!" His mood rapidly became angry. "But love doesn't exist." I looked at him, confused. "What are you looking at, Master?"
"...Nothing..." He snorted and turned away, while I fished my Icon out of my pocket. "GLaDOS, are you sure this is normal? He's not like this because of me, right? I'm wondering how it will be if I take him to the Piece Keepers like this. Should I just keep going?"
"This is your fault. It didn't have to be like this. I'm not kidding! Turn back, or I will kill you! I'm going to kill you, and all the cake is gone! You don't even care, do you? This is your last chance!"
"None of that even made sense." I felt a small tug on my sleeve and looked down to see Torrent standing next to me. Crouching so that my head was level with his, I took both his hands. "Oh, hey. Hey, Torrent." He smiled hopefully.
"So are you better now?" I pulled him into a hug, inhaling the scent of running water.
"Yeah. I'm sorry, Torrent. I didn't know what I was thinking. I'm so sorry. I don't want anything to happen to you," I said.
"It's okay!" He snuggled back, squeezing tightly. "You were just having a bad day." He pulled away. "I'll go get Foxglove so you can teach him Cut, okay?" When he ran off, I pulled out GLaDOS again.
"I love the fact you only let me out when I'm necessary."
"You know, you're almost as annoying as the Navi from Zelda. Do you know her, or do you just know Portal games?" Something clicked inside the Icon.
"Hey, listen!" said a high-pitched voice. "Hey, listen!"
"Oh, God."
"Hey, listen!"
"Shut up!"
"Hey, listen! Hey, listen! Hey, listen! Hey, listen! Hey-" I slammed GLaDOS to the ground and there was a cracking sound. After thirty seconds of silence, it spit out a cracked chip. "That thing you broke isn't important to me," it said when I picked it up again, "It's the fluid catalytic cracking unit. It makes shoes for orphans... nice job breaking it, hero."
"Oh, I found the USB port. Torrent did you get Foxglove?"
"Yep!" I fished around in my bag for the USB. "GLaDOS, are you ready?"
"Good news. I figured what that thing you just broke did. It was a morality core they installed after I flooded the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin, to make me stop flooding the Enrichment Center with a deadly neurotoxin. So get comfortable while I warm up the neurotoxin emitters."
"Good thing you're the size of my hand, then. Shut up and load the damn USB," I said, shoving the Cut USB into the port. The Icon dinged and showed a loading bar on the screen.
"Welcome!" said a computerized male voice, when the bar had finished loading, "You have uploaded the Cut USB. What would you like to do next?" On the screen, there were three buttons: USB Icon Program Information, Cut USB Information, and Start Cut USB Program. I tapped the first button. "For centuries, scientists have known that Pieces pass on moves to their progeny through oral, song-like instructions. Even as developing eggs, parents sing to their children to determine the move set given. Eggs without parents have a default genetic code that is triggered and expressed. Different moves, and thus, different instructions are encoded in different genes. A hundred years ago, humanity embarked upon one of the greatest adventures in gaining knowledge on Pieces, the Piece Genome Project. In this project, scientist attempted to isolate the genes in Pieces that triggered certain instructions for moves, and record the instructions themselves. The project is being continued today, and everyday, more moves are being recorded and manufactured into both discs and USBs. This Icon is one of twenty official Icons. It has the capability of reading both USBs and discs, which otherwise would have to be read by a computer at the Piece Center. Would you like to learn more about moves?"
"Yes."
"As Pieces grow in level, they also trigger parts of their genetic code, learning the instructions for a move. At the same time, another move, of the Piece's choice, is triggered to be forgotten. MRI scans of the Piece's brain, before and after a move has been forgotten, shows images that are similar to the scans of the brains of first-stage human Alzheimer patients. However, there are no confirmed malignant symptoms, as there are with the human Alzheimer disease. The common legend for the unexplainable four-move limit has to do with the 'legendary Pieces'. In folklore, the original legendary Piece that made the agreement with humanity is said to have put a limit on the move set of captured Pieces so that they would not overpower their human counterparts. Scientists have their own explanations. The most common theory is that the original PENs (made of Apricorns, which emit their own weak electric waves) had electromagnetic waves that only allowed four genes, of the many genes set aside for moves, to be expressed. The current PEN, which uses Apricorn wood, laminated with plastic, is said to copy the electromagnetic waves. However, PALs, which are also made from laminated Apricorn wood but reinforced by human technology, have a stronger form of these waves, which makes them a better choice for C-Keys. It has been observed that wild Pieces that have never been put into a PEN or a PAL can have more than four moves."
"I'm getting bored here."
"Quiet, Foxglove. This is interesting." The screen was back to the three buttons and I pressed the second one.
"This is the Cut USB. Since it is a USB, feel free to use it however many times you want, and share it with your friends. A Piece that learns this move cuts the foe with sharp scythes, claws, etc." Finally, I pressed the last button. "Please choose the Piece you would like to teach Cut to." A list of my team popped up and I chose Foxglove. "Foxglove is of the Nincada specie. He is able to learn Cut. Are you sure you want him to learn this move?"
"Yes."
"Okay. If Foxglove is in a PEN, please discuss which move to forget. If Foxglove is in a PAL, please tell it the move to be forgotten. Click the 'Finished' button when finished." I turned to him.
"Which one do you want to forget?"
"Harden. Our culture revolves around attack first. Defense is unnecessary to us."
I clicked 'Finished'.
"Thank you. Please tell your Piece to think about the move to be forgotten during the program. Do not be alarmed if, in roughly thirty minutes, your Piece suddenly cannot think of the move. This means that the first part of the program has been a success. This program will take about an hour. Is your Piece ready to start?"
Foxglove nodded.
"Yes."
"Okay. Please give the Icon to your Piece. He will not be able to use moves during this time, but will be able to function normally beside that. Remember, since moves are learned through hearing, please make sure the Piece is in hearing range of the Icon. Please touch the 'Start' button when your Piece is holding the Icon." I gave the Icon to Foxglove and pressed it. "Starting."
I wasn't sure what I was expecting.
I strained to listen, hoping to discern a voice, but rustling noises and chirps were all I heard. Occasionally, and very faintly, there were muffled taps and other muted sounds, but that was the extent of the 'song'. After listening to these very non-musical sounds for a minute, I was about to ask if the USB was broken when I caught a glimpse my Nincada's face.
"It sounds, familiar," he whispered, smiling. "Like home." He looked serene, calm... Happy. With his teeth, he made the rustling noise and continued to listen. "I can walk while listening. Let's go."
Torrent, Foxglove, and I walked through Petalburg woods, training my little Mudkip as we approached Route 104. The Nincada continued to listen, and sure enough, thirty minutes into the woods, he looked at me, confused and startled.
"I forgot the name of the move I was supposed to be thinking of."
"It's fine," I replied, brushing some leftover String Shot silk out of Torrent's hair before he happily tramped into another battle, "Just keep listening."
When the woods broke and I saw the coast, Foxglove handed the Icon back to me.
"You learned it?"
He nodded.
"I would need a tree to demonstrate, but I fear we'll have enough of those later."
"Unfortunately," I sighed.
"Lexi! I found the house!"
The cottage hadn't changed from when I had last temporarily inhabited it, writhing on its floor in pain. The scar on my wrist started to ache from the memory.
"Hello? Mr. Briney?"
"Yes? Who is it?" The old, bearded man came hobbling outside.
"It's Alexandra, sir."
"Oh! It's the kind girl that saved you Peeko!" The Wingull peeked at me from behind him, chirring. "It's nice to see you again, Alexandra. Would you like some tea? I just made some."
"Ah, yes, sir."
"You should let your Pieces out so that they can stretch a little bit."
"I was just going to do that, sir." I pressed the PENs on my belt, and the rest of my Pieces materialized. "Do any of you want tea?" Skyra simply bolted into the sky, quickly followed by Peeko; they immediately started to fly after each other.
"Torrent wants some."
"Nooooooo! Briaaaaaaar! I want to plaaaaaay!"
"Torrent, you're going to get dehydrated."
"I can just drink by using Water Gun."
"That uses energy, remember? Why do you think Alex's Icon has our PP for each move listed? It's because if we use that move after it hits zero, it starts permanently damaging us."
I stored that information in my brain.
"If you drink, I'll play catch with you and Eris."
Torrent pouted.
"Okay. But you have to play catch with us!"
Mr. Briney handed me two cups, and I gave them to Briar.
"Thank you," he said, looking at me straight in the eyes. I smiled.
"You're welcome."
I had been forgiven.
Mr. Briney handed me another cup and sat down slowly on the porch with his, his joints creaking like a wooden ship at night.
"Now, Alexandra. What can I do for you?"
"I need to get to Dewford, and then Slateport, Mr. Briney. I heard from... three other sources that you had a boat." Did Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald count as sources? "Could you possibly take us in your boat?" I asked.
"Why, that's a small favor compared to what you did for me!" He thumped his chest. "I would have sailed to Ever Grande City if you asked for it! A thousand times and back!"
I stifled a chuckle and smiled.
"Wow, you must love Peeko very much."
"Yes," he laughed, "I had Peeko ever since she was tiny thing. I had to mash up Oran berries for her, that's how small she was."
"Did you catch her in a PAL?"
His expression became horrified.
"I would never... how could you... even suggest...!"
"I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't mean any harm." I started to panic slightly. "It just that, I've met a lot of PAL users so far-" When I saw that he wasn't getting any less agitated, I tried to take his mind off the topic. "What PEN did you use to catch her?"
"I did nothing of the sort!"
The statement shook me out of my panic.
"Wait, what?"
"Peeko is wild."
"That's...?"
"We have a mutual desire to stay with each other. I give her food and a warm place, and she gives me company. She enjoys flying with me when I sail to Dewford and Slateport. I cherish the little gifts she brings me, like seashells, bits of sea glass, and the occasional Magikarp." He sat, looking like the sailor version of Buddha, peacefully listening to Peeko as she flew through the air. "Trainers that use PALs... they don't understand companionship. The world has changed, Alexandra. Changed into something far more ugly than I thought it would become. The incident two years ago," he shook his head, "it's a shame, really."
"What incident?"
"A boy that used PALs. He must have been pushing his Pieces too hard because, all of a sudden, they turned on him and killed him."
"Oh, I heard about that. Wasn't it supposed to be covered up?"
"It was. And I wouldn't have known about it if it hadn't happened right in Petalsburg over there. Everything was hushed up and some government officials came and talked to the town all slow and serious. Not to mention they distributed enough money to feed a household for a year. But they overlooked me, since I'm a just a silly old man." He sighed. "I met with the boy, too, for one day, months before the whole incident. He was so polite and courteous. But I could tell he had a wild streak in him. Warned him about it too, but he laughed it off. He saved Peeko, you know," he nodded at sky, "just like you did, except he saved her from some wild Pieces. Took him in my boat to Dewford, then Slateport."
"What did he look like?" I questioned, curious.
"I don't remember much of him. When you become as old as I am, you start to lose track of people, and they start to blur together. But I remember he had the most distinct eye color. It was almost strange, the colors. But age messes with memories."
I drew up my knees and put my head in my arms.
"What if... what if I become a bad trainer like him?" When he didn't say anything, I continued. "I saw an actual person die here. You were there. You saw how I reacted. I still have nightmares. And then... and then I messed up in a battle and almost sent Torrent to his death. I don't want a friend to die. I am so scared of it happening. I don't want to see people or Pieces die."
He glanced at me, and then turned back to his beloved Peeko.
"The world needs more trainers like you, my child."
The sentence had been simple, but warmth suddenly flooded my body.
"Thanks, Mr. Briney," I said, smiling into my knees, my voice muffled. "I really needed that."
"I'll be back in three days." Mr. Briney started up the engine again, as we stood on the small dock of Dewford. "And then it's on to Slateport. Will that be enough time?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you for the ride!" He waved, Peeko chirping above his head, and slowly pulled his boat into the ocean.
"We're going to have to train."
"I know, Briar. I think Granite Cave will be our training ground. Steven's in there, so we can give the letter to him then."
"How do you know he's in there?"
"Three sources. Also, I think I'm going to focus mostly on Torrent and Skyra. Torrent's been out of the game, lately, and Skyra has a type advantage to the gym."
"I'm glad you're starting to think things through," he said, his frown lessening.
"I was worried for a while, after the battle with Brendan," I replied, letting my Pieces out, "But I'm going to try my best. We WILL beat the Piece Keepers. And I won't lose any of you."
He didn't reply.
Dewford was nothing more than a couple of houses, a Piece Center, and a Gym. But it was right by the ocean, and beat with the rhythm of the waves. The roofs were all grey, stained by sea salt, complimenting the muted color of the sand. Chimes made from seashells hung from eaves.
I slowly walked up the beach, letting my heart become quiet, when I eventually found myself beside a fisherman near a rocky part of the coast.
Fisherwoman, actually. The sturdy figure was clothed in worn, red clothes. Her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, jammed under a red cap, and her hazel eyes seemed to flicker with the sun on the waves. Laugh lines creased her tan face; she looked serenely over the ocean, holding a fishing pole.
"Do you mind if I sit next to you?"
She briefly looked at me.
"Not at all."
I sat, but jumped to my feet when Torrent immediately plowed out into the ocean and disappeared.
"Torrent! Where are-"
"Leave him be. He's a water type. The sea's his home."
Slightly worried, I sat down again.
"Never seen you in these parts before."
"I'm a C-Key. I'm aiming for the Piece Keepers."
"It's been a long time since we've seen a C-Key. Two years, I reckon."
"Four?"
She nodded.
"Boy with black hair. Light eyes. Carried some mighty powerful Pieces." Glancing at me again, she continued. "Carried some of that natural charisma that you seem to be hauling around."
"Me? N-natural charisma? Wow, I don't know what to say."
"It's a fact, not a compliment. How else do you think you keep those Pieces is line without a PAL?"
"They aren't unruly or anything. Most of them are really sweet."
She snorted.
"The name's Christie. Yours?"
"Alexandra."
I leaned back, letting the sound of the tide wash me clean. I couldn't help it; I loved the ocean. I had loved the ocean ever since I was little. My mom said it was something I got from my father. Looking over the waters, I couldn't see anything not to love. Suddenly, I narrowed my eyes against the sun's glare and looked closer into the water.
"Wait a second. Christie, is that a fish?"
"Look like a whiting to me," the fisherwoman responded, squinting her eyes.
Thinking about it, I had seen birds. Regular birds, like the kinds that would be in my dimension. Maybe there were more overlaps in the dimension than anyone realized. Maybe the different worlds had grown up together.
"Would you like to try?"
"Try what? Fishing?"
"Sure. You can catch mackerel here, if you're lucky, but it's mostly whiting and Magikarp." Christie nodded at her pack. "I keep an old rod in there, just in case company comes along. If you want to catch fish, use a hook and sinker. For Pieces, you need to tie something shiny to the end. Pieces love shiny stuff."
I attached a hook and a sinker to the end of the line, baiting it with tiny minnows that she had.
"My dad taught me how to fish, back when I was very little. He taught my brother, too," I said.
"Where's your daddy now?"
"Overseas. I haven't seen him since I was very little. I don't even remember what he looks like."
"You can't get in contact with him?"
"My mom says he can't use electronics where he's working. She said I just have to trust that he exists and love me. It's not hard. I still have the memories of what we did together. Just not the face." Some thing pulled at my line, hard. "What the-"
Torrent came splashing up, grinning.
"You rascal!" I laughed.
"Aren't we going to train, Lexi?"
"Oops. I forgot." Standing up, I collapsed the old rod and offered it to Christie, but she just shook her head.
"Keep it. Got to keep your daddy's tradition alive, little missy."
I ran a hand over the worn wood.
"Thanks, Christie."
She waved vaguely. I look Torrent by the hand and started towards Granite Cave.
"Okay, Torrent. Let's go train together, okay? We're going to make you into a strong, Level 20 Piece."
"Okay, Lexi!" I whistled with my fingers, the sound loud enough so that it echoed from the rocks. A small dot in the sky grew bigger and bigger, until Skrya swooped down with Briar.
"What were you guys doing?"
"Briar said flying was stupid, so I took him on an adventure."
"It's still stupid," he mumbled, his face tinged green.
"Where's Eris and Foxglove?"
"Sleeping by the cave, where there's shade."
"Briar, want to train Skyra for me?" For the first time, I saw him grin, if not a bit evilly.
"It would be my pleasure." He grabbed Skyra by her bandana and dragged her into the cave.
Foxglove woke up when I approached him, Eris sleeping on his lap. When I raised my eyebrow, he scowled.
"She wouldn't stop whining. I couldn't refuse her."
"It happens. We're going inside to train, okay?"
"Do you want the Flash USB? We helped a man who was stuck between some rocks, and he gave it to us."
"Nope. Useless move."
"I thought as much. Eris ate it."
I sighed and walked into the cave.
"Oh! Lexi! It's a new route!"
"You're right! Let's go see if another Piece will join us!"
"We haven't run into any Pieces!" I exploded, frustrated.
"I think something's scaring them." Torrent looked around. "There's somebody here. Somebody powerful."
"Is it me?"
"Oh, er," he smiled sheepishly, "You will always be powerful to me."
He giggled when I pouted.
"Sorry, Lexi. But this person's really scary." He clutched my hand and I could see his face was white. "No... not scary... but his presence is really big." We wandered closer to where Steven's cave was in the video games, still not running into any Pieces. My head felt buzzy.
"Ow," I muttered, rubbing my temples.
"Are you okay, Lexi?"
"I don't know. My heads been really weird since I got electrified. A lot of headaches and weird sounds."
"We should go to a people doctor later," he said, walking ahead of me. When we entered the cave, I looked around, hoping to find Steven so I could give him the letter. But I couldn't see anyone. The cave was empty.
Except for a glowing red dot in a shadowy corner of the room. When I walked closer, I found that it belonged to the end of a cigarette, which was in a person's mouth.
I had found Steven.
He regarded me coolly with bright jade eyes that almost glittered in the dark. His gray hair was messy, and so was his red neckerchief. With his black suit, he melted into the darkness. Removing the cigarette from his mouth, he blew smoke at me. Torrent coughed and moved away, but I stayed, inhaling the familiar scent. It didn't even sting my eyes anymore.
"That's not good for you." His voice was deep.
"My brother used to smoke." We looked at each other again. I rocked on my heels. "I have a letter for you. From your father."
"I don't care for it."
"Too bad." I took the letter out of my backpack and handed it to him. Sighing, he eased himself off the ground and took it, tearing it open and reading it. He was much taller than me, almost 6'2" to my 5'2".
"So, you are Alexandra." Smoke pooled around his head as he read.
"Did the letter mention me?"
"A bit," he said nonchalantly, still reading, "but I know you from before. Has your wrist healed?"
Recognition flooded by brain and Torrent gave a surprised shout.
"You're the man that saved me!"
Torrent barreled into him, hugging his legs.
"You're the nice man! Thank you! Thank you for saving Lexi!" Torrent bawled. Steven absent-mindedly patted Torrent's head, looking more and more concerned with the letter's contents.
"It was no trouble. I was honored to help such a lovely girl." Finally, he folded the letter and looked up, closing his eyes. Then, he took a lighter, set the letter on fire, and tossed it, picking up Torrent with an arm. "You're bound to evolve soon, little Mudkip. It's going to hurt, but it is worth it in the end."
Torrent patted Steven's cheek.
"It's okay! I'm strong! I can take it." Steven put him down.
"You're personality might change, too, but you must be nice to your C-Key."
"I'm always nice to Lexi. I love her." The grey haired man gestured for me to come to him.
"Your turn."
"Ah, no thank you. I'm not allowed to."
"Oh, please," quicker than I can react, he grabbed me by the waist and lifted me, supporting my legs with one arm so I didn't have to cling to him. "You're a little on the light side, aren't you? Have you been eating? It doesn't look like-"
"NO!" I screamed and twisted so abruptly that he dropped me. "Don't touch me!"
He looked down at me, his mouth twitching.
"And why shouldn't I touch you?"
"Because you'll do bad things to me!"
"What kind of bad things," he asked, leaning closer. I refused to back down.
"Rape me. Kill me. Eat my family."
"Hm."
I could see that he was trying not to smile.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"The fact that you have no mental connection to these 'bad things' you speak about and their meaning. Tell me, what does rape mean? Because if you really knew, you would be running away by now."
I glared at him.
"It just means a bad thing."
"Hm," he said again, running a hand through his hair. He sat back down on the ground. After a moment, I sat next to him.
"Your eyes are interesting," I stated.
"Is that so?"
"You remind me of my brother's boyfriend. He talked about him a lot, but I never met him, since they went to boarding school together for a couple of years."
"Where's your brother now?"
"He's dead."
"Did anybody comfort you?"
The question was so unexpected that I didn't know what to say.
"I guess I was comforting my mom most of the time. My dad was still overseas. My brother died two years ago. They said a car hit him. They said he had all these cuts and gashes all over him." My voice was quiet. "And I think I was more shocked then anything. We had him cremated, and threw the ashes into the ocean. My dad couldn't come, because his job is really important, but it was fine. He sent his love by letter." It looked like Steven wasn't listening, but once in a while, he would shift his eyes towards me. Torrent listened quietly next to me; I had never told him the story before. "I didn't really believe it until three days later, and by that time, he had already disappeared." My fingers traced a pattern in the dirt. "I cried later, but it doesn't really upset me now. I got over it. All I can remember are good memories."
"Liar."
"I am not a liar!" I said forcefully, my anger flaring.
"You are a liar, and you are lying to yourself. You are hurt that he would die and lonely because you don't have your brother anymore. You try to act strong, and you've gotten so good at acting that you believe it yourself."
"What-"
"But you are still a little girl, and you need to be hugged more by your parents and I can't believe they just left you alone." He said all of this calmly, as if he knew he was right, grinding out his cigarette on the ground. Torrent growled. "Oh, hush." The Mudkip fell silent, surprised. "Come here."
"No! You're a pedophile!"
"You don't know what that means. And I'm just going to hug you. Come here."
"You have a knife, and you're going to stab me in the back."
"Arceus, Alexandra. You are extremely paranoid."
I laughed.
"My brother was paranoid, too." I was pleased with the comparison. "His boyfriend called us both paranoid when I talked to him a couple of times. My brother and I were similar in a lot of ways. Our eyes were exactly the same. That's why I hate looking in a mirror, because they remind me of him."
"There you guys are! We can't find any Pieces. There's a really powerful C-Key somew-" Skyra stopped, followed by Briar, Eris, and Foxglove. "Found the source!"
Steven stood up.
"Come here."
Eris immediately ran forward, clinging to his arms. He picked her up and she nuzzled his face.
"What a pretty girl! You're a bit on the quiet side, aren't you?" Eris, normally shy around strangers, nodded and continued to nuzzle him. "Later, when Alexandra has assembled more than a full team, you should ask to be released, since you don't like fighting very much." He looked to Skyra next, but she put her hands on her hips.
"I have daggers and I know how to use them."
"I will cut off a hand if you touch me," Foxglove said, cheerfully.
Briar just glared.
"You've broken my heart." He turned to look at me. "Come on. You look hungry. I'll treat you to lunch."
"Weren't you worried that your brother liked a boy?"
I was stuffing my face with dinner rolls; Torrent was doing the same thing next to me. Steven, on the other hand, ate elegantly, the rings on his long fingers sparkling in the light of the Piece Center's dining room.
"No. It's not like Steven was bad or anything. He was actually really nice."
"His name was Steven?"
"Yep. That's why I said you reminded me of him."
"What did your brother say about him?"
I put down my roll and laughed.
"My brother isn't a very expressive person, but he really loved Steven. He talked about how happy he made him, how sweet he was. How wonderful in general. I talked to Steven a couple times online, and he was really nice."
When Steven didn't answer, I looked up and found his eyes glazed.
"Steven, are you okay?"
He shook his head, as if to clear it.
"Sorry, sorry. What happened to Steven?"
I shrugged.
"I never talked to him afterwards."
"Do you want that hug now?"
"Pedophile."
"I paid for lunch."
"So?"
His face was in his hands.
"Please?"
"No way," I said dismissively, cramming a french fry into my mouth.
He didn't make a sound.
"Steven?" I half rose from my seat. "Steven? Steven, are you okay?"
He shrugged.
"Just tired," he replied.
I remember what Brendan had said that night when I had cried, that the holding helps. So tentatively, I got up from my seat and I slid my arms around his neck, hugging him.
"On second thought, I do want a hug." The gray-haired man held my waist with an arm, still covering most of his face. He smelled like cinnamon and smoke. Soft hair brushed my face. "...Want to sleep together?"
From a nearby table, Briar and Skyra spit out their drink. Foxglove paused while wiping Eris's face.
"No wonder your brother was worried for you."
"How did you know he was worried for me?"
"Offering to sleep in other men's beds?" He was covering his eyes with one hand, so I could see that he was smiling. "Any brother would be worried."
"My brother said not to, but..." Briar was still coughing on his drink. "My friend told me... it helps to sleep with someone if you have nightmares. And I'll stay awake, so I technically won't be sleeping with you."
"I don't think that's what he meant. And I don't have nightmares."
"Well I do," I said stubbornly, knowing something was wrong with him, "So sleep with me."
Briar choked again.
Steven finally removed the hand from his eyes and when he smiled, his turquoise eyes didn't meet mine.
"If you insist," the heir of Devon Corporation conceded. "But you have to go train and I need to find some rocks."
We left the Piece Center and traveled up the beach towards the entrance of the cave. By now, the sun was high in the sky, and I was eager to get into the dark coolness of the cave.
"Steven, you have to stay out here. You keep all the Pieces away."
"I know. Give me Eris and Foxglove. I'll look after them. They can help me look for stones out here." The little Poochyena ran to him, reluctantly followed by the Nincada.
"Briar-"
"Yeah, yeah, I got Skyra." They went in first and I followed them, but lost sight of them when I turned the corner.
"Okay, Torrent. We're going to find another-"
"Look, Lexi! I found an Aron!" Torrent was stretching the cheeks of a pale girl who had on a metal helmet on with holes down the sides. Two pigtails dropped neatly down her back. Flexible metal plated the back of her hands, forearms, and shins, and she carried a small, metal, disc-shaped shield on one arm. Her black shorts and shirt were dusty. Courageous, rich, blue eyes stared back at me. "She's not even struggling. I think she wants to come with us."
"Aron," GLaDOS butted in, "the Iron Armor Piece. A Piece that is clad in steel armor. A new suit of armor is made when it evolves. The old, discarded armor is salvaged as metal for making metal products."
"That's fine with me." I approached her and tapped a button of a PEN against her head. She disappeared into the ball; the PEN didn't even rock, but clicked immediately.
"I want to come with you!" the Aron exclaimed in her high, excited voice when she materialized out of the PEN. "I want adventure! This cave is always so boring and there's nothing to do. The last trainer came two years ago, and I didn't even get to fight him! I'm brave and strong and hardy!" I was a slightly taken aback by her eagerness, but I didn't mind.
"Sure! I'll be glad to have a spirited Piece on the team! What's your name?"
"Orphan Number Forty." Before I could ask, she launched into an explanation. "Two years ago, the last trainer lost a little control over his Piece. The Piece caved in part of the ceiling, and we lost a lot of the parents. Things like this happen, so don't feel bad. I'm okay. But I don't want that name."
"How about Cobalt?" Torrent piped in.
"I like it!" She readjusted the helmet on her head. She bounced on her heels and hugged Torrent. "So do I start training now?"
"Later, Cobalt. I have to train Torrent right now because we're going to verse a gym soon. I want you to go outside, and you'll find a man named Steven. Go hang out with him a little bit."
"Yes, ma'am!" She saluted and marched out of the entrance of the cave.
"I like her!" Torrent said, "And she's tough, just like me."
I ruffled his hair.
"Just like you, Torrent."
We went deeper and deeper into the cave, training Torrent until his moves were stronger and his reflexes sharper. At first, light filtered in through cracks in the ceiling but it eventually got dark enough to pull out my iPhone and light the way. However, it wasn't a powerful light, and I could only see in a small circle in front of me. Torrent took tight hold of my hand so that I wouldn't fall, since his hearing and eyesight were better.
"Lexi, we should go back now."
"Good idea. I really can't see anything. We'll train in the light." So, we turned, traced our steps. I could see the vague outline of Torrent's face again when he let go of my hand and darted off to the right. I heard a Screech and a dark figure jumping back from Torrent's Water Gun. There was a Scratch and he rolled, immediately getting back up to Tackle the figure. With one last scream, it dissolved into stars, which whirled into his necklace, briefly lighting up his face.
"Torrent leveled up," GLaDOS pinged. "Evolution is imminent."
"Hey! Did you hear that? You're going to ev—"
Torrent screamed until all the Zubats in the cave screamed along with him. Behind him, parts of the ceiling crashed into the floor, sending a wave of dust rolling into my nose and eyes.
"IT HURTS! LEXA! SAVE ME! IT HURTS! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"
"TORRENT?!" I stumbled forward, coughing, wiping my watering eyes, until I was kneeling on the ground next to him. "Torrent! Hold on! I'm going to get you out!"
"DON'T TOUCH ME! IT HURTS! AHHHHHHHH! STOP IT!" I heard bones cracking, rearranging themselves in his body. In the dim light, I could see his skin twisting and folding, and his clothes melted into steaming water.
His back arched in an impossible angle, then he fell back, silent. Slowly, his necklace stopped spinning.
It exploded in a blinding flash of gold light that illuminated every corner of the cave. For one second, I could see every detail before me, the location of every ledge, crevice, and boulder.
After that dazzling light, we were swallowed by darkness so intense, I felt as if my breathing was smothered. The ceiling no longer let in light through its chinks, and thick dust filled the air.
"Torrent?! Are you there?!" Stormy-grey eyes look back at me from the ground.
"What do you think?"
"Torrent?"
"The one and only." The eyes moved away from the ground. "Arceus, I feel good." A set of hands scooped me up and put me on my feet. "Grab the back of my shirt. Don't hold my hand."
"Someone hit puberty," I muttered, grabbing the soft fabric of his shirt. "Can you see?"
"Crystal clear." I heard a metallic click. "Let's see if I can get us out of here." There was a sound of a gunshot, and a chunk of light poured through. Now that I wasn't wallowing in the darkness, I could see the wall of collapsed rocks in front of us.
"Alexandra?! Are you okay?!"
"Yeah, Steven. I'm fine. Did Briar and Skyra get out? And Cobalt?"
"Yes, they're all here!"
"Shut up and move back," Torrent growled.
Torrent held something up and shot a powerful blast of mud at the wall. Another part of the wall tore loose.
It was a gun. Shining metallic in the sunlight, it reloaded itself one more time, and he shot the wall again, breaking a path through the debris. His fingers touched something on both guns before he swept away the leftover pieces of rock in front of us with a double jet of water.
"Okay, let go of my jacket." As soon as I did, he strode forward and put on orange, hexagonal headphones. His clothes had changed from a simple shirt and shorts to an orange v-neck, an ocean-blue jacket, and dark blue jeans. He also had on burnt-orange shin and forearm protectors.
"Oh good, he evolved," Steven said when I picked my way through the bits of rock towards him.
"Steven?"
"Yes?"
"That was the first time I've ever heard Torrent say something hurt."
Steven's head tilted.
"Don't you know? Starter Piece species aren't just randomly picked. They're chosen because they have some kind of disability so that starter C-Keys won't be overwhelmed by their power. It's always been this way. Torrent probably couldn't feel pain. Many can't speak-" I immediately thought about Aspen, "-or hear, or see. The list goes on."
"What about Torrent now? As a Marshtomp?"
"You should ask him yourself."
"Steven?"
"Yes?"
"Can I have a hug?"
Immediately, I was pulled to his front. Steven put his chin on my head and I smelled cinnamon and cigarette smoke again.
"Was it scary?"
"Yeah." I turned around and buried my head into his shoulder. He had to bend down to reach me. "I was really scared. And your hair is really soft."
"So is yours." I felt him run his hand through the ends.
"Steven, can you carry me to the Piece center? I think I twisted my ankle."
"Of course." He lifted me up like he did before, supporting my legs so that I used almost no strength keeping myself up.
"No, I'll do that," Torrent cut in. He looked like he was my age now, and was taller than me, though shorter than Steven. "Put her down."
Steven's emerald eyes were amused. He gently placed me on the ground and Torrent crouched so that he could carry me on his back.
"Aren't I heavy?" I asked, when he had straightened up.
"Doesn't matter," he replied curtly, starting forward.
"Sheesh. This is coming from the person who didn't want to hold my hand earlier."
"Because I was holding guns. I'll hold your hand if you want. I could conquer the world with one hand, as long as you held the other."
"I'm writing that one down," Steven murmured, grinning.
"You're still saying cute things even though you went through puberty." I was blushing.
"My heart stayed the same. It will always stay the same."