Hello peoples! I've got the first update for this week up(no, I never would have guessed.) To anyone who is still reading this and hasn't lost patience with it(like most people would have, even though it's only the second chapter) thank you. And to the two people who are reviewing this, thanks.

Akozu Heiwa: Well... I guess it's somewhat Obliviashipping now, you'll find out when you read the chapter, but I'm glad you're enjoying it at all, I'm just writing and publishing it for the sheer fun of it all.

Ranger Belle: Again, I honestly don't think it's that good, but, then again, you're your own worst critic. I can't really answer your questions... it would be spoiling the plot(what little I have planned of it answers your question eventually). As for your last comment on my spelling, I have one simple phrase to answer it with: I suck at spelling and grammar. Not to mention I only just found the spell check on this two days ago, I can be such a herp derp (dummy) sometimes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Nintendo, nor do I ever want to.

Word count: 2,155 words

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One Last Summer

Chapter 2

Shelter from the storm

The wind was blowing harshly from the ocean. It wasn't like some gentle breeze, no it was the type of wind where you could be blown back with ease if you have an open jacket. So I had my arms wrapped around my midsection trying to keep my red jacket with white sleeves and yellow lining at the bottom to stay on. My dandelion yellow scarf, which was wrapped around my neck, was billowing in the wind. The sky looked like it was covered in a gray blanket, but it held no warmth, only a cruel chill. A storm was brewing, and the people in Cocona Village had better be prepared for it, because it looked like it would be pretty bad, then again, when have I ever been right about anything that had to do with the weather.

"HEY!" A voiced hollered. I think I jumped in surprise. The figure was getting closer, it was Ben. "What's he doing up so early?" I mentally questioned "He never wakes up at the crack of dawn, that was always me. Meh, must be because he couldn't sleep." "What's up, Sum?" The teenager asked when he was only a few feet away from me.

"Ben," I groaned, my cheeks an unnoticable pink "how many times have I told you not to call me Sum?" It was a rhetorical question, of course, but Ben was starting to count on his fingers how many times I had told him. An audible laugh escaped my lips and I said "It was a rhetorical question, Benji."

Ben cheeks flushed a pale shade of pink at the sound of his nickname. "How many times have I told you not to call me that, Summer?" I thought for a moment before replying.

"As many times as I've told you not to call me Sum." At that we both broke down laughing. Anyone who looked at us could tell we were more than just partners, we were friends, best friends. After regaining control of ourselves I asked the thing that was on my mind, besides that darn nightmare, of course- Ben didn't need to know about that though. "So what're you doing up so early? You're generally asleep until, like, noon, at least. That is unless someone woke you up before then. That and why would you bother walking all the way down here from Rand's house?" While I chose to stay at Booker's, Ben had chosen to stay at Rand's mainly because I refused the offer that his daughter, Nema, had given me. In fact, I was the one who suggested to her that she ask Ben if he wanted to stay with them. Ben had accepted, to no one's surprise.

The boy just shrugged answering the question with a simple statement. "I felt like it, I guess." For some reason part of me thought that the answer he gave was forced, like it was a lie. But he was looking me straight in the eye, if he was lying he wouldn't do that (his eyes would be looking at the floor or to the sky) and he has no reason to lie to me anyway. He turned his hazel eyed gaze to the stormy gray ocean, right to where Dolce Island used to be. "I'm never going to get used to that, ya know."

Looking at the same spot he was, I sighed "Ya... I know." Then my bark brown eyes went to the sand, as if I was interested in it rather than where the island once was; I whispered in an inaudible tone, my voice wavering "And it's all my fault." A tear must have rolled down my cheek because before I knew it Ben had his arm around me and was looking at me with sympathy.

"It's not, your fault you know," Ben whispered in my ear, pushing back my hair, ignoring my goggles. "So you can stop thinking it is. It's Purple Eyes' fault. He's the one that pushed the button, not you, we were just there-"

"We were there!" I shouted, pushing away from him and throwing my hands up to emphasize my point "I could have stopped it! I could have gotten on Latias and-"

"And what, Summer?" Ben interrupted, his voice stern, controlling, somewhat shocking me; Ben hardly ever was serious about, well, anything. "Then Latias would have been pinched and used against us, against me because they would have caught you, just like they caught me at the start of it." He looked down at the last ten words, as though he were ashamed of it. Knowing him he probably was it was a blow to his pride, after all. Kid always thought he'd be the one saving me, he never expected it to be the other way around. But I had to agree, he had a point, they could have easily pinched Latias like all those other Pokémon they had captured. And that would have left me free falling, only to be caught by either Ben, which wouldn't be very likely, or the Pokémon Pinchers, which would have most likely happened.

"Still, I feel like I could have done something to stop it."

He turned my head towards him and made me look him in the eyes "And what would you have done? Summer, the past is the past, so stop worrying about it, okay." With that being said, he pulled me into a brotherly hug, one of comfort, and concern. I hugged him back, burying my face into his chest; tears fell freely from my brown eyes. Sometimes it seemed like Ben was more like a brother to me than my own brother was. And, even though I'd never admit it to his face, I looked up to him as an older brother, the older brother that mine never was, he was the caring family I never had. He was the only one, besides Pichu, I felt I could truly trust with my life.

There was a flash of lightning, followed by a resounding clap of thunder, I had almost forgotten about the fact that there was a storm coming. Nor had I noticed the small droplets of water that had begun to fall from the gray sky; or the fact that the wind had picked up, blowing harder, and colder than before. Blowing so hard in fact, that trees had begun to bend over because of it. The waves had started to crash the shore reaching us, and lapping at our sneakers. All the while I stayed in his embrace, letting the tears that I wouldn't let anyone else see fall. For the past few weeks I'd been forcing myself to hold them back, and, honestly, it felt... good to be able to let them out.

As much as I didn't want to, I pulled him away from the hug. There was a wet spot on his uniform from where I had cried, but it could easily be blamed on the rain that was starting to bombard us. My eyes must have been a little red from all the crying, but I didn't care. "Come on," I told him, my voice calm and level despite having just cried "We should get inside Booker's shack. At least there, we'll be dry, and warm. 'Sides, I don't think he'd mind you staying through the storm." He nodded in agreement.

"Alright, sounds good to me." With that being said I motioned for him to follow me and the two of us walked to Booker's, the lights were on now and you could see movement coming from inside. In one of the windows you could see Pichu, staring out, waiting for his friend to come back. I knew I didn't have to lead Ben to Booker's, but I figured he would have followed me anyway. We trudged through the sand that was starting to act like wet cement, firm enough to walk on for a moment, but if you stayed there you sink in and get stuck.

I didn't even bother knocking on the wooden door, I didn't need to, not like many people ever came to see Booker and Nick nowadays. Speaking of the two they were working on an oak wood boat when we came in. Nick was the first to look up and see us. "Oh, there you are Summer." He said in a happy tone. "I thought you might have gotten caught in the storm and pulled out to sea by the high tide never to be seen-"

"Nick!" Booker, Ben and I all yelled simultaneously. Ben looked at me and I looked at him, then, at the same exact time, we laughed.

"Aw, you two would make a great couple, have you ever thought about that. I mean you both get along so well together and I can just imagine you guys would be great parents." Nick said lost in a world of his own… again.

"What?!" I yelled, my face turning a pale shade of pink for the second time that day.

"No way!" Ben shouted. I looked at him, and he looked at me. Part of me does love him, but it's only a brother/sister love, and I was fine with that. And, somehow, I think he feels the same way about me.

"Alright, boy "Booker started, looking at Nick. "Enough of those silly stories of yours." Then he turned to Ben"Make yourself at home." Turning his head to me he continued "Summer, you know where the blankets are, why don't you fetch one for your friend."

"Pichu!" The electric Pokémon called out, running as fast as he could towards me, then jumping into me. I was completely unprepared and just barely caught him, spinning in a circle while I did. Pichu laughed and I joined in. "Pichu pi pichu!" he said happily nudging me.

I was so focused on my little friend I hadn't even noticed Ben had his hand on my right shoulder, and that Booker and Nick were smiling. "Pichu was waiting for you to return, never left that window 'til now." The old man moved closer and whispered in my ear "I think he believed Nick's fantasies." At the thought of that I chuckled.

Ben moved a little closer to me and muttered to me, under his breath "What's so funny?" So I motioned for him to allow me to whisper in his ear what Booker said. He laughed, and I continued to chuckle.

"Come on," I say after we finally stopped laughing "I'll go get you a blanket." I looked at the tiny Pokémon in my arms and told him in a gentle voice "Sorry, buddy, I gotta put you down now." The little guy seemed disappointed by that, but he hopped out of my arms. Slowly I walked over to a cupboard next to where my makeshift bed was, and opened it revealing a small pile of blankets on top of a pile of wood. After grabbing the one on top, a navy blue quilt, I tossed it to Ben. Clearly he hadn't been expecting it because he almost dropped it, even though it hit him in the face.

"Give me a warning next time you throw something at my face." Ben hollered annoyed, while he wrapped the quilt around himself even though he was somewhat drier than before. The rain was still beating against the window, the waves were getting stronger. Another flash of lightning, another boom from thunder, another howl from the wind.

"This storm isn't going to stop soon, is it?" I ask to no one in particular, not expecting an answer from anybody. My black blanket was wrapped around my shoulders, Ben was right next to me on the makeshift bed, Pichu was curled up on the little pillow that was set up for him, Booker and Nick were hard at work on their boat. Sometimes I wondered why they still bothered, not like they had Dolce Island to sail to anymore, then again, there will always be a fisher or someone like that who could use it. "Maybe one day we could take one of Booker's boats and sail away for a bit, you know. Just hang out for once." I whispered softly to Ben.

He looked at me, and smiled lightly whispering back "Maybe." The dirt brown haired boy moved closer to me, and I moved closer to him. Soon enough my head was on his shoulder and his arm was wrapped around me. It was… nice, to say the least. My eyes slowly close as sleep took me for its own.

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Well, that's all I got. Honestly I had a lot of fun writing Nick, maybe because he's just wacky. Speaking of which, did I write Nick and Booker out of character, they don't appear much in the story but I want to at least try and get them close to their original characters. With that being asked... see ya later this week, later peoples!

Ember